Category: Marriage

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“Heads Carolina…”

First picture on our little road trip!

Peach says:

Oh, my goodness! You may have seen Batman talking about us planning a little excursion! We’ve been counting the days until we could take a little time for some adventuring!

Oops

Today is the day we set out! We have a general destination and idea of what we want to do and see, with no particular tight time frame. And lots of opportunity to take rabbit trails! We’ve never done this, well, maybe back in 1996, 1997 on a couple trips with our sons!

But, this is just us! Some music! And more than a few pairs of boots and clothes! I should add here, that as we packed yesterday, it was very obvious who was in the military in years past, and who…was not! 😂😂

There’s nobody better to take a road trip with than my Jerry! He’s up for anything, we like the simple pleasures! He will stop for anything, anytime!

Now we are having stretch sessions at the rest areas! 😂😂 It really helps! Things you don’t really need or think about when you are in your 30’s! In our 50’s though, this is a big deal!

We will be giving updates for fun and memories to look back on in the next couple of weeks!

Happy Sunday, Y’all! Peace and love!

Peach

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Always

Peach says

Pretty sure this was taken by our almost three old grandson, Lukie Poo 💚

A solitary son

No sisters

No brothers

Him and his parents

Thank God for cousins

He had so much heart

Too much to be alone

Paid his way from 10 years old

Learned how to defend himself through grit and necessity

All his life before his wife, God was preparing him for his job

There would be a woman, young, broken and beautiful who needed him and his love and his patience

Together they would beat the odds and make a life and build a family

They would together discover a stained glass faith, with solemn and steadfast prayer as it’s heartbeat

He was fiercely loyal and tenderly kind

Always forgiving

Always loving

Always kind

He once had a red corvette

Boy, was he fine in that ride!

You never had to wonder where he was

Or what he was doing

He was an open book

And a steady hand

Just a glance and you were corrected, as he gently tugged on his mustache

He was generous and frugal all at the same time

He was old school in every way and we are richer for it

As the years rolled by the world grew alarming

He wanted better for his family but knew he couldn’t stop it

So he prayed

Often three times a day

For the world, for his family, for the Church

He’d forget to eat

But never forget the coffee

His loving nature and nurturing ability caused a crowded, beautiful menagerie of a garden in the back yard. Two green thumbs. Something he inherited from his father

Without him the family cannot be the same

Of course

His was the heart that pumped the blood that fed our hearts

Now we must carry on, each with the parts of him we got

Be steady

Be kind

Pray

Love and forgive

We love, we pray, we endeavor to live in a way that honors him

He couldn’t stay another day

It was time for his reward

We understood the need to go, we do not begrudge the much earned rest

We just wish we could have him for a visit, one more time

One more hug, one more twinkling of an eye, one more slow smile, one more talk, one more walk about the yard

When it’s my turn to come, Daddy O, I hope you put the coffee on for me

It’ll be awhile

A lot left to do

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Landslide

Peach says:

First apologies, profusely, for being so late! Life is so very full right now! Jerry put out a fantastic group of sunrise photos! ‘Morning’s Glory’! We are both so glad to get some of the glorious beauty of the Lord into people’s hands, in order for people to appreciate the hand of God at work for us.

“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.” — Psalm 19:1

So, how are y’all doing so far this year? We are running our race this year strong and steady, counting the literal work days and until Batman retires! And counting the months and weeks until each two grand babies are born!

Not gonna lie, having a hard time processing all the emotion of joy of this year and the work to make time for writing or making podcasts. But, my heart is so here every day, looking for opportunities. I am sure we all struggle with that juggling thing though.

What are you listening to lately? This year has brought some wonderful praise and worship music and just uplifting music in general. My sound track this year has included Dante Bowe and his album Circles. All. Of. It. What I loved about this album is he is a devout Christian artist writing and singing with so many in the current Praise and Worship circles, like a bee from one group to the next, cross pollinating from one part of the Body of Christ to the next, which I think is one aspect of the epitome of healthy Christian living. The kicker though for this project, in my mind, is it is a Christian singing his faith as it looks in his every day life, like we ought to live every day, not as a praise and worship project but just reflections on life, naturally reflecting his faith. Totally relatable to anyone, whether they care for Christian music or not. Every song has a reason to choose it. I think ‘Joyful’ and ‘Family Tree’ are great choice to give a listen.

The Maverick City, Elevation Worship project called ‘Old Church Basement’ is a whole experience!! There is no skip song at all, on this or any of the great albums I’m digging this year! Some faves? ‘Wait on You’, ‘Shall Not Want’, ‘Million Little Miracles’, ‘Come Again’, and ‘Build Your Church’. It just transports you.

And can I just say I am superrrrr late to the Crowder party???? The Crowder ‘Milk and Honey’ album is a whole entire planet of wonderful!! A Southern Rock girl to my core, this music feeds my soul because it magnifies Jesus AND gives me that bit of the South sound that makes my heart happy. Again, no skip songs! Listen to it all…twice or thrice!

Also, I forgive y’all for not telling me about ‘We The Kingdom’. Did I mention I’m a Southern Rock girl? Yes! These people are making music that just isn’t out there, Jesus and the Kingdom and sung in Southern! ♥️♥️♥️ My heart sings and my windows rattle as I’m driving down the road! ‘Don’t Tread on Me’! Kicks the devil in his teeth and EXALTS our Jesus!! All the while making my Southern roots tingle! ‘Take Me on a Ride’ is such a great picture of the adventure our faith walk is supposed to be. What a great witness and joyful song!

An extraordinary experience I had one Friday before work, back in early May, was impulsively purchasing an old album by Pastor Clint Brown, from about 12-15 years ago.

Background: The church I spent 20 years in, and raised our boys in, sang so much of his music! He visited a good number of times and preached with fire and he’s just a work horse for the Kingdom of God. Good man. Super anointed. Well, I had been missing Praise and Worship from my old days at Family Worship Center. Which inspired me to get ‘Fall Like Rain’ that fateful Morning.

WOW! It lifted my spirits so much. I had not realized how VERY MANY songs we did of his until that day! It blessed me beyond anything I could have imagined, because I knew literally every song, and it was such a wonderful, joyful experience to get to sing these songs at the top of my lungs, while also remembering Sunday after Sunday and Thursday after Thursday doing the same, and it took me back, in the best way, to service after service of knowing that the Holy Spirit had just done surgery in my heart before the preaching even had begun! Again, no skip songs, some of my faves being ‘Awesome God’, ‘I Can’t Get Enough’, ‘I Will’, ‘I’m Forgiven’, and ‘Fall Like Rain’. He’s from Louisiana. And it shows!! Fan-flippin-tastic!! Music is such an incredible gift of God.

What brought me here tonight though, was Batman discovered a YouTube channel by the sweetest, most fun young couple, it’s called ‘Rob Squad Reactions’ . Not only are their music choices SUPERB! But, their heart shows through every upbeat amazed reaction, as they discover old music that Batman and I just love because it’s music from the soundtrack of our lives as younguns. They are all about the joy of musical craftsmanship and it’s a lot of fun to watch them discover and/or just enjoy it with us. Like us, they see music as a unifying element that people across all groups can appreciate and take pleasure in. We all need more of this!

Tonight as we sat listening to Stevie Nicks signing ‘Landslide’, I actually was overwhelmed with gratitude and emotion that made my eyes tear, which is not a reaction I have to music hardly ever. So many thoughts about appreciation for Batman, and our life together. It was like a wave washed over me. Or maybe bubbled out of me is better expressed.

I met him 5 March 1982 with friends on the way to an Alabama concert in a neighboring city. Our journey amazes me. It’s not that we have a flashy story. Nope. We are not flashy people. But, we were kids. Born to people who were extremely working class. Salt of the earth people. Our parents were born to people born and raised during the Great Depression. They had some wisdom to live by. And we had things to learn beyond that. Like every generation does. Just very grateful how the Lord has helped us to learn and grow and GROW TOGETHER. What a gift.

I think listening to these old songs and the memories and joy and the tears and the MILES the Good Lord has brought us through just has really moved me tonight! So, I wanted to jump on here and talk about what the gift of music is doing in my life this summer!

I hope you will be inspired to catch a sunrise, and try out Rob Squad Reactions, and maybe Dante Bowe or Crowder and ‘Milk and Honey‘, or We the Kingdom.

So tell me, whatcha listening to lately?

“It is of the Lord’s MERCIES that WE ARE NOT CONSUMED, because his compassions fail not.

They are NEW every morning: great is thy faithfulness.” — Lamentations 3:22-23

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Remembrance

“And that thou mayest tell in the ears of thy son, and of thy son’s son, what things I have wrought in Egypt, and my signs which I have done among them; that ye may know how that I am the Lord.” — Exodus 10:2.

Peach says:

Hey, Everybody! How’s things goin’?

It’s goin’ good here!

I think I mentioned our youngest is getting married and they have a precious baby on the way! We couldn’t be more excited for them! 🤗

Our oldest and his wife are now also expecting. We just can’t wait to meet the new baby! 🥰

I’ve noticed something, I’ve turned into that parent who is telling stories to the younger generation that explain some things we went through and illustrate the faithfulness of God. I have never minded my parents doing it, nor when I was a youngun’ did I ever mind hearing my Granddad’s stories either.

But, it has not been my nature to tell those stories, put us in the spotlight so to speak.

But, all of a sudden I have realized it’s a blessing to them to know the things we overcame and God brought us through, in spite of ourselves, it can give them both a point of reference and encouragement that they too can make it. And further, since the Father helped us two when we were young and dumb, He’s ‘no respecter of persons’ and what He did for us, He’ll do for them!

Every get together I find myself working old stories, nobody’s ever heard, right into the conversation. Unashamedly. I keep it light and lively, but it’s good things I want them to know. It’s part of their roots and heritage and where they come from, too!

It will also help them recognize their stories as they’re happening so they can tell their children, too!

When we are young, life is such a mystery in so many ways, and we are sort of wobbling along, doing the best we can. Over the years are a lot of missteps and mistakes. I truly think the things I learned from my parents allllll of my life about their life, was helpful to me to keep my equilibrium!

I am hopeful to do the same for ours, though maybe I wish I had started sooner. I will have to trust in the Lord that He has gone before us and ordered our steps.

The picture above is a FANTASTIC potato salad recipe, that I got from my best friend, (without whom I probably would not have gotten saved). And she got it from a dear lady who she not only grew up with and grew up in church with, but was her mother in law for many years, and still family! Because family never ends! It may change but it never ends.

Mrs ‘P”s Potato Salad has won people and their taste buds over for years and years, through many special occasions! She will live on and stories of her family’s goodness to us, (and that includes my best friend) will be told in my family for years to come, Good Lord willing and the creek don’t rise!

“Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God is one Lord [the only Lord].

And you shall love the Lord your God with all your [mind and] heart and with your entire being and with all your might.

And these words which I am commanding you this day shall be [first] in your [own] minds and hearts; [then]

You shall whet and sharpen them so as to make them penetrate, and teach and impress them diligently upon the [minds and] hearts of your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down and when you rise up.” — Deuteronomy 6:4-7

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37 Years

Batman says:

Today 12/19 Peach and I have been married 37 years (yes to each other). I keep telling y’all she’s amazing cause for anyone to stick with my weirdness, grumpiness, from the wrong time-period-ness , you would have to be an amazing person. I love my Peach and I’m pretty sure she loves me so I expect we will keep at it a bit longer.

Started me thinking about longevity, being married to the same person for a long time used to be common, now days it seems to be more common to either never get married or get married several different times to several different people, I guess hoping to finally find the one you always agree and get along with, good luck with that. Being married is full of complications but if you go into it knowing there are going to be disagreements and arguments and other things that make you unsure it was right, then you will be willing to work through them. Today it seems people get married, are happy a short while, get divorced, and start the cycle over again. It’s tough enough on the adults that go through it, but it’s the kids that suffer the most. I believe it’s why too many folk get married and split up, they saw it when they were kids, and their parents had no “stick-to-it-ness” and split up, so why shouldn’t they when things don’t go the way they think they should.

Peach and I started off many years ago living with my parents (who eventually divorced) because we could not afford anything else. We scraped by and we had and have disagreements, but leaving each other?? Never was a thought, at least on my part (hope peach concurs) and we worked through our issues. 37 years later still going strong, not rich by far but we get by. We have something lots don’t, we have each other, and Peach is the light of my life and has been since day one.

I joke with the youngins I work with that I’ve been married longer than most of them have been alive. I would not trade one second of my life with Peach and hope she feels the same.

Y’all find the person you can’t stand to be away from, love, marry, stick with through everything, and your life will be full with no empty spots.

“Ready for 37 more Peach? Peach?? Not funny!”