Sisters There is just nothing like a sister. It can be a sister by birth, or by adoption or by choice, or friendship. My sister Cheryl was adopted by my parents at 10 months old and therefore was there 4 years before me. She's five years older than me and half my size, but she looked more like mom and dad than I did. We talk on the phone at least once a week and get together as often as we can. I have dear friends who are sisters to me as well. Some I see on a daily basis and they are there whenever I need them. Some I've never met in person, but have pen palled or emailed for years and I know I can always count on them for an encouraging word when I need it most.
Saviour
Where would I be without a Saviour? I would be totally lost for eternity, that's where. Knowing Jesus has saved me from heartache in so many ways. He has saved me from myself so many
times. When I am hurting, He is there to hold me close. When I am afraid, He walks beside me. When I am lonely, He holds my hand. When I sin, He forgives me. When I fall, He picks me up. When I cry, He catches my tears in a bottle. When I laugh, He laughs with me. Jesus is very real and very close to me. He can be your Saviour too if you'll let Him. Just ask me how, and I will be glad to tell you.
Sunrises and SunsetsHave you ever seen anything as calming and reassuring as a sunrise or sunset? I don't think I could ever live in a city again. The best thing about living out here in the country is being able to see the horizon as the sun rises and sets on another day that God has blessed us with. The colors are just unbelievable. I wish I could paint them, or even capture them adequately on film. And here in the midwest, they last for quite awhile. When I was in Nicaragua, I was shocked by how quickly the sun sets. The colors were just getting better and I was waiting for just the right moment to take the photo, and suddenly it was dark. I suppose it had something to do with being so close to the equator. But now I appreciate the slowly changing colors here in Iowa more.
Seas
I have seen the Pacific Ocean in Alaska, Washington, Oregon, and Nicaragua. I have seen the Gulf of Mexico only from the air. I have seen the Atlantic Ocean at Daytona Beach, Florida. I love the seas! When I spend too long here in landlocked Iowa, I start to get almost claustrophobic. Standing on the edge of Lake Michigan is the closest I can come here in the midwest. But there is simply nothing that can rival standing or sitting on the sandy shores watching the waves roll in to break on the beach. I love to hear the seagulls as they swoop and sail by in search of a meal. I like to walk along and pick up seashells left behind by the waves. I long for the salty and fishy smell of
the ocean. Psalms 93:3,4 says, "The seas have lifted up, O Lord, the seas have lifted up their voice; the seas have lifted up their pounding waves. Mightier than the thunder of the great waters, mightier than the breakers of the sea - the Lord on high is mighty." When I see the seas, I am reminded of the God who made them. Sons and Daughters
I am so blessed to have a son, a stepson, and a daughter. When I was growing up, I always knew I wanted a lot of children. In fact, when I was in high school I sat down and figured out how I could have a child every other year and adopt one on opposite years until I had 26 kids in 13 years. I would have one for each letter of the alphabet. And I was already picking out those 26 names too. I tease my son that after I had him, it took me 12 years to get up nerve enough to have another one. That isn't true. He was the best son anyone could ask for. He never cried. He was sweet and helpful and happy. He told me everything even when he was in high school. So many nights I'd lie awake listening for him to come home from work, and when he did, I'd get up and go sit in the garage and he'd tell me all the details of his day. What I wouldn't give to have him here to visit with and hug once again. But he lives in New Zealand and I haven't seen him for 7 years. I miss him so much. I have a wonderful stepson too who lives in Color
ado. It's funny because I don't often think of him as my stepson. He's my son too. It's so good to have him home when he comes to visit. It's fun when he calls for a recipe or canning tip too. Oh sure, when he was little we went through that stage where he'd say, "you're not my mom and you can't make me", but thank goodness he eventually outgrew that and we developed our own relationship. And then there is my daughter. I know daughter doesn't begin with an S but she has 4 letters of s in her name so that is good enough for me. She's sweet and smart and shy and silly and studious and lots of s words so I can include her too. She's also my best friend and we have a lot of fun together. For awhile we thought I might not be able to get pregnant again, but God blessed me with a daughter. I am so thankful to Him for all three of my children.
SpouseI have a wonderful spouse. He is sweet and caring and talented. He plays steel guitar and does it very very well. He's also silent a lot of the time. Which is nice when he's mad at you, but not so nice when you want to discuss something with him or want his opinion. He used to be somebody else's spouse, but I'm glad he's now mine. We have been married for almost 22 years now. I've come close to losing him several times with open heart surgery, strokes and etc. but God knows how much I need him and lets me keep on loving him here on earth.
Smiles
Don't you just love it when you see a smile? It can be the first gassy smile on a newborn baby's face or it can be the toothless grin of an old man in the nursing home. But a smile is contagious. You just can't help but smile back and when you do, you feel better inside. A smile just lights up your whole face and your heart as well. I try to share a smile with everyone I meet. Even if it is someone I don't particularly like, I try to give them a smile.
Singing s
ongsI love to sing songs. I don't particularly do it well, but it brings me so much joy. At church we mostly sing the new praise and worship choruses. I like the words to them, but sometimes I long for the old hymns. I love to sing about Victory In Jesus, It is Well With My Soul, Because He Lives I can face tomorrow, and Amazing Grace. When I see cattle grazing on the hillside along the road, I find myself singing He Owns the Cattle On a Thousand Hills. Sometimes my daughter and I will sing a round of The Lord Is My Shepherd as we drive along. When I pull into the garage some afternoons, I can't get out of the car until I'm done singing along with a song on the radio. If you pull up beside me at a stoplight, don't be surprised if I am belting out I've Got a Mansion Just Over the Hilltop. Just roll your window down and sing along with me.
Stories
I love to read! I love stories. You can travel to far away places in a story. You can meet people in a story. A story can become anything your mind makes of it. Unlike TV which shows and tells you how things are, a story can be interpreted in so many individual ways. You can picture it in your mind. Don't you just love to hear someone tell a funny story? Pretty soon they are laughing so hard they can't talk and you begin laughing just watching them laugh! When I'm re
ading, I can lose all track of time and place. Someone can talk to me and I won't even hear them. I used to get in trouble with mom when I was a girl, because she'd tell me to do the dishes and I simply didn't hear her, because I was far far away lost in a story. My dream is to someday write and illustrate and publish a story of my own. There is just something magical about a story. Sweets
All you have to do is look at me and you can guess how much I like sweets. Some of my fondest memories of my mother include sweets. Mom made these wonderful Swedish tea rings when I was younger and at Christmas time she'd give them to people who had been especially kind to us that year, like the doctor and the preacher and so on. Another favorite memory is mom's blackberry dumplings. If you've never had homemade dumplings that have been simmering in a pot of syrupy blackberries and vanilla ice cream melting on them, you have not really lived. Then there was homemade ice cream on the fourth of July from the old hand cranked freezer. And I can still see and taste my mom's sweet tea in the glass pitcher with tulips painted on the side and the sweat running down the side of it in that hot humid kitchen with the sun
shining through it. New Year's Eve was our only bottle of pop all year and along with it white almond bark and a game of Rook. For my birthday I always chose an angel food cake with strawberries and whipped cream mixed together over the top of it. And my mom's chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting that she often took to church potlucks, was something I would love to taste again. Then there was the peach pie and the chocolate cake with cherries and hot chocolate pudding with vanilla ice cream melting into a lake in the middle of it. I had one of those moms who always made treats for the classroom parties and the school bake sales and the church potlucks. I remember her giving a loaf of her wonderful banana nut bread with chocolate chips and coconut in it to a visiting preacher's wife and that lady proclaimed it to be ambrosia. I inherited my love for cooking and eating from my grandmother and my mother and now my daughter has inherited it as well. There you have it. 10 of my favorite things that start with the letter Ss. I could add so many more to the list; siblings, Spanish, students, spuds, sparrows, swans, sunshine, Springtime, slippers, salvation, safety, scenery, snow, starry skies, sleep, Sierra Mist, silliness, sleigh rides, Sierra, sailboats, Saturdays, Sundays, summer and so many other things. But that will have to wait for some other time. I hope you enjoyed my Ss fun. If you want a letter, leave me a comment. See you soon.
No comments:
Post a Comment