Sayings that I hear, like, and remember...

will be posted from time to time...

"Don't spend time thinking less of yourself.
Spend time thinking of yourself, less."

-David Jeremiah, 5-31-2009

Memorial Day Sunday

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My husband is pastoring a small, struggling church. Today we had 5 families that were gone because of the holiday weekend. So we mixed things up a bit - had "church" in the fellowship hall instead of the bigger (more empty) sanctuary. It made for a more informal, cozier time together. Afterwards we had everyone (all 10 people) at our house with an impromptu potluck dinner. One lady in our church (whom I knew as a teenager) helped me Sat. evening get some things ready for the dinner. It was a wonderful time of food and fellowhship. What could have been a down and discouraging day was wonderful and a blessing.

Proud of my family!

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JRWG graduated on the 9th from college earlier this month. Congrats and Way to go, Son! Even if it did take you 12 years, you finished what you started. We're proud of you.

Our older grandson, EPF, is learning to play the guitar and even played in Chapel at his school this year!
ABF, our younger granddaughter, is taking ballet and was a little swan in a production of Swan lake! Of course she was the prettiest one there!
SCF, our younger grandson, did something in sports this year. But his grandmother is getting old... I'll have to go look that back up and come back here and post it! But I don't want to leave him out. He's made some accomplishments and learning new things all the time, too!

Our older granddaughter, ARG, is finishing second grade this year. She was taking ballet, too, at one point. We do not get to see her any more, (long story), but we are still proud of her and love her, too! We hope she knows that.

Entropy

Do you know what "entropy" is?
Think about it for a while and I'll be back later with some thoughts.

Happy Mothers Day

Happy Mothers Day, friend. I hope you had a wonderful day. Mother's day for me this year was almost everything you wouldn't want it to be. We had a nice service at church Sunday morning and flowers were passed out. But, I didn't get that special dinner, I didn't have my kids all around me for the day. I didn't get all that usual attention on Mother's Day. "Worse yet" I had to work that day. We rotate Sundays where I work and mine was on Mother's Day. That could be a real bummer, too. But it really wasn't.

The day before was my youngest son's graduation. All our "stateside" kids were there. They took a moment to share cards and gifts with Mom; AND we shared the whole day together. When we got home from graduation, I had an email from the other 'kid' with pictures and greetings.

So - yeah - I had a wonderful Mother's day - spent time with my family - saw or heard from all my kids - got cards and gifts - and a rose at church. It was just spread over Saturday and into Sunday morning and not your usual, typical kind of day. But that didn't really matter. What matters is family, love, remembrance and time together.

I hope yours was special in your own unique way.

Why should I blog?

Well obviously it has been months since I have posted anything. I have come across items, events or thoughts to put on here but never get it done. Such as---

--A new president elected. (Lots of opinions there!)
--An ice storm that ravished NW Arkansas and other areas. (How it effected us.)
--End times discussion, (precipitated by our last election).
--Developing the thesis statement: What I believe doesn't determine what is true.
--Discussing unity in the church, recognizing we are all human (imperfect), but need all the 'body parts' to be whole.
--Work related issues, 1. local use vs. authority records, 2. accepting change, 3. getting along with your coworkers.
--Noting personal milestones: (my youngest son graduates from college in May, at age 30. Woo Hoo! Good for you JRWG)
--And personal activities, (1. I joined a local community choir; I've enjoyed it but it takes a lot of my time; concert is Saturday so we'll be done for a while. 2. I'm still trying to get us all unpacked and settled. 3. I want to do more scrapbooking, and even get back into my painting... 4. We've had visits by friends and family.)

I also need to determine what direction to take this blog. Do I want to keep it personal? But who cares in the world about a strangers life? Do I keep it professional? If so, General or specific? Do I make it spiritual and discuss issues that come in the Christian world. Do I use this just to voice my opinion on national and world events? But what difference does it make what I think? Keep this as a diary?

So, hang in there. We'll see if we want to continue and on what theme or to use this time getting all those other things waiting for my attention.

While we're talking about it...

...I just heard a week ago that Louis Teicher passed away this past year. You may not know who that is unless I say "Ferrante and Teicher" and if you are 50 and older. They were a piano duo that met in Juliard and went on to fame as duo-pianists. They came to Birmingham, AL while I was in college in the late 60's/early 70's. I was able to attend the concert and enjoyed every minute of it - especially since my undergraduate major was piano. I still have the records of them that I had bought those many years ago. Even tho' they no longer can play together, we can still enjoy their tremendous talent.

Death - so routine, yet not.

Tuesday evening, some friends W&MW lost a friend to cancer. SB was a fairly young man, about 49 years old. He was estranged from family. W&M and 2 other couples were about the only "family" he had. We visited the hospital Sunday where SB was hospitalized; medicated so heavily because of pain.

This has been hard on W&M because he was like their son. Being that we are friends of the friends - it puts a layer of people between us and SB. Does that make sense? But watching this from the sidelines has brought some musings to my mind. SB was a christian and ready to go be with the Lord. Yet, he was not wanting to die. He wanted to fight. We all have that will-to-live fight in all of us. It is natural. Yet, "from dust thou art, to dust thou shalt return."

This, of course, is not the first time I have encountered the death of someone. Our parents, other relatives and many friends have passed away. (Even my last post was the obit of a professional friend of mine.) Yet every time it seems like such an interruption to life, sometimes even a waste from the human point of view.

Dying is a natural process, yet we very seldom want to embrace it. It isn't routine, obviously, since it can only happen once in each persons own life. Yet it happens all the time. Is it something we can accept? Just why is it so hard to accept the death of someone? Often we have emotional ties to the deceased. We will not be able to have that kind of relationship again.

This is true, but death is a very natural part of life. I don't know that I really have an answer to these questions, but it is something to think about. I don't know that I really am any closer to accepting or understanding death, either. I do know that death is not an evil thing. Scripture even states that 'precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.'

I suppose we fall somewhere between being totally torn apart when someone is ripped out of our life to being emotionally detached knowing that death is just part of the cycle of life. It could be that none of us will never really, totally understand death until we experience it for ourselves. Yet the knowledge gained cannot be passed on to someone else, until they, too, pass to the 'other side.' In other words, this may be something we can never know on this side of life.

Hilda Kroeker's obit

Kroeker, Hilda
Hilda Kroeker passed from this life to be with her Lord on January 4, 2009. She was born Dec. 16, 1924, at Mountain Lake, Minn., and was the third of nine children born to Martin and Helen Kroeker. At a young age, the family moved to the community of Marion, South Dakota, where she attended elementary and high school. She graduated from Tabor College, Hillsboro, Kan., and received her masters degree from Emporia State University, Emporia, Kan. She began her teaching career in 1950, at the elementary and high school levels. She joined the faculty of Calvary Bible College as head librarian in Kansas City, Mo., in 1962, where she remained through 1984. After retiring, she began her second career in apartment management. She was an active member of Mission Road Bible Church until her health would not allow her to participate in many activities. She kept a personal interest in the lives of many of her former students and remained friends with them. She greatly enjoyed traveling, and participated in many of the trips sponsored by Powell Gardens. She kept extensive scrapbooks of each of her trips. While at Calvary Bible College, she organized the "Friends of the Library," and served in many capacities of the Christian Librarians Association, including Vice-President and President. She was honored with having the library at Calvary Bible College named "Hilda Kroeker Library." She was preceded in death by her parents, one brother, one sister, one brother-in-law and one sister-in-law. She is survived by her sisters, Mary Loewen, Martha Fast and Elvira Plett, all of Hillsboro; her brothers, Werner Kroeker, Clovis, Calif., Alvin Kroeker, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and O.J. Kroeker, Shawnee, Kan.; many nieces and nephews, great-nieces and great- nephews, and many friends locally and across the country. Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 8, at D.W. Newcomer's Sons Johnson County Chapel, 11200 Metcalf, Overland Park, Kan. The funeral service will be at 10:30 a.m. Friday, Jan. 9, at Mission Road Bible Church, 7820 Mission Road, Prairie Village, Kan. Contributions in her memory may be made to New Hope Children's Home, India. Mail to: College Community Church, 2529 Willow Avenue, Clovis, CA 93612. Fond memories and condolences may be left at www.dwnewcomers.com Arrangements: D.W. Newcomer's Sons Johnson County Chapel, (913) 451- 1860.

I have just arrived back home from traveling to Kansas City for Miss Kroeker's funeral. It was a lovely celebration of her life and ministry. Many testified of her love and interest for her family and for young people. After her parents died she took up their commitment of praying for their children and grandchildren every day. How many of us parents even have that desire today?

Hilda Kroeker

Miss Hilda Kroeker passed away Sunday and is now enjoying her rewards in heaven. This lady served as the first professionally degreed librarian for Calvary Bible College and Theological Seminary in Kansas City, MO (USA). She served there for well over 20 years. The exact amount now escapes my mind.

I had the privledge of meeting her and visiting with her on a few occasions. Years later, I followed her in the same position (with other intervening librarians.) She did a lot to bring up the quality and level of the library to academic standards. She was a leader and mentor. She advised me on a few occasions and encouraged me on others. One urging was to join the Associaion of Christian Librarians which she had been involved in for many years.

She never married or had children. But she was an asset to many young people that passed through our academic halls of CBCTS. She was at least in her late 70's. She never forget her poise and professionalism. She was a big supporter of the Friends of the Library well into the last years of her life, including during the years that yours truely worked at reviving the comatose organization.

She gave much of herself to the institution and the library, so it was a wonderful day when CBCTS recognized her by naming the library after her. It was the least we could do for her after all she did for us.