Category Archives: Norah Jayne

Happy 240th, America. Ten reasons why you’re still Beautiful.

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Happy 240th America

Happy 240th, America. Ten reasons why you’re still Beautiful.

Independence Day has been relegated to July 4th or Fourth of July for quite some time. Unfortunately, I am sure a roving reporter could go out on the street and ask what we specifically celebrate on July 4 and most would not know that we are celebrating our INDEPENDENCE from the rule of Great Britain.

Ironically, just this past week, Great Britain pulled out from the European Union, declaring they wanted their independence as well. Alas, it is much more complicated than just bringing back the pound and it has created more potential EXIT’s than a football stadium, (GREXIT, CHEXIT, SWEXIT, and the list will grow…) but the concept is the same: Freedom to do as they please.

When we lived in the country of Latvia for a year, this tiny country, along with the other Baltic States of Estonia and Lithuania, had only know their independence from the Soviet Union for twenty years! If I remember correctly, for their thousands of years of existence, they have only been an independent people for approximately forty years. 40 years!

For all of my soon-to-be 55 years on this earth, I have experienced Freedom. I have been free to say what I think, live where I want to live, go where I want to go, marry who I want to marry (whew!), choose a career path or be a SAHM, and gather to worship without fear of authorities busting down the door. I do not take any of those things for granted, especially today as I see my children, and now grandchildren, introduced to a seemingly different America. I am sad, in many respects, that they will never know the America I grew up in….not a perfect place, just a different place.

As I watch so many freedoms slip away, I will never forget one of the Russians in our Home Group asking me why the United States was so willing to give up their freedoms? “You have everything there, why go backwards?”

It’s a good question to ponder; yet we know God is in control and He has a plan. HIS freedoms are forever, HIS promises never fail! Everything He told us in His letter, the Bible, is true and WILL come to pass. This is where we place our forever hope, our forever confidence and our forever dreams. No matter where you live in this world, no matter what your future holds, whether there be darkness or light, joy or turmoil, freedom or captivity, Jesus is still God and everything centers around HIM.

So, on this Independence Day, what we now call The 4th of July, I can still find things about this great country to love and I hope you will add YOUR sentiments as well. We could make a massive list of the things wrong with this place we call home, let’s see what we can find is right…and pray it stays that way.

  1. Beauty. It’s simply everywhere. From sea to shining sea, as the appropriate song sings out, we have it all. Mountains and gorgeous valleys, rivers, lakes, oceans, hills and hollows, America really is The Beautiful.
  2. Seasons. I have always been a lover of seasons and most places in our great country experience at least some of them. Coming from Indiana, we had them all and when in the middle of one, we were longing for the next! The anticipation of the first flower of spring, the fun activities that accompany summer and all of its heat, the breathtaking splendor of fall as the leaves change their colors, and winter. True, not many look forward to winter but most everyone is still in wonder, no matter their age, when that first snow begins.
  3. People. We are a country of diversity, it is our foundation, what we are made of! “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed, to me: I lift my lamp beside the golden door.” Emma Lazarus
  4. Abundance. True, it is not always a good thing but we should be thankful that we can walk into any store and buy just about anything we want to eat or drink. There are plenty of things to find wrong with our economy, to be sure, but when you have visited other countries, you truly appreciate being able to get clean water and decent food.
  5. Air conditioning. Okay, we are halfway through so I have to throw in a little humor. But seriously, do you know who invented air conditioning? Willis Carrier invented the first modern air conditioner and forever changed the world. Again, when you have lived without it, we did for a year in Latvia, you appreciate these little things. Thank you Mr. Carrier!
  6. Education. Almost anyone can receive an education in this great country if they work hard enough. It is expensive, exhausting and exhilarating all at the same time. We have some of the finest universities in the world right here out our back doors.
  7. Free speech. I want to keep this a positive post and I know mentioning this one brings up a firestorm of “We won’t have that for much longer!” “We are losing it every, single day…” When something is precious, you appreciate it and freedom of speech is what makes America what it is. If we lose that, we have lost it all. May we fight with everything that is in us to keep that basic right that our country was founded upon 240 years ago.
  8. Online shopping. Did you know you can now get some things delivered to your door in TWO HOURS instead of two days or two weeks? Say what?! This boggles the mind but saves the consumer time, gas and mental anguish fighting for that front parking space. Genius.
  9. Clothes dryers. Again, until you have gone without…the neat thing about America is that even the Average Joe, making an average wage can live a good life with all the modern conveniences the majority of the world will never experience! Friends, we pay $4 for a cup of coffee here and don’t bat an eye. We have much to be thankful for.
  10. Worship. Sure, this one could be filed under Free Speech but I think it deserves a category all its own. Today, and any day of the week I would choose, I walked into a church building with hundreds of others and we worshiped the Lord Jesus Christ without fear. And today, we, as a body of believers, gave thanks and praise to God for that privilege and right. Thank you, God, that we are still able to do this and may our children and grandchildren be able to worship You whenever and wherever they so choose.

Naturally, there are hundreds more reasons to appreciate this great country. What are some of YOUR reasons for loving America? Please share! 

Here is another reason I am thankful today, I am able to see Norah Jayne’s sweet face whenever I want. Every day is celebration of this miracle God has given.

Praying you all have a safe and happy Independence Day with your friends and family. Let us remember what we are celebrating…240 years of FREEDOM! May we be able to celebrate many, many more that those who died for the freedoms we enjoy will not have given their lives in vain.

God Bless America.

 

 

 

15 Fun Facts for Father’s Day!

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When you’re young, you think your dad is Superman. Then you grow up and you realize he’s just a regular guy who wears a cape. ~ Dave Attell

15 Fun Facts for Father’s Day!

Father’s Day is celebrated around the world, although not always on the third Sunday in June as we do here in the USA. Enjoy some fun trivia about the day itself and Father’s in general! Happy Father’s Day to all of our Dads!

Kyle and NorahA special Happy Father’s Day to my son, Kyle, who is celebrating his very first Father’s Day because of our miracle, Norah Jayne.

  1. In the country of Thailand, National Father’s Day is also the King’s birthday. They celebrate by setting off fireworks and committing acts of charity, such as donating blood and setting free animals who were captive.
  2. Did you know that the male seahorse is the partner that carries the eggs and births the babies? Say what?!
  3. The song by Stevie Wonder, Isn’t She Lovely, is all about his newborn daughter, Aisha. If your hearing is good and you listen closely, you can even hear her crying on the recording.
  4. Things are a bit different now with cellphones but Father’s Day used to be the busiest day of the year for COLLECT phone calls.
  5. The birthplace of the official Father’s Day is Spokane, Washington. Sonora Dodd wanted to honor her father who raised her when her mother died during childbirth. June was his birth month.
  6. There are more than 70 million dads in the U.S.
  7. In 2014, consumers spent $19 billion on Mother’s Day and $12.5 billion on Father’s Day.Happy Father's Day
  8. There are more than 214,000 stay-at-home dads in the United States.
  9. Females spend 50% more on gifts for their dads and husbands than men do.
  10. Kids who lived in a home without a father make up 63% of youth suicides in the U.S
  11. The word “dad” was first recorded in 1500 but is likely much older than that. It probably comes from the first sounds that a child makes and is similar around the world. In Welsh it is tad, Irish it is daid, tata in Greek, and tete in Lithuania.
  12. The official flower for Father’s Day is a rose. You wear a red one if your father is still living and a white one if your father is deceased.
  13. Number One gift for Father’s Day is still the necktie!
  14. And finally, it is noted that one of the oldest “Father’s Day Cards” was made by a boy named Elmesu more than 4,000 years ago. A clay tablet, found by archaeologists in Babylonian ruins, had a message on it from the son telling his father he wished for him good health and a long life.

Poppy and NorahNot to leave out The Sweetheart…you knew I wouldn’t. He is celebrating his first Father’s Day as Poppy. God is good! Now, fire up the grill, dust off the lawn chair, and make sure you tell your Father how much you appreciate him!

 

Saying, “Goodbye” to our Small Town

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How lucky I am to have something that makes saying, “Goodbye” so hard.    ~ Winnie the Pooh

Saying, “Goodbye” to our Small Town…

Life has a funny way of taking you down twists and turns, stopping, staying a while and then starting all over again.

I was born in a small town. (Hey, we Hoosiers can say that all we want since Mellencamp lives in our small town!) I love this college town even when the traffic is insane and the lines at Target are long; it’s my hometown. I’ve been a Skibo, a Bulldog, a Panther and a Hoosier, proud of each one even when I have to explain the first and last to others who weren’t born here.

A Hoosier bleeds red and white and eats, sleeps and breathes basketball; the loyalty never leaves them even if they locate elsewhere. (Claim to fame: Have I mentioned that I was an extra in the Gene Hackman movie, Hoosiers? If you look real close in the final basketball game you probably won’t see me but I was there screaming just as loud as anyone for Hickory High.)

Memories are down every road, past every landmark and in every face. I grew up here, fell in love here, had two of My Three Sons here and met Jesus here in this Small Town. In 1985, we moved away the first time to Indianapolis where The Sweetheart began his career as an air traffic controller with the FAA. In 1995 we moved back to Bloomington and to the farm where The Sweetheart grew up. It was a great place to raise boys and we loved it. But then in 2001, the Lord called us into full time ministry and we moved again to Ohio and then to Missouri to pastor. In 2010 our lives took another twist and turn as we left everything we had ever known, sold almost everything we had and flew to lands unknown on our first missionary journey.

small town

We assumed we would be overseas a long, long time but only God knows what is behind every open door and He decides when it is time to close one and open another. So in 2012 we came back to this Small Town to continue our ministry with Revival By Design, traveling around the country on the weekends. We have been living in the mother-in-law suite of my mother-in-law’s home for the last four years, (how is that for a twist!) and caring for her physically as she deals with Alzheimer’s and dementia.

It has not been an easy decision to come to this point and say that we are pulling up stakes and moving again. Anyone who knows me is aware that I have ALWAYS wanted to live in the eastern mountains of Tennessee. Ever since I was a little girl I have dreamed of actually calling the Smokies home. Then little things happen.

norah jayne

Yeah, this little thing lives on the other side of the Volunteer State and we want to be a part of her life. As a family, we have waited a long, long time for this blessing that has turned all of our lives upside down and we couldn’t be any happier. Norah will have her Nana and Poppy right down the road and her Nanny, Rachel’s mother, Tonya, moved just around the corner a year ago. We want Norah to be spoiled by her grandparents and I am thrilled to get to babysit a couple days a week as well. Who wouldn’t want to snuggle that little bundle all day?! Tonya calls it living in Norah-Norah-Land!

With Goodbye’s come thank-you’s. I want to thank The Sweetheart’s family for stepping up to take over the care of my MIL. It is no easy task to care for an aging parent, especially when their mind is struggling to keep up. Thank you in advance to my sisters-in-law for all the responsibility you will be taking upon your shoulders.

Our church family at Turning Point has been amazing. We will miss you more than you know! Pastors Ron and Cindy Hawkins are simply first class and we will forever be indebted to them for giving us a place to land and feel at home for the last few years.

To Kristopher and Korey: thank you so much for allowing us to leave again and not making us feel guilty. And thank you a thousand times for helping us last night with The Move. Your patience with the two of us was inspiring. Remember, Eisley has a place to stay at our house!

I don’t see my parents or siblings as often as I would like to but appreciate knowing they are close by. Thank you all for being there for us these last few years.

No I cannot forget where it is that I come from
I cannot forget the people who love me
Yeah, I can be myself here in this small town
And people let me be just what I want to be

That’s the great thing about small towns, you take a part of it with you no matter where you go. I love all of my friends here and the good thing is that nothing else changes, we will still meet here on the blog, still follow one another on social media and still encourage each other in the hard times and rejoice with each other in the good.

Pray for us today as we travel and get settled. Look out Norah, here we come!

nana

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