Help in Haiti

Most of you have seen the devastation that took place in the small land of Haiti this past week, and is still going on. They are still saying that  the death toll may go over  200,000.  You think about what it was like when our nation lost over 3,000 on 9/11.

We have been working on a plan to help and we have decided to go through the Estes Church of Christ in Henderson TN.  They help support a children’s home and missionaries in that country.  As of today, they have three construction workers at the children’s home and three people in the medical field who are there to work.  We sent $2,500.00 today and will send whatever we receive on the 5th. Sunday above that amount.  The elders felt like we did not need to wait until the 31st. to send help.  The elders and the congregation are to be commended for their desire to help those who have lost everything, including members of their family.  For more information, you can visit the website of the Estes congregation.  http://www.estes.tn.org/  Until next time…

New Year 2010

Since my last blog, Mrs. Margaret Lankford passed away.  Plans were for her to go to Rehab last week, but she got much worse the day previous and on New Year’s Eve, she passed away.  Please keep Everett Lankford and his family in your prayers.  Everett and Margaret had been married 63 years.  She was a faithful Christian lady who will be missed.  Continue to remember Vicki Russell and her family in your prayers in the death of her mother, Mrs. Marie Castleman.

Last week was certainly a busy week for me.  I took Everett to visit Margaret at St. Thomas Hospital on Tuesday of last week.  On Wednesday, Billy and I went to the funeral home in Nashville for Mrs. Castleman’s visitation.  On Thursday, I returned to Nashville for  the funeral.  Thursday night we had a gathering at the barn to welcome the New Year in, but we left about 10:45 PM.  I received a call from the Lankford family that Mrs. Margaret had died about 11:30 PM.  Saturday was visitation for Mrs. Margaret and then the funeral Sunday.  We also had Nursing Home services Sunday afternoon. I am thankful that people ask me to help in times like this.  Tiring, but also gratifying.  Hope everyone has a wonderful 2010.  Until next time…

12/29 Update

Just a quick update on the sick and those who have lost loved ones.  Vicki Russell’s mother (Marie Castleman) passed away Monday evening in Nashville.  Visitation will be 2-8 PM Wednesday at Woodbine Funeral Home in Nashville.  Funeral will be 1:00 PM Thursday.

Mrs. Margaret Lankford continues in St. Thomas hospital following hip surgery.  Plans as of this evening were to insert a feeding tube tomorrow and hopefully move her to a Rehab facility on Thursday.  Strong possibility it will be McFarland in Lebanon.  Everett and I just returned from visiting with her.  Until next time.

Christmas Eve

This week has been a very busy week for me.  I already knew it would be a short week because of Christmas and travel.  On Tuesday I received a call that one of the ladies who worships with us had fallen and was on her way to the hospital.  Myself and another lady from church (Janie),  spent about half the day at the local hospital with her husband before they sent her on to St. Thomas in Nashville. She had fractured her hip so she needed hip replacement surgery.   I went down there yesterday and they had decided to wait a day or two for surgery so that she could gain some strength.  She had been sick with the flu several weeks before this and she only weighs 65-70 lbs.  When I got back home yesterday evening, one of her sons called and told me they had taken her in to surgery.  Mrs. Margaret made it through the surgery just fine.  Now they will have to find a Rehab facility for her to spend some time in.  Continue to remember her in your prayers, as well as the rest of the Lankford family.

Ted Russell’s mother-in-law is very gravely ill.  She has been under hospice care for several weeks now.  I know they would appreciate your prayers for Mrs. Castleman.

Since Olivia now works at Children’s Hospital in Knoxville in the ER, and she has to work tonight and tomorrow night.  We will spend Christmas morning with her and then return home.

Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.  I know with all the sickness and other problems it is difficult, but we need to be grateful for all the blessings we enjoy.  Especially the privilege of being a  Christian.  Until next time…

Where Has The Time Gone?

It seems like just a few days ago that we started the year 2009.  Now we are two weeks away from it being over.  It is true that the older you get the quicker time goes by.  Speaking of that, it was thirty years ago today that our daughter Olivia Denise was born.  My memory of the past is not very good, but I do remember us going to the doctor for a check-up and the doctor decided Vic should go on over to the hospital and be admitted.  Olivia was born later that evening in Oak Ridge TN.  We were living in the Karns community in one of the “flat tops” which was a house owned by Bro. Harold Duncan. His daughter Jane and her two children lived upstairs, and Vickie and I lived downstairs.  Jane’s husband was serving in the military overseas. Jane and another friend were trying to find us, but we had not told anyone we were going to the doctor, nor had we called anyone to let them know.  Remember, this was pre-cell phone era.  We were finishing up school at ETSOPM after taking a year off to do mission work in England.   What a blessing Olivia and our two sons have been to our lives.

This weekend we will travel to London KY to be with Vic’s side of the family for Christmas.  Then next week we will travel to my side of the family on Christmas eve, then on to Maryville TN to be with Olivia for Christmas day.  She has to work Christmas eve and Christmas night.  Zac and Kristin will stay in Maryville to be with Kristin’s family and then they will travel to Guntersville Alabama for a few days to be with the Zorn family.  As far as I know, Chase will be with us during that time.  Let me take this opportunity to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Until next time…

November is here

I just realized when I looked at my blog that I had not written anything in over a month.  We had a great nite for hayride earlier in the month, and then we had a wonderful fall meeting with Ben Flatt during the month of October.  Most of the congregation went to the Thomas House in Red Boiling Springs for a meal on that Sunday, which was very enjoyable.  November generally means it is getting colder, but this week has been beautiful.  The mornings are cool, but each afternoon it has warmed up nicely.  The morning walk/run are very enjoyable at the park.  Last weekend we moved most of Olivia’s things to her new house that she is renting.  She now works at East Tennessee Children’s Hospital in Knoxville.  Her house is in Maryville.  Yesterday I took another load of things to her.

It is time now for the wedding of Mary Ann Reece and Zac Grubbs.  We have the rehearsal this evening and tomorrow is the big day.  I know they are excited.  The sad part is we will be losing two more members of the congregation.  They will be moving to Lebanon, TN.   Enough for today, I have got to go back outside and enjoy this beautiful weather.  Until next time.

Vacation

Vickie and I were gone on vacation last week.  We spent four days in Gatlinburg and three days visiting Vic’s family in KY.  Our vacation was really enjoyable. Tuesday evening we drove to Cade’s Cove and drove the loop.  We had the opportunity to see some bears (momma and three cubs) in a tree.  It was interesting to watch one of the cubs come down out of the tree and go up another one nearby.  I guess when it realized everyone was not following, it started crying for it’s mom.  Momma bear came down to the lowest branch of the tree, but never got down out of that tree while we were there.  We drove into Pigeon Forge and had supper at Calhouns.  On Wednesday we drove to Newfound Gap where it was raining and foggy.  We decided to go on to Clingman’s Dome where, if anything, the weather got worse.  It was 70 degrees in Gatlinburg and 55 degrees at Clingman’s Dome.  I decided I was going to walk it in the rain, which I did.  Could not see a thing once I got up there, but I still enjoyed it.  I returned to the car, soaked from the rain, even though I had a rain jacket on.  We drove back down to Gatlinburg and drove to Grotto Falls, where we hiked to it.  It did not rain on us, but the trail was slick from all the rain. The road up to this hike is an interesting road, very narrow and curvy.  When we finished our hike, we returned to our hotel, cleaned up and went to supper at No Way Joses before going to church in Gatlinburg.  On Thursday we shopped most of the day.  We had lunch at Chop House.  Friday morning we traveled back to Newfound Gap where it was raining and foggy again (it was clear in Gatlinburg).  We walked a short part of Appalachian Trail.  Then we traveled down to Laurel Falls and hiked that trail.  It was time to head to Kentucky, so we traveled through Pigeon Forge, where Rod Run was taking place.  Took about an hour from G’burg to interstate.  On Saturday we went four-wheeling (approx. 45 miles).  We traveled some on the road, a lot on strip mines that have been reclaimed, and some in the woods. We again got soaked from rain, but thoroughly enjoyed all of it.  Sunday we went to church at Lothair in Hazard KY, where I preached that morning. Sunday night we went to church at Mt. Zion in London KY.  It was time to come home, which we did on Monday.  We truly enjoyed our time away, but was thankful to be back home.  Until next time…

Copperhead on Trail

Strip Mine Reclaimed

PTP

I realized that it has been a month since I posted on this site.  This past week I had the opportunity to go to Polishing the Pulpit in Sevierville TN.  It has grown tremendously.  There were over 1400 registered this year.  It was a wonderful week.  When you have the opportunity to hear men like George Bailey, Tom Holland, Dan Winkler and Wayne Jackson, it is a wonderful occasion.  There were many others who were great speakers as well.   The week started on Friday and continued until last Thursday.  The day started around 8:00 AM and continued until 10:00 PM each evening.  It was one of those occasions where your body is tired but your mind keeps wanting to learn more and to hear more lessons.  I am truly grateful for the opportunity to attend PTP.

This past weekend I attended a family re-union in Hyden, KY.  There was a good number there (I believe around 75).  We had a good time visiting with the locals as well as folks from Michigan.  I returned home yesterday to be here to preach and teach class today. One other thing that was enjoyable was getting to watch UT football while having a family reunion.  There were not a lot of UT fans at this gathering.  Go Vols!

Debit Card

My wife informed me that I needed to share this story.  Approximately one month ago I ordered her some new shoes that were on sale.  They were Keen sandals and we got them for her trip to NYC.  The total for everything we ordered was a little over $100.  Several hours later I received a call from the Fraud department of my bank saying there had been some activity on my card and it was the order to this place that triggered the alert.  I verified the things I had used the card for in the last five to seven days.  We laughed because I figured there were so shocked that I was using the card at some place besides Wally World and that I was spending that much money.  I call it being thrifty!!!!  When I ordered Vic’s shoes, I also received a $25 gift card from this company.  Fast forward to tonight.   This evening I decided to purchase the same kind of shoes for me.  There were on sale even more and I had a gift card.  So I placed the order and told the man that the last time I ordered from them, my card was frozen for several days until I figured out what was going on and went to the bank to get it straightened out. I got the order placed, received the order # and hung up the telephone.  Five minutes after I placed my order, the telephone rings and it is the Fraud department of our bank.  I started laughing when she told me who she was and she stated that there had been some activity on my card.  I told her what had happened  one month ago.  We verified again the things I had used my card for recently.  She then told me that it was not my card, or the company I was ordering from, but people who steal cards frequent this company more than others.  They have nice shoes, clothes, outdoor gear, etc.  They keep a careful watch on those who order from this place.  I told her I guess I needed to quit buying things from them and she said no, don’t do that.  I thanked the lady for checking on my card to make sure it was me who was using it.  I guess I should have thought that they would find the better quality things to order when they steal cards and it is not their money. We had a laugh about it and she assured me that my card would not be blocked this time.  I will always associate our Keen shoes with the Fraud department of the bank.  Until next time…

Mixed Week

This week has been a mixture of emotions.  When I returned from camp last Saturday, we had experienced a wonderful week.  New friendships formed that will last a lifetime. I am still getting invitations to become friends with various one on my Facebook page.  Monday I conducted the funeral for Mitchell Smith.  Mitchell was an individual who would do anything you asked him to do in the work of the church.  He had been suffering from cancer for several months.  A good friend of ours, Charles Max Newport had died last week and his funeral was Tuesday of last week.  I was not able to go because I was at camp and was speaking that night.  Today, I took my wife, daughter and youngest son to the airport to fly to New York City to visit relative for a few days.  They will return next Tuesday, Lord willing.  All went well with their flight to NYC.  Zac and Kristin are camping this week at Fall Creek Falls and I am a little concerned about them tonight.  We are suppose to have a stormy night (lightning, thunder, heavy rain) and they are in a tent.  Zac told me the bathhouse was close by.

Summer is winding down for school students and it seems to me that it just got started.  I guess I have been so busy, I have not keep track.  I am looking forward to the weekend and Sunday when I will preach on Daniel’s three friends and Sheep and Goats from Matt. 25.  Hope you have a good week-end as well.  Until next time…