The Welcome Home – Page 44 – The Next Chapter

30 Favourite Things #19

Truly, the best cup of coffee I’ve ever had… I guess it was so good that it was worth waiting 50 years. :o) Wes took me to the Useless Bay Coffee Co. for that unforgettable, delicious cup of coffee and a scone, too.

Though the weather was stormy, the shops were lovely, the atmosphere was delightful, and the ferry ride to Langley was just perfect, too — but not as delicious as that cup of coffee! So… definitely a favourite memory from this past year, number 19: a mocha from the Useless Bay Coffee Co.

30 Favourite Things #18

We have a tradition in our family that began with our firstborn son, Daniel, and we’ve carried it on through the years. Amazingly. Well – I say amazingly bcz it truly is amazing to me that not only did we set about doing this same thing or carrying on this tradition, but that we’ve been able to do it each time an eighteenth birthday comes along.

I smile at the coincidence this entry being blog post #18 of 30 Favourite Things from my fiftieth year.

Twelve or thirteen years ago, before our son, Daniel, turned eighteen, we talked about what we would do to celebrate his eighteenth birthday. We talked about what we’d do – where we’d go and how we’d commemorate his birthday and completion of school. So, we chose what we thought was a very special and very unique place to take him for dinner. Since the dinner menu prices were so exorbitant, we decided: lunch instead! We surprised him that morning as we made our way to Seattle and the Space Needle, one of Seattle’s most famous landmarks.

It wasn’t until lunch with Timothy a few years ago that we decided to include everyone who had reached that 18th birthday in the celebration. That idea came to us quite by surprise. Wes had called Daniel whose office is downtown Seattle and he was able to get away and join us for lunch that day.

Which brings me to this past year — last April — when Samuel’s eighteenth birthday came around, we made plans for his special lunch. Though both Kathryn and Timothy were in Uganda and Ghana, and were sadly not able to be there with us, we did take Samuel to the Space Needle and we delighted that both Daniel and Michael were able to join in Samuel’s 18th birthday celebration. I felt like a queen dining with those four handsome men — it was wonderful.

It was really quite a delicious lunch and a wonderful time as we talked about days gone by, about Samuel’s plans for the future and previous eighteenth birthday celebrations! I’m so thankful we did that… so thankful for traditions!

sam's birthday

Samuel enjoyed the Lunar Orbiter Dessert… ahot fudge sundae set in a bowl over dry ice… it’s pretty impressive — something the Space Needle Restaurant has been serving since the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh another sweet and happy memory from my fiftieth year… and to think there’s more!! ;o)

30 Favourite Things #17

Wow… now my mind’s just clicking along reviewing favourite memories from my fiftieth year. Ordinary days, ordinary things, ordinary experiences. Somehow, when seen through new eyes, things really take on new meaning or have a greater value. For example, because of the deaths of a number of people in the last year, I’ve taken to looking at events in a whole new light. Or, rather, I now understand quite a bit better, my daddy’s comment at a Thanksgiving dinner table many, many years ago. He said, in part, “look around at this table, look at the faces… the next time we’re all together, it won’t look this way — maybe some will be missing, others will look older… this table will never look this way again…” and so on.

I attempted to remember that when our family hosted our annual backyard party. As the cars and vans began to drive down the lane and the friends began to gather, I thought back on the different years — the many years all these friends have gathered. And yet– and yet, again this year, the crowd didn’t look just the same. For it was truly was a different crowd — some old friends, some new, some older, many changes, some were missing. The crowd was different bcz time had passed, events had happened — births and deaths, trials and successes, gains and losses — much had transpired in each family over the previous year. I stood on our back porch step and looked out at the crowd — some, I’ve now known for decades… some, I had just met that night.

Every year it’s amazing to experience the sweet friendships — budding friendships — old friends and new. And that’s why we do it… and that’s why we look forward to it.

I remembered what my daddy had said so long ago — and were he to have lived to see these days, he’d likely still be saying the same thing. Well, on that day I tried to make a mental image I wouldn’t forget. I try to remember it all, even now, as I write this. Funny thing is, just glancing at the crowd pictured below I think of many changes [even since I began to write this entry a few days ago!] in their lives or things have already changed in the last several months — and will some more — maybe a lot more — before the next annual backyard party coming up in July.

klahayadaysbackyardparty klahayadaysbackyardparty2

30 Favourite Things #16

Birthdays! Birthdays! Birthdays! These were favourite things from my fiftieth year. I’m not sure just which birthday stood out the most over this past year. But one birthday I was *so* extraordinarily happy to celebrate was my husband’s birthday. As I look back I marvel at the goodness and mercy of the LORD and truly, I was/am so thankful the LORD gave him another birthday and I pray for many more. Wes’s birthday was one day shy of one year since he had a heart attack. I recall thinking in the ICCU surgery waiting room: Lord, will he have any more birthdays — was yesterday’s birthday the last? And now more time has passed… and I do praise the LORD for every day.

Well, many happy birthdays were celebrated. A couple were celebrated without the ‘birthday boy’ or ‘birthday girl’ present. Both Kathryn and Timothy were in Africa (and Timothy just had his second birthday celebration the last baby turned 7 and the first baby turned 29. In between were all the other wonderful birthdays of our own children (and many other wonderful birthdays as well!!) — 10, 12, 13, 15, 17, 18, 20, 22, 27… which actually means that some of those have already or will shortly be one higher. Again, I marvel: I never thought I would be this old (and feel this young!!). Truly, no kidding around, I marvel that my ‘baby’ will soon be thirty — bcz I find myself thinking: didn’t *I* just turn thirty!?! I mean it sort of seems like it was recent – I know, I know.. it was soooo long ago that I simply cannot remember it.

So, anyway, now I find I further understand people’s comments such as: age is a state of mind or you’re as young as you feel or you’re only as old as you feel, or I’m not getting old, I’m getting better, or whatever. I know I probably used to think those comments were sort of silly, I’m sure. I probably thought they were the sort of “positive mental attitude” stuff that “old people” say to console themselves — you know, that condescending attitude ~~most~~ many young people have toward anyone 20 years older than themselves.

Okay. I repent. I wish I had known then what I know now.

I don’t feel old. I do feel better. I know I’m not as young as I was — but I sure don’t feel older. But I do have to admit: when I stop and attempt to recount but a few hundred of the thousands of things that have happened — well, my goodness, I’ve got to be older! I marvel at how much has occurred, how many things we’ve done in such a short time!! I’m sure glad I got to live this long. Wow. What if it’s double this?!??!!!!!

So I resolve not to listen to young people’s ignorant comments and respond in kind. I want to grow older gracefully. I hope I’ll remember how these days feel and how those days felt. I don’t want to become an impatient, bitter, crotchety old woman waving my cane at the little whippersnappers and yelling: just wait, your time’s coming!

a sign of these pitiful times

30 Favourite Things #15

A big garden. I’m so thankful that our neighbours wanted to make it a joint effort to have a big garden. And a bigger garden we had, that’s for certain!! It was really quite a big deal to keep that garden weeded, watered and planted and replanted and replanted. Things grew, things died. Things looked beautiful, things looked horrible. O, all the replanting? Well, for some reason or another, several things either didn’t grow well or grew so well that the bugs loved them – thus the replanting of several things – several times.

We were trying to go all organic. But somewhere along the way, in a few places we abandoned fighting with organic resources and headed to off war armed with some chemicals. And, by the way, I did that with my roses, too. I decided the kinder, gentler way was just not going to work this year and so I went to the Co-op and got some Ortho Rose spray…. and voilà! the pesky aphids and molds went away.

That big garden was a whole bunch of hard work — but it was great for so many reasons. I think one of the most profitable aspects of that garden — and any garden, for that matter, is the great benefit of studied quiet. It takes a lot of time to do a lot of work — or a lot of weeding — and both are pretty incredible incentives to think on Scripture. So, it’s probably one of the most important activities I spend time doing each day — kind of a quiet time, study time, praise and worship time all rolled into one. O, the sermons that come from the garden. How instructive are the plants and weeds… the soil, seeds and water. How inspirational is the diligent work.

I loved that it was sunny a lot. I loved that the garden was hard work and the days were sometimes exhausting. I loved that we got sunburned. I love that we got so dirty. I love that we had water fights. I love that we learned about so much stuff that didn’t work very well. I love that the children were always working alongside us and we all had the great satisfaction when something did work out real well!

I’m glad we planted a lot of corn. A few times. I’m glad we planted lots of beans, potatoes, tomatoes, carrots, onions, squash, green beans, lettuce — and flowers! — I’m so thankful our friend had presence of mind to plant a bunch of flowers at the ends of each row! Isn’t that sweet?!?! I am really looking forward to that aspect!!

You know what we didn’t plant enough of? Yes! Zucchini! Ha! ‘Bet you never heard any gardener say that!! 🙂

So… we have the seeds, we have the dreams, we have the enthusiasm and we have the garden tilled. All we need now is patience to wait for the sunny days!!

30 Favourite Things #14

Another thing among thirty favourite things from my fiftieth year: Facebook! I love Facebook! And, this, from someone who was/is so adamantely opposed to MySpace. Adamantly opposed. As for Facebook “safeguards” — I have opted for the “no ads” on the sidebar and I don’t add many “applications” and don’t add people I don’t know — but it’s totally not an “anonymous” atmosphere. There’s no real anonymity on Facebook. A “safeguard” I have to personally adhere to is: I’ve got to be *very* careful to watch the clock and not spend too much time browsing Facebook! Warning: It. is. a. time. vacuum!

I first opened a Facebook account when Kathryn was in Uganda a couple of years ago. It was a very simple way for us to communicate as the internet connection wasn’t always reliable and leaving notes for her there was a quick and simple process for her to use when internet time was at a premium. We also benefitted as a family bcz we could see “her life” and feel like we were in close touch.

Well, such has been the case over the last year for Timothy in Ghana and for when Kathryn went back to Uganda. In addition to writing notes to them (and our other children), which I try to do each day, I’m able to see photos they post or comments from others that are soooo encouraging to me. It’s such a blessing to my heart to see the many who are praying right alongside me in many places. It’s been sweet to read the notes and see all the loving encouragement — I cannot adequately express my gratitude for the tremendous support our children have or have had! How lavish the Lord has been to give us a glimpse of His care — and to show us, often in photographs, what He’s doing in remote places! We sure see it — and, more importantly, Timothy sees it — the encouragement Kathryn saw before, during and after her mission’s trips.

Another unforeseen benefit has been the great blessing of reuniting with old — and I do mean old!! ;o) — friends. I wonder if I would have ever sought out some of the old friends I have been able to reconnect with. Interestingly, it’s like the Lord is answering questions for me… or giving me answers to questions I never thought to ask — sort of showing me (as Paul Harvey might say) the reeeeeeest. of. the. story.

It’s been refreshing, encouraging, and instructive to me on so many levels. There are downsides — yes, there are downsides to Facebook. Just like there are downsides to the whole Internet — and I’m not even referring to the obvious potentials for internet sewage to be pumped into homes across the world. I’m referring simply to the downsides of too much time reading “good things” and other downsides to websites… our website… to blogs… to this blog. But there is good — there’s potential for a whole lotta good — when discretion is applied.

So, especially during my fiftieth year… it’s sure been fun to see old faces. The reflection in the mirror is not alone. :o)

Facebook. Don’t say I recommended you ought to get an account. I’m just sayin.

30 Favourite Things #13

Another favourite memory of my fiftieth year was going to the movie Fireproof! For a bit, the movie was blazing like a wild fire. Though I still don’t have the Love Dare Journal, one of our daughters did buy the DVD of the movie. It really is a great movie I’m so glad to have seen — and I’m so thankful — for many reasons — to have been able to go see the movie in the theater. The first time was with Wes and then again with a couple of our older children; and, if I could, I’d go see it again tonight — yes, I loved it that much — and it meant that much to me.

You know why it means so much to me? It’s so meaningful or so significant to me because I love the Lord — I love His marvelous plan for marriage — I love that HE was at the center of this movie and I love that the gospel was clearly presented in an age when people are trying to make the gospel or salvation real easy and real common.

If the gospel or salvation was real easy and real common, then Jesus wouldn’t have paid the great price He paid and God’s perfect standard would be pretty casual — even petty. But the price Jesus paid was anything but casual and light — it truly was beyond description. God’s perfect will and standard can be met by no man for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.– it’s only through faith in Jesus Christ and His atoning death and resurrection that we can come before the Holy Lord God — receive forgiveness of sins and life eternal. Men leading huge ‘congregations’ in mega ‘churches’ all over the world aren’t telling the whole truth and people are going to hell bcz they duped into believing a counterfeit — a false gospel — not the Truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ the Lord.

I love that the movie, Fireproof, clearly presents the Truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ — and makes no apology or excuse. How I love that!!

I marvel at how scripted life seems to be. I mean, for example, it was interesting to me that the characters in the movie, Caleb and Katherine would say things that I (and you, no doubt) have heard people say. I’m talking about people who are married – or, rather, people who are unhappily married. They all seem to say similar things – things like: s/he doesn’t understand me; s/he doesn’t listen to me; s/he doesn’t care about me; I’m not the same person I was when we got married… I never loved you… We’re not the same people anymore…. and on and on the similar comments go — on and on the script goes. The enemy has such common ways of deceiving people and feeding them lies.

But – Fireproof – or the methods presented in this movie can change lives — change directions of marriages. This movie – or the following of the ideas, principles, etc., etc. in this movie can — or I dare say — will change lives — will change marriages.

I love what’s happening bcz of this movie and His Word. The men and women who are taking a long hard look at where they’re at – the state of their lives, marriages, and homes. In this day of foolishness in our nation – in this day of evil and blasphemy — in this day of arrogance against God, I love that a movie was playing in “mainstream theaters” and people are being given the opportunity to see the Truth. Whew! Love it.

I love being married (but, I already told you that a bunch of times over the years). I love having been married a long time. I love hearing people’s great reactions to this movie — and I pray many, many more will see this movie, buy the DVD, buy the Love Dare Journal and begin the Love Dare and journey the path of restoring marriage, fortifying marriage, strengthening marriage or affirming marriage. Whatever needs to happen in each home, I pray the LORD will work on behalf of all whose hearts are turned to Him and turned to reading His Word and obeying the Lord in word and in deed. I pray men and women will be healed – that men and women will have freedom from addictions that are destroying their lives, their marriages, their homes. I pray many will turn to the LORD and be free from the bonds of sin and penalty of death and separation from God.

Here are some “Love Dare” sites and journaling blogs
The official Love Dare Journal
The 40 day Love Dare blog
Love Dare Journals – BH publishing

So… I’m so glad for the blessing of marriage… and so thankful to my husband… my dear companion all these years.

30 Favourite Things #12

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord
and in the power of His might.
Put on the whole armour of God

that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood,
but against principalities, against powers,
against the rulers of the darkness of this world,
against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God,
that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day,
and having done all, to stand.
Stand therefore,
having your loins girt about with truth,
and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
Above all, taking the shield of faith,
wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
And take the helmet of salvation,
and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit,
and watching thereunto
with all perseverance and supplication
for all saints;
Ephesians 6.10-17

These verses have been a blessing to me in this past year as our son, Timothy – a missionary in Ghana, has been facing many oppositions from the enemy. Learning to trust God in adversity has been a blessing throughout my adult life and certainly I have come to see that had it not been the Lord who was *on my side* I would have been swallowed up in discouragement, fear and doubt. But God. But God has been merciful and of great comfort and strength for the day.

I know I can trust the Lord for whatever comes and that assurance is fortified each time we face a trial or a testing or sickness or loss or whatever. God is only good, only faithful. Learning more and more to trust the Lord with anything that concerns me has been such a blessing and has carried me through. So, that’s why I add — testings of faith — to the list of thirty things I am thankful for in my fiftieth year. (And I will write about some specific testings of faith in a bit)

Because of the faithful, merciful and perfect will of the Lord, I can truly and honestly say that I would rather have my boy in the Hand of the Lord anywhere in the world — than nearby wandering or outside the will of the Lord.

Safety is in the Hand of the Lord.

Today is Timothy’s Birthday – Blessed be the Name of the Lord.

30 Favourite Things #11

When I was a child, one of my most favourite activities was swimming. In Southern California – where I was born – the weather sort of necessitated some form of relief and for me, it was swimming. I recall numerous times where, as a grade-schooler, I would walk home for lunch and I’d either eat my lunch in the pool or I would at least sit in the pool for a few minutes before returning to school. We moved to another city and there I would walk to and from school each day and invariably walk straight into the pool after school. The weather from late spring through the fall was very, very hot.

Now, we don’t have today the sort of pool my parents had for the different homes in which we lived when I was a child, but we do have a swimming pool and our children have sure enjoyed it very much. As I was gardening last summer the thought came to me: am I never going to spend a summer afternoon swimming again? Am I never going to jump into that pool or swim or float in an inner-tube or wear a mask and fins and swim around snorkling? So, I decided that day to go swimming — much to the shock of my children (and my husband, too — though he knows I love swimming!), I just jumped in. Ahhhh… it was wonderful and such great fun and refreshment.

Sure, I was nervous and sure, I was sort of embarrassed and self conscious. But I reckoned that I was here at home in the privacy of our yard and had my dress right there by the pool and the swimming suit was passable for me — not the very best, but certainly not at all the worst. And so I went swimming. A number of times. I asked myself why I hadn’t done it sooner — especially when the younger children were so delighted and begged me to stay and play in the pool with them! It certainly made the day more fun (for them and me!) and the work more enjoyable with the reward of that cool water at the end! I couldn’t think of a reason not to!

This past year has held a lot of questions and activities like that, for there have been many times where I wondered why I ever stopped doing some things and never started doing others. I looked out at the yard today — the sun was shining brightly but it was very, very crisp and cold outside. I looked over the seeds in the beautiful seed packets and I began to consider where and how I’d plant the different seeds. I see the roses and other bushes and trees need the partially completed pruning to be finished.

I can almost feel the warmth of the sunshine as I sit near the woodstove’s blazing heat… and I can almost hear the children laughing and playing out there… and I can almost smell the Coppertone and the pool water.

So, if you haven’t done something you ~~used to~~ love to do and there’s even a remote possibility of doing it… don’t wait till you’re fifty!! Go do it!