Making Amends

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Fear not November’s challenge bold—We’ve books and friends, And hearths that never can grow cold: These make amends!

Alexander L. Fraser (1870–1954), “November,” c.1918

Amend: to make better, to improve

While looking up inspirational quotes for a blog title, I noticed that November quotes seemed dark and dismal. The trees will be bare soon and the cold winds are coming. Darkness falls early and the nights seem longer. I did find one quote that was positive that I used. Of course, in my stray gifts scavenger hunt, making amends with the season appealed to me. “We’ve books and friends”, wrote Fraser. There are other gifts of the season which can help improve the overall mood for the coming months. Here is my latest record of graces. Photos added in a collage below.

Gifts in a Park: John and I went to a local park last week and found a walking trail. I’m thankful he can get out and walk – especially on uneven surfaces such as a nature trail. Last year at this time, he was recovering from two hip replacement surgeries. The view of the rock and the trees from the road was what made us want to park and explore. I love to see the changes in leaves every week.

Gifts Fascinating: I was bent over trying to get a good photo of a spider on the side of the path when a lady walking by stopped and asked if I was trying to identify a plant. I pointed out the spider web and told her I thought it was really interesting. I had never seen one like this before. “Oh wow”, she said. “I would have never noticed that!” As far as I can tell, this is a garden spider or “zipper spider” and is harmless – but I still don’t want to get too close. It’s huge!!!

Gifts Big: They say everything is big in Texas and I believe it- especially after seeing that garden spider and a large bee during our walk! It was pretty buzzing around the flowers.

Gifts in Perfect Days: Last Sunday was a perfect fall day. Little by little, colder weather is creeping in. We have had a few days cold and rainy, but that’s ok. Everything is cyclical and warm days will be here again. In the meantime, I can enjoy comforting soups and homemade bread, hot cocoa – rich and chocolaty, and cozy blankets to wrap up in when I’m cold.

Gifts Simple Pleasures: Things that feed the soul: fresh air, blue skies, peaceful days and pathways, simple activities like fishing, bike riding, frisbee golf, walking dogs. Many people were out enjoying the day as well.

Conscious of Our Treasures

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We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.

Thornton Wilder

This week’s Stray Gifts:

Gifts of Respect: I hear John every day on the phone guiding other veterans through the government health computer system. Some are sons and daughters calling on behalf of their father. Some are wives calling for their husbands. Some are elderly veterans who do not want to even bother with the internet but are being forced to through the changes from paperwork to updated technology. Some veterans call needing to set up a way to renew their medicines or to contact their doctor through the veteran’s health site. John is tech support, yet he gets calls for all types of reasons. Many times, he is on the phone listening to a widow wanting to know what is the next step. Some are frustrated veterans who are upset and need to check up on a complaint filed. Some are veterans trying to go back to school or who need to know where to file for disability compensation. By the end of the day, John is mentally tired. So many people need help – and not just with tech support. He does the best he can to listen and help or to transfer the veteran to someone who can. Each veteran who calls or family member who calls for a veteran, he shows them respect and always says, “Thank you for your service to your dad” or “I appreciate the care you show your husband in helping him with this issue” or “Thank you for your service to this country”. Respect. It is a small word, but has the potential to change someone’s day from a hurting one to a hopeful one.

Gifts in Reading: With all of John’s joint issues (ankle, hips, and shoulder), I’ve been doing more research on the benefits of collagen rich bone broth. I’ve been making my own broth for years, but I might learn something new here. The local grocery store sells packages of just bones. He wasn’t ready to add chicken feet to the broth making, 🤣 (even though I’ve read they are good for it). I’ve always used bones leftover from rotisserie chicken. Thankful for research and guidance in health and wellness.

Gifts in New (to me) Music: One of my New Year’s resolutions was to explore new Christian music. I came across the group Southern Raised and have been enjoying this talented family, their bluegrass style, and the encouragement they share. One of the songs, “Ravens Still Fly” is about how God took care of Elijah by the brook Cherith (I Kings 17). This powerful song is one of my favorites.

“Are you deep in despair? You feel like nobody cares? You can’t find your way or the words to even pray. Just hold on, He’s not gone. Rest by the brook. Take another look. Lift your eyes to the sky – ravens still fly.”

Gifts in Work: With John working for the Department of Veteran’s Affairs, it is nice that they work with his disabilities. He worked half a day today fighting a migraine. After lunch, he was able to call in sick, take some medicine, and go to bed.

Gifts from Others: I have a few friends who text me their beautiful gifts often. Just this week, three friends shared something that caught their attention. The cover photo was shared by a friend in New Mexico. She and her husband had gone for a ride out in the Zuni Mountains (near Ojo Redondo Campground) and enjoyed the beautiful day. What a striking site with the bright yellow leaves of the Aspens, the deep green of the Ponderosa Pines, and the very blue sky. “‘Nothing like the beautiful blue skies of the Southwest,” she said. The photo of the deer was shared by a friend in Pennsylvania. The acorn photo was sent by a friend in Texas. She liked the acorn’s really big hat! Sometimes, when maybe it’s difficult to find a “stray gift” myself, I look through photos that were shared with me. A flower shared earlier in the year by a friend is currently my laptop background photo because its beauty took my breath away. I like to put reminders in my sightline around the house. Even if I don’t step outdoors some days, I still am surrounded by nature that nurtures.

Tonic for the Soul

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Wouldn’t it be an exhilarating tonic for the soul to take a moment to appreciate the simple, good things in life which are so bountiful…? 

Author unknown, c.1949

Tonic (definition): a medicine that invigorates or strengthens: anything invigorating physically, mentally, or morally

Finding stray gifts in a day is exactly like taking a dose of medicine. There are so many aches and pains which ail us in a day – and I don’t mean just physically. Our souls feel battered by watching too much news, or by having to work too hard, or by just taking care of all the life-things. When do we get a break?

When I take time to appreciate the simple and the good, right there is when I get a break. It stops my thoughts from going down the path of the Prodigal Son and the “Why not me, Lord?” All along, I have my very own gifts lovingly placed in front of me, strengthening me, causing me to keep looking for more of God.

Here is this week’s compilation of stray gifts. (Photo collage below)

Gifts Shared: 1) Quietness as John was in bed one day with a migraine. It may not sound like much, but we were together, at least, in our shared apartment. 2) Time shared watching a few movies after he woke up and then walking to the mailbox tonight. 3) It always brings joy when others share their #straygifts throughout the week – a deer in the yard, a beautiful tree against an October sky, a freshened up flower box, gentle music from a neighbor’s wind chimes, a pumpkin pie made for a hard working husband…and more. What a blessing to me to receive these messages from those who are looking too.

Gifts Country Rodeo: 1) Respect for God, the flag, and our country 2) Families spending time together having fun 3) Fresh air and freedom (Oh, and funnel cake!)

Gifts in Animals: 1) A frog in the same spot every night on our walk around the apartment complex 2) Friendly neighborhood dogs out with their humans 3) A cute little rabbit hopping across the lawn

Gifts Blooming: Jonathan sent me a photo of some of the roses blooming in our yard back in El Paso.

Gifts in Imagination: John and I were driving around Waco last weekend and spotted this house on the corner of a busy street. I can’t imagine that someone built this house in the current state of traffic here. Maybe it was built when the area was farm lands, I don’t know – but it was ‘swoon-worthy’. This house, all fixed up and in the country, would be a dream house for me. I imagine roses around the perimeter of the house, maybe hanging ferns and a swing on the front porch, fresh paint. It’s fun to dream. I wonder what the inside looks like! I love to see beautiful old homes and their architecture.

Gifts of Change: Cooler weather calling for cozy soups and comfy sweaters

A Gentle Grace

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Beauty is such a gentle grace. Like God, it rarely shouts, rarely intrudes. Rather it woos, soothes, invites; it romances and caresses. We often sigh in the presence of beauty as it begins to minister to us – a good, deep soul-sigh.

John Eldredge, Get Your Life Back, Everyday Practices for a World Gone Mad

I go through phases of posting my #straygifts on social media and other times when I am quiet. I have been posting a bit more, so thought I would share the most recent collection here on the blog. A collage of photos (in random order) will be at the bottom of this entry.

Gifts Sunset: 1) Transition from the day’s work into night’s rest 2) Layers of color spread over the horizon 3) As the sun was setting on one side of the road, the moon was rising on the other. The view was breathtaking.

Gifts Fresh: 1) Crisp apples with breakfast 2) Autumn air on our face and arms as we ate breakfast on the porch 3) The sound of children laughing on the playground behind our apartment

Gifts Seasonal: 1) Fall craft paper – my favorite 2) I don’t always have the time to make greeting cards, but I was able to while in El Paso for a few weeks. 3) My creativity is seasonal because sometimes, I just have no idea what kinds of cards I want to make. Other times, like in these cards, I made them one right after another and the creative “juices” were flowing. I made 28 cards within a few days.

Gifts Hopeful: 1) John’s appointment with the surgeon last week went well. The shoulder looks like it is healing. If it continues to hurt, though, an MRI will be done in a few months to see what’s what. 2) Gradual cooling temperatures that make it actually feel like Autumn. 3) We live closer to our Dallas area friends now (less than 2 hours) and we may be venturing out to visit a few here and there in the coming months.

Gifts Conversation: 1) Talk of plans for the future and what God may have in store for us 2) Texts setting up a visit at the end of the month with friends 3) A phone call from my niece who is in college in TN

Gifts Outside: 1) John and I went to the Riverwalk here in Waco yesterday. It was a beautiful day to be outside and to take a walk. He could not have done this a year ago before his first hip replacement surgery. 2) Fresh breeze surrounding us with scents of grass and of the water off the river 3) Huge old oak trees with branches growing in all directions

Where There Is Patience and Humility

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Where there is patience and humility, there is neither anger nor vexation.

Francis of Assisi

Recently, my husband and I were watching an extreme adventure challenge through the internet. There were over sixty teams with four members in each one. They all had to find their way through the jungle, through rivers, through darkness, through freezing rain, through mud and they needed to work together to endure to the finish line. The challenge was grueling. Putting themselves down or putting others down did not allow for effective teamwork. Team members offered constructive criticism when needed and provided compliments and encouragement often. To succeed, the teams had to know their strengths and their weaknesses and adjust their mindset accordingly. When questioned in an interview on how their team was doing, one member commented, “Why be angry? When there is a solution, there is no need for anger or frustration”. What patience! What humility! “What wisdom!”, I thought.

When I feel frustrated with myself or with another ‘team member’, I know where to find the solution. God gives wisdom to endure to the end. The only way to make it through life’s grueling challenges with patience and humility and without anger is to seek the solution through Him in all things.

James 1: 4-5, “But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.”

Tell Me Something Good – Jonna’s Story

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Jonna and I have only talked face to face a few times. She is a member of a church that used to support our family when we were missionaries in Mexico. I met her there during a visit to update their church and we soon became friends on Facebook. At first it was distant – you know, the “like, heart, smiley face” sort of relationship we have with most on there, until I found out she was learning about the same healthy eating plan I was. We started communicating on a more personal level, exchanged phone numbers so we could text, and that was the beginning of our friendship. We share recipes, stray gift photos, life happenings, Bible verses, things we are learning, and prayer requests. I asked her if she had anything good to share and she responded with a testimony about her sixteen year old son.

“Sure, I can tell you about it. Brandon had his 18 month check up the morning Morgan had her 3 week post-op checkup from having the hole in her heart repaired. At that visit, we were told Brandon needed to see a cardiologist. From the first visit with him, his 4 year old sister walked him through all the sonogram and EKG tests like a pro. It was discovered that he has a bicuspid valve in his heart and a narrowing of the aorta for a short span before it opens back up. He gets yearly checks for progress of the issues those things cause. With the bicuspid valve, there isn’t a full thrust of all the blood pumped out of that chamber, causing “backwash” so to speak of some of the blood, and causing his heart to work harder than normal to get the blood out. The aorta narrows for a span like a 4 lane highway merging into 2 lanes and then opening back up. At his yearly exam this spring, because of his size now at 6’2″, the dr ordered an MRI to get a better picture of his aorta as it can be seen on the sonogram as it could before. We had that done in June. When the results came back, they saw something on his spine, unrelated to his heart, that needed further evaluation. They ordered a CT scan for that which we had done in early July. The results of that came back as normal/benign and no further testing needing to be done. As far as the MRI results concerning his heart/aorta, those results showed that he just needs to continue his current schedule of yearly checkups. While we have known since toddlerhood he will eventually need surgery to repair/replace the valve, his health is not progressing more rapidly than expected. We are thankful on all accounts!”

It is scary when our children need care outside of our control! Brandon is in 11th grade and his sister Morgan is a freshman in college. Both are doing well right now with their health – something good, for certain.

Other “Tell Me Something Good” Stories: Sheilia, Michelle, MaLinda, Katie

The Best Doctors in the World

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The best doctors in the world are Doctor Diet, Dr. Quiet, and Dr. Merryman.

Jonathan Swift

There are days when I struggle to keep up – even though I have a small family. There are moments when everything seems urgent and I feel overwhelmed – even over small tasks that need to be done. I then need to do a check-up and ask myself a few questions. Have I been drinking enough water? Have I eaten a healthy breakfast to start the day? Should I go to bed earlier to get enough rest? Could I use a bit of quiet time today to reset? Did I do something today that brought me joy? These questions help me take inventory of things I tend to neglect because I usually am taking care of others first. If I do not take care of myself, the lack of nutrition, the lack of sleep, and the lack of purposely looking for the “stray gifts” in a day will catch up. The older I get, the longer it takes to recover. When I notice I have had too many days in a row that were rough, I know I can ask God for wisdom to uncover what my body and soul need to lift the burden and to make the necessary adjustments.

Matthew 11:28-30, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” 

Tell Me Something Good – Katie’s Story

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Katie and I met seventeen years ago in a church in Oklahoma. My husband was in Bible college at the time and we were working in a small church there in the music and bus ministry. Our son Jonathan was seven years old and her two oldest girls were around the same age. After we surrendered to go to the mission field and were on deputation, their home was a refuge for us in between church meetings. We brought ourselves through their doors carrying laundry, tired bodies, and sometimes sick-with-a-cold-bodies, too. They let us sleep and wash clothes, and they fed us well. They took care of us and Jonathan had a place to run around and be a kid. He fed goats, rode horses, jumped on the trampoline with their six kids and we adults visited til way late in the night. Her husband is a professional electrician and came down with a mission group to Mexico one time and helped my dad rewire his church building. The kids still keep in touch here and there. The older ones are in college like Jonathan and busy with classes or work. Katie and I keep in touch regularly.

Recently, one of Katie’s daughters was in a car accident and wrecked the mini van she was driving. The man she bumped into had a heavy duty truck and bumper so no damage was done. He made sure she was okay, that she had help coming, and he didn’t want to file a report. Katie and her husband were trying to figure out the value of repairing the van versus purchasing another vehicle when they heard about a couple who was selling their mini van. Katie never really liked mini vans in the first place. Theirs had issues with the sliding door, the seat adjustments and other things. If ever they were to get another mini van, she had a long wish list of features she would like to have. This mini van that was for sale was four years older than the one that was in the wreck. There were a few things that needed to be fixed, but nothing like a bent-in radiator and fan, though. After the couple had heard about the accident and that Katie and her husband were debating about what to do, they offered their mini van – for free. What did Katie think of the mini van? “It was a major upgrade!”, she said. All the things she had on here wish list? Granted.

Isn’t that amazing? It is so good to hear stories of God’s provisions.

Other Tell Me Something Good stories: Sheilia Michelle MaLinda

The Art of Being Wise

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The art of being wise is the art of knowing what to overlook.

W. James

The day might start with a bad night’s sleep and then continue on to a hurried morning, troubles with traffic and construction, more bad news on the radio. When I lived in the city, it could take less than one block of driving before frustration would already conquer my day and my attitude. With that frame of mind, an impatient spirit followed closely on my heels in the hours to come. Small annoyances became a bigger problem than they needed to be. It is then easy to overlook my own faults and difficult to overlook those of others. Before my feet touch the floor in the morning, I want to aim for a peaceful day, a gentle spirit, and above all- mercy.

James 3: 17-18, …”the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.” 

For Ayden

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PRAYER REQUEST!

My cousin Stacy’s son is having surgery tomorrow. He has scoliosis. This surgery is to put a rod in his spine. It will help him not need a brace, will keep his spine from resting on his heart, and will relieve pressure from his lungs. He has been wearing this halo for the last three weeks. Ayden is 12 years old. Please pray that all goes well, and for Stacy as she is SUPER nervous. This surgery is a big deal.