A month of fun!

December Highlights

Julie, Janet & Dorothy
A great weekend & Birthday celebration for Julie.
What a treat to join in the celebration!
Looking forward to their return.

"Look at me ride the pony, Grams!"
My constant joy!

At home for the holidays & out to eat!

So much fun to have Alex around!

Good Times

Time to play!

Time to Eat!

Time to help!

Just not enough time to pick up the camera & record all the fun!

What's Up?

Seems last week, I looked up alot. After Marcus was pulled from his week of work,with pay, (the Chief Pilot wanted his trips) we headed to the coast to see the Discovery land. As we walked into the Space Center, we heard that the shuttle was 22 minuted away, flying over Montana. Thought about my kids there and wished they were just 22 minutes away. Leaving the Space Center, we passed a couple that appeared to be Quaker. What a strange contrast, seeing them in the park.

Saturday, I was looking up, to see Marcus sky dive 5 times. I'm fine with staying a spectator, although it is fascinating.

We finally got some patio furniture, and sat outside to eat breakfast and play cards. What a treat.

I enjoyed a prosperous morning, going to Garage sales. Got a great breakfast table and chairs, a car seat and riding toys for Morgandy.

Today was crazy, with the painter, carpet layers, pest control, pool cleaner & lawn care all coming and going. I got the shopping list together, & got closets put back.

Now on to the Christmas shopping, & tree decorating. We are having our 1st Thanks-mas or Christ-giving. Having all our kids together, will be a pleasure.

Hope you enjoy feast & family next week!

Florida Fall Foliage

Our Back Yard

Looking Out on the Golf Course

How we know it is Fall at our place

This Palm Tree is half & half

THE ADAM LANGFORD AWARD

God keeps the love and spirit of Adam alive, thru those he touched with his love. I have mentioned that a lady attending the funeral, returned to her 4th grade class and mentioned that she had attended the funeral of a young missionary. As the class ask where, why & how, a project soon formed and developed into the story of the Mvule tree, one of Adam's project. They dedicated this published book to Adam. (one of his goals was that he live a good enough life that others would write about him.)

God used those precious students and soon the media had interest in this story. (Get a book or a tree at www.kibogroup.org) Eventually Kathy & Terry were invited to the school and honored by the students.

They returned home and were soon ask by the O.C. Bible Department if they could honor Adam with an Adam Langford Award, presented to any O.C. alumni, staff or student who have ministered to other. But like Adam, the service needs to be "out of the box" meeting needs of others in unconventional ways.

These two honors have come full circle, as Natalie Mead, the teacher, will receive the 1st
Adam Langford Award.

The 4th graders (now 5th graders, known as the Mvule project club), continue to edit the book, to sell in Barnes & Noble and other big chain book stores. The proceeds from these books will go to the Mvule project, helping educate African Village children.

Last month, our big hearted brother, JimBob, presented Kathy & Terry with a c.d. ; a song that he wrote about Adam. We thank him for giving us this blessing and another honor for Adam.

All those that honor Adam have blessed our family in ways I can't explain.
Thank you, God for all who have been changed because they knew or have heard of your precious servant, Adam. They have been awarded by his life.

Which one?

Yesterday, we finally went to pick out some carpet. I came home with two sample boards. I picked a shade that I thought would be neutral. This morning, I decided on a different color, knowing it was best. Now, I look at the sample (20 huge :) 2 inch squares) and think another shade would do better, especially since the sun is shining on it. Man oh man, if we weren't spending so much on carpet, I would hire a decorator. Maybe, we'll just draw the name from a hat. Then I won't have to decide which one!
But wait, am I sure I want Bartlett Place (50 weight & softer) or Prominent (60 weight and should be softer). One thing I am sure of, I want it treated with polymer, they claim that even bleach will not stain because of this treatment. That's good enough to narrow down the choices, but not the style or color.
Which one?

Our Moving adventure...

We were packed and ready to move on the 30th of August. Two men and a truck, did a great job, but since Marcus broke down the beds , they were not allowed to put them together. So, they still lean against the walls, except for ours. That seemed reasonable, when we realized that we needed to get the carpets clean. But, our plans have changed since our cleaning ladies used Clorox to clean the baseboards, and we now have blotches of Clorox on the carpet. Honestly, we weren't convinced that cleaning would do the job, and since our cleaning ladies don't understand English, they may have thought that we were going to get new carpet. Now, we are!

Utility problems have been non-stop. Luckily, I drove up to our rent house, about the time the guy had turned off our utilities. I was able to convince him to turn them back on, for the landlord, and because the cleaning ladies would be there to clean. But, when I returned home, our new house utilities was shut off, and the cable guy had to reschedule . We learned that we were with a St. Cloud utility company, although we had used the Internet to transfer our Orlando utilities. They resolved that problem by the afternoon.
The next day, we had no water, and made 6 phone calls to find the right department for this area.
The cable guy returned, but 2 days later, that was no longer working. Got that fixed!

Marcus has been busy with emergency room visits. As he was fixing the shower head, he got his ring finger caught, and cut deeply into his knuckle. After 5 hr. 45 min at the ER, he returned home without seeing a Dr. Skin glue has helped repair that injury.
Then, when preparing to sky dive, he was doing a barrel roll in the wind tunnel, fell and separated his shoulder. After a restless night, we headed for another ER. He is doing much better, just needs to take it easy. With TLC, it should get better. Both injuries, within 5 days, kept him from playing golf with some guys at church.

What an adventure! I'm ready for this to be done!

Two beautiful Brides!

Caleb & Erin Lowery
July 28, 2007

Nathan & Lana Miller
August 11, 2007

We attended two wonderful weddings this summer.
Erin is our a perfect fit in our family and we are so proud of her
choice to marry Caleb. We hope to get to know him better as we
keep track of them and celebrate each milestone of their life together.

The Lana and Nathan story is amazing. Just last August, she pointed
the new guy out to us, in the church parking lot, and said, "That's Nathan!
He's going to be my new best friend." Their wedding was perfect,
and knowing our sweet daughter, Nathan is in for quite an
adventure, lots of laughs and so much fun. He's a perfect match for
Lana. We are thrilled for them.

If these two couples ever get a chance to be together, they can discuss
how the mothers of the grooms had matching dresses, great choice....
what it's like to get a Masters in English, and how good God has been
to them!

I am blessed to be Mom to Lana & Wanta-be-Mom to Erin.

Lost in the Crowd

Yesterday, I received this bouquet of flowers from Jenny, Kim And Todd at the Waterford Marriott in Oklahoma City. I also received the Dillard's gift card from Kim, the day before. The thing is, I really didn't deserve it, because like this red flower, I stuck out like a sore thumb, when I got lost in the crowd.

So, I blame it on being the mother of the bride, making some adjustments all week long, and not going to take this new adjustment without being heard. We had just checked in at the Marriott, expecting a double, knowing that other family members had problems with their rooms. So, I was o.k. getting a king and having a roll away brought in for Alex. But, when they informed us that roll aways were all taken, I didn't receive that so well. Our niece was going to get extra blankets for the floor, as was Alex. By George! That wasn't what was written on our "blocks of rooms contract", and I let them know louder and clearer than I should have. It soon occurred to me that the people behind the desk, had no power to make things right, which made things worse. Yes, I was the motherzilla of the bride, well not that bad. So, wanting to be heard, I e-mailed the general manger, received a conference call from his staff, felt they agreed with my point, and turned down their offer of compensation, just wanting it better for the next bridal party.

We had a wonderful reception at the Marriott, lots of fun, great food, (just needed better refill service), and Alex went from sleeping on chairs to a roll away the next night. Never got the double!

I have to say, getting lost in the crowd, made this mother of the bride, stick out like a sore thumb.

Heard it on the Radio

Who ever I was listening to, was talking about marriage. Since Lana & Nathan will be getting married in 3 weeks and since Marcus & I will have our 33rd anniversary, my ears perk up.

comment #1 : A teenager ask his grandfather, what he did back in the days, to keep from getting STD's. His grandfather raised his left hand and said, "This! It's called marriage!"

comment # 2: A preacher was once ask what is the meaning of wedding rings? His reply, "They stop all circulation!"

I have been so blessed to be with Marcus for 33 yrs. A few years ago, I came across a saying, that put so much in prospective. It said, "Choose your love and love your choice."

I do love my choice and thank God that HE has seen us through.

When Love Hurts

Recently, my heart was heavy as I thought of a sweet single girl sending her new born baby across the country to live with her loving brother and family. She knew what she wanted and what was best, would result in love that hurts.
I ask God a stupid question that day. "God, do you know how it feels when love hurts?"

HIS precious reply was an image from the movie, "The Passion."

I recalled the tear drop falling from heaven and causing an earthquake. A perfect symbol of how much love hurts.

Wow! Why I ask that question, in hindsight, seems so silly. But, I have realized that when times are hard, I need to ask God if HE knows. Then be blessed by HIS grace and goodness.

Signs and Wonders

While strolling through a store recently, I came across some home decor that caught my eye. The place had a variety of wall plagues that made me stop and wonder... am I showing a bit of these attributes in my life?

Each decorative plaque also had a message...

"We can do no great things, just small things with great love." Mother Teresa

A real friend is someone who walks in, when the rest of the world walks out.

Because Nice Matter!


These plaques reminded me of the 2 that have been in our house.

"Bloom where you are planted and transplanted and transplanted."

"Encourage each other to greatness!"

I hope your day is full of signs and wonders that give you pause and motivation to do better.

A glimpse of a mothers grief

The following was written by my sister, Kathy, to her son, Adam. It's a glimpse into the heart of grief and faith.

ADAM,
I no longer pray for you. That seems like a strange thing for a mother to say, but it is true. I thank God for your life and the blessing of being your mother, but I no longer feel an need to pray for you. For 28 yrs and 8 days I prayed for you and ask God to keep you safe, and now I find myself struggling with His answer. I think that most of the time, we see ourselves as earthly children of God and that is the way we pray. But God sees us as His eternal children, and that is the way He answers. God has answered my prayer and you are now safe for all eternity. It is amazing how His answer causes so much pain and sorrow for the earthly child of God and at the same time gives so much joy & comfort to this eternal child of God.

Just another example of the awesome mother she is.

Things overheard

O.K this is weird, but have you ever been in a public bathroom, and overhear other conversations. Two different stuations keep playing in my mind.

One mother was super concerned about having her child in a public bathroom and she repeatedly said, "Don't touch! Don't touch! Don't touch! I guess I was expecting her to also say, "Don't breathe!" I felt the anxiety in her voice and found myself holding my breathe.

Then, I heard a sweet mother /child conversation, nothing special being said, just going about the business of washing their hands. As they approached the door, the sweet girl said, "Ok, now out and about." Her mother responded, "Yes, out and about!"

It felt like a sweet special connection and I thought it sounded like all was right in their world.

As you are "out and about", I hope all is right in your world, with just a bit of "don't touch."

BLT, Walmart and 4th graders.

BLT's are rare at our house, cause I don't normally buy bacon. But, yesterday, it seemed the only thing available to fix for lunch. So. I'm getting stuff ready and ask Marcus if he wanted his bread toasted. I loved his response. He answered, "Sure, if that's what you want." Don't know why, but immediately I told him, that I loved that answer and wondered if he would have the same response if I ask for extra shopping money. He replied, "Sure, if that's what you want." Now the battle within me wants to take him seriously, but I know that he was just kidding. It was music to my ears for a moment.

What question would you ask, if your husband had that response?

Alex was home for a week, and we had a night of pure silliness and fun. I ask him what name he wished he had. I think his answer had the title King in it. I reminded him that I could have named him after his Great, great, grandfather, Augustus Erastus De vault. (He wasn't a king, but a Indian Territory sheriff and gambler) Before long, Alex was calling Lana to say that when they (Nathan & Lana a few yrs. from now) have a son, they should name him Walter Martin, so we can call him Walmart.

Have you wished for a different name?

We got our Mvule Tree book,(More than just a Mvule Tree) written by the 4th graders in Denton, TX and dedicated to Adam. It is such a sweet story. As corny as it might sound, I think the angels are rejoicing over this gift. You can feel the spirit of goodness in a group of kids that have no idea how great their message is and their contribution to healing some broken hearts.

It happened again!

Again, Myra showed me how to blog pictures, and again I am missing a step, and can't figure it out. I knew I should have written the steps down. I have precious pics of Morgandy. We miss that sweet smile and happy heart around here. It did Grando, my mom, a world of good to feel the love of her great granddaughter. We enjoyed getting wet kisses and kinda-sorta hugs. We watch as she wanted (so bad) to get a move on, but hadn't got the routine in order.

Again, God is using Adam's life to reach others. A family came to Adam's funeral. When the lady returned to her 4th grade class, she shared the reason Adam was in Africa. When the students learned that he was helping villages grow Mvule trees, they researched the benefits of that project, (www.kibogroup.com) wrote a book about it, and dedicated it to Adam. The book has been published and the students have earned $1300 to help plant Mvule trees. (Order one from the kibo site.)

Again, one of Adam's goals was fulfilled. He hope to live a life worth writing about, and who would have thought that a 4th grade class would do just that.

Again, God's timing helped mend a broken heart. Kathy & Terry had just returned from Uganda, having gone thru Adam's things and to the accident site, when they were ask to come to the book presentation and see the effect their precious son had on a school.

God just happens to bless us again & again!

Reflections!

Wow! What a week this has been.
Marcus is in Guatemala, learning Spanish, but still able to work on buying a house.
Alex is almost a SR in college.
Myra is keeping us posted on blessings and challenges of being Morgandy's Mom
Lana is saying "He's the one!" and when she calls I can hear her smile.

I ponder over what is happening in our family, with our kids, & I feel my head spinning. (in a good way)

So, I take a break, drift off into blog land and come across this song, wishing I had heard it, and it slows me down and says what I wish for my family and all that is transpiring in their lives.

My WISH

Rascal Flatts

I hope the days come easy and the moments pass slow,

and each road leads you where you want to go,

and if your faced with a choice

and you have to choose,

I hope you choose the one that means the most to you.

And if one door opens to another door closed,

I hope you keep on walkin' til you find the window,

If its cold outside, show the world the warmth of your smile.

But more than anything, more than anything...

My wish for you,

Is that life becomes all you want it to,

your dreams stay big,

your worries stay small,

you never need to carry more than you can hold,

and while your out there getting where your getting to,

I hope you know somebody loves you,

and wants the same things, too.

Yeah, this is my wish.

I hope you never look back,

but you never forget,

all the ones who love you,

in the place that you left,

I hope you always forgive,

and you never regret,

and you help somebody every chance you get,

Oh, you find God's grace in every mistake,

and always give more than you take.

But more than anything, more than anything...

My wish for you,

is that life becomes all that you want it to,

your dreams stay big,

your worries stay small,

You never need to carry more than you can hold,

and while your out there getting to where you're getting to,

I hope you know somebody loves you

and wants the same things too,

Yeah, this is my wish.

Stars & Windows

I love the way topics come up randomly. As I was shopping for cards this week, one birthday, one sympathy, both having the common theme of heaven.
The sympathy card suggested that just maybe the stars are really openings in heaven and the light comes from our loved ones bright smile of happiness. I often wondered if a new star appeared, when someone died. Anyway you look at it, stars are a comforting gift from God.
(Living in Amarillo, we often joined our Dad on a blanket and looked at the stars. It was one of my favorite times as a child).

The birthday card reminded me of what happens when God opens a window. In Malachi 3:10b, He says, "I will... open for you the windows (Floodgates) of heaven and pour out for you much blessings, that there will not be room enough to receive it." (This is God's response to our gift of giving.)

These 2 cards have lifted my spirits and reminded me of HIS love.

Abundant Blessings! (in May)

Mom's here for a visit
Myra & Morgandy will be here next
Marcus golfing buddy flies in for 4 days of golf
Visit Marcus nephew's family, while they are here at Disney World
Alex comes for a few days
(all of the above will happen within a 4 day period)
Signa, Tina & one of the kids comes for the Orlando Experience
Hoping to have a friend come down from Jacksonville, so he can see Mom.
Hoping to visit with Mom's Niece & Nephews from Miami
Hearing great stuff from Lana
Hope to meet "her guy" this summer
Decide if we will buy a home here in Florida $$$$$$ $cary decision!
Celebrate Alex 22nd birthday on Tuesday! ( That's my baby!)

(And GOD Said)

I said, "GOD, I hurt"

GOD said, " I know."

"That is why I gave you tears."

I said, "GOD. I am so depressed."

GOD said, "That is why I gave you sunshine."

I said, "GOD, life is so hard."

GOD said, "That is why I gave you loved ones."

I said, " GOD, my loved one died."

GOD said, "So did mine."

I said, "It is such a loss."

GOD said, "I saw mine nailed to the cross."

I said, "But your love one lives."

GOD said, "So does yours."

I said, "GOD, where are they now?"

GOD said, "Mine is on my right,

yours is in the light."

I said, "GOD, it hurts."

GOD said, "I know!"

(This was given to my sister by a friend who shares the common bond of losing her son.)

Being connected

Terry created many traditions with his 2 yr old grandson ,Eli, while he was here for the past 3 months. Eli, and his family departed for Jinja yesterday, but Terry continued their Tuesday night tradition. Every Tues. night, they ate pizza, then went across the street to touch a big blow-up of a blue Elephant, then walked back to the rail-road tracks, and threw rocks in mud puddles. Last night we ate pizza, then Terry parked his car and walked over to touch the blue elephant. Although he will arrive in Jinja to see his grandson in a few days, he wanted to keep him close for the moment. I love that connection.

I had the blessing of being with my granddaughter this past week-end. I was touched by another connection that is precious to me. It started about 29 yrs ago, when I sang to Myra. One song that she loved was "Sing to me of Heaven" and 2 yrs later, we recorded Myra singing that song (at the top of her lungs) to her baby sister, Lana. This past week-end, I heard her sing it to Morgandy. Even if Morgandy, doesn't pass on that song, my prayer is that she knows the hope and promise that that song conveys and that her daughter will reap the blessing of our great God.

I love connections!

Gifts for "Gift"

In my previous post I told about baby "Gift", found in Uganda by my nephew's housekeeper. Myra and some of her friends donated these clothes for this precious baby. She will definitely be a well dressed baby.

This is the outfit I got that I wrote of in my previous post.

"Fairy Garden, Secret Hideaway"

Today I went shopping for clothes for a baby girl. Found a dress that had the following saying on it. "Fairy Garden, Secret Hideaway" Also, above this saying is a cute little girl standing in a flower garden. This little pink dress is heading to Africa, as a gift to "Gift."
Gift is the name given to a newborn baby girl, by her new found mother. Vinnie, was out working in her garden, and thought she heard a cat. Then she was surprised to hear another strange sound. When she checked out the area, she found a newborn baby girl, with placenta & cord still attached. The ants had also found this precious baby. Vinnie took her directly to a neighbors, then they had her treated at the hospital. This 5 lb. bundle, has been with Vinnie for 2 weeks, and Vinnie sees her as a "Gift" from God.
We had the honor of meeting Vinnie, last year when we visiting Ben, Kym, Eli & Adam. She is Ben & Kym's housekeeper, known for her sweet spirit, even in her adversity. As a young widow, she is working hard to provide for her children. To give them a good education, they have to live at school for most of the year. One thing I am sure of... Gift has been gifted to a precious family. Not one with financial wealth, but love beyond limit.
For the one who felt she couldn't keep this sweet baby, God lead her to a good and amazing women, Vinnie, the tender of the secret hideaway.

Amazing! Awesome! Adam!

It was a weekend of blessing as we spent time in Portland, Adams home for 4 years. We were invited to share in the love and honor of knowing Adam. God placed a special gift in my heart this weekend, it was joy, comfort, a piece of heaven ...it was Adam. True to Adam's nature, he said something about everything, with joy. It went something like this;

On the plane ..."Aunt Debby, It's awesome that you get to meet my friends."
Driving through Portland... "Aunt Debby, look at this awesome view, it's incredible beauty."
Going to the Abney's home. "You are going to like them, they are an amazing family!"
Friends came to fellowship and share their Adam experience. As they shared their love and connection, it seemed Adam was saying about each of them, " YOU are the blessing in my life!"
He laughed with us, and was glad we were among his friends at East County. It felt like the excitement and smile of a child greeting their daddy after a time apart. He was loving the Homecoming!
What I already know about Adam, I kept telling each person that I met, "Adam loved this church family so much, and we are blessed that he was loved by y'all."

The excitement continued throughout the church service and fellowship. It seemed Adam was there with a smile & complete joy, confirming that there are no tears in Heaven.
Even through our tears as we praised God in song, I felt his joyful praise of our loving Father. I knew he was excited that the Abney kids shared a blessing with baby Noah, that each Elder, each member, each child was an awesome sight.

As our family served communion, he seemed to remind me that after God "prepared a table before me in the presents of my enemy, HE gifted Adam & us with the victory over that enemy."

What sounds like craziness, was God's hand, using Adam to connect me with a loving people and a common union.

I was ask if Adam had any idea that he affected so many people? "No, he was just being Adam." I replied. But he is a child of God that effected, affected, & connected us to the glory of God. That's what I felt with Adam this weekend, and we give the glory and honor to God.

Breaking Free

Many of you have heard of Beth Moore, and her gift to protray God as her "Precious, Holy Father." In fact her relationship with our Heavenly Father is a passion that she longs to share. Without a doubt, she has a contagious motivating spirit.
In one of her lessons on "Breaking Free", she offered the following truths for grieving the loss of someone.

"Joy and effectiveness may seem to pause for a while as grief takes its course, but those who allow their broken hearts to be bound by Christ, will experience them again."

"When our hearts are shattered after a devastating loss, we have the opportunity to welcome a supernatural power to our lives. It is a power that displays the life of Christ in us like no other because it defies all odds. God becomes the only explanation for our survival and revival. Perhaps the most profound miracle of all is living through something we though would kill us."

"When our hearts are hemorrhaging with grief and loss, never forget that Christ binds and compresses it with a nail-scarred hand."

These words of hope and encouragement, reminds me of HIS Faithfulness and healing hands.

Texas Panhandle

I got to go back to my home town last week. It was great to see the big sky again. Also got to see old Amarillo neighbors, and reminisce about my childhood. I use to play with Leta, alot, and learned that although she was my sisters age, I was the "go along" girl. Playing with my sister Kathy, meant that Leta would have to compromise on the activity, but I went right along with her schemes. Some lead to trouble, like burning the Christmas tree branch by branch. I love the way we sang ""UP FROM THE GRAVE HE AROSE! as we did communion under the carport.

Driving to Lubbock for a day, it occurred to me that cows had no shelter out on the plains of Texas. They had to be tough to endure the wind & snow. I felt showered by tumble weeds on one stretch of road,then a dust storm followed by the rain we had seen 100 miles away. I love the openness and big sky of the Texas Panhandle, and it was good to be back.

Am I one of them?

Before we relocated, Alex informed me that I was going to a place of "old people." I laughed at him and wondered what he thought I was. How bad could it be?
Not to sound rude, but I am having to adjust to the retired population and I don't even live in a "Retirement community or active adult community." But, yesterday, I felt surrounded by "them."
We got to go see the Astros at Spring Training, and being a Astro's fan, seeing our team in this setting was a bit disconcerting. I wasn't expecting Minutemaid Park, and had wondered how the fans contributed to the atmosphere. It was a nice outdoor field, and the crowd was awakened by a foul ball once in a while. They cheered Biggio & Berkman. But, as I looked around, I agree with Alex, it was a place of old people (at least 75% of the crowd)

I wondered what their life stories are? I wish them continued health as I saw some struggle to climb the stairs. They had a friend or mate by their side. They came to enjoy a beautiful afternoon at the ballpark, and they didn't need to drink to have fun. I will adjust and be grateful for the opportunity.

Another regular activity that I observe is, indoor sky-diving. www.skyventureorlando.com Marcus loves to indoor sky-dive.
He's working on different maneuvers. Lately, he lets the wind lift him when he's on his back. He's about ready to try turning flips .
He says he has no interest in the real deal, but has been offered free lessons, if he would fly the plane for the divers. That's a wait & see proposition. He has to get checked out on the smaller aircraft.
As I wait for his group to come into the wind tunnel, I get to see others dive in. I love that little kids have no fear. Time after time, families hear their kids say that this 2 minutes was the best part of their ($5000.00) vacation.
Quite a contrast in one day. But, it was a good day.

Keeping Connected

I love it when Myra calls and says, "Go look at my Blog." I can't get there fast enough. I get a glimpse of a new event in Morgandy's life. What a treasure! What a gift! I hear Myra laughing at my joyful ramblings in seeing our little darlin. If you need a pick-me-up for the day, just go to Myra's Blog.

I love to hear all of Lana's adventures. She has started a new job, and with the best attitude, under the circumstances. I see God holding her up, after the highs and low of her Africa experience. One of her fun stories, is when men inquired of Adam if Lana was available for marriage. Adam gave them the price of obtaining her. "She is worth 15 goats and 3 cows." was Adam's reply. They knew with that price, they had no chance. As Lana & Adam walked away, she let Adam know that she was worth much more than that. "Next time throw a camel in the price." she said. Adam met his match when Lana came along. They both have a bit of their Papa John's quick wit.

Alex loves to call when he is waiting for the train or bus. If he's walking down the street, that Chicago wind can really interfere with the phone call. If he's waiting in line to order a coffee or lunch, I stand by as he orders. I guess I fill in the gap of his busy days, but that's o.k. It's good being connected.

One form of connection that has meant so much to me, is my screen saver. It is a picture of my three kids, taken last month. Getting 3 adult children in one place is so hard. But, I love this picture. Seems like each time I see it, I have a new memory. I find myself looking at them and thanking God for these awesome people.

Better go, (to Myra's blog) and get my pick-me-up for the day.

Keeping Connected

I love it when Myra calls and says, "Go look at my Blog." I can't get there fast enough. I get a glimpse of a new event in Morgandy's life. What a treasure! What a gift! I hear Myra laughing at my joyful ramblings in seeing our little darlin. If you need a pick-me-up for the day, just go to Myra's Blog.

I love to hear all of Lana's adventures. She has started a new job, and with the best attitude, under the circumstances. I see God holding her up, after the highs and low of her Africa experience. One of her fun stories, is when men inquired of Adam if Lana was available for marriage. Adam gave them the price of obtaining her. "She is worth 15 goats and 3 cows." was Adam's reply. They knew with that price, they had no chance. As Lana & Adam walked away, she let Adam know that she was worth much more than that. "Next time throw a camel in the price." she said. Adam met his match when Lana came along. They both have a bit of their Papa John's quick wit.

Alex loves to call when he is waiting for the train or bus. If he's walking down the street, that Chicago wind can really interfere with the phone call. If he's waiting in line to order a coffee or lunch, I stand by as he orders. I guess I fill in the gap of his busy days, but that's o.k. It's good being connected.

One form of connection that has meant so much to me, is my screen saver. It is a picture of my three kids, taken last month. Getting 3 adult children in one place is so hard. But, I love this picture. Seems like each time I see it, I have a new memory. I find myself looking at them and thanking God for these awesome people.

Better go, (to Myra's blog) and get my pick-me-up for the day.

Drive-in

I love Drive-In's. I have to say Sonic is my favorite. We also loved a Blizzard from Dairy Queen as we drove from east Texas back home. I guess you call those drive-Thru's. But, they aren't around here, like in Texas. I miss that.
Back to Drive-In's! Love the memories of our family going to a Drive-in movie. Could take your shoes off, move around, sit on the hood, wear your pajama's. Nice benefits to that rare form of entertainment.
One horrifying experience was the night I got to go with my sister and all her cool friends, to a Drive-In to see "The Graduate" We were there before dark, picked a good parking place, and waited. Cars drove by to find a place to park, and we were shocked to see our Mom & her friend driving past us. They never saw us, but I didn't enjoy this adventure at all.

I have just found a new (to me) type of Drive-In. I drove pasted it when we first moved here, but then decided I was mistaken, until I drove past it twice yesterday. It's a Drive-In Church. I guess it is large enough for 50 cars. There appears to be a small shed at the front of the lot. No individual speakers for the cars. Maybe, you tune in to a certain radio channel.

So, if I ever feel like fellowshipping with others, in my pajama's, with a Sonic coke, parked beside there car, maybe decline my seat back for comfort, and singing along, (where others don't have to hear) I may give it a try.

For now, I'll just drive by and try to get an understanding of the Drive-In church concept.

"IS or WAS"

Yesterday was a new "Adam connection." We met the Kings, a great young couple, planning on moving to Jinja in September. They will be a great match to serve with the present team. Got to share our Jinja experience, and laugh alot. (Especially at Adam stories)
To involve others in our conversation, I would explain our connection.
It went like this...
"They Kings know my nephews Adam and Ben, & his family Kym & Eli"
"They will work with Adam and Ben, I mean Ben..."
" Adam is doing the Mvule Project, I mean was..."
"I have 2 nephews in Jinja... I mean 1 ..."

You get the picture, we've all struggled with it, when we lose someone who "IS" in our world.

Finally, I quit correcting myself, but would pause, and the response would be a gentle smile and nod.

Adam "IS" to me, and that's all I want.

On a brighter note, I have just sent out info on the Mvule Project to different churches and friends that love including their children in service. I encouraged them to see this as an opportunity for kids to help kids.

Got a response from a sweet friend, Suanna Davis, at our home congregation in Kingwood. She is putting together a mission booth (this weekend) in honor of Adam, and his contribution to this project. Pray that response will be life changing for the givers & receivers.

Knowing Adam, he probably said, "God, you know what we can do with Debby's interest in this website." Then they both grinned and the e-mail was formed in my mind and off it went.
He is still working every opportunity. That's Adams heart and soul. A man of God!

Thank you, LORD!

Random Ramblings

We don't know where the pictures of Morgandy went , sorry about that!

Look alike!
Had some pictures taken of Morgandy & then got out Myra's baby pictures...there's a close match. Sure was fun having them here.

Adam Connection!
I've found another "Adam Connection" "Big Steve" lived in Portland, knew Ben, now lives in Arlington (birthplace of Lana & Alex) came to Adam's funeral, now in Missoula this week end
for a youth rally that Lana is helping with.

Lana's style!
A traditional award at the Missoula youth rally is an "Ebenezer award". Not familiar with the emblem used for the award, Lana came across a classified ad " Giving away bowling trophies"
So, for this year the awards will be bowling trophies!

Quieter semester!
Alex claimed that this semester, he would spend more time studying & not overdo the acting extras. Next thing I know, he's in a school produced T.V. show, a school club "Musical", with a lead part, and still wants to go to one more audition... so that's it for a quieter semester.

New Job!
Lana is taking off this semester from school, and been looking for a job. She has been hired as an assistant physical therapist at a private nursing home. Training starts in March! Another prayer answered.

Pondering Blessings

Since Lana returned from Uganda, I'm reconnecting with how you transition back into this culture. One of the puzzling questions is "What is God's blessings?" Never even predicted that I would struggle with that question. I'll say more about that later, but for now I want to thank God for blessing me with amazing children.

I sit here, not even knowing how to convey the refreshing love of our sweet Morgandy. I see the love of her mother, and daddy, & I'm so thankful that God is working in their lives to give her a foundation that will sustain her in this world. Myra shines in all she does, and that is true as Morgandy's mom.

Patrick is a perfect balance in making this family work. I love that he loves his family so much, and I am so grateful, that he filled in the gap, and made hard phone calls when friends needed to be contacted about Adam. His nurturing will give Morgandy a healthy example of how a man treats a women.

Lana inspires me, even in the rough times. When naming her, we read that Lana means "a light in the dark" She doesn't get that nature from her name, but from her creator. No doubt, she is hurting right now, but she carries on with service to others. She has a way about her, that makes others have a better day.

Alex has been given amazing talents. Although he works at it, he really just has it. There were times when I reminded him that God gave him those talents to glorify HIM. But, even if Alex never sings or acts again, his life is a blessing and I am honored to be his mom.

These are blessings that I am sure of, and forever grateful for.

Languages of Love

Have you read that book? The real title is "The 5 languages of love." Great book! Made me less judgmental about all those ladies who expect diamonds for a valentine gift. I'm not a jewelry person, not much on flowers, but as a sweet tooth, I welcome chocolate candy.

According to the book, I feel love from compliments. I knew that, just glad it was confirmed in a book. Maybe I appear needy, since for some people, they tell you once how they feel, and they will let you know when they change their minds. Luckily, I haven't been subjected to that
orneriness.

I believe part of my need for verbal affirmation, was due to my academic struggles in school. I was blessed to have great parents, who never compared by report card with my sisters. (She made straight A's) I was already beating myself up, and they never added to the wound. They never treated me like I was dumb, but encouraged me to keep trying. Things eventually got a lot better. I'm so thankful that home was always a safe place to be.

That situation influenced me to do the same for my kids, ( make our home a safe place to fall) and some feed back makes me feel like we was successful most of the time.

But what really thrills me, is that I'm sure they will do the same for their families. That's the "love language" of peace.

Filling In

I told my mom she needed to blog more so she told me to put something on her blog. That was a very bold move because there's no telling what I could post. I'm in a kind of funny mood (if you look at my blog from today you'll understand).

I guess I'll post what I think Mom would post if she were actually posting today.

"I know I need to post something on my blog because Myra told me too. But I'm too busy finding funny stories to things to send to my nephew Jesse who's in basic training for the Army. That and I'm also printing off blogs that talk about Adam and pictures of Morgandy and recipes to send to Grando.

Since Morgandy is here I want to spend all my free time (and money) on her. And I tried to post something the other day but it got lost.

Myra taught me how to "cut" and "paste" today so hopefully I can continue my computer education and blog more often."

Maybe this will teach Mom to not let me on her blog :)

Adam's Goals

My nephew, Adam Langford, died tragically, in a vehicle accident, while serving as a missionary in Jinja Uganda. He was 28 yrs old and we are heartbroken over our loss. He leaves us his vision of what he wanted in life, and we saw him glorifying God as he accomplished these goals.

Goals in Life

Play college soccer -done

Get a good degree- done

Ski for a season, after college- done

Get a job in the world of finance- done

Get a MBA or JD from a prestigious school.

Live overseas for an extended period of time, either work in schools or mission work.*

Get married (marry over my head)

Learn a second Language *

Write a book

Live a life worth writing a book about*****

Do consulting and motivational speaking*

Have kids

Be the greatest husband and father I could possibly be

Acquire a piece of land in the mountains & open up an adventure retreat and camping(?) business

Be Christ-like, even if it means never accomplishing the goals listed above*****

* Adam was accomplishing these goals day by day.

Adam, you did it, you obtained the ultimate goal.

A Small World

Yesterday, a sweet friend, Wilma, from Kingwood called to see if we were affected by the horrible tornado's. We were spared from the storm, but I felt blessed by her concern. As we visited, she said that she had another friend in Orlando she needed to check on. Later in the afternoon, "her friend" called me and welcomed me to the community. I mentioned that we had barely settled due to alot of traveling. She then replied that she had heard of my nephews death, and even knew a couple, (from Orlando) that had attended the funeral.
I was choking up as she told of how amazing Adam must have been. My tears were not only for the loss I feel, but for the blessing of getting to be Adam's, Aunt Debby. Don't feel worthy of that honor, but count it one of the best gifts from God.
So, thankyou, Wilma, for calling me and your friend, and thankyou, Mary Margaret for sharing with me, how Adam touched the people he never even knew.
And thank you God, for showing your love through others.

The Thesaurus says..

I've been ask if I could find a better adjective to say when I see my "precious" granddaughter. It's what naturally comes out of my mouth, don't even know when I say it, you know, like people saying" like" and "you know" all the time.
It's just like that! I see Morgandy and I say "precious." (You can see her on Myra's blog, she's so precious.)
So, this morning, I thumb through the Thesaurus, and I've narrowed it down to 2 choices, "priceless or exquisite." Mastercard has taken over the word priceless, and exquisite is not in my vocabulary.
Any ideas on a replacement word would be appreciated.

Give this a try

My girls said I should do this, but not sure how this will come across. I like to share stories and happenings in my life, or just ponder (in writing) about how life is going. It's true, I'm a rambler!

I bet my husband would agree that I'm good at rambling. He's a patient listener, and I appreciate that. Being in a new community, in a new state, has put him as my only friend, so he gets a ear full.

Lately, life's adventures have been a roller coaster ride, and I am not fond of roller coasters. But, I'm thankful that I can lean on God, family, & friends to make it throught these ups & downs.

The feeling of "Blessed assurance" brings comfort in these times.