Miracles Just For Me

    My new contacts came this week.  So now I can see to sew.  The old glasses made everything I look at so small that I couldn't see anything tiny anymore.  I haven't been able to sew for a couple years now and crocheting a doily has been impossible.  Not anymore. With the combination of contacts and reading glasses; I can now see detail.  It's absolutely wonderful and I am praising the Lord. I believe I know just a little bit how Blind Bartimeaus  felt when Jesus came along that day!
    And I sewed these throw pillows! That's my second miracle.  And all the materials were free, and that's my third miracle. Delightful! 
   

 And I can see to put this puzzle together as well, now four!

Forgiveness

I have to tell you a story.

           Once upon a time, a long time ago in a land not far away there lived a little boy at home on a farm with his sisters and parents. He went to school with 40 or 50 cousins and friends.  He was a gentle little boy.  He would not have hurt a bug, so to speak, and he loved to laugh.  Strangely, this boy attracted the unkindness of many of the rough and tumble boys at school.  Nobody really knows why our parents did not step in and put a stop to it.  We have talked about it since then and wondered about that.  But it became a matter of course for the other boys to call him sissy names and to cause him physical distress or to make a joke of him. I am purposefully not providing many details for his sake and others’. This was not just for one school year, but frequently, during his school years. I am not over-stating the situation at all. Any of you who know can verify this, I have no doubt.  

Now, I must tell you another story.

         

Fifteen years ago a lady in Pennsylvania was dying of a cancer-like monster growing behind her eye.  They worked frantically for months by surgery and other means to stem the horrid tide but to no avail.  When she lay dying, Loyal, who had become an LPN by this time, sat by her side sopping up her life blood for hours until she passed into Glory.  

When I heard about this, I wanted to meet him again to ask him about what God had done in his life.  I had not seen Loyal since youth days, 30 years ago, until yesterday. Here was my chance, at last.  His was a big welcoming smile and a warm hand shake and there was the same old laughter as we recognized each other.  You have to know that I could not help but ask my question just as another old school friend came along saying, “I want in on this.”  So Judith and I listened while he explained what God had done for him those many years ago.

“When I was four, I realized that God must really love me.” (How many four year olds do you know that have had such a touch on their lives?)  He went on to say that he used to wonder why God had not told those “meanies” the same thing…that God really loves them!  Then he said, “I hope they have forgiven me because I have forgiven all of them.” 

I just had to wonder if I would be generous enough in his shoes to mention the forgiveness work in that particular order! I guess I do not usually expect to need forgiveness if I am the wronged person. That is food for thought for me!

Loyal wants to finish his career nursing old folks. He is easily the most caring person I know.  I told him how much I admired what he had allowed God to do in his life by choosing to become better instead of bitter through those rough years of childhood. I also apologized to him for not speaking up back then as I should have.

  

Funeral Reunion

We went to Uncle Herman’s funeral today. There were around 600 people in attendance… two thirds of which were cousins or nieces and nephews of Uncle Herman.  That is a lot of people in one place!  (Cousins or not!)

The singing was awesome.  The Hersheys are good singers anyway, but put that many of them in one place and you have the most amazing sound.  Uncle Herman taught us to love to sing… that timing, tempo, and dynamics are important. His enthusiasm was contagious.  Today we sang them just we would have, had he been up there leading them as he did long ago.  His grandson leading them today did a fine job; but it did not hold a candle to his grandpa’s song leading.  Sorry, Mr.Hershey, please don’t take it personally.

Real Smiles

 

Reading in Job this morning I found him bemoaning the lack of a Mediator.  He mentioned not knowing when God was around and if he did happen to notice doubt would set in anyway.  I think we women would have to agree that such thoughts are familiar.  We are masters at doubting that God is orchestrating what is happening to us and around us. It is really easy to get to concentrating on God’s justice. We are sure of the negatives!  Yes, Job was very down in the mouth in this chapter. Then in verse 27 he said, “I will put away my complaint, I will put away my sad face, and wear a smile.”  Of course it was satire. We all know it takes more than words to wear a smile.  There has to be a work in the heart.  And that is where Jesus comes in.  So, life is tough sometimes, and it sure does look like God has passed us by. But Jesus came and created that needed link between us and God by dying for us.   He satisfied that Justice with his Own Lifeblood. Jesus makes us sure of the positives, instead. 

                           Yeses and  Smiles, for real, to all of you!

Blue

This is a cheerful blue. I'm trying to feel it that way, too. But some days are hard to do. It should be a perfect quiet winter day wherein we can count our blessings by the score. But it isn't, for reasons of my own. Nothing about anyone else, so don't worry. I read Anita's blog the other day and she described this feeling perfectly.
I like my small collection of blue. The mug and the candy dish are from friends. One of those friends I hardly ever get to see. If you see this candy dish/this post, I wouldn't mind hearing from you. The set of three plates are winter scenes each of three different old homesteads. These plates are among my choicest earthly treasures. The blue cloth napkins were a free collection of 12. And the geranium has been one of four pots blessing us all winter through this cold winter weather. If I could be as happy and beautiful consistently, everyday, in my world, as these geranium are out in our cold porch, I would think I had "arrived".

Through wisdom a house is built; and by understanding it is established. By knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches. Proverbs 24:3,4

Conflicting Information

The Vintage Snowmobile Ride started out right here at the end of our lane.  Up to 180 sleds gathered in for this fund raiser for the American Heart Association.

   Part way through the morning a pick-up pulled into the back lots to turn around? and got stuck.  He happened to pull in exactly where Elv was planning to do some plowing and haul in a few logs for firewood. Elv and Lance went out there to help him but he'd gone away leaving his pick-up blocking Elv's project for the day.  But by the time Elv was ready with the tractor an hour later they'd come and pulled the the pickup out.
   In the meantime Elv ordered up some homemade no parking signs, which they posted at intervals along our property. We are used to our yard on either side the property becoming temporary parking so when we need the space we just post the area for the day. Otherwise, go ahead and park there, okay?

   As we were pulling into our road on our way home from church yesterday we saw another sign that Fireside(hosts for the big Vintage event) had put up.  It said Trailer Parking On the Right with an arrow pointing...you guessed it...the very area we came along and posted our signs on.  :)  I have to wonder how many of our vintage sled owners were confused or concerned that two neighbors were not talking or what! Elv says he'll go visit his neighbor about parking next year before the event, so that the two of us are not looking bad to the public in general.
   
 

Gardening

Is coming!
    I know I just did a post and so this is number two for the day.  Deal with it! April inspired me.
    We're going to have green beans...three/four rows of them and tomatoes on the trellis this year.  And flowers!  
    That's what my garden grows so like Mary Mary Quite Contrary that's what we're going to have.  
   Did you get all those seed catalogs in the mail the day after Christmas? That's even more ridiculous than starting Christmas before Thanksgiving!  I want the seed catalogs to come mid-February during a snow storm.  That way I'll be ready for them.  The way it happened this year coming in December; someone had already removed them from the coffee table into the rack only to be forgotten.
 

Here's A List For Valentine's Day

Any women would love this teapot.  It would send any one of us into raptures of planning a tea for two.

There's nothing like a table scape.

Yes! Snowshoes for a hike for two through the snow.

Everyone enjoys chocolates.

Flowers are a given for Valentine's Day.  Forget about this simple thing guys, and you'll be had.

She wouldn't turn her nose up at a new computer, nor would he, for that matter.

Or even a new car.

But then, a card might be all you need to remind the one you love that you still do.

This bouquet of flowers...just in case you missed it before.

A new CD of her or his favorite music ought to be appreciated.

Someone has been talking about this book as a must read for all married people.

It's February

   It's the month of  the celebration of LOVE...Valentine's Day.  The annual couples supper is planned. The couples from our church and others in acquaintance are invited to attend a supper in the conference area of Norske Nook in Rice Lake. We always have a guest speaker.
   It's the month of Our Wedding Anniversary for two of our daughters.  Lisl and Dru the 28th/29th.  Jenny and Gabe the 14th.
   It's the 29th anniversary of our house fire.  Shep woke us howling mournfully to red/orange flames making a glow on all our bedroom windows. Seconds after we left our bed, the flames broke through the glass and leaped in, licking and then gobbling up all flammable materials before our very eyes. Curtains.  It's not a happy memory.
   It's the birthday of the best man in the world. He will be 49 years old this year which is mighty close to 50!
   It's Sugar On Snow in Beaver Bay, Minnesota.  Bring the whole family on the last Saturday of the month to a living history event to see wood workers, a candle maker, spinning, and many other interpreters of our history.
  It's the month of the famous Birkebiener Ski Race.  It happens to be a world class race with tall Norwegians and other foreign skiers from around the world attending and participating.  They haul snow in to cover main street in a foot of hard packed whiteness so that the thousands of contestants ski into town to the finish line for a lot of hoopla and celebration. For lowly, local citizens like me it is a good idea to stay at home for the day since it's impossible to get from here to anywhere due to blocked streets and streams of people.
  It's the first time in weeks for Old Sol to actually feel a bit warm if you were to stand out there in the snow and reflect some sunlight. You could almost begin to think of spring on a day like that in February.