Yesterday, my dad turned 75 years old. As I thought about him on his birthday, it made me so thankful that God put such a wonderful example in my life. He started pastoring a little church in NOrman, Oklahoma when I was 2 years old, and stayed in that same church until after I was married. Almost 21 years he was there. Then moved to Mulberry, Kansas and pastored a church there for 13 years. He pastored others before I was born, but those are the two that I remember.
I remember him working a full time job, and then coming home tired and having to visit the hospital or other things that pastors do. Also he always raised a big garden because there was six children, and they needed to save money on groceries. If he wasn't visiting the hospitals or something related to church in the evenings, he was always out there in that garden.
He started having heart problems in his forties, and we honestly thought we would never get to see him get old. In and out of the hospital, surgery after surgery.
Sixteen years ago, we had a fortieth anniversary party for him and mom because we never thought dad would live to see the fiftieth. Now much to our surprise, sixteen years later, dad's still here and mom's the one that's gone.
Dad was one who trusted the Lord for alot of things. I've seen him carry a burden so great that he would almost stagger with the weight of it. But he knew how to pray things through.
Once when I was a child, he was worried with something and decided to go on a fast. He had nothing to eat for 23 or 24 days. I will never forget that. He was so weak he could hardly stand, but the Lord came through and answered his prayer.
Now that i'm older, and looking back on things, I realize that there's alot of times I could have probably made his life alot easier, but as a teenager, you don't look at things the right way.
I'm just so thankful that God gave him to me, and I know the last few months have been really rough on him but he has shown unbelievable strength through it all and I love him.
Happy Birthday, Dad!
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Saturday, July 9, 2011
My Beautiful Mother
Welcome to my blog. I'm new at this so bear with me please.
Just made a trip to Oklahoma and seen my mother's headstone for the first time. It really got me thinking alot about heaven. For those of you who knew my mother, you know she was a quiet woman. Didn't have a whole lot to say in church but I wanted to share something that happened with her. We found out on September 15, 2010 that Mom had cancer of the pancreas. This is a very fast working cancer, and we knew our time was very short. The Drs said probably 2-3 months. Mom lasted 4 1/2 months. In November, my brother called me and told me that he thought I had better come home. It looked like Mom was going. I flew in and stayed almost 3 weeks. Toward the end of the time I was there, Mom got to the point that she didn't know any of us, and she wasn't responding at all. On a Sunday afternoon, Brother Tommy Tolliver came to pray for Mom and the Holy Ghost was so strong in that room. Very refreshing after a long, hard week. Before he left, he decided to sing with her. He sang for a little bit, and my sister tapped me on the arm and said, "Listen." We looked down, and Mom was singing. She was pointing toward Heaven and singing "When we all get to Heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be." We couldn't believe it because she hadn't responded to us in several days. When she was done, she went back to sleep.
I had to come on home, and a few weeks later in January, my sister called me and told me she wished I could have been there that night. The church had come to pray for Mom, and this time she hadn't eaten in almost 5 weeks. She was very weak and couldn't even roll herself over in bed. She didn't know anyone, even my Dad. After the church prayed, they said she opened her eyes and started talking about seeing a mansion. They asked her what it looked like and she said, "It's the most beautiful home you've ever seen. The flowers are so bright and pretty, and the streets are gold!" A little while later, she looked at the end of the bed, and said, "Who's that standing there?" My brother said, "Mom, we don't see anyone." She said, "He's opening the book." My brother-in-law said, "Mom, who is it that's opening the book?" She said, "It's Jesus!" Then she that hadn't even been able to roll herself over in bed sat straight up and raised her hands toward heaven. Tears rolling down her cheeks, and they said it looked like 20 years fell off of her. My brother said she looked so young and healthy. She began crying out, "WE MADE IT, WE MADE IT, WE MADE IT!" They asked her, "Mom, what are you seeing?" She said, "I see my name, and the names of every one of my children in that book!"
Makes me know for sure and for certain that heaven is real! I've always been taught and believed that somewhere there was a heaven, but sometimes God just gives us a little something extra to give us a little push.
You don't know how awesome the feeling is to know that she saw my name!
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Just made a trip to Oklahoma and seen my mother's headstone for the first time. It really got me thinking alot about heaven. For those of you who knew my mother, you know she was a quiet woman. Didn't have a whole lot to say in church but I wanted to share something that happened with her. We found out on September 15, 2010 that Mom had cancer of the pancreas. This is a very fast working cancer, and we knew our time was very short. The Drs said probably 2-3 months. Mom lasted 4 1/2 months. In November, my brother called me and told me that he thought I had better come home. It looked like Mom was going. I flew in and stayed almost 3 weeks. Toward the end of the time I was there, Mom got to the point that she didn't know any of us, and she wasn't responding at all. On a Sunday afternoon, Brother Tommy Tolliver came to pray for Mom and the Holy Ghost was so strong in that room. Very refreshing after a long, hard week. Before he left, he decided to sing with her. He sang for a little bit, and my sister tapped me on the arm and said, "Listen." We looked down, and Mom was singing. She was pointing toward Heaven and singing "When we all get to Heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be." We couldn't believe it because she hadn't responded to us in several days. When she was done, she went back to sleep.
I had to come on home, and a few weeks later in January, my sister called me and told me she wished I could have been there that night. The church had come to pray for Mom, and this time she hadn't eaten in almost 5 weeks. She was very weak and couldn't even roll herself over in bed. She didn't know anyone, even my Dad. After the church prayed, they said she opened her eyes and started talking about seeing a mansion. They asked her what it looked like and she said, "It's the most beautiful home you've ever seen. The flowers are so bright and pretty, and the streets are gold!" A little while later, she looked at the end of the bed, and said, "Who's that standing there?" My brother said, "Mom, we don't see anyone." She said, "He's opening the book." My brother-in-law said, "Mom, who is it that's opening the book?" She said, "It's Jesus!" Then she that hadn't even been able to roll herself over in bed sat straight up and raised her hands toward heaven. Tears rolling down her cheeks, and they said it looked like 20 years fell off of her. My brother said she looked so young and healthy. She began crying out, "WE MADE IT, WE MADE IT, WE MADE IT!" They asked her, "Mom, what are you seeing?" She said, "I see my name, and the names of every one of my children in that book!"
Makes me know for sure and for certain that heaven is real! I've always been taught and believed that somewhere there was a heaven, but sometimes God just gives us a little something extra to give us a little push.
You don't know how awesome the feeling is to know that she saw my name!
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