On My Daughter's Porch

 I am sitting this Saturday afternoon on my daughter's porch in Cleveland, Ohio while everyone else is inside watching Anne of Green Gables.  I've only seen it forty-five times, but I've never seen the neighborhood streets of Cleveland. Mowers  mow the next door lawn as I write.
Jana, my daughter, delivered her fifth child last week right here in this house. Elin Blythe has an older sister and three older, rowdy brothers.  The question is: Will she survive all he loving hands that beg to hold her?  I imagine so.

The houses in the Heights remind me of the ones seen in old movies like "The Good Old Summertime" and "On Moonlight Bay."  Quaint two stories with painted doors, columned porches with swings, and porch steps line the streets.  Outside summer noises vie for attention.  Jana's chimes try to outdo the mower's roar and if you add in four lively children - and a baby, you have quite a symphony.
Tall oaks and maples shade the lawns and murmuring voices are at a low as it is midday and warm.  I can hear laughter inside - probably Anne creating chaos on the screen as usual.
Suddenly we are visited by a neighbor across the way.  Her name is Diane and she is accompanied by Bailey, an attention stealer.  Bailey played fetch with TJ and Ricky while Diane held Elin for the first time.  She proceeded to tell me what a wonderful daughter I have.  (Well, yes, I taught her all I know and in spite of that she still survived and became wonderful.)

Tommy and I make our 'home' in the basement which also serves as the schoolroom.  We are surrounded by books and papers, pens and markers, along with maps, posters, and games that teach. We listen to footsteps on the stairs above us every morning, but we are slow to rise, using that one word excuse - .sabbatical.  I have come to love that word.  It means rest.  No, I did not look it up, I made it up.  Great word.
Our restful days are filled with grandchildren we see far too little, books we can't wait to finish, and Autumn recipe magazines. Mmmm.  Fall is near.
Another meal is currently being delivered as I write.  New babies bring out the cooks at church. We will soon begin evening rituals - dinner, baths, and Olympics. My goal while here is to serve Jana and help her through the transition period of an added child.  While there are many tasks to do, they are no burden at all. When I go, she will manage with the help of her willing children...ok, well at least they are all willing to hold Elin.
Oh wait!  Addie just offered me a pedicure and foot rub!  Well...if you must.  As the callouses disappear from my travel weary feet, I once again thank the Lord for sweet granddaughters.  The boys watch curiously and asked why girls do such things.  Um, you know...we're girls!

(Oh, the questions we could ask them in return: Like why do they put rocks in their pockets and sand in jars?  Why do they smell and run around outside in their underwear wearing superman capes? Why do bugs fascinate them and burps even more?  Okay, I'll stop.)
The end of the day arrives as scheduled and 'night nights' are exchanged along with hugs.  These are precious moments that will become memories for me in the days ahead.
The Lord has blessed me for sure and I am grateful for all the children in my life.  Each one created for His glory, each deserving my love..no matter how they smell or where they live.

Utah 2016 - 2 - Mae Jae

We were able to spend some Utah quality time with our four year old granddaughter, Mae.  Her middle name is Jae-yeon and we call her Mae Jae.  She is lively and happy with ideas of her own born from a vivid imagination.
Tommy turned sixty-six while we were there and YuJueng had blown up a dozen polka dotted balloons for the occasion. They floated around the house for about a week as we would kick them aside instead of just popping them.  Mae decided they needed to go to sleep, so taking a blanket from the other room, she carefully placed all the balloons on my bed (this took a while) and proceeded to somehow push them into place, hiding most of them, but not all.  Then she climbed into bed, too where I found her 'sleeping' with her 'friends.'

Flag says, "What is going on here?"

No, she isn't playing the piano...yet.  But her animals are.

Like her parents, Mae loves books. She will sit and read a mountain of books, telling her version of each one.  Library visits are routinely special - always ending with a bagful of stories and adventures.
We watched the Olympics every evening while we were there and Mae imitated the gymnasts as we ate popcorn. I'm not sure which was more entertaining.
I wish my grandchildren were not so far from each other.  I long for them to build relationships and play together.  More than that, I long for them to be forever united in Christ.
May the Lord direct their footsteps and lead them to the cross.

Bye Grammy!

Utah 2016 - 1

I am in Utah visiting my son and his family.  He is a music professor at the university and school will start soon, so I am grabbing his last days of freedom with glee.  This is our second trip to Salt Lake City and it still amazes me that a city this size with so much to do fits in a valley.  The view in every direction is breathtaking.

Like this view?

Today we visited the public library which stood several stories high and included a coffee shop, a deli, and places to browse and buy, while clear elevators ran up and down in the open spaces and you could watch people as they got off (or on) on their desired floor - just by looking up. The children's books were on the lower level which is where the girls ended up. Alongside the wall were cave-like rooms with reading chairs or benches ranging in height.  When I came to a cave that included tables, I went in and sat and wrote.
Early in the evening, we visited our third park. Salt Lake city is big on parks and being outside with the family including dogs.  I have never seen so many dogs.   I think the parks were built for them and people are just along for the ride.  This playground was phenomenal with swings, water spouts, and contraptions I had not seen before. Suddenly we were drawn to the right by music.  A stage was alive with a group playing Celtic tunes and the crowd sat before them on blankets, in lawn chairs, or around the fountain.  Still to the right of that was a beautiful flower garden that included summer's colors along with autumnal beginnings.

YuJueng on the slide

Tommy and Luke went to watch the minor league Salt Lake City Bees play.

I will be writing again about our escapades in Utah, but at the moment, we are operating on one computer and this girl cannot produce a post without time to think and plan. We leave tomorrow for Ohio where a new grandbaby awaits us.  Our lives are make richer by these times with the ones we love. We are blessed.

Isaiah 46

I am still on my quest to know God more intimately; to discover Who He is.  This mystery unfolds with each chapter in each book.  He wants us to know Him. Currently I am in Isaiah where the LORD is comparing Himself to man's idols and just as it was applicable then, it is also applicable today. The people carried their idols as they traveled from place to place using beasts that groaned from the weight, so that even they were forced to be enslaved by inanimate objects.
God tells the Israelites that He bore their weight before their birth. "I made you, I bear you, I will carry you, and I will save you."  How could they/we possibly compare anything to God?  They fashioned from gold and silver objects to be lifted on shoulders and carefully placed for exhibition alone - unable to move. They answered no cry for help or saved anyone from trouble.

Remember this and stand firm -

Aren't you thankful for that?  Me, too.  He will accomplish all that He ever intended to do.  He is not like us...good intentions, but unfinished goals.  He will do all He ever planned to do.

This chapter both surprised me and brought me great comfort. Surprising because in the previous chapter, God makes a declaration of Who He is and of His majesty and glory and then in this chapter, His comparison of Himself with man-made idols almost seems unnecessary, but we are an ignorant and rebellious lot.  Sadly, our focus of worship is at times misplaced. We need reminding that man can create monstrosities and work futilely at useless manifestations of self glorification, while God sees and announces in the midst of our idolatry..."I am God and there is no other."  Take comfort that God declares for Himself Who He is.  No other idol can do that.  One day every knee will bow.

Scary Sleepover

Four granchildren, two nieces, and a nephew make for lively overnight company.  I'm not sure what possessed me to entertain seven, but moments of insanity are common in my family and can overtake us like spontaneous combustion....and I am glad.  Between plates of spaghetti, bowls of popcorn, and brownies covered with ice cream we managed to share some giggles and a movie.
Remember "The Ghost and Mr. Chicken" with Don Knotts?  That is what we watched. They kept waiting for the chicken, but could not get past the word "ghost."  There is no ghost. There is no chicken. Therefore the following pictures will make sense.

Molly and Emma waiting to be scared.

Bella and Aubrey waiting for a ghost.

Tommy with Luke, Owen, and Ivy waiting for Mr. Chicken

Needless to say no one slept alone that night.  In fact, there was some 'bed swapping' for peace of mind.  I heard Owen say to Luke, "Could you just move your head a little closer to mine?"  And Luke did.  Emma left Molly for me. Eveyone else just figured it out.  Molly just wanted sleep after a day of volleyball games.
Whenever the kids stay with us, Tommy does a Bible story and prayer.  As they have gotten older it is so sweet to hear them take turns reading the same stories over and over again.  I love it.

Yes, they are precious...until they are scared and won't let you sleep.

I kept telling them "There is no ghost!  There is no chicken!"  And there was no sleep.

I Am My Biggest Hurdle and I Can't Get Over Myself

First of all, let me say that at times I am funny.  I was eating lunch with a friend and we were discussing obstacles that keep us from getting things done or hinder our walk with Christ.  I said, "I am my biggest hurdle and I can't get over myself" and then we both burst into laughter.
Honestly, though...it's true. So often we are the reason we can't get things done.  Bad planning, invited distractions, and greener grass cause us to veer from our well organized agenda and go skipping into the unknown, unproductive, and unthought out, willy nilly, harem scarem, 'cast your fate to the wind' time wasters. (But doesn't casting your fate to the wind sound great once in a while?  I love that song.)

Actually, we are going on sabbatical for a couple of months. And we are not sailing, but flying so we can't really set our sails for anything, but we can metaphorically cast our fates, sort of I guess. Isn't flying these days like casting your fate to something?  Yes, it is. Thankfully, my fate is with the Lord Jesus.
Anyway, back to the point - we have good intentions, but unless we actually do them, they are just something we intended to do.  At the end of life, do you want to  say, "Oh Lord, I intended to do that." (I have a feeling we will all feel that way regardless)  But let's decide now to finish well.

I can't change you, but I can change me and challenge you to change you. Let's be unhindered in our task to do all that God asks us to do and let caution fly to the wind.  Let's be radically His. You will be surprised at the things He will ask of you...like dishes, laundry, shopping for groceries, changing diapers, and helping with schoolwork. Maybe He will ask you to wear a smile at work or help someone change a tire or treat someone to lunch or just to fully love people. You never know. You may end up in politics or grassy huts in Timbuktu.  God has big plans for His people...always.

Let's throw all our cares on Him, along with our desires, dreams, and wishes. Give them completely to the Lord and watch what happens when we are recklessly abandoned and committed to do the will of the Father.  What is stopping you? Are you stopping you? Get over yourself.

I'm with her.