Ed turns 27 today. Cheri turns 23 tomorrow. My son-in-law turns 40, also tomorrow. My niece celebrates her birthday tomorrow, too, I think 29 years…
It’s birthday season at Corgi Hollows. Another niece has a birthday on the 28th, a nephew on the 27th!
But today is also a new year, (Rosh Hashanah) and a new season!
Welcome, Fall!
What a day. It is so significant. It’s also the Day we do not know the hour…idiomatic Hebrew/Aramaic.
If only it could be today, the day Jesus comes to snatch us out of this woeful earth.
But the beauty here at Corgi Hollows is evidence of God’s great love for us, the mist is coloring the tree lines soft sage.
The leaves have only just begun to turn brilliant. Really, only the sumac and the euonymus have turned red. I see some stressed trees with yellow tips, but overall the world is still green on this first day of fall in the Minneapolis area.
That’s unusual.
The other day I took Corwyn and Yuki out to the hay field and there were dozens and dozens of Monarch butterflies and myriad little pairs of yellow butterflies (they are common but I don’t know their name!) fluttering all over and sampling the clover. It was fairyland.
That’s unusual.
There are unusual things happening.
Good news: there was quite a downpour the other night, hail pelted the roof, BUT no water in the basement!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I just had to do that.
I’ve been waiting for this for years now….
I am so grateful.
The tile has still not come in at Menard’s, but I think that the floor will all be finished in due time and order restored out of the chaos.
A couple of weeks ago I almost had a tantrum…I am a pretty even-keeled person…but I just had this moment of despair about the stacks and stacks of books everywhere.
I did bring a whole truckload to the thrift store, and that was wonderful. I will be purging more as we set the room in order after the tile floor is done.
I am staying home from school for the most part. As my health situation progresses I am being careful. I know only part of the whole scenario, and I am being patient.
I am a patient.
Being quiet at this lovely time of year is actually a gift.
I’m trusting God for all my needs, and I know, that as this widow’s husband, He will provide for me.
I have worked hard these past years, as it has been a productive way to grieve and grow. Just sitting around and crying gives me headaches. It is better to be distracted by productive work.
My departure from the hotel is bittersweet. Many, many thoughts about that after 8 years there. I was unable to work my last weekend due to my health.
I will miss it!
Let me reminisce one story (and there are so many!). A few years back a Japanese man was staying at the hotel, and he carried a guitar. He seemed so sweet, and he was, of course, polite.
About a year later I saw from my social media algorithm that a Japanese guitarist was playing a concert in the Twin Cities. We had been to Japan by then, and I was interested. I went to the concert, played by Hiroya Tsukamoto.
I loved the concert, the Sunday afternoon peacefulness, October golden day, the quiet guitar.
It wasn’t long before I drew the connection; Mr. Tsukamoto had been the artist that played at a local venue and stayed at my hotel the previous year, the kind, polite musician. I had greeted him and welcomed him to the hotel.
I have been a fan of his work ever since.
Working at a hotel can be pretty interesting.
And I will miss it, but I need more time for my growing number of grandchildren. It will be nice to have weekends freer.
Substitute teaching for a sixty-plus year old is also pretty energy intensive, so I wanted to have more strength for that part of my life.
I also wanted to write and illustrate more. If I don’t do it now, it probably won’t happen.
My health needs more attention, too. Staying healthy takes time.
I remember a sign on our family doctor’s wall that said something like this: a work out a day keeps the doctor away… or to that point.
I should have more time for health.
What are your thoughts on Charlie Kirk lately?
I saw healing, spiritual healing, at his memorial service.
I probably don’t match him theologically. I am seeing all the criticisms of his leanings. I do not deny that he stood for Jesus Christ and was an evangelist in his own way.
I have no right to criticize. He embodied what matters: preach the Good News of Jesus Christ. He lived like the apostle Paul, debating the critics. If only we would all be so proactive!
We do walk a narrow path. There is a strait gate. Study to show thyself approved unto God! To whom much is given, much shall be required! Examine yourself! Test yourself to see if you are in the faith. (2 Corinthians 13:5)
Everyone of us should be careful of how we are growing in Christ.
How many people have made a decision for Jesus in these past days? Are we nurturing and helping people know Jesus? Are we shepherding these new believers? Discipling?
Too many baby believers get side-tracked and discouraged by multiple things, including the failures of those of us more mature Christians. What a responsibility.
We need to be in prayer constantly.
May the Holy Spirit comfort and keep.
Two big prayer requests: Yesterday a prominent Christian minister had a fall and he is paralyzed and in ICU. Pray for Christopher Yuan.
Another family lost their 11 year old son yesterday, rather abruptly, from health issues. He was diagnosed with a type of cancer several years ago as Ed was recovering from leukemia. My heart reached out to the mom, and I have been in contact with them since. Pray for comfort and peace. Devastating. This boy was so sweet and trusted Jesus so dearly. Pray for the Peck family.
We are all looking up!
MARANATHA!
