unfinished plans

Jeremiah 29:11


11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

a beautiful early morning at Crossroads 

This morning I worked out in the back of Crossroads preparing chains for our Easter set design. About 8:30 I was just getting a good start when a call came from mom. What I thought my plans were for the day suddenly became not so important.


My dad was being moved back to the Hospice facility.


As my girlfriends surrounded me in my office, placing arms around me with tears in their eyes, I wondered how people face the loss of family without this kind of support.


But as I drove toward Ashland again - I found myself worried that the details of Easter may never get done. It was such a crazy thought to consider that details beyond my control had in a sense become chains of worry... the concept of shackled I'd been developing was present in my own life... And then the Jeremiah scripture came to my mind and I remembered the Gospel of Jesus will be proclaimed despite any unfinished plans. And that I can have complete confidence and freedom in Christ!


Today I sit writing obituaries and organizing a celebration of life service instead of the Easter service details like I had planned. No one is predicting how long dad has, but things are clearly shutting down so we are preparing now to eliminate all last minute stress and so that we can be fully present with him no matter how much time is left.







For I know the plans I have for you ...

looking back

After visiting my parents yesterday, I decided to drive around Ashland for a while and see if I could remember where all the things were located that were part of my childhood.

Bad pic as I was driving of the house I grew up in on Rt. 250

Gerwigs White Barn is the grocery store that was the nearest grocery story to us growing up

A & W Rootbeer stand was the highlight of childhood

This shop used to be a restaurant, Ron and my first date

This house used to be a silk flower shop, way back when you couldn't buy a very big selection of silk flowers I made all the flowers for our wedding.

I headed first out past the house I remember from when I was really small.  It's hilarious what you remember from being a kid.  Here are the memories that are most vivid to me.  When I was a kid it seemed so much larger and further from the road then it really is!

• I remember being super sick with Old Fashioned Measles, laying in my parents bed and the whole room spinning - high fever.
• My sister and I would always lay on the floor upstairs when my parents had guests and drop bobby pins down through the floor register - we thought we were pretty funny.
• I remember swinging a pillow around in the living room and of course loosing my balance and falling into a table
• We used to get milk delivered and the Milk Truck ran over our Collie and killed him.
• My dad decided to demonstrate why we shouldn't use firecrackers, put them in a can and lit them while we all watched from a safe distance on the porch.  They proceeded to blow-up and the metal can sliced him wide open.  We are scared for life but never touched firecrackers.
• I remember playing on the swing set and helping in the garden (at least I thought I was helping)

Groceries

• My mom dropped my sister and I off to pick strawberries when we were pretty young, I think we got paid 25 cents per quart.
• Things were crowded, overlapping and dingy inside, but we didn't have to drive far so we didn't care
• We knew the family that owned it - so it was fun to go there

A & W Rootbeer stand

• We NEVER went out to eat, so it was a real treat
• It was located across from the only Drive-In Movie theater, so we'd stop and get coneys and root beer and take it to the drive-in.  The traumatic part was my dad took 1 bite out of every coney before passing them out.  I still haven't recovered from that!

The small business

• This was were Ron and I had our first date - following a football game we picked up some food from it when it used to be a restaurant or sub-place.

The blue house

• Back in 'the day' there weren't very many places that sold silk flowers except the Florists, and this house sold silk flower kits to make.
• I made all the bouquets, and flower decorations used at our wedding.

 It was good to drive around and remember, to appreciate how hard our parents worked.  The town has changed a whole lot, but to me it will always hold many fond memories of public swimming pools, and summer soft ball games - simple pleasures like sipping root beer and making new friends.

And now I find myself back in Ashland just a day later, up in the hospital with a momma who is really sick.

How quickly things change ...  

loving family

I headed to Ashland after work today since my sister was visiting my parents, and I knew I wouldn't see them again until after vacation.

Nothing makes me happier then to spend time with my family!

Great Grandpa Forbes can make the most entertaining noises!

Oliver loved playing with Aunt Cristy

It doesn't matter what else is going on, there is nothing that is a greater blessing then family!!

We ended our evening at our precious friends, the Rudrick's listening to the Guatemala team members tell how God is using the experiences of their trip to strengthen them as believers while creating life long friendships between the team members!  This is the church as God intended.

Olivers good friend

The 2015 Crossroads Guatemala Team

the 4th of July-ish

We celebrated the 4th early by continuing our 15 year old tradition of going to my home town for the Balloon Glow! Great fun!

Our evening began by stopping by Southview GBC, my home church. They have hosted a whifle ball contest for 10 consecutive years - hosting 98 teams this year!

We watched our nephew Ethan pitch his team to a 12-4 victory! We then enjoyed the delicious brats cooked by none other than my dad!

We then made our way to the LynWay our favorite 'down home' restaurant to eat more and build up strength for the long walk to the field of balloons.

The balloons lived up to their reputation lighting up to the glee and cheers of the HUGE crowd.

It was a great night and it was our early celebration since we work tomorrow night at Crossroads!