Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin, PSL's,--and other wonderfulness!

Sweet. Cinnamon. Pumpkin.

These three words cause my eyes to glaze over and my mouth begin to water, much like . . . 

Pumpkin. Spice. Latte.

What is it about the scent of pumpkin, nutmeg, cinnamon, and such that creates such a longing for cooler weather and all the fun things that go hand in hand with it (i.e. high school football, apple cider, warm jackets, and fleece blankets)?

We have had an extremely warm summer here in eastern North Carolina. It’s been the kind of summer where you feel like you are having a cold-front come in when the temperatures dip to a mere 83 degrees. This West Virginia girl (go Mountaineers!) sometimes longs for the milder temperatures of the north. I love cardigans. They are cozy and they cover a multitude of “buffet” sins! J

My darling husband, the absolute love of my life, knows that Fall is by far my favorite season. A few days ago, while perusing the interweb, he found a “hack” where he was able to get a PSL (pumpkin spice latte, for those who are uneducated in SBX lingo) early by using a special code, spoken to the Barista. My man shows up at my  office (during a particularly difficult afternoon, I might add) with the season’s first PSL, just for me. (He likes them OK, but he’s not nuts about them. He’s more of a grande-brewed-with-cream-and-four-Splenda kind of guy.)

This single act, in and of itself, would have been enough to carry me over for several more days. But no, a mere few days later (this past Tuesday), he shows up with yet another PSL. This man is on fire! He dropped it off, kissed me, and headed on his merry way. MMMM. I can still taste the wonderfulness—ahhh!

Fast forward two hours. When I arrived home, as soon as I opened my van door, I smelled a wonderful aroma. It is a scent that I hadn’t smelled in a good long while. When the door to the house opened, I was immediately engulfed in the most wonderful scent that Bath & Body Works stores have ever produced.

Sweet. Cinnamon. Pumpkin.

Rewind two hours. Shortly before my main squeeze had stopped at my local ‘Bucks for a PSL, he had dropped by our local mall with his mom, after taking her to lunch for her 70^th birthday (See my previous post). While there, he quickly realized that my uber-favorite fragrance was indeed back AND that there was a decently amazing sale, currently in progress. Girls (and guys, if there happen to be any) my husband came home with not one, but TWO Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin Candles, the three-wick kind, hand soap, hand sanitizer, AND Wallflower refills. YES. All of that!

And in this seemingly small act of kindness, I am reminded of why I love Rodney Holloman so much.  

He gets me. Like no one else. 

He speaks my love language.

He knows my favorites and he strives to do everything within his power to make my life wonderful.  

And he succeeds. 

I know it’s been said before, and will be said again, but I honestly can’t imagine my life without him. I am thankful to be his partner in this life.

I love you Rodney. And I just wanted you (and anyone reading this) to know!

Mother-in-Law

Mother-in-Law.

When you read those three words (or is it one word?) what idea comes to mind?

Fear?

Dread?

Joy?

Laughter?

Tears?

To those of us who are married, there can be a bevy of emotions tied to this word. If you have a poor relationship with your In-Laws, then fear and dread may be your reaction. If you have a good rapport with them, then “joy” may be your word of choice.

Many times, our relationship with our mothers-in-law can stem back to what we saw with our own mothers and grandmothers.  Sometimes, what may start out as a very “rough” relationship with the mother of our husbands, can be gloriously transformed into a friendship like no other (and the reverse is also true).

Yesterday (September 17, 2013) my very own mother-in-law, Faye Woodard, turned 70 years old. As I reflect back over the past 18-ish years that I have been in this family, there are a few points that I would like to share. These are listed in no particular order.

·        I entered this family as a virtual stranger. Rodney and I did not grow up together. We did not attend school together. We never attended college together. We didn’t even meet until we were both in our mid-20’s.

·        My mother-in-law is an awesome cook. From her “world-famous” chicken pastry, to her Almost Heaven Cake (my personal favorite) there is nothing she’s ever set before me that was not wonderful.

·        Hospitality is key in her home. Anyone who has the privilege to be there will tell you that you feel welcome when you walk into that brick house on Pierce Street. “Make yourself at home” is a phrase that is said often.

·        Sports play a very important role in her life! I remember a particular Sunday when Rodney and I were dating when I walked into the house and saw a small TV in the kitchen with whatever NASCAR race was going on that day. In the den, there was a basketball game and in the living room, yet another sports broadcast. As a girl who could barely remember what RBI even stood for, I knew I was in over my head!

·        She loves her boys. With the fierceness of a mother bear, Mrs. Faye loves her sons, Rodney & Marc. She will (and has) done anything for them.

·        She loves her grandkids. With nearly the same degree of love that she has for her boys, Nana loves her grandbabies. There are five of them, ranging in ages from 17 to 10. She would give anything she has for them.

·        She is a fiercely loyal friend. Ask anyone who has been a friend of hers for any length of time. She is loyal to a fault!

·        She loves me. I entered this family as a stranger. She opened her arms to me.

The truth is that Nana Faye has welcomed me to her family and loves me as one of her own. There is only one woman on earth who, I believe, loves me more, and she gave birth to me!

I Love you Nana! Thank you for loving me as one of your children. It is an honor to be your daughter-in-law.

An Opportunity

One of the hardest decisions we have had during this transition is deciding what to share, how much to share,  and are we "over-sharing."  We have tried to err on the side of "under-sharing" so as to not be misunderstood.  This is especially our sentiment now, as Rodney is finishing up the summer term and we are still waiting on the Lord for another place of ministry.  (There has been a lot of activity on that front this summer and we are so thankful for your prayers!)  

Allow me to back up a little bit. One of our desires as a couple has been (and is) to "attempt great things for God." God has marvelously answered that prayer in the many opportunities Rodney has had to minister nationally and internationally. Although I have not traveled as much as he has, I have had multiple opportunities to minister here at home in the Ladies' Ministry, AWANA, etc. Some of the goals that we felt like the Lord wanted us to pursue this year included Rodney doing some writing and me starting a musical project (CD). Rodney is currently working on an eBook for pastors about how to effectively use Evernote in the Ministry and  . . . well . . . I am on my way to Nashville! TODAY!

To be honest, part of our hesitation in sharing is that this was a goal, and certainly not a need, like our present financial situation. However, God has provided the funds for this project through some unexpected ways and some wonderfully generous people. With the obvious demonstration of God's providence, this "dream" goal, is now a reality. We honestly believe that this is one of the better ways we can show our confidence in the Lord as we seek to minister. So, while we are waiting for an open door of ministry for our entire family, we have prayerfully chosen to walk through this open door of blessing.  God can be trusted in full, even when we can only see in part. 

Lord-willing, I will be at Daywind Studios in  Nashville, TN recording a CD tomorrow. The process begins around 10 a.m. CST. 

Would you please pray for the details of the trip and the recording? Our prayer is that God will use this project to be a blessing to others and that He will receive it as an offering of praise.

If you are interested in getting a notification when the CD's arrive (should be early - mid October) email me at andreaholloman+CD@gmail.com. 

P.S. The word "nervous" does not fully capture the essence of what I feel (or have felt for the past month) about this opportunity. 

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How great is HIS goodnes?

I am very thankful for the little things that God does to remind you that He loves and cares for you. 

We could never have known what these past six weeks would hold back in the winter when Rodney found the tickets to the Sci-Fi Spectacular. 

But HE did.

Last night was an amazing time of refreshment for both of us and I am thankful for it. 

Thank you Lord for your goodness to us! "For how great is his goodness, and how great is his beauty!"--Zechariah 9:17

Seen in my yard lately . . .

Tomato

Cucumber

Bell Pepper

Zucchini

Hydrangea

It takes a storm now and then

Tonight, I am reminded that sometimes you have to go through some of these . . .

To enjoy these. . .

For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof. . . 

He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. . . 

Oh that men would praise The Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men.

Taken from Psalm 107

Rest

"Rest in The Lord and wait patiently for him, fret not thyself . . . " --Psalm 37:7

The past few weeks have been challenging. 

Many of you know that Wednesday, May 8 was a tough day for our family. Because of financial issues, the college where Rodney has ministered for 10 years asked him to "take one for the team" and resign his position. He taught various Bible Classes and has Chaired the Bible Department for 7+ years. The president of the college has stated publicly that there were no "personality or performance" conflicts. The decision was "purely financial." He also stated publicly that if Rodney was the pastor of a church in the city where he lived, he would be pleased to call him pastor.

This is the official statement, posted on the college website here: 

May 10, 2010

Dear Friends and Fellow Laborers:

It is with a heavy heart that I am informing you of the resignation of faculty member Rodney Holloman from his position at Southeastern Free Will Baptist College in Wendell, NC. His resignation was necessitated by the budget cuts of the upcoming fiscal year.

Brother Holloman has faithfully served Southeastern for 10 years and ministered with passion and excellence. I made the announcement of Mr. Holloman’s resignation in chapel to our student body on Thursday and went into detail. I should have shared some of that information with the graduation attendees this morning. The lack of information was not intentional, but was certainly short-sighted on my part. I have known Brother Rodney and is family for many years. I love them all and offered my deepest apology to Brother Rodney personally and extend my regrets and apology to all of his family members.

Brother Rodney’s departure will not be immediate. He will be completing his duties through the summer months by taking our students to Cuba on a short term mission trip and will be teaching online classes. As the Lord opens the door Mr. Holloman will be entering back into full-time church ministry. Please pray for him as he seeks the direction God has for him and his family.

Brother Rodney has been and is a great servant of the Lord and will be missed by all of us at Southeastern. We love and respect him and are thankful for his years of service to Southeastern and his willingness to sacrifice for the cause of our Lord. Please keep the Holloman family and the college in your prayers as we continue serving together in His Kingdom.

Jim Marcum, President, Southeastern Free Will Baptist Bible College

On the one hand, we have a new adventure afoot. Saddle up the horses! 

On the other hand, we have a new adventure afoot! The saddle's been packed up for ten years . . . Where did I put that thing?

I was reminded today that "Launching out for God does not require talent, personality, or giftedness. It requires obedience." (Paul Chappell)

As hard as it is for me to admit it, God does not NEED me. He desires my obedience to His will and His plan for my life, but He does not NEED me for His purposes to be fulfilled. His will WILL be done, with or without me. When I finally realize His omnipotence, everything else falls into line.

It it my job to trust HIS plan for my life (and the lives of my family), even if that means completely changing the course that seemed (to me) to be *perfect*.

I have explained (or at least tried to explain) to my children (and myself at times) that "God goes before,  He goes behind, and He's right here with us all the time." (Sorry for the rhyme, it just happened.) This statement has become our mantra. When we doubt and have questions that we cannot answer, we say this sentence repeatedly. 

Yesterday, while perusing Facebook, I saw the most amazing picture that my sister had posted and was reminded yet again of our family mantra.

I figured out that this was a song and looked up the lyrics. I was floored when I read them.

You hear me when I call

You are my morning song

Though darkness fills the night

It cannot hide the light

I know who goes before me

I know who stands behind

The God of angel armies

Is always by my side

The one who reigns forever

He is a friend of mine

The God of angel armies

Is always by my side

My strength is in Your name

For You alone can save

You will deliver me

Yours is the victory

And nothing formed against me shall stand

You hold the whole world in Your hands

I'm holding on to Your promises

You are faithful

HE IS FAITHFUL.

And because He is faithful, I can rest. . . knowing that HIS will is so much better than anything I could ever imagine. I can place my family's future in HIS wonderful plan and rest.  

It's Not Goodbye . . . See ya later!

Today, I must say goodbye to a life-long friend. 

Linda Summers Green entered my life as a middle school teacher and after high school graduation, continued as my friend. . .up until the end of her life. She was a blessing to everyone she met and she will be missed.

It saddens me that I will not be able to go to Tennessee today to honor the memory of this precious saint of God. I loved her very much and like so many others (friends, family, and former students) have already stated in much more eloquent words than mine, she made a tremendous impact on my life as a young person. 
She taught me to NEVER let anything stand in my way and that physical difficulty is no excuse to NOT serve the Lord. 

I am a blessed woman to have known her and to have been influenced by her.

Mrs. G and Charlene, her daughter

Mrs. Linda Faye Summers Green, age 64 of Seymour, Tennessee passed away Saturday, June 8, 2013 at the University of Tennessee Regional Medical Center in Knoxville, Tennessee. She was a member of Bethel Baptist Church in Hillsville, Virginia. Mrs. Green was a Teacher at the Laurel Valley Christian School for 12 Years. She loved her Students Greatly and took pride in Teaching and preparing them for Life.

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