Joey and C.J. showing the sweet, sweet fruits of their labors. If you could see more closely, you would see that they had already experienced some of those sweet fruits! Lots of other youngin's in the background picking lots of gallons of strawberries!

Two of my sweet daughters and I doing a little showing off ourselves!

Here I am with Daisy Little from the Patriarchs' Wives group. What a blessing to meet dear sisters in person! Daisy, I am so sorry my camera is acting up! I had to use the "fix" feature because the picture came out so dark, and it always distorts the image a little. Otherwise, why would my hair suddenly look so . . . snowy?? (As grandson Daniel used to say with "air quotes", "yeah right!")

Some of the ladies at the end of the table -- Granddaughter Kitty standing, Daisy Little (left), Beth and Molly (my daughters) on the right. For the men in the foreground, serious conversation just keeps going on, in spite of cameras!

Some of the Miller, Discher, Stricklen and Little "littles" doing art projects together. We got quite a lovely collection for the refrigerator gallery last night!

The perfume of March

What a good Heavenly Father we have!! We have been blessed for the last few days with the sweet perfume of March ... orange blossoms! Well, around our house, it is grapefruit blossoms, which smell so sweet and almost intoxicating. Up and down our country road, it is almost like snow has permanently taken up residence on the trees in the groves. And the perfume is inescapable and pervasive. How we would miss it if we went away!

We had the sweetest Resurrection Day service in our little home fellowship -- family and friends and several visitors shared the beautiful remembrance with us and the fellowship meal afterwards. The children shared their music and preparations for the regional student convention of A.C.E., for which we will be leaving tomorrow. It is a busy time of year, but always enjoyable.

After we come back at the end of the week, the Millers will be making final preparations for their move to Arkansas the next week. What a huge cavern their absence will create in our family times, and in my heart! I have not let myself believe it is a reality yet, but it is beginning to dawn . . .! The Lord knows the heartaches we go through and understands our deep sadness, but I sure don't! God, give me grace and make me truly thankful for the time we have had together!

Hopefully, we will be able to share some of the week here -- it is always fun, and most of the family goes along, even though only the older children participate. This will be a sad time in another way -- it is Kitty's (oldest granddaughter) last convention before she moves on in her life as an adult woman. She has been so consistent over the years in her desire the let the Lord develope the many talents He has given her, and she will also be sorely missed when that time comes!

May we, like the citrus blossoms, be a sweet perfume this week for our Savior, sharing the precious scent of His anointing with all who cross our path!

Keeper of the Flame

My Uncle Pete, my daddy, and my Uncle Bob, during WWII. Uncle Pete was in the Navy, Daddy in the Marines, and Uncle Bob in the Merchant Marines. Daddy was 15 when he joined the Marines, thus his veteran status of 3 major Pacific campaigns, including Iwo Jima, at age 18.
My mother and daddy -- not sure if this is before or after their marriage at age 17 and 18 in 1945.
Newspaper article about Daddy's service in the Pacific theater of war.
The Keeper of the Flame, Uncle Bob, with me.

On our recent trip to NC for the National Center for Family Integrated Churches' Expository Preaching conference, we stopped in Charlotte to visit my Uncle Bob Harris. Uncle Bob has always been the family character. He is number 11 of 12 siblings, and always entertained the children at family gatherings with silly stories and witty sayings. We love Uncle Bob.

In his later years, he has become what I like to call the Keeper of the Flame. He has stacks of pictures and stories about our family, and he is eager to share them, so that his family heritage will not be forgotten by the coming generations.

On this trip, we stayed with him overnight and spent the next morning just enjoying all he could share with us. He and my father were just a year apart and were constant companions as they grew up on the farm. He told me a story about Daddy that I had never heard before. He said that the day for Daddy to start school came, and Daddy told my grandfather,

"If Bob isn't going to school with me (Bob was 5 and not old enough at the time), then I'm not going!"

Granddaddy Harris said, "Well, son, Bob doesn't have any lunch!"

Daddy was carrying a little brown bag, and he held it up and shook it and said, "I got a few nubbins in here -- I'll share them with him." So Uncle Bob went to school with him! Daddy had used the word "nubbins" all my life, and this was so like him to want his brother right beside him in a new situation.

Thank you, Lord, for Uncle Bob's devotion to our family and carrying on the faithfulness of many generations. God bless you, Uncle Bob.