Enjoying Life and adjusting to death

I remember that in my first post of the new year, I was writing about all that we are looking forward to this year. Many of those things have come to pass. This past weekend Brooke graduated from High school and had a wonderful celebration. She is loved by so many and it was obvious by the great turn out to her party. Because it was memorial weekend many family members from farther away were able to come, so we celebrated her graduation with a house full of people too!! During the ceremony a speaker was sharing about this class being a movie. She said Brooke and another classmate, would be the "good guys" always standing up for what they believe in. I think that is an awesome way for her classmates to see her. You do not know how people perceive you. Obviously Brooke's classmates see that she is genuine. What an honor. I am sure that they have observed her through her struggles and tough times. They were watching to see how she would respond, when life sucks. She passed that test too!
Because of the her graduation party we realized there is something wrong with the wiring in my moms shop where the party was held. Brooke wanted taco soup, so I put everything in the roasters, My nephews wife, Lisa and my nieces husband Ryan planned on staying at our house so the little ones could nap. Lisa was going to work on getting things ready while most of the rest of us went to the graduation, I went up to show her around, the roasters were cold! So I showed her where the pans and crock pots were, and headed off to graduation, came back to find that my crock pot had almost started a fire! It had melted the cord and the bottom was so hot that the plastic legs were melted and had melted the tablecloth is was on and the wood it was setting on was black! The Lord provided one of those staying back to walk outside the shop to smell it. The crock pot had only been on about 5 minutes He(Mike)smelled something hot and this is what he found. So things changed and they had to make even different arrangements but it all worked out. Lisa and Natasha did an excellent job serving the food, and keeping things running smooth so most of the guests had no idea of the problems! An electrician is coming to look at it tomorrow! I am just frustrated with myself for forgetting the shredded cheese to put on top of the soup, all 10 pounds were still in my fridge when the party was over!! :-(

Brooke is planning on leaving on Sunday evening (after her last piano recital) to begin her summer job at camp Luz. Because of some of what she will be doing she is going early for 2 weeks of training. She is so excited. She had such a good experience last year. I hope this year is even better for her.
Brooke and I went to register for college. She is so excited for that too, -- I am scared! Christian Colleges have messed up so many young people lately with their liberal off the wall theology and values. It seems to me they are becoming to secular and taking there focus off the Bible and on to other books and theory's One of the college staff their even said "we will change your values" --that scares me!!! College did change Calebs values, and not for the better! We parents put our lives. love and values into our children and the Christian colleges can screw them up in such a short time! Sometimes I wonder if a secular college would be a better choice for our young adults, they don't expect them to teach Christianity, so our christian youth don't have as hard of a time dealing with it, But on the other hand most secular colleges think Christianity is not real anyway. tough.. tough.. (Didn't know I was going to go there!)

Caleb is now in Diamond Louisiana with Mennonite disaster service-- until July 30. He was not excited to go since he had a poor experience with this organization last summer. My Prayer is that he will have a good experience this year and not loose his faith because of those that act unchristian who call themselves Christians!! (see previous post) He graduated from Hesston College May 4. We enjoyed having him home for a few weeks, although he did head west for a week to visit a special friend. He is hoping to find a job and live in Fort Wayne Indiana with a college friend in late summer. I hope that works out for him too. He needs some positive things to happen in his life, unfortunately he has had too many negatives the last couple years.

In my New years blog I also wondered who would have their lives forever changed by death... Our neighbor and her mother were killed in a car accident in Pa on there way home from a funeral on April 17. She was in her early 60s and her mom was 90, Her Husband has not been able to go back to their place and live yet, He is staying with their daughter. They were looking at a different house because theirs was in poor condition, now he has lost his desire to pursue that, and doesn't know what he is going to do. Dave said the house would not be livable another winter. On that same day (April 17) there was another car accident just a few miles from here. Charlies (My moms late husband) daughter-in-law was in, she also died a few days later. This is a difficult situation for my family because Charlies kids are not happy with his will and trust that he made before his death, and are suing my mom and our church (mom is to have the rights to his property until her death, then it is to go to the church.) Charlies kids had little to do with him when he was alive, his daughter didn't even want her name in the obituary! Anyway I keep praying for these men as they adjust to their wives living with Jesus.

Just over a week ago our nephew Kyle who lives near Houston was in a motorcycle accident, he had road rash over most of his body, broke a toes and dislocated his shoulder. He is home but his mom went out to help him as he recuperates, He is in a wheelchair and sounds like the road rash is healing but he is very sore

This year is not even half over yet and there are good and bad things that have happened again I wonder what lies ahead for the rest of the year..
Dave is still planning on going to Mexico for a mission trip it will probably be in the fall, We have a niece getting married in Iowa October 18. We are excited for her. Dave and I will once again be great aunt and uncle. (We always new we were great:-))

I know we (Dave and I) will have some major adjustments to once again conquer. Even though the kids have been gone the last 2 summers, no one will be returning home in the fall. They are going to be moving ahead with their lives and needing their parents less and less.:-( Yes that is what we raise out kids to do, But I still love it when Jessica calls and asks me something:-). All of this is easier then burying them! I will adjust in a much shorter time. And I can still talk to them and visit them it will be great! The way life should be!! When Jessica moved out on her own she was so excited that it was hard not to be excited with her. I hope that is the way it is with the other 2 also.
Who would ever think we would pay $4.00 for gasoline? wonder what we will be paying by the end of the year?

We may not understand all His ways, but we can know Him whose ways are unfathomable! (Chuck Swindoll)

May the rest of your 2008 be great!

I am reading the book Unchristian by David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons. I bought the book for Brooke for valentines. She hasn't read it yet.. school will do that to you! We had heard about it from my brother. I challenge you to read it, and look at yourself to see how unchristian you may be coming across to those around you. I want to share just a bit from page 182/183.
"To be judgmental is to point out something that is wrong in someone else's life, making the person feel put down, excluded and marginalized. Some part of their potential to be Christ followers is snuffed out. Being judgmental is fueled by self righteousness, the misguided inner motivation to make our life look better by comparing it to the lives of others.
Unfortunately Christians in our culture have become identified with this perception. Nearly 9 out of 10 (87%) young outsiders said the term judgmental accurately describes present day Christianity. This was one of the big 3 --the most widely held negative perceptions of Christians (along with anti homosexual and hypocritical). Just to put this in practical terms, when you introduce yourself to a twentysomething neighbor, and you mention your faith, chances are he or she will think of you as judgmental.
We have also discovered that our better than thou attitudes are apparent to young church goers. Most Christian young people told our interviewers that our faith seems to focus on other peoples faults. More than half the young Christians ages 16-29 (53%) said they believe that the label judgmental accurately fits present-day Christianity" ----OUCH!!!

We are all just sinners saved by grace. Lets show grace and love to others so that they too may want to become Christ followers.
Dear Lord --may the reflection of Christ others see in me be full of grace and love-- not judgmental and hypocritical. AMEN

ponderings

Don't know if I have any readers other then Brooke or not. So for those who may read let me share a bit with you. Since December my job situation has changed. I am still employed by both of my employers, but my job where I used to have time to blog has changed locations most of the time and I simply do not have the time I used to to blog. The job change has been good, I have learned a lot of new stuff. A bit scary at first for an old lady!! I learned I do not want to be an office worker full time (I do this 1-2 days a week and that is plenty!) I should explain that a bit I guess because I am an office worker. I would prefer to take orders, write up orders then to file the endless stream of papers alphabetically, I enjoy interacting with the farmers and getting to know them a bit. I have learned a lot about raising (feeding) pigs and cattle, enough to know if I tried to raise a few for our meat it it would cost more then we could afford!!
So I am telling you all this hoping that you may enjoy the tidbits that I find to post here once in a while with out taking the time to make a personal blog.

I am looking forward to spring (wondering if it will ever get here, yet having the faith that it will!) I am planning on having a small garden this summer. I used to have large gardens before Shaun was killed then it was something that I had no desire to do, until this year, I do not have the time I used to for that and no kids will be home to help, so we are just going to plant a few things and see how it goes. Dave said he would help me!

I am excited Dave and I will be celebrating our 28th anniversary on Saturday. I am so glad that God brought us together!! We were married Easter weekend and our anniversary hasn't came on Easter weekend since!! We have been through a lot together. We've been more poor than rich, but always had enough. Basically healthy other then Daves back and the surgery that went with that. We have had many joyous times together..... sharing the birth of our 4 children, giving us a new way to look at this world, and being able to really understand what a sacrifice God made for us when he GAVE his son to die. Being a parent changes how you view that, and so many other things. (we thank the lord for all of our children and would not have given up the 16 years we had Shaun here, no matter how hard it was to lose him!! That is what LOVE is all about.) We have shared the ultimate sorrow together when we buried our oldest son. We all grieve differtently and we were somehow able to survive this unthinkable trauma to our lives, I think through time and prayer we have adjusted to living here with Shaun living in heaven but it has been by far the hardest thing we have ever gone through. I think our living kids are doing OK too. Shaun's death is a part of each of our lives as much as we are a part of each others lives. We have experienced loss and what is involved with it. His death has been a factor in shaping all of us into who we are today, and how we deal with loss, joy, sorrow etc.. Life is full of joy and sorrow, rich and poor, healthy and sick. Thanks be to God for giving Dave and I each other to live and survive together through it all. We have been married longer that my mom has been married to one man. My father died when he was 39 after 17 years of marriage for them, my step-father and mom were married 23 years and mom and Charlie were married 17 years. None of us know when we will be called from this life to eternity. My dad and Shaun were suddenly taken from us. My dad was not a Christan, He will not be waiting for me when I get to heaven. But I know Shaun will (God has given us that peace) My step dad had much pain and suffering before he died and Charlie was ill off and on for a couple years, but was only ill a few days before he died. We saw him the night before he died and never dreamed that he would die the next day, he was setting on the edge of his bed talking to us. Daves mom died a year before we were married, she layed down to take a nap and didn't wake up!! Sooo... we never know when we are going to die, we only know that we are, as well as everyone we know. Have you told those you love that you love them?? Do you have a right relationship with GOD? Do you know Jesus as your personal savior? Believe in the LORD JESUS CHRIST as the son of the living God and you will be saved from eternity in hell where there is no love and no light. You can know you are going to heaven.

I will leave you with this
A sick man turned to his doctor, as he was preparing to leave the examination room and said, "Doctor, I am afraid to die. Tell me what lies on the other side."
Very quietly, the doctor said, "I don't know."
"You don't know? You, a Christian man, do not know what is on the other side?"
The doctor was holding the handle of the door. On the other side came a sound of scratching and whining, and as he opened the door, a dog sprang into the room and leaped on him with an eager show of gladness.
Turning to the patient, the doctor said, "Did you notice my dog? He's never been in this room before. He didn't know what was inside. He knew nothing except that his master was here, and when the door opened, he sprang in without fear. I know little of what is on the other side of death, but I do know one thing...I know my Master is there and that is enough."

aging

Do you realize that the only time in our lives when we like to get old is when we're kids? If you're less than 10 years old, you're so excited about aging that you think in fractions.
'How old are you?' 'I'm four and a half!' You're never thirty-six and a half. You're four and a half, going on five! That's the key
You get into your teens, now they can't hold you back. You jump to the next number, or even a few ahead.
'How old are you?' 'I'm gonna be 16!' You could be 13, but hey, you're gonna be 16! And then the greatest day of your life ! You become 21. Even the words sound like a ceremony. YOU BECOME 21. YESSSS!!!
But then you turn 30. Oooohh, what happened there? Makes you sound like bad milk! He TURNED; we had to throw him out. There's no fun now, you're Just a sour-dumpling. What's wrong? What's changed?
You BECOME 21, you TURN 30, then you're PUSHING 40. Whoa! Put on the brakes, it's all slipping away. Before you know it, you REACH 50 and your dreams are gone.
But wait!!! You MAKE it to 60. You didn't think you would!
So you BECOME 21, TURN 30, PUSH 40, REACH 50 and MAKE it to 60.
You've built up so much speed that you HIT 70! After that it's a day-by-day thing; you HIT Wednesday!
You get into your 80's and every day is a complete cycle; you HIT lunch; you TURN 4:30; you REACH bedtime. And it doesn't end there. Into the 90s, you start going backwards; 'I Was JUST 92.'
Then a strange thing happens. If you make it over 100, you become a little kid again. 'I'm 100 and a half!'
May you all make it to a healthy 100 and a half!!

George Carlin's Views on Aging

HOW TO STAY YOUNG

1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay 'them.'
2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.
3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain idle. 'An idle mind is the devil's workshop.' And the devil's name is Alzheimer's.
4. Enjoy the simple things.
5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.
6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person, who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive.
7. Surround yourself with what you love , whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.
8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.
9. Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county; to a foreign country but NOT to where the guilt is.
10. Tell the people you love that you love them , at every opportunity.
AND ALWAYS REMEMBER :
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away

signs signs everywhere are signs

Been busy and haven't ahd much tiem to think about this blog, so I thought I would share a few funny signs.....

Pizza shop slogan: "7 days without pizza makes one weak."

At a tire shop in Milwaukee: "Invite us to your next blowout."

Door of a plastic surgeon's office: "Hello. Can we pick your nose?"

At a drycleaners: "How about we refund your money, send you a new one at no charge, close the store and have the manager shot. Would that be satisfactory?"

a towing company: "We don't charge an arm and a leg. We want tows."

On a maternity room door: "Push. Push. Push."

At an optometrist's office: "If you don't see what you're looking for, you've come to the right place."

On a taxidermist's window: "We really know our stuff."

In a podiatrist's office: "Time wounds all heels."

On a house's fence: "Salespeople welcome! Dog food is expensive."

At a car dealership: "The best way to get back on your feet - miss a car payment."

Outside a muffler shop: "No appointment necessary. We hear you coming."

In a veterinarian's waiting room: "Be back in 5 minutes. Sit! Stay!"

At the electric company: "We would be de-lighted if you pay your bill. However, if you don't, you will be."

In a restaurant window: "Don't stand there and be hungry. Come on in and get fed up."

In the front yard of a funeral home: "Drive carefully. We'll wait."

At a propane filling station: "Tank heaven for little grills."

ON QUEENS AND PRINCESSES ESPECIALLY FOR BROOKE

dictionary.com
QUEEN:
The wife or widow of a king.
as does my good old Websters here at work.
On the other hand,
my PRINCESS.
from dictionary.com, as well as my Webster...
PRINCESS:
a non reigning female member of a royal family, or a consort of a prince.

You my princess will only become queen when you are married and you must marry a prince. :-) (That last part is an order from your Queen-Mother, King Dad, as well as the King of Kings!!) Since you are a daughter of a king, you are a princess. I too am the daughter of the king. But I am married and your king "Dad" is the ruler of "our" kingdom. That makes me queen and you are a princess. (A fair maiden)
NOW if we are referring to the kingdom of God then I too am a princess, because my heavenly father is the KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS!! And your dad he is a prince. :-)
I really hate to tell you.... but your sister is a Queen too. and your living brother is a prince!!

I love you my princess!!!

Power of prayer

Praying for someone and not telling them is like clapping with one hand. I used to have that saying on our refrigerator. I really do not know what happened to it. But I do agree with it.

I remember when Shaun was killed and I was not capable of praying (I know that sounds strange to some of you and I hope you never have to go through a time like that) many people shared that they were praying for us. I knew that, I could feel it, that is why we survived that awful experience, because of the prayers of others... thank you. I remember a women telling me I would know when people stopped praying. (she has 2 children awaiting her arrival in heaven) I don't remember when that happened but I do know it did. Even thought I know people pray for me now I do not feel it like I did then

I have just finished reading the book 90 minutes in heaven by Don Piper. WOW what an amazing life he has had. Not an easy life, by any means though. He was dead for 90 minutes after a car accident, a preacher was stopped in the traffic from the accident and was lead by God to pray for Don even though he was already dead-- The preacher even felt for a pulse and there was none. But he obeyed Gods prompting and spent time praying like never before, singing and praying. Then it happened as Don was about to walk through the gates of heaven, he was a part of the singing in heaven and the next thing he knew he was singing what a Friend we have in Jesus with the pastor who had been praying for him.. WOW, I had to reread that part of the book a couple times because it is so awesome. You should at least try to read the first 50 or so pages of that book. I was imagining Shauns (and mine) welcome to that HOLY place.

I know that I tell people that I pray for them a lot. Because I know what it means to me to KNOW people are praying for me. SO when I tell you that I am praying for you. KNOW that it it happening!!

What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.

Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged; take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness; take it to the Lord in prayer.

Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge, take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do your friends despise, forsake you? Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In His arms He’ll take and shield you; you will find a solace there.

Blessed Savior, Thou hast promised Thou wilt all our burdens bear
May we ever, Lord, be bringing all to Thee in earnest prayer.
Soon in glory bright unclouded there will be no need for prayer
Rapture, praise and endless worship will be our sweet portion there.

Jo­seph M. Scriv­en, 1855. Scriv­en wrote this hymn to com­fort his mo­ther, who was across the sea from him in Ire­land. It was orig­in­al­ly pub­lished anon­y­mous­ly, and Scriv­en did not re­ceive full cred­it for al­most 30 years

Clap with both hand