Be careful what you laugh at!!! At my current age, I am still learning new lessons. That should be a lesson for my younger kids.
I've never claimed to be a fashion enthusiast. I like to look neat - clean - and balanced. Is that too much to ask? I never thought so in the past, but now my eyes are being opened to a new standard that I must consider that doesn't even fall into these categories.
This all goes back to a hip replacement that I had done in 2002. It was a great success and I had no serious after effects. Well, I did have one minor problem. It involved shoes. I had a hard time finding any that were comfortable and made walking fun. But... lo' and behold - in time Dr. Scholl came to my aid. He made a great slip-on shoe that was just the right height to accomodate my new hip.
I wore nothing but these shoes ( I think I have owned about 12 pairs in the past nine years). The nice thing about them was that I could wear them with dresses, skirts or pants. Perfect! I remember even thanking God for them publicly in my Sunday School Class - and getting a round of applause from my peers who understood what a tremendous victory this was.
I had one true fear when it came to shoes. I had often seen those little old ladies who wore Nikes, Reeboks, etc. with their completely unattractive anklets - socks - knee high stockings that didn't quite reach their hems etc. "Thank God I don't have to do that!" "Look at how unbalanced that looks!" "Have they no idea about style?"
Oh, God, forgive me - for I know now what I've done.
That's right! I've been having some yucky foot problems lately and after a visit to my very lovely and vivacious Podiatrist, I have discovered that because of those nine years of wearing those stylish shoes - I have seriously injured my feet! Shucks!
Those critical comments will now be directed at me!!! That's right! I'm sentenced to a lifetime of 'sensible' ugly - unbalanced shoes, along with the accompanying cloth foot gear.
Oh well, if that's the worst I have to deal with for my remaining days - I guess I can handle it.
But - here's the lesson! Remember, my little ones. What goes around does truly come around - so be careful what you laugh at! It may one day be you.....
Friday, March 11, 2011
Friday, July 30, 2010
MONSOONS.......
I decided today that I love monsoons! For years I have not been too fond of them because they inevitably reek havoc with my fibromyalgia. But - that was in the past. Now, I have made the conscious decision to love them, and here's why!
1) Monsoons bring beautiful clouds to our glorious Arizona sky. Fluffy, puffy, huffy, lovely clouds. When I am riding along with my dear husband on a monsoon day or night - I make pictures out of them. Remember how you used to lie on the ground and look up at the sky and see teddy bears, horses, puppy dogs etc. in the clouds? Well that's a good reason to love monsoons, right?
2) Monsoons also bring a break in the hot weather. We have dropped out of the triple digits for awhile, and wake up in the morning to cooler lovely breezes. Granted, sometimes they are a little damper than I would wish for - but remember - Arizona is the dry heat state, so we just have to ignore temporary humidity!
3) Monsoons bring a complete change to my needing to schedule my life activities. When it's monsooning - I never know from day to day what I'll be doing! Mr. Monsoon determines just how active and involved I will be. As a result - I don't make dates in the worst part of this season. I just pop into someone's life as Mr. Monsoon dictates.
4) Monsoon season gives me a chance to wear several different outifts during the course of one day. That's because, wanting to comply with Monsoon's makeup - I find myself swelling up with moisture and then eventually soaking whatever I have on. As a result - I have had on some dresses that I've not worn for awhile - (and I even buy some more so I'll have enough ready and on hand). Now that's a great reason to love Monsoons isn't it?
5) Monsoon season is a great time to catch up on old movies - dvds - and books! I'm a great believer in the fact that the best medication God ever created for any discomfort is
DISTRACTION!!! No kidding. No matter how I feel, if I can distract myself - I can soon escape from the yucky's. Now that's a great reason to love monsoons.
So there it is! My new found love and appreciation for Monsoons! Hope this helps you to enjoy this season as well. Remember - God made them!
1) Monsoons bring beautiful clouds to our glorious Arizona sky. Fluffy, puffy, huffy, lovely clouds. When I am riding along with my dear husband on a monsoon day or night - I make pictures out of them. Remember how you used to lie on the ground and look up at the sky and see teddy bears, horses, puppy dogs etc. in the clouds? Well that's a good reason to love monsoons, right?
2) Monsoons also bring a break in the hot weather. We have dropped out of the triple digits for awhile, and wake up in the morning to cooler lovely breezes. Granted, sometimes they are a little damper than I would wish for - but remember - Arizona is the dry heat state, so we just have to ignore temporary humidity!
3) Monsoons bring a complete change to my needing to schedule my life activities. When it's monsooning - I never know from day to day what I'll be doing! Mr. Monsoon determines just how active and involved I will be. As a result - I don't make dates in the worst part of this season. I just pop into someone's life as Mr. Monsoon dictates.
4) Monsoon season gives me a chance to wear several different outifts during the course of one day. That's because, wanting to comply with Monsoon's makeup - I find myself swelling up with moisture and then eventually soaking whatever I have on. As a result - I have had on some dresses that I've not worn for awhile - (and I even buy some more so I'll have enough ready and on hand). Now that's a great reason to love Monsoons isn't it?
5) Monsoon season is a great time to catch up on old movies - dvds - and books! I'm a great believer in the fact that the best medication God ever created for any discomfort is
DISTRACTION!!! No kidding. No matter how I feel, if I can distract myself - I can soon escape from the yucky's. Now that's a great reason to love monsoons.
So there it is! My new found love and appreciation for Monsoons! Hope this helps you to enjoy this season as well. Remember - God made them!
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
BIBLES, BIBLES EVERYWHERE!
I have one really great fear when it comes to my dying. Now don't get morbid - it's just the way it is. I have been a part of settling many estates with my dear CPA husband - and as part of it, we have had to go to the homes of the deceased and sort out, catalog, pack and mail, and generally dispose of this dear person's 'treasures'. In the process we have found that there are some things that people really hoard. Now, I'm sure they didn't think of it that way - but the abundance of certain 'treasures' give one a good insight into what was important to them.
In one case, we found at least fifteen boxes of tea bags. I ask myself as I'm putting them in a pile, "Why tea bags? Why fifteen boxes?" And after thinking it through - I realize that this was a woman who went through the big depression in the '30s. There were such shortages then that one tended to grab up any 'deals' that one could find. Local sales were a goldmine!
Even one of our family members had a thing about bedsheets! One whole closet was filled with unused, still packed in celophane, bedsheets. We joked about it - because she had a Sterns Department Store near where she worked, and everytime they had a sale - she stocked up on bedsheets. She also stocked up on material. This was amazing to me because I could never figure out how she knew how much material to buy. Did she have a project in mind when she bought it - or was there some magic number that you assigned to dresses, skirts, spreads, curtains, etc? I never found out.
Well here it comes - my indulgences! I love Bibles. I think I have more Bibles than I have sense. This started when we owned a Christian Bookstore. My excuse at the time was that as the Manager of the Bookstore - I had to know the pros and cons of every Bible I sold. So of course, I needed to OWN one. Then I could use it for several months - get used to it - mark it - and decide what was missing that I needed, and what was superflouous.
But, truth told - I stopped being a Christian Bookstore manager about twenty years ago. And ... the habit remains. But that's not the worst part. I am hypnotized by the look of a brand new Bible; the smell ( especially if it has leather or make-believe leather ) and the open invitation to 'come and see my pages....feel the delight of the way I slither in yours hands...check out these amazing maps and if a Study Bible - become acquainted with my fantastic notes that open doors to understanding that I would have to spend years to discover.'
Oh yes - it's even worse than this. I even have multiple copies of the same Bible. Why? Well, I think it goes back to my marking system in my Bibles. I am always trying to improve it. My dear friend and wife of my pastor always referred to my Bible as the "Rainbow Edition" before there ever was one. I love to categorize with colored pencils. I underline - or I shade - or when I run out of ways to use the pencils - I resort to code initials. Eventually, my Bible looks like it needs a new start.
Since I have done a bit of mentoring in my lifetime as a Christian, many of these bibles have been passed on to others to help them to get started. If they only went through all of my notes and underlinings and shadings - they will have read a good portion of the Bible in their first sitting.
I have been so troubled by this fear that I have packed up numerous copies at times and passed them on to youth pastors who have new Christians that want to get into studying and can't afford the cost of a new Bible. I've gotten some funny calls from some who want to know why I marked something with a wrong color. Silly goose - it's because I made a mistake and didn't want my Bible to look sleazy. Or what I tell them, "I wondered if you'd find that! Good Boy! You are really catching on."
So dear ones, whoever ends up sorting out my 'treasures' please understand that I didn't deliberately buy these Bibles just so that you'd have to pile them up and sort them out and say, "Boy, Gramma was really a hoarder regardless of how much she taught contentment with little". So I'm a sinner. My joy comes in knowing that Jesus loves sinners - even the chubby hoarders.
Now lets not talk about British mystery DVD's. Oh-Oh!
In one case, we found at least fifteen boxes of tea bags. I ask myself as I'm putting them in a pile, "Why tea bags? Why fifteen boxes?" And after thinking it through - I realize that this was a woman who went through the big depression in the '30s. There were such shortages then that one tended to grab up any 'deals' that one could find. Local sales were a goldmine!
Even one of our family members had a thing about bedsheets! One whole closet was filled with unused, still packed in celophane, bedsheets. We joked about it - because she had a Sterns Department Store near where she worked, and everytime they had a sale - she stocked up on bedsheets. She also stocked up on material. This was amazing to me because I could never figure out how she knew how much material to buy. Did she have a project in mind when she bought it - or was there some magic number that you assigned to dresses, skirts, spreads, curtains, etc? I never found out.
Well here it comes - my indulgences! I love Bibles. I think I have more Bibles than I have sense. This started when we owned a Christian Bookstore. My excuse at the time was that as the Manager of the Bookstore - I had to know the pros and cons of every Bible I sold. So of course, I needed to OWN one. Then I could use it for several months - get used to it - mark it - and decide what was missing that I needed, and what was superflouous.
But, truth told - I stopped being a Christian Bookstore manager about twenty years ago. And ... the habit remains. But that's not the worst part. I am hypnotized by the look of a brand new Bible; the smell ( especially if it has leather or make-believe leather ) and the open invitation to 'come and see my pages....feel the delight of the way I slither in yours hands...check out these amazing maps and if a Study Bible - become acquainted with my fantastic notes that open doors to understanding that I would have to spend years to discover.'
Oh yes - it's even worse than this. I even have multiple copies of the same Bible. Why? Well, I think it goes back to my marking system in my Bibles. I am always trying to improve it. My dear friend and wife of my pastor always referred to my Bible as the "Rainbow Edition" before there ever was one. I love to categorize with colored pencils. I underline - or I shade - or when I run out of ways to use the pencils - I resort to code initials. Eventually, my Bible looks like it needs a new start.
Since I have done a bit of mentoring in my lifetime as a Christian, many of these bibles have been passed on to others to help them to get started. If they only went through all of my notes and underlinings and shadings - they will have read a good portion of the Bible in their first sitting.
I have been so troubled by this fear that I have packed up numerous copies at times and passed them on to youth pastors who have new Christians that want to get into studying and can't afford the cost of a new Bible. I've gotten some funny calls from some who want to know why I marked something with a wrong color. Silly goose - it's because I made a mistake and didn't want my Bible to look sleazy. Or what I tell them, "I wondered if you'd find that! Good Boy! You are really catching on."
So dear ones, whoever ends up sorting out my 'treasures' please understand that I didn't deliberately buy these Bibles just so that you'd have to pile them up and sort them out and say, "Boy, Gramma was really a hoarder regardless of how much she taught contentment with little". So I'm a sinner. My joy comes in knowing that Jesus loves sinners - even the chubby hoarders.
Now lets not talk about British mystery DVD's. Oh-Oh!
Monday, May 3, 2010
SUFFERING IS A TOOL IN GOD'S HANDS
As I write this, my dearest friend (Neysa) is in the hospital with a problem that could be serious. As of this moment, I don't know.
We have been friends since 1971 when our Pastor asked me to take her under my wing - and in effect, disciple her. We met at a small restaurant with a Rooster on the sign that said "The Copper Kettle" Never could figure out why the Rooster was there - unless he was what was going into the Copper Kettle!
We bonded instantly and have been committed friends ever since.
God is so amazingly good! Just after this call from our son, I spoke to Neysa's daughter and am waiting for another call that will allow me to run up to the hospital to see her. Meanwhile, I am listening to tapes from the "Together for the Gospel" Seminar. Wouldn't you know that the Lord would lead me to one by Matt Chandler, a pastor of the Village Church who spoke on suffering.
He is well qualified to speak on the subject as he is just recovering (we sincerely Pray) from an Angioplastic Cancer Tumor in the brain. He has no idea whether he will recover or whether he will join the Lord soon. But he has determined to use whatever time he has left to glorify the Lord by urging people to prepare for suffering.
He is followed by Pastor T. J. Mahaney, the founder of Sovereign God Ministries, who gives several ideas on ways and books to help those who are ministering to those who are suffering. It's interesting because this has been the subject of many of Neysa and my conversations lately. One point that he makes quite clearly is that this is a message for the whole church! Not just those people who are chronically or terminally ill. I recommend that you take some time out to listen to many of these tapes. You can get to them through M4G.com.
I loved them all! And have the highest regard for all the speakers. These are Godly men who have great wisdom and different backrounds. They are not all primarilly Reformed so don't be afraid of listening to them. Wisdom comes from many sources.
I love you all, and hopefully this will be a blessing in your lives.
We have been friends since 1971 when our Pastor asked me to take her under my wing - and in effect, disciple her. We met at a small restaurant with a Rooster on the sign that said "The Copper Kettle" Never could figure out why the Rooster was there - unless he was what was going into the Copper Kettle!
We bonded instantly and have been committed friends ever since.
God is so amazingly good! Just after this call from our son, I spoke to Neysa's daughter and am waiting for another call that will allow me to run up to the hospital to see her. Meanwhile, I am listening to tapes from the "Together for the Gospel" Seminar. Wouldn't you know that the Lord would lead me to one by Matt Chandler, a pastor of the Village Church who spoke on suffering.
He is well qualified to speak on the subject as he is just recovering (we sincerely Pray) from an Angioplastic Cancer Tumor in the brain. He has no idea whether he will recover or whether he will join the Lord soon. But he has determined to use whatever time he has left to glorify the Lord by urging people to prepare for suffering.
He is followed by Pastor T. J. Mahaney, the founder of Sovereign God Ministries, who gives several ideas on ways and books to help those who are ministering to those who are suffering. It's interesting because this has been the subject of many of Neysa and my conversations lately. One point that he makes quite clearly is that this is a message for the whole church! Not just those people who are chronically or terminally ill. I recommend that you take some time out to listen to many of these tapes. You can get to them through M4G.com.
I loved them all! And have the highest regard for all the speakers. These are Godly men who have great wisdom and different backrounds. They are not all primarilly Reformed so don't be afraid of listening to them. Wisdom comes from many sources.
I love you all, and hopefully this will be a blessing in your lives.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
AG(E)ING!!!
Oh no Gramma - not another tome on aging! Well, the way I look at it, it's the subject that I know the most about right now! And, Lord willing, you'll all experience it one day. Just trying to give you a heads-up for when the time comes.
First of all, it's not all bad - neither is it all good. It's normal! One day follows another and one phase follows another and before you know it - you're where you never thought you'd be.
I remember thinking as a child that I'd never make 21 because we were in the midst of WWII and we saw so many gold stars hanging in windows that indicated that another serviceman had died in that family. So you begin to think that there's really no reason why you shouldn't be a gold star in your parents window because the war could reach your shores anytime now.
But, here I am - and still not a gold star! Thank you God. I'm also sure that you may have had your 'dead'lines in mind at some time - but, you too, are still here. So, what do you have to look forward to in your last decades of life?
First of all, Family. Some people have little respect for families in todays world, but that is sad. Families aren't perfect - but they can be as good as you are willing to particiate in making them good. At our time of life, we like to spend time with our progeny.
My goodness! There has been a four month pause in my writing in which we celebrated not only a wonderful Christmas - but an outstanding Easter Sunday. And these two celebrations truly exemplify my gratitude for God's whole plan for marriage and family.
We are at the 'full quiver' stage of our lives. We're really not 'full' yet - because we are expecting our fifteenth great grandchild in July. (Katie and Joey's little girl, Ellie). And who knows what next year will bring? How blessed we are. Especially since most of our family lives fairly near and we have the pleasure of seeing them grow up.
And growing up never stops! Nearing the end of my 7th decade of life I can still feel the harness of sin that keeps me from experiencing any true sense of maturity as a Godly woman. If you think that it just happens with age - forget it. To grow into Godliness takes a determination to truly focus on Jesus as Hebrews 12 teaches. Many a day I have committed myself to the 'lettuce' (let us) verses here and looked back a month later to see that I'm far from my goal.
But then, I am reminded of Jesus! He did live a fully Godly life and He willingly laid down that life on my behalf. His death AND resurrection are the means by which I can truly be absolved of all my foolish attempts and failures to live that perfect life. He has taken my place - and my feeble attempts at 'Godliness' can be accepted for what they are - 'filthy rags' (Isaiah 64:6)
Does this stop my from trying? No! That's my act of gratitude. But the joy that lays before me, (us) is already assured by our Triune God. Hallelujah!
First of all, it's not all bad - neither is it all good. It's normal! One day follows another and one phase follows another and before you know it - you're where you never thought you'd be.
I remember thinking as a child that I'd never make 21 because we were in the midst of WWII and we saw so many gold stars hanging in windows that indicated that another serviceman had died in that family. So you begin to think that there's really no reason why you shouldn't be a gold star in your parents window because the war could reach your shores anytime now.
But, here I am - and still not a gold star! Thank you God. I'm also sure that you may have had your 'dead'lines in mind at some time - but, you too, are still here. So, what do you have to look forward to in your last decades of life?
First of all, Family. Some people have little respect for families in todays world, but that is sad. Families aren't perfect - but they can be as good as you are willing to particiate in making them good. At our time of life, we like to spend time with our progeny.
My goodness! There has been a four month pause in my writing in which we celebrated not only a wonderful Christmas - but an outstanding Easter Sunday. And these two celebrations truly exemplify my gratitude for God's whole plan for marriage and family.
We are at the 'full quiver' stage of our lives. We're really not 'full' yet - because we are expecting our fifteenth great grandchild in July. (Katie and Joey's little girl, Ellie). And who knows what next year will bring? How blessed we are. Especially since most of our family lives fairly near and we have the pleasure of seeing them grow up.
And growing up never stops! Nearing the end of my 7th decade of life I can still feel the harness of sin that keeps me from experiencing any true sense of maturity as a Godly woman. If you think that it just happens with age - forget it. To grow into Godliness takes a determination to truly focus on Jesus as Hebrews 12 teaches. Many a day I have committed myself to the 'lettuce' (let us) verses here and looked back a month later to see that I'm far from my goal.
But then, I am reminded of Jesus! He did live a fully Godly life and He willingly laid down that life on my behalf. His death AND resurrection are the means by which I can truly be absolved of all my foolish attempts and failures to live that perfect life. He has taken my place - and my feeble attempts at 'Godliness' can be accepted for what they are - 'filthy rags' (Isaiah 64:6)
Does this stop my from trying? No! That's my act of gratitude. But the joy that lays before me, (us) is already assured by our Triune God. Hallelujah!
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
"THE HOLIDAYS"
What's your favorite holiday? As a child - there was no contest! Christmas! And not for any spiritual reasons at all. No - Christmas was the big day for presents! In my first home we went from rags to riches. In the beginning - little gifts for little girls was the rule. As we grew - the biggest present I ever got was a doll carriage and doll. It just happened to be 1941 and Hitler had marched into Poland and before we knew it - we were at war with Germany. I remember asking my mom if Hitler would be coming to New YOrk on Christmas eve. And she said "Of course he will! He might be here before morning!" That was my mother's idea of humor. Little did she know that she sent her baby to bed in tears - for fear that he'd really like to have my carriage and doll!
As I grew older, I became very interested in Jesus Christ. Who is He? Who tells the best stories about Him? Who really knows what the Bible is all about? At sixteen, I started my own pilgrimage to find Him. I took a spiral bound notebook to many different churches and wrote my impressions of each one. How I wish I had that notebook now!
I think I responded to altar calls in every church I attended because I was so sure that I was such a terrible sinner. But along the way, I did begin to really understand that Christmas was a Holy Day rather than a Holiday. So the presents, although nice, didn't dominate my thoughts anymore.
Throughout the marriage years - children years - celebration times, we tried to emphasize the importance of Christmas as a day of celebration for the birth of our Savior. You'll have to check with the kids to see if that message got through.
But now, in our twilight years, we earnestly try to help our offspring understand that presents, as thoughtful as they were, are no longer the delight that they once were. We have everything that we need - and more. We would much more enjoy their spending their limited resources on each other and their little ones. Economic times are tough! (Tip: Walmart is selling all their toys at a very large discount to help young families - and they're not all made in China.) So, once again, I plead with you that you save your cash for the kids and your friends. We delight in being with our loved ones - the hugs and the smooches do it for us.
But I repeat my question. What's your favorite holiday? I honestly don't know how to answer that myself. There are blessings in all of our excuses to see each other. I'm not a big cheerer for some of the political days of note, but I'm sure they mean a lot to some.
Anyway - this year I intend to make each day a holiday of sorts, because we have so much celebration in our lives. We're looking forward to welcoming our 14th great grandchild in March, being grateful for JT's new job, enjoying vicariously Wes and Kim's new cabin in the woods, Matthew's full recovery from his cancer, Susie's return to the Iowa Cafe as floor manager, Barb's finally getting a job that she loves in the hospital, and all of our grandkids milestones, and the great grandkids first steps, first words of recognition (Lily called me GG for the first time this week! What a thrill!) and all the delights that they bring.
So! For me every day is a holiday - and they're all very special to my dear husband and me.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS! And a very blessed Thanksgiving and Christmas celebration.
As I grew older, I became very interested in Jesus Christ. Who is He? Who tells the best stories about Him? Who really knows what the Bible is all about? At sixteen, I started my own pilgrimage to find Him. I took a spiral bound notebook to many different churches and wrote my impressions of each one. How I wish I had that notebook now!
I think I responded to altar calls in every church I attended because I was so sure that I was such a terrible sinner. But along the way, I did begin to really understand that Christmas was a Holy Day rather than a Holiday. So the presents, although nice, didn't dominate my thoughts anymore.
Throughout the marriage years - children years - celebration times, we tried to emphasize the importance of Christmas as a day of celebration for the birth of our Savior. You'll have to check with the kids to see if that message got through.
But now, in our twilight years, we earnestly try to help our offspring understand that presents, as thoughtful as they were, are no longer the delight that they once were. We have everything that we need - and more. We would much more enjoy their spending their limited resources on each other and their little ones. Economic times are tough! (Tip: Walmart is selling all their toys at a very large discount to help young families - and they're not all made in China.) So, once again, I plead with you that you save your cash for the kids and your friends. We delight in being with our loved ones - the hugs and the smooches do it for us.
But I repeat my question. What's your favorite holiday? I honestly don't know how to answer that myself. There are blessings in all of our excuses to see each other. I'm not a big cheerer for some of the political days of note, but I'm sure they mean a lot to some.
Anyway - this year I intend to make each day a holiday of sorts, because we have so much celebration in our lives. We're looking forward to welcoming our 14th great grandchild in March, being grateful for JT's new job, enjoying vicariously Wes and Kim's new cabin in the woods, Matthew's full recovery from his cancer, Susie's return to the Iowa Cafe as floor manager, Barb's finally getting a job that she loves in the hospital, and all of our grandkids milestones, and the great grandkids first steps, first words of recognition (Lily called me GG for the first time this week! What a thrill!) and all the delights that they bring.
So! For me every day is a holiday - and they're all very special to my dear husband and me.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS! And a very blessed Thanksgiving and Christmas celebration.
Monday, October 12, 2009
DOWN WITH CANCER!!!!!
Yes! Today I am starting my own campaign against this dreaded disease. I know, I know, many of you have been actively involved in fighting in the "cause" and even I have done some walks - contributions - etc. But now the beast is just getting too ornery.
It seems like every week we hear of another victim. And true - cancer is not a death sentence as it was in my early years. Many times, there are effective cures or at least ways to control its vicious invasions. And for that I am truly grateful. But there needs to be an all- out drive against this horrible malady.
In my own personal family it has stricken my oldest sister, Ellamae; Bob's sister, Val; his cousin, Jan; my neice, Cheryl, her Mom, Helen,; my daughters- in - law, Barbara and Susie and their Mother, Dee; our nephew, Rickie; and now our son, Matt. (If I've left any out - please forgive me.)
It would take hours to list all of our friends who have died from this disease - or who are currently battling it.
We hate to hear the announcements in our Sunday church service because it almost always includes someone with the big "C". God have mercy!!
But how do we truly, effectively fight it? Well, one thing I am starting today is to make it a target in daily prayer. Perhaps I can recruit you who are reading this to join me. And then if you remember - you might also ask your family and friends to join us. And perhaps we can start a really effective prayer chain that will reach around the world to bring an end to this plague for once and for all. Others have done it for diseases like polio, and tuberculosis. What would happen if we really truly prayed daily against this disease? Wanna try it?
It seems like every week we hear of another victim. And true - cancer is not a death sentence as it was in my early years. Many times, there are effective cures or at least ways to control its vicious invasions. And for that I am truly grateful. But there needs to be an all- out drive against this horrible malady.
In my own personal family it has stricken my oldest sister, Ellamae; Bob's sister, Val; his cousin, Jan; my neice, Cheryl, her Mom, Helen,; my daughters- in - law, Barbara and Susie and their Mother, Dee; our nephew, Rickie; and now our son, Matt. (If I've left any out - please forgive me.)
It would take hours to list all of our friends who have died from this disease - or who are currently battling it.
We hate to hear the announcements in our Sunday church service because it almost always includes someone with the big "C". God have mercy!!
But how do we truly, effectively fight it? Well, one thing I am starting today is to make it a target in daily prayer. Perhaps I can recruit you who are reading this to join me. And then if you remember - you might also ask your family and friends to join us. And perhaps we can start a really effective prayer chain that will reach around the world to bring an end to this plague for once and for all. Others have done it for diseases like polio, and tuberculosis. What would happen if we really truly prayed daily against this disease? Wanna try it?
Friday, July 31, 2009
When troubles come......
I am sitting here in my cozy studio - just about ready to head for bed, but feeling somewhat disjointed because of some sad news I just got this week. It always amazes me how often things seem to happen in 'threes'.
I won't bore you with the details - but I would like to share with you something that I have used for years in counseling others that has been a great help to some, and especially to me.
When you have some tragedy clinging to your mind that you just can't seem to shake, even after you've laid your burden on Christ and been grateful for the assurance that anything that hurts you is important to Him, there is another thing that you can do.
When the sad thing keeps coming back to you, instead of praying the same prayer over and over for the situation at hand, remember that our enemy loves to accuse us and use this very thing to torture us or try to minimizethe power of God in our lives. I have learned to take up the gauntlet and in addition to praying for the people involved I determine to take on a 'kingdom building project' to pray about as well.
For instance, I'll decide that anytime that I find my mind being invaded by fears, or 'I should have's', or 'if only's', I earnestly pray for my son's ministry as a Pastor to his church in Tucson. I pray for his preaching, the problems that I'm aware of, the congregation and their many projects to reach out into the community and serve, the children that are growing in understanding through the ministry of the parents and teachers, the physical needs, the building projects, etc . etc .
By praying for the positive - the negatives seem to slip away. They may come back - but then I just pray for another kingdom building project. That's what God loves to hear - and our enemy hates to hear.
It says in Romans 12:21 "Do not be overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good". Good advice - and a wonderful use of our time.
I won't bore you with the details - but I would like to share with you something that I have used for years in counseling others that has been a great help to some, and especially to me.
When you have some tragedy clinging to your mind that you just can't seem to shake, even after you've laid your burden on Christ and been grateful for the assurance that anything that hurts you is important to Him, there is another thing that you can do.
When the sad thing keeps coming back to you, instead of praying the same prayer over and over for the situation at hand, remember that our enemy loves to accuse us and use this very thing to torture us or try to minimizethe power of God in our lives. I have learned to take up the gauntlet and in addition to praying for the people involved I determine to take on a 'kingdom building project' to pray about as well.
For instance, I'll decide that anytime that I find my mind being invaded by fears, or 'I should have's', or 'if only's', I earnestly pray for my son's ministry as a Pastor to his church in Tucson. I pray for his preaching, the problems that I'm aware of, the congregation and their many projects to reach out into the community and serve, the children that are growing in understanding through the ministry of the parents and teachers, the physical needs, the building projects, etc . etc .
By praying for the positive - the negatives seem to slip away. They may come back - but then I just pray for another kingdom building project. That's what God loves to hear - and our enemy hates to hear.
It says in Romans 12:21 "Do not be overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good". Good advice - and a wonderful use of our time.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
SIMMER - DON'T BOIL
My sweet husband has released me from the chore of cooking and I have enjoyed the respite and the dinners out. (which are really late lunches because we try to make the lunch menu!). But - in today's economy, I feel the need to get to cookin' and save some money for the important meals out with our kids and grandkids etc.
As a result - I have had to recall my serious cooking days. I want to tell you - it's not easy being "Martha". On my first few attempts I must admit I had some classic failures. "Cowboy cooking" is what comes to mind. That's the phrase I used with the kids when something was a little darker tan than they thought was edible. "Eat it! It's cowboy cooking."
At first I blamed my cookware, (it couldn't talk back). But I had to admit that it was probably as good as anything I could buy today. So, pushing that alibi aside - I had to come up with something more realistic. So I began hunting up the old recipes and was amazed to find that right near the end of many of them was this phrase, "Simmer - don't boil".
This ushered in a whole new phase of successes in my dastardly attempts. I'll never reach the "Martha Stewart" stage - but I might make it to Martha of Mary and Martha.
I sometimes seem to see the lessons in life that God is trying to teach me through everyday occurences and so I looked more deeply into this one.
I think I have been blessed (?) with a strong choleric temperament, modified by a lot of sanguinity. I love order, organization, neatness etc. But I also love sponteneity - people - parties etc. These two temperaments usually get along pretty well - until there's some kind of crisis.
For instance if I find out that someone is really mad at me for something that I don't feel was a big deal..... I start to heat up. And it doesn't take me long to get to the boiling point. "How could she think that? What's wrong with her? Well, that's the end of that friendship! See if I'll help her again."
These are known as boiling reactions. Not good..... not good at all.
Over the last 47 years as a Christian - the Lord has taught me not to boil but to simmer. To me that means that I can have the first reaction which is always defensive - but then I have to sit back and simmer awhile.
When I force myself to simmer - I can bring God into the mixture. "This is bad Lord. I want to retaliate - defend - run away. But I can't find any scriptures to support any of these actions. So, what should I do?" And God always gives me an answer - "She's a sinner - but so are you! Why are you so surprised when she lives out her fallen nature? You do it too."
Then I like to pray for forgiveness and allow for all of those things that so tempt us to sin. The wonder is that it doesn't happen more often. I ask that I may be as forgiving of her as God is of me. And then I set my mixture aside. You know, give it time to cool off. Eventually, He brings us together - and I have the grace to hug and truly forgive her.
Christianity is a life of restraints. We aren't afforded the luxury of going to the extremes of any negative reaction. Just as Jesus 'opened not His mouth", we have times when we have to 'grin and bear it' . Well, maybe not grin - but at least not frown. Life is a serious test. We don't see Jesus "laughing" His way through His life's tests. No, but we see Him understanding...... Can we ever get to the point where we understand the tests of life? I pray we're getting a little closer each day.
As a result - I have had to recall my serious cooking days. I want to tell you - it's not easy being "Martha". On my first few attempts I must admit I had some classic failures. "Cowboy cooking" is what comes to mind. That's the phrase I used with the kids when something was a little darker tan than they thought was edible. "Eat it! It's cowboy cooking."
At first I blamed my cookware, (it couldn't talk back). But I had to admit that it was probably as good as anything I could buy today. So, pushing that alibi aside - I had to come up with something more realistic. So I began hunting up the old recipes and was amazed to find that right near the end of many of them was this phrase, "Simmer - don't boil".
This ushered in a whole new phase of successes in my dastardly attempts. I'll never reach the "Martha Stewart" stage - but I might make it to Martha of Mary and Martha.
I sometimes seem to see the lessons in life that God is trying to teach me through everyday occurences and so I looked more deeply into this one.
I think I have been blessed (?) with a strong choleric temperament, modified by a lot of sanguinity. I love order, organization, neatness etc. But I also love sponteneity - people - parties etc. These two temperaments usually get along pretty well - until there's some kind of crisis.
For instance if I find out that someone is really mad at me for something that I don't feel was a big deal..... I start to heat up. And it doesn't take me long to get to the boiling point. "How could she think that? What's wrong with her? Well, that's the end of that friendship! See if I'll help her again."
These are known as boiling reactions. Not good..... not good at all.
Over the last 47 years as a Christian - the Lord has taught me not to boil but to simmer. To me that means that I can have the first reaction which is always defensive - but then I have to sit back and simmer awhile.
When I force myself to simmer - I can bring God into the mixture. "This is bad Lord. I want to retaliate - defend - run away. But I can't find any scriptures to support any of these actions. So, what should I do?" And God always gives me an answer - "She's a sinner - but so are you! Why are you so surprised when she lives out her fallen nature? You do it too."
Then I like to pray for forgiveness and allow for all of those things that so tempt us to sin. The wonder is that it doesn't happen more often. I ask that I may be as forgiving of her as God is of me. And then I set my mixture aside. You know, give it time to cool off. Eventually, He brings us together - and I have the grace to hug and truly forgive her.
Christianity is a life of restraints. We aren't afforded the luxury of going to the extremes of any negative reaction. Just as Jesus 'opened not His mouth", we have times when we have to 'grin and bear it' . Well, maybe not grin - but at least not frown. Life is a serious test. We don't see Jesus "laughing" His way through His life's tests. No, but we see Him understanding...... Can we ever get to the point where we understand the tests of life? I pray we're getting a little closer each day.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
SEE YOU LATER....
We're at a challenging time in our lives. We are seeing dear friends die and be whisked up into the arms of Jesus. We can honestly say that we rejoice for them, if they are Christian believers, and are perplexed at the thought of the destiny of those who are not.
This past week, we saw two friends die. One was a casual friend of years, but the other was my closest friend for almost 25 years. God was merciful in that he brought us together for one last conversation just about a month before she died. We had grown apart in the last several years, but were trying to remedy that by meeting for lunch at least once a month along with others who loved her. These last few months were more difficult because one of our group would be out of commission for some reason, or out of the country, and so we delayed.
And now, as I write, two of my very dearest friends of the past few years are both very ill. We try to speak to each other at least every other day, and to see each other at least twice a week. But again, illness sometimes hampers that.
So what do I feel? Well, first of all, I am grateful that all four of these ladies belong to Christ. I can honestly say to them...."See you later", and mean it. Friendships become more important as the years speed by. And keeping up with each other and our families is a real challenge. When we do meet, we don't always talk about today. We spend a lot of time going down memory lane and recalling the silly, wonderful, meaningful things that we have shared. When you have 77 years to look back at - there's lots of room for conversation.
My best friend is my sister, Ronnie. We have always lived close together except for a short time when she was in Kansas helping out our older sister after a flood, and our time in the Service. We have lived the last thirty years living next door to each other and we share everything. We are so different in personality - but so close in the real things of life. She is very wise in many areas where I am a flibberdyjibet. She is my nurse, my animal consultant, my Bible discusser, and oh yes, she puts up with my
"My husband is the sweetest man in the world" speech every day. She's even gotten to say it herself! (Because he is).
I guess that what I am feeling is the brevity of life. God gives us just so many days to live here - to get ready to meet Him face to face - and to glorify Him in all that we do, think, or wish for. Along the way He gives us friends because 'iron sharpens iron'. Our friendships teach us - encourage us, and yes, confront us.
My prayer for us is that we will not waste time and energy on things that have no eternal value. May we really witness to the love of Christ and His wonderful gift of salvation, not only with words - but with the gratitude that holds nothing back, so that we may say to all of our departing friends,
"See you Later"....
This past week, we saw two friends die. One was a casual friend of years, but the other was my closest friend for almost 25 years. God was merciful in that he brought us together for one last conversation just about a month before she died. We had grown apart in the last several years, but were trying to remedy that by meeting for lunch at least once a month along with others who loved her. These last few months were more difficult because one of our group would be out of commission for some reason, or out of the country, and so we delayed.
And now, as I write, two of my very dearest friends of the past few years are both very ill. We try to speak to each other at least every other day, and to see each other at least twice a week. But again, illness sometimes hampers that.
So what do I feel? Well, first of all, I am grateful that all four of these ladies belong to Christ. I can honestly say to them...."See you later", and mean it. Friendships become more important as the years speed by. And keeping up with each other and our families is a real challenge. When we do meet, we don't always talk about today. We spend a lot of time going down memory lane and recalling the silly, wonderful, meaningful things that we have shared. When you have 77 years to look back at - there's lots of room for conversation.
My best friend is my sister, Ronnie. We have always lived close together except for a short time when she was in Kansas helping out our older sister after a flood, and our time in the Service. We have lived the last thirty years living next door to each other and we share everything. We are so different in personality - but so close in the real things of life. She is very wise in many areas where I am a flibberdyjibet. She is my nurse, my animal consultant, my Bible discusser, and oh yes, she puts up with my
"My husband is the sweetest man in the world" speech every day. She's even gotten to say it herself! (Because he is).
I guess that what I am feeling is the brevity of life. God gives us just so many days to live here - to get ready to meet Him face to face - and to glorify Him in all that we do, think, or wish for. Along the way He gives us friends because 'iron sharpens iron'. Our friendships teach us - encourage us, and yes, confront us.
My prayer for us is that we will not waste time and energy on things that have no eternal value. May we really witness to the love of Christ and His wonderful gift of salvation, not only with words - but with the gratitude that holds nothing back, so that we may say to all of our departing friends,
"See you Later"....
Sunday, March 8, 2009
ON HAVING NEW BABIES
Babies! What a mystery! I've had the joy of seeing so many little babies welcomed into our family that you'd think it would be less than important when we hear of another one coming. But the truth is that it never gets old or less important.
We've just heard that our grandson, Justin and his lovely wife Jenn are expecting their first baby in October. This will be our thirteenth great grandchild. What a wonderful world this will open up for them. I can already imagine them loving and praising God for the beautiful gift He will give them.
Birth never ceases to amaze me. Isn't it thrilling to meditate on the birth of Christ and remember that God chose this way to introduce us to His Son. He could have done it so many other ways. He could have dropped Jesus full-grown onto the earth in much the same way as He left. Or, He could have brought him over a mountain on a white horse as the King that would offer salvation to a sick world. Or perhaps He could have stepped out of his guise as a Rabbi - and said, "Here I am! I'm the one you've been waiting for." But He didn't. He chose to bring Him into the world as a defenseless little baby.
When we look in the eyes of our new little ones we try to imagine just how their life will unfold. Will he/she be cute and smart? Will we be equipped to give just the right amount of indulging , matched by the right amount of discipline to make him/her level headed and appreciative of the gift of life?
Can we ever truly express to this baby just how much he/she means to us? How can we possibly ever impress upon this child its need to come to know God, hopefully at an early age?
So many thoughts, questions, musings. And yet, for now, all this little one wants from us is love, food, and protection. Yes, babies are a gift from God and "Our" quiver will never be too full.......
We've just heard that our grandson, Justin and his lovely wife Jenn are expecting their first baby in October. This will be our thirteenth great grandchild. What a wonderful world this will open up for them. I can already imagine them loving and praising God for the beautiful gift He will give them.
Birth never ceases to amaze me. Isn't it thrilling to meditate on the birth of Christ and remember that God chose this way to introduce us to His Son. He could have done it so many other ways. He could have dropped Jesus full-grown onto the earth in much the same way as He left. Or, He could have brought him over a mountain on a white horse as the King that would offer salvation to a sick world. Or perhaps He could have stepped out of his guise as a Rabbi - and said, "Here I am! I'm the one you've been waiting for." But He didn't. He chose to bring Him into the world as a defenseless little baby.
When we look in the eyes of our new little ones we try to imagine just how their life will unfold. Will he/she be cute and smart? Will we be equipped to give just the right amount of indulging , matched by the right amount of discipline to make him/her level headed and appreciative of the gift of life?
Can we ever truly express to this baby just how much he/she means to us? How can we possibly ever impress upon this child its need to come to know God, hopefully at an early age?
So many thoughts, questions, musings. And yet, for now, all this little one wants from us is love, food, and protection. Yes, babies are a gift from God and "Our" quiver will never be too full.......
Sunday, March 1, 2009
MEDITATION
There is an interesting phenomonen occuring in the Christian world at large. There are many possible reasons for it i.e. the restlessness that fills so much of the current society; the need for constant stimulation of one kind or another; the hunger for 'newness' and originality; the desire for a God made in the image we want to worship; a hunger for a oneness with all faiths that would minimize strife or stress; the 'can't we all get along' syndrome; the fear of 'intoerance' ; the 'all I want is love' mindset.
We dream of a time when we can really experience 'the peace that passes all understanding' in every situation. I have come to accept the fact that we can get close at times - but that real fulfillment will come when we are face to face with our Lord and fully understand His Presence.
I read an account of a man who was trying to explain to his son what has happened in the last 75 years in this country. His grandparents had lived on a farm miles away from any neighbors. After they had their breakfast at dawn, they took out time to read the Bible together and to pray. Then Mr. would go out to the acreage and feed the animals and then off to the plow to get the fields ready for planting.
While he was plowing, the only sounds he heard were the slight whispers of the wind; an occasional bird flying by; the horses neighing and that was about it. So his mind was completely free to meditate on the Scriptures he had read that morning. He could take a short passage of the Bible and chew on it as he moved along the long rows. As a result - he developed a love for his Lord and for the lifestyle that made it possible for him to come to really know Him.
Meanwhile, back at home, his wife was doing laundry by hand and humming her favorite hymns. The words were precious to her and the meaning of them grew as she rehearsed them over and over again. There was no washing machine, no dishwasher, no TV, no radio - just the sound of her own voice until the youngn's got back from school. She meditated as she worked and continually sent praises up to her Lord.
When we contrast that with our lives we can see that a real hindrance to that peaceful life is distraction. I'm not talking about the distractions of little ones, because there is no doubt that they had their share of them. But the man-made distractions that constantly surround us.
I remember the introduction of TV into my life. We watched Kookla, Fran and Ollie every night at 6:00pm. It was a half hour show - and we raced to finish dinner in time to watch it. That should have been my first clue. But the truth of the matter is we loved the distraction. It got better and better. Before long, we had a show every night besides CF&A. We had Milton Berle! We had the Hit Parade. We had Gene Autry. And again, before we knew it we had cultural offerings that were really 'good' for us.
My parents had the good sense to control just how much TV we could watch because we had to 'get out of the house and play". We needed time to let our imaginations grow.
And then the '50's came along with "I love Lucy", Perry Mason, all kinds of cops and robbers shows, and Ed Sullivan who introduced us to the Beatles and Elvis. From that point on, almost everyone's TV was on most of the time. We had news programs; culture programs; dramas; comedies; etc . There was always something good to watch. So why not watch it? That was our philosophy.
I honestly don't know what happened in the 60's because I was too busy taking care of my four little boys - working in an election campaign - going to school conferences etc. By nighttime - I rarely got to see anything all the way through because that was my time to catch up on laundry, mending, writing letters, setting up menus, visiting with neighbors etc. But by the time of the 70's I began to realize that something about TV had changed.
We couldn't let the kids choose just any show to watch because profanity had seeped in, along with violence that we would never have let them go to a movie to see, and sexual inferences and dress that didn't fit into our plan for raising godly children. But worse than all that - TV had become a monster that ate up valuable time. Time that should have been spent in playing outdoors; studying; practicing music; relating to each other & etc.
Meditation was out of the question if that technology was constantly in use. So we gave our TV vacations for months at a time. It would go up in the attic and our home would return to normal. We would finally bring it down for the Super Bowl and then allow it to stay down until Dad or I felt that it was being abused again.
Meditation is one of the most valuable gifts that God has given us. It takes time and deep thought to absorb all that our Bible has to say to us. Each verse is like a doorway into a room full of beautiful and fruitful truths to examine and absorb. Many people today have come to that realization and are making a conscious effort to set aside time to dig into the wonders of Christianity and pass them along to others. I thank God for them.
I don't know how people are able to raise kids today without consciously drawing them apart from their highly technological lives. We have not only TV to contend with - but also Ipods, Blackberries, Cell phones (along with texting) and who knows what's next?
There is a very high cost for this technology - and it's not money. Some of us are robbing our loved ones of sound minds and Christ-shaped character. I may sound 'old-fashioned' and I am, but not all things new are necessarily good.
We dream of a time when we can really experience 'the peace that passes all understanding' in every situation. I have come to accept the fact that we can get close at times - but that real fulfillment will come when we are face to face with our Lord and fully understand His Presence.
I read an account of a man who was trying to explain to his son what has happened in the last 75 years in this country. His grandparents had lived on a farm miles away from any neighbors. After they had their breakfast at dawn, they took out time to read the Bible together and to pray. Then Mr. would go out to the acreage and feed the animals and then off to the plow to get the fields ready for planting.
While he was plowing, the only sounds he heard were the slight whispers of the wind; an occasional bird flying by; the horses neighing and that was about it. So his mind was completely free to meditate on the Scriptures he had read that morning. He could take a short passage of the Bible and chew on it as he moved along the long rows. As a result - he developed a love for his Lord and for the lifestyle that made it possible for him to come to really know Him.
Meanwhile, back at home, his wife was doing laundry by hand and humming her favorite hymns. The words were precious to her and the meaning of them grew as she rehearsed them over and over again. There was no washing machine, no dishwasher, no TV, no radio - just the sound of her own voice until the youngn's got back from school. She meditated as she worked and continually sent praises up to her Lord.
When we contrast that with our lives we can see that a real hindrance to that peaceful life is distraction. I'm not talking about the distractions of little ones, because there is no doubt that they had their share of them. But the man-made distractions that constantly surround us.
I remember the introduction of TV into my life. We watched Kookla, Fran and Ollie every night at 6:00pm. It was a half hour show - and we raced to finish dinner in time to watch it. That should have been my first clue. But the truth of the matter is we loved the distraction. It got better and better. Before long, we had a show every night besides CF&A. We had Milton Berle! We had the Hit Parade. We had Gene Autry. And again, before we knew it we had cultural offerings that were really 'good' for us.
My parents had the good sense to control just how much TV we could watch because we had to 'get out of the house and play". We needed time to let our imaginations grow.
And then the '50's came along with "I love Lucy", Perry Mason, all kinds of cops and robbers shows, and Ed Sullivan who introduced us to the Beatles and Elvis. From that point on, almost everyone's TV was on most of the time. We had news programs; culture programs; dramas; comedies; etc . There was always something good to watch. So why not watch it? That was our philosophy.
I honestly don't know what happened in the 60's because I was too busy taking care of my four little boys - working in an election campaign - going to school conferences etc. By nighttime - I rarely got to see anything all the way through because that was my time to catch up on laundry, mending, writing letters, setting up menus, visiting with neighbors etc. But by the time of the 70's I began to realize that something about TV had changed.
We couldn't let the kids choose just any show to watch because profanity had seeped in, along with violence that we would never have let them go to a movie to see, and sexual inferences and dress that didn't fit into our plan for raising godly children. But worse than all that - TV had become a monster that ate up valuable time. Time that should have been spent in playing outdoors; studying; practicing music; relating to each other & etc.
Meditation was out of the question if that technology was constantly in use. So we gave our TV vacations for months at a time. It would go up in the attic and our home would return to normal. We would finally bring it down for the Super Bowl and then allow it to stay down until Dad or I felt that it was being abused again.
Meditation is one of the most valuable gifts that God has given us. It takes time and deep thought to absorb all that our Bible has to say to us. Each verse is like a doorway into a room full of beautiful and fruitful truths to examine and absorb. Many people today have come to that realization and are making a conscious effort to set aside time to dig into the wonders of Christianity and pass them along to others. I thank God for them.
I don't know how people are able to raise kids today without consciously drawing them apart from their highly technological lives. We have not only TV to contend with - but also Ipods, Blackberries, Cell phones (along with texting) and who knows what's next?
There is a very high cost for this technology - and it's not money. Some of us are robbing our loved ones of sound minds and Christ-shaped character. I may sound 'old-fashioned' and I am, but not all things new are necessarily good.
Monday, February 23, 2009
FIBROMYALGIA
DADGUMMIT!!! Sorry - I don't generally give air to my frustration - but I have just spent 30, count em, 30 full minutes trying to get to my blog! I'm just not technical by nature - and so capturing the joy of blogging is really not my experience yet.
But - enough of the complaining - let's get on with life - after all, no one is perfect, not even great gramma's!!! Well, that is to say - not this great gramma although I am sure there are some gg's out there who come close. But again, I don't count myself among them. Most of the time, I figure if all my kids are talking to me - I'm grateful.
My subject for today is weather. Not whether - that would be whether or not. But weather! You know - cold, hot, raining, snow etc.
Now why would I be interested in weather? Maybe because it has so much to do with my usefulness and joy as a fibromyalgia victim. Weather determines much of what I do or don't do. It's a dadgum bother at times. For instance, take my social calendar.
My grandson called me today and invited me to a family barbecue this weekend. My immediate response - was "Great! What can I bring? "
And since I am proficient at teasing Costco's potato salad into something edible, everyone knows that's the first thing I will offer. He was delighted and we hung up, both pleased with our conversation and the anticipation of a fun day with the gang.
Then - I stopped rejoicing and thought about the weather. This can radically effect my keeping this appointment. I used to think that rain was the culprit. Having shared with several of my fibro friends, I have come to realize it 'ain't necessarily so'. Some cramp up if it's sunny - cloudy - rainy- or snowing.
I think I have a reaction to change. For instance, if it's a beautiful sunny day today - and tomorrow the horizon is peppered with teeny tiny little clouds - I become useless! On the other hand, after three days of clouds the sun comes out - I can have another rough day. Now I know that this really isn't interesting to you - but maybe it should be.
Fibromyalgia is one of the most misunderstood syndromes in the medical
field. It is estimated that about 20 - 25% of adults have it - and most of them don't know it. It's very hard to diagnose as it usually has a very long history of symptoms that most docs haven't strung together.
I diagnosed mine after checking it out by listing symptoms and finding fibro as a possible cause. I checked it out with my doctor - and although he wasn't aware of everything about it - he did find after looking at my many kinks through the years ( ie. heel pain for four years; migraine headaches; shoulder pains; pain in my forearms and legs; cramping etc.) that he agreed and started treatment.
I wasn't convinced since I had led him to the decision, so I went to a Rheumatologist and told her nothing but my symptoms. She stepped behind me and stuck her finger in two of the trigger points in my back which I immediately responded to by 'ouching' rather loudly. And she said, "You have fibromyalgia" and here's what we're going to do."
There are things that fibro patients have in common - but are not necessarily the cause of the syndrome. ie. a head injury; a car accident; mononucleosis; or possibly a virus; insomnia; stress; anxiety; etc. They are even finding that some people think it's generic. The only thing I haven't had is a car accident.
The symptoms are extreme fatigue; headache; pain througout the body; severe cramping anywhere in the body; depression etc.
As a matter of fact - there are so many symptoms that this contributes to its difficulty to diagnose. Most fibro patients have trigger points all over their body that can go haywire. For instance I have one in my back that will start my back cramping. The best thing to do with these trigger points is to have someone poke a finger into it as hard as they can, and hold it for about 30 seconds and then the cramp stops. Of course the pain from the cure may continue - but that's preferable to the cramp. The fatigue is another matter and the best thing I have found to do is to give into it and take a nap.
It is not a death threatening syndrome and most people can learn how to live with it in time. Everyone has their own idea about how to deal with it.
I have meds that I take that are helpful but amazingly enough,
I have discovered that the best pill for me is distraction. When I am having an episode I cuddle up with my blankie in front of the TV and find a good movie to watch. I take my meds - love a hot cup of coffee - and quiet. If I don't move too much - it's usually over in a day or so and I feel great again.
Anyway - the reason I am going to the trouble to explain all of this is because sometimes I have to bow out of an obligation at the last minute. I don't want my loved ones to think that I don't value their invitations - I do. I've always been a people-person and love a party.
I have found that it's a very manageable syndrome and regular exercise is essential. I go to a pool (water temp 92 degrees) five days a week and stretch and walk and sometimes do 'ai chi'. But that's another story. It's so relaxing.
If you want to further understand this syndrome - you can check it out on fibromyalgia.com.
But - enough of the complaining - let's get on with life - after all, no one is perfect, not even great gramma's!!! Well, that is to say - not this great gramma although I am sure there are some gg's out there who come close. But again, I don't count myself among them. Most of the time, I figure if all my kids are talking to me - I'm grateful.
My subject for today is weather. Not whether - that would be whether or not. But weather! You know - cold, hot, raining, snow etc.
Now why would I be interested in weather? Maybe because it has so much to do with my usefulness and joy as a fibromyalgia victim. Weather determines much of what I do or don't do. It's a dadgum bother at times. For instance, take my social calendar.
My grandson called me today and invited me to a family barbecue this weekend. My immediate response - was "Great! What can I bring? "
And since I am proficient at teasing Costco's potato salad into something edible, everyone knows that's the first thing I will offer. He was delighted and we hung up, both pleased with our conversation and the anticipation of a fun day with the gang.
Then - I stopped rejoicing and thought about the weather. This can radically effect my keeping this appointment. I used to think that rain was the culprit. Having shared with several of my fibro friends, I have come to realize it 'ain't necessarily so'. Some cramp up if it's sunny - cloudy - rainy- or snowing.
I think I have a reaction to change. For instance, if it's a beautiful sunny day today - and tomorrow the horizon is peppered with teeny tiny little clouds - I become useless! On the other hand, after three days of clouds the sun comes out - I can have another rough day. Now I know that this really isn't interesting to you - but maybe it should be.
Fibromyalgia is one of the most misunderstood syndromes in the medical
field. It is estimated that about 20 - 25% of adults have it - and most of them don't know it. It's very hard to diagnose as it usually has a very long history of symptoms that most docs haven't strung together.
I diagnosed mine after checking it out by listing symptoms and finding fibro as a possible cause. I checked it out with my doctor - and although he wasn't aware of everything about it - he did find after looking at my many kinks through the years ( ie. heel pain for four years; migraine headaches; shoulder pains; pain in my forearms and legs; cramping etc.) that he agreed and started treatment.
I wasn't convinced since I had led him to the decision, so I went to a Rheumatologist and told her nothing but my symptoms. She stepped behind me and stuck her finger in two of the trigger points in my back which I immediately responded to by 'ouching' rather loudly. And she said, "You have fibromyalgia" and here's what we're going to do."
There are things that fibro patients have in common - but are not necessarily the cause of the syndrome. ie. a head injury; a car accident; mononucleosis; or possibly a virus; insomnia; stress; anxiety; etc. They are even finding that some people think it's generic. The only thing I haven't had is a car accident.
The symptoms are extreme fatigue; headache; pain througout the body; severe cramping anywhere in the body; depression etc.
As a matter of fact - there are so many symptoms that this contributes to its difficulty to diagnose. Most fibro patients have trigger points all over their body that can go haywire. For instance I have one in my back that will start my back cramping. The best thing to do with these trigger points is to have someone poke a finger into it as hard as they can, and hold it for about 30 seconds and then the cramp stops. Of course the pain from the cure may continue - but that's preferable to the cramp. The fatigue is another matter and the best thing I have found to do is to give into it and take a nap.
It is not a death threatening syndrome and most people can learn how to live with it in time. Everyone has their own idea about how to deal with it.
I have meds that I take that are helpful but amazingly enough,
I have discovered that the best pill for me is distraction. When I am having an episode I cuddle up with my blankie in front of the TV and find a good movie to watch. I take my meds - love a hot cup of coffee - and quiet. If I don't move too much - it's usually over in a day or so and I feel great again.
Anyway - the reason I am going to the trouble to explain all of this is because sometimes I have to bow out of an obligation at the last minute. I don't want my loved ones to think that I don't value their invitations - I do. I've always been a people-person and love a party.
I have found that it's a very manageable syndrome and regular exercise is essential. I go to a pool (water temp 92 degrees) five days a week and stretch and walk and sometimes do 'ai chi'. But that's another story. It's so relaxing.
If you want to further understand this syndrome - you can check it out on fibromyalgia.com.
Friday, December 26, 2008
CHRISTmas Delights
Where would I be without Christ? If you're like me - you have those days when you wonder if you really are a devoted Christian - or is it all a hoax perpetrated on mankind. Whenever I get in that frame of mind, I remember that my assurance comes from the written Word and is enhanced by all the times that I actually encountered Him in the daily living of my life.
Well, I had another one of those fruitful experiences this past week. It started with Breanne and Scott's wedding on the 20th. It was so very lovely and so Christ focused that I began recalling all the changes that He has brought into our marriage. Too many to try to share - but so real. Then we moved on to Christmas Eve at our church.
We are not a 'with it' church - the 'it' being all the trimmings of the contemporary church - band - drums - praise singers - pastoral jokes etc. We really are a very traditional church with a small congregation - wonderful choir and small orchestral ensemble - reading of lots of Scripture and singing the old Reformed Hymns. On Christmas Eve, we were really drawn back to the miracle of the incarnation. "God became flesh and dwelt among us..."
Our Christmas celebration was festive and fun. The dinner that followed, thanks to the cooking magnificence of Mrs. Chris (Jihae) was a wonderful turkey and ham dinner with all the goodies. But best of all was the warmth and relational interaction of parents to children,- brother to brother - sister to sister - and everything in between. We thank God for all of our loved ones. What a gift he has given us in them.
Watching Justin throw the babies up and down endlessly was hilarious. Meeting one of Chris's police buddies was enlightening. Reliving the wedding while we looked at the pictures that Susie had thoughtfully put into two albums was great. Watching the Suns lose their Christmas Game in the last four seconds was.......Well - you fill it in.
So now we face the start of a new year. It looks like it could be a difficult one in some ways. But - here again - we have to remember that our citizenship is not truly in this world, though we are challenged to participate as if it were. We are reminded again to pray for our leaders and our nation - and for the peace of the world. Maranatha.
Thank God for the Christ that became flesh and dwelt among us.
Well, I had another one of those fruitful experiences this past week. It started with Breanne and Scott's wedding on the 20th. It was so very lovely and so Christ focused that I began recalling all the changes that He has brought into our marriage. Too many to try to share - but so real. Then we moved on to Christmas Eve at our church.
We are not a 'with it' church - the 'it' being all the trimmings of the contemporary church - band - drums - praise singers - pastoral jokes etc. We really are a very traditional church with a small congregation - wonderful choir and small orchestral ensemble - reading of lots of Scripture and singing the old Reformed Hymns. On Christmas Eve, we were really drawn back to the miracle of the incarnation. "God became flesh and dwelt among us..."
Our Christmas celebration was festive and fun. The dinner that followed, thanks to the cooking magnificence of Mrs. Chris (Jihae) was a wonderful turkey and ham dinner with all the goodies. But best of all was the warmth and relational interaction of parents to children,- brother to brother - sister to sister - and everything in between. We thank God for all of our loved ones. What a gift he has given us in them.
Watching Justin throw the babies up and down endlessly was hilarious. Meeting one of Chris's police buddies was enlightening. Reliving the wedding while we looked at the pictures that Susie had thoughtfully put into two albums was great. Watching the Suns lose their Christmas Game in the last four seconds was.......Well - you fill it in.
So now we face the start of a new year. It looks like it could be a difficult one in some ways. But - here again - we have to remember that our citizenship is not truly in this world, though we are challenged to participate as if it were. We are reminded again to pray for our leaders and our nation - and for the peace of the world. Maranatha.
Thank God for the Christ that became flesh and dwelt among us.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Thanksgiving - a constant joy!
Well, it's that time of year again - the prescribed day in which to give thanks. But if you're like me - thanksgiving is a habit that started when you first began assessing your life in the light of your faith.
We've always had so many things for which to be thankful - and I confess - that I was not always aware of them. Or if I was aware - I wasn't nearly as quick to thank anyone. But life's training through trial and blessing has made me into a 'pollyanna' of sorts. I truly belive that 'all things work together to good for those who love God and have been called according to His purpose.'
Today I am especially thankful for our sons, Wes and Matt. When they took over the CPA business, they worked very hard and have turned it into a truly successful business. We had the joy of touring their brand new offices today and was I impressed? They are beautiful and very well thought out. We are so proud of them.
But I also have to proclaim that I am still basking in the hard work of our kids (Glenn, Susie, Jason, Barb, Robert and Justin) in reNEWing our home and yard. It looks so lovely and it's such a joy to walk outside and see everything so beautifully groomed and the house painted after 22 years!
And I'm so grateful for the wonderful ministry that Neil and Lisa have. A mother who is so blessed can never be ungrateful. They gave us such a wonderful weekend last month that we're already talking about the next one!
God has worked so many things out for good and we are grateful. I pray that all of you will have a wonderful Thanksgiving - and be praising God for His wonderful plan of Salvation and all the rest that goes with it.
We've always had so many things for which to be thankful - and I confess - that I was not always aware of them. Or if I was aware - I wasn't nearly as quick to thank anyone. But life's training through trial and blessing has made me into a 'pollyanna' of sorts. I truly belive that 'all things work together to good for those who love God and have been called according to His purpose.'
Today I am especially thankful for our sons, Wes and Matt. When they took over the CPA business, they worked very hard and have turned it into a truly successful business. We had the joy of touring their brand new offices today and was I impressed? They are beautiful and very well thought out. We are so proud of them.
But I also have to proclaim that I am still basking in the hard work of our kids (Glenn, Susie, Jason, Barb, Robert and Justin) in reNEWing our home and yard. It looks so lovely and it's such a joy to walk outside and see everything so beautifully groomed and the house painted after 22 years!
And I'm so grateful for the wonderful ministry that Neil and Lisa have. A mother who is so blessed can never be ungrateful. They gave us such a wonderful weekend last month that we're already talking about the next one!
God has worked so many things out for good and we are grateful. I pray that all of you will have a wonderful Thanksgiving - and be praising God for His wonderful plan of Salvation and all the rest that goes with it.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
What a wonderful family we have! I am basking in the love of Barb and her crew ( I'm not sure who they are yet) and Glenn, Susie and Jason. Why now? What makes me so specially thankful for them?
I am now 77 - and my honey is 78. We feel like we're a very young 77 and 78 until it comes to doing a major project. When we moved to our present abode 29 years ago - everything was fun. It was fun to see our house planted in the ground (mobile home). It was fun to landscape - decorate - modernize - update paint and jump into all of the projects with gusto!
But something has happened in the last five years or so. It's not fun anymore! But we have mastered the art of accepting things as they are - because we really didn't see how we could change them.
Well, now we get down to the good point of the story. One day a few weeks ago Barb had to drop off some dishes we had left at her house. That night I got a call from her and before I knew what was happening - I heard this angel talking about paint - and trim - and masking tape and ??? She had made an appointment to come and paint our home with her 'crew'. She is starting tomorrow by power spraying the house with water to get it ready to paint.
I had been looking for someone to clean up the yard (just to pass the city rules about sloppy yards) and I had asked Glenn to find me someone. Susie called me a few days later and told me that she had found someone... Jason!!
I can't tell you how thrilled I was because I wanted to help Jason out while he was unemployed - but when Monday morning of last week arrived - we had Glenn, Susie and Jason.
They worked so hard all week - and not only did my yard but Ronnies too. But what was most wonderful about the whole thing was the spirit in which they did it. It was hard work - but they were sooo cheerful and sweet that it made it like a blessed gift.
They aren't done yet - but good news! Jason got a job! We are so happy for him because he's been looking for quite awhile. And it sounds like a great job for him.
Anyway - our yard will be beautiful - and our home will be brand new all because of the blesssings of grown kids who knew just what to do 'for the old folks'. Can't thank them enough.
My prayer for them is that 'what goes around will come around' for them in their later years.
We have been blessed by all of our children and I certainly don't want to leave any out. Each one has a special gift that he or she gives so willingly - and we appreciate all of them.
I am now 77 - and my honey is 78. We feel like we're a very young 77 and 78 until it comes to doing a major project. When we moved to our present abode 29 years ago - everything was fun. It was fun to see our house planted in the ground (mobile home). It was fun to landscape - decorate - modernize - update paint and jump into all of the projects with gusto!
But something has happened in the last five years or so. It's not fun anymore! But we have mastered the art of accepting things as they are - because we really didn't see how we could change them.
Well, now we get down to the good point of the story. One day a few weeks ago Barb had to drop off some dishes we had left at her house. That night I got a call from her and before I knew what was happening - I heard this angel talking about paint - and trim - and masking tape and ??? She had made an appointment to come and paint our home with her 'crew'. She is starting tomorrow by power spraying the house with water to get it ready to paint.
I had been looking for someone to clean up the yard (just to pass the city rules about sloppy yards) and I had asked Glenn to find me someone. Susie called me a few days later and told me that she had found someone... Jason!!
I can't tell you how thrilled I was because I wanted to help Jason out while he was unemployed - but when Monday morning of last week arrived - we had Glenn, Susie and Jason.
They worked so hard all week - and not only did my yard but Ronnies too. But what was most wonderful about the whole thing was the spirit in which they did it. It was hard work - but they were sooo cheerful and sweet that it made it like a blessed gift.
They aren't done yet - but good news! Jason got a job! We are so happy for him because he's been looking for quite awhile. And it sounds like a great job for him.
Anyway - our yard will be beautiful - and our home will be brand new all because of the blesssings of grown kids who knew just what to do 'for the old folks'. Can't thank them enough.
My prayer for them is that 'what goes around will come around' for them in their later years.
We have been blessed by all of our children and I certainly don't want to leave any out. Each one has a special gift that he or she gives so willingly - and we appreciate all of them.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
THE CHALLENGE.....
We had the pleasure of spending the past weekend with our son, Neil and Lisa, his wife, and our delightful great grandchild, Lexie. It was one of those memorable times for many reasons....
I always love to spend time with our kids. And each one has his own special identity - that personality that makes him so special - and the family that each one heads.
Lexie is Neil and Lisa's first grandchild. Oh, yes, I know you didn't think of me as the mother of a grandfather - but in truth, I'm the mother of three grandfathers!
We did so many fun things. Lexie, seven years old, read to us in such a mature and dramatic way. She had gotten fifteen books out of the library for the weekend! And she read several of them to us with all the emphasis, gestures and faces that made them come alive.
And speaking of alive - we went to the Gaslight Theatre and saw "Frankenstein Lives". We laughed so hard that if it's true that laughter stretches your life, I'm good for at least another ten years. It was such fun and so nostalgic.
The fellowship was so very precious. Neil had TIVO'd the Eric Hite funeral. He was the policeman that was killed in the line of duty and was a member of Saguaro Canyon Church. Neil, as his pastor, gave the message and it was beautiful. When he first came on camera I wasn't sure it was him! He was so handsome; gray hair, a suit and tie, and glasses. He looked like a genuine pastor. There were over 4,000 people in attendance and he told us how Eric had always wanted to bring his fellow officers to the Lord and to church. And in God's own special way they all were here - at one time - hearing the Gospel at the cost of Eric's life. Several of these men were truly touched and attended a Bible Study at the church for several weeks.
His message was passionate, loving and kind. The results of that message has affected all of Tucson since it was televised on several channels. He became the best known pastor in Tucson in the matter of just a few minutes. Were we proud? Guess!
But that was just the beginning. On Sunday morning he preached on Revelations 1:9-20. He had prepared a sermon that he discarded after realizing what a WOW moment this must have been for John. So he wrote a new one - and it was right on spot. He reminded us that John was probably feeling that his life's purpose was over and then he saw Jesus after probably at least 50 years - and Jesus gave him a new task.
"Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this."
He reminded us all that our tasks for the Lord are not over. We each have a gift - or a memory - or a challenge to fulfill. What is mine?
I learned a lot from Lisa who was such a relaxed and loving hostess. Her relationship with Lexie is fruitful and full of 'teaching' moments. How lucky Lexie is to have her grandparents love.
On the way home we were filled with such lovely things to talk about. And again, I share the question with you...... What is your challenge from God? What would He want us to be - or do?
Thanks Neil and Lisa for such a lovely memory. We will treasure it.....
I always love to spend time with our kids. And each one has his own special identity - that personality that makes him so special - and the family that each one heads.
Lexie is Neil and Lisa's first grandchild. Oh, yes, I know you didn't think of me as the mother of a grandfather - but in truth, I'm the mother of three grandfathers!
We did so many fun things. Lexie, seven years old, read to us in such a mature and dramatic way. She had gotten fifteen books out of the library for the weekend! And she read several of them to us with all the emphasis, gestures and faces that made them come alive.
And speaking of alive - we went to the Gaslight Theatre and saw "Frankenstein Lives". We laughed so hard that if it's true that laughter stretches your life, I'm good for at least another ten years. It was such fun and so nostalgic.
The fellowship was so very precious. Neil had TIVO'd the Eric Hite funeral. He was the policeman that was killed in the line of duty and was a member of Saguaro Canyon Church. Neil, as his pastor, gave the message and it was beautiful. When he first came on camera I wasn't sure it was him! He was so handsome; gray hair, a suit and tie, and glasses. He looked like a genuine pastor. There were over 4,000 people in attendance and he told us how Eric had always wanted to bring his fellow officers to the Lord and to church. And in God's own special way they all were here - at one time - hearing the Gospel at the cost of Eric's life. Several of these men were truly touched and attended a Bible Study at the church for several weeks.
His message was passionate, loving and kind. The results of that message has affected all of Tucson since it was televised on several channels. He became the best known pastor in Tucson in the matter of just a few minutes. Were we proud? Guess!
But that was just the beginning. On Sunday morning he preached on Revelations 1:9-20. He had prepared a sermon that he discarded after realizing what a WOW moment this must have been for John. So he wrote a new one - and it was right on spot. He reminded us that John was probably feeling that his life's purpose was over and then he saw Jesus after probably at least 50 years - and Jesus gave him a new task.
"Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this."
He reminded us all that our tasks for the Lord are not over. We each have a gift - or a memory - or a challenge to fulfill. What is mine?
I learned a lot from Lisa who was such a relaxed and loving hostess. Her relationship with Lexie is fruitful and full of 'teaching' moments. How lucky Lexie is to have her grandparents love.
On the way home we were filled with such lovely things to talk about. And again, I share the question with you...... What is your challenge from God? What would He want us to be - or do?
Thanks Neil and Lisa for such a lovely memory. We will treasure it.....
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Party time and God's precious Gifts.....
Wow! It's been 24 days since my last blog! What have I been doing?
I can honestly say that this has been a very special Month for me because of all the celebrations and parties that I've been involved in. We just barely got through Bob's 78th birthday on August 29th, when I shared my 35th birthday lunch with my dear friend of 36 years, Neysa. More about that later.
Then I shared a wonderful birthday lunch with my dear friend, Mary (whose birthday was two days earlier) and our breakfast-lunch group on the Monday in between. And then, we had a real fancy feast at Red Lobster on the following Friday, courtesy my dear sister and neice. This, too, was shared with our same group of our wonderful friends.
My birthday was blessed with calls from all of my sons starting early in the morning and ending with a beautiful choir rendition of 'Happy Birthday to You' from Wes and Kim's family. What a special treat!
I also had cards and calls from Grandchildren and friends galore! They are all so special to me.
My wonderful husband gave me a brand new desk for my birthday! For those of you who know him, that means that he re-contacted it with a lovely soft color that is very restful to the eyes. He also did my computer table and now I feel quite neat and tidy.
My honey turned 78 this year - and I follow him by one year. Imagine my surprise when I got a loveletter from him celebrating MY 78th burthday!
I wouldn't let him change it - and told him I'd save it and read it again next year.
Now, to get back to Neysa! We started our friendship in 1972 thanks to our Pastor, Vincent Strigas. Neysa had come to our church and it was always Vincent's pleasure to pair people up, so he called me and sicked me on her. My pupose was to disciple her in her new-found Christian faith. She, like I, had always attended church but only recently was led to Christ.
My joy has always been to disciple those that the Lord gives me to the point where they take the lead in the relationship and start to disciple me. And this happened early with Neysa. She was so spiritually hungry that she'd study voraciously and memorize and study some more. She is and was a delight to mentor, and in the process became my best friend.
And that's what this blog is all about. One of the reasons our friendship has been so rewarding is because Christ has always been at the center of it. We have gone for months without actual contact because of our large family responsibilities and busy schedules, but as soon as we are together again, we pick up right where we left off.
We treasure our times together and have many wonderful memories of trips we took - conventions that we attended together - friends we have shared - trials we've shared - and our relationship to each other's kids. What a blessing! She has been with me through the hard times and the fun times. Always faithful and always there.
Many of you are young now and just starting out in your adult friendships. Might I suggest that you make it a point, early on, to include your wonderful Savior as part of each one. Pray together. Confess yours sins to each other. And encourage each other. And then, perhaps, you'll be lucky enough to say 36 years later - that you've tasted a little bit of heaven right here.
I can honestly say that this has been a very special Month for me because of all the celebrations and parties that I've been involved in. We just barely got through Bob's 78th birthday on August 29th, when I shared my 35th birthday lunch with my dear friend of 36 years, Neysa. More about that later.
Then I shared a wonderful birthday lunch with my dear friend, Mary (whose birthday was two days earlier) and our breakfast-lunch group on the Monday in between. And then, we had a real fancy feast at Red Lobster on the following Friday, courtesy my dear sister and neice. This, too, was shared with our same group of our wonderful friends.
My birthday was blessed with calls from all of my sons starting early in the morning and ending with a beautiful choir rendition of 'Happy Birthday to You' from Wes and Kim's family. What a special treat!
I also had cards and calls from Grandchildren and friends galore! They are all so special to me.
My wonderful husband gave me a brand new desk for my birthday! For those of you who know him, that means that he re-contacted it with a lovely soft color that is very restful to the eyes. He also did my computer table and now I feel quite neat and tidy.
My honey turned 78 this year - and I follow him by one year. Imagine my surprise when I got a loveletter from him celebrating MY 78th burthday!
I wouldn't let him change it - and told him I'd save it and read it again next year.
Now, to get back to Neysa! We started our friendship in 1972 thanks to our Pastor, Vincent Strigas. Neysa had come to our church and it was always Vincent's pleasure to pair people up, so he called me and sicked me on her. My pupose was to disciple her in her new-found Christian faith. She, like I, had always attended church but only recently was led to Christ.
My joy has always been to disciple those that the Lord gives me to the point where they take the lead in the relationship and start to disciple me. And this happened early with Neysa. She was so spiritually hungry that she'd study voraciously and memorize and study some more. She is and was a delight to mentor, and in the process became my best friend.
And that's what this blog is all about. One of the reasons our friendship has been so rewarding is because Christ has always been at the center of it. We have gone for months without actual contact because of our large family responsibilities and busy schedules, but as soon as we are together again, we pick up right where we left off.
We treasure our times together and have many wonderful memories of trips we took - conventions that we attended together - friends we have shared - trials we've shared - and our relationship to each other's kids. What a blessing! She has been with me through the hard times and the fun times. Always faithful and always there.
Many of you are young now and just starting out in your adult friendships. Might I suggest that you make it a point, early on, to include your wonderful Savior as part of each one. Pray together. Confess yours sins to each other. And encourage each other. And then, perhaps, you'll be lucky enough to say 36 years later - that you've tasted a little bit of heaven right here.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
OUR TROOPS (serving at home)
This is a picture ofBob holding Art
It was November 10th, 1951. My wonderful husband-to-be called me at my American Airline office (I worked in Lost and Found at the time) and invited me out to a wonderful night at the home that we would one day inhabit. We had bought this house with a fifty cent down payment on July 28th of that year. Why do I remember the date? Mainly because that was the day we were officially engaged after my dear Bob had asked my Dad four times for my hand in marriage and been denied. The purchase of the house finally convinced him that we were serious about getting married. He approved with the caveat that we not be married before March of 1952.
But - November 10th changed all that. I was excited about this extra night at the house because we were only allowed to date three times a week, but Bob had cleared it with my folks, so here we were. As Bob drove, I peeked in the backseat and could see his blender pitcher sticking out of a bag. On inspection - I saw that it was a pitcher of dacquaries!! Bob's dad made them just for the occasion.
After dinner, we sat down on our secondhand couch and toasted ourselves on our wonderful happiness. Then the bomb fell!
Bob looked very serious - as he revealed that he had received his draft notice, and that he was due to leave on January 8th. My immediate reaction was - "well, then we'll just have to get married before you go."
I won't bother with the details but the fact is that we were married eleven days later. I'm sure that everyone was counting the months to determine if we "had" to get married, but the truth is, that we were both so well brought up that we'd never do anything 'like that' out of respect for our families and our God. Neil wasn't born for two years after that. We were fortunate in that after we were married, we were given a year's delay so that he really didn't leave until 1953.
Once Bob was stationed in Alaska, we had been apart for fourteen months. And that's what this blog is all about. Having had first-hand experience as an Army wife - I need to tell you that when you are praying for our troops all over the world - please don't forget the families they leave behind. I went back to work when Neil was only six weeks old. It was a very hard time in my life.
I remember missing out on a choir party because I oveheard one of the sopranos saying that they wouldn't invite me because I would be 'all alone'. They missed the fact that that was the very reason I should have been invited. I hope I'm not sounding like a whiner because I really had such a wonderful core of friends and family to soften the blow.
But when I read about the number of troops that are away from their families I think of all the things that their families have to deal with. Money - for one. Our troops don't make a whole lot of bucks even now.
It often means that the wife has to go to work and sometimes even bare their fist child alone. I had Neil in a charity ward and although I really am grateful for the experience - it can be humbling.
Then, there are the holidays. This is perhaps one of the most challenging times to get through. I could go on and on - but the purpose of this blog is not to biograph our lives, but just to remind you to pray and 'do for' these families, as well.
But - November 10th changed all that. I was excited about this extra night at the house because we were only allowed to date three times a week, but Bob had cleared it with my folks, so here we were. As Bob drove, I peeked in the backseat and could see his blender pitcher sticking out of a bag. On inspection - I saw that it was a pitcher of dacquaries!! Bob's dad made them just for the occasion.
After dinner, we sat down on our secondhand couch and toasted ourselves on our wonderful happiness. Then the bomb fell!
Bob looked very serious - as he revealed that he had received his draft notice, and that he was due to leave on January 8th. My immediate reaction was - "well, then we'll just have to get married before you go."
I won't bother with the details but the fact is that we were married eleven days later. I'm sure that everyone was counting the months to determine if we "had" to get married, but the truth is, that we were both so well brought up that we'd never do anything 'like that' out of respect for our families and our God. Neil wasn't born for two years after that. We were fortunate in that after we were married, we were given a year's delay so that he really didn't leave until 1953.
Once Bob was stationed in Alaska, we had been apart for fourteen months. And that's what this blog is all about. Having had first-hand experience as an Army wife - I need to tell you that when you are praying for our troops all over the world - please don't forget the families they leave behind. I went back to work when Neil was only six weeks old. It was a very hard time in my life.
I remember missing out on a choir party because I oveheard one of the sopranos saying that they wouldn't invite me because I would be 'all alone'. They missed the fact that that was the very reason I should have been invited. I hope I'm not sounding like a whiner because I really had such a wonderful core of friends and family to soften the blow.
But when I read about the number of troops that are away from their families I think of all the things that their families have to deal with. Money - for one. Our troops don't make a whole lot of bucks even now.
It often means that the wife has to go to work and sometimes even bare their fist child alone. I had Neil in a charity ward and although I really am grateful for the experience - it can be humbling.
Then, there are the holidays. This is perhaps one of the most challenging times to get through. I could go on and on - but the purpose of this blog is not to biograph our lives, but just to remind you to pray and 'do for' these families, as well.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
GROWING RICHER
For most people - a title like this would immediately inspire thoughts of great new ways to gain material wealth. But for my purposes, growing richer really means growing older.
The older I get, the more I realize my wealth. For instance, I have a pretty secure roof over my head....I have a storehouse of food, frozen and otherwise... and I have a closet bulging with apparel. If you check out Matthew 6:25-34 - then you know what I'm saying. And having all this wealth - I need not ever worry!
But what happens if I lose it? What if I am overcome by a flood (Gustav), War (Russia), famine (most of the third world)? Will I still consider myself wealthy?
I can honestly say yes! Because at my age, I have enjoyed all of these privileges and I thank God for that - but my greatest privilege is to be a child of God. He has always been at my right hand (Psa. 16:8) and has brought me through many storms and set my feet on higher ground.
And so, with great joy, I praise our Triune God and surrender gladly to His challenges and chastenings. May this be your experience as well.
The older I get, the more I realize my wealth. For instance, I have a pretty secure roof over my head....I have a storehouse of food, frozen and otherwise... and I have a closet bulging with apparel. If you check out Matthew 6:25-34 - then you know what I'm saying. And having all this wealth - I need not ever worry!
But what happens if I lose it? What if I am overcome by a flood (Gustav), War (Russia), famine (most of the third world)? Will I still consider myself wealthy?
I can honestly say yes! Because at my age, I have enjoyed all of these privileges and I thank God for that - but my greatest privilege is to be a child of God. He has always been at my right hand (Psa. 16:8) and has brought me through many storms and set my feet on higher ground.
And so, with great joy, I praise our Triune God and surrender gladly to His challenges and chastenings. May this be your experience as well.
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