if it isn't one thing, it's the same thing

So if there isn't enough to keep one's mind occupied, now I have to worry about the pH of my body.
A new friend and I were talking about this. She tests herself every morning and maintains a healthy pH. I was sent home with a roll of pH paper and challenged to test myself.
I have work to do!! 'Nuf said.

here and now

I read this in a blog this morning and want to remember it.

Do you realise 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 ageing 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.....YES!
But then you turn 30. Oooohh,
what happened there?
Makes you sound like bad milk!
He TURNED; we had to throw him out.
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!
You've built up so much speed that you HIT 70!
Crash!
After that it's a day-by-day thing.

You get into your 80's and every day is a complete cycle.
And it doesn't end there.
Before you know it, you are 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!!

Some things to remember - no matter how old you are:
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. 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.
That means 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. And don't travel alone if you can help it.
10. Tell the people 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.

things I'll....

I was thinking of some new things I could do but then got to thinking about:
Things I'll never do again.
I'll never give birth again.
I'll never live at home with my children again.
I'll never climb Mt. Fuji again.

And then there are:
Things I have yet to do.
Take my children to Japan.
Get in a car with Larry and drive with no plan of where we will end up.
Be a grandmother.
Bury my parents...
Get a Master's Degree.
Make a roast that turns out well.
Go to Europe.
Throw clay on a wheel.
Start a business.
Plan one more wedding.
Read all of C.S. Lewis

Here are things I cannot quit doing:
Loving my family and friends.
Anticipating Sunday morning worship.
Laundry.
Worrying about my kiddos. (not exactly worry but, you know...)
Making dinner every night.
Working on my weight.
Reading.
Meeting new people.


Looking over the lists, I realized I am OK with the things that will never be again; I'm excited about the things that have not yet come to pass; I'm resigned to and even enjoy some of the things that will always be.

All in all, I'd say things are looking up!!

Lewis on helping others

One reader asked Lewis for a list of Christian books he would recommend for a friend of hers who was struggling emotionally and spiritually. Lewis replied that “where people can resist or ignore arguments, they may be unable to resist lives.” He added that his correspondent herself might be more pivotal in her friend’s spiritual healing than any book he might name.

a descanso kind of day

Descanso Gardens is all dressed up in her Spring finery.
I walked the fragrant paths yesterday with a new friend after she treated to a yummy lunch at Dish in La Canada Flintridge. It was a perfect day of lunch, cheek chucking of her three month old, and good old-fashioned visiting.
On the way home, I thought about how much we miss in this text-happy world and how much I had gained that afternoon and I'm grateful we both took the time.

change

It was a joyful Sunday, being there for the ordination of a new pastor, one who will minster in our church. Rev. Andrew Richardson has been with us for a few years but today he received the title of "Reverend". That is a big change for us as a congregation, for him as a man.

Following a beautiful and delicious lunch, we added to the joy by having friends come over for a visit and a little football viewing. One of the sons, the oldest had shocked me earlier in the day! His voice had dropped! I know it happens as boys grow! But this was just a shock! I've loved him and his brothers as little boys and now he's turning into a young man! Whoa!

He's supposed to be this little boy!

Say it isn't so!

Yet, it is so and it is good and right.

He is leaving behind childish ways and his childhood while retaining the sweetness I've so enjoyed. I heard him offer to play a game with his little brother. How sweet that was. He engaged in conversation with his mother and me. How grown up that was.

With one foot stepping into the wing tips of young adulthood and one just barely leaving the barefoot playground of childhood, I got a brief glimpse into a family moving into a new stage of life - the entry of another man in its ranks.

I think he'll do just fine! I think they'll do just fine.

my friend, Margie

Margie has been my friend for many years. She taught piano to my children but more importantly, prays for them still. She is wise, a good listener and thinker. She is dedicated to her family and friends. Her principled approach to life weaves through our time together. She loves the Lord and prays over almost every decision.

We are different in many ways.

I am tall. She is.......not.

I have a little car; she does not.

I am casual; she is fancy.

I don't fast; she does.

I read a lot; she works a lot.

I don't memorize Scripture regularly; she does.

Different in many other ways but united in our love of the Lord, our families and the life of the mind.

Margie is a busy person. If she isn't teaching piano, she's playing with her grandson(s), cleaning, reorganizing something (I say that with respect - there is much I should organize) or ironing. Margie knows my "love language" is spending time one on one in good conversation.

Lately, she has called me in the morning of our mutual day off - Wednesday - to see if I can meet her at Perks for tea and.... So, when she meets with me, I know she is saying she loves me. And I love her back.

When she called me this evening to see if I could meet her at Satrbucks, i was naturally delighted!! We had the usual banter back and forth..... and then the subject for the evening came out. What did I think of this? Back and forth we went, agreeing and disagreeing with each other and ourselves. I think we both changed positions several times. But each time, we swung a bit closer to understanding the real issues, to understanding each other. And in the end, as we usually do, we found consensus. Even when we don't, we have enjoyed the engagement, learned a new point of view, spent valuable time together and strenghtened the bond between us.

How do your friends let you know you are loved?

POV on motherhood

Sarah’s baby shower
May 9

Quite some years ago, I heard a talk, the basis of which was that a happy marriage requires a bloodless martyrdom. Only then do we know happiness.The phrase and the concept have intrigued me ever since that hour aired. I pondered it for some time and realized that this is a very Scriptural idea. I have also tried to view motherhood as a life of bloodless martyrdom. It has lead to happiness but even more, it has lead to knowing Jesus more deeply. I put it out here today for your consideration, Sarah.
Not all of us are called to martyrdom in the classical sense of the word. Not all of us are called to follow the footstep of apostles and the like and acutally shed blood and die. But all of us are called to become consistent witnesses of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Each time we elect life over death it is a bloodless martyrdom. Each time we opt for good over evil, it is a bloodless martyrdom. Each time we practice grace over sin, or choose heaven over hell its also bloodless martyrdom. Each time we choose others over self we choose a bloodless martyrdom.
For some, this may just be a paradigm shift – an adjustment of perspective on life. For some, this may sound a bit melodramatic or extreme. I think not. Martyrdom is defined as suffering and death. OK. That sounds extreme!! But motherhood is an extreme relationship. It requires a certain kind of death. As mothers, to what must we die?? …..
None of us shed blood over the things to which we die. in We die to our need or desire for sleep. Time is not our own. We die to privacy. We die to our ideas of what motherhood will be like! We die to our ideas of what each of our children will be like – and this is a big one! God has His own call on our children’s lives – His plans for them. As mothers, in partnership with our husbands, we need to help them know that. We must not make them “LITTLE US’s”. We die to the kind of freedoms to which we are accustomed. We die to the way we spend money. There are many other deaths to die as a mother.
What is the reason for the martyrdom? It is not to look heroic and inspire others to pity us. It is not to ingratiate our children to us. We do not parade our martyrdom in front of others.
Rather, martyrdom furthers the kingdom. The saying goes – the blood of the saints waters the seed of Scripture. What you will do for Guenivere and her siblings must illustrate Scripture in flesh and blood; you must bring the kingdom of God to them in word, deed and very often, in sacrifice.
How is this concept Scriptural? Romans 12 opens with a discussion of us getting up on the altar and offering ourselves as sacrifices to God – which is our REASONABLE service!! I once heard a speaker on this passage. He said that the failure of the Christian is that we are always crawling OFF the altar. Stay on the altar!! The writer is describing a bloodless martyrdom. In the end, what you are already doing and will continue to do for Guenivere, you are doing for God in real time.
The chapter closes with a series of imperative statements. Each imperative tells us to DO something – by definition, we are also being told NOT to do something else – we are to exchange one attitude in favor of another. In some cases, he even states the opposites. My definition of martyrdom a few minutes is an echo the exchanges we make in these imperatives. I highlight a few – look up the text for the whole idea:

Love one another. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another, Honor one another above yourselves… Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony…. Do not be proud, but …. associate with people of low position. Be humble. ...

Most of these are counter-intuitive. Each of these illustrates an exchange of one attitude, one behavior, for another. Therein lies the martyrdom. You must die to what you think you want now to get what you really want now - and later. You will exchange your life as you know it now for a different life. You have already begun this. You don’t drink “adult beverages” now because little Guenivere depends on you to keep her healthy. You have given up space in the house for her. You already have a different view on how to spend the money you have today and the money you will have in the future. You have already given her your body as her first home. You will continue to give her your body as you feed her, as you hold her when you are tired and she is not. You have already given up hours of sleep and will continue to do so for yet a little while. You have already begun to sacrifice yourself for Guenivere.
You will have the joy of making many other sacrifices for her. YES! There is a joy in sacrifice because it comes from a place of willingness (or it should!), from love. These sacrifices, these deaths will bond you to her. They will cause you to be grateful for your own mother who did much for you. They will illustrate Jesus to all who live in and visit in your home - did He not give His riches to us, give up His home for us, give His body and His very life for us!! These sacrifices, this bloodless martyrdom will draw you deeper and deeper into Himself. Done well, this life of bloodless martyrdom will make you more beautiful.
Don't look to me or anyone in this room or anyone you know as a measure of whether or not this is worth it or whether or not it works..... Look to Jesus. He is where all questions are answered, all doubts are settled. His life well illustrates the point.
Without developing a whole other talk - don’t sacrifice Aaron along the way!! He must remain your focus. It will be tricky but God will give you the grace and creativity you need.
But that is not where my thoughts took me for today. It is, however, part of that martyrdom – to increase the sphere of giving of yourself.
God bless you Sarah.
and thank you for the pictures - again - Sarah R.

iheartfaces - week 17 - hats - adult: Now this is what hats are all about

My son and his wife like hats.

Early in their dating days, they got matching hats.

Just a bit on the fabulous side of way too cute, don't you think!!

See the other hats - and faces at iheartfaces.

lifting holy hands

More things are wrought by prayer
Than this world dreams of. Wherefore, let thy voice
Rise like a fountain for me night and day.
For what are men better than sheep or goats
That nourish a blind life within the brain,
If, knowing God, they lift not hands of prayer
Both for themselves and those who call them friend?
For so the whole round earth is every way
Bound by gold chains around the feet of God.


Tennyson,
Mort D'Arthur

thank you, Sarah, for the pic!!

a weekly family reunion

We had just come from a wonderful Divine Worship service - beautiful singing, powerful preaching.

We headed out to Christ Church's first picnic of the year. It was Palm Sunday. Upper 70's. Citrus in the air. We had a full table of summer food - pulled pork for sandwiches. Cole slaw. Fresh vegetables. Watermelon. Cookies. Brownies. Double-frosted cupcakes. Icy cold drinks.

As I sat eating and visiting, I looked around. Children of all ages playing together on the playground equipment. Peacefully. Happily. Teens, 20 somethings and 30 somethings playing basketball and sweating hard. Girlfriends and wives and friends were watching. Pastor Garrett playing catch with his daughter. Two young women playing volleyball in the round with some girls. Men discussing theology and the championship basketball game as they kept an eye on children so wives could visit and eat. A grandma enjoying her grandchildren - and her children. Visitors eating with the regulars and laughing. One of the young men - a college graduate cleaning up the playground. Uncle M. spinning, flipping, twirling, balancing kids.

The hours flew by. Suddenly, it was 3:15. The first picnic of the year came to an end. We had fallen in love with Jesus more, with each other more that day. We had worshiped, been fed, then fed each other. We are a family.

thanks to Sarah for the pictures

Week 7 - Adult - B&W

Totally unplanned - V neck shirts, hands folded the same direction, necklaces, hair caught up!!
My daughter Rachael, right, and daughter-in-law, Valerie are friends.
This comfortable photo of them on the patio on a warm summer evening, with its grainy texture and soft lighting recalls the easy nature of our time together after a good dinner and the companionship of these young women.
I look forward to many more such times.


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I Heart Faces - EYES

adult entry
A boat, a lake, eagles and osprey - and friends. It was a perfect day.

youth entry
What could be better than being a cluster of grapes for Halloween!!



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Sherry came for a visit - i heart faces - week 13 - adult

Sherry and I met in August 1973. That qualifies as a long time ago. We shared a room for three of our four years at Bethel (MN). We were both slender, had no gray hair, no boyfriends. She was a good student, I was mediocre. We are now not as slender, have lots of gray and live with our boyfriends - though we call them husbands!! We are both teachers.
We both live far from our parents and siblings. Sherry and John are in China - far from anywhere!! ; we are in LA. - both of us far from the mid-west from whence we came.
Many other things for us are now different. But many of those differences are things that are now better.
Many things for us are the same. We still laugh at ourselves and each other. We still love to talk about important things. We encourage each other. More than ever, we seek God. Over the years, though changes came, friendship remained constant.
It takes work to maintain a friendship across miles and years. Sometimes we are better at it than others. But when we are together, it is so good. Being in each other's presence is where our best communication comes.... (Do you see implications here for relationship with God?)
It was a wonderful afternoon with a dear friend. I hope there are more ahead.
Thanks for 35 years of precious friendship, Sherry. I love you.
See more friends and faces - make a new friend - at i heart faces.