Every One of Us Has One

The past several weeks have brought little reminders of why I began blogging.  It wasn't my intent to become a well-known blogger or have 2,000 followers or post so sporadically... well, I have certainly succeeded at 2 of the 3. However, it "was" my intent to share my values, beliefs and some family history for my future generations... I had wanted to post more regularly, but sometimes life simply happens and we just roll with it.  All of this "thinking" has brought me to this post that has actually been in-progress for the past several months

 (and I didn't even realize it).

 

   Have you ever noticed people around you?  It's not a trick question... and I'm not totally off-my-rocker.  This is something that I've tried to be more aware of lately. Of course there's people all around us and of course we notice them.  Now, for the next question... what do all of these people have in common? What do they have in common with you? And with me? The people who are around us... yet are total strangers.  What is it that bonds each of us together even through our differences?

Well... we all do have something in common.

 

the good ... along with the bad

the beautiful ... along with the ugly

the wholeness ... along with the brokenness

 

... and all of these make up our story ...

 

everybody has a story

 

How many times has God placed people in our paths... and we see them... and we smile at them... and they nod back to us... and somehow we all miss it.

 

everybody has a story

 

Over the past few months, I've had opportunities to share our story --

mine & Dan's story... our kids' story... our grands' story.

And you know what? 

It's been real.

Every single bit of it is real.

 

Their story. The day she tried to make normal through worry of the explosion...

the good is real... the bad is real

the beautiful is real... the ugly is real

the wholeness is real... the brokenness is real

 

We all go through hard times.  Period.  No exceptions. 

Every.

Single.

Person.

 

 I've shared our family story of Michael being combat wounded... Tag 11 days old at the time... Lucy staying with us during the week to still have her church activities & dance... our daughter giving back to the children of wounded warriors through her charitable organization...



Getting ready to see her Daddy for the first time since he was wounded.



She was getting ready to leave her family at the military hospital.

He spent 5 months living at a military hospital while his Daddy was recovering.

everybody has a story

 

Dan & I have shared our personal story of our fairytale elopement... that found us in divorce court on our 4th anniversary... to our patchwork reconciliation that ultimately brought us to our beautiful redemption...

and now heading toward our 32nd anniversary in May...

Celebrated our 30th anniversary... redemption is indeed beautiful.

everybody has a story

 

So, when we're out on our daily routines this week... remember that behind every smile and behind every word and behind every action...

 

there is a story that may not be seen in what is visible to us

 

 not everyone needs to know our story

and we do not need to know their story

but we just need to remember that

 

everyone has a story

 

 

May God bless you in your story this week,

my friends!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



His Autumn Coloring Book

As I made my trek down our driveway today, I became more aware of my surroundings ...

our dirt driveway paved with gravel and fallen leaves engulfed by God's coloring book that He has allowed Dan and me to enjoy for over 15 years.

 

The evidence of God's grace is all around ...

 

in the changing colors

in the fallen leaves

in the unseen wind

 

 

 

May your day reflect the goodness of God's grace through His ever-so-vibrant coloring book ...

 

His grace

His creation

His love

 

 

 

 



At the End of the Week

At the end of the week ... we breathe

for the hectic week that's coming to a close

for the upcoming weekend to renew our tired souls

 

At the end of the week ... we breathe

for those who hurt of loved ones who left

for those who rejoice in sweet new life of the baby's breath

 

 

At the end of the week ... we breathe

for the uncertainty of the road before us

for the One in whom we have our trust

 

At the end of the week ... we breathe

for the Grace that carries each in our climb

for the Mercy that forgives at all times

 

At the end of the week ...

 

we simply breathe

 

and we remember the words we spoke to the 5 year old

who was anxious for her swim class ...

 

breathe in God's peace

breathe out our anxieties

 

 

praying for those who hurt over the loss of their beloved ...

praying for those who rejoice in the new life of sweet babies born ...

praying for those who are facing the unknown journey down a new road ...

praying for those looking & searching for "something" ...

 

 

praying

 

 

simply ... praying

 

 

 

 

At the End of the Week ... author Susan M "Granny"

2015 ... Where Grace Abounds

And so we are six weeks into our year of 2015.  I can say that our family has seen the

mountain top and we've seen the valley. 
We've rejoiced ... we've prayed ... we've cried ... we've celebrated.

But one thing has been the life-line of hope that I can honestly say that I have felt through it all ...

 

grace

 

God's grace has been the very breath I have breathed in every moment of 2015 ...  

There are positive changes occurring at Dan's office & we just simply thank God for His hand on Dan's career and provision for our family. Dan has always put God first even in his business profession ... and God has certainly blessed my husband & our family values.

 

 

And then ... early January found my family praying hard and diligently for my cousin whom we learned was beyond the level of sickness that anyone had imagined.  And so, we prayed ... and we cried ... and we prayed ... and then we gathered to say our earthly goodbyes to him in our hometown.  During our drive "back home", I simply prayed for grace ...

this was perhaps one of the hardest funerals I have been through.  He was the first of my generation that we said goodbye to ... and for my sweet aunt & uncle who laid their child to rest ... and his sister & nephew ... and for aunts & uncles & cousins ...

it was (and still is) simply hard ...

but for grace

 

 

 

 

 

And then ... we celebrated.  It is so unbelievable how fast time goes by with grandchildren. 

Our little guy turned THREE!  Where has the time gone? 

His whole existence has been centered around grace ...

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

he's the baby who was formed soon after their miscarriage

he's the baby who was a mere 11 days old when their Daddy was wounded in action

he's the baby who brings a completeness to our family

 



 

Grace ...

simply grace ...

no matter the circumstances

no matter the journey

no matter what happens

it's simply by God's grace that we draw our next breath

 

 

So, as we go through our every moments of 2015 ...

let's be ever-so mindful and ever-so longing for His amazing grace

Grace that rejoices with us on the mountaintops

Grace that leads us while we travel through the valleys

Grace that is simply our next breath

My childhood home-church ...

where the hurting is taken care of through

His grace

 

 

 

 

 

 

My 50 Things ...

Some people view "knocking over another decade" as a milestone ... I am the opposite.  The one birthday that I truly considered my "milestone" has come & gone. I won't clutter this post with links, but a few posts from August 2012 and 2013 give some details on my "milestone" birthday and the events that led to it being my milestone.

Now my 50th birthday is coming around very soon ... in less than a week. So, in honor of the "big 5-0" I've written 50 things I am grateful for & what I consider as blessings.  There's been lots of changes & transitions in our household lately, so I'm looking at this next chapter positively.  After all, God breathed the promise that He would work all things for the good for His children. And, as I am a child of God -- I can not only count my blessings but I can also see when things weren't necessarily a piece of cake to live through ... but He turned those into the good for where I am now. 

 

These are not in any certain order of importance or my gratitude for them, they are simply "some" of the things I am grateful for ... this list does not cover everything I'm thankful for either.  I will say that the most important blessing to me is the blood of Jesus Christ -- God's one & only beloved Son -- who took the punishment for my sin so that I would live eternally with Him. Every of thing on this list stems from God's mercy & grace to me through Jesus Christ.

And so ... here it goes:

~~~ Our family's little "holler" where I grew up having my parents, my Granny, cousins, aunts & uncles all around me -- Granny's house in the center (and my sister coming along almost 9 years after me)

~~~ The close-knit community I grew up in {a community which had a population small enough that we all knew each other's families}
~~~ My hometown church where I was baptized in the creek that ran behind it
~~~ My Granny's front porch where the grown-ups would swing on the porch while all us kids would play in Granny's front yard
~~~ My Granny's back porch where memories were shared & made ... from the glider to the swing to the rocks to the trees -- and the old well-pump house stood to the side
~~~ Teachers who were family or friends, and probably had taught other family members -- and knew all families of their students
~~~ My Granny's gardens where I would work alongside to help plant & harvest vegetables/flowers

~~~ Memories of good times growing up in our little corner of country-life

~~~ The old dipper of Granny's that was used to water her flowers as well as hung over her kitchen sink so that all of us could use to get a drink of water when we wanted
~~~ Wisdom gained throughout the years ... even through some tough lessons
along the way
~~~ Swimming in the creek across the road and the old swinging bridge that crossed the creek & bike rides with my uncle leading the way
~~~ Relationship values ... family values ... Christ-centered life
~~~ The little blonde girl who always dreamed ... and still dreams as
she approaches her 50th
~~~ Friends who walked alongside during the crazy years & stayed around for years to come

 

~~~ For God's grace during life-changing crises
~~~ For dirt roads that teach us more of life's lessons than we imagine
~~~ For best friends' parents who become just like 2nd parents
~~~ For technology that has brought many new friendships into my life
~~~ Today ... these truly are the "good ol' days"
 ~~~ New community with new opportunities & the city that would be now known as "home"
~~~ Circles of friends to share with as our kids grew up in our church ministries

~~~ Reconciliation ... restoration ... redemption
~~~ God's unending mercies & grace when we had all but given up
~~~ Hometown pastors who were more than pastors -- and counted as life-long friends always
~~~ Nail-scarred hands to welcome loved ones who are still missed everyday
~~~ For pursuing the dreams that God had instilled & knowing we walked in His center
~~~ For the miracle of life when the doctor gave no hope of becoming parents
~~~ For the promise that He will work all things for my good since I am His child
~~~ Laughter, giggles & chaos as well as quiet times
~~~ Walt Disney's vision of family fun togetherness
~~~ Being stretched beyond my comfort zone when sometimes I'd rather become a recluse

~~~ Social media reconnecting me with old friends
~~~ Work ethic, character & integrity (hopefully mine as a positive)
~~~ For hiking the hillsides of my country community
~~~ Birthdays & celebrations ... anniversaries & births ... weddings & reunions
~~~ Out of the whole world, my country is the United States of America
~~~ Those who have prayed, sustained and held up the arms of our kids especially during these past 2 1/2 years
~~~ For the Internet that provides reconnection with life-long friends

~~~ Friends who simply walk alongside me although we may be miles apart or just do not get together as often as in the past
~~~ Past friendships that may have been for a season ... but will always be with me
~~~ God's unfailing grace toward me ... although I sometimes fall short of extending grace to others
~~~ My daughter Jacqueline & the heritage of her namesake of her great-aunt
~~~ My 2 grandchildren Lucy & Tag who carry family names & heritage to pass down to future generations
~~~ My Mother who taught a very young girl to pray
~~~ My Daddy who taught that young girl that your character matters
~~~ Challenges that grow me ... and peace that sustains me
~~~ My Granny ... who was always there for me

~~~ Changing seasons that illustrate so vividly that God never leaves us where we are
~~~ My husband who followed God's design for him before he accepted Him ... 
we're going on 31 years together ... and it just gets better
~~~ Every breath is the most precious gift from God ... and not taken for granted

 

These 50 things certainly do not include every detail on my thankfulness ...
but I'm looking forward to sharing more blessings in the posts to come ...

I'm looking forward to "knocking over another decade" very soon!

 
  

 



 

 

My Reflection Week

Seems like this time of the year I tend to be a little quieter ... yeah, I go about my daily routines, conversations & everyday life ... but to be perfectly honest, this is probably one of the most reflective weeks I have every year.  My husband has seen me through the past 30 years of

"this week" every August.

 

And I'm everso reminded that "this week" will be "the week" for so many others who experience the freshness of loss within the past few days.  One of Dan's friends and music buddies has lost his dad just in the past few days ... one of our friends from our former church ministry lost her mother on the same day ... and the world has experienced the loss of all of our loved actor Robin Williams.

 

This week I reflect ...

 

on God's goodness

on God's faithfulness

on God's graciousness

 

It's especially during this week that I see God's glory as I reflect

on family ... on relationships ... on legacies ...

 

My hope is for my future generations to value their relationships just as I was brought up to do.  That's why this week has always been the reflective week for me just as I'm sure it is for my family.  This year is the 34th year ...

my beloved Aunt was met at Heaven's gates by His nail-scarred hands. She's the reason I do not drink alcohol nor does my family.  My daughter carries her name and (I know) some of her characteristics. She is missed daily ... she is celebrated always.  This week marks the date of her car wreck (August 15) ... and the date of her birthday (August 18) which is also the day we said our earthly good-byes to her.

 

I know it's a tough week to get through for so many in my family ... especially my Mother.  So, my sweet blogging friends, please say a little prayer for her this week. 

And please remember those who have experienced loss this week ---

we never know what even a small prayer will do for them.

 

My Granny & her girls -- my Mother sitting on her lap. Aunt Hilda is last on right.

 

 

 



Celebrating 30 ... Hawaiian Style

So, last fall when he said "I think you & I need to have a little time alone for our 30th"  

I began to toss out some ideas ... we had wanted to go back to the mountains -- 

we could probably squeeze in a couple of extra days at Disney to ourselves -- 

he'd been to Niagara Falls as a kid, but I haven't been -- 

possibility after possibility ... and he kept saying  

"That would be fun.  But that's not where I'm thinking"

 

Then ... when he said "I was thinking about Hawaii" 

  ... my mouth dropped!!!  

And then ... I said the first thing that popped into my head 

"Are you sure???????"

And so ... 

we celebrated ----- 

just him and me ... 

a few weeks pre-anniversary date ---

10 days in O'ahu ...

just me and him

God's grace of our past 30 years ...

fairytale

brokenness

reconciliation

grace

restoration

mercy

redemption

... and it has been worth every moment that has brought us to where we are now ...

Whether in Hawaii ...

or at home ... 

or anywhere else ...

 I am so very thankful for the man that God gave me ...

everywhere and everyday

We started dating September 24, 1983 ...

 we eloped on May 16, 1984 ...

some people may have thought that we just wouldn't make it ...

{and we almost didn't}

But ...

God's grace is ever-so abundant

God's faithfulness is unending

God's redemption is beautiful

Yes, redemption is beautiful ...