COME ON IN....it's time for the circus!   Janelle had tickets to one of the traveling circuses that crisscross the country with shows under the good ole "big top"....so last night, she and Willie took the boys (I was on a conference call...more on that later).   From all accounts, and the pictorial evidence, they had a good time!  

Brothers....fa shur!

Mom (Janelle) and Zach

And no circus would be complete without......

.....CLOWNS!!

Now...back to the conference call.  The Board of Directors are considering a change in the some of the structure of LFI....it would mean a more localized Board of Directors, along with an Advisory Board.   Please keep all of us in prayer as we work through the details and ramifications of this change.  There are so many exciting things happening....particularly in Puerto Rico and in Kenya....God is certainly moving there, and we want to be ready to move where and when He directs.

Have a blessed day....and be a blessing....as the old saying goes, "You may be the only Jesus some people see."

It's almost time....to do "our thing" and hit the road again, that is. We will be leaving Mt. Juliet, TN tomorrow right after the morning worship service, heading to Virginia Beach, with stops along the way. We are planning to stop and see friends, Al and Pat Conrey and hopefully, Lee and Esther Smith, in the Cookeville area, and then continue our trek eastward.

It has been a productive time here, and it is good to know that we are following the Lord's leading, even if the ways we get there are sometimes a little convoluted (at least it seems that way to us)!

Before we started packing up and preparing for our trip (leaving the motorhome behind for this one), we spent an evening relaxing on my brother's deck, overlooking Old Hickory Lake. Thought you might like to see a few of the photos I snapped during our time there. This one seems especially apropos....after all, his last name is Fox!
I'm not sure that any feathered creatures make their home in this little house, but I wouldn't be surprised to find a few ants or spiders....but I thought it was photo-worthy, just the same.
And I'm always a "sucker" for pretty flowers! I may not have flower beds now, but I always manage to have some pretty pots of flowers to set outside the motorhome steps!
As we were preparing to leave to head back to our "home", we stopped to enjoy this beautiful sunset on the lake.....God's artwork that He paints....how beautiful.
And, of course, this is a sight I never get tired of seeing.....my wonderful hubby....God truly has been gracious!
LFI update - As we speak, after a long two-years in the planning stages, HOPE Singers Puerto Rico is in the middle of their first concert....praise the Lord! And another praise....a couple in Ohio just purchased a ten-acre tract in Eaton, OH with the thought of making it available to LFI for use as a possible retreat center and headquarters! Dedication of the land will be held this Tuesday....please pray with us that God will continue to guide our leadership and that we will follow always in the way He lays out before us!

Have a blessed Lord's Day....He is worthy of all praise!

It's been over two weeks since I had a "paralyzing" (well, feels like it anyway) episode....and I go again tomorrow for another round of therapy. Suffice it to say that every morning that I wake up without searing pain is greeted with thanksgiving to the Lord for His sustaining and healing power. I have gone from being close to tears at all hours of the day to feeling optimistic...that in itself is a great gift! Thank you, Lord!

Enough on that....

Willie just came in from doing some mowing here at the church....he has already been busy...done a lot of work in the flower beds here. Looking good, hon! I am busy working on a brochure for LFI....we have a lot of events and ministry opportunities in the next few months, including the launch of HOPE Singers Puerto Rico and HOPE Singers USA. Don't forget to check out our website!

There isn't a lot of news here at the moment, so I thought I'd share a few photos of "the boys" (Zach and Nathan) from their recent family vacation in Gulf Shores. FYI - this Mimi just LOVES getting pictures of grandkids (yes, that's a hint for some of you out there)!

And this was just the first night.....

Two boys enjoying the surf, sand and sun....I'm almost envious!

Mom (Janelle) and her three boys...well, one is still "in progress"....due later this year!

Two freckle-faced special boys...sharing, no less!

See you in a couple of months, guys! But before then we have to make that trip to Va. Beach to love on some other special guys and gals. Would you believe, that between us, Willie and I have ten grandchildren, with the eleventh one due later this year? YIKES....I could either feel very old or very blessed. I choose BLESSED!

Last week was a busy week....not only was it the last week on our project here at Doe River Gorge in Elizabethton, TN, we crammed a lot of activities in along with our work! On Tuesday, our group traveled to Jonesboro, TN, home of the International Storytelling Center. Since the "season" was not officially opened, we experienced storytelling in a quaint little coffee shop called "The Cranberry Thistle." As you can see, we were in a lot of discomfort (??!) while we listened to several different "tellers".....
....and the cranberry scones were yumtidelicious! It was a neat experience, and Jonesboro is one of those little towns that just begs to be explored....so a couple of us are going back on Tuesday to do a little of that exploring and have lunch. Should be another fun experience!

On Thursday, we took a train ride up the gorge.....what a beautiful day, and the scenery was even better. Mark, the train "conductor" (for lack of a better word),
shared a wealth of knowledge about the origins of the railroad here and pointed out a lot of scenic high points.....too many to share with you here, but here is just a sample of some of that beauty that God has created. (Will post more photos later.)

Friday was designated as the day that Lee, Esther, Willie and I were going to walk to the trestle bridge and back.....well, we started out great, but about two-thirds of the way there, Esther and I decided it was time to head back to the campground. Lee came along (to serve as our protector?), and Willie continued on....and on....and on! He went past the first trestle, past the second trestle.....well, actually he said it was a good thing I didn't see him as he picked his way around the trestles....might have had heart failure! He finally made it into a little wide spot in the road called Blevins....one of the goals he set for himself since we have been here. Even tho' we didn't make it all the way, I still took lots of pictures along the way!

(MY mountain man!)

This is just one of the many beautiful rapids on this stretch of the Doe River.

Willie wasn't too excited about our plans for Saturday night....traveling to Hiltons, VA and watching the show at the Carter Fold....bluegrass music is not our favorite, but we decided we wanted to experience the happenings at the Carter Fold! We knew that the bluegrass band from ETSU (East Tennessee State University) was going to be performing....WOW....did they ever perform! Several of the members were super talented....the guitarist and the banjo player, just to name a couple. We had thought we would probably leave early, but stayed until the very end....they were awesome, and we had a great time. (Oh, except for the driver that was going 10 mph when the speed limit was 40 mph....on a two-lane road with virtually no passing zones!) Everyone there seemed to be having a wonderful time, and the floor in front of the stage was usually full of cloggers....and anyone else who wanted to get up and dance!

Now it's time to start packing up and thinking about moving on to our next project....Horton Haven, TN (southeast of Franklin). It will be nice to be close enough to visit with Mom and Dad....and Jon....on the weekends. But before then there is a lot to be done (cleaning, packing, exploring)....I'll share more in the next few days. In the meantime, I'll also be getting to work on some LFI (Loaves and Fishes International, Inc.) business.....why don't you check out the website and see how God is using just ordinary people to do His work? If you'd like more information, just leave me a comment, and I will be glad to get back with you......there are a lot of exciting things starting to happen!

Until next time, have a blessed day, and may you be a blessing!