The Voices of Children

The voices of children are among the sweetest sounds on the earth. I truly believe that in moments of stress, doubt or worry all we have to do is close our eyes and seek out the voices of children. We will immediately be taken back to our own childhood, where times and tasks were simple and we were not yet tarnished by "...the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth, and the desire for things..." (Mark 4:19).

Since I haven't yet been blessed with grandchildren and I teach teen-agers (you DON'T want to listen to their conversations); I only get this chance during the summer, up at our cottage on the lake. We have a screened in porch with a very comfortable futon that is perfect for napping. Our cottage sits just a bit away from a sand box, basketball hoop and make-shift baseball diamond and the lake. This area is affectionately known as "the Point," because it serves as a gathering place for all the cottage celebrations, like the 4th of July or kids' birthday parties, food tasting, bonfires, and games like Bag Toss, Kick the Can, Capture the Flag or Flashlight Tag. Because of the fact that sound carries over water, I can usually hear the voices of the children screaming in excitement over who is captured or found. Their cheering voices are not rough like the cheers at an adult sporting event, but rather the pleasant fizz that comes from a popped can of cola. Their squeals of delight over a team win can indeed lift anyone's spirits! Listening to their conversations also brings a chuckle when you hear things like, "We were boys yesterday, but men, today," coming from a triumvirate of 10-year old boys. Now, I didn't know or care to ask what was the reason for this comment, but I did pass it one to one of the boys' fathers.

So my advice is if you don't have a chance to be immediately around children, take a walk to the park with a boring book and just sit there and listen.

"Except ye be converted, and BECOME AS LITTLE CHILDREN, ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven" (Matthew 18:3 ).

SUMMERTIME- I'm jamming again!

Ah, it's summertime. A wonderful time, especially for teachers, when we can lay textbooks and papers aside. No schedules, no deadlines, no grades. Time for personal pursuits. Time to do all things leisurely. More time to blog. Time to ponder the wonders of creation, from the buzz of hummingbird wings to the sound of leaves rustling in the wind, to the purple and pink of sunsets. Time to dig into those drawers and closets that have collected my overflow of stuff: including worn out socks, old shoes, and lots of notes written to myself to remind me of my to-dos. More time for prayer and seeking the Lord and asking lots of questions. I guess in the summer I lay down my teacher role and become a student. Scripture becomes a chest full of treasures, that beg examination and awe. What will I find tomorrow? The Holy Spirit is a great summer tour guide. It's always fun to find out more about that mysterious place called, "the kingdom of God."

I also started doing something that I haven't done in decades, make homemade jam. Yumm!

We regularly spend our summer vacation time at a cottage on a small lake in Michigan. In fact, this will be our 26th summer up at the cottage, named, "Catherine M." after the owner of the resort. (More about the cottage in upcoming blogs.) This particular area of Michigan is filled with fruit and vegetable farms. Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, peaches, apricots, and apples are among the most plentiful. When my children were young and I was staying at the cottage for the entire summer, I used to can a variety of fruit jams. In fact, I purchased not one, but two canners. One affectionately known as a "baby canner," for small jam jars and the regular size canner for large quart jars (applesauce, salsa, tomatoes, etc.) I would then store the jams until Christmas time and give them as presents to family and friends. Honestly, homemade fruit jam on a Ritz cracker is a scrumptious snack or dessert. My kids loved it. So did many of their teachers. Canning and jamming, however, went the way of many other crafty pursuits when my attention turned back to teaching, furthering my education, and caring for my elderly parents. "Why make jam when you can buy it?" thought I. I left all my canning supplies on a back shelf at the cottage, not be be pulled out until this year. This week I put up my first batch of strawberry jam. Even today I found some small baskets that are perfectly sized for the jars for Christmas giving. I guess I need a break from the intellectual arena that I dwell in for most of the year and get back to doing something that is simple and immediately gratifying. No fat in jam, just the bounty of flavors that come from the earth by way of the hard work of farmers, pickers and the master grower are there to enjoy anew.

For anyone interested in jamming. Here is a good link with pictures and easy to follow directions.

http://www.pickyourown.org/jam.htm

STENT CLUB MEMBERS, WOMEN OVER 60 & OTHERS:HEART TALK

An egg white omelet with part-skim mozzarella cheese, asparagus, tomatoes and a special every day seasoning from Trader Joe's. This was my heart healthy breakfast today and those egg whites were surprisingly good and satisfying; which is sometimes hard to achieve on a heart healthy diet, but the alternative is fat which clogs the arteries and you die.

I have been given a new perspective on life after my heart surgery a little over a month ago. I was traveling along in life after just turning sixty with not a care in the world. I have a wonderful family, great friends an interesting job and even a beautiful view of the woods out my back windows. But lurking inside was an enemy that was mounting a serious attack. While I was walking away on a treadmill at LifeTime Fitness, at level 5, I suddenly felt something in my chest. I got a little short of breath. It felt like I swallowed something. I immediately slowed my pace, but continued my workout. Right before coming to LifeTime, my husband and I had walked our dog outside and it was cold and windy, so I just associated it with swallowing some cold air. I didn't think any more about it until I received an e-mail at work, describing a heart attack from a woman's point of view. In the e-mail the woman compared the sensation to "swallowing a golf ball." Now, I didn't think it felt exactly like that, but there were some similarities. However, I pushed "heart attack" thoughts aside. I mean, my husband, who does have heart problems along with a bout with kidney cancer, always tells me I'm going to live forever. My parents were in their 80's when they died, and neither one had any major medical problems before 75.

The following week I was chaperoning a field trip after school for our Newcomer's Club that gives new students an opportunity to socialize in a safe environment. We were taking the students to Woodfield Mall for some spring shopping. I was running late and while quickly walking, I experienced the "golf ball" feeling a second time. The thought crossed my mind that maybe I shouldn't go on this trip, but since our school nurse was coming, I thought, "If anything happens, she can take care of me."

The next day was Parent Conferences and I didn't have to go to school until noon, so I called my husband's cardiologist and they scheduled me for an appointment the following day. The nurse asked if my feeling was like "a lump?" "That's it," I replied. The following day, March 5, I went to see the doctor. I brought my latest blood report which showed all my counts for HDL, LDL and over all cholesterol all in range. They decided to give me two tests, a calcification test (which is like an MRI in the big machine). It is looking for any blockages or calcium deposits in the heart. I passed this test with flying colors. I scored a zero. The second test was a stress test and I flunked. The doctor then told me to call my husband and get over to the hospital for an angioplasty. He also said that perhaps this was a just a false positive.
I've been through the angioplasty drill before with my husband, and I knew that there is a degree of risk involved with this test. Also, you have to sign a release that if necessary they can do open heart surgery. I was concerned, but not anxious. I felt very relaxed going into the test and asked for prayer from my husband and daughter.
During the test, I was awake and heard the two doctors talking about size, something like, "Is it 3.5 or 4?" I said oh-oh, something must be going on. The surgery took all of about 30 minutes. And then the shocker, I had a 95% blockage in my left main artery of the heart, commonly referred to as the "widow maker," but in my case it would have been "widower maker." I am now a member of the STENT CLUB, because the doctors put in a medicated stent or tiny pipe that allows the blood to flow through the artery. They also put me on Plavix, which is a blood thinner, and a 80mg. dose of Vytorin, which is a cholesterol lowing medication. I also have to be on a strict low-fat diet and continue exercising. My husband and I have been going to LifeTime about three times a week since the fall, so that has to increase. Drugs, diet and exercise are now my mantras.

WOW, I couldn't believe it. How could this happen? I wasn't angry, but confused. Now, even though my parents didn't experience any serious health issues until their seventies; my mom's brothers and sisters died primarily of heart attacks in their sixties. But I had always thought I was my father's child, since I look more like him than my mom. I guess my insides are my mom's and with that comes the heart problems. Even my younger cousin, who is only 53, had the same thing happen to him last November. This heredity thing can really sneak up on you, just like age does.

It has taken me about a month to mentally process what all this means. I have had more thoughts about death after this, but not in a maudlin or depressing way. Just the thoughts that one day I will die and it will probably be heart related. Does this event make me want to quit my job and go sky diving, NO. (I'm still somewhat afraid of heights.) However, it does give me pause to spend more time in prayer listening, rather than talking.In addition it makes me want to tell other women over 60, not to ignore any feelings in the chest, no matter how busy they are.

For the past few months I had been having a lot of dreams about my dead family members,even at some of the old houses they lived in. Often I'd wake up and think, "Do they need prayers?" or "Are they calling me, am I going to die soon?" As I reflect on it now, perhaps they were warning me about this impending situation with my heart and telling me to take care of it.

Also, before this happened I would also say that I trusted the Lord with everything. Now, that trust in God and His plan for my life is going deeper into my soul. My life is truly in God's hands and I believe that now more than ever before. He has tasks for me to do and I won't go home to Him until those tasks are done and when I'm ready to see him in person. Trust and Faith are really two sides of the same coin. I trust that God is a loving God and I have Faith that His actions and decisions are rooted and grounded in love, just the way I should be. Do I ever get frightened? Of course, in the middle of the night when I feel a slight flash of pain or I twist or turn the wrong way. However, knowing that I am in His loving hands I return to my dreams.

I would like to recommend a book that I have been praying/reading after my surgery.
It's 31 DAYS OF HEALING by Mark Brazee. It's one of those little books that you can stuff in your purse or pocket. It is filled with encouragement for anyone who is going through an illness. Why 31 days? I don't know, but maybe it takes that long to mentally process a new health condition or illness.

I was also encouraged by two verses in my daily devotional following my surgery:
"I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order to know the hope to which God has called you." Ephesians 1:18 (NIV)

"Thus says the Lord: Your hurt is incurable; your wound is grievous. For I will restore health to you and your wounds I will heal." Jeremiah 30:12,17

Some pretty awesome encouraging, hope-filled, heart-lifting verses!

The Divine Physician is Himself the best medicine anyone could hope for!

For Christ's Love Compels Us...to be Messengers of that Love

Being a messenger of God's love to another person is an awesome honor. By this I mean not just the daily living out of the Gospel message to "love one another," but the special time when God COMPELS you to reach out to someone in a special way that only He can orchestrate. Usually this occurs at a time and place that is inconvenient for you, or it is directed at a person that you really don't like. A few days ago I felt compelled to send God's love in a most unique way to our department secretary. The day before she had been experiencing some chest pains at work and someone immediately drove her to the hospital. She was OK, but had to follow up with some tests. She was experiencing a lot of anxiety both on the job and in her home life. Her burdens were many to say the least. The day following her trip to the hospital I was coming home late in the evening after enjoying dinner and conversation with a friend, when I heard a song on the radio (K-LOVE/94.3 FM)and I felt that God was telling me that I had to get this song to my secretary as a Valentine's Day present from Him. I did a turn around and drove to my local Family Bookstore and asked about the song, I wasn't even sure of the title, but they did announce the artist as J.J. Heller. So I asked for a CD by her, and sure enough, they had one copy left and the cover of the CD showed two hands coming together to make a red heart. Perfect for Valentine's Day, for sure. Our God is a God of every single detail, and then some. I was so elated that God would have me bring his message of love to my hurting secretary. I carefully wrapped the CD and wrote a short note expressing God's love and care. I don't know the results, but I know that with God's love present, healing and hope are alive. I thank the Lord for allowing me to be his messenger for this Valentine's Day. Now I would like to share with you that very special song by J.J. Heller, "Your Hands."
HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

Chicago Doctor Returns from Haiti Medical Trip - Chicago Breaking News

Here is the story and pictures of the medical team that I wrote about in an earlier post.

Chicago Doctor Returns from Haiti Medical Trip - Chicago Breaking News

A Word About Haiti: 12 Hours on a Bus

A family friend who is a physician's assistant to a group of orthopedic surgeons recently left for Haiti with the doctor who fixed my elbow. The doctor's brother, who is also a doctor, received a call from a Catholic Missionary group, who he knows. They were desperate for help. Though they are not located in Port-Au-Prince, they were also affected by the earthquake and were trying to help as many people as possible.
The team of doctors flew into the Dominican Republic (they couldn't get on any flights directly into Haiti); and they took a 12 hour bus ride, at night, over very difficult terrain to get to their destination.
My husband spoke to our friend's wife who relayed this information on the situation. "Very bad, they have to put toothpaste in their noses to clear the stench of death.
Lots of amputations, the ones on children very sad. The doctors are working around the clock with as little as sleep as possible because there are so many to help." Our friend actually saw a case of tetanus, which is very rare here in the states. The families of the doctors are worried about them. Please pray for their safety and health as they try to help as many people as possible. And the people of Haiti, pray that they may feel the love of God and the hope of a Savior.

No wonder non-Christians think we're nuts!

Another burning at the stake! This time it was an English Reformation holdout who wouldn't sign Henry VIII's six articles of faith of the English Church. Cromwell told his friend, "Henry's a Catholic at heart. He just doesn't want anyone else to boss him around." (paraphrase) Last night my husband and were watching episode four of the third season of THE TUDORS. This is a Showtime Cable series about the life and times of Henry VIII. It's portrayal of that era is racy at times, but I must say the program's depiction of the fighting within Christianity is the most interesting part of the series. Each episode features another group being killed.

In the prior episode before Cromwell's friend was burned at the stake, the leaders and followers of a Catholic movement to restore the monasteries in England called the "Pilgrimage of Grace," were all hung, including women and children. At the beginning of the series, Thomas Moore, who most Catholics regard as St. Thomas Moore was also burning men who the Catholic church considered heretics. In almost every episode someone from one side or the other of the debate over who is the "TRUE" religion is tortured and put to death for either heresy or treason. How this must have grieved the heart of God to see his children killing each other in his name. It is scary indeed, because I wonder if this can ever happen again? It was about 500 years ago, but are we still capable of killing each other in the name of Jesus? Now, I'm not talking about other religions, I'm talking about fellow Christians: Protestants, Catholics, and Orthodox believers.

One of my favorite chapters in the New Testament is John 17. Jesus is at the last supper and praying for his disciples and future believers, (verse) "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you....May they be brought to COMPLETE UNITY (my caps)to let the world know that you send me and have loved me and have loved them even as you have loved me."

Let us all pray that we, Christian believers, do become one, so our Daddy can smile and not pace the heavens because the kids are fighting.