Gene Autry, Silent Night, and the Blue Angels
I have had WONDERFUL weekend! My friend Ginger and I went to Richmond to visit her cousin and family. I love Ginger and had no doubt that I would enjoy being with her family but had no idea I would love them so much. Ginger's cousin's name is Lisa, too so that was an added bonus!
Lisa is married and has two children, Nathan (3) and Abigail (2 next month). Both her children are the same size as my two younger children (ages 5 and 3). I wasn't sure if they would warm up to me but no sooner had I sat down on the floor with them were they very eager to share mine and Ginger's attention. I was so homesick for my own children that I longed to hold one or both of them. Before too long, I got my wish. Nathan, very quickly told me all about himself - including the fact that his real name was Gene Autry, that he was a cowboy and he had a horse named "Chance." He giddy-upped all over the house, which I got such a kick out of. I was curious...I'd heard of Gene Autry but really didn't know who he was. I saw an article posted on their fridge that said something about a cowboy code so I looked it up. If you'd like to read it, click here. Very cool - patriotic, respectful, etc.
Abby, while not very talkative, was very adept at completing puzzles and getting her point across without speaking. Oh, how I just loved hugging her! There is nothing like the presence of a child to make you realize what a wonderful Lord we have!!!
After talking non-stop with Lisa and Ginger, we had dinner. Earlier I had been playing their piano and at dinner, Charlie (Lisa's husband) asked me to play a couple of Christmas carols. Nathan eagerly followed me to the piano and insisted on sitting in my lap while I played. I chose a couple of songs, which Nathan let me play until we got to Silent Night. He insisted playing and he wanted to play in the middle. So I scooted up to the upper register keys and we "played" together. What a treat that was!
After the rousing Christmas carols, we went to the living room to watch a bit of Nathan, oops, I mean Gene's favorite video that is an A&E home video special of the Blue Angels. (In case you're not sure who they are, click here.) The highlight of the day, though, had to be Lisa telling us how she had Nathan in the bathroom in her own home because she didn't realize she was in labor. I never laughed so hard!
The next morning we joined Lisa's family at her church. It was so nice to be on the other side of worship. The Pastor spoke from John 1; his sermon was call The Word on the Street. I was so involved in taking it all in that the Pastor's sermon didn't really hit me, make an impact on me until after the altar call. A young girl came forward to make a profession of her new-found faith. Her Sunday School teacher is Lisa...and it hit me what God was teaching through this Pastor. Jesus is the WORD. LISA is the WORD on the street. We are the WORD on the street. I started crying...just realizing the impact of the message that I had just seen. I didn't just hear a message, I saw the message in action. What better way to see God's plan in action?
Lisa is married and has two children, Nathan (3) and Abigail (2 next month). Both her children are the same size as my two younger children (ages 5 and 3). I wasn't sure if they would warm up to me but no sooner had I sat down on the floor with them were they very eager to share mine and Ginger's attention. I was so homesick for my own children that I longed to hold one or both of them. Before too long, I got my wish. Nathan, very quickly told me all about himself - including the fact that his real name was Gene Autry, that he was a cowboy and he had a horse named "Chance." He giddy-upped all over the house, which I got such a kick out of. I was curious...I'd heard of Gene Autry but really didn't know who he was. I saw an article posted on their fridge that said something about a cowboy code so I looked it up. If you'd like to read it, click here. Very cool - patriotic, respectful, etc.
Abby, while not very talkative, was very adept at completing puzzles and getting her point across without speaking. Oh, how I just loved hugging her! There is nothing like the presence of a child to make you realize what a wonderful Lord we have!!!
After talking non-stop with Lisa and Ginger, we had dinner. Earlier I had been playing their piano and at dinner, Charlie (Lisa's husband) asked me to play a couple of Christmas carols. Nathan eagerly followed me to the piano and insisted on sitting in my lap while I played. I chose a couple of songs, which Nathan let me play until we got to Silent Night. He insisted playing and he wanted to play in the middle. So I scooted up to the upper register keys and we "played" together. What a treat that was!
After the rousing Christmas carols, we went to the living room to watch a bit of Nathan, oops, I mean Gene's favorite video that is an A&E home video special of the Blue Angels. (In case you're not sure who they are, click here.) The highlight of the day, though, had to be Lisa telling us how she had Nathan in the bathroom in her own home because she didn't realize she was in labor. I never laughed so hard!
The next morning we joined Lisa's family at her church. It was so nice to be on the other side of worship. The Pastor spoke from John 1; his sermon was call The Word on the Street. I was so involved in taking it all in that the Pastor's sermon didn't really hit me, make an impact on me until after the altar call. A young girl came forward to make a profession of her new-found faith. Her Sunday School teacher is Lisa...and it hit me what God was teaching through this Pastor. Jesus is the WORD. LISA is the WORD on the street. We are the WORD on the street. I started crying...just realizing the impact of the message that I had just seen. I didn't just hear a message, I saw the message in action. What better way to see God's plan in action?
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