35 Years of Love

Thirty five years ago November 10 we were in the 'center' of the picture rather than by the side of our son who is the groom in the picture. A lot has taken place between then and now but most importantly has been learning to receive and give God's kind of love. I will also hasten to add that God has also been teaching us how to 'grow' and mature by experiencing His kind of JOY and PEACE in our hearts and lives.

(I hoped to add a bit of picture history but my scanner seems to have died now as well as my printer so I will use words instead.)

35 years ago we lived at Wildwood Lifestyle Center and Hospital campus. We had both been students there and at the time of our wedding were staff. For a little while before we were married I had been in a group planning to go to Africa to develop a new mission outreach but since my work visa was denied I chose to remain as a staff member at Wildwood.

We remained at Wildwood until 1977 when we accepted a call to Zambia, Africa. I believe the Lord wanted 'both' of us to go - not just me.

Not long after arriving at Riverside Farm Institute,

Home

Well, we made it home this evening.
After a few tries I finally was able to download the above pictures that I took. Obviously the first one is of Carl and myself and my wonderful husband.
Krista's mother was the 'cake decorator' and it had a little 'water fountain' under the 'castle' cake in the middle. Lovely, and well done. The third is of the bride and groom after the ceremony was complete.


We were gone for about 2 weeks. Shortly after we got to Michigan we got a call that the pump had 'died' at the farm. Eventually a friend was able to check it out and fix it, for which we were grateful, especially since we were not very close at that time.

We had the privilege of spending some time with some of my family during this trip. In Michigan we stayed with my sister. Then after the wedding and a few other activities in Michigan we went for a few days to spend with my brother and his lovely wife in Illinois. On the last leg of our trip we stopped one evening in Ohio with a 'dear to us' couple. We appreciated so much the hospitality at each place. Thanks to all who made this trip worthwhile.

Just after we began our trip we read a very interesting statement concerning that God wants us to come to him as trusting children asking for His guidance. That is, in many respects, what seemed to come 'alive' on this recent trip. Except, perhaps, for the wedding, it seemed that our plans were being frequently changed. Yet looking back I believe that God was directing the changes.

I hope to share more but it is getting late and I need to rest.

Bringer of Peace

Quick Notes

Just a note. We went to our son's wedding October 18 in Michigan. We are in Illinois at family and hope to head home in a day or two. It has been a good trip thus far.
Hope to share some pictures when I get home.

Progress

In some respects I feel I am trying to go in several directions.

October 18 has been set as our son's wedding day. He is marrying a girl named Krista. They are currently in Michigan and are planning for the big event to take place in South Haven at her church.

We are planning to head up that way this coming week to give us a little bit of preparation time before the big day. I have family in that direction as well so hope to spend a bit of time with them while we are up that way.

On another project, I have been working on some music. Those of you who know a little about me have heard me speak of the Passport to Life lesson series. It originally started as a presentation to young people but has since broadened to include older folks as well as youngsters. The first three months of this year we presented the part of the program that teaches about the Bible sanctuary to the little children in our church. I have had the lessons completed for several years. But I have long dreamed of adding the music as well. I have quite a collection of scriptures put to music and am now adding them, in their appropriate places, in the lessons. I also dream of getting them on a CD or tape asap.

A couple of folks who live with us on the farm have been needing transportation on a fairly regular basis so between my hubby and myself we have often been on the go.

My hubby's shoes were getting pretty floppy - soles falling off - so we decided it was time to replace them with 'something better'. As usual there were more expensive versions of 'work boots' but he was able to find one pair that had most of what seems to make for him a good work boot at a quite reasonable price. Thank the Lord.

Yesterday we had our first servings of green beans, swiss chard and beet greens from our fall garden. The green beans were absolutely delicious even without salt. We missed getting in a spring garden but the fall version seems to be doing very well. The deer have been nibbling on some of the green bean leaves but we have ideas that might slow them down some as well.

Last week I was able to find some pansy plants and got them planted in the flower garden area near the big house. I picked up a dozen more yesterday and got them planted in one end of the flower bed next to our house. The tomato 'tree' is slowly dying back after producing possibly hundreds of tomatoes this summer. There might be a dozen or so tomatoes on it yet. But we have been greatly blessed with so many yellow tomatoes from it this year and we praise God.

Our car didn't pass Virginia inspection this year and it appeared we would just have to let it 'set' for a while. When my hubby's brother heard about it he donated over half of the funds needed to get it back on the road again. Thanks to a generous mechanic who also dropped the price some we have it back on the 'road' for which we are grateful. (We still owe some on it but hope to have it paid off by next month.)

It has been amazing to me to see how God has been supplying our needs. With my hubby out of work since January and, at least part of the year more people dependent upon us than previous, we have received aid from a variety of sources which, in some respects has been what I consider almost miraculous. God has blessed. Those blessings may not always be monetary but they are blessings nevertheless.

One sweet blessing has been several 20 cents a pound banana sales. We have frozen quite a few to make 'ice cream' and then we have also been drying some of the bananas. To us the dried bananas are sort of like a candy bar.

Since contracting lymes disease earlier this year I had told my church that I didn't think I could lead out full time with the little children. Well, I am not full time but I do still help quite a bit. Two of the three ladies who accepted the position have not been able to do much of anything so I have been still quite a bit involved. We have gotten one other lady who seems interested who talked with me this weekend. Hope that will ease things a little bit.

Even though we didn't get much of a vegetable garden this year the flower garden has been attempting to outdo last year's performance. The lilies earlier in the summer were so lovely. The wave petunias have made a carpet of purple medium pink and lighter pink. The pink carnation bloomed most of the summer. Celosia volunteers from last year filled in many places that I hadn't even planned for. The one foot tall Zinnia decided to grow a couple feet tall or more and the lovely red blooms along with a few yellow and orange blossoms have been delightful. This fall the button mums have been gorgeous. There are burnt oranges, burnt reds, yellows and purples. As mentioned earlier I am adding pansies for the fall as well. Unless we have a very hard winter the pansies may bloom until it gets hot next summer. As I have walked by the blooms I am reminded again and again that every blooming flower is like an 'I love you' note from Jesus.

One project I have been enjoying very much is that I have been studying Psalm 69 in my quiet times. That is one power packed prophecy of Jesus. I'll share more later.

There are other activities going on as well but for now I need to go get busy with them so will close for this time. Until we meet again may the God of peace be with you.

Bringer or Peace

Special thoughts and an update

A friend shared the following with me and I pray it will bless you as it did my heart. (Following the quote is a little more of an update on 'current events'.)
Olive

“I pray that you, being rooted and established in love . . . “ — Ephesians 3:17

I don’t plan to write a lot this week. A friend of mine that I’ve known since high school sent me three quotations on Facebook the other day, and I want simply to pass them on to you. They truly are quite profound. Each is taken from the book Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing.

"The very first step in approaching God is to know and believe the love that He has to us (1 John 4:16); for it is through the drawing of His love that we are led to come to Him." P. 104-105

"The one thing essential for us in order that we may receive and impart the forgiving love of God is to know and believe the love that He has to us." P. 115


"Know and believe the love that God has to us, and you are secure; that love is a fortress impregnable to all the delusions and assaults of Satan." P. 119

It would seem that our salvation, our security, our growth in Christ—everything is rooted and grounded, dependent simply on knowing and believing in the love God has for us. Not just knowing that He loves us, but coming to a knowledge of, an encounter with, and a belief in the kind of love, the nature of the love He has for each of us.

Do you know what love is?


Do you know the love with which He loves you?

Better yet, do you have the courage to believe it?

These quite possibly are the most important questions we could answer. For it seems that everything depends on them.


May knowing and believing His love become paramount in your life this week.

I wish you God’s best. "

Now for a little more on what is going on in our little 'corner'.

First a few garden notes.
Our 'tomato tree' is slowing down. We only got about a dozen tomatoes from it yesterday. They are smaller and are beginning to 'crack' easier, but they still taste very good. What has been interesting to me has been how that these yellow tomatoes seem to last a whole lot longer than the red tomatoes. The red ones may start 'going bad' at times within a day or two of picking. The yellow tomatoes we have been able to keep for a week or more. That has been especially nice since we have had so many yellow tomatoes coming on. Thank the Lord for the harvest.

Now for a little about our activities.
My hubby hasn't had 'paying' work for several months but we seem to be able to 'keep busy' nonetheless. We have been slowly redoing some of the garden areas around the houses on the farm here. The one that is finished is looking very nice with the yellow and purple button mums that we bought. I want to put some pansies in but they weren't in the stores yet a week or two ago. They should be coming in soon.

A dear friend of ours was in the hospital for a short time last week. We spent time with them and have also been able to help some after they returned home. They are still having quite a bit of pain so we try to help where we can.

Quite a while back I began taking a portion of scripture and 'digging' into its meaning. I look up the meanings of the words and ask God to help me write it in more of a current style without losing the original intent. When I got sick with lymes disease earlier this summer my brain just couldn't seem to handle that level of activity. More recently I have been getting back into the "Word" in the 'digging' sort of way. I had begun studying Psalm 68 before I got sick. For anyone who might be interested in my current 'results' I posted Psalm 68 in the Paraphrase link to the right. It is rather 'long' but there were some very interesting thoughts as well as some expansions on my picture of God that I have received from this passage. Here are a few that blessed me (using my paraphrases)

4 Worshipfully celebrate - with songs, music and even dancing – the Creator God who ‘carried’ you through difficult times. Even use His most sacred name, JEHOVAH, with rejoicing as He smiles at you.
There are a number of passages in this Psalm on God's desire for worship.

11 - 12 The Lord taught the song and many people learned it for a multitude of women joyfully shared with God’s family the good news that the opposition leadership had been cast out and fled. 13 You who have rested in God’s love are protected by Him – likebeing ‘under’ His covering ‘wings’.

This is definitely worth our efforts - to tell others that the opposition to God has been cast out. There are many more gems but for now I'll just share one more. (You are welcome to read the whole passage as you wish.)

) 20 Our Mighty One, our Supreme God, saves. Our loving Lord delivers even from disease and death. 21 But this same strong God irritatingly agitates those who hate Him, and those who persist in doing wrong get a defensive attitude against Him.

I need to be going for now. Until we meet again may the God who is Love fill your heart with His Peace and His JOY in believing.

Bringer of Peace

Transitions

Transitions
This past week our son left for Michigan with the express purpose of getting married.
I'm not the bride's mom so haven't been kept much in the loop - may be just as well.
I'm not even sure of the date but at present it may be in October.

Transitions
Since my bout with acute lyme disease earlier this summer I felt it best to 'back out' from leading a children's division in our church, at least for this year. I have been still helping some part time but it is definitely a change. Today I was in the adult class. It is nice but different. One big difference of course is that I am not the 'teacher/leader' and therefore should not do all the talking. It is good for me.

Transitions
We are heading into fall soon. Our tomato plants are slowing down. We have had some 50+ degree nights and that often causes some plants to change. We do thank the Lord for the bountiful crop of mostly yellow tomatoes but some red ones as well.

Transitions
A couple of weeks ago we finished cleaning the weeds off of the electric fence for the horse field. Then we began cleaning up the flower beds near the door into the farm house. We had given another person the responsibility of keeping them and as a result they became wilderness patches. We have been digging up and sifting the dirt to reduce the root mass that had accumulated during the past three years. We have finished one and begun on the second one. I planted some herbs and mums in the first bed and hope to get some pansies planted for the winter. If the weather doesn't get too cold we may get pansy flowers until next spring from the plants planted now and in the fall.

A really nice transition
Even before I had the accute lyme illness it had seemed that my brain just wasn't working well. I am still taking some supplements specifically aimed at restoring the immune system's ability to 'fight'. It seems that this past week or so I have been able to concentrate especially on spiritual topics with more clarity, praise the Lord. I have returned to working with Psalm 68 where I had sort of left off before I got really sick. It is making a lot more sense and I have been enjoying the stretching it seems to be taking to get a feel of what God was expressing through this Psalm. There is a lot to this portion of scripture. When I feel more comfortable with my explorations I may post it on the paraphrase link, but that may yet be a little while.

Well, that is a little update of a few things going on in our little part of the world. With my hubby out of work we have been able to get more things done around the farm place here where we live. We are down to one working vehicle - our old clunker pickup - and we are thankful for the wheels. My hubby's brother also lives here and we have been eating the midday meal oftentimes with him and another friend who also lives here. I am thankful for the fellowship.

It is getting time for me to do other things so will close for this time and leave with you who have read this far with my wish of peace for you just now.

Father in heaven, grant Your peace as well as Your joy to all who care about us. Thank You.

Bringer of Peace

Angel or other?

What happens when a person wants to help some who needs help - but doesn't want to be identified?

It definitely keeps life interesting. Especially if someone asks point blank. What should be said?

Time will tell. Sometimes, though, God does things and doesn't always identify - at least like we think it should be.

This afternoon I just felt bla. Not sure what it was but I do feel better this evening.

I have been watching the dahlias beginning to bloom and hope they will continue till frost.

Here is a picture of some yellow tomatoes from our garden.

We have had more flowers but these were fragrant as well.

Each flower is an 'I Love You' from Jesus. We have had a lot of them this year



The last couple of rains knocked a lot of these flowers down.

The mums are beginning to open now though. I have some yellow, gold, deep burnt red and possibly white ones (they haven't started opening yet so I'm not yet sure of the color).

Someone called flowers 'lonely' (maybe better said 'lovely') 'wanderers from Eden'.


Whatever way flowers may be regarded, when we think of them as 'I love you' notes from Jesus it can truly brighten one's day.

Smile, Jesus loves you.

Bringer of Peace