A different kind of footprint today!

Today was a celebration day for our family.  We had a big party to celebrate Doug and Susie's soon to be born baby!  Who doesn't just love a baby shower?  There is no happier occasion.  The party was held at a beautiful location.  The room was lovely and the views were breathtaking.  From the outdoor deck there were views of lovely lakes, a waterwheel, trees and nature.  It was so calming and peaceful. We had a "woodland animal" theme (very much Doug and Susie) and there were little paw print decorations.

And of course we are all anxious for those sweet little baby footprints!   I am so excited for this baby to come!  This will be our fifth grandchild and each one is so special.  This is the first time that the sex of the baby is going to be a surprise and I am more than anxious to know whether it is a boy or girl! Alas, we have a few more weeks to wait.

I love this verse from Proverbs 17:6............

Children's children are a crown for the aged, and parents are the pride of their children. 

I love this idea of grandchildren being a crown!  Let me tell you I have had my share of tiaras and crowns on my head with Lia and Ellie.  But the thought of the message behind this verse is so much more.  I love being able to see the destiny of my grandchildren.  To watch them grow in their walk with Jesus and their love for Him.  There is nothing better than knowing that there is an eternal plan and destiny that is being worked out through our family.  I remember my mom telling me that she had always thought that grandchildren were the very best...UNTIL she had great grandchildren!  She said that it was such a blessing to add one more layer of crowns on your head.  Having children was just great - like a tasty piece of cake.  Having grandchildren was wonderful - like smooth creamy frosting on that cake. But those great grandchildren are like the sprinkles and the cherry on top!  My mom had 22 great grandchildren when she died.  Anna would be 23 and this coming baby would be 24.  So she had lots and lots of sprinkles and cherries!  She embraced and loved on all of them.

Yes, today was a day of feeling very blessed.  When I look at my all grown up adult children, I get a bit teary.  Seeing Doug today, I had moments when I flashed back to a time when I wasn't sure I would ever see him as an adult.  And here he is, a husband and father.  And seeing Gwen with her family just makes my heart happy.  I am so, so blessed.

Yes, these were new footprints today that I walked in....coming footprints of a sweet new grand baby.  We all just need to look around us to see and celebrate the blessings that are right in front of us.  Take a moment and see the blessing that you are to your parents and your grand parents - yes even your great grand parents.  Each of us need to see and understand this and celebrate it. Today we need to see the place that we hold in our own family.  And enter into the celebration that our life brings.

Jesus, thank you so much for new life and celebration.  Thank you for joy and understanding that comes from knowing our own place in our families.  Holy Spirit, help us all to see and celebrate who we are and the family that Jesus planned for us.  Thank you for Doug and Susie and this wonderful new life!  Amen

Celebrating "Sibling Day" and Mom....

As I have said, April is a tough month for me.  I set out to celebrate this month with memories and sharing rather than trying to ignore this month.  Today I saw on Facebook that it is "Sibling Day".  And for the last several weeks, my Mom has been on mind.  So the above photo certainly fits today.  I think it may be the last photo of all of us together. It was taken at my mom's 90th birthday in 2005.   We actually managed to get EVERYONE to that event.   ALL of my siblings, ALL of the grandchildren, and ALL of the great grandchildren came that day.  My mom was so happy!  There is really nothing that made my mom happier than having us all together.   We had a family party on Saturday and most of us from out of town stayed at the same hotel (Lia affectionately called this hotel "the Castle Pool"!  She loved that hotel since it was a part of seeing Great Grandma Nona).   The party was held in the Community Room of my mom's apartment building. We took these family
pictures at that party.  Some of us were able to stay on Sunday and the celebration continued with a party for all of her friends, held in the dining room of her building.   It was wonderful to see the room fill up with her friends and family.   We had a wonderful time and mom was truly amazed that anyone would care that it was her 90th birthday.  She was surprised when she turned 95.  I remember that she told me she never expected to live that long.  I assured her that Jesus had plans for her and that there was much for her to accomplish.    I reminded her that there were many people in her building who needed  a smile and a kind word each day.  So she set out to make a difference each day right where she lived.   I saw the effect of this during many visits.  Yes, mom was well liked at that senior apartment. 

One of the benefits of being the youngest child, was that I got to hear all the stories about my siblings!   I believe that I heard about when each of them were younger much more than I heard stories about myself!  Mom loved to talk about Karen and Jerry when they babies.  I do think it is very interesting that because of our age difference, Karen and I had very different "birth" stories.  When Karen was born (in 1938), mom stayed in the hospital for 10 days! ON HER BACK in bed!  She was not allowed to walk anywhere until they sent her home.  I remember her saying that she was so weak from not moving around that she was afraid she would drop Karen!   Contrast that birth with my own in 1954.  Mom went to the hospital on Monday morning at around 5:30am, I was born at 7:10am.  On Wednesday morning the doctor suggested that she should go home since my dad had to leave town on business.   So she did! It was a small town and the doctor knew that she had plenty of help at home.   I heard stories about Karen and Jerry during the years my dad was in WWII.  I heard stories of Julie when she was sick.  I heard stories about Greg and the troubles that he got into as a small boy.   So, sorry to my siblings, but I think I know some of your "secrets"!  Mom made sure to share them with me.   I am so thankful that I got to listen to these stories.  Unfortunately, we have lost the art of "storytelling".  You know, that verbal passing on of family stories and history.   In a way, this blog is acting as my "storytelling".  

Jesus, thank you for my mom and the wonderful years that we had together.  Thank you for my siblings.  Holy Spirit, help us all to see the benefit of keeping our family history alive by sharing it!   Holy Spirit keep our eyes, ears and hearts open to see you working in our family times.  Jesus, thank you for giving me more reasons to celebrate and remember my mom.   Thank you for the spiritual heritage in our family.   Amen

Celebrating an amazing life.......

Today I heard (via Facebook) that an amazing women had gone to be with Jesus.  Her name was Florence and I met her in 2005.  This picture is my dear Kenyan friend Lucy and her sister-in-law Florence and me. (Not a great picture, but so special to me) When Lucy came to the United States to give birth to her special daughter Hope-Lyn, she stayed with her brother John, his wife Florence and their family.  After Hope-Lyn was born, Lucy invited me to visit her in Atlanta, Georgia for Hope's dedication.  Florence and John welcomed me into their home and blessed me greatly.  If you remember from previous posts, Lucy and I had just met in 2004.  So to be welcomed and loved and blessed by her family, was so special.  That trip to Atlanta was quite a big deal for me.  I traveled by myself, into the unknown.  I had never been to Atlanta, didn't really know much about these people, but trusted the Lord.  One of the first lessons I learned about Kenyan culture is that Florence was introduced to me as "Mama Nelly".  This custom recognizes a woman's status as a mother of her first child. Florence and John have three children - Nellie, Maurice, and Daniel.  And she was always called "Mama Nelly"!  (I would be called "Mama Gwen") The entire weekend was just incredible.  In many ways, I felt like I was stepping back into Kenya.  I discovered that there is a large Kenyan community in Atlanta and they are very close.  Florence and John welcomed a HUGE group of people into their home to celebrate the great gift of Hope-Lyn.  There were multiple pastors and many, many prayers.  And the singing was just amazing.  Unless you have experienced being in a group of people who are singing in a language that you don't know, you won't understand.  For me, it was one of the best worship experiences I have ever had.    The presence of the Lord was so heavy in that home you just had to worship.  I didn't speak their language, I didn't know them, I was a white face in a sea of black people, yet I was at home and I belonged. What a blessing it was to have these people pray for me! 

And then there was the food.  Like most church events, everyone had brought food and Florence and John had provided a feast.  Let me tell you that I think I ate more Kenyan food in Atlanta than I did in Kenya!  Florence was quite happy to serve me my first ever goat!  And I learned a great deal about how the women in Kenya take care of each other after they have given birth.  Yes, it was a weekend that I will never forget.

When I think of Florence I feel the love of Jesus in a very real way.  She talked about the school that she and John had started in Kenya.  With tears in her eyes she explained about the great need of these little ones.  You could feel the love and care in her every word.  I remember the warmth and joy that filled that home. That visit changed me.  I realized that Jesus can bring people together for His purposes - even around the world.  I understood in a much clearer way, that the world was here in the United States.  And I was reminded that I left a piece of my heart in Kenya. 

It is a terrible loss for their entire family.  I will see Florence again, one day.  She is celebrating now at that great banqueting table in heaven with Jesus.  And there is most likely goat on the menu! 

Jesus, be with John and the entire family during this difficult time.  Thank you for the assurance that Florence is with you.  Holy Spirit, comfort all who mourn the loss of this special woman.  Thank you Jesus for the opportunity to know Florence.  Jesus bless Lucy and give her your peace in this difficult time.  Amen

It IS a wonderful life.............

Well, here it is after 10:00pm and I just finished watching the movie "It's a Wonderful Life".  Unfortunately, it was cut up with tons and tons of commercials, but I still enjoyed it very much.  I don't think I ever actually sat and watched the entire movie until tonight.  I think I really needed it today. 

This was supposed to be my last minute shopping day and I had many, many plans and "expectations" for today, but alas, things did not turn out as planned.  First of all, I woke up with a headache.  This doesn't happen to me very often, but I decided to just take it very slow this morning.  So I didn't actually leave the house until around 11:00.  The weather was less than wonderful - a steady rain (but thankfully not the ice that was happening just to the north of us).  But I got soaked walking into the first store.  I also got very wet at the ATM doing my deposit.  Then, at my last stop before coffee with a friend, my car was totally dead.  I mean nothing when I put the key in the ignition.  Now this was extremely unexpected!  We just got a new battery and less than two months ago, a new starter.  I thought I was set for the winter.  Thankfully Ken could leave work and come to the rescue.  When he opened the hood to "investigate" he found that the battery connection was so loose that it just slipped right off!  The car started right up!  I was extremely grateful!  While I was waiting for Ken to arrive I sent off a prayer request to my praying friends and I know that those prayers helped make this situation less of a problem. Thank goodness for praying friends! 

By the time we got home with the car and got the battery cables tightened and the battery charged, the day was over.  We really didn't want to leave the house this evening since we were expecting a couple of packages for Christmas via UPS.  This morning both packages were tracked as "out for delivery".  By 6:00pm we were slightly worried that they might not arrive.  Fortunately, at 7:05 our doorbell rang, and there were our two packages.  Yes, I am thankful for those UPS drivers who work long hours during this season. 

And then, I decided to put on the movie.  So we watched this Christmas Classic.  And, once again, I was thinking about "expecting the unexpected".  I just hadn't realized that I would need to be doing this in my day to day life.  Funny isn't it that it seems easy to think about things from a spiritual perspective but much harder to think about them in regular life.  Today I learned that I need to roll with the bunches and go with the flow.  I also feel so thankful for the reminder of all the blessings in my life.  I am ending the day looking forward to our family Christmas celebration tomorrow. 

Jesus, thanks so much for friends, for movies, for Ken, for reminders to be grateful, for the UPS drivers, for the warmth of home and the sparkle of the Christmas tree.  Thank you that in this unexpected day, I was able to keep looking at my "leader" and see the path that you  for me today.  Thank you for the message of the movie "It's a wonderful Life".  Thank you for the plan and destiny that you have for each one of us.  Amen

Day 30 - Thankful to be moving into December!

While I have enjoyed being thankful each day in November, I am really quite anxious to move into December.  With Thanksgiving so late this year, it feels like Christmas will be a bit rushed.  So I am starting today by celebrating Christmas each day of December. 

Today we put up our Christmas tree!  Over the last couple of years we have been using Ken's childhood "Genuine Aluminum Christmas Tree" from 1962.  We got it in the original box out of Ken's parents attic!  But last year our revolving light broke and we could not find a reasonably priced replacement.  Additionally, the tree was "shedding" small pieces of aluminum all over the ground.  Considering that it is 51 years old, this is not a big surprise.  So, we actually decided to get a replacement this year.  We decided to "down size" to a slightly smaller tree - it is 6 1/2 feet tall rather than 7 1/2 feet tall.  And at the last minute we discovered that we both kind of liked the white version of the tree we had chosen.  So, white it was!  I am very, very happy with it.  It fits perfectly, it was a snap to put up (pre-lit!) and it doesn't take up much room. 

 

I love putting my tree up.  From 1985 on, this was a part of our Thanksgiving weekend tradition.  My mom always came to our house for Thanksgiving and putting up the tree with Grandma Nona always made it feel like she was part of our Christmas celebration.  Neither Gwen or Doug ever got to celebrate Christmas with my mom - something that makes me feel sad.  And over the years, I greatly missed being with her on Christmas myself.  It is really hard to have so much distance and such bad weather keeping you apart.  Anyway..... the other tree that is currently in our attic is one of the last things that my mom used her Montgomery Wards discount to buy.  It was during her visit in 1998 that we purchased our first "slim tree".  So when we were considering putting that tree up, we knew that it has seen its better days.  Hence the new white tree!

 

So on this last day of November thankfulness, I am so thankful that I get to spend the holidays with my children and grandchildren.  And I am celebrating that we all live within 75 miles of each other.  This is a very big blessing and I don't want to forget to be thankful every day for this! 

 

Jesus, thank you for seasons and celebrations and festivals and lights.  Thank you for the Bible that allows us to know the story of your birth and gives us reason to enter into this month with great joy.  Holy Spirit, turn our hearts towards heaven and the story of the birth of Jesus.  Help us to see past the secular and the Santa and to celebrate the amazing gift Yahweh gave us - his Son, Jesus.  Amen

 



dreams of heavenly battles......

Over the years I have had some pretty interesting dreams.  It seems that when Jesus really wants to get my attention, he will use a dream.  I guess I have fewer "filters" when I am sleeping so the message gets through to me quicker!  However sometimes it takes a bit of time to actually understand what the message is!  In the last couple of weeks I have had some of the usual back to school dreams - you know, the showing up to school in pajama dreams, or forgetting your locker combination.  My most vivid back to school dream last week was what I call a "nanny-dream" - my current version of back to school.  I had a dream that I forgot the way to drive the kids to school.  And then when I got to the school, I couldn't figure out the car line for drop off!  I was seeing the scene from the movie "Mr. Mom" in my head, when the main character is trying to drop off his son for the first time.  Over and over his son says, "Dad, your doing it wrong!".  And of course, he WAS doing it wrong.  You see, for anyone who has never done a school drop off/pick up line, there is a right way and and a wrong way to do it!  Fortunately for me, I have actually been doing the car line for 5 years now, so it is old hat.  But thanks to this dream, my heart went out to all of those "first timers" who were "doing it wrong!" 

My dream last night was far bigger than the car line.  I had a dream about a battle that is raging in the heavens.  There was a dark cloud hanging in the atmosphere.  It looked BIG and enormous.  There were words written on the cloud - words like pain, sickness, agony.  Things like hopelessness, depression and anxiety.  There were words of doubt and fear and anger.  I saw selfishness, pride, control, ego.  And together all these things made up one very big enemy.  The amazing thing was that the source of this darkness was coming from the earth.  It was coming from dark spirits that had wrapped themselves around people.  Some of the people did not know this darkness was even around them.  But there was a strand of darkness connecting the people to the big darkness in the heavens.   Then I saw the arrival of an amazing host of heavenly warriors.  These magnificent angels had golden armour and huge swords.  They surrounded the big cloud of darkness, and as if on cue, they began to swing their swords.  Each time that the swords made a mark in the cloud, I saw the darkness around the people on earth, lessen.  It was as if the evil was losing its grip on the person.  Over and over the warriors cut through the darkness and the clouds around the people began to lift.  I saw the cords from the darkness just snap as the angels worked on and on to dissipate the cloud.  There was a moment when the darkness was gone and the warriors swords stopped and then there was singing and rejoicing as the Son came out in full force!   There was golden light just streaming down.  Simply amazing.

Today, as I have been reflecting on this dream, I realized that the war was going on for ALL people on the earth.  It was not just for a select few - those that know that they are under some kind of oppression.  The battle was raging for everyone - even those that had welcomed the evil around them.  Isn't that a great comfort?  Many of us have loved ones who are walking in scary places and dabbling in dangerous stuff.  Some of us may know people who really don't understand how very real this spiritual battle is.  Yet, we can know that the Father has sent out his heavenly hosts to do battle.

If you have been sensing a dark cloud over your family or your home, enter into this wonderful vision.  See that Jesus is sending the troops to fight this battle.  It is not yours to fight. Keep pressing in to Jesus, and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal this truth to you.  Keep looking up at Jesus, until you see the victory that is his.  Enter into the rejoicing and bask in the amazing light. 

Yahweh, thank you for using dreams to remind us of your work in the heavenlies.  Thank you Jesus for sending forth the warriors to do battle, even when we aren't aware of the war and don't know that we need your help.  Holy Spirit, draw those who are suffering under these dark clouds, closer to Jesus.  Turn their eyes to the heavens, where their help comes from!  Thank you for the celebration that is ours to enter.  Hallelujah!   Amen

In celebration of Lake Maud

You know how sometimes you get blindsided by something?  Something that you KNEW but you just hadn't really processed?  Well, I had one of those moments today. 

The picture above is one of my favorites.  I am actually the baby, sitting on my mom's lap (and sort of blocked by the salt and pepper shakers). This picture was taken in the summer of 1955.  I know the date because of my age!  I am not yet 1.   Left to right in the picture is my sister Karen, brother Jerry, then brother Greg, my mom and I and on the end, my sister Julie.  One of the reasons I love this picture SOOOOOO much is that it was taken "at the Lake" - Lake Maud, Minnesota.  The cabin you see in the background was built by my dad.  Every board, every nail was put there by him.  When my dad returned from serving in World War II, my parents began to think about having a place to vacation.  My mom often said that they knew they could not afford to go away for vacations, but having a cabin seemed like an option.  I  heard the story about my uncles (who lived in that area)  bringing my dad to the farmer who had decided to begin to sell lots on the lake on his property.  And how my dad walked through the woods to find just the perfect lot.  And it certainly was a choice lot on that lake.  My mom and dad purchased that lot in 1950 but it took them 3 years to pay off the lot so that they could begin building. The first part of the cabin was started in 1953 and completed in 1954.  The first picture of the cabin with the family standing by it, was taken in late August of 1954.  My mom is hiding in the very back of that picture because she didn't want to be "seen", as pregnant as she was! I was born on September 6th.  I know I have seen that picture, but I don't have it.  Since I was not "in" it, I am sure one of my siblings has that photo.  That explains why the above picture is so special to me.  I think it is the first photo of me at the Lake. 

That cabin was really my "home".  It was a constant in my life that included many moves.  The Lake - the cabin - was always there.  There were so many family gatherings, so many reunions, so much fun.  My dad loved being there.  There was always a project or two that needed fixing or something to be built.  I don't think I can recall a summer without a project until the very end of my dad's life.  And even then, when he was in a wheelchair, he had visions of what needed to be done.  Over the years there were rooms added.  And I remember when we got running water.  And then the next year HOT water in the kitchen sink! (So you didn't have to heat water to wash the dishes).  It wasn't until I was married that there was "indoor plumbing" - a bathroom.  Otherwise it was the outhouse.  This was a cabin. Not a lake home.  Small and crowded but wonderful.  I can still smell the aroma of wet tennis shoes drying out on a kerosene stove.  I remember the year that my dad put the knotty pine paneling in the living room. It was one of the hottest summers we had ever had.   My dad sweated his way through that project.  Yep, this was where so many of my family memories were made.  One of the last major projects on the house was a screened in porch.  That porch was amazing.  The hours that we sat out there, after dark and just talked.  And laughed. 

But life happens.  My siblings and I all grew up and had families and work and responsibilities. Many of us moved far away.  And the cabin sat empty for long stretches.  Even after my dad died, my mom continued to go to the Lake. Thanks to my brother Jerry, she went until the very end of her life.  Then my brothers continued to use the cabin for a couple of weeks each year.  Well today I found out that the cabin has been sold.  I am glad that my brothers are not worried about the maintenance and upkeep anymore.  But I admit I got a little chocked up hearing that it was no longer in our family.  And I felt a little blindsided by this news.  I don't know why.  I knew that my brothers were talking about selling and even my mom had been suggesting the sale before her death.  But I guess the reality just hit me.  So I felt a little blind-sided.

It has been good for me tonight to remember.  To think about and hold on to the memories of the cabin on Lake Maud.  And to celebrate my family. So once again, I am so thankful for pictures and treasured memories. I am especially grateful for the vision that my dad and mom had of the kind of place that the Lake became for us.  You know that God is in those kind of decisions.  For almost 60 years our family was blessed with this gathering place.  Yahweh, thank you for your destiny for my family that included Lake Maud.  I pray that the new owners of this wonderful little cabin find not only love, joy and peace there, but also you Yahweh.  Thank you for my family.