New Computer

Well, I did it.  I have needed a new computer for quite a while.  The director of IBTM told me months ago to order a new one but I kept trying to find a way to fix what ailed my old one so that I wouldn't have to.  Afterall, it worked pretty good for some things . . . but the things it didn't, well it wouldn't let me do those at all.  So, I finally accepted defeat and ordered a new Dell, a super-charged monster computer that should be able to handle anything a rapidly growing IBTM can throw at it for many years to come.  The FedEx guy brought it to my door on Tuesday in a huge, brown box.  And there it had been since because I simply did not have the time to make the switch.

Then today I was getting annoyed as my old computer coughed and sputtered and limped along in slow motion.  I suddenly thought to myself, "I'm trying to drive an old battered jalopy when I have a brand new Ferrari sitting behind me."  I had backedup my files more than a week ago and had been working from them rather than my harddrive to be sure nothing got missed.  Really, the only thing I had left to do was unclogging a very packed email box.  So I spent the next couple of hours clearing that so there would not be much to move, then powered down my old jalopy.

Wow!  This new Ferrari is very nice!  And f a s t !  This new big screen monitor is nothing to squint at either.  I'm pleased to say that the setup went super smooth as I loaded all my files into their new home.  Until I hit email. 

The directions I had read so carefully on how to transfer my email accounts and contact lists did not work at all.  I'll have to crank up the jalopy again to take note of the computer jargon those directions never mentioned I would need.   But not tonight.  Finally, I just setup my main Gmail account so that I could check for new messages since turning off the old computer . . . and that's when things spun out of control.  You see Gmail, sensing a new computer, thought I needed everything.  Literally, everything.  It dumped every email sent to me in the last 4 months - more than 4,000 of them!  I suppose I'm just lucky that it didn't go back further.

Now my email box is clogged worse than ever.  I just hope this new Ferrari has a fast DELETE button.

Mail

In today's mail I received an offer for a free cremation.  ??!!  Excuse me, did I read that right?  A free pre-paid cremation just might be mine if I will provide my phone number and email address to a company several states away.  But they stand ready to help me select the "pre-need cremation plan" that is right for my family.   I decided to pass.  Didn't even have to think twice.  But the thing that fascinated me was the sales pitch.  They covered everything except "makes a great Christmas gift".  Then in the really small print at the bottom they ended with an apology "if this letter has reached you at a time of serious illness or death in your family."  Strange, because my guess is that I ended up on their mailing list because I just had a death in the family.  In the past junk mail offers have always been addressed to Jimmie, but this one was to me.

As annoying as this mail was, though, it was not as difficult as the large manila envelope that arrived yesterday.   I had been dreading receiving the death certificates.  It is just so stark seeing it in print.

Item #17

My To Do List reminds me of one of those snarling lions at the circus.  You have to crack a whip at it fairly often to keep it from devouring you.  The number is up to 105 now and I HOPE that is all I run into to add.  Still, I do have 40% of that done and yesterday with the wonderful help of my sister and brother-in-law, Carolyn & Joe Segler, I was able to cross off a major item. 

All of the furniture is now in place so that I can move my work area out of this alcove and back into the office Jimmie and I used to share.  I just have to switch some files and supplies and get organized again.  Of course, that's another day's job but stuff I can handle so this is a huge relief.  

I must say, though, that yesterday was a learning experience.  Joe has a very unique way of moving extremely heavy furniture that was startling - but effective. I suppose you would call it the Turtle Tactic.  I wish I could have gotten a picture, but only if it included the amazed shock on my sister's face.  I just hope he isn't hurting today from it.

Thank You

It is a beautiful Lord's Day, a day of thanksgiving for the wonderful blessings that are ours in Christ.  That brings to mind that I need to also thank the many brethren, friends and even strangers who have shown so much kindness to Jimmie and to me through the ordeal of the past 15 months.  We received more cards, calls, emails and Facebook messages of concern and assurance of prayers than I could possibly count.  I have not been able to respond to all but each one was read and appreciated.  Thank you. I am especially grateful for the prayers that went up.  I do not know how we could have coped without them.

I have asked many who knew Jimmie to send me stories about him because I want to record these in a scrapbook for his grandchildren.  The ones I have gotten so far are wonderful and certainly reflect Jimmie's flair for humor.  Thank you to all who have helped me with this.  But I would love to have more if you have one you can share with me.

The List

My urgent, post-funeral To Do List seems to have taken on a life of its own. It just keeps growing.  It got up to 101 but I found one duplicate so with a big sigh of relief I was able to erase one.  And it has kept me busy. Scan the list for the next top priority, then get to work.  In the past 3 days I have managed to cross off 27 of the bigger, more urgent items.  The list has also been helpful in other ways.  As I remarked this morning when I got up to a messy kitchen, "I would have washed the dishes, but it wasn't on my List . . . "

My daughter tells me that I need to make ANOTHER list - this one of things I need to remember to do every day.  Oh dear.  That one could be harder.

To Do List

I made a To Do List yesterday of all the many items I must take care of immediately . . . and stopped at 93.  93!  And there are probably more I haven't realized yet.  How is it possible to have at least 93 things I mustn't forget to do?  The list doesn't even mention all of the mundane everyday jobs that are now such an effort, like taking out the garbage, checking for the mail and remembering to eat.

I read recently that 3 out of 4 women in America will become widows, so there is probably a book out there telling us how to prepare.  But I doubt that any of us have read it.  And who would have believed it anyway?  I never realized that widowhood was this much work.  My respect for all the widows I have known in the past who made this life-changing transition look easy just went up tremendously.

Memorial

Saturday many of those who loved Jimmie filled the church building at New Hope Road to remember him.  We sang some of his favorite hymns, listened as four dear friends - Keith Cozort, Rod Rutherford, Ronald D. Gilbert and Yaw Boateng - related stories about Jimmie, and then we heard the Gospel preached - an appropriate ending to any memorial for Jimmie since his focus was preaching the Gospel.  

This weekend I learned that two more memorial services are being planned for Jimmie in Malawi, this coming Saturday in Lilongwe and in Salima the following week.  I also learned that a Jimmie B. Hill Memorial Library fund is being established to provide books for students in some of the preaching schools assisted by International Bible Teaching Ministries.  Both of these things really touched me.

Jimmie never sought any notoriety.  He wasn't interested in being a big name or well-known or whatever the proper term is.  He just wanted to win souls for Christ and enjoy time with family and friends.  Jimmie often said that Christians should be the happiest people on earth because we have been forgiven and know where we are headed.  Jimmie truly did enjoy life and he had the kind of quick whit that could get a smile from others.  But after receiving so many email messages from around the world expressing prayers for Jimmie while he was sick, and sorrow at his passing, his family is beginning to realize that Jimmie was more well-known than we realized.