Clinton, Dunn & Goldsboro, NC

April 24-26, 2010

Another all-night drive which meant a quiet drive to Clinton, North Carolina. Because of I-40 being shut down east of Knoxville the previous 6 months because of a rock slide, we opted to go through Atlanta, Augusta, and Columbia instead. I got behind the wheel before we crossed into South Carolina and I pulled us into a Waffle House in Florence for a big breakfast and a bedding transition.

Our lodging was at the Jameson Inn and after unloading and fixing ourselves up we found Destiny Outreach with Senior Pastor, Rodney Hall, who is the son of our dear friend, Jim Hall of Arrington, Virginia. Destiny Outreach is a store-front church that houses a loving congregation with a desire to expand the Kingdom of God. They know how to treat a guest, too! They showed us to the “green room” where they had a fruit tray and bottled water waiting for us. Wow. We've never been treated like celebrities before. (smile)

Pastor Rodney, his beautiful wife, Teri and their 2 well-mannered daughters treated us to dinner after the service and although we appreciated the generosity immensely, and enjoyed some great fellowship, we decided the next day that we should decline invitations to dine out on Saturday nights. It's just too hard on the children, and it's hard on Bobby and I too. It's rather miserable trying to get my babies up and ready for church the following morning. Denying ourselves the pleasure of good company and food, especially when you're treated, is a difficult commitment to keep on a Saturday night, however, I think I can stay committed when I remember the regretful feeling I'll have the next morning if I give in to the temptation. Our Pastor has taught such anyway. On Saturday night you need to get to bed and get a good nights' rest so you're ready to give it all you got on Sunday morning. Sometimes that's easier said than done when you're a traveling musician, but where there's a will there's a way...usually.

It was not a happy time in our hotel room that Sunday morning. Landis is the most difficult to awaken. He's very stubborn about getting his eyes open and getting to his feet. I went from speaking gently and cheerfully to yelling at him and threatening to use the spoon on his hind end. Oh, yeah...I keep the road spoon with me at all times. At home it's a wooden slat from an old closet door. The children sang but barely opened their mouths and were reluctant to smile. Hope even yawned on stage. I felt guilty for keeping them out late and then expecting them to act like adults and pretend they felt great. Oh well, we learn as we go. I went somewhere and I learned something.

The saints at Taylor's Chapel Church of God in Dunn, North Carolina loved the children in spite of their honesty, and we enjoyed good fellowship after the service. Pastor Doug Howard and his wife, Connie treated us to lunch and I felt so privileged to get to know yet another precious pastor and his wife. God's been so good to us to allow us to fellowship with and encourage the men of God and their wives.

Three years ago I did a prolonged fast and one of the things that I prayed for was that Bobby would find favor with men. He was working a tree-cutting job and I knew Bobby well enough that I knew he wouldn't change jobs. He's very loyal and will stay where he is. I didn't even have the faith to pray about him changing jobs. So as this company fell into difficult times financially, we watched Bobby's pay check get smaller and smaller I prayed that somehow God would give him favor where he was and that God would miraculously double his income. After a couple of years of booking his own dates, other artists approached Bobby and asked him how in the world he was getting so many bookings. I didn't even realize it until a couple of months ago but I believe it's the favor that I prayed for 3 years ago. But God did even better than I asked, didn't He? He moved Bobby on to his own business and yes, our income had doubled. And why not say “our” income when the entire family contributes?

That afternoon we made our way to Goldsboro where had a little trouble finding Oak Ridge Church of God of Prophecy but at the last minute Bobby finally called Pastor Tommy Moore and found out we were on the wrong side of town. The GPS is a great thing to have...98% of the time.

We had some help with the load in and I got the girls ready to sing. Just a few minutes before it was time to start, I began visiting with Pastor Tommy's wife, Hope. Our conversation had just started getting really interesting when we had to quit talking, so, like good girls, we zipped our lips and looked forward to more visiting after the service. Sister Hope and Pastor Tommy have 4 beautiful children, 3 girls and 1 boy like us but Sister Hope wasn't sure they wouldn't have 2 more by the next time we saw them. I tried to encourage her that if the desire to have more children was deep within her and she had her husband's agreement, then more than likely God had some family expanding plans for them.

After everyone else had gone we had an impromptu meal together in their fellowship hall, enjoying sandwiches, fruit and chips and of course much more conversation.

There were severe thunderstorms and tornado warnings in the county just north of the church which was where we were sleeping that night so we took our time visiting a little more out in the parking lot. At one point Brother Tommy got off of his cell phone and announced the tornado warning had expired for Wilson so we hugged our new friends and said goodbye.

On Monday we were prepared to take the detour around the rockslide but Bobby decided since nothing was stopping him from continuing on I-40, he'd go ahead an chance passing by the optional detour. As we moved westward, we began to wonder if I-40 was open for travel again and then we saw brake lights ahead and wondered if we'd made a mistake. However, we weren't delayed for long at all and continued on I-40 the remainder of our trip home. I Googled I-40 and learned that the Interstate was scheduled to open that very weekend and had in fact, re-opened two days early. Again, it's the little things that can make such a big difference in our travels.