Good Saturday to you again from Iowa where winter is not showing up. This week we had 64 degrees...at the end in January! Such strange weather but then again it's strange weather in many parts of the country. Joel told me this morning that our resident ducks were out front. I don't know if that's because they're confused about what time of year it is or if they are letting us know that winter isn't coming?!
It has been a quiet week again here with only one appointment for Joel at the VA clinic for his eyes. We headed to church last Sunday which was nice. We walked outside around the cul-de-sac and for Joel down to the river road for 3 days, enjoying the warmth. We quietly celebrated me being cancer free for 5 yrs this week. Thnks be to God. Besides that.....A little bit of shopping has been done, a little bit of cleaning, a little bit of cooking, a little bit of woodworking, a little bit of walking a little bit of visiting... I guess the theme here was "a little bit..."
It's my sister Jan's birthday today! She is an amazing woman who has lived in amazing life. So grateful for her in my life and in the lives of so many many others. Enjoy your day Jan and have a wonderful year ahead!
It is also our grandson S. birthday today. Seventeen! Happy Birthday Buddy!
This morning I watched a service about missionaries at a church in California. This church supports or helps support a large number of missionaries across the world. Mission work always stirs my heart and it has since I was 13 years old and stood before the bulletin board in our church, St. Olaf Lutheran in Austin, Minnesota. The bulletion board where letters and pictures of our missionaries we supported in Brazil were shared. The Grant Family with their five boys. I used to stare at that bulletin board and wonder what it was like to be on the mission field.
About 35 years later we were gathering with pastors in West Central Minnesota for a Super. Bowl party and began talking to a pastor and his wife about their history. Long story short turns out that Dave, the pastor, was actually one of the Grant Boys on the mission field in Brazil. My response to him was..... oh my goodness I prayed for you when you were there as a child! We prayed for you and your family as a church. It felt like a full circle moment and they became fast friends. In fact, Joel just had a long talk with Dave this week catching up on each other's lives. I love how God is in the details of our lives.
Getting back to the mission field...........as I have shared before, Joel and I were drawn together because we both wanted to be on the mission field. Joel's second cousin was David SImonson who served with the Masai tribe in Tanzania his whole life. He is buried over there on the land given to his family by the tribe. His ministry livies on today ....Operation Bootstrap......This stirred Joel on for his own desire to be in the mission field. The last attempt we made for that was in the early 1980s and God shut the door. He had other plans but it does not take away the fact that we have a interest in Global Missions. It is part of who we are as Christians following Jesus. We help others, we preach the gospel, we share the good news, we serve as Jesus served. Whether it's at home or in another country we are all called as missionaries of the gospel. We are all called pray for those who need prayer to help those who need help. God has a plan for each of us in the corners of our world.!
So, this week I am grateful that Joel was and is able to serve God in the ministry for so many years. Grateful to be by his side. Grateful for the mission work that is done in America and in the world. Grateful for warm temperatures this week that gave us the opportunities to walk outside. Grateful for so many phone calls and stimulating conversations. Grateful for our residents ducks while praying that they stay safe when it snow does come! Grateful Joel's eyes are doing well and he's getting new glasses. Grateful for the home we live in and the opportunities presented to us to keep serving God. Grateful for my sister Jan on her birthday and every day! Gratful for our grandson and his 17th birthday. Grateful for texts and emails, phone calls and whispers from God to our hearts. Grateful for all this and so much more.
Enjoy your weekend!
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