Kristen's and Mark's Weddding

We went to Kansas City last week for Kristen,(my neice) and Mark's wedding. It was beautiful. Seeing some old acquainances that we had not seen in five years was wonderful. As always, being with my sister, Joan, my nephew, Joey, and Aunt June was fun and an opportunity for us to just be together .

Seven Random Things

I've been "tagged" a couple of times and have not responded to this game yet since I don't know seven additional untapped people to tag. So I guess it ends here...

1. I love to read, study, and teach the Word. Praying is harder for me.

2. I am taking a personal stance against Hugo Chavez (the left wing president of Venezuela)and Citgo, by not frequenting the full service gas station just right up the street even though I have to get out of the car and pump my own gas in below 0 temperatures.

3. In my fantasies I see myself singing and dancing on stage but in reality I would rather organize and direct productions and see other people use their gifts and talents. It started when the children were small and I would organize the cousins each Christmas and they would put on a "production"- costumes, songs and dialogue. Then in homeschool I brought the Kinnens and Blewetts into the mix and we did small plays together. I like to organize and plan events of all kinds.

4. I love building projects- home and garden

5. I put my keys in a special key drawer and don't let anyone else use my Suburban keys with all my special shop discount cards on it. I organize and distribute the mail as soon as it comes. I like an organized house, I can't create in chaos. Everything has to have it's own "home". I like a clean house but I hate to clean.

6. Despite loving color, my favorite garden is my white, wedding garden in the backyard. I love white peonies.

7. I have "preached" the importance of all of the family living in close proximity but wonder where that will be and think that my romantic notion of everyone coming back with their children, to the home where they were raised in, might not be possible.

8. I'm slowly learning new technology- Ipods, camera's etc

9. I love to try new recipes, esp. from Southern Living

Continuing On.....

The trouble with continuing on after a tremendous tragedy is the constant memories of wonderful past experiences. The memories cause a smile to come to your face but a sorrow in your heart that you will share no more of those experiences together.

We went to an auction on Saturday. Elizabeth, Rob and I enjoy the auction scene. It's fun to watch people and what they buy and occasionally purchase something that you think is a great bargain. One browses through the tables ladened with someone's collections and treasures, inspects the furniture for repairs and possible marriages of pieces, and thinks if that particular piece would fit into the context of one's own house. Elizabeth had viewed the auction pieces on line and thought there was one small end table that she might be interested in. So we headed out early Saturday morning to the venue.

It seemed like we both thought of it at the same time. And at once we remembered a really happy time. A week before the wedding, Kip Blanchard had an "Adirondack" auction and Liz thought it would be great to introduce Christian to a new experience. He had never been to an auction. So off they went, early, and had to sit through hours of hand carved duck decoys being auctioned at exorbitant prices,(according to us who know nothing of hand carved duck decoys). But after observing carefully he caught onto the process and then viewed it as a competition. (surprise, surprise!) And he had a wonder time bidding and obtaining some special mission style furniture pieces; a wonderful round table, a lovely medicine chest, a sign and a mint NY Central railroad lantern. When I walked in several hours after they had been there, he proudly displayed all of his acquisitions. He had fun!

We smiled at each other as we recalled that auction and the memories. But then we were silent and reflective. No, that would not happen again. It was fleeting, a fun memory but a stark reality is now. And again I'm forced to remember that our eyes are on eternity. And I can understand now the concept that He gives strength acording to our days, not our years. He gives daily bread, not weekly or yearly bread. And I see that reflected in our lives. Enough to get through the day and believe that He is and ultimately, that He is the rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

It's Official!!

It's official!! I'm ready for winter to be over. I have enjoyed the beauty of the snow, and I appreciated all the rain we had in the fall and now the abundance of snow,(great for the garden), but now I'm ready for sun and warmth. The winters here always lasts about two months longer then necessary for my tastes. And I'm beginning to receive my catalogs! Yes, Park Seed, Wayside Gardens, Jackson and Perkins and Whites Flowers all have come in the mail recently and I'm pouring over them totally entranced by colors, textures, combinations and new varieties. I have browsed the catalogs and seen new cultivars, new opportunities for me to experiment with different plants and I long for the snow to be gone and to see little green sprouts popping their heads out of the brown soil. I received a new catalog this year, WildSeed Farms. I can get seed packages of totally white zinnias, Polar Bear, for my white wedding garden in the backyard. Zinnias are my favorite summer annual, quite old fashioned and reminiscent of my mom's summer flower garden.


I came across a quote from Henry David Thoreau, in Horniculture, a gardening magazine. He said, "Though I do not believe that a plant will spring up where no seed has been, I have great faith in the seed. Convince me that you have a seed there, and I am prepared to expect wonders." I don't believe that he was a Christian, but I'm intrigued that a secular person can present a spiritual concept in such a succinct understandable way. Jesus tells us in Luke 8:11 "The seed in the Word of God." And we know that as we read, meditate and confess the Word that it becomes planted in our hearts. Much like the natural seed that we plant in soil and wait with "faith" for it to sprout and become what it is supposed to; Mark 4:4:26-28 tells us that, "So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; and should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knows not how. For the earth brings forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear." A kingdom developing in our hearts and lives. A place where the King has dominion. We have great faith in the seed.

It's true what Thoreau said, we don't believe that plants will spring forth where no seed was sown. So to with our faith. We sow the Word of God into our lives, it's important, and we get a harvest, we get fruit. We are prepared to expect wonders because He has told us of wonders in His word. Gardens are hard work but they give spectaculor results, not only to the gardener but other observers. Gardening is often a solitary pursuit. But fellow gardeners share concerns, problems, issues, solutions and victories over pest, soil conditions and weather problems. So similar to our walk as Christians in this world.

Controlled by Technology

I really had to look at myself and laugh this morning.

Currently at 42 East Main there are three relatively young dogs with lots of loose energy bouncing off the walls. In order to somewhat control that situation we, myself and the three canines, go for a three mile walk around our golf course everyday. However, it has become a bit complicated.

First, an electric collar must be applied to Roger and the controller attached to the belt of my one coat that has a belt. Roger usually does not need this devise but just the sound of the buzzer brings Grady right to attention and compliance with a verbal command. Then I need to put several dog biscuits into one of my pockets, rewards for good behavior. Then kleenex, I don't know why one's nose always runs in the cold weather despite not having a cold. Then a leash is stuffed into that pocket too. Now for my personal devices. I have to bring my cell phone, just in case there is a disaster along the way and I have to contact some authority. In the same pocket goes the Ipod that my adopted neice, Carol, gave me for having her here for a few months. Little does she know that she gave to us much more than she recieved from her short tenure. Not only do I want to redeem the time physically while I'm walking, but now I can listen to downloaded sermons to instruct my spirit or listen to music to refresh my soul. Now that I have that done I attach the camera case to the said belt so if any wonderful pictures come into view I won't miss the oppurtunity to capture them. And so I'm set with all my appliances and off we go, ready to push any button when needed. The one thing I haven't quite resolved is, if I get a thought along the walk how will I write it down? They come and vanish so quickly these days. Maybe a Blackberry, but I think I'd better hold off. Although Ethan can write an epic on his, I am still learning how to do basics on my Ipod and Cannon Powershot.


Today for some reason I selected to listen to music and chose the Keith Green album, The Ministry Years, that Elizabeth had downloaded into my Ipod. I had not listened to his music for years and memories began to flood back into my consciousness. When Elizabeth was around eight we became aware of his music and she had several tapes of his music. In her usual,mature beyond her years manner, she decided to write to him and tell him how much she like his music and message. Unbeknowns to us,he had just recently been killed in a plane accident. But soon she received a personal lettter from Keith's wife telling of his death and thanking Elizabeth for her letter to him. For several years she sent Elizabeth a ministry letter and we continued to appreciate his music and later read his biography. One of the verses to a song was so inspirational to me this morning, "Father, I've learned that my home is right where you are,". And I thought, his message and music are still wonderful, inspiring and life giving, continuing on despite his tragic death. God redeems and triumphs.

Living in the World

A quote by Dick Lucas, a British preacher, on the story of Joseph:

"If you were to go to a book table and see a biography with the title, "The Man God Uses" or "The Woman God Uses"; you would immediately think it was a story of a missionary, or a minister or a specialist in some spiritual work, would you not? A pastor, or evanglist or someone who leads Bible studies, at least. But in fact what you have in the story of Joseph (Daniel, Ester, Nehemiah too) is a highly successful, secular leader. He's not a preacher, not a missionary, he's not leading a Bible study group. In the long term I think that in many ways, being a preacher or leading a Bible study group is easier. There is a certain spiritual glamour to it. And what we do each day is easier to discern, it's more black and white and not so grey. So it is often hard to get Christians to see that God is willing not just to greatly use men and women in ministry but in law, in medicine, in business and the arts. This is the great short fall today."

I'm thinking of this quote as I read through Job. And I think about Ester, Joseph, Moses and Daniel. These were not priests, missionaries or ministers, but they influenced nations, leaders and the masses. They were people who went through tremendous rejection, trials, heartaches, losses and struggles and they prevailed. God used them and they led nations, worked for racial equality and saved a people from genocide, provided spiritual insights to people in high places, worked out famine relief plans and brought deliverance for millions from slavery.

I'm reading Job, trying to find out the explanation for suffering. I guess my search would be fairly logical given our circumstances. I'm reading CS Lewis, The Problem with Pain, (very difficult) and Elizabeth Elliots, A Path Through Suffering. I don't think there are explanations or answers to every pain or grief, it is a mystery. I've never liked to read the Book of Job, it seemed so depressing. I was always so glad to get to the Book of Psalms. But I'm liking Job more now, I see that he refuses to accept the role of a defeated vicitim. I like that. We get to see his beginning from his end, so we have a bit of understanding about the situation; but I see that God doesn't explain to him the who or the why, the reason that everything was taken from him. And the book does not instruct us on how to live to avoid suffering, how to prevent pain and lose. But I see that Job is still remembered and reflected upon by the world as they go through lose, death and grief. I see that God gave Satan just enough rope to hang himself in Job's life. And Job's life lives on. It is remembered, examined, reflected upon and studied.

I read that we are refined in our fires and storms of life. And that somehow our lives can be strengthened, transformed, deepened. And I know it is not an easy process, not one that we ask for or look forward to. But a process that many are going through now.

Moses, Daniel, David, Joseph went through terrible situations and yet we can see the end from their beginning, how they triumphed, how they went on to achieve great things. How nations were restored and people saved. Not so with our own life. We only get to see now. And we trust God with our future and the future of those we love. And we ask our Father to lead us and direct us and cause us to be receptive to his will and plan for our future and the great things He has for each of us. Help us to hear that still small voice as we go forward into our futures.

FRIENDS

We had lunch......for over four hours.

We were all there except for one who was driving her husband home from Burlington Medical Center after a major surgical procedure. The twelve of us. We had not all been together since the "accident". And Anne wanted to get us together as we start off the New Year, to regroup, to reconnect, to be together. Usually my neighborhood "girl friends" just have lunch to celebrate each others birthdays. Hence, our Birthday Group.

But one of us has experienced the unimaginable and I could tell from their touch, their hugs and the sorrow in their eyes that they are still grieving with me. Two months later. Some of them knew Christian, they had been to the engagement party, they had been to the wedding. All of my friends have lost someone; a parent, a sibling a friend but no one else has lost a beloved son-in-law. And yet, they can understand our grief, my sorrow, Elizabeth's anguish. They are mothers. They know intuitively how it would feel, how it would affect a family, how it would devestate a daughter. And I'm thankful for them and their friendship.

We spoke about each others Christmas's, children's plans, grandchildrens parties, trips, work, the Christmas house tour, plumbers and camps, recipes and the wonderful food that was served at 41 East Main. And we reconnected and looked forward to this New Year.

Unaccompanied Baggage

Unaccompanied baggage arrived yesterday. Tom, Elizabeth's casualty officier from Fort Drum, arrived in the early AM to help received the delivery. All the pictures that Christian framed arrived safely and season 3 of House is in residence. I wish the marathon of House watching which we started in Italy could resume here but I would need to import Kay, Maja, and Jon. We got Laura hooked when we came home with season 1 and 2. Perhaps I can view a few and send them down with Elizabeth so Maja, Elizabeth and Jon can enjoy while they are together in St. Kitts!!

Winter Wonderland

It has been snowing and extremely cold. But it is beautiful here. The sun was shining brightly yesterday. I went to Colton to do an errand and the drive was so picturesque. The huge pines and evergreens were laden with snow, bending their branches and causing them to look like they all had lovely white ermine coats. They sparkled in the sun. The deciduous trees looked like large ripe cotton plants ready to be picked. Tufts of snow were nestled in the clefts of their branches.

I decided to take the "boys" for a walk around Partridge golf course when I returned and Elizabeth asked me to take Dyllan too. I was a bit concerned that I would be able to handle three dogs by myself but I should not have been worried. Absolutely no one else was interested in walking three miles in 0 degree weather. So we all had a lovely walk and didn't interface with a single soul. They all had a great time although Grady shivered constantly, even with his coat on.



We celebrated Jesus's birth at 42 East Main Street this year instead of in Frontana Freda, Italy. We did have a lovely time with immediate family and cousins Laura and Jen but we missed one so terribly. We did all the traditional things that we always do, baked cookies, put up our beautiful Christmas decorations, lighted a tree, bought and exchanged gifts; thought out and special for each person, we attended the Christmas Eve service with neighbors and friends and we went to NYC to see windows, Rockefeller Center and go to a Broadway musical. <




When I was returning to Canton from Colton yesterday I passed the big sign painted on a barn side with the picture of a baby which reads: "Life is a Precious Gift". Yes, life is precious and it is a gift; whether one is a fetus, neonate, 31 years old, 52 years old, 81 years old, 83 years old or 92 years old. Life is precious and it is worth protecting and cherishing. It is short no matter what. And we need to redeem the time that we have here. God first and family a close second. I saw his picture lying on Elizabeth's bed yesterday and I almost could not believe how much I loved him. I had really only known him closely for four years and in those short years he melded into our family and we loved him like our own. He belonged here with Elizabeth. We all have many questions along with our heartaches, disappointments and sorrows. But I read yesterday in Malachi 3 that the people then were saying "It is futile to serve God. What did we gain by carrying out his requirements and going about like mourners before the Lord Almighty? But now we call the arrogant blessed, Certainly the evildoers prosper, and even those who challenge God escape." That was wrong thinking then as it is now. God is for us, now against us. And He is good.

"Be kind, for everyone you know is facing a great battle." Philo of Alexandria