A Blessed Christmas morn to everyone! The joy that the Lord impressed me with early in this Christmas season, though interrupted and challenged by the news of Newtown, is still springing up. It is like the Sweet Lord to guide His children through the troubled waters to the wellspring that His joy is in the heart of His children.
Mine swelled this morning as my second son gathered the family into the living room, quieted the children and began to read the precious story of Christmas. Good news. Great Joy. It is as good and great this morning in this room as it was that holy night, that moment of glory as praise burst from the stars with the angels’ song.
Little Lily, the youngest, sat in her daddy’s lap; Great Grandma sat across the room in the rocker, wrapped in a warm fuzzy Christmas fleece; Jordan, our young adult daughter held Elijah, the boy in the bunch. Makenzie, the oldest grandchild is curled up next to her Nana (maternal grandmother) and Babbu (maternal grandpa) held Faith. Together as several generations, we listened intently and then bowed in prayer together worshipping Him whom we celebrate today.
And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
Memories to be cherished. Christmas joys.
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
Thursday, December 13, 2012
JOY!
The celebrating is in full swing…tree trimming, stocking stuffing, gift shopping, gift wrapping, parties, programs, banquets, caroling, lights, candy canes, sugar cookies, peppermint mocha coffee and wassel …you get the idea! The excitement builds by the day. Some people call it Christmas magic. Some call it sappy sentimentality. Rog and I call it Christmas joy. And we pray you have it too! It starts down deep inside at the thought of a loving Creator God sending His beloved Son to earth to die for the likes of sinful man. Consider the words to the following song:
I think about the baby and the man at Christmastime,
the mothers, sons, and fathers, and children just like mine;
about the power in unselfishness, love and sacrifice,
the Gift that we were given, and the price.
Roger reminded us in his message from Isaiah 12 on the first Sunday in December, that giving and getting and spending and debt is all often associated with Christmas. And even when we are trying to “keep Christ in Christmas”, we can get lost in it all if we’re not careful. Christmas cost God everything, and that means we have a reason to celebrate.
You can have a joy-filled Christmas this year. In spite of your situations, your circumstances, determine that the sacrifice Christ made for us is reason enough to have joy, especially this time of year. Pray one for another, especially for those so obviously hurting or alone. Love sacrificially. Give until it hurts. Keep reaching out! Get involved in your church or community, maybe in a way you never have before. Life is so full and God is so good. We don’t plan or ask for pain, disappointment, financial ups and downs, turbulent teens, parents battling aging and all its challenges, loved ones with serious illnesses, or precious little time with friends we love and miss. But we still joy in Him who by His mercy graces us with these many ways to trust Him, honor Him, praise Him. His love never fails.
O Lord, I will praise you!
Sing to the Lord, for He has done excellent things!
Cry out and shout… for great is the Holy One…in your midst. from Isaiah 12
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
The Star
There was a star in the Eastern sky
That shone down on Bethlehem,
A few had recognized the sign
A King was born to them
Drew them to a manger
To a virgin mother's son
Who would draw us to salvation
God's gift to everyone
And the star still shines
After all this time
As a light for me and you
It beckons us to seek him
Wise men still do
Wise men still do
In these crazy troubled times
The world seems so out of tune
Sometime's it's like we're living
Without a flame to light the room
If you're feeling faithless
And you think you've lost your way
O there is a hope that's bright enough
To turn your night to day
Diamond Rio, The Star Still Shines, 10.9.2007
I was going through Christmas decorations, sorting them by what to keep and what was way past time to throw out. My son Aaron was across the room at the desk on the computer doing some homework. I had been sitting for a few moments, holding ‘the star’, a cardboard cutout stapled to a toilet paper roll and covered in aluminum foil. I couldn’t bring myself to toss it in the throw away pile. We could afford better now, and I had looked for another tree topper, but nothing seemed suitable. Should I keep looking? Maybe I would use a bow this year instead. Even if I replaced “the star”, I’d hang on to it. As I sat there thinking about the Christmas I made that star and how tough that year had been, Aaron spoke:
“I love that star!” I looked up. “You’re not going to get rid of it, are you?”
“Of course not!” I replied. He smiled and went back to work. That was years ago, and that star tops our tree to this day. It represents a precious, though difficult memory of less fortunate times but of a faithful God. Aaron was only two the year that star was made. It’s the only topper he ever remembered seeing. So when I heard him say, “I love that star,” well, tossing it out would have been like tossing out part of what God had used to reveal himself to him.
That star is more than just cardboard and aluminum foil. It is part of Christmas and the reason we celebrate. It has been re-wrapped quite a few times, but oh does it shine! It represents hope, and a God who lights our way. Because of Him we don’t walk in darkness or confusion. Sometimes we must wait for direction, but He is always there letting us know we can trust Him for our every step.
The wise men followed the Star, and as the song says, “Wise men still do."
That shone down on Bethlehem,
A few had recognized the sign
A King was born to them
Drew them to a manger
To a virgin mother's son
Who would draw us to salvation
God's gift to everyone
And the star still shines
After all this time
As a light for me and you
It beckons us to seek him
Wise men still do
Wise men still do
In these crazy troubled times
The world seems so out of tune
Sometime's it's like we're living
Without a flame to light the room
If you're feeling faithless
And you think you've lost your way
O there is a hope that's bright enough
To turn your night to day
Diamond Rio, The Star Still Shines, 10.9.2007
I was going through Christmas decorations, sorting them by what to keep and what was way past time to throw out. My son Aaron was across the room at the desk on the computer doing some homework. I had been sitting for a few moments, holding ‘the star’, a cardboard cutout stapled to a toilet paper roll and covered in aluminum foil. I couldn’t bring myself to toss it in the throw away pile. We could afford better now, and I had looked for another tree topper, but nothing seemed suitable. Should I keep looking? Maybe I would use a bow this year instead. Even if I replaced “the star”, I’d hang on to it. As I sat there thinking about the Christmas I made that star and how tough that year had been, Aaron spoke:
“I love that star!” I looked up. “You’re not going to get rid of it, are you?”
“Of course not!” I replied. He smiled and went back to work. That was years ago, and that star tops our tree to this day. It represents a precious, though difficult memory of less fortunate times but of a faithful God. Aaron was only two the year that star was made. It’s the only topper he ever remembered seeing. So when I heard him say, “I love that star,” well, tossing it out would have been like tossing out part of what God had used to reveal himself to him.
That star is more than just cardboard and aluminum foil. It is part of Christmas and the reason we celebrate. It has been re-wrapped quite a few times, but oh does it shine! It represents hope, and a God who lights our way. Because of Him we don’t walk in darkness or confusion. Sometimes we must wait for direction, but He is always there letting us know we can trust Him for our every step.
The wise men followed the Star, and as the song says, “Wise men still do."
Friday, November 16, 2012
Thanksgiving!
I look forward to a mouth-watering turkey sandwich all year. And there are other treats saved just for this time of year also, or if we do happen to have them at some point throughout the year they still have to be included in the Thanksgiving Day meal.
When Rog and I married, our traditions merged. I brought some of my southern country-style background into the menu and of course he had some favorites that I picked up, like green bean casserole. Can you believe I never had a green bean casserole before I was married? Many of the dishes are recipes handed down to me from my mother and grandmothers.
Thought I would share our meal and invite you to share yours. I love hearing about the different family traditions. And I hope you have them. If you don’t, then start this year. It’s something your children will look back on and want to pass down. The generational connectedness is so very important. We need a sense of where we came from and who we are. It strengthens identity. It may be one reason so many young people, and even adults, struggle with issues of acceptance and belonging. God established the family and ordained it. Scripture has much to say about a generational heritage. If you have a godly heritage, thank Him for it. If you don’t, determine you will be the beginning of one for those that come after you. And hopefully you are sitting down together for a family meal more than once a year!
Harding Thanksgiving Menu
Turkey with stuffing and giblet gravy
ham
mashed potatoes
potato salad
sweet potato casserole
green bean casserole
collards
squash
deviled eggs
dinner rolls
cranberry relish
pumpkin pie
chocolate cream pie
coconut pie
While some people stuff a turkey, I never have. My grandmother always baked her stuffing separately, so even if I use Stove Top (which I usually do) I use chicken broth instead of water when I mix it and I bake it until crusty brown on top. The potato salad is a mustard potato salad. My grandmother always put bread and butter pickles, canned at home, in hers. But my boys didn’t always care for that so I modified it a bit. I just stir in some vinegar to give it a little kick (sorry guys, I may never have divulged that secret before!).
The sweet potato casserole was borrowed from a neighbor while in Bible college, the days when we used each other’s ovens and washer/dryers and whatever else was needed! She had family coming and was running out of room in her oven. Not everything was done so she came over and put that casserole in my oven. It smelled so scrumptious I had to have the recipe. We had always included candied yams before so this was a delicious and different way to still include them. My son Seth claimed this dish as a favorite. I remember his first Thanksgiving away from home, calling to ask, “Mom, I need to know how to fix the sweet potato casserole.” Thank you Wendy!
The collards and squash were southern garden delights. I laugh when some people don’t even know what collards are! My grandmothers, and my mother after them, would season the collards with the ham hock from the ham. Have you ever heard of pot liquor? It was the broth made from the ham hock and collards when they cooked down. My maternal grandmother loved it. The squash were actually summer squash that had been frozen when first picked. They were thawed, then fried with bacon and onions with lots of pepper. I’ve not grown a garden since I left home. Well, we did make a couple of attempts, but I don’t have a green thumb. I try though, to have collards and squash on the table each year if at all possible. Thankful for farmer’s markets and frozen foods!
As you can see, this was simple fair. When I was younger, the ham for my family came from my grandpa’s smokehouse. He raised his own hogs and every fall there was a “hog killing” (thus many dishes with bacon or ham). The vegetables came from the garden. And the potatoes had their own field. Before the first hard frost, my granddaddy gathered the grandkids together to dig potatoes. He would break up the ground with the tractor. We would walk behind, digging hands and toes in the cool dirt. When a bushel basket was filled, it was set aside until he came back around later with the tractor and wagon to pick them up.
There are some things I just can’t replicate. But though the process may be different and the recipes varied a bit, it’s the idea of a family heritage being enjoyed and passed down that’s important. It’s also about knowing that we’ve created a few traditions of our own. I happen to love pumpkins and anything made from pumpkin. So I always make bread…and I use fresh pumpkin. Roger’s maternal grandmother baked pumpkin and zucchini bread, and apple cake. Those recipes came from her. It fascinated me that she baked them in coffee cans! I never used a coffee can, but I did bake lots of pumpkin bread. I found a recipe for a cream cheese orange marmalade spread to use with it. Oh I can taste it now with a cup of hazelnut coffee! We would munch on the bread and some ham for breakfast while watching the parades and waiting for everything else to be prepared. My turkey had cooked overnight so my oven was free. A vegetable tray with some cheese and crackers kept “the pickers” away (everyone that wanted to come by and sample the fixings because they were starving!).
By the time the meal was done and everyone was fat and happy it was time for football. Four boys with four different favorite teams always guarantees an exciting afternoon! Of course we had a family team also, so there was still some unity among the fan craziness. And everyone is a commentator. In fact, it was our three year old granddaughter who recently made the comment while watching the Redskins play, “these guys need some professionals to play!” Out of the mouth of babes; I guess they weren’t having the best day.
Our situations have changed. My love for the holiday hasn’t. My grandparents have all passed on now and I’m left with wonderful memories. We don’t get down to my folks for Thanksgiving much anymore. In fact, they spend it at their cottage at the beach. We’re not always able to have our own children in for the holiday either. Sometimes they can be home; sometimes they are sharing it with others. But the connection and closeness is not affected by the miles between us. In fact, it is stronger in spite of it. It takes some effort, and my daughter-in-laws are better at it than I am. They’re all so sensitive to the fact that we love “seeing” our children and grandchildren and spending time with them. So we talk a lot, we share on facebook, they send pictures and cards. They let the kids call. And I love seeing the traditions they are building now with their families. I look forward to my mom calling me faithfully every Sunday morning on the way to church, even if it goes to voice mail when I’m not in range, I know she’s called. I call her back as soon as I can. These are the things that matter.
Enjoy a beautiful Thanksgiving Day. Appreciate the opportunity to purposefully be thankful to God for all His great blessings. And be careful to consider the eternal as well as the temporal when rendering up thanksgiving to Him, not only for all He has provided materially, but for who He is and all He has done. Tell your children that family and friendships are gifts from God. Be thankful for them and never take them for granted. Share stories. Share the meal. Share memories. Pray together.
“I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings of old, which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children, telling to the generation to come the wonderful works that He has done. For He established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which He commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children; that the generation to come might know them, the children who would be born, that they may arise and declare them to their children, that they may set their hope in God and not forget the works of God but keep His commandments.” Psalm 78:2-7
“So we, Your people and sheep of Your pasture, Will give You thanks forever; We will show forth Your praise to all generations.” Psalm 79:13
And later that evening when you eat that turkey sandwich before heading off to bed, think of me…I’ll be having one too.
When Rog and I married, our traditions merged. I brought some of my southern country-style background into the menu and of course he had some favorites that I picked up, like green bean casserole. Can you believe I never had a green bean casserole before I was married? Many of the dishes are recipes handed down to me from my mother and grandmothers.
Thought I would share our meal and invite you to share yours. I love hearing about the different family traditions. And I hope you have them. If you don’t, then start this year. It’s something your children will look back on and want to pass down. The generational connectedness is so very important. We need a sense of where we came from and who we are. It strengthens identity. It may be one reason so many young people, and even adults, struggle with issues of acceptance and belonging. God established the family and ordained it. Scripture has much to say about a generational heritage. If you have a godly heritage, thank Him for it. If you don’t, determine you will be the beginning of one for those that come after you. And hopefully you are sitting down together for a family meal more than once a year!
Harding Thanksgiving Menu
Turkey with stuffing and giblet gravy
ham
mashed potatoes
potato salad
sweet potato casserole
green bean casserole
collards
squash
deviled eggs
dinner rolls
cranberry relish
pumpkin pie
chocolate cream pie
coconut pie
While some people stuff a turkey, I never have. My grandmother always baked her stuffing separately, so even if I use Stove Top (which I usually do) I use chicken broth instead of water when I mix it and I bake it until crusty brown on top. The potato salad is a mustard potato salad. My grandmother always put bread and butter pickles, canned at home, in hers. But my boys didn’t always care for that so I modified it a bit. I just stir in some vinegar to give it a little kick (sorry guys, I may never have divulged that secret before!).
The sweet potato casserole was borrowed from a neighbor while in Bible college, the days when we used each other’s ovens and washer/dryers and whatever else was needed! She had family coming and was running out of room in her oven. Not everything was done so she came over and put that casserole in my oven. It smelled so scrumptious I had to have the recipe. We had always included candied yams before so this was a delicious and different way to still include them. My son Seth claimed this dish as a favorite. I remember his first Thanksgiving away from home, calling to ask, “Mom, I need to know how to fix the sweet potato casserole.” Thank you Wendy!
The collards and squash were southern garden delights. I laugh when some people don’t even know what collards are! My grandmothers, and my mother after them, would season the collards with the ham hock from the ham. Have you ever heard of pot liquor? It was the broth made from the ham hock and collards when they cooked down. My maternal grandmother loved it. The squash were actually summer squash that had been frozen when first picked. They were thawed, then fried with bacon and onions with lots of pepper. I’ve not grown a garden since I left home. Well, we did make a couple of attempts, but I don’t have a green thumb. I try though, to have collards and squash on the table each year if at all possible. Thankful for farmer’s markets and frozen foods!
As you can see, this was simple fair. When I was younger, the ham for my family came from my grandpa’s smokehouse. He raised his own hogs and every fall there was a “hog killing” (thus many dishes with bacon or ham). The vegetables came from the garden. And the potatoes had their own field. Before the first hard frost, my granddaddy gathered the grandkids together to dig potatoes. He would break up the ground with the tractor. We would walk behind, digging hands and toes in the cool dirt. When a bushel basket was filled, it was set aside until he came back around later with the tractor and wagon to pick them up.
There are some things I just can’t replicate. But though the process may be different and the recipes varied a bit, it’s the idea of a family heritage being enjoyed and passed down that’s important. It’s also about knowing that we’ve created a few traditions of our own. I happen to love pumpkins and anything made from pumpkin. So I always make bread…and I use fresh pumpkin. Roger’s maternal grandmother baked pumpkin and zucchini bread, and apple cake. Those recipes came from her. It fascinated me that she baked them in coffee cans! I never used a coffee can, but I did bake lots of pumpkin bread. I found a recipe for a cream cheese orange marmalade spread to use with it. Oh I can taste it now with a cup of hazelnut coffee! We would munch on the bread and some ham for breakfast while watching the parades and waiting for everything else to be prepared. My turkey had cooked overnight so my oven was free. A vegetable tray with some cheese and crackers kept “the pickers” away (everyone that wanted to come by and sample the fixings because they were starving!).
By the time the meal was done and everyone was fat and happy it was time for football. Four boys with four different favorite teams always guarantees an exciting afternoon! Of course we had a family team also, so there was still some unity among the fan craziness. And everyone is a commentator. In fact, it was our three year old granddaughter who recently made the comment while watching the Redskins play, “these guys need some professionals to play!” Out of the mouth of babes; I guess they weren’t having the best day.
Our situations have changed. My love for the holiday hasn’t. My grandparents have all passed on now and I’m left with wonderful memories. We don’t get down to my folks for Thanksgiving much anymore. In fact, they spend it at their cottage at the beach. We’re not always able to have our own children in for the holiday either. Sometimes they can be home; sometimes they are sharing it with others. But the connection and closeness is not affected by the miles between us. In fact, it is stronger in spite of it. It takes some effort, and my daughter-in-laws are better at it than I am. They’re all so sensitive to the fact that we love “seeing” our children and grandchildren and spending time with them. So we talk a lot, we share on facebook, they send pictures and cards. They let the kids call. And I love seeing the traditions they are building now with their families. I look forward to my mom calling me faithfully every Sunday morning on the way to church, even if it goes to voice mail when I’m not in range, I know she’s called. I call her back as soon as I can. These are the things that matter.
Enjoy a beautiful Thanksgiving Day. Appreciate the opportunity to purposefully be thankful to God for all His great blessings. And be careful to consider the eternal as well as the temporal when rendering up thanksgiving to Him, not only for all He has provided materially, but for who He is and all He has done. Tell your children that family and friendships are gifts from God. Be thankful for them and never take them for granted. Share stories. Share the meal. Share memories. Pray together.
“I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings of old, which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children, telling to the generation to come the wonderful works that He has done. For He established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which He commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children; that the generation to come might know them, the children who would be born, that they may arise and declare them to their children, that they may set their hope in God and not forget the works of God but keep His commandments.” Psalm 78:2-7
“So we, Your people and sheep of Your pasture, Will give You thanks forever; We will show forth Your praise to all generations.” Psalm 79:13
And later that evening when you eat that turkey sandwich before heading off to bed, think of me…I’ll be having one too.
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Shifting Sands
From being at the Banks (Outer Banks, NC) to battling a blizzard! Whew, things sure can change quickly, can’t they? Just a week or so ago we were enjoying the warm October ocean breezes and mild temps. But at least this year it was not snowing when we arrived home to WV. Well, not for a couple of days at least! It was 70 degrees in fact, on Friday before the storm hit on Monday night, plunging temps, blowing down power and phone lines, and dropping over a foot of snow in our neck of the woods. Superstorm Sandy, Frankenstorm, or whatever else it may have been called, it whipped through just the same. And we got only a taste of the terrible affects many are feeling along the coast and especially further north.
Some changes are like that storm. There are ways to prepare, at least as much as possible. Then you batten down and try to ride it out. Afterwards though, there’s always the cleanup, sometimes devastation. And when storms hit the Banks that I love, it’s never the same afterwards. It’s still beautiful, and there are evidences and even markers of past seascapes, yet the change is obvious. We had to cross a makeshift bridge this trip on Route 12 that I had never crossed before, over the ‘new’ inlet that was created when the last hurricane went through. And while there was a lot that was familiar some is changed forever.
Much of the change has been subtle as year after year shifting sands creep ever closer to the road, the one road on and off the barrier isle. Bulldozers are a regular sight in recent years pushing back the growing mountains of sand, trying to keep the roadway clear. Wild sea oats and grasses grow in patches, and fences jut out along the crest of the dunes to slow the drift, and attempts are made to keep beach erosion at a minimum. Yes, subtle change is continuously taking place, but is very obvious to those of us who only manage to make the occasional trek every year or so. Some businesses have closed, new ones opened. Some have moved location. Some cottages have been washed into the ocean. Some roads and resorts are no longer along the shoreline. There’s still sun and surf to be had and life goes on. But many of the locals feel the pinch and the impact of “changing tides”.
And today, Election Day 2012, it’s all about change in this country isn’t it? Hasn’t that been the mantra of the times for a while now? Sometimes though, I get the feeling that the change we’ve experienced in this country is that devastating kind. Much like when that coastal hurricane hits. You are warned it’s coming, you think you’re prepared for it, you’ve survived them before and they really weren’t all that terrible. Sure some things were different afterwards, but it didn’t disrupt your life to any great degree. Then, years go by and you wake up one morning only to see, as if for the first time, things are nothing like they were. And it’s not good. In fact the change is so detrimental that your whole livelihood is at stake. Everything you know and understand to be your home, well, it doesn’t feel so much like that anymore. The effect of all the change over time is overwhelming to even consider. It’s that “wow, what happened?” kind of feeling.
Change is good, but it has to be the right kind. Some things definitely need to change. The frustration is that more time seems to be spent on the fight about who gets to decide what the right kind of change is than actually seeing any real positive change take place. In the meantime, we’re like drifting dunes, shifting ever so subtly that until it’s “bulldozer time”, it’s hardly noticeable that the change that has taken place is causing massive damage and requiring incredible cleanup.
“Behold, the Lord God shall come with a strong hand, and His arm shall rule for Him; Behold, His reward is with Him, and His work before Him. Behold, the nations are as a drop in a bucket , and are counted as the small dust on the scales; To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare to Him? To whom then will you liken Me, or to whom shall I be equal? says the Holy one. Lift up your eyes on high…” from Isaiah 40.
I lift up my eyes today to the sovereign, just, and loving Creator God. I pray, I act responsibly as His word directs, seeking to honor Him and impact others with His love and truth; and I trust. I trust Him to engage in the affairs of this world as He sees fit. I trust Him to care for His own as He has promised, no matter the shifting sands.
Some changes are like that storm. There are ways to prepare, at least as much as possible. Then you batten down and try to ride it out. Afterwards though, there’s always the cleanup, sometimes devastation. And when storms hit the Banks that I love, it’s never the same afterwards. It’s still beautiful, and there are evidences and even markers of past seascapes, yet the change is obvious. We had to cross a makeshift bridge this trip on Route 12 that I had never crossed before, over the ‘new’ inlet that was created when the last hurricane went through. And while there was a lot that was familiar some is changed forever.
Much of the change has been subtle as year after year shifting sands creep ever closer to the road, the one road on and off the barrier isle. Bulldozers are a regular sight in recent years pushing back the growing mountains of sand, trying to keep the roadway clear. Wild sea oats and grasses grow in patches, and fences jut out along the crest of the dunes to slow the drift, and attempts are made to keep beach erosion at a minimum. Yes, subtle change is continuously taking place, but is very obvious to those of us who only manage to make the occasional trek every year or so. Some businesses have closed, new ones opened. Some have moved location. Some cottages have been washed into the ocean. Some roads and resorts are no longer along the shoreline. There’s still sun and surf to be had and life goes on. But many of the locals feel the pinch and the impact of “changing tides”.
And today, Election Day 2012, it’s all about change in this country isn’t it? Hasn’t that been the mantra of the times for a while now? Sometimes though, I get the feeling that the change we’ve experienced in this country is that devastating kind. Much like when that coastal hurricane hits. You are warned it’s coming, you think you’re prepared for it, you’ve survived them before and they really weren’t all that terrible. Sure some things were different afterwards, but it didn’t disrupt your life to any great degree. Then, years go by and you wake up one morning only to see, as if for the first time, things are nothing like they were. And it’s not good. In fact the change is so detrimental that your whole livelihood is at stake. Everything you know and understand to be your home, well, it doesn’t feel so much like that anymore. The effect of all the change over time is overwhelming to even consider. It’s that “wow, what happened?” kind of feeling.
Change is good, but it has to be the right kind. Some things definitely need to change. The frustration is that more time seems to be spent on the fight about who gets to decide what the right kind of change is than actually seeing any real positive change take place. In the meantime, we’re like drifting dunes, shifting ever so subtly that until it’s “bulldozer time”, it’s hardly noticeable that the change that has taken place is causing massive damage and requiring incredible cleanup.
“Behold, the Lord God shall come with a strong hand, and His arm shall rule for Him; Behold, His reward is with Him, and His work before Him. Behold, the nations are as a drop in a bucket , and are counted as the small dust on the scales; To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare to Him? To whom then will you liken Me, or to whom shall I be equal? says the Holy one. Lift up your eyes on high…” from Isaiah 40.
I lift up my eyes today to the sovereign, just, and loving Creator God. I pray, I act responsibly as His word directs, seeking to honor Him and impact others with His love and truth; and I trust. I trust Him to engage in the affairs of this world as He sees fit. I trust Him to care for His own as He has promised, no matter the shifting sands.
Monday, October 22, 2012
Love My Outer Banks!
But there’s more. There are times I am sitting on the beach watching the waves pound the shore, and the majesty and might of God nearly overwhelm me. In my devotional time I read from Psalm 93.
The LORD reigneth, he is clothed with majesty; the LORD is clothed with strength, wherewith he hath girded himself: the world also is stablished, that it cannot be moved.
2 Thy throne is established of old: thou art from everlasting.
3 The floods have lifted up, O LORD, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their waves.
4 The LORD on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea. (KJV)
Now, read it again. Close your eyes. Can you hear the ocean roar in the distance? Can you feel the breeze against your face? Can you hear the gulls calling out over the waves? Listen. The Lord on high is mightier than the mighty waves of the sea.
At first I smiled that the Lord would have this passage in my Bible reading the week I’m at the beach. He’s so good that way! Then I just sat and soaked in the amazing truth of it. I knew He had directed this to me at this time for a reason and I wanted to have it blazed on my brain for the coming days and weeks when I’d be back to the real world. You know, that world of routine and demand and schedules and tasks to accomplish and work to be done. But He’s the God that reigns in that world too, and it’s just as beautiful although in a different way because He is the God of it. It’s all ordered by Him and I can trust Him with it. That may sound somewhat fatalistic or even casual to some but it really is that simple. I’m not saying it’s always easy to do, but simple just the same.
Now, I’m back to the banks…if only in my mind. “The Lord reigns…the Lord is mightier than the noise of many waters, yes, than the mighty waves of the sea.”
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Grandbaby Tour 2012
It’s slowly slipping into fall, that beautiful contemplative time of year. You know, when you can grab a cup of hazelnut or pumpkin spice coffee, sit down near a window and just enjoy the color and the quiet. And where do my thoughts go? Back to the summer. And what a whirlwind summer it was! My dear friend Val was the one that dubbed it the 2012 Grandbaby Tour. The grandbabies have certainly been coming, and coming quickly and close together for the last few years. Our oldest, turning 8 in just a few days remarked recently, “There was only two born in this round, Grammy”. Made me smile. She’s heard me refer to the cycles the babies have been born in as “rounds of four”!
The “tour” actually started in April when we made a quick trip up to Indiana to see oldest son Joshua and family; wife Christina, Gabe, Zeke and Josie. They relocated to Warsaw in late February from Utah and we could hardly wait to be able to drive to see them since we always had to fly before! It has always helped me to see where the kids are, where they live, learn about the area they are in, their ministry. It helps me feel more connected when we talk or see pictures. Did I say kids??? Is that typical?? Josh is 31 now with 3 children; Daniel is 30 with 4 children; Aaron is 28 with 4 children; and Seth is 26 with 3 children…yep, my kids. I guess they will always be “the boys” to me, or “the kids” which includes their beautiful wives. My four wonderful sons and their precious families; I’m so grateful. And now all these grandchildren! They make life so full and fun! As full and fun as it was, and continues to be for that matter, to be mom, it is multiplied over and over with the addition of grandchildren!
At the end of May and early June, once Jordan finished the school year, we headed to Texas to see Aaron and Martha and fam, Elisha, Arya, Emma, and the newest born early May, Adley Renee’. Jordan is the 16 year old “daughter” that has come into our home and hearts as part of the family now. The ‘tour’ was also an opportunity for her to get to know ‘the brothers’ and rest of the family better. She did much of the driving too and saw parts of the country she has never seen. It was a great trip. It was also the first time seeing where Aaron and Martha are now living and ministering. Whew! is Dallas a big and busy city! Although they live in Plano, their church is in south Dallas. We rode the commuter train into Dallas to the zoo…we love zoos!! After a super visit…always too short…we left for home, but decided to do so via Atlanta for a quick overnight stop with Seth and Rebecca. Coming into west Atlanta from interstate 20 was so beautiful! And Jordan was able to chalk up even more states traveled through.
In July it was back up to Indiana, this time for the installation service for Josh as the new pastor of Community Bible Church. Not only did Jordan make this trip, but we took Makenzie and Elijah with us, the two oldest grandchildren and Grandma Harding came along too. In Utah when Dan and Steph still lived there and ministered together with Josh and Christina, the cousins were practically inseparable. So it was priceless to see the looks on Gabe and Zeke’s faces when they saw their cousins! And they had quite the adventure in “the cat barn”…another story for another time. It ended with everyone needing a shower and having to wash their clothes, including Poppy once they were found. I’ll leave you to imagine! Then there was story time with Grammy to learn a valuable lesson.
The ‘tour’ ended with a trip to Atlanta at the end of August to be with Seth and Rebecca after the birth of their third, another little girl Evelyn Josephine. Isn’t that beautiful? You should hear big brother Ephraim say it; “This is my new baby sister Evelyn Josephine.” Side note: the daughter-in-laws middle names have been used with each other’s daughters, and I think it’s the coolest thing! Maybe because it is a blessing to my heart to know the sister-in-laws love each other and enjoy spending time with each other so much. Rare and sweet! Rog left me for a week to help with Ephraim and Ellie while Rebecca recovered. My what a special time. What a joy to be able to be able to help my kids.
Well, coffee is gone. The afternoon has slipped away. My thoughts turn to autumn and how quickly it is approaching. It was just a year ago in October that our family was all together here at home in West Virginia. All the great-grands were even able to be here. The house was bursting at the seams! I don’t know when we’ll be able to make another ‘Tour’, or when we’ll even all be able to be together again. And I’m ok with that because I treasure the times we do have and have memories stored to hold onto. In the meantime, there are cell phones and picture texting and Skype and Facebook…thank God for technology!!
I’m ready to welcome another fall in all of its glory.
Thursday, September 13, 2012
You Can Do It!!
“If you love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15-16). A call to love, or a call to obedience? It is both. And it is possible. But I can no longer count the number of times I have heard the following responses and others similar:
“You don’t understand. I just can’t do that.” forgive, be kind, study harder
“It’s too much to ask. God doesn’t really expect that does He? Not today at least. Maybe in Bible times, but that just doesn’t apply today.” stay pure, give of self and finances
“It was just a little white lie, no harm was done. Besides, it was for a good cause” be honest, have integrity
“But I think God understands how much I wanted this, how much I needed it.” avoid debt, be patient, be content
“Oh they’ll grow out of it. It’s just a phase. but it’s so cute at this age! It’s just not right to make them do something they don’t want to do.” discipline children, teach and train for godly character, set boundaries
I could go on. If there is an issue we deal with today the Scripture addresses it. God has a way for things to be handled. He knows the outcome of the right (righteous) response to His Word. Is obedience too much to ask of His children when He has done so much for us? And it is for our good always. His call to obedience is with our best interest in mind, because He loves us, not because He is a tyrant that enjoys having his subjects in paltry servitude.
Now, about a call to love. “If you love me, keep my commandments.” This raises a few questions. Can we keep His commandments apart from loving Him? If I don’t keep His commandments, does this mean I don’t truly love Him, or love Him as I should? This verse infers that our love for Christ is questionable at the least. We see in Revelation 2: 1-6 that it is possible to be doing right things but our love and devotion to our Savior not be all it could or should be.
Our love is fickle; it is weak; it is often merely emotional. And, it is dependent on Him who is Love. I John 4:10 says that we love Him because He first loved us. The more important fact is that Christ loves us. God loves us enough to not leave us in the wretched condition He first finds us in. And a life without Christ, at its very best, is still wretched with eternity in view. Embracing His love and growing in an understanding of His love for us enables us to love Him in return. In so doing, we find a desire to obey that can grow strong.
When it does not seem possible to obey as the Lord would have us to, no matter what the situation or issue, we can be confident He has already made a way for us to do what He has asked. Immediately after Jesus speaks to his disciples and says “If you love me, keep my commandments”, He continues saying,
“And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever, the Spirit of Truth whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you” (John 14: 16-17).
After walking with His disciples for three years Jesus knew they would question their ability to love Him…consider Peter and his denial of Christ, then Jesus in John 21 penetrating Peter’s heart with the simple question, “Do you love me?” They would need His power to love and obey. And He sent it in the work and person of the Holy Spirit to live in us, just as He promised. In I Corinthians 3:16, “don’t you realize the Spirit of God lives in you?” (my paraphrase) And again in Romans 8:9, “If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His”. If we belong to Christ then the Holy Spirit dwells in us and longs to empower us to obey.
Consider this: if a bill needs to be paid and the money is in the bank to be used to pay it, but we say we cannot, we either deny or ignore the resources available to us. Or, we do not expend the effort or do what is necessary to have the funds applied. In the same way, there is first the choice to obey, then the effort or process of actually following through.
The choice? “By God’s grace, I will obey.”
The effort? Pray; seek accountability, encouragement or counsel; read His Word; set aside time for worship and service; avoid situations that make it easier to disobey.
If we love Him we are to keep His commandments. Not keeping them is to communicate otherwise. We can fool ourselves, we can fool others, but God is not fooled. And it is the relationship with Him that is most important. We can obey more, and we can love Him always. And we have all the Help we need to do so.
Thursday, June 7, 2012
The Turnip Squeeze
My grandmother used to say, “You can’t squeeze blood out of a turnip.” I know, you’re thinking, “what exactly does that even mean?” Well, even if you don’t know anything about turnips, you’ve probably felt “the squeeze”!
The overwhelming demands that on occasion life has brought my way are not easily forgotten. It seemed as though I would suffocate under the weight of them. Sitting in a chapel service during one of these times, listening to the speaker as he expounded on Jeremiah 18 about the potter and clay, I literally felt as if I were being crushed! I thought I would explode before I got out of that room and alone with God to “unload” on Him! The heaviness was too much, the demands too great; I couldn’t hold up under the weight of them anymore. Yet, there was an overwhelming sense of knowing God was at work. I might be crushed in the process, but I would come out on the other side a more beautiful vessel if I would not resist or become impatient and bitter in the waiting.
Another season brought financial burden, emotional stress, family and ministry demands, personal sickness. I was taking a full college load of classes and working 20 hours a week. (My boys used to tease about my free time…that was between 2 and 5 in the morning! Little did they know how literal that often was!) I was taxed physically, my time, my energies all expended but I had to keep going. On another occasion, housing was an issue. We could not find any! We were living over the kitchen at the church in two rooms they prepared for us; full-service commercial kitchen, our own personal showers (gym shower/locker room), the entire gym for the kids to play in, it was…interesting. We were grateful, and blessed to be invited to use the empty space while we looked for a house, but it was hard and the pressure to find something was ever present. I sat at the top of the stairs with my open Bible one morning, asking God once again to please let this be the day we would find a place to live. Summer was almost over, and while the arrangement had worked for this time it would not work as well once school started (the church had a Christian School that also used the facilities). And how did He answer me? I turned to the devotional for the day, Psalm 90, and verse one loomed large before me: “Thou hast been my dwelling place in all generations.” I laughed out loud at first, then, just began to cry. God was not taunting me, and even though I am convinced He has a sense of humor, this was not an instance of it being displayed. No, it took a moment, but I realized He was directing and encouraging and comforting…He was still at work and I had to hang on in trust until all was made plain.
My mom called that afternoon. She wanted to know if we were open to making a move out of state to Virginia. I told her at this rate, if God opened up a house on the moon for us, we’d go! She had already found one for a more than reasonable price. Roger and I had already sensed during our “church mice” stay that God was changing our plans and redirecting us. And later it was confirmed that He was actually protecting us from some major changes that would take place in the church we had been in that would have impacted us in a great way. Roger was able to go back to school and finish His ministry degree, I was able to be near home with family (parents and grandparents) at a crucial time, and we eventually connected with a missionary pastor that God used to direct us to a pastoral ministry in North Carolina. The former pastor had died and the church needed to heal. When doors had been so tightly closed for so long it was amazing to see how quickly things started to fall in place.
These times have helped us determine that our home would be an open home. He is our dwelling place, not just the structure we reside in. God’s home is that way. Heaven is His home, and He invites us to share it with Him through all eternity. He welcomes us with delight and not only says “what is mine is yours”, but Christ has been preparing a place just for us. This welcome is intentional. We have tried to model that open invitation as He gives opportunity and shows us He is sending people our way.
Regardless of your physical residence, if the Lord is your dwelling place, you’re where you need to be. He has a way of opening and closing doors, directing and protecting, providing and guiding that is sometimes hard to grasp until you experience it.
We have, and He is!
The overwhelming demands that on occasion life has brought my way are not easily forgotten. It seemed as though I would suffocate under the weight of them. Sitting in a chapel service during one of these times, listening to the speaker as he expounded on Jeremiah 18 about the potter and clay, I literally felt as if I were being crushed! I thought I would explode before I got out of that room and alone with God to “unload” on Him! The heaviness was too much, the demands too great; I couldn’t hold up under the weight of them anymore. Yet, there was an overwhelming sense of knowing God was at work. I might be crushed in the process, but I would come out on the other side a more beautiful vessel if I would not resist or become impatient and bitter in the waiting.
Another season brought financial burden, emotional stress, family and ministry demands, personal sickness. I was taking a full college load of classes and working 20 hours a week. (My boys used to tease about my free time…that was between 2 and 5 in the morning! Little did they know how literal that often was!) I was taxed physically, my time, my energies all expended but I had to keep going. On another occasion, housing was an issue. We could not find any! We were living over the kitchen at the church in two rooms they prepared for us; full-service commercial kitchen, our own personal showers (gym shower/locker room), the entire gym for the kids to play in, it was…interesting. We were grateful, and blessed to be invited to use the empty space while we looked for a house, but it was hard and the pressure to find something was ever present. I sat at the top of the stairs with my open Bible one morning, asking God once again to please let this be the day we would find a place to live. Summer was almost over, and while the arrangement had worked for this time it would not work as well once school started (the church had a Christian School that also used the facilities). And how did He answer me? I turned to the devotional for the day, Psalm 90, and verse one loomed large before me: “Thou hast been my dwelling place in all generations.” I laughed out loud at first, then, just began to cry. God was not taunting me, and even though I am convinced He has a sense of humor, this was not an instance of it being displayed. No, it took a moment, but I realized He was directing and encouraging and comforting…He was still at work and I had to hang on in trust until all was made plain.
My mom called that afternoon. She wanted to know if we were open to making a move out of state to Virginia. I told her at this rate, if God opened up a house on the moon for us, we’d go! She had already found one for a more than reasonable price. Roger and I had already sensed during our “church mice” stay that God was changing our plans and redirecting us. And later it was confirmed that He was actually protecting us from some major changes that would take place in the church we had been in that would have impacted us in a great way. Roger was able to go back to school and finish His ministry degree, I was able to be near home with family (parents and grandparents) at a crucial time, and we eventually connected with a missionary pastor that God used to direct us to a pastoral ministry in North Carolina. The former pastor had died and the church needed to heal. When doors had been so tightly closed for so long it was amazing to see how quickly things started to fall in place.
These times have helped us determine that our home would be an open home. He is our dwelling place, not just the structure we reside in. God’s home is that way. Heaven is His home, and He invites us to share it with Him through all eternity. He welcomes us with delight and not only says “what is mine is yours”, but Christ has been preparing a place just for us. This welcome is intentional. We have tried to model that open invitation as He gives opportunity and shows us He is sending people our way.
Regardless of your physical residence, if the Lord is your dwelling place, you’re where you need to be. He has a way of opening and closing doors, directing and protecting, providing and guiding that is sometimes hard to grasp until you experience it.
We have, and He is!
Friday, April 27, 2012
Sitting, Singing, and Kite Flying
I’m sitting on the deck in the warm sun. Birds are singing, the cherry tree is blooming out. I’m watching the grandkids run and play on the hill. I see them run and laugh and roll in the grass, Bailey the beagle chasing them like butterflies. It’s a beautiful sight. Later, Rog…a.k.a. Poppy, and Jordan has them flying kites. Grandson Elijah looked to Rog with a big smile and said, “Poppy, I could do this all day!”
That’s the feeling. It’s happened toward the end of a wonderful family visit or vacation. Or like the kite-flying, or hanging out later at Sweet Frog and Starbucks with friends…I wasn’t ready for it to end. I knew it would, so I just wanted to soak it in and savor every moment. But journeying with God is so amazing, it doesn’t end, and it just keeps getting better!
“…He hath done great things. Fear not O land: be glad and rejoice: for the Lord will do great things” Joel 2: 20b-21.
Not only can I look back and praise Him for His faithfulness to His Word, His many answers to prayer, His provision and protection in my life and in the lives of many others, the great power and awe of just being in His presence; yes He has done great things. But I can also look forward to all He is yet to do, all He is yet to teach me, all He is still to accomplish in and through me, it’s an incredible thought. It’s also a comforting thought. I can rest expectantly in my Father to do great things because He has done great things in the past!
My son Seth said to me recently in response to a difficult and challenging situation he is in: “I will be joyful, I choose that”. I choose that! Regardless of where we are right now, maybe in a storm, we can know that God has done great things, and He will do great things. It’s about how He can be honored, what we can choose to praise Him for, how we can be better in spite of the situation. It’s about enjoying the journey, and we can when we remember that God is great and we are journeying with Him. The problem is that we are often on a timetable, and God is not. He is outside of time. In His great mind and will, His acts are already done. That’s where faith comes in, faith to believe that God is who He says He is and that He will do what He says He will do, in His time…and that will definitely be great and good!
What do we do in the mean time? Worship Him, love Him, serve Him, trust Him, wait patiently for Him.
And keep in mind, He has done great things and He will do great things!
Maybe go fly a kite!
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Spring!!
I’m loving this spring and even early summer-like weather! The spring showers, the flowers, the sunshine, even spring cleaning makes me smile and sing. Jonquils are blooming everywhere. And even though they may shrivel under yet another snow, they let me know warm weather is around the corner. Seeing them takes me back to my childhood when I welcomed the sight of them in the field behind our house, hundreds of them, wild and bright, their yellow blooms blowing in the breeze. It was magnetic!
Spring is about color. It’s about life. It’s about enjoying the beauty of the moment because it may not last long. It’s about hope that spring buds will turn into summer blossoms. God is about life, hope, and beauty and I see Him in every bloom, feel Him in every breeze and in the warmth of the sunshine. Even warm spring raindrops bring a soothing to my soul. The geese are pairing up around the pond. The birds are singing and pecking away in the yard. Things just seem to be perking up everywhere.
But with all the beauty, there are still the storms. There’s nothing quite like a spring storm and the light show it brings. Yes, even the storms have their own kind of beauty.
Just yesterday we went up toward Summersville . Our first stop was an overlook by Summersville Lake. We grabbed a picnic table, pulled out the chicken wings and potato wedges and just enjoyed the view. Soon we could see dark clouds moving across the water. We finished eating, I took a couples’ picture, (the fellas thought that was “weird” because last weekend on an outing a couple asked me to take their picture by the waterfall on Kaymore Trail; one of the boys remarked about how people trust me with their phone or camera to take a picture and that maybe I should start charging!! too funny) and we headed to our next stop, a civil war battlefield, Carnifex Ferry Battlefield Park. We explored a trail, trekked across the battlefield from graves to bunkers, from farmhouse headquarters to a cannon used in reenactments; a fun and educational afternoon. By the time we were headed for the van, we felt a few sprinkles. We hadn’t gone far when it began to pour. Twenty minutes later as we exited off the highway the boys asked if we thought we’d see a rainbow…we had talked about them the night before in our devotion time. When we made the turn, there it was! A beautiful rainbow brightened the sky behind us as the clouds lifted and the rain stopped. You would have thought no one had ever seen one before! God was so kind to remind us of His goodness and the blessing of knowing Him with this beautiful display. And God sent it while it was fresh in their minds; it was one of those “I’ll remember this" moments.
Flip flops, capris, freshly mown grass…spring has sprung. Now, bring on the summer!
“The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come…”
Song of Solomon 2:12
Spring is about color. It’s about life. It’s about enjoying the beauty of the moment because it may not last long. It’s about hope that spring buds will turn into summer blossoms. God is about life, hope, and beauty and I see Him in every bloom, feel Him in every breeze and in the warmth of the sunshine. Even warm spring raindrops bring a soothing to my soul. The geese are pairing up around the pond. The birds are singing and pecking away in the yard. Things just seem to be perking up everywhere.
But with all the beauty, there are still the storms. There’s nothing quite like a spring storm and the light show it brings. Yes, even the storms have their own kind of beauty.
Just yesterday we went up toward Summersville . Our first stop was an overlook by Summersville Lake. We grabbed a picnic table, pulled out the chicken wings and potato wedges and just enjoyed the view. Soon we could see dark clouds moving across the water. We finished eating, I took a couples’ picture, (the fellas thought that was “weird” because last weekend on an outing a couple asked me to take their picture by the waterfall on Kaymore Trail; one of the boys remarked about how people trust me with their phone or camera to take a picture and that maybe I should start charging!! too funny) and we headed to our next stop, a civil war battlefield, Carnifex Ferry Battlefield Park. We explored a trail, trekked across the battlefield from graves to bunkers, from farmhouse headquarters to a cannon used in reenactments; a fun and educational afternoon. By the time we were headed for the van, we felt a few sprinkles. We hadn’t gone far when it began to pour. Twenty minutes later as we exited off the highway the boys asked if we thought we’d see a rainbow…we had talked about them the night before in our devotion time. When we made the turn, there it was! A beautiful rainbow brightened the sky behind us as the clouds lifted and the rain stopped. You would have thought no one had ever seen one before! God was so kind to remind us of His goodness and the blessing of knowing Him with this beautiful display. And God sent it while it was fresh in their minds; it was one of those “I’ll remember this" moments.
Flip flops, capris, freshly mown grass…spring has sprung. Now, bring on the summer!
“The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come…”
Song of Solomon 2:12
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Grammy's Thoughts
I’m a grandmother.
I was out shopping with a couple of our “ranch” guys recently and we were in a bookstore. After a few minutes one of them came over to me and excitedly handed me his find. He smiled rather smugly when he said, “I think this is something you would like Ms. Ang!” “Oh I would, would I?” It was a very nice Bible…A Grandmother’s Bible, the cover read…in LARGE PRINT. Well, he was right, I did like it. It was beautiful. And in a few years even though I would still be able to see it I wouldn’t be able to LIFT it!!
It was a pleasant reminder though, of the fact that I am now most blessed to be a grandmother. And EVERYONE that knows me well, knows it too (somehow)!
A couple of days later when my son Dan had to take his wife Steph, to see a doctor, I drove in from work at the ranch (children’s home where my husband and I parent 10 boys ages 10 to 18) to watch the kids and pick up Jordan from school (a 16 year-old young lady living with us since November). And yes, that means Rog was left at the ranch for a bit with all “the guys”, and he didn’t mind a bit . After picking up Jordan, I decided to run by Walmart and pick up a few things to get them through the next few days while Steph was not feeling well. Once in the store, Jordan went one direction for a couple of things, and I took the four younger ones and headed in another. An elderly gentlemen (eyesight must have been bad) passed us and said, “Whoo…you have four young children, you have your hands full!” Makenzie, 7, was singing and walking along beside me on my left. Elijah, 6, was in the cart, “lovingly” poking his finger at Faith, nearly 3, trying to hold on to the cart on my right and emphatically telling him “STOP!” Little Lily, 14 months, was bouncing up and down in the seat, announcing her desire for a banana! Now, what made him think I had my hands full, I’m not sure.
“Grandchildren, actually”, I replied with a smile. My first thought was, “I’m a grandmother, thank you!”, somewhat put-out that it wasn’t obvious that I was a “Grammy”. It took me a moment to realize he had probably just unknowingly given me a compliment! I chuckled at myself.
How I do love being a grammy! Being a mom was, and still is, the greatest. All the early years of caring for, nurturing, teaching, training, correcting, molding, enjoying the joyful experience of all that a mom is, and then they give you grandchildren!
“Grandchildren are God’s gift for not killing your children!”
Josh and Christina gave me a plaque with this little quote on it one year for Christmas. It makes me laugh, and it holds a bit of truth in its humorous intent. But I’ve not been able to accurately describe just yet, especially in one quick quip, that feeling down inside when you see the sweet face, here the laughs, feel the warmth of the hugs, look into their eyes, and see something of your very own children, and a small part of you! It’s just incredible.
As much as I wanted to be all that God would have me be as a wife and mother, as a grandmother I want that as well. I want my grandchildren to see Jesus at every turn. I want them to know Him.
And as their grandparents, I know the Lord would have Roger and me provide them with love, support, guidance, wisdom and the experiences of a life commitment to Christ as we have opportunity.
“Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life; but teach them thy sons, and thy sons’ sons.” Deuteronomy 4:9
Roger and I are so grateful for the parents God has given our grandchildren, and we give God glory for the wonderful, godly parents they all are. The fact that they are now rearing their children to know and love the Lord, using His Word as their greatest guide to parenting, is not so much a tribute to us as some have thoughtfully suggested, but more a testimony to God’s great grace and His faithfulness. He is faithful to His Word. His ways are best, and we enjoy the blessings of children that are experiencing a Christ-centered and blessed life because they have taken God at His Word for themselves. He is real and personal to them. It is what they live and believe, not just what mom and dad lived and believed. And they are intentionally and purposefully, passing this on to their own children now. Plus, our grandchildren have such a heritage, not just with us but with their other grandparents as well. We are truly blessed to have the daughter-in-laws (they’re simply daughters to us!), and the in-laws (extended family) that we have. They too, are parents that desired and determined to see their children walk in God’s ways. We enjoy the relationship of ONE LARGE FAMILY, having been received and accepted, loved and appreciated by each other. And much to the surprise of some folks, we all enjoy spending time together!! This is something else we want the grandchildren to know...they are SO LOVED by SO MANY!! Grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins…the extended family is alive and well and thriving with this crew!!!
I’m a grandmother, and Rog a “Poppy”, but we are still parenting. First, our own in a different and even more privileged way if that’s possible, now that they are adults. The role is different, the approach and responsibility is different, but it is still parenting, and a great joy. Then, there are others that God brings into our lives, either through our job here at New River Ranch, or through the church, and even those He would still have us open our home to. Every child that comes into this world is a gift from God and to be cherished and taught. “Children are a gift from the Lord” (Psalms 127:3). If The Creator gave them life, no matter the circumstances, He has a plan waiting to be discovered. It is His desire for them to know and love Him. If we can be used in some way to see that desire become a reality, then we are grateful and trust Him to enable and empower us to do it.
I’m a rather excitable, passionate person. I get excited about the things I love! So it stands to reason that I’d be a doting, sometimes rather dramatic grandmother. Pictures on my phone, pictures on my fridge, coloring book pages, and just coloring, on my walls; handwritten notes, cards, tiny tokens of love all around the house that I treasure; they represent relationships. Life is about relationships.
And the icing on the cake??? Did I mention I am a grandmother? Twelve beautiful, unique persons call us Grammy and Poppy, and we look forward excitedly to the arrival of two more this summer! And it’s a delight to be affectionately called Mom and/or Grammy, and Aunt Angie and Uncle Roger I might add, by a number of others who are not of our own flesh and blood, but definitely family to us in the ways that matter most.
I’m a grandmother!
I was out shopping with a couple of our “ranch” guys recently and we were in a bookstore. After a few minutes one of them came over to me and excitedly handed me his find. He smiled rather smugly when he said, “I think this is something you would like Ms. Ang!” “Oh I would, would I?” It was a very nice Bible…A Grandmother’s Bible, the cover read…in LARGE PRINT. Well, he was right, I did like it. It was beautiful. And in a few years even though I would still be able to see it I wouldn’t be able to LIFT it!!
It was a pleasant reminder though, of the fact that I am now most blessed to be a grandmother. And EVERYONE that knows me well, knows it too (somehow)!
A couple of days later when my son Dan had to take his wife Steph, to see a doctor, I drove in from work at the ranch (children’s home where my husband and I parent 10 boys ages 10 to 18) to watch the kids and pick up Jordan from school (a 16 year-old young lady living with us since November). And yes, that means Rog was left at the ranch for a bit with all “the guys”, and he didn’t mind a bit . After picking up Jordan, I decided to run by Walmart and pick up a few things to get them through the next few days while Steph was not feeling well. Once in the store, Jordan went one direction for a couple of things, and I took the four younger ones and headed in another. An elderly gentlemen (eyesight must have been bad) passed us and said, “Whoo…you have four young children, you have your hands full!” Makenzie, 7, was singing and walking along beside me on my left. Elijah, 6, was in the cart, “lovingly” poking his finger at Faith, nearly 3, trying to hold on to the cart on my right and emphatically telling him “STOP!” Little Lily, 14 months, was bouncing up and down in the seat, announcing her desire for a banana! Now, what made him think I had my hands full, I’m not sure.
“Grandchildren, actually”, I replied with a smile. My first thought was, “I’m a grandmother, thank you!”, somewhat put-out that it wasn’t obvious that I was a “Grammy”. It took me a moment to realize he had probably just unknowingly given me a compliment! I chuckled at myself.
How I do love being a grammy! Being a mom was, and still is, the greatest. All the early years of caring for, nurturing, teaching, training, correcting, molding, enjoying the joyful experience of all that a mom is, and then they give you grandchildren!
“Grandchildren are God’s gift for not killing your children!”
Josh and Christina gave me a plaque with this little quote on it one year for Christmas. It makes me laugh, and it holds a bit of truth in its humorous intent. But I’ve not been able to accurately describe just yet, especially in one quick quip, that feeling down inside when you see the sweet face, here the laughs, feel the warmth of the hugs, look into their eyes, and see something of your very own children, and a small part of you! It’s just incredible.
As much as I wanted to be all that God would have me be as a wife and mother, as a grandmother I want that as well. I want my grandchildren to see Jesus at every turn. I want them to know Him.
And as their grandparents, I know the Lord would have Roger and me provide them with love, support, guidance, wisdom and the experiences of a life commitment to Christ as we have opportunity.
“Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life; but teach them thy sons, and thy sons’ sons.” Deuteronomy 4:9
Roger and I are so grateful for the parents God has given our grandchildren, and we give God glory for the wonderful, godly parents they all are. The fact that they are now rearing their children to know and love the Lord, using His Word as their greatest guide to parenting, is not so much a tribute to us as some have thoughtfully suggested, but more a testimony to God’s great grace and His faithfulness. He is faithful to His Word. His ways are best, and we enjoy the blessings of children that are experiencing a Christ-centered and blessed life because they have taken God at His Word for themselves. He is real and personal to them. It is what they live and believe, not just what mom and dad lived and believed. And they are intentionally and purposefully, passing this on to their own children now. Plus, our grandchildren have such a heritage, not just with us but with their other grandparents as well. We are truly blessed to have the daughter-in-laws (they’re simply daughters to us!), and the in-laws (extended family) that we have. They too, are parents that desired and determined to see their children walk in God’s ways. We enjoy the relationship of ONE LARGE FAMILY, having been received and accepted, loved and appreciated by each other. And much to the surprise of some folks, we all enjoy spending time together!! This is something else we want the grandchildren to know...they are SO LOVED by SO MANY!! Grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins…the extended family is alive and well and thriving with this crew!!!
I’m a grandmother, and Rog a “Poppy”, but we are still parenting. First, our own in a different and even more privileged way if that’s possible, now that they are adults. The role is different, the approach and responsibility is different, but it is still parenting, and a great joy. Then, there are others that God brings into our lives, either through our job here at New River Ranch, or through the church, and even those He would still have us open our home to. Every child that comes into this world is a gift from God and to be cherished and taught. “Children are a gift from the Lord” (Psalms 127:3). If The Creator gave them life, no matter the circumstances, He has a plan waiting to be discovered. It is His desire for them to know and love Him. If we can be used in some way to see that desire become a reality, then we are grateful and trust Him to enable and empower us to do it.
I’m a rather excitable, passionate person. I get excited about the things I love! So it stands to reason that I’d be a doting, sometimes rather dramatic grandmother. Pictures on my phone, pictures on my fridge, coloring book pages, and just coloring, on my walls; handwritten notes, cards, tiny tokens of love all around the house that I treasure; they represent relationships. Life is about relationships.
And the icing on the cake??? Did I mention I am a grandmother? Twelve beautiful, unique persons call us Grammy and Poppy, and we look forward excitedly to the arrival of two more this summer! And it’s a delight to be affectionately called Mom and/or Grammy, and Aunt Angie and Uncle Roger I might add, by a number of others who are not of our own flesh and blood, but definitely family to us in the ways that matter most.
I’m a grandmother!
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Loaded Questions
“Now the Angel of the Lord found her by a spring of water in the wilderness…and He said, Hagar, Sarai’s maid, where have you come from and where are you going?” Genesis 16: 7-8
Wow, loaded questions. Where have you come from? Where are you going? Well, Hagar had an answer for where she had come from. She was “fleeing from the presence” of Sarai.
Quite the drama plays itself out in this relationship triangle. There’s Abraham, married to Sarah (Abram and Sarai at this point). They’ve been promised a son, but Sarah is unable to bare children. She believes God will make good on His Word, but she’s not sure when or how. Perhaps He needs her assistance in this matter. Enter Hagar, Sarah’s handmaid. It has been ten years already, and still the Lord has kept Sarah from bearing children (16:2). So, she suggests to Abraham that perhaps she could raise up a child born to him from Hagar; kind of a surrogate mother situation, only without the technological availability of in vitro fertilization. Well, this sounds like a reasonable arrangement until Hagar actually conceives. Sarah begins to feel despised by Hagar and decides she has made a terrible mistake. When Abraham says she can deal with Hagar as she pleases, Sarah is harsh with her. Hagar flees.
The Lord comes to Hagar in her place of despair. She’s pregnant, alone, and since she cannot tell the Lord where she is going she is likely wondering, “what next?” She knows where she came from, a very difficult and awkward situation. Perhaps Hagar had been a bit too excited about the baby. Maybe she appeared to be flaunting the fact that she was able to conceive so quickly. Maybe she somehow made Sarah feel that she was favored now by Abraham. After all, she was going to give him a child. Whatever the case, Hagar was treated harshly enough to make her decide to run away from it all.
It’s January, and I’m guessing I’m not alone, especially this time of year, in spending some time looking back. As the New Year approached I began to pray and think about what might lie ahead in 2012. Speculation, anticipation, even some anxiety is perhaps normal…or at least typical when considering the future. Maybe it’s my age, but looking back is also somewhat nostalgic. I’m thankful to be able to look back and treasure most of the memories of my childhood; those early years of marriage; the privilege to have born and reared children; the lessons learned, the friendships forged; the places traveled; and the many special people over the years God has allowed me to get to know and love. I am also often overwhelmed with a grateful heart when I think of where God has brought me from, what life might have been like without Christ, His patience with me.
But it’s not just in these contemplative moments that the questions of where I’ve come from and where I’m going enter my thoughts. Like Hagar, there have been a few times I have been distraught over circumstances that were draining me dry. After a while, I just wanted out, wanted the hurt to just stop, wanted the situation to just be over. Failures are often easier to try to ignore or leave behind, than face; hurts might seem easier to run from rather than work through. Whether it’s a strong-willed toddler or a turbulent teen, conflict at work or in the home, things can often escalate to something we’d rather run from than embrace. But running away, especially if you don’t know where you’re going, is not the answer.
I imagine Hagar was resistant and aghast when the Lord told her to go back and face the very thing she was trying to escape. It was not going to be easy to go back and submit herself once again to Sarah’s harsh treatment. She may have brought much of it on herself, but even if she had not it would be humbling to return and purposely subject herself to the unfavorable situation she would be in. Yet, that is exactly what the Lord told her to do.
I am sure the Lord has not confronted me with these same questions for the last time, and not just on a yearly basis as I reflect on the passing of time. Because repeat performances of painful experiences are not usually desired, when things get difficult, it’s natural to just want out. There is a time for walking away, and this is not about being doormats or martyrs either. This is about a willingness to submit as the Lord directs, trusting Him to give strength and grace to face whatever we might otherwise wish to just escape from. It won’t be easy, I’ve been there. But God is so very faithful. It’s worth wading through the high water to get what God has for you on the other side of the flood. When fleeing is all you can feel, when you don’t think you can go on, let Him find you where you are, lovingly confront you in your distress, and give you what you need to make it through. He may just ask you a couple of loaded questions to help.
“Where are you coming from?”
What is it exactly that I am trying to escape from? Is it fear, uncertainty, failure, heartache, mistreatment, unfair or unnecessary conflict? Am I feeling that it’s just too much for anyone to expect? Is it just too hard, too demanding? Is there anything I can do to make the situation better? Is there something I could do differently? What if God doesn’t want it to end just yet, can I trust Him? Will I trust Him?
“Where are you going?”
How does God expect me to handle things? What can I learn from this situation? In what ways can God use this to grow me, stretch my faith and increase my dependency on Him? What should I do while I’m waiting? What if this isn’t even about me, but God is using my situation to impact someone else? Are my responses and reactions honoring Him? Is it time for a change? Is a breakthrough or an open door about to happen?
Wow, loaded questions. Where have you come from? Where are you going? Well, Hagar had an answer for where she had come from. She was “fleeing from the presence” of Sarai.
Quite the drama plays itself out in this relationship triangle. There’s Abraham, married to Sarah (Abram and Sarai at this point). They’ve been promised a son, but Sarah is unable to bare children. She believes God will make good on His Word, but she’s not sure when or how. Perhaps He needs her assistance in this matter. Enter Hagar, Sarah’s handmaid. It has been ten years already, and still the Lord has kept Sarah from bearing children (16:2). So, she suggests to Abraham that perhaps she could raise up a child born to him from Hagar; kind of a surrogate mother situation, only without the technological availability of in vitro fertilization. Well, this sounds like a reasonable arrangement until Hagar actually conceives. Sarah begins to feel despised by Hagar and decides she has made a terrible mistake. When Abraham says she can deal with Hagar as she pleases, Sarah is harsh with her. Hagar flees.
The Lord comes to Hagar in her place of despair. She’s pregnant, alone, and since she cannot tell the Lord where she is going she is likely wondering, “what next?” She knows where she came from, a very difficult and awkward situation. Perhaps Hagar had been a bit too excited about the baby. Maybe she appeared to be flaunting the fact that she was able to conceive so quickly. Maybe she somehow made Sarah feel that she was favored now by Abraham. After all, she was going to give him a child. Whatever the case, Hagar was treated harshly enough to make her decide to run away from it all.
It’s January, and I’m guessing I’m not alone, especially this time of year, in spending some time looking back. As the New Year approached I began to pray and think about what might lie ahead in 2012. Speculation, anticipation, even some anxiety is perhaps normal…or at least typical when considering the future. Maybe it’s my age, but looking back is also somewhat nostalgic. I’m thankful to be able to look back and treasure most of the memories of my childhood; those early years of marriage; the privilege to have born and reared children; the lessons learned, the friendships forged; the places traveled; and the many special people over the years God has allowed me to get to know and love. I am also often overwhelmed with a grateful heart when I think of where God has brought me from, what life might have been like without Christ, His patience with me.
But it’s not just in these contemplative moments that the questions of where I’ve come from and where I’m going enter my thoughts. Like Hagar, there have been a few times I have been distraught over circumstances that were draining me dry. After a while, I just wanted out, wanted the hurt to just stop, wanted the situation to just be over. Failures are often easier to try to ignore or leave behind, than face; hurts might seem easier to run from rather than work through. Whether it’s a strong-willed toddler or a turbulent teen, conflict at work or in the home, things can often escalate to something we’d rather run from than embrace. But running away, especially if you don’t know where you’re going, is not the answer.
I imagine Hagar was resistant and aghast when the Lord told her to go back and face the very thing she was trying to escape. It was not going to be easy to go back and submit herself once again to Sarah’s harsh treatment. She may have brought much of it on herself, but even if she had not it would be humbling to return and purposely subject herself to the unfavorable situation she would be in. Yet, that is exactly what the Lord told her to do.
I am sure the Lord has not confronted me with these same questions for the last time, and not just on a yearly basis as I reflect on the passing of time. Because repeat performances of painful experiences are not usually desired, when things get difficult, it’s natural to just want out. There is a time for walking away, and this is not about being doormats or martyrs either. This is about a willingness to submit as the Lord directs, trusting Him to give strength and grace to face whatever we might otherwise wish to just escape from. It won’t be easy, I’ve been there. But God is so very faithful. It’s worth wading through the high water to get what God has for you on the other side of the flood. When fleeing is all you can feel, when you don’t think you can go on, let Him find you where you are, lovingly confront you in your distress, and give you what you need to make it through. He may just ask you a couple of loaded questions to help.
“Where are you coming from?”
What is it exactly that I am trying to escape from? Is it fear, uncertainty, failure, heartache, mistreatment, unfair or unnecessary conflict? Am I feeling that it’s just too much for anyone to expect? Is it just too hard, too demanding? Is there anything I can do to make the situation better? Is there something I could do differently? What if God doesn’t want it to end just yet, can I trust Him? Will I trust Him?
“Where are you going?”
How does God expect me to handle things? What can I learn from this situation? In what ways can God use this to grow me, stretch my faith and increase my dependency on Him? What should I do while I’m waiting? What if this isn’t even about me, but God is using my situation to impact someone else? Are my responses and reactions honoring Him? Is it time for a change? Is a breakthrough or an open door about to happen?
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