Tag Archives: my three sons

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.

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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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When you stand up to the bully…

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Another of My Three Sons is the guest writer on the blog today! Korey Elkins is the youngest, this year they will turn 25, 30 and 35! Where does the time go? So proud of Korey and what he is doing for the kingdom. He was with us in Latvia for a while as the worship leader, singing on the streets of Riga to win souls, as you see in this first picture

and then he was in Scotland and Ireland for several weeks helping missionaries there

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and finally, just this past December, he went with us to Haiti and was greatly impacted by the work there.

But every Sunday, you will find him singing and playing his guitar at his home church in Fishers. Enjoy and be encouraged by this post.

“Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10

There are so many adjectives used to describe God:

  • Creator
  • Healer
  • King of Kings
  • Son
  • Messiah
  • Protector
  • Alpha
  • Omega
  • Savior
  • Lord of Lords

The list is longer than we can ever imagine. One of the words I love to describe Him as is Father. The thought that the One who created the universe, sustains life and holds the stars in place is also the one who cares about my day to day life, is astounding to me.

And the fact that He calls me His son is mind-blowing.

The verse from Isaiah 41:10 is a verse that has stuck with me ever since I heard it on the Christian radio show, Adventures In Odyssey. There’s a boy who is being bullied on his way home from school everyday and is eventually too terrified to leave school because of it. Whit, the city’s sage, Christian counselor, gives him some advice and tells him to repeat this verse as he walks home. He does this and as he confronts the bully, the verse gives him confidence to stand up to her and keep walking.

When you stand up to the bully

I love this simple message from God because it’s such an accurate depiction of how a Father encourages His children.

  • Why would we fear when God is always with us?
  • Why would we let anxiety control our lives when He is our God?
  • Why do we let ourselves be weakened and destroyed by lusts, addictions and doubts when He is our strength, our help and our righteousness?

Our God is for us! “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?” Romans 8:31.

One of the most important parts of Isaiah 41:10 is His mentioning of His “righteous right hand”. The idea of the right hand is mentioned many times in the Bible. The right hand is significant because it indicates someone who has the highest rank, just under the King. It’s someone who stands next to the King and matters the most to him. Most scriptures reference Jesus as now being seated at the right hand of God. “…Jesus Christ, who is at the right hand of God…” 1 Peter 3: 21-22.

For me, I think this could also be saying just how important we are, as His sons and daughters. By holding us up with that right hand of righteousness, we are exalted to that higher level. We matter the most to Him. And that’s why we are pursued so relentlessly by God.

Keep this verse with you when times get dark and heavy.

How small are your fears, anxieties, weaknesses and failures compared to your worth in Christ!

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Let yourself be restored by His righteous right hand. Don’t fear. He is with you.

Korey Elkins is the Worship Director at Life Connections Church in Fishers, Indiana. His love of music of all genres is evident in his everyday life but his love for worship trumps them all. Korey began playing guitar at the age of 14 and leading worship with it hanging around his neck at the age of 16. He is a student of graphic design and loves, or lives, to cook for others. If you are blessed to sit down at his table you will leave happy and full. 

Phone calls, flowers and ropes on Mother’s Day

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Happy Mother’s Day to all of our wonderful mothers! If your mother is not living, may you be blessed with wonderful memories of her today. If you have not been able to be a mother, may God surround you with His love and comfort and may you be able to trust Him that He is sovereign and faithful. If your mother wasn’t what you considered ideal and you don’t see reason to honor her today, if Mother’s Day is just plain difficult for you, I pray you may be able to be thankful that your Mother chose life and that you now have a chance to make a difference in the life of another. Blessings to you all on this wonderful day. You can read some of my other more humorous Mother’s Day posts here, here and here!

Phone calls, flowers and ropes on Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day has always been a favorite here in the United States. They say over 122 million will take the time to call their mother today. I will wait for you if you haven’t called your mother yet. Go ahead, it will make her day!

The average spent on Mom today is $168. That seemed extremely high to me and very extravagant for a holiday that was meant to just say, “Thank you.”

Yesterday, I received the most wonderful gift I may have ever gotten for Mother’s Day. Letters from My Three Sons, my sweet DIL, Rachel, and The Sweetheart. Post dated to open one a month for an entire year. Tears!! I will open thefamily first one today. Genius. Thank you to the best kids on the planet!

Around the world, Mother’s Day is celebrated much the same way we do here in the States; flowers, candy, a day off from chores, maybe dinner in a restaurant.

In Ethiopia, Mother’s Day is celebrated for three days! The three-day feast, Antrosht, is celebrated by making hash. The girls bring spices, vegetables, cheese and butter and the boys bring a lamb or a bull. The mother then serves the hash and a celebration takes place afterward where the mothers and daughters anoint themselves using butter on their faces and chests. The men sing songs to honor the family. Hmmm…

Men in Australia typically wear a chrysanthemum in their lapels to honor their mothers. This flower is chosen because it ends in “mum” which is their chosen name for the one who brought them into the world!

If you think your Mother’s Day is dull, you could celebrate as they do supposedly, in Serbia. They also need three days to honor their mother in the month of December. They celebrate Children’s Day and Father’s Day all back to back on consecutive Sundays. But here is where it truly differs from other celebrations! On Children’s Day, the children are tied up with rope and have to say they will behave before they can be untied!

Then on Mother’s Day, it is the mother’s turn to be wound around and around with the rope and she must stay all tied up until she gives treats and gifts to the children. How she is supposed to do this while tied up is a mystery to me but hey, she is a mom! Finally, on Father’s Day, you guessed it, Dad gets to take a turn. He must stay bound with the ropes until he gives the family their Christmas gifts and then everyone can celebrate.

As a daughter I have seen 50+ Mother’s Days come and go. As a Mother, this is my 35th year of celebrating. As a grandmother, it is my very first. My son and DIL experienced infertility for over ten years before we received this little miracle, who is just five weeks old, Norah Jayne. You can read their story here.

While it has taken a few years for me to join the grandparents club, trust me, I feel as if I belong here. Watching Norah at times is like going back 25+ years and watching my own all over again. It seems as if I can see each one of My Three Sons in her tiny face. And yet, she is her own little person, she will have her own ideas, her own desires and her own dreams. This isn’t the same world that her daddy grew up in and it will take a love for God and a relationship with Him to weather the storms that life will send her way.

If I could tell Norah one thing it would be to always honor your parents. They will make mistakes but will forever want what is best for you and strive to make sure you are loved, safe and cared for.

Today, if your mother is living, you are blessed to still have her and be able to let her know you appreciate her. To my own mother, Sandy, I thank you for everything you have done for me and my family over the years. We could count on you then and we can count on you now. Thank you for being a great mother.

To my daughter-in-law, Rachel, on her first Mother’s Day, a day that has typically been so difficult is now wonderfully anticipated. It’s taken a long time to get here but God’s timing is always perfect. May you enjoy every moment and give thanks to the One who has blessed us all with such a miracle.

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Did I mention the country of India? Most of the citizens of this country aren’t really aware of a formal Mother’s Day for one interesting reason: They strongly feel that ONE DAY isn’t sufficient to celebrate the love of a mother.

I would agree.

Happy Mother’s Day!

nana