Favorite Foto Friday #6

A granddaughter with her Granddad...

(Grand)"Children are an heritage of the Lord..." (Psalm 127:3)

Remembering...

Eight years ago I said good-by to my older sister.  Doing that on the phone from over 2000 miles away was one of the most painful experiences of my life. Two days later she was home with her Lord...because she believed in Him, and Him alone, to save her.

 Her life was an example and inspiration to me-from way back when we were growing up together til the last moment of her life. She supported us in our mission work with gifts, prayers, letters  and encouragement from the beginning and her husband still continues to do so.

Bonnie, I love you and I miss you. You were (and still are) an amazing and wonderful sister!

"I thank my God upon every remembrance of you." (Philippians 1:3)

Sweet Baby Boy

Little baby boy, so new and sweet and cuddly, love from your family surrounds you like a fence...protecting, caring, desiring God's best for you. "Whom having not seen, you love...". I know that verse is referring to Christ but, for the occasion, I'm pulling it out of context and letting it express how I feel about you and me. We haven't seen each other and you know nothing about me, but even though I haven't seen you, I do love you...for you are my grandson.

I have a promise from God just for you, I want you to take it with you wherever you go:

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

(Jeremiah 29:11)

Happy one-week birthday! God bless you, precious little grandson.
(baby photo: M. Thorp)

Heritage

On this Father's Day I would like to remember my Dad by sharing a little bit about heritage. Having recently received an old document about my family has made me think more about my family history, roots and heritage during the past few days. Much could be said here but I am just SO amazed and grateful for this blessing from the Lord. I'm sure there are skeletons in the closet and, in fact, that sort of thing never seems to stop happening but the past several decades have given our family something about which to be proud and for which to be thankful. My parents were Baptist missionaries and they left to each of "us 7" a super-rich, Biblical, Christian heritage. Not only their making sure that we learned and understood Biblical doctrines and practices, but also their godly and inspiring examples, will forever be remembered by us. To top it off, Dad and Mom left us 6 books which they wrote! As I paged through "Our Family Missionary History" once again, I was smiling because I knew that our rich heritage would be known by generations to come of their offspring. Whether each of us choose to embrace that heritage, believe their Biblical teachings and live similar godly lives is certainly up to each one, but the knowledge of it is there and we are without excuse. Daddy, I miss you so much but am happy that you are there with your Lord and Saviour...and Mom and Bonnie and Hannah. We'll see you in the near future!

"The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that begetteth a wise child shall have joy of him." (Proverbs 23:24)

New Life!

Life is a gift from God. When our seventh grandchild was born a few days ago, I marveled at God's loving and divine hands to create this little one. Doesn't she just look like a little rosebud? She's perfect, with "ten fingers, ten toes, one mouth and one nose...". She is new and the parents have the wonderful privilege to teach her God's Word and His Way, help her form her beliefs, mold her personality and show her their examples. I love new life, new days, new things! Each one has the potential of many blessings and possibilities. Do you delight in getting something like a new notebook, to write things on that clean, never-before-used paper that are helpful to yourself or others? Help us, Lord, to take advantage of the "clean sheets of paper" you give us, to write on them beautiful and godly things...whatsoever is pure and true and lovely. God, also, delights in new things! "If any man be in Christ he is a new creation..." (II Cor. 5:17). He delights to teach me new things, to mold me into the person He wants me to be, to make my life a blessing to others.

My Sunshine Roses!

In 2002 we were blessed with the arrival of our first grandchild-a boy! Thus began a most interesting and enjoyable phase of life. Currently-as in, as I write this :)-we have 6 (oops, now it's 7...AND now it's 8!) of these precious perfect gifts...and 1 more on the way, to boot! Oh, my heart will burst with all this joy someday!

When I was going through chemo a couple years ago, some of our grandkids would stop by with their moms (our daughters) to visit for a few minutes. Even though I was feeling rather raunchy on many of those occasions, to me it was like a lovely, comforting ray of sunshine to see their smiling faces-maybe because I knew they were pretty much oblivious to what was really going on. Their innocence of my situation just made them seem more precious. Oh, how I love each one of them. They are perfect gifts...to us as well as to their parents. May the Lord protect each one of them from the evil influences of the world around them, maintaining their innocence,beauty and purity as the roses that they represent!

Masculine Roses

The next logical pink roses on my list would be my sons-in-law...except I am going to choose another color that's a bit more masculine. For, after all, "pink" in this case can really be any color. We were so happy and relieved when the last perfect rose came along to capture the hearts of our daughters! They are Christians, they are perfect matches (ohhh yes!) for each of them, and are proving themselves to be wonderful husbands and fathers. Thank You, Lord, for these roses that are part of the beautiful bouquet of my life! (photo: C. Dennis)

The Perfect Pair

The gift I mentioned in the previous post has to do with the most important Person in my life but there are several others that God, in His love, has enriched my life with. The first ones to come along (of course!) were my parents. I could write a huge book just about them and the blessing that they were to me. I say "were" because they aren't with me anymore. Mom & Dad passed away 4 and 2 years ago, respectively. Their example, dedication, love and constancy are all reasons for holding them in a special corner of my heart and I am SO thankful for them. I think of them so often, there are just so many things that remind me of them. It's so wonderful to know that one day I will be reunited with them in heaven. Perhaps there I'll be able to give them adequate thanks, something which never seems possible here on earth, don't you think so? Mom and Dad, I love you!