WHY DID I DECIDE TO BLOG? “And they all lived happily ever after.” That’s a TRUE ending for any Christian. However, between that and “Once upon a time…”

is the real story.

Life.

I love to hear and tell stories.

Doug and I watched the movie Inkheart last week. It was a fantasy genre. When a family man, the hero, read a story out loud, the characters came to life. (I wonder how Toto would like living in my back yard. He’d probably get hungry.) I thought about the plot and realized that the written word does bring to life the characters of a story.

There are some real characters in our family, myself included! We have over half a century—OK! OK! I’m 62. So we have 62 years of stories to tell. Some names may be omitted to protect the guilty. You can try to guess now and then which of the 9 grandsons or 3 granddaughters might star in a true story I write.

Why now? Do you believe in coincidences? Ever play Farkel? I think there’s some built in rigging there but many games, the lottery, sweepstakes, even the huge online gambling industry involve chance.

Our son, Kent, was in junior high school

when we moved from Raleigh, NC to his new school, Peninsula Christian in Smithfield, VA. He was assigned a locker and given the combination to his lock.

“Mom! You’re not gonna believe this! My numbers are the exact same as they were at Raleigh Christian Academy last year!”

I lost a diamond earring one summer vacation week at my uncle’s place on Bald Head (Smith) Island. Everyone searched in vain for it. A year or so later we borrowed the house again. Bored, our daughter, Kimberly, volunteered, “I think I’ll clean Aunt Mimi’s pantry.” She found my lost earring. It pays to clean house. Usually doesn’t pay that well, however.

Another day, as I sat on the couch, I called to Kent across the room, “Hon, toss me a pencil please.”

I wasn’t even looking in his direction when he responded.

With a really good toss!

The pencil landed in my right hand, which was in my lap. It landed between the fingers exactly as one would write.

Wide-eyed, we both locked eyes as he sang the Twilight Zone theme, "Do-do-do-do..."

God’s been nudging me to write again. I did for several years but not recently. The day I posted on Facebook that I was pondering a blog, my niece, Christine Tippett Ellis (missionary in Honduras) emailed me:

“Aunt Kathy, I haven’t told anyone yet except you and my sister, Kathleen, but I’m thinking about starting a blog. It’s not public yet but would you read what I’ve written and tell me what you think?” Check her out at: http://www.realmissionsreallife.blogspot.com/

I had to phoned (Skpe) her! We talked about our inner writer needing an outlet, the coincidence of us doing this on the very same day (she’d not read my post) and God’s timing.

Coincidences or divine appointments? I think God is very active in the details of my life. Well, maybe not Farkel unless I win the gold cup. Then I believe “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above…” Seriously, my prayer is that He uses this outlet to uplift, inspire, encourage or just give you a good belly laugh. “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine.” Every now and then I like to overdose. “He collects my tears in a bottle.” Over the years I picture mine in one of those giant, knee-high jugs folks use to collect coins. I’ve even asked the Lord to form my tears into a chandelier for my mansion. Joy and sorrow. Laughness and tears. Smooth paths and the “bumps you climb on.” TIME marks our story. That’s why this blog. To tell chapters of our story. Bits and pieces of my mind, life. ETERNITY marks our ending. FINAL CHAPTER: And we all lived happily ever after. Not really an ending at all, is it? In His grip, Kathy

(I welcome your feedback and suggestions. Click on "Comment" below to leave yours.)

PAGE 2 UPDATE:

Today is Friday, May 29, 2020, almost 11 years later.  As I read this first blog, a memory popped into my almost 73 years old brain (birthday in 2 days!)

The whole allusion to coincidence above and mention of the game Farkle sparked another incident.  Our family rented a large beach house Christmas and we were playing Farkle or Greed.  I was losing majorly, everyone ahead of me by thousands of points.  On our last round I casually tossed the dice.  All six came up ONES!  If you know the score system, you realized I made 4,000 points instantly AND gained a second roll.  I soared from loser to solid solid winner, mush to my joy and the family's shock!

Coincidence or divine appointment?  I think God often winks at me through such crazy, humorous events.  He knows I'm both so He speaks my language.  He's a very personal, loving, joyful Father!