Good Saturday to you from our corner of North Iowa where the weather is all over the board. Warm then bitterly cold with high winds and 33 below wind chills. Now heading into a few days above normal. I'm not sure our local creatures and critters know quite what to do with it especially when it's the third week of January and there's still no snow on the ground! And it's colder here than it is in Alaska. And it was colder in the South than in Alaska!?! Everything seems to be a little off-kilter. Not unlike the whole world I guess.
On the 24th we celebrated Joe's 13 years of miraculous healing from Lyme disease and other diseases and physical concerns. God is The God Who heals! Made him pumpkin pie to enjoy as a special treat and oatmeal cookies besides.
In the past week we've traveled to Mayo Clinic on Sunday to see the ocularist regarding my eye. They took it out and cleaned and polished it hoping that will help with symptoms. On Monday the country inaugurated a new president. On Thursday Joel went to his colleague group. We have managed to get out once in awhile too the store. Stayed home mostly and cooked and cleaned on cold days. January in Iowa!
Speaking of Iowa at times I'm still surprised to find myself living here. As I have shared in the past when you're in the military you always have a home state and our home state of course was Minnesota. So no matter where we have moved when people ask where you're from we say Minnesota because that's where we're from. Now the fact that we've spent 29 years in Iowa doesn't seem to affect the fact that we're still from Minnesota! Haha.. the plan was always to retire in Minnesota but then..... the best laid plans... This takes me back to a time when Joel was in the military and they were granting early outs for people. We decided that's what we were going to do after we went down to the Seminary to see friends and we were so sure that we were supposed to go there to Seminary. We even looked at a house to buy on that same weekend. When we got back to Duluth where we were stationed Joel went in and said, " I'm applying for an early out" and they told him "Lieutenant Dahlen you cannot apply for an early when you have orders! " Joel asked, " Where am I going?" And the sergeant said to the Philippine Islands. Joel had one question... am I going accompanied or unaccompanied? Your family can go with you here the sergeant replied. So our plans took a sharp turn and we ended up thousands and thousands of miles away on an island in the ocean for 2 years. It completely changed our lives for the better. We grew our family by two children and we made lifelong friends. We experienced the grace of God, the protection of God and the direction of God while there. We were introduced to people of different denominations and expanded and affirmed our lbeliefs while strengthening our faith. God certainly blessed that "detour" and after our two years in the Philippines Joel got out of the military and went to Seminary. Those two years shaped our lives and still do today.
And speaking of today, my heart is heavy with what has happened this week regarding the January 6th assault on our capital. You know you can watch the news and in my opinion there is NOT ONE news channel that speaks without bias but when you see something happen LIVE like I did on January 6th it affects you deeply.This is not a political issue. It is beyond my understanding how our new president could pardon those who were so destructive on that day. I watched a police officer being crushed by a door and the hands of those holding it. I watched as people chanted hang Mike Pence our vice president at the time. I watched as officers were overrun by violent protesters, beaten, assaulted and fearing death. I saw it all first hand sitting in my living room.... my tears flowed then and now. Now these violent men have been pardoned and what the police went through that day and our government has been put to the side for reasons beyond my understanding. Police officers have a special place in my heart and for the most are good people trying to protect the people they serve. How sad that they were betrayed that day and still are being betrayed. This is not political its moral. It is a right vs wrong issue for me
I've said my piece now and I won't revisit it but my heart is heavy and my prayers for police officers everywhere continues.
Today I give thanks for the police officers that put their lives on the line every day to protect and serve no matter the cost. I give thanks for sunshine today and warmer temperatures. I give thanks today for a warm house, plenty of food, good bed to sleep in, safety and security. I give thanks today for our safe travels to Mayo Clinic and back. Grateful for 2 years in the Philippines and what it's done to shape Our Lives for the last 50 years. And give thanks for Joel's commitment to going to the Seminary and being a pastor since 1980. I give thanks for being able to walk. Give thanks it the house could smell like oatmeal cookies for Joel and pumpkin pie on his healing anniversary. I give thanks for all the phone calls the prayers the text and the emails that brighten our days. I give thanks for this and so much more.
Enjoy your weekend!
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