Update for Yesterday's Hearing

Yesterday was a trying day for us; it's hard with the 3 hour time difference. We spent the whole day just sort of wandering around the house, looking at the clock and wondering what was happening. Steve called at about 7:30 last evening which was just 4:30 for him. He was already home and had talked with the kids. Once again, we have seen God's protective hand on this family. Nothing has changed other than visitation days being tweaked a bit. The children are to be with Steve EVERY Sunday now, so they will be able to be in church each week. In the past, it's been every other Sunday. Tracy will have the kids about the same amount of time as before, but with school beginning in a few weeks, some modifications have been made. This will also allow the kids to remain active in Awana and their soccer. My prayer all along has been for them to have a "normal" life (as normal as it can be with a Mother who is living a sinful lifestyle and tries to get the children to accept what she is doing as normal) and feel loved and secure. How sad that they would ever have to hear a parent call them "brats" and tell them they "need to grow up,stop acting like children, and start accepting the situation". Thankfully, Steve is there for damage control.

I have heard that "someone" may look at my blog from time to time and is not pleased with the picture I have painted of this situation. Nothing I have ever said is untrue. I have tried to come across as loving even after all that has happened. After the children, my concern is for the person living in sin. I would hope and pray that she would acknowledge her sin and turn from it. I know this marriage is over and I have accepted that. But she is still a person in need of a savior. No one is sinless. But to continue in sin with no thought of how it is grieving our Heavenly Father, all the people who have loved her over the years, and to see how it has hurt her children...I just don't get it. I shouldn't be too surprised, because I was told on Christmas Day that "I'm not conviced that the kids are the most important things in my life. After all, I have to be happy for them to be happy". Maybe the truth in this is that she never was happy because she didn't really have a saving relationship with our Savior, and that's where our "true happiness" comes from. So I will continue to pray that she will find the source of happiness.




Happy Boy Jake



Jake and Papa

Elizabeth (Sis)

Sis and Papa

Calling Prayer Warriors

Steve and the kids on a recent camping trip.

This Tuesday, the 29th is the next court date for Steve. The kids do not have to be there and Steve has decided he wants to go alone. We have no idea what will be decided. I'm not sure if this is still regarding the children, or if the is the next step for Steve and Tracy. If anyone reads this, please be in prayer. Once again we are praying for wisdom for the judge and calm hearts and nerves for the adults.

Many thanks to all our friends who have been in prayer with us.

Friends are Friends Forever!

This was Beverly Kay and me dressed up for our 8th grade graduation. I'm the one on the right. Here are Pete, Beverly, me and Rick at our last reunion. I feel so fortunate to have found them again! I was right, wasn't I? We haven't changed at all!

Today I'm expecting a visit from my oldest friend. We were in grade school, jr. high and the first 2 years of high school together. After we were both married and starting families, we lost track of each other. It was my fault....we moved to California for many years and I just lost track. We were so close, we were like Lucy and Ethel. (I was Lucy and she was the very practical Ethel...no surprises there)! We double dated together...these were pre-Rick days. Her boyfriend's name was Pete. Over the years I wondered what ever happened to her. I would sometimes look them up on white pages.com, but I'd forgotten that Pete was a nicname and his real name was Gary. Once we moved back to Ohio, by some miracle, I located some old friends who knew where my friend was and told her I was looking for her. She called one night and we talked and talked. We decided to get together for dinner one night when she and Pete were spending time in Amish country; one of their favorite places as well. What a reunion we had! We told each other how we had not changed at all. LOL

What makes this reunion so wonderful is that they are Christians and we have so much more in common now. As I was typing this, a song came up on my playlist; Michael W Smith singing "Friends are Friends Forever". So, that will be the name of this post.

"Just Right"

After 3 years, we have finally found a church we can call "home". Who would have ever thought it would take so long? I remember working at Grace to You and receiving phone calls from people around the country who were having trouble finding a good Bible teaching church. I would check our "recommended church list" and try to give information, but I always thought to myself "how hard could it be to find a church?" Well, we have been in the same boat for over 3 years. I sometimes felt like Goldilocks..."It's too cold, or too hot", but we could never find one that was "just right". For the last year we have been driving all the way up to Cleveland to attend Parkside, Alistair Begg's church. That was almost "just right". The teaching was wonderful, but with being so far away it was hard to get involved other than Sunday morning and evening. Now, with the gas crunch, it's just too far to make the drive twice on Sunday. Then low and behold, just a couple of months ago, we learned of a church only 10 miles away from our home that is, in a way, associated with Parkside. This dear church had actually just come out of a church split the end of last year and asked Parkside for help. Parkside generously offered to supply a pastor each Sunday and is now helping in locating a fulltime pastor. The name of the church is " Harvest". We feel very fortunate indeed, to be led to this church. The people are warm and loving and have accepted us into their family. We found out on our first Sunday there that there are ties to Grace Church in California where we had been members for nearly 35 years. One dear family even knows where Pine Mountain Club is and asked if we knew of Henry's, a tiny restaurant with the best salsa in the world! So, for now, we are a flock without a shepherd. We are praying for a pastor who will be "just right".


Harvest Church, our new home.

The parking lot and rear of Harvest

Someone must mow this lawn, but I'm not sure who.

This is Parkside, Alistair's church.

Adiela

Here are some pictures of my little great-niece Adiela. She was visiting here in Ohio while I was in California, so I missed her third birthday. Her mommy is Shannon. They live in Oregon, so Shannon, these are for you. Be sure to show Adiela, ok?



My mom, Shannon, Adiela, and Shannon's mom, Sherry.

Poor Adiela...she had to endure being in a fashion show.

I'm sure she was tired of trying on clothes and having her picture taken.

Finally...it's time to play with Daddy. He is my nephew, Wesley.

Hollow Rock Camp

More pictures of Hollow Rock camp are located on my Picasa photo link. It shows lots of the cottages and surrounding area. (Mostly my family will be interested in these)



We spent an afternoon driving to Hollow Rock Camp on the Ohio River. I think it's one of the oldest camp meetings in the states. Rick's grandfather, A.K. Householder was the president for many years and was responsible for building many of the cottages on the grounds.
On this very corner 44 years ago, Rick and I talked to each other for the first time. We were still in high school. His folks had a cottage; I was a "dorm girl". We both worked in the cafeteria that year. One of my girlfriends said they had walked by his cottage and heard him singing "Sherry Baby" in the shower. The rest is history.
This building is located on what they call "Groaner's Hill". Men used to meet here to pray in the evenings and tradition says they could be heard all around the camp.
This building is where the cafeteria is located in the lower level. My job 44 years ago was to serve salads in the food line. Once someone told me they thought Rick was interested in me, I volunteered to wash and dry dishes which was what Rick's job was. By the end of camp, Rick and I were already talking about getting married. We still had another year of high school to go, but we got engaged in January of our senior year and got married right after graduation. (and they said it wouldn't last!)
The cottages are not at all fancy. Here is one under construction, and yes, those are cinderblocks used for the foundation. People here don't have to worry about earthquakes.

OML

We had a cookout at our house recently. The guys all wore shorts.


Dean and Rick...with chopped-off heads

Dad...looking startled

Dean, Bill, Dad and Rick...all with OML (that's Old Mens' Legs)

Think the Amish have the right idea

This is an Amish Parking lot !


We came across an Amish school where they were having a party of some kind. With our high gas prices, I think they must be laughing at us. I'm not sure what the price of hay is, but I know they grow it themselves.


This is one of my favorite Amish restaurants. Miller is a common Amish name. I was distraught when I found out the restaurant had been sold. Not to worry...it was bought by the Yoder family, so nothing will change much.

Parkersburg West Virginia for lunch

It's hard to tell where the clouds in the sky leave off and the mural begins.

This is the Blennerhasset Hotel in the historic district of Parkersburg.

Gardens surrounding the patio

Happy Birthday Deana

 
 
 
 
We celebrated Deana's birthday with a cook out at Mom and Dad's. All of Deana's kids, Wes, Jessie and Dean were there as well as Trish, her daughter-in-law and little Nina...one of Deana's granddaughters. Trish made yummy cupcakes which we all enjoyed.

4th of July Festivities

 
 
 
 
Every year the Canton Symphony Orchestra (yes...we have one and it's very good) puts on a concert in the park. It seems like most all of Canton turns out for it. We have a great city bus system. It picks us up at the mall and deposits us right at the McKinley Park, named for President McKinley, a Canton native. We usually always run into someone we recognize. The weather was perfect...warm but not humid. This year we took a picnic of Kentucky Fried Chicken. My folks went with us. We enjoyed the concert which always ends with the William Tell Overture, then waited for the fireworks display. It didn't start till 10:00 since it stays so light this far north. The buses were waiting for us so we had no crowds to fight on the way home.