"...out here in the stillness, I find my house of worship
with column trees and canopy of stars,
Here in my cathedral." ~Chris Rice from the song, My Cathedral
If you have been keeping up with my Uncle Bennie and praying with me, I'm sickened at heart...He has passed away.
Just this morning they were saying that he could last another year. Just this morning... Just. This. Morning.
They had taken him off the ventilator day before yesterday and he astounded them on how well he did. Today his blood pressure started lowering, his entire family was in his room, his eyes were tearful and he passed on to the other side from this green earth peacefully unto the Presence of the Lord.
My mom and he were darling little siblings on the waterfront in the 30s... My mother? Clearly upset. She is soon to be 88, Uncle Bennie was 86. A very young 86.
My Grandma, Uncle Bennie, and my mother, probably around 1933.
He came through beautifully through triple bypass surgery. The doctors were artful in their work conferring for hours and taking very good care of him. But then came the ageist attitudes and hatefulness of a certain disrespectful nurse coupled with a young doctor who lacked discretion in aftercare along with gross negligence. There is more detail I've written already in previous blogs.
Finally, the old family doctor was in charge, the same one who saw him through cancer and watched with a glad and thankful shock as the bacteria left his body just last week. That doctor fought for Uncle Bennie, he told the family that Uncle Bennie was such a fighter, just such a fighter. There are still doctors from the old school who will fight for our loved ones. If you can find one like that you have found a gem.
Uncle Bennie is with my Grandma and Grandpa Oddo now.
I'll miss your gentle ways, Uncle Bennie.
Thanks to those who took the time to comment and pray with me.
I'm an only child, and Uncle Bennie was the only uncle I had that I've known in life.
It's been a heck of a couple of years. Pray for your loved ones, take care of yourselves, the hospital systems and the ageist and humanistic attitudes are not to be trusted. It's not God's way. He is bigger. And He is Just. (a gentle nod of the head).
You took good care of me at a certain time in my life Uncle Bennie.
Love you. Maybe now you can take care of pets, maybe you are a veterinarian in Heaven?
Maybe you, Grandma and Grandpa are on the beautiful peaceful waterfront again...
Me and Uncle Bennie one Easter Morning.
Do you remember when you came over Uncle Bennie to help me with my sick puppy? You came over and with your gentle Elvis Presley voice said...I hear you have a sick puppy...as you took a thermometer out of your pocket...
Edit. 11.10 8:47 am. I remember Uncle Bennie riding around town in his jeep, just like the one Elvis Presley drove in one of his movies where he was also in the army. My grandma always had a professional photograph Uncle Bennie had done of himself posed with his acoustic guitar next to the beige rotary phone. It was so iconic of my grandma and grandpa's house. Later there would be a wedding photo of Jem and me also next to the phone.
It's funny, in my family decor was hardly ever changed. Once things were up, they were up. There was never anything changed for the sake of change unless extremely out of style, they were all too close to the great depression for change for fun. My family laughs at me because so much of that is engrained in me.
This little fur angel looks very much like my Uncle Bennie's dog, Jigger.
Well. That's it for now. A public blog for those sprinkled around this green earth who will stand and pray and just be perhaps interested in the life of this forest girl and her family.
Take care now, prayers are very appreciated dear ones. ~Amelia
Perhaps I will add edits as I gather my thoughts. Just a quick blog for the moment.
Today is voting day of course. Please, please, please vote like your life depends on it. For the Unborn it does!
As a Christian, this is the Biblical way. Many will say, 'Oh no, we mustn't get political'. Well for me and as Pastor Ed Young from Second Baptist in Houston, Texas (Winning Walk on youtube), says... "If you don't want the church to be political then you don't know your Bible." I agree. This is not the old time political scene. This is a fight for Life. My Bible tells me that God hates the murder of innocents, the destruction of innocent blood. My Bible tells me to rescue those innocents who are being led to slaughter.
One of the 7 Things that God HATES: Proverbs 6:17 Hands that shed innocent blood.
I've got to speak out, won't you?
Here is just one of many must-read articles on the issue of abortion. The murder of the unborn. This is not a choice. This is a separate little life within this baby's mother.
A doctor tells his story...
"But this infant wasn’t lying limp like the others were doing. He was moving his arms and legs and looked as if he wanted to cry..." Complete Article Here Some may say...But there are other issues. Yes, but to say those issues come even close to the issue of unborn babies being murdered... That boggles my mind.
And may I say that my Italian grandparents and my German, great-great grandparents were immigrants. They were proud to be AMERICAN. They came here legally and I know from papers I have seen with my eyes, my Italian grandparents were vetted properly, down to the state-health of my grandfather's complexion. Each one of my grandparents was so proud to be American and loved our country so much.
They were so very proud of being Americans! The Italian families did not even teach their children to speak Italian because they wanted them to be American! Perhaps that is extreme but it also shows how badly they wanted to assimilate into this great country!
A note about me, if you were to meet me in person you would see I'm mostly a gentle soul (I've been told) but I'm also quite honest and I also despise injustice. I am a woman of principal and although a person of mercy I also have that biblical prophet that will come out as well as sometimes my loud laughter that comes deep from within as well as a toothy grin accompanied with a wink sprinkled with a dry sense of humor. I grew up in a home where my father was on city council and trust me. The truth was told. My father was so aggravated at a city council meeting once when he was so horrified at the lack of common sense with some NASA engineers he grabbed the rule book and tossed it down the aisle in front of the audience and everyone and everything. Yay for truth and yay for people willing to speak it!
......................................
An Update for Uncle Bennie. EDIT: 5:21 Friday. 11.9.18 I just received word that Uncle Bennie passed away. The doctors said they never saw anyone fight like Uncle Bennie did... He tried so very hard... So. Very. Hard. Please pray for our family. EDIT: 5:14pm Friday. 11.9.18 Uncle Bennie did better then what some thought when taken off of the ventilator. He is still resting comfortably. Thank you for your prevailing prayers! EDIT: This evening. Thursday. 11.8.18 Uncle Bennie has been off ventilator since yesterday and is resting comfortably. Thanks be to God! To all who read here, please keep praying. I appreciate all who read here and will pray with me.
Oh my goodness, it's been up and down, up and down. Thank you very much to those who have written that they will pray and for those who are praying in private as well.
Uncle Bennie is weary I'm told. He is on a respirator most of the time as of the last report. Thank God for Dr. Italiano who obviously believes in the sanctity of LIFE.
He is gently caring for Uncle Bennie and is watching and waiting for further actions. Things are very touch and go. His daughter is sleeping on a cot next to him... She says everytime the machine makes a brutally loud noise Uncle Bennie opens his eyes widely...She says... "It's okay Daddy...."
It's been a difficult thing for our family. Dr. Italiano knows my uncle is a special guy and knows our family, treating even my grandparents years ago as a younger doctor. Thank God for the doctors that have not bought into the dangerous and evil teachings being taught today.
And may I add? The serious and life-threatening problems Uncle Bennie is fighting is because of the humanist easy-euthanasia death-panel attitudes of the modern medical establishment not to mention gross negligence? Some doctors seem to think they are gods themselves.
I will update as I am able here on this blog until my next post, please oblige. Thanks to all who come to check and pray. You are appreciated!
If anyone doesn't think the Sanctity of Life is a big deal? Hm. Just watch your older loved ones in the hospital and the attitudes that are prevalent. And pray to God it won't happen to you.
Vote like your Life depends on it. It might be yours and it is for those precious little unborn babies.
I'm sorry if for most of you I'm preaching to the choir. But I'm increasingly shocked at the apathetic attitudes and just general lack of interest being found in one of my adult daughter's Sunday school class of 20 plus singles in a suburban Baptist church mind you. ...And it seems people are so just so afraid of speaking truth. I just don't understand it. I just don't. Could it be that many churches are more concerned about building numbers then building godly churches? We must be different to make a difference, anything else is just not worth a whole lot in my opinion.
If you would like to read my post on Roe Vs. Wade What Has Become of Us?
You can clickHERE
This tells a lot about me and the cruel cultural change I saw growing up.
Let's get out and vote for LIFE.
Closing with this song that has been on my mind...
I sent this to my family, and one of my younger married daughters, Michelle wrote...Things were so different.
Both of my married daughters strive to keep things very let's say 40s in their homes as I also try to do. I enjoy a wholesome, old-fashioned atmosphere.
Once again I am asking for you all to join me in prayer for Uncle Bennie. He has been doing sooo good and now suddenly things are not looking so well. The report is that his kidneys are shutting down and blood pressure is low but I've seen God turn these things around before. We serve a big God. I've prayed this thing through and will continue but I need help from brothers and sisters in Christ.
Healing in Jesus name for Uncle Bennie, both inside and out. Thank you so much.
Please let me hear from you.
UPDATE. 6:57PM We received a call from his daughter and the precious Italian doctor who took care of not only Uncle Bennie and my Italian grandparents has ordered dialysis for him. There are 5-6 doctors looking after Uncle Bennie. His daughter has signed papers for dialysis to start. It will give him a fighting chance. Uncle Bennie is in pain and this is tough but he is a toughie. The Italian doctor (I have yet to find out his name) loves Uncle Bennie and has repeatedly made the remark that Bennie is fighting....he is so fighting for his life. *deep breath* All I can say is this morning they were asking Jem to be a pallbearer and now we have an entirely new outlook. Will you pray with our family? Thank you.
<3 p=""> <3 p="">UPDATE 10.30 5:54PM He received the dialysis treatment this morning and did well. So we are praying he will rally through and the proper actions will be taken for the future. He also has horrible, horrible sores on him because of some negligence in the beginning. Those need to get well, he must be miserable with those. I know God hears our hearts and is moved by our Faith. Thank you so much for continued prayers, brothers and sisters! Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart.
<3 p="">
<3 p="">UPDATE 11.1.18 9:46pm Uncle Bennie's daughter writes: "Daddy is a little more alert since he's been on dialysis. He now has urinary tract infection and another blood infection...he's hanging in there." ...She will speak with the doctor tomorrow for another update. She adds: "Please thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers we truly appreciate it. I'm walking by faith and not by sight. Please keep us in your prayers..."
The Christian radio station is playing such lovely music today, just for me.
It is God to whom and with
whom we travel, and while He is the
End of our journey, He is also at
every stopping place.
~Elisabeth Elliot
Mo-Mo, such a sweet little thing. She ministers to my heart.
Monkey. He mews so cute, he comes for comfort and to comfort...
Our little animals seem to know there is something troubling me...
Our hound, Gracie came to me as I was standing on the front porch and nuzzles her long nose, burying her face into my robe like a child, so sweet. Coffee follows me back into the house, and inside with a worried look.
I felt it would be nice to add a couple of songs that minister to me. I did not hear these particular ones on the radio, I was looking for those on youtube and could not find, but did indeed find these. I hope they minister to your heart too.
The photos chosen are lights and darks, much like my mood, much like our lives.
God is with us.
Thank you all. Signing off from the Forest Cathedral... ~Amelia
First of all, I have a question for any of you reading here. Have you ever commented, and noticed I replied to others and not your comment? My daughter tells me she has commented more than several times and it shows on her end that she did indeed comment but it does not show up on my side! If this has happened and you are wondering why your comment did not receive a reply on site when others did, then it may not be showing up here. Please message me if this is happening. I'm so sorry if this has been the case. Usually, I will reply to either everyone or no one. I try to take care of the blog like my life. I want to be all there for everyone when I'm able fair and square. : ) And there is also the case of notifications never being delivered to me on an older blog entry. I'm sure you too have experienced this, please let me know though of anything that doesn't seem right to you in the way of replies not given or just me making sure I see your comments. Thank you so much!
* I do have a recent prayer request update that perhaps I can update here via edits as I receive them. I do have an edit on the entry below. The latest though is this: Uncle Bennie was moved to another building. They had removed drainage tubes, and then the infection moved into blood up to left lung. Blood pressure effected. Please pray, he's becoming weary. Please join me in prayers, thank you so very much ahead of time.
EDIT: 10.20.18 Thank you so much for your prayers! Uncle Bennie had been put back on the respirator after the incident and there was a concern on that. Thank God he has been able to breathe for longer and longer short periods of time every day on his own. ...Just little by little. The bacteria is being held at bay and thank God no adverse reactions. His doctor in the new building was also my grandma's doctor. He too expressed concern about the visiting doctor who made the horrible comment on letting Uncle Bennie just die, he made the comment in front of Uncle Bennie. This doctor also said that Bennie is a fighter. Yes. And God is with us. Please continue prayers for healing and that Uncle Bennie can go home in a timely manner. The doctor said it is just day to day. I hope to keep you all updated, please keep praying Friends. Thank you so much. A sincere hug. ~Amelia
EDIT: 10.21.18 I just received word that Uncle Bennie is breathing on his own during the day. Thanking God! Please keep praying. Thank you ahead of time. A grateful hug. ~Amelia
I saw this sweet, sweet little video this morning and wanted to simply share it, I have a heart for animals and I thought this was sooooo precious.
Speaking of sweet things, I wanted to share an old movie with you that touches my heart and is uplifting to me. It also has some surprising, poignant elements in the end. It teaches of a mother's love for her family and also the importance of getting to know people and where they are at, what they are doing privately perhaps, their gifts etc. There are some wonderful quotes in the movie as well. One part, the mother played by Irene Dunne, one of my favorite actresses says to her daughter in this adorable Norwegian accent, something to this effect...The day I would want to be rich is the day I would want to be ten foot tall...
Irene Dunne seemed to be such a wholesome actress. It is written in the Wikipedia article that she said her favorite time in life was with her father on the riverboats going down the Mississippi River. Her father was a riverboat inspector back then. I can imagine how she felt about that, I grew up on the bay and I too remember the bay air as I played on my grandma and grandpa's pier in front of their home business as I played with my dolls and such, the boats in the distance, the clanging of the shipyard nearby... My Uncle Bennie recently said that he has dreams about it then. A special place, a special time.
The Trailer....
I Remember Mama (1948) A shot of one of those riverboats still going down the mighty Mississipi in New Orleans...One of my favorite places to be with Jem. New Orleans is a beautiful city if you concentrate on the riverside...So fresh, so serene...I have history there. My Italian Grandma was raised there.
Irene Dunne, one of my favorite actresses.
A couple of shots of our little Elbee and Gracie. Both of these precious fur angels were rescued from the roads out here... Gracie the hound thinks Elbee is her baby, it's always been like that. Elbee was a tiny little kitten that apparently had been picked up by a hawk and dropped, he had huge claw marks on his back. Marianna was alert to a tiny little white fuzzy ball dizzily walking down a busy road. Gracie was hairless, and literally, bones when Marianna found her, it was as if she was waiting on Marianna to pick her up. We gave them that life, and oh how rewarding that is...
I hope everyone will have a restful and uplifting Sunday. I read this quote this morning in my Streams in the Desert devotional this morning:
...And it is the clinging hand of His child that makes a desperate situation a delight to God.
Closing on this sweet Sunday with this old favorite song that has been going through my mind lately...
One Evening...
Signing off from the Forest Cathedral... Have a wonderful Sunday Friends, love, ~Amelia
Do you remember Days of Our Lives, or As the World Turns? My mother never watched soap operas but my mother had a sweet helper who would come every week or every other week and she would watch the then black and white soap operas while she worked,...I remember the dramatic music and the world turning in black and white on the t.v. screen on the kitchen porch where our yellow breakfast table was.
Sometimes our lives resemble the ups and downs of those dramas (in a way) don't they?
Me? When I receive bad news about a beloved family member I'm a lot like a scuba diver. I come up out of the water and receive the news and then...bubble, bubble, bubble I go back down with my goggles and fins to my prayer chamber of sorts. I can carry my prayer chamber around like an oxygen tank too. Just praying and doing the next thing...Just praying and doing the next thing. ....Sometimes walking and treading in prayers...I may be at the store, but I hope to be the graceful swan whose little feet are treading like mad under the water as Mrs. Dunwoody's book describes. ...But I tread in prayers.
This time it is my Uncle Bennie. Please pray for Uncle Bennie, it's been up and down, up and down. One negligent thing happening to him in the hospitals after another.
He's 86 years old and underwent triple bypass heart surgery. He's a fighter. He's also a survivor of prostate cancer.
The cardiologist and surgery team did a wonderful job, they studied the case and conferred 101%. He came through beautifully... But then there was the nurse who punished him because he argued with her on the ice cream type of thing she was trying to force feed him. She then gave him mega doses of morphine which damaged his kidneys etc. There was also a younger doctor who came in and spoke things to the effect of to his daughter such as...Why don't you just let him die peacefully...This doctor said this in front of my uncle! Very dark! I will not expound. But his previous doctor strongly disagreed with that. Oh wow. He said... No! Bennie is a fighter!
My uncle studied to become a vet for animals, long story, things happen and evolve. He would have been an outstanding vet by the way. It's just life happened. The short story is he knows a bit on medicine, he also had every right to question that nurse. We all do, do we not?
He finally strengthened after a tracheotomy and everything else through many, many prayers storming Heaven. He was transferred to another facility hospital where he was improving daily. ...Until the nurse left him in his waste. All day. He had some sores back there where the previous hospital did not clean him properly. Infection entered his bloodstream and he was sent back to the original hospital the next day. The nurse that had left him was found sleeping in the hallway. Picture taken.
He's not doing well and is tempted to give up. Fluids building in lungs and if you are a nurse, doctor or have had a loved one in this position you know what all this entails for that poor person.
Today it's a dire situation.
This affects a lot of things. My mother is 88 and of course, it upsets her, so our family (I'm an only child) has to keep her up and lifted too. She loves the Lord but becomes upset easily when things seem dire.
I'm sorry to have been away. I'm just going to post this and a couple of other things, but please know I've been up and down and around and around in my prayers. I just don't have a lot of mental energy to spare these days.
I love and appreciate all of you and covet, covet, covet your prayers. Ya know, at the age of 57 things are already quite crazy and we fight for our youth and desire to age gracefully with the reputation of being that beautiful person inside and out that our parents taught us to be and it seems it's always something to bring us to our knees. Maybe that makes true beauty? A softness? Perhaps it's the school of sorrow coupled with the companionship of Brokeness? Perhaps the broken pieces come together much like a heavenly tiffany lamp? (I remember hearing or reading the tiffany lamp analogy and liked it.)
Many may never understand, we'll have to accept that, sad but true, but Oh Lord help me to be that uplifting one, never a downer person. Oh God help me to be a Life-giver! When I am weak, He is strong.
Here's a photo of Uncle Bennie holding me one Easter morning when I was little. His favorite nurse at the hospital is a fellow Italian male nurse who cares for him in the night hours. Today will be rather telling. Please pray for my Uncle Bennie. He is the only uncle I have, things have been distanced for the past years, he has his hands full with his adult kids but he always manages to call my mother when he thinks we're in danger of a flood or anything of the sort. He's a very sweet person. Very sweet.
Here is a shot from one evening here...It's very representative of my life these days. My grown daughters living their lives. They are a great help with support for my mom and others too. This was one of the first evenings in this journey of Uncle Bennie.
Janie is in the distance practicing her golf swing. *gentle smiles*. No, I don't golf. She is learning this new sport little by little, me? The swing hurts my back after I had a bit of an injury a while back. That's okay. I'll watch her.
This evening I was walking and praying...walking and praying...
There is something peaceful as we walk and pray and watch our loved ones peacefully going through their lives...something comforting in that. Just like when they were little children, watching them play.
May we be like little children, resting in the Father. Easier said than done at times.
Just treading gently all the while hoping for understanding...but softly bombarding Heaven with prayers.
Peace to you all, Love to all, Amelia in the Forest
Photo by Robert Stock
P.S. I continue to care for our little Guiseppe, our sweet little elderly blind dog. Prior entries tell the tale on this little angel.
I also wanted to re-visit true religion, and what the Bible simply says. Another time?
EDIT Thursday. 10.11.18 1:28pm Yesterday we received word that Uncle Bennie is doing well on a respirator. The infection has not spread and is at bay. Please blogging friends, seen and unseen: Please continue your prayers. For me? I've noticed that in this over a month-long venue of wrestling prayers that the minute I think things are at a lull, my prayers go to a lull. I may still be praying consistently and sincerely but not quite so fervent. This time I will continue my fervent prayers even when things seem up'n adam. I ask that you too will friends. Thank you so much, everyone!
One of our family's very favorite movies. Sergeant York (1941)
This is just one great scene:
After my last blog entry the movie, Sergeant York came to mind where he is talking to the Pastor played by Walter Brennan on his conversion to Christ, (another scene later on):
Pastor Pile: Alvin, you've got the doin' kind of religion, not the meet'n' house kind. I can't seem to find that particular clip!
...but I found this one most touching one that never fails to give great pause and touches my heart.
Just beautiful I think. Do you know that the part of Gracie, the sweet girlfriend and later wife of Alvin York is played by Joan Leslie? There was another actress slated to play Gracie but what I understand is that the real Sergeant York did not want an actress who smoked, drank or cursed to play his wife. Thus Joan Leslie one of my all-time favorite actresses played the part and what a wonderful job she did. Look up the bio of Joan Leslie if you like, it's an interesting one. She married a doctor she met at a hospital when she was visiting a relative, the doctor was tending her relative. The couple later had twin girls. Joan Leslie and her husband later built a home for unwed mothers among other wonderful charitable things.
Some churches are like the above clip, humble but beautiful, some are beautiful with greatness built by the hands of craftsmen but both churches may be saturated with the love of Christ, true hearts for Christ. I've seen both kinds of churches and ...both kinds of religion in either. I bet you have too.
Many churches that were once very godly have become a bit liberal in not such a good way, as in not pleasing to God, they are espousing some things that are just..not God's character nor His Truths.
I personally cannot attend a church where I sit in the balcony and peer down to see a pastor's wife who is so liberal she blocks well-meaning people who gently challenge her liberal tweets. Yes, that happened. It's a shame, the cathedral was one of the last of what I would call an old-fashioned more Wesleyan church. It was one of those places that when you walked in, you could sense the Holy Spirit. I remember going in the ladies room and seeing an evangelical non-denominational Bible study book by a women's purse, people brought their Bibles, I would see precious Chinese families in the balcony that knew us from the Chinese mission in the medical center to reach out to the medical establishment from China. It told me much as well as much as one of the older men, a most precious leader coming out to me to meet me, to make sure I was not standing alone. He stood there humbly, near my height with a sweet bald head and a subdued but oh so sweet and sincere smile. He simply said, Hi, I'm Charlie. It was one of the few churches that you might have a person of means sitting next to a homeless person in unity worshipping God.
So much godly history there... Jem and I stood in the balcony of that great cathedral the first time attending and both of us had tears running down our faces. I used to love sitting across from the stained glass window of Jesus with his lambs. ...Because I am one of his little lambs.
My parents were married in the chapel and my daughter and son in law were married in the cathedral. The pastor at the time, Pastor Wende was such an encouragement. The first time I met him I was going through a tumultuous time, Joycie and Zuzu were in China teaching English. He shook my hand and said..."Thank you for that Holy Ghost smile!". His wife seemed to be such a precious soul. Once when our entire family walked up to the balcony on Mother's Day, she too was sitting up there with her grown children. She smiled so sweetly, stood up and offered us their seats. When Michelle and Josh counseled with Pastor Wende before the wedding he would look out that downtown window, hearing from God and then would speak truths to Zuzu and Tommy. Zuzu told me how exact he was in what he told them. Well, one day maybe we will meet up with those sweet people and become better acquainted. Are we just alike? I doubt it, but I like sweet people who act like Christians should act. ...I'm funny that way. ; )
I have one regret about my last blog. And that is that it was not detailed enough, I was trying to hurry and not be overly detailed and then I lacked in detail! Aaargh. I hope I did not give a wrong impression of anything written. We can only edit so much after something is posted. I was shocked when my husband said after reading the blog..."You aren't detailed enough." Normally I feel too detailed. As my dear mother has always said...It never pays to get in a hurry! She would always say that when she would make a mistake of some kind, dropping something or getting the wrong item at the store.
So I suppose I'm needing a balance of not being in a hurry, nor over thinking things. I want this blog to be fun to write, fun to read, insightful to write and insightful to read. I want to live my Christian walk here. Live the Life.
................................................................... Now for a Plot Change!
We have a wonderful thing going on! That daughter and son in law who were married in that century-old cathedral almost several years ago?
They are expecting a little one! Our first grand-baby! Yay! This is especially a Praise the Lord because Zuzu had been fighting serious health issues, showing up soon after marriage. Talk about a trial, oh those poor two young people! My mind at times would be so saturated with everything going on I just didn't know what to think or do. Thankfully, God in His Mercy intervened and Zuzu is much better now. Thanks be to God! Zuzu has a wonderful natural Christian doctor, Dr. Osborne who you may have seen and will see on PBS. Zuzu was interviewed and filmed for one of the upcoming documentaries.
I love Tommy like a son, he was there at that far away hospital when my dad was dying, he held me against his chest as I cried. Zuzu is not only a daughter but has become a sweet friend to talk to,
We are very blessed to have four precious adult daughters and two wonderfully precious sons in laws (loves). More blogs are to come!
Sweet little Baby, we love and welcome you!
You must know, I love to sew. I love to design clothes, I have fashion illustrations I have done. I could (can) do them free hand and now I'm in the season I can bring them to life. I can dress the way I like and when you're middle-aged you can tell the world you got this. Ha.
When I go to the store and see patterns and fabric it's like a child looking at the coloring books and colors! It really does feel just like that... Remember those times?
So I recently saw this pattern when Jem and I were in a rural town Walmart.
I thought to myself...Hmm... That would make a mighty fine maternity dress for Zuzu with a little tweak.
I just happened to have some burgundy poly/cotton broadcloth on hand that I was going to make a fall skirt with but nah...I like the idea of a maternity dress for Zuzu better. So I told our other daughters that I would gladly make them something too if they would let me know. I'm fair like that... ; )
So here we have a new maternity dress for Zuzu! I just tweaked it a tiny bit, coming straight down on the sides below bustline and then straight out at high waist on out to the largest size. I ended up making the hem in back one inch shorter. Took shoulders in one inch to petite it a bit. It's a little on the low side but next project I can fix that. She loves camis so that will work! This dress with pattern probably cost under $10.00 to make.
What a sweet little book... I bought this for Zuzu and read it first. So refreshing!
There might be minute teensy micro-differences such as Mrs. White might have used vaseline and powder for diaper changes, I used Desitin, she bathed her little babies every evening, I didn't, my babies were pretty much given a mini sponge bath every time their diaper was changed! *big smile*. This book is steeped in sensitivity and godly wisdom. Lovely! It really gets to the heart of Motherhood and I love that...I wish all parents, as well as grandparents, could read this book.
In closing...A shot from the other night front my front porch...
Life is not intended to be simply a round of work, no matter how interesting and important that work may be. A moment's pause to watch the glory of a sunrise or a sunset is soul satisfying, while a bird's song will set the steps to music all day long.
~Laura Ingalls Wilder
The wonder of our Lord is that He is so accessible to us in the common things of our lives: the cup of water...breaking of the bread...welcoming children into our arms...fellowship over a meal...giving thanks. A simple attitude of caring, listening, and lovingly telling the truth.
~Nancie Carmichael
God's peace...is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will keep your thoughts and your hearts quiet and at rest.
~Philippians 4:7
Closing with this most beautiful and annointed song....Peace to you.
I heard an airplane rumble across the sky this evening...I think of my dad. I miss him.
This Jimmy Stewart clip reminds me of when my Pharisee meter goes off. Ha!
It usually starts at the store or something like that. It could happen on twitter, it could be a liberal or a conservative ...Pharisee.
It can be a liberal pastor's wife who blocks us for say, challenging her support of all things liberal although she throws a little Christianese in. Yes, she blocked me and I was being nice. It's nice to be nice right? Well, apparently she is only tolerant of her brand.
It can happen in the grocery store. Maybe it's someone from a very insider smalltown church. Yes, unfortunately, they are there. Baptist, Pentecostal. They are there.
......................................................................... (EDIT) 7.31 8:34am I feel the need to clarify that these people I am describing below are married to leaders in the church and have attended these places for years. One of the churches, a fundamental church, that contains two of the offending women actually put a young woman out in the cold to wait for her parents to pick her up at a youth party because her skirt was too short. The young girl was one of the youth picked up by the bus ministry. People in that community who would send their children and youth on the church buses to the church heard and would not allow their children and youth to attend there any longer. Who would blame them? That's just...so sad to me, the entire situation.
I not only have my father's sensitivity but also his sense of humor you will read here in small glimpses in this entry.
And as my cousin once had written on her facebook description...'Beware I speak the truth'.
I actually had had enough once after more then several times on different occasions, coming across a reserved woman's path and she behaved as I was invisible. She cruised past me on the dish towel aisle at the dime store ...I felt very much like Jimmy Stewart above... What did you do Mrs. Amelia? I said BOO as she circled around the cap of the aisle to the other side ...I did. ....and then I smiled to myself as I was most surprised at myself! I almost started laughing out loud! (Think Mrs. Ingalls in one of those situations)
Yes, I know people can be rather shy and on the introverted side but can't we be a bit giving in that respect and politely say hello? Is it that far out of our comfort zones? Isn't it the Jesus way to say...Hello? Many of us have had some serious stuff going on and the last thing we need is the dedicated longtime churchies to treat us as an outcast. And trust me, I am an Anne of Green Gables i.n.f.p. personality type...I love my quiet and my imagination, but can't we say hello?
It could be the Methodist. It can be perhaps you brought up the wrong relative's name, you know, that pharmacist cousin of yours? You saw his wife's name (who you haven't even met for Pete's sake!) on the roll so you thought it would connect you somehow, so after that, they look at you like mean-spirited chickens staring at the new hen coming in. (Sorry chickens, don't mean to insult you, little creatures.) Apparently, they didn't like my cousin's wife.
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The Gospel is summed up by loving our neighbor. If we say we have Christ and act as we hate our neighbor how do we love God? There are so many scriptures on showing love. I don't understand the disconnect just as I don't understand the disconnect when people don't spend time with God who they say they love. Maybe that is why they act in these ways? They don't understand the character of God or know God, they are not spending time with Him, ... They just attend church?
1 John 4:20
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Years ago...
Mike
Mike was quite a guy. Years ago, my husband would help him with his real estate needs and Jem always said...If Mike ever gives his life to God he is going to be dangerous. (in a good way). You would have had to know Mike. The man was older and has gone to be with God, but he was a stereotype Italian type city guy, a wheeler-dealer. He was Ukrainian but reminded me of a big-city Italian.
What happened? One day Mike gave his life to God. Fully.
Jem and I had always talked to him off and on, I remember gently debating him on pro-life issues as I was pregnant with our third little baby.
Sure enough, Mike was true-blue. He was very sold out to God. The only way right? He told Jem then in his New York accent on visiting churches...I can tell the churches that are real. One thing can tell me. If they have love. I think of Mike often. The year before last I made sure to send him a Christmas card first, instead of answering his. He sent one back to us with a precious message to us and words reminding to always seek God the Father.
He passed away shortly after.
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I really felt I needed to write this Friends, I think most of those if not all who read this so understand and if not? I grimace because it could be that they may be an offender or they are very comfortable for various reasons.
Just last week my meter was going off at the store once again, the grocery store. I purposely made direct eye contact with one of the ladies I'd met in a smalltown church after noticing her repeated disengagement in the garden of produce and approaching the valley of chilled eggs.... ; ) I said hello. She grabbed the bar of her cart and said by rote, Hello, how are you, as she strode off hurriedly.
My meter went off...I said...Fine. Thanks for asking. The lady was already quite a bit a way from me by the time I said Thanks for asking! Janie, our oldest daughter was with me. I told Janie ...See what I mean?
I'm so sorry Janie said. Janie knows I'm very done with this type of thing. Just very done. I've gotten used to certain circles behaving this way. I remember when I was a little thing in ballet, the other moms, the catty ones... Jem always reminds...Proverbs says Jealousy who can stand against it? ..................................
The past several years were so very difficult with my dad, I was feeling so estranged from him, when I did speak with him he would hurt me with his words and then he would call Janie behaving as if he was dying, Janie begging him to push the emergency button. I remember once leaving for church so distraught. The people he was trusting and calling friends were taking advantage of him and turning his heart against us. It was a horrible situation and I will be writing more so others will be warned.
That morning the people in the USO town church wouldn't even shake our hands at the greeting time (it was that hen effect). When I needed the Church. (uppercase 'C') I would usually leave a church (lower case 'c') in tears feeling like an outsider. The only church that has ministered to me in the last several years was in downtown where my parents were married, you could feel Christ in that century-old cathedral, but sadly it now has a rather liberal group of leaders. So grievous to me, it's another loss for me in this horrible culture. I will be back there one day though. They are in my prayers as are all the churches in our country.
Back to God's Children, the little sparrows looking through the window...
Cliques, insider-outsider mentality can be a very ugly thing. People who may be new are staring through the windows. It can be a church, it can be a family a new person married into. It can be schools and *gasp* homeschool groups. Sometimes we think the kids are behaving rudely and all we have to do is look at the mothers or fathers many times.
I told Janie, I'm not bitter at all, that doesn't do any good at all, bitterness only hurts us... But I do have their number. (It's a good thing I grew up as an only child and am used to standing and discerning on my own.) It is refreshing to stand alone at times in Christ. We know He sends fellowship as He sees fit.
Pharisee Meter
*a smile*
I'll close with some sweet photos.
This is my precious sparrow friend. I call him little Muffie like one of my little schitzu rescue dogs. Isn't he sweet? I met him on the Mississippi River in New Orleans.
This is our little deer friend. Janie took her photo as she was standing beautifully on our road as we came back from the store... she casually walks into the forest as she is not afraid of us. So sweet.
My short morning walk this morning... I love this view. Can you imagine what Ann of Green Gables would have said about this?
Well, that's the wrap for this fine evening. The good thing? There are some great people to always get to know, they are usually where we least expect it. : )
All is well, I have my Grandma Oddo's Eggplant recipe in the oven, Italian fragrance is wafting through the air.
Janie shared with her singles adult Sunday school class that eggplant was her comfort food. They thought that was funny.
I think most of them have never had an eggplant sandwich even? Bless their hearts...
Hello, Thank you for stopping by. I'm a middle-aged veteran home educator, happily married over 46 years, mother of four sweet adult daughters, grandmother of 5 precious little children, three boys and two girls. We live in the forest. I design, sew, write, enjoy art, cook, and take care of our many fur angels. ...I'm also a hopeless romantic who wishes it were the 40s again. Follower of Christ, I cherish my personal relationship with the Lord. A pro-life advocate and ethical vegetarian; think: John Wesley, William Booth, Fred Rogers and Frances of Assisi. I laugh hard and pray hard too! Live, Laugh, Love...And pray hard...That's me.
Mo-Mo, such a sweet little thing. She ministers to my heart.
Monkey. He mews so cute, he comes for comfort and to comfort...
Irene Dunne, one of my favorite actresses.
