Sanctified Saturdays: A Place in the World

Psalm 16:5-6

THE PASSION TRANSLATION

Yahweh, you alone

are my inheritance.

You are my prize,

my pleasure, and

my portion.

You hold my destiny

and its timing in your hands.

Your pleasant path leads me to pleasant places.

I’m overwhelmed

by the privileges

that come

with following you!

A PLACE IN THE WORLD

When I was younger, I knew I belonged to my family.

Or did I?

My older siblings teased me about being found under a cabbage leaf—as though I arrived any differently from them.

Mom told the story of how she was so certain I was a boy, that when I arrived, she insisted they had mixed up babies in the hospital. Once she saw me she knew right away I was hers. It was reassuring. Mostly.

Throughout my school years, I had varying success at fitting in. Eventually, in high school, I became a part of several groups, flitting from one to the next, like a butterfly sampling each one.

My college dorm was a place I tried to fit in, but my floor was filled with athletes training for the Olympics. Not me. I was the one who seriously bruised her kneecap while typing a term paper. Try explaining that one!

I wanted to be a missionary nurse, but then I met my husband at college and plans pivoted. I understood my place as a wife, and later as a mom. Mostly. I struggled to meet the needs of my family, bosses, and church, often burying my own. It was a demanding life that many times took more than I had to give. Sometimes I fantasized about running away to some tropical island where someone would take care of me for a change.

Jobs came and went, the children grew up and moved out, grandkids came. Retirement assured me I could finally focus on caring for myself. Which was fine. At first. It got boring.

Then a switch flipped when I discovered what the prophetic was about; hearing God's voice on a daily basis. It stirred such a hunger in me to go deeper in God, something I had given lip service to, but never seemed to achieve. Or fully surrendered to. I’d known that He would speak from time to time. I had gotten messages from Him; gentle nudges, ideas that wouldn't go away, scripture that seemed to come alive. But it was random, not often and somewhat mysterious.

Then I learned that He was speaking all the time. I could hear what He had to say any time I stopped to listen. This shifted things for me. Now I was motivated me to tune in. And get closer to this loving God, who was so much better than the one I had grown up knowing about. I wanted to know Holy Spirit, not just about Him. I didn’t want to grieve Him and shut down this new-found connection. I wanted to understand His distinct personality, this third person of the God-Head. And how they all worked together in harmony and unity.

This is where I truly found my place. Not only as part of a group, a family, or a job. But in God's lap, with Jesus and Holy Spirit. A place of intimacy with my Creator. He knew me best, and loved me most. From that happy place of union with Him, I found fulfillment and purpose.

Filled with His love and strength, I stepped into the place created for me. A place of influence and service. My place in the world.

Have you found your true home?

Travel Tuesdays: Family Fun

 

Part of the fun for me of heading south again is the stop along the way in Oregon to visit extended family. Parked at my nephew's place, one morning I was greeted with this quiet misty vista. I love these towering oak trees. They aren't indigenous farther north where I live in the summer. This is the area I grew up in and I miss these beautiful trees. Although listening to the acorns drop on the roof of the RV is perhaps not my favorite part!

This time I chose to focus on one branch of the family to keep from spread myself too thin visiting all my nieces and nephews. I love them all, but trying to see everyone in a few shorts day can get crazy and exhausting. Planing a group gathering can be challenging when we don't know how long we'll be there. To all of you that I didn't see this time--I'll catch you next time through.

I managed to get in on a quick trip to Eugene for tea and shopping with my sister Sue and her daughters. When it was discovered that the targeted shop didn't have the right herbs and wasn't open to the public anyway, a plan was hatched to get together a couple of days later and order the herbs online while I was there to make sure of the right ingredients. Some years ago I made up a special blend for Sue of calming herbs that she likes. Her daughter has taken on the task of making sure she has a good supply. This get together turned into a tea party complete with treats, different kinds of teas, and historic family albums making an appearance. 

My grandmother Vera camping in jodhpurs. Brewster Valley. Circa 1920

 We stayed long enough to visit my nephew's church for two Sundays and a Friday night prayer service. We thoroughly enjoyed that. It was so refreshing to be in this group of people who love the Lord and love people so much. Love Jesus, love people. Simple concept, much harder to implement. They are doing this well.

We enjoyed seeing my other niece's property they recently acquired. It will be fun to return and see what they have done to improve things. Big plans. We had a great walk down to the Calapooia river that runs along one edge of their acreage.

The Calapooia River dressed in Fall colors.

 

We stayed a bit longer than planned because of two big storms that blew through, one right after another. We were thankful to be parked on the other side of the barn from the wind. Although, before leaving, I had to get up on the roof and sweep off the equivalent of a large garbage bag of oak leaves. I was amazed at how many had swirled around into piles up there. Since we no longer have the slide topper, it must be swept before the slide gets pulled in. After days of rain, it was plenty soggy up there and took awhile to remove all the leaves
.  

Snowbird Migration #6

Slowly packing away the outdoor things in our Summer place, getting ready to leave. 

       The leaves are falling, turning fabulous colors of gold and red. The apples have all been picked, processed and given away. The tree has been pruned. Time to put the Summer place to bed, tucked up in winter protection. The van sleeps the winter through, snug in its tarp garage; dehydrators and mouse traps strategically placed. Chairs and other deck things put away in a shed, refrigerator emptied and cleaned. The Snowbird Migration Ritual of Preparation. Check lists and 'must dos'.

Apples picked, tree pruned.

Hope they winter over again!

     We left on Friday the 18th in the drizzling rain. Although we did get some dry pavement an hour later, we also got a huge downpour south of Portland which slowed everyone down to about 45 mph. Typical Fall weather for this area, and a major motivator for Jerry to head south! This year we left earlier, and Jerry is making plans to leave even earlier next year.
     We arrived in plenty of time to get set up before dark at our Son-in-law's parent's place in Corvallis. It was fun to see them again and to see what changes they've made since last time we visited. Every time we come to visit, we see all kinds of new projects that have been done. They are inspiring! They are renovating this farm and house that was originally settled by ancestors. Such a family heritage.
      After 5 days of visiting all the various family members that we could squeeze in to so short a time, we took off again on Wednesday. This next stretch is pretty short, only a little over 100 miles to Canyonville (Seven Feathers Casino) south of Roseburg, but it's a great jumping off point for taking on the Siskiyou Mountain range. It's a bit over 200 miles to Redding from there, but in a motorhome and over those mountains, it's slower going and more tiring. The weather started out foggy, but eventually cleared to blue skies and warm. We didn't quite have to put on the A/C, but it was close!

The first stop, wet and rainy; oddly appropriate for our journey.

     I see the Geese flying overhead now and feel a kinship. I love to hear them honking their encouragement to each other and it reminds me of how thankful I am to be doing this with Jerry. Not only do we share this Snowbird Journey, but our shared spiritual journey is a great source of joy, conversational topics and "iron sharpening iron". This time the trip over the mountains seemed to go so smoothly and so quickly we were surprised! As we traveled, we listened to Kevin Zadai on YouTube whose story encourages us to see Jesus more clearly, to understand His ways more, to seek Him more diligently. We felt His presence with us the whole way and it made the trip so much fun! As we press in to learn more of Him and to experience His presence more, we are finding more joy, more peace, and a sense of purpose. Some would find what Kevin has to say difficult to accept. But we've been stepping away from the trappings of religious traditions (that don't agree with the Bible) and more into the clarity and freshness and Life of Jesus, God the Father and Holy Spirit. The Bible has come alive to us more than ever before, its relevance more acute. How can I not talk about the freedom, the joy, the peace, the love that we walk in more and more? God is so GOOD!

"Keep trusting in the Lord and do what is right in His eyes. Fix your heart on the promises of God and you will be secure, feasting on His faithfulness. Make God the utmost delight and pleasure of your life, and He will provide for you what you desire the most. Give God the right to direct your life, and as you trust Him along the way, you'll find He pulled it off perfectly!" Psalm 37:3-5 The Passion Translation.

Parked at the Farm, a beautiful and quiet place to spend a few days. 

A quick shot of Mount Shasta while driving. We're getting closer to the warmth and sunshine!

Living Life and Moving on...

Restful river time at the cabin.

       I'm so glad we have that wonderful memory of seeing my Dad, along with all my siblings, on the way home in April. A few weeks after that he fell and broke his hip, and with one thing following another, his health rapidly declined and he passed peacefully into the arms of his Savior on June 6th. My predominant thoughts following this were thankfulness for so many things. Thankful that he's no longer in pain, that his passing was calm, and that one day I'll see him again. I'm also very thankful that I have family to help process this loss, to share the grief, to celebrate his life and what he taught us, and to let him go and move on.
      The Memorial we had in July was really good; very satisfying and a good closure. All four kids were there, all eleven grand kids, and many great grand kids were there. The service was honoring in a healthy way. He wasn't perfect, but he had a Perfect Savior whom he loved and trusted and is now in His presence. That gives us all hope. We don't have to be perfect to be loved or used by God. Dad taught us many things, some not so good, some great. I choose to focus on the good stuff learned and trust in the Lord to help unlearn the others. Even in the unlearning, there are such good lessons! One of them is learning to grab the wisdom from the experiences and move on.

Holding my new granddaughter Bethany Grace.

     The very next day after he passed, my 5th grandchild arrived, 16 days past her due day, but apparently right on time. Bethany Grace arrived on June 7th, 7 minutes before the 11th hour. So very interesting! What an amazing cycle of life to lose someone of one generation while gaining one of another! Those six days I stayed with them went by way too fast, keeping the older kids busy with cooking, crafting with felt and taking walks.
     I had expected to stay a little longer with them, but I learned my sisters needed to get Dad's room cleared out and I wanted to be there. We were able to stay in the Guest Rooms at Turner Retirement Home for a few days while we worked on that project. These rooms were part of the original building built in the late 1880s. What a charming Bed & Breakfast stay, and a relief to be so close so I could work in spurts. Sorting through the last of his stuff was both meaningful and difficult. But I was thankful for the opportunity as it helped me to process through the loss. There were a few special things I was able to bring back with me. One of which was his baritone ukulele. I plan to take it with me South this winter and learn how to play it. It's a lovely instrument that Dad used when he played with the Oldtime Fiddlers group. Closing this chapter and moving on.

     We had a few more days of visiting relatives, then we headed farther south to the family cabin for the Annual Meeting. The memories of grandparents and parents was very strong there, but it was still restful and refreshing there. I think much of that has to do with the river and the constant, soothing background sound of the water over the rocks. The Club very kindly gave us a Rhododendron in honor of Dad and shared fond memories of his involvement there. It was touching.
      I was very glad to finally return home after sleeping in four different beds over the 10 day period. There's nothing like being away to help you really appreciate being back home! You might wonder why we didn't take the motorhome so we could have our home with us. There are a few reasons, but most of all, it's just simpler and less expensive to leave it parked. The minivan that stays here in the winter, is a great travel vehicle for summers to visit family and the cabin where we can sleep inside.
     All of a sudden, we realized that our departure date is barely 2 months away! So we are switching gears, trying to figure out how to fit everything in that we want and need to do before we leave again mid October. More moving on, although there will be a return.
    Life is full of moving on. So we live each day as it comes, learning to walk more in step with Jesus, getting filled up with His love and giving it out to others. Life is good.