Out Here Hope Remains

There is hope for the helpless ... Cry Out To Jesus. -- Third Day

Saturday, February 18, 2006

Snowbound

Maggy and I drove up from Ruleville, MS to Fulton, KY yesterday evening. We took our time and enjoyed the trip very much. I played my new Avalon CD as loud as I could along the way. Great songs, melodies, and harmonies! I'm using a chorus from one of their songs on my template now. After we arrived we talked with Patti May and decided to meet at Capones for supper. Cecil and Patti have been serving the Parkway Church of Christ for ten years or so, I think. We love visiting with them, although we very seldom get the chance. Cecil is with the young people at Winterfest in Gatlinberg, TN. Of course we knew we were driving into an area under a winter storm warning. I went into Wal-Mart last night to pick up some supplies. You would have thought that this town believed they were about to be sunk under 50 feet of snow never to be heard from again. Chaos and panic! Kind of like it is on the Coast when a hurricane is approaching. Before we went to bed last night it started snowing. We think it is beautiful because we do not have to live with it or see it often. This morning I would guess there were two or three inches of snow on the ground. We managed to get it off of the car and drive around town a bit (very cautiously!). The snow has now ceased and the temperature continues to sink. The low tonight is 12. Yes, 12. The high tomorrow is 31, with some more frozen precipitation expected tomorrow afternoon. Hopefully we will leave Monday morning to get back to the Coast Monday night. Today we stopped by the Smith Street Church of Christ, where I will speak in the morning. I met up with preacher Miles Mayo. Miles is a great brother. He has been down to the Coast to do hurricane relief and brings a lot of cheer and enthusiasm with him. The picture to the Left is Miles in front of his home. I look forward to the morning with the Smith Street Family. A group of men from that church came down to work in the relief effort this past week. They brought my granddaughter Claire a big bag full of Valetine gifts. What a sweet church to think of my granddaughter in this way! Tomorrow night I will speak at Parkway. Tonight we plan to eat with blogger friends Tommy and Carrie Dublin. Take a look at his blog and make sure to notice the snowWOMAN. That's a hoot. It's very Tommy. Meanwhile back home on the Coast, today was the day for the Hope Missions team to fly home to Pennsylvania. A crew from the Central Church of Christ in Dalton, GA will arrive this afternoon. Ross Jordan, a minister from that church, will preach in my place in the morning. GOOD NEWS NIGHTS return Monday - Wednesday night when Danny Dodd of the Gateway Church of Christ will be preaching for three nights. Join us each night at 7:00 if you are in the area! Students from Magnolia Bible College will be assisting with door-to-door invitations and encouragements to those we have helped. Prayer Request: Please keep Richard Carpenter in your prayers. He is a dear brother who grew up at Central. I believe he is 33 and has colon cancer. He had a bad night a few nights ago and I saw him in the hospital before we left on our trip. Lift him up daily to the Father. I hope your Saturday is going well and that you know the glory of His presence. There is a place where hope remains In crowns of thorns and crimson stains And tears that fall on Jesus’ feet Where joy and sorrow meet --Avalon