The End of Civilization as We Know It

I watched a new game show last night and was appalled.  We recently fixed our UHF antenna, knocked out by lightning over a year ago, and I decided to see what was on while folding clothes and soaking my feet.  I had noticed the ads for "Take It All" while enjoying "Jeopardy" on Channel 11, and thought it looked interesting.  It was.  Five contestants start the game, a combination of "The Price is Right" and the stealing game we do at Christmas.  They learn the price range of the prizes (Round 1, $5000-$12,000; Round 3, $33,000-$100,000) and attempt, through "opening" a new prize or "stealing" from one of the other competitors, to avoid possessing the lowest-priced prize at the end of the round.  The one who fails goes home with nothing.  That in itself should have been a warning sign to me that I wasn't going to like this game. So at the end of Round 3, law student Destiny enters the Prize Fight with the Porsche she "locked in," thus saving it from theft by Patrick, who therefore went home with nothing.  J.T. arrives with his private jet ski vacation, the top prize so far, valued at over $100,000.  Each draws an unknown cash prize, faces the other and starts talking.  J.T. assures Destiny and us that he intends to use his winnings to start an anti-bullying foundation, as he has always felt so alone in his homosexuality.  Destiny persuades him and us that the vacation to Italy is the main thing for her, and if they both choose to keep what's theirs, she will donate her cash to his foundation.  They're both crying when the moment of truth arrives.  If both press "Keep What's Mine," they keep it.  If both press "Take it All," both lose everything.  But here's the kicker:  if each chooses a different button, the one who pushes "Take it All" gets everything.  Naturally, you can guess what happened last night.  J.T. chose to keep what was his, but Destiny - with cash and prizes worth over $200,000 before she pushed the button - selected "Take it All" and walked out the door with winnings of over $400,000, sending J.T. home with nothing.  The entire audience gasped with mouths wide open; Destiny couldn't believe it at first, then raised her arms in the Victory sign.  "I took the risk.  I meant what I said about the vacation being the main thing, but hey - this is playing the game.  I won."  I wonder if she will donate her cash to J.T.'s foundation.  Oh, that's right - J.T. won't be starting a foundation.  He won nothing.  I won't be watching that show again, and it depresses me that there's an audience for it.  Is it the end of civilization as we know it?

Bell-Ringing

 - Lois signed our church up for Salvation Army bell-ringing at Cashwise on Wednesday.  The national Army headquarters has decreed that all shifts must be four hours instead of two this year, so the local branch is having a hard time filling the slots.  The confirmation students were drafted to ring during their class time, from 6-8pm, and we called for Luther Leaguers (high school) to help fill the 4-6pm slot.  I mentioned it to our Praise Team on Sunday, and they expressed their willingness; Zach even asked if he should bring his guitar so we could sing.  Our family planned to participate, but Pete ended up bringing Andrew and Philip to Plain View Farm, so Sarah and I were the only possibilities.  On my way there, I wondered if Lois, Zach, Sarah and I would carry the load, but I shouldn't have worried.  We had plenty.  Karen and Laurie, whose kids are past high school, were there; Jordan, Sarah C, Liz, Carter, and others I didn't see (because they were at the other door) joined us.  At the main revolving door, our group sang with guitar accompaniment for most of the two hours.  When I left at 6, the confirmation students - Mara, Taylar, Hannah, Erin and Austin - had arrived, and several of the older youth and adults remained as well.   Apparently the last time we sang while ringing at Cashwise, the donations hit a record high.  We'll see what happened this year.  Many customers expressed appreciation of our caroling through words or smiles.  Svea blesses again!

Peter Pan

When I entered the darkened theatre, the directors had just finished placing the actors in lines.  I could see Andrew in the middle of a line; knowing that Peter Pan would be at the front of a line, I realized Andrew had not received the part he had hoped to earn with his audition.  Sure enough, when they called out the cast names, Andrew was John, the middle brother of the Darling family.  An 18-year-old would play Peter.  I was a little concerned that Andrew would complain or fall into depression over this turn of events, but I was pleasantly surprised when he strutted back, handling his script, and announced in a manly voice, "I LOVE this part!"  Apparently, playing a know-it-all brother appealed to him.  Philip figured he would enjoy Starkey, a pirate, as well.  He's on the middle left below brandishing a sword; Andrew's on the top row, on the right, in the derby hat.

Having just returned from the second and final performance of Peter Pan, full of Cherry Berry goodness, I'm reflecting on the impressiveness of two directors handling 74 children in grades 1-12, plus acting the parts of Mr. & Mrs. Darling, Hook and Tiger Lil.  They seem to enjoy it also!  Andrew and Philip performed well; they said a lot of kids forgot lines, but we only noticed a few.  Another week of daily trips to town has ended, and both boys hope to participate in Tom Sawyer this spring.

Thanksgiving Thanks

Things about the Thanksgiving weekend that I'm thankful for:

1.  About 15 Sunday School kids showed up for the Thanksgiving Eve service.
2.  We had as many choir members as Sunday School kids.
3.  The kids were fairly focused during our rehearsal.
4.  The choir was so patient while singing "All You Works of God" 8 or 10 times so the kids could master their parts.
5.  The church service was well attended with the families of the kids.
6.  The accompaniment CD worked well and the sound balance was good.
7.  The Coats family arrived in time to join in on the singing.
8.  Communion at the service.
9.  Delicious pies afterwards.
10.  The visiting dogs settled down OK.
11.  David and Callie were here for three whole (and parts of two more) days.
12.  We made it through the cold windy part of the Turkey Leg 5K.
13.  We enjoyed the last part and Mary and I had a great conversation.
14.  Pete finally won his age category in a race this year.
15.  We won the Largest Family Group award, with 12 members running or walking, compared to 7 in the next largest group.
16.  The award was gourmet snack boxes.
17.  Mary's sweet potato dish and broccoli slaw.
18.  Jody Brown's pies.
19.  Seeing the Browns and the Coats, especially Cara and Elisabeth home from college.
20.  Traditional Thanksgiving food.
21.  Make-ahead cream cheese mashed potatoes.  Yummmmm!
22.  Cousin love.
23.  Family sharing time in the evening.
24.  Rahila shared about her school fund-raising for Heifer International and collected $63 on the spot.
25.  Browns brought me a poinsettia.
26.  We adults had a really excellent discussion about life, not always agreeing, but agreeing on the main things.
27.  Hugs.
28.  We got a 40" TV with an amazing HD picture and watched "Brave."
29.  Delicious Applebee's food and stimulating conversation with David and Callie.
30.  Even if I didn't have all these other things to be thankful for, I would still be thankful for Jesus Christ and His love for me.  He will never leave me or forsake me, and if everything else passes away, He will remain.

Thanks Lord!  Amen.

Historical Fascination

I love history!  On Thursday, We traveled to the Cities on a bus with our homeschool group and were privileged to view the Terra-Cotta Warriors from China at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, and participate in a class on "Minnesota's Role in the Civil War" at the Minnesota History Center.  Both experiences satisfied my interest in historical information.

Over 2000 years ago, the first Emperor of China united all the Warring States under his control and pursued his interest in immortality.  He commissioned the clay craftsmen of his kingdom - by force when necessary - to produce 8000 soldiers.  These craftsmen were not artists, and in fact Chinese art up to that time was very abstract, geometric and stylized.  But Emperor Qin wanted the soldiers, who were buried with him so they could guard him in his afterlife, to look realistic.  The craftsmen succeeded in guiding their crews to construct figures, probably a little larger than life size, which astounded our group with their authenticity.  Apparently, analysis has revealed that each figure has a different face, though eight basic facial types are represented (and are still operative in China today).  There were about ten warriors and horses in the exhibit, all reconstructed since no figure was found intact.  Ironically, peasants who rebelled against Qin's son looted the pits for the weapons each warrior carried, and broke them in the process.

At the History Center, we learned about the First Minnesota regiment, also the first regiment enlisted in the Union Army after the firing on Ft. Sumter, because Governor Ramsey was in Washington, DC when he heard about the South's secession and immediately volunteered Minnesota citizens.  The teacher of the class sparked quite a bit of participation from the students, although she couldn't get Andrew to raise his hand, and delivered an interesting video, audio and hands-on presentation.  Of the 1000 men who signed up to fire a few shots and teach the Rebels a lesson, 286 were killed and 609 wounded in battle.

The leaders of the War noted the First Minnesota's bravery in its very first engagement; unlike many other regiments, it stood its ground during the Battle of Bull Run.  During the Battle of Gettysburg, Major General Hancock ordered the regiment to go up against 5:1 odds and hold a spot which had been vacated by three fleeing Union regiments.  Suffering an 83% casualty rate, still the highest in any encounter by any US troops, the soldiers managed to hang on to the position, and the 47 survivors returned to the Major General with their flag intact.  This was a crucial turning point in the battle, which was a crucial turning point in the war.

I love all this stuff.  Every detail fascinates me, and I could have spent many hours listening to and reading the information these historians displayed.  It's one of the top benefits of homeschooling for me.

Perspective

I'm starting our Christmas newsletter by brainstorming possible items to include.  It's not every year that a trip to California will take second place in the contest for Biggest Stadem News.  Andrew's confirmation and David's college graduation pale in comparison with "Welcome, Callie!"  It's all a matter of perspective.

Shelley was in town all week helping her sister, who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer about a month ago.  She slept here last night as all the relatives descended upon Lori's house for the bridal shower tomorrow honoring Jamie, Lori's daughter, who moved her wedding date from next April to this December so she can be sure her mom will be there.  Their church and work communities have rallied around them and are doing a lot of the leg work for the wedding.  Jamie confessed to Aunt Shelley, "When I was getting married in April, I had so many requirements.  This had to be done my way and that had to be perfect.  Now none of that seems to matter; I just want Mom to be well enough to enjoy my wedding."  It's all a matter of perspective.

Only two days remain for Mitt Romney or President Obama to convince enough indecisive voters to propel him into office.  I tend to follow politics and obsess about my concerns, so I took a break from the scene this fall and refused to watch, read or listen to political ads or commentary.  I wish I could state that this cured me of my excessive interest, but I'm pretty sure that on Election Day (and for days thereafter) I'll be glued to the computer, trying to figure out what went right and wrong.  However, if a member of my family died or became severely ill or injured, I wouldn't care a bit about the elections except as a distraction from things of true importance. It's all a matter of perspective.

Lord, grant us a truer perspective on life and Your kingdom.  Amen.

No Escape

Yesterday I told the kids this story from my past:

After college, I toured with a Christian singing and drama group called The Agape Players.  During our summer training in Lake Wales, FL, we learned that our individual tour groups would be "like a family," riding a bus together for several hours each day.  I perceived a problem with that, because these were independent, fundamentalist, separatist Baptists - Billy Graham was too liberal for them.  The two-week seminar on the evils of "so-called Christian rock music" failed to convince me, but the co-founder of the organization assured me that she trusted me not to spread my false beliefs, so I proceeded with the program, reading Romans 14 multiple times each day ("let him who eats not despise the one who doesn't").

Once our tour group started up the East Coast, my frustrations grew.  After our nightly stay in host homes, we had thirty minutes of quiet time, then gathered for reflection.  Often one of the tour members would share, "My family seemed like a great Christian family, but then I saw" an Amy Grant album, a can of beer, or something else which would have disqualified my own family in his or her eyes.  The effort of biting my tongue became too much for my young mind, and I began to devise means of escaping.  I didn't think they would let me leave, so I plotted how I could sneak away and find my way to an airport, where my parents would have a ticket waiting.  My free time (thankfully, there wasn't much) was consumed with these thoughts and fears.

Finally, I called home to get my parents to buy this airplane ticket.  Mom informed me that Dad wasn't home, so I poured out the story to her.  Though sympathetic, she knew Dad would have to make a decision like that; I would have to call again the next night and she would make sure he was there.  After hearing the whole mess, Dad cleared his throat and said, "Well, Kari, you made a one-year commitment to Agape.  I don't think you should quit."  I hung up in despair and a couple of weeks later, we went through the same routine.  The second time I hung up, I knew there was no way my father was ever going to let me quit.  Interestingly enough, six weeks later, as we pulled into Florida for our Christmas break, I realized that I was happy.  I hadn't made a conscious decision to make the best of it, but apparently when I gave up the possibility of leaving, my mindset changed and I was able to brush off our disagreements and appreciate the many fine qualities of my fellow Players.  We keep in touch with five of them to this day.

You Never Know

Two weeks ago, one of the posts on Faceboook informed me that Lori Wilson had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, the worst of all cancers.  I called Shelley, my college roommate and Lori's sister, a couple of days later; Lori was at the U of M getting a second opinion and information about her options.  Now Lori is back home, able to eat, full of faith, but facing an almost certain death in a matter of months, apart from a miracle.  Her daughter and fiance moved their wedding date to December 8 so Lori can attend.  She will never see a grandchild, a fiftieth wedding anniversary, a parent's funeral.  I can't imagine how distraught her parents are.  She's 50.

This weekend we celebrated Dad Stadem's 85th birthday in Sioux Falls with 4 of the 5 children, 14 of the 18 grandchildren, a niece and a great-nephew with their families.  His joy, and all of ours, overflowed as he watched an Augustana football game, received compliments and reminiscences, feasted on several hotdishes and a Norwegian birthday cake, listened to "Happy Birthday!" sung by his congregation, sipped coffee and munched on quick breads during coffee hour, and heard "God Didn't Give Me Much" sung by his family in the second worship service.  (That song isn't what the title implies!)

Why does one see all his children's children, and one see none?  We don't know; it's in God's hands.  But I want to hug those I love, live each day to the fullest, and "grow in faith, love and obedience to the will of God," because you never know how many days are left.

A Hoppin' Day at Svea

Svea was rockin' out yesterday!  Little Feather, a mime clown, graced our Family Sunday School hour with her version of making cupcakes.  The elementary age boys got quite a kick out of her silent misreading of the directions - "put in 6 eggs" meant shells on, of course, and "put in paper cups and bake in oven" resulted in the muffin cups thrown into the batter and the whole bowl in the imaginary oven.  When she pulled out a pan of cupcakes, one boy said, "You ARE magic!"

Callie played a fifteen-minute harp prelude, which enabled everyone to enter a worshipful attitude (except me   - I had to keep preparing for the various events).  Pete led worship because Pastor Mary's grandpa died.  He had the kids do a skit for the sermon - he was the governor hiring a chief of staff to represent him; David, Callie, Daniel, Andrew & Philip all arrogantly informed him of their superior qualifictions; Hannah, played by Sarah, humbly suggested that she would do her best because she believed in his cause - and was hired.  They improvised and provoked lots of laughter.  Then Pete wrapped it up by encouraging us all to trust God when we are brought low.  Good stories.  Jake gave a Temple Talk to tell us that we're in great financial condition.

Zach Sowers, on his 18th birthday, sang "Who Am I?"  which  fit in perfectly - he volunteered to sing it a couple of weeks ago, knowing nothing of the theme.  Thanks Lord!  After worship, we held a mini-recital.  Nina Thompson, granddaughter of Jan & Ed, played two pieces on the piano; Jordan sang "Danza, Danza" in Italian; Zach sang a piece and accompanied himself on electric guitar; Callie played a very fun and jazzy song called "Great Day" on the harp.

When all this was over, the Luther League families enjoyed a potluck and set some dates for future events.  We arrived home, Pete took a nap and packed up bikes, and Philip, Pete and I met the Sowers, Chambers and Johnsons at the high school for a bike ride to Spicer.  I had good visits with Patti, Dianne, Darla and Dean.  Ethan Johnson sped the entire distance on roller blades!

We parted from the Svea folk, watched the Vikings lose and had pizza at my folks', and Skyped with Michelle and Saul from 8:30-10.  What a day!  Praise the Lord!

I'm a Tea Diva!

About two weeks ago, I opened a new box of Good Earth tea and made myself a mug as usual.  My first sip puckered my mouth; what was this bitter taste?  I finished the mug reluctantly, assuming a bad bag had eluded quality control.  But the next mug, and the mug after that, caused procrastination and dismay.  What was wrong with my tea??  I supplemented with sugar and cinnamon, which helped me drink the whole mug but added an unpleasant aftertaste.

I bought two boxes at each of two different stores, thinking maybe quality control had missed a whole batch.  Every mug brought the same disappointment. A friend didn't notice any difference and enjoyed her mug, which puzzled me.  But when Pete tried it, he agreed, "There's definitely something different."  I limped through my days, dreading each sip but continuing to drink tea out of habit and a belief in the importance of getting water into my system.

At the church, I used a bag which had been in my purse.  The tea was good!  Later that day, at my parents' house, another bag from the purse produced the same result.  I thought perhaps it was the water, since the farm had switched wells about the time this whole ordeal began.  So I brought a bag from home and used the church water to brew a new mug, hoping against hope that this would solve the problem.  It didn't.

Finally I called Good Earth's number and spoke with a young man who blithely vowed that they changed their recipe about a year ago, and the boxes with 18 tea bags had "artificial flavors" as an ingredient, while the boxes with 25 bags had the old recipe of "natural flavors" as an ingredient.  His unrepentant manner irritated me and I pressed him a little, hoping for at least an apology or a coupon, but he just continued to assure me that I needed to find the boxes with 25 bags.

Pete and I searched the stores of Willmar over the next few days, finding no boxes with 25 bags of Good Earth tea.  Sure enough, all the boxes we found had "artificial flavors" listed as the third ingredient.  I found 25-bag boxes online at the Good Earth site and ordered a bunch, afraid to expect the best but wanting to continue to drink tea.  They arrived within a few days, with "natural flavors" listed as the third ingredient.  I fearfully poured the water over the bag in the mug, waited ten minutes, gingerly tasted it, and  - smiled in delight!  The delicious taste of Good Earth original tea filled my mouth.

I'm not sure what to make of all this.  Certainly it's a symptom of a massively wealthy culture.  But I'm very grateful to once again drink mug after mug of delicious sweet and spicy tea throughout my day.

Funeral Thoughts

Linda Petersen, age 68, died last week and we attended her funeral on Tuesday.  Family and friends filled the church to mourn for this active, feisty lady who loved animals and cared for them and her family members constantly.  Her three children, in-laws and three grandchildren will miss her greatly; she and her husband, Matt, invested much time, money and energy in their lives.  My heart breaks for Matt, because he retired in January and they had planned exciting travel and hobbies.  Instead they fought lung cancer for the entire time and now he faces his retirement alone, having lost his mother and mother-in-law in the last six months as well.

Linda had many woman friends, including my mother before her death (Linda played piano for many of Mom's singing gigs), and she designated eight women as her pallbearers.  She also asked that I "jazz it up" on the piano as I accompanied the congregation on "Precious Lord, Take my Hand."  I did my best, and a few of the women appreciated the effort and thought it was enough.  Our former pastor gave a beautiful tribute to Linda's wisdom, and our current pastor a meaningful sermon on God's grace.  Our kids helped in the kitchen for over an hour and a half while I visited with old friends who had come to support the family; one was Gordy Chalmers and his wife, Claudia (Matt's sister), with whom I toured France on the high school trip.

Camy, Linda's oldest daughter, is almost my age, and, living close, has had to be the strong one- working six days a week in her shop, caring for Linda's animals, helping her own children as usual.  She assured me that she has found time to cry and grieve; I pray she can feel God's arms around her, because as a divorced woman, she cries alone for the most part.  She has started teaching Sunday School, which will bring her out to Svea weekly so we can stay connected.

I pray and trust that the Lord is continuing to work out His purposes in and through Linda's death.

A Pleasant Party

I'm still finding it hard to believe that over 100 people kicked off the new WASH (Willmar Area Scholars at Home) year on Saturday.  We, as board members, thought we picked a winner when Bryce and Kim Holmgren agreed to host a potluck supper, games and a barn dance in their barn/reception hall, but we didn't realize it was SUCH a winner!  Half of the parents' faces were unfamiliar to me, though I'd heard or read most of the names, and of course I knew only a fraction of the kids.  I brought containers of Hershey's kisses and gently used homeschool resources for door prizes, and people seemed energized by filling out their drawing slips and putting on their name tags.  We didn't start eating until 5:45 because people kept dribbling in until 6:00 or even later, but the food tasted delicious and there was enough.  I visited with Stan and Chari Simon during supper.

After Daniel helped a bunch of young kids with bean bag tossing, myriads of boys played soccer (younger) and football (older), and girls found things to do all over the farm in little groups.  What a great location and environment!  Myron, the caller, started the dance a little after 7.  We enjoyed almost two hours of line dances, circle dances and square dances.  All ages could keep up.  I hope the connections made during the pleasant party will help people feel more comfortable attending the exciting events planned for this year by WASH.

Learning Curves

On Thursday night we watched with pride as third-stringer Andrew caught two touchdown receptions for the ninth grade "B" team.  With over forty ninth-graders on the football team, the coaches have limited his play in the first two games to three downs.   Head Coach Brett Aamot assured us that because this is his first year, he is constantly thinking about the plays instead of reacting to the situation or looking for the ball, and he will improve dramatically once the plays become second nature.  Pete observed a noticeable boost in his skills and participation since the Hutchinson scrimmage three weeks ago.

Today I chatted with Michelle on the phone, and we agreed that she is in the same boat.  She's supposed to give "participation" and "behavior" points to use for grading in addition to academic work.  However, she's so busy thinking about how to teach the class that she can't notice who's participating.  Though she certainly notices who's misbehaving, she struggles to think of methods of discipline while concentrating on presenting the lesson and speaking Spanish.   She confessed, "I'm not used to doing something I"m not that good at."  And it has been a long time since she had to work hard at something.  She loves a challenge, though, and will rise to this one.

Learning curves aren't fun, but they're important.  When we persevere through the curve, we gain knowledge and skill, but more importantly, the character quality of perseverance.

Vive la Difference!

On Saturday we attended a wedding in Waterloo, IA.  Emily Marie, oldest daughter of our dear missionary friends, married Mattias, son of a Christian family from Ames.  With David's wedding fresh on my mind, I noticed a number of similarities and differences between the two couples and their weddings.

Similarities:
1.  Both are strong Christ-centered couples and it showed in their weddings.
2.  Both had communion services.
3.  Both used vows from older books.
3.  Both are about 22 years of age.
4.  Both had their families' full blessing.
5.  Both brides wore hand-sewn ivory gowns.
6.  Both weddings inspired confidence that the marriages will last.

But the differences were even more striking and made each ceremony unique and enjoyable:
1.  David & Callie wed outside at 7:30pm, with seven attendants each including her three sisters and his four brothers, plus cousins and friends.  Their reception was in a barn across the yard.  Emily & Mattias wed in a church at 11am, with their combined three sisters and three brothers as attendants.  Their reception was in a school auditorium a couple of miles away.
2.  Callie's aunt Margo made her form-fitting dress with a lace overlay and a 40's-looking short veil.  Emily made her own dress of satin with a long train.  Emily also had a Sandquist family heirloom tiara holding her long veil.
3.  David & Callie along with their attendants and parents served communion with homemade (by me!) bread to the guests at four stations.  Emily & Mattias received communion along with their guests in the midst of a full liturgical worship service.  The whole wedding party sat down during most of the service.
4.  David & Callie's families sang a special arrangement of "Be Thou My Vision" commissioned for their wedding, and a soloist sang a song Callie wrote.  During the Iowa worship service, the congregation sang three hymns and the wedding service was just a part of the overall service.
5.  Pastor Grandpa Stadem said, "You may kiss the bride" at the end of the service, and David enthusiastically complied.  Mattias kissed Emily (for the first time) only after leaving the church.
6.  The dance at the North Dakota wedding was typical, with DJs playing the Chicken Dance, the Hokey Pokey, oldies and new rock songs.  The Sandquists hired a caller to teach us Celtic circle dances and the Virginia Reel.
7.  David & Callie are musical performers and sang "Lucky" at their reception.  Emily & Mattias are cerebral; the story is told that when they first met Mattias spent two hours lecturing on biochemistry - and Emily wanted more!

Our Lord Jesus brought two unique couples together and they celebrated His love for them in unique ways.  Neither wedding glorified God "more" than the other; neither reception was "better."  Both couples vowed to love and to cherish "until death do us part," so neither marriage will last "longer" than the other.  No comparisons are needed; praise God and "vive la difference"!

A Wonderful Wedding Weekend

Well, David tied the knot!  Unbelievable - I'm a mother-in-law!  The whole weekend brought much joy to many; Grandma Dee summed it up by saying, "How beautiful, and what a great focus on the spiritual growth needed for marriage."

On Thursday we drove up to Northwood, checked in to the Northwood Inn (highly recommended for a clean, comfortable room), and made our way to "Newberg" (the New Berg home, out in the country, as opposed to the old Berg home in town) for a delicious meal of soft shell tacos with vegetables fresh out of the garden.   After visiting a while with Callie, her parents, two sisters, a brother-in-law and two nieces, we all changed into our swim suits and enjoyed the indoor pool.  Our boys especially liked swinging on the rope attached to the ceiling before splashing into the cool water.

Friday morning we relaxed before heading out to the house again.  Pete took the twins golfing; I helped Laurie with the reception seating chart while Philip played in the pool.  We discovered that Michelle had missed her flight, but Andrew's flight would be right on time (Grandma & Grandpa Norling brought Andrew up in the little airplane because he had his first football game Thursday night).  After I picked up the three at the little Northwood airport, we all got dressed at the motel and went out to the Draxton Farm for the rehearsal.  First I led a rehearsal of "Be Thou My Vision," arranged by Callie's friend Emily and sung by the Berg and Stadem families.  Plenty of people needed parts played, but it sounded fairly good by the time we finished.  During the actual wedding rehearsal, I was distracted by texts about Michelle's situation and trying to make sure the groom's dinner would be served.  The final word from Michelle was that she would fly in to Grand Forks at 4:40 pm Saturday.  Britta and Aanna would pick her up and they would arrive at the farm by 7.  Yikes!

On Saturday we relaxed at the motel before realizing that the groomsmen were supposed to get to the farm earlier than we thought.  Photos took a long time, however - from 1:30 until 5:45 or so.  The wind blew all afternoon at about 25 mph; that took the edge off the heat, but left the boutonnieres wilted.  Fortunately, the ladies had fashioned extra boutonnieres so the groomsmen wore new ones for the wedding.  Michelle arrived at about 6:40 and we took a family picture, then had some private time in the dining room of the Draxton house where everyone affirmed David and we prayed for him.  The Bergs did the same in another room.

During the wedding, our rendition of "Be Thou My Vision" surpassed the practices.  Maren Jacobsen sang a song Callie had written - a surprise to her.  We served communion from four stations - bride & groom, best man & matron of honor, both sets of parents.  Quite a few guests canceled at the last minute, so the crowd may have shrunk to about 300.  (ha!)  Afterwards, Callie & David rode around in a horse-drawn carriage while the ushers brought the chairs to the barn and I put a couple more pictures from today on the slide show.   While we all ate delicious apple or rhubarb pie, a live band played several numbers, the attendants proposed toasts, David & Callie sang "Lucky," and we played the PowerPoint slide show.  Then the dancing began.

I haven't seen crowds like that on a dance floor for a wedding reception.  Of course the Stadem crew was well-represented.  The Norling cousins boogied out there.  Many Berg and Augie connections cut a rug as well.  Groups of guests danced more or less wildly until midnight, when the DJs finished (David & Callie left half an hour before).  We helped clean up for an hour or so and fell into our comfortable motel beds at 1:45 am.  They're married!

Marketing Mania

I've been struck the last few weeks by the sheer quantity of advertising that I receive.  We don't even have TV - our antenna was struck by lightning last summer and we haven't replaced it - but between radio, Internet, email and regular mail, I hear or read about things someone's trying to sell me almost constantly.  Whether it's the Kindle Daily Deal ("this best-selling book for only $1.99!"), the Best Buy Daily Deal ("this best-selling laptop for only $349.00!"), the Summer Black Friday Sale at Herberger's ("120+ Doorbusters!") the Science Museum's Pirate Ship display ("only here until Labor Day!"), or the Minnesota Orchestra's Sommerfest ("these four concerts for only $99!"), the items that would make me happy or the experiences that would make my life complete beckon enticingly from every surface in my home.   I tried all summer to bring the children to the Pirate Ship exhibit at the Science Museum.  I know we would have enjoyed it immensely and learned a lot, but we chose to fulfill our year-long obligation to take them to Target Field for a Twins game instead.  Now, with David's wedding only a week away, I regretfully understand that it's not going to happen.

What has struck me most, however, is that if I didn't hear or read about these things, I would have no regrets.  I didn't dream about the Pirate Ship display or the Sommerfest concert or the best-selling book or the laptop before I saw the advertisements.  The lack of any or all of them does not impoverish my life.  God didn't create me so that I could experience all the fun, happiness or luxury America offers.  He created me to live in loving relationship with Him and with others.  Sometimes fun experiences can contribute to building loving relationships, but they certainly aren't necessary.  Last night we ate supper and visited with friends while we made 150 hamburger patties for an event at church.  This virtually free evening, not advertised in any marketing ploy, built our relationships with these friends as much as any expensive event could have done.

What's the solution?  I don't know.  But I am looking with a more jaundiced eye at the flyers, emails and pop-ups that pop up.

Rearranging (Again)

One of the recurring tasks in this now-decreasing household is the rearrangement of our stuff to fit the existing space.  Joel moved to Mankato on Friday, thereby reducing the number of live-in children to the number of bedrooms upstairs.  So on Thursday night, the men tore down the bunk bed/storage combo and hauled it down to the office.  We moved clothes around and settled in to another new arrangement:  Daniel in the "solo" room, Andrew and Philip sharing the "duet" room, which is really two rooms in one, and Sarah in the same room she's had for years (with Michelle for a while) and redecorated last summer.  We'll find a double or queen bed for Daniel's room; he and/or Sarah will be bumped for guests, including our newlyweds.  Also, when Joel comes home he'll have a good twin mattress on the floor and possibly even a place to put his clothes - unlike David, who has had to sleep on the couch and keep his suitcase in the bathroom.

Andrew started making, with Pete's help, a new shoe shelf, much smaller and less bulky.   Our laundry system has changed also; we used to sort the clothes from the dryer into personalized laundry baskets, from which each person would fold his own clothes while we watched a movie or TV show.  Now, however, we're rarely all home at once, and I find it relaxing to fold the clothes myself while watching something.  I removed the laundry baskets from their shelves and replaced them with the blue plastic hole-y boxes that formerly contained the shoes.  The four boxes will be catch-alls, one for each remaining kid.

And so begins another chapter in the never-ending saga of reorganization as the seasons of family life change yet again.  :)

All Things Work Together

On Wednesday as I was running the till for the 4-H Foodstand at the County Fair, I started to run out of $1 bills.  I sent up a quick little prayer - "Lord, send me some ones."   My next customer, Jodi B (the local head of 4-H), handed me eight ones to pay for her meal.  Prompted by the Holy Spirit (maybe?), I told her, "I prayed for ones because I'm running out."  She laughed and replied, "And I was saying, 'Please let me have enough to pay for this whole meal!'"  The Lord uses everything in an intertwined fashion.

Last night one of our children made a little speech telling us that our advice had been followed in a certain area.  (Usually I'm quite specific but this involves others so I won't mention any details.)  I cried happy tears, because I've felt discouraged recently - first, that the kids aren't listening to the Lord and second, that they aren't listening to their dad.  So God answered both those fears in a single incident, plus granted that child a great experience in trusting Him.

Romans 8:28 assures us that "all things work together for those who love God and are called according to his purpose."  I saw the truth of that this week.

Batter Up!

It really has been a summer of watching ball games.  Joel and Daniel played slow-pitch softball for four different teams - two in the Men's League on Monday nights; one in the Co-Rec League on Wednesday nights; and the Svea Gold Team in the Church League on Thursday nights.  Sarah played fast-pitch softball for the Willmar 18U (age 18 and under) team on Tuesday nights, and joined Pete and Andrew on the Svea Bronze Team on Thursdays.  Philip played on the Willmar Twins, a 5th- and 6th-grade team with Willmar Community Ed and Rec.  They practiced on Thursdays and played games on Mondays and Wednesdays.  Except for the church teams, I watched only a few of each softball team's games, but saw most of Philip's games in the last three weeks.  Getting everyone to the right field at the right time provided some interesting exercise in car coordination.  This week Sarah and I stayed home from a Sioux Falls bridal shower for Callie because between meetings and ball games, we needed the extra drivers and car.

Attending and chauffeuring shouldn't cause a problem, but I try to catch up on so many household areas during the summer that going to a ball game every night feels like a chore instead of a privilege.  Cooking has fallen by the wayside, for supper anyway; we've eaten in Willmar (before or after games) far more than usual.  Reorganizing cupboards and systems, purging photo collections, catching up on albums, working on 4-H projects, keeping the kids productive, preparing books to sell, practicing for an August program and tying up loose ends on the spring school work join the usual daily or weekly chores of cooking, cleaning, yard work, money management, exercise, weightlifting, laundry, church activities and ball games to make the summer feel like an exhausting whirl instead of a relaxing vacation.

On the positive side, lots of opportunities for discussions on sportsmanship and excellence have arisen.  The importance of practice and the difference between "illegal" and "unethical" has been demonstrated.  Everyone has made their share of blunders and bloopers, and hopefully learned a little more humility.  And Svea still has the best fans!

His Needle Does Not Move

This phrase - "His needle does not move" - is repeated regularly by a pastor who is counseling us over the phone.   He's referring to God the Father, who, just as the needle of a compass does not move from true north, loves us exactly the same no matter what we do, AND who approves of us exactly the same no matter what we do.  I have trouble believing the latter, because I don't approve of people I love no matter what they do.  But the pastor's point is that none of us has any righteousness in ourselves; "all our righteousness is like filthy rags," because even the best deeds we do are tainted by impure and even wicked motives - a desire to be paid back, to be recognized, to earn God's love, to earn His approval, to prove I'm better than others, to manipulate others, to ....well, you get the idea.  For me, it really is all about me.   So the only righteousness we have in God's eyes is Jesus' righteousness, earned on the cross and given to us freely.  "When He looks at me He sees not what I used to be (and still am) but He sees Jesus," as the song states correctly.  The pastor encourages us to embrace our sin by freely acknowledging sin whenever and wherever the Lord points it out to us, and repenting of it in true humility.  Then we are free to thank God for His forgiveness in Christ, and trust Him that He is working in us to will and to do His good pleasure.  We don't have to try to keep the law or do good works; we simply trust that God is transforming us, and keep walking with Him.  I don't get it all yet, but it does make a lot of Scriptural sense.  More later on how He plays it out in daily life.  Praise God that "His needle does not move."

Busy by Choice

Several things I've read lately have pointed out the trap of busyness and consumerism.  Companies and individuals sell Americans on the idea that more activities and more stuff lead to happiness, and that every person deserves and should strive to attain happiness.  Of course, Jesus talked quite a bit about happiness, but he usually promised that we would gain it if we gave up trying.  "Give and it will be given to you," "He who loses his life will find it," "Happy are you if people persecute you," and "Do as I've done and you'll be happy" sound quite different than "Have it your way," "Just do it" and "Have a Coke and a smile."  Regarding busyness, our prayer group affirmed that whenever we tell people, "Oh, we're so busy," we get nods and smiles and admiration because we're doing so much to make ourselves or others happy.  When is the last time someone replied with "Shame on you - slow down!" ?  

I do believe, however, that if I were able to say to someone, "I'm very relaxed; I only have one thing to do today," I would also receive nods, smiles and admiration - along with "HOW did you DO that?"   I may be able to achieve this in the summer, so that's my new goal - to reach a day with only one thing to do.  For that to happen, I have to finish:

1) History and speech from the spring
2) Reorganization of a number of areas in the house (getting rid of stuff!)
3) Culling and sorting of pictures and videos, and catching up on albums with the kids
4) Wedding preparation
5) County Fair projects completed
6) Program for Prinsburg prepared
7) And I'll have to be caught up on laundry, meal preparation and house cleaning

Sounds daunting, but I believe the Lord would smile if I could focus an entire day on my identity in Him rather than my identity as a "doer."

Warm Weekend

Although the weather cooled down slightly, to seasonal temperatures instead of the sauna we've endured for two weeks, our hearts were warmed by many special events this weekend.  First and foremost, David & Callie spent several days with us.  On Saturday evening, Pete & Kari walked eight miles with the lovebirds and we all exchanged life stories.  What a delight!  There are few things as interesting as learning where someone has come from and what makes them tick.  Much more remains to be learned about Callie, but we certainly know her much better now.

Jeremy & Susan Beebout, Lydia, Elyza and Abigail arrived on Friday for the noon meal and stayed through Saturday breakfast.  They shared stories of how the Lord is providing for their work and their family in Niger, and the children enjoyed playing with the kitten and our big kids.  The Willmar swimming pool provided relief from the heat, at the same time the north wind brought cooler air.

On Saturday morning, several Svea ladies hosted a bridal shower at the church for Callie.   The generosity and warm welcome impressed her.  She got some cool stuff too!  On Sunday morning, Grandma Dee played an arrangement of "This is My Father's World" on the oboe for our special music - beautifully done!  Grandpa treated us to brunch at the Oaks after church - more delicious food.  After naps at home, we swam and went tubing at Scott's with succulent bratwurst and angel food cake for supper.  The swimming pool water feels like a child's bath water, contributing to our Warm Weekend.  Thanks everyone!

Coast to Coast to Prairie

In just over three weeks, Kari and Sarah traveled from Laguna Beach in California to Cocoa Beach in Florida to Bryant, SD (that last is the ultimate tourist destination!).

Our family vacation to California thrilled us all, from Disney

and Hollywood

to the Golden Gate Bridge

 and the redwoods, thanks to the hospitality of Pete's cousins, Chloe & Gary Koslowsky and Russ & Ria Schaefer.  We also enjoyed riding the train again 

and relaxed for a few days at Dana Point.  Pete, Kari, Sarah, Andrew & Philip formed the crew - much smaller than our usual nine-person contingent.  We didn't get any stares or questions like, "Are they all yours??"  At the end of that trip we spent a short time in the frigid waters of the Pacific at Laguna Beach.

Kari, Joel, Daniel and Sarah flew to Orlando with thirteen others from Svea for a volunteer week with Give Kids the World in Kissimmee, a resort for families of children diagnosed with life-threatening illnesses.   They work with dozens of wish-granting organizations to provide these families with a week of pure happiness.  Corporations donate money and goods, while volunteers man 1500 shifts per week, cleaning, serving, helping, feeding, playing with and interacting with the children and their families.  Our group provided 153 shifts during the five days we worked, driving 20-30 minutes (each way) twice a day for 3-4 hour periods.

On our off day, we surfed, swam and body-boarded at Cocoa Beach, where the air was almost 100 degrees and the water of the Atlantic was warm enough to spend hours.

Last weekend the Stadem family gathered in Bryant for the bi-annual reunion, with 81 present.  We were able to use the rebuilt (though unfinished) barn, which amazed everyone who entered.  The efforts of Leroy Stadem, Steve Stadem and Bernie Iserman, along with donated labor, time and money by dozens of relatives, have really paid off in a usable and beautiful meeting space.

Now we're ready to be home for a while.  Almost caught up!

We’re All Lawbreakers Now

When laws multiply to the point of insanity, sane people become lawbreakers.  I allowed my 15-year-old permit-only driver to drive alone (in the country for 2.4 miles).  I burn stuff that’s illegal to burn.  I go 5-10 miles over the speed limit regularly.  And so do you.  And we consider ourselves law-abiding citizens – which I very much want to be.  But these laws are driving us crazy! 

Now I’ve discovered a law that takes the cake – literally.  As part of some compromise over church potlucks, the Minnesota Department of Health has put a regulation in place that makes it illegal for fundraising groups or non-church groups to serve food in churches unless at least one server is certified and trains the rest.  This means that our 4-H club members, youth group fund-raising soup lunch servers, and even I, at our confirmation open house party for Andrew in the church basement, have been breaking the law.  Granted, certification is relatively simple – watch a video and complete some handouts – but the principle is still ridiculous, especially when you realize that the 4-H club, which is NOT open to the public or attempting to raise money, could serve food at any other location in the state without consequence.  However, it is a community event in a church and therefore subject to the regulation.

This points out the problem with these ever-increasing laws.  They target one group but invariably shoot another.

Minnesota has recently and rapidly passed another law called “Jacob’s Law,” which requires either parent of a child to notify the other parent if abuse of the child is discovered.  It has exceptions and so forth, but does anyone seriously believe that this won’t make someone, somewhere, a law-breaker in the best interests of their child, because the exceptions don’t cover their particular situation? 

it simply is not true that every bad thing should be “fixed” with a law – and in fact, it will NOT be fixed.  The proliferation of laws simply makes everyone take all the laws less seriously. 

Ask and you shall receive...

The Lord has been reminding me of the truth of "Ask and you shall receive."  A week ago Tuesday, I realized that I hadn't been praying with Sarah for her softball team, games and season.  She had been somewhat negative about their winless season - some disappointments etc.  I asked if I could pray for her before she left for her last home game, she said, "Well, nothing else has worked!" and I asked the Lord to help her relax and enjoy herself and have a good perspective.  They lost again, but she had a good game with 3 solid hits, and felt God had answered our prayer.  On Thursday we prayed for team unity and perspective, and they did come together, enjoyed their game, and procured their first victory!  They were so excited!  On Friday,we prayed for Coach Banks to relax and enjoy herself, and for more teamwork, and they won again!  On Saturday, we prayed for teamwork, and they lost their first game so were out of the tournament.  Sarah and KJ had to sit there for hours while the boys' baseball team finished their tourney and then ride back with them.  But at least they were together.

On Thursday, Pete and I had to sing for a funeral and when we got there, Jon Barber informed us that the sound system wasn't working.  He and Pete tried several things while I played the prelude, and right before the funeral started Pete prayed with Jon and then sat down and informed me, "The system isn't working - do we need to do anything different?"  But when Pastor Mary started speaking, lo and behold - it worked!  Afterwards Pete asked Jon, "What did you do?"  "Nothing - I just turned it off and back on and this time it worked!  Must have been your prayer."  Must have been.

Thursday night was the first church softball games, and we prayed for a good spirit of encouragement and a good attitude.  I don't know what happened over at the Gold team (I wasn't there because I was driving Sarah back from her Rocori victory so she could play with the Bronze team), but we (Bronze) had a great crowd, great spirit and a great game with a victory.  Everybody had a good hit or two and a good defensive play or two.  Jerry was quite pleased, and the rest of us were thrilled.  Thank You, Lord, for answering prayer and for reminding us that You like to be asked.

Learning New Skills

This morning the kids and I spent three hours in the office at Gorans Bros., learning CPR from a Ridgewater College instructor with a video curriculum.  I made the kids go to bed on time last night, saying, "We have this class in the morning and I don't want you falling asleep in the middle of it."  No worries.  The video instructor was fairly interesting and very repetitive, because he wanted us to be sure to remember the basic points:

1.  Compressions are the key.  You must push the chest down two inches with each compression and let the chest rise to its natural state in between.

2.  The first compressions are the most effective, so if there is another trained person around, be sure to take turns at least every two minutes so you give good CPR.

3.  Do 30 compressions, at least 100/min., and then give two breaths, making sure the chest rises with each breath.

4.  Start compressions right away, asking someone else to call 911 and find an AED defibrillator.  If you are alone, call 911 first, unless it's a child; then start compressions first because they often recover well.

All of this was interspersed with practice on mannequins.  We had only twelve in the class, so were able to share a mannequin with just one other person.  They also had AED training kits so we were able to practice hooking up the pads, staying clear, and pushing the shock button.  I didn't know that the goal of the AED was to STOP the heart, so that the body's natural re-starter would get it going in the right rhythm again.  The other things to remember before hooking up the pads were:  shave away excess hair; wipe away excess moisture and get the patient out of a wet environment; and remove any metal (underwire bras or necklaces).   Otherwise the AED gives its own instructions.

It was quite effective, as you can see, and quite fascinating.  I took a CPR class in college, but remember virtually nothing, so this was a great refresher.  We had everyone from 11-year-old Philip to Kim and Pete in their fifties, and everyone was able to learn new skills.

God's Constant Care

Yesterday morning at 8:30, I told the youth to get in the vehicles.  We were heading to the Bethesda nursing homes to lead worship at three locations, and I wanted plenty of time to make sure everything was set up properly.  I headed upstairs to put a check in the secretary's box while the others went out.  On the way up, I decided I should put the check on her desk and entered the sanctuary to grab my office key from the box where I keep it.  It wasn't there. 

Professionals painted the sanctuary last week, so most stuff had been moved - my music to the third floor.  I thought the key might have been placed there somehow, but when I investigated I couldn't find it.  Back in the sanctuary, Ron asked, "Where's the organ key?  I came on Friday to practice but couldn't find the key."  The organ key is on the same ring as the office key; I told Ron about my dilemma, looked around the organ some more, and went back up to the third floor - without success.  I called the pastor, who promised to come over with the office key and let me in to look for an extra organ key.

Meanwhile, the youth were still waiting in the vehicles.  I was thinking furiously; what should I do?  I couldn't leave the church until the organ key was found; there was no way anyone else would be able to find an extra key, though I didn't know if I would be able to find one, either.  Should I send the youth on to set up and trust that they could start without me if necessary?  I went outside, stepped around indecisively a few times, then went to the window of our van and told Daniel, "My organ key is missing."  He turned to the back seat and said, "Zach, where did you put the organ key?" 

I thought he was joking - what would Zach know about it? - but Zach replied, "I put it in the box."  The two of them had been practicing the day before, and the key was hidden in the bottom of the box.  I found it, Ron started practicing, and we made it to the nursing home in plenty of time.

Though I didn't consciously or formally pray, God was watching over the whole situation.  If I hadn't looked for the office key, if Ron had been ten minutes later, OR if I hadn't mentioned the situation to Daniel, Ron would have been playing the piano or I would have missed the nursing home service.  But the Lord orchestrated everything so that the lost was found.  Praise Him!

Gospel Truth

A friend and "coworker in the gospel" wrote in his ministry newsletter that he reminds himself daily of seven essential truths he's learned over the years - "We're in a war," "God loves me unconditionally" and so forth.  I thought that sounded like a great idea, because I too struggle with having to learn the same things over and over again.  So here are six of the truths the Lord has taught me through the years that I continually forget:

1.  Jesus will never leave me or forsake me.
2.  Jesus' grace is sufficient for me.
3.  God gives generously and without reproach.
4.  Being is more important than doing.
5.  Time with the Lord is as essential as food or sleep.
6.  I can take the blame for things that aren't my fault.

Here are four things I've been affirming (things that are true in the heavenly kingdom, but which I haven't seen worked out in my life on earth yet):

1.  Because Jesus Christ is living in me, I confidently observe the Lord's working in the lives of each of my kids.
2.  Because Jesus Christ is living in me, I cheerfully arrange my schedules and actions according to Pete's direction.  (I've seen real progress in this one)
3.  Because Jesus Christ is living in me, I gladly speak about Him often, praising and thanking Him out loud and praying with the children before and after any significant event.
4.  Because Jesus Christ is living in me, and I have been bought with a price, I glorify God in my body by keeping it in great shape.

The seventh truth will have something to do with joy.  I frown a lot - at home anyway.  I expect a lot out of the kids and when they disappoint, I frown.  I realize also that I think God frowns at me a lot.  I know that He could expect a lot more out of me than I deliver, so I think He's frowning.  And I think that's the way to relate to my children.  I have a feeling this is incorrect.  Lord grant me to know the truth and know You (the Truth) and live accordingly.

Health Care

We are having an unhealthy year!  Daniel broke his arm (a compound open fracture) in November, so had surgery on Thanksgiving Day and follow-up visits in January, February and March.  Pete discovered a blind spot in his eye and an examination revealed retinal bleeding.  In January he received the first shot in his eye; a drug has almost stopped the bleeding and the doctor thinks it will heal completely.  It may or may not stay healed.  You can imagine the cost of a visit to a retina specialist; Pete has been there 3 or 4 times now.  Sarah had an appendectomy on Palm Sunday.  I have been to the chiropractor 5-10 times recently for a "frozen shoulder" or possibly just inflammation - the treatment is the same.  Now I've started physical therapy.

This will cost us our $5500 deductible for last year and this year; it will cost our insurance company a lot more.  But think of the results - a healed arm, a healed eye, a removed appendix with very little "down time," and (Lord willing) a healed shoulder.  A hundred years ago Daniel would probably have a crooked arm; Pete would have a blind spot and maybe lose his sight completely in that eye; Sarah could have died when her appendix ruptured; and I would have a painful shoulder for who-knows-how-long.

We complain a lot about the high and rising cost of health care.  But consider what we get!  If we choose to do all this stuff to make our lives longer, healthier or pain-free, shouldn't we expect to pay for it?  Remember the tragic story of the woman who had spent her life savings on doctors trying to heal her hemorrhaging?  Turned out not to be a tragic story, because Jesus healed her for free.  But the pathos of the initial introduction is not because she spent her life savings but because it didn't work.  If she had spent her life savings and gotten well, it would have been worth it to her.

I don't know when we'll (as a nation) run out of money to spend on health care.  I don't know if it's right for us to have treatments for retinal bleeding and frozen shoulders when children across the globe die for lack of a simple antibiotic.  But I do know that I'm not going to complain about the money aspect of health care, because it's worth every penny.

An Unexpected Appendectomy

Last Saturday Sarah had stomach pain all day; when we finally called the insurance nurse help line at 5pm, the nurse advised us to bring her in within three hours. At the emergency room in Olivia, I sat with Sarah (a much more comfortable Sarah with an IV for hydration and pain medication) until 11pm, when they performed a CT scan on her abdomen and discovered that her appendix was, indeed, infected and needed to be removed. In the meantime, I posted on Facebook and emailed the families asking for prayer. Pete had attended the Svea Wild Game Feed where Dad Stadem gave the message, but by midnight (after erroneously going to the Willmar emergency room) he arrived and I went home to get some sleep before the Palm Sunday service.

Dad Norling called just after I woke up, and wondered how everything was. When I called Pete, he said Sarah was walking around and would be home that day. Dr. Maland performed the surgery laparoscopically, so she has only three fingernail-size incisions.

After Sunday School Opening Exercises, I prepared the praise team stage and recruited Julie Gatewood to substitute for Sarah as a singer. While playing the prelude, I looked up and saw Pete enter our pew! He'd brought Sarah home and she felt good, so he came on to worship.

Praise God for great medical care. We shouldn't be surprised if we have to pay a good portion of our incomes, considering the almost endless list of procedures that improve our lives and health.

Me and My Stuff

My aunt occasionally sells her possessions so she can give more to one of her favorite charities. I admire her, but I haven't emulated her. Of course, very few of my possessions are worth anything by the time I get done with them. However, in my Lenten fast from sweets in my house, I haven't given away the money I saved. We tithe to God's work, and sometimes give beyond that if a need comes to our attention, but we haven't developed the mindset of giving up things to give more to others. If I want something, I generally buy it; if we have extra money, we generally save it. I can't think of a time when I wanted something, but didn't buy it and gave the money away instead.

I have decided to quit looking at the catalogs that come in the mail, whether for clothing, books or fun little gadgets. If I need something, perhaps I'll use the catalog as a possible source, but otherwise, the temptation to buy something just because it's fun or cute needs to be eliminated.

Question: If the Body of Christ followed John Wesley's advice - "Earn all you can, save all you can, give all you can" - would the problems of poverty in the world be solved?

Some politicians and governmental officials desire to tax the rich more so the poor can have more. The appeal of this approach for Christian voters and politicians lies in God's grace, and His concern for the poor. We feel the government - of the people, for the people and by the people - should follow these Christian principles. The problem, though, is that God gives his grace voluntarily, and He gives only what is His to give - whether through His Body or any other way. The government, however, can only have something to give to one person if it takes it from another - by force. That creates resentment, feelings of superiority and inferiority, and ingratitude.

I'm selling a bunch of books, primarily to remove them from the shelves and the house. I was planning to use the money to pay for the Kindle I bought, but now I think I'll give the money away. May Your Body, O Christ, do Your will and serve others.

Failure or Fruitful?

I was feeling dragged out and unmotivated. This week Andrew and Philip acted in Prairie Fire Children's Theater, Sarah practiced with the softball team, and we cared for the neighbor's puppy, so I kept moving, but I didn't want to - for sure! The pictures of our friends the missionaries, our friends the doctors, our friends the camp directors, our friends the world-changers, our friends whose children desire nothing more than to please them rose up to haunt my nights - okay, maybe that's a little over-dramatized, but not much. I felt like a failure.

Wednesday night's Lenten service started with the Holden Evening Prayer liturgy - beautiful, but I felt that I hadn't prepared the leaders well. It improved as we went along, and then Pastor Mary gave her sermon on Martin Luther's view of vocation. I needed that. She quoted his thoughts on God's approval of changing diapers and sweeping streets as much as preaching sermons or governing the country. Tears came to my eyes as I realized the same is true of making menus and meals, paying bills and chauffeuring children.

Lord, thanks for speaking to me through Your servants at just the right time - may I hear Your voice always!

Procrastination Pays

My friend Yvonne and I have been concerned about a young friend who recently had her first child. Jill's husband, Jack, has been insisting that Jill go back to work when John turns 3 months old, because otherwise they may have to sell their home. Jill was working at a day care which is understaffed, often resulting in cranky children; she didn't get that many hours; and she would have to pay for John to be at the day care with her. Yvonne and I were thinking that working probably wouldn't bring in that much money, and that Jill's family could probably benefit financially if she would learn to save money instead of earning it. We prayed together for Jill several times, and were wondering what we needed to say to her or to Jack. Yvonne's been learning from the Lord that she has this feeling, left over from her childhood, that if she doesn't do something it won't happen, and that He wants her to trust Him more in certain situations, instead of trying to do something. Sure enough, a few days ago Jill called Yvonne and asked if she could work at the church day care (with Yvonne!) a few hours per week. Jack had run the numbers and determined that the net income from Jill's job would be miniscule.

Whether the Lord prompted someone else to talk to Jack, or gave Jack the idea, Yvonne hadn't lifted a finger, I hadn't said a word, and the job was done. John will be better cared for by his own mother; Jill will be happier and healthier; and Jack will have just as much money for his family. Thanks, Lord - may we know when to procrastinate and when to act!

Bustin' Our Buttons

David presented his senior voice recital on Saturday at Augustana College in Sioux Falls. Including our immediate family, sixteen relatives came to applaud and enjoy his performance. He sang in six languages - English, German, Norwegian, Italian, French and Spanish - with flawless pronunciation. His range, tone, pitch, diction and expression impressed the crowd - even Weston Noble, the 93-year-old interim director of the Augie Choir who has seen students come and go for over 60 years, most of them at Luther College in Iowa. When Liz Stadem asked him, "Wasn't my grandson good?" he replied, "He wasn't good. He was fabulous!" I agree - we're all pretty proud of what he has accomplished with hard work (and superior instruction by his voice teacher, Cheryl Koch) over the last three years.

We also got to see Callie in the musical, "Zombie Prom," and her junior voice and harp recital. Wow! Her acting and vocal skills shone as Miss Delilah Strict, the strait-laced principal of Enrico Fermi High. She had so much fun with the part, it was a joy to watch. The skill displayed in playing the harp astounded those of us who haven't had much experience with it. There are so many strings! She tossed off her first song with incredible ease, and made the modern English pieces enjoyable (not an easy task).

Basically, we're bustin' our buttons with pride - what a musical duo!

Honor your Father and Mother

(by Pete)

John (not his real name) called me last night and asked if the men were meeting in the morning. They weren’t, but I had wondered about going to the church every Friday even if no one else was there. So he brought muffins this morning, and we chatted, then read the Daily Text, Mark 4:22. That led to the Masterbuilders Bible with its questions, which led to discussion about family stuff. John is having issues with Mike, who won't listen to him. His grandpa started him in a pickleball league and it has been as many as three nights a week playing pickleball. “That’s too many.”

"John Jr. is home from college and I tell him to clean his gun from last fall. He doesn’t do it so I hide his shirt and tell him he can get it back when he cleans his gun. The gun still isn’t cleaned. Mike was told to feed the dog when he feeds his rabbit and he doesn’t do it."

We talked about honor and I turned to Exodus 20:12: “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.” If only our children would trust that this commandment is for flawed and broken parents as well as good ones. We need to emphasize the promise attached, I told John. We looked at Malachi and reviewed how our hearts need to be turned to our children or there will be a curse. John has tried to get his children to join him hunting and fishing. . .

We talked about the mustard seed size and marveled that the little thing can even germinate. Yet we are to plant the seed and trust that God does the growth. In our prayers we asked God to help us turn our hearts to our children and for our children to see the blessing in the commandment and for the seed to grow without our anger or manipulation to help it along. Apparently John's wife sided with John Jr. and told John to give back the shirt, but John prevailed. We also prayed that our wives would respect us and that we would love our wives.

I shared my own family struggles. And ours are good, strong, stable families! Lord have mercy.

You Never Know

On Oct. 18, my hairdresser's husband woke up with blood in his stool, and he's been bleeding ever since with colitis. The doctor has prescribed numerous medications, none of which has helped for long. It's all they think about or talk about, except when their three little children need attention (which, blessedly, is often). Now he's going to try fasting for a few days and then slowly reintroducing foods one at a time to see if he can get a handle on it without medications. A healthy man all his life, he has no template to handle the inconvenience of it all (he has been able to continue working), but more than that, the fear. What will be the outcome?

A shirttail relative is scheduled for surgery on Wednesday after about six weeks of battling some colon problem. He's been in and out of the hospital; for the last week he has had no food OR WATER, with no results. Says he, "I'd kill for a piece of pizza!" The doctor's best hope is for a temporary colostomy, I assume as opposed to a permanent one; what they will see when they open him up is unknown. Again, what will be the outcome?

On the other end of the surprise spectrum is one of our missionary couples. They have been trying to conceive for years, and she had a surgery to fix something in the fall. They decided to wait until March and then pursue adoption. They've known she was pregnant for a few weeks, and she was spotting and cramping so they were sure she was miscarrying - again. But at their recent appointment, the heartbeat was strong and the baby is perfectly healthy! Praise God! But once again, what will be the outcome?

You never know what will happen tomorrow to change your life, for better or worse. All we can do is walk with God today and trust Him for tomorrow, because He's the only one who knows.

Providential Miscommunication

Sometimes miscommunication works out for the best. On Thursday I played the organ for a funeral at Svea. A niece of the deceased, Kris, played a saxophone solo, beautifully, and remained on the praise platform for the rest of the service. The last hymn, "Precious Lord, Take My Hand," was in a different hymnal which had been handed out before the service. Kris didn't have the hymnal on the platform and wasn't singing the first verse. I tried to catch her eye and nod toward the correct hymnal sitting on a pew beside her, but she didn't get it. Finally I took advantage of a break in the music and actually pointed to the hymnal. Kris thought I pointed to her saxophone, so she picked it up and started playing along. Her beautiful tone and excellent improvisation provided a lovely addition to the hymn, and the congregation appreciated it. I didn't even tell her afterward that it had been a miscommunication - the Lord works in mysterious ways His wonders to perform!

Keeping the Faith

We are praying for unity with Michelle and Saul regarding whether they are being called by God to pursue a relationship leading to marriage. Pete feels strongly that the whole thing began wrongly and doesn't feel good about it continuing unless there are major signs of repentance. No one wants a wedding with hard feelings, or even uneasy feelings, and no one wants Michelle and Saul to abandon what they feel called to do unless they have faith that God is in the abandoning. Since we went to Puebla in August, we have been praying for unity - and we don't seem to be any closer. I get quite discouraged about the prospects, but then I remember what CS Lewis wrote about the devil's delight in getting us to give in to temptation just before he would have to quit tempting us. If we can keep the faith, I believe we will see the power of the Lord. Jesus said, "Father, may they be one as we are one, that the world may know You sent me." May we receive the gift of faith!