Over and over and over again, the message from God has been clear and precise. Mostly through Facebook He has put on my heart Exodus 14:14. Clearly. Emphasized. Repeated. Firm. Here are a few of the images I have received. Each one a love note from God. Each one is a reminder that I am NOT on this journey alone. Each one lets me know staying calm is the action I need to take, trusting that He does fight for me.
The message is very clear, and when I remember to give my battles over to my mighty God trusting in His desire to fight for me, I can live in peace. Do you need to hear his message today? It is a rhema word from God. Highlighted, emphasized, alive. Hold it close. Trust it.
Do you have a "happy place" that you retreat to where your surroundings bring about deep sighs and upturned corners in a smile?
Our oldest daughter and her family have a lake cabin amidst the trees and water in the middle of WI where they love to go year round. Their "happy place".
I believe that our friends have a happy place they are living in as full time RV'ers. They call Arizona home in the winter and travel to new places, experiencing new adventures the rest of the year. Whether they are relaxing at a beach or giving of their time serving as volunteers where needed, they can return home each evening to their happy place. They take it with them wherever they go!
In our younger married years we moved so often, our happy place was defined by those we were with....our family. And I can't help but think that in this season of my life Joel is my happy place!
Our middle child lives in the country with her family, surrounded by the land they farm and decades of family history surrounding them. I believe they have created a happy place space for themselves there. I love to sit on their front porch and enjoy the quiet in the early morning hours. As I have shared before, peace permeates the air there and relaxes me.
Pondering the many different kinds of happy places, I cannot help but question where ours would be now. Would we want an RV to travel around in, or a lake home that would call us for weekends and vacations? Would we love a front porch in the country where cars are scarce and fields are not? Just where would our happy place be?
When Joel was young the outdoors was his happy place. He enjoyed the woods and lakes of MN where he grew up. When I was around 10 I lived with my mom in a small apt at the front of a house. My bed was the living room sofa, but there was a larger closet/storage room upstairs with a window where the sun would come in. I used to love to be in there, playing with my dolls or reading. A small cozy warm place where I felt safe and happy. I still enjoy small rooms that have a cozy feel, and Joel still enjoys being outside in nature.
Neither of us are particularly eager for a lake home in the woods.........nor anxious to be full time RV'ers. And it does not seem practical to have a country home as we look ahead to our senior years. Still, a "happy place" sounds so inviting. I told Joel maybe we need a home where we love it so much that we don't want to leave it for a cabin or RV. Is that even possible? I expect so.
So, again, I ask the question, "Do you have a happy place you retreat to where your surroundings bring about deep sighs and upturned corners into a smile?" And I ask yet another....."Do you live in that place and call it home, or do you find it in someone you love?" Happy places come in all shapes and sizes, and so many different places. Where is your happy place?
Good Saturday morning from our corner of Iowa where rain and cooler temperatures have been pushing away our "normal" average temps. Today we have sunshine and are heading up to eighty degrees, so there is hope we will dry out from all the rain. So many farmers here and in parts of MN cannot get their fields all planted due to so much rain!
We are heading down to our grandson's graduation party today. Looking forward to seeing their family. So proud of Grant, who has received several recognitions at his high school, and his degree from DMACC (2 yr college) along with his high school diploma. Will be the first time I have traveled outside of the city since last October. We'll stop at Trader Joe's to stock up on our staples of almond butter, almond flour, almonds, applesauce, and honey before heading home. We save a great deal of money when we shop for those organic products in Trader Joe's.
Speaking about education, Joel and I both love learning. We have talked about taking classes available for "life long learners" at our Jr. College here in town. You pay a small yearly fee and have many opportunities for learning, attending concerts and speakers, and even working out at the facilities there. Joel first went to Jr. College after high school and got his degree in wild life management. He then went to The Lutheran Bible Institute for a Bible degree. That is where we met and I got my degree there too. Our first year it was called The Lutheran Bible Institute and the second year is became Golden Valley Lutheran College....still a two year degree. I graduated with an AA in Bible and parish work. Joel also got a bachelor's at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City through the Air Force to be a meteorologist. A few years later he went to Luther Seminary to get his Masters of Divinity and then he went on to work toward's his doctorate, not finishing when life became too busy. I attended another college, St. Mary's, for a year to work towards a degree as an Interpreter for the Deaf. Before coming ill with Lyme I worked in a school as an interpreter. We like learning and think education is important, but our learning doesn't have to come just from books or schools, of course. Any number of degrees do not erase the fact that life experiences teaches us so much! I think that having an interest in growing, learning from others, and listening to God is mighty important,. God provides continual opportunities for us to grow in our faith. One of the wisest women I know has little book education, but oh such wisdom to share!
This weekend is Band Festival here in our town. Meredith Wilson wrote the Music Man based on our micro-city so every year there is a big celebration with a parade, carnival, bands, food vendors and more. It has been a long time since I have watched that movie..........I remember one line of a song the most..."We've got trouble, right here in River City. Trouble with a capital T and that rhymes with P and that stands for pool.!"
Thinking about what we have been grateful for this week..........the good MRI report........an oncologist who I was told "has the ability to know what will work for each patient to get results", laughter and giggles...........nesting ducks............. RX Bars that provide protein.................phone visits with family......a break from Verzenio meds and more energy because of it................tears of joy or sadness.....Holy Spirit..............a new favorite meal of stir fry with a homemade apricot sauce............the library..........our comfy SUV, and more.
And so grateful for those we remember on this Memorial Day Weekend. Those we loved...........those we honor.........those who served. We remember and give thanks for your sacrifice.
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.
When we were living in Montana our oldest son attended a summer basketball day camp. They all received basketball shirts with the name of the man who ran the camp on the front. A few weeks later I had a vivid nightmare in which our son was killed when he was hit by a car. He was wearing that shirt in the dream, and it was so real to me that I hid the shirt and never let him wear it again. He is in his late 40's and still has that shirt tucked away in his memory tub.
For some reason at the time, I thought that if I did not let him wear that shirt, the nightmare would not play out and I would save my son from harm or even death. Our son has now been a police officer for over twenty years and I have had to learn to pray for him daily, and let God walk with him as he serves his city. I can't hide his shirt or uniform and keep him safe.
This past week was National Police Week. In the past few years we have seen a great deal of negative press and public feelings about the police and how they do their jobs. Just like in any occupation, there are bad police officers that do not serve well. Mostly, though, there are good officers who just want to go home when their long days are done. They do what they can to protect the people while also protecting themselves. Sometimes they get it wrong, but mostly they get it right.
We have been at the receiving end of their call to duty. When living in central Minnesota we received a phone call late one night and we were told by a policeman on the phone that a man from our church had threatened his wife and was "coming to kill the pastor". They police would get to our home as soon as possible........and they did. We put all 5 kids at the time on the floor of our bedroom and Joel loaded his 22 rifle just in case. We prayed and watched out the windows for any sign of this man until the police arrived. The police felt it was a big enough threat that they helped us get clothes and other things we needed and then escorted us with guns drawn to our car. Our kids were told to lay flat and keep their heads down as we drove out of our garage and down our driveway. When we were escorted out of town we noticed five police cars at the end of our long driveway. A few stayed behind and three followed us for about 30 miles until they felt we were a safe distance away. We were so grateful for the police that night. I actually could share a few more circumstances we have found ourselves in where we had to call or involve the police, but I won't bore you with the details!
Today I am giving thanks for the officers who do their jobs well, serve the people in their communities and literally put their lives on the line. Our prayers are with you. Especially you, Matt, Michelle, and Steve.
Good Saturday morning to you from stormy Iowa. We had a storm last night and I heard that 2 and 6/10th inches of rain fell in a short time, flooding some streets in our little city. Rain is forecast for the day and the possibility more storms to go with it. Definitely May in our corner of the world.
Speaking of storms, it has been a stormy week for me medically with many shake-ups that have us taking deep breaths and reminding ourselves that we are living one day at a time with God leading the way.. I saw the surgeon on Wed. and I will have a bi-lateral mastectomy mid June. Before that there are many appointments and tests to walk through. I saw the oncologist Friday and he laid out his tentative plan for after surgery. I keep thinking there will be an end to it all, but am realizing "an end" to it is all a matter of perspective. No end in sight, but hopefully seasons of peace and health.
Speaking of "Good Morning" I have pondered where that greeting comes from. Maybe it is more than a greeting, maybe it is a declaration. Speaking words with intention. Good is the word I am focusing on.
We have two grandkids who will graduate from high school this year. That is good! We will be able to celebrate with them both which means a lot to us. So proud of all our grands and what good people they are! What they accomplish academically and in Sports and Music is something to celebrate, but most importantly we celebrate their faith, their goodness, their kindness, their willingness to love, forgive, and care for others. Aren't grandkids the best?!?!
We purchased a new fridge 2 1/2 years ago, and 3 days ago the freezer quit working! We called our appliance man and he told us he would try to fix it, but what we had bought from Sears (which is no longer here) would be difficult to fix. He came last night and did not "see" what the problem was....one quick prayer later he found the problem and fixed it within a few minutes. Yippee! All is good! We like this fridge a lot.....the freezer being in the bottom which for this short person, it works well. We still have our old fridge that has worked for over 20 years. Something to be said for the quote, "they don't make things like they used to!"
Last night I watched a squirrel carry a corn cob across our yard. I have mentioned before that our neighbor across the street puts them out for the deer and raccoons. The squirrels like them too, and like burying the kernels so every time Joel mows the yard he is also cutting down corn plants that are trying to grow where to squirrels put their stash! We find it amusing.........although I am not so sure all our neighbors do. We have two rabbits who are living under our back deck and enjoy sunning themselves in front of our living room window. Of course the deer have already eaten our lillies up front before they could even bloom. That is frustrating! there have been sightings of a mountain lion in Des Moines, and that is not the first year it has happened. We had one sighted up here but it did not stick around. They travel for hundreds of miles to set up territory. God did a good thing when he created nature for us to enjoy.
There are a group of writers that have a place called (IN) Courage. Recently one of the women, Catherine Segars, wrote a beautiful post titled, God Is Good, But This Isn't. (You can click on title to read it) I embrace what she shared on healing, etc., but have not said it so eloquently. It is a beautiful read.
God is good.......He does not want us suffering and sick. Yet this broken world sets us up for sickness, disease, and even death. This life is not always good.........but God is. This song is a good reminder for us...and I leave it with you today...........enjoy your weekend!
