ROAD TRIP!

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Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall, Humpty had a great fall,

Instead of King’s horses and all of his men,

He took a log road trip.  He’s not been seen again.

Not exactly like the original, but my friend Julie got me to thinking with her post today about picking up the pieces.  All of our lives are filled with things that crack us, twist and turn us, make us feel as though we’ll never get up again.  Some days are worse than others.

I also read another post by Paige Givens which illustrated how hearts can easily become bruised, crumbled, bent out of shape and even when repaired, they are never the same.

We can allow these distractions to beat ourselves up – to put ourselves down – to wonder, why me – to give up, or we can use them to help us heal.  God knows all about our bruises and scars.  He made it possible for them to be erased.  I’m sure my two blogging friends will agree that life is not easy.  We suffer, we cry, we argue, we feel wounded, we struggle, we get angry, we fret and worry and all those emotions are natural, but God doesn’t want that for us.  He loves us too much to see us suffer.  Instead he erased all the cracks, the bumps and bruises, the mistakes, the failures, the sins and gave us a second chance.  What a blessing to know that we are given second chances every day.

For my family, there have been numerous deaths this year.  Each one of these loved ones carried a piece of me along with them.  My heart ached and wept for them.  So instead of selfishly feeling sorry for ourselves, we decided to proceed with a long awaited road trip.  We are confident that those departed loved ones are now enjoying the benefits of heaven.

It’s time for us to pick up the pieces – to flatten out the wrinkles – to begin to live again without sadness.  It’s time to laugh.   So Paul and I took off today for the big road trip.  We started out with talk about the route we’d take, which was already mapped out by Triple A.  We joked and started talking to each other as true Minnesotans, Lena and Ole.  We laughed.  I felt like we were on our honeymoon again.

In the past road trips have included frequent potty stops, food stops, more potty stops, singing camp songs, sightseeing, camping in the great outdoors, enjoying nature and by the end of the week equally joyful to return home. This trip feels different  It is kind of a release.

We aren’t done yet, but I have a good feeling about it.  Picking up the pieces is really easy if you let God put you back together again.  I’ll keep you posted on our fun vacation.

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WRITERS’ FUNNIES

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THERE IS NO SHAME IN CRYING

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What will heaven will be like?  Will we all be sitting on white puffy clouds singing and playing golden harps?  When someone we love departs this world, it’s natural for us to wonder.  As Christians, we have the joy of knowing  they’ve just moved into a perfect place where tears no longer exist.

But what about those who remain?  When a person has impacted so many people with her love for Christ, her willingness to serve and positive attitude, there are bound to be tears.  Tears of sadness, because we will miss having her in our lives.  Maybe a bit of selfishness causes us to resist letting go of this loved one, but I think it’s because they had such a strong connection with us.  Part of us is now missing and naturally we cry.

Our Savior, Jesus, experienced this same loss when His friend died.  He wept.  Tears can be filled with pain, hatred, scorn, fear, hopelessness or they can be enveloped in love,  friendship, relationships, hope, love and faith.  Each droplet allows us express our love for that person.  We’re not showing weakness, but a deep, unspeakable love.

When we know that God doesn’t fudge on His promises, we are assured that heaven is waiting for those who have repented and gone on to follow and serve the Lord.

The tears for me have been shed.  I wept for the potential loss of this wonderful person before she passed.  I cried for her diminishing body.  Tears fell for the thought of losing her.  I cried for the family that adored her. I wept as she suffered the devastation of cancer, but now I can rejoice, because I know her tears are over – even though ours will continue.

What will heaven be like?  We won’t know until we get there, but I believe that God has special things for us to do – things that we exceled at on this planet.  In my friend’s case, she was like Martha in her service to others.  She will undoubtedly be in charge of all the details of the banquet.  She’ll share her famous recipes, her caring nature, her love for Jesus, and her everlasting smile, which will now go on throughout eternity.

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WRITERS’ FUNNIES

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AND ON THE WAY HOME I HIT A WRITER’S BLOCK.

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AROUND AND AROUND

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ORIGINAL ART & POETRY BY PAUL & KATHY BOECHER©

When I feel alone and troubled,

By the cares of this world,

I turn to You,

When I think I can no longer endure,

The jabs and punches of life,

I turn to You,

When I’m tired and worn out,

By fear,

Hate,

Anger,

Greed,

I turn to You,

When I come to you in prayer,

And ask for your forgiveness,

You turn to me.

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ANOTHER ANGEL IN HEAVEN

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Today, my best friend went to heaven.  It’s been a long journey for her and her loving family as Cancer invaded her body and finally overcame her.  I wrote about this amazing friend a while ago.  She and her husband were the first people we became friends with when we moved to Minnesota.  That friendship has remained for over 44 years.

When you lose someone so close, a bit of your own heart dies with them.  Your life will never be the same without them. When God gives you the peace of eternal life, there is a lasting assurance for those who die – for life goes on.  What a joyous day for my Christian friend.  We can enter God’s realm, with no fear – just confidence.  He’s already bought us back from the clutches of the devil, the world and our own flesh.

To my best friend: My thoughts of you will always bring back wonderful memories. On this sad day, I am at peace knowing that your tired, broken, body has been renewed and perfected.  I know that you’ve taken your rightful place as an heir of heaven.  I’m confident also that we will meet again.  My prayers go out to your family and friends as we all mourn our loss, but rejoice in your gain.

Earlier today, I posted about second chances.  In life we have lots of them.  In death we won’t need anymore.  We will be completely free of sin.  We will soar with eagles.  We will meet our Lord, face to face.

Goodbye, my beautiful friend.  You’ve always been more than an inspiration to me.  You’ve taught me how to stand by your man – to be faithful, loving and kind – to reach out to others who are in need of comfort – to enjoy the beauty of God’s creation – to thank God in countless ways.  We’ve laughed and cried together.  We’ve experienced loss and regained hope together.  We’ve struggled through those tough parenting years.  We’ve grown together and have been knitted into the fabric of the body of Christ – together.

I love you, my best friend forever.

“Friends are the angels that lift us up when our wings have forgotten how to fly.”

Author Unknown

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DO OVER DAYS

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I started last week with great enthusiasm.  I got out my garden tools and set about the task of pruning some dead branches.  In my enthusiasm, I pulled one back that had no intention of leaving its home, so it whacked me in the face.  I saw stars immediately and thought it was curtains for me.  The result was a huge shiner which is still visible.

Later in the week, while taking a bath, I reached for a wash cloth I’d left behind.  As I sat back down, the non-skid mat slid from under me and a slipped back into the water, knocking my already bruised head against the ceramic soap dish.  A huge bump ensued and again I thought this was my final swan song.

We often have days like that, which generally fall into the Murphy’s Law category.  As we age, the odds get even stronger. Every mishap is deemed a lack of control and a sign of growing older.

I forget simple things, especially when trying to multi-task, which I wasn’t particularly good at in the first place.  I leave one room on a quest for something and by the time I reach the next room, I’ve totally forgotten what I was going for.  Maybe it has something to do with all the head banging I’ve been inflicting on myself.

Every day is really a do over for most of us.  The start of a new week, gives us impetus to start over.  We think about starting a new diet – notice I said “think.” We plan to change our attitudes.  We strive to do better in school or in our jobs.

God has given us a second chance.  He gave it to us in the form of His only begotten Son, Jesus.  By paying the complete ransom for our sins, we now have a fresh start.  We can be confident that our fate is sealed – our sins forgiven – eternal life awaits.  The do over was done once for every human being.  Hang onto that good news and move into this week with new gusto.  God has watered the desert of our hearts with living water.  Time to quench your thirst and move on.

As you enter this new week, remember that He did this once for all.  The work is done and no matter how we goof up, He will always love us unconditionally.

 

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WRITERS’ FUNNIES

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EVEN WHEN I’M OLD AND GREY

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ORIGINAL ART & INSPIRATION FROM PAUL & KATHY BOECHER©

 “God, thou hast taught me from my youth: and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works.  Now also when I am old and grey headed, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come.”

Psalm 71:17-18

“Not to us, O Lord, but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness.” Our God is worthy of our praise. He makes sure we get up in the morning, He provides a way for us to survive, He delivers us from those who would hurt us physically or verbally, He satisfies our needs and then some, He loves us, He protects us, He forgives us when we turn our backs on Him, He doesn’t remember our past or future sins because He has taken them away. He is always there for us when we feel down, when we need a friend, when we need encouragement or discipline. He hears our prayers and acts on them. In other words, God is everything. Whatever we do in this life is a reflection of Him and His amazing love for us. Praise the Lord!

sOur God is worthy of our praise, even though He doesn’t need it. He causes us to get up in the morning, He provides a way for us to survive, He delivers us from those who would hurt us physically or verbally, He satisfies our needs and then some, He loves us, He protects us, He forgives us when we turn our backs on Him, He doesn’t remember our past or future sins, because He’s taken them away. He’s always there for us when we feel down, when we need a friend, when we need encouragement or discipline. He hears our prayers and acts on them. In other words, God is everything. Whatever we do in this life is a reflection of Him and His amazing love for us.

PRAISE THE LORD, BECAUSE HE DESERVES IT!

 

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WRITERS’ FUNNIES

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LIFE WITHOUT APOSTROPHES.

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HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY

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THANK GOD FOR MY DAUGHTERS

 

                                     AMY                                                             JOY

Mothers who have had a profound impact on my life include my beautiful daughters. 

When I became pregnant with our first, the doctor had me convinced I was going to have a boy.  There were no ultrasounds then, so it was by guess only.  When she arrived, I was under the influence of anesthetic and saw her dangling umbilical cord.  I didn’t believe that she wasn’t a boy.  I thank God every day for the gift of my Amy.  She was the perfect child. At least in her siblings opinions.

It wasn’t only because she was first, but she was smart, beautiful, caring, loved to laugh and made everyone feel important –  quite a lot to live up to.  As a toddler, she enjoyed tossing apples for the dog to catch.  She loved books and would sit for hours, thumbing through the pages.  Her love for learning, led to a beautiful mind.  When her brother was born, only eighteen months later, he became her constant companion and playmate.   Her creative side eventually took her to the world of interior design and that has become her life’s occupation.

Our second daughter came at the end of the line.  I was 40.  It was almost unheard of to have a child at that age, but she didn’t know that.  I was now considered a “seasoned” mom, so God wanted to shake me up a little.  This darling little, black haired, beauty seemed to be a carbon copy of Amy, but also gave us a run for my money.  She slept through the night immediately.  Her little hands were dimpled and chubby and her face like an angel.  Everyone thought she was wearing a wig, because she had so much hair.  Eventually, she became a hair stylist.  Today she works in the mortgage business, is capable, has strong business skills and is respected in her field.

Once she turned two, a new child emerged.   She had an inquisitive nature.  She investigates areas she shouldn’t.  She’s the one who spray painted our golden retriever blue – sat on her brother’s pet duck squashing the life out of it –  broke a guitar in the same way – made me wonder what happened to that sweet, helpless individual in the crib. As a teen, she threw caution to the wind, but became an amazing woman.

Both my daughters have blessed us with grandchildren. I’ve seen them struggle with discipline, behavior problems, language issues, strong wills, attitude and a whole slew of things that parents deal with every day.  They’re both handling this parenting thing better than I did.  I’m not seeing them at the end of the day, but I have seen the result of their love, through their children, who are becoming responsible young adults.

When we become parents, we never know where it will take us, but God has it all laid out for us.  Trusting His direction will lead to His blessings.

I love my daughters and the women they’ve become.  I know it’s only through God’s intervention, that they’ve turned out to be loving moms too.

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY, AMY & JOY.

 

 

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WRITERS’ FUNNIES

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THERE’S ALWAYS A NEW WAY TO LOOK AT WORDS.

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FUNNY FOR JULIE

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AM I A SECOND GUESSER?

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Yesterday Brandon Adams at https://brandonjadams.com, wrote a great post about mothers that prompted me to respond.  My motherhood journey was much like the one he spoke about in “To The Mother Who Second Guesses Herself.”

It seems from the day I became pregnant with my first child, there was always a feeling of incompetency. I felt like a fish out of water, even though I’d done a lot of babysitting and watched and learned from my own parents, I never felt qualified for this most important job.

When we enter the realm of  parenting, we pretty much fly by the seat of our pants. We’re inexperienced, unprepared and novices of the first degree.  We don’t realize that our time is no longer our own.  We’ll be making sacrifice after sacrifice for the benefit of this new human being.  We will make mistakes up the kazoo, because we haven’t got a clue what we’re doing.  Even those who seem to have it all together, have to face things that no CEO of a multi=million dollar company will ever encounter.

Every child is different.  Every situation new and uncharted.  Every blunder we make is going to have an affect on this child, so we have to be a little paranoid at times.  Even though my children are grown and have children of their own, I still have dreams about not getting their lunches ready for them in time.  In fact I had one last night.

It prompts me to believe that once a parent, always a parent. The job is ongoing and won’t end until we depart this veil of tears.  We’re called to teach how to tie shoes, recognize letters and numbers, potty train, share, be kind, polite and respectful.  If they fail in just one area, we take it personally.  I do.  Of course, I’m one of those moms that Brandon is talking about.

As they begin school, we participate in their learning by helping with homework – teaching social skills – personal hygiene – help them to learn to play and solve problems without tearing each other apart.  We struggle if we can’t give them everything they want and feel guilty because we can’t.  We forget that all they really want is us and our attention.

We strive to make them independent, but our hearts break when they don’t need us anymore.  We glow with pride at their accomplishments, but blame ourselves if they fail.   We try to help them financially, but want them to learn from their struggles.  We encourage, instill moral behavior, push, lead, direct and pray that somehow we’re getting through to them.

Being a mom is one of the most wonderful experiences a woman can have, but at the same time one of the most difficult.  If you ask your children if you’re doing a good job, at some point they will undoubtedly say you are, but the proof is in the pudding.  This is a tremendous responsibility and that requires hard work.

I’m not Jewish, but I often feel I had a Jewish relative somewhere along the line. Feeling guilty about not doing enough has often been equated with Jewish mothers.  Come to think of it the first parents were Jewish, weren’t they?

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WRITERS’ FUNNIES

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IF ANIMALS COULD TALK, IS THIS WHAT THEY’D SAY?  COW SHOULD I KNOW?

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PEACEFUL RIVER TOWN

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ART & POETRY BY PAUL & KATHY BOECHER

Where do you find contentment when all around seems lost,

In city streets so dimly lit, at an expensive cost,

In valleys green where water pours through rives pure and clean,

In waters deep, that wind and creep and keep the valley green,

In the darkness of the soul within, is that were you find peace,

In a sanctuary built of stone, where your problems you release,

Do you see it in the people that you greet most every day,

Is it in the quiet laughter of a child alone at play,

Is in in the calm serenity of music, art or dance,

Or does it come from looking at your love’s sweet, smiling glance,

Don’t search in darkest corners, you’ll never find it there,

The light that shines from heaven, will take away your care.

 

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WRITERS’ FUNNIES

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WHAT KIND OF WOLF ARE YOU?

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SAD MOTHER’S DAY?

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Soon we’ll be observing a day honoring mothers.  Let’s not forget those who have lost children and pray that this day will also honor them for their gift of life.  These are the ones who don’t find much joy in this holiday – those whose children were stillborn or miscarried – those who have experienced the joy of giving birth, but lost their children to illness or tragic death – those who keep their children safe while their husbands serve their country – moms of children with special needs – moms of children who have turned to a life of crime or addiction.

I know of one woman who lost six children to miscarriage.  Each one of those children holds a special place in her heart.  She named each one and they have lived in her memory ever since their death.  Each child becomes a human being at the time of conception and, had they made it to full term, they would be an active part of the family.

These women deserve to be honored on Mother’s Day.  They have rejoiced when that child was conceived and mourned when they were lost, still they are mothers.  If you know someone who has gone through any of these situations, tell her how special she is. Giving the gift of life to another human being is one of the most important things a woman can do.

Moms are purveyors of comfort, deliverers of love and encouragement, merchants of morality and learning, solicitors of peace and understanding.  They are the vessel of God’s handiwork.  Mother’s need a pat on the back each and every day of the year!  So do those who have lost their beloved children.

Psalm 139:13, “For you formed my inward parts;
    you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.”

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WRITERS’ FUNNIES

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I wonder if they have spell check for the balloons that appear in cartoons.

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