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Calendar Choices

7 Jan

My Take

DiVoran Lites

DiVoran Lites

The calendars in the bookstores are on sale now, but we bought ours before Christmas. It may not have been the smartest shopping choice, but one year we waited for the sale and the ones we wanted were all gone.

We bought the Audubon Engagement Calendar with a nature photograph every week. We also got, Live, Love, Dream which has helpful quotation and has pages small enough to glue into my journal every day. I’m crazy about journals and about helpful quotations.

Audubon calendar buyers get a free page a day calendar for 2013, and I chose a Bible version. Sometimes my friends like a Bible verse on Face Book. Besides, as helpful as the helpful quotations may be they can’t deliver the dimension scriptures can.

A long time ago our pastor suggested we try writing out Bible verses as if God was talking directly to us. Almost any verse will bring the Holy Spirit up close and personal. Sometimes I keep on writing in my journal after I finish with the verse. I’m surprised when I go back and read it again, Hey that sounds like God and not like me. It’s so cool!

Here’s a sample:

My Dear Child, I love you. You are unique and special to me. Here is something I deeply desire for you to have: May Christ, through your faith, actually dwell—settle down, abide, make His permanent home—in your heart. May you be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love. Ephesians 3:17 (Amplified Bible)

The Message uses the phrase: “the extravagant dimensions of Christ’s love.” What does your version say? Try it, you’ll like it.

calendars

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JANET AND THE OPTOMETRIST

6 Jan

SUNDAY MEMORIES

 Judy Wills

Judy

                                                     

We have always felt that it was most important for us to teach our girls to read.  After all, if you can’t read, you can’t do math problems.  It has been such an important part of our lives and training that both our girls were able to read while still in pre-kindergarten.

 Back in the 1970’s, the big method for teaching children to read was phonetically – sound out the letters of the word and you will be able to make the word your own.  That may still be a method of teaching children to read – I don’t know.

Because Fred and I both wear glasses/contact lenses, we were concerned that our girls might need eye correction fairly early in their lives.  So we had them tested by the AF Base’s optometrist upon several occasions.

Our youngest daughter, Janet, was in second grade, when we had her tested at one point in time.  The technician started with the smallest “line” to read.  No response from Janet.  He moved it up to the next line – no response.  Wringing of hands by Janet at this point.  He moved it up another line – no response.  Severe wringing of hands by Janet.  But no response.

 

EYE CHART

 

Finally, Fred leaned toward her and said – “it doesn’t make a word.”  She had been trying to phonetically make those letters into a word – and she couldn’t do it!  Well – I doubt if WE could have made it into a word, either!

The technician had told her to “read” the line, and that was exactly what she was trying to do – read that line of letters!

She did learn to read – and she didn’t need too much eye correction.  Thank goodness!

 

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Lord Willing and the Creek Don’t Rise

3 Jan

Those of you who have been  following Bill’s travel adventures, we are offering up praises that his heart attack was mild and he is doing very well- Onisha

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

Onisha

 

 

Last week I wrote of the plans I had made for Christmas and how they hadn’t worked out. I am hoping 2013 will be a bit more cooperative.  My parents often prefaced their plans with “ the Lord willing and the creek don’t rise.” As a child, I thought this sounded silly but now I understand that in a humorous way they were lifting their plans up to God.

This week we will be leaving the chilly weather and heading to the sunshine in Florida. We live a rather migratory life, visiting between our children. When I am in Florida I am very content. I love spending time with life long friends and of course being with our daughter. When it is time to return to the “hills,” I am sad and not sure I really want to go.  Once our car gets a few miles up the interstate my heart begins to race with trills of anticipation, excited to see our son and his family and all the things we love about our living in the country. All too soon it’s time to close up the house and head back to Florida and once again I am sad and not sure I want to go.

Does this make me fickle? I don’t think so. I prefer to think of myself as content. In Philippians 4:11 Paul speaks of being content in his circumstances. Admittedly he is referring more to finances, but I am still claiming the contentment!

 

Philippians 4:11-13

 

11 Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: 12 I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13 I can do all things through Christ[a] who strengthens me.

 

 

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My Beloved–Part 1

2 Jan

A Slice of Life

     Bill Lites

Bill

By the time I got to my senior year in high school, my interest in education was almost nonexistent.  My parents had planned a formal education for me and kept pushing me to prepare for college.  I only wanted to graduate from high school so I could get a job and get out of the house.  As a result, I was not a very good student, so I only took the required classes, and filled the rest of the day with meaningless electives.  One of those electives was typing.

 

typewriter typing class

As it turned out, that class ended up being a really good choice for two reasons.  One, I was the only boy in the class, which was great, because I loved being surrounded by girls.  And two, I didn’t know it at the time, but God had planned for me to meet DiVoran in that class.

 

young beloved

I didn’t pay a lot of attention to the class requirements, because I was more interested in impressing the girls by being the class cut-up.  At first, DiVoran and I knew no more about each other than that she used the typewriter I did in the next class.  Oftentimes I would be slow collecting my typing stuff, she would be early for her class, and we would talk briefly.

My best friend at the time was Bud.  He also had classes with DiVoran, and had asked her out a couple of times.  DiVoran happened to be friends with a girl named Rita, who I had also noticed.  When I found out from Bud that DiVoran knew Rita, I saw my chance for a clandestine inquiry.  Being a little shy about the whole thing, one day after class, I asked DiVoran if I could carry her books to her locker, as I had a question to ask her.

lockers

Months later, she told me she had expected me to ask her out, but was surprised, when it was Rita I wanted to know about.  “Yes, she probably would,” DiVoran said, “but you better ask her yourself.”   I did, and after my first date with Rita, she and I, and Bud and DiVoran started double dating.

double dates

Somehow, it evolved that DiVoran and I called each other to talk about our relationships with Bud and Rita.

 

 

—To Be Continued—

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NEW YEARS IN WIESBADEN, GERMANY

30 Dec

SUNDAY MEMORIES

 Judy Wills

Judy

 

                                            

When Karen, our oldest daughter, was still quite young, we were stationed, through the US Air Force, in Wiesbaden, West Germany.  We had joined an English-speaking Baptist church there.  One year, the church decided to hold a New Year’s Eve evenand they needed a “Father Time” (old year) and a New Year’s baby.

 Our little Karen was just about the right age and size to be the New Year, and they asked us if she could do that.  We agreed.  And, so she wouldn’t be traumatize, they asked Fred to be the old year.  He was to wear a “toga” along with a white beard and white wig. We were concerned that Karen would still be frightened by this strange looking man with a tall stick.  So we had Fred dress up in his costume, and present himself to her before the program.  She looked up at him and said, “Hi Daddy!”  So much for a disguise!The program was a lot of fun, and the church group enjoyed themselves.

While we had never seen a drunk German, we were still a little apprehensive on our drive home late that night.  Yes, there was a lot of fireworks, and a lot of reveling all around, but nothing too drastic.  Along the way, as Fred drove very carefully, we spotted an older gentleman on the sidewalk.  Fred slowed down,  just in case this gentleman decided he needed to walk in the street.  The man stopped, looked at us, and tipped his hat at us!  Then he was on his way.  We waved at him and thought how remarkable it was.

We’ve remembered that courtesy all these years.  Such fond memories.

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The One Whose Plans Are Always Perfect

27 Dec

I had big plans for this years Christmas. My granddaughter and I love baking together and were going to bake lots of cookies to share with the neighbors. I planned to attend   many Christmas programs given by the local churches. Sadly no cookies were baked and I only attended two Christmas events.

Sitting on my couch surrounded by Christmas decorations some complete, some in progress I realized once again that plans don’t always work out.

Christmas Day arrived and  the frustration melted away. All the failed plans were swept aside as we celebrated the birth of our Saviour, the one whose plans are always perfect.

I love this song performed by Michael W Smith. Lyrics found here 

My Jesus, My Saviour,

Lord there is no one like you,

All of my days, I want to praise

The wonders of Your mighty love.

My comfort, my shelter,

Tower of refuge and strength

Let every breath, all that I am

Never cease to worship You.

Chorus:

Shout to the Lord, all the earth let us sing,

Power and majesty, praise to the King!

Mountains bow down and the seas will roar,

At the sound of your name!

I sing for joy at the work of your hands,

Forever I’ll love you, forever I’ll stand

Nothing compares to the promise I have in You.

Repeat verse

My Jesus, my Saviour,

Lord, there is none like You

All of my days, I want to praise,

The wonders of your mighty love

My comfort, my shelter,

Tower of refuge and strength

Let every breath, all that I am

Never cease to worship You

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Our Trip Across America-Part 12

26 Dec

   A Slice of Life                       

 Bill Lites

Bill

 

We headed East out of Westcliffe on SR-96 and then South on SR-165 so we could stop and take a tour of one the most interesting local attractions in the area.  It’s called Bishop Castle.  Located on the edge of the San Isabel National Forest, it is a truly amazing structure.  What started out to be a one-room stone cottage in 1969, over the years, has turned into a life’s project, for Jim Bishop, who has built the entire “Castle” by hand.  As it stands now, the “Castle” has three full stories of interior rooms, complete with a Grand Ballroom, soaring towers and bridges with vistas of a hundred miles, and a Fire-Breathing Dragon, all making the Bishop Castle a most unforgettable experience!

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We picked up I-25 North out of the mountains, stopping in Pueblo to visit DiVoran’s grade school friend Joan and her family.  She and DiVoran had a wonderful time remembering “The Good Old Days” they spent growing up together in Westcliffe.  It wasn’t long after leaving Pueblo, heading East on US-50 that we had our 2nd flat tire on the camper.   I guess all those sharp rocks we encountered going up and down Hermit Lake Road weakened that old tire.  We were able to find a replacement tire in Lamar, CO and were soon back on the road toward Dodge City, Kansas.

 

2

 

Of course, we had to stop for a spell in what was the famous frontier town to have a Sarsaparilla at the Long Branch Saloon, and take a stroll out to see Boot Hill, where some of the West’s most famous outlaws were laid to rest.

3

 

From there, it was on East through parts of Kansas and Missouri, where we encountered some of the vast mid-American heartland, with its huge farms of miles and miles of lush wheat and corn crops.

 

45

 

At some point we crossed that grand old  Mississippi River, with all its commerce and history.  Boy that sure is a lot of water!  It was about this time in the trip that we had our 3rd camper tire flat.  What a pain!  I said to myself, Come on now, there are only three tires on this camper, and now we have had all three go flat.  I hope this will be the last of them!

6

 

If the picture above looks familiar, it’s because I was becoming an expert at changing those camper tires.  After replacing that 3rd tire, we now had three brand new tires on the camper, and we never had another tire problem with that camper as long as we had it.

7

We continued our travels Southeast, making stops in Tennessee and George, and we were awed by the sights of some of the most beautiful parts of the Appalachian Mountains we passed through.

8

As we got closer to home, we stopped in Atlanta, Georgia and Tallahassee, Florida.  Part of the joy of this trip was to experience the different parts of the country, its history, and the way people have lived down through the years.  The southern plantations were of special interest and beauty, as they were surrounded  by so much history and grandeur.

9

 

What a great adventure we had visiting our good friends and relatives and seeing all those wonderful sights across our beautiful country.  But now we were heading for the barn, and there was no way to stop us.  After the six weeks on the road, we were all ready to get home, see our Florida friends and sleep in our own beds again.  Boy did that feel good!

10

 

By the way, remember the freeze-dried brine shrimp we bought in Salt Lake City, Utah?  Well, sure enough, when we got home, we put them in water, and they came back to life.  That was Amazing!   Who knows, maybe this is where the Science Fiction folks got some of their ideas.

Well, that just about wraps up “Our Trip Across America.”  I hope you have enjoyed it as much as we did.

 

—-The End —-

 

 

 

 

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WIESBADEN, WEST GERMANY

16 Dec

SUNDAY MEMORIES

 Judy Wills

Judy

                                                     

After my husband had completed his meteorology training for the U.S. Air Force, he was assigned to an AF Weather unit in Wiesbaden, West Germany.  We were quiteexcited about the prospect of living in that country.

 I was seven months pregnant with our first child at the time we were due to depart.  There was just a short window of time that I would be able to travel/fly that far.  If I didn’t make that window, then I would have to remain state-side until after my six-weeks postpartum exam before I could join him in Germany.

Part of the problem was that my passport had not arrived yet!  So, in addition to the time we were to spend with my family in New Mexico (Fred’s family was visiting there to see his brother graduate from the University), we had to schedule a stop in DC to pick up the passport.  And it was HOT in DC in June!  We flew from there to Philadelphia for an overnight with Fred’s relatives.  Expecting to have a nice, cool, stay – we discovered they lived in a row house – without air conditioning!  We nearly melted!

However, all worked out and we flew out to Germany the next day.  We found a second-story apartment on the “economy” (military talk for non-military housing).  We had two bedrooms, and even a balcony!  The German owners lived downstairs.

1

The house was on Albrecht Druer Strasse. If that name is unfamiliar to you, just think of the “praying hands” sketch you’ve seen.  Albrecht Druer was the artist.

2

 

The area where we lived was quite nice.  Just down the street was a lovely park, where the two of us used to walk.  And after Karen’s birth, we walked there again, with her in the buggy.  She loved the outdoors – and the Germans we passed oohhed and aahhed over her.  There was also a church nearby that chimed the hour.

Fred’s dad retired on August 31 that year, and his parents flew over the next day to visit with us.  Our daughter made her appearance the very next day!  And how nice it was to have the grandparents right at hand to take care of us!

Our first Christmas in Germany was lovely.  Fred brought home a table-top tree, and he purchased some German ornaments, that we still have – all these 50+years later!  They aren’t fancy, but they bring back so many memories of such a wonderful time in our lives, every year as we place them on our tree.

 

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…one of the saddest days the world has seen for a long time…

15 Dec

Sharing the words of a friend. I think he speaks the words the hearts of the world are feeling.

Seumas Gallacher

TO THE PARENTS AND FAMILIES OF THOSE TAKEN AT SANDY HOOK

If I could give my soul to you
To replace the ones you’ve lost,
If I could for just one moment

Become the Holy Ghost
I’d swiftly bring them back for you
And step into their place
But we know that that just cannot be,
Instead I wish you Grace
Mere words are not enough to fill
The pain that you must bear,
So please accept from me, from us
Our heartfelt love and prayer.
R.I.P
from Seumas Gallacher, Abu Dhabi

December 15th, 2012

This is one of the saddest days I’ve known for a long time. Please spare a thought or prayer for those so terribly affected  by this horrific killing.

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All Filled Up Again

4 Dec

This isn’t really a blog post, more like a thought. When my son was small he, like most children ,would think of the multitude of reasons he didn’t need to go to sleep. I would tell him “mommy is all out of patience tonight but it will be filled up in the morning.” Last night I was so tired and discouraged. But this morning, just like the patience with my son, I am filled up again.

Psalm 59:16

The Message (MSG)

16-17 And me? I’m singing your prowess,
    shouting at cockcrow your largesse,
For you’ve been a safe place for me,
    a good place to hide.
Strong God, I’m watching you do it,
    I can always count on you—
    God, my dependable love.

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