Paul was content with his job. The boys were in Jr. Hi/Sr. Hi doing well. I was in my final year at seminary. We were pleased with where we lived, our church, our friends. We were not seeking to move, nor to leave the company Paul was with. However, a head hunter would not leave him alone, so he finally agreed to go check out an engineering position for a company in St. Louis, with the following stipulation: he wanted to take the whole family with him on the interview trip (an unusual request).
While he was at the company interviewing, I took the boys out driving. We ended up down in the Fenton area, just outside the I-270 loop, southwest of the city. We found the high school in that area, and stopped in to see what we could find out about the school. It was brand new, and the first graduating class would be in three years, the same year our oldest son would graduate. The three of us were impressed with the school and the location.
We were being "wined and dined" by the interviewing company. They put us up in a luxurious downtown hotel in a suite, more like an apartment. There was a revolving restaurant at the top of the tall hotel, located right next to the Arch. We ate fancy that night. We talked about our day, and it seemed everything about the day, for all of us, was positive. This looked serious, the fact that we might be making a major change in our lives. So I took it before the Lord in prayer. My first request was that all four of us would agree to the move. With the sons doing well in school and enjoying their friends, we didn't want to disrupt their lives unless they were willing to make the move. Secondly, I wanted to know for sure this was God's will for us...that He was opening the door. He led me to the scripture in Revelations 3:8:
I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut.
He answered my very prayer, very clearly.
We went back to Tennessee to make our plans to move. We moved Paul into an apartment during Christmas break, and the boys and I went back to finish our schooling during the spring semester. As mentioned in my last blog, as soon as school was out and I graduated from seminary, we made our move to the big metropolis of St. Louis, Missouri. We found a rental house in the Fenton area where we would live until our house in TN sold. By October the house had sold, and we bought a home that fit our family well...not too far from the school. We visited three Nazarene churches in the area and ended up settling down at Webster Groves Church of the Nazarene, about eight miles from where we lived. We all quickly became involved in the church, making friends, and finding areas of service. During our years there, Paul was the minister of music, I taught various classes, and our sons were active in the youth group.
Four years went by quickly and the boys were both graduated from high school and in the college of their choice. To help fill the empty nest, we got a little Pekingese puppy...the runt of the litter. He was totally black except for white paws, a white tip on his tail, and a white throat. Paul appropriately named him Tuxedo. What a delight he was to us!! We had moved from outside the loop into the Sunset Hills area of St. Louis, closer to church, after our second son graduated. We had a large fenced in backyard, and Tuxedo loved to chase the squirrels...but never wanted to catch one. It was funny to watch him. One time he and a squirrel got entangled and rolled over...I'm not sure who was the most scared. Both ran their separate ways!!
Out of all the houses we have lived in, that home in Sunset Hills was our most unique place. It was an older ranch with a full finished walk-out basement. We did a lot of work in the yard to clean it up and make it a more picturesque setting. We also did some renovations to the kitchen and one bathroom. We made the house our own, and enjoyed our time living there.
We were in that house when our second son married, and our first granddaughter was born. She got to make several trips to visit and/or stay with Grandpa and Grandma. Those were precious times in which Tuxedo also became her wagon riding buddy. If I could turn back the clock of time, I would go back to that house and choose to stay there. However, I was always restless for the next change. Our second son and his wife and baby decided to move to southwest Missouri to be near her parents, and we ended up moving again...this time across the river to Highland, Illinois.
But I have skipped over the St. Louis years too quickly. Let me go back and share some of the things that happened in my life during that time. I mentioned that I taught classes at church. I taught a couple of adult Sunday School classes. I also taught a women's Bible study, and started a Greek class...but that didn't really make a go of it. Also during these years I worked bookkeeping jobs, since I couldn't seem to get my feet in the college setting. I did work at two churches as part time bookkeeper, and I worked at two seminaries.
One interruption that caused me to change jobs was that my dear mother was dying in Florida. I chose to quit two of my part-time jobs (one seminary and one church) and go spend the last five weeks of her life caring for her. I absolutely do not regret that choice. It was a privilege God gave me to have those weeks with Mom and Dad. Mom was dying of cancer, and it was a very difficult time for her. She did not want to die in the hospital and we wanted to care for her at home. Hospice didn't come in until her final day. We just didn't realize she was that close to death until all of a sudden she was gone. God gave me grace to live through those days...He was my comfort. We went back to Michigan for the funeral. It was after that we sold our house and moved into Sunset Hills. With the boys both being gone, we didn't need as large a house, and I needed a change to refocus.
The year our granddaughter was born, I had the opportunity to volunteer for the Billy Graham Crusade. Dr. Graham was going to be holding a crusade in St. Louis, and as was their practice, they came into the city about a year in advance to lay the groundwork for the crusade. They use multiple volunteers in various aspects. I was able to work in their mailing room and accounting office. What a treat to meet so many people, other Christians from all different backgrounds, coming together for the sake of Christ. It was a very interesting and rewarding experience to see what all goes on behind the scenes in preparing for a Crusade and during the Crusade itself.
When my volunteer work was wrapping up, I took a real estate class to get my realtor license, something I had thought I would use, since I loved looking at houses. I finished the course and passed the licensing exams. But by then I realized that even though I loved looking at houses, I didn't really care for all the paperwork that went with selling houses. I asked God if He had anywhere else I could serve. That's when I got the call from a large Presbyterian church, and I joined their staff as bookkeeper. It was a wonderful place to work, and I enjoyed my duties and my co-workers.
During that time I discovered I had two large cysts which resulted in me having a radical hysterectomy. I couldn't go back to work for eight weeks. I was so restless at home, but very thankful for Tuxedo keeping me company. Paul and I ended up making a trip down to North Carolina, taking Tux with us, just to pass some time for me. We had thought that perhaps one day we would like to retire in the Asheville area of North Carolina, so we went to check out that area. As we left Asheville, we drove south and found a smaller town, Hendersonville. There was a nice Nazarene church in that town, and we liked the lay of the land. More of a plateau setting than Asheville had been. We wanted to be near the Smokey Mountains, but not up in them. That was the first of many trips to that area, and here we are today still hoping to relocate to Hendersonville some day...in God's time.
Sometimes it is hard to remember events of our lives when we go back to recap them. We lived in St. Louis from 1994 to 2001. They were good years. We were proud of our sons, both graduating with honors, and choosing good colleges, one in Missouri and one in Ohio. They met their wives at college. One married after his freshman year, and one married after he graduated from college. We had our first granddaughter. Lots of good things happened during those years in St. Louis. Next move: Highland, Illinois...next blog.
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
Tuesday, February 3, 2015
16 - My Story, God's Story - Seminary Years
I lay in bed one morning after writing the last blog on my college education, and my mind took a trip back through those years of my life. One of the highlights of my life occurred back then, and I overlooked entering it into that blog post. Let me quickly insert it at the beginning of this post.
I mentioned how New Testament Greek was my foreign language, a necessity for me to graduate with a bachelor of arts degree. I ended up minoring in New Testament Greek...two years, 18 credit hours. One of the requirements for completing the second year of Greek was to present an Exegesis...an in depth study and presentation of a scripture passage. I had asked a Greek professor from Olivet Nazarene (College) University for his advice on a holiness passage...a place in scripture that focused on sanctification, cleansing, being set apart for God's use. He directed me to I Thessalonians 4:1-12, and I thoroughly enjoyed my research into those verses.
I entitled my Exegesis "Living a Life Pleasing to God". Each student was given one complete class session to present his paper, including time for questions and answers. That day stands out as a highlight in my life. I was thoroughly prepared, and I had invited all three Greek professors on Lee's campus to be present. God gave me complete confidence in my presentation, and I was able to respond to the questions asked. I honestly felt God's pat on my head that day. It was like the culmination of my college career, everything I had worked for in my transition from a depressed housewife to a graduating college student. With God's help I had made it!! It took day by day, moment by moment discipline to complete my goal of getting my college education at the age of 41, but when I graduated, I wished I could do it all over again! Thus...seminary, my next step up.
My first year Greek professor, a man whom I highly respected and revered, suggested that I get a Master's of Divinity degree at seminary. I had originally planned to get a counseling degree, but he felt the M.Div. would serve me much better. He was directing me toward a PhD and eventually being qualified to teach in a university setting. I wasn't sure about that goal...I just decided to take it one step at a time. I did follow his advice to seek the M.Div. degree, however. That's a degree that most ministerial students seek, but I still did not believe I had a call to preaching ministry. I wanted to work in the college setting, but I didn't know in what aspect. I felt my background in psychology would lead to counseling. I proceeded, walking in faith one day at a time, believing God had a purpose for it all.
I attended the Church of God School of Theology (now called Pentecostal Theological Seminary) in Cleveland, TN, right across the street from Lee University. As a woman I was in the minority, and I was the only Nazarene on campus. Determined to be serious about my studies, I again asked God to help me to stay focused and to do my part in preparation. I was stepping into a different kind of arena...different from the college atmosphere I had left behind. In college, most of the students were just out of high school and were away from home for the first time. They were becoming independent, yet looking for Mr. or Miss Right to spend a future with. There were extra-curricular activities to focus on, and studies were not the first priority for many.
Seminary, on the other hand, was for the serious student who felt called by God to prepare for some type of ministry. The classes were intense and deep, and required many hours of study and research. For sure, I learned how to write research papers, with all the documentation. I had not been exposed to much of that in the undergrad program.
It helped to be involved in a small study group...a very nice group of fellow students from varied backgrounds. That's the other thing about seminary...many of the students were coming to enhance their skills after having already pastored churches. Or they were from a different employment background, now answering God's call on their lives to enter the ministry. My study group included a pastor from England, a pastor from Canada, an accountant, and an employee from a chicken processing plant. I was also able to meet their wives and children. The family from Canada became close friends, as we had sons about the same age. We still keep in contact today, and have enjoyed our trips to Canada to visit them.
There was another aspect to seminary life that I had to overlook, or look the other way. Politics. I saw this in the students trying to impress others with who they were to be given the better church choices, and I saw it in other arenas. Since I had no such aspirations, I wasn't out to impress or play any games. I was just there to learn what God wanted to teach me. I was the lowly Nazarene.
The issue of speaking in tongues came up quite often for me, in the classroom and in small group settings. So I took it to the Lord, asking Him to help me to know the truth, and what He wanted for me. If He wanted me to have the gift of speaking in tongues, then my mouth, my lips were dedicated to Him. It wasn't something I was going to make up, or pretend, it had to come from Him.
This is my theology regarding tongues, as best discerned through my time spent asking God for the truth. I believe in the gifts. Nazarenes believe in all of the gifts, but felt some of them were strictly for New Testament times, such as tongues...speaking in unknown languages. Or they believe that tongues are a known language, and you have the gift to speak that language without having learned it. Pentecostals believe that gifts are bestowed upon on you by God, but that the gift of tongues is the "magical" gift that was proof of having been filled with the Spirit. If you haven't spoken in tongues, you have not been filled with the Spirit, and if you have not been filled with the Spirit, you are still inferior and not fully surrendered to God. Now, please understand I am presenting the two sides of the coin of the two Wesleyan traditions. Obviously I am speaking of the extreme in each tradition, for there are those Nazarenes who believe in and practice the gift of tongues. There are those Pentecostals who believe in tongues, but do not believe it to be the ultimate gift.
I come from the stance that tongues is a gift. All gifts are from God, and He chooses who receives which gifts. Not all gifts are given to all people. The gifts are to edify the church, and if everyone would use his gifts, the church would be stronger. Instead, we tend to argue about which ones are important. Because I strongly believe in being filled with the Spirit...and I believe everyone seeking the will of God must come to that point...then what is it that provides the evidence for such an experience? To me the tongues gift has nothing at all to do with proof. I believe when one is filled with the Holy Spirit there is a divine love instilled in that moment...the kind of love Jesus had for everyone, not just His favored few. The kind of love that sees the potential in a person. The scriptures talk about knowing we are Christians by our love..."behold how they love one another". It does not say we are followers of Christ because we speak in an unknown language. We speak the language of love, for the greatest of all gifts, as found in I Corinthians 13, is love.
Well, this blog entry is not meant to be a sermon or a theological lesson. I am just sharing one of the challenges I faced my three years at seminary, and the outcome for me. God has not chosen to bestow the gift of tongues on me, and I am fine with that. I do not doubt that I am living in the center of His will, following in His footsteps just because I don't have that gift. But if my brother has the gift, I do not look down on him or avoid him. Jesus has set me free (Galatians 5:13) so that I can allow others to also be free. The ways in which we worship will be diverse, and God is pleased with all of us who simply content ourselves in Him. I also appreciate the freedom from politics in the religious realm. I have One to please, and if I am pleasing to Him, none else matters.
While at seminary we opened our home to other seminary students living away from home. We had Thanksgiving together one year, and other times of fellowship. One student in particular made our home his home. His name was "Butch". He had been working in a chicken processing plant when he went through a divorce, He began to seek God's direction for his life. He felt called to ministry, he just didn't know in what area. He was taking Greek, so I was able to tutor him in that. I also assisted him with grammatical corrections in his papers. He had his own apartment the first year, but over the summer he had a baseball injury and ruptured his Achilles tendon. He was on crutches when he came back to seminary for the second year, and it was going to be difficult for him to maneuver the flight of stairs to his apartment. We opened our spare rooms to him that we had built for our parents or missionaries to stay with us. Butch had his own bedroom, bathroom, and family room just off the kitchen, separate from the rest of the house, with his own private entrance off the back porch.
When my husband went on a Work and Witness trip with my father's team to Ecuador, Butch went with them. He had never been out of the state of Maryland before he came to seminary, and now he was leaving the country for the first time...on his first airplane ride. They built a church, and witnessed in the neighborhood. Many building miracles occurred during that trip...things only God could be responsible for. One miracle was the supply of cement blocks. There was a professional block layer on Dad's team, and he knew they were going to be short of blocks. There were no more to be had at any price. They could see the blocks dwindling, but they just kept laying them as long as there were some there. They never ran out of blocks, until the last one was put in place. Praise God from whom ALL blessings flow!! Butch came back home very excited over what God was doing in Ecuador.
To finish the story on Butch, after he graduated from seminary, he ended up going to Chili, South America, as a missionary for the Church of God, and he married a Chilean girl. So there seemed to have been a purpose for which God had placed him in our home for two years...to prepare him for his call to service in another country. I am of the opinion, as I look back on my seminary years, that it wasn't about me. It was about being there to provide for Butch, to enable him to fulfill his calling. I have found it to be true in other areas of my life...it wasn't about me...it was about who I was serving, being available to be used of God to help someone else. That will surface again in a future blog.
I did complete my M.Div. degree in the three years normally allotted for the program. The last six months I continued to live in Cleveland, TN with our sons (and Butch) while Paul moved to St. Louis to a new assignment in his career. I'll talk more about that in the next blog, moving to St. Louis, but while I was finishing my seminary degree, the boys were completing their school year, and I was getting the house ready to sell. Also, during that six months, I was doing my internship at Lee.
I had wanted to assist my New Testament Greek professor in teaching first year Greek. He had asked me to do that. However, the seminary powers that be, and the chairman of the Lee Bible Department, did not agree with that assignment for me since I was not Pentecostal. I had to go before a seven man board to be given my internship assignment. I wanted to go back to Lee, they wanted me to take CPE (Clinical Pastoral Experience) at a Chattanooga hospital. I did not want that assignment. I was not comfortable with making daily trips by myself down to the hospital, and I was most certainly not comfortable with the blood and guts that I would be exposed to in the emergency room. Butch was doing CPE as his internship, and I knew from him there were plenty of exposure to not so pretty sights. My constitution would not be able to take it.
Since I would not submit, the board told me that I should pray about it, and come back to them and tell them what God said. I tried to be humorous when I responded, "Well, I guess if God could speak through a donkey, He can speak through a woman." I was being facetious, but they had been pretty "authoritative" with me as a woman who did not know herself, and needed to get in touch with my feelings through CPE. At any rate, they did not laugh, or even smile, or respond. I was obviously out of line. I was dismissed. So glad to be out of there!
The compromise we came up with was that I would do an internship on Lee College campus with the Associate Academic Dean, who had been my second year Green professor. However, I would not be working in the Bible Department, but in his dean's office. I had various assignments, but the one that was the most demanding came about as a result of a dorm fire. An old wood dorm was torched by off campus guys in the middle of the night, and in ten minutes was in full flames. The story is well documented in Lee's history and the Cleveland Daily Banner news so I won't go into the details. I will just say what satan meant for harm, ended up giving God the glory. Not one student died in a situation that could have been totally devastating and deadly. Dr. Conn made mention in chapel service, following the fire, that some were asking, "Where was God in the fire?", meaning why did He allow it to happen. Dr. Conn responded God was in the midst of the fire getting all of the students to safety. It was once again a time where I saw God at work defeating the enemy, providing the miracles needed, and changing lives for the good. Interesting internship made intense and personal. I am glad I was there. It was an assignment from God.
Paul came home for my graduation from seminary. A moving van loaded up our household. We put the house in the hands of a Realtor, and we headed to St. Louis. Next blog.
I mentioned how New Testament Greek was my foreign language, a necessity for me to graduate with a bachelor of arts degree. I ended up minoring in New Testament Greek...two years, 18 credit hours. One of the requirements for completing the second year of Greek was to present an Exegesis...an in depth study and presentation of a scripture passage. I had asked a Greek professor from Olivet Nazarene (College) University for his advice on a holiness passage...a place in scripture that focused on sanctification, cleansing, being set apart for God's use. He directed me to I Thessalonians 4:1-12, and I thoroughly enjoyed my research into those verses.
I entitled my Exegesis "Living a Life Pleasing to God". Each student was given one complete class session to present his paper, including time for questions and answers. That day stands out as a highlight in my life. I was thoroughly prepared, and I had invited all three Greek professors on Lee's campus to be present. God gave me complete confidence in my presentation, and I was able to respond to the questions asked. I honestly felt God's pat on my head that day. It was like the culmination of my college career, everything I had worked for in my transition from a depressed housewife to a graduating college student. With God's help I had made it!! It took day by day, moment by moment discipline to complete my goal of getting my college education at the age of 41, but when I graduated, I wished I could do it all over again! Thus...seminary, my next step up.
My first year Greek professor, a man whom I highly respected and revered, suggested that I get a Master's of Divinity degree at seminary. I had originally planned to get a counseling degree, but he felt the M.Div. would serve me much better. He was directing me toward a PhD and eventually being qualified to teach in a university setting. I wasn't sure about that goal...I just decided to take it one step at a time. I did follow his advice to seek the M.Div. degree, however. That's a degree that most ministerial students seek, but I still did not believe I had a call to preaching ministry. I wanted to work in the college setting, but I didn't know in what aspect. I felt my background in psychology would lead to counseling. I proceeded, walking in faith one day at a time, believing God had a purpose for it all.
I attended the Church of God School of Theology (now called Pentecostal Theological Seminary) in Cleveland, TN, right across the street from Lee University. As a woman I was in the minority, and I was the only Nazarene on campus. Determined to be serious about my studies, I again asked God to help me to stay focused and to do my part in preparation. I was stepping into a different kind of arena...different from the college atmosphere I had left behind. In college, most of the students were just out of high school and were away from home for the first time. They were becoming independent, yet looking for Mr. or Miss Right to spend a future with. There were extra-curricular activities to focus on, and studies were not the first priority for many.
Seminary, on the other hand, was for the serious student who felt called by God to prepare for some type of ministry. The classes were intense and deep, and required many hours of study and research. For sure, I learned how to write research papers, with all the documentation. I had not been exposed to much of that in the undergrad program.
It helped to be involved in a small study group...a very nice group of fellow students from varied backgrounds. That's the other thing about seminary...many of the students were coming to enhance their skills after having already pastored churches. Or they were from a different employment background, now answering God's call on their lives to enter the ministry. My study group included a pastor from England, a pastor from Canada, an accountant, and an employee from a chicken processing plant. I was also able to meet their wives and children. The family from Canada became close friends, as we had sons about the same age. We still keep in contact today, and have enjoyed our trips to Canada to visit them.
There was another aspect to seminary life that I had to overlook, or look the other way. Politics. I saw this in the students trying to impress others with who they were to be given the better church choices, and I saw it in other arenas. Since I had no such aspirations, I wasn't out to impress or play any games. I was just there to learn what God wanted to teach me. I was the lowly Nazarene.
The issue of speaking in tongues came up quite often for me, in the classroom and in small group settings. So I took it to the Lord, asking Him to help me to know the truth, and what He wanted for me. If He wanted me to have the gift of speaking in tongues, then my mouth, my lips were dedicated to Him. It wasn't something I was going to make up, or pretend, it had to come from Him.
This is my theology regarding tongues, as best discerned through my time spent asking God for the truth. I believe in the gifts. Nazarenes believe in all of the gifts, but felt some of them were strictly for New Testament times, such as tongues...speaking in unknown languages. Or they believe that tongues are a known language, and you have the gift to speak that language without having learned it. Pentecostals believe that gifts are bestowed upon on you by God, but that the gift of tongues is the "magical" gift that was proof of having been filled with the Spirit. If you haven't spoken in tongues, you have not been filled with the Spirit, and if you have not been filled with the Spirit, you are still inferior and not fully surrendered to God. Now, please understand I am presenting the two sides of the coin of the two Wesleyan traditions. Obviously I am speaking of the extreme in each tradition, for there are those Nazarenes who believe in and practice the gift of tongues. There are those Pentecostals who believe in tongues, but do not believe it to be the ultimate gift.
I come from the stance that tongues is a gift. All gifts are from God, and He chooses who receives which gifts. Not all gifts are given to all people. The gifts are to edify the church, and if everyone would use his gifts, the church would be stronger. Instead, we tend to argue about which ones are important. Because I strongly believe in being filled with the Spirit...and I believe everyone seeking the will of God must come to that point...then what is it that provides the evidence for such an experience? To me the tongues gift has nothing at all to do with proof. I believe when one is filled with the Holy Spirit there is a divine love instilled in that moment...the kind of love Jesus had for everyone, not just His favored few. The kind of love that sees the potential in a person. The scriptures talk about knowing we are Christians by our love..."behold how they love one another". It does not say we are followers of Christ because we speak in an unknown language. We speak the language of love, for the greatest of all gifts, as found in I Corinthians 13, is love.
Well, this blog entry is not meant to be a sermon or a theological lesson. I am just sharing one of the challenges I faced my three years at seminary, and the outcome for me. God has not chosen to bestow the gift of tongues on me, and I am fine with that. I do not doubt that I am living in the center of His will, following in His footsteps just because I don't have that gift. But if my brother has the gift, I do not look down on him or avoid him. Jesus has set me free (Galatians 5:13) so that I can allow others to also be free. The ways in which we worship will be diverse, and God is pleased with all of us who simply content ourselves in Him. I also appreciate the freedom from politics in the religious realm. I have One to please, and if I am pleasing to Him, none else matters.
While at seminary we opened our home to other seminary students living away from home. We had Thanksgiving together one year, and other times of fellowship. One student in particular made our home his home. His name was "Butch". He had been working in a chicken processing plant when he went through a divorce, He began to seek God's direction for his life. He felt called to ministry, he just didn't know in what area. He was taking Greek, so I was able to tutor him in that. I also assisted him with grammatical corrections in his papers. He had his own apartment the first year, but over the summer he had a baseball injury and ruptured his Achilles tendon. He was on crutches when he came back to seminary for the second year, and it was going to be difficult for him to maneuver the flight of stairs to his apartment. We opened our spare rooms to him that we had built for our parents or missionaries to stay with us. Butch had his own bedroom, bathroom, and family room just off the kitchen, separate from the rest of the house, with his own private entrance off the back porch.
When my husband went on a Work and Witness trip with my father's team to Ecuador, Butch went with them. He had never been out of the state of Maryland before he came to seminary, and now he was leaving the country for the first time...on his first airplane ride. They built a church, and witnessed in the neighborhood. Many building miracles occurred during that trip...things only God could be responsible for. One miracle was the supply of cement blocks. There was a professional block layer on Dad's team, and he knew they were going to be short of blocks. There were no more to be had at any price. They could see the blocks dwindling, but they just kept laying them as long as there were some there. They never ran out of blocks, until the last one was put in place. Praise God from whom ALL blessings flow!! Butch came back home very excited over what God was doing in Ecuador.
To finish the story on Butch, after he graduated from seminary, he ended up going to Chili, South America, as a missionary for the Church of God, and he married a Chilean girl. So there seemed to have been a purpose for which God had placed him in our home for two years...to prepare him for his call to service in another country. I am of the opinion, as I look back on my seminary years, that it wasn't about me. It was about being there to provide for Butch, to enable him to fulfill his calling. I have found it to be true in other areas of my life...it wasn't about me...it was about who I was serving, being available to be used of God to help someone else. That will surface again in a future blog.
I did complete my M.Div. degree in the three years normally allotted for the program. The last six months I continued to live in Cleveland, TN with our sons (and Butch) while Paul moved to St. Louis to a new assignment in his career. I'll talk more about that in the next blog, moving to St. Louis, but while I was finishing my seminary degree, the boys were completing their school year, and I was getting the house ready to sell. Also, during that six months, I was doing my internship at Lee.
I had wanted to assist my New Testament Greek professor in teaching first year Greek. He had asked me to do that. However, the seminary powers that be, and the chairman of the Lee Bible Department, did not agree with that assignment for me since I was not Pentecostal. I had to go before a seven man board to be given my internship assignment. I wanted to go back to Lee, they wanted me to take CPE (Clinical Pastoral Experience) at a Chattanooga hospital. I did not want that assignment. I was not comfortable with making daily trips by myself down to the hospital, and I was most certainly not comfortable with the blood and guts that I would be exposed to in the emergency room. Butch was doing CPE as his internship, and I knew from him there were plenty of exposure to not so pretty sights. My constitution would not be able to take it.
Since I would not submit, the board told me that I should pray about it, and come back to them and tell them what God said. I tried to be humorous when I responded, "Well, I guess if God could speak through a donkey, He can speak through a woman." I was being facetious, but they had been pretty "authoritative" with me as a woman who did not know herself, and needed to get in touch with my feelings through CPE. At any rate, they did not laugh, or even smile, or respond. I was obviously out of line. I was dismissed. So glad to be out of there!
The compromise we came up with was that I would do an internship on Lee College campus with the Associate Academic Dean, who had been my second year Green professor. However, I would not be working in the Bible Department, but in his dean's office. I had various assignments, but the one that was the most demanding came about as a result of a dorm fire. An old wood dorm was torched by off campus guys in the middle of the night, and in ten minutes was in full flames. The story is well documented in Lee's history and the Cleveland Daily Banner news so I won't go into the details. I will just say what satan meant for harm, ended up giving God the glory. Not one student died in a situation that could have been totally devastating and deadly. Dr. Conn made mention in chapel service, following the fire, that some were asking, "Where was God in the fire?", meaning why did He allow it to happen. Dr. Conn responded God was in the midst of the fire getting all of the students to safety. It was once again a time where I saw God at work defeating the enemy, providing the miracles needed, and changing lives for the good. Interesting internship made intense and personal. I am glad I was there. It was an assignment from God.
Paul came home for my graduation from seminary. A moving van loaded up our household. We put the house in the hands of a Realtor, and we headed to St. Louis. Next blog.
Thursday, January 29, 2015
15 - My Story, God's Story - Getting My College Education
I see it's been just over 10 months since I made my last blog entry in this series of "My Story, God's Story". I have made some update entries, but overall I just haven't been motivated to blog, or to continue on with this series. I thought about dropping it, but that seems like failure...giving up. God has been with me my whole life, and I want to continue to acknowledge ways in which He seemed to be at work shaping me into the person He wanted me to be. So as I begin this 15th chapter, I plan to focus on my college years at Lee (College) University. I'm trusting memory and God to help me cover the highlights of those years.
I initially enrolled to take some classes to get me back into the mainstream of life...didn't necessarily have a goal to graduate. I just knew I had regretted not completing my college degree back after high school. It didn't seem like I was fit for any job, so going to school was my next logical step in progressing with life. I chose Lee as it was a Christian institution in the town we lived in. It was Pentecostal...Church of God, Cleveland, TN, and part of me was a little afraid of what I was getting into. I didn't have a good taste for Pentecostalism, from my limited exposure and knowledge. However, when I attended chapel (and I felt like that was my class with God...I didn't want to skip), I found the Holy Spirit to be alive and well...and not that different from my theological background in the Nazarene world. We both came out of the Wesleyan tradition, so the beliefs were very much the same, with the exception of how "gifts" were handled...particularly the gift of tongues. Nazarenes did not accept that gift...saying it was meant only for the New Testament times. But I had been deeply hurt by Nazarenes, and I was open to whatever God wanted to show me.
One of the best things that happened to me on my journey through depression was the exposure I received to other denominations. We attended a Baptist church for a year, and then when I started at Lee we attended a Church of God. Guess what! I found out that God couldn't be put in a box!! He was so much bigger than any one denomination. His children seemed to be fighting over who was His favorite...and He doesn't have favorites!
Chapel was full of joy for me...the choruses, the freedom to worship, the presence of the Holy Spirit manifested in various ways. I even made a comment back then that when I get to heaven, I was going to move to the Pentecostal corner as they just had more fun worshiping. I loved learning to clap with the songs. I already was comfortable raising my hands when worshiping. I found myself swaying a little with the music...just totally focused on praising Jesus, the Lover of my soul.
I only took a couple of classes that first semester at Lee, but I had discovered a whole new world. I began to meet so many people and enjoyed hearing their stories. A study trip to Israel, for class credit, was announced in one of my classes. Even though I knew I could not afford that, it's like God said, "Pay attention! I want you to take this trip!!" So I put out my fleeces...give me a friend to go with, and send the money. Both fleeces were answered, and the next spring, 1989 I believe, I spent two weeks with 25 other students and professor walking the land that Jesus walked. Wow. I can't tell you how life changing that was for me. I have written a journal on that trip, so I'm not going to take time to rewrite all the ways God intervened in my life during that trip...but let's just say Jesus was the Friend with me, making it all so vibrant and alive. The Sea of Galilee is where I most felt His intimacy...I worshiped at the shore line early morning and late at night. He was constantly with me.
When we came back home, I knew I wanted to get my degree. That meant I had to take a foreign language. Since I didn't think I would ever use Spanish or French, I decided New Testament Greek was what I needed to take. I came away from Israel wanting to know God's Word better, because it had come so alive for me while in that land. So by fall of 1989 I was a full fledged student, seeking a degree in psychology, with a minor in Greek. That opened a new world for me!
My first class had 24 students, with the professor's wife and me being the only two females. Most of the students were Bible students, preparing for ministry, and Greek was required for them. Some of them were taking it for the second or third time...just having a hard time grasping it. For sure, studying Greek was time consuming. When I thought I couldn't cram any more into my head, I would just kneel and ask God to make more room in my brain to comprehend it. We met an hour a day for five days a week for two semesters. By the end of the second semester, there were only 11 left in the class, and I was third in line for having the highest score! I had so much fun competing with Mark and Jeff, trying to get that number one spot. Even the professor got a kick out of us.
Second year Greek we met three days a week for two semesters. We had a different professor in second year Greek. He became a friend of mine, as his son was in the same Little League as our sons, so I would see him at the baseball games. Eventually I would end up working in his office...he was the Associate Academic Dean. When I needed to do an internship for my seminary degree, I wasn't allowed to be a teacher's assistant in the Greek class, because I was not a Church of God church member...still just a Nazarene. I didn't agree with that decision, nor did my first Greek professor, but I had to submit to the powers that be at the seminary and at the college. So working with the Associate Dean was the next best place for me.
I did graduate in May of 1991 from Lee, and I was both exhilarated with reaching my goal, and sad to leave the oasis of my life. I had made so many good friends during those few years, and I loved the challenge of doing well in my classes.
By the time I graduated, we had gone back to a Nazarene church, located down in East Brainerd/Chattanooga...a new church filled with people that weren't "accepted" in the traditional Nazarene churches in the area. It was a 25 mile commute for us, but that was a good time to allow driver's training practice for our first son. Paul traveled quite a bit, so it was usually me doing the training, but we survived! God watched over us!!
The boys excelled in school and baseball. I spent a lot of my spare time studying. One summer the older son broke his leg playing baseball, so it seemed like a good thing to teach him Greek right along with me that summer. I can tell you today that he loves languages and is working on his dissertation for his PhD in philosophy. So Greek was just a starting point for him.
During those college years, Paul and I enjoyed attending the Lee basketball games. Our sons would go and take books to read! One year our youngest son actually became a towel boy with a friend of his (son of my second year Greek professor). Basketball games were our social outlet. We were all very involved in East Brainerd Church of the Nazarene also. Both sons were given opportunities to preach. We became good friends with the pastor and his wife and kids. He recently had a heart attack and passed away...so sad. It has been several years since we have seen them. He had become the district superintendent of the Kentucky district.
From the depths of clinical depression to the heights of receiving my college degree at age 41, I have had quite a journey. Friends have come and gone, but God has been in my life's journey every step of the way. He has helped me to learn to surrender to Him those things I could not understand. I knew I could make it through as long as I lived pleasing to Him. Heartaches are healed by the touch of the Master's hand!
I honestly thought I was getting my education so that someday I could have a career that would help pay for our sons' college education. When I finished my undergrad degree, I knew that I would need at least a master's degree to obtain employment in the counseling field. I didn't truly believe I would be a counselor, but I wanted to somehow be equipped to work in the college setting...I just couldn't see what or where. So the next step for me was to go to seminary to get a master's degree. I didn't want the secular college degree...I wanted to study God's Word and find His directions for my life. Church of God School of Theology was just across the street from Lee College, and they gave me a $1,000 scholarship to enroll. So I did. Next chapter.
I initially enrolled to take some classes to get me back into the mainstream of life...didn't necessarily have a goal to graduate. I just knew I had regretted not completing my college degree back after high school. It didn't seem like I was fit for any job, so going to school was my next logical step in progressing with life. I chose Lee as it was a Christian institution in the town we lived in. It was Pentecostal...Church of God, Cleveland, TN, and part of me was a little afraid of what I was getting into. I didn't have a good taste for Pentecostalism, from my limited exposure and knowledge. However, when I attended chapel (and I felt like that was my class with God...I didn't want to skip), I found the Holy Spirit to be alive and well...and not that different from my theological background in the Nazarene world. We both came out of the Wesleyan tradition, so the beliefs were very much the same, with the exception of how "gifts" were handled...particularly the gift of tongues. Nazarenes did not accept that gift...saying it was meant only for the New Testament times. But I had been deeply hurt by Nazarenes, and I was open to whatever God wanted to show me.
One of the best things that happened to me on my journey through depression was the exposure I received to other denominations. We attended a Baptist church for a year, and then when I started at Lee we attended a Church of God. Guess what! I found out that God couldn't be put in a box!! He was so much bigger than any one denomination. His children seemed to be fighting over who was His favorite...and He doesn't have favorites!
Chapel was full of joy for me...the choruses, the freedom to worship, the presence of the Holy Spirit manifested in various ways. I even made a comment back then that when I get to heaven, I was going to move to the Pentecostal corner as they just had more fun worshiping. I loved learning to clap with the songs. I already was comfortable raising my hands when worshiping. I found myself swaying a little with the music...just totally focused on praising Jesus, the Lover of my soul.
I only took a couple of classes that first semester at Lee, but I had discovered a whole new world. I began to meet so many people and enjoyed hearing their stories. A study trip to Israel, for class credit, was announced in one of my classes. Even though I knew I could not afford that, it's like God said, "Pay attention! I want you to take this trip!!" So I put out my fleeces...give me a friend to go with, and send the money. Both fleeces were answered, and the next spring, 1989 I believe, I spent two weeks with 25 other students and professor walking the land that Jesus walked. Wow. I can't tell you how life changing that was for me. I have written a journal on that trip, so I'm not going to take time to rewrite all the ways God intervened in my life during that trip...but let's just say Jesus was the Friend with me, making it all so vibrant and alive. The Sea of Galilee is where I most felt His intimacy...I worshiped at the shore line early morning and late at night. He was constantly with me.
When we came back home, I knew I wanted to get my degree. That meant I had to take a foreign language. Since I didn't think I would ever use Spanish or French, I decided New Testament Greek was what I needed to take. I came away from Israel wanting to know God's Word better, because it had come so alive for me while in that land. So by fall of 1989 I was a full fledged student, seeking a degree in psychology, with a minor in Greek. That opened a new world for me!
My first class had 24 students, with the professor's wife and me being the only two females. Most of the students were Bible students, preparing for ministry, and Greek was required for them. Some of them were taking it for the second or third time...just having a hard time grasping it. For sure, studying Greek was time consuming. When I thought I couldn't cram any more into my head, I would just kneel and ask God to make more room in my brain to comprehend it. We met an hour a day for five days a week for two semesters. By the end of the second semester, there were only 11 left in the class, and I was third in line for having the highest score! I had so much fun competing with Mark and Jeff, trying to get that number one spot. Even the professor got a kick out of us.
Second year Greek we met three days a week for two semesters. We had a different professor in second year Greek. He became a friend of mine, as his son was in the same Little League as our sons, so I would see him at the baseball games. Eventually I would end up working in his office...he was the Associate Academic Dean. When I needed to do an internship for my seminary degree, I wasn't allowed to be a teacher's assistant in the Greek class, because I was not a Church of God church member...still just a Nazarene. I didn't agree with that decision, nor did my first Greek professor, but I had to submit to the powers that be at the seminary and at the college. So working with the Associate Dean was the next best place for me.
I did graduate in May of 1991 from Lee, and I was both exhilarated with reaching my goal, and sad to leave the oasis of my life. I had made so many good friends during those few years, and I loved the challenge of doing well in my classes.
By the time I graduated, we had gone back to a Nazarene church, located down in East Brainerd/Chattanooga...a new church filled with people that weren't "accepted" in the traditional Nazarene churches in the area. It was a 25 mile commute for us, but that was a good time to allow driver's training practice for our first son. Paul traveled quite a bit, so it was usually me doing the training, but we survived! God watched over us!!
The boys excelled in school and baseball. I spent a lot of my spare time studying. One summer the older son broke his leg playing baseball, so it seemed like a good thing to teach him Greek right along with me that summer. I can tell you today that he loves languages and is working on his dissertation for his PhD in philosophy. So Greek was just a starting point for him.
During those college years, Paul and I enjoyed attending the Lee basketball games. Our sons would go and take books to read! One year our youngest son actually became a towel boy with a friend of his (son of my second year Greek professor). Basketball games were our social outlet. We were all very involved in East Brainerd Church of the Nazarene also. Both sons were given opportunities to preach. We became good friends with the pastor and his wife and kids. He recently had a heart attack and passed away...so sad. It has been several years since we have seen them. He had become the district superintendent of the Kentucky district.
From the depths of clinical depression to the heights of receiving my college degree at age 41, I have had quite a journey. Friends have come and gone, but God has been in my life's journey every step of the way. He has helped me to learn to surrender to Him those things I could not understand. I knew I could make it through as long as I lived pleasing to Him. Heartaches are healed by the touch of the Master's hand!
I honestly thought I was getting my education so that someday I could have a career that would help pay for our sons' college education. When I finished my undergrad degree, I knew that I would need at least a master's degree to obtain employment in the counseling field. I didn't truly believe I would be a counselor, but I wanted to somehow be equipped to work in the college setting...I just couldn't see what or where. So the next step for me was to go to seminary to get a master's degree. I didn't want the secular college degree...I wanted to study God's Word and find His directions for my life. Church of God School of Theology was just across the street from Lee College, and they gave me a $1,000 scholarship to enroll. So I did. Next chapter.
Wednesday, January 14, 2015
God Is Good, All the Time
We are back home from our family gathering in St. Louis at New Year's. We were gone about a week and a half, and I can tell you that 2015 started out with a bang!
Our son and daughter-in-law and newly adopted dog traveled with us to visit our other son and his family (our grandchildren) on New Year's Day. We spent the weekend with them and had a wonderful time. We have a new lady in the family, and she's a southern cook...coming from Texas. We enjoyed her cuisine and some dining out through the weekend.
We also played games with prizes (gifts were not allowed). When you win a game, you select a wrapped prize and unwrap it to see what you won. The next person who won could either steal that prize (or any other unwrapped prizes), or select a new one. We played games (Bingo, Tenzies, Cards, Scattegories, Pit) for two nights until the prizes ran out. There was lots of stealing back and forth, and lots of laughter. The whole family played along. Prizes were mostly insignificant, yet items that I knew certain people liked...red velvet cake mix, frosting, Red Lobster biscuit mix, summer sausage roll, candy, homemade travel/first aid kits, scarves, socks, gloves...household items. It was just fun stealing someone's prize when you knew they really wanted it, so they had to steal it back from you.
I have a feeling this might become a family tradition because I have been told no more gifts. Everyone has enough "STUFF" (granddaughters can still receive gifts), so having prizes that are consumable or usable is a better plan. It met my desire to select items and wrap items...something I have long enjoyed doing at Christmas. I am a giver...you can't take that away from me!
On Sunday we went our separate ways. My husband flew out of St. Louis to Oakland, CA for a business trip. Only his trip was delayed due to fuel overflow, so he missed his connecting flight in Phoenix and had to stay in hotel overnight. He had an early afternoon meeting on Monday and did get there in time, but his luggage went to San Francisco...so he had to show up in the same clothes he wore the previous day, and unshaven.
Meanwhile...here's the "bang" of the beginning of 2015...the other three of us and the dog were traveling back to Chicago on I-55. We had just had brand new tires put on the SUV the week before making the trip. Evidently the lug nuts were not tightened, or missing, because three hours into our trip, two hours from home, we heard a bang, and the right front tire came totally off. Daughter-in-law was driving and did an excellent job of crossing over a lane and pulling off the side of the interstate. Son went back to retrieve tire. Meanwhile heavy traffic was whizzing by and semis made our vehicle shake each time. We feared getting hit.
Four hours later AAA tow truck finally showed up. I might add this was in frigid temperatures so we kept turning the vehicle on and off to keep warm. We had no food with us, only water. Needless to say, there were no bathrooms. So it was a long-felt wait. The tow truck hauled four adults and one dog in the one front bench seat...it was crowded...to a motel that takes pets in Morris, IL. Then the SUV was left at a service shop. This was Sunday night, and we knew it would not be looked at until the next day. Thank goodness there was an IHOP next to the motel, open 24/7. Had supper there that night, and breakfast the next morning.
Our SUV was ready by mid-morning, and we drove on the two more hours to their apt. in Chicago. I spent the week with them until Paul flew back from Oakland on Friday. He and I went down to Bourbonnais on Saturday to do some shopping and to visit friends. Came back home to Michigan on Sunday, just before the next snow storm hit.
While I was in Chicago, the country was having frigid weather and snow storms. We had temps that were 25-30 below zero wind chills. I stayed inside most of the time. They only had about 2" of snow. Back in Michigan there was 6" of snow and more falling...bringing it up to about a foot of snow. Paul had to shovel out the driveway and front porch and sidewalk. He hates winter!
My title, God is good, all the time, is essentially how I feel as I am journeying down through 2015. During our family time, we all enjoyed each other and being together. We are blessed with a close family who loves and respects each other. During our trip home in the SUV, I had peace, I was calm, I knew God was watching out for us, and provided what we needed...including patience to wait on the tow truck, and safely from traffic passing us. In the midst of extreme temperatures, we were cozy in the apt. The new dog adapted well, even if she didn't like going outside. She always took care of business immediately so she could come back in. Even though Paul's flights were changed, both going to Oakland, and coming back to Chicago, he arrived safely and all worked out. I see the hand of God each step of the way.
We went through a year of no employment, no income, yet God faithfully saw us through. Paul is now a self-employed engineering contractor, and even though the pay is still inconsistent, we are managing month by month to pay our bills and have our needs met. We had hoped to sell our house and/or cottage on the campground here in Michigan and move south. That has not happened yet, but we do have buyers for both places when the time is right. Until the time is right...God's timing...we will sit tight and enjoy the comforts we have here, and being close to Paul's family. Our granddaughters like coming to the campground in the summer, and we like to be able to provide that for them. We are truly blessed.
You come through circumstances as we did this past year, and you learn to wait on God, you learn to not hold on tightly to anything, and you learn to be grateful each and every day. Even this morning the snowflakes glistening in the sunshine looked like tiny diamonds floating down...sparkly, beautiful. God is good, all the time.
Our son and daughter-in-law and newly adopted dog traveled with us to visit our other son and his family (our grandchildren) on New Year's Day. We spent the weekend with them and had a wonderful time. We have a new lady in the family, and she's a southern cook...coming from Texas. We enjoyed her cuisine and some dining out through the weekend.
We also played games with prizes (gifts were not allowed). When you win a game, you select a wrapped prize and unwrap it to see what you won. The next person who won could either steal that prize (or any other unwrapped prizes), or select a new one. We played games (Bingo, Tenzies, Cards, Scattegories, Pit) for two nights until the prizes ran out. There was lots of stealing back and forth, and lots of laughter. The whole family played along. Prizes were mostly insignificant, yet items that I knew certain people liked...red velvet cake mix, frosting, Red Lobster biscuit mix, summer sausage roll, candy, homemade travel/first aid kits, scarves, socks, gloves...household items. It was just fun stealing someone's prize when you knew they really wanted it, so they had to steal it back from you.
I have a feeling this might become a family tradition because I have been told no more gifts. Everyone has enough "STUFF" (granddaughters can still receive gifts), so having prizes that are consumable or usable is a better plan. It met my desire to select items and wrap items...something I have long enjoyed doing at Christmas. I am a giver...you can't take that away from me!
On Sunday we went our separate ways. My husband flew out of St. Louis to Oakland, CA for a business trip. Only his trip was delayed due to fuel overflow, so he missed his connecting flight in Phoenix and had to stay in hotel overnight. He had an early afternoon meeting on Monday and did get there in time, but his luggage went to San Francisco...so he had to show up in the same clothes he wore the previous day, and unshaven.
Meanwhile...here's the "bang" of the beginning of 2015...the other three of us and the dog were traveling back to Chicago on I-55. We had just had brand new tires put on the SUV the week before making the trip. Evidently the lug nuts were not tightened, or missing, because three hours into our trip, two hours from home, we heard a bang, and the right front tire came totally off. Daughter-in-law was driving and did an excellent job of crossing over a lane and pulling off the side of the interstate. Son went back to retrieve tire. Meanwhile heavy traffic was whizzing by and semis made our vehicle shake each time. We feared getting hit.
Four hours later AAA tow truck finally showed up. I might add this was in frigid temperatures so we kept turning the vehicle on and off to keep warm. We had no food with us, only water. Needless to say, there were no bathrooms. So it was a long-felt wait. The tow truck hauled four adults and one dog in the one front bench seat...it was crowded...to a motel that takes pets in Morris, IL. Then the SUV was left at a service shop. This was Sunday night, and we knew it would not be looked at until the next day. Thank goodness there was an IHOP next to the motel, open 24/7. Had supper there that night, and breakfast the next morning.
Our SUV was ready by mid-morning, and we drove on the two more hours to their apt. in Chicago. I spent the week with them until Paul flew back from Oakland on Friday. He and I went down to Bourbonnais on Saturday to do some shopping and to visit friends. Came back home to Michigan on Sunday, just before the next snow storm hit.
While I was in Chicago, the country was having frigid weather and snow storms. We had temps that were 25-30 below zero wind chills. I stayed inside most of the time. They only had about 2" of snow. Back in Michigan there was 6" of snow and more falling...bringing it up to about a foot of snow. Paul had to shovel out the driveway and front porch and sidewalk. He hates winter!
My title, God is good, all the time, is essentially how I feel as I am journeying down through 2015. During our family time, we all enjoyed each other and being together. We are blessed with a close family who loves and respects each other. During our trip home in the SUV, I had peace, I was calm, I knew God was watching out for us, and provided what we needed...including patience to wait on the tow truck, and safely from traffic passing us. In the midst of extreme temperatures, we were cozy in the apt. The new dog adapted well, even if she didn't like going outside. She always took care of business immediately so she could come back in. Even though Paul's flights were changed, both going to Oakland, and coming back to Chicago, he arrived safely and all worked out. I see the hand of God each step of the way.
We went through a year of no employment, no income, yet God faithfully saw us through. Paul is now a self-employed engineering contractor, and even though the pay is still inconsistent, we are managing month by month to pay our bills and have our needs met. We had hoped to sell our house and/or cottage on the campground here in Michigan and move south. That has not happened yet, but we do have buyers for both places when the time is right. Until the time is right...God's timing...we will sit tight and enjoy the comforts we have here, and being close to Paul's family. Our granddaughters like coming to the campground in the summer, and we like to be able to provide that for them. We are truly blessed.
You come through circumstances as we did this past year, and you learn to wait on God, you learn to not hold on tightly to anything, and you learn to be grateful each and every day. Even this morning the snowflakes glistening in the sunshine looked like tiny diamonds floating down...sparkly, beautiful. God is good, all the time.
Thursday, December 18, 2014
December 2014 Update
We are still here in Michigan, but the weather hasn't been too extreme thus far. In fact, we've had no accumulation of snow this month as of yet. We've even had mild weather, one day up into the 50's. So as long as the roads are dry, no matter the temperature, I am getting out to walk. My only complaint is that it is so overcast most of the time...seems like sun rarely shines through. Therefore there is a dreariness about the days.
I'm a person who likes to keep busy. I haven't found the outlets I need to keep me active. This is a flaw within me. I like to be busy, but I don't know where to look for what works. I'm spending way too much time watching Hallmark movies, UP channel movies, game shows, and HGTV. I read also, but I'm just sitting around too much!!
Our plans have changed for our Christmas family get together. We are not going to Branson after all. I was able to find another family who wanted to use our unit. The timing was just not working out for our family as a whole. So we are going to spend a few days in Chicago and a few days in St. Louis, with family. I have prepared games to play and prizes to win...our only form of "gift exchange" this year. The real gift is being all together.
I gave my husband his Christmas gift two weeks early. We stopped by our local kennel and picked up Daisy, a 5 yr old Jack Russell, and have brought her home for two weeks foster care. She has lived in the kennel for two years...no one wants to adopt a Jack Russell, I guess. We do not prefer that breed either, but we don't mind giving her a two week break from the kennel. She's actually a very good dog. She hardly barks at all, very rare when she does. She loves to play tug-of-war and chase and go for walks. She's quite active, which is good for my husband...he needs a diversion from his computer now and then. Daisy is highly trainable, so he is teaching her tricks. She also likes to lay in our laps when we are relaxing. She sleeps in a pen at night. One of the best behaved dogs I've ever been around. It will be hard to take her back, but we are not ready for a full time commitment to another dog yet. We want to be moved and settled again before we take on a new family member. We plan to rent, and some places do not allow pets, so we want to keep our options open.
I was teaching a women's Bible Study this fall on the book of Galatians. That ended last week. It was a good study, averaging about 12 women. We brought finger foods, punch, and coffee to our last meeting and stayed behind talking and eating. If we have another study, it won't be until spring when the weather is more dependable. Most of the women are elderly, and I won't ask them to come out in ice and snow and frigid temperatures, to protect their health.
I had a walk down memory lane last week. I went to visit cousins from both sides of my family...reliving times past, and catching up on current events in the families. I don't do that too often, so it was good for me to be with them.
This weekend we are celebrating Paul's mom's 80th birthday. She has a twin, so we will be celebrating with both of them. It's an occasion where both of their families will be getting together...a nice party for them. So now I will be with Paul's maternal side of the family. Holidays are all about getting together with others...families and friends, right? That's what makes them more enjoyable.
I haven't sent Christmas cards out for quite a few years...ever since emailing became the mode of communication. However, this year I felt like I wanted to send cards with notes to let people know how much they mean to me. We came through our toughest year financially, and it was through prayers and loving support that we made it. So I have spent the last few days writing notes in the cards and mailing them out. The last batch goes out today. I have particularly focused on the lonely, the elderly. My heart goes out to them.
Jesus is still the Reason for the season. He is my everything...He is my all. Through my quiet times with Him, I have strength to face my days. I want to represent Him well. That is my true purpose in life. Thank you for taking time to read this post. May you sense the love of Jesus in your heart in this moment.
I'm a person who likes to keep busy. I haven't found the outlets I need to keep me active. This is a flaw within me. I like to be busy, but I don't know where to look for what works. I'm spending way too much time watching Hallmark movies, UP channel movies, game shows, and HGTV. I read also, but I'm just sitting around too much!!
Our plans have changed for our Christmas family get together. We are not going to Branson after all. I was able to find another family who wanted to use our unit. The timing was just not working out for our family as a whole. So we are going to spend a few days in Chicago and a few days in St. Louis, with family. I have prepared games to play and prizes to win...our only form of "gift exchange" this year. The real gift is being all together.
I gave my husband his Christmas gift two weeks early. We stopped by our local kennel and picked up Daisy, a 5 yr old Jack Russell, and have brought her home for two weeks foster care. She has lived in the kennel for two years...no one wants to adopt a Jack Russell, I guess. We do not prefer that breed either, but we don't mind giving her a two week break from the kennel. She's actually a very good dog. She hardly barks at all, very rare when she does. She loves to play tug-of-war and chase and go for walks. She's quite active, which is good for my husband...he needs a diversion from his computer now and then. Daisy is highly trainable, so he is teaching her tricks. She also likes to lay in our laps when we are relaxing. She sleeps in a pen at night. One of the best behaved dogs I've ever been around. It will be hard to take her back, but we are not ready for a full time commitment to another dog yet. We want to be moved and settled again before we take on a new family member. We plan to rent, and some places do not allow pets, so we want to keep our options open.
I was teaching a women's Bible Study this fall on the book of Galatians. That ended last week. It was a good study, averaging about 12 women. We brought finger foods, punch, and coffee to our last meeting and stayed behind talking and eating. If we have another study, it won't be until spring when the weather is more dependable. Most of the women are elderly, and I won't ask them to come out in ice and snow and frigid temperatures, to protect their health.
I had a walk down memory lane last week. I went to visit cousins from both sides of my family...reliving times past, and catching up on current events in the families. I don't do that too often, so it was good for me to be with them.
This weekend we are celebrating Paul's mom's 80th birthday. She has a twin, so we will be celebrating with both of them. It's an occasion where both of their families will be getting together...a nice party for them. So now I will be with Paul's maternal side of the family. Holidays are all about getting together with others...families and friends, right? That's what makes them more enjoyable.
I haven't sent Christmas cards out for quite a few years...ever since emailing became the mode of communication. However, this year I felt like I wanted to send cards with notes to let people know how much they mean to me. We came through our toughest year financially, and it was through prayers and loving support that we made it. So I have spent the last few days writing notes in the cards and mailing them out. The last batch goes out today. I have particularly focused on the lonely, the elderly. My heart goes out to them.
Jesus is still the Reason for the season. He is my everything...He is my all. Through my quiet times with Him, I have strength to face my days. I want to represent Him well. That is my true purpose in life. Thank you for taking time to read this post. May you sense the love of Jesus in your heart in this moment.
Monday, November 3, 2014
November 2014 Update
I have not posted for quite a while, and yet some of you keep checking back faithfully. Thank you. I do hope eventually to get back to my series on "My Story, God's Story". I only got about half way through my life while I was writing it last winter. Perhaps this winter I will start in again while I am shut in on the cold blustery days.
This fall I have been teaching a women's Bible Study on Galatians: "Gleaning Galatians - To Be Set Free". We met in the back room of the campground snack bar until mid-October. Now that the snack bar has closed for the winter, we are meeting in the campground Prayer Cottage. This study should be completed in early December, as I know women will be getting ready for the holidays by then...decorating, shopping, all the things we look forward to as we prepare for time with our families.
We have made plans to meet with our family in Branson, MO this year. I made reservations for a time share with three bedrooms, and that should pretty much take care of us, along with the sofa bed in the living room. We will have a new family member join us this year, and we looking forward to getting to know her better. She comes to us from the state of Texas, so she has a warm southern accent, and I love to hear her talk!
We had our first snow fall last week, but just flurries in the air...nothing that stuck to the ground. We've been busy keeping the leaves mulched, and hopefully we are getting to the end of that forever task!
I'm still out walking 2-4 miles a day, so I so thankful for the days that have sun shining!! And that's what we have today, so I need to get walking!!
This fall I have been teaching a women's Bible Study on Galatians: "Gleaning Galatians - To Be Set Free". We met in the back room of the campground snack bar until mid-October. Now that the snack bar has closed for the winter, we are meeting in the campground Prayer Cottage. This study should be completed in early December, as I know women will be getting ready for the holidays by then...decorating, shopping, all the things we look forward to as we prepare for time with our families.
We have made plans to meet with our family in Branson, MO this year. I made reservations for a time share with three bedrooms, and that should pretty much take care of us, along with the sofa bed in the living room. We will have a new family member join us this year, and we looking forward to getting to know her better. She comes to us from the state of Texas, so she has a warm southern accent, and I love to hear her talk!
We had our first snow fall last week, but just flurries in the air...nothing that stuck to the ground. We've been busy keeping the leaves mulched, and hopefully we are getting to the end of that forever task!
I'm still out walking 2-4 miles a day, so I so thankful for the days that have sun shining!! And that's what we have today, so I need to get walking!!
Monday, August 25, 2014
August 23, 2014 - 39th Anniversary
I want to tell you all about this very special day. It's a cool story.
Started out with hubby sending me an email/anniversary love note...looking forward to having an anniversary lunch together on Sunday after he gets home (around noon).
I had planned special things to do each day while he was gone, usually involving a friend, or being with people. Today I decided I would just take myself out to McDonalds for lunch (had a coupon) and go to Meijers to get hubby some cokes and Klondike Heath ice cream bars...he loves both of those things and has not had coke since he left the US. The other part of my gift to him is having pizza for dinner tomorrow, since he's not had a pizza in two weeks, and it's his favorite meal.
Well, after my lunch at McD's I decided I would go ahead and go to Helzberg Diamonds jewelry store and turn in a card I had for a free pearl necklace (or earrings...but I don't wear earrings since I have hearing aids). I felt like God prompted me to go ahead, even though I felt cheap taking something for free and not buying anything.
When I walked in I was the only customer there, and the store assistant manager (female) and a store clerk (female) both greeted me. I showed them my card I had received in the mail, and they were "excited" for me to get a free gift. I said I couldn't afford to buy anything, was that okay. Oh sure. They took me to the back counter and showed me the earrings and the necklace. (I already knew I could buy the matching pieces for $29.99, according to my card).
I told them, "You just need to know. Today is my 39th anniversary, and my husband is out of town. He's been unemployed for the last year and there is no way he could afford to get me a gift. I didn't want to come to this store and take something for free without buying anything, but God reminded me that He was giving me this gift on behalf of my husband through you, Helzberg Diamonds." They both were touched and as they were ringing up my free receipt, the Asst. Mgr. put a pearl bracelet on my wrist that matches the necklace, giving it to me free also. Then they told me on the bottom of the receipt is a web site where I could take a survey and might win $500, but that the company loved to hear stories like mine, so be sure and share it on-line with them.
Since they weren't busy, the Asst. Mgr. asked me if I had ever seen a diamond magnified. Since I had not, she took me in a special room and showed me this beautiful solitaire diamond ring and put it under a magnifying machine. Wow. She told me what the colors meant, according to the cut of the diamond. I asked her how expensive that diamond ring was, and she said $11,000. Whoa. I don't know what size the carat was.
I told the girls that when my husband and I got married we just went to a store called Service Merchandise and bought matching wedding bands for $99 a piece. I had taken mine off over 15 years ago for a surgery, and could never get it back on. They said they sized rings and to bring it in. Then I said some day, when my ship comes in, I'm going to have a real diamond, I'm going to get my nails done by a professional (they both had beautiful nails), and I'm going on a cruise. I told them, "You are never too old to have dreams...dreams are free."
Then I said, "I just have to witness to this once again. This past year while my husband was out of work, God has taken care of us in so many special ways. We were not able to collect unemployment as he had worked for a non-profit, but God provided in His own ways. Then today for Him to give me a pearl necklace and bracelet, was just a very special gift from Him...and He is a God so worthy of serving. Thank you for being His agents today."
Other customers came in then and I left. What a precious love story for our 39th anniversary. I'm anxious for hubby to get home and tell me what special things have happened to him these past 10 days.
Oh...one more thing. I came home, did the on-line survey, and decided to find my wedding band so I could take it in to get it re-sized sometime. Put it on my finger, and it slipped right on!! That's what walking 4 miles a day will do for you! Makes your fingers skinny!!
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