Magnificat Challenge

Magnificat Challenge

Magnificat Challenge:

Why not take some time to memorize Mary's Song, the Magnificat, in Luke 1:46-56? As you memorize, meditate on all of the qualities of God that Mary mentions in this passage. Notice, too, that Mary focuses her  praise and her attention on God and what He was doing for her. We tend to focus on Mary and what she was thinking and going through at that time in her life. Mary's focus was Godward.

Mary was a great woman of faith. All generations have called her blessed, just as she prophesied in her song. At her young age - some say that she may have been as young as 13 years old - God revealed Himself to her in a spectacular way. Even though she was probably illiterate, she knew about God, and she knew God. That does not mean that Mary was a perfect woman, as some teach. She was also a sinner who rejoiced in God, her Savior. However, in spite of the fact that she shared in the same fallen nature as all mankind, God showed Himself to be correct in the choice He made of a mother for His Son. She is a wonderful example of faith for all believers. She was also a woman of great integrity.  She is my sister in Christ, and I hope someday to meet her face to face in Glory.

Women in our society and in our time have a very different kind of life than the one Mary lived. It is now common for women to get a formal education even beyond the high school level. Many now go to university, when in times past, women were denied such opportunities. I am not against women going to university, though I believe that a college education is way over priced and over rated. Notice, though, that the most blessed of all women who have ever lived did not have any formal education.

Notice that I did not say she was uneducated. Obviously Mary had a deep knowledge of what was  most important. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, and she feared God.

Proverbs 1:7

English Standard Version (ESV)

7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;

    fools despise wisdom and instruction.

If a Christian woman does not fear the Lord, then all the education in the world will not give her true knowledge. Besides, if in the pursuit of knowledge on a college campus, a woman forgets who she is and what she was made for, then her time and her money have been wasted.  As women, we were created for a purpose.  If we forget that, and just serve the purposes of a secular society, we are in danger of losing ourselves.

Imagine what would have happened if Mary had told God that she was not interested in being the mother of His Son. What if Mary had thought that raising children was not enough of a challenge for women? What if she had decided that motherhood was not for her, and that she wanted to do something greater with her life, even thought God was calling her to be a special mother?

I know that not all women are called to get married, or even to have children of their own.  One of my spiritual mothers was a single woman who believed she was called by God to teach.  I wrote about Miss Harrison awhile back. 

So, God used this wise, yet uneducated young woman, as the mother of our Lord.  In that way she blessed all of us. In a day such as ours that downplays the child-bearing role, and gives a woman effective ways to avoid or curtail pregnancy, where would Mary have fit in? She would not have been elected to public office. She would not have been the CEO of a corporation. She would not have gotten into college, let alone grad school. She would not have been any of the things that post-modern women aspire to. She might be called a baby machine or trailer trash if she were alive today.

So, I think that it would be good for every Christian to memorize this short passage of Scripture. Her wisdom, knowledge of God, faith expressed in simple trust of the One she already knew so well, and her integrity speak to all of us. Take some time to meditate on the lessons learned from Mary's example, too.

I am not saying that a woman should not  get a formal education.  I am not saying that only mothers can be used of God. I am just pointing out that the woman most blessed by God did not have any of the opportunities that we women have in our day, yet she was greatly used by God.  I also think that we Christian women need to make sure that our values are informed by Scripture and the fear of the Lord.

Proverbs 1:7

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Luke 1

Mary’s Song of Praise: The Magnificat (English Standard Version)

46And Mary said,

"My soul magnifies the Lord,

47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

48for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.

For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;

49for he who is mighty has done great things for me,

and holy is his name.

50And his mercy is for those who fear him

from generation to generation.

51 He has shown strength with his arm;

he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;

52 he has brought down the mighty from their thrones

and exalted those of humble estate;

53he has filled the hungry with good things,

and the rich he has sent away empty.

54He has helped his servant Israel,

in remembrance of his mercy,

55 as he spoke to our fathers,

to Abraham and to his offspring forever."

56And Mary remained with her about three months and returned to her home.

The organ at St. Mary's church, Rochester, NY.

Help and Healing after Abortion

From April, 2013

Help and Healing after Abortion

I found a wonderful website called After Abortion.org.  Check it out.  There are  many lies being told to women, and  much cover up of the real effects of abortion on women.  After Abortion.org is one place where women are telling the truth about abortion.  Abortion is not good for women at all.  On this website, women are given a number of helpful resources if they are struggling emotionally after having had an abortion.  There are articles written by women who had abortions at some time during their lives, but later had deep regret for what they had done.

The stories are sad, of course, but also hopeful.  The brave women who share have found help and are in the process of healing from the emotional scars they suffered because of their abortions. Their pain has a name. It is Post Abortion Stress Syndrome.

Of course, pro-abortion groups allege that PASS does not exist.  I find that to be very odd.  Such a cold, callous attitude reminds me of  when doctors used to tell  women that pain during their periods was not real.  It didn't matter how many women said that they had pain - a lot of pain.  Doctors denied the existence of things like cramps.

I would suggest that the women who are suffering anxiety, sadness, guilt, and shame because of their abortions need to be listened to and helped.  Some health care professionals are telling them that  their pain is meaningless, or that they need to just get over it.  Abortion is just a normal part of life for many women, and they just have to accept it as normal. That is the answer Planned Parenthood gives on their website to women.

Sure. Maybe not all women will feel bad about their abortions.  For the sake of argument, let's say that only a small minority of women suffer from stress after their abortions.  Fine.  What does that have to do with those who are suffering, or even suicidal because of what they did or what was done to them?   Nothing at all.  How can those who deny the existence of the condition called Post Abortion Stress Syndrome justify their harsh treatment of women who are suffering emotional scars from the procedure called abortion?

I suspect, just by the women I have talked to, that PASS is very common. A growing number of women are finding the courage to write about what they have gone through.  The purpose of their sharing is to help other women who may be suffering the same kinds of symptoms  they are. Shouldn't the abortion proponents at least acknowledge that these women are real?  If Planned Parenthood and other organizations are really concerned about women's health, as they claim, then shouldn't they show some concern for the women who are suffering from PASS and other post abortion related conditions?  It is easy for PP to  say that PASS is a condition that was made up by the pro life community in an effort to undermine the good work that the pro abortion groups are doing.  PP's views on PASS are posted at their website.  They basically brush it off, since the American Psychiatric Assoc.  doesn't recognize PASS as a real condition.

The APA's reaction could be because they do not have enough cases to study at this time.  It may very well be something that women are just beginning to come to terms with.  Society has been telling women that abortion is legal and that they have a right to make that choice.  It may  take time for most women to find the courage to talk about it.  Also, counselors may not be able to fully recognize the symptoms if they have been taught that women suffer no emotional damage because of their abortions.

Planned Parenthood and other abortion advocates seem way too anxious to ignore the pleas for help.  Or, if they recognize that women can feel bad about their abortions, they are quick to tell women that what they did was the right decision at the time.  Somehow, though, the doubts and regret continue to haunt women who have bought into the pro abortion apologists' simplistic answers to their deep questions.  How do abortionists want women to handle their emotional responses?  Just accept that abortion is a normal part of life, it is legal, and don't let the anti choice people guilt trip you. I will not link PP's website to my blog, but they are easy to find online. Their position on PASS is shockingly heartless and cruel.

I don't think that the PP kind of answers helps at all.  It is like telling women to ignore their mothering instincts - which is impossible.  We cannot ignore or change who we are by natural design.

The Debate About When Life Begins

From April, 2013 -

The debate about when life begins.

I found this quote at The Survival Doctor's website.  I don't know much about this site, but I found the article When Does Life Beging?  to be very well done.

I think that the following conclusion is scientifically irrefutable.  

"The defining characteristic of mammalian life, including human life, is the continuous process of development, which starts at fertilization and ends at death."

Here is a quote that I think shows one of the most glaring errors in the thinking of pro-choice proponents.

"“Pro-choice docs would say that it is not their business to determine for a patient when life begins,” says Diana Philip, interim executive director of the National Coalition of Abortion Providers and its sister organization, the Abortion Conversation Project. “Ultimately each patient determines the value and definition of life and that definition lies within her own mind and heart.”

The pregnant woman is not the patient, as if she were ill and in need of a cure. Abortion cures nothing, since pregnancy is not a disease.


Then, to give mothers the power of life or death over their unborn child is extremely foolish. We can look back into history to a time when fathers were given the power of life or death over their children, as well as over their wives and slaves. This was the case with the paterfamilias of ancient Rome. Even Rome eventually saw that power too broad to give to one person, so they  put legal limitations on it. Why do we in our day find it wise to allow the mother to wield that same kind of  power over her own unborn children? Some would even go so far as to say that the mother of an infant should  be able to decide whether or not her child is allowed to continue to live. I am not talking about a very sick baby who has little chance of recovering.  That baby may even be on life support, with no hope of living. Yes, the mother may need to make a decision about when to turn off the life support systems.  That is not the kind of situation I am talking about.

I am talking about a mother deciding that her child that has been born healthy may be too much of a burden for her to care for. At this point in time, that scenario is not an option.  I certainly hope that the few who are suggesting such a thing never get their way.

It seems like a huge step backwards for civilization to be giving that kind of power of life and death to human beings, whether the human being whose life is threatened be unborn or newborn.


The one whose life is in danger is the unborn child in the womb of the mother who is considering ending the life of that child. Yes, there are rare cases when the life of the mother really is at stake. In those cases, if the baby is taken early, measures are taken to try to save both lives. Of course that scenario is not the norm for women seeking abortions. Generally, both mother and baby are  healthy, with no problems seen that would justify ending the pregnancy.


Pro-choice advocates always bring up the situation of rape or incest. Of course, it is not the same at all as the situation where abortion is merely used as a means of birth control. Besides, there are many testimonies of women who have become pregnant because they have been raped or because of incest and have decided to have their babies anyway. Why punish the baby for the crimes of another?

Also, all Christian communities teach that there is grace in Christ available to any woman suffering from the trauma of Post Abortion Syndrome. Any woman who

has, in a moment of desperation sought out an abortion needs to know that there is complete and total forgiveness in Christ. She does not have to bear the guilt and shame of that decision her whole life.
-------------------------------------

When Does Life Begin?

From April 2013

When does life begin?

I agree with the premise that life begins at conception. There are a number of reasons as to why I agree. Here are some.

1. The patient in question is not the mother of the unborn child, but rather the child himself or herself. It is the viability of that life that is being questioned - not at this time the viability of healthy adult women of child-bearing age.

2. It is dangerous to ask a mother about when the child she carries or carried became a human being. She is not qualified to know the answer to that question. What if she decides that her child is not fully human until he or she turns 21 years of age? Can she terminate the life of any child she deems to be sub-human or not human yet? A mother's answer may vary from one day to the next, depending on her emotional state if she is the one who is to look at her heart and decide whether or not her child is a viable human being.

3. The only safe definition for the beginning of life is that from the moment of conception, the human zygote is a human being. Why safe? First, it is the only theologically safe definition. if God has anything to say about it - and I believe He does - then we had better be careful not to offend Him. Until and unless He says otherwise, it is best to assume that the moment of conception is the moment when human life begins. All of us who are alive at this time can say that our lives began in our mothers' wombs. When did we begin to be formed if not at the moment of conception?

Second, it is the only safe definition for mothers to go by. What a terrible burden it is on women to be forced by society to decided when their child's life begins. I am sure that I am not the only one who has listened to women tell of the terrible burden of guilt and shame they have borne because someone convinced them that the baby they were carrying was not really human; or  someone coerced them into having an abortion. Post Abortion Stress Syndrome is very real, in spite of what many pro-choice women say to the contrary. .

Last, it is the only safe legal definition to go by. Otherwise, we end up making purely subjective, unscientific pronouncements about the beginning of life. It is certainly not scientific to say that only a woman can know. It is very bad public policy to leave the decision of life or death in the hands of one person, no matter if that person is the mother of the unborn child. So far we are talking only about unborn.  In the future, the discussion about when life begins may move into post birth territory.  

 We shall see how the murder case in Philadelphia plays out. Will the abortion doctor be acquitted, since there was no intention of letting the babies who survived his botched abortions live in the first place? [He was found guilty.]

What about Sen. Boxer's strange statements about when a baby is to receive full constitutional rights? Here is part of what she said.:

"In the 1999 colloquy, Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) said: Suppose during this procedure the baby slips entirely from the mother’s birth canal. “You agree, once a child is born, is separated from the mother, that that child is protected by the Constitution and cannot be killed? Do you agree with that?” Boxer: “I think when you bring your baby home, when your baby is born … the baby belongs to your family and has all the rights.” Santorum persisted: “Obviously, you don’t mean they have to take the baby out of the hospital for it to be protected by the Constitution. Once the baby is separated from the mother, you would agree—completely separated from the mother—you would agree that the baby is entitled to constitutional protection?” She would not say “yes.” Instead, she said, understandably: “I don’t want to engage in this.”

http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2010/07/31/barbara-boxer-in-context.html

Both Sides Now

Joni Mitchell wrote this great song - Both Sides Now. Her interpretations are interesting, but kind of dark. Besides, her pitch center is sometimes a bit wobbly. Still, she is quite an amazing artist.  On YouTube you can find a number of her recordings.

I like Judy Collins' versions better. Her musicianship is superior and her voice more focused. Here is one she did with the Boston Pops in the late 70s.

Most women can relate well to this song's message. Sometimes things look one way to us, and then life teaches us to look at things another way.

When we are young, we tend to see only the beauty in things like clouds and relationships. After awhile, if we are not careful, we see only the dark side of life.

When we are young, we want to see life as always having a happy outcome, a happy fairytale ending. So we make choices about marriage, having children, and work thinking that only happy days are ahead. That is a good time of life, and there is nothing wrong with fairytales. Remember that in them there are also giants and witches and all kinds of evil things waiting to destroy the protagonists.

Of course, as we mature, we see that things do not always work out as we thought they would. We start to see the evil things that want to ruin our lives and the lives of those we love.

So, we are faced with new choices. Do we become angry and bitter, or even just melancholy with how things have turned out? Or do we look for something higher, something better, something yet to come that will wipe away all the tears of this life?

I guess all I have left to say on this for now is that those who believe in Jesus have a lot to look forward to. This life can offer only so much, and then it is gone. The Bible puts it this way.

James 4:14English Standard Version (ESV)

14 yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.

Yet for those who trust Christ, this is what we have to look forward to.

Revelation 21 English Standard Version (ESV)

The New Heaven and the New Earth

21 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 

2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem,coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 

4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

Won't you trust Him? 

Lilith Redeemed - from April, 2011

Lilith Redeemed

The other day I wrote a bit about what I have been reading -  the book Lilith by George MacDonald.  Some say that this is his greatest work.  Most say, "Who in the world was George MacDonald?"   Well, he was a 19th century author who had a great impact on the life and writing of C.S. Lewis, and also J.R.R. Tolkien. As I said in the earlier post, he is considered by them and others to be the first to write in the fantasy genre, - at least in modern times.

Okay, so what is MacDonald trying to communicate to his readers in the bookLilith?

Well, I think that he is basically preaching the Gospel to us. He is using the story of Lilith's rebellion and eventual redemption as an example of how a soul is saved.  The original creation, degenerate because of sin,  is regenerated, and evil is undone.  Lilith, who was once enslaved by the shadows, is now overcome and set free by the light.

Pretty amazing, actually.  This Augustine quote is appropriate, I think.

"Thou hast prompted him, that he should delight to praise thee, for thou hast made us for thyself and restless is our heart until it comes to rest in thee. "

- The Confessions of Saint Augustine, Book One, Chapter I


Below you will find what I think is a key quote from Lilith, p. 202.  We generatlly think of God changing a person, and He does, of course. However, isn't it more like God restores a person when they believe in Christ?  We become who we were meant to be all along.  We do the things that God prepared for us to do.
We do not need to fear putting our trust in Christ.  When we are found by Him, we  find our real selves, too.

Ephesians 2
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.


Lilith, p. 202
"Had he not made you," said Mara, gently and slowly, "you could not even hate him. But he did not make you such. You have made yourself what you are - Be of better cheer: he can remake you."

"I will not be remade!"

"He will not change you, he will only restore you to what you were."

Women in the Gospel of Matthew

Women in the Gospel of Matthew

Even though all of Jesus' 12 apostles were men, in the Gospel of Matthew, - as well as in all of the New Testament, - we see that there were also some very brave and important women who were faithful followers of their Lord. There are many more examples of believing women in the book of Matthew, but for now I included only the verses with the word "women" in them. There are 7 such verses.

From these verses we see that women were beneficiaries of some of Jesus' greatest miracles; they were the means by which God brought important men and women into the world; they were there while Jesus was being crucified, witnessing all that happened in that event; they were the first ones to witness to the fact of Jesus' Resurrection.


1.Matthew 11:11

Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

Remember, women, that every human being enters the world the same way - by being born of a woman. In our day, the child-bearing role of women is downplayed. Women have many other options, we are told. However, why should we reject the most important role, the highest calling of all in favor of something that is supposedly greater? Without a great woman, John the Baptist would never have been the greatest man up to that point in time.

2.Matthew 14:21

And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

Women were not excluded when Jesus fed the four thousand. The men are mentioned and counted because they were heads of households. Their wives and children were with them and were also fed.

3.Matthew 15:38

Those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children.

In the feeding of the four thousand, women were also included. Again, the men were heads of households and all in their families were included in the miraculous feeding. I don't think that the unmarried - widows and singles - were excluded, either.

4.Matthew 24:19

And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days!

In many ways, war and natural disasters are harder on women with children than on men. Such women are more vulnerable, being less able to defend themselves and less able to flee quickly. I think that this statement of Jesus shows how terrible the days He is talking about will be. Those days will be the worst.

When the "Abomination of Desolation" appears, people must run away as fast as they can. Pregnant women and women with infants will be at the greatest disadvantage since they will not be able to run as fast. Jesus' words remind us of how quickly the disaster will come on Jerusalem and how quickly people will need to respond in order to escape.

5.Matthew 24:41

Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left.

Again, this shows the severity of the judgment that will come when Jesus returns. Not all will be saved, but some will. Others will perish. Salvation in Christ does not depend on one being a man or a woman; God's judgment is also gender-blind.

6.Matthew 27:55

There were also many women there, looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him,

Even though women are weaker, there were many women who stayed to watch Jesus' crucifixion. These women were brave followers of Jesus. They did not let their physical limitations and low position in society get in the way of their duty.  They were there to minister to Him no matter the personal cost to them.

7.Matthew 28:5

But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.

It was the women who came to attend to Jesus' body, so they were the first to witness the fact of Jesus' Resurrection. The angel reassured them that Jesus was indeed alive, having risen from the dead as He said He would.

What are some conclusions that we are able to draw from these few Bible texts?  For one thing, we women should not allow others to discourage us from following Christ whole heartedly and bravely.  These Bible women took great risks in following Christ right to the grave, putting their own lives on the line.  What a legacy and example they left for us women who wish to follow Christ!  Their love for Him overcame  obstacles.  They knew Him and wanted to be close to Him.

Also, most of us women will be called on to raise children. Those of us who do not have our own physical children are often heavily involved in helping in the spiritual, physical, and emotional development of children around us.  The child bearing role is a holy calling, and we should not allow anyone or anything to demean motherhood.  In fact, those of us without children in the home should look for ways to bless children and their mothers.

Of course, much more can be gleaned from these few verses, but these are a few of the lessons I learned.

One of My Spiritual Mothers

One of My Spiritual Mothers

This is a photo taken in the very early 90s or late 80s. Caro Harrison is on the left, I'm in the middle, and Mary Jacobson is on the right. Caro and Mary owned and ran the Christian bookstore in my hometown of Aberdeen, Washington. I guess my husband took this photo of us three.

Caro was the kindergarten teacher for all of us bratty south side, Finn town kids from the early 50s until her retirement many years later - I want to say in the 70s. She was a wonderful godly woman. In fact, she originally came to our area as a cross-cultural missionary from Canada! God had a place for her in our local public school.

She had the most wonderful voice and was in demand as a Gospel singer, though she had been classically trained. Caro sang The Lord's Prayer in our wedding back in 1980. Mary was our wedding director and did a great job.

Caro and Mary had a special burden for my parents and often shared the Lord with my dad. He really respected those ladies. They would stop by and visit my parents pretty often.

Caro taught us about Jesus as much as she could in the public school. She loved us with the love of the Lord. She may have been one of the most loving people I have ever known. I miss her. Mary is pretty terrific, too, and is now living in Olympia.

Caro passed away quite a few years ago, now. We were home from Chile at that time, and I was able to make it to her funeral. God was glorified, and it seemed like most of the town turned out for the service.

Lilith

Lilith - from April, 2011

Lilith:  "No one ever made me. I defy that Power to unmake me from a free woman!  You are his slave, and I defy you! you may be able to torture me - I do not know, but you shall not compel me to anything against my will!"

Mara:  "Such a compulsion would be withot value. But there is a light that goes deeper than the will, a light that lights up the darkness behind it: that light can change your will, can make it truly yours and not another's  - not the Shadow's. Into the created can pour itself the creating will, and so redeem it!"

Lilith:  "That light shall not enter me: I hate it! - Begone, slave!"

Mara:  "I am no slave, for I love that light, and will with the deeper will which created mine. There is no slave but the creature that wills against its creator.  Who is a slave but her which cries, 'I am free,' yet cannot cease to exist!"

- From the book Lilith by George MacDonald, p. 200

MacDonald was credited by C.S. Lewis with being the first one to write in the fantasy genre. He had a huge impact on the writings of Lewis, especially, but was also admired by Tolkien.

In myth, Lilith was the first wife of Adam. She rejected the purpose for which she was created, so God created Eve.  She was not in the Bible, but many stories about her have been told throughout the ages.  While Eve was the mother of all living, Lilith was the anti-mother and anti-wife who believed herself to be free. She finds herself fighting against her own nature, yet cannot be free of it.  Even so, she calls herself a free woman.

I think that the spirit of Lilith is alive and well in our day. I suppose that is why the myth is so powerful and enduring.

I have been reading this book.

My Mom's Rhubarb Crunch

My Mom's Rhubarb Crunch - Sunday, Nov. 9, 2008

Jan Sabin sent me an invitation to a recipe chain email. How long has it been since I've been invited to do that kind of thing? It used to be common to get that kind of letter. It was a nice way to trade around recipes and also to meet new people and keep in touch with old friends. So, I sent this recipe to Nancy Gayman, who is now retired and has moved out of the area with her husband, Dave. We really miss them. Nancy did the KCC pre school for years and Dave was the church custodian and all-around protector of the grounds.

It was nice to get an email from Nancy after I sent my recipe to her. She was the first one on the list and it was my task to send her a favorite recipe. I agreed with her when she told me that recipes from our moms are the best ones.


Rhubarb Crunch

350 for 30 minutes and then 325 at 15 minutes

Cook until thickened :

1 Cup sugar
1 Cup water
2 Tbsp. corn starch

Add:

1 tsp. vanilla ( 1 drop red food coloring, optional)

Mix:
1 cup flour
3/4 Cup Quick oatmeal
1 Cup brown sugar
1 cube melted butter or margarine

Prepare:
4 Cups diced rhubarb


Place 1/2 crumb mixture on bottom of 9" pan,
add rhubarb,
pour liquid over rhubarb,
add rest of crumb misture on top

Mom and Her Car

Mom and Her Car

My mom, June, is about 5 feet tall and probably weighs 100 pounds soaking wet.


Mom is 83 years old now and suffers from arthritis. The other day her car died as she was pulling into her driveway. It was the alternator that needed replacing.


So, instead of leaving her car in the street and waiting for AAA to come rescue her, she pushed her car into the driveway.

Yesterday I went down to Central Park to see her and to spend the night. She is quite an amazing lady. I'm glad to be home, and glad for our little visit. I'm also glad that she didn't hurt herself while pushing the car and then running to jump into it before it hit the tree. I told her that maybe she should just wait for AAA to come next time. There isn't much traffic on her road, and I'm sure anyone who did come by would see a little red car in the road and not hit it.

That's not mom's way. She wouldn't want to be a bother to anyone.
---------------------------------
My mom passed away last May. She was 89 years old, so this happened several years ago. 

Marilyn

This post was from February 13, 2009 She is still going strong, but most of the time her son now drives her where she needs to go. 

Marilyn

Here's Marilyn on a Sunday morning, all decked out for her Lord.

At church, she is the one who gives people their bulletins when they arrive. She also sings in the choir and is faithful rain or shine.

Here's Marilyn in front of her kitchen window. She has her Betty Boop Valentine's Day T-shirt on. This photo was taken last Wednesday.

Marilyn and I went out for lunch on Wednesday. After lunch, we went to Wal-Mart where I got an oil change for my car. It was fun to shop while we waited for the car to get serviced. She bought Valentine's gifts for her grandkids and a little basket with a bear and chocolates to send to our daughter, Catherine, in Spain. After that, we ran the car through the automatic car wash in Poulsbo, and I filled the gas tank at the Texaco. Then, I took Marilyn to the bank at George's Corner and on home.

It was nice.

Marilyn just lost her husband after being married to him for over 40 years. She raised his two orphaned children whose mother died when they were little. Marilyn has three kids of her own, plus her two step children that she considers as much her own as the others.

Marilyn is a strong woman of Italian descent, and a good, strong Christian. She has no car and walks everywhere if she doesn't get a ride. (Her son now drives her wherever she needs to go. He was concerned for her safety since our streets have very few sidewalks.  That is frustrating for Marilyn, but I am glad he has taken on that responsibility.)

One of the things she does to not get bored is work at Kingston Middle School in the lunchroom. She loves those kids but doesn't put up with monkey business. They all call her grandma. (she is still doing this job)

In fact, the owner of the little deli where we ate lunch knew of grandma's reputation. Her kids had gone to that school and always talked about grandma. The deli owner was happy to finally meet grandma herself.

I told the lady that Marilyn's husband had just died. The lady said many kind words of comfort to Marilyn.

Smiley's daughter at the bank took care of Marilyn's concerns about her husband's Social Security and other banking questions. She also took Marilyn's hands in hers when she began to cry as she was telling about her situation.

Marilyn has had a lot of headaches and heartaches with her kids and grandkids, but by her strength of motherhood and her faith in Jesus, she has pulled them and her through, by the grace of God. They are all hard-working, productive members of society. They had all been raised in Sunday school. She hopes and prays that they will return to church one day, but meanwhile, she prays for them.

She's an amazing and real lady. I'm proud to know her and call her my friend.

Easter Sunday at Mom's

Posted April 17, 2009 - Easter Saturday at Mom's

My brother, Roger, helping dish the food up - under Mom's watchful eye. Should she be letting him use a sharp object? :-)

Chicken Vienna Style - and some naked chicken for my husband who can't have breading.



Chicken Vienna Style
2 C. dry bread crumbs
3/4 C. grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
2 cloves mashed garlic
1/4 C. chopped parsley
6-8 chicken breast pieces - skinless
Dip chicken in some melted butter, then in crumbs; lay out single layer of chicken in shallow pan. Place piece of butter on each piece of chicken - or a bit of olive oil -

Bake 1 hour at 300oF
My mom's a pretty amazing women. She's old-fashioned, believing that her family comes first. When my dad got so ill, my mom would not send him to a nursing home. She took care of him almost to the end - all but the last month of his life. Her vows were in sickness and in health.

Last Saturday, my brother and his wife, my husband and I went to mom's for Easter dinner. My nephew and his family couldn't come because Stacy is ready to give birth to their 5th child, so travel is not an option at this time.

The main dish was my mom's great Chicken Vienna Style. You can find the recipe above. Try it. You'll love it.

My mom is now 84 years old and suffering from arthritis. That slows her down some, but doesn't stop her.
---------------------------------------------------

My mother passed away this last May at the age of 89. This Easter was celebrated while she still lived at home. Later she entered assisted living, where she was well-cared for until the last few weeks of her life. My mom overcame many difficulties in her life, and she was a good example of someone who knew how to deal with hardship. Recently I have been sharing about how she and my dad entered alcohol treatment in 1974 and both participated in AA until their passing. Mostly I honored their desire to remain anonymous, but now I feel like their story needs to be told.

They were gentle people even while drinking. I admire them greatly.

It is also part of my story, of course.

A Promise Kept - The Story of an Unforgettable Love

A Promise Kept - The Story of an Unforgettable Love is the story of the last years of Muriel McQuilkin's life as told by her husband Robertson McQuilkin.

Muriel came down with Alzheimer's when she was only in her 50s. It took many years for this cruel disease to do its work.

This book is a bit difficult for me to read, since my father suffered from Alzheimer's for the last 10 years or so of his life. My mother made the decision to keep dad at home until almost the end. She finally had to give up when he became dangerous to her. He had never been a violent man.

It was my mom who spanked us kids - and that rarely. Of course, I'm not sure about my brother. I'm not sure if he got spanked by my dad. He may have. I'm not sure that my mom spanked me, either. The only thing I remember was once when she grabbed a switch off the old cherry tree. Every time she whacked my brother on the bottom, the switch broke! It was rotten. We all cracked up, especially my mom!

The disease took over Dad's mind, and his will. He never hit my mom during that time, - at least that she admits to - but he got aggressive. One time near the end, he grabbed her arm as she was driving and would not let go. She had to pull over to the side of the road. I forget how she got out of that situation. Dad was very strong.

One night, she finally had to call 911 and have the police and paramedics take my dad away to the hospital. He was there for awhile, but then they moved him to the nursing home. He lived for about a month after that. We were all able to spend time with him during that last month of his life.

In fact, my nephew was able to pray with my dad while he finally gave in to Jesus. Dad died a few days after that.

So, reading this book brought all those memories, and all those impressions back.

Here are a few quotes from the book so you can get an idea of the love and tenderness that these two shared during their whole lifetime. This also reminded me of Mom and Dad. No, my parent's marriage was not perfect - far from it - , but they loved one another to the end. They loved us, too. Love covers a multitude of sins.

McQuilkin's book is a beautiful one - beautifully written and beautifully printed - except that my copy fell apart! No matter.

It is only 90 short pages long. Here are the quotes.

p. 32:
"...I made a wonderful discovery. As Muriel became ever more dependent on me, our love seeped to deeper, unknown crevices of the heart...We found the chains of confining circumstance to be, not instruments of torture, but bonds to hold us closer."

p. 33, 34:
"No one ever needed me like Muriel, and no one ever responded to my efforts so totally as she. It's the nearest thing I've experienced on a human plane to what my relationship with God was designed to be: God's unfailing love poured out in constant care of helpless me."

"But I made another discovery as well, quite the opposite: broken shackles can turn out to be an imprisonment...I've received dozens of visits and agonizing letters from women whose husbands have broken the shackles of marriage, from men whose wives have broken free and left both lives in shambles.

Ours is a day of passionate pursuit of self-fulfillment. And the folk wisdom of twentieth-century America holds that fulfillment can be found only in freedom. So, if some responsibility or commitment, some relationship or value shackles, you have a moral obligation to yourself to break free.

But that's a fantasy. T?hat doorway to freedom and fulfillment may turn out to be the door way to a stronger imprisonment...Only the one who says no to self-interest for Christ and the gospel cause can ever find the treasure of true life - freedom and fulfillment in Christ. But we don't seem to get it."

p. 66:
"Once, before we signed off for sleep, I was winning an argument with irresistible logic when she raised up on one elbow, transfixed me with fire in her gray-green eyes, and said, 'Well, let me tell you something. Logic's not everything, and feeling's not nothing.' "

p. 89:
"Remember my prayer, 'Let Me Get Home before Dark'? [this was a poem written about his wife] It was written in 1981 in a hotel room in Florida, three years into our Alzheimer's journey. I consciously wrote only one line of it for Muriel, "will I reach the gate...a mind wandering untethered among light fantasies or grim terrors?' I paused and prayed, 'Dear Lord, for my beloved may it be light fantasies, not grim terrors.' How abundantly God answered that prayer. Gratitude."