Wednesday March 16 2016  THERE ARE ALWAYS REASONS TO BE THANKFUL

March is a blustery month.  It seems as if I forget that each year until I again experience the storms.  I sit here at my computer, surrounded by windows that overlook the dance of the winds.  Tall trees swaying and twisting in gales of bluster.  Sometimes I believe the tops of the huge trees are going to twist right off.  We’ve had hurricanes around us in the past and believe me, the winds just snap some of the tallest and strongest trees right at the ground and carry them away.  Usually what happens after a snow melt and lots of rain, as we have had lately, is that the wind will just uproot the trees from the soft soil.  That is not a comforting thought as I sit here within striking distance of some of these trees.

Wind is so amazing.  It can’t be seen, only the movement of what stands in its way causes us to be aware of its intensity.  Nor can it be heard.  Oh yes, we often hear people speak about the “howling wind”, but in reality, it is not the wind we hear at all.  Instead it is the sounds that branches and leaves make as they clang into one another, or crevices and cracks that wind whips through which cause the whistling sound.  Right now I hear a deafening roar and it surrounds me on all sides.  I also hear the ubiquitous howling as it slams into the house, forcing itself through narrow passage ways of trim and gutters.  Fortunately we have updated windows that are tight and sturdy so wind doesn’t seem to sneak inside.  I can’t see the wind, but the undulating sounds, and the swirling bare branches of the trees give fact that it is doing its best March dance.  And with it comes a bone chilling cold.  This is the month I should have been gone!

Each area of the country we have lived in has its own unique weather patterns.  In Southern California it was the Santa Ana Winds and the dry hot summers.  In the San Francisco East Bay area it was the early spring rains.  In Wisconsin we have it all!  Cold snowy winters, blustery winds of March, spectacular spring flowers, the rains of summer (of which we do not complain), warm summer days with occasional high humidity, and the pristine colors of fall, bringing the full cycle back to Mr. Frost himself.   Of all the places we have lived I much prefer Wisconsin weather.  It is ever changing, versatile, unpredictable, and sometimes even “perfect”.  However, perfect to me might not be perfection to another.  I receive much enjoyment from the beauty of nature and season’s changing treasures.  And I especially love our trees.  In a past blog I wrote about how I was raised in an area without trees.  Well, there is never a day that goes by that I do not look out at the trees we steward and feel overwhelming gratitude, that God grants me the pleasure of living amongst such beauty.  If you don’t have a relationship with trees then you might think I am just a little off my rocker.  I guess that is putting it bluntly, I really do have a “relationship” with trees and I even have one I am in love with. 

The tree I love most is a very old oak tree that stands majestically alone on a hill surrounded by grass.  The slope of the hill rises up behind her, proudly displaying its seasonal crop.  For one entire year I photographed that tree on a daily basis.  I pass her (my tree is a girl) most days as she lives around the corner, about a mile from our home.  I received permission from the estate owner to get up close and personal with this grand old lady.  I estimate she must be between two to three hundred years old.  I have taken a photo of “my” tree from every conceivable angle, time of day, lighting, temperature, and weather that I could possibly think of.  Every season, no matter how cold or hot, early morning to sunset shots, whether the tree was fully leaved or starkly naked, I was there to witness the changes.  I have even hugged her and sat beneath her shade on a little lonely bench that humbly stands by her side.  My hug consists of more than FOUR extended breadth spans of my arms opened wide .  I just remembered the one picture I do not yet have.  I have no picture with me standing beside beside the tree which I consider my friend.  Dave and I plan to hike up to the tree together so he can take a picture of me standing next to the tree.  I want to be in the photo so as to have a size comparison of just how grand she is.

I wish you could sit here with me and experience the amazing panorama I am enjoying in full motion.  Perhaps my words have painted a picture for you.

 

FEELINGS I CANNOT LEND

By Kathleen Martens

March 16, 2016

 

What we behold is never known

By another, though it is shown.

What I see from my eyes,

Your taste may belie.

 

The thoughts I feel from within,

Are feelings I cannot lend.

Each of us see from a different angle.

Another’s parallax cannot be wrangled.

 

Each to his own from inside out,

Which for another may have no clout.

What to me may be a boutique,

Others may not choose to seek.

 

So I will enjoy what I choose

That my moments I never lose.

If I desire to love a tree

Then that is what, makes me, me.

 

I received a note from the friend who I have recently requested others to pray for.  I asked her permission if I could select part of her email and post it in my blog.  She gave me permission.

“Reading your blog daily. I cannot begin to thank you for your fervent prayers and those of your blog followers. During the last week (since our phone conversation and you said you would be praying for my knee pain specifically), I have had the least amount of pain in my knee since 2012. God is so good and answers the prayers of His faithful servants. I’ve been icing my feet / ankles several times throughout the day and my ankles have settled down a little, but still in quite a bit of pain and walking is still very painful. Just to have some relief in the knee pain has been a huge blessing.”

Here is her response when I asked her if I could print her letter:

“I would not mind at all.  Anything to give GOD the PRAISE.”

Thank you friend and blog reader for sharing with us what God is doing in your life.

Please continue to pray daily that God will release “our friend” from pain.  When we are one in the Body of Christ, our fellow believers are our family as well as friends!

 

Lord, I give you thanks this day for your tender mercy.

Lord, I thank you for hearing our prayers no matter where we are.

Lord, thank you for being all knowing.

Lord, thank you for the release of this pain and healing in our friend’s body.

Lord, thank you for loving us.

Lord, thank you for caring about every trial no matter how big or small.

And most of all Lord, thank you for providing salvation that we can live with You forever and not perish.

 

Do you have a THANK YOU JOURNAL?  If not, you might enjoy starting one.  Daily write down one thing, or many things, for which you are thankful.  Number them and see how quickly you pass 1,000.  It is so amazing how many things there are in which to give thanks to God.  And God hears your “Thank You Notes” to Him, and it delights Him to pour out His blessings upon His children.  And He doesn’t even mind if you repeat what you are thankful for.

 

Today I am thankful for the pain relief that your daughter is experiencing. 

Thank you too for her testimony to others who are praying.

And Lord, thank You for Dave’s shoes all lined up by the back door.  I am so thankful for the husband that walks in those shoes.

 

GOD BLESS EACH OF YOU ON THIS COLD BLUSTERY MARCH DAY!

Tuesday March 15 2016  TO WHOM DO THEIR MINDS BELONG

Sometimes when in the library I go to the adolescent’s section to peruse what is on the shelf.  These books are for teens as young as 13 years old.  A few years ago, as I was eyeing the current selection, I came upon a book called, “THE HUNGER GAMES”.  After reading the jacket synopsis I was simply amazed at its contents being on the shelf for young teens.  I talked to the librarian about it to make certain it hadn’t been accidentally put on the shelf.  No, it was a book for the adolescent.  Many may recognize the title by the movies that were made to tell the story on the big screen.  It was violent, graphic, way beyond what I would even suspect to be a “General Audience or even a P.G.” movie at the theater.  I don’t remember what rating it was.  I will admit, I did read the book and was terrible sickened by the idea that young minds would be subject to this kind of writing, much less be able to see it on the screen. 

And I must go further and admit that I read the sequels…AND…SAW ALL THE MOVIES!  I look back now and I regret doing both.  There are thoughts and scenes that still torment me.  When I am exposed to the visual reality of what is in a book, I cannot get the visuals out of my mind.  I do not watch violence on television, nor even stress filled dramas.  I have learned that I can’t handle the tenseness.  But the part that really saddens me is to think that we now live in a society that believes it is okay to fill the minds of our children with such openly hostile killings and gore.  Our grandson is now 8 years old and reads chapter books.  To my horror I can just imagine him browsing through the teen’s section in a few short years and choosing just such a book as “THE HUNGER GAMES”.  When a book is obtained from the adolescent section  parents may not be overly concerned about what is in the book and might not think to check it out. 

My word of caution to any who have young children, adolescents, or teenagers, is to be sure and give a once over to any titles they bring home from the library, ESPECIALLY IF IT IS CLOAKED IN THE ADOLESCENT SECTION!  Perhaps books should be graded as to it’s content like a movie is.

I frequent the children’s section just to see what kind of books are being written.  They are certainly not the kind I read during my young adolescence.  Perhaps the minds of our children are so seared from the kinds of things they are allowed to watch on television and the kinds of video games they play, that violence is just the norm, and rather expected as part of the excitement.  How sad is that.  Childhood does not seem to last as long as it used to.

We did not allow our children access to television when they were in grammar and middle school.  By the time they were in high school it never became a priority.  We kept them busy with other activities such as sports and the arts.  Does that make us better parents? Probably not.  But it may have made our children better children.  We had friends who had children and we just cringed when we knew ahead of time that they were coming over with their children.  So many of them were rude, did not know how to speak with adults, overly rambunctious in a house, and just seemed delighted to cause consternation to other children, as well as not obeying their parents.  I still remember the quizzical looks our children gave to these kids as they observed their behavior.  They were not used to behaving in that manner and very rarely were they around others who behaved so atrociously.

When I give advice (usually advice that is not asked for) to parents, both back then and now, my suggestion is that if they remove television’s influence from their children’s lives they might be quite surprised at how different their children would behave and how different their family life would be.  Does that sound impossible in today’s world?  Maybe to those who use the tube as a babysitter.  But to parents who really care and are concerned about their children’s learning and behavior pattern, often time see the value in rearing their children with the values they choose, rather than the world’s values.  Never underestimate the amount of influence that television has on the young mind.

Though I doubt if my son will see this blog due to his busy schedule, I want to say to both him and his wife, that I am so grateful for them not allowing television to rule my grandsons’ lives.  Do the children enjoy T.V.  Just like any restricted pleasure, you bet they do.  For them television is a movie chosen by parents or grandparents as a treat, and we watch it with them.  When they come to our house they know that I always go and choose a movie for them to see.  Long ago I started choosing movies with real life characters and solid moral stories.  They were not really appreciated at first but they have come to love them.  What they don’t know, is that each movie is also a tool of learning.  We hold the control and the movie is paused quite frequently to ask them questions about the words they hear and may not know, about the situations which are happening that they might not comprehend the gist of, and to talk about the environment of where the movie is made, where it is in the country, why things are happening the way they are, etc.  One of the most astounding things we have discovered recently is the amazing understanding the children have of the vocabulary used in the move.  Occasionally they do not understand the complete concept of the movie but they are understanding the words and how they apply to the story.

Last weekend I mentioned in my blog how many compliments I received because of the excellent behavior of these two little grandsons.  I actually asked myself what is so amazing about the way they behave?  I would expect nothing less from them, just as I expected my own children to be considerate and well behaved in public.  Then, as I looked around I discovered that they were the exception, and not the rule.  In essence, their childhood has not been taken from them.  It has been given to them.  They have been nurtured, not with a boob tube, but with hands-on parental love.  They have been disciplined without breaking their spirit or being subjected to embarrassing situations.  They are instructed as to what kind of behavior is expected of them, BEFORE, they are in a situation.  Communication.  Words.  Smiles.  Love.  They all go together.

And I say to my son and his wife:

“Amy and Court:  Thank you for our grandsons’ childhoods!  Thank you for loving them tenderly and disciplining them fairly without provocation.  Not only are you giving a gift to your children as role models, you have also given us the opportunity to enjoy their gift of a childhood that you have not allowed the world to corrupt and tear apart.   And even above and beyond that, you have given a gift to future generations that follow.

“I am proud to be your mother, and mother-in-law to your wife.  And I am proud to be Gramma to your two fine boys!  Thank you for their childhood.  It is my greatest gift during these later years of life.  Thank you for sharing their childhood with us.”

I love the verse in the Bible (which I can’t find right now) that tells fathers to not provoke their children.  The influences of the world does enough to incite, aggravate, and irritate even the youngest members of our society without the help of the parent.  So much anger and hostility can be defused by as much of what is left unsaid, as by what is said.  It takes wisdom to know the difference.

This blog came from a sentence I listened to from a children’s story book that was suggested to me by the librarian of the children’s section.  I am not finished with it yet, but so far I would hesitate to have a child read it.  It is science fiction about the future and I am unsure if a young mind could really grasp the horror of what is taking place.  And then again, maybe the young mind is much more sophisticated that I give it credit.  Would I want my grandchildren to read it before adulthood?   I think not.  Since I am not finished with it I will withhold the title until it is done.  I will then come back and report to you my assessment as to what is being fed into the minds of our most vulnerable.

 

TO WHOM DO THEIR MINDS BELONG?

By Kathleen Martens

March 15, 2016

 

Little lives so vulnerable and young.

To whom do their minds belong?

Words written by a stranger’s hand

That they cannot yet understand?

 

Perhaps pictures of violence on screen

And lewd behavior that should be unseen?

Or the four letter words which are spewed

As the screen is intently viewed?

 

How do you recapture the innocence of youth

As they begin to lose a tooth?

Especially when childhood is so short

Should they now, with the world cavort?

 

What about their naive, innocent minds?

New information like sponges find.

So give them something wholesome and strong,

Tell them of God so they won’t go wrong.

 

Influence their behavior by what they see

From Mom and Dad, not from T.V..

Read them stories they can understand,

Not the filth that the world demands.

 

Protect their purity as long as you can

Plenty of time to become woman or man.

Let it be truth that rings in their heart,

So their foundation has a great start.

 

Sit down together at the table to sup.

When they walk in a room, let your eyes light up.

Let them know expectations and how to behave,

Tell them you love them every single day.

 

Slowly and surely when guided right

They’ll be strong enough to face their plight.

Teach them to think and reason things out

So they are calm, with no reason to shout.

 

Give them incentive and courage to see

The person that God intends them to be.

Teach them to be strong, brave, and pure

So the world’s corruption cannot lure.

 

Just a short time is all you own.

Only a bit of their life can you hone.

So send your prayers daily upward

And every word by God will be heard.

 

These childhood moments love and protect

And the knowledge of God on them project.

And in the meantime enjoy these years

And you be the one to wipe away their tears.

 

Hmm…Don’t know where that poem came from!  I can only thank God for the words He put on my heart today.  I have written these words from my heart.  Just be aware what your children are reading, who they spend time with, what movies they watch.  The world is different in many ways from when I was brought up over half a century ago.  WOW! HAS IT CHANGED.  I wish I could just give a little bit of yesteryear to my little grandsons.  Especially the time before T.V. and videos, and email, computers and cell phones.  I had time to get a lot done back then.  Hmmm…maybe this computer should go???

 

GOOD AFTERNOON TO ALL OF YOU.  I PRAY GOD’S BLESSINGS ON YOU.

 

P.S.  Though what I am about to write is a footnote, it is not a footnote in my heart of memories.  Today is the eleventh year anniversary of the day my dear friend Barbara Hook died after losing her battle to ovarian cancer.  Life has gone forward but Barb lives in my heart daily.  Today I celebrate her eleventh year of being with the Lord.  Somehow I don’t think she would want to leave where she is right now. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Monday March 14 2016  SPRING HAS SPRUNG

We are preparing for spring.  Spring in Wisconsin is a BIG EVENT!  When you must bundle up just to go to the mailbox it doesn’t make for exciting visits out.  When the temperature gets up to 40 degrees F. the students at the local schools can start wearing shorts.  I kid you not.  Forty degrees, and above, you will notice a plethora of bare, white legs hanging out below shorts. 

I didn’t realize it was so hot yesterday.  I think it actually hit 50 degrees or higher.  Well, I dressed WRONG for that temperature.  I wore pants, a long sleeved cotton blouse and a long wool sweater over it.  I also had a warm shawl over that.  By the time I got to church I was sweating.  I had the windows down in the car and I was still overly warm.  First thing when I arrived in the foyer of church was to get rid of my shawl.  I was still hot however.  I couldn’t take my sweater off because it was the “outfit” of what I was wearing.  I sat in church feeling like I was going through the change of life again.  Believe me, it didn’t take long for me to shed that wool sweater when I arrived home.  The temperature is so variable at this time of year and I haven’t yet acclimated to the change in weather.  From here forward I will check the current forecast before getting dressed.

I wonder what it will be like to go from Wisconsin to Southern Florida in just two or three days of driving.  Fortunately Rebecca has air conditioning!  

Wisconsin’s springtime is so unbelievably beautiful to behold.  It is very early and the ground has not yet warmed up from the snow melt.  But even this early, something new is happening in the yard every single day.  Today I heard birds for the first time.  To hear birds is something I NEVER TAKE FOR GRANTED.  For newcomers to my blog I’ll bring you up to date about that comment.  For years I could not hear birds, except the crow, and only because their voice sounds like a high shrill scream.  For several years my hearing was diminishing as it has for so many others in my family due to a hereditary condition.  I could usually hear okay in a one to one conversations but not if there was background noise.  Watching television was an entertainment of the past.  One day, a few years ago, my husband and I were outside and I mentioned to my husband how sad it was that our woods no longer had birds.  He said what do you mean?  I told him to listen, there were no sounds of birds singing.  He said, that’s not true.  He told me that he could hear them singing all around him. That was an eye opening remark for me.  Hearing is a loss that you don’t at first notice.  When I didn’t hear a sound it was as if the sound just didn’t exist.  It only becomes apparent when I realize that others were hearing what I could not hear. I hadn’t heard birds for years, so therefore I perceived them not to be there.  Nor did I hear them for several more years.

I was enrolled at a class at our church and it seemed that the teacher did not project his voice.  I was desperately trying to hear him.  The leader finally became exasperated with my insistence that he talk louder. He asked that the class gather around me and pray that my hearing would be restored.  AND IT WAS!  At first I could not tell that it was restored.  I believe God allowed it to come back slowly.  I had difficulty adjusting to the normal noises of the world around me.  Traffic noise was especially difficult.  My healing happened in October 2013.  Later that same month I walked outside and for the first time in many years I heard the sound of a bird calling to its mate.  I will never forget that moment.  Well, today when I stepped out of the car after Dave and arrived home I could hear the sound of bird song in the trees all around me.  Many different kinds of tweets and warbles, and cooing.  It was exhilarating for me!  I went out into the yard and just turned around looking for all the birds.  Once I heard them I could pick out where they were.  Every day for me is a day of wonder.  Especially in the spring.  I am glad that Dave decided we should not leave on our trip at this time. 

Never take the sound of a bird song for granted.  It is proof of life and of a loving God who created so many creatures for our enjoyment.  The world at springtime is the promise of new life in much the same way that we celebrate THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS.  New life!  And the promise of an everlasting life.  

Last year I experienced both a sorrow and a blessing at the same time.  The sorrow was I left home the beginning of March, returning in July, thus missing our entire spring.  I missed all the flowers popping up as the sun warmed the soil.  I missed all the hundreds of hostas nosing their way through the soil and rocks that surround our entire yard.  I missed the trillium in full bloom along the back of our house and down toward the terrace.  I missed the May Apples in the woods and the Jack (or is it Peter?) in the Pulpit.  It seems that because we live at the edge of a wooded area, we experience new profusions of little plants awakening week after week.  We have wild geranium, blue bells, mustard plants, lupines, berry bushes, cyclamen, lily of the valley, daffodils and tulips, bleeding hearts, fox glove, lobelia, honeysuckle, lady slipper, phlox, nettles, Queen Anne’s Lace, and last but not least, pokeweed.  Pokeweed is a horrible plant that would not even be in our woods if it hadn’t been for my allowing mama to plant some that she brought from Arkansas.  Pokeweed is now our nightmare plant that is determined to inhabit our land and take over our woods!  Dave has an ongoing battle with it year after year.  The sin of Adam is felt greatly in the backbreaking labor it takes to dig out that weed!  

This year I will enjoy what early days of spring are afforded to my time here.  When we return from out trip our yard will not look the same as it did when we left. 

Last year as I headed south the blessing I experienced was the blessing of a perpetual spring for weeks and weeks.  It seemed that as I arrived at destinations each place experienced later than normal springs.  I seemed to arrive in the midst of early spring bloom.  My perpetual spring was all the way through Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, Southern California and even up into Northern California.  Once I traveled north of San Francisco spring was pretty much past and summer was in moderate swing, meaning the summer sun was not as intense as it would eventually climb, but the spring rush of early flowers was past.  Still, it was beautiful!  The farther north I drove the cooler it became again.

Enough about last year.  This year I will enjoy every day I am here.  I know I may miss the tulips blooming around the capitol building and may miss the lilacs blooming at the Arboretum.  Right now spring appears to be doing its best to arrive early so I will enjoy whatever happens as it happens.

Wherever you live, stop and take a look outside.  Is spring coming in your neck of the woods?  Stop to smell the flowers!  Regardless where you live, when new life abounds, take time to enjoy it.  All life is a miracle.  Each day is to be enjoyed. 

As I write this I am saddened because I know someone who cannot enjoy the outdoors due to her body not tolerating the smells that nature provides without her becoming quite ill.  Stop and give thanks to God for all you are able to do and enjoy.  Not everyone is so fortunate.  If you have vision, give thanks for that.  If you can hear, give thanks for that.  If you can smell and enjoy the fragrances of the world, give thanks for that.  If you can walk without pain, give thanks.  There is always something in which to give thanks.

 

EXPERIENCING BEAUTY AND GRACE

By Kathleen Martens

March 14 2016  

 

What eyes see and ears behold,

Give thanks.  Let God be told

How much you appreciate what he gives

While on this earth where you live.

 

Take nothing for granted lest it be lost,

Then you will understand what is the cost.

When a bird, you no longer hear,

You never even know it is near.

 

If you can’t see the color of a rose,

Enjoy its fragrance through your nose.

If you can’t hear the sound of a bird,

Let your vision speak what is unheard.

 

If you cannot walk to enjoy evening air,

Take a ride and view here and there.

Whatever it is you cannot do,

God offers a way that will see you through.

 

Even in suffering give thanks to God

For all the beauty that grows from sod.

And through the pain life brings your way

Appreciate something each and every day.

 

Allow God’s love to be the song you can’t hear.

Let His sunshine kiss away each tear.

Permit His Presence to be your spring,

If you have no voice, allow your heart to sing.

 

Regardless the burden, though heavy it be

Offer thanks for salvation, it will set you free.

God has promised that you will not lack.

What you can’t do, He’ll pick up your slack.

 

He will fill you with joy to the very brim,

All He asks is that you dwell with Him.

Seek Him diligently, He offers peace,

And His love for you will never cease.

 

I think this poem was put in my heart because I know there are some who read my blog that are in the midst of trial and suffering.  I do not mean for the words of the poem to seem condescending or trite in light of what I know many are going through emotionally, and or physically.  If you have even one thing that you can think of to be thankful for, remember to give God thanks.  God hears your thanks.  He delights in your praise and love.  And it delights God to delight you!  Open your heart to the bounty of what He desires to give you.  Be open and receptive to receive, even when you wonder if He really hears you.

I type this prayer with deep sincerity:

 

MAY GOD BLESS AND KEEP YOU THIS DAY. 

MAY HIS LIGHT SHINE UPON YOU. 

MAY HE GRANT YOU THE DESIRES OF YOUR HEART. 

MAY YOUR BODY EXPERIENCE THE TOUCH OF HIS HEALING HAND.

MAY YOUR LIFE BE FILLED WITH JOY AND PEACE AS YOU EXPERIENCE THE BEAUTY AND GRACE OF HIS SPIRIT ABIDING IN YOU.

 

I AM PRAYING FOR YOU!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday Sabbath March 13 2016  MISTAKES AND KISSES

What can I say?  I’m not perfect but my heart is full of love.  So I guess that counts for something.

Yesterday was a fine day indeed!  It did not end for me until midnight and I knew I would be up by 5:45 a.m. today, which was the first morning of SPRING FORWARD.  “Spring forward” morning is always the most difficult morning to arise early.  And so it was.  I was up, but the boys were not.  After Dave and I were showered and dressed and breakfast brewing, it was past time for my two little sleepy heads to be up.  I had the hall light on.  We made lots of noise and finally broke through the shell of Zachariah’s impenetrable dreamland.  Xander was another story.  He would just not wake up.  So I had to resort to the last tactic I knew.  KISSES!  I started kissing his soft rosy cheek trying to disturb his little cocoon.  He just simply turned toward me, eyes still tightly closed in the deep peaceful sleep that only a child can do.  He reminded me of a baby nuzzling closer to the breast of a mother.  He was content, happy, and definitely had no intention of waking up prematurely.  I just kept kissing his cheek.  He finally peeked up at me, snuggled closer to me, as Zach snuggled on his other side.  Dave was watching this and he snapped a picture, one of those precious moments that can only be caught by accident.  I have included the picture at the bottom of the blog.  Just look at his little grin of peaceful satisfaction.  His look spoke a thousand words to me.  It was a look of deep satisfaction of being so loved, contented, secure, and pleased with life at the moment.

There is nothing quite like the warm smell of a little boy mixed with profuse stardust kisses.  And I had the luxury of two wonderful boys to kiss awake.  It was one of those priceless rare treasures of being Gramma.  I am “Gramma” instead of “Grandma” because that is how it sounds when the kids address me and that is how Zachariah spelled it in his recent thank you note to me.  I always wanted to be called something unique and so I glommed onto “Gramma”.  Can you tell that I love being a Gramma???

Now to the mistake.  I needed to brush my teeth after breakfast and Xander needed to get dressed.  Well, he only had one pair of clothing in his bag to put on, so I instructed him to get dressed, remembering to remind him to change his underwear, and I would be right out.  Once he was dressed he came into the bathroom to comb his hair (he has a buzz cut), I finished my teeth brushing, and we left to go to church.  He looked quite handsome in my book.  I dropped him off at his 4 year old class.  Fast forward to the service ending, me picking the boys up from their respective classrooms, and finding mom and dad amidst the hundreds of parishioners.  All is well until we see Xander walking away from us with his hands in his “back pockets”.  EXCEPT…his hands were in his front pockets which now graced his little butte.  I have a picture of that for you too.  He was so humiliated when he found out he had his pants on backwards!  Actually, I thought it quite cute!  Well, dad took him to the restroom and saved his dignity.  He came out a happy camper.  So much for Gramma’s eagle eye.  Next time I’ll have to give him a better onceover before we leave home.  I guess ALL’S WELL THAT ENDS WELL!  He still loves me.  And I thought I had done a great job just making certain he had on underware!

 

WHILE AGAIN I’M YOUNG AT HEART

By Kathleen Martens

March 13, 2016

 

Oh my, I love my boys

One generation removed.

The children of my beloved son

A father so well proved.

 

I know he loves his boys

As much as I have loved him.

And oh how that touches my heart

Now that my vision has dimmed.

 

Greying hair and fading memory

May announce my coming end,

But until that day comes

To my grand-boys I’ll be their friend.

 

We’ll run and play until they’re too old,

Only a short time will they be young.

 I’ll try to not give too much advice

If it’s possible to hold my tongue.

 

Every day I will cherish these years

While their lives are still beginning,

And try to stay alive as long as I can

Until my very last inning.

 

So fun to play and dance a jig,

Read books, play games and do art.

And I will just be plain old Gramma

While again I’m young at heart.

 

It is Sunday Sabbath, my day of rest.  I shall go rest.  My blog is written.  I love writing my blog! 

GOD BLESS YOU ON THIS DAY OF REST.

P.S.  The best advice I would have for you today is to go to www.citychurchonline.org and look up today’s sermon.  The title is:

“Romans Series:  Understanding God’s Wrath”.  This is a sermon that everyone could benefit from listening to.