40 Years and Counting!

"Thank you for making us happy,"  these words  Campbell prayed at a dinner last night celebrating our 40th anniversary.  Yep, that pretty well sums it all up!  We enjoyed a wonderful feast prepared by Mat and Bethany.-- those two really know how to pull out the stops.  It was wonderful evening ---Marshall and Katie were sorely missed -- but he was presenting his research this past week in Miami and the Bahamas.

I have spent the last week scanning old pics to create our family history in pics.  I won't bore you with all of those -- but here's a few of my fav's --

40 years ago at our church wedding shower -- check out the pants!!!

After ministering to my home congregation for a year and a half we left Illinois for Harding Graduate school to the tune of our favorite song, "Please Come to Boston" blaring on the car radio --

Our family marks every occasion with food and a dessert -- the kids always make me a coconut cake for my birthday-- even Marshall has gotten really good at them -- and Bethany made me a scrumptious one for my 60th when she was 10 (???) months pregnant - a day before she went into labor.

LPCF Groundbreaking 2005

I like Moses' reminder to the people 

The Lord OUR God has blessed US in all the work of OUR hands.  He has watched over US . . .  THESE 40 YEARS the Lord OUR God has been with US and WE have lacked nothing.  Deut. 2:7  

Our favorite time in ministry is the drive home after teaching together

Family then

1988 On our way to Austria for Daddy's teaching sabbatical.

Dad made them a giant raft -- NO I didn't float on it

Disneyland in LA with Papa and Nonnie Neese

Christmas 1986

B's graduation 1998

2005 Marshall's OU Medical School White Coat Ceremony

Mazatlan 2006

and now . . .

Watching  our children find their forever loves and seeing their excitement as they build their lives together gives us joy as they begin their own stories. . . 

 I discovered a Matt Redmon song, quite by accident a couple of weeks ago.
 When I heard Never Once, I thought it really summed up our years together.

We were so touched to find that Mondo and Leeca had learned it to sing at dinner last night - they were even better than the original!

Standing on this mountaintop, looking just how far we've come,
Knowing that for every step you were with us.

Kneeling on this battleground, seeing just how much you've done,
Knowing every victory was your power in us.

Scars and struggles on the way, but with joy our hearts can say, 
yes our hearts can say . . .
Never once did we ever walk alone --
Never once did you leave us on our own --
You are faithful, God you are faithful.

Matt Redmon --2011

Babe,  
this is OUR story . . .  we

-Learned to parent together

-Laughed through the joyous times and cried together through the hard ones.

-Been on our knees for our children, our parents, and the Church

-Shouldered side by side through difficult times

-Guided our parents to their Heavenly Home and

            felt the pain of loss TOGETHER 

¨We began our marriage with a single purpose to love each other, and serve Jesus.  Faith and Family have been our core values.

¨We’ve nurtured two beautiful human beings whom we adore to adulthood and are now enjoying two precious granddaughters and waiting to welcome more.

As we built our forever family, we’ve been able to show Bethany and Marshall the Church all over the world.

¨They’ve seen that working with God’s people can be rewarding as well as sometimes challenging.

¨They’ve shared our successes and watched us suffer defeat --seeing you get up and go back to work the very next day.

¨They’ve watched you struggle with physical pain and yet fill each day with purposeful work.

                         Terry Bell -- I am so honored that God chose for us to 
                                              make this life journey together!

Overcomers

Isaiah 61

 To care for the needs of all who mourn in Zion, give them bouquets of roses instead of ashes, Messages of joy instead of news of doom, a praising heart instead of a languid spirit. Rename them “Oaks of Righteousness” planted by GOD to display his glory. They’ll rebuild the old ruins, raise a new city out of the wreckage. They’ll start over on the ruined cities, take the rubble left behind and make it new.

 It's been a difficult year for the Obert-Thornes in so many ways --the death of a precious grandmother--health issues .We celebrated the 4th of July together (Lora's birthday) -- and here we are back at the same table on New Year's Day sharing a meal -- under very different circumstances. We're a lively household of 9 for the present time.

the front wall was the only complete wall standing everything behind this is charred ruins

Terry and I have witnessed their faith and rock solid trust in God to make something wonderful of this disaster and for Him to bring beauty from the ashes of their house on McKinley Ave.  Every morning and evening they circle their family together back in one of our bedrooms for Bible study and praise.  They hear from their parents how they're going to meet the challenge that day with a grateful heart and hope in Jesus.

They've seen "God-winks" in every situation ---significant items being replaced that no one could have possibly known how important those were to them, as  teachers, church family and friends have been so very generous!   Mom and Dad are taking care of  their kids first -- helping them process this whole ordeal  -- It was great to see the kids start to play again on Friday.
Meantime they're all back at doing what they do best -- taking care of others --- as they look for baby items for a young mom they met at Church on Sunday.

2 Timothy 1:7 (NCV) "God did not give us a spirit that makes us afraid but a spirit of power and love and self-control.

 

My favorite definition of love by children is one that I have used in my high school relationship units for years.  A little girl said :"love is what's in the room at Christmas -- you have to just be quiet and listen".  We had a wonderful holiday and though it was just a few days -- we packed in a lot of loving and laughing.

Campbell loved having both sets of grandparents and her Uncle Marshall and Aunt Katie in the same room. She was in high gear the whole time- telling Marshall that Aunt Katie was her favorite.

Sydney in her Christmas jammies wasn't too sure what was going on

Christmas Eve reading "Twas the Night. . . "with Mommy and Daddy

 In keeping with family tradition, Bethany and her daddy made their chocolate pecan pie together.
Campbell got to join in for her first time while Grammy supervised.

I can't bear the stories of the children at Sandy Hook -- I can't even look at their pictures -- In no way can I imagine what it is to know that your child faced such a horrible massacre and then have to wait hours to identify their tiny bodies. 
As this week that tiny town holds one funeral after another, pray for the mommies and daddies and sisters and brothers and grandparents and aunts and uncles. Please Lord, as you are holding these precious babies in your arms - help their mommies and daddies make it through the next long days and weeks and years.
Comfort  them as only you, the God of all Compassion, can. May they be blessed by a strong community of faith. 

Sunday as usual . . . we were standing with Campbell during Praise and Worship -- she loves to be up close --to us --and the music -- There she was looking all cutsie --in her cowboy boots and leggins swaying and "dancing" to the music.  She loves coins instead of paper to give to Jesus and I had tucked a few in a little zipper pouch -- I gave them to her as she joined us and she promptly scattered them on the floor.  Closer to communion and time for our giving - I told her to pick them up so she could give them to Jesus -- You can always tell when C is thinking something through -- She'd been living the story of His birth all week -- this seemed like a pretty good option to give him a gift --but -- she didn't see Him anywhere.  She looked up puzzled and asked "Where IS Jesus?" 
My Nana theological response was -- in Heaven with God-- and in your Heart-- how much more confusing could I make it????  
Of course her next question was "Where's GOD?" -- "Is He with Mary?"  

She's got all the principals in the birth story -- she didn't ask about Joseph whom for some reason she calls "Baby Jaguar".  
As her thoughts develop into stories, Papa and I are fascinated with the way her mind is developing . 
She always asks the most insightful questions  . . . She gets us back to what is really important and involves us in her creative world of play.
..
"Except you become as a little child"----

The house is ready -- our KU Intern party was lots of fun -- enjoying reading everyone's Christmas letters that come in the mail.
Can't wait to love on our Colorado kids --and celebrate this special time together.  --

Oh LORD, you are so good!

Catching UP!

PRAISE!!!  -- Sydney Kate will be 7 weeks old Tuesday -- Thank you Jesus for our healthy, happy girls!

 It's been a busy six weeks of loving on little girls ---these are my favorite pics from Sydney's birth, newborn shots by Carissa, Thanksgiving and some of our "firsts" with Sydney

Sydney's first trip to Church

Wake up Mommy -- it's time to play!

We love our Nanna Pappa time on the weekends!

Christmas Card Photo shoot - Thanksgiving Day!

Thanksgiving Day at the Pond with Papa

Cooking T'Giving together is a sweet tradition!

Looking for Jesus

We have a nativity set that was given to us when we were on a trip to Israel in 1998 – it is hand-carved and made of olive wood – very special to us indeed – 

This set is a favorite with all the little ones who come to visit and I even use it teaching Sunday school classes.  Kids who visit always love taking Baby Jesus out of the manger –

Campbell Hope dearly loves this nativity set and  Baby Jesus  is her favorite piece.  Every time she comes over she takes  him for “walks around the house” and so we find Jesus everywhere.  After she leaves,I get a little obsessed about looking for Him – because what’s a crèche without Jesus????

Last Sunday  morning Campbell and I were retelling the story before church services and she decided that he needed to meet the mommy and daddy sheep and their lambs – when I told her that Jesus was placed in the animal feeding trough – she wanted Him out and lined up all the animals so they could eat from their food bin since she was certain they were hungry.

Aren't we glad Jesus wasn't meant to stay in the manger?  

                     . . . and don't we find ourselves looking for Jesus in all our circumstances? 

This verse in my morning quiet time this week says it best . . .

So dear brothers and sisters who belong to God and are bound for Heaven, think about this -JESUS!

Heb.3:1

It has been a wonderful weekend of family, faith and fellowship.

No, it's not  fireworks~

Getting to celebrate Terry's birthday with Bethany and Mat was really special.  Terry had both grandgirls to help him celebrate.             

Party Hearty!!!

 

Checking in at registration  Sat.Nov. 3

We wished Marshall and Katie could have been here, too  - but he is cramming for one of the biggest set of Board Exams he's had yet after returning from Los Angeles where he was presenting his research as one of the five selected nominees for the Vivien Thomas Research Award.

  

We have been in the new Church building a year on Saturday – we celebrated with a Mexican fiesta and lots of testimonies.  A month ago we launched a capitol gifts campaign to raise adequate funds to complete the remainder of the building.  The church is in a poorer section of town – we have a lot of people  with distressed incomes, no incomes or living on social security.  We set three goals a faith goal--80K, a hope goal-100K  and a love goal -120 K.    In reality no way did we think we would accomplish any of those goals – by yesterday morning we had surpassed our faith goal!!!!

My thoughts went to all that had transpired to bring us to this place . . .  

This week a verse from a tough time in ministry resurfaced in my morning study time – “Those who sow in tears with reap with joy and shouting.  Psa. 126  Yes!!!  That was us on Saturday night -- reaping in JOY to lots of funny stories and good food.    I remembered the picture one of our gifted artists at church, Jimi Pryor, had given us years ago during another difficult season – she named it “Good Harvest”.  

I love art with a meaning from people who are dear to us -- It took root in me and spoke to where we were at that time .... it put hope in my heart that the difficulties would pass and there would be a new season.   It did and now we're living it -- a Good- Harvest . . . 

the song, “For all that you’ve done, I will thank you –

For all that you’re going to do—

truly applies here.