Purity

 
My Bible study "sisters" tend to have a number of things in common, which is neat since we do have an age span of 10-almost 20 years.
All of us are moms.
Some of us are single.
Most of us have at least one college age student.
And 2 of our group have daughters that are now living with The Boyfriend.

Which leads to my pondering....
Do our Christian kids understand purity or holiness? Do they believe it's important to God?
(Us adults don't grasp it all either, but for this blog, it's about the young adult kids)

Now I know that living together has been the trend for a number years for young (or any age) people who "aren't ready to make a commitment". And throughout the last 30-40 years the idea of abstaining from sex before marriage has taken a massive beating, even in the most conservative of families. Doing a "trial run" is the thing to do to see if you're "compatible", and no one bats an eye (or at least not publicly)!
And especially since young folks are waiting so long to marry, abstinence is extremely difficult to maintain without spiritual fortitude (and that's not foolproof).

As Christian moms what do we say when our son or daughter lays down the gauntlet & proclaims that "'sweetie' & I are moving in together"?
What is a wise, God-inspired, response?

I have survived one of my kid's "wild hair" times. It was not pretty. I pleaded with God for wisdom for ----- & for me! More was involved than just living together, so it was tough! Did I say it was TOUGH?!!! UGH!
Wedding plans were made even as I silently pleaded with God to bring it to a screeching halt! I asked every friend I knew to pray for the situation, and miraculously, in time, the relationship fell apart, thank God!!

I don't have the answers.
As an older mom, I should have some sort of wisdom to impart.

But this one is where mom gets to talk to God a lot, and in between listens for His advice--she tries to be quiet enough so she can hear what He says.....
Remember, God loves our children more than we do.

My few suggestions:
Enlist prayer warriors, and fall on God's mercy---then pray for purity of heart for everyone.

Encouragement/Life-giving Words

This is one of my very favorite excerpts from Max Lucado.

"Words of Strength

When you talk, do not say harmful things, but say what people need—words that will help others become stronger.
Ephesians 4:29 (NCV)

Before you speak, ask: Will what I’m about to say help others become stronger?

You have the ability, with your words, to make a person stronger. Your words are to their soul what a vitamin is to their body. If you had food and saw someone starving, would you not share it? If you had water and saw someone dying of thirst, would you not give it? Of course you would. Then won’t you do the same for their hearts?
Your words are food and water!

Do not withhold encouragement from the discouraged.

Do not keep affirmation from the beaten down!

Speak words that make people stronger. Believe in them as God has believed in you."



From: A Love Worth Giving
Copyright (W Publishing Group, 2002)
Max Lucado

Wedding Joy

 

Today, this rainy August afternoon, Kathy & Alex were married before a church filled with joyful friends & family:)
Our Peace church family has been so tickled over Alex & Kathy's romance & engagement:)

Great joy:)

Since Keith & Skye were the official photographers (& I was the assistant) I have no pictures yet to post of Kathy & Alex. But I will, asap:)

I quickly snapped this photo as Kathy & I dashed from the ceremony in the sanctuary to the fellowship hall reception---which involved some rain dodging:)

A day filled joy:)
Lots of laughs & giggles & smiles:)

A wedding filled with great joy!

A Bridal Tea

 
Yesterday, Saturday afternoon, a few of us gathered for a Bridal Tea to honor our dear friend/mother/mother of boyfriend, Kathy:)
Our small group of girls shared a special time together relaxing & enjoying a calm, delicious, High Tea at The Pineapple Tea Room in downtown Apex:)

Next Saturday things will be much different! It'll probably be a little hectic before the wedding ceremony commences at 2pm:)

Surprisingly, Kathy's mom & dad are hoping to come. Her mom's been recuperating from a stroke for a year, so it's amazing they are going to try it:) Which means her sisters will be able to attend also:) Kathy's excited!

Here's to you, Kathy Gosnell Worrell:) By Saturday afternoon, you'll be Kathy Gosnell Worrell Fuller. May your life be richer & "fuller" than you have ever dreamed! Hang on to Alex's coattails at times--he's has more energy than the Energizer Bunny:)
Alex, cherish Kathy & honor her in every way:)
And let her rest now & then:) Maybe even let her sleep in late (which she LOVED to do before meeting you!):)

God bless y'all!

A Respite

 

A special gift of a weekend retreat....what a wonderful thing!

Our dear Kelley's extended family graciously allowed us use of their delightful mountain town home for the weekend while we moved Skye into her Boone apartment for her senior year at Appalachian.

Last Friday, after assembling a desk & a chest of drawers, & arranging for a mattress & frame to be delivered, we ate a delicious supper in Boone, then headed to our weekend retreat.

From the rocking chairs on the shaded deck to the white-washed cathedral ceilings to the quilt-covered comfy beds, it was the perfect place to rest, read, (enjoy my morning coffee 'which' Keith delivered to me in bed:)--will mark that down on my calendar in RED!), cook breakfast, and watch TV:) We lingered there Saturday morning, resisting any urgency to get out & explore, go shopping, or finish decorating Skye's apartment:)

And situated right between Boone & Blowing Rock:)

A blessed respite:)
Thank you to Kelley's family:)

Woodstock

After getting married, Keith & I moved to NY, close to the town of Woodstock, and within a few weeks, the Woodstock Festival took place about 30 miles from us. The crowds grew daily as people flocked to the area. We were happy enough just watching the TV news about it:)

In September I began my junior year at SUNY New Palz while Keith worked third shift at IBM.
Sometime that fall Rev. Randall from the local UMC showed up at our cabin door to ask us to be counselors for the church youth group; that group became our family:)
That winter Keith brought home a sweet puppy we named Missy:)

And, gradually, we turned into hippies:)

40 Years Ago, In The Summer Of '69

On the afternoon of August 3rd, 1969, one of the hottest, most humid Sundays ever in the Sandhills of NC, Keith and I were married in Roseland UMC by the Reverend Green.
And there was no air conditioning in the church--whoa!
So we got off to a steamy start!

My college (Sandhills Community College) girlfriends were my honor bridesmaids. My sister Christy, Keith's sister Jeannie, and my childhood friend Linda were bridesmaids. Another friend from college, Helen, was my Matron of Honor. Jim Maness was Keith's Best Man and Joe Biggerstaff was an usher, both college buddies. Another Sandhills CC friend, Felton Smith, played the organ, and he was excellent:)

This photo was taken the previous evening at the home of my Aunt Gala and Uncle Cliff who so graciously and generously hosted our Rehearsal/Reception party. It was a fun night, and I recall having a terrible case of giggles all evening!

God has blessed us abundantly through the years:) We have 3 great children, Cameron, Seth, and Skye, and a dear daughter in law Kelley (married to Seth). Cameron's girlfriend Holly is a special part of our family as well.

Happy Anniversary Keith:) I pray we'll have 40 more years of health, happiness, and laughs:)

John Adams Again

Last night I finished reading John Adams by David McCullough--finally!

At excellent book about an amazing man who saw the vision of a nation independent of Great Britain, and acted on it. Together with Thomas Jefferson and George Washington, these three men were divinely brought together in time to formulate and execute the birth of a nation!

Adams was a God-fearing gentleman who never hesitated to give the Supreme Being His due.
He firmly believed that no man should own slaves, and even as his peer Jefferson heartily agreed with abolishing slavery, Jefferson, unlike Adams, owned slaves until his death.

A quote from Adams:
"The doctrine of human equality is founded entirely in the Christian doctrine that we are all children of the same Father, all accountable to Him for our conduct to one another, all equally bound to respect each other's self love."

Ironically, John Adams & Thomas Jefferson died the same day, July 4th, 1826, on the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

I recommend this book to all lovers of history and to lovers of the well written word.
Now, to see the mini series based upon it:)


(I read McCullough's Truman a few years ago and thought McCullough told his story equally well:))

Malcolm Blue

My Uncle Malcolm died Thursday evening.

The photo here shows his oldest brother in the foreground, Uncle Barney, sitting with him on the front porch of the home place. On a Sunday afternoon when I was a child, this porch was the gathering place of my mama's brothers (my daddy was allowed there too:))

He was the last sibling to survive of the family of John Patrick Blue & Christian Ann Stewart Blue of Lobelia, NC.

An end of a generation raised in the Depression, who lost their father to a stroke in 1937 (when my mama was 12 and Malcolm & Clarence were younger) and pulled together to support each other during that extremely difficult time, the Blues were hard workers, plain God-fearing Presbyterians, who loved their Scottish heritage and spoke of that place (Scotland) as if they had seen it.

Uncle Malcolm himself was a printer by trade and worked most of his life for his brother, my Uncle Cliff, who owned The Sandhill Citizen newspaper in Aberdeen, NC

Tragically, of this Blue family in their latter years, Cliff, Malcolm, Catherene, and Clarence struggled with Alzheimer's Disease. Their mama also, "Chrish", ended her days with the same disease.
Barney and Marshall did not, thank the Lord.

This Sunday Uncle Malcolm's funeral will be held after the Stewart Reunion at Cypress Church, near Vass, NC.; his Stewart family, his home church, the place and people he loved. And he will be buried there in the cemetery where most of the Blues and Stewart's are buried. My mama use to love to walk among the grave markers there and tell us about her beloved relatives who had "gone on before her".

Rest in peace, dear Uncle Malcolm. A humble man, a quiet man, who was devoted to God, his church, and his family.

May the LORD comfort Aunt Herminia, cousin Ann and Chester, cousin Jim and Scarlett, and all the family.
We grieve with you.

You can read more and see more photos of the Blues/Stewarts at http://drpepper.jamawkinaw.com/memories.htm