Children's success may be because Mama and Daddy prayed

The older our children become, the more we seem to pray for them.

There comes a time in life when a parent has to turn over the directing of their children's lives totally to the Lord. We guided, we directed, and we encouraged until they were just sprouting their wings and about to fly, and they grew away from us. We told the Lord that He had blessed them with their talents, He knew where He needed them, and we no longer knew how to direct them. We turned them over to Him by asking that He direct their paths and keep them true to Him. And He's done an excellent job of it too. Quite frankly, much better than we ever did, even though we depended on Him a lot when they were growing up.

But, I've been thinking lately about something. I've been thinking that children grow up and become successful, and they do quite well on their own. But I just wonder how much success they have because they had a mother and daddy back home praying for their success.

Hmmmmmmm. Guess it doesn't matter anyway.

Mama can't believe she is 100.

The DaySpring Hospice nurse checks on mother two times a week. On one of mother's good days last week, she was engaged in a very normal conversation with Erica. Erica asked her when was her birthday and Mother told her, June 11. She then asked, "How old are you?" Mother didn't know, so Erica said, "You're 100 years old."  Mother replied immediately, "I ain't dunnit!"

What's that saying, "You're only as old as you feel?"

This portrait was made on June 9, 2011, which was two days before we celebrated mother's 100th birthday with a party in Elba, AL. Over 140 people attended her party.

Beauty on a Tree Stump

Nine times out of ten if you see me, I have a camera close by. At home I hang it on the back of a chair in the dining room. It seems there is always something beautiful that God has made, and I like to take beautiful pictures.

In our back yard I have made pictures of squirrels, red birds kissing, or what I wanted to think they were doing, the popcorn tree, and even shadows on the ground. But the other day I went out back and saw one of the most beautiful mushrooms I have ever seen. I dashed back into the house as if I didn't rush it would surely be gone by the time I got back, got my camera, and headed back outside.

Now I have never studied mushrooms. I don't like their taste or anything about the kind we eat, but this mushroom nestled in an old tree stump really caught my eye. I wanted to save it forever. The only way I knew I could preserve the beauty was to take a picture of it. The mushroom looked like it was made from satin...layer upon layer of it.

Only God could make such a beautiful mushroom. I hope you enjoy it too!

The Things that She Loved and Held Dear to Her Heart

"The things that I love and hold dear to my heart are
just borrowed, they're not mine at all," the song by
Dottie Rambo states. I had tears as I was cleaning out
mother's closet this morning and came across things
that she loved and held dear to her heart through the
years. I found mother's purse tucked away neatly in
the back of her closet. It was just as she used it over seven years ago when she suffered a stroke and life for her changed forever. I sat down to look in the purse. A woman's purse can say a lot about her.

Along with the usual wrinkled tissue, I found a card for the grocery store. In the purse was her wallet. Part of the latch had broken and she had tied it together with red string. Looking in the wallet I found no credit card, because Mama never owned one. She paid as she went, by cash or by check. I found an identification card. No driver's license, because Mama never learned to drive. I found the pictures she had cherished that were current and up-to-date when she put them in the plastic sleeves for safe-keeping. One by one I flipped through the pictures as they took me back in time. Those grandchildren are grown and married now with children and grandchildren of their own. She has carried them close to her heart for many years.

Opening the compartment that held her bills, I found two things that meant a lot to her. She had saved these treasures for years, two one dollar bills. Neatly printed on the end of one was, "Mama gave it to me." On the other bill was written, "Jessie gave it to me 1975." There may have been times when she could have used them, but nothing was paid with those bills. You see, they were precious because someone she loved dearly, her mother and sister, had given them to her. Looking on through the wallet I found another couple of dollar bills, and folded in half a little deeper behind was a twenty-dollar bill. For years that money has stayed in her billfold, untouched, unharmed, unspent. And right in the center of her wallet where it could easily be seen was a picture. It was not just any picture, but a picture of the man she married and loved for 55 years.

The things that Mama loved and held dear to her heart were just borrowed for a time. My generation, or the next, may not treasure that wallet as she did. It could easily end up in a garbage can, or on the shelf at a thrift store, but somehow that old wallet holds a lot of memories and makes one stop and think of just how precious those are we love and hold dear to our heart.

Additional note: Mother, Eulala Williams, suffered a stroke in 2003, and has lived in our home since that time. We look forward to celebrating her 100th birthday on June 11, 2011.

Grandmommie did all things well

Douglas and I said goodbye to his mother, Margaret Ann Warren Williams, this past weekend. Grandmommie, as she was lovingly called by her grandchildren and children alike, was born May 14, 1916, and passed away January 12, 2011, at the age of 94 years. Family members came from far and near to pay their final respects to this dearly loved, Godly woman.

I requested a family picture be made and everyone graciously obliged me. Even with the large number present there were eight family members unable to attend. Don, Grandmommie's oldest son, was in the hospital in Nashville. Jessica Dragonetti, granddaughter, is teaching in Turkey on a Fulbright Scholarship. Wyatt Williams, grandson, is serving in the U.S. Air Force in Washington State. His wife, Julie, and son Fischer, are with him. Melissa, Jill and Jeffrey Davidson, family of Jeffrey Davidson, were unable to come. Looking over the picture we think of a few who were not in the picture for some reason. This was made right before we said our final goodbyes to Grandmommie and went into the chapel for her service.

The outpouring of love from family and friends was wonderful. The McMinnville Funeral Home couldn't have been nicer. Grandmommie's visitation began with

the family at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 15, and lasted until 8:00 p.m. The

funeral home in McMinnville, TN allows people to bring food so the family can eat at any time. It seemed from the very beginning people started to bring food and it continued until right before the actual service on Sunday afternoon at 2:00 p.m. Being from the deep South, I wasn't accustomed to this practice but found it very nice and thoughtful. Different people obviously were assigned the duty of keeping a check on the food and putting it away when needed. One might think this would require a large room, but it did not. An island in the center held some food and shelves on the walls held other food and paper items. I wish I had made a picture of the food, but did not. How do you thank people for kindnesses such as this?

The grandchildren were pallbearers. No doubt it will

be a long time before this group of first cousins will

be together again. Left to right: Mark Williams, Jeffrey

Davidson, Wesley Williams, David Williams, Jonathan

Davidson, Warren Williams, James Nokes, Jay Davidson,

Michael Gary and Art Williams.

The service was conducted by Lynwood Mathis, a beloved

family friend and Jerry Davidson, son-in-law. Congregational songs were led by Mark and Art Williams, grandsons. David Williams, grandson, read Revelation 21:1-5 and Michael Gary, grandson, read a beautiful poem as a tribute. Douglas Williams, oldest child present and my husband, felt compelled to share some thoughts and did so at the end of the beautiful service. Brandon Potter, great-grand-son-in-law, videotaped the service. Art Williams recorded the audio.

Snow was on the ground as the family walked to the graveside service. Grandmommie loved the beautiful snow and would have approved of everything about her service. She has done all things well. Even though our hearts are breaking because of our loss, we rejoice in knowing that as David of long ago said, "I can't bring my son back, but I can go to him." We look forward to being reunited one sweet day.

I was the first daughter-in-law in the family. I have loved Doug's mother for many years. I will say once more that I couldn't have looked the world over and found a more wonderful husband or mother-in-law. God has blessed me richly and I thank Him.