- – - – - – - – - – - Happy Fourth Of July!!!- – - – - – - – - – -

I love all the celebrations that the Fourth of July brings.   I hope you spend it with family and friends.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty & the Pursuit of Happiness.” (text from the Declaration of Independence)   “If the Son therefore shall make you free, you shall be free indeed!” (John 8:36) GOD BLESS AMERICA! Taken from my friend Sandy Hinton

Our 38th Wedding Anniversary

1971

“Let us not love with words or tongue, but with actions and in truth.”  1 John 3:1

Wow, how time flies.  I can’t believe its been 38 years since we were married!  Today, July 3rd, we celebrate the love that brought us together and the love that will carry us through the rest of our lifetime.  

Delaine and Carmen Do Lunch

I been told several times “Be careful with people you meet in the Internet world”.  Today my blogging friend Delaine and I met face to face for the first time.  She is just as she is in her blog, very transparent, (I liked that) we immediately recognized each other, we hugged and had a wonderful time over lunch.  Not having done this type of thing before – I was nervous, not that she was a dangerous person, but that I would disappoint her when we met.  I think she liked me OK.

Of course we brought our cameras and asked our server to take a picture of us.  Until next time Delaine.

My Time So Far In The South… Louisville, KY – Part Three

Friends from Long Ago at SBC

Jennie and Fred Loper

Fermin keeps finding friends from long ago.  Remember Fermin’s friend Muriel? Jenie and Fred Loper are also friends from seminary.  In 1960 Fermin went to Toronto Baptist Seminary in Canada and is enjoying getting re acquainted with his friends from that time in his life.  I have enjoyed meeting them and hearing their stories.  Jenie and Fred Loper are serving in a church in Marhall, IL.

Maria Wetzel

When we lived in the Atlanta area, and Fermin was in town, he would preach at the local churches and in one of those churches there was a family with a pretty young girl named Maria.   Maria is a pastor’s wife now.  Her and her husband serve in a church in Florida. 

My Time So Far In The South… Louisville, KY – Part Two

Ministers’ Wives Luncheon

At the SBC Ministers’ Wives Luncheon we get so much more than what we pay for.  Just seeing over 1,300 ministers’ wives in one room is electrifying.  Someone said that this is the largest ministers’ wives gathering.  Next year Orlando, FL.  Make plans.

Convention Business and Preaching

My Time So Far In The South… Louisville, KY – Part One

Pre Convention Happenings

At the Cracker Barrel with Richard and Noemi Vera for breakfast

This girl name Marisol, has an amazing voice.  She sang at the church we attended on Sunday afternoon and also at a family festival on Saturday.

Fermin Whittaker, Ernest Kelly and Jim Coldiron. Fermin and Jim were coordinators of the North America Mission Board (then Home Mission Board) and Ernest was the VP of Coordination.  It was good to see them together again.  By the way Jim Coldiron works for the Billy Graham Crusades.

Fermin talking with Walter Price (far left) President of Califonria Southern Baptist Convention and a friend of Walter.

Rolando Raganas, Philipino Pastor; Jim Wilson, Golden Gate Seminary – The Southern California Brea campus; Fermin Whittaker, State Ex. Director of CSBC.

Fermin with Martin Davis, from San Diego, CA and trustee of the SBC Executive Committee.

My Time So Far In The South… Ridgecrest, NC

We were going to spend the night in Ashville, NC but when Fermin got off the phone he asked me if I wanted to stay in Ridgecrest instead.  Off course I said yes, I haven’t been to Ridgecrest since our boys were young.  We would come to Ridgecrest every summer for many years.  We always looked forward to coming because we would see friends. The trip from Myrtle Beach to Ridgecrest was a beautiful drive.  So this photos are for you Carlos and Eddie!

Where everybody congregated after the evening activities to have some ice cream!

This is where we stayed as a family at the Royal Gorge apartments

Oh, Day Camp!

After our trip to Ridgecrest, Fermin and I stopped at the Billy Graham Training Center at the Cove.

The next stop, Louisville, KY for the Southern Baptist Convention.

My Time So Far In The South… Myrtle Beach, SC – Part Two

With all the pictures I took, I could post Myrtle Beach Part 3, 4, 5… Here are pictures of all of us.  I would have liked a picture of the seven of us, but it just did not happened, it is hard caring a tripod on a long trip; it’s either a tripod or something else that you could not do without.

The children’s Pool was amazing!!!

The weather was perfect.  I didn’t feel the humidity too much, but oh boy, did my hair feel it, just ask my husband   The gentle breeze helped so much.

Next stop Ridgecrest, NC!!!

My Time So Far In The South… Myrtle Beach, SC – Part One

I think it was September 2007 in Palm Desert the last time we spent some kind of family vacation with Heather and the grandchildren.  Carlos was already working in Atlanta.  

This Friday, June 12, Fermin and I picked up the three grand kids in Atlanta and headed off to Myrtle Beach, SC so we can spend three of the seven days with them by ourselves.  I never took it for granted having them so close to me when they lived in California.  With them being in the ministry, I knew that moving away was always a possibility.

Losiah having breakfast in the balcony of our villa.

Seanna and Sohaila at the beach

Some of the afternoons storms would roll in with thunder and all and then the stars would shine bright.

My Time So Far In The South… Atlanta

Atlanta
Carlos and Eddie acting serious

Uncle Eddie jumping rope

I had forgotten how beautiful Atlanta is in the summer, yes, humidity and all.  I love the green, I love the highways that look like tunnels because of the dense trees on both sides of the highways.  I love it because it is housing my son Carlos and his family and because of all the history we have in this amazing city.  Atlanta, you will always be in my heart.

It was good for Fermin and I to be with Eddie in Atlanta with Carlos, Heather, Sohaila, Seanna and Losiah even though it was for only one day.