BACK TO SCHOOL

 

Samantha and Natalie.  Photo by Heather. Year -- maybe 2015?

My grandchildren Samantha, Natalie, and Noah usually get new things for school.  They shop and plan for new backpacks, clothes, and supplies. Sometimes they shop for what they need from used things around the house.  (Natalie made me a birthday present by "borrowing" a frame from her mom's picture for a scene she made for me.)

In my day I did all my shopping at home.  Mostly I did this as I hate to shop.  So I would find pens, pencils, paper, and binders around the house that were in fairly good shape. Sometimes I'd borrow clothes from my sister.  I made do with what I could find.  I never thought of asking my parents for money or using my babysitting money to buy new things.  

When we were growing up in Virginia we would travel to Washington to visit the relatives each summer.  Our grandmother on our father’s side thought that she had to buy the five of us us new shoes at Berg’s in Spokane.  She thought we couldn’t afford shoes.  That wasn’t the case.  It was that my mom liked Bergs and felt we could get better shoes there. The store started out as a children’s shoe stores in Spokane, WA in 1932, then branched out into specialty comfort footwear in 1985. So we waited until we got to Spokane to buy our shoes. 

As a grandmother, the way I get ready for the school year is I plan to pray. This year I'm leading another Moms in Prayer group.  We are praying that God will increase the number of moms praying this year. Our schools need God's protection and loving guidance to encourage and build up our education system and to bring out the potential of each child. Ready, set, pray!

I Samuel 2:18 Samuel was ministering before the Lord, a boy clothed with a linen ephod. 

UNDERCURRENTS

 

Homeless in Japan

Have you ever heard about the hobos back in the 1940's and 1950's?  Apparently there were some in Spokane who hung out by the railroad tracks. When the weather turned cold, or they wanted a change of scenery, they would jump on a passing boxcar, and get out of town.  

Today, all over the world, not to equate homeless people with hobos,--  mentally ill, drug addicted, people dropping out of society, and even military veterans--  camp on the streets and sidewalks. Authorities demand that they be allowed to do so.  It would be "mean" to have and enforce laws about loitering. We don't even allow homeless dogs to live on the streets. So why do we allow this?

The thinking in society has changed for the worse.  In his article John Seel--  says --"We are not in an age of change but a change of age." What one thought 50 years ago as being true is no longer true in society.  How do we find out what is true? What do we use as a plumb line now?  We seek God and His son Jesus.  How do we do this?  Pray, read the Bible, seek Christian fellowship. We have been given truth in a Good Book.   Sometimes it takes years of reading the Bible to understand it. Sometimes it is suddenly.

One such person who became suddenly converted was Blaise Pascal.  You can read about his life here.  Bliase Pascal https://breakpoint.org/the-life-and-faith-of-blaise-pascal/

His life radically changed the evening of November 23, 1654, when Pascal experienced God’s presence in a powerful way. He immediately and radically reoriented his life and thinking toward God. He described the experience on a scrap of parchment that he sewed into his jacket and carried with him the rest of his life:   

FIRE—God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob, not of the philosophers and scholars. Certitude, certitude. Heartfelt joy, peace. God of Jesus Christ. My God and thy God. Thy God shall be my God.   

From that moment, Pascal dedicated his life to serving God through his writing. His ideas on apologetics were collected and published after his death in a volume entitled, Pensées, or “Thoughts.”  

So how does one get interested in seeking Jesus?  Just ask God.  That is what I did.  I also asked God to make me interested in studying the Bible and He did!  

Psalm 43:3 Send out your light and your truth; let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling!

LACK OF KNOWLEDGE

 

I was a flower girl for Aunt Ruth and Uncle Jack's wedding.  Did not smile for the picture. I was missing my sister Evy as she was asleep and did not walk with me as the second flower girl.

I was fortunate to have a godly upbringing. Not only are parents and grandparents important in a child's life so are aunts and uncles. Aunt Ruth pictured above is the aunt who taught me and encouraged me to love music and dancing.  I have a recording of her encouraging me to do my dance for the audio recording even though I wasn't visible. 

Now to mention uncles. My brother Jay was thrilled to hold great niece Samantha.

Jes and Jessica are a terrific aunt and uncle to Samantha and Natalie.  Here is a picture of Uncle Jes babysitting Natalie.  She would make a funny face which I loved. 

Aunt Heather and Uncle Jessie are a generous aunt and uncle to Noah.  They shower him with good gifts. Here is Uncle Jessie playing with Noah and his parent's dog Freddo.

All this made me think of the teaching to obey the 10 commandments.  The one in particular I'm thinking of today is the 10th.  

 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbor’s."

So what is our society teaching our kids today?  Everything from social media and even the Olympics are teaching our kids to lust.  We are given freedom by having the 10 commandments to put boundaries, which are good for us, around our lives.  We are not given license to have any freedom to do anything. Here is a quote from "Breakpoint."

“Satanic” is an accurate word, however, for the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympics, staged as a journey through French history and culture down the Seine (pronounced sin), which is not only the name of the river that runs through Paris but what the performance celebrated. In fact, celebrating transgression, shock, and perversion was the point. Even more, this was a glorification of desecration, which included mocking the sacred. It was an example of what sociologist Phillip Rieff called a “deathwork,” only this one was broadcast across the world."

Even today the youth -- which are protesting against Israel and the United States -- are supporting Hamas out of ignorance. They do not know God's word. May our young people seek Jesus before it is too late.

Matthew 19:14  but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.”

A FUNNY THING HAPPENED....

 

Chris and me EWU Military Ball 1967.  Dress by Aunt Jeanne.

Chris and I are coming up on our 59th wedding anniversary in August.  Funny thing--we've been married longer than we've been single. Another funny thing about our marriage--it was exciting like a roller coaster or perhaps flying an airplane through a hurricane. We set out to have an adventurous life and we did! It is only by the grace of God that we have persevered--and also that my parents wouldn't take me back.

I can't believe what we have lived through in our lives.  First--  World War II, then Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iraq. Historical  attempted assassinations and  assassinations of U. S. Presidents and former presidents--John F. Kennedy, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and now Donald Trump. Where does all the hatred come from?  According to the Bible in I John 2:16 it is this--"For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world." Good works, teaching good things, and good governments help, but only Jesus changes hearts.So we pray for Jesus to come back and set everything to the way it was from the beginning--"And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good."

CHARACTER MATTERS

 

Chris and me on our HR.  Photo by a professional photographer.

When Chris and I lived on our boat in Mexico we were very careful to follow all the laws of the country. We were instructed that we were guests. We knew that according to the law of their land that we would be considered guilty until proven innocent unlike the laws in the U.S.  So what is going on in the world right now?  It seems people who do not obey the laws are allowed to come into any country illegally.  What has gone wrong?

The way I see it is this— It isn’t the color of the skin but the content of the character.  If we are obeying the laws of the country there should be no problems.  It is the content of the character that is lacking.  If the laws were enforced in all countries and we had enough people to throughly investigate immigrants to come in legally we would not be having this problem.  The chaos now is the Marxist plan to control the world. Meanwhile the governments are run by a people who have a death wish. God has put governments in place to be the agent to bring punishment on the wrong doers.  Apparently He has taken a pause. But someday everyone will be accountable to God—God is still in control.  The final battle of Ezekiel 38 and 39 is coming soon.  

Proverbs 9:10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.

FATHER'S DAY AND YOU

 

The above article mentions that Mrs. Dodd's father was a disciplinarian.  In some families this is necessary.  But in my case I would have been crushed if my father had been harsh with me.  The only time he seemed displeased was when I would bring a "C" home on my report card.  He was ok with "B's"!  

Grandma Isabel was the secretary for the Father's Day Association Committee.  She saved the minutes from each meeting so we are able to have a peek in to what went on.  I really like how they closed their meetings with Genesis 31: 49  “May the Lord keep watch between you and me when we are away from each other." 

What was your father like?

BABIES ARE A BLESSING

Grandpa Claude meets Heather 1971. Photo by Chris. Outfit courtesy Aunt Emily.

 

Heather and Jes 1978. Photo by Chris.

My mom treated us kids like we were real people.  She was interested in all that we said and did. She disciplined us and set boundaries by sighing or looking a certain way so that we would realize maybe we were making a wrong choice.  Sometimes she would even verbalize her desire like --"I wish someone would wash the dishes."

Now our daughter Heather is good with children.  As a 6 1/2 year old she made friends with her newborn brother, Jes.  She babysat her cousin Jennifer one summer.  She enjoyed her cousin Sarah at a wedding where she took videos and photos. Her cousin Grace met her at a young age.  

Heather and Jennifer 1988.  Photo by Grandma?

Sarah and Heather 1992.  Photo by Chris.

Heather and Grace. Photo by Grandma?

And of course she was proud of her own babies.  

Heather with Sammantha. Photo by Chris.

Me with Natalie

We have been blessed with our babies who have grown into God fearing wonderful people.  So I encourage all those out there who are dealing with sleepless nights, diapers, messes, and lives that are not your own-- hang in there.  

Nehemiah 8:10  Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”