"Daddy's here."

Several years ago my grandchildren were baptized by their Dad one Sunday after the morning service at their church. As grandson, Elliot, stepped down into the water to join his waiting Dad, he was visibly shaking and his nervousness was very apparent. As soon as he was in the water, his Dad gathered him close to himself and through his mike we could hear him say to his son, "Its okay, buddy, Daddy's here." And with that Elliot's body relaxed into his Dad's.

As I heard this, of course, I was moved. I almost immediately thought of our relationship with our Heavenly Father. We tremble and shake over the courses of events which fill our lives, and yet when we will relax in Him, can't you almost hear Him say, "Its okay, child of Mine, 'Daddy" is here."

How often I forget the beauty and simpleness of it all. My Father, God, has everything about me wrapped in His love and in His presence. What a wonderful comfort!!

July birthday celebrations coming up!!

We're celebrating the July birthdays on Sunday at my sister's home. My "boys" are getting older. They are the three "P's", two Policemen and a Preacher!

Jonathan, my son is 43

Matthew, my nephew is 44

Christopher, my nephew is 45

What does that make me? I'll tell you next week.
I'm also celebrating with them tomorrow!

But seriously, aren't they all good looking fellows?
They will forever be "boys" to me. In fact, I have been known to call the
nephews, "Chrissy or Mattie", which are leftover names
from childhood!
Certainly not befitting two tough policemen!!

Happy Birthday, sweet boys--each so special--each so loved!

Jonathan, part 2, Grades K-8

How does one describe how quickly the years went by--how dear the years were--how blessed we were? They were fun busy years, yet hard years, but we always saw the faithfulness of our God to us. (See Jonathan, part 1)

When Jonathan began first grade, one of the young men from church approached me one morning and these were almost his exact words. “Would you be offended if I came along side of your little boy and did some activities with him, since he doesn’t have a dad?” I immediately was overwhelmed with gratefulness because this was just what Jon needed...and so began a friendship between Jonathan and David.

first grade

No matter how he started out the day, he finished up looking like an "unmade bed."

David S. was about 25, a student at Multnomah Bible School, and a Godly man. Soon he and another young man, also a student, came one night a week for dinner and they had such sweet fellowship with all of my children. Dave became Jon’s soccer coach, took him hiking, biking, and was his encourager. I can never thank David enough for befriending my little boy all through his grade school years. He was a gift from God!!

Jonathan learned to read in first grade. I was excited that the process came together okay having taught some kids that just didn’t get reading. We had our share of baseball games and an avid interest in ice hockey which he wasn’t allowed to do because of his arthritis. He had a hard time understanding it wasn’t going to happen.

second grade

third grade

By fourth grade, they had band and orchestra tryouts. I never said a word, but I was thinking that the trumpet is a majestic instrument!! He came home and announced he was going to play the violin!! .......and play it he did!!!!

We started with “twinkle-twinkle” and progressed from there. Since he was playing the Suzuki method, he listened to his music 30 minutes a day before practicing. Unless you have lived with a beginning student violinist, you have absolutely no idea what kind of sounds can come out of the violin! Eventually he learned how to do vibrato....and suddenly the music began to sing!!

By the end of fourth grade, his orchestra teacher from school called me and said that the child had music in his soul!! He wanted me to get him private instruction and gave me the name of the top notch teacher in our area....and violin lessons began.

By sixth grade, he was the outstanding (grades 1-8) violinist in our school district. He played a very complicated Tchalkovsky composition before a packed audience at our district high school music festival. He received a standing ovation. When everyone sat down, Grandpa stood up and announced , “That’s my grandson!!” Oh my! the memories.

After fourth grade our spare time lives were filled with music lessons, playing in an orchestra from another school district one night a week, soccer, and trying to get them all to the table for family dinner each evening. Those years were a real juggling act!

sixth grade

The summer before junior high school, Jonathan provided the special music at his dear friend, David’s, wedding. David and his bride went to Eugene to study architecture and Jonathan grieved. Although we saw them from time to time, as Jon said, “It will never be the same.”

Junior High began and it was a nightmare! The discipline was terrible and the student body ran wild. I knew in my heart he was in his last year of public school.

By seventh grade he was playing with the Portland Junior Symphony, still playing with the other school district orchestra, taking lessons, by then, from the second chair violinist with the Portland Symphony, and spending much longer time practicing.

The summer Jonathan was thirteen he lost his adored grandpa to sudden death. We all reeled from the shock. For Jon, it meant the loss of his friend, his protector, his buddy, his encourager, and his cheer leader at all of his games, as well as his musical performances. In high school he was to write the following:

The Saddest Day of My Life
On August 15, 1979, my wonderful grandpa died. Suddenly and without warning he was dead!

I was at summer camp enjoy myself to the hilt. I was having so much fun. We were riding the mini-bikes on that afternoon when one of the counselors came to me and told me that my mom was here to see me. (That was against the rules to have parents visit.)

I knew something was wrong. She looked so serious. My aunt was also with her. Each of the moms took a boy and proceeded to tell us that Grandpa was gone. The tears that flooded my face, my heart, and my soul were sad, angry and bitter. How could God take my grandfather--my friend, my father figure, my dear, dear, confidant?

In the place of all the turmoil within, gradually a deep sadness crept in to take the place of the angry and bitter feelings. The sadness didn’t leave for a long time...and
sometimes it is still there.

Two weeks after Grandpa’s death, Jonathan began eighth grade at an ACE school. It was during this year of school, that he suffered the most severe episode of his rheumatoid arthritis, thus far. He was put on six weeks of bed rest with narcotics for pain, and then for another six weeks he could attend school half-days. I couldn’t afford financially to take time off to care for him. One of my mother-helpers at school, whom I knew well, came and offered to take care of him. She was one of those answers to prayer that fit into the category “before you call, I will answer!” You see I hadn’t prayed earnestly yet about a solution, because I had to stew and worry a little longer!! But the Lord took it right out of my hands and provided an answer in the form of this dear friend who was a Christian and also an RN! Wasn't that wonderful??

I must say something of the boy, Jonathan. He was, (and is), an easy going, laid back kind of a kid, who took his music much more seriously than his school work! In many ways, he was a "magical" child. Jon didn’t know a stranger, always friendly and outgoing, he enjoyed his share of friends. He has always been a hugger and a very affectionate child. He had stage presence from the early days of performing. As he matured, his music began to include song-writing, playing piano, keyboard, and base guitar, as well as developing a beautiful singing voice. His music has always brought much pleasure and joy to his Mom’s heart.

eighth grade

When he announced to us in his cute lisp, when he was two, as he whirled around the living room to some music, “I danthing bear", little did we know......

My heart fills with thanksgiving that I was blessed by God with an occupation which provided financially for us. The money always seemed to be there for increased lessons, new violins as he grew, and all of the other expenses. As I look back I see how God provided with something extra at just the right time. (We lived on a teacher's salary.)

Our God has been faithful. I want to give Him all the glory for whatever is good that came out of our little family structure. Certainly Jonathan's wonderful gift of music is a direct gift from God!!

Until next time.......

Jonathan, part 1

Oh what a glorious day it was when I held my very own three day old baby for the first time! Born of another, yet entrenched in my heart for all time and eternity--my precious, precious son. He made me a Mommie, and fulfilled a deep desire of my heart.

Jonathan--"YAHWEH has given”--
a gift from God

When I learned that single people could adopt in Oregon, I looked into it. I believe each step was ordained by God, as I began to make inquiries. I had an appointment for inquiry and was told a baby was to be born in three months. This baby had a placement arranged, but the prospective adoptive father had dropped dead from a heart attack, and understandably the wife backed out of the contract. The birth mother was most anxious to have a secured placement for her baby and had given the doctor forty eight hours to find another placement or she would go elsewhere. This baby was offered to me. I was floored, as I expected to wait several months or years before a baby became available. I asked her for six hours before I gave her an answer.

I fled to my parent’s home. Only Mom was home and I told her about the offer. We dropped to our knees at the living room couch and prayed about this momentous decision. After we concluded, we stood up and looked at one another and said in unison, that we felt it was a gift from the Lord and I should go forward with it. So, I did....and never looked back.
The early years were so fun and so much work! Jonathan was a sweet baby, who smiled, laughed, and didn’t know a stranger. He loved everyone and was well-loved in return.


Early on he developed a love for music--as a toddler he was in constant rhythm whenever music was playing. A busy, inquisitive child, he knew all of the neighbors by name and if he was let out, he visited them all regularly. They all gave him goodies and I threatened to put a bib on him that said, “please don’t feed this child!”

In my journal during these preschool years, I wrote in 1966, “Jonathan is now seventeen months old and oh! so busy! He is on the go every waking minute! What a thrill it has been to watch him grow and develop. He is a continual joy to my heart.” and in another entry in 1967, “My children continue to be a source of never ending joy to me. As I look into their sweet faces, I never cease to marvel at the goodness of the Lord in giving them to me. I’m sure Jonathan is the busiest two year old living! He talks continually, leads us all a merry chase and is the pet of the house. as I tuck him in nightly, my heart is thrilled anew that the Lord gave me this wee boy as my very own to nurture and love.”


During his second summer, I was on the staff at the Cannon Beach Conference Center. He knew every staff person by name that summer, and on his second birthday, he sang Jesus Love Me to a crowd of two hundred in the dining room and never missed a word or a beat! That was the biggest birthday party of his life!

By the time he was three, he was “preaching” to us. He would sit everyone down, pass out Bibles or hymnbooks to all, and grab a plant stand for his pulpit and began his monolog. The neighbors used to drop by just to see and hear him “play church”.

third birthay

Little did we know what his fourth year was to bring.
This robust child had many difficult months ahead.

When Jon was four he had Scarlet Fever. Altho it was treated, he was left with lethargy, a daily fever, a very abnormal sed. rate, and an enlarged spleen. After several months of testing, I received a call at school from our pediatrician and he told me his blood work revealed abnormalities which could be leukemia. He said we would repeat the tests in one week, and if they were the same, the testing would go further.

This was quite a bomb to be dropped in the middle of the school day. I went to the teacher’s bathroom, dropped to my knees in front of the toilet, and wept and cried and fought one of the greatest battles of my life, as I finally surrendered this beautiful, lovely little child of mine to the Lord for His will to be done with this little life. I don’t know how I got through the rest of the school day.

Everyone prayed during that week before the next tests were to be done. They were done and returned. They showed nothing wrong!! I believe we had a miracle. The doctor thinks the first lab was in error. Whatever it was, my heart rejoiced mightily, and I was full of thanksgiving to the Lord for His goodness and His kindness in sparing my sweet, sweet boy.

Eventually we received a diagnosis of Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis which was to plague him off and on through his teens, but burned itself out by the time he entered his twenties. Thankfully, he had no joint changes, altho he had some very painful flare-ups over the years. He still has to be careful of strep infections and is always medicated if one occurs, for prevention of onset of new symptoms.

When Jon was born I had a fifteen year old foster daughter. who had been with me for about a year. They became fast friends. He adored her and she adored him. When he was four, she married.


After the wedding practice, as I was putting him to bed, he said to me, “Tomorrow is for ‘weal?” I said yes and then he said, “Will Sissie still live here with us?” I had explained this to him before, but reality set in that night, I think. I told him no she wouldn’t, but would have a new home with Mike. He sat up in bed, and said, “Allwite then...I’m marrying her!!” He did love his “sissy”..and missed her terribly when she was gone, altho we saw them often.

We got through that fourth year. It was a long year with many tears, prayers, and questions. I praised God as we reached a healthy fifth birthday!!



...to be continued in future posts