Hope and Joy

We have recently come face to face with death. Delane's grandmother, Anna Belle, passed away last week. She was 95. She had been married 77 years. She had given birth to 15 children. She sewed a lot. She baked a lot. She hugged a lot of babies. She made people feel special. She lived a good life. She did good things. She had a powerful influence in many, many lifes. She was a great woman.

But all this would be meaningless without her faith...

And so at the visitation you heard laughing. At the cemetery, friends and families lingered visiting and reconnecting and laughing. There was sadness because we were saying goodbye. But there was also an expectancy in the air. A little bit of joy. Yes, joy. Why? Because there was hope.

You see when you have faith that this human life is not all there is... When you believe something better is waiting.... When you believe an eternity in the presence of God is available... it gives you HOPE. And true JOY.

So, as we come to Easter, the time when we remember the resurrection of JESUS... the time when those of us who have FAITH reflect on what HIS death and resurrection mean to us, we have HOPE and JOY.

My prayer is you have this HOPE and JOY in your life...

Springtime in the Plains

We have lived in Kansas for 15 years... And I can say unequivocally, spring is my favorite season in Kansas. When we lived in Indiana, I would tell you that fall is my favorite. Fall is glorious back that way. But here? Here the spring time is glorious. Even with the wind. And even though we are put on alert for severe weather from time to time. Spring is my most favorite season in Kansas.

So what makes Kansas so special in the spring? Well, for starters, it is beautiful and lush and green. All the grass, bushes, trees, and plants seem fresh. And right now they are blooming and budding. Gorgeous.

I love seeing those first Forsythia plants start blooming. Then the Bradford Pears. Then the Red Bud trees... It seems every week there is a new plant or bush to enjoy in all its radiant glory. You most definitely see first hand the work of an amazing creator.

In addition to the sights of spring, I love the sounds of spring too. I love to hear the wind blow and feel the breeze flow through the window. I love the sound of the birds chirping and calling their mate. I love the hum of the neighborhood lawnmowers powering up for their call of duty.

It makes me feel alive and excited and thankful. There is just something magical in the air in the spring! I love it!

The Ocean

Last week, my husband and I were finally able to get away for a few days to celebrate our anniversary. We chose to go to California -- the San Diego area because neither of us had been to that part of the state. It was wonderful. We were very impressed with the variety of things to do and the beauty in that area. Everything was blooming and looked fresh! It was gorgeous.

Of course, one of the biggest excitements for this land-locked midwest girl was to see the ocean. When I see the ocean, I am always reminded of the power of God's creation. How can anyone stand beside the ocean and not be in awe of its power? It's beauty? It's sheer force? And yet, God is above all that I saw and experienced with my human eyes. Amazing.

Isaiah 51:15 says, "I am the Lord your God, who churns up the sea so that its waves roar--the Lord Almighty is his name."

I was reminded of God's power and glory several times during my trip to California. When we stood beside the ocean, when we saw all the variety of His creation. When we saw the beauty in the sunset. When we were flying over the Rocky Mountains and the Grand Canyon. His power and his beauty and splendor were all around us. (I know all of that is here in Kansas too - it is just different :-) It just doesn't look like this...

I am so grateful to have gotten away and had time to spend with my husband. But, I am also grateful for the opportunity to experience and enjoy more of God's creation. Good times indeed.

My thoughts this week

I know my posts haven't been regular lately. I have several posts I am working on. Some are written. Waiting to be edited. And this week it is hard to know what to say after seeing what is going on across the ocean in Japan. I was reading several of the blogs I regularly read and found one that says exactly what I am feeling. Check out her blog... sarahmarkley.com.

Blessings.

I don't remember signing up for this...

I remember when we found out we were going to be parents. Going on 16 years ago. Wow. So hard to believe how fast the time has gone. Anyway, not long after I found out I was pregnant, I went and bought the "bible" for pregnancy, "What to Expect When You are Expecting." And let me just say, I am not getting paid to endorse this book, but seriously it is the best pregnancy book ever. Truly. Especially for a hypochondriac woman who tends to have periods of anxiety. Tailor made for a woman like me.

Anyway, that book was great during my pregnancy. I would start having leg cramps. I would look up "What to Expect in the whatever Month" and bingo...it would tell me to expect leg cramps. Loved it. It gave me confirmation and comfort and eased my mind. It helped me get through pregnancy five times.

Then you prepare you the birth. You take "birthing classes." Then you take "breastfeeding classes." Then you take "newborn classes." We were ready. Then you have the baby...

Fast forward fifteen years. We now have five children. A teenager. A pre-teen. Two in the middle and a toddler. They don't have a "What to Expect" book for this part of parenting. Situations arise all the time that I don't expect. And there isn't an all inclusive book that tells me exactly how to handle the situation. (Okay, I know some of you out there who read my blog might be thinking... the bible. But, last I checked the bible didn't directly address what to do when your boys squirt red ooze on the white carpet.) UGH! I don't remember signing up for this....

I tell people who are newly pregnant to enjoy their pregnancy and childbirth. And especially enjoy childbirth. It is the easiest part of being a parent. You have a team of professionals surrounding you and helping make you comfortable and monitoring every little thing. And the best part...you are actually encouraged to take drugs to help make it through the process!

Some days...

...you got it and some days you don't. The words aren't coming this week. I am not quick with the thoughts and the motivation to process my world isn't happening. Life is still going on. But the need to share and philosophize...not so much. I know it will return. I will feel the need to write again. It may be later today. So stay tuned. In the mean time, have a blessed week.

...and Liberty for all...

One of my favorite experiences from my recent trip to NYC in December was our visit to the Statue of Liberty. I had seen the Statue of Liberty last time I visited NYC, but we had just taken the boat tour around it and did not actually go to Liberty Island and walk around it...etc....

It is quite simply awesome. It was an iconic moment. I felt the same way when I saw Mount Rushmore and when I visited the monuments in Washington, D.C. And I am sure I will feel the same way when I see the Grand Canyon...

It was also an inspiring and humbling moment for me knowing what the Statue of Liberty represents to so many people -- knowing the sacrifices immigrants all over the world made to climb on a boat (or fly on an airplane) and head to the USA where they would see Lady Liberty for the first time -- and knowing when they entered the harbor they were excited and happy because of the hope America would give them.

My entire visit to NYC reminded me of the great melting pot that is the United States. And our visit to the Statue of Liberty was no exception. At one point we tried to get someone to take our picture with the Manhattan skyline in the background, but we could not find anyone who was speaking English. (It was a little surreal for a girl from the heartland and a southern belle.) But it was inspiring too. Visitors from all over the world visit NYC, pay their money, go through airport-level security, board a ferry and head out to an island to visit an old copper monument. Why? I believe it is because of what it represents to the world. Okay, maybe it is because it is expected you visit the Statue of Liberty when you visit NYC. And I realize it is an expected visit. But, I do think it became a "must do experience" because of what it represents.

My continued hope as I process and reflect on this experience (and also my visit to Ellis Island) is the people and lawmakers in our nation will never become complacent (or worse, apathetic) about the freedom and liberty we experience in this great country. People from other lands value it and respect it and honor it and want it. Hopefully, we will always do the same.