A Bump in the Road....Maybe

Many of you know that we have decided on another adventure in our lives.  We are planning to move to Huntsville, Alabama in order to be closer to more family.  This move is not a fly-by-night decision as we have thought, discussed and prayed for quite awhile about it.  There are many reasons we would like to stay right here until the end.  Some of them being:

 

1.  We have been accustomed to being anywhere from a few minutes to a little over an hour from our youngest son, Frank since 1986.  He lives about 45 minutes from us at present.

2.  He was married last December to a lovely lady who we are getting closer and closer to and love as our own.  Just as this relationship is growing we hate to leave her.

3.  Frank's two boys have always had Granddad and Grandma close by and we have a relationship with them that distance will not sever, though we love being close enough to see them often.  At the moment 22 year old, Jordan is in Columbus, Ohio  which is about one and a half to two hours away.  Landen, on the other hand, will be closer when we move to Huntsville as he is attending Freed-Hardeman University in Henderson, Tennessee.

 

Jordan, Becky, Frank and Landen Wright

December 21, 2013



 

4.  We love our house and it is the "old homestead" to most of the grandchildren.  However, it is just that.....a house!  Wherever we live will be home to all of our family.

5.  Our Church Family is near and dear to us.  We have grown to love them more than most of them can comprehend.  It will be hard leaving them.  Doyal has preached here.....sometimes sharing the pulpit, but in recent years preaching each Sunday.....since 1989 or 1990.  We have both taught Bible classes as long.  I love my children and will certainly hate to leave them.

 

Some of my Bible class students with our adopted daughter, Margie.

April 2014 right after her lung surgery.

 



6.  We enjoy living in Lawrenceburg and especially enjoy the distinct seasons.

 

My Bible class children in our back yard.

There are other reasons we hate to leave but here are a few reasons we have decided to make the move at this time.

 

1.  We are getting a bit older (84 and 79 respectively.)

2.  In Huntsville there are 33 family members living less than 10 miles. By the time we get there there could be 7 more making it 42 counting the two of us.

3.  IF we ever need assistance it won't be left up to just one family member to take care of us......there will be several who will be willing to share the burden.

 

Just a few of the family members in Huntsville.

 



4.  We know lots of people in Huntsville already and will not have to be concerned about finding new friends...although I know we will find some.

 

Our oldest (the one we've had the longest) friend in Huntsville, Nancy Cantrell.

 

 

Two of my newest friends in the area, Pat Blair and Mary Ann Wallace



We were planning to rent either a small house or apartment until Claudia talked us into moving in with her.  So, now we're making plans to re-arrange her life! She has three bedrooms at the present time.  When we get there she will have hers, we'll have the one she has been calling ours since she bought the house and the three of us will share the other as a study/guest room.  Our first order of business will be a large storage shed which we'll have installed before our arrival.  Then, the next thing will be a large screened-in back porch as extra living space.  Later if we think we need/want it, we will build in the garage for another living area.  When all of her 15 grandchildren come these old folks might decide we need to lock ourselves in another room.  (Just joking....we love all of them!)





 

Doyal busy at work with the drawings for the new screened-in porch.

 

Claudia came up last week end to help start packing and moving.  You should have seen that girl go!  She had her little Nissan hatchback packed like I've never seen a car packed before.  A few more trips like that and we might not have to rent a truck!  I really don't think she will be able to fit our couch or bed in there though.  Ha.

 

Sweet, wonderful, hard working Claudia Beth

 

 

We've been hard at work today going through file cabinets, reorganizing and pitching things.



So now for the bump in the road.  Yesterday we had a follow-up appointment with our doctor after having blood drawn last week.  I was pretty good except that he says I'm pre-diabetic which I have been for awhile.  On the other hand, healthy-as-a-horse Doyal, still had low red and white blood count and also platelets.  All three were a little bit up  from the test in April though.  Dr. Eiler thinks his problem is Myelodysplasia.  He also thinks the rash all over his body is caused from that as well.  Of course he can't be sure unless he does further testing. For the time being Doyal has decided to do nothing.  This will not keep us from moving.....it just makes me want to get to Huntsville sooner to be nearer more family. 

 

Today we started walking again and I have given up Cokes.  (Sad). I plan to start cooking better meals as well.  These are some of the things Dr. Eiler suggested.....not cooking better meals because I didn't volunteer to tell him how I cooked.

 

It is beautiful walking on the levee and watching the traffic up and down the Ohio River less than 3 miles from our house.

I solicit your prayers for Doyal's health and for us as we prepare another chapter in our lives!

 

 

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:........." 

 Ecclesiastes 3:1 and following.



Prayer continues

I'd like to share a few more things concerning prayer.  Some you might find a bit humorous, some trivial and some quite serious.

 

I suppose somewhere along the line we taught our children the need, joy and value of prayer.  I remember when Claudia and Allen were quite small, Pre-Paula, we had them kneel beside their beds and pray.  At first it was the bedtime prayer:  "Now I lay me down to sleep."  Soon we graduated to praying for the things for which we were thankful and things we requested of God.  I tried to have them not get into the habit of just a rote prayer, but to think of different things for which to be thankful, or for different needs. 

 

Here we are with our children in 1963 during their formative years.

 

It seems this must have taken effect even down to the 5th child.  Frank certainly believed his mother's prayers had clout with God.  From a very early age he would ask me to pray that he do well on a test and things like that.  Many times when he was older, junior high and high school, he would call from the school phone and remind me to pray that he make a good grade on a test he was about to take.  I always told him the same......I would be praying he would recall everything he studied for the test.  I didn't want him to think he didn't have to do his part and fail to study!

 

 

Frank as a Senior in High School.  He was still asking for prayers on his tests, as well as other things.  Needless to say, he graduated with honors both from High School, College and with his Masters!

 

 

One day he proved to me how much he believed in the power of prayer.  He was an excellent basketball (as well as football) player and seemed to live and breath each sport during the season.

 

 

Here is Frank as 7th grade quarterback talking over a play with his coach.

 

One morning when he was still in grade school he requested that I pray for him to be 6'4" and black!  I wondered why in the world such a request.  He explained that the very best basketball players were tall and black.  He also said that he had observed the Lord answered prayers just a little less than was asked ( I have NO idea where he got that notion) and he really wanted to be at least 6'3".  I had some explaining to do!  I've never known, at least in my lifetime, God to change a person's color, and in our family, I had never known anyone to reach 6'  on either side (we have a couple over that now; one being Frank's youngest son.) He was never stretched past his present height of 5'9" and the blackest he's ever been is when he got a good sun tan (which he has now after spending two months in Florida.)

 

 



 

Here is Frank as a little fellow in his Miami Dolphin uniform (He's still a fan) and as an adult, the darkest he's been in a long time.

 

I shared in my last post about the chess tournament, the deer and the snow.  Now, I'd like to tell you about our daughter, Claudia's, prayers.  She is one of the most powerful prayer warriors I know.  If I have a need I usually go to her first, though I request prayers from all of my children and a few of my friends who I know to believe in the power of prayer. 

 

Claudia has been through a lot of struggles in her life and I know there must have been times she probably wanted to just give up, but she didn't.  Through it all I've rarely seen her without a smile on her face and a song in her heart......in fact if you ever visit her don't be surprised to hear singing as she sings all the time! And.....she prays about everything. She prays for marriages, divorces, babies, friends, family and people she rarely knows.  And, she thanks God for answered prayers as well as those He hasn't answered as requested.  She knows God has other plans.  She doesn't worry about jobs or houses as she knows God will supply the things she needs.  And He always has!

 

Last year she was able to buy her first house as a single lady. The kitchen appliances, minus the fridge were included in the house.  She really wanted a French door refrigerator but only had a certain amount to spend on it.  She had looked and looked but found nothing she could afford.  She was about to give up and was on her way home when she decided to stop by one more store and check there.  She pulled into the parking lot at Home Depot, turned off the engine and prayed,  "Lord, if you want me to have a French door refrigerator let me find a white one in the 'scratch & dent' area to match the other appliances and for X amount of $'s or less." (I can't remember the amount).  She walked in, back to 'scratch & dent' and there it was; a white, French door, with tiny scratch on the side toward the back and just a few $'s more than she asked!  Now, maybe you think the Lord had nothing to do with this.  That's okay. But. I chose to believe He provided just what she wanted.....no more, no less.

 

 

 

 

Just a few days ago Claudia needed (wanted) some old wood for a project she had in mind.  Two of her grandchildren were with her and she told them what she wanted and told them they should all pray if it was God's will that they find some weathered wood beside the road ready for the garbage truck.  Later, on the way home, she asked God to provide the wood in order to show the children the power of prayer.  And, there it was....just what she wanted right beside the road just waiting to be picked up.  And here's the results of that prayer....by the way....the two 15 year old grandchildren give God the credit!

 

 

Weathered wood hanger over the TV, an answer to prayer.

 

 

A true prayer warrior!  And sometimes the Lord blesses us with little things and smiles.

The weekend of her 60th birthday celebration we, along with our best friends, Nancy Cantrell (mine) and Nannette Cantrell Lyon (Claudia's) stopped at Cracker Barrel and Claudia found this lying among the merchandise.

 

The effective prayer of a righteous man (woman) can accomplish much. James 5:15

 

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7