Friday May 19 2017  A NIGHT FULL OF Z Z Z Z’s 

Last week seemed to slowly float by on a gentle breeze.  It reminded me of bygone summer days of my youth when the days were long and a week took forever.  This week was packed with so many different things to do that a mere two days ago seems like it was a week ago.

After I am finished working tomorrow as a second photographer at a wedding I will begin my next (personal) staycation.  I have decided that my staycation weeks are the weeks I do not schedule appointments.  I foresee it as a work week; primarily on the interminable album work.  Hopefully, someday the album will be part of my wonderful past as I remember the enjoyment of working with our old family photos.

Now I am tired and actually quite sleepy; so I shall follow my dreams (literally).

 

AS REST BECKONS ME

Kathleen Martens

May 19, 2017

http://www.visionsofpoetry.com

 

Afternoon languishes

Into evening’s embrace.

And I’ve yet to conclude

Today’s hectic race.

 

A active day

With much left undone.

But I must admit

Visiting with a friend was fun.

 

And now I pay

As sleep ramps its call.

Into the hug of night

I would like to fall.

 

So no blog today

As rest beckons me,

I plan to quickly succumb

To a night full of Z Z Z Z’s.

 

 

Thank You God for this lovely day.

Thank You Lord for friends.

Thank You that I have a comfortable bed that awaits me.

 

GOOD NIGHT AND GOD BLESS  YOU.

P.S.  Sorry I misspelled WATERMELON yesterday!  It is now corrected!

 

Sunday Sabbath May 14 2017  A KEEPER OF TREASURES

 

A KEEPER OF TREASURES

Kathleen Martens

May 14, 2017

http://www.visionsofpoetry.com

 

How does one find

Words to express

Such a beautiful day

Filled with happiness?

 

A Mother’s day

Of memories unmeasured,

A mother’s heart

A keeper of treasures.

 

A babe in arms

A toddler at play

First words spoken

Many yet to say.

 

School and summers

Too soon history

A child’s future 

Full of mystery.

 

The first goodbye

From Mother’s womb.

And the last goodbye

Comes all too soon.

 

Children all grown

Gone their separate ways

But in a mother’s heart

Treasured memories stay.

 

The house is quiet

In somber pose,

No need to wipe

A snotty nose.

 

And all the sounds.

The laughter and tears,

Have disappeared

Through the years.

 

But a mother’s heart

Still holds with pleasure

The joy of motherhood

With memories unmeasured.

 

Though our children could not be with us today it was a delight to talk with both son and daughter, their spouses, and our grandchildren, on the phone.  We even had the opportunity to see our grand-dogs on iPhone face time!

This old grandma and grandpa were busy the entire day with church, farmer’s market, hardware store, Ben Franklin Store, Olbrich Gardens, a pie stop, and then out to dinner!  We face timed with our daughter from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. and then talked to our son on the phone from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m.  And now I am about ready to turn in as I have a 5:15 alarm set for tomorrow morning per chance I oversleep my usual 4:30 a.m. wakeup time.  A busy day ahead; a doctor appointment, workout, a trainer appointment at the gym and then home to meet a friend who is coming over for lunch and A CARD GAME!  I had to wait until our STAY-CATION time was over to have time to play cards. 

And life is happening once again.  I just hope it doesn’t return to normal.  I rather enjoyed the lackadaisical non-schedule which I practiced for the entire week.  I think I might just carry it forward!

TO: ALL MOTHERS:

I WISH YOU HAPPINESS AND LOVE ON THIS SPECIAL MOTHER’S DAY.

 

GOD BLESS YOU.

 

Thank You God for the awesome gift of mothers.

I thank You Father for the mother You designed for me.

I thank you for this wonderful, sunshine filled day at Olbrich Gardens.

Thursday May 11, 2017  WHEW! STAY-CATION WEEK IS ALMOST OVER!

This has been a week of learning.  To all who are retired I recommend that you set aside a week for a STAY-CATION.  I received much pleasure by working in our gardens, watched an entire movie, cooked sparingly, swept the kitchen floor (because I WANTED to), organized the new library area, and spent a lot of time thinking.  The most profitable result of the week, besides spending quality time with Dave, is what I have discovered about myself.  I look forward to writing a blog about the insights I’ve received this week.  I would love to share that information now but time is short tonight and Dave and I must be up early in the morning.  Yes, we couldn’t quite keep all interlopers at bay.  When all is said and done I think I will be making a few life changing decisions for myself in the near future.  More about that later!

 

I’VE DISCOVERED SOME THINGS

Kathleen Martens

May 11, 2017

http://www.visionsofpoetry.com

 

To be who I am is an okay thing

But I must refrain from the mundane.

It’s nice to enjoy my own company

But in far reaching range I must change.

 

A light bulb moment has arrived

And I learned a bit when the light was lit!

There are areas where I need to improve

As my thoughts wonder, new thoughts I ponder.

 

I’ve discovered I am a hard taskmaster.

I must do my best to learn how to rest.

I don’t have to be “doing” all of the time,

I must reset my drive to stay alive!

 

All because of a week without pressure!

During my stay-cation week I decided to peek

At what life would be like if I lived it slow,

And I’ve discovered the face I want in place.

 

Thank You God for this calming and quiet week.

Thank You God for the delicious “farm to the table” food I received today.*

 

GOD BLESS YOU!

 

*We subscribe to a local farm for weekly delivery of seasonal produce.

Friday April 28 2017  SIMPLE PLEASURES OF LIFE

 

SIMPLE PLEASURES OF LIFE

Kathleen Martens

April 28, 2017

www.visionsofpoetry.com

 

What more wonderful way

To greet A day

Than to lie in bed

Without dread.

 

No alarm to ring

My heart doth sing.

More time to snooze

If I should choose.

 

Simple pleasures of life

Without strife.

The day gently unfolds

No “working” mold.

 

Contentment ensues without haste,

Wistful moments cause not waste.

A good morning greeting

Becomes a leisurely meeting.

 

A “short” call to our son

Ended up being a “long” one.

Like a good visit in peaceful realm

No outside forces at the helm.

 

And now we have a place to go

To have dinner and a show.

Efforts combined for the food

And a movie sets the mood.

 

As males delight in Star Wars

The ladies will simply close the door.

And who knows what we may ensue,

Surely better than a Star Wars view!

 

We love retirement!  Even with all the work.  And yes, believe me, even since we have retired there is work to do.  For one thing it takes more effort and more time to do what we did thirty, twenty, or even ten years ago.  If all truth be told it takes more effort than even a year ago!  But I am still thankful that I can still “do”.  And take it from me ladies, no matter how long you are married you will realize that there are just some things men do not think of doing that must still be done.

Dave is such a great assistant to all I do; he encourages me, helps me, goes places with me, but never does he see that the sink needs a good scrubbing after he cleans up the kitchen.  So…when he leaves I just do it myself.  No complaining or bickering over such matters, because bickering and harsh sounding words are so unnecessary.  We both love peace and find that we allow each other to do things our own way. 

Well, one morning this past week I jumped the gun and began scrubbing the sink, thinking he was already gone.  As he walked out the back door he turned around and saw me “cleaning” the sink.  Oops!  I got caught and felt a bit guilty.  I quickly amended my actions by saying, “well there are just some things you don’t see that I think I need to do so I just do it after you are finished.”  He smiled at me and said, “Well, you are the queen of do – do”, we both just ended up laughing heartily.  So now one of my many names of endearment is the Queen of Do – Do!  And all that said by my husband whom my sister calls St. David. Hmmph!

And we long ago discovered that just about anything can be said if we but listen to the intent and the tone in which we express ourselves.  My husband makes me laugh every single day.  The thought of his touch still makes me tingle.  And when I think of him I can feel a smile fill my heart until it radiates from my face.  Who cares if he doesn’t notice the crumbs left in the sink.  I’m just thankful for every single thing he does to keep our lives running smoothly. 

I am full to overflowing with things I would love to write in this blog, but I am trying ever so diligently to write short, succinct, and personal views and opinions from my stance as I approach my 70’s.

 

Thank You God for all these 44 years I have had with Dave.

Thank You God for our health this day.

Thank You God that we can both walk and talk and have our vision.

Thank You for the friends that You bring into our lives.

 

MAY GOD BLESS YOU THIS DAY WITH HIS JOY AND PEACE.

Monday April 17 2017  LOVE IS A GIFT

Matthew 18:3

And He said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Our grandsons spent two days at our house this weekend.  On Saturday morning when I awakened my back would not bend.  I found myself sitting on my bench in our dressing room and unable to bend down to put my pressure stockings on my feet.  My back would not allow it.  I told Dave I didn’t think I could get them on.  Our youngest grandson, Xander, was quietly observing from the doorway.  Without a word he walked over, knelt down on the floor with his head bowed before me and gently took my stocking from the floor and lined it up in the correct direction as he gently slipped it onto my right foot.  The words: “I will help you Grandma”, fell tenderly on my ears.  He gathered up the stocking and kept inching it over the top of my foot until it was past my heel where I could then reach it to pull it up.  He waited and watched me tug the tight stocking up to my knee. 

Still kneeling, without a sound our grandson patiently waited and did the same for my left stocking.  I have never felt such tender hands on me before.  Xander’s purity of heart, and his willingness to humble himself and administrate the needs of his old grandmother, caused tears to well up in my eyes.  The heart of a child is so precious.  My thoughts flew back to the passage of scripture where Christ bent down before the disciples and washed their feet.  It felt as if my grandson’s touch was the touch of Jesus.

As I sat there with Xander’s hands brushing against my feet I was thanking God for the wonderful guidance our two grandsons have received from their parents.  I know how deeply I have loved both our children since the day we knew we were expecting them.  And I love our grandsons with that same deep affection.  However, what was spoken to my heart that day as I witnessed what my grandson did without being asked spoke loudly about how much he is loved and cared for by two parents who love their children every bit as much as we loved our little ones.  We should always remember that it is the actions of the parents which the little ones replicate.  As much as I was thankful for the responsive behavior of our grandson, so I was grateful for his father and mother who have taught both their sons that they are loved and have enough love to reach out and be kind and helpful to others.

It is believed that we as parents will influence the generations following us down through the fifth generation.  If you follow your heritage back thinking of the generations you have known, and then look forward, you can see the generational ties of behavior.  Fortunately for me, I was able to see that the ways my former generations parented was definitely lacking in some important areas.  I learned from both childhood experiences, as well as from my adult-view observation, that I wanted to follow a different course of parenting.  Growing up I never heard the words “I love you” from my parents and I decided it was time to change that.  If we don’t like what was, then it is up to us to change it going forward.  And I thank God for that insight because now two generations beyond me I can already see the positive results.  Our children and now our grandchildren have never had to wonder if they are loved.  And tears still sting my eyes.

We are so grateful that both grandsons exhibit a loving and giving heart.

 

LOVE IS A GIFT

Kathleen Martens

April 17, 2017

http://www.visionsofpoetry.com

 

Love is a gift

Wrapped in the arms of a mother

As she cradles her young,

Both sister and her brother.

 

Love is a gift

That is passed down through the years,

A gift that grows as it ages

Through smiles and through tears.

 

Love is gift

That never need dry up.

When we pour out love

God continually fills our cup.

 

 

Thank You God for our children.

Thank You God for our grandchildren.

Thank You God for the years we have lived to enjoy our grandsons.

Thank You God for our grandsons’ tender hearts full of love.

 

 

GOD BLESS YOU.

Remember, EVERY DAY is the day to say “I LOVE YOU”!

Saturday February 11 2017  DIVINE APPOINTMENT

I am blessed.  I have friends.  Anyone who IS A FRIEND or WHO HAS A FRIEND is truly blessed.  As I travel God always uses my travels to teach me something.  On this trip I realized the value of true friendship.  Some friends I have had for many years and I truly value those friendships.  Other relationships are new and more vulnerable.  But you know what, when God puts a love in your heart for someone it doesn’t matter how long you’ve known them, what matters is that when God connects people the relationship is steadfast.

It was such a blessing to be able to spend time with my friend of many years in Corpus Christi, TX.  When we are together it’s as if we have never been apart.  It is always a bit sorrowful when the times for goodbyes approach even though we know it will happen. I thank God for my friend Lana and the time we shared together.

And even a cousin can be a friend.  Though I have only seen my cousin in Fort Worth a handful of times over the last 30 years, in my heart the childhood friendship we experienced while growing up close together, is still as strong as ever.  I love her with the same intensity I did as a child.  And, when I am with her after years of being separated, it too is as if we haven’t been apart.  I so cherished the short time we had together as I traveled through her area.  But I knew I had to leave her behind once again without knowing if we will ever have a next visit.

A few hours away another friend, a relatively new acquaintance, was awaiting my arrival.  My new friend Marilyn had enough confidence in me to trust that I would swing back by Fort Scott, Kansas to take her home as I had promised.  That’s what friends do; when they promise, they follow through. 

Sometimes circumstances necessitate friends moving away.  But I have found that the friendship lives within my heart and does not ever leave.  And when needed, God walks another friendship into our lives.  And if two are meant to be friends you can count on God to make it happen.  And I don’t consider such meetings as “accidental” but rather as “divine appointments”.  It seems as if my entire life has been peppered with such events.  After all, I had to go to Aldi’s Food Market to meet Marilyn.  And, I realize I am blessed to call her friend.    

 

FRIENDSHIP TAKES TIME TO GROW

Kathleen Martens

February 11, 2017

www.visionsofpoetry.com

 

A friend is such a valuable asset,

One not to be taken for granted.

So cultivate the friends you have

And water where you are planted.

 

And be thankful for the new,

And remember you are new to them.

Allow your friends to blossom

That they become a treasured gem.

 

Speak gentle words of encouragement,

And listen more than you talk.

Friends often grow in sweet silence

As you become each other’s rock.

 

Speak admonition when it’s needed,

Words of love from your heart.

And if your friend receives it,

Your friendship will not part.

 

A friend is one who cares for you

And will be there in time of need.

Remember friendship takes time to grow,

So together plant your seed.

 

Thank You God for bringing to me the friends I have always needed.

Thank You God for allowing me to be a friend to another.

Thank You Lord that You are the greatest Friend of all.

 

GOOD NIGHT AND GOD BLESS YOU!

Friday February 10 2017  RIGHTEOUSNESS EXALTETH A NATION

This is the second full day of being at home since returning from Corpus Christi and I am still flying high. 

When we left Madison we left one day ahead of our original departure date so we could circumvent the snowstorm forecast for the following day.  We missed most of the storm but it caught up with us the last 30 minutes of our drive to the Des Moines, Iowa area.  We stayed at an Airbnb and it was as if God picked the very place we needed to be.  The family was so kind and helpful the entire time we were there.  What a story they have to tell.  Let me just say, they are amazing people!

On our return trip home Marilyn and I had accommodations at the same Airbnb.  This time we had a snowstorm all night and on the early morning of our departure.  We left for home a bit later in the day than we planned so we would miss another snow storm.  By re-routing we were able to have clear roads all the way home.  After all the excitement of the trip and how quickly everything took place I still haven’t returned to my reality.  I’ve stayed up until midnight or beyond the past two nights.  I just had too much energy to go to bed. 

And I am beginning to feel it.  Perhaps tonight I will be able to decompress and perhaps sit down and do absolutely nothing so my mind can empty and allow my body to become still.  The problem is, I have so much I would like to write about if I but had the time and chance to do so.  Though I can’t write all I would like to, there is one story I’d like to share with you.

On the first night of our travels when we arrived at the Airbnb I became intrigued when I peeked into the home office of the place we stayed. The room was directly across the hall from our bedroom.  The office was amazing.  I asked if I could enter.  I so wanted to view all the artwork on the walls.  The man was a photographer (right up my alley) and his images were incredible.  They were taken all over the world as he traveled.  I think they were so interesting to me because the photos were not snapshots, but rather works of art with incredible perspective and angles.  While in the library I spied a small old book.  I asked if I could pick it up and open it.  It was a “New Testament”.  I opened the worn cover and was surprised by what greeted me.  On the inside cover was a drawing of the United States Flag.  Written under the flag was the following verse from the Bible.  

Proverbs 14:34:  

“Righteousness exalteth a nation; but sin is a reproach to any people.”

(On the first page facing the flag were the following words:)

 

“THE WHITE HOUSE

               WASHINGTON

 

                      January 25, 1941

 

         As Commander-in-Chief I take

pleasure in commending the reading

of the Bible to all who serve in the

armed forces of the United States.

Throughout the centuries men of many

faiths and diverse origins have

found in the Sacred Book words of

wisdom, counsel and inspiration.

It is a fountain of strength and

now, as always, an aid in attaining

the highest aspirations of the

human soul.

 

                     Very sincerely yours,

(A signature was on this line with the name typed below)

                     FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT.”

 

I snapped the picture that follows on my cell phone and my phone did not allow me to take any more photos because I had no more space.  So one photo was all I was able to get.  I did go to an Apple Store and had new memory added but when we came back through Des Moines on our way home and stopped at the same Airbnb I did not think about taking additional shots. 

The words typed on this cover page absolutely astounded me.  In today’s world I’m sure there would be a great uproar if a president had those words inscribed in a Holy Bible and issued to each service man and woman.  I was told by our host that each military man was issued a testament, such as the one I photographed, when they were sent overseas during World War II.  I sure wish I could find a copy of one to buy.  I THINK THE WORDS ARE AWESOME! 

 

A LITTLE BOOK

Kathleen Martens

February 10, 2017

www.visionsofpoetry.com

 

A little book

With great big words.

The story of life

On its pages heard.

 

How awesome

That once upon a time

That little book

Was considered sublime.

 

And to many

It still lives,

And is ever so true

As life it gives.

 

The Living Word

Is a book to treasure.

No other compares,

Or to it measures.

 

For truth is found

Upon its pages

And against sin

It forever wages.

 

By many forsaken

Unknown they are lost,

That Jesus died for their sin

Upon a rugged cross.

 

Thank You God for the knowledge You impart in Your Living Word.

Thank You God that I so love Your Word.

That You too that at one time our servicemen were given the gift of Your Word in tangible form.

 

GOD BLESS YOU AND KEEP YOU AND MAY HIS FACE SHINE UPON YOU.  JUST REMEMBER…YOU ARE LOVED.  And how do I know that?  Because Jesus tells me so in that LITTLE BOOK.

Wednesday February 1 2017  “THERE’S A SWEET, SWEET SPIRIT IN THIS PLACE”

 

“THERE’S A SWEET, SWEET SPIRIT IN THIS PLACE.” Title and words from a song I first heard sung by a friend of mine as we were riding in a car.  She and her husband were in the back seat and Dave and I were up front.  Our friend was a singer and this song was written by a song writer especially for her to sing and record.  Since that time I have sung and heard this song in many different churches we have attended.  The words are beautiful.

This morning Lana and I were in prayer time and the song came to mind.  It overwhelmed me by the loving words it encapsulated as we sang it together.  We could feel the presence of the Lord in our midst.  God is so good.  He really is with us wherever we are, whatever we’re doing.  When the Lord dwells in our hearts I truly believe it changes the atmosphere of our homes.  I can detect the presence and calm assurance that the Lord lives here at Lana and Tim’s home.  I hope that is what visitors feel when they are guests in our home.  It makes for a joy filled home, regardless the circumstances. 

Lana has been a light and testimony to so many around her as she has come in contact with those working with her during the past 6 years battling cancer.  God has opened many doors to enable her to share His love with others as well as praying with, and for them.  Here she is the one that has been so sick and she is the one to reach out and bless others.  That is how it is at present.  I’m here to minister to her and the presence of the Lord in this place and in her life is ministering to me.  How blessed I am.

At times we may never understand or realize the reason our lives take the journey they do, but God has a plan and a mission for each of us.  Regardless the circumstances He can use us for His glory.  Lana is a living testament to that.

 

LIVING LIFE TODAY

Kathleen Martens

February 1, 2017

www.visionsofpoetry.com

 

Living life today is all we really have.

Yesterday is long gone,

Tomorrow not yet come.

 

Go today where God will lead

Because He has a plan.

For each woman; for each man.

 

Through circumstances that we live,

God is always there

All because He cares.

 

So when the day is rough and weary,

Look for joy from above,

Knowing it’s delivered by love.

 

And then it will be much easier

And as we walk that difficult mile,

In our hears and on our face will be a loving smile.

 

 

Thank You God for such a wonderful time of prayer for our families.

Thank You Lord that wherever we are You are in our midst.

Thank You also for opening our hearts and minds to hear Your voice.

Thank You for being with us through all circumstances.

 

Lana came across a quote from the internet.  There was no reference as to who had written the words but I thought them worth repeating.  Hmmm…let’s see if you think so.

“Yes, I’m short.  God only lets things grow until they are perfect.  Some of us didn’t take as long as others.”

So, if you are on the short side you can claim it as your mantra also.

 

HAVE A GREAT DAY!  GOD BLESS YOU!

Thursday January 12 2017  A KISS FROM THE HEAVENS

 

A KISS FROM THE HEAVENS

Kathleen Martens

January 12, 2017

http://www.visionsofpoetry.com

 

What my eyes see none can tell,

Snow in furrows ridges quell.

Beautiful white in angles of elegance,

Designed exclusively by the Creator’s intelligence.

 

A simple scene as I drive home

Becomes art, all of God’s own.

Planned in detail for my eyes to see

And I truly believe, intended just for me.

 

No other eye to behold the glory

Of morning’s portrait to tell this story.

All alone on the long road home

Exquisite beauty as my eyes roamed.

 

Fields and fences, trees and hills,

With such beauty my eyes were filled.

Low clouds huddled above the blue

Opening light in gentle hue.

 

Breathtaking beauty in a moment of time,

No one else around, so it was all mine.

A gift from God to delight my heart.

A kiss from the heavens my day to start.

 

The above poem was inspired by my drive home this morning from the gym.  The gym is four miles away.  I drive two miles on a two lane country road, make a right turn, and drive two more miles on a straight highway to get there.  The roads are surrounded by fields long harvested.  Hilly wooded areas pepper the flat landscape.  Beautiful huge oaks stand solitary in the middle of many of the croplands.  The rows are furrowed and there was just enough snow last night and this morning to fill the furrows in graceful patterns of white, creating a lacy affect.  It was so astoundingly beautiful.  I wish I could have pulled over on the two lane country road (called a highway) to gawk.  No cars were before me and no cars were behind me.  I didn’t pull over because there are no shoulder areas to do so, but I did drive quite slowly.  I did not pass any cars even coming my way.   I turned the heater off and experienced a silent world in a state of wonder.  And like my poem stated “What my eyes see none can tell”.  Moments like these are truly gifts to me.  Here in Wisconsin outdoor decorations of nature’s enhancements change by the moment.  It was truly awesome to see and experience such fleeting splendor.

 

Thank You God for all the good gifts You give to me daily.

Thank You God that I take time to recognize the gifts You give.

Again, thank You for my vision that I can still see.

 

GOD BLESS YOU! 

TAKE TIME TODAY TO DISCOVER THE GIFTS THAT GOD PLACES IN YOUR PATH!

Saturday January 7 2017  A WONDERFUL DAY

 

WHAT IS IT THAT MAKES A WONDERFUL DAY?

Kathleen Martens

January 7, 2017

http://www.visionsofpoetry.com

 

What is it that makes a wonderful day?

A question I ask as I go on my way.

Is it my work or is it my play?

Just exactly what should I say?

 

It comes from satisfaction I feel in my heart

When evening arrives and the day departs.

I look back from morning’s start

And ask, have I made memories that will not part?

 

And so today has been a wonderful day. 

With hours of work and hours of play.

My one wish is that time would stay

And my hours and years would not rush away.

 

As a child I did not have grandparents that lived close by.  Even if I had lived close to them I don’t really believe they ever knew how to be the proverbial grandparent.  After birthing thirteen children (one every other year for 25 years) and then having grandchildren that were actually older than their youngest children, my grandparents seemed old, spent, and had so much work to do to keep life and limb together that they had no time or energy (nor finances) for the “niceties” of grand parenting dozens of grandchildren. Did they love us?  Yes, I believe they did.  I know they prayed for each of us because I heard their prayers at night when I stayed with them as a teenager.  They spoke each name of their children and grandchildren aloud in their nightly prayers.  If one forgot a name the other remembered.  I had lots of cousins!  It was always a long prayer.

 

I’ll never forget those nights as I slept on a couch in the living room of the little farmhouse.  The house had a pass through area from the front to the back of the house that had been enclosed and converted into a dining room.  On one side of the enclosed breezeway there were two small bedrooms and on the opposite side was a small kitchen and a living room.  There was no indoor plumbing until the early nineteen sixties.  The bathroom took up part of one bedroom.  Grandma slept on an old iron bed in the living room and grandpa slept on an iron bed in the front bedroom across the breezeway.  They always prayed aloud after they climbed into their respective beds.  It is a memory I love to think about. 

 

Did I have a close relationship with my grandma?  Probably not in the sense of a grandparent/grandchild relationship.  However I loved my grandma intensely and at the same time I was fearful of my grandpa.  I had overheard too many conversations about how mean he had been to his children and I assumed he would be mean to me.  By the time I knew him he was already an old man and perhaps some of his vinegar had drained out of him.  He never hurt me but I was always a bit leery of him.

 

When our first grandson was born nine years ago we really didn’t know how to grandparent.  I tried to stay out of our children’s lives and thus didn’t see the baby much.  After a couple of years our son and daughter-in-law asked us if we planned to grandparent our grandson?  They informed us that if not they would find surrogate grandparents to take our place.  Oh man, that hit to the core of our hearts.  But it opened our eyes.  Life was extremely busy for both of us during his earliest years.  I was under deadline pressures and Dave was under a lot of stress with his workload.  But let me tell you something, that comment from Amy and Court scared us because we really wanted to be close to our grandson.  Not having had any experience of our own with grandparents it was an awkward beginning. 

 

Well, today was one of those special days when we had the opportunity to take time out and be grandparents.  Xander, our second grandson was testing for a new karate belt.  We aren’t always able to attend every event but it always feels special to be asked to come and watch.  I still try not to barge in on their limited family time, but to be truthful, there is nothing else we’d rather do than to be with our grandsons.  I am just now beginning to feel the freedom of being retired and Dave and I so look forward to more adventures with them.  AND IT MADE FOR A WONDERFUL DAY!  We also enjoy being with our grown children.

 

Perhaps these memories will not linger with the boys because they are so young, and perhaps not linger with us because we are so old, but you know what, it is living in the moment that is so enjoyable.  And as I walk away from all the special moments I tuck the memories in my heart to cherish as long as my brain will allow me to remember.  I cherish every kiss, every hug, every squabble and every picture I take.  My heart smiles inside when I am with them.  I so enjoyed raising our two children, but there is just something extra special about having grandchildren.  It is something our children won’t understand until they experience it for themselves!

 

At this stage of my life there is nothing I’d like to do better than to be the most loving and “bestest gramma” in the world to the two “bestest” grandsons one could ever imagine.

 

God thank You for blessing us with two wonderful grandsons.

Thank You that their parents are raising them with You as their foundation.

Thank You Lord for every moment we share with them.

Thank You too Lord for your protection over our children and grand children.

Thank You for our daughter.

Thank You for our son-in-law.

Thank You for our son.

Thank You for our daughter-in-law.

Thank You for our grandson Zachariah.

Thank You for our grandson Alexander.

Thank You too for our grand-dogs Cole and Jackson.

AND GOD, SPECIAL THANKS FOR MY SISTER VELMA!

 

GOOD NIGHT AND GOD BLESS YOU!

P.S.  Xander passed the karate test and received his new white belt with an orange stripe.

Friday July 22 2016  THE PARTY IS OVER

And I am tired.  It is past my bedtime and I have two rambunctious boys upstairs wrestling with “grandpa”.  We’ll both be really tired before we go to bed. 

I didn’t have the opportunity to do all I hoped to do to make this party grand but I did have lots of food to eat.  And if my family does one thing with gusto, it is eat!  And of course I ate too much and now I’m ready to go to sleep.

But this “gramma” (the way the boys pronounce it) will get her second wind and fall asleep as they watch the movie.  Tonight they will sleep on the living room floor due to the fact that their all time favorite bed (a sleep number bed) is out of commission due to all the “STUFF” I am sorting through.

The world was quiet this morning when I awakened.  It is always so eerie when the quiet comes following a howling, drenching, thunder and lightning storm as we had last night.  Dave left the house while I was still writing the blog and was home a few moments later.  He had to turn around and come back because he could not see through the sheets of rain as he drove.  He said the windshield wipers could not keep the vision clear through the windshield.  When Dave was at a nearby farm to buy our corn on the cob today he asked what their rain gage read.  We received 4 inches of rain last night in just a few hours.  As I traveled nearby I noticed a place where a tornado touched down.  It is easy to spot the tornado damage due to how the trees are twisted and laid out like a peeled banana splayed out in a circle.  Big trees!  There was a lot of debris in our yard.

I woke about 4:30 a.m. and was outside quite early.  I walked the perimeter of the house and viewed the mess.  My beautiful flowers were wet and soggy, but still resilient.  The geranium blooms were bruised and hanging their heads.  I was surprised to find that my tomatoes were all still clinging to the vine without any damage.  And oh my, it is so humid.  We do not have uncomfortable humidity very often.  Some years none at all.  Today was like trying to breath in a sauna.

There is so much more I want to write but I must return to give my husband a break.

 

MAKING WONDERFUL MEMORIES

By Kathleen Martens

July 22, 2016

 

Two little boys

Here but a short time

The clock is ticking

They’ll soon not be mine.

 

So I must return

And the festivities enjoy

While they are still little

And not BIG BOYS!

 

So soon their friends

Will replace gramma and gramps

As their energy

Revs into high ramps.

 

One has already

Outgrown my lap

And the little one

Has now outgrown his nap.

 

All too soon

They will be grown and gone

And these youthful years

Will then be done.

 

And we will be memories

Of parties and laughter,

And live in their memories

Forever after.

 

So now is the time

That memories are made

And hopefully when old

They will not fade.

 

We sit at the table

And tell little stories

About the birthday person

And all their glories.

 

We reminisce and laugh

About the stories we speak

Sharing wonderful reflections

For our grandsons to keep.

 

Thank You God for family.

Thank You Lord that we laugh together.

Thank You that our grandsons still want to come over to be with us.

Thank You for vanilla ice cream!

 

GOOD NIGHT AND GOD BLESS YOU!

Thursday March 17 2016  THE DAYS JUST SEEM TO DISAPPEAR

P.S. from the top:  Please be sure to see photos below and click on “older post” to see more of today’s photos.  Be sure you read the blog first so the photos make sense!

I can make a day disappear without even trying.  We are attempting to make every moment count, and every moment work for us, as we plan a time away.  The first plan of action is getting everything ready before we leave so that we leave as little as possible for our house sitters to do.  Dave is trying to get the outside in shape and I’ve given up on getting the inside in shape.  Just to get out of here will be accomplishment enough for me.  But in all seriousness, I too want to have things nice before we leave. 

As if we needed a cog in the wheel, the construction crew called us to let us know that everything to repair the destruction that happened on Christmas day is now in and they need to get it finished.  LIKE NOW!  The crew will be here Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of next week, the week we leave.  Not good timing, but it is not something I want to leave behind for someone else to be responsible for.  So…Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday it is.  Besides, I want to make certain it is done right!

Now, back to today.  Our daughter loves the MUSHROOM POPCORN  and HONEY ROASTED FRESHLY GROUND PEANUT BUTTER that I purchase at the Amish Country store about 60 miles away.  And I thought that today would be the perfect day to go there.  We had a delightful surprise recently when we were told that our Grandson Zachariah won a “prestigious” award for the 2^nd grade class for the “Hard Worker Award” for the month of March.  We were trying to think of a surprise or something special to do for him to let him know how pleased we are for his accomplishment.  We decided to surprise him and have lunch with him at school so he could show us the showcase with his award and picture in it.  So…we did.  And it was just as awesome as we thought it would be.  He did not know we were coming so it really was a great surprise.  Afterward we met his teacher and stayed a few minutes in his classroom viewing the work the students have done.  It was nice to hear his teacher speak so highly of Zachariah.  It doesn’t take much to make a grandparent pleased and proud (in a good way of course).

So what did all that have to do with our daughter loving mushroom popcorn and honey roasted peanut butter?  Since our grandson lives about half way from out home, to the Amish Country Store, we decided we would go there after we had lunch with Zach.  Actually it was about 40 additional miles beyond his school, but since we were already almost half way there, it was more convenient to go there while on that side of town.  We wanted to buy the items in order to take them to our daughter in Florida.  The weather was beautiful, windy and clear with the bluest sky and big billowing clouds capping the landscape.  Like I said yesterday, every season in Wisconsin has its special moments.  Today was one of those day.  That is, until we arrived at the Amish Country Store, only to discover that it is closed on Thursday and Sunday.  And this, being Thursday, you guessed it, it was closed tighter than a drum.  So…no peanut butter and no mushroom popcorn!  We attempted to make this day count in more than one way. 

Now, let’s get back to the joy of the day.  I can’t tell you how awesome it was to go to Zachariah’s school, see the classrooms, have lunch with him, meet some of his friends, and experience the atmosphere of so many young, vibrant people.  It is too easy to forget what little people are like when you don’t spend time with them.  Just walking into the school brought back a flood of memories from my own school years.  Just to see what they wear was an experience.  Oh, by the way, my grandson leaned into me at the cafeteria table and said, “Gramma, you need to get some modern clothes”.  Oh, so the jacket I picked out purposely to wear today did not make the cut!  I purposely wore, what I thought was a cute jean jacket with big glitzy snaps that look like rhinestone flowers down the front, so I would look “hip”.  (Is that word still used?)  I am sitting here laughing at the memory.  I’ll slip in a couple of pictures of our day so you can see for yourself if I need to get some “modern” clothes.  What I really need is a modern face and body.  That might do the trick! 

I asked Zach what kind of modern clothes I should buy and he pointed to the teacher that was monitoring the lunch room.  “Like her”, he told me.  She had on wrinkled jeans, a green tee-shirt, and a velour jacket, the kind I wear to the gym. Oh, I thought, I just need to look like I do at home.  At least I know what “modern” looks like. 

As Dave and I were leaving the open concept classroom, I spied something very interesting on a teacher’s desk.  It was an out of date world globe, the kind that sits on its own stand with the axis tilt.  The lady I spoke with who owned the globe had painted white, lovely words all over the globe.  Words such as LOVE, JOY, PEACE, FAITH, and HOPE, as well as a few others.  Just seeing those written words sitting on a teacher’s desk, gave me such a spiritual lift.  There, in the midst of the secular world, are all the words that that I read each day in the scripture about Jesus.  You don’t see those words displayed very often in a secular, state run environment.  It was so refreshing to see.  Those who are not acquainted with the Lord will probably not even realize where the words come from or even their scriptural connotation.  But they are still words that impart special meaning, and perhaps someday, those young children will come to understand the true value of what they mean. They are words of optimism, affection, happiness, harmony, belief, trust, and confidence.  It would be awesome to give each of the students an assignment to use each word in a sentence, paragraph, or story.  I’d like to see what little minds would come up with if they had a project like that to do. 

All in all, mine and Dave’s day was a delight.  Though it started at 6:00 a.m. so we could go to the gym first, then home to change (into my un-modern clothes), eat a quick lunch before we left (so we could have real food), share a special time with Zach, a lovely drive in the country for two hours, and home by 3:00 p.m.  And it seemed as if our day had just disappeared.  But it was worth every moment because the treasure of our day was to delight our grandson and be delighted by his presence.  Now when I think about him at school I can visualize where he is.

 

THERE IS ALWAYS TREASURE

By Kathleen Martens

March 17 2016

 

A day begins

With anticipated delight,

So much to do

From morning to night.

 

So many things

To squeeze in each hour,

The day opens quickly

Like a blossoming flower.

 

Sunrise to sunset,

No while to fret.

Time spends quickly,

It has no debt.

 

But sometimes it seems

The disappearing day

Finishes too soon,

And just won’t stay.

 

But when it’s over

There is always a treasure,

The memory in its hours

Which bring back pleasure.

 

So I enjoy each one

Created each morn,

When God in His love

Allows another to be born.

 

Thank You Lord for the treasured moments we spent with our grandson today at his school.

Thank You Lord for the awesome blue sky and white clouds we enjoyed on our drive to the closed Amish Country Store.

Thank You Lord for your protection over us as we travel the highways.

Thank You Lord for the music the wind provides.

Thank You Lord that I have two grandsons.

 

Remember to add to your THANK YOU JOURNAL today.

GOD BLESS EACH AND EVERY ONE WHO READ THESE WORDS.

P.S.  I have some wonderful words I would like to share with my readers from a blog reader who sent me these words today in response to yesterday’s blog.  So I guess I am not alone in the world after all when it comes to my love affair with trees.  Thank you for sending the comments.

“I too have a relationship with trees and have spent thousands of dollars keeping my trees safe and healthy to live under, to cool summers in our hot, hot, heat from the sun.  I have a favorite Oak tree too just a mile from my house.  It is a magnificent tree in the middle of a subdivision and the street is named Lone Oak Court.  It is well groomed and well looked after.”

Just curious if any other readers have had, or currently have, a “relationship” with tree(s)?

 

 

 

Thursday March 10 2016  WEALTHY BEYOND MEASURE

As I snuggled down under the covers this morning I looked over at Dave and asked, “Is this what it feels like to be rich?”  My question had no meaning pertaining to money.  And my husband, right on track with my thoughts, replied, “Yes, but it doesn’t have anything to do with monetary wealth.”

And that started our morning conversation.  It always seems so opulent to wake up without an alarm, and then to just lie in bed together for the longest time without needing to jump up and hurry off to work.  I sometimes listen to an hour sermon on my IPhone before Dave even awakens.  And then once he awakens we so enjoy talking and laughing before getting out of bed.   I usually wake up sometime after 4:30 a.m. or 5:00 a.m. so I try to be very quiet so as not to prematurely wake Dave up.

This morning our conversation drifted to the thought of how wealthy we truly are.  And again, this was not a conversation about money, but rather creating a bouquet of all the flowers of true riches.  First and foremost our wealth is because we have God in our lives and need not worry about our eternity.  We have a house over our head, we have heat and food and water.  Things we should never take for granted.  We have the wealth of luxuriating in our bed and enjoying the quiet of the dark morning.  We went through a long litany of what makes us feel so rich.  Our children and the fact that they both love the Lord and have spouses who also love God, not to mention our two precious grandsons.  We both feel wealthy beyond measure due to the fact that we can get out of bed by ourselves and care for our needs without excruciating pain all day long.  We can walk and see and hear.  We are so thankful for so many blessings in our lives.  Being wealthy has absolutely nothing to do with how much money you have in the bank.  Yes, money meets are basic needs but there are those who have financial wealth beyond imagination and yet have no joy or happiness or loving relationships.  True wealth has nothing to do with how much you own.  The richness and wealth of which I speak all comes from God.  From God who supplies all our needs and gives us so many promises in His Word, and gives us a hope and a future.  And He is our future.

Just before we got up I turned toward Dave to tell him one more thing that makes me wealthy beyond measure, but before I could get it out he said, “You know the one thing in the world that makes me richer than anyone else?  It is having you.”  And words I had on my lips to say before he said that were, “I am so rich because I have you.”  He then added one last flower into my bouquet of wealth, it was that special look in his eyes that just speaks LOVE IN SILENCE.  Sometimes I wonder how God could bless me so abundantly as to allow someone like my husband to love me so.  I rose from my bed knowing I was wealthy beyond measure!

 

WEALTHY BEYOND MEASURE

By Kathleen Martens

March 10, 2016

 

God’s love so amazing

Tough to comprehend.

His promises so abundant

Which He continually sends.

 

When we delight in Him

As our day we start,

He gives untiringly

The desires of our heart.

 

We need not be concerned

Because evil abounds,

We need not to worry,

Or let life get us down.

 

When we commit

To trust and obey,

Our righteousness shines

Like the dawn of new day.

 

We need not fret

When wicked succeed.

Nor allow anger

To plant a seed.

 

But place our hope

In the Lord’s will,

With joy and peace

Our heart He fills.

 

God’s riches so great,

He loves to give.

And the righteous provide

For others to live.

 

God blesses them abundantly

With promises to treasure,

Simply because

It gives Him pleasure.

 

Evil ones cursed,

God cuts them down.

But upon the righteous,

God’s love will expound.

 

Those with firm steps,

God delights in their ways.

And blesses their children

In future days.

 

 

His riches are promised

With blessing and grace,

To those who first

Seek God’s face.

 

We are to be good

To all men.

God considers those blameless,

Who keep from sin.

 

God promises a future

For the man of peace,

Sinners he destroys,

Their lives will cease.

 

God is our salvation,

From whom righteousness comes

Through God’s grace

From His precious Son.

 

Remember, do not fret,

Be anxious or worry,

In His presences

We need not hurry.

 

He fills us with wisdom

From which to speak.

His law in our hearts,

He puts there for keeps.

 

He showers down riches

More costly than gold.

And in His hands,

Our eternity He holds.

 

God is our stronghold,

Our amazing Treasure.

He gives us righteousness,

WHICH IS OUR WEALTH BEYOND MEASURE.

 

 

The above poem is a scripture poem inspired by Psalm 37.

Psalm 37 is a great chapter to read.  I have just recently finished a study of sermons on the book of Psalms.  Amazing teaching at http://www.ccmodesto.com  by Pastor Damian Kyle from California.  You might enjoy his teachings “THRU THE BIBLE”.  Awesome.  I read Psalm, chapter 37 a few times today and then listened to Pastor Kyle’s talk.  No matter how many times I listen I always seem to learn something new.  The sermons make working out at the gym a pleasure!  I look forward to listening to the sermons so much that I don’t really care what I am doing while I listen.  Either in bed before sunrise or while working out at the gym are the only times during the day that I can squeeze the sermons in.

I hope all my readers have the best day possible.  Especially my dear lifelong friend Sandra who I know suffers excruciating pain 24/7.  If any of you who read my blog pray for those you don’t know, please pray that God would take the pain from Sandra.  I believe many prayers have much power.

God bless and keep you. 

I have copied Psalm 37 from BIBLE GATEWAY (from the web) below in case you would like to read it.

Psalm 37New International Version (NIV)

Psalm 37

Of David.

 

 

Friday March 4 2016  A LONG WEEK

How long is a week?  Is it Sunday through Saturday?  Or, is it Monday through Friday?  Well, however many days it is, this week seemed to last about a year.  I think it was because there was so much happening every single day.  When I have no appointments on my Wonderful Wednesdays and Fun Fridays it seems the week is easy and peaceful.  This week that was not to be.  Every single day was overflowing with things needing my attention.

As I mentioned previously, my friend’s husband died recently and his funeral is tomorrow.  I have been preparing food for the funeral as well as making some for my friend.  On Monday evening I received a phone call from a family member informing me that one of my cousins was very ill and had been hospitalized.  It was unknown as to what was wrong but she was not responsive.  My cousin died yesterday.  She was a couple of years younger than myself and we were raised in close proximity.  I know this will be difficult for my aunt who resides in a care facility.  My sadness is for a mother’s loss.

Tomorrow I will attend the funeral of my friend’s husband, but will not be able to attend the memorial for my cousin who resided in California.  And next week (whenever that starts) will be another week with its own challenges and its own pleasures.  And the most important task at hand is to live each and every day as it unfolds, enjoying the moments we live.  We are not guaranteed a tomorrow and we cannot change the past.  And the good thing is, God always gives us the strength and energy we need for the day in which we live.  And I love the scriptures that says we are not to borrow from tomorrow’s troubles, for today has enough troubles of its own.  

As much as I would like to write a compelling  blog worth reading, I am hearing a plethora of books calling my name, all wanting me to come and read them!  I have a penchant to have several books going at once.  I go from book to book throughout each day because I can’t wait to find out what is going to unfold.  Let’s see, at present I have one novel on CD in the car that I listen to while driving.  It is “THE GIFT” by Richard Paul Evans.  Very interesting.  I have another novel on CD which waits for me in my bed.   I listen to that book before I drift off to sleep.  It is also called “THE GIFT” by Cecelia Ahern.  I am almost finished reading the book, “THE GIFT OF YEARS” by Joan Chitterster, as well as a book entitled “A GIFT OF A YEAR” by Mira Kirshinbaum, both non fiction. I just finished a true story called THE 13^TH GIFT BY Joanne Huist Smith.  It was a very heart touching story about a beautiful miracle that happened following the death of her husband just before Christmas.  And now I am reading another true story entitled, “HERE IF YOU NEED ME” by Kate Braestrup.  These books are what I am reading for pleasure.  I am also reading several books that pertain to God.  My favorite is “EVENINGS WITH TOZAR”, a daily devotional.  And all these books are calling my name. 

You may wonder why so many of the books have the word “GIFT” in the title.  Well, I was looking up the title “THE GIFT OF YEARS”  and a whole list of book titles came with the word “GIFT” in the title.  I ordered quite a few, sight unseen, without an inkling as to what their story line was.  They have all been quite interesting.  

My blog tonight is just to bring my readers up to date with what is going on in my life and let you know I am fine and well. There are some things stirring in the wind and as soon as the dust settles I’ll be sure to let you in on our upcoming adventures.  My books are calling. 

 

YOUR PAST CAN’T LEND

By Kathleen Martens

March 4, 2016

 

Each day is a miracle

As the hours fly by.

A life is born,

Another life dies.

 

The circle of time,

No beginning no end.

Though hours are numbered,

No way to lend.

 

We have what we have

So ever be aware

Of what today is.

Tomorrow not shared.

 

We must never count on

Seeing new dawn’s sun.

THIS DAY is your life

So enjoy each one.

 

We have no promise

Of another tomorrow.

But we have today

And it’s never borrowed.

 

And just as surely

As life ebbs away,

A new life is born

To forge new days.

 

The circle of time,

No beginning no end.

Your future can’t borrow.

Your past can’t lend.

 

GOOD NIGHT AND GOD BLESS YOU. 

 

Rather than hearing those books calling my name I think I am now hearing the call of MR. SANDMAN.  Did you have a Mr. Sandman when you were growing up?  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday Sabbath February 28 2016  JESUS IS A MIRACLE

 

Soup for breakfast, yogurt, cereal, and fruit for lunch and we plan to have Subway Sandwich for dinner.  I guess today was a good day for me to start on mixing up my recipe for living.

Our son and his family are coming over to help move furniture while I sew patches on my grandson’s Karate outfit.  At least that is what I think I’m supposed to do.  And, rather than me spending time cooking this afternoon, we all decided to go out for Subway’s special, which is a foot long sub for $6.00.  The special ends tomorrow February 29^th.  We never want to pass up a special price at Subway’s.  Dave and I order one, foot long sub, and then split it.  Afterwards, we go next door to MacDonald’s so the boys can run and climb on their indoor equipment.  When they tire out we all indulge in a soft serve vanilla cone and head for home.  No need to wash dishes or clean the kitchen.  My kind of day!  Dave would have cleaned the kitchen, but it takes me a lot longer and a lot more work, to get it messed up in the first place.

And the best thing about today is that it is Sunday.  A day when we do try to get extra rest.  So this blog will be short and sweet (I hope).  I will tell you about one little story that an older man at church told me today.  I’ve known this man for 30 years.  He will be 80 years old this year.  I went up to him and asked him to share some of his wisdom with me.  I told him I like to hear what those who are older have to say.  And I am rapidly running out of people who are older than me.

This is his story.  I don’t know all the fine details of this man’s life but I do know he has children.  He told me that all his children and grandchildren are in some ministry of service to the Lord.  He advised me to be sure and pray for my children and grandchildren with great fervor that they not wander from God’s presence.  Then Mr. “R” told me about a story that happened recently.  One of his granddaughters has just returned from a mission’s trip.  She was in Thailand and two other countries.  Of course I can’t remember the names of the other countries but she had a story about what happened while ministering in the last country she was in.

Mr. R’s granddaughter and another person on her missions team decided to go out and minister to the children. They purchased 10 candy bars to share with the children they they might meet.  Shortly after leaving the store they came across two young children, gave them each a candy bar, and told them about the love of Jesus.  And then it seemed there were no more children to be found.  Finally, they decided to walk to the beach and see if there were more children there.  When they got there the children gathered around them.  The twosome with the candy bag started to hand each child a candy bar.  All total, they handed out 18 candy bars and when all the children had one there was one left in the bag.  Add the 18 candy bars to the first two handed out, and all total they handed out 20 with one left over.  They had only purchased 10.

The above story reminds me of the scriptures in the Bible in Mark chapter 6 and Mark chapter 8 about Jesus taking the loaves of bread and the fish, blessing it, and feeding over 5,000 or more by each account.  It was recorded as a miracle.  And miracles still happen today.  And I believe that this miracle of the candy bars is no different than Jesus having faith for His Father’s provision and having it come to pass.  Jesus spoke to His disciples and instructed that they do as He did.  And we today, are still the disciples of Jesus.  And we today, are also instructed to do as Jesus did. 

There is so much to know, and so much to learn from God’s Holy Word.  It’s as if I can never absorb enough of the wonderful teaching within its chapters.  I just wish I could retain it all.

 

JESUS IS A MIRACLE

By Kathleen Martens

February 28, 2016

 

God of creation

A wonder to behold.

A marvel more awesome

Than silver or gold.

 

And we His children,

Disciples of His Son,

Are initiated to do

What Jesus has done.

 

We are instructed

To heal the lame

With the faith of a seed

Spoken in Jesus’ name.

 

We are to believe

In God’s provision

That He supplies our needs

Without derision.

 

So why should we be

So surprised

When our prayers are answered

Without compromise?

 

A miracle to us

Is not the norm,

Yet we believe in the virgin birth

When Christ was born.

 

SINCE JESUS IS A MIRACLE

To Him nothing is new.

To us a phenomenon,

To see a miracle come true.

 

My prayer for you today is that you would allow God to open the eyes of your heart, and that you would see, as He sees.

God bless you and have a great Sunday Sabbath.

 

So when a miracle happens

Know it is true

That God the creator

Is creating miracles through you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Saturday February 27 2016  DON’T BE AFRAID TO CHANGE THE RECIPE

 

“Don’t be afraid to change the recipe.”  That is a direct quote that my husband said to me just the other day.  Again, I had asked him for a blog title, and that is what he said to me.  His comment came on the heels of a discussion about people and situations in our lives.  He inferred that perhaps I should just mix things up a bit and not be afraid to change the recipe of my life.  Anyway, that’s the meaning I understood from his comment.  If I am incorrect about his meaning he may make a comment about my understanding of what he said if I am incorrect.  But, regardless what he may or may not have meant, I am going to roll with that premise. 

I get so used to doing things a certain way, such as writing my blog, or always doing certain things in a certain order, or always cooking with the same ingredients and finding the results are always the same.  Perhaps I should become a bit bolder and not be fearful of experimenting.  I’m always bold about my cooking.  I’m not afraid to change a recipe when food is involved.  After all, what is the worst thing that could happen?  That it won’t taste good?  Well, there is always a remedy for that.  Just add jalapenos peppers to anything and it is immediately improved.  But all kidding aside, perhaps I really do need to take a closer look at my life and be willing and daring enough to change the “recipe” of the way I live.  It is easy to get stuck in the same routine.  Especially when you get into retirement age.

I’ve listened to those who are older than me, I’ve read books, I’ve had a limited time now in the old age bracket, as well as a few short months of retirement.  I can understand how it would be very simple and easy to just find the “perfect” way to do something and then just stick with it, day in and day out.  After all, routine makes life easier.  It is helpful when we have a pattern of how and when we do certain things so we don’t forget how it is done, or, that it needs to be done.  I get that.  But you know, sometimes we might just want to jump out of the box and try something new.  That is when experimenting with your new recipes come into play.  I find myself trying something one way, if it doesn’t work, trying it another.  After I’ve tried a few things and nothing seems to make me any more satisfied than my old recipe, then I can just go back to the tried and true.  But I have decided I will not be afraid to try something new.  Who knows, I might find something that is even better than the original recipe.

And that is where I am in my life right now.  Sort of like a young child, finding their way around in a world that they are getting used to.  Retirement feels similar to that.  I see that happening in my world at present.  My world is different now.  My world has expanded and opened up.  Before I went on my trip I was rigid with myself and my routine.  Up between 4:30 a.m. and 5:00 a.m., then a quiet time with the Lord, go to the gym, get home and finish up my photo work.  Home on Thursdays for the produce box, and then cooking and preparing foods for the freezer for the next couple of days.  Not every week was exactly the same but there was still a rigidity about it.  And now it is different.  I still long for structure, yet there is a freedom that I am tasting and can’t seem to get enough of.

Nothing has been the same since I arrived home last July.  I have not been able to adapt to a true routine.  I’ve tried.  But, it is sort of like every single day is Christmas.  I so anticipate it, waiting to see what gifts it will hold, how it will unfold, and how much I can get done in the course of its hours.  It seems like the last few months have been full of experimental recipes.  Maybe it is getting used to Dave being home.  However, I can’t blame anything on him because he is such a great help to have around.  Especially when it comes to cleaning up the kitchen, doing the laundry, helping me strip and remake the bed, cleaning the front bathroom (and I do the others), and he also does all the vacuuming.  Plus, now that winter is making an early run for it, he is out in the yard doing spring cleanup.  He can keep that recipe going!  He really enjoys working in the yard.  I fear when he gets back out in the yard I will have a lot more to do inside.  We haven’t yet experienced a “normal” year of retirement at home.  From the time he retired in July, all the way until the beginning of January, he was either sick or recovering from surgery, or we were on a trip.   And it may be happening again, the trip part that is. 

So, what I guess I am saying is, I’m not afraid to change the recipe, but it’s been so long since I made the original recipe that I can’t quite remember how to make it again.  Perhaps I need to go back and take stock of my larder and make certain I have everything I need to make a new recipe work.  Life does not stay the same even from one day to the next.  I must be prepared to go with the flow and use whatever I have in my pantry to make the recipe needed for today.  It does make life a bit spicier.

My ultimate goal is to just go with the flow for right now.  Accomplish what I can, enjoy every moment of everything I do, and not worry about all that is not getting done.  It may not yet be the right time to add one more ingredient into the mix yet.  I’ll just give it another taste test in about month.

 

THE PERFECT RECIPE

By Kathleen Martens

February 27, 2016

 

The perfect recipe is only perfect

If the tester likes the taste.

Someone else might not like it at all,

To them it would all be a waste.

 

Each one has their own desires

Of what a flavor should be.

And with a bit of experimentation

Another ingredient might be the key.

 

Each one to his own fondness.

And so it is the same with life.

What may work fine for some,

To another would cause much strife.

 

So we must each choose our path

And taste the world on our own.

And what ingredients we add today,

To others may not ever be known.

 

What is important is we chose the course,

For we answer only to self.

And if we ever need a new ingredient,

We can always take it off the shelf.

 

A difficult blog to write for it to be such a simple topic.  All I know is that my key ingredient for life is GOD!

 

GOOD NIGHT AND GOD BLESS  YOU!

REMEMBER:  DON’T BE AFRAID TO CHANGE THE RECIPE!

 

 

 

Thursday February 25 2016  LEFT BRAIN-RIGHT BRAIN

Isn’t it wonderful how God created every individual so unique?  And for some reason it seems as if God’s sense of humor is to allow opposites to fall in love and to live together as husband and wife under the same roof…for 43 years!  And we are still together!

Tonight, I again asked Dave if he might have a topic for me to write about.  He started sharing his ideas but they went right over my head.  I could make neither heads nor tails out of what he was explaining.  Or for that matter, why he was explaining what he was explaining. When he was all finished I simply asked my question again, “Do you have a topic idea for my blog?”  He looked at me exasperated!  I looked at him perplexed.  His mind, and my mind, are two polar opposites.  His brain is orderly, compartmentalized, and full of facts and figures.  My brain is full of imaginative thoughts, artistic ideas, and full of sunshine, flowers and sentiment.  I wouldn’t know what to do with a brain like he has. I guess his would best be described as a left brain and mine as a right brain.  I suppose we can’t both be right.  If we were both like me our house would be even more topsy-turvy, we’d never get to our destinations on time, and we’d probably have way too much fun.  If both of us were left brained I think things would be a bit boring, uncluttered, and all the walls would be painted brown.  But, we would probably always get to our destinations on time.  YET SOMEHOW, WE GET ALONG GREAT TOGETHER!

I need Dave to be just who he is, solid and staid, while balancing the check book to the penny.  He needs me too.  He needs a little of my spontaneity and creativity, as well as my willingness to hand over my check book for him to balance.  However, rarely does it balance.  It’s close sometime, but there is always something I wrote down incorrectly.  That is why he does the figuring.  I can do it (if I have to), it just isn’t something that comes naturally to me.  And that’s why I do all the art projects. 

And we know God created us different for a purpose.  He brought us together for a purpose.  And He loves us both just the way we are.  And I think the best thing I can do is to just try be the best “me” that I can be.  And the best thing that Dave can do, is to be the best Dave, that he can be.

Today a young woman said to me she wished she could be more like me.  I told her no, you should just try to be the best YOU, you can be.  And I believe that is what each person should try to aspire to.  It doesn’t mean we can’t do some things to change if we know we have areas in our lives that need improvement. There is always room for change.  But the change should be, not to aspire to be like someone else, but aspire be, the  very best YOU, you can be!

I never did really get a blog topic from Dave, but somehow I wrote something anyway.  Short and simple.  And because of living out of the right side of my brain, it probably doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to all you left brainers out there.  I send you my sympathy.

 

HOPEFULLY IT’S A SANE BRAIN

By Kathleen Martens

February 25, 2016

 

Left brained, right brained.

We each have one brain.

And the thing that really counts,

Is hopefully it’s a sane brain.

 

Each so different

From the other,

Be it friend

Or a brother.

 

No matter all the millions,

Each person unique.

Each brain on its course

To pursue and to seek.

 

The Republican debate is coming on and I look forward to joining Dave in the living room so I can watch to see which candidate is going to shoot himself in the foot tonight. 

Good night and God bless you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Monday February 22 2016  MY INSIDE SOURCE

 

My inside source knows who the next president will be.  Of course I hope it will be the one that I will vote for.  As of this moment I do not even know who I will be voting for.  The main reason, I’ve yet to know who will be on the ballot. 

I have prayed that God will give me wisdom when I vote and that the most qualified person will become the victor.  However, it is God who is “my inside source” and He already knows exactly who will become the next president.  And actually, my prayer is not for any one candidate to be voted in, rather that God’s perfect will is done.  We are in precarious days and I believe, that Biblically speaking, the calendar is already ticking in the end times.  Many may not understand what it means when the words “end times” are used in reference to what is going on in the world.  In a nutshell, the Bible actually tells about what will take place during the “end times” before Jesus returns to earth.  The scripture also makes reference as to what the conditions of the world will be at that time, both physically and spiritually.  There is also a glimpse in the scriptures as to what kind of situations will be faced by those who believe in God.  There will be great persecution.  Though persecution is not unknown throughout the history of the world, it has never been as blatant as it appears so now, especially in the mid-Eastern countries. So my supposition is, if the end times are already in motion, God is the only one who knows which man or woman is needed to be in place to fulfill that which the Bible recounts.  Only God know who needs to be voted in to fulfill His ultimate plan.  The scripture mentions in several places that it is God who appoints the ruler.  I’m leaving this election in His hands.  Yes, I will vote, but the outcome is up to God.  My prayer is, that His will, will be done.

My husband and I have taped each debate so as to be sure and not miss out on getting to know each candidate’s stance.  I recommend following both parties, to learn from each side firsthand about what they speak and reflect on the values of each candidate.  See how their past records stand up, and by all means, I recommend listening to different news stations because each one has their own slant.  Don’t go into the polling booth with a preconceived notion that you can only vote for this party or that party because THAT’S WHAT YOU HAVE ALWAYS DONE IN THE PAST.  Become educated in our country’s history.  Try to imagine what the future will be like in regards to each candidate being voted in.  What changes will be made?  How will each candidate affect our economy?  Depending on who wins, how will it affect our heritage, our future, our personal finances, our national resources, our constitutional rights, and our freedoms?  And most of all, GET OUT THERE AND VOTE!   

 

VOTING IS A VERB

By Kathleen Martens

February 22, 2016

 

We are a country that stands free

As free as a country can be.

But slowly and surely our freedoms wane

Never again to be the same.

 

Stand up, stand firm, on what is right.

Be willing to fight the fight.

Do not lay down your absolutes,

Hear the voice of each repute.

 

Know the principles on which you stand,

And reach out to others with a helping hand.

Each person’s voice needs to be heard,

Remember that “VOTING” is a verb!

 

And know that God is in control.

Regardless the outcome be consoled.

God has a plan and it will take place,

Regardless the outcome God offers grace.

 

No fear is needed when we look ahead,

God’s plan is in motion, His words have been said.

Regardless who wins, God’s plan is in gear,

And it’s just a matter of time, He’ll soon be here.

 

I choose not to become a platform for the political world.  I know that primaries are cropping up all over the country and I just wanted to remind everyone to become as educated and informed as possible about each candidate.  And also to remind you to VOTE on the day of your caucus or primary. 

Good night and God bless you.