Me and My Minister Man

This post is: "dedicated to the one I love..." My sweet husband of 32 years...The Reverend Gary Timothy Morton... My sweet girlfriend, Mrs. Lisa McKay, better known by her wonderful blog, "The Preacher's Wife," is beginning a new feature on her blog. Go here to read all about it...The Woman BESIDE the Man... I was thrilled to find out that I was to be the first PW she is featuring. I told her I feel like I won a "prize," and I mean it! Let me tell you about my real PRIZE: my minister man! I am the most blessed wife in the world, and it is first of all because of the ONE I love, my Savior, Jesus Christ. He blessed me in my marriage with a precious young minister almost 32 years ago, and I have been honored to serve alongside him all these years. I have been to so many choir practices and church dinners and Sunday School classes and retreats and banquets and youth fellowships and lock-ins and missions conferences and revivals and Sunday mornin', Sunday night, and Wednesday church...and NONE of that matters as much as the way this man lives out the life of a Christ-follower at HOME and in the trenches Monday through Friday! May I say this? HE IS THE MAN IN FRONT OF THIS WOMAN! Gary - I love you and I treasure you. Thank you for being genuine and loving and supportive of me - in all my seasons of life. Thank you for being an awesome daddy to our boys, and now "G-Daddy" to our little Zeke... May God continue to bless us as we sojourn together. I count it a privilege to be your bride... And as you say so sweetly, "our nest ain't empty, we're still here!" I love you, Jan

It's a Snowy Day in Georgia!

It is snowing in Georgia - SNOWING, yes I said SNOWING!!! Don't laugh, but we just get so excited every 11 years or so when this occurs, we are absolutely beside ourselves. I know some of you are so used to snow (real snow) but we are NOT - not here in the middle of the state where I live, otherwise known as the coastal plain. Here are some pictures:
This picture above is right off my back patio...see that "giant blob" right above my birdbath? WOW! Now that is a big snowflake :) The daffodils are bravely holding their heads high, because it will probably be 70 degrees by Tuesday or Thursday...
This picture above is from my front porch looking out to our pecan grove and then to the farm across the street. The snow began this morning while we were at church. Folks were headed to Morning Worship after our Bible Study classes. It was coming down so fast and the flakes were so big and beautiful. People were running outside and taking pictures! Silly? Yes! Southern? Even more so!
Now this snow is NOT sticking to anything, but it is so beautiful nonetheless. I just wanted to share with you the joy of our rare occurrence, especially with Spring 3 weeks from today! I'm headed back to get in front of the fireplace and study a little more before my Esther class tonight!

But the greatest joy is that Jesus has washed our sins whiter than snow. Now snow is white and I mean WHITE, but Jesus said our scarlet sins will be as white as snow! I rejoice in that on this snowy day in Georgia.

Isaiah 1:18

"Come now, let us reason together," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow...

Much Love, Jan

UPDATE: Valentine's Day and Plan B!!!

UPDATE: My daughter-in-love came home from the hospital and she said my son is taking good care of her and Zeke and for that I am most grateful. God is so good to me.

UPDATE: My sweet daughter-in-love is in the hospital and may be there through Thursday - she is a sick young woman - and has a serious case of pneumonia! PRAY FOR HEALING! I am going over to keep Zeke today and tomorrow at their house. Love y'all -

I have spent the entire day - today - Valentine's Day - with my new love...Zeke, my 6 month old grandson! I call it "Plan B" for Blessings and for Boys! Blessings because I am so blessed to be Gran Jan, and BOYS, for you see - I am the momma of his daddy - the mother of boys, the grandmother of a boy...hence, Plan B! (I wrote an earlier post about this a while back.)

Plan B was put into action early this morning when my first-born son called and asked me to come get Zeke for the day. He had to study some more for his sermon tomorrow because he has been sick this week, and his wife, my daughter-in-love is also very sick (on the verge of pneumonia) and needed to rest. I had a BLAST with Plan B today - we played, we read the story of Jonah from the Bible Story Book, we rocked, we sang songs, we took several naps, I fed him 3 times - and we bonded. So on this day, Zeke's first Valentine's Day of his little life, I was able to spend the whole day with him. I am so thankful - God is good, and God is Love - perfect love. The purest and sweetest love of all is because of Jesus, and for that I am thankful as I celebrate this day of LOVE.

Blessings, boys, bonding... Grateful Gran Jan

What Are Little Boys Made Of?

I'll tell you this, there are no "snips and snails and puppy dog tails" with this little bundle of blessings! He is pure delight to me! I kept Zeke for a while around noon today so my son could take his wife, my daughter-in-love, out to lunch...he is sweet that way. My husband set a good example and for that I am so thankful, he's a sweetheart too. I pray Zeke will grow up to be sweet too - I believe he will because his parents are committed to raising him up in the Lord. He is a delightful baby and I wanted to share some updated pictures of my grandboy. Indulgent, yes - but hey...I'm Gran Jan!!!

Beth Moore: Graciously Genuine, GLORY!

Last weekend I was privileged to attend Travis Cottrell's live recording concert at the awesome First Baptist Church of Woodstock, Georgia. It was a fast-paced weekend of pure D-E-L-I-G-H-T. I was blessed to stay with my precious friends, Sonny & Mary Perdue...at their residence, otherwise known as the "Govnah's Mansion." :) We had two very special guests join us at the Mansion...Mrs. Beth Moore & Mrs. Melissa Moore Fitzpatrick. They were delightful...understated elegance, mother and daughter, two precious peas in a pod. We laughed our heads off, enjoyed a meal together, and had the sweet fellowship of Jesus all around.

Having loved Beth Moore "from afar" for many years and having facilitated all her Bible studies...currently "Esther, It's Tough Being a Woman," I was so excited about having some face-to-face time with her. Even though I have spent innumerable hours watching and listening to her on CD, DVD, TV...I knew this would be different. To be honest, I was a little jittery inside. I knew for sure that I was going to have a GREAT time...but I wanted it to be a GENUINE time. I wanted to know for sure that the lady IS what she IS and what I felt in my heart that she IS! Praise God, as my spirit bears witness - SHE IS!!! Delightfully real and genuine to the bone. She prayed a blessing over the Perdue home, she loved on their granddaughters, she listened intently as others talked, she came downstairs Sunday morning with her comfy clothes and her black fuzzy houseshoes on and NO MAKE-UP (still gorgeous with flawless skin)! She is no pretense, just precious, polite, and very petite! I don't know why God allowed me, a simple Baptist Pastor's wife the opportunity to spend time this past weekend with Beth Moore, a woman who has done more to encourage my spiritual walk than anyone else on the planet...but this I do know: I thank Him and I receive this gift straight from His Hand to my heart. Thank you Jesus - I love You! And I love you all too!

Georgia Jan

PS: I did not take a single picture while we were together - proof of the great fun and bonding time! But my heart holds the memories and will until Jesus comes...Beth said the same thing!

My Boy and His Boy

I love this picture, it brings me (Gran Jan) lots of joy! This is my boy and his boy, my Jeremy with his Zeke. I love watching my son and his precious wife (my daughter-in-love) with their son, my grandson. They are happy parents, grateful for the opportunity to be parents, when they were "told" they probably would not have children. My God is a mountain mover, and He has blessed us indeed with this gift of love. This is the reason for my blog and hence the title...Gran Jan's Joy. I blog to share my joy - joy in Jesus, joy in my family, and joy in sojourning until He comes to take me home. Until then, my heart will go on singing, Until then, with JOY I'll carry on...

Do-Overs and A Focus for 2009

Good Evening Y'all: Have you ever heard the term having a "do-over?" That's how I feel when a new year begins - fresh and clean! A new beginning, a clean slate, a "do-over" so to speak. (My sisters and I use to give each other do-overs in games - at least once a game - for when we would mess up...we were sweet to each other that way...occasionally!) I love to keep order and make lists, even in my prayer journal. It helps me stay focused and on target, as I've been told by my precious and loving friends that I "tend toward ADHD." I know I do, oh yes I do. (I have been known to leave my bathroom while brushing my teeth to go do "something else" and end up slurping the toothpaste foam until I can get back to my bathroom and finish brushing...)

Anyway, I wanted to share Psalm 15 with you all and hope it will touch your heart as it did mine. I am going to memorize it as part of my commitment to memorize scripture in 2009.

Psalm 15 (New Living Translation)
1 Who may worship in your sanctuary, Lord? Who may enter your presence on your holy hill?
2 Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right, speaking the truth from sincere hearts.
3 Those who refuse to gossip or harm their neighbors or speak evil of their friends.
4 Those who despise flagrant sinners, and honor the faithful followers of the Lord, and keep their promises even when it hurts.
5 Those who lend money without charging interest, and who cannot be bribed to lie about the innocent. Such people will stand firm forever.

I want to do all these things in 2009 (and beyond). From Psalm 15, I want to: worship in His sanctuary, enter His presence, lead a blameless life, do what is right, speak the truth from a sincere heart, refuse to gossip, refuse to harm my neighbors, refuse to speak evil of my friends, despise flagrant sinners, honor faithful followers of the Lord, keep my promises even when it hurts, lend money without interest, and take no bribes or lie about the innocent. I WANT TO STAND FIRM FOREVER!

I love y'all so, Georgia Jan