Neither a little white church or our church but a beautiful spire that spoke to my soul. As someone once told me....many years ago we built church spires taller than anything else around to draw all men to God. Then we built government icons....Washington Monument, Mt. Rushmore, etc taller so all could see our political pride and power.....now we build bank buildings taller than anything around them so that the world can see our power is in our money. YIKES!

Little "White" Church

I had a horrible night's sleep.....woke up at three and felt as if I hadn't slept at all (though I had). We had a very busy day yesterday visiting with our daughter, Jennifer and her fiance and our son's family in Noblesville. Josh and Jennifer are biological brother and sister whom we adopted at ages twelve and eight. After a great day of sharing lives and a delicious barbecue, we stopped by some old friends in Rossville, IN, made through our common adoption experiences. Bev had just gotten out of a rehab center for a replaced hip and was in a wheel chair. It was so good to see this dearly loved couple so we visited, said goodbye with hugs all around and began visiting for another thiry minutes. We got home around nine thirty and I was pooped. Ken drug in the many things our generous son had once again sent our way. By the time he was finished, the house looked a wreck and I was a bigger one. I went to bed determined to tackle it this morning (which I have). That meant getting up very early after a nothing kind of night. I feel like I've been dragged through a knot hole.

I think I was also stressed over praise team this morning. I took the summer off and it felt so good not to have such huge responsibilites on Sunday mornings. Now I'm back at it and feel less than qualified. Church has gotten so "big". It's what we have prayed for over the years and we are grateful. Plus it is exceedingly exciting to see new families come into a church when they may or may not have darkened the door of a church in some time or ever. Let's say it is a sheer thrill to seeing the Spirit of God work in our community. That being said....with all the growth comes more organization and more complexity. As we drove by some of those little white clapboard country churches on our ride yesterday, the ones whose front doors are setting on the roadside with a tiny patch of gravel on the side for a parking lot, you know the ones......I had a longing for simplicity. I know it wouldn't be long before I'd be longing for the thrill of a celebrative Sunday worship in my own church but I must admit........being among fifty people singing old hymns in a little country church that smelled musty from age sounded like a nice respite.

Are We Seeing the Intervention of God????

There are two subjects one is supposed to leave untouched when expressing views on a public forum. From the start of this blog I have talked about one of those subjects with abandon. That would be religion......however, religion is not my point. I don't really put much stock into any "religion". Religion is a philosophy of mind structured by man's ideas of what a relationship with God is all about. Garbage.....it isn't about anything but a relationship with Jesus Christ. A relationship with Jesus is based on the Bible; Genesis to Revelation. I hope I have made that clear over the last year and half.

I haven't spoken much about politics and the reason for that is I have so lost faith. My father is a staunch Republican and seems to see the logs in the eyes of the Democrats but doesn't see the inconsistencies in his side of the party lines. I am seeing through that stuff. I go on record as saying I believe in the platform of the Republican party but their people have disappointed me, too. There have been too many that have lacked integrity and worked at preserving their back ends while making decisions that are not in the best interest of our nation. Most politicans have disappointed me. I have shared before that in this present campaign there hasn't been a choice that pleased me. I have rather distanced myself from the whole business for preservation of my sanity. I've told the Lord that I just can't understand why we were left with little real choice as Christians. I suppose I felt that we have been a bit abandoned. "God, I know we are a deeply sinful people, but there are some of us who continue to repent of that and plead with you for mercy. Do you remember Abraham's request for saving Sodom and Gommorah for the sake of only a few???" I also told Him that I trusted Him to do His will in a situation He saw the end of and I didn't.

Yesterday couldn't have found me more excited and totally surprised. "GOD! you did hear me (and millions of others)". My personal opinion is that McCain's choice of Sarah Palin as his Veep was a stroke of genius. Finally, in this campaign we hear the voice of godly wisdom. What a vibrant breath of fresh air. I was almost giddy. Let's see...She is young...she is a Christian...strongly pro life..(including being mother to a four month old Down Syndrome son......has a son in the military....busy mom to five kids...is a governor who won over two very "experienced" politicians....she is NOT a Washington insider.... she knows the oil industry from the ground up....takes issue with political goals for personal gain...is open to investigation on anything....she is a conservationist but not a willy nilly........

Did you figure out that I'm sold? I have to tell you, though, that even when every thing is clearly rosey....I still guard a part of myself...I (we as a nation) have been burned once too often. I join Beth Moore in saying "I am believing God" even when it comes to the leaders of a nation I love with all my heart. God save us!

(I can hear some say....oh, but other candidates profess to be Christians, too.....let me remind the world that the Bible says, "by their fruits you will know them". Telling a nation of millions of people that there is absolutely nothing wrong with killing unborn babies is NOT showing fruit at all. Let's get real and call a spade a spade.)

Yesterday, I set up a blog for our church's annual women's retreat....while I was happy with the results, I soon realized a blog is too limited for such a thing. I sent off a message to computer son, Jay, in West Palm and told him my dilemna. He wrote back immediately that he could help me set up a website. The only stipulation was that I had to maintain it when it was set up. No problem, right? Welllllllll, we began that process late yesterday and into the night. I can't believe the work that goes into setting up a website. No wonder people that set them up get paid well. When we were ready to call it an evening....his words to me were....okay, if you remember everything I told you tonight, there are two other sites I set up for you; one for Dad and one for the family. Oh brother.......my first reaction was to throw back my head and guffaw. I retired with a mind full of stuff I do not expect to remember today but I'll give it my best shot.

Jay was always into technology....we adopted him from Korea at age six and a half. He was (and still is a pure delight). When he was around twelve, his dad got him his first computer, a Commodore 64. He spent nearly every waking moment down in the lower level (before it was finished) sitting at that square of light and doing what ever he was doing. It was greek to me. He had a partner in crime, his name was Miles. Miles lived close enough that they could walk to one another's computers. Together the boys learned how to make programs. That old 64 was a good beginning to helping Jay do what he does today. He sets up programs for big business and big health facilites. Most of his work he does from his home. The stuff Jay understands is still greek to me but I have come to a place of understanding this box that sets on my lap that I never dreamed I could do. Too little too late though.

My dad has always been on the ball about anything new that came across our world. When computers came around, his reaction blew me away. It was if he drew a line in the sand and said.....I will not go there.....I know he would enjoy communicating with people by e-mail and I also know he and his wife would love having the world at their finger tips. They have chosen not to try. I am a bit disappointed with their resistance to learning. My dad is a smart guy and could catch on easily. Can't teach old dogs (ones with strong wills) new tricks.


I let you know when the website is up. In the mean time....the same information, but less of it is at www.ccrcwomensretreat.blogspot.com

Unexpected Windfall

God is so good.....the older I get the more I learn to L_E_A_N. It is the only way to have peace. I don't have to do anything but trust Him to receive His favor and His provision. It is just the coolest!

After the new sewer system was installed in our backyard.....the contractor did a good job of covering it all and distributing the soil in a semi smooth manner. Can't complain there. BUT, the new septic tank is higher than the last one and sticks up in a bit of a hump in our yard making it necessary to bring in more black dirt for leveling purposes. If the hump were out in the back part of the yard, I don't think we would fool with it but it is located directly behind the house. We talked of doing this ourselves but with only a riding lawn mower, we decided we didn't have equipment large enough to do the job. Sooooo, we contacted a landscaper, one that is know for doing things reasonably. He came to look things over and then brought an estimate the next day. A cool $750.00 will take care of the job. Yikes. We didn't really expect that kind of cost on top of all the other costs of the sewer project. I am usually the one that gets all hot and bothered and worries my head off about stuff like that but I kept my cool. Or should I say, I kept my faith that God had this all under His control. I decided looking at smooth back dirt in my back yard wasn't so bad for a time and I'd have to deal.

Ken opened the mail yesterday to find a letter from Social Security. I can't believe we are old enough to get that....but anyway....the letter states that they took out more than they should have last year when I worked half the year. I was going to receive a refund of $447.00. !!!!!!!! Just out of the blue....totally unexpected......that amount goes a long way toward $750, doesn't it? I say it again.....God is so good and supplies ALL our needs.....as I've said before....He also gives me the desire of my heart over and over. I praise Him.

Looks like we will have the back yard landscaped sooner than we expected. PTL

The End of the Cedar Chest Saga

It goes with out saying that in any future relationships I would not want a hope chest. For me, the symbolizm of that item was not hope but an expectation I had not agreed to fulfill. I felt so much guilt over that entire experience. I think I was deemed by some to have fickle feeling; especially by my parents and my doting grandparents. They all liked the young man and felt sorry for him to have such a disappointment. I don't recall any concern for me...such as if I was really ready for a committment or if I was happy or or or....I think I embarrassed my family. While I am sorry to have given the family reason for embarrassment, I have never been sorry about my decision. The young man was a good enough guy.....it just wasn't the right guy.

After a year and a half, the driver of the carpool got my hand. It didn't seem to matter that I had no hope chest. We had the necessary items when needed. About thirty years into our marriage, I received my mother's hope chest which I considered an heirloom since she had been deceased for some time. The chest showed signs of wear and tear so I gave it to someone in our church who planned on refinishing it for me. (I wish I had kept it as it was). Shortly thereafter, that person's garage burned down and along with it, my mother's hope chest.

Recently my twenty year old granddaughter asked me to keep an eye open at garage sales for a cedar chest. I told her I don't see them at garage sales. We joked that anyone that got one and kept their marriage in tack would not get rid of theirs. Generally, the days of the hope chest are over and done...yet Whitney wanted one. When we were in Phoenix this summer, her fiance' came with a hope chest. It was nothing like those of the past....it was made of a lightweight woven material. It was cute and will serve the same purpose. It moved my heart that Whitney had a desire to touch the past with having a hope chest.

When I was in Shipshewana recently, I saw a room full of handhewn cedar chests....they were simply gorgeous and smelled so good. The Amish continue the traditon.

By the way, I heard the solution to the gas prices......turn Amish.

 

A Day of Confusion

No Hope in My Hope Chest

The setting in the last book I read was the early 1800s. It was interesting to read the cultural differences we have with those that lived in this same country two hundred years ago. I was struck with the "decorum" expected, especially from girls and women. It didn't seem like men were held to the same "in the box" rules. I have a theory about the struggle of the place of women but rather than open that box of worms, I'll move on.

The main character of the story was getting older and was unmarried. Her "hope chest" was brimming but not much hope in sight for marriage....until.....
I started thinking about hope chests and my short and brief experience with them. Mine was cedar as most were in my day. It was dark wood with rather contemporary lines. I received mine on the Christmas of my senior year of high school. Yes, my senior year (or was it my junior year, I don't remember) of high school. I had dated a young man for most of my high school years. He joined the army and went off to Germany. Our courtship for two years was via letters. In his attempt to secure his future bride, he made arrangements for someone unknown to me to purchase a hope chest for me. On Christmas morning, which was always the morning with the most magic at my childhood home, a beautiful hope chest set near the tree.

I recall the guarded smile on my parents faces and my dad's effort to take pictures so that he could send those to the purchaser. I can still feel the sick feeling in my stomach. I suppose after all these years, I can express my true feelings at that moment. The boy had been gone a long time and we had spent little time with one another. I spent most of my junior and senior years of high school waiting for a soldier. I was thinking of going to college and quite frankly was unsure about this whole relationship thing. As I sat getting my picture taken next to the symbol of hope....I was hesitant and less than hopeful. To be honest, I wasn't so sure I liked what was happening to me.

Like any young girl with a hope chest, I filled it with things "we" would need once we were married (because it was pretty evident that was what was expected). I remember thinking that this small box held very little of what one needs to make a home but it did house special items that I or someone close to me hand embroidered or purchased for me. It was soon filled with "hope".

High school graduation happened...I went to New York City and Washington DC in the spring with my classmates. It was a wonderful time of life. That summer I worked one more growing season for Fred Moolenaar, picking his produce and taking it to market with him. Then it was off to college. During my first two weeks at college I was asked to go out with five different guys. I had a hope chest at home.....I couldn't date anyone.....I was stuck.

I boarded in a home about fifteen miles from the college in a Dutch community called Roseland. Ken drove a car pool to school each day and the pool was made up of four young men......and eventually me. I sat in the middle of the front seat. The young man on my left began to get more friendly as the weeks ticked by. Eventually, I got the courage to break the relationship with the soldier and give myself the opportunity to grow up and the freedom I felt I didn't have.

When I came home from school one weekend, my brother helped me carry the hope chest from my room in the second floor down and out the door into the station wagon and then on to the home of the purchaser. He was still in Germany and I felt badly for him. As we walked the chest in, his mother cried. I felt like a skunk. Without many words, we put the chest where she directed us and walked out the door. I can't espress the relief it was to be FREE of that hope chest.

to be continued tomorrow.......

 

As I parked my car along the road to attend a garage sale, this was the scene to my left. It was a serene scene....I couldn't help but grab my camera and take a shot. I thought the algae on the water, the length of the weeds and wild flowers all indicated the warmth of August and the culmination of another season of growing. When I walked into the garage, I had all but forgotten I had taken a picture as I began to look at the wares. The young man of the house looked at me and said, "Did you like my weeds?" It took me back for a second and then I remembered. "Oh, you saw me take a picture. I thought it was such a beautiful view." He said, "Weeds? Weeds are a beautiful view?" I urged him to walk out to the road and look at his little creek through different colored glasses. We had a good chuckle. Before I left, he and his mother took the baby for a stroller walk and as he walked by my car, I rolled down my window and asked him to take a good look at the beauty of the creek. He smiled with a different attitude. Beauty is indeed in the eye of the beholder.

I have my camera with me at all times and usually have the presence of mind to take a shot at things that are worthy. I missed it entirely the other day. I drove into our church property for a meeting and as I passed a little storage garage in the one corner, three wild turkeys were strolling by bobbing their heads on their long necks as they pecked at the earth. Instead of thinking of my camera first, I thought of our pastor first. He is such an avid hunter that all I could think was the joke of what was happening here. Three succulent wild turkeys were strolling a hundred yards from where he was sitting by his desk in his office. By the time I recovered from that humorous thought, I was too late....I tried but they took off the moment I opened my car door and into the woods they fled. I meant them no harm....they were only a thing of beauty to me and not a meal but I guess they didn't understand that.

I've said it before but I'll say it again....I love mornings. I'm sitting here at my PC watching the light dispel the darkness. This is the moment of the day when I think of that comforting verse....."And His mercies are new every morning." I can just lay back in the arms of that one and enjoy a good start to my day.

Proud Parents

The Olympics close tonight. I, for one, am sorry to see them finish. It isn't that I sit and watch for hours at a time but I have watched here and there and enjoyed so many things. My favorite events are not unlike the majority of people. I love the water events and gymnastics. Yesterday, it was time to take Isaiah to his soccer game but I really didn't want to walk away from watching the synchronized swimming teams. They were phenomenal. Such grace and beauty. I also saw a few moments of an event I'm not sure of what it is called. It is sort of a dance done with a ribbon. It also was a thing of beauty.

One of the things the Olympics did at this home was to make a twelve year old boy fall in love with a beautiful little gymnast called, Shawn Johnson. Isaiah was on the computer every chance he had to check on her standings and just to get one more look at her. He was a walking reporter on her standings. I'm not sure which of them has given us more entertainment. Isaiah's aunt found a link on the Internet where one could access a simulated phone call from Shawn. She made that arrangement so Isaiah received a phone call and heard Shawn's voice. His face broke out in a huge smile. It is truly entertaining to watch yet another young boy make that transition from being a little boy to being a grown up boy and one that notices there is an opposite sex. I hate to say it but I think we are in that process here.

And how about Michael Phelp's mother? Can't all mothers relate? Watching her reaction to the accomplishments of her pride and joy were heart warming. I'm sure the Phelp's family's success was an encouragement to all the single mother families out there.

I didn't see some of the warmest moments of the games. I did hear about them though. It was reported that parents of two athletes melted in each other's arms in tears over their child's winning a medal I can't even begin to understand the sacrifice it took to get their kid to China for the games. I heard that one set of parents had taken out a second mortgage on their house in order to attend the games with their child. It is amazing what parents will do for the success of their offspring.

Kind of makes me think of my father....oh, not my earthly father, though he has been very good to me. I am thinking of my heavenly father. He sacrificed all he had for my redemption in this world and in the next. I wonder if he melts into tears when I succeed. I don't think he is looking for any big physical feat but I am sure he is looking for some success in my spiritual battles. Those battles aren't called games....they are called war. Just as those athletes look to the stands to find their parents upon the end of their race, we, God's children, look to Him at the conclusion of all of our accomplishments and recognize it is because of his sacrifice for us and his care and power in our lives that we can be blessed. Isn't it wonderful to see His smile of approval.

Speaking of my earthly father....we played pinoccle last evening at their house. They told us about Mary's attempt to hang out the laundry. She put clothes oh the line three different times and each time birds came swooping down to attack her. She finally had to ask Dad to come out to be body guard while she worked on her laundry project. When we arrived on their scene, Mary was outside looking at the birds trying to figure out what kind they were. We joined her and decided we had never seen that type of bird before but agreed with her that they were most aggressive. They were swooping over us as we watched them.

The Rest of the Story

Wow, three (one directly by e-mail) of you humored me and commented on yesterday's blog. I love it. Thanks for sharing and adding to the mix. Keep 'em coming, folks. If the rest of you wish to know what the comments were just click on comments at the bottom of the post. We are sure not to solve the world's problems but we can at least juggle them a bit and look at them from God's perspective.

I visited a lady today and found her making applesauce and apple butter. She also had frozen apple mix with which to make pies. She had processed fifty quarts of applesauce. She made me tired just listening to her. Not only did I feel tired but I felt terribly LAZY. Long ago, I came to the conclusion that I could buy natural applesauce that tasted good and not have to go through all the mess and work. Call me lazy if you will...it is okay. I used to do all that stuff and I'm over it. I canned beans, froze corn, made applesauce and even canned meat. When I fed nine or ten people each day, it made sense.....now.....nope. Not this woman. Then I began to wonder what I did with my time......I'm still wondering that one. I fill all 24 hours every day so I'm not worried....I did wonder, however, if I was using my time productively. I have my ways and I hope the Lord approves.

I visited my aunt and uncle also today. Precious people....I wasn't there long but long enough to enjoy their company and spend valuable time with them. We shared memories and a few laughs together.

Yesterday, I made an error in selecting a phone number on my cell...instead of calling my Phoenix granddaughter, I called an elderly friend who lives in Flint, MI. His wife passed away seven months ago so he was delighted to hear from me and I was glad that God had orchestrated things so that my error was made. Leroy is 84 and he began telling me about his latest hobby; walking. I said it was very good for him to walk....then he told me...."the rest of the story". He decided last week to walk to church...it was midweek and I'm not sure what his goal was in going there but his trip took him four hours. I asked how many miles it was to church. Sixteen, was his proud reply. Then he shared that once he got to church, he realized he had bit off a bigger bite than he could chew but regardless, he began his journey home. He said he was having a hard time putting one foot in front of the other. It was a hot day so he stopped in front of some random lady's home and when he saw her in her yard, he asked her for a drink. She got him a drink and asked him if he was alright. He said he didn't think he was too good. She asked if he could call someone to get him. Well, he could call his neighbor but he knew that if his neighbor knew about what he had done, the neighbor would be unhappy with him so he walked on. Eventually, he looked at his cell phone and realized he had missed a call from the neighbor's wife. He returned the call. Irene asked where he was...he told her. She asked if Ron should come get him and Leroy said, no, that he thought he would be alright. She said, "I'm sending Ron to get you."

When Ron got to him, Ron was extremely angry. Leroy said he chewed me up one side and down the other. Leroy is a dearly loved retired pastor and teacher. He and his neighbors have a running Bible study on Friday evenings in Leroy's home. Ron informed Leroy that he wasn't coming to the Bible study that next day. Leroy asked what his walking so far had to do with their Bible study. Ron told him that Leroy had no idea how much stress he was putting on them to do such an unwise thing and that he had to sit in his soup and think about it for awhile. I laughed and laughed. He told me it wasn't so funny and I told him I thought it was.....it was so him....and so Ron. The dynamics were so predictable. Leroy explained further that the rumor spread rapidly among the people of his church and that he got a scathing letter from another of the ladies. She told him he was trying to kill himself.

He said he called her and made sure she knew that killing himself was not his goal. He has promised everyone he won't do anything stupid anymore.

Jehovah; Name Out of Favor?

I met with Kyle, the new worship director of our church, this morning. I find him very likeable and easy to work with. I explained to him that I am perhaps too old to have such an active part in worship planning and worship teaming. He didn't agree, so here I am still planning services and caring out the high calling of helping God's people worship Him on given Sundays. Now I have someome to help me do the planning and the preparation and carry out the execution. I feel I have a partner in crime.....well.....you what I mean. As we worked together this morning we talked about the theme for the Sunday we are leading.....it is the third commandment which is not to take God's name in vain. I suggested doing something with all the names of Jehovah. He explained that one of his professors didn't like that name because it was nonsensical letters just put together. HUH???????? I said, "Explain this to me, Kyle." He said, "Well, I don't think the word Jehovah is in the Bible. Huh again. He pulled up Bible Gateway which we both rely on for info like that and clicked the NIV version and keyed in the word. Not one. I said, "Click on the King James version." He did and they popped up all over the place. I learned something new today. So along with other theological understandings that have changed over the years, I guess the name "Jehovah" has also fallen out of favor with the learned. I'm not a theologian but on the surface of things, I have a difficult time with that. Somebody would have to explain the problem with that name a whole lot more convincingly for me to buy it. I wonder what a good Old Testament believing Jew would say about such a thing.

We could agree on using many different names for Jesus; ie....Rock, Lily of the Valley...Bright and Morning Star etc. I will do some research on that. I know I have many of them written in the cover of one of my Bibles so I'll check that out. I had to chuckle a bit. I don't have a problem with the difference of opinion, I just think it is amusing that at our first planning meeting, an issue that truly expresses a generational gap would raise its head.

I have expressed to many of my readers that you need to comment on what I write so that I know how you all feel or what you believe about a situation. I'm up to a challenge...we can also agree to disagree. So, you who are brave may comment on what you think on the "Jehovah" issue. I'll be interested in hearing from you.

For Me to Live is Christ and To Die Is Gain

Be it ever so humble....there's no place like home. We are here. Home....I was nervous ab out looking at our disaster zone in the back yard but the contractor did a fairly good job of leveling out the dirt. It will need some serious working to get it ready for seed but hopefully that can be done dragging something on the back of the riding lawn mower. When I say this sewer system took all our back yard, I am not exaggerating. Wow...we wouldn't be able to put in an underground pool back there even if we wanted to....there is room to the side and to the front but wow....that is some wide spread system. I don't expect any trouble for the next thirty years and I don't think we will still be here in thirty years so there is little worry.

Ken is going spastic because some very important papers are missing. Where were they when you last had them? On the kitchen table. When? Last week. Oh for goodness sake, how the dickens am I supposed to remember something that was on the kitchen table last week? I don't let things set on the kitchen table....he knows that and if there was something really important, can you tell me why you would leave it on the table?????????? Oh frustration. Last week, my daughter had a document she left open on my computer....an important document. I unplugged her flash drive and the document vanished. I was in big trouble for losing her document on my computer. Jeepers......is no space sacred to me anymore....my computer and the kitchen table.......ugh. This is not a good way to end this day....

Cousin John's body was put to its earthly rest today. Ken was honored to be a pallbearer. After the internment at the cemetery, the undertaker told the family they could hang back and watch the casket lowered into the ground. I have never seen that done before. Time marches on and things change....I guess resistance to viewing that is changing too. I must say the men in charge of lowering the casket into the vault were most professional and sensitive. After the funeral a lovely dinner was served in a banquet facility near the cemetery.

We enjoyed fellowship with the saints there the last two days. It is truly comforting to talk with relatives and friends who know to whom they belong. A discussion about taking young children to wakes and funerals came up. Some think it is healthy to expose children to death because it is part of life. I have a problem with that philosophy. I'm not opposed to taking kids to funerals and wakes but I have serious issues with saying death is part of life. Death does come into life because of sin, but death was never meant to be, so then how can it be part of life? Death is the sheer opposite of life and I find it the enemy. The Word tells us it is our last enemy. No, I can't see it as a part of life at all.....it is the interruption of life. To me, thinking it is part of life rubs too close to making friends with death. Death is the result of sin and sin a result of the work of Satan.....I'm giving him no credit at all for the LIFE I live in Christ.

Celebrating Life and Mourning Death

Today is our daughter, Lauri's birthday. Lauri was the first baby of our original family.......she is our third child born two days after our fifth anniversary and was the last child for her first seven years and ........then........poor kid got the shock of her life. Three siblings by adoption, one more by birth and one more yet by adoption. I think Lauri kind of liked that youngest child position. She didn't fuss about loosing that to our first adopted child...but she has mentioned it over the years. Whatever position she had or now has, she is loved and cherished...so Happy Birthday to our precious child (Now an adult with four precious children of her own)

Yesterday was a day of sadness for us and particularly for my husband. I noticed him shaking his head at dinner. Then he shared that his cousin's death was just a pity. Ken's parents and John's parents were best of friends and spent big amounts of time together when the two boys were children. Being an only child, Ken and John became very close. John was as close as a brother to Ken....John only had sisters so Ken was his close childhood boy chum, too. After I met Ken, I learned to know John and found him likeable and caring and gentle. When we dated, we were with John and his dates several times. John married the same summer we did. Sadly, John's marriage didn't last.....a very stressful job added to the mix. I think perhaps John lost faith in humankind during those years. It's difficult to judge another's motives and behavior but his lack of desire to communicate with the outside world revealed a lot. His health began to break down and instead of reaching out, he turned in. As time elapsed, John spent all his time in his home....he didn't feel strong enough physically to face the outside world and I'm sure there was emotional stuff going on as well. We longed to see him and attempted to do so but John didn't want to see anyone but his children and sisters. I know that was difficult and hurtful for Ken. It's painful to want a relationship one can't have. One wonders sometimes why things have to be the way they are. Tis truly a broken world.

Today, we will go to Palos Hills to spend time with John's precious children and two wonderful sisters with whom we have a warm relationship. It will be an opportunity to share in the memory of good times. We plan to stay the night somewhere in the area and attend the funeral tomorrow. Just recently, John's sisters and I have been making plans to get together to visit when times are happy. Someone commented once that it would be nice if we got to share time other than at a funeral. We had no idea we would all be attending yet another funeral before our casual visit could occur. Hopefully, our plans to spend a weekend of enjoyment together will take place in October. So, to Carrol and Marcy, we extend our heartfelt sympathy and want you to know we share your sorrow. We trust the Lord to comfort your hearts and the hearts of John's children and grandchildren. We place you in His care and keeping.

 

 

 

 

It started with this hole.....drain water was not draining.....it was nasty but small. Now look at the mess....the whole back yard is a disaster zone.

School Begins Again

I've just returned from opening chapel at DeMotte Christian School. I have four grandchildren in its population. Last year it was five, but this year Alex will go to high school.

Th DMC principal used a verse from Joshua 1:9 to encourage parents, grandparents and students alike.....

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go".

Great words to begin a new school year.....great words to begin a new day....great words....a great promise.....something one can hang his/her hat on and trust. Remember that God told us 365 times not to be afraid. When we look around us we find that is rather counter cultural....do not be afraid? There appears much for which we could be afraid but remember that the Lord our God will be with us wherever we go....whatever we do...

Today, construction will begin on our sewer system. I know you who are city people can't understand having to take care of one's own system but we live in the country and it is ours to deal with. The past system lasted thirty years....now we have to have a new one. I hate spending money on stuff that doesn't show that we have made improvements but it has to be done.....so today is supposed to be the day....BUT....they aren't here yet and it is ten in the morning. The man of my house is getting impatient. He is trying to get someone at the company by phone but they are not available. Likely story, right? I wish they would give us a call and let us know that they still intend to start today. That would make all the rest of us more comfortable.

Soooooo....he is ringing them again......still no answer.......

 

Page Bradford, Susan, Kiersten and Joshua De Vries

A Visit to the Noblesville De Vries'

Yesterday, we drove south to Noblesville, near Indianapolis, to visit our son, Joshua's family. It was a gorgeous day so we started early....stopped and got our Starbucks in Lafayette and then sipped our way south. Delightful. We found the kids happy and in good spirits. Our step granddaughter, Page, was home which added pleasure to our day. Page is going to be a senior in college this year. Her baby sister, Kiersten, is seven and is starting first grade. One at one end of the education spectrum and one at the other.

We checked out all the remodeling jobs Josh has done around their house and were simply amazed. Good job, Son. We visited for awhile and then they took us to an Asian buffet. It was a huge place, fairly new, and filled with people, most of them Asian. That was a good sign. The options were endless and we ate way too much but it was delicious. We spent the rest of the afternoon on their patio, enjoying good fellowship while drinking raspberry iced tea.

Joshua is a wheeler and dealer and his heart is as big as the world. There is no end to his generosity. As a result we came home with a Durango full of stuff. We have wanted a second refrigerator in the garage for a long time but didn't want to put out the money for a new one and just haven't come up with a good used one. Well, Josh had one they weren't using so the guys stuffed it in the back of the Durango. That wasn't the only thing....Ken fell heir to an electric sander, a commercial sized blower and some other incidental things. So, move over stuff, we have to make room for more. Shouldn't people our age be downsizing??????

Today is our forty sixth anniversary. As we opened our eyes at approximately the same time this morning, we said in chorus, "Happy Anniversary". I remember our fifth anniversary. I was pregnant with our third child and over due. Ken forgot it was our anniversary and I used the opportunity to have a pity party. When I shared the sorrow with my mother, she wisely said, "Honey, I learned long ago that it is best to say a week or so before one's anniversary something that will remind the husband that a special day is near. It saves a lot of heartache." She was so right. This year I said nothing and not on purpose, just hadn't gotten to it yet and I heard my husband of these many years tell his son, "Yep, tomorrow Mom and I will be married forty six years." I smiled and said to my daughter in law.....I'm amazed he remembered. Some things do get better with age.

 

Sheepshead mushroom in our front yard

Tomatoes and Mushrooms

This year I planted some tomato plants at the edge of the woods next to our yard. While we were gone for a couple of weeks, the weeds took over and now it is solid green....plants.....weeds and all. This year, I have just given in to weeds. There was a day when my gardens were emaculate...yes there were....this year....there seem to be better things to do with my time. Yesterday, I checked to see if there were any ripe tomatoes in the woods. As I walked into the mass of foliage, I heard something run through the jungle and into the woods. When I picked the ripe tomatoes, they had major parts of them eaten by something. They were clean bites and quite fresh. I shrugged and walked to some plants that were more on the edge rather than inside the foliage. Those tomatoes were fine and I picked the ripe ones. There is nothing like the flavor of a vine ripened tomato. The ones we get in salads during the winter bear little resemblance. I love them fresh with fried eggs, on a hamburger or in a salad. When I was a child, I ate them sprinkled with sugar....Ken still eats his that way.

Today I was with a friend who in the course of conversation told me that her daughter in law was picking all her green tomatoes because rabbits were eating them. Hmmmmmm, so rabbits are the culprit. That made good sense because we have had many rabbits run in and out of the yard from the woods this year and the varmint that ran away on my arrival to the tomato plants could very well have been a rabbit. So, when I got home today, I picked all the green tomatoes of adequate size from the plants in the woods. Those little critters don't need to eat my tomatoes. Tomatoes will ripen just fine when picked green (though I still prefer to pick them ripened). At least I won't lose all my precious home grown tomatoes.

Each year, next to our front yard oak tree, a sheep's head mushroom grows. Sometimes it grows next to or near the tree and one year it grew about six feet away from the tree. Only one grows each year. It is quite the mystery. Sheep heads are delicious sliced, battered and fried. They taste like a slice of deep fried meat. The front yard oak was blown off and then cut down last winter. I wondered if the sheepshead would find its way inspite of the missing tree. Sure enough, I noticed the buds yesterday right next to the stump and today it must have grow four inches. One has to pick them just at the right time so we watch them closely when once out of the ground. The right time will be in the next day or two. Then we will soak it in salt water, slice it and cook it. Uusally, it is big enough to share with my parents. We will see.

The power of a seed or a spore is a wonder to ponder. It is also humbling. We brag about the things we grow but we don't really do the growing, do we? God tells us to subdue the earth and we work at it but without His unexplainable creative power, we would be sunk. (and hungry)

 

Multiples of Ethan

 

It's our Ethan

Little E

Little E called yesterday afternoon with this request......"Gwama, can I have a sleep over." Being the kids that live only two miles away, he and his sisters are the ones that have not spent many nights here. The out of town kids do it often but being the kids that live the closest they go home to sleep. Ethan is seven and the youngest child of daughter Lauri and her husband Elton. He is also the only boy. To say he is special in their midst is an understatement. Little E is quite a character. His vocabulary is way beyond his seven years but he still has a little boy's speech problems. His "r"s and his "th"s are not completely developed so sometimes listening to this dichotomy is quite entertaining. Another thing one needs to know about Ethan and his speech is that his mouth is in constant go mode. He never stops talking. For about twenty minutes I counted the times he said, "Gwama".....you don't even wnat to know. When I mentioned his ability to carry on a one way conversation to his mother, she said, "Welcome to my world".

While I listened to him last evening I thought I should try and remember what he says so that I can entertain my blog readers but his words are so many and come so fast, I wasn't able to slice out a sentence or two and hold it in my memory. I do remember that one of his stories had the word, "literally" in it several times and it took me a few minutes before I could figure out what word he was using. During dinner, he told me his mom and dad were boring....well that is what I thought he said. I asked, "Your mom and dad are boring?" Then he looked at me with frustrated big blues and said with conviction......"boring...you know Gwama...what you do with pins and balls". Ken looked at me with an unspoken request for translation. I chuckled and said, "Oh, he means his mom and dad are bowling." Got it, E. Yes your mom and dad are bowling.

The quietest part of our night was when I climbed into the guest bed with him and we read a book together. He told me who the "aufor" was and then he read a page or two and then I read a page or two. Soon he was too tired to read so I finished up the chapter and then it was lights out. It was he that wanted to go to bed. Generally kids want to stay up late but after eight o'clock he just couldn't wait to sleep. He was sooooo tired. At this writing, he is still quiet. That means he is still sleeping. My day will start when his little eyes open. I will cherish the memories.......Little E will grow up soon and the cute way he says his words will fall by the wayside. In the mean time, he will continue to entertain me....

I Love What My Nose Can Do

The gift of smell is very precious to me. I use my smell gift constantly in my daily living. We don’t often think about the sense as being as important as the sense of sight or hearing, but to me, it means a bunch. My smell sense gives me pleasure and pain. I smell everything…the skin on my arm….a blanket or towel taken from the dryer…hmmmmmm….that precious baby that spent the weekend here……freshly cut grass……my husband’s neck fresh from the shower…...food in all its forms including my Starbucks chai tea…….. body lotions…..I even choose my deodorant by its smell. I make laundry decisions based on how the item smells to me…is it a fresh smell or an unpleasant smell? Then there are the smells that send me over the edge……cheap perfume……..cigarettes……liquor……dirty dishes…….. the garbage bag…… Smells also warm me of danger….what is that smell like a burning motor?.......something rotten?........something awry?

Now you are thinking I’m a complete wacko and you’re wondering what got me to thinking about smells. I’ll tell you. I walked in the guest room this morning to dust the glass top on the dresser. As I dusted, I smelled Ken’s mother’s house. Yep….I did ….no mistaking it. Ken’s mother has been out of her house for at least eight years and has been in glory for around five years. BUT, I could still smell the aroma of her house coming from her bedroom set that now serves us in our guest room.

Can you smell those great big black pencils and wide lined paper we used in first grade? I can. I smell them as I think of them. I can be in that little seat in DeMotte Christian School by just smelling a pencil or certain types of paper.

A few weeks ago, I was driving one way down the road and passed my husband in his car going the other way. All the windows were rolled up in both cars. As I passed him, I smelled a lit cigarette. When I told him later that I had smelled that cigarette, he told me I was plum crazy…….no one can smell a cigarette in a passing car. Oh yes, I can. He actually got irritated with me for my claim.

Last January, I pulled up to an Episcopal church on a Sunday morning around noon. I liked the architecture and stopped to take a picture. The priest stepped outside the door and invited me in to take pictures on the inside which I thought was a gracious gesture. His comment was, I just put away the incense so there will be a sweet smell in there. I smiled as I realized that he too valued aromas. God values the sweet smell of incense that rises with the prayers of His people to Him……..

Revelation 8:3
2-4I saw the Seven Angels who are always in readiness before God handed seven trumpets. Then another Angel, carrying a gold censer, came and stood at the Altar. He was given a great quantity of incense so that he could offer up the prayers of all the holy people of God on the Golden Altar before the Throne. Smoke billowed up from the incense-laced prayers of the holy ones, rose before God from the hand of the Angel.

I Think We've Turned a Corner

I have to share my joy this morning. My young friend, in the pit of despair, for whom I asked prayer a few weeks ago called me last evening. I usually call her but with a very busy weekend...marathon of people around me which continues....there was no private time for me to call so several days slipped by. She was on my mind in between the reality of my busyness but I didn't get to her. Young friend has not called me often and when she has she has been in the pit of despair and scared me to a shudder. She is so many miles from me so personal visits are not possible. I listened, searched my mind for appropriate Scriptures that would encourage her and then agonize in prayer with her for God to DO SOMETHING AND QUICK. My friend, in her early thirties, has been on a feeding tube for over two months. She could take nothing but a little water by mouth. The last time I dared ask, she was 90 pounds. The diagnosis was an eating disorder and post traumatic stress syndrome. My young friend has been through the loss of all but one family sibling in a war so the diagnosis was not surprising. As time wore on and we confered on nearly a daily basis, I learned that wasn't all the destruction in her young life. All of this was not a shock to me but more of an explanation about where this had taken her. This girl had reached out to me about two months ago with her first desperate phone call. The only thing I had to offer her was my God who is the restorer of all things broken. I must admit that over and over after our conversations, I felt totally helpless. That's becaue I was. Only God can heal the brokenhearted. He uses us as tools and instruments but the power is in His hand and timing. Isn't it interesting how these things pop up in our lives without any logical explanation and we are left to struggle with a challenge for which we didn't ask.

Young friend's voice was different when she called last evening. I heard a lilt. She shared with me that her little girl had passed an entrance test for kindergarten. It was so clear to me that that concern had weighed heavy on her heart. We rejoiced together and thanked God for His answer to our prayer over that. Then she told me that the doctors had started to wean her off the feeding tube. At this point, she is eighteen hours on and the rest off. She is beginning to sense a desire for food....a bit of an appetite! Thank you, Jesus. She told of how she visited a health food store and had such a desire for fresh coconut juice and the owner prepared some for her which she drank and kept down. Such a little thing when one is healthy and such a monumentous feat when so sick one can't take nourishment. Her GI track is now accepting small amounts of anti depressant medicine. She has an appointment tomorrow to begin work with a Christian counselor. I sigh with relief as I see God finally moving for her healing. I praise God.

I'm not sure which of us is learning the most from this experience. Well, perhaps I do know.....but I can confess that I am learning tons through this. Young friend and I celebrated in our prayers of thanksgiving last night. My friend is the sweetest thing.....always has been....... is a follower of Jesus since her early teens.....she confesses to learning so much about being a child of God through this experience. I praise Him for saving an eternal soul but also praise Him for saving her from an early death. She has so much to live for and has God's plan for her life to fulfill. Lift a prayer of thanksgiving with me today and ask for God's continued healing in her life in all three dimensions; physically, emotionally and spiritually.

Standing Akimbo

Today, a friend, Rosa and I along with Rosa's grandson and my daughter and grandson all went to Shipshewana, Indiana.....Amish country. Rosa and family are from Puerto Rico and had not visited Amish country before. Rosa graciously drove her lovely Honda station wagon which made for a very comfortable ride. We spent the first hour or so of our day at the largest flea market in the world. There were some very interesting things this time and we had great fun "window" shopping. As Rosa said, "We bought everything with our eyes." It's nice to come home knowing one didn't spend a wad. I had a delightful day and didn't really spend much money.

We ate lunch at The Blue Gate and enjoyed the peanut butter/marshmallow creme along with their delicious apple butter on the little bread loaves they served. Everyone seemed happy with the lunch of their choice so we were on to look at other things.

For Rosa, English is her second language and she does so well. Sometimes when I say something, I realize she didn't understand. We, who speak English, speak with so many idioms that a person trying to understand English is so easily confused. When we were traveling east this morning, I asked some questions about what she wanted to see. She shrugged her shoulders as only Rosa can do and said, "You call the shots." After she said that she asked, what does that mean, you call the shots. I explained she had used it correctly and that it meant that she was giving me permission to make the decisions. That led to a discussion about the difficulty of the English language.

I learn new things about the English language regularly. I recall about ten years ago when I learned to my astonishment that "taunt" means to tease or provoke and "taut" means pulled tightly. To that point in my life I had used taunt interchangably. I embarrassed myself. Recently, at my dad's house, he was reading two definitions for his daily crossword puzzle that were not yet solved. One was to stand with hands on one's hips. Mary said very confidently, "Oh, that's akimbo." News to me! Now I know and you know that standing akimbo is standing with your hands on your hips. Oh, you already knew that. Aren't you so smart.

 

Those sirens are killing me, Mommy

 

An American flag and the thumb of her right hand make a baby happy at the parade where loud noises were intimidating

Random Thoughts

Some eclectic thoughts today.

1. Go USA!!!!!! The Olympics have entertained this household of eight all weekend. We love to watch as each athlete brings to the world their hopes, dreams and best effort. Our first thrill was the basketball win....USA over China. We watched with baited breath as the girl's gymnastic team had their highs and lows. But nothing about the Olympics could match the thrill of winning the 400 meter relay race over the French. We read in the newspaper yesterday morning and then heard commentators report that one of the men on the French team had said the reason they came to the Olympics was to SMASH the Americans. Don't tell an American such a thing. A better challenge can not be created. At the beginning of the last leg of the race, our man was nearly a body length behind.....the broadcaster said, "I don't see how it's possible for the USA to overtake them now". With that, the tide changed before our very eyes when Jason Lezak propelled himself to the finish just fractions of a second ahead of the French team member. Sweeeeeet!

2. Our pastor preached on the differnce between believing faith and saving faith yesterday morning. It was one of those sermons that causes one to reevaluate one's position in the family of God. Do I really have saving faith? I don't always feel like Jesus is the focus of my life though I know that He is. Kind of has to do with those emotions I spoke of the other day. Can't trust 'em. Some times, I can FEEL so very close to God and then there are times.....even long periods of time......when I don't feel that closeness. Even though the pastor was speaking truth from the Word, my guess is that he will hear from a few members of his flock this week. If the sermon was troubling to me...one who has been in the family of God since a child....then I am sure it was troubling to some that are recent believers.

3. Craig, Kendra and Emerson will leave for their home today. We have enjoyed having them. That baby is just a cutie and at seven months is developing her own little personality. Good as gold.......I don't recall having a baby that gives less trouble. We went to Lauri's and Elton's last evening after church. They had been camping for the weekend so it was their chance to see C,K and E. On our way home, Isaiah asked Kendra when they were going home.....she replied it would be tomorrow (which is today). He groaned and said, "So I suppose we won't see you for another month." Kendra said it would probably be longer since she is going back to teaching when school starts. Isaiah expressed my sentiments precisely. I didn't need to say a word......I just sat in the front seat and smiled.

4. The Bible trivia game took a turn yesterday. Kendra got out the book before dinner and memorized all the answers so that she could give Isaiah a run for his money. It was pretty hilarious as all eight of us sat around the table listening to Kendra answer before I finished giving the question. It didn't take long before Isaiah smelled a rat and figured out her cheating. A little levity in life.

Beauty is as Beauty Does

The latest news on the political scene is the truth that surfaced about John Edward's affair. Comments I heard by the accused made me want to vomit. According to him,

"It is inadequate to say to the people who believed in me that I am sorry, as it is inadequate to say to the people who love me that I am sorry. In the course of several campaigns, I started to believe that I was special and became increasingly egocentric and narcissistic. If you want to beat me up - feel free. You cannot beat me up more than I have already beaten up myself. I have been stripped bare and will now work with everything I have to help my family and others who need my help."

I can't express adequately all that I feel in this latest revealation. When people question my cynicism about poitical leaders, I feel badly that I have so little faith in them. It seems strange to me that a nation full of people can believe that a man can be true to a nation when he cannot stay true to his wife. How can one believe in a person who will lie before a whole nation? It strikes me as unbelievable that Bill Clinton has been so revered after his lie to the nation. He walks around like a celebrity and is treated as one as well. Beats me.

It appears the Democrats want to distance themselves from John Edwards at the moment. Sure they do. There is an election at stake. Some American citizens still have trouble with infidelity. But, just wait, it won't take long...the man with the handsome face and carismatic smile will be back; not because he is the kind of person I could put my faith in, but because he is handsome and carismatic. Beauty is only skin deep. My grandmother used to say, "Beauty is as beauty does." Show me a person of true integrity and I will cast my vote for them. But, lack of integrity isn't easily seen......finally....it rises to the top and is exposed.

I feel deep sorrow for the Edward's family. This cannot be easily borne. Hopefully, they can put their lives back together as a unit and go on. But please, John, don't think you can rise again in the political ranks and get my confidence. Nada.

The Lake County Fair

Craig, Kendra and Emerson arrived on our scene Thursday night after they attended the White Sox game. Yesterday, Kendra and I hung out and Ken and Craig went to Sandy Pines to golf. I think it was the first time this father/son-in-law team golfed together. From the sounds of things, they had a good time and came away with similar scores. After dinner, we all went to Lake County Fair to introduce Emerson to the animals. Kendra said she didn't want to look at anything displayed that wasn't an animal so we walked through the cows, horses, sheep, pigs, goats, chicken, geese,turkeys, pigeons and last but certainly not least, the rabbits. Before we arrived, Kendra voiced her desire to see the bunnies. When we went to the rabbit house, the sign over the door said, "pigeons". We surmised the rabbits had been moved from their prior and historic spot. When we had run the gamut of animals of every sort but no rabbits we asked. They were in with the pigeons, so back to the pigeon building we went. I think it went without saying that Kendra was more delighted with the rabbits than Emerson but as Grandpa said, "Wait til next year, she will be very excited to see them when she gets a bit older." There were some cool rabbits for sale so it wasn't long before Isaiah sidled up next to me and said, "Grandma???????????" My heart longed to fulfill his wish but I reminded him that we were going into winter and a better time to add a rabbit to your responsibilities is the spring so we left the rabbits in their cages.

 

Kristyahna
The Beautiful New Treasure of the Peterson Family

Kristyahna

Last evening, two ladies from our church hostessed a shower for a family that recently added to their family through adoption from the Ukraine. Kristyahna is about two years old and she joins a loving mom and dad and two doting brothers, also adopted from the Ukraine. She is an adorable little muchkin and had the best time as she caught on to what gifts were and that there were some really cool things in all those gift bags she was given.

The ladies of the church were invited to dress their little girls as princesses and join in the shower activities. There were about sixteen little girls there and most were dressed for the ocassion. Some had wands along with their tiaras and fancy princess dresses.

I would call the night a huge success....not only for the ladies of honor; Shanda and her baby daughter....but for all the rest of us, too. A big thank you to Patty and Tawyna for thinking of it and carrying it off.

Check the pictures up under my favorite pics.....pretty little ladies are available for view.

The Road Less Traveled

 

Roads......favorite roads.....not many left any more. I recall that during my earlier years, the main highway (route 53 way back then and route 231 now) through our small town forged our way toward the Kankakee River just two plus miles to the north. Once close to the river, trees tightly canopied the road so that our passing afforded us the pleasure of going through a green tunnel. It was one of my favorite spots....it provided shade in the summer and protection in the winter. Obviously, the farmer (a highschool classmate of mine) who purchased the ground adjacent to the road (and trees) found the trees an interruption in his plan to cultivate the field to its maximum potential. Little by little, those beautiful trees fell to a chain saw. I grieved over the loss of that tunneled foliage. The change is what we are taught in history class to label progress.

When folks talk about taking the back road to a particular place....what do they mean? I suppose it means the way less traveled. I choose to take the road less traveled often when I head for places north of here. County line road provides me a memory of the past; the distance of about 3/4 of a mile where the beauty of a canopy of trees awaits me. When I was a teenager, I would not take that road. The area had lots of negative history. It was supposed to be filled with ghosts and spirits of the sort that would overtake one especially in the dark. I avoided that area like the plague back then when my understanding about spirits was immature. I recall many of my peers, especially the boys, would go there just to tempt the legend.

I don't know when my opinion of the river road changed but it has become one of my favorite travels. As for bad spirits, I realize there are bad spirits everywhere but not to fear. The Spirit of the Living God lives in me and so as I travel through this beauty of creation, I carry the light of Christ with me. The Word tells me that when that happens, spirits flee.

There is an historic house along that stretch. It was called the Camerons place. My grandmother used to drive me through there (while I shivered in my shoes) and tell me that Teddy Roosevelt spent a night in the house while on a hunting and fishing trip. I don't know if that can be substantiated but I liked the story.

Yesterday, I went to Merrillville. When I go by myself I always take the river road even though the speed limit there is 40mph when the expressway that runs a quarter of a mile parralel allows 70mph. I forgot to take my cell phone along on my trip and found it to be totally freeing. Noone could get in contact with me. I thoroughly enjoyed my little jaunt over the river and through the woods. As I marveled at the beauty, I stopped my car, step out onto the road and shot a pic in front of me and behind me. I love the place and hope it remains a place of quietness and beauty for many generations.

In the above photo, just beyond sight, the road jogs and one crosses the Kankakee River over an old steel structured bridge. Should have taken a pic of that also...those are slowly disappearing as well.

 

Traveling away from the river.....another jog in sight and beyond that.....no trees....just corn fields

The Trees of the Field are Clapping Their Hands

“The rain and snow come down from the heavens
and stay on the ground to water the earth.
They cause the grain to grow,
producing seed for the farmer
and bread for the hungry.
11 It is the same with my word.
I send it out, and it always produces fruit.
It will accomplish all I want it to,
and it will prosper everywhere I send it.
12. You will live in joy and peace.
The mountains and hills will burst into song,
and the trees of the field will clap their hands
Isaiah 55


We got some much needed rain two nights ago…….nearly five inches on our rain gauge…..it seemed to storm the whole night through. I love sleeping while it storms. Our youngest calls us before a storm. She believes that we pay little mind to weather forecasts and she is right. Monday night, the forecast was not good for a very wide area….I know because the television show I was watching was interrupted several times only to irritate me when the punch lines were missed by the interruptions. Aside from the television, our meteorologist is our daughter, Kendra. The other night I was on the phone with a cousin in Grand Rapids. The call waiting beeped three times. It was so obvious someone was hard pressed to get me on the phone. When I didn’t answer those beeps, my cell phone began to ring. When I looked at the caller ID, sure enough, it was our Kendra worrying about her parents again. I brought my cell phone to Ken and he took the warning from Kendra. Kendra will be reading this and will not be sure how to take our reaction to her calls. I must say, it feels kind of good to have kids looking out for us when for over forty years; we have been looking out for the good of our kids. So, don’t be dismayed Kendra…..you just keep taking care of us. (Kendra knows that our cable goes out over ten drops of rain so she is concerned we won’t get duly warned when and if there is real danger)

I was in bed shortly after Kendra’s call on Monday night. The phone rang again and when I lifted the receiver I heard Ken speaking with a male voice. I thought, “Oh my, things must really be bad because Kendra has her husband calling us”, I heard the male caller say, “Yes, my radar says there is a cell directly over De Motte”. When my senses returned, I realized the male caller was our son, John, our Michigan kid. My face broke out in a huge smile. More than one of our kids was taking care of us.

The outcome of the night was a whole lot of water, but north of us about twenty miles there was some very destructive weather. Many homes and businesses had serious damage. I saw a headline this morning in the grocery store that said, “F-2 Tornado”. Not sure what that means but I suppose I will read that article sometime today.

We spent last evening with my dad and Mary, again. Mary asked my dad how much rain he had in the gauge. He told her and she said, “I’ve been wondering ever since it rained…..I heard for days on end about how badly we needed the rain and then when it rains you don’t tell me how much we got”. My dad smiled and said, “Well, Mary, I thanked the Lord right after the rain, you heard me do so”. She said in her own dry way, “You told the Lord but you forgot to tell me.” I thought I’d die laughing. Visiting those two is always good for a few laughs. They are such entertainment. (The men won both games of pinochle last night so their egos were stroked again)

Fickle Emotions

Emotions.....I'm here to tell ya that you can't trust them. Late last week, I enjoyed some days where nothing bothered me. The critical spirit I had been struggling with dissipated (thank God) and I was left with love in my heart for everyone of my fellow humankind. Sometimes the sin I see in myself, in others, and in my church can overwhelm me with a feeling that attempts to drown me in hopelessness. I had been really struggling with that for some time. Like Solomon, I could lament with a loud voice, "All is vanity! Of course, one can't share that with another human being without being very vulnerable. I think I shared it with my husband and one of my good friends, and for some reaon, they think I have something to offer even when or in spite of my being in a funk. I prayed about my condition. Lord, replace this awful negative spot I'm in with the love that only you can give. Finally, late last week, the calm came...the ugliness disappeared and I could love without condition once more.

Just when I thought I had made the climb up that mountain, just when I thought the struggle was over.......I spent a miserable night......there were so many fears that reared their ugly heads. My physical being was even responding to this torment. Why Lord? Why? Just when peace had come, why am I feeling this way? It didn't last long and He has confirmed His presence to me and allowed me a measure of peace again. The day after my long night, I put my battle into a poem...sometimes it helps....

Just a day ago, the calm was sweetly overwhelming
There was no need to self defend
There was no need to compare with another
There was peace in the soul
So what was it all about when
Disquietness enveloped me during the night
Nothing had changed
Emotions are difficult to harness
The truth of God’s Word is deeply in place
Still Satan’s lies attempt to erase
Lord, allow your Spirit to invade my being
Wash each cell with your affirming truth
I join David and say
Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
For I will yet praise him
My Savior and my God

After each evening meal we eat as a family, (not always), we play a Bible trivia game with our grandson. His Bible knowledge amazes us and delights us. Last evening, one of the questions was, "How many times do the words, "Do not fear" appear in the Bible. None of us knew the answer but were pleased when we learned that there are 365 times in the Word that God tells us not to fear. I commented that God must have known we needed to hear that everyday, one time for each day of the year.

Regardless of where we are emtionally in our journey through this life, we can be assured He has us in the hallow of His hand.....trust His Words and not your emotions.

Tomorrow is Another Day

It doesn't happen often but today it did......I simply had nothing to share. Normally there is a thought on which I can build a blog but today I was totally empty. As a result you got a rest from reading me.

Our evening meal is over. I didn't accomplish much at all this day. Went to a friend who was catagorizing my tablecloths. She used some of them for a rehearsal dinner on Thursday night and was so kind as to clean them and then label them according to size and shape. I bought them as cast offs from a caterer. For what reason they were parting with them, I don't know, but they sure are made of nice fabric. There are between 20 and 25 of them. Now they are hanging in my friends closet totally organized. That was a bright spot in my day. Then another friend was getting connected to the Internet today. She appreciated my presence for sheer power in numbers. I tried to show her how to use the net but her real lessons will be as she does it herself. I sincerely hope she falls in love with it since it was I, at least, I think it was I that encouraged her to join the 21st century.

Nothing earth shattering, uh? That's okay, tomorrow is another day.

Leisurely Day

Yesterday morning I asked Ken what we were going to do for my birthday. He looked at me funny and asked what I wanted to do. I told him I wasn't sure but it was a special day and I wanted to do something special. Poor guy probably thought, "I've just taken her across the country and she still wants more." He said, "Okay, Queenie, tell me where you want to go." It kind of put me in my place. I was struck with just how blessed I am. I did some quick mental calculating and none of the places that came to mind were worth the cost of the fuel to get there so I said, "It's okay......I have had tons of fun lately.....if there are things you need to get completed around here, get them done. He went about his business and I putts in the house. When noon came, he asked if i wanted to go to Red Robin for my birthday gourmet burger. Red Robin is in Merrillville, one of my favorite places to be so I jumped at the chance. We both got appropriately spiffed up and left. We enjoyed a leisure lunch filling our bodies with untold amounts of calories and fat. The onion rings are particularly good there. It is not our usual fare but once in awhile we do indulge.

After lunch we made our usual rounds; Costco, Meijers, and Gordon Foods. Before we turned our hearts toward home, we stopped at, yes, you got it, Starbucks. I plunked down my bank card because Starbucks is usually a treat that comes out of my account. Ken pushed over the card and laid down some cash commenting that because it was my birthday, he would treat. Then he asked if Mr. Starbucks had a complimentary birthday drink for his wife. The young gal behind the register smiled and said, "I think we could arrange that." Our bill was a dollar something for his coffee. How cool was that.

I came home a satisfied pig. Filled with cholesterol and chai tea. Doesn't get much better than that on a physical level. Does it help that I didn't eat any evening meal? I certainly hope so.

The Gift of Life For Another Year

We went to the river for my BD dinner last evening with some friends. After the lovely meal we stopped by the chocolate shop for some ice cream (just when I had made a committment NOT to eat such lucious things). When we returned to the car, the sun was setting and there was a huge billowy cloud dancing with it. I got out my camera and just about that time, the sun seemed to drop out of view. We drove with vigor to find a spot high enough for us to see that gorgeous sight so that I could keep it forever. When we finally got to where I had a fairly decent shot, I snap the pic....oops......dead.....Oh shucks, I forgot to recharge my battery. We all had a good laugh over that stupid mistake.

AFter we brought our friends to their home we stopped at my dad's house to get some green beans he had picked for us. Imagine my 88 year old dad out in that humid hot weather picking green beans for us. No matter what we say or do, he would have it no different. As we drove in the yard, Mary, was standing gazing into the eastern sky. Her ears don't work the best any more and we drove right behind her as she stood looking into the beauty of the clouds. Notice the sky these summer nights...they are magnificent.

Once she and I both got our heads out of the sky, we went indoors and after a few minutes of conversation they wondered if we wanted to play some cards. We had the best time. As we drove home, Ken and I both enjoyed rehearsing the jokes, the quips, the jabs. We commented that we need to cherish these moments with them. They are precious and not a guarantee in the future.

Today is my 66th birthday. I was born smack dab in the middle of WW2. All that went on while I was alive and I was not truly aware of it even though my daddy was gone the better part of my first three years. My mom taught school to keep the home fires burning while the other adults in my life did a good job of showering me with love and attention and I was a blessed child in spite of the war. My father's parents were devoted but my mother's parents lived next door so my time with them was far greater. I knew them so well and learned so much from them about life and the attitudes one has when sold out to Christ. So today, I celebrate life...the fact that God had me in mind from the foundations of the world. I wonder sometimes if I have served the purpose for which He created me and when I think of that I think about what I have "done". I shake myself back into truth and remind myself that in the world of the one true God, it is not what I have done that matters, but that He has DONE it all. My purpose is to glorify Him. Lord, be pleased with my humaness. Help me reflect you in all ways.

August First

The first of August....I smell the beginning of school just a little way off....I lament with my grandkids who are just not ready to get back into the grind again. Summer flew by on the Concorde. I always want to hang on to summer.....even though the weather yesterday was anything but pleasant....high temp...high humidity.

I uploaded all our trip pics. You can access those by clicking on Phoenix Summer 2008 gdevries8 on the left of the blog right at the top. Hope you will get a feel of the wonders of God's creation and the joy we had in experiencing it. While it wasn't the first time for either Ken or me, we noted that one forgets the magnitude of the thing. My friend and I spoke before we left and I mentioned something about beauty in different areas of the country. She said, "Every place is beautiful if you are looking for beauty." Those were wise and true words. Some places are simply outstanding and we saw some of those this trip.

When we sing of purple mountain majesty in the same song with the word America, we can sometimes get the idea that we have the corner on beauty in the good old USA. While we do have wonderful beauty here, I thought about beauty all over this earth and how no country can count their beauty over another. God has placed HIS beauty in all corners of the earth. We rightly praise Him for ours when we sing that song.

I suppose I'd better get myself back to Curves. My vacation is over. While I had good intent to go to a local Curves in Phoenix, I got there only once. Then I planned to go yesterday and didn't get it done so today is the day. A bit before seven I'll be sweating it out.