More on moving, news on Becky, serving the Lord

Mama and I packed up some boxes yesterday in preparation for our move but the focus of our efforts is across town at Grandma and Grandpa’s. I have to admit that the visits are better when there is a focus on something other than sitting around and yakking or listening to yakking. Also, since Bella is gone the home seems more inviting. I am not sure why, it just seems less stressed.


I have to give Grandpa kudos’s for the effort he has put into preparation for the move; getting the trailer ready, getting the trucks ready, packing up the working garage and the house. He has been very busy. I know Grandma has helped, but the weight of the work has fallen to Grandpa. He is incredibly excited about getting to the farm, getting the tractor, getting out from under the financial load he has been carrying. November should be a month when they can breathe a sigh of relief – hopefully. It all comes together in the next couple days.

I am beginning to change our address on all the paperwork that accompanies our financial lives; bank statements, driver’s licenses and ID’s, credit card statements, utility bills and local government registrations, insurance statements (medical, dental, life, auto and home), voter registration, Post Office address, and the list goes on. Of course Mama is resistant to making the changes since we are unsure how long we will be at the new address. I keep telling her, “By law, we have only thirty days to make the changes on our driver’s license.” That does not sit well with her, but it is the law. Though she is a person who would never lie, she hates being told what to do.

Becky texted me at 0530 this morning. She is transferring to a discharge unit and should be home early in October. I know she is ecstatic over the news and Charles is almost equally excited at the thought of getting his bride home. It seems that absence truly does make the heart grow fonder. It is nicer when that fondness endures for a lifetime. There are enough unpleasant distractions and interferences in life that can affect how we feel about each other, but love is still a choice.

I made my pastor aware of the changes in my schedule since I am pretty sure it will affect my ability to serve in the ministry there. Since I will be missing one Sunday night and one Wednesday night service per month as well a soul winning during that same week I may not be able to meet the requirements for service as set forth by the church. I hate to give up any of the thing we are doing, choir, Children’s Church, special music, etc. but I do not want to violate the rules in place. It is the pastor’s call. I will continue to serve as long as we are there, but I will only do so if it does not compromise the discipline established there.

Mama and I are hoping Grandma and Grandpa will go to the church we have visited in Bowie, Bible Baptist Church. Mama said Grandpa really liked what he saw when they went together several Wednesday nights ago. I just hope they find somewhere to serve since there is little possibility for growth without service and there are few avenues of service, Biblically speaking, outside of the local church.

I go back to the flight illustration of several months ago. As we make a turn in flight if we do not increase our throttle and forward speed we will lose altitude without realizing it. Any turn we have to make in life requires an increased focus on service for the Lord or we lose momentum and altitude; Bible reading, prayer, Church attendance, personal devotions all need to be stepped up just to maintain our current walk.

If Mama and I lose our place of service we must be very vigilant to maintain our current spiritual walk so we can still grow in the Lord. Time to step it up a notch. No coasting allowed.