A week ago today, I drove my parents to the airport. They were off for a long-awaited vacation to a far off land. They will be gone for 5 weeks.
My parents are healthy, independent people. It is difficult to realize that they are approaching 70. They take care of themselves, and still help take care of us. They easily babysit our four children whether for a few hours or for a weekend. They go off on trips with their church to do mercy work in the area. They still do all the same things they did when I was at home.
I am living the happy golden years with my folks. I would not trade a minute of the time I can spend with them for any amount of money. I love that my children are growing up knowing their grandparents, and I am getting to enjoy my parents a second time around!
Living and Learning,
Beth
Monday, September 24, 2007
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Church
I go to one of the neatest churches. I have some experience with a variety of churches. We have moved several times, and each time we had to do the "church hunt" thing. In the six months we lived in Texas, we never really found a church home, though we did finally find a church we regularly attended the last two months we were there.
I grew up in the Methodist church. I sat with my Nanny every Sunday. My mom played piano so she sat up front. Daddy was a shift worker, so often he was either at work or sleeping. The Sundays he had off, he sat in the back row. The church was a small, country church. The attendees were either cousins and/or neighbors. I learned the hymns of the faith at that church. The songs are imprinted on my heart and in my head. These are the songs I hum as I go about my chores. In the Sunday School program I memorized many of the common verses to believers: Psalm 23, John 3:16, etc.
When I started dating Charlie, I started going to his church. This was the PCA church in the small town where I grew up. Whether it was maturity on my part or the gifts of the different pastors, it was at this church that I finally began learning from the sermons preached. It opened up a whole new avenue of getting to know the Lord.
Once married, I moved away and we finally settled in the mid-west. We found a PCA church in this town, and started attending. I credit this church for teaching me about the community of believers. We worked together on the church building, we went tubing together, and we ate many meals together.
After many years in the mid-west, we moved back east. For the last 13 years we have attended the PCA church in our town. I credit this church's pastor for much of my Bible learning. When we arrived at this church, we had the honor of sitting for 5 years under the teachings of a man who is a gifted teacher. His sermons on Sundays not only taught us about the Lord, but he had practical application to go along with it. He was also someone who made sure you knew you were part of a church body. Since then, other pastors have come and gone at this church, but none have been quite as excellent of a teacher as he was.
Today, my family and I are still members of that church and they still attend that PCA church. I am attending another church in town. It isn't a great situation to worship seperately, but it is working for now. The church I go to is a Christian church. I LOVE the ladies at this church. They are supportive, loving, and caring. I am constantly extended the right hand of fellowhsip while at this church. The leadership of this church all know who I am and know my name. They even know my circumstances. My Sunday School class is full of compassionate and loving people. When my children have been with me, the church opens its arms to my children and wraps them in love and fellowship. I haven't seen anything like it ANYWHERE I have been in churches.
I have not only had the honor of sitting under the teachings of the pastor on Sundays, but also some lay people. All of it has been good. The Lord has blessed this church with the gift of teaching and of community. As a body, they live out what is presented in scripture. Where scripture speaks, they act. Where scripture is silent, so are they.
All of these churches have contributed to my growth in my relationship with Christ in many ways. All of these churches have been so much more than I described. I have been blessed by the teachers of these churches, and in many of the churches, by the fellowship of the saints.
There are other local churches that have made a difference in our lives. Our neighbor church has freely opened its doors to us. Our children have played Upwards soccer and basketball at this church. This church has also opened its doors to our children with its AWANAs program. The pastor and the pastor's wife were both wonderfully supportive and caring while we went through a suicide at our home church. The adults at this church have embraced and nurtured our children through the AWANA program. They were also the only church leaders to send my children sympathy cards when their Great Grandmother died. The leaders had listened to the children during prayer time and knew how close they were to Nanny. I know these workers may never see the fruit of their labor, but I see them laying a foundation of Christ and the love of the fellow saint in my children's hearts, and that is a wonderful thing.
We are blessed by the many ways the local churches love and support us in our community.
Living and Learning,
Beth
I grew up in the Methodist church. I sat with my Nanny every Sunday. My mom played piano so she sat up front. Daddy was a shift worker, so often he was either at work or sleeping. The Sundays he had off, he sat in the back row. The church was a small, country church. The attendees were either cousins and/or neighbors. I learned the hymns of the faith at that church. The songs are imprinted on my heart and in my head. These are the songs I hum as I go about my chores. In the Sunday School program I memorized many of the common verses to believers: Psalm 23, John 3:16, etc.
When I started dating Charlie, I started going to his church. This was the PCA church in the small town where I grew up. Whether it was maturity on my part or the gifts of the different pastors, it was at this church that I finally began learning from the sermons preached. It opened up a whole new avenue of getting to know the Lord.
Once married, I moved away and we finally settled in the mid-west. We found a PCA church in this town, and started attending. I credit this church for teaching me about the community of believers. We worked together on the church building, we went tubing together, and we ate many meals together.
After many years in the mid-west, we moved back east. For the last 13 years we have attended the PCA church in our town. I credit this church's pastor for much of my Bible learning. When we arrived at this church, we had the honor of sitting for 5 years under the teachings of a man who is a gifted teacher. His sermons on Sundays not only taught us about the Lord, but he had practical application to go along with it. He was also someone who made sure you knew you were part of a church body. Since then, other pastors have come and gone at this church, but none have been quite as excellent of a teacher as he was.
Today, my family and I are still members of that church and they still attend that PCA church. I am attending another church in town. It isn't a great situation to worship seperately, but it is working for now. The church I go to is a Christian church. I LOVE the ladies at this church. They are supportive, loving, and caring. I am constantly extended the right hand of fellowhsip while at this church. The leadership of this church all know who I am and know my name. They even know my circumstances. My Sunday School class is full of compassionate and loving people. When my children have been with me, the church opens its arms to my children and wraps them in love and fellowship. I haven't seen anything like it ANYWHERE I have been in churches.
I have not only had the honor of sitting under the teachings of the pastor on Sundays, but also some lay people. All of it has been good. The Lord has blessed this church with the gift of teaching and of community. As a body, they live out what is presented in scripture. Where scripture speaks, they act. Where scripture is silent, so are they.
All of these churches have contributed to my growth in my relationship with Christ in many ways. All of these churches have been so much more than I described. I have been blessed by the teachers of these churches, and in many of the churches, by the fellowship of the saints.
There are other local churches that have made a difference in our lives. Our neighbor church has freely opened its doors to us. Our children have played Upwards soccer and basketball at this church. This church has also opened its doors to our children with its AWANAs program. The pastor and the pastor's wife were both wonderfully supportive and caring while we went through a suicide at our home church. The adults at this church have embraced and nurtured our children through the AWANA program. They were also the only church leaders to send my children sympathy cards when their Great Grandmother died. The leaders had listened to the children during prayer time and knew how close they were to Nanny. I know these workers may never see the fruit of their labor, but I see them laying a foundation of Christ and the love of the fellow saint in my children's hearts, and that is a wonderful thing.
We are blessed by the many ways the local churches love and support us in our community.
Living and Learning,
Beth
Saturday, September 8, 2007
Fall Fun
This week I was looking out the front glass door and saw the first yellow leaf fall from one of our great oak trees in the front yard. With the very beginnings of the leaves changing and the nights getting cooler, I am positive that fall is upon us.
There are several great things about fall:
There are several great things about fall:
- Weekend picnics at the park in jeans and sweaters
- FOOTBALL
- Apple and pumpkin picking
- FOOTBALL
- Camping
- FOOTBALL
- Cool fall rains
- FOOTBALL
Did I mention it is football season? I love football. There isn't a better sport on the planet. (OK, hockey comes close!) I have been a Redskins fan for many years. I have also learned to like the Patriots. On the college level, I like to watch Virginia Tech because my husband so enjoys the games (when VA Tech is winning!). I also like to watch many of the teams that used to make up the Big East - Boston College, Pitt, Penn State, WVU, etc.
Football is a social sport, and that is one of the reasons I like it. You can easily watch the game, chat or grab a quick snack, and be ready to see the next play. There is no lack of topics: fumbles, "Hail Mary" passes, trick plays, sleeping defenses, aggressive offenseses, happy fans, etc.
I like watching football at home, but I like it so much more at the field. I am trying to get back to see a St Albans High School football game this fall. The mighty Red Dragons have a sorry team this year, but again, it isn't so much the game as the atmosphere. The ballfield is on the river, and as the sun sets, the dampness of the river invades the field. It gets cool quickly, and you have to bring a blanket to keep the chill off.
Although I haven't been to a Red Dragon football game since the fall of 1986, I figure we will see lots of people we know at the game. It will be fun to catch up with friends I haven't seen in years. I look forward to being back out in the stands at Crawford Field watching the mighty Red Dragons take the field. "Hurrah for Dragons. Hurrah for Dragons. Someone in the crowd's yelling Hurrah for Dragons....."
Living and Learning,
Beth
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Now That's Something!
John, my third child, keeps me in stitches. John is a normal, healthy 8 year-old boy. He thinks about things, and he likes to talk about things....BOY, does he like to talk about things. It is how he says things that keeps cracking me up, though.
A few weeks ago, we were sitting around the table and John informed his father that he is reading his Beginner's Bible through for the 3rd time. Charlie congratulated John and suggested that he pull out his "Big Boy" Bible and read from it next. John said he would like to do that, but he wasn't sure where to find his NIV Bible. I piped in that his Bible was in his room on his head board. I further reminded him that we had spent time cleaning his room so that he would know where to find his things. John's reply, "It is hard to find something when you are THAT organized."
John is also the authority on girls at our house. He has always liked girls. John can tell you the night, channel, and time for Deal or No Deal on TV. His favorite part of the show is when Howie asks the girls to walk down the stairs. He remarks on their beautiful clothes, and then he asks everyone in the room to choose a favorite. (His is Tameka.)
One night on Deal or No Deal it was Ladies Night. Instead of the girls, firemen held the numbered cases. John was very disgusted and said, "I'm not going to waste my time watching this."
We marvel at John's wisdome when it comes to girls. His most recent bit of sage advice went something like this, "Girls can't stay mad at boys who are handsome." Smart boy.
John is a very, very skinny boy. He has to wear a belt with his slim sized pants. John enjoys riding his bike on his own on our block. He loves that freedom. Today he came into see me and to tell me he had been riding his bike. He followed up with a speech on how exercise is good for the body, how he can make turns on his bike, etc. Finally, he held up his arm and pointed to it and said, "Look at my little muscle." Unfortunately, it doesn't stop there. He has shown my friend Mary his muscle and tonight he showed everyone at AWANA his muscle as well.
John cracks me up!
Living and Learning,
Beth
A few weeks ago, we were sitting around the table and John informed his father that he is reading his Beginner's Bible through for the 3rd time. Charlie congratulated John and suggested that he pull out his "Big Boy" Bible and read from it next. John said he would like to do that, but he wasn't sure where to find his NIV Bible. I piped in that his Bible was in his room on his head board. I further reminded him that we had spent time cleaning his room so that he would know where to find his things. John's reply, "It is hard to find something when you are THAT organized."
John is also the authority on girls at our house. He has always liked girls. John can tell you the night, channel, and time for Deal or No Deal on TV. His favorite part of the show is when Howie asks the girls to walk down the stairs. He remarks on their beautiful clothes, and then he asks everyone in the room to choose a favorite. (His is Tameka.)
One night on Deal or No Deal it was Ladies Night. Instead of the girls, firemen held the numbered cases. John was very disgusted and said, "I'm not going to waste my time watching this."
We marvel at John's wisdome when it comes to girls. His most recent bit of sage advice went something like this, "Girls can't stay mad at boys who are handsome." Smart boy.
John is a very, very skinny boy. He has to wear a belt with his slim sized pants. John enjoys riding his bike on his own on our block. He loves that freedom. Today he came into see me and to tell me he had been riding his bike. He followed up with a speech on how exercise is good for the body, how he can make turns on his bike, etc. Finally, he held up his arm and pointed to it and said, "Look at my little muscle." Unfortunately, it doesn't stop there. He has shown my friend Mary his muscle and tonight he showed everyone at AWANA his muscle as well.
John cracks me up!
Living and Learning,
Beth
Sunday, September 2, 2007
Whitewater Rafting
The Appalachian Mountains are some of the most beautiful mountains I have ever seen. During the summer the trees dress the mountains in deep, rich shades of green. In the fall, those wonderfully intense shades of green give way to the vivid colors of fall: golden yellows, burnt oranges, and rusty reds. I grew up in those wild, wonderful mountains. I know them well, and they are what I call "back home."
I know the names of the rivers running through those mountains. I have been canoing on the Coal, Kanawha River, and Elk River. I have spent summers tubing or vacationing on or around the Gauley River and the New River. These rivers are a welcome relief to the summer heat and humidity that are trapped in the mountain valleys of the state.
In the wintertime, people come to West Viriginia to snow ski or snowboard, but during the other seasons, it is the rivers that draw the crowds. On the west side of the Appalachian Mountains, the Gauley and New Rivers come together to form the Kanawha River. Both the Gauley and the New Rivers provide ample water sport opportunities, and one of the most popular water activities is white water rafting.
Saturday, I was on the New River enjoying the day. It was a perfect day to go down the river - mostly sunny, warm but not hot, slight breeze, and a nicely flowing river. We were in for a variety of white water challenges. There was one Class V rapid on our course, a few Class IV, and the rest Class III or lower.
While I will enjoy reliving the memories of the day, it is the bits of time I spent in reflection during the trip that I will treasure. I thought about all the wonderful people back home that were such an important part of my life. I thought about my childhood home, our dogs, our gardens, the hills I would run through barefooted, the small game my father would bring home for dinner every fall, the deer that would eat corn out of our gardens, and the small family church we attened. That's my "back home."
It felt good to be back home, to belong. I belonged at that time and that place, and it felt good. Sometimes, I don't feel like I belong. I think that is an important feeling, to feel out of place or that we don't belong. When we feel we don't belong, we are uncomfortable. We can do two things with that feeling. We can walk away, feeling rejected or out of sorts, or we can work through those feelings of not belonging and make an effort to belong.
It isn't always an easy or fast process, but belonging takes effort on my part. The down side is that occasionally, even with immense amounts of effort, you never belong. That sort of rejection is difficult to swallow. I have no words of wisdom or "secret" formula to help with rejection. I only know that I look to my Father in those times. He was the "stone the builders rejected." I belong to the Father. He has summoned me by name, and I am His.
For about four hours yesterday, I belonged in a raft of 10 people, most of whom were strangers. We enjoyed our time together running the rapids, and we were awed and entertained by the knowledge and the wit of our guide. We swam in the cool, deep river pools. The mountains hugged the river on either side, adding to the drama of the experience. It was a day well-spent.
Living and Learning,
Beth
I know the names of the rivers running through those mountains. I have been canoing on the Coal, Kanawha River, and Elk River. I have spent summers tubing or vacationing on or around the Gauley River and the New River. These rivers are a welcome relief to the summer heat and humidity that are trapped in the mountain valleys of the state.
In the wintertime, people come to West Viriginia to snow ski or snowboard, but during the other seasons, it is the rivers that draw the crowds. On the west side of the Appalachian Mountains, the Gauley and New Rivers come together to form the Kanawha River. Both the Gauley and the New Rivers provide ample water sport opportunities, and one of the most popular water activities is white water rafting.
Saturday, I was on the New River enjoying the day. It was a perfect day to go down the river - mostly sunny, warm but not hot, slight breeze, and a nicely flowing river. We were in for a variety of white water challenges. There was one Class V rapid on our course, a few Class IV, and the rest Class III or lower.
While I will enjoy reliving the memories of the day, it is the bits of time I spent in reflection during the trip that I will treasure. I thought about all the wonderful people back home that were such an important part of my life. I thought about my childhood home, our dogs, our gardens, the hills I would run through barefooted, the small game my father would bring home for dinner every fall, the deer that would eat corn out of our gardens, and the small family church we attened. That's my "back home."
It felt good to be back home, to belong. I belonged at that time and that place, and it felt good. Sometimes, I don't feel like I belong. I think that is an important feeling, to feel out of place or that we don't belong. When we feel we don't belong, we are uncomfortable. We can do two things with that feeling. We can walk away, feeling rejected or out of sorts, or we can work through those feelings of not belonging and make an effort to belong.
It isn't always an easy or fast process, but belonging takes effort on my part. The down side is that occasionally, even with immense amounts of effort, you never belong. That sort of rejection is difficult to swallow. I have no words of wisdom or "secret" formula to help with rejection. I only know that I look to my Father in those times. He was the "stone the builders rejected." I belong to the Father. He has summoned me by name, and I am His.
For about four hours yesterday, I belonged in a raft of 10 people, most of whom were strangers. We enjoyed our time together running the rapids, and we were awed and entertained by the knowledge and the wit of our guide. We swam in the cool, deep river pools. The mountains hugged the river on either side, adding to the drama of the experience. It was a day well-spent.
Living and Learning,
Beth
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