Throwback Thursday

You see it on Facebook and Twitter. You see it on Tumblr and Instagram. It's the ever-present #TBT or Throwback Thursday. People look through their old pictures and post them with some sort of story. I don't usually do this #TBT thing. I don't really know why. I guess I just didn't figure my old pictures were interesting to anyone but me and anyone else who may be in them. But this week, some special pictures entered my life. Actually, they entered my life over 43 years ago. I just didn't know they existed...until yesterday.

On Sunday, I posted a status about a hymn I sag with family members on our trip to Ohio for my Grandma's visitation and funeral. Monday, I received a message from my Aunt that she had found a couple pictures she thought I would like so she had put them in the mail. I received that envelope yesterday. I opened it and read the note first. It said that one of the pictures even had my Grandma's handwriting on the back. I closed the note and sobbed before I looked at the pictures. Nothing could have prepared me for the flood of emotions I would feel. I hadn't seen my Grandma's handwriting in more than two decades. That flowing handwriting that filled my birthday card every year. The flowing handwriting that filled a wedding card. Oh how I'd love to receive just one more birthday card written in the loving hand of my Grandma.

But here it was...not only pictures but her handwriting. I still didn't know what the pictures were. I wiped my eyes and opened the note again. I slipped the three photos out of the folded paper. One was a photo of my kids when they were little. The other two were slightly yellowed with age. They were smaller than more recent pictures. I looked at the first one. It was a picture of my Grandpa holding a three-month-old me! On the back was my Grandma's handwriting saying "Grandpa and Brenda." The next picture was my Grandma holding that same little baby. It was Christmas 1971. I know from the lovely note on the back of the picture that my Grandparents received special gifts that year. My Grandma was given a Grandmother's pin with the birthstone of each of their 7 grandchildren. My Grandpa received a tie clasp with the same. For some reason, Grandpa's tie clasp was not given to him at the same time. Apparently, it had to be ordered. By the time the picture was developed and Grandma wrote the note, they had received it.

The funny thing is, at Christmastime I was lamenting the fact that I didn't have memories of time with my Grandparents like my brothers do. These pictures proved me wrong. I don't have big memories of helping on the farm and things like that. But I have smaller memories - like the fact that my Grandma always stocked the freezer with the Popsicles I liked. She made sure there were plenty cans of Pringles in the cabinet (left side, 4th shelf down just for the record) and there were always bottles of red cream soda on the cellar steps. I remember Grandma letting me play with her hair and pretend to be her beautician. I remember the tray in the lazy Susan that had the peanut butter, jam, butter, and sugar on it in preparation for breakfast. I remember Grandma and Grandpa proudly walking me in to church, holding my hand, and delivering me to Sunday School. I remember hearing Grandma say, "Yoohoo! They're here!" when we pulled in the driveway. I remember her laying a newspaper out on the back of the easy chair before settling down for a cat nap. You see, the newspaper kept her perfectly coiffed hair from getting messed up. I remember her wearing beautiful scarves and brooches. I proudly own one of her scarves and a couple brooches. I even remember her wearing that Grandmother's pin. I remember her taking me on the front porch and making play-dough with me. I remember being allowed to play with the little ceramic mother cat and her kittens that sat on the bookshelf next to the lamp that had the macadamia nut necklace hanging on it.

So, my brother's may have memories of helping on the farm and spending time in the barn. But my memories are of a love shared between two Grandparents and their only Granddaughter. Did they love me more than my brothers and cousins? Of course not. Did they show it in different ways? Absolutely! And I'm just fine with that.

Snow Day Blessings

There's not really a whole lot of complaining that can be done about a snow day. It's nice to have a little unexpected breather during the work week. The only problem with snow days is that it's usually too bad to get out and go anywhere. I spend the day at home by myself, which isn't always a bad thing. I find things to do to stay busy, I take some time to relax, and I enjoy the quiet house...most of the time. Yes, there are times when it gets too quiet. That's when I pop in a movie and let the story carry me off somewhere.

Anyway, that's not the point of this post. This snow day was one that sent some blessings to our little corner of the world. They may not seem like blessings to you. But they sure do to me. So, agree that they were blessings or don't. I mainly write things here to help me remember what God teaches me. I know He was teaching me today.

First of all, I went out to start the car for my husband so it could start warming up a bit for him. When I walked out, I realized we had had several inches of snow that had fallen and/or blown around overnight. I was determined to clear the driveway so Drew could easily pull back into the driveway and not have to trudge through snow when he got home from work. I started some coffee, bundled up, and headed outside. Of course, my luck would be that the key to start the snow blower was frozen solid in the machine. So, I couldn't do it the "easy" way. I had to shovel. No, I didn't HAVE to shovel. But I was determined that the mail lady would be able to deliver the mail and my husband could come in easily. So, I started shoveling. I chipped away at it, I got angry that it was so hard, I got mad that it made my shoulder hurt, my heart was beating out of my chest, my toes were freezing...but I chipped away at it and got it done!! OK, not completely done. If you come into our driveway, don't park on the west side. I didn't shovel that side. But the mail got delivered and I've had 2 cars (now that hubby is home) pull into the driveway successfully. So, the blessing there is that God gave me the strength and ability to shovel the driveway. Was it the smartest decision? Perhaps not. But I did it. My pain killers have done an amazing job and I'm proud of my accomplishment.

After shoveling, I made myself some lunch, watched a little TV and then decided to walk to my sweet neighbor lady's house for our weekly visit. Of course, each and every one of those visits is a blessing anyway. But today was exceptionally so. When I walked up to her back steps, they had not been shoveled. I'm guessing no one has been to see her for a couple days because there were no foot prints in the snow. That broke my heart. However, I'm thankful she leaves a shovel by her back steps. I grabbed the shovel and went to work. After a few minutes, she opened the door and said, "Well, bless your heart!" I told her she wasn't supposed to hear me out there but she was in the kitchen getting some lunch. I told her I'd be inside in a few minutes. I finished shoveling and walked in the back door. She was just finishing getting her lunch heated and was standing by the stove. She said, "You know, God is going to have a big crown for you in heaven." Those words have echoed in my head all afternoon. We'll come back to those a little later.

While I was visiting with her, I heard a couple texts come in but didn't check them. Then my phone rang. It was my husband asking if I had gotten his text. Oops. I'll work on making sure to check those a little better. Anyway, he said that a gentleman from our church was going to come take the flat tire off hubby's van so we could get it fixed and back on the road again. Dang it! Now that song is in my head! Anyway, someone was willing to come out in the extreme cold to kneel down in the snow and take off a tire that has been on that van for at least 3 years. Yes, the lug nuts were on there tight. But he was persistent and got the job done. Oh, by the way, he's NOT on Facebook. He "happened" to stop by the pawn shop and Drew told him what was going on with the van. So, last week's desperate pleas regarding the van saw no results. What a blessing it is to have a friend who cares enough to brave the snow and cold to help us out. Another couple who we went to church with years ago have offered to replace the tire for us. What an answer to prayer!

Later, a sweet longtime friend commented on a Facebook status and wondered if I had gotten her text. I told her I hadn't and discovered it was because she didn't have my new(er) number. She was texting me to tell me she had wanted to come help me shovel. Ya know, sometimes God puts people in our lives that are the kind of people we don't need to talk to every day or see often to still be close to them. This is one of those friends. We don't see each other more than a few times a year if we're lucky (which is sad to say since we live 10 or 15 minutes away from each other) but she and her family have always been there for us. You just can't find friends like that very often. I'm honored to say I have a few. Being an introverted person, I enjoy having that handful of friends that I can go for months without talking to yet I could sit and pour my heart out to them for hours.

Now, back to the crown in heaven. The friend from church is going to receive a crown in heaven for kneeling in the snow to remove a tire. The couple from our former church is going to receive a crown in heaven for sacrificing to replace our tire. My dear friend is going to receive a crown for her willingness to drive across town to help me shovel (among other reasons! She's just that special). So I ask you...are you doing things for others that will earn you a crown in heaven? Believe me, it's a reward that's worth the weight and the effort it takes to earn it.

Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free. Ephesians 6:7-8

Promises, Promises

Here's a bonus blog for the week. I was going to do it as a Facebook status but knew it would get kind of long so I decided to blog. If you don't want to read it, then don't. But at least it's taking up less space in your news feed. 

Today I watched The Terminal. It's a movie I've seen several times and have always enjoyed it. In case you've never seen it, here's a brief synopsis:

      Viktor Navorski (played by Tom Hanks) travels to the US from his country of Krakozhia but, as he is traveling, a war breaks out in his country. Because of the war, his passport is not recognized and he is not allowed to leave the airport to enter the US. He is told he has to stay in the international transit lounge at JFK Airport. The Customs and Border Patrol director is certain Navorski will escape the airport. But he is so dedicated to his reason for traveling to America that he makes Gate 67 his home. He befriends airport workers and a flight attendant. In his possession is an old rusty Planters peanut can. When asked what's in the can, his answer is always, "Jazz." Eventually, he discloses that his father had a love for jazz. He had sent letters to the greatest jazz musicians asking for autographs. Before his death, Viktor's father receives the autographs of all but one. Viktor promised his father that he would travel to the lounge at a Ramada Inn where this last musician performs. 

Navorski's friends help him fulfill his promise

All because of this promise to his father on his death bed, Viktor stays in the hotel just waiting for several months. He could easily walk out the door and escape. But he waits. When the war in his home country ends, the CBP director will still not let him leave except to get on a plane bound for home. However, his new friends help him get out of the airport. He takes a taxi to the hotel, gets the autograph of the last musician, and then happily takes a taxi back to the airport to go home.

This got me to thinking about promises. When we promise someone something, how seriously do we really take it? How hard would we work to keep a promise we make? Certainly it wouldn't involve something like living in an airport for several months so we could carry out our mission. But would we fight adversity to make our promises come true? 

What promises have you made that you haven't kept? Did you really try hard to keep them? Let me tell you that I'm going to do everything in my power to keep ever promise I make. If I think I can't keep a promise, I won't make it. Can you make that commitment? 

My Funny Valentine

I figured with Valentine's Day around the corner, I would dedicate this post to my own Valentine. Please note: We don't really do anything to celebrate February 14. It's just another day on the calendar really. That doesn't mean we're not romantic people. It just means we don't need a day on the calendar to tell us to treat each other special. We do things for each other all the time. However, February 14 does hold a special significance for us.

All because 2 people fell in love

February 14, 1992, Drew and I were on our way to St. Francis for Jester's (the drama group made up of young people with special needs that we helped with). We stopped at a gas station on our way across town. Drew pumped the gas, went in to pay and came out with a beautiful red rose. It was that night that he asked me to marry him. Yes, 23 years ago Saturday, we were spending the evening with a whole bunch of amazing kids! No, wait...that's not the significant part. The significant part is that Drew asked me to marry him that night! My life was forever changed.

A couple summers...and pounds ago

While we've had our share of ups and downs over the past 23 years, I couldn't imagine anyone else I'd rather spend this life with. We have shared many laughs, tears, and frustrations. We've taken care of each other through sicknesses, supported each other through schooling and job changes. We've been on a weight loss journey together. We've raised 2 kids together and now we're enjoying being grandparents together. We share household chores, we pray together, we help each other, we encourage each other and -most importantly- we love each other.

Recreating our first kiss

New Year's Day 2015

So, I say, "Happy Valentine's Day to the most amazing man in the world. 23 years ago this weekend, I said, 'Yes!'. If you asked me again today, the answer would be exactly the same. Thanks for loving me, accepting me, valuing me, respecting me, helping me, encouraging me, forgiving me, being patient with me, making me laugh, making me smile, making me believe in myself again. Thank you for choosing to always and forever be                       my valentine!

Silence Isn't Always Golden

So, this blog was God's idea. He's supposed to tell me what to write each week. I've been asking Him all day and evening to tell me what I'm supposed to write. Nothing is coming. Part of me thinks God is done with the blog. But then He keeps saying, "Write." I ask Him what to write and He just says, "Write." I have nothing deeply profound to say. I feel like Moses. I'm not an eloquent speaker. I try to tell God He should ask someone else to blog every week. But here I am. I'll write.

I have lots of blogs I follow. Most of them are teacher blogs. That only makes sense, right? I have a few Bible study blogs, homeschool blogs, recipe blogs, etc. I follow blogs of friends who are far away. I spend time every day sifting through Facebook notifications, blog posts, Tweets, Pinterest pins and e-mails. A former professor writes a blog every week day. He offers thoughts on the Bible in 300 words 5 days a week. I'm always interested in his perspective. Some days are more profound than others. Today was one of those days.

He's spent the past 4 days sharing a bit from a Bible study on 2 Timothy. Today, he challenged me (and every other reader) to do something extraordinary...he challenged us to read 2 Timothy - OUT LOUD!! The whole book. Beginning to end. OUT LOUD!! Guess what? I did it! I came home from work, did my chores, and I read 2 Timothy out loud. It was just me at home (had anyone else been home they made have ordered me a little white coat that helps me hug myself). I must say it was a pretty incredible way to read scripture. Have you ever felt like you were in the skin of one of the Bible's main characters? I did this afternoon. Paul wrote this letter to Timothy. Honestly, it never occurred to me that this letter may be much like we might receive from a missionary. He gave Timothy ministry updates, made him aware of upcoming struggles or obstacles to the ministry and ended by asking Timothy to bring some supplies when he comes. I've never read it that way before.

So, may I offer you a challenge? Read one of Paul's letters out loud. Read any part of the Bible out loud. Today, my trip through the Bible took me through Exodus. Let me say that I find many of the books of the Old Testament to be boring. I'm ashamed to admit that to you. But those rules and regulations they had back then for offerings and how they had to adorn themselves, etc just gets dull. Sometimes I feel like I'm plodding through. Today, I applied Jon's challenge to my daily reading as well. Exodus is a very powerful book. So friends, I ask you to read from the Bible out loud. I'm not asking you to get a microphone and stand on a street corner. I'm not saying I want you to shout it out while sitting in Starbucks. In the quietness of your bedroom or living room, in your car, wherever you are reading the Bible...read some OUT LOUD! It's deeply refreshing!