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By Lesli Nolen

Published July 2011

I am still full. I feel like I’ve gained 10 pounds in two days. Chicken spaghetti, brisket, fried chicken, hamburgers, hot dogs, chips, cakes, pies, cookies, watermelon and fruit were just a few items that filled my plate over the last 48 hours. Food in this quantity and this good can only come from family. That’s right, I was at a family reunion.
Every Father’s Day weekend my husband’s family has their family reunion. We missed the past couple of years, but were bound and determined to make this one. We loaded the car and headed to Jacksboro, Texas.

We arrive at the house Friday night and start setting up. A little bit later another family arrives—cousins we haven’t seen in years. Talking and laughter immediately fill the air. The kids see the pool and are anxious to get in it, and in they go. It’s always cool to swim at night. Time passes and before we know it, it’s after midnight. We turn in, anxiously waiting tomorrow.

By Lesli Nolen

Published June 2011

Well, it has been a busy couple of months at the Nolens’ house. We have all turned another year older, had a block party at our church, Skylar graduated the 4th grade, summer time is here and Father’s Day is just around the corner. But I wanted to share Skylar’s birthday with you.
This year was special for Skylar. She turned 10 years old. She is officially double digits; or as she put it, “The big 1-0.” Needless to say she was pretty excited to turn 10, and she was pretty excited to be spending her birthday with the gang from Ragtown Gospel Theater, not knowing they had a little something special for her.

The name of the play we were going to see was called, “Heaven.” This was their last performance of this particular play and we couldn’t miss it. Skylar was so happy to be spending her birthday listening to Chip Polk play the piano and sing and seeing Glenn Polk take to the stage in character. But she had no idea a little birdy (Thank you Randy and Sharan Bush) had told Chip it was her 10th birthday.

By Lesli Nolen

Published May 2011

Recently I had the privilege of giving a speech on the topic of Priesthood. The Priesthood I’m talking about isn’t the kind that requires you to go to seminary school. You don’t have to have a degree to act as a priest to someone. I’m talking about a way of life. The way we are represents God to other people. A priest is considered to be anyone who has experienced love, acceptance and forgiveness of God—someone who helps others experience that grace as well. What I discovered was that we are all called to be priest and can be priest.

In our world today, more and more people seem to worship anything and everything except God. They worship money, power, drugs, gadgets; you can fill in the blank with whatever it is that separates you from God. Our world is living apart from God and is quite ugly and discouraging. And it seems like we only call on God when we are in need. And today we are definitely in need! Add a comment

By Lesli Nolen

Published March 2011

I finally did it! I finally got my trip to the Davis Mountains. When I started working for Ranch magazine, I discovered some of our advertisers and subscribers were in the Big Bend area. So immediately I began brainstorming and coming up with all kinds of ideas, trying to figure out some way to get me and my family to the Davis Mountains.

For two years straight, I planned a trip to the Davis Mountains. But every time something came up causing us to postpone our trip. So this past summer, I decided I was not going to plan anything. I finally came to terms that my dream of going to the Davis Mountains was just not in the cards for me right now.

My husband and I are the youth directors at our church and our pastor came to us and asked us about a summer trip for the youth kids. Our pastor told us he had a friend in Fort Davis and thought that would be a great place to go. I about fell over. After a bit of discussion it was unanimous, we were going to the Davis Mountains!