August 13 Roselle Park

Thursday:  I've been trying to walk a mile per day--it's not much, but it is at least a start! I sometimes walk on the treadmill over at the exercise building here where I live. If I walk there, I also ride the stationary bike for ten minutes. I find the treadmill very ... boring. It helps if am listening to beautiful music and singing along--but I can only sing along when no one else is exercising too.

Since I was going to be out and about this afternoon before going over to Jesse's, and since I had seen how lovely it is over at Roselle Park just the other day, and since there were many trails over there that I had not explored, and also since it was hot but not terribly so, I decided to drive over to Roselle and get my mile walk accomplished that way.

Of course, I was taking pictures along the way--so this was not a breaking sweat kind of walk; but at least I was walking.

This was a very happy mile walk for me today! It's so lovely here. I felt like I was walking through oceans of wild flowers. The beauty nearly took my breath away. 

It's about a half mile walk to the river itself, but there are other paths along the way as well. I walked "the loop" today, which means I took the path that winds over to the river and then circles back to the park.

Green, green, GREEN everywhere. I just love it.

I am definitely going to walk here in the Fall when all of the colors turn ...

These twin silos are the landmark for this park. When Jesse's kids were younger, we walked up 70+ stairs to the top of the one silo because there is a lookout deck at the top that we thought would be fun to take pictures from. BUT ... every time we climbed it, the glass door to the outside deck was locked. We still got a nice view from the top, but it would have been so much better out on the deck! We were up there one spring when the Grand River flooded almost all the way up to the silos!

This is a little creek that runs off the Grand River ... a frog hopped across the pathway just as I was taking this picture.

I am thankful for the beautiful outside walk I was able to take today. I had my ear buds in and was listening to beautiful music and singing along the way--don't worry--no one else seemed to be in the park at all--so I could sing, without bothering anyone. 

July 31 Generational Godliness

 Friday:  This morning I attended the funeral of my friend's dad. He went home to be with Christ on July 7--so three full weeks ago. Prior to his death (about 5 weeks before), Tom requested that he have a pre-death memorial service in Calvary's chapel. This request was granted to the family. Jen's dad had been given only a few weeks more of life here on earth. 

Jen told me that the chapel was packed for three straight hours as friends and family came to say goodby and share memories with her father. He was in a pretty weakened state, due to two years of intense cancer treatment, but was alert and welcoming to all who came. Tom's main objective was to share the good news of salvation through Christ to anyone who came through the line to greet him. Jen said he had many listening ears. After all, who wouldn't listen to a dying friend's words? He told them that very soon he was going to stand in the presence of Jesus, the One who gave everything to redeem him and give him new life, totally forgiven for his rebellion against God, and adopted as a true son into the family of God for all of eternity. Isn't it wonderful that Tom took this beautiful opportunity to share the truth of Christ with people he loved?

The opening line of his obit reads: "Someday, you will read or hear that Tom ____ is dead. Don't you believe a word of it. I shall be more alive than I am now. I will just have changed my address. I will have gone into the presence of God." 

I get chills reading that because IT IS SO TRUE of believers! This promise is given to us over and over again in Scripture. At his actual funeral Friday morning, we were given a brochure with many photos of Tom as a child, Tom as a young adult, as a newly wed, as a dad, as a youth leader, a businessman, etc. When I read through Tom's history, I was really impacted by the happiness he lived. Not only did he follow Christ from about middle school, but his parents were also faithful believers AND both sets of grandparents were solid believers too. And as I have known Jen now for several years, I have rarely known a more godly young woman (still single, quite beautiful, and in her mid-40's). 

Generational godliness would be quite a treasure. I didn't grow up with a godly heritage (although many people incorrectly think I did). I am sad that I did not live a more godly life to model for my sons--I give zero excuses for this. I have been more Christ-centered in my life since my grandchildren have been born, so I don't have as many regrets about what I have modeled for them. 

AND regrets really do not produce many positives unless actual CHANGE has taken place. Looking backward can sometimes be really unhealthy. But the Lord does ask us to repent of our sins, turn away from living for ourselves, and seek to align our hearts with His. I trust Him to complete His work in me, hopefully more and more each day.

C.S. Lewis is quoted as saying: "You can't change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending." I would add or interject "only by God's grace" to that statement. It's never too late to turn our hearts and lives over to the Lord and allow His Spirit to take over our lives.

This is the flower arrangement (above) our Monday Night Bible study small group purchased for the funeral. Jen is part of our small group. She also owns the flower shop that did all of the funeral arrangements.

Just for the record: I have no idea when the Lord will call me home (HOME is where HE IS), and the funeral for me will be quite small and hopefully as inexpensive as possible (except DO NOT CREMATE ME). I do want inscribed on my grave stone just five words: "Swallowed up by eternal life" 2 Corinthians 5.4 because that will be exactly what happens to me as I take my final breath here on earth. I will be more alive than I have ever been here. Forever with Christ, who loves me and gave His life for me.

Also, if any of my descendants read this blog and come across this entry--please do not use the sins of your parents and/or grandparents as an "excuse" to live however you want to live. YOU can be the beginning of generational godliness for your family and all those who follow you! But this will only happen if you surrender your heart and your will to the Lord of heaven and earth. Please do it!

"I keep working toward that day when I will finally be ALL that Christ Jesus saved me for and wants me to be." (Philippians 3.12b NLT)

July 22 Ted & Bev

Wednesday:  The Lord has given me two GIFTS this year in the way of friendships: the first one is my next-door neighbor, Ted. He is 92 years old! He is a lover of Christ who is kind, gentlemanly, resourceful, encouraging, and he is very fun to be around. Ted moved in to the neighborhood about 3+ years ago after the death of his second wife. He had been married for 53 years to his wife, Barbara. She was called to heaven and then he met a nice widow, Julie. They were married for three years and then she too went to be with the Lord. THEN he met and befriended a woman by the name of Donna. They never married because of their ages but they were close friends for about two years. She came down with pneumonia this past January and graduated to heaven as well.

Ever since Ted moved next door to me, I always viewed him as kind of a father figure. We enjoyed talking to each other as I fed my birds or worked in the yard. We had really good fellowship together about what God was doing in our lives. There was one problem, however--Ted was super lonely. He was lonely for another girl friend.

Enter BEV! About six months ago, through my adult Bible class at Calvary Church, I became re-acquainted with Beverly. We had somewhat "known" each other through the years at Calvary, but never really entered into a friendship. She is 18 years my senior and just hung around with a different group of women than I did, so we didn't have occasion to get to know each other. Bev will be 91 in September. She had to stop driving last fall because she had too many car maintenance problems to afford fixing. I had been asking the Lord to help me find a place of service at Calvary Church, and it worked out that I have become Bev's chauffeur whenever she needs a ride to church or the grocery store or the dentist, etc. She has become really special to me, and I love her.

SO ... seeing that Ted was very lonely and Beverly was "available", I began talking to each of them about the other, and pretty soon Ted asked if he could have Bev's number--she said "yes", and tada! They have become very good friends and phone each other every day. I have been deemed their chaperone on Wednesday afternoons when all three of us eat out (treated by Ted) for lunch. It's been a really fun and rewarding thing to be able to further their friendship, and to be with them on a weekly basis.

Here they are! We ate at Russ' for lunch this week. I had their most delicious fried chicken! Ted had the fried clam dinner. Bev had the fried perch. We sat and talked for more than an hour. It was so good.

Don't they look nice together? I love their smiles. Thank you, Lord, for Ted and Bev!

July 12 More engagement pics

continued:  These next few pictures were taken very far away from Kota and Emma. I am absolutely terrible at ZOOMing anything! I used my photo program to kind of fix these, but I don't think the pixel quality is very good.

They are closer here, so this is a clearer shot ...

Oh to run down the beach again (never in my lifetime will I be able to do this)! I love it when Emma does this. She is a fast runner!

This next series is my favorite. I hope Emma will use these on FB, but she is free to use whatever she likes.

They are just such sweet pictures.

And she's OFF once more ... !!!

 I hope Emma finds these acceptable to use where she wants to use them. It sure was nice to be with these two yesterday. 

We ate dinner out (they treated me!) at Buffalo Wild Wings--YUM! I moaned as I ate. Shock!

Oh, Lord, please draw these two dear people close to Your wonderful heart. Teach them to love you as You alone deserve. Help them submit all of their lives to You. Guard them, Jesus, from the evils of the world around us. Direct them to Your Word and use it to daily cleanse their lives. 

Help us to truly KNOW You, the only True God, and Jesus Christ who You sent to chase us down and show us Who You are. Please guard us from our enemy, help us keep alert, and use our lives to bring You glory, honor, and praise.

July 12 Emma and Kota

Sunday afternoon: Emma asked me last week if I would come with her and Kota and photograph their engagement "event" -- Kota actually proposed on July 2 over at Pioneer Park, so these pictures are just to celebrate that fact. 

We had perfect weather Sunday afternoon and we KNEW the beaches would be super crowded. Where could we go that was beautiful but where we could find less people? We decided on Muskegon State Park because there is such a long stretch of beach there. Sure, people were there--but if we walked far enough we could get them pretty much way in the background. 

I'm going to post a whole bunch of pictures that I have edited--you know, fix the horizon line, sharpen the color, etc. I may make several posts, depending on how I feel about it.

I liked this first picture, especially of Emma, but every time I tried to remove the background people nearest to her face, everything messed up and got all out of line. I gave up trying. I still like this picture though.

I cropped a bunch of people out of this photo (including Kota) but I wish Emma had been smiling ...

I like this one of both of them!

I super like this one. I love Emma's smile, and I love how Kota is looking at her.

Okay ... by now, you have quickly realized I am NOT a professional photographer (as if you didn't already know this!). A pro-photo person knows exactly where to have the subjects stand, which way to face, how to place their hands, etc. AND that photographer bosses everyone around until they get the result they are looking for. I'm not that person!

I do favor this first picture of their hands though (look at Emma's beautiful nails and engagement ring).

I am shooting into the sun in a lot of these pictures, so my fine-tuning isn't exactly the best; however, I do like these pictures--so there!

A very sweet kiss ...

The sun is right exactly in Kota's eyes in the next shot ... he looks pained (because he is!).

He moved just slightly and smiled (below), so that one is better I think.

I did order both of them INTO the water ... I surprised myself ... I'm not good at being the boss.

I think all of these are lovely ... I have more to follow ... bear with me.