Our Courtship


How did a young lady born in Michigan, raised in Ohio, and graduating in West Virginia "just happen" to meet and fall in love with this Michigan man? It was no accident me meeting (does that sound like a song) him. God had a master plan for both of our lives and I'm so glad we followed His leadership.

Phillip and I dated long distance for 3 months (before becoming engaged)especially since I was in school. On the weekends that I went home and Phillip wasn't working he would come to Ohio. We didn't really do anything spectacular as far as dating but we talked and took drives and visited with family. We did go out to Dairy Queen occasionally. Of course Sunday's we attended church with my family. Then all to soon it would be time for Phillip to drive back to Michigan, while we wondered just how soon he could come back again. Is it getting mushy in here or is it just me? LOL Sorry.

Often when Phillip was teased about going to that southern state with 4 letters to claim a girlfriend he would reply with " I just went down there to help her see the light and bring her back to her homeland." Even though I lived in Michigan my first 2-3 years at heart I am a southern gal. What can I say???? LOL No matter how much I loved home the Lord began to remove the soft feathers that lined my "nest" and placed a small compass in there that pointed due north. We knew that He had joined our hearts and some time ahead there was a future for us. As you know there came a time in this relationship that God began to give Phillip light and he began to take small steps to walk in the light of Proverbs 18:22 Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing and obtaineth favour of the Lord. just teasing I'll tell you all about it when we visit again. You all come back now .....REAL SOON!

Coming soon the month of AUGUST. Which happens to be the month that Phillip & I were married. Okay so, it was the very last day of August. (The 31st to be exact) So this month I am featuring songs and articles to co-ordinate with the occasion. Steve and Annie Chapman have many clips of their meaningful music so some of the songs are longer than others. Check in on us often.

Please pray for Aaron (our grandson). Monday, Aug. 6th, (NOTE NEW DATE)he will have open heart surgery. We are requesting prayer for a safe flight also as we travel to Kansas.

Aaron has come through his surgery for which we thank our Father in heaven. He is slowwwwwly progressing but this grandma is anxiously waiting to see that smile once again. In God's time.

Aaron has been taken off his ventilator, some of his medication, is awake, and has eaten alittle. GOD IS GOOD>>>>>All the time!!

8/17/2007 Aaron came home today from the hospital. The open heart surgery was a success. Thank you to all who prayed and most of all to God who heard and answered!

Harvest Time

1I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
2Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
3Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
4Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
5I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
6If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
7If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
8Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

Sunday our Pastor, Rev. Michael Arnold, shared a message which spoke to me. The text is the Scripture above. Some of the thoughts that stood out to me was how Jesus used the phrase in verse 2 "taketh away" interpreted lifted up. I have a tomato plant that my Mom gave me Mother's Day weekend. I remember planting this small sprout, thinking of the future harvest of tomatoes for cheeseburgers and bacon/tomato sandwiches (hold the lettuce). I was so excited when the plant grew and seemed much to heavy to stand alone. My husband, more of a farmer than I, carefully tied it to a stake.....lifted it up so the fruit wouldn't grow on the ground and spoil. God spoke to me, reminding me of the times He has lifted me up so the leaves of my Spiritual plant would not turn brown and whither thus preventing me from bearing good fruit.

Another thought that Rev. Arnold refreshed in my mind concerns the abundance of the harvest. John spoke in our text, of NO fruit, SOME fruit, MORE fruit, and MUCH fruit. The question that lingered in my mind was: What size fruit basket would you need to contain your Spiritual fruit? Getting back to my tomato plant, It continued to grow, nice and tall. Each time I spoke with my mother I asked if she had tomatoes in her garden. Finally she broke the news to me ....I should have tomatoes by now. I didn't even have a bloom. The appearance was good but there was no fruit. Does this convict your heart as it did mine? Lord, help me not to just appear as a Christian but, help me bear fruit. Not just some fruit but please, let me have an abundant harvest of MUCH fruit so that I may bring Glory to you.

My worthless tomato plant is good for nothing. It will be pulled up and thrown into the burning barrel. In conclusion, may I ask what kind of plant are you? Are you fruitful? How is your harvest? Father, God help each of us to have much fruit to lay at your feet some glad harvest day. Let us not be ashamed, knowing as we sow, so shall we reap. In Jesus name, Amen.

Saturday morning our daughter Sarah brought Zachary over to anxiously wait for the parade to begin. The children noticed one of my neighbors had set up a yard sale so to pass the time we went over. Then we grabbed our chairs, blankets, and a bag for candy, walked a short block over to sit and wait for the sound of the police cars, fire trucks, and band. We were not disappointed. Promptly at noon the drums and whistles sounded. To begin a hospital helicopter flew over several times. Then came the police car, veteran carrying the flag, firetrucks, old cars, floats, band, and so much more. Most of the parade participants threw candy to the children and the smiles on their faces grew with the weight of the bag of candy. One of the final firetrucks even sprayed those watching along the parade route. This thrilled the children. For more pictures you may browse Sarah & Tony's Blog. The link is on the side of this page. To end our adventurous day we went to a pizza place which served a pizza buffet. How wonderful to enjoy fun times with our family. We wished the rest of the family could have been there with us.

Next we followed the crowd to the inflatables again so Abigail could introduce Zachary to all the fun she had enjoyed the night before. And to think all this fun was FREE thanks to the businesses of Petersburg. Before going home we shared an elephant ear with powdered sugar and another one with brown sugar & cinnamon

(July 20-21) Last weekend was a child's dream. It began with Abigail deciding she would like to spend with night with her grandparents. Although before we made it home from shopping she thought maybe we should drop her off at home because she was afraid she would get bored. Now those words are a challenge to any grandparent. So I began wondering how to make the evening eventful. We got to the city limits of our small town and the main street was blocked off. There in the middle of our street was the answer to my musings. The Petersburg Community Days had begun. We quickly unloaded the groceries and walked uptown. The library was having a wooden chair auction which we watched for a while as painted chairs which had been decorated and other items were auctioned off. Then Abigail was floating as we headed to the inflatable gyms an those bouncy places kids jump . She went up the steps and slide down so many times it was all she could do to enjoy a shaved ice, take a bath and dream of the parade scheduled for the next day. What a relief! She went to sleep convinced her grandparents had made this night special just for her!

GOD BLESS THE U.S.A.

Let Freedom Ring!

Holidays are not all fun and games at the Avery household. Now that most of the children have left the nest Phillip, Naomi, & I create our own style of celebrating. July 3rd we went with Hannah and Sarah, Tony, & their family to see fireworks on the grounds of a local church. (for a detailed account of Zachary's mishap see Sarah's blog) Then July 4th Naomi, Phillip, and I went to Dundee to see their parade. I forgot the camera so no shots of that. Afterward we came home and had hamburgers, hot dogs, potato salad, chips, and cottage cheese. Then Phillip got to work. He painted our dining room and I washed windows. It REALLY brightened the room up. Thanks, Phillip for a job well done. He did such an expert job the following Saturday I "let" him paint the bathroom ceiling. LOL The porch is next on the honey-do list.

FIREWORKS ARE A BLAST!

Lighting Up the Sky

June 30th the City of Tecumseh had a Pow Wow ending with fireworks. Phillip, Naomi, and I decided to expand our education and see what this event was all about and watch the fireworks. We found it interesting to see the Native American costumes and memorabilia. Here are a few pictures of our excursion. Naomi wasn't so sure she wanted to sit by a wooden Indian. I think she just wanted the fireworks to begin. One man made different designs using the hoops you see such as butterflys and a turtle.