More of Crystal's Graduation Evening

Crystal and Beth and Emily Albertson, two of her good friends. Beth has been at GBS this last semester, and Emily is home schooled.

 Out in front of the Cowboy Church of Peyton.

We loved the silouette of the kneeling cowboy and horse nearby.

 May our daughter always live in the shadow of the cross.

"Beneath the cross of Jesus I fain would take my stand."

Crystal has already chosen the way of the cross as her way of life, and we as parents are well aware that it will cost her and us both.

But is any cost too great to obtain everlasting life?

 The wind kept flipping her tassle! I thought it interesting how the church porch roof almost perfectly matched the outline of her mortarboard!

May the heart of our family always be to stay surrendered at the foot of the cross. 

Hats off.

Knees bent.

Head bowed. 

Our horse, our personal agenda 

completely surrendered to the control of Him who controls all. 

 I know these photos aren't usual graduation photos, but celebrations and ceremonies like this are not about bringing glory to man or applause to ourselves--but bringing glory to Him Whom we serve--

a time when we remind ourselves, each other, those around us, and God

that He is the focal point of our life. 

May the cross never be covered up and secularized in our lives as it is now in so many schools, homes, and even churches.

Above--Crystal with her diploma by the saddle. We loved the wagon wheel chandeliers. I couldn't get a caption above this photo, don't know why.

 Crystal and her teacher of 12 years with the roses--one for each grade!

And below is Iva's family. Iva played the keyboard accompaniment on several of our songs for us. I was so proud of them.

 We didn't get out in time to see it, but the children told us there was a beautiful rainbow outside just after the graduation. You can barely see it in the very center of the sky. That was very special to us. 

We had just sung, "Follow every rainbow till you find your dream!"

 And then "Christ will be your rainbow! He'll fulfill your dream!"

So needless to say, that was very special that God sent a rainbow for that!

Our friend Katherine Gafford said later that she and her father were traveling home after the graduation, enjoying the beautiful rainbow and the distant mountains. She said it was a blessing just traveling home that evening!We are always so thankful when God adds His blessing to our feeble efforts and makes it a blessing to others who love Him.

Crystal's Graduation!

 

Through many dangers, toils, and snares, 

through many tears, final tests, wind, and rain..

Crystal finished high school!

 Everyone pitched in to try to make her home school graduation a fun time!

We will not tell all the stories about the hours spent trying to find fabric for her graduation cap to match her gown (which Mom had purchased for $3.95 at a goodwill two years ago), or of how we had a first cap almost done, only to discover the measurements we got off the internet for the mortarboard were for a kindergartener's cap...

 But we got the cap done (thanks to cardboard, poster board, nobody-will-ever-know-it-doesn't-quite- match fabric) and a homemade tassle (thanks to light blue and white crocheted cotton we happened to have in a drawer for the tassle, and a tassle band and 2014 "charm" from a  decorative tassle we found at Dollar Tree. Maybe next time I'll order gown and cap to match and have the hours of work all done. Oh well! 

So then the day before the graduation, the girls and little boys started working on making about 90 graduation cap candies for toppers for cupcakes.

 The morning of the graduation, Crystal baked cupcakes and then we hurried to the Cowboy Church about 3 miles away to meet the janitor and get a key for the day. Back home again, we iced the cupcakes...

 and Rose cut Twizzlers to size for the graduation cap candy tassles.

 Lots of work went into those cupcakes!

 The finished job laid out in the fellowship room in a separate building beside the church.

 And then after a rather frantic hour of returning home to get last minute things, dress and meet at the church again for practice, the prelude begins. We asked Kenn to get some photos for us. First was a harp song by Amanda Zarkovacki which we weren't coordinated enough yet to snap a photo of.

 Then Iva filled in and then Beth and Emily Albertson played a piano and violin duet.

 Crystal and Carrie played "O Worship the King," a piano duet.

 Crystal played "How Firm a Foundation."

 Meanwhile, in the back, about 20 home school children line up to come in, two by two, up the aisle while my sister Iva played "Pomp and Circumstance." I straighten Crystal's collar.

 I helped the children start out properly, wishing I could be up front to watch them all come in--Iva's children had dressed up so charmingly in western attire. They all filed up to their front seats, and then I took Jonathan's arm, and he and I walked up together behind the children.

 Crystal then came in last. Behind her over there is the church janitor, whose curiosity had been aroused and he had decided to accept my invitation to stay and join us for the service.

 Jonathan emceed the service and is giving the welcome.

 Rowen Albertson, father of some of Crystal's best friends, Beth and Emily Albertson, offered the invocation prayer. He had given time and thought to that prayer, and it was very, very meaningful as he prayed Scripture, reminding God of His commands to teach our children diligently, and to train them in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, thanking God for the privilege of homeschooling, and asking for the continued freedom to do so.

 The home school children's choir sang "Gentle Shepherd/Savior Like a Shepherd Lead Us."

 The Albertson sisters played "I Don't Know About Tomorrow."

 Bro. Steve Kearney, our fill-in pastor, read a letter to Crystal sent by Bro. Dennis Goodwin, whom Crystal had asked to speak, but couldn't make it.

 Crystal, her mother, and Aunt Iva sang a trio on "You'll Never Walk Alone."

 Crystal gave her student address.

"Ladies and gentlemen, cowboys and cowgirls, city slickers and country bumpkins,

I stand before you today as valedictorian, salutatorian, class dunce, and everything in between!

I am the class, the whole class, and nothing but the class!"

Then our family sang "I'm Never Alone on the Lone Prairie," a cowboy song praising God for His presence. In the second verse it talks about feeling lonely as in the distance the coyotes wail, and the children filled in some coyote wails while Jonathan and I sang that part.

 On the first verse, it says, 

"I tell my blues to skedaddled, 

Jump back in the saddle..."

and that is where Jonathan lifted Danny up onto the saddle (church decor) which we'd put on the platform.

 Aunt Iva had a superb little speech titled, "Advice from an Aunt--Tools for Your Journey."

 Then our family sang a challenge in song, "Climb Every Mountain," from Sound of Music, but I had written a second verse"

"Go where Christ calls you. Choose to obey.
He will walk beside you, showing you the way.
Climb every mountain, trudge every plain,
Peace will follow trouble; joy will temper pain.
And when days are rough, He will still be enough.
Just as long as you’re true, He will be there for you!
Climb every mountain, ford every stream.
Christ will be your rainbow! He’ll fulfill your dream!"

 Crystal's mom gave the following remarks before Jonathan presented Crystal with her diploma.

"Crystal, it’s been a privilege being your teacher for the last thirteen years–from kindergarten through your senior year of high school. You have been our staunchest support in our home schooling effort. You have worked hard and always made excellent grades. You finished your last final test just yesterday. You were right on the line, but you made it!.

You have not only done well at your desk, but you have also done well in extra curricular classes such as Home Ec and piano. When we couldn’t afford lessons, you uncomplainingly took piano lessons from your mom and practiced diligently. You have gone beyond practice and been willing to share your music, not just on the platform but for shut-ins and the lonely. You have been your mother’s right hand help in the home, learning how to do laundry, clean the house, make whole meals and clean up afterward, raise puppies and chicks and kids. You have your driver’s license. You’ve had an article printed in a mission paper, raised your own support to go on a trip to Africa this summer, and are preparing to do God’s will.

But what blesses me the most is that through all the years of hard work and fun, you have gained a good character. You are conscientious in being faithful to a time of daily Bible reading and prayer. You have been willing to confess Christ before men. You are not ashamed to befriend people in wheelchairs, sing at a friend’s deathbed, and return good for evil when you have been rejected.  You are quick to say, “I’m sorry,” if you feel you were wrong. You’ve been patient when I’ve been impatient, you have been a huge encouragement to me.  It is a blessing to me that at age 18, you still hold your parents, their beliefs, opinions, and advice in respect. We have tried to give you a safe and loving nest in which to grow. Now–we are giving you wings! God bless you!"

 "And now you may turn your tassle!"

 Crystal and her dad had put together a bouquet of beautiful red roses for Crystal's teacher--one for each grade she'd taught Crystal. How they did it was so sweet! Then Crystal gave me a hug along with the bouquet.

 For the recessional, our family sang "I'll Walk With God," and on the last two lines, Crystal left the platform and walked to the back

.

 The service concluded in prayer offered by Rudy Zarkovacki, home school father and friend.

I hope to add more photos another day of after the service. It was such a blessed time--almost unreal to me, as we'd worked so hard and been practicing till right before the service so it hardly seemed for real this time!

Practice for Crystal's Graduation

 When my sister Iva was here last week with her children, due to needing a place to stay a couple days while their floors were being lacquered, we practiced songs that the group of home school children is planning to sing for Crystal's graduation. I loved this little scene.

 Loved little Evan's "Grammie's Jammies"! Grandma Morley makes such darling jammies!

 Kenn arrives for supper and chats with Jonathan.

And below--to our horror, Carrie put on sudden weight. You will have to guess whether it was due to overeating, diabetes, sluggish thyroid, or (shh!) pillows and padding which the girls all put on and ran around screaming with laughter.  Carrie will scream with horror when she sees this on the blog.

Or maybe not. 

She loves to be crazy every once in a while. Between Sam and her, they keep our household in stitches at times.

Goodbye, Dale!

 This morning was the burial for a friend from our church, Dale O'Maley. He was 65 years old, and had worked some for Jonathan, and Jonathan worked some for him. We really hadn't realized how much we loved and respected him till he ended up in the hospital and came down to his last days rather suddenly.It seemed inappropriate to take many pictures in such a sacred assembly, but I managed a few in his memory. Dozens of vehicles lined the roadways around the cemetery. Men came in blue work shirts from work places, besides the suited ministers, friends and relatives. Here was a man respected by many.

 This picture above backtracks to Sunday where Jonathan got a quick picture of the church sanctuary at Living Hope Church in town where the funeral service was held.  This was a little bit before service started and a lot more people filled in, probably around 200 to 250 Jonathan estimated. The Hazelwoods from Oklahoma spoke and sang, and our dear former fill-in pastor, Dennis Goodwin gave the funeral message about the many things for which we could give thanks about this occasion, and the considerations we need to make about being prepared ourselves.

We were thrilled that one of Jonathan's youngest work crew guys wanted to come to the funeral. Perhaps it was the first time he heard about getting ready for heaven. 

The Lord also helped our family as we sang, "I'll Walk With God," the song that had meant so much to Dale. We were told that little Hannah did not miss a word!

 Jonathan's work truck and trailer pulled in near the cemetery to find a parking space.

Above, Dale's stooped father of over ninety-years old, with the help of Dale's son Nate, is laying a rose on the casket. I just couldn't bring myself to take a picture of Dale's wife and daughter laying their roses. Maybe I should have done it to share with them, but somehow, you hate to just photograph someone's last goodbye unless you knew they wouldn't mind.

 Dale's son Aaron, who often does work for or with Jonathan, lays his rose. His father's death hit him really hard. Please pray for Aaron.

 It was a precious scene, one after another of family and close friends, laying roses. Then the casket was lowered, and our little ones wanted to go see, so we followed others who had gone to take a last loving look at the beautiful box that carried a body that carried a beautiful soul--covered with flowers and roses down in the earth.

  Jonathan's mom and I discussed about burial plots and cremations a bit, and  I expressed my feelings that I liked burials and having a gravestone as a memorial.  I thought how it is somewhere a loved one can come at times to remember and pray.

 That is what we did after the burial as others drove away. It was such a beautiful sunny day, and the children and I walked through the cemetery finding gravestones of people we'd known. Above is the gravestone of a dear saint from our church, Sis. Fayetta Karr, and her husband.

 This gravestone above was very special, as it is of the mother of our church organist, Katherine Gafford, who is a dear friend. What I loved about it was the verse carved on, "Underneath are the everlasting arms."

I thought how you can go through a cemetery and sense all the love that went into the gravestones, and read the verses and little poems and just ponder what is really important about life and death.

And here is the gravestone of the first wife of Bro. McVey who attends our church. 

Probably no one but Anna Lucas posts pictures of gravestones, 

but on this sunny day, with a robin hopping between gravestones, 

and little Hannah asking what the gravestones said,

I just found it comforting to wander in the green grass and sunshine and quiet,

reading the loving sentiments.

It is comforting to go through a graveyard and think that there is love in the world,

and that at death, people try to think the best 

instead of the worst.