THE BEST BIRTHDAY PRESENT EVER!

THIS WEEK I CELEBRATED THE BEGINNING OF THE SECOND HALF OF MY LIFE! I've always said I'll live to be at least 100 and so that means I am in the infant stages of Part 2!

I turned 50 on Wednesday and a few days before I received the best birthday present you can imagine--for me! Rhiannon finally found the name of ONE of our grandfathers that served in the War for Independence (Revolutionary War)! HOORAY! This is a recent goal that has now been met! She stumbled upon this name, not the grandfather we were originally looking for that we knew had served--but another grandfather of whom we were totally unaware--James Wright, Sr. of Litchfield, Connecticut! And.....not only that....there was his will in his own words, testifying of his faith in Jesus. That is so exciting to find such a thing! In addition to that, excerpts from his son's diary told of life in the colonial days and how he remembered his soldier/father and how it was to see him coming home after they had been told he died in battle!

Rhiannon is a historical/genealogical sleuth and I'm so proud of her. She is discovering all kinds of things that my grandma, now passed on, would have loved to have known.

This was a good way to begin the 50th year of my life! I hope to pass on this Christian legacy and other good things to many people. May my second half of life be more productive for the kingdom of God than the first! Blessings, LORI

PART 2 OF "A HOPE AND A FUTURE" COMING SOON!

A HOPE AND A FUTURE

A friend recently made me aware that I might be able to encourage my blog followers with some of the experiences that I've recently gone through. So I've decided to do a series of posts to update, explain, encourage, and testify about the results of our recent "leap of faith."

Many of my readers are in ministry in one form or another, so I hope you can benefit from these next few posts or at least identify and add a hearty "Amen!" to my words. If you are not in some "official" ministsry, I hope that you will be blessed and uplifted in whatever your calling in life.

The picture I chose today reminded me of spring and the hope that this season brings. Here in Michigan we have little evidence of the change of season as yet, but today for the first time, I noticed some of the spring flowers' stems peeping through the ground. Tulips we planted in faith last fall were finally popping up! That's a sure sign that it won't be long until the promise of our hope, at least in the form of blossoms, will be coming. I saw the first purple crocuses in my big English garden today! Yet, our weather is still not very warm and the sunshine is sporadic.

As most of you know we recently resigned our pastorate with little to no idea of what our future would hold and about as much idea how we would make a living. At nearly 50 years old, (my birthday is this Wednesday), we weren't sure how wise it was to take such a risky step, yet we were sure the Lord was leading us. We are still in the infant stages of this move and can only testify to what we have already seen, not the complete working out of God's will as yet.

As spring approaches I am reminded of the long winter we've just come through and how it's not quite over yet. This seems to mirror our own experience in some ways. We have the sense that all is not yet shaken and sifted to "settle out." I keep getting a picture of someone panning for gold and the pan has a screen in the bottom. Water and sand are shaken through the screen to sift out the treasures. Some of the "water and sand" in our situation is still being shaken out, but we expect to find a gold nugget before it's all said and done. Does that make sense to anyone? I hope so. Or think of a glass container filled with half water and half dirt. When you shake it up, it looks muddy, but as things settle, the dirt settles to the bottom and the clear water rises to the top. It eventually becomes so clear you can see through it!

Jeremiah 29:11 says, "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." Like the coming spring, Clint and I are living with our eyes directed toward our future and hope in a way we haven't exercised in a while.

More thoughts tomorrow on how this "leap of faith" is working out! Blessings, LORI

GIRLS IN WHITE DRESSES WITH BLUE SATIN SASHES

HERE ARE SOME MORE EMMA BIRTHDAY PICTURES. I MADE HER THE LITTLE WHITE DRESS FOR HER THIRD BIRTHDAY AND SENT IT TO COLORADO. SHE BROUGHT IT OUT WITH HER ON THIS TRIP AND WORE IT FOR ME TO SEE!
Emma doesn't like her picture taken and didn't feel too great that day either, so we had to beg her to pose so I could get a picture of my sewing. The reason she got this dress is because "Apple Streudel," her name for "The Sound of Music," is her favorite movie. She watches it over and over. She especially likes the song about favorite things which mentions girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes.

Today we took Emma and Sophie and my daughter in law, Kori, back to the airport and said 'goodbye' for an undetermined amount of time this time. Last time we knew they'd be home in March and saying goodbye right after New Year's wasn't so hard. Now we aren't sure when our next get-together will be. Ahhh.......the dilemmas of a long-distance Granny! Can anyone relate? Blessings, LORI

A RABBIT BIRTH-TEA PARTY!

On Tuesday we celebrated Emma's 3rd birthday even though it was belated! She got her own special cup for tea and we poured it from the rabbit teapot (juice!). Yes, that's a piece of cheese with candles in it! Her mom said she's not much on cake and would be just as thrilled with candles in a piece of cheese--one of her favorite foods. Even though she was half joking, I decided to take her seriously and use a brick of cheese and black olives for candle holders. Black olives are one of Emma's favorites as well. Granny likes them too! She got to put her olives in the little egg cup. It was very cute!

AN EARLY SPRING UPDATE

I thought I'd write a little update to let my blog friends know I'm still alive! We have been very busy with our daughter in law and granddaughters home from Colorado Springs since Wednesday. Clint, Rhiannon, and another aunt picked them up from the airport in Chicago on Wednesday evening. I had to work and missed going along, but waited up til midnight to see them.

They stayed the first two days with us since Kori's little sisters were sick. On Saturday, Kori had to be in a wedding of a girl from our old church. That took up much of Friday and all of Saturday for her. On Friday evening we took Emma to our new church for a concert of a children's choir from Uganda! Emma was enthralled with the vibrant singing and dancing for almost the entire hour and a half before she got a little "antsy." She got up and stood behind our chairs and began to dance along with them. She loves musicals and dancing and at the tender age of just three, I think I see a life pattern here. We were seated in the balcony and suddenly at one point, Emma was so moved by the children that she darted for the double doors leading downstairs. Aunt Rhiannon caught up with her on the stairsteps and retrieved her! Emma said, "I have to go down there!" I see this as a possible indicator of ministry to come in her life. I can look back now and see the patterns of my own children and how they developed into ministry and life. Rhiannon always played a toy guitar and sang along with all the music in the house--and look how that turned out--a worship leader! JT was a compassionate little boy who always wanted to know if everyone he met was saved! Now he's studying in Bible school and I expect he will minister in some way with all that knowledge when he's finished.

Tomorrow we will have a morning birthday party for Emma--the only time we could fit in and hopefully spend some time together. Then on Wednesday I return to work and the girls head back to Chicago to catch a plane home. The time went so fast. But this is why I've not posted. Lots going on to keep me busy. As well as all that, we started cleaning out closets and bookshelves, etc. for a garage sale today. Have been walking for exercise too. For those of you who are praying for us on the evangelism front, we are ministering once again this weekend in an area church. We appreciate the prayers. We were at our new home church this last weekend for a very wonderful service that charged us up for more ministry! Blessings, LORI

TUESDAY EVENING SPEAKING ENGAGEMENT

This last Tuesday evening, I had a book signing at the local library where I work! It went very well and I wish there had been a better picture of me alongside this table, but alas, they were all very "interesting." Seems I was always caught with my mouth open! Well, it was a speaking engagement after all!

I talked about my two books and then a bit about the third in the series that I hope will be out later this spring. I used the example of my grandma's diaries to encourage people to journal down everyday events and family history for the sake of the future generations. I also spoke a bit about the traditional values in my books and how I think we need a return to good moral stability and the values that made us a great nation.

I had a great time, though I felt a bit nervous speaking on a topic as opposed to teaching Sunday School or giving a sermon. This was a little different and it's been a while since I did this kind of speaking. But once I got started, it went quite well. People asked lots of questions, which made it easier and I guess I'm a born talker! Wish you all could have joined me! Blessings, LORI

A SIMILAR LIKENESS........

I just finished another painting! I tried painting from a photograph this time. I think it went better overall! Rhiannon took this picture when we were in England. It is one of our favorites.

I had to think about the fact that I want to be an image of my Heavenly Father, a good likeness. I should be striving to be a better likeness of Him every day, not just a person with occasional similarities to His character. Thankfully, Jesus has made us righteous when we are "in Him!" The Father views us as His children through the wonderful grace of His Son! What a good thing that is! I need His righteousness since I will never "measure up!" Blessings, LORI