Saturday's Scribbles

Good Saturday to you from northern Iowa where winter temps plummetted Thursday and Friday.  We woke to -18 Friday with a windchill of -40.  Bitterly cold!  Those two words remind me of when we were at Hope Lodge and dealing with colder weather.  We had walked through the tunnels and then just over a block outside to get back to the Lodge from Mayo one morning.  Two women were sitting in the lobby as we came in, one a familiar face.  The woman I did not know asked us if it was just cold outside or bitterly cold outside?  I paused and asked her where she was from and she told me Florida!  My reply?  "If you are from Florida then it is bitterly cold outside!" 

I remember when we moved to The Philippine Islands and how long it took to adjust to the high heat and humidity.  Ugh....not sure we ever did fully adjust, but when we came home two years later in May, we all promptly got sick from the "cold weather".  Our bodies had acclimated to the P.I. and it took a good year or two for our bodies to adjust to the 4 seasons again. 

In the past week we spent time with doctors again, Joel in the sit and wait mode and me as the "patient"~ laser surgery on my rt eye, an eye injection, and a surgical procedure to remove the port kept me resting more at the end of the week.  My husband is more than curious, so he observed the surgeon remove the port from a close and personal position.  His comment?  "I was surprised by how much they cut into you."  Needless to say, I was not watching!  The cold virus returned for the weekend so church was out of the question.  That may be okay with all the flu out there!  My body is also trying to adjust to the hormone inhibitor I am taking.  My goal is to go a whole month without seeing a doctor!  It's coming!!

In the world at large, things just seem to get more unbelievable, unpredictable, and incomprehensible. At times like this it is good to focus on what we can rely on, God's faithfulness, His promises, His plans for good and not for evil.  Yeah.....that will bring the blood pressure down.  Although mine is low enough at 99/63 last time it was checked!  Since our bodies actually heal best when we are in a state of peace and rest, it makes sense that we keep Jesus at the center of it all.  "I will be in perfect peace when I am focused on You, because I trust in you."  Isa. 26:3

We have friends who are spending time in Hawaii.  It is on our bucket list.  We came through Hawaii in 1976 when we were returning home from The Philippines.  We came through the military base, and there are two things I remember well.  One, it smelled wonderful there, even in the airport. A fragrant with flowers smell.  A woman Joel worked with in the P.I. met us at the base with leis!  Two, we were coming into the US with two children holding "green cards".  The two beautiful children we adopted in the P.I. were not yet US citizens so it took longer.  I remember we had 9 pieces of luggage (all our other stuff was being shipped home) and 4 kids ages 6, 5, 18 mo. and 14 mo.  Our hands were full.  As the airman looked at all our luggage and kids, instead of going through every single thing while we waited in the heat, he waved us on through.  I was thinking he did not want to go through it all, but since it was his job, I choose to believe he felt sorry for us and just waved us through as honest people who were not bringing drugs, etc. into the country! After a very long plane ride to get there, we were so grateful!  Reflecting back on Hawaii, I do wonder if people are more relaxed there with all the water around to soothe them......hmmm

This week I finished the David Rosenfelt mystery I got for Christmas, and am on to the next one.  After a trip to the library I have a few light mysteries to choose from.  What are you reading?

Enjoy your weekend!!  According to where you call home, stay warm or stay cool, stay safe, stay at peace and rest in His arms.  All is well...................

Easily Offended, Hyperly-Divided?

We were listening to a sermon Sunday, live stream from Lutheran Church of Hope. and one statement by the pastor drew my full attention.  "The world is easily offended and hyperly-divided."  Isn't that the truth!  He went on to say that one pastor had shared he had an active small group in his church split up.  When he asked what had happened, one of the members of that group said, "Well, we discovered we did not all hold the same political views."  This "offense" broke up their well established church group. 

Several times in the past week my attention has been drawn to the word offense or offending.  It has come up in a devotional, a sermon, on TV, and in a book I am reading.  When things come up in 3's or more, I pay attention because usually that means God is trying to get my attention.

The book I am reading spoke about how offense can get in the way of our faith growing, even our relationship with God.  God does not want us to cause offense or hold on to offenses.  I was challenged by what I read and wanted to study it more.

Hearing what the pastor stated about the world resonated with me.  Just think about it for a minute......A church group, a group that follows Jesus and his commandments was so offended by their differences politically that they split up.  Can I just say that made Satan very happy.  Mission accomplished!  United we stand, divided we fall.

Yes, we are an easily offended nation.  Recently Gayle King had her life threatened because someone at CBS, her employer, took an interview she was part of and aired it out of context.  She was asking someone about Kobe Bryant's past accusations of sexual misconduct.  Kobe had recently died in a heliocopter crash, and someone was offended enough to threaten her life?

When did we become a nation of easily offended people?  When did we become so hyperly-divided politically, religiously, or just as human beings in this broken world?   When did it become okay to threaten someone's life because you don't like what they have said?  And why?

I have had to reflect on my own offenses.........do I owe someone an apology?  Am I holding a grudge against someone who has caused problems in my life?  Are any offenses getting in the way of my relationship with God?  Do I hold offenses at God?  There is definitely room for improvement when I answer these questions honestly!

Our hearts hold the offenses we have, the unforgiveness that festers within.  It is so important that we bring them before God and leave them at His feet.  It is important for our physical and spiritual health, for our relationships with others and most importantly our relationship with God. 

Saturday's Scribbles

Good Saturday to you from our corner of Iowa where we woke up today to a chilly -5 degrees.  The sun is shining and all appears well, but it is the calm before the storm ~ the next winter storm which should dump somewhere around 6-8 inches of the white stuff on us before Monday.  Temperatures will rise, winds will pick up. and snow will fall.  February in Iowa!

Speaking of February in northern Iowa, can I confess that I envy those who are enjoying Arizona or Florida weather right now.  Sigh.....I would loved to be somewhere, anywhere rather than here where I am still recovering from radiation and have spent two days visiting doctors again this past week, my oncologist here in town, and my regular eye doctor for an exam for the glaucoma (and MD).  The first appointment resulted in a scheduled procedure next Wed. for the removal of the port that is still in my upper chest.  The second appointment resulted in a laser surgery on my right eye due to scarring that they felt was affecting my vision.  It only took a few minutes and you feel nothing, but my body knew something had gone on.  Again.  My vision was not good for the first time in a year, so it will be rechecked this next Tues. when I go in for an eye injection.  Can I just say loudly here, "I am so sick of going to doctors!!!!!! Still, God is good.  Circumstances don't take that away.

Speaking of things I am sick of, I am sick of all the political drama in Washington.  This past week was especially challenging with the impeachment vote, continual spotlight speeches, and our state of Iowa in the limelight ~ and not in a good way!  I find that for me there is a sense of craziness that wants to pull me in, coaxing me into the drama and urging me to join in the deep and wide division that is separating America.  I'm thinking a fast from it all would be the best way to go.

And that brings up the Super Bowl halftime show.  It was disgusting.  Two talented women dressing and acting like they were  I would guess, at a strip club in Vegas.  What confusing messages we send to our young girls in America.  It saddens me that even family entertainment has to be censored by parents in their living rooms. The football game itself. though, was a good one to watch.

Yesterday our son Matt came for a visit, bringing with him a Christmas gift for his dad ~ a very unique, engraved cribbage board.  It says "The Dahlen Family" and has two scriptures referenced.  At our family gatherings cribbage boards come out and just about everyone gets into a game or two.  From the youngest to the oldest, cribbage is the game of choice. We had a nice visit with Matt, shared our thoughts, hugs, and a meal together and Joel and Matt got in a couple games of cribbage.  It was a good day.

I find myself often reflecting on our time at Hope Lodge, on the people we met, the challenges they faced, the strength they displayed, the hope that at times seemed palpable.  I have the orgami heart art project I created at a Mayo class on my coffee table and the quote on it says, "Be brave with your life."  That is what I saw in the people there~ a bravery displayed.  That does not mean they were fearless, who would be?!  But they were/are being brave with their lives, they had "pitched their tents in the land of hope".
Acts 2:26 (The Message)

I hope your weekend is a good one!  Pitch your tent in the land of hope and it will be!!

Blueberries and Cinnamon

We were at the grocery store in Rochester getting a few things to take back to Hope Lodge.  I picked up a pint of blueberries and Joel stuck them in the top of the cart.  Unfortunately, unbeknown to us, do to their packaging, they slide down the side of the cart.  As they slid the lid opened and blueberries spilled out all over the floor.  We were oblivious until I squished one with my shoe.  I looked down and saw blueberries everywhere.  Before us, behind us, around us.  I was afraid to move.  The cart wheels had squished blueberries coating one wheel, our shoe soles had blueberry spots, and who knows who else was leaving a trail of blueberries in their wake.

Joel tiptoed through the tulips ~ oh that is right~ he tiptoed through the blueberries to find a clerk.  The young man was so nice, reassuring us that it happens more often than you think.  He accepted our apology, took a broom, and began to attempt to sweep up the mess.  And blueberries are great at leaving a mess when squished.  We both just shook our heads, exasperated but at the same time finding the situation a bit humorous.  Especially later. A side note:  ever since that day, we carefully place the blueberries in the bottom of the cart after checking the lid!

It reminded me of a time we went to another store in Rochester several years ago.  We were picking up a few organic items and decided to buy some cinnamon in bulk.  Joel took a plastic bag and then grabbed the cinnamon's container, opening what he thought was the lid, and shaking it into the bag.  He had not opened the container correctly and cinnamon went everywhere.  A cloud of cinnamon went up in the air and landed on the floor, on the shelves, on other containers, on us.  It was a big mess.  Joel even found cinnamon on his boots when we got home later!  The older clerk that came to help us that day was not so nice, nor friendly or reassuring, but kept giving us dirty looks as he scowled at us for the mess we created.  Our apologies were not received well at all.

What a difference in responses to these two messes.  There is something to reflect on here of course.  We did not expect what happened to happen at all.  Sometimes life surprises us that way.  Stuff happens and we have no control over it.  We only have control over how we respond.  It can be as simple as a clerk's response while coming upon 2 shoppers who accidentally scattered blueberries across the floor, or it can be as complex as our response in a messed up relationship.  And let's not ignore how unkind both sides of the aisle act regarding politics in government, cities, neighborhoods, and families.

Treat each other with kindness and grace.  We are to be more like Christ in how we live, and He treated everyone with a heart of love.  A Father's love for His children expressed with  the blood of His only Son.  Kindness and grace comes from a loving heart.  A forgiving heart.  Life is too short, dear ones.  Forgive, embrace with love and be rich in kindness.

Saturday's Scribbles

Good Saturday to you from our corner of Iowa where cloudy skies. snow, and above average temps have been the theme of this week's weather.  Today we woke up to sunshine for the first time in over a week!  We are supposed to get up to 42 degrees tomorrow, which is unheard of in early February.  I expect Joel will be able to get the outdoor Christmas lights down now.  With the past five weeks being spent in Rochester (coming home most weekends) they are not yet put away.

Speaking of Rochester, we have now been home a few days and are getting back into the routine.  We definitely miss the people we met there and the activities.  Awfully quiet in this place!  It has made us more aware than ever that it is mostly "just the two of us" and even though we enjoy each other's company, we miss our family.  We miss our good friends who stepped into a new lifestyle over a year ago.  We miss having a church to call our own.  With all the Interim and fill-in work Joel has done over the past few years, we have not had one church family.  The church has always been the spiritual AND social center of our lives, and with the center missing?

Speaking of church, last Sunday we were in Rochester and went to a church we chose after reading about it online, but to be honest, we were very disappointed in the service.  Not only disappointed but stunned by how little God was mentioned by the Pastor or worship leaders. We went back to our room after and live streamed (on my laptop) Lutheran Church of Hope which is in West Des Moines IA.  We really enjoy their worship, their focus, their expressed faith in Jesus.

We have greatly enjoyed watching BritBox which is all British TV shows. Since there was no cable in our rooms at the Lodge, we used and HDMI cord and hooked up my laptop to the TV in our room so we could watch Netflix, BritBox, Youtube, BethelTV, etc.  It was nice to have something to watch at the end of the day.   One of our favorites is a very light half comedy and half mystery detective show called "Shakespeare and Hathaway".  In the midst of challenges it is good to laugh.

Speaking of TV, watching more news this week has made me aware of how much stress it brings into our lives.  I know it is important to stay informed, whether it is a virus coming out of China or a political drama taking place in Washington DC ( and when is there NOT drama there?) but our world can seem very unstable and scary when we tune in to the news.  Somehow we need to keep a balance~ remembering that no matter what is coming or already here, God is with us.

Today is one of our grandson's birthdays and it is also my sister Jan's birthday.  She has been a blessing in my life from the time I was born,  She is 11 years older than me, but looks younger.  Now I ask you, is that fair?  Ha   I love you Jan~ Happy Birthday!!

Jan and Renee 2015

Laughter is the best medicine!

So, what books are you reading?  I have a David Rosenfelt mystery in one hand and Ana Werner's book "The Warrior's Dance" in the other.  One opens my world to more of the Spirit realm, the other, gives me a mystery to escape into.

Have a good weekend!

Working Things Together For Good

"Come on ring the bell"............and I did.  Monday before noon I rang the bell at Jacobson Building, Mayo Clinic, in Rochester MN to signify I was done with radiation.  An emotional moment for us, to say the least.  We packed up our things, filling the car!  We had our last lunch in our assigned communal kitchen, and then we headed out of town having said our good-byes to new friends earlier in the day, last Friday, and even before then when other friends rang the bell finishing the radiation part of their journey and went home before us.

Today we decided to verbally list the things we were thankful for during the past 5 weeks.  Mostly it centered around Mayo staff and the proton teams and Hope Lodge and the friends we made there.   We could throw in their the fact that 3 different times certain family members were at Mayo for various reasons and we could touch base with them.  Yes, many blessings came to light as we shared together, giving God praise.  

God brought us together with great people, with others who were on similar journeys and we could share how we felt and what we were experiencing.  It was helpful for me to know "I was not the only one".   God brought us together with great doctors and staff. He brought us together with several groups of Mennonites who came to share their music and meals with Hope Lodge.  There are also younger Mennonites who come from around the country to serve as volunteers at places like Hope Lodge and Mayo Clinic.  We were told by one young woman we got to know that they do not believe in war so they serve their country through volunteer work at places like Hope Lodge. And we all benefited from their service to their country.   We met people who have outlived their "expiration date" and enjoy each day they open their eyes to.  God took a difficult time in our lives, and blessed it ~ working it out for good as only He can do.

Now we are "adjusting" to being home again.  I remember it took us awhile to adjust to dining and interacting with so many new people and routines, and it is taking us awhile to adjust to our quiet house and lack of communal type living!  We keep asking God what we can take away and apply to our lives from this experience. We know He never wastes an opportunity to bless and teach us.  He works all things out together for good....that which is meant for harm.  We are also asking Him the question, "What now, God?"  

As we both snuggle under quilts, Joel with the starting of a funky virus, and me spending too much time in the bathroom, as we tune in to easy listening music, get ready to eat Homemade Chicken Veggie Soup, and Joel sips our go-to tea when head and chest colds try to settle ~ (ginger root, garlic cloves, cayenne pepper, fresh lemon, and honey to sweeten) we are reflecting and giving thanks for God blessing us so much the past 5 weeks at Mayo/Hope Lodge.  And for keeping us healthy the whole time we were there!   How is He blessing you on your journey?  I would love to know!