Celebration - Taking on a New Meaning

Cousins Celebrating.....

As I venture to continue The Next Chapter, I find that the word celebration takes on a whole new meaning. Having just "rang in" the new year, the idea of celebration is certainly at the forefront of our thoughts. Eddy and I were blessed to spend that time with some cousins (who are also very close friends) and we enjoyed playing charades, eating some great stew, and continuing to "munch and sip" in the true spirit of the season. Of course there was the traditional toast at midnight. Check out these party goers.

Funny how we went out but later found out that our kids stayed home and chilled out. Maybe we're getting to be party animals in our older age?

More celebration is impending as I write this post on the evening of the big championship game between Alabama and Notre Dame. I suspect there will be more celebrating by fans this time tomorrow. So celebrating is the nature of this time I suppose. Let's hope that that celebration later tonight goes in the right direction!


But this last week has brought with it some major sense of sadness. Rather than focus on the goals I set in my first post last week, I have spent a good deal of time planning and carrying out music and presentations for visitations and funerals. We lost two close friends from church on January 1. These two friends died from different forms of cancer and both well before "their time." So turning that around a bit, I have decided that celebration has now come in a different form. After shedding many tears, I must choose to celebrate their life. So this blog post is dedicated to my two friends: J. Larry Hardin and Susie McPherson. I celebrate you, Susie and J. Larry.  As we bid you farewell on the first day of this year, I toast to you and your new life absent of pain and worry. May God grant your families the peace that you must today also know. I feel blessed to have known you and look forward to seeing you again soon.

J. Larry Hardin

Susie McPherson