Cindy

Cindy's funeral service was yesterday.  It was a beautiful service......she would have loved it.  For about an hour, maybe a little more, we celebrated Cindy's life and her great faith.  And we celebrated a faithful God.

We laughed, we cried, we worshiped.  It was a very special time.  We sang "Blessed Assurance, Jesus Is Mine" as the family walked in.  I loved that.  Cindy's daughter-in-law Jana sang "Great Is Thy Faithfulness" - a favorite hymn of Cindy's.  Her brother Larry and the church music minister Dan sang "God So Loved the World".  The church choir sang "Trust His Heart"......and sang it beautifully!  The South Carolina Singing Churchmen sang.  I think my very favorite part of all that beautiful music was the song we all sang to close the service......"What a Day That Will Be".  It's a wonderful old hymn.  I loved singing it yesterday.  And I can't get it out of my mind since.

Cindy would have been so pleased with that service.  She would have loved the music.  She would have loved that we were glorifying God.  She would have loved that we were seeing friends we hadn't seen in many years.  Funny how that happens at funerals, isn't it?  It was great to see so many friends I hadn't seen in many, many years......some I hadn't seen since we moved out of SC in the late 80s.  I loved all those hugs.  I hated the reason that brought us all together, but I loved reuniting with friends.  I'm still enjoying those memories, and all the memories that were triggered by seeing all those old friends.

I'm also traveling down memory lane remembering Cindy.  The music we made together......Cindy at the organ and me at the piano.  The times we laughed together.  And cried together.  And ate together.  A sweet tooth is one of the many things we always had in common!  I had to chuckle a little yesterday (very discreetly, mind you) when I saw what she was wearing.  You see, for all the years that we played together Sunday after Sunday, it was not at all uncommon for us to show up wearing the same color.  It was never planned.  It just happened.  The last time we played together, at a wedding about 10 years ago, it happened again.  We both showed up in pink.  As I was getting dressed for the funeral yesterday, I changed my mind at the last minute and pulled something pink out of the closet.  And when I got to the church, I had to smile when I saw that Cindy was wearing pink too!

"What a day that will be,

When my Jesus I shall see,

And I look upon His face,

The One who saved me by His grace;

When He takes me by the hand,

And leads me through the Promised Land,

What a day, glorious day that will be."

An Emotional Roller Coaster

I've been on a "blogging break".  It didn't start as a definite decision to take a break.......just several days in a row of nothing to say which led to a couple of weeks of nothing to say and then I just wasn't thinking about it any more.  Until yesterday when someone mentioned it to me.  It was an "I enjoy your sitting room" kind of moment that reminded me I hadn't written anything for a while.

And today I'm not really sure what to write.  Right now I'm experiencing a roller coaster of emotions.  Today's plan was to go to Pigeon Forge for some girlfriend time and retail therapy.  But it's snowing.....not exactly what I expected this morning.  And how long and how much it snows will determine whether I can safely drive through the mountains.  So I'm in a quandry right now......am I going, am I not, should I pack, should I forget the whole thing.......

I'm feeling a sense of relief today that Al and I finally made a decision about an issue that had been weighing heavily on us.  So that's a good thing.  Not sure yet what all the ramifications of that decision will be, how others will react, etc........but we both are at ease with the decision, so there's real peace about that.

And I'm feeling unbelievably sad for the family of one of my dear friends who passed yesterday from this life into the arms of our Savior.  Cindy had waged a valiant battle with cancer over the last six months, and now is free from that pain.  For that I am thankful.  But when I think of her husband, sister, brothers, children, grandchildren, mother, and all the extended family and friends who will miss her so much, I am so sad and my heart is breaking.  On the other hand, I am rejoicing that we will all be reunited in heaven.  And that makes me smile.

I'm really on an emotional roller coaster today.  So, if you think about it, would you pray for me?  Thanks!

Some Advice from a 104-year-old

We had a very busy weekend.......lots of laughter and good times, but very busy.  On Saturday we went down to Spartanburg for a reunion with some of the pilgrims we had traveled with to the Holy Land last  December.  I was so excited about that.  Saliba, our Israeli guide, was also there and it was wonderful to see him again!

On the way to Spartanburg, we stopped off to visit my soon-to-be 104 year old cousin.  Her birthday is next week.  She and my grandmother were sisters.  It is always an interesting experience to visit Anne.  She lost her sight some time ago, and is now almost deaf.  She has a little bit of hearing in her left ear, so it's best to sit on her left side and then speak very loudly and distinctly.  And I do mean VERY loudly!  But even though she can't see or hear very well, her mind is still very sharp.  And she's as opinionated as she ever was!  (Can you tell we are related??!!)

Just before we left she said she had some advice to give us.  I was very interested to hear that advice......after all, here is a woman who was a college professor; who has traveled the world; who has lived a very long time.  I was ready to hear something really profound.

Here's the advice.......are you ready for this?  This is what she said.......and I'm quoting........"If you ever have to get false teeth, be sure to do it before you are a hundred.  That way you'll have time to get used to them."

So, being the good Southern girl that I am, I said "yes, ma'am", and then I chuckled all the way to the car.

That's Not How I Would Do It

My husband and I often get a good laugh from his dad.  When we are driving Al's parents around town, to a restaurant or to shop, we usually hear, more than once, "we don't go this way".  When Al is helping his dad with a project around the house, it's common to hear "that's not how I do it" or "we don't do it that way."  It has become a standing joke around our house!

As I was thinking this morning about some things that are heavy on my heart, it occurred to me how often I say something similar to God.  The poet Robert Browning once wrote "God's in His heaven; all's right with the world."  I have to take issue with that.  There's a lot that's not right with the world!  Earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, flooding, unemployment, broken marriages, strained relationships, financial strain, riots......do I need to go on?  You could probably add to the list based on the circumstances of your own life.  All we really need to do is turn on a news broadcast for a few minutes to see that there is much that is not right in our world.

And if you are at all like me, as you look at the circumstances in the world around you, you might be thinking that "this is not how I would deal with this."

The good news is, we don't have to deal with it, at least in terms of making everything turn out right.  That's not our job; it's God's job.  Our job is to trust Him, to know that He knows what He's doing, and to remember that He has it all under control.  Our God is an awesome God, as the song says.  He's also a sovereign God and He's got it all covered.  Our sovereign God has it all under control.  So maybe Browning was right after all!

"For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom is from generation to generation.  All the inhabitants of the earth are counted as nothing and He does what He wants with the army of heaven and the inhabitants of earth.  There is no one who can hold back His hand or say to Him, 'What have You done?' "  (Daniel 4:34-35 HCSB)