Gone Home!

Mother went to be with the Lord about 6:30pm. My sister got in this morning about 10:AM. The funeral will have to be next Tuesday as we are waiting more family members.

When I sat down here my little Bible was opened to 1Corinthians 15:19.
I don't remember it being opened at all. But the Lord knew just what I needed.

"If in this life only we have hope in Christ, We are of all men most miserable."

I'm so glad that we have that hope in Christ that we will meet again.
All because of Calvary!

Keep us on your prayer list as we go through the funeral next week
Love all of you. Thanks for praying!

KEEP PRAYING

Just a few lines to let you that have been praying ~ Keep Praying.
Mom is still holding on ~ sleeping most of the time. She has not eaten for over two weeks. Takes very little liquids. We really don't know how she is still here except for the fact that my sister will be coming in from Pennsylvania Thursday. The nurse told me that sometimes they stay alive until a certain member of family gets there.

Personally, I don't know how she is still here, but the Lord does. She has a room mate that cries and hollers all the time. Her room mate has been in the hospital over a week. She got back last night which means we can't all get in the room as before. Mom open her eyes and said something. I got real close to her and she said,"I wish I could help that poor soul."

She left a letter about her funeral and we read it. I had to laugh. I don't know when she wrote this but she was telling us where her money was for her funeral and her insurance policy. She then said,"If that isn't enough ~ just pass the hat."

I'm home trying to get some rest. Since my brother and younger sister is here I might try to get some much needed washing done. I will just have to give the house a lick and a promise.

Especially pray for the grandchildren. They haven't seen Mom in awhile and when they came it really hit them hard. Especially my two grand-daughters, Bridget and Leslie. They were pretty close to Mom.

Thanks for all your prayers and comments. It means a lot to know that you are out there holding us up to God in this time of need. I love you and will be back writing more when all of this is over.

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!


Just a quick Happy 4th of July ! I heard several services going on at the nursing home today
singing patriotic songs and getting in the spirit of the freedom we have to still have the Ten Commandments. Yes, there is a big plaque in front with The Ten Commandments. I thank God for that, but it may be soon taken away. Right now we still have the right to worship like we please. Some of our liberty's that our fore fathers fought for are being taken away little by little.

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY !

May we all remember what it stands for. May God bless you and God Bless America! I'm proud to be an American.

Will you Pray?

I am asking that all of you pray for Mother and the family in the next few days. I have been with her for a week and half. She will not eat, drinks very little and talks very little. At the rate she is going she won't last very long. She has a Living Will that she does not want tube feeding. Hospice is coming in Monday to help with her at the Nursing Home. We know we will have to give her up and I know where my source of help comes from. I am amazed at His Grace.

A lot of the family came in yesterday to see her. That is mainly the ones that live around here. Others keep in close contact.

I came home to wash my hair and try and rest awhile. But just wanted to post this first.

I can't express my feelings right now. Just lift us to the throne every time you think of it. Thanks!
Aliene

Special Thoughts

What do People see when they look into our eyes? I pray that someone may see compassion and love for others there. What does our life reveal? Read this writing I found and think on these things!

SPECIAL THOUGHTS

It was a bitter, cold evening in northern Virginia many years ago. The oldman's beard was glazed by winter's frost while he waited for a ride across the river. The wait seemed endless. His body became numb and stiff from the frigid north wind.He heard the faint, steady rhythm of approaching hooves galloping along the frozen path. Anxiously, he watched as several horsemen rounded the bend.He let the first one pass by without an effort to get his attention. Then another passed by, and another. Finally, the last rider neared the spotwhere the old man sat like a snow statue. As this one drew near, the oldman caught the rider's eye and said, "Sir, would you mind giving an old man a ride to the other side? There doesn't appear to be a passageway by foot."Reining his horse, the rider replied, "Sure thing. Hop aboard." Seeing theold man was unable to lift his half-frozen body from the ground, the horseman dismounted and helped the old man onto the horse. The horse man took the old man not just across the river, but to his destination, whichwas just a few miles away. As they neared the tiny but cozy cottage, the horseman's curiosity caused him to inquire, "Sir, I notice that you let several other riders pass bywithout making an effort to secure a ride. Then I came up and you immediately asked me for a ride. I'm curious why, on such a bitter winter night, you would wait and ask the last rider. What if I had refused and left you there?"The old man lowered himself slowly down from the horse, looked the rider straight in the eyes, and replied, "I've been around these here parts for some time. I reckon I know people pretty good." The old-timer continued, "I looked into the eyes of the other riders and immediately saw there was no concern for my situation. It would have been useless even to ask them for aride. But when I looked into your eyes, kindness and compassion were evident. I knew, then and there, that your gentle spirit would welcome the opportunity to give me assistance in my time of need." Those heartwarming comments touched the horseman deeply. "I'm most grateful for what you have said," he told the old man. "May I never get too busy in my own affairs that I fail to respond to the needs of others with kindness and compassion."With that, Thomas Jefferson turned his horse around and made his way backto the White House.

Camp Meeting

"And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing, and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing"
Isaiah 34:26

Showers Galore and even more! I don't have much time but something is buring in my soul and I had to tell just a little of what the Lord did for us at camp meeting.

I prayed before camp and told the Lord that I surely appreciated the mercy drops but I needed Showers of Blessings.
He went far beyond my expectation and just sent us Floods of Glory. The people piled in from all over. I don't know how many states were represented~but someone said we had about 40 preachers there. My husband is an usher and several nights he and the men had to get folding chairs out in the vestibule and the hall doors were opened and chairs lined the openings.
But the main thing is !The Lord was there! That is the main thing, isn't it? He especially blessed us Wednesday night. People were praising and shouting and going to the altar. Other's going to the back with those that wanted to be saved.

A flood of glory would sway across the congregation, things would get a little quiet then another flood of glory would come.
This lasted until 9:30pm, then no one wanted to go home. We kind of felt like the disciples, "Let's just build a tabernacle and stay right here." After all that, we wanted preaching. I guess we got home about 11 pm.

I have never seen a service quite like this. We have good services at church regularly but this was beyond anything we could ask or believe for. Our pastor just let the Holy Spirit move. My heart was blessed beyond measure as so many others were. Many said they had never been in a service such as we had. But it was all the Lord's doings. I will write more later about this.

As for now, I ask that you pray for my Mother. I had to go three days during camp and bring her to emergency room one time, the doctor another day. One day I was just there to watch her and see how she was doing. She seems to see things and tell things that did not happen and
her memory is getting worse. She has been in bed since the first part of the week. The doctor took her off some of her meds but as of yesterday she was no better. She slurs her words and talks real low. We had a CT scan done on her head but it did not show signs of more mini strokes. I suppose the next thing is an MRI. I really think her memory is going and she is fighting to keep it. She sleeps a lot. We really don't know what the problem is. We realize that she won't be with us long but she does still regconizes us.

It was tiring to shuffle tending to her and going to camp but the Lord worked it out. Just be sure and pray for all of us. Some of my siblings live way off and it is so hard on them not to be here. I have a brother and sister that is having trouble with their heart. Pray that the Lord would touch them and get them through this crisis in our life.

Until I can get back to the computer, I just want to say I love all of you.
You are part of my family and I do so much appreciate every one of you
that are praying.

Memories of Dad

All Dad's Children!

This was taken on Christmas Day 1988, the day we said our last good-byes to Dad.

Six children and their companions.

Twenty years have past and we still miss him.

He left with all of us a lot of memories. We share our memories now. Since I was one of the older children~ I have some memories that the younger children do not have.

He loved his kids. I remember when he drove and old log flatbed log truck.

We kids would meet him at the end of an old bumpy road and hop on the back and here we go lu-pity- do. I think he enjoyed it as much as we did. He worked hard and out in the sun. He ran a sawmill and the sun got hot. But he never complained. I remember we use to go grab a salt tablet out of a little machine. I guess we thought we were by ourselves, but Dad and his boss were laughing at us. After that we would just go get one when we were around. Like we needed salt! But it was salt licking good.

He would not put up with any foolishness. Especially at the dinner table. Sometimes we girls would get tickled about something and Mom would start laughing. He just got up from the table and went to the living room. Guess he figured he couldn't battle us all.

He corrected us when he had too, but it broke his heart. He was a tender man. All children loved him.

I remember sitting on the porch swing with him. Dad had a way of getting a message over without coming right out and saying it. Some of those talks are imprinted in my mind. Especially about whom I picked for my life's companion. He let me know in his own way that the one I was talking to was not the one. I'm glad I got the message and listened.

I know had it not been for his correction in my life ~I really don't know where I would be. I was not a little girl when Dad whipped me last. But it left a lasting impression. Let me say that he hurt my feelings rather than my behind. He let me know who was in charge and it surely was not me. He never had to whip me again. I think of him putting me on his knee and with tears running down his face saying, "I didn't want to do it but I did it because I love you." I think because of parental correction ~ I could give my will over to the Lord easier. And when trials come ~how many times can I feel my Heavenly Father whisper "I didn't want to permit this trial but I correct because I love you."

When we children were babies Dad was the ice man in town. I barely remember this. I do remember the ice house. This was before the days of refrigerators. It was back in the days of ice boxes. The ice compartment

held what, a 50 pound block of ice? I don't remember. But I do remember the big tongs that he would pick the ice up with. Everyone had an ice pick. Are those still in the stores? I don't know, but they were essential back in the ice box days.

Everyone knew Dad. They called him Red, because he had red hair. Even the nieces and nephews called him Uncle Red. His real name was Daniel Allen. Several in the family named their children after Dad. I was suppose to be Henry Allen. But since I was a girl they just called me Aliene. It is pronounce like the Al in Allen and the latter part sounds like lean. I'm always glad they didn't name me Henrietta Aliene.

He always kept mints in his pocket for the children. The grandchildren would get on his lap and the first thing they would do is reach for his pocket. They loved Paw-Paw. When great grandchildren came along ~he was Pe-Paw to them.

Dad was a early to bed, early to rise person. Most mornings he was up at 2:30 or 3 am every morning of his life. He would sit in the living room and read his Bible. He always made his coffee first. Sometimes I wonder if he didn't take a little snooze while waiting for daylight~but knowing him, probably not.

He always loved dogs. Pedigree, stray, whatever. I surely did not get that love for dogs. Most of Dad's dogs stayed outside, but he would not chain them. I like dogs from a distance. I guess my allergies have always kept me away from cats and dogs.

He caught me on top of the dresser in front of the mirror trying to stick bobby pins in my hair. I was little but I remember him saying, "Daddy's

baby girl trying to get pretty?" "No. Daddy, I just want curls." Man, doesn't pride start early in a lady's life? He could have spanked me that day but all he did was picked me up and stood me on the floor.

Oh, I'm sure I got my share of spankings sice I had four siblings under me. But Mom did most of that since Dad worked.

Oh, another thing! Every Sunday morning I had to fixed his tie for him.

Somehow it always got untied when he took it off. I also had to fix Mom's hair, start a search for lost shoes, belt, anything the younger ones lost.

Sometimes it was really a hassle to get to Sunday School on time, but we always made it.

Dad was not a man that like to open gifts in front of people. He always laid it down beside the chair and watched everyone else. Eventually he got to the place that he would open them, take a peek and lay the package on the floor by his chair.

For some reason he liked silver dimes. I remember as a small child that we had a fire and lost everything. Dad went for a search of dimes when the fire was out. Those dimes meant a lot to him because that was for his children's Christmas. Later in life he had a coin collection. I remember baking him a birthday cake and on the top I put a roll of silver dimes. That was the first thing he went for.

He had a sense of quiet humor. When my husband ask for my hand in marriage Dad simply said, "I don't give my girls away. What do you have to offer?" My husband simply said, "I'm a country boy and all I have is a pig." Would you believe when my husband came for the wedding he brought my Dad a pig? Unbelievable! I say!

Dad could chop wood until he passed away. I think my husband must have taken some lessons from Dad. He is not quite as old as Dad was, but he likes to chop wood and sweat. Ugh!

I guess I could go on ~ but I'm glad for sweet memories. I know there are so many children out there that wish for a Dad that cared. I feel so blessed that the Lord gave me the Dad He did.

Happy Father's Day Dad! We're looking forward to the day when there will be no farewells. Even though it has been over 20 years now we still miss you. We know one of your favorite songs was The Lifeboat. Well, Your Life Boat carried you safely home and we know it won't be long until our Life Boat will soon be coming to carry us safely home. Just watch for us on the banks of the river.