SPRINGING FORWARD, LOOKING BACK~1967

I graduated high school 51 years ago. It was 1967.

  I was almost eighteen as the journey known as senior year was over. 
 It's incredible to think about how different life is now than it was then.
High school was such a turning point in life.  It's especially interesting to see how much has happened since then and how I matured over those 51 years.

As time passed, as those years distanced, it was clear to see how immature those years were, however, I did not just leave something behind when I graduated, I took something with me. 

I gained much advice from teachers and those things not taught in textbooks was learned through life's little events.
There are really no aspects of that season of life I truly miss other than the beauty of Oregon and life closer to nature.

  I was very awkward at relationships and was too busy not creating waves for my host family who had graciously opened up their home to me in Springfield Oregon.
Springfield High was one of the first high schools in Springfield.

  A notable alumni, Kenneth Elton Kesey,  an American novelist, essayist, and counter cultural figure of the 60s authored the book "One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest" which I thought was very interesting.  No, I think it is interesting that he was an alumni, not the book which I have never read as the reviews cautions one big Parental Advisory with many references to unsavory topics of which I wish to guard my mind.
Another notable alumni is Eric Millegan, an actor on Bones.  He is known for his role as Dr. Zack Addy.  I will admit here that I do enjoy watching Bones.
The high school years were followed by a year at Lane Community in Eugene.  That year prepared me with the prerequisite foundations of my continuing education at MU in Portland.  My father was very wise in advising me on taking them. 
We all go through stages of life that mold our futures.
So in asking myself to "Describe something or an event that has made me who I am today." 

Friends who became family since 1975

My mind scrambles through a bunch of events that have happened in my life, realizing that there really were many things that changed me, even the littlest things that I may have not thought of.

Friends since 1974, Mrs. Stewart

  So in answering my own question there is no ONE chapter in my life to describe that something that has shaped my life.

Friends since our kids were in elementary school

Does it matter? Will it matter?
 Stuff does not make you happy.  Stuff may give pleasure, but pleasure fades.
What are the best and the most important things in life?

Friends since 1983

Reflecting on the past is good for learning but best if left behind.
It takes time to get wisdom.  A big lesson learned being that life is too short to be exchanged by triviality.
I’ve been blessed to have great mentors, teachers, family, friends, that taught me about life.

Some newer friends

Life is better now from a spiritual perspective.  Life is better now from the friendships I've formed. 
We've all heard the line, "Friends come and go."  There is nothing like high school that highlights that line after graduation and sad to say, the friendships I had forged at that time have long been gone.
But that has been okay because every person that has walked into my life has contributed to teaching me about life.
Then there is the joy of meeting someone wonderful and you wonder where they have been all your life.

  Well that's just the wonderful thing about friendships, there are many, they are excited about spiritual things, and spontaneous. 
I now find that I tend to prioritize the

Wisdom Friends

people in my life who I value the most.
I have been spending every Friday with my toddler grandson.

  What I learn from him is how he appears to enjoy life more intensely than most adults do. 
My three-year-old grand daughter often gets lost in some creative project, drawing, coloring.  She is an avid puzzle and sticker fan.

  As life's puzzle pieces fall into place I gain a wider perspective as to what God is trying to do in my life.

I bet it never crossed your mind to think a short 5'3" girl like me could hurdle and I was a pretty fast runner.  Life is still full of hurdles and sprints waiting to shape the rest of my life.
I have found that the most profound impact on my life has been a teachable spirit.

SPLURGE OR SAVE? My Frugal Wedding

I just cannot imagine spending what would be a good down payment for a house for the trappings of a lavish formal wedding.

  The Knot's wedding survey gives some astounding facts.
Total 1975 cost: $2,095
What it should cost in 2017 dollars: $10,068
What it actually costs in 2017: $47,286
Increase: 370%

"According to the survey, 28 percent of couples are budgeting between $10,000 and $20,000 for their big day—making that budgetary range the most common for a wedding in 2022. 

There’s a saying – “The bigger the diamond, the shorter the marriage.” I would even go so far as to say – “The more expensive the wedding, the shorter the marriage.” But hoping for the best. 
Weddings are a big business today while back in 1975 family and friends provided for all the trappings as a sideline or a hobby.  You see, I don't think we spent over $1000.

We were fortunate to have many of our family and friends with musical talent, so they were able to provide musical accompaniment for our ceremony.

As staff members of a recording company, we had that service provided too.
Family and friends offered their help and services that aligned with  our frugal budget and our lean savings.

  We went minimal with the flowers.  Instead of spending lots of money on flowers that would die shortly, we kept it simple but elegant.
 Each bridesmaid cradled a long stemmed, yellow rose bud with baby's breath. 
 They say if you see a white colored daisy, it means that you are going to be blessed with peace in life. The daisy’s message is, ultimately, one of hope and renewal and Baby's Breath is the symbol of everlasting love, pureness, and innocence. 

A family friend provided the cake with daisies. 
Someone else brought those crazy, weird, pastel colored, green, white, and pink mints and nuts served from silver serving dishes with little spoons.
Our church at that time provided the venue, the reception hall, and the beverages.

 A small guest list cuts down on expenses. Food and drink costs so we opted for cake  and beverage only.
  We fell in love with the gorgeous stained glassed windows.
 The “church ladies” were a great help with church decoration and other helpful things on the day of the ceremony.
  December 31, 1975 was the eve of the Bicentennial Year,

I chose bicentennial attire for my bridesmaids blending the red checkered with a little bit of Christmas poinsettias (December birth flower, symbolize good cheer and success and are said to bring wishes of mirth and celebration.) that the flower girl carried in her basket as our wedding was December 13, 1975 but plans for the bicentennial were in full swing as well as plans for our wedding.

  The dresses and the shirts were all made by various talented family members who purchased their own fabric.  It was awesome how it all came together.

I wore a borrowed wedding dress and veil.  I could not conceive of the idea of having to pay so much for, store or move around a dress, I would never wear again.
One thing we did not skimp on was the photography.  We hired a professional for a pretty penny and I would not have had it any other way.  We got some awesome photos of the memories.
We did not plan an ostentatious honeymoon, although an over the top one might have been fun, we chose to stay closer to home.

Instead of planning a big expensive trip we focused on unwinding and savoring the moment.  We just wanted to enjoy each other instead of  an 18 hour flight across the world to where ever with maybe many multiple connections.
No, our thought on this was that if it was close enough, it would be more manageable to revisit in the future.
 ...and a year later, we pooled our savings and bought our little bungalow in North Hollywood.


 

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FIRST SUNDAY OF THE MONTH

Hi,  Welcome back to my blog.
So, how do you do Sundays?

8:30 o'clockers must be a devoted group as they arrive at 7:30.  That time of day on Sunday mornings seems to be the most important morning of the week.  Those of us who are a community of serious early-risers get to observe many things.

  Seriously, I don't know how we all seem to arrive at the magical hour of the service schedule at 8:30 and the golden hours of the second service.
Here’s where things get interesting. After considering the length of average drives, giving folks a running start, I am blessed by a 5 minute drive.

  The fast and furious movement of the morning can be an arduous task.  It is a wonder to even arrive at all,  not counting the time between arising and the ride to worship.
Hustling around to get out of the house and get to church on time is a monumental effort at times.

In which direction are you headed?

   Kiddos are tired and cranky. Sleepless nights add to the foray, not only for seniors but young mothers with newborns.
As many years as I have been attending church services, I still have not figured out a perfect Sunday morning but the one thing I have learned is, to make a Sunday more joyful, it needs to start the night before. 

Attending Sunday worship meetings will make Monday suck less.

 ^"Better is one day in your courts
    than a thousand elsewhere;
I would rather be a door keeper in the house of my God   than dwell in the tents of the wicked."  ~Psalm 84:10

ONE FAB DAY YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT

We've come a long way in our life's journey since that December day in 1975.

For Jehovah is our refuge!  We choose the God above all gods to shelter us.

This we declare, that he alone is our refuge, our place of safety;  he is our God, and we are trusting him.

Who knew those selections from the Psalms printed on our program years ago would carry us through these past 40 plus years.

For the Lord says, "Because they love me, I will rescue them; I will make them great because they trust in my name."
The godly shall flourish like palm trees, and grow tall as the cedars of Lebanon.  For they are transplanted into the Lord's own garden, and are under his personal care.  Even in old age they will still produce fruit and be vital and green.  This honors the Lord, and exhibits his faithful care...
Jehovah is KING!  He is robed in majesty and strength.  The world is his throne.  O, Lord, you have reigned from prehistoric times, from the everlasting past.  Your royal decrees cannot be changed.  Holiness is forever the keynote of your reign. ~~~~Selections from the Psalms

We chose,

Johann Sebastian Bach: Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring, as the wedding processional music:

Thou whose love shines down like a guiding light
Drawn to Thee with souls aspiring
Through our Father we reach a celestial height

Son of God we pray we may reach Thee
May we live in peace we beseech Thee

Open doors of truth unknown
As Thy love comes down from the heavenly throne
Teach us from Thy heavenly throne

Open doors of truth unknown
As Thy love comes down from the heavenly throne

As the processional music died down strands of "The New Twenty-Third Psalm" by Ralph Carmichael  echoed through out the sanctuary.  The lyrics still resounding in the depths of my soul. Because the Lord is my Shepherd

Because the Lord is my shepherd,
 I have everything that I need.
 He lets me rest in meadows green and leads me beside the quiet stream;
 He keeps on giving life to me
 and helps me to do what honors him the most.
 Even when walking thru the dark valley of death, valley of death,
 I will never be afraid,
 for He is close to beside me,
 guarding, guiding all the way,
 He spreads a feast before me in the presence of my enemies He welcomes me as his special guest
 with blessings overflowing,
 his goodness and unfailing kindness
 shall be with me all of my life,
 and afterwards I will live with him,
 for my life, I will live with Him, forever in his home, forever in his home.

Ad just ments A head

My sister-in-law sang, "Charity", a song popular in the 1970's with words from the love chapter in
 I Corinthians 13. Charity~click here 

 
Words and music by Ken Gulliksen

 Although I speak with tongues Of men and of angels
And though I prophesy And understand all
Although I have all faith So mountains may be removed
And though I feed the poor
 And give up my life
[Chorus] If I have not Charity
 If Love does not flow from me
 I am nothing Jesus reduce me to Love
 Jesus reduce me to Love
 Love is patient and kind
 Love is not envious Not proud,
 but gentle and meek
 Seeks not it's own way
 Love sings when Jesus prevails
 Believes and endures all things
 Love hopes and bears every wrong
 And Love never fails
 One season I was a child
 I spoke and I thought as a child
 But when I turned into a man
 Such ways put aside
 Though now we see through a glass
 But then we shall see face to face
 Though now abide faith and hope The greatest is Love
~~  ~ Maranatha! Music 1972

Following the ceremony and before the dedicatory prayer, kneeling at the altar, so beautifully sung, we heard "To Be What You Want Me To Be" music lyrics by Don Wyrtzen :

To be what You want me to be
Dear Lord I'll live for eternity
To be more like Your Son
Dear Lord I've only just begun
To be what You want me to be
Dear Lord I'll live for eternity
To be more like Your Son
Dear Lord until the race is won

We left the sanctuary as a married couple to the tune of "God Of Our Father's" ringing in our ears.God Of Our Fathers like it sounded in 1975 Click here

God of Our Fathers

By: Daniel C. Roberts

Still Hitched

God of our fathers, whose almighty hand
Leads forth in beauty all the starry band
Of shining worlds in splendor through the skies:
Our grateful songs before your throne arise.
Your love divine has led us in the past;
In this free land by you our lot is cast;
Oh, be our ruler, guardian, guide, and stay;
Your Word our law, your paths our chosen way.
From war’s alarms, from deadly pestilence
Make your strong arm our ever sure defense.
Your true religion in our hearts increase;
Your bounteous goodness nourish us in peace.
Refresh your people on their toilsome way;
Lead us from night to never ending day;
Fill all our lives with heaven born love and grace
Until at last we meet before your face.


 "Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."
~Philippians 1:6 
HONEYMOON CAPERS click here 

SERENDIPIDOUS MOMENTS

Time has a way of grabbing you. Some of the best effects in my life have been the result of serendipity.
Through the years, I have learned of the sufficiency of Christ and the cross.
Knowing the God of ALL ages has made every moment a serendipidous wonder, yes a wonder to what else life holds for me next and a wonder that he even cares for me.
I am not 50 anymore, or 60, but rapidly approaching 70, but God does not go by age.  The reality is, I've had more miles behind me than ahead of me on this earth, however, it turns out that my years are based on God's purpose in those years--and my willingness to walk those miles for his purpose.  I used to think of "the best years" more or less existed either in the past or some in unattainable future dreams and life yet to come.

Hunter S. Thompson said it better than I ever could: “Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming “Wow! What a Ride!”  To God be the glory.
I am finding that life is still bombarding me with lessons.  You never know when family and friends you thought would be there forever will be or are gone.  You always believe that your children will out live you.

"Time is my most valuable asset. I only get so much, and that is it. I can’t horde it. I can’t get it back. I can’t turn back the clock. The best I can do is to start investing my time wisely."  ~Anon quote but slightly edited by me.
Comfort is overrated. Most of my life's growth points have taken place at the edges of comfort zones, those times when my security and comfort have been challenged.
The cool thing about life's serendipitous moments is that they come through other people.
Just the other day one of those moments was cause for temporary wonder and amusement.
Instead of walking up the stairs to the next floor, I chose to use the elevator.  The elevator was taking longer than its usual time as I waited impatiently.  I had taken a brief break from the meeting I was attending and did not want to miss more than I had to.
  Once the elevator arrived, its jam-packed passengers began to disembark. I backed away to give them room not expecting it to be filled on a Saturday but everyone was dressed like Sunday.  They were all ladies headed for a luncheon or tea.  One lady greeted me by name, leaving me to wonder if I knew her or she me and where would I have met her as I had no clue who she was and how she knew my name.  I pondered on that fact all the way to the next floor, headed back to the meeting and then it dawned on me that I had my name tag on.
If you have experienced serendipitous moments in life events, you know how powerful such an experience can have.
If you have a grand toddler, then you may have experienced many such micro events.  When a grand calls airplanes, hairplanes and volcanoes, canos, and your other grand adds Whoa to his repertoire and don't see a horse, then serendipity occurs.
 So many times we go on with our days experiencing these moments but hardly take the time to later reflect on the feeling these moments gave.
Every time I meet someone and then later that someone has become an important someone in my life, I think on first serendipitous moments of that friendship.
The point of noticing, tracking and posting those stumbled upon moments as I found myself doing last Saturday turned an ordinary part of my day into that serendipity moment instead of just letting them pass by. 
 SERENDIPITY, what a wonderful word!
 "It’s the unanticipated discovery of something very pleasant, the happy accident, the valuable thing that you stumble upon when you’re looking for something completely different."

I love that word, those moments for its surprise, the discovery while doing something totally unrelated.  You can't plan it.  It sneaks up on you when you're not looking for it.  Those moments do not just come by chance.  The exciting part is that these moments of serendipity will continue to pop up in daily life.  They are all orchestrated by God.

THE COST OF JOURNEYING

 “One does not surrender a life in an instant. That which is lifelong can only be surrendered in a lifetime.”   E.E.

June 2,1962, Zempoala River, Pue.

When my life is over, and my specific assignments are completed, my hope is that I have left evidence of a legacy left behind to the next generation for God's glory.
In 1956, there was wide press coverage of Jim Elliot's death, one of four other missionaries, tragically killed at the hands of the Auca Indians in Ecuador.  I was 7rs. old at the time and recall the somber climate of the missionary adults around me.
Having just experienced a few years earlier, Dad's traveling companion's martyrdom, was still on their minds.
Whether these incidents impacted my life to follow Jesus is left to conjecture but what really catapulted my journey was the death of one of my classmates that same year and later a childhood friend killed in a car accident shy of high school graduation guided my future choices.

Remember those photo booths?,age 7

The cost of journeying through life is great at times and through this I have gleaned amazing nuggets from my experiences.
 Elisabeth Elliot, a woman of great influence in my life through her lectures and writings has used her life walk through to further my growth.  Her nuggets of truth have impacted me in ways I could not possibly imagine.  Those timeless nuggets still tug at my soul.
What endeared me to her was her "blunt — not ungracious, not impetuous, not snappy or gruff.  But direct, unsentimental, no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is, no whining allowed."

I admired the vintage in her.  She believed in asking of herself, "Is this God's will for me, right now, in this place?"
Even toward the end of her life, she handled ten years of dementia just as she had with other potential disasters.
  “She accepted those things, [knowing] they were no surprise to God,” her husband, Gren said. “It was something she would rather not have experienced, but she received it.”
A powerful continuous message to me, to accept what is now my season of life.  I find myself rediscovering her nuggets of wisdom in an attempt to gain insight to my steps of surrender on my continuing journey in life.
 
"Many, O Lord my God,
are the wonders you have done.
The things you planned for us
no one can recount to you;  were
I to speak and tell of them, they 
would be too many to declare." Ps.40:5

AVOID POISON ENVY

I don’t really want to write about what is really bothering me, because then, I would be held accountable.

FOCUSING

BUT...this is what is on my mind today.
 This Wednesday, I am focusing on an aspect of my life that I am not proud of.
 I  often feel disappointed over the path I sometimes find myself walking.  It’s not a simple journey.
No one has ever asked me if I’m jealous.  I am jealous of "normal" people.  I seriously wonder what normal is because normal isn't my today.
Very seldom do my plans go like I would want them to go, my WAY.
Sanctified living is not the presence of "normal". 
I'm finding it's the ability and strength in the absence of "normal" to lean desperately on Jesus.

There are corners in life that make me envious.  I struggle at times with covetousness.  I look at someone else's life, assume they have something better , assume it would be good for me, assume it would deliver different results for me.  However, my assumptions are later laid aside as I realize that God has my "normal" all planned out totally different from someone else's "normal".
  I occasionally feel pangs of jealousy toward healthy people.  Gone are the days when my thoughts were not consumed with anguished thoughts of health and the physical mental and discomfort they bring.
On other occasions, the whispers of my heart carry envy toward those who appear more spiritual.

NORMAL?

To my shame, I don't like to admit it, but sometimes when someone else gets something that I have wanted, as much as I feel genuinely happy for a friend, that finger of jealousy pokes into my being, disturbing my contentment and joy.  Those seasons of blessings for friends sometimes don't look like blessings for me.

Don't keep your JOY out of reach.

Scriptures speak much about these issues
 Proverbs 14:30 “A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.”

Job 5:2 “Surely resentment destroys the fool, and jealousy kills the simple.”

Mark 7:21-22 “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness.”
 
 Tim Challies accurately describes envy:

"Who is Envy?
 What does Envy do?
 How do we define Envy?
 Something like this: Envy makes you feel resentment or anger or sadness because another person has something or another person is something that you want for yourself.
 Envy makes you aware that another person has some advantage, some good thing, that you want for yourself and, while he’s at it, he makes you want that other person not to have it.

"ENVY ROTS THE BONES"

This means that there are at least three evil components to Envy: the deep discontent that comes when you see that another person has what you want; the desire to have it for yourself; and the desire for it to be taken from him.
It’s crucial to understand that Envy flows out of Pride."

 C.S. Lewis says, “Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next man. We say people are proud of being rich, or clever, or good-looking, but they are not. They are proud of being richer, or cleverer, or better-looking than others.”

BUSTED!

  Jealousy and envy have exposed my heart loyalties, acting against God by resenting him because I have determined in my mind that I deserve better.  Oh, God forgive me!
 

SUNDAY'S STROLLER WARS

Grace & Peace

Sunday morning,  Sunday mornings are important to us. Today's clouds  shroud unforgettable Sunday moments.

 Sunday mornings are important because my, mind and soul need time to refresh, to let go, to enjoy friendships, to be refreshed by God's Word.  To me, Sunday mornings are sort of like a party, an adventure.
It's not to difficult to walk through a Sunday morning without noticing anything, to think and to ponder, anything short of amazing.

The "J" tree

  Sundays create opportunity, setting the stage for a new week.
Sunday speaks volumes, enjoying pleasures of reconnecting with friends not seen in the last week.
It's always comforting to know that God's Word will be taught.

It is an effort to get ready to go to church on Sunday mornings.  I fight thoughts to snuggle deeper under the covers but know if I do it will be that much harder to rise.  I rejoice in that I did get up and got going.
We tend to be creatures of habit and join our parking mates.  My thoughts drift off to the blessings of greeting one in a car near by.  We have known each other for years.  We briefly chat about health, family, and grandchildren, then part ways.

STROLLER PARKING

 Every stroller has a story to tell and it is awesome to see so many young families attending, all eager to learn from God's Word.
I love my church.

“For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere..."
  Psalm 84:8