Worth Repeating

 Dear Friends,
My husband penned such a great article, I just had to share it with everyone:

In the book of Psalms, David very descriptively
stated how important worship was to him. He said, “As
the deer pants for the water, so my soul longs after
You” and “Better is one day in Your courts than 1,000
elsewhere.” It is apparent that David found great
fulfillment in expressing his love for the Lord. Do you
feel that same way?
Many times I hear that same sentiment expressed
by members of our congregation when they miss a
Sunday. Perhaps it is not always as eloquent as David,
but it is just as heartfelt when people say, “My week just
hasn’t gone right since I missed being in church on
Sunday.” There is something cathartic about being in
church. It enables us to connect with the divine in a
personal way. It is cleansing to spend time with God
and to come away feeling like you have reestablished
an important part of your life.
God wants to be a part of His children’s lives. He
longs to be included in every facet of your being. He
inhabits the praise of His people. Worship is our
opportunity to show that God’s love is reciprocated. It
should feel like coming home. It is where we embrace
family and relish the time we spend together.
Is that how you see worship? Sadly many people see it
as a performance or a time of entertainment. They
come for the show and they watch and listen to all that
is said and done and they leave without any personal
involvement. They judge the service by the quality of
the performers. That is not worship.
Listen very closely to this: Worship is both
personal and corporate. The songs and prayers and
special music are all done for an audience of One. God
is our focus. We are there to connect to Him. We have
an innate need to honor, praise and worship the One
who created us and saved us. You cannot do this
mindlessly. Every worshiper is personally involved in
worship whether they are on the stage or not. They
have a need to unburden themselves before their
Heavenly Father. And they come away from the
experience sated.
Are you looking forward to this Sunday

Answers

My husband tells me that I am never satisfied until I have asked many questions and received answers. I guess it is my way of trying to understand something. Ten years later I still don't have answers that satisfy me. I understand (?) the motive behind 9/11. I understand who gave the orders for it and who executed it. I know the damage it created and the consequences of it. I know how the event was handled and how it was reported. I know the response and see the sacrifice of many for our military. But still the questions remain and I wish I could interview someone who could answer these unanswerable questions: Why? Why were these innocent victims targeted? What did you accomplish? Has it served any purpose? What was the point? Why? I guess they view it from a completely different perspective than I do. To me, it is so evil. It was so senseless, so unnecessary. We teach children that violence won't accomplish their way, to be kind. We teach young people to communicate because that is a much better way to understand than by violence. And yet...9/11 occurred. As I was researching the tenth anniversary, I found many articles, lesson plans and opinion articles on tolerance, acceptance and not hating. And all that is good-I totally agree with that. But these principles need to apply to ALL peoples of all faiths.This planet is too small to board a plane one morning in September and have happen to them what the victims of 9/11 had done; to go to your job and have the world collapse. Thank God for those brave patriots on Flight 93 who showed unimaginable courage. To their families I say I am so proud of them. I know the gates of heaven were flung wide for them to enter. To the families of the fine servants who worked in the Pentagon, I say: your loved ones gave the ultimate sacrifice for their country and I thank them for all their service and I know they entered heaven with all the love and care for you that they had before. To the families of the innocent victims of the World Trade Center I say: your loved will always be remembered, we will never forget. There is a special place in heaven for these innocent victims of such senseless and tragic violence. Our history is forever changed. In the wake of 9/11, our politics became about securing this great country. We show our appreciation for our first responders and hold them in such a place of respect.We have always appreciated our fine military, but maybe even more so now. Some of the people who carried out this heinous crime have been killed, but that doesn't change the fact that so many were taken far too soon from their families. My heart aches for all. New York City has built a fine memorial to the World Trade Center. My town has built a beautiful memorial in our main street park that has artifacts from all 3 targeted places. No one can talk about that day without a tear in their eye.It is such a cowardly attack to target innocent people who were so completely removed from political causes. It devastated so many people.I'll never forget George W. Bush in those days, and his moment with New York firefighters or the looks on his face-looks of anger, looks of resolve. I watched the three firefighter raise the flag of the United States of America in the rubble and we were united. That act touched my heart so much and made me cry....more. Our nation responded with organization, intelligence, and most importantly, with love. That is something terror can never take away. We will always remember, we will never forget.

Expanding My World

The realm of blogs has opened a whole new world to me. I love reading blogs and have actually become friends with a few people just by communicating with them via their blogs. I have joined clubs and attempted new things just by being inspired by reading others' blogs. I have found new recipes, new home decorating ideas and new furniture. I have been privileged to join the intimate moments of some families who have experienced trying circumstances, and I feel as if I know the children who graced their lives. I love looking at many new births, first day of school and other exciting posts that people want to share. Technology has closed a lot of gaps and brought us closer. No longer are our friends limited by geography. Now we can be friends with people we have things in common with, who share our same interests.We can pass on great ideas, thoughts and recipes. It's all out there, via the blogs, making new friends and staying in touch with old ones!

A Great Weekend

What a great weekend I had!  All my kids came home. We began on Friday night. My youngest daughter and son-in-law came home and my middle daughter was already here. We had lots of fun appetizers for dinner: tortillia roll ups, carrots, celery, cucumber and pickles, cheddar cheese and crackers and gourmet crispy cereal bars: plain, M&M and Peanut Butter Cup. We visited and played some games. On Saturday my oldest daughter came home bringing me the lovely flowers pictured above, then we all went to a favorite local restaurant and ate Baked Potato Pizza. We visited my newly hired middle daughter's classroom and worked on some  bulletin boards. We came home and played games. For dinner we had steak, cheesy potatoes, salad and garden corn, with brownie trifles for dessert. Later in the evening, another friend of my middle daughter's came over and he was brave enough to join the family in games: we had an extremely close game of Trivial Pursuit that was great fun! We gathered 'round the piano and sang some and took lots of pictures then it was time for bed. On Sunday we enjoyed a great service and lunch, got to review pictures and take some more. Then it was time for everyone to head on their way...not saying good-bye, just "see you soon!" A great weekend!

Forgiveness Snobbery

I was recalling a recent get together with a friend. I was thinking to myself-I wonder why this friend even enjoys my company? I am honest with her and sometimes I offend her.  Then it hit me: she has to forgive me. I know something about forgiveness. I have studied it. I have prayed over it. I have practiced it-a lot. I am so busy thinking about giving it that I forgot something very important: I need it. I have a relative who is always gracious to me no matter the circumstance. I was thinking-how can they always be gracious? And it hits me: they have to forgive ME.I am a forgiveness snob! I can see how I have to keep forgiving people, but then I realize, I constantly need it, too. Why is this a new concept? Do I think I am perfect? Uh, no..definitely not. I have a tendency to say exactly what is on my mind. I am pretty transparent and people usually know where they stand with me. I see my flaws very clearly. I just never saw myself as needing to be forgiven by people I interact with. I understand where I am coming from, and, obviously, I agree with my words and actions...and yet, I can see that being honest can sometimes hurt people, and being myself may cause someone to feel less than good. And that is where I can see the forgiveness coming from. These people who truly love me....family members...friends....acquaintances....they overlook these flaws and choose to continue to be in my life for one very simple reason: they forgive me. They may have had to forgive me many, many times, and in my arrogance, I was only thinking that I have to forgive. I realize I have to be forgiven and I am grateful to the kind, gracious souls who forgive me. May I one day be worthy enough (though I doubt this, since I am human) that I no longer need to be forgiven so much. Don't be a forgiveness snob! Is there someone you need to forgive? Do you need to look at yourself introspectively and see if you need someone's forgiveness? Thanks to God that grace allows forgiveness of all of us-and makes this world a better and kinder place to dwell.

Little Girls and the Daddies Who Love Them

This blog's inception comes at 1:48 a.m. and refuses to leave me alone until I write it all out and post if for you to read.  It is inspired by a recent Father's Day Holiday, but really that was just the impetus for thinking about my observations of dads.

My husband and I became parents in an unexpected way.  We were very young and just sort of stumbling through life.I think that is why God chose to send us an experienced baby first. Now for me, mothering came as easy as breathing-in fact, I don't think I was fully breathing until I met Lyndon Leigh Schnelle.  She did take my breath away and greatly let my breathing with her become very natural I bonded very easily with Lyndi, gave care to her, nurtured her, introduced her to clothing, hair accessories and food.Her dad was in Graduate School and he nurtured her too, but in very different ways: my husband liked to have fun, though, and so he creatively found ways to have fun while hanging out with his new little daughter. He took her to tennis matches when she was only two. He bought her little tennis outfits and shoes-okay, mostly in pink, but still, gifts for Lyndi to utilize as she learned to walk and hold a little racket. He enjoyed watching cartoons: "The Smurfs" were popular in the early 80's and so evolved a little slumber party where daddy would pull out the living room sofa into a bed, and daddy would get his big pillow and Lyndi would get her little pillow and they as would camp out and talk and giggle, then drift off to sleep, and wake early for donuts and The Smurfs. They loved watching it and I loved watching them. John encouraged Lyndi to try new things and embrace many things.

 As we left Grad School and found a new job, a new daughter was added to our family. This little girl, Laura Beth, was nurtured and influenced by not only mom, not only dad, but big sister as well.  Even though Laura had mom and sis to do things with, her daddy made sure that there were some things that he sculpted into his schedule that included just him and Laura. He read to her frequently, and not just children's stories, but also deeper texts, which didn't mean a lot to Laura at the time, but the close proximity and soothing voice of her daddy made her respond and smile to prose and poetry. They both began fostering a love of cooking at about the same time and had lots of fun learning and trying new concoctions. They both liked to try unusual techniques for the family Easter Egg Dying, they both liked to find fountains and pyrotechnics at Independance Day Celebrations. Dad eventually turned the lighting of the fuses over to Laura-she became the official Lighter of the Fireworks for our family.They began some very creative carvings of pumpkins and they would find scary movies just the pair of them like to watch together.

Another little baby girl was added to this family of females. Jordan Layne would spend many evenings lying on her daddy's knees watching basketball and tennis. John liked to sing to Jordan and she would be soothed and entertained by that, and she in return liked to perform for him and others. Jordan accompanied her dad to meetings and he took her to the Dr. since mom was at work. He learned how to make a little toddler girl comfortable when she was sick and to load her favorite movies. So it was quite a fascinating time watching these children participate in these different activities, thought up by a man who hadn't spent a lot of time with baby girls, and made ways for them to socialize together.

Now as adult women, you can still see that Lyndi likes to watch certain things with her dad, as does her sisters. Lyndi has branched out to have many interests as a creative professional young woman.  Laura loves prose and poetry and is a very talented piano player and singer and often gathers the family around the piano to sing all types of music. I still hear Laura and her dad making plans for when they can get together to watch a favorite tv series, and when they do watch it...just the two of them...they discuss things, reason together, laugh and talk. Jordan has enjoyed games of pick up with her dad and he has watched her league playing of basketball, softball and tennis.  The whole family enjoys a good tennis match and Jordan has recently introduced her husband to tennis. They purchased new rackets and balls and are ready to play .At game time, Jordan and her dad like to be team mates because they think so much alike. I notice whenever our girls are home or around for the day, they always go to seek out their dad, to say hello and goodbye.  I notice every evening my husband inquires about each of his daughters, wants to know what is going on that day in their lives, if they are all o.k and then can go relax after he gets all the information on them. Men don't need to hear about every little detail or talk hours about the day, they just want to know that these little girls they care so very much about are okay.

What a privilege to be part of all their lives and have been able to peer into this sacred and precious relationship of a big, strong man who melts at the mere "Hello" of his precious daughters, and these beautiful, independent women who make the time to come home to see their dad, talk with him, give him gifts,  play tennis and games together, go get sodas and just hang out.

Jordan and Lance have recently let John know that he will be a grandfather.  He shakes his head at all the plans I am making, but I know once that little being enters his life, he will find all new things too find ways to connect to this child-whom I hope one day will come to know what a precious jewel his grandfather is! I look forward to watching their relationship grow.

Happy Anniversary

On June 4th I celebrated my wedding anniversary.  I remember back to my wedding day and it was happy and wonderful.  But on this particular anniversary, I couldn't help thinking back to another day. A day 9 years ago, when it was my 25th anniversary. Our three daughters planned a surprise reception for us.  They sang a song at church in the morning and announced that there would be a reception.  They had planned some very special things, and they all participated in a very meaningful way. Our wedding colors were pink and blue, so they decorated in shades of blue with pink accents. They ordered a cake. Our youngest daughter made mints. Our middle daughter made a reception mix CD of all the songs that were significant to us. Our oldest daughter bought beautiful silver centerpieces and decorated the reception hall.  Being the recipient of all this thoughtfulness was overwhelming, especially considering how young they all were. They displayed many photos of us dating, of our wedding and of our family as it has grown and changed. It was all so beautiful and lovely.  Friends in the church helped serve and clean up the reception. I made a scrapbook of it all so we could remember and cherish the day. Without the wedding day, there would have been no other special anniversary day. The wedding day is just a beginning on a road full of happy and wonderful days. I thank our daughters not only for that incredibly thoughtful, beautiful surprise, but also for the kindness, caring, thoughtfulness, friendship and love that they show us every day. Lyndi, Laura and Jordan: you are the best!

Can Bad Be Good?

Can bad be good? Can circumstances that seem bad right now really be for our good later?  When we move past the shock, disappointment and pain, can we find that sometimes we are forced into things that are really better for us?  Would we ever really choose to move on, to change our lives, to shake up our comfort zone unless absolutely forced into it?  I think probably not.  I think none of us would choose the difficult situations that life hands us.  We don't choose layoffs, foreclosures, bankruptcy, diseases, aging, problems, grief.  Is there good in the bad, though?  Is there light at the end of the tunnel?  Sometimes it takes us a long time so see the good, and sometimes it is quite obvious right away. Sometimes we can use the situations we have endured to be a help to others.  Sometimes when we were a single struggling weed in one environment, we find we have blossomed into a full and beautiful garden in another. Attitude is a huge part of how we navigate life.  If we look for the good, or expect something good it may be more readily seen.  Some change is very difficult.  The kind of change we don't have a say in-the kind of change that is thrown at us without any regard for our wishes.  Some change is wonderful....for our family a wedding and now the joy of a new life coming into our family, for others, change comes with graduation, moving, loss of jobs. We are all going to experience both. I think it is important not to compare ourselves with others...not to say, why do they get this or that and I don't, or how can this happen to me and not them.  And sometimes it is easier to be objective when it isn't involving us personally, but to all my friends/family who have graduated, lost jobs, gained new jobs, experienced loss of gained joy I want to remind you in the words of Aerosmith: "Life's a journey, not a destination."

When the Dust Settles

The wedding came and went.  The week before it was a blur.  We celebrated 2 family birthdays, a bachelorette party and the wedding all in one week.  There was so much love. My daughters got me such thoughtful and nice birthday gifts.  The sisters gave their sister such thoughtful and nice gifts.  Two sisters threw their little sister an amazing party with all the boas, glittering tiaras and flashing rings that she wanted!  We had a blast celebrating with all the women in the wedding. The rehearsal and dinner were such a lovely blending, not just of the bride's family and the groom's family, but relatives from both of the grooms parents, and relatives from both of the brides parents.All ages came together to celebrate the union of these two beautiful young people. There were a few minor hitches in the hitching-what wedding is complete without them. The pictures were lovely, the reception was beautiful and yummy.  The bride and groom departed in a convertible volkswagon and left for a week of relaxation in Vegas.  We were left with transforming the church back into its' usual self for services on Sunday. When the dust settled after all the clean up, I was left with the realization of love:  love between the bride and groom, love from that couple for their parents, love between sisters, love of a brother, love between a niece and her family, love of a little flower girl for a beautiful bride she admired, love of a group of people who helped serve the reception food and wash and dry dishes, love of a group of friends who helped serve the rehearsal dinner, love of a father for his daughters, even love of those who have gone on before and I feel were looking down on this day-their legacy of love for their families. It is such a great feeling, to know and feel all this love, to spend an entire day basking in the love of the most important people in my life.Even though weddings are a lot of work, they bring out the most beautiful in everyone, and I was certainly blessed by this particular wedding.

We're Having A Wedding...Did I Mention That?

I don't remember if I mentioned to you, dear reader and friend, that our family is in the midst of a wedding? Once upon a time there were 3 little girls who dreamed of being nurses and doctors, teachers and photographers.  Well, as our third and youngest little girl grew, life began to take her different directions, as it will for all of us. So on the road to school in another state to work on becoming a registered nurse, she met someone.  A boy who loved animals, his family and friends and always had a ready smile. It didn't take these two beautiful souls too long to integrate together and know they had found their future. It takes some families a little longer to integrate, but then comes this process where she is going to join into a new family in another state, and we are going to accept a new boy into our family. We are rather like the March's of Concord-we have had many boys come into our family with whom the girls have performed drama, singing, rock bands, duets, dialogues, haunted houses, synchronized swim routines, commercials, movies, plays, newscasts and charades.  We have had many boys like our girls and give them jewelry, car rides, games, music, flowers, event tickets and come to our table to play board games, cards, dice.  But this one is different and I think we all knew it right away. So, came the inevitable question and they joyous affirmative, thus setting in motion a process where every thought, question and shopping trip turns to The One Subject:  The Wedding.  I've been married at my own ceremony.  My husband has officiated many ceremonies.  We just went, we didn't know the months, weeks, days, emotions and aches that actually go into planning an event for two people you love who love each other. We've been through having our routine change as George Stanly Banks had.  We didn;t have the word "pit" on our invitation, but we came close with a town in the other state! We've been through the crazy ideas of Haank and his dear assistant Howard Weinstein.  We recently approached the Tearing the Hot Dog Buns Package and Not Paying for the Superfluous Buns Stage. We were near Having to Spend the Night in Jail Stage.  Then something remarkable happened:  under the tulle and satin and netting and cake and bouquets and reception food and gifts and invitations, you catch a glimpse. It's a small, quick glimpse, to be sure.  But it was there, and you saw it:  a glimpse of the little toddler who clung to you for decisions, who could be at once a creature of the devil and God's most precious cherub.  It's still her, she's in there, and he is there too, a sweet precious cherub who is trying so hard to deal with everything coming at him from his love and his two families. We got centerpieces made, ideas nailed down and real communication going on-I think we are moving into the Nina Smiling and George Appreciating Their Friends Stage. Very soon now we will be moving into the vestiges of early spring and it gives me such hope-not just the hope that a wedding ceremony will go beautifully, a reception will be relaxing and fun and photographs will capture all the magic of the Glorious Day; but also the hope that life goes on.  Our little girl is entering a covenant relationship with a man who will love an support her, that we will have survived the difficult days of winter and will come out on the other side to the glorious and radiant days of spring, when all our children will be happy , successful and well on their way to their destiny, and my dear husband and I can sit back and watch it unfold with the same enthusiasm and pride that we watched their childhood performances with. We are having a wedding and it will be beautiful, relaxing, meaningful and a new beginning.

50 Years

50 years ago today John Fitzgerald Kennedy was inaugurated as the 35th President of the United States of America.  JFK had many ideas, raised in a family where politics where important and discussed. His inauguration was a defining moment in his career and beautifully detailed his vision and hope for his country.  Some phrases have become infamous. You may not agree with all his politics, but you have to admit he stood firm in what he said, and backed what he said with his actions.  We know that JFK did not have a lengthy term, or a lengthy life.  It amazes me, though, that even now he, and his family, are spoken of with such reverence.  Is it the tragedy that immortalizes the family?  Is it the fact that he and his wife were young, fit, wealthy?  That they had young children?  That they didn't deserve the terrible things visited upon them?  I wonder-does every town have its' version of the Kennedy's-a family that is looked at on the outside as physically aesthetic and pleasing, wealthy and respected, and in private has its' share of secrets and pain? Jacqueline Kennedy's fashion sense was iconic and is replicated still today.  Kennedy's speech was devoid of partisan rhetoric in an effort to unite the parties to come together to work for the good of the nation. It was the beginning of a glorious time in Washington; let it never be forgot, that once there was a spot, for one bright shining moment, that was known as Camelot.