God Is Already In Our Tomorrow

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Thanksgiving

“Give thanks unto the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people.”

1 Chronicles 16:8

The month of Thanksgiving is almost over. I knew the holidays would not be an easy time. You can't spend 48 Thanksgivings with someone and not miss them.

Each day I thought of something to be thankful about, because I know the Lord has blessed me more than I could ever imagine. The verse says it all. I want people to know that God has been good to me and I do give thanks to Him. I thank Him for my family and friends. I thank Him for allowing me to spend 48 Thanksgivings with Jerry Rice. I thank God for His love and especially for my salvation and knowing that someday I have the hope of seeing my husband again.

The week of Thanksgiving I had the pleasure of flying to San Antonio with two of my grand children, Alexis and Gavin, to spend the week with my youngest son, Mark. San Antonio, Texas is a beautiful place. It was nice to meet some of my son's friends while I was there and spend Thanksgiving with Adrian Meza and his family.

I Love Flying!!!!

Mark, Gavin, and Alexis

River Walk

"Feliz Navidad" from Sea World in San Antonio, TX

There is no place like Bass Pro Shop

White Museum

Downtown River Walk

Can you imagine someone actually raising snakes.

Gruene Mansion Inn in Gruene, TX.
Gruene is an old German Settlement.

Gristmill Restaurant in Gruene, TX where we ate. It overlooks
the Guadalupe River.

My son, Mark, and his friend, Adrian

Sunday, November 11, 2012

Happy Veteran's Day

I want to thank the men and women who have served throughout the years to protect our country and to give us our freedom.

The spring before Jerry got sick, we had a chance to go to Washington, D.C. One of the most memorable parts of the trip was seeing the different armed services memorials and visiting Arlington Cemetery. I kept thinking about the mothers who lost their sons, wives who lost husbands, children who lost dads.

Arlington Cemetery

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

I was born two years after World War II ended and three years before the Korean War. I grew up hearing war stories. Jerry and I both had dads and other family members who served their country.

Ernest Layman, Jerry's Grandpa
World War I

Jerry's Dad, Norris W. Rice
World War II

My Dad, John Knight
World War II

Something I'll never understand is what makes a man fight for his fellow country men, people that he doesn't know. What makes a soldier sacrifice their lives so that we can have the freedom that we have today.

Then I remember an old rugged cross and a God who sacrificed His only Son to battle death and hell so that we might have the freedom from our sins and eternal life.

THANK YOU VETERANS!!!!!

Friday, November 2, 2012

Amish Country in Ohio

When I was in Ohio, I had the chance one day to go to Amish Country. It was a fall day and my son, Scott, and I had a great time.

I would have a hard time living like the Amish. I like electricity, driving cars, television, and all the other modern conveniences of our time. But, they sure can make delicious foods like pretzels and kettle corn; and they do beautiful woodworking.

We had to drive through an old covered bridge to get there.

Making Kettle Corn

I want to thank everyone for all their prayers and love. Please pray for me as the holidays are approaching. I know each first (first Thanksgiving, first Christmas, etc.) will be different, not celebrating them with Jerry. I'm so thankful for a God who loves me and who will give me the strength I need for each day.

Thursday, October 25, 2012

My Home Town

Everybody needs a place they call home.

My home was always where Jerry and our sons were at. As long as I was with Jerry and family, I could make any place home.

When I went on my trip, I visited my home town, Newburgh, Indiana. It was where Jerry and I grew up. It was a place full of good memories and a place I felt good being there.

Newburgh is a little river town on the banks of the Ohio River. My family moved there when I was in the second grade.

I attended Newburgh Grade School, an old school built in 1924. I still remember the wooden stairs worn from all the traffic through the years. Every morning we would say the Pledge of Allegiance and as you came down the stairs, there on the wall was the Ten Commandments. One day a week we went to religious education classes in a church that is still there today. I remember the first verse they taught us was John 3:16. Can you imagine a public school that believed a child should have a day of religious education. It sure was different than today.

When we had fire drills we slid down a big tube on the outside of the building. Fire drills were a lot of fun.

The school is no longer there, but all the memories are.

As I walked around the town, my mind was filled with thoughts of Jerry and growing up in that little town. I was afraid I would feel sad, but I just kept trying to remember all the good times.

One of our favorite places is the Newburgh Country Store. It was once the old Catholic School in Newburgh, Indiana. The bus we rode to school would pick up the kids that went to school here and we would drop them off first. It is now a quaint little shop full of nostalgia and memorabilia.

The walls are lined with jars of old fashion candy and homemade fudge with old movie posters.

This is the old Lock and Dam Building. Jerry worked his first job here

while he was in high school.

Another one of our favorite places is Indian Hill. There was once a beautiful home here that overlooked the Ohio River. We would go up here and take walks and dream dreams.

The Ohio River

I've had a lot of different places here on earth that I have called home,

but I am so thankful that someday I'll be able to call Heaven my home.

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

The Srength of My Life

Psalm 27:1

The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?

the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

Sunday in Junior Church, my son Neal used this verse as the verse of the week. I thought about how I'm so afraid sometimes to try things and to do things on my own. My husband was always my encourager and gave me strength to do things that I was afraid of.

One of my husband's fears for me was that I would hide myself away in the house after he passed away. Part of me wants to do that sometimes. I know I can't do that. The trip helped to know that I can't do that. I have grand kids to see and love, and family and friends. If I hid myself away I wouldn't be able to enjoy all the wonderful things in the world that God has blessed me with.

While I was in Ohio, I had promised my grandson, Ethan, that I would get him some frog legs. His Grandpa and him were always talking about going frog giggin'. I found some and his daddy, Aaron, battered and fried them up. They looked beautiful and Ethan ate them. Aaron ate a little bit. I had tried them before and I am not too fond of them. I think about a frog as green and slimy and something that eats bugs. So I have a hard time eating frog legs.

But wouldn't it be sad if we never tried something new in our lives or ventured out from the ordinary everyday things. When Jerry and I were first married I wouldn't try anything new. I grew up eating fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and corn. That's what my mom ate and so that's what I ate. Jerry kept trying to get me to taste different foods. Well one day I thought I might be missing out on something that I might really like and enjoy.

So I started trying some different foods and you know what I decided - there's a lot of good food out there that I had been missing out on. Like fried shrimp, nothing is better than fried shrimp. And then Mexican food and Chinese. And my all time favorite - fried green tomatoes. Give me a plate of fried green tomatoes and a big chunk of watermelon and I'm the happiest person in the world. You might throw in a bowl of blackberry cobbler with a scoop of ice cream.

I'm so thankful for a God who is my light and my salvation and who gives me strength to face each day and each new challenge that comes my way.

Monday, October 15, 2012

Heading Home Soon

My adventure is coming to an end. I'm planning on heading home on Wednesday.

It's been a great adventure. I've got to spend time with family and friends. I relived old memories and made new memories.

I'm feeling good. I'm excited about driving home through West Virginia and enjoying the beautiful fall colors.

Fall is my feel good season. There's just something about fall that makes me feel alive.

I know a lot of people dislike fall because usually winter is not far behind. But I like winter also. I always think of winter as not a time of everything dying, but a time for nature to rest and renew itself. Then in the spring everything comes back renewed, strengthened, and more beautiful than ever.