Friday night: Emily's Wheeler High Magnet Program Honors Banquet. 106 of the 500+/- graduating seniors are in the magnet program. The magnet program is in the top ten in the nation. Their football team hasn't won a game in two years but the brain game is huge!!! Sorry, they are high ranked in sports... 2009 Basketball State Championship (again).
Sunday morning: Eastside Baptist Church (Emily, Kelly and Julie's church) honors their seniors from all schools with recognition on stage, gift and lunch at unbelievable restaurant. Notice Emily's graduation picture and a toddler picture on the big screen about the pastor and Emily's head as she receives her gift. Emily did her senior internship as assistant to the youth pastor at Eastside. The much loved youth past takes all the seniors to lunch at a fancy restaurant so Julie, Irv and I hit Willie's for some good, eatin' mexican... then Irv and I hurry over to Weslyan School to meet Michael, Cam and Grace for Grace's Piano Recital. She looks beautiful in her fancy dress,plays her piece perfectly and takes a lovely, concert bow. We are rewarded with MacDonald's Sunday's after the recital.
Wednesday Evening: 2010 Class Baccalaureate at Johnson Ferry Baptist Church. Julie told me this is a class not Board of Education sponsored event. When I graduated back in the light age not the dark ages of separation of church and state, our Board of Education was the sponsor. That not withstanding, this was indeed inspirational. The whole event was hosted by the students and most, if not all mentioned if not spoke at length about their faith. There were 5 candles on the podium... one each for Education, friends, teachers, community and parents. There were five speakers... one each to light a candle.
The student speaker who spoke on friends told of his missed diagnosis, then diagnosis and long treatment of a tumor in his shoulder of a type of cancer with only 400 reported cases in the world. He was told by all in the medical field associated with his care that it was a miracle he is alive so he thanked God, his best friend, Jesus, family and friends for bringing him through it.
The manager of the local Chick-fil-A close to the school where students hand out spoke on community and faith stating... Chick-fil-A founder S. Truett Cathy is a devout Christian who taught Sunday School for over 51 years and whose religious beliefs permeate the company to this day. The company's official statement of corporate purpose says that the business exists "to glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us." The manager pointed out the statement never mentions a sandwich or "making" money. He further mentioned that the chain invests heavily in community services (especially for children and teenagers) and scholarships. Cathy's beliefs are also responsible for one of the chain's distinctive features: All Chick-fil-A locations (company-owned and franchised, whether in a mall or freestanding) are closed on Sundays. “ Our decision to close on Sunday was our way of honoring God and directing our attention to things more important than our business. If it took seven days to make a living with a restaurant, then we needed to be in some other line of work. Through the years, I have never wavered from that position."
At the mention of anything having to do with positive faith, the students clapped. Let's see... they're totally smart, great in sports and seek to live a faithful, inspirational life. I don't know about you but I'm impressed. Of course, most of all with our own beautiful, faithful and inspirational graduate.
Each student was given a candle to light at the end of the service and encouraged to take their personal light our into the world.
Friday, Irv and I take time to visit Cam and Grace one last time. When we hit Atlanta on the way south, they will be in Destin, Florida at the beach with her parents. God has blessed us beyond anything we could hope or dream with daughters-in-law.
Saturday: The big day is here very early at 9am. More great speakers. The Valedictorian's grade point average was 4.73 and the Salutatorian's (Emily's prom date)was 4.719. I commented to her, "Your 4.0 is still great, Emily!!!". She graduated with high honors. Irv and I couldn't count but as the graduates were called to receive their diploma, close to 60%+/- were honors or high honors. With permission from faculty... two students led to senior in a final Wheeler Roller Coaster Cheer... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PH_flynzVkU (please cut and paste to view... you'll love it!!!)
In between graduation and the luncheon, we visited with Julie, Kelly and Emily... can't get enough of those girls.
Now on to Emily and... Kelly's celebration luncheon at Maggiano's was wonderful and... we got to see Matthew who flew in for the occasion.
After lunch, we all retired back to Julie's house to open gifts and give Emily and Kelly one piece of advise from each of us. I told them God created each of them with differences that complimented each other and... created them perfect to carry out His plan for their lives and be a blessing to many, many people. Grandpa Irv advised them to always follow their tender conscious.
Emily will be entering Toccao Falls College this fall. It is a Missionary Allicance college whose main purpose is training missionaries and has a sign that states, "The sun never sets on a Toccoa Falls missionary graduate... so many around the globe. The entire student body is 900 and study hall is in the sun by the falls or sparkling brook created by the falls.Emily doesn't know what mission field she wants to go into yet but as she indicated in her remarks for the Magnet School program, "She is sure God will direct her path".
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