I am going to keep a Retirement Journal so needed to write down the details of our for post-retirement trip which was to go to Huntsville for a long Mother's Day weekend to visit Chip. When I typed our journal this evening, I decided to post it here for posterity. Here goes....
We left our house at 6:00 a.m. on last Thursday morning and had a nice drive to Huntsville, AL. When we were about 30 minutes from Chip's church, he called to let us know that there were bad storms in the area and that they were under a tornado watch. We arrived at the church and in a little bit left from there with Chip to go to lunch with him and the new senior pastor, Pastor Zach, to go to lunch. We had a delightful lunch at an upscale restaurant called "Grille 29."
We enjoyed getting acquainted with Pastor Zach. He is such a nice young man (32 years old!). He said he is enjoying Chip being on staff so much that if he could, he would fire him and then re-hire him just so Chip knows how valuable and appreciated he is. What a vote of confidence!!! After we had finished our meal, the waiter came back to our table to tell us that a tornado warning was in progress, that the storm was headed our way and that we should leave the restaurant and go home. We all returned to the church and waited out the storm there. It never got bad ~~ just a lot of heavy rain and some wind for a brief period of time. Chip had been given a bigger office located next door to the Pastor's office but had not had time to make the physical move so his Dad and I moved all of his books to the new location, hung his pictures and plaques, etc. and helped Chip get his new office squared away. Chip received a call that a lady in their church who had been suffering with breast cancer for 7 years, was in real bad shape so he and Pastor Zach left to go to the house. Richard and I returned to Chip's house at that time. In a couple of hours, Chip called to say that "Sandi" had passed while the pastors and the family stood around singing "Amazing Grace." Sandi was only 45 years old and left behind a wonderful Christian husband, an elementary age little boy and 2 teenagers. Chip and Pastor Zach stayed at their house for several hours. In the meantime, Richard and I went to a pizza place in Chip's neighborhood and had pizza waiting when Chip got home for the bereaved family's home at about 8:00. We ate, visited, talked, and enjoyed catching up with Chip until we all got tired and called it a night.
That evening, Chip presented a retirement gift to his dad. (I made a video of that moment but cannot seem to make that video move to this spot so it is located at the bottom of this post. Weird but that's the way it is.)
We left our house at 6:00 a.m. on last Thursday morning and had a nice drive to Huntsville, AL. When we were about 30 minutes from Chip's church, he called to let us know that there were bad storms in the area and that they were under a tornado watch. We arrived at the church and in a little bit left from there with Chip to go to lunch with him and the new senior pastor, Pastor Zach, to go to lunch. We had a delightful lunch at an upscale restaurant called "Grille 29."
We enjoyed getting acquainted with Pastor Zach. He is such a nice young man (32 years old!). He said he is enjoying Chip being on staff so much that if he could, he would fire him and then re-hire him just so Chip knows how valuable and appreciated he is. What a vote of confidence!!! After we had finished our meal, the waiter came back to our table to tell us that a tornado warning was in progress, that the storm was headed our way and that we should leave the restaurant and go home. We all returned to the church and waited out the storm there. It never got bad ~~ just a lot of heavy rain and some wind for a brief period of time. Chip had been given a bigger office located next door to the Pastor's office but had not had time to make the physical move so his Dad and I moved all of his books to the new location, hung his pictures and plaques, etc. and helped Chip get his new office squared away. Chip received a call that a lady in their church who had been suffering with breast cancer for 7 years, was in real bad shape so he and Pastor Zach left to go to the house. Richard and I returned to Chip's house at that time. In a couple of hours, Chip called to say that "Sandi" had passed while the pastors and the family stood around singing "Amazing Grace." Sandi was only 45 years old and left behind a wonderful Christian husband, an elementary age little boy and 2 teenagers. Chip and Pastor Zach stayed at their house for several hours. In the meantime, Richard and I went to a pizza place in Chip's neighborhood and had pizza waiting when Chip got home for the bereaved family's home at about 8:00. We ate, visited, talked, and enjoyed catching up with Chip until we all got tired and called it a night.That evening, Chip presented a retirement gift to his dad. (I made a video of that moment but cannot seem to make that video move to this spot so it is located at the bottom of this post. Weird but that's the way it is.)
On Friday morning, we met a realtor in Chip's church, Tommy, who is helping Chip look for a house to purchase. We met Tommy at the house Chip is currently looking at, and we really liked it. We shall see what Chip's final decision is. We went to church with Chip for a little while before we went to a ritzy hamburger joint called "Cheeburger Cheeburger." They have humongous burgers and fries. Richard and I shared a lb. burger and fries. It was a delicious and delightful meal with Chip. From there he went back to the office. We returned to his house. Chip was conducting a Sunday School teacher's meeting for his student ministry group. It was held in the lovely home of one of his teachers. She served a delicious lasagna casserole. The other teachers (and us) brought drinks and desserts. Chip conducted the teachers' meeting and they got a lot of ideas and plans hammered out. It is a bustling student ministry with lots going on!! Richard and I enjoyed attending and getting to know some of the adults who work in the student ministry. We returned home after the meeting (going on 10:00 p.m.!), talked a bit, and went to bed.Saturday morning at 11:00 was Sandi's funeral. Chip went to it while Richard and I hung out in the church office while we waited on him to return. We went to lunch at "Nothing But Noodles." Afterwards, Chip returned to the church office to do some work (straightening up the new office) and we returned to his house. That evening we attended a College get-together as Chip is the College Pastor as well as Student Pastor. It has held at the home of a couple who works in the college department. They had a delicious cook-out and then a bonfire. Chip brought a wonderful Bible Study lesson around the bonfire and it was a very meaningful time. As we were leaving, the man of the house told us that a storm was headed our way. Chip returned to the church office to do some work while Richard and I returned to Chip's house. A tornado warning sounded with the high school TORNADO SIREN blaring at the school right across the street from Chip's house. It was a tad unnerving!!! We "weathered" out the storm (Chip came home during it) and then all went to bed at 12:30 a.m. EXHAUSTED!!!
Sunday Morning Mother's Day dawned bright and beautiful BUT WINDY AND QUITE CHILLY!!! It was a VERY STIFF wind all day long. I had not had the privilege of being in the company of my son ON a Mother's Day for 10 years so it was a wonderful day spending it with Chip in ministry. (Not to say that I didn't miss Amy. She called on Sunday morning to wish me a Happy Mother's Day.) We went to church and sat in on Chip's COLLEGE Sunday School class. He taught a wonderful lesson on the covenants God had made with man in the OT. It was very, very good. After Sunday School, we had a wonderful Mother's Day service at Chip's church with a precious children's choir singing the cutest song, other special music, and then a wonderful message by Pastor Zach. Chip took us to Mother's Day dinner at TGIFriday. We enjoyed a delicious meal!!! On Sunday afternoon, we all "chilled" with the guys (Richard and Chip) watching NBA basketball and me reading/snoozing.
At 6:00, we were back at the church for Chip to conduct a meeting with his small group of guys in his Student Ministry who are feeling the call to preach. This semester Chip started this ministry which he explains this way: "Our cbsm KTL Team is made up of guys who sense God’s calling to serve in full-time ministry in the future. KTL stands for “Preach the Word” in Greek (Keruxon Ton Logon). KTL also accepts students who want to use their God-given teaching gifts in the church one day in the future. We meet weekly to discuss ministry and how to communicate all of the Scriptures." So Richard and I attended that meeting at Chip's invitation, heard the young man who will be speaking to the teens on Sunday night as he practiced his message before Chip and the other guys in KTL. It was a very interesting process with Jeremy giving his message and then Chip giving him lots of praise as well as constructive helps in how to improve for Wednesday night's message. Afterwards, Chip and the other guys there laid hands on Jeremy and prayed for him. Momma Dean had to tear up a bit as it was all so very touching how that Chip is touching the lives of young men who are sensing God's call on their lives.
Afterwards, we went out with Chip and 3 of those those guys to Indigo Joe's for chicken wings. It was a wonderful time of fellowship as those high school guys picked Chip's brain and heart as they threw out lots and lots of questions about living the Christian life, ministry, etc. Afterwards, we returned to Chip's house. We sat up for a few minutes but by 9:30, we were all 3 ready to turn in. We had crammed a lot into 4 days!!!!!!!!!
At 6:00, we were back at the church for Chip to conduct a meeting with his small group of guys in his Student Ministry who are feeling the call to preach. This semester Chip started this ministry which he explains this way: "Our cbsm KTL Team is made up of guys who sense God’s calling to serve in full-time ministry in the future. KTL stands for “Preach the Word” in Greek (Keruxon Ton Logon). KTL also accepts students who want to use their God-given teaching gifts in the church one day in the future. We meet weekly to discuss ministry and how to communicate all of the Scriptures." So Richard and I attended that meeting at Chip's invitation, heard the young man who will be speaking to the teens on Sunday night as he practiced his message before Chip and the other guys in KTL. It was a very interesting process with Jeremy giving his message and then Chip giving him lots of praise as well as constructive helps in how to improve for Wednesday night's message. Afterwards, Chip and the other guys there laid hands on Jeremy and prayed for him. Momma Dean had to tear up a bit as it was all so very touching how that Chip is touching the lives of young men who are sensing God's call on their lives.
Afterwards, we went out with Chip and 3 of those those guys to Indigo Joe's for chicken wings. It was a wonderful time of fellowship as those high school guys picked Chip's brain and heart as they threw out lots and lots of questions about living the Christian life, ministry, etc. Afterwards, we returned to Chip's house. We sat up for a few minutes but by 9:30, we were all 3 ready to turn in. We had crammed a lot into 4 days!!!!!!!!! We got up this Monday morning and had a bite of breakfast with Chip before we said our good-byes. He departed for the church office and we departed for home. It was a very meaningful and wonderful visit with Chip. He is so very gracious and kind and seems to enjoy having us involved in every facet of his ministry. Richard and I plan to go up the week of June 16 to spend the week with Chip and help in the VBS at his invitation. We look forward to that fun time.
Here is the video of Chip presenting his retirement gift to his Dad:
Blessings,
Susan
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