LINGERINGS FROM 2014

Hubby's dad brought this back after WWII
Our tradition of celebrating Christ's birth is as
important as our tradition of putting up this manger each year.

This is my last chance to write a few words in 2014.
It seems that I end each month with too little time to write.
So, I linger a little longer on this very last day, the last few hours, to recollect happenings that have rushed by with 'mach' speed.
So much to enjoy . . . so few hours.
The clock ticks the same seconds each minute, the same minutes each day, as hours seem like seconds.
Why does time play tricks on this old mind and body?

Beautiful stained glass windows at our church.

Once upon a time I would wonder how to keep myself busy until mom called us in for dinner.
That was so many years ago - before I know I
could create my own agenda, before I knew there was a world beyond our back yard or our front steps.
I loved being home.
That was before I decided to grasp a career that took me around the world.
One adventure led to another and, before I knew it, years passed.

Then I began a new career . . .  and another one . . .  and another.
Each adventure outdid the last.

Our visit to Winterthur reminded me of our family
Christmases.  I love the basket - tagged for each person.

So here I am . . .  here we are . . .  hubby and me . . .  trying to catch up to the speeding clock.
So many adventures to choose from, so may books to read, so much to see and do.

Yet, I tend to return to my roots . . .  home.
I nestle into moments of reflection and give THANKS for my incredible life.

The last year and a quarter have been both a challenge and a blessing.
Helping others to see the power of Christ Jesus in our lives seems daunting . . . until I realize that I am not doing the work.

150 year old church that is in great shape due to the hard work of
those who love and maintain the structure.

 I am simply a 'conduit' of the Lord, Jesus Christ.
 I feel like a willing pawn, being moved one step at at time, in the direction that God chooses for me.

Our ministry in this small but full church takes far more time than the part-time position I chose to embrace.
24/7 'open line' on the phone brings me close to wondering souls.
Email is such a blessing in the later hours or before dawn brakes the dark sky.



God leads as hubby and I set up bible studies and confirmation classes, work with church school

Wondrous finds as we visit another garden.

leaders and with the property guys, bring food to the town pantry for needy families, entice others to help out at the "Point" (an incredible facility totally built with donations, meeting the needs of 75-90 at-risk kids a night), hospital and home visits, meetings too numerous to count, both at the little church and within the diocese.

Yet, nothing is as important as gathering to Worship and Praise and give Glory to the Lord, thy God.
We can do nothing without the strength of the Holy Spirit within us, girding us, guiding us, directing us in whatever purpose the Lord has given to us.

I ponder God's Word, linger over passages of scripture, ache over the words I am called to pass on to others.
Each week I wonder how the Holy Spirit will speak through me.
Yet, with the help of God . . .  and a little perseverance . . .  I am given words that, hopefully, others can tuck into their

Our Garden is the best part of summer.

hearts for their own personal walk with Christ.

If working at church were the only focus of the year, life might be a little smoother.
Yet, my hand is in other places that are just as fulfilling.
Hubby and I consider ourselves as a team.
Yet, the team doesn't function well unless we invest in each other . . .  daily.
He's so easy to please.
He loves to talk about things and explore verbally what we both love.
His mind races.
My mind plods slowly.

Amish families dress their best on Sundays.

I'm also president of what many know to be a "Philanthropic Educational Organization."
I signed on to this great adventure before I embraced the opportunity to lead this little church.
Gathering monthly with women who embrace other careers is a breath of fresh air.
I learn something each time we meet.
Most of all, we raise money for scholarships so women can continue their education.
It's amazing how many women are pressing through challenges to discover their hidden potential.
These women need a bit of a boost to juggle families or  careers as they return to school.

We love waving at the kids when we pass.

We affirm each other right where we are and breathe deep after most of us have already spent a long day doing what we are called to do.

And then there is the bible study group in our own community.
What a joy to lead this group of women who have spent years digging into God's Word or who have never even opened a bible.
Their hunger seems endless as we share what we know with one another and discover new ways to embrace life.
We have broadened our perspectives and learned unknown traditions within the numerous denominations represented.
By the time the fall session started I had to step back.  I was not taking enough time for my own needs.

We're standing in the kitchen.  Great view without walls.

Also, a bit of a kerfuffle happened in August.
We now are blessed with dad's condo in Florida.
Dad is happily turning 100 in February as he resides in a beautiful assisted care facility back home in Minnesota.
I love Florida but it is just not the right time for us to spend much time down there.
August 5, a flooding rain pressed too much weight on a flat-roof drain that is suppose to move water away from the condo building.

We thought we'd just have to unload the stored furniture
and we'd be done.  It took another month to complete
the renovations - long after we had to return home.

Whoosh! Splurt! Smash!    Mounds of muck in spreading water moved from the condo next door into the condo we now call our own.
Old carpets and fiberboard cabinets in the kitchen, bathrooms and elsewhere soaked up the stinky goo like a sponge.

A water/fire rescue team spent nearly two months tearing down and cleaning up.
We begin again . . . from the studs.
All walls, doors, lighting fixtures, wiring, anything that is not concrete . . .  gone.

I smile weakly as I recall the contractor, well known for his incredibly good work, saying, 'No problem!"

"It will be totally like new in ten weeks."

The kitchen is almost finished the day we leave.  Nice!

The part I did not realize is that there are only two speeds with his team.
Slow and stop.
We pay high prices for work that could have been done in five weeks.
Fourteen weeks later, well after hubby and I can no longer take trips down to move things along, the job is complete, I guess.
Renter comes tomorrow.
There are still some glitches to work out.
Selah.

In the mean time, hubby took me on so many wonderful adventures this year.

Hubby was so excited about my birthday.
The entire day has been filled with surprises.

We discovered incredible gardens, ancient homes, new vistas that refreshed our souls.

All in all, we have enjoyed a fulfilling year.  We look forward to new adventures in the coming year that will broaden our horizons and fill the soul with new joys.

Another year, another birthday.
I still proclaim that the entire world is celebrating my birthday this last day of the year.

Many blessings to anyone who reads these meanderings. May your reflections of the past year fill you with renewed hope for 2015.

Nestled in November snow, our little church invites all to come in and
warm themselves in the glow of God's love and grace.