Month: December 2022

This middle of the holiday weekday,—-and this year it is actually a Wednesday—three days between Christmas and New Year’s Day, is a day to mark for several reasons, at least psychologically.

It’s a day of recovery and planning.

We have had several days off from school, several still to go. Productivity should be at a maximum. We’re rested, full, inspired, and thinking about new beginnings.

Celebrating Christmas is simply a way to celebrate Jesus! I try to do that everyday, but Christmas is at a time of year when it’s dark and cold (really cold this year!!) and we need a bit to coax our spirits through this annual slump.

I chose to put away the Christmas decorations already this year. I believe Jesus was probably born in September due to clues in the Christmas story about where the Shepherds were hanging out. Christmas is a day to mark and celebrate, but I needed to get on with things this year.

Today it’s dark at 7am, but the hours of sunlight are visibly lengthening.

For the depressed this is actually palpable and positive.

Christmas is hard for those of us who have lost.

The last two years have been a slow motion crawl toward acceptance. I have had to accept that my life is completely different from any of my expectations and that I am past my expiration date to begin anew.

I am turning 60. My dad’s death and previous decline showed me I am tied to my family. I can’t run from my pain. New beginnings may be attempted, but they are hard to achieve. I am still attempting.

I am talking about positive new beginnings. To begin a life that is full of sadness and pain is an option, but not a good new beginning.

Here on this Wednesday between Christmas and New Year’s Day I plan to work out, plan, clean, and pray.

My personality type makes lists: endless lists. I don’t check things off, I just write everything down. I did that for years. It’s helpful to me, actually. I keep in my mind the things that I must. I have a compass of things important.

It’s sort of like the series from IBLP “Command of Christ.” You cannot possibly follow the 49 commands at all times, but knowing them and practicing them as they become relevant is the goal. The book likens it to a ship’s navigation system. It’s a good analogy. The compass and the tools are there to guide the ship. The ship gets to the port by their help and guidance.

IF you haven’t seen that series, you should. It’s simply excellent. If you love Jesus you should obey His commands. The Bible says that.

So, along with the list of Christ’s commands I will make my own list of resolutions. It’s a long list. One thing on the list is to lighten up and enjoy the beauty of Minnesota. I have been tied down for so long I need to stretch my wings. I’m going to get out the convertible and drive around the lakes this summer. I’ve lost weight and I feel healthy. I’ll let my hair down and breathe the clean air! I want to get confident at towing the Scamp up to Crosslake and beyond…the dogs can join me!

I want to publish my artwork on my blogs, finish illustrating my latest book, excel at Chinese, make some recordings, read all the books that have been gathering dust, clean and purge, define Corgi Hollows, travel.

Let’s think big. It’s Wednesday between Christmas and New Year’s, after all.

I’m so glad we love and belong to a God that created us, loves us, forgives us, understands us, and lets us begin new every morning.

He lets us begin new every year, month, week, day, minute. This is even a new millennium. The 1,000 year-reign of Jesus Christ is on our horizon. I’m looking ahead to reigning with Christ, in the flesh. That’s Scriptural.

So on this important day of setting goals and being productive let’s keep the future and the hope we have central.

I’m looking up.

MARANATHA!

Ed is going to graduate. Finally. This is his last week of school, only a project is due on Monday. He was assured of passing this semester.

I praised my second son in the last post. He deserves every word of praise and blessing.

Ed had a different path.

Here are his incredible challenges, just for starters;

Diagnosed with BPD at age 15, 8 months later with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. (ALL)

Brushes with death four times.

Three and a half years of daily chemotherapy.

Osteonecrosis. Two knee replacements. Avascular Nacreous.

Death of his dad, death of his grandfather, death of an uncle and aunt.

Physical pain, emotional pain, life stuff.

Through all of this he got a degree in mathematics from North Hennepin Community College, and now a degree in Computer Engineering from the College of Science and Technology, University of Minnesota. (B.S.E.)

He has an affinity for languages. He’s dabbled in Russian, Esperanto, and now Japanese.

It has been a fight for him, every day.

Still, he has learned to play the pipe organ, blessed many with his keyboard skills.

His sunny personality and quick wit are priceless. He maintained his sweet outlook despite the challenges that would have floored most. They would have floored me.

He’s tall and handsome, sweet and humble.

God has blessed me with such a wonderful son. He graduates, and I’m chomping at the bit to celebrate this accomplishment. It was fought for.

Because he spent two summers interning at a medical tech company in this area he is probably going to start working with them for real soon. They have been good to him, and he has excelled there.

His future is open, and in God’s hands.

He’s a believer.

Celebrate with me!

My second son had a milestone birthday. He is my quiet child, rarely sharing his ideas with me.

But actions speak WAY louder than words, and I have nothing but praise for him and his actions.

As most of you readers know, I “unschooled” my children. Because I have a teaching degree I had the guts to be experimental. I chose to spend mornings reading Bible stories and other great works of literature to my kids.

I never graded them, never tested them except to fulfill the Minnesota state education laws, that included a yearly standardized test.

I kept track of their progress with that test. There were always weaknesses noted, and strengths. I never worried.

Now, all of you know that all of my kids have at least one college degree, four of them have two. My method worked for me.

Putting an emphasis on the Commands of Christ, Biblical literacy, and English literature was the key to their success, I believe.

But my second son excelled. He was the top academic ROTC cadet in this entire area, a program that included every college and university in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. He won award after award in the ROTC department at the University of Minnesota.

He was a killer-fast runner, aiding the U of MN running team to a top slot in the Army 10-miler in Washington D.C..

He was awarded the Bronze Star for Meritorious Service in Afghanistan.

Can I be singing his praises today, as he just completes three decades of his life?

He has degrees in Geography (B.S.) and Computer Science (B.S.) from the University of Minnesota, a school that is ranked 90 in the nation.

He has a brilliant wife and son, a home and an excellent job. He is a believer.

Such a quiet man, you’d never know how accomplished he is.

I just wanted to focus on him and his goodness, celebrate his life. I’m so thankful for him, and I love him so much. His dad was always so proud of him. I am.

May God bless his life with joy, peace, and love.

I know he has the hope that endures.

Bless you, dear one.

I have been slowly recovering from lack of sleep. My dad’s entrance to heaven was colored by exhaustion, and now, two weeks later, I opened a book on grief that my friend loaned me, read the first page and had my heart touched.

I shut it, not ready for the bawling and headache of grief.

This has been a week of tears.

I’ve had loss.

Maybe I haven’t been through a holocaust, a terrible war, famine, or plague. Still, I’ve known pain and grief.

Heartache is my theme.

I’ve been so tired I haven’t had brain time to think of what this latest loss portends for me. I always relied on my dad. I was his birthday present 60 years ago, and his quiet love and support for me was a “given.”

I’m glad for him.

Can I forge ahead on my own now?

Christmas songs are playing in the background. Cherie and I put up the tree, and I still have to clear the clutter of storage boxes. I wanted to write something though. The mournful songs of Christmas I can bear this year.

I couldn’t the last two Christmases.

This music has always moved my heart. I’m ready to have it moved. I think a dam is breaking in my soul.

In acceptance lies peace.

As Mary said to her God and Lord—“may it be as you say.”

What option do we have?

May it be as You say.

Come quickly, Lord.

Even so, come soon.

Maranatha.

I spent a few minutes reading some of “Imagine Heaven” by Burke this morning.

What a great book.

IN the past week we had a memorial service, a burial, family time, and joy.

Why joy?

Because we imagine heaven.

This world is so marked with suffering and pain, but I was reminded this morning that eternal suffering is a choice people make, a choice to stay separate from our Creator.

Once we are with Jesus all of this mess is forgotten. We’ll know things, but we will be undergirded with the grace of God.

That existence is perfect, in every respect.

But we’re still here. We still can encourage people to make good choices. We can love.

We can grit our teeth and forge through the difficult days, even smiling.

We can imagine heaven.

But we’re still here.

MARANATHA!