Monday, September 5, 2011

Mell's Memory Door


































































The new front door built to specifications of what Mell and I thought would look good
on our house here in Lawrenceville…The bolts used were some of what Mell had overbought for the re-building of our bridge over the creek...Hand crafted with much thought... by Tom Heagy...Built with a heart of servant hood of the Lord Jesus Christ in whom we serve wholeheartedly... he is the pilot of my first Flight to the Island without Mell…Solo Flight to the Island …next Post...






















Sunday, September 4, 2011

Solo Island Flight
















































































































































































It started with the New Door…I wanted to bless Tom and Kim for all the hard work put into the door…I had already planned the trip to the Island…and told them about it…I guess it sparked an interest in Tom as a pilot to fly in on an Island on a grass strip and fulfill his teenage dream of being alone on an Island with 3 women!

I can't explain the emotion I was feeling while thinking of flying to the Island without Mell…but again…something I had really wanted to do again…one of those hard things...missing the beauty & the memories of seeing the Island from far off and trying to find the Barbour River…I could hear Mell…"Find the River…Follow it down...see…there's the Island!"See that's Sapalo Sound" Then the beauty of all the other Rivers and creeks...smelling the spell of the mud and salt air…it's just an amazing sight…nothing you could ever imagine…

There was fire on Sapalo Island …we could see the smoke…the fire had caught Barbour Island on fire too…which was under control but still smoldering…

It was good to see the plane sitting in our back yard! What peaceful memories it brought back!

I can remember Mell saying to me "It sure is good to have someone to help me here" I can say
that its a lot of work at the Island by yourself…and it was wonderful to have all the help from my friends…Tom, Kim and Debbie! Debbie and Kim got to throw their first cast net…not bad for a lst throw!

We were at the Marina and I was talking with John from the Island and we looked up and Tom was hanging from the hoist…John said " I can honestly say I have never seen anyone do that before !" So we could say about Tom…He flew to an Island with 3 women…he caught rays…sharks and other fish…fought fires and hung himself from a hoist! What a man!

I got to really fish out on the boat and Tom taught me a lot about fishing and boating…
I hooked the big one and the chase was on….that ray…we think…took that boat all over the
river and then dug in at the oyster bar and decided to relax and have a drink…he broke the line and I never saw the"Big One" that got away…

Isn't that like Life…sometimes life brings battles we didn't ask for…the fight can be hard but we must endure…I can say…that ray gave me a hard fight but I did endure to the end…and I did not receive my reward…I didn't even see it…again…like life…its faith in Jesus Christ…faith…something we cannot see…but like the ray…I knew I had something big on my line…Tom, Kim or Debbie could have said" there's nothing on your line" but I wouldn't have believed them …I knew something big was there…I just believed without seeing…by faith…I knew something was down there…Believing in Christ is like that…They could have said " oh its just a ray..cut the line" People will try to steal your fish…your belief in a savior…when things go bad…just keep believing …don't give up...I wanted to fight the good fight and finish the race that I had started…catch the fish...God began a good work in me and it was not finished when Mell died…Mell finished his good work…and will receive his reward…but mine is yet to come! I must press on, fight and endure to the coming of my Lord …. where there will be no more pain…

Hebrews 12

1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

I refuse to lose heart and give up in this life…what about you?


























































40th Class Reunion




























As I prepared for this reunion…I knew it would be a quick weekend as I had to be back to work on Monday. I kept thinking I needed to be there because these things only happen every 10 years. So I pushed through the hardness of the trip…set my mind to it and took off …Robert came with me so he could see his dad…

When I rolled into Memphis Tn … I instantly realized I couldn't go visit my mother! My mother died 6 weeks after Mell….Then the last time I dropped Robert at his dad's was with Mell! I began to panic…my emotions were so torn!

I got to my cousin Peggy's and her sister Linda was with her…I just fell into Linda's arms and let loose all the pent up emotion of the day…it was a good release and I am thankful she was there at that exact moment! Their mom and dad came to visit me too…my dad's last living Sister! I am grateful to have such a great family!
God always provides !

My friend Carol called and said she would pick me up in 45 minutes for the reunion…I was staying with another cousin Marian and her husband Armando and I had to get over there and get ready…then I thought " what am I doing here?"I wanted to go back home and withdraw and be alone... But again I pushed through the hardness of all that was going on inside of me.

The 2 ladies with me in the picture are the only girls I went all the way from Elementary to High school with…Debbie has been battling ovarian cancer and my friend Miriam is now a widow too…so we all had something in common.

Carol and Ann picked me up in a convertable…what a way to go to your 40th class reunion!

On Sunday I got to visit with my Brother Frank and Aunt and Uncle…my mother's sister Rosalie... who was at mom's side everyday to see her through her illness…

All and all I can say "It is well with my soul"

Matthew 19:26
Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Philippians 4:13
I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

I truly believe without my God I could not have made it to this reunion and
had the opportunity to revisit the people that were important parts of my life growing up.

Thanks to my Lord and Savior "Jesus" I am forever His!
... to all the girls of the graduating class of I.C 1971... and my wonderful family in Memphis Tn !