WHAT A GREAT BIRTHDAY PARTY!

Ivan Parker, who is featured regularly on the Gaither Net, sings a song I love. In fact I have it on my ipod. It says, "I'm going to have the time of my life when the time of my life is over, I'm going to get carried away when I get carried away...." It's really a foot stompin', hand clappin' song. But I am going on record to say, "we had the time of our life at Marilynn Leach's surprise birthday party last night. Betsy and Leah (daughter and daughter-in-law) planned a most beautiful surprise party for Marilynn's 60th. Ken and Fay Martin drove their van and 7 of us were able to go and help celebrate. It was so much fun! All of us who came from Adrian had been privileged to work with Marilynn in ministry when they served as pastors in Adrian. LOTS AND LOTS OF GOOD MEMORIES! All through the evening I noticed a common thread of conversation. We were all sharing about good times in the past. There is an old Japanese Haiku that says, "A memory is never a pleasure until it is full grown." It was an evening filled with full-grown pleasured, treasured memories. Of course my own memory of Marilynn is very special. We worked side by side for 17 years. We both loved ministry and shared in many, many ministry events. We cried together, laughed together, cooked together, cleaned the church together, decorated for Christmas together and on and on the list goes. We had a very special friendship and it was 17 years of pure pleasure. As I pondered this my heart rejoiced in realizing, that these kinds of friendships will go on and on all through eternity. And we are going to "have the time of our life when the time of our life is over." PRAISE THE LORD....I sure hope you will all be partying with me then. (Make sure you RSVP by accepting Jesus as your Savior.) THANKS BETSY AND LEAH FOR A GREAT EVENING AND THANKS MARILYNN FOR TURNING 60!

PS The third picture from top is Leah, Betsy, Betsy's mother-in-law and Marilynn. The fourth picture down is our Adrian group and of course the party would not have been complete without Marilynn's grandson Robert William King! (Betsy and Rob's son.)