Weekend Wonders - Memphis

"Make the least of all that goes and the most of all that comes.  Don't regret what is past.  Cherish what you have.  Look forward to all that is to come.  And most important of all, rely moment by moment on Jesus."  ~Gigi Graham Tchividjian

Goodbyes never seem to get any easier.  So when sweet Edi  recently shared this quote with me, it was exactly the reminder that my weary soul needed.  Last weekend quickly filled up with goodbyes and thankfulness.  Christine and I were pregnant at the same time, waddling around library story time in Olive Branch.  Now we are sharing a different life stage, getting kids off to college and finding more wrinkles and gray hair every day.  

But over the years, one thing has stayed consistent, time with this thoughtful and wise friend makes my heart happy.

Sunday morning, Aaron got to preach and say thank you to Highland Heights Baptist Church.

And then we did what all good church folks do, we had a potluck.  

Good food, good fellowship.

Sometimes I forget (even looking in the mirror), that time is passing.  When we've been away for a while, I guess I think that time will freeze and everybody will look and act the same.

But this time I remembered that some of our best buddies from HHBC were now living in a retirement center, so we swung by and hugged some more necks.  Bettye was one of my spunky alto choir buddies.  She and a couple of other ladies gave us the gift of their Sunday afternoon and showed us around their lovely center.

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We're grateful that we also got to spend some time with Oma and Opa.  They are always so gracious to open up their home to our crazy crew.  

Aaron looks more and more like his daddy every day.

The last stop on our whirlwind trip of goodbyes was a hole-in-the-wall deliciousness with Elizabeth, a friend from our linguistic school days in Dallas.  She is now doing good work in Memphis in the very area that holds our hearts.  So as we make the most of each moment, we are relying on Jesus to hold our hearts amidst the goodbyes and to give us the strength we need as we prepare to return to the Solomon Islands.