A Quick Thought

Hello, it’s Me…

Before the age of caller identification, (caller ID for those that are challenged by the longer use of term), my mother would greet me with those words when she called. I have a dear friend that always laughs when I call her and begin with the same. For us it brings to mind a certain song from a certain age, and the call begins with a chuckle.

It’s me, dear friends and readers. I feel as though I’m climbing from a very dark well, the sunshine casting brilliant rays sparkled with gold. It beckons me, encouraging me to climb higher, even though my feet keep slipping, and my hands find it difficult to secure a rock rather than crumbling dirt. The sunshine reminds me of the verse I think of each morning, Psalm 118:24. This is the day which the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it.

I haven’t written here on my site for a couple years now. With the unexpected passing of my father on June 8, 2024, and then a long year of house renovations and then listing my father’s house for sale, I’ve been missing in the writing world. Those two life changes were the big ones, intermingled with the daily and sometimes hourly challenges of being a mother to five grown children, that have a life of their own? (Yes, the question mark is there for a reason. A reason most mothers will understand.) I dearly love my five children, and nine grandchildren. I love that generally we are a close family. But as with anything that is of value, or you have invested time into, it’s exhausting every now and then. Challenges, trials, and crisis never seem to come at a convenient time. And rarely seem to give space and energy to each one. But arrive in a mass, giving you little time to breathe much less think. Thus, it’s been in my life the past few years.

After almost a year since we first began seeking a realtor to list my father’s house in Topeka, Kansas, we have relocated to Missouri. This was a move we thought about and prayed about for over fifteen years. Mostly me, thinking and praying. Researching the area, looking up houses, comparing prices. I never do anything without lots of research and price comparison. Much to my husband’s distress if out shopping with me. Kind of a pain to anyone shopping with me! We now have a work-in-progress, adorable house. Winter lake views we are pretty sure of, since we kind see bits of it right now with the oak trees competing for attention. We have a gorgeous stone fireplace that we were told shouldn’t be used by the chimney professional. But we have options for that. I do love old houses, but they come with their faults. The biggest plus to our new space is that it’s much smaller than my father’s house. The biggest negative to our new space is the same.

My plan is to write on here on a regular basis. Dabbling my feet in it, getting to know all of you once again. My goal is to begin another book. I was able to publish two more books during the last two years. But marketing them has not happened. I’m excited to reach the top of the well. To jump out, land on my own two feet, and run down that new road that’s just waiting for me to experience.

Photo by Laurel Segel on Pexels.com

I think there are great things ahead…and I would love for you to explore them with me! Until next time!

A Day to Remember, Parenting 101, Where do I go?

Welcome to Life!

I feel as though I should begin this post with a “Hello”, and the lyrics from Adele’s song. As you already know, I haven’t been around much lately. Life is happening at a pace that I’m having a hard time adjusting to. But I will…eventually.

We now have seven grandchildren, as of 6:36 pm on the 22nd. Her name is Josie. I had the privilege of being there for her birth, just as I have for all but one of our grandchildren. Eden decided to be born quickly in the middle of the night, so I stayed with the older two children while her parents made a trip to the birth center. When I say privilege…it is! At one time, I seriously considered being a midwife, or at least working in labor and delivery at a hospital. I love being with women in labor. The process of labor and birth is absolutely amazing to me…and it never dulls. So, it is a privilege to be a part of that very intimate time in a couple’s life, no matter how many times that process occurs. Mother and little Josie are doing well, and big sister Ashlynn is taking well to her new responsibilities.

toys-1284070_1920

I am now also working full-time as the Activity Director at our local rest home. I do love this job…even if it seems strange to call it that. But it is hectic, and it takes the stuffing out of me by the end of the day. I love being more active and walking for much of my day. The sitting at my desk all day was wreaking havoc on my back and hips, but I’m adjusting to the activity. Sitting is about all I can handle by the time I arrive home. I am hoping that with warmer, spring air and sunshine, my energy level is back. After all, I’ll have a yard to tackle!

Renovation projects…of course have come to a stand still. I’m happy I accomplished as much as I did before Christmas. I really do want our son to have a life of his own, but I hope he has a couple months after he finishes with school in South Dakota to help me get caught up. Then I think we should sell the house and move to an apartment! 😉 We shall see. The little house by some water is still extremely appealing. And of course my lap-top will travel where no desk-top can. A row-boat in a middle of a pond with frogs croaking and birds chirping is beckoning me.

So, I’m still here, and I check in every now and then. Thank you to all of you that keep stopping by and commenting. It is a real encouragement! Have a great week…spring flowers and painted toe-nails are just around the corner!

spring-2298279_1920

Bible Verses

Wednesday Verse

This is another verse that I used often when our children were small. It was the first verse I had them memorize. And with all the verses our children memorized, I tried to do the same. My memory skills were never great, and they have become worse as I grow older, but I tried. If nothing else, having five children learn them, helped to put them into my mind and recall them when I needed to.

I will make an exception to the statement I made about trying to memorize all the verses they were learning. By the time our children were in AWANA, they were learning them so quickly and so many, that I kind of gave up! Even after working with AWANA children for almost 15 years, hearing them recite the same verses over and over, I still did not have them completely memorized. But I did generally know where they were to be found in the Bible, and the general idea of the verse. At least enough for me to look them up and get them into context! Someday, if I am ever without my Bible, I pray those bits and pieces come together.

Psalm 56:3 King James Version (KJV)

What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.

And here it is again:

Psalm 56:3 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

[a]When I am afraid,
[b]I will put my trust in You.

Whenever possible, I had our children memorize a verse in the King James Version. I think it has a certain flow to it, and it is beautiful. I would use the New American Standard Bible to clarify if they were stumbling over a certain word. Which is why I like to include both on here.

The picture above and below made me think of this verse. You follow that boardwalk for the first time. You don’t know where it’s going, or what you’re going to find along the way. Our lives are rather like that much of the time. So, you head out, and when the path becomes twisting and dark, and you become afraid, you put your trust in Him. He will lead you through.

fall-1432252_1920Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Our Christian Walk

Hope In Something More

Are you having a rough day? Maybe a few days? What about days stacked upon one another, tumbling into weeks and months?

Life on this earth can be like that at times, whether it’s one day, or even a couple years. And we’ve all heard it before, usually when life really stinks for awhile. Standing beside a loved one’s hospital bed, or during a funeral service for a person dear to us. “This is only for a season, this too shall pass. Life will get better.”

And it will.

This post is more for those Believers out there. Of course I wish that all would read it, all are most welcome to read it. But if you are not saved, you are without hope in your future, and I cannot even imagine what that would feel like. I accepted Christ as my Savior when I was nine years old, and I’ve always had the assurance that no matter how rotten this life becomes, my hope is in heaven. And that’s huge for me! I pray and wish that for all. Without that, this life is a dead end, a road traveling to nowhere. The journey is difficult, bumpy and lousy at times, and without God, without the salvation Christ has provided, there is no hope.

My life has not been a walk in the park as a Believer, and God did not mean it to be. The things that we put time into and struggle with, we appreciate more at the conclusion. Just as we trim and prune our rose bushes and shrubs to guide them into something spectacular, God works on us in the same way. After our pruning, which really hurts at times, we are better on the inside.

Listen to the words of this song. We’ve all been there. Whatever our struggles are…physical, financial, emotional, and many times all at once until we feel as though we want to curl up and die. We are stronger than we think, the sun will rise in the morning and we can begin again…and again. Just keep taking one step, then another. Breathe deeply, and then once more. God is there, and He has a plan, and it’s for your good. Trust in that.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjF9IqvXDjY