by Kimberly | Mar 14, 2011 | Uncategorized
1. The last ten days of my life have left me very tired! 🙂 I even took a Sunday afternoon nap yesterday! 22 minutes of wonderfulness!
2. The Body of Christ, no matter what church you are in, is such a sweet reprieve for my soul. I love it when you meet believers and just are instantaneous friends and know that your relationship will be like Iron.
3. I went to Gatlinburg this past weekend: praise Jesus I don’t live there. Too many tourists in too small of a place! But, the mountains are gorgeous.
4. I spoke on 1 Corinthians 15, Colossians 1, and 1 Peter 2 in three sessions with the ladies of Morris Hill Baptist Church from Chattanooga, TN.
5. I went hiking with a sweet friend. Supposed to be a 2.6 mile hike. However, it turned into a 3.8 hike witha 2.6 mile return on pavement straight up hill. Fun. 🙂
6. I love daylight savings time. More time to run after work! And that reminds me of summer and movies on the lawn at the NCMA and July 4 at the Kokabooth Amphitheatre in Cary and hiking and any other fun stuff I can relish!
7. I am again learning trust, patience. God knows I need daily reminders.
8. This week: I am looking forward to: being in town! And by town, I do include Durham! Just not venturing outside of the Triangle this week.
9. I’m thinking about money. In a good way though. I’m trying to save and not just use the money that I have graciously been given to just accumulate more “stuff”. I think I’ll get two more items with some tax return money and then save the rest and also be able to bless others with some of it. Our money is not for us.
Link Love
1. Since I couldn’t sleep last night, I read most of a VERY LONG but AMAZING review by Kevin DeYoung of Rob Bell’s new book. And yes, he has read it now…
2. I actually believe this – and have been thinking much about this. Thank you Tim! Do everything through a lens of Scripture!
3. Love this book recommendation by Brian Croft, a pastor in Louisville: own it today if you don’t already have it.
4. I love this girl and her amazing testimony and family and life and blessings.
5. Do you like Pier 1? Enter to win this giveaway!
6. Thank you Durham – I think I’ll want to go here
7. I would love to wake up in here every morning! 🙂 See number 9 above!
8. Chef Marcus talks about food and lent
9. You still have today to enter this giveaway for pretty jewelry from Kendie
10. Great, hard to read, but needed post by Stephen Altrogge
by Kimberly | Mar 10, 2011 | Uncategorized
Ok – my Mom gets “younger” and I have more things to write to her. Here are her 63 year young things I love about my Mom:
1. She makes a great “sue chef” – yes I know it is spelled wrong, but we always laugh bc neither one of us really ever remember how to spell it.
2. She prays for me. All the time.
3. She likes to plan.
4. She loves to play board/card games.
5. She’s pretty good at Trivial Pursuit.
6. She’s pretty.
7. She doesn’t look her age (I hope I carry on both 6 and 7).
8. She is faithful.
9. She doesn’t like to be late anywhere she goes.
10. She plays a mean game of Bejeweled 2 and owns all of the top scores on her own computer!
11. She doesn’t snore.
12. She loves to bless her children.
13. She used to let me sit in front of her and she would brush my hair – wish I could go back to those days.
14. She is my biggest fan – hands down.
15. She loves Jesus.
16. She is an adventurous eater.
17. She’s pretty good at a crossword puzzle (gets that from her mother).
18. She loves to share food with me at restaurants.
19. She doesn’t care that her shoes don’t match her outfit – she’d rather be comfortable.
20. She has gorgeous nails and I’m so glad she encouraged me long ago to stop biting mine.
21. She has pretty handwriting even though she can’t write in a straight line! That’s why she has me.
22. She’s not technologically savvy – slightly frustrating at times – but I love her for it!
23. She listens to me anytime I call.
24. She helps Dad with the taxes.
25. She is gracious to folks who come visit.
26. She was a big help to my Granny before she died. Story: early on in my Granny’s blindness, Mom would have Dad drop her off at the house (next door) and they would work the crossword together and she would help her pay bills and write/read letters to family members.
27. She always thought of really fun counting games for the family reunion.
28. She loves me no matter what weight I am.
29. She is my editor.
30. She likes the Gators.
31. She’ll watch reruns of NCIS with me.
32. She’s not loud in the morning! I love Quiet morning people!
33. She wants me to go on her dream trip with her in May: Alaskan cruise
34. She buys John Grisham books, reads them in a day, then gives them to me!
35. She’s a fast reader. (I didn’t inherit that trait, unfortunately)
36. She makes great smoked mullet dip.
37. She always helped me with my homework, especially english and grammar.
38. She loves kids.
39. She is interested in my life.
40. She is very artistic.
41. She’ll do anything she can for me.
42. She loves my brother and sister-in-law and the two grand-dogs.
43. She is a gracious and giving person.
44. She’s a fighter!
45. She prepared the grocery lists for us when we were younger so A and I could go grocery shopping.
46. She loves Publix as much as I do!
47. She wants me to succeed in life.
48. She prays for my future husband and hasn’t given up on the fact that God has one for me.
49. She cries for me.
50. She loves her extended family.
51. She’s smart.
52. She gets excited about little things.
53. She is wise.
54. Her taco soup is one of my Papa’s favorites.
55. She makes a great Strawberry Pizza.
56. She finally finished my baby blanket a few years ago. Persistent!
57. She is gracious to my friends when they come visit and wants to talk about them.
58. She wants everyone to be happy around her.
59. She makes other people a priority.
60. She thinks I’m pretty.
61. She puts up with me – even when I’m not pretty.
62. She loved her Mom (who just died on March 3).
63. She is still alive after 62 years, starting 63 today. Story: My Mom has been sick as long as I can remember. She should have died 28 years ago and if she had I would not be the woman I am today – because I would have lived 27 years without her. I’m glad God has brought her this far, sustaining her, so I could have a mother this long into my life. I can’t imagine living life without her.
Happy Birthday Mom – I love you.
by Kimberly | Mar 9, 2011 | Uncategorized
I found an old hymn book this weekend while I was at home, and found this song. I personally like the tune that the Sojourn guys have put to it much better than what is written. And given my Granny’s passing this past week, this song has been very dear to me.
Enjoy.
Lyrics by Henry F. Lyte
Abide with me; fast falls the eventide;
the darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide.
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, O abide with me.
Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day;
earth’s joys grow dim; its glories pass away;
change and decay in all around I see;
O thou who changest not, abide with me.
I need thy presence every passing hour.
What but thy grace can foil the tempter’s power?
Who, like thyself, my guide and stay can be?
Through cloud and sunshine, Lord, abide with me.
I fear no foe, with thee at hand to bless;
ills have no weight, and tears not bitterness.
Where is death’s sting? Where, grave, thy victory?
I triumph still, if thou abide with me.
Hold thou thy cross before my closing eyes;
shine through the gloom and point me to the skies.
Heaven’s morning breaks, and earth’s vain shadows flee;
in life, in death, O Lord, abide with me.
by Kimberly | Mar 7, 2011 | Uncategorized
Here we go…
While most of you will be reading this, I’ll be at the funeral for my Granny. It will be a good, family reunion time. The gospel will be preached, thankfully. Granny wouldn’t have wanted us to make a big deal about her – her life was never about her – always about her kids and grandkids.
I did a tribute (see next post down) but here are some other thoughts.
Granny loved crossword puzzles and she was excellent at them. I had sleepovers at her house. Since her and Papa never slept in the same bed, I always got to sleep in the same queen size bed with my granny. Those were special times for a little girl – sleeping away from home. We always made popcorn strands to hang out their artificial Christmas tree every year. She always had the big pear shaped bulbs on her tree. I always gave her black licorice for Christmas – I knew she loved that. I even gave her a bag of gourmet black licorice this past Christmas – and I don’t even know if she found time to eat it before having surgery last week.
My Granny was always active, taking care of grandkids and great-grandkids, swimming with us many summers in the pool, she always wore a t-shirt, never a bathing suit. She always had every meal on the table for my Papa. 3. It may have just been rice and corned beef hash, but she always had it ready for him. He didn’t have to wonder.
In the last 8 years or so, she had become less active. She was suffering with macular degeneration. She was 98% blind the last time I saw her. But, even though she couldn’t read my letters anymore, and she couldn’t do her crossword puzzles, and her chicken wasn’t quite done anymore when she cooked it, she can see past the shadows clearly now. There is now no grayish-white film over her eyes. So excited about new eyes for her.
I’ve also learned we all grieve differently. But for me, even though I have cried much this past week (2 funerals in one week, not fun), I know I grieve as one with hope. That is my stability and my hope.
It was a little blessing for me to be in Florida. I had just told my Mom that I was going to miss being down here for some strawberries. Plant City is the strawberry capitol of the world. So, now I have a flat of fresh picked strawberries to go back with me to NC. Delicious. I also have some Publix breakfast bread. Its the little things in life.
This week I am heading to Gatlinburg on Thursday to speak at a women’s conference for a church from Chattanooga. God will get glory…He will produce the words He wants me to speak. I’m looking forward to proclaiming the Gospel to these ladies and myself. And I get to spend time with two friends, Bekah and Tasya, and enjoy E TN, which I do love.
Here are some links:
1. I look forward to reading this sermon by John Piper.
2. I guest posted on a fashion blog. Thank you for checking it out.
3. Love the preaching/writing of D. Martin Lloyd-Jones. Catch this sketch here.
4. For all you wives out there, check out this intimacy post on Passionate Homemaking.
Pictures: Lorraine is the name of my Granny. This was a street near our houses – not named for her, but I remember as a little girl I thought it was. And the gold trees in Lakeland are gorgeous this time of year. I went over to Lake Hollingsworth to snap some photos.
by Kimberly | Mar 3, 2011 | Uncategorized
Well, this is what I do. I write. So, when something happens – I write about it. This is a way I pay tribute.
Lorraine Olson Hatcher. Just turned 86 on Feb 21. Granny to me for over 34 years now. She was adventurous in her young age. One of the favorite pictures I have of her is her standing in front of an airplane when she was about 20 – gorgeous, movie star quality. She marred my Papa and had 4 kids, my Mom being one of them, tons of grandkids, and even great grandkids. I’m sorry she never will have the opportunity to meet my husband or kids. That they will never know their granny. That they will never get her birthday money that she would give us or get cooking lessons for chicken and rice or hush puppies or goulash. Man, she could make a good goulash!
I was Kimberly to my granny. She would always call me that. I guess she figured my Mom named me that for a reason, so I better be called that. I love how she would write my name. Kimberly…I like that name.
She was such a big help to our family when my Mom was so sick for many years.
She knew how to wrap mullet after my Papa would catch like 300 of them. Now, that is a great pairing right there. I mean, I don’t know how to wrap mullet so it won’t smell up the entire freezer and kitchen.
I remember being so afraid of the dark and having to run across the pasture from our houses. She would leave the porch light on when I would leave and stand out there waiting for me to get across the pasture. I would run faster than I had ever run before.
She got me hooked on Nutty Bars – the Little Debbie ones. So yummy.
So…I sent her a card last week, it was a birthday, anniversary, and get well card all wrapped in one. I wrote it big so she could read it (she was pretty much blind with macular degeneration). I hope someone took it up to the nursing home for her. I told my Dad to pass along to her I love her, from Kimberly.
I have sobbed today. I don’t like sobbing. It is dehydrating and makes my eyes hurt. I’ve done it too much this week. But, as I just told a friend…Curtis and Granny are now there together. Curtis had prayed for her daughter and her granddaughter many times. I hope somehow she knows that. But, they both knew Jesus. That’s what was important.
And, I hope, when I’m 63, I am able to sit with my Mom and she goes on to see Jesus. I need a good 30 more years with my Mom to learn everything that I need to learn about being a daughter and being a Mom. I hope I have kids one day that I can tell stories about their Granny to them – and teach them how to wrap mullet and make hushpuppies. And eat goulash.
My Granny loved me. I never doubted that. Tomorrow night, I’ll get to my hug my Mom’s neck. I can’t wait, LW. I love my granny. Thank you for all you taught me.
Tears and all.
1. The last ten days of my life have left me very tired! 🙂 I even took a Sunday afternoon nap yesterday! 22 minutes of wonderfulness!
