BETH

Two years ago yesterday Beth is removed from Life Support. Within minutes her heart stops. It is still hard to realize that she is not a phone call away.

She is such a big part of our lives for several years. I still miss the times when she and Lara are at the house getting ready for this or that event or simply laying around watching TV, talking or playing games. She spends more time at our house than she does at her own.

She comes to my house before her Jr. Prom

Lara & Beth graduate high school.

Beth goes to Community College locally & Lara goes to Western Kentucky University. Beth brings her friends over even though Lara is away at college or she comes over alone to play games.

Beth & her pals at our house.

Lara & Beth at her graduation from Vol State.

She fixes my hair when I am going to the Heart Gala (a fancy smancy deal). It looks great. One day she decides to wash & wax my car, it doesn't look so great, lol. I think it still has some of the wax on it when it is sold years later. She has to be doing something all the time. I suppose you could say she is hyper.

Lara & Beth decide to go to MTSU and share an apt. This lasts one semester & Beth drops out & comes back to live with her daddy & step-mother. She meets Troy, whom she ultimately marries, and moves to a bordering county. Lara is maid-of-honor at their wedding.

Lara is with her when Megan is born. The nurse says only family is allowed and Beth says she is my sister.

Lara, Baby Megan, & Beth

(soon after they were released from hospital)

Troy & Beth at Lara's MTSU graduation reception

Lee, Beth, Mekesha, Heather and Lara @ Lara's TN. wedding reception

.

Lara & Beth @ their 10 year class reunion

Then there are three. Beth loves being a mommy. The photo is taken not long before Beth leaves this world.

Dallas, Beth, Baby Ella, Megan

I am at her mother's funeral, I am at her graduation from high school (of course, Lara graduates, too), her community college graduation, her wedding, the hospital soon after the birth of her 1st child, the hospital the night before she is taken off life support and at her funeral.

Yes, Beth has been a huge part of my life. I loved her then, I love her now, and I miss her daily.

Studying The Word

I make a commitment to myself, the beginning of 2008, that I will read the entire Bible in a year. I print out a calendar, that gives the daily readings, in order to accomplish this mission. I have never read straight through before. I read a book, chapter, or verse here and there but have never disciplined myself to read it cover to cover. I am currently ahead of schedule.

I am enjoying it tremendously!!! I realize now how interesting the OT is. There is definitely a ton I do not understand and it is comforting when I hear people, that I hold in high esteem as Bible scholars, readers, leaders, teachers, say each time they read, they find something new or have a different understanding of this verse or that verse.

Our congregation is doing a forty day study of the Psalms. The same time we start this study, my DH decides he wants to read Purpose Driven Life (PDL), which is also a forty day study. We decide to do them together. When he is out of town, we each do our personal Psalms study and then discuss it over the phone and then he reads PDL to me and we discuss that. On the days he is home, we usually read the Psalms together, each fill out our workbooks, discuss our feelings and opinions, then read and discuss PDL. We each have our lessons from our Bible Study groups that we do, also.

I last night realize we are nearing the end of May. This means we will be completing the Psalms and PDL. We are trying to decide what study we will do next. Any suggestions???