Telling the truth in all things... even the weather!

Last week was one of those silly weeks when you simply do not know how to dress.  On Thursday morning, I scraped about 2" of snow and/or ice off of my car before heading to watch Grace.  At some point during the day, the sun came out and by the time I left for home, it was 59 degrees.  I had worn my winter coat in the morning and a fleece over a long sleeved shirt.  I carried my coat to the car and before leaving the driveway, had taken off my fleece.  Over the next few days it was impossible to decide exactly what kind of coat or jacket you might need when leaving the house.  Friday was a bit cloudy and windy and felt cold at times. But then the sun came out and it warmed up. Saturday was also overcast - until late in the day again.  Let's face it!  It is just time for some good old spring weather.  Today I confidently hung my winter coat in the back of the closet.  I am trusting the forecast for the next 15 days - lows in the high 40's and highs in the 50's and 60's.  

So apparently Grace had decided it needs to be springtime - or at least warm enough to have a picnic!

On Thursday she spent the better part of the day setting up her little picnic set and then putting it all back.  Over and over and over and over.  You gotta love these little ones.  They just never seem to get tired of the "in and out".  

She found the cups and spent a bit of time "practicing" drinking from a real cup.  She does a pretty good job drinking out of a glass if you hold it for her.  But she loves these little plastic tumblers.  Part of the day the "picnic" was on the ground, until she discovered that she could set it up on the table! This was especially interesting to me since Doug, Susie and Grace were leaving for a camping vacation just a few days later!  It was almost as if Grace understood that there was a picnic in her future!

So, just like Grace, Ken and I decided to proceed with our patio enhancements, as if it will soon actually be warm enough to use it.  After our "situation" with our gazebo almost flying away, we purchased some really nice, specially designed weights for the legs.  We also got an outdoor heater and some very festive lights. We also spent some time actually attaching the canvas top to the frame much more securely.  All in all, we should be set for some good relaxing time IF the weather ever gets above 60 degrees!

Over the last few weeks, the subject of personal testimony has been coming up over and over.  The interesting thing about doing this blog is that it is my personal story and no one can disagree with what I have written!  The same is true of each person's testimony of their relationship to Jesus.  In this blog, I have written about various different times that have changed the course of my life in some way.  The common thread of each of these events is that I had a very real encounter with Jesus.  He spoke to me, brought revelation to me, came to me in dreams, sent someone else to speak a word to me, brought a song to me, caused the Bible to come alive to me,  really so many different things.  I am always amazed by people who want to dispute that Jesus can speak to each one of us.  Not only CAN he do this, but it is His plan for each of us to have a personal relationship with Him.  And that relationship would be pretty one sided if Jesus did not have an active role in it.  The entire time that Jesus was explaining the Holy Spirit to his disciples, is really the groundwork for us all to understand the lines of communication that Jesus was leaving with us.  It would be better for us all when he was in heaven because then ALL of us could communicate with Him.  Such an amazing plan by an awesome God.  Yet, here we are some 2,000 years later, and really good people - some of whom have studied "religion" for years and years want to deny that Jesus speaks to us ALL!  So, here is my soapbox of truth telling for today!  Jesus has, does and will continue to speak to me and I have, do and will continue to listen to Him.  Hey, that news is so much better than the weather! You can depend on that truth!

Jesus, thank you for the reminder that you desire a relationship with each person.  Thank you for the amazing gift of the Holy Spirit.  Open the ears of those that are afraid to hear your voice.  Give courage to us to share this truth with those around us.  Help us to teach our children and grandchildren the truth that you speak to us all.  Thank you Jesus for warmer weather and the approaching of springtime.  Amen

Can't believe what happened this morning....

So, I was on my way to my small group meeting.  I was internally lamenting the still terrible weather (we are expecting rain/sleet/snow today) and decided that I needed a cup of coffee.  I stopped at a local McDonalds to pick up a carry out coffee that does NOT give me stomach problems.  Seriously, I can not drink Dunkin or Starbucks, or really any other coffee places.  Even just their plain old regular coffee bothers me.  McDonalds is my go-to coffee stop.

Needless to say, this stop for coffee has been on my mind for the entire day.  Here is what happened. As I was at the "pay" window, a car quickly pulled right in front of me and drove to the "get your food" window.  The lady at that window just handed over my coffee.  The car quickly sped away.  I sort of watched this happen before I realized...."Hey!  What just happened?"  At this point I just pulled up and the lady proceeded to try to give me the order for the car behind me.  I explained that I had just ordered coffee and clearly the car that had pulled in front of me had never ordered or paid for anything.  They apologized to me for the wait, as they poured another cup of coffee for me.  The manager came to the window and said that unfortunately, this scam has been happening to them often.

As I pulled away, with my cup of coffee, so many thoughts were running through my head.  First of all, how hungry was that person who was doing this scam?  I was suddenly sorry that I had not ordered a breakfast meal.  I wondered how often this person pulled this trick and how long they had searched for a drive through that had a long stretch between pay and get your food, and one that also had traffic flowing right next to the drive through lane.  I will never know if this person was just trying to get something for nothing (in which case I am not sorry that I only ordered coffee) or if they were truly unable to pay for their breakfast (and in that case, I would have gladly bought them a breakfast combo meal).

I was a church secretary for over 15 years and I experienced many, many people coming to the doors of the church asking for food and/or money.  I learned that sadly, 7 out of 10 times, the stories being told were not true.  I was often alone at the church and I learned to be very wary when approached for help.  I learned to keep a stash of McDonalds gift cards and also Grocery gift cards to give them.  I have fallen out of the habit of keeping these gift cards in my car (something that I always did, years ago) to give to people holding signs asking for help.

I guess you might be saying, "What's the big deal?  It was only a couple of dollars and a cup of coffee."  For me, I guess this has left me wondering what the message for me is in this event.  I have been trying to figure out why this bothered me so much.  This idea that there are people who are so needy in my suburban area, really troubles me.  On the other hand, if it was someone just trying to beat the system, I am concerned that they doing this so near my home.  I guess this was a wake up call for me.  I am going to be more mindful of people around me who might need more than just a kind word or a smile.  They may be hungry and need a meal.

Lately I have been praying to have eyes to see things as Jesus does.  Today might have been one of those times to see something that I might have missed.  There has been talk of "pay it forward" events including one that I read with 280 cars, each paying for the car behind them.  I guess my story is sort of the opposite of that.  I am choosing to keep my eye on the GOOD that is in the world and will remember the pay if forward events.  And the next time I am in the drive through, I plan to pay for the car behind me.  Help me turn this event today into something good by joining in this challenge.  Can we all pay it forward just one time?  See the world through the eyes of Jesus and make someone's day.  Pay for that car behind you and share the love of Jesus!

Jesus, thank you for today and that cup of coffee.  Lord, put someone who will share your love in the path of that person that took something from McDonalds that was not theirs.  Holy Spirit, remind us all of the blessings that fill our life.  Give us courage to step out and share your love with the world around us, one person at a time.  Amen

What a crazy weekend!.

Ken and I had a pretty crazy weekend.  And it wasn't JUST the weather that was crazy either.   Some of you might have seen my Facebook post showing a really nice gazebo that Ken and I put up on our patio - with the hope of having some relaxing time, sitting in the bug free zone, protected from the sun, while gazing out at the park behind our house.  Since it was nearly the middle of April, we assumed (note to self - never assume) that the weather would be SPRING.  We were sadly mistaken. 

Friday the temperature dropped rapidly and then the rain started.  And then came the 45 mile per hour winds with gusts to 60 miles per hour.  And the rain became sleet and then snow.  Sigh.

And there we were, in the freezing rain, trying to secure that blasted gazebo so that it would not take flight.  We filled every water jug that we had to weigh it down, along with several large garden pots filled with rocks, an umbrella stand and I am really not sure what else we stacked around the legs to keep that thing in place.  It looks rather silly now, sitting on the patio (somewhat askew) with snow all around.  I mean, really, what were we thinking?  This is Chicago after all!

After all the fun we had with our backyard patio, we drove to Wisconsin (in all honesty, just across the border near to Gwen's house) for a family party to celebrate Ellie's birthday.  Her choice of an event was a tour of the Jelly Belly Factory! 

I think our entire family really enjoyed this little excursion.  We were very thankful that we had not planned anything outside since winter had returned.  Those murals behind the kids are all made out of Jelly Bellys!  They have a resident artist that creates some really amazing murals.  Even Grace had a great time.  

The tour of the factory is a fun little train ride around the warehouse.  The highlight of the tour, is of course, that it drops you off in the STORE!  And they fill your paper hat with little sample bags of free Jelly Bellys.   I have never seen so many different types of jelly beans and other candy.  And they have a "sample bar" where you can try any flavors that you want.  There was also some really wonderful fudge of all different flavors.  Grace was not so sure she wanted to taste anything until she got her first mouthful.  And then she couldn't stop signing MORE!   We ended the morning with lunch at Ellie's favorite place.  Wendy's.  She loves those Frostys.  It was a fun morning, being together and doing somethings new.  If you are ever near Pleasant Prairie Wisconsin, it is worth a visit.  A great way to spend several hours.  

I know that I really should not complain about our weather.  We ended up with a very small amount of snow compared to Wisconsin and Minnesota.  My drive to Gwen's this morning was pretty nasty, however.  There were parts of the road that were snow covered, parts of the road that had black ice, and also some parts with ruts of ice that were really nasty.  Additionally, since it IS after April 1st, the other season in Chicago has begun - CONSTRUCTION! (We often say that Illinois has two seasons - winter and road construction)  I told Ken that it is just not fair that you have to deal with lane closures and orange barrels when you are trying to avoid the snow piles.  

No matter what the weather is like, my sunshine is my family.  Spending time together, laughing and talking is the very best thing.  Getting to hug and kiss those sweet faces makes up for any April snowstorm.  Today at  Gwen's house, I assisted Lia making a batch of cookies.  She is really a very good baker.   Zeke and Ellie were sitting at the counter doing their school work as Lia and I worked on the cookies.  I turned on the radio and the song playing was How He Loves by David Crowder Band.  Let me tell you that it warms this Grandma's heart to have all of the kids singing along.  I stopped to really listen to the words.  Amazing.  

Oh how He loves us, Oh how He loves us, how He loves us. All

He is jealous for me.  Love's like a hurricane, I am a tree

bending beneath the weight of His wind and his mercy.

When all of sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions, eclipsed by glory.

And I realize just how beautiful You are.

And just how great your affections are for me.  

We are His portion and He is our prize.

Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes.

There were the exact words that I really needed to hear today.  The weather seemed to be battering us all.  But, there in the kitchen, singing this song, everything melted away.  The snow outside didn't matter.  Our battle with the gazebo didn't matter.  The road construction didn't matter.  I was just filled with knowing...... Oh how He loves us.  

No matter what you are facing today.  A health crisis.  Finances.  Family troubles.  Whatever it may be.  Just rest in the knowing just how much He loves us all.  Let the truth that His affection for you is great.  Close your eyes and see the grace in His eyes.  Jesus is our prize.  

Jesus, thank you for the reminder that, no matter what, You love us all.  Holy Spirit, when it is cold and dark outside, draw us all into the exact right song to lift our spirit.  When we feel battered and near to breaking under the cares and troubles of this world, give us courage and boldness to speak truth to ourselves.  Thank you for songs that fill us with your truth.  Amen

Reflections on being a grandma.....while missing my mom

 Yesterday was (apparently) our one day of spring here in Chicago.  It was a warm and windy morning, followed by an even warmer afternoon.  Grace and I went for a walk in the morning and stopped at the park near their house.  It was so windy that Grace actually got blown over several times trying to walk around the playground.  I could barely push the stroller home in the strong wind!  Later in the afternoon, we ventured outside again and thankfully the wind was gone and it was beautiful.  No sweater needed on this excursion.  We sat on the grass, played with Sammy and Kylie (who were also so glad to be outside) and watched bubbles float by!   I had lots of time to reflect on being a grandma....

Yesterday happened to be 7 years since my mom died.  I thought about her a lot during the day.   In our family we never have to stop and think about how many years it has been since she died because Zeke was born on her birthday, just a bit over one month after her death.  Zeke will soon be 7.  So much of what I know about being a grandma, I learned from my mom.  She had such a special relationship with my kids, in spite of us living a distance apart.  There were many years that we only saw her once or twice a year.  But she stayed connected to my kids and really understood who they were.  It was somewhere around the time of this photo that I remember having a conversation with Gwen.  Through tears, she insisted that Grandma Nona just HAD to be at her wedding someday.  I think she had just come to realize that there was a possibility that my mom may not be alive when that  day came.  Not only did my mom attend Gwen's wedding, she had a close relationship with Lia and Ellie!  It is so interesting to hear Anna talking about Great Grandma Nona who is heaven with Jesus.  Neither Anna or Zeke have any of their own memories of my mom, but Lia and Ellie talk about her all the time. 

Mom was the "silly grandma" who laughed and played games with the kids.  She always seemed to have one of the kids either on her lap or sitting right next to her.  Just this week, Doug was talking about Grandma always having a dish of Reese's pieces next to her chair. Along with her knowing the kids well, the kids also knew what Grandma Nona loved.  Doug said he could see her with her crossword puzzle and cup of coffee sitting in her chair, and he added "at like 4:30am" since she always got up early!  She always had your favorite cookies when you visited and really cared about what you wanted to do.  She loved Yahtzee and Skipbo and Solitare and played a mean game of crazy eights or kings in the corner.  She would shop where the kids wanted to go.  She bought "surprises" and was always up for a Dairy Queen run.  Yes, she was a fun Grandma!

I am so thankful that I live close enough to my grandchildren to really get to know them.  I am thankful for things like texting that allow me to stay in touch with Lia and Ellie - even though they are only 9 and 11!  The legacy of Grandma Nona is a hard act to follow.  There is a lot to live up to!
She prayed for all of her children and grandchildren. She believed that Jesus had a big role in how her family had turned out.  She often remarked that she never knew how to be a mother since she never knew her mom.  And she never knew any grandparents either. 

When I am sitting on the grass with sweet little Grace, letting her put pieces of grass into my hand, I am thinking about my mom filling her pockets with the acorns my kids were picking up in the park.  When I am sitting on the floor playing a game with Lia, Ellie, Zeke and Anna, I am remembering my mom patiently explaining Yahtzee to my own kids.  When I suggest Wendy's for lunch when I am at Gwen's house, it might be because I know that those kids love Frosties.  And I am remembering those sometimes light night trips to Dairy Queen that always included the kids.

A few weeks ago, I blogged about my DNA test and some surprises around that.  It has been interesting to get in contact with some of the cousins from that testing.  It has actually been so fun to finally be in touch with some of my mom's side of the family.  My mom was always sad that we did not stay close with our cousins from her side.  I have often said that I could sit next to my cousin and not even know we are related!  I have 17 cousins that I have no real memory of ever meeting! I actually only saw two of my mom's sisters a few times.  That's what happened when you lived across the country from one another in the 50's, 60's and 70's.  I know that my  mom would have be so pleased that through this DNA, we have connected. 

My mom's legacy includes 5 children, 9 grandchildren, 26 great grandchildren and 3 great-great grandchildren.   While I miss my mom, I am so thankful that she is with Jesus and finally getting to know her own mother.   It is interesting how, as you age, you see things so much more clearly.  I am so thankful that my children were blessed with such a special grandma.  I am trusting that the love and the caring of my mom is helping me to continue her legacy of love. 

Jesus, thank you for my mom and her love and caring that filled our family.  Holy Spirit, remind us all to be present when we are with our family.  Keep us connected to each other, rather than distracted by social media.  Thank you for the opportunity to know my grandchildren.  Jesus, encourage all adults to get to know some of the young people around them.   Amen

Well Ken and I had a really whirlwind day today.  We left the house at 8:00am and just now returned at 7:00pm.  Quite unusual for us.  The highlight of the day was a really special musical that our sweet Lia presented with her co-op friends.  I just can't say enough about this wonderful co-op that Gwen and Tim found for their home schooled kids. 

There is something so special about watching our Lia, with her friends, put on such a cute performance with an amazing message.  The show was a 1950's take on the Bible story of Joseph.  She did such an incredible job as one of the main characters, with many lines and solos.  Ken and I were just shaking our heads at the fact that she is almost DONE with 6th grade and will soon be a 7th grader!  It hardly seems possible that she will be 12 in a matter of weeks.  We were remembering our own 6th and 7th grade experiences and then talking about Gwen and Doug at 12.  And here is Lia, our granddaughter, so grown up.  Where does the time go?

On our way "up north" (Gwen and Tim live an hour north of us), we decided to take a side trip to the Chicago Botanic Gardens.  Ken had been there last week and  currently a photo exhibit is  there that he wanted to show me.  It was another bitterly cold day - sunny but the temperature was only in the 20's with a slight wind.  The exhibit was held in a building that also includes wonderful tropical gardens. 

There were so many blooming plants!  It was a wonderful taste of spring that was so needed!  We had snow showers on Friday and there is actually 1" of snow predicted for tomorrow and more on Monday.  Being in those hot houses certainly was a break from our dismal weather.  

After Lia's show we took the very long way home.  Ken decided to drive through some of areas that both he and I frequented during our high school years.  So much has changed that we could hardly recognize it.  It was fun to talk about those "good old days" and see some familiar sights.  

After a quick dinner, we decided to swing by the Morton Arboretum to see if any of the spring flowers were blooming yet.  Sadly, it is still brown and winter like there.  The daffodils are up about two inches, but not very close to blooming yet.  

On our way out of the Arboretum several deer crossed the road right in front of us.  They were so beautiful and it is interesting just how difficult it is to see them among the undergrowth.  Since it was almost dusk, I think that they were surprised to see a car driving down that road!  

So, yes, it was a full and busy day.  As I was putting these thoughts onto the page, I was thinking about three Bible verses.  First this verse about grandchildren.....

Proverbs 17:6   Children's children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children.

Yes, our grandchildren are certainly a joy.  Each one seems exactly like a beautiful gem stone that might embellish a crown.  They are all so different, yet each cherished for their unique shape.  It is exciting, as a grandparent, to watch your grandchildren grow into their destiny and purpose.  

The second verse that came to my mind was 

Song of Solomon 2:11-12a  See!  The winter is past; the rains are over and gone.  Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come.

Actually, I was singing a song in my head that is from Paul Wilbur, Dance with Me.   This song has always spoken to me and contains the line "winter has past and the springtime has come".  Right now this is really a prayer for the WINTER TO BE PAST!  

The third verse in my head was 

Psalm 42:1  As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God.  

That Paul Wilbur song is all about being close to Jesus.  It is exactly what David was talking about in Psalm 42.  Even when he was feeling down and despondent, he was hungry and thirsty for God.  This winter has been long and cold and snowy for so many of us this year.  It has seemed dark and dreary for oh so many months.  We all need some of that hot house sprinkle of spring.  We need hope!

I'm closing out this blog with a stanza of one of Lia's songs from her play today.  Even when the winter seems way, way too long, even when those flowers don't seem to want to bloom, no matter what.  Here is your dose of hope....

When I hear... (boom) I know my God is near.

He won't leave me when the storm is raging.

When I hear... (boom) I know my God is near.

He won't forget me when the earth is shaking

Rain or shine, he'll follow through

cause all of his promises are true.

When I hear....(boom) I know my God is near.

Jesus, thank you so much for your words of hope.  Thank you for children and grandchildren.  Thank you for musicals and songs that bring us hope.  Holy Spirit, remind us to look around and see the amazing world and all of creation.  Remind us to look for you to be near us when things seem dark.  Thank you Jesus for this wonderful day.  Amen

Post Easter reflection....seeking truth!

We had a busy and very chilly Easter Sunday.  You would never know it by looking at this picture of Zeke during our family Easter Egg hunt.  It was COLD!  So cold that Doug and Susie didn't keep Grace outside for very long - just long enough to find her eggs.  The older kids took a fairly long time to each locate their special colored eggs.  Zeke managed to find his quickly.  Ellie was the last done with one egg being particularly hard for her to find. Tim did a great job hiding those eggs this year. 

I love the thought of looking eagerly for something.  I used to spend a great deal of time searching for Bible truths that would speak to me.  In the last months I have lost some of that zeal to look for new revelation.  Yes, that is a sad but true statement. So it was exciting to come across a story on the internet about John 20:7.  This is a verse that I have read many times since it is smack dab in the middle of the resurrection story in the book of John.  That is a curious verse that reads....

while the cloth that had covered Jesus' head was folded up and lying apart from the other wrappings.

In the past, I mostly just sort of skipped over that verse.  It really did not seem that significant.  So when I read the article on the internet last week, it sparked my interest.  The premise of the article is that the disciples would have seen something very important in the appearance of the folded up face cloth.  According to the article, it would signify to a servant that the "master" intended to return.  So then there would be an additional "Ah Ha" moment for the disciples.  Not only was Jesus raised from the dead, but he intended to return to them.   This sounded like it could be true.  

But, like everyone should, I searched further on the internet and found that this is a totally UNTRUE interpretation of that verse.  There is nothing to support the premise that the disciples saw the folded face cloth to signify Jesus' return.  Most of the reliable sources say that the reason that these "eye witnesses" to this event included this information is to dispel the rumor that Jesus' body was stolen and taken somewhere else.  If that had happened, the cloth would not have been carefully folded and laid aside.  So that is the best and most likely true reason for that verse to be included in the scriptures.  

The interesting thing about this for me, is that this one story has really encouraged me to once again, dig deeper into the scriptures.  I found myself going between multiple Bible translations and looking at multiple sources of information.  If for no other reason, I am so thankful for finding this story on the internet.  Don't you love how the Bible is such an alive book that one little sentence can speak so much?  And isn't it amazing how the Holy Spirit will use a less than accurate story to get me back into digging into the Bible?  

Today I am grateful that the Holy Spirit reminded me to seek truth about a story, rather than just accepting that it was actually fact.  In this day and age, it is really necessary to seek truth in EVERYTHING you read on the internet.  Even when it SOUNDS right and especially if it is related to a Bible verse.  So I am sharing my discovery to encourage you to be excited about seeking the truth.  Even if a "good story" ends up to be false.  The truth is always better.  

Jesus, thank you for a renewed excitement to search the Bible.  Holy Spirit, help me to stay on track as I seek to discover truth.  Give us all those nudges to investigate things we read, before we accept them as fact.  Thank you for your resurrection story - for you great sacrifice for us all.  Jesus, remind us to seek truth with the excitement of children on an Easter Egg hunt.   Amen