IT IS NEVER TOO LATE TO LIVE HAPPILY EVER AFTER

Remember the old Michael W. Smith song "Friends"

And friends are friends forever, If the Lords the Lord of them.

It has always been one of my favorite songs.
This past Saturday night, one of those kind of friends got married.
This was a friend that I have known for 30 years, a prayer partner for as long as I can remember, one I don't see often enough, though we live in the same town. We both have busy lives. She has been single and I am married with kids and grandkids. But through the years, both of us have known the faithfulness of God. Saturday night just happened to be a night his faithfulness was on special display. And it was BEAUTIFUL!

When I first met Suzanne, she had been in a long, very difficult marriage. She had stayed married because that was the thing to do. Eventually she got a divorce. It was not something she took lightly, but it happened. And then she met Bill, the love of her life. I remember the glow on her face, the love in her eyes. Happiness was no longer a hope. She WAS!!!!

These two people were meant for each other. Fast forward two short years and she was a widow. Bill had a heart attack and died in her arms, as she waited on the EMT's. That glow left and she was left all alone, no children and not yet 40. Life did not seem fair. I can remember so many talks we had about the faithfulness of God.


Over the next twenty years she had many dates (can I tell you this is one of the most beautiful ladies I have ever known, both inside and out!) and yet she felt like she would spend the rest of her years alone. And then it happened !

About a year ago, she met a man who had lost his wife to cancer a few years earlier. In her words to me, she had met another Bill. They dated for a year, he took her to New York City, took her on a church trip to the Holy Land, she even got to go to the Republican convention last summer, as he was a delegate from Arkansas ...and yes, he gave her a ROCK. I wish I had a picture of it.

I know how many times she had prayed for a man who loved God, loved family and would love her.
I attended their wedding on Saturday night and could not hold back the tears as she walked down the aisle, glowing. As I looked around in that beautiful cathedral, I realized everyone had a few tears. They are both 60 and super healthy (when you see her picture you will not believe she is a day over 40) so I see them having many happy years. He has two married daughters that have welcomed her into their family, so I bet she will get to be a grandmother someday. She never had children and would have been a wonderful Mom. She has always been one of my kids very favorite people.


So the next years of her life will bring some new experiences that she has only dreamed of. They are going to Paris for a week in April. Life is good. God is faithful! And as the saying goes, "It is never too late to live happily ever after"!
Suzanne and John are a testimony to that. So cheers to the newlyweds. May you have many happy years together.

Not a Tag, Just a Little Information

I have found that when I read blogs, I want to know about the writer.
For a year, I have found myself going back and reading old posts on certain blogs, just to get to know more about the blogger. I am either addicted or I just have an inquiring mind!
But what I find more than anything else is that we all have many of the same likes, many of the same problems, and many of the same fears.
So this is not a tag, just some random facts, in no particular order. Hopefully you will know me a little better.

1. I have been married to the greatest husband in the world for 37 years.

2. I have a son 35, and a daughter 28 and I am so thankful that they love and honor their parents, but am equally proud that they adore each other.

3. The best job I have ever had is "Grammy"! Hands down...I love it! I am Grammy to Parker, Austin, Jack and new little man arriving in June.

4. My husband was the high school football coach when I was a cheerleader. I am 10 years younger than him. My kids love to hear that story. Hey, its lasted 37 years. Another post for another day.

5. Disney World is my favorite place on earth, especially with the grandkids. Nothing compares!

6. Parker is 9 and we have taken him to Disney World and Disneyland 7 times. Grandparents will travel. Those trips are some of the sweetest days of my life.

7. I have decorated homes for Christmas for the past 17 years. I just did a quick calculation and I have probably decorated at least 1200 Christmas trees in my life.

8. Dancing With The Stars is my very favorite TV show! With American Idol a close second.

9. I am a HUGE BRETT FARVE fan! I love football and actually feel depressed each year, as the season comes to an end. I cannot imagine football without Brett.

10. I think massages are about as close to heaven as we get on this earth. I try to have one every week. And tomorrow I have an all day spa day from my husband...my favorite Valentine gift!

11. I love cold weather and am miserable in the summer.

12. My appendix ruptured on vacation, when I was 5 months pregnant with Amanda. That was 28 years ago, but one of those vivid MEMORIES.

13. I love to read blogs. I love people's stories.

14. My parents died 2 years ago, 3 months to the day of each other. They had been married 59 years and were very healthy until their last six months of life.

15. I love Diet Coke and I love coffee....so I think caffeine is my friend.

16. I love my son-in-law and my daughter-in-law. They are both wonderful parents. They are a perfect fit for our family.

17. My daughter had a baby at 18 and and senior in high school. She has been the most awesome Mom to Parker. No little guy loves his Mom anymore than Parker loves her. This will be a future post...a beautiful story of God's grace.

18. My favorite way to travel is with my entire family. Our kids and their kids. We have a blast.

19. I am very much a night person. My normal bedtime is between 1 and 2 AM and many nights I look up and its 3. Fortunately my shop is at my house, so I can make my own work hours. What a blessing. I am not a morning person AT ALL!

20. I hate going to the doctor, hate medical tests, and am rarely sick!

21. I love going to the movies. We try to see at least one movie a week.

22. I love Le Madeline's Potato Soup! It is one of my most favorite places to eat.

23. I love Faith Hill and Tim McGraw...maybe Tim McGraw a tad more!

24. I am a news junky...Fox News is almost always on at least one of our TV's!

25. I like to get a new laptop at least once a year.

26. I was raised in a Southern Baptist Church, but all my adult life have attended an nondenominational church.

7. I love to send notes and cards the old fashioned way...not email, but with a postage stamp.

28. I love to read the newspaper, especially USA TODAY.

29. I cannot resist buying books and magazines... I may not read them, just want them.....near me...I never leave home without a book or magazine. I have a fear of having to sit somewhere with nothing to read.

30. I do not cook! At all!

31. I love to play cards and have played with the same girls for 15 years. Hand and Foot is our game.

32. I wish I had more confidence in the stock market rebounding. The reports each day bring fear.

33. My husband treats me like a queen and my friends remind me of that constantly.

34. I LOVE BETH MOORE BIBLE STUDIES

35. I love reconnecting with old friends....Thank you God for FACEBOOK!

That's plenty to start with with. Probably each of those will lead to a post in the future. Thank you to all the new friends that have stopped by my blog.

Who Reads Old Christmas Letters in February?

Who Reads Old Christmas Letters in February? ME

That's when I enjoy them for the second time. Normally I read them quickly when they come in December. That's more than the busiest time of the year for me because of my business (that will be another post) ! But I have managed to write a Christmas letter for the past 20 years and so now, people expect it. I guess that I have one of those Christmas Card list, full of people who like "the letter", because they write or email me back. They may not send Christmas cards, but they will thank me for my letter. For some reason that always makes me laugh. I was trying to think of a way to introduce my family members to you and this seems to be a good way. I will narrate the characters and you will know a little more about us. I also promise that all my posts will NOT be as long as this one. Please take the first few lines seriously..if this kind of stuff bores you, please skip it. It is not required reading.

Happy Holidays from the Powells
December 2008

This has been an eventful year, so if long holiday letters bore you, please accept our "Merry Christmas" and file this away in the trash. For those of you who do love long Christmas letters, grab a glass of warm cider, a glass of wine, or maybe even a Diet coke and settle in.

Treasuring and Pondering...I do both of these quite often during the holiday season. Sometimes the chaos is overwhelming, especially in the business I am in. Where is that "Holy Night", amidst all the hustle and bustle and the "to do lists". Some days it is nowhere to be found...unless I intentionally look for it. But for tonight, I am looking back to 2008, and with much gratitude, counting my blessings for those things I treasure and pondering things to come in 2009. Tonight I am reminded that it was in the silence of night, away from the hustle and bustle of people, that His human voice was first heard in the cry of a baby boy. I love Faith Hill's new holiday song "A Baby Changes Everything"! ...It is beautiful, but more than that it is our family story. This is one of those years that I will need to take month by month.January 1 found Jack,(husband) Parker (9 year old grandson) and me on a plane to Disney to see the Christmas lights and spend 5 wonderful days soaking up the magic...The Christmas decorations at Disney are unbelievable. Our first treasure of 2008. We came home to await the birth of Parker's little brother. This was the new life we had been waiting for. After a year filled with so much loss, the death of both my parents, this new life was something we so longed for. On January 31st, Jack Voss Strother (new grandson) arrived. I could not imagine loving another child like I loved Parker, but the moment I laid eyes on Jack, that fear was put to rest.
Amanda (daughter) and Micah(son-in-law) took him home on the third day perfectly healthy, or so we thought. None of us had a clue of the scare that was just around the corner. On his second day home, he became very sick, his body temperature dropping to a critically low level and he was admitted into the NICU to try and find out what was wrong. We stayed there, literally around the clock, for the next several weeks, praying for a miracle. It was finally decided that he had some form of meningitis. Had it not been for Amanda's quick thinking this story might have ended differently. Not only a treasure but a MIRACLE! Forever we will be thankful to God for healing him. A baby changes everything....and he has certainly changed our lives. He is now a healthy 22 pound 10 month old, with a smile that melts your heart and the deepest little laugh. Amanda and Micah bought their first house and the bonus is that they live 5 minutes away from us. Talk about a treasure!

February and March found us spending many hours rocking this sweet baby..one of my all time favorite things to do. Another treasure!

In June we celebrated our 36th anniversary. What a blessing to be married to your best friend, not to mention share the same grandkids. We LOVE the grandparent job above all jobs we have ever had. Another great TREASURE!

In August, I traveled to a Beth Moore conference in San Antonio. It was wonderful, but the best part was reconnecting with a friend that I had not seen in 20 plus years. We had planned the trip for a year. It was a very special part of my 2008. Another treasure!

In September we said good-bye to our sweet Annah, our 17 year old cockapoo. There are no words for the loss and grief we experienced. If you are not a dog person you would not understand. I miss her everyday and some days can hardly believe she is gone. She was a TREASURE beyond words!

OCTOBER...what a month....For several years our dream was to take our entire family to Disney World. All 9 of us....it just seemed impossible that everyone could get their vacations at the same time.... It finally happened and it was a trip of a lifetime.This was Austin's (our next in line grandson)first time to visit Disney. We had always wanted Parker and Austin to experience the magic together. They were inseparable and had a blast. Jack and I had put away money for years for this trip and had paid for the trip months in advance. So the week after the stock market collapsed and the election was getting more heated by the day, we got on a plane and headed for the "happiest place on earth", for a week of JUST FUN and JUST FAMILY.
We did not read the paper or watch TV, just closed out the world....and it was WONDERFUL. We made memories that will last a lifetime... Jack was only 9 months old and may never remember his first meeting with Mickey, but I will always remember the look on his face, as the characters could not resist this little guy in Mickey ears. Arriving back home late one night, we were all happy/tired, but knew more than ever that what really matters is family. This trip was a TREASURE that we will NEVER forget.

I was all ready to tackle the tree season, fully expecting nothing exciting, just work and more work as tree season began, THEN we got a giant surprise. Greg (son and Dad to Austin) and Dana (daughter-in-law and Mom to Austin and the new little one on the way) are expecting our 4th grandchild. They have had some sad times as they have wanted a baby so much. After her last miscarriage, we have all been holding our breath as she gets through the first 3 months. Austin is so excited about being a big brother and has loved his role as "Cuz" to baby Jack. So I PONDER how another little life will enter our family in early July.

Another treasure!In November we took a trip to Branson. A beautiful little town with some beautiful lights and some great shows. It was a special week. Another TREASURE!

So tonight finds me treasuring all the happy moments that we have been blessed with in 2008 and pondering how our world has changed and what that means for 2009. It finds me very thankful that we can still work, that our kids have secure jobs, that we are all healthy, and that God is not surprised by any of the events that have happened. I will end this too long letter with some words I read in Rick Warren’s book, The Purpose of Christmas, God Loves You! God is With You! God is For you! Treasure and ponder those words! We send our blessings for 2009.

Teresa and family


So that's the family.....you are probably more confused than ever, We have so much fun and are so blessed.....I really wanted to insert the cute pictures that were scattered throughout our Christmas letter, but I have to learn how first!

Thanks to all the "bloggers" that stopped by my blog....I look forward to getting to know you!

Have a Happy Day,
Teresa