Prayed, Stayed, and Celebrating!

 

Joel and Renee

June 30th 1968

I was standing on the second floor of my college commons building with my older sister Jo and her friend Marion.  They had just informed me that they found the guy I was "going to marry".  He wanted to be a missionary, too, and they could just see us in Africa together.  At that moment Joel walked in the door below and one of them pointed him out, saying "There he is!"  When I saw Joel I said, "You have got to be kidding!  He is loud, obnoxious, and he wears boots!"  They both replied with smiles, "We will pray about it."  Just 18 months later we were married!  We were prayed together, and today, on our anniversary 46 years later,  we continue to give thanks for those prayers.  Those who are prayed together stay together :). 

There is power in prayer.  I read these words written by our friend Linny's husband DW yesterday on Facebook ~ "Prayer works.  What I mean by that is when you pray, prayer goes to work."  Prayer went to work so many years ago and Joel and I were united in marriage as part of God's plan.  What an adventure it has been!



Looking back on our life we can see how God has continually walked with us through 26 moves in 6 states and The Philippine Islands.  We raised seven children and one foster daughter for four years.  Joel spent 8 years in the Air Force and we just celebrated his 34th ordination anniversary.  My cowboy preacher! We have welcomed in-loves and grandchildren, and grieved the death of one son and the self-destruction and alienation of another.   We battled sickness for over half our married lives until healed two and a half years ago from Lyme Disease.  We have experienced many exciting adventures and a few we would rather forget about.  We have lived ~~ In faith.  In joy.  In hope.  In love.  We are so blessed.  Happy Anniversary Joel!

Saturday's Scribbles

Another Saturday here, another week of rain mixed in with a little sunshine.  We have managed walking every day for the usual 1.5 miles and 2 miles on Thursday.  Friday's walk was interrupted by rain twice.  We were soaked by the time we got home but we got our walk in! 

Speaking of walking, we headed over to a state park 8 miles away to walk on Tuesday and then spent time by the lake relaxing both Tuesday and Thursday nights.  Sunday after church we headed over to the lake stopping in to our favorite place, Cabin Coffee for smoothies, before enjoying the water view.  We are grateful to have a lake to enjoy.  In Minnesota there are thousands, but here in Iowa ~~very few.

Walking the State Park road

Our view from the bench at a nearby lake.

A "selfie" taken at the state park

Friday afternoon Joel's cousin Luther came by with his son Andrew for a visit on their way home to MN.  from Santa Fe NM.  We had a great time catching up, and shared a meal together at Ruby Tuesday's.  This eating out thing is getting out of hand. Ha ha...We have eaten out three times in the past month, a big deal for me.

Speaking of big deals, Joel turned 68 this week!  He (we) enjoyed a day of walking, Cabin Coffee, shopping, and phone calls.  I made him a rhubarb pie, his favorite.  He had someone at the gas station near our home ask him what his secret was for looking and staying so young.  He said, "I know who I am and Whose I am".  She replied, I know one of those....."  which led into Joel's healing story.  That's my cowboy preacher!

We have been doing some purging here at home, getting rid of some clothing and things we don't need or use anymore.  Joel is back to writing his book, and we are hoping to get a couple more things done around the house before he begins work on July 15th. 

I am still reading Liz Curtis Higgs book "The Girl's Still Got It" about Ruth (Bible).  I don't have much time to read or watch TV  it seems.  I told Joel, "Being healthy is exhausting!"   And fun!

Until next time..............

Space To Breathe

This week Bonnie Gray over at Faith Barista asked her readers to write about an experience with spending time in quietness. Bonnie wrote a book I have talked about here often as part of her launch team ~~"Finding Spiritual Whitespace:  Awakening Your Soul To Rest".  Whitespace is that space where we rest with God as His beloved.  Finding joy in the quiet places.

When I read Bonnie's prompt, I immediately saw in my mind a recent moment of quietness.  Joel and I were channel surfing one evening and could not find anything worthwhile to watch on the screen from our comfy chairs.  After a few minutes Joel stood up and said, "I am not going to sit and watch lousy TV another night.  Let's do something!  Let's go to the lake".  Iowa has very few lakes but there is one only a 20 minute drive from us that we enjoy going to.  We grabbed our sunglasses and hats and off we went.

Soon we found ourselves sitting on a bench in front of the lake.  The sun was warm and low on the horizon and the winds were gentle.  Several people were strolling together along the walkway and others were sitting on the beautiful stone wall built during the depression era. Boats, pontoons and jet skies criss-crossed through the water as it reflected the sun's light.  Families stood out on the docks fishing.  Far across the horizon the "Lady of the Lake" double-decker paddlewheel boat was taking people for a evening ride.

As we sat together arm in arm, I could feel my body relax.  Large bodies of water seems to have that affect on people, or at least on us.  We spent a glorious hour de-stressing while enjoying the view.  Conversation was optional as we sat quietly watching a screen only nature could create.  It was such an enjoyable evening we have gone back a few more times. 

It is so important to take time for quiet spaces, for whitespaces where we rest with God.  Where we stop doing and embrace being.  Bonnie's book, "Finding Whitespace" is a wonderful guide for moving into that place of rest, of trusting God while sitting in quietness. 

I am linking up today with Bonnie and her Whitespace Link Up.

Saturday's Bargaining And Sunday's Sermon

As we settled in for Sunday's sermon, the pastor confessed that he had left out the last 8 verses of the Gospel lesson found in Matthew 10 because he wanted to focus on the positive part of the passage and not the difficult.  He focused on the verses that tell us that even the hairs on our heads our numbered and that not one sparrow falls to the ground without God knowing ~  and are we not of more value than a sparrow?  Comforting words, right?

The verses he avoided at the end of the chapter speak of following Jesus at all cost:

“If you love your father or mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine. ³⁸ If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine. ³⁹ If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it"

As Joel's mom would say, 'Uffda"   (kind of like, good grief! )

This past Saturday, not for the first time, I was talking to God about the path Joel and I are following.  I found myself bargaining and pleading with Him because, well, when we said yes to this adventure in Holy Spirit and God-wants-you-well healing, we made a far turn to the right away from the beliefs of most family and friends.  Uffda.

Following where Jesus leads can be difficult.  Sometimes being a little to the right of crazy is a hard place to be.  Some people would say it has been our choice, but it is where God has called us and in obedience we have said yes, even though at times I feel stretched tight between what was and what is. But then I remember the past when we were housebound with a disease that robbed us of life.  And where we are now--enjoying a full life~~ and I can't go back.

Maybe we were naïve in thinking others would embrace for themselves our adventures with Holy Spirit and God's healing power.  I know I never expected to be where we are now.  I love it, but I also understand it has a cost.  That is where the bargaining came in last Saturday.  At times the cost seems too much, until I look at Jesus on the tree.  And I see the real cost of obedience.  His shed blood for me, for you. 

God's response to Saturday's pleading came in Sunday's sermon.  Follow Him.  And reading those verses a second time I see that Jesus gives us a promise in these verses....when we give up our life, we will find it.  It.  Life abundantly.  Eternal life.  It may look differently for each one of us, this giving up our life.  The life of surrender.  It is according to God's plan and purpose and our hunger for more.  Not always easy, not always clear, but always good because God is good.......and patient....even when one of His children resorts to bargaining.  Uffda!

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Remembering A Friend And A Year That Shaped Our Lives

 A long time friend of ours died a week ago.  Pastor Merv Olson was a man who lived life with gusto, a man who had a heart for the people of God and the Gospel.  He was 77 years old and leaves behind his wife Joyce, and three children and their families.

In 1978, after two years of seminary Joel needed to go on Internship, spending his third of four years "out in the field" learning the skills of a pastor.  We were a big family and there were only three places that could support a family of six.  Malta Montana is the one we chose.  Malta Parish consisted of 4 churches in 4 towns, plus summer worship in a hot springs resort area and services in the small mining village of Zortman located in the Little Rockies.  We have never regretted the decision to sell our home and step out in faith, heading West.  Our year in Malta shaped our lives in so many ways and so did Merv and his family. We still talk about the adventures we experienced, where we participated in cattle drives, branding cattle, rodeos, services in the little Rockies, and long drives to worship in the small northern Montana churches Joel was assigned.  Often on those drives we would never meet another car, but only encounter eagles, antelope, and the best of nature.  We can add to those adventures eight funerals in a little over 2 weeks, of which three were victims of crime when some evil men drove through the state trying to escape to Canada and murdered three people who lived in one of the very small towns Joel served.  Joel had been preaching and teaching in churches over the years long before he was ordained, but he had never officiated at a funeral.  He learned quickly during those two weeks.

Merv gave Joel the guidance and support he needed, while letting him know he trusted his abilities, and he never said no when Joel needed advice late at night while writing a sermon.  He played a major role in Joel's seminary education and he even came to Minnesota to be a part of Joel's ordination service in 1980.   We have remained friends with Merv and his family as we moved on and life took over.  He even came to Minnesota to be a part of Joel's ordination service in 1980.  There are people who impact our lives in a big way, and Merv was one. 

Reflecting on Merv's death, we could not help but give thanks for this man and what he brought into our lives and the lives of countless others during his 50 years of ministry.  We could not help but look back and remember all that we learned during our year in Malta Mt~~the people we met, the state we grew to love, the experiences that shaped our world.  We count it all joy!

Saturday's Scribbles

Good Saturday afternoon all!  Today's forecast calls for a high of 82 with scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms, but thankfully the sun is shining brightly right now. We are still recovering from the storms, tornadoes and torrential rains that started Monday night!  Our river road is still dry, but the river is over the banks in our small park,  and flooding the large park here in town.  Still nothing like my brother and SIL who texted a picture of someone kayaking in their back yard where water from a large creek has flooded.  They even had a snapping turtle lay eggs by their deck!   Weather across the country seems to be so extreme.

Monday we headed to Mn to my home town where we visited with several of my family.  Joel was surprised with a birthday cake while there.  One daughter and her three treasures came and then followed us home.  We had just made a pizza for supper when the tornado sirens went off so we ate in the basement.  It was quite a stormy night.  They planned to stay until Thursday morning but flash flood warnings and closed roads kept them here until Friday.  A bonus for us!

So Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday we shopped, played on the Wii, watched the movie Frozen, did a craft, snuggled a lot, and stayed up late talking.  What fun to have our house filled with the voices of children, and one on one time with our girl.

Wednesday our youngest and her boyfriend came and we celebrated her 28th birthday with supper and cupcakes.  Our oldest is 44 and our youngest is now 28....and that makes us......?  Young parents, right?  Not.  But certainly young at heart.

While walking this morning we watched a doe off to the side of the river road.  She was not afraid of our presence (maybe the same deer that was in our yard!), so we snapped a few pictures.  They are beautiful animals, aren't they!

 

 

Joel is getting a few projects done around the house, but also taking time to relax and enjoy the time off.  We hope to get more purging done too.  Judas Priest!   How much stuff can two people have?  46 years worth, I guess.

 

I am still reading Liz Curtis Higgs book about Ruth and we now have Netflix so we watched an old episode of Magnum PI last night.  We have not watched TV all week with family here, but played quite a few games on the Wii with the kids!

 

Until next time..........