to Denver (to drop off a piano, among other things) and on eventually to Washington state, doing lots and lots of sightseeing on the way. Hoping to get away in mid-August, so making lots of lists of things to do and take. Meanwhile, my sister Holly fell and shattered her kneecap, requiring surgery and a straight leg cast. She's doing amazingly well, but before heading west, I'll probably head south for a few days. That will make a nice visit too!

On Thursday, July 5, 1979, God blessed us with our first born child, a blond haired, blue eyed boy. I remember thinking that day of the little nursery rhyme and wondering how far our little one would go. Today, 33 years later, he is living in the state of Washington, pretty far from Atlanta, Georgia. More than geographically, though, and more importantly, he has gone far in his development as a godly man and for this we give thanks. Happy Birthday, Son! We are "confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." Keep going!

"Cleaning House" by Kay Willis Wyma. I totally recommend it, even if your children are grown and gone. It's her story of a twelve-month experiment with her 5 kids and her attempt to eradicate their sense of entitlement while enhancing their self-esteem. In a nutshell, she came to the conclusion that she was enabling her kids by doing everything for them and eroding their self-esteem by implying that they were incapable of doing things for themselves. She made a list of 12 things she felt would be good training for them and introduced one each month. The first month was simple -- each child had to make his/her bed and keep clothes put away. Other months included meal preparation, cleaning the bathroom (her 14-year old son exclaimed incredulously, "You mean toilets have to be CLEANED??"), working in the yard, entertaining, service to others, practicing good manners, etc. I was especially intrigued by some of the incentives she used and by the notes at the end of each chapter: what the kids learned and then what she learned. She said her children learned to appreciate the efforts of others more and gained a new sense of accomplishment. It wasn't all good all the time and she's honest about the mistakes she made in enforcing the rules and what worked and what didn't. She also includes comments from several other moms who were attempting similar experiments.
After reading this, I looked back and realized that I could have done a much better job of helping my kids with this -- one or two instances come vividly to mind. I'm thankful that they turned out just fine in spite of my mistakes but I will definitely be sharing what I read here with anyone who cares to listen! It's available possibly at the library and definitely on Kindle. It's an enjoyable read too!

it's just that I've not had much to say! We had such a lovely May with special company brightening our home! Yesterday we returned home from a short trip -- primary reason was to attend the wedding of a young man who grew up next door to us from the time he was about 3 years old. DJ Buselmeier married Ellen Lindsey in a lovely outdoor ceremony and we were so happy that we were able to be there. On the way to Bowling Green, Kentucky, where the wedding took place, we dropped by McKay's Books in Chattanooga, where we were able to trade in quite a few books -- but then left with quite a few too! On to College Grove, Tennessee, where we got a good visit with John's brother Terry and his family. Terry and Sherron got married in Nashville the day after we got married in Atlanta -- John's parents were flying down from Washington state and that saved them from having to make a second trip. Since our anniversary was Thursday and theirs was Friday, we were able to celebrate together with a visit to the dinner theater at Chaffin's Barn and a production of "Fiddler On The Roof" which was very well done. Left there Saturday morning and made it to Bowling Green for the wedding and reception, then back to north Nashville to spend the night. Services at the Hillview congregation on Sunday morning, a quick visit to the Nashville branch of McKay's Books, and then on to Huntsville, Alabama, and services at Jordan Park, where we saw several dear friends. Spent the night with friends Harriet and Steve McKay (this seemed to have turned into a "McKay" trip!) and then on to Birmingham on Monday for a visit with more good friends before driving home Monday night.
Things should be a little quieter now -- although we've another wedding in Birmingham this Friday night. The next big event will be a possible visit from sister Holly and her crew in early July, then the Eagle Scout ceremony for nephew Tim Haynes July 14.
Oh -- before I close -- a Happy Birthday wish to my dad, who turns 82 tomorrow. We are truly blessed not only to have him with us still, but to be able to see him still so active in the Lord's work.

the story went something like this: An elderly missionary couple who had been overseas for many years were returning home on the same ship as a military hero. When they arrived at the dock, there was a large crowd, complete with brass band, all gathered to greet the returning hero. The elderly missionary looked down and saw no one there to greet them. Somewhat sadly, he turned to his wife and said, "After all our years of work, no one cared to welcome us home!" To which his wife wisely replied, "But we aren't home yet."

Today, one of my personal heroes went home. Brother Foy Short spent most of his life in Africa preaching the gospel and defending the faith. I can only begin to imagine the welcome home he received today from his heavenly Father. "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints" (Psalm 116:15).

May we all remember that we are strangers and pilgrims on the earth, looking for that heavenly city whose builder and maker is God.