The righteous will flourish like a palm tree,
they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon;
planted in the house of the Lord,
they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, “The Lord is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him. ” Psalm 92: 12 - 15
Erlene
1974 was the year Arne took me off to a foreign country,
Alabama! We arrived in June, just after Alabama
and much of the south had experienced the worst tornado outbreaks in U.S.
history. What were we thinking? Two Yankees, with two little Yankee Doodle
dandies, Colleen at 22 months, Lesli at 10 months and another baby due in four
months!
Thank you, Erlene, for using your gifts to serve a young,
out of place mother and her family! You
blessed me and all who watch your life reflect our gracious and loving God.
There I was, far, far away from friends and family, young
and impetuous, toting two little girls, very pregnant, everyone seemed to speak
another language, it was HOT and we didn’t drink sweet tea or eat grits! Feeling stuck, frightened of another rash of devastating
tornadoes and missing familiar faces, God brought into my life Erlene, a precious
gift, right at the time He knew she was needed most. Erlene; even her name sounded foreign to me!
From the very first day we met at church, Erlene took me
under her wing by simply talking to me!
In her sweet voice that seemed to serenade as she spoke, I was introduced
to other women and invited to a bible study.
There were days Erlene called on the phone to just talk and nights when
she would invite me over to exercise along with frequent meals around their
family table! When the time came for
Heather’s birth I didn’t worry about the older girls and where they would stay,
she stepped in to help until my mother arrived.
Our time as southerners was a short three years but Erlene
has frequently been remembered at our table through the years when her Oatmeal
Buttermilk Pancakes are served. We have
not been together since 1977 but we spoke to Erlene and her husband a few years
back. They are in their 80’s now,
faithfully serving the Lord and their family together.
Thank you, Erlene, for using your gifts to serve a young,
out of place mother and her family! You
blessed me and all who watch your life reflect our gracious and loving God.
1 Peter 4:10-11
As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Whoever speaks, let him speak, as it were, the utterances of God; whoever serves, let him do so as by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Whoever speaks, let him speak, as it were, the utterances of God; whoever serves, let him do so as by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Oatmeal Buttermilk Pancakes
2 C quick oats, uncooked, 1/2 tsp. soda, 2 1/2 C buttermilk, 1C plain flour, 2 tsp. baking powder, 1 tsp. salt, 2 T sugar, 1/3C oil, 2 eggs, beaten.
Combine oats, soda and buttermilk, let stand 5 minutes.
Combine flour, baking powder, salt and sugar, add to oat mixture along with oil and eggs. Stir until blended.
For each pancake, pour about 1/4C batter on hot, lightly greased griddle. Bake to a golden brown turning only once. Serve with hot butter and syrup. Yield 14 to 16.
Early Birds
I am an Early Bird and always have been; never been a sleepy-head! As our grandchildren are growing it’s been fun to see which ones like to sleep in and who wakes up at dawn. The early birds are finding out that Grandma occasionally pops in unexpectedly for an Early Bird Breakfast! Whoever is up catches the worm, well, more like pancakes!
This morning, while taking my husband, Arne, to the train at 6:00 we heard an octogenarian speak on Moody Radio. His sparkling voice, which crackled with age now and then, grabbed our attention as he told of his life and views on the topic of ending life well. He shared that as he lay in the hospital at 20 years old and facing cancer, he made the life-defining decision to let God have his whole life, every part of every day.
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| Early Bird Luke |
Arne looked at me and asked, “Did you hear what he said we need to do to end life well?” Not knowing what Arne was thinking, and still groggy from just waking up, all I could come up with was, “What??” “He told us to end life well we need to start life well; the earlier in life we choose Christ gets us off to a life-long course set to end well!”
Is God an Early Bird? I like to think He is! He’s up every morning before us, but He still waits patiently throughout each day for us to desire Him and welcomes all who come to Him at any time. But, to me, God is an Early Bird! Choose Him early in life and early each day for a life well lived and a life well ended.
O God, You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land
Where there is no water. Psalms 63:1
Early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land
Where there is no water. Psalms 63:1
05/16/12 - Welcome
Dear friends,
Blogging is new to me but talking to friends is not! The last few years have brought circumstances into my life that blindsided me. Thankfully, a few dear friends encouraged me by just listening. Many of us “empty nesters”, “sandwich generation”, experiencing “boomerang kids” and more are wondering how to do life. We ask each other how to end well without wearing out! This blog is to encourage us by looking into the lives of aged women who have walked through these years with numerous harrowing experiences, yet they are lovely examples of women reflecting the grace and mercy of God.
Eventually I realized that these women ought to be shared with others. In my own personal struggles, people who I love and respect as believers in Christ chose to walk away from God and His ways. Waves of sadness and grief at times brought me so low that looking to God was my only way out. During all of these periods of wave after wave of melancholy, God brought some amazing older women into my life. One woman over 80 I met while swimming every morning before 7:00; others I had known for some time. All of these precious women encouraged me by sharing how they walked with God throughout their life; especially during some very dark days.
You are someone I would love to sit and chat with about your life and how God is working to show Himself through you. If you are experiencing doubt, sadness, and questions or are ready to give up entirely, perhaps these examples from older women and how they drew near to God for strength, wisdom and comfort will inspire as you see strength of character alive and active! I know for myself, as these women pointed me to Christ, they brought hope, dispelled my fears of walking away from my Lord and saved me from wallowing in self-pity and doubts.
I invite you to, “Laughing at Winter”, a blog for anyone searching for godly examples of women who have been in your shoes and never quit! I pray you will be blessed as I share what is on my heart and some of the best conversations I benefited from with encouraging and wise aged women of God who learned through living that we can fearlessly laugh at the winter years ahead!
Julie
Blogging is new to me but talking to friends is not! The last few years have brought circumstances into my life that blindsided me. Thankfully, a few dear friends encouraged me by just listening. Many of us “empty nesters”, “sandwich generation”, experiencing “boomerang kids” and more are wondering how to do life. We ask each other how to end well without wearing out! This blog is to encourage us by looking into the lives of aged women who have walked through these years with numerous harrowing experiences, yet they are lovely examples of women reflecting the grace and mercy of God.
Eventually I realized that these women ought to be shared with others. In my own personal struggles, people who I love and respect as believers in Christ chose to walk away from God and His ways. Waves of sadness and grief at times brought me so low that looking to God was my only way out. During all of these periods of wave after wave of melancholy, God brought some amazing older women into my life. One woman over 80 I met while swimming every morning before 7:00; others I had known for some time. All of these precious women encouraged me by sharing how they walked with God throughout their life; especially during some very dark days.
You are someone I would love to sit and chat with about your life and how God is working to show Himself through you. If you are experiencing doubt, sadness, and questions or are ready to give up entirely, perhaps these examples from older women and how they drew near to God for strength, wisdom and comfort will inspire as you see strength of character alive and active! I know for myself, as these women pointed me to Christ, they brought hope, dispelled my fears of walking away from my Lord and saved me from wallowing in self-pity and doubts.
I invite you to, “Laughing at Winter”, a blog for anyone searching for godly examples of women who have been in your shoes and never quit! I pray you will be blessed as I share what is on my heart and some of the best conversations I benefited from with encouraging and wise aged women of God who learned through living that we can fearlessly laugh at the winter years ahead!
Julie
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