Thinking about my legacy......

Over the last week or so I have been really stuck on the thought of "Legacy".  Exactly what is a legacy and why is it so important?  So one day I was scrolling through Facebook and one of my friends had posted this piece......

WHAT IS LEGACY?
by Susan V. Bosak
Chair, Legacy Project
...


The concept of legacy is a powerful life tool for all ages and a catalyst for social change
Legacy is about life and living. It's about learning from the past, living in the present, and building for the future.
Where do you think it's best to plant a young tree: a clearing in an old-growth forest or an open field? Ecologists tell us that a young tree grows better when it's planted in an area with older trees. The reason, it seems, is that the roots of the young tree are able to follow the pathways created by former trees and implant themselves more deeply. Over time, the roots of many trees may actually graft themselves to one another, creating an intricate, interdependent foundation hidden under the ground. In this way, stronger trees share resources with weaker ones so that the whole forest becomes healthier. That's legacy: an interconnection across time, with a need for those who have come before us and a responsibility to those who come after us.
Elizabeth Elizabeth Tiam-Fook

Yes, I loved this so much.  I love the idea that a legacy is about our life and how we are living it.  It is about knowing and learning from our past and the generations of our past and then living in a way that is building for the future.  I have been so drawn to this concept of leaving a legacy for my children and grandchildren.  And after reading that short paragraph, I have a much better understanding of how I should be thinking about my legacy.  

 I believe that one aspect of my legacy has to do with children and their importance in the kingdom and FOR the kingdom.  I spent much of the last 35 or so years either working with children, writing about children, speaking about children or being with children.  My earliest testimony at age 4 is evidence for me that Jesus knows about children and speaks to children.  I am convinced that somewhere along the way, the western church has lost and/or forgotten this verse pictured above.  People have been sold a bill of goods that says all we have to do is entertain the kids - keep them busy - so that the adults can learn/worship without distraction.  Sometimes you might hear that children learn better at their own level so it is best to keep them away from "adult" worship.  It seems so funny to me whenever I hear these arguments, since that is exactly what was happening just before Jesus spoke these words!  The disciples were telling the moms and dads to keep their kids away, that Jesus had "adult" things to do and speak.  Certainly he was much to busy to spend time with the kids.

I don't only see this as unfortunate for the children, it is sad and such a loss for the entire congregation.  When we exclude children from any part of our worship experience, we are cutting off those roots of legacy.  How do we expect children to connect with Jesus and come into an active and vital worship life if they are not allowed to be "planted" in our corporate worship times, surrounded by the legacy of older saints.  It should come as no surprise that so many preteen/teenage children choose to emulate their friends and schoolmates who "worship" video games or sports, and find church boring and not relevant when we suddenly decide they are "adults" and should worship with us. They don't have roots that have taken hold in those pathways of the older people.  The good news is that each one of us, regardless of the customs or traditions of our local church, can make a difference in the life of children around us.  We can have conversations with our neighbor children, our nieces or nephews, children in our churches.  We can really live out that scripture above..... we can welcome a child into worship.    We can smile and acknowledge them.  We can offer to sit by them (and give mom or dad some much needed assistance).  We can appreciate ALL the people that Jesus is talking about in this verse.  Those with special needs (who may be aged as an adult but have very childlike behavior).  Those with disabilities. Those struggling with dementia. Those who might not understand the "rules" of behavior of your particular church.  The person who has just met Jesus. The homeless or needy.  Really, the list goes on and on.  The point is that Jesus welcomes ALL of his children.  From birth to death.   When you consider the story of the tree and where it should be planted, this makes sense.  Let's all change the legacy we are leaving.  Let us all be those strong, sturdy, deep-rooted trees that welcome those new plantings and shelter them with love and care.   Yes, this is my Advent challenge to you.  See yourself as a tree and find a new young tree to nurture.  You will be building a lasting legacy.

Jesus, thank you for Facebook that brings your thoughts and ideas to mind.  Thank you for reminding me of your heart for us.  What an amazing love you have for your children - no matter what their physical age or ability. Holy Spirit, keep this thought in our minds as we walk through this Advent season.  A time when we are all waiting for the arrival of Jesus.  Give us grace to show your love to those around us.  Amen 

A bit of a throw back blog!

I have a couple of very favorite pictures of my kids in front of the Christmas Tree and this is one of them!  Really, isn't this just the sweetest picture ever?  I know, it's a mom thing!  But look at those happy smiling faces.  And don't you love those "matching" outfits?  I'm not sure that Gwen and Doug would agree, but I love looking at this picture.  First of all, notice the paper chain on the tree!  This was one of the first "Advent" chains that we ever did.  Gwen and I were just talking about this.  I think that she made it in school and every day we took off one loop of paper.  Then, notice the cabinet on the left in the picture.  It used to be a TV!  Yes, a very large (very near to the floor) TV that had not been working for a long time.  Ken had taken the "guts" out of the cabinet and it had these amazing sliding doors that made this a perfect toy box.  We used that toy box for many, many years.  I also love that if I look closely I can see some of my favorite ornaments on that tree - and they are still on my tree this year.

I was actually thinking about this odd toy box today, while I was watching Violet and Abbott - the sweet twins that I nanny.  They seem to have this amazing ability to find very different uses for all of their toys!  Just like our very odd toy box out of an old TV set!

They have a really fun "ball bouncer" thing that will spit out the balls after they are tossed around a couple of times.  But for some reason these two will put anything BUT the balls into the bouncer!  In this picture there is a telephone, a dog, a farmer, a sheep, some eggs, and I don't know what else.  They often try to put the very large blocks into the very small basket, and they are always finding new places to put their pacifiers..... not in their mouth!  As a matter of fact, I saw Violet trying to put her pacifier into Abbott's ear!  Of course that was only after Abbott had ripped it out of her mouth! 

But here's the thing, I just loved that old toy box out of a TV set!  It hid away all of the toys when the kids were done playing.  And we have a very small house that did not need another big furniture piece, like a toy box.  This cabinet was already acting as our "TV stand" with another TV sitting on top (at a much better height to watch TV!).  So using it as a toy box was a wonderful solution for us.  Sometimes you just have to think "outside of the box" - or in this case INSIDE of the box!  

I've been challenged to do a lot more thinking "outside of the box" lately.  Even just the idea that I am acting as a nanny for twins....... yes, that is thinking outside of the box for this old lady.  But it has been such a blessing for me.  I am so thankful that I didn't pass up the chance to do this.  The path I have been on in thinking about Kenya again.... yes that is outside of the box.  And on Sunday night I had a really out of the box experience.  I was at the Sunday night worship that I often attend, and in a very unusual set of circumstances, I ended up stepping out of my comfort zone by praying for a young women sitting behind me. I ended up sharing a bit of my testimony and even had a chance to encourage and bless her.   It was an out of the box experience for sure!  

I think that we all need to watch for the chance to have these out of the box experiences.  If we just stop and look around us there are most likely many wonderful things that we can encounter if we just let them happen.  Yes, I love that I have been taking that extra time to consider Advent (see my last blog).  It was during that time that this blog was born.  I was thinking about all of the very good times I had with my children during the Advent season.  I am so grateful for the memories and the time to let the Holy Spirit bring them to mind.  It is good to have these few minutes each day to just focus on the whole message of Christmas.  It makes me so grateful for Jesus.  It makes me so thankful for the many blessings in my life.  It makes me so aware of all that is ahead.  If you don't take this time each day, I strongly encourage you to do so.  Just set in the quiet and remember the Christmas story.  And then wait and see what the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.  You will be blessed!

Jesus, thanks so much for all of the many blessings in my life.  Holy Spirit, thank you for helping me understand the benefit of thinking outside of the box.  Thank you for babies and the way that they help us to think differently.  Thank you for photos that preserve the past and help us remember.  Jesus thank you for the Bible and your amazing story.  Amen

Very busy few days..............

Yes, it is December and it seems like the days just go by so fast!  I really don't know where the last week has gone.  After this weekends decorating, it feels like Christmas in the house.  I love driving around at night (by which I mean anytime after 4:30pm when it is pitch black out) and seeing all of the lights.  It feels festive and happy.  Last night, as an extra treat, I got to go to an amazing performance of "Disney - Peter Pan, Jr".  The cast included both Lia and Ellie.  Really it is so much fun to see them singing and dancing on stage.  What a wonderful experience for these girls to be doing these big productions at their ages (9 and 6). But it did make for a late night for me.  Today Doug came over and helped us out by installing a new "smart" thermostat for us.  Let me tell you that he quickly (and I mean quickly) in a matter of minutes had run the new wire and had the thing installed and operational.  I know that this job would have been a much longer process if Ken and I had tried to do this on our own.  Susie came over right from work and then we were able to have a wonderful dinner together (something that doesn't happen often enough)!  I managed to get my Christmas cards ready to mail and did a little bit of shopping also.  So, yes... it has been a busy few days!  

While I was going through the Christmas decorations, I came upon this guy!  While I know that he looks a little "worn out" he deserves to look a little tired.  He is more than 50 years old!  Ken got this Santa when he was 9 or 10 years old!  It always was on the front door of their house.  It looks home made but he is not exactly sure where it came from.  For many years, when Gwen and Doug were small, he spent time hanging on our closet door - exactly where he is right now!  Somehow we lost track of him for many years and I only recently found him again.  It is really nice to have these small bits of years gone by that blend in with all of the new things around us.  

Last night, after the play and the flowers and the excitement, the kids asked me to stay at their house and participate in their nightly Advent devotions!  I was honored to be asked and of course stayed for this event.  Gwen and Tim have several different Advent activities.  They have a really neat count down string that hangs from their fireplace mantel.  Each day they read a portion of the "Jesse Tree" story from the Children's Storybook Bible and then a corresponding picture is added to the countdown line.  Yesterday the story was Adam and Eve.  They also have an Advent Wreath (that includes a small piece of candy for each child) and a "story book" ornament for each day.  The book yesterday was about Mary.  Then these little books get hung on a special little Christmas Tree.  To complete their Advent activities, there are special Christmas books that are wrapped as presents.  Each night someone chooses a book to unwrap and then that book is read!  Wow!  That is a lot of stuff!  But even at a very late hour for these four little ones, and even after the excitement of the play, all four sat and listened through all of the readings.   There were some great comments and questions about Adam and Eve, about the fruit and about the real problem - disobedience. What a great reminder it was to me of the importance of just MAKING THE TIME - even when you might not feel like you have the time, to stop and remember the reason for the season.   What really warmed my heart was hearing Gwen recount the Advent traditions from her growing up years.  And I saw and felt again, the importance of sowing into the generations to come through our own children.  

Yes, that was the perfect end to that day, and it was exactly what I needed to remind me to stop and really contemplate the season.  With the decorating and the shopping and the extra things of the holiday, it is easy to jump on that busy-ness treadmill.  And after a short time, you realize that you are running faster and faster and getting further and further behind.  I believe that it is time for ME to find an Advent devotional (or two, or three) and make sure that I set aside that time each day to reflect on the wonder of Christmas.  It is my encouragement and my challenge to each of you, to do the same.  

Jesus, thank you for knowing exactly what a most needed and showing me the way through my grandchildren.  Thank you for the wonder and joy that children experience during this season.  Holy Spirit, help us all to stop and reflect on the great love of the Father that brought Jesus to us.  Help us all to see the shadow of the cross in the light of the manger.  Amen

Thankful overload.....

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  Gwen and Tim and the kids (and Chandler, the dog) arrived on Thanksgiving morning.  We visited and played some games and ate our festive "un-Thanksgiving" lunch.  We had lasagna instead of turkey.  We started this tradition when our "black Friday shopping" became "Thanksgiving afternoon/evening" shopping.  I did not want to be cooking/eating/cleaning up from a big meal all before 3:00pm!  Besides, we were having our family REAL Thanksgiving on Friday at Doug and Susie's house.  I know that there are lots of people who have strong opinions about shopping on Thanksgiving, but here is my thoughts about that.  This shopping experience is one of the BEST times that Gwen and I have together.  We laugh, we plan, we celebrate the small victories when we find that certain bargain, we work together to conquer the crowds.  We also meet some wonderful people and simply have so much fun.  I can't think of a better family time.  And honestly shopping now is so much better than when we had to get up at 3:30am!  We didn't get enough sleep before we shopped and dragged around for all of Friday.  Now we get home before 10:00pm on Thursday.  We get a great night's sleep and leave the house at 5:30am on Black Friday.  We shop for a few hours and get home in time for breakfast with the family.  So much better!

So after a very successful time shopping on both Thursday evening and Friday (very early) morning, we were ready to celebrate Thanksgiving.  Doug smoked a turkey, which is so good.  Susie prepared a wonderful spread including some flavorful stuffing.  We all sat around their very large dining room table - all 10 of us!  Before we ate, Gwen asked who wanted to pray.  With very little hesitation, Zeke volunteered.  Our little four year old prayed the most wonderful prayer....  I can't remember exactly what he prayed but it included thanks for the food and for the time together as a family.  It was simply the sweetest, most heartfelt prayer.  There was no doubt that he knew exactly WHO he was talking to.  I have decided that there is nothing better than a little one praying from their heart.

Yes, it is a thankful overload.  Great family time, great shopping, great food, and great prayer.  What an amazing couple of days.  Then came the Christmas set up.  Ken had seen a really interesting laser projector thingy but it was sold out by the time we went to look at it.  So we opted for this large tree instead.

We are used to having some kind of outdoor decoration, so it was fun to have something new and very festive.  It was no easy task putting this tree up, however.  All of the lights were tangled into one big mess on the inside of this tree.  It took us a good two hours to get the lights all freed up and in the correct spots. And Ken was working on a ladder since this is over 8 feet tall.  The lights twinkle very gently. We were very thankful that it looked good once it got dark!   Part of my Thankful overload!

After dinner Ken brought out two foam kits that he had purchased a few weeks ago to add holiday decor to his office.  One was a very large two story gingerbread house and the other was this nativity set. 

This went together really easily and is really quite cute.  I don't know what I think about the one wise man in the front that seems to be wearing a stocking hat....but it is festive!  And then we went to work on the gingerbread house.  Oh my.  What a task.  I was trying to imagine children doing this, since it was a kit designed for kids.  And there were no real instructions...just a series of pictures on the back of the box that showed 5 steps.  It was a trick to figure out which piece was which and then when we tried to put the first walls together, we realized we would need some glue.  So I got out the craft glue.  Well, that didn't work very well.  After lots of time and lots of effort and many, many pieces falling apart, Ken went out to the store for super glue.  The odd thing was that some of the pieces were adhesive and SO sticky that you could hardly deal with it.  But other pieces had no glue at all.  I don't know how they thought this would work since it never says on the package that you need glue.  

It took us over two hours to finish this project.  But it was nice once it was done.  Working together on these two kits was certainly part of my thankful overload.  

So, there you have it.  A recap of my Thanksgiving couple of days.  I have been reflecting on how different this year feels than last year.  Gwen and I talked about how fuzzy and foggy last year seems in our memory.  We did a lot of just going through the motions for the holidays last year.  It was very hard to be thankful in the heaviness of our grief.   We really did just cling together and pull each other along, step by step, through the days, weeks, and months.  As we were sitting at that Thanksgiving table, I was so aware of the missing highchair and felt the loss of Lucas so deeply.  But there were smiles and even laughter this year.  And that perfect prayer of a little boy.  And now we move into Advent.  A time of expectation and planning.  A time filled with hope.  There could not be any better ending to my thankfulness overload than that.  

Jesus, thank you so much for knowing exactly what we need and when we need it.  Thank you for time together and your great peace and love.  Help us all to enter into Advent with a thankful heart and spirit.  Keep our eyes trained on you and the amazing story of season.  Thank you for lights and laughter and the wonder of children.  Amen

Thankful for the OLD and the NEW!

This morning I said goodbye to my old friend.......this car!  I have been driving it since 2009 when we purchased it brand new.  It has been a wonderful car.  Ken and I have driven it on many vacations, I have driven it back and forth to Minnesota so many times I can't even count.  It was the car that I used to chauffeur the children that I nannied around to school and/or sports and other activities for over four years.  During those years, I put over 500 miles a week on this car.  So, even though it was only 6 1/2 years old, it had 129,000 miles on it!  After lots of discussion and looking ahead at our needs, we decided to BOTH get new cars that have good, long warranties.  Ken found exactly the car he was looking for.  It has a great warranty, good reviews, and we got an outstanding deal on it!

We will finally have room to transport almost anything that we would want to buy.  It will be so much more comfortable when we travel and we won't have to limit what we bring!  We drove around in this wonderful new car today and even though we were fumbling a bit with the different controls, it was so comfortable.  It is not too big and not too small..... it is just right!  

For a while I will be driving Ken's old car.  It just made more sense to trade mine in on this purchase.  It won't be very long and I will also have a new car.  Most likely before the end of the year.  Until then, I will be driving in a bit more luxury than I was used to.  Things like a back up camera and built in blue tooth for my phone! 

Yes, there are some things to be thankful for when considering getting a bit older!  Ken and I are thinking towards retirement in the years ahead and decided we did not want to worry about our cars.  Yes, there it is.....thinking about retirement.  WOW!  Just putting those words on paper is a bit overwhelming.  But it is also kind of exciting!  It just depends on your perspective.  Any change is hard and this change is especially difficult.  But I am determined to make our transition into retirement like this car upgrade. Thankful for the old and the new!  I will be thankful for the remaining working years AND I will be thankful for moving into retirement.  

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving.  Most of us will be spending at least SOME time thinking about what we are thankful for.  Some of us will be actually talking about these things.  For some it might be difficult to feel thankful for anything.  I totally get that.  This has been a hard year for our family.  We were all reeling last year at Thanksgiving.... sort of numb from the loss of Lucas.  It was a lot of just getting through the holidays.  Going through the motions.  It was the prayers of so many that helped us navigate the waves of grief that often caught us unaware.  And it was the foundation of faith that kept us from falling over when those waves smacked us from every side.  So even in the numbness and the reeling we were thankful for the prayers and for Jesus and His constant presence with us.  

So I am heading into Thanksgiving feeling so thankful.  Thankful for the last year and all those who covered us and held us up with their prayers.  And I am thankful for Jesus.  And I am thankful for whatever is ahead!  Today I am especially thankful for a wonderful new car!

Jesus, thank you for your provision in all circumstances.  Holy Spirit, help us all to see beyond our troubles and concerns to recognize the blessings.  Jesus, transitions can be difficult so we need to see from your perspective.  Help us keep our eyes on you.   Thank you Jesus for a day to remember to be thankful for all that we have.  Thank you for family and food and health and home.  Amen

Snowed in and loving it!

This was a weekend that I look forward to for a long, long time.  SCRAPBOOKING!!  We all arrived at the appointed spot on Friday afternoon, set up our stuff (and there is always a lot of stuff!) and got started.  At about the same time that we started our projects, it started to snow.  Not just a little, but it snowed, and it snowed and it snowed.  This could not have happened at a better time.  We were all safe and sound in our warm, comfortable scrap place.  The best thing was we could have all our food delivered.  We never went outside. By the time it was all said and done on Saturday afternoon, we had over 16" of snow!  We happened to be in one those areas that really got slammed with this first snowfall of the season.  When I got home today there was only about 4" of snow on my driveway.  This picture was taken after only about 3 hours of snow.  Trust me, there was much more snow on our cars after 16 hours more of heavy snow.  I have to give a very BIG shout-out to my wonderful son-in-law Tim Johnson.  On Saturday afternoon, after most of the snow had fallen, he braved the weather and brought seven children (don't ask...it is a very long story) to the hotel for a swim in the pool.  Really, what better activity is there on a snowy afternoon than swimming???? The seven children had spent the morning OUTSIDE, playing in the snow.  So they were ready for some warm, inside swimming.  Anyway......while Tim was "visiting" scrapbooking, he cleared off all of our cars!  Can you believe it?  He actually brought a broom and shovel along with him for just that purpose.  What a guy!  He is really amazing.

I decided this weekend that there is something that is often very under-valued.......FELLOWSHIP!  I know that the stated purpose of these weekends is to accomplish the preservation of memories through pictures, but I believe that the best part of these weekends is the relationships.  The sharing and caring and laughing and crying and talking and hugging.....well, you get the idea!  It is all of that stuff that makes this time so meaningful.  At some point during the weekend, Lia sent me a text message that she was so excited for an upcoming "sleepover" at her BFF's (best friend forever) house this upcoming week.  I realized that this weekend is really one giant sleepover!  I guess us gals never really grow up - as far as our friends are concerned!

We covered a lot of ground in our discussions this weekend.  But the most important discussions revolved around this truth..........we all know that we need Jesus in our life in order to get through whatever comes our way.  This group of gals has experienced a lot lately.......there have been family members with cancer and heart attacks, problems with aging parents and death of parents as well as having parents move in with them!  Some of us are still grieving.  There have been houses sold (some after a very long time), houses purchased and moves made - or expected to be made shortly.  There are lots of concern about our children and for some of us, our grandchildren.  And there are the stresses of our jobs.  Certainly we also talked a bit about all that is happening in the world.  Surrounding all of these discussions was the simple statement that we don't know how we could have possibly gotten through these issues without knowing that Jesus is right there with us.

It is so refreshing and wonderful to talk about real problems, surrounded by people who love you, especially when Jesus is always a part of the discussion.  Yes, I think we would all be a lot better off if we just made time to get away with some friends, to talk and share and get snowed in!  For me it was such a time of rest and relaxing.  Plus I managed to complete 84 pages of scrapbooking - a new record for me on these weekends.

The snow was truly beautiful.  It fell softly and silently and covered all of the landscape.  There was a stillness and quiet that seemed to just envelop us in a cocoon.  I stepped outside to take the picture and it was breathtaking.  Even though it was freezing cold, I stood there (without a coat) and watched the flakes fall through the glow of the parking lot lights. It was a sacred moment.  I am extremely thankful for this weekend.

Jesus, thank you for knowing exactly what I most needed.  Even the unexpected, record breaking snowfall.  What a special blessing these dear friends are in my life.  Thank you for taking our needs and concerns and bringing us your great peace.  Holy Spirit, bring these kinds of opportunities to all who need a time of refreshing.  And Jesus, thank you for Tim and the great blessing he is to our family.  Amen                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

These people are on my mind today....

All of this thinking about Africa has had me remembering and dwelling on this couple.  This is Johann and Anna Toensing, my great-great grandparents.  Have you ever thought about people in your family tree and wished that you could have met them?  That is where I have been in the last few days.....thinking about Johann and Anna.  This picture is actually a photo of an oil painting of this couple, done in the early 1800's.  It is most likely their "wedding picture".  Johann was born in 1801 and Anna was born in 1806.  They were married in 1827.  And this was in Germany.  What is so interesting about this couple is that 3 of their children went off to the "mission field".  Their daughter Marie married a man that was set to go to Africa to bring the Good News to the Zulu nation.  Their two sons set off to "the new world" - the United States of America - to bring the Good News and establish churches.  This all happened around 1870.  I don't think this was very "ordinary" for families in Germany in 1870.  In fact I imagine that it was very, very unusual.  But they were committed to mission work.  They encouraged and supported their children to GO!

I never knew my great grandparents, or even my grandparents.  So I never got to talk to them or ask them about this.  I never talked to my dad about this subject.... but I did talk many times with my mom.  She was so encouraging!  I know that the same spirit that must have made Anna Toensing be willing to send her children off into the unknown for Jesus, was operating in my mom - Nona Etta Toensing Johnson!  She listened over and over to my stories from the various mission trips I experienced.  More than that, she asked me to share with her friends and her church.  She told me that she could never have gone "out of her comfort zone" and experienced the things that I had.  But she knew that there was a mission sending seed sown in her lineage.  She had heard her father tell the history of his own family. She knew about her great aunt and uncle in Africa.  I have been so blessed by my family tree.  By those prayers prayed for the sons and daughters and grandsons and granddaughters and even for me.

So here I am.  With a place in my heart for Africa.  More than that, I feel that I have a message to share.  I don't know what is ahead in the next weeks and months.  But I know that Jesus is leading and directing and bringing together all that needs to happen.  And I am more convinced than ever that my life is on a path that was designed long before I was born.  And that began with Johann and Anna Toensing!

Jesus, thank you for the reminder that you have everything under control.  Even when it may seem really grey (or maybe even totally black) you have that path all laid out.  Holy Spirit, help us to see our family tree with your eyes!  And remind us to pray for all of those future branches and leaves that will be added in the years ahead.  Amen