Blind Love and Blessings: Revisiting the Edge

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I went there again last night: That cliff where I hung in despair almost 20 years ago. Oh, I didn't climb down and hang on for dear life as my fingers released one-by-one like I did then, but I revisited the place like the morbid tourist that I am. You know, the one that visited the Inquisition Museum while in Lima, Peru or the person who always goes to cemeteries on vacations as well as historical prisons that attest to the sinfulness of man. (Alcatraz, anyone?) 

But this was personal. I was not looking on in curiosity at someone else's monument. I was viewing myself hanging there clinging to life.

And I didn't like what I saw . . . or felt. The pain of it all still exists.

I once again questioned the Lord about the circumstances behind the despair. Not the "Why me?" or "How could you allow this?" questions, but "Are you really able to use my disability for your honor and your glory?" is what I asked. Frankly, if the answer is "no" I might as well just climb over the edge right now.

I don't have my answer yet. 

***********

Last night our study group was discussing a segment of the Bible study I wrote of I John. It was one of those nights when it was difficult keeping everyone's attention focused upon the path ahead. I really needed a shepherd's hook instead of a Strong's Concordance in my tool box. Sometimes in these circumstances the "somewhat related" topic where we stray is not so far removed as to be ignored and often is serious enough to warrant attention. Such was the case here.

The premise presented by someone in the group was that there are people who

• A. Either will not accept Christ, or
• B. Will not serve God

because they are angry over circumstances that God has allowed in their life. The corollary - as I understood it - was that this is somehow justified, or at least understandable when it affects people of certain demographics.

I'll grant the premise. There are people who either will not trust God or will not serve Him because they are angry over something "horrible" that He has allowed in their lives, but I WILL NOT agree that it is ever justifiable for anyone to continually use their circumstances as an excuse to be angry with God!

And that's when I unwittingly found myself standing on the edge of the precipice. I alluded to my own personal affliction (without actually going into detail about what that affliction entails) and emphasized the severity of my battle all those years ago by using the "S" word. (Suicide)

I heard the gasps. I saw the wide eyes of some of the ladies and the lowered heads of others.

I felt my face grow red.

The clarification was made that I had contemplated it in those days I shut myself in my room while suffering deep depression but I had never attempted it then or at any other time. Never. Somehow, it didn't seem to help the situation. At least it didn't help mine.

Comments were made about how hard it is to carry the burdens of a pastor's wife. Perhaps true, but totally irrelevant. Being a pastor's wife is not as hard as carrying a personal burden laid upon me with the permission of God Himself.

Today, the morning after, I am weary and worn. I've revisited a place I never wanted to see again and the trip has left me exhausted.

I may not know yet if God is using my affliction for His honor and glory, although I truly hope He is, but I was reminded once again why I felt the leading of the Lord when writing my study. Chapter one makes it clear that I am to enjoy personal fellowship with others. In fact, God Himself wants to fellowship with me!

Me! 

If my true appearance were manifested to the world many would consider me a freak. But God does not care about my physical appearance. Jesus was manifested to take away our sins, and in him is no sin. (I John 3:5) He became a social outcast and accursed of God for me. He was separated from both men and God so that I could have fellowship with humanity and Deity.

So pray that my eyes will be drawn away from the cliff and its focus on my physical appearance and placed upon that hill called Calvary where my spiritual beauty was assured. And pray that I don't make it a regular habit of using "shock therapy" to prove my point unless it will somehow be used for God's honor and glory.

The Reasons Why I Cherish This Season

I was the typical American child. Treasures found under the tree on Christmas morning were the focal point of my holiday season. I have fond memories of our little family - Dad, Mom, and I - going to purchase a real tree in preparation. Then came the fun of decorating it with our treasured ornaments and tinsel placed one strand at a time. (I hated that part! Why couldn't I just put it on one handful at a time?! Patience was never my virtue.) We also decorated each other and our dog, the black poodle that ran around us like a maniac as she sensed our excitement.

I remember getting up in the early  morning hours and being mesmerized by the gifts under the tree. Being an only child meant that things did not need to be wrapped or labeled. If they were suitable for a child they obviously were for me. There was always the latest baby doll and her accessories there. After a few years I had quite a large family of children in my downstairs playhouse and I dutifully and lovingly cared for each one while playing. (Hmm. Talk about foreshadowing!)

An only child, her treasured spouse, and two generations of doll babies

I knew as a young child about the Christ-child coming as a baby. And I loved Him. I just didn't have a firm grasp of how everything fit together. Still, the scriptural seeds were planted and watered. One Christmas season they bore fruit.

When I was 14 years old my pastor took us to a retreat at Tennessee Temple University. It was there on the night of December 28th I trusted the baby born in Bethlehem as my Savior. (Oh, look! Today is my spiritual birthday!!!!!)

I saw the real treasure of Christmas was the truce offered to me by the Eternal Father! I laid down my arms. The battle was over. That is the image I see whenever I read Luke 2:14.

". . . peace, good will toward men."

The treasure offered is peace. Oh, how I needed it! Spiritual turmoil had been mine for several years. "Good will toward men." Toward me. The God of glory offered me His good will and I took Him at His Word. 

I'm so happy that God came in the flesh! From that night forward I have treasured the gift of the Son that came as a baby, lived a sinless life, died for me, and was resurrected three days later as the payment for my sins so I could experience eternal peace with the Father.

A few years passed. . .

I found myself in another Baptist college, this time as a student. It was there that I met the young man that was to be my husband. We began dating in mid-October and during that Christmas season in 1977 he told me that he loved me and hoped that we could be married sometime in the next year. If you paid any attention at all to the Yule Moon phenomenon last week you know that its last occurrence was in 1977. Now you know why Pastor Dad confessed his love for me when he did: He was moonstruck.  :)

Like all great marriages, ours has had its ups and downs, its joys (example: see picture above) and its heartaches, but since it is built upon a firm foundation of faith it has endured all hardships and celebrated all happy events with eternity in mind. I treasure the gift God gave me when he gave me my husband.

Thank you, God, for making me part of your family that Christmas season when I was 14 years old. Thank you, Pastor Dad, for promising to make me part of your family when I was 18 years old. As much as I loved Christmas when I was a child, these treasured relationships are why I cherish the season even more now. 

To My Favorite Moms

Happy Mother's Day 

to

my mom, my mother-in-law,

and my 3 daughters:

5 of the best mothers I know!

I love you and hope you have a wonderful day!

Both sets of grandparents with our 4 children;
Photo taken at The Bear's graduation party

It's Cyber Monday!

I don't know about you but the busier my life becomes the more I find myself shopping online for gifts for family and friends. I also buy mood setters like Christmas music and decorations for myself as well. Christianbook.com is one of my "go to" websites and I recommend it highly for price and quality. Check them out this Cyber Monday.

Disclosure: I am an affiliate and when you click on the links below and buy products at this website I may be compensated.

Click graphic to reach the Christmas page

My 4 children enjoyed playing with Duplo and Lego building blocks when they were growing up and now my grandchildren love them, too! CBD carries many of these popular sets. Here are just a few that some of the kiddos in your life might enjoy:

LEGO Creator Power Digger By LEGO There's more to this digger than meets the eye! The LEGO Creator Power Digger is a 3 in one Lego set! Pick up any load and shovel deep holes with the powerful arm. Operate the rotating cab to work from any angle and open the engine compartment to carry out essential repairs. It even rebuilds into a dump truck or a front loader! The Power Digger features a working, flexible crane arm, rotating vehicle body, see-through cab window, chunky tires, warning light on the roof of the cab, opening engine section and a high visibility color scheme. The LEGO Creator Power Digger has a total of 64 pieces, and is designed for ages 6 - 12 years old.

LEGO Creator Family House By LEGO Settle into sleek and modern LEGO style in the 3 in 1 Family House! Fire up the grill for a backyard barbeque by the pond and play with the toy car. Open the garage door to take the car out for a spin! When the sun goes down head indoors to switch on the functioning light and curl up by the fireplace in the cozy living room. Rebuild into an industrial factory with delivery van and a surveillance camera or a slick Mediterranean villa with swimming pool and double patio doors using the supplied alternate building instructions. The LEGO® Creator Family House also includes a hanging lamp, garage with opening door, a small pond, trees, a yellow car, bed tables, arm chairs and so much more! LEGO Creator Family House has a total of 756 pieces, and is recommended for 8 - 12 year olds.

LEGO City Camper Van By LEGO Prepare for exciting outdoor adventures with the cool LEGO City Camper Van! Find the perfect riverside spot, offload the canoe from the roof and put on the life vests. Then push off into the water for an exciting day of exploration, before returning for a good night's sleep in the spacious Camper Van when the sun goes down. LEGO City Camper Van includes 2 adventurer mini figures. Camper Features opening doors, a canoe stored on the roof, roof compartments and lots of extra space. There are also 2 oars, 2 life vests and 2 coffee mugs to go with the Camper Van and canoe. The LEGO City Camper Van has a total of 195 pieces, and is designed for ages 5 - 12 years old.

WARNING: Small parts, not for small children.

LEGO City Race Car By LEGO Take on any racer with the super-speedy Race Car! Set the spoiler, blast away from the grid and race through extremely twisty corners. Finish the race ahead of the pack and lift the big winner's trophy! LEGO City Race Car includes a racecar driver with a racing helmet. It features adjustable spoiler and never-before-seen racing wheels for the buildable car, and a big winner's trophy. LEGO City Race car has a total of 100 pieces, and is designed for ages 5 - 12 years old.

WARNING: Small parts, not for small children.

LEGO Friends Sunshine Ranch By LEGO Time for some horseback riding fun with Mia down at the LEGO Friends Sunshine Ranch. Wake her up in the cozy apartment and make breakfast in the kitchen. Have her eat breakfast and take her downstairs to take care of the horses. This is where the fun really starts. Look after the foal and groom her, then go out riding with her friend Liza. There's a world of great adventures waiting for these best of friends.

Set includes

• Ranch animals: 2 horses, a foal, 2 bunnies, a cat and a hen
• Buildable ranch and apartment
• Building features: stables, outdoor seating area, toilet and bathroom, bedroom and a kitchen
• Accessories: egg, wheelbarrow, carrots and horse grooming tools

LEGO Friends Sunshine Ranch has a total of 721 pieces and is designed for ages 6 - 12 years old.

LEGO DUPLO Baby Zoo By LEGO Little ones will love the LEGO DUPLO Baby Zoo set! The friendly zoo keeper has lots to do as she nurses the young animals at the Baby Zoo. Learn all about the different animals by helping the zoo keeper take good care of these adorable baby animals!

LEGO DUPLO Baby Zoo is not only fun for little ones to play with, but it works on their fine motor skills, early logic and reasoning, as well as their creativity.
Baby Zoo includes:

• 4 Baby animals: a giraffe, polar bear, elephant and lion.
• One Zoo Keeper
• Total of 18 DUPLO bricks and play pieces

The LEGO DUPLO Baby Zoo is designed for ages 2-5 years old.

LEGO DUPLO My First Garden By LEGO It's a sunny day in the country side, perfect for growing lots of building fun in the LEGO DUPLO My First Garden set. While the goat and pony graze in the fields, the boy tends to his vegetables. Pick the ripe apples! Tend the garden with the pitchfork but be sure to build the fence to keep the hungry goat and pony away from the fruit! Includes boy LEGO DUPLO figure.

LEGO DUPLO My First Garden is not only fun for little ones to play with, but it works on their fine motor skills, early logic and reasoning, as well as their creativity
The LEGO DUPLO My First Garden includes:

• 1 Boy LEGO DUPLO  figure
• DUPLO base plate
• House with window and fence
• Accessories include: pitchfork, flowers apple tree with apple-decorated DUPLO brick and assorted DUPLO bricks.
• 2 Animals: Boat and Pony
• Total of 38 DUPLO bricks and pieces

LEGO DUPLO My First Garden is designed for 18 months- 5 years old.

LEGO  DUPLO  Creative Cars By LEGO Zoom around town with the LEGO DUPLO Creative Cars set featuring over 40 colorful, vehicle-themed DUPLO bricks to build and rebuild the coolest cars! With the special Combine & Create concept, your child can create vehicles of all shapes and sizes by combining just a few colorful bricks. This great set includes 3 wagon bases, decorated window, traffic and gas station logo bricks, a hose, engine, crane, truck body, spoiler elements and other assorted bricks. A colorful building inspiration poster is also included. Set includes a total of 40 pieces

The LEGO DUPLO Creative Cars set is not only fun for little ones to play with, but it works on their fine motor skills, early logic and reasoning, as well as their creativity. Creative Cars is designed for 18 months- 3 years old.

LEGO  DUPLO  My First Zoo By LEGO With LEGO DUPLO My First Zoo, it's another fun day at the zoo. With four cute animals, including a baby elephant, tiger, polar bear and giraffe, there's always something for the friendly zoo keeper to do, like feeding the animals. DUPLO bricks, figures and animals are colorful, safe and sturdy for little hands an big imaginations.

LEGO DUPLO My First Zoo is not only fun for little ones to play with, but it works on their fine motor skills, early logic and reasoning, as well as their creativity.
My First Zoo includes:

• 1 DUPLO figure zoo keeper
• 4 Animals: bay elephant, tiger, polar bear and giraffe
• Features Zoo Keeper Vehicle
• Set has a total of 60 LEGO DUPLO bricks and pieces

My First Zoo is recommended for ages 2-5 years old.

LEGO  DUPLO  Toddler Build and Play By LEGO Help your young child to explore, play and create with the all -new Toddler Build and Play Cubes! These extra-large LEGO DUPLO bricks are the perfect introduction to creative building for toddlers. This collection of 17 easy-to-handle bricks and elements in bright vibrant colors include 3 window cubes, a cute bear and assorted decorated bricks that are fully compatible with standard DUPLO bricks and elements. The box lid also doubles as a handy building plate.

The LEGO DUPLO Toddler Build and Play Cubes Set is not only fun for little ones to play with, but it works on their fine motor skills, early logic and reasoning, as well as their creativity
The LEGO DUPLO Toddler Build and Play Cubes Set comes with:

• 3 Window cubes
• Darling Bear
• Assorted decorated bricks
• Durable storage container
• Set has a total of 17 brilliantly colored DUPLO bricks and pieces.

The LEGO DUPLO Toddler Build and Play Cubes set is designed for 18 months-3 years old.

LEGO  DUPLO  Farm Animals By LEGO Teach your child all about the world of friendly Farm Animals with this fun LEGO DUPLO set. They will love recreating the noises that the sheep, rabbit, goat and pig make in real life and will enjoy building the shelter made of colorful DUPLO bricks. There's even a big flower for the animals to sniff and nibble on. Set has a total of 12 DUPLO bricks and pieces.

The LEGO DUPLO Farm Animals set is not only fun for little ones to play with, but it works on their fine motor skills, early logic and reasoning, as well as their creativity. Farm Animals set is designed for ages 2-5 years old.

LEGO  DUPLO  School Bus By LEGO All aboard the LEGO DUPLO School Bus! Build a bus shelter where the 2 children can check the timetable and wait for the bus to arrive. Help the bus driver stop at the traffic lights and drive to the shelter to pick up the children. Then head off for a busy day at school. Young children will love to build and rebuild this great model with big, brightly colored LEGO DUPLO bricks. Includes a bus driver and 2 child DUPLO figures.

LEGO DUPLO School Bus set is not only fun for little ones to play with, but it works on their fine motor skills, early logic and reasoning, as well as their creativity.
LEGO DUPLO School Bus set includes:

• Buildable school bus, bush shelter and traffic light (can be used to teach your child about traffic signals)
• Bus driver, and 2 children
• Accessories: 2 briefcases, a flower, extra bricks to help with storytelling

LEGO DUPLO School Bus is designed for ages 2- 5 years old.

Caring For Your Health and That of Your Loved Ones

It's the holiday season, a time when families gather to celebrate their blessings and to share meaningful moments together. Probably the last thing anyone wants to talk about (or listen to) is a rundown of someone's health issues. Well, as uncomfortable as it might be, American Recall Center has asked me to encourage everyone to take a few moments to discuss medications with their loved ones this holiday season.

Have you ever found yourself answering questions for a patient who is in no condition to answer for him/herself? If so, you know where we're coming from. The reason someone may not be able to answer for themselves could range from confusion as a result of a concussion to being suddenly incapacitated following a stroke. It is important that someone close to the individual knows exactly what medications the patient is taking, how much, and how often in order to get the person help without delay! And that includes any non-prescription pain killers and allergy medicines also! Drug interaction is a very real problem and so are drug allergies and hypersensitivity.

Here are a few questions to get the discussion started:

Once the conversation is under way it might be a good time to ask for the name and phone numbers of any doctors who prescribe or recommend these medicines. Many people have more than one doctor (general practitioner, specialist, etc.) and each has some aspect of the patient's health under his or her consideration. Sometimes one or more of them must be consulted by the hospital staff before adding to or changing a patient's regimen.

Another question that everyone who takes medicines needs to be asked:

Have you checked lately to see if there have been any recalls on the drugs you are taking or have in your medicine cabinet? (You can do this at the American Recall Center website.)

You might think that this discussion is unnecessary because so much of our medical information is computerized and the hospital automatically has access to all the data they need. 

Think again! 

A couple of years ago I found myself in the ER of a hospital that is affiliated with my doctor and his partners. Only some of my medical history was up-to-date. In fact, they lectured me about the importance of having routine cancer screenings done when those tests had been completed at the lab of that very hospital within the last couple of months! 

Earlier this autumn I began experiencing health issues so I made an appointment with my general practitioner. As I sat in the examination room he looked over my computerized file and casually mentioned a certain medication that had been prescribed to me during that ER visit two years earlier. My record showed that I was taking it daily when it had actually been prescribed on a "take as needed" basis and had never even been filled!

I am a newbie to the whole "take daily" prescription routine and it has been a trial and error exercise to find what works so I keep my husband informed which medicines I take whenever they are changed. Since there are a couple of prescriptions that I have filled in recent months it would be improbable for him to know that I only take one of them or at the very least to know which one of them! The rest are kept ready in case the doctor decides I need to add one back into the daily regimen.

So do yourself and everyone else a favor. This holiday season take a few moments away from the festivities to have an open discussion about medications with your loved ones. It only takes a few minutes but it could be the difference between triumph and tragedy in a medical emergency. It might even help your family enjoy many more happy holidays together!

Throwback Thursday: Last Year in Peru

This time last year Pastor Dad and I were in Peru. After we returned home I found myself overwhelmed with other things and never got more than 1 article about the trip written. You might want to go back to that post (click here) to read about our first day in Peru, a day in Lima. Then come back and read of the events of the next day. I can write about the day even though it was a year ago because I took a journal with me where I faithfully recorded the day's events. I know you aren't surprised. :)

I hope to tell you more in future weeks. Thanks for reading. And do not forget to pray for the dear people of Peru!

Most of what you will read is quoted directly from my journal.

October 17, 2013

We left the Magdalena neighborhood and drove down the coast to Chorilla where we got on the Pan American Highway and headed south, destination Ica [pronounced EE-kuh). The Pacific coast around Miraflores looks very much like the coast south of San Francisco, CA. The breakers hit the beaches but there is a continual haze on the horizon. Actually, I haven't seen the sun since I left Cincinnati [two days earlier].

Art seen as we drove down the coast. The picture is not clear because it was taken through the window of the moving vehicle.

Heading toward the Pan Am Highway: Fiona navigating (the GPS), Pastor Stanton driving. Chorilla, perhaps?

 The further south we drove the more we encountered the desert terrain of Peru. Until this trip I didn't even know that Peru has a desert! I always thought of it as a country of mountains and jungle. And it has those, too, but we were truly in the desert on this day!

Beginning to see sand dunes!

These are the houses of those homesteading on the land. The Peruvian government opens areas just
like the American government did in the 19th century. Those who claim the land and prove
their claim will get to be part of the neighborhood and eventually build better houses on these plots.

I do not remember what these small taxis are called but don't they look interesting lined up on top of the hill?

Once we reached Huacachina  [pronounced Walk-uh-chee-nuh] we checked into a local hotel and went to find our dune buggy driver. This whole area is desert dunes and it reminds me of the old Rat Patrol t.v. show. Huacachina is a beautiful oasis with native restaurants and hotels surrounding the lagoon. There are paddle boats but we did not rent them. We did ascend the dunes in the buggy. The driver must have thought we were elderly and decrepit -  although if we were we would not have the agility necessary to climb into the contraption - because it was a fairly tame ride. We saw more speed and maneuvering in Lima traffic! But it was a nice ride and the scenery was spectacular, including another small oasis that is undeveloped. The dunes were also being used by sand-boarders but we chose to just watch that activity!

Welcome to Huacachina!

The driver and the "old folks." Bro. Stanton was the photographer.

The tourists overlooking the undeveloped oasis

Overlooking the lagoon and Huacachina

Watching the boaters as we toured the town

Later we sat around the pool at the hotel and watched the cats and dogs wander the terraces and rooftops. David and Bro. Stanton were discussing certain aspects of the ministry. We did not know it at the time but a young Swiss physicist named Johan was listening to every word from his seat behind us. When Bro. Stanton excused himself, Johan began to question David about the ministry. [Johan spoke perfect English.] Bro. Stanton returned and we all introduced ourselves. We were never able to steer the conversation to a personal message of salvation but in thinking back over the conversation he overheard I know he heard us speaking of our desire to put away useless practices in order to worship God in truth: REALLY worship God and not just attend worship services. perhaps this conversation will plant a seed in Johan's heart.

Relaxing poolside

 Our rooms had no television or other amenities: just a bed and a bath so we all retired early after one last walk around the oasis and the purchase of cups of coffee at a small cafe.

A view of the town of Huacachina. The oasis is to the right. The dunes are in the background

That was our second day in Peru! We had a refreshing day in the desert. Just like Jesus, we had opportunity to come apart awhile to pray and plan as we discussed the ministry with our dear missionary friend.

Throwback Thursday: My First Post Was About Almost Being a Handful

It's birthday week for two of our granddaughters, including our second granddaughter, Tigger! In honor of this special event I thought you might want to read again the conversation I had with her one day when she was along for the ride to taekwondo. It was the exact conversation that started me blogging.

I recently added a picture to that first post (clickable link) to show Tigger then. And here is a picture of Tigger this past Easter with her siblings and cousins, except Roman who was celebrating across the country. Tigger is in the back row between Polly who is holding the iBoy and Sweet Pea.

Happy birthday, Tigger! It is hard to believe that you are now "2 handfuls" which means you aren't nearly the handful you were back then.  :)

Happy birthday, also to Lili Ladybug who just turned 4. That means she is the age Tigger was when she made that funny statement. And yes, I think we would all agree that Miss Lili Ladybug is already a bit of a handful in some ways now, too.  ;)

Lili Ladybug is on the front row far left with Diamond Girl and Fen. Notice that our September girls both have reddish casts to their hair. We're sure that's where they get all that feisty handful stuff.

Happy birthday, our sweet September Girls! Gram loves you both very much, handful or not. XOXOXO

Throwback Thursday: My "Change of Life"

There are changes in the works here on the hill so I have been re-reading old blog posts and updating a few things. A lot has changed in my life in 6 years, folks. A lot has changed.

I'm sure you could say the same.

I came across one of my first posts and decided to share it today. My son was 13 years old at the time. His dog, Pepper, was crazy. My son is 19 now and . . . well, Pepper is still crazy.

My "Change of Life" and No, It's Not What You Think!

I added a photo that was taken that summer to the post. It isn't the best quality but it is a minor miracle that I found it.

This one is more recent:

The Bear with some of his "support" system
and the photobombing Pepper! (August, 2013)

I hope you enjoy this look back to life On A High Hill from the autumn of 2008.

Helping Mothers (and Fathers) in Haiti

Last week the ladies of our church used our Mother - Daughter - Friend banquet to raise money for families in Haiti by having a jewelry party to sell the items made by moms and dads employed by the Apparent Project. Many of the "earthquake orphans" have parents living who are unable to feed and clothe them. These children end up in orphanages. The mission of the Apparent Project is to help parents earn the money needed to keep their families intact. (We also heard about one orphan facility in Haiti meeting the physical and spiritual needs of the children placed in their care.)

The jewelry is beautiful even though it is all made from trash! The workers take thin cardboard boxes, like the kind that hold cereal, to make beads, and discarded tin cans to make medallions. They also use clay ayiti, the dirt the natives eat to soothe the gnawing in their stomachs when hunger gets unbearable, to make ceramic beads.

The decision to hold this party was made when I read the February 22, 2014 edition of WORLD magazine on my Kindle Fire. (A BIG SHOUT-OUT to WORLD publishers for sending several paper copies of this issue to be displayed at the party!) I had been looking for something slightly different to do than our usual at the banquet. Not, you know, that there is anything wrong with the things we usually do, but after reading the lead article (link here) a plan began to form.

Let's see. . . . What might we need to pull this off?

• Women who like to shop? ü
• Desirable products for them to purchase? ü
• Good food for them to eat and at a reasonable price? Hmm. What if the men grilled steaks to hold down the cost of catering so the women would have more funds to spend for shopping? ü
• A speaker who has been to Haiti on a mission trip? ü

It seemed so doable! And it was! We sold over $500 worth of jewelry and 100% of the proceeds go to the artisans who made them. 

Even having a fire at our church that damaged our fellowship hall couldn't stop us. Praise the Lord!

Many thanks to our wonderful speaker, Debbie!
Many thanks to the wonderful men who cooked, grilled, and served. And ate. :)
Many thanks to the ladies who helped with the logistics including the Plan B facilities, the decorating, the clean-up, and the desserts. Yum!
And many, many thanks to all who bought necklaces, earrings, and bracelets. I know the Apparent Project and their employees thank you, too.

As a pastor's wife I am always looking for ideas that combine ministry with food, fun, and fellowship. I thought this might describe some of my readers, too. Feel free to share what you've tried at your church's ladies events. Like I said, I'm always looking for ideas.

Summer 2013 Wrap-up

Our 2013 Graduate

Many of the students in our area are heading back to school. Even the homeschooling families are sending in their notifications of intent and making final adjustments to the curriculum. Not I. For the first time in many years, I am not preparing for a new homeschool year.

When our oldest graduated in June, 1999 our youngest was not even ready to begin kindergarten the following autumn. But in June, 2013 The Bear graduated from high school. It took 27 years for us to home educate all 4 of our children from kindergarten through twelfth grade but we did it! 14 years is a long span of time between oldest to youngest siblings, but I am glad for it because it means that I have had at least one of my offspring with me for the past 32 years. And we are still not empty-nesters! The Bear will attend a local college this fall and will live at home. But while he is making preparations to go back to school in a few days, his mother - for once - is not.



After all the paperwork had been filed for The Bear's diploma (I STRONGLY recommend an umbrella school during the high school years because it makes dealing with colleges and employers so much less of a hassle!) we turned our attention to other endeavors. Our church had a wonderful Vacation Bible School week in June in which we were active workers and participants. This is always a MAJOR event for our congregation and we love it!

Then Pastor Dad and I began some much-needed work on our house and lawn. We watched it rain on our lawn and gardens, which helped water all the new plants and some of the lawn reseeding. (It has been a rainy summer.) We have also enjoyed the slightly cooler-than-usual temperatures this year. We even stood in the rain with umbrellas over our heads while watching the grandchildren swim on the 4th of July in my dad's pool. And as usual, we celebrated birthdays with several of our loved ones. Oh, my! It has been a wonderful, busy summer!

A couple of weeks ago we had the privilege of picking up Lisa and Roman at the airport. Lisa had agreed to work as a counselor at our church camp as long as someone (uh, that would be me: no arm-twisting necessary!) watched Roman. Since Karen and Philip are directors of our junior camp I also took care of their newest little one.

Gram with her baby grandsons

The boys riding around the campground in style

The 6-month-old Roman and the 3-month-old "Baby Boy" were introduced to each other before we headed to camp. (I think their moms just wanted to know if I could handle two infants at the same time. Ha! Ha!) The boys played together on the floor. Three months can make a big difference at such young ages. Roman picked up Baby Boy's foot as if to show him his toes. If he could talk he looked like he would be saying to his cousin, "See these, dude? You're gonna love them! They're great to suck on whenever you misplace your pacifier!"

After camp, Dan flew into town to join the family. A few days later several of us attended a Red's game. The game itself wasn't much to see, (We lost to the Cards. Boo!) but we had fun in the stands. Our pictures even flashed across the scoreboard briefly as the cameras panned the audience while playing the song "Pretty Woman" (obviously they were highlighting our beautiful daughter, The Princess, but we got to photo bomb).  Pastor Dad said he was glad they didn't show us during the "Kiss Cam" because he and I had several people between us. I had to agree because if either of us had been required to kiss Fen or Diamond Girl right after they ate sticky cotton candy I'm afraid we would have been permanently bonded.  :)

This past Sunday we celebrated The Bear's graduation with an Open House. He had asked that we wait to officially celebrate when Dan, Lisa, and Roman could be in town. Sounded like a good idea to me!

Several pictures were taken at the event.  This one is of our 4 children and their grandparents. Pastor Dad's parents are on the left and mine are on the right in the photo.

The Bear is the youngest grandchild on both sides of the family so all the grandparents have only adult grandchildren now.

Pastor Dad and I were added for this 3 generation portrait.

And finally, here is one of The Bear being supported by his sisters and brothers-in-law, the "siblings" who helped raise him and added much-needed support through the years.

That's Pepper photo-bombing. That dog! ~sigh~ (I guess she thinks she helped raise him, too.)

Free Friday: Family Vacation Part 1

Exactly one month ago today Pastor Dad, the Bear, and I caught a late flight to Las Vegas for our family vacation. Las Vegas might not be what comes to most peoples' minds when they think of a "family" vacation, but in our case we already have "family" there, specifically Lisa and Dan, who also took vacation time so they could spend the week with us. And there are many "family" things to do in and around Vegas even if it does mean avoiding The Strip as much as possible.

When we landed in Vegas it was still December 6th by local clocks but early in the morning of the 7th by the ones in Cincinnati. Since we told Lisa we'd be there before her birthday we technically kept that promise as long as we used her clock as the standard and not ours. This seemed to be satisfactory even if it did mean some of us suffered a bit from jetlag.

If you remember, I went to Vegas last year to be with Lisa on her birthday because Dan had deployed just a few days before. Actually he left the day after I got there. Coincidence? :)

I must say that as "happy" as I tried to make last year's birthday visit, this year's was much, much, much happier with the addition of the men: Dan, Pastor Dad, and The Bear. No comparison!!!

The first day of our sight-seeing itinerary, which was Lisa's birthday, included a visit to a chocolate factory. Free samples!!!! Yum! These guys, the M&Ms, aren't made in Las Vegas but they were enticing greeters at the Esther M Chocolate factory.

Serious chocolate aficionados like myself want to know where their chocolate originates. Perhaps I'll plan future vacations around other chocolate factory tours. Who knows? And The Bear might be interested in touring the plant where his beloved Skittles are made. Most folks plan around beaches or mountains. I plan around chocolate. (Just kidding, although that Hershey's tour on the way back from NYC several years ago sure hit the spot.)

My dream job, but profits would go down if I worked here. That, or it would cure me of my addiction.

The factory also has a beautiful cactus garden to tour. It was decorated with seasonal lights, but since we were there in the daylight hours we didn't see it lit up. We found the various varieties of cactus to be interesting enough without artificial illumination!

Dan, Lisa (The Birthday Girl), and The Bear with a few "friends" who have "good taste" (because they're having their picture made with my kiddos! What did you think I meant?)

Gram and Pastor Dad smiling in the Nevada sunshine

I took so many pictures that I need to post them a few at a time. Enjoy visiting Vegas with us via our pictoral journal. And try not to envy those who live in an area of perpetual warmth. I know I was experiencing it earlier this week when the temperatures rapidly dropped and the ice made the roads slippery.