“Love doesn't hide. It stays and fights. It goes the distance, that's why love is so strong. So it can carry you all the way home.” (Copied)

Mom and Dad - Recent Church Directory Photo

Good Tuesday morning and welcome. It's April 2, 2013, and we all have much to be thankful for. My wife spent last week over in Louisiana with her siblings. I traveled to see my mom and dad last Friday and the wife joined us. We had a tremendous visit and always are so thankful when we are able to spend time with these people who mean so much to us. On the way over I stopped in Jasper, Texas at a fast food place to get a snack so I could take my handful of medicine. Yep. That's the way we roll these days. That's the way we roll. The young woman at the register was on her cell phone. She put her hand over the mouthpiece and informed me that she was trying to wake up her sister to wish her a happy birthday. She then returned to her call but she was not able to wake up the sleepyhead. This young woman had to have won many a hog calling contest. I promise you, when she explained to me what she was doing they heard her all the way to the Sabine River bottom. Even though my ears were ringing I acknowledged her good deed in trying to call her sister, then looked around to see if folks had evacuated the premises thinking she was alerting them to an air raid or something. It's always good to run into folks who are genuinely what-you-see-is-what-you-get as her brilliant smile testified to her being totally at home with her caring but loud spirit. In her world she did believe I could have it my way but it just had to wait a moment while she took care of business.

The big news from back home is the new Dollar General Store. It's just been open for a couple of weeks and everyone is so pleased to finally have one nearby. My mom and the wife went up to look around. My mom told us about the lady managing the store and how she had told her that she had fallen in love with that little community and was interested in moving there from her home, about 20 miles away. She said it was such a quiet place and all the people were so nice. Later on in the afternoon we were being caught up on all the latest shenanigans going on in and around town. It's just like it was when I was growing up. You know. The more things change the more they stay the same. This supposedly straight and narrow person has been found out not to be so straight and narrow. And, also there's the somewhat prominent lady and the other fellow who used to be married to the one who was supposed to be straight and narrow but now has something going with somebody else, and to top it all off, they all showed up for Church, sitting just a few pews apart. I told mom to be sure and get that lady at the Dollar General all caught up on the the reality of the local scene before she makes her final decision. And, I'm certainly not picking on my beloved hometown because we all know there's plenty to go around. No matter where you live. Right?

What a blessing it was to be back home again. To sleep in the house where I lived for so many years. To hear that train a'comin down the track. To walk around the yard and have memories flood my heart. Lot's of living in that place and I'm thankful for it and the folks that helped to influence my life. In many ways I am who I am today because of those who helped to shape and mold me. Mom and dad have birds all around. They feed and water them. You can sit out on the day porch and watch the humming birds hum and the blue jays bathe. And, do it all over a cup of coffee where we talked and talked, and laughed, and maybe shed a tear or two as we remembered those who have gone on to their reward. People often tell me how fortunate I am to be able to visit my parents and to talk to them each day on the telephone. No one has to remind me of that. Thankful. You better believe it! And, had I been able to holler like that young lady in Jasper, well, I may have given everyone in that little town something to talk about. Not really. Maybe I would have just said thanks and been done with it. Okay. That should be enough of that to hold us for a while. Maybe we all can find something to thank someone for today. Here's a thought: Start with God and then see opportunities in others as the day progresses. Amen.       .....More later.