Father's Day

I made a homemade card for my dad for Father's Day.

He likes handmade cards best.

"Dear Daddy,

On this Father's Day, your 57th since becoming a father, I want to thank you for allowing me to do some risky things when I was a single young person.

You allowed me to go to China with L's, where I was arrested, but where thousands of gospel leaflets were distributed, and where Bibles and New Testaments were given to those who needed,

where we could pray with and comfort a young man who had friends at Tianemen Square.

You allowed me

to spend a school year teaching in Honduras. I am reading those Honduras journals now and writing stories. I was awake late last night reading in May of 1992.

You allowed me to take a trip to Ukraine that fall with L's again, where we distributed about 60,000 gospel leaflets or New Testaments. The next year you let me go teach in Kiev, where I had a very hard life but where I met Jonathan and have some of my happiest memories!

And you let me marry Jonathan. 

Quite risky!

And then you let go of me which was very risky. But it worked really well, I think!

Thank you for allowing me to take risks,

have harrowing adventures,

and reap eternal rewards.

Much love,

Your 2nd daughter,

Anna

And Dad's second daughter is still taking risks--

right along with Jonathan!

Here my children's dad and Sam are trying to figure out how to fix this fuel tank so we can take it to South Dakota next week to supply diesel for the excavator and bobcat or whatever equipment we end up with,

excavating our house basement and driveway.

The Peaceful Lake--Interrupting our Hectic Lives

Sunday evening a peaceful lake, complete with a family of ducks, interrupted our hectic lives.

We couldn't help thinking about how we don't have very many more times that we will get to enjoy this lake and this park near our place

before we move.

We're gonna miss it. 

It's been our way to get away when we don't want to pack a ton of things and go far away.

Just hop into the vehicle and drive two miles,

and Tada! You're at the park! 

The moon rose while we moseyed around the lake.  

We listened to the red-winged blackbirds and watched them flitting about--

mothers and fathers and young ones.

 And we stopped and spent a long time just watching the mama duck and all her littles.

Nine of them, at least.

It was unusually peaceful.

The ones in the family who can't stand to stop and be quiet were not along, and those of us who were just plain tired of the weeks of work and needing a respite,

just stood and watched.

I tried to think how long it had been since I'd been able to stop and just watch a mama duck and her babies.

\

We found a redwinged blackbird's nest. 

And the father was frantic.

So we didn't stay there long. 

A nest hidden in the reeds, watched over by mama and papa birdies.

Then we saw a hawk dive for a young bird--and miss.

The birdling had dived into a crevice between rocks by the lake. The mama birds were swooping around and chasing the hawk.

But the young birds were safe, because their parents had watched and warned.

And another set of parents, relaxing by the lake, wonder at the instincts God has given His creatures.

To build a safe nest.

To teach their young to fly.

To warn them of dangers.

To battle the enemy.

To sing a song of victory as the sun sets over the piney hills.

 

Mom, You Have a Rooster Tail!

I didn't know moms could have rooster tails, but I found out today.

 I thought it was only boys whose moms didn't give them the greatest haircut last time--

and who are stopping in the middle of a windy day to grab a snack at the counter--leftover pancakes with honey.

"Mom, you have a rooster tail!" said one of my wonderful daughters who seemed to think her mother did not know what a bad hair day it was.

I had just had to spend some time in bed--these weeks and months of hard work were taking their toll, and yesterday I ate too much strawberry jam on my bread, and icecream and I should know that sugar wreaks havoc with my blood sugar. 

Danny had jigsawed new rails for the back yard bridge over the dry creek. 

Now that bridge looks better than it did in the photos that are in the realty virtual tour of our property.

 Thankfully, the last two days we got the garage cleaned up till it looks a little more acceptable when people come to look at our house which is now up for sale.

I had a hard time keeping a move on yesterday in that hot garage. But we got a lot done.

Looks so  much better now that it is time to move out.

And thankfully one more puppy sold today to a sweet family.

I watched out the window and wondered if they are believers. They looked like it. 

It's a good thing Timmy is home. He writes a to-do list every morning, and we are depending on him a lot since Jonathan and Sam and often Rose are at work all day. Crystal and Hannah ran errands and shopped, and Carrie had puppy customers, and I, the mom, had to crash for a while, 

after loading up wheelbarrows with scrap wood and raking behind the children who loaded the dump trailer with a load of firewood to deliver. 

I just had to take time to rest. 

Rooster tail and all.  

At least I managed to do the dishes, because dishes still have to be washed 

even if your house is up for sale. 

What Would We Do Without a Day of Rest?

Saturday was a big day! Just in case people think all Anna does is take pictures and blog and write stories, :)  I had someone take a picture of me actually doing some work! :) :) 

The last few days I had the job (among other things) of staining several new doors and about a dozen pieces of trim for the doors we're replacing in the house and closet doors we're finishing. We're even installing a door to the crawl space, because one of the realtors took one look at the dark doorway to the crawlspace and thought potential buyers would feel creepy!

"Put a door there!" she commanded.

Soo--we put a door there.

Jonathan painted the woodstove and chimney.

And in case you can't read the sign, it says, "No Touch!" 

No one is allowed to put a pan or a teapot on the woodstove. It must look very nice for the next buyer.

Especially now that about 50 properties suddenly went on the market just in the last week in our area.

And always there are the puppies to take care of.

To feed and water and clean up after and let out for exercise and try not to step on and advertise and answer calls about and wait and wait and wait to sell. The market has slowed down considerably. 

There are plants in the greenhouse to water, and garden to weed, and chores to do. 

We totally repainted Crystal's room--ceiling, walls, and baseboards. Well, she did most of it. Jonathan cut in the corners at the ceiling. 

 

Needless to say, my personal devotions has not been long and drawn out! But it has been short and sweet. To my amazement, since I am in John or Psalms, I find that a single verse sticks with me longer and sweeter than a whole chapter. I read that one verse (perhaps in the middle or end of a few others), am touched by it, ponder it, pray it over every one on that day's prayer list.

That one verse becomes more meaningful than a whole book read in a sitting. 

Thank You, Lord, for how a single sentence of Your Word 

has such strengthening power, 

surprising refreshment,

and amazing grace!

But what would we do without the Lord's Day, when we can kick back in the morning and talk around the breakfast table,

leisurely get ready for church,

and stretch out under a tree in the front yard after Sunday dinner? 

What would we do without that day of rest,

the day for the Lord,

the restful rainbow that makes the workday week perfect? 

Never So Happy for Puddles!

A little over a week ago, it rained enough that there were puddles afterward! Imagine that!

 I know that for Pennsylvanians and Missourians and Virginians, puddles are as common and ordinary as leaves in May.

But not here on the high prairie of Colorado. 

 Here there has been more drought than good years, 

more fires than floods;

more dust than droplets. 

In Missouri and Virginia, they are picking gallons of strawberries a day.

We are grateful to get a single strawberry in our greenhouse.

 So when there are big puddles, the mom of the house heads outdoors with her camera.

The land has been so thirsty for rain, just beginning to sprout a few blades of grass at the beginning of June.

 Thirstier than the horse and cow two days ago when I discovered their trough was as dry as a lone stick clothespin on a prairie clothesline.  

No one had to call the cow to come.

Or the horse. 

They heard; they saw; they came. 

Lord, in the middle of my busier-than-normal days,

my heart is thirsty for You,

for water from the Fountain that never shall run dry.

Thank You that when I turn to You, You are always there,

a spring of abundant water,

refreshing and strengthening all who come to You!

Four Sisters Participate in Walk for Life

 Last Saturday our four girls enjoyed participating in the Walk for Life held in Memorial Park in Colorado Springs.

They said there were many people there!

And a lot of "positive energy"! 

I could definitely use some positive energy!

Actually while the girls were there, and while Jonathan and his work team was working at our home, Danny and I went to the church work day at our church where he helped with a digging job, and I helped pull donated books out of about ten boxes and shelve them in one of the annexes. 

When I exclaimed to the pastor about some of the books such as the ones about Martin Luther and one with the writings of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, he said I could take any I wanted.

It's just that I am trying to get rid of things, not collect more.

So I dutifully left the books there.

After helping a couple youth comb hail-damaged air conditioner units, Danny and I got in the car and started for home.

But that is when we noticed that a sweet church family of six children were cleaning out weeds from the rocks along the parking lot.

And those weeds were beautiful, young alfalfa plants which our goats and cow and calf and horse LOVE!

So we stopped the car, opened the trunk, found a trash bag, and helped pull "weeds."

I think it made the kids' day to know that the "weeds" they were pulling that weren't much fun

were going for a cause--for the Lucas goats and cow and horse!

We love this sweet, homeschooling family whose father is in the air force. We've had them out to our place for a meal a couple times now. Their kids love our animals, our home, and our family.

When the mom found out we were moving, she told me that she couldn't sleep all night!

I couldn't believe our moving would affect this little family like that! But they love the Lord and are doing their best to live godly lives, and they don't have much support or encouragement. They love our little ranch with all its animals, puppies, and goat, and cow, etc. They have shares with our cow and we provide a couple gallons of fresh cow milk every week to them, as well as to six or seven others who have shares in our cow. Carrie has been the one to milk the cow and deliver the milk.

I pray that this little family will be blessed.

We believe not just in respecting and saving the lives of the unborn, but in supporting and helping and blessing the lives of those who are already born

and who need love and support and cheer along the way of life.

When Cameras Bounce Down the Road--and Dogs are Lost

 Last night Jonathan called me from Ranch Haven youth camp in western Colorado. He is over there for a couple days to be the maintenance man for the camp, as he had agreed to do a few weeks ago when he and Mike Sayler made a deal that if Jonathan helped during camp again this year, Mike would come in July and help frame our house in South Dakota! Timmy, Danny, and Hannah left early Tuesday morning to take in a hike along the way, so they arrived at camp before Jonathan did. 

By the way, this is our Tim, who graduated from Penn View's one-year Bible course last month.

 Jonathan said that around the campfire last night, young people were asked if they had a testimony or anything they would like to share. And Timmy spoke up.

Along the way to camp, he said, at Black Canyon of the Gunnison, he and Danny and Hannah had gotten out to take some photos of the scenery. As they were putting things back into the car, Timmy set his camera on the roof of the car. 

And forgot about it! Down the road, he heard a clunking sound and called back, "Hannah, what are you doing?"

Then he noticed something in his mirror! It was his camera bouncing down the road behind them!

Not a good thing! This was not a cheap camera! He pulled over, and right away they found the camera lens, but the camera was no where to be found! The three children hunted and hunted. And hunted. For thirty minutes they combed the roadsides there. They were about to give up when Timmy said, "Let's pray about it!" And so they did. 

After half an hour of searching, they prayed a simple prayer. And guess what? After saying "Amen," Timmy took a few steps and--there was the camera! It even still worked!

A special lesson on the value of prayer!

The same day that happened, we had two lost dogs here at home. Three dogs took off somewhere that morning, and only Teddy came home. For hours we wondered where the other two were, mine and Carrie's. Everyone was gone to either youth camp or their jobs except for Crystal, Carrie, and me. The girls took turns driving around looking, but no dog was to be found. We wondered if they had tried to follow the travelers when they left. 

All morning as we girls emptied out one basement bedroom after another in preparation for the carpet layers, we wondered about the dogs. Finally about 1 o'clock in the afternoon, I just stopped. I'd been asking the Lord for help here and there, but I just stopped and specifically prayed about the lost dogs.

Then I went to the window and looked, and there was Sierra, Carrie's dog, trotting in the driveway! She looked a little guilty, like she knew very well she had been out of order, but she was home! I acted like the father of the prodigal son the way I welcomed her home, setting out a bowl of water and giving her some pieces of leftover meatloaf.

 I did have to wait two more hours before I caught sight finally of my dog, Aspen, finally arriving home about 3:00 that day. But they came home--also in answer to prayer!

So those are two prayers God answered yesterday--about the bouncing camera and the lost dogs!

The Hubcap Race

 I had to drive Crystal's car Saturday--with a couple hubcaps missing. 

"Didn't you get some new hubcaps ordered?" I inquired later at the supper table. "You need to have your brothers help you put those on so your car will look nice!"

If moms ever get booed at the supper table with all the family around, it is when they talk about things looking nice!

Why do things have to look nice? 

Yeah, why?

And all of a sudden, moms have to try to come up with reasons--

reasons, mind you, why things like cars are supposed to look nice.

Thankfully, Pop came a little to the rescue. He came up with this bright idea of having a race after supper. 

Each of the three boys would put a hubcap on Crystal's car, and see who could get it on first!

And Crystal, someone else suggested, would put on the fourth hubcap!

So it was decided that after family worship (which we decided to have out on the deck in case the children wanted to hold puppies, now that puppies were not allowed in the house anymore

because of new carpets--which are supposed to look nice, too) the boys would do this race.

But the children decided that rather than holding puppies, they would listen to the Scripture reading from the roof!

It was the story of David and Goliath. 

Strong David with his armor.

Strong brothers with their hubcaps. 

The boys did not forget. 

Immediately upon the prayer's amen, Danny disappeared, and then Sam did, too. The rest of us had already forgotten about the hubcaps. 

There were the boys, yanking hub caps out of the package, and trying to pop them onto the tires. 

Except they would not pop right. 

Where are the directions?

And what are these wire circles?

And what size are these anyway?
Don't tell me they are the wrong size?
That Dad thought they were 14 inch hubcaps instead of 16?

So that was the end of the hubcap race.

The hubcaps are back in the box, waiting to be returned to the store!