What Happened to 2020?

As I looked out into the snowy range, I wondered what happened to "2020"?  I can't believe that this is the last week of the year.  

The Roaring Twenty year started off so wonderful.  I was in Los Angeles welcoming the new year in.  Everything that you read said "this was going to be the year".  Everybody was thinking about the year, 1920.  There was even a book written "1920:  The Year That Made the Decade Roar".   I would say that "2020" was the year that roared.  What didn't happened in "2020"?

Here I am and now it is January 25, 2021.  As I look at my blog, I realize that I never hit publish.  

As "2020" roared through, I now see that "2021" is going just as fast.  

May I enjoy each day and treasure my family and friends that surround me!

 

Last Week in the Year 2020

The snow is coming down very slowly.  As I sit close to the window, I feel the cooler temperature as I look at the barren trees and wetlands.   The white snow flakes are slowly covering up the rocks and the birds are flying close together to keep warm.

I sit here and ponder that this is the last week of the year "2020".  So much happened in "2020".  It will definitely be a year that no one will forget.

The question is "what did I learn from 2020?"  As I look at the past months, weeks, days and hours, I want to think that this year was not wasted.  

What did I learn?

Am I a better person?

Am I less judgmental?

My spiritual life?

How did I see God work in my life and others?

Is my life better because of the year?

Did I complete the various tasks that I wanted to do for the year?

There are so many questions.

The one thing that I do know is that I feel peace in my life.  When everyone else is feeling turmoil and they are afraid of the unknown, I can say that there is a calmness that I can't explain.  

Isaiah 54:10 - "For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed," says the Lord, who has compassion on you."

As Mary pondered over the birth of Jesus, I ponder over this past year.  May I continue to allow my life to be directed by the Spirit as I encounter another year!

Losing A Parent

Today, I am writing about losing a parent.  Today is also December 7th, Pearl Harbor Day.  President Franklin Roosevelt stated that this would be "a date which will live in infamy".  Seventy-nine years ago, the Japanese sneak attack on Pearl Harbor killed 2,403 service members and civilians.  

I wouldn't say that my father's death is "a date which will live in infamy", but rather "a date which will live in glory".  A date that my dad left this earth to live in heaven.  A date that he was healed and can now hear(he was 99% deaf) and his body is healed from the multiple myeloma.

I have lost two earthly fathers, my biological on August 5, 1995 and my step-father on November 10, 2020.  My sister and I were both fortunate to have two dads.  I guess God thought we needed two to get us through life.  

My dad had been growing weak for many years.  Within three years, he lost almost fifty pounds.  Life was challenging for him for the past several years due to his lack of hearing.  Even with hearing aids, it was a challenge.  I know it was very difficult for him all these years not to hear the voices of the people that he loved.  But he always had a smile and was always asking us "do I owe you any money?"

The last week of his life, I was fortunate to be able to care for him and to nurse him.  I am not a nurse.  I have never had any children to nurse.  Here I was giving medicine to him to assist with the pain, anxiousness and confusion.  God gave me the opportunity to show love to a man who took care of my mom and the two girls that she had when they met in 1959.  They married three months later and a year and half later, she gave birth to my brother. 

To nurse someone means that the patient must be able to trust you, as well as the caregiver must respect, be kind and compassionate to the person that you are caring for.  There was a certain bond between my dad and I.  One that can not be explained.  I knew that he knew his time was not long for this world.

Until one has completely given themselves to caring for someone, one can not understand what it means to have that "warm fuzzy feeling".  It is a feel good attitude.  Glad that you could do it attitude.  Everyone needs to experience that at least once in your life.  Just by taking care of your child(ren); a family member or a friend.

I am blessed to be almost "67" and to have the opportunity to enjoy my mom and my dad .  I have so many friends my age that have lost both of their parents.  Is it hard to see them age?  Yes, it is.  But it is also a blessing to be able to take care of them as they have taken care of me.

I have now experienced the death of two fathers.  My life will never be the same.  But it is now up to me to carry the torch for the next generation of life and to celebrate each person's life.  To remind people that this older generation has a lot to share and to give.  Maybe they are older and can't move as fast or hear me as I speak, but they do have a purpose.  A purpose in showing other people how to love and how to age.  

As I look at myself, I know that I am in my last quarter of life.  Does that depress me?  If I thought about it all the time, it would.  But I choose to give all that I have in this last quarter of life.

As I reflect on the past weeks, I am reminded of the kindness that family, friends, neighbors and just other people that I have interacted with have been so loving and kind.  People do have a heart.

What do I want others to understand about losing a parent?  It is hard.  It doesn't matter what age you are or how long you have spent with a parent.   I will give myself time to grieve.  We all grieve differently and at different times.  I will reminisce about my dad with mom, my sister and other family and friends.  Everyone is placed in our lives for a reason.  I will reflect on what I have learned.   There are memories there.  Keep them alive.

I will also remind myself of God's love.  That all things are in his timing.  Such as my father's death.  Revelation 3:7 reminds us that God holds the keys to life.  

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 says "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God".

When someone loses a parent or a spouse or a good friend, be a good listener.  The truth is what can you say except "I am so sorry for your loss" or "I am very sad, please accept my condolences".  I know that if you are quiet, you will give the person the opportunity to talk about their grief or maybe they just need someone to hug and to cry.

As I move forward, I will enjoy my mom and give her the support she needs during this time.  I am thankful that I still have my mom.  She means so much to me, my sister, my niece, my great-nephew and so many others.  She has been the one to encourage us to do better, to step out and just do it!  We will now give her the encouragement that she needs.

Death is the process of life.  We are born and we die.  How will we handle it?  

I want to share some verses that have given me hope as I journey through this pain of loss.

Revelation 2:14 = "He will wipe every tear from their eyes..."

Psalm 34:18 = "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds."

Psalm 46:10 = "He says, "Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."

1 Peter 5:7 = "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."

Psalm 56:8 = "Record my misery; list my tears on your scroll--are they not in your record."

Psalm 34:18 = "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit."

Psalm 46:1 = "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble."

I could go on and on.  God's words are so comforting to me.  He is what gives me hope and a will to continue living when we do lose someone very dear to us.

My prayer is that you will be still and ask God to give you the strength that you need for a new day and a new beginning!  Show others how you need to live life now!

What Season Are You Experiencing?

For the last 6 weeks it has been fall in Northern Colorado.  There was a crispness in the air(cooler evenings/mornings & warm days).  The leaves were changing from green to red, gold, orange and brown.  The flowers were having their last hurrah at being vibrant in color.  I was enjoying every minute of the day.  Walking in my shorts during the day, riding my bike and enjoying a relaxing afternoon sitting outside in the warm sun.

With all the beauty around, there was also danger.  Forest fires were beginning to pop up throughout Colorado.  Within days, the dark heavy smoke was beginning to hang over our home.  We were being warned about the air quality due to the wildfire smoke.  Individuals, families and pets were being evacuated all around us.

Without moisture, the fires would spread.  Everyone began to pray for the moisture(rain/snow) that was needed to calm the fires.

Early Sunday morning, the moisture began with rain and quickly began to change to snow due to the drop in temperature.  Waking up to a pure, white snow covering our surroundings, you could almost begin to feel the heavy weight of forest fires lifted.  The temperature continued to drop and it snowed all day long.  By the end of the day, we had almost 10 inches of snow.   The mountains received lots of snow(one to two feet).  The fires have been tamed for now.

As I talk about the seasons, I think about the four different periods of the year(spring, summer, fall & winter).  Times of the year that the conditions of the weather are different, as well as the temperatures.  And some areas have wet or dry seasons.

Aren't our lives like seasons?  I like all seasons because they all reflect something different.  

I do enjoy the fall season, as you do enjoy the cooler evenings and warmer days.  Changes are happening.  Birds are flying south, such as the swainson hawk that flew from Loveland to Argentina; squirrels are collecting their nuts; salmon begin to swim upstream to their spawning grounds and so much more is happening.

We have all had many changes this year with COVID.  Everybody has their own story or stories.  God has worked among each one of us.  How is He working in your life?  Philippians 1:6 says "God who began the good work within you will keep right on helping you grow in His grace until His work within you is finally finished on that day when Jesus Christ returns."

And now, the season is changing into winter.  What does that mean?  To me it means, shorter days, long nights and colder days.  Does this mean that I throw in the towel?  I do believe it is a time to reflect.  "To be still and to know that God is God".  

There are seasons in our lives to allow our roots to grow deeper.  To give us the strength as we go through various trials of life.  The seasons only make us stronger, if we allow them to.

Through the seasons this year, I have gone through a lot of heartache, as I heard about the death of many friends.  It wasn't due to COVID, but to heart issues, cancer and other circumstances.  Other friends have lost jobs or their homes; some have health issues; the hatred and disrespect among individuals and our country and others are just having a hard time understanding this pandemic.

As you experience your own season, I encourage you with these verses that mean a lot to me:

"We know that in all things God works for good with those who love him, those whom he has called according to his purpose."  Romans 8:28

"To have faith is to be sure of the things we hope for, to be certain of the things we cannot see."  Hebrews 11:1

"Put it in writing, because it is not yet time for it to come true.  But the time is coming quickly, and what I show you will come true.  It may seem slow in coming, but wait for it; it will certainly take place, and it will not be delayed."  Habakkuk 2:3

"I alone know the plans I have for you, plans to bring you prosperity and not disaster, plans to bring about the future, you hope for."  Jeremiah 29:11

There are so many more verses to share.  I know that as I have gone through my many seasons of life, God has provided scriptures for me to quote, to read and to hold on to.  

I don't know what you are going through and where you have been, but I do know that there is a God that loves you and wants the best for you.  Hold on to Him, hold on to His word and just hold on to life.  The season will change.  That is a known fact.

Fall Season

This past Sunday.

Looking at the smoke from the fires at our house.

Road Trip - Day 6

Another beautiful morning!  We were packing up and moving on down the road.  Before leaving Marble Falls, we stopped at one of our favorite restaurant, Blue Bonnet Cafe.  It is definitely an icon of Marble Falls.

People have been coming to this restaurant since 1929.  It has been updated, but the great food and friendly staff has not changed.  Kenny started going to the Blue Bonnet in 1983.  His job took him there every week.  He always looked forward to going in and having Rose wait on him.  It seemed like she always knew when he would walk in, as she would have the paper and a cold glass of milk waiting for him.  Rose wasn't just any waitress.  She was the one with the beehive hairdo, long fingernails, dark lipstick and a smile.   After Kenny and I got married in 1986, we would travel from Austin about once a month to go see Rose.  Rose became like family to us.  In 1989, we moved to Bismarck, North Dakota and we continued our relationship by mail.  During our time in North Dakota, Rose was diagnosed with lung cancer and died within the year.  Our heart was sadden to hear about this.  We did find out that the owner of Blue Bonnet Cafe, John, took care of her medical bills.

Walking into the cafe, the first thing that I saw was all the different pies.  They make their pies fresh each day.  The bakers have perfected the mile-high meringue and creamy custard fillings.  They have a variety of pies to select from.  The pie that I purchased was the coconut cream pie.  We were driving to my parents and my mom loves coconut.  Also, my mom's older sister loved to bake coconut pies all the time.  It was her specialty.  Some choices of pies are the various fruits(apple, cherry, peach), pecan, fudge, peanut butter, chocolate and about seven others to choose from.

The sweet waitress came to our table and brought out her pencil and pad to take our order.  I had to have the Texas toast, eggs and grits.  Good 'ole southern breakfast.  It was nice to be there, but we missed having Rose take our order.

As we paid our bill, Kenny asked about John, the owner.  We were sad to find out that John had died in May at the age of 67.  He had suffered from complications associated with Parkinson's disease.   The obituary stated "he had purchased the Blue Bonnet Cafe in 1981 and had turned it into the world-famous  restaurant known for its southern comfort food and a myriad selection of pies".

Getting into the truck, we talked about the impact that the cafe and the people that had worked there had made on our own lives, as well as others.  Praying that the "Blue Bonnet Cafe" can survive this pandemic so that other's can be touched by the people who work there.

The truck seemed to know where it was going.   We headed north on 281 to Waco.  We were going to celebrate my dad's 90th birthday with family.  As we drove northeast on the farm-to-market roads, we enjoyed seeing the cattle grazing, windmills turning and the wide open range.  For September, the weather was nice with blue sky and puffy white clouds.  

On our way to Waco, we traveled through Gatesville.  This town has a population of about 16,000.  Some facts.  The city has five of the eight prisons and state jails for women.  The county museum has a collection of about 10,000 pairs of spurs.  Wish we would have time to stop to see all those spurs.  There is also a drive-in picture show.  It is one of the seventeen remaining.  With the pandemic, people have enjoyed going to the drive-in this summer.  The Coryell County Courthouse sits in the heart of downtown Gatesville.  This historic courthouse was built in 1897 and finished in 1898.  Stones were cut and hauled in wagons to build it.  Four statues(two of Liberty and two of Justice) adorn the top of the building and an eagle in flight tops the clock tower.  

As we left Gatesville, we drove east on US 84.  In forty-five minutes, we would be at my parent's home.  There wasn't much traffic as it was Labor Day.  We drove through several more small towns and we followed the Blue-Bell truck into McGregor.  If you have never have had Blue Bell Ice Cream, you need to try it.  In the early 1900's, a creamery in Brenham, Texas began making ice cream and delivering it to neighbors by horse and wagon.  They produce over 66 different flavors.  Enough about Blue Bell, let me tell you some facts about McGregor.  

McGregor is another small town with a population of 5,000.  It is only about twenty minutes from Waco.  It is the site of the former Bluebonnet Ordnance Plant to make munitions during WWII.  After the war, the site has been used by a number of companies to make rockets.  In high school, several of my friend's fathers worked for Rocketdyne in designing rocket engines.  But now days, McGregor is known for the Magnolia House.  It was renovated by Chip and Joanna  Gaines in Season 3 of Fixer Upper as a bed and breakfast.

At 11 am sharp, Kenny and I pulled into my parent's driveway.  My sister, brother-in-law and nephew got there the day before.  My niece and her family, who live in Waco, were there to greet us.  There is something about being with family.  It had been a while since we had all been together in one location.  My dad and mom were all smiles as they had the family there.  We enjoyed some delicious barbeque beef, as well as beans and potato salad.  Of course, there was that delicious coconut pie that we had brought from the Blue Bonnet Cafe.

Celebrating dad's 90th birthday, made this Road Trip!  Like I have said road trips are all about seeing the country and stopping and visiting with family and friends.

Blue Bell Ice Cream; Blue Bonnet Cafe; pies and Coryell County Courthouse

Celebrating dad's 90th!

Road Trip - seeing Texas

Road trips are all about seeing the country as well as visiting with family and friends.  Friday night, we spent the night in Boerne, Texas.  That evening we visited with Kenny's aunt and uncles and cousins.  We hadn't seen everyone in about 4 years.  The next day would be the wedding of one of the cousin's sons.

Saturday morning, it was overcast and humid.  I don't miss the humidity even though it does keep your skin looking younger.  This morning, we were meeting a friend at a cute restaurant called The Dienger Trading Co. It was established in 1884.  A hard-working German pioneer, Joseph Dienger, settled into the Texas hill country constructed the grocery store on the street level and the family living on top.  And now it is a bakery, espresso bar and bistro where breakfast and lunch is served.

Sunday morning after meeting family for breakfast at a deli, Max & Louie's, in San Antonio, Kenny and I headed to Marble Falls.  Marble Falls is about 80 mile north of San Antonio and 35 miles northwest of Austin.  When I lived in Austin, it was always fun to take a Sunday drive to Marble Falls.  Back in the 80s, it definitely was a small town.  Now, it has a population of about 6,000.  More and more people are moving here to get away from the big cities.  It is a great place for retirement.  

Some history is that it is named after waterfalls which are now located at the bottom of Lake Marble Falls.  In 1917, the city elected the 1st female mayor, Ophelia Crosby "Birdie" Harwood, in the nation.  Even though women had yet to gain the right to vote when she took over leadership of Marble Falls.

Another fun place to see is Granite Mountain, which is a solid dome of pink granite rising over 860 feet one mile west of Marble Falls.  The pink-red colored rock has been used in the construction of the Texas State Capitol in Austin, Texas and also for the construction o f the Galveston Seawall.  

With the COVID situation, there are many restaurants and shops that have closed.  Praying that this small town will be able to make it.  Tourism is so important to this town.

Kenny and I got checked into our hotel.  Because it was Labor Day weekend, the hotel was busy.  The employees said that most of the summer it had been pretty slow.

A good friend, Julia had moved to Marble Falls about 10 years ago.  We knew her well from the church that we attended in Houston.  Julia had been a good friend of Kenny's mom.  She was turning "90" within the next week, so we wanted to visit and wish her a happy birthday.  It was so good to see her.  She was moving slower, but she still had that beautiful smile.  It is amazing what you learn about a person when you stop and listen.  In her earlier years, she had taught music in middle school for almost 20 years and then in the 70's she taught computers.  After retiring from teaching, she then did several other jobs and up until about three years ago, she was working for the newspaper office in Marble Falls.  She was rolling those newspapers and stuffing them into plastic covers.  I always wonder, who did that job.  Wow!  It just goes to show you that being physically active is very important to your life.

After visiting with Julia, we enjoyed a walk around the park watching the families fishing and playing in the lake.  Then to the top evening off was the beautiful sunset.  Another fun day on the road.

Why I Pray!

 The early mornings are the best.  As I opened up my eyes, I looked at the clock and it read 5:45 am.  It was still dark and I could feel the cool breeze as it came through the window.   I pulled the blanket up to my throat and laid there praying for family and friends. 

I stumbled into the kitchen to turn on the coffee.  As I looked through our huge picture window, I could see lights coming on across the wetlands.  Others were gradually beginning their day.  The aroma of the coffee began to wake me.  I poured some coffee into my mug and added a bit of half n'half and sipped on it very slowly as my brain began to wake up.

I wanted to begin the day sitting in my rocker and looking out into the new day.  The window faces west, so I could see the reflection of the sun rising.  The salmon, orange colors glowed in my neighbor's windows.

I gathered my various devotional books and my bible and I began to read.  The last few days I have been thinking about what someone had said about "why do people pray, if God already knows?"  That is such a great question.

I believe that God knows all things, but I don't know all things.  When I take time "to be still and to listen to Him", I begin to feel the Spirit that is within me.  By taking time to pray and to talk with God, a peace comes over me to let me know that everything will work out the way it is suppose to. 

Praying is as if you are getting a glimpse into who God is.  Such as when I watch a sunrise or sunset, I feel that I am seeing God and He is with me.

Praying gives me a calmness to understand what He is doing.  My eyes are opened and hopefully the eyes of whoever I am praying for will be opened as well.  To understand that the Lord will guide and direct each person through their situation(s) or give them the wisdom for decisions that need to be made.

God's glory will be seen as it is seen in His creation.  

Psalms 19:2-4 says, "Each day announces it to the following day; each night repeats it to the next.  No speech or words are used , no sound is heard; yet their voice goes out to all the world and is heard to the ends of the earth."

Just as each day there will be a sunrise and a sunset, there will always be His Spirit.  My prayers will help me to grow closer to Him and to know that whatever or whoever I am praying for is actually being used so that I can grow closer to Him.  

Praying is as if you are looking at God's creation.  He created all things and He knows all things.  The beauty around me is not an accident.  His prayers are not by accident.  

By praying or talking to God, I begin to reflect on what needs to change within myself.  Through prayer, He refreshes my soul, He gives me wisdom and He opens my eyes to see.

If you have never prayed, then stop and be still and talk to God as if He is standing right there in front of you.  I know you can't see Him, but you can feel His spirit.  Praying will change your heart and your outlook on life.

"I pray for you constantly, asking God...to give you spiritual wisdom...I pray that you will begin to understand the incredible greatness of his power."  Ephesians 1:16-17, 19