For some time now, Parker has written a weekly devotion. This week his devotion is written about the devastating tornado that rampaged through Tuscaloosa. He says well what I cannot:

dev175-for Tuscaloosa
by Parker Windle on Saturday, April 30, 2011 at 5:58am

“And the Lord restored the fortunes of Job, when he had prayed for his friends. And the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.”


Job 42:10

The last few days I have helplessly poured over the news and facebook looking at devastating photos from Alabama. Tuscaloosa. The town that I call home, was pounded by a violent tornado on Thursday, leaving a mile wide trail of destruction where formally sat houses of friends, restaurants that I enjoyed, and churches that were dear to my heart, and barely missing the hospital where I was born. As I gazed at these photos, my heart was broken at seeing these places, that were once so valuable to me, now reduced to a pile of worthless rubble.

It is at is such times as this that the book of Job is meant to be read. During times of peace and prosperity, we can analyze the conversations of Job and his friends with a haughty air. We give explanations on behalf of God, trying to answer the all-important “why” question that people ask when their souls are overwhelmed with the depths of woe. But when we are in the midst of the storm, these proud answers do not suffice. Although surely my friends and family in Tuscaloosa are asking the “why” question after each body they dig up from the rubble, they will never be satisfied by the arrogant answers. God does not need these answers. God’s ways do not need to be defended. They need to be trusted.

Job’s friends took the road of conventional wisdom - if you are being punished, it is because you have sinned. While we certainly see in the scriptures that God sometimes uses natural disasters to punish sin, we do not see that as being the case all the time. And, in the case of Job, we know that this conventional wisdom of Job’s friends was not only incorrect, but was despicable in the mind of the Lord. Man’s reasoning ability is unable to account for the works of the Lord.

The temptation is to either give up God’s sovereignty or God’s goodness. People would like to either say that God did not cause this to happen or that he doesn’t love people enough to stop it. Yet, in Job, God does not leave either of these positions as an option. Job, who God loves, was chastised because he doubted God’s sovereignty. “Shall a faultfinder contend with the Almighty? He who argues with God, let him answer it.”

“Then Job answered the Lord, and said: ‘Behold, I am of small account; what shall I answer you? I lay my hand on my mouth.’”

For the moment, we will have to be content without an answer to why my hometown lays in ruins. We are in a position where trust is necessary, and thankfully we have One who is worthy of our trust and who can relate to us in our tears. Just a few days before this tornado brought its worst, the churches of Tuscaloosa met together to remember the time when God suffered for us. They broke bread and drank wine in memory of the Savior that wept over the cup that he would have to drink. Tears are part of what it means to be human in a fallen world. The eyes of God cried tears just like our eyes do. The fact that the sovereign King chose tears tells me that He can be trusted.

Because of His sufferings, eternal life is promised. On account of His afflictions, tears will never be the final emotion. The tears of Tuscaloosa will be turned back into praise soon enough, and therein lies the beauty of the gospel. There could never be any suffering so grave that it would keep the church from praising the One whose wounds healed them.

This Sunday morning in Tuscaloosa there will surely be many “whys” in the hearts of the churches of Tuscaloosa, some of whom will be meeting in new places because of the destruction of their sanctuary. Yet drowning out these “whys” there will be a melody. The great hymns of old will ring through the city like a like a mighty choir ready to welcome in their King. The organs will blast their chords and the drums will bang out the rhythm of a triumphal Savior who has already conquered the death that is staring them in the face. The people from different races, backgrounds, and denominations will unite their voices in harmony in awe of the One who is as sovereign over the storms and as He is over the cross. Why will they do this? Because there will never be a tornado strong enough to keep the church from praising their God.

Alabama, I love you. You are in my prayers, and I will be singing with you this Sunda

Crimson Clover

Every time I drive by a field of crimson clover I think of Sara McBride Craker's beautiful wedding portrait. So, when I noticed an empty lot done the street covered with the flowers I decided that I wanted to get some pictures of Libby in the clover.
Yesterday, Savannah and Jason were busy (she decorating for Holt's prom, and he had church business), so Cheri and I tag-teamed Libby. We swang, blew bubbles, rode in the wagon, etc. etc. etc. She wore me out!!! But, I did get an opportunity to take some pictures of Libby in the crimson clover. She was so enthralled with the flowers that I never got her to look up at me or smile.

Libby-Time

This past week Coach and Gran have had Libby (and her parents) over three times. What fun we have had! Here is the week in pictures:

Gran got a "Happy Meal" this week, and the toy was a fake camera. Libby has been taking our pictures all week.



Our living room ottomans have successfully held Libby within the borders of the living room until this week. Libby is a pretty successful climber who knows no fear.



As much as she likes to put her toys in a basket and take them out, she likes climbing (again) in and out of baskets herself.

Trying to climb in...



with Gran's help...



How do I get out?



Playing with her mom...



Playing Peep Pie (How in the world do you spell Peep Pie?) with Coach...



With Coach (who has finished chemo and goes back to work Thursday)...



Always a busy girl....

Hot Diggity Dog!

Saturday night, Savannah and Jason had a Sunday School party, so Gran and Coach got to keep Libby. As always we had a wonderful time entertaining her, or should I say that she entertained us! She is soaking in everything we say or do and responds as closely to what we do as possible.

We started the night off with supper. As soon as Libby turned one, Savannah and Jason stopped the bottles and had her drink from her sippy cup. She hasn't missed the bottles, but the cup is almost as big as she is!



Libby's favorite foods are English peas, carrots, and bread. She usually eats with her fingers unless we feed her. She prefers to do it herself without help from us. This high chair was Savannah and Parker's. (I no longer have their bed which is a long story that makes me mad, so I won't tell it here.)



One of Libby's favorite birthday presents was a purse. It came complete with a mirror, car keys, and lipstick. She loves taking these items out of the purse and putting them back in. Now, any purse or bag that she sees, she tries to carry on her shoulders like Mom and Gran.



Although Gran has no car keys, etc. to put in this bag, Libby always finds something. Perhaps it is a football, rattler, or doll.



The last time Libby visited I moved my fingers around and said BZZZZZZZZZZ. Then my fingers found her tummy and tickled it. (Everyone does this to kids, right?) So, what does Libby do? She puts her fingers up and waves them in the air like Gran. She hasn't quite got the BZZZZZZ down yet, but she is trying!



Libby loves playing on our sofa. She loves running on it and falling on the soft pillows. That means Gran and Coach have to be at their best to make sure she doesn't fall.




Libby has also started learning where her nose, ears, and mouth are. Here she is showing Coach where his nose is.



There is nothing sweeter than a little girl in her monkey pajamas winding down for the night. When Libby gets tired, she just stops and goes to sleep.

Happy Birthday, Savannah!

Almost 27 years ago on March 7, our baby girl, Savannah, was born. Parker was visiing Mamaw and Pop in Aliceville to give me a break. Dennis had gotten up early, around 4:00 a.m., to study for a calculus test. (He had recently sold our clothing stores and was in engineering school at Alabama.) I woke up around 4:30 a.m. not feeling "right". I really wasn't sure if I was in labor or not. With Parker my water broke and back labor kicked in immediately. There was no doubt about him, but this time I wasn't sure. To make a long story short, Dennis and I headed to DCH, and I was admitted. At this point, Dennis was wondering whether to take his calculus test. I encouraged him to take it so that he would not have to start all over studying, and he would be home the next week when the baby came home. He finished his test (made an A) and got back to the hospital around 2:00 p.m. Savannah was born at 2:15 p.m. While he was there, he wasn't. Dennis's stomach is not made for the delivery room. I remember when she was born, and the doctor told me we had a healthy girl. (Remember twenty-seven years ago couples did not know the gender of their child until he/she arrived.) As I had an epidural this go round, I was able to watch her birth. She was such a pretty little thing, and I remember crying over the miracle of it all.
Momma came to visit that night, and I swear I think she bought every pink gown, rosebud dresses, bows, etc. that the stores had in stock!! That first day was great with all the visits, calls, etc. But the next day was different. Because Dennis became sick with fever, he could not come stay with me. And because he was sick, Momma and Daddy had to keep Parker and could not come. I had a little post partem and was truly feeling sorry for myself. Still, I had that precious baby girl and couldn't wait to get her home.
On the day she was to come home, it snowed!! Not long, but enough to guarantee that they would let me leave earlier. We had not, at this point, named Savannah. I wanted to name her JoAnna Shelby after my momma and grandmother. Dennis wanted to name her Savannah Shelby. (The name Savannah was in an old family Bible of my grandmother's. The actual name was "Anna Savannah Victoria Leigh Gray". Now, we used to make fun of this very long name, and in so doing, Dennis heard it, and fell in love with Savannah.) Shelby is my mother's maiden name, and I am all about family names. AND, since I named Parker, I relented and let Dennis name Savannah.
We took Savannah home on a Saturday. Momma, Daddy, and Parker were there to meet us when we arrived. What a wonderful journey this ride has been with our baby girl. We love her so much and are so proud of her!


This is a three month old picture of Savannah. The little booties that she has on were crocheted by my Granny Gilliam. I still have them, and Libby has worn them.


This picture reminds me somewhat of Libby--all that hair and a paci in her mouth!

This was her one year picture.

Happy Birthday, Libby!

Tomorrow is Libby's birthday, and I can't let the day go by without a little reminiscing. It seems like only yesterday that we were all gathered in the waiting area of the Northport DCH waiting on our little one. It was so obvious how much she and her parents were loved by the number of family and friends waiting on her arrival.
Libby's full name is Libby JoAnna Pate. The JoAnna comes from my mother, JoAnn, and my grandmother, Anna. It is actually the name that I wanted to give Savannah, but Dennis got to pick her name since I chose Parker's. (Savannah's name is another blog!) Savannah and Jason chose to honor my mom and grandmother by naming her JoAnna, and it means a lot to me that they did.
Speaking of Jason. What an awesome husband and father! Jason stood with Savannah throughout the delivery and helped her so much after the delivery--not only with Libby's needs but Savannah's physical needs as well. What a man!!
When Libby was born, of course the discussion was all about "Who does she look like?" At first, she favored Savannah's baby pictures with those big blue eyes.



The older she got, though, I knew she was the spitting image of her dad, or more so her Pop Pop, Mike. I've even told Mike that if he ever wanted to know what he would look like as a girl to take a look at Libby. One of the first physical features that everyone pointed out were her lips--Angelina Jolie lips is what everyone said. Now, I'm not an Angelina Jolie fan, but she does have good lips. LOL

This is my favorite picture of the four girls---formerly three girls.


Like my momma, Savannah, and me, Libby has a head full of hair. Keeping it under control has been a major undertaking, and no, it is not under control yet!




In the beginning, Libby had trouble with reflux and changed formulas four maybe five times before the doctor found the right one. Add to that the uncomfortable braces that she wore on those tiny precious feet twenty-three hours a day, and you would think that Libby would be a miserable child. Perhaps she was for a few months, but not any more. She is always happy; always smiling; never meets a stranger; and very curious. As much as she loved the vacuum cleaner to calm her down and put her to sleep when she was just born, she now hates the vacuum cleaner and runs/cries when it turns on. I say she cries, but to be honest, Libby very rarely cries. Now, she can fake a cry to try to get her way, but she does that rarely. She is her own unique little self with a lot of personality. She has brought joy to our lives.







I've added this one last picture to remind me of her days with the braces and how easy it was to get her to go to sleep. Just cover her face with your hand, blanket, or burp pad and off she goes!




Happy birthday, little one! You are greatly loved!

Libby at 3 months:



Libby at 6 months:


Libby at 9 months:

First Date

Although I am not the type to remember exact dates and half anniversaries, I do remember that Dennis and I had our first date sometime in February. I was living at home with Momma and Daddy having graduated from Livingston the December before. Mrs. Potts had resigned as Librarian/English teacher at P.A., and I was hired in her place. (To sidetrack a little, I remember two things about that first job. First, I was twenty-one years old, and the students in my study hall were seventeen or eighteen. Second, my English class was made up of some of the cutest kids--seventh graders--, and the two I remember the most are Lane Wright with his gigantic grin and Harley Martin who sat on the back of the desk with his cowboy boots in the seat.) Back to the first date. At the time, I was dating a guy at Livingston and going back every weekend to stay with friends and to see him. On this particular weekend, I found out that he and one of my friends had been having a good ole time during the week. Needless to say, that was the end of that for me, and I headed home. I hadn't been home long when the phone rang, and it was Dennis asking me out. Although I knew who Dennis was, he was much older than me. LOL He was a senior when I was a freshman, and during the sixties, these two age groups didn't mix like they do today. (I found out later that he and a bunch of his friends were planning a night out in Columbus. They mentioned seeing me in town and dared him to ask me out. They told him that I probably would not go with him, but I did.) And, even though cars are not important to me, I remember that he drove up in a bright green Grand Prix, I think, with white leather seats. Most people that know me and Dennis know that he is not talkative and that I am shy (yes, I am) until I get to know someone. So, between the two of us probably 10 words were spoken all the way to Columbus. While I had a good time, I remember thinking on the way home that he would probably not ask me out again, and if he did, I may not go. We just did not have anything in common! Later, I found out that he did not plan on asking me out again. Remember I said that I'm not good with dates? Well, the reason I remember February as the month of our first date is because Dennis gave me a box of Valentine candy that night. I was impressed about that, but later found out that he gave out several boxes of candy in the next few days because his friend, Cecil Durrett, who owned Eutaw Drug next door to his store in Eutaw, had bought too many boxes of Valentine candy and Dennis felt sorry for him. Our date ended, and I never expected to hear from him again. The next day, however, I was sitting outside in a swing when he drove by. He stopped and asked me to go the the movies in downtown Alicville. Imitation of Life was the movie, and I cried during most of it. (If you don't remember this movie, it is about a Black woman who passed as white.) So began what has lasted almost 37 years. By the end of March we were engaged, and on June 2 of the same year, we were married.

I'm adding this picture because I have very few of us when we first started dating. We didn't take pictures of everything then like we do today. My daddy had always forbidden me to ride on motorcycles, and Dennis had a Harley. Because I was out of school and working (even though I was still living in his house), he "let" me ride with Dennis on the motorcycle. Maybe it was because he trusted Dennis, or maybe he knew I would ride it anyway. :-)