Travel Mercy

Will you please join us in prayer for our parents?  Both sets of parents are traveling today and tomorrow.  One set South, the other set North!  Tom's parents are ending their 5 week adventure and flying from Chicago to Atlanta today and then driving from Atlanta back to Clermont (Orlando), Florida on Wednesday.  My parents are driving from Venice, Florida to Columbus today and tomorrow.  It is a little unsettling knowing they are all traveling at the same time!  We know God will be with them guiding and directing their paths.  Please pray especially for my mom who ended up with embolisms in her lungs after traveling last time.  She should be fine now that she is on a blood thinner.

Zac & Sarah

LOVE these people!

Also, Sarah traveled out to Grace College yesterday with Zac to enjoy the day with friends.  They too are traveling back today.  The house has been extra quiet while they have been gone...we miss them greatly when they are not here.
Confessions of a tough weekend:  Saturday we received the tough news that a recent WCHS graduate went home to be with the Lord.  This family is near and dear to our hearts.  I had the pleasure of serving in the middle school ministry with his mom and Tom has had many occasions getting to know and love his dad.  We grieve with them and pray that God, His Spirit and His Word will bring them much comfort as family and friends surround them to help them through this tragedy.
Sunday...Mother's Day...what a privilege to be a mother, however it was a hard reality for me as I adjusted to the fact that over the past 24 years it had been Tom who has made my Mother's Day special.  I know it sounds selfish...but I think I took for granted all that he did to make the day so special.  I have no complaints about Sunday...all three of our children worshiped with us, all three children were with me for Sunday lunch and each (well two of them) wrote the nicest notes and gave me sweet gifts.  It is still the nagging understanding of how Tom would make it special that I realized wouldn't be anymore.  I feel/felt so badly as I cried at breakfast and he thought he had hurt my feeling somehow, not realizing it was Mother's Day.  I couldn't hold it in and now realize how Hallmark can put a special day on the calendar and evoke emotions that are not god honoring.  I've sought Tom's forgiveness and I'm "coming clean" of my selfishness...but I do live in my flesh and that denying myself is a daily practice.  So those of you who hold me too highly...another confession...I didn't even call Tom's mom or my mom on their special day.  I did send a text...that wasn't enough...I was wallowing in my own selfishness.  Tom's mom did call us!  I did call my mom on Monday...I believe all is well.  Reality of a real person...me...sinful and self absorbed...working through life...praising Him for the opportunity to forgive and be forgiven when I fail.

This week we celebrated our sweet Sarah's 24th birthday.

We had a surprise visit on Thursday from my Uncle Jim and Aunt Joanne who were in town!  They brought us some of our favorite treats...Great Harvest Wheat Bread and Cinnamon Bread...yum...thank you!

Uncle Jim & Aunt "J"

We continue to be blessed with more meals...so here we go:

Lasagna, Garlic Bread, Salad

and

Strawberry Shortcake

Thank You, Mae Myers!

Stuffed Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans

and

Chocolate Chip Bars

Thank You, Beth Fields

Thank you too Beth for your sweet spirit and praying with us...you are special!

BBQ Brisket, Corn Bread, Green Beans

and

Peanut butter Brownies!

Thank You Burns Family

What a special treat to have time to visit with this dear family.

Tom, Christie, Turner, Everett, Sophie & Garrison Burns

Both Tom & Christie teach at WCHS