Introduction
At 2:12 PM, on this cloudy and rainy spring day, in winter, I might as well write another article or two. I hope that y'all are doing well enough out there – in whatever state or nation you are living.
In the last seven days, as of this moment in time, I see reader totals, which keep increasing, from the following nations: USSA (USA) 251, Belgium 78, Canada 52, Japan 52, France 9, Russia 9, Sweden 8, Singapore 5, United Kingdom 4, Finland 3, Netherlands 3, Bulgaria 2, Germany 2, Estonia 2, Vietnam 2, Australia 1, China 1, Indonesia 1, India 1, Ukraine 1. (I wonder where my Ireland readers are!)
I'll keep writing. Y'all keep reading. It's a good way to drink a cup of coffee, a while, together.
This article is sort of a follow up to my article of Sunday, December 26, 2021.
My “Tunnel” Events (as “Life, Such as It Was”)
12/27/2021, Monday: at 5:15 PM, on 12/27/2000, Mom (Betty Lou Wood Ferrell, born 11/24/1932) “went to see Jesus.” If you search my website by “Mom,” you will find several previous articles that I have published here.
The following is from my unpublished book, “Light at the End of the Tunnel,” under section “Historical Remarks (9/8/2011 – 12/27/2020):”
At 5:15 PM, on Wednesday, December 27, 2000, Mom “went to see Jesus.” She was at home. Family were with her. Exhausted, I had fallen asleep, sitting in a living room chair. We were all tired. At 5:15 PM, I awakened from my light sleep. I couldn't hear Mom breathing, in the labored manner that she had been having to do. She was gone from this world to Home.
On 12/27/2021, I worked from home. In October, I had requested vacation time, for this final week of the year. My employer, being understaffed constantly, had asked me, earlier this month, if I could work (from home, as I insisted), on 12/27/2021. Begrudgingly, I had agreed. It was not fun.
I remembered all day long. At 5:15 PM, I stopped what I was doing, and I remembered – as I have been doing these last 21 years.
12/28/2021: on 12/28/1999, Tuesday, Mrs. Appalachian Irishman and I were in our little apartment, near the former Knox Center Mall (which is a demolition site now). Dad had called me, regarding Mom. I drove our 1988 Nissan Stanza, with hazard lights flashing, to the homeplace. (I was speeding. No officer stopped me.) The date marked the beginning.
The following is from my unpublished book, “Light at the End of the Tunnel,” under section “3. Spiritual Scar (written 8/30/2016):”
Wow! I have fond thoughts of who I once was, as a full-time minister of the Gospel. I had zeal and purpose. Life had meaning. Then, life change drastically, on 12/28/1999, when Mom was admitted to the hospital, only to suffer, recover, suffer again from another evil illness, and finally go to be with Jesus on 12/27/2000. Remember, Belinda and I had only returned from Russia on 9/30/1999. We were still in cultural re-entry, having just finished follow up with most supporting churches, while beginning to transition toward finding work. (We had thought that God would use us in a stateside church planting, in East Tennessee.)
On 12/28/2021, my '06 Nissan Frontier (new, ol' truck) had his passenger side airbag sensor rebooted. My Friday, December 24, 2021 article mentioned the start of it. The big money, corporate, “fix it up” place took from 2 PM to 3:29 PM, to reset a sensor. The cost was, well, “a dollar ain't worth much these days.” I wonder why they washed my truck. He was clean enough. It rained today.
While waiting, I met a fine Christian lady, who may be about 12 years younger than me. Her husband, son, and she live near us. We conversed as brothers and sisters in Christ, for a while. I wish that I had told her about this, my website. Her husband and she are raising their teenage son, to be a godly young man. Is there hope, for this once great nation? We will see.
12/29/2021, today: finally, the rain came – after the too many days of windy and cloudy weather. It is still spring, in winter.
On 12/29/2000, Mom's visitation and funeral were at East Rogersville Baptist Church. Her graveside was on 12/30/2000 – with the high temperature in the teens. I have details in my mind and in my unpublished book, as follows:
Thursday, 12/31/2020, New Year's Eve (a too warm, cloudy day): I hiked House Mountain #175 yesterday. My website has the entry.
12/29/2000 was on Friday. That evening, a large gathering was at East Rogersville Baptist Church, for Mom's visitation and funeral. Mom had been a Sunday School teacher for 31 years. During the funeral, Basil Jones, a godly minister, asked Mom's adult senior women Sunday School Class to stand. Many fine Christian women, who were sitting together, just behind us family, stood in unison. The tribute to Mom was visible.
12/30/2000, Saturday, was Mom's graveside, at 1 PM. The high temperature had to have been 15 degrees Fahrenheit, with a cold wind blowing from the east. The location was and is Howe's Chapel Baptist Church cemetery, near the church building. Dad is there, beside Mom, now.
12/31/2000, Sunday, New Year's Eve: Dad, my youngest brother and his wife, my wife, and I attended East Rogersville Baptist Church, for the morning service. That was twenty years ago, as of this 2020 New Year's Eve date of my writing.
Today, at 10 AM, Molly (our ol' puppy doggy) had her annual physical examination. It wasn't raining, as we went. It rained, as we returned. Neither Molly nor I cared! We had fun! Molly will attain age seven, on 10/31/2022 (the date we mark as her birthday). We got Molly, on 11/21/2015 – the anniversary of the passing of Papaw Marion Ferrell (4/13/1880 - 11/21/1970). She was a few months old then – not yet age one.
Earlier this morning, I saw the email reply from 'cuz Ronny. My Sunday, December 26, 2021, article mentioned him. He, graciously, sent me the PDF files that he had obtained from Newspapers.com by Ancestry. That website has links to the image that includes my Dad, Earl Ferrell (as in my 12/26/2021 article). Newspapers.com by Ancestry wants money, to access those links. Their links are The Knoxville Journal 3/8/1958 and The Knoxville News-Sentinel 3/8/1958 – if you want to pay them some money.
Before Molly doggy and I went to see her doctor, for her annual physical examination, I had managed to get me a free Knox County Library card! Via that card, I found the free link, for the same 3/8/1958 The Knoxville News-Sentinel image, on Newsbank (Knoxville News-Sentinel, Knoxville, Tennessee, March 8, 1958, page 9 actually. NewsBank: Access World News – Historical and Current.) I had to pay nary a cent! Papaw Ferrell would have been proud of me!
I email replied to my 'cuz Ronny, in the evening. I'm glad that 'cuz Ronny had the 3/8/1958 newspaper image, which included Dad! Dad had never told me. Thanks, again, 'cuz Ronny!
Conclusion
Their is everlasting Light at the end of this temporal tunnel. This afternoon, I left a good friend a voice mail. I hope my friend calls me back. Our conversation will include my comments on this subject. A fine Christian neighbor called me, later this afternoon. His wife and he are doing well enough. He and I spoke, on this topic.
Are y'all ready to join the vast numbers who are already in the everlasting Light, at Home? I am. Y'all get ready, if you are not. Contact me, if you would like to converse with me, on this most important subject.
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