God is "Base"

Several hours after my grandmother's funeral, the family returned to the grave. The flowers that covered the dirt were so beautiful. It really made me realize the importance of these flowers in maintaining the beauty of the memory and their use as a blanket for the grave.

My children were not so enthralled with the flowers. They were enjoying the sunshine and the open field. They were playing "tag".

My grandmother's grave is right next to a statue of Jesus and the Samaritan woman by a well. As my cousin and I were remarking about the children, we heard yelled out "God is base!" They were using the Jesus statue for the safety point.

What a wonderful lesson! May we all run to Jesus when we are chased by the things of this world!

Remembering Grandma

Today my grandma passed away and is now probably snuggled up enjoying the peace of her Savior.

My grandmother was a constant throughout my childhood. She was always there, she was always the same---strong, loving, caring. I know you all think you have the best grandma, but I am sorry to say that it was truly ME that had the BEST!!!

I do not want to ever forget her precious notes and the poems she would collect and send. She had this uncanny way of saying what you needed to hear when you needed it.

In the midst of much chaos, she always stood firm in her faith. I loved visiting her and going to church with her. She would play the piano, teach classes, and was a strong supporter of her church. We loved going to Vacation Bible School with her.

She also supported me in my adventures. She encouraged me in the talents that God had given, and she was even there for the birth of my first child (which involved a plane trip across country)!

I will miss her greatly, and I truly hope to follow her example in faithfulness.

I love you, Grandma! I can't wait to celebrate with you in heaven one day!

She Makes a Goal!

My youngest daughter is playing in a "just-for-fun" soccer league for the spring. Yesterday she had a makeup game, and at one point in the game, she broke free from the pack (4&5 year olds tend to move on the field like a school of fish). She took control of the ball, and even though the "school of fish" were soon close behind her, she kept focused on the goal. We all held our breath wondering if she would actually aim and if someone would catch up and take the ball away. She kept focused and SCORED!!! It was a wonderful moment, and one that she is still trying to milk for extras----"Can I have a dessert because I scored a goal?"

The focus it took for her to make the goal reminded me of the focus we need to accomplish our goals. We must not worry about the "school of fish" around us, and many times we need to break away from the norm to actually make a difference.

I want to be the person who makes the goal!