The Old Man on Ash Wednesday

My friend Jean posted this on Facebook. What a beautiful story. And one worthy of sharing with all of you! Enjoy!
Second Office on the Right: The Old Man on Ash Wednesday: "Tonight I attended the Ash Wednesday service at the local Episcopal church. It was sparsely attended, and I brought the average age in..."

A Wonderful Lord's Day!

I've not been on here lately, have I? It's been pretty busy around here since Bill left! We made it through our first week apart and, while it has not been fun, we both made it! Bill and I have been apart before. I thought the worst was after Katrina. It was the summer of 2007. We finally were all living together again under the same roof when Bill was laid off! No work in Houston, so he worked in Louisiana for a few months. It was yucky, but at least he was only six hours away.

Lest this whole post turns into a sob fest, let me share how God strengthened Bill and I at church today. Bill drove to Green Bay and attended an OP church. They read from the Heidelberg Catechism and it was the very thing Bill (and I!!) needed to be reminded of the fact that we still have a loving heavenly Father and He is still in control. Isn't this richly soul-satisfying:

Q & A 26
Q. What do you believe when you say,
"I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth"?

A. That the eternal Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who out of nothing created heaven and earth
and everything in them,^1
who still upholds and rules them
by his eternal counsel and providence,^2
is my God and Father
because of Christ his Son.^3

I trust him so much that I do not doubt
he will provide
whatever I need
for body and soul,^4
and he will turn to my good
whatever adversity he sends me
in this sad world.^5

He is able to do this because he is almighty God;^6
he desires to do this because he is a faithful Father.^7

^1 Gen. 1 & 2; Ex. 20:11; Ps. 33:6; Isa. 44:24; Acts 4:24; 14:15
^2 Ps. 104; Matt. 6:30; 10:29; Eph. 1:11
^3 John 1:12-13; Rom. 8:15-16; Gal. 4:4-7; Eph. 1:5
^4 Ps. 55:22; Matt. 6:25-26; Luke 12:22-31
^5 Rom. 8:28
^6 Gen. 18:14; Rom. 8:31-39
^7 Matt. 7:9-11


It is so appropriate to read after the Japan disaster also...who still upholds and rules them
by his eternal counsel and providence.

Disasters in nature, disasters in life...both are the result of living in a fallen world and both can make us bitter or make us better. "The same boiling water that softens carrots, makes eggs harden!"

Speaking of Japan, the pictures are such a reminder of Katrina. The force of water is incomprehensible. To see buildings and boats and bridges swept away as if they were paper boggles the mind. I have one Japanese family that I work with and I went, unannounced, to her home on Friday. I just wanted to give her a hug. I just wanted her to know that she was in my thoughts and prayers. As we hugged at the entrance to her home, she told me she had just received word that her family was all accounted for. What joyful news!

This week is Spring Break. Hallelujah!!!!! I will be working with my language students in the mornings, but I have "vacation time" in the afternoons. David and I are looking forward to the arrival of Tommy and Elise from Chicago.

That's my update...time to get ready for tomorrow!

One Year Ago

Seldom do I remember where I was exactly a year ago. Today I do. Our whole family gathered in Chicago for Bill's Big Birthday Bash! Here are a few pictures from that weekend:

The brave hearts that ventured downtown.

Squinting into the camera because the sun was sooooo bright!


Even "Gramsy Girl" made it down for the big weekend!

Bill with his "quiver full"

Bill with his "handful"!!!

Tonight, Bill is in Chicago once again...this time without me! (SNIFF) He made it to Memphis,TN

last night and pulled into the parking lot of Trinity about 3:30 this afternoon. He is staying overnight with Elise, will go to church with her in the morning, and then head out to northern Wisconsin.

Tonight he met Tommy's parents. Tommy is Elise's boyfriend. They had a fun time together at a Mexican restaurant. I just talked to them and Bill and Elise are watching a movie together in her apartment.

David and I made it through our second day without the man we love. We got up early and took our puppy in for his first haircut. Then we treated ourselves to a five dollar movie! We saw "The Adjustment Bureau" with Matt Damon. (Who, by the way, always reminds me of my high school sweetheart!) It was a very interesting movie but I'm still not sure if I liked it or not. It was enjoyable to watch, but I strongly disagreed with the premise. It was an attempt to look at the concept of "free will", but it was a very humanistic take on the subject. Anyway, it was a fun day out for David and I and we had an interesting discussion about it on the way home.

For those of you who are praying for us during this time, I thank you. Without Him, I couldn't do any of this. I'm trying to take just one day at a time and live in the reality of God's unfailing love. The verse from our wedding has always meant so much to me...even more now! May Your unfailing love rest upon us, O God, even as we put our hope in You. Psalm 33:22

Mr. Wonderful

Mr. Wonderful left this morning for his 1,300 mile (2,087 km) trek to a little shipyard in Wisconsin. I kept hoping and praying that a job would open up here in Houston. I felt very much like Abraham...walking up Mt. Moriah...knowing what had to be done, and trusting that God would provide the Lamb. Well, I kept looking in "the bushes" for the ram (so to speak) but never found anything. So, even though it doesn't feel like it or make any sense to me, I trust this is God's best for us at this time.

After a tearful goodbye, I had my quiet time. I read over Luke 12 and I Thessalonians 5...both passages are beautiful reminders of the way God meets all the needs that we have.

And then, in my little devotion for the day, God reminded me to live close to Him! How comforting to know that I am in the constant presence of One Who has promised to never leave me. I think my song today will be, "No, Never Alone". Haven't thought about that little song in forever!!!

Okay friends, a new adventure begins! And, as always, I'll keep you posted on how this journey is going....

Please Pray

My wonderful husband leaves tomorrow for Wisconsin. It is for an indefinate period of time. Right now I am very sad and I can't stand the thought of being apart again. But I also applaud his strength...he doesn't want to go either, but it is a sacrifice he is willing to make for his family. I'll write more about it when I can be a bit more positive...right now I'm feeling pretty awful, so just bear with me. I do ask for prayers - that God will protect us and uphold us while we our apart.

That being said, I thank God for the humor He sent my way this morning. He knew I needed to lighten up.

David told me that he applied for a job yesterday.

"What kind of job?"

"A stocker."

"Soccer?" replied his VERY deaf mother.

And David, without skipping a beat, replied, "Yup! They took one look at my resume, saw that I played soccer in the third grade, and they signed me up for the Brazilian National Team!"