God is in CONTROL

Monday, November 30, 2009

What's it Really All About?


The house is nearly decorated- the weatherman said Saturday would be our best weather for the week --so I worked at feverish pitch all day putting the garlands up to the windows -- and setting up the 20 yr. old tree with lights. . .ornaments will find a branch over the next two weeks.

As I fell into bed Sat. night-- I asked myself why was I doing all this, anyway, since none of us were going to be home for the holidays and I didn't have any big parties on the calendar. . . wasn't it a waste of time? Terry did wander through all the holiday clutter in the living/dining room Sat. evening -- looked around and said, "I know it's up to you to do it all -- but I'm sure glad you do."


I guess it's about TRADITION! (yes, Tevia - like the song) -- Every year for as long as I can remember we have decorated the house Thanksgiving weekend. Years ago we always held a huge holiday open house for the church. I'd cook and bake for days and 150 people would come. . . and they added to our Christmas decor. Now that I teach fulltime -- we're lucky to have a couple of batches of candy made after school turns out for the semester.


Each piece I put up holds a certain significance - each a reminder of treasured relationships and special people -- special times in our lives. I get this warm glow inside as I unpack my Christmas treasures.

So, it's the same every year --

We use the holiday mugs the Altman's and Dot gave us.

I place the crocheted tree that Clyde's wife made for us with the Christmas village my Mom made several years ago.

I hang the dog ornaments Dot gave us so many Christmases in a row. . . she was a true holiday fanatic! There's ornaments from different friends and church family through the years as well.

There's all the decorations our kids helped me make years ago when their chubby little hands did such creative work-- the fabric wreath that Bethany stuffed -- the ornaments they made in school -- their hand-painted wooded houses -- and the ornaments I have collected for them through the years. The ornaments with scenes my mother painted, even a few from my grandmother's tree.


I set up the nativity creches from Bethlahem, Geeta and the Callahans,

Place my snowmen from Geeta all over the house and add the clip-on candles from Austria, the ornaments from Mexico and India.

I have to hang the Christmas quilt I made in '93 . . it took me so long to make

and put the reindeer out front my brother made with his bandsaw in the late 70's.

I don't have to buy any decorations for Christmas -- my attic is full.


I have a collection of Santa's that I love -- one looks just like the Father Christmas that we saw when we were ice skating in Vienna in the winter of '88.
He was a skinny old man in a tattered red bathrobe, looking worn and weary with a bundle of sticks -- just like the ones you read about in the old Christmas tales.

I have heard people upset about Santa robbing the true meaning of Christmas-- the thought came, isn't Santa really people's search for a Beneficent God? Isn't he like a God-substitute that someone created years ago?

That's where the whole point of the Christmas story gets lost -- We have the real thing!


This year as I explain the story to my Sunday school primaries in anticipation of their upcoming Christmas presentation -- I want them to see that the gift God gave to us in the manger has become the answer to all our needs each and every day. . . He is the Way when we feel lost, He is our Provider when we are in need, He's the Lamb of God who WAS the sacrifice for us . . .He's the WORD when we're clueless . . He's the Everlasting Father when our's are absent or gone. . .the Prince of Peace when we are upset and hassled. He is LORD over life . . . He truly is our King of Kings!!! HE IS THE GIFT!!!!

Friday, November 27, 2009

Blessed


It was a wonderful and blessed Good / Bell Thanksgiving! We have been building holiday memories in KC with them for some time now and had to keep all our previous traditions. . . Bethany and I always pre-prep in the kitchen on Wednesday together and cook together all day Thursday. (A new traditon we definitely want to keep: brining the bird with Williams Sonoma brine & herbs.) We spent our time tasing each other's culinary surprises and her trying out recipes from her new Pioneer Woman cookbook (Yeah Pawhuska's Ree Drummond for your pumpkin cheesecake!)

We couldn't all be together --
It was only the second year we weren't with Marshall for the holiday (in 2003 he was in Canada at the University of Northern British Columbia.) I did find out from Terry on Wed. night that Marshall had been planning to drive to KC and surprise Bethany and me. His wreck on Monday morning - sliding into a tree with his pick-up-- changed the course of his plans and he was left without a safe vehicle to make the trip and looking for a place to spend his four-day weekend.

Of course, B & I talked nonstop to catch up and our conversation always seemed to end up with our little #10 (as Mat's Dad loves to call him)! We tossed around possible baby names. Every now and then we had to stop and catch Terry or Mat up with our gabbing.




No trip to KC is complete without a trip to their little grocery market the "Hen House" -- Here's a pic of us two chicks on our way to the Hen House! Seemed we always were out of something. Bethany was craving more of my pineapple cheese ball and so for the little mamma I had to buy more stuff to make a second batch. We rushed in 10 minutes before closing time at Thursday noon.




Mat had to work Thanksgiving Day -- so we cooked even more -- way too much for the five of us. Mat invited a co-worker, a Cardio Fellow from Lebanon, for dinner and we enjoyed getting to know Bossum and learn that his wife will join him in KC in late January. In some sense, it made Marshall seem a little closer --










Serious talk time. . .




"Black Friday" meant B & I had to hit the shops just to see if there were any deals we couldn't pass up. With careful spending and good sales I'm happy to report, I'm 3/4 done with holiday shopping!



Time with our children relaxes and re-energizes Terry and me . . .here's a pic of our tired little mamma Friday at noon -- post holiday -- post shopping -- ready for a nap!!
We hit the road for Tulsa and Bethany went to bed!

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Thankful

It's the holiday when our hearts and minds remember what we're most thankful for.
If we live everyday being thankful -- wouldn't we have a whole lot less depression?

I heard a woman say one time she had a journal that was her gratitutde book that she wrote in every day to remind herself of all her blessings. Very quickly mine turns to prayer requests, "bless ___________, help them get over, get through or get well."

I DO have so very much to be thankful for.

Of course, I'm thankful for my four favorite people:

>My husband of 37 years who always sees the best in me, gives me the benefit of the doubt and puts my needs above his own. These cherished years have seen us through so many changes in our lives and we've come to know each other so well that we can finish each other's sentences.

> Our two children who give me such joy as I watch their lives unfold and thankful for the upcoming holidays with them.

>My son-in-law -- (or son-in-love with my daughter). He is the answer to our prayers for Bethany's mate in every way. He's a kind, caring conscientious man who goes out of his way to make certain that others are well taken care of.

SOOOOOO thankful I'll be a grandma in the early summer!

>For the legacy of faith my parents lived out in front of me every day and for my brothers. I so enjoy the times I get to be with them and their families. What a proud aunt I am to Chelle & Michael, Angie, Tyler & Emily and Casey and Layne!

>Thankful for some very deep and lasting friendships -- you know who you are -- and as I get older -- friendships become even more dear -- and I purpose to work harder to nuture them. Thankful for new friends I have made this past year.

>Thankful for our Church family and the ministry God is allowing us to continue in.

>Thankful for my students and the wonderful school where I teach.

>Thankful for the little ones in my Sunday school class who give me an "up close and personal" view of God.

>Thankful for my good health and energy.

>Thankful for my husband's ongoing healing from his rheumatoid.

Thankful for my freedom!!

Paul says in the scriptures "In everything give thanks" -- so here goes:

>I'm thankful for the stresses and challenges of the past year. I can always look back and see lessons God taught me during those times.

>Thankful for times I have had to wait for answered prayer -- it opened my eyes to all the ways God was working and made me doubly appreciate all HE is doing in each situation.

>Thankful for the students who push my buttons. . .it really does build patience in me even when I want to scream! Thankful for kids who make me laugh and praying for those whose lives are falling apart right now.

>Thankful for lesson planning and teaching that helps to keep my mind moving -- not always in the same direction at once, though! (I can't bring myself to say papers to grade!)

GOD IS SO GOOD TO ME! He continues to shower me with everything I need for the situation at hand that day. Thank you Father!

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Matters of the Heart –




Today I got a voice message from Bethany of our FIRST grandbaby’s premiere recorded heartbeat at 11 weeks prenatal. We’d all been waiting for that heartbeat to reassure the GOOD – BELL clan that everything was just fine. Somewhere in all my treasures, I have a tape of her first heartbeat recorded in my obstetrician's office back in 1979. June 5th (give or take a few days)– we’re anxious to meet our #10 as Mat and Bethany like to refer to him (her).


Marshall called Sunday to say that he was going to be on private jet with a team of doctors to retrieve a donor heart for one of the patients on his floor. He called later, and, of course, I had several questions -- one of which was about the family who had to give consent at a painful time in their lives– so that another person would have a greater quality of life. Marshall talked about the rushed flight there and back -- and in a matter of a very short time --not more than five hours – the disconnected heart started beating again in someone else’s chest. I’d loved to have heard the cheers that went up in that operating room with that first heartbeat.




So much of life is measured by the heartbeat – We monitor the heartbeat on a screen- -- do ultra sounds and doppler readings --check pulse rates at the wrist when we exercise. We even make old wive's predictions of a baby's sex by the rate of the heart beat (our baby's was 176). We read health and life by the heartbeat.


I've been thinking about all that has transpired this past week regarding the heart: the confirmation of new life in Bethany with the sounds of our baby's heartbeat-- the impact of one heart given so that someone else's quality of life could be restored– and one of those “light bulb” moments occurred for me –– that’s what our redemption is –SOMEONE gave consent – so that we could have quality of life – abundant life -- Eternal life— living forever with our Savior's heart now beating in us.

Friday, November 13, 2009

Who's Coming to Dinner at Your House?



The other day I connected with one of those Facebook links for a Biblegateway.com questionnaire--"What Old Testament character would you like to ask to dinner?"
I was amused by some, intrigued by others. It did make me pause and ask the question of myself, since I teach Sunday school to primaries and spend most of my time retelling the Bible stories.

I grew up with Kathryn Voss's Bible story book, and every night my Dad would stand between our two rooms and read us a story about these heroes of old. As a child, they became so familiar it was as if they were members of our church.

A couple of years back, I felt a strong impression from the Lord -- that all we needed for life was there in the stories of those real-life people. They had the same joys, same trials, same longings that we do today -- They made the same mistakes and reaped the same consequences -- just in different costume.

I couldn't invite only one person to dinner -- and since I'd be the person inviting --I'd have a sit-down dinner with several of my Old and New Testament favorites.

I'd ask Sarah because I want to know how she kept up with a toddler at 90 years of age -- of course, she must have had a lot of nannies.

I'd invite Hagar to come, too-- maybe not sit her too close to Sarah. It seems as if she was the pawn in everybody else's game and then was banned in an effort to solve their problems. Life for her really wasn't fair. Once I wrote her into a skit for a ladies' class and ever since --her words "I have now seen the God who sees me" -- have impacted me.

Moses of course-- he's been a favorite of mine for years.


I'd want Hannah -- I identified with her as I prayed and begged for children.

The Shunamite woman -Wow what faith when she bravely said to Elijah's servant "it is well" after losing her only child. I like the fact she kept a room for God's prophet.

Enoch and Elijah -- I want to ask what it was like to just get "swooshed up" to Heaven by God. . . they didn't have to go through all the diseases and decisions of old age.

And also Elizabeth -- I wonder how mute Zechariah broke the news to her she was going to have a baby -- did he draw a picture or pantomime the words?

(seems to be a pattern here -- women and babies in old age -- see my next blog!)

I'd ask Peter -- he was so impulsive during those years as a young apostle -- kind of like me from time to time -- he then grew to be a rock!


I'd want Martha -- she knew how to throw a banquet -- seems like that's where she spent a lot of her time, doing kitchen prep -- what was it like to see her brother come out of the tomb? Of course she'd have to bring Lazarus.

Dorcas -- I've taught about her to ladies classes -- such a helpful doer in the early church -- she stitched and sewed. . .without a fancy sewing machine like mine.

When times have been especially difficult in my life, these silent characters of scripture have given me help and direction, though long dead.

Jesus would need to sit at the head of the table -- or would it be like his last big meal with his friends -- Him serving, washing feet, loving on us --reminding us to keep strong and connected to Him?

I believe God's still writing His stories -- He has us in this present time, at this place, for a specific reason. He'll not re-write a second Book, or "dub" us into one of the vintage stories -- but He's still doing the same thing with ordinary people living out their lives in a purposeful way as He did centuries ago -- drawing them into relationship -- redeeming their lives.

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