...a word from Kathy

T he first time I took my daughter, Sarah, to camp it was the summer before her third grade year. The weeks leading up to camp were a delight and she was so excited. Camp day came and she wasn ’t so excited anymore. After we set up her bunk area it was time for me to leave. As we kissed, hugged and said our goodbye she whispered, “please mama, take me home.” So I lingered at bit longer wanting her to get comfortable. The tears came and the whisper continued, “I want to go home.” I kissed her and reassured her. Her counselor finally came to me and said it was time. One last kiss and I reluctantly walked to my car. Was it easy? No, but I knew my girl was in a good, safe place, being cared for…..I like to think that she was hemmed in. Do you know this term ? It’s what we are, hemmed in. Psalms 139:5 reads, Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD. You hem me in—behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. The New American Standard version re...

R ecently I was in Memphis, Tennessee with a small group and we decided to visit the home of Elvis Presley, Graceland Mansion. As we pulled up to park, the parking security guard asked me for the password. He had a certain twinkle in his eye so being a good Tuscaloosa girl, I replied, “Roll Tide”! “That’s the word”, he exclaimed, “I’m a University of Alabama fan. Welcome to Graceland”! Wow, even Elvis loves the Crimson Tide! As we entered the ticketing area, I suddenly realized that this tour idea might not have been too keen. There were lines of people waiting for tickets, taking photos, buying souvenirs and waiting to tour. We had to decide between the Graceland Mansion Tour, the Graceland Platinum Tour, or the Graceland Elvis Entourage VIP Tour. I suddenly understood that Elvis is the “King of Rock ‘n’ Roll”! We got to the Mansion and began the tour. It was an interesting and fun experience. We saw custom room designs, custom-made clothing, and vintage pieces from El...

I had lunch with a friend today. He’s a 29-year-old Biostatistics student working toward a PhD degree. He is brilliant and far above my intellectual ability. He’s also young but not quite young enough to be my son. Yet when he told me of his news of marriage I found myself overwhelmed and in tears of joy. For this young man has become like a son to me. I met him two years ago in a coffee shop on the University of Alabama campus. We met through a mutual friend. Since that time I have seen him periodically and in the last year we’ve met on a weekly basis in an English class. But today our visit was about him and his future. We grabbed lunch at an outdoor café. Poboys and Cokes, the perfect outdoor meal. As we ate, he shared the story of his engagement, the wedding plans, and his hopes for the future. He talked about his bride and her personality and their road to engagement. Sometime during this hour together I noticed my friend was not eating. He had so muc...

G raduation. Commencement ceremonies. I’ve attended a lot of these in my lifetime but there are several I'd like to mention. Once I attended a kindergarten graduation. It was precious. All the little graduates in their white robes, grinning from ear to ear, and looking for mama and daddy. Then, s eeing the parents look at their child with such hope for their futures. Another memory I have was the day my nephew graduated from college. His heart of love is what makes him special. He is the giver of great hugs! However, this young man struggled with school. The years of ups and downs seemed endless. His preferred major was one of the most difficult – he struggled more. He persevered. The day he walked across the stage at graduation we all cried. This precious man had achieved his goal. When we lived in Texas, the graduation ceremonies were fantastic. There was loud cheering from the audience! It was like an athletic event in some ways. The joy was...

H ave you ever experienced Laryngitis? That’s right, the illness that affects your vocal cords and you lose your voice. A few years ago, I had just returned from a mission trip to China and developed a severe case of laryngitis. I had a house full of company, people I dearly loved and hadn’t seen in months yet I could hardly communicate with them. I had words I wanted to express but no voice box with which to speak. Thoughts, joys, hard aches trapped inside me. Strangely enough, I find myself with spiritual laryngitis today, feelings, words, emotions, and thoughts trapped inside me and looking for a way out. I know Jesus is King, I know He is alive, I know He walks before us, and He hems us in. I believe. But yet… When the believers were gathered in the upper room after Jesus’ death and after the women discovered that He had risen, they too may have developed a type of laryngitis. Perhaps it was some type of frozen state where their minds and words just shut down but ...