Hey, I'm back with all these changes!

Truthfully, I have avoided blogging these last few months. Too much life happening and not enough brain power left over to document it faithfully.

But now, with part of a Saturday evening to myself with a great little collection of tunes playing on Pandora and a mug of decaf by my side, I guess I'm ready to jump back in.

Since June when I last posted, Life has felt like it's been on the ride of its life...(?) Okay, doesn't make sense but I'm not deleting it.

I'll start from today and walk backwards.

Today my family said good-bye to my grandmother. We buried her next to Grandpa. Brilliant blue sky and nippy October air accompanied us. My brother, Dan, led us in some scripture and some thoughts of his own about Grandma; then the rest of us shared our own thoughts.
Twelve of us sat together for about 30-40 minutes. Agreeing with each other on the insights they shared; what DNA had been passed on to them from Grandma. Lots of words of thanks and gratefulness for Grandma. Then we put beautiful flowers in a permanent vase above the head stone, said a prayer and walked away. That was it. There just wasn't anything else to do.
And though it was sweet and sincere it was sad as well. No more memories to make with grandma.
Over the last couple of years when Grandma began really aging quickly I gained some insight into my own inevitable aging process.
I'm not going down without a fight.
I'm aware I can't control health problems totally, but I'm not going to just let age happen. I'm really going for the aging gracefully idea.
For the most part my Grandma was very sharp minded and she did age gracefully. It wasn't until about the time she turned 90 that it started to go down hill.
I think that's pretty dern good.

Walk backwards with me to Thursday.
I attended the funeral of a man I wish I would've known better. We were there for our his son; our new son-in-law, who we love. As Paul sat by me I felt grateful to have him there right next to me as we listened and ached over the weeping of many of Alex's family.
Surreal is how it seemed.
A man younger than me. Healthy one day and ill the next and 9 days later we're having his funeral. I was without many words. Like many, feeling helpless.
The pastor quoted a verse from Ecclesiastes that was very profound. It's something King Solomon said, "When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other."
For me there is peace in that. Life gives us so many twists and turns. I learned a long time ago that the only thing that is permanent in our lives is change.
With my best mothery, gentle voice I write- the better we can adjust the better off we'll be.
Go with the flow and 'Trust in God not in man'.

(In my tour guide voice) Now we're walking, we're walking to the beginning of October.
Lydia left her boots because there won't be so much rain in L.A. I get to use them.
They loaded up there truck and they moved to Bev-er-ly...hills that is...swimming pools...actually Glendora; which does have hills.
This was a bit strenuous for me. I really had to stretch my sad muscles a bit. It been awhile since I'd been that kind of sad. So it sort of hurt for a while.
It was the change that I wasn't liking. With them living with us for four months I'd become dependent on seeing their beautiful faces every day, and having the conversations and smelling those strong spices and herbs Lydia was accustomed to cooking with. It was all going to be different. What I had become so comfortable with and love so much was changing.
After Josh and Lydia's move, Paul and I dragged ourselves around the house that day keeping busy by cleaning the house.
Jumping to the present and now that they are getting settled down south, Paul and I are just fine on our own. The house seems kind of big, but we know how to fill it up pretty well with dinners for friends and other gatherings.
We are welcoming the change, actually. Once we wrap our heads around this new concept of being 'empty-nesters' (not my favorite description we've been tagged with.) There definately advantages to being just a couple.

Isn't that the best paper bowl hat you've ever seen? I think so.
Lydia designed it for the wedding rehearsal.

September 18th Emmy changed her life forever. Changed ours in the process, too. Now we have a new son.
I have to start backwards, though. This whole wedding event happened pretty quickly.
- June 28th(?) Emily and Alex got engaged.
- September 18th they got married.
Nothing pressing except they wanted to get married.
For now and for always they decided.
I love how practical they both are about it. How they dug right in and started watching teaching series on DVD's about marriage, about staying in love and about real topics they knew they would have to face and get through. They make a wonderful couple.
If you are interested you can watch their wedding here: http://weddings.theknot.com/pwp/pwp2/view/MemberPage.aspx?coupleid=7346103869520755&pid=2192719&MsdVisit=1
Sorry for the long link.

Anyway, from July to September was a bit on the busy side. With my Fibro issues I was trying to stay balanced. Paul was my watchdog, which I didn't always like but I would never want him to stop doing it. I dare say I did fairly well after I started taking B12/B6/Folic Acid shots 3x a week.
I guess that's another change but to discuss at a different time...my whole change for the better with my Fibromyalgia issues.
So...walking backwards to before September, 3 weeks before the wedding...Paul's Mom passed away. It was quite a week, that week. Paul and I did the preparation for the memorial service. Paul spoke (did an excellent job) I put the wedding planning on hold. We were away from home for almost a week.
Let's all say the word f-l-e-x-i-b-l-e together now.
We both walked away from that experience with a very peaceful yet exhausted feeling. Paul's Mom was given a sweet tribute. Paul's large family gathered and got reacquainted. The ladies of Immanuel Lutheran Church did a wonderful job of providing more cookies for the reception than we could ever eat.
And I remember going home and being so happy to once again sleep in my own bed.

That's it.
Four and half month history. I hope there are not anymore major changes too soon. But, of course, it's pretty much out of my control for the most part.

I'd like to pick up the pace with my art work, maybe even sell some illustrations.
I'd like to be able to just sit and finish a couple of books I started around Mother's Day.
Maybe even make Christmas gifts.
Lots to think about.

Just another reason to love my Crowder Band

The Unforced Rhythms of Grace

"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me-watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."
Matthew 11: 28-30 The Message Bible


Photo by Josh England

The phrase, 'The unforced rhythms of grace' has really caught hold in my mind. I mean, at first I had to ask myself what this poetic stretch of words actually meant.

Unforced rhythms of grace?

I've put the pieces together like this: Christ wants me to have a relaxed, unhurried gait to describe my life with him.
Religion taken on as the way to please God is a cadence that keeps me focus on a exacting pattern, of steps that need to stay in line and measured. It's trying to be a person others say I am supposed to be in order to receive acceptance from God.

My definition of grace: Loving, caring, respecting others beyond what is humanly possible on my own. Experiencing how Christ can work through me. Seeing that plain ol' me with all my kinks and flaws is worthy of being used by Christ.

This is what my mission in life is. This is who I want to be every day. I need to ask for God's grace to be shown to others every day.

I'm not saying this to get a pat on the back, just to let you know how much this means to me- to see others being loved, influenced, encouraged because of how Jesus works through me is just INCREDIBLE.

A wonderful discovery

A Wonderful Discovery: a new artist to admire
The Old Testament meets Beijing Opera
He Qi, believes Christian art should be bright. "I read the first chapter of Genesis, the creation, and God says, 'Let there be light.' So God's creation is a very, very colorful world." This idea goes against the centuries-old tradition in Chinese academic art — minimalist still lifes and landscapes usually done in black ink on white paper.
He Qi (pronounced huh-chee) says that there is a precedent for colorful Chinese art, even though it has been given very little wall-space in Western museums. "Chinese folk art, for Chinese minority people, their folk art is very, very colorful." In five years in the Chinese countryside and another four in rural Tibet, He Qi says he learned about folk painting and paper cutting.
He Qi incorporates Chinese and world art history into other Chinese symbolism. Moses is one of the Bible characters who, in He Qi's paintings, has the face of a dragon over his belly. "A dragon is a symbol for power, for the emperor. Chinese emperor clothes always were full of dragons," He Qi says. In his code, the dragon in the belly indicates the power and unction of the Holy Spirit.
Song of Solomon 5:2-8 A tanned village girl is the Beloved, telling the story of how she ran through the streets looking for her lover. He Qi cleverly combines sections of the Book that compare her features to architectural features, and the image of her pressing her ear to the wall, listening for him.








Exodus, based on Exodus 7—1y the evidence of his hard-heartedness (the river of blood that sweeps down and left, the dead and stinking fish, the frogs), two-faced Pharaoh looks sorry enough. But Aaron, in front of Moses, has his cane ready to call down the plague of gnats. A mysterious red eye looks heavenward.
Joshua Blowing Trumpet, based on Joshua 6 The collapsing wall of Jericho is painted over the Hebrews blowing their trumpets. Joshua, in the headdress of a high official, has the dragon in the belly.

Jonah and the Whale, based on Jonah 1—2
Sailors roll Jonah overboard into the path of a giant carp. The sea, an upright Buddha-like figure whose hand is the sun, is the presence of God that Jonah tried so hard to run from. The intense blue of the piece and its stained-glass black lines point to Chagall's influence on He Qi's art.


You find the original article that I took my content at :
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2008/aprilweb-only/117-51.0.html

Emily channels Britney

I told Em I was going to post this. Some of you may have seen it before on Em's blog last July, but it's worth posting on my blog, just because it's going to be one of those videos to show her kids someday.

At least I got asked to the Prom

The other day my daughter, Lydia, and I were having a conversation about something that led her to ask the question about my going to proms in high school.

Well, I never went to a prom or a dance. I never had a date in high school. I was the quiet girl that had would only sit at the front of the classroom by seat assignment. Err...seat assignments.
But it brought up a memory I have of being asked to the Junior/Senior prom in 1974. It was Bruce Dalen who asked me.

We met in Typing class. We had the newest in typewriter technology.... a sweet, Corona electric typewriter. Imagine the hum of 25 of those all clacking away at the same time.

Bruce sat right behind me. I don't remember how we even got started talking. I just remember he has a great sense of humor. Sometimes, we would throw a few witty words back and forth at each other during class, which was easy because it didn't seem like the teacher cared, and the din made it so know one could really hear us anyway.

Thinking back I can see the top of his mop of blond hair and his big shiny wire frame glasses looking over the typewriter roll bar. He could not have been more than about 4"8'.
The word on the street (school hall way) was that he was short because of a glandular problem and he was getting shots to grow taller. I never asked him about this because I thought it would be rude. It didn't really matter to me why he was short, I thought he was a nice person.

During Spring Quarter talk began about Prom. I had made plans to go to Klamath Falls for a youth retreat. I was relieved to have plans for that weekend. I assumed there would be no chance of anyone asking me to the prom that same weekend. I wanted to have something I could tell my friends I was doing in place of it. After all, even though I knew I would be petrified to actually have a prom date I didn't want to look like a loser with no plans at all.

One day while a friend (who will remain nameless-you'll learn why soon enough) and I were doing our daily lunch ritual of walking around the halls avoiding eye contact with other kids walking around the hallways. It was an easy way to check other people out...who's a couple, how they acted and what everyone was wearing...but then act like I didn't care one iota.

Just before our right curve at the Biology Lab Bruce and his twice as tall friend (seemed that way) came scooting up. My 'friend' stands right behind me leaning against the lockers. A couple seconds go by and we've all made semi-good eye contact.

"Hey, Julie, I was wondering if you'd like to go to prom with me?" I was shocked...and flattered...and panicked all at the same time. My eyes veered to the floor, and then I hear something like a locker door slamming behind me. All three of us look up to see my 'friend'
hitting the locker with her fist, her head leaning against it laughing hysterically.

Grrr...

I think my answer fell on slightly deaf ears. He heard 'No', even though I gave him an explanation. Thinking back, I am not sure what my facial expression looked like with my embarrassment growing because of the scene behind me. I always felt they may have misinterpreted what my face was showing was embarrassment towards them.
My ridiculous hall-partner was growing red in the face from laughter.

I wanted to strangle her.

I have thought through this scenario many times since I was 16. Mostly, when telling others stories about my high school years. I know I had wanted to run down the hall and apologize to Bruce. I know I had wanted to never speak to that 'friend' again.
I remember standing in the middle of the hallway watching him and his tall friend turn the corner knowing he was hurt and angry.
As boldly as I could I told my 'friend' off. Which isn't saying much, because it was about a tenth of what I'm able to do now.

To say the least, having someone hurt and mad because of me, was terrible. Whether I imagined it or not, it seemed like he went out the way to avoid me; I caught his tall friend scowling at me a couple of times. It seems like he didn't even show up at typing class the rest of that quarter.

The whole incident became an invisible little sliver I could not pull out. I prayed for something to happen so he'd know I was still his friend. If I could just catch his eye during band practice and give him a little reassuring smile. But he wouldn't look at me.

The following year, I was a junior and he was a senior. One day it happened. We both came out of different doors into a skinny hallway by the band room. He was smiling thinking about something and with my best effort gave him full eye contact with a big smile. He smiled back and said something funny. We chuckled.

The curse was lifted. We were friends again.