I'm going to Europe!

I can hardly believe I'm getting ready to go to Europe! I'll be spending my Labor Day weekend with Cheryl and Karen touring Switzerland, Italy and France to land in Kaiserslautern, Germany on Tuesday where Karen and I will lead a prayer conference (Tuesday, Thursday) for Kaiserslautern Assembly of God Church on the Vogelweh Air Force Base. Then join their prayer clinic ministry Friday night.

Only God would orchestrate such an adventure!

Cheryl teaches in the the elementary school for the military children (a fascinating job) but she spends her school holidays in Spring Hill, and has come to our church during her breaks. As she became familiar with our prayer ministry, she allowed God to use her to share the vision in Germany with her faith family there. So--at her church's invitation, Karen and I are going over the pond to spend a week with them encouraging them in their Prayer Clinic and their prayer lives.

I am humbled and honored for the opportunity. Please be praying for us--we need safe travel, good health, clear minds and open hearts. Pray that we will be bold in our witness and encouragement of the saints serving overseas. Pray also that God will use this as an opportunity to open even more doors to the Prayer Clinic ministry and to the prayer studies I've written. God is good!! And we are eager to follow Him wherever He leads.

Please pray also for Karen as she is in the midst of a move--selling her house and packing to be out just a few weeks after our return. Pray also for Karen's daughter Lauren, her granddaughter Della and her son-in-law, Joe as Joe leaves for another tour of duty with the army (while we are gone). Of course pray also for Tom and my 3 who will be fending for themselves in my absence. They'll be fine as long as I get to the grocery before I go!

Thank you for your prayers! Can't wait to tell you what God does when we return.

The Last Official Day of Summer

Wednesday was our last day of summer, and we went to the lake, Kaleigh and me and three friends. You might not find that very significant, but I personally feel like I conquered the world! Or at least, Normandy Lake!! Tuesday night we put the trailer on the suburban, then took it to the gas station and filled it with fuel. I won't mention that I neglected to notice the suburban was also in need of refueling. But we got that taken care of the next day on our way to the lake.
Then after not too many attempts, I got the boat backed down the launch ramp, and Kaleigh drove it off the trailer. I thought we made a great team! All was well until the boat sputtered and quit running about midway through the day. With 4 teens bobbing up and down in the water, I lifted the lid to the engine, carefully removed a black thing, then took off a round thing and put my finger on the flap thing. Last time the boat stopped running this is what Tom did. But, my little finger on the flap didn't work. So, I texted Tom, from Nassau, Bahamas (in customs) he suggested we pour gasoline over the carburator then try again. I just guessed that what I was fiddling with must have been the carburator, and so we poured the gasoline, and cranked the boat, VOILA! We were running smoothly for the rest of the day.

Everyone skied and tubed...and went home with only minor injuries. Any day at the lake with only minor injuries is a good day at the lake!

It was the perfect way to spend the last day of summer. Kaleigh and friends (all except boyfriend who is off to TN Tech this Fall) were in class on Thursday, miles away from Normandy and all our fun. But summer's not really over. There's still lots of sunshine, and surely another day or two at the lake. With a few more tries I might even be able to back that boat down the ramp like a professional!

August already?

Well, I didn't cry. I wanted to! But I maintained a bit of dignity and stifled the tears. Not sure that's the healthiest thing in the world. Why not just go ahead and BOO HOO everytime you feel like it!
I took TJ to Independence to get his paperwork turned in, purchase our athletic pass, take pictures and collect books. It was quite the afternoon! We normally miss all this excitement when we take our family vacation at the end of the summer. But this year, no family vacation at the end of the summer.
Kaleigh is in East Asia (or more specifically Hong Kong today). Tom's on his annual treck to the Bahamian waters for crawfishing (their crawfish are larger than our lobster!). And Mikel, TJ and I are keeping the home fires burning.
After spending the afternoon with TJ I took Mikel to walk through her schedule and fetch her supply lists at Zion Christian Academy. For her SENIOR YEAR!! Oh my--it's almost more than a Mom should be expected to handle!
But I didn't cry. Not yet anyway. Those tears are coming...in fact I am such a sap they'll probably flow all year! "the last 'first day of school', etc." I think I'll make her stand outside the front door with her backpack on and take a picture tomorrow before she leaves for her 27 mile commute.
Oh my....

How's your summer going?

So, how's your summer going? When people ask me that, my brain freezes. It's like my computer when its trying to download a picture file. The papers are shuffling, but hardly any progress is being made.

I'm not sure what keeps me so busy--it's so much I don't have time to think about it. I used to make a daily "to do" list (learned that in a YMCA sponsored employee training event years ago). I carried my list around on a yellow legal pad. If I diverted from what was written on my list, I'd write it down (after I diverted) and cross it off--just for the joy of scratching through the list! At the end of the day I took everything that wasn't "scratched" and relocate it to tomorrow's list.

But now? Every once in while I create a "to do" list for my week. I print it off and carry it around with me. But sometimes the little corners get torn off to wrap used gum--and the edges get filled with grocery lists. And somewhere in the middle of "meet so and so at such and such" I'm asked, "so, how's your summer going?" And for the life of me, I don't know!

Even chickens run around a bit after their heads are chopped off! So--a few things do come to my mind: I remember fireworks at the Braves game and 2 homeruns (July 2). I also remember fireworks in my driveway (up close and personal) when TJ and Drake lit the fuses. I remember TJ calling to say, "Mom, I was just now in a car accident!" And Mikel calling to say, "I jumped off a 25 foot cliff!" I also remember Kaleigh suffering every known side affect possible after I insisted she get the immunizations for her upcoming trip to East Asia.

I faintly remember agreeing to teach conferences at Ridgecrest (next week) and booking flights to Germany (departing September 4). I do remember serving over 1000 hotdogs on Sunday, and challenging couples to pray together. But other than that, I'm not sure how my summer's going. I think it's good. In fact, I'm sure it is.

How's yours?

Blogging, procrastinating and "bowels"

Ok, so blogging hasn't found its way into my summer schedule. With tanning, cleaning bird poo off the pool deck and getting kids to and from camps...I've hardly had time to write the checks that pay my bills, much less get on here and wax eloquent...

But, today, I'm back. The thunder is rumbling in the distance, muggy air surrounds me (that glorious weather we were enjoying up until two days ago is a distant memory), and I need to do some emails so I thought, "great time to procrastinate blog."

So...this is my procrastinate blogging. I went to the doctor a few weeks ago. First check up I'd had in 5 years. And it was COMPREHENSIVE!!! I saw a funny picture of what men ought to have to go through (a kind of male version of a mammogram....I'll leave the visuals to your imagination) and I wished it were so. But, I came out in "good" health. For so many this would be considered a "good" report. But for me, "not so good..." For ever I was in "excellent" health. And somehow my cholesterol and ldl have tipped over toward the border line between good and "could be better." How did that happen?! And I don't even want to think about my weight. Where I used to be at the low end of "healthy weight for my height and age" that also is "borderline" on the OTHER side!!

Funny how we choose to ignore what we don't want to see. And if that weren't enough--I also have a gall stone. Only OLD people have "gall stones." (Or maybe only old people talk about it!) My daughter went to visit our worship pastor's wife in the hospital yesterday and came home reporting on her "bowels." I'm having flashbacks of the Sunday afternoon organ recitals my mother and grandmother used to have!

But, here I am. I had a cheeseburger and fries (with a chocolate shake) for lunch. As if I were still 124 pounds with cholesteral free blood pumping through my 23 year old veins! And I smile.

Why? Because it's summer. I've had numerous teenagers at my pool, we've already taught a new one to water ski, I'm headed to the lake on Friday and life couldn't be better (perhaps my transport unit could use some work--but just am not sure I'm willing to work on it). TJ's playing some bball at the high school. Mikel's convinced she already knows the one and only school she wants to consider for college (sure takes a load off of our shoulders for her to make this decision so easily), both my girls have "boyfriends" (amazing how that brings peace to our home)and I have a new patio. Not only that, but our worship pastor's wife's bowels are getting much better.

School's over and I'm crazy!

I bet you've been wondering what I've been up to lately. Well, first to the mountains with Tom (and I'm not blogging about that!). Then to "share the message" on Mother's Day at TSC. If you want to listen to "Storming Hell's Gates" it's already been archived at www.thompsonstationchurch.org (look in archived messages, non series). And then...it's been nonstop awards banquets, projects due, packing for trips, and other end of the school year festivities.

I did take a road trip to Madisonville, KY last weekend. Thanks Faith Missionary BC for a GREAT WEEKEND!

And here I am. Looking forward to a great summer with my kids, and my pool, and my plans and my books. I wish I could bottle today's weather and release it in August! It's amazing!

I let TJ skip his promotion ceremony today. We let Mikel beg off when she was in the 8th grade, then scheduled a trip to the lake when Kaleigh was in the 8th grade. But TJ didn't really have a good excuse, only that he couldn't convince me to rent him a tux. So...I let him sleep. Tom had a doctor's appointment and we both have a hard time with all the "to do" over simply finishing 8th grade. Of course putting middle school behind us is worthy of a celebration! I have to admit that the only thing I might possibly miss is Mrs. Paula's phone messages.

"Hello! This is Paula Pulliam, principal of Heritage Middle School with some important information..."

TJ's up now (it's 11AM). He just got a phone call that he won the "school spirit award" and the Algebra Scholar award. I feel awful for not being there to claim those!!

Kaleigh's the only one who went to school today. She's got an art test (and chemistry tomorrow). But I'm letting her boy "interest" pick her up early! He's about to graduate this weekend and she's only 15. Am I crazy?!

And Mikel? Her school's officially over tomorrow, but she's missing today and tomorrow because I dropped her off at her boyfriend's house this morning at 7:30AM to go with his family to Louisiana.

I am insane. I have to be.

But, on my back porch right now the wind is blowing softly, the sun is shining and I'm listening to the birds sing. Surely the God who holds all that in place has made allowances already for the lack of judgement in me.

Surely...

Iris pictures

Iris in my backyard

Oh my, I don't know if you like flowers, but my favorite one is the Iris--just happens to be the Tennessee state flower! However, I fell in love with Iris when I lived in Georgia. My father always had plenty of them blooming all over our yard. His mother always had plenty of them blooming all over her yard! So, it was only a matter of time until I talked him into planting me some when I moved to my first house on 2862 Windy Way. For 9 years we enjoyed my "hand-me-down" iris (whose great grandparents first lived in my grandma's yard in Commerce, GA). But when we moved to Sullivan Farms, I never got around to planting any iris.

However, in August of 2007, I talked my mother into helping me choose an assortment (so we hoped)of my father's iris. We brought them to Tennessee, and planted them in the late summer in the raised bed that surrounds our pool. She warned me that they most likely wouldn't bloom in 08, but this year, WOW! I simply can't get over them! I go outside every morning and walk around admiring them--the delicate petals, their strong stems, the green leaves...it's silly really but they are seriously amazing. What amazes me is that they do this all by themselves. Besides watering a bit when it gets dry in the summer, I've done nothing!

Makes me think about the best things God does in my life, just given the proper planting, a little water and good soil--and things bloom! And all this time I've been thinking I had to produce the blooms--God just wants me to soak up the nutrients, stretch toward the light, stand firm in the cold and He'll take care of the "show."

Ok...I need to post pictures, but once again you'll have to wait a day or two for those as my camera is with me but the cable that hooks it up to my computer is across the way in my garage office. I hope something's blooming in your yard too!

Prom Weekend

I never went to prom when I was in high school. I know, that's sad. I'm a very well-adjusted adult woman, been married to the GREATEST man in the world for 22 plus years, and would have been proud to have been his prom date, but we didn't meet until 7 years beyond that time in my life. So, when I was in high school, the fanciest dress I ever wore, I wore on Easter Sunday (and mine matched 3 others that my sisters were wearing! Homemade by my loving mother from a Simplicity pattern and pastel blue dotted swiss.)

So, when Mikel landed her prom date, I enjoyed every single minute of it! I loved looking for the right dress, watching her embellish that right dress with her own design (she had to add straps to fit dress code, but added a few other splashes of white to match her date). Then, when it got to be prom day, Kaleigh and I both went with her to get our nails done, and to purchase last minute bobby pins and doo dads.

I loved watching my dear friend (and neighbor) curl her hair, and totally enjoyed listening to Mikel tell me how nervous she was. This is the kid that can stare down a fast-pitch pitcher and hit a line drive when the count is 2 outs and 2 strikes at the end of a tournament, but putting on a dress makes her nervous!
But when he came to get her and I snapped the photos' I didn't smile anymore. Instead I blinked back tears. Where did it all go? How did we get here? When did my precious baby girl grow into this gorgeous young woman? Is there a way to slow it all down? Will she really leave me someday, draped on the arm of her own "knight in shining armor" to never call my house her home again?

Prom...
Dress--$249
Straps and bows--$18.37
Shoes (on sale!)--$12.99
Bobbie Pins--$3.89
Seeing Mikel smile for the camera--PRICELESS

Pictures!

This isn't many--but just a few

Spring Break ...at the beach

I absolutely LOVE spring break. And this year's might go down in my personal history as one of my favorite break's ever. We took our family plus two to Destin, Florida where we unashamedly exposed our winter-white skin to the first rays of warmth (well, it was warm if you laid down flat on your back and stayed there close to the sand--and if your towel was a dark color. Did you know that dark colors absorb heat?). TJ got enough sun to create a burn, and I wore SPF 30 for the first time in my life. But we all came home with a healthy glow--nonetheless.
Tom and I rode bikes, he and Kaleigh played tennis daily (until Kaleigh broke her raquet strings--just like a PRO!), Mikel hung out with her beau, and TJ and Chase found a different group of girls to see each day! (They took a 7 mile bike ride to one set, then talked us into delivering them to another. I've never seen two young men take such full advantage of the beach!) I had all the starbucks I wanted, AND we found a Shake's (great frozen custard that is worth every calorie it holds).
We ate in--and we ate out. It was all good. But most of all--I didn't write anything, I didn't plan anything (well--maybe I made a few plans) and I didn't accomplish anything (except maybe a slight tan line). It was GREAT!
Reminded me of college days when I'd collect apples in the cafeteria line, then buy a jar of peanut butter, a loaf of bread and pool my pennies with my friends to rent a room across from the beach where we'd simply soak for two whole days before we rolled our rear-ends right back up 331N to 65N to Samford's campus before curfew on Sunday.
Those were the days, and so are these. I'll try to get some pictures on here soon.

I'm back!! And so are the future apples!!

Oh my, what a few weeks I've just had. Have any of you ever read "Hind's Feet on High Places?" I'm thinking of offering that book as the "homework" for our women's Bible study gathering at Thompson Station Church this summer. Great book!! Maybe my all-time favorite.

Anyway, Much-Afraid (the little girl who dares to follow her Great Shepherd to the high places) gets caught in a valley of mist. For days she wanders around in that valley. You begin to wonder if she'll ever get to the edge of the mist! Well, that's where I've been these past few weeks.

It all started with my mission trip to East Asia. Great trip--lasting impact--there will be more to that as I get recommitted to this blog. But anyway--while I was there I received a critical email. Not critical in importance, but the kind of critical that makes you scrunch up your eyes, and utter, "ouch." I sensed God's assurance that He was far too kind to try to tell me something of significance through hurtful words, and quickly responded to my sender, and started praying that I'd let it be.

That's when the mist began to fall. The weather got a bit nasty in March--you know, those days when the sun refuses to shine, and even though the trees bloom--you just aren't sure spring has really sprung? (Today, by the way totally blasts that doubt away! It's a gloriously beautiful day and my APPLE TREE IS IN FULL BLOOM!!!)

And then, my computer crashed, my book was pressing me each week, Mikel turned 17, her dog got sick (I'm talking really sick)--and my inner thought life cried "insurrection!" as negative voices out-shouted my commitment to truth, and I sunk into the miry depths that David spoke of in his psalms. Before I knew it, all I could see was mist...endless mist.

This went on for days, weeks even. I started approaching everything I put my hand to with only one thought in mind, "what are they thinking? I started doing ministry for my criticizers! I started responding to the thoughts (or the perceived thoughts) of others and lost my way.

The only oasis I experienced was when I left home to go and speak to other women's groups--oh, what great weekends and dinners we've had this Spring! I thank God for the ministry you shared with me without even knowing you were doing so!

But the best part of this past month was that Tom and Jesus were in the mist with me. Everyday Tom tried to do battle with the voices in my head--it was not pretty. And, all along the way Jesus held my hand.

It was this weekend, while I was speaking to the women at Whitesburg Baptist in Huntsville, AL that I came out of the mist. God reminded me to hold on to His promises past the point of "I've gotta let go" and that soon I'd be walking on the water. He also reminded me that when I can't discern His voice, I just need to go back to the last thing I know I heard him say (this is Tom's advice--and good advice I think). And when I went back to the last thing I know my Father said to me it was this,

I love you.

I'm not sure yet what He wants me to "do" for Him--but right now, I'm just holding tight to that word.

This is a great time of year to reflect on the powerful truth that you and I--we are LOVED by God!

And that is enough.

Crash and Recover

It happened today--the nightmare of all writers. I was pressing toward a deadline (tomorrow noon) to have chapter 4 of my current Bible study completed. I had been waxing eloquent for 3 hours when suddenly my computer starting sending me coded messages: disk full unable to save document; chapter 4 error disk full...I can't even remember what they were. Since I didn't have a disk in my computer, I just "x"ed them out and ignored them when all of the sudden the entire computer froze up. The curser wouldn't move, the letters wouldn't type, and I thought, "Hmmm, I should save this file!" Only, when I went to save it I just received the same weird messages.

So, I did what all computer savvy writers do. I turned off my computer. No, I didn't hit "shut down" I just clicked the switch. Then I left my office to go eat a cold piece of pizza for lunch and I prayed God would recover my file.

After lunch I turned my computer back on, opened the file and sure enough I saw my recovered file in the left column so I clicked on it, only to receive the same error message, "Disk full, cannot read." Then, I got another message "Cannot delete this file" which was fine with me because I DIDN'T WANT TO DELETE IT! So I clicked on the "x" to shut that command down and that's when it happened. My recovered file disappeared.

It vanished into computer never, never land.

I cried.
I prayed, "Dear, God! You know how great that chapter was and that I was more than half way done, Please, please, please give me back that file!"
Then, I called Andrew (our IT guy at TSC). He gave me specific instructions on how to recover lost files, I went through all the steps but my file never appeared again. It was gone.

So, I cried again. I prayed again. I tossed a few books across the room and tore a few slats in my window blinds (accidentally).

And after that, I started over on page one of chapter 4. It's 10PM and I'm not yet back to where I was at noon. But--I'm feeling much better.

At 3PM I had to fetch my 8th grade son. He took me on an errand to Target, then went with me to the post office (to mail books that are completely done and published!) Then we actually made it to happy hour at Sonic and I purchased my favorite Sonic beverage, unsweet peach flavored iced tea. (Sonic ice makes me happy.)

By the time we got home I only had 20 minutes before I had to go get Kaleigh from tennis practice. She and I then took TJ to basketball try-outs (travel team) and then she invited me to Chili's for dinner. We ate, talked about boys and mission trips, and order a chocolate molten cake. Somewhere inbetween "how cute is he?!" And my first bite of chocolate gooey-ness I felt much much better. Molten cake and dinner out with Kaleigh makes me happy.

So, life goes on. I'm trying to finish day 3 (of 5 I need for chapter 4), and I'm sipping some herbal tea (kindly served by Kaleigh). So, I will survive. And now Tom's commiserating with me, and that too makes me happy.

Face???

Okay, here's my first post from my East Asia trip. When we arrived in the town of 60,000 my first impression was that there was a whole lot of construction going on. Then, I saw a man sleeping in a cot in one of the roadside "tent" dwellings--right at the construction site!

We ate a God-blessed meal at the little "cafe" by the river. And by God-blessed, this is how our host prayed, "Lord, thank you for the food set before us. Please help us get down what You keep down and keep it in there til You want it to come out." I'm just sayin' stay away from the "green stuff."

After lunch and a great game of cards--that we never quite figured out. (Playing cards with young adults who can't speak a single word of English is quite the experience. Tom and Reagan took a whirl, I think Tom even won a hand.) Anyway, after lunch and cards, we walked back over the bridge that crossed the river and watched a bride and groom take their wedding pictures. When they saw us they invited us over to ...BE IN THE PICTURES!! Imagine that!

After we posed for wedding pictures, we ventured over to the school yard where I was able to converse with the girls --when they gave their English a group effort. It was so fun. They taught me to say hamburger in chinese. It sounds like ham...bah...bah. How's that?! Once we shared as much as we could communicate one girl looked at me and said, "face?" I looked back, nodded yes and repeated, "face?" I wasn't sure what she was trying to say. But in response she simply reached up to my cheek and planted a kiss right there.

I was in love. The people welcomed us with smiles and kisses! They are so eager to hear what we have to share. Pray with me that God will open doors to the gospel through us. I'm seriously considering organizing a prayer team to go next year and march through the streets of that city, and up and down the paths of the market towns and villages where this unreached people group lives. Maybe you should go with me!!

East Asia and SPRING!!

I just returned (Tuesday) from a trip to East Asia with "a few good men." (Tom being one, our mission's pastor being another and a seasoned world traveller being the 4th.) I have to say that traveling with 3 men was quite the experience--as was East Asia. I'm not going to blog about that until I get my pictures loaded, for a picture speaks a thousand words...

This morning I was walking with a friend and we noticed that spring is on its way!! The trees are budding, and the grass is getting greener--I love this time of the year! I am also excited that we spring forward THIS SUNDAY! I'm so ready for the sun to set later in the day. And since I'm already jet lagged anyway (the time was 13hours ahead of ours where we traveled)what's one more hour?

I love March because it comes "in like a lion and out like a lamb." When I was in elementary school we made paper plate lions and lambs. Today--it's kind of "lion-y."

I love March because God answered my prayer for a baby on the 12th of this month. She came to us at 12:08AM, March 12, 1992--7lbs 8 1/4 oz. Next week Mikel Lorin McCoy turns 17! We're planning a family dinner--she's much more focused on prom right now that she is her birthday.

I love March because of the daffodils! I LOVE daffodils! I always have. They signal the beginning of flower season, and here in Tennessee they pop up all over these fields! I have yet to plant any in my yard, but there are a few on the pasture fence line that separates my yard from my neighbor's. Daffodils also remind my of my daughter Kaleigh (whose favorite color is...yellow).

I love March because Spring Break is on its way!! We normally go on a trip--mostly to the beach, last year to Disney for Mikel's ball team but this year to the mountains! And, I love the mountains.

Basketball season has come to a glorious end!

Oh my, to really appreciate this blog, you really need to go back and read every one that I wrote that dealt with TJ's basketball season. Let's just say--goodness!!

Let's just also say, GOD IS GOOD!! Even when we wonder! TJ learned more than I would have wanted to teach him during his season. But this week he proved his stuff in the tournament. The coach let him play lots in the first tournament game and he scored some significant points. In the final 12 seconds he was fouled. The score was 37-36 with us ahead and he was to shoot 1 and 1. (for those that don't know bball--that means he only gets to shoot the second shot if the first goes in) It was the kind of moment every child dreads and dreams of--the opportunity to make the difference!

Like a cool breeze on a summer day, TJ easily made the first basket, and his coach called a time-out to tell the boys how to defend their lead (now a 2 point lead). Back in after the time-out, he took a deep breath, dribbled 3 times, took another deep breath and SWOOSH! --made his 2nd shot giving his team a 3 point lead. With TJ's foul shots the Hornets were able to keep the other team from scoring a 3 pointer (to tie) and won the game.

After an entire season of disappointment, despair and all that goes with that...TJ came home a WINNER!

I'm reminded of the verse God gave me in my quiet time the first time I paraded myself into His throne room after the night TJ didn't get to play at all:

He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones.

Mikel's first accident

I think there ought to be a new "baby book" that we give mothers when their babies become teenagers. We could record all the "firsts..."

The first boyfriend
The first kiss
The first tragic, end of the world break-up
The first driving lesson
The first solo drive
The first broken nose, arm, wrist, ankle, etc from playing ball
The first experience with Eve's curse
The first homecoming dance
The first...

Oh, how I could fill that book. Most recently we experienced...the first car accident. It happened last Wednesday when Mikel pulled out of her school parking lot. "I never saw them at all!" Nor did she see the pasture fence until it was behind her. After a wham, bam, spin and land...she came out amazingly ok. Her 96 Camry...not so good.

She called her Dad--not me. When I told Kaleigh that I wondered why Mikel didn't call me, she said, "Because you never answer your phone!" Once her Dad found out she wasn't hurt, and that the people in the other car weren't hurt either...he wanted to know where her phone was. When he discovered it was in her purse and not in her hand, he then assured her that she was much more precious than a hunk of metal, and that we were so thankful she was okay.

I called when her Dad was on his way down and she sounded like a rock! Just a few days ago I collided with another car in the Academy parking lot, and was shaking like a leaf! (we are not blogging about that little accident) But here was my daughter in an accident that hit her so hard she flew off the road, through a ditch and a fence spinnning around in a pasture and she was holding up amazingly well. She did shake a little when we saw the spot on Thursday morning when I took her to school. But she also told me how her headmaster came and stood with her before her Dad arrived. She said, "Mama, Mr. Wahlman stood by me like a mother duck!" I LOVE that school!!!

She drove our 93 Suburban to school today. It's a TANK! Woe to the one who hits her in this!!

ZUMBA and numbers galore

Okay, I finally got back with Kaleigh and this is what she said, this year (only) she is half the age I was when I gave birth to her, and if you add half the age I was when I gave birth to her, you will get my age today! That's the numbers wonder.

You should've seen her face when she realized TJ's name had 18, not 17 letters.

Now, for all you out there who have discoverd ZUMBA...oh my!! We had our first free night of ZUMBA last night at TSC...and I wiggled (or tried to wiggle) my hips more than they've ever been wiggled! Over 100 women jiggling, giggling, and wiggling together was quite a sight! I'm hoping Melanie will offer the beginner's course for the next few MONTHS, as I'm sure I'm going to need it!

Numbers Galore

Those who know me, know that although I have many character traits in common with Mary Poppins (I even had someone tell me I reminded her of Julie Andrews!) --being "practically perfect in every way" I do have one teeny weeny itsy bitsy flaw.

I am numbers illiterate. I don't know what you call that disability--it's kind of like dyslexia with numbers! I find it quite humoruous--Tom doesn't. I can sign my credit card slip at the grocery, get in the car and be driving home and suddenly have this thought, "I wonder how much I just spent?"

However, my daughter Kaleigh makes up for my insufficiencies. She's always had a real knack for numbers--and a love for number games. When she was a preschooler she absolutely loved the sorting games. We had these little plastic bears that she played with all the time. When we were in the car she begged to play "the numbers game." This was in her early elementary school years. So--we'd play. I'd say, "You have one peppermint candy, you add 4 then take away 2. How many do you have?" While I was still figuring she'd shout out, "3!" In a minute I'd say, "That's right!" The games got harder until I couldn't play anymore!

Just yesterday she and I were riding to church and she said, "Mom, did you know that right now--only this year--if you take my age, and add it to the age you were when I was born, you get your age. This is the only year that will work. It took me a minute, but sure enough--if I added 15 (Kaleigh's age) to 30 (the age I was in Kaleigh was born) I got 45 (my age today). It took both of us a minute, (actually I was still trying to understand what she was adding) to make sure this was so--only this year. And sure enough it is. Next year Kaleigh will be 16--add that to 30 and you get ...hmmm....wait a minute...you still get the age I will be then, 46. You know what? I honestly can't remember what point Kaleigh was trying to make last night, but it was a good one, and it did work. I'll get her to explain it again to me today and I'll update this thought tomorrow.

But this I do remember about last night's conversation: Kaleigh told me that Mikel's full name has 15 letters in it. Kaleigh's has 16 and TJ's has 17. How cool is that???

Mikel Lorin McCoy (15)
Kaleigh Rhea McCoy (16)
Taylor Jamison McCoy (18)

oops. I'll have to tell Kaleigh that TJ's name actually has 18 letters not 17. Never mind...I'll get back with Kaleigh and get her to walk me slowly through these numbers wonders.

In the meantime, just know there must be numerical dyslexia and I must have it!

Two great churches in January

I've "hit the trail" again with the new year, went to Louisiana (Pine Baptist Church) a few weeks ago and to Kentucky/Ohio (on one side of the river we were in Kentucky, on the other we were in Ohio) also a week or so ago. Both weekends were amazing!!

I traveled with Melissa Greene (Avalon) to Louisiana--what a TREAT! And, we stayed at the beautiful Liberty Motel (across the street from a delightful "mall" with the anchor store being an interesting place called "Dirt Cheap." Unfortunately our schedule kept us from getting to shop there.) The women were amazing...I think the true heroes are those who are shouldering the burden for family and friends in the trenches of life. In Louisiana I met a remarkable woman named Sherrie Bumstead who is a missionary in Zimbabwe. WHAT A STORY!! Sherrie was born into the occult. But God miraculously brought her out and placed her smack dab in the middle of a place where even the devil shudders at her presence. You go GIRL!! Pray for Sherrie as she serves women and children in Zimbabwe.

I traveled with my good friend Karen to Kentucky. We talked from the moment we drove out of my driveway Friday morning until we came back Saturday night...non-stop. I think she and I got our quota of words in for the MONTH!! (But don't worry, I am fully capable of many more where those came from.) While we were with the women of FBC Russell, KY we met many remarkable women. Two who gave their testimonies...oh my. Kathy, I still smile when I remember you saying, "Oh by the way, the pastor who prayed for me is now my husband." You girls never cease to amaze me! I am by far the one most blessed in the ministry of traveling and partnering with you at your events.

Karen and I bumped right into the activity of God when we went to Kentucky with the possibility of starting prayer clinics in both the church and possibly four hospitals! Iwould be amiss if I didn't also tell you that she and I have been also talking to another friend, Cheryl who is beginning the groundwork of a prayer clinic in Germany! PRAISE GOD! Karen and I both are praying toward a possible mission trip to Germany--and we're praying our Kentucky/Ohio friends a trip to us in Tennessee.

Just thought you might enjoy reading about my travels. I'm next off to Alabama and after that...East Asia! (In February)--I'll try to do better getting on and off this blog, as I think of things that might interest you.

Of course, I could probably do another entire entry on the evening of making rice krispie treats at our Super Bowl party last night...but its another story entirely so I'll save it for another day.

I'm back! And basketball season is in full "bounce!"

Oh my. I am sorry I haven't been here for the past few weeks! I've finally digested all that Christmas goodness, and have been off and running to basketball games. With both Mikel and TJ playing ball this season, we have 5 games a week spreading over a 60 mile radius. Tonight Tom's going with TJ, and Kaleigh and I are going to watch Mikel.

In November I put a little yellow sticky note on my calendar. I'd just written in all the ballgames and almost had a coniption (not sure I spelled that right--for you southern friends--I nearly had a FIT) when I saw how many nights I'd be in somebody's gym. Immediately the devil started whispering, "what kind of mother are you? You'll be eating nacho's and popcorn for dinner most every night of the week! Your family has not and will not sit down together for months for a meal! How can you possibly write and teach when your house is not in order?!" He went on and on like he likes to do when I'm especially vulnerable.

All of the sudden the voice of the Holy Spirit blasted into that mess and this is what He said, "I gave you those healthy children!! You prayed for TJ to make that team! You begged Me to open the door for Mikel to play ball in her new school even though she wasn't supposed to get to do that! This is a time to REJOICE!!"

And with that, I took those thoughts captive with my little yellow sticky note where I wrote, "I will ENJOY basketball season!" Little did I know how much I'd need to see that note. I've switched it from November to December and now to January--in a week I'll move it on to February (when praise the Lord this blessing will come to an end the third week of that month). TJ has struggled with playing time (or the lack thereof) and last night Tom and I were with Mikel in the ER--she got an elbow to her nose, and had to get it "glued." But here I am enjoying basketball season!

I WILL ENJOY BASKETBALL SEASON!