Summer In Pictures

My son, Aaron, posing as Forrest Gump. 

 

 

"My momma always said, Life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get."

 

When I was little, I liked squeezing open the candy in the box to see what it was. I did not like nuts or coconut.

It's good that we don't know what we are gonna get out of life. We might not look forward to every day being a new adventure and be excited about what each new day will bring.

 

 

 

 

 I'm always a little anxious when I first start out for my summer adventure and excited at the same time. I was blessed to see all of my family, a few friends, plus some great memories made.

 

Two of my grandchildren - Alexis and Gavin



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My son Mark with Alexis and Gavin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

My friend, Dorothy Taillon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Western Kentucky Botanical Garden



 

 

 

Jennifer Barron

 

The Blue Angels In Evansville, IN

 

 

 

 

 

 

My adventure is continuing as I head to Ohio to see the rest of my family.

 

 

There were also a few sad memories while visiting in Indiana. A long time friend, Ruth Anglin, passed away while I was there. Her and her husband, Benny, (who had passed away several years earlier) had been like parents to us. Thankful I'll get to see them again in Heaven.

 

Also, I was able to visit my good friend, Judy Newcom. Please pray for her as she is battling chronic leukemia. She's a wonderful lady. Her and her husband, Perry, have been a blessing in my life.

 

Like I said you never know what life is gonna give you. But I'm so thankful that I have a God who is in control.

 

To be continued................

Father's Day Adventure

 

One of the most important things I do on my trip is to go see my Dad. I never know if it will be my last time  to see him. He'll be 92 in July. He wants to make it to 96.

But each time I see him I can tell that his health goes down a little bit each time. He has a brain tumor and I know the headaches have been getting worse.

 

My Dad lives in a nursing home. The second day that I visited him, he said, "Let's get out of here."

Well I wasn't sure, but I asked the nurse and she said it would be alright. So I loaded him into my car and we went for a drive. He told me he wanted to go to my nephew's. My nephew has a lake behind his house and my Dad wanted me to see it. His mind is still sharp. He told me exactly how to get there and which roads to turn on. I was amazed. Well I didn't know he wanted to get out of my car and walk around. Before I knew it, he had the car door open getting out of the car at my nephew's. Problem - my Dad can't walk anymore. So I was trying to help him get to a chair by the lake so he could sit down. A few times I wasn't for sure if we would make it.

But he was so happy. He sit there and watched the ducks and geese and just enjoyed being outside. I was so thankful when my nephew came home. He helped me get him back to the car.

Then he wanted to go by Hardee's and get a Diablo Sandwich with hot cheese and jalapenos on it. I said, "Are you sure? Your stomach will be a mess."  But he was determined to try one. He almost ate the whole thing.

 

It was fun having an adventure with my Dad. I'm sure it wasn't the smartest thing to do, but he sure enjoyed it and I did too.

I'm thankful to still have my Dad and I'm glad I got to spend time with him on Fathers Day.

 

 

Sgt. Alvin C. York

  

 

Alvin Cullum York (December 13, 1887 – September 2, 1964), known also by his rank, Sergeant York, was one of the most decorated American soldiers in World War I. He received the Medal of Honor for leading an attack on a German machine gun nest, taking 32 machine guns, killing 20 German soldiers, and capturing 132 others.

 

 

 

 

 

On my trip I stopped by Sgt. Alvin C. York State Park. I always pass by it, but this time I decided to stop. The life of Sgt. York has always fascinated me. He had been an alcoholic, but on January 1, 1915, he accepted Jesus as his savior and changed his ways.

When World War I started, he was drafted. Because of his religion, he felt it was wrong to kill another person, even in war. But after much prayer, he decided to fight and believed that God would keep him safe.

 

 

York Home in Pall Mall, TN

Swinging bridge you have to walk over to get to Sgt. York's gravesite.

 

 

Sgt. York and his wife's graves

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The New Testament that Sgt. York carried all
 through World War I.

 

The Year of No Regrets

I hope my blog readers haven't given on me. It seems like it's been a busy couple of months.

I'm planning on getting back to writing my blog. It is good therapy for me.

I've been traveling. I always wonder how many more miles my car has on it. Have you ever watched old westerns where they ride that poor old horse until it just collapses with foam running out of its mouth and dies.

That is going to be my car. One day I'll get to where I'm going and the tires will just collapse right there in the road with foam coming out of my radiator. But I'll have no complaints because it has been a great car and we've been on many adventures together.

When I left Greenville, instead of driving straight through to Indiana, I decided to stop a few places along the way. I always say I'm going to stop here or stop there, but I never do. This time I decided I was going to stop.

I drove through the Smoky Mountains. They are so beautiful. When I see the mountains, it makes me see the mighty power of God.

Only if you have been in the deepest valley,

can you ever know how magnificent it is to be on the highest mountain.

Richard M. Nixon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Be sure to come back tomorrow for more pictures of my great adventure.



A Lesson on "Goose Sense"

"You don't have the sense that God gave a goose?"

Has anyone ever said that to you or have you said that to someone?

 The truth is - geese are really very smart.

When geese fly, they fly in formation. In a group, helping and supporting one another.

And the uplift from their wings help the ones behind them to fly and not get tired. By flying as a group they can fly 70% farther.

THEY SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER.

Also they honk to encourage one another.  We should be encouragers. Sometimes peoples just need a kind word. “I’m praying for you”, I’m here if you need to talk.”

“God loves you.” Encourage one another to go on.

THEY ENCOURAGE ONE ANOTHER.

Geese stand by one another. When a goose is sick or hurt in a formation and cannot fly any longer, two other geese stay with it to protect it until it dies or is well enough to fly again.

We should stand by one another. Be there for other people. Stand up for other people in the good and the bad.

THEY STAND BY ONE ANOTHER.

 Geese mate for life. They live and travel together and have babies until one of them dies.

The geese really have more sense than most people.

THEY STAY THE COURSE.

In a nutshell, what does GOOSE SENSE have to say to believers?
Love one another. Pray for one another. Encourage one another. Stand by one another. Lift one another up. Help one another up and out. Stand up with and for one another. Stay the course. Love one another. (I know, I said that one already, but it needs saying twice, doesn't it?)

Do you have the sense that God gave a goose?

How I Spent Spring Break

Another GOAL marked off my list. I always wanted to go zip lining. It was great. I would do it again. Everyone should try it once. 

My son Scott and Lisa, his girlfriend, took me to Myrtle Beach with them. It was great spending time with them. It was a beautiful week.  A little on the chilly side, but we still got to enjoy the ocean and making some memories.  

I also went up on the Sky Wheel. It is 187 feet tall - the second tallest Ferris Wheel in North America.

Life is good.  I am blessed by so much. I'm so thankful for the wonderful family and friends I have.

As I walked along the ocean and listened to the waves as they came rolling in, I am always amazed by God's wonderful creation. What a mighty God we serve.