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Tuesday, July 11, 2006
God's Providence
Life is full of surprises. When I began my married life 35 years ago, little did I know what roads God would take us on. I want to tell you a little about the beginning of our marriage and show how God's providence has brought us to this place in our lives where we are the owners and operators of two Christian preschools here in Tennessee.
It all began one Sunday when my husband was 12 year's old and he and his family decided to visit the church my family was a member of. The first impression was what kind of family is that, the boys are wearing shorts to church. Of course back then nobody wore shorts, I have to add they were his boy scout uniform shorts, but still it was a scandal. The little Congregational Methodist church we attended provided the youth a reason to fellowship after church. We either went bowling, movies, miniture golfing or a trip to the Pizza Hut. When we wanted Perry to go with us sometimes his family would not let him, so we would pick up snacks (like a watermelon) and go over to his house, and fellowship on his patio with the record player blarring the Beatles or some other hit song of the hour. I can still remember his dad doing the twist to the chargrin of my husband.
I remember thinking he was pretty cute but never did I think we would end up being married. His parents must have had other thoughts because one Sunday after church when my precious mother would go and sit in the car and wait for her girls to visit with their friends was approached by his mother and she asked my mom "what do you think about a woman being older than the husband?" then she confided she was older than Perry's dad.
We continued to see each other at church and on church outings, until the summer he turned 15, I had graduated from high school and made plans to attend our Bible college in a little town close to Waco, TX, and left for two years of junior college.
Meanwhile he did not lack for girlfriends, but every time I was home for a visit he always called me and we talked for hours on the phone late at night. When I returned home and started to attend UTA in Arrlington, TX we continued our friendship. We started dating the October of 1970 and a month later on November 21 (my sister's birthday) he asked me to marry him and gave me a diamond engagement ring. Two months later we broke up and to make a long story short he joined the Navy in Feb of 1971 and when he returned home from boot camp we were married a week later. In our 35 years of marriage we have moved an average of every two years. We have lived in Mass., Texas, Mississippi, Texas, Ohio, Florida, Illinois and finally Tennessee. Our first son Perry III was born in Fall River, Mass. close to Newport, R.I. when he was 6 months old my husband moved us back to Texas because he thought he was going to be stationed in the Mediterrean for two years. He was released from the Navy in 1975 and sent home in the spring of 1975.Until September of that year he was given full pay and benefits and his duty station was our apartment. While I worked at an oil company in downtown Fort Worth he stayed home and babysat our son Perry III. (to be continued)
It all began one Sunday when my husband was 12 year's old and he and his family decided to visit the church my family was a member of. The first impression was what kind of family is that, the boys are wearing shorts to church. Of course back then nobody wore shorts, I have to add they were his boy scout uniform shorts, but still it was a scandal. The little Congregational Methodist church we attended provided the youth a reason to fellowship after church. We either went bowling, movies, miniture golfing or a trip to the Pizza Hut. When we wanted Perry to go with us sometimes his family would not let him, so we would pick up snacks (like a watermelon) and go over to his house, and fellowship on his patio with the record player blarring the Beatles or some other hit song of the hour. I can still remember his dad doing the twist to the chargrin of my husband.
I remember thinking he was pretty cute but never did I think we would end up being married. His parents must have had other thoughts because one Sunday after church when my precious mother would go and sit in the car and wait for her girls to visit with their friends was approached by his mother and she asked my mom "what do you think about a woman being older than the husband?" then she confided she was older than Perry's dad.
We continued to see each other at church and on church outings, until the summer he turned 15, I had graduated from high school and made plans to attend our Bible college in a little town close to Waco, TX, and left for two years of junior college.
Meanwhile he did not lack for girlfriends, but every time I was home for a visit he always called me and we talked for hours on the phone late at night. When I returned home and started to attend UTA in Arrlington, TX we continued our friendship. We started dating the October of 1970 and a month later on November 21 (my sister's birthday) he asked me to marry him and gave me a diamond engagement ring. Two months later we broke up and to make a long story short he joined the Navy in Feb of 1971 and when he returned home from boot camp we were married a week later. In our 35 years of marriage we have moved an average of every two years. We have lived in Mass., Texas, Mississippi, Texas, Ohio, Florida, Illinois and finally Tennessee. Our first son Perry III was born in Fall River, Mass. close to Newport, R.I. when he was 6 months old my husband moved us back to Texas because he thought he was going to be stationed in the Mediterrean for two years. He was released from the Navy in 1975 and sent home in the spring of 1975.Until September of that year he was given full pay and benefits and his duty station was our apartment. While I worked at an oil company in downtown Fort Worth he stayed home and babysat our son Perry III. (to be continued)
Monday, July 10, 2006
Saturday, July 08, 2006
Grandma from afar
Life Around the Preschool
How did my husband and I end up in middle Tennessee operating a preschool. When we first married 35 years ago we had big plans. He was in the US Navy and I was in my third year of college. We planned for him to do his four years and I would live at home and finish my college and become a history teacher. right? WRONG! After three months of tortue of being apart I moved to Mass. to be close to the navy base at Newport, RI to be there when his ship came into harbor. Thoughts of teaching never entered my mind until 26 years later Perry read a book about owning and operating a Christian academic preschool and asked me to read it too. When I finished my book I thought I could do that, in fact we could do that. We had 6 children, as a pastor's wife I had taught Sunday School, vacation bible school even directed one, and had baby sat other people's children every since I was old enough. So having a preschool was as natural an idea as breathing. Off we moved to Florida and began our journey to learn how to have one of our own.
While there we tried to learn as much as we could and in June 1999 we left and relocated to a small town in Illinois and thought God wanted us to open a school there with a dear friend but that was not to be. The week before Christmas in 1999 with Y 2 K looming over us we packed all our belongings and moved to Tennessee to live with our dear friends, the VanGorden's and began working for them at their school in Franklin, TN. We just knew if we were to remain in preschool we needed to be working in one until we could have one of our own, and we served there 5 years before God opened the doors here in Spring Hill and we started our own academy with 5 precious children. Now almost two years later, we have our first one running and opened the doors of our second school in June and Lord willing will have kindergarten when the new school year starts in August. It has been hard work and long hours, but if you could see their little faces and see how they love us and learn so much about God and how He loves them you would see why our preschool's were God's mission for my husband and I to minister to his little children.
How did my husband and I end up in middle Tennessee operating a preschool. When we first married 35 years ago we had big plans. He was in the US Navy and I was in my third year of college. We planned for him to do his four years and I would live at home and finish my college and become a history teacher. right? WRONG! After three months of tortue of being apart I moved to Mass. to be close to the navy base at Newport, RI to be there when his ship came into harbor. Thoughts of teaching never entered my mind until 26 years later Perry read a book about owning and operating a Christian academic preschool and asked me to read it too. When I finished my book I thought I could do that, in fact we could do that. We had 6 children, as a pastor's wife I had taught Sunday School, vacation bible school even directed one, and had baby sat other people's children every since I was old enough. So having a preschool was as natural an idea as breathing. Off we moved to Florida and began our journey to learn how to have one of our own.
While there we tried to learn as much as we could and in June 1999 we left and relocated to a small town in Illinois and thought God wanted us to open a school there with a dear friend but that was not to be. The week before Christmas in 1999 with Y 2 K looming over us we packed all our belongings and moved to Tennessee to live with our dear friends, the VanGorden's and began working for them at their school in Franklin, TN. We just knew if we were to remain in preschool we needed to be working in one until we could have one of our own, and we served there 5 years before God opened the doors here in Spring Hill and we started our own academy with 5 precious children. Now almost two years later, we have our first one running and opened the doors of our second school in June and Lord willing will have kindergarten when the new school year starts in August. It has been hard work and long hours, but if you could see their little faces and see how they love us and learn so much about God and how He loves them you would see why our preschool's were God's mission for my husband and I to minister to his little children.
Friday, July 07, 2006
Grandma from afar: My Thoughts
Grandma from afar: My Thoughts
I have been absent from my blog lately but I will try to catch up on all that's happened since I last blogged. We made it through 20 and 40 hour projects for Thomas and Abigail and finished the year off for them with very good grades. My husband and I started our second preschool about 5 min. from our first one. And to top it off we are celebrating the birth of our first grandson, Perry IV who was born on his mom's mom's birthday. Since they had their first girl on his dad's birthday it only made sense to have the first boy on her mom's birthday.
We made a fast trip to Texas and held him before he was a week old. It brought back so many memories of when I held my son, Perry III when he was that little. We were so excited to have a boy named after his dad and his great grandfather.
I have been absent from my blog lately but I will try to catch up on all that's happened since I last blogged. We made it through 20 and 40 hour projects for Thomas and Abigail and finished the year off for them with very good grades. My husband and I started our second preschool about 5 min. from our first one. And to top it off we are celebrating the birth of our first grandson, Perry IV who was born on his mom's mom's birthday. Since they had their first girl on his dad's birthday it only made sense to have the first boy on her mom's birthday.
We made a fast trip to Texas and held him before he was a week old. It brought back so many memories of when I held my son, Perry III when he was that little. We were so excited to have a boy named after his dad and his great grandfather.
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