April 21-Tues. Gena and Ruth here in morn. Dropped off yard sale items at school in afternoon. Michael and Susan wanted to be with me in kitchen after school. "Will you show me how to make this? " asked Michael. Good time and good conversation. Shopped at Walmart with Phil in eve. I can now count the number of times we have shopped together on two hands, I think. I find it so 'romantical'. Stopped at McD's for vanilla ice cream cones. First ice cream in months. Way too much for both of us. Found some yellow, blue, purple and scarlet flowers today.
April 22-Difficult day at school and then a difficult phone call that eve. I did not sleep the whole night. Phil away overnight and not around to help process things. I find a burden growing from this difficult week. It has to do with the students that I come in contact with at school. Do I relate to the students on the basis of their behavior and their grades? Do I give them respect if they are good students and good kids? Or do I relate to them on the basis of the preciousness of their souls? If they would leave our school this year and not come back the next, would they have come to know Jesus at our school? Would they want to have come to know Jesus because of who we are and how we have treated them? Do I speak words of blessing and a hopeful future over them? Or do my words show disdain and anger when they don't behave the way I want them to? Do I respect everyone great or small? Do I use my authority to serve the ones "under" me? Do I really love them? Do I really care about them and their lives and the sorrows and joys they so long to share?
April 23-Happy Birthday, dear Mother. It is hard to believe that you are 84 years old. Thank you for having me and for having all of my siblings. Thank you for sticking with my father through good times and bad. Thank you for reading to me for an hour every night. Thank you for making company food for every meal. Thank you for exposing me to different cultures through the Fresh Air program and by giving hospitality to missionaries home on furlough. Thank you for being an artist in everything you touch and write. Thank you for loving Phil and our children. Thank you for taking such good care of yourself through the years. Thank you for having compassion on the weak. Thank you for taking me for walks in the woods and through the fields and on the railroad tracks. Thank you for everything. I could go on forever, but I'll just love you forever.
April 24-Great day at school. Took time to listen and talk with the children. Taught all classes the Jewish dance that goes with the Cornerstone Hymn-"I lay in Zion...for a foundation...a stone.." You remember the dance? It's like riding a bike. It all comes back...
Ladies Night out at the Daily Grind.
April 25-Phil was on tractor all day. Planted 2 acres of sweet corn and 23 acres of field corn. We prayed that meadow larks nest in the fields would not get run over. We heard them singing the next morning and were so grateful that the machinery in the fields did not cause them to lose their song. Chi Alpha here in afternoon. They played in the river, roasted hot dogs and marshmallows over a fire, and played kickball with a gigantic soccer ball. They enjoyed the calves, the chicks, rabbits, and baby quail. Emma reassured Philip over and over how much she loved him by her words, hugs, and kisses. Adi fell asleep as I took her for one last ride on the gator. Freeman begged to hold her and he stood in the closing prayer circle with Adi asleep in his arms. Phil and Gil prayed for the students. It was a wonderful day.
April 26-Got call from Judy on way to church. Tom in hospital. Please Jesus, help them. Heard a number of burdens today. There is so much going on...so much pressure and stress in people's lives. Church service took a different direction. Several testimonies were shared and the altar was open for ministry. Pastor Frank shared just a bit of his sermon. It was about Jesus' first miracle-the turning of water into wine. The main thought that I took away was that when Jesus touches the ordinary (water) He will turn the ordinary into the best. The best is yet to come. He saves the best for last. I was riding my gator the other day, and got that same impression. I felt that God was going to do more with Phil and I in the remaining years of our lives than He has done so far. I do not know what that is. But He is cleansing our family from things that could cause downfall and He is cleansing our lives from material clutter and He is helping us to lose weight and get in better shape physically as well. None of this is pleasant but I do so want to be free to live without encumbrances. Most of all, I think we need to live each day without the encumbrance of the past, whether it is yesterday or last year, or twenty years ago. We need to be free from condemnation and sin. We need to be free from the trap of past successes. We need to let the trophies go. We need to be free to know that "He loves us...oh, how He loves us..." and receive His love with all our hearts. We can't be cleaning ourselves up and then receiving His love. We receive His love and then He cleans us up. That way, He gets the honor and glory for the beauty from ashes that comes out of our lives.
In the afternoon, Alli and Freeman went down to the river and Christi and Philip went fishing. Jordan and Hayley came over and Hayley and Susan went swimming in the river while I read a book about simplifying one's life and got some sun.
Phil wants me to watch 'Negotiator' with him. Sounds like fun.
No comments:
Post a Comment