Thursday, January 19, 2012

Gratitude Sharing...


It  is rather rare to have a comment left on my blog.  Perhaps that's because my blogs are rather rare.  It's not that I don't have thoughts, ideas, memories and stories to share.  But for some reason, other things take my time and energy each day and my blog remains my neglected friend.

There is hope that change may happen soon, however.  If that happens it will be because new computers have arrived at our home.  I am now using a new laptop - my first!  And the increased speed and convenience is amazing.  A new desktop is also about to make an appearance and I can hardly wait.  Our old computer is 10 years old and VERY slow.  Perhaps new computers with faster service will assist my slowing body and brain to produce more blogging.  We'll see....
5 Groves' kids in the farm kitchen - Fall/Winter 1950

Back to the subject of comments, however.  I opened my blog today and found that sweet treat that causes a warm smile to creep into my otherwise usual expression.  Someone had left a comment a week ago.  How regretful that I hadn't been back to my blog sooner to notice and read it.

And the reader who left the comment, is not just anyone.  No, the person who left this comment is someone I have known since the day she was born.  I'm holding her in this early photo.  I suspect it is around Christmas time as she was born in early October.  I had just turned six years old and was not yet in school.  I had missed the December 1st cut for first grade as my birthday is on the seventh of the month.  Cross Ridge School did not have kindergarten. 

5 Groves' kids in the farm living room - Spring 1951

I was very happy to have a baby sister and remember often helping with her care.  Our friendship grew from that point on.

We have never lived geographically close to each other as adults, but that has not prevented us from connecting in mutually supportive ways through occasional visits and more frequent calls and emails.

I share here part of the comment left by my baby sister a few days ago:
"One of God's greatest gifts to me is (physically) in Kerrville, TX....but always 'in my heart'.
YOU, dear sister, I am so grateful for. God continually touches my life with His love, support, & encouragement...uniquely packaged in YOU. And that brings me much joy! You welcomed & embraced me at the beginning of my life and continually allow God to use you in my life.
"it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose." Phi. 2:13
"I thank my God every time I remember YOU."
My sister uses words of affirmation to express her love and in the process she brings rich blessings to me.  Her thoughtful sharing provides me with much appreciated encouragement.  Though I don't feel worthy of her confidence, I am thankful for her sincere friendship.  

It is really I who am grateful for a sister who steadfastly shares her life with me.  She is an excellent listener and prayer warrior.  We have strengthened each other as we've shared personal and family needs.  Knowing that she is praying provides a tangible measure of hope for whatever might be a concern of mine.  And to rejoice in answered prayer has been especially sweet.

Gratitude sharing continues...
4.  a sister whose heartbeat is a perfect match for mine
Mom and me in 1945
Mom and Margelyn in 1951



5.  Norwegian heritage from Mom - wearing sweaters made in Norway
6.  Spending time with Mom and being grateful that she still remembers us and her Lord...  2008
7.  Celebrating Marge's 60th birthday with a surprise visit in order to attend a Lori Line concert together... 2010

8.  A surprise visit from Marge which was her Christmas gift from her husband...2011


9.  Enjoying a Laity Lodge Women's retreat with Jeannette Clift George... Priceless... 2011

10.  Sharing the view of the H.E.Butt Foundation Camps from the Wayside Park... 2011

11.  Visiting a niece in Houston and visiting beautiful gardens... 2011


11.  Enjoying RATHER SWEET in Fredericksburg, TX with my sweet sister... 2011
Expressing gratitude as memories flow is providing a steady pulse of God's great gift of faith and family.  I am blessed.  Thanks, Marge, for being my sister and my friend.

Note:  To follow Ann Voskamp and others who have joined The Joy Dare, check out her amazing blog.   Or find Ann's book, 1000 Gifts, to read and learn all about her discovery of the true path to joy.

Monday, January 9, 2012

Sharing Multitudes on Mondays...

Jumping in here to begin sharing 1000 Gifts in 2012.  Ann Voskamp at A Holy Experience has challenged her friends to Take The Joy Dare and live this year with a greater emphasis on intentional gratitude.  It's a way to see and express ones personal love for the Savior who has given the greatest gift of all time.

And His gifts are everywhere.  When we begin noticing His touch in each of our days, we will be increasingly filled with joy.  I am starting today...

My hand with that precious reminder of the one who chose me and loves me still.
  1. The wedding ring on my left hand - so lovingly chosen, thoughtfully selected and selflessly given to me 45+ years ago.


 2.  The mission display case at my church which draws attention to those who travel internationally to share God's love

A New Year's Letter from Nebraska
3.  a letter from a friend who shared her home with me while my firstborn attended pre-school and has remained dear for nearly 40 years












This is already filling me with memories of life's joys.  

I am filling with gratitude.  

God you are LOVE and JOY.

Saturday, January 7, 2012

Mission Moldova 2012 Begins to Plan...


We're beginning to plan for a Mission Trip to Moldova in August 2012.
  Interested in being part of the team?  
Read the following and view photos of teams from the past.  
Imagine yourself gathered on the steps of the Gazebo 
with all the children you've learned to love during your week there!  
It's thrilling and amazingly meaningful.  
Summer of 2010 we painted shirts to remember our Bible themes of the week.

Team 2005
Dear Friends of Moldova,
This is a message to provide you with the following information.

·         Moldova 2012 Mission Trip Information Meeting
·         Sunday, January 15, 2012
·         Trinity Baptist Church – Room 208
      800 Jackson Rd 
      Kerrville, TX 78028
·         4:30 – 5:25 PM

The dates for this trip are
July 31 – August 10.

The plan is to return to the same camp we’ve worked at since 2005.
Team 2006

Team 2007
This meeting is open to anyone who wants to explore the possibility of being part of the team this year.  Please invite others who may have an interest but may not be receiving this message or haven’t heard about the meeting in another way.  

If you are interested in more information but are unable to attend the meeting on the 15th, please let me know so that I can keep you informed of plans as they unfold.
Team 2008

If you have an interest in learning about past trips, you can read my blog updates with the label, Sharing Mission Moldova.  http://johnandlindaworden.blogspot.com/search/label/Sharing%20Mission%20Moldova...

Team 2009

If God wants a team to return to Moldova this summer, He will call together a team.  Let’s be in prayer as this process begins.  I await His leading and your response.

Trusting in Him,
Linda L. Worden

Team 2010





Team 2011

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

November 1, 1948 Remembered...


Reposting a true story about Nov. 1st... 

November 1st is the anniversary of the day my family moved to the farm where most of my childhood was spent.  I repost this blog to share memories of that day in 1948 when I was nearly 4 years old. 

I have only a few memories of my first home which was on my Great-Grandmother's farm near Viroqua, WI - seventy-five miles from Fountain City, Wisconsin.  Perhaps I will share some of those early memories later but I have decided to start this story as I begin life on the 200 acre farm my parents had just purchased.

My family moved to a dairy farm on Buffalo Ridge, November 1, 1948, about one month before I turned four years old. I had an older brother, Jimmy, and two younger sisters, Kathy and Barbie.

This farm was three miles from the small town of Fountain City, WI and seven miles from Winona, MN which could be reached by crossing a big bridge.  It was on top of one of the beautiful, high bluffs that borders the Mississippi River.

"I remember the day we moved to our new farm home," I said as I told my grandchildren what I remembered.

"It was a day when the weather was very cold and rainy.  The rain was turning to sleet as we drove the last few miles up the long dugway that led to our new farm.  I was riding in the car with my mother and sisters while my Dad and brother were driving a truckload of equipment and a hired trucker was hauling our milk cows in his big truck.

"My most vivid memory is of that big cattle truck (original drawing by Joanna Lee Worden, age 9) as it drove up the driveway onto our property.  The freezing rain was whipping dangerously through the open slats of the truck bed where the cows were crowding perilously.  The truck had no partitions to keep the cattle separated.  The incline of the dugway and the driveway, along with the treacherous weather conditions, caused the cattle to slip, slide and fall down in their bumpy ride to the farm.  By the time my father and the truck driver were able to open the rear gate of the truck, most of the cattle could no longer stand up.  As the gate opened, the cattle fell out, anxiously struggling to stand and find a way to their new barnyard. (Original drawing by Lydia Rose Worden, age 7)

"I watched this fearful sight from the back porch of our new home.  The saddest part of that day was seeing that one of the cows did not stand up after she fell from the truck.  That cow had been trampled to death by the other cattle as they endured the harsh conditions of the day and the move."

As I recalled that difficult day, especially for my parents, I realized that I was being shown one of my earliest lessons in how people who love God and trust Him with everything in their lives should respond to adversity.

"I do not remember any expressions of anger or hopelessness from my parents.  They felt the loss of this cow deeply, I'm certain, as it was part of their livelihood, but they did not blame God for their misfortune.  Their trust in God was built on a firm foundation and they would continue to live in commitment to Him even when difficult things happened."

I would see more examples of their faithful commitment to God as I grew up.  And I'll continue my story later."

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

The Prayer Room...

My Wednesdays begin in the Prayer Room of our church.  All of us pray-ers know the combination to enter this little sanctuary where we focus the time we spend there on the vast number of prayer requests.  It can be overwhelming because there are so many needs and so few people finding time to commit to this opportunity.

Today I read again the request submitted one Sunday morning in July by Margaret*.  I knew Margaret only slightly but we had met several years ago after she moved to our community.  We were sitting next to each other for the worship service and a conversation began in which I learned of some difficulties in her life.  I have rarely seen her since.  But seeing her name again this morning and reading her request reminded me of how carelessly I had listened and responded to her situation over these past few years. 

It seems Margaret's problems have not gone away.  She is still a single Mom with three children, one of whom is autistic, and her ex-husband is diagnosed with cancer.  The sheet with her prayer request included a phone number.  Since there was not an update on this request since July, I decided to call the number and see if Margaret was available for a conversation and update.

Margaret answered after a number of rings.  With hesitancy at first, she shared that there was no change in her situation since July.  "In fact," she stated, "things have gotten worse.  It seems there is a black cloud following me!"  Her voice began to quiver as she told me that her rental home had been sold "out from under her" and she was in the process of moving.  Her ex-husband has been given 3-6 months to live, her autistic daughter is very agitated about this and wants to spend as much time with him as possible so weekends include a 400 mile drive to/from his home, another daughter is in a bad relationship and Margaret is exhausted and angry!

I felt at a loss for words.  How come "when it rains, it pours" as the expression states. 

I assured Margaret that I would update the prayer sheet and our church family would continue to pray for her.  But inside I was feeling her situation was nearly hopeless. 

"What could I do to change her situation?  Nothing."

I was about to hang up when a "still, small voice" urged me to pray with her over the phone.  I suggested it and she agreed.

As I closed my eyes, picturing this dear, young mother, I found myself with God's words and truth welling within so that my prayer became a fervent imploring of God to lift the heavy heart and angry soul of this gal who had reached out for helpful prayers from a blessed congregation.  I found myself energized as my words flowed to the throne. 

And in these moments, I knew I was able to "do" something to help her.  I could "pray" and that is not a small thing. 

Without answers ourselves, we have a lifeline to the One with the answers. 

My time in the prayer room had perhaps a greater impact on me today than it did on those for whom I prayed.  But I'm confident that my prayers have been heard by our patient, loving, transforming heavenly father and He is able to lift the load being carried by Margaret and many others.

*not her real name

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

10 Tips to Help Yourself Stay Safe...


Received this by email today and think it's worth sharing here:
Even if you have seen this before, it is a good reminder.


Written by a Cop for Our Own Safety

1. Tip from Tae Kwon Do :
The elbow is the strongest point
on your body. 
If you are close enough to use it, do!  
         
 
 

    


2.. Learned this from a tourist guide.
If a robber asks for your wallet and/or purse,
DO NOT HAND IT TO HIM
Toss it away from you....
Chances are that he is more interested
in your wallet and/or purse than you,
and he will go for the wallet/purse.
RUN LIKE MAD IN THE OTHER DIRECTION!

3. If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car,
kick out the back tail lights and stick your arm out 
the hole and start waving like crazy..
The driver won't see you, but everybody else will.
4. Women have a tendency to get into their cars
after shopping, eating, working, etc., and just sit
(doing their checkbook, or making a list, etc.
DON'T DO THIS!)
The predator will be watching you, and this
is the perfect opportunity for him to get in
on the passenger side, put a gun to your head,
and tell you where to go.
AS SOON AS YOU GET INTO YOUR CAR ,
LOCK THE DOORS AND LEAVE..

If someone is in the car
with a gun to your head
DO NOT DRIVE OFF,
Repeat:
DO NOT DRIVE OFF!
Instead gun the engine and
speed into anything,  
wrecking the car.
Your Air Bag will save you.
If the person is in the back seat
they will get the worst of it.
As soon as the car crashes
bail out and run. 
This has saved lives.
It is better than having them find your body 
in a remote location.

5. A few notes about getting
into your car in a parking lot,
or parking garage:
A.) Be aware:
look around you,
look into your car,
at the passenger side floor ,
and in the back seat.
B.) If you are parked next to a big van,
enter your car from the passenger door.
Most serial killers attack their victims
by pulling them into their vans while the 
women are attempting to get into their cars.
C.) Look at the car
parked on the driver's side of your vehicle,
and the passenger side.. If a male is sitting 
alone in the seat nearest your car, 
you may want to walk back
into the mall, or work, and get a
guard/policeman to walk you back out.
IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO 
BE SAFE THAN SORRY. 
(And better paranoid than dead.)
6. ALWAYS take the elevator
instead of the stairs.
Stairwells are horrible places to be alone
and the perfect crime spot.
This is especially true at NIGHT!)
7. If the predator has a gun
and you are not under his control,
ALWAYS RUN!
The predator will only hit you  
(a running target)
4 in 100 times; and even then,
it most likely WILL NOT be a vital organ.
RUN, Preferably in a zig -zag pattern!
8. As women are always trying
to be sympathetic:
STOP
It may get you raped, or killed.
Ted Bundy, the serial killer,  
was a good-looking,
well educated man, who ALWAYS played
on the sympathies of unsuspecting women.
He walked with a cane, or a limp, and often
asked 'for help' 
 into his vehicle or with his vehicle,
which is when he abducted
his next victim.
9. Another Safety Point:
Someone just told me that her friend heard
a crying baby on her porch the night 
before last, and she called the police  
because it was late and she thought 
it was weird.. The police told her
'Whatever you do, DO NOT
open the door..'
The lady then said that it sounded like 
the baby had crawled near a window,  
and she was worried that 
it would crawl to the street and get run over.
The policeman said, 
'We already have a unit on the way,
whatever you do, DO NOT open the door.'
He told her that they think a serial killer
has a baby's cry recorded and uses it to coax
women out of their homes thinking 
that someone dropped off a baby.. 
He said they have not verified it,
but have had several calls by women 
saying that they hear baby's cries  
outside their doors
when they're home alone at night.
10. Water scam!
If you wake up in the middle
of the night to hear all your taps outside 
running or what you think is a burst pipe, 
DO NOT GO OUT TO INVESTIGATE! 
These people turn on all your
outside taps full blast so that you will 
go out to investigate and then attack.

Stay alert, keep safe, and look out for 
your neighbors!
A candle is not dimmed by lighting 
another candle..