Decade Deux

"The vacation may be over, but the honeymoon is not"-Ted. Our last day of vacation we did a special photo shoot to commemorate our love for each other and our marriage for the past 20 years. It was such a beautiful expression of our love and friendship. Our abundant thanks to Kristi at KLM Photography and also to our StepMom Gayle for helping with some of the scenery and props. It is hard to find words to express the many wonderful ways my husband loves me and demonstrates it on a daily basis. I am so honored and humbled that he is madly in love with me and I with him two decades later! God knew what He was doing when He put the two of us together, for we would have never done it on our own. Ted, I thank God for you, and I thank you for all your love. To the next two decades of love, laughter, and "looks".

Morning Strength

This week is unique in so many ways: Ted and I took a vacation at the same time for a whole week. Our original and supplemental plans did not work out for many reasons. We really wanted to get away for a few days alone and do "Something". With much deliberation and trepidation we finally headed back to Gatlinburg, TN. This has been a typical vacationing spot for us over the years and we thought that boredom or disappointment might prevail. Blessedly this was not to be. We enjoyed a beautiful celebration of our 20th wedding anniversary alone together in the beauty of the mountains. The rest of the week we are working on family projects, both physical and spiritual. Sprucing up the house and yard Putting the boys to work assisting us in the various projects Revamping our Family Altar time to be active, interactive, and pro-active, keeping the blood on the doorposts of our home. My devotional time has been extremely poignant during this time of valleys in my life. The Word of God is so personal, and I am humbled that God would choose to speak with me. I always put a date at the end of each passage I read, and this month I have been going through the book of Isaiah.... the previous dates match this same month 20 years ago as I was getting ready to be married. I look back at all God has taught me, and how much He has been my strength every morning. I honestly never expected to be married, and I could not fathom what 20 years later would look like. I am so glad that I did not know back then, because now I can lean on Him every morning for strength and thank Him for my wonderful husband that He gave me 20 years ago.

Grace One More Time

My heart is heavy and my words are labored. All week it seems I have only heard the bad stuff about people, and I was ready to turn into a hermit. Then I heard something that would directly affect our family. I was numb and searching for wisdom. Fortunately, it was the message time at church, and as I opened the pages to the place our Asst. Pastor was preaching from my hungry eyes fell upon verses that God meant for me. So I had two sermons last night... one that helped me from a church perspective, and one that God delivered personally to me for my desperate need. After a night of prayer, I am still saddened by events and choices, but there is a powerful song sung at our church called Grace One More Time. I was hoping to find a video or audio clip of it, but I have to get off to work this morning. Walking through yet another valley with a giant looming and taunting us, I am so thankful to know I have victory in Jesus Who gives Grace for every mile..... even when we fall. There is devastation and things will never be the same, and although my heart is heavy, I am soooo thankful to have My Best Friend, Lord and Savior right with me.

The Old Paths

The youth group went to Murfreesboro, TN as they do annually with great fervency. Upon their return the messages were about sticking to the Old Paths and not compromising our faith on the world's road to emptiness. The past couple of days at work, I have listened to Ted sing with an former group about sticking to the Old Paths, the ones Jeremiah wrote about. See the picture below to read the verse, the old Path points to Jesus who is the ONLY WAY(singular) to Heaven.

Then in today's email I got this well traveled poem written by a then 15 yr old. I have seen it before, but it's worth sharing again.

BY a 15 yr. OLD SCHOOL KID who got an A+ for this entry
(TOTALLY AWESOME)!

Since the Pledge of Allegiance And
The Lord's Prayer
Are not allowed in most
Public schools anymore
Because the word 'God' is mentioned.....
A kid in Arizona wrote the attached
NEW School prayer:


"New Pledge of Allegiance"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Now I sit me down in school
Where praying is against the rule
For this great nation under God
Finds mention of Him very odd.

If scripture now the class recites,
It violates the Bill of Rights.
And anytime my head I bow
Becomes a Federal matter now.

Our hair can be purple, orange or green,
That's no offense; it's a freedom scene.
The law is specific, the law is precise.
Prayers spoken aloud are a serious vice.

For praying in a public hall
Might offend someone with no faith at all.
In silence alone we must meditate,
God's name is prohibited by the state.

We're allowed to cuss and dress like freaks,
And pierce our noses, tongues and cheeks...
They've outlawed guns, but FIRST the Bible.
To quote the Good Book makes me liable.
We can elect a pregnant Senior Queen,
And the 'unwed daddy,' our Senior King.
It's 'inappropriate' to teach right from wrong,
We're taught that such 'judgments' do not belong.

We can get our condoms and birth controls,
Study witchcraft, vampires and totem poles..
But the Ten Commandments are not allowed,
No word of God must reach this crowd.

It's scary here I must confess,
When chaos reigns the school's a mess.
So, Lord, this silent plea I make:
Should I be shot; My soul please take!
Amen

I'll just stick with the old paths, thank you very much!

To go or Not to go that is the question....

God carried us through Ted's trial, and then almost immediately we were faced with a huge tax debt. God provided a way to pay for it, but it raised some valid questions as to how spend our upcoming vacation it without the emphasis on the word "spend". We had talked of a family vacation to Washington, DC, but then we realized that was not going to work. We then almost settled on a fishing trip to North Myrtle Beach, but Ted's mental calculator is feeling the proverbial pinch of the pennies.

Today, Ted helped me do some work at the office for which I am soo grateful for his help, and then we headed to Wadesboro. Had a pleasant service experience at a McDonald's in Indian Trail, NC, then onward. After he was finished in Wadesboro, we had a lovely dinner at one of our most favorite restaurants, Fontanella's.

After arriving home, Ted took me for more range practice and I did very well this time!!

Justin is on his way home from a Youth Revival, and James is spending the weekend at his grandparents doing alot of outside work for them.

So, do we go on vacation? Do we have a stay-cation and just putter around the house doing things that we can't seem to get caught up with and then eat out? Do we take simple day trips to places? I don't think this will save us any money, but it might be a better way to spend it???
To go or not to go... ??????

Because HE Lives....

Happy Resurrection Day from the Corriveau Family

Do You Remember?

Do you remember the day Jesus saved your soul; The day He found you wandering out in sin; The day He picked you up in His strong gentle arms, pulled you close, and whispered in your ear "it's gonna be ok. I'm still here"?

Then just remember; "This same Jesus"- Acts 1:11, is coming back to take us home! I can't wait! Praise His Name!

~~~Br. Ted

Do You Believe in Easter?

THE STORY OF EDITH BURNS...

Happy Easter!

Edith Burns was a wonderful Christian who lived in San Antonio , Texas . She was the patient of a doctor by the name of Will Phillips. Dr. Phillips was a gentle doctor who saw patients as people. His favorite patient was Edith Burns.

One morning he went to his office with a heavy heart and it was because of Edith Burns. When he walked into that waiting room, there sat Edith with her big black Bible in her lap earnestly talking to a young mother sitting beside her.

Edith Burns had a habit of introducing herself in this way: "Hello, my name is Edith Burns. Do you believe in Easter?" Then she would explain the meaning of Easter, and many times people would be saved.

Dr. Phillips walked into that office and there he saw the head nurse, Beverly . Beverly had first met Edith when she was taking her blood pressure.

Edith began by saying, “My name is Edith Burns. Do you believe in Easter?"

Beverly said, "Why yes I do."

Edith said, "Well, what do you believe about Easter?"

Beverly said, "Well, it's all about egg hunts, going to church, and dressing up." Edith kept pressing her about the real meaning of Easter, and finally led her to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Dr. Phillips said, " Beverly , don't call Edith into the office quite yet. I believe there is another delivery taking place in the waiting room.

After being called back in the doctor's office, Edith sat down and when she took a look at the doctor she said, "Dr. Will, why are you so sad? Are you reading your Bible? Are you praying?"

Dr. Phillips said gently, "Edith, I'm the doctor and you're the patient." With a heavy heart he said, "Your lab report came back and it says you have cancer, and Edith, you're not going to live very long."

Edith said, "Why Will Phillips, shame on you. W hy are you so sad? Do you think God makes mistakes? You have just told me I'm going to see my precious Lord Jesus, my husband, and my friends. You have just
told me that I am going to celebrate Easter forever, and here you are having difficulty giving me my ticket!"

Dr. Phillips thought to himself, "What a magnificent woman this Edith Burns is!"

Edith continued coming to Dr. Phillips. Christmas came and the office was closed through January 3rd. On the day the office opened, Edith did not show up. Later that afternoon, Edith called Dr. Phillips and said she would have to be moving her story to the hospital and said, "Will, I'm very near home, so would you make sure that they put women in here next to me in my room who need to know about Easter."

Well, they did just that and women began to come in and share that room with Edith. Many women were saved. Everybody on that floor from staff to patients were so excited about Edith, that they started call ing her Edith Easter; that is everyone except Phyllis Cross, the head nurse.

Phyllis made it plain that she wanted nothing to do with Edith because she was a "religious nut". She had been a nurse in an army hospital. She had seen it all and heard it all. She was the original G.I. Jane. She had been married three times, she was hard, cold, and did everything by the book.

One morning the two nurses who were to attend to Edith were sick. Edith had the flu and Phyllis Cross had to go in and give her a shot.

When she walked in, Edith had a big smile on her face and said, "Phyllis, God loves you and I love you, and I have been praying for you."

Phyllis Cross said, "Well, you can quit praying for me, it won't work.. I'm not interested."

Edith said, "Well, I will pray and I have asked God not to let me go home until you come into the family."

Phyllis Cross said, "Then you will never die because that will never happen," and curtly walke d out of the room.

Every day Phyllis Cross would walk into the room and Edith would say, "God loves you Phyllis and I love you, and I'm praying for you."

One day Phyllis Cross said she was literally drawn to Edith's room like a magnet would draw iron. She sat down on the bed and Edith said, "I'm so glad you have come, because God told me that today is your special day"

Phyllis Cross said, "Edith, you have asked everybody here the question, "Do you believe in Easter but you have never asked me."

Edith said, "Phyllis, I wanted to many times, but God told me to wait until you asked, and now that you have asked." Edith Burns took her Bible and shared with Phyllis Cross the Easter Story of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Edith said, "Phyllis, do you believe in Easter? Do you believe that Jesus Christ is alive and that He wants to live in your heart?"

Phyllis Cross said, "Oh I want to believe that with all of my heart, an d I do want Jesus in my life "Right there, Phyllis Cross prayed and invited Jesus Christ into her heart. For the first time Phyllis Cross did not walk out of a hospital room, she was carried out on the wings of angels.

Two days later, Phyllis Cross came in and Edith said, "Do you know what day it is?" Phyllis Cross said, "Why Edith, it's Good Friday."

Edith said, "Oh, no, for you every day is Easter. Happy Easter Phyllis!"

Two days later, on Easter Sunday, Phyllis Cross came into work, did some of her duties and then went down to the flower shop and got some Easter lilies because she wanted to go up to see Edith and give her some Easter lilies and wish her a Happy Easter.

When she walked into Edith's room, Edith was in bed. That big black Bible was on her lap. Her hands were in that Bible. There was a sweet smile on her face. When Phyllis Cross went to pick up Edith's hand, she realized Edith was dead. Her left hand was on John 14: "In my Fath er's house are many mansions. I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also."

Her right hand was on Revelation 21:4, "And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes, there shall be no more death nor sorrow, nor crying; and there shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away."

Phyllis Cross took one look at that dead body, and then lifted her face toward heaven, and with tears streaming down her cheeks, said, "Happy Easter, Edith - Happy Easter!"

Phyllis Cross left Edith's body, walked out of the room, and over to a table where two student nurses were sitting. She said, "My name is Phyllis Cross. Do you believe in Easter?"


Thanks to Alexandria Caldwell for sharing this story with me.