Relaxing at the lake with our loved ones!

My hubby and I are sitting in Lake Pitt ( a gas station and convenience store) hooking up with the Internet. That has been the only problem we have encountered while we are here at the lake. Not that we have to be on the Internet constantly, but we have grown fond of being able to keep in touch with everyone via the air waves. Our cell phones can't get a signal...just when I get a Blackberry too! What good has it done for me?



Our four sons and the grandbabies were with us the first three days and we enjoyed water skiing and swimming. But now they have all gone home and our youngest went back home to pick up some friends so they can ski and swim for the rest of the week. We know he is old enough to take the boat out on the lake without us, but boy does that seem weird! Our baby doesn't need us. We do pray a lot though that he will use his head when out on the water. Things can happen so fast and someone could get hurt. But we have faith ...in him and in HIM.



Our grandson caught his first fish! I wish I could show you the picture but that will have to wait unitl I get home. We were all screaming like the child had just won the lottery. He kept the fish out so long so we could see it that it died before we got it back in the water. Poor thing!

I know I have said this so many times, enjoy your family...TODAY! At Clyde's funeral, I watched three of his four sons standing side by side and looking lovingly at their mother. One son was missing. I remembered Clyde and Joanne telling us that their son David died some twenty years ago. Life happens and so quickly a young man's life was shortened and his parents grieved for many months and years. Now Clyde is rejoicing with his son in heaven. In his son's place stood his friend, Jimmy. Even though David had been gone twenty years, his memory is forever sketched into Jimmy's heart and now he held back the tears just as a son would.

My hubby and I talked today in the quietness of the pool...we were the only ones there...about enjoying every moment as it happens. Not thinking about what we were going to do in a few hours or a few days; but being focused on the present. The present is a gift, a precious awakening of the soul to the love flowing one to another. I love that feeling. God is with us and we so grateful for His love and through His love we can love more deeply and passionately, for God is love.

My Interpretation:

When I live in the present, I embrace the present God has given me, my family!

A tribute to a godly man, Clyde Spence

Yesterday evening Joanne called to tell me her husband was in his last few hours here on earth and she knew he would want to see my husband. As we entered his room, I was reminded how life is but a breath and we should enjoy every moment we have with our loved ones. My hubby loves to read Ecclesiastes and so did Clyde. Here is a passage that helps us to make sense of life.

Ecclesiastes 3

A Time for Everything

¹ There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:

² a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,

³ a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,

⁴ a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,

⁵ a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

⁶ a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,

⁷ a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,

⁸ a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peacce.

Clyde was called home in the early hours of this day, July 3, 2009. He was a wonderful friend and mentor to my husband. A couple of years ago Clyde asked him to be a pall bearer with his 3 sons and 2 grandsons. This is an honor that humbles my husband. You never know how much you mean to people. Joanne also asked my husband to say a few words at the grave yard service. May God give him the words to say that will encourage Clyde's family!

Beautiful Ohio!

What a wonderful trip to Ohio! All of my siblings (there are 6 of us) gathered at my parents for a summer time party and most of their children came too. My children were not able to be there. So here's the list: Sister C and her husband, her three daughters and husbands/boyfriend with five little ones (and one on the way); my brother and four of his six children, my sister from Texas, her husband and son, my sister from Delaware, Ohio, her husband and two of her children, my brother from Lebanon, Ohio and his three children. That's 33…and then my aunt and cousin came…35 of us! It was noisy, fun and you could feel the energy of love!

I have not lived in my home town for over 15 years and only a few times have we gathered there during the summer at my parent's house. We have gone to the beach several times as a group and to the mountains, but with mom and dad getting older it's easier on them for us to go to Ohio. I had forgotten just how beautiful Ohio is and I'll download the pictures soon.

We did have a scare on our way there. I called my mom to tell her our estimated arrival time and she seemed a little disoriented. She was talking slow and couldn't remember things...like my husband's name. We've been married for 26 years! She told me her fingers were going numb and she thought maybe she had a stroke. I called my sister who went to their house and they called the squad. It wasn't a stroke but they think a seizure. I hope she tells her heart doctor because it really sounds like she is not getting enough oxygen to her brain. She said she has told her doctor that recently but he didn't think it was anything. Hope he's right. She was fine within a few hours and she will have a follow up in the next week.

It is so relaxing being around people who love you no matter what. They know the good, the bad and the ugly of me and may even at times get upset with me, but their love covers a multitude of sin. We are blessed to be a part of a God fearing family for when we go through crisis, such as divorce, job loss or when Jamie and Brittany were called home to be with the Lord, we have the common thread of prayer and the strength of the Lord to get us through. I am so thankful God put me in this family and I only pray they feel the same.

My Interpretation:

There is a marvelous ethos that has been created within my family that gets better and better each year.

Love, Respect and No Drips!

Last night my hubby and I attended a class on marriage. The focus was love and respect; how a woman needs love and a man needs respect. We have been married for 26 years now and have been very committed to our marriage and have pursued each other passionately. We have attended several marriage retreats, classes, done bible studies on marriage, taught classes on marriage, read many books, and practiced what we have learned. But we have also found that we can never rest on our laurels and think we don't have to work on our relationship. Sometimes we slip up and within a few days we find ourselves fussin' and fightin' over silly things and driftin' apart. It doesn't take long to go from a fantastic marriage to an irritating self seeking existence. When that happens one of us will hear God's voice and wake from our stupor and apologize. Even when I want to stay mad, I can't for the words, "I'm sorry, I was a butt head" melts my heart. Weird how that works!

No matter what we read or study, we always need...yes, need....to stay in close contact with God through prayer. God is so gracious to us when we humble ourselves and ask for guidance. Why does it take me so long sometimes to humble myself? Why do I want to have my own way and find ways to manipulate my hubby into doing what I want? Shame on me!!

It still amazes me how much we have grown closer together as we individually grow pursue God. I have been studying Proverbs in preparation for the message I will give at the Woman's Day in July, and I have to admit that the verses about the nagging wife upsets me. First of all because I am in denial and then because I am convicted. Could I possibly be a nagging wife? "A nagging wife is as annoying as a constant dripping on a rainy day" (Prov. 27:15 NLT) I would rather be considered as "more precious than jewels." (Prov. 31)

This morning when hubby left for work, he told me as he always does that he loved me, and for a change I told him that I respected him. We both laughed! He still wants to be told that I love him, and I want to know that he respects me. Love may be my top need, but respect is a close second.

My Interpretation:

It is through our relationship with God that we have a great relationship with one another....without God's intervention, our marriage could be just two people sharing a house and children. We want passion, love, respect and adventure! No dripping here...from either one of us!

Vacation Bible School…Queen Esther and gifts.

If you read my blog yesterday, you realized I was a little disturbed about the whole point system and rewards for giving money and gifts to the missions. Please know that I totally support missions, financially through my family's individual efforts and our church contributions. What I was worried about was the child being singled out for not giving. Last night the gifts were collected during the opening ceremony and the child just left it in the pew. The teacher made a note on her score card if the child brought something; so the other children, I don't think, even noticed if a gift was given or not. I think this is a better way than in a small group.

There are so many dedicated volunteers it's amazing! Every age group has at least three teachers and the younger group has even more. You can tell, they love children and want them to experience God. As the different groups came into my classroom to visit with Queen Esther, I was able to see how interested the children are in learning about the characters in the Bible. From first grader to fifth grade, the children were well behaved and listened intently on what Queen Esther had to say about Mordecai, the good guy, Haman, the bad man, and how Queen Esther was able to beg the King to save her people, the Jews.

My little princess (granddaughter) was in the first grade class and she made sure everyone knew I really wasn't Queen Esther but Grandma Barb. I am hoping being Grandma Barb is better to her then me being Queen Esther! I want so much for her to understand that God has a plan for her life just like He did for Queen Esther, and that one day she will walk into her destiny if she seeks God with her whole heart and soul. That was one point I wanted the children to take away …God has an individual plan for each of us. Amen!

My Interpretation:

God is in control and He watches over the little ones. His Holy Spirit will teach the children and lead them along the path holding their hands and guiding them into their destiny!

Vacation Bible School...what's our focus?

I have always enjoyed Vacation Bible School, watching the little ones learn about God and His people. There is this sense of awe in knowing the children will hear that God loves them for if they live in a home where those words or even the word love, is not spoken, they will hear it during VBS week. My grandchildren love the crafts and music too. Baby Hay, 3, remembers usually one thing, and tells me all about it. Princess, 6, remembers the songs and wants to sing them over and over.

Having been a VBS director, I certainly know the time and effort that goes into planning the week. Finding other volunteers who may be coming home and then quickly changing clothes and grabbing a bite to eat before spending three hours in a noisy environment, can be challenging. But God calls His people to help him get His words to the younger generation.

Missions has become a very important focus of VBS, rightly so. We want our children to know about the efforts of our missionaries and how we can help them. We take up an offering at the beginning of the VBS, every day; boys against the girls, to see who can bring in the most money for the mission. That in itself doesn't bother me, except for those children coming for the first time to church and not understanding (nor do their parents) how God is the One who propels us to do good by helping others. At the end of the day, our focus is how much money was brought in by the children and if they bring in enough they will have breakfast with the main characters of the theme. Are they giving because they understand how they help people or are they enthralled with all the hupla and reward.

The children have several ways to earn points so they can receive a prize at the end of the week. The point system involves, coming to VBS, coloring a picture, memorizing a Bible verse and bringing items for the missions, such as toilet paper, garbage bags or paper towels. So when the children are in their small group, they will be singled out if they do not bring an item. Let's say, little Susie comes from a family that brings 4 children to VBS, and they are not financially secure themselves. This causes undue stress upon the parents who tells the child that they just can't afford to send any items. Little Susie then goes to class and everyone else gets extra points for bringing paper towels. At the end of the week, Susie has done everything else asked of her but because her parents wouldn't send an item , she doesn't get as many points as the others in her class and therefore feels shame. Why would we put our children in this position?

I just can't imagine Jesus using our children to raise money. I can see Him using VBS to reach the children and their parents, telling them biblical truths and encouraging them to help others. But let's face it, if you are using this to teach the children about giving in secret as Jesus requires, we have missed His lesson. I took a child home and explained to the mother about the gifts and offering to the missions. She is a single mom with 4 children and a limited income and she loves the Lord. But her response surprised me yet it supports my stand. She jokingly replied, "Well we can't have people looking down on us, so I'll get something for them to take!"

Some people may have that attitude for real and it certainly is not what God requires. Now, I know she was just joking but for those not in church, what does this say to them? I believe in VBS and how it is vital for a church to reach the children. I want my grandchildren to attend and they love going to church, but I don't want them to think that they are to give money so they will be held in high esteem and win a prize. We give because God owns it all and we are to help others. Plain and simple...it should not be an extraordinary thing but an ordinary everyday choice we should make without even thinking about it.

My Interpretation:

That's just it...this is my interpretation and you may not agree with me at all. I am just trying to work through what I feel about how we use VBS as a means to support a mission and not as an outreach to teach Jesus and His ways only.

Father's Day!

My husband deserves the award for the best dad! He not only married me but he married my two sons who were then 8 and 10; now they are 34 and 36! Later we had two more sons who are now 17 and 22. My boys have a good role model and I am so proud of my hubby. Being a step father...a term we never use...is not an easy task. But my hubby has grown in his faith and he tries to be a godly earthly father so they will see the characteristics of our heavenly Father.

Oh, I can remember times when tempers would flare and I was caught in the middle, but once I realized it was a man thing and I didn't interfere, they worked things out. Now my sons, all four of them, call and ask for advice and when they are together they still play basketball. Of course, I was the one who taught them how to do the lay up. Ha! Ha! We laughed about that yesterday.

I know I have talked about my dad before, but he is an amazaing dad and he is the best dad for me!!