This and That

Good afternoon, all my faithful readers! I continue to be amazed when I hear about someone reading my blog. I guess I've never really considered that I might have anything very important to talk about!

First of all, I hope that each one of you had a very happy! We did, although it was probably the smallest gathering that we've ever had in our home! Just my mom, Sara, and her boyfriend, Erich! That's it! But, we had a great time!

We watched, "Christmas with the Kranks"last night. What a very funny movie! Have you ever seen it? I think it's the epitome of the hype before Christmas...

We received a very early morning phone call from our son, Crispin, this morning. Their base in Mosul, Iraq had been attacked early Christmas morning and one doctor was killed and several others wounded. We were supposed to talk to him via the internet that afternoon, but he was never online...so my mom, Travis, and I paused in the afternoon to lift him up in prayer.

He explained to us that the internet gets shut down when there is a death, as the govt doesn't want the family back home hearing of a death through unofficial channels. Makes sense!

So, how are we feeling? Very, very sad for the families that will receive this sad, sad news! Very thankful that God has kept His hand on Crispin, and feeling much more earnest in our times of praying for his safety and well-being....emotionally and mentally!

We listened to Rick Warren's Christmas message on Fox News the other night. One thing really touched my heart. He said that when we're feeling overwhelmed, or guilty, or fearful, etc...we need to see God. Not seek God about our problems or sins....but to seek HIM! That He is worthy of our seeking and as we turn our hearts to HIM...longing for that close relationship, these other things will be taken care of in their time. Might not be exactly like we would hope, but God works ALL things for good in our lives!

Gotta go make lunch! Love you guys!

Up and Down

Good morning, dear readers and family: Oh, life, life, life! One minute up and then next minute down!

We had a great Thanksgiving...missed my daughter-in-law, Erica and ended up with only one dish of corn! (Read previous blog)

Remember that we sold one of our planes to the Brazilian guy? Well, he made it back safe and sound and loves the plane...so that's an "up"!

This past Friday afternoon, a pilot came to rent our other plane...a little yellow Cessna 150. It was pretty cold outside, but he said that he was just going up and staying in the "pattern"...working on his landings and take-offs. So, that was cool....however, he got tired of doing that and decided to fly north to the practice area.

To make a long story short, something happened while he was practicing his maneuvers and he had to set the plane down in a bean field. It was about a mile long, all the beans had been harvested and Travis said that you could have set a jet down in it with no problems! But, this man forgot all of his previous training on what to do in case of an emergency and the plane ended up with the front wheel smashed and one of the wings damaged.

All I can say is that we're so thankful that he walked out without a scratch! Travis and 2 other guys (one is our mechanic) went to rescue him and ended up calling the FAA. Whoever Travis talked to told him that he couldn't touch the plane...had to leave it exactly as he found it until it had been inspected by either themselves or someone that they designated.

So, Travis had to leave the plane right where it landed. The next morning, he drove back up to this field, along with the designated person and crew to retrieve the plane and his heart fell into his shoes. A strong wind had come up the night before and the plane had been flipped on it's back and was completely totalled!

To say that we were "down" is an understatement! Punched in the stomache is more like it! Life, life, life! You never know what's coming around the corner. Sometimes good, sometimes bad!

Now, I can't possibly leave you there...because good things are all around us. We are surrounded with kind and caring people who have taken us out to dinner, dropped by to console us, called us to console us, and prayed for us. And it's that wonderful time of year when Christmas cards start arriving in the mail.

To conclude this "down" side of things, the insurance adjuster came out yesterday and said that he would do all in his power to get a check into our hands asap. He also felt very badly about the whole deal and the pilot that caused all of this? He's devastated! We feel so sorry for him! But, things happen and he wasn't hurt!

You might wonder...where is God in all of this? Oh, He's right here! Walking with us, consoling us, lifting our hearts...working behind the scenes to take awful things and bring good out of them. Will He hand us another airplane? I think not! But, good things are worked into our souls when we suffer! All kinds of things...patience, endurance, a softened heart, more compassion for those around us who also have "down" days!

I leave you here...I can't wait to go and check the mailbox later on this morning and see what lovely cards are waiting!

Trivial Pursuit

Good morning! I have a little snippet of time, so will sit down and give you a couple of updates! Nothing really big! Just some St John trivia to pass on....

We sold our 4-place airplane to a guy from Brazil, Abrao Eliasquevici. He left a week ago, but is dawdling around somewhere in the Caribbean! Now, the plot thickens!

Joah, who flies inner-island planes in Puerto Rico for a company located down there, called Travis yesterday and said, "Hey dad, guess what happened? I just landed this morning at the town of Fajardo and as I was getting out of my plane, I glanced over on the ramp and there was your plane that you just sold!"

Joah received a special award when he was a little boy in the Christian school for being the "Most Observant". I guess some things never change!

So, Travis called Abrao on his cell phone and left him a message telling him to call Joah as they were right there in the same place. I guess they're going out to dinner or lunch today in San Juan! Small world, huh?

Travis, Denny (my brother-in-law) and I are driving over to Kansas City to have Thanksgiving at Sara's new apartment. Allen lives only about 15 minutes from her, so will also be coming to dinner, along with his son, Drew. Unfortunately, his wife, Erica, has to work. Of course, Sara's boyfriend, Erich, will be there too. So, should be lots of fun!

Now, the funny thing is this...before we decided to move the dinner from our house to KC, I asked Sara what she wanted to bring. She immediately said, "Corn!" Now, how hard is it to cook corn? Hmmmmm....we've been chatting on Face Book and giggling about her big contribution for the past couple of days.

I told her that since the dinner was moved to her house, I was bringing the corn and she could do the the rest of the dinner. But, that didn't fly! She's still providing corn, although she is going to make mashed potates now too.

I called my brother-in-law last night and asked what he would like to bring....Yep! Baked corn! Looks like the meal will be real yellow!!!!

Oh, life is so much fun, isn't it? I love all these little diverse pieces of trivia that pop up all over the place...just to make things interesting!

So, if I don't talk to you before Thursday...have a very happy Thanksgiving and for heaven's sake, don't eat too much corn!

Who am I, REALLY?

I'm sure you really want to hear about this, right? Well, once again, I have to write about something else that has been stirring in my heart! :-)

I tried to answer some questions in my "Recovery" class last night, but found it almost impossible until we all sat and talked it out. Questions like: If you could live anywhere in the whole wide world, where would that be? If you had unlimited funds, where would you go on vacation? What do you really like to do? What really bothers you?

Sounds easy, doesn't it? But, for me...it wasn't. I've spent the greater part of my life deferring to everyone around me. Guess what!? That means I'm a people pleaser! My daughter will force me to give my opinion about things. "Mom, what do YOU want to do?" And my standard answer has been, "Whatever everyone else wants is fine with me..."

So, even in a workbook with imaginary scenarios, I couldn't just say..."I want to go to Egypt to see the pyramids!" Yep, that's something I've always (down deep inside) wanted to do! Will it happen? Only God knows, but the important thing is that I learn to express it! It's ok to have opinions, wants, and desires. In fact, God delights that I come away from trying to please everyone around me! I've come to realize that you absolutely CAN NOT please people enough. Someone will always be bummed!

I will try to express those inside desires more as I blog! Perhaps I'll find out who I really am after all! And if you don't like it? Oh, please don't be mad at me! :-)

Procrastination

Blogging is so much fun! Why do I wait to do it? I've been seriously working on not procrastinating so much. Did you know that this goes along with trying to be perfect? Yep! I've learned all about it (AGAIN) as I've been working through one of my "Recovery" classes that I facilitate on Monday nights.

When you have a "perfectionist" mindset--you tend to procrastinate. After all, it's really hard to do something perfectly! So, the thought of even getting started or finishing a project can be mentally and emotionally overwhelming! No one is perfect, except God, so why do we strive for that? We need to do things with excellence--which is a whole lot easier than "perfect".

OK...so what have I finished? Well, Christmas presents that needed to be in the mail no later than earlier this week to arrive overseas in time. I had to force myself to finish! I would almost get something complete, then would think, "Oh well, I'll just put this down for now and come back to it later!" I can't believe how hard and stressful it was to just finish, pack up the boxes, take them to the Post Office and get them mailed!

I'm sure this sounds silly, but we all have our "issues", right? Right! This just happens to be one of mine.

I'm starting in on another project and am thinking about the prospect of writing out Christmas cards. Seems a bit daunting, but I really love this time of year and anticipate hearing from family and friends all over the world. I just received my first Christmas letter from South Africa!

So, I'll close for now--am proud of myself that I didn't procrastinate any longer in writing to all of you, and will go pick up my next project--to complete with excellence! :-)

October News

Good afternoon, my dear friends and family! I read back through my last post and must confess that we didn't end up doing a complete 10-day fast. We had an invitation to a special birthday dinner on Saturday, so we broke our fast on Friday so that we wouldn't be in dire straights after a big meal on Saturday!

We have an interesting twist happening right now. A man from Brazil, Abrao Eliasquevici, came to the mid-Missouri area to purchase a plane and take it back to Brazil. He ended up out here at the Fulton Airport because one of the mechanics on the field has the credentials through the FAA to process a "Certification of Airworthiness" that's needed to export an airplane out of the country.

His deal fell through, so now, we're in the process of selling him our Cessna 172 (4-place plane). It's still in the mechanic shop out in Oklahoma, but is supposed to be finished by the end of this week. (we hope!) After that...it's a matter of doing some inspections, getting paperwork finished to send into the FAA, and wait for money to be transferred into an account here stateside. Of course, you know perfectly well that all of this takes time, time, and more time. So, we'll see how it all comes together.

We also have a mobile home up for sale--that we've used as a classroom for teaching, rooms that we rent out for pilots passing through, etc. We had a guy come look at it the other day and really wanted it for a rental property that he owns. However, he has an old trailer on that space with some renters that he can't boot out easily. So, if someone doesn't come along...he may be purchasing it after the first of the year.

We'll be down to one plane (2-seater) and our contract for managing the airport is up in December. Hmmmmm.....what's coming in the future? We don't know. It's so odd to be in this position. We were so full of enthusiasm and up for change when we were young! But, now we find ourselves much more reserved and trying to do everything from a more mature point of view. Honestly? I'd rather have my youth view back again and not be so worried about things! It was a whole lot more fun!!!

Oh, I have to tell you! I painted my laundry room! I LOVE to paint! Yes, it's a lot of work...especially the prep part of it, but the results are so worth it! It's a light periwinkle blue and it turned out beautiful! Now, I must admit that I'm not a "blue" person anymore, but this color really seemed to fit the room--so to speak! It hadn't been painted since the house was built and needless to say, the walls were very scuffed! Also, the original paint was "flat" and I went with a satin finish, so that I could wash it down, if needed.

I think the best part of all, was hanging up a number of "tole-painted" pieces that my mom and dad had made over the years. Since my dad passed away this spring...I've found that I need to have some of his "touches" to look at and help me to remember him. I have a couple of old "goats" that he welded together out of junk and painted black. (I used to milk goats years ago in Alaska).

I'm enjoying working on Christmas presents for my grandchildren. I found several projects in the bottom drawer of my "craft dresser" that just need some finishing touches and will be used as gifts this year. It's really like being on an adventure! Trying to come up with unique, yet inexpensive, gifts for our growing family!

One last thing--Joah is coming home for about 5 days from Puerto Rico. He'll be here the 8th of November and is bringing his girlfriend, Ingrid, for us to meet. She's Puerto Rican and it seems like they may be a bit more serious about their relationship then we thought. Travis and I are both excited for their visit, so that's also prompting me to get some cleaning/painting/decorating done.

I realized that the whole "I've got to lose weight" deal is out the window. Instead, I found myself thinking, "Oh my gosh! I've got to get the laundry room painted". Ha! My areas of vanity have shifted!

Talk to you later!

How long is too long?

Good afternoon. So, how long is too long to start blogging again? Gosh! It feels like forever. My problem is that I want to blog something of importance, but that's all relative to the reader, isn't it? What I think of as important may be completely boring to someone else.

Because our airplanes have been in the shops for repairs...Travis hasn't needed my help much here at the airport. So, I've been focusing in on starting up on Christmas projects, as well as working on my front yard. I've had plenty of help this summer, as my cousins came from Wisconsin twice, and basically put a flower bed together for me. I've been out weeding and putting mulch down for the winter. It's now full of irises and various kinds of daylilies that really don't require much attention. I should have a glorious bed this coming spring!

Travis and I are reading a book called, "The Shack". Have you read it? Marvelous, wonderful book! I'm also reading, "Three Cups of Tea" about a mountaineer who was climbing in the mountains of Pakistan, ended up in one of the villages, and came back later to open up schools for the little girls in the area. Very interesting reading, as well.

I have been very concerned about the coming election for the President of the US. Our country is facing such dire needs on all fronts and we really need someone that can step up to the helm and "take the tiller", as McCain so aptly said in the recent debate. What a great phrase! "Take the tiller". It will be quite a job for whoever is elected!

Oh, and one last thing. Travis and I are doing a cleansing fast for 10 days. (we're on day 4). We're drinking an interesting concoction of lemon juice, a tad bit of real maple syrup, and cayenne pepper mixed with hot or cold water. It actually doesn't taste bad, but the first 3 days were quite hard for me. My joints ached, and I had severe headaches (coming off caffeine). But, the purpose is to get the toxins out of our bodies and my hope is to get back to eating healthier again.

We were still eating lots of grains, beans (legumes), vegies, etc., but some of our old habits had crept back in..especially eating out so much of the time. Too tired after working all day at the airport to cook, but that's no excuse!

OK...I've done my "diary" thing...hope you've been able to stay with me and I'll try to write more important things in the days ahead!

Humbled

Good morning! This past Sunday, it was pouring rain and flooding in all the lower areas, so I decided to stay home and listen to a DVD sermon about forgiveness. The effects of this decision are still being felt in my life!

Example: Yesterday I came out to the airport to help Travis with the mowing. We are way behind, especially in the area of weed whacking and spraying weed killer! But, I had it in my mind as to exactly what I was going to do and how. After all, he asked me to help and I envisioned this pleasant day--working side by side out in the fresh air!

NOT! When I arrived, there was my husband, playing a computer game, then fussing over the new printer that somehow had become "disconnected" from the network of computers. So, I went out to the tractor shed, started up the grasshopper and went to work. He never appeared. Hmmm!

Then, I got the weed whacker and went to work until it broke down, then I got on the big tractor and went to work until I needed a break. Still no Travis! When I went inside, there he was on the computer...playing a game and very grumpy!

Well, let me tell you...I was furious inside. Why did I have to do all the work? Why was he grumpy at me? What gave him the right to sit and play while I was working? etc., etc. Get the picture?

I remembered the sermon that I had listened to on Sunday and tried to change the tide of my rebellious, judgmental thoughts! And, it worked for awhile, but they kept creeping back in.

Things came up that needed attending to...a plane needed fueling--Travis played on, so I got up and went out to do that. Again...ugly thoughts and mutterings.

To end this....I was finally sitting in front of the computer, posting some checks and entries into the accounts, when I glanced down and looked at the date. September 17th. I hadn't thought about the date up until that moment and suddenly--the light bulb went on! It was our oldest son's birthday...He would have been 38 years old, if he was still alive, but he had died a month before his 28th birthday.

Oh my gosh! All the bitterness and complaining washed right out of me and I couldn't hold back the tears. It was horrible, wonderful, cleansing, but most of all---very humbling! No wonder Travis couldn't get up the gumption to come out and pleasantly weed whack with me! No wonder he was grumpy and slumped over a computer game. Emotionally, he was whacked! And suddenly, so was I!

No more mowing--just waves of grief! Not huge waves, but waves none-the-less! So, once again--I was reminded, rather strongly, that I DIDN'T know what was really going on and my rights had NOT been violated!

Conclusion? I told Travis to go home...take some time by himself--I would close up the airport for him. And he did! When I returned home, he had been able to share with one of our kids, over the phone, about something happening in their lives and was renewed once again! He'd been able to cry and woke up this morning--back to his cheerful self.

Needless to say, I'm still feeling pretty embarrassed and humbled inside. I just wish that I could remember this lesson the next time something comes up!

Called to Love

I've been doing a great deal of thinking about friendship. And, what does God really have in mind when He tells us that we need to love one another!

I have a close friend who is going through a very difficult time. She loves God, but is married to a person who does NOT! So, that's an issue between them...but more than that...he has chosen to be very unkind to her. I'm not pointing the finger or drawing conclusions about his beliefs vs. her beliefs. Love is a DECISION! We choose to love and there have been many times in my life when I've chosen to not love, because of my selfishness.

So, I think that it all boils down to this. I have a duty, an obligation, a responsibility, but more than that, the privilege to stand beside my friend through this hard time because she is a sister in the Body of Christ. Jesus told us to love members of His family fervently.

What I find so interesting is that often times, members of God's family are not necessarily people that I would choose to "hang out with." I don't always have much in common with them...they may come from completely different backgrounds than I do. They believe differently about what "church" should look like, they don't always respond like Jesus (nor do I), etc. etc., and yet, I'm told to love fervently!

I'm not told to straighten everyone out (according to my standards) or to be judgmental or critical, but to love! I think this takes practice. And discipline. And realization that I must choose to love--that I won't always feel like it. And acknowledgment that I can not do this without God's intervention.

So, guess what God is having me do? I'm out here at the airport and am being directed (in my heart) to serve and help my husband. I would much rather be home--cleaning up the house, starting another painting project, making crafts, etc.

Instead, Travis needed help yesterday with spraying weed killer behind him as he weed whacked. It was stinky, hot, heavy to carry the apparatus for spraying and I did NOT want to do it. But, that little voice came into my head and said, "Are you going to choose to love or will you make this hard on one of the members of God's family?"

I started spraying and little by little, I began to enjoy being outside! Then, Travis had to go fly with a student and the thoughts buzzed around in my head, "Oh sure! He leaves you to do the dirty work!" But, other softer thoughts said, "You are being a help to him! You are loving him by lifting the load."

Within a very short period of time, the job was finished. Are there still hours of spraying and weed whacking ahead? Yes! Hours of mowing, etc? Yes! Will it all end? Yes, when the cold weather sets in. But, I am being disciplined through this experience to learn what it means to be a servant and how to love more like God loves us!

My friend? I'm walking with her through this time...praying for her and her husband, trying not to be critical and bad-tempered towards him. And Travis? I'm trying to remember that yes, he's my husband, but most of all, he's another member of God's family and I've been called to LOVE!

I'm still here...

Good morning! It's been well over one month since I last wrote. So much has happened in such a short amount of time!

My mother-in-law, Evelyn, came for a month visit. Travis and I flew to MN to pick her up and bring her back. It was interesting getting her into a small plane, as she's not very mobile now. I guess being 90 years old gives her some excuse! She requires constant care and my sister-in-law, Sandy, needed a much-needed break!

Jessica and her boys were also with us during most of that time and Evelyn thoroughly enjoyed all the hustle and bustle of having little children around. Corban (8) was quite fascinated with watching Travis give his mom insulin shots and often wondered why she didn't remember things that she had just said.

Joshua (7 months) was really crawling and pulling himself up on furniture, chortling and "talking" up a storm! She loved his soft little head and constantly commented on how cute he was.

We spent lots of time singing old songs, hymns, listening to CDs and reading out loud from James Herriot's book, "All Things Bright and Beautiful".

All in all, it was a very good visit and we all came to appreciate the care that is required to make her final days on earth pleasant!

Our house is quiet again. It's nice, but sad too! I miss all the liveliness of youth, but they have their own lives to live also. Just wish that they weren't so far, far away from us!

My mom gave us a sauna when I was in Alaska. It's a one-person unit that has a pad that you lie on, and a dome apparatus that fits over the top of you. So, Travis and I have been enjoying that in the evenings. We put on a good movie, then take turns in the "sweat-box". All I can say is that we sure sleep well!

Travis and one of his students, Shawn, were taxiing on the turf runway, getting ready to do a short-field takeoff, when all of a sudden, the front of the plane dropped to the ground. They jumped out and found that an old storm-drain had collapsed when the nose wheel rolled over it. Needless to say, it was fortunate that no one was hurt, but most unfortunate for the plane. There is some damage that needs to be addressed and our other plane that we use for training is still sitting in the mechanic's shop waiting for repairs, as well.

God provided another plane that we could lease for training and one of Travis's students who was ready to take his check ride, was able to finish up and get his pilot's license! In the meantime, the insurance company will cover the whole thing, but the plane will probably be out of service for over a month!

You never know what life will bring, do you? And yet, the Lord desires that we praise Him even when we don't understand why things happen! I'm so glad that I'm not in charge of running the universe!

Well, that's about it for now! Just to catch everyone up! And, I promise to take "pen" (keyboard) in hand and write more often!

A quick confession

I have to tell you something very quickly. I was reading back through my posts and came to the one about flying to Alaska next to the soldier returning to Iraq.

I told Crispin about him putting his wedding ring on before landing and he said, "Well, mom, he probably finally felt safe."

I asked him what he meant and he said that no one wears jewelry of any kind over there. Especially wedding rings. If they are captured by the enemy, they can be tortured or their families can be brutalized because of this knowledge.

It makes me feel like crying even now to think about a young man coming home to his family and only feeling safe when he crosses over into Alaska that he's able to put his wedding ring back on! So I apologize to all my friends and family who read this blog, but especially to John for thinking ill of him! We truly don't know the whole picture, do we?

Random Thoughts

It's pouring, pouring, pouring rain outside...my mother-in-law is taking a nap, Travis is out at the airport, Jess and family have just left for the store and it's quiet! So, thought I'd sit down and write some random thoughts!

I've tried to approach blogging from a very realistic point of view...everything neat and in order, daily activities, etc. But, it's not working that way and perhaps that's for the best! No one wants to read about what I bought at the store, how many times I cruised past the post office to drop off whatever bill needed mailing, or what I was going to make for supper--but didn't have the right ingredients.

I did read somewhere that we need to be very thankful for the mundane. If we're living in the mundane, everyday kind of life...then, we're not facing crisis! So, I'm thankful for mundane!

No, I want to talk about a book that Travis and I are trying to read together. I say "trying" because, we don't have much alone time to even do this right now...but the one thing that I've read--I can't get out of my mind.

The book is called, "The Forever Feast" by Dr. Paul Brand. Dr. Brand talks about the earth and how taking care of this precious resource reflects into our Christian lives, as well. It's fascinating reading and I'll bet you can find a copy out on amazon.com or one of the other used books sites.

I quote, "In the biology of the Christian faith, seeds are wrapped in attractive fruit. If a vine bore only naked seeds, nobody would pick them. Everyone who wants to be a disciple of Jesus Christ is expected to bear fruit. This does not mean that we all have to be successful in bringing many people to the point of decision to become a Christian. It means our lives have to bear the taste, the fragrance, or the nourishment that makes people appreciate what we are and what we have to give. The people we work with, the members of our family or Sunday school class, should sense the pleasure and benefit of being with us. They should know that the flavor of our life comes from our abiding in Jesus Christ.

One day something may trigger the beginning of new life in someone you know who has tasted the flavor of Jesus through contact with you. We may not ever know how or when it happens. But it will be the germination of a seed that was planted because your own personal life was delicious.

I don't remember exactly when I was converted. It was not in response to a challenge from an inspiring speaker. The lives of my mother and father were dedicated to God, and their nurture of us children was an expression of God's love. I wanted to be like them and to know the spiritual resources that made their lives so fragrant. d didn't know about the seed or the new birth--but I knew their fruit, and I was attracted to it."

OK...so, I've been thinking a great deal about that! What an amazing picture of what we need to be about. I've been reviewing my motives, my actions, my speech, my attitudes, etc. Not that I'm trying to earn brownie points with God, but I hope that my life is flavorful, and nourishing to others.

By the way, my mother-in-law is thoroughly enjoying Joshua Reier Lamb, Jessica's baby. He's just 8 months old and is crawling, climbing, drooling, laughing, discoverying, and carrying on like babies do! She touches his little bald head and says, "Oh, feel that head! Just like velvet!" Watching her, I'm convinced that families need to be pro-active in keeping the varying generations involved! It's good for her, it's good for us, it's good for our kids and for our grandkids! There's continuity to life!

I still have a vague memory of my great grandmother Parker. She had white hair, was dressed in a white lace nightgown and was sitting up in a bed holding her wrinkled hand out to me. Because we lived in Alaska and were so far away from family, I was scared of her and didn't want her to touch me. Just imagine if I had the opportunity to be around those wrinkled old hands and that kind, kind voice on a daily basis! What would I have learned about life, about a generation that was dying, and about myself?

Eternal Purposes

Oh, this is crazy! I keep thinking about posting every day, but because I continue to suffer with perfection/procrastination, I don't do it! Nobody said that I had to do a blog perfectly...it's just a matter of sitting down and communicating! :-)

It's turning into a very interesting summer. First a trip to Alaska and going through a whole gammit of emotions--thankfulness, grief, hope, sadness, joy. Then, having my house turned upside down with grandchildren (which has been wonderful--but also a bit disruptive to my normal schedule), and now a new situation!

By the way, Jessica and boys met up with Gary in Buffalo, NY, and flew to Canada for a couple of days, then back to Chicago for a visit and will return here this coming Monday.

This past Sunday, we borrowed a friends "faster-than-ours airplane" and flew to Minneapolis, where we picked up my 90 yr old mother-in-law, Evelyn, and brought her back for a 2 week stay here with us in Missouri!

She's one of the sweetest ladies I know, but her memory has failed to the point that we talk a lot about things that happened years and years ago. Many of the stories, poems, songs, sayings, etc. get stuck in her mind and are repeated over and over again. I have to help her to the bathroom and remind her of each task that has to be performed. Sometimes, she remembers where to put her hands to lift herself up and sometimes she doesn't.

My sister-in-law, Sandy, who is her caregiver has taken a much, much, much needed vacation to California and I'm hoping that she's thoroughly enjoying the time spent there with family and friends!

Now, what was I talking about? My schedule? HA! Gone again. But, I've also been doing a great deal of thinking about our purpose here on earth and here's what I've come up with (for the moment). That each situation that we find ourselves in--however menial--is an opportunity to practice God's Word! I have a choice. I can be kind, loving, helpful, forgiving, cheerful, serving, or I can choose the opposite.

My purpose here on earth is to glorify God in all I do! Will I always get a pat on the back? An "atta girl"? Nope! But Paul wrote, "Do everything as unto the Lord!" Am I trying to "make points" with God? I don't have to! He loves me unconditionally and with complete abandon!

And so, I've been praying a lot for Evelyn. That she would be ministered to--down deep inside her spirit...whether she remembers or not, whether she knows who I am or not, whether she can follow a short story or not, it doesn't matter! She is loved unconditionally by the Lord and with complete abandon!

And the Lord is using this time for His eternal purposes in all of our lives. Did I mention Travis's role in this? He has to give her 4 insulin shots a day, make other arrangements for time spent at the airport, etc, etc. So, we are being stretched for "God's glory".

What's happening in your life? Same thing, right?

Small Fry Thrills

Our house is brimming with life! Jessica is here with us for an extended period of time this summer, along with Corban (7--almost 8) and Joshua (7 months). Our days begin with a bit of quiet time, then Corban comes in to snuggle in and watch a bit of the Disney channel. He LOVES a little program that teaches classical music terms, songs, etc. with the use of make-believe characters. A bit of Mozart, or Beethoven, etc, is a nice start to the mornings.

We look forward to seeing Joshua's smiling, happy face as well. He's been cutting 2 more teeth lately, so has not been his normal self.

But, we've so enjoyed watching his "discoveries". He's started to crawl, and pull himself up since he's been here! Do you have any idea how exciting it is to pull oneself up on the coffee table and dump out a big basket of shells? After the clattering noise is over, a few tears are shed, then it gets really exciting to plop down and start "tasting" all those funny-shaped things lying about. Well, until mom or grandma comes and takes them all away!

It makes more and more sense to me why Jesus loved little children so much! They have such an uninhibited ability to enjoy life...to begin each new day with enthusiasm and excitement for what's ahead. Yesterday's hurts and misbehavioral problems are a thing of the past--everything is brand new!

Kisses and hugs are freely given and freely received! Great joy and curiousity are all wrapped up in each tiny experience. Joshua was absolutely fascinated last night when we hung up his new "Johnny Jump-up". He sat on the floor--starring up to the seat, then up, up, up to the clamp attached to the archway! The look on his face was priceless!

Corban turned my family room into a tattoo parlor. I have no idea where he came up with this idea, but I have a butterfly on my leg now...drawn on with a ballpoint pen and colored in with a "washable" magic marker. It's even framed with "To Gramma", "From Corban" printed on the top and the bottom.

He gave Grandpa an airplane tattoo and charged each one of us 5 cents for his artwork. We paid him a quarter...a 15 cent tip! Wahoo!

He's loving hearing "Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle" read to him. I happen to have about 4 of her books and he just loves all her magical cures for bad behavior!

We had a fascinating, exhilarating time blowing off fireworks on the 4th of July. Corban had the tremendous responsibility of lighting the big box called, "The Grand Finale". Oh my gosh! You can't believe how thrilling that was! We heard about the Grand Finale all evening and when it was finally time to put the punk to the fuse...you would think that the 2nd Coming had arrived!

And to think that Jesus wants us to be like "little children". Are we excited about today?

Upwards Journey Taken

I arrived in Alaska without any mishaps. Drove straight to the Mat-Su Regional Hospital with my brother where we checked in on our parents. My dad was doing fairly well and my mom was tired but glad to see us both. She had been sleeping on a little cot right in his room...refused to leave him! :-)

The following day, I drove back to the hospital by myself and found out that my mom had collapsed in my dad's bathroom...hitting her head on the tile floor. I spent the afternoon with her in ER, where the medical staff ran all kinds of tests, etc. It turned out to be a stress-overload. As soon as my brother and I arrived, her body had stopped being in care-giver mode and just called a "time-out". She had quite a shiner and was very embarrassed!

The next couple of days went well, then on Tuesday night, my dad took another nose dive (healthwise). The following day, I cornered the doctor and nurse practitioner who told me directly that my dad was "actively dying". I realized that neither one of my parents realized what was happening, so took my mom out into the hall and broke the news. She just wrung her hands and said, "Oh, your poor dad! Oh, your poor dad!" She made the decision to not tell him.

He was NOT up to being moved on Wednesday, but the hospital staff said that there was nothing more to be done and that he could go home.

My brother, Pete, drove them up to Talkeetna (60 miles) on Thursday, and I followed behind with another friend of the family to stop and buy some much-needed groceries for the house.

We had a hospital bed delivered to the house on Friday and my dad was much more comfortable, although he couldn't stay awake for any length of time at all. He would wake up and wonder out loud, "What's the matter with me? Why can't I stay awake?" At one point, he woke up and asked me, "Lucy, am I still here?"

Friday night, he woke up--ate a very good meal, talked a bit--knew exactly what was going on and who everyone was. That night, I heard him tossing around, so got up with him about 1 am. His covers were all in disarray and I calmed him down, told him that I loved him and that everything was ok--then straightened out his blankets--he responded to my voice and said that he was ready to go back to sleep.

My mom got up about 3:30 am and he was in a big mess again. She washed him up, soothed him and then felt prompted to put her hands on his head and recite Psalm 121.

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.

My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.

He will not suffer thy foot to be moved; he that keepeth thee will not slumber.

Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord is thy keeper; the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand.

The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.

The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil; he shall preserve thy soul.

The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.

At that point, he sighed happily and went back to sleep.

When I woke up at 8 am, I went out to see him, but he had left to be with his Lord and Savior! Am I sad? Yes! Am I happy for him? Yes! Do I wish that I would have had longer? Yes! But, God has appointed each one of us a time to die and I'm more than thankful that He allowed me to go home and be there for this amazing journey that my dad went on ahead of all of us! I realized at one point that I had NO regrets! Everything that needed to be said had been said--on both our parts.

A friend of my parents summed it all up in one of their cards by saying, "I stomp, I cheer, I shout as George raises his hands in victory!" What a picture! Standing in heaven, seeing the Lord face-to-face for the very first time ever and raising hands in victory!

So, I stomp, I cheer, I cry, and I shout knowing that my dad has passed out of this time and is in the most amazing place of all! Can't wait to go see him! But, guess I'll stick around for awhile longer! :-)

The Land of the Midnight Sun

Good morning, my fellow readers! I looked back at my last post before starting this one and I can hardly believe that only 1 week has passed since I last wrote. It seems like months and months ago.

I left last Saturday for my trek to Alaska. Had a 5 hour layover in Minneapolis, so had a wonderful lunch with my sister-in-law, Sandy and my mother-in-law, Evelyn. We had time to catch up on things and also were able to sneak into a Border's Bookstore! Of course, I purchased a couple of "must reads"!

Sat between 2 interesting people on the plane flying north. One was a soldier (John) just returning from a 4 month stint in Iraq. He wanted to tell me all about his time over there (this was his 2nd tour), so that gave me some kind of idea what Crispin will be facing! Guess it's that time of year for dust storms...sounds incredibly awful! Dirt everywhere and pretty hard to escape. The one sad thing that I noticed about this young man was that he never mentioned a wife and 3 kids until right before we landed--then he slipped his wedding ring on. I thought, "Oh, this is way, way too sad!"

The other lady was busy making crocheted pot scrubbers out of strips of netting material. John leaned over and asked her if it wouldn't be less expensive or rather "less abrasive" on her hands to just buy them from Walmart! :-) I gave her a lesson on making "granny squares" and she told me that she traveled all over Alaska--out into the villages, etc., where she stepped into jobs at the medical clinics so that other nurses could take off on vacation. Her favorite place was Nome, Alaska! Really a neat lady.

Landed in Anchorage and my brother, Pete, was there to meet me, as well as a close family friend, Marilyn Anderson and her granddaughter, Rachel! It was such a wonderful welcome. My cousin, Nicky, was there to pick up our other cousins, Dave and Chris, along with their daughter Megan, who had flown in from California to see their new twin grandbabies! We had a very short--but sweet--family gathering! What are the chances of that happening?

Pete and I drove straight to the Mat-Su Regional Hospital outside of Wasilla, AK. Oh my gosh! What an amazing place! It's located right in the middle of the Matanuska Valley and faces the most amazing set of mountains! Pioneer Peak is right there....jagged peaks thrust up into the sky--still covered in snow! Fabulous, wonderful view!

We checked in with my dad and mom, then I drove their car and followed Pete on home to Talkeetna, where I spent the night at my folk's house. Alaska really is the land of the midnight sun...didn't get dark (well, sort of dark) until about 1:30 pm. People were out and about all over the place--"You've gotta make hay while the sun shines" really fits living in the north!

We almost lost my dad the day before yesterday. He's home now (Thank you, Lord) but it's just a matter of time. Sleeps about 98% of the time...is still eating and drinking fairly well, but can't wake up for any length of time. We're just trying to keep him comfortable and enjoying what little time that we have left with him. I won't bore you with all the hospital/medical details, but life has spiraled down to breathing in and breathing out. His old dog, Jim Jim, lies beside the bed and nuzzles my dad's hand--hoping for a pat on the head. When my dad wakes up a bit, he scratches Jimmy's ears and tells him to, "Go get that old white dog"--who happens to live across the street.

We've all shed many tears and shared lots of hugs with so many, many friends and family members! My parents have an amazing legacy in Christ! They've been so tremendously hospitable to so many, many hurting people over the years!

One last thing before I close today! My poor mother fainted and fell in the hospital bathroom this past Sunday. I spent the afternoon with her in ER...but the conclusion was that she had been under such incredible stress, that when I arrived to help...she just collapsed. She has a wicked looking black eye and is so self-conscious about it. I told her to tell all the visitors that my dad decked her because she wouldn't travel out to mining camp with him this summer. (Of course, he'd never, ever dream of "decking" her and couldn't possibly travel to the mines even if he wanted to). We've all just laughed about it! And yes, I'm trying to take good care of her, too!

Thank you, my dear friends, for sharing this journey with me! It's such a comfort to know that you're out there--thinking of us all during this time.

Until next time....

Glorious Enthusiasm

One more thing....I just found this quote by John Muir, naturalist, explorer, and writer (1838-1914). "A few minutes ago every tree was excited, bowing to the roaring storm, waving, swirling, tossing their branches in glorious enthusiasm like worship. But though to the outer ear these trees are now silent, their songs never cease."

That's my heart! I want to worship with glorious enthusiasm...no matter what the circumstances. Even when I must be silent--I want my songs to go on forever.

And so, as I get ready to travel tomorrow...this will be my steadfast thought and hope....to worship and never cease!

Start...then stop

Good afternoon! I've been trying to post a blog for several days now. I've gotten this far, then shut the whole thing down because I couldn't get my thoughts in order to even write.

Nothing has really changed--so this may be pretty random.

Of course, large spaces of my brain are filled with images of my dad. He's now in the Palmer Hospital. My mom drove him to the emergency room yesterday afternoon and he was admitted right away. He had suffered a mild heart attack within the past few days (not enough oxygen getting into his system), and has pneumonia in one lung. He was put on a breathing machine, pumped full of antibiotics for the pneumonia and settled down with a bowl of chicken noodle soup.

I spoke to him last night and his voice is very faint and "far-away" sounding. He tracked right along with our short conversation, which was good. My mom stayed with him in his hospital room and I'm sure they were a comfort to one another.

Tomorrow, I'm off to St. Louis to catch a plane flying north! My cousin and his wife "just happen" to be landing in Anchorage 2 minutes before me...coming in from California to visit their son, daughter-in-law and brand-new twin grandbabies. We're going to try to meet up with each other for a few minutes in the terminal. :-)

Travis couldn't fly yesterday, so I stayed home to do some urgent housework! I ironed for about 3 hours and got everything hung up in the closet, etc. Why iron? Years ago when I was young, we lived out on Cache Creek for the summers while my dad mined for gold. There was an elderly lady who lived on up the creek from us and one day we were visiting with her...talking about the hard work of washing clothes, trying to stay clean in such a dirty place, etc. She said, "There's no excuse for being dirty or sloppily dressed. Just because we live in a mining area doesn't give us an excuse to look like it!"

I remember my mom and I talked about her attitude on the way back to our camp and from then on, out came the ironing board after all the laundry had been washed and hung out to dry for the week.

Then, when Travis and I lived in Bolivia, it was the same once again. I didn't have a washing machine for about the first 5 years that we lived there. Sometimes, I did the wash by hand, but more often than not, we hired help! It's hard to keep up with 7 kids! :-) And, the ironing board was a constant companion. You might see poor people everywhere, but most of the time, their clothes were clean and ironed! No excuse to be dirty or sloppily dressed....

Now, don't get upset if you don't iron! Most people pull things from the dryer and hang them right up---I'm just stuck in a time warp between an Alaskan gold mine and Bolivia! Ha! Besides, I have a little VCR player that I watch movies on. Yesterday, I watched, "Sound of Music" and "Sweet Home Alabama". Both a couple of my favorites. So, you see...I wasn't really suffering at all! I just had an opportunity to go escape into the land of Austria and down-home Alabama!

Talk to you again from Alaska!

North to Alaska

Good afternoon! Did you ever see that silly movie starring John Wayne, "North to Alaska"? Well, I'm headed in that direction this coming Saturday! It's time for me to go home and help my parents.

My dad is now unable to go into the bathroom without someone helping him. My mom was shaving him this afternoon when I called. So, we have very little time left with him here on this earth!

Emotionally, I'm very up and down. One minute just fine, the next minute not fine at all. But, what a blessing to have the Lord in my life! I know that it's just a step "over Jordan" and he will be home with God! And then, his REAL life begins! How hard it is to say good-bye, though. Even when I know that it won't be long and we'll be there with him!

This is the prettiest time of year to be going to Alaska! I will definitely be blogging while I'm there! My brother has a computer and I will try to send some posts from that faraway place! It's the oddest thing. As soon as you board the plane (either out of Minneapolis or Seattle) something changes. You step into another culture--another kind of people! Landing in Anchorage is the best of all! Mountains on one side, the ocean on the other and planes of every description flying all over the place.

Inside the terminal, there are huge glassed-in displays of a polar bear, a Kodiak brown bear, etc, etc. And everyone wearing jeans--lots of beards and mustaches, long hair, etc. You catch whiffs of people that use wood for heat...there's nothing like the smell of wood smoke!

I'll never forget when a friend of mine, named Bob, came back from a trip to his cabin and brought me a blanket. It smelled like wood smoke and I refused to wash it! (It was clean to start out with...don't get me wrong) But, I just loved the smell! Silly, I know!

By the way, thank you for the prayers!

Present Circumstances

I can't get back to my "history" yet. There's been too many things going on in my life.

First of all, my youngest son, Crispin, is now in Iraq. I was very emotional at his deployment ceremony and felt equally weepy when it came time for him to go back to Texas after his 4-day leave here at home, but for some unknown reason, I'm not weepy now. Odd, isn't it? You would think that I would be feeling worse now that he's over there. But, now, the battle really begins, doesn't it? That battle that takes place through prayer.

Secondly, my 4th child, Joah, moved to Puerto Rico about 2 days after Crispin left Missouri--to take a flying job. This is a very good move for him, but he's lived at home for the past few years and I've gone "accostumed to his face"....(quote from "My Fair Lady"). Travis and I are official "empty nesters" and it feels both odd, but also very good.

And thirdly, my dad's health is slipping away at a very rapid rate. I've already talked about the "end of life" deal, but I also feel right on the edge of tears, a lot!

So, what is the point of this "post"? Just to tell you a bit about some close circumstances that I'm going through and to let you know that I'm determined to get back to "living communally".

End of Life

Good morning. Just a quick note to share some thoughts! First of all, my dad has suffered (for several years) with pulmonary fibrosis. It's a lot like emphysema! The original diagnosis, by a very cold and unfeeling doctor, was 2 years left of life and absolutely nothing could be done!

He and my mom found an alternative medicine doctor who is also a licensed medical doctor who has done a myriad of things to help him in this journey! He has recently began treatments with an acupuncturist with the hopes that the build-up of phlegm in his lungs will be diluted and discharged--making breathing easier.

He's always been such an active, independent man and now he's relegated (just in the past few months) to hobbling to the bathroom, or to the front door to let the dog in or out, and that's about it! He's on oxygen all the time and appears to be declining at an extremely rapid rate. He told me last night that he doesn't want to sit around feeling sorry for himself and has prayed that the Lord would help him think more of others!

I DON'T want to think that he's approaching the end of life--here on earth! I don't want to give up that parent/child relationship. Yes, I'm an adult and have raised a whole passel of kids myself. But, my dad is MY DAD! And yet, I know that there is a far, better place waiting for him. The Lord Himself is there and what could be better than that?

I'm just one tiny human being in this amazingly long chain of humanity that is facing the death of a parent. Millions have been before me and millions more will be after me, so why do I think that my suffering is any more important than anyone elses? It's not, but it's still very personal and I'm very thankful that I have the comfort of the Lord and the comfort of family and friends, as well!

I titled this blog, "End of Life", but it's not really....it's just stepping over into eternity! I end this posting on a note of thankfulness! Thankful that I've had my dad for 83 years, thankful that he became a Christian and left a life of encroaching alcoholism behind, thankful that he has been faithful to follow in the ways of the Lord all these years! That's the legacy that I want to leave behind, too! Faithful....

Ode to Mother's Day

I have a little "revelation" that came to me at 3 am last night, when I couldn't sleep! And the no sleeping thing, is just menopause. That's another whole subject!

I was thinking about all my kids getting ahold of me yesterday. I realized that I was waiting to hear from each one of them and as they called...I "ticked" them off in my mind. Allen didn't call until about 9 pm and I had given up hearing from him. But, when I answered my phone and heard his voice say, "Happy Mother's Day", I felt complete!

Silly, huh? But, then I thought about God. He chose to make us in His Image...so doesn't it make sense that He longs to hear from us, too? And not on just a holiday, like Christmas or Easter! But often! He just wants to hear our voices. He wants to hear what happened to us that caused us to think of Him. (It doesn't matter if He already knows about it--He wants to hear our side!)

And so, as I crawled back into bed at 5 am (just long enough to catch the alarm at 5:30), I told God all about my revelation and thanked Him for Mother's Day and that my kids had contacted me! And my heart went out to the Lord, because I could picture Him waiting, waiting, waiting...

Why is Life so Hard sometimes?

OK...I'll try really hard not to be a big downer today! However, I'm feeling kind of low. I even went for a 2 mile walk with Travis, as I know that exercise will lift your spirits.

We had a good weekend! Sara and Erich came from Kansas City and spent Saturday night with us. Erich had never met Crispin before and really wanted to see him! And of course, Sara, being the little sister, has a great affection for her brother (even though they fought like cats and dogs when they were young).

Erich's mom Szu (Sue) came over for lunch after church on Sunday for the first time since Sara and Erich started dating several years ago. She was put right to work chopping tomatoes, onions and potatoes, as we were fixing "pique" a WONDERFUL Bolivian dish! It was lots of fun having her with us!

Crispin, very reluctantly, came with us out to the airport in the late afternoon, to be introduced to all of our friends who just happened to be barbequing. We didn't stay to eat, as Crispin doesn't do well with crowds of people. So, we went home and just the 3 of us watched a movie together. It was very nice--although the movie was a bit scary. "I am Legend" with Will Smith. The mutated humans leaping out of the dark were unnerving, so I had the comforter up around my shoulders so that I could dive under it at a moments notice! Naturally, Travis and Crispin scoffed at my "fears". "It's just a movie, mom!"

So, why am I feeling down? Just the politics of the City of Fulton vs the airport (us) is wearing on me! Also, the fact that 2 of my boys will be leaving for a year's duration...I know I shouldn't complain, and I'm trying not to! So many others have it much, much worse than I do!

Oh yes, we all talked to Jessica and saw Joshua on the web camera Saturday night. Crispin got a chance to chat with her too, so that was great! And he's so cute (the baby)! They're coming to the states the middle of July. We can hardly wait!

This helps to write...thanks for reading. I'll get back to my earlier "history lesson" within the next day 0r two. I just needed to "vent" for a moment!

Interruption

Hello my friends! A quick interruption in the "history lesson" of my life!

By the end of next week, I will have 3 children living over seas. You know about Jessica, Gary, and kids in Dubai, but Crispin (27) will be sent to Iraq on May 7th, and Joah will be moving to Puerto Rico on May 8th to start a new flying job! Just the thought of it makes me want to cry! They will all be so far, far away now!

Travis and I have been reading a book called, "Psalm 91--God's Shield of Protection" by Peggy Joyce Ruth. Very wonderful, encouraging book! Lots and lots of testimonies about the protection of God in times of danger and distress. My hope is to have it finished so that I can send it with Crispin.

He's coming home tomorrow afternoon for 4 days leave before heading out! I'll try very hard not to smoother him. He's never, ever liked crowds of people and to think that he was born into a big family! :-) So, I'll give him space to read, rest, and relax--but will be enjoying having him home for this short duration!

Other news...our other son, Isaac, his wife, Jeni and granddaughter Brylin have moved to Suffolk, Virginia. Yep! Their new house was only 3 miles from where that huge tornado whipped through. They had just arrived that day and were in the house--but had no idea the destruction that was taking place not very far away. They did say that it was raining "cats and dogs"--so to speak! Isaac will be returning to the Coast Guard base in Louisiana, then heading back for the birth of their baby at the end of May. I think they'll all be together by the end of June, as he transfers officially at that time.

Allen will be traveling to Alabamba the middle of May to meet his "birth family". His sister, Sarah, is graduating from college and the whole family will be there. So, that should be quite an experience for him!

Oh, how amazing life is! You just never know what's around the corner, do you? We really are on a great adventure!

Back to the "history lesson" later on!

Entering the Commune

Good afternoon! I know that it's been quite a while since I last wrote, but I do have some good excuses. But, let me get on with my "story".

I had been dating a guy that I went to high school with and realized or rather "admitted to myself" that we were going in two different directions, so we terminated our relationship before I moved into my apartment. Because of the loss of that relationship, I was really lonely. I had been attending Abbott Loop Christian Center since moving to Anchorage, but it was way, way too big for me! I felt lost and totally disconnected--even though I knew a lot of people there.

There was a Christian rock band called "JC & Company" that had a couple of members from ALCC and 2 guys from Gospel Outreach. They practiced at Jerry & Debbie Wilkinson's home...which was a couple of streets over from where I lived. I was friends with Debbie, so often found my way over to her house where I hung out with her and listened to music.

I'll never forget the first time that I met a couple of the "sisters" from GO. Talia and Sydney were dressed in long dresses, black combat boots, long straight/or super curly hair and had come out of the whole hippie/drug culture. They were wonderful people and invited me to one of their Bible studies. I decided to go (which was pretty brave of me) and remember going to a house over in the Spenard area of town. There were a bunch of people sitting around on the floor, one guy playing a rhythm guitar, and a guy with a long dishwater blond beard, dressed in overalls who read chapters out of the book of Ezekiel.

I've often wondered if he had even a clue as to what Ezekiel was all about, but people would say, "Far out" or "Amen" at seemingly appropriate moments. I couldn't concentrate, but kept looking around the room and wondering what in the world I was doing there!

Another time, I went over to a house in Mt. View that was called "the sister's house"--where all the single women lived. Now, that was an experience! I pulled up into the driveway in my little red Vega, wearing black WIDE-leg pants, a white blouse and a little short black and red vest. Once again, I walked into another world...everyone sitting on the floor (no furniture), long dresses, bib overalls, long hair, long beards, and some super spacy people!

I don't have a clue what they talked about, but there were long readings of scripture, playing guitars and singing Psalms, and some pretty "far-out" testimonies! One guy (Danny) was so fried that he could barely speak, but later on, the Lord totally renewed his mind! It was awesome.

That's where I met Travis. He had only been a Christian for about a month and was still a very scary person to look at! Damon, his 3-year old son, was running all over the place...also with long hair and Travis came up to welcome me. I babbled on about my brother being lost in the drug world and beat a hasty retreat. Travis told me later that I looked so scared and very out-of-place!

But, I was so impressed with how much people loved God! They had received an amazing touch of Jesus and that drew me! I was very hungry and thirsty to be a part of something more meaningful than my little apartment or my job at the DA's office. I wanted to be a part of something that made more sense than what I had. So, I asked the leaders if I could move in. They couldn't believe it...why would I want to do something like that?

My parents came to Anchorage in November and we all went over to the "sister's house" to meet all the girls, as well as talk to Scott & Ellie Snedeker (who were in charge). Everyone was really impressed that I had parents that cared enough to come see what I wanted to do. My folks said, "Yes, you can do this, if you want to". Later on, they told me that they were pretty concerned about me moving in with such an odd bunch of people, but it turned out to be the very best thing I could have ever done!

So, I sold my car to my dad--who sold it to my brother, took most of my mini-dresses and personal things home, then moved into the "sister's house." There were about 28 of us living in one 3-bedroom house. Bunk beds had been built into the walls and were stacked 2 and 3 tiers high! We weren't there very long...the leaders rented another house over by the Tarwater House (brother's house) and I was moved over there. There was lots more room!

My 1st Apartment

After about a year, I was hired as a receptionist at the District Attorney's office. At the same time, I decided to spread my wings and get my own place.

I had talked several times to one of the legal secretaries at an office on my route and she mentioned that she also managed a little row of efficiency apartments quite close to my new-to-be job. So, one evening after work, I met her and she showed me a tiny, little apartment that would just fit my budget! I was so excited to sign my first lease and get ready to move in.

But, oh....dirty? That's not the word, so I spent several days scrubbing, etc. It had blue tile (linoleum-type) floors--the kind that you had to scrub on your hands and knees, rinse, then put down a coat of wax. They absolutely GLOWED when I finished! I was so proud!

Hmmmm...also extremely, extremely naive! Little did I know that I was moving into a real pit, so to speak! My next door neighbor turned out to be a raging alcoholic with her front teeth missing. She would stumble home from the bars with all kinds of guys--pretty scary dudes! Several times, when she was semi-sober, she would come over to use my phone and one day, she brought this big, black-haired, black-eyed, scarred up man in with her. Oh my gosh! I just sat there and prayed that nothing would happen to me! It didn't! He was obviously with her, but I never let her in after that if she had anyone with her!

I would go into the little laundry room at night to throw in my wash, but would always just miss the other people who lived in the complex. I would hear them talking on the other side of opposite door as they walked away--never did see them.

When I went to the "manager's office" which was this secretary's personal apt., I remember almost dying on the spot. There were piles of doggie do-do all over her shag carpets, cats crawling or lounging all over her furniture and counters, a little girl running around in filty clothes...quite a wake-up call for a little country girl (me) who had been very sheltered from the world. I couldn't put that image of her together, in my mind, of the fashionably-dressed lovely lady who would show up to her office every day.

The Lord surely protected me all the time I lived there! I remember being very lonely, so got a little orange kitten to live with me. I think it was just as lonely as I was, because I had to leave it all day by itself.

My parents came to visit me several times and later on, my mom said that they were very concerned about me living there! Of course, they immediately saw all the creepy people around me and prayed constantly for my safety! I'm sure glad they did!

Company & Old Memories

It's a very warm (80 degrees) afternoon and absolutely beautiful out. Today is Travis's birthday and we have some very precious friends visiting us from Grand Junction, Colorado. They're on their way east for a month long vacation and are spending 2 nights with us!

We've known Milana for years and are just meeting her "new to us" husband, Bob Deal, for the 1st time. What a wonderful, kind man! They have been working as counselors in a Drug Rehab place for quite a long time and it was so uplifting as they told us story after story of the people who have come through the program and remain clean and sober!

That takes me back years ago to 1973, when I joined Gospel Outreach (a Christian communal ministry) up in Anchorage, Alaska. I was so fascinated by the people that I met there--people who had suffered through the hippie/free love/drug era and who were touched by God! I was so hungry and thirsty to be a part of something meaningful, so I moved in.

But, I'm getting ahead of myself. I'll start at the beginning and spread these old memories out over several days! By the way, that's where I met our friend, Milana!

I graduated high school in 1972, moved to Anchorage to work for Anchorage Messenger Service and rented a downstairs bedroom from my boss, Betty Hicklin. She and her husband, Joe, took very good care of me and put up with all my homesickness, etc.

My job was so cool! This was before the age of computers, internet, email, etc. I owned a little red Vega (car) and drove from attorneys office to attorneys office, to the bank, to the court house, etc. delivering and retrieving papers, bank deposits, etc. It was a great experience!

To be continued....

Spring Flowers

Yep! The weather is absolutely gorgeous today! Light breeze, warm--not too hot, sun shining and the grass and flowers are practically leaping out of the ground with delight, in celebration that winter seems to be "almost" over. Spring really is a time of new life--the dead of winter is finally past.

So, why am I blogging? Well, there's a young lady sitting in the next cubicle taking a Cosmetology Test and it's one of my many jobs to monitor the testing center here at the airport. But, as soon as she's finished...I plan to get on the bike and take Rusty out for a run around the hangars. In the meantime...I'm going to catch you up on just a few happenings!

Did I tell you that our 2nd to the oldest son, Allen, found his birth mother right after Thanksgiving of 2007? Travis was digging through some files in our office and came across all of Allen's adoption papers, including a copy of his original birth certificate. He told Allen that it would make more sense if he had those papers, so Allen and his wife, Erica, (who was also adopted) began pouring over them. Allen said, "Gosh! I've tried to find my birth mother online, but now I realize that I was spelling her first name wrong all these years."

So, being the computer whizzes that they are...when they returned home that night, they did an Internet search and FOUND her! Just like that!

Allen sent her an email that said, "Did you know a Christopher Allen Holotik" about 30 years ago? She promptly wrote back and said, "Yes, why do you ask?" And that's where it all began. She had been looking for him herself and was thrilled to be back in contact with him. She's already made one trip up to Kansas City and stayed with he and Erica for a week. Allen will be traveling to eastern Alabamba in May for his sister, Sarah's, graduation from college. Not Sara St. John, but another sister! Amazing, amazing!

He feels like a huge missing piece of his life has been handed back to him and we are thrilled for him! Did I mention that he was 10 years old when we adopted him? So, even though he was given up for adoption at age 5, he has many memories that are finally making sense to him!

I can't get over how quickly it happened, but when God has something planned for us, He doesn't mess around! Things just fall into place exactly at the appointed moment.

I sent her an email over the weekend to introduce myself/the St. Johns and she just wrote back saying that she would like to be in touch with us, but is getting ready for the graduation day when all kinds of family members will descend on her tiny house for 2 blessed events! Graduation and reunion time for Allen with a whole other family!

What will heaven be like? We will arrive at our appointed moment, and there will be all of our brothers and sisters (some familiar, most not) waiting to greet us...but best of all, Jesus will be there! And God, our Father! There won't be one weird feeling, either! Wondering what people think of us, not past hurts, all our tears washed away, just absolute delight in being together! Oh what a day that will be!

So, in the meantime, let's enjoy the warm weather, sunshine, and flowers bursting up out of the ground in celebration of spring--that glorious new life--the dead of winter past! And, if that's not happening in your area of the country...it won't be long before it does! Blessings!

Onwards and Upwards

I'm involved in a very interesting sideline. I write letters for a Christian organization that receives request for help, literature, correspondence, etc. from people all over the world.

This org is based out of Colorado--so periodically throughout the year, I get packets of letters to answer. All gifts (used Christian books & Bibles, etc) are sent out from Colorado--I just write to the folks afterwards. Well, yesterday, I received a BOX (yes, a BOX) of letters to answer.

I have a database set up on my computer where I keep track of each person, when I last wrote, if I sent out a Bible study or a copy of some article that would bless them, etc. It's turned into quite an amazing "ministry", so to speak!

I can't imagine how much fun we'll have when we reach eternity. I picture Mrs. Dagumarti running up and saying, "Oh hello...it's me! Remember when we used to write back and forth??" And even though I never met her here on earth...I will know who she is!

As I organized all the letters alphabetically last night (which took a very long time) I thought about all the needs represented in that one box. And I began to think about Jesus. Did you ever see the movie, "Bruce Almighty"? All the prayers that were hurled skyward?

How can He possibly pay attention to each and everyone of us? Billions of people on earth with billions of needs and requests! There are people around the world who are enduring great suffering, even as I write! And yet, the Lord knows each and every one by name...knows their thoughts and desires, knows their needs and despair! Knows when they reject Him, knows when they love Him! Knows! And loves unconditionally! How does He do it?

So, over the next week, I'll begin to pick up each letter and read through it. My prayer is that I will be an encouragement and help---being sensitive to each need...Even when I have to tell the person, "No, I can't send you any money!"

What an opportunity we all have...reaching out to those that come across our paths--whether through a letter with a colorful stamp from another country, or our next door neighbor who needs to borrow a cup of sugar or an egg!

Onwards and upwards! (a quote by CS Lewis in his book, "The Last Battle")

Mid-Morning Coffee Break

Good morning! It's quiet here at the airport. The winds have picked up, which makes flying in smaller aircraft not as fun! But, there's a student out in our Cessna-172 who's willing to buck the elements to learn this crazy skill of defying gravity and sailing above the earth.

You might wonder..."Are you a pilot?" Heck NO! But, I love to go along, hold the charts, watch the instruments and look out the window! It's amazing the perspective you get when you're up in the air! You see all those tiny little ant-like semi-trucks moving down the freeways--being passed by tinier vehicles of varying colors and speeds! Makes you wonder how God could possibly be in tune with each one of us individually...right down to knowing the number of hairs on our heads! Wow! I mean there are millions of people around the globe all going about their lives! How could He possibly keep track of all of us? We come (born) and go (die) willy-nilly--or so it seems, yet He knows exactly what's going on with each of us! His love is so great that He is constantly moving closer and closer to us...waiting for us to relate back to Him! Amazing!

Moving along here! I must report that I'm feeling much better today! Much more positive! I slept well last night, which helps a great deal, I've noticed!

I haven't done my exercises yet, but I did make oatmeal for breakfast (which sticks with you and is healthy)...so will try to ride my bike out around the hangars later this afternoon. My trusty dog, Rusty, will run with me!

Talk to you later! Have a great day!

Depression

I went out to dinner with 5 other ladies from our church the other night. We have been friends for a very long time! I only get to touch base with them about once a month, because I live too far away now...but it's always such a treat to be together.

We are in various life journeys...a couple are divorced, a couple of us are married, all of us have kids, some of us have grandkids, a couple lost their moms within the past 6 months....so we always have lots to talk about.

Sherry mentioned that she wasn't sleeping very well and we all thought/said, "Menopause!" However, Phyllis (in a small voice) said, "Depression will do that to you, too."

I don't know why that stuck with me, but last night when I couldn't sleep, I got up and went out to the living room to mull over some things that I had on my mind and Phyllis's words came back to mind. Now, what would I have in my life that would depress me?

A myriad of difficulties came to mind and I realized that I really do have a touch of depression. I'm not motivated to do much of anything in the house. I'm tired all the time. I can fall asleep at the drop of a hat. I've gotten tired of a lot of my possessions! And on and on it goes.

So, with that "revelation" I promptly opened up my Bible to read and took some time to pray. I didn't get any big directive from God, but I felt very comforted! Almost like someone put their arms around me and said, "OK, now you know...so let's work on this together!"

Am I tired this morning? Yep! Do my muscles ache? Yep! But, I did do my exercises this morning before breakfast and put dishes away out of the dishwasher and drainer.

I'm out here at the airport now and thought I'd just write this down. Maybe someone else out there needs to hear this or has some suggestions! Or maybe not...it might just be for me!

By the way, I'm on Book 5 of the "Left Behind" series. I never wanted to read them, but one of my boys passed them on to me, so thought I'd plow into them. I had quite a bit of overload on "End Time Events" years ago, so have not wanted to think about all of that stuff.

However, I'm enjoying the stories---not at all sure that things will play out like the books say, but it does give one food for thought. I can see why our world today would eventually want a one-world government. We are so much more connected through the internet and technology that is advancing so rapidly. When we are constantly hearing hearing about bad things happening around the world...it makes a person wish for peace.

Enough about that. I'm off and running! (well, maybe not running, but putting one foot in front of the other!)

Cold, Blustery Morning

What a great time to stop and write a few thoughts! Cold and blustery...that's what's outside, but inside the terminal building, there are a couple of Civil Air Patrol pilots sitting at the little table in the "lobby"--working on the never-ending paperwork required of CAP pilots!

Travis and Wayne are in the pilot's lounge mulling over some important airplane STUFF, Rusty (dog) is lying by me on the floor--hoping that someone will take him for a run and Scruffy (airport cat) is lolling on the couch--doing what most cats do continously--sleeping!

All we need is a little woodstove with a crackling fire and a jingling teapot!

I read a quote by CS Lewis this morning that went something like this..."Whatever small decision you make on any given situation--may one day be the result of some glorious victory in your life." So, I promptly went into our office and put my "walking" video in my little TV and went for a 2 mile trudge...thinking that someday I might reap a glorious victory in my constant battle with weight! I wish I was this motivated every day!

Very first blog

I've never done this before. But, I love to write, so why not give it a shot?

I've decided to call my blog...Airport Gal's blog. Do you want to know why? It's because I practically LIVE at the Fulton Airport! (Elton Hensley Memorial Airport, that is!) Did I ever think I would do such a thing? Nope, NEVER!

But, I've been here for several years now...going about my daily business of managing the office, mowing acres of grass in the summer, fueling all kinds of airplanes, sharing meals with folks that come out to barbeque in the evenings, etc, etc. You name it...I probably do it! Everything but fly airplanes. I ride along, but I don't pilot planes!

And so, I'm going to start posting my thoughts, activities, dreams, etc. This will be different than just emailing! I'm hoping that this will turn out to be fun! If not fun, then interesting!

Talk to you soon! Lucy