The Twelve Words of Christmas

No, not “The Twelve Days of Christmas” although that’s a fun song to sing. Most of this blog post comes from a summary of a talk by Louie Giglio, a fantastic Bible teacher whom I’ve just discovered, thanks to my friend, Stephanie.

Louie mentions that his family, as many do, loved to sing Christmas songs among which was “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” The custom was to assign each family member a day in the song. The high point of hilarity was assigning the most tone-deaf member of the family the “first day” as he would be the verse-ender for each stanza and consequently, bring everyone to tears as they held their sides in rib-splitting laughter.

Regardless of how much joy we derive from singing Christmas songs, no one would argue that they bring lasting joy, nor do they bring eternal salvation.

That was left to the One of whom the angels sang to those frightened shepherds on that Bethlehem hillside 2,000 plus years ago.

This unique message in song from God’s messengers was even more of a stellar event because He had been silent for 400 years—from the time when the prophet Malachi penned his last words until that moment when the Baby broke that silence with his first cry.

Christmas Eve 1906 brought forth another unique happening. Reginald Fessenden had worked in Edison’s lab experimenting with sound transmission. That Christmas Eve he decided to go to the lab and see if he could transmit his voice to ships equipped with receivers sailing the Atlantic. He was successful in doing so, reading the Christmas story from Luke 2. Fessenden was a classically trained musician and had brought his violin along with him to the lab. He picked it up and began to play “O Holy Night.”

It gives me goose bumps to imagine how those ship captains must have felt when they heard, seemingly out of nowhere, the words of the Christmas story and then a beautiful Christmas carol. It had to have been the most momentous Christmas Eve of their lives.

Back to the twelve words of Christmas. They are, “A Savior has been born to you. He is Christ the Lord.”  That trumps "The Twelve Days of Christmas" beyond measure.

Angels Around and Amongst

Mourning, anger, and fear. Shootings at schools and churches, in nightclubs, and holiday parties. Where can God be in all of this? Would you believe, right there—beside those who weep and the fearful? He has always been “there” and will always be “there.” We often don’t understand His timetable, but His time is always the right time—in the end. And the end is really what matters.

Several thousand years ago a man named Jacob was running away from home for fear that his twin brother, Esau, would find him and kill him. Jacob had a good reason to fear Esau because he had traded a bowl of delectable stew for Esau’s birthright—Esau definitely feeling food was most important. Then with a little help from his mother, Jacob stole his brother’s blessing as the firstborn. And that was the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back.

In the 28^th chapter of Genesis we find Jacob running for his life, camping out in the desert, so destitute of creature comforts he uses a rock for a pillow. Somehow finding a comfortable crevice to fit his head, Jacob goes to sleep—and then to dream. He sees a ladder stretching from earth to heaven with angels going up and down. To add to this awesome setting, God is standing above the ladder speaking directly to Jacob and identifying Himself as being the Lord God of Abraham (Jacob’s grandfather) and the God of Isaac (Jacob’s father). God goes on to say He is giving the land where Jacob is sleeping to him and his descendants, the number of which will be as numerous as the dust of the earth. Most importantly, God tells Jacob, “In you and your seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.”

Then God says to Jacob, “I am with you and will keep you wherever you go....” When Jacob woke up he said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.” Not surprising since he was camping in a pretty inhospitable area, not a spot one would consider God inhabiting.

Today we may be wandering in our own kind of desert. Maybe it’s grief due to death of loved ones or broken relationships, suffering from chronic illness, loss of a job, or fear of life in general.

All of God’s children can depend on His statement to Jacob—“I am with you”—no matter the type of desert. The truth of that statement can also be based on an event about 2000 years ago when a baby was born in a Bethlehem stable. That baby was Jesus—Immanuel—God with us. Announced by His heavenly messengers, the angels sang of His birth, this One foretold to be of Jacob’s seed. For Jacob’s son, Judah, founded the tribe of Judah from which came the Lion of Judah, the Savior of the World.

God IS with us!!

ThanksLiving

They cry, “Peace, peace, when there is no peace.” Those words from Jeremiah, the Old Testament prophet could be echoed by our world today. Many must wonder, Is there such a thing as peace anymore?  

“…My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” Those were Jesus’ gentle words to his disciples—and to us--in John 14:27.  Even back in the Old Testament, God promised in Jeremiah 29:17, “I have a good plan for you, of hope and a future.”

Thanksgiving is nearly upon us and I am blessed to live in a sheltered part of the world that doesn’t have to deal directly with terrorism and war. However, peace isn’t necessarily an external entity. The Norman Rockwell idea of Thanksgiving might picture family or friends sharing hospitality, with the general idea of overeating--and then it’s time to watch the football game. That’s all great but what if we continued to express our gratitude beyond Thanksgiving.

I love it that so many on FaceBook have joined in the idea of daily listing things they are thankful for. After this Thanksgiving season when all the turkey and pumpkin pie has been put away (either in the refrigerator or the tummy), get a notebook to keep by your bed or with your Quiet Time materials and jot down at least one thing you are thankful for each day.

This practice of thanksliving will be a step in the right direction when we look around at our chaotic world, or even within ourselves, and wonder where on earth our peace might be found.

Our Peace is right here, right beside us. He said He would never leave us.

That’s hope that brings peace. That’s really something to be thankful for.

Tucson and More

My blog posting frequency has become appalling. I’d love to blame it on Nat’l. Novel Writer’s Month, but since I’m only doing an abbreviated version of that this year, the excuse won’t work. Maybe it’s old age and feeling really crummy several days of the past few weeks. No, that won’t work either. Might as well ‘fess up to just being lazy!

Tucson Scenery

The “Diehl Reunion” in Tucson was another great time of getting together and eating great food thanks to Brenda and also to our friends, the Rundletts who fed we three Diehls one evening.  

Some of the crew

 We not only enjoyed visiting relatives in Tucson, but friends in Green Valley, more relatives in Chino Valley and friends in Las Vegas. So we made the miles count and are so grateful to all who worked schedules around our trip. 

Halloween arrived in Elko with decent weather but apparently the trick or treaters knew only healthy treats were at our house so they detoured our door. However, the biggest trickster at my house dressed up like a mad scientist—no telling what diabolical experiment he concocted.  

Brian, the Mad Scientist

Autumn leaves with Snow

Snow finally fell in our valley the first week of November—very wet snow but the NV blue skies prevailed and it’s all gone now except for the higher elevations.

And he sang, too.

The house photographer had his debut photography show in Elko last weekend and was gratified by friends’ attendance and support.  

Brian and Pat  at DLC Gallery

Extended family members have been dealt some hard blows recently but the dust has settled somewhat. Through it all, it’s good to cling to the promise that Jesus is the anchor for our souls—Hebrews 6:19. And with the Parisians we can rejoice that although trouble is a certainty in this world, Jesus has overcome the world by His death on the cross and His resurrection. (See John 16:33) And with these great promises, this blog post ends.

Fear vs. Hope

Hurricane Patricia (is that an appropriate name, or what?) has brought much fear to many dreading destruction of property and possible loss of life. Catastrophic cataclysms in the natural world cause humanity great trepidation because we are totally powerless in the face of them. Our modern technological advances can do little other than warn us that hurricanes, mud-slides, sinkholes, erupting volcanoes, or earthquakes are about to take place or have already done so.

Fear can be a crippling part of life to Christ-followers and non-believers alike. I just read a newsletter from friends involved with Wycliffe Bible Translators. The newsletter featured the story of an isolated tribe in Papua New Guinea who have lived in constant fear of evil spirits for centuries. When the New Testament was translated into their heart language, they began to understand that Jesus Christ was greater than any evil spirit. The freedom they realized from believing in the God of the Bible totally freed them from fear.

It’s easy for us here in the USA to pooh-pooh the idea of evil spirits because, for the most part, our eyes are closed to them. But Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians, as well as other books in the New Testament, warned his readers that we are not in a battle with flesh and blood (human beings) but in a battle with spiritual forces (Ephesians 6:12)

Here’s the good news. Just because there are forces out there we can’t see that are stronger than we are, doesn’t mean we have to be fearful. I John 4:4 tells us “greater is He that is in us, than he (satan) that is in the world.”

Sarah Young writes in her book, Jesus Calling (based partially on Psalm 21:6) for October 22—“…remember that I (Jesus) have created this day; it is not a chance occurrence. Recall that I am present with you whether you sense my presence or not. Then, start talking with Me about whatever is on your mind. Rejoice in the fact that I understand you perfectly and I know exactly what you are experiencing.”

I’ve been slowly re-reading I John and was struck by some fantastic words in verses 17-19 of chapter 4 which are introduced with the awesome statement—“God is love.”  Because of His love made complete in us, “we can have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world, we are like Him (full of love, not fear). Vs. 18—“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment….” Vs. 19—“We love Him because He first loved us.”

Two thousand years ago, Jesus calmed a sea that threatened to capsize the boat He and His disciples were sailing. He can do the same for a category 5 storm or the most vicious life circumstance we face. Dare we hope in such a great possibility? I think so.

Texas Travelogue

Time for me to get back to posting some entries. I just returned from Ft. Worth visiting my son, Jeff and celebrating his birthday. Got to visit friends--some old, some sort of new, feasted my eyes on the Ft. Worth Botanical Gardens, listened to lots of classical music on the radio and got to see Jeff pretty much finish his kitchen. As for my own personal endeavors, I finished writing the first draft of Deborah the Judge and got well into the story of Debra Haskins.

Jeff’s birthday gift was initially going to be a half load of gravel or mulch on his front yard but when he discovered a day’s rental of a roto-tiller with delivery and return was going to cost almost as much as purchasing one, he went to Plan B which still had to do with curb appeal but dealt more with moving rocks. To help with that, I bought him a wagon—a little black one, not a little red one  

And it even dumps!

Jeff and a partially filled rock column

Partial rock wall Jeff built at back steps

Ate lunch in Dallas on Sunday with some of Jeff’s friends at the Bop, a Korean restaurant. 

After ice cream at the Truckyard (unfortunately I didn’t get pix so no one will believe a description of this place:) 

Children's Tiny House Playhouse--Jeff standing on porch to give perspective

Made a trip to the Botanical Gardens and despite a dearth of roses due to some disease/fungus, saw many beautiful flowers AND a real Tiny House—a playhouse with a loft for children to play in located in a real vegetable garden.

Spider lilies--Botanical Gardens

Jeff had to work on his birthday but he had a piece of his favorite birthday cake we’d bought at a bakery the evening before and I, of course, fixed dinner complete with home-made biscuits.

Doing finish work on the kitchen was on the top of the list, so Jeff found the pieces of crown molding he’d saved from the kitchen demolition and set me up for sanding and painting. When the time came for him to put up the pieces which had to be fitted carefully like jigsaw puzzle pieces because part of the kitchen had been re-configured, he was sure he needed, and had, more pieces. But they were not to be found.  

Choosing to persevere, he decided to put up what pieces he had. In so doing, we got to experience a “Loaves and Fishes” miracle. When he finished, he actually had a 12- inch piece of crown molding left over! Talk about  a practical example of supernatural multiplication!

Face plates on outlets and several items checked off to-do list

When you travel somewhere, at least on this planet, you generally have to come back. So on my return trip, Brian picked me up at the Salt Lake City airport and then we started to visit Animal Shelters. On our second stop, we found Gidget – and that finishes the story. We both feel she is a perfect ending.

Pilot Study Complete

To my knowledge, no one else has used The Women Who Knew Him as a Bible study, therefore, the reason for my title. My thanks go out to Beth C., Beth M., Chela, Cynthia, Patricia, Tiffany and Tina for their willingness to sort of be guinea pigs along with me in order to see how well the stories of these women lend themselves to actual Bible study.   

I believe we were not disappointed and I thank these ladies for their input into additional discussion questions. At this point I will not be revising the book but will make these additional discussion questions available to anyone interested in using the book as a springboard for Bible study and getting to know these women of the first century AD better.

I also have a suggested order of reading the stories. In the book I listed the stories in a somewhat chronological order but personally prefer reading/studying the women’s stories in a more heterogeneous arrangement ending with Mother Mary’s story rather than beginning with it.

In that way, if a study starts in the Fall, Mary’s story would come about Christmas time. Or, if the study began in January, Mary’s story would fall around Easter, again a very appropriate time to be looking at her life.

Hopefully, this will give you somewhat of a framework if you should decide to lead a Bible study looking into how Jesus ministered to the women of the first century AD and an increased faith that He will do the same for us today in 2015 AD. Awesome to consider!!

Change

Not change as in coins you receive back from a store purchase which you paid for in cash. This change deals with what we might perceive as lack of stability in our lives. Something that stretches us, aids or prods us to be flexible, or moves us along to the next stage of where we need to be, painful though the process may be.

I’m guessing that the majority of us don’t like change. Oh, we might think life needs something different because we get bored easily. But actually, most of us don’t care for major upheavals in our day to day existence. Just as a rubber band loses its flexibility and stretchiness if it lies in a drawer for years, so will our mind and soul sort of atrophy like an unused muscle if we don’t stretch them. And Who better to stretch us than our Creator, Himself.

God gets us to the next level of spiritual maturity, compassion, etc. by some sort of change, be it in our physical bodies, our circumstances, or our family situations. Many times the process may seem painful as He hoists us up, kicking and screaming perhaps, but there is always that promise to cling to (among many such) in Jeremiah 29:11 where He says, “I know the plans I have for you and I promise you they are good ones, full of hope for your future"--Pat’s paraphrase.

The great thing about change is that we are never alone in it because Jesus tells us repeatedly, “I am with you.”  “Don’t be afraid.”  Remember the storm-calming incident with He and His disciples on the Sea of Galilee? He is still in the storm-calming business in the 21^st century whether we are on water or dry land.

A statement I read in Jesus Calling recently was almost like being hit between the eyes with a two by four. That day’s reading started with these words: “Understanding will never bring you peace.” Now that’s pretty hard to swallow in this world of rational thinking and scientific research. Not for nothing does the Scripture tell us “not to trust in our own understanding.” But thinking about that statement brings a believer in God around to the fact that the never-failing path to peace is trusting God—for everything. And that includes change.

In a world of change, both circumstantially and personally, there is this awesome, absolute constant—Jesus never changes. He tells us He…”is the same yesterday, today and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8). That’s like attaching oneself to bedrock and it’s good enough for me!

Walnut trees

As I was reading/revising a “Judge Deborah” portion of my book, I had her husband looking for a piece of walnut for some intricate wooden beads he had designed. I realized getting hold of a slab of walnut might have been impossible in Israel around 1250BC so needed to verify the possibility.

I don’t ever remember reading about walnut trees being mentioned in the Bible so I “Googled” the subject. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that although these trees were not mentioned in the same way oaks, sycamores, fig or olive trees were, the walnut tree and better yet, the nut itself has a nifty spiritual analogy.

According to the Midrash, Song of Songs Rabba, the people of Israel are compared to a pile of walnuts—when one is moved or disturbed the entire pile is affected. (Can you tell this is a Jewish website?) This is reminiscent of Paul’s letter to the Corinthians where  in 1 Corinthians 12:12-20 he teaches about the physical unity of the body and how that illustrates the spiritual unity of the Body of Christ and the gifts of the Holy Spirit.  

Just as a walnut that is removed from a pile disturbs the cohesiveness of its pile, so are our physical bodies disturbed if one part doesn’t work well, or our spiritual unity is disturbed because a gifted part of the body is not present for somereason.

And the analogies continue. The roots of other trees need to remain covered with soil but the walnut tree roots need to be exposed because the trees are highly susceptible to fungus-borne diseases which are guarded against by ensuring that the roots are exposed to air. Compare our confession of sin and returning to God as baring the roots of our lives. After all, God knows when and how we sin, so why try to hide it. In addition, He is always willing to forgive that confessed sin (see      I John 1:9).  

 There were additional comparison to the walnut tree and the life of a God-follower, but these will suffice. Who knew what I would discover when I merely researched the possibility of a Bronze Age artisan being able to obtain a slab of walnut for his work?

North—to Alaska

Yes, I actually made it to Alaska with 14 other acquaintances from church who are now my friends. We spent a week in Anchorage working under the auspices of GraceWorks, an evangelistic group endeavoring to claim Anchorage for Christ.

Three Musketeers and Me

Our week definitely was not a vacation. To start with, the female dorm rooms were on the 3^rd floor of the renovated church we lived in—no elevator. Each team was assigned a park in town close to a new church plant location. Monday-Friday we had sack lunches available to the kids in that park, played kickball, volleyball, or soccer with them, did crafts and told them a Bible story, if possible. We not only got to know the children, but also their mothers, grandmothers, fathers, and daycare providers.

We attended a Thursday evening Bible study led by the young pastor of the church plant in the vicinity of the park and experienced a “williwaw” (I think). It was an unbelievable blast of wind that tore down an overhead shelter we had erected for the kids while their parents studied the Bible. That was followed by a torrent of rain that surely  rivaled Noah’s flood, at least for several minutes.

"mummified" trees at Wildlife Conservation area.  1964 earthquake lowered the water table 10 feet which was replaced by salt water. This in turn killed the trees but preserved them. Note the cloud just below the mountain top.

I would say the weather was the most unfriendly element during our stay, but despite the timing of nasty weather (like the beginning of a Bible story) and the busy schedule, we were still able to do plenty of sightseeing and fall in love with the gorgeous scenery.

We were able to use several mornings for designated hikes—saw the starting point for the annual Idatrod, a gorgeious vista of city, bay, and mountains some distance above Anchorage, and a hike along a glacier-fed stream, as well as the glacier(s) that fed the stream, and actually saw a mama moose and her baby in the wild alongside the road we were traveling.  (Thanks, Rachel.)           

Reindeer Racks--impressive

Baby musk-ox--so ugly, he's cute.

My week in Alaska was priceless for I gained much more than I gave. But God does things that way, doesn't He?

Where Are Your Treasures?

Back in the 1960’s “Mother Earth News” was extolling underground homes, earth sheltered homes, and solar heating—all unique, “green” methods endeavoring not to impact one’s environment negatively. Now we could also add wind turbines to the list as people continue to try to live “off the grid” or “go green”.

My older son has become interested in the minimalist lifestyle. Living in that fashion has been a challenge for him, partly because for generations, his family collected things. The grandparents all lived through “The Depression Era” and the phrase, “It’s too good to throw away” was almost a guiding principle.

However, I have been implicitly warned that much paring down has happened recently in Jeff’s home. He has become extremely interested in the Tiny House Movement and I must admit, for singles and couples, it really makes sense. I was able to tape some TV segments on Tiny House construction as well as Tiny Houses that are stationary which we watched this past week. (By the way, a “tiny house” dimensions are defined as 500 square feet or less.)

The question occurred to me: what’s the difference between a tiny house and a mobile home or large RV? The few articles I Googled supported my suspicion that Tiny Houses are generally custom built to fit your interests and desires as well as incorporating as much natural and re-purposed materials as possible. Open floor plans aid the impression of roominess and creative storage is a necessity.

The prime reasons for interest in these Tiny Houses seems to be  the mobility factor (like the turtle, your home can go with you everywhere), and the perceived freedom from “stuff.” (This would include less time needed for housework which piqued my interest immediately!) 

If you live 24/7 in 190-500 square feet you must take a very careful look at the things you deem necessary to comfort and peace of mind because paring down one's possessions is a necessity. Those who take the plunge into Tiny House living, for the most part, have not lived in this fashion for an extended time yet per the TV segments we watched. But they liked their cozy little nests and were delighted with the scenery they are living in or the places they are seeing, e.g. folks who move every few weeks or months like traveling nurses. Besides that, the price is right.

Interestingly enough, one segment featured an older couple looking to be in their late 60’s who have lived in their tiny house for over 20 years. The interior of their home looked delightful and the storage ideas were truly unique. The house’s exterior appearance suggested it was on a foundation although the size could have allowed it to be mobile as it was less than 300 square feet. Whether or no, they professed to love their home.

Anyone who has had to sort through belongings of a deceased loved one in preparation for a house sale would wholeheartedly vote for the paring down necessitated for Tiny House living. And one could say that it’s scriptural.  Matthew 6:19 warns, “Don’t collect things that can rust or be ruined by bugs or be stolen. Instead, store up treasure in heaven.” That type of treasure doesn’t have to find a storage spot in a Tiny House.:)

Flowers of the Field

My birthday was a delight. Phone calls complete with varied renditions of the Happy Birthday song either sung or played plus cards and FB good wishes and even some visits by friends. The crowning experience was a picnic with my two sons at the Lamoille Park followed by a trip to Lamoille Canyon.  

When we arrived at the Trail Head we immediately headed for Lamoille Creek  The wildflowers were blooming profusely and of course the sound of rushing water had a soothing melody all its own. 

I wanted to take the trail toward Dollar Lakes because within the first mile, I could remember seeing a huge boulder with a streak of quartz running through it. I didn’t expect the bonus of a beautiful display of wildflowers along the path. In spite overcast skies and rumbles of thunder in the distance, we pressed on and the variety of flowers was truly amazing. At one point, I stopped and said, “I can imagine the Lord saying, ‘Let there be flowers' and He flings out His hand and from His fingertips stream these magnificent colors . 

I have never been in the Canyon at the right time (before this year) to witness such bright, vibrant colors. My vision is not that great so for me to be able to experience such color depth was an amazing gift and such colors had to be even brighter to someone with 20/20 vision.  

A portion of the 12^th chapter of Luke was one of the readings suggested for preparation of our Alaskan Mission trip. Verses 22-34 deal with Jesus telling His disciples (and us) not to worry, but verse 27 is so appropriate for the natural beauty we enjoyed earlier this week. Jesus says, “Look at these flowers. They did nothing to become so beautifully colored/clothed and yet Solomon, the richest king in the world, was never dressed this richly.” Then He goes on to remind us that we are more important in God’s eyes than flowers yet He bestowed that beauty on them, so why should we be worrying about our wearing apparel (or anything else).


The last bit about no need for worry is thrown in for good measure. This post is actually just meant to say, “Thank You, Lord!”

Happy Fathers Day—Late

The previous week I was not struck by any particular topic to muse on and Fathers Day just sort of “happened” line any other day. I will admit to having a Pity Patty Party at intervals throughout the weekend as my sons no longer have a father (nor I a husband) and my father died in 1999. But many of my friends are in the same situation as my sons and I are, so I am celebrating the great fathers we had—despite the fact that I missed the correct day.  

 Three fathers in one picture (October 1982)—L to R my brother and his family, my dad and mom at their 40^th anniversary celebration and my family—Dean and the boys

I watched a documentary on Haper Lee recently. In To Kill a Mockingbird, she painted a picture of a great father, a man of integrity and kindness. This character was actually based on her father—what a great tribute, because her book, and the movie by the same name, are classics which will probably endure for many more years in the future.

Seems like the phrase, father knows best, needs to be put in here somewhere. The TV show, Father Knows Best, is another classic and aired from 1954-1963 Unfortunately, our culture has evolved through a time of picturing that father doesn’t know best. And sometimes there is no father figure in a home to know, or not know, best. But when father is accorded the respect that God gave him as head of the home, the phrase rings true because he is depending on the Father Who always knows best.

So that brings us to the One Who began it all—our heavenly Father. In at least one place in the Gospels, when Jesus is praying, He speaks to God as Abba Father. In our vernacular He was calling out to Daddy. Now that is not so surprising to think of Jesus talking with His Father in that fashion. But in Paul’s letter to the Romans in chapter 8 he explains that we who are believers in Christ have been adopted into God’s family and now we, also, have the right and privilege to call on Him as Abba Father--Daddy.   I guess that should make every day a Happy Children’s DayJ

All Creatures Great and Small

...the Lord God made them all. And when He made our little dog, Linus, He did very well. You can see by this first picture how Linus got his name. 

He didn’t exactly drag a blanket around but he did love to drag around the towel I brought him home in. So thanks to the Charley Brown comic strip we found the perfect name for our newest family member.

Once Linus learned how to traverse the steps at our house, he was able to use the doggie door in the basement. His legs were so short Dean had to build a step up and a ramp down but he soon became a pro at exiting into the back yard. In fact, I think he probably visualized it as part of the house, but definitely part of his personal space. Once the dog door was in use, we began missing items around the house ranging from a house slipper and gloves to my reading glasses. He had a favorite area just off the back pouch where he liked to park his “treasures.”

Linus was not averse to running away in order to check out the neighborhood. One day this penchant backfired because he “lost” his neighborhood! After 2-3 hours of searching, a friendly UPS truck driver we had alerted earlier, stopped by and said he had seen a little white dog around the Monte Carlo Apartments (five blocks away  and another totally separate neighborhood). The lost was found—not sure who was more relieved--Linus or Dean and me.

As he got older, the adventuring decreased and Linus was more willing to stay close by “his people” although he loved to “go.” As soon as his crate came out in preparation for a trip, he was in it like a flash—he wasn’t going to be left behind!   

 The high point of any day would be for him to go with Dean to any place having a drive-up window so he could sit up and beg for a treat—many thanks, especially to the folks at Sierra JavaJ We never did time him but Linus had incredible balance on his hind legs. Maybe his tail helped      

 Spreaking of his tail—it was a definite barometer to the way he was feeling at any particular moment. Up and wagging meant “I’m happy” or “Come get my squeaker.” Tail dragging the ground meant "I’m tired or sick or scared" (he hated thunder and fire crackers).    

A week ago our sweet Linus breathed his last—just laid down on the rug after Brian brought him in from his morning potty time. Despite a visit to the vet the week before, he slowly stopped eating and Friday morning his brave little heart just stopped beating.

We were blessed for almost 13 years with a sweet little dog who loved us unconditionally. Most likely there will always be a Linus-sized hole in our hearts but the memories of having played and snuggled with him during those year are worth the pain of his absence.

More favorite pictures of "Mister Boy":

Family Ties

It’s been two weeks since I returned from a visit to the Midwest after having been away from there for nearly three years. Other than some travel adventures on the way, we had a good trip to Kansas City and while Brian journeyed on to Indy, I stayed the week with my brother and sister-in-law and was able to visit with nieces and nephews (the little ones having grown inches, literally).

My brother took me to visit a first cousin we had not seen for several years and it was great to re-connect with her. She is the only one in our father’s family who has had the interest, time and intelligence to research the genealogical roots of that side of our family and that fact, in itself, gave us a great deal to talk about.

Musing on family ties, particularly around Memorial Day weekend, brings bittersweet memories of dearly beloved family members who have passed from this existence to a new and better one. The bitter part of bitter-sweet is selfish on my part as those loved ones have left a hole in my heart and life. But the sweet part of bitter-sweet is knowing that each one of these much loved family members are no longer suffering any physical pain or mental heartaches now. And as the greatest bonus, they are all in the presence of Jesus, a wondrous joy that we, who are still living in our “earth-suits” can only catch a glimpse, occasionally.

Family ties get even better if you happen to be a follower of Christ. The family circle is increased exponentially when you make the decision to put Christ in the center of your life. Not only do you immediately have a Savior, a Lover of your soul and a sin-load Bearer, but you have brothers and sisters who have made that same decision. Brothers and sisters you can reach out and touch literally as well as brothers and sisters all over planet Earth.

Discounting familial apron strings—family connections can be awesome. I know not everyone has been as blessed as I have been with “blood-kin” but the family of God just can’t be beat—and all a person needs to do is ask for that gift. Thank You, Lord!

What Is Your Brand?

This question seems particularly appropriate to those of us living in the Western states, but I’m not referring to the brand a rancher uses to identify his cattle. This past weekend I was able to attend a webinar in Boise sponsored by the Idahope Writers group with author, James Rubert as presenter. What he had to say was, of course, targeted toward Christian writers, but would be useful in the life of anyone listening to him.

In essence, your brand is your passion. What are you about? What makes you tick? What is your motivation in life? Your brand is YOU. What do you see when you look at or think of yourself? Or have you ever taken time to do that?

The idea of “brand” transitioned smoothly into Rubert’s next major section on Identity. Using the example of a person sitting inside a Dasani bottle of water, that person would have difficulty reading all the information on the label (or course, I would have trouble reading the small print if I was reading the label from the outsideJ 

Unfortunately, we have picked up all sorts of “labels” during our lifetime, some of them negative and untrue. Satan, the originator of lies ,and of course fear, is tied closely to untruths about who we really are. We were referred to a great spiritual/mental health verse in 2 Timothy 1:7, “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, of love, and of a sound mind.”

I have a personal favor to ask anyone who reads this and has the time to reply. Would you describe in one word or a short phrase what comes to mind when you think of me? This does not have to be “spiritual” and hopefully, it will be positive, but if not, lay it out thereJ (This was a challenge we were given and instead of e-mailing several people, I’ll be brave or foolhardy and just ask right here.)

Moving on with “identity”—believers must remember our validation comes ultimately from Christ. If we try to be validated in other ways, i.e., career, financial security, toys we can buy, beauty, etc., that validation will fail to be fulfilling.

The final take-away for this post is to BE who you were meant to be. BE who God created you to be. Then the integrity of your brand will always stand firm because your foundation cannot be swayed.

Historical Potpourri

I’m in history mode this week. I kept the March 22^nd issue of our local paper because the Rewrite column contained several interesting items. The first which grabbed my attention dealt with the weather

One hundred twenty-five years ago the stage coach driver between Elko and Tuscarora changed seven times from wagon to sleigh to stage. It’s unclear whether that progression occurred twice more or if the wagon-sleigh-stage counted as one change (which sounds very work-intensive and should have taken about three days for the journey). Whatever that entailed, it had to be back-breaking work and cold to boot.

During that same week in 1890 a couple of fellows went by horseback to Moline Canyon (not familiar with that name) and during their three hour trip counted 96 horses dead. That coincides with the sheep rancher I wrote about several weeks ago who lost several thousand head of sheep during a snowstorm—also during the winter of 1890. It was not a friendly time for man and even less so for beasts.

A rancher from Deeth told the reporter his hay corrals were totally depleted whereas in years past he would still have 500-700 tons of hay remaining at this time of year. Sounds like a lot of hay to START the winter, much less end the season. At any rate, he was accustomed to having hay left at the end of winter, but the winter of 1890 didn’t happen that way.

Moving on to the week of March 22, 1915 it appears that the winter was less difficult as thousands of ducks were reported to be nesting in the slough and creeks near Hylton. This news item came by way of the proprietor of the Hylton Hotel. Apparently Hylton was a settlement in Ruby Valley. If any blog readers are familiar with the location of this settlement, it would be fascinating to hear about it.

That same week 100 years ago, the Starr Valley girls beat the girls from Metropolis at basketball. I’m guessing the game was at Starr Valley although the news item doesn’t say so. However, there was a dance after the game so at least it made it worthwhile for which ever team had to make the trip.  (I have seen remnants of the Metropolis school in years past but had no idea there was a high school in Starr Valley.)

Interestingly enough, there were at least two dairies in the Elko area 100 years ago. One bought out the other, increasing the total milk cows to sixty, all of which would be located at the Russell Ranch.. The seller, a Mr. Charles Keass intended to homestead on Meadow Creek. For some reason it seems strange to think of milk cows rather than beef cows in this area.

Then our history lesson moves to 75 years ago when a news item reports that the ice harvest had failed in Carlin. This caught my eye because I wrote a blog post early in the year about ice harvesting. It seems that if the area had only had 72 more hours of cold weather, they would have been able to cut a normal harvest, but the warm weather prevented adequate thickness of ice to form. Fortunately, there were 23,000 tons of ice remaining for the summer of 1940 and if the next winter's weather brought the usual cold temperatures, the Carlin company would once again be able to harvest 60,000 tons of ice.

Most likely many rural areas in the US during 1890, 1915 and 1940 experienced somewhat similar weather/activities as did Elko County. I guess those days in the past could be called “the good old days”—but not by meJ

Epiphanies

Think of epiphany as an "ah-ha moment" rather than  in a particularly religious sense. My experience was Biblically based but had nothing to do with the Church calendar. Checking my thesaurus yielded additional meanings of epiphany to include words such as: insight, realization, understanding and comprehension.

The particular epiphany that dawned on me this past week was due to something Sarah Young wrote in Jesus Calling for the meditation on April 10. She was referring to Romans 8:28 where the Apostle Paul writes about how all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose.

For some reason I always understood that verse to be referring to life’s adversities such as loss of a job, death of a beloved friend or family member, chronic illness—anything, I now realize, having to do with outside circumstances bringing pain or discomfort. The verse does of course refer to such difficulties, but thanks to Sarah’s insight, there is even more benefit from God in this wonderful promise, and here it is:  God can take my mistakes and sins and recycle them into something good by His transforming power.

It was like a light bulb went on in my brain! Even my own, very personal screw-ups can be turned into something good by my Best Friend. How awesome is that.

Would you believe there was icing on the cake that day? I have been reading through the Psalms and was ready for Psalm 126. There the psalmist is describing the ecstatic joy of Israel as they return home from exile in Babylon. He says they were laughing and singing, praising God for bringing them back to Jerusalem. I can imagine the travelers could hardly contain their joy as they caught sight of Mount Zion. They probably felt so full of joy they were almost physically bursting with it.

The psalmist finishes his poem with the beautiful words, “They who go out with tears shall reap in joy.” For me, that brings God’s promise around full circle from the Old Testament to the New to us in the 21^st century. That kind of joy is available to us as we see God work in all our distressing circumstances, whether they are of our making or not.  He loves to turn our tears into joy, those horrendous happenings into productive positive results. Only a God of miracles can achieve that! 

New Beginnings

As I stare at it, the title is somewhat redundant. But carrying the idea forward, I think of second chances, renewal, rebirth, or---resurrection.

For the believer in Christ, perhaps Resurrection Sunday could even provide more impetus for a renewed look at life than January 1, the traditional time to make New Year’s Resolutions. What better time to evaluate one’s life, particularly in a spiritual sense, than at the time we celebrate such an awesome happening. Not only did the God-Man, Jesus, die and become alive again, but He also paid humankind’s sin-debt enabling us to have eternal life with Him after our relatively brief sojourn on this planet. Therefore, it seems to be an especially relevant time for an inward look that might result in a renewal for our spiritual selves.

In connection with Resurrection Sunday, I never cease to be amazed at God’s perfect sense of timing. For as our planet Earth is ready for rebirth (or resurrection) with the plant life cycle—at least in our hemisphere—so our Savior became alive again in a totally unique fashion.    

The inserted picture of tulips from my front flower garden consists of flowers that actually bloomed at the end of March—an unheard of happening, at least during my 24 years of living in this high desert country. How much more wondrous was the resurrection of our Savior, particularly as His followers never though they’d see him again. Yet because of the Resurrection on that day, I know, without a doubt, that I will see my husband again—and my parents, and my grandparents, and his parents and some dear friends—the list could continue on.

So, I challenge any readers, including myself, in light of Resurrection Sunday, to intentionally make Monday the beginning of the rest of your life. Take time on this special Sunday to look at relationships, habits, desires, and goals as you imagine Christ in His Resurrection Glory might look at them. As His light shines on your path, follow the leading He gives your life’s journey.

What is Your Gethsamane?

I don’t pose this question to be sacriligious by any means. Christians normally think of Gethsemane as the garden where Jesus agonized and prayed over the death He would soon be facing. However, our word “gethsemane” means olive press in Aramaic, the language Jesus would have used. This equipment was extremely important to those living in Palestine during Jesus’ day because olive oil was such an important commodity for their daily life: oil for lamps, oil for cooking, oil used in lotions and preservatives. The pictures and text below explains how the process unfolds.

The gethsamane is a large stone column (or several, as illustrated in the first picture) that is lowered onto the cracked olives. The enormous weight forces the oil from the olives and it oozes from the platform holding the fruit into basins which collect the oil.

Using this term as a symbol in our lives, a gethsemane is any heavy burden we find ourselves dealing with in life. A list of gethsemanes in the 21^st century could include  job stress, career loss, disintegration of family, dealing with a dreaded disease, or grief over death of a loved one, all of which merely scratch the surface of possibilities.

Keeping this analogy in mind, think of life moving along in an untroubled fashion corresponding to the olives laid out on the “pressing pan.” Then along comes an enormous burden, much too heavy to lift or manipulate by ourselves--our gethsemane. Now comes the question regarding the result. Will luscious olive oil ooze from under this gethsemane or will the result be a sack full of pits and dried up skins?  

For a child of God, the deciding factor is allowing Jesus Christ to come alongside us as we go through the squeezing process by our personal gethsemane. In fact, He tells us in Matthew 11:29 “Come to Me, you who are burdened, and I will give you rest.” We don’t need to go through any gethsemane alone.

The end result of this painful process is an actual prize. For an oil exporter, it is the delicious oil ready for sale. For we who belong to Christ, it is the spiritual growth we gain after having traveled through the difficulty. For Jesus, it was finishing the task He came to earth to accomplish—paying the sin-debt for mankind and making salvation available to all who reach out to Him. .

In all cases, looking at it from the “it is finished” side, the gain was well worth the pain.