Speaking of heroes...

I have written so many things about my dad during these blogging years, and all of them are true. He was the minister, and we all looked up to him. 

But SHE was the light in his eyes, and the sparkle in our home...

As I reflect now, so many years later, I can see clearly why God lead my dad and mother together.

He was deeply spiritual. So was she, but she was also down to earth, practical, realistic, and... so much fun! She always used to say that while he had one leg in heaven, she was pulling on the other one to bring him back to earth!

My dad traveled all over the world, preaching and teaching, equipping the saints. My mother stayed home and raised 3 little urchins, trying to make them into 'future saints'.

He went into his study and prayed, and pored over the scriptures, writing books and preparing sermons.

She read and prayed every day, in the midst of the reality of raising us, keeping a home, working as a nurse, and speaking to women's groups all over the country, lots of it while dad was in another country.

He was strong.

She was strong.

Dad always knew that she was handling the home front as he traveled. She was! It gave dad the freedom to study, write and go preach.

As I look back now, I think what a blessed necessity it was for my father to have my mother. She supported him in every way, and he knew it. She was never a little quiet person in the background either, her personality drew others to her, she was one of those 'special ones' that people love to be around. There was always lots of laughter wherever my mother was, especially in our home.

I wonder how often she crunched the numbers and tried to stretch the dollars while dad was preaching overseas. She never made us feel like her budget was slim, even though it always was. She cooked like a chef, made life fun every day, and her joy was full. 

It was always important to them that we have good home cooked food on the table every day, and... good shoes. The rest of it was always on a shoestring. That makes me smile now. We always had both the food and the shoes, and somehow if we were short on the rest of it, we never felt it.

My mother celebrated life, every day. 

Today I'm celebrating her life. So much of who I am is because of who she was. I learned from her when I didn't even know I was learning.

Her life gave deep meaning to the phrase "little is much when God is in it". 

I am so thankful to be one of the 'nuts' that fell from their tree...



(the above photo is my mom with our daughter some years ago.)

Swatting at nothing...

Here I sit,  trying to work on my computer...

A tiny tiny head-of-a pin sized gnat is flying around in front of my screen. He actually doesn't fly, not in a direct easy to hit line, this one jumps around erratically.

Have you ever tried to GET one of those things??

I have swatted... fast, I have clapped my hands thinking I was trapping it in the middle... and as if to mock me, it flies around right in front of where I just clapped!

It just flew by again and landed on my nose. That does it!

Now I'm stopping everything, on high alert... I dare it to come by again.

I am sitting as still as a statue, going to fool him this time. 

He knows.

He is nowhere to be found.

Maybe I got him during one of those claps.

He isn't here anymore... 

Now I'm getting back to work.

It does make me wonder though, if his sisters and brothers are lurking.

It's now about 5 hours later, I'm back... and he just flew by! I KNOW it was him,  I recognize his flight pattern.

The moral of this story...

Don't just swat at those pesky little irritating habits that buzz around and distract your attention... deal with them decisively, or they will be back, maybe even bringing their sisters and brothers...