Collingsworth Family

We had a great time watching the Collingsworth family live in concert Wednesday night at Praise Cathedral in Greer, SC!  They are using their talents for the Lord in such a mighty way, and we were so blessed by them.  It was an answer to prayer that Phil Collingsworth was able to make it tonight after being hospitalized for five days.  I, Luke, have admired the Collingsworth family for many years and was so excited and thrilled to be able to meet them in person.  We will always remember this night fondly!

Luke with Olivia and Courtney Collingsworth
The Rankin children with Kim Collingsworth

Happy New Year’s Day 2018!

We had a great New Year’s Eve day/night yesterday! Our pastor did an amazing job preaching the Word of God in both services. After our evening service, Papa, Mama, and we rushed over to Faith Baptist Church. Papa preached along with three other pastors for their Night Watch Service of preaching, singing, eating, and prayers to bring in the New Year. Okay, we were wimps and didn’t stay to the end as some of us were exhausted, but we had fun singing and were thankful for the invitation.  🙂

The Greenville Place

Our Family Enjoyed a Very Merry Christmas Night at the Greenville Place!

We had so much fun putting on our Christmas concert and hearing Daddy preach alongside our elderly friends.  We really loved spending Christmas evening with some of the sweetest people in the world!  We always love being with these dear folks, and we always leave wanting to be more like them!  It was so cozy.

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.  — John 2:14

Merry Christmas 2017!

Merry Christmas 2017!
–from the Rock of Ages Family Music

Hollywild

We had a fun time going to Hollywild for their Christmas lights! We had a blast, and we appreciated how they displayed the Ten Commandments to the Salvation message. We had a great time looking at all the animals. We also enjoyed being able to pet the bison and the zebras.

  

Ringing and Singing!

Some of us were able to ring the bell for The Salvation Army. We had a fun time singing Christmas carols while we rang! If you’d like to see one of our favorite Christmas movies, check out Silver Bells (2013) with Bruce Boxleitner. It’s funny and sweet and gives an insight into The Salvation Army.

Merry Christmas!

First Baptist Laurens

Thank you for inviting our family to do a concert for your Senior Christmas Banquet! We had a fun time singing and playing our instruments for your group. We were really hungry, so we really enjoyed the dinner! Your church is one of the very friendliest. It was great seeing familiar faces from our community. Thank you again, and we hope you all have a Merry Christmas!

 

Christmas Recital

We have had a wonderful week! Priscilla held her annual Christmas Recital at our home with two of her sisters, Susanna and Phebe, participating. What a great turnout! Priscilla was thankful for the over 60 folks that came out to enjoy the children playing and the food and fellowship afterwards. What a great bunch of kids!!

It came as a great shock to us that we got snow! Susanna and Phebe made two snowmen and we named one “Benji”, and Mama called the other one “Benny” (in honor of the storm Benji).

   

Parisview Baptist Church

Thank you, Parisview Baptist Church, for having our family back for your luncheon.  We had fun singing Christmas hymns for the first time this season at your church.  Thank you for the feast, too.  The lemon pound cake was delicious!

Tanglewood Baptist Church

Thank you so much for inviting our family to sing at your senior group luncheon.  We had a GREAT time!  There was such a sweet atmosphere.  The food was DELICIOUS, and we felt as if we were at a Thanksgiving feast!

Banquet

We support Released Time for our local public schools!  We had a wonderful evening listening to David Rives’ talk on God’s creation. We loved how he showed multiple Scriptures supporting recent scientific discoveries. The “Bible Knows Best”!

www.GenesisScienceNetwork.com

Chiquola Baptist Church

We had an amazing time at Chiquola Baptist Church this past Sunday . . . but we almost didn’t make it there!  While on the way, our van started puttering and jerking down the road.  We smelled fire and smoke, and some of the girls started screaming for Daddy to pull over!  The road we took was out in the middle of nowhere.  We prayed and prayed, and we are thankful for our parents’ wisdom to keep going.  God was definitely helping our van make it all the way to the church.  As soon as we pulled into the church parking lot, the van died.  Daddy and Peter were able to jump it, but after the service and dinner when we tried to make it out of the parking lot, it died again—half of it in the middle of the road and half in the parking lot!  So many of the men in the church quickly came out to help us.  It was so humid, and we know you all had more fun ways to spend your Sunday afternoon, so THANK YOU!!  All of you were so kind, and Novie, the youth director, even drove us all the way home in the church bus.  God is so good to keep us safe and send us help. 😊

Besides our vehicular troubles, we had a great homecoming service.  The food afterwards was incredible!  (Whoever cooked the meat did a fantastic job!!)  As always, we also enjoyed the large selection of desserts. 😊

Thank you, Chiquola, for your help and kindness on Sunday. Your church had such a sweet atmosphere. We will remember that day for a long time!

We liked the wooden Cross in the youth room
Deborah and Phebe (with her new green cast!)

Waiting for Daddy and Peter after van died again!
Daddy with your pastor, Ronnie Powell

Salem Baptist Church, Union, SC

Thank you for inviting our family to perform at your Homecoming Sunday morning! As you know, Phebe had fallen on her arm while playing hide-and-seek Saturday night. It was feeling worse, so we were sorry that we could not stay for the dinner as our parents needed to take her in for x-rays. You can probably imagine how much we appreciated the carry-out containers of all of the delicious food that we scarfed down on the way home! Thank you for your thoughtfulness!! Well, Phebe was a real trooper to sing a couple of songs at your church that morning, because we learned that she had broken two bones in her arm! We are thankful to God that she is now recovering. We are also praying for your pastor’s recovery.

Laurens First Baptist

Thank you for inviting our family to do your senior luncheon at your church.  We had a great time singing and playing our instruments.  The homemade cupcakes were delicious!  The flower centerpieces were so pretty–we took a picture.  It was great to see a couple of familiar faces and to meet the man who grew up in our house and learn the fact that his grandfather was the one who built it!  We look forward to seeing you all again!

Langston Baptist Church, Clinton SC

Thank you for inviting our family to perform for your Homecoming Celebration 2017!  We had fun, and the dinner afterwards was delicious!  We met a lot of nice folks, and it was interesting to hear how your church played a part in the Civil War.  We would love to hear more about its history.  It is definitely a quaint “Church in the Wildwood”!

Fairview Baptist Church

Thank you, Fairview Baptist Church, for having us do the music for your senior event this week.  Due to Hurricane Irma, our power had gone off the day before, but during the dinner you served us, and shortly before we performed, we learned that our electricity at home was back on!  We were so happy and thankful to God.  Your group was friendly, and we had a lot of fun.

 

Faith Baptist Church

Thank you Faith Baptist Church, Honea Path, for inviting our family to do your Sunday night service this past week.  Daddy enjoyed the opportunity preaching, and we enjoyed singing!  Thank you so much for the meal afterwards.  We were all so hungry!  It filled us up!  We took a great picture of Papa with your pastor, Tab Scarborough.

TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE!

The Lord blessed us here in South Carolina with a cloudless view of the total solar eclipse of the sun on August 21st at 2:38 p.m., 2017! We marveled at Bailey’s Beads and the crescent shaped shadows that appeared. God is so creative! Our chickens started going to their coop to roost, and the crickets were chirping. God is Awesome!

ARK ENCOUNTER AND CREATION MUSEUM, Kentucky, USA!

We had a wonderful time visiting the Ark Encounter for the first time during our August vacation! Witnessing the literal size of God and Noah’s Biblical Ark in person in Williamstown, KY, was a highlight. We also enjoyed a return visit to the Creation Museum and running into Ken Ham again.