Hello Baby E

show details Jun 18 (2 days ago)






Well, I have met baby E and she has captured my heart. There is no way to resist a red head when she looks into your eyes and transmits,"Hi, I'm here and I am going to conquer the world. Move over and let me in. I have met the family and they are mine!!!"

What a sweet baby, she brings new meaning to the words future and hope.

I want her to have a wonderful life, asking questions and thinking of incredible things to do. I want her to know her family and all it stands for. I want her to understand her heritage and draw on it in times of trouble or difficulty. I want her to explore and not be afraid to step out on her own. I want her to love and be loved for who she is. I want her to know that she is as good as and no better than anyone else. I want her to know that God loves her and always has her in the hollow of His hands. I want her to serve her fellow man and to serve God and to make this world a better place. I want her to come visit me and be my friend. I want her to enjoy life and all it has to offer. I want her to know and appreciate her aunts and her grandmother and grandfathers and to always know that her "OG" is there for her. In short, I want her to have a simply wonderful life and to appreciate her world and to be part of it and to make someone else happy. I guess I would want much more for her, but I think this is a good start.

She has captured my heart. Have a happy life, my sweet.

Babies are Wonderful

Babies are wonderful because they grow up to be really wonderful big people.  This week we were blessed with the arrival of Amy Elizabeth, our first great grand child.  She has beautiful red hair and doesn't know night from day.  Our precious grand daughter and her husband presented the family with this wonderful gift.  I can only say I want to hold her and kiss her and tell her I love her and to be a good girl like all her aunts and her Grammy and her Momma.
The best thing about babies is that they grow up.  I remember with joy, her Mother when she was born and as she grew and how great life was with her.  I thought she had done a great job when she had three super girls and let us be part of their lives.
But the icing on the cake was when she decided to go to college and get a degree and then went on to Seminary and just graduated in time to make it to E's birth.  This child has a lot to live up to.  I hope it doesn't overwhelm her, but she looks to have a determination that will see her through it.  She has a strong Momma that will help instill that strength of character in her and her Grammy and Aunties will keep her on the right path.  God knows what he is doing and this child will be blessed and the family will be blessed in watching her grow.
Thank you, God, for giving us this child.  May we be worthy and guide her in the path you would have her go.  Shalom, little E

SPRING

Ah, I know spring is just around the corner.  The wind is blowing and the sun is shining and the rain is raining and the daffodils are blooming.  I love daffys.  They are so sassy and carefree.  They challenge the snow and sometimes lose, but mostly they are able to keep their heads bobbing and smiling at me.  I used to love it in Scotland when I would go to the shops and see people walking around wrapped up in their coats and scarves holding a bunch of daffys (always upside down to keep them fresh) as they went from shop to shop.  It was a sure sign that people really believed that spring would come and soon.
 I saw some robins this week which makes me know that spring is close.  I am looking for violets, but haven't seen them yet.  I know they must be out there because Mother's birthday was March 21 and her good friend always gave her violets from her yard for her birthday and it was her favorite flower.  For many years I could never figure out why Dad didn't plant some violets in our yard since she loved them so.  When I was grown up and had a shady part of my yard, I planted violets.  Then I knew.  Pretty as they were and they did stray green all year and threw off a few flowers all through the year, they had one very bad habit.  It didn't bother me but it drove Bill nuts.  They are quite prolific and they spread far and wide and were all over the lawn.  It would have been ok by me, but the lawn mower guy wasn't so happy.  Still, I wouldn't mind having violets in my yard.  It beats heck out of weeds, bermuda grass or nothing at all.  Maybe I will plant some this year.  Yes, maybe I will.
I will be very glad to see spring arrive.   It was a hard winter, interesting but hard.  I don't know when I ever heard the weatherman say 'blizzard warning for the entire state of Oklahoma".  But then we didn't have weathermen when I was small.  I think I remember blizzards then.  Because we would take the sleds and go to the bluffs or white hill and have a wonderful time sledding down the hills and pulling the sleds back up the steep hill and warming up by the bonfire.  I really wonder why we didn't get killed or maimed or at least have broken bones.  It scared the begeezus out of me, but I had to go.  I preferred the head first version, I wanted to see where I was going.  The worst part was running over your fingers when they were so cold.  Ouch, that hurt!  Mostly I remember having a green wool coat that was so heavy but so warm.  Gloves, galloshes, scarf for your neck and a scarf that tied around your head. Two or three pairs of  pants (no bluejeans) a couple of warm sweaters and you were good to go for the afternoon.
Still spring is best.  We always made May baskets and filled them with whatever flowers were blooming in the neighbors yard (with her permission) usually violets or roses and hang them on the neighborhood doors and ring the doorbell and run and hide.  Great fun.  Kids miss that sort of neighborhood family now.  What a shame.
Enjoy the spring.  In spite of tornados and wind storms.  Believe me when I say that it is nice not to have dust storms in the spring now.  They were the worst. 

KIND AND GENTLE

How we pain others that don't deserve our pain, all in the name of power sometimes.  It is known that when power is absolute, absolute power corrupts.  When we enjoy our power base too much, we often are guilty of enjoying our power to the point of inflicting emotional pain on others.  That is bad and when it happens someone gets hurt and no one gains.  It is especially bad when the person doing it is in a position of faith authority.  If you cannot trust your faith leaders, who can you trust yourself to.  Well, the answer to that of course is that you can trust no one but God.  But He has invented this thing called humanity and let it run rampant over his dominion.  It is well and good to know it is being watched over and you are in God's protection, but it doesn't keep good people from doing hurtful things to others...even others they like!
It would do us all good to stop and think when we encounter each other...think about how a few ill chosen words can wound and how a kind word can heal.  I think it is; a soft word turns away wrath...or something like that.  Well, our ecclesiastical community should practice what they preach and be aware that they are not always right and they don't know everything.  They often forget what they preach and forget that God is in charge and it is all about Him, not them.  They are not the founders of the universe.  They cannot turn a star or make a grain of sand.   They can but serve God and his people.  It will be a joyous day when folks decide to love one another and be kind and gentle.  It is possible to be corrective and still be kind and gentle.
That goes for all of us.  This country and this earth would be a better place if we would return to the kind and gentle way of being.  Instead of selfishly power happy, being selflessly kind and gentle.  Firm and correct, but kind and gentle.

Exciting Time

I am excited.  My baby girl will be home for a few days and I am so anxious to see her.  She will be preaching in our pulpit in a week and we are all excited to see her and hear her.  Yeah, I know that my baby girl is about to be a grandmother but I ignore that because it makes me a great grandmother.  But a little girl could not be luckier than to have her as a grandmother.  She is an awesome Mom, so she will be a super awesome grandmother. 
We will also have a chance to see the new Mom to be for her shower while the grandmother is with us.  Should be a fun time and the men will all be crazy because it is baby talking time. So we will once again be a four generation family and I am looking forward to that. 
New baby girl, new minister all in the same month.  May will be a month of celebrations. 
Easter is around the corner, which is my favorite time of the church year.  New hope abounds in our family.  I have a great family and I am grateful for them all, every day. 

A Eulogy for My Brother

My big brother, Tom, died today.  My heart aches for his laugh, for his "Hi, Rosie", and for his quiet presence.  He has deserved this peaceful rest and I have prayed for his release from his physical torment.  I thank God for His grace is taking Tom to his eternal rest but I grieve for my loss.  Not just my loss.  So many people were touched by his life and they will mourn the loss of a good friend.  He only had about 100,000 close friends.  Tom never met a person he did not immediately know for the rest of his life. He was a good listener and remembered everyone by  name and knew something about them.  He was a people person and loved doing things to make others happy.  He provided a higher education for so many young people that I could not even begin to count them.  He took care of those he loved and closely guarded their dignity and cares.  He was a man fiercely loyal, to a fault.  He loved his race horses and took care of them long after they left the racetrack.  He was a family man that absolutely knew what was best for you.  To convince him differently meant you needed to be very sure of all points of the argument and be prepared to defend yourself.  But once convinced, he was proud as punch and told everyone how great you were.  He loved his church and was a good a faithful steward.  God will welcome him and say 'well done'.  He loved to dance and especially he loved jazz.  He was a brilliant business man and had the respect of those who did business with him during his lifetime.  He loved to dress well.  When he was about 14 he went to work in a mens clothing store and thus began his lifelong quest to be well dressed.  He always looked dapper.  He was a beloved son, a loving father, a devoted husband, a stalwart uncle, an adored and adoring brother.  He was so much to so many.  I do not know how to say how special he was, but I will miss him.  He took care of my all my life, watching out for his little sister in every way.  He deserved the very best.  I am sure he haad faults, but it will be hard for me to find one.  I just know I will miss him and his charming smile.

The New Year

I guess it is too late for the traditional happy new year greeting, but I wish that for you just the same. 
It looks like an eventful year for this family. 
Rachel now is a licensed driver. 
Rachel is set to graduate from college. 
Amy will receive her MDiv degree. 
Rebecca will have a baby and make us all a generation older. 
Looks like the women in the family have a busy year.  The guys will be the support system and beam proudly.  As well they should, because for each accomplishment, there was at least one man who stood solidly and supportive and actively participating in the event.  What would we do without the men in our lives?  They are always there for us.  So kind, so gentle, so wise and so dependable.
Let's celebrate the men in our lives this year and be grateful for them.  Three cheers!!