Amazing Love

Our choir is preparing music for Easter.  This is one of my favorites...such wonderful truth written there.
I've always said that the people who get the most out of the music is the ones who perform it.  As I practice over and over, the truth burns in my heart.  The sound of this video is not very good, but the words are there for you to contemplate as you listen.

Playing Tourist

This past weekend I was host to my dear friend, Tiina, from Estonia.  She was longing for some sunshine after a long, very cold winter in her homeland.  Knowing how she loves gardening, we took a morning to visit Selby Gardens in Sarasota.

Upon entering the gardens, we passed though an area which had many of the blooming plants.  There were beautiful orchids in abundance, as well as many other flowering plants.

This anthurium is beautiful in its simplicity.  I was amazed at is size.

We strolled along the walk and came upon this huge banyan tree.  This is one tree you wouldn't want to have growing in your yard.  As it grows, roots descend from the branches and grow into the ground to give support to the ever-spreading tree.  On this day, this tree provided fun hiding places to some children who were there with their parents.

 

I don't know the name of this tree, but it wouldn't work well in your yard either.  I love how the roots grow out, again giving support to the tree.  It reminds me of Psalm 1.  The psalmist writes that the man who delights in the Lord and in his Word will be like a tree planted by streams of water...a tree that yields its fruit in season, whose leaf does not wither, and whatever he does shall prosper.

After our visit to the gardens, we drove up Longboat Key, then up to Bradenton Beach where we had a yummy lunch at the Beach House.  We ended our day by going to see The King's Speech.

Playing tourist with Tiina reminded me of the wonderful week I spent with my new friends in California.  They seemed to revel in showing me places that were dear to them in their state.  I won't forget that trip for a long time, and I hope Tiina will take home many fond memories from her days here in Florida this past week.

Happy Birthday, Sarah

 January 20, 1977 was a VERY cold day in Florida...26 degrees as we went to the hospital.

 Happy birthday to you, dear daughter.

Sarah's living now in Virginia.  She moved in October so that she could be near Ella and see her grow up.  I don't blame her a bit.

A Choice to Make

 Every Tuesday when I'm in Bradenton, I volunteer in my church office, answering the phone while the staff his its weekly meeting.  While I'm there, I have a few tasks that I do.  This week I was asked to call a few people to let them know that their offering envelopes were ready to be picked up.  One lady that I called is one whom I've known for a long time.  She and her husband used to listen to my son recite the verses that he had learned in Awana.

She told me that she wasn't able to be in church but that she would stop by and pick them up on her way to or from a chemo session.  She had been recently diagnosed with multiple myeloma.  Along with that she was receiving injections in her eyes for wet macular degeneration.  What struck me as I talked to her was her attitude.  It was not one of complaining or self-pity.  She spoke with compassion about the other people that she saw at the cancer place.  She did say that she had said to her husband, "Who would have thought ten years ago that we would be in this situation?"  I found out this morning that she had a heart attack and died today.  While sad at her passing, we rejoice that she's with her Savior.

 After hearing about Sue, I received an e-mail from Steve Goodier, who sends out inspiring his stories.  His post today was about attitude.  I thought of Sue as I read it.  The title of his post if "A Choice to Make."  I believe Sue had made that choice.

"I believe that, at least to some degree, we can each exercise control over our outlook and attitudes. And the problem is - if we don't control our attitudes, they will surely control us.

One farmer took charge of his outlook. He did it by filling his mind with awe and gratitude. He found that doing this gave him more energy to work on problems and to tackle those things that needed his attention. His neighbor's outlook could not have been more different.

One summer morning he exclaimed, "Look at the beautiful sky. Did you ever see such a glorious
sunrise?"

She countered. "It'll probably get so hot the crops will scorch."

During an afternoon shower, he commented, "Isn't this wonderful? Mother Nature is giving the corn a drink today."

"And if it doesn't stop before too long," came the sour reply, "we'll wish we'd taken out flood insurance on the crops." And so it went.

Convinced that he could instill some awe and wonder in this hardened woman, he bought a remarkable dog. Not just any mutt, but the most expensive, highly trained and gifted dog he could find. The animal
was exquisite. It could perform remarkable and impossible feats that, the farmer thought, would surely amaze even his neighbor. So he invited her to watch his dog perform.

"Fetch!" he commanded, as he tossed a stick into a lake, where it bobbed up and down in the rippling water. The dog bounded after the stick, walked ON the water, and retrieved it. "What do you think of
that?" he smirked.

Her brow wrinkled. "Hmmm. Can't swim, can he?"

Not to sound too Pollyanna, but I agree with newscaster Paul Harvey when he said that he has never seen a monument erected for a pessimist. A stubbornly positive attitude can often make the difference between happiness and misery, between health and illness and even between life and death.

Viktor Frankl would have agreed. Dr. Frankl chronicled his experiences as a Holocaust and concentration camp survivor in his book MAN'S SEARCH FOR MEANING. In it he asserts something really quite remarkable. He says that everything can be taken from a person except one thing. What can never be taken away is the power to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances.

We can decide to choose our attitudes every day. That may be one of the most important decisions we will make. I don't want to neglect making that choice."

I believe Sue had made that choice.

photos taken in Savannah last spring

God Will Take Care of You

Do you remember singing this song in church?  This song was just what I needed this morning.  I originally saw it on Pastor Tim's newletter but then searched for it on YouTube, and there it was right at the top.  Listen to the words and enjoy the little singer.

May we be aware of His presence with us this year in ALL things.  He's always there.  We just have to recognize Him.

Warmest Christmas greetings to you all

Need Christmas Gift Suggestions?

Christmas gift suggestions:

To your enemy, forgiveness.

To an opponent, tolerance.

To a friend, your heart.

To a customer, service.

To all, charity.

To every child, a good example.

To yourself, respect.

To Jesus, all.

Thanks to Pastor Tim from Cybersalt.org

In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan,

Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;

Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,

In the bleak midwinter, long ago.

Our God, Heaven cannot hold Him, nor earth sustain;

Heaven and earth shall flee away when He comes to reign.

In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed

The Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ.

Enough for Him, whom cherubim, worship night and day,

Breastful of milk, and a mangerful of hay;

Enough for Him, whom angels fall before,

The ox and ass and camel which adore.

Angels and archangels may have gathered there,

Cherubim and seraphim thronged the air;

But His mother only, in her maiden bliss,

Worshipped the beloved with a kiss.

What can I give Him, poor as I am?

If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;

If I were a Wise Man, I would do my part;

Yet what I can I give Him: give my heart.

Poem by Christina Rossetti

The Program

I flew up to Virginia last week to spend with my kids.  Sarah has moved up Virginia to be closer to Ella.   She wants to see her grow up and not see her a couple of times a year.  I've been fortunate to be able to go often, and I do.  We had our Christmas while I was there.  One of the main reasons for going was to go to Ella's pre-K Christmas program at the local Lutheran church.

During the days before the program, any time that we asked Ella to sing the songs for us, she did along with all the motions.  We wondered, "Will she perform when she's in front of a large group?"  We didn't need to worry.

I asked Ginny if I could reproduce her post here.  Ginny has a great blog, "Let Your Light Shine."  She and her husband Phil have cared for Ella since she was an infant.  Now that she's in pre-K, they keep her a couple of afternoons a week.  Ella loves them dearly.  The photos below are Ginny's and the post is hers, as well.  Thanks, Ginny.  Ella is in the photos at the bottom.

We went to another children's Christmas program last night! This is the one that Ella is in. These programs are so adorable, touching, and funny. One of the little wise men had a crown problem, it kept sliding all the way down his face. As the audience howled with laughter, it only got worse because he could not keep it up and it covered his whole face. It is the fifth picture. Finally his teacher had to come on the stage and fix it. Yes, I admit that I got carried away with the pictures, especially the ones of Ella. But looking at her wonderful expressions, how was I to choose? This little girl gave it all she had, she knew every word of every song and belted them out loudly in a very heartfelt and touching manner. She lived every story in the songs and just threw herself into it, it was an inspiration to watch. It is too bad that a lot of adults in church services seem bored with singing or don't sing at all, maybe they need to watch the children.

"Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these." Like 18:16

"I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 18:3

My Christmas Gift

I flew to Virginia this past Thursday to have an early Christmas with my family.  David asked me before I came what I would like for Christmas.  I told him I did not want anything that I had to bring home.  He then asked if I would like to go to a Christmas concert in Charlottesville.  And that is where I have just come from.  A lovely concert was presented by the Virginia Consort, with the Virginia Consort Youth Chorale, Brass Ensemble and Organ.

This concert consisted of many old pieces, some from Latin and German, but the text was translated in the program, which was a great help.  The video above is John Rutter's "What Sweeter Music."  Between the chorale's singing, the youth chorale presented six numbers.  It was wonderful to see all these young people singing with joy on their faces.

The concert ended with "The Hallelujah Chorus" and the audience singing "Hark the Herald Angels Sing."  We were surrounded by the chorale lining the aisles.  Pure bliss.

After the concert was over, I was standing in line to go to the bathroom (of course.)  A young girl was in front of me, and I asked her if she had been part of the youth group singing.  She looked at me, her eyes glowing, and said, "Next year."  She really has something wonderful to look forward to.

It had begun snowing in the afternoon, and when we came out of the church the ground was covered.  I'll be out in the morning taking lots of pictures.  I'll have a white pre-Christmas here in Virginia.

Happy Thanksgiving

A Guest Post

Several people have said that when they hear about Haiti, they think of me since I had very close ties to Haiti many years ago. This year has been particularly hard, starting with the earthquake in January and now the cholera epidemic.

The photo at the top of my blog is from Haiti, if you hadn't guessed that already. I love looking at it. There are other photos that are not so pretty. I'm posting a video here from Samaritan's Purse, one of the NGO's working in the country to help alleviate the suffering. Please take the time to watch and then read the post from Cindy Uttley, who is working there right now as a nurse.


Cindy started a blog back in January when her husband David was in Haiti, doing volunteer work for Samaritan's Purse.  She now is there helping in a cholera clinic.  She wrote this very poignant post a few days ago.Sunday,


Meeting Jesus, Face to Face

My son keeps telling me that I should expect to meet Jesus in Haiti. I have met him. In this case, His name was Lexie, but among ourselves, we called him “Legion”.

An outcast of Haitian society, this homeless old man suffering from schizophrenia somehow found his way to our clinic to be treated for cholera. He was more at home lying on the hard ground than on a cot. It was hard to tell how long his nails had gone untrimmed. But they were long enough and thick enough to dig a hole a few feet in diameter and several inches deep.

Other patients were frightened by his behavior and we found it very challenging to care for him. But our hearts embraced him as over the days we found creative ways to meet some of his basic needs. It soon became apparent that while his cholera was improving, he was soon going to die.

We cut his nails with wire cutters. During one of his lucid moments, chaplains with BGEA, prayed with him to receive Christ. We gave him a secluded spot under a tarp to get out of the elements. We bathed him and dressed him as tenderly as if he was a family member and he allowed us to move him to a bed. Then one night his breathing changed into the pattern that warns of impending death.

Joanie sat with him for hours as his breathing became more labored. She couldn’t bear for him to die alone. I had the privilege of spelling her from time to time to care for her other patients.

Then we began to wonder, why was he still lingering? There was no earthly reason he was still alive. Then it occurred to me; God was not finished with him yet. Reminded that hearing is the last sense to go and knowing the language, I was moved to sing one of the only Kreyol songs I know, Tout bagay va bien, Lakay Papa mwen. Everything’s alright in my Father’s house. I began to pray for him in Kreyol that he would rest in his Father’s house, in His arms. I prayed that he would realize that he was a precious child of God and that his heavenly Father was just waiting to look at him face to face and say, “I love you my precious child”.

Then I saw it. A single tear gathered in the corner of his eye. I wiped it and another formed. Moved to tears myself, I tenderly spoke and stroked his face, telling him it was ok to go to his heavenly home. He died several hours later, but not alone.

My son is right; we met Jesus face to face as we cared for this man.

'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.' Matthew 25:40

Something to think about

One day on the way home from church a little girl turned to her mother and said, "Mommy, the preacher's sermon this morning confused me.
The mother said, "Oh! Why is that?

The girl replied, "Well, he said that God is bigger than we are. Is that true?"

"Yes, that's true," the mother replied.

"He also said that God lives within us. Is that true too?"

Again the mother replied, "Yes."

"Well," said the girl. "If God is bigger than us and he lives in us, wouldn't He show through?"

(Thanks to Pastor Tim)

Halloweens past and present

Ella's First Halloween - 2006

Cute little flower - 2007

Little Red Riding Hood - 2008

Little Miss Heffalump - 2009

Look!  I'm a bat. - 2010

 I thought you might like to see these.  I know some of you have known Ella from the start.  I've had so much fun each October being in Virginia and enjoying this time with her. 

Fall in Virginia

 When I drove up to Virginia two weeks ago, not much color could be seen.  There were some trees that had changed color and dropped their leaves, and people were not predicting a very brilliant fall.  I love coming this time of year since, being a Floridian, and not seeing changes in seasons like other folks do, this is always a delightful time of year.

 In the past week or so, the colors have arrived.  Last weekend, David took me for a ride and there was a hint of color.  Now during the week with some rain and change in temperature, the color has erupted.  This photo and the two following are in David's yard and the yard next door.

The day today is crisp and clear.  Ella had her costume parade at pre-school today  The little kids were all so cute in their varied costumes. (pictures to follow)

"As long as the earth endures,

seedtime and harvest

cold and heat,

summer and winter,

day and night

will never cease."



"I was glad when they said unto me, 'Let us go into the house of the Lord.'

For years I have driven by this little church in central Florida.  I told my new sister Sue that when I drove to Virginia this time, I was going to stop along the way and take some pictures.  This church was in my mind

when I set out this morning.

Three weeks ago I worshipped in a church that didn't "look like" a church...not what I'm used to.  But there I was, with about 3,000 other people, singing, praising God, and listening to the Word being preached.  What a great time it was.

I think of believers in closed countries who can't worship out in the open because of persecution, and I am thankful that I have the freedom to worship where I choose with a body of believers, the real church.

Meet the Axe Murderers

So I went to California to stay for a week with a couple that I had never met.  When I told people that I was doing this, they looked at me, wondering if I was in my right mind.  I even ended up on someone's prayer list, praying for my safety while I was gone.  I think they thought I might be meeting danger somewhere.

I guess it was a little crazy.  What if we didn't hit it off?  It could have been a very long week.  Sue is a blogger.  She has a wonderful photo blog, Photowannabe, and that is where I first met her.  I don't know how I ended up there, but the first photos of hers that I saw were from Haiti.  I just knew they had to be.  And you all know I have a deep love for that country, having lived there for three and a half years, teaching missionary kids, before I was married. 

We have commented on each other's blogs and known that we were both very interested in missions and just seemed to have so many things in common.  So one night when I was on Face Book, I sent her a message, asking it it might be possible to get together.  Reservations were made, and off I flew to California.

Dave grew up in San Francisco, so he took great delight in being my tour guide.  If you go down a few posts, you can read abut that day trip.  We also went to Lake Tahoe one day and then in to Sacramento one day for lunch. 

Sue and I just talked and talked and talked.  And we found that we do indeed have so many things in common.  We're just sorry that our paths didn't cross earlier. 

One other plus of the trip was being able to worship with them at their church.  What a wonderful experience that was.  There were only about 3,000 in the service, and they have five services.  Sue and Dave host a small group in their home each week.  I missed out on that, but I know I would have loved that too.

If you go to this post on Sue's blog, you can see what she wrote about us.  Scroll down near the end of the post.  The photo was taken when we were watching the salmon swimming upstream.

Well, they weren't axe murderers after all...just two very wonderful new friends.

A Way to Find Enjoyment

At one time, Bangkok television aired the American situation comedy LaVerne and Shirley. For whatever reason, officials there believed that a disclaimer was necessary for the Thailand audience, so this subtitle was added to each show: "The two women depicted in the following episode are from an insane asylum."

Personally, I'm thankful there is a little silliness in the world. And I don't mind not acting like everybody else. Like the "irrepressible" educator and speaker Leo Buscaglia once said: "I don't mind if people think I'm crazy. In fact, I think it's great! It gives me tremendous latitude for behavior."

Buscaglia knew how to laugh. And I think knowing how to laugh and have fun is an important part of living.
Someone asked me what I do for fun. I felt I should answer with something others enjoy, like golf or skiing. But my idea of fun is not usually associated with entertainment and recreation. It is more about squeezing as much enjoyment into every day as I can.

Instead of looking for something fun to do, I try to make whatever I do a little more fun. And if I can't always do things I enjoy, I can learn to enjoy more of the things I do.

I like the word "enjoyment" because it has "joy" inside of it. So does the word "rejoice." And rejoicing is a way to find enjoyment of life.

Speaking of Leo Buscaglia, he used to tell a story about his mother and their "misery dinner." It was the night after his father came home and said it looked as if he would have to go into bankruptcy because his partner had absconded with their firm's funds. His mother's response was to sell some of her jewelry to buy food enough for a grand feast. At first, other members of the family scolded her for it. But she told them that "the time for joy is now, when we need it most, not next week." They learned to appreciate the hopeful
attitude that lifted them out of fear and into joy.

I want to learn to be happy even in those difficult and trying times. I won't be happy FOR them (who likes problems?), just IN them. I need the soothing medicine of laughter when it hurts. I want to learn that the time for joy is now, when I need it most.

Maybe it sounds silly, but I want to learn to rejoice in all things.

And If I'm doing that well, it really doesn't matter what I like to do for fun.



-- Steve Goodier

Update on "Just Because"

Thank you all for you concerns for Ella.  I talked with my DIL just now, and she said she has been much better the last four days.  She is taking prednisone, which, as most of you know, has some crazy side effects, but it does ease pain, inflammation, helps one breathe better, and a whole bunch of other things.

For Your Sunday

Just Because

I haven't posted many photos of Ella lately, but I don't want you all to forget what a cutie she is.  This photo was taken this summer when her mommy's family was together for a birthday celebration for Sabrina's mom.  It happened to be around Ella's birthday too.

You can see she still has her cheeks which everyone has often commented on.

She's going through a bit of a rough time lately...not her cystic fibrosis, but something else which has caused her to have pain and swelling in her joints and intermittent fever.  She started pre-K this year and loves it so much, but on days when she's hurting so much, she isn't able to go.  Say a little prayer, or lots of prayers for or Ella the Bella.  Through it all, she told her mother, "I'm a tough girl."  And she is.  I guess the rest of us need to be tough too.  It really hurts to see a little one hurting.