Happy Birthday Seth!

Today is our grandson, Seth's, Birthday. He is 11 years old. Happy Birthday Seth! Have a great day!

Faith and Trust in God

Today I took Trent to see a dermatologist to check out a small purple sore on his ear. Two and a half years ago, in April, he got a very bad sunburn. He was playing soccer in Special Olympics, and since it was April we had no sunblock with us. Neither did the other parents or coaches. Nobody expected the weather to be in the high 80's with a hot sun overhead. All the athletes had a bad sunburn. After the sunburn, Trent was left with this little purple sore on his ear, and from time to time his ear peels. When I mentioned it to the doctor, she listened to what I told her, took one look at it and said, "Oh my!" Giving me a serious look, she continued, "I will give you some ointment for that. But that is going to have to be watched for the rest of his life. If there is any change, bring him in right away." I replied by shaking my head yes. I knew what that meant.

Unfortunately, when one has a disability, his or her immune system seems to be compromised. Such has it been in Trent's case. He has had more than his share of medical situations.

Today, however, on the way home I felt my self feeling depressed. I kept hearing the words, "...that is going to have to be watched for the rest of his life..."

I began to think--"Who is going to be there after I'm gone? Who is going to take care of him the way I do? Who will even know to watch this?" I immediately recognized this for what it was--a lack of faith and trust in God. When Trent was little, I would worry about certain things that might happen to him. One day my husband wisely said to me, "Why are you worrying about that now? It may never happen, and if it does, we will cross that bridge when we get there."

My, how those years have flown! Here we are at the time in our life when these worries could really take over all of our thoughts. I can not do that. God will be there for Trent when his dad and I can no longer be there. We have prayed for Trent for 28 years and must entrust Him into God's hands. He will continue to take care of him even after we are gone. He will always send someone into Trent's life to help care for him.

I do not know how parents of a child with a disability make it without the Lord Jesus in their lives. To know Him and His love is the greatest gift in the world. He will not fail me and He will not fail my son!

Merry Christmas

What a wonderful day it is--the birthday of our Saviour!

Thank you God for sending your Son as a baby many years ago. Thank you Jesus for dying on the cross. Thank you that you rose again and that you are alive and sitting on the right hand of God. Thank you for my salvation. Thank you that I have a promise of eternal life in heaven.

What a joy to have Matthew Wyatt Evans join us for Christmas Eve celebration last night. We had such a wonderful time. I thank God for all of our children and grandchildren and all that He has given to us.

Have a wonderful, wonderful Christmas and may the love of God fill your hearts today!!

Happy Birthday Landen!

Happy Birthday to our grandson Landen! He is six years old today. What a Christmas present he was six years ago!!! Hope you have a great day today Landen!

Our China Doll Is Here!

Chet, Phyllis and our new grandson from China, Matthew Wyatt Evans, are home. They arrived safely and on schedule yesterday, at O'Hare Airport around 4:30 p.m.

How good God was! The weather was horrendous Thursday evening and Friday morning. I prayed that God would clear the roads and let the storm pass before we had to make the dreaded trip to O'Hare. (As those of you living in the Chicago area know, driving in that area can be hazardous.) On Thursday night, they advised those who could take a day off and stay home on Friday to do so. Apparently many took that advice, because both our trip to O'Hare and our trip home were during the rush hour and the traffic was wonderful. We were able to travel at the speed limit and there was no stop and go. Thank you God for answered prayer!

We are so happy to finally get to see Matthew. Up until now it has seemed like a dream. Chet and Phyllis are like two excited little children. Matthew is adorable. Welcome Matthew!

Congratulations Rachel!

I want to congratulate our daughter, Rachel, who graduated with an Associates Degree last night. She worked very hard on this the last few years and we are proud of her! Congratulations Rachel!

My Sons - The Sound Men

Trent loves running the sound system at our church. I guess it must run in the family because Brett, another son of ours, ran the sound system at the church where he attends for a long time. Brett is an excellent sound man as is Chet who trained Trent. Most of the time Trent does an excellent job. Chet is always there for standby in case he has problems.

But Chet has been in China for the last week and a half and Trent has been on his own. At the last minute on Sunday morning, one of the specials was changed and the couple who were now going to sing were using a CD. Not only was the schedule changed, but he had to keep track of the CD for this couple and the CD that he needed to play for the choir.

Trent does well at many things. But when he is trained to do something, and there is a change, it throws him for a loop. I am proud to say that he handled the change like a pro. I am so grateful to an older brother who was willing to take the time to patiently teach Trent.

New Grandson!

Yes! We officially have a new grandson. We received the call last night and then talked to Chet again this morning. I wish I could have seen the looks on their faces when their son was handed to them.

It appears that they are back on schedule and should return home on the 19th. Our precious Matthew has congestion in his chest, so please pray that God will touch his little body and heal him.

Thank you God for being so good!!!!

Big Problem - Not for God!

Chet and Phyllis reached a snag (a big one!!) when they reached California. The first international plane they boarded had a problem. They boarded another one and it had a problem. Then they boarded a third one, but there was no crew available. They had to spend the night in California.

The BIG problem? They would miss their appointment to pick up Matthew. They contacted their agent. Yes, they were told, this could be a very BIG problem. We prayed. Phyllis' family prayed. Our church prayed. Our family and friends prayed. Chet and Phyllis were allowed another 24 hours. Instead of picking up Matthew on Monday morning (China time), they will now pick him up Tuesday morning, which is late tonight our time. It's still going to be very, very close. God is in control. At times like this, it is hard to trust Him, but we must. He ALWAYS knows what is best.

I have watched these children of ours and they have had such tremendous testimonies! After going through years of infertility, they decided to adopt. I only know parts of what they have faced, but it has been a steep uphill battle the entire way.

Big problem? Yes, but it's not too big for God!

They're Off!

We just got back from O'Hare Airport! The roads were very slippery and the traffic slow. We saw five or six accidents and several more vehicles that had slid off the road. We thank God we were able to get Chet and Phyllis to the airport in plenty of time and then we arrived back home safely. Phyllis' mom and brother joined us.

Soon they will be in the air on their way to China. As I write this, their plane is scheduled to take off in 14 minutes. Please pray for safety for them. I had tears in my eyes as I hugged both of them and yet, happiness filled my heart. When we see them again, as Chet said, they will no longer be a twosome, but a threesome.

Matthew Wyatt Evans, we can't wait to meet you!!!

Grandchildren Are Precious!

Grandchildren are precious. When we are raising our own children, sometimes the busyness of our lives gets in the way of our enjoyment of them. That's why grandparents are so important.

We have had two prayers that God has recently answered in a very direct way. Our grandson Andrew (age 9), had been going through some struggles. Every night before my husband and I go to bed, we get on our knees and pray together. We pray for EVERY member of our family (and that list is getting quite long). We pray for specific needs for each one. We prayed that this year in school Andrew would find favor with his teacher. The other day he told me, "Grandma, my teacher says that she is so proud and happy to have me in her class." What a difference I can see in him, and what an answer to prayer!

About a month ago, my grandson, Brandon (age 8), received a D+ in spelling on his report card. He was really upset about it and about the fact that he would be grounded for it. I told him that Grandpa and I would pray for him every day and encouraged him to study harder. Two weeks later, when we saw him again, he had received A+ on both of his tests. He told his mom, "That's because Grandma and Grandpa were praying for me." What a testimony of God's love to these young boys. I hope they begin to see and understand the power of prayer and to have faith in God's answering their prayers.

Because my grandparents lived hundreds of miles away, I never really got to know them. The same thing happened to our children. I am thankful that most of our grandchildren live close by. If they remember nothing else about their grandparents, I want to leave each of them with this legacy--Grandma and Grandpa loved me and prayed faithfully for me.

Everything I Need

I hope all of you have had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Every day should be a day of thanksgiving!

Diane, the friend of mine for whom I have been praying, seems to be doing somewhat better. At first, they held out very little hope that she would live past Sunday the 23rd. Here we are eight days later and she is slowly improving. Praise the Lord!

The shower for my daughter-in-law went beautifully on Saturday. She and my son are looking forward to flying to China on Saturday morning to pick up their precious son. I am looking forward to them getting back on the 19th. Being a mother, it is hard not to worry about their safety, but I must put them in God's hands and trust Him (and I do trust Him).

I had asked her mother (the maternal grandmother) to say a few words at the shower and then I also spoke for a few minutes. I would like to share with you what I said.

Most of you have heard or read this story, but a few years ago I found something very unique in this story.

The story is found in I Kings 3:16-27. If you haven't read it and have a Bible, look it up. It is about two women, who were harlots, and they each had a newborn baby. The one baby died and during the night the mother of the dead baby took her baby and traded it with the baby of the other mother. When that mother awoke in the morning, she discovered the baby she had was not hers. To make a long story short, they went before King Solomon. Each woman argued that the living baby was hers. King Solomon in his wisdom said, "Bring a sword....Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other." Of course the real mother said, "Give her the living child, and in no wise slay it." Solomon then knew who the real mother was.

For years, whenever I heard this story told, it was always to emphasize the wisdom of Solomon. But here is something new I saw and I used it at the shower.

These women were harlots. Although the Bible doesn't tell us so, it is highly probable that they had not had a very good life before that. Perhaps they had not had mothers who had taught them how to mother. And yet, God put EVERYTHING in them that they needed to be a mother. This was evidenced in how natural it was for the real mother to be willing to give up her child rather than to have him killed.

To my daughter-in-law I said, "Phyllis, God knew from the very beginning that you would be the mommy of Matthew. You are going to face some circumstances of which most of here today know very little. But God put everything in you that you need and when those difficult times come, remember that. "

How true it is! When God gives us things to do that seem too hard, He already put everything in us that we need. When God gives us a child with special needs, He already put everything in us to parent this child. When I start to complain about something in my life that seems too hard, I must remember that He has given me everything I need. He is always there for me. He is my best friend, my Comforter and the answer to every situation in my life.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I want to wish a very Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! I probably will not have a chance to blog the next few days. Tomorrow will be very busy and on Saturday I will be giving my daughter-in-law Phyllis a shower. They know for sure now that they will be leaving for China on the 6th of December and returning on the 20th. If all goes on schedule, they will have their son in their arms the 8th of December. Oh happy day!!!

I have so many things for which to be thankful. First and foremost, I am thankful for my salvation. I am so glad that God sent His only begotten Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for me. When I was seven years old, I knelt beside our bathtub, and with my mom's guidance, I accepted Jesus Christ as my own personal Saviour. The most wonderful thing in the world is knowing that some day I will be in heaven with Him.

I am thankful for a hard-working godly husband, six beautiful children, and 10 (soon to be 11) grandchildren. I am thankful for terrific friends. I am thankful for food on my table, a roof over my head, and shoes on my feet. I am glad that I have a God who hears and answers my prayers. I am especially thankful for my Bible, that has all the answers to life's problems. It is through His word that He speaks to me. We serve a living Saviour!

Thank you dear God, for all you have given me!

We Continue to Teach

A few months ago, when our Pastor asked someone to read a Bible verse, Trent volunteered. I was shocked at how poorly he read, and how poorly he pronounced words that I knew he could pronounce. Don and I had been noticing a decline in his abilities and, quite frankly, it scared me. I have known for sometime that there is a connection between Down Syndrome and Alzheimer's, and since my mother had Alzheimer's, it only makes me more anxious. I think, though, that I have discovered the reason for the decline.

As we parents get older (and more worn out), we no longer feel like teaching our child with special needs. Somehow we feel like we should be finished with that part of our lives. I became busy with other things--good things--things such as serving God in our local church and reaching out to parents who have children with special needs. In doing that, I neglected my own son. It was just a few weeks ago that I realized something needed to be done.

I began to have him read to me a few times a week and then I ask him questions about what he has read. I also encourage him to pronounce the words correctly. In just a few weeks time, I have seen a great improvement.

Last week I saw a mom in the grocery store who also has a son with Down Syndrome. I hadn't seen her for years. Chuckie is four years older than Trent. Her words to me were, "Chuckie has really gone down. He doesn't do as well as he use to do." I think that we just accept that fact that because their life expectancy is shorter than ours is, this decline in their mental ability is normal. I told her of our experience and what I was doing with Trent and that he was already showing some improvement.

Quite frankly, there is not much out in the world for our children with special needs. Of course there is special rec, and there are some jobs available. But the jobs and the recreation are usually just a few hours a week, leaving our children with many hours of doing nothing worth any value whatsoever. The four hours Trent works a week enables him to bring home a paycheck, which he loves, but it does nothing to motivate him. Let's face it! If we don't use it, we lose it! Our children need to be mentally challenged!

Look for a church that has a special needs ministry. Trent always learned well under the pastor's preaching and teaching, but our own special needs Sunday School class has helped him also. We have only a few in attendance, but it gives us time to discuss some of the things that are pertinent in their lives. If there is an opportunity, let your child serve in the church somewhere, even if you have to walk alongside of him to train him.

I want to encourage parents of grown children to constantly work with them. Have them read. Ask them questions. Make them count money. I am going to have Trent go grocery shopping with me as he use to and give him a certain amount to spend. In short, everything I taught him when he was young, I must continue to review. I guess we are home schooling again, in an abbreviated form.

Once a mother, always a mother!! I'm glad that I am needed! Never will I be able to use the words, "I'm bored!" Praise God!

Please Pray for Bill!

Yesterday I received news that one of our Wonderfully Made people from our former church is in the hospital with a bowel obstruction. The doctors expected that she would not make it beyond Sunday. She is in a coma.

Diane is in her 50's and the best way to describe her is that she is a little mentally slow, and yet has been able to function in a "normal" world. Until recent years, she was able to hold down a full time job. She is also able to drive. Diane is married to Bill who is in his 60's. Bill had a stroke as a young child and it left him with a permanent mental disability. About two years ago, Diane had a recurrence of a hernia that the doctors refused to operate on until she lost some weight, and in spite of how hard she tried, she hadn't lost enough. It seems the hernia caused other problems, and then a bowel obstruction. She was rushed to the hospital on Friday, with great pain and with her blood pressure being extremely low and now she is in a coma. Only the immediate family can see her, and they believe she has brain damage.

My heart is broken--not only because I will miss Diane, but because Bill will be lost without her. Diane drove him everywhere and helped him in everything that he did. In spite of her limitations, she did a good job of taking care of him. They dearly loved each other. Please pray for him, as he will probably have to go to a nursing home when Diane is gone. My heart aches for those who have special needs when there is no one left to take care of them. I always relate it to our own son Trent. Oh how we need some good Christian homes! In spite of everything we have done, we are at a standstill. We need a couple with the same faith and the same desires that we have to be on our board so that we can file for a not-for-profit license. That is the first step and we can go no further until that is done. We have prayed and God has not yet opened that door. Please pray with us.

Diane was a happy, lively individual who one couldn't help but love. I know that when she leaves this earth, she will go to be with her Jesus! Praise God! Bill knows the Lord too, but what a difficult time ahead he faces! Only the great Comforter can help him.

Please keep praying that God will send us the people we need to help us out in this ministry to which God has called us.

Matthew Will Be Here Soon!!

We found out yesterday that Chet and Phyllis will be leaving for China around the 6th of December. That means they should be back around the 18th! What a Christmas present!

When my children were growing up, I had a song that I sang to the boys before they went to bed. It was a song I had heard on a record when I was young. I continued to sing this to my grandsons (and the words can be changed to cowgirl for the girls). It wasn't long ago that when my nine-year-old grandson Andrew stayed overnight, he said, "Grandma, please sing the cowboy song to me again." Our only daughter, the second from the oldest of our children, sang it to her boys; in fact, she recorded it on a teddy bear that her youngest son, Landen, made.

I thought it was so precious that this little "tradition" has carried on. I'm sure I'll have the opportunity to sing it to Matthew.

It goes like this:
Good night daddy's little cowboy,
It's time to round up a dream.
So good night daddy's little cowboy,
Hitch up your sky riding team.
The Lord is the driver and all the night through,
He'll help you round up a dream to come true.
So goodnight daddy's little cowboy,
It's time to round up a dream.

I always let my children and grandchildren finish the last two words.
I sing "It's time to round up..."
And they say, "a deam!" Cute, huh?

Matthew, your grandma looks forward to singing this song to you.

Without Faith It Is Impossible To Please God

Last week I had the privilege of teaching the Ladies Bible Study. The subject was "Why do I keep going around that same mountain?" We studied the Israelites and the reasons why they wandered in the wilderness for 40 years when the trip should have taken days. Then we looked at the relevance of their wanderings (or going around the mountain) to our own lives.

Just days before my teaching on this subject, we had three discouraging things happen to us. On Tuesday my husband came home and told me that he would be laid off after the first of the year, leaving us without medical insurance. On Wednesday, Trent and I were rear ended while coming home from the chiropractor's office. (How ironic!) We both suffer from neck, head and back injuries, but are thankful to God because it could have been a lot worse. Then we received some bad news from one of our sons. My faith started to quaver and I could almost hear the Holy Spirit say, "Sure, go ahead Cindy. Teach the women how to stop going around that mountain while you take another trip around it!"

As we study the Israelites, we see how they grumble and complain at everything that happens instead of trusting God. This scenario keeps repeating itself. Each time God becomes angry, but Moses goes to bat for them and God forgives and answers Moses' plea. When the spies were sent to check out the promised land, they came back with their reports. Yes, the land was great, the fruit was spectacular and surely the land was flowing with milk and honey just as God had said, BUT...the people were giants. They were afraid to go into the land because (Number 13:33) "...we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight...." What was this? It was a LACK of FAITH! The result was that the people had to wander for 40 years and anyone 20 years of age or older would die during that time, never entering the promise land. Caleb and Joshua were to be the only exception, because they had faith and trusted in God.

What a lesson that is for me! With all this uncertainty that is happening in our lives, we must have faith in God. Hebrews 11:6 says, "But without faith it is impossible to please Him...." That means that we can't even begin to please God without faith.

I think of those of you out there who have a child with special needs. If anyone needs faith in God, it is a parent of one of God's precious gifts. (And, by the way ALL children are precious gifts.) The future is unsure, and even somewhat scary at times. How wonderful it is to be a child of God and to know that He will take care of my child!

Matthew Wyatt--What a Blessing!!

Yesterday, the school where my daughter-in-law teaches, had a baby shower for her. It was such a joy to share that experience with her, and a special experience it was.

Phyllis and my son Chet have been married for 12 1/2 years. They both LOVE children and the children love them. They have wanted children for a long time, but God has had them on hold. In a few weeks they will leave to pick up 16-month-old Matthew Wyatt in China.

At the end of the shower, Phyllis thanked everybody. With tears in her eyes she said, "I just can't believe this is for me!" How many, many showers she has attended over the years and this time the shower was for her. I cant' even begin to imagine the joy she felt! I know the joy I feel as the grandma-to-be of this very blessed little boy. I also think of how many lives my two wonderful children, Chet and Phyllis have influenced. I have no doubt that they will be great parents and will continue to go on influencing the lives of other children. May God bless them! We love you Chet, Phyllis and Matthew!

Veterans Day

Today is Veterans Day! I hope that everyone takes the time to thank a vet who served our country. What a wonderful life of freedom we have had, thanks be to God and to those who so willingly gave of themselves. Some made the ultimate sacrifice by giving their lives. Many came back physically and emotionally mangled and scarred for life.

Thank you to all who served this wonderful country and so freely gave of themselves so that we could enjoy our lives!

Wonderful Sunday!

What a day we had in church yesterday! We had 20 some men from the Pacific Garden Mission come to our church to sing and give their testimonies. What an experience to see the joy on their faces as they sang praises of our wonderful God!

When my dad was a pastor on the south side of Chicago, we went to Pacific Garden Mission once a month. My dad preached and I sang. I was only about seven years old, but I remember it so well. What a lesson that was for me! My wonderful dad taught me how to serve God at a very young age. He has been with the Lord for 24 years now and I look forward to the day I will see him and my mom again.

What A Day That Will Be!

Some years ago, a very precious friend of mine told me that her daughter, who was about nine at the time, asked her the following question.

"Will Trent have Down Syndrome when he gets to heaven?"

Trent, on several occasions has said to me, "I hate having Down Syndrome." This was said when his Down Syndrome had limited him or people had made fun of him.

I always reply, "You won't have Down Syndrome when you get to heaven."

We will all be HEALED when we get to heaven. We will all be perfect in heaven--no more aches and pains--no more problems. And yes, those who have had life-long disabilities will be healed!!! And best of all, we will see Jesus--the one who died for all! What a day that will be!!

Going Around That Mountain--Again?

On Sunday our pastor asked me to teach the Ladies Bible Study in November. My daughter-in-law, who regularly teaches the study, needs to prepare for their trip to China. I said "yes," and then afterwards wondered why I so quickly responded.

Since I was told that I could teach on any subject I wanted, I chose the title, "Why do I keep going around that mountain?" We are going to look at the Israelites who wandered in the wilderness. God gave them so much and yet they continued to grumble and complain. There is something to learn from everything in the Bible, and although there are many lessons we could learn from the stories of God's chosen people, I am going to focus in on what relevance their wandering has on each one of us. A journey that should have taken them days ending up taking them 40 years. What things in our lives are we battling over and over requiring us to take another trip around that mountain? That will be an interesting question to answer.

Childlike Faith

Childlike faith! That's something we could all use.

Last Friday Trent and I went to visit a family that was part of our Wonderfully Made ministry from the former church we attended.

The husband and father of the family just passed away about two months ago. He was 95 years old. The wife and mother, Fran, a wonderful Christian lady, is 89. She took care of him for a long, long time. Not only did she take care of him, but she has a daughter who is 65 and has a mild mental disability and a daughter, Janet, who is 49 and has Down Syndrome. They are an incredible family.

During the visit Fran told me how Thursdays were pancake and bacon days. As Janet was cooking breakfast the morning before, she made the statement, "God must be serving Dad pancakes and bacon today." Isn't that incredible? Sometimes those who have disabilities can see and understand things in ways that we can't. So actually, that disability is an ability! What a wonderful blessing!

It's A Boy!

Yesterday I received a call from my son Chet. Earlier that day, he received the call that he and his wife, Phyllis, have anxiously anticipated for some time. China approved his and his wife's application for a child, and if all goes well they will go to China on December 1 to pick him up.

And we are all so excited! Chet and Phyllis have been married 12 1/2 years. They love children. She teaches junior high school at a local Christian School. Chet is associate pastor of the church where we are members and they head up the King's Kids Program on Wednesday nights. They also do children's church on Sunday mornings.

For years we have all prayed that God would bless them with a baby. But sometimes God opens doors in ways that we do not expect.

Back in July they received a message about a little boy who had a cleft lip and a cleft palate. The lip had been repaired, but he would probably need two more surgeries to correct the palate. Chet and Phyllis were on it right away and they were locked in to get this little boy, once China approved them.

When they filed the papers in July, they were told that it would take four to six months to get approval from China, and then it would be two to three more months before they could go and get him. So they figured it would be around March before they got their new son.

Enter God--an amazing, awesome God and His answer to our prayers.

Our family celebrates Christmas on Christmas Eve. My husband and I were both reared in families who observed Christmas at this time, and we carried on the tradition with our own family. Chet and Phyllis always come armed with presents for their nephews and nieces. They smile and they are happy to celebrate Jesus' birth, but I could always tell by the emptiness in their eyes that there was a longing in their hearts to have a child of their own. After last Christmas, I began to pray that God would give them a child by this Christmas. Don began to join me in that particular prayer. We knew it would take little short of a miracle for them to get a child that quickly. But we prayed...and prayed...and prayed. During this time, Phyllis told me that her mother was praying that they would get their child by Christmas. I was so surprised to hear that she, too, was praying the same way we were. And God listened to three longing grandparents!

I asked God that China would approve them by the end of October. Prayer answered! I still continued to pray that they would have him by Christmas. If nothing else, they could spend Christmas with him in China and then when they got back, we could all celebrate a late Christmas.

But God is so good! He completely and amazingly answered our prayer. Little Matthew (or Phillip) or whatever name they have settled on, will be in his new home by the middle of December.

This Christmas Eve I look forward to seeing Chet and Phyllis walk though the door of our home with their child. I can see them now, their faces all aglow and their hearts overflowing with love. Thank you Jesus for this wonderful gift!

Phew! I'm 60 now!

On Saturday, September 27, I was very pleasantly surprised. My husband had a surprise 60th Birthday Party for me. Now if you knew my husband, you would now how very special this was. He managed to get our family and friends to pull off the most wonderful birthday I've ever had.

He got me out of the house around 10 a.m. on that day and kept me out untill a little after 12:00 p.m. (when the guests were to arrive). Imagine my surprise when we came around the corner and I saw all the parked cars and the people in the yard.

My daughter had brought over about 20 MUMS and they were sitting all over the yard. The entire decor was done in a beautiful lavender. The house was lovely inside and out and even the cake had lavender frosting. Amazing! My daughter, daughters-in-law, and my very dear friend, Marge, all worked together to make this day so special to me. My sons all helped to set up and to clean up. They all put in hours and hours of hard work and I am greatful to them all.

And to my dear, sweet husband, I give the biggest THANK YOU! He put away money for some time for this special event.

Trent gave up Special Olympics that day to stay home and be a part of this. In fact, one of our other sons left that morning to take him to Special Olympics (or so I thought). Imagine my surprise when I arrived home and there he was!! My oldest brother drove almost 200 miles each way just to spend a few hours with me.

There were about 35 people in all! What an enjoyable day I had (and how happy I was that I had cleaned house the day before!!!) I truly felt like Queen for a Day! Thank you to all of you who came and helped to make this day so special!!

And to all of you who are wondering--NO! I do not feel like 60! It's just a number. I am asking God for many, many more because I have much left to do for Him!!

I thank God for friends and family. God is so good!

What Great Things God is Doing!

Summer is just about over. It has flown by and what tremendous things have been happening in our lives!

We have been trying to find someone who can help us as we seek to enter the next step of the ministry God has given us to do. Besides the Wonderfully Made ministry which we do at church, our sights have been set on starting some Family Homes for those with special needs. Everything is in God's timing and sometimes it is difficult to wait. We called lawyers, I surfed the internet, and came up with nothing.

The last couple of years have been difficult ones as we went through some very trying times. Times of being falsely accused, shunned by some, and wondering where God was in this process and why he was allowing brothers and sisters in Christ and friends to turn against us. After all, hadn't he called us to do this ministry? At times I wanted to cry out, "God where are you?" I knew what it was to go through depression. I knew what it was to get up in the morning, to feel that awful feeling in my stomach, and the strong desire to just give up. But God had something to teach me. I held on to him for dear life. Sometimes I felt as though I was drowning but the words "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee," kept coming back to me. I said to God, "I have passed the test, Don and I have gone through and we've made it, but nothing is happening. What's wrong?"

I knew what was between God and me. The sin of unforgiveness! I had written about it in my book and here I was--unable to forgive! I tried and I tried, but the hurt was so very, very deep that I couldn't give it to God--or I tried, but I just kept taking it back.

A few weeks ago our pastor spoke about something that may be between us and God that is keeping us from getting our prayers answered or is keeping us from doing what God has for us to do. I began to weep as I realized what it was in my life. As the tears rolled down my cheeks, and I gave my burden to God, I asked him to help me to forgive the people who had so hurt me. Peace instantly came over me. I began to see the people who had so deeply hurt me in a whole new light. Oh, it will always hurt, but as times goes by and as I continue to heal, it will not hurt as much. Sometimes we have to be completely broken so that God can use us His way!

And things began to happen! We reached someone who can help us with the beginning of the process to start the family homes. We meet with him today!

The Wonderfully Made ministry which God has given us to do is just no longer being effective. Don and I have been praying about what God wants us to do with the ministry. Yesterday a lady came to church with her 15-year-old daughter who has Down Syndrome. "I heard you have a ministry here for people with special needs," she said. She was disappointed to find out that we only had an activity for them every few months. Immediately I knew what it was God wanted us to do. And amazingly, or not so amazingly, (because God is awesome) Don knew so too. We are going to start a Sunday School class for high schoolers and adults who have special needs.

All of a sudden, God is giving us opportunities to reach these families! Praise God! I want to scream and shout for joy! Other things have happened too. If I typed them all, it would just take too much time.

Now as we begin the process of starting these homes, we ask God for strength and faith. At our age, and with our abilities (or lack of them), it is going to be faith that gets us through this. We know that God will give us everything and EVERYBODY who we need in order to do what He wants done. We are the willing instruments and He will take care of the rest.

What a wonderful God we have!

Memories of My Little Boy

Yesterday my husband Don and I went to a local store to pick up a few things. As Don was waiting for an employee to help him, we both noticed a bright eyed, energetic little boy. He seemed to be about two and a half years old. His mother was busy looking at some paint swatches and not seeming to pay a whole lot of attention to him. At first he smiled and pushed his cart up next to Don. After a while, Don walked away. I stood there with my cart. I watched him as he jumped, climbed and poked his mother. Then he eyed me. He pushed his cart over by mine and bumped my cart, just enough to get my attention. I smiled at him. By this time he must have been 20 or so feet from his mom. Her purse was in the cart, but she still seemed oblivious to the fact that her son and her purse were not near her.

After smiling at me, he pushed the cart back to his mom, then he came back to me again. Out of concern I said to him, "You had better go back by your momma." He ran back to her, jumped up and swatted her on the bottom. The mother called him by name, told him to stop it, and continued with her shopping.

How this brought back memories! The only difference is that I would not have let my children 0ut of my sight. But as I watched this child jump, hop, climb and push the cart, he reminded me of one of my boys when he was little. My Brad was always, always moving. He had so much energy--and the temperament to match. There were times when he could become expasperating. He was a difficult child to discipline. He often threw tantrums. Spankings did no good. I would find myself getting angrier and angrier and I knew it was wrong to discipline him out of anger. One day I sent him to his room. I told him, "Brad, go to your room. Right now I am angry and I don't want to spank you out of anger. In a few minutes I'll be upstairs to talk to you." For Brad this worked like a charm.

One day, one of our neighbors came over with her two little girls who were one and two. Brad was three at the time and Chet was one.

I watched as the two-year-old took one of Brad's favorite toys. He took one look at her, and without a sound, turned around, went upstairs, into his room and shut the door. The other mother looked at me strangely and said, "What just happened?" I was astounded to realize that Brad had learned an important lesson. He had learned how to control his temper. He knew he was going to become angry at her for taking his toy, knew what the results would be, and took the action that he knew would avoid that.

I think one of the most important things we can do as parents is to not discipline out of anger. It is also one of the most difficult. I have regrets for the times I did discipline out of anger, but I know God has forgiven me. There is no such thing as the perfect parent. We learn from our mistakes.

Brad long ago became a man. He has not had an easy life. Some would say that he has had a lot of "bad luck." I know differently. For I know that it is the hard times that cause us to grow as we draw closer to God. Some of those bad times not only make us who we are, but they give us insight so that we can help others.

These last months have caused me to see something deeper in Brad in a significant way.

Last year he lost his job. He had a difficult time finding another and when he did, he lost about 1/3 of the salary he was making before. He loves his new job. He works with adults who have disabilities. But the most amazing thing of all is this. On a few occasions, he has had to change adults and/or shower them after they had either urinated on themselves or had diarhhea. Remarkable! My little boy who was such a handful has grown up to have a heart filled with compassion and love. Some of the times he has had to go through have made him much more sensitive to others needs.

Being a big brother to Trent has also taught him much.

Thank you God for taking an ornery little boy and growing him up to become the strong, compassionate, and loving man that he is.

Acchooo!

A-h-h! Spring! O-h-h! Allergies!

Yes, I have been hit with allergies this year. This is the worse I have had to deal with my allergies for several years, but it could be much worse. I am thankful that my allergies are not like they were 30 years ago.

I found some beautiful hanging flower pots, but I still didn't get all my planting done. When I attempt to plant, my allergies worsen, so...the flowers may have to wait for a week or two.

Today is Memorial Day. How I thank all of those who gave their lives so that we can have the freedom that we so much enjoy and sometimes take for granted. I am one of those who sheds tears when I hear our National Athem, or when someone plays the theme song of one of our branches of service. Yesterday for the offertory at church one of our men played his trumpet, playing each of those theme songs. Oh yes! It brought tears to my eyes. And I thank God for living in this great country! Thank you to all of you out there who have served our country and the sacrifices you have made to keep our country free.

Answers to Prayer

Trent's surgery was three and a half weeks ago. He is doing well. He is finally able to go without having ice on his foot 24 hours a day and having Tylenol every six hours. Thank the Lord for that! Maybe I will be able to sleep all night now. Really though, I am thankful that he is such a good patient!

Next week he should be able to start putting a little weight on the heel of his foot (of course only with his special boot/shoe that the doctor gave him).

I am thankful for what God is doing in the lives of one of our sons. He is going through some hard times in his life and yet I see him drawing closer to God. I have lived enough years to know that hard times will either make us or break us. We can either run from God or run to Him. How much wiser it is to run to Him. Our God is a merciful and loving God!

I am looking forward to planting some annual flowers this week. Two years ago one of our sons and his wife planted some perennials. They are doing well, but one is doing exceptionally well. I love to look out the window and see the beauty of those flowers and remember the love that was shown when they planted those for me as a Mother's Day present.

Another son and his wife are looking forward to the time they get their child from China. It is really a waiting game, but we know that God has a child just for them.

Our only daughter is always busy. Besides working, she is going to school to get her RN degree. She also keeps busy going to the activities of her two youngest sons.

As for us....there is never a dull moment! We are continually seeking any information we can get from anyone who can give us any ideas about starting Special Needs Family Homes.

Have a good day! If the sun is shining, get out and enjoy one of God's gifts to us!

Remembering My Mother

Yesterday was the first Mother's Day for me without my mother. On November 27, 2007, she went to be with the Lord. In actuality, this Mother's Day has not been much different from the last few Mother's Days. Mom had Alzheimers and had been in a nursing home for six and a half years. I watched her slowly leave us--each week, each month and each year as she became a different person from the mother I had known.

I would like to share the following words that I spoke at the memorial service of my precious mother:

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There are many memories that I could share about my mother, but today I have chosen one that stands out more than the others.

Most of you here today know that memories from my childhood of my mother were not the most pleasant ones. But those memories were long ago wiped away by wonderful, sweet memories.

It was about 20 years about that I had the unique experience of getting to know my mother--that is, my mother as she really was. It was after Dad died and Mom was lonely. She made trips from Ft. Wayne out to Iowa 3 or 4 times a year. During that time, she would stop at our home. Sometimes she would only stay a few hours; others times a few days. During these visits she began to open up to me, telling me about her life in earlier years.

During one of these visits, I began to cry. I do not remember why, I only know that I was so touched by something that the tears began to flow. I said to Mom, "I hate it that I cry so easily." Her wise reply was, "Cindy, don't ever be ashamed of those tears. I would give anything if I could cry." It was then that I realized that she had become hard and cold because of the things that had happened in her life. I became thankful that I could cry and was no longer ashamed of those tears. I taught my own children never to be ashamed of their tears.

One day I came across a book that became my property after she went into the nursing home. It was not just a book, but a journal of sorts. Her precious, scribbled comments on some of the pages gave me a peek into my mother's heart.

The title of this book is Growing Strong in the Seasons of Life and the author is Charles Swindoll. The chapter I am going to read is titled Tears.

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When words fail, tears flow.

Tears have a language all their own, a tongue that needs no interpreter. In some mysterious way our complex inner-communication system knows when to admit its verbal limitations...and the tears come.

Eyes that flashed and sparkled only moments before are flooded from a secret reservoir. We try in vain to restrain the flow, but even strong men falter.

Tears are not self-conscious. They can spring upon us when we are speaking in public, or standing beside others who look to us for strength. Most often they appear when our soul is overwhelmed with feelings that words cannot describe.

Our tears may flow during the singing of a great, majestic hymn, or when we are alone, lost in some vivid memory or wrestling in prayer.

Did you know that God takes special notice of those tears of yours? Psalm 56:8 tells that He puts them in His bottle and enters them into the record He keeps on our lives.

David said, "The Lord has heard the voice of my weeping."

A teardrop on earth summons the King of Heaven. Rather than being ashamed or disappointed, the Lord takes note of our inner friction when hard times are oiled by tears. He turns these situations into moments of tenderness; He never forgets those crises in our lives where tears were shed.

One of the great drawbacks of our cold, sophisticated society is its reluctance to show tears. For some strange reason, men feel that tears are a sign of weakness...and many an adult feels to cry is to be immature. How silly! How unfortunate! The consequence is that we place a watchdog named "restraint" before our hearts. This animal is trained to bark, snap, and scare away any unexpected guest who seeks entrance.

The ultimate result is a well-guarded, highly respectable, uninvolved heart surrounded by heavy bars of confinement. Such a structure resembles a prison more than a home where the tender Spirit of Christ resides.

Jeremiah lived in no such dwelling. His transparent tent was so tender and sensitive he could not preach a sermon without the interruption of tears. "The weeping prophet" became his nickname and even though he didn't always have the words to describe his feelings, he was never at a loss to communicate his convictions. You could always count on Jeremiah to bury his head in his hands and sob aloud.

Strange that this man was selected by God to be His personal spokesman at the most critical time in Israel's history. Seems like an unlikely choice-unless you value tears as God does. I wonder how many tear bottles in heaven are marked with his name.

I wonder how many of them bear your intials. You'll never have many until you impound restraint and let a little tenderness run loose. You might lose a little of your polished respectability, but you'll have a lot more freedom. And a lot less pride.
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At some point, God gave Mom the tears that she so desired. In this book, she wrote the following words:

"Today, rain drops rolling down the windows looking like diamonds (the nearest to have so many); but then I look again and see some of these as tears falling off into space...and so Lord, may I give all my tears to you for you alone can cause the heart to know you care, you heal, you hear this need to touch the heart of a grandson so he will be healed from the flesh and in your care and keeping."

During those years, I grew to know Mom in a different way. I had the privilege of watching her as God truly changed her heart. And yes, I was also privileged to watch her shed tears. Sometimes I would shed them along with her as she shed tears over loved ones--with concerns about eternity. She wanted to know that all those she loved would be in heaven with her some day.

The last time I saw Mom shed tears was a few months ago. When I arrived at the nursing home, she was in a chair by the nurses' station. By that time, she could no longer sit up in a wheelchair, and she spent much of her time in bed. They had her in a recliner-like chair so that she could be propped up. I greeted her with my usual smile and "Hi Mom!" She looked up at me! I wiped the spittle draining from her mouth. She attempted to say something, but nothing came out. And then there were tears!

I am so thankful that I was able to see Mom shed tears. But now the tears are gone. God has wiped them all away. And some day, I shall see her again!

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A week ago my younger brother commented to me, "You got to know Mom in a way that I didn't. You were able to see another side of her."

The truth of the matter is that we see people as we want to see them. We can either look at their faults and remember the bad, or we can chose to forgive. When the Bible tells us that we are to forgive seventy times seven, it means to keep forgiving and keep forgiving and keep forgiving. This means that even when we think we have forgiven a person, and the thought comes back, we forgive again...and again...and again. I praise God that He forgives me again...and again...and again.

It also means understanding that hurting people hurt people. I try to remember that when someone intentionally hurts me, she or he is hurting deep inside. I've learned many lessons from my wonderful mother, but I think that is the most important one. I Corinthians 13 (the love chapter) tells us how love acts. Our relationship to God certainly shows in the way we treat people. I read this chapter often and it continually convicts me. How is my relationship to God showing in how I treat people?

Catching Up!

Did you ever think you wanted to do something, got excited about it, but then decided you didn't really care about doing it? I guess that is how I have felt about this blog, but some very interesting things have happened in the past few months, and those events have caused me to become excited about blogging again.

I have discovered that it is difficult to find enough things to interest people in my every day life. But when I think of this as my journal, then I am able to write things.

I am now the grandmother of 10 beautiful children. Our 10th, a boy, was born on February 4th. That makes a total of 8 boys and 2 girls. Oh yes! We are sadly lacking in the girl department. Each one of our grandchildren is special, beautiful, and wonderful, just as each of our six children were and still are. God always gives us what He knows is best for us and I find it sad when people want a certain sex and are disappointed when they don't get what they want. Who can look at a new born baby, think about the absolute miracle they have witnessed and be disapointed because they didn't get what they wanted? One of our sons and his wife have not yet been blessed with a baby and they are in the process of adopting. What a long, tedious journey! It should make all of us who have been so blessed with children to realize what a wonderful, magnificent thing it is when God gives them to us and not take the miracle of life for granted.

Trent, our 27-year-old son who has Down Syndrome, is having surgery on the 25th. He is having foot surgery and can not put any weight on his foot for a minimum of five to six weeks. What fun this is going to be for both him and for me, especially this time of year. He loves to cut the grass and is not going to like it when mom or dad do it. He is such a help around the house. He does all the laundry, takes out the garbage, sets it out on garbage day, and, in general pulls his weight around the house. It is going to seem strange to me when I need to do these jobs, besides assisting him with all that he needs. He'll need to take off work then too.

I am currently in the process of doing some research. I am trying to find independently run group homes for people with disabilities. It is important to us that it be faith-based; in other words, good Godly homes where we know Trent will be happy. We feel that God wants us to start some homes, but we need to know others who have taken on such a project. If you know of any such project, would you please e-mail me at beyondtheclouds@sbcglobal.net?