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Some of the first Sweet Gum leaves have fallen, an indication of more to come, much more. The Yellow Poplar (Yellow Wood, Tulip tree) has been dropping its leaves since the beginning of July. There is no surprise there.

So much has happened this summer. There was camping with Grace Bible Church families, Lois’ surgery and continued recovery, celebrating birthdays, Ricky and Karlyn being accepted and preparing to move to Baltimore, MD to minister to people out of Arlington Baptist Church, Lois and my 34th Wedding Anniversary which we celebrated with all our family with great friends Tim and Beverley Roberson and their daughter Kelly, and so much more. Jesse now owns his first automobile. Andrea and Cherith have left to work this summer/fall with Harvest Rally out of Indiana and are enjoying prep work to begin.

Also, Lois’ brother Bruce and his wife Deirdra and their son Zack moved to minister in Montana. We went to spend a Saturday with them the weekend before they moved.

It is fun to look behind, but there is so much ahead. Welcome Autumn!!!

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A parent’s pride in their children when they make a great accomplishment should be obvious. Our youngest son Jesse graduated from high school Tuesday night May 24, 2011. We are proud of him and very excited for him. We love you Jesse. We do have proof outside our say so that he did indeed graduate from James F Byrnes High School in Duncan, SC. (As you watch please note that no one in our family was escorted out or ticketed. Yes, we all had tickets to get in. We were happy we weren’t given one as we left.)

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From our local TV station:
Graduation Guests Ticketed For Loud Cheering

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When you see Jesse please congratulate him!

On May 31, 2010 the first graduating class from Brashier Middle College Charter High School began their commencement ceremony just after 10:00 AM. Cherith was one of the graduates in that very first graduating class. We are so proud of her.

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Cherith’s senior project was a collection of thirty-six Bible lessons for five year olds that she wrote herself. Each senior had a mentor for their project. Cherith’s was Pastor Ben Ice of Calvary Baptist Church in Simpsonville, SC. The senior project grade was the overall graduating grade. She with sixty-eight others made their passing grades and are now the first graduated class of Brashier Middle College Charter High School. We are thankful for her testimony in the two years she has been at BMCCHS and for the difference she has made. Again, for graduating from BMCCHS we congratulate you.

Been awhile since the last post. Was it because of inconvenience? Lets see… Labor Day at Bruce’s but some had other plans… Jesse’s birthday and outing to Chimney Rock, but not all the family was there because some had already made plans… Thanksgiving Day meal as a family on Sunday because Thanksgiving Day meal came and we were in three or four different geographical locations… Then Christmas… Two days before Christmas our white van died… possibly the fuel pump… the van Andrea planned to take to Wisconsin. Christmas eve evening after at time with family at Ricky and Karlyn’s new house on the way to Eunice’s new home our blue van quits in the middle of the road. Christmas day, when Eunice was planning on taking us to Michigan, was spent at Eunice’s home. The day after Christmas Jesse and I spent five hours fixing things that require fixing, but do not get the blue van running. And inconvenience?

And this is Christmas… That first, as we tend to call it, Christmas… Was it not inconvenient for Mary to be told she would be pregnant, not by man, but by God. How do you explain that? Joseph wanted to at least hide her shame as much as he could, but it was inconvenient to be told by God to take her without shame to be his wife in the face of all criticism they would face. It too was inconvenient to be nearing the end of Mary’s pregnancy and be required to travel on foot or donkey about a hundred miles to register for the Roman government. It was inconvenient to get there later than so many others and find room for birthing in a stable. Then within a couple of years to have to flee for the life of their son to Egypt traveling the same way. Was it not inconvenient for so many families to have their children under two years old to die because of that one child? that one child whose ultimate purpose was to die on this earth for the sins of all who would ever live.

So tell me, was your Christmas inconvenient for you?

Happy Birthday Jesse. May you always acknowledge God in honor and reverence with every part of your life.

Life is what you submit to God to make it to be.

I love you Jess. We all love you!!!