Reunion Bound

I'm up to my ears in excitement! My camera's ready and squeals are on the tip of my tongue :) Family members from seven states will soon be hitting the road (or the skies), all of us bound for the same destination -- our long-awaited family reunion in Branson, Missouri.

We haven't all been together in over five years. By "we", I mean Mom and Dad, their four daughters, and all of their grandchildren which now includes two great-grandchildren. Three of the gang will be meeting our son-in-law Shawn for the first time, and almost all of us will be meeting our newest family member (Adam and Lyndsey's little Emmalyse) for the very first time. Sorry, Shawn, but I think Emmalyse will be the star of the show :)

I think I can safely say that eager anticipation rules the day today for our clan. We echo Paul's words to the church of the Thessalonians (3:6b): "...you long to see us, just as we long to see you." And that longing will soon be satisfied. Thank You, Lord!

And what about the reunion that awaits us in heaven? Yes, I'm longing for that one, too. How wonderful it will be to see our loved ones once again. But more than that will be the joy of finally see our Savior face to face. He'll be the star of the show there, won't He?

Are you reunion bound? Looking forward to that heavenly reunion? Until then, I hope you get to experience the joy of other reunions. Anyone else going to a reunion of some sort this year? Share your excitement with a comment. I'd love to hear about it!

*Flickr photo by Per Ola Wiberg~powi

An Anniversary Close To My Heart

Two years ago on Memorial Weekend, our family and friends gathered to share in one of the happiest days of our lives -- the marriage of our daughter Kristin to her beloved Shawn. Since these two love each other like crazy and have a knack for enjoying life already, their two years of marriage have flown by in a happy blur. They are currently on vacation and emailed the picture above from Tiger Stadium in Detroit. Another neat memory to add to the happy blur of their lives :)

Kristin and Shawn's anniversary actually brings up a host of wonderful memories of their wedding weekend. Family and friends arrived from all across the country and beyond -- one of Kristin's bridesmaids came from London and another from Ecuador! A work crew composed of family and bridesmaids transformed a great reception hall into beautiful perfection. At the rehearsal dinner, I relaxed in marvelous reprieve from being in charge. And then on wedding day when we finally made it to the church and then on to the party (you can imagine the craziness that transpired in the hours leading up to that!), our dreams unfolded before our eyes. Moments of contentment and joy swept over me one after another.

Words really do fall short in describing the joy I felt that day -- and in the days since as I think back on that chapter of our lives. What a blessing it was, what a dream come true, to be able to give Kristin and Shawn a wonderful wedding celebration to mark the beginning of their lives together (thanks to Shawn's parents for their help, too!). The beauty, the fellowship, the fun...all turning into precious memories we can savor for a lifetime.

The greater blessing, though, was seeing the Lord bring these two together. For years I had prayed for a husband for Kristin who would love God above all and love her the way He intends -- and He answered that prayer in Shawn. That was the biggest blessing, the biggest dream come true. And I'm sure Shawn's family feels the same way about Kristin. My heart still overflows with thanks to God for blessing our precious kids with each other.

So "Happy Anniversary", Kristin and Shawn! Your special day, May 27th, will always be close to my heart.

"Praise the Lord. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever." Psalm 106:1

Conquering the Canyon

There he is -- Canyon Man at it again. May at the Barker house means another Grand Canyon expedition for Don. For many years now when the spring semester is over, he's been leading groups of college students on the trip of a lifetime -- a field biology course to the bottom of the Grand Canyon.

No, they don't go down on the mules or on the trails where you're likely to see other hikers or park rangers. They do it the hard core way. They pack for a three night stay, filter water where it can be found, and hike out -- exhausted, hungry, and sometimes injured. Even though I enjoy hiking, I've never attempted this adventure. I know my limitations. If I did go, I would probably fall into the "sometimes injured" category :)

This year they did something new -- something they'll probably never do again after finding out how difficult it was. Instead of hiking in and out on the same trail, they hiked down one trail and then trekked several miles each day to make it to the trail they would hike out on. In fact, they hiked over 14 miles on the day the above picture was taken -- Don's 55th birthday. What a way to celebrate, huh? And by the way, he's much older than I am :)

The thing about the Canyon? You can't really change your mind once you're at the bottom. You've got to get yourself out. The planned hike for Don's group this year was a killer, but they did it. They persevered, even though at one point they lost the trail (Don thought, "oh great -- I'm gonna die in the Canyon on my birthday!). He even developed huge blisters on his feet, but he pressed on. Others, I'm sure, had their own personal challenges. They didn't give up, though. They conquered the Canyon.

Are you facing a killer challenge? Or maybe you're in a race you're tired of running? Let Canyon Man be an inspiration to you. Persevere and conquer your canyon!

"...let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." Hebrews 12:1b

Sweet Victory

Remember the fun day (chocolate included, of course) I hoped to have in T-town this week with my daughters? Well...mission partly accomplished. Since we had to change our original date, Kelli couldn't join us, but Kristin and I did our best to carry on without her. (Even though you can't tell it from this picture, Kelli, we really did miss you!)

As usual, we had too much we were trying to accomplish in one day, but we planned The Cheesecake Factory as our last stop. That's goal enough to keep anyone going. As long as we knew we were getting dessert at the end of the day, we really didn't care what we ate for lunch, as was evidenced by a quick stop at Arby's a little after 2 o'clock.

And why such a late lunch? Well, if a girl's shopping for shorts, she can't try those on after she eats, can she? Kristin wanted to make it to Old Navy before lunch, and we couldn't help it that DSW happened to be right on the way :) By the time we reached those places, though, we had already stopped at Kohl's, Michael's, Shoe Carnival, and Bridal Palace (talk about deja vu! And no, Kelli's not getting married, but Kristin is a bridesmaid later this summer. Yea, Emily!!)

Also of note, I found out I still manage to embarrass Kristin without even trying. When a lady at Shoe Carnival announced over the loudspeaker a special sale going on in one corner of the store, I guess I asked too loudly, "Where did they say those sale shoes are?" I'm sorry, but I didn't realize I was supposed to whisper things like that so as not to draw any attention to my daughter :) She was plenty happy to have me speak up later in the day, though, when one of her purchases rang up on the register for more than the advertised sale price. Good ole' Mom came through again, huh, Kristin? :)

I realize I'm rambling a bit with this post, but that's what we did that day -- lots of rambling, from one thing to another to another. All of it very carefully balanced, however, around our end goal of chocolate dessert! Ah, sweet victory :) The picture above says it all.

Let me offer something of substance, though, to balance out my sweet and silly chocolate talk. Remember Paul's words in the third chapter of Philippians -- the ones about pressing on? He said, "...Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal..." It seems like I heed his advice pretty well where chocolate is concerned, don't I? What about more serious goals, though -- for both me and you? Is our desire for them strong? Are we pressing on, even straining, to reach them? Let's get back on track if we need to. Let's press on. Sweet victory surely awaits us if we don't give up.

**p.s. For you chocolate lovers out there, the dessert was the Chocolate Tower Truffle Cake :) Very yummy, but, Teri, I think I liked their Black-out Cake we had in December even more :)

A Double Dose Day

Ever have a double dose day? You know, a day when you get whammed with the same kind of problem not just once, but twice in the same day? Maybe your car breaks down, and then when you finally get home, your computer crashes. Or you discover your insurance is not going to cover a certain expense only to hear later in the day that your kid needs braces. We've all been there, haven't we?

I got double-dosed on Monday. Not with mechanical or financial problems, but with disappointments. Granted, they were relatively minor when you consider major ones like a job loss or a failed marriage, but they were still disappointments I had to work through emotionally.

The first one came in the mail. You guessed it -- a rejection letter. You would think after getting rejections for years now, one more wouldn't bother me. None of them feel good, but this one hurt a little more. Probably because it was something I really wanted. So I let myself feel properly deflated for a bit but then just accepted that this, too, was in God's hands, and He had brought about what was best.

The next dose of disappointment hit me after the 6 0'clock news when I realized that weather was going to play havoc with my plans to meet my daughters the following day for a fun day in T-town. The forecast for severe weather was nothing to ignore, especially following the killer storms that hit our region last Saturday. We all agreed we needed to postpone our plans.

That half of my double dose was the harder pill to swallow. We were all looking forward to our day together, plus I was thinking of it as a late Mother's Day treat for me :) Because of scheduling conflicts, it will be June or July before we can shoot for it again, though Kristin and I hope to meet later in the week. But darn it all, it was supposed to be the three of us!

Even with this, I knew God was in charge. Since we were going to be helping Kelli car-shop for part of the day, maybe God knew this wasn't the right time for her to buy a car. Or maybe He was preventing us from being in a car accident. Whatever the reason, I trusted God's hand in it all.

I've got to admit, though, that I still felt blue -- you know, felt the disappointment. And that's normal, I think. Even in the midst of a double dose, I still found great comfort and peace in knowing I can trust God to work all things out for my good (see Romans 8:28). I love being able to rest in Him, to trust Him in everything.

How about you? Are you resting in Him? If not, I highly recommend it. There's no better place to be.

Mother's Day Thoughts

I hope you all are enjoying a wonderful Mother's Day with your families. I'll get to see my mom near the end of the month when our entire family gathers for a reunion, and I'm going to spend this Tuesday with my daughters when we all meet in T-town for a fun day together. Can't wait :)

This seemed like the perfect day to share a picture of my parents with you. We took several shots during our April visit, but since Don isn't used to the new camera yet, this is one of the only ones that isn't a blurry mess :) It's not the best picture of me, but I'm not the point of this picture :) I thank God for Mom and Dad and for the many years together He has blessed us with.

I hope you enjoy the following thoughts about mothers. May it bring joy to all as you think about your moms or inspire you if you are one of the special ladies out there living the role of "Mother". Happy Mother's Day to all!


MOTHER - A Gift from God

Makes priceless memories, mends hurting hearts, marvels over the smallest things, and models an authentic love for the Lord.

Opens her heart and hands to others, offers wise and loving counsel, overlooks faults and offenses, and obeys the Word of God.

Turns a frown into a smile, teaches right from wrong, tries to pray instead of worry, and tells others that God is her strength.

Hears the call of those who need her, hugs and comforts as only she can, hurries to help again and again, and honors the Lord in all she does.

Eases the pain of those she loves, encourages each step of the way, elects to forgive instead of hold grudges, and entrusts her children to the Lord.

Reminds when others forget, runs kids all over town, rejoices when her children grow strong in the Lord, and remembers that apart from Him she is nothing.

"Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all." Proverbs 31:29

The Blessings of Mentoring

Late Sunday afternoon, I did something I've never done before. I sat on a panel at church with four other women and helped field questions asked by a group of teenage girls just finishing a Bible study focusing on relationships and purity.

Some of the girls have been in our church long enough that I had them as 1-year olds in my Sunday School class. It didn't seem that long ago that I was teaching them to sing The B-I-B-L-E, and now the topics were things like getting along with parents, modesty, dating, and sex. Talk about a jump :) I've got to admit I was a little nervous going in. We all ended up enjoying our time together, though, and hopefully each girl heard at least one thing that will stay with her and help her navigate some current or future situations.

Let me just share one small snippet from the session. When asked what we thought was different for teen girls today than what it had been when we were their age, I pointed out one reality that is a strong negative but then balanced it out with a positive.

One thing girls (and boys) today really have working against them is the assumption and expectation that teens are going to have sex, and if you're not having sex, then you are the oddball. When I was in junior and senior high in the late 60s-early 70s, kids our age (not the college bunch) didn't have that shoved in our faces all the time. In fact, there was still some shame associated with having a loose reputation or getting pregnant before marriage. Those girls were in the minority (though change was certainly afoot). The pressure our kids face today concerning sex is heartbreaking.

On the other hand, I told the girls that one positive they have that we didn't have was just exactly what was going on in our session -- open dialogue and sharing about these important topics at church or even in the home. These things just weren't discussed with adults during that era. My girlfriends and I never had the opportunity to participate in a True Love Waits event, to have an entire Bible study focused on purity, or to ask these kinds of questions to a panel of women at our church and get such open and helpful information and encouragement. In that regard, our kids today are blessed.

In New Testament times, when Paul wrote to Titus, he charged him to encourage the younger men and set an example for them. He also told him to teach the older women to train the younger women. Even though in that instance he was referring to younger married women, the principle of mentoring is still the same. Those of us who have been down a certain road before need to share our accumulated wisdom with those who are coming after us.

I was blessed and honored to help mentor that group of girls last Sunday, even though it was just for about an hour. Other groups besides young people need mentoring, too. Anyone who is new
to something benefits immensely from someone else more experienced who will invest in their lives and help them in some way. I even see my online writers group and a few writers' blogs I visit as my writing mentors.

Are you involved in a special mentoring relationship? Have you been in the past? I would love to hear some of your stories. Share with a comment, please -- you might even encourage someone in the process!

Nurturing Needed -- and Given

Ah, the beginning of May! Weather willing, that's when I usually get flowers planted. Kind of an early Mother's Day tradition at our house. If Kristin was here, she'd be up to her elbows in dirt and loving every minute of it, but now that the girls are away from home, I get in on the actual planting.

Yesterday afternoon was perfect for outdoor work -- sunny and mid-60s. Don and I worked together, getting these much welcomed splashes of color added to our yard. What wasn't perfect was the swarm of gnats flying around my head constantly. They nearly drove me crazy -- though I did manage a smile for the camera :)

Now we'll just hope that some of that severe weather we're famous for this time of year doesn't blow through here in the next few days and give our flowers a beating before they have a chance to take root. I want our "babes" to have a fighting chance.

Flowers need some special care, and I stand ready to once more nurture them through our Midwestern summer heat. Evenings will find me faithfully tending the flowers, watering and pruning them of their dead blooms and leaves. If I do my part and give them the TLC they need, they should grace our yard until the first hard freeze in the fall.

Flowers aren't the only things that need nurturing, are they? People need nurturing -- and not just children. Each one of us can benefit from a little tender loving care. A few words of praise or encouragement, a helping hand, or a hug can make the difference in someone's day -- in someone's life.

Let's consider who or what in our lives could benefit from some nurturing right now. Our kids? Our marriage? Another relationship? A talent that could blossom with a little special attention? Maybe even a skill that needs regular investment in order to keep it flourishing? Stand ready with me to give the TLC that's needed. We can make the difference.

"He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young." Isaiah 40:11