Celebration 28
One of my favorite people Jean Sowders.
While discussing with Mike what I have learned from Jean, he smiled and said just write what she means to you and it will come. Lily voiced her opinion, that Mama Jean is what a true friend looks like. Jean has been on my mind most of this week. She is a brave woman! For her privacy, I won't go into detail about why she is brave, but I'm praying for her!
As I've been thinking about her and her friendship, my heart is overjoyed. As I sit here and type tears fill my eyes for the many blessings I receive from her. A few weeks ago she posted on Facebook about Pat Summit, a woman she admired and the qualities she wanted to instill in her life. While I read that post, my first reaction was "Duh, you've accomplished that goal and then some!"
When I think of Jean, I automatically think of a southern girl. You know the woman I'm talking about. It's the image in literature and movies that we secretly wish we had a friend like that in our life. You know, the friend gracious enough to welcome anyone to sit around their table for a meal. Jean can't fake her hospitality, kindness, and grace, it's who she is. It overflows from her and brushes against people and changes them for the better. She is as genuine as they come.
When I think of Jean, I also think of strength, another often-cited attribute of a woman from the South. The steel magnolias kind of strength. A friend that would come along side and carry you to the finish line. A strength that is mentally tough and an attitude that it's not over yet......to keep on fighting. The kind of strength that comes from within because of will-power and perseverance.
With that strength also comes grace. She forgives. She looks for the best in people. She cares for people. She has told me numerous stories about students that she is mentoring without them knowing. She invest in their lives, she knows their stories, she looks for opportunities to share light in the darkness. She is brave and eager to share forgiveness, wisdom, and love to those that are blessed enough to call friend. I'm thankful for a friend that I know has my back, I'm thankful for a Mama that understands my fears, I'm thankful for a wife that gets my frustration during basketball season, but mostly I'm thankful that the southern girl decided to make Mitchell her home and invited my family over for good food and good conversation.
She taught me hospitality. In her honor, good friends and good times are in my near future......any maybe good food if I can talk Mike into smoking some meat :)
Thursday, July 14, 2016
Wednesday, July 13, 2016
Celebration 27 Jamie Young
Celebration 27
Role Model Jamie Young.
I don't know Jamie well, but what I do know of her I really love. I'm going to admit when she first started attending Mitchell Church of Christ I had my guard up! Rumors that I heard and chose to believe about her liking to cause trouble in the church were most certainly untrue. She has a sweet spirit about her and is not afraid to voice her opinion when it comes to speaking God's truth. I admire that about her. What others see as trouble, I see as powerful!
What she probably doesn't know is that I watched her closely. I watched her reactions. I watched her worship. To be honest, at first I was probably looking for fault so I could validate the rumors, but what I found out was truth and transparency. She was sweet. She was thoughtful. She never speaks ill of her husband or children. She is a woman of faith. She fears God. She loves God.
One thing that I have always been fearful of is the gift of being spirit filled. Can I talk in tongues....nope. Can I heal the sick......nope. Can I raise the dead.....nope. Do I feel spiritual battles happening around me.......yep. That's hard for me to type. Some would say that it's just paranoia, some would say that I'm just being dramatic, some would say it's not possible, or just plain weird. I would disagree. Jamie taught me it's ok to believe in the spirit and embrace being in tune. I have gut wrenching, wake up in sweat, need to pray moments in my life. Everything stops, I don't know what I'm praying for, but I know who I'm praying against. Again, something I don't talk much about except for people who really know my struggles and fears. I'm 100% sure God speaks and prepares me for events in my life through my dreams.
Now that I'm older :) I'm embracing who I am, even though I still don't understand it all. What I do know is this. I'm also a woman of faith. I fear God. I love God.
Jamie taught me to embrace my Godly gift. In her honor, I'm obeying his voice and letting go and letting God work. Satan is using me as his tool in the church. I have hurt feelings that I'm hanging on to. Today I'm choosing Grace. Today I'm choosing forgiveness. Pray with me and for me. It's a battle.
Role Model Jamie Young.
I don't know Jamie well, but what I do know of her I really love. I'm going to admit when she first started attending Mitchell Church of Christ I had my guard up! Rumors that I heard and chose to believe about her liking to cause trouble in the church were most certainly untrue. She has a sweet spirit about her and is not afraid to voice her opinion when it comes to speaking God's truth. I admire that about her. What others see as trouble, I see as powerful!
What she probably doesn't know is that I watched her closely. I watched her reactions. I watched her worship. To be honest, at first I was probably looking for fault so I could validate the rumors, but what I found out was truth and transparency. She was sweet. She was thoughtful. She never speaks ill of her husband or children. She is a woman of faith. She fears God. She loves God.
One thing that I have always been fearful of is the gift of being spirit filled. Can I talk in tongues....nope. Can I heal the sick......nope. Can I raise the dead.....nope. Do I feel spiritual battles happening around me.......yep. That's hard for me to type. Some would say that it's just paranoia, some would say that I'm just being dramatic, some would say it's not possible, or just plain weird. I would disagree. Jamie taught me it's ok to believe in the spirit and embrace being in tune. I have gut wrenching, wake up in sweat, need to pray moments in my life. Everything stops, I don't know what I'm praying for, but I know who I'm praying against. Again, something I don't talk much about except for people who really know my struggles and fears. I'm 100% sure God speaks and prepares me for events in my life through my dreams.
Now that I'm older :) I'm embracing who I am, even though I still don't understand it all. What I do know is this. I'm also a woman of faith. I fear God. I love God.
Jamie taught me to embrace my Godly gift. In her honor, I'm obeying his voice and letting go and letting God work. Satan is using me as his tool in the church. I have hurt feelings that I'm hanging on to. Today I'm choosing Grace. Today I'm choosing forgiveness. Pray with me and for me. It's a battle.
Friday, July 1, 2016
Celebration 25 Dorothy Mathews
Celebration 25
Grammie Dorothy Mathews.
One of the blessings I received marrying Mike was definitely his Grammie. She was such a blessing to our family. She may have been small in stature, but mighty in power. If you needed something to be done, Grammie would be the first to help out. We had to sit her and block her in the corner during family reunions because she wouldn't sit still. You needed a refill, she was up! You forgot a fork, she was up!
I can remember going over to her house and she would always have two things. Coke in the fridge and her notebook near her chair. If Indiana University was playing basketball you better not visit or call. She was stuck in her ways and her ways were good. Children loved her and she loved them. I think she taught Sunday School at her church for at least 30 years, Mike thinks closer to 50 years. If you needed encouragement, she was your woman. Her strength was contagious. Her "God Bless" kisses have been permanently imprinted on my head. I miss the smell of her house. I miss the funny stories of the adventures she took with her sisters. I miss her funny ways. I miss the junk drawer. I miss seeing her smiling face and her coming out to the porch waving good bye as you left.
I didn't see any of her sideline cheer-leading, but I have heard plenty of stories. If BNL was traveling to play in the sectional......she would be on the highway with her homemade sign. If the band was playing at the local parade.......she would be there with her homemade sign. I'm sure if she was still living she would have her homemade "GO RUNNERS GO" for the Bicentennial Celebration.
She taught me to encourage people. In her memory, I stood on 14th Street in Mitchell tonight and celebrated a special driver with my homemade sign!
Grammie Dorothy Mathews.
One of the blessings I received marrying Mike was definitely his Grammie. She was such a blessing to our family. She may have been small in stature, but mighty in power. If you needed something to be done, Grammie would be the first to help out. We had to sit her and block her in the corner during family reunions because she wouldn't sit still. You needed a refill, she was up! You forgot a fork, she was up!
I can remember going over to her house and she would always have two things. Coke in the fridge and her notebook near her chair. If Indiana University was playing basketball you better not visit or call. She was stuck in her ways and her ways were good. Children loved her and she loved them. I think she taught Sunday School at her church for at least 30 years, Mike thinks closer to 50 years. If you needed encouragement, she was your woman. Her strength was contagious. Her "God Bless" kisses have been permanently imprinted on my head. I miss the smell of her house. I miss the funny stories of the adventures she took with her sisters. I miss her funny ways. I miss the junk drawer. I miss seeing her smiling face and her coming out to the porch waving good bye as you left.
I didn't see any of her sideline cheer-leading, but I have heard plenty of stories. If BNL was traveling to play in the sectional......she would be on the highway with her homemade sign. If the band was playing at the local parade.......she would be there with her homemade sign. I'm sure if she was still living she would have her homemade "GO RUNNERS GO" for the Bicentennial Celebration.
She taught me to encourage people. In her memory, I stood on 14th Street in Mitchell tonight and celebrated a special driver with my homemade sign!
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