Tuesday, January 1
2019 didn't start off with a bang, but it wasn't exactly a whimper either. After actually staying up until midnight last night (something new for us in the last few years) we slept in a little and then got up to work in the kitchen and prepare our part of the New Year's dinner for the Little/Thompson families.
The fare was black-eyed peas with all the traditional trimmings, and good eating and a great time were had by all as we topped off the meal with build-it-yourself ice cream sundaes.
The days of New Year's parades and football games have long been over at our house, so by the time the meal was over, the the dishes stacked, the garbage thrown out, and the telephone call to Travis was made, we were ready for our traditional New Year's Day nap.
Happy New Year everyone...we're off to the races one more time!
Wednesday, January 2 and Thursday, January 3
These two days were all about taking down the Christmas decorations, boxing them, and carrying them back up to the attic to be stored until next December. We did do some reorganization of the decorations so that almost everything fit into large plastic tubs, rather than boxes of all sizes and shapes. We'll see in December if that was a good plan.
Since I had taken down all the non-Christmas house decorations while Barbara was in Lubbock early in December (and forgot to take photos of where they were placed), we voted to Let Leah come over this weekend and arrange everything so it looked new. In the past, we've always tried to get the taking down, packing up, and redecorating done in one session, but that wasn't going to happen this year.
Thursday night was the first rehearsal of the new year and a new concert for the Lake Country Symphonic Band...lots of heavy duty sight-reading.
Friday, January 4
Leah and Kaiden came over from Fort Worth for a couple of days, and she immediately went to work taking our old stuff and displaying it so it all looked new. Leah really has a knack for that sort of thing, and we appreciate her doing it for us. Other than hauling in things for Leah to look at and either include or exclude from her settings, Kaiden and I stayed out of the way and started cleaning out cabinets in the garage, a task that Barbara and I had put off for far too long.
And yes, there was food, fun, and games before the day was over...
Saturday, January 5
We made some minor adjustments to the work that had been done yesterday and then set out for a day of fun and family. Kaiden and I worked in some Taz time while Barbara and Leah shared some mother/daughter time.
This afternoon I got my trumpet and joined fellow buglers across the United States by sounding Taps in honor of a long-time fellow bugler in California who had recently passed away. Buglers are a unique fraternity whose numbers are dwindling (in spite of efforts by organizations like Taps for Veterans that encourage to the best of their ability to provide live buglers for military veterans when they are laid to rest. Situations like today raise the question, "Who will sound Taps for the bugler?"
Sunday, January 6
We had prepared what we thought was one of our best children's sermons and today would be the best time to give it, but Barbara was feeling under the weather and was hurting, so we cancelled our part of the service and stayed home this morning.
Later, I got a call from Mike Holbrook, director of the Lake Country Symphonic Band, informing me that long-time trumpeter and band member, Wayne Collins had passed away, and that there was going to be a memorial service at the theater tonight. I agreed to sound Taps at the 6:30 service.
However, plans often go awry, and that set of plans went up in smoke when Barbara was hurting so bad that we rushed to the emergency room at the hospital in Quitman to get her checked out and possibly have to go to the hospital in Tyler.
I called Mike to tell him there was no way I could be at the theater tonight, and then we spent what seemed like forever waiting and having tests run.
In the end, Barbara's situation was semi-serious, but not critical, so we went back home, got her in bed, and settled down for the evening.
Monday, January 8
I called Dr. Martinez, Barbara's primary physician this morning to let him know about the emergency room visit and try to schedule an appointment. Unfortunately, it would be ten days before he could see her, but she was feeling better.
While Barbara tried to rest and take it easy, I made my Monday run to Yantis to help count the money from yesterday's offering and get it to the bank before returning to oversee the "sick ward" at the house for the rest of the day.
Tuesday, January 9
Happy 3rd Birthday to Grandson Benjamin Kuper Little!!!!!
We are finding that we are old people who don't have much to talk about except their doctors and ailments.
Today was my turn to see a doctor, Dr. Markle, the surgeon who sliced and diced my arm to remove a malignant tumor back in November. This was the final follow-up visit as she declared the surgery a complete success and signed off on my release.
Wednesday, January 9 - Saturday, January 12
These were not noteworthy days. Barbara was recuperating and getting as much rest as she could and I just piddled around the house. I really wanted to get outside and work, but the weather wasn't even trying to cooperate, so I stayed inside, did a little housework, and started digging out the "stuff" I would need for filing taxes.
I really bright spot in the week was Friday when one of our Sunday school members, Carol Smith, brought us some delicious homemade soups and salad...that was better than any prescription! Thank you, Carol!
Sunday, January 13
Barbara was still contagious and didn't want to be a threat to any of our church members, so she stayed home this morning while I went to Yantis and played in the praise band. We had to delay our prepared children's sermon yet again because it would take both of us to deliver it.
As if one trip to Yantis today wasn't enough, I returned to the church at 3:30 this afternoon for a called Stewardship Committee meeting to get some background information on some repair issues that will impact our financial status...nothing critical, but enough out of the ordinary that it needed special attention.
Monday, January 14
It was cleaning day around the house today, but fortunately for us, we found Mrs. Flores to help out a couple of times a month. She came in this morning and worked like crazy for four hours. When she left, the house was sparkling and smelled fresh and clean.
Barbara had been cooped up inside the house for 8 days, so we took advantage of a pretty January day to go for a ride and see what the world outside looked like.
Tuesday, January 15
Happy Birthday to Barbara's Sister, Nancy Perry Hargrave!!!!!
Mary, our church secretary, was out yesterday, so I drove to Yantis this morning to help count money and make the bank deposit.
The weather was especially nice (for January) today, so when I got home I cleaned out the flower bed beside the driveway, and then cleared about a ton of acorns off the driveway. We have a giant oak tree beside the driveway that is absolutely gorgeous when it is green, but also produces enough acorns during the winter to feed an army of squirrels.
While I played outside, Barbara paid the bills and created photos for journal entries that are way past due.
Wednesday, January 16
Remembering Jim's Brother, Gerald Steven Little
(January 16, 1948 - November 11, 2015)
Hallelujah! Barbara finally got to see Dr. Martinez this afternoon. After an examination he declared her non-contagious and able to get out into the wide world once again.
Following the visit with Dr. Martinez, we undertook the dubious pleasure of paying property taxes and school taxes on the house in Mineola and Our Little Lot at Holiday Villages, before heading over to Jalapeno Tree for some crazy good Mexican food (at least, that's what THEY say).
Thursday, January 17
"Cleaning" seems to be the word of the week around our place. Barbara was feeling much better today and decided we needed to defrost, clean out, and reorganize the chest freezer in the garage.
When that was completed, Barbara went back inside to work on photos and collages for the journal while I cleaned out more leaves, cuttings, and acorns from the flowerbed and driveway.
Friday, January 18
Today was another busy day. The first thing on the agenda was to go to Tyler so I could see Dr. Smith, our cardiologist, for my annual exam. Dr. Smith heard something in my carotid arteries that didn't sound quite right, so he ordered an ultra-sound procedure and said they'd let us know when they could schedule it.
After leaving Cardio-Vascular Consultants, we drove to Dallas to join Alexander and Andy and watch Alexander play in a freshman soccer match for Jesuit High School. We were later joined by Heather and Abby who drove over from their school.
When the game was over (a resounding victory for the Jesuit team) we all went a couple of miles down the road to have dinner at the Maple Leaf Diner, a whole new gastronomic experience for us.
You just can't beat family, food, and fun times!!!!!
We said our goodbyes after dinner and then headed back to Mineola, arriving about midnight and more than ready for bed!
Saturday, January 19
Just another Mineola Saturday...not nice enough to fire up Taz, even for a short ride, or do any serious yard work, so we just piddled around the house and rested up from yesterday's adventures.
Sunday, January 20
We had planned all week to finally do our children's sermon that had been on hold since the first Sunday of the month, but found out on Friday that a group from Adult and Teen Challenge of Texas, Azle Campus, would be here for a special presentation this morning. Since they would have the whole service, we visited with Pastor Craig and agreed that we could wait until next Sunday to resume our children's sermons.
Monday, January 21
Since today was a federal holiday and the banks were closed, I didn't make my usual Monday run to Yantis. Instead, we just hung around the house all day. I was busy taking care of odd jobs, and Barbara was scrambling to get caught up on photos and collages for the journal/blog.
Tuesday, January 22
Happy Birthday to Daughter-in-Law Kelly Jividen Little!!!!!
Happy Birthday to Daughter Leah Colwell McQuitty
Today I made yesterday's run to Yantis, and then returned to the house. The rains came in again, so there was nothing to do but stay inside and keep ourselves occupied with whatever interested us in the moment.
Wednesday, January 23
This morning we just piddled around the house. This afternoon we drove to Tyler (stopping first in Lindale for Barbara to buy some Mary Kay products), for my ultra-sound procedure at Cardio Vascular Consultants. Now for the "forever wait" to get the results.
When we got back home I got my music and trumpet things together and scooted out to Yantis for praise band rehearsal while Barbara reviewed our bills and bank balance to make sure we were going to be okay through the remainder of the month.
Thursday, January 24
The biggest news of the day was that we got to see Leslie at Naturally Nails and have her cut our hair, That may be a sad commentary on the state of our lives this month, but it was exciting for us!
Friday, January 25
Aside from sending out a batch of Get Well and Sympathy cards to several of our church member friends, today was all about finishing a journal entry and getting it posted. When push comes to shove, we can usually get the job done, but lately it has taken a lot more push where the journal/blog is concerned.
Saturday, January 26
Happy Birthday to Son-in Law Jim Farnham (Daughter Whitney's Husband)
This morning we drove to the funeral home in Sulphur Springs to visit with church friends Tena and Jesse during a visitation time.
When we finished at the funeral home, we drove across town to the local theater complex to see the highly acclaimed movie, Green Book. We had seen some previews on TV about the movie, but didn't have much idea of what it was about; it didn't take long to get involved in the story. This was a time in our country when we were graduating from high school, and although we in southeastern New Mexico had experienced very little of the effects of segregation in the South, we had family members who, unfortunately, were dragged kicking and screaming into an integrated society.
For me, it brought back a memory from my sophomore year in high school. Our junior high and high school were fully integrated and no one thought anything about it. Each spring, the high school band went on a concert tour, playing at other schools in the area. Mr. Bradbury scheduled an informal meet and greet session with Dr. Gary Garner and his students at Monterey High School in Lubbock. We were also scheduled to have a band banquet while we were there. Unfortunately, Mr. Bradbury was informed by the restaurant manager after we got to Lubbock that because one of my best friends and a fellow trumpet player was not allowed to eat with the band at the restaurant because he was black. Mr. Bradbury asked several of us if we would mind eating at the motel restaurant instead of going with the group. We said that would be fine with us, so we enjoyed a fun evening at the motel while the others did their thing. I'm sure Mr. Bradbury had no idea of what was going to happen, otherwise he would never have scheduled an event at that restaurant.
I was fortunate to have grown up in a family that neither practiced nor condoned racial prejudice, but I was also not blind and deaf to what was going on in the rest of the country, and Green Book brought a lot of that back in a very focused manner.
This morning found us at church with our children's sermon for the first time this month/year, although we had it prepared on January.
Our inspiration for the lesson came during a visit with friends from Liberal, Kansas, when we visited them on Christmas at their home in Searcy, Arkansas. The title was the words of one of their grandsons who had asked his dad, "How do I know when God is talking to me?"
It was a good morning to be in the house of the Lord...great music, wonderful and challenging sermon, and the best of friends!
We had a full afternoon planned and didn't feel like cooking, so we stopped at the Oak Ridge Marina Restaurant for lunch. It didn't take long to discover that other church members from Yantis had the same idea. Baptists DO appreciate good food and fellowship, whether formal or informal.
We had a church council meeting at 5:00 and a church business meeting at 6:00 this evening, so we kept the highways between Mineola and Yantis hot.
Monday, January 29
We were back in our usual routine this morning. After setting out all the house cleaning supplies and tools, I went to Yantis to count money. When I got home, Barbara was gathering things that we no longer had any use for to give to Mrs. Flores when she was finished cleaning, and Mrs. Flores was making our house spic and span.
When Mrs. Flores left, Barbara and I finished cleaning the garage and straightening things up so we could easily park Taz and the car inside without stumbling over boxes, baskets, and miscellaneous furniture.
Tuesday, January 30 and Wednesday, January 30
These were just basic "taking care of stuff around the house" days. With tax season upon us there was more than enough paperwork for me to stack, sort, and build new stacks, while Barbara focused on wrapping up another set of journal/blog photos and collages.
Thursday, January 31
Here we go with another doctor visit. This time it was me and a surgical procedure to remove a basal cell carcinoma from my left ear. Dr. Meads is a wonderful surgeon who uses the Mohs procedure, a procedure in which the surgeon makes an educated calculation of the size and placement of the tumor, removes just what he/she thinks will be just enough to show "clean" edges around the tumor, and then sends the material to the pathologist for a report. If the material has clean edges, the procedure is over except for some cleaning and sutures, if necessary.
This morning Dr. Meads took a larger than expected tumor out, and the pathology report indicated that there was still more, so she dug in for a second time. Unfortunately for me, the tumor had gone through the skin and was making its way through the cartilage, which necessitated the removal of a significant (to me, anyway) piece of the ear; enough for anyone to be able to see that my ears are no longer a matched set.
After cleanup and sutures, the nurse put a bunch of gauze and bandaging on the ear and sent us home. Of course, Barbara took a lot of photos at the end of each part of the procedure, but we chose to not share some of the more grisly shots.
When all was done, we drove back to Mineola and I took the first of several doses of X-tra strength Tylenol to stave off the pain I new was coming. That part seemed to help as we finished off January with Barbara at home watching murder and mayhem on TV while I went to band rehearsal.
Ushering out January in Mineola, Texas
Jim/Dad/Gramps and Barbara/Mom/Grams/Gramsie
2019 didn't start off with a bang, but it wasn't exactly a whimper either. After actually staying up until midnight last night (something new for us in the last few years) we slept in a little and then got up to work in the kitchen and prepare our part of the New Year's dinner for the Little/Thompson families.
The fare was black-eyed peas with all the traditional trimmings, and good eating and a great time were had by all as we topped off the meal with build-it-yourself ice cream sundaes.
The days of New Year's parades and football games have long been over at our house, so by the time the meal was over, the the dishes stacked, the garbage thrown out, and the telephone call to Travis was made, we were ready for our traditional New Year's Day nap.
Happy New Year everyone...we're off to the races one more time!
++++++++
Wednesday, January 2 and Thursday, January 3
These two days were all about taking down the Christmas decorations, boxing them, and carrying them back up to the attic to be stored until next December. We did do some reorganization of the decorations so that almost everything fit into large plastic tubs, rather than boxes of all sizes and shapes. We'll see in December if that was a good plan.
Since I had taken down all the non-Christmas house decorations while Barbara was in Lubbock early in December (and forgot to take photos of where they were placed), we voted to Let Leah come over this weekend and arrange everything so it looked new. In the past, we've always tried to get the taking down, packing up, and redecorating done in one session, but that wasn't going to happen this year.
Thursday night was the first rehearsal of the new year and a new concert for the Lake Country Symphonic Band...lots of heavy duty sight-reading.
++++++++
Friday, January 4
Leah and Kaiden came over from Fort Worth for a couple of days, and she immediately went to work taking our old stuff and displaying it so it all looked new. Leah really has a knack for that sort of thing, and we appreciate her doing it for us. Other than hauling in things for Leah to look at and either include or exclude from her settings, Kaiden and I stayed out of the way and started cleaning out cabinets in the garage, a task that Barbara and I had put off for far too long.
And yes, there was food, fun, and games before the day was over...
++++++++
Saturday, January 5
We made some minor adjustments to the work that had been done yesterday and then set out for a day of fun and family. Kaiden and I worked in some Taz time while Barbara and Leah shared some mother/daughter time.
This afternoon I got my trumpet and joined fellow buglers across the United States by sounding Taps in honor of a long-time fellow bugler in California who had recently passed away. Buglers are a unique fraternity whose numbers are dwindling (in spite of efforts by organizations like Taps for Veterans that encourage to the best of their ability to provide live buglers for military veterans when they are laid to rest. Situations like today raise the question, "Who will sound Taps for the bugler?"
+++++++
Sunday, January 6
We had prepared what we thought was one of our best children's sermons and today would be the best time to give it, but Barbara was feeling under the weather and was hurting, so we cancelled our part of the service and stayed home this morning.
Later, I got a call from Mike Holbrook, director of the Lake Country Symphonic Band, informing me that long-time trumpeter and band member, Wayne Collins had passed away, and that there was going to be a memorial service at the theater tonight. I agreed to sound Taps at the 6:30 service.
However, plans often go awry, and that set of plans went up in smoke when Barbara was hurting so bad that we rushed to the emergency room at the hospital in Quitman to get her checked out and possibly have to go to the hospital in Tyler.
I called Mike to tell him there was no way I could be at the theater tonight, and then we spent what seemed like forever waiting and having tests run.
In the end, Barbara's situation was semi-serious, but not critical, so we went back home, got her in bed, and settled down for the evening.
++++++++
Monday, January 8
I called Dr. Martinez, Barbara's primary physician this morning to let him know about the emergency room visit and try to schedule an appointment. Unfortunately, it would be ten days before he could see her, but she was feeling better.
While Barbara tried to rest and take it easy, I made my Monday run to Yantis to help count the money from yesterday's offering and get it to the bank before returning to oversee the "sick ward" at the house for the rest of the day.
++++++++
Tuesday, January 9
Happy 3rd Birthday to Grandson Benjamin Kuper Little!!!!!
We are finding that we are old people who don't have much to talk about except their doctors and ailments.Today was my turn to see a doctor, Dr. Markle, the surgeon who sliced and diced my arm to remove a malignant tumor back in November. This was the final follow-up visit as she declared the surgery a complete success and signed off on my release.
++++++++
Wednesday, January 9 - Saturday, January 12
These were not noteworthy days. Barbara was recuperating and getting as much rest as she could and I just piddled around the house. I really wanted to get outside and work, but the weather wasn't even trying to cooperate, so I stayed inside, did a little housework, and started digging out the "stuff" I would need for filing taxes.
I really bright spot in the week was Friday when one of our Sunday school members, Carol Smith, brought us some delicious homemade soups and salad...that was better than any prescription! Thank you, Carol!
++++++++
Sunday, January 13
Barbara was still contagious and didn't want to be a threat to any of our church members, so she stayed home this morning while I went to Yantis and played in the praise band. We had to delay our prepared children's sermon yet again because it would take both of us to deliver it.
As if one trip to Yantis today wasn't enough, I returned to the church at 3:30 this afternoon for a called Stewardship Committee meeting to get some background information on some repair issues that will impact our financial status...nothing critical, but enough out of the ordinary that it needed special attention.
++++++++
Monday, January 14
It was cleaning day around the house today, but fortunately for us, we found Mrs. Flores to help out a couple of times a month. She came in this morning and worked like crazy for four hours. When she left, the house was sparkling and smelled fresh and clean.
Barbara had been cooped up inside the house for 8 days, so we took advantage of a pretty January day to go for a ride and see what the world outside looked like.
++++++++
Tuesday, January 15
Happy Birthday to Barbara's Sister, Nancy Perry Hargrave!!!!!
Mary, our church secretary, was out yesterday, so I drove to Yantis this morning to help count money and make the bank deposit.
The weather was especially nice (for January) today, so when I got home I cleaned out the flower bed beside the driveway, and then cleared about a ton of acorns off the driveway. We have a giant oak tree beside the driveway that is absolutely gorgeous when it is green, but also produces enough acorns during the winter to feed an army of squirrels.
While I played outside, Barbara paid the bills and created photos for journal entries that are way past due.
++++++++
Wednesday, January 16
Remembering Jim's Brother, Gerald Steven Little
(January 16, 1948 - November 11, 2015)
Hallelujah! Barbara finally got to see Dr. Martinez this afternoon. After an examination he declared her non-contagious and able to get out into the wide world once again.
Following the visit with Dr. Martinez, we undertook the dubious pleasure of paying property taxes and school taxes on the house in Mineola and Our Little Lot at Holiday Villages, before heading over to Jalapeno Tree for some crazy good Mexican food (at least, that's what THEY say).
++++++++
Thursday, January 17
"Cleaning" seems to be the word of the week around our place. Barbara was feeling much better today and decided we needed to defrost, clean out, and reorganize the chest freezer in the garage.
When that was completed, Barbara went back inside to work on photos and collages for the journal while I cleaned out more leaves, cuttings, and acorns from the flowerbed and driveway.
++++++++
Friday, January 18
Today was another busy day. The first thing on the agenda was to go to Tyler so I could see Dr. Smith, our cardiologist, for my annual exam. Dr. Smith heard something in my carotid arteries that didn't sound quite right, so he ordered an ultra-sound procedure and said they'd let us know when they could schedule it.
After leaving Cardio-Vascular Consultants, we drove to Dallas to join Alexander and Andy and watch Alexander play in a freshman soccer match for Jesuit High School. We were later joined by Heather and Abby who drove over from their school.
When the game was over (a resounding victory for the Jesuit team) we all went a couple of miles down the road to have dinner at the Maple Leaf Diner, a whole new gastronomic experience for us.
You just can't beat family, food, and fun times!!!!!
We said our goodbyes after dinner and then headed back to Mineola, arriving about midnight and more than ready for bed!
++++++++
Saturday, January 19
Just another Mineola Saturday...not nice enough to fire up Taz, even for a short ride, or do any serious yard work, so we just piddled around the house and rested up from yesterday's adventures.
++++++++
Sunday, January 20
We had planned all week to finally do our children's sermon that had been on hold since the first Sunday of the month, but found out on Friday that a group from Adult and Teen Challenge of Texas, Azle Campus, would be here for a special presentation this morning. Since they would have the whole service, we visited with Pastor Craig and agreed that we could wait until next Sunday to resume our children's sermons.
++++++++
Monday, January 21
Since today was a federal holiday and the banks were closed, I didn't make my usual Monday run to Yantis. Instead, we just hung around the house all day. I was busy taking care of odd jobs, and Barbara was scrambling to get caught up on photos and collages for the journal/blog.
++++++++
Tuesday, January 22
Happy Birthday to Daughter-in-Law Kelly Jividen Little!!!!!
Happy Birthday to Daughter Leah Colwell McQuitty
Today I made yesterday's run to Yantis, and then returned to the house. The rains came in again, so there was nothing to do but stay inside and keep ourselves occupied with whatever interested us in the moment.
++++++++
Wednesday, January 23
This morning we just piddled around the house. This afternoon we drove to Tyler (stopping first in Lindale for Barbara to buy some Mary Kay products), for my ultra-sound procedure at Cardio Vascular Consultants. Now for the "forever wait" to get the results.
When we got back home I got my music and trumpet things together and scooted out to Yantis for praise band rehearsal while Barbara reviewed our bills and bank balance to make sure we were going to be okay through the remainder of the month.
++++++++
Thursday, January 24
The biggest news of the day was that we got to see Leslie at Naturally Nails and have her cut our hair, That may be a sad commentary on the state of our lives this month, but it was exciting for us!
++++++++
Friday, January 25
Aside from sending out a batch of Get Well and Sympathy cards to several of our church member friends, today was all about finishing a journal entry and getting it posted. When push comes to shove, we can usually get the job done, but lately it has taken a lot more push where the journal/blog is concerned.
++++++++
Saturday, January 26
Happy Birthday to Son-in Law Jim Farnham (Daughter Whitney's Husband)
This morning we drove to the funeral home in Sulphur Springs to visit with church friends Tena and Jesse during a visitation time.
When we finished at the funeral home, we drove across town to the local theater complex to see the highly acclaimed movie, Green Book. We had seen some previews on TV about the movie, but didn't have much idea of what it was about; it didn't take long to get involved in the story. This was a time in our country when we were graduating from high school, and although we in southeastern New Mexico had experienced very little of the effects of segregation in the South, we had family members who, unfortunately, were dragged kicking and screaming into an integrated society.
For me, it brought back a memory from my sophomore year in high school. Our junior high and high school were fully integrated and no one thought anything about it. Each spring, the high school band went on a concert tour, playing at other schools in the area. Mr. Bradbury scheduled an informal meet and greet session with Dr. Gary Garner and his students at Monterey High School in Lubbock. We were also scheduled to have a band banquet while we were there. Unfortunately, Mr. Bradbury was informed by the restaurant manager after we got to Lubbock that because one of my best friends and a fellow trumpet player was not allowed to eat with the band at the restaurant because he was black. Mr. Bradbury asked several of us if we would mind eating at the motel restaurant instead of going with the group. We said that would be fine with us, so we enjoyed a fun evening at the motel while the others did their thing. I'm sure Mr. Bradbury had no idea of what was going to happen, otherwise he would never have scheduled an event at that restaurant.
I was fortunate to have grown up in a family that neither practiced nor condoned racial prejudice, but I was also not blind and deaf to what was going on in the rest of the country, and Green Book brought a lot of that back in a very focused manner.
++++++++
Sunday, January 27
Our inspiration for the lesson came during a visit with friends from Liberal, Kansas, when we visited them on Christmas at their home in Searcy, Arkansas. The title was the words of one of their grandsons who had asked his dad, "How do I know when God is talking to me?"
JIM: Good morning...Today is the first Sunday of
2019 and Mrs. Little and I feel called to present this special lesson to you
children.
BARBARA:
On Christmas Day, we were having lunch with friends of ours in Arkansas when
Ron got a text from his son Doug. In it, Doug told his Dad that seven-year-old
Dexter had asked him how would he know if God was talking to him. Doug said he tried
explaining that Dexter would know by reading the Bible, going to Sunday School,
attending Bible studies, and listening to the preacher. Dexter’s response was quick and emphatic,
“Never mind, I’ll just ask Grandma!”
JIM:
Though this was humorous and made us laugh, it also struck a chord with Mrs.
Little and me. It seemed to us like a
question that all kids and many adults might have. We know children were very
important to Jesus because he said in Matthew 19:14, “Let the children come to
me.” You children are at the very
earliest stages of learning about Jesus, but as you grow, you will understand
more about hearing God and listening to Him.
So,
obviously the first step for you to learn is to believe in Jesus! Once you
truly believe in Jesus Christ as your personal savior, then it is important to
listen to him speak through the Holy Spirit. Mrs. Little, would you like to talk about
this?
BARBARA:
You know, Mr. Little, it’s not that Dexter’s daddy was wrong. It’s just that the answer was confusing for a
child. When my own children were little
and wanted to know how to tell if the Lord was speaking to them, I’d ask them
this question, “Have you ever thought to yourself that you’d like to do
something you know you shouldn’t do? For
example, you are in a store and see something that I’ve said you couldn’t have,
but you really want it and thought of hiding it in your pocket. But something stopped you…it was a thought
that came into your head,” No, don’t do that,” or “You know that’s wrong.” To me, those are God moments, times when God
is speaking directly to you. It’s important to remember that God will never
speak to you and tell you to do something that is wrong or against his Word.
JIM:
But, Mrs. Little, I also think the kids need to know that sometimes God tells
us when to do something. The one time that comes to my mind wasn’t when I was a
child; but when I was much older. I had an opportunity to apply for the
principal’s position at the high school in Liberal; you and I talked about it
and decided it just wasn’t what we were supposed to do. Remember that, Mrs.
Little? But...then the very next Sunday I was filling in as teacher for a senior
women’s class and we were studying about the purpose driven life. Halfway
through the lesson, I felt like God was not only teaching the lesson through
me, but he was also teaching it to me and telling me I had to at least apply
for the job. You were shocked when I
told you that after church; but you believed that when God speaks to us, we must
listen. To make a long story short, I became principal of Liberal High School which
paved the way for us to retire, help build churches, do volunteer work, and
eventually wind up here in Yantis giving children’s sermons when we can. That
happened because I not only heard God, but I listened to Him.
BARBARA:
That’s right, Mr. Little. That’s why as
a special treat we are giving these packets of mints and a can of soda, because,
“You are “Mint” to Listen to God, so “Listen-Up!”
JIM: Heavenly Father, we thank you that you are a father who
talks to his children and who wants them to talk to him. We pray for the wisdom to not just hear you
when you speak, but to listen to you so we can have your guidance in our daily
lives. We thank you and praise you in
the name of Jesus, Amen.
It was a good morning to be in the house of the Lord...great music, wonderful and challenging sermon, and the best of friends!
We had a full afternoon planned and didn't feel like cooking, so we stopped at the Oak Ridge Marina Restaurant for lunch. It didn't take long to discover that other church members from Yantis had the same idea. Baptists DO appreciate good food and fellowship, whether formal or informal.
We had a church council meeting at 5:00 and a church business meeting at 6:00 this evening, so we kept the highways between Mineola and Yantis hot.
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Monday, January 29
We were back in our usual routine this morning. After setting out all the house cleaning supplies and tools, I went to Yantis to count money. When I got home, Barbara was gathering things that we no longer had any use for to give to Mrs. Flores when she was finished cleaning, and Mrs. Flores was making our house spic and span.
When Mrs. Flores left, Barbara and I finished cleaning the garage and straightening things up so we could easily park Taz and the car inside without stumbling over boxes, baskets, and miscellaneous furniture.
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Tuesday, January 30 and Wednesday, January 30
These were just basic "taking care of stuff around the house" days. With tax season upon us there was more than enough paperwork for me to stack, sort, and build new stacks, while Barbara focused on wrapping up another set of journal/blog photos and collages.
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Thursday, January 31
Here we go with another doctor visit. This time it was me and a surgical procedure to remove a basal cell carcinoma from my left ear. Dr. Meads is a wonderful surgeon who uses the Mohs procedure, a procedure in which the surgeon makes an educated calculation of the size and placement of the tumor, removes just what he/she thinks will be just enough to show "clean" edges around the tumor, and then sends the material to the pathologist for a report. If the material has clean edges, the procedure is over except for some cleaning and sutures, if necessary.
This morning Dr. Meads took a larger than expected tumor out, and the pathology report indicated that there was still more, so she dug in for a second time. Unfortunately for me, the tumor had gone through the skin and was making its way through the cartilage, which necessitated the removal of a significant (to me, anyway) piece of the ear; enough for anyone to be able to see that my ears are no longer a matched set.
After cleanup and sutures, the nurse put a bunch of gauze and bandaging on the ear and sent us home. Of course, Barbara took a lot of photos at the end of each part of the procedure, but we chose to not share some of the more grisly shots.
When all was done, we drove back to Mineola and I took the first of several doses of X-tra strength Tylenol to stave off the pain I new was coming. That part seemed to help as we finished off January with Barbara at home watching murder and mayhem on TV while I went to band rehearsal.
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Ushering out January in Mineola, Texas
Jim/Dad/Gramps and Barbara/Mom/Grams/Gramsie
