Evening

I was deeply impacted by a picture posted on the internet of some distant cousins of mine on my maternal grandmother's side. They lived in Portland and Grants Pass. The picture was a 4 generation picture, Great Grandfather, Grandfather, Father and Great Grand son. The thing that touched my heart so deeply was how the Great Grandfather, who was 94, was sitting beside his small and very cute little great grandson. The expression on his face as he looked down at his great grandson spoke a thousand words, it was filled with love and tenderness. This picture was taken the afternoon before the Great Grandfather of 94 had died. He wanted to go to church the next morning, but when his family went to wake him he was gone. What a precious picture! That is how the little ones are to the older people, they are a joy and a light in the evening time of their lives. I began to tear up as I thought that is how our daughter Mary is to my husband's parents. They were 78 and 82 when she was born and she was the light of their eyes. She brought them laughter and joy and so much love. Now they are 88 and 92 and Mary's grandfather's life is fading. He was diagnosed with terminal melanoma cancer in the spring. Thankfully he is still with us, but his cancer is progressing, so we don't know how long we have with him. Mary is not full grown yet and I know it is going to be a very hard thing for her to lose him but I am so thankful that this morning time of her life has been blessed, deepened and enriched by their evening.

Mother's Day

My day started out with these 2 arranging flowers for me.

So beautiful!!

They both gave me lovely cards.

Then we met the folks and their next door neighbors at Red Lobster.  Mary loves this willow tree and wanted a picture by it.

So many wonderful things on the menu it was hard to decide.

We finally settled on shrimp.  Mmmmmm!

Mom and Dad Cardwell

The folks wonderful neighbors and friends, Helen and John

Mary got shrimp too!

My sweetheart!!

And to top it off we had chocolate cake.

Today Mackie's birthday fell on Mother's Day.  So we made up some blue cup cakes to celebrate.  He is 6 years old today.   

We are laughing because he is not cooperating and not looking at the camera.  He acts like a little kid sometimes.  He was much more interested in his new chew bone. ha

 

 

 

A Mother's Day Tribute - A Box Full of Gold

The year after my mother died, I was going through a lot of her things. I was helping my dad pack some stuff to give away of my mom's as it was so very hard for my dad to do. I came across a box of papers, they were my mom's figuring, as she called it. My mother loved to make lists. That was one of her favorite pass times. She made lists of everything from all her weekly grocery lists to illnesses she had in her life, to clothes she made for us kids and what flowers she planted in the back yard. She also loved to right down family trees and when people were born and died and many times what they died of. Among her pages of lists on notebook paper was stories of faith, blessings she had and trials she experienced. Someone may have looked at these papers as a bunch of messy scribbling of thoughts quickly put down on paper of all sizes and some torn and written over, misspelled words and hurried script but to me they were a treasure.

 

That box full of papers was a box full of gold to me. They were the thoughts, stories and events that formed my childhood and my beloved faith in a great God who cared about the big and small things of my life. Just yesterday evening I pulled this stack of papers out and began to read through them. I found several sheets of paper divided in half. On one side mom had written "Joys" and on the other she had written "Trials". My mother had a lot of hard things that happened to her in childhood and my folds struggled with very little money in the early years of their marriage. When the list started out it was "even steven" with the joys and trials but as the list went on the joys over took the trials and she had several pages of just joys. That was my mom, she was a hopeful and thankful person. That was the work of the Holy Spirit in her life. That is what she imparted to me and I never forgot. When I became down at times about things or even to the point of despair I would remember her example and I would look up and think about the Lord and all He has done for me and hope would begin to fill my heart. I would begin to think of what the Lord would want me to do as my heart yielded to the truth of His Word, what He said in the Bible. I would find strength to go on in whatever situation I was in. Hope in the LORD would fill my mind and my heart. In closing I will include some of my mother's list of joys and trials.

 

1. Trial: Mother and Father were unhappy in their marriage. Joy: They were faithful to each other and loved one another.

 

2. Trial: Very poor as far as money goes. Joy: We owned our own home, plenty to eat, always warm and enough to wear.

 

3. Trial: Father not born again. Joy: Mother a wonderful Christian.

 

4. Trial: Father never told us he loved us or made any display of affection. Joy: Mother was very loving. Father supported us and in lots of ways he loved us and Mother.

 

5. Trial: Lots of sickness in the home. Joy: God always seen us through every trial.

 

6. Trial: Was very large in my teens. Joy: God helped me to lose 100 lbs.

 

7. Trial: Didn’t get to finish high school. Joy: Got to go to Bible school.

 

8. Trial: During our first year of marriage we had quite a low income. Joy: All our needs were met and a lot of our desires.

 

9. Trial: We always had to plan carefully for the things we got. Joy: Made us to appreciate what we got.

 

10. Trial: We lost a baby boy, Phillip, at 2 days of age. Joy: We have a great treasure in heaven.

 

11. Trial: Living in a small trailer house for 5 years. Joy: We learned patience & forgiveness & love & to depend on God with all our hearts.

 

Sewing Sock Dolls

Mary was looking through one of our craft books for kids and she saw a project that she wanted to do.  She wanted to do some sewing and make this little sock dolls.  This is her first sewing project and she did really good.  I made one and she made one.  I helped her with tips on hand sewing but she did all the sewing and I was very proud of her.  I was about her age when I did my first sewing project.  When we got done she said she really had fun and wants to do sewing again.  So I'm sure this will be the first sewing project of many!

Bitter Sweet

When Rich and I married in December of 2002 we were the last of 3 couples to be married that year in the church that I worked at and we all attended.  Rich and I and the other 2 couples knew each other and had all been very active in the church.  All had married a little later in life.  The first couple Kyle and Wendy married in August of 2002.  They were in their mid 30's and Wendy had some health struggles.  They really wanted children but Wendy had a hard time and miscarried quite a few times before having their little boy, Kai, in September of 2005.  They were very sweet and always sent Christmas cards to us after we moved to Oregon and we kept in touch on facebook.  Last year in April, to our great shock and sorrow, Wendy passed away leaving Kyle and her 10 year old son.  She loved that little guy so much.  My heart ached for him. This is what her husband, Kyle wrote right after she died:

Wendy, my beautiful wife and mother of our son, passed away Friday,April 15 (2016). She is the most loving, caring, toughest, huggiest, oneriest woman I have known. She will be missed. Thank you all for the prayers and support through this difficult time.

 Wendy and Kai

Their last family picture taken at the beach

 

Just a few days ago we received some very sad news from the 2nd couple, Peter and Eve, who were married in September of 2002.  Eve had died suddenly leaving her husband Peter and 2 boys, David and Joey (one just older than Mary and one just younger).  Eve too had miscarried their first baby, like Rich and I did.  Eve was such a sweet girl and wonderful mother.  In her single years she was very active in the youth ministry and many kids just adored her.   This is what Eve's husband Peter shared about Eve's death: 

 

On Thursday night, April 27 (2017),  I came home from night classes finding Eve deceased in the bath tub. Life saving measures were unsuccessful. Over the last few years, Eve suffered a few seizures. The cause of her seizures were unknown. The most likely scenario is that Eve drowned after suffering a seizure. I want everyone to know that I believe Eve left us with no suffering. She had no memory of her previous seizures as they caused an immediate loss of consciousness. Every indication allows us to believe the same for this. Eve spent her last two days enjoying quality time with family and friends. We spent our last evening with her talking for hours, just like we did when we first met. Her last conscious moment on earth was spent warmly wrapped in a luxurious lavender bath, and then she heard, "Well done good and faithful servant."

 

 

Eve in the 1990's having fun with the youth group kids

 

 

They all loved her so much

 

Here she is with one of her little guys.  Such a loving mom.

 

 Eve with a friend's little girl taken 2 weeks before she died.

 

 

Peter & Eve's 2 boys, Joey and David with them in the background.

 

It has been hard this last week taking this all in and remembering events over the last 20 years.  I went to Calvary Chapel Oceanside for 14 1/2 years and worked there for almost 13 years.  It was big part of my life and I got to know a lot of people there.  I remember when both Wendy and Eve got pregnant and had their first babies before I did.  I was sad as I was 6 years older than Wendy and 12 years older than Eve and wanted a baby so bad.  When I miscarried our first baby when I was 44 almost 45 I had to fight hopelessness and thinking I was too old.  I knew nothing was impossible with God.  So I continued to wait on the Lord and against all odds Rich and I had Mary.  Now we are 57 and 61 and I ponder the death of these 2 sweet gals leaving their children just Mary's age.  Little would I of dreamed that they would have left this earth before I did and were not able to raise their children.  I am so thankful to the Lord for Rich and I's good health but more importantly our waiting on the Lord and trusting him in all things and continuing to stand on the promise that God has given us to raise Mary in the knowledge of Him that she will walk with Him all her days.