Cactus Flower

Newlyweds become oldyweds, and oldyweds are the reasons that families work.   Anon. Chains do not hold a marriage together.  It is threads, hundreds of tiny threads which sew people together through the years.  Simone Signoret Remember, we all stumble, every one of us.  That's why it's a comfort to go hand in hand.  Emily Kimbrough I dreamed of a wedding of elaborate elegance, A church filled with family and friends. I asked him what kind of a wedding he wished for, He said one that would make me his wife. Author Unknown Ah, what dreams we have as young people!  Dreams of large houses and beautiful children.   Hopes for happiness always and perfect days.  On May 30, 1987, I dreamed of telling stories to children under a tree in a far off land with my missionary husband hurding them all to hear.  I dreamed of travels and baptisms and my husband preaching to large crowds, of teaching missionary children, and occasional ...

This is an old post from my Yahoo!360 blog.  It's from sometime in 2006.  ******************************************************* Yesterday while sitting in the car in front of  Petrolina’s shopping mall - River Shopping, I saw a fellow standing in front of the entrance that looked remarkably like my brother Wesley.  He didn’t have a beard, he looked like Wesley did a few years back.  I was guarding the six packs of  2 liters drinks lashed on the top of our car for a retreat,  Byron  had gone back in to get one more item. The more I watched this fellow from where I was sitting , the more I thought about how it couldn't be Wesley, could it?   I thought about all the time that has passed by since I’ve last seen my brother.  He got married just days before we came back from our last furlough.  He has three sons now - three little nephews that I’ve never seen except in pictures.  I cried a little thinking about him and his boys ...

Check out Byron's latest prayer letter by clicking on the Prayer Letters tab at the top of the page... May 15, 2011 Thanks!

And I prayed to the LORD my God, and made confession, and said, “O Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love Him, and with those who keep His commandments, Daniel 9:4  Old chapel, Praia do Forte, Bahia Seems I yell at my kids most often on Sunday on the way to church or getting ready to go. I'm never super well prepared for my Sunday School class. Every corner of my house almost always has a cobweb. I haven't swept behind the freezer or refrigerator in who knows when. I hate passing out random tracts, but often do it nonetheless. There is a small hill of unfolded laundry in a chair in my bedroom. My sink is rarely shiny like the Fly Lady says it ought to be. I can't stand to take out water to passers-by even though I realize one of them one day could be an angel in disguise. I often tell kids in the front yard that there time is up and their mothers must be calling them. I play Scramble on Facebook way too m...

Had to climb a little to get this photo.  Have you ever seen baby hummers in a nest, Mom?  They were so cute.  I got to within a foot of them.  Didn't want to upset their chattering mother too much.  They are blue scissortails. Check out my latest Sparkpeople journal for all the details on my "climb."

apples peanut butter (natural with honey to sweeten) brazil nuts  books Bibles extra shoes bread cookies crackers sardines (emergency food) good soft t.p. for our cabin more cookies grape jelly two spoons guava fruit newtons (kinda like fig newtons to me) Alpine Instant Apple Cider (just add water) packs of Tang (guava, tangerine, lemon) cards (Uno, Skipbo) Dalton's extra socks hats brand-name chips  I learned a long time ago to travel well prepared for all possibilities.  I like to pack one of our Rubbermaid Action Packers when we go to camp with all kinds of good stuff.  The boys are mostly interested in the cookies and snacks and always hoping the box has no school books!

She's been with me all the way from packing for the mission field, to support for natural breastfeeding of all my babies, to future home base support for all her MK grandkids. She's the motivation behind every Bible Story I tell on the mission field and every devotional message I present in every church or school. She is the example of what a Christian parent should be, right along side my Awesome Dad! She knows how to make a profit and use it well just like the Proverbs 31 woman and still remembers what it's like to can beans and eat what you grow. She can appreciate antique flour sacks and tell you which ones are like the ones from which she had dresses. She prays for her own and for some many others. She knows what I'm up to everyday because she has been where I am and will go wherever I go. She knows what I like, works all the time collecting things for future trips and boxes because she is tuned in. She understands me way too well, because we are t...

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