What's this about relief?

What is it about relief and glad, glad news that makes it seem unnecessary to write? When I am deep into the weight of a struggle, I write to process my thoughts and my emotions about those thoughts. But when the struggle is over, when the weight is off, when the present view is so saweeeet, I do not need to write. I don't even want to.

So pushing against disinclination, here goes: I don't have to have any treatment for thyroid cancer this year. Maybe not even next year. I am free to put down things on the calendar that won't be squeezed around trips to Omaha. I am able to look ahead and smile. I am looking and smiling.

An Important Peace

This was a thought that a friend shared with me. Thanks, Jim.

Let's say a troubling thing has intruded into my life. Could be poor health, a rupture in a relationship, some crime committed against me. Something that is alarming, or painful, or scary as all getout.

It is what it is, and by God's good intention, produces a brilliant result in my life and in the kingdom...because He is determined to make His Name Great in my life. One of the evidences of God being there as His Beautiful Sovereign Self is the peace He gives (not as the world gives.)

But I can muddy up that shiny, crazy good thing by forfeiting peace. By amplifying anxiety or stewing in unforgiveness or slavishly preferring the non-strength of an idol. However my mode, giving peace away just makes the suffering so much harder! It would be like having someone come into my house and stealing my stereo. And then in my panic and distress, taking a big hammer to the tv, microwave, books, and ebook, just to make the theft more hurtful. It's an insane way to cope with loss. How much better to cast my care on my God who cares for me. How much kinder to my lacerated life to cease being anxious about how this thing will end up, and make my requests known to God who then trades my sorrow for His peace. What a good swap that is!

A Moment to Enthuse

These are two very special ladies in our lives. Nora, on the left, and her older sister, Addie.

Until you have a grandchild, its pretty difficult to make you understand the relationship that develops. Its beyond pride and joy. Its beyond pleasure and enjoyment. Its way better than chocolate and reading. Way better.

When Nora sees me she smiles so wide you can see all of her pretty teeth (there are 4 of them right now). Addie likes to call me Non (rhymes with phone), and pretty much has the best ideas for what to do when we play. When I was a young mom, I felt I needed to juggle chores with playtime. Not as a grandparent. I get to sit down on their level and be with them for however long they like, and play as long as their mom lets us.

The Hunters

Dale and Ben did all the freezing, stalking, waiting, shivering, and then aiming, shooting and dragging to bring these big boys home. We have freezers full of meat! Ben's weapon of choice is his new-to-him WWII era Russian issue, scopeless but with a really accurate sight. Two shots, two deer.











And then we roped some friendly men to do the skinning, carving, slicing and cubing.

Hunting

No pictures yet. But there will be. Oh my, there will be.

6 men and their rifles are heading out to the woods and fields of Boyd County. I am going to cook for them. And enjoy visiting with our hostess, Beth, because we never get enough time to do that.

And there will be legendary stories that this blog will chronicle. Stay tuned...

My Friends

Back in the last century (last millenium even!), like we're saying when I was a teenager, I met Linda and Karen. We were all youngish women who wanted to be involved in cross cultural evangelism. They both had husbands and children. I hadn't met Dale yet, and was on the wild side. Well, wilder than I am now. You will just have to take my word for it.

And we all ended up in Mexico. Living our years in villages in dusty, chilly, windy mountains. Learning languages and cultures. Raising our children to know Mexico as home. Adapting ourselves to limited supplies and different living situations. You should have heard us when our schedules allowed being together in the city. Or visiting each other in the village. Oh did we have stories! I recall the time we were booted from a restaurant because we were too......

And now we gratefully enjoy the moments we can grab here in Norfolk. Or during visits to Mexico. Wherever we can find each other, it's as if we have not been apart. So much of what shaped me shaped them the same way. We have known sacrifice but we have also known the sweetness of comradery. As we are all in different cities, and different careers, I love hearing about their worlds. And trust them to speak into my challenges. I love you two!

Rocky Point

So what if it was a loooong 24 hours of driving to get here. Or that our car didn't have air conditioning over the last baking desert heat. Rocky Point is so beautiful it makes the eyes tear up. Its such a perfect get-away that I swear my heart is beating slower. Picture extreme high and low tides, that regularly expose a coral reef and tide pools. Imagine 85 degree water with tumbling surf. Papaya, mangoes, guayabas, avocados, shrimp the size of my hand, with home made tamales and hand patted tortillas. Oh my. And Dale is here, right here, instead of somewhere else in a court room or on the road.

We certainly could get used to this.