News – Page 101 – Winn Parish Journal (2024)

The Goldonna Assembly of God recently announced their 2nd Annual Fall Carnival. This family friendly event will be held on Saturday, November 5th from 5:00 to 7:00pm. Join the church family at 105 Talley Street for all of the fun and delicious food. Delectables include: hot dogs, popcorn, cotton candy and snow cones. They will also host a dunking booth, jump house, and this year they have added a “Pie the Pastor” game. The church will have door prizes as well.

The Goldonna Christmas in the Park Planning Committee is proud to announce the addition of the 1st Annual Christmas in the Park Beauty and Beau Pageant. The event will be held on No-vember 19, 2022 at Goldonaa Elementary School Auditorium at 9:00am.

Girl’s categories for the pageant include: Infant Miss (0-11 months), Baby Miss (12-23 months), Toddler Miss (2-3 years), Tiny Miss (4-5 years), Little Miss (6-7 years), Petite Miss (8-10 years) Jr Miss (11-13 years), Teen Miss (14-16 years), Miss (17-20 years).

Boy’s categories for the pageant include:Baby Mister (0-23 months), Tiny Mister (2-3 years), and Little Mister (4-5 years).

The deadline to enter is Tuesday, November 1, 2022. The pageant link can be found on Face-book athttps://fb.me/e/1Q0tAujls

The Chicken Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser is coming up this weekend. On Sunday, November 6th at 11:00, for the price of $10 you will enjoy chicken spaghetti, green beans, roll, dessert and a drink. One hundred percent of the profits will go directly to the festival to offset expenses. The committee will deliver eight or more plates if you schedule ahead of time. You can pre-order with Eugene Garner (318-663-1148) or Jennifer Smith (318-413-7761).

River of Life Family Worship Center is having a Thanksgiving Fellowship on Sunday, November 13th. Services start at 10:30 and the fellowship will begin directly after. Bring a friend and come enjoy a meal with their church family.

Goldonna Elementary School will be participating in the News Channel 5 Holiday Food Drive now through December 8th. They will be collecting non-perishables that will help feed families in Central Louisiana. They will also be hosting a Grandparents Thanksgiving Dinner Thursday, November 17th. You must reserve a spot to participate. The school will be hosting a Veteran’s Day Program on Wednesday November 9th.

Goldonna Baptist Church Kingdom Kids is up and running! Literally. Buses are busy all over Gol-donna picking up and dropping off children. They meet every Wednesday night at 6:00pm and get to enjoy a great meal while they are at the church. They will follow the NPSB school sched-ule, if the schools are closed they will not have Kingdom Kids on that Wednesday night. The youth group is serving biscuits and sausage every Sunday before Sunday School which starts at 10:00am.

As you can see there is always something wonderful going on in the beautiful hills of Goldonna. Christmas in the Park is gearing up and still needing volunteers for this jolly ole festival. Please contact Mayor Smith if you would like to be on the committee. Bring your ideas and get ready to start planning for the jolliest year yet!

If you have news to share please email Reba Phelps atjreba.phelps@gmail.com

By: Kaycie Kile
WPJ Reporter

Monday, October 31st, from 5-7 pm, Winn residents had the chance to participate in the city’s annual Fall Festival. Complete with its usual suspects like the costume, pumpkin decorating contests, jump houses, refreshments, and of course, trunk or treating–another safe and family-friendly community event has come and gone for Winnfield.

Unfortunately, I didn’t even snap half of the fantastic costumes I spotted on my walk up and down main during all the fun. Here’s to a better haul next Halloween! Special thank you to everyone who did give me the time and our sponsors that made this event possible for our city!

This year’s sponsors:
First United Methodist Church
Autumn Leaves Nursing Home
First Assembly of God
First Baptist Church
The Family Church
South Winnfield Baptist Church
Winn Parish Police Jury
Pilot Club

The Winn Ranger District will host an open house Thursday, November 3rd at the Winn Parish Library from 5:00 – 6:30 PM. The topics discussed will be the prescribed fire program as well as current and upcoming projects.

Come out and speak with Winn Ranger Brad Cooper and learn more about the Winn Ranger District.

The Winn Ranger District encompasses 164,000 forested acres in Winn, Natchitoches, and Grant Parishes, with close proximity to the Winnfield area. For more information about the Winn Ranger District click the link https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/kisatchie/null/recarea?recid=34833&actid=30

-November 1st, Grab and Go Turkey craft!
-November 8th, Elections
-November 10th, Open House Mini Christmas Charcuterie Boards 5;30 pm
-November 11th, Veteran’s Day!
-November 20th-27th, “National Quiz and Puzzle Week”
-November 22nd, Tuesday Tales 2 pm
-November 24th, Thanksgiving

For all crafts please remember to call in (318-628-4478) or sign up via Facebook at the Winn Parish Library’s page. Thank you Winn Parish Library for offering more to our families and community this Turkey season!

Date: 10-28-22
Name: Nigil D Foster
Address: Winnfield, LA
Race: Black
Sex: Male
Age: 28
Charge: Home invasion, Warrant (simple battery)

Date: 10-30-22
Name: Cody Roberts
Address: Winnfield, LA
Race: White
Sex: Male
Age: 31
Charge: Warrant (failure to appear), Simple criminal damage to property

Date: 10-30-22
Name: Terry L Hayes
Address: Winnfield, LA
Race: Black
Sex: Male
Age: 62
Charge: Theft

This information has been provided by a law enforcement agency as public information. Persons named or shown in photographs or video as suspects in a criminal investigation, or arrested and charged with a crime, have not been convicted of any criminal offense and are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

During his lifetime, Elvis Presley, the King of Rock and Roll, had more than his share of admirers.People waited for hours outside the gates of Graceland in hopes that they might get a glimpse of and maybe an autograph from Elvis.There were also many people who disliked him for a variety of reasons.It was for reasons such as this that Elvis’s home, Graceland, was protected by a solid stone wall fence with a set of large metal gates.

On the morning of November 22, 1976, a 41-year-old man and his wife drove up to the gates of Elvis’s Graceland and asked the security guard to see Elvis.Naturally, the security guard refused entry and sent the man on his way.Just a few minutes later, at about 9:30 a.m., the man was driving at the corner of Powell and Peterson Lake Road in Collierville, a suburb east of Memphis, when he took the curve too sharply and flipped his car.

Police arrived and found the man and his wife standing beside the overturned car.The man, they noticed, was unsteady on his feet and had slurred speech.They arrested the man and charged him with driving while intoxicated, reckless driving, and having no driver’s license.At Collierville police headquarters, the man took and passed a breathalyzer test.Collierville Police Chief H.A. Goforth Jr. administered further tests to determine the man’s incoherence.The man posted a $250 bond and was released from jail.That should have been the end of this story.

The man had a lengthy history with police.As far back as 1963, the man was sentenced to thirty days in jail for drunk driving.Earlier in 1976, the man shot a coworker in the Collierville city limits.Police determined the shooting was an accident but charged him with discharging a firearm within city limits.Police released the man when he posted a bond, but he failed to appear at his court date.A little over a month before the man’s visits to the gates of Graceland, he was arrested for shouting obscenities at his neighbors in Collierville.He had various other run-ins with law enforcement officers.

In the very early morning hours of the next day, November 23, 1976, the man went to a bar called The Vapors.The bar owner knew the man well, and for some unknown reason, the bar’s owner loaned the man a small .38 caliber derringer pistol.Just before 3:00 a.m., the man returned to the gates outside Elvis’s Graceland.As the man’s car pulled into the driveway, a different security guard, Robert Loyd, approached.The man pointed the derringer pistol at the security guard as he approached.The shocked security guard refused entry just as the security guard had done on the previous day.The man screamed, cursed, verbally threatened, and waved the derringer pistol around wildly.The security guard calmly returned to the guard shack and called the Memphis Police Department.

Patrolman B.J. Kirkpatrick arrived at the gates of Graceland and found the man sitting in his car.Patrolman Kirkpatrick noticed that the derringer pistol was lying on the man’s left knee.The patrolman took the pistol and inspected it.It was then that he realized the man was not making empty threats.The gun was “co*cked and fully loaded.”Another patrolman arrived as backup.The officers noted that the man’s speech was slurred, he reeked of alcohol, and he was unsteady on his feet.At 3:07 a.m., Patrolman Kirkpatrick arrested the would-be killer.On the way to the city jail, the man turned his threats from Elvis and the security guard to the policemen.Three hours later, the man was released after posting a $250 bond.The derringer pistol was kept as evidence.

Millions of people still visit the gates of Graceland each year.After paying an admission fee, they are admitted through the gates.But on those two dates in November, 1976, it was a killer who tried to force his way through the gates.He died last week on October 28, and although he was prevented from entering the gates of Graceland, hopefully he was accepted into the gates of Heaven.The man was not actually a killer, he was The Killer.Jerry Lee Lewis.

Sources:

1.The Memphis Press-Scimitar, November 23, 1976, p.1.

2.Best Classic Bands Staff, “Nov. 23, 1976: Jerry Lee Lewis Arrested at Graceland,” Best Classic Bands, July 31, 2015,https://bestclassicbands.com/jerry-lee-lewis-arrested-graceland-11-23-155/.

“And they compelled one Simon a Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear His cross.” —Mark 15:21(KJV)

“Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace …”—Original words and music, Helen Lemmel; additional words by Sovereign Grace Worship, 2019.

Charles Foxworth, 90, passed away peacefully at home in north Louisiana in mid-October after a long illness.“He loved the Lord and always gave him the glory for his joy-filled life,”his obituary read.

Any of us who knew him could have written that.

Dr. Foxworth was asked to bear Jesus’ cross when he was a young man. He accepted and didn’t put it down until a couple of weeks ago. In February 2020, he wrote this to a friend:

“I’m singing,‘Someday the silver cord will break, and I no more as now shall sing. But oh, the joy when I shall wake, within the palace of the King. And I shall see Him face to face, And tell the story, saved by grace!’

“See you at the house!”

The song he referenced was written by the legendary and prolific Fanny Crosby in 1891. “See you at the house!” was always Dr. Foxworth’s timeless reference to his heavenly home.

No need for him to say that anymore.

“Turn your eyes to the morning
And see Christ the Lion awake
What a glorious dawn, fear of death is gone
For we carry His life in our veins …”

Charles Foxworth became an ordained minister at 18, began a career in education, pastored several churches in Texas and Louisiana, eventually earned his Ph.D., and earned a significant amount of recognition for the impact he had on the thousands of students he served, including those he taught, mentored and influenced at Louisiana Tech from 1971 until his retirement in 1996.

Along the way, he was a Sunday School teacher, music director, supply minister, devotional writer, and most importantly, an authentic encourager and example of a godly man, now survived by Lois, his wife of 72 years, and by their daughter and grandchildren and families and so many friends who will miss him — but only for a while.

“Turn your eyes to the heavens
Our King will return for His own
Every knee will bow, every tongue will shout,
‘All glory to Jesus alone!’”

That long-ago day among the pines in Southeast Texas around his hometown of Silsbee, the teenage son of Steve and Mamie Foxworth was asked to carry a cross. Centuries before, Simon had been asked to do the same on the Via Dolorosa. Neither man could not have known that his life would change on those appointed days. They were both, after all, just passing through. But by divine circ*mstance, their paths crossed the path of the beaten and bleeding Savior.

Few people run toward the cross. Most of us have to be compelled by the soldier of misfortune, suffering, disease, and any of a thousand other pains and problems. Even then, we pick it up kicking and screaming.

Not Charles Foxworth, and not Simon the Cyrenian. After looking into Jesus’ eyes, after seeing Christ’s shredded back, His crown of thorns, each man knew that, in comparison, the yoke was easy. Jesus always does the hard part, walking with us to the house.

Contact Teddy atteddy@latech.edu

I sometimes believe that it would be difficult to be any more surprised about national developments, but I find I continue to be mistaken about that.

Early voting for the November midterm elections is well under way as Nov. 8^th, Election Day, approaches. So, what has President Biden touted as his—and, derivatively, his Democrat Party—closing message to the American people before the election? What economic, domestic, or foreign policy achievement does he point to, to assist his party in their election efforts?

Abortionon demandfor any reason up to and during the birth process, and without anesthetic to reduce the pain during the killing of innocent children;Transgenderism, including child genital mutilation without a parent’s consent.

These are the two issues he’shighlighted in the last two weeks.

Well, needless to say, they are not high on the list of voter priorities, but the President is desperate foranypossible method of distracting voters from the reality they live every day.

He really doesn’t have anything else.

Our nation is mired in the highest inflation since the Jimmy Carter Administration. Americans feel its crushing impact when they go to the store for food, fill up their car with gas, try to keep up with their bills, review their depleted savings and the diminished value of their retirement pensions, as well as realizing their paycheck simply doesn’t go as far.

While millions of Americans struggle with these rising costs right in front of them such as for food, gas, and child-care, they are also smart enough to know that inflation is the hidden but very real “Biden tax” they pay for every single economic activity, directly hurting them and their families. It is estimated that right now inflation is costing the typical American family $276 more per month and roughly $3,300 per year,numbers that will likely only rise.

Americans also haven’t forgotten the Afghanistan Debacleand our government’s gifting of $87 billion in military hardware to the Taliban, the evil accomplices ofal-Qaedain the Sept. 11 attack on America.

Our nation also has not forgotten that while Pres. Bidenproperly called for the defense of the borders of Ukraine, his Administration has never made an effort to stop the flood of illegals into our country on our southern borderand the drugs (fentanyl is killinghundreds ofAmericansdaily), theft, crime, terrorists, and human trafficking that accompany them.

What about public health and public safety concerns? What about the China Virusfears we’ve been suffocated with for over 2 years that have greatly restricted the personal and economic liberty of millions of Americans? There are still places in the U.S. that American citizens cannot go without a vaccine card and a mask. Yet, we allowunmasked un-vaxed, unknown and unvetted individualsnumbering millionsto break into our country, violate our laws and become potentially super-spreaders inour communities.

Voters also, for example, reject the doomsday scenario and massive spending on Climate Change (referred to for generations as “weather”) and the foolhardy attempt to eliminate fossil fuels. They realize that such a policy does nothing butincreasethe cost of energy and the rate of inflation to produce and transport goods and services to consumers.

Can the Climate Change religionists not recognize that when you kill the U.S. oil and gas industry—and Pres. Trump had made America totally energy independent—you make America hostage to Russia and the Middle East for our energy needs? In so doing, you force Americans to pay more for foreign oil (because it’s drilled and transported from overseas) that’s less reliable (see the Russian invasion of Ukraineand the constant unrest in the Middle East)) when we could be producing it at home and building our own national economyand national security at the same time.

Also, has the Biden Administration ever really disavowed the stance of many of its supporters who demand the defunding of police? Is the President not aware that thought frightens millions of Americans in our crime-rampant cities?

So, no police and no gasoline. We’ll justrely on the kindness and good nature of the criminals not to harm us, as we depend on the wind, when it blows, and the sun, when it shines, to produce the power necessary to dependably run America’s enormous industrial society in 2022.

I believe a reckoning is coming in these mid-term elections.

Pictured above: Royal Alexander is an attorney, writer, and former politician in his native Shreveport, Louisiana. In 2007, he was the Republican candidate for Louisiana Attorney General. In addition to his law practice, Alexander is an opinion writer, a guest lecturer at public events and education forums, and a frequent guest on various TV and radio outlets.

The views and opinions expressed in the My Opinion article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of The Winn Parish Journal. Any content provided by the authors is of their opinion and is not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, individual or anyone or anything.

NATCHITOCHES:

Lynelle Sue Scoggins
December 10, 1933 – October 29, 2022
Service: Wednesday, November 2 at 1 pm at New Kisatchie Cemetery

WINN:

Raymond Patrick Carpenter
May 12, 1944 – November 1, 2022
Service: Friday, November 4 at 2 pm in the chapel of Southern Funeral Home

Janice Howell
August 18, 1947 – October 26, 2022
Visitation: Friday, November 4 from 5-9 pm at Southern Funeral Home in Winnfield

Early voting for the Open Congressional Primary Election is Oct. 25th through Nov. 1 (excluding Sunday, Oct. 30) from 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m.

• The deadline to request an absentee ballot is Nov. 4 by 4:30 p.m (other than military and overseas voters). You can request an absentee ballot online through our Voter Portal or in writing through your Registrar of Voters Office.
• The deadline for a registrar of voters to receive a voted absentee ballot is Nov. 7 by 4:30 p.m. (other than military and overseas voters).
• On election day, the polls are open from 6 a.m.-8 p.m.

Winn Parish Early Voting Results through Thursday, October 27, 2022.

Baton Rouge, LA – Legislation to create the new Louisiana Violent Crime Task Force is being drafted by State Representative Alan Seabaugh, R-Shreveport, to study the dramatic rise in violent crime in Louisiana with an emphasis on determining its cause and crafting solutions to help tackle the problem legislatively.

“The rise in violent crime is a significant problem in every part of Louisiana,” said Rep. Seabaugh. “From our most rural parishes to our largest urban centers, every corner of Louisiana has seen a significant rise in violent crime over the past few years. It’s me that we stop complaining about the problem and have some real discussions about why this is happening and what we can do to put an end to it.”

The proposal has gained significant support from groups across Louisiana. Everyone from the Sheriffs and District Attorneys associations to Attorney General Jeff Landry, and even the Bayou Mama Bears are excited about the prospect of implementing real solutions to Louisiana’s violent crime epidemic.

“Violent crime continues to plague our communities,” said Louisiana Sheriffs Association President and Franklin Parish Sheriff Kevin Cobb “Louisiana is the top state for homicides and has one of the highest violent crime rates in the nation. As sheriffs, we took an oath to protect public safety and ensure laws are enforced, and we cannot stand by and allow this trend to continue.”

Cobb continued, “That’s why sheriffs voted this week to pursue legislative priorities that help reduce violent crime in our communities and protect not just the people in our parishes, but also deputies on our streets. We’ll work with our criminal justice partners to research and propose common sense measures that keep Louisiana families safer. We want bad actors to know– we will protect our communities and violent crime will not be tolerated here in Louisiana.”

Representative Seabaugh stressed that the focus of any discussion regarding Louisiana’s violent crime problem must start with the 2017 criminal justice reforms referred to as the Justice Reinvestment Act. This was a highly controversial series of legislation designed to reduce Louisiana’s prison population, which it largely succeeded in doing. Louisiana’s current prison population is just over half of its 2017 levels. The dramatic spike in violent crime almost immediately followed this reduction in prison population across Louisiana.

“The relationship between the two seems clear, but there are those who deny the connection,” Rep. Seabaugh said. “It is time that we had a deeper, fact-based look into this issue and that we be willing to admit that perhaps some mistakes were made.”

The Louisiana District Attorneys Association agrees that the solutions must start with a close look at the 2017 legislation. Loren Lampert, Executive Director of the Louisiana District Attorneys Association, issued the following statement: “LA District Attorneys have always maintained that we needed 5 complete years of data before we will be able to determine the long-term impacts of the 2017 reforms.

“Nov. 1, 2023, marks the passing of 5 complete years,” he said. “We agree that it is time to objectively study the impact of this sweeping legislation and determine exactly what the costs and savings have been. This will also serve to determine what impact – if any – the reforms have had on the surge in violent crime over the last 3 years.”

Attorney General Jeff Landry has long been a critic of the 2017 criminal justice changes and strongly endorsed the task force.

“As I predicted, the governor’s failed criminal justice reform has resulted in new victims of violent crime,” said Landry. “Instead of dangerously releasing criminals back into society in order to simply check a political box, the governor should have ensured convicts get the treatment and training they need to become productive members of society.”

The Bayou Mama Bears, a rapidly growing statewide group of women fed up with the rise of violent crime and lack of safe streets for their children, has also endorsed the new task force.

“As crime surges across Louisiana, women across our state are now living in constant fear of being the next victim of violent crime,” said Laura Rodriguez, founder of the Bayou Mama Bears and a former prosecutor in Jefferson and Orleans Parishes. “We worry about protecting ourselves, and more importantly, our children. We applaud our leaders who recognize the need for change and who are committed to making that change. The Bayou Mama Bears will continue to fight to protect our Louisiana families and we will continue to recognize those leaders who stand beside us”

The new task force will be created by legislation currently being drafted by Rep. Seabaugh to be introduced during the 2023 legislative session, which begins in April.

“This is not the me for half-measures or another ‘step in the right direction’ type approach. This is a battle that we cannot afford to lose,” Seabaugh said.

The Winn Parish Journal reached out to Louisiana House Representative for District 13, Jack McFarland to get his thoughts on the task force. “I support this effort to review existing laws. I think it’s our responsibility as elected officials to review, understand, amend, and/or adopt legislation that provides our constituents with the opportunity to live in a peaceful society without fear.”

For more information regarding the new Louisiana Violent Crime Task force please contact Representative Alan Seabaugh by email at seabaugha@legis.la.gov or by telephone at his district office, (318) 676-7990

Pictured above: State Representative Alan Seabaugh, R-Shreveport

Winn Community Coalition to Prevent Youth Alcohol & Substance Use partnered with Central Louisiana Human Services District and the National Guard to bring a hands-on demonstration of the effects of drug and alcohol to students at Winnfield Middle School.

The students and a couple of teachers wore impairment goggles while peddling through an obstacle course. The goggles simulated various stages of intoxication, and out of 69 students, only two were able to complete the course without hitting and even running over multiple cones placed along the way. The students were told that the cones represented trees, other vehicles, family pets, and even pedestrians.

The students listened as a representative from each organization emphasized the importance of making good choices that save lives and prevent injuries. They were also informed that the human brain is not fully developed until a person’s mid-twenties and that the need for the brain to develop alcohol and drug-free is vital. Students were also provided materials and informative brochures from each participating agency.

It is the goal of the Winn Community Coalition to educate children and parents about the effects of alcohol and other drugs on the developing brain in an effort to influence individuals to make informed choices and take positive action to foster the well-being of themselves as well as others and to prevent the cycle of addiction. If you want more information about the Winn Community Coalition to Prevent Youth Alcohol & Substance Use, please contact Shonna Moss at 318-628-0169.

This year’s Fall Festival will be held on Monday, October 31st from 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM in downtown Winnfield.

This year’s Fall Festival will include:

Jump Houses

Costume Contest
Location: Beside the Courthouse on the Pea Patch side Starts at 5:30 PM.
Age Groups: 0-3 yrs, 4-7 yrs, 8-10 yrs, 11-13 yrs, 14-17 yrs, 18 yrs +, & theme groups Pets (one category)

To Pre-Register for the costume contest scan the code on the flyer below.

Pumpkin Decorating Contest
Drop off location: Police Jury Office (Courthouse)
Drop pumpkins off Thurs, Oct 27 or Friday, Oct 28 from 8:00 am – 4:00 pm
Age Groups: PreK-1st, 2nd-5th, & 6th-8th

Groups or individuals interested in participating in Trunk or Treat, spots will be available along Main Street between the Courthouse & The Social Coffee House. Main Street will be blocked off at 4:30.

Hot Dogs, Chips, & Drinks will be located in front of the Courthouse.

Trunk or Treats will be lined up from the Courthouse to The Social Coffee House.

Awards will be given out for the costume contest and the pumpkin decorating contest.

This year’s sponsors:
First United Methodist Church
Autumn Leaves Nursing Home
First Assembly of God
First Baptist Church
The Family Church
South Winnfield Baptist Church
Winn Parish Police Jury
Pilot Club

The much anticipated mother-daughter road trip was about to commence. The overnight bags were overpacked with care, the tickets to the concert had been purchased for weeks, and the hotel was reserved using a small bank of points. The youngest daughter was dropped off at school, we had piping hot coffee in hand and we were ready to hit the open road.

It was a beautiful drive as we were headed east to Birmingham. We were taking in the early fall foliage. I was feeling like the coolest mom on the planet. We were driving six hours and forty-five minutes one-way to watch an American alternative, folk band play at a popular brewery known for hosting large crowds at its trendy venue. My oldest daughter had been following the band for a few years, she could barely contain her excitement of actually getting to see them in person.

I, on the other hand, had only heard of them through her as she forced me to listen to them. They actually began to grow on me but I was more excited just to spend some one on one time with my daughter while she was home for fall break from her resort.

We stopped an hour away from our location to grab a quick bite to eat. When we exited the car I felt somewhat stiff after the long car ride. I was feeling like the oldest mom on the planet. I tried to look young and agile as I stretched with a slight limp while walking through the parking lot. Lucky for me my daughter had bounced ten steps ahead of me and missed the awkward walk. My body had me wondering if my plantar fasciitis had returned with vengeance.

Gosh, these were total old lady problems that were dancing around in my head.

When we arrived at our hotel, I checked in on the app and was able to by-pass the front desk. The feeling of being the coolest mom returned as my daughter was impressed with my use of technology. Just as quick as we settled into the room it was time to shake the travel dust off and get ready for the concert. There was no time for a nap. I was soon feeling like the oldest mom on the planet again.

We loaded our weary traveling selves into an Uber and headed to the trendy venue only to learn the driver was dropping us off a block away. Lucky for me I had opted for the comfortable shoes and comfortable outfit while my daughter opted for stylish and uncomfortable clothing. The Edison lights were shining brightly on a small pathway that led to the Avondale Brewery. The music was extremely loud and it smelled…welll…exactly like a Brewery.

The first band came out and I know I would have enjoyed them much more had I known a few of their songs. I nodded and pretended to know some of the words. It was going amazingly well until the band instructed the audience to crouch down to the ground as low as they could go…until they gave the signal to jump up in unison. I just wasn’t interested, so I stood there in a sea of youngsters who were all crouching and waiting. That’s when it happened.

Without a doubt I do believe I aged a whole decade at that very moment. It was evident to hundreds of strangers that I was the oldest and most uncool mom in the crowd.

The next day we headed back with a ton of new memories and laughs. Oh, and it only took me two days of rest to recover from the overnight concert. Definitely old lady problems.

Not many people can say they remember the exact date and time that they started to feel a smidgen old. I say this mainly joking because I am acutely aware that age is merely a number assigned to you on your birthday. I will always consider it to be the biggest blessing of my life to be able to age gracefully and move from season to season of my life while enjoying good health and every moment with my precious daughters.

The older I get the more my faith grows, the more I learn to rely on my relationship with the Lord and I wouldn’t trade that for anything in this world. I pray every year that rolls by will be filled with just as many memories, life lessons, cherishing friendships, putting others needs before my own, and loving everyone the Lord puts in my path.

“I will be the same until your old age, and I will bear you up when you turn gray. I have made you and I will carry you; I will bear and rescue you.” –Isaiah 46:4