Man! We're living in a World of Wonder!!

Man! We're living in a World of Wonder!!rnAll day today, I have felt the need to make a blog post because of some events that have occurred to me in the last couple of days.....All day, I thought the title of the post needed to be "Hope Springs Eternal." And, my thoughts that I will present will still be the same. But, tonight, as Vickie and I rode home from a fun visit with our grandbabies, I was listening to a CD by Ronnie Milsap. Alright... I know that some of you probably have no idea who Ronnie Milsap is. But, I enjoyed country music years ago when "Country wasn't Cool!." During all of those years, Ronnie Milsap was (and still is) my favorite musician and singer. rnRonnie is a blind musician originally from the mountains near Robbinsville, N.C. He has had over 40 #1 country (and crossover) songs. His achievements have been nothing less than extraordinary considering the fact of his blindness and the fact that his mother had no use for him as a young child. However, that may be a blog post for another time. rnRonnie has recently made a country gospel album and it is populated with old "church" songs. As I was riding home tonight, he was singing a song that is entitled "World of Wonder." As I listened to those words over and over, I realized that I needed to title this blog post with the words above. Certainly, we DO live in a "World of Wonder." This morning, as I was headed toward L.A. (Lower Anson County!) to meet with my first customer, I couldn't help but to stop and make a video of the sunrise. The wonder and beauty of Creation is overwhelming sometimes, and today was one of those times. rnAs I was heading back toward Marshville, I was thinking about a wonderful meeting that I was a part of last Saturday. My mom died in September of 2009, and when the time was right, we put her house on the market to attempt to sell it. Because of the economy, we have just not had very good luck in our attempts. However, finally, we connected with a potential buyer, and everything came together in a way that was good for all parties. Last Saturday, my sisters and our families were over at mom's house doing some final cleanup as we prepared for the home's new occupants. A "strange" car pulled up in the driveway and as we went to greet our visitors, we realized that the visitors were the family that would soon occupy "mom's" house. That house had been "momma and daddy's place" for many years, but in the months that we had been trying to sell it, it had grown to feel empty and lonely...even when we were over there working. The life that had always been there was absent. It reminded me of some words that I wrote in a blog post several weeks ago entitled "A Plaque on the Wall." The "house" needed to become a "home." It needed a family in it, but, since it was "Momma's Place", it needed to have the right family in it. Almost immediately when we met the buyers, we realized one of those "Wonders" had occurred. Through an unusual series of events, we had been blessed by finding the "right family." We all commented that "momma would be very pleased." That was very important to all of us, because it helps with having closure, and it really helps that the closure can be pleasant. As we all visited together, we began walking through the yard and looking at the flowers and trees that had been such an important part of that place. As we walked, we talked, and as we talked, we realized that both of our families had faced very similar circumstances concerning finances and losses of some of the things that we had worked our whole lives.for. Then, she asked me "what kind of tree is that?" It was another one of those "Wonders." It gave me the opportunity to tell her that the tree was a Redbud tree and it was called our "Hope Tree." Vickie and I planted it at our 30th anniversary which was celebrated in the midst of the the hardest time in our lives when our business and home was slipping away from us. We planted that tree to always remind us that there is hope. Now, when we see a family who is ecstatic about making their home where momma's home was, then we really do sense that there is always "Hope" rnThen our discussions turned to the daffodils in the flower bed......another one of those "wonders"...It gave me the opportunity to tell her the same story that I told you back several weeks ago in the blog post entitled "The Daffodil taught me a Lesson." Those daffodils came from bulbs that my great-great grandmother had planted over in Stanly County about 130 years ago. Every year, the "Wonder" of springtime brings back to life the dormancy that the harshness of wintertime has caused. So, I guess either blog title would work...because Hope really does Spring Eternal! So, when our lives face the harshness and struggles that the "Wintertime" brings, we can always have the certainty that we really do "Live in a World of Wonder.!!" rnRemember.....my motto is: Building up Homes Building up Businesses Building up Othersrn