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The Pikeville, TN, SDA Church has had a busy schedule for some time but a number of us took off
for far-flung places and went to the wedding of Melinda Joy Ipes and Travis DeWind. Since there were
so many going, Gary Burks practically donated the use of his tour bus so we went in style. On the way
to Highland Academy we passed by Starstruck Farms and the Tennessee home of country music singer, Reba
McEntire. What impressed me most about the place was the lush green grass.
When we got to
the Highland Academy Church, we were greeted by the father of the groom, Tony. He was all smiles and
was excited about adding to his family. The mother of the groom, Linda, was radiant in blue.
The church was beautifully decorated and the ceremony was inspiring. Music ranged from Bach to Chip
Davis to a country ballad to the Hallelujah Chorus.
The bride was lovely, as were all her attendants.
The groom was handsome in his tux and the rest of the wedding party were just as good-looking. The Bible
boy and the two flower girls were the center of attention, though. You would have had to have been there
to appreciate it.
The reception theme was Hawaii. I understood that the bride would have liked
to have been married there, but it would have been hard to drive the bus to Hawaii. Refreshments were
delicious and in plentiful supply.
After we left the campus, we moved on to Trinity City (it
was once Twitty City) and drove through the grounds. There was no bush or tree that was left undecorated
and it was a sight to behold.
Then it was on to the Opryland Hotel's Country Christmas. We walked
as hard and fast as we could, stopping only briefly here and there, for an hour and a quarter--and we
still didn't see it all. One of the highlights was hearing the symphony orchestra from Southern Adventist
University perform Christmas music and watching the fountain leap and dance to the rhythm.
After
we got back on the bus to head home, Gary put on some Christmas music and we sang carols and songs.
It was late when we got back and I was tired the next day, but the Lord had blessed us with good weather,
good fellowship, and safety, and we were all the richer for it.
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