Framily

Author:  Susan L. Prince

Yesterday I went to the elementary school to see my friend's daughter perform "Helen of Troy". She did such a good job with her lines and looked all beautiful and "Egyptian" in her costume. It was fun and I was proud. I got tears watching her do so well. She's not even my kid!

Tomorrow I will see her boy perform with the marching band in the Strawberry Festival Parade. I will have tears watching him march. I had tears at his concert a month ago. I am so proud of him. He's not even my kid!

I'm the "not the momma" but we are all framily.

What is that feeling of watching a kid grow and accomplish something new? something they work at and do well? Why do I get tears? Why does my heart swell? I've fallen in love with those kids. It's a God thing.

Strawberry Festival

Author: Katie

Today, I was a proud mom again. I am so blessed. I saw my son march in his first parade at the famous annual Strawberry Festival. The band was great and I had tears! Every time I watch him in a concert or any type performance, I am extra blessed because of how God provided for him to be in band. He didn't have an instrument and I couldn't afford one. The teacher connected me up with a lady that had a drum set. I tried to arrange to buy it from her and she said "No, my son has no use for it and I just want to know it's being used." She told me that I could give it back when he was done with it if it was in good shape but not to worry about it. Just another provision from my Father. One of many daily provisions. I don't think the people who gave us the drums will ever know how blessed my life has been since they gave that drumset to my son.

Spiritual Journey

Author: Katie

Each month the Ministry to Women (M2W) at our church interviews one of the women in church. There is a list of questions we have to answer and this month, I had the privilege of being the interviewee. It helps members to get to know each other better. Since this works at church, I thought it might be fun to blog about it. What might be even more fun is hearing back from other bloggers. So I'm going to post my Spiritual Journey in hopes that others will send me an email or just post answers to the same questions in the comments section of the Sister's blog. Here it is:

1. As you look back, when do you first see God at work in your life? I believe God has been working on me since day one. I believe he worked through both of my grandmother's prayers. He saved me from many bad situations before I even knew Him as my blessed Savior.

2. Was there a turning point, a decision to turn your life over to God's will? What helped this along? Did anything make this more difficult for you? There were actually two turning points in my life. The first turning point was when I asked Jesus into my heart. I was at an after school presentation about freedom and liberty. I had no idea this was a "religious" event. I think it was planned that way. They demonstrated the sound of the nails pounding in Jesus' hand and all I could do was visualize myself hammering them in. I was so broken. It was then that I started attending church, but I ran into difficulty because I didn't "fit in" with the youth group. I eventually went back to the group of friends that I "fit" with and slowly backslid into my old lifestyle once again. The second turning point was after my son was born. I re-surrendered my life to Jesus and I have been growing in His grace ever since.

3. How long have you been devotedly trying to please God with your life? I have been trying to please God with my life ever since Justin (my 13 year old) was a baby. That was when I really started living for God seriously for the first time.

4. Is there a special spiritual practice that enables you to feel you have connected with God? I feel closest to God when I am lost in worship at church. Many people communicate better with God when they are alone. It's just not that way for me. I feel his love and presence enveloping me when I stand in the midst of my brothers and sisters to worship in my heart and with my voice, our voice (the church). I think it's the "one accord" thing that does it for me. I especially love when I am singing with the praise team because I can see the glory of God in the faces of those who are also worshipping in the big room. They reflect on me and the Spirit in me dances. I look forward to Sunday mornings.

5. Is there a special place where you go to feel God's presence? I love to go to Pickwick (a beach on the Tennessee River) and lie at the edge of the peninsula. I don't have that opportunity anymore because it's so far away. That is my favorite place to go. I can use all of my senses to examine the work of His hands there.....especially if I have raisinettes with me (They enhance my sense of taste)! When I can't be at the river (which is most of the time), I seek his presence on the swing under the dogwood tree in my back yard.

6. What is one aspect of God's nature that you dearly love? I dearly love His immeasurable, indiscriminating, inconceivable, unfathomable, unconditional, pure, holy, perfect LOVE. That no matter how far or how long I stray, He is always ready and waiting with open arms for my return. It's the greatest love affair of my life!

7. What is an aspect of living this Christian life that you find especially comforting? That God is the Provider. Every time I look back over my life, I see His provision. He even provided for me before I knew Him. He has a plan for my life and it began before I existed. He has provided for the fulfillment of that plan all along. I took things in my own hands several times and knocked things off course a bit (well maybe a little more than a bit….okay, ALOT), but He has always been there for me, gently loving me back to the straight and narrow path that leads to Him. When I look back over my life I am in awe at the work of His hands. He is my blessed Jehovah Jireh (The Provider) and I am His beloved. I don’t know why I find myself worrying all the time. Will I ever learn?

Jesus Freaks

Author:  Susan L. Prince

Katie cleaned off the counter in the kitchen. While she did it she mused "We are abnormal. We are Jesus Freaks" and I said "what are you talking about?" and she said "How many people do you know that as they clean off the counter they remove 4 bibles, 2 bibles study books/notebooks, and 2 books about the bible?"

I love Jesus because He first loved me. That freaks me out! Jesus Freak!?!

I have bibles. I have bible studies. None of it displays the state of my heart. I need my Lord. I need Him to run my life. Why do I keep trying to run my own life and leave Him out of it? He is there, I know that. I don't totally ignore Him. I pray daily, but I'm not giving Him enough time. I'm not giving Him my whole heart. I hate that I hold back from Him! Why am I so stupid?

I just want my prayer life back and I'm having difficulty.

Storm Damage that I Witnessed

Author:  Susan L. Prince

It's official. The tornado that ripped through downtown Jackson, TN has been classified an F4, which is a pretty bad tornado. Of course seeing the path of destruction it left is evidence to how bad it was as the pictures I displayed below can testify to.

The mall where I work is north approximately 1-2 miles north of the area that was directly in the path of the twister. Power is still out at half the mall and on my way to work it was necessary to be cautious at intersections as most traffic lights are still out. Crews were out working on them though so hopefully traffic, at least north of downtown, will resume as normal soon.

Mostly what I saw on my drive in was that many trees were uprooted or had snapped. Some had obviously fallen across the roadways, but had been cleared to allow road traffic. A couple of homes I saw were damaged due to trees falling on them or wind damage, roofs with missing shingles and siding stripped in places, so I could only imagine what things are like the closer one gets to downtown. I did see that a new warehouse that was underconstruction in recent weeks had collapsed. It was a huge structure that had all the support beams up and one wall, but all those beams are now lying in a pile and have crushed the construction equipment that was parked below it. It really was an awesome site to see that huge structure from the other day lying there mangled like a poured out box of matchsticks.

As I approached the mall I noticed that a lot of signs to the surrounding business had been broken out or were simply gone. The Old Hickory Mall sign had some damage and giant metal sheets were hanging from it. The tree that greets me as I enter the parking lot was gone, and the little grassy "island" had already been landscaped with few small shrubs there to replace the tree. The mall parking lot has lost trees to storms every year that I've been working there...it's starting to look rather sparse.

Mall security let me in the mall and I got into my store. My asst. called to say that he heard the mall was closed, but I said "Mall Security" just let me in" but I went out to ask for the official word and sure enough, the mall was closed because only half of it had electricity. Luckily, my store had power, so I could get in and do some work. I called in a couple of other employees and we worked on stuff. It was fun to do that without the customers there! My DM said "good, you'll be able to catch up!" I said "Bob, I will not catch up." and he said that at least I could get some stuff done. I would need an entire week with no customers coming in to catch up.

When I went into the backroom of my store and called my DM to tell him we were again closed today, I smelled a familiar odor. Musty, wet...you know, that wet carpet smell? I stepped down hard and splash! The carpet was soaked in my office. I went to check the rest of the backroom and there was about an inch of standing water near the backdoor and down the walkway. I could see a water line on the shelving unit which tells me that at some point between the storms Sunday evening and today, there had been at least 2 inches of water on that floor. I think the hard rain and wind forced water to come in under the backdoor, or around the frame. That's all I could surmise. No damage though and that's a good thing.

So, basically I was virtually untouched by the storm. My hearts go out to those that lost loved ones and lost their homes. I started thinking about their houses...most will get insurance money and their homes rebuilt, however many have lost treasures. They have lost pictures and yearbooks. Furniture that has sentimental value and was passed down through the generations. A lot of "stuff" has been lost, but it's those special things that a person holds dear to their heart and can never be replaced that hurts the most. I'm praying for these people in Jackson, that they might lean on the Lord during these moments of incredible loss and hurt. I pray the He will draw them all close to His heart and that they all seek Comfort from Him.

I hate tornadoes.

Things Remembered

Author: Katie

I can't believe how much damage can be done by moving air. The picture of the church that has been shown and talked about so much, is very misleading. The wall that is seen is all that is left. If you were to walk through the front door you would be walking right back outside. There's nothing behind the front wall. This building is one of the oldest buildings in Jackson. The plan is to rebuild...starting with the front wall. The pastor of the church was on the news last night and he said that as long as they have one wall, the church still exists. They will begin there and build around it. Of course those are my words since my brain doesn't retain much after about five minutes!

I first moved to west Tennessee in 1980. I have lived here steadily since 1990. I lived in McNairy county when a huge tornado swept through in 1991 (I think). Fortunately, I was out of town when it hit. Since then, McNairy county has recovered and grown beyond what is was prior. Over the years we have had several tornadoes but, it seems that from the late 90's up until now, there have been so many more than all the years before. The damage has been the worst. It really hit me for the first time just this morning. I have never been a frequent visitor of downtown Jackson, but I have been there several times over the years. Sue and I eat breakfast at Steinley's sometimes (across the street from the courthouse). It's funny how people take things for granted. I never really took notice of Jackson's historical landmarks. Last fall I was downtown alot since my daughter was in the Christmas play at the civic center (which was also badly damaged). I didn't stop to realize what a beautiful area it was. I never really observed it much. Tiffany did. She said she feels like she is in New York City when we go there. Cracks me up. That's what happens when you raise a kid in the sticks! Maybe someday I'll get to show her New York City. Okay let me bring myself back from the tangent I am taking off on (I do that alot). *Katie does the reeling in the fishing pole immitation* Today, my heart broke as I watched the news and remembered what our town looked like just a few days ago. There is no way it will ever be the same. On the bright side, downtown Jackson will get a new face. New beginnings are always nice. It's going to be a long hard recovery but we will have an even better, new, improved downtown area when it is all said and done and who knows, maybe even a community even closer at heart.

It's funny how in the midst of a tense situation, a person can always find a reason to laugh. Yesterday, I broke my glasses so I had to go to the vision center at Wal-Mart to get them repaired. As soon as I got there........tornado warning!!!!!!!! I ran through the wind and rain with my daughter and her friend. I held my umbrella in my hand folded up (since I knew it would be useless to use it). As soon as I entered the building (through the eyecare center, since the main entrance was barricaded) they sent us to the center of the building near the fitting rooms. When things were at their worst, I managed to squeeze the girls and myself in this one small fitting room with a woman named Debbie and her son, Nick. (We thought that since we were in such small quarters, we might as well be on a first name basis.) While we sat there listening to the storm and the heavy rain pounding on the metal roof, somebody banged into the wall from the other side....really hard! All five of us nearly jumped right out of our skin! So, in the midst of the chaos, we all started laughing pretty hard. I don't know if anybody else had the same idea we did (to hide in the fitting room), but we didn't feel we would be very safe in the open if a tornado came through and things started flying everywhere. I can honestly say that I never thought I'd spend time in Wal-Mart like that! I also never imagined spending time in the fitting room with a total stranger.....especially when she had her adolescent son with her!

Thinking back to the other night....

It was the creepiest thing to watch the news. The tornado was hitting right at the news station. They were broadcasting from the hallway. We could hear everything going on but we couldn't see the broadcasting team. Sue and I watched and listened as the hail (some tennis ball size) pounded the "sound proof" building and if you listened carefully you could hear the howling winds at some points. We sat here wondering what kind of damage was being done at that moment as we watched and listened. It was so eerie. There was no way to know how bad it was until the next morning (yesterday).

I haven't been out to see downtown personally yet. I only have the same pictures as the rest of the world. I think about the 200+ people taking shelter at the Omen Arena. I sit here safe in my home thinking about how they have lost everything........and most are thankful just to be alive. I have this desire to do something, anything just to participate in comforting, helping or anything that will show comfort and support to those who have suffered from this horrible tragedy.

It seems so weird to see downtown on Good Morning America. My relatives in different parts of the country are watching Jackson TN on the news. They have called to check on us frequently. I am so blessed....So blessed.

Anyhow, as you sit here reading this, I ask that you stop and pray for those who have suffered loss during these tragic storms. I also ask that you pray about the severe weather that is still forcasted to come. As for this moment.....no sirens, no warnings....That in itself is such a huge and welcome relief! What a frightening past few days we have had. I can honestly say that I have never been a part of anything like it before. I can't help but wonder why these things hit all around my neighborhood and never actually hit us. Only God knows. I'm just glad it's over (for now anyways).

On My Way to Work...

Author:  Susan L. Prince

I might just see a sight like this, that is of course if power is restored and the mall opens tomorrow. Jackson is currently under another Tornado Warning. This has been going on for 20 hours straight. It's getting old.