And we keep on going..... never on a straight road!

As we were driving to Pittsburgh, Ken asked about an old friend of mine, who lives in Pittsburgh.  I first met Jade a very long time ago (think around 19 or 20 years).  She was just out of college, recently married and had been hired to be the youth director at the church where I was the church secretary.  Jade and I had so many great conversations, so many fun lunches and just really connected.  It was so wonderful to get to know Jade and her husband, Dane.  She left her position when she had her first daughter.  And shortly after that, she relocated to her home, Pittsburgh.  I have stayed connected with her, thanks to Facebook.  It has been so amazing to watch her grow into an amazing singer, worship leader, wife and mother.

Since we were in Pittsburgh on a Sunday, we decided to visit their church, Hill City Church. Ken and I certainly had a good chuckle at this sign in the parking lot of the church...

It was so good to get a hug from an old friend and to actually get to be with her in worship.  I was flashing back to the many times that Jade and I, along with our friend Lynn (who was the Parish Nurse) would go into the sanctuary and worship together as Jade played piano.  

This was such a great service.  I love the church family that she has joined.  The message and their mission are so in step with my heart!  We didn't really get to spend any time together, outside of worship, but it was so good to be with an old friend.

After church, Ken and I went to downtown Pittsburgh,  We visited Point Park, and walked all around the river front.  Later we took an "incline" ride to the top of the "hill" so that Ken could take some night shots of the city lights.  It was a fun ride up and down the incline.  And it was free for Senior Citizens! The sunset was amazing from the overlook and Ken got lots of pictures of the city.  The best part was the little ice cream shop near the incline station!

We left Pittsburgh this morning and decided to make a detour to see the Flight 93 9/11 memorial.  We choose to take all none interstate roads which only added 10 minutes to the trip.  I decided that there are no straight roads in Pennsylvania!  So many tight turns and so much road construction.  I posted some pictures on my Facebook page of the actual memorial.  The entire area is now a National Monument (Park) and the entire 2 mile drive into the actual memorial was covered with these beautiful wild flowers. 

It truly is in the middle of nowhere.  What a miracle that those passengers were able to bring that plane down in such a remote area.  Because of that, only the passengers and pilots on the plane were lost and no one on the ground was injured or killed.  Walking around the memorial there was a hushed silence, similar to what I experienced at the memorial in New York City.  They have begun construction of a "Tower of Voices" that will eventually have wind chimes that sound as you come into the memorial. It is a sacred place of remembrance.  I am so thankful that we made this detour.  

Our original plans for today had to be scrapped.  We were going to go tubing in the Cook Forest State Park, however the temperatures have been in the 40's (yes 40's) and the river is very shallow.  So we went to the Flight 93 Memorial and then just drove through Cook Forest.  Ken's extended family had a cabin near this forest and he has fond memories of visiting with Uncle Charlie and Aunt Alva there.  

It was a beautiful drive and a cold, blustery kind of day where you needed a sweatshirt.  We were glad that we did NOT go tubing.  We are now safely at our hotel, glad to be taking a breather from driving!

Although it seems like we cram a lot of stuff into our vacations, Ken and I really spend many hours of down time.  We took several walks around our hotel and just enjoyed the river view.  Not driving on the interstate lets you really see the country.  Today we had lunch in Punxsutawney but did not see any ground hogs!  We know better than to look around for something from the movie "Groundhog Day" since that was filled in Woodstock, Illinois (not far from home).  It was fun to go through all the small towns.   Tomorrow we are off on another adventure.  

Jade shared a bit about me with her Pastor as she was introducing us.  It was humbling to hear her say that I had such a huge impact on her during that time so long ago.  I have been thinking about how often we downplay those common, ordinary times that sometimes make such a big difference to those around us.  Even when we are just in our day to day life, we can make a difference.  It doesn't have to be something earth shaking.  Just being a friend and sharing is all that is necessary.  I am so thankful for Facebook that keeps me in touch with old friends.  Without that connection I would have missed seeing Jade.  And I would have missed this very important lesson that you just never know how much of a difference you have made to someone else.   And a good reminder to keep on just being a friend to those around you.  It is amazing how Jesus can use us, even when we are not trying!  

Jesus, thank you so much for the time and ability to travel.  Thank you for keeping us close to old friends through technology.  Holy Spirit, continue to use all of us to spread your love and compassion to those we know at work or in our neighborhood.  Thank you for memorials that help us to remember events that have shaped our world.  Thank you for loving us all!  Amen

A couple of days worth of running to September...

This is a panoramic view out of my hotel window as I sit and type this blog.  Yes, that is a great view of downtown Pittsburgh, PA.  Ken and I have always had Pittsburgh on our bucket list of cities to visit because his family lived here from 1962-1964,  It was interesting to try to find his house since Ken did not know the street address.  He had various memories as a 10 year old riding a bicycle around but other than that, not much!  Finding his school didn't help much since he took a bus to school.  The roads and all of the shopping have changed in the last 55 years, but surprisingly once we got in the general area, he was able to drive right up to the house.

I know that I have never seen a picture of this house.  Ken's family moved into this house in December of 1962 and moved to Kentucky in the summer of 1964,  So that brief year and half didn't get many photos!   At least now we made note of the street address so that we can find the house again if we want.  So today was a great day to check an item off of that bucket list and Ken got to share many memories that I had never heard before.  

Yesterday I got to check another item off of that bucket list.  Ken and I visited the Creation Museum. This destination has been something I wanted to visit for many years.  I had a few bits of hesitation when I saw how expensive the admission was.  But Ken insisted that we should go.  Well you know how sometimes expectations don't equal reality?  This was certainly the case for us.  We were looking forward to the gardens that are a part of the Museum grounds.  Unfortunately, most of the foot paths and foot bridges were closed.  I know that it is past the summer "season", but we were not expecting this.  And it seemed very commercial.  My prayer is that people of the many tour groups that we saw during this visit would have a  better understanding of the message of the Bible. There were a couple of little streams and waterfalls on the walkway to the museum and we stopped to snap this photo.  Flowing water - my favorite!

We had a nice day in spite of the let down of the museum.  We spent time just driving around and seeing the beautiful Ohio River.  It was a very restful day - a good thing on a vacation. And we were happy to have a down day before our driving day today!

 In addition to the previously posted pictures of Ken enjoying some of his much anticipated foods (Skyline Chili and Tim Hortons), we also visited...

Yep - that is a Big Boy restaurant.  Both Ken and I  remember eating at Big Boys during our growing up years.  The Big Boy was the original "Big Mac" and we discovered that, sadly, the Big Boy was not that good.  Again, a bit of a disappointment.   But it was still one of those experiences that we had talked about for years and finally got there.  

So this part of our vacation has been not quite what we had hoped for in some ways.  Yet in spite of that, we are having a wonderful time.  I love this kind of trip when we don't have very tight timelines.  We are able to sleep later.  Eat more leisurely and stop and see something if it catches our eye.  We know that the weather is always an unknown so we never depend on the forecast.  But we have some outdoor fun planned in the next couple of days so we are praying for good weather!  

I am just loving the view out my window tonight.  Being right on the river, with the backdrop of this beautiful city, just calms my spirit.  There have been so many small boats darting across the water.  Directly in front of our hotel is a water cruise and I have watched the boats go off on tours and then return to the dock.  I think the best part of vacations is having experiences like this.  It is funny how valuable a good view can be. We have a week left of our time away and I am practicing breathing and being in the moment.  I know that before I know it, this time will be done and it will be September and we will back in our usual routine.  

At the creation museum Ken and I went to a 4D movie.  The creation story was shown, day by day.  The photography was amazing.   Driving through the hills today, and now watching the river, I am taken back to those scenes.  How beautiful creation is!  I have a much better appreciation for that beauty after seeing the earth come into being in that movie.  So I am grateful for that visual now and also thankful that we did visit the museum for this reason alone.  When things don't seem to meet our expectations, when the weather doesn't cooperate, and even when the food isn't as good as you remembered, you can always - yes ALWAYS find a sliver of good.  I love how Jesus gives us these little nuggets and helps us to appreciate each day no matter what.  And it doesn't matter if you have to be reminded to find the good, or if the good just shows up. It seems like the very best thing when it comes in spite of the bad.  The joy and peace are wonderful.  

So very thankful tonight.  And also so looking forward to the rest of our time away.  No matter what comes up along the way.  I'm just going to rest and be refreshed by the river flowing by my window tonight.  Praying you all are breathing in and out in joy and peace yourself!

Jesus, thank you so much for the ability to travel and see this wonderful world that you created.  Holy Spirit, keep our eyes focused on the things that bring us joy and give us grace to move through the things that are difficult or disappointing.   Thank you Jesus that you bring us exactly what we need.  Give us all courage to keep walking on.  Amen

Running into September...or at least walking very fast!

For some reason, this summer has just seemed to fly by.  Ken and I have had a lot of activities but it still seems like a much quicker summer than usual.  One of our favorite summer family activities is a trip to a local water park with all the kids and grand kids.  We like to go to a water park that is actually in Doug and Susie's park district.  It is small enough to be good for the little ones but has enough stuff to keep the older kids happy.  I especially like the zero depth entry pool that is large enough not to seem over crowded with people.  There is also a really nice lazy river.

 This year was not like the years before in that it was COLD!  The day was rainy in the morning but was supposed to clear in the afternoon.  Although it was supposed to be in the 80's, it sure didn't feel like it.  The kids all got cold quickly (with the exception of Zeke who is always hot).  And we actually had a 30 minute time out of the pool because the life guards saw lightning.  So, it was a very shortened time at the water park.  We all had fun anyway and ended the day at our family favorite Pizza place.  It is interesting to go to a restaurant and ask for a table for 11!  

Ken and I have so enjoyed our two hummingbird feeders.  We got them at the beginning of the summer and really didn't think we would have any luck attracting birds.  But, to our surprise, the birds seemed to flock to our feeder.  So we quickly went out and got a second feeder.   It is pretty interesting to watch all different sizes and types of hummingbirds come for a little taste!  Our newest feeder has a place for the birds to perch, but most still choose to hover while eating.  The very smallest birds can barely reach to eat if they perch.  It is really fun to see them go between the feeders and actually stop and look into the window at us!

Those little birds are so fast!  They dart and fly from feeder to tree to tree.  If you blink you actually can miss them.  The squirrels don't even seem to notice them.  Which I am sure is a good thing.  Those inexpensive feeders have brought Ken and I many hours of enjoyment.  Yep, watching birds is sure a hallmark of a "senior citizen" isn't it?

Spending time each week with all of the grand kids also make me acutely aware of my impending status as a true "senior" (when I turn 65 in a couple of weeks).  My time especially with Grace, who at 2 1/2 seems to be as quick as one of those hummingbirds, makes me feel my age!  

Just this week we had another rainy day that kept us inside for the better part of the day.  But just before it was time for mommy and daddy to get home, the sun broke through the clouds and she begged to  go outside.  So we put on our shoes and out we went.  Because it was very wet on the grass, I was limiting our play area to the sidewalk.  Grace spent almost an hour running back and forth trying to catch her own shadow and then pretending to tickle my shadow.  So much fun for a little one, with nothing but the sunshine and the sidewalk.  I am so thankful for the times that Grace climbs up on my lap and gives me hugs.  All of those hugs and cuddles help renew my energy for the rest of the very busy time when she is flitting around, just like those hummingbirds!  

Ken and I have an end of summer trip planned which will have us running into September - or at least walking fast.  We are checking off a couple of bucket list items on this trip, hoping for good weather for some outdoor fun.  I will be blogging as we go, so look forward to some pictures and hopefully good reports in the next  week!     I started to try and name all of the trips that Ken and I have taken since 1999 and the list is really long!  We feel so blessed to have been able to travel and visit so many places over these years  Of course, there are still so many places that we would love to go.  I guess it is time to create a new list of places to see!  In some ways it is so much easier to travel now that we are retired.  But in other ways it is more difficult.  We used to make these very long car trips - sometimes driving 15 hours in a day.  One time we actually drove 19 hours straight home from Florida!  These days we are more likely to look for car trips that are under 7 hours.  We really like to travel two or three hours and stop along the way.  It certainly limits our trips, but we have seen some really great things closer to home.  Our trip this week has only a couple of 5 hours drives and several drives of 2 hours.  And that it totally fine with me! 

I've been thinking a lot about turning 65.  In some ways it seems like I have been a "senior" for a long time - thanks to AARP that draws you in at 50!  I'm not sorry about that since we have gotten lots of discounts thanks to them.  But the whole social security/ medicare thing certainly makes you much more aware of your impending age.  Yet, over and over I have heard from preachers, teachers and prophets that there is so much in store for those of us "seniors" who are still marching on in the Lord's army!  I can't help but feel excited about the new things that might be ahead in the next few years.  Recently I was talking with a young man and sharing some stories from 30ish years ago.  I was reminded that the Bible was an oral testimony for many generations.  It was stories told by the elders to all of the children.  And the stories were told over and over.  I think we have lost the art of oral story telling.  Part of my drive to do this blog was to insure that my stories would be preserved for future generations at least in written form.  And my scrapbooks are a way to preserve pictures and stories for the same reason.  I think it is time for all of us to think about the stories, the testimonies that we can all share in some way - oral, written or in photos - with our children and grand children or just with our friends and neighbors.  I just had a picture in my mind of a little old grandma, sitting in a rocking chair with all of these kids gathered around her.  She was telling them tales from her past.  I think in my case, it is more likely that I will be texting my grand daughter while on the phone with my daughter, while watching another grand daughter run and play!  Yep, that sounds about right!

At any rate, all of us need to make an effort to keep the stories and testimonies from our life from being forgotten.  I encourage you all to take a couple of minutes and think about some way that God has met a need or answered a prayer for you.  When you have thought of a few examples, share them!  Tell somebody!  Tell me!  I would love to hear your amazing stories.  Make this September a month of sharing.  Let others celebrate all the wonderous things that Jesus has done for us!

Jesus, thank you so much for the changing seasons - both in the weather and in our lives.  Help us all to be present in each season.  Give us courage to face the changes that come, and most of all give us faith to walk on.  Thank you Holy Spirit for reminding us of God's faithfulness to us and to our families.  Give us boldness to share with others in the months ahead.  Amen

Watching her bloom and grow.....

I have so much respect for farmers and really anyone who plants seeds and then just waits for them to grow.  I can not think of anything that takes more patience and faith than throwing some seeds into the dirt and expecting something good to come out of it.  There is all of the watering. And the tending to the plot.  Weeding and watching.  Yes, let's just say it -  very much patience involved in this. 

This week I have been witness to the amazing blooming and growing of one of my precious grandchildren,  beautiful ten year old Ellie. 

For her entire life, this sweet girl has been talking about being a fashion designer.  When she was very small she would use the dress up bin to create some interesting outfits.  There was a time that I watched Ellie take brown paper and tape and make an entire outfit for herself that included a skirt and top.  She found ways to create Barbie outfits out of old socks and a pair of scissors.  It just seemed to come naturally to her.  She has a real eye for putting outfits together and sometimes you might think "that will never look good".  But when Ellie puts it on, it looks great!  This week Ellie got to go to a sewing class.The first step on the road to her dream job.  In this class, she learned how to use a sewing machine and she has made some amazing projects in the first three days of the class!  The drawstring bag she is holding was her second project.  She made two hair scrunchies on the first day of class.  

Needless to say, this girl is living the dream right now.  Suddenly, all of those strong desires to create fashion seem much more possible to her.  Seeing her excitement and joy is so wonderful.  Along with this sewing class, God had another surprise in store for Ellie.  

This beautiful single flower represents months of waiting and watching for Ellie.  I actually gave her these little pots and seeds in her Easter Basket this year, along with some gardening books and gardening tools.  She has always expressed a desire to have a garden and this is the first time that she has actually seen the fruits of her labor!  Ellie carefully tended to those pots of seeds.  She brought them in the house if there was too much rain.  She watered and misted the ground.  She moved the pots into the best sunlight.  And then, this week, a wonderful  flower exploded into view.  

Isn't Jesus just awesome?  What a special week for this sweet girl and what amazing rewards for her hard work.  I don't know if I have ever known another child with such a generous spirit.  If anyone admires something that she has, she will offer it to them.  She would literally give you the shirt off of her back if she thought you needed it.  Ellie had to work hard to learn to read.  Her success came after many trials, but also much encouragement and love.  And lots of perseverance.  

I have mentioned before that I gifted each of my grandchildren with a word that I received for them before they were born.  I remember the exact moment that I saw Ellie as a warrior for the Lord.  I believe that she will stand on high places and pray and intercede for others.  I didn't realize until today, that standing on high places means that she will need to climb to get to those high places.  This girl has already scaled a number of really big things in her short ten years.  She has conquered Dyslexia and reads well.  Quite a big hurdle.  She is growing in patience and faith with a simple little pot of dirt and a small packet of seeds.  And she is realizing a dream to be able to sew and create wonderful things. 

Even the smallest things in our day to day life, are a part of God's plan for us.  We are being trained and equipped to fulfill the purpose that God has for each of us.  Sometimes it might not be clear how the trials and events of our life are part of that plan.  But just think about David learning to protect the sheep in the field that later gave him the courage and determination to slew Goliath.  And there are so many more Biblical examples of God bringing his people into their life purpose a little bit at a time. So even if your are walking through some uphill battles right now, be encouraged that God has a plan and purpose for your life and He will be with you as you walk on.  

I love how God gives us each exactly what we need to learn and grow.  Watching Ellie this week I can see this verse, Romans 8:28.  

And we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love him, 

who have been called according to his purpose.

Jesus, thank you for opening my eyes to the wonderful way that you use everything in our life to help us grow in your plan for us. Jesus, continue to bless Ellie as she grows into the woman that you desire he to be.  Holy Spirit, help us to have more patience and faith in all areas. Jesus, remind us of your plan and purpose for each one of us.  Give us courage and boldness to go on, even when we can't yet see the reward at the end. Bless all of the farmers who provide our food.  Amen

  

A different kind of show.....

Last night Ken and I went to a very different kind of show....  It started off like this.

This picture does not do the sunset justice.    The sky was painted all shade of red and pink and light blues.  It was simply gorgeous as we drove west at sunset.  Normally we would not be leaving the house at 8:30 pm.  That in itself makes for an interesting "start" to our evening.  After a kind of short drive (think one and a half hours) we finally arrived at our destination (thanks to Google directions).  Mark my words, we would NEVER have found this place without GPS!  The first order of business was to apply lots of.....

 

Even with a heavy coating of this bug spray and long sleeves and long pants, I was still getting eaten up by the swarms of bugs.  HOWEVER...... IT  WAS SO WORTH IT!

We drove to one of the three "dark spots" in Illinois.  Those places that are free enough of ambient light to really see the stars.  We were rewarded with an amazing view that actually could take your breath away.  Ken set up his tripod and took many pictures of the sky dotted with stars.  You could actually see the Milky Way!  Something I haven't seen since my childhood in northern Minnesota. 
We were also treated to many "shooting stars" - meteors falling to earth.   Thanks to being so near to Chicago it was actually difficult to sort out what were meteors and what were passing airplanes!  I could not believe the number of planes flying at high altitudes that you could see from this location.  They were literally crisscrossing the sky.  The meteors would most often appear high in the sky and fall vertically before disappearing.  Really cool to see.  Ken has not looked at his photos yet, so we don't know exactly how much of this show he caught on film.  But seeing it in person was an experience. 

Ken had met a couple of camera buddies who had set up their own tripods in the same spot.  He had plenty of "camera chatting" with these two young guys - both were so excited to actually see the Milky Way for the first time!  I spent a bit of time trying to escape the bugs while sitting in the car.  I still had a wonderful view of the sky.  It is such a great way to contemplate the God who spoke and created this.  And to consider that he knows each one of those stars by name!  Sitting in that dark nature preserve, listening to the sounds of nighttime, with the canopy of stars overhead, that big, powerful God seemed so close. 

I was remembering all the nights I spent as a young girl,  staring up into the sky at Lake Maud.  I remember it being so dark you could not see the hand in front of your face!  But the stars were amazing.  Every night seemed to be colored with the Northern Lights.  I could pick out the various constellations with no trouble.  I especially remember finding the North Star and the Big and Little dippers.  With these memories was a huge sense of thankfulness.  Thankful for my parents who saw the benefit of a lake home.  A place away from the day to day life.  Outdoor fun with lots of family.  As an adult, I began to realize the sacrifices that my mom and dad made for our family to be able to have vacations, to see relatives, and to have so many wonderful times that would never have happened without Lake Maud.  My dad built the cabin - board by board, nail by nail.  It was added on to, year after year.  Improved as there were funds to do so.  I don't know exactly what the square footage was of that cabin, but it was a tiny home way before tiny houses were a thing.  And it was most often pretty filled up with family.  When Ken and I first started dating, we talked about our families experiences on a lake.  Ken had great memories of his own at Lake Malone in Kentucky.  And I had Lake Maud.  I don't have any pictures of Ken and I together on our first trip to the lake in 1973.  But I do have this shot of us in 1978.

Last night, the star show caused a flood of memories for me.  I was struck by the sameness of the sky.  The pattern of the stars that were scattered by the hand of God.  But also by the passage of time.  There we are - Ken and I - much younger, standing at Lake Maud.  I remember that trip and the evenings spent under that same canopy of stars.  So thankful for photos and memories.  So, so thankful.  And I am thankful that I know that the God that could call those stars by name, knows my name. 

As I am approaching my 65th birthday, I have been doing a lot of thinking about the dreams and plans that I had so many years ago.  Some have certainly been realized.  But I also know that there are many, many things that I have not yet accomplished.  Places I have not visited.  People that I have yet to meet.  The most comforting thing is knowing that God has plans, purposes and a destiny for each one of us.  Even when we might feel like we have not accomplished anything or that we have fallen short of meeting a goal, God has not given up on us.  God's Not Done With You by Tauren Wells says it all so well. He's got a plan and he is going to finish what he started.   Looking up at that sky, it was sure good to know that God is not done writing my story.  And he is not done writing your story either!

Jesus, thank you so much for the wonder of the sky and the knowing that you know my name.  Holy Spirit, comfort all of us when we feel like we have fallen short.  Give us all reminders that there is so much more ahead for us all - regardless of our age!  Thank you for GPS that allows us to find hidden gem places to see your creation with open eyes.  Thank you Jesus!  Amen