Marilyn's Mussings

Yes, I am being a little melodramatic. Yes, I have done a little bit of whining. No, it's not really a foreign land. It's just Birmingham! I am a girl that loves tradition and Christmas seems to be the time of year that screams the loudest for "same-ness" in my life. A few days ago Mother and I were in the car and she said "I just wish I had something familiar." She is struggling to hold onto the familiar but I also related to what she was saying. It is exciting to be at a new place. Everything is fresh and a wide open adventure. But meshing the old with the new is sometimes difficult. Even small things like decorating for Christmas is a challenge. Some stuff doesn't have a place, some stuff doesn't fit in, and some stuff needs a special place.   But isn't that the nature of life? Always changing. Always dealing with change. Some traditions we take with us everywhere we go, some we leave behind. The important ones we keep. Christmas is abo...

Two weeks ago I sent a big manila envelope to New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. It contained two very important things: a paper (stapled) and a check (my tuition). Then last week I went to Nashville to the National Women's Leadership Forum. It was wonderful! While I was in Nashville I had a chance to talk with the sweet ladies who received my manila envelope. The question they asked me? "Did you not send a check?" I immediately went into panic mode. I knew I put it in the envelope. I could see myself dropping it in - oops! I did just that! I dropped it in the envelope. I did not attach it. And now it was a very important piece of paper . . . lost in the envelope . . . lost in the trash . . . toted off somewhere . . . all by itself! All that turned out ok. I wrote another check. But I got to thinking about the importance of being attached. Each of us, as children on God, is so much more valuable than a check for any amount. Any one of us could easily slip away ...

I have lived in Montgomery, Alabama, Topeka, Kansas, Amarillo, Texas, Vancouver, Washington, Yakoto, Japan, Dover, Delaware, Prattville, Alabama, Columbus, Mississippi, Wellington, Alabama, Jacksonville, Alabama Anniston, Alabama, back to Montgomery, Alabama, Gadsden, Alabama, and now Birmingham, Alabama. Every time I move my heart breaks for the friendships I have to leave. We always say we will keep in touch but the truth is life carries us on to the busyness of the day and all that screams to be handled in the immediate present. Last week I was reminded of the hope that friendships remain. I had lunch with my dear friend Judy from JSU. She was in town with her husband and we took a couple of hours to catch up. I didn't know Judy well until not long before I left JSU but my spirit bore witness with hers and I will always cherish her friendship. Then I spent the afternoon with Susan, my roommate from Mississippi State. Susan and I lived together, were in each other's weddings ...

More than thirteen years ago, Jerre and I were in Nashville and went by the LifeWay store. A real treat for me! While there, I happened upon a new in-depth Bible study written especially for women. It was by someone I had never heard of, but the title tugged at my heart: A Woman's Heart, God's Dwelling Place. A friend of mine had done a few studies for women at church so I asked her about leading that particular study. My motive was purely selfish. I wanted very much to do the study. She agreed but sometime along the way, God moved her and left the study in my care. Oh my! What a journey we have been on since! God used Beth Moore and that particular study to stir something in me that He is still stirring! I pray He never stops! Since then, we have done study after study. As fast as Beth Moore could write them, we were studying right behind her. In between, we would go through A Woman's Heart and Breaking Free again. Then other women authors' studies became available. ...

There is nothing else like joining fellow believers in worship of the one true God. Yesterday I drove back to Twelfth Street and enjoyed worshiping with my dear friends. Today I was in Birmingham worshiping with a whole bunch of complete strangers. In some respects, I felt at home in both places. I miss my friends terribly but there is a bond with these strangers too. Jesus. He is our focus no matter where we are. But finding a new church is hard . . . not because there are not any "good" churches in Birmingham, but praise God, because there are many! Jesus Christ is alive and doing a great work in Birmingham, Alabama! It is very exciting to see all the Lord is doing and I am looking around thinking how fun it is to visit everywhere! But that's not His plan. . . He picked out the church for us before He moved us. That's where we want to go.

But you aren't my Bible Study ladies, are you? You are His !  I thank God for you and I praise Him for the privilege of serving Him along side you for the twenty-one years we were at Twelfth Street Baptist Church. Oh my, what a journey this has been! Almost thirteen years ago, Jerre and I were in Nashville and went by the LifeWay store. I found a women's Bible study on the old testament tabernacle called A Woman's Heart by Beth Moore. I was eager to do the study so I encouraged Donna Conrad to lead it. Before the study was finished however, God moved Donna to Georgia, leaving me to finish the study. Wow! That was a long time ago.  Those first years I tried so many different ways to teach! I studied and my heart was so full! Every study that we did I wanted to study more than the last. I prayed that God would make me hungry and He did! I just could not wait to tell you all that I learned, but I struggled with the delivery. The suggestions in the book didn't work for me...

So I completely missed God on this one. But the good news is God is completely capable of correcting me! And praise Him, He has! We have been on a winding road and I keep hearing that one phrase from some old song . . . "the long and winding road." Amazingly, our new-new house really is at the end of a long and winding road!! I was convinced that we were buying the house that God intended for us. As the closing date approached, we became uneasy about the fact that the house was not complete. No amount of prodding had changed anything. The contract had been mutually accepted four weeks earlier but nothing had been done on the house. We became suspicious that God was blocking us for some reason. Sunday afternoon we had an open house at our Rainbow City house and decided to drive to Birmingham. It was less than 24 hours before closing and the house looked the same as it did when we placed the offer. We were just sick. We talked, we prayed, and we tried to sleep. When we were n...

In this house, you both grew up. You grew up physically, mentally and spiritually. You were fed a steady diet of chicken fingers, math, and Bible, laced with lots of love and laughter. We played every board game out there (even dominoes), sang karaoke', and bowled with Wii. (I heard you also slid down the banister with the babysitter!) We watched lots of movies and yes, reality television! You both learned to drive. Many dance pictures were made by that pink chair! We celebrated birthdays, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. We dyed Easter eggs and you tried to sell rocks. Lots of people have spent the night here: Disciple Now, Acteens, Continental Singers, and many, many friends. It was always fun. Our New Years Eve celebrations sometimes lasted until daybreak and we looked forward to them every year. We spent much time talking and praying. We had Bible study and prayer meetings. We grieved over lost love and lost loved ones. We saw God answer prayers and direct our desires. You both fel...