Author Archives: madge

Goodbye, Hello, and Thank You

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Saying goodbye to an old friend is not fun – even when it is necessary and desirable.

A recent farewell to my faithful van of 15 years was…believe it or not…a sad event. My highly modified van is a dear friend!
– It took Brent and I everywhere we went for our first eight years together.
– My mom rode next to me on the way to chemo treatments until she used a wheelchair and rode in the back.
– My precious former canine assistant, Murray, perched himself in the front seat as we went to work each morning; he flirted with other drivers the whole time, of course he curled up behind me in the back seat after a long day at the office.
– Tahoe, on the other hand, sticks with me and rarely hops on the seat when he rides.

So many memories..

Goodbye van
Although excitement is brewing with the thought that I will soon wheel around town in a new accessible sports car (aka a minivan), a few tears ran down my cheek as I watched my big old gem take its final trip from our home.

Isnt it funny how we hang on to the old in lieu of the new?

My recent ‘goodbye-hello’ experience sits smack dab in the midst of two bible studies – one from Deuteronomy and another from Exodus. OK,  I really appreciate it when the bible whacks me on the head! I knew this was a season of change in many ways….and like the Israelites during their journey from Egypt to the Wilderness to Canaan, I resist, don’t listen enough and take provision for granted…

…add an illness and a busy schedule and I might enter the land of complaint.

‘Hold up!’ I tell myself! I can live in the land of thanksgiving instead of the land of complaint.

The land of thanksgiving is full of provision. It may be quail and manna or it may be milk, honey, fruits and grains…but there is always provision.

Praying you choose the land of thanksgiving during your seasons of change.

– Madge

Here’s a short, but powerful verse for my scripture memorizing friends.

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.  
1 Chronicles 16:34

Song of Solomon and Our Anniversary Week

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The first half of September is always special to me because my annual reading plan just happens to include Song of Solomon as our wedding anniversary approaches.

What a fun, yet touching and reflective book at an apropos time.  Some controversy exists on whether it is an allegorical look at God’s great love for us and Christ’s love for his bride, the church, but there is no doubt that this is a steamy book about marital love between a bride and groom.

Who ever thought the Bible was boring? Not me I tell you!

This love song, as seductive as it gets, often gives me a few giggles as the lover describes his beloved with compliments women of ancient times hopefully understood:

How beautiful you are, my darling!  Oh, how beautiful!
Your eyes behind your veil are doves.
Your hair is like a flock of goats descending from Mount Gilead.
Your teeth are like a flock of sheep just shorn, coming up from the washing.
Each has its twin; not one of them is alone. Song of Sol. 4:1-3 NIV

I guess I’d be surprised if Brent complimented my hair by saying it looked like a goat’s – and we expect our spouse to be glad if we have ‘all’ our teeth?  It was definitely written in a different time and culture, but meandering through the book of Song of Solomon in a version like the Message illuminates an appreciation for the descriptions of courting in romantic love.

You’re so beautiful, my darling,
so beautiful, and your dove eyes are veiled
By your hair as it flows and shimmers,
like a flock of goats in the distance
streaming down a hillside in the sunshine.
Your smile is generous and full—
expressive and strong and clean. Song of Sol. 4:1-3 MSG

OK my friends, I think I’ll go check up on my blessing, Brent, and read him a few of the  words from Solomon’s chapter 5:

My beloved is radiant and ruddy, outstanding among ten thousand.
His head is purest gold; **(I’ll omit ‘his hair is wavy and black as a raven’ since he is beautifully bald….)
His mouth is sweetness itself; he is altogether lovely.
This is my beloved, this is my friend.

…and I’ll leave you to choose your memory verse (sure hope you are memorizing with me twice a month!).  Just in case you’d like a suggestion – here is a verse I’ve been reviewing  that you may enjoy:

Before a word is on my tongue, you know it completely, O God,  You hem me in behind and before, you have laid your hand upon me.  Psalm 139:4-5 NIV

Blessings and love to you – Madge

Where Were You on 9/11/01?

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A few tears rolled down my cheek this morning as I struggled to confidently pull out of the garage for a meeting.  Driving my van, my independent transportation for 15 years, has become a challenge.  Wheelchair and seating changes in conjunction with a sleepless night shattered my plans. A few more tears and prayers, then I stopped, thankfully realizing that a new van is in the works (oh the months it takes).  My adversity is so insignificant compared to the that which transpires for others…especially on this day of remembrance.

It was the day that time stood still. A younger generation saw tragedy in a way they had never experienced.

…Everything stopped.

…People stared at television monitors and could barely make contact with the news websites.

…The airspace was cleared of all traffic.

…Then there were those who were in the thick of it. Time was moving for them too quickly. The smoke and ash darkened the morning as people ran both away and toward the disaster. Heroic rescue efforts were underway immediately. It would be a long journey. The journey still goes on.


Thank you to all who served our country that day and today. Those who risk their lives to protect us never get enough appreciation, prayers or recognition.

So as I take time to pray for those who lost loved ones during our national tragedy eleven years ago, I ponder with gratitude those who have served and who are serving our communities, states, and country. Today we offer thanks to all military and public servants who protect us and our freedom.

Let us not forget. Let us to continue to appreciate. Let us pray for our country.

I will not forget 9/11/01. It was two days after our first wedding anniversary and we were at Disney World attending a user conference for my company. This was one time I was glad that I could not travel alone because my husband went with me. He would venture out into the different Disney park venues while I worked during the day. At night we enjoyed time together and even celebrated our first anniversary in Orlando at Cirque de Soleil before that dreadful day.

On that dark morning I was in a large meeting with thousands of people. An enormous ballroom with multiple gigantic screens suddenly projected what seemed like life size CNN live stream coverage of the two towers with smoke billowing right before our eyes!

There was a sense of terror among everyone. I tried to call Brent in the hotel room then quickly made the short trip back to the room to be with him.

We glared at the television in disbelief. As the first tower crumbled I was numb.

NO. This cannot happen…Shortly it happened once again.

All Disney property quickly closed down as it was considered a potential target and people wandered around like lost children.  The theme parks were immediately evacuated. Stunned grief was Disney’s new theme.

With business meetings canceled, our conference hotel and planners fed us meals and prepared us for travel back to Atlanta and other destinations. People from all over the country struggled through the rental car shortage pairing up with strangers to get back home to hold their loved ones. Anyone who had flown had no other option.

“You can be sure that the American spirit will prevail over this tragedy.” -Colin PowellBus arrangements were made for those of us who had no way back to our Atlanta headquarters — I believe it was the second day when we safely took a charter bus from Orlando to Atlanta.

It’s a time of our lives and our marriage that we will never forget.

 

“Time is passing. Yet, for the United States of America, there will be no forgetting September the 11th. We will remember every rescuer who died in honor. We will remember every family that lives in grief. We will remember the fire and ash, the last phone calls, the funerals of the children.” -President George W. Bush, November 11, 2001

Where were you on 9/11/01? -Madge

Madge and Brent Get Married

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One of the sweetest notes I ever received came from my cousin, Buddy, shortly after my Brent and I were married in 2000.  About this time in 2010 he and his wife were beginning a battle with breast cancer.  It was not supposed to be too aggressive, but, sadly, she died in late January 2011. He’s a bit older than I am so we didn’t pal around much as kids, but his wedding was the first I vividly remember.  I remember how happy they were on that bright and sunny day! They began deeply in love and as she parted they were even more deeply in love along with a legacy of amazing grace.  Today, I’m thankful for cousin Buddy and his inspiring partnership with the love of his life….I appreciate the love of my life more because of him.  In honor of cousins Buddy and Mary, I present, ‘Madge and Brent Get Married’  written by cousin Buddy on our wedding day 12 years ago.

It’s a September Saturday morning, and we are on our way to attend the 11:00 AM wedding of Cousin Madge to her fiance, Brent.  Well OK, technically she is my second cousin.  You see her dad and my dad, were first cousins given that their mamas, Vera and Anita were sisters. Got it?  It’s getting to the point that you can’t tell a cousin relationship without a diagram!

We dropped by to pickup Mom and Dad because there was no way they were going to miss this special event in the life of a very special lady!  Now Dad could say that with conviction since the UGA-USC kickoff wasn’t until 3:30 PM that afternoon.  After all,  weddings are special, but this one was just a little bit special-er!

If you know Madge you know that adversity has been a more frequent visitor than any of us would ever like to see.   At the age of five, her mother died from complications of surgery.  While in college, she was involved in a car accident that left her a quadriplegic.  And in recent years she lost her dad to a heart attack and her step mom to cancer.   Yet I have never seen Madge without a smile or without that contagious positive outlook on life. (OK, so she didn’t see me that often!) So today is her wedding day!  Yep, it’s gonna be a special day.

The church building didn’t really look like a church, but it wasn’t long before you realized that God was present in that place.  As we walked in we saw Madge’s four older brothers and listened as a trio of singers set the mood with a series of contemporary gospel worship songs that once again told you, today was a special day.

The procession began with the Twila Paris song “He is Exalted” and as the minister and the groom waited, Madge came down the aisle in her wheelchair followed closely by her four brothers who ‘gave her away’. By the time she and her brothers got to the altar, there was not a dry eye in the church.  And yes, I will admit a tear as well, OK, OK, the plural form would be more accurate.  I never do have a Kleenex when I really need one.Four older brothers gave their little sister away…

During the ceremony, the couple requested we all stand and sing the Darlene Zschech song, “Shout to the Lord”.   By then I was ready for the Second Coming!   Yet the most touching moment came as the pastor related his personal comments before the vows were exchanged.  It seems he has known Madge for 23 years and Brent for over 6 years.   He shared how Madge had come to faith in Christ and how following her accident had overwhelmed them all with her never-look-back, only-look-forward attitude.  He praised her family as one who rallied around her like none he has ever seen.   Finally, he praised God for her Christ like spirit as reflected in her manner and service to the church.   Brent, he shared, was a true gentleman possessing a spirit of tenderness.  However, Brent had built up over the years such a wall in his heart that he refused to allow relationships to get very close.   That is, until he met Madge.   And brick by brick, Madge was able to tear down the wall and today they were ready to commit to a life together.

Following the exchange of vows the couple left to the tune of “Great is the Lord”.   We joined them at a nearby country club for the reception.  It was good to see the family.  Her brothers live New York, New Jersey, Virginia and Ohio.   Madge and Brent will be setting up residence at her current home.  I recall that Madge works for a software company and Brent teaches at a University nearby.

These days, gatherings of our extended family seem to center on weddings and funerals.   The former preferred over the latter.  Weddings have always seemed to be such a sacred moment for the wedding couple with the presence of family being a sign of love and support.  But today, I came away as the one who was blessed; it was a sacred time for all present.  Thanks Madge and Brent. Your wedding was a reminder that God is sovereign.  The verse on the wedding program said it all, “Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails”.  1 Corinthians 13:7-8