September 28, 1998

I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed.

Psalm 57:1 (NIV)

I think we all define the timelines of our lives by certain milestone events. For my family, September 28, 1998 was truly one of those milestone events. Around 7:00 pm on that Monday night our house was hit by a tornado. The house was shifted on it's foundation, a side wall was torn away, and our lives were forever changed...for the better.



I have some very vivid memories of that night. I remember...

• Sidney was on the phone with his mother when he heard the rumblings; he threw the phone (still connected) to the floor and rushed us to the hallway
• My sister, Nancy and her girls were at Daddy and Mama's..seeking a safe place from a threatening hurricane. They were supposed to eat supper with us that night and I thank God they didn't come
• Finding a log chain that the wind had blown through a window and into the chair where Sidney would normally have been sitting watching the evening news
• The quick response and tremendous help of the Newville and Echo volunteer fire departments, family and friends.

We were all at home that night, in the house, just not in our typical "hanging out" spots. I know that God's hand was on each of us, protecting us from physical harm and granting us the grace to view the situation from His perspective.

Just what did He teach us ?

• A house is just that...a home is people
• Things are just things...all replaceable...many unnecessary
• It is God's gift to accept help from His peole
• It is our mission to help others
• God can truly take an overwhelming situation and use it for good
  

End of Summer

The weatherman says this week marks the beginning of fall. We are well into the school year, into football season, and heading into the peanut harvest season, so he must be right !!!

These pictures are of our last "hurrah" of summer, as we enjoyed a visit with Sidney's sisters and brother in law at Lake Martin. A great weekend of food, family, touring of unbelievable lake homes, pontooning, and watching the brave ( including my nephews, Pierce and Harris) as they jumped from chimney rock. As always...we had a project...this time to help Mila complete her skirt wardrobe for school.

We have put away the bathing suits and towels until next year !!

Our Latest "Claim to Fame"

Anyone who follows college football KNOWS who Tim Tebow is.....and anyone who recognizes the most important person in this picture also knows it is the girl on the far right, my niece Katie Haney !! My sister sent this picture to assure us that Katie doesn't study all the time just in case we were worried that all work and no play would make for a dull life !!!

I am quite confident that Katie is making the most of her UF experience.

By the way, I was pulling for the Gators during this game with Miami...just don't tell anyone at Auburn !

Going Green...Been Green...Saving Green !!!

"Prosper ! Reproduce ! Fill Earth ! Take Charge ! Be responsible..." Genesis 1 The Message

As a teenager and then young adult of the 70's, I have been intrigued with the current trend to "go green." While I have not yet hugged a tree, I can't bring myself to throw away an aluminum can or trash my compost scraps!!
In the early years of my marriage I was very green ( in more ways than one !!) ; I never bought paper napkins or paper towel. I must admit though, I was busy trying to stretch my green, not save the planet.
I've been thinking about the green practices I have. They include:

• hanging my clothes on the clothesline
• saving aluminum cans
• composting my kitchen scraps
• recycling my used printer ink cartridges
• drinking water from my faucet
• rarely using paper plates or plastic cups

I'm open to some new ideas...so pass them on...I especially like the ones that save my green !!!