GOOD DAY!

HAPPY 67th ANNIVERSARY

MOM and DAD!

As I sit on the deck watching the brilliant Arizona sun rise over the majestic Superstition Mountain, I am overflowing with thanksgiving. My list of blessings count beyond my deserving. To list a few: my wonderful parents who brought me into this world, nurtured and cared for me, and taught me so much about life and how to live it well. I've mentioned before that I was born and raised on a farm in Adrian, ND. From the first breath of each of our (mine and my 4 siblings) lives, Mom and Dad have given their all for us. They worked hard plowing the land, cooking three seven course meals each day, raising crops, cleaning, building and remodeling, washing (with a ringer washer) and hanging clothes on the line to dry, feeding pigs and cattle, and later horses-and as they did all of this and more, they managed to nurture their own relationship with just enough sustenance and love to glue them together for sixty-seven long years. That's a LIFETIME for some! Sometimes it's hard to fathom two people living together that many years. But, not for us-our parents. Through the years, we've witnessed much affection and love between them. They both lived through the "Dirty-Thirties", and have always had strong, hard-working ethics. Thankfully, they passed that on to all five of us. I have (not so fond) memories of both giving us the list of "chores" for the day: whether it was 'dust the family room' or 'dig summer fallow', we all knew when the job order was given, it had better get done well, and in a timely fashion. We grew up learning how to work hard, but we also played hard. Our imaginations ran wild as we dreamed of being Peggy Fleming skating on the James River in sub-zero temperatures (after my Dad had scraped all the snow off with the tractor), and soaked up the warmth from the bonfire and endless amounts of hot chocolate and yummy treats that Mother had made. We enjoyed many hours of creating our own castles and 'Bonanza' ranches in the dead-fall trees out in the cow pasture near the bayou. Mom was an entertainment connoisseur, and we were known for the "most fun parties with no booze"! Not a Sunday morning passed that our family of seven didn't fill the third pew back on the left side of our little Lutheran church. Actually there were six of us, as Mom played the organ for 50+ years. That left Dad to monitor the clan-and that he did! We ALL remember his infamous "Knee Squeeze" that we painstakingly endured if we "got out of line". And, no, it wasn't abuse-it was a not so subtle reminder that church was a place of reverence and respect to the Lord. 

The selfless sharing of their love and wisdom has continued to envelope us throughout our lives as we have all grown to "mature" adults. Whether it be helping us out financially or simply listening and offering experienced advice, Mom and Dad have always been there for us. We are very blessed to have them with us today as they celebrate this amazing milestone together. We are very thankful.

One of the most valuable lessons I learned from my parents and growing up on the farm was my deep appreciation and value of the land, animals, and nature. I recently received an excerpt from (yes another) book that I can't wait to add to my pile of seven! The title is: Adventuring Through the Life of Christ  Here is the excerpt:

If we are children of God, we have a tremendous treasure in nature and will realize that it is holy and sacred. We will see God reaching out to us in every wind that blows, every sunrise and sunset, every cloud in the sky, every flower that blooms, and every leaf that fades, if we will only begin to use our blinded thinking to visualize it.

I grew up with many wonderful lessons in life; one of which was engrained the deepest;  my love and appreciation of nature. The very first lesson I had was probably when I was just a tot, and my Daddy plucked Spring's first flowers, crocuses, and brought a bouquet of them to my Mom. When he handed them to her with a sweet smile and a kiss, I knew instantly how precious our Earth is and the beauty and love that abounds from it. My spiritual growth was not only fertilized every Sunday morning in church, but throughout the week as I wandered around thousands of plants, animals, and other various creatures on our farm. These treasures in nature filled me with a belonging and an affirmation that I truly was/am a child of God. Again, I can only say, I am thankful. 

One of my all time favorite verses from the Bible covers this special day and the upcoming Valentine's Day perfectly:

"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is LOVE."          

                                               1 Corinthians 13:13

VALENTINE'S DAY-KNEE/D-DAY COUNTDOWN………..4 Days!!!