New Year 2011

Happy New Year!
We continued our 30 year old tradition of eating Navajo Tacos on New Year's Eve.
After participating in the Run-Walk for St. Jude's Children's Hospital, we all look forward to frying up some Indian Fry Bread and adding all the delicious toppings for a divine supper!
Wendy's family has kept this agenda every year because it never seems to get old or boring, but always fun patting out the flat breads and exclaiming with delight in the finished product!
Let us not forget the roots of this favorite holiday activity but say a prayer for those who work and serve among the Navajo people, as we once did.
Thank you,LORD, for Kathy and Greg Staley who work at Immanuel Mission in Sweetwater, Arizona. Please bless them and their efforts. Amen.

Listen for the Angels

In an Appalachian carol, "I Wonder as I Wander", the author sings of the truth that a promise of the ages comes true in unusual way...




"If Jesus had wanted for any wee thing,
a star in the sky or a bird on the wing,
or all of God's angels in heav'n for to sing,
he surely could have had it, 'cause he was the king."



To celebrate our King's birthday, Henry, Evan and I joined a large group that met in our church on Sunday night. We were divided into small groups to sing to some of the shut-in senior citizens. I wasn't sure I wanted to go this year...sometimes it's hard to get motivated. Looking back, I am so glad my husband had enough enthusiasm for the three of us since it truly was a blessing.

Our small group included little Haddon Salter, and several other adorable toddlers, several children, young families, teenagers including one who used to do solos in the Atlanta Boys Choir.
As we sang the familiar carols together for a bedridden man and tearful wife, the beauty of this special season came home to me in a powerful way. She said this was their Christmas since they wouldn't be able to attend any parties or church gatherings...she was just thankful that she was home from a month long stay in the hospital! She begged us to keep singing after we started to leave, and we were delighted to share the beautiful hymns that remind us that "this is the night of our dear Savior's birth!"

Winter Wonderland

Large,lazy snowflakes began to drift down across the church courtyard right during the 11:00 a.m. Sunday School class. They continued off and on all afternoon, sometimes so thick, it made you feel like you were in the middle of a snowball that had just been tipped over.
By the time I left to go to the 6:00 p.m. choir concert, everything was glistening in a pure white powder sugar coating. I couldn't help humming, "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!"
This brought back great memories from last Christmas when we met Kira and Peter, plus Pete's parents in adorable log cabins in Moonlight Basin in southern Montana. The whole family,including Evan and Eric, Tacy and Stephen (except for the grandbaby, Molly)went skiing at Big Sky. And I was able to visit with our dear friends, Cindy and Darius, who live in the quaint little town of Big Sky; in fact, our family...all 11 of us ended up at their house for dinner. What wonderful memories of snowy Christmas.
Family time is a precious part of celebrating Christmas.

Advent is Here

"The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light." Isaiah 9
As we light our first advent candle, we think of our many friends who have chosen denial to self in order to serve on the mission fields across the globe. I think of Greg and Kathy Staley, our friends who serve in a school at Immanuel Mission in Sweetwater, Arizona; a land of sheep, goats and sandstorms.
I remember our two years living on the Navajo Indian reservation as tough yet such a blessing. I had many moments of homesickness. We were so far away from home and the desert landscape looked so bleak. But the warmth from praying with fellow Navajo believers was a bright light to our dreary souls. And developing friendships with faithful servants enriched our lives in countless ways.
I have been relishing the book, Out of Africa..the journals of Karen Blixen.
I so identified with this quote;
"The introduction into my life of another race, essentially different from mine,...became to me a mysterious expansion of my world. My own voice and song in life there had a second set to it and grew fuller and richer in the duet."
"What can I give Him
Poor as I am
If I were a shepherd
I would bring a lamb
If I were a wise man
I would do my part
Oh what can I give Him?
Give Him my heart."

A Season of Thankfulness

How thankful our hearts are to celebrate every November not only Thanksgiving but our wedding anniversary as well. We look forward to gathering with Henry's family at Camp Maranook in Alabama. Together we worship the LORD, mourn the losses and celebrate the new additions every year to the growing number of grandchildren that grace the holiday festivities. And of course enjoy delicious food together.
Our anniversary tends to get lost in the Christmas flurry, so to beat the rush
Henry and I chose to celebrate early. We had a lovely dinner at St. John's restaurant and then attended a performance of Ahmahl and the Night Visitors at the Tivoli Theater. It was an opera about a young crippled boy who welcomes the three wise men into his home and then joins them on their journey to meet the Christ Child. It had a ballet troupe of villagers dancing in the middle of the play. It represented the joy found in celebrating a special occasion together.

Two Cruises on the Golden Gopher

Our dear friend, Joanie loved to say FABULOUS!!!






And that was the best way to describe this past weekend down at our river cottage, Kalmia. The air was cool and crisp, the autumn leaves resplendent in reds, yellows and bright oranges. They were shimmering in the light breeze against a brilliant blue sky.

Watching the boat traffic was so much fun, we saw jet skis, speed boats and pontoon boats full of families out enjoying the God's amazing handiwork! The Blue Moon tour came by with the loud speaker blaring and a paddle wheel showboat from Cincinnati chugged up stream lending to the carnival flavor of the setting.

On Saturday we loaded our Border Collie, Celeste and very large chocolate lab, Samson into the GG (Golden Gopher), our maroon and gold boat that reminds me of my alma mater, the University of Minnesota. There were no ooo's and ahhh's from our loyal companions, but lots of sniffing the wind. We were shocked to be buzzed by a small,private seaplane equipped with floats that was admiring the river canyon adorned in color.

On Sunday we celebrated Reformation Sunday in our morning worship service. A highlight every fall is singing loudly A MIGHTY FORTRESS IS OUR GOD by Martin Luther. What a blessing to know we have a strong shelter to run to in the storms of life.
You will not have to worry about sudden disasters,such as come to the wicked like a storm. The LORD will keep you safe." Prov.3:25-26

On Sunday, our dear friends and neighbors, the Jacobs joined us for lunch and another
boat ride. Another blessing we are thankful for is a long time friendship and beauty to be shared in a magnificent setting plus some ooo's and ahh's! It was a magnificent and FABULOUS weekend!

An Auspicious Occasion, the 2nd Freedom Ride

On October 16, 2010 the Memorial for the Unborn hosted the second Freedom Ride. It was an exciting event that was conceived by Priests for LIfe and Dr. Martin Luther King's niece, Alveda King. It draws attention to the fact that the fetus deserves to be recognized as a human being with rights, not property to be disposed of as an unwanted blob of tissue.
The first Freedom Ride was in Birmingham. This one started in Knoxville where the attendees protested outside the Planned Parenthood Clinic, then boarded the bus and loaded in many additional cars to travel to Chattanooga to the Memorial for the Unborn. This is the site of a former abortion clinic that was shut down when the Christians bought it. These visitors were from many different parts of the country and were thrilled to be in the city of hope, standing at The Wall of Names. It is a marble wall that holds thousands of name plaques of babies that died through abortion. It gives hope to others to recognize their babies after admitting they regret their abortions. The Wall stands in the shadow of a wooden cross to represent the freedom from guilt and peace that comes from trusting in Jesus.
Dr. Alveda King regrets her two abortions and led everyone in singing and worshipping together. Then many tiny lives were remembered by the new names were placed on The Wall, it was an awesome afternoon.