How Christians Should Respond to Suffering and Tragedy by Pastor Jordan Cooper, because 2012 has been continuing the human tradition of awful stuff.
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Coming out of the Woodwork
It's nearing the end of 2012, and it's time to put my school things away for a few weeks and pay more attention to my family. (Not that I DON'T pay attention to them, but... well, maybe I don't so much these days.)
Getting used to having two kids in university, and only one kid at the dinner table.
Getting a longer waistline.
Getting things out of the closets without ever seeming to get things back into the closets again.
Getting to work at several nice schools with students who are pretty nice people.
Getting to have my firstborn come home for a few weeks, and getting to see her all dressed up in
furisode, the long-sleeved kimono that unmarried women traditionally wore.
Getting the pleasure of seeing two of my daughters gain full-time work at good companies.
Getting some relief that my last child could pass the entrance into university a few months
ahead of the usual testing time.
Getting grayer and more "smiley" marks in the corners of my eyes.
Getting forgiven daily by Jesus who humbled Himself to be born of a virgin just so He could die
in my place in order to reconcile me to His Father, the Creator and Sustainer of everything.
2012 was a pretty good year.
2012 was a year of:
Getting on with life after the earthquake and tsunami of March 3, 2011.Getting used to having two kids in university, and only one kid at the dinner table.
Getting a longer waistline.
Getting things out of the closets without ever seeming to get things back into the closets again.
Getting to work at several nice schools with students who are pretty nice people.
Getting to have my firstborn come home for a few weeks, and getting to see her all dressed up in
furisode, the long-sleeved kimono that unmarried women traditionally wore.
Getting the pleasure of seeing two of my daughters gain full-time work at good companies.
Getting some relief that my last child could pass the entrance into university a few months
ahead of the usual testing time.
Getting grayer and more "smiley" marks in the corners of my eyes.
Getting forgiven daily by Jesus who humbled Himself to be born of a virgin just so He could die
in my place in order to reconcile me to His Father, the Creator and Sustainer of everything.
2012 was a pretty good year.
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Long Time, No Blog
I don't know what I did, but I did something. And then I didn't have time to fix it. I seemed to be locked out of my own blog, so I haven't been posting. Tonight I had some time to consider starting up a new one, and what do you know -!- I'm not locked out.
I'm back!!!
I'm back!!!
Saturday, October 29, 2011
My Mom's 77th Birthday
My mom celebrated another birthday. Actually, one of my sisters said everyone else was celebrating it, and Mom was wondering who all the people were.
We have a custom. When one of us five girls is not there for a group shot, a stuffed animal sits in our place. This time the two of us who live too far away to attend are there in the photo frames. Sister # 3 is holding my picture (#1). Sister #2 is holding #4's picture and #5's three-year-old son. And next to Mom is Sister #5 with her 15-month old daughter on her lap.
We continue to be thankful and amazed that Mom has not suffered the usual pain that accompanies cancer. Her decline has been gradual, and much slower than the doctors first supposed it would be. She can still eat regular table food, but someone has to feed her. She cannot stand and walk, and since she's always been one to get up and down all the time, I'm sure this is very hard for her. Also, she can no longer use the toilet, so one of my constant prayers is that her caregivers are keeping her clean and dry. The hardest of all is that my mother is pretty much incoherent now. It seems as though nobody understands anything she says.
The last time I visited her was last year for her 76th birthday. I'm sad that I cannot go there and sit with her now, but I am relieved that she is in good hands. And she is in Good Hands, too. She is baptized, and she believes that the One Who died for her on the cross, Jesus the Christ, has taken her punishment for all her sins. And while she is weepy quite a lot these days, soon she will cry no more. Glory be to God.
We have a custom. When one of us five girls is not there for a group shot, a stuffed animal sits in our place. This time the two of us who live too far away to attend are there in the photo frames. Sister # 3 is holding my picture (#1). Sister #2 is holding #4's picture and #5's three-year-old son. And next to Mom is Sister #5 with her 15-month old daughter on her lap.
We continue to be thankful and amazed that Mom has not suffered the usual pain that accompanies cancer. Her decline has been gradual, and much slower than the doctors first supposed it would be. She can still eat regular table food, but someone has to feed her. She cannot stand and walk, and since she's always been one to get up and down all the time, I'm sure this is very hard for her. Also, she can no longer use the toilet, so one of my constant prayers is that her caregivers are keeping her clean and dry. The hardest of all is that my mother is pretty much incoherent now. It seems as though nobody understands anything she says.
The last time I visited her was last year for her 76th birthday. I'm sad that I cannot go there and sit with her now, but I am relieved that she is in good hands. And she is in Good Hands, too. She is baptized, and she believes that the One Who died for her on the cross, Jesus the Christ, has taken her punishment for all her sins. And while she is weepy quite a lot these days, soon she will cry no more. Glory be to God.
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