January 12 Where I live ...

Friday:  I had a few goals mapped out for my day off today. #1 was to obtain or order a Bible for Kaity. #2 was to make and mail a card for my friend, Beth's birthday, and #3 was to wash at least part of the kitchen floor and most assuredly the entrance to my house. What I REALLY wanted to do, however, was to jump in the car and drive to Whitehall (just north of Muskegon) and take some pictures of the White River light. I don't have any decent pictures of that lighthouse because I've never planted myself in the correct location to do so. Anyway, I dumped that "wish" for today because the things on my list were much more important. I DID manage to bundle myself up in triple layer and then I ventured outside around my "park" and outlying areas, walking--just me and my camera. I took a few pictures, but I'm not crazy about them.

So WHY get Kaity a Bible NOW? Well, every Wednesday night Kaity and her friends (Kenzie and Harper) go to Awana Club over at Maranatha Bible Church--which is so close to their houses, they could practically walk. When we were doing our school work last night, Kaity started humming a song which I recognized immediately--"I've Got the Joy Joy Joy Joy Down in My Heart" which Kaity and I sang a few times together. I asked her if she knew any of the other verses to the song ... and she DID. "I've got the love of Jesus, love of Jesus, down in my heart." So we wrote those words on her white board. Kaity's face was something to behold as she sang ... she loves to hear about Jesus--except (and this is HUGE) NOT in story form ... unless you can act it out and do not have to read it to her. She was given a Bible at Awanas, but the print is super tiny, there are zero pictures, and there is no way in the world Kaity is going to pick that Bible up and do anything with it. I asked the Lord to help me find the right Bible today. I was willing to drive over to Baker's, but I truly did not want to leave home today.

I googled children's Bibles, looked through The Adventure Bible (because you CAN do that on the internet--amazing) and was even able to get a very nice Bible case for it with tons of zippers and pockets--Kaity will love the case to pieces ... I was able to order both of them for a total of $25.13! YES! Plus, Amazon will deliver by Sunday. I can't wait to give this gift to her.

Here are the pictures I took while I was walking this afternoon:

Most of these pictures were taken while walking on the land that the greenhouse owns that abutts the golf course ...

Below is what our community garden looks like right now ...

This is one of the streets around the block from me ...

And this is MY little house ...

Also, I received word today that my good friend Gail (who lives a block off Lake Michigan at Pere Marquette Park) ... that her husband, Dan, went home to be with Jesus Wednesday afternoon. Thank you, Lord. Dan had been suffering with Parkinson's, had numerous strokes, dementia ... and for the last three years as been in need of 24/7 care which Gail provided with the help of professional nurses that came into their home. But ... it has been exhausting for Gail and sad for Dan. I'm so glad to KNOW that Dan's suffering has ended and that he is "breathing new air" and is home now with the Lord.

Plus, last night while I was dropping Kaity off to her mom--I went inside with Kaity for a bit and Diana and Christopher were sitting at the kitchen table talking about the death of Coach Olson--which is the first I had heard of it. Coach Olson was a super guy and coached wrestling. Chris said absolutely NO ONE would have participated in wrestling without Coach Olson. He was a truly encouraging person and a mentor to so many of the students. Coach evidently had a heart attack and died on February 8 after being in a coma for a week or so. Chris is feeling his loss deeply, and Matthew too--more worrisome for Matthew seeing that he struggles with depression chronically anyway. Oh Lord, please surround Matthew with the truth of Who you are: Savior, Friend, Deliverer -- and please help Matthew to believe that he is who YOU SAY HE IS--absolutely precious, wonderfully made for Your purpose and glory. Please watch over Matthew, Chris, Tyler and all the young people who are grieving the loss of Coach.