Sing!

I have been catching up sewing projects, cleaning and re-organizing my sewing room and keeping up with normal, every day things.  But time to post something on here.  So...this is another devotional that has not been published.  I think I need to get back to writing more even if they will no longer be published at our church.  Hope this is a blessing to you.

Sing!
Ephesians 2

How do hymns of the faith touch your heart?  One of my favorites is "Amazing Grace" by John Newton. As I thought about the words to this old, classic hymn, these are the thoughts and "mind" pictures that came to me.

Amazing grace....the broken, bloody Jesus on the cross.
How sweet the sound....Jesus triumphantly utters, "It is finished!"
That saved a wretch like me....you love ME, Lord???
I once was lost....blindly stumbling on a path leading to eternal death.
And now am found....adopted, loved and full of hope as my path is made straight.
Was blind and now I see....His way, His strength, His glory will light my path.

T'was grace that taught my heart to fear....striving to please my Father and not grieve Him.
And grace my fears relieved....You are my refuge, my hiding place.
How precious did that grace appear....overwhelming, incomprehensible, soul satisfying.
The hour I first believed....yes, Lord, You sacrificed Your Son for me!

Thru many dangers,toils and snares....You heard my prayers, hiding me under your wings.
I have already come....with His abounding strength, discerning wisdom I have endured life's trials and tribulations.
T'is grace hath brought me safe thus far....sufficient, satisfying all my needs.
And grace will lead me home....home with shimmering, gold lined streets, no sin, the lion and the lamb sleeping together... Jesus is the Light of Heaven, my ultimate home.

When we've been there ten thousand years....humbly bowing before my Redeemer, electrified and amazed in His presence.
We've no less days to sing God's praise....the greatest choir ever to sing, every day, every hour!
Than when we'd first begun....lost and hell bound....now....found and heaven bound!!

Sing!

One last devotional I have written which has not been published...will be now!  :)

Sing!
Ephesians 2

How do hymns of the faith touch your heart?  One of my favorites is "Amazing Grace" by John Newton. As I thought about the words to this old, classic hymn, these are the thoughts  that came to me.

Amazing grace....the broken, bloody Jesus on the cross.
How sweet the sound....Jesus triumphantly utters, "It is finished!"
That saved a wretch like me....you love ME, Lord?
I once was lost....blindly stumbling on a path leading to eternal death.
And now am found....adopted, loved and full of hope as my path is made straight.
Was blind and now I see....His plan, His strength, His glory will light my path.

T'was grace that taught my heart to fear....striving to please my Father and not to grieve Him.
And grace my fears relieved....You are my refuge, my hiding place.
How precious does that grace appear....overwhelming, incomprehensible, soul satisfying.
The hour I first believed....yes, Father, You sacrificed Your Son for me!

Thru many dangers, toils, and snares....You heard my prayers as trials, temptations, and suffering came, hiding me safely under your wings.
I have already come....with His abounding strength, to humbly give You all the glory.
T'is grace hath brought me safe thus far....exceedingly, abundantly sufficient.
And grace will lead me home....home with shimmering, gold lined streets, no sin, no darkness, Jesus is the Light of Heaven, my ultimate home.

When we've been there ten thousand years....humbly bowing before my Redeemer, electrified and amazed in His presence.
We've no less days to sing God's praise....the greatest choir ever to sing, every day, every hour!
Than when we'd first begun....the tomb is empty!...I am heaven bound for eternity!

Itinerant Grandma

Itinerant Grandma

If it was the 1800's, I could easily be plodding along in my covered wagon, hoping to make it to California in less than 2 years!!!!  Everything I own is loaded in the back, complete with surprises for the grand kids, medicine kit, cleaning supplies, pots n pans and food of course.  Blistering heat, bone-chilling cold, rain, sleet, snow, fording rivers, intimidating Indians on the fringes of the horizon.   A history making trip!!!

Fast forward to the 21st century!  Now I just google the weather at my destination, pack my suitcase accordingly,  complete with surprises for the grand kids, medicine for those who need it, and wipes and Kleenex.  Then off to the airport, giving hubby instructions as he drops me off at the airport.  I then board a long, metal tube with 150 plus people and in a little over 4 hours...I am in California...or Oregon, whatever the case may be!  How far we have come!

The last 3 weeks for this itinerant Grandma disappeared in a blur!!!  The original plan was for me to fly to San Diego after Amber flew out with Xander and Eliana to visit for about 10 days.  Thus giving Amber a helping hand on the long flight with two little rug-rats!

Needless to say, in this family, plans are made only as guidelines...no rules apply!!!  On a Sunday afternoon, Justin sends me a SOS text...this is not an "Amber Alert", this is a Mom/Grandmother alert!!!  The Elisha Foundation Retreat would begin on Thursday and I was needed to supervise the children's program.  The couple who were scheduled had a death in the family and would be unable to help.

Okay, then!!!!  Think quickly and carefully as I begin to pack for Oregon...cold nights, chilly days.  But also consider that I would be leaving Oregon for San Diego...warm days, cool nights... when Retreat was over!  And at the same time, do the things Amber and I had planned with the kids!  Not to mention thinking about the lessons I would be teaching for the retreat, coming up with a schedule and organizing the kids into groups!

I got it all done in 2 days and was ready for lift off...literally!  Nice benefit this time around...I had a real ticket!  No stand-by flying!  It was a long flight though.  Depart Charlotte at 3:30 pm...no getting up at 4 am!!!!  Arrive in Atlanta 40 minutes later, enjoying dinner and people watching for 2 1/2 hours.  Then on to Portland, OR, arriving there at 7:30 pm (PST time...10:30 pm EST time).  A quick stop to grab a bite to eat and then a road trip over the mountains to Bend, OR where Justin lives.

It was cold and rainy over the mountains, but it was beautiful to see the snow that had fallen, covering the branches of the trees.  The roads were clear and safe which was a good thing.  It was a long 3 hour drive and I fell asleep for about an hour of that.  Arrival at Justin's...1:30 am (4:30 for me and our other guest, Greg, who flew out to teach the adults.)  We survived and were up and loading the vehicles fairly early the next morning.  Onward to Lake Creek and the beginning of Retreat!

It was helpful that I had been to this particular venue for a retreat prior to this time.  I knew how small the room would be for 24 kids...not conducive to organized calm!  The first night is usually not the smoothest anyway!  With 10 4-5 year olds plus 10 6-11 year olds, I wasn't sure how that would work during story time.  (We also had 8 babies and 3 teens but they were not always in the room with us!) It was utter chaos that first night but there were moments of quiet and the kids actually did very well during the Bible story and when I read a book to them.  Which was a surprise when the age span was so spread apart.

We did make a change for craft time and game time though.  We split up the age groups into 2 colored teams and that way we could do crafts much easier in our small space and also keep track of the kids better when we went outside for games.  That made a world of difference.

Praise the Lord for beautiful sunny weather and it was actually not too cold during the day!  The kids loved the Treasure Hunt, and the playground and swimming pool were big hits.  The camp fire was a fun time as they got to make s'mores.

It is always so hard to say good-by when we end retreat.  All of the hugs from the kids, the enjoyment of reading to them, with some standing close by or sitting on my lap...love it!!!!  What sweet parents they all have and I know for them, it was a time of refreshment and relaxation as well as reigniting the desire to be a godly parent to all their children.

A side benefit for me is working with my 5 grand kids for this retreat and their parents!  They are all growing up so fast and are developing such servants' hearts.  I loved hearing their voices holler for Grandma as we did crafts or whatever!

Let's lug these suitcases back to the airport now and catch a flight to San Diego, via Salt Lake City...my multi-city ticket was nice to have this time!  No wondering when and if I would arrive!

First stop this trip...my sister, Heather.  I stayed 4 days with her and had a great time.  We drove out to the desert to check on two of my brothers who are renovating my grandparents old house in the middle of a sand pile!  Many memories of visiting them there and having Thanksgiving there too.  It was a cold windy, foggy day but I love the desert.  Good times!

Now off to spend 3 days with Amber and Jordan (They had flown back home from Charlotte after I had left.)  We did some shopping and eating and playing with babies again!  We were able to get all 3 daughters and our future daughter-in-law and her son together to go to the Pumpkin Patch at a dairy farm.  That was fun!  The kids loved the baby pigmy goats!

Now it is party time!!!!  Cash Ryan Tanner turned one year old on October 12th!  Abigail & JT had a fun party at the park, complete with a Taco Truck!  It was fun to visit with some of their special friends and see more family, my baby sister, Melissa and her hubby for one.

Time to visit Abby and give Cash some of my attention...briefly as I was getting ready for another retreat!!!  This one was in Carlsbad,  just about an hour north of San Diego at the Sheraton Resort, a mile from the beach!  What an awesome venue for this retreat!  We had two ballrooms to use...adults in one, children in the other.  The food was outstanding, the service amazing and the weather awesome!  Ten more families to minister to and love on.  About the same number, same age grouping.  Such sweet, lovable kids!  They were so much fun!  The Treasure Hunt was a hit again and so was the swimming pool!  We had free time one day and enjoyed another Taco Truck at a park just down the road.  Delicious!  We also finished up our last morning at the park for our Bible lesson as the Resort had double booked our room for that last morning!  New experience but the kids did well listening and singing.  Once again, hard to say good-by, especially to 3 young girls who have been to retreats before and this time were volunteers...my "adopted" granddaughters...I had forgotten they liked to call me "Grandma"...so sweet to my ears!

God has supplied so abundantly... three retreats in one month!!!!  We had a retreat in South Carolina the middle of September with 10 families attending.  I had an easy group...just 8 or 9 kids.  There were 16 in the nursery/preschool group in the room next to us!  More friends were made and couples encouraged.  I missed having my grand kids there and my dearest daughter-in-law.

This mother's heart was overflowing after retreat when all 3 daughters - Amanda, Abigail and Amber were able to have lunch with son, Justin and his crew before they left for home.  Not all 6 kids together but still meant a lot to see them all together.  Plus friends who helped at retreat.  Of course lunch was at my favorite place...Extraordinary Desserts!  They have the best grilled cheese sandwiches!!!

All this traveling, partying and playing had to come to an end!  Back home to Charlotte to re-group, clean house, do laundry, answer mail, sew and get ready for ...Thanksgiving and Christmas shortly after!

The Itinerant Grandma (or Gacky, as Xander says!!!)

I have been distracted by many things the last few months, neglecting my blog...better get back to it before too many memories are mere dust bunnies in my head!!!

But first, I want to share a devotional from last month.  Our church is not publishing the devotional guide any more but as I am directed to write what God lays on my heart, I will share with you all.

So here we go....!

Not Fair!
Romans 5:12, 19

Loud, sweaty, energetic, talkative, inquisitive, loving, eager, competitive...thus describes the boys that were my responsibility for a very brief time during Vacation Bible School.  I derive immense joy in preparing and teaching these future leaders.

There are times when one wonders if anything is being absorbed, though.  Wiggles and talking and shouting out answers (before the questions are even asked!) makes one question if they were really listening.

But then God throws a rare opportunity my way as the boys experience a disappointing development.

Game time is essential to boys as they expend all that pent up energy.  Their game time was cut short one day because some of the group were not listening to instructions for the next game.  Therefore, they lost the privilege of more games and we moved on to snack time.

Tramping along to the snack station, the boys immediately are questioning why they had to stop as they were listening and did not do anything wrong...it was the girls who weren't listening!  It was not fair!

In spite of all their jabbering about this, the Lord quietly prompted me to tell then this:

Sometimes we all are punished for something that others have done. Think about this...one man sinned, Adam, and because of that, we are all sinners.  One man died, Jesus, who had never done anything wrong, to save all of us from our sins.

A small matter, a small incident...but the message was big.  All of us have experienced something that was "Not fair!".  Jesus easily could have told His Heavenly Father that the cross was "not fair" and refused to die.  But He didn't!!!  He gave us eternal life, life that we don't deserve.  Life isn't fair but Jesus made it fair for all of us!

Wow!  I didn't realize how long it has been since I posted!  Life has been so crazy!  It may slow down just a bit so I need to get busy and resume my recollections.

My mother is apparently sorting through some of her stuff and ran across this essay that I wrote.  I believe this was written when I was sixteen for my English class. We were instructed to write a biography. I had such a great teacher who gave me a love for writing.  How young I once was!  If I remember correctly, I received an A on this!

"A friend loveth at all times..."  Oh, how true this is, for my best friend lives up to this verse.  Let me introduce you to my friend by a brief resume of his life.

I encountered my friend nine years ago in my Sunday School class.  He was older than I but yet seemed to bring himself down to my level.  He was very good-looking with penetrating deep set eyes that seemed to be looking straight through me.  But these eyes were loving and gentle when they looked on me.  His hands were those of a great physician who could heal the physical as well as the emotional problems of any individual but were now engaged in leading me to a new pathway of life, opened to me because of my new friendship.

My friend was born in a very small city which was held in low esteem by the surrounding cities.  They didn't think it possible that any good could come out of this sinful city.  But my friend was an honorable man.  He learned the carpenter trade for his father was one.  His parents loved him very much and were quite astonished that he would have such a brilliant mind.  Indeed, he quite shocked the doctors when he was engaged in conversation with them for he knew as much as they did.  Yes, his parents could indeed be proud of him.

My dear friend spent most of his young life in his home town.  But it seemed the Lord wanted him to be a minister unto his people. So he obediently did as his Lord commanded him.  He was a tremendous minister and healed many a sin-scarred heart.  He was also a healer of physical defects.  In everything he under took, he succeeded. But his time drew to an end. The Lord wanted him home.  My dearest friend was killed in a most cruel way. The agony he borne and all the pain, but with such great courage!  He was a great person and it is well for me to follow his example.

This friend of mine is still with me and always will be.  He is so understanding about such little things as the boys I like.  He lends a helping hand in anything I ask him to, though it might be just a simple test at school.  When I'm afraid he calms my fears and stills my quaking heart.  If I ask for something he will answer, either with a yes or no.  If the no is not what I wanted, he helps me to accept it.  He gives me the much needed guidance for my future plans.  We can talk together, my friend and I, about the many splendid and marvelous things that God has created.  He understands me better than anyone else will ever be able to. Although I don't always understand him, I try my best and he helps me as much as he can. But the most wonderful thing is my friend watches over me wherever I go and his love is an everlasting love.

I want to please this friend of mine for, I know it makes him happy.  I'm so glad he gave me the privilege of meeting him.

Do you know who my friend is?  It's my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.  I received Him as my Saviour nine years ago and it is of Him that I have written. Although my parents, relatives and friends mean a lot to me, my Saviour means the most.  For without Him life wouldn't be worth living.  He did so much for me, a sinner.

Thank you, Father, for sending your only son into the world for me.

He Touched Me -- Part 3

He Touched Me -- Part 3

2 Corinthians 12:9 Philippians 4:7

Of course the radio in Africa is like the old fashioned party line phone!!  Our missionaries in the capital city came on and mentioned that the Brethren Mission's doctor was in town ready to go home on furlough.  Perhaps we could fly down and get a second opinion.

This doctor was contacted by our missionary and the doctor agreed to see us but it had to be done the next day as they were flying home to the USA the day after that.  Sound simple?  Not in Africa!  We were 300 miles from the capital, which was at least a 2 day drive.  So...we would fly down in our little Cessna 185...not my favorite mode of transportation!!!

The Lord  blessed us with good weather the following day as we loaded all six of us in the plane.  As we approached the airport, the Lord touched me with such calmness and peace...His peace...and I knew that everything was going to be fine..not necessarily that this was not a correct diagnosis, but that he was THERE no matter what by my side.  Is this how the woman with the issue of blood felt when she touched the hem of Jesus' garment?  It was an indescribable moment!

God saw fit to have this young doctor right where we needed him at the right time.  He could find no lump!!!!  Did God heal me?  Apparently, or the other doctor just did not have the experience to correctly diagnose.  Relief flooded my family's heart.  For me, it was simply a confirmation of the touch of the Master's calm, sweet peace residing in my heart.

God's ways are not always something we understand nor do we know why.  But His grace is always sufficient to meet every single need at the precise moment it is needed!  He is Prince of Peace for which we give praise and honor as He imparts that peace to us during our struggles here on earth. The touch of His mighty attributes are within our reach!

He Touched Me -- Part 2

He Touched Me -- 2
Luke 8:43-48

As we saw when Jesus walked the dirt paths of Galilee, His power and love were evident as He touched the lives of those in need of healing, whether it was emotionally or physically.  The woman in the Scripture today was one of those touched by the Master when the medical doctors were unable to provide the correct treatment.

Now, fast forward to 1983.  When you are living in the middle of the African bush, medical issues are addressed in a vastly different way!  No need to check around for specialists or the most highly recommended.  We were alone on our hospital station with just a missionary nurse and a visiting doctor from another part of the country.

During this time, I discovered a lump in a breast and finally reached the conclusion that it would be wise to have the visiting doctor exam me.  His response...after lunch he would get out his medical books and do some research!  This doctor had not seen breast cancer in 30 years while working in Africa!

Later that afternoon, he arrived at our door and informed us that we should go straight home to the States because I needed a mastectomy immediately.  This news was like a torch set in the dry fields around us in the African dry season...hot, overwhelming emotions galloped through our hearts and minds.

I can honestly say that I was not concerned for myself and what I might be facing...I had faith that God would give me sufficient grace as I needed it.  I was not a happy camper at the thought of leaving Africa for this!  My primary concern was for my husband and children as they processed this abrupt interruption in life.

We tearfully informed our 4 kids and then consulted with missionaries by radio at another station.  Our plan was to leave the kids with them, just the two of us fly home, have surgery and return.

Our faith was reaching out to Him, the Compassionate One.  We only asked for a touch of His grace and faith as we fought the fears and uncertainty that faced us.  His gentle hands began to hold us close.

He Touched Me - Part 1

He Touched Me -- Part 1
Mark 5:25-34

The arid desert heat scorches the earth until the sun sets along the horizon and the cool of the night envelops the land.  A lone woman wanders the dark streets seeking a place to lay her head.  Loneliness haunts her as she is reminded of another time and place...a time when she was loved and respected...a place where she was protected and welcome.  Sorrow awakens in her heart again as she contemplates the morrow.  Will it never end, this constant bleeding that prostrates her with weakness?  Doctors have no answers.  Unclean!  Unclean! echoes in her head...she is ostracized from society because she is considered unclean according to the Jewish law.  Her husband divorces her...she cannot worship God because she cannot atone for her blood loss.  Do you hear the rush of tears roaring down her cheeks?  Twelve years with no place to call home, existing on others' charity, no way to provide for herself.

But someone cares...jostled by the crowd, toes stepped on, pressed on all sides, she became a part of the crowd who desired to see and hear the man from Nazereth, Jesus.  As the whispers through the crowd reach her ears, discouragement begins to seep into her heart.  This Jesus will not care to speak to her, an outcast and unclean.  Yet her faith has compelled her forward...if she can but touch His garment, she will be healed.  She slips quietly throughout the crowd, fighting the dizziness and weakness that has become her life.  There He is...her hand extends out and touches the hem of His garment...she feels her body respond...energy jolts her...she is healed!  Jesus of Nazereth turns and speaks!!!  He felt the power leave Him!  He asks, "Who touched me?"  With trembling, she falls before Him and speaks softly, "It was I"...and she relates the truth to Him and the surrounding crowd.  Jesus proclaims, "Daughter, your faith has made you well,  Go in peace and be healed of your affliction."

Can you imagine the indescribable joy that flooded her heart?  The humility as she considered what God had done for her, an outcast?  Not only was her body healed but her standing in society was restored.  Need we even question the new reality of her relationship with God?  The Son is glorified!

An Ordinary Day Part 2

An Ordinary Day Part 2
Psalms 116:15

A parent's worst nightmare was taking place right in front of our eyes as we grieved with these precious African parents.  How do you pray?  Words allude the mind.  How can the heart and mind comprehend?  Words were not needed...God was present in the room.  He knew the heart cries before a thought or utterance was voiced.

Silently, as hearts began to beseech the Heavenly Father, waves of broken sobbing washed over each of us as the family stood frozen in place watching and waiting in stunned shock.

After an hour, the agonizing desperate hope for the girls to be revived had to be abandoned. All gathered in this small African room realized that Debora and Evelyne had already entered the gates of heaven.  The dark, oppressive rainy day seemed to intensify the paralyzing grief.

Yet...picture this...the Lord Jesus bending down on one knee, opening His arms wide as He beckons these little ones to run to Him. As they are clasped in His gentle loving arms, Jesus says, "Welcome home, my princesses!  I have been waiting for you.  Let's go see the mansion I have prepared for you and then begin a long visit together.  I have so many more things to share with you!"

Hope had not died!  Now the hope was alive...Debora and Evelyne were in heaven with the Lord Jesus!  Their parents would one day see them again when the Lord God beckoned them to heaven.

Four reminders to consider:

First, our lives are not our own, they are as a vapor, here only a little while, the time of our death known only to the Lord.
Secondly, our death is precious to the Lord...He can't wait to love on us in person!  Those left behind do not grieve without hope as God has promised we will see them again.
Thirdly, we should strive to live a life that will have no regrets when we meet Jesus.  May the Lord Jesus say to us, "well done, thou good and faithful servant."
Last but not least, share the Gospel so others too will have the hope that lives within us of an eternal life that will be amazing, beyond our finite comprehension.

"Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints."

An Ordinary Day Part 1

An Ordinary Day Part 1
James 4:14

The African sun was obliterated by dark storm clouds...beginning of an ordinary day...radio broadcast, breakfast, school, a normal routine day.  A truck drives up, a few words are spoken and suddenly in one breath the day becomes one of tragedy.

Two little girls, daughters of one of the African Bible school teachers, had been found in the mission station's swimming pool. The pool had been built for the kids who attended the boarding school on our mission compound.  As it was no longer a boarding school, the pool was not in use.  Rain water would collect in the pool and African families would come to fill their containers. The little girls had slipped silently into the deeper water,  unable to climb out because of the slippery green mold that lined the concrete bottom.

Immediately, we called together our family, including our 2 houseboys, and prayed for the Lord's intervention in the lives of these girls. As we prayed in English, or houseboys prayed in Sango yet there was that evident bond of fellowship that surpassed the barrier of color, culture and language.

The little girls were taken to the station dispensary.  Our missionary dentist and missionary nurse began mouth to mouth resuscitation with the help of African nurses.  The gloom deepened as the people began to gather outside to await the outcome.  Inside, the tension, expectancy and heartbreak were palatable.  My heart was gripped y an iron band of sorrow as I watched the valiant efforts to revive the girls. Rain began to pour down, striking the tin roof as if made of nails instead of water...as if each drop of rain was a tear drop from those incased in this small room desperately praying for life.

It is difficult to understand on this side of heaven, why God allows hurtful things to transpire and harm little children.  It grips our hearts to see any child suffer, leaving us feeling so helpless.  Yet, we know that each one of us was created for a specific purpose, a specific plan...all with God's timeline.  Do we consider at any time how our daily lives might change if we knew the timeline??

"For what is your life?  It is even a vapor that appeareth for a little time..."

Guard Cat

Guard Cat
Psalms 4:8

The sun sets abruptly in the African bush.  For us, electricity was rationed to just 3 hours at night.  We all kept a flashlight under our pillows for any venture outside of our beds during the night.

One typical night, as I proceeded to check the lock on our home office door, I had the strangest, compelling urgency, something hard to even describe, to rush out of the room.  A few minutes later, our daughter hollered from her room across from the office, "The cat is playing with something behind the office door!"  Her Daddy grabbed his machete to check it out.  The cat was swatting its paw at something hidden behind the door.  As Dale slowly pulled the door to look on the other side, his eyes beheld a black mamba snake that the cat had cornered!!! Mambas are very poisonous snakes but not as aggressive as the green mambas. Thank the Lord for brave husbands and fathers!

We had no idea when that snake had entered the house -- during the day and then was hiding all that time?  What if one of us had gotten up during the night?  We could have been traumatized for life or possibly bitten!  That snake was there in the office when I went in to check the door!!  I knew immediately two things:  God had given me that urgency to leave the office.  Secondly, He had protected all of us by using our cat to alert us to the presence of that snake.  And before the lights went out!!!!

"I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makes me dwell in safety."

No matter where or what God asks us to do, He is our shield and protector!

Who am I?

I need to catch up and post the most recent devotionals...this is why I get behind on posting my crazy escapades growing up!!!  The deadline for monthly devotionals just sneaks up on me and then it is a pressure cooker to produce by said date!!!  

So here are the updates....

Who am I?

I am...a woman...daughter...sister...aunt...sister-in-law...cousin ...wife...mother...mother-in-law...grandmother...friend.  However, this is not the complete essence of who I am when I allow God to write my life story.

I am...
...created by God (Psalms 139:13-16)
...a child of God (John 1:12)
...chosen by God (Ephesians 1:4)
...a saint (1 Corinthians 1:2)
...a servant (Colossians 3:24)
...a branch (John 15:5)
...an epistle (2 Corinthians 3:2)
...the light of the world (Matthew 5:14)  And the list goes on...!

When my story began on a blank page, God already had the chapters titled.  I am eternally grateful for the fervent prayers of my grandmother as she knelt beside my bed to pray for me.  God used her immensely in my life, as well as the firm, loving home my parents provided.  As I reflect on the previous chapters, I see Him at work.  God liked to keep it interesting as He blotted a page with discouragement one day...erased the failures the next day.  A new chapter excited Him as that page began with the joy of service.  God's footnotes of love were a refreshing reference when frustrations overwhelmed.  He also had a sense of humor along the way as He edited my wants!!

There are still chapters to be written in my story.  Only He knows when the final chapter will be written.  My continuing assignment is to daily transcribe my story as a testament of God's grace as the Holy Spirit works in and through me. Praise the one True and Holy God who loves me beyond anything I can comprehend!!

Let God write your story and bask in His gracious, patient love as you glorify Him.

Junior High...Sink or Swim!

This is yours truly ready to do the Mexican Hat Dance in 6th grade at the one room school...mentioned in previous post.





Bottom left is the end of 5th grade.  And then on the right is 8th grade.  Notice that the "silver fang" is showing in this picture!!!

And off we go again!!!!  I really think my brother and I could qualify as professional movers!!!  It was always our Daddy and us two loading up the home built trailer!!!! Such fun with a huge Amana upright freezer, beautiful console piano and an awkward king size bed!

This time we temporarily moved into my paternal grandparents home as my father once again went to work for his father.  Now, this house was really a mansion in my 11 year old eyes!!  Located in Arcadia, California in a well-to-do neighborhood, it sat on two lots that included a small pond, detached garage with a bathroom and laundry room, tennis court, barn and horses.

As for the house itself, it was set back from the road with a sweeping, huge, green lawn.  We desert rats loved the soft, green grass to run and play on!  Any time we visited, I beat it to the side of the house where rhubarb grew.  I would pull up one, cut off the ends and eat it with salt.  In those days, bread was delivered to the door (if you could afford this convenience!) as well as milk.  I loved watching the bread man open up the back of his wood paneled truck and pull open the drawers to show Grandma all the choices of bread.

Inside the two story house were large rooms, complete with a small music room with my Grandfather's organ. We 3 kids occupied one of the two bedrooms upstairs.  I will never forget the other bedroom that had wallpaper with these huge green leaves.  Downstairs was an office that displayed all the trophies the matching Palamino horses had won at shows...one of my grandfather's hobbies for awhile.

A couple stories from the past when we visited this estate...

My mother related to me an occurrence when I was two years old.  My grandparents hosted a Halloween party in their big barn for all their friends and family.  I was only two years old and still sucking my thumb, despite all my mother's efforts to bring an end to this habit.  Attending the party was someone dressed up as a witch.  My mother, using all her parenting skills available in that decade, pointed out the witch to me and said, "If you don't stop sucking your thumb, that witch is going to get you!"  Boy, how that must have damaged my psyche!!!  Ha!!  Ha!!  I have no recollection of this nor did I develop an aversion to witches!  But I did stop sucking my thumb!!

Also at this age on a visit to these grandparents, Daddy was tasked to watch me while we were outside by the pond.  Guess what?  I fell head first into the pond and both Daddy and Grandpa did not think it was a big deal! But my mother sure did!!!  They laughed and she scolded them..."She could have drowned", etc., etc.!!!

Fast forward to my 7th grade year as we began a brief sojourn with these grandparents while my parents searched for a house to rent.  Unfortunately, I had to begin school...junior high school!!!! What a traumatic experience for this country girl!!!!  Those first few weeks, I was trying so hard a lot of mornings to be sick with something and not go to school!  This was a school with mostly upper class families and the kids knew each other.  Changing classrooms for every class was a brand new idea to me!  And dressing for PE!!!  Oh, my!!!  So many changes!

I did enjoy PE as we learned to play Speedball.  Such great exercise, spending the entire period just running like crazy up and down the field after the ball!!  But then there was a different kind of PE...teaching us ballroom dancing!!!  Our family did not dance (except the brief time in 5th grade we did square dancing in class!).  By the time my mother got around to considering putting a stop to it, we had finished that section of PE!  Of course, I would be partnered with the class clown...he was cute but not my favorite person because he sat beside me in Art class and pulled the chair out from under me one day!!!  So embarrassing as the new kid!!!

We soon moved into our own house with my two brothers and another baby on the way.  I had my own room for the first time. But I hated it!!!  It was separated from the other bedrooms at the back of the house that was right by a canal and an outside door.  I never felt safe there.

But no worries!  For whatever reason, we moved again in a month or so!!!!  Still in the same city so I didn't have to change schools!  This house was an old, cozy house and I was back to sharing a bedroom with my brother.

For Christmas that year, my maternal grandmother made me a darling outfit and took me to the famous Grauman Chinese Theatre in Hollywood to see "The Seven Wonders of the World."  Wow!  This was a very special time for me, not only to go to the theatre but to be with my Granny.

Shortly after Christmas, in February, I finally got a baby sister!!  Yea for us girls!!!  I now was tasked to help with the dishes since there were more to take care of in our household. At least I had 12 years before dish washing entered my life!!  :)

September to April...life in Arcadia...then pack up and off to Hinckley, California to another ranch!  With only a couple months of school left!

Sixth Grade

  Sixth Grade

And now another new adventure...a new home and a new school!!!  Our new home was the "house that Jack built".  For those who have never heard that expression, it means that it is a house that began as a very small place and then rooms were added on as needed in a hodge-podge fashion.  This house began as an one room adobe, supposedly occupied by a famous Indian, Ramona.  Hence, the ranch was called Rancho Ramona.

My brother, Brian and I would usually walk home from the little one room school house that was just over the hill and across the highway.  As I recall, we usually had a ride to school...no doubt because we were running late as usual!

It was fun being in a classroom with grades 1-6 together.  There were probably only about 20 of us kids.  This is where I learned the game "Kick the Can" and "Steal the Bacon".  I also learned  the Mexican Hat dance that we performed for 6th grade graduation.

Our walk home was sometimes a hike up the big hill (not the road) and then a run through brush and weeds down the hill to the house.  Fortunately, it was not summer as we probably would have run into a few rattlesnakes!

We also loved to take our bikes up to the top of the road and ride down to our house.  Boy, did we get them going fast!!!  We would entertain ourselves as well playing cowboys and Indians!  We saved some kind of coupons and sent off for an Indian headband and a few other Indian things.  We had found a mortar and pestle to use for our "cooking"!    Oh, the joys of living in the country and just being kids!!!  We lived on this ranch 2 different times...6th grade and back again for the last couple months of 8th grade and all of 9th grade so some of my memories run together!

Whatever time it was, (6th grade I think) I will never forget the CHICKENS!!!

My parents, for whatever reason, decided to raise 125 chickens to butcher and freeze for future meals.  Here we go again!!!  Feeding chickens!!!  And that dratted water dish that never worked right for me!!  Sure enough, one afternoon, it must have broken apart 2 or 3 times and I was so frustrated!

One more try and maybe this will work...nope!!!!  Just as I got in the door of the hen house, the thing let lose and splat!!!  Water everywhere! When I turned around all in a huff to pick up the pieces, my eyes are drawn straight to the chicken-wire window ledge...and the screaming began!!!!  There was a snake stretched out on the ledge within a foot of me!!!!  Running out of the hen house screaming bloody murder, my poor mother thought something  tragic had happened to me.  Yep, I was scared half to death!!!!  Fortunately, it was a king snake and not dangerous but who cared???  Up close and personal with any snake is not for me!

Now, time passes and it is time to butcher the 125 chickens!!!  My grandparents came to help us.  Well, let's say that they and I did most of the hard work!!!  My grandfather cut off their heads...anybody ever experience a headless chicken flapping around, squirting blood all over?!!  The chicken was then dipped in a barrel of hot water.  My job...pluck off the wet, stinky feathers!! ( I have no idea where Brian was!  He could disappear quickly!).  Following the de-feathering, they were carried to the kitchen and my mother prepared them for freezing.  They did make for good eating!

Sibling rivalry was not too rampart with my brother, Brian and I.  After all, he could always beat me up!  But I got one up on him one day on the ranch.  We had a pellet gun and Brian thought he was Wyatt Earp.  One afternoon we saw an owl sitting on the roof of the big barn down the hill from our house.  He bragged that he could shoot it that far away and kill it.  So he proceeded to show off his budding manhood and got off a good shot. The owl didn't flinch!  So I asked him to let me try.  I proceeded to aim and shoot...dead on shot and the owl bit the dust!!!  I still like to bring up this story.

Perfect Fit

The following story is true and no names have been changed to protect the guilty!!! Perfect Fit Provers 3 Always such an adventure to follow my daughters around when I visit! One crazy adventure was bed shopping at IKEA. Choosing a twin bed was not difficult..getting it home..a challenge! Abigail was so positive this 2 piece bed set would fit in their Land Rover. I shook my head and kept reiterating my doubts. We push and pull this purchase to the car. I begin to try loading the first mattress in the car. Very obviously it is not going to fit!!! "Let me move the front seat up. We can make this work!", Abigail keeps saying. Finally she recognizes the impossibility of this vehicle providing transportation. Now what??? I am silently asking the Lord to fix this dilemma as this 7 months pregnant crazy woman goes back to find an employee to fix our situation. Abigail returns with 2 former coworkers who "happened" to be leaving IKEA, were driving an Explorer and thought they could fit both mattresses in their car. To my amazement, both pieces fit in their car!!!! Do we not as God's children, think we can fit more and more responsibilities into our lives? Do we rely on our strength, abilities and wisdom to do it all? Until our bodies hit a brick wall that we can't move. Then we think to seek God's direction and strength. Our Heavenly Father desires to use us for His glory but not in our own strength. He delights in hearing our cries for help. These cries mean our relationship with Him deepens as we lean on Him, which is God's ultimate goal. Let us consider our daily agenda and prayerfully ask the Lord to reveal to us the areas He wants us to relinquish to His oversight. He can make it all fit!!

Flying High

About time I returned to regale you with trivia!!!! Writing two devotionals a month has been a challenge and I think I am finally getting into some what of a groove and can get back to posting the past ancient years of one Lynda Elmore Reimer!!! But first, let's catch up on my devotionals. Beginning this month, the Northside Baptist Devotional can be found for free on Amazon.com and downloaded to a Kindle or iPad. Flying High II Timothy 1:7 Admitting we have weaknesses and fears is difficult for most of us to verbalize to a friend or relative, let alone the world at large! Can we even admit it to the Lord?? There is a fear that I have confessed continually to the Lord...desperately, frequently and whining and begging too! Since I can remember, I have had a fear of heights. This fear also affects me when flying. Unless you have personally experienced this paralyzing terror, it is impossible to understand. Kind of like asking a man if he understands childbirth! Until the last two years, all the flights I embarked on were always with my husband and/or children...my moral support. Now I have made innumerable flights all by myself! Why? Because I enjoy a 4-5 hour flight battling the fear that persistently besets me?? Absolutely not!! The why is because I know that God has directed me to overcome this persistent fear in order to follow His directives. Yes, these trips have been to lend a hand to our children for whatever reasons, but in the scheme of things, how much more are they for my benefit as I claim His promises. I have learned to trust Him and take it one step at a time...moment by moment to rest in His power. There is no need to sit rigid and uptight worrying about the next hour, the next flight. And so He has proven Himself faithful in all my pleadings. How much more my faith and trust has grown through this. He knows my fears and weaknesses and is trying to complete His work in me. The Lord does not fly stand-by!! He is with me on these flights!

Tarnished, Cracked and Broken

Tarnished, Cracked and Broken
Jeremiah 18:4

"And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter; so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it."

Do you see the tarnished pot sitting on the highest shelf? Do you see the cracked vessel, hidden behind the new shiny vessels?  Do you see the broken jar lying in the corner?  Of what use are any of these?  Only the potter knows the answer...he is the creator and surely he can repair and restore them to service again.

Do you relate to the tarnished pot?  Roughed up by the every day grind of surviving the hard challenges of life, sometimes letting despair creep in to color your days with hopelessness and loneliness.  Simply put...God is Hope.  (Hebrews 6:18, 19)

Do you mirror the cracked pot?  Rejection, anger and bitterness as relationships ebb and flow, allowing this poison to seep into the pores of the clay, resulting in cracks that overwhelm the integrity of the vessel.  Lovingly said...God is Love (I John 4:16)

Do you empathize with the broken jar lying in the corner?  Broken, abandoned, battered and torn, contemplating the consequences of ungodly decisions, depression and condemnation harass you.  Plainly speaking...God is Merciful.  (Romans 5:20)

If you are a "vessel" questioning your usefulness, be assured that the Heavenly Potter makes all things new by His design and in His time.  Nothing enters your life without a specific everlasting purpose. The refining fire of God's hand on your clay vessel is necessary to glorify Him.  Fire up the kiln, Lord...make us into Your desired vessel!

Bar Code

  

Time to share the recent devotionals the Lord impressed upon me. I know...I need to get back to my childhood and post more memories!  I will eventually!

Bar Code
Romans 6

What a great accomplishment was achieved with help from two grandsons...a master inventory list of the majority of books in this household!  Bar codes expedited this process immensely.  Using the laptop camera, the book is scanned, the computer finds the book and it is entered into the computer library.  Now a list will be available if needed.

I wonder...do we sometimes live our lives as if God has a bar code for each and every sin we commit?  Does He "scan" our sin and then it is entered into His book of sins, to be available later?  Do we dwell on our many sins and allow them to discourage and defeat us?  Just what Satan desires.  But Scripture is very, very clear in this regard.

Yes, God in His holiness must punish mankind's sin.  However, His redemptive love overruled and He lovingly sacrificed His Son for these sins.  He removed our sins "as far as the east is from the west".  As long as our name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life, He will not keep a master list of all our sins!  Every single sin has been blotted out by the shed blood of Jesus!

Our "bar code" needs to be packed away -- no master list is necessary.  "Scan" your sin, seek immediate forgiveness as God states in I John 1:9 and then "delete"!  Joyously continue living out the Gospel as a vibrant example of God's grace and mercy.