Quite A Full Trip West

We decided to make this trip a little longer and visit with more family than usual. Because we’re the kind of people who do that, we left at 1:00 a.m. Friday, headed for Omaha.

 

A short time after we left, I realized I couldn’t find my purse. We stopped, and Murray searched thoroughly. No purse.

 

We called Sarah once it got light, and she searched carefully inside and outside, but couldn’t find it.

 

Because of all that was in the purse, this started us canceling bank cards, moving bills connected to the cards to others, changing the locks on the doors of our house, and other such fun vacation activities.

 

Rebecca and Steve took us to their favorite bagel restaurant Saturday morning, and I told Rebecca about the lost purse mess. “Every time I think about it, I want to cry, but I’m sure a time will come when I don’t feel that way.” Fortunately, I didn’t let it spoil our whole trip.

 

We had such a great time just spending a couple days with Rebecca and Steve. We ate out, talked, watched two movies, including “Princess Bride,” always a favorite.

 

On Sunday morning, Rebecca and Steve took us for a walk on a pedestrian bridge in Omaha, across the Missouri River. Murray asked, “What’s on the other side?”

 

Steve said, “Iowa?” So we walked far enough across so that we could say that we walked to Iowa, then turned around.

 

On Monday, we drove to visit my mom in Missouri. We have started a great tradition of playing scrabble with her, and to my surprise, I actually won this time.

 

My brother Rodney and his friend Marilyn came to Mom’s place on Tuesday, and we played dominoes. Murray and Rodney won most of the games. “A game of skill,” Rodney said.

 

At about 2:30 that afternoon, Mom said, “Oh, I’d better get back to my room. It’s time for Kathy to call.”

 

That evening, we had dinner with Murray’s brother Myles and his family, Heather and Melissa, and Murray’s brother Aaron came, too, for grilled hotdogs.

 

Heather and Melissa showed us their newly-hatched chicks in a cage where they keep them during the day, and I was telling them how we used to get baby chicks in the mail when I was a kid. I loved listening to them cheap and sticking my finger in the wholes in the box to feel how soft they were.

 

While I spoke, Heather took out one of the babies and let me hold it in my hands. So cute.

 

I told Myles about this, and he said, “Yes, they’re just a little bigger than a McNugget.”

 

On Wednesday we drove further south in Missouri to visit Murray’s sister Sherill. She’d fallen the week before, broke her leg, and had to have extensive surgery.

 

When I heard the name of the town where she’d gone for rehab, I thought it sounded familiar. When I mentioned it to Mom, she said that was the town where my cousin Michelle had just moved to from Florida.

 

I contacted Michelle, and she visited Sherill. We had lunch with Michelle and her husband Keith on Wednesday. Michelle and I decided we hadn’t seen each other since 1977, at our grandparents’ 50^th wedding anniversary. We had a lovely talk and said we should try not to wait 46 years to see each other again.

 

We visited Sherill, and although she has a long way to go with her rehab, I’ve never seen anyone who has such a positive attitude. God bless her.

 

Wednesday night we drove to Branson, Missouri, to visit Murray’s aunts Melody and Elena, and his uncle Larry. We hadn’t seen them for six years.

 

Melody was generous and let Murray and me sleep at her place, even though she’d just had surgery the day before. Elena baked brownies and cooked homemade Chinese food, and showed us a quilt she’s working on. We also had a nice talk with Murray’s sister-in-law Sandra.

 

Melody shared her doggy Mini with me. Mini was wonderful, putting her feet up on me so I could pick her up and hold her on my lap. This, and the dogs at Myles’s house, helped me with my missing our kitties.

 

Because we are just like that, we started our drive home at nine Thursday evening, and were pretty exhausted when we got home Friday afternoon.

 

Such a beautiful time, traveling to a bunch of towns, spending time with a lot of family, just talking and visiting. Lovely. 

A Few Fun Extras From Memoir

I’m still working on my memoir, believe it or not, and I wanted to share a few fun extras from 1997 that won’t make it into the book.

 

August 20, Sarah just asked me to get her the toy dishes to play with. As I walked with her to get them off the shelf, she said, "I'm smiling, because I'm a cute little girl."

 

August 29, Sarah had an ouchy which was irritating her, and she said in frustration, "I wish we were in Heaven!" Caleb agreed, "No crying, no sad, no mad, no dying."

 

September 9, Murray was looking at some mail at supper last night about his and Ping-Hwei's trip to Washington, D.C.for Promise Keepers. It said they would have to all take turns driving, so Murray told Ping-Hwei he would have to take a turn driving, too. Ping-Hwei said, "Uh-uh! Police take me to jail!"

 

September 11, Rebecca was complaining about her leg hurting tonight. I told her it was growing pains. Frustrated, she said, "Well, this is the one that always hurts. Is it going to be bigger than the other one?"

 

September 14, Last night Rebecca said, "When I grow up, I'm going to kill a big bug and cut off its face and save its eyes for a treasure."

 

October 10, While we were waiting for the bus this morning, Caleb said, "Sometimes I can feel myself grow if I stand really still."

 

October 17, This morning the three little rascals were playing while waiting for the bus. Caleb was Sarah's son, and she left him with Rebecca at church, because Rebecca was his Bible Schoolteacher. Later Rebecca was going to visit Sarah and Caleb in their home. She called them for directions. Sarah said, "Go straight on the street from the church and--" Rebecca said, "I'm not at the church; I'm at my house." Sarah didn't miss a beat. "Go to the church. Take the road straight, turn left, then right. . ."

 

October 23, Murray was cutting fingernails and toenails tonight. Caleb, when he was referring to getting his toenails cut, said, "Daddy, hang me upside down and do it."

 

Tonight we gave Ping-Hwei the car keys and asked him to put something in the car. He walked toward the door, jingling the keys and said, happily, "Good-bye!"

 

November 3: The other morning, Sarah told me, "I had a dream that Daddy bought a can of soup, but when he opened it, frogs jumped out instead."

 

November 5, At a party last week, Rebecca won for a prize a model of an eye, with wiggly parts inside. When she practices the piano, Murray usually sits with her and watches to help her. This afternoon, I asked Rebecca to practice her piano lessons. She said, "I need someone to watch me while I practice, so I'll get my eyeball."

 

November 24, At supper tonight, Caleb asked, "What if my school was built out of onions?"

 

December 1: Ping-Hwei's new nickname is Boss. The other day we were calling him Boss, and he said, "Benjamin, Little Boss."

 

December 22, 1997: The other day Sarah was noticing how many fingers and toes she had, five on each hand and foot. After she'd added them she said, "We have twenty things we can wiggle."

Sarah was playing with Benjamin's little musical bunny this morning, and noticing that its hands and feet and ears moved. She said, "He's moving his arms like he's praising the Lord."

 

December 25, The other night we had vegetable juice to drink for supper, but for simplicity sake, we told the kids it was tomato juice. Caleb picked up his glass and said, "I smell celery." Sure enough, when Murray checked out the ingredients, one of them was celery.

 

From memory-pictures I give to Murray at Valentine’s Day:

Whoa! What's going on here? You're at the library, and you've just slammed your finger in the car door and broken it. You grab Benjie and run in, handing him to a friend who works at the library. She shows you to a bathroom to run water over your finger. Soon another lady you know at the library comes in, acting very worried about what has happened. Then she calms down, says, "Oh, I thought it was the baby," and leaves you, although you're bleeding profusely. 

Living and Active, God's Gift

I never want to forget to thank God for the gift of his word.

 

I’ve been a reader and student of the Bible for 45 years. I’ve read every part of it a number of times.

 

And yet, often as I read, hope and delight in the nature of God still comes to me as if it’s something I’m hearing for the first time.

 

Hebrews 4:12: For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword,

piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow,

and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

 

What a miracle, to have God’s speech, living and active in our life. He knows our hearts and thoughts. He knows what we need to hear and understand from him at any moment.

 

Such a wonderful gift. Such a wonderful promise.

 

We can’t remember all that we need to remember. We don’t have the answer for needs that come our way or to those we care about. But, we have a glorious, living source.

 

John 14:25-27: “All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

 

Lamentations 3: 21-23: Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 

More Summer Recipes From Kathy's Kitchen

ICEBOX BROWNIES

 

I haven’t made this one for years. I think it’s time.

 

Ingredients:

3 cups crushed graham cracker crumbs

1-1/2 cups nuts

1 cup sweetened condensed milk

½ cup margarine

12 ounces chocolate chips

 

Directions:

Melt margarine and chocolate.  Add graham cracker crumbs, nuts and milk.  Grease a 9-by-13-inch pan, and press the mixture into it.  Chill in refrigerator several hours, until firm.  Cut into squares.  

 

After my last post from Kathy’s Kitchen, my friend, Author Sharon K Connell, sent me a recipe she enjoys during the summer.

 

This recipe is just off the cuff. I make it for lunch every now and then. It's great for the hot weather when you just want a nourishing meal.

 

Open-faced Quesadilla Supreme

 

One flour tortilla (I use the butter tortillas)

Slice of your favorite yellow cheese (I like Colby Jack for this)

Picante (We like mild)

Sour Cream (I use the low-fat)

Black olive slices (optional)

 

Place the tortilla flat on a microwave plate.

Position the slice of cheese in the middle.

Microwave to melt cheese. (Since microwaves are so different in the way they perform, I won't tell you which setting to use. I use the defrost setting, which melts the cheese, warms the tortilla, and doesn't fry it to a crisp. LOL)

Spoon picante on top with a dollop of sour cream.

Decorate with the olives. 😬

 

Generally, I cut this into four pieces with a pizza cutter. YUM.

 

I replied to Sharon:

 

Well, yum. I'd have to make them only for myself. No one in my house likes olives except me.

 

Sharon wrote back:

 

You don't have to put the olives on them, Kathy. You could put out a veggie relish tray with olives, green peppers, celery, etc. to go with the quesadillas, and everyone can choose what they want on it or eat the veggies separately with a dip. 

 

Well, yum. 

Come and See

John 1:35-39a: The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples; and he looked at Jesus as he walked, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. Jesus turned, and saw them following, and said to them, “What do you seek?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” He said to them, “Come and see.”

 

“Jesus, where are you staying?”

You say to us, “Come and see.”

See the ones who are lonely and confused.

See the ones who are in pain and need healing and comfort.

See those who are mourning and dying.

I am there. Come and see.

See the power of God in a storm of wind and thunder.

See his gentleness in a tiny, purring kitten.

See his joy in the laughter of children,

His strength in the hug of a friend.

See the splendor of the northern lights,

The glory of a simple daisy.

I am there. Come and see.

See the abundance I want to deliver to the poor,

The hope I would shower on the lost.

Come to those who are in the midst of war and danger, of cruelty and disaster, of shock and sorrow.

I am there.

Come be with me.

Be my hands and feet and lips.

I will help you. 

A Vacation Shared

I’m not big on going on trips. We’ve discussed that. But I love to hear about other people’s trips. My friend Nina Shared her most recent vacation with me.

 

Good afternoon, Kathy,

 

Dave and I are back, several days late.  Iceland was really cold.  Greenland was even colder.  I had on every warm thing I brought with me, layer upon layer of shirts and a sweater and a down vest and I wrapped a long thin wool scarf all around me and added a rain jacket.  I cannot imagine living in a place full time where the height of summer means warm coats.

 

I was curious about what grows in Iceland, and on our walks I spied (and smelled) some lilacs with stunted flowers.  Rhubarb plants.  Dandelions.  Prickly Hansa roses with a very spicy rose smell, one of the few roses that can tolerate such a climate.

 

All the cows and sheep and the Islandic ponies have been there for centuries.  If the animals leave the island they cannot return.  No horses may be imported.

 

Hay is the main crop grown, for dairy and sheep.  And the dairy products are amazing.  Dave and I pretended we had no health issues, none whatsoever, as we ate a lot of whipped cream and bread and rhubarb and berry jams and oh the cottage cheese.  It was the light yellow of butter and actually tasted like mild cheese.  

 

We toured a fish processing plant in Greenland because fishing is the main industry, and the tiny town didn’t have much else in it.  We donned hairnets and our guide ushered us in and it smelled exactly like you’d expect.  Dave, who hates fish, was a good sport but he was glad it was a very brief tour.

  

The Heart of God, From Amos

We’ve been studying the minor prophets this summer at church. They’re not minor because they’re not important, we’re assured, but because they’re short books.

 

God’s wrath sounds so strong in these Old Testament passages. I admit, it often still scares me. But our pastor Matt reminds us that God’s patience went for many, many years with Israel in those times, as they continually rebelled against him.

 

This week we studied Amos. The question was: Is God a God of wrath or a God of love? The answer, as I have known for years, is yes.

 

Does God care about the injustice that goes on in the world?

 

Amos 1: 2: He said: “The Lord roars from Zion and thunders from Jerusalem;”

 

God tells how he will repay the wrong the nations have done, including Israel. Yet his desire was always that the people would come back to him.

 

Amos 5:4,14-15, 24: This is what the Lord says to Israel: “Seek me and live; Seek good, not evil, that you may live. Then the Lord God Almighty will be with you, just as you say he is. Hate evil, love good; maintain justice in the courts. Perhaps the Lord God Almighty will have mercy on the remnant of Joseph. But let justice roll on like a river,

    righteousness like a never-failing stream!”

 

When Amos prayed that God would not bring tragedy on Israel, God promised to hold back their punishment.

 

God has always hated pride. He roars when people are treated with injustice and unfairness. But his great longing is for people to turn back to him for healing and forgiveness.

 

Amos 9:11-15: “In that day I will restore David’s fallen shelter—I will repair its broken walls and restore its ruins—and will rebuild it as it used to be, so that they may possess the remnant of Edom and all the nations that bear my name,” declares the Lord, who will do these things. “The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when the reaper will be overtaken by the plowman and the planter by the one treading grapes. New wine will drip from the mountains and flow from all the hills, and I will bring my people Israel back from exile.

“They will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruit. I will plant Israel in their own land, never again to be uprooted

    from the land I have given them,” says the Lord your God. 

Kathy's Kitchen, More Summer Goodness

I was looking through my salad recipes, and my mouth just kept watering.

 

This week, our son Caleb bought a large watermelon, and graciously, he shared half with us. Oh my. So delightful.

 

WILTED LETTUCE SALAD

 

Ingredients:

2 bunches leaf lettuce or spinach, washed

4 slices cooked bacon, diced

¼ cup vinegar

1/3 cup chopped green onion

Salt and pepper

2 teaspoons sugar

 

Directions:

Fry bacon until crisp.  Add vinegar and cook until heated through.  Remove from heat and add shredded lettuce and onion.  Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and sugar.  Toss until lettuce is wilted and serve immediately.

 

And Another:

 

Waldorf salad,

 

2 cups apples

One cup celery

¼ cup chopped nuts

½ cups salad dressing

One cup grapes

2 tsp. Lemon juice

Put chopped apples, celery and grapes in a large mixing bowl. Add lemon juice, salad dressing and nuts. Mix well. 

Psalm 16, David's Joy

A miktam of David.

1 

Keep me safe, my God,

    for in you I take refuge.

2 

I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;

    apart from you I have no good thing.”

3 

I say of the holy people who are in the land,

    “They are the noble ones in whom is all my delight.”

4 

Those who run after other gods will suffer more and more.

    I will not pour out libations of blood to such gods

    or take up their names on my lips.

5 

Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup;

    you make my lot secure.

6 

The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;

    surely I have a delightful inheritance.

7 

I will praise the Lord, who counsels me;

    even at night my heart instructs me.

8 

I keep my eyes always on the Lord.

    With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

9 

Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;

    my body also will rest secure,

10 

because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,

    nor will you let your faithful one see decay.

11 

You make known to me the path of life;

    you will fill me with joy in your presence,

    with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

 

David talks of joy and pleasure, and he shows the reasons he has these things.

 

He asks God to keep him safe. He chooses to put his focus on God and to seek his counsel. He praises God and believes that his Lord walks by his side.

 

In many other Psalms, David speaks of his sorrows and troubles. Even so, with God directing his path, he expects good. 

Grace and Truth, John 16:1-15, Our Advocate

“All this I have told you so that you will not fall away. They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God. They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me. I have told you this, so that when their time comes you will remember that I warned you about them. I did not tell you this from the beginning because I was with you, but now I am going to him who sent me. None of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ Rather, you are filled with grief because I have said these things. But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because people do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.

“I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”

 

Jesus began to warn his disciples of the trouble they would go through. He was leaving them, but he would not leave them, and us, alone.

 

He sent the Holy Spirit, an advocate, a helper, someone to stand beside us and help us through our lives as Christians. He will help us know and share the truth. Thank you, Father, for this unbelievable gift. 

Field of Diamonds

My friend, author Sharon Connell, www.authorsharonkconnell.com, shared this story with me. It truly did make me smile.

 

Kathy wanted to know about my other story when God came to my rescue. This one isn’t as dramatic as the Cattle Truck Miracle, but to me it was God’s hand intervening on one of those days when I was really down. The funny thing about it is, I can’t remember what had me so depressed at the time. Even that was erased from my memory on that day.

 

The day started out with me preparing for work. In Illinois, I worked in advertising at a food broker. What happened to depress me or had continued to depress me from the day before, or whenever, is a mystery now (as I’ve said). But whatever it was, it brought me to tears.

 

Driving down the busy highway running along the interstate with a ton of cars all around me is not a good place to have tears in one’s eyes, but that was the case. It had been raining that morning, as well, and the sky was overshadowed with dark clouds. A few blocks from the turnoff to the building where I worked, I came to a stop for a red light. At the time, I was still in the inside lane and tried to wipe my tears before the light turned green again.

 

A break in the clouds appeared, and a wide ray of sunlight shown down, just like you see in a painting. It shined across a stretch of grass next to the interstate where little droplets of dew were still on the tips of the blades of grass. My line of vision followed the rays as they became extremely intense. As the sunrays moved across the patch of grass, about the size of a front yard, it seemed to stop, lighting up the entire patch. The drops of dew glistened as if they were each a half-karat diamond. Imagine hundreds of diamonds, glowing in the sunlight. My unhappy mouth turned into an ear-ear smile and I laughed.

 

I cried out, “Thank you, Lord. You knew I needed to see a glorious sight like this.” My heart lifted, and I forgot all about the depression for that day. I’ve always referred to this little miracle as “My Field of Diamonds from God.”

 

I hope it brings a smile to you too. 

Grace and Truth, Jesus Calls Us Friends, John 15:9-17

Verses 9-17: “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other.

 

Dear Jesus, what a heart-stopping thought that you would call us friends. Help us to bring you joy. Teach us to love each other. Help us to better grasp that you chose to die for us. We love you. 

Travel Mercies

 

My friend, author eMarie, https://www.merryheartink.com/, shares reasons for thanksgiving to God.

 

TRAVELING MERCIES

By Erma M. Ullrey

 

As we buckle into our seats, my hubby Bert prays before even starting the car. After two near collisions in the past two weeks, neither of us will go anywhere without asking the Lord for His divine protection. Here’s why:

 

We were driving home from our annual family retreat in Sunriver, OR, when our first near collision occurred. We’d spent five wonderful days playing games, sitting in a hot tub, taking long walks, and catching up while stuffing our faces. All of it our idea of a relaxing family time.

 

On the two-lane road that takes us home to Idaho, we listened to a favorite pastor’s sermon. The beautiful autumn leaves, the crisp air, and two hot coffees to-go always make the six-hour drive enjoyable.

 

About four hours into it, we began the descent from the steepest point of our drive. There isn’t a guard rail or much shoulder between us and a beautiful valley below.

 

“Oh, Lord,” we breathed. Coming up the hill from the opposite direction, a sedan decided to pass a semi-truck in front of it. At that moment, it was as though the Lord created a median. Our car passed within inches of that sedan.

 

Neither of us could ever recall passing so close as to see a driver’s eye color, hair style, or clothing. God performed a miracle that day, and we thank Him that His hand is never short, and always outstretched toward His children!

 

The next collision occurred one week later. We were on our way to a prayer meeting that began at 8:45 a.m. at our church. In typical fashion, I was running two minutes late. I announced, “We should’ve left the house at 8:30. It’s 8:32.” My long-suffering husband said nothing, dutifully started the car, and we were on our way.

 

I looked at the dashboard clock. 8:45. We had another two streets and two more 4-way stops before we’d arrive at church. “Lord, I promise to get up five minutes earlier next Sunday.” That was my prayer when I heard Bert say, “Oh, God.” Mind you, he never says, “Oh, God.” Gosh or goodness, yes. But he sincerely meant, Oh, God!

 

An SUV in front us had turned left at the intersection. A car from the opposite direction broadsided the SUV at full speed. That driver hadn’t seen his stop sign. The SUV hit one of the stop signs, preventing it from going into a ditch, and rolled over onto the other driver’s car.

 

By God’s grace, both drivers walked away from the accident! Bert helped the woman in the SUV, who had minor cuts and scrapes. The other driver’s airbag had deployed, and other than shock and sincere sorrow, he was fine. I called 9-1-1, and then directed traffic through the 4-way stop.

 

Yes, that SUV could’ve been us. But the moral of the story isn’t – Don’t be late for prayer meeting/church! It is, however, to pray and praise the Lord. Whether we feel or see it, He is always working for our good and for His glory. 

Books for Christmas Gifts?

If I Were You by Lynn Austin. The most detailed book of World War II I’ve ever read about people in England surviving the German bombings, both in London and in the country and villages. Two young women become volunteers to help with the war effort, then join the army and drive ambulances. Through all the hard times and sorrows, they struggle to find their faith in God and accept his and each other’s forgiveness.

 

Sworn To Protect by DiAnn Mills. This is a novel of suspense, a story which gives a careful look at border patrol and immigration law.

 

Gold Rush Prodigal by Brock and Bodie Thoene. From Hawaii to whale boating to prospecting for gold in California, this story introduces us to fascinating characters and adventure.

 

Hope Harbor by Irene Hannon. A heart-twanging story of a number of people who need God’s grace for themselves and to offer to others.

 

The Gift: a horse, a boy, and a miracle of love by Lauraine Snelling. A lovely Christmas story, including fun descriptions of training a small boy on care for and riding a horse, and hope for three hurting people.

 

They can't kill us all: Ferguson, Baltimore, and a new era in America's racial justice movement by Wesley Lowery. A journalist’s honest and heart-felt look at loss of life of Black people at the hands of police. Including the death of Michael Brown, an unarmed 18-year-old in Ferguson, Missouri; the death of a twelve-year-old boy with a toy gun in Cleveland; incidents in Charleston and Baltimore. Also looks at the church massacre in Charleston and vigilante killings of Black people. the protests that follow, fights with police, and how young people started new activist groups. Lowery asks the question, “What does the loss of any one life mean to the rest of the nation?” 

Psalm 11, God Keeps Us in His Sight

Psalm 11

For the director of music. Of David.

In the Lord I take refuge.

    How then can you say to me:

    “Flee like a bird to your mountain.

For look, the wicked bend their bows;

    they set their arrows against the strings

to shoot from the shadows

    at the upright in heart.

When the foundations are being destroyed,

    what can the righteous do?”

The Lord is in his holy temple;

    the Lord is on his heavenly throne.

He observes everyone on earth;

    his eyes examine them.

The Lord examines the righteous,

    but the wicked, those who love violence,

    he hates with a passion.

On the wicked he will rain

    fiery coals and burning sulfur;

    a scorching wind will be their lot.

For the Lord is righteous,

    he loves justice;

    the upright will see his face.

 

Lord, David shared about times when he was not upright. But he begged for your forgiveness, and he excepted it. I want to be loved by you like David.

 

Father, we know you are just. You have told us what to do when the foundations of our world are being destroyed. Remember that you are on your throne, in charge, and you keep us, every one of us, in your sight. 

The Cattle Truck Miracle

My friend Author Sharon Connell (http://www.amazon.com/author/sharonkconnell) shared a travel miracle story.

 

Kathy, I have a travel story that involves my move from Des Plaines, IL to Pensacola, FL when I went to Bible school there.

My son and his wife traveled from Pensacola to Des Plaines to help me move. We loaded the cars with my daughter's bicycle mounted on top of Ron's vehicle (fortunately, he was an avid bicyclist at the time and had a rack). 

 

We took off in the wee hours of the morning, a fourteen to fifteen hour journey to Pensacola. I followed Ron's vehicle from the start. If I wanted to stop somewhere, I'd flash my lights and he'd pull off the road to see what I wanted. All went well as we traveled from Illinois, through Indiana, to Tennessee, until dusk. 

 

We'd been following a cattle trailer pulled by one of those heavy-duty pickup trucks for many miles. If I remember right, there were about six to eight head of cattle in the trailer. It was as if we were playing leapfrog. He'd pull around us, and a little while later, we'd pull around him. We stopped at the same place for lunch and dinner that the cattle hauling pickup did each time.

 

After our last stop, my vehicle started to act up. We were in the middle of the Smoky Mountains, up and down the rolling hills, when my engine began to lose power. I also lost the lights. Ron apparently was in a conversation with his wife and hadn't noticed our car falling behind, nor did he hear the weak horn when I blew it. I told my daughter, Heatherlyn, then ten years old, to start praying because we were never going to make it up the next hill.

 

I'd been watching the reflectors on my daughter's bike spin as Ron traveled ahead of us. Now the reflectors were barely seen as my headlights dimmed to almost nothing. There were no other cars around, and the truck with the cattle trailer had passed us and moved on a little while ago. I prayed that my son would notice we weren't behind him anymore, but I had no idea how he'd find us unless he got off the road, entered the other direction, and then retraced the journey. I also had no idea how long it would be, and it was getting dark.

 

As my car started up the last hill, I pulled off onto the shoulder, and the engine died. My daughter and I prayed and asked God for His help. I was at the point of tears, but didn't want to cry and scare Heatherlyn. When I lifted my head, I saw Ron's car, driving backward on the shoulder, coming over the rolling hilltop in front of us, bike pedal reflectors spinning like mad. Praise God!

 

After I told Ron what happened, he tried the starter on my car, and it started right up. Huh? Lights came on, and everything seemed normal. He got out of the car and said he had no idea what was wrong. I said, I didn't either. He suggested we get off the highway at the next exit so he could find some light and check the engine. We did that, but he still couldn't find anything wrong, and the car didn't slow down again or lose the lights.

 

We decided to proceed with our journey to Pensacola and trust God to get us there. Ron said he'd follow us for the rest of the journey, and we took off. 

 

About half an hour later, what little traffic had accumulated on the road since we reentered had stopped. When we neared, we saw the highway patrol blocking everything in both directions, and some of the officers trying to round up cows in the median strip. The truck and trailer we'd been playing leapfrog with earlier was also in the median strip, the trailer on its side. Apparently, the driver had swerved to miss something running across the road, and the trailer toppled over onto the median strip in the process. No one was hurt in the accident, and all the cows were uninjured. Another praise God.

 

Not only had God kept us from being involved, and possibly injured, in this accident by giving my car a hiccup, but He protected the driver and the animals. 

 

I'll never forget that night. I used this incident in one of the scenes in my very first published novel. Another blessing. And a miracle. 

Psalm 10, God Cares

The writer of this Psalm knows God hears when his people call out to him, yet he is willing to cry out with doubts in time of trouble.

 

He talks with the Lord, telling him of the terrible things the wicked are doing to the weak and how the wicked care nothing for God. And, in the end, he knows the Lord will help those who cry out to him.

 

1: Why, Lord, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?

2: In his arrogance the wicked man hunts down the weak, who are caught in the schemes he devises.

3: He boasts about the cravings of his heart; he blesses the greedy and reviles the Lord.

4: In his pride the wicked man does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God.

5: His ways are always prosperous; your laws are rejected by him; he sneers at all his enemies.

6: He says to himself, “Nothing will ever shake me.” He swears, “No one will ever do me harm.”

7: His mouth is full of lies and threats; trouble and evil are under his tongue.

8: He lies in wait near the villages; from ambush he murders the innocent. His eyes watch in secret for his victims;

9: like a lion in cover he lies in wait. He lies in wait to catch the helpless; he catches the helpless and drags them off in his net.

10: His victims are crushed, they collapse; they fall under his strength.

11: He says to himself, “God will never notice; he covers his face and never sees.”

12: Arise, Lord! Lift up your hand, O God. Do not forget the helpless.

13: Why does the wicked man revile God? Why does he say to himself, “He won’t call me to account”?

14: But you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted; you consider their grief and take it in hand. The victims commit themselves to you; you are the helper of the fatherless.

15: Break the arm of the wicked man; call the evildoer to account for his wickedness that would not otherwise be found out.

16: The Lord is King for ever and ever; the nations will perish from his land.

17: You, Lord, hear the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry,

18: defending the fatherless and the oppressed, so that mere earthly mortals will never again strike terror.

 

Lord, help me to daily commit myself to you. Thank you that you care about what I care about, that you encourage me, that you are my Father. 

Sweet Memories, Made My Lips Twitch

January 19, 1999: Murray told the kids this morning that he has an interview this week, and Rebecca seemed concerned. She said, "Good." Then she said, "Maybe they'd like you better if you didn't tease so much." Then she thought some more and said, "What are you going to wear? I don't like when people wear a tie with a shirt that doesn't button."

 

January 22, 1999: I was writing on the braille writer the other day, and from upstairs I heard Caleb say excitedly, "Hey, Mom's writing on the braille writer almost as fast as Mrs. H.!" (She is his special teacher for visually impaired kids at school.)

 

The other night Rhoda got outside. Ping-Hwei told Murray, "Baba, Rhoda is in out."

 

February 2, 1999: This morning Sarah told Murray, "Every day I try -- I don't always remember -- but I try to have a long talk with Jesus."

 

Later Sarah was talking about giving prizes to kids in her class, talking in many fast sentences. Murray told her he hoped he got a prize, and in the middle of her explanation she stopped to say, "I'm your prize," then continued.

 

February 6, 1999: Rebecca was looking at her new spelling list last night, which were mostly with prefixes. "They're all perplexes," she told me.

 

February 9, 1999: Last week, Angel (the youngest cat) was licking Ping-Hwei, and he said, "That is tickle!"

 

February 11, 1999: A week or so ago the kids were talking about when Murray had an accident once in Alabama. Caleb told Rebecca that Daddy had accidently pulled out in front of another lady and she'd run into him. Rebecca asked, "Didn't the lady mind?" Caleb said thoughtfully, "Well, I don't think she liked it."

 

The other night Sarah told me and Caleb that there were some kids in her class at school who knew she had blind people in her family, and she said that they didn't think blind people could do anything. Indignantly Caleb asked, "Well, Sarah, did you tell them?"

 

Yesterday Sarah was taking a shower in the morning, and suddenly she called for Murray to come up to her. What did she need? "Daddy I hope you're not mad, but we had a wrapped sucker at school yesterday." (We have a rule that if the kids get wrapped candy at school, they're supposed to bring it home and we will dispense it or eat it ourselves, as we see fit.) Sarah went on: "I forgot the rule, and I ate it." "What color was it?" Murray asked. "Red," she answered. "Oooooh, I hope you enjoyed it!" Murray said, closed the door and left.

 

February 17, 1999: The other night Sarah was waiting in the hall for Murray to carry her to bed. Ping-Hwei went upstairs and said to her, "Sarah, tell me good-night."

 

The other day Rebecca was getting ready to take a shower. She asked me to get her a new towel. "Get me a big furry one," she said. 

Grace and Truth, Jesus Comforts His Disciples, John 14:15-31

Though Jesus knew his time of suffering was coming, he wanted to leave his disciples with hope. Jesus comforted them about when he would no longer be with them physically. The Holy Spirit would be with them and instruct them. In that way, Jesus would still be with those who loved and obeyed him.

 

Verses 15-18: “If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”

 

Jesus extended this promise to us today as well as to his disciples.

 

Verses 21-27: “Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”

 

Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, “But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?”

Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.

 

 “All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

 

Father God, I am sure Jesus was afraid then, and he knew his disciples would be going through terrible things. But he offered them peace anyway. Help me to find your peace in my days. 

Seven Around the Dinner Table, Again

Christmas 2017 was the last time my husband Murray and I and all five of our children were last together. This Monday, we were all seven able to get together for lunch. A comedy of errors? Of course.

 

This week, Rebecca came to Ohio to be in a friend’s wedding. The rest of the kids all live nearby here in Cleveland, so we made reservations to meet Rebecca for lunch in Columbus at 11:30.

 

We had plans to leave early enough we could stop along the way, maybe arrive early.

 

Murray first picked up Caleb and Sarah and dropped them off at home so he could be to the car rental by 8:00.

 

A few minutes after 8:00, he called me. His driver’s license was torn, and the people at the car rental agency said they were legally not able to accept that for identification. If he went to DMV right then and brought back a paper temporary license, that would be good enough.

 

No problem. He was close to DMV, not many people ahead of him, everything went smoothly. He was back at the car rental place by 8:40.

 

There were six of us traveling, plus Caleb’s guide dog Hammy, so we’d asked for a minivan. They’d had a minivan returned last night, but unfortunately, the person who dropped it off forgot to leave the keys. They were calling, trying to get the keys. Murray waited. Caleb and Sarah waited with Ping-Hwei and me at home. I called Benjamin several times, to give him a possible time to leave update.

 

No keys came in, so they finally gave Murray an SUV. When we picked up Benjamin and started the drive, Ping-Hwei asked, “Why are we going to Toledo?”

 

We just needed to turn around, and we were finally on the way.

 

Did we bicker? Very little. From past years, I can remember how loud our family always was. All the kids are adults now, and even Murray and I have mellowed some.

 

I did give them one mother-lecture though, saying they should be willing to stop listening to their music or books or whatever long enough to have a conversation with us. This was a family trip after all.

 

I was excited about a road trip. We usually listen to books, and I’d surprised Murray with an audio book of interviews and music with Paul Simon, Miracle and Wonder.

 

Unfortunately, my book player doesn’t have Bluetooth, and we’ve finally reached the time when the new car we rented didn’t have an auxiliary plug to connect to my player.

 

We did have some fun music to listen to though—Bob Dylan, John Denver, and a Christian singer we used to listen to when the kids were younger, Carman.

 

The music wasn’t loud, and Sarah had her earphones on—listening to “Phantom of the Opera,”—but suddenly she said, “Is that Carman?”

 

Besides gentle songs of worship, he also has many talking pieces with drama, and we were listening to “Satan: Bite the Dust.” Sarah said even with her music on, she heard “authorized, deputized,” and knew it was Carman.

 

Columbus is a large city. We knew that, but why didn’t we think that there might be trouble finding parking? Both Rebecca and we were finally able to park, several blocks apart, and we met in front of the restaurant. Murray said when he first saw Rebecca, he almost didn’t recognize her.

 

We’d been traveling for several hours—we finally sat down to eat at 1:00—so we needed a bathroom break. We walked downstairs to find the bathrooms, but, of course, the women’s was locked.

 

This will probably be the last time we’ll just have seven around the dinner table, since Rebecca is marrying Steve in April. Benjamin asked her if they fought like many couples do while planning the wedding. Rebecca said, “Yeah, I don’t even want to marry him anymore. I’m done with it.”

 

Then she said, “No, we hardly ever fight. I just tell him how he’s wrong, and he apologizes.” I asked if Rebecca would take her engagement ring off so I could look at it, and soon we were passing it around the table for everyone to see. Her birthstone is a sapphire, so it has a large sapphire surrounded by many small diamonds.

 

After lunch, we all walked to see Rebecca’s new car. Rebecca stopped a man walking down the street and asked if he’d take our picture. She said she trusted him, because he had a shirt on from OU, where she went to college.

 

Along the way we passed some scooters, which are popping up a lot these days. People can rent them, then just leave them parked anywhere. I asked to see one, because I didn’t know what they looked like.

 

Murray and Rebecca showed me one, and Rebecca suggested I try to climb on. I did, and wondered how in the world people can get their feet on such a small surface and trust that they’ll drive on it safely.

 

Rebecca got a 2020 car last year for a cheaper price, because it was scarred by hale. It’s a cute car, pretty small. Rebecca told me, “Her name is Haley, short for Hale Damage.”

 

On the drive home, Rebecca texted Sarah to say she should tell whichever boy who’d asked how many diamonds were on her ring that there were 38.

 

We drove through a downpour part of the way back, and when Murray stopped to get gas, Ping-Hwei asked, “Want me to show you how to use the gas cap?”

 

What all did we talk about at lunch?

 

Sarah told Rebecca about a music program Benjamin has written for the computer. We discussed the stock market, IRAs, and Bitcoins.

 

The kids talked about their jobs. Caleb said he’d go through more training this fall so he could do additional work. They talked about books they were reading, and Benjamin told about the book he’s writing.

 

Rebecca brought Sarah a coffee table book and magazine about her favorite music group, BTS.

 

We talked about fast cars and travel the kids have done—Airbnbs in Denver, when Rebecca went to school in Spain, roller coaster rides. About Benjamin’s adoption and his birth parents. About the smell of marijuana. About what a good dog Hammy was being in the restaurant.

 

Then one of my children asked another one a question I’m not going to repeat here today. But I can’t remember the last time I laughed as hard as I did at that moment.

 

I still felt so at home with this precious family God has gifted me with.

 

James 1: 17:

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.