WHERE HAVE I BEEN?????

I can't believe it has been over a year since I posted on my own blog. Where did the time go?

Well, I went through another time of deep depression. I know what caused it. I was grieving for my friends. Our Pastor Bill, with leukemia became much worse and died on February 14. I spent a lot of time with his wife and daughter after that; helping with Lynn and being there with Katie. She is doing better. We do spend time on the phone now and then. Katie takes time to get away from the everyday and it helps her.

I went to Virginia about 4 times last Spring to visit my elderly aunts. I went with the idea of trying to help them, but they never would let me do anything but cook. That was OK, but they kept complaining about all of the stuff that needed to be done but wouldn't let me do it. OH, well.

I found out that I have Type 2 diabetes in April or May last year. I had to completely change some things about my life, particularly in the realm of eating and exercise. I got the South Beach Diet book and read through it. It makes a lot of sense. I didn't go completely South Beach. I need my carbs, but I cut way back on carbs and cut out some of the "white" foods such as rice, bread, pasta, potatoes, sugar (especially desserts). I began eating lots of meat, even red meat, vegetables and fresh fruit. I began eating oatmeal for breakfast with flax seed added for extra fiber, shredded wheat and bran cereal, whole wheat bread (really whole wheat not just white bread colored brown). I also continued working out at Curves, but made it more regular. Since last April I have lost 20 pounds. I can get in clothes in my closet that I haven't gotten in for years.

We had three public school Good News Clubs this year. That has kept me very busy going to all three clubs each week. They are all finished for the year.

Caroline had a busy school schedule this year. Three days a week she had outside classes: Monday was history/literature/writing. Tuesdays and Thursdays: Spanish, Algebra 1 and Latin 1. Twice a month she had Biology Lab on Wednesday mornings from September through April. She is finished with all of her classes now except Algebra and Latin. They will finish up next Thursday (May 22). She took her Algebra with a co-op school or cottage school called Trinity Classical Academy. It has been a huge blessing and next year I have her enrolled with all of her classes except Spanish. She will still go two other days of the week for Spanish.

In September, October and November, we went to Orangeburg one evening each week so that I could teach a class called Teaching Children Effectively. There were five of us teaching different sections of it. I had five sections to teach so that I could become credentialed with CEF to be an Instructor of Teachers. I really enjoy the training aspect of my ministry with CEF.

Child Evangelism Fellowship of the Lowcountry became an official chapter and received the Charter on December 1, 2007. That was exactly 2 years to the day that I went on staff as the area coordinator. We also have a governing board and we now have an office suite and training facility at 4 Grober Hill Road in Beaufort, SC 29906. We are having an Open House on Sunday, May 18th from 2-5 PM. Come by and see the facility and have some refreshments.

That is pretty much the overview of what has happened since my last post. I will try to keep up more regularly from now on. At least I will try.