Thankful

Thanksgiving was different this year...good different... but different. We headed north to be with our youngest Amy and her husband Greg. They are newlyweds...but have yet to set up housekeeping and live together. They married in May and have been on the road ever since...living off the kindness of others until December 13th when they graduate Dr. and Dr. Johnson! This rotation Amy is living with Jim's cousin in Colorado so....we headed north to spend some much needed family time with the Colorado cousins. It also was an opportunity to visit with Jim's aunt. She is in an assisted living and is declining so seeing her once again was a very good thing.

Thanksgiving reminds us to be thankful...and we are. We don't limit our thankfulness to the end of November. I am very thankful each and every day for the many blessings that have been given to me. I sometimes wonder how I ended up here...in the United States...in Texas...in this time period. I could have been born anywhere on the earth....during any period in history....and here I am. I think that is an amazing realization...and I am thankful.

I married a kind and gentle man...how amazing it is that I found him and he found me and that we still share a secret smile when we see each other across a room. We were blessed with three amazing children....not perfect....but precious. I wouldn't trade a one of them for any other youngun's in the world. And now they are marrying and multiplying and their children will be as equally precious to us.

I am reminded of how much family means to us. In Africa there is a common saying... "it takes a village to raise a child"....it does. We are witnesses. For three months Amy has lived with the Colorado cousins, before that she and Greg were living with my aunt. There have been many family members to help out my kids along their way. My mom and dad sent each of them $20 every Monday while they were in college. They all remember looking forward to that spending money each week. Jim's brother Don and his wife, my sweet sister in law, Becky have provided a roof and support along they way for a couple of our kiddos when they were searching and trying to find their way. My mother's aunt Mary helped all of them...and me with scholarships each semester to attend Abilene Christian University. Penny, my cousin and her husband have housed one or two...and they have provided much needed furniture when any of them were in need. And...in a couple of weeks, my brother will house Amy and Greg as they survive their final week before graduation. They just needed one more spot to lay their head before becoming employed!

What a gift our loving extended families have been! I am hoping and praying that we will be able to give in return when any one of them are in need....whether it be a roof, some furniture...or a few dollars. I have been blessed....and I pray I can be a blessing to someone else. God is so good...and our family is so thankful!

Emma Grace

Katie and Charles will be expecting Miss Emma Grace to arrive on December 31st! Just in time for a little tax write off....the doctor will induce on that day. We will be celebrating 2009 with the arrival of a new grand daughter. We have already seen her...due to modern technology....a 3D sonogram! She has her mother's nose and her daddy's mouth....and even though the view is a little distorted...it is already apparent that she is beautiful!

Penny hosted a baby shower for Katie this weekend at her house. Pink everywhere! She is going to be a lovely...and loved little girl. They make the most adorable outfits, shoes and accessories for babies these days. And....who knew you needed all those gadgets! I am surprised my own children survived...we were woefully lacking in "stuff"! :) I suspect that when it is all said and done that not much is need for swaddling except soft arms. And...momma provides the best and easiest bottle. Toys 'R Us has yet to create anything more fun that blowing on a babies tummy to get a belly laugh. Hide and seek around a chair can provide many minutes of joy and entertainment. There is nothing more fun that a good old fashioned box. Shelby loves to "paint" the back porch with her bucket of water and a brush.

I have decided that I am going to be the quiet grandmother...the one that invites her grandchildren into her home to escape the world. I want them to know that they can come to my house to smell home smells, take long uninterrupted naps, to sit out on the back porch and read or to play....and get dirty. My mom created a home like that....and we all long to go there....and when we arrive we find we just breathe and slow down. Doing nothing has become so rare. What we have forgotten is that when we are doing nothing....it allows our minds to do plenty. We imagine...we create....we think...God does his best work in us when we stop and allow Him time to come on in and stay awhile.

I can't wait for Emma and Shelby to share time at Gabby and Pop Pop's house! What fun we will have....giggling, star gazing, and playing! Miss Shelby is my brown eyed beauty and Miss Emma will be a blue eyed beauty....and I am betting Amy and Greg have a red-headed boy! The future is full of promise and fun!

Camp Creek Retreat

The older I get the faster time flies...I have heard the whole logical explanation for that very real sensation...but doesn't make it less curious. When you are anxious for a date or an event...times creeps...but when you aren't thinking about time... the months on the calendar change in the blink of an eye. It is already November! How on earth is that possible?

Last weekend two precious friends of mine and I went to Camp Creek for a spiritual retreat with my sister in law and a few of her friends. Camp Creek, all by itself, is a spiritual place. My buddies trusted me to drive...through Dallas...and into the dark Halloween night to a remote location. They were a little dubious...as I turned into what appeared to solid woods...through an arch of overhanging trees...into an opening where this wonderful secluded cabin lay nestled in the trees overlooking a moonlit lake. Instantly, they were drawn into the charm our secret place. It doesn't belong to us....but Jim's brother and his wife are so generous to allow us to visit it often. They have opened their heart to ours on many occasion...and we are eternally grateful.

My sister in law has just recently lost her sweet daddy. I feel and understand her hurt...but it doesn't make it any easier for her. She is also struggling with other life burdens...and truth be known...we were all there to minister and love on her. We went there to give...and we left there filled up. We prayed together...studied the Word together. We sang songs by the lake...and shared communion. We spent some quiet time...and we laughed until our ribs were sore in the evening. It was a special time.

We were mothers, wives, sisters...and friends. Women know how to bond! We just open up our hearts and let it all spill out...and suddenly strangers become friends...and friends become sisters. God loved on us ...through the silver horn of the moon, the pink sunset, the breeze, the deer, the sounds of the blue heron... the sunshine and the clear, chilly nights with the mass of stars in the sky. Soon it was over...and we all departed to return to real life....no longer secluded but totally included in the business of daily life. We can't remain hidden away forever...but we can take mental images with us...and refer to them when we need to hide away for a moment. We can create Sabbath moments to sustain us until we are able to return again. AND....someday we will experience Sabbath for all eternity. Isn't God good!