I am writing this blog on the occasion of the celebration of my maternal grandmother's 96th birthday, if she were still with us.  We chose to honor her memory today because she has been in heaven for ten years and we wanted a special date to settle her estate.  If you knew her, you know how special she was to us and her memory is evermore important now that her great grandchildren are becoming adults and we are looking for another generation to begin soon.  We had breakfast because that is one of our favorite meals at her house.  These are some of my memories about her.

July 29, 2017

"Dear Nanny’s Beloved,

It is with a sense of thankfulness that we celebrate today. Nanny Kirby would be 96 today and she would want you to be blessed. She was a special Momma, MaMa & Nanny from November 1942 to her passing in April 2007. I want to share a little bit of the story of her life with you so you will know the obstacles that she had to overcome.

She was born July 1921 (according to what she said) near Fairmount, Ga to Emory & Nellie Segers. She was the youngest of 5 children and the only girl. Her brothers were Frank, Fred, Monroe & Buren. Shortly after her birth, they moved to Cherokee Co. Alabama where they resided for the rest of their lives. Her father & her older brothers were what we would call pulp wooders. They worked long hard hours and many times did not get home until dark. Nanny told me on several occasions that she, her youngest brother and her mother were not allowed to eat until they all came home. Her mother had dementia problems later in life and her brothers Fred & Monroe also had mental health problems.

She also shared that she was responsible at 5 years to start the fire in the woodstove. At 9 years, she was making biscuits. She learned to sew at a very early age. She loved talking about the old days and ways. She had the highest respect for President Roosevelt (FDR) who helped the multitude of poor people in the Great Depression.

She married Papa - William Hoyt Kirby – in August 1941. They had 1 child – your grandmother – Margaret Ruth Kirby Pilgrim – on November 25, 1942. They lived in various places – Cherokee Co, AL, Armuchee, Ga, Lake City, FL & finally Lindale, GA. She & Papa got jobs with West Point Pepperell Manufacturing at the Lindale Mill c1953. Papa had asthma really bad at this time and he had to quit and find a job somewhere else. Nanny worked there until c1984 when she retired. She never made much more than $5 an hour and yet she bought 3 mill houses and several cars. She always included us in her vacation week of July 4th and she gave us grandkids $10 + gifts on our birthdays & for Christmas. Great grandkids got $100 per birthday and Christmas + gifts.

She was one of the smartest women that I have ever known and she wanted all children to be fed and loved. She loved to make quilts to keep us all warm and she loved to cook our favorite foods. She wanted to protect us all from harm or the wild varmints that might be outside after dark. She told us scary stories at bedtime about the Soap Sally, Little Tiny Mogus, the Big Bear in the closet & her own Old Gray Cat story to settle us down.

She taught us to respect God, love family and to be good to one another. May we never forget her or the lessons that she taught us. Please take time to share some of your favorite stories about her."

 

Make memories with your family today!      Vickie

No Other Son

Oh the joy that Christmas celebrations bring...the love of family, friends & even people we do not know can gather in our midst during this special holiday season & we will embrace them as part of our own. The decorations, the feasts & the aromas of Christmas engage all of our senses in the most delightful experiences...viewing the twinkling lights, tasting the first batch of homemade goodies, and catching a whiff of a live Christmas tree. Children may prefer the packages & presents but mature adults know that gifts are just a small part of this holiday equation. Love, laughter, & the embracing of loved ones as we all prepare to go our separate ways provide the most memorable moments.

The interaction of people at Christmas is what makes this time of year so different. No other holiday is so communal...even Easter as the most Holy of Christian Holy Days...brings you to a cross where you alone must make a choice. God's plan of redemption began with a Baby who brought men of lowly esteem into the presence of a King. The Baby humbled men of great esteem as they knelt to offer their treasures to a newborn King.

Why did God begin this plan with a Baby? What earthly experience provides more intimacy than childbirth? The birth of a Baby brings the widest range of emotions...from the pains of labor to the great joy of delivery...human experience doesn't get any better than this. God wanted that human experience and since He could not leave His Throne & come to such an unholy place, He embraced the earthly life through His Son. Thank You, Heavenly Father, for longing to restore Your relationship with mankind so You could once again walk among us.

You celebrated His birth with a beautiful light display, heavenly sound effects, earthly animals providing warmth & bedding, rich treasures & curious observers. That first Christmas celebration that You planned seemed to proclaim, "LOOK, WORLD, MY SON HAS BEEN BORN & HE SHALL BE YOUR SALVATION! HIS EARTHLY BIRTHDAY WILL BE THE MOST CELEBRATED DAY OF THE YEAR!"

Merry Christmas to you & yours!

The Most Victorious Voice of All

As I sat down to write this second blog post, I was reminded at how God surprised me with the title for this blogspot. I was creating it so that I could help someone work out the kinks in their newly created blogspot. (I had wanted to create one since the first time I had read one...Treasures Unseen.) As I sat down at the computer, I heard the title "Victory's Voice" in my spirit. "Ahhh, Lord, You are up to something," I thought to myself. And I believe that He really is. As an adult, I have enjoyed writing...especially prayers, journal entries, & scripture study notes. Writing is so therapeutic for the soul and it can be used as a gauge for tracking spiritual growth or stagnation. Try writing your prayers & praises so that you can truly thank the Lord for all answered ones. Writing also allows you to put on the brakes of life by the recording of things that may have otherwise been forgotten.

Time passes so swiftly these days and it seems that we may not have a grasp on God's intended plan. There goes Christmas and here comes Easter. There goes Easter and here comes July 4th. There goes July 4th and here comes Labor Day...Labor Day? Why its nearly Thanksgiving and then, oh no! Is it time to get out the Christmas decorations again? You may not deal with the same demons that distract me. You may be very focused on each event in your life and relish each moment. As for me, sometimes I just have to say "STOP!" The merry-go-round of life must stop for a moment and let me catch my breath! Did you say this Sunday is Resurrection Sunday? Easter? I just finished packing away my Christmas dishes. Yes, Sunday is the most joyous day of all HolyDays! It is the day that Jesus so victoriously arose from the dead as the firstfruit of God's resurrecting POWER! He arose for all eternity! Never again to suffer the shame and humiliation of the crucifixion!

Where was Victory's Voice in the turmoil of those 3 days and afterwards. At the crucifixion, Victory's Voice was heard as He proclaimed, "It is finished!"(John 19:30) As He descended into the depths of the earth, Victory's Voice was heard as He told Satan, "Give Me the keys to death, hell, & the grave!" (John 5:25-29;Rev. 1:18) At the resurrection, Victory's Voice was heard as He exclaimed, "Rejoice! Do not be afraid. Go and tell my disciples to go to Galilee, and they will see Me.".(Matt. 28:9-10) And at His ascension, Victory's Voice was heard again as Jesus declared, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations..." (Matt. 28:18-19). Thank you, Lord, for Your sacrifice that provided Victory's Voice for us to follow! May we diligently seek to hear Your Victorious Voice in our daily lives as we pass those who are living without a hope in theirs. May we be willing to proclaim Victory's Voice to those who know it not!

Good First Morning!

Good First Morning to you and yours! This is my first day as a blogger and I see that I have a lot to learn about setting up the blogspot. Decisions, decisions, decisions. I have had problems during my life concerning decisions. Actually, the trouble is in making decisions where there may be more than one best soluction. Oh, not anything morally or ethically. I stand firm on the dictates of truth, fidelity, & trustworthiness. My indecision stems from an ingrained philosophy of perfectionism..."Do it right or don't do it at all." Hmmm, I may not be able to do it perfectly right, so maybe it should wait until another day when I am better at it. There goes the decision. Place it on a shelf with all the other decisions, or should I say indecisions, of my life. I am an avid collector. See my trophy shelf of Wait 'Til Another Day Awards. The trophy case is full and still I am adding more each day.

There have been some moments in my life when I have been led to make a decision on a moment's notice...the day that Upson High School's principal offered me a job teaching Spanish, I knew to say"Yes!", the day Kenny asked me to marry him, I immediately said, "Yes!"; when Bro. Donald Gibbs asked me to sing with the Promise Quartet, I waited for God & Kenny to say "Yes!" One decision, the most precious of them all, was made on Saturday, August 11, 1973 at Faith Baptist Church in Cedartown, Georgia after a singing with the Singing Echoes. The Holy Spirit came seeking my soul and I made the decision to follow Jesus Christ that night. I have never regretted that decision for one single moment. Jesus led me to the open arms of my heavenly Father and the Holy Spirit has kept company with me ever since. Thank you, Lord, for leading me to make that decision on a moment's notice without hesitation and without one grain of perfectionistic thinking. You were my righteousness and I didn't have to wait until I was "good enough".

Living Victoriously through Him,

Vickie