LAST POST OF "TIE" IN AIM...

SAYING GOOD-BYE PART II -

What follows is copied from this week's AIM (bulletin of the Granny White church) -

This is my last Tie that Binds in AIM. I need to and want to say avery sincere "Thank you." You the readers have been a blessing to my life. Over and over again through the years you have let me know you have appreciated the nature and spirit of this column. Some of you whom I've never met have written and told me stories of your connection to this grand congregation and how much you enjoy this space. With the history of this illustrious newsletter, your response has been humbling.

So many of you have been such an encouragement to me that my thanks seems very inadequate, but they come from my heart. Next week (in a "non-Tie") I hope to spread a larger "thanks."

This week I just wanted to thank the readers of AIM and to say a clear "thank you" to Denny Loyd who has been much more of an editor than I have been. He is known as one of the finest proofers (He'd never let that word get by) ANYWHERE, but also being an elder he has "had my back."I've trusted that what is in AIM has been OK for it had "elder approval."Kathy who has handled more of the "newsy" notes rarely makes any mistakes. As you know, she is the very best at what she does - I do not know how I could have made it without her. From Kathy's hands, AIM goes to Tommie, Barbara, Carla (and previously to Anne Marie) who each routinely find things that we've missed in our work. From there it finally makes it toBrother Loyd for his perfecting process. I've often said that AIM is the most proofed bulletin in the brotherhood. We still toss in a mistake now and again to keep those who like to find them, satisfied :-).

Again, "thank you"- all that work would be a waste if we didn't trust that there were many out there reading it all. So I will sign off, happily-sadly. You can catch me in the land of blogging. Love, Dale

Abide With Us...

Do you have a favorite song? I think I actually have a couple of hundred - today I'm singing the line from an old favorite: "Change and decay in all around I see..."
Seems to be story for our lives this summer. I have a niece who is getting married, a nephew who has moved in with us, a son who is getting married, graduating and starting a new job, my other son is doing an internship and well, we are getting our house ready to put on the market and will be starting a new job, leaving dear friends and moving into an unknown future.

Might we ask you to pray for us....
...and sing the refrain with me, "Oh, Thou that changest not - Abide with me."

-Amen

NAME CHANGE ALERT!!!

So I'm changing the BLOG name and here is the long story as to why...
It was 1982, Melanie and I had just married, and I was beginning my first work with a congregation. It would be unfair for me to say anything but good stuff about those folks on whom I was first "unleashed." I was looking for a name for a bulletin column. I'd seen a couple of articles by Jim Bill McInteer, a big-name preacher in Nashville that I'd never met or heard in person but whose bulletin (though not strong aesthetically) and though I knew no one at "his congregation," I read with interest each week (who would have ever dreamed I'd follow him in one of his editorships - I still find it hard to believe that I've been so blessed). And there was a young fellow over in the little "map dot" called Centerville, named Paul Rogers, whose Family Matters seemed at times a cool drink in a desert of negativism. I wanted to write like them aninformative article that was personal and highlighted the good. I wanted it to be my personal message to every member and reader every week: Sort of a personal visit - a time to communicate news and other stuff that is rather casual, sometimes fun and sometimes serious.
I turned to my brother (as I so often have) who had just begun preaching for the Midway church near Decatur, Alabama, and asked for suggestions. He used "the Tie That Binds" and had a neat graphic that looked like a snowflake until close investigation revealed it was actually a group of people holding hands in a circle - very creative. He left that behind years ago - but it stuck with me. I've thought of changing it so many, many times. Some have read us and accused us of a Pollyanna attitude ("every week," they argue, "can't be great." It can and is if we are worshipping God and trusting that He is in control in the universe). Others have read to find errors (but with the proofers around here that's been quite a task they've assigned themselves). For the most part people have expressed their appreciation for these ramblings. "The Tie" is rather rare in that it has been produced 52 times a year...that's right. Most take a week or two off, but for roughly 25 years I've written "The Tie" every week. That's over 1250 "Tie's"! That is over a half million words. Rarely have we struggled to find something good and encouraging to share.
Next week will be our "Tie" in AIM. I'll say some Thanks there and then. AIM will continue - it was before I was born and, I suspect that if the Lord tarries, it will continue even after my body is in the cold clay.
At Spring Meadows we may never produce a paper mailed weekly bulletin but may go totally to an e-bulletin. So for the real immediate future - we'll be posting here - "The Blog That Binds". I know that's a little cheesey but a lot of BLOGS are.
IF YOU WANT TO BE E-MAILED WHEN WE UPDATE THIS BLOG JUST SEND ME AN E-MAIL REQUESTING THAT.

Here are two things you can do to follow our writing.
1. If you want the hard (paper) copy, if we ever publish one, write your name and the address you want it sent to on a 3X5 card and give it or mail it to me in the next five days to Dale Jenkins, 1032 Saint Andrews Place, Nashville, TN 37204.
2. If you want the e-bulletin - "Vision" send me an e-mail in the next five days to dale@edge.net and when we get it going we'll send you the notices.
In the mean time, feel free to check in here at the blogspot - it's a lot of fun - but I guarantee you it will never be proofed as well as AIM :-).

"Finding Tombstones"

Dad called (a treat too rare) I could tell it had been a rough day. He had gotten mom's grave marker in and thought it was too small, not nice enough. So next time I was passing through Birmingham I thought I'd stop and see it. Call him and assure him he had done good.

We only had an hour or so, but that would be enough time for us to jump off the interstate and pay a quick visit, at best, to see the marker dad had put on mom's tomb.

So there we were, off I-59 at Jefferson Memorial Gardens looking. We (Melanie and I) knew we had the right spot for dad had selected, in the hectic moments following her unexpected death, a perfect spot. On the side of a hill, overlooking - a wonderful shopping area (I think mom would have laughed!). Looking and not finding. It was quite disconcerting. And as I walked up and down and looked all around I was reminded of Mary in the garden and the tomb of Jesus, looking but not finding.

You remember the words?

John 20
"1Now the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. 2Then she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him."

I suppose I'd never really thought about how Mary must have felt on the morning...it didn't matter how much Jesus had talked about resurrectiontion. Nobody comes back from the dead! I suppose that is why after infallibleable proofs of resurrectiontion these dedicated disciples were willing to die for Him. They knew, beyond a doubt that He was who He claimed to be - The very Son of God. "Blessed are those who have not seen, yet have believed." Their witness to us becofoundation'sonal in our belief! Thank God.

BTW: We finally gave up, called dad and he pointed out just the spot of mom's grave. I suppose that's what those angels did that day in a way - they came from the Father and pointed out just where the Son now was!