1,000 GIFTS, #660 to #674

June 11, 2012 10:20 AM 3

Along with the daily gifts of God’s goodness in our lives, this past week has been one of  milestones in our family, of birthdays and wedding anniversaries. Family is everything to me and I only wish I had more time to spend with all of them. We are busy in ministry, jobs, and taking care of day-to-day responsibilities. Just like you and your family. But taking the time to stop and count the gifts of grace Jesus gives makes the pace a bit slower so you can truly focus on what is right here and now, gifts from His hand…

660. Today is our 35th wedding anniversary. I have been a tad emotional about celebrating this milestone. Why does it seem that events that end in “0” or “5” are more special? God has certainly blessed my sweet Gary and me all these years.  We were so young and so in love. Then…and now…

661. The very first time Gary and I laid eyes on each other was when my family and I visited the little Baptist church where he was leading worship at the age of 17. We were high school sweethearts and began dating the summer before our senior year of high school.
662. Here we are on our wedding day, June 11, 1977…when 35 years ago today I took his hand in mine and promised before God and friends to love him for all time…
663. June 10th marked a milestone in my mother-in-law’s life too – her 90th birthday. She is a precious woman and if I can be the mother-in-law to Carrie and Erin that she has been to me, I will be a mighty blessed woman. We celebrated with a big family party – 70+ family members came and honored the Morton Matriarch.

664. Here she is as a young bride herself…I love this picture, and I’m very thankful for her faithful love to me and her testimony as a woman who loves the Word of God. She has 5 brothers and four of them were preachers. What a wonderful family I married into…her maiden name is Moody and the family tree has lines to the famous evangelist, D.L. Moody. One of her brothers is named after him.


665. My Dad made his famous passed-down-many-generations-recipe Brunswick Stew for the Maloy Family Reunion this past weekend. He recently shared the recipe with my youngest son Jonathan. I love to hear my parents share stories of their growing up years. I sent this picture to both my sisters and for some reason we all got teary-eyed. For all his gruff “former Marine” ways, our father still has a big old tender heart. This making of the stew is a special memory for him of his own father and grandfather.
666. Baptism at the beach. Our young people just returned home from their annual beach retreat and they celebrated this year with something never done before – baptism on site in the ocean…what a testimony. I pray the foks who witnessed this will be touched and blessed. So proud of Pastor Mike and his wife Julie, and Pastor Ben and his wife Leia.
667. I planted these while calla lily bulbs last year and then forgot about them – they blessed and suprised me this year. I love white flowers.
668. We have been blessed with wonderful rains the past week. I love the way the water drops look on this daylily, it seems refreshed. My blog header has the verse from Isaiah 58:11…may your soul be as a well-watered garden. A favorite passage of mine.
669. An impromptu visit to my office last week by my little granddaughter Madie Ruth. She stayed with me for about 20 minutes while her brother finished his swimming lesson. It was a mixup in schedules for my son and his wife, but a pure delight to me. Living close to my boys and their wives and grandchildren is a DAILY blessing that I count. (I got this picture from Facebook, it was taken while she was at her other grandma’s house, and I know Mrs. Catharine is happy to live close to the grandchildren too…)
670. While driving home from Memama’s 90th birthday party we went through a town called Porterdale.  Many of my dad’s sisters worked in this old cotton mill. It was a thriving mill for many years and my dad’s father worked there too. I love the history of this town. My Granny attended the Porterdale Baptist Church. I was born not too far from this little town.
671. My youngest son and his wife celebrated four years of marriage on June 7th. When your children are blessed and happy in the homes they leave yours for…there are no words adequate enough to express the JOY this brings. Pray for your children’s spouses…no matter how young your children are.
672.  Peaches, peanuts and pecans – I love these homegrown Georgia products.  The farm across the road from us is growing peanuts this year. We took a basket of peaches to my mother-in-law on Saturday, at her request. 🙂
 
673. And I’m growing green beans and they are so plentiful. You know I can’t have a post without something from my garden…I’ve shared the green beans with many already.
674. There is a part of me that wonders if I am old (or thought to be “old”) since I’ve been married 35 years? Most days I don’t feel old, and I certainly enjoy being around people of all ages, so I’m not “set in my ways” (yet).  This I do know – growing old is a gift from our Lord and our lives are in His Hands. Eternal life is the greatest grace gift I will ever count and I hope you know that He is yours and you are His. I want to grow old gracefully. I pray about that often.

Blessings,
Jan

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June 11, 2012 10:20 AM 3

Comments

  1. Leah @ Point Ministries says
    June 12, 2012 at 8:23 AM

    Jan, you have grown more beautiful with time. NO, you are not old. You are one of those godly older women to whom the young women should look up to. I, for one, being a few years younger than you, do look up to you.

    The peaches are divine looking. Makes me want to make peach jam!!

    have a great week, my friend.

    Reply
  2. Cindy in PA says
    June 11, 2012 at 10:08 PM

    Congratulations on your 35th anniversary! Tomorrow (June 12) is our 30th. The time has flown by and I’m enjoying life more each year. We lead a blessed life. Thank you for sharing your list this week. Blessings!

    Reply
  3. dsblanchard says
    June 11, 2012 at 9:39 PM

    Congratulations! There is simply nothing as satisfying, nothing as electrifying as growing old together. You are a living testimony!

    Visiting here from Ann’s,
    Dawn

    Reply

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