Friday night Manda and I went to see X-men 3...and we're going again (this time with Tom).
Right now, a little bit of "oh my goodness, we ran out of that!" shopping...
Manda got a haircut yesterday; a friend told me that I'm going to need a bigger shotgun...
I'm so glad that 7-11 has diet Pepsi slurpies!
There's a bit of "garbage" going on at my house
1) one bit involves my son and his college grades
2) the other involves my daughter's best friend
Both involve very teachable moments - some of it is sinking in, some of it doesn't appear to be.
But I covet your prayers...
There is a park near my home, with a trail through a woods...
It's a city park and very nicely maintained.
There are some beautiful things along the trail...
(using my new camera)
There is also a boardwalk through a wetl ands area, with more of God's beauty.
See the next post about what the "consequences" are...
After the rain...
This is part of the boardwalk...
This is where I realize I'm going to get wet...
😉
Read part one
Read part two
Read part three
Read part four
Read Part five
Read Part six
Read Part seven
We're getting toward the end here.
Five years ago today, Art told me that for the first time he felt like he could just go to sleep and not wake up - and he told me that was okay.
Because of a bowel obstruction, Art couldn't eat anything or drink much. He was getting so weak that he had muscle spasms from trying to hold his head up.
Art had been doing counted cross stitch for years and he had been working on a huge project for our daughter and it dawned on him, this day five years ago, that he wouldn't be finishing it. He was spending time reading his Bible and listening to music. The pastor had visited and they had planned a funeral.
We had our first visit from hospice. There was a tiny bottle of medicine and we were told exactly how little would do what - and then we were told that the nurse that would come after he died would take the bottle and dump it - and never look at how much (or how little) was left.
We live in the city where a minor league hockey team plays and the general manager was a member at our church. He stopped by and dropped off an envelope and said that he didn't know what else he could do - so he gave us tickets to a finals game of the playoffs. We had a couple that we were close to who were huge hockey fans and they took the kids. It was things like this that really touched us.
But five years ago right now, we were in "waiting mode"
As I read through the Bible, I'm sometimes puzzled (yet comforted) at how imperfect the people are that God chooses (or even creates) to use.
Tonight, I read the story of Samson.
An angel of God came to a barren woman and told her that she was going to conceive a son - she should abstain from alcohol and all fermented beverages and that her son would be a Nazirite.
(This means that God planned ahead for this very imperfect man to be born so that God could use him to begin the deliverance of the Israelites from the Philistines.)
The Nazirite vows included prohibitions against
- touching dead bodies,
- cutting one's hair,
- consuming grapes in any form (including grapes, raisins, vinegar and wine); this does not include drinking strong drink that does not come from grapes - vodka is ok.
- following the rest of the Jewish Law
So, how did Samson do with all of this?
my daughter wrote this...
If your love is so perfect
Then why do you care for me so
If your power is so mighty
Then why are you so merciful
If you are the creator of everything
I am a gem
In a sea of stones
Because you made me so
Oh Lord you are powerful
You are beyond my
Beyond my farthest grasp
You are my loving God
If you are the greatest of great
What did it take to make me?
If you are so Awesome
Then I am blessed with your love
If you made me with love in your mind
Then I am a daughter of the King
>I am a gem
In a sea of stones
Because you made me so
Oh Lord you are powerful
You are beyond my
Beyond my farthest grasp
You are my loving God
If you are ancient beyond all days
Then I am but a spec in time
If you are the truth of all truths
Then forever with you I will live
If you are the beginning and the end
I thank you for all that is to come
I am a gem
In a sea of stones
Because you made me so
Oh Lord you are powerful
You are beyond my
Beyond my farthest grasp
You are my loving God
If you truly are my Father and King
You are the one without sin
If you are the only one for me
I give all that I am to you
If your love is so perfect
Then i will never be enough yet ...
I am a gem
In a sea of stones
Because you made me so
Oh Lord you are powerful
You are beyond my
Beyond my farthest grasp
You are my loving God
| Your Famous Last Words Will Be: |
 "Nice doggy." |
As "luck" would have it, there are a couple of threads about baptism today.
Five years ago today (it was the 13, but it was also Mother's Day), my daughter was baptized (credo-immersion-style).
"Wednesday" (five years ago), we were told that my husband had some sort of bowel obstruction with some other changes in the CT scan. "Yesterday (five years ago), his surgeon that did his "big surgery" stopped by to visit and read the Bible with us. We told him that Manda was going to be baptized in June and he said that he had seen the scan and that we should move up the baptism. A LOT...I could say more, but I think that "all over the place" is all I need to say.
It was short notice for our families, who are all out-of-town. But they all came to Manda's baptism. My dad (still recovering from heart surgery) was even able to make it.
She knew what baptism meant and why Christians should be baptized - but her first reason was that she wanted to be baptized while her dad was still alive.
It was a good family time and everything was very positive. Art's sister, Deb had told me that she was afraid that Art was putting on a "good face" when he talked to her. But after that night, and seeing Manda baptized, she told me that she knew that he was at peace - the peace was almost physical.
I remember the night, but not well. I remember the closeness of the family - blood family and church family. I remember my daughter's wet, shining face.
That was a very good night.
Read part one
Read part two
Read part three
Read part four
Read Part five
Read Part six
