I’ve been working on getting my photos to show up in my posts. This has taken a lot of tinkering, since I’m not a tech guru 🙂 This morning, however, I’m hoping I found the cure.
Would someone who was not able to see the pictures in “Our Story: 50 Years!” please let me know if you can see them now?
I sound like the old Verizon ad: “Can you hear me now?” 🙂
Month: June 2019
The Janitor
Zing and Zang read the words on the marquee, but they didn’t understand.
“Do you think it’s where you go to purchase a box?” questioned Zang.
“I don’t know. Maybe a factory that makes boxes. Let’s ask someone.”
“Don’t forget, we’re invisible. We’d better hide before we switch.”
They found a dark corner and flicked into visibility. They opened the door under the BOX OFFICE sign and saw a man sweeping.
“Right, youse two. Think you’re funny, huh? I’ll show you funny!” He raised his broom. They flicked back to invisible.
“Gotta stop drinkin,” muttered the janitor.
Airport Confusion
Zing and Zang are feeling overlooked. Several of the comment in the past few weeks have mentioned my favorite little aliens, and this week Kelvin nudged me in that direction. What better place to take these two than an international airport? Therefore, my second offering, better late than never 🙂
Zing and Zang perched invisibily just outside a departure gate. There were swarms of people. People sitting, walking, reading, sleeping, engaging in acts of affection that made Zing and Zang blush—which of course no one could see, so that’s all right 🙂
“Zing, this place is HUGE! And look at the size of their air transports! I wonder if they’re all going to the same place?”
“I don’t know, but I don’t understand why they don’t just teleport! Ready?
“Ready. To infinity and beyond!”
Circling the Earth
Holding a Kindle in her lap, Mrs. Honnicut had a hard time concentrating. Real life was much more interesting. Airports were full of people from Everywhere, Earth, Galaxy Milky Way.
They were all different. Skin colors, hair colors, eye colors–all different. Clothing often revealed the country of origin. And sometimes a lot more of the body than was necessary. One man nearby read a Bible. Most younger people sported earbuds and glazed eyes.
They were all the same. Coming, going, parting, greeting. Weary, excited, tired, disheveled.
Each a part of the paths that circled the earth.
A Woman’s Work
The wood stove was stoked, already red hot. Anna had filled the kettle with water. The steam indicated it was time to pour the water over the coffee she had ground at sunrise. She looked forward to sitting down for a few minutes, savoring the richness of the brew.
The old iron was heating, nearly ready to attack the sprinkled laundry waiting to be pressed to attention.
Later, she would use the ladle to stir her apple butter. The aromas of coffee, freshly ironed shirts, and apple butter would lull her to sleep later, a day well-lived.
Sunday Morning Coffee: Life is a Vapor
James 4:14
14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
Sometimes, we make the mistake of thinking that our lives are the most important things ever. We focus so much on what we want, when we want it, that it is easy to lose sight of the reality that our time on this earth is very short in God’s economy.
There’s an ad on television right now that really bothers me. It’s an ad for getting restaurant food delivered to your door. That’s not what bothers me. What I don’t like is the music that accompanies the ad: “I want it all, and I want it now!”
I think those words reflect an attitude that is becoming more and more prevalent in our thinking, when we really, as believers, should know better. It is an entitlement sort of attitude. If we want it, we should have it. Right now!
That’s not a good way to rear children. In I Kings 1, we are given the record of Adonijah’s attempt to claim the throne against the stated promise of God. In the account we read that David never (I’m paraphrasing here) got up in Adonijah’s face and read him the riot act. David never stood in the way of this child, or any of the rest of his children. He was not a good father.
And Adonijah ended up dying for his entitlement attitude when he tried to claim David’s harem, which belonged only to the king’s successor.
We couldn’t give our kids all that they wanted, the minute they wanted it. And I suspect that even if we could have, we wouldn’t have. It’s just not good for kids to demand and receive. They never learn the value of anything, and they turn out to be sneaky and spoiled, like Adonijah.
I guess this post would classify as a “stream of consciousness” piece of writing. It comes from several different moment in my week, so if it seems a bit disjointed, that’s my excuse 🙂
Don’t be entitled. Don’t teach your kids that they should always get everything they want. Our lives are nothing more than a whiff of steam, quickly made and quickly gone. Teach yourselves and your children this: “Only one life, ’twill soon be past; Only what’s done for Christ will last!”
Our Story: 50 Years #8
Wedding Day! June 7, 1969, we said “I Do!” And we did, with all the ups and downs, joys and sorrows that go with a long marriage.
My last semester of college was a whirlwind. Every day was filled to capacity, and more. I had set up a calendar for the wedding, listing all the things I was responsible to accomplish. I have always been organized, but this was a whole new level. Graduating, planning a wedding for one week after graduation day–and I spent most weekends at home, helping out at church and spending every spare moment with Terry.
In February, the senior class had scheduled a trip to Buck Hill, in Minneapolis, to spend a day skiing. Terry was an expert skier, and he met us at what he always referred to as “Buck Bump.” You have to understand, there are no mountains in Minnesota, and Terry had skied in Aspen, Colorado many times. He’d volunteered to be on the Rescue Squad, thereby getting free ski time when he wasn’t helping people who had injured themselves. So he was going to teach me to ski that day, and I could hardly wait.
On the way home, one of the guys in the bus said to me, “You sure got along in a hurry with that ski instructor!” I laughed, held up my ring finger, and said, “Yes, we actually fell in love and got engaged!” Took him a couple moments to get it, and then he laughed too. Funny, I’d forgotten all about that until just this minute.
So. Graduation finally came, and one humongous goal was achieved.
Another crazybusy week, and suddenly THE DAY had come A few of the wedding pictures:
This picture is blurry, but can’t you see the relief on his face! No more tux, no more formality.
And, FINALLY, after Terry endured the whole wedding fuss-and-feathers, we’re off for a week in in Terry’s favorite place: The woods of northern Michigan. I liked it too, by the way. Beautiful, except for the endless rain 🙂
I think I’m going to let this be the final post of this series. Today, 50 years later, I am beyond thankful for the life we’ve had together. Again, not without the lows as well as the highs. That’s life. You make a commitment, and you honor it. You learn to live with each other. You love God, and you keep Him central.And you don’t let the love die. It changes, because life happens. Children, jobs, illness, unexpected ups and downs. You do it together because you promised you would, and you hold on to the love.
And you remember to be thankful.
Camouflage
Old Patrick kept the house in shipshape order. The blue shutters and railings reminded him of the sea, and the flowers cheered him on a rainy day.
People stopped to admire his place, even taking pictures with their cell phones. Never occurred to them to get his permission.
Neat and orderly, a place for everything. Until one day he lost his jacket. Not in the appropriate closet, not anywhere.
To his utter dismay, he found it when he went down the front steps, hanging on the railing post. Right where he’d left it.
But he couldn’t remember leaving it there.
Just Writing! 