Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Another Dream Come True

In the middle of the plans for my new, little vintage trailer to come home I was blessed with another dream come true! For quite some time I’ve longed for a vintage-style bike like the one I enjoyed so many years ago. Nothing fancy. No gears or handbrakes or fancy-ness! Just a bike I could get on and ride! Over the last months, maybe more, I’ve watched Craigslist, talked to bike shop owners, browsed through bike departments in stores along the way. Often I found exactly what I liked but the advice of family and friends didn’t fit what my heart knew was right for me. Finally, I have exactly what I waited for!


A couple of days ago I decided to check Craigslist for bikes. Again. To be honest, I wasn’t certain I would find anything new since the last time I had looked. But, I was wrong! Oh, so wrong! There she was – the one. Exactly what I wanted. I knew this was worth checking out. One phone call and we had an appointment to see her. The moment we arrived I looked at her and knew this was what I wanted. Within a few minutes she was in our SUV and we were headed toward home.


Dear friends – I’d like you to meet ‘Daisy’.


Bike 2


Bike


Isn’t she beautiful? And she rides like a dream. A dream come true. Soon I plan to add a basket on the front and perhaps some prettiness along the way, too. Oh, and I have a pretty bike helmet, too – light blue with soft yellow and white plaid!


So, my friends, if you stop by to visit and I’m not at home, please don’t worry. I haven’t gone far. I have places to go and people to see!


Today I am meeting a blog friend from far away. She is passing through town on her way to a conference and I get to meet her – and her hubby – today. We’re going to lunch and on a bit of an antiquing excursion. Oh, no, not on my bike! We will go by car and have such fun. I’ll share more about our time together soon.

Monday, March 28, 2011

On Hold

A few days ago I told you I had a dream that was about to come true. That was true then – and it’s true now! I’m still waiting! Plans were in place for my dream to become reality a couple of days ago and I was anxious to tell you all about it. It was hard to wait. But it didn’t happen. Plans had to be changed. For just a bit. Postponed. Still on track but not final yet. I don’t know the exact day my dream will come true but I’m going to tell you more. It wouldn’t be fair to keep you in suspense any longer. Here is a clue. An idea. A little hint until the final reveal can be shared.


Yellow and White Trailer


I’m buying a little, vintage trailer! She doesn’t look exactly like this but she will be yellow and white. And cute. A girl place.


We had planned to bring her home on Saturday but that didn’t happen. So, I’m waiting patiently until she arrives. It will be soon, I know. I can’t wait to introduce her to you! In the meantime, I will continue gathering things and making plans to help her become the wonderful retreat she longs to be. I will share more along the way – I want you to see it all. There’s so much to share!

Friday, March 25, 2011

Dreams

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If you don’t have a dream,
how are you going to
make a dream come true?
Oscar Hammerstein

I have a dream that is about to come true. I will share soon. Very soon. I promise!

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Spring Thoughts

Daffodils

Flowers leave some of their fragrance
in the hand that bestows them.
- Chinese proverb -

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Mercy

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Give thanks to the LORD for His goodness,
And for His wonderful works to the children of men!
Psalm 107:15

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Like Father, Like Son

From time to time I’ve shared photos of my son. The son who makes my heart sing – the son who was a precious gift from the Father above (and still is!) I don’t think it’s possible that a mom could more proud of her son than I am of mine. Watching him grow from birth to manhood has brought such joy to my heart. Now watching him be a father to his own children gives cause for pride. To see his love for them and his commitment to spend time with them and watch as he trains them to grow up to be young men who love and serve God often brings tears to my eyes.

I’ve shared photos of my son before. Photos taken during family times and on holidays and photos he sent from afar. This is one of my favorites.

Jeremy and Boys

It was taken about three years ago. Of course the boys have grown and changed. The little guy, Mr. H., is past three now. He is quite a busy boy. A few days ago he decided to draw a portrait of his father. Mr. J. sent the work of art in an email. He wrote:

‘H. wanted to draw a picture of me,
so I had to stand while he was drawing
and this is the portrait he made.’

I couldn’t wait to share it with you – don’t think it looks just like my son?

Hudson's Photo

(I wonder if my son got colored contacts since I last saw him. I don’t remember his eyes being blue and orange! It seems to remind me of a portrait Mr. H’s daddy drew of his own father quite a few years ago. Or was it just yesterday?)

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Listening

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‘Listening to the still, small voice in your heart
will make hope into a reality.’

Love the sound of His voice in my heart.

Listening. Waiting.

Quietly.

from ‘The Hidden Power of the Heart’
by Sara Paddison

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Living Water

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Have faith in me,
and you will have life-giving water
flowing from deep inside you,
just as the Scriptures say.

John 7:38

Scripture: from Contemporary English Version
Photo: Snoqualmie Falls – Washington State

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Making A Case

Well, just a little play on words there! Recently we were given a few things that belonged to my sweetheart’s father. Among the old photos and other treasured belongings was a little, old case. When it was handed to my sweetheart he told me about it.

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This little case was my dear father-in-law’s shoe shine kit. It still holds all of his supplies – just the way he left them.

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I would love to ‘adopt’ this little case and do something special with it but I’m not sure my sweetheart is ready for the contents to be removed. I’ve made some suggestions but nothing has been decided yet.

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What would you do with it? Would you repair it? Restore it? Do something different with it? Just wondering.

Gratefully,
~Adrienne~

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Faith

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‘Faith is not the belief that God will do what you want.
It is the belief that God will do what is right.’



from He Still Moves Stones

written by Max Lucado

Friday, March 4, 2011

Legacy

I have shared before that I am a chaplain in care centers, assisted living residences and retirement communities. I have served as a Hospice chaplain and I also minister to people in adult foster homes and private homes. On my sidebar you will see part of my chaplain badge and notice that I minister through Love Your Neighbor Ministries, an organization of chaplains in healthcare settings.

This evening I will be part of the team who will share our ministry at a banquet. I’ve been part of the ‘behind-the-scenes’ group of people who have put all the details together. I was asked to be in charge of all the music and that was a simple task for me. Music is an important part of my life and ministry. And I have the privilege of joining two other chaplains to share a bit about our ministries.

Not long after I became a chaplain, the director of Love Your Neighbor Ministries asked me to write an article for the newsletter, sharing how I became a chaplain. Today I want to share that article with you.

Footprints In The Snow

Following In My Father’s Footsteps

When I was a little girl I often tried to walk in my father’s footsteps. His footprints seemed very large and so far apart as I jumped from one to another in the snow. Hard as I tried I could never take such big steps! Years later as a young adult I realized that I had finally grown tall enough to walk in his footsteps.

Over three years ago [now eight] my father went to be with the Lord after nearly sixty years of ministry. My dad, Jim Thompson, was a chaplain with Love Your Neighbor Ministries for the last eighteen years of his life. Before he became a chaplain my mother, Carol, served as secretary to Dwight Kinman, founder of Love Your Neighbor Ministries. As I learned of the needs of people in healthcare settings I was deeply moved by the loneliness and abandonment of many elderly people in nursing homes. At times I joined Dad in his ministry, often during the holidays. It was a special treat for me to go with him and play the piano and sing.

Several years ago I began typing Dad’s ministry newsletter. At first it was a special way I could be part of his ministry – I was glad to help, but through the years I began to notice a change in me. As I typed the newsletter I wondered, ‘Who will minister to these precious people when Dad can no longer do it?’ I prayed that God would prepare someone to meet the need when Dad could not be there. My thoughts continued to change and one day I found myself saying, ‘Oh, Lord, I wish I could fill the empty place that will be left when Dad is not there.’ It seemed like an impossibility – I am not a preacher like my dad; I do not teach Bible Studies like he did; I have a different personality; I had to work fulltime; there’s no way it could happen!

A few months before God took Dad home to Heaven I read new statistics about the elderly in our world and predictions of future growth of the older population. I read how churches can minister to the needs of the elderly but I realized that the needs are not being met. I began to sense a deep desire to minister to the elderly, to shut-ins, to people in healthcare crises and those with illnesses that confine them at home for long periods of time. As I watched my parents deal with health issues that kept them at home for many weeks, sometimes months, I noticed after a short time that people stopped calling, sending cards and letters or coming to visit them. I became aware of the loneliness and the feeling of isolation that can accompany times of illness.

God has blessed me with a ministry of music and has given me many opportunities to play and sing in my church and other places. I began to sense that God had something else for me to do with my music gifts. As I asked Him to show me what He wanted me to do, I became aware that He was leading me to play and sing for the elderly and people in difficult health situations. During Dad’s last week with us I had the privilege to sit beside him and sing the old hymns he loved so much. That experience changed my life! I sensed God calling me to minister in music to people in similar situations. Not long ago God opened the door for me to follow His leading into that ministry.

One day as I shared God’s leading in my life with Dave Compton, Director of Love Your Neighbor Ministries, he told me about an area that had no chaplain – when he described the area I realized it was where Dad served as chaplain. He challenged me to consider the possibility of filling that vacancy. When I told him that I am not a preacher like my dad, or a Bible Study teacher, he replied. ‘You don’t have to fill your father’s shoes but you can follow in his footsteps! That is what God has led me to do. I left my fulltime job in the business world to begin a new ministry, serving the Lord with music that touches the hearts of the listeners and draws them to the Savior. Once again I will follow my father’s footsteps – not only those of my earthly father but the footsteps of my Heavenly Father who goes ahead of me and leads me one step at a time.

(Now each week you will find me leading Bible Studies, singing the old hymns with the dear folks in care centers and assisted living facilities, praying and visiting with them. They have become so precious to me – they are friends I may never have known if I had not followed in my father’s footsteps!)

Gratefully,
~Adrienne~

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Wishful Thinking

Maxine

Thinking and dreaming and planning for summer – and a chance to get away with my little cabin-on-wheels.

It’s never too soon to plan, is it?

Just wondering!

Gratefully,
~Adrienne~