THANKFULLY FOLKS, WE GOT THE CEMETERIES DONE TODAY.. NO RAINDROPS.. ONLY SUNSHINE AND RATHER WARM TEMPS.. GLAD IT'S DONE, WE ALWAYS HATE GETTING THEM DONE "JUST IN TIME" .. AND NOW AT THIS TIME, THEY WILL HAVE ALL OF FALL TO ADORN THEIR GRAVES..

They sure have some pretty flowers in the stores right now.. I know Mom and Dad would be thankful to have the flowers adorn their graves. They taught us well. Norman Sr, Grandma and Granddad, Grandma, and our dear sweet little sister, Wanda Ann.. We love you all...
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Thanks Jenna for helping or letting me help you whichever it may be.. we love you so much! Thanks always, with love, respect, prayers and always big hugs, just for you!
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ANOTHER LITTLE CEMETERY CHUCKLE I WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU ALL TONIGHT... HOPE YOU ENJOY IT!
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As a guitarist, I play many gigs. Recently I was asked by a funeral director to play at a graveside service for a homeless man. He had no family or friends, so the service was to be at a pauper’s cemetery in the back country. As I was not familiar with the backwoods, I got lost.

I finally arrived an hour late and saw the funeral guy had evidently gone and the hearse was nowhere in sight. There were only the diggers and crew left and they were eating lunch.

I felt badly and apologized to the men for being late. I went to the side of the grave and looked down and the vault lid was already in place. I didn’t know what else to do, so I started to play.

The workers put down their lunches and began to gather around. I played out my heart and soul for this man with no family and friends. I played like I’ve never played before for this homeless man.

And as I played ‘Amazing Grace,’ the workers began to weep. They wept, I wept, we all wept together. When I finished I packed up my guitar and started for my car. Though my head hung low, my heart was full.

As I opened the door to my car, I heard one of the workers say, “I never seen nothin’ like that before and I’ve been putting in septic tanks for twenty years.”

Apparently, I’m still lost…

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In honor of Mom "Mrs Betty Sparks" and Dad "Mr T.Joe. Sparks" tonight... We all deeply love and miss both of them, as well as Norman's Dad "Mr Norman Kimberlin Sr" our sister Wanda Ann Sparks, our grandma and granddad Mr and Mrs JE Clark (John and "Mae").. and Dad's Mother Mrs Pearlie Sparks Woods.. Lots of love going up to all of you!!
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THE EMPTY CHAIR

A man's daughter had asked the local pastor to come and pray with her father. When the pastor arrived, he found the man lying in bed with his head propped up on two pillows and an empty chair beside his bed. The pastor assumed that the old fellow had been informed of his visit.
"I guess you were expecting me," he said.

"No, who are you?"

"I'm the new associate at your local church," the pastor replied. "When I saw the empty chair, I figured you knew I was going to show up."

"Oh yeah, the chair," said the bedridden man. "Would you mind closing the door?" Puzzled, the pastor shut the door.

"I've never told anyone this, not even my daughter," said the man. "But all of my life I have never known how to pray. At church I used to hear the pastor talk about prayer, but it always went right over my head."

"I abandoned any attempt at prayer," the old man continued, "until one day about four years ago my best friend said to me, 'Joe, prayer is just a simple matter of having a conversation with Jesus. Here's what I suggest. Sit down on a chair; place an empty chair in front of you, and in faith see Jesus on the chair. It's not spooky because he promised, 'I'll be with you always. ' Then just speak to him and listen in the same way you're doing with me right now."

"So, I tried it and I've liked it so much that I do it a couple of hours every day. I'm careful, though. If my daughter saw me talking to an empty chair, she'd either have a nervous breakdown or send me off to the funny farm."

The pastor was deeply moved by the story and encouraged the old guy to continue on the journey. Then he prayed with him, and returned to the church.

Two nights later the daughter called to tell the pastor that her daddy had died that afternoon. "Did he seem to die in peace?" he asked.

"Yes, when I left the house around two o'clock, he called me over to his bedside, told me one of his corny jokes, and kissed me on the cheek. When I got back from the store an hour later, I found him dead. But there was something strange, in fact, beyond strange--kinda weird. Apparently, just before Daddy died, he leaned over and rested his head on a chair beside the bed."
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