We Will Not Forget

September 11, 2001

A day that will forever be remembered.

O God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Our shelter from the stormy blast,
And our eternal home.

Under the shadow of thy throne,
Still may we dwell secure;
Sufficient is Thine arm alone,
And our defense is sure.

Before the hills in order stood,
Or earth received her frame,
From everlasting, thou art God,
To endless years the same.

O God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come;
Be thou our guide while life shall last,
And our eternal home.

Song: ‘O God, Our Help In Ages Past'   
Words: Isaac Watts

A Special Birthday

Today is a very special birthday for our dear granddaughter, Miss E. Today she is six years old! It's a long-awaited day - a day to count on two hands - a day to celebrate and enjoy. A party is planned with little friends this weekend but today will be a special celebration to remember forever and always. Miss E. is going out for lunch with her grandma (me) and her great-grandmother (my dear little mother)! We are going to a chosen place where hamburgers and meals for young ones abound. Then we will return to my dear mother's home where we girls will spend time together. Just us. A few gifts will be opened and enjoyed before she returns home to join her older sister and brother after they return from school. Oh, the joy this precious little girl has given us through these past years. And the joy we know she will continue to bring. She adds sparkle to our days, smiles to our tired faces, the sound of laughter to our quiet world. And we are learning again to enjoy the simple, basic things - like counting to one hundred, reciting the alphabet, singing silly songs long forgotten. We can't imagine life without her. She is a gift from the Father above. Chosen to bring something so special to this world.

Happy birthday, dear Miss E.

A New Challenge

For nearly three years I have been a chaplain in a few care centers in my area. I love what I do and each week I am so blessed to join my dear friends in each place. They encourage me, challenge me and inspire me to reach a little higher. When I am struggling they are a reminder that there is always strength for my day. No matter what. I can make it.

I began my chaplain ministry in a community just a ways south of my home. The residents and staff there are very special people. I look forward to my time with them each week. Until now I have ministered there through my affiliation with Love Your Neighbor Ministries, a chaplain ministry to healthcare settings. Recently I was approached by a great young man from the corporate offices with a new opportunity. A new position was being developed. Never done before. In addition to the care center where I go the corporation also owns eight other facilties throughout Oregon. They realized that nothing was being done to care for the residents' spiritual needs. As a result a new department, Chaplain Services, was formed and the groundwork laid to hire chaplains for each of their facilities. I have had the chance to be involved for several weeks, helping evaluate job descriptions, report forms and other publications and information to be used in this program. Now everything is in place. The time has arrived for the program to be initiated. It's time to begin!

I feel so privileged that I was offered the part-time chaplain position in the facility where I go each Tuesday morning. I accepted the position, completed all the hiring paperwork and became an employee. Two mornings a week I will be in-house, visiting and ministering to each resident. Friendships will be formed and strengthened. Stories will be shared. Prayers will be spoken as requested and needed. Hugs will be in order. Tea will be shared. Now I will have more time to share myself, my love and most important - my God - with the dear ones I have come to respect and love. I feel honored. And so blessed.

Early this morning I will drive about two hours south to the Eugene, Oregon area where I will spend the next two days in Chaplain Orientation and Training. Together with other chaplains I will gain new knowledge to prepare me for the task ahead. My heart will be challenged and my mind will be filled with a lot of information. This has never been done in these facilities. We are charting new territory. Blazing new trails. Marking the path for those who come behind us.

I will be away from home today and tomorrow. I am excited. Nervous. Overwhelmed. But most all blessed. Very blessed.

Award-Winning Friends

The best thing about joining the blog world is the new friends I have made. I know I will probably never meet most of these special people here on earth but the relationships are still very dear to my heart. Some of us 'talk' and get better acquainted via email. I have met a few blog friends who live near me. That has been such a pleasure. It made my day.

Blog friends often honor each other with awards that are special. And they introduce the blog world to their online friends and share what they mean to them. A couple of days ago I was privileged to receive this award from Liz at Kentucky Bound. It means a lot to me. Stop by her blog and see what she has to share. I'm sure you will be glad you did. I am supposed to pass this award along. I am busily getting ready for an out-of-town trip early tomorrow morning. I will share it with a few friends when I return and get a chance to send it their way.Today I arrived home from my morning care center ministries to find a package beside my door.It was from Liz. She emailed a few days ago to tell me it was coming. She and her family will be moving to Kentucky soon. In the process of sorting and packing she found a real treasure, thought of me and sent it to me. I could hardly wait to open it. Once the box was open I was enchanted with the contents. Wrapped so special. Just for me. And a gift for my dear little mother, too! A closer look at the paper she chose and I knew I was in for a real treat! Tissue paper in blue and white. With teacups and teapots and name of wonderful teas. Oh so pretty!When I opened the large package I was overwhelmed. It almost took my breath away! All I could say was 'Oh - oh- oh - oh'!An exquisite piece of yellow Fenton glass. Liz knows that I love yellow and that I collect yellow depression glass, old yellow pottery and all sorts of wonderful yellow things. The picture doesn't show the very pale, soft yellow well. This is unlike anything I have. A real treasure. So special. The details are fantastic.

I could hardly wait to deliver the other package to mother this evening. She has not been feeling well over the past several days and I knew this would be a good pick-me-up. I cooked dinner for her and my sweetheart at her house tonight. When I arrived with groceries in hand she was surprised to see a gift for her from one of my blog friends. Liz recently saw pictures of my dear mother's blue and white laundry room on my blog. Her thoughtful gift looks so sweet in there. (Because she's not feeling well my dear mother didn't want her picture taken.) Isn't this a sweet little gift? It looks so cute with the other treasures in the laundry room.Thank you, Liz, more than words can say. From the depths of my heart to yours. You have become a special friend. Whenever I look at my new yellow treasure - or at the precious little gift you gave my mother - I will think of you. We hope to meet sometime in the future. In her corner of the world or mine. If not, we are planning to sit by the banks of the river in Heaven and have a long - very long - chat. We hope you will join us, too.

Silent Applause

Every Tuesday morning, as part of my chaplain ministry, I drive to a care center in a community not far from my home. I have grown to love and care for the residents there and in each of the facilities where I go each week. They are friends. Good friends. I know they feel the same. Their faces reflect what they do not say. I spend time with many of the residents, chatting and laughing and sharing in their lives and mine. Then I lead a time together we call HeartSongs - we sing the old hymns they love, I read a Bible passage and share a devotional thought, a story or illustration that applies that Scripture to our lives. We have a great time together and after I close in prayer I spend more time with them individually. As I drive away each week I feel that I am the one who is truly blessed.

Yesterday morning as I was about to begin, the Activity Director and the Administrator stopped me for a special presentation. They said some kind words of appreciation and gave me this cute gift bag.I was overwhelmed. I wish you could have seen the joyful faces of the residents. They were thrilled! I asked if they would like me to open it right then. A big "yes" and I knew they wanted to enjoy my pleasure with their gift of honor. Chocolate. More chocolate. A sweet "Helping Hands" bookmark. And a framed thank you that nearly brought tears to my eyes. Then, a look at the faces of the residents in wheelchairs all around me and I knew. If they could they would be standing and applauding. I could hardly contain it. These precious people, many who have been part of my life for nearly three years, felt honored and delighted to honor me! And to say thank you!

There are few things that have brought me such joy as the privilege of being a chaplain in healthcare settings, especially in care centers and assisted living homes. To make a difference in the lives of dear people who often feel cut off from life outside. They love to hear of simple things. Things like what I will have for dinner. Or what my family is doing. They long to know what the world is doing while they sit quietly through the long hours each day. Some cannot speak but they respond with a smile or a nod. The ladies love to hear me admire their outfit or their earrings or notice a new hairdo. The gentlemen would deny it but they love to hear me compliment them for their smile or tell them how nice their shirt looks on them. A smile, a chuckle, a nod of the head and I know that they appreciate being noticed as much as you and I do.

Yesterday as I stood and thanked them for the gifts and the honor they gave me I tried to tell them how I hold them dear to my heart. Words are so inadequate. But they heard it. Just as I heard their applause. Silent applause. Like no other I have ever heard before.

Special Friends And An Award

Before I began my blog last May I started reading some blogs that I enjoyed a lot. I often wondered if I would have enough to share if I had a blog. Like other blog friends have mentioned, I wondered if anyone would read it. I decided to give it a try. A creative outlet for my love of writing. A place to share myself and my heart with others. Here I am a bit more than eight months later and I can't tell you how many wonderful new friends I have made through blogging. I am very particular about what blogs I read. I have certain things I look for and I have found more blogs that qualify than you can imagine. I have 'met' many friends who share much in common with me and who have added to my life immeasurably through these months. Friends who have walked through the joys and sorrows of life with me. Friends who have sent sweet messages of congratulations, encouragement and comfort. Friends who have taken the time to send me a personal email. Friends who have offered advice when I asked. A friend who went out of her way to take pictures of our former home in another city. Friends who genuinely care even though we've never met. I have learned to see my world (and my home) through different eyes than before - and my camera is always close at hand. My family doesn't find it strange anymore when I take pictures as I prepare a meal. And they don't find it strange that I'm taking pictures of odds and ends of thrifting finds. Or ugly 'before' pictures of a soon-to-be-done project. They humor me by allowing me to photograph things they don't understand. And they love me and are proud of my blog, especially when I'm bragging about them.

In the blog world there are so many ways to honor each other. I am always amazed when someone mentions me or lists my blog as one of their favorites. Every day I enjoy the creativity and beauty of the lives of the special people I've come to know a bit through the past months. One of these friends is Rhondi at Rose Colored Glasses. I 'visit' her often. Her home and the things she shares have been graced with her talent and the beauty she creates. I would love to be able to sit down and share a cup of tea with her but the many miles between us don't allow that to happen. Perhaps someday! Rhondi sweetly and graciously gave me a blog award that I treasure. She gave me the "You Make My Day" award. I can't tell you how special that is to me, Rhondi, because you really do make my day. Thank you for your kind words and your friendship.

Now the hard part in accepting these awards it to decide who to pass it on to. That's the way it is with these awards. We don't keep them for ourselves - we pass them along and share them. I would like to share this award with Katherine at Yellow Rose Arbor. We have so much in common. Our faith. Our love of yellow roses. Our collections of yellow depression glass. And many more things. I've enjoyed sharing them with her. She is another far-away friend who I would love to visit with over a cup of tea in her home. I hope you will stop by and visit her soon. You will find a gracious lady whose blog shares her world in such beautiful ways. I'm sure you will enjoy her, too. Katherine, this one's for you - you truly do make my day!

I've Been Nominated!

Kathy nominated me for the Nice Matters Award! This is the first blog award I've received. According to her, "This award will be given to those that are just nice people , good blog friends and those that inspire good feelings and inspiration! Those that care about others that are there to lend support or those that are just a positive influence in our blogging world!" Thank you, Kathy. You are one of the special new friends I have because of our blogs. It has been fun to have a chance to get acquainted and get a glimpse into your world.

I appreciate the wonderful people I have met since I first entered the blogging world. There are such genuine people with whom I have much in common - and they are each so eager to share their lives and heart with me. I am supposed to nomiate 7 people for this award so I nominate Tracey, Allison, Kim, Cindy, Tina, Dawn and Mrs. Wilt. I visit their blogs every day and I never go away disappointed. Each of them has opened their lives, their families, their homes and, most of all, their hearts to encourage and inspire me to grow and reach a little higher than I would have dreamed possible. Their faith and inspiration has lifted my spirits to new heights. They have shared their projects, answered my questions and told me about wonderful people, places and things. Through their blogs - and their sweet comments and responses to me - I see the world through eyes that are open wider and a heart that has grown bigger than ever before. They have motivated me to get going on home, decorating and gardening projects that I have let go far too long and they have helped me get excited about striving to finish redecorating and updating my little house. I feel that each of these friends has given me the gift of seeing everything from a new perspective and they have helped return the excitement I thought was lost to make my home a place of peace and grace once again. For this I thank each of them.