All Means All

 I got to celebrate Mother's Day at Anthony's restaurant near where our kids live.  

This was the view from the window.

Yes, it was a gray day. 

But we Northwesterners  choose to look at the bright side of the weather.

Notice the clouds reflecting in the water.

The evergreen and new-growth green of the slopping hillside.

The boats gently bobbing on the quiet water.

After brunch, we noticed a patch of blue sky and said,

"It's turning out to be a lovely day!"

By contrast, on Saturday our dogwood was glowing in full bloom during a sun break 

as I finished tying  my grandbaby's quilt.

Last Monday I secured  the edges with decorative machine stitching.

It's not perfect, but a whole lotta love went into each stitch. 

True Confession:  I chose Contemporary Christian instead of listening to Country music.

Decided that, as I worked, I'd note lyrics from the songs that spoke to my heart about God's plans for grandbaby's life.  More often than not, lyrics for these songs are based on verses from the Bible.

What better way to pray/sing blessing into his/her life?  

[Don't think that's possible with Country music.]

Yes, it took twice as long to tie the quilt, but it turned my nervous anticipation into peaceful joy.

And, TA DA!

Here's the result:

7 days before her due date!
As close to being a mommy on Mother's Day as a girl can be, without actually holding her baby.

We squinted happily at being together under the patchy blue sky.
Sweet DIL, DH, Son, moi, D#2, SIL
D#1 and other SIL were in Europe

This morning I read this:

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

2 Corinthians 9:8

As I anticipate my daughter's labor and delivery, 

Jesus applied His Word to our circumstances this way:

"I will give her the gift of My grace in this, too.

Because I love her and her baby, 

they have My boundless provision of mercy and love to protect them.

For giving birth to this new little life is, indeed,

a good work!

So do not be afraid, O little [Karen],

for I myself will help [them].

{Isaiah 41:10}

To which I reply, "Thank You, Jesus!"

Grace, mercy, and love be to YOU today, too, friend.

Love,

Linking with

Ann at A Holy Experience for Multitudes on Monday.

This is a blog hop I whole-heartedly recommend.

The blogs I visit here are nearly always worthy of the time spent reading them!

I truly wish I could figure out how to add Ann's graphic here without the html code.

Again, I ask for my readers' help with this.

Also linking with

Internet Cafe's Word-Filled Wednesday

I'm Thankful For...

...my Golden Retriever, Boomer. 

 I read about a local dog show this morning and began thinking about her.  

Realized I still miss her.  

Terribly.

Boomer, 1994-2009

I know many folks in the world are hurting, hungry, homeless, and hopeless.

But I just wanted to take a few moments to

remember her

with you.

She helped me greet the day, every day, for over 14 years.

She suffered a stroke in August of 2009.

She'd been hobbling around on arthritic hips for several years. 

Be assured, we gave her doggie-type medicine for her aches and pains.

But that morning, I had to come to terms with the finality of her stroke symptoms.

Her head was tilted to 1 side,

She could no longer grin at us for her mouth was slanted in an unfamiliar frown. 

She couldn't move off her bed, much less eat.

In the afternoon we took her to the vet.

He gave her 2 shots.

One to calm her.

One to send her quickly to heaven.

We like to think she's gone fishin' with my Dad there.

She kept her eyes and ears peeled for...squirrels.  Oh, how I miss petting her silky fur!

This morning, I wept as I read about the dog show.

Now I am tear-less.

 I truly am thankful for the years we had together.

Years when she acted like the dog she was:

spots on the carpet, chewing on forbidden things, leaving land mines, etc.

Years when her cheesy grin greeted me 

without fail

EVERY TIME

she saw me,

even if she was being naughty.

She was always in a good mood.

She made sure it was safe to...

...enjoy our quiet time on summer mornings.

In the spring of 2007, I asked God to let her stay healthy 

till at least fall, 

after our 3rd child got married.

I just couldn't imagine all that planning

without her.

I told God I needed her

sweet, unconditional companionship

as I pondered the wedding.

She combined these 2 skills seamlessly:  vigilance and nap-taking.

I asked that of the God Who...

created the heavens and the earth,

gave His only Son, Jesus, to be my Savior,

numbers the very hairs on my head, 

wipes away every tear from my face.

She loved car rides.  This was the last time she rode in our 20 year old minivan.
We gave it to a charity soon after this, dog hair and all.

As usual, God knew what I needed better that I did.

He let her stick around for another 2 1/2 years. 

And when  the new school year wasn't far off, 

when I began to dread leaving her 

in the laundry room all day,

He took her quickly

to heaven.

Okay, NOW I'm choking up.

Not so much because I miss Boomer

-although the heart of God surely knows I do-

but because I'm remembering

His grace, love, and mercy 

 to me 

and to my dog,

pressed down and overflowing.

The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces...

Surely this is our God;

we trusted in Him,

and He saved us...

let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation.

Isaiah 25:8, 9

And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

So don't be afraid...

Matthew 10:30, 31

Oh, the abundant grace and love of God!

May you be filled with it today, friend.

Love,

Want to meet lots of other bloggers?  Go check these fun blog hops: 

Linking up with Kristin, Jaime, & Melissa 

@ Take it from me

  

Lynn @ Spiritually Unequal Marriage

Java @ Never Growing Old

Here's My Game Plan

You may or may not have noticed my weight loss ticker hasn't moved much lately.

Sigh...

The GOOD NEWS

is that I was able to manage a .8# loss

over the 2 week break from my Weight Watchers meetings!

woot!  Yea, ME!

But I'm back in the saddle 

The DH and me at 9000' in the Rockies.  August 2008

with meal planning.

My Dear Husband loves a hot, home-cooked meal 

when he comes home from supporting our lifestyle.

So here's my game plan for dinner for the next 7 nights:

All of these recipes are from a pre-Points Plus Plan

Weight Watchers cookbook called

Meals In Minutes.

Shepherd's Pie 

Warm Cassoulet

Beef Stew Italiano

Roast Pork with Herb Crust

Moroccan Turkey Ham Tagine-I have to buy pitted prunes, coriander, and curry to make this one.

Fish Chowder Pie with Bacon

Herb Cheese-Stuffed Shells

Gettin' hungry just typing it all out!

Since we're expecting snow

-not a big deal to some of you-

I better get my rear in gear and go to the grocery store

to get stocked up.

Nobody knows how to drive in snow around these parts.

You haven't forgotten that you're WONDERFUL

have you?

But I trust in you, O, LORD;

I say, "You are my God."

My times are in your hands...

Praise be to the LORD,

for he showed his wonderful love to me.

Psalm 31:14-15, 21

God bless you with grace and mercy today!

Love,

Linking up with
Annett for

Ashley & Vic at For The Love of Blogs 

for 

Happy Last Day of 2010!

 Tuesday, our family woke up to this kind of weather:

At the beach near my Mom's home in California, 

people were wearing shorts and flip flops,

 playing in the sand, and walking along the boardwalk.

Others were catching tiny halibut from the pier.

Word nerd alert:

Is "halibut" the correct way to write the plural of "halibut"? 

Help me!

Help me, Rhonda!

Seriously, Rhonda and I want to know the plural of "halibut."

I love the opening line of that song:

Well, since you put me down,

there's been owls pukin' in my bed.

No, that isn't the real opening line,

just the one found in

Dave Barry's Book of Bad Songs.

When I read that, it made so much sense

'cuz I could never figure out what the lyrics really are.

Can you?

About 15 years ago, our family used to read Dave's column 

in the Sunday newspaper.

It was something we could laugh about together.

We had 3 hormonal teenagers, 

one menopausal Mom (me), 

and one worried-about-getting-3-kids-through-college Dad (my DH)

living in the same home and sometimes 

laughing together wasn't on the agenda.

But we sure looked forward 

to those fun moments 

on Sundays after church,

sitting on the couch together,

laughing.

Thank You, Jesus,

for the grace of those times! 

Major digression there.

But what happy memories those are!

We got home to the Beautiful Pacific Northwest yesterday.

There's no place like home!

This morning we woke up to this:

Let's see...

Warm, sunny, bike-riding weather...

My Little Brother is checking out the surrey with the fringe on the top.
Couldn't resist the reference to "Oklahoma."

 Or frost covering the landscape? 

The candy tufts-blooming in winter for the first time-have cozied up to the foxgloves.

I know many would choose the warm weather,

but 

there's no place like home.

After all,

I'm looking forward to the crocuses

[croci???]

coming up and blooming very soon!

What's it like in your little corner of the world?

Would you choose to live somewhere else?

Why or why not?

Linking up with Java at Never Growing Old
for Follow Friday 40 and over.

and
Kailani at An Island Life for
Aloha Friday.

and
Mama To 4 Blessings & Homegrown Families for their

Blessings to you 

on this, 

our last day of 2010!

Love, 

                                          

Taking A Breath

Good morning, dear friends. 

 I've been perusing some of your blog posts and 

enjoying the eye candy of your  lovely tablescapes 

both for Thanksgiving and your amazing Christmas decorations.

But me?

I'm with Jane at Blondie's Journals, 

I need to take a breath and let "normal" reign in my home

for a few days 

before I start the Christmas decorating blitz.

But that's just me.

Except Marty's idea for a front door decoration

is now ensconced in my brain

and I can't wait to copy it!

The fact that she got some of the pieces from 

Dollar Tree is encouraging to me

because that's what my budget calls for this year.

I'll post my take on it later.

These are some items on my agenda for today:

1. Help Mom in California get a replacement for her stolen Social Security card.  She left her purse in a cart at Target yesterday.  Bless my little Bro, who lives close to her, for canceling her credit cards checking accounts, and is taking her to the DMV for a new driver's license!
2. Return several pairs of shoes to Zappo's.  Oh, how I wanted those RED satin flats and animal print flats to fit my bunion-infested footies!  Not a chance, fancy pants.
3. Meet the DH at the bank to settle some business there at 12:30.
4. Get the porkchops out for supper.  Even though I'd planned to make this last Wednesday night, it didn't happen.  I'd spent the entire day prepping for Thanksgiving and was too tired to cook.  Hurray for the teriyaki place near our home!
5. I get to have my hair cut by the talented woman who's been my hairdresser for five years.  It's the one luxury I just haven't been able to give up in our season of season of financial concerns.
6. Wash, fold, and put away several loads of laundry.

Rain-washed Zen garden on my front porch

What are you up to today?  

Diving into decorating your home?

Puttin' up the tree?

Running errands?

Taking a breath?

For me, part of taking a breath from holiday prep is 

calling to mind the precious moments that happened in our family over Thanksgiving.  

Storing them in my heart like the treasures they are.   

I'm asking God to guide me through my list with a 

thoughtful, thankful, gentle, and quiet attitude.

But Mary treasured up all these things 

and pondered them in her heart.

Luke 2:19

Your beauty should not come from outward adornment...

Instead, it should be that of your inner self,

 the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, 

which is of great worth in God's sight.

1 Peter 3:3-4

Welcome To Making Friends Monday Blog Hop 11/29 hosted by Living on Love and Cents,  The Thrifty Things,  Reviewed By Mom , and  Coupons are Great.
The rules are super simple but VERY important! 

1. Follow the Making Friends Monday  Hosts (Listed as # 1-4) They WILL follow you Back! You MUST LEAVE A COMMENT so we can follow you back!

2. Grab our Making Friends Monday button and include it in a post on your blog.

3. Link up to THAT post.

4. Start hopping and remember following back is appreciated!

Help spread the word and get more followers:
-Put the same linky list code on your blog and you'll have the exact same list!
- Your blog visitors can add their blog to your list and it will show up on all lists!
**Don't forget to follow the rules so you have a chance to be the "Spotlight Blog of the Week"!

If you have any giveaways ending THIS WEEK go link up HERE. Take a minute to enter some too!

  It will be fun getting acquainted with this crowd!
Don't forget that you are wonderful!

Love, Karen

I Am Jesus Little Lamb-Day #6 of Thanksgiving

I first learned this hymn when I was little, about 50 years ago.

I'm thankful that my 2nd grade teacher, Miss Bathke,

who got married later in the year and became Mrs. Dierker,

taught it to us one morning during our devotion time.

Or maybe it was my Aunt Jo, who was my 3rd grade teacher after

Mrs. Dierker quit teaching to have a baby.
I think Aunt Jo already had already had 1 of her four babies.
I'm thankful for those 2 fine spiritual mothers
that God sent to teach me about Jesus.

Anyway...
 having always been a Lyrics Girl,

even at 7 years old,

these lyrics spoke to my young heart.

I accepted them in my childish heart.

They are the Good News, the Gospel, about Jesus, the Savior of the world.

The composer of this hymn was Henriette Luise von Hayn, born in Idstein, Nassau, Germany, in 1724.  She taught at a Girls' School and later cared for invalids until her death in 1782.  She wrote over 40 hymns or portions of hymns.  Sounds like she led a rather quiet life. 

But Henriette's lyrics have spoken loudly to my heart throughout my life. 

I used to sing it to my babies.

I plan to sing it to my grandbabies.

They still ring true:

For Jesus has always gently guided me, known me, and provided for me. 

His love for me has NEVER changed.

He still calls me by my name,

and by His grace,

I know His voice and hear Him speak to me.

Our relationship is such that He satisfies

my hunger and thirst for truth

from His Word;

calms my racing heart and mind by His Holy Spirit.

If this sounds mysterious or impossible to you,

just ask Him

and He'll do the same for you.

Yes, even now, I am His lamb.

He has never failed me.

When my time on earth is done,

He will take me to my final resting place:

His arms.

I am Jesus' little lamb.

Ever glad at heart I am.

For my Shepherd gently guides me,

Knows my need and well provides me,

Loves me every day the same,

Even calls me by my name.

Day by day, at home, away,

Jesus is my staff and stay.

When I hunger, Jesus feeds me,

Into pleasant pastures leads me;

When I thirst, He bids me go

Where the quiet waters flow.

Who so happy as I am,

Even now the Shepherd's lamb?

And when my short life is ended,

by His angel host attended,

He shall fold me to His breast,

There within His arms to rest.

This maker of this video noted that it had been played at a baptism earlier in the day.  Oh, I would love to have it played at my first grandbaby's baptism!

Grace to you all!

Love, Karen

P.S.  I consulted my hymn book and found this one 

right next to the one I shared here a few weeks ago.

Today I'm linking up with

Show and Tell Saturdays and Sunday Song.

They actually pay me to do this!-Day #5 of Thanksgiving

I love my job!
I've been doing it nearly 11 years and-most days-I can't believe they actually PAY me to do it!

I don't dread any day of my work week like some folks dread Mondays, for instance.

I get to work with some of the most interesting people I've ever known.

I get to smile, almost non-stop, all day.

Within certain parameters, I get to decide what I will do with my cookies & buddies.

I get to play roll & move games, bingo, and card games.

I get to read aloud to and with audiences that appreciate it and whose lives are enriched.

I get to hear personal stories, happy and sad.

I get to celebrate birthdays and holidays.
I get to enjoy the passing of time while watching people grow in knowledge and maturity.
I get to grow in knowledge and maturity.

I get to see their eyes light up when they "get it."

That's what gets me up in the morning!  

In case you haven't guessed yet, I am a teacher. 

I work as a Speech Language Pathologist Assistant in several local elementary schools.
I teach children how to say their sounds and use language to express themselves.

I don't have all of the "letters" behind my name,

so I'm supervised by Speech Language Pathologists.

Through the years, they've been great mentors,

always willing to help me learn new skills.

I believe God made this job just for me.

He knew I needed to learn better people skills

as evidenced in yesterday's post.

He wanted to bless me with a challenging, fun job

in which I can bless others

by being the hands, feet, and mouthpiece of Jesus.

He brings friendly, inspiring children and adults across my path every day.

He knew this season, with its financial challenges, was coming,

so He made sure I'm paid well and have health insurance.

God gave me the desire of my heart

and I didn't even know it when I accepted the job.

He gave me a new purpose, a new way to serve Him, when my kids left home.

I never dreamed I would love it.

Thank You, Lord, for providing my job!

By Your grace I will continue to work at it with all my heart!

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, 

as working for the Lord, not men, 

since you know that you will receive an inheritance 

from the Lord as a reward.  

It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

Colossians 3:23-24

Are not 5 sparrows sold for 2 pennies?  

Yet not 1 of them is forgotten by God.

Indeed the very hairs on your head are all numbered.

Don't be afraid; 

you are worth more than many sparrows.

Luke 12:6-7

For we are God's fellow workers; 

you are God's field, God's building.

1 Corinthians 3:9

Delight yourself in the Lord 

and He will give you the desires of your heart.

Psalm 37:4

Do you feel like your job has meaning and purpose?

Do you feel like you're serving God each day?

If not, ask Him to give you the desire of your heart.

If you do, thank Him!

Grace to you, dear ones!

Love, Karen

Me and 3 of my "buddies"

May God give you the desires of your heart!

Love, Karen

Linking up with Cooperating4Boys' blog hop.

Join us and meet some new friends!

<script src="http://www.linkytools.com/basic_linky_include.aspx?id=56036" type="text/javascript" ></script>

Sometimes I'm here...

A person who is very near and dear to me believes he/she needs to begin taking medication for depression. 

Caveat:  I know that depression is a reality for many people.  What I say here is not meant to judge the one to whom I am referring nor anyone else who uses medication to combat it.  It is simply my experience.

I have been in that place.  I took medication for depression 7 years ago.  We were 3 years into our empty nest season at the time.  Our eldest daughter was going to be married 2 hours away and I couldn't be a part of the preparations like I'd dreamed I would.  All it seemed I could do was write fat checks for the festivities. 

No Martha Stewart moments. 

Strained relations with my daughter. 

Huge financial concerns:  wedding, getting 3 kids through college within 7 years.

I just couldn't shake the depression I felt. 

So I used the medication for about 5 months.  I realized that I didn't feel the "lows" as much, but neither could I experience joy and happiness like I used to.  So I stopped the meds.

My circumstances didn't really worsen or improve. 

I pulled through, by the grace of God.

All that to say this:  Sometimes I'm in a spot, or season, where I have

No Strength To Pray.

I read a poem by that name today. 

Here it is:

When vision fadeth, and the sense of things,

And powers dissolve like colors in the air;

And no more can I bring Thee offerings,

Nor any ordered prayer...

Then, like a wind blowing from Paradise,

Falleth a healing word upon mine ear:

"Let the lifting up of my hands be as the evening sacrifice";

The Lord doth hear.

[From Toward Jerusalem, by Amy Carmicheal.]

Have I felt depressed in the intervening years?  Most definitely. 

But today I had a renewed sense that, even in my lowest times,

when my physical and psychological strength fail,

my loving Lord hears my internal cries for relief.

He gathers me close to Him, sending the Comforter, whether I ask or not.

Why do I have that assurance?

Because He is Who He is:

my unchanging Lover, Friend, and Savior.

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, Who does not change like shifting shadows. 
James 1:17

"He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul."

Psalm 23:2

I am hoping and praying that you have that assurance, too.

Grace and peace to you!

Love, Karen

Friend Friday

Heather has been my daughter-in-law for 4 years.

But she's been on our family's radar for going on 10 years. 

Can that be?! 

Here's the short version of what's happened during that time:

She met Kris, our son, 27, when they were freshmen in college the fall of 2001.  She needed a partner in her ballroom dancing class.  She asked Kris's older sister, Katy, a sophomore at the time, if she thought Kris would join the class.  He did.

On Valentine's Day, 2005, Kris asked Heather to be his wife.  They went hiking on a local volcano and he popped the question.

Here they are shortly after she said, "YES!"

Because 18 months is a long time to wait to get married, and because the church was available on April 1, 2006,

-Yes, they've heard all the jokes about April Fools' Day-

they tied the knot that day in a lovely, praise-filled ceremony.

She is the one for whom I prayed since August of 1985, when she and Kris were 2 years old.  'Course, at that time, I didn't know exactly who would be his spouse,

but God did.

She has all of the qualities for which I prayed:

She is warm, loving, caring, giving, sincere, humble, intelligent, and Godly.

Ah, the grace of God!

And, on top of all of that, she takes a genuine interest in our family.

For instance, Heather knows I like to cook.  So how does she show me she wants to be friends?  She hangs out in the kitchen with me, asking questions about recipes, menus, seasonings, etc.  Then she puts her friend-making abilities into high gear:  she asks me to teach her how to make calzones.

Two of us in her tiny kitchen wasn't enough though. 

She invited another friend, Marisa, to cook with us. 

I got to hang out with 2 precious young ladies all afternoon!   

And you know what? 

Heather is smart enough to make calzones 

on her own. 

But she invited me

-her mother-in-law-

to help her.

Then, when I got the idea to participate in a bike ride over 6 bridges

-14 miles!-

she asked if she and Kris could do it with me and

her father-in-law.

Oh, I almost forgot:

I prayed, too, that Kris's wife would be a woman with whom I could have a close, mother-daughter relationship. 

I believe that request is answered every time I see her.

Grace and peace to you, Heather.

Love, Mom

 

I am strongly tempted to fear

Ever get sucked into a black hole by fear?

I have.

In her book, Secure in the Everlasting Arms, Elisabeth Elliot, a spiritual mother of mine, shares hard-earned wisdom about fear.  Her missionary husband was murdered in Ecuador in the late 1950's.  Their daughter was 10 months old at the time. 

In those circumstances, she relates "I was strongly tempted to fear."

Recently, I've been tempted to fear, too. 

The world would say I have a good reason: 

My husband's business, commercial real estate, has been at a stand still for nearly 2 years. 

We have grave financial concerns. 

He works 10 hours a day, 5-6 days a week trying to drum up business. 

He comes home and at dinner we thank God for His provisions of each other, home, food, health, family, and my job.  And we ask Him for strength and guidance to keep trying to earn a living. 

But 18 months ago, as God gently drew me closer to His heart, I realized I need to pray that He'd give us eyes to see good in this dry, scary season;  that we wouldn't give in to fear and worry; that we would learn the lessons we need to as husband and wife and as individuals during this season.   I ask, too, that our children would see our faith in God as the rock solid foundation of our lives no matter what. 

***

23 years ago.  I was a 35 year old SAHM [Stay At Home Mom] with 3 children, ages 7, 5, and 4.  We moved to the Northwest away from family and friends in order for my husband to start a stock brokerage firm.  Shortly after he began his business, the stock market dropped 500 points in one day. 

I was strongly tempted to fear. 

Soon after our move, I realized the one thing which had ever made me feel secure, peaceful, and content was my faith in God.  [Praise Him for my Christian parents!]  This dawned on me completely out of the blue, for my faith was not evident by my lifestyle.

By God's grace, I found a wonderful church family, joined a women's Bible study, and began listening to Christian radio programming.  That's when I first heard Elisabeth Elliot.  Since I was so far from home, I needed an older woman to teach me how to be the woman, wife, and mother God created me to be.  Next to my Mom, she's been my most influential spiritual mentor through her radio show and her many books.

 Even now, I get choked up with joy and thankfulness to my Heavenly Father for providing me just what I needed exactly when I needed it. 

Major grace!

Oh, yeah, back to fear.  

Today I looked back at Elisabeth and myself as daughters of the King of kings,

as young Christian wives and mothers.  

He is still the King.

He got her and me

from there to here 

and all I can say is:

What or whom shall I fear?!

"...we actually exult in such afflictions as ours, knowing as we do that affliction develops unflinching endurance, that endurance develops tested strength, and tested strength develops the habit of hope." 

Romans 5:3-5

"Who shall separate [Karen] from the love of Christ?  Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?...No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved [Karen].  For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."  \

Romans 8:35-39

 
Grace and peace to you, friends.
Love, Karen