PODCAST TRANSCRIPT | EPISODE 138: COURTSHIP AND WEDDINGS, PT 1
FROM OUR HOME TO YOURS w/ Nancy Campbell
EPISODE 138: COURTSHIP AND WEDDINGS, Part 1
Check out the information about the big Above Rubies Family Retreat coming up soon in Florida. Allison Hartman joins me today. The Hartman family are staying with us for the wedding of Trae and Chalice Ruppel. Chalice is Serene's daughter. Join with us as we talk about the joy and glory of courtship and weddings.
Announcer: Welcome to the podcast, From Our Home to Yours, with Nancy Campbell, founder and publisher of Above Rubies.
Nancy Campbell: Hello ladies. Always great to be with you. Today I have sitting next to me Allison Hartman. Allison has been with us in quite a number of podcasts. In fact, every time they come to stay with us, we do a podcast together. So, great to have you, Allison!
Allison: So good to be here! So great to be here. We've had such a fun, full weekend.
Nancy: Oh absolutely! And we'll tell you about that in a moment. But before we do, why don't we tell the ladies about the coming retreat?
Allison: Yes, OK, great. So this will be our, goodness, maybe eighth family camp that we've put on. Then of course, we did several ladies' ones before that. But once we started doing family, we haven't gone back.
So the location is Panama City Beach, Florida, which is right on the Gulf. We stay at a retreat center called Laguna Beach Christian Retreat Center. They are an amazing facility. They are very accommodating to any size family, which is really nice, because a lot of times, hotels limit how many people. But they have been great about letting us kinda pack them in. We're getting very full.
So the dates of the retreat are April 21st through the 28th. That's week-long. Most of the families come for a week-long. However, the conference that we'll be speaking at will only be that Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday.
But the week-long starts on a Wednesday, ends on a Wednesday. It's just great, because like I said, probably three-fourths of the families stay for the week. They make it their vacation. It's going to be so much fun. We enjoy everyone's company. Everyone enjoys getting to know new families, especially like-minded families that you'll be friends with forever.
Nancy: Oh yes. I think you're expecting about 500 this year, aren't you?
Allison: Yes, yes.
Nancy: Can you accommodate that many?
Allison: We can. We can. We actually grew. The campus has given us one more section, so we can definitely accommodate probably 500 to 700. Last year, in August, we had close to 500.
It seems like, every year we grow, because all these families go back home, and they tell their friends. I was just talking to somebody here, saying they want to invite their friends and rent a bigger place together. So yes, there's plenty of room.
A lot of the bigger cottages are taken, so if there are people who want to register, you've got to do it quickly, because so many of the larger houses are being taken up.
We will start on the Thursday night as the group. We'll get together, do a lot of fun getting-to-know-you games. Then the conference stuff will start that evening. We've got so much fun stuff planned.
Of course, you and Colin will be the main speakers. You'll be speaking with the ladies, individually and separately. Colin will be speaking with the men and sons. Then we'll have lots of group sessions where we join together with our families. Mr. Colin will speak to us.
In the past several years we've had a guest speaker join us. But what we've decided is, a lot of families really want to get to know the other families, so we're going to use some of that extra time for fellowship and then doing some break-out sessions.
The feedback I've gotten is that families want to dig deeper. They want more hands-on stuff that they can take home and put to use. So we're looking into some . . . it was fun last night at dinner.
Nancy: Yes, we talked about different break-out sessions that we're planning to have. They're all going to be so wonderful and so practical. Oh, we'd just love you to come. Because it's down on the beach, it's such a beautiful drawing thing.
People come from all over the USA. We've even had people come from New Zealand, and from Hawaii, from all over! So it doesn't matter where you live, make plans to come! But you'll have to make them right away to get in.
Allison: Let me just say, this is my heart, as far as my vision for this camp... When we started it was more for me. What can we learn for our family?
But I think we're all, it's very apparent in our country right now, that we are . . . like we were talking at dinner last night with you guys . . . we’re either going to hang together, or we're going to hang separately.
How much more helpful is it for us to hang together? Well, if you're like a lot of people listening right now, you might not have families in your town that are like-minded, that you can sit down and say, “Goodness, I'm having an issue. I don't know what to do with my . . . “ Like we were talking today, your teenager is rebelling, and what should I do? Well, you look around, and there's really not any good, solid people that you can talk with.
This camp has really been a perfect spot for us, for me and my husband, to meet friends that we will have for a lifetime. And then our children, we don't do youth groups at church. We don't do, they don't go to public school, so they don't have that interaction with other youths.
But this camp has turned into be a reunion for these young people. They're great about not leaving out new young people. They're great about joining them in. But they do have, I will warn you, they have a lot of fun. These young people have so much fun, between volleyball, and dance parties, and games.
But then, my heart is for them not to just have fun, but to come together in prayer and worship. We want God to rock their world. It's such a wonderful environment seeing other large families.
I love hanging out with Sam and Serene (Allison) because we parent very similarly. It's so encouraging to my older children that they're seeing Cherish, and Chalice, and Cedar, and Vision. When Mr. Sam says, “Get to work! I need your help!” Well, mine are saying, “Wow, that's what my mom and dad say!” So they feel like, “We're right here! There's other people like us!”
So not only are you going to meet one or two of those type families, but you’re also going to meet a lot. I would say we had 50 to 60 families at the last retreat. So many of them are in a really neat . . . In fact, I was talking to somebody, and they said, “Yeah, we went and visited this family that we met. We stayed with them for a week. They lived near the Ark.”
I was like, “Wow, what a neat connection!” We just came from a wedding, and I looked around the room, and I could think of several weddings, marriages, that have come straight from our retreat.
Nancy: Oh, yes, I love that! That's always been one of my dreams about our Above Rubies Family Camps. We do have ladies' retreats, and we have the family retreats. But I think, what a blessing to come as a family, not with your little ones, and your middling ones, but all your children, your older children.
Bring them all, because what more beautiful place for young people to find a husband or a wife with kindred spirits, and in a family setting. It's so healthy, so wholesome, so wonderful. Colin and I, all those years ago, we met at a family retreat. So I think they're great places to meet your spouse.
Allison: Can I talk really quick about men? So if you're a lady, and you're sitting there and you're saying, “Ooh, this sounds so good! I would love to come. My children would love to come. Oh, but my husband would never ever agree to come to a family camp, to a retreat, to a conference. No way, Jose!”
Our first family camp, I was invited to by my sister-in-law, Daniel, my husband's sister, and his mom. I was so excited about it. I said to my husband who is self-employed, “Let's go to this family retreat.” “There's no way!” he said. “I'm not going! I could be making money. I have stuff to do. No way! We're not doing it!”
I'm a little bit of a strong personality and I basically coaxed him into coming. He went, kicking and screaming the whole way there. It was in Louisiana, and the whole drive, he kept complaining, “This is going to be a waste of time! Why am I going? I could be working!”
So he finally got there. When we got there, the people that were putting it on asked him to take pictures at the retreat. Well, he's a photographer, so that was great because it gave him a job.
Nancy: He always has to have a job!
Allison: He always has to have a job! If he comes to the Campbells', he's refinishing or redoing some room. So he felt needed, and he was needed. Anyways, long story short, we were the last family to leave the retreat. He loved it! And he said to me, “If we're going to do another one, it has to be a family retreat, because I want to put it on with you. We're going to do this together!”
He wouldn't miss a family camp for any amount of money. He's turned down weddings that he's photographed, he's turned down big jobs. He says, “Put it on our schedule.” It is our yearly family vacation.
I've told you this before, Colin has become such a spiritual father to him because he didn't have a dad at all. And Colin can be that spiritual father to many of your husbands. If you're listening to me right now, I can definitely relate. If you're a mom out there, saying “My husband would never . . . ”
You have to kinda sell them on it. Once they get there . . . In fact, don't you agree, at the testimony time at the end of the retreat, there is father after father, after husband after husband, getting up and saying, “I did NOT think I wanted to come. I did not see a purpose for it, but I'm so glad I did. My world has been rocked. I am a changed man forever.”
You're going to find that he will grow as a husband, as a father. Men typically don't need friends, but I would say Daniel, my husband's closest friends now are ones that he met from the retreat. They're ones that he'll pick up and actually make a call to them. We'll vacation with them. Several of their daughters have been in our daughter’s wedding. I mean, it's just neat. So it's not just a ladies' retreat. It's not just a youth retreat. These men, you've got to get them there.
Nancy: Amen! I think of a family who came two years ago, in just the same way, the wife dragging her husband. There's so many wives drag their husbands there. And I remember this guy, he didn't even come to some of the meetings at the beginning. But eventually he did come, praise the Lord!
He was revolutionized! Revolutionized! When he got back from the retreat (they live in the next state to us), he said, “I've got to share what I have been hearing with everybody!” He brought in his whole community to hear the message. He got us to come down.
Allison: They're coming back this year.
Nancy: They came back last year. They're coming back this year.
Allison: He's part of the basketball tournament. They've already signed up.
Nancy: And now one of their daughters is marrying one of our grandchildren!
Allison: It is amazing! It is amazing. You're right, he was very vocally not wanting to be there. He didn't even, yeah, you're right, he didn't even come to the first meeting!
There was another dad a couple of years ago, and he stayed in his room most of the time. But there towards the end, I don't think he was a Christian, but he came because his children wanted him to come. You remember, Mr. Colin ended up, him and Zadok baptized a couple of his children. And it really . . . In fact, the next year, he said, “Oh, I definitely want to come back!” It's just amazing how you just never know what will happen.
So yes, we will have a lot of fun, but it will be a life-changing experience. It will be some serious meat that you can take home. That's what we want. We want to give everyone, not just some fun time, and some relaxing time, but some good stuff to take home.
As a mother, if you're feeling depleted right now, and you're feeling like, “Oh, I cannot homeschool anymore! I cannot mother anymore. I cannot think anymore. I'm just exhausted.” Wow, what a perfect opportunity to fill you up!
And not just you, Miss Nancy. Of course, Nancy's going to be pouring herself into all of us. But it's amazing what nuggets of truth you're going to learn from maybe another mother who's going through the same thing. Or they've already come out of it, and they can give you a word that could really change your life.
Nancy: I think that's one of the greatest things of the retreat is the fellowship, the sharing with one another. And it's true, even according to Hebrews 10:25. We think of that in the context of church, how that we are NOT to neglect our meeting together. “And so much the more, as you see the day approaching.”
And we are living in these “so much the more” days of needing one another. In this hour, we need one another so much. Many of you, sadly, you may not even be getting that in your church, because there are some churches who are still doing this crazy social distancing, and all that kind of stuff. We're so opposite to what God's plan is.
But we won't be social distancing at this retreat! We will be togethering! And it's so glorious, the togethering. We need it, and “so much the more”!
Allison: “So much the more” now than ever!
Nancy: It's just such a blessing! Oh yes. So anyway tell them what they have to do. How to . . . “
Allison: Yes, to get to register, you can, a couple of ways. There's a Facebook page called Gulf Coast Above Rubies Family Camp. It's a private page, so you'll have to ask to join.
You could email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. That's my personal email, and I'm Allison Hartman. And then you could just ask me the details, that you're wanting information for the Above Rubies Family Camp in April, in Panama City, Florida, and I'll send you the link so you can go ahead and register. It's $100 to register, and then the balance will be due by April 1st.
Quickly about meals, we're going to do some together meals. They'll be very inexpensive, they'll be very hearty, and they'll be very healthy. So that's our goal, is to have a very inexpensive, but we are going to be making those meals as families. So we're going to ask every family that comes to help out with something.
We have so much planned! Oh my goodness! We'll have a quiz night. We'll have, hopefully, a movie night. We'll do lots of sports tournaments. We're going to have lots of praise and worship, prayer time. We have an amazing worship leader that comes. It's going to be so much fun.
Nancy: We always have a very fierce volleyball competition!
Allison: It's pretty serious. I didn't want to go on and on about the sports, because, obviously, that's not why we're there. But there is some serious competition. Over the years, certain people have won. I won't say who, maybe me, on the winning team last year.
Nancy: Here was Allison! Ooooh, wow, she just played her heart out!
Allison: That was so much fun. All these young teenage boys invited me to be on their team, and we won first place! That was awesome. I used to play in college. But there's the Hilltop guys. They're getting really good at volleyball. Then the Florida gang, my family, they play volleyball for teams.
But there's a new family coming, and that's all they do, is play volleyball tournaments. They are probably the most amazing volleyball players I've ever seen. The father has offered, he's going to put together the tournament.
So we'll have some tournaments for some who don't know how to play very well. But then we'll have some serious competitive ones. So that will be so much fun.
Again, that's team building. That's building relationships with people that you've never met before, that you think, they could literally be the people that you have in your daughter's wedding. Or they could be the people you visit and stay with on vacation. And I think that's what we're all craving right now, are like-minded friends and families that you can call up and say, “Hey, pray for us, we need you,” or whatever. “Rejoice with us,” about something.
So yes, I highly recommend registering very soon. Like I said, there are several other campuses they're letting us use. However, the main meeting, and the meals, will all be on the main campus. Once those fill up, we can't let anyone else on the main campus. You'll have to go down the street to a different campus.
You can still be part of the conference, but I definitely suggest, don't procrastinate. Don't think about it too long, because you'll miss out on being on that main campus. We would love for you to come.
If you have any questions, my cell phone number is 850-221-1222. I will make time for you. If you want to just give me a call, I'd be glad to share with you what it's going to look like.
But I really encourage you to come. It's very inexpensive. The price includes your lodging and the conference. We don't charge much for the conference. The lodging is very inexpensive. You will never be able to stay on the Gulf of Mexico for this inexpensive.
But you'll never be able to go to a conference this rich, something that's so good for mothers, so good for children, so good for dads. It's the best thing in the world. It really is.
Nancy: Amen! So we'll see you there, hopefully. Now, why are Allison and Daniel and the family staying with us this weekend? Because we have just had a family wedding. They have been part of it.
Of course, it's really true, due to the retreat, you have become so close to Sam and Serene and the family. And all their children are so close to your children. It just makes you become part of one another's lives, doesn't it? It's so incredible.
Well, this has been a time of weddings for both of us, for we have many weddings in our family. Because now so many grandchildren have been married or are getting married. But you had your first wedding just a few months ago. You might like to quickly tell the ladies about that!
Allison: I think of our last podcast. I believe it was maybe in July, right before we . . .
Nancy: July? It was July 4th. Or was it Thanksgiving?
Allison: I don't think we did one at Thanksgiving.
Nancy: It must have been July 4th.
Allison: So we had a wedding in October, of our oldest. We have 11 children. Our oldest is 22. She got married in October at our property. We have 100 acres. Sadly, Colin was supposed to marry them, but he was sick, and could not travel.
But other than that, it was the perfect day. It was wonderful. In fact, the Allison’s came down. Many of the Hilltop families came. It was almost like a little mini-retreat. So many of the families. In fact, I would say the majority of the families that came to our wedding, and we had almost 400 people, are people that we have met through the Above Rubies Family Camp. They've either come, or we met them there. It's actually amazing.
But yeah, it was a wonderful, wonderful wedding. It was very special. They met right after we left here. We'd met them in Tennessee, and they were dating, or getting to know each other, for about a year. And then they ended up getting married. It's been great.
I was a little nervous about this transition of now being . . . she’s now married, not in our home. But it's amazing. I was talking to Serene about this. It's amazing how the other children underneath them will literally take that child's place, in a way, as far as responsibilities. I think somebody was saying how Serene has started to try to do without Chalice as much.
Nancy: Which is pretty difficult, because Chalice has been like her right-hand lady!
Allison: McKenna's the same with me. McKenna is my, we joke, I can't even clean my house without McKenna, who is my oldest. But we've done several vacations without her now, we've done several big events without her. My other girls just completely rise to the occasion, and step right in.
But of course, there's a little bit of, “Oh, I miss . . . “ But we love her new husband. He's just . . . we kinda joke that we like him more. He is just amazing. My children love him.
Nancy: It is amazing, really, to just see, like, when McKenna and Josiah arrived here for this weekend. Actually, Serene and Sam, although we've known the wedding is coming, and they had to be new, and they had the dress . . . The actual putting together of the wedding was in one week, because Serene and Sam had had to go away unexpectedly. He's had eye problems, and there was only one place in the whole of the nation where he could get this operation. They had waited a year to get in, and they called, and he was able to get in. So whoo, they just had to fly for a whole week! And it was right before the wedding.
So they come home, this one week to get the wedding ready. But somehow, we got it done. But it was amazing to see McKenna, that's Allison's eldest daughter, and her husband Josiah. I mean, this is who McKenna is. Well, she's another Allison, of course! She's just an organizer. But she came in and they seemed to float around, just serving and making things happening, getting things done. They are the most amazing couple. They are both so capable, but they both just serve.
Allison: Well, I think that . . .
Nancy: They're just amazing. And I mean, goodness me, the bouquets weren't even done on Saturday morning, and I don't think they would have been done if McKenna wasn't there! She just moved in, “OK, we'll just . . . ” And she just made all the bouquets! And then Josiah made all the corsages for the men. Instead of doing nothing, they had it all done.
Allison: They had nothing, none of the bouquets or corsages or boutonnieres were done an hour before the wedding! McKenna and Josiah showed up and said, “What can we do to help?” “Well, we didn't have time to do the boutonnieres, or the corsages . . . for the bridesmaids, their bouquets.”
So they said, “OK, well, give me all the stuff you have.” And so they started putting it together. Josiah had to run to the store to get pins to make the boutonnieres. He said, “We made 14 bouquets.” They made Chalice's bouquet, all within an hour, before the wedding!
Nancy: Unbelievable! And they all looked glorious! It was amazing!
Allison: My husband was doing the photography, so they were setting up lighting and helping with that because it was raining and cold. So instead of getting great outdoor pictures, we ended up having to do them in the church.
But I think their motivation, where they were at, they had so many people. We had so many friends that offered their time and talents to make our wedding happen. If you're listening, and you've put on a wedding, you know that whatever help you think you need, go ahead and triple it, because that's the help you really need.
A friend of mine had just put on a wedding and had just said that. Oh, it was so true! So I think Sam and Serene, they didn't quite realize how much help they really needed until the last minute. So we were so happy to be able to help them.
Nancy: Oh yes, but you know, we've had so many weddings, that we sort of think, “Oh well, we know what to do.” In fact, you know, so many people hire a wedding coordinator. Well, we really didn't need to do that. We've just done it so many times. And it really all just flowed.
Although the night before, at the rehearsal, I looked at the church, a beautiful church, and said, “Oh, Serene, where are the flowers? Did you not order any flowers?” “Oh, goodness, I didn't have time to think about that!” She said, “We can't worry about flowers!”
So I thought, “Oh, that's a bit sad, but we won't most probably notice it.” But then the next morning, when I went in, there were these glorious, absolutely glorious flowers! And I said to Serene, “Where did you get them?” She said, “I don't know! I don't know where they came from.”
Well, I found out from Ellie (my Above Rubies helper) that apparently someone had planned to have a funeral there, but they hadn't double-checked, and it hadn't been confirmed. It was at the same time as the wedding, but they'd sent the flowers!
Allison: Wow!
Nancy: So there they were! All at the front of the church, these beautiful flowers. Red and white, and they were the same color as the bridesmaids!
Allison: Wow!
Nancy: It was as though we'd planned it! God provided the flowers.
Allison: Sam had all of his boys and my boys go out in the woods and cut greenery. I thought, “Is that going to look OK? “And it was beautiful for the reception. They used all the greenery they had gotten from the woods.
Nancy: Yes. So everything was great. But it was a beautiful wedding. My husband was so blessed to marry them, as he's married our children, and our grandchildren who are getting married.
Oh, wasn't it amazing? Did you know that Sam was going to bring her down the aisle in a kilt?
Allison: That was so neat!
Nancy: Wasn't that beautiful? Saturday was the 30th of January. And just on 24 years ago, on the 30th of March, Serene was married. And she came down the aisle to the bagpipes. So Chalice also chose to come down the aisle to the bagpipes, which is so . . . there’s something about the bagpipes.
Allison: It was gorgeous.
Nancy: Of course, Sam has a Scottish heritage, and so he also wore a kilt. He was bringing Chalice down the aisle and he just looked so amazing in this kilt, didn't he? And then the bagpiper was following, playing “Amazing Grace.” It was just so amazing, wasn't it?
Allison: A little funny story last night. They told us that Serene had given him a deadline, and said, “You have to order this kilt in a certain amount of time to get it by the wedding.” Well, he didn't do it. He forgot, and kept putting it off, and putting it off. I'm not sure if maybe he was thinking, “If I wait long enough, I won't have to wear a kilt for my daughter's wedding!”
So last night they were telling us that at three days before the wedding, she realized he had not ordered it. You rent it from a place. So he said, “OK, this is my fleece. If they can get it to me in three days, then I'll wear it. I knew there was no way they could get it to me in three days!”
So they called the lady, and she was a Trim Healthy Mama . . .
Nancy: Really?
Allison: So she recognized Serene's voice, the lady who owned the rental company. She said, “I'm going to make it happen, and I'm going to have it to you within three days!” He said it's about a $2100 outfit. So you rent it and return it. It's kinda funny that he was putting it off, and then finally . . . But he looked great in it!
Nancy: I think he stole the show actually.
Allison: It was amazing.
Nancy: It was just so great! Oh, yes. Of course, we had the beautiful wedding service. It was just so beautiful. Then a wonderful reception, and they asked, Serene and Sam asked Allison to emcee the reception.
Allison: That was fun.
Nancy: Of course, there's no one like Allison to keep everything rolling and keep things going. It was just a marvelous time, wasn't it? Yes, I think it was Trae's idea about the auction, wasn't it?
Allison: Oh yes, it was.
Nancy: I never heard of that before. They asked Allison if she would do an auction on, OK, you tell them about it.
Allison: His parents had done it for their wedding. So they had said, “Hey, could you be a great auctioneer?” He said, “I just need you to be funny and make us lots of money!” You've got to be kidding!
So what we did is, we auctioned off a dance with the bride. So we started the bids off at $50, and then went to $100, and then $150, and then we added and added and added. They said, “You know, if you could get us to $400 - $500, that would be wonderful.”
Well, we ended up getting . . . $1200 was the winning bid! Actually Sam, her father, won the bid. Then her uncle Charlie matched the bid! So they actually got $2400 off this auctioned dance! So that's pretty neat. If you're doing a wedding any time soon, that's an idea. It was a lot of fun.
Nancy: I think that was lovely for them to go off on their honeymoon, wasn't it? So, tell me, what was something you especially loved about the wedding?
Allison: You know, it's so neat. I joke about the fact that we can take a little bit of credit for matching those two up because they met at a family camp. They really did!
Nancy: Exactly! At the family camp.
Allison: And his dad, one that we had to drag! I mean, you're talking about stubborn!
Nancy: Oh, really? I didn't know that!
Allison: Oh, Will Ruppel is one of the most stubborn men ever! To say, “I'm not going to a family camp!” So we did. We finally got him there. That's how he ended up meeting you guys. He really became . . . his wife really. They ended up with a reversal after meeting you all and learning all about the ministry.
But then that camp, that they met the Allison’s at, was the one year that they were, “Yeah, I just don't think we can make it.” Well, they ended up coming. The first night they ended up bumping into Sam and Serene. They went to their room, to their house, and they sat and talked. They had a lot in common. They both had had adopted children. They had a lot they could talk about.
So at that moment, Sam ended up offering Will a job with Trim Healthy Mama. He ended up moving from Florida to Tennessee. Of course, Trae and Chalice saw each other at that retreat and decided they liked each other. Then a year later, Trae proposed to Chalice at the next retreat. It's pretty neat that they just got engaged, and now they're going to be coming to the next family camp together.
I think just seeing how neither one of them had ever had a boyfriend/girlfriend. That's so rare today. It's just so neat hearing about Chalice, and how absolutely clueless and innocent she was about boys.
Nancy: Yes, she was. She never thought about them. In fact, Chalice was never one, she was not outgoing. Cherish, her sister, Cherish is adopted, but they are so close. They have slept in the same bed their whole lives. They're so different in personality. Cherish is our outgoing one.
Allison: She could have been my child! (laughing)
Nancy: She's just so outgoing! But anyway, Chalice, she didn't really, she wasn't the social one who went and hung out with all the young people. Her best friends, who were they?
Allison: Her mom and dad.
Nancy: Her mum and dad. She's always said, “My best friends are my mum and dad.” Chalice loved nothing better than just to be with her mum and dad.
Allison: It's so true. Every family . . .
Nancy: She just loved to be with her mum and dad. She loved it. And when they, Trae and her, started courting here, it was the most beautiful thing to watch. I've never seen anything so beautiful. And Trae would come over with his two little siblings. Cade and Hadley, and see Serene. Chalice would be watching her two little siblings, Remmy and Solly. Together they watched their little toddlers.
Allison: They watched four toddlers.
Nancy: And that's how they courted. I remember one day, watching them walking around the front lawn, giving their little siblings rides in the wheelbarrow, and just walking together. That was so beautiful! I mean, just so beautiful! Oh, it's just wonderful. You think of all the ways so many young people romance today and it's not good. You know, they were so pure, and beautiful, and lovely. It was just so gorgeous.
I think we've got to end this session. But I think we need to do another one and talk more about weddings. There's so much to talk about. We really do. Let's close now. Can you do another one?
Allison: Sure.
Nancy: OK! Let's do it while you're here. They're leaving in a moment. The children are packing and taking their things out the door while we're sitting here podcasting!
Allison: Yeah, much better than packing!
Nancy: Yes!
“Oh Father, we thank You that we can talk about the things of life that relate to life, that relate to family, and then weddings, and then babies. This is what life's all about. This is what delights Your heart. This is what You created us for. And so we thank You, Father. We just give You all the honor, and all the glory for the way You have planned for us to live. We pray that You will help us to live more and more in the realm of all that You have planned for us. We ask it in the Name of Jesus. Amen.”
Transcribed by Darlene Norris.
P.S. Serene wrote a song for Chalice which she sang at the wedding reception.
It’s a tear-jerker for mothers who know what it’s like for a daughter to leave home to be married. Serene also sang this song on their Trim Healthy Mama Poddy, #211 if you would like to hear it.
It feels like you’ve always been here,
From the beautiful thought of you growing inside of me
To the jubilee of holding you as a baby,
‘Cause you were finally here,
But haven’t you always been here?
Running through the house and skipping through my heart,
Making paper flowers, tossing petals all about . . . HERE.
Talking princesses and pirates and faraway lands,
Authors and books you loved but never boys or bands,
You’ve always been here, ALWAYS.
CHORUS
Then you packed your bags the other day,
Swept your room, I heard you say,
Just one more week and I’m gonna be
Just down the road, I’ll still pop by,
But I knew then my soul would cry,
‘Cause you won’t be here,
But I’ll catch the tear,’
‘Cause the best reason for leaving is a good man!
Couldn’t imagine the day you wouldn’t be here,
Tousled blonde bedhead good mornings,
Humming whimsical tunes that float on wings,
You’d always be here,
‘Cause you’ve always been here,
Quirky quick quips and eyes that flash bold,
Through a sun danced smile that never grows old . . . HERE.
Steady and calm like a summer stream
And when the wind blows wild it never rustles your leaves,
You’d be here, ALWAYS.
CHORUS AGAIN
Then you packed your bags the other day . . .
‘Cause the best . . . reason for leaving . . . IS A GOOD MAN!
COMING ABOVE RUBIES RETREAT IN PANAMA CITY, FLORIDA
For more information and to sign up for the retreat go to:
https://aboverubiesretreat.com/