Just got word that Pop is out of surgery and in recovery. He is doing well. The doctor says there is still some infection, but meds should take care of that. He’ll be in the hospital about a week. Thank-you so much for your prayers. We serve a mighty God!

My Dad is quite an extraordinary man. Small in stature…BIG in heart. He has always taken great delight in doing things that others said was too hard, and showing them that it really wasn’t all that difficult. Pop had an adventurous early life. One of 8 children, he left home at an early age, and joined the Navy, followed a buddy to N.C., and met and married Mom. Then bought into a motorcycle dealership here . And here we all still are. He has been in the motorcycle business all his life…so you can imagine all the fun my sister and I have had…and then our children. It’s in our blood. My husband and I own the powersport business now, Pop has retired…but in name only. He still goes to work every day.

When my sister and I were still at home, Pop made some wonderful trips …on his motorcycle. He would spend a few months in preparation…then strike out for South America or Central America. He would be gone for a month or 2. While gone, his base would be with a missionary. Pop is quite a handyman, so the missionary wives were so glad to see him. He would fix everything that was broken. He also made lasting relationships with their children. Some still contact him regularly. Mom was always supportive of these trips, and when sis and I got older, she would go with him. They have some wonderful friends all over the world. The older I get, the more I realize that Pop was just not “right!” He would take off on these adventures…and know NO Spanish. He relied on sign language and his good looks, I reckon! 🙂 Oh, the stories he has to tell, and if you stop long enough, he’ll tell you one.

Pop still rides his motorcycle. In the past few years, he’s broken several various and sundry body parts. But, he won’t complain . Just say,”if you’re gonna play, you’re gonna sometimes have to pay.” Sis and I have put our foot down to riding alone, he’s now only ALLOWED to go with a buddy. And, God has so graciously provided him with a riding partner…YOUNGER…
so he can still go. So, now Pop is chomping at the bit to get back to life and living it to the fullest.
So, heal quickly, Pop…you’ve got lots still to do.

Tomorrow is the time for my Dad’s surgery to repair his colostomy. He has been counting down the days and the hours and the minutes since Christmas. He is not the most patient of men, and this has been so hard on him and Mom. But, praise God, he has healed well and the doctor feels the time is right to put things back as they were. I would so appreciate your prayers in the morning. God is so good and we thank him for his healing mercies.

I’ve been thinking about posting this for some time, and it’s not as easy as you may think. Here goes:
Choose 5 people who you would like to spend the day with. They can be living or deceased. Exclude immediate family and friends. Why did you choose these people?

1. President Bush. I would love to see the inner working of the White House. I admire President Bush and I think he is a fine man. What a position he is in. I would like to pray with him and let him know that I support him and appreciate what a tough job he has.

2. Joyce Meyer. It seems as if every time I hear her speak on T.V. she has something to say directly to me. She speaks in such a direct and forthright manor, that it is easy to understand just what her message is. There is no beating around the bush with her. She states it clear and plain. I would like to just have a conversation one on one with her.

3. Oprah Winfrey. I do enjoy watching her program and I think she tries to serve humankind in the things she undertakes. What bothers me is that she says that she is a christian, but I never hear her talk about the saving grace of Jesus. I know that she tries to represent all sides of a subject, but I’ve never heard her say anything that makes me think she really knows the Lord. I should not judge, but I would just like to make sure she knows the truth.

4. Elizabeth Owens. This is my mother-in-law who passed away about a year and a half ago. We all miss her so much. I find that there are things I never asked her or talked to her about and I would love to have that chance. She died unexpectedly, so we were not prepared for her early home going.

5. I do not even know this person’s name. I am looking for the foremost authority on pain in the world. My middle son suffers from a disease called cerebellar atrophy. He is in constant, severe pain. We have been all over the country to specialist after specialist, and we have received no help. I know there is someone who has an answer for him. If I had a whole day with his/her attention…maybe we could get somewhere.

So….who would you choose? Word of caution…it’s hard to choose just 5.

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Originally uploaded by Tonja Owens.

I am so blessed to have my mom. We have always lived in the same city except when I was away at college. She is tiny…in body only…her spirit is tremendous. She always looks for ways to help others. I could write on and on about how she blesses me every day. But, I want to tell you of a particularly kind thing she did for Alex yesterday. My mother in law, Elizabeth, died 2 years ago, and we all miss her greatly. She was a wonderful cook. Just good ole country cooking. She had a particular cake that she would make for my boys on their birthdays…a black forest cake. It was divine. And it never lasted long around the house. Well, my mom, Eloise, got Elizabeth’s recipe and made Alex one of Grandma’s cakes. Now, my mom is a terrific cook also and has her own specialties as well. I just think it was so kind of her to make Grandma’s cake for Alex because she knows how much he loves it. It would have been so much easier to make her own that she was familiar with. But, that’s just the way she is. Thanks, Mom!