introducing...Olivia Grace

Although due to arrive on May 27th, Olivia decided that May 12 was more to her liking and that was that. Anyone who has ever had a baby or known someone who was expecting knows that all the planning in the world, arranging, appointments to induce labor and scheduled cesearean births doesn't mean the baby will arrive as scheduled.
Olivia Grace is seen in the loving arms of her 1 year old sister Aubrey Elizabeth. Right now it appears to be more curiosity than love, but let it be known, and I can say this firsthand, that the closeness in age will cause a bond to develop that no argument, other relationships, distance or silence will ever destroy.
Congratulations to the loving parents, Emily and Shane, the unselfish grandmother MaryBeth and the supporting family that will spend the rest of their lives loving and praying for these little girls.

Happy Birthday, Aubrey

Today my great-niece Aubrey is one year old. From a Christian standpoint, that is singularly one of the strongest statements of faith I have ever written.
God has allowed us to unite one of a millon cells of a man with a tiny part of a woman, and participate in the creation of another human person.
I know that God is the true creator, but this is His letting us in on the joy He felt as He created the world all those years ago. Imagine what a couple feels knowing that they are encouraging growth and life. Or any of us who cannot conceive a child and are witnesses to this incredible growth. Now multiply that by millions and billions. This is what God has experienced and then blessed us with.
When I hear someone say that there is no God, that creation is just a coincidental result of a chain of events (of course these same people can't cite a source of that chain) or that we are foolish and naive to believe that there is anything greater than us...I think they should look at a baby. Watch a child - watch the growth, the learning, the discovery. You can explain the physical process to say how, but what about the why? What about looking past the medical and into the spiritual? What makes my child different from all the others? Why are there children who don't grow the same way as others? And why they are still loved? Watch and see the time that a parent is truly depended on and the time they are forced to let go. Watch how the parents become observers in their own child's life.
There is more than science and medicine to define a child's presence in our world. There is faith because we know that all the unanswered questions are because God has deigned it that way.
Today Aubrey is one year old. Happy birthday precious child of God.

Old People Rock!

On Sunday the choir sang the worship service at Luther Manor.
They have a beautiful chapel and it filled with old people who walked in on their own; people with walkers; people in wheelchairs. We saw people get guided in because they wanted to worship and didn't want to be confined to their roomsfor worship on a rainy Sunday morning.
Whatever their health, these people got up, got dressed and came to church. How many healthy people stayed in bed yesterday and skipped worship? How many self-titled Christians didn't even remember to pray yesterday morning? How often has that been me?
Sometimes in retrospect we find faults with something that we enjoyed in the moment. This experience had no fault.
Yesterday I went to a worship and could feel the faith, see the people praying, hear the Lord's Prayer said in strong voices, weak voices, voices that didn't sound at all but eyes that shone while they heard the words Christ gave us to pray...this is why we were there.
Our faith wavers and our vision gets blurred, but every now and then we see our commitment in action. We faced more years of faith than we could possible imagine and felt the joy of the worship. We saw eyes that couldn't read or see clearly, yet could see God in their own lives every day. We were thanked by men and women - the older and very old - by nodding heads and held hands. We saw smiles and received hugs.
We made a difference because God led us to Luther Manor and helped us serve Him.
THANK YOU, LUTHER MANOR!

where have I been?

Someone, at my request, has read my blogs and commented on the length of them. Immediately, and because it was someone I respected, I started to second guess my ramblings. I was sure that if anyone else would read them, they would think me nauseous and boring...but then I remembered that I am not blogging to be a world famous blogger. I am blogging because I have a zillion thoughts that I can put into words and that I may need to look back on them some day.
Funny how the moment I hear a comment from someone I start rethinking my words and forgetting my motives.
I am using a blog format because there are people out there who know me and have asked me to put my prose and poetry down on paper. Although BLOG is a cute short word, my devotions are usually 4-5 minutes and my poetry goes till I run out of rhymes. Yes, I am an iambic pentameter person - or at least I have a rhythm and cadance that is balanced throughout.
So while I am trying to write to please any reader, I am not producing a product. My friends and family know that I do not use one word when I can use a number of them, and I never use a sentence when a paragraph will do.
Bear with me, everyone. I warn you now that if I mention a devotion, it is going to read aloud at 4-5 minutes. If it starts as a poem, it will run a full page. If I just recount my day, it'll be a rambling of events that really mean a lot to me...
I am glad there are bloggers who have turned it into an art form - people who have mastered their words and inspired and reassured others. I have a goal and I will read their works and learn and someday I will produce a blog that is concise, interesting and easy to digest. But not today.

Time flies.

Says who?
Birds fly, creating invisible streams in the sky, gently floating over our world and landing silently.
Bees fly, from flower to flower, doing a job gracefully and with a determination you can only aspire to.
Airplanes fly, filled with people who are going to better places for fun, or home for reunions,or to exciting cities for business.
Time is a bird or bee or plane?
NO! Time is a carpenter and one of little skill.
Time has a chisel for my face, leaving behind furrows in my brow and creases around my eyes and mouth. Time has a tiny hammer that pounds on my joints and bones leaving soreness and pain. Time has wood putty which it uses to generously pad my midsection.
Yet when you think of it, carpenters take wood and create intricate tables...time takes little babies and creates adult people.
For all my complaints and whining, I think that I will think of myself as not an aging woman, but as a weathered, antique table, more valuable for it's longevity and preservation.

I'd go on, but look at the time...time flies, you know.

The silent ending

My father's wife of 23 years died last Thursday of a massive stroke, She was actually out with her girlfriends for lunch and cards and collapsed in the restaurant. She was taken to the hospital and attached to a respirator to give the illusion of life until the family would have a chance to say goodbye. All that could came to St. Lukes and stood around - totally useless to Eleanor but totally supportive of each other.
I felt no sadness for Eleanor. She was leaving the world in the company of people she loved, from an activity she enjoyed.
I'm sad for my Dad. I am sad for Eleanor's daughters, relatives and friends. I fear for some of their spirits and faith life.
A priest came in to bless her. The respirator was disconnected. I sat and watched as the monitors showed her heart gradually slow down - 85...75...65...and to nothing. It was quiet.There was no annoying alarm - no rush of nurses to the room.  Her heart just slowly and silently stopped. I know that Eleanor was called by God to a better place. I know she was on His good side and that she would now live forever in His care. I want to shout "She's OK now!" and I want to call to everyone to repent and prepare to face their Creator.
But that would break the silence.
So I whisper...are you ready?

IT'S COMING..........................

The tension is building. Everyone is on the edge of their seats. It's one of those moments between anticipating what is going to happen and the shock when it does.

No, this is not how I feel when I see a scary movie. This is what every real woman feels when she enters the department store to see rows and rows of tiny pieces of fabric on hangers...swimsuit season!

Yes, once that darned groundhog declares that spring will follow winter, women all over the world are facing the 3W's. (winter weight woes). Sometimes the 3W's aren't measured in pounds, but in that feeling that you haven't moved much for 4 months so can't possibly look good. Some are fortunate enough to go to a gym, trainer or have a machine that they see more than their families, but winter still creeps in and if it can't slip in some cellulite, it'll add a wrinkle, dry out your hair or fade normally tanned skin. Winter is a reality check for everyone who thinks they are healthy and wealthy enough to escape aging.

Once the swimsuits hit the racks, it becomes obvious that we didn't escape. To make it worse, there are people out there telling us that anyone can look good in the right swimsuit. I wish I had a nickle for each article I read that advises how to elongate your leg line, flatten your tummy or accentuate your bust. I wish I had a penny from each woman who believes it - and one of those pennies would be mine.

(parental warning: some of the following examples contain graphic images that young women should not be exposed to. Let them learn the hard way, like we did!)

I have tried on high cut suits to make my legs look longer and healthier but the cellulite makes it look more like a rocky mountain than a softly sloping hill. My "stems" have assumed some varicose veins and, I have to admit, do look like strong, trees...after a major fire and all that is left is the thick trunks and darkened branches.

What about the empire waist? Flowing gently away from the body, covering fat tummy and big butt. Of course, that was a treat! There is not a skirt long enough to do this without billowing out over my rear bumpers making it obvious that there is junk in this trunk.

How about a top that gently blouses over a longer short? Wonderful! Now all I need to know is how to keep the longer short from creeping uncomfortably up into my crotch and crack.

And let's diminish or accentuate the bust. Why do the girls with a lot want to hide it and those without want to show it? Guess what people? Biggies with binding burst out...pimples with push ups plop. You can create an image, but sooner or later something happens to reveal what you truly have or don't have.

Oh, the horror! I have resigned myself to the fact that only tons of exercise, sensible dieting and thousands of dollars in plastic surgery would make me into the person that graces the covers of magazines and catalog swimwear and lingerie pages. At my age, what good will it do me? I will never be asked to be a model of anything, not even muumuus. It's hard to imagine a 55 1/2 year old staring out of a magazine in nothing but minimal coverage. Even tanned, thin and taut, I am still 55 1/2 years old.

Plus, has anyone priced a good swimming suit lately? To spend all that money on something you will wear once or twice is a total waste. But the spending doesn't end there. Many buy cute little robes to cover up the suits when they are out. (Then why wear a suit?) Think of it...swimsuit, cover-up, matching sandals, manicure and pedicure and maybe electrolysis, special conditioners to keep your hair from drying out, sunscreen, large towel. The list goes on and on. Your swimming experience may cost hundreds of dollars by the time you are done. And we haven't even thought of where you are swimming? Spa membership? Public pool? Backyard pool above or below ground? More money.

The best bet? Got a friend with a pool? Go there for a picnic - wear a pair of conservative shorts and a non-white t-shirt. You hope someone throws you into water so you can be excused from putting on a suit. Dry off in the warm sun and enjoy your day. Who is going to say anything? it wasn't your fault.
What did that cost you? Time and a dish to pass.

So when you see what appears to be remnants of fabric hanging in a shop, it only takes a frugal attitude, common sense or a mirror to keep you from succumbing to their evil influence. Be brave - be strong - and above all...get your air conditioning looked at so you can stay indoors and not worry about different ways to stay comfortable in the summer heat.

And remember... autumn and winter are just around the corner.