Family

The Red Swing


My Mom does not believe in hiding in the backyard. She does not like closed, shrouded windows and shades drawn tight. She once visited me in New Mexico and she almost ran down the street chasing strangers she was so desperate for someone to talk to. It was a “nice” neighborhood but nobody ever went out in the front except for the little girl who brought her guinea pigs out. It really was almost comical, now that I look back on it. It could have been set to music…..everyone came home, garage-doors came up, swallowing entombed drivers and sucking them into the abyss, never to be seen again. “How does anyone expect to get to know each other when they’re all hiding in their backyards?” She has a point.

Back home, life is lived out in the front. There is a picnic table between their house and the neighbors, and it is used by about four families nearby. Mom’s new neighbor sometimes brings homemade scones out in the morning to share. Bible studies have been held on it; and lots of playdough has been pounded into it with little fists, it is also a jumping launch for the kids.

Mom decided she wanted a deck out in front, plunked right on the lawn so she could sit out there. She has a hard time sitting on the uneven ground due to humongous tree roots. So it was built. Then she saw it……The Red Swing. She has been painting everything red for the past few years or so. Her latest acquisition before the swing was the Red Sink which she is very proud of.

My Mom mentioned it to Yvonne, her grocery checker. Now her friend. One day my Mom started talking to her at the store and a spark was ignited, something shared. Something that drew them close as only the Holy Spirit can. She told Yvonne about her new deck and the swing she wanted. Well, it was close to Mother’s Day, and Dad was doomed from the start. Yvonne came by after work with a bouquet of red flowers and made him promise to get her that red swing.

Now everyone uses it. The other night my Mom was getting ready for bed and she heard the neighbor girl singing softly….out in the swing. Another night, some other neighbors were walking, whispering, with another child. Pretty soon, they were quietly swinging as well.

It is a real neighborhood, not without its squabbles, disagreements or differences. But something profound takes place there called life. Community. Shared dreams, heartaches and hopes. When I recently went back, we had a party for my brother’s Birthday. Invitations were sent word of mouth, the best kind. People came bringing food, wine and smiles.

Mom made sure she had her tunes, Big Band blasting forth from the top of the clothesdryer. The firepit was lit….hands were held in a circle of prayer. Grace was there in that gathering of neighbors, and a feeling that we were not just neighbors and friends, but family.

With a red swing out front……

Elohim our creator

More highlights of the last two weeks….
Yosemite Falls, 2,425 feet 5th tallest in the world. I hiked this when I was younger. Most memorable moment of hike was when the hat that I had just bought blew off and my heroic Dad was about to reach under the guard-rail and get it, when God stepped in and blew it down the falls!
Psalm 24:1‑2
The earth is the LORD’s and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters.
Half Dome, my old friend. Hiked to the top when I was 14, 16 miles round trip, with an elevation gain/loss of 5,131 feet, elevation at the top is over 8,000 feet. The last part is reached only by steel cables….believe me, you need both hands!
Psalm 104: 24,30
How many are your works, O Lord, In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures…. When you send your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the earth.
Houses bordering Yosemite meadow. Many years we have walked by these little houses facing the most beautiful view in the world and thought, who could be blessed enough to live here? This year we were treated to this particular flowering tree we have not yet been able to identify…..
Psalm 96: 12
Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them. Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy; they will sing before the LORD, for he comes, he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his truth.
The mighty Merced River, view from our balcony at Yosemite View Lodge. My folks and my brother generously treated us all to the 2 bedroom suite, what a wonderful gift! The first night, I thought the furnace was running so I got up to check, but it was the noise of the river, even with windows closed you could hear it!
Romans 1:20
For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities‑his eternal power and divine nature‑have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

Yosemite is one of those places that is grafted into my soul, having spent so much time there growing up. I encourage you to go if you haven’t been….it is one of those places that you really must see for yourself. To hear the Stellar’s jay call, the sigh of the pines, their tops bending to the wind, the echo of tent pegs being pounded in as camp is set up, all against the backdrop of those wondrous vertical granite cliffs rising straight up off the valley floor….An experience like no other. Thank you for coming along on my journey!

The best gift….

Ready to go to Yosemite!

I didn’t know how she would respond when she saw me come down the escalator on my arrival. Being a special needs kid, you can never be sure. I was hopeful, I was expectant. Mom had told her I was coming and she said her face had lit up in response. She is my wonderful niece, Lauryn. Now 7, she was a late talker, and has some of the characteristics of autism, but is also very demonstrative, loving and engaged with those she is closest too, so no one is quite sure. She does have a fear of floaties in pools, balloons and popping gum and for a long while, men with beards.

One thing we know, she never misses a thing. She may not have a full vocabulary yet, but she makes herself known in every other way. Every new word she speaks is full of wonder for us all.

She saw me when I was at the top, coming down, and she ran to her poppa (Grandpa, her all-time favorite) excitedly. She was holding her doll, jumping up and down, running to and fro, not knowing what to do. When I got to the bottom she ran up, holding out her baby with her eyes closed, (what she does when she is embarrassed but still wants to make contact) and held her out for me to take, which I did, overjoyed to have received her most precious possession! I can’t think what would have happened if I had rejected her gift….left it lying, the thought is unbearable!

She didn’t say “I love you,” audibly but she gave me what was closest to her heart. She is very attached to her “babies” right now. They are not just dolls to her but her very own babies. She talks to them, feeds them, takes them everywhere….and she didn’t hesitate to trust me with them. I will never forget that one most precious moment at the airport.

On my last day, when I left her in her classroom, I wanted to wail like a baby myself. But I swallowed my grief for another time. The time was this morning….in prayer. We bonded again these past two weeks, her love is won with repeated attempts at closeness. At not giving up. Little by little trust is gained. I wait for the day she will throw her arms around me and say, “I love you, Aunt Lori” and hug me tight, I admit, I want that for me, when she is ready. But for now, I am happy with all the little ways she shows me.

God wants us too, when we are ready, to give Him our most precious possession too, our hearts!

Matthew 6:21 “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

Traveling….


Once again I am on my way to California to see friends and family….Hopefully I will get some posts up during the next two weeks! Here is a good “flying” verse:
I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations;
I will sing of you among the peoples.
For great is your love, higher than the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches to the skies.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens,
and let your glory be over all the earth.
Save us and help us with your right hand,
that those you love may be delivered. Psalm 108:3-6
I am glad the He will be watching over me up there….I am not crazy about flying!

The Best Gift


The clamoring for gift ideas is already starting….Every year about this time it seems all the news channels have to start talking about how well, (or how poorly) the retailers will be doing this Christmas season. What will people buy, what will be the best sellers….Every year it irritates me more and more. And you go into the store and see Halloween decorations right next to Christmas! It’s too much.

Thinking of gifts reminded me of a very special gift my Mom received earlier this year. My dear friend and I were thinking of what to get her for her 80th Birthday…..All of a sudden she looked up, electric eyes alight….”I have an idea!” She asked, “What means more to her than anything? I said, “Family? God?”

“Well yes,” she said, “God, and showing God’s love to everyone around her. What better way than to give out Bibles? Very special Bibles to give to all her friends, like a living legacy!” I caught her enthusiasm….”Yes,” I said, “She would love that!”

The only problem was that she wanted her to be able to give one to each lady at her party, which would have been about 15 Bibles, but then the guestlist exploded into about 35. (My Mom is very popular.) She went to the bookstore and it just so happened they were discontinuing some very nice leather Bibles in dark blue, and they were on sale. She bought 15, which was all they had. We decided that was the right number. She had it lettered in Gold Leaf to say, “The Vera Cook Legacy Bible” and put a picture of Mom on the inside cover. (the one you see here.)

I don’t think we have ever enjoyed giving a gift more. To see her face as she opened the box and saw them all was priceless. And the giving has continued through the year as she has thoughtfully and prayerfully considering where each one will go. Tears usually come with each presentation; on the inside flap of every one is a personal note to tell the person how much she has meant in her life. What a blessing it has been to take part in, and I thank my wonderful friend for coming up with the idea. It was truly a God thing.


Isaiah 52:7
How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!”

Ten Commandments for Families


Family Life Radio is having their Fall Shar-a-thon right now. I would encourage everyone to give whatever gift you can if you have been blessed by it. It has been an encouragement to me and best of all, it is all listener supported, NO ADS! Today Randy Carlson was talking about family principles and shared these ten things. So simple but so powerful. Think how many families would be changed if we just did these 10 things!

Ten Commandments for Our Family
Guiding principles for family life—

We promise to:
1. Protect each other from harm.
2. Be patient with each other
3. Be trustworthy-so we can be trusted
4. Say I’m sorry and really mean it
5. Be self-controlled
6. Be as polite to each other as we are to guests
7. Celebrate each other’s victories
8. Stay close to each other during times of defeat and loss
9. Speak to each other with words of kindness and respect
10. Never, ever give up on each other

California to visit family……

My Dad still has dial up, so I won’t be posting anything until I either 1.) Visit the public library, 2.) Visit a friend with faster service. The hamsters are having to run way too fast on this little wheel….

Highlights so far, taking Tyler dog to the beauty salon to get groomed. He had an unfortunate incident with a skunk awhile back, and 6 baths later, he still smelled of skunk. He was extremely nervous going in, but when he came out 5 hours later, he was beautiful and very proud of himself, they even gave him a brand new multicolored bandana.

I got to attend my parents 62nd High School reunion on Saturday afternoon. I was the belle of the ball and got to draw names for prizes, and as luck would have it I drew both Mom and Dad’s names! My Mom won a beautiful king-sized afgan, made by the woman who was sitting at our table. Mom’s cousin Ivan set up his professional karaoke machine and he, my Mom, and a retired minister sang, and we had a 20 song session of name that tune! My Mom used to sing at weddings and talent shows all through high school and beyond and she sounded great! After most of the people went home, we hung back and Mom and I sang together, it was a very special time and I am so glad I made the trip!

Today was niece Lauryn’s first day of school so we were all nervous for her, new school and all, but she got up and headed out just like a trooper and said to Daddy, “Go away,” after she got there so that was a good sign. She has been in special class but this will be her first long school day. A landmark day for her and we will all go and pick her up. Her Auntie got her a “Manny” doll for her first day prize.

I will post more when I get back with pictures………..