Travels With Shirley and Jim

Our home away from home

I'm so excited! You see, Jim and I are going on a road trip. We've been on a cruise, we've traveled across the country on a jet, and across Canada by train, but not by car--or RV. Our transportation will be something like the photo above. Maybe a little larger, but not much, for I'll be driving too.

We won't be parasailing, but we will bring our swimsuits just in case.

Why am I so excited? I think it's in my blood. You see as a child, every summer we'd pack our bags, and the family of seven would load up the four door family sedan and take off from our West Coast home. It was crowded in that back seat where four children--the baby got the front seat--vied for their own space. We fought our battles while we gazed out at the vast countryside. 

Sometimes we travelled to the NE corner of Montana, where my Aunt Ida and Uncle Jake lived. Usually it was wheat harvest time and I've wonderful memories of freely exploring the large farm--and fearing the sheet lightening that filled the skies at night. That farm is still there and though we won't visit this time, I'm sure we'll be back. Other times, we headed for the Mid-West to see more aunts and uncles and cousins. 

We'll meet Illinois cousins here

We'll travel through Nebraska and Iowa farmlands

We plan to do the same this time where we'll visit my Aunt Ruth and Uncle Russ in Nebraska, cousins in Illinois, and best of all, our newest grand-baby girl in Iowa!

Would you like to come along? I'll try to be brief as I describe some of the drive through our beautiful and vast country during the month of October. This time I won't have to fight for my "space" in the back seat. I'll be up front and help navigate--and drive sometimes, too. 

Gotta go. I've got packing to do!  

Letting Go

This week, two of our grandchildren begin college. One is enrolled at Seattle Pacific University at age eighteen, the other, in Running Start at Clark College at age sixteen. I think both of them are ready....I hope and pray. 

 I used to think it was a little boring to hear about other people's grandchildren--until my own were born.

I've enjoyed watching both Sarah and Andrew grow into their own personalities with their own special traits. Both have learned that studying is important-- there's so much to learn.

A somewhat fuzzy photo when Sarah picked up her diploma

Andrew 

Our prayer for these two is the same as the apostle John--the beloved disciple who said centuries ago...

"I could have no greater joy than to hear that my children are following the truth."

3 John 1:4

We're pulling for you both, Sarah and Andrew. Most of all, we're praying your hearts will continue to follow the truth.

Church in Hawaii

Here we are in Hawaii on a Sunday morning. Should we go to church today? We could just download a recent sermon from our church website--and listen instead--or even watch a church service on television. Instead, we decided to attend a church we'd driven by on Ali'i Drive, called "Living Stones Church". It could have been any kind of church, but we took a chance and attended.

The church building was made of stone. Inside, when facing the front were two tiny windows looking out to the ocean. Outside the building were many chairs set up with a lovely view of the the churning surf and large screens to see and hear what was going on inside the relatively small building. There were protective awnings for the worshipers from the hot sun --or rain--because it has been raining a lot in Kona. We chose to sit inside--and I'm glad we did.We weren't distracted by the beautiful surroundings and I like looking at a real person--not a screen.

 The people were friendly and greeted us cheerfully. Asked us if we were visiting from someplace else. One woman who sat behind us had moved to Kona from Lake Oswego, Oregon. She asked where we attended church and said she knew someone who'd attended there at one time. I knew who she was talking about! What a small world! 

We had a wonderful time singing familiar worship songs and a few we didn't know. 

The pastor stepped up to the podium and began to preach. He communicated well and we felt at home as he referred to the Bible often as he spoke. 

As we drove away, picking up a few groceries to add to our stock of food in our condo, we remarked how glad we were we'd visited the church. As when we've visited other churches at other times, we found like-minded people who worshiped God as we did. Who welcomed us with friendliness and open arms. 

What's my musing for today? Give another church a try while on vacation. Like us, you may be glad you did.

The view from dinner last night

Will You Marry Me? I said "Yes!"

I woke up this morning and sipped my coffee, looked at the calendar and realized: today is another day to remember! Two years ago on this day, September 13, Jim asked me to marry him! And I said, without hesitation, "Yes."

I thought back to that day, two years ago. It was a similar day as today. An autumn hot. Things were still green and flowery, yet a bit faded. As though they were tired of struggling in the dryness and needed some real water in the form of rain. 

I've been asked many times, "How can you love another again, after being married?" It's a hard question to answer, for I don't want to minimize the wonderful relationship and love I had for both of my previous spouses. 

All I can say is that I passed from great sorrow, to sweet memories with both of those major losses and arrived on the other side of grief so my heart was open to love yet again. 

"Aren't you afraid you'll lose again?" I've been asked. Of course! But do I want to remain safely in my protected shell of aloneness to not experience love again? Some people might. I chose to take the risk of loving again. And it is worth it. 

Jim has been gone this weekend on a men's retreat and I've had a taste of aloneness again for a brief time. I wouldn't be honest if I didn't think about what it would be like to be by myself again. It's a bit scary, but I know if that happens again, I truly won't be by myself. The worst has happened to me twice. And my Savior proved to be very near to me then. He's here now. And He'll be there in the future. 

So, I will enjoy the "now" with my sweet husband. Who loves me so fiercely--as I love him.

I could quote some Bible verses that would tell you how Jesus promises never to leave us or forsake us, but instead, I'll just tell you from my own experience. He won't leave you or forsake you. He loves you--and me. 

This is today, September 13. A day I won't forget. Happy days, my love. 

He popped the question right here, under the shadow of the Christus

September 4. A Day to Remember

That's the first thing I saw when I walked into the office this morning. You see, two years ago today, I had a phone call inviting me to meet him--Jim--at Starbucks. We decided we needed to redo that momentous day and thus, this invitation.

I can remember every part of that day two years ago, and I shake my head in wonder when I think about how I longed for someone like Jim to come along. I'd been on several dating sites and this one--eHarmony--was my last resort. I'd had plenty of dates--more than I ever had before I married for the first time at age nineteen. Some of them were fun, some not so much. But this date, on September 4, 2013 was different. We clicked immediately. I don't exactly understand what happens to two people and how they fall in love--the adrenaline, dopamine, and serotonin--but pretty quickly, Jim and I knew we were the ones for each other. Was it just chemistry? I don't think so. I believe we were brought together by God. Really, I do.

Often Jim and I ask each other questions about where we were at a certain time in our past. We both have lived in the Vancouver/Portland area most of our lives. We believe we were most likely in the same room at the same time at some point in the past. He went to the Roberta Flack concert in 1972, the Fifth Dimension concert as well. A Blazer game. Winterhawks--or earlier--Portland Buckaroos. There've been many more "similars" in our past lives. We remember when the Columbus Day Storm hit in 1962. When the Blazers won the world championship in 1977.  I told Jim of the tornado that whisked by the school where I was working in 1972 and minutes later, caused a school roof to collapse and a nearby shopping center roof to fall. Together, we remembered the Mt St Helens eruption in 1980. We shake our heads in wonder as we compare our similar likes and dislikes. 

Those things caught our attention as something to talk about, but the main thing that brought us together was Him. That third person in the room who was unseen. We talked about that person--Jesus--a lot that first time we had coffee. And the conversation hasn't stopped. I am so grateful to my Savior for bringing us together at this time in our lives. So we'll celebrate today. Go to the same Starbucks--the one over by the airport. I'll order a cappuccino "for here". He'll order a mocha. We'll try to sit at the same table. We'll toast each other and celebrate the good things God has done in bringing us together. 

So join us today, and lift a cup of coffee--or tea--or anything for that matter and give thanks for something good in your life! I'm sure God has gifted you with something to celebrate today!

"Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever...This is the day the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it...Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever." Psalm 118: 1, 14, 29

Before our "first" Ten Grands Concert earlier this year

In the Now

I just read an interesting book this past week by Kurt Koontz, who wrote about his journey on the Camino de Santiago called A Million Steps. He wrote about the people he met, where he stayed, the sights he saw as he walked nearly 500 miles on his pilgrimage across Spain. He inspired me in his trek and made me want to try something like that. His greatest message, though, was one of the lessons he learned during his walk. He found so many things in life are worries and thoughts about the future--or the past. He learned on this long walk to live in the now.

I've been thinking a lot about that idea. We like to plan and think about tomorrow while right now, things are going on we should pay attention to.

Yesterday, as I walked my first mile since my accident, I enjoyed the sights and sounds in my neighborhood. I reveled in the deep blue sky, the bright orange tropical-like plants with their nearly black leaves, the warm feeling of my hand in Jim's hand. I enjoyed the now.

Right now, I'm enjoying my first cup of coffee in the now.  Does that mean we shouldn't plan and think about what we'll do tomorrow? No, but I think sometimes we focus too much on what's ahead instead of what's going on today, right now.

So today, while I'm with four of my sixteen grandchildren, I'll enjoy them and not think about what I've got to do tomorrow or the next day, or the next day. I'm in the now.

Enjoy your weekend, but also enjoy your now.

Photos from another walk on another now.

True Showers

I've not been around on the blog-sphere lately, for I've been giving birth to a book and that takes time. More time than I ever dreamed. But it's done now and you'll start hearing more from me again. 

Yesterday, Jim and I read from the prophet Ezekiel. I loved the promise of showers of blessing.

         I will make them and the places all around My hill a blessing; 

                                and I will cause showers to come down in their season: 

                                there shall be showers of blessing. Ezekiel 34:26

Wow! Do we realize that promise came from the God of the Universe? For us? There are many other promises in that chapter we could focus on, yet let's focus on this promise: showers of blessing.

In my book, I've written a lot about my past. About growing up in the countryside in Oregon and Washington. I remember singing in that little church on Sunday nights the song that must have been inspired from that verse:

                  There shall be showers of blessing: 
                           This is the promise of love; 
                           There shall be seasons refreshing, 
                            Sent from the Savior above.....

I can still hear the voices, lustily singing together on Sunday nights. 

If I can list one blessing, it would be the wonderful memories I have growing up in the countryside where berries and nurseries abounded. Where I could run like the wind and ride my bike freely with few cars to watch for. Where I knew I was loved by my parents, who so diligently told me about the Savior mentioned in the song. 

My family during that era. I'm in the upper left.

What's the blessing you could list today? I challenge you to think about it. Write it down. Give thanks to the Savior.