Good Saturday to you from our corner of Iowa where the forecast all week has been rain.......and more rain. I have actually enjoyed the cloudy days but my hubby misses the sunshine and being able to bike. He would not do well in Seattle for sure, as he prefers bright sunlight! Our flowers are still blooming ~ this one in the picture sits on our back deck for us to enjoy whether inside or outside. It was spendy but well worth it as we have enjoyed its beauty so much this year. We are not spending money on much else anyway as we hunker down, so it balances out.
Speaking of hunkering down, we continue to do so here. With Gr Jo's battle for health, with Covid 19's fast and furious pace, with the horrific fires on the west coast, with the hurricane damage, and with the election rhetoric ramping up it feels like we are on the largest roller coaster ride in the world and all we can do is hang on and hunker down......seeking that which brings peace and wisdom, joy and hope.
Oh, yes, we need to hang on to that hope. At one time I shared Acts 2:26 with my sister Jo ~ "I will pitch my tent in the land of hope" found in the Message. She claimed that for her own and we claim it for her now as she fights a tough battle. But we know she does not fight alone. None of us do. Her status changes day by day, sometimes hour by hour but she has the best care possible by her medical team and she has her daughter who sits with her up to 10 hours a day. She has a Savior that never leaves her side. He sends ministering angels to her, like the chaplain who came to see her and when she told him she was singing hymns in her mind (she was too weak to sing out loud) he sat by her bedside and sang hymns to her. We were able to hear a small portion of it as Janelle sent us a video. Beautiful. He came back yesterday to pray and sang Amazing Grace to her. Thank you God! Sometimes the angels God sends to minister wear stethoscopes, some wear a cross. Some from far and near lift their hands and hearts in prayer for a woman they love, or know only through family. Ministering angels, all. So grateful.
Speaking of prayers, there have been a lot to keep us on our knees lately, hasn't there. I think about those who lost everything in the hurricane and in the fires. Not only has Covid changed their lives in unimaginable ways but so has the natural disasters that are occurring more often and with more intensity. With all honesty I find it absolutely disturbing for anyone to say any of this is caused by people in certain areas of the country sinning more. Seriously, if we are pointing at others and their sins we better look in the mirror! If California was burning due to sin, the whole world would be burning!
When I heard it snowed 17 inches somewhere in Wyoming it took me back to our first winter in Montana. We were living in what we affectionately called "The Internage". It was a very old house next door to the church that was cozy except for upstairs where the one bedroom had no heat. We woke up one morning in late October to -37 degrees.....yep, I am not kidding.....and we knew we had to do something to keep the 3 kids sleeping in that tiny room warm. We purchased electric baseboard heaters to warm it up. That house had a huge open hallway upstairs too and our oldest had her bed there. She loved that because when she was in bed at night and supposed to be sleeping she could read by the downstairs light that came up to her! We enjoyed that place so much, and grew in leaps and bounds that year in Malta Montana. Even with the bitter cold winters, the huge mosquito population in the the summers, the snakes, and the long drives to the northern churches on empty snowy roads with no cell phones. Oh, yeah. And then there were the eight funerals in 2 1/2 weeks, three of which were murder victims. Joel had never had funeral "experiences" before arriving there but learned quickly and I will say, it was always one of his gifts. There were also cattle drives rodeos, branding experiences, hot springs, and a boatload of people who encouraged and supported us. It was a good year filled with adventures.
This week Joel brought home some "free" apples and we peeled a good 14 of the small ones to make apple crisp. We made his Aunt Mathilda's recipe called Apple Crunch for him, and I made a Paleo gluten free Apple Crisp for me. Such a nice Fall thing to do! We usually have an "orange" meal to welcome Fall too..........usually consisting of pork roast, carrots and squash. Sometimes sweet potatoes. All orange veggies......With the cold temperatures, we are thinking it will happen earlier this year!With 2020 in general we are already talking about putting up our outdoor Christmas white lights. Why not....it is 2020 after all.
So much to be grateful for. Thank you for Jo's kidneys functioning well again, good medical care for her, for us, apple crisp, rain, puzzles, Fall, a cozy home, good books, memories of Montana, Chaplain Bill and his singing, ministering angels, beautiful flower pots, and another day to enjoy it all.
Enjoy your weekend.......
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