Cross Over Our Family

 Last week when the temperature was way below zero and I couldn't get outside to go for a walk or even do more than bring in some firewood, I decided to hang some family pictures that I'd unpacked after our move, including a couple new ones that include Rose's fiance Tommy!

With this move from Colorado to South Dakota, I rethink everything we own, asking the question, "Do we really need this? How much value does this have?"

We have a number of souvenirs Jonathan brought home from countries where he has done mission projects, and some of them simply take up space now, 15 or 20 years later. 

Like this cross.

Decor didn't used to hold much value to me, although when I see how others decorate their homes so delightfully, I realize there really is an art to it, and it is a real blessing to know how to meaningfully decorate one's home.

As I tried to choose which old photos to hang, I knew that some photos were old, but they were reminders of ones we loved, such as the parents of Jonathan and me and a couple older family photos of us and our children. But I realized some photos were simply out-of-date, and that we had fresh ones to hang instead. 

But what to do to organize them on a wall that's a different shape than the long hall wall where we had hung so many photos of family and relatives in our old home?

I re-positioned photos and hung the plaque that had been given me by Jonathan's mother one Christmas.

"Let us keep it in our hearts that those we love are the most precious gifts."

But somehow the arrangement was missing something. 

Until I spied this souvenir from one of the Caribbean Islands where Jonathan had done a Mission Helps project. 

I had set it somewhere with the intention of taking it to the goodwill because we just have too many things.

Decorated with shells, it was beautiful.

It just needed a place.  

And there on the wall by the family photos, was a place for it.

As I hung it up, it became more than a decoration.

I looked at the pictures of the family I loved and thought of how Jonathan and the two younger children and I had left them behind--not just the parents and relatives, but several of our own children whose pictures were on the wall.

We left them behind for Christ's sake. 

Because the cross, and the call of God, and Christ Himself meant more to us than our close family. 

I choked up when I tried to explain to Jonathan about the cross on the wall, and what it meant to me as I hung it up.

Not only was it a symbol of what we left behind and why, but it was also a beautiful reminder that if we leave all for Christ, Christ will watch over us. His cross will overshadow our lives with protection and light and glory.

Anything we leave behind or give up for Him, He will make it up to us.

He will give us more family in Him--like here in Arizona where I am again today all by myself. 

Mrs. Castle came to pick me up at the airport, and I spent Sunday dinner with them and others after service. Church folk greet me as if I were family--and I am.

So it wasn't just a seashell cross on the wall.

It was so much more. 

And it's just beautiful.

My Niece's Bee-Themed Bridal Shower

 This morning my sister-in-love Anita shared some pictures from my niece Susanna's Bee-themed bridal shower yesterday.

I had received an invitation, but was unable to go.

And guess what?

I absolutely can't believe it, but in the middle of traveling to western South Dakota for a native American missionary rally and then promptly going on to Sioux Falls to fly to Arizona for another stint at the clinic, I forgot about the shower! 

But this is one time my forgetfulness paid off.

Because all day yesterday (well, not quite all, but most of it), I was enjoying myself and being in the present moment and place

instead of being tempted to feel sorry for myself for being on my way for a cancer treatment instead of getting to be with my mother, sisters, sisters-in-law, daughter, and nieces and others for this very special and delightful event.  

I had enjoyed helping a lady through the Sioux Falls airport who was flying by herself for the first time and didn't have the least idea where to go. (I didn't either, but I could pretend I did by reading the signs!) 

And I had enjoyed watching the family right across from me with a beautiful blue-eyed baby 

and also enjoy this sweet little service dog one seat up and across from me!

I had caught up in my journal and prayed and just enjoyed the flight--with the exception of the landing when it seemed like the airplane was heading toward the ground faster than usual. 

And I had enjoyed seeing this flag in the Mesa airport, and sparrows near the door, and the air outdoors that was literally 80 degrees warmer than the weather I had left behind in South Dakota. It was minus fourteen in South Dakota and 66 degrees in Arizona when I arrived!

I think the Lord was incredibly merciful to me to help me be forgetful about this bridal shower! Then how excited I was to unexpectedly start getting the news and pictures from Anita and Joella about it! How I am enjoying the photos and the descriptions of everything from the edibles to the decor to the gifts to the cute games played!

These cookies above are No-Bake Bee cookies that I believe Natasha made.  

Everything was just so cute! 

Anita made these"Quite a Pair!" cheese ball bees. 

And her gift to Susanna was a basket of "Perfect Pairs."

Peanut butter and jelly

Mayo and relish

Paper and pen

Soap and towels

Butter and honey

Whisk and bowl

Snip and spat (kitchen shears and spatula)

and more!

Somebody really creative did this "Home is where the honey is" centerpiece.

Here is my mom, thoroughly enjoying it all.

Susanna, the bride-to-bee  

What a fun time! I'm so grateful for my sisters and sisters-in-love sharing pictures and details so a faraway Arizona sister can enjoy it all, too!

The girl cousins even dressed the part for the Bee Theme!

I'm kinda partial to the beautiful young lady over on the right, but I think that's understandable!

There's talk of a bridal shower for Rose sometime in the future, and I hope I really can attend that one!

Thank You, Lord, for the joys in life!

We are blessed!

Worship at the Window

A couple mornings ago, in my quiet time near the window, my heart ended up in worship rather than prayer. Words to a poem just started flowing through my mind.

 

 O God of earth and sea and sky,
My prayer today is praise.
I cannot ask or question why,
Just worship You always.

I cannot cry, I cannot pray,
I only can adore
The God Who plainly lights my way
And on it blessing pours.

 

Into a smooth and level path
Rough mountain trails You pave,
And from Your holy, righteous wrath,
Poor sinners You do save.

You bring the violets from the earth,
The thunder from the clouds.
You give to man mercy and worth,
And cover pride with shroud.

 You see the sparrow when it falls,
And make the eagles soar.
You hear my heart whene’er it calls,
And love me more and more.

You loved me first, I loved you back.
You are my shield and sword,
O God of earth and sea and sky,
My everlasting Lord. 

Cozy Moments on Frigid Days

  When we are pretty well cooped up indoors due to 20-degrees-below-zero weather, we are grateful for the cozy scenes in the middle of the chill.

And it was chilly, that's for sure, especially when the wind was blowing. But our Christmas star, which we haven't been able to bear to take down yet, still shines in our kitchen window early in the morning and late in the evening.

My Lemons in January: True Missionary Adventures in Honduras book proof came in the mail recently, thanks to nephew Ezra's help.

Bacon sizzled one morning.  

 The plates Hannah and I fix for Jonathan look so yummy.

We often check our phones for pictures from all our children. Here is one that Rose sent from Ranch Haven Sunday morning when our Tim, her boyfriend Tommy, and Hunter Sayler were all trying to figure out how to fix the kitchen oven! 

With the frigid temps, we had to keep the goats and chickens in the garage. Danny called us to come watch our goat Bell stand on her hind legs to gobble up the feed he was dribbling down for her! 

 It felt good to have a laugh in the middle of the frigid muddle! 

As Hannah and I try to continue to sort stuff, we discover the three or four boxes and bins of decor I have saved for weddings. Here's rolls of burlap I got on clearance for a western wedding.

I had to get a snapshot of Danny's project in his spare time. 

Most of the time he's working for SIM with his dad or continuing to work on details on our house, but he also enjoys this kind of project!  

The fire blazes and unless it's below zero or windy, it keeps most of our house comfortable. 

I help bring in firewood just for the exercise.  

When Good Neighbors' Cows Come to Call

 After Danny helped the neighbors get good solid fencing up, the neighbors opened a gate to let the cows roam over the acreage outside our personal property.

I discovered them a few days ago checking out the fence and looking for any grass not covered by snow. Before long, however, they were meandering back down to the neighbors property where they get fed daily. 

Good! Apparently the fences were in good order. 

Not so. A couple mornings ago, while it was still dark, our very observant Danny (who likes to check through his spotting scope through the living room window at all hours of the day) noticed that cows were on our property, down by the septic system where there was a bale of very old hay the neighbor had let us have a year ago for something regarding the septic system. We've been using it for bedding for the goats, and were planning to bring more of it up before this bitter cold spell.

Well, by the time light dawned and the neighbor arrived at the feeding area, the cows had decimated the hay bale! Then they meandered off again to their regular feeding spot!

Our kind neighbor had been so good last year to give us the old hay for our septic and to help us put up sturdy fence, now we could forgive his cows, even though it meant Danny and I had to find straw right away since we were planning to move our goats and chickens into the garage for this bitter subzero cold spell!

Thankfully we have even other good neighbors, such as Pastor Ambrose, who allowed us to take the extra bale of straw the church had not needed for the outdoor nativity scene at Christmas time. He even allowed us to take some of the straw from the nativity scene, since Christmas season is obviously over already. Jonathan was away on SIM duties all day, and I didn't want to travel 20 to 50 miles just to buy a bale or two of straw.

Danny held big black trash bags while I scooped wedge after wedge of straw from the nativity scene we were raiding! Danny had helped the pastor set up the nativity scene, and now we were blessed with the straw from it! Over and over we are blessed with good neighbors and the ability to be the good neighbors ourselves, where we just help one another whenever we have a chance. It was already so bitter cold that Danny and I had to both get back into the van and warm our hands for a bit before gathering up more straw. But are we ever grateful now that we went to that trouble!

Our animals are grateful, too! They are quite content in our garage!

Frigid Saturday--Fed Sparrows--Flickering Fire

Our friend Ken Ganger, who had come with his wife Pauline a few weeks ago to pick me up at the Arizona airport, sent this photo to Jonathan of snow down in Arizona!

Here it was minus 19 degrees this morning, and kept dropping. Then it went UP to minus 14, but earlier, the wind chill was about 49 degrees below zero.

We've been keeping our woodstove blazing and still the outer edges of the house are quite chilly. I am sitting here with long johns, sweater, jacket, and scarf on after bringing in lots of firewood from out in that bitter cold.

  Jonathan is out trying to dig out the van.He was going to head up to take Pastor Ambrose to check on the plumbing in the church, parsonage, and senior center in this cold, but his truck wouldn't start. The van started, but it got stuck in the deep snow in our driveway. 

I had gotten our yesterday, as I already posted, to get straw and run a couple errands, dropping a hymnal Mrs. Ambrose had loaned me.

As I arrived, dozens of sparrows were hopping about the bird feeder Mr. Ambrose had set up for her, as well as on the plate of crumbs and fruit they had set out.  

Even in the bitter cold, the birds were warm and fed. How wonderful their Creator is to have equipped the birds with feathers and instincts that keep them alive in this terrible cold!

He provides for us, too! This morning the family had buckwheat pancakes for breakfast with warm maple syrup, warmed on the woodstove.

Also goat cheese with stevia-sweetened blueberries. 

While Danny and Jonathan installed more gas line for a gas heater for supplemental heat, 

Hannah and I cleaned and cleared the fridge of leftovers for our meals, heated on the woodstove. Our propane tank only has about two weeks worth of propane in it, and the propane truck driver apparently wouldn't come into our driveway yesterday to fill it. So we are rationing our propane.  I can use crockpots and electric skillets in a pinch, and heat some things on the woodstove.

 On a cold Saturday like this, more than the fire warms my heart. There's a belated Christmas card from my older sister Dorcas's family, with chickadees on the front, and family photos inside. Dorcas knows what my heart loves. 

I just peeked out into the garage a while ago, hunting for our broom, since popcorn is scattered all over the kitchen floor from a late evening snack.  

During the day the goats were up and content.

But it's dark thirty, and all good goats, chickens, and American citizens should be in bed.

I'll leave the frigid day, the fed sparrows, and the flickering fire in the hands of the Lord.

Goodnight!