SPEECHLESS ----- Yes!!!!

You can see by the article this award was presented to us at the 10:45 a.m. service at our church, Coweta Assembly, on Sunday, June 30th.

Now for what, and how,  it really happened and why we were totally shocked and surprised and yes, for one of the few times in my life I was TOTALLY speechless!!

On Sunday evening, June 2nd after church, Pastor Steve Lee stopped me outside and said he needed to talk to me.  He then stated, "You know the Chamber of Commerce gives a community award each year and we always attend as representatives of our church.  Michelle and I are going to be on vacation and unable to attend this year, so we would like you and Mickey to go in our place.  Would you be willing to do that?"  I replied, "Yes, of course!!  When is it?"  Pastor Steve,"Friday evening June 21st, at 7 p.m., but it's at the casino."  Susan, "Oh Pastor Steve we are going to be in Dallas for a conference the 21st, 22nd & 23rd.  We have been planning this for months and have already paid our registration fees and hotel charges.  I'm so sorry.  You know we would be glad and honored to do it."   Pastor Steve, "That's okay, we'll make other arrangements."

Well, the real story is:  the annual Chamber of Commerce Banquet is held at Riverside Casino.  Jennifer knows we are getting the award but goes to Pastor Steve with "How in the world am I ever going to come up with some way to get Mickey & Susan to come to "the casino" without telling them why?"  Needless to say, the casino is not our normal hangout!!

So, due to God's planning we missed the delicious banquet meal  and the occasion when our names were announced as winners of the 2013 Community Volunteers Award.  

The plaque is a lovely, very heavy etched glass on a thick glass base.  It was impossible to get a picture of because of being see through so we did our best by putting a piece of colored construction paper behind it so the etched letters would show.  

2013

Community Volunteers

of the Year

for excellence in teamwork and

dedication to serving others

in the Lord's name

is awarded to

Mickey & Susan Joyce

King's Kitchen

by

COWETA

Chamber of Commerce

June 21, 2013

What pleased us the most, as Jennifer shared with the congregation as she presented the award to us, was the plaques given each year read, "serving others in the community: but Jennifer had it changed to read "in the Lord's name".  The other thing that so touched my heart was Jennifer was in tears as she made the presentation.  I know Jennifer well and she is not one to cry!!!  Yes, our hearts were greatly touched with such an honor.

Of course, there should have been 34 awards handed out:  3 to the main cooks, 3 for the extra's who help each week packaging up the meals, 10 to the 2 people who run the 5 routes, and 20 to the woman who volunteer to provide a dessert once a month. Plus extra's who step in when needed. 

YES - as I finally said when I got my voice back - "King's Kitchen is NOT a 2 man/woman show.  

It is a joint effort of many FAITHFUL workers, most who have been with us for the entire 3 years and 4 months that The King's Kitchen has been in operation.  

God's PLACEMENT, God's PLANS, God's PURPOSES

We were "transplants" to Coweta, but from day one we have always felt accepted and loved.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Several weeks ago a friend of mine, who is shopping for a new home, posted this fb link "Okay, I haven't bought a house in a really long time,  When you walked into "your house" for the first time, did you know it?"  To which I commented "Yes!!)

Then I kept thinking about how we had ended up here in Coweta and ALL that God has done in our lives over the past 15 years.  A few days later I left this comment on her fb link:

"I was thinking further about your question the other day about did we "know" about the house when we first saw it.  It is more important about what God has in store, and in mind, for you AT that new location, and why, than it is about the "house".  I knew this little house here in Coweta was "mine" the minute we walked in the front door but I realize now it wasn't about the structure but about the fact God wanted us in Coweta for this time.  Hope this is clear.  Both of us marvel all the time that God chose to place us in Coweta.  We would have never been looking here, but God orchestrated it where we did, and the little house being "perfect" was not His big plan, at all, but His placement was."

This has lead to even more thinking, praying, and asking God to show me the depth of this and consequently to this blog post.

Mickey & I sold our larger home in Tulsa when he retired in 1997.  We traveled in our 5th wheel for 6 months to Alaska and the Western U.S. States.  We found we loved the atmosphere of the small towns we visited and decided we wanted to buy NEAR Tulsa, to be by our kids, but not in Tulsa proper.  Thus began the hunt for the right smaller home to buy in a small community.

We were looking, looking and just couldn't find the "right" house.  It was daughter Suzette who called one day with the address of a house in Coweta, that was not on the market, but owned by a girl Suzette worked with who was thinking of selling. I'll never forget Suzette's comment, "But it's in Coweta.".  I said that was fine and we would go drive by and see if we thought we might be interested in seeing it. 

We drove by - liked the outside and called to make an appointment.  The minute we walked in the front door, I KNEW this was my house, and we literally bought it on the spot.  Mickey & I have always felt accepted and loved here from day one, ever though we were "transplants" to Coweta which is a community that boasts many families of 3 or 4 generations. 

I have relayed this story to many people over the past 15 years and been aware that yes this was "my house" that God had brought us to.  But, as I was pondering about my friends question and my belated answer I realized this "house" was not what it was all about at all.

What it was about was God placing us here in Coweta, for His plans & for His purposes, which at the time we had not the foggiest idea!!!  In looking back I realize that for the exception of one couple, Don & Barbara who we have known for years, and my forever friend, Joan, in Albuquerque, every other person who fills such an important and intricate part of our lives we did not even know 15 years ago!  That was a sobering realization!!!!

Much LIFE and even some death have taken place over these 15 years but God's molding hands have been, and are, a constant in our lives.  

As I look back over my life of these past 75 years,6 1/2 months I can see how God has truly used EVERY situation, EVERY change, EVERY move, EVERY friendship to bring us to where we are today.  

In a world turning topsy- turvy I can honestly say: I have no fear; I know the God I serve, I know that I am safe in His hands and in His PLACEMENT, PLANS & PURPOSES. I know we are exactly where we are suppose to be, doing exactly what we are suppose to be doing, for this time and this place.  Thank You Triune GOD !!!  

COWETA - The small community we call home

Mickey & I are "transplants" to Coweta.  A community that boasts many families of 3 or 4 generations.  But from day one, we have always felt accepted and loved our adopted home.

In 1997, when Mickey retired, I took a 6 month leave of absence and we loaded up in our 5th wheel camper and headed for Alaska.  We sold our larger home in Tulsa, where we had raised our family, stored all the furniture and planned to do a lot of travel and not buy another home for awhile.

But, after the first Christmas and I couldn't have the big Christmas family dinner, or the big tree, etc. etc. I told Mickey I had to have a "home" that was mine and I knew we could come home to.  We had loved the atmosphere of many of the small towns we had visited and decided we wanted to buy NEAR Tulsa, to be by our kids, but not in Tulsa.  Thus began the hunt for the right smaller home in a small community.  It was daughter Suzette who called one day with the address of this home in Coweta that was not on the market but owned by a girl she worked with, and her mother, who were thinking of selling.  We drove by it.  Liked the outside and called to make an appointment.  The minute we walked in the front door, I KNEW it was my house, and we literally bought it on the spot in March of 1998.  

Coweta is a very patriot town and it is not unusual for all these flags to be flying on Main Street and around the town for various Holidays.

It is basically a rural unpretentious place and so it would not seem strange to see something of this sort on the main downtown street.

There is a big Fall Festival each year when the entire community comes out for rides and especially to EAT at the many food booths.

The 2 water towers right down town by the fire station.  You can see by the building on the left the older construction of the down town buildings.

This had been the main entrance into town forever but with the growth of traffic was becoming a safety hazard.

So a couple of years ago the old narrow overpass was torn down and replaced by this new one.

 Our little 3 bedroom, 1 1/2 bath, brown stone with 2 car garage  "just right" smaller house for our retirement years that we call home-sweet-home.

This little home hosts a small Woman's Bible Study group every Tuesday night called WOW Woman (Woman of the Word)

Coweta Assembly where we attend church & 

Share in ministry with The King's Kitchen which Mickey started 3 years ago,

 Lead Real Christianity Small Group class on Sunday mornings with Kent Rife,

Mickey leads the 4th grade Royal Ranger boys on Wednesday nights,

&

enjoy and participate in all the many & varied events & activities that this wonderful, reaching out to the community Church offers.

If you are EVER in our neck of the woods, please be sure to drop in and visit us, our home or our Church.  We would LOVE to have you!!!

Life in our Small Rural Town

Is very interesting

and sometimes surprising!!

Last Sunday morning as I walked into my bedroom to get ready for church I looked out the window to see two cows in our front yard!

By the time I shouted to Mickey & we got the camera the cows were not only already in front of our house but we had added this police car & police man who had just arrived and gotten out of his car.

In this shot the 2 cows are being "herded" by the patrol car and 2 police men on foot down the road.  You can see other neighbors had come out to see.

 A second patrol car arrives as yet another, third, cow has arrived in the yard across the street, and just to the south of us.

With the patrol car pursuing this 3rd cow proceeds into the yard directly across the street from us and on her merry way.

Well, it was a surprising event and added a little humor to our early Sunday morning so I thought I'd share it with you.

Happy herding!!!!!

An OCTOBER SATURDAY with Mickey & Susan in Coweta, Oklahoma

The day begins by doing a load of laundry.

Wash & hang the clothes on my wonderful outdoor lines.  I love the whiteness and the fresh smell of the laundry dried outside in the fresh air. 

As you can see, I always hang my laundry by type and in order.  I find this makes the actual folding and putting away so much easier.  I know a lot of you do not use a clothes line any more, but those who do I'm curious whether you hang your clothes by type or just randomly.

Next, it was to the church property behind our buildings where a Pumpkin Patch was being set up.

The money earned from this Pumpkin Patch will go toward a missions trip in the summer of 2012 to El Salvador.

More decorations and items will be added and I'll post another picture later on.  The Pumpkin Patch will officially open for business Monday, the 10th.

Then we drove a short distance to the center of our town for a Classic Car show that was being held.  They had two city blocks blocked off and about 30-40 Antique Classic Cars on display.  Can you believe I did not take ONE picture of the cars :o(  Let me tell you, there were some beauties and some really OLD cars.  Some even older than Mickey & I :o)

A little park just off main street.  Children playing on the playground equipment. 

The band really blasting the music out.  Look at the young boy who's guitar was almost as big as he was.

Another view of the park and tables.

Across the street were these blow-ups and pony rides for the children to enjoy.

A military memorial in the center of the park.

Everything at this festival was FREE - the car display, the blow-up games and pony rides, the music playing AND free soda pop - chips of your choice and hot dogs & a Blue Bell Ice Cream truck handing out ice cream bars of your choice.

We LOVE our little town and are so blessed that God has planted us here in this stage of our lives.

It was a beautiful day of blue skies and temperatures in the 80th.

SMALL TOWN THINGS

One of the reasons we bought our little home in the small town of Coweta in 1998, after Mickey retired in 1997 and we sold our large home in Tulsa, is that while traveling in our 5th wheel we had fallen in love with the many small towns we visited.

There is such a personal touch and a degree of caring in a small town that seems to get lost in the big metropolitan settings.

Just such a personal touch is this memorial in a small little area on the main downtown street of Coweta.  Which by the way is not named Main Street but Broadway!!

 Entrance to this small area

US Flag & MIA (Missing in Action) flag flying on the tall flagpole.

 The large permanent bolder that was placed here on June 14, 2011.



 You can see the 5 branches of Military honored on this boulder.

Another view looking in to the side of the oval arch entry.  Both sides have these wrought iron fencing and dedicated park benches.

The 3 pictures above honor 3 Coweta service men who gave their lives for our country in the recent war. 

This is hard to read but it shows this entire memorial display was provided, paid for & dedicated by Rolling Thunder (a local motorcycle club) on 14 June 2007.

Yes, we are proud of the little community of Coweta, OK where we are blessed to make our home. 

MAY 17th NATIONAL ARMED FORCES DAY

One of the joys in living in a small town is the way the community gets behind events. Last Saturday was just such a day here in Coweta.

Blue Star Mothers had a campaign of selling yellow T-shirts to the community that had the blue ribbon that said "Coweta Support our troops" and below the ribbon "until they all come home" Blue Star Mothers is a nation wide organization of mothers who have son's serving in the Armed Forces. They fix up care boxes to send to the troops. Coweta has the only current Blue Star Mothers Club in Oklahoma.

At 9 a.m. Saturday morning we meet in the parking lot of a shopping center and formed the looped ribbon with the streamers hanging down out of people wearing the yellow T-shirts. Here is one section of the group. The two men standing on either side of the chair were two of our local pastors who participated.

Here is another shot of some of the group.


Yet another shot of others. There were about 50-60 of us all together. After the human Yellow Ribbon was formed they took pictures from a large stepladder. Wish I had one to show you and the local TV station flew over with their helicopter to film it. It was a beautiful morning and Mickey & I were honored to take part, in this small way, to honor all the men and woman who put their lives in harms way to protect our freedom.

As is this wasn't enough excitement for the day at 11 a.m. there was another celebration held in our Church parking lot. This event was to surprise and honor one of our church members who had just returned from Iraq the night before at 11 p.m.

Here is the story: His name is Andy Stiles and he lives next door to our Pastor and his wife, Paula, and also another young couple, Joe & Amy, in our church. Andy had an old 1973 Plymouth Barracuda in his garage that he had owned since 1979. Our Pastor and Joe got together and decided they were going to get the car painted and tuned up as a surprise for Andy while he was gone.

As so often happens when someone steps out to GIVE, God steps in and turns it into even a bigger blessing both for the gift and the giver. This project grew until Wyotech (Wyoming Technical Institute, commonly known as WyoTech, is a for-profit college system founded in Laramie, Wyoming, in 1966. Initially an automotive-themed school, under the ownership of Corinthian Colleges, Inc., WyoTech now offers courses in other mechanical oriented trades.) had gotten involved and the car was literally taken apart, piece by piece, and completely rebuilt and restored.

Here is the rebuilt Cuda. Our Pastor, Gary Rogers, is on the bullhorn telling the crowd what is taking place and happening. The young boy by pastor is one of the Honor Guard that would later bring the flags into the services inside the church honoring Andy and all veterans in service. The young men behind the car are the 25 young Wyotech students that volunteered all of the man hours in restoring, rebuilding and repainting the car. They were from many different state, one even from Alaska.



Here is a shot of the crowd watching the event.

Here is the completely restored 1973 Plymouth Barracuda.

Andy's wife had managed to keep this entire project a secret!! She drove Andy, blindfolded, from their home to the church. Pastor, on the bullhorn, had quited the crowd so when he got out of the car he did not hear anything.

Here is Tammy and their two small girls leading the blindfolded Andy to the car.

We weren't close enough to actually get pictures of his face when the blindfold came off and he actually saw his car. Needless to say, he was speechless and very overwhelmed. Here they are presenting him with a Wyotech jacket.

The entire event was filmed by both Channel 6 and 2 and it is going to be shown on Special Edition but we have not been given the showing date yet.

We are so happy to belong to such a wonderful church that reaches out constantly to the community of Coweta. The Blue Star Mothers were also a part of the program at this event. The Church auditorium was 1/2 full for this program and the biggest part were not church members but people from the community.

As if this wasn't enough excitement for one day one of the couples, Gary & Shirley, had our Sunday School class over for a wonderful cookout at 6 p.m. There were 10 of us present and we had a ball. We took me, and my very sore knee!, home about 9:30 to bed. I rather over did it that day, but wouldn't have missed a moment of any of it.