I just love this little video.
I love her little feet, using them to help her keep the keyboard on he lap.
I love that she’s playing with two hands.
I love that she wants to make music.
I love that she owns my living room.
I love that she didn’t make me stop filming her.
I love that box, as ugly as it is, because it’s just what she needed.
I love her curls.
I love her—all 102 weeks of her.
Author: SaxophoneWife
The Gratitude Challenge, Part I
“Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” William Arthur Ward (1921-1994)
Today is November 9th. My challenge is to name nine reasons I am grateful today. I invite you join me! Post your answers in a comment. My answers are below. Please, play along!
“Gratitude is the fairest blossom which springs from the soul.”
Henry Ward Beecher (1813-1887)
Nine Reasons I am Grateful Today:
- I have a warm place to live.
- When I need to rest, I can.
- Men are getting their HopeMail.
- Christmas is coming.
- I have a measure of health.
- Tacos.
- My husband.
- Progress eventually happens.
- God – the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
A Big Day
It’s Election Day in America.
I hope you all get out and vote your conscience and convictions. Let’s agree to disagree respectfully, and non-violently. Let’s pray for our government, for a peace-filled day, and for each other.
We’re in this together; we need each other—like it or not.
Saturday Evening Post: 11/3/18
• I hate to say things like, “I can’t believe it’s already November,” but I really can’t believe it’s already November!
• I have a very, very itchy palm right now. Its kind of driving me crazy. I came down with a bad case of eczema over the summer that really exploded in September. I think what’s happening with my palms is somehow related. They have been improving, but for some reason they are really itchy today. Makes me think of my poor granddaughter, when her hands are really bugging her. I usually try to distract her, or rinse them in cold water. I think I’ll try the cold water right now.
• Last month, I started watching Christmas movies, while I was kind of spending a lot of time sick. I love almost any Christmas movie. One movie I watched and really enjoyed was called The Christmas Wife.
It stars Julie Harris and Jason Robards, and that’s why I chose to watch it. I love Julie Harris, and I know Jason Robards is a fine actor. There was no way this could be a bad movie.
And, I was right. It is not your typical Christmas movie at all—the tempo is slow, the soundtrack is very quiet, the characters are very pensive—but, I really enjoyed it. The story line is rather unusual: a widower wants to continue the Christmas traditions he shared with his wife, but doesn’t want to be alone. So, he hires a woman to spend Christmas with him. He quickly learns that the woman he’s hired is hiding a troubling secret. Here is the trailer:
The film is almost entirely the two of them at his cabin. It’s really the kind of movie you want to watch uninterrupted, because you want to get inside their heads, you know? There’s a mysterious element to it. I also enjoyed watching him make Christmas. You easily believed he’d done this for 40 years. I watched this on Amazon Prime for free, and it is also on YouTube. It might be streaming on other sites.
• Yesterday, I woke up feeling physically the best I’ve felt in well over a month. It was pretty nice! I’ve had a series of strange injuries and ailments, and the cold was just the last straw. However, now it’s almost gone. I think everything else is on the mend, too. So, I’m very grateful.
• Well, tomorrow Doug is sharing a ministry update with a church in town that has partnered with us for so long, in so many ways. It’s always nice to visit a church where we have some history. It’s strange to not have a home church like normal folks; I really miss that the most, I think. Probably, my least favorite thing about being a missionary. However, I love getting to know Christians from so many different churches and towns. That’s one of my favorite things.
Hope you have a good Sunday. God bless you! ❤
12 Things I Learned When I Got Cancer
A few days ago, I marked the seventh anniversary since a surgeon removed a basketball from my abdomen.
When I was finally able to return to chapel services at the Farm, where Doug was serving as Chaplain, he asked me to share a testimony. I jotted down a few notes, and this is what came out. Pretty rough and ugly, but maybe what I learned can encourage someone else who may be in the midst of a season of suffering and challenge themselves.
Things I Learned When I Got Cancer
Lesson #1: God Gets To Do Whatever He Wants To Do
I really did not think God would allow me to have cancer, because I had too much going on in my life. The Fall is the busiest time for me in the ministry. Plus, there is no cancer history in my family. And, didn’t I have enough to deal with all ready? My family needed me. I did not have time to be in a hospital.
I really did think these very dumb thoughts.
Lesson #2: Just Keep Trusting
A few days after being released from the hospital, my incision opened and I was bleeding profusely. I was in the worst pain, and fear was rising. Doug had to take me to the E.R., and I remember laying there so scared, asking Doug to help me make sense of this. He simply told me, “You just have to keep trusting God.”
When things are so hard, but just keep getting harder, remember to just keep trusting. God’s faithfulness has no end.
Lesson #3: Pain Happens
We cannot prevent pain, but there are things we can do to stop it, or at least ease it. So, do what you can, and hold on tight to a friend’s hand whenever possible. And, remember Lesson #2. It will eventually pass. This applies to physical pain, and emotional pain.
Lesson #4: Do Your Best
You may not have another chance, so do your best right now. And, when it comes to other people, give them your best. It matters. It may matter to someone you’ll never meet, but it definitely matters to God, who put you here to do it in the first place.
Lesson #5: Always Assume The Other Person Is Having A Worse Day
I could cry right now, remembering the way I was cared for at the Yawkey Center for Cancer Care. But, it wasn’t only them. My visiting nurses (Robyn and Karen and Wendy, especially) blessed me in so many ways. I remember the look on the face of my anesthesiologist, the last thing I remember before waking up in recovery—the kindness and assurance in her eyes mattered. Yeah, they all knew I was sick. They had an advantage. But, we don’t have an excuse. We encounter people every day who are facing serious troubles. When I consider how much the kindness, warmth, and gentleness of strangers meant to me, I pray the Lord help me always to extend these same gifts to others. People giving their best made all the difference for me. Refer to Lesson #4.
Lesson #6: God Doesn’t Have To Give You Cancer To Kill You
Don’t wait for a terminal diagnosis to take life seriously. We have all been appointed a day to die, so live every day with meaning now. Besides, when you get that diagnosis, you may not have the time, or strength, to do those things you keep putting off. And, it feels really bad to think you really might not get another chance. Review Lessons #4 and #7.
Lesson #7: Do It Now
Why are you putting it off? We don’t get credit for our To Do List.
Lesson #8: You Cannot Be Too Polite
See Lessons #4 and #5.
Lesson #9: The Little Things Matter
If you have been paying attention, you’ve all ready learned this lesson. Please, review Lessons #4, #5, #7, and #8.
Lesson #10: Trials And Suffering Mature Our Love For God, And For Others
Don’t be afraid of trials and suffering. Don’t resist them. Don’t buck against them. One word I learned well during this time in my life was y – i – e – l – d. Yield. Yield to God, even as He takes you down a dark and frightening road. You see, His will only works when He is in full control. We must be fully surrendered. Remember Lessons #1 and #2.
Lesson #11: The Worst Thing That Can Happen Isn’t On This Earth
The worst thing that can happen is not getting to Heaven at all, or arriving in the presence of the Lord without a treasure to present your King. (See Lessons #10, #7, #4, and #2.)
Lesson #12: Don’t Forget What You Learned The Last Time
When the Lord allows suffering, it is for a purpose. He has a reason. An objective. So, write down what you learn. Tell others. And, keep living those lessons out every day. Live it as long as you have breath.
God bless you today. I know cancer has a way of re-entering the life of the survivor, and I keep that in mind as each anniversary approaches. My particular cancer is very slow growing, so if it usually reappears after 10-20 years, and the survival rate on the second pass is a lot less than the first. So, believe me, I review these lessons regularly. ❤
A sign my family left in my room. It was a touch of cheeriness that meant a lot.
Blog-tober Is Ober
I was inspired to launch Blog-tober for three specific reasons.
- After several ministry-packed months, in which I had less time than usual to blog, I felt that my blog deserved some attention.
- As blogging is such a personal activity, and writing is my favorite, it feels pretty selfish. I have trouble making it a priority, because I always feel guilty choosing to write over some other work that somehow profits others. I thought Blog-tober would be a way to give myself permission to not feel guilty about blogging.
- Giving myself a daily deadline, I suspected, would force me to focus less on perfection, and more on production. It’s very easy to edit a piece to death, especially when you are a very private person writing about things that are very personal.
So, How’d I Do?
I began with a five-day disadvantage, and ended with an eight day deficit. That equates to 23 posts in 31 days, and to that I say, “Not bad!” If I hadn’t gotten sick, I would have done better. I just lose all will to live, when I get a cold. [I know that’s stupid, but it’s true. I think it’s the lack of sleep, or oxygen.]
I’m very satisfied with the results of this challenge. I (almost) never felt guilty about saying, “I’m working on my blog.” I posted some things that have been in the works for so long, but I was just so uncertain they were “good enough.” They were just sitting in that drafts folder, dying. My take-away on this point is that nothing we do for the Lord is ever “good enough,” compared to what He has done for us. Therefore, we must just humbly give Him our best. He alone will judge the worth of our offering, because only He knows the heart of the giver.
And, having a daily deadline helped a lot.
What Happens Now?
Well, I keep doing what I’m doing. I’ve taken some interest in seeing which posts were the most viewed. It gives me pause, that the post I had the most doubts about posting is the post that garnered the most views. [What was I saying about being a poor judge?]
I know I want to write more on the topic of Being His Help Meet, because each of the seven points needs to filled out a little. They are each deserving of their own post.
Ultimately, I’ll post what I post, because it’s my blog. I write on some heavy topics, because I feel inspired by the Holy Spirit, or convicted. I know that testimony matters, and God has given me one. He means for me to share it. And, my blog is one means by which to do that.
Thanks For Reading.
I’m sorry you have to endure ads. I’m always surprised that anyone bothers to click and read my blah, blah, blah, and it really means a lot to me when you react or comment. One reader shared a post and someone commented on her share. Something had stuck with them that was meaningful to them. That definitely made my day, and blessed me a lot. Like I said, I’m very private. It isn’t easy to share such personal information. However, our testimonies are not meant to be stored in the attic of our memories. They are meant to be shared, or they really aren’t a testimony at all, are they?
I just want to close with the quote that is this blog’s raison d’être :
Thanks again, friends. ❤
When Mercy Seasons Justice
This monologue came to mind the other day. I cannot get it out of my mind, so I decided to share it. The words are so beautiful.
In case you aren’t familiar with the scene, Portia has disguised herself as a lawyer, in order to advocate for her husband. She is speaking to Shylock, who is demanding a pound of flesh to repay his debt.
Of course, plays are meant to be heard, especially Shakespeare. I think Laura Carmichael does a lovely job.
Such good words to remember.
The quality of mercy is not strained
The quality of mercy is not strained.
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest:
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes.
‘Tis mightiest in the mightiest; it becomes
The thronèd monarch better than his crown.
His scepter shows the force of temporal power,
The attribute to awe and majesty
Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings;
But mercy is above this sceptered sway.
It is enthronèd in the hearts of kings;
It is an attribute to God Himself;
And earthly power doth then show likest God’s
When mercy seasons justice. Therefore, Jew,
Though justice be thy plea, consider this:
That in the course of justice none of us
Should see salvation. We do pray for mercy,
And that same prayer doth teach us all to render
The deeds of mercy. I have spoke thus much
To mitigate the justice of thy plea,
Which, if thou follow, this strict court of Venice
Must needs give sentence ‘gainst the merchant there.
— Portia, in William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice, Act 4, Scene 1.
Favorite Things: Christmas Wrap Organizer
I have had various wrapping paper organizers over the years, but this one is GREAT! It really works for me, and that’s why I’m sharing it. Maybe, it will work for you, too.
I found the suitcase at a second-hand store for a couple bucks. It’s compact, portable, and the hard case doubles as a gift-wrapping table. It’s small, yet still holds everything I need to wrap almost any Christmas gift I might give. Sometimes, I do need a larger gift bag or a long roll of paper, so I keep those in a bin under the bed.
I never throw usable wrapping paper away.
The contents are all accumulated bits from over the years. I layer flat wrap first, than gift bags, than the folders, and finally the short, wrapping paper rolls. I tell ya, I open this case up and it just makes me happy! It’s one of my favorite things. ❤
Saturday Evening Post: 10/27/18
• Almost every day, my granddaughter asks for popcorn. We make it together; it’s one of our rituals. She knows where all the supplies are, and if I dawdle she’ll start pulling them out onto the kitchen floor: pot, lid, bowl, popcorn, coconut oil, and scoop. Scooping is her particular job. Once the corn is in the pot, we’ll watch and wait for three kernels to pop. Then, the lid goes on. That’s when she’ll get down and I’ll shake the pan. She either hops up onto Poppa’s lap, or waits by my chair for me. I don’t know how long this ritual will last, but I’m enjoying every second.
Doug took the pictures below one afternoon. Lucy started feeding me popcorn, and I decided to eat it like Cookie Monster. She giggled so much!
• Caught a cold. On top of the other health nonsense I’ve been dealing with, I’m kinda tired of being sick. Now, I say that with a mindfulness that seven years ago I was in a hospital bed, squeezing a button for pain relief and raising my arms every few minutes to cough. Perspective matters.
• BLOG-TOBER UPDATE: This cold has taken a toll on my blogging. I’m not sure I’ll reach my goal by the 31st. This will be post 20, which means I need to produce 11 posts in three days. Highly doubtful. It’s been a good exercise, though.
• We had a bed picnic today. It was nice. Felt like a holiday.
• Speaking of holidays, I’m really looking forward to Christmas. I do look forward to Christmas every year, but there will be two grandbabies this year. That will make it extra-special!
•
A Poem: “The Invalid Person”
I sit here an invalid person, inconsequent; a spare.
I’m sick and malfunctioning, in some ways in disrepair!
The kind man who loves me—none other can compare—
Is lifting the heavy loads, and protecting me from stairs.
I don’t much like this sickness; for this disease I do not care,
But, my heart is full of thanks for my Saxophone Play’r.
He brings me smiles and covers me in prayer;
For an invalid person, this grace and mercy is quite rare.
Though weary and sick, with ill burdens to bear,
I lift my prayers, too; Fear and Doubt I will forswear.
For, in truth, I know these are but light afflictions to prepare,
When Heavenward we sail to meet our Savior in the air.
Hard as things sometimes seem, that glad day will be fair,
Today’s suffering forgotten, for no tears will be found there.
“That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our inner strength in the Lord is growing every day. These troubles and sufferings of ours are, after all, quite small and won’t last very long. Yet this short time of distress will result in God’s richest blessing upon us forever and ever! So we do not look at what we can see right now, the troubles all around us, but we look forward to the joys in heaven which we have not yet seen. The troubles will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever.” 2 Corinthians 4:6-18, (TLB)
❤
The Saxophone Player's Wife 