Faith- I know that Our Hope has Arrived!

As I watch everyone during this time of year I see so much chaos.  People trying to get their holiday shopping done, going to holiday parties and decorating in holiday themes.  What I also see is the commercialization of the "holidays" in full force.  This year it seems to be especially noticeable.  The media are highlighting the stories of people that are upset because they feel intimidated to drive down a city street where a banner was hung across the road that read "Merry Christmas."  Complaining that the "Christmas" part was forcing Christian beliefs on them.  Some of our elected officials in certain states have forbidden anything that suggest "Christmas."  Our potential Presidential candidates are questioned about their Christian beliefs and made to look inadequate, even though our country was built on Christian beliefs and ethics.

I like to wait to decorate for Christmas until after Thanksgiving.  The favorite part of my decor are my nativity scenes.  When I send out my Christmas cards, I want to share then message of Christ's birth.  It's funny how our the entire country, and other countries around the world, set this time aside to celebrate.  I am and they are also celebrating the fact that on Christmas Our Hope has arrived in Christ's birth. 

God loved us so much that he came down to Earth in human form so that we could relate to Him.  We were not getting it back then, as we aren't getting it now.  He came so that we could learn from Him and go out and tell everyone else about Him.  I await for the day the Christ comes back again and I can tell him that I tried my best as an imperfect human.  I want to tell him thank you for being relatable, for being forgiving and for reaching out to me.  For helping me to grow and learn from Him and for giving me the courage to share about Him to others.  It's so easy to give in to what is dishonest or just not good at all.  It's hard to do what is right and honest.  I struggle every day to do my best.  Sometimes I fail and sometimes I am victorious.  In the end I know that I have not denied that I am a Christian and that Christ has forgiven me and loved me.

So as I watch everyone run around during this Christmas time of year I can pray for them that they "get it" and share with then if they don't.

Have a Very Blessed Christmas!!       

Fun- The Fun and Madness of Family Get Togethers

Steve and I say this every Thanksgiving.  "Well, we pulled off another one."  I have had Thanksgiving at our home every year for the past several years.  For one reason, I have Wednesdays and Thursdays off work.  Another reason is that Christmas dinner and gift exchange is just too crazy with this crowd.  Really, I love this Holiday.  Thanksgiving has such a great historical meaning and message.  I love this time of year as the season changes, even in Southern California.  Even we get a glimpse of Liquid Amber trees in the neighborhood.  My home is in full Autumn bloom and I can start to wear my sweaters. 

(Dad, Mom and Bruce Thanksgiving 2010- This year is the first Thanksgiving without my dad.) 

I feel like the rest of society has almost forgotten what the true meaning is.  I heard so much talk of "Turkey Day."  I want to make sure that our family and friends remember that this is the time of year that we truly thank God for what he has given us and the blood that has been shed by those who fought for everything that we are thankful for.  We hear so much about how the rest of the world is suffering in poverty and that we who live in the United States of America are in the top 10% of the wealthiest people in the world.  And that number is based on the poorest in our great country.  Wow!  I am so thankful to God for putting me where I am and giving me the means to help others.  In a nutshell, if you are truly thankful, then you will give back.  Everything you have is indeed God's anyway.  How will you now give back as we enter the Christmas season? 

Food- Hot Tomato soup and Grilled Cheese sandwiches

The Minnis and Burgunder families recently lost their matriarch Gramma Tudie.  We all had many fond memories of her in her apron and always ready to feed the masses.  My husband Steve told the story of his brothers and him mounting their horses and riding over to her farm just a few miles away.  It was funny how it would always be near to breakfast time.  Now we are talking about a Midwest farm breakfast.  She was always prepared and willing to cook up a storm.  My own children said that they also remembered always being happy to go over to Grams when we made the plane trip to visit in Michigan.  We would stay in the basement, which was like our own apartment, and Gram would always make hot tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches.  My grilled cheese sandwiches never looked the same to them.  And don't forget the pies.  Oh, the pies!  There was no matching that when we got home.  I think my children also started measuring the backyard to dig a basement in California.  I guess that would actually be a bomb shelter.

Gramma would also send you things such as a rice/vegetable steamer if you didn't have one in your home when she came to visit.  I got mine and used it for several years, then passed it on to our college bound daughter to use at school.  I remember one visit when I started reading a very nice book by author Jan Karon.  This was the first book in the "At Home in Mitford" series.  I was hooked as my sister-in-law Joyce said that she was also.  Between Grams' and Joyce's books, I ended up taking the next books in the series home with me and mailing them back later.  She also sent me home one trip with a book from her favorite author, Rosamunde Pilcher, called "The End of Summer."  The book was a well worn paperback with the cover and pages all curled up from many years of repeated reading.  I told her that she loved it so much that she should keep it and that I would go find a copy for myself.  She replied, "No honey, you take it.  I liked it so much that I bought the hard copy.  Besides, the print is bigger and I can't read that one anymore."  I didn't really think about it at the time, but she truly wanted to share the wonderful stories that she read with me.  I think that I will be picking that book up and reading it right now as the summer itself is gone and I can transport myself into the warmth of her memories.

We will miss Gramma Tudie with all of our hearts, but we will always remember those fond memories on the farm and afterwards spent just having coffee and pie while shooting the breeze with her.

Family- Where did the time go?

I never thought that I would see the day when I would only see the back of my kids' heads as they run out the door.  Oh, the days when I could sleep in until noon.  I think those where the days when I had more hours in the day. Nowadays I am up before the sun and off to work.  My kids are up at noon and to their jobs until evening.  I see them when they are hungry after work as I am slipping into my PJ's.  They are back out as I am falling asleep on the couch watching TV or heading off to bed.  Have I become my mother?  You bet!  Someday they too will look back and say "I glad my mom was around."  Whether it be toiletries and food that magically appear in the cupboards or a leftover dinner scrounged from the fridge, I know that someday those times will be fond memories.

Faith-In God's Timing

I recently read an article titled, "Never Empty Nest."  I realized that my husband and I will also never have an empty nest since our nephew Joe, who has Down Syndrome, has come to live with us full time.  I could look at this two ways.  I will never have the retirement freedom that most people will have to travel and just relax and do what they want.  Or, I can find joy in the fact that I will always have family around, besides my husband, to talk with and travel with.  I will always have someone to care for and cook for, who always compliments me and my cooking.  God's timing is never what we think.  He always keeps us on our toes and sends us little clues.  The problem is that we don't always stay still and listen to or even recognize that it is God.

I found the below devotional that was so perfect for my day.  Joe is a welcome interruption.  I feel truly blessed that God has trusted my husband and I to care for Joe.

Today’s devotional: open to God’s timing

Are you so wrapped up in the “schedule” of your life, work, and ministry that you risk missing the unexpected opportunities God sends your way?
Blaine Smith describes following God’s timing as one of the great challenges of the Christian life. It’s easy for us to get so focused on what we think God has planned for us, that we aren’t prepared to take advantage of unplanned ministry openings. He points to Jesus’ ministry as an example of a life lived in accordance with God’s timing:

Much of Jesus’ ministry was a sanctified response to interruptions. Take a typical day: After teaching a large crowd for a long time, he breaks for time alone, only to have his disciples ask him to explain his parables (Mk 4:10). That evening, while traveling in a boat, they awake him to deal with an unruly storm (Mk 4:38), and when they arrive at the other side of the lake, Jesus is confronted by a man with multiple demons (Mk 5:1-13). In each of these cases, Jesus responds immediately to those who need his help.
Many opportunities, both for serving Christ and for experiencing his provision for our own needs, come packaged in unwelcome interruptions. We need to pray constantly for alertness to these openings when they confront us. Without such awareness, we’re likely to lag behind God’s timing.

Is there an “interruption” knocking at your door right now, threatening to divert you from the careful plan you’ve set for yourself? It’s worth asking yourself if it’s truly a diversion, or if God is presenting you with an unexpected opportunity to serve Him.   

Fun- The Simpleness of the County Fair

One fond memory of my childhood was the County Fair in the summer time.  As I got older my mother would enlist my teenaged children to come and visit during the Tri-County Fair season.  They seemed to love to "work" for Gramma Rose.  Funny how work seemed different with her.  She would take them to the Tri-County Fair as payment of work done.  Her little fair always seemed to have the biggest names in entertainment.  My kids would come home from a week of visiting with Gramma Rose and Grampa Bruce tired and dirty.  They relayed stories of eating cookies whenever they wanted and sugared cereal.  Well, I guess the reward for being a parent is actually being a grandparent.  I look forward to spoiling my children's children and sending them home with fun memories too.

Food- Healthier Eating

I recently tried  fresh fruit and vegetables from a company that works with local farmers that provide fresh vegetables right to your doorstep.  The company name is "Farm Fresh To You".  You can order online for fruits and vegetables to be delivered to your home.  It was a great deal because they offered a special of $10 off each order for your first four orders through my employer.  The prices ranged from $25 to $55 for home delivery.  They also offered small to large orders of just fruit for offices that ranged up to $110.  So far so good.  They show you what you will get each week depending on the available seasonal harvest.  Check them out at http://www.farmfreshtoyou.com/.

Family- Watching from Afar.

I took my nephew Joe, who has recently come to live with us full time, to a Christian group, through "Young Life."  The group is called "High Rollers" and is for High School and College students with disabilities.  He had the best time and even came home with a hoarse voice.  I peeked in as I dropped him off and saw that they immediately welcomed him and started the intruduce him to everyone.  As I came back to pick him up, I saw the biggest smile on his face as he was taking everything in that he had not experienced before.  It was refreshing to see all the "buddies" that were there to mentor and just hang out with these students.  They have a heart of gold and I think get back just as much as they give each week.  Our hope is definitely in our youth.

Faith- Relying on God when everything seems to be going wrong.

Wow!  What a week.  I'm still trying to handle all of my father's affairs after his death almost 3 months ago.  It seems real easy for everyone else, but some don't realize that I now have two more jobs.  I am now the executor of my father's trust and the conservator of my 19 year old special needs nephew.  I am not complaining.  I feel honored to take on this responsibility.  I just wish some who really need to rely on God would just trust in Him.  It is hard and frustrating at times, but the more I give it all to God, the more patience and peace He gives me.  I am not trying to be perfect, just honoring of God.

Fun- Watching My Family Grow

Fun can take on a lot of different forms.  Most recently I watched as my 20 year old son planned to move into a different room in the house to make room for my special needs nephew who was coming to live with us.  He did a great job painting.  I had the pleasure of picking out some carpet with him for his new room, formerly my husbands den, which had never been painted and still had the original blue carpet from 17 years ago.  More to follow....

Food- My new Wok

I just bought my first wok.  I was real excited about cooking up some wok style sauteed vegetables.  I started chopping and chopping and suddenly I had a whole mound of veggies.  I very glad that I bought a LARGE wok.  The veggies were delicious along with the shrimp that I added.  Everyone ate a bunch and there was just enough left for two leftover lunches.  We had a healthy delicious dinner.
What is your favorite wok dish?  Feel free to also leave the recipe.

Family- Loss of a Loved One

I recently lost my father to heart disease.  It still seems hard to believe that he is gone until I see a picture of him, with his big smile.  One of the last unspoken words to me was the sign language sign for "I Love You."  How did he know that I would know that sign?  God was definitely at work that night.

Faith- Psalm 23

God has a plan to soothe us when we are worried or going through a dark time in our lives.  This is a wonderful devotional that I receive daily.

"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and staff, they comfort me."  Psalm 23:4

What one of us hasn't faced fright and fear head-on by softly quoting the twenty-third Psalm?  We repeat those old familiar verses time and again to soothe our souls and break the suffocating grip of fear.

            I'm particularly fond of the fourth verse.  Even though I walk through the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.  The psalmist doesn't focus his attention on the dark valley, and he's not distracted by the shadows.  He sees through the valley, past the darkness, and looks with confidence toward the other side.

            The dark valley is a place to go through, not a place to stay in.

Are you in the middle of a dark valley?  It could be a bad financial report.  Perhaps you just discovered drug abuse in your family.  Your son is to be sent overseas.  You are facing two weeks of bed rest.  Your reputation has been stained by gossip.

It may look dark and gloomy right now, but please remember that God does not intend for you to stay in those shadows.  The valley He has led you into is the same valley out of which he will lead you.  You will, by His grace, go through it.  There is, thanks to our Shepherd, a smile on the other side.

Lead me, Shepherd, through the dark times.  I promise to follow You closely and to stay on the path, to remember that Your rod is with me and Your staff is there to comfort and guide.  Thank You for that little word, "through" in this beautiful psalm... I trust that You will lead me to the other side of the dark times to safety, rest, peace, and joy.

Blessings,

Joni and Friends

www.joniandfriends.org

 

Taken from Diamonds in the Dust.  Copyright © 1993 by Joni Eareckson Tada.  Used by permission.  Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530

Food- Lights Out!

Wow! A power outage can make you be really creative with your dinner plans.  I had fun today planning on beating the dark after learning the my power would be out for the next 24 hours.  Chicken breasts defrosted and marinating.  Leftover spaghetti and broccoli warmed up on the stove, that I had to use my "clicker" since it has an electronic igniter.  The BBQ did it's magic on the chicken breasts.  Thank God we added the natural gas BBQ to the back yard.  I cooked down the marinate for topping the chicken after grilling.  Yeah! everything was done before dark, about 5:30pm.  The power was supposed to be back on by 5:00pm, NOT!  Just as I suspected it was extended until 7:00am the next morning.  Thank God also for "smart phones" technology to check with Edison.  Happy this morning that at 5:45am we have power and only the ice cream melted.  That's okay, we are cutting back and trying to eat more healthy anyways. 

Family- When the children start taking care of the parents.

Wow!  Time does fly.  It's my time to start thinking about the care of my parents.  My dad is especially having some health issues that just recently have become a problem.  I have become very protective of him and only want the best care for him.  That means my entire family pitching in to love and care for him when he needs it.  Outside care is not an option until we can absolutely not do it ourselves.  I grew up with a loving caring family that has always cared for each other instead of an institutional option.  I know that this means personal sacrifice, the kind that my parents gave when I was a child.  It's my turn to care for them.  My faith that God will provide the strength and timing for everything is what I am clinging to today.  Tomorrow I will visit my dad in the hospital, where he has been for testing for the past few days.  I am comitted to making him feel loved and cared for in his own home for as long as possible, then at my home for the long haul. 

Fun- Continuing Education

I like to continue to learn new things to keep it fun.  My pastor at Church encourages us to improve on the talents that God gave us and to continue to learn new things.  Even if it is just trying a new cooking skill or a crochet pattern.  Last year I finished a Catering/Gourmet cooking career diploma program through Penn Foster College/Career School.  This year I think that I will try to take either the Dressmaking and Design or Floral Design career diploma program.  What will you do to improve on the talents that God gave you?

Faith- No Plateaus

It's a New Year.  I found a memento from a past Church conference.  Its a smooth rock with my name carved into it.  The following words are also carved into it- "No Plateaus" and Ephesians 4:13- "We must become like a mature person, growing until we become like Christ."  The New Year is the best time to commit to grow more in your relationships, especially the one with Christ.  Be a good example in your daily walk with the Lord.  You never know who is watching you.  You may be the only "Christ" that they see.

Food- New Years Resolutions on Dieting

Really?  Have you ever made a New Years Resolution to loose weight?  I have many times.  This time I am following Weight Watchers plan by paying attention to what I eat and limiting my meals to normal sized portions.  I am changing my relationship with food.