Life by Grace Alone

December and it's time for the Nutcracker again. Every year my granddaughter Grace rehearses for her new part in this traditional ballet. We have seen Grace grow from an awkward little girl whose eyes constantly seek direction from the teacher to an almost teenager who takes her performance in stride, Perhaps one day she will be comparable to professional dancers we have seen. I remember going to performances where I would marvel at the moves of the dancers. With great precision, they would kick., twirl, and leap across the stage. What a joy it must be to be so unhindered by awkwardness. rebelling muscles, and shortness of breath that every fiber of one's being stretches with the glory of life.  Maybe that's part of the reason God allows so many people to show what seems like 10s on a scale of 1-10. In every person who exhibits a  10 in the picture they paint, who excels in singing, or scores high numbers in an athletic event, in every instance where someone uses well w...

I may be grown up but I still like birthdays. Presents that surprise, cards that flatter, a special meal that satisfies are the usual ingredients that help to fill the once a year festive day. 20016  brought a different birthday. My brother Phil had pancreatic cancer and we were concerned about how long he would last. One day he called me to tell me he would be in our home town for a few days. I hung up the phone. I told my daughter that I did not see how it would work out. That Monday we would be returning after a week at the beach. I knew from experience how hard my husband works after we come home. The plan seemed impossible. Then my daughter set me straight. This could be the last time I might see my brother and I had better do whatever it takes to make it happen. Jessica was right and we made plans. We arrived the evening two days before  my birthday. The next night we met Phil, his wife Bobbi, and some of their friends at a restaurant for dinner. Phil walked with a s...

My husband recently shared with me an idea. My brother Phil had been battling pancreatic cancer for over a year and there were sure signs that the end was coming soon. Steve thought I might want to call and talk to him. I was certain that if I did I would emotionally be a mess. In spite of my decision Steve called Phil and shared why he was thankful for him. He did not expect any response from Phil. Later we heard how he responded with facial expressions. I would like to share the four reasons why my husband of  almost 45 years said he was thankful for my brother, 1) Our eldest son Chris sees fishing as a central part of his life and my brother Phil is the one who encouraged him and shared his love of fishing. It is difficult to remember how young Chris was when Phil began to model his great enjoyment of fishing. Chris saw from the start that his Uncle insisted on obeying the regulations about the size of a keeper. Both had patience as they waited to catch the right size fish. ...

I am privileged to be very involved in the lives of three of my  eight grandchildren, My daughter and her husband live in our garage apartment with their 3 children. The oldest is a nine year old granddaughter, I have watched her grow from a  restless toddler to a focused almost preteen. Instead of needing to be constantly watched she now can watch her baby sister freeing her mom to make progress on other things. Relating to this thoughtful nine year old is easier than it was dealing with the independent four year old Gracie. I remember my surprise the first time I heard that Grace had gotten eggs out of the fridge and cracked them into a bowl without even the smallest shell staying with the eggs. Her culinary skill of egg cracking was her only admirable talent in the kitchen. As long as she didn't have an audience she would grab the flour to add to the mix. Often she was  stopped before any other ingredient could be chosen. I remember strongly suggesting that Grace sho...

Since this last surgery I have become scar conscious. Only my thyroid surgery at the age  of 19 produced a scar that is visible to the public. The rest of the more than 10 surgical scars lie hidden beneath my clothes. Friends, relatives and strangers do not live daily with an awareness of how many scars mar my already less than perfect frame. It was confirmed that osteoarthritis had caused enough damage to my knees so that only replacement  knees made from titanium would return me to normal. Soon I was imagining  long very visible scars eventually on both knees. My desire to lessen the raised red lines  that would eventually mark both of my man made knees, grew greater as the date for surgery drew closer. I found a book on the  attributes of God called None Like Him. Jen Wilken clearly explains how the attributes of God are not dry theological ideas but important life changing concepts. Unlike God who has no beginning and no end we live life within time. Whe...

About 9 weeks ago I had surgery on my knee.  I had told my husband if I was going to have surgery,I wanted  him beside me for the whole week. In at least the 4 to six weeks after surgery Steve turned the dining room table into his center of operations. His computer was always in easy reach and books lay on the table often in piles of 2 or 3. Although his cell phone rang more than once a day and he also made outgoing calls, technological gizmos were not his focus. I was. He would bring me a meal or a drink or offer an ice pack for the knee. He would often guide me through the assigned exercises. I was quick to say thank you when he performed each of his little acts of kindness. He did this so much sometimes the echo of the last thank you had not died away when the next one was needed, Recently I picked up a book called Choosing Gratitude. I turned to the forward written by Joni Eareckson Tada. Unlike me whose need for ongoing help will last a limited amount of time, Joni's ne...

My mother became a resident of heaven two years ago on March 14. Slowly, initially one by one, pieces of furniture left the family home. I took home a small desk which had been given as a wedding present in the last of the 19th century. Later my brother loaded a piece that had belonged to my grandmother. It was called a pie safe made from a golden colored wood. The front was covered with tin panels punched with a design. The original use was to keep pies safe as they cooled and to keep them protected from impatient family members. For many years I remembered it as the place to find card games. As time went on furniture began to leave at at a more rapid rate. One of the pieces was a recliner that I had asked for. It was a smaller recliner than ours with a greater firmness.  Mom had this recliner for years. For about 2 years of her life she would take naps daily. She would call those naps " toes up", a term used by one of her favorite novelists. Since I have fallen in love wi...

In one week the house that has been central to my life since I was 11 years old will be owned for the first time ever by someone other than my parents, Laura and Olin Elzey. On Friday when we walked in I was struck by how much it still felt like Mother's house. I had assumed that when the bedrooms were empty and the kitchen no longer centered on my paternal grandparents' round oak table that I would no longer feel the attachment to this house under contract. With or without furniture this house still brought back memories of a good chunk of my life and even with most of  her possessions gone I could still picture Laura Parsons Elzey in these rooms. The time had come to leave. Rooms had been cleaned, pictures sorted, and outdated food products trashed, . Although I was pleased that the house had sold, that pleasure was cut by the sorrow over the loss of my mother as well as the door closing on a large segment of my life. I wondered as I looked around for the last time what p...

On the fourteenth of this month we noted the second anniversary of my mother's death. Although overwhelmed by life, my mother until her stroke approached dying most of the time with a calm logical attitude.. Months before her time came she started writing notes that gave the history of different things. I now have the desk that a relative  took out of her attic to give to my grandparents on their wedding day. I have a casserole dish that was the only item my grandmother had that belonged to her mother Matilda. My great grand died when my grand was 13.  I found a small glass container which contained a note. It said that my grandmother had kept spoons in it. I'm uncertain how many notes she. wrote or how many more would she have liked to do. The notes plus a few autobiographical entries in a notebook showed the mind of a loving, logical woman who treasured her heritage and loved  her family. Last weekend all 5 of us plus some spouses and some grandchildren gathered at ...

The lesser of two evils is an expression that could be used about many different things. Most of the time that I have heard people make this reference they are talking about politics. Usually they are talking about those running for president of the United States. It used to be that the one soon to vote would end a political discussion with a weary sigh and then say "Oh well, I guess I just have to vote for the lesser of two evils."In more recent elections the voter response has often been "I'm tired of voting for the lesser of two evils and so I won't vote at all ." How can anyone who professes faith in Christ hold either one of these views? Jeremiah 17:9 states The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately sick; who can understand it? When we understand the pervasiveness of sin, then we realize if George Washington could run against Abraham Lincoln we would still have to choose between two men who have hearts that are deceitful. What are our ...

My son introduced me to the internet a few years ago and then to facebook. Pictures of children and grandchildren, touching stories of people paying it forward and commentary on the latest news help to form this library of information, this collection of helpful hints, this battleground of various perceptions of our world. As this election year progresses more and more warriors of words will be battling it out on the small screen using an interesting mix of truth,lies and varying perceptions of the truth. At this early date I have fallen victim to the "truths" of the internet. When things are posted on facebook from a conservative view I may post them on my page. Certainly a post that looks professionally done and from my perspective must be true, right? The whole truth and nothing but the truth? Unfortunately many of these items may have the basic facts correct but the conclusions the writer has drawn from those well chosen facts do not reflect the truth. What about quot...