Tacy Jane Turns 30!!!

Our third child turns the marvelous age of 30 today!  We are so thankful to the LORD for this special gift from Him!  The number three was an important part of her birthday.  She was our third child born in the third month, on the twenty third day in the year 1983! To us, her parents, the number three reminds us of the Trinity and we prayed for her and believe she came from heaven blessed by The Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Tacy Jane is named for her paternal grandmother, Jane Williams Bowers, a wonderful godly woman who lived nearby and loved her well!  She prayed for her and babysat and clothed her in a white jean jacket and black boots!
Her maternal grandmother and grandfather, Evelyn and Kenneth Johnson also loved her well.  They lived in Minnesota and then Florida when Tacy was born.  Her grandfather's birthday was 3 days later on the 26th, so most years we would head to Clearwater on our spring break to stay with them.  It was a very special time of celebration with a homemade cake made by "Nana" for her husband and sweet little granddaughter.

Tacy's first name comes from Anastasia, meaning "one who will rise again".  She was born in the Spring time when all the trees are coming to life again and blooming!  Plus her birthday is close to Easter, the wonderful celebration of our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ who rose from the dead and gives us eternal life.

Encouraging News on Our Book Ann Caldwell and I coauthored Empty Arms 8 years ago and it is uplifting to get news about it almost every week! In the last month, I have heard from a woman I met years ago that works in a ministry to moms. She said she loves to recommend our book to audiences she speaks to because a woman who is healed from the scars of abortion and trusts in Jesus' healing power is a happier, healthier mom as she cares for her children, husband and home. My daughter who lives in Seattle sent me an interesting book report written by a student in her high school English class. She is a teenager who eloquently expresses herself as she reacts to the tragic, true experiences recorded in Empty Arms. She comments on the dire consequences that often follow the quick "fix" of an abortion. Then last week a woman came to see the Wall of Names at the Memorial for the Unborn on Vance Road in Chattanooga. She told our director that she was adopted and received the Bethany Christian Services Newsletter(an adoption agency). There was an article in the newsletter about our book, that told about the memorial and also that the book features adoption stories at the end of the book. We bow before the LORD with humble thanks that He allowed us to share this wonderful ministry to needy people searching for answers to some of life's most difficult choices.

First Signs of Spring

A few of the daffodils and crocuses have made their appearance in our yard in the past two weeks. What a welcome reminder of the promise that spring is just around the corner! "He is faithful that has promised" Hebrews 10:23 "God is ever true to His promises." I Corinthians 1:9

Born in Indian Territory in New Mexico

Last night our family gathered to celebrate our firstborn's 36th birthday. Here's his photo with his niece,Molly. Evan Henry Williams was born in Shiprock, New Mexico, a small town located on the Navajo Indian Reservation. My husband was working for the Public Health Service as a physician and I was working as a teacher at Shiprock Elementary school to all black headed Navajo children. During our 2nd year of living on the reservation, God blessed us with our first child. When my due date drew near, my parents drove all the way from Minnesota to support us in this momentous occasion. They arrived and waited, but no labor pains. So Henry suggested that we take Grandma and Grandpa on a sightseeing tour around our area of desert. A harrowing jeep ride over dusty,bumpy roads up a steep mesa took my parents' breath away! Next we drove out to the foot of the actual rock formation of the Shiprock. It is a sacred mountain to the Indians made from the core of an ancient volcano where the lava sticks straight up. No one is permitted to climb it! It resembles a tall sailing ship from a distance and the Spanish explorers thought they had come to the ocean when they saw its silhouette across the desert. The jolting worked! I went in to labor that night and Evan made his appearance in this world at 8 am. We called my parents to announce his arrival! As my parents walked the one block from our house to the little Indian hospital, they wondered if they would be able to tell which baby in the nursery window was their new grandson? As it turned out, it wasn't difficult at all because their brand new grandson was the only "paleface" in the nursery! We are thankful to the LORD for all 4 Williams children that He blessed us with over the years, but this is the only one born in "foreign" territory.

Remarkable Valentine Week!

Memories,Sweet,Sweet Memories What an amazing week this has been! It started on Sunday with a surprise 40th party for our nephew and Godson, Micah Morrison. His dear wife Allie and mother, Sally asked to host the party at our cabin on the river! Despite the drizzle, there were many warm wishes from family and friends with a roaring fireplace and bluegrass. The celebrating continued at Mellow Mushroom with more family gathering together for pizza. An extra bonus was the first time meeting of two sweet two year old cousins! Margo Morrison and our granddaughter, Frances were born only 4 days apart and finally able to meet and even played Ring Around the Roses together! Tuesday I caught up with my 93 yr. old mom over the phone, then our dear friend, Terry invited Henry and me to her townhouse for a delicious Valentine dinner by candlelight. Fun to share a tasty meal together! Wednesday I met my daughter, Tacy and granddaughter, Molly Beck at the Batterie to outfit her with her first leotard and ballet slippers, she's already five years old and starting a ballet class! Their BIG announcement is that the LORD is blessing their family with a new, little baby to join Madeleine in the nursery this summer!And number 5 grandchild for us! Henry,my MARVELOUS sweetheart of 38 years, brought me breakfast in bed on Valentine's Day! What a blessing he has been in my life!!! Then our son, Evan showed up in his landscaping truck with bales of pine straw and made our yard BEAUTIFUL! Then I had the privilege of arranging several bouquets for the special Valentine luncheon at our church gathering widows from several churches to pray, eat and love being together celebrating God's enduring love for us. Stunned is the best way to describe how the evening developed. Our son,Eric, who has had a rough year, surprised us by coming home for 4 hours to cook his parents a gourmet Valentine dinner of salmon fillets smothered in caramelized mango salsa! And we all wanted to catch up with our west coast family so we skyped with Kira and 21 month old granddaughter, Ivey out in Seattle. What a sweet family evening. Yes, I did eat some chocolate yesterday,too...but sweeter than honey and the honeycomb is God's Word! "Behold what manner of love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called the children of God, and that is what we are!" I John 3:1

A New Year's Meditation

Rejoicing in the Incarnation "Jesus, thou Joy of loving hearts, Thou Fount of life, Thou Light of men, From the best bliss that earth imparts We turn unfilled to Thee again. Thy truth unchanged hath ever stood; Thou savest those that on Thee call; To them that seek Thee Thou art good, To them that find Thee, all in all..... This poem is taken from hymn ascribed to Bernard of Clairvaux, 1091-1153

Buying a House

Today is a dream come true for my husband and me! Our sweet little Beck granddaughters will be close by! We love hearing their cheerful greeting when they see us..."Gumpa, and Grandma!!" Our daughter and husband closed on a house in Chattanooga after 5 years of living in Annapolis and Hyattsville, Maryland. The wait is over...they move in this weekend! Our Father in Heaven, the great shepherd of His sheep has provided them with an awesome house just blocks from University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. We celebrated our granddaughter, Frances' two year old birthday and didn't have to leave the next day to drive hundreds of miles home! Now it will only be a 20 minute drive to get a hug and we are very grateful to God for sending them back south to Tennessee! Now I finally know how happy we made Henry's mother, giving her the fun of being Granny B to our 4 children when we moved from St. Paul, Minnesota to Chattanooga 33 years ago.