Summer Visits 2015

The Okie Visitors- Josh, Kira and Brayden

Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his grace continues forever;  Ps. 136:3 (CJB)

May summer graces set your paces today!

Summer is stepping out to the mailbox in the stillness of early morning and seeing a young buck staring me down from the side yard. I turn first to go back inside for my camera; he is gone.  There was majestic grace in the brief encounter.

Summer is having off from work for 5 weeks! I may not get paid high wages, but I do like the benefits of my academic library job. There is appreciative grace each morning I awake and say thank you for the new gifted day.

Summer is visits from kids who live far away.  The preparation is grace of anticipation, the time together priceless and the clean up, negligible. When are you coming again?

Summer is celebrating special days and outdoor fun.

Summer is garden goodness and hard sweaty work.

It was time for the visit from Josh and part of his family.  I bought a new vacuum cleaner for the occasion, well at least the purchase coincided with cleaning time for their arrival. To say my new nifty red upright made cleaning fun would be stretching the truth, but I did enjoy the huge improvement over the sucklessness of the old canister.

After sweeping carpet that only gets raked when rooms receive occupants and then scouring auxiliary baths, I was close to ready.   Grocery shopping and some baking thrown in finished the process.

The travelers numbered 5:  Josh, Kira, Brayden with Neo and Cozette, the dog members of the family. Our usually quiet quarters were filled with activity and movement.  The dining table became office space for Josh and Kira who both work from home. Brayden stretched his lanky body over sofas or insisted we play games with him whenever possible. His 14 year old energy source seldom took a break, so trips to the driving range, across the street to the basketball courts and out to eat helped keep him under control.

During evening games playing Rummikub, Euchre or Up and Down the River we trash talked our way to victories and mishandled defeats. Days included eating out in hometown restaurants, fixing sandwiches at home and keeping up with exercising. A fitbit competition among co-workers, kept Kira, counting every step she accrued during morning runs with Josh or walking the dogs, while Josh added workouts to his routine at the local gym. I stuck with my normal two mile walk, content with this 60s something body and it’s familiar limitations. Gone are any longings for fitbitting challenges or sore muscles from workouts!

Everyone played!!

 What else was in the family visit?  Good chats and discussions, a visit to cousins out of town,(thanks for hosting us, Chupps!) watching fireworks over the lake, an excursion to a Detroit Tiger’s game with an over- the -border visit to Windsor, Canada, and a grand cookout where I played sous chef to Josh who wowed us with his grilling skills. Austin and Ashley and Rowan joined us for a couple of days and Dan and family along with Kevin’s parents came over for the cookout. Later that night my sons and I had to honor the family tradition of a Scrabble skirmish.

Saganaki and Pasteries in Greektown.
                 OOMPA!

Everyone loves Baby Rowan!

Trying the new Goshen Brewery

Buddies!

Is that Kevin holding a dog??

Thanks for coming, Josh, Kira and Brayden!  We enjoyed our time together very much!

I’m gearing up for our next family visitors. Changing bedsheets, walking the floors behind the upright,  making plans to keep little people busy and anticipating good times with Jodi and her three preschool boys as they join us next week. I’ll need to pick up some more TP and take some naps and I should be good to go.

Thank you, Father, for family and kids who become friends and good company.  Thank you for grandchildren and for the fun of making memories. Your grace, indeed, continues forever.

He Never Gives Up

I love my smart phone!

Who could have imagined these devises 45 years ago when I was untethered from home base and 700 miles away cocooned in a small private college? One wall phone hung at the end of the hall on each dormitory floor. Whoever was close by would answer the call and yell out the name of the intended receiver. The only calls I remember getting were from my parents, and they made sure to inform me each time that they couldn't talk long or they'd "wrack up the bill".

As a young married mom with kids I stayed connected to other stay-at-home moms with the 30 foot extension cord of the home wall phone so I could talk and do dishes, load the washer in the next room or stretch it into the closet if I wanted some privacy.  Happy were the days when the cordless phone afforded talking anywhere in the house and parts of the driveway.

Then came the progression of the cell phone. Mine included a flip phone, then a slide-out for texting, a smart non-iPhone with WiFi internet hookup and finally, my creamy yellow iPhone 5 bought under contract with my daughter-in-law's data plan which covers all of my usage.

Now I can call, text, Facetime, do any internet work or fun, play my ongoing Words with Friends games, and read books on the Kindle app. (Just to mention the things I use it for most).  Goodby alarm clock, wristwatch, pocket calendar and address book. What a magic do-it-all that fits in my hand!

Last weekend I traveled about 50 miles to spend time with my son and family.  Baby Rowan was born almost two weeks before, and I was looking forward to a grandma fix. The family had moved before she was born and even though my husband had driven us to their new place before,  I turned on iPhone GPS and headed out with confidence. Missy iPhone got me there perfectly. Goodby, atlas!  (Well, not entirely. Those of you in my generation may understand the benefit of seeing the bigger picture map-without zooming or swiping a screen. The atlas will continue to accompany our longer road trips.)

On the way back, I didn't need Missy, but as I got closer to home I decided to test her smartness. Unlike the old Garmin we used before, Missy doesn't have to collect her wits and 'recalculate' whenever we turn a different way from her instruction.  Nor does she command us to make a U turn. She'll just take our new positioning and guide us from there. I had set her destination to my workplace, but intended to go to my house. With each 'wrong' turn I made, she had the next move ready to get me back towards my destination.  I could tell she was either getting me to go around the block or to make the next available right turn, if I missed her first one. Missy was relentless.  She wasn't giving up. She was determined to get me there!

As I observed her steadfastness, I thought of God's faithfulness to guide us. Of how he never gives up on us. Remember Moses and the excuses he clung to, to hopefully derail God's plan for him?
Moses: Who am I to do this?
God: Turn on Iamwithyou Street.
Moses: What if they don't believe me?
God: Turn right on Miracle Tricks Lane.
Moses: I'm not a good speaker.
God: Take the next turn on Iwillhelpyouspeakandteachyouwhattosay Street.
Moses: Please send someone else!
God: In a mile and a half, at Exit Frustration, turn towards Brother Aaron.
God kept guiding until Moses got there.

Or take Gideon.  He was a wimp hiding from enemies who were infiltrating his country.
God shows up and calls him a mighty man of valor and that the Lord is with him. Gideon wasn't going down that path.
Gideon: Yeah right! If that was so, then why is all this happening?
God: Go on Strength You Have Street.
Gideon: Are you kidding? I am the least in my family!
God: Turn on Iwillbewithyoustreet.
Gideon: Show me a sign so I know I'm going the right way.
God: Zap! See the fireworks?
Gideon: Too scary.  I'm turning around.
God: Take Peace Street and you'll arrive at your destination.

We are given chance after chance to get it right. God keeps guiding, keeps turning us in his way.

-Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”Isaiah 30:21niv
-Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;
    he’s the one who will keep you on track.  Prov. 3:6msg
-You will show me the path that leads to life;  Psalms 16:11gnt
-Your constant love is my guide; your faithfulness always leads me. Psalms 26:3gnt
-We are confident that God is able to orchestrate everything to work toward something good and beautiful when we love Him and accept His invitation to live according to His plan.Ro. 8:28voice  (The destination is His plan and He'll keep working toward that no matter what happens or what we choose-if we love him and want to live in His plan)

And the times we sin and insist on going our own way? He does call for Repentance, a necessary U turn! 

If you're looking for some direction today, believe that He has a plan and will guide you into it. 
If you think you've completely messed up His GPS, believe He can work with untangling any 'lostness' you give to Him.  Let Him take over from here.
If you know you've deliberately chosen to not listen to Him, make a U turn and ask for His forgiveness and help in getting back on track.

I'm setting this as HOME; how about you?
You will show me the path to life, abounding joy in your presence, the delights at your right hand forever.  Psalms 16:11nabre 
 
 

Book Review-Going the Distance

Going the Distance, by Stephen Elkins

This husband and wife team of authors has created an attractive package of book and activity in this great resource for youth.  Alec London is a sensitive, likeable kid who weathers disappointments and challenges with family and school mates. The reader feels his struggle as he wrestles with missing his mother, who is often away from home because of job obligations, enduring summer baseball camp, the up and down relationship with his older brother and an intimidating classmate.  Resolving his feelings often means turning his thoughts into prayers for help to do the right thing. 

Alec says, “Dad always gives me pretty much the same message as my teacher.  They both say how it’s important to give my all in everything I do.  It’s called ‘going the distance.” At the end of each chapter Alec expresses an honest summary of his conflict in a letter to his mom.

Besides the summary letter, each chapter ends with a word search game.  The back of the book offers discussion questions about the book and a few short resources to sharpen the reader’s English and math skills.  For instance, this particular book in the series includes a worksheet about baseball’s rules and fundamentals. Answer keys are provided for the word searches and the worksheets.

The adults in the book are great role models in spite of their weaknesses. Alec’s maturity for a fourth grader, his writing skills shown in his letters to his mom, and his personal relationship with God are exceptional and maybe unrealistic.  But the authors show a way for kids in this age group to reach for the God who is always there and who is very interested in the details of our lives.

I received this book from Moody Press publishers in exchange for my review.

Book Review-My Sing-Along Bible

My Sing-Along Bible by Stephen Elkins

When I received this book I was a bit skeptical that its contents would be full of quality and appealing to my over-exposed, media-trained grand kids.  I’ve read and heard “cheesy” Christian resources, and I’ve become quite a critic of how effective they are in competing with popular media.

I approve of this book.  I think it will hold young kid’s attention because of its simple layout.  The songs are catchy and have a lot of repetition in the lyrics which makes it easy to memorize them. The key to making this resource a success is in the enthusiasm of the reader and in providing exposure to the songs.  I can imagine children listening to this as they go to sleep at night or riding in the car. This will give 3-6 year olds an early dose of God’s word and build a faith foundation that will be in place for whatever other media captures their attention.

Each Bible story follows this format:

A few simple story lines to read aloud

A Scripture verse with reference

Written words of the companion song on the CD

A one sentence “little lesson” of the story

Bright, colorful simplistic drawings

The book has a soft board cover and a durable binding. A CD is included inside the front cover.

I received a complimentary copy of the book for review purposes from Tyndale House.

Week's Review

Best of the week:

Not many weeks start with flowers on the kitchen counter, gifts, texts and phones calls throughout the day, but this one did. Mother's Day slam dunked into a fest of fun and goodwill. HH* and I enjoyed surprising his folks by showing up in the pew at their church and taking them out for lunch.  The day threatened to dump out rain showers, but no billowing gray clouds were going to keep us from bicycling to the local ice cream stand where HH treated me to my favorite coconut almond crunch sundae.  Thankfully, the weather cooperated. Calls from kids and calls to moms kept the ring tones jangling and the iPhone messaging center buzzing.

I'm thankful for the privilege of being a mom to wonderful kids and thankful for the women who have mothered me. While my mother is no longer here to honor in person, I often recall the good things she planted in my life. --knowledge and understanding about my heavenly Father, introduction to a relationship with Him, daily practices of worship, love for His Word, disciplines of hard work, perseverance in spite of weaknesses, unbroken connection to friends and family...and more.  My Dad gave her Bible to me recently, and I'm getting to see her heart up close and personal as I decipher the scribbles in the margins and find few pages unmarked with some underline or emphasis. No earthly inheritance compares to the legacy of faith and honor handed down from the generations that came before us.

I didn't always appreciate these gifts because I couldn't see past their outer wrappings or understand their value. But Time and Perspective are kind friends who patiently keep tenderizing my heart with grace, humility and charitable judgment.

Not the best of the week:

I found myself feeling insecure in my relationship with HH.  One incident that occurred brought hurt and my emotions refused to be assuaged. A few chats together to air things out and sweet talking our way back to closeness brought rest and comfort.  How quickly he and I can slide into our default modes of independence when demands of schedule and activities leave less time for togetherness. Knowing we need to be more intentional about relating in those times and actually doing it is the challenge. Energy is low and need for solo time is high. Expressing simple gestures of tenderness or using one of the many means of quick communication to make a connection goes a long way. We'll keep working on that while being deeply grateful for the gift of marriage.

*HH= Handsome Husband

Contrasts to Live In

What was a mug with a broken off handle doing in the cupboard of the break room at work? Kitchen vessels and utensils were haphazardly grouped together on all the shelves, but pathetic as they were no others were so acutely crippled. Not only did it’s chipped off stump give me pause, but I had to smile at the juxtaposition of it’s message only inches from the ceramic break off.  “Healing the world peace by peace”. My first thoughts were proverbial-“Physician, heal thyself!”  But who of us that desires to be healers of peace are perfectly whole? Aren’t we rather pieces of our own story that need a Puzzle Builder to fit us into a picture that can be recognized and appreciated?  I submit to your work, Healer.

Weary from a week of activity that bulged with meetings, appointments and commitments I drove away from my in-laws’ house.  Their son and I had taken them a meal and shared some love and life into their quiet, slow-moving surroundings. My course meandered through The Villas each one dressed like her neighbor; like the popular classmates who frequent the same clothing boutique. Near the entrance to the neighborhood, the park area held playground tikes and elders working in the community garden patch.  In spite of my haste to get to the next function I spied four humps near the edge of the garden close together and pointed upwards.  A second glance found the bodies they belonged to lying flat on the ground, hands casually behind their heads.  Only children and elderly take time to view the heavens like that, I thought, remembering childhood days of lying just that way and imagining shapes in the clouds.  I set that image against my busyness and realized peace and quiet was only a choice away.  Help me bend my knees and lie on the green pastures you provide, Shepherd.

Two women begin a Bible Study together.  One a young mom surrounded by diapers, super heroes, kindergarten drawings and raspberry kisses, and the other managing college library student workers and data, fixing copier jams and processing periodicals.  One holds a baby while reading the study book, while the other holds a steaming cup of coffee as she begins the morning reading in her favorite chair. It might not work for the stay-at-home mom, mostly one-handed, to type out thoughts on a Facebook Group; perhaps phone conversations will be the best way to share the insights they are both reaping from the study. Contrasting worlds will make for interesting interchanges of study applications! Thank you for the riches in your Word and special women to share them with!

Thank you for  life’s contrasts to love and learn from, Father. I am so thankful you made people to pass  through stages and ages. For variety and surprises and eyes, ears and emotions to enjoy them. You are good!

Right Here All the Time

My son-in-law took the grandsons to a fishing clinic today.  They almost turned around and came right back on account of Dominic’s whining.  It’s a habit he’s into these days and it drives his parents crazy. After The Talk from Dad they continued to their destination.  The event was well attended and the boys learned fishing tips, received some fishing tackle and their own pail of goodies which included a drink bottle.  As they push through the crowd to head towards the car, Dominic starts wailing about losing his drink.  Of course, he stops to express his misery and the crowd stumbles past around him. Dad and big brother,  Ian, try to remedy the situation, but don’t have time and space to get to the heart of the matter and Dominic has cried ‘wolf’ one too many times lately to deserve any sympathetic ear.  The whiner continues the fussing all the way home.  Ian needs to give the report to Mom as soon as they get in the house.  “Dominic cried the whole way home and gave me a headache!”.  Right behind him, Dominic walks in pertly with a smile.  “The drink was here in my pail all the time, Mom, see?”

My daughter relayed this story to me over the phone. She couldn’t help but laugh at the outcome, and I found it all amusing.  I remember those days of loving my kids through thick and thin, ups and downs and how quickly things could turn from one to the other.

Could there be a parallel here in my adult world?  What about the times I misplace my peace, or rest?  If I’d just draw aside, and rearranged the things I carry in my bucket, I’m sure the bottle of Living Water would be there, ready to nourish and refresh me. Instead, others fall over me or skirt around me as I whine or complain about too much to do or getting cheated out of time to myself.  I may not say the words aloud, but attitudes and sighs make good whining techniques.

The living water Giver says, “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”*

Father, help me to turn to you as my first source of  rest.  Walking and working with you in natural rhythms of grace sounds wonderful.  Draw me close when I’m keeping company with weariness and discouragement who can crowd you out.  Thanks for caring about me and inviting me into all that you are.

I’m praying Dominic learns to handle his emotions better as he gets older and to learn to know the Companion who can help him live freely and lightly.  That day can’t come soon enough for Mom, Dad and Ian.

*Matthew 11:28-30