tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5122979167674130432024-02-18T17:49:16.928-08:00Helen's HappeningsHelen Cobbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15851772863297731133noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-512297916767413043.post-43206113036173189632010-09-18T09:02:00.000-07:002010-09-18T19:22:09.117-07:00To our first grandson Jared<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH0FAdINQFXERJKXqfHvgVyKE9ZkbTxW0ss4IVHKkoZKWAyUV_Ycfo6Ugmn8dOr8KFUZwyU5yCwM9K59awEFm1JF8NWuIRoLTpiLrN9zAGiV0GbecQL7h4WIMiv-a0j1oQ6bc4yDx1SHM/s1600/Cristina+17.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 1px; height: 1px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH0FAdINQFXERJKXqfHvgVyKE9ZkbTxW0ss4IVHKkoZKWAyUV_Ycfo6Ugmn8dOr8KFUZwyU5yCwM9K59awEFm1JF8NWuIRoLTpiLrN9zAGiV0GbecQL7h4WIMiv-a0j1oQ6bc4yDx1SHM/s200/Cristina+17.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518366622457118706" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi9NGYS5jTXZaiUAdfo02YPROtto-No6Gv45-vW9yvWrdSL-ZOBYIA4zPUBjqINpZIz7Jqo5yPsst0rHmO4xaoR5uLhx-z57-ES4DKsiNF4FdshyWqny2sRaTspVAOpMmGNA26oUkOygY/s1600/HelenDavid7.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi9NGYS5jTXZaiUAdfo02YPROtto-No6Gv45-vW9yvWrdSL-ZOBYIA4zPUBjqINpZIz7Jqo5yPsst0rHmO4xaoR5uLhx-z57-ES4DKsiNF4FdshyWqny2sRaTspVAOpMmGNA26oUkOygY/s200/HelenDavid7.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518287641114559522" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Once a long time ago there was a little girl just about your size, Jared. She had a brother like you do, named David. Do you know who that little girl was?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">If you guessed "Mimi" you would be right. She lived with her Mommy and her Daddy not too far from where you live now.. in a country named Argentina.</span> <span style="font-size:130%;">She was as old as you will be when your mommy's new baby is born.</span><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgui_-q36OpRFRAtvqazcp1nKvg8fIQYIqU8Kp1DBt7_mstPn1NOHL32LB1FJTkLU4otiTpfHb6T6Dl_2UQOF-VxgICowWMXxhjBTGwmzTFUnADjYrk5fj3NA4rqiRlZeAbxwDX3hxiOnI/s1600/Cristina+17.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 192px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgui_-q36OpRFRAtvqazcp1nKvg8fIQYIqU8Kp1DBt7_mstPn1NOHL32LB1FJTkLU4otiTpfHb6T6Dl_2UQOF-VxgICowWMXxhjBTGwmzTFUnADjYrk5fj3NA4rqiRlZeAbxwDX3hxiOnI/s200/Cristina+17.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518366948313177074" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Not so long ago your Mommy was also your ag</span><span style="font-size:130%;">e a</span><span style="font-size:130%;">nd she had a brother named Philip. She was almost your size and she and Philip lived in Honduras.<br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA1aM9tM6qWHfuUvBCn7YxKlfYlYZ6KXuiFdY1M4_BRVYEn8Y6cxiFazJnGHp6Qluz2sP-ASnpMB-zVhVV31ZwJPMHOUpUlJR-LlUCHA2DNHbYvDQEnS_pIJenYjjmmPqJJNIY0n03hs4/s1600/Cristina+18.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 188px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA1aM9tM6qWHfuUvBCn7YxKlfYlYZ6KXuiFdY1M4_BRVYEn8Y6cxiFazJnGHp6Qluz2sP-ASnpMB-zVhVV31ZwJPMHOUpUlJR-LlUCHA2DNHbYvDQEnS_pIJenYjjmmPqJJNIY0n03hs4/s200/Cristina+18.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518367328862482370" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Can you believe </span><span style="font-size:130%;">that she was ever that little? Do you know that little boy who was just a little bit older than Luke is now your Uncle Philip?</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">"Mimi" grew up to be a Mommy and that is when your Mommy was born and then your Mommy grew up and got married to ... guess who?<br /></span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiDexXp7kokQ7x-8i_IHYGTT2Kvnzt8iK81qgZhDnP5sw4uiUPR9ssWafO53y8q6Xtz_z2rXNf6AVQxGalYDDLYztd44HDvMw61XIKVsFXUx_dUL8e92krIyl7HxQBVM6JF_E5ORLGMlY/s1600/Cristina+25.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 142px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiDexXp7kokQ7x-8i_IHYGTT2Kvnzt8iK81qgZhDnP5sw4uiUPR9ssWafO53y8q6Xtz_z2rXNf6AVQxGalYDDLYztd44HDvMw61XIKVsFXUx_dUL8e92krIyl7HxQBVM6JF_E5ORLGMlY/s200/Cristina+25.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518397715062894386" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">It was your Daddy, Stephen Meier. They met each</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> other in a country far far away called Korea.<br /></span><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUgNZzQfx9HqfwkKVvSirg6cJa8BNHbUSEqVhm-J6NP2bU-nd8g6VE9IjQaha99DHotWOzW3-4whKZH6faHTcqaCH75XBTYr6cr_a6Hn5oPfvWHl3rtYvtecG9lUTkdphsXWLwA0GO6Q8/s1600/Cristina+45.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 160px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUgNZzQfx9HqfwkKVvSirg6cJa8BNHbUSEqVhm-J6NP2bU-nd8g6VE9IjQaha99DHotWOzW3-4whKZH6faHTcqaCH75XBTYr6cr_a6Hn5oPfvWHl3rtYvtecG9lUTkdphsXWLwA0GO6Q8/s200/Cristina+45.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518417238925521682" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">By this time "Papi" and "Mimi" had no more children at home and they began to wonder when th</span><span style="font-size:130%;">ere would be some children born to your Mommy and Daddy. They waited patiently but one day they got a phone call from Virginia with important news.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">They told us that they were going to have a bab</span><span style="font-size:130%;">y and pretty soon we knew you were going to be a boy and "Mimi" began to make her plans to fly up to Virginia to help your Mommy after you were born. Here you still were in your Mommy´s tummy.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Wednesday July 25th your Aunt Anita called your "Mimi" to tell her that very soon you would be born. We got on a plane to go to where you were.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">When we got to the hospital you had already b</span><span style="font-size:130%;">ee<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcK_ux-_gFeLR4TVkk6iZqgHvRKVkJCqDDVzVRhUCLmNqASPdL7laVrOLjh2qqVVHxdfYsVTV7XQksQO5il23DAfHiLjbzNh19wNby9V0kDxgb-yJwoUM1J6YzsLGp0DcOGppCqTut_xw/s1600/Jared+74.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 102px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcK_ux-_gFeLR4TVkk6iZqgHvRKVkJCqDDVzVRhUCLmNqASPdL7laVrOLjh2qqVVHxdfYsVTV7XQksQO5il23DAfHiLjbzNh19wNby9V0kDxgb-yJwoUM1J6YzsLGp0DcOGppCqTut_xw/s200/Jared+74.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518419332008705074" border="0" /></a>n born.. How happy we were!!!<br /></span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp6rmZxnzu7FgR34tcjRN3K3ILmnv2FwpApGeoAYdzBaJuK7XztLbcubX4WuVNGwLwRiUCMj3axA6jN6NKUWIW_GSnW0pwROX_ZudvWOSeYMuiS5NbqyAR6FnSTBjO21zGw-Cezwjr7GQ/s1600/Jared+82.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 160px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp6rmZxnzu7FgR34tcjRN3K3ILmnv2FwpApGeoAYdzBaJuK7XztLbcubX4WuVNGwLwRiUCMj3axA6jN6NKUWIW_GSnW0pwROX_ZudvWOSeYMuiS5NbqyAR6FnSTBjO21zGw-Cezwjr7GQ/s200/Jared+82.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518420454272514850" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">You didn´t want to open your eyes at first but when we turned almost all the lights off behind your Mommy´s bed you opened them and were so happy <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6PeBGxNegCQj3MFfVJ_EeQWdxgNDQh4362rLmHS5qH2iVxoSo1cpzh8Hu2nW5ybOocRuZqaeRjo6fN3p339cGTRJC9LN7m7nksaRhdWwl9NyQXfSsm2kxmiJpAY581Py4yU-TErtvSJw/s1600/Jared+81.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 146px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6PeBGxNegCQj3MFfVJ_EeQWdxgNDQh4362rLmHS5qH2iVxoSo1cpzh8Hu2nW5ybOocRuZqaeRjo6fN3p339cGTRJC9LN7m7nksaRhdWwl9NyQXfSsm2kxmiJpAY581Py4yU-TErtvSJw/s200/Jared+81.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518421410812473666" border="0" /></a>to see your pretty blue eyes!!<br /></span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Jared, you will always be special because you were the first grandchild to be born, Luke will be special for other reasons. The next baby that comes will be special too. "Mimi" and "Papi" just wanted to let you know how much we love you...our first grandson...<br /><br />Now you are such a big boy.. we can hardly believe it!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHWXUaWSU_iLHzru-9EcpHSIk_vsRDQaWf8_IV37RX3cePpMnSjqYY8cyLdIKa-Eleb1nJHpfZbCOVBzViveONQYXDhy5Z35MdPnzebgvvG75AuVDSJOTdSRNp6KfagKKpDvZcREbtUwU/s1600/Jared+492.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 128px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHWXUaWSU_iLHzru-9EcpHSIk_vsRDQaWf8_IV37RX3cePpMnSjqYY8cyLdIKa-Eleb1nJHpfZbCOVBzViveONQYXDhy5Z35MdPnzebgvvG75AuVDSJOTdSRNp6KfagKKpDvZcREbtUwU/s200/Jared+492.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518438825737296322" border="0" /></a></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZIz8NEUbu33RNK7LfliQ05xkHdCuyDhTE4IFH9bT86hWgpGcZG6l5ExENyB-6OECMqTEXdRRfxSmXFFf9bYNWWzC8BHUD81FxmyCrhwtS3BWhxnwqTHUKJL0EOCZvkj6XyZcL-zoPtyA/s1600/Jared+493.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 166px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZIz8NEUbu33RNK7LfliQ05xkHdCuyDhTE4IFH9bT86hWgpGcZG6l5ExENyB-6OECMqTEXdRRfxSmXFFf9bYNWWzC8BHUD81FxmyCrhwtS3BWhxnwqTHUKJL0EOCZvkj6XyZcL-zoPtyA/s200/Jared+493.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518439390329194578" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">It was so much fun to go to your Birthday party!!!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">You are three years old now!!!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> <br /> We love you Jared!<br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJVzEgWJFxF0433lWk10uJPxcxJrRbnApEe5deQEasb13svqJUYK9MBNbvynWK9Ue9MQcKYYtxq1Sa1onyDW9MM47AyfTKQh8gw6byn7RywsQJkLrSQxv0Zg8Wyr9X-kaN__tRusozxv0/s1600/_Steve+Helen2b.png"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 176px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJVzEgWJFxF0433lWk10uJPxcxJrRbnApEe5deQEasb13svqJUYK9MBNbvynWK9Ue9MQcKYYtxq1Sa1onyDW9MM47AyfTKQh8gw6byn7RywsQJkLrSQxv0Zg8Wyr9X-kaN__tRusozxv0/s200/_Steve+Helen2b.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518441647027156882" border="0" /></a>Helen Cobbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15851772863297731133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-512297916767413043.post-44499307450453333982010-02-17T05:56:00.000-08:002010-02-19T14:47:06.599-08:00The year of the babies<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQJsq1EvxJaHescnLuYmorLnOOwrR_O6Hg6eOR2eSzEvN-mkhT62qNXNWAgvc_ge3215YxrzCXIkmxwAWHeUAe7T7kiMAMDHYVRu2K3vaqUc1eOgN5sH3lAIHO_NIEqOIz1YDNkwhaB0c/s1600-h/Cristina+Wedding+057.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439276058297227970" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQJsq1EvxJaHescnLuYmorLnOOwrR_O6Hg6eOR2eSzEvN-mkhT62qNXNWAgvc_ge3215YxrzCXIkmxwAWHeUAe7T7kiMAMDHYVRu2K3vaqUc1eOgN5sH3lAIHO_NIEqOIz1YDNkwhaB0c/s200/Cristina+Wedding+057.jpg" /></a> 2005 was the year of weddings. Cristina and Stephen Meier had decided to get married a year an a half ealier so that had been planned for awhile, but in December of 2004 Anita met Nick Gamblin on a trip to Champagne, Illinois to Urbana.<br /><br />You might say,"I thought this was about babies, but there is a natural order of things and you have to give allowance for all the memories of my 60+ mind! Pacience please!<br /><br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div></div><div></div><div>I don't think that Philip knew he would be playing Cupid when he paid Anita's way to the Urbana Conference , but there she met her future husband Nick Gamblin and soon we had two weddings in the making-Anita's in May and Cristina's in July. I remember as I walked down the aisle hanging on to Phili's arm telling Philip, "You had better not<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY4gnuJyusRy-yRKh6kATOn6T4p87aZVBYuWOk7-INIwawTPn-lHj7cXojxV2zTJywW2QLyHU7UuIhOicIVHewg9W5JydMxhz7wkP-m9JBDey3gMvxOb3Q9NyBD0cYgjmfwdTxFa7WtcQ/s1600-h/Picture+131.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 150px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439218270639114354" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY4gnuJyusRy-yRKh6kATOn6T4p87aZVBYuWOk7-INIwawTPn-lHj7cXojxV2zTJywW2QLyHU7UuIhOicIVHewg9W5JydMxhz7wkP-m9JBDey3gMvxOb3Q9NyBD0cYgjmfwdTxFa7WtcQ/s200/Picture+131.jpg" /></a> get married this year!"<br /><br /><br />In 2007 Cristina and Stephen thrilled our hearts when they told us they were expecting our first grandchild. I rememeber all the plans that were made to be able to be there for that event. </div><div></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKI4fZEny18fo7TuFAum3AeCYdPSJR55HhrxCyE6VOTOsnBnp_3yEWLaQeNkfKioQEtgI64Jss9fcND4lsiuGLbFR1tkv3rH_5h0Kcs_ZNM24L83Y1H8QS4B4eXH4moF1ac8K1s6NOKIw/s1600-h/IMG_1073.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439273985152778066" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKI4fZEny18fo7TuFAum3AeCYdPSJR55HhrxCyE6VOTOsnBnp_3yEWLaQeNkfKioQEtgI64Jss9fcND4lsiuGLbFR1tkv3rH_5h0Kcs_ZNM24L83Y1H8QS4B4eXH4moF1ac8K1s6NOKIw/s200/IMG_1073.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><div></div><div>July 29, 2007 Anita and I met in Atlanta and flew up together to greet Jared, our first grandchild and Anita's first nephew. We arrived hours after Jared's birth and were amazed as we gazed at God's handiwork. </div></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgiOSxiyzLzLV4BCDWrY7AcIDoNG8Y8ZrNu4p1SUQYqNdOo0l_Aq941nGBGsYNUHxrcKEiQE7XEWzDms1DAX2lczsrA7YUs7rJ5rXjsiU9lsYghOcwW18tTy24G_SUA3teO05Z6-HnWy8/s1600-h/IMG_1075.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 150px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439274411225380066" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgiOSxiyzLzLV4BCDWrY7AcIDoNG8Y8ZrNu4p1SUQYqNdOo0l_Aq941nGBGsYNUHxrcKEiQE7XEWzDms1DAX2lczsrA7YUs7rJ5rXjsiU9lsYghOcwW18tTy24G_SUA3teO05Z6-HnWy8/s200/IMG_1075.jpg" /></a> <div></div><div></div><div><br /><div>We were initiated into the world of "Aunthood" and "Mimihood" and were delighted to be there.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjabtq5PA9LFmH-QV-zO1KDlZgDdxuU5NiL_x-ZxtwABwDowMGFvIV6FOj6piYwWKwxKufCklrnQ0xIajZq_1Ky_OIXn-PVaG63tFedP-VhMEAJER1oROVebkPGunTBladtlMN_UP2_eII/s1600-h/IMG_0461.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439637275439907346" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjabtq5PA9LFmH-QV-zO1KDlZgDdxuU5NiL_x-ZxtwABwDowMGFvIV6FOj6piYwWKwxKufCklrnQ0xIajZq_1Ky_OIXn-PVaG63tFedP-VhMEAJER1oROVebkPGunTBladtlMN_UP2_eII/s200/IMG_0461.JPG" /></a><br /></div><div>Did I forget to mention that Philip took me at my word and got married the next year after the girls weddings to Chrissy Dubois, September 7, 2006 and she has quickly become a very loved member of our family? Its hard now to imagine when she wasn't a part!</div><br /><br /><div></div><div></div><div>So it was only a year and some later that w<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSZnEu_RZYIV2tOcnBdYquDe3gfkoo1ypEM02bLPmKuIypy_kUAEVilaa9TxpFxWTpaDKBWpW9tVTuruvgnBR5qlY3Da7zTfJhB18l2LPFBO1H-jRUEL3xR38O9tKVzPrYjb8TS6jPoVU/s1600-h/DSC00961.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439618495808041218" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSZnEu_RZYIV2tOcnBdYquDe3gfkoo1ypEM02bLPmKuIypy_kUAEVilaa9TxpFxWTpaDKBWpW9tVTuruvgnBR5qlY3Da7zTfJhB18l2LPFBO1H-jRUEL3xR38O9tKVzPrYjb8TS6jPoVU/s200/DSC00961.JPG" /></a>e were greeting a new grandson, this time in Quito, Ecuador. "Mimi" arrived 4 days late.. Luke decided to make his appearance a bit early from his known due date, being born January 5th, 2009. This seemed like a good time for Anita to show Nick the land where she had spent 10 years of her life and Philip decided it wasn't a bad idea so he and Chrissy joined the trip. So one week after "Mimi" arrived, Nick and Anita, and Philip and Chrissy arrived to spend a week. We went on sight seeing adventures with Luke in tow.. he as you can see in this picture slept most of the time.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQnfEQj6-RxkIZGX1pW0jw8dor7otyiObMHUjfVlp3QduMuXxBf-Km9miKB7FqVWvRp78nZW0k66qfwEB5pXXV8OIS06XTdt_kbDAXEAqpUx_BkC0zrPRjzT3zkii1H8-KWvrFq3mzBLU/s1600-h/DSC01476.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439617403289726642" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQnfEQj6-RxkIZGX1pW0jw8dor7otyiObMHUjfVlp3QduMuXxBf-Km9miKB7FqVWvRp78nZW0k66qfwEB5pXXV8OIS06XTdt_kbDAXEAqpUx_BkC0zrPRjzT3zkii1H8-KWvrFq3mzBLU/s200/DSC01476.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>It was then that I began to see the gleam in both of the couples eyes as they held Luke and played with Jared. "I want one of those!" I heard my son in law Nick exclaim that day. </div><br /><br /><br /><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><br /><div>So it wasn't surprising when Anita and Nick half way into 2009 called us in Guatemala to tell us that a little "Gambino" was on the way. Automatically I began to prepare myself mentally for a trip up north to receive this third grandchild.However when 6 weeks later our son Philip suggested we get on SKYPE so we could talk "better" I was really surprised when they showed us a Ultrasound of their child. Anita and Chrissy had joked in Quito that they would both get pregnant the same time. So now my mind adjusted to the fact I would spend some time with Anita in February and then in March 6 or around that time I would move over to Philip and Chrissy's house and help with their baby. </div><br /><div></div><div>It wasn't long that I was hearing that Nick and Anita were expecting a boy and then weeks later we found out that the next Cobb would be a boy as well. Then Josh decided to come 3 months and a week early and all the plans took a different turn.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPyw9svgjROs6Iv7vbxezm9f13qagPhY94C0J_jq_8P1yvolTj8XAfE6GH5fNIzItcSRPBiN0fW3L_Zd2Xc_jsBG1nHXYpcclmWoXWfndJ7MXPBYcXOtpC3WAVRuVcuy1B1Ul9M8lvo6o/s1600-h/069.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439949417724315954" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPyw9svgjROs6Iv7vbxezm9f13qagPhY94C0J_jq_8P1yvolTj8XAfE6GH5fNIzItcSRPBiN0fW3L_Zd2Xc_jsBG1nHXYpcclmWoXWfndJ7MXPBYcXOtpC3WAVRuVcuy1B1Ul9M8lvo6o/s200/069.JPG" /></a><br />As I said before in the blog about Joshua we have been kept in the loop from Guatemala through the wonderful blogs my son Philip and our daughter "in love" have written and we have been amazed and grateful at all the Lord has done in the NICU where Josh spent so many days. We are grateful now that he is home and adjusting to just being a normal little boy.<br /></div><div></div><div></div><br /><div>Well January rolled around and I was anxious as I made my plans to fly up the 25th of January that this grandson might not wait for me. The other three had come before their due dates.. so I held my breath those last few days in Guatemala. It turns out that I had nothing to fear as we sailed past the due date the 29th with no action. </div><div></div><br /><div>So February 1 Anita was experiencing some feelings of being lightheaded so we headed to Anita's doctor's office. We really thought we would probably return to wait it out.. because even though Anita was having contractions they weren't regular ones. </div><br /><div></div><div>However as the doctor checked Anita, she accidentally snagged Anita's sac and so we just went directly down to the third floor maternity ward and so began the long saga till we had a baby. Nick got off work and came as soon as he could. Who can say totally what you experience when you go through having a baby? I was happy to be allowed to be with Nick and Anita, more as a voice of encouragement, because Nick and Anita did all the work. Labor, as it does many times in first births progressed slowly, and in the late afternoon they were administering "pitocin" since after the water breaks you have to have the baby out in 24 hours. By 4 the next morning Anita was exhausted as well as not able to handle the strong contractions as quickly as they came so we all felt good with her getting an epidural. Having done that we all went to sleep for and hour and a half and when we woke up Anita had progressed to 9 centimenters. </div><br /><div></div><div>Philip our son arrived early on before Anita started pushing and brought us a sandwich from Panera and some coffee ( to me and Nick, Anita getting ready to go into the pushing mode could not eat). We were ever so grateful for that refreshment since it had been a long night..</div><div></div><br /><div>So soon at 9 the pushing began.. it seemed like an eternity, when all told it was really only 45 minutes. Immediately we could see Noah's head.. his hair poking through and we began to encourage Anita as she pushed. What a priviledge as a "Mimi" to get to see my grandson be born! I found myself getting lightheaded as I held my breath with every push. At 9:45 Anita was pushing that baby out and he was born minutes later. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSS5LGcwNmkbTs4eeF5gErGdZR48yD_nib7WoB-riTmD3Pw9DL7BY7HbOZJPnpzZ59TYvCl0QHaKau39Fwh975aPyAdlmhUE34b32n-N5xsDf26KyuZLuOBeaVU0AXYNiLT4ngcFsfep0/s1600-h/009.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439635720217269234" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSS5LGcwNmkbTs4eeF5gErGdZR48yD_nib7WoB-riTmD3Pw9DL7BY7HbOZJPnpzZ59TYvCl0QHaKau39Fwh975aPyAdlmhUE34b32n-N5xsDf26KyuZLuOBeaVU0AXYNiLT4ngcFsfep0/s200/009.JPG" /></a>You can see the proud papa standing next to the doctor that delivered Noah and a Nurse. </div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEMVpLl40uZ25AC_6f5sHFR1MZcsURsHRiUxhyphenhyphenMEWKHCBH8ij1UR_0Fahur7qgadP1kVd3kWzuQl5DKA0eRv6NEkdFthtZAWQ5YEX5ZCdnB3xC_abA41F9mYETGnJd-OZh6T_kayK-kZk/s1600-h/005.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 150px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439959909643029282" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEMVpLl40uZ25AC_6f5sHFR1MZcsURsHRiUxhyphenhyphenMEWKHCBH8ij1UR_0Fahur7qgadP1kVd3kWzuQl5DKA0eRv6NEkdFthtZAWQ5YEX5ZCdnB3xC_abA41F9mYETGnJd-OZh6T_kayK-kZk/s200/005.JPG" /></a><br /><div></div><br /><div></div>On the right you can see the proud but tired mama and her baby.<br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>I can't express the wonder of seeing another life born into the world. Noah came out eyes open, checking out everything around him. He was a whopping 8lbs 7 ounces, with a head circumference of 14". No wonder his mama had such a hard time getting him out!</div><br /><div></div><div>So these past few weeks have been spent getting to know this new person who has fast become an important part of the Gamblin family as well as the Cobb clan. Sometimes as he looks around he is like a little camera snapping pictures of all the new things to see. </div><br /><div></div><div>This "Mimi" has had a hard time separating both new grandsons in her mind, so Noah has been called Josh a lot and Josh has also had his name changed to Noah. The inside family joke around here is I might as well call them both Jonah since it is somewhere in between the two of the names! </div><br /><div></div><div>A scripture has become fresh to me in the past few years, "Oh God, you have taught me from my earliest childhood, and I constantly tell others about the wonderful things you do.</div><div>"Now that I am old and gray, do not abandon me, o God. </div><div>Let me proclaim your power to this new generation, your mighty miracles to all who come after me. (Psalms 71:17-18)</div><div></div><br /><div>Steve and I look forward to proclaiming His power every time we get the chance to this new generation that is in the making!</div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Helen Cobbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15851772863297731133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-512297916767413043.post-90364699804529808642009-09-25T09:31:00.000-07:002009-09-26T17:12:39.715-07:00Introducing myself-Noah William Gamblin<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJu0eB8yF2BOp_I2wr7ZQM9DGLSobTEjW5LTIQcfCimXrH6zcyr-HlCiERyfDBAotGowAGt0solmQWEJQ3pblpqLMnGzJVen68T-4mi6urz08cYEN4szNWQaazUPPQEdrvVkR731dRWQQ/s1600-h/Anita+119.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385928242011952322" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 142px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJu0eB8yF2BOp_I2wr7ZQM9DGLSobTEjW5LTIQcfCimXrH6zcyr-HlCiERyfDBAotGowAGt0solmQWEJQ3pblpqLMnGzJVen68T-4mi6urz08cYEN4szNWQaazUPPQEdrvVkR731dRWQQ/s200/Anita+119.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><br /><div>Hello world, you don't know I am here yet unless you are familiar with the house where I live at the moment. However I am very real to my Mommy Anita where I am presently residing. I have been alive for 5 months now or there abouts and its a pretty comfortable life. I am letting my grandmother be my ghost writer.. its kind of hard to get to a computer where I am at the moment.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyuzpwf3dTHH_NDDZg1IkXUhYxMKTI6-djElAmXmHf2WRFRVi1Z4__CGeh9OHh_0V6Jnpg0VqlGowXKSYu8CImi0t0sZ7OHDa6fXc_6JS1RdJ-USHDfUH8kiUNxZzy8kcIF2plBAtFt4M/s1600-h/Luke+51.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385904145624674850" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 144px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyuzpwf3dTHH_NDDZg1IkXUhYxMKTI6-djElAmXmHf2WRFRVi1Z4__CGeh9OHh_0V6Jnpg0VqlGowXKSYu8CImi0t0sZ7OHDa6fXc_6JS1RdJ-USHDfUH8kiUNxZzy8kcIF2plBAtFt4M/s200/Luke+51.jpg" border="0" /></a> </div><br /><br /><div>My mommy Anita and my Daddy Nick began to think about having another member in the Nick and Anita Gamblin family back in January when they went to visit in Ecuador when my cousin Luke had been born. As Daddy Nick held little Luke Anita a played with Jared their hearts longed for someone like me to fill their hearts. </div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh3e2a_LRipXl0onXS57w5rUyHVkzLJzl7FuVDs6dbG2SXJ2LmNUEGNHgix5hSqYtZl-k_Kc4SpU8dzR9PEPwRnMRFeRI1qNd8iE5suHitlSV-YR2wzJLU2ebMaC8Inmn7b0SkD7xiSfo/s1600-h/Anita+79.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385920188957273026" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 162px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh3e2a_LRipXl0onXS57w5rUyHVkzLJzl7FuVDs6dbG2SXJ2LmNUEGNHgix5hSqYtZl-k_Kc4SpU8dzR9PEPwRnMRFeRI1qNd8iE5suHitlSV-YR2wzJLU2ebMaC8Inmn7b0SkD7xiSfo/s200/Anita+79.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div>So in May when Mommy and Daddy were celebrating their fourth anniversary, I came on the scene. They didn't know I was there, but I was. My heart was beating almost before they left the place that they were staying, and my cells were multiplying. </div><br /><br /><br /><div></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh69ICutDlbZzuL-bKn9JOiizcpja1AESEfFDBWLKp1Fl5K_3GC5fPxIFG6xeoz-V1z-lEE_mdSaiiJQ4bU9oyOKu4nOufjwT0eU7yXZRnJ1Fv6F0_bnXxyUVJPjOkOZWVP7aL79eYtjos/s1600-h/Anita+111.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385909364964287858" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 122px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh69ICutDlbZzuL-bKn9JOiizcpja1AESEfFDBWLKp1Fl5K_3GC5fPxIFG6xeoz-V1z-lEE_mdSaiiJQ4bU9oyOKu4nOufjwT0eU7yXZRnJ1Fv6F0_bnXxyUVJPjOkOZWVP7aL79eYtjos/s200/Anita+111.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>So it was in late May on a weekend in Melbourne that they took the pregnancy test with them and they waited to see if I really existed or not. By then I had been growing for a whole month and then some. So they waited for the words to form on the little window of the tester. When the words pregnant came through clearly there was a lot of rejoicing in that house. I am the first Gamblin grandchild..but the third for the Cobb clan. Then on a Sunday night in June, my mommy Anita and my Daddy Nick called my other grandparents in Guatemala to tell them the good news. </div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsRMa-qwrW4eHUlwK26ojhm1dh6datzrQMUpjjM8zD6-xGPzo20QNBLNFFz9tlybFFE3nWX5R0y40nvz3vVcG-q0G9kYl-Xy0qsS3q9Oqz5XowM0Wh-5zdgZDDmcXBUWG4JLFa9WMU2Yw/s1600-h/Anita+112.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385912807552231394" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 132px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsRMa-qwrW4eHUlwK26ojhm1dh6datzrQMUpjjM8zD6-xGPzo20QNBLNFFz9tlybFFE3nWX5R0y40nvz3vVcG-q0G9kYl-Xy0qsS3q9Oqz5XowM0Wh-5zdgZDDmcXBUWG4JLFa9WMU2Yw/s200/Anita+112.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div><div>Mommy and Daddy hadn't announced that I was coming.. but on June the 4th they went to the doctor and they did the first ultra sound where they realized that I indeed was there. They still didn't know if I was a boy or a girl. My mom sure did get up a lot during those days..<em> </em>I felt like I was on a roller coaster at times.. I would just settle down and she would have to get up and go to the bathroom. </div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjoQWLTqJx9BqWy-FLHgxCZLdWww3arCZjsxymoUYeVPkdlStZAB-FjbUv7lO-n7llv8W_U9i0hZzu1v-gC7H0Dy5l8H6cEvRvbN2YaBH9enhhQbT_rtgoqX5eYpDbwRnOkKq7gUewUBw/s1600-h/Anita+119.jpg"></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha6bgZpzW2h2EF9nqsrZgvssHJ0leciVpZPsB1pPHAxdfm1AynE5Pvg7HR_JW1tz8rfkF5NgEUk__QV8AneJp9wxvAF8KdOGpnLeuF-AdXoP_yaoF0ILEj7zawWTcxF_rc-EHLY9sTLy4/s1600-h/Misc+56.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385921238986429698" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 183px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha6bgZpzW2h2EF9nqsrZgvssHJ0leciVpZPsB1pPHAxdfm1AynE5Pvg7HR_JW1tz8rfkF5NgEUk__QV8AneJp9wxvAF8KdOGpnLeuF-AdXoP_yaoF0ILEj7zawWTcxF_rc-EHLY9sTLy4/s200/Misc+56.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div></div><div>On June 6th they heard my heart beat for the first time at the doctor's office and my Dad was so proud of me that he recorded my heart beat on his cell phone, and played it for whoever would listen...</div><div>he was so excited.Only the family knew of my existence and a few friends. </div><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMz_JXDxftFu6ESaR_gN14GwzLatuzf9_WzqHr8xWY9IbUL8wtO8LncC6r-tveMuzO5hOpK73dNetxc_AHr7MXagKfev6mOhxiAHPTrZjX5HCcStqush7GweN7lV4P_HRCLotM2b5JsC0/s1600-h/Luke+175.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385922707924131954" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 189px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMz_JXDxftFu6ESaR_gN14GwzLatuzf9_WzqHr8xWY9IbUL8wtO8LncC6r-tveMuzO5hOpK73dNetxc_AHr7MXagKfev6mOhxiAHPTrZjX5HCcStqush7GweN7lV4P_HRCLotM2b5JsC0/s200/Luke+175.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div></div><div>My cousins arrived from Ecuador in July .. Jared and Luke with their parents of course. That Sunday July 5th Nick announced to the whole church at the Rock that I existed. They clapped and cheered.. can you believe it?..July 6th I was posted on Facebook so many other people would know I was coming in January as well. Here in this picture, Mommy Anita was not the only one who was expecting.. so was my Auntie Chrissy. That cousin definitely exists.. we just don't know is she is a girl or if he is a boy. </div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj13VX5MBN6xRwR6trDwXZStbnCV4inrE4XjojRkDPSr9PvDfLGb6qbuFSSqiHNAcTCTRDIxYt9mYTV0WV-U6sSUeXJ9kSSEuInKbAF-JGPO6-dFnUvC2s6O4sHZV3NAYzMyWyJlMoPrQE/s1600-h/Anita+118.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385927796345098722" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 126px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj13VX5MBN6xRwR6trDwXZStbnCV4inrE4XjojRkDPSr9PvDfLGb6qbuFSSqiHNAcTCTRDIxYt9mYTV0WV-U6sSUeXJ9kSSEuInKbAF-JGPO6-dFnUvC2s6O4sHZV3NAYzMyWyJlMoPrQE/s200/Anita+118.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div><br /><div>Me, what was I doing all this time?... taking it easy.. sleeping a lot, but hearing my mommy and my daddy in their world. When they first saw me with the ultra sound I was so asleep that no amount of poking could wake me up. I was so comfortable lying there floating around. Its warm, sometimes not so quiet with my mommy's stomach noises and her heart beat but those noises rock me to sleep. My mommy's heartbeat makes me feel safe and secure.<br /></div><div>In the middle of that my mommy was worried about a job.. she wondered if she would get one and perhaps second to the rejoicing of me existing there was great rejoicing when Mommy got her job teaching 4th graders. I can hear their voices around her all day long, although I sleep a lot. </div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGMHJTUthzKLSTiAAfSCzufn126TbqH1Aig6ee7LhUE6-myni0If91hPLXgBzqKVPxsG2KsYYxl63160icVE_9x7JoFjAGjrsp4QvGevSmjNwRZx7R7y6NYECybVuPuQAb7vtbj-AgOoQ/s1600-h/Anita+120.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385925274896826946" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 142px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGMHJTUthzKLSTiAAfSCzufn126TbqH1Aig6ee7LhUE6-myni0If91hPLXgBzqKVPxsG2KsYYxl63160icVE_9x7JoFjAGjrsp4QvGevSmjNwRZx7R7y6NYECybVuPuQAb7vtbj-AgOoQ/s200/Anita+120.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><p>So September 3rd my Daddy and my mommy found out I was a boy. Mommy Anita and Daddy Nick called my "Mimi" and my "Papi" to tell them that a Gamblino was inded on the way. It wasn't too long that they had decided to name me Noah (which means peaceful or provider of comfort) William (which means resolute protector or noble spirit)</p><br /><br /><p>I am really getting more active as I grow. My Mommy Anita says that I really get active in the afternoon sometimes. My grandmother says that I am a fearfully and wonderfully made. I am in that secret place and God sees me as I develop. Even before I make my appearance all my days have been planned ahead of time for me and written in His book. (Psalm 139:14-16). I am a blessed baby!</p><br /><br /><p></p><br /><br /><p></p><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><p><br /></p><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Helen Cobbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15851772863297731133noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-512297916767413043.post-74240982247198688612009-09-13T17:24:00.000-07:002009-09-13T19:21:51.673-07:00Mi papa Carlos Whitten --un hombre excepcional<div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div></div><div></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVwRd-IyHB3aatnl_ENT4qKP2gLkEg_E2bLjAqEZVX2dLEKtZ0OPADx2HMjdQiDnKUgTukz-vXxta7ElBNICuzyaHgwEomrFA6UzmoI_J-Vpw3HfsXgiCl4ffyDkWOo1HzaiCfuWt2o5Q/s1600-h/MotherDaddy1.png"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381113039715639554" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 188px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVwRd-IyHB3aatnl_ENT4qKP2gLkEg_E2bLjAqEZVX2dLEKtZ0OPADx2HMjdQiDnKUgTukz-vXxta7ElBNICuzyaHgwEomrFA6UzmoI_J-Vpw3HfsXgiCl4ffyDkWOo1HzaiCfuWt2o5Q/s200/MotherDaddy1.png" border="0" /></a> Quien hubiera pensado que un jovencito llamado Carlos, nacido en una granja en Weir, Mississippi hace 87 anos el 4 de Septiembre llegaria a ser un hombre que habria viajado por todo el mundo para este tiempo en su vida? Cuando el nacio ya habia un hermanito mayor llamado Pablo. Su abuelito habia sido un predicador que se mobilizaba en caballo para visitar las iglesias que el supervisaba, aun a veces cuando estaba nevando. Su Papa y Mama amaban al Senor y ellos ensenaron a sus hijos que algun dia servirian al Senor en cualquier forma que El les llamara.<br /><br /></div><p>Carlitos crecio con sus dos otros hermanos, Pablo y W.A. Ellos ayudaban a su Papa y a su Mama con todo el trabajo que siempre hay en una granja. A veces les tocaba trabajar afuera con la vacas, los cerdos, y las gallinas ademas del cultivo. Pero otras veces les tocaba trabajar adentro con su Mama que entre algunas cosas incluia trabajar en la cocina como no nacieron hermanitas que le puedieran ayudar. Nosotros, sus hijos, nos criamos oyendo todas las historias de lo que era ordenar una vaca y todas las demas cosas que hicieron.<br /></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfpmy2AIZ_IPy-01puK7IiZrk2jjU1GHbBZFjaDr4huLTE_7yDQN9MRfuLMMH_y3NsXiezEDkbZBGREN_mA5R3DBv3AcWqI2oLU5g_9EnNMFyaxFzyM_0bgM-FlX5-4gBKrMiyGlX8Ofs/s1600-h/MotherDaddy24.png"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381135923221399586" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 178px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfpmy2AIZ_IPy-01puK7IiZrk2jjU1GHbBZFjaDr4huLTE_7yDQN9MRfuLMMH_y3NsXiezEDkbZBGREN_mA5R3DBv3AcWqI2oLU5g_9EnNMFyaxFzyM_0bgM-FlX5-4gBKrMiyGlX8Ofs/s200/MotherDaddy24.png" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><br /></div><br /><br /><div>Me recuerdo de las memorias que mi papa tenia de cuando compraron su primer carro en el pueblito de Weir, Mississippi en donde era noticia de ultima hora el tener un carro. Aqui esta Papa sentado en carro mientras su hermano Pablo esta parado detras y su mama, Velma Whitten estaba dentro mirando. Siempre hubo mucha gratitud por las cosas que el Senor proveia para esta pequena familia. Esto muchachos crecieron sabiendo que Dios tenia un plan definitivo para sus vidas. Ellos aprendieron darle a Dios el diezmo de lo poco que tenian. Papa guardo una cajita de metal por anos que le recordaba de sus primeros diezmos que dio al Senor.<br /><br /></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7DfB1-1gCXJ5IufH0gqi1WaRykK2c1P0zl2gop5HwGDGlUGFiwZbc7VLfaXtBQGeY6ALtuiUY4jpNnwhjyaNNXc7qVHucfEw2g4YAhTABSFoH86CWhx6U9RYHEwIIKw0AkzlK0C7in14/s1600-h/MotherDaddy14.png"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381117255678234370" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 132px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7DfB1-1gCXJ5IufH0gqi1WaRykK2c1P0zl2gop5HwGDGlUGFiwZbc7VLfaXtBQGeY6ALtuiUY4jpNnwhjyaNNXc7qVHucfEw2g4YAhTABSFoH86CWhx6U9RYHEwIIKw0AkzlK0C7in14/s200/MotherDaddy14.png" border="0" /></a> </div><div>Ya de joven, Carlos aprendio los caminos de Dios. En una de sus biblia viejas el escribio: Cuando yo hago una decision como puedo saber si es correcta o incorrecta?<br /></div><br /><br /><div>1. Como me afectara a mi?</div><div>2. Como afectara a otros y mi influencia sobre ellos?</div><div>3. Como afectara la causa de Cristo?<br /></div><br /><br /><div><br /></div><br /><div>Podra esta decision aguantar las pruebas de:<br />1. Lo secreto? (lo interno)</div><div>2. Lo universal? (lo externo)</div><div>3. La oracion? (lo de arriba)<br /></div><br /><br /><div>Creciendo en mi hogar en Argentina y Espana y ademas de tiempos cada cuatro anos en los Estados Unidos para nuestra tiempo de "descanso" con nuestros familiares, yo vi a mi Papa practicar estos prinicipios. Muchas veces cuando el estaba haciendo decisiones esto principios fueron sus guias.</div><br /><div><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheq-wpL1jtdsp5IZ1Tlgrie9Erwy945nBo5RG9EQVQOnNXfhFuPhzBTAMI9bsKFEJuXPeBXzDuEkD8ivY4fA-GDrUk-g0cxcSaiVef6kqThpdk4ySH33PoBj02wUXCtQHewukNmO4s4Q0/s1600-h/MotherDaddy+25.png"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381137565802236482" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 169px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheq-wpL1jtdsp5IZ1Tlgrie9Erwy945nBo5RG9EQVQOnNXfhFuPhzBTAMI9bsKFEJuXPeBXzDuEkD8ivY4fA-GDrUk-g0cxcSaiVef6kqThpdk4ySH33PoBj02wUXCtQHewukNmO4s4Q0/s200/MotherDaddy+25.png" border="0" /></a><br /><div><br />Cuando Papa conocio y en tiempo se caso con Nela Dean Mitchell,o Indy como muchas la conocian, el practico estas reglas en su relacion con ella. Los dos para este tiempo sabian que tenian un llamado del Senor al pueblo habla hispano, y no fue mucho tiempo despues de casarse que sen encontraron en Medellin, Colombia estudiando Espanol y despues siguieron a Argentina. Ellos se casaron en Junio y para Agosto ya estaban estudiando en Medellin. Yo se que los ajustes tiene que haber sido tremendos para esta parejita que habia sido criado en grangas sencillas en Lousiville, y Weir, Mississippi. Ellos no podian mandar un e-mail ni hablar por Skype ni ver a sus parientes por una camara de la red. Mis abuelitos en Louisville en su granja ni tenian un telefono.<br /></div><br /><div></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiADXrdssi-841_rydUiiY5FakOqeF5IjX1FTX64DSg9nUbAA7DmBL_kk5NWmG7ZU3GMRe9Xn-YEg-Z-OZ-zr3qdBKXfkkPlPlW8NEVDaBZH-FcHy6Exjh_BznNrMvxllj0iSkqd5Bx4h8/s1600-h/Helen+35.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381120794411276930" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 173px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 156px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiADXrdssi-841_rydUiiY5FakOqeF5IjX1FTX64DSg9nUbAA7DmBL_kk5NWmG7ZU3GMRe9Xn-YEg-Z-OZ-zr3qdBKXfkkPlPlW8NEVDaBZH-FcHy6Exjh_BznNrMvxllj0iSkqd5Bx4h8/s200/Helen+35.jpg" border="0" /></a>Cuando nosotros los hijos fuimos naciendo sentimos el amor de nuetro Papa. Muchas veces en mi vida he vuelto a mirar las fotos mias con mi Papi para recordarme lo cuanto que el me amaba. Como mi Papa se crio con solo hermanos yo me imagino que el aprendio mucho cuando yo naci, aprendiendo a entender a esa ninita que Dios les habia dado. Yo nunca dude el amor de mi Papa y cuando supe de mi Papi celestial, yo tenia una buen modelo en frente de mi de lo que es un Papa solo por mirar a los ojos de mi Papa.<br /></div><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj21vTc1yR6onCKD1VinMoHF-YgD4Y9YPz_DUKe7wxqBZtZQ2IdzItw_Mh3ioKe-KNCco71E0stHR2CereJZLxF_bA3n3a4VuJV2bTSVcZeXioOAbihtHgxETxZDsjc8MlyD2E26FkxkhA/s1600-h/HelenDavid34.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381123136452822530" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 164px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj21vTc1yR6onCKD1VinMoHF-YgD4Y9YPz_DUKe7wxqBZtZQ2IdzItw_Mh3ioKe-KNCco71E0stHR2CereJZLxF_bA3n3a4VuJV2bTSVcZeXioOAbihtHgxETxZDsjc8MlyD2E26FkxkhA/s200/HelenDavid34.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Pronto yo estaba aprendiendo compartir a mi Papa con mi hermano David. Yo estoy segura con todas sus responsibilidades de maestro en el Seminario alli en Buenos Aires, Argentina, y el trabajo pastoral mi Papa debio estar cansado muchos dias pero siempre tenia tiempo para nosotros. El bosillo de mi Papa siempre era una fascinacion para esa ninita en la foto.<br /></div><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLIXecGMg4mKpHGrwzh6BUMT_I1aNnGVN953gdZMFKR_2ZS19cj63gm3TCayFKoqySbcQasLv74M35vgwUmSK4d3bxg0VdvXI4vOyUTn3BAvUt8g2rDa426qt2twPXITYPs2PcywoYhyw/s1600-h/Margaret+37.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381125899464147906" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 134px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLIXecGMg4mKpHGrwzh6BUMT_I1aNnGVN953gdZMFKR_2ZS19cj63gm3TCayFKoqySbcQasLv74M35vgwUmSK4d3bxg0VdvXI4vOyUTn3BAvUt8g2rDa426qt2twPXITYPs2PcywoYhyw/s200/Margaret+37.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Cuando llegamos a Barcelona en Espana Margarita llego a nuestra familia y aqui le pueden ver a mi Papa llegando a la casa del Seminario y tomando tiempo para pasar con sus tres hijos.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg60n_YNhMgFlHBfvjYJ1mhnWVJjjbqdjCJUF1hUKVPOgtvNOWDFxFxSqQj2J2Pnk93TfqGwURMNI5PA7PshxHd1c-TfiNYEyv98LFwQw4bAfWHx6RugSr2hYbpCWzzBKxzMMQM27YZZM/s1600-h/John+14.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381127268982319298" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 187px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg60n_YNhMgFlHBfvjYJ1mhnWVJjjbqdjCJUF1hUKVPOgtvNOWDFxFxSqQj2J2Pnk93TfqGwURMNI5PA7PshxHd1c-TfiNYEyv98LFwQw4bAfWHx6RugSr2hYbpCWzzBKxzMMQM27YZZM/s200/John+14.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div><br /> </div><div></div><br /><div>Siete anos despues cuando ya en realidad pensabamos que nuestra familia estaba completa con lo cinco que eramos fuimos bendecidos con nuestro hermano menor, Juan. Nosotros, los hijos y hermanitos estabamos felices el tener un bebe en la familia. Yo estoy segura que los ajustes para Mama y Papa fueron fuertes despues de estar 7 anos desde el ultimo bebe. Llego Juan....Para ese tiempo yo y David eramos preadolecentes, y mis papas tuvieron que tratar con todo lo que eso conlleva ademas de tener un hijos chiquito. Yo estoy maravillada ahora que he sido mama y ultimamente abuelita de la paciencia que mi Papa tuvo con nosotros.<br /></div><br /><div>Asi que despues de estar en la peninsula Iberica en Espana por muchos anos, y despues de eso algunos anos en las Islas Canarias, y para terminar los ultimos anos de ministerio en Guinea Equatorial [el unico pais en Africa donde hablan espanol] mis papas se jubilaron. Ellos ayudaron entrenar a candidatos que iban para el campo misionero por varios anos y despues de eso vivieron en su propio hogar por un periodo de tiempo antes de trasladarse a Trace Pointe.. un lugar que asiste a personas de mas edad. Yo observe como se ajustaron a su vida de jubilacion. En realida nunca se jubilaron de su preocupacion por las vidas de las otras personas. Ellos han sido de gran bendicion alli donde estan--a los otros jubilados y a los que les ayudan.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwfKPNkxMa8GRdWUvmtMcA9-zJrkpL89fRzsmZD51uqBqGxPtbv-us63eCPSQslHewpap1p92gBZfMUhqp_IimtcUEWFsxeLv6nXVN6m-fHz5m7mbekl3vO0GrnUwDpC_tdB0VFr_8E0M/s1600-h/FamHelen+15.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381140231199200594" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 167px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwfKPNkxMa8GRdWUvmtMcA9-zJrkpL89fRzsmZD51uqBqGxPtbv-us63eCPSQslHewpap1p92gBZfMUhqp_IimtcUEWFsxeLv6nXVN6m-fHz5m7mbekl3vO0GrnUwDpC_tdB0VFr_8E0M/s200/FamHelen+15.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><div>La vida no ha sido todo color de rosa para mi Papa. El perdio su vision central con la Degeneracion Macular y para ese entonces mi mama se profundizo en Altzheimers. Ella ha progresado a cuidado total alli en Trace Pointe y esto ha sido muy duro para mi Papa que dice que despues de 62 anos "la esta perdiendo poco a poco". Papa vive en un apartamento chiquito dentro de esta institucion en las tardes y las noches y de manana el paso con mi mama. La vida es a veces un tanto solitaria para mi Papa, no podiendo tener en companerismo que siempre tuvo con ella por el transcurso de su matrimonio.</div><br /><br /><div>Yo he sido bendecida ver como mi Papa ha caminado en todas estas circumstancias. El ora fielmente por sus hijos, y ahora sus muchos nietos y mas recientemente sus bis nietos. El "lee" muchos libros grabados por los ciegos en audio casete. El ministra de tiempo en tiempo en los devocionales diarios que tienes todas los dias de semana para los residentes. Ultimamente tuvo otro reto fuerte cuando perdio oir en un oido. Esto le ha desbalanceado y le ha mareado. Pero aun con todo esto a mi Papa le cuesta contarme como esta-- el no quiere aburrirme con un recital de todos sus dolores. El siempre me observa cuando hablamos por telefono que "muchos otros lo tienes peor que yo".</div><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8K6xgwjdjM4faks8s3fM5PPZGIEsXx4wLNHf9gaAr88O8ftKApYWnQNTVgiYxBSAynflRQHsjw1oI0ctiSFPEz4pajFTen8aa8WIlFc1lfSoZtCCAeIW8qvjzjD_EvX7bpXv32ZWqIWA/s1600-h/Jared+29.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381131853308578898" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 143px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8K6xgwjdjM4faks8s3fM5PPZGIEsXx4wLNHf9gaAr88O8ftKApYWnQNTVgiYxBSAynflRQHsjw1oI0ctiSFPEz4pajFTen8aa8WIlFc1lfSoZtCCAeIW8qvjzjD_EvX7bpXv32ZWqIWA/s200/Jared+29.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><div>Al cumplir los 87 anos mi papa este ano yo estoy muy agradecida por el hombre que el es. El aun se deleita en sus hijos, sus nietos y ahora en sus bis nietos. Todos los dias el hora por nombre para todos sus hijos, sus nietos y sus bis nietos. Estoy agradecida de todo lo que su vida ha significado a mi, su hija mayor. El no puede ver esto que le escribo por su Degeneracion Macular. Un dia antes de su cumpleanos le lei lo que le habia escrito y el podia recordarse de todas las fotos de nosotros de ninos solo por mi descripcion. Mi papa estaba distrutando su computadora antes que perdiera su vision. Yo lamento ese hecho a veces, pero el ha podido aceptar sus limitacions y seguir en su camino. Yo honro a mi Papa, Carlos Guillermo Whitten o Charles William Whitten en Ingles. Yo soy entre todas las mujeres bendecida de tener tal hombre como mi Papa. Yo le pedido al Senor que me prepare mi corazon para el dia cuando El le llame a estar con El pero estoy agradecida que el aun esta aqui. Yo siempre anticipo los dias cuando le puedo llamar por el telefono y los tiempos que puedo ir a pasar con el. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Mi Papa es de verdad: "como un arbol firmemente plantado junto a corrientes de agua, que ha dado su fruto en su tiempo, y su hoja no se ha marchitado. Todo lo que ha hecho ha prosperado." Yo honro a mi papa, Charles W. Whitten, quien se ha "deleitado en la ley del Senor dia y noche." tal como dice an Salmo 1. Que heredad tan rica me ha dado!<br /></div><br /><br /><br /><p></p></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Helen Cobbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15851772863297731133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-512297916767413043.post-16429255878293652602009-08-31T10:18:00.000-07:002009-08-31T14:23:51.291-07:00A special man--My Dad<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKvcRnObzNEInLkbJknuEV4tkilQ_PykhXR4c12XhbHhidXoQ_BrARJa8eNNYfwq6GBxjxJS9d53U_t3Y_02ShOH78tLRT4g4bOcEbECFlLeqCiOenOTcCV9V5XOBRTKD9xWI30vx3WKw/s1600-h/MotherDaddy1.png"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376235978068265874" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 188px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKvcRnObzNEInLkbJknuEV4tkilQ_PykhXR4c12XhbHhidXoQ_BrARJa8eNNYfwq6GBxjxJS9d53U_t3Y_02ShOH78tLRT4g4bOcEbECFlLeqCiOenOTcCV9V5XOBRTKD9xWI30vx3WKw/s200/MotherDaddy1.png" border="0" /></a><br /><div><br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>Who could have known that when a little boy called Charles was born on a farm in Weir, Mississippi 87 years ago September 4 that he would be a man that would have been all over the world by this time in his life? When he was born there was already a little brother. His grandfather had been a circuit preacher who had several churches he oversaw by horseback .. sometimes in the snow. His Daddy and Mother loved the Lord and they taught the boys that they were someday to serve the Lord in whatever way He called them.<br /></div><div>Charles grew up with his two other brothers, Paul and much later W.A. They helped their Dad and they Mother with all the work that a farm entails. Sometimes it was outside work, and other times they had inside work, which included help in in the kitchen since there were no girls to take up the slack. We kids grew up hearing all the stories of milking cows, and all the things that they grew up doing. </div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnQuou_2EaBqNM8kWHXdLprVFgiJdET48jNmjeXD_jmyIJ8NhZftL5iRIh1uILWCMMjP2WjK04GoKJvEwbFUA7nT3m0SUZQUK-2DyhJSx4Ihoou4YJf37QN1YFk_FrGU6KQwc9Q-Gif8o/s1600-h/MotherDaddy24.png"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376233881355077026" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 178px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnQuou_2EaBqNM8kWHXdLprVFgiJdET48jNmjeXD_jmyIJ8NhZftL5iRIh1uILWCMMjP2WjK04GoKJvEwbFUA7nT3m0SUZQUK-2DyhJSx4Ihoou4YJf37QN1YFk_FrGU6KQwc9Q-Gif8o/s200/MotherDaddy24.png" border="0" /></a><br /><div>I have heard stories of the time they bought their first car..in the little town of Weir, Mississippi where it was news when people had a car. Here Daddy is sitting on the hood of their car, while brother Paul stands looking on and Mother Velma sits in car. There always was such a sense of gratitude for the things that the Lord provided this little family. These boys grew up knowing that God had a definite plan for their lives. They learned to give the Lord the tenth of whatever little money came through their hands. Daddy kept a little tin box for years that reminded him of his first tithes that he gave to the Lord.<br /></div><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeU8GQ7b-phFt0fgl1hCsf5FzWDIftZUz9mPBIDtc8EGbCeK0cLfgQCX49ORxaWKihlNs3KmYtNCRJmgOZn_uEj9DZn4tu0YB1Y1_L1o87p-xXKZt-YUq1pLEelHM9-ufP5uYEHC3vA9U/s1600-h/MotherDaddy14.png"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376233479148962546" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 132px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeU8GQ7b-phFt0fgl1hCsf5FzWDIftZUz9mPBIDtc8EGbCeK0cLfgQCX49ORxaWKihlNs3KmYtNCRJmgOZn_uEj9DZn4tu0YB1Y1_L1o87p-xXKZt-YUq1pLEelHM9-ufP5uYEHC3vA9U/s200/MotherDaddy14.png" border="0" /></a><br /><div>As a young man, Charles learned God's ways. In one of his old Bibles He wrote: When I make a decision how to know if it is:</div><br /><div>Right or wrong? </div><br /><p>1. How does it affect me?</p><p>2. How does it affect others and my influence on them?</p><p>3. How does it affect the cause of Christ?</p> Will it meet the tests of:<br /><p> 1. Secrecy? (within)</p><p> 2. Universality? (without)</p><p> 3. Prayer? (above)</p><div>Growing up in my home in Argentina and Spain with several times in the U.S. for our times of "furlough" I saw my Daddy put those rules into practice. Many times when we were making decisions those thought came into play. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrwQFJEFld1SDw5p5HiWzFF13qOgRLppnh5QNsZAoO8kW-fEokGehEUfld-zEEGhVRchUC0lWljiLs4JwsQ4pPZmfTIIpSQorizt8DYBqM-jbz7GsS7PSuHTZ97D2F1Kroa4umDzLp_y8/s1600-h/MotherDaddy+25.png"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376232990445998258" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 169px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrwQFJEFld1SDw5p5HiWzFF13qOgRLppnh5QNsZAoO8kW-fEokGehEUfld-zEEGhVRchUC0lWljiLs4JwsQ4pPZmfTIIpSQorizt8DYBqM-jbz7GsS7PSuHTZ97D2F1Kroa4umDzLp_y8/s200/MotherDaddy+25.png" border="0" /></a><br /><br />When he met and ultimately married Nella Dean Mitchell or Indy as most people knew her, he practiced those rules in his relationship with her. They both knew they were called to go for the Lord to somewhere where they spoke Spanish.. and soon they began studying Spanish in Medellin, Colombia and then on to Argentina. They were married in June and in August were studying in Medellin. I know the adjustments must have been great for this couple who had been raised simply on farms in Louisville, and Weir MS. They couldn't send an e-mail, nor Skype, no see their folks on a webcam. My grandparents in Louisville didn't even have a phone. </div><br /><div></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXwYCBmVj7qeDwyDyZpGFqrnTEs_2FEWa97tL2XrPnYnD2-HfUNVbZfN-4Tkrd92E4VdLZGQgY2yMSl7sIT0-tmek6IJTfNXBN5l-Veeagxa7qUu_2m9TOQedk5-uYH6kVEwEO6QK5dm0/s1600-h/Helen+35.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376236869677762882" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 173px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 156px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXwYCBmVj7qeDwyDyZpGFqrnTEs_2FEWa97tL2XrPnYnD2-HfUNVbZfN-4Tkrd92E4VdLZGQgY2yMSl7sIT0-tmek6IJTfNXBN5l-Veeagxa7qUu_2m9TOQedk5-uYH6kVEwEO6QK5dm0/s200/Helen+35.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div>As we kids appeared on the scene we felt Daddy's love for us. Many times I have gone back to those old pictures of me and my Daddy to remember how much he loved me. Since Daddy grew up with only brothers I am sure he learned a lot when I was born, learning to understand that little girl that God had given them. I have never doubted the love of my Daddy and when I grew to know of my Heavenly Daddy, I had a great picture of His love for me just looking into my Daddy's eyes.<br /><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimt8slF1HyRHHIldxAdDQHtd1umJsfCptwqhSGLbqUtDDKgtFre3AN2aHi-iidKbv0raFvWIO27OP_GBnlGc6xqio1qa0VN85XKCD5FGQAnMmIUsUcjkdSu8pQjzfMVQ6KC_SvNVxT5NI/s1600-h/HelenDavid34.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376218826267332706" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 164px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimt8slF1HyRHHIldxAdDQHtd1umJsfCptwqhSGLbqUtDDKgtFre3AN2aHi-iidKbv0raFvWIO27OP_GBnlGc6xqio1qa0VN85XKCD5FGQAnMmIUsUcjkdSu8pQjzfMVQ6KC_SvNVxT5NI/s200/HelenDavid34.jpg" border="0" /></a>Pretty soon I was learning to share my Daddy with my little brother David. I'm sure with all his responsibilities as a teacher in the Seminary there in Buenos Aires, and pastoral work my Daddy must have been tired some days but he always seemed to have for us.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgwVwkWr66GSpaI69p1FQD7MUdV9yVeOrl41a99IcBy5qELvIiTHV5ubvbkprB4V44Lw7fIje9BxrlHb3EOlbyZT12hBZFtQ0VU4tktK0sfCSTMxeVsWc58f5uNOREDUxELYCf5yNcMU0/s1600-h/Margaret+37.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376221241263748674" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 134px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgwVwkWr66GSpaI69p1FQD7MUdV9yVeOrl41a99IcBy5qELvIiTHV5ubvbkprB4V44Lw7fIje9BxrlHb3EOlbyZT12hBZFtQ0VU4tktK0sfCSTMxeVsWc58f5uNOREDUxELYCf5yNcMU0/s200/Margaret+37.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />When we moved to Spain ,Margaret came to join our family and here you can see my Daddy coming home from the Seminary and taking time to spend time with his now three children.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div>About six years later when we had really thought that our family would stay a family of 5 we were blessed with our youngest brother, John. We, children, were thrilled beyond measure to have another member in our family. I'm sure that it took some adjustments for Daddy and Mother after going 7 years since the last baby. Along came John... <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2DVYUlTw2X4jcWxiw9vQSvnnwCznY4QPOuCLxlxNFkXL7AW9X8oa0iROY1YWIjkGCT5jKsVuaxx1BCRaOr-89wfvORqvMVAwea_pZEM6s0kkwxoDEy25RErDnuEruryvAj09_OInijbI/s1600-h/John+14.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376222758460911842" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 187px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2DVYUlTw2X4jcWxiw9vQSvnnwCznY4QPOuCLxlxNFkXL7AW9X8oa0iROY1YWIjkGCT5jKsVuaxx1BCRaOr-89wfvORqvMVAwea_pZEM6s0kkwxoDEy25RErDnuEruryvAj09_OInijbI/s200/John+14.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div>By then David and I were preadolescents, so my parents were dealing with all that brings with it and a young child at the same time. I have been amazed as we have raised our own children at the pacience that my Dad had with us.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgYVNlzyJc1pZ_ulgn2lhvlwdX7mEErfan8ykEc1XSlbYdDPbGEkitMF6Yh3RLnxifY44wnXmkSPLDD94AEBJ3X_YL_tehy0sozwlqweE4S0bYE-gP9EMEqX3oC2UJ15SANiSh00FL078/s1600-h/FamHelen+02.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376223926057160274" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 130px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgYVNlzyJc1pZ_ulgn2lhvlwdX7mEErfan8ykEc1XSlbYdDPbGEkitMF6Yh3RLnxifY44wnXmkSPLDD94AEBJ3X_YL_tehy0sozwlqweE4S0bYE-gP9EMEqX3oC2UJ15SANiSh00FL078/s200/FamHelen+02.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><p>So after being in the Iberian peninsula in Spain for many years, then some years in the Canary Islands, and finally the last years of their ministry in Equatorial Guinea [the only country in Africa that speaks Spanish] my parents retired. They helped train young missionary candidates for several years and then they lived in their own home for a period of time and eventually moved into Trace Pointe Assisted Living. I watched as they adjusted to the life of retirement. They actually never retired from their concern for people's lives. They have been a blessing there where they are .. to the other retirees. </p><br /><p>Life has not been a bed of roses for my Dad. He lost his central vision with Macular Degeneration and then my mother went deeper into Altzheimer's. She has progressed into total care there at Trace Point and I know how hard it has been for my Daddy after 62 years of marriage to feel like he is "loosing her a little bit at a time." He lives in his own efficiency apartment in the afternoon and night and spends the morning with my mother. Life is lonely at times for Daddy, not having my mother's fellowship a lot of the time. </p><p>I have been blessed to see how my Daddy has walked this time out. He prays faithfully for his children, and his many grandchildren and now great children. He "reads" a lot of books with books for the blind on cassette tapes. He listens faithfully to his three chapters a days of the Bible on Cassette Tape. He ministers from time to time in the daily devotionals held every week day for the residents. The latest hard thing for him was to lose his hearing out of one ear.. and that threw him further off balance. Even with all that my Daddy hesitates to tell me how he is.. he doesn't want to give me an "organ" recital. He always points out to me when we talk on the phone that "others have it a lot worse than I do".<br /></p><p>So thinking about this approaching birthday <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgudzo4PZiUYeWjaFktcarKUKlLIdkhjmRHT-RuOuYuXvZ-ULYJh3p6-ZdePjj08m7_HtBt8G1m_f-OugmZbKkydZxX3ygeAUnagI3B_j51ay43HMg_fiK3D_13aoQlCxGCYFUDgD7V53M/s1600-h/Jared+30.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376227786901614002" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 110px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgudzo4PZiUYeWjaFktcarKUKlLIdkhjmRHT-RuOuYuXvZ-ULYJh3p6-ZdePjj08m7_HtBt8G1m_f-OugmZbKkydZxX3ygeAUnagI3B_j51ay43HMg_fiK3D_13aoQlCxGCYFUDgD7V53M/s200/Jared+30.jpg" border="0" /></a>of my soon to be 87 year old Daddy I am so thankful for the man he is. He still delights in his children, his grandchildren, and now in his great grandchildren. I am so grateful for all that his life has been to me his oldest daughter. He won't be able to see this because of his Macular Degeneration. He was enjoying using the computer before he lost his vision. I lament that fact at times, but he has been able to accept his limitations and move on. I honor my Daddy.. I am of all women blessed to have such a man as my Daddy. I have asked that the Lord prepare my heart for the day when he will call him home but I am thankful that now he is still here and I always look forward to the phone calls to him and the times when I can spend time with him. </p><br />My Daddy is indeed "like a tree planted by streams of water, which has yielded his fruit in season and whose leaf has not withered. Whatever he has done has prospered. " I honor Charles Whitten, who "has delighted in the law of the Lord and has meditated on it day and night." just as it says in Psalm 1. What a heritage he has given me!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><p></p><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><p></p></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Helen Cobbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15851772863297731133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-512297916767413043.post-70742814759705610402008-12-18T16:09:00.000-08:002008-12-28T19:11:46.141-08:00Christmas Memories<div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvtvlB3F69FSvC98jk-2ELznFO9xESaubQGXXb1w-9EHgBIiPrW8hd2660F9zeP5GPVrSdJI-Jt6LgtH8ymw84sGAUfMWbWjhN7muWo6wupk8ww2fqjJfPf038OBhTwT_JCqO3oEf8B60/s1600-h/Christmasfam37.jpg"><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285024224446041042" style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; float: left; width: 200px; height: 142px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvtvlB3F69FSvC98jk-2ELznFO9xESaubQGXXb1w-9EHgBIiPrW8hd2660F9zeP5GPVrSdJI-Jt6LgtH8ymw84sGAUfMWbWjhN7muWo6wupk8ww2fqjJfPf038OBhTwT_JCqO3oEf8B60/s200/Christmasfam37.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><br /><div><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">How silently, how silently</span> </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">he wondrous gift is giv'n!</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">So God imparts to human hearts, the blessings of His heaven.</span><br /><div><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">No ear may hear His coming, but in this world of sin,</span><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">Where meek souls will receive Him, still the dear Lord enters in. </span><br /><div><br /><br /></div><br /><div>Christmas has always had a special place in my heart. It has been a time of surprises, of family, and most of all of the wonder of Jesus becoming a man. What an incredible thing it was when God sent Jesus as a small baby to a stable in Bethlehem! Micah prophecied years earlier that the Messiah would be born there. So the stage was set. </div><br /><br /><div>I suppose my first memories of Christmas were in Spain. I have memories of visiting places that had rooms and rooms of the different events around Jesus' birth. Every year we never tired of seeing the representation of of all the circumstance that sorrounded the birth of Je<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEaFJX6ATB7ehjWWutF0FD6bviNXtdlo9cdVqco31d-59ykJonPyLikFwQ2-IXw634vKSVGdwI4MG-AfK4i8JdUriVsds_Ti0FqK6UpcHfx3znEuIPH2fwtXYaeh8r7BiQzKGoToIMJUw/s1600-h/Christmasfam55.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284947330853838930" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; float: right; width: 200px; height: 117px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEaFJX6ATB7ehjWWutF0FD6bviNXtdlo9cdVqco31d-59ykJonPyLikFwQ2-IXw634vKSVGdwI4MG-AfK4i8JdUriVsds_Ti0FqK6UpcHfx3znEuIPH2fwtXYaeh8r7BiQzKGoToIMJUw/s200/Christmasfam55.jpg" border="0" /></a>sus. </div><br /><br /><br /><br />Some time when I was small Daddy sat us down and told us that the only time that he knew his mother lied to him was about Santa Claus and he never wanted us think that he would lie to us.We would say that Santa Claus was bringing presents, but we would always know that in reality it was just that .. a game. Play it we did, with all our strength. ( Years later with our children we decided that Santa Claus was not an important part of the way we wanted to celebrate Jesus' birth so we talked about the wonderful gift that God had given us by giving us His son and that is why we give gifts.)<br /><div><br />In church it was a time for all children to learn poems and scriptures by heart to recite on "Noche Buena" of Christmas Eve. I'm sure that we were nervous as we stood there reciting our poetry. Now as an adult I realize that we could not really fail, because no matter how it came out the parents were proud of those their children as they recited the scriptures or the poetry that<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtBfd1OQqvnw-lm2biAEOxvTP1Ucl0Wu7I4qAoTNk21fXfzJxeSSg9tAjH2F5EDqRS-B77ZGgsCBM3iqJP6Wt25oL2z5d0gJwqlNGkn8ASUP0kPJ_xGzykZE-6OYL4gJG49ykSZ7wMbdY/s1600-h/Christmasfam31.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281305774577531602" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; float: right; width: 152px; height: 200px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtBfd1OQqvnw-lm2biAEOxvTP1Ucl0Wu7I4qAoTNk21fXfzJxeSSg9tAjH2F5EDqRS-B77ZGgsCBM3iqJP6Wt25oL2z5d0gJwqlNGkn8ASUP0kPJ_xGzykZE-6OYL4gJG49ykSZ7wMbdY/s200/Christmasfam31.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />had been assigned to them. (I am the second girl from the left.)<br /><br /></div><br /><div>Later on there was part of a poem that Cristina Rosetti wrote that<br />stuck with me:<br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">What can I give Him,Poor as I am?</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">If I were a shepherd I would bring a lamb,</span></div><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">If I were a wise manI would do my part,</span><br /><div><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">Yet what I can I give Him,</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">Give my heart.</span><br /><br />I think what remains in my heart so many years later of those years as a child in my home is the love of my Daddy and my Mother for us as well as the love of Jesus who came down to earth for us so many years ago. I remember the fun of trying to make or find something that we knew would thrill the heart of the one who would be receiving that gift. We knew that God had given his best, so we wanted to do the same. It wasn't a matter of the monitary cost of the gift, it was what it cost me personally to offer that present-my imagination, my thought. I don't remember being disappointed. I just remember the excitement that was in the air.<br /><br />In Spain I remember the cold days when a good hot chocolate accompanied by churros calientes was a treat. I remember the "villancicos" (Spanish Christmas carols) we learned and sang as well as the American Christmas Carols. When I was in school Christmas also meant Christmas presentations. I was remembering one Christmas when we put on "Sound of Music". We added our Christmas repertoire in the second part. Since I was in an AirForce High School in Madrid, Spain which was on the SAC AirForce Base we had the privilidge of having the Air Force Band accompany us. The excitement of the performances became a part of my Christmas Memories.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLLOAbUhoN4T1J0PEVf2oZRD4WS2N3udYb6YQwomOSfuZgviJKx5X6GDZpmUpFiicjVzNaistcVj0MVVXYX9lxQVpqMCJmOfFiGNMFxJxTYBqAujt0Pug9WqKxHlWM6qEZBdFn1xoMKRg/s1600-h/Christmasfam+39.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283053673194931954" style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; float: left; width: 200px; height: 123px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLLOAbUhoN4T1J0PEVf2oZRD4WS2N3udYb6YQwomOSfuZgviJKx5X6GDZpmUpFiicjVzNaistcVj0MVVXYX9lxQVpqMCJmOfFiGNMFxJxTYBqAujt0Pug9WqKxHlWM6qEZBdFn1xoMKRg/s200/Christmasfam+39.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><br /><div>Even now as I hear Christmas Carols being performed instrumentally it brings back the excitement of singing with the Air Force Band in the background. What delightful memories filter back to me as I sit and listen to the instrumental renditions of those songs. In this picture only my bangs are visible behind the nun on the right. I was part of the nuns singing Latin songs in "Sound of Music", a small part but exciting to me nevertheless! </div><br />Of course at that time Spain the big emphasis for the children was the Three Kings Day on January 7th. Their traditions were built around the fact that because the Three Kings gave gifts to Jesus that day if children were good they too would receive gifts. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj-w1XG6SIz920XDEnwmvWqYG4gui4g_-bFDYJovgd7Ugp_QlG_5kATUTCBIutn6ve5JxrvnB6frl8X7q8BeRaVv1j4ZoWjAmnBPk2yVqHzUA1VYeaMmmCDHStpSme_rhEGmSZGL7Y2CA/s1600-h/Christmasfam+29.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284860374805190226" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; float: right; width: 200px; height: 146px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj-w1XG6SIz920XDEnwmvWqYG4gui4g_-bFDYJovgd7Ugp_QlG_5kATUTCBIutn6ve5JxrvnB6frl8X7q8BeRaVv1j4ZoWjAmnBPk2yVqHzUA1VYeaMmmCDHStpSme_rhEGmSZGL7Y2CA/s200/Christmasfam+29.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div>So all the little children would put out their shoes to receive gifts. One wonders how that would transalate in these days when kids want X boxes and such-they would have to have mighty big shoes for that!<br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br />When I came to Mississippi for college, I began a whole new set of memories around Christmas. Both of my grand parents were alive-the Whittens in Weir, and the Mitchells in Louisville which was only 30 miles apart in the north central part of Mississippi. I remember walking the woods of the farm in Louisville in the cold of winter, crunching through the leaves left from Fall. My Uncle H.C. who lived in Starkville would appear with Aunt Peggy and the kids on the Saturdays to help feed the animals and some other chores. We would usually end up at his older brother's house, my uncle Bruce, for supper. At my other grandparent's house Daddy's two brothers with their kids would come down a few days around Christmas. We would sit around with big cans of pop corn and play Canasta, or Rook and tell stories days gone by. I learned a lot about my great grandfather who was a preacher as I heard them reminisce. We ate a lot of good food, among others my Mamaw's pecan pie which still makes my mouth water thinking about it.<br /><br /><br />So now looking back even thought those were only about 6 years.. those times with the family came to be precious in my recollections and a very important part of my Christmas memories.<br /><br /><br />When Steve and I got married we began a whole other set of memories. The first Chrismases we spent in part with Steve's family. One Christmas I probably didn´t even know I was pregnant, but the next Christmas Cristina had arrived and was between 2 and 3 months old. We drove from Pensacola to Mississippi to celebrate Christmas with the family and then help celebrate my sister Margaret's wedding days late. We also celebrated my Whitten Grandparent's 60th wedding anniversary. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj71LYVP7hyAMK4ezqYABp77fwAVC-zDz2F_Ryymd2KECHPyK50QVH5HSUXhDUK_6qtWGCd_7hoIDEZqAJbkJHWf38l_DMlcJRAD3O1HrwFBGwBKdDKnHko0BC3bj15agvcs5jNjEDY0oo/s1600-h/Christmasfam68.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285008386132487138" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; float: right; width: 200px; height: 142px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj71LYVP7hyAMK4ezqYABp77fwAVC-zDz2F_Ryymd2KECHPyK50QVH5HSUXhDUK_6qtWGCd_7hoIDEZqAJbkJHWf38l_DMlcJRAD3O1HrwFBGwBKdDKnHko0BC3bj15agvcs5jNjEDY0oo/s200/Christmasfam68.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />We didn't know it then but this would probably be the last time we celebrated Christmas all together as a family with the Whitten since after we left for Costa Rica for Steve to study Spanish and then to Honduras where we were to be for eight and almost 9 years Papaw Whitten would die. So that Christmas was unique for the four generations that celebrated together those 22 years ago. We have since seen my parents reach their 61 years together. But in this picture we were honoring Willie and Velma Whitten, the two wearing glasses for their 60 years together.<br /><br /><br />So began another phase in my life, as a young mother who by the next Christmas was expecting who now is my 30 year old son Philip. Central American Christmases are mind blowing if you have never experienced them. The biggest change for us was the noise on Christmas Eve. Of all the Latin American countries we have lived in (Honduras, Ecuador and now Guatemala) looking back on our Christmas Eve experiences Honduras would win hands down because of the noise that went on all night. In the following picture you can see the fireworks waiting to be sold.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_vhRLD9UOPWBjgyQ3agL8BEY7XlnvUpo8kKiTKGFkL4mLO0KMVaMBkXCuVb9ayO6_kpxu4qmVf3pbvdWphFsTjttIzRjbX7n2C9NofJWWA-42OVVzBTzv08Zl_I3wNGJWZS3Zz7-vC9A/s1600-h/Christmasfam25.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284863461448469250" style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; float: left; width: 200px; height: 150px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_vhRLD9UOPWBjgyQ3agL8BEY7XlnvUpo8kKiTKGFkL4mLO0KMVaMBkXCuVb9ayO6_kpxu4qmVf3pbvdWphFsTjttIzRjbX7n2C9NofJWWA-42OVVzBTzv08Zl_I3wNGJWZS3Zz7-vC9A/s200/Christmasfam25.jpg" border="0" /></a>Our first Christmas Steve said as he tried to sleep though it, "It made me think of Vietnam!" I was 5 months pregnant at the time and I too felt under fire. We learned quickly that the way to defeat that feeling was to visit other people and eat the sweet torrejas which was a sort of cake baked in brown sugar and just fellowship till the noise had died down. The former concept that we had of "Silent Night" or "not a creature was stirring" became displaced by the excitement of the fireworks going till at least 3 in the morning. The challenge when the kids were little was to keep them awake so that they wouldn't be awaking you early for Christmas presents in the morning. Also when we watched the fireworks they were not nearly so scary as when you listened to them in your bed and tried to sleep.<br /></div><div><br /><br />As our kids got older Philip began saving for some fireworks and he would treat us to our own personal firework show. The memories of sitting back and watching Philip and sometimes Tim setting up the fireworks are there as well in my Christmas memories. When the children became old enough to really appreciate the meaning of Christmas I realized that I was going to have to make some memories-that I couldn't sit and yearn for the days when I was little or with my relatives in Mississippi, I had to make memories for my children. </div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGRJjhbqGYQcRkZU3dTtQH9C4kcgnTvVWDNQbHykFPu3iynTKnmxMk3SyCJzinLKMoK9uFK0pqrPIqs3YhEV00L5A_UTd6-hU6fSAPVgWV-K1HrJRpGhQHDxKQpkfwwXNcQZnjRFeqN3s/s1600-h/Christmasfam10.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285010553378507250" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; float: right; width: 200px; height: 162px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGRJjhbqGYQcRkZU3dTtQH9C4kcgnTvVWDNQbHykFPu3iynTKnmxMk3SyCJzinLKMoK9uFK0pqrPIqs3YhEV00L5A_UTd6-hU6fSAPVgWV-K1HrJRpGhQHDxKQpkfwwXNcQZnjRFeqN3s/s200/Christmasfam10.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div>Our first Christmases it was almost impossible to find a Christmas tree like we were used to. The artificial trees were a bit beyond our budget so we decided to do what the Honduras did. You bought a dry regular tree and used detergent soap to make it look like snow all over the tree. Then we decorated it. We used to call it our painted stick but it worked and we were happy. Here Cristina was about three and Philip was a year and a half.<br /><br />I remember one year when I was particularly homesick for all the fun and the excitement that I had experienced with my family as a child. I sort of sat up and said I need to make some memorable memories for these 4 children that God has given me. Tim was 7 months old, and <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwDwJXc75dymajAspsC2xW0InS-1ZDyptcVkATlVVogJHKONul7NsuwRFvN-ip6Rh4l8IHjehgGSSb9ZwBT1eVEP2WO168lJgMzjRKr-suWhitASumbfrKr9COCS53VZgxdi3Mtq0N8Ww/s1600-h/Christmasfam9.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284987625385273522" style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; float: left; width: 200px; height: 148px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwDwJXc75dymajAspsC2xW0InS-1ZDyptcVkATlVVogJHKONul7NsuwRFvN-ip6Rh4l8IHjehgGSSb9ZwBT1eVEP2WO168lJgMzjRKr-suWhitASumbfrKr9COCS53VZgxdi3Mtq0N8Ww/s200/Christmasfam9.jpg" border="0" /></a>Anita was 3, Philip was 6 and Cristina was 7 1/2. I remember getting some felt and making some green stockings with decorations on them. I also made an advent calendar with different scriptures of the prophecies that were fulfilled with Jesus's birth and his life. Nana Lassiter, their grandmother, had brought us a tree so we were able to put our<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqf3I12hQThfFWOdaIbZN_cacfJ681b0RKxLY47nCjc7_NJ-CnMWZnpfazUTVdSKBsy1hYsFkIK2sZzLXMxcKHT1yLCV-U4_jy41VQywjvKvdrkicFpYvXy23bXkSGv73zDCqVl7MQnTo/s1600-h/Christmasfam50.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284989221439372962" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; float: right; width: 200px; height: 192px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqf3I12hQThfFWOdaIbZN_cacfJ681b0RKxLY47nCjc7_NJ-CnMWZnpfazUTVdSKBsy1hYsFkIK2sZzLXMxcKHT1yLCV-U4_jy41VQywjvKvdrkicFpYvXy23bXkSGv73zDCqVl7MQnTo/s200/Christmasfam50.jpg" border="0" /></a> "painted stick" away and here we are at that time in our lives.<br /><br /><br /><br />When they were little I felt like it was so much work every year, but I as driven by the joy that I saw in their faces and knowing somehow that these were indeed memories that I was making every year. While I was doing that, thinking about Christmas dinner and all Steve recorded a video that year that has become traditional for us to watch of how we were then. One year, after I started working fulltime at Alliance Academy in Quito, I figured they probably wouldn't miss it. Cristina asked why it wasn't up and she made us a new set of scriptures.. mine were getting a bit shabby by that time. We kept that set for 17 more years till I somehow misplaced them last year so here you have the new set that made this year for Steve and for me. It still amazes to see how many prophecies were fulfilled in Jesus!<br /></div><br /><div>We got to doing our manger scene more seriously when we moved to our second house in Quito, Ecuador. Steve got a board and drilled hole in it after he had painted it brown. He bought some typical little houses at the market and put christmas lights through each hole and there we placed a house. We had our figures that we had bought years before for the manger scene. It was 18 years ago that we added that tradition to our family. We would buy the different colored dirts and grasses and make our manger scene. </div></div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwUB_bGL7_VbsttnTuL0OdCy_ldCeWDSNJhR6WCmHe4t4opDLWnl1Gwv8xcbxCwfl_CJA1kmHo1aXu0y7SOiEyeDRHvXvs_GLJygHEsqe5Jt4ZeBAv4SNnKd0po1H8BhSYkyQDyvuYu_o/s1600-h/Christmasfam27.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284992219215070642" style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; float: left; width: 200px; height: 159px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwUB_bGL7_VbsttnTuL0OdCy_ldCeWDSNJhR6WCmHe4t4opDLWnl1Gwv8xcbxCwfl_CJA1kmHo1aXu0y7SOiEyeDRHvXvs_GLJygHEsqe5Jt4ZeBAv4SNnKd0po1H8BhSYkyQDyvuYu_o/s200/Christmasfam27.jpg" border="0" /></a>So every year I go looking for the different colors of sawdust to put in the manger scene. Since our figures are small I am always on the lookout for small animals or figures that would fit in to our "nacimiento". I remember one year I found a group of little dogs. This year I found some little chickens. I remembered where I had seen pine needles this year and that became the straw for the stable. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnZ3iRBAuJ2sWsgxm2KuN_02HWkWBotMrtcfBZ2DT8EfoSxngubvDBk7J7HSP3E0uA5gDE-fiyfkgnbqjX_OaFHARHfbRn0CGp52H2UTq0YnZYP3aUUX2d9eLpghrUs9g_j61o2zEWUFI/s1600-h/Christmasfam65.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284995459232204498" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; float: right; width: 200px; height: 132px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnZ3iRBAuJ2sWsgxm2KuN_02HWkWBotMrtcfBZ2DT8EfoSxngubvDBk7J7HSP3E0uA5gDE-fiyfkgnbqjX_OaFHARHfbRn0CGp52H2UTq0YnZYP3aUUX2d9eLpghrUs9g_j61o2zEWUFI/s200/Christmasfam65.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><div>The year of 2007 was a special year because we were able to be together in Florida with all the family. We had a new grandson who was turning 5 months the 25th of December. We just enjoyed being together. This year Tim who is holding his nephew Jared in the picture is in Iraq, Cristina and Stephen, the second couple from the left are in Quito, Ecuador awaiting the birth of their second son. We of course are in Guatemala, Philip and Chrissy and Nick and Anita being in Gainesville, Florida. </div><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoRrIXXtJK9uKvyOkd4iUSziVhnz_ZoTEAAEVTAhnih6PkCUiC6ykIRdtIk0572aDr_ODJvcXMMTgFEXKcCV-xz482TOugEX9En1dYUnptP-r7L0C-WW97cd4lH9MRN32Tm7DO0iRT97M/s1600-h/Christmasfam67.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285014306931532354" style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; float: left; width: 200px; height: 100px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoRrIXXtJK9uKvyOkd4iUSziVhnz_ZoTEAAEVTAhnih6PkCUiC6ykIRdtIk0572aDr_ODJvcXMMTgFEXKcCV-xz482TOugEX9En1dYUnptP-r7L0C-WW97cd4lH9MRN32Tm7DO0iRT97M/s200/Christmasfam67.jpg" border="0" /></a>How we enjoyed each other as we sat around the table that Christmas Eve. What a blessing to see our family growing! Every member a special unique person and very precious to us!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><div>Christmas 2008 was a quieter Christmas for us, but we basked in the memory of last Christmas when we were together. We found it to be a peaceful Christmas nevertheless. We put the faces of all the family far away on the Christmas tree and found a lot comfort in that. </div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMQ0pRsYK8-1JEqIge-gfWlTbaVtdeff2WQnxZ2D3YGy_RAhjOAeDqPdvObFhpuMy6-shGSRJPf403UmHjdP8X3m1kHNqjNLJEI3mfMZCIAncwT1rj14oQuj3SSNJFhcO8j66mCIEIJ2k/s1600-h/Christmasfam43.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285001389488126514" style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; float: left; width: 192px; height: 200px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMQ0pRsYK8-1JEqIge-gfWlTbaVtdeff2WQnxZ2D3YGy_RAhjOAeDqPdvObFhpuMy6-shGSRJPf403UmHjdP8X3m1kHNqjNLJEI3mfMZCIAncwT1rj14oQuj3SSNJFhcO8j66mCIEIJ2k/s200/Christmasfam43.jpg" border="0" /></a> </div><br /><br /><div>Little Luke in the way we know him now is on the top left star (its his first ultrasound picture) and his Daddy Stephen is on the right. Jared is on the bottom row and his Mommy Cristina is on the right. We thank God for Stephen as a part of our family. He has been a good husband and Daddy as a very special part of our family. Cristina has always been the creative part of our family with an eye for beauty and a unique precious way of expressing it.</div><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVhrAuT32lRKcUYJR3ny7brgBGqXlgAZKV64ctcjoN6iFd-oAfqW3C8wp6-8dJY3WMyLt6iFKgovgTXt4i9x-pmBzXXipk_LKDBj3Ds2Fg0BqC0klCgWwOd3I7Ycy4ZasVsOmxh5kT43k/s1600-h/Christmasfam44.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 148px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVhrAuT32lRKcUYJR3ny7brgBGqXlgAZKV64ctcjoN6iFd-oAfqW3C8wp6-8dJY3WMyLt6iFKgovgTXt4i9x-pmBzXXipk_LKDBj3Ds2Fg0BqC0klCgWwOd3I7Ycy4ZasVsOmxh5kT43k/s200/Christmasfam44.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285033436273212210" border="0" /></a>In this next picture is our daughter in law, Chrissy, who has been a wonderful part of the family being the wife of Philip whose face is on the star by her. Philip has always been the unchangeable son who has always been there when we needed him. We thank God for him.<br /></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_6gaERNE7VBx7oRZlKdGlij-E6OHELJfELApx3lnSDZnmS0yJXWMaEEg_nCRhjAPW-dMF2VyPWrS5mUv4d3xsNdp6qCgeENw2eSw5h5wZl5ORgjZ3yi4WpFQTZVsyCds3RowSAWAK_iI/s1600-h/Christmasfam62.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285019912421199698" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; float: right; width: 114px; height: 200px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_6gaERNE7VBx7oRZlKdGlij-E6OHELJfELApx3lnSDZnmS0yJXWMaEEg_nCRhjAPW-dMF2VyPWrS5mUv4d3xsNdp6qCgeENw2eSw5h5wZl5ORgjZ3yi4WpFQTZVsyCds3RowSAWAK_iI/s200/Christmasfam62.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Here we have our son in law Nick. We couldn't have asked for a better husband for Anita than what he is. Of course Anita is the one below him. She has always added a lot of joy to our lives!<br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzhbMsURIVwagMJ2GOO2SCF61U7aJ3LQMram1cEkcAOnElZFwfmgk7g4cYzjiw6PqRpqsBPGaWzqOGTPKuaNu86-Wf19AQJz_qcAkywq_BB-JJOuud5Ts-WY7pI_j1XuQkiELUyCjYwQo/s1600-h/Christmasfam63.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 145px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzhbMsURIVwagMJ2GOO2SCF61U7aJ3LQMram1cEkcAOnElZFwfmgk7g4cYzjiw6PqRpqsBPGaWzqOGTPKuaNu86-Wf19AQJz_qcAkywq_BB-JJOuud5Ts-WY7pI_j1XuQkiELUyCjYwQo/s200/Christmasfam63.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285035444779048562" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Last but not least is our Tim. It has been a challenge to our faith to say goodbye to him and see him go to Iraq. We are so thankful for God's care over his life as he is there serving in the Army! Our life without this our youngest child who will be 25 next year would not have been the same. He is a unique individual and we expect to see wonderful things in his life in the future!<br /></div><br />Christmas as you can see has and always will be a delightful time where we are thankful that Jesus became flesh and lived with us. I can understand how the John could say many years later, We have seen his glory as the one and only who came from the Father full of grace and truth." Its because of Him that we can experience His joy in this season!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /></div><br 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/><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Helen Cobbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15851772863297731133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-512297916767413043.post-26045409670129314482008-11-17T17:29:00.001-08:002008-12-08T15:15:56.662-08:00Who am I?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgymrzBLF6BzGkDyfwqgfa0ffMKIoq4vENkVQgFpzR7wyI2hA0-3syWOq1xMooHODnzNz7GMcDVppDUyOVOcBcVxrKQZS_n2p1crrgWIkMcacQee8A3g_Su4NTk3IT3XkeEEP6B1iH5WXA/s1600-h/Misc+37.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 114px; height: 66px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgymrzBLF6BzGkDyfwqgfa0ffMKIoq4vENkVQgFpzR7wyI2hA0-3syWOq1xMooHODnzNz7GMcDVppDUyOVOcBcVxrKQZS_n2p1crrgWIkMcacQee8A3g_Su4NTk3IT3XkeEEP6B1iH5WXA/s200/Misc+37.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274261738637345362" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">Who am I?</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">Who am I? They often tell me I would step from my prison cell</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">poised, cheerful, and sturdy,</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">like a nobleman </span><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">from his country estate.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">Who am? They often tell me I would speak with my guards</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">freely, pleasantly and firmly,</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">as I had it to command.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">Who am I? I have also been told that I suffer the days of misfortune</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">with serenity, smiles and pride,</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">as someone accustomed to victory.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">Am I really what others say about me?</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">Or am I only what I know of myself?</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">Restless, yearning and sick, like a bird in its cage,</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">struggling for the breath of life,</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">as though someone were choking my throat;</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">thirsting for kind words and human closeness,</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">shaking with anger at capricious tyranny and the pettiest slurs,</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">bedeviled by anxiety, awating great events that might never occur,</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">fearfully powerless and worried for friends far away,</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">weary and empty in prayer, i</span><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">n thinking, in doing,</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">weak, and ready to leave it all.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">Who am I? This man or that other?</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">Am I then this man today and tomorrow another?</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">Am I both at once? An imposter to others,</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">but to me little more than a whining, despicable weakling?</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">Does what is in me compare to a vanquished army,</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">that flees in disorder before a battle already won?</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">Who am I? The mock me these lo</span><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">nely questions of mine,</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">Whoever I am, you know me, O God. You know I am yours.<br /><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"><br />I remember reading this poem back in college so many years ago. Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote this poem in prison before he was executed in June 1944. What a question, who am I? You would think that approaching the big 60 I would be certain of the woman I am but I still struggle with those same questions. I am not in prison waiting to be executed, but as this poem echoes the struggle that Paul reflected on in Romans 7:24-25: <span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">"Who will rescue me from this body that is doomed to die? Thank God! Jesus Christ will rescue me."</span> I hav</span><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">e had over the years some of the same feeling that this man of God had, seeing the different feelings from one day to another. I saw the missionary aunt and uncles that I grew up with in Spain as not having those questions, as being mature and all those questions settled as they went about the ministry God had given them. They seemed to have life all figured out. (Of course as I grew up and looked back I found out that was not so!)</span><br /><br />I remember as a single school teacher in Mississippi feeling like there had to be more for me than just going to work, and going to several meetings a week. I left a sure job and went to Liberty Bible College without a job waiting for me there. Though a very risky, scary step, I took it on the promise from God that He would guide my steps. So I went to Pensacola and became a student at Liberty Bible College. I learned many wonderful things those two years and saw God provide for all my needs in the supernatural ways that only He can. I met Steve right after I first arrived. We both came to Liberty fall of 1973. Summer of 1975 we were married and it was the next year that we ended up in Costa Rica on our way to Honduras as missionaries. We had Cristina who was only months old as we left on our trip to Costa Rica for our 6 months stay so that Steve could learn Spanish.<br /><br /><div>I was just thinking of all the different hats that I have had to wear over the years. It's really amazing all the different experiences that the Lord has <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTiNWal_6naOwZlvDBJZr0kTPu6R_yOJJZSDEyeyHd0uN5S7NqL1EWnch7gDGIh1qqEIzV3EZkcOqGAnP_88V6tjaigvCXnOwBdxuWs4tSlNqvLX_p92TXyp5G3dqI_6ob9H0SajoMong/s1600-h/Helen02.png"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273733769553642994" style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; float: left; width: 182px; height: 200px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTiNWal_6naOwZlvDBJZr0kTPu6R_yOJJZSDEyeyHd0uN5S7NqL1EWnch7gDGIh1qqEIzV3EZkcOqGAnP_88V6tjaigvCXnOwBdxuWs4tSlNqvLX_p92TXyp5G3dqI_6ob9H0SajoMong/s200/Helen02.png" border="0" /></a>brought me through. I suppose if I had known about it ahead of time I wouldn't have believed that it would be possible. It is amazing how the Lord knows all the things that we carry around on the inside, all the hidden talents and capabilities that we don't know that are there. </div><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWVk4-2qHOSfwGBIx9krn6Z_ccBh3oSd6fTYDzb-QzppC-LG3xCOvkc_u2tunnpDI05hZSFCtsNCsUdnCTQEFAhUQuxuWyt505rbSNS_gek3SlGv0_J9bGtD9OPxam8xnu9mXg-60S4qA/s1600-h/Helenmin+19.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273918865739420066" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; float: right; width: 157px; height: 200px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWVk4-2qHOSfwGBIx9krn6Z_ccBh3oSd6fTYDzb-QzppC-LG3xCOvkc_u2tunnpDI05hZSFCtsNCsUdnCTQEFAhUQuxuWyt505rbSNS_gek3SlGv0_J9bGtD9OPxam8xnu9mXg-60S4qA/s200/Helenmin+19.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />When my brother John was born I was already 11 years old. I remember getting quite involved with taking care of him. It wasn't exactly like being his mother but it prepared me some for what would later on be my own 4 children.<br /></div><br /><br /><br />Later on at 14 I began teaching a class of smaller children at a small church that Daddy helped start in Cornella, on the outskirts of Madrid, Spain You can see me in the back on the right beside my Daddy. I don't remember questioning when my Mother said that they needed me to teach. I just <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPOqtXDX3GhVJAoVVI7-qmHqSckBafh_2dp6lpvIFthYGnUysXt627VR9Ybtml8gN0KMNxxO_65jprzURkgF0TsEk_AF24RVYUrMpRt3wy8wqBqhazgdBPItvKgLWK4OAGe1Nebt8BadQ/s1600-h/Helenmin+27.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273919622850550834" style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; float: left; width: 200px; height: 184px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPOqtXDX3GhVJAoVVI7-qmHqSckBafh_2dp6lpvIFthYGnUysXt627VR9Ybtml8gN0KMNxxO_65jprzURkgF0TsEk_AF24RVYUrMpRt3wy8wqBqhazgdBPItvKgLWK4OAGe1Nebt8BadQ/s200/Helenmin+27.jpg" border="0" /></a>remember planning the class and somehow having things for them to do and enjoying myself in the process. When I began to try to decide what career I might be good at in college those years I had taught made it seem easy to just step in to training to be an Elementary School Teacher.<br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br />As a young Baptist girl I got involved with an organization called G.A. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikKn8GM7jdVPp6urQswq62sagd7NzJloMeyFxgV9_pCx9OHJRLyljqwvH2WNnRGEfcCUAIEW7i5IxgogPznutBh_hlZGurtNzevLsG4-jBttBtqzQyO8rHfkpzgJKZOFDlnQgVUR_d0jc/s1600-h/Helenmin+20.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273922193472360946" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; float: right; width: 170px; height: 200px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikKn8GM7jdVPp6urQswq62sagd7NzJloMeyFxgV9_pCx9OHJRLyljqwvH2WNnRGEfcCUAIEW7i5IxgogPznutBh_hlZGurtNzevLsG4-jBttBtqzQyO8rHfkpzgJKZOFDlnQgVUR_d0jc/s200/Helenmin+20.jpg" border="0" /></a>as short for Girl's Auxiliary. You could do the work and go from being a Maiden to a Queen Regent in Service. I have good memories all the scriptures that I had to memorize, and all the different things I had to do in order to pass each step. I remember doing a chart of Paul's missionary journeys and having to explain them to the person that was checking off my progress.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><div>Little did I know that the memory work and all the understandings that I was gaining at that time was a solid base for what I would be involved in many years later in my life. When we began working with INSTE which was small groups studying how to be a disciple, doctrine and then getting into the Scriptures.. my early learning was a good foundation for that. </div><br /><br /><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHhpAtgBmhqvLA8i-haGf_KQ-0S-8Zj9uGwTNxuJ5X1uFRNx_Aa85RwcyzHLw_QQKxrqXO7iM1c0DR6g_JTTHUe0SNZLhLurbdZEYubZKVQoEXRgGxG5FUq6q-1gkQOFSNgkYB5StX7tU/s1600-h/Helenmin+23.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 79px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHhpAtgBmhqvLA8i-haGf_KQ-0S-8Zj9uGwTNxuJ5X1uFRNx_Aa85RwcyzHLw_QQKxrqXO7iM1c0DR6g_JTTHUe0SNZLhLurbdZEYubZKVQoEXRgGxG5FUq6q-1gkQOFSNgkYB5StX7tU/s200/Helenmin+23.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274281240127884674" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /></div>We spent more than 3 years <div id="recover"><span id="spellcheckMessage"><br /></span></div>together studying. We lost some of the women along the way but we continued learning together. One lady became a widow during that time and we all walked through that experience with her. The relationships we formed then were relationships for a lifetime. It was a delight to see the women read the whole Bible for themselves for the first time as we studied Old and New Testament.<br /><br />After graduating from the first level of INSTE I didn't have anyone that could go on with me to do the second level but in no time we began another totally different group where we met in our home (which doubles as our INSTE office) and I was off on another adventure.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc80E1kbLJzrqdV6WHXjeag9py6QFW80WsUW8eoFTsADmaQMF2_gk2VMW5L4t8xJ-4uBVZSA8ZEi30EGWLPTv_f9fw0-KkJCtga-MJsrjl4AMJwQdGA5uOSSVFpIf31lXVMsZQ_vyLOMo/s1600-h/Helenmin+4.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274175508682105138" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; float: right; width: 200px; height: 130px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc80E1kbLJzrqdV6WHXjeag9py6QFW80WsUW8eoFTsADmaQMF2_gk2VMW5L4t8xJ-4uBVZSA8ZEi30EGWLPTv_f9fw0-KkJCtga-MJsrjl4AMJwQdGA5uOSSVFpIf31lXVMsZQ_vyLOMo/s200/Helenmin+4.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />It was an interesting mix of people. Three of us were American Missionaries, one guy was a church and school custodian, one was a single girl who is a Pastor of a small church in a poor area of town, and another girl was the wife of a church in town. Needless to say our times of discussion were interesting. The missionary couple found life too busy with their own responsibilites.. and the custodian found that his work load and the distances he had to travel made it impossible to continue. So Rebeca, Nancy, Steve and I continued till we finished.<br /><br />Finally the day came in 2007 that we graduated and received our Bachelors in Theology. </div><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu3kZP2WF8N0u3-qBOKJQJuzO0rCu5_hDQ0yrQT9_gXBJr_-J3BEd25hIrrbvcdZWknRNWzZpFkxyIAWmupS-TB7txVD6aGF-567EqUjAtQujHkUsqTNT4hfI9LWPCS9BCXUNt4T3locg/s1600-h/Helenmin+3.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274178530757325842" style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; float: left; width: 200px; height: 150px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu3kZP2WF8N0u3-qBOKJQJuzO0rCu5_hDQ0yrQT9_gXBJr_-J3BEd25hIrrbvcdZWknRNWzZpFkxyIAWmupS-TB7txVD6aGF-567EqUjAtQujHkUsqTNT4hfI9LWPCS9BCXUNt4T3locg/s200/Helenmin+3.jpg" border="0" /></a>I had graduated from Mississippi College with a BS in Elementary Education 26 years ago, but this occasion not only represented all the things I had learned but the relationships that I had made as we reflected on what we were learning. What rich memories!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-6yYESUI_3vzi7bPJ1pOgBXV7KBhVU7xm_GEL2Oop0LJVU0JyO_vTwn74WT0wrzCEkqt_2JiTXOxUHNriWNwLgmWsNdWXJusaL47zRb5R-xHKuKLkaJcnIxmEURXbfK79YsY2XzoaTME/s1600-h/Helenmin+26.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274180442231403874" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; float: right; width: 200px; height: 133px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-6yYESUI_3vzi7bPJ1pOgBXV7KBhVU7xm_GEL2Oop0LJVU0JyO_vTwn74WT0wrzCEkqt_2JiTXOxUHNriWNwLgmWsNdWXJusaL47zRb5R-xHKuKLkaJcnIxmEURXbfK79YsY2XzoaTME/s200/Helenmin+26.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /></div><div></div>I remember the five years I worked in the Elementary, High School Libraries as well as the Audio Visual Library in Alliance Academy in Quito, Ecuador. I had to have a job in order to have the 4 kids at school. I remember wanting to work in the library but at that time there seemed to<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg689tWC_AZFjOMo_1bOwruTnlb3CKU6XmnzVV4fClEXE25KI7OBWO2Ez56hINJxcQP5SOXdsW4iV2QjacFx23H-HZZLvrbSromzyWYn_JdB8eP-iTw_Ql_0TrartDwRUASe-l-oG-9FVs/s1600-h/Alliance+Library.png"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274188980824862754" style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; float: left; width: 200px; height: 150px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg689tWC_AZFjOMo_1bOwruTnlb3CKU6XmnzVV4fClEXE25KI7OBWO2Ez56hINJxcQP5SOXdsW4iV2QjacFx23H-HZZLvrbSromzyWYn_JdB8eP-iTw_Ql_0TrartDwRUASe-l-oG-9FVs/s200/Alliance+Library.png" border="0" /></a>no opening so I had decided that I willing to clean bathrooms if necessary. I just felt like the kids needed to be in Alliance. Right before the kids would start school I received a call that I was needed in the Library. Talk about the Lord giving you the desires of your heart! Those 5 years were also rich in relationships made as I worked there. For sure when my kids had problems in school I was easy to locate so during those years I had a close relationship with the different teachers involved with my children.</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div></div>It was a time where I was very busy, but at the same time I also found myself deeply involved with what my kids were doing because I was there seeing it all take place. I went to see all the plays they were involved in almost every time they performed them and was always proud. Anita provided me with the opportunity to see JV Volleyball, Basketball, and Soccer. We mothers cheered the teams on.<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhBJwHbtoaJHxy9uMzk93lw33f96drXqsA183RnecujoixJu_lUJ15SniXOPtjiATDDYzGYed_4Awcm_JGzHWS6faYttm4voADw-EJdjN3DJJo9PbhHZjE8eytPRCzF-WcjyJwMTBuJGQ/s1600-h/Helenmin+17.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274200322790615842" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; float: right; width: 200px; height: 154px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhBJwHbtoaJHxy9uMzk93lw33f96drXqsA183RnecujoixJu_lUJ15SniXOPtjiATDDYzGYed_4Awcm_JGzHWS6faYttm4voADw-EJdjN3DJJo9PbhHZjE8eytPRCzF-WcjyJwMTBuJGQ/s200/Helenmin+17.jpg" border="0" /></a></div>How was I to know when I was supervising the games for the birthday parties for my brother John that I was learning things that would later on teach other people as they learned how to work with kids in church. I had learned by practical experience what would work and what would not.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtd-lIsjiKejErY7JRKWE2Agi4Wtdkyk5BmCwOuxk21eIO1zuqvJeb0Oue7efqsBtTAm5-YF22llNLvp4PiMXKLNXW4C63NVrYarO6dqpn54AaHS0a8OpNkX9kpTnY_AuYUe2p3z_574o/s1600-h/Helenmin+11.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274202755964713458" style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; float: left; width: 200px; height: 168px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtd-lIsjiKejErY7JRKWE2Agi4Wtdkyk5BmCwOuxk21eIO1zuqvJeb0Oue7efqsBtTAm5-YF22llNLvp4PiMXKLNXW4C63NVrYarO6dqpn54AaHS0a8OpNkX9kpTnY_AuYUe2p3z_574o/s200/Helenmin+11.jpg" border="0" /></a>So without trying I found myself teaching people how to work with kids, how to keep their attention, and how to effectively teach them.<br /><div><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhle2oTH3ME75C_QKQGyE9s77hyphenhyphenat07Nd5QoJqr2UtqwNod7bx10wLeA5yw86HXah8avBUnueCH3FMv_kbftJ6gD5koW1dukPgMt1b-FlR29yZowydI0TXAwYqEo9gqzLP8zrSrelBRwU/s1600-h/Helenmin+2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274208156388608706" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; float: right; width: 200px; height: 134px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhle2oTH3ME75C_QKQGyE9s77hyphenhyphenat07Nd5QoJqr2UtqwNod7bx10wLeA5yw86HXah8avBUnueCH3FMv_kbftJ6gD5koW1dukPgMt1b-FlR29yZowydI0TXAwYqEo9gqzLP8zrSrelBRwU/s200/Helenmin+2.jpg" border="0" /></a> I also found myself teaching adults games that they could teach children that would contribute to the lesson on deck for that week. A lot of times I had to teach people to remember what it was like to play, and some who had never really played had to learn how to play.<br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxMHVFpvh_UwVY5IDUVNxQB-DHt6p9Lz1eYCO0W3DnjqYbFLeEQTowZdCMotb__mSE4JFQKjglrnb0uupNIxgsY-6RGIkGj82FEK7qtvzAXjYkzXhyphenhyphenjchDbAxRd4ByOuUYfF2sI4-HD7Q/s1600-h/Helenmin+14.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274230244783578434" style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; float: left; width: 117px; height: 200px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxMHVFpvh_UwVY5IDUVNxQB-DHt6p9Lz1eYCO0W3DnjqYbFLeEQTowZdCMotb__mSE4JFQKjglrnb0uupNIxgsY-6RGIkGj82FEK7qtvzAXjYkzXhyphenhyphenjchDbAxRd4ByOuUYfF2sI4-HD7Q/s200/Helenmin+14.jpg" border="0" /></a>Back when my Dad and Mother had me taking piano lesson I would never have thought that someday I would actually play in worship or lead others in worship. I sang in groups in High School, even in a quartet but the thought that I would lead others in worship was a thought beyond my imagination. Just to know that others might be listening was enough to make me lose it. However over the years worship just would bubble up out of my heart and before I knew it I was doing it. God is gracious!<br /><br /><br />I could talk about transalating, speaking, working with a weekly ladies group, and many more things. Who am I really? A sum of all those things and many more. As Peter says it in I Peter 1:3: "Praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is so good, and by raising Jesus from death, he has given us new life and a hope that lives on." I am thankful for that hope that He give me. I am thankful that all the things that I have experienced in my life so far have been stepping stones to other things that I did later on.<br />As David said in Psalms 139:16, "Even before I was born, You had written in Your book everything I would do." As I learn every day God's truth about myself I am able to be the woman He made me to be. What a hope I have, my past present and future are in His hands!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br 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/></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>So now all of my children have left home and three of them are building their own homes. I see them dealing with the same issues that I have and realize that it is all a part of being a human being living in this fallen world.<br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br 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/><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>How easy it is to </div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /></div><br /><br /><br 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/><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><span style="color: rgb(153, 102, 51);"></span></div></div>Helen Cobbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15851772863297731133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-512297916767413043.post-10123770828125688172008-11-06T14:04:00.001-08:002008-11-07T08:07:19.388-08:00The Heritage of those who love the Lord<span style="color:#ff6600;">But the lovingkindness of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness to children's children. Psalm 103:17<br /></span><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcNK3_uKBmX0l4Lk3JTERRKHkBUyfGAAhR7sQxP4juP21ap71ezDdmV-OqoQFuvxb9e9tr3lPRrfmYIWfgoIJfWOff98OWdxk6XuuC0HgBml31BwBgIoguSu9_-G5VznTDtAPBSo27gFU/s1600-h/Cristina+05.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265669184688237010" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 194px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcNK3_uKBmX0l4Lk3JTERRKHkBUyfGAAhR7sQxP4juP21ap71ezDdmV-OqoQFuvxb9e9tr3lPRrfmYIWfgoIJfWOff98OWdxk6XuuC0HgBml31BwBgIoguSu9_-G5VznTDtAPBSo27gFU/s200/Cristina+05.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />More than 31 years ago the baby Cristina on the left sat in a bathtub.. and her mother Helen looked on proudly. Who could have known then what this baby's son would be like when he lay in his bathtub in the next picture. Cristina was reflected in this mirror in Pensacola, Florida as Jared was reflected in a little toy mirror in Bunker Hill, Virginia. Even though Jared weighed in less than his mom did at birth it wasn't too long till he passed her up.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD6fiLGr6YVUzic-CyK2aqiwCrBiAT1yW69wPegKwWSIPGdIDweIYRGimacB5ALYSIZ80bg8ZRFsw-UCQRAKPIGt_W80aiWQz5H7IeRrljBOYpph3nCeRl9bi3iyFO5K1ZZWMiCLViKXE/s1600-h/Jared+113.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265671482218477682" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD6fiLGr6YVUzic-CyK2aqiwCrBiAT1yW69wPegKwWSIPGdIDweIYRGimacB5ALYSIZ80bg8ZRFsw-UCQRAKPIGt_W80aiWQz5H7IeRrljBOYpph3nCeRl9bi3iyFO5K1ZZWMiCLViKXE/s200/Jared+113.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />What a joy babies bring when they come to a home. even with all the getting up at night and all the work, life is never quite the same after their arrival!<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEV86kriKacEh7viqmUI6pDdvGOghndtLduGkOjuqUXLiGlXNH-QIE7iej-GGyUheN7DCD_NhMSG-1SXLPFto2G9Zj-NKxvEhSN7gqX1XoGJI_U5Qerm76SG6IeKo96WRCZ-z8kpE4yc8/s1600-h/Cristina+08.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265672591500245346" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 144px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEV86kriKacEh7viqmUI6pDdvGOghndtLduGkOjuqUXLiGlXNH-QIE7iej-GGyUheN7DCD_NhMSG-1SXLPFto2G9Zj-NKxvEhSN7gqX1XoGJI_U5Qerm76SG6IeKo96WRCZ-z8kpE4yc8/s200/Cristina+08.jpg" border="0" /></a> Cristina's great grandmother, Velma Whitten, was thrilled to know Cristina. I remember when Steve and I drove to Weir, Mississippi on a cold December day in 1976 and knocked on her door upon arriving. "MaMaw", as we grandkids called her, opened the door grabbed Cristina in her arms, and disappeared behind the door, practically closing the door in my face! She had what she had been waiting for, her newest great grandchild!<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiynK8pY_MGbYWy8aQZyV0w6gyLqg4bPel_gzmNq683jhXIU1-dgHZYx_pPy3j-lTijXpNX45-ZDL6-790Qnm5xHWOiMVXWUxnS9QKFPva1y3tEB3h0b3q_VUptH1w6nuX4ZuF9xjLkLh8/s1600-h/Jared+31.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265673829895545586" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 96px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiynK8pY_MGbYWy8aQZyV0w6gyLqg4bPel_gzmNq683jhXIU1-dgHZYx_pPy3j-lTijXpNX45-ZDL6-790Qnm5xHWOiMVXWUxnS9QKFPva1y3tEB3h0b3q_VUptH1w6nuX4ZuF9xjLkLh8/s200/Jared+31.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />So 32 years later in 2007 Stephen and Cristina flew to Mississippi from Washington D.C., which was close to their house in West Virginia, and rented a car after that to drive from Jackson to Clinton where they came to visit Jared's great grandparents (my parents).Even though "Maw" Whitten (my mother) was in a nursing home you can see the same look of a proud great grandmother looking speculatively for the first time at her great grandson Jared.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2qeH87aoeqMs9plA7pWCXDzT96W3KSOVtcZPHmAvYdqRvklaQyfQcqhN3Q1pBBJlsD4rIU7vAxa1oN3z_SWH24Ed8A1KY8MAv6HtdmTdIplIYfOquPUY4DHcg_tIcQ2S1hlws9W2Xycw/s1600-h/Jared+29.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265675993129212338" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 143px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2qeH87aoeqMs9plA7pWCXDzT96W3KSOVtcZPHmAvYdqRvklaQyfQcqhN3Q1pBBJlsD4rIU7vAxa1oN3z_SWH24Ed8A1KY8MAv6HtdmTdIplIYfOquPUY4DHcg_tIcQ2S1hlws9W2Xycw/s200/Jared+29.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />"Paw" Whitten, who was in a separate Assisted Living Residence at the time, was equally happy to get to know his great grandson. Due to his Macular Degeneration he was not able to see Jared as he would have liked but he nevertheless enjoyed holding him and seeing him up close.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="color:#009900;">Children's children are the crown of old men (and old women I might add!) Proverbs 17:6</span><br /><span style="color:#009900;"></span><br /><span style="color:#009900;"></span><br /><br /><br /><p><span style="color:#009900;"></span></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw69eVPHi6IIZagtlvX-MkYq6VkB2BAnlrAtlJCJhBIjdCaiBLCh3_uLZ3s3Zb3KzF1O4oEjR-NHiH_cI6tbLHlF2ni9TE9O4mkCOgBH5db8lbd6kEpngbC9Epg7hUoJ7-yxxTW2r19jI/s1600-h/FamHelen+08.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265678295818379618" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 158px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw69eVPHi6IIZagtlvX-MkYq6VkB2BAnlrAtlJCJhBIjdCaiBLCh3_uLZ3s3Zb3KzF1O4oEjR-NHiH_cI6tbLHlF2ni9TE9O4mkCOgBH5db8lbd6kEpngbC9Epg7hUoJ7-yxxTW2r19jI/s200/FamHelen+08.jpg" border="0" /></a>Here you can see three generations of the first born children in their families. My mother was the the oldest and the only girl in her family of three boys after her. In my family I am the eldest and have a sister and two brothers. When I had my children Cristina was the eldest with a sister with two brothers.<br /><br /><br />What a blessing to have such a rich heritage in the Lord! I have come to love a scripture in Isaiah 61:9. Ever since my children began leave home to go to college this scripture has sustained me.<br />I have personalized this scripture and have used it as I have prayed for my children.<br /><br /><span style="color:#ff0000;">"My descendants shall be known among the Gentiles, and my offspring among the people.All who see them will acknowledge them, that they are the posterity whom the Lord has blessed."<br /></span><br /><span style="color:#000000;"></span>I am thankful for my heritage in the Lord that goes even farther back than my Whitten Granparents. My great granfather Whitten was a circuit preacher that covered a number of little country churches in rural Mississippi. We heard many times of his adventures riding a horse in the snow to different churches on those cold wintery days and getting paid in chickens and other produce that the people had handy at the time. Having said all that I am so glad that as John reminisced in his gospel he said, <span style="color:#993399;">"But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become the children of God, to those who believe in His name." </span><span style="color:#000000;">I am glad that I have received him and that He is faithful to let me be a child of God. What a privilege! What a joy to see how the Lord has continued to bless our children as they follow Him and will now continue to bless our first grandchild Jared and Luke who is soon to make his appearance. </span><br /><span style="color:#000000;"></span>Helen Cobbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15851772863297731133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-512297916767413043.post-40100470610036113692008-10-30T08:40:00.000-07:002008-11-07T08:04:04.416-08:00The Legacy of a Good Man<p><span style="color:#ff6666;">The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall bear fruit in old age; they shall be fresh and flourishing. Psalm 92:12-13<br /></span><br /></p><div><div><div></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3boI8HxXAWsn_hoeosc2SnZwrgFQtRQ_H7QDvoHQkZBX0CDA4RCgcxwiwK1Bx04UvE7ImZxxYG_K3_ENo5NBAKVdTAUyAtjX4njBOf66ksmdooUqMnXfW3iqBvji-s-Mh_1PNKxGcByQ/s1600-h/FamHelen+02.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262973046531645458" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 130px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3boI8HxXAWsn_hoeosc2SnZwrgFQtRQ_H7QDvoHQkZBX0CDA4RCgcxwiwK1Bx04UvE7ImZxxYG_K3_ENo5NBAKVdTAUyAtjX4njBOf66ksmdooUqMnXfW3iqBvji-s-Mh_1PNKxGcByQ/s200/FamHelen+02.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />My Dad, Charles Whitten just turned 86 this year. He has had to deal with Macular Degeneration, and now a bit of sleep apnea after having two stents put in his heart valves. I am constantly amazed at how patiently he has faced all those challenges with very few complaints. Mark Twain used to say "When I got older I was amazed at how wise my Father had become". That certainly has been my experience.<br /><br />When I think of him there in TracePointe Assisted Living in Clinton, Mississippi I can see him getting up every morning to his radio alarm clock that has a rooster crowing to wake him up at 6:00 a.m.. After brushing his teeth and getting his clothes on he puts his cassettes of the Bible and listens like he does every day. Then at around 6:30 if it is a nice day he walks around the building three times to what he has figured amounts to three miles. On days that the weather is bad he has figured how to walk the halls of Trace Pointe to rack up the same distance.<br /><br />When my Mother was in the same room with him they would take out the Open Window which is a devotional book with the birthdays of missionaries at the back. They read the Bible reading for that day and after reading the commentary of the selection and reading the missionaries having birthdays that day they took turns praying for the family. There is a long list but they have made that a daily part of their schedule. Even now as I am older I find a lot of comfort knowing my parents are praying for us as part of that list. These days it may be a bit harder to get my Mother to participate, but I know my Daddy keeps up the praying. He told me how he had been praying for Tim in Iraq the last time we talked by phone.<br /><br />Then he walks down to the room where Mother sleeps with the travel bag hanging from his shoulder. This bag has his recorder with the current book he is "reading" by listening. We have been so thankful for the books that are recorded for those who cannot see. Daddy has read more since having Macular Degeneration than perhaps ever. A lot of times when we talk we end up reflecting about a current book he is listening to.<br /><br />Daddy spends all morning there with my Mother and when she is dressed and ready they go up to eat in the dining room upstairs. It is a good time for my Mother to interact with the other people in Trace Point. After lunch he leaves Mother snoozing in her bed and he walks to his room and takes a nap himself. On getting up he spend the rest of the afternoon with Mother till she eats supper and when she is being made ready for bed he slips back to his room where he listens to some T.V before he too goes to bed.<br /><br />September the 4th of this year which was my Daddy's 86th birthday we remembered that it had been 49 years since my Dad almost died in an automobile accident between Madrid and Zaragoza, Spain. My grandparents who were visiting that summer were in the car as well as David, Margaret, and I. I was 10 years old almost ready to start 5th grade.<br /></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbMLnpzHOoVa9BVjaXs5hfdd3GwYwfOpnAiWfgnsroIZwVK0ukmVwCj1PmpYCdZvCFX9cNWAPCfnRojD7oyfL0Fzoc8UrzwS8LkIomL8VOyPbSdrDTNAtC8XO77qiB5v7Yd9WU0HSDnNQ/s1600-h/Whitten60th.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262980301648732482" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 133px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbMLnpzHOoVa9BVjaXs5hfdd3GwYwfOpnAiWfgnsroIZwVK0ukmVwCj1PmpYCdZvCFX9cNWAPCfnRojD7oyfL0Fzoc8UrzwS8LkIomL8VOyPbSdrDTNAtC8XO77qiB5v7Yd9WU0HSDnNQ/s200/Whitten60th.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN7UCvRa0YkKv51WEHeHrSlIStxQYe2hWVjf1YmdRzOFpAhQmrQSBLM36mcVgc_xt1SxVcCZ5Wt-RN5CDh195mnkP7_px-GpdubrD9WHKcdkniWN7n8bl6uzYI8HhRmBgZSnTFLg5wzvY/s1600-h/Whitten60th+%233.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262980690939658354" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 146px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN7UCvRa0YkKv51WEHeHrSlIStxQYe2hWVjf1YmdRzOFpAhQmrQSBLM36mcVgc_xt1SxVcCZ5Wt-RN5CDh195mnkP7_px-GpdubrD9WHKcdkniWN7n8bl6uzYI8HhRmBgZSnTFLg5wzvY/s200/Whitten60th+%233.jpg" border="0" /></a> What would my life had been like if my Dad had died in this accident? He had 7 broken ribs, a crushed spleen (to the point it had to be removed), a damaged liver, and a pint and a half of blood that filled his plural cavity. My mother would have had to return to the United States and that would have changed my life entirely. I look at these pictures these 49 years later and wonder how we all fit in the car and how we all didn't die in the wreck. </div><br /><div>Psalms 139:16 says, <span style="color:#ff6600;">You saw me before I was born. The days allotted me had all been recorded in Your book, before any of them began. <span style="color:#000000;">What an amazing thought that God had my Dad's days programmed as well as mine and he knew that we would walk through that experience.</span><br /><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyB5pyfe-Rzqw56_S4UrQB06_n4iTQ1XtedBmk6rcz4h0OIT6JWjVTU2Y2GC3W8ZJtJQiA4u6TgMdeMsp_Jjw753Iwi3O5ox_vSfcmyqMNCXlmpRwX6z-T7HGuM0O75TdSD3Cmcq4robs/s1600-h/Whitten60th%235.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263036868282659714" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 142px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyB5pyfe-Rzqw56_S4UrQB06_n4iTQ1XtedBmk6rcz4h0OIT6JWjVTU2Y2GC3W8ZJtJQiA4u6TgMdeMsp_Jjw753Iwi3O5ox_vSfcmyqMNCXlmpRwX6z-T7HGuM0O75TdSD3Cmcq4robs/s200/Whitten60th%235.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><br /><br /><div>Just like Daddy prays for the missionaries on their birthdays I wonder how many people later realized that they were praying for him on a day that he really needed special prayer. There were a series of miracles that got Daddy to an American Air Force Base that was able to operate on him right away.. their f.m radio station was just being inaugerated and they called for A- blood which was somewhat rare, but he needed it in order to survive the operation since he had lost so much blood. Dr. Bloomberg operated on Daddy and said when he came out, "I did my part, now it's up to God to do the rest." God did the rest and my Daddy has lived another 49 years since then.<br /><br /></div><div>Daddy and Mother's ministry went from 30 years on mainland Spain, to the Canary Islands (part of Spain but Islands off the mainland). In that time period all of us went to college, started working and got married. Daddy and Mother's last period of missions service was in Equatorial Guinea (the only country in Africa that speaks Spanish). Even now in TracePointe Daddy and Mother have ended up in ministry situations. Daddy does the devotional some mornings, he has preached for the Sunday and Wednesday night meetings in the chapel. He continues to let God's mission flow through him to those he comes in contact with. I, as his daughter, am so grateful to have him around still. There is no way to express the feeling that I have when I call and he answers. He will always be my Daddy whom I love and respect. I am so grateful that my Daddy didn't die 49 years ago, but hung around for me to get to know him like I am getting to know him now!</div></div><br /><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbiuta-pXrSJx-vvVCoY5me3VETLsCScn0DXzoQS_p6kReCrc4odxcWDYby5dnmL6rH_ywZEFjU1-AxbbHByfWnza0HHKtPhBta7iDAy6ZAi3v6JgFpGuZqUXM3ETroTLfJkEwCySxmjQ/s1600-h/Whitten60th%237.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263042232351972850" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 197px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbiuta-pXrSJx-vvVCoY5me3VETLsCScn0DXzoQS_p6kReCrc4odxcWDYby5dnmL6rH_ywZEFjU1-AxbbHByfWnza0HHKtPhBta7iDAy6ZAi3v6JgFpGuZqUXM3ETroTLfJkEwCySxmjQ/s200/Whitten60th%237.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />I am really blessed to have had both of my parents this long. At this time in my life I have no promise of how many years more I have but I am grateful for every day more that the Lord give me with both of my parents.<br /><div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div>Helen Cobbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15851772863297731133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-512297916767413043.post-31830324171650490132008-10-23T09:07:00.000-07:002008-10-23T10:18:48.642-07:00Can God Provide for our future?<span style="font-family:verdana;color:#ff0000;">The steps of a man are established by the Lord; and He delights in his way. When he falls, he shall not be hurled headlong; because the Lord is the One who holds his hand. I have been young and now I am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, or his descendants begging bread. All day long he is gracious and lends; and his descendants are a blessing. Psalm 37:23-26</span> <div><div><div><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiow4L3swPVjNyextG5vnAUNf53t4z-HS-n8YUpzirCyUhMYdlyfP1PK6Te8gcTqs8kvE3W5XFaS_mtee_yGjpcdfz0zffxroA7DmkP7nFfMMbHzj69-bnpv6Ygv5Iitqqe48i1Fhjt_GM/s1600-h/Misac+02.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260384639234208834" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 167px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiow4L3swPVjNyextG5vnAUNf53t4z-HS-n8YUpzirCyUhMYdlyfP1PK6Te8gcTqs8kvE3W5XFaS_mtee_yGjpcdfz0zffxroA7DmkP7nFfMMbHzj69-bnpv6Ygv5Iitqqe48i1Fhjt_GM/s200/Misac+02.jpg" border="0" /></a> </div><div>I saw this picture on the internet and it brought images to my mind of small poor boys here in Guatemala City who stand in front of vehicles stopped at red lights juggling balls hoping that the occupants in the cars will give them some spare change or a Quetzal coin which at this time is worth about 14 cents. These boys certainly don't look like these folks in the picture in their suits probably trying to make a statement as to the economic condition of the U.S. and the stock market in particular. </div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKJpV7dKxUfbqYojaZIgNqnkVGISjkPw7-0fZcSw4EG_JLfyae-q4h8HTRXoCasijj20shIy6PDw-Rzwet7TF6mlAzM0dQIQoxVEow69o05Sm26tov1uZIeon3GKSPiTlTg9VSwVx9f6g/s1600-h/Guatemala+19.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260388929288032114" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 132px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKJpV7dKxUfbqYojaZIgNqnkVGISjkPw7-0fZcSw4EG_JLfyae-q4h8HTRXoCasijj20shIy6PDw-Rzwet7TF6mlAzM0dQIQoxVEow69o05Sm26tov1uZIeon3GKSPiTlTg9VSwVx9f6g/s200/Guatemala+19.jpg" border="0" /></a> </div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260389784240340034" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 136px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMmRl15bTt2tdGVAZK8NywlKTIK3fraMU_RKB-ibGobM0ZOwTGT3zkyMxY6OH5QuIGuREVyXJUuQ813UA5EY4EATsxwE73xGm2l8OGmOaUPEWeT3SDacTwCzeXDDDLOkoC9dhu7RxZOCc/s200/Guatemala+62.jpg" border="0" />Who can say that the people in these pictures in Guatemala are suffering anymore or any less than anyone else in the world but for sure they have felt the economic pressures for a long time and have felt like they have little or no control over their lives as they know it.<br /><br /><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260391438479389746" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 149px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNfntfuUSACFHwk-Pnt3hj0bhMeDvWdMu8IUgqt5q9r5eG_VHwNV4krPoSNPuWiZtXUnxgfGj242AlVifHRQ4qFAgXm-3Mp-uQriuKWUevtdJ37rRAUGTWENzVdYBTNMCR78eS173v1ro/s200/Guatemala+65.jpg" border="0" />These boys who in most parts of the world would be in school are earning money to be able to eat by shining people's shoes. They probably don' t know that life can be any easier. That is what they have been used to. </div></div></div><div><div><div></div><br /><div>I read that because of the economic measures taken in the U.S. we don't really know what problems we are leaving the generations to come. Some have even gone so far as to say that the life that awaits the coming generations will be less that what we are now experiencing. </div><div></div><br /><div>Lately I read <span style="color:#ff0000;">Psalms 71:17-18 : Oh God, you have taught me from my youth; and I still declare Your wondrous deeds. And even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, until I declare Your strength to this generation, Your power to all that are to come. </span></div><div></div><br /><div>Now that we have a grandson and another one on the way naturally I begin to think, what kind of life awaits these two grandsons as well as all the other grandchildren that will come eventually? Is God's hand too short that He cannot save this next generation? Is He still the God that doesn't change? As we allow the Lord to order our steps we will continue to see His strength in the generations to come. What a time to depend on the Lord. All other sources are falling around us. He is our strength!</div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOp16BvDuklxSo3LdreZYXAMHjRduOirEVQix_ZxPMrckD_qm9c7rwVSZFidwYponB7KLQTqeBOAj2UEYMn7s80PFkfgONRwtfGOCurHRcQzWqlFEaCZyUGJ4OrL4rUOEh2rAnSP-XaWY/s1600-h/Guatemala+47.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260397882141238466" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 154px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOp16BvDuklxSo3LdreZYXAMHjRduOirEVQix_ZxPMrckD_qm9c7rwVSZFidwYponB7KLQTqeBOAj2UEYMn7s80PFkfgONRwtfGOCurHRcQzWqlFEaCZyUGJ4OrL4rUOEh2rAnSP-XaWY/s200/Guatemala+47.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><br /><div></div><br /><div><br /></div><br /><div></div><br /><div><br /></div><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><div><br /></div><br /><div></div><br /><div><br /></div><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><div><br /></div><br /><div></div></div></div>Helen Cobbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15851772863297731133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-512297916767413043.post-39676657769900373062008-10-14T12:45:00.000-07:002008-10-14T15:39:14.532-07:00Who does he look like?<div><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdFkdOBrefORsZLXNp3-ja_3GY_OLyNf9bRHEC7JFwY3csnpoLyq9BnH1gplM5XO7N_2JArXeaizOfZcKSnpjhKDsA2xlGpsmDa0IaePSQ6v7pKTQgTz6l6nicTG3dKxsDtaUsDvCn9tg/s1600-h/Jared+06.jpg"></a><br /><div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj97TXjfoN1SBxhpt_a1KPVGQBJRLLw26bIF1m-gN7ApAx3kmfyYozsMX5YYiZHKkZn7khnGsbF2iPYY9wU2wZcM_FqGnV5SpWQrII8n2pOvXwPe0uRqxvp6QVmkq_90uNXcDNWYGz0B9U/s1600-h/Jared+94.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5257119858356269634" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj97TXjfoN1SBxhpt_a1KPVGQBJRLLw26bIF1m-gN7ApAx3kmfyYozsMX5YYiZHKkZn7khnGsbF2iPYY9wU2wZcM_FqGnV5SpWQrII8n2pOvXwPe0uRqxvp6QVmkq_90uNXcDNWYGz0B9U/s200/Jared+94.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-family:georgia;"><strong>So God created man in His image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them. Genesis 1:27<br /></strong></span><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><br /><div>Why is it when a baby is first born that as the family gathers around <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Ohh65jA8DlpmgWJO3MxXky0HuFHuH7U5gaAb7lxymaaeodc5CeduWqGwgc4OqBW4oRdnMz9wRUQPGbL_ZSLlhuVMSVAK9z9ilGZV7vIM-7pzFsAwJNOE_DWETSg2S5tDC8xFh6MoBCI/s1600-h/SteCri+09.jpg"></a>and looks at this new creature everyone begins to wonder, "Who does he look like?" I remember as I first gazed down at this wonderful new being that was my first grandson I tried to see charecteristics of his Mother, his Dad, and then even of the aunties or the uncles, or even as far back as me or Steve. Who does Jared look like?</div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4sN6dRTKiPdqvSpt02JGZuGl1UGTDCCIQjks_b8moV3Kiq96plewFGmbKE-1xXnkyMS5Azn9GbAhwdORmP4qXyfpZIQl_VyapXkAmgpsCBhyphenhyphen_Mpn9HE_MRKmjF4jBPcwVK37P6GLC5iw/s1600-h/09Philip.png"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5257123278251032466" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4sN6dRTKiPdqvSpt02JGZuGl1UGTDCCIQjks_b8moV3Kiq96plewFGmbKE-1xXnkyMS5Azn9GbAhwdORmP4qXyfpZIQl_VyapXkAmgpsCBhyphenhyphen_Mpn9HE_MRKmjF4jBPcwVK37P6GLC5iw/s200/09Philip.png" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div><div></div><div>Does he look like his Uncle Philip here in this picture? His Uncle Philip didn't have much hair his first year of life, and Jared didn't have much hair when he first made his appearance<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-qBYELujJvtvtPzcC2Rf_iXURWiKXBv_YV0XLQQjfwZ4TbBs7uvbWnb9QGc-CNlkdW7KT3YmAsMZfys8CTUppfJjliQQpn7eJocsEcooNSXB6qwpNms1Ekpd5A7fHNl7r7uNk4aykON8/s1600-h/Anita+28.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5257115310203744546" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-qBYELujJvtvtPzcC2Rf_iXURWiKXBv_YV0XLQQjfwZ4TbBs7uvbWnb9QGc-CNlkdW7KT3YmAsMZfys8CTUppfJjliQQpn7eJocsEcooNSXB6qwpNms1Ekpd5A7fHNl7r7uNk4aykON8/s200/Anita+28.jpg" border="0" /></a>.</div><br /><br /><div></div><div>How about his Aunt Anita on the right? His hair seemed dark at first as hers does here on the right. They weighed close to the same weight. Can we see a resemblance there? </div><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilbqRKHc054GyFr5GYh-lyZlfdZvihS9riUsSeeNpeTmZwRFDapx6wGkb9ggonQ15gv3yLGKH6CVj0dajRu0c4I1HjXh6fgNlofiiRqgr7KjzhLrDHWxD2XPeeljEDU37X1NF1sjo3quA/s1600-h/SteCri+11.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5257118621437851282" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilbqRKHc054GyFr5GYh-lyZlfdZvihS9riUsSeeNpeTmZwRFDapx6wGkb9ggonQ15gv3yLGKH6CVj0dajRu0c4I1HjXh6fgNlofiiRqgr7KjzhLrDHWxD2XPeeljEDU37X1NF1sjo3quA/s200/SteCri+11.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>His Mommy Cristina weighed a bit more than he did, but I can see some similarity between the two.. they do look like they <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKYucyF7SBfd_F9Y07OI6-ZYnV99VdSzbtVlHRvx9YKL1dmGvUYbVwz_YuIoKMkn8p3kklGeyxA3CM_OnZ2D85XJ-mqEVH31XOA1nW-vPZOLkN-lCUNiTUy8UPI5nyir_JgqZoOTfq3rs/s1600-h/SteCri+09.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5257120483697632514" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKYucyF7SBfd_F9Y07OI6-ZYnV99VdSzbtVlHRvx9YKL1dmGvUYbVwz_YuIoKMkn8p3kklGeyxA3CM_OnZ2D85XJ-mqEVH31XOA1nW-vPZOLkN-lCUNiTUy8UPI5nyir_JgqZoOTfq3rs/s200/SteCri+09.jpg" border="0" /></a>are from the same family don't they? </div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>But then we have his Dad here sucking his thumb just like Jared likes to do when he is sleepy. Does he look like him?</div><br /><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGgVc2ZUdqLDqWjrRn8OXe3Zsjof5CovruMFm-pvyNb0VJ8mvT-a_9AniRbTGFUS72CZ6sD2u8D0EVLkQCVxD-SK-zAWWjrLcO_a9OwzHwouEG83cMG4VEZu-yDAuYAxyQME11QrnkmwI/s1600-h/Tim+20.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5257122281856207602" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGgVc2ZUdqLDqWjrRn8OXe3Zsjof5CovruMFm-pvyNb0VJ8mvT-a_9AniRbTGFUS72CZ6sD2u8D0EVLkQCVxD-SK-zAWWjrLcO_a9OwzHwouEG83cMG4VEZu-yDAuYAxyQME11QrnkmwI/s200/Tim+20.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div></div><div></div>He certainly doesn't have the reddish hair that his Uncle Tim had in this picture before he turned one. His hair is more evident than his nephew Jared's is.<br /><br /><br /><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>These are some of the things that roll around this Grandmother Helen's head these days . However I began to think, if we are God's children what makes us look like him? As I started out saying... God created man and woman in His image. What does the word image mean? If am in His image what does that say about me? Funk and Wagnall's Dictionary defines image as: "a representation or likeness of a real or imaginary person, creature or object." </div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5257138756457878226" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrUEyUU4Uk95MvkXV7e_Cj_LPYXPHNz-jnTWsGlgmqF6NVTzKN3ByR3ViD1BFC_ibU1VK43Eg-3lp6eEOaudPT1xsNxEJSZebmHHakAbtLpLH5P9__a5GzOGaDcuXjs44m4rWBBfRL59A/s200/Jared+24.jpg" border="0" /> <div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>When I look at Jared he does represent both the Cobb and the Meier family and if we look enough at each member or each family we will probably find some likeness to several of them. So how do I represent or look like God? </div><br /><div></div><div>St Augustine, one of the church fathers of the early church said, "Thou has formed us for Thyself, and our hearts are restless till they find rest in thee." God made us for Himself! Isn´t that amazing! God made me because he wanted me for himself! In these days of uncertainty isn't it amazing that He made ME for himself!<br /></div><div>When we become joined with Christ as it says in II Corinthians 3 then when we read the word something interesting happens. In verse 18 it says, "All of us, then, reflect the glory of the Lord with uncovered faces; and that same glory, coming from the Lord, who is the Spirit, transforms us into His likeness in an ever greater degree."<br /></div><div> </div><div>Little babies grow into looking like the families they come from because of the family genes. But we as we are joined to Jesus and walk with Him, we begin to reflect His glory. That is what makes us like him. That is what I was created to be--God's property. That is an amazing thought!</div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Helen Cobbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15851772863297731133noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-512297916767413043.post-90038321382449643302008-09-26T08:55:00.000-07:002008-09-29T13:38:31.722-07:00How Helen's Happenings Began<span style="color:#3333ff;">Even a child shows what she is by what she does. Proverbs 21:11</span><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLkLwlNq-KUbve34MvRLY2r238AzPcFzfskx9ZZago5RQD7knS2WJ7qWbX4KwIN4J03PcJfIx1Q3N_5vCXv0VpEFvdVM98j6_hY169jQLgD7hkBkE1aVK8HMA9ULU80ovDRw3aJmrH9D4/s1600-h/Helen3.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250363023465574930" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLkLwlNq-KUbve34MvRLY2r238AzPcFzfskx9ZZago5RQD7knS2WJ7qWbX4KwIN4J03PcJfIx1Q3N_5vCXv0VpEFvdVM98j6_hY169jQLgD7hkBkE1aVK8HMA9ULU80ovDRw3aJmrH9D4/s200/Helen3.jpg" border="0" /></a> "She Sings As She Rocks..."<br /><div></div><div>Nov.26, 1950</div><div>Just up from a nap, Helen is in the living room looking around for something to get into. Her first action presented a touching little scene. She sat patiently in the big chair while her shoes and socks were put on.. or should one say socks and shoes? Anyway, the routine finished she climbed down and went over to her little rocker. A few seconds later she sat down in it and began to rock and sing. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvw0fpITSi3_432dCqyGrqdbaLscGDbIpovoDZaPhGbVlUy0kfVpybc4czSkvsT_EoHHFVHz3vs1Hp3fr-lmYDWQNYIawmGfyV_FhecVaBRRQw8OHzG2mpz2NTBYisYfB9OND1sV80qew/s1600-h/Helen2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250361313086158322" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvw0fpITSi3_432dCqyGrqdbaLscGDbIpovoDZaPhGbVlUy0kfVpybc4czSkvsT_EoHHFVHz3vs1Hp3fr-lmYDWQNYIawmGfyV_FhecVaBRRQw8OHzG2mpz2NTBYisYfB9OND1sV80qew/s320/Helen2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />A little more than 60 years ago my mother, a young missionary wife sat in Mendoza Argentina. As she remembered that time in her life in her later years she remembered being lonely, missing her family in Louisville, Mississippi thousands of miles away. Then there was no e-mail, no Instant Messaging, or Facebook. Telephone calls were very expensive and her parents who lived on a farm in Mississippi still had an outhouse and certainly didn't have a phone. To call her parents she had to ask them to go to her brother's farm where there they did have a telephone. So how was she to keep her parents and my dad's parents connected to this growing family? Since my mother has always been a reader and subsequently a writer, she began a weekly little letter that she would call <span style="color:#ff9900;">Helen's Happenings</span>. Many years later after Daddy and Mother moved into Trace Pointe Assisted Living I was able to lay hands on a scrap book with some of the letters pasted there that my granmother Mamaw Whitten (mother of Charles Whitten who is my dad) had saved. What a blessing to reconnect with the thoughts of my young mother especially since those memories are slowly fading with the onset of Alzheimers.</div><div></div><div><br /></div><div>January 1951</div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtf5Kyjb0oow3agdDE49oBjFLmpYGkObzwqUsiKo7WGZw_Qce9Ej6SU3YwQTWdAFAp73xjuRqsDtzbaa8885jz7LelXRzCLAYYEinMMffBrGhyphenhyphenGE_5Bqu1k3l_CW5Ck-jpn7lDJQmj1n4/s1600-h/Helen1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5251539295493595298" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtf5Kyjb0oow3agdDE49oBjFLmpYGkObzwqUsiKo7WGZw_Qce9Ej6SU3YwQTWdAFAp73xjuRqsDtzbaa8885jz7LelXRzCLAYYEinMMffBrGhyphenhyphenGE_5Bqu1k3l_CW5Ck-jpn7lDJQmj1n4/s200/Helen1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />BIG EVENT TAKES PLACE</div><div><br />"On December 26, 1950 a big event took place in the life of little Helen. Up until that time she had hesitated to walk alone and wanted her parents to walk around with her so that she could at least hold on to a finger for support. Tuesday afternoon she was standing by Mother's chair in the living room and suddenly decided that she could walk. Since that time she has steadily gained confidence in herself and now she is showing the work that she can walk. Her latest accomplishment is to get up from the floor when she is sitting down without holding on to anything. </div><div></div><div>It's easy to see how proud she is of her little self. When she first began to walk, she would toddle from one parent to the other and would laugh out loud when she arrived. In this picture Helen is running so fast toward the camera that her hair is standing on ends. She has Mother's measuring cup in one hand and her plastic drinking cup in the other. This picture is on the side patio. "<br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div></div>Helen Cobbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15851772863297731133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-512297916767413043.post-259008836593194962008-09-19T13:39:00.000-07:002008-09-19T21:45:06.272-07:00Discovering our purpose<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVR6V5kklpTaT8yjg7gDHr0KRbJ8x8cNk7gX4oxGXSgEcARgZ1qpLjeqtgDqUNaB5kjuSfnOPQ930HCb8Ml67IBVRWA8kaK7VX7rMKELvsAD-6zqTduX9fYPGuyxuV3jKLHC4gP29CuoE/s1600-h/28Philip.png"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5247854582817069986" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVR6V5kklpTaT8yjg7gDHr0KRbJ8x8cNk7gX4oxGXSgEcARgZ1qpLjeqtgDqUNaB5kjuSfnOPQ930HCb8Ml67IBVRWA8kaK7VX7rMKELvsAD-6zqTduX9fYPGuyxuV3jKLHC4gP29CuoE/s200/28Philip.png" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSIX5blItOG-suKih-iH5dbGsoJLEQNG7Ii2uPTMBzMZAycpoAED0QdQx68ofkGbvOd-l-Ep52ezHrME3Y9lkfJr2Hhc7mlX2VgjC4UezFrzRw0H27vfj_LsDFAREnx_reW3EKe-wy7KA/s1600-h/_Helen3.jpg"></a><span style="color:#3333ff;">"I alone know the plans I have for you, plans to bring you prosperity and not disaster, plans to bring about the future you hope for."</span> Jer.29:11<br /><div></div><br /><div>It's been a while since our kids were this small. Now Cristina's just months away from having our 2nd grand baby. </div><div></div><div></div><br /><div>Just today I was talking to Anita (smallest in the picture - now 27) and she asked me how long we waited to have our first child. That's Cristina. I remember thinking I had wanted to wait a couple of years to have a baby--wanting time to adjust to being married. I wanted to at least feel comfortable with cooking, and all that went with being a wife. </div><div></div><div></div><br /><div>I heard the phrase here lately, "Life happens" and another one comes to mind, "The best made plans..." Well that is sort of what happened to me. 5 or 6 months into marriage I was expecting. I called to find out the results at the lab, and he said, "The rabbit died." It took me a few seconds to understand that meant that I indeed was pregnant. I remember sitting in our treehouse like apartment in Pensacola, waiting for Steve to get home to break the news to him. </div><div></div><div></div><br /><div>Anita said that she feels like being a mother would give her more purpose in life. From this end with all the kids being grown up and gone I told her that was a temporary purpose, because from experience I knew that they do grow up and go on with their lives. What would my life have been like if I had not had these 4 precious very different individuals in my life. I can't imagine. Much of the woman that I am now was formed as they grew up beside me. </div><div></div><div></div><br /><div>So now we have one more than the picture show's who's now 24. He, Tim, is in the Army in Iraq for a year. The baby in the picture (Anita) was then younger than our grandson Jared is now (14 mo.). Cristina, Philip and Anita are all married now. Life goes on.</div><div></div><div></div><br /><div>I do remember, when we lived in Honduras, after Philip was born ('78), that I was glad that I had been pregnant with Cristina in the U.S. I learned enough about breast feeding and what a baby was like that I was not confused when my first pediatrician wanted to give Philip something for diarrhea when he was several weeks old, probably just because he had not seen the stool of a totally breast fed baby before. </div><div></div><div></div><br /><div>Now it's 27 years or so after this picture was taken and I am still finding the purpose that Jesus has for me. I still am the Helen who wanted to be a blessing to other people's lives. Even in the midst of things that confuse me and the challenges that are before me I am really a blessed woman. There is so much more and "I aim to find out what that is."</div><div></div><div>So now I embark on the great adventure of writing some of the things that have happened to me and some that are yet to happen. As I write I will understand myself better and you can get to know me as well. Join me!</div><div></div><div></div></div>Helen Cobbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15851772863297731133noreply@blogger.com0