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.