Grateful For Giggles

Joel and I had the giggles.  I was in a room waiting for a breast MRI on Tuesday to tell us if the ultrasound had it right, and to see what the lymph nodes had to say.  The day was filled with unknowns.  The tech had given me hospital pants and a gown to put on.  The first pair of pants were toooooo small, the second pair she gave me to wear were 4 sizes bigger and I could not keep them up!  To our surprise and delight it gave us the giggles.  In the midst of it all we had a good laugh.

The last 7 months have been a difficult season and often laughter was hard to come by.  Still, sometimes it just happens.  Laughter and giggles, a nice reprieve from the seriousness of the situation.    There is something to be said for the idea that laughter is the best medicine.

Too often we do not take time to enjoy the small moments of laughter, joy, etc. until life throws us a curve ball and we realize how precious it really is.....this waking up every morning to a new day.   Ann Voskamp learned that writing down all the moments of the day, giving thanks for everything that caught her attention, would fill her with peace, joy, and love for a God, our God who delights us blessing His kids. 

We are so grateful today for those few minutes of giggling.  And so many other things.  Grateful for the sunshine and the rain.  Grateful for the two bunnies that are always sunning themselves outside our living room window.  Grateful to watch a squirrel drag a cob of corn to his home, knowing he has found a good food source.  Grateful to hear my hubby upstairs in his office as he works on mundane and not so mundane tasks.  Grateful for that little noise that comes on my phone to let me know I have a text from friends or family.  Grateful I can talk to my Papa God any time I want to.   Grateful for grilled pork chops and roasted sweet potatoes after too many meals of yogurt or eggs.  Grateful. 

Today we are feeling the gratitude to the max with a good news report on the MRI.  The lymph nodes are not enlarged and the mass is breaking up.  Significant changes for the better seen on the MRI.  The treatments I have been on are working well!  This is the best news we could have as I go into surgery mid June.  So.  very.  grateful.

Sometimes our giggling, our nature observations, our counting the blessings, and our connecting with friends and family need to be intentional.  I hear so often about peoples busy lives.  "We are sooooooooo busy"......Too busy to smell the roses.........speak with loved ones from afar........enjoy God's creation..........There is something not okay with that.  I get it......I have been there..........and....I regret much in the so busy lifestyle I once had.  Oh, life, it passes us by so quickly.

Today I hope you find something to giggle about.........even if you are in the midst of a challenging situation.  Just take time to giggle, to laugh.  And be grateful for the opportunity.   

Saturday's Scribbles

Good Saturday afternoon to you from our corner of Iowa where fog and rain has been hanging around.  Parts of Iowa are going to get a major snowstorm tonight and tomorrow, but so far, it is tracking to the south of us and we are not expecting any snow at all. 

Our Thanksgiving was a great celebration of family and good food.  And quite a few games of cribbage!  From the youngest to the oldest the table fills with kids, adults, and 4 cribbage boards.  In fact they usually take cards and a board back to the hotel at night.  We were able to celebrate with all but our Des Moines family.  The annual football game did not happen, but the family enjoyed a brisk walk after a meal of turkey, all the side dishes and pie, ice cream and bars.  Grandma Na spent more time on the sofa than she wanted, but it was fun to watch all the festivities.  We opened Christmas gifts Thursday evening as some people had to head back to other priorities.  Friday morning some of the grands decorated our Christmas tree, so we have been enjoying that already!  Everyone headed home Friday after Joel and I headed to the cancer center for labs, a Dr. appt. and more injections.  It was a good celebration with many memories to tuck away.

Kurschners

Mark and Noah

Sarah and Jonas

Our youngest daughter created a beautiful jar with lights and flowers for me.  Inside she had the family write notes of encouragement, Bible verses, etc. for me to take out and read when times are tough or I'm feeling sad.  It is a beautiful reminder of Who is with me, fighting for me, and who lovcs and prays for me. I am richly blessed.

Jar filled with love and encouragement

Saturday Joel and I went on a short adventure to a local store called Mason City Real Deals.  So festive!  We did not purchase anything, but it felt good to get out and do something that did not involve doctors.  Joel was going to put up outdoor lights, but a few were not working...... again....... so we decided to just trash the old lights and buy new ones in an easier style.

Our oldest daughter and her family gave me a plaque that sits on our coffee table within view.  A reminder for me that because God has me, I've got this.  Another family gave us a framed photo of their kids......a good reminder of why we fight for living.  Just being with family was such a blessing.  

I hope and pray your Thanksgiving weekend was filled with an abundance of blessings!  We have much to rejoice about.  So grateful!

Thankful Living

It is Thanksgiving week here in America.  A time for good food, fellowship, friends, family, and football.  Mostly in that order I expect.  It is my favorite gathering Holiday because it is the only Holiday when our family actually celebrates on the day.  We will be minus one family this year, which makes us sad, but we will still take a few photos, give a few hugs, play a few games of cribbage, and eat too much food.

Our first Thanksgiving as a married couple, we were separated due to Joel being in the Air Force, and having just finished basic training.  They "lost" his paperwork for a while and he ended up staying in Texas.  I spent the day with my family and he spent the day in the barracks.  One Thanksgiving in the Philippines, a typhoon came through and we ended up eating jello, chips, a bit of under cooked turkey and dessert.  Joel had to work, and as a meteorologist, he sat before a dark screen with a candle for light, waiting for the typhoon to pass.  Quite the image, really.

There is always something to be thankful for.  We have much to give thanks for this year.  Certainly, the cancer battle wants to steal our joy, but we cannot help but be grateful for family, who continue to pray and encourage us.  Friends who do the same.  Thankful for the cancer center just 12 minutes away from our home.  Thankful for Joel's Interim position.  Thankful for the treatments being tolerated, the kidney surgery going well.  Thankful for a warm home with a gas fireplace that turns on with a remote, a Bose player that has us already listening to our favorite Christmas music. Thankful for a store where we can order dinner for the family when energy is low.  Thankful for the money to order the meal, buy Christmas gift cards, and just plain have what we need and more.  We are thankful for a God who promises to fight for us.  We are blessed.

I look forward to gathering around our table, making memories and receiving a bounty of blessings.  I pray for you the same.  It is a time for thankful living.  There is always something to be thankful for!

Keeping Thankfulness Before Us

I was listening to a young man read Psalm 138 before services started at Bethel Church, and he ended the scripture reading by saying, "Let's keep thankfulness before us".  I immediately saw in my mind people walking forward and right out in front of them was thankfulness leading the way "sitting in a zippy little golf type cart"!  It made me laugh.  Thankfulness was leading the way and making it possible for people to follow Thankfulnesswith joyful faces.

Putting aside that unusual visual, this reminded me of the story of Jehoshaphat found in 2 Chronicles 20.   All the armies were coming against Jehoshaphat and his army, and he knew they were no match for the others, so he asked God for help.  The Lord told Jehoshaphat not to be afraid because He would fight the battle.  Johoshaphat, king of Judah, sent out his singers first, just ahead of the soldiers.  They were to sing songs of praise, leading the soldiers into battle.  The songs of praise, of thankfulness, were more than enough, because the other tribes all began warring with each other and by the time Jehoshaphat and his army got to the battle field, everyone was dead.  His people were led by praise into victory.  They kept thankfulness before them!

I can't tell you the number of times God has highlighted praise to me in a circumstance or struggle.  Praise is a great weapon of warfare, and the enemy hates it when we praise our God.  Thankfulness brings our focus right back on to our Lord.  It leads the way for our own victories, whether, spiritual, physical or emtional.  Spirit, soul, or body.

In 2 Timothy Paul talks about us being given a Spirit of love, power, and a sound mind to replace the spirit of fear.  Maybe there is a Spirit of Thankfulness for us too.  Thankfulness can lead the way through tough seasons into seasons of blessing.  Thankfulness is KEY to spiritual warfare and to peace within.  Maybe Thankfulness is what unveils to us our victory.

Ann Voskamp has certainly changed her life one step at a time by writing down one thing at a time that she was thankful for.  She went from being a woman terrified to leave her home to a world renown speaker and author who is changing the world for others in places like Africa and Haiti.  All because she put thankfulness ahead of fear and found peace and victory over the enemy.  I love that!

Psalm 138 says, "I thank you Lord and will with all the passion of my heart!  I worship you in the presence of angels, Heavens mighty ones will hear my voice as I sing my loving praise to you!" (The Passion Translation)

My dear friend Linny Saunders has shared her own story of childhood abuse that lead to fear controlling her life.  She struggled with being alone for any amount of time, often having panic control her life.  And then God set her on a journey, and fear took a backseat in her life.  She is co-director of the International Voice of the Orphan, and flies to Africa a couple of times a year to work with her daughter and family at The Gem Foundation,  leaving her husband and family home. She still has 9 children at home, many with special needs. She is also an author and speaker, and I have been on the receiving end of her continual thankfulness to her Lord.  It centers her.

Keeping thankfulness before us shifts the atmosphere around us.  Keeping thankfulness before us keeps our eyes on Jesus,  guides us on the right path, and defeats that which comes against us and those we love. Keeping thankfulness before us brings us into His Presence.  It is a place where we can say as David did in the Psalms, "I sing my loving praise to You."  In His Presence, in thankfulness.

So Grateful

Our oldest daughter and her family were at their cabin with friends.  It was bitterly cold and they had been using the gas fireplace to bring extra warmth into their living space.  Our granddaughter and family friend had often laid on the floor in front of the fire, staying toasty and warm.

Then suddenly......while they gathered to eat supper on New Year's Eve, the fireplace exploded.  Glass shattered and was strewn out into that same area where our granddaughter and her friend had been.  Glass that was so hot it melted and stuck to the carpet.  No one was hurt.  No one.

So grateful.   So very grateful.

Another daughter and her treasures were in a terrible car accident.  The car was totaled.  Our daughter and the grands walked out of the car alive.  The grands physically unhurt, and our daughter able to recover from home.

So grateful.  So very grateful.

I have been praying for the son of one of Bethel Church's leaders, Joel Taylor.  A nasty strain of ecoli has nearly taken their son Jaxon's life and they continue to believe for his kidneys to function, his lungs to heal, and the organs to restore fully.  The other morning as a small worship team came to the hospital and prayed praise music over Jaxon as a declaration of healing, they saw a shift in his medical status.  He started to slowly and steadily improve.  He continues to need more healing, but the journey has begun.

So grateful.  So very very grateful.

Our whole family gathered together on December 28th.  This does not happen very often at all.  It was only for a couple of hours that our five, the in-loves, and ten grands were in our home at the same time, but our hearts were so full as we observed, participated, and embraced family and all that means.

So very grateful.

I was sitting in yet another doctor's office, this time in West Des Moines Iowa.  I was having a battery of tests to see why my vision had become wavy.  It was obvious it was connected to macular degeneration but where were the blood vessels leaking?  I had so many numbing drops I lost count.  I had dialating drops, iodine drops and a florescine dye IV.  before being given a shot of novicaine and then a shot of Lucentes in my eye.  In the past I would have been reacting with some pretty scary symptoms.  I did have a couple "minor" things arise but my body has recovered and healed enough in the past few years that I tolerated all the chemicals being poured into my body.  Thank you Jesus.

So grateful.

It was while I sat in that office that I realized my mantra of late has been the words...........so grateful.  So grateful for the many blessings, the gift of family and friends, and even the doctors who are at this time playing a part in my journey.  When I looked in my Christmas stocking this year I found a small magnet for the fridge that speaks of having a grateful heart.  It resonated.

So, I have taken my "count your daily blessings" journal off the shelf and am making 2018 a year to put in writing the "so grateful" things.  There are so many.   Like the doctor who suggested a medication to me and then told me to go home and pray, and ask Holy Spirit about it.....(I had never mentioned Holy to her, but evidently He whispered into her ear.........  Or my dear friend Katherine who lives so far away but knows my heart.  God brought us together for such a time as this.  Or the amazing story that can be told with how we bought our latest car.  Or the blessing of having a warm house on a cold day.  God is in the midst of it all.

Recently someone told me they are having a difficult time being thankful.  I told them, I understood.  I got it.  But at times we need to be grateful and praise God before we SEE things change.  That is why it is called faith.  That is why it is sometimes called a "sacrifice of praise".  Because no matter how difficult our circumstances we can find the many "so grateful" moments if we take our eyes off of the problems and unto the solution.  Our Savior.

So very grateful.  It is a good way to begin 2018.

Gratitude WIns The War

"Gratitude wins the war".

Ann Voskamp

Ann Voskamp is the author of the book, "One Thousand Gifts" and most recently "The Broken Way".  As a woman who at one time was fearful of leaving her home, God has used her to reach people across the world.  He had other plans, and it all began with her making the commitment to give thanks for every blessing, and soon she saw blessings in everything, every place, event, moment of her days.  As a mom of 7 who homeschools, and lives with her husband on a farm in Canada, as a well known author and speaker and advocate for those in great need, her days are beyond full, I expect.

Recently Ann wrote on her blog "A Holy Experience" about health issues in herself and three of her children.  They adopted a little girl from China who has a broken heart, in need of much repair.  They have a son who was diagnosed with diabetes at a younger age, and another child with health issues.  And Ann herself is recovering from heart failure after a problem was left undiscovered until her heart was struggling to function.  Her life is filled with challenges, but her gratitude still rises to the surface with mighty power.  She believes gratitude wins the war, and her life tells that story one thank you at a time.

So as I ponder giving thanks, being grateful, lifting my voice in praise to the One, I ask myself what I believe.  And can that belief be walked out in my daily life?  There is something powerful about giving thanks in all circumstances.  Not for all, but in all.  Gratitude shifts our attitude.  Gratitude makes it less about us and more about Him.  It can take an ordinary day or a challenging one and make it extraordinary.  That "extra" attitude of gratitude makes the ordinary extraordinary.

Thanksgiving is behind us, but giving thanks today and tomorrow and in the tomorrows that lay ahead is a choice.  Some days it is not easy....it is more of a sacrifice of praise just like we are told in the book of Hebrews.  But that can make it sweeter, that praise that lifts us out of the darkness.  The gratitude that releases the light of Heaven like a million stars.  Speaking of that..........a verse from a song comes to mind.  "If the stars were made to worship, so will I."  Worship is a form of gratitude and praise.  It wins the war.

God in all His wisdom, created us to worship.  To praise.  He created us for gratitude.  He created us to give thanks in all circumstances knowing that in doing so, we find the peace and joy within that empowers us to win in life.  No matter the circumstances.  Jesus made sure we win the victory.  Our gratitude wins the war.

A Good Age

As I sit tonight and ponder tomorrow's birthday, I find myself in a place of reflection.  I feel the need, once again, to put pen to paper.  Tomorrow I will turn 69........my last year in a decade we thought I would never see.  It was 10 years ago I was diagnosed with Lyme Disease after 23 years of battling a mysterious illness.  Our Lyme practitioners revealed my body was dying.....working at only 22 per cent when I first walked in the office.  They could help me live, but could not heal me. Only God could do that.  I remember I was so ill I laid on the floor of the van to get to the Dr.'s office.  Joel told me after my health returned, that he really did not think I would reach age 60.  But, God.  But God had other plans.

In the past decade I have battled cancer twice when healthy cells went rogue and developed into uterine cancer and then a few years later, breast cancer.  It is gone now.  Lyme is dead and gone also, through a healing released in my body by Jesus, our Healer.  I have a new and better life with all the freedoms I experience now.   I. am. still. here.

Sixty-nine is a good age.  An age I find myself grateful to be.  I. am. still. here.  I also find myself deeply desiring 20 more years of life on this earth.  I look forward to great-grandchildren while treasuring each morning I open my eyes.  I still can battle fear of sickness or death, but I counter it with praise for the day I have.  I can name too many friends who did not reach the age of 69, but I can name more who arrived.

Isn't life amazing?  Aren't our bodies amazing?  And our God?  More amazing still!  Tomorrow the sun comes up on a new year and I will rejoice.  Reaching 69 is a gift I will unwrap and enjoy.  I will walk into it with praise, grateful for every wrinkle, gray hair, cellulite bump, and more.  I. am. still. here.

A Spirit of Generosity

It was a good Thanksgiving, with the house filled with grandchildren, kids and in-laws last Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.  Our oldest son and his family did not come (Matt was working), but the rest were here and "our cup ran over" with good fellowship, food, football, cribbage and card games, and even a bit of shopping.  We are blessed.

We celebrated Christmas on Friday and one of the gifts we received was a new microwave!  Our microwave was not that old, but we had purchased it at a Habitat for Humanity store and it was not long before a problem revealed itself.  We could not have it on for more than 4 minutes or it shut down.  The core element would get so hot, the automatic shut down would occur to prevent a fire. It would take around 45 minutes before it would cool down enough to restore itself. We learned not to cook anything over 4 minutes, so if we needed to warm up food, it had to be under 4 minutes total.  It mean lukewarm or 75% cooked food at times.  No biggy.  We are adaptable!  It shut down when the kids were home, and Joel put two ice packs inside to help it cool off like he always does. We explained what was happening and ended up warming up food in the oven and on the stove top.  Where there is a will, there is a way. We were used to it's quirkiness and planned to replace in the future, but it freaked out our oldest daughter ~ she was worried about a fire starting.

So, surprise!   We have a new microwave!  We can steam our bags of veggies the full amount of time so they are not so crunchy.  Ha.... And we can do a full bag of popcorn, or warm two bowls of soup.  Oh, yeah, we are feeling pretty happy with our new appliance right about now!  And very thankful that our son-in-laws went out on black Friday and bought us a microwave and spent an afternoon installing it with Joel!  We are blessed by their generous spirits.

Generosity.  The Bible tells us it is rewarded.  We don't give so that we will receive, but God does bless those who give out of the goodness of their heart.  I think about what Rick Warren, "The Purpose Driven Life" author and pastor says about giving.  "You cannot out give God!"  Rick and his wife Kay given away 90 percent of their income.  ALL the money, millions, that came in from his well known book was given away.  Pastor Warren says, "No matter how much we give, God blesses us with more.  You cannot out give God."

We are blessed to have a family that understands this concept.  Over the years we have been on the receiving end of their generosity, and many others have also been blessed by their spirits of generosity.  I think they have learned the secret of giving.  Giving blesses the giver and the receiver.  Our money, our time, our stuff......all temporary and ALL from God.  We steward what God has given us.  We don't "own it", we manage it for God as His stewards.

Thanksgiving is a great time to contemplate and activate a spirit of generosity.  We give thanks for the abundance we are surrounded with, and we give to others out of the abundance we have been given.  In it all, we are blessed.

Thanksgiving Thanks

It is Thanksgiving week and we have been preparing for a family gathering here at our home.  Every other year the kids, in-laws, and grandchildren come home for food, fellowship, football, and some fun games of cribbage and more.  Five families come from 1-3 days and we celebrate a mini Christmas at the same time.  This year they may take in a movie.....as the grands age, the activities change, as they should.  We are enjoying these gatherings as long as we can. Treasured memories.

We have so much to be thankful for.  Our health, our family, our friends, our home.  And when was the last time any of us went hungry?  Our bounty is a great blessing from our Lord!  We pray each of you have someone to hug and share a meal with this Thanksgiving.  We pray your day, your lives are filled with abundance.  An abundance of love, peace, joy, hope, forgiveness.  An abundance of health, home, family, friends, and food.

As I watch it rain today, the weather took me back to our first Thanksgiving in the Philippine Islands.  It was typhoon season and we experienced 7 typhoons in just 2 1/2 weeks.  Joel was a meteorologist for the US Air Force so weather was his specialty.  You know when a typhoon is coming, so everyone prepares as best they can.  Extra water from the base water stations, food you can eat without cooking, candles, etc.  Thanksgiving day we had a nasty typhoon arrive,  At the same time Joel forgot to have our propane tank filled, so we ended up eating potato chips, Lime Pear Salad, and fruit salad for dinner......and just the outer layer of the turkey, the rest did not cook since the tank ran dry. The electricity went out and did not come back for 3 days and nights.  Our home was made from cement blocks that had been filled with wet cement....that house was not going anywhere and we felt pretty safe inside, even though our neighbor's home lost their roof.   We did have to stand at the doors and push water back outside as it poured in under the doors like someone was holding a hose under it.  Joel had to head in to work later that afternoon, but we had a good time that Thanksgiving Day and enjoyed our chips, salads, and pie!  We most likely had a good cry too, since we were so far away from extended family.  There were no cell phones at that time and it was expensive to get on a base connected phone. That day we celebrated with our little family at the time ~Bethany, Matt, and our maid Amphy.

We have so other Thanksgiving memories too.  Mostly great, a few not so great, but that Filipino Thanksgiving was quite the adventure for us.

Which brings me back to what we are thankful for.  Joel and I are so grateful for each other.  God has blessed us with 48 years of Thanksgiving celebrations together, give or take a few when he had to be absent from home.  We praise God for an abundance of all that blesses our lives.  Family, friends, homes, health, and food.  Now thank we all our God!

Gratitude: A Season --A Lifestyle

This is the season for giving thanks, my favorite holiday of the year.  Thanksgiving will soon arrive along with our children, in-loves, grands, and one granddog, Tucker.   Having our family under one roof is a blessing, one we do not take lightly. 

For the past few days we have been preparing for the gathering.  Meals planned, groceries bought, emails and texts going back and forth, turkeys thawing, bathrooms cleaned, and fresh smells coming from the kitchen as I bake bread, cookies, and pies to grace our tables.  We are so thankful that our home will be bursting at the seams with love and laughter when 11 adults and 10 grandkids come home. 

Thankful.  We are so very thankful for each and every one and what they bring to the mix.  Each of our children and their families live life a little differently.  Each one has made their own way in the world that surrounds us, making choices and staying busy with all that defines family, so on the rare occasion that we come together as one unit Joel and I feel a deep sense of gratitude. 

We also remember those who are not here, including our son Kevin who has been gone nearly 10 years now.  We remember, too, the years that Lyme disease stole from us....but we do not dwell there.  We spend our time grateful that those years are behind us.  We give thanks that our children are whole and healthy.  We give thanks that they know who God is and call Jesus their Savior!  Oh, yes, we are humbly grateful.

We have so much to give praise for.  Our blessings overflow during this season and throughout the year. Ann Voskamp has written a powerful book about counting our blessings.  "One Thousand Gifts" ~She shares that it is in the gratitude that we find joy, peace, grace. An every single day choice for gratitude.   Gratitude is a lifestyle, not only a day filled with family, friends, food and football. 

Most of you will gather with family or with your memories during this season of giving thanks.  I pray you have an abundance of blessings to lift in praise.  I pray you have the love of God and family to warm your hearts.  I pray your table, your home, and your heart is full.  And I give thanks for you who visit my cyber home.  See you Saturday!

Military Memories

Today is Veteran's day and it has had me remembering the 8 years Joel served in the Air Force and how much it shaped our lives.  When Joel was 18 he went to Junior College to get a two year degree in Wildlife management after which he decided to go to Bible College at The Lutheran Bible Institute (which became Golden Valley Lutheran College our second year).  We met while both attending, and were married just a few weeks after we graduated from their two year program. 

Joel was pretty sure he wanted to be a minister but when he received his draft notice right before our wedding, he did not feel right about getting a deferment.  He also knew he did not want to go into the Army, so he enlisted in the Air Force.  He went to basic training in Texas and then we moved to Rantoul, Illinois where he went to more training.  We then moved across the country to Albuquerque, New Mexico to work on the planes that were collecting data to be used for intelligence.  This is where our oldest daughter, Beth was born. 

While stationed in NM Joel heard about an education program he could apply for, which sounded great.  Even though they tried to discourage him, saying most of his credits from his 4 previous years of school would not transfer, he still applied and 96% transferred!  The program was set up so that if Joel qualified for further education, which he did, they would send him to get his college degree and then he would serve them 4 more years in the field of their choosing.  They asked what our first choice was for college.  .......we said  the University of Wisconsin.  They sent us to Salt Lake City Utah!  Pretty typical of the military at that time.  Salt Lake is where our oldest son Matt was born. 

The Air Force sent him to the University of Utah to be a meteorologist.  The math was tough, but he did well..  He enlisted as an Airman, then while in college they bumped him up to a sergeant.  When he graduated, he went to officers training and became a Lieutenant!  Unusual way to be promoted, but all part of God's plan.

After officers training we were stationed in Duluth MN where he forecast weather for pilots.  It was nice to be in our home state and spend more time with family, but after nearly two years there, Joel was due for a remote transfer where family would not be allowed to go.  Several times Joel was called by the office that sent out orders, and "asked" about certain openings they had.  We had never heard of anyone asking....just telling you where you would go, so we felt God was making sure His plan unfolded.  There was a place in Korea, one off the coast of Alaska, and one base in Nam but Joel said no to all of those since we could not go as a family.  It was at this time that we talked about him getting out early out to attend seminary, but when he went in to apply they told him he had orders for Clark Air Force Base in The Philippine Islands.  His only question was "accompanied or unaccompanied?"  It was a relief to hear the family could go with. 

We left Duluth in 1974, drove to CA and then flew to The Philippines where Joel spent 2 years forecasting weather for pilots, many of which were going to Nam.  We were at Clark when Saigon fell, and I helped in the Baby Lift when hundreds of children were taken out of the country to be adopted by families in the states and around the world.  It was a wonderful experience for me to be a part of.  When we first heard we were going overseas, we immediately began praying about adopting.  It had always been in our hearts to do so, and while we were in the P.I. God blessed us with our two middle children, Mark, and our daughter, N.  (she prefers to remain anonymous on my blog).  I just love how God works things out according to His plan.

After 8 years in the Air Force, Joel still felt strongly he wanted to go to seminary, so he left the Air Force and we headed back to MN in the spring of 1976. 

Those 8 years shaped our world in many ways.  We met so many people from different places and we experienced living in a third world country.  Our four older children were welcomed home through birth and through adoption during those years. We saw first hand how our soldiers were sacrificing to help others and keep our country free.   We lived in  4 states and 1 third world country during those years.  We are so grateful for it all.

So today, I give thanks for those who sacrifice to make our world here so much easier.  I/we give thanks for how God guided our lives every step of the way.  We give thanks for our family.  We give thanks for the life long friends we made during those years.  And we remember......with joy....with pride...with thankfulness. 

You Do Us Proud!

Today I give honor to all who have served or are serving our country.  Joel and I lift them up in prayer.  We have much to be grateful for. 

Joel received his draft notice in the mail the summer of 1968, right before we were married.  He knew he could have deferred the draft with more education, but after two years of Jr. college and 2 years of Bible college, he decided it was his turn to go.  He was drafted into the army, but was able to enlist in the Air Force instead. He grew up carrying a gun and was an excellent marksman, but hunting for food did not cross over to killing the enemy....he did not want that job and thankfully was able to avoid it.  While in the Air Force as an airman, he applied and qualified for a special education program and was sent to the University of Utah where he received a degree in meteorology.  He was commissioned as an officer and served as a forecaster for 4 years.  He was stationed first in Duluth MN and then the Philippine Islands.  While in the P.I. he forecast weather for the pilots, many who were flying to Viet Nam.  That is as close to the war as he got and for that I am so grateful. After spending 8 years in the Air Force, he took an early out and we headed back to MN where he attended the seminary. 

Like most of you, Joel and I are patriotic.  We stand at attention when the National Anthem is sung, or the flag goes by in a parade.  We fly the flag.  I remember with fondness, everything stopping on the base when the flag was being taken down or put up.  Soldiers would get out of the cars wherever they were, and stand at attention, saluting as they heard the anthems that are so familiar. Even in the movie theater when the flag came on the screen the whole audience would come alive, stand at attention and salute the flag.  So impressive.  We were in the Philippines when Saigon fell and were a part of the Saigon Baby Lift and more.  We saw the war's destruction in the eyes of the children.  And  many of our men and women in uniform have experienced more than we can ever imagine.

Our country has been protected by those who serve in the military (and I will add our police officers too).  We live in freedom!  We have so much to be thankful for this Memorial Day.  We honor those who serve or have served and those who have died.  We also appreciate what sacrifices have been made and hopefully we do not take it all for granted. 

God bless all of you who have served or are serving our country.  You do us proud!

Freedom To Reach Out To The One

Today I am very grateful to be living here in America.  No, it is not due to the Olympics and all the medals won...the crowds cheering on USA in hockey or ice skating.  That is fun, but it is all only a small part of what makes our country great.  Today I am giving thanks for the freedom and abundance we have here after watching the news and hearing the UN's report on the horrors taking place in the N. Korean prisons.  Babies killed at birth....children starving.....parents beaten to death or worse.  Yes, there are worse things than death. 

How God's heart must break for every child of His, young or old that suffers.  So much of the world suffers.  Ann Voskamp and her family are over in another country yet to be told, helping those who are in need, praying to teach their children more gratitude and grace while sharing it with those who only understand loss and less.

It takes me back...........When we lived in the Philippine Islands, it was the mid-seventies,  and the US was still fighting in Viet Nam.  Clark Air Force base was it's own city of 40,000, but at first our home was outside the gates.   Living off the base the first year plus, we saw plenty of the hungry, both of body and soul.  We would watch young children dig through our garbage in the early morning hours, and once when a garbage truck broke down outside our yard's cement walls of protection, the garbage men just built a fire, dug around in the piles of garbage they were sitting on and warmed up what they could find to eat.  More than once they fought over our throwaway scraps.  You don't forget that.

You don't forget the poverty, hunger, and oppression as far as the eye can see.  You do what you can, but it seems so little.  And certainly the Philippines of that day was nothing compared to places in Africa or N. Korea where it is not only poverty but the government itself inflicting  horrors on their own people.

We are not all able to go walk in the dirt of Haiti or Uganda. It seems even the powerful cannot reach N. Korea.  So, how do we walk in obedience to God's Word to care for the orphans and widows....and to love one another as He has loved us?  Those are not suggestions.....nor options. 

Listen to your heart. Pray.  Reach out to the one...........in the dirt of Uganda or on the paved streets of your own city.  Much of the poverty in our own country is hidden, but it is here.  Over the years we have had many homeless, out of work, and even a few unwilling to work grace the doorsteps of the parsonages or the churches Joel served.  I heard stories from our own family and friends this year of reaching out, finding the one or many, and communities everywhere have come together.  I am sure you have your own stories to share.

Yes, we are very blessed to live in America (and other developed countries).  We have so much to be thankful for.  I certainly worry more about overeating than eating.  I expect you do too.  Gratitude.  Freedom of speech......gratitude.  Freedom from tyranny.  Gratitude.  Freedom to choose.  Gratitude.  Freedom to reach out to the one. 

Giving Thanks

 

Welcome!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Welcome to our home!  We are linking up to Linny's over at A Place Called Simplicity to share how we spend our Thanksgiving. 

Usually we are home, with our children, in-loves, and grandchildren coming every other year.  We have turkey with all the trimmings, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, plus a family specialty ~~Lime Pear Salad which is not really a salad at all, but has cream cheese, whipping cream, lime jello, pears, and pecans for ingredients!  We enjoy another family staple, lefse ~~a Norwegian potato flatbread, plus pumpkin, apple, pecan, and chocolate pies.  We set two tables to make it possible for 20 of us to gather.  We pray together, eat together, laugh together, and of course add in a little football on TV and games for everything to play.  There is an annual family touch football game outside too.  We also celebrate Christmas the day after Thanksgiving the years the family is home,  so it is a double holiday for us. 

We love Thanksgiving for many reasons....less pressure than Christmas.....focus on giving thanks.....and now as empty nesters it is the only actual holiday our children are here for.  But this is not their year to be home, so normally we would be here as a twosome.......and yet this year things have changed!  We will not be here for Thanksgiving, as we are traveling two hours north to Minnesota  to spend it with some of my family.  This includes my sister, Jo who helped raised me..  She suffered a mild stroke just 12 days ago and is already home, so we are giving thanks!

Sisters Jo and Jan

 

Family Football

 

Cribbage, and cards games here with the older grandkids

 

Our hearts are filled with so much joy this year because of how things have changed for us in past 18 months.  My health has improved to the point that for the first time in 10 years we are able to go together to church, to the store, to visit our children and their families in their homes, to family gatherings, and even to a conference on healing in CT which turned into a vacation traveling over 3,000 miles into 10 states.  ( I wrote all about it here)

We have so much to be thankful for.  And today I am giving thanks for Linny and all of you friends who visit our cyber homes.  God bless you!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Finding Trust In Gratitude

Like many of you, I am keeping a gratitude journal.  I have done so off and on for years, but this time it is different.  This time I am searching for all the small things that can get lost in the big ones.  Thanks to Ann Voskamp I am finding gratitude for my husband's constantly moving feet as he sits in his chair, the cardinal that stops by to say hi in my window view, the clock chimes that bring me a moment of pause every hour, the smell of the coffee that I don't even drink.  I am making the effort to see life through the lenses of thankfulness, as (In)Courage writer Lynne Bassier posted.

Ann Voskamp says in her book, "One Thousand Gifts" that writing down the smallest things she is thankful for has helped her to trust God.  She has always had trust issues with God.  So have I.  I can use the trauma and un-predictability of my early childhood as an excuse, or I can use it as a stepping stone.  I always have liked stepping stones.

This week has blurred the lenses of gratitude a bit and I have had to deliberately "clean" those lenses with Biblical teachings, God's promises, and the prayers of friends who lift me higher with their love and encouragement. (Thank you K's).

Around 5 days ago I started to have a major increase in joint pain that surprised and discouraged me.  As it increased even more in my lower back and bladder area I asked Joel to pray. He laid hands over the area and heat filled his hands, went up his arms and then into his shoulders.  He was wet with sweat!  The pain in that area went away, and interestingly, so did the incontinence I had been experiencing.  TMI?  Well, stay with me.  I was very excited as I believed when those symptoms were gone so was the cause. 

It was three days latter that I ended up in the doctors office with the symptoms of a UTI.

I found myself frustrated and discouraged that once again I needed to take an antibiotic.  I hate taking medications.  I wanted healing to come from Jesus and not from a pill that is making me feel like I am just getting off a merry-go-round and has my urine the color of a rusty old nail.  I quickly resorted to anxiety and self-pity.  I began to question God's guidance.  What had happened when Joel prayed?  Why was that not enough?

And then I reached out for my iPad to watch Barry Bennett say, "Sometimes we do need doctors and medical help and that is okay.  The end result is healing and God uses many different ways to get us there.  He also spoke about the woman with the issue of blood.  That story has come up so often lately, and it really resonates with me.....she had spent all her money trying to get well going from doctor to doctor.  Lyme patients can relate to that! And when Jesus says to her...."Your faith has made you well.  Go in peace.  Your suffering is over."  I am embracing that story and claiming it as my own. 

It was then I decided to pick up my gratitude journal and continue to write out all that I was thankful for.  Like little capsules that help my body kill off infections.....and doctors  who are guided by God in their diagnoses  ~ often unaware that through prayer God has influenced their decisions.  I wrote about the small things too,  as a reminder to trust God's guidance in the middle of yet another setback.  T.r.u.s.t. God in the messes.  Trust the people he puts into your lives to help you on your journey.  Trust the Holy Spirit within to lead the way.

We cannot put God in a box.  With all my heart I believe God wants us well.  We do not have to die from a disease.....we can die from old age!  Our God loves us so much He wants us healed.  All the time.  Do we see that?  No, but I still believe God's will is for all to be healed.  Yet how that happens is not a formula.  We cannot put God in a box, but we can rely on His promises and stand on them.  Through the lenses of thankfulness.

God's Amazing Love and Strength

A trip to the ER last week resulted in a trip to my specialist Monday, and a switch in one treatment plan for the Lyme Disease and a new plan put into place for my latest health issue ~ H-Pylori and Acid Reflux~ it all has me in my PJ's and under my Woolie (wool comforter).  The pain and weakness are not my biggest issues though, it is the discouragement I feel.  I told God today in our "Garden Time" that I was so tired of fighting all the bacteria in my body.  A quiet voice whispered, "Let me help you fight."

An hour later I turned to my online devotionals from Saddleback Church and Joel Osteen.  BOTH devotions today were about  God's strength in us.  Joel Osteen's entitled "God Is Strong In You" reminded me of the Holy Spirit within and the strength given to us through the Comforter.  So often we use so little of the Holy Spirit's power within us!

"And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness....."

Romans 8:26

The devotional sent by Saddleback Church was entitled, "God Is Stronger Than You Think" and spoke of how as Christians we often feel we can do all things through Christ...on our own.  Not so.  God within us gives us the strength we need in our weaknesses.  He continually pours His strength into us.

"But the Lord stood by my side and gave me strength..."

2 Timothy 4:17



Today as I rest in my PJ's under my Woolie, I can be assured that God is fighting this battle within me...both the physical and the emotional.  Discouragement has no place when God's amazing love blesses us in such wonderful ways.  Health issues have no power when God's super strength gives us what we need to move forward....or rest in His loving arms.  God's love provided me with a specialist who understands and cares, a treatment plan to help heal, but also the words not only whispered in my prayers but written in two seperate devotionals.  It is humbling and so reassuring.  Thank you Jesus.

May you, too, find comfort in these words today.    

Reflecting on Thanksgiving

Our family gathered together for a 2 day Thanksgiving celebration this year. There were twenty of us, with our family coming from north, south and east, driving through ice, sleet, rain, and snow to get here by Wednesday afternoon. Joel and I could hardly contain ourselves we were so excited to have everyone under one roof again. That usually only happens once a year due to schedules, etc.

We had our usual Thanksgiving fare, although one turkey was done too soon and the other took an hour longer than we had planned. We still managed to eat a good meal and save room for pie and ice cream. Thursday evening the grandkids performed their annual Christmas play and then they opened Christmas presents from Grandma Na and Papa Joel. We even managed a family photo using a tripod and timer. It only took 4 takes to get a good one!

Staying in a hotel made it possible for the kids to swim and the adults to stay up late visiting. It also made it possible for Joel and I to rest and get a good nights sleep to prepare us for the activities to come. Joel and I did the planning, but little of the cooking or clean up. We still managed one-two rests/naps a day. Lyme and CFS are unforgiving when it comes to pushing over our limits.

We are so grateful for the time we had together...lots of laughter, visiting, hugs, a few cribbage games, a touch football game, and great food filled the days. At first it took awhile for us to adjust to all the noise twenty people make...and then it took us awhile to adjust to the silence after everyone left!

As we spend extra time resting and restoring our energy, we cannot but help but smile as we remember our family gathering. We are blessed with a beautiful family~ inside and out!

Faithful In His Calling

"This is the day that the Lord has made,

let us rejoice and be glad in it!"

Psalm 118:24

Today is my husband Joel's 30th Anniversary of his Ordination into ministry. A "mere" 30 years ago he stood before family, friends, and his childhood congregation, dedicating his life to serving God as a pastor. It was a wonderful day!

Joel has served churches in Northeastern Montana, central Minnesota, Northwestern Minnesota, and 3 churches in Iowa. We have lived in many big cities over the years, but since he began his calling as a pastor the towns have been as small as 225 people and as large as 30,000. His calls have been all solo pastorates except for one where he was Senior Pastor. Presently he is an interim for a nearby congregation, working only part time due to being on disability from Lyme Disease. He has served a three point parish, two point parish, and several single churches...with a variety of sizes. He has been a dedicated and hardworking servant, obedient to God's guidance. He enjoys the people he serves, and they have enjoyed him. He has been faithful in his calling. Along with our children, I have been richly blessed to be by his side.

Today I give thanks for Joel and I praise God for being his wife. It has been an amazing journey thus far, filled with challenges and difficulties, joys and an abundance of blessings!

Well done, faithful servant....well done! May God continue to bless and use you to His glory.

For The Beauty Of The Earth

I love everything about Fall. The sounds, the smells, and God's paintbrush sharing with us rusts, golds, oranges, and greens. Beautiful! This tree is at the end of our cul-de-sac and graces us with it's vivid colors every year. How can anyone look at this proud, sturdy, vibrant creation and not believe in God!

As I look out my living room window over a blanket of colorful leaves on the ground, I see bushes and trees painting a picture without a canvas, and I can faintly hear the sound of geese honking as they fly overhead, heading back from the nearby river. Squirrels are scurrying around preparing for winter, and the wind speaks of colder days ahead. There is so much to enjoy about autumn.

If we just take the time to really see our surroundings, we can only bow down on bended knee, lifting our arms in praise! The hymn "For The Beauty Of The Earth" comes to mind.

For the beauty of the earth

For the glory of the skies

For the love from which our birth

Over and around us lies

Lord of all to Him we raise

This our hymn of grateful praise!

For other inspirational posts visit Charlotte and Ginger at Spiritual Sundays:

http://www.bloggerspirit.blogspot.com/

Grateful/Thankful Thursday

Today I was reading a blog I enjoy, A Place Called Simplicity and the author, Linny, spoke about a book she and her husband are reading entitled, The Encore Church, by Wayne Cordeiro. She quoted the author below:

"Gratefulness, is different. It can only be developed intentionally. It begins with a spirit. It's an attitude, a disposition that we carry whether or not things go our way. It's being content before any gifts are given. It's breathing a silent "thank you" regardless of what the circumstances are. It's the hallelujah with no guarantee of a blessing. It is the confidence to accept whatever God brings."

Linny and her family has gone through many challenges in the past few months that would break down the average person. And yet, they have made the choice to be grateful regardless of what their circumstances are. Accepting whatever God brings. Grateful BEFORE any gifts and answers to prayers are given. They are an inspiration for us all.

Today on Grateful/Thankful Thursday I am giving thanks for people like Linny who are willing to share their journey of faith with us. I am giving thanks for what I have been reminded of this day in regards to gratefulness. I have so much to be grateful for....it is time to take out my gratitude journal and start writing!