Our Weekend to Remember

Philip told me last month that if I was feeling better by this past weekend he'd take me to the Living Gallery at Bob Jones. We made the trip and thankfully I felt great and it was a fabulous weekend. Saturday morning we left a little after 8:00 and drove straight to Greenville, SC arriving a little after 3:30. After checking into The Phoenix Inn (we had chosen the package for the Living gallery and hotel) and changing clothes we headed straight for the University since our tickets were for 4:30. We had excellent seats 6-8 rows from the front. The year's Living Gallery was based on the book of John. The art was fantastic! They did 12 different pieces and each one fit beautifully into the drama and music. It was the kind of thing that causes renewed appreciation for Christ's ministry and His sacrifice on my behalf.

It was also wonderful to be back "home" on BJU campus. So many changes have taken place since we left 6 years ago (surely it hasn't been that long ago?!) but the same air of excellence was evident. It was refreshing to sit again in a fine arts production that you could be confident would be edifying and uplifting. Ahhhhhh...... WONDERFUL!

Then we quickly left campus to eat supper with our friends, Bryan and Becky Smith and their family. Bryan and Philip graduated the same year with OT PhD's. Bryan also was the co-author with Philip on the Reader's Hebrew Bible. We had a wonderful time of fellowship and catching up on what is happening in each other's lives. Bryan and Becky have a passion for raising their children to love and serve God and it was a joy to be in their home again.

Bottom Clockwise: Moriah, Judah, Asher, Becky, Jordan, Bryan and Christian. Their two month old, Seth, was sleeping in the living room and I wasn't able to get a picture of him. I remember going to see Asher when he was born!

After leaving Bryan and Becky's we went back to the motel for a good night's rest!

Sunday morning we went to Mount Calvary Baptist church with Bryan (Becky stayed home with several sick children) and enjoyed a wonderful worship service. I was able to see and visit with some of the ladies that I used to work with at the Bob Jones University Press. After service, Philip and Bryan presented Dr. Mark Minnick (the pastor) a copy of the Reader's Hebrew Bible. Just an observation: this was the first time I had ever attended the church. I knew that children 3 years and older are in the main sanctuary with their parents for the service (there is a nursery available for children under 3). Since the church is very large (the morning we were there 600-800 people) I expected quite a rustling from children but was pleasantly surprised. Only twice did I hear a child cry, from the section I was sitting in I didn't see any children taken out of service, I did observe one father talking to his son when the boy got a little antsy. My thought was: here are a group of people who are serious about training their children at home and are working hard if this is what you see/hear of them in public. YEAH! for all those parents! My hat is off to you!


After church we made our way to the other side of Greenville to have lunch with our friends, David and Teresa Armstrong. They took me to Easley (Bible Methodist Church) to church until I became familiar with the roads when I first moved to Greenville. Teresa is the head of the interior decorating department at Bob Jones and she fixed a fabulous lunch for us. Baked chicken, rice, black-eyed peas, asparagus casserole, sweet potatoes, baked corn, homemade biscuits and sweet tea! We had such fun getting the "scoop" about the inner workings of the project happening at BJ and finding out the welfare of our Easley church people.

In the Armstrong's development spring had arrived and it was beautiful!

Sunday evening we were able to worship with our Easley church family. It was wonderful to see everyone but the time was far too short! We hope to catch up more when we make another trip south in July. It felt just like "home"! My years spent in Greenville were some of the most challenging and growth filled years of my life. I will be always be fond of the people who contributed so much to my time there.

Monday morning we stopped at the Educator's Marketplace to buy the boys a few books and were able to snap a picture of the newly redone front campus. We arrived home and were glad to be reunited with our little guys. Busy weekend but so very nice and refreshing. And I was able to have an uninterrupted conversation with my hubby for the first time in a long time :o) Now it's back into the saddle since school starts tomorrow morning :o/