Change and Peace

Currently, some major changes are taking place around the world.  No matter where or when you turn on the news, there is discord, disruption, disharmony and disturbance. But . . .

Driving in our area today, there is such beauty . . . the air is fresh and clean, the sky is high and deep blue, the trees are changing color (not as brilliant as in New England this time of the year, but still beautiful.)  There's a crispness in the air that matches the crisp apples found at roadside stands, a yummy treat!  We bought a bunch of Winesaps last week and made applesauce for the freezer to enjoy with gingerbread or pancakes during the winter.  It's hard, on a day like today, to imagine that out there somewhere, the world is turning upside down for a whole lot of people.

We have a friend vacationing in Italy right now, and headlines read that there are dangerous riots happening in Rome.  Having been to Italy, we pray that she gets to see the fragrant and beautiful harvest there this time of year, and avoids the danger of the city. We have friends planning on a cruise that includes Greece and Turkey, and we are concerned for their welfare, yet hope that they get to see the beauties of Istanbul (the Spice Market) and Ephesis, unharmed. We see the ravaging that has happened in our beloved England, and feel sick for the places and precious people we loved to visit who live there. We hear of the brewing hotpot in the HolyLand, and we wonder what will be left of Jeruselem when angry people have their way.  New York city, Chicago, Los Angeles, Phoenix - even our country's big cities are feeling the effects of people's anger and hatred. These are angry people without Hope.

Is there any peace anywhere in the world? We've decided that the only real peace can be found in our hearts.  It doesn't come from crisp apples, tasty cheese, long afternoon drives in the country (although those things can contribute temporarily).  It comes from the presence of Jesus Christ within - the one who has placed us all on equal ground and has given us the same hopeful futures if we simply accept Him and His gift.  That's where the real beauty is - today and always! Taste and see that He is good.


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Love to Remember Forever!

Last Saturday Night my sweetheart was surprised by a Birthday Party to remember.  The outpouring of love was INCREDIBLE!   People from far and near were present at 2 Scoops Ice Cream, Soup and Sandwich Shoppe, and many, many others sent cards and letters affirming that man of mine as important and beneficial to them. Ron was quite surprised as we arrived to a banner, balloons and bumper to bumper warm bodies at the Shoppe.

He was given a photo album of pictures from ministry and a scrapbook of written sentiments and cards from folk everywhere.  A soft and fluffy doggie bed and multiple toys for little Miss Rockey - a mini schnauzer puppy - when she comes (in 3 weeks)  And the big gift, given from many who love him, is the puppy.

The grandest gift of all however, was a surprise visit from our daughter who lives in Florida.  Both our girls, Sara and Naomi pulled off that surprise affirmation of their love for their father.  They surprised us both!

I ask you - is there anything more important in life than our relationships?  If you think there is, you might want to compare notes with Ron, 'cuz he's sure that these relationships are of greatest importance.  First God, then family and precious friends.

We are both still reeling from the granduer of it all, and the great outpouring of love, and oh, the precious memories!




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Lasting Love

Have you ever thought about what you would do if your mate had a serious illness that was going to be ongoing for a long time?  Have you ever found yourself taking care of a loved one and discovered that you didn't have as much patience as you thought you did?  What would you do if your mate really needed 24 hour care and you were the one doing it?  How would you decide if a nursing home, or home health, or live in assistance or doing the care yourself was the best idea?

We have a friend who has been ill for 40 years with Parkinson's Disease.  It has progressed to the point where she is basically bent in half and requires round-the-clock care.  She and her husband have been married for 61 years, and she remains at home with live-in care.  Another couple we know deal with having endured several strokes, and the partner of nearly half a century, lovingly cares at home, and they even go on trips together.

Do a bit of self-evaluation.  What would it take for you to give up on your marriage?  Would you take the easier path of not dealing with an invalid partner, by just placing them in a facility when you could make some arrangements for in-home care so that you can be together?  One of the saddest pictures to look at is a couple who have lost their partner into Alzheimer's Disease.  The mate looks perfectly healthy, but the eyes are vacant and the mind confused and forgetful.  How difficult is would be to have your mate slip away while still with you.

Watching couples who are devoted and committed to each other regardless of the blows that life brings them is inspiring.  We are being blessed this week by such a couple visiting in our home.  God Bless them both for 48 years of adoration and commitment, regardless of life's hardships.

Think on this . . . what would you do?  what have you done?  How has it felt  and how have you coped.  Your comments are welcomed!!






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Countdown

Four days and counting to the anniversary of one of America's most horrific days - September 11, 2001.  So many are attempting to get prepared for the worst, as the enemy has warned and predicted another doomsday for America on this anniversary.  TV stations are posting something every day about what transpired ten years ago.  Our local station, each day this week, is recalling what happened ten years ago on each day leading up to the famous attack on our country. 

For many, the stress connected with the memory and the stress created in the process of recall, is devastating! New York City is on VERY high alert.  Police officers and security guards are to be seen and unseen everywhere, and the memorial of the event and the fountains created to memorialize the dead from that event are presented to the world this coming Sunday.  Families of those whose lives were snuffed out on that day, not only in New York City, but also at the Pentagon and in a Pennsylvania field, will gather for a special day of honoring the deceased and all of those who valiantly fought to save lives in that attack.

The world remembers September 11th on September 11th, but the loved ones of those who died, remember every day.  Wars and rumors of war abound - Iraq, Iran, Afganistan, Syria, Palestine, Israel, North and South Korea, VietNam.  And the two great world wars fought in Europe, the war against personal freedom and dignity daily fought in Communist countries - it seems to me like a whole lot of war to remember, instead of a whole lot of peace!

What many do not comprehend, is that the war between good and evil has been being fought since the beginning of time.  The instigator has one thing in mind - divide and conquer.  The war is raged in our heads, dividing us within ourselves (head vs. heart).  It rages in our marriages and homes - our personal need to be right; to be top dog.  It is the war that devastated us in our early childhood years that keeps being fought on the battlefields of our minds, and dumped on those we profess to love.

Peace is an internal experience that begins within each of us.  It is our own unsettling, usually caused by early experiences of wounds received, that causes us to lash out, in an attempt to see to it that we can survive.  That need for self-protection, built in to us in our brains, when dominant in our lives, can be a great detriment to peace. It separates the love of the human heart from the survival brain and we are left with self-protective behaviors with minimal if any love from the heart.

So yes, doomsday is coming; we may be attacked again by the enemy of our country.  The greater question is, will our need for self-protection and survival outweigh the love in our hearts?  Can we have both?  The answer is YES!  Check out www.kardiakare.com and read about it.

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Be Responsible?

This morning an amazing program was on the Internet.  Glenn Beck, a former Fox News Contributor who is an outspoken Christian and reformer of sorts, conducted a  program broadcast live from Jerusalem, Israel.  Hundreds of people from around the world met him in Jerusalem for a "Restoration of Courage" rally, similar to the rally conducted one year ago at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC.
While you may not be a supporter of his views on politics, one could hardly ignore the content of his speech this morning.

Awards were given to three entities in Israel: 

• a 12 year old whose parents and siblings were slaughtered in cold blood by extremists and haters of the Jews. She received an award for FAITH, based on her actions after the murders.
• two restaurant owners - a Muslim and a Jew, in whose establishment peoples of all faiths often ate.  A suicide bomber took out herself and many customers there.  These owners received an award for HOPE, as they re-opened 2 months following the incident.
• An owner of numerous super-markets, who serves Muslims and Jews alike, and often donates food to poor families of either faith who cannot afford the food.  His award - COURAGE.

And then, sandwiched between beautiful music,  Beck gave a speech that could easily have made him  a martyr for the cause of Israel's right to exist.  Courage?  It was far beyond courageous!
In this speech, he challenged us to be responsible - to not rely on government leaders, priests, rabbis and pastors to do the right things and be responsible, but to be responsible ourselves - wherever we are and whomever we are. Be responsible to God, to each other, and also to link arms to do the right and responsible things for Israel and for mankind.

What ever happened to responsibility anyway?  When did we stop teaching it to our children, first by example and then by precept?  When did we lose courage to do the right thing?  When did we forget that there are right things, not just our feelings to consider?  When did we turn our backs on "thus saith the Lord" to just "do it MY way?"  Oh yes, selfishness abounds, and it does because we think it's the only way we can survive, but will mankind survive if all we think about is ourselves?

Would love to read your answers to the questions posed!

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Eye on the Sparrow

We just turned off the news, and I'm glad that we did. News anchors of great renown are reporting the worst possible economic news.  Experts are predicting China's anger over our financial mess.  More local (statewide) reporters spew out tales of murders, robberies, DUI's, hit and run accidents.  tornados, floods, fires (we've had an elegant sufficiency of them in our area this year!) earthquakes and other disasters, than ever before.

Are men's hearts failing them for fear?  Is yours?  Are you watching the grocery bills escalate?  I know that I spend at least one third more now than I did a year ago, and we've really cut back on what we buy.  I'm not entertaining nearly as much as I once did. We were with extended family the other night and while at the table having dinner, one of the family got a phone call and acted horrified at the news he was getting.  The wife of a friend was slated for retina (eye component) surgery, and at the last minute was denied the surgery.  WHY?  Because the insurance company said they would pay for the operation but not for the hospital costs.  WHAT?  So the hospital crossed her off their surgery schedule for the next morning.  Unbelievable!

You know, I bet we'll see a lot more of what's been listed above, but it's not surprising.  The Bible has predicted these things would happen.  But . . . I can recall my sweet English grandpa quoting many, many times an interesting Bible text that went something like this: "I've never seen the righteous go hungry or his seed begging bread."  And many times these last few months, I've heard it repeated in his old English accent, in my mind.

I for one, take it literally.  When I look at grocery items I used to buy and cannot now afford, I just say to myself, "we didn't need it anyway."  Eating simpler is better for us.

I used to be afraid of the time of trouble, but you know, I've seen God work mightily in the past and have confidence that he can do the same again.  Our meeting (Ron's and mine) was miraculous, the births of our two daughters were miracles, the change in our lives from marital strife to marital harmony is another work of God, so why should I fear the future?  His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me!

How about you?  

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Forty-Six Years of Love

Forty-six years ago tomorrow, on the hottest and most humid day ever (the temp and humidity were 96 degrees) the Love of my life and I walked down the aisle of the little church in New London, Connecticut as husband and wife.  What a joy for us both!

Today we celebrated that achievement with Sunday Brunch at a lovely old inn, high in the Sacramento Mountains (8750 ft. altitude) in a small town called Cloudcroft. We toasted each other and gazed into each other's eyes like we did at our wedding reception, but this time with the history of 46 years behind us, two beautiful daughters, two exceptional son-in-laws, and four fabulous grandchildren born to our girls.  And, lucky us, one little Great-Granddaughter!

Amazing how the years change things.  Our bodies creak and groan, our hair has turned to silver, and we aren't the whispy things we once were (added a few pounds)  But has the change in the outward appearance changed our love?  Yes it has.  Our love has deepened, and there is a knowing, a security, a blending that we didn't comprehend 46 years ago.  While the years haven't always been easy, there has come a priceless love between us that hair color, added pounds and creaking bodies cannot destroy. To me he is as handsome today as the day we met and the day we tied the knot. Our passion for each other has multiplied through the years and the years that didn't go so well have become a part of today's mission.  Read Heart Connection if you're not sure that's possible. You can find it at www.fixablelife.com.

Many such blessed years to you too!



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Friends I Can't Do Without

I have very little blood family left - other than children, grandchildren and one little great granddaughter, I have just one cousin left, and he's 2500 miles away!  Of course, my family was small in size to begin with, but lucky me - I've enlarged the group!

When Ron and I married, I was thrilled that he had 5 siblings.  Now there's 2 of them left - 2 of his sisters, and they are precious to me!! But again, they live far away, so get-togethers happen infrequently.  Our youngest daughter is far away in miles too.  YUK!

Through the years however, we've made friends wherever we have lived - and there have been quite a few places due to career.  In our God-given work as a couple, we have met very dear people who continue as loyal supporters and with whom we love to be in touch - Karan and Eric who moved 3500 miles to help us with our ministry.

One female friend is a gal I cannot be without - she's fun and a builder-upper.  We e-mail and chat on the phone whenever we get 5 minutes. Another female friend is a loyal chum - understanding and tender and a fabulous cook - thanks for the great lunch, roommate. Another friend lives in cold country - far too far away.  We get to see each other once a year if we are lucky. She has been a precious friend who has helped me move and my mother too, far too many times - and done a whole lot more! I have a few new friends who are special too.  We plan lunches whenever we can, keep in touch by e-mail and short visits whenever we are in each other's area.  There's sweet Linda, the best Massage Therapist in the world, who lives just down the street. YEA!

My Best Friend? - My Savior
My Next Best Friend? - My sweet hubby

But at this moment, my treasured friend is Audrey - a woman of great computer intelligence and know-how, who has helped me out of a computer glitch - so that I could write and publish this blog!

Write and tell a short story about your best friend - Male or Female.  I'd love to hear it.  Write it in Comments - bottom of this page.

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A song in Time

Have you ever noticed that just when you need a boost - a few words of encouragement, the listening ear of someone who "gets it", an offer of help even though it's reality may be impossible - that help arrives, and usually just in the nick of time?

Today was not one of my better days. I'm coughing like crazy and feeling generally awful; I guess from that horrid Arizona dust storm we came through last week.  Sure enough, when some allergen from the outside or some nasty bug is floating around, it'll go to my compromised lungs. Add to that, computer frustrations and trying to accomplish some work, and I was close to my wits end!

And the phone rang.  I answered and a little voice that at first I did not recognize inquired about how I was doing - and what I was doing. Once I recognizedthe voice, and I had coughed a couple of times, the caller quickly got the message that my answer was - "not too great."  "What do you need to do for that cough?" she asked."  I assured her that I was taking all the "stuff" I could and probably just needed rest.

"Well, can you do that? Can we come and help you?"  WHAT?  That person lives a nine hour drive away! 
"No", I replied, "Really, the work we are doing is stuff we have to do ourselves, but thank you."
"Why do you have to do it?" she asked.  Well, we are preparing for our new seminar and have to do this because we want to be ready for it, and quite frankly, we need the added income," I answered sheepishly.
"Well, would you let us send you a bit of money?  You know, we think so much of you and of your work, so we would be happy to send a little to help you."

I was overwhelmed!  Just when I needed a shot in the arm, God must have spoken to her and prompted her to call.  The "shot in the arm" wasn't her generous offer of time or money, it was just the fact that she had called, was concerned, solicitous and kind, and that God had answered my prayer for a boost even before I prayed it.

It is so true, that God gifts us with the desires of our hearts, when we don't even know what they are! When her kind words were spoken, they went straight to my heart from the heart of my friend.

One of my favorite sayings . . . A friend knows the song in my heart and sings it to me when my memory fails.  Thanks for singing today, Katydid!  and to you Priscilla and Donna for all the songs you have sung to me in the past!

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Tradition . . .

Do you have a cherished tradition? I have a few, actually very few, but the ones I do have are oh-so-special!


At Christmas there’s Auntie Helen’s Cardamom Coffee Bread and a Christmas Eve gathering of family and friends, usually with a unique menu that includes that scrumptious coffee bread. For Thanksgiving, Donna and I get together the day before and make the grandest Pumpkin Pie and a few other pies too. For supper we make homemade Pizza and Salad, and perhaps for dessert a piece of her fabulous fudge. It seems that whenever she and I are together, we cook or bake – just our thing, and we have a way of enjoying ourselves, chatting and singing while we “work” – as we consider it, having fun.

Today, I am at Donna’s house, which is unfortunately a nine hour drive from ours. They remained in Arizona when we made our move to the mountains of New Mexico, but we find any excuse we can to get together. Last time, it was a Julio Iglesias concert near our place, and this time we are in Arizona because Ron has been accepted into a national study for Parkinson’s, and they even pay our transportation here – what a blessing in more ways than the one!

So what do you suppose we are doing? You’ve got it – we are doing our traditional cooking. She is making a potato salad to go with supper, and because my market had fresh rhubarb, I brought some to make a couple of strawberry-rhubarb pies. So tonight will be a grand feast; the product of a wonderful day of chatting and our time-honored tradition.

I sit here with computer before me, wondering if you have traditions that are precious to you. If you do, won’t you make a comment, sharing yours with all of us? Thanks!


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Frustrating Days

I’m sure that you have ‘em too; those days when you sorta’ wish you’d never gotten out of bed! Today was one of those days for me.

First of all, when I awakened and did get out of bed, my Hubby was nowhere to be found. It took a couple of minutes to remember that he had an early morning appointment for our car, which, when you put on the brakes makes a growling sound, and doesn’t want to stop properly. So I figured that since our early morning ritual had been interrupted by needed car repair, I would scrape the peeling paint off of our two door trims, and repaint the trim.

Well . . . I did the scraping, and then went to the shed for the primer. No primer. Couldn’t find the exterior paint either, or the “good” paint brushes. Oh well, the scraping done, I opted for another chore. Pull back the gravel that had snuck out the end of our driveway, but halfway through that job, I was beyond exhausted, and my back was screaming. “So what,” I thought, “it’s half-done anyway.”

So I returned into the house, overheated and back aching, and decided to sit with an ice pack, a bowl of cereal, and my computer. I’ll write the blog, I figured. Cereal devoured and back pain easing, I tried for the blog, but couldn’t get on the spot for blogging.

After a brief rest, I opted to get out the paint I bought weeks ago for the new color on the Living room walls (two of them) and painted two large spots. Figured I’d better wait until Ron came home to love or hate the color. He likes it!

Ron came home with the news that the AC had also gone out on the car – oh the virtues of living on Social Security with no extra cash for such pricey problems, but the Lord will supply, I keep telling myself. Know why? Somehow, He always does, and at the end of the day, some of the painting is done, and half the driveway, the blog is written, and the rest will get done when it does. In His time, In His time. He makes all things beautiful, In His time.

Tell us about your days . . .





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Rushing to Judgment

How quick we are as humans to rush to judgment without knowing all the facts or the ins and outs of a person's life experience.  We look at an unshaven homeless man standing on a street corner with a "will work for food" sign, and we automatically assign him a label - LAZY BUM.  We see a discheveled woman pushing an overloaded shopping cart, and we figure that she never did amount to anything much.  How WRONG we are to pass judgment when we have no idea of the circumstances of that person's life.

Why write about this now?  In the news yesterday and today is the result of the famous Casey Anthony case. I'll have to admit that when I learned she had been acquited, I yelped - "What?"  But the real truth is that I don't have all of the facts, and quite frankly I have been to pre-occupied with other things to watch the trial or read about it either.

You know what?  That's how we are with most people we meet.  We make value judgments based on appearance, conversation and what seems to be their attitude.  We sit near people in church and make those conclusions based on what we see on the outside, and the reality is that we have no idea what hereditary and life experience factors have created the person.  Those who dress the snazziest and speak with the most polished diction can be covering up a life filled with abuse and pain.

Most of the time we choose to not get involved, to not care to inquire about a person's life or to get to know them beyond a casual "Hi. How are you?" and we hope they really will answer with the proverbial, "Fine thanks, and you?"  Seldom do we want the real truth.

Do you think that Jesus would have engaged people like we do?  Did he want to know the truth or a convenient lie to make his life easier?  If we are Christians (followers of Christ) what should our engagements with others be like?  As for me, I have found that the reply, "Fine," often hides a multitude of pain.

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God's "Sneaky" Messages

Have you ever wondered why just the right thing, be it a person who cares, a Biblical passage, a TV program, or even a cough drop wrapper can offer you a message - one that raises your level of positivity and negates your fears?

Ron was scheduled to preach, and because of his Parkinson's Disease was concerned that exhaustion would hit him while he was standing at the pulpit, or his speech would trip him up. Tiredness is so very common with PD and when exhausted, depression kicks in easily.

He reached into his pocket for a cough drop, and as he unwrapped it, he noticed that on the Hall's wrapper, there was some writing.  He looked closer and found the words:  "You can do it and you know it."  Funny, the origin of a "shot in the arm," but the question is, was Hall's really the originator of the encouragement, or was Hall's used to pass on a message from Ron's Dad - our Heavenly Dad?

What do you think?



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Be Sure of Where You're Going

Be Sure of Where You’re Going!

This story is really an adjunct to our article in this newsletter. It’s about our trip to 3 ABN on June 7th – the day before we filmed the interview about Heart Connection.

We arrived at the St. Louis airport at 1:30 pm and headed for the Rental Cars and the car that would take us to our destination. “Do you have an idea where Franklin, Illinois is?” Ron asked the car attendant. “Yes Sir, I do, he replied and after advising directions, sent us on our way. We knew we had about a two and one half hour drive there from the St. Louis airport.

Our trip was lovely. We chatted about the lovely scenery along the way, the many fields of corn growing at various stages of development, and that we must be going a different way than we had last time, because we didn’t recognize things along the way. Oh well, it was just enjoyable being together and having an “adventure.”

Arriving in Franklin, we began looking for familiar landmarks to direct us to 3 ABN, but couldn’t find any. Rather than feeling frustrated, we decided to ask a garage mechanic.

“Never heard of it,” he replied.

“That’s strange. It’s a huge complex,” Ron remarked. “It’s an international Television Station – lots of acreage.”

“Not familiar to me, but let’s look in the phonebook,” the mechanic offered.

M.m.m. not there either. “Let me call my son and have him look on his computer,” the kindly man suggested.

Moments later, the phone rang and the son said that he’d looked up 3 ABN and the facility was located in Frankfort, Illinois. Franklin, Frankfort. Well they sounded alike, but we soon found out that they weren’t nearly the same place. We discovered how precise one has to be when it comes to destinations!

A two and a half hour ride back to St. Louis and a two and a half hour ride in the opposite direction from where we had gone, and by 9 pm we were at our little guest room at 3 ABN.

Are you sure of your destination? And are you sure how to get there. Is your map helping you on your Journey, or are you looking to the wrong advice.

Remember, LIFE IS A JOURNEY, and only you have the map. EXCEL!

Read the full article in the soon-coming June Newsletter. Don’t get the newsletter?

Go to www.fixablelife.com and subscribe. It’s FREE!

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Heavy Learnin'

Today we are doing something that I personally have resisted for a long time.  We are learning Facebook.
Our wonderful friend and assistant, Audrey, flew here to NM to teach us, and while I was thrilled to have her with us for a few days, I HONESTLY dreaded having to sit with the computer on my lap, feeling its heat and the heat in my brain as I would struggle to learn a modern way to connect.  After all, I am a  great-grandma!

Amazing how what we picture as our future creates our feelings today! So as I awakened with a headache this morning, knowing that I would have to fix breakfast and then try to get my head around something I didn't care to see, but knew I HAD to, I was not a happy camper!

So breakfast done, shower taken, I sat in my chair awaiting the dreaded lessons.  But . . .

What to my wondering eyes should appear, a teacher who was able to allay all my fear!

OK, so now I've been "at it" for nearly four hours, and I'm having a blast!  So much so that I just asked Ron how he planned to eat if I was going to be the Facebook Person. 
"Easy," he said, "You have two hands!  One for Facebook and one for cooking!"

This can be addictive!  Anyone with this concern?

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