My third blogiversary!

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1093393_birthday_cakeThree years ago today I started this blog inauspiciously with this post.

A while back Thom had a quiz about types of bloggers. I found I had more than one answer to the questions: if I answered them one way I came up as a “pundit” blogger who likes to post things to think about; answering another way, I got “life blogger” — someone posts about family and everyday life. I don’t know if there was a “community blogger” category, but I like that side of blogging, too — keeping up with folks I’ve come to know, having fun with memes and quizzes and things like that. I’ve always described my blog as a hodgepodge.

A while back on a meme about blogging, in answer to the question about goals I wrote:

I want first of all to be used of the Lord. I want to share His truth and encourage people to read and heed His Word and get to know Him better. I want to be an encouragement to other women. I want to be able to be a help and testimony to people with transverse myelitis and other trials. I want to improve my writing by writing. I want to have fun. I think I have accomplished a little in all those areas and hope to continue to.

I share the same struggles as other bloggers in trying to keep in balance and perspective the time blogging takes. I struggle with my blogging “voice” sometimes.

But overall I have thoroughly enjoyed the experience and plan to continue!

Just for fun, though it may not interest anyone but me, I thought I’d post a few stats:

Posts: 1,573
Comments: 15,851
Spam comments: 55,782  🙄
Some of the most viewed posts:

Christmas Devotional reading
Recipe for a happy marriage
Works-For-Me Wednesday: More chicken tenderloin recipes
When there is no hunger for God’s Word
Thursday Thirteen: Favorite Q&A joke
I Corinthians 13 applied to Christmas
Encouragement for mothers of young children

I really, really appreciate those of you who come by to read and especially to comment. So to say thank you, I am having a little giveaway. On Saturday I’ll choose from one of the comments left on this post and send the winner a copy of one of my favorite books, By Searching by Isobel Kuhn, and one of my favorite CDs, Hear My Prayer, a recording of hymns played on the guitar by Mathew Burtner. I’m willing to ship internationally. If you’re not interested in the giveaway, just mention that, but I do hope you’ll leave a comment letting me know you’re “out there!”

(Photo is from the stock xchng.)

My Heart’s Prayer

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I haven’t heard this one in a long time, but its words came to mind tonight:

My new life I owe to Thee,
Jesus, Lamb of Calvary.
Sin was canceled on the tree,
Jesus, blessed Jesus.

Humbly at Thy cross I’d stay;
Jesus keep me there I pray.
Teach me more of Thee each day,
Jesus, blessed Jesus.

Grant me wisdom, grace and power;
Lord I need Thee every hour!
Let my will be lost in Thine,
Jesus, blessed Jesus.

Saviour, Thou hast heard my plea:
Thou are near so near to me.
Now I feel Thy strengthening power,
Jesus, blessed Jesus.

~ H P Blancard and Ralph E Stewart

Friday’s Fave Five

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friday-fave-five-spring

Susanne at Living to Tell the Story hosts a “Friday Fave Five” in which we share our five favorite things from the past week. Click on the button to read more of the details, and you can visit Susanne to see the list of others’ favorites or to join in.

1. The birthday of Jason, my middle son.

2. Jason’s excitement about setting up housekeeping. He found a house to rent nearby and was so excited to show it to us and buy the first few things for it. He’ll be even more excited to bring his bride home in a few weeks when he gets married. Though there have some bittersweet moments at the thought of his “leaving the nest,” it’s also a happy, exciting time seeing him take these steps.

3. Chocolate night at church. During the summers on Wed. nights at church we have Family Camp type meetings with a fellowship afterward, and each fellowship centers around a theme — breakfast foods one night, peaches one night, etc., and last night was chocolate night. My favorite. 🙂 I made a Four-Layer Dessert (except I made a graham cracker crust instead), which we all love, but I only make it for a fellowship like this or when we have company because it’s just too much for our family. Plus I was hoping someone would bring a certain type of cake — I don’t know what it is, but it’s flat and has a particular flavor of icing. I think it might be Texas Sheet Cake, but I’ve never tried making it myself. Someone (I haven’t figured out who) often brings it to church fellowships, and I was hoping it would be there and I would get some — and they did and I did!

4. Books about craft areas. Have I mentioned that when Jason gets married I am inheriting his room as a sewing/craft/guest room? Maybe once or twice? 🙂 I was going to ask for Where Women Create and Organizing Your Craft Space, both by Jo Packham, for my birthday, but then I realized that I’d have the room by my birthday and could use the ideas before then. Both arrived this week. I devoured the one and started the other last night. I’m enjoying the luscious pictures and great ideas.

CreateParty PosterJuly5. Where Bloggers Create. I saw at Quill Cottage that today is a blog event called Where Bloggers Create in which bloggers are invited to shop what their creative space looks like. I’ve been looking forward to this since I first saw it mentioned. I won’t be joining in, because my creative space is in need of much help, whether I were getting a room for it or not. But I’ll be looking forward to getting ideas and inspiration.

Happy Friday!

School funnies

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School

This week we received our school calendars and supplies lists for the coming school year. I don’t even want to think about school yet — I’m enjoying the laid-back pace of summer. At least, it’s laid-back now, between some of the busyness of the early part of the summer and the wedding to come.

But as I was looking through some of my files, I came across this list I had received years ago in an e-mail of test questions and supposed real answers. I guess these just point out there will always be a need for education!! (And good listening skills and study habits….)

Q: What’s the most important thing to learn in Chemistry?
A: Never lick the spoon.

Q: Name the four seasons.
A: Salt, pepper, mustard and vinegar.

Q: Explain one of the processes by which water can be made safe to drink.
A: Flirtation makes water safe to drink because it removes large pollutants like grit, sand, dead sheep and canoeists.

Q: How is dew formed?
A: The sun shines down on the leaves and makes them perspire.

Q: What causes the tides in the oceans?
A: The tides are a fight between the Earth and the Moon. All water tends to flow towards the moon, because there is no water on the moon, and nature abhors a vacuum. I forget where the sun joins in this fight.

Q: What are steroids?
A: Things for keeping carpets still on the stairs.

Q: What happens to your body as you age?
A: When you get old, so do your bowels and you get intercontinental.

Q: How can you delay milk turning sour?
A: Keep it in the cow.

Q: How are the main parts of the body categorized? (E.g. abdomen.)
A: The body is consisted into three parts – the brainium, the borax and the abdominal cavity. The branium contains the brain, the borax contains the heart and lungs, and the abdominal cavity contains the five bowels, A, E, I, O and U.

Q: What is the Fibula
A: A small lie.

Q: What does “varicose” mean?
A: Nearby.

Q: Give the meaning of the term “Caesarean Section.”
A: The caesarean section is a district in Rome.

Q: What is a seizure?
A: A Roman emperor.

Q: Give an example of a fungus. What is its characteristic feature?
A: Mushrooms. They always grow in damp places and so they look like umbrellas.

Q: What does the word “benign” mean?
A: Benign is what you will be after you be eight.

And these are supposedly from real essays with original (mis)spellings:

Without the Greeks we wouldn’t have history. The Greeks had three types of cowlums, Dorian Corinthian and Ironic. They also had myths. A myth is a female moth.

Socrates was a famous Greek teacher who went around giving people advice. They killed him. Socrates was killed by an overdose of wedlock.

Life in ancient Greece reeked with joy. In the Olympic games they ran around and tossed the java. The victors won a coral wreath.

Eventually the Ramons beat up all the geeks. History calls them Romans because they never stayed in one place.

Nero was a cruel tyranny who tortured his subjects by playing the fiddle to them.

In the midevil times most of the people were aliterate.

It was an age of great discovery and Guttenberg invented the bible. Sir Walter Ralieh invented cigarettes and Francis Drake circumcised the globe with a 100 foot clipper.

Romeo and Juliet are an example of an heroic couplet.

(Graphic from Anne’s Place)

“Despise not thy mother when she is old.”

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I was reading on a completely different topic yesterday when I was brought up short as the writer quoted the second half of Proverbs 23:22:

Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old.

We usually think of the word “despise” by today’s definition: “to regard with contempt, distaste, disgust, or disdain; scorn; loathe” (Dictionary.com). But sometimes the word translated “despise” in the KJV has an added layer in addition to those: “to hold as insignificant” (Bible StudyTools.com).

As a general rule, older people aren’t very well respected in American society. Oh, we might respect our individual grandparents and have a general feeling that we should be kind to older people. But they are often the target of jokes and stereotypes, and get behind one in a slow-moving vehicle or try to maneuver through a store having “Senior’s Day,” and frustration (and worse feelings) can abound. We often think of them as “out of touch” and do our best to just tolerate them.

Scripture has a different view of the elderly:

Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old man, and fear thy God: I am the LORD. (Leviticus 19:32)

The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness. (Proverbs 16:31)

The glory of young men is their strength: and the beauty of old men is the grey head. (Proverbs 20:29)

I have to admit there can be frustrations in dealing with older people, which have become even more acute to me with my mother-in-law moving here: going through the same conversational loop four times in twenty minutes; a loss of social graces they once had; fretting and fears that they once could keep in perspective and under control but that now run rampant, etc. I don’t say these things to “talk down” about her or any older person, but just to be honest. The first verse I mentioned spoke to me in reminding me not to let those frustrations spill over into negative attitudes. We may not always have warm, fuzzy, altruistic, loving feelings when we’re helping or serving others — sometimes we do, but sometimes those come afterward (as one beloved professor used to say, “Good feelings follow right actions”), but we can guard against the negative.

A verse that I sometimes pray just before going to see my mother-in-law is “Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness” (Colossians 1:11), and I’ve been reminded recently of our Lord’s words that “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me” (Matthew 25:31-46) (not that I think of my mother-in-law or older people as “the least of these,” but rather I’m reminded that serving anyone else is service to Christ.) I Thessalonians 5:14 reminds me,”Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.” And I remember sometimes, too, that some day, Lord willing, I’m going to be elderly, and “And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise” (Luke 6:31).

In some ways I am hesitant to post this because I don’t want to sound as if dealing with the elderly is all a trial of patience, and I don’t want to sound gripey. It can be pleasant, even fun sometimes. I hope those who don’t deal with the elderly and who might think we shouldn’t have any negative feelings will withhold judgment: There are frustrations in any relationship that we need to learn how to deal with Biblically. I’ve made several friends in cyberspace who also care for elderly parents, and I don’t want anyone to think I am talking about them: I’m just sharing what the Lord’s been dealing with me about, and I hope it is a blessing to you, too. It’s been a help to me when I read of your dealings with your loved ones.

The following has also been a blessing to me:

Grandmother’s Beatitudes or Beatitudes for Friends of the Aged

Blessed are they who understand
My faltering step and palsied hand.
Blessed are they who know that my ears today
Must strain to hear the things they say.
Blessed are they who seem to know
That my eyes are dim and wits are slow.
Blessed are they who look away
When coffee spilled at the table today.
Blessed are they with a cheery smile
Who stop to chat for a little while.
Blessed are they who never say
“You’ve told that story twice today.”
Blessed are they who know the ways
To bring back memories of yesterday.
Blessed are they who make it known
That I’m loved, respected, and not alone.
Blessed are they who know I’m at a loss
To find the strength to carry the cross.
Blessed are they who ease the way
On my journey Home in loving ways.

~ Author unknown

It’s beginning to sink in…

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When Jason and his fiancee first starting talking about marriage, they were planning to go to CA — aaaaallllll the way across the country from SC — to work in the camp where Jason has worked for 5 or 6 summers. But that camp closed down. So they decided to live nearby in the meantime, work on paying off school debts, and pray about where to go. I want them to be wherever the Lord wants them, of course, but I am delighted to have them nearby for a while. I attributed the fact that I hadn’t had any mushily sentimental moments to the fact that I wasn’t really  “losing” a son since he was only going to be ten minutes away. I also joked with some of you that my inheriting Jason’s room for a longed-for sewing/craft/guest room is softening the loss a bit.

Jason found a little house to rent and, since it has no current occupants, the landlord went ahead and gave him the keys. Jason wanted to go ahead and start packing up some of his things to take to the house so there wouldn’t be quite so much to do after the wedding. When I peeked in and saw all those boxes…that’s when it began to really sink in that he was actually moving out.

Jason’s been my rover — away almost every summer for years, on two international mission trips, and even though he lived at home during college, he was often gone from 7 a.m. til 10 or 11 p.m. So you’d think we’d be “used to” his being gone. I don’t know that we ever got completely used to it, but, even still, his room was always there waiting for him to come back. And the sight of all those boxes being packed up suddenly confronted me with the reality that he is actually moving away from home. Not far — but, still, it’s the end of an era.

When I commented on that fact and got all teary, my husband, Jim, teasing, said, “No, no — think sewing room! Sewing room!”

And later I smiled to see that Jason had made this sign and put it on his door:

CIMG2927

The moment passed. Jason took us over to his new house and showed us around. His happiness and excitement are infectious. It’s just really cute to see (forgive me for putting it that way, Jason. 🙂 ) We are happy and excited for them and love our future daughter-in-law. But I am sure there will be a few more of those poignant, teary moments in the next few weeks.

Quotes of Hudson Taylor

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All God’s giants have been weak men, who did great things for God because they reckoned on His being with them.

– Dr. & Mrs. Howard Taylor, Hudson Taylor and the China Inland Mission; The Growth of a Work of God, Chapter 19

After proving God’s faithfulness for many years, I can testify that times of want have ever been times of spiritual blessing, or have led to them.

– A.J. Broomhall. Hudson Taylor and China’s Open Century, Book Five: Refiner’s Fire. London: Hodder and Stoughton and Overseas Missionary Fellowship, 1985, 406.

Brighton, 25 June 1965: “All at once came the thought – If you are simply obeying the LORD, all the responsibility will rest on Him, not on you! What a relief!! Well, I cried to God – You shall be responsible for them, and for me too!”

– A.J. Broomhall. Hudson Taylor and China’s Open Century, Book Three: If I Had a Thousand Lives. London: Hodder and Stoughton and Overseas Missionary Fellowship, 1982, 454.)

If God places me in great perplexity, must He not give much guidance; in positions of great difficulty, much grace; in circumstances of great pressure and trial, much strength. As to work, mine was never so plentiful, so responsible, or so difficult, but the weight and strain are all gone. His resources are all mine, for He is mine.

— Hudson Taylor (inscribed in Dal Washer’s Bible)

Happy Birthday to Jason!

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This is the first time in years Jason has been home on his actual birthday. And it’s his last one at home before getting married.

Hope you have a great day! Love you!

Baby Jason

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Jason sr.

DSC02677

Jason is the “middle child,” and I alwayd loved what Erma Bombeck said about the middle child (as well as the oldest and youngest) in this column, originally posted in 1971:

I’ve Always Loved You Best

It is normal for children to want assurance that they are loved. Having all the warmth of the former Berlin Wall, I have always admired women who can reach out to pat their children and not have them flinch.

Feeling more comfortable on paper, I wrote this for each of my children.

To the first born……

I’ve always loved you best because you were our first miracle. You were the genesis of a marriage, the fulfillment of young love, the promise of our infinity.

You sustained us through the hamburger years. The first apartment furnished in Early Poverty… our first mode of transportation (1955 feet)… the 7-inch TV set we paid on for 36 months.

You wore new, had unused grandparents and more clothes than a Barbie doll. You were the “original model” for unsure parents trying to work the bugs out. You got the strained lamb, open pins and three-hour naps.

You were the beginning.

To the middle child…

I’ve always loved you the best because you drew the dumb spot in the family and it made you stronger for it.

You cried less, had more patience, wore faded and never in your life did anything “first” [actually you did have some of your own firsts], but it only made you more special. You are the one we relaxed with and realized a dog could kiss you and you wouldn’t get sick. You could cross the street by yourself long before you were old enough to get married, and the world wouldn’t come to an end if you went to bed with dirty feet.

You were the continuance.

To the baby…

I’ve always loved you the best because endings generally are sad and you are such a joy. You readily accepted milk stained bibs. The lower bunk. The cracked baseball bat. The baby book, barren but for a recipe for graham pie crust that someone jammed between the pages.

You are the one we held onto so tightly. For, you see, you are the link with the past that gives a reason to tomorrow. You darken our hair, quicken our steps, square our shoulders, restore our vision, and give us humor that security and maturity can’t give us.

When your hairline takes on the shape of Lake Erie and your children tower over you, you will still be “the baby.”

You were the culmination.

~ Erma Bombeck

Whose atonement?

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Often on my Friday Fave Five post I will list a link to something I’ve enjoyed reading on the Internet during the week. But the one I had in mind for this week was just so important and poignant I felt it needed its own post for emphasis.

Chris Anderson posted in Beautiful, Hopeless Legalism a clip from the film The Mission (which I have been wanting to see ever since discovering the song Gabriel’s Oboe from it) and pointed out the differences between the inadequate attempt to earn forgiveness and atone for oneself, as the film depicts, and accepting Christ’s atonement br grace through faith. It’s well worth the read.

Friday’s Fave Five

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friday-fave-five-spring

Susanne at Living to Tell the Story hosts a “Friday Fave Five” in which we share our five favorite things from the past week. Click on the button to read more of the details, and you can visit Susanne to see the list of others’ favorites or to join in.

1. It hasn’t been quite so swelteringly hot this week (at least it didn’t feel as hot to me) and what rain we did get wasn’t a bad storm. But we did have to call the AC guy out to service our AC because it hadn’t been quite keeping up, and now it’s running beautifully. Thank God for AC and AC guys.

2. More details are coming together for Jason’s wedding next month: dates decided on to travel, flights scheduled for a couple of people, hotel booked for us and wedding party and my family coming in from TX.

3. A friend of a friend gave them a free dryer and they found a table and chairs on sale.

4. A new monitor for my PC. Mine had been getting harder and harder to get to come on and stay on, and finally last Saturday it just died completely. I’m thankful that if it had to happen it did so on a day when my husband was home and had time to deal with it, so I was only without access to my computer for most of Saturday. I’m thankful to Jim and Jeremy for buying and installing it for me!!

5. Last Saturday I got a ton of stuff done (and I am trying not to think about the fact that being without access to the computer had something to do with it…) It felt great to get so many things crossed off my to-do list and to start this week with a clean house.

Bonus #6. I almost can’t do one of these without a food reference. 🙂 For a long time I didn’t care for Sbarro’s pizza — I always thought it looked wonderful but didn’t taste all that great. Then they came up with a stuffed pizza — two layers of crust with sausage, pepperoni, and cheese in between and bacon on top. Wonderful. I had a slice today. Gave in and had a piece of their chocolate cake, too. And last Sunday Jim grilled some scrumptious pork chops — he just sprays them with Pam and sprinkles garlic seasoning salt on them.

You know, I really had to think about it this week. It hasn’t been a bad week in any way — it just seemed like a normal week in which nothing outstanding happened. But I know sometimes in crisis situations I’ve longed for just an ordinary day, and so I am thankful for an everyday ordinary week and all God’s everyday blessings.