The Next Chapter
At long last… today’s the day…
Kathryn leaves for Uganda this afternoon and so we’re busily wrapping up last minute details… attempting to pack whatever can possibly fit in to eight hours and two suitcases.
I’ll update her letters and photos as I receive them. Thank you for your prayers to the Lord on her behalf. She’s a marvelous young woman and precious daughter and friend.
—pamela
Do you ever consider the words you say the most? I mean, besides, ” justa minute” or any other phrase you use to buy yourself a few more minutes of time before you tend to the ‘interruption” behind you? I’m thinking that the words I say most are these (and I must’ve read too many D. Seuss books early on bcz my words all tend to rhyme): no. go. so.
There’s any combination of: no throw(ing). you’re sure grow(ing). can you tie a bow? tell me what you know. can you show me? hurry, hurry, hurry, let’s not be slow. i do laundry, i’m a pro. yes, there are many children here… just look at my garden grow. stack them up, put them in a row. And everyday’s a marvel: well, whaddya know!
What got me to thinking about this is that I am gathering things to send to Timothy in Africa. And at the same time, we’re in the midst of gathering and preparation for Kathryn to leave for Uganda in a few days. And along with that, getting ready to send Hannah with our daughter-in-law to Florida for a little vacation. Go, go, go… see them go.
To all this growing and going I want to say, justa minute. Must you go so soon? And I think, where’d the time go? Has it been that many years since they were young? And then my mind is awash with memories and pictures pass through my thoughts like a slide show – only the slide show goes slower than time seems to have gone.
I think back on the younger years… all day long: no, no, no… come this way, let’s go… time to go… do you have to go? mama said, no. Good boy, I knew you could do it, I told you so! Can you do that yourself? There you go! Oopsie-daisy, here you go. Time to go night, night… let’s go. Time to brush your teeth: let’s go. Did you go? You made that picture —Ooooo! O, sure I want to know. My-o-my… how fast they grow. And then I look at the hands of time moving swiftly forward and I want to say, no. Let’s stay here awhile. Let’s take things slow.
But I’m sure that’s not how I saw things in the early days, when I was saying “no” and “go” much more than I ever do today. A few years into, what I fondly now call, the early days, older women were telling me to “enjoy these days” — and I’m pretty sure I nodded in agreement — but sometimes, inside, I was thinking: enjoy these days… hmmm… I’m just trying to get through them! And then, often enough (Thank You Lord) I’d have another woman say to me, “…enjoy these days…” and then I’d strengthen my resolve once more to think of motherhood as more than something to get through… but something to enjoy and the days more than something to just get through… and I did enjoy them – and I do, more, now.
O, I still say, “no” a lot. I still say, “go” a lot. But it’s funny… now the words are in a different order, the older the children get and the more they leave home. Go? Now, I’m saying, Is it time to go? And my insides hurt and I think, no. I hug them and kiss them and smile at what the Long has done… and I say, as much as I don’t want you to go… I’m so proud of you and I know it’s time to go. No, really: Go.
So……….
While I work I often find I’m singing and really am thinking of and thanking the Lord for His ways…
So Send I You
So send I you to labor unrewarded,
To serve unpaid, unloved, unsought, unknown,
To bear rebuke, to suffer scorn and scoffing,
So send I you to toil for Me alone.
So send I you to bind the bruised and broken,
O’er wand’ring souls to work, to weep, to wake,
To bear the burdens of a world aweary-
So send I you to suffer for My sake.
So send I you – to loneliness and longing,
With heart a-hungering for the loved and known;
Forsaking home and kindred, friend and dear one,
So send I you – to know My love alone.
So send I you – to leave your life’s ambitions,
To die to dear desire, self-will resign,
To labor long and love where men revile you,
So send I you – to lose your life in Mine.
So send I you to hearts made hard by hatred,
To eyes made blind because they will not see,
To spend, tho’ it be blood, to spend and spare not-
So send I you to taste of Calvary.
*After many years, Miss Clarkson added to the hymn, writing verses that reflected the trials, and the joys, of God’s call on the lives of his children. As she matured she recognized that she was sent out to minister to others, not in isolation, but in triumph.
So send I you – by grace made strong to triumph
O’er hosts of Hell, o’er darkness, death, and sin,
My name to bear, and in that name to conquer-
So send I you, My victory to win.
So send I you – to take to souls in bondage
The word or truth that sets the captive free,
To break the bonds of sin, to loose death’s fetters-
So send I you, to bring the lost to Me.
So send I you – My strength to know in weakness,
My joy in grief, My perfect peace in pain,
To prove My pow’r, My grace, My promised presence –
So send I you, eternal fruit to gain.
So send I you – to bear My Cross with patience
And then one day with joy to lay it down,
To hear My Voice, “Well done, My faithful servant –
Come share My throne, my kingdom and My crown.
“As the Father hath sent Me… so send I you.”
Margaret Clarkson – words
John W. Peterson – music
Millions follow the writings of this particular “pastor.”
Staggering. Really.
The view from my kitchen sink seems not to have changed all that much for several months now. No leaves on the trees, no fruit on the vines, no blooms on the canes. Seemingly dead bushes and trees. But this morning I imagined a symphony rehearsing what will be a spectacular performance in a few short weeks from now. It’s as if the whole earth is rumbling getting ready for the pageantry of spring. The sun even seems to be eagerly anticipating the presentation of the spectacular!
The days are longer — several more minutes every day add to the glow of the evenings. I see the canes of the many bushes in my rose garden… I picture the pinks, whites, peaches, yellows and reds. I smile as I anticipate coming mornings where I will walk around to smell the roses and see each day’s handiwork of the Lord. I can almost feel the warmth of the sun on my face and nearly squint at the hope of the brightness of the sunshine.
But first… pruning. Soon, I’ll go out to cut back the unproductive canes, the thickest and seemingly best and strongest canes and the work will appear to have destroyed each rosebush. Each year as I prune the roses, I have this nearly gasping feeling that maybe this year the pruning will yield results opposite to my intent — and that intent is abundance of blooms and healthy plants – the deeper the pruning, the more prolific the yield – it will seem that the whole bush will be sacrificed. I used to give in to the feeling that taking away or deeply pruning canes would result in fewer beautiful roses since the canes would be fewer and shorter. So, in another of my many lessons from the garden, in those years there were very few roses and the bushes were diseased and weren’t beautifully full of rich shades of green leaves and buds.
I suppose it’s much like the children of Israel wondering if they will be protected, fed and led by the Lord. Doubting God. They chose their own way, they reasoned they knew better than God what was best for them. We often doubt that God will do what He has said He will do.
Well, I suppose that a garden of fragrant blooms isn’t exactly a promise of the Lord, but He has demonstrated to me, countless times over the years, His ways in the garden are pictures for me of His ways in my life, in my heart and in my home. The doubting He will guide and provide, the wondering if He is seeing and hearing and then the experiencing of His deep pruning the foolish, wasteful, unproductive areas of my life. Well, that’s the same with the roses. I love the Lord— and see His tender care for, in my life as in my garden, the deeper the pruning the sweeter the blooming.
I smiled as I read today’s Streams in the Desert… as God would have it, the devotion was on the importance of pruning. :o) God is sweet to me — always demonstrating His presence and confirming His ways.
So, here’s today’s Stream… may you be blessed as I am in the reading of it:
Pruned to Yield Fruit
“And every branch that beareth fruit he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit” (John 15:2).
A child of God was dazed by the variety of afflictions which seemed to make her their target. Walking past a vineyard in the rich autumnal glow she noticed the untrimmed appearance and the luxuriant wealth of leaves on the vines, that the ground was given over to a tangle of weeds and grass, and that the whole place looked utterly uncared for; and as she pondered, the Heavenly Gardener whispered so precious a message that she would fain pass it on:
“My dear child, are you wondering at the sequence of trials in your life? Behold that vineyard and learn of it. The gardener ceases to prune, to trim, to harrow, or to pluck the ripe fruit only when he expects nothing more from the vine during that season. It is left to itself, because the season of fruit is past and further effort for the present would yield no profit. Comparative uselessness is the condition of freedom from suffering. Do you then wish me to cease pruning your life? Shall I leave you alone?” And the comforted heart cried, “No!”
–Homera Homer-Dixon
It is the branch that bears the fruit,
That feels the knife,
To prune it for a larger growth,
A fuller life.
Though every budding twig be lopped,
And every grace
Of swaying tendril, springing leaf,
Be lost a space.
O thou whose life of joy seems reft,
Of beauty shorn;
Whose aspirations lie in dust,
All bruised and torn,
Rejoice, tho’ each desire, each dream,
Each hope of thine
Shall fall and fade; it is the hand
Of Love Divine
That holds the knife, that cuts and breaks
With tenderest touch,
That thou, whose life has borne some fruit
May’st now bear much.
–Annie Johnson Flint
I receive the Streams in the Desert by email each day, but am so blessed to have an original 1925 copy of the book, Streams in the Desert by Mrs. Chas E. Cowman, right here on my desk. The book was my father-in-law’s and that, I suppose, makes it even more meaningful to me. It’s a book very well worth searching for. There are newer, edited versions of this daily devotional. I just love the old books best.
What do you say… Obama’s campaign rallies have turned into healing services? O, I understand the heat, the long wait and the extremely crowded venues. That’s not what I’m talking about… I’m simply observing the emotional connection created when there is a ‘medical situation’ and crowds are unified by hope for the individual’s swift recovery… then to couple that with Obama presiding over the vigil… well, a great prescription for the party. What do you think… think folks are going to see these episodes and not give a hoot about policies (or experience or moral opinions or historical events or even the complexities of law and government) and just based on his eloquent handling of these situations will think: Ah… give us king obama? Give us a healer. Give us anything.
So, Go Ron Paul… I know it’s a long shot, maybe… but it’s not over… by a long shot.
A long time ago I began to some verses that have come to mind many times – especially in light of all these things in our nation and world. I have considered over and over that it, in reality, is God who sets up kings and takes down nations. Everything that is is allowed to be because of His sovereignty and His discretion. Amazing. The passage I was reading and considering is this:
“Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his: And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding: He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him. ” — Daniel 2.20-22
—pamela
The next time you hear a politician use the word ‘billion’ in a casual manner, think about whether you want the ‘politicians’ spending YOUR tax money. A billion is a difficult number to comprehend, but one advertising agency did a good job of putting that figure into some perspective in one of its releases.
A. A billion seconds ago it was 1959.
B. A billion minutes ago Jesus was alive.
C. A billion hours ago our ancestors were living in the Stone Age.
D. A billion days ago no-one walked on the earth on two feet.
E. A billion dollars ago was only 8 hours and 20 minutes, at the rate our government is spending it.
While this thought is still fresh in our brain, let’s take a look at New Orleans It’s amazing what you can learn with some simple division.
Louisiana Senator, Mary Landrieu (D), is presently asking the Congress for $250 BILLION to rebuild New Orleans . Interesting number, what does it mean?
A. Well, if you are one of 484,674 residents of New Orleans (every man, woman, child), you each get $516,528.
B. Or, if you have one of the 188,251 homes in New Orleans , your home gets $1,329,787.
C. Or, if you are a family of four, your family gets $2,066,012.
Washington , D.C . HELLO!!! … Are all your calculators broken??
Tax his land,
Tax his wage,
Tax his bed in which he lays.
Tax his tractor,
Tax his mule,
Teach him taxes is the rule.
Tax his cow,
Tax his goat,
Tax his pants,
Tax his coat.
Tax his ties,
Tax his shirts,
Tax his work,
Tax his dirt.
Tax his tobacco,
Tax his drink,
Tax him if he tries to think.
Tax his booze,
Tax his beers,
If he cries,
Tax his tears.
Tax his bills,
Tax his gas,
Tax his notes,
Tax his cash.
Tax him good and let him know
That after taxes, he has no dough.
If he hollers,
Tax him more,
Tax him until he’s good and sore.
Tax his coffin,
Tax his grave,
Tax the sod in which he lays.
Put these words upon his tomb,
‘Taxes drove me to my doom!‘
And when he’s gone,
We won’t relax,
We’ll still be after the inheritance TAX!!
Accounts Receivable Tax
Building Permit Tax
CDL License Tax
Cigarette Tax
Corporate Income Tax
Dog License Tax
Federal Income Tax
Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)
Fishing License Tax
Food License Tax
Fuel Perm it Tax
Gasoline Tax
Hunting License Tax
Inheritance Tax
Inventory Tax
IRS Interest Charges (tax on top of tax),
IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax),
Liquor Tax,
Luxury Tax,
Marriage License Tax,
Medicare Tax,
Property Tax,
Real Estate Tax,
Service charge taxes,
Social Security Tax,
Road Usage Tax (Truckers),
Sales Taxes,
Recreational Vehicle Tax,
School Tax,
State Income Tax,
State Unemployment Tax (SUTA),
Telephone Federal Excise Tax,
Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee Tax,
Telephone Federal, State and Local Surcharge Tax,
Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax,
Telephone Recurring and Non-recurring Charges Tax,
Telephone State and Local Tax,
Telephone Usage Charge Tax,
Utility Tax,
Vehicle License Registration Tax,
Vehicle Sales Tax,
Watercraft Registration Tax,
Well Permit Tax,
Workers Compensation Tax.
STILL THINK THIS IS FUNNY?
Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago, and our nation was the most prosperous in the world. We had absolutely no national debt, had the largest middle class in the world, and Mom stayed home to raise the kids.
What happened? Can you spell: ‘politicians!’
And I still have to “press 1” for English. “
[[and my note? Here it is: Vote for Ron Paul ! ]]
We received a great letter yesterday from our boy, Timothy, in Ghana. Happily, we received a phone call from him yesterday afternoon as well! God is so merciful to us, each one… just the moment we have a need: He’s already there.
So, here’s a link to Timothy’s page… letters are on subsequent pages.
I’m sorting and filing piles and piles of papers, letters, pictures and cards here today… so strolling down memory lane does not allow much time for blogging. More later.
thanks pam, for sending this… blessings —ps
with blessings and love to you all.
Ever heard of a bump key? Well…. you may have never heard of them, but thanks to the internet and easy accessibility, thieves have! Here’s a video showing just how easy (and cheap) it is to effortlessly break into any house. Illegal without a locksmith license, bump keys are easily accessible on the internet for a few dollars. Thieves can efficiently enter your home with little effort or trace of forced entry. This news story is nearly a year old but I just received a mail today with this video clip. O — there are apparently locks you can purchase and install that aren’t opened with a bump key. Here’s the locksmith guy’s website with info on bump keys and secure locks: bayarealocks.com