Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Spring is coming!

My daphne is in bloom by my front door. The smell is just delicious as I walk out the door. I must get some sprigs in the house for the marvelous aroma it gives.
Spring is a time of new beginnings. In nature the buds are awakening. My Rhodies will soon be bursting with color. They are laden with buds.

My roses have looked like sticks all winter, but by June they will be in full bloom until Thanksgiving. Did you know that Portland, Oregon is known as the "City of Roses"?
In thinking about Spring, I feel challenged to have some new beginnings in my Christian walk with the Lord.

Recently in my Bible study, I have been studying the character traits of a Christian. Today I have been reflecting on one of them--brotherly kindness

1 Peter 1:22-23 22 Since you have, in obedience to the truth, purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart, 23 for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God.

I’m thinking the key word in that passage is “fervently”. As I examine my heart, I see I fall short in fervor. My next door neighbors are Christians, but they are careless people in the way they keep up their yard, obey the city ordinances, and in general present quite a messy sight to the neighborhood. I find anger stirring within every time I drive up to my home and there sits his work truck hanging over the sidewalk, a garbage trailer sitting in the driveway, a broken sink, the garbage cans at the curb two days after garbage day--you get the picture.I keep silent because they are a brother and sister in Christ.....but every day I wrestle with talking to them about it.

Do I fervently love them from my heart? I really like them and adores their little girl, but I know I don’t like how they operate. It is a dilemma that I won’t solve in the near futures. In the meantime, I am asking for wisdom from God, in dealing with this situation and acceptance if that is what I am supposed to do.

As we have gone through these character traits from
2 Peter 1, I wish I could say that I have “arrived” in practicing all of them daily. I cannot say that--in fact the more I examine my heart, the more I see in my life that needs work.

I rejoice that our God loves us with all of our failures, warts and bumps and He doesn’t tire of bestowing His love upon us as it is ours because of the Lord Jesus Christ. If we know Him, we are perfect in God’s eyes because He sees us through Him!!

Oh by the way--those character traits Peter talks about are:

Faith,--it is the “title deed”
Moral excellence
--goodness or virtue

Knowledge--comes from an intimate relationship with Christ
Self-control
--one of the fruits of the Spirit--Gal 5:22-23

Perseverance
--don’t give up
Godliness--practice it moment by moment
Brotherly kindness--treat everyone as a brother
Love--is a verb--do for others--I Cor. 13

I again remind myself Spring is a time of new bginnings.
Have a wonderful day as you anticipate the arrival of Spring with me.

Sunday, February 24, 2008

a hodge podge of thoughts

The house is eerily quiet tonight. Nick has gone home
and there is no one to play games with....but that's okay, I'm looking forward to my week. I still have some work to do on Tuesday's Bible Study, but I've just made the executive decision to leave it until tomorrow. I am just plain tired!

If you remember, I went shopping one day several weeks ago.....and Saturday, my new recliner was delivered. Its a little fancy in print for the family room, but I will some day be in a smaller place and it will be in my living room where it will fit in nicely.
As you will remember, Apple replaced my last computer with a brand new one I wrote about it in "the squeaky wheel gets the grease!" Well, its here. It came by overnight mail and I was only off line for 3 days!! This new computer has lots of "bells and whistles" which I haven't began to explore. I have a new printer with a scanner and a copier with it. I'm already having fun with that, in fact I copied Nick's pictures from an existing album. I am so excited with all of the possibilites!
I absolutely love learning new things!! (If I am interested in them)

One of the features on this computer is something called Photo Booth which is part of the icam on the thing. I didn't know I even had it until I was doing all the preliminary signing onto the machine and suddenly, I was looking back at myself on the screen!! That was a shock! Since then I have learned a few things about it..... and today Nick and I had fun.This is my self portrait done by the web cam. It gives me quite a rosy glow, and you certainly can't miss the nose!
Nick joins me in bidding you adieu! 
Enjoy your coming week!!!

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

More cruise pictures......

With over 400 pictures to choose from, I hardly knew what to pick. These are samples of parts of our life that week.

Since I seem to have little or no control over where these pictures end up, we find a picture of our Thanksgiving dinner in the middle of our sea pictures! It was lovely, but not quite like ours--we missed the dressing.
Playing in the ocean provided lots of fun. We start with a slight tussle going on between brother Ben and sister Gracie.
Tanner gets rolled around a little in the wave.
The ocean was rough at times near the shore.
Elliot and a statue in one of our ports. I think this guy appealed to him!
The streets of Puerto Vallarta are all cobblestone. The homes all looked like this, but one had a door open and we could see through to a lovely courtyard in the middle of their building. This was a quaint town with winding roads overlooking the city and the sea. Beautiful!!

We stopped to visit a three million dollar house that was open that day and was for sale. The view from every window was spectacular!! Jon and Leah on the stair.
Jon with his two kids waiting while the ladies finished their tour of the house.
Here we have Ben and Gracie still having a tussle. I couldn't get this picture where it belongs! I tried clicking and dragging, but it woudn't let me.

Back at the swimming pool....Here they are--all seven of them! Please notice the girls' fancy hair braids, which they had done earlier that day.
...here they are! Bailey is getting hers done while Molly admires Gracie's hair.
Molly and Gracie waiting for Bailey to finished. They were in a building with many little shops which was located on the wharf near our ship.
Ben holding some type of lizard--probably an iguana.


And, of course, what is a visit to Mexico without a visit to Senior Frog's??? Elliot was the only kid that wanted to go with his folks to eat there.
Elliot again--They were visiting an open meat market in Mazatlan and the butcher handed Elliot this sticky knife for a picture. I guess this meat market was quite an eye-opener to our kids who are used to neatly packaged meats in a refrigerated case!!
Somebody's catch of the day hanging in the town square.
Thanksgiving afternoon watching the bathers.
A view of the pool area from an upper deck balcony.

We finish with a mid-afternoon game of shuffle board.
We had a great time and have lots of pictures to keep our happy memories alive. I had so many pictures that I chose not to scrapbook them, but rather put them in albums for easy viewing.

These two ocean pictures were added so you could see how beautiful the ocean was at Cabo..which was our first port of call. My sister was disappointed I didn't add these as the water was so very blue!


Thanks for letting me share some of our fun with all of you.

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Thanksgiving Cruise, 2007

The Dawn Princess, November 18th to November 25th, 2007

In November, my sister Carol and her husband Bill and I, took our kids (those who could go) and grandkids on a week-long cruise to the Mexican Rivera. It was a wonderful time! Someone said, "Isn't that a pretty expensive way to get out of cooking Thanksgiving dinner??" It was worth every penny to be together as a large extended family.

To be in the sunshine during November was a real treat for us Oregonians who live in the rain so many months of the year. Our ports of call were a great experience for the children. We had three ports of call, Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan, and Puerto Vallarta. The family had two days in which they were able to go in the ocean.

By the end of the week, the children all had beautiful tans, as they lived in the swimming pool every spare minute that they had. Thanksgiving day we toured Puerto Vallarta, got back to the ship and the kids raced to get into swimming gear, and a large group of them went to the seashore for swimming. Then they barely got back in time for showering and changing into dress clothes for a lovely dinner in the dining room. After dinner, it was a race to see who could get to the pool deck first!! It was an unusual Thanksgiving, but a great one!! There is nothing better than being with family! The older I get, the more I appreciate the extended family that I have. I am so thankful for each of them. Enjoy the pictures!!


Mary, Bill, Scott G
Matt, Bill, Carol, Mary, Scott, Jonathan
Gaye and Matt with Bailey and Uncle Scott in background
Lifeboat drill!

Zach, Bailey,and their Mother Gaye outside the ice-cream parlor
Jonathan, Leah, and kids, Molly and Elliot
The "G" Crew
Carol and Bill and their 5 grandchildren
Tammy, my foster daughter, who had her last name legally changed to "T" before the trip, after using it unofficially since she was nine years old!

My grandchildren and I--Molly, Gram, Elliot

Tanner, with parents, Scott and Mary

This is all the pictures I am going to post!! It takes too long!! And I can't get the words under the pictures correctly, and I'm frustrated no end, and so I will say good night for now and trust that tomorrow my lesson on blogging will continue with more success than tonight's trial and error.







Saturday, February 16, 2008

A three day week-end means a visit from Molly.

Its been a "crafty" week-end so far. Molly and I went to a store for a book making project. If I can get the pictures on I will share with you what Molly's looks like. This afternoon we came home to Gram's craft room and made quite an exciting card with lots of folding. We might even share that with you.....if I can get it downloaded.



Well, I did it. Here is the "dahlia fold" card that we worked on this afternoon. It is made from 8 circles from double sided paper, and each circle is folded multiple times. The card isn't totally in the picture...but I got it on the blog!! I am so thankful to figure that out!!

Hang on---I think there are a few more to come!!  Here are Molly and this morning's book.

Molly has opened to the first page....

and continues to open.....
and continues to open (on the front side of the book)
She's opened some of the "nooks and crannys" that are part of the book.  I t will hold 20 to 25 pictures depending how one chooses to scrapbook it.

Pardon the background, but the work table is just in front of the closet full of my stamping sets, hence the busyness behind her!!

She choose some pictures from my Walgreen's  site where I have stored a lot of pictures in "albums".  We ordered them by computer about 2 hours ago and have already had an email from Walgreens that the pictures are ready to pick up!!  What a day and age we live in--choose 30 pictures, hit a button, they go by wire and come out pictures at the other end, and are printed within an hour!!  Too much for this old brain to comprehend.

So we are off to the drugstore to pick up our pictures for the next project which will be filling the book she made this morning and is showing all of you in the above pictures!!

I love my computer!!  Oh! by the way... my new one came on Thursday and I hooked it all up myself!!  (I've come a long way since I bought my first computer in 1990 and had one of my third grade student come over to help me  get started!)

Molly has one more project she wants to start and that is an album for brother Elliot. 
She's an ambitious little girlie!!  I love having her because we like a lot of the same things. 

Thanks for bearing with me as I practice these new skills of putting pictures on the machine!

I love, love, love having grandchildren!  I so often think of the verse "an  old man's  (or woman's)  delight is in his/her  children's children"

Until later.........


Friday, February 15, 2008

Some facts about me......

My life has been full, with many hills and valleys, but through it all, I've known the love of God toward me and mine in wonderful and marvelous ways.

I am the oldest of three. I have a brother and a sister with whom I am very close. My mother was the head of a large maternity hospital in Portland until she had her family. After we were college age, she went back to nursing part time. My Dad was a gourmet food salesman. We had a close knit family and extended family. Our mother made sure we celebrated everything!! She and Dad were examples of hospitality with a capital "H". We always had company dinner on Sundays and often kept visiting missionaries in our home. Our Dad stepped suddenly into the presence of the Lord one morning when he was 75. "instant death, instant glory!" We were privleged to have our sweet Mom until she was 96. Eight years ago she greeted the multitudes who had gone before her to Heaven. (Eventually I hope to do a blog on each of them individually as they were wonderful people with wonderful lives!)

My college years were spent at Westmont College with graduation from Lewis and Clark College. My graduate work was done through Portland State University.

My first profession was that of a medical social worker at the U of O Medical School here in Portland. I was two years into that profession, when my cousin, Jim Elliot
, along with four young men, was killed in Equador. At that time, I completely surrendered my heart to the Lord and He led me to become a Resident Social Worker in a Christian Children's Home in Colorado. Those were wonderful years of dependance upon the Lord as the Home was run like the George Muellur orphanges in London in the early 1900's. I could write a book about my years with those wonderful kids!!

In 1965 I was the sixth single person in Oregon to be allowed to adopt. At that time only two states allowed legal adoptions for single people...of course now all states allow singles to adopt. (Writing about my kids is a whole other blog!)

When I knew that I was going to adopt, I went into teaching as I felt the hours were so much better for a Mommie who would have to work. (The fact that I had to work is still one of the deepest hurts of my heart, as I know that it affected my children in some ways) I so admire the mothers who can and do chose to stay home and raise their own babies in place of child care.

Counting my adopted kiddos and foster children, there were 25 children in and out of my home over the years. They were hard years in many ways, but they were blessed years also. Only Heaven will reveal the fruit of the labor with the foster children. I am in contact with a number of them on a regular basis and am thankful for their lives. The children are all long grown and have developed their own lives and families. I have two granchildren from Jonathan, my son. I am "Grandma Joan" to a number of other children who are precious to me.

Having retired in 1990, I am enjoying these years so much. As I find myself in the "winter" of my life, my heart's desire is that I will go out on the "cutting edge" for Christ. At 75, I am so immature in the Lord and fall short daily. I strive, with the Lord's help, to please Him in all that I do, but alas, there is still much room for growth. I praise the Lord for His infinite and unending patience with me in everything. I am so very thankful that He has walked beside me in this journey called Life, for over 75 years!!

Friday, February 8, 2008

Jim Elliot

For the last few days I have had some trips down memory lane. I don't know why, but have been thinking about the events in January so many years ago, that led to the death of Jim Elliot and his four fellow missionaries in their quest to reach the stone age indians in Equador with the gospel.
What follows are some of my memories of Jim. I hope you will bear with me for its long.

Memories of a cousin
Jim Elliot was my cousin and my friend. Our mothers were first cousins and close friends, so our families spent lots of time together. I was often at the Elliot house for overnights with Jim’s sister, Jane, who is my age.

One of my earliest memories of Jim happened when our two families were vacationing at Manzanita Beach one summer. Jane and I were eight or nine, and with the cooperation of my brother, two years our junior, we played a terrible trick on our mothers. We laid brother Bernie on the rocks that were about a 12 feet drop from the walkway . We ran to the house shouting, “Come quick, Bernie fell onto the rocks.” Our mothers were hustling to the door when Jim, along with his two buddies, “Dutch” and Dick, came sailing over our mothers’ heads and ran to the walkway where brother Bernie was having a giggling fit. I remember Jim grabbing Jane and me by our curls and hauling us back to the cabin door, making us look at him as he delivered a scolding to us about what a terrible trick that was and to make sure we understood, he knocked our two heads together!! (He had a strong sense of right and wrong, even at age 14!)

I intuitively knew the Elliot kids were bright, fearless, outgoing, energetic and full of adventure, but Jim truly stood out in this area. To be around him, meant we would always have gobs of fun, but also be challenged in our walk with God

Jim had a tremendous memory and was quite theatrical. I can still feel the goose bumps that would rise when he would quote “The Raven” by Edgar Allen Poe.

Once on Thanksgiving, he stayed in his room all day fasting and memorizing all the verses of the hymn, “The Sands of Time...” He was very disciplined.

He had a tremendous wit, loved spontaneous get togethers with the young people, and provided loads of adventure. He taught me how to canoe on the Columbia River. He led groups for climbs up Mount Hood--they would get up very early, drive up, do their climb and be back that night--no fancy climbing gear, no walkie-talkies, just whatever they had that was appropriate for the climb. He loved adventure!!

The “Young People” from all of the chapels went on a bus to Eugene for some special meetings when I was about 15. In the back three seats there were three couples (whose names I won’t mention) who were doing a little “spooning”. We were all singing together and one song was “Smoke gets in your eyes” and when we finished, Jim shouted from the front of the bus, “There’s no smoke in this bus, but there is plenty of fire in those back seats!!” And that was Jim....a ready wit, with an answer for everything!

We could be cutting up, with Jim leading the fun, and when it was time to settle down, in an instant, he was reverent and ready to talk about the Lord. He never allowed his foolishness to carry over into the Spiritual parts of our get-togethers.

When Jim left for Wheaton College, he came back each summer full of energy for the Lord. He led our little group of high schoolers those summers and each year he came back, he had a new line of thinking he would drill into us. One year it was that we must refrain from using “Jezebel Juice” (make up) as that was not good. The next year it was no kissing until marriage and on it went. He was so passionate in what he believed, we all fell under his dynamic personality. He constantly challenged us to serve the Lord with our lives.

I was in my second year out of college doing social work at the Medical School when the five young men lost contact with the home base. I remember so clearly walking into the lobby of County Hospital each morning to read the headlines in the Oregonian newspaper stand, which kept us up to date on their situation. I remember the turmoil of my thoughts, my emotions, the enormity of this thing, and above all, how I was going to deal with this if Jim was dead.

As I grappled with all of these thoughts and emotions, I was forced to remember the appalling accidental death of my favorite 4 year old cousin when I was eighteen. It happened three weeks before I left for Westmont College and I was thinking I was pretty spiritual, until this happened. I found myself shaking my fist at God--literally crying out in anger at Him for this horrible accident.

I KNEW that no matter the outcome with the missing missionaries, I could not have this reaction again. I had long before dealt with my anger, and I knew that I could not respond in the same way this time....so all week, as we waited, I prayed continually, “Lord, use this in my life for Your glory.”

And then of course, the bodies were found, and the Christian world was shaken. There are blurred memories from the days that followed--Uncle Fred Elliot (Jim’s father) at the old Sixth and Prescott Chapel, after getting the news during prayer meeting, holding onto the big white pillar on the porch, sobbing out his broken heart.--the Memorial Service shared with an overflowing audience in the gym at Benson High School--the many articles in the secular press--the changes going on in peoples’ hearts--and last the changes which were taking place within my own heart as I absorbed the enormity of all that had happened.

In the months that followed I was being led to leave my job (which I loved) and look into some type of Christian work. Bert and Colleen Elliot were home from Peru during those months and in sharing with them what was going on in my life, they told me of The Christian Home for Children in Colorado Springs. I corresponded with the Home and learned that they were expanding their ministry to include handling adoptions and foster care and were looking for a Social Worker.

After much prayer and thought, I joined the staff at the Children’s Home where I learned so many lessons in depending on God. It was run like the George Mueller orphanages in England and it was a life changing experience for me.

Had Jim Elliot and his companions not died, would my life have taken the path it did? I don’t know, but I know that that experience was instrumental in taking my life in a direction that I had never even thought about. My work with children began that year and expanded into twenty five foster kids over the years in my own home, and being able to be the sixth single woman in Oregon allowed to adopt. I like to believe that my life’s journey was shaped greatly by the events of fifty years ago.

It is only hindsight which allows me to see what a jewel Jim Elliot was and what a privilege it was to have grown up around him! As I read through his journal many years ago, I was floored at the profound thoughts he wrote--many when he was hardly more than a boy. Some of the words he penned at age 21 were far beyond the Spiritual development and maturity for a man his age.

As you see Jim in the movie, “End of the Spear”--fit, smiling, twinkling eyes, fleet of foot and so cute, you will see him as he will forever be in my mind’s eye. I am so thankful for his life. “He being dead, yet speaketh!”

Thursday, February 7, 2008

"The Squeaky Wheel gets the Grease!"

My computer is only three years old and its been a lemon. I decided to get a new one, but thought that I would talk to Apple and tell them I think I should get some money off my new computer. Well......they had my history of repairs over the last three years and they said to me..............."We think you have had too much trouble, so we are going to replace your computer to the latest!" Of course, I expressed my thankfulness over this offer. (after I had my dropped jaw back into place.)

I'm just thrilled over this turn of events!! I will have to ship in my present computer and they will send the new one to the house. So...........I will be without a computer for a while. When the new one comes, watch out--I'll know how to get pictures on by the dozen. (I hope!!)

I did manage to get two pictures on which I put on previous posts. Until we meet again..........have fun!

Wednesday, February 6, 2008

i went to the library today and....

after picking up my two books on hold, I went to the L Z boy store and bought a new recliner. It is
really lovely and fortunately I liked the print on it, which is muted--has some burgundy in it and it will be fine to replace my other one that has just plain lost its comfort! It looks fine on the outside, but sitting in it is no longer comfortable for me. I had gone to the LZ Boy website and looked at all of the wing chair styles (not very many) so I walked in well-prepared having made my choice at home!! (Oh my, what a day and age we live in!! just pick it out on line and go buy it!)

I've also been researching a new computer. Mine is only 3 years old, but is obsolete. Rather than updating a lot of things, I decided to go for a new one. I'm getting a 20" imac with leopard and they will take everything off my present computer that I wish to save for $49. What a deal. They will even bring it out and hook it all up for $99--even a better deal. (for me)

So.............come March 1, I will have a day of reckoning when Mr. Visa comes knocking with my bill!! Fortunately I had sold a little stock in December and decided to keep it for "mad money". So now its about spent and it will be back to reality soon enough.

When I get the ability to download pictures, I hope to get some good pictures on here of the dear ones that I have written about, as well as my new chair.....and maybe even my new computer, we'll just have to wait and see!!

Friday, February 1, 2008

how can a simple phone call bring such joy?

Upon returning from my errands this afternoon, I heard my answering machine chirping away. As I punched the correct button, here comes one of the dearest voices in all the world to me.

"Hi Gramma, This is Elliot. I have something to tell you which I think you should know about....so call me back please."

My first thought was questioning what he would have to tell me that he needed to call me about it.

I called him back and he answered. Now you have to know when he hears my voice I always get a wonderful response. "Hi gramma" with such enthusiasm and expression that it never fails to warm my heart.

His big news was that he is getting off the 11 and 12th from school and he thought a four day week end would thrill me because he could come for all four days!!

I'm thankful that he still wants to come to gram's at age 14!!

Elliot was put into my arms when he was about 10 minutes old and I whispered into his ear that we would be special friends always.....and we are.

He is full of energy, very articulate, gobs of ideas. and has his dad's charm when he wants to use it. He is not a totally restful child to have, but we always have a good time because he has such a great personality. He is tender hearted and of course he has my heart. He still plunks himself on my lap at times, still loves to be read aloud to at bedtime, enjoys our morning Bible readings, and loves my cooking--no matter what!!

Just a simple thing in a day, but so heart warming for me. Each grandchild is different and very special!

Molly and Elliot aboard the Dawn Princess, Nov. 2007