The physical trip has come to an end, but the memories will live on and on.
After worshiping at Belmont Baptist Church in Abilene during the morning service and at First Baptist Church in Moffat on Sunday evening, we headed for home. We pulled into San Marcos around 11:15 and turned the bus off.....we were home. It felt so good to be home but also sad that the time together had come to an end.
It will take some time for our thoughts to settle into a summary of our trip, but for now I will just say that Ron and I were blessed beyond our wildest imagination.
Thank you Steel Magnolias for letting us travel with you and thank you who have followed our blog for going along with us.
God Bless!
"Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs." Psalm 100:2
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Sunday, September 22, 2013
Day 15
I cannot believe this is day 15. The time has zipped by so quickly. This morning found us pulling out of Mineral Wells at 7:00 this morning so that we could get to First Church of the Nazarene in Brownwood for a Garden Gathering at 10:00. We pulled up to the church to be greeted by Margo who had to leave us last Sunday because she had to get back home. The Magnolias were excited to have her back with us. We are also excited that Janet and Michael Hodges drove from Lockhart to join us and Mickey Thomas's cousin was there. We had a wonderful gathering with our Magnolia's music and the testimonies. The folks there were a group of very special people - especially to Becky because her grandpa was there!
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| Becky and Grandpa |
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| Michael, Janet and Linda |
After a wonderful lunch we headed to Abilene. Ron didn't know what to do with just a one and a half hour drive. We arrived in Abilene with a 3 hour break before we had to pull out for our next concert. We were thrilled to be joined by Evelyn and her son Don in Abilene. We were the guests of Pioneer Drive Baptist Church's Seniors. We met at a restaurant that was packed with their people. They tapped their toes as our Magnolias sang. They especially loved Evelyn's harmonica song of God Bless America. Afterwards we had a full Mexican food dinner.
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| Evelyn playing. Her son Don is watching from the background. |
This day is over and we will just have one more day on the road together. As we travel down the road each day we are continually reminiscing about the events of the day and of the trip ... such sweet memories.
Until later.....
God Bless!
"Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs." Psalm 100:2
Friday, September 20, 2013
Day 14
We started out the day with a visit to the Oklahoma City Memorial Museum. The museum was dedicated to the victims, survivors and first responders of the Oklahoma City bombing of 1995. I was not really prepared for the flood of emotions. My sleeve was wet from mopping the tears. The scenes of the destruction and the personal stories made me feel like I was there at that time and place. Yet I know that there was no way to truly understand the feelings of the people of that city - then and now. Who can possible understand such evil?
It was hard to shake off the somberness of the morning, but remember I am traveling with The Steel Magnolias! We made our way south towards Texas. We even stopped at a Braum's for lunch. We do not have those in central Texas so most of us topped off our lunch with their ice cream! Robert even got a double cone. I think his eyes were bigger than his stomach.
We pulled into Mineral Wells early enough to catch our breath before we had to get ready. The kind folks there provided us with a meal and some good visiting. Our Magnolias blessed the congregation with their music and words. Once again we have made many new friends.
We were in our rooms by 8:30 which was almost a record! We will have a good night's rest before we head to Brownwood tomorrow.
God Bless!
"Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs." Psalm 100:2
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| The statue is titled "Jesus wept". That says it all. |
It was hard to shake off the somberness of the morning, but remember I am traveling with The Steel Magnolias! We made our way south towards Texas. We even stopped at a Braum's for lunch. We do not have those in central Texas so most of us topped off our lunch with their ice cream! Robert even got a double cone. I think his eyes were bigger than his stomach.
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| Look closely and you can see Robert's double dip cone! He ate the whole thing! |
We pulled into Mineral Wells early enough to catch our breath before we had to get ready. The kind folks there provided us with a meal and some good visiting. Our Magnolias blessed the congregation with their music and words. Once again we have made many new friends.
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| This sweet lady's smile says it all! |
We were in our rooms by 8:30 which was almost a record! We will have a good night's rest before we head to Brownwood tomorrow.
God Bless!
"Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs." Psalm 100:2
Day 13
Today we traveled 364 miles, drove through Oklahoma City at 5 o'clock, sang for 2 churches and visited the Oklahoma City Memorial tonight. Our travel agent knows how to pack activity into every moment.
Our first stop was in Van Buren, Arkansas at First Baptist Church. Our ladies sang to a large gathering of senior citizens. How they maintain their enthusiasm and energy after 13 days I don't know.....well I do know......it is the Lord who gives them the stamina. We were again blessed with a wonderful meal and a time of visiting with their folks. They have a new sanctuary that seats 1,300 people. They did not sing in there but we did get a tour!
We hopped back into the bus and arrived in Oklahoma City. The Magnolias sang at Providence Baptist Church in Moore. If you remember that is the town that the tornado tore through last spring. We remember it especially because of the fact that it hit the school. They are still recovering and will be for years to come. The church welcomed us. Each time we stop we leave with new "best friends" and this was no exception.
After a meal and a sendoff we traveled to downtown Oklahoma City to visit the Oklahoma City Memorial that honors the victims of the Oklahoma bombing 1995. It was sobering to say the least. Tomorrow we will visit the museum.
Another day behind us........our trip is beginning to wind down but not our Magnolias!
God Bless!
"Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs." Psalm 100:2
Our first stop was in Van Buren, Arkansas at First Baptist Church. Our ladies sang to a large gathering of senior citizens. How they maintain their enthusiasm and energy after 13 days I don't know.....well I do know......it is the Lord who gives them the stamina. We were again blessed with a wonderful meal and a time of visiting with their folks. They have a new sanctuary that seats 1,300 people. They did not sing in there but we did get a tour!
We hopped back into the bus and arrived in Oklahoma City. The Magnolias sang at Providence Baptist Church in Moore. If you remember that is the town that the tornado tore through last spring. We remember it especially because of the fact that it hit the school. They are still recovering and will be for years to come. The church welcomed us. Each time we stop we leave with new "best friends" and this was no exception.
After a meal and a sendoff we traveled to downtown Oklahoma City to visit the Oklahoma City Memorial that honors the victims of the Oklahoma bombing 1995. It was sobering to say the least. Tomorrow we will visit the museum.
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| Oklahoma City Memorial. Each chair represents a person who lost their life. |
God Bless!
"Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs." Psalm 100:2
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Day 12
Before I write the events of today, let me back up to yesterday!
The first place we visited was Northwood Baptist Church. Their pastor, Bro. Berry Smith was waiting outside for use with a smile on his face. We loved it! This congregation along with other church groups filled the pews of the church. We were excited to see a few pastors and their wives who we had met a few days before. They came back for seconds! The church treated us to a special lunch where we got to visit and make some special friends. The Magnolias formed a special bond with their pastor. He had such a hope for his church and what they can do for the community. Join us in praying for Bro. Berry Smith and his church.
After lunch we headed to Ryman Auditorium to visit the original site of the Grand Ole Opry. Everyone enjoyed seeing the history of Country Music.
We headed back to our room and had a brief 90 minute reprieve before we had to be on the road again to sing on the Grand Ole Opry Plaza. This was so much fun! The people coming to the Grand Ole Opry stopped to watch the Magnolias, many staying for the whole time. Of course, it was outside at 5:30 and our Magnolias almost melted but they survived! We quickly got the equipment back in the bus and were off to the Grand Ole Opry! This was fun....we even saw Old Crow Medicine Show get inducted into the Grand Ole Opry membership.
Now I am caught up to today.
This morning we left Nashville at 6:00 so that we could be in Memphis by 9:30. We arrived at Mullins Station Baptist Church and were greeted by about 60 members who came to hear the music of the Magnolias. They were very receptive and enjoyed our girls. They had the church set up with beautifully decorated tables and presented us with a wonderful meal. We had a little extra time (or so we thought) so we visited a little while extra. This church is excited about missions and has this wonderful sign as you drive out of the parking lot.
We continued our trip west and this is where we could have used that extra time we used visiting. ROAD CONSTRUCTION on IH 40. Ron just had to be very patient in the stop and go traffic for about an hour. Nevertheless we arrived at our next destination, First Baptist Church of Plumerville in Plumerville, Arkansas. Once again out Magnolias presented Jesus through song. And once again they delighted up with a table full of food!
The day is finally over and everyone has crashed...well almost everyone and I will be soon. We will be moving on to Oklahoma tomorrow.
Until then
God Bless!
"Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs." Psalm 100:2
The first place we visited was Northwood Baptist Church. Their pastor, Bro. Berry Smith was waiting outside for use with a smile on his face. We loved it! This congregation along with other church groups filled the pews of the church. We were excited to see a few pastors and their wives who we had met a few days before. They came back for seconds! The church treated us to a special lunch where we got to visit and make some special friends. The Magnolias formed a special bond with their pastor. He had such a hope for his church and what they can do for the community. Join us in praying for Bro. Berry Smith and his church.
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| Bekaye making a point! |
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| Carma enjoying music of Ethel (behind her). |
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| Darlene soloing! |
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| Debbie loving on Ethel! |
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| Delanie making new friends. |
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| Phyllis cooling off! |
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| Linda, Becky and Patti setting up product table. |
After lunch we headed to Ryman Auditorium to visit the original site of the Grand Ole Opry. Everyone enjoyed seeing the history of Country Music.
We headed back to our room and had a brief 90 minute reprieve before we had to be on the road again to sing on the Grand Ole Opry Plaza. This was so much fun! The people coming to the Grand Ole Opry stopped to watch the Magnolias, many staying for the whole time. Of course, it was outside at 5:30 and our Magnolias almost melted but they survived! We quickly got the equipment back in the bus and were off to the Grand Ole Opry! This was fun....we even saw Old Crow Medicine Show get inducted into the Grand Ole Opry membership.
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| Robert and Linda at Grand Ole Opry Plaza. |
Now I am caught up to today.
This morning we left Nashville at 6:00 so that we could be in Memphis by 9:30. We arrived at Mullins Station Baptist Church and were greeted by about 60 members who came to hear the music of the Magnolias. They were very receptive and enjoyed our girls. They had the church set up with beautifully decorated tables and presented us with a wonderful meal. We had a little extra time (or so we thought) so we visited a little while extra. This church is excited about missions and has this wonderful sign as you drive out of the parking lot.
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| Great sign!! |
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| Carla visiting. |
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| Linda, Ron and Robert waiting! |
We continued our trip west and this is where we could have used that extra time we used visiting. ROAD CONSTRUCTION on IH 40. Ron just had to be very patient in the stop and go traffic for about an hour. Nevertheless we arrived at our next destination, First Baptist Church of Plumerville in Plumerville, Arkansas. Once again out Magnolias presented Jesus through song. And once again they delighted up with a table full of food!
The day is finally over and everyone has crashed...well almost everyone and I will be soon. We will be moving on to Oklahoma tomorrow.
Until then
God Bless!
"Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs." Psalm 100:2
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Day 11
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| Look where our Magnolias are singing. They are at the Grand Ole Opry Plaza. They drew quite a crowd! |
God Bless!
"Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs." Psalm 100:2
Monday, September 16, 2013
Day 10
Today we continued the Magnolias' tour by returning to Glencoe Baptist Church for a Garden Gathering. These Garden Gatherings are a mixture of their upbeat songs and testimonies. It is exciting to hear Magnolia speak because what they have to say grows and changes from day to day. It is not a scripted text but one that is from the heart, reflecting that particular day. They speak of importance of their place in this world, prayer, potential, purging, and pruning. These are necessary for a good garden and also for a good Christian life.
Here are some pictures of our day.
After the gathering we were blessed with a wonderful meal provided by the ladies of the church. There is nothing like a church dinner where everyone brings her best. We lingered awhile visiting with the ladies, but then it was time to load up and be on the road again.
We traveled back to Nashville and stopped just long enough to check into our rooms and then head out for an adventure on the paddlewheel boat General Jackson. As we rode down the river we had a wonderful meal. On the way back to our rooms we made a quick stop to take a walk through the Opryland Hotel. That was one fancy place.
After a good night's rest we will be on the move again.
God Bless!
"Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs." Psalm 100:2
Here are some pictures of our day.
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| Getting this group together for a picture was like herding cats! |
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| Linda talking about her place in life. |
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| Patti and Delanie visiting. |
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| Becky is all ears! |
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| Phyllis sharing a laugh! |
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| Patti singing with Debbie and Carla backing her up! |
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| Darlene and Carla packing up. |
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| Carma and Robert packing. |
After the gathering we were blessed with a wonderful meal provided by the ladies of the church. There is nothing like a church dinner where everyone brings her best. We lingered awhile visiting with the ladies, but then it was time to load up and be on the road again.
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| Singing our Thank You song. |
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| Robert and Linda on the boat. |
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| Debbie and Bekaye waiting for dinner. |
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| Ron checking out bus. |
After a good night's rest we will be on the move again.
God Bless!
"Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs." Psalm 100:2
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