Christmas Week 2014

In reading Ann Voskamp's blog earlier this week, I was reminded of how low Jesus stooped to be born in a stable.  She mentioned how her son "forgot" to shower after doing his chores in the barn and how embarrassed she was to smell the barn odor as they sat in church.  It reminded me of my own growing up years on the farm.  One spring as school was letting out, my dad informed my sister and me that we would be taking turns during the summer helping him in the barn preparing the cows for milking.  I took my turn first.  My job was to wipe the udders to prepare for my dad to put the milking machine on the cow.  Cows are not picky about what they lie in and their udders were invariably caked with manure.  My job was to take a bucket of water and a rag and wipe those udders clean.  I worked away diligently for a week, then spent hours washing my hands trying to get that manure smell off.  Ugh.  It was not easy.  Being the picky, fussy "Miss Priss" that I was, I talked my sister into taking my turn the rest of the summer.  To this day, she is my best friend!

I found one picture of a cow I used to own - in an old photo album, but the picture was unsalvageable.  This one, though, gives a good idea of what our barn was like.  The cows were all in a row with heads in the feed trough and back ends near the gutter.  As you can see, their tails are just caked with manure and they were very good at switching them in your face while you were cleaning their filthy udders.  Oh yes, it was a lovely job.

I also remember a certain boy who would ride the bus with us kids on our way to school.  He smelled like the barn.  The rest of us made fun of him and would sit as far away from him as possible.  

Of course, the manger scenes we put under our trees and see on people's lawns at Christmas time do not come near to showing the reality of Jesus' manger scene.  Can you imagine how other people must have snubbed his family?  How they must have smelled!

But it just proves how much God wanted to show that he came for the lowliest of the low.  He was not presenting salvation to the righteous, holy, pure, high and mighty - but to all.  Our hearts are desperately wicked and there is no good in any of us.  

Jesus told his disciples that he didn't come to be served, but to serve.  The amazing thing to think about is that he didn't stop serving with his death.  He continues to serve us as we live our daily lives.  I couldn't do a thing without his enabling power.

Speaking of Jesus' enabling power...I've been slowly getting some of my energy back.  Last year was so stressful with all we were going through that I was just managing to do the minimum to get through my days.  But recently, I've been sleeping a little better, and doesn't good sleep always help the morale and motivation?  In my case, it's an emphatic "YES."

We were by ourselves on Christmas day.  Our girls had Christmas with their own families and in-laws.  After being by ourselves for 10 years, it still seems strange to be alone on Christmas day.  Not that I mind or am sad or upset...it is just strange.  Fortunately, Andy and I enjoy being together.  

We decided to explore a park we hadn't been to before:  Palmyra Nature Cove.  What a nice park with lots of hiking trails.  It is right next to the Delaware River with a nature center and a butterfly nursery!  Although it was pretty windy, it was still a nice day for hiking and being out in nature.

 Saturday was an even nicer day with temperatures up in the 50's.  We couldn't stay indoors on a day like that so drove down to Chatsworth to hike in Franklin Parker Preserve.  We really like it there.  It's becoming a favorite for us.  With 9,770 square miles, there are lots of opportunities for us to keep exploring.  The sun was shining, the air was still, the sky was blue.  What was not to love!

Well, it's back to work tomorrow, but we still get an extra day off this coming week with New Year's Day.  And it will be our family Christmas.  We still have presents under our tree.  Kira asked me this morning when I saw her at church:  "Do you still have a present for me?"  Yes, Kira, we do...and for all of our other 9 grandchildren, too. 

Search for Meaning

I guess partying isn't for us any more.  How sad.  Although they're fun while they last, we do pay the price afterwards.  Two weeks ago, we were out two night in a row, breaking with our normal routine of quiet, peaceful, relaxing evenings.  Consequently, since then I've had a hard time relaxing enough to get to sleep which in turn, makes me exhausted during the days.  But I think I'm slowly getting back to feeling somewhat normal again - whatever normal is.  

I've been helping with Nativity again this year.  Every year since it's begun, I've been the official phone answerer on Nativity nights.  I answer the same questions over and over and get people to the church who are lost.  That can be quite the challenge since they're lost.  I have to try to figure out where they are, which direction they're heading, then get them to the church.  And some people are definitely directionally challenged!

I remember one year, I took a call from someone who was lost and when I started asking her questions to try to determine where she was, she became cross and said she didn't know where she was which is why she was calling.  Sigh!  I think the call ended in success, though!  Last year and this one, too, I am forwarding the church phone to my cell phone, then coming home and taking calls in the comfort of my easy chair.  Ah, praise the Lord for modern technology!

We only had to cancel Nativity one night this year and the remaining nights have been very well attended.  Andy and I are hoping to hit it ourselves tonight.  I am so ministered to by seeing our people work at portraying the gospel story.  Pastor told a story this morning how a man came to the Nativity 2 years ago, bringing with him a van of international students from his college.  A Chinese young man was part of the group and had never heard of Jesus on a cross.  He didn't even know what a cross was.  After he saw our 13 "Nativity" scenes, he was given a Bible and not long after, gave his life to Christ.  Since then, he has led other family members to Jesus, too.  

"Nativity" is a misnomer, I think, since what we do involves so much more than just Jesus' birth.  It really is the story of the gospel - from creation to the ascension of Christ.  And visual portrayals are so powerful.

I just finished another great book, this one by Viktor E. Frankl, Man's Search for Meaning.

 

Frankl was born in Vienna in 1905, earned an M.D. and a Ph.D. from the University of Vienna.  He was a clinical psychiatrist working with suicidal patients in mental hospitals before World War II.  Then in 1942, he was arrested by the Nazis and spent the remainder of the war in prison camps.  He was not exterminated like other Jews because of his training which made him valuable to the Nazis in treating fellow prisoners in the prison camp.  

What made his book so riveting is not only the recounting of his story but his rising above his suffering to find meaning even in the horrific circumstances of his life.

The following are some of the sentences I underlined throughout the book:

Love is the ultimate and highest goal to which man can aspire...The salvation of man is through love and in love.

Sounds biblical, doesn't it?  "The greatest of these is love."  (1 Corinthians 13:13)

We who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread.  They may have been few in number, but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken from a man but one thing:  the last of the human freedoms - to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way.

Dostoevski said once, "There is only one thing that I dread:  not to be worthy of my sufferings."  These words frequently came to my mind after I became acquainted with those martyrs whose behavior in camp, whose suffering and death, bore witness to the fact that the last inner freedom cannot be lost.  It can be said that they were worthy of their sufferings; the way they bore their suffering was a genuine inner achievement.  It is this spiritual freedom - which cannot be taken away - that makes life meaningful and purposeful.

When a man finds that it is his destiny to suffer, he will have to accept his suffering as his task; his single and unique task.  He will have to acknowledge the fact that even in suffering he is unique and alone in the universe.  No one can relieve him of his suffering or suffer in his place.  His unique opportunity lies in the way in which he bears his burden.

This resonated with me and helped me in my own situation.  The suffering I've gone through at various times in my life is unique to me.  Granted, there is nothing new under the sun and there is the commonality of suffering we all face in this life.  But the fact that my suffering is tailor made for me gives me encouragement.  I'm not sure where Frankl stood spiritually.  Being Jewish, I infer from his writing that he believed in God.  He quotes different verses from the psalms in a number of places in this book.  

What resonates with me in the uniqueness of my own life and the suffering I face is that, if it is tailor made for me, then God is going to enable me to rise above it and give me the strength to endure. 

I could go on and on about how meaningful this book was for me.  Every page had a nugget of truth that spoke to me and gave me encouragement.  I am going to keep it close and re-read it again soon.

There is a purpose to my life and what I am going through.  Am I going to sink in despair over the hardness of life or am I going to rise above my circumstances to look in the face of Jesus, trusting in the wisdom of his plan for my life?  By God's grace, I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.  (Philippians 3:10-11)

There is a purpose to my life and what I am going through.  To God be the glory!

Tis the Season

Let the parties begin!

A couple invited us to go to Longwood Gardens with them on Tuesday to see the Christmas display and light show.  But it was raining on Tuesday so we rescheduled for Wednesday after work.  It rained all that day, too, but tapered off as we were driving there.  By the time we got to Longwood Gardens, it was still very damp outside but at least the rain had stopped.  We were hoping that because of the weather, maybe it would deter the crowds.  And it wasn't too bad.  Of course, the displays were awesome.  The people who decorate the trees and gardens are extremely creative and must have unlimited resources!  

It wasn't quite dark when we got there, but the lights were already on.

I'm sorry about the quality of my pictures.  They were all taken with my iphone and I'm admittedly not a very good photographer.  But I hope that my inability to take good pictures is outweighed by my many other fine qualities (which I hope I have!!!).

The couple who took us to Longwood Gardens have season passes with complimentary tickets for friends, so we were able to enjoy this beautiful evening for free.  On top of that, they treated us to dinner at Texas Roadhouse afterwards.  One of our daughters asked me what I had to eat and I told her salmon.  She was aghast that we were in a steak house and didn't get steak.  Well, I grew up on a dairy farm and ate steak/beef all the time.  It's nothing special to me.  Ha, ha.

The next evening, Andy and I were invited to join the pastors, deacons and wives at a catered dinner.  I was thrilled to be included, especially since Andy isn't technically on staff any more.  Little did I know that they intended to honor us at this dinner.  It was very special, with one of the ladies reading Philippians 2:14-16 and comparing Andy and me to the stars that are shining in the universe.  They presented us with 2 Moravian stars which we have since hung on our Christmas tree.



The Scripture and what was said about and to us was very special and meaningful and then the Pastor laid his hands on us and prayed for us.  Our hearts were very full.

Philippians 2:14-16
"Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life..."

We didn't get home that night till pretty late - a lot later than what we've been accustomed to for our bed time.  Friday saw us both pretty exhausted, and we realized how important it is for us to continue to stick to the routine.  It's so crucial to our functioning at peak level.  Andy was able to take a couple naps on Friday, but I went to work as usual.

On Saturday morning, I went to another party - this time a brunch for and with some of my women friends.  It was another time of encouragement being with those of like precious faith, reassuring and supporting each other.

The other day I was reviewing the book of James that I memorized many years ago.  In chapter 1, we are told to "consider it pure joy whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.  Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

PURE JOY - wow...I can't say I am ecstatic when I'm enduring trials.  But then near the end of the book of James, in chapter 5, James comes back to the subject of perseverance.  He reminds his readers of the suffering of Job.  Verse 11:  "As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered.  You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about."  Job refused to curse God and die at the advice of his wife, and even though he questioned God at times throughout his ordeal, he came through with nuggets of faith statements:  

1:21 - "The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised."

2:10 - "Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?"

13:15 - "Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him..."

19:25 - "I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth."

And what the Lord finally brought about for Job, as James mentions, was more wealth and greater blessing than he had before.  But I was especially struck by the next sentence in James 5:11:  "The Lord is full of compassion and mercy."  That is the greatest lesson we learn as we persevere.  We experience the goodness of God - how he meets our deepest needs - every hour of every day.

Thanksgiving Week, 2014

Our dear friends from Bangladesh were here in the States for several weeks and here in NJ this past week.  On a whim, I asked them if they wanted to join us on a hike in a park nearby and surprisingly, they were available.  So that's what we did on Tuesday.  Even though clouds hid the sun, the weather was fairly warm and pleasant for a hike.

We went to Amico Island on the Delaware River.  The tide was out so we had a nice long walk along the beach.  Shawne and I thought this little tree had an interesting shape.

 And this tree was also interesting growing off the side of the bank.

 The city of Philadelphia in the distance.

 

Amico Island selfie!

Where is the sun?

It was a busy week at work because I had to get 4 days of work done in 2.  But the reward was 4 days off in a row!  On Thanksgiving Day we went over to Andy's brother's where we go every year for Thanksgiving.  We enjoy catching up with our nephews while there and this year, Christy and family were able to join us, too.  Dan & Lou very considerately changed the time of the dinner this year to accommodate us so we wouldn't have to travel home in the dark.  We ate the big meal around 1:00, then had the rest of the afternoon to visit before returning home.  

When Christy and her family arrived, I mentioned that it was a shame we hadn't thought about it earlier so we could prepare to have the kids come home with us to spend the night since they would be coming to our house the next day.  Well, just the mention of it was enough to start the wheels turning.  The kids insisted they didn't mind sleeping in their clothes and they knew we had extra tooth brushes.  So it was arranged except that our car could only take 3 children.  Aiden decided he would rather sleep in his own bed so Grace, Naomi and Asher came home with us.  What fun!

Grace and Naomi had their instruments with them and were given strict instructions not to neglect their practice.  So on Friday morning, while they practiced, Asher played on the treadmill.  

After breakfast and practice, Andy and the kids rode bikes to the church and played in the gym.  There happened to be 2 boys playing there but Andy and the kids joined them in having a good time.  Andy's really good at making up games, but this time, the kids decided they wanted to play dodge ball.  They explained the rules, but Andy didn't seem to be able to remember them and kept "cheating."  The boys were so kind, though, and kept saying, "it doesn't matter."  They were very forgiving and sweet tempered.

Later in the day, around noon, Christy and the rest of her family arrived and Dawn and her family joined us.  Our traditional meal on the day after Thanksgiving is panzarottis and pizza.  It's an easy meal with very little hassle and mess and everyone likes it.  Our dessert included all the leftovers from the day before.  There was plenty to eat.

After lunch and Kasey's nap, we decided to go to the park to let the kids play.  It was extremely cold with a bone chilling wind, so we didn't stay more than about 5 minutes.  I did get some pictures.  The kids seemed to enjoy the park except for Kasey who didn't last too long before letting us know she was very unhappy being so cold.  She just "verbalized" how we all felt, I think!

 

The cousins enjoyed all the play time together and were unhappy when the day finally came to an end and it was time to go home.

All in all, we have a lot to be thankful for.  We are very blessed.

A Full and Busy Time

We had a few very busy days and nights, mostly with family, with a few friends thrown in to the mix!

On Thursday, I took off at noon from work, using some vacation hours.  Andy and I drove up to Christy's because Claire was having a birthday.  Her birthday is actually the 14th, but that date didn't work, so we celebrated a day early.  She is a very precocious 3 year old, if I do say so myself.  Of course, all my grandchildren are cute and smart!  It was her day and she was happy to perform for us.

 Grace made the cake - an orange marmalade cake, even decorating it with a fancy cake decorator.  It not only looked good, it also tasted yummy.

Christy will probably not be happy with me including this picture of her, but I thought it was funny that she was "helping" Claire blow out the candles.
 

Believe it or not, this early in the year, when we left after dinner, we opened the door to snow!  It was a harrowing drive home.  We don't ever enjoy driving the PA turnpike, but at night in the dark and with snow/rain - ugh!  But we made it home safe and sound - thank God.

The next day, Friday, Amy and her kids came down to spend the day since Ricky was away hunting all week.  I was working till 3:00, so she spent the day with Dawn and her kids.  They went to Discovery Museum in Cherry Hill until it closed at 5:30.  Andy and I went over to Dawn's house around 5:00 to put her scalloped potatoes dish in the oven so it would be ready when they arrived home.  We all had dinner together.  Joanna and Katy stayed for a sleepover with Kira, while Amy and Chase came back to our house to sleep.  "Sleepover" is a misnomer because not much of it took place.  Katy woke up at 4:30 am, bringing Kira with her.  Yup, she never went back to sleep the rest of the morning.

Kira had swimming lessons mid-morning, so Amy and her kids came to our house.  We decided to go to the park for a hike.  The sun was shining, but there was a stiff chilly breeze - it was downright cold.  It didn't seem to bother Chase...I think he was dressed the warmest, plus he was the most active.  He had his bike and drove it in typical boy madness!  Up the hill and back down again, several times.
 
 

Katy was very cold and had a hard time dealing with it - not having had much sleep!  She covered herself up as much as she could and it helped a little that she didn't have to walk with Poppop around.

 

Here's the proof of how cold it was - ice on the puddles.

 Back at the house, the girls played dress-up and Chase busied himself with his favorite game while here.  I love it how he can occupy himself for a very long time with his imagination.

On two separate occasions recently, friends remarked to me how obvious it was that the Lord had provided for us in our situation.  I couldn't have agreed more.  We enjoy so many friendships and people who love us and care about us.  

On Friday morning, one of those friends, came and got Andy, taking him for a ride in his convertible and spending the morning with him.  It was a frigid morning and Andy said people were looking at them like they were crazy.  When asked how they could stand it, he said they had the heater on!  Well, and too, the sun was shining - which might have helped a little!

People keep asking how we're doing.  Andy always says, he's doing well.  And he is.  He feels good and feeling good is a blessing.  He is spending time raking up our leaves into huge piles at the street.  Last year this time, someone else did it for us because he was unable to.  

So yes, he feels good, and perhaps he is stabilizing on the memory and confusion.  I don't think he's getting any better, and maybe he's not getting worse.  That is hard to say.  Sometimes it seems like I explain and re-explain things multitudes of times.   I appreciate when people ask how I'm doing.  It's hard to see dear Andy struggle to grasp what I tell him.  He's always so patient with me, though.  He doesn't get frustrated, maybe he doesn't even realize he's just asked the same question for the umpteenth time.  And it's difficult to let him give his side of the story without correcting him.  I need to let him, though.  Why does it matter if he gets every detail right?  As stressed out as I've been this last year, it's time to relax and trust God even in this.  I need to have a quiet heart, resting in God's plan for us.  There's always room for growth on this journey.

On Saturday, Tommy came over and helped Andy clean out the gutters on our house.  They are such a job - always needing to be cleaned because of all the trees around our house.  I love the trees and am not willing to get rid of them.  BUT...oh the work.  But Tommy is young and full of energy.  Besides I promised him a batch of cookies - hey, whatever works.

I also did a little mending job for his surfing changing outfit.  It was well worth it not to be worried about Andy on a ladder or up on the roof.  With the two of them working, they had it done in no time.

So in 2 days, we saw all our kids, 2 of our sons-in-law and all our grandkids, everybody but Ricky :(.  I love our family!