Sharing from one generation to the next and to the next....

Beginning again.  I started a blog post on Sunday but never finished it.  So yesterday I purposed to finish it and get it published.  After working on it for two hours, I tried to publish and it would not work.  I tried to save the post and exit to try again.  When I exited, the post was totally gone.  Sigh.  About four hours of work, just gone. This is very frustrating since the program generally saves your work every few minutes.  For some reason, the save was not working either (which I clearly didn't know).  But, I have learned my lesson and I will SAVE manually many times while typing each post.
So, to begin again.  

It's hard to get back into the swing of things when you return from vacation.  And the last couple of weeks have seemed very busy.  On Monday, Gwen and I took the kids to a new Jump place that was closer to my house than theirs.  The kids love these places and get tired of the same old thing, so a new place is always fun.  We watched the kids climb, jump and slide for a couple hours and then took them to lunch.  We went to one of Gwen's favorite places from her childhood - Colonial Ice Cream. Unfortunately the building is new, but the business is the same.  Gwen and I were reminiscing about the many, many times we went to Colonial after youth group and/or church activities.  There is something special about seeing the grandchildren enjoying the same things that your kids did.  It was just a little bit of sharing one generation to the next and then to the next! 

Over the last several years, I have spent a great deal of time thinking about and documenting (scrapbooking) my ancestors.  Having grandchildren really changes how you think about your place on the family tree.  In so many different ways, there have been lessons learned and new insights as I have discovered the deep spiritual heritage sown by long ago relatives.  On arriving home from our recent vacation, I was surprised by this package in the mail....

These two books were sent to me by a distant cousin of my mother.  Both books are written in German and were published in the 1850's.  One contains an inscription by my grandfather, Arnold Toensing and the other by his sister, Lydia Toensing.  The cousin, Delwin Mahn, who sent me these books, has no children or grandchildren.  So I am sure that he is trying to keep these very precious items in the family.  I am delighted to have the book belonging to my grandfather, and will be sure that it is passed along to the next generation.   Holding the book in my hand that belonged to my mother's aunt Lydia, caused me to really stop and think.  

Aunt Lyd was particularly important to my mom.  Next to her Aunt Anna (who helped raise her after her mom died) she was closer to Aunt Lyd than any of her other aunts.   Aunt Lyd's daughter Jeanette (my mom's cousin) was the same age as mom and they would spend many summers and vacations together.  

I couldn't help but think of this picture.  This is the only picture my mom ever had of her with her mother.  Pictured are Aunt Lyd and Jeanette on the far left, then my mom with her Dad and Mom, and the four kids are Delwin (Jeanette's brother) and my mom's sisters Beatrice, Phyllis and Eunice.  The owners of those two books - in one picture!  My grandfather and his sister.  Sadly, my grandmother Nora died around a year after this picture was taken.  My grandfather's family stepped in to help a young widower with 4 little girls (ages 8, 6, 5 and 2).  Considering this was 1917, not an easy thing.  

The most interesting thing about this story to me, is that I actually have memories of Aunt Lydia!

For my mom, one of the best parts of moving to St. Paul was that we would be close to Jeanette.  And we certainly did get to spend lots of time at her house. It was such fun to meet and get to know Jeanette (who was so much like my mom).   My grandfather and Aunt Anna had both died before I was 3 years old.  So I only have a few memories of them.  Every little grade schooler wants grandparents and I was always sad that I didn't even really have stories of my grandparents, let alone memories.  So being with Aunt Lyd was really special for me.  I even remember visiting her at her "apartment" in a senior living facility.  It was very sad when she died when I was around 8 years old.  

But here I am, holding a book that actually belonged to a very young Lydia.  And while the book is special for me, I would love to find one of Jeanette's children to pass this book along.  Sadly, our family has lost touch with all of them, so I am hoping that internet connections will be made to get this book to those that might treasure it the most. 

I am sure that in the early 1900's no one was thinking about saving things for future generations.  Times were so different and life was so much harder.  Even photographs were few and far between.  Only done for very special occasions.  I am so thankful for the pictures that we do have.  It makes sharing these stories with my grandchildren, so much easier.  Every time I think about ending this blog, I am reminded that WORDS are important.  Pictures are great, but if you don't know anything about the scene, it is pretty meaningless.  That is why it is so important to journal along with scrapbooking.   I am in possession of a very old scrapbook of un-labled pictures from Ken's side of the family.  No one knows who these people are.  Clearly they are relatives, but exactly who, is a mystery.  By the time Ken's dad gave me the album, he had no idea who the pictures were of.  And in the age of Instagram and digital pictures it is my fear that so many of these pictures will remain with no identification and no story.  So I will continue to blog and tell stories about pictures, to preserve in some small way, a bit of our family heritage.  

So after amazing views off of mountain summits, I have come back down to earth.  Down where blogs sometimes don't save and vanish at a push of a button.  Back to normal life.  But that panoramic view of the clouds and sky and valleys left an impression on me.  No matter what small thing goes wrong, there is always a blessing around the corner.  I love spending time with my grandchildren.  I love finding connections to my ancestors.  And I love that I can share stories and memories with all of you and with my family to make sure that at least some pictures have words with them..  

Storytelling is an important art and it has been lost for the most part.  The entire Bible is stories that share the great spiritual heritage we have been given.  Each one of us has stories to tell and we need to discover ways to share with those around us.  I am sure that there are many reading this who just might be bloggers or writers but you have never started out!  Make today a day so sharing.  There is so much love and so many powerful lessons when we start telling our stories.  

Jesus, thank you for the plan you have had for families since Adam and Eve.  Thank you for photos and computers and all the amazing developments that we take for granted.  Holy Spirit, nudge us all to share stories of your presence in our life and give us courage and boldness to speak!  Keep us all aware of the importance of being connected - to each other and to our ancestors.  Thank you for surprise packages that come with memories.  Amen

Off the beaten path with the "mountain man"!

We have had a wonderful vacation.  It has been so unlike our "normal" vacations (which tend to be beach and/or museums/attractions).  Neither Ken or I tend to be "outdoor" people.  Yes, we do like to visit botanic gardens/arboretums and parks.  This vacation spent mostly in wooded mountains was something new and amazing for us.  A number of people asked me why we would ever consider a vacation to North Carolina. It has been a wonderful, peaceful time spent in nature. And the best part of the trip is that nothing was more than a two hour drive!  You really can't beat that!

Yesterday we decided to drive across the Great Smoky Mountain National Park to visit Gatlinburg TN and see the top half of the National Park. To start the day, we stopped at a very hidden waterfall that is actually on the Cherokee Indian Reservation.  By the way, that reservation is worth a visit!  We were surprised to find all of the signs written in Cherokee!  The Soco Waterfall is not shown on most maps and we just happened to see it on Google Maps (when we happened to have phone service - which was spotty at best).  There was only one small sign for the waterfall from one direction.  There was a small pull off and then a trail between the guard rails.  It was a short walk - straight down - and Ken was thankful for that walking stick we purchased a few days ago.  ***Side note - we both totally forgot that we are FLYING on this trip and really didn't consider how we are going to get that very big stick home!  

The Soco waterfall was so worth the walk.  Ken and I were totally alone on the viewing platform - just the sound of that water.  It was awesome!   So secluded and unspoiled.  By the time we left the viewing area to walk back up that treacherous path, a stream of people were on the way down to see the falls.  It felt like such a gift for us to be there, alone and have time to soak it all in.  

We proceeded into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  We had visited a few days before and were planning on just driving through (as I mentioned before).  We didn't get very far into the park when we found out that the only road through the park was closed!  Apparently there had been a serious accident and there was an ongoing investigation.  The only way to get to Gatlinburg was a LONG way around the outside of the park.  So, the best laid plans of man sometimes don't work out. 

We decided to drive another stretch of the Blue Ridge Parkway instead.  We had already driven several different sections.  But this stretch has the highest point of the Parkway. 

When we got to this viewing site, there was a path leading up to a viewing platform.  It was almost straight up!  We never made it to the top.  We stopped at this point and took a few pictures.  The actual high point of the parkway is 6,200 feet.  So much beauty and so many breath-taking views.  The clouds are so close you can almost touch them.  The mountains go on and on.  Around every turn is another picture perfect view.  I can't wait to actually see the photos that Ken took.  My Iphone pictures will be nothing compared to his, I am sure. 

The Blue Ridge Parkway was a surprising, wonderful part of this trip.  This two lane road zigzags up and down through the mountains in North Carolina and Virginia.  The average speed limit is about 35 miles per hour, so this is not a "quick trip" route.  We drove from mile 460 to 390 and that 70 miles took us about 3 hours including many, many stops for photos.  But there is literally NOTHING along the road - very few spots to get on or off of the parkway - no gas, no food and also only a couple of "comfort stations" (think restrooms).  What there is - TREES AND MOUNTAINS.  Also lots of wild flowers, butterflies, bees and even an occasional bird.  Also very frequent overlooks. 

All in all, this was a really wonderful trip.  We managed to snag a great deal on a really nice hotel in Asheville, that provided a "base camp" for some of our adventures.  As I mentioned, we never had to spend more than a couple hours in the car (with the exception of the Blue Ridge Parkway - which was worth it).  Today we began our trip back to reality with a drive mostly on the interstate.  It was also raining.  What a contrast to the wonderful days of sunshine and quiet roads. 

I am very glad that we have a couple of "buffer" days between those mountain days and our arrival home.  Tomorrow Ken will be visiting with a friend and former co-worker.  And then we will be driving (two hours) back to our airport location for our trip home.  It has been a long time since I visited mountains.  As a matter of fact, other than a few short trips through smaller mountains, driving on interstates, the last time I actually saw mountains was when I was 9 years old.  I needed this trip to remind me just how majestic mountains are.  And also just how deep the valleys are.  One morning Ken and I had breakfast at a really fancy McDonalds (that may seem like a contradiction of terms -but it was the Biltmore McDonalds) there was a grand (player) piano filling the room with music.  Suddenly "How Great Thou Art" began playing.   Yes, a perfect song.  Listen to How Great Thou Art performed by Home Free to catch a bit of what I was feeling.

I have done so much praising, just thanking God for the beauty of His marvelous creation. Everything seems so green and so fresh and the air is so clean and crisp.  We had some twists and turns and some of our plans didn't work out.  But it was a wonderful time of rest and relaxation and lots of photo taking.  All in all, just a wonderful vacation.

Jesus, I am so thankful for the opportunity to spend time in your creation.  Holy Spirit, remind us all to step outside, to look up and down and to see and celebrate the world around us.  When things are moving so fast around us, give us places and spaces for rest.  Thank you for waterfalls that remind us of your living water.  Thank you Jesus.  Amen

When the path you are walking is not what you expected....

Ken and I are just a couple days into our vacation  So far we have done much more walking/hiking than we had expected.   A few weeks ago we purchased a book that includes descriptions of state parks in each state.   We actually decided to visit this area so that we could see these parks.  That book has certainly paid off, since we have enjoyed two days in amazing countryside, seeing parks that would never have been on our radar.  As a matter of fact, the park we visited yesterday was so far off the beaten path, we almost couldn't find it!  We had no cell phone service and no GPS (except our phones).  Fortunately, we were close enough to the park to find our way in.  We were a bit concerned about getting back OUT to our hotel, but fortunately we got cell phone service briefly by the visitor center and were able to map our route.  The narrow back roads zigzagged up and down, through valleys  and up steep inclines.  There were breath-taking views that would just pop up as we crested over a hill.  It was awesome.  We were pretty tired by the time we entered the park, after starting our day at 4:00am in Chicago.  So we only took a short walk yesterday.  The map in the picture is actually from our "walk" today. 

We felt pretty rested after a good nights sleep, and ready to hit the trails in the second park.  This park was actually easy to locate.  There were signs showing the way into the park - even on the interstate!  We did not have cell service (again) but it was not a problem to find our way today.  We stopped at the visitor center and picked up this map and actually had a helpful guy mark out that path in yellow.  The trail lengths were marked on the map, but I am sure that those figures are WRONG!  We only took the trails marked "easy" or "moderate" and not those marked "difficult" or "expert".  When we started out, we thought the path was only about two miles to reach the waterfalls.  Boy was that ever wrong.  First of all, the paths were not flat and level. They were uphill and rocky.  And twisty!  It was quiet and peaceful.  There were trees and small streams.  But it was also HOT and HUMID!   We did see some amazing cascading streams and we saw "Stone Mountain" (the name of the park).  However, we were most excited to get back to our (rental) car and discover that it has air conditioned seats!  I guess we don't live far enough south to see this feature on cars in our area.  All I can tell you is that having that cool air blow on your seat and your back is a most pleasant experience.  For all of my northern friends, just remember how wonderful it is to hop in your car on a subzero morning and have that heated seat warm you up, this is exactly that kind of wonderful. 

I was sitting in the car, (letting that air conditioned seat cool me off) watching Ken take some pictures of this pretty stream.  I was enjoying the sound of the water flowing over the rocks and looking at the map (in all honesty I was wondering how that path was so much longer than they claimed).  It dawned on me, just how many times I feel exactly like that about the direction my life is going!
The path of my life is much harder than I thought it would be.  There are so many twists and turns and some days it feels like every step is all up hill.  There are those moments of quiet wonder and also those times when the views are amazing.  But squashed right along with the good times are those times when you just feel like giving up and not going one step further.  While I may not trust or believe the maker of that trail map above, I know that I can count on Jesus, who has created the path for my life.  Even with those difficulties along the way, the destination is assured.  The best part is knowing that that flowing water of the Holy Spirit is always with me. 

If you have not planned some time to just be outside and soak in the wonder of God's creation, you need to do so today.  There is no better way to settle your spirit, to get revived to face those twists and turns of life, than to walk on a path in nature.  Even if that path is not exactly what you expected when you started out.  Even if the walk is more difficult than you thought.  Trust me, it will be worth it!  When you get to the end of that trail, the views are amazing!

Jesus, thank you for knowing  that we would need your creation to restore us.  Holy Spirit, what a wonderful gift those flowing streams of water were for me today.  Remind us all of your presence with us.  Thank you for surprises found in books.  And thank you for mountains and air conditioning!  Amen

A tribute.....

I was just sitting here, thinking about the last week.  It has been a time of shock, contemplation, memories, as well as a time to look ahead with confidence and hope.  Last Sunday morning, Rich Fick, one of those "giants of the faith"  who have such a huge influence on your life, stepped out of this earthly life and into eternal life.   It was a total shock to everyone.  He had not been sick.  In fact, he was getting ready to go to church and preach a sermon, when Jesus called him home.   If someone were to ask me to name people that had a direct effect on my spiritual growth, Rich would be on the top of the list.  For over 25 years, the teaching, prayer and ministry of Rich and his wife Kay helped build a strong foundation in my life and truly shaped who I am today. .  Rich and Kay's children and my own kids were good friends.  Gwen and Doug both spent many sleepovers at the Fick household and their kids spent time at our house also.  So this was a shock for them as well.   The funeral service yesterday was filled with so many memories, so much laughter, and many tears.  Dan (Rich and Kay's son) preached an amazing sermon.  As Gwen later remarked,Rich would have been so pleased with Dan's words.  Katherine and Tim (Rich and Kay's other children) also shared about their dad. And there were other tributes as well. 

As I considered the tribute that would be shared in this blog, I remembered this....

Oh so many years ago, I created this "scrapbook" frame for Rich and Kay and their ministry, Cyrus Ministries International.    For me, this represents a snapshot of the heart of Rich's mission to follow Jesus.   It may be hard to see in this picture, but the words around the outside of this frame are the foundation of Rich's teachings.   Rich was called into full time ministry after hearing the words, "feed My sheep".  With that charge from Jesus, Rich set out towards that purpose -to share Jesus.  First, speaking the Word.  Everything was bathed in the Bible.  Next, declaring the cross.  Jesus was the main thing.  After these two "biggies" - everything else followed.  There was freedom and broken chains from so many different things that can keep us from experiencing everything we have through Jesus. Seeing Jesus, hearing His voice and staying connected with Jesus through the work of the Holy Spirit, were part of this path to freedom.  The kingdom glory of heaven is to be brought to earth - exactly as we pray in the Lord's prayer.  And as that glory fills us and the atmosphere, healing (physical, emotional, spiritual) naturally follow.  Included in bringing heaven to earth is Communion.  The very real presence of Jesus, left as a gift to renew, recharge and empower us.  Finally, go to the nations.  Every one of us is called to share the Gospel message and Rich did exactly that. His international travels touched so many people around the world.   

The single line "Serving God as He unites heaven and earth in Christ" sort of sums up Rich's life. He loved Jesus and expected to live and serve for many, many more years.  But Jesus had other plans.  Now Rich is sitting with all of the famous Bible folks, seeing Jesus face to face after hearing "Well done, good and faithful servant."

In all of the pain and sorrow of this loss, there is hope.  Hope because of Jesus.  Knowing that those who believe in Him will be with Him eternally.    What a comfort that is through the Holy Spirit! 
After this last week, I can't help but remember to be thankful for each day.  To treasure those closest to me and to make each day count.  There is a plan and purpose and destiny for each one of us and we all need to be taking steps towards that destination every day.  Especially now, with technology everywhere, we need to put down our phones and see each other.  Talk to that neighbor.  Call that old friend you haven't spoken to in months. Make a difference for Jesus.  Speak what is on your heart - even if it is hard or uncomfortable.  Above all else, love people with the love of Jesus.  Even the people that are hard to love!  Death is so often a wake up call, isn't it?  And it is not just for us "old" people.  None of us knows the day or hour of our last breath.  It is in God's hand.  Lets all become seed planters, sowing seeds everywhere we go.  And those that water dry ground, pouring out the Holy Spirit all around us. 

Jesus, thank you for all that Rich brought to me as he fulfilled his destiny.  Help me to share with others, to plant seeds and to water them.    Help us all to keep walking towards our destiny.  Fills us with your words so that we can scatter them abroad.  Fill our belly's with the living water of the Holy Spirit.   Keep Rich's entire family close in this time of great loss for them.  Surround them with your love, your comfort and your peace.  Amen

Time with "GRACE" .... but she is too young to be a guest blogger!

I just spent the last few days taking care of this little cutie while her mommy and daddy are on a much needed "adults only" getaway with some friends.  This is the first time I have been with her overnight and for a few days but as far as Grace was concerned, this was just like a normal day when Grandma Lyn is there.  The first couple of days was rain, rain and more rain.  The poor girl kept asking to go outside, but there was no way we could go out.  Even Sammy and Kylie (the dogs) had to be kicked outside when necessary!  But yesterday was a glorious return to summer with plenty of sunshine and warm temperatures.  So we spent the better part of the day outside, enjoying the time together.

The little water table that Grace is playing in was handed down from Lia, Ellie, Zeke and Anna!  It is a testament to just how well made some of those "Little Tykes" items are.  In spite of almost constant use in the Johnson household, this table is almost like new.  I remember seeing those kids play inside with it filled with rice and outside during every summer.  Now Grace will be enjoying it!  She is the perfect height for it right now.  Most of her "pouring" happened back into the table.  Needless to say, she was not happy when I told her it was time to go in for lunch!  As soon as her nap was over, she was standing by the door, pointing to her shoes and hat and she made a beeline to the table as soon as her feet hit the ground!

Being with her for several days (after not seeing her last week when I was with the older kids) she just seems so grown up.  She manages a spoon all by herself - even with Kix cereal!  And it melts this grandma's heart when she call out "Ga-ma"!  She is learning to say new words almost daily now.  What a blessing it is to be able to see, hold and hug this precious little one.  

Last week, in my few free days between "grandma time", I managed to finish my scrapbook for Grace.

I have made a book for each of my grandchildren that  includes pictures of their first year.  I try to include events that are important to me and pictures of Ken and I with them.  It is always hard to pare down the (way too many) pictures that I have taken and to just use my favorites.  It was hard to not compare this album to Lucas' album.  Until you experience the loss of a baby or child, I don't think you appreciate the fact that although they are not physically with your family, they are still very much a part of your family.  Lucas is so "present" at Doug and Susie's house.  Grace will grow up seeing and knowing all about Lucas.  His pictures are all around the house.   The fact is, no one in our family will ever "get over" the loss of Lucas.  We will always miss him and think about him.  And remember him.  His album is in the stack along with Lia, Ellie, Zeke, Anna and Grace's album.  

Watching Grace playing at the water table, pouring water from cup to bowl, was mesmerizing.  She never seemed to tire of this water play.  And the flowing water reminded me to my life verse...

(from the Passion Translation)  John 7:37

Jesus stood and shouted out to the crowds - "All of you thirsty ones, come to me!  Come to me and drink! Believe in me, so that rivers of living water will burst out from within you, flowing from your innermost being, just like the Scripture says!"

And there it is, the source of the grace and hope and joy and life that fill my days.  I honestly don't know how you can go on after a loss, without that source of living water filling you every day.  I am so thankful that Doug and Susie decided on Grace's name.  I can not imagine calling her anything else.   And I pray that she continues to grow into the goodness and generosity, beauty and joy that are a part of the meaning of the name Grace.   She is off to a great start!  

Jesus, thank you for time with  my grandchildren.  Help us all to slow down and take time to reflect and remember just how precious life is.  Thank you for leaving us physical things -- flowing water -- to draw our eyes back to what is really important.  Give us ears to hear the waterfalls.  Eyes to see the flowing water.  Hands to touch the coolness of the water. And hearts to receive all that you are speaking to us.  Amen

When grace carries you through. And a special "Guest Blogger"!

This has been an exciting week for me.  I have spent the last several days with Lia, Ellie, Zeke and Anna while Gwen and Tim are on their church's Mission Trip.  I have done this for the last 8 years.  This is always a special time for me to spend lots of time with each one of them.  This year, everyone is so much more independent and able to function without help.   I have actually been getting MORE sleep this week than I normally do, since nobody wakes up much before 7:00am!  So far, I have colored many pictures, made lots of meals, done lots of laundry and played LIFE many, many times! 
Today is actually one of the "busy" days for us since Lia has Ballet (actually Ballet, Jazz, and Tap) and Ellie, Zeke and Anna all have gymnastics.  So I will be driving from one place to the other and keeping some busy while waiting on the others.  The beginning of my time here, the weather was really raining and cloudy.  So we had some inside days of more television than we would normally allow.  Thankfully, the sun is out today and it is warm and summer like.  Which will make our waiting time lots easier.  There is a farmers market in the town with Ballet and Gymnastics so I am sure that we will be visiting there for part of the time.  It is really exciting to see the "pre-teen" that Lia is becoming.  Lia has been asking me about this blog and has expressed a desire to be a "guest blogger".  So this is her chance.....
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Hi, my name is Lia. I am the oldest of the 4 kids. So my Grandma is brave and she is letting me be a "Mini blogger" on her blog. I am going to tell you my perspective of how the week is going. So normally in the Fall (When Mom and Dad work and Anna has school) somebody has to take care of  us Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. So Grandma takes care of us on Monday, I take care of them on Wednesday and, my other Grandparents take care of us on Friday. So anyway Grandma is here from 6:30-7:00 A.M. to 3:30-3:45 P.M. which if you count isn't very much time. (Plus we do school in that time) So this mission trip week is and amazing opportunity to spend as much time as I can with Grandma. After Grandma leaves on Monday I always beg my Mom to set up a play date with Grandma.

Ellie and I have the same bedtime and our bedtime is 9:00-9:30 P.M. but Zeke and Anna are younger than us and so they have to go to bed before us (7:00-7:30 P.M.) and so Ellie and I get to spend some time with Grandma without Anna and Zeke. So Grandma, Ellie, and I play "The Game of Life" (Which Anna and Zeke can't play) and every time we play it Ellie and I get cars full of kids and Grandma gets one at the MAX. Yeah well Ellie and I don't have children in real life and Grandma actually has kids. Grandma thinks that it's sad but I think it's hilarious. 

When Mom and Dad are away I am sad... but I am also glad. (Grandma doesn't give us a long list of chores to do) anyway it's good practice for college. for some reason I get better sleep when Grandma is here. Grandma also gets us treats at the store and she brings us to McDonalds play place and Baskin Robbins. My best friends birthday party is always during the mission trip and she always has a pool party because she has a pool and so I get to relax and get to be away from my cray family. 

This year for the mission trip my Mom and Dad and the churches youth ministry (Boulder) are at St. Louis. Yesterday they went to a HUGE ball pit with HUGE balls. I am in Boulder but I am still too young to go... you have to be going into High school to go on this years mission trip. They always change the age restriction (It depends on where they are going that year) next year I am going to be able to go! I am super excited. It is also my last year with Grandma though. I am really sad.

So tonight is going to be CRAZY. First we are dropping off Anna and Ellie at gymnastics at 4:00, and then we are going to my dance studio "Dance Connection" for my 4:30 class, and then Grandma goes back to gymnastics to pick up Ellie and Anna at 5:00, and then they have 1 hour to eat and then Grandma has to drive back to gymnastics to drop Zeke off at 6:00 and then Grandma, Ellie and Anna have to wait in the car until 7:00 and then they are going to go to a park after they pick up Zeke while they are waiting for me or  and then at 9:00 they are going to pick me up from dance. Crazy huh? This is my first Ballet class and tap class and jazz class this summer and this is Ellie's and Zeke's first gymnastics class for the summer and this is Anna's very first gymnastics class EVER! I am so excited for her and also really proud of her. Anna is really into front rolls AKA somersaults so I think that she will be really great at those. She wouldn't go to sleep last night because she was so worried that she wouldn't do her somersaults right tonight. Well that's all for me I hope that I will get to be a "Guest -Mini"  blogger again! It was really fun! bye!
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Yes, I know that the extra grace from Jesus is what carries me through this week.  I sure have a great appreciation for Gwen and all that taking care of four kids entails.  There are so many times in my "normal" life that I feel that blast of an extra touch of grace.  But this week, I have been living in that grace.  I love that the kids are learning about serving others by the example of their parents.  They have first hand knowledge of going into strange places to share the love of Jesus - even when it is outside of their comfort zone.  We saw a homeless person while we were driving, but unfortunately did not have anything to give away!  The kids were very sad that they couldn't help.  I was just glad that they even wanted to help!  This week is a growing week for me.  Growing in patience, growing in love.  Being with the kids and seeing how they maturing and learning is such a gift.  One thing is certain.  I would not miss out on this week for anything!

Jesus, thank you for the joy and wonder of children.  Holy Spirit, I could not get through this week without your extra measure of grace.  Jesus, bless all the children, adults and senior citizens that are being touched by Gwen and Tim and the team from Fellowship of Faith.  Help us all to approach our full and busy days knowing that we need more of your grace.  Thank you for all of your blessings.  Amen

Getting an answer to prayer (in the midst of things)

This weekend was the big "Dance Recital Weekend".  This year all three girls danced in this recital. This was Lia's 9th dance recital!  Yes, that's correct.  She is 12 years old and has been dancing since she was three.  This year, Lia was in a Jazz number, a Lyrical number and also Ballet.  It was her first year in the big Ballet production that is a central part of the recital.  Ellie had two dances - a Jazz and a Tap. It was Anna's first recital and she had a Jazz dance.  I was so proud of these girls!  They have worked so hard to learn these dances and spend hours practicing at home.  Lia will be adding (back) tap to her schedule next year, so she will have at least 4 dances to learn.  I forgot to mention that there are different shows (since this studio is so large) and Lia was in all the shows.  Ellie was in two of the shows and Anna was in one.  Thankfully (mostly due to Gwen's careful planning) all three girls were in the first show on Saturday.  Then Lia and Ellie were both in the second show on Saturday, and just Lia was in today's production.  I can't count the number of times Gwen had to drive someone to dance (and then pick them up several hours later) in the last week.  And then she had to sit through two days of dress rehearsals and then three performances.  Oh, the love of a mother (and father - Tim does some of that crazy driving)!  I actually went to two of the three shows (it's a grandma thing!)

 I have mentioned this amazing studio, "Dance Connection" in Grayslake, Illinois a couple of other times.  At the close of the program today, Bridget Blake, the owner of the studio, mentioned that dance is about so much more than this production.  These kids are learning so many valuable lessons while they spin and twirl and leap.  They are learning to persevere and work hard to accomplish goals.  So much of this recital was about team work.  Not only do they have to know where to be on the stage, they have to be aware of everyone else.  They are building confidence and character as they practice those really hard steps, over and over, until they get them just right.  (I watched Ellie practice "up, up, down, down" over and over - even when it hurt her ankles!)  The mentoring of the older students to the youngest is wonderful to see as "Student teachers" help with all the younger classes.  Lia has been so looking forward to the chance to fit into this role!  Such a refreshing and uplifting event, seeing so many helpers pull off this amazing show.

I can't end without telling a bit about the ballet production.  I have to admit, when Lia told me that she was going to be an Ewok in the ballet production, I was skeptical!  Really, how do you have a Star Wars ballet???  It was simply amazing!  It was clear that so much thought went into the dance choreography and the costumes.  Each one of the main characters was clearly recognizable by their (still beautiful and flowing) costume.  I believe it was the best Ballet production that I have seen (remember that I have seen NINE)!  And I just have to say, Lia was simply the cutest Ewok on the stage!

But now let me tell you a bit more about the title to this blog. Yesterday, I drove to the recital, listening to my music most of the way.  Gwen called me to give me final directions to meet up with her and my blue tooth in the car was working perfectly.  Somehow, during those hours of the recital, my car decided to throw me a curve ball.  When I got in the car to go home, I had no radio and no sound on the blue tooth.  Everything seemed to be ON, but I had no sound.  At all.  I turned off the car several times, thinking that might fix the problem.  But no luck.  So I began the drive home, in my very silent car.  While this might not seem like a problem, it is more than just an aggravation for me.  I have several very long car rides every week, back and forth to Gwen's and also Doug's house.  I admit that I really need my music to keep my focus where it needs to be.  And the blue tooth is necessary since it is illegal to hold your phone and drive!  After several minutes of lamenting that it figures that the radio would break when I am just about to make the last payment on the car, I decided to just shoot up one of those quick prayers about the situation.  Within a few moments, I started thinking about the fuses.  Now, I can't tell you the last time that I even thought about the car HAVING fuses!  When I mentioned it to Ken, he seemed to think it was doubtful that it was a fuse since the display was working for the entire system - just no sound.  I decided to "google" the problem, and sure enough, there was the answer.  Pull out the audio fuse and leave it out for several minutes.  Put it back in to reset the audio system.  A few short minutes later, the radio and blue tooth on my car were working fine.  It wasn't until a bit later that I realized that I had heard the answer to my prayer!  The Holy Spirit gave me that thought of the fuse to bring a solution to my problem.  I just got confirmation from google!

What a great reminder that we can all EXPECT to receive answers to our prayers.  We just have to be aware that sometimes that thought that pops into our heads, is really the Holy Spirit speaking to us.  Or sometimes that "gut feeling" that we get is a message for us.  Every one of us can hear from Jesus.  It is part of the reason that he left the promise of the Holy Spirit.  Jesus knew that we would need help - the Holy Spirit is called the helper.

My encouragement to you today is to expect to get help when you need it from the Holy Spirit.  Even in the midst of a very busy times.  Even if you don't think you have ever actually gotten a direct answer to a prayer.  Even if you doubt that you can really hear from Jesus.  Trust this testimony, and so many others, Jesus wants to communicate with you and He will!  You just need to listen more carefully.

Thank you Jesus for knowing how much help we would need, and giving us the great gift of the Holy Spirit.  Help us all to be more present and aware of the ways that you show us answers to prayers and give us directions when we need them.  Thank you for dance and the joy and laughter of children.  And Jesus, thank you for caring about even the very little things!  Amen