25 Years?

Hard to believe today is 25 years since the most impactful historical moment of my lifetime happened. When our young football team faced the flag during our moment of silence this evening, I realized none of them were even born! Do they understand the impact of today?

I remember in high school when I had write some paper that involved asking my parents for memorable/impactful moments in history. My mother knew exactly what she was doing and how she heard on the radio that JFK was assassinated. I thought "How do you remember that from 20 years ago?!" 

But now I get it.

Between work and taking football pictures this evening, I didn't have time to watch any of the 25th anniversary tributes to 9/11. Maybe tomorrow I can find them. It's not like I want to re-live the day. But don't you want to go back to that month and remember how we all came together as a nation – and it didn't matter our political affiliation, our skin color, our income, or anything? We bonded together as mourners and survivors.

That definitely got lost in the decades since, unfortunately.

For me, it was crazy week. Working at a newspaper had a whole host of extra memories. Special editions. Two newspapers a day. And we still couldn't keep up with how much was being discovered those first few days – Trade Center, Pentagon, Flight 93 – and how it all tied together. So surreal.

But like I said, any of us who woke up ALIVE on September 12 should consider ourselves survivors. Let's try not to take that for granted.

Or our freedom to comment on this event however we want! 

Waiting to Bloom

So it's June! That means my column for the June church newsletter is live (or whatever). So I will share it here with you.

Waiting to Bloom for our Master Gardener

As winter slowly loosened its grip this year, many of us found ourselves watching the calendar, peeking outside, and asking the same question: “When will spring finally arrive?” 

All through April and May, we were eager for warmer days, green grass, and especially the chance to head to the garden centers and buy flowers for our yards and porches.

Full disclosure: I have two black thumbs and rely on Google to tell me when I should and shouldn’t buy my hanging flower baskets! Having “freeze warnings” halfway through May was not helpful this spring!

There is something hopeful about planting flowers. Tiny buds and bare stems may not look like much at first, but we trust that, with time, sunshine, and care, beautiful blooms will come. Yet no flower blooms before its season. Some blossom early, while others take longer to unfold. Each one opens in its own perfect time.

Perhaps that is how God works in our lives as well.

Sometimes we become impatient with ourselves. We wonder why we are not stronger in faith, quicker to heal, or further along in life. No matter our age, we seem to fall into the trap of comparing our journey to someone else’s and feel discouraged when we do not seem to be “blooming” as quickly.

But God, the Master Gardener, knows each of us individually. He understands what we need, how we grow, and when we are ready. Ecclesiastes 3:11 reminds us, “He has made everything beautiful in its time.”

What comfort there is in that promise. God does not rush His creation, and He does not rush us. Through seasons of waiting, growth, pruning, and renewal, He continues His faithful work in our hearts.

So as we finally jump into early summer and enjoy the colors of spring flowers around us, may they remind us to trust God’s timing. The bloom may not come when we expect it, but under His loving care, beauty will come in its season.

Hookin' Away My Saturday

As soon as I woke up and was about to get up, hubby says, "You might as well stay in bed. We're at war." Say what?!

My first thought was "What did he do know?" and my second thought, as someone who avoids all news as much as possible, was "Did we know this was coming?"

No matter the answer to either, I knew I needed a day of distractions. I did watch a little news but then headed into town to Lighthouse to get a few papers for upcoming Camp Crop-a-Lot in 7 weeks since I picked up more photos yesterday and am jumpin' to go!

Then I cleaned my office "aka Oh My God Room" a bit before I earned my chance to relax.

Can't do too much cleaning on a weekend when there are projects waiting in the wings.

I have a wedding shower coming up in the same time frame as camp. The couple has many "sage" colored things on their list so I am making them a blanket that is mostly sage with a strip of white, then multi color for a wide strip, then white again close to the top – and the rest sage. 

I'm liking it. And today I realized I could close my eyes and do a whole row without looking, just feeling. I am a Jedi Crochet Master, I guess! That also means I can head back to the livingroom now and watch a Hallmark movie AND multi-task without even blinking.

Well, I better pay a little attention. This is a gift after all!

And oh yeah, it snowed again today. Stay warm and safe, everyone!