TAKE ME BACK TUESDAY...4EVER, Thomas ; )

You can participate and/or check out other Take Me Back Tuesday posts at A Giveaway Addicted Mommy.



Sunday evening was one of those "monumental moments" for our youth, and for us "old people"...the counselors.

We were blessed to attend our yearly senior banquet which honors our graduating seniors--this year's theme was a "cruise" down memory lane...hats, streamers, noise makers, confetti, mouse ears, stand-up cutout props, balloons, and food, food, food.

The longer I sat...watching the juniors host the event, taking in all the festivities, it was the pictures that took me back:

...remembering the little ones I had diapered

...clapping hands as we sang "Here is the church, here is the steeple..."

...picking up Easter eggs in the tall, green grass at campground

...gathering tons of cans for our local co-operative ministry

...carrying 5-gallon thermos coolers filled with lemonade

...working on the clients' homes (painting, raking, repairing) each summer

...standing on the pews in the arbor as we sang praise songs

...hugging one another as tears of conviction were wept at the altar

...smiling for the cameras during fun, lessons, service projects, anytime!

These soon-to-be adults have been wrestling with life's realities for the last two years...since one of their classmates, Thomas, was killed in an inter-state highway accident.

As we sat viewing slides, letters from their parents were being read, and the graduating seniors were whispering their reactions to one another. That's when I got this shot...I LOVE the silhouette effect, and I love the kids more.

Each memory declaring itself a treasured piece of their past--we saw Thomas in many of the slides and our hearts were tugged with the preciousness of those memories...he was back with us--never to be forgotten.

He had lived, loved and laughed with us for 17 years, seventeen "oh-so-short" years.

The kids reminisced and savored each picture while celebrating this crossroad into newness--the unknown waiting for them the other side of graduation.

We loved you Thomas...We will FOREVER love you, Thomas!
We love you Seniors...we will FOREVER love you, seniors!

Dear Lord,

Bless them daily,

remind them of all the lessons they've been taught

throughout the many years of Sunday School,

worship and UMYF.

Protect their hearts from becoming hardened or lukewarm,

we so want them to continue being in Your presence daily and

have a PASSION for YOU.

May we continue to hold them in our prayers.

Amen

The SIMPLE WOMAN'S DAYBOOK

FOR TODAY (June 7, 2008)...

Outside My Window...

our deck with built-in seats all around the perimeter...and no flowers in the pots due to our on-going drought. We're still praying for more rain; but behind the deck are my wonderfully large and extremely tall white oak trees...towering and swaying in today's breezes, yet it is in the 90s!

I am thinking...

this is a great way to get me writing more...I'm still fairly new at this and tend to run out of ideas.

I am thankful for...

hubby's successful shoulder surgery and his faithfulness to physical therapy...pain terrorists is what most people call them. He has listened and practiced religiously at home, so his recuperation is going wonderfully and he's moving better than he has in 30 years! God is good, all the time!

From the kitchen...
I haven't done much cooking today (due to my separating and handling laundry and laundry and laundry)...stacks separated by color and type across the floor, colorful mounds waiting to be thrown in the washer. I remember when daughter was itty bitty, she'd run and jump into them like a stack of leaves. We have,however, made a path to the fridge for ice (due to the 90 degree weather).

I am wearing...
blue jean shorts and a gray t shirt and barefoot...my hormones are raging and I'm living in a world of un-ending hot flashes...come to think of it, I've been dressing like this since November or December.

I am creating...
a legacy scrapbook (This is My Story) for my daughter...it's written by Lisa Whelchel, and I highly recommend it. You answer faith questions and scrapbook as part of your Bible Study. It really challenges you to spend time asking yourself very important questions of how, when, where and even some of your shortfalls to show where God worked things out for you. Many of these things I had not spoken of with my family and it even caused some great discussions at the dinner table.

I am going...
to church tomorrow and then taking a nap in the afternoon (I'll need the energy for youth tomorrow night...100 junior and senior high school students with all their energy and social interaction.

I am reading...

A Walk Across Egypt, a story about a southern, elderly woman. Not too far into it yet, so I haven't formulated my opinion yet.

I am hoping...

my little visiting, stray kitty will keep coming to the house ... he's good company when the hubby and daughter are out and about in their activities.

I am hearing...
Georgia Public Television's America's Test Kitchen chefs make chocolate mousse and BBQ chicken(separately, of course)...their show is so informative and their cook book is even better. Their salting vs. brining segment is interesting, too. I always brine my turkey at Thanksgiving...can't beat the flavor and it's NEVER, NEVER, NEVER dry. Thank you, Alton Brown (Food Network)

Around the house...

my hubby and daughter just finished cutting branches from the holly bushes...then raking up the stems outside the front windows...I'm not able to do this kind of bending and stretching at the moment and I really appreciate their hard work on such a really hot day. Yippee, now I can see out the front of the house as well as I can see out the back side of the house!...I was previously peeking through the branches like Artie Johnson used to sneak around on Laugh In....oops, showed by age there.

One of my favorite things...
is having "God incidences" with my girlfriends. Many times God sends us each individual messages about specific things and then as we discuss our weeks, we realize the many guidings of our Lord. He is so wonderfully creative...it's amazing.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week:

...planning meals for our youth group for the next few weeks.

...cleaning bathrooms and floors before my Mom arrives later this week

...cooking some casseroles for the freezer to help while I'm recuperating

...recovering from surgery--a little anxious--but repeating Scriptures my girlfriends prayed for me...He'll give me the strength and hold me in His Right Hand...I can do all things through Jesus Christ who strengthens me. Give thanks IN ALL circumstances.

The picture I am sharing...

I ran across this very old picture on the Internet. I don't know the painter or the name of the painting...It used to hang in my Granny's guest bedroom on the pinewood wall facing the foot of the bed, and I used to ponder it at night as a child, wondering who the children were and wondering if the angel had a name.

It always gave me comfort then and reminds me now God sends his angels to surround us and watch over us, sometimes when we're on unknown paths or dangerous paths.

It speaks to me today, I guess, because I have a path ahead of me next week with many unknowns, so I lay my requests at His Feet knowing His yoke is easy and His burden is lite and He will hold me through the unknown. His Hands Are Mighty and our names are written in His palms.

----------------------

If you'd like to do this activity...

Here's the link to the Simple Woman's main page. http://thesimplewoman.blogspot.com/