Lists, Lists and More Lists
I'm a list-maker. To do lists. Lists of things to send for a lactation course. Lists of things to pack. Lists of books that I have read (numbered, of course and different colors for the genre). Tim's list of things that have to be done before he leaves. Grocery lists. We used to have a list of things we wanted to do to the house. Most of that list is complete, but the money has run out, so I've torn it up. Lists of restaurants that we'd like to try -- well, that is, a list of restaurants we'd like to try that have a discount coupon in our Entertainment book. A list of projects for Lactation Education Consultants.
For the first time in recent memory everything is done on the daily to do list.
But the project list is legion. Waaay too much to do. It boggles the mind, it does.
I suppose I COULD clean my desk. But I didn't put it on the to do list.
I could read my journals.
Ditto.
I could take a nap.
Did that already. It's off the list.
I know -- I'll add "Blog" to the list -- and then I can cross it off.
And then I'll take a half hour and read my book.
Splendid idea!!
Family -- we've got FAMILY!!
Once upon a time, more years ago than any of cares to count, my grandparents had four children -- Jill, Archer, Clare and Victor (known to us all as "Uncle Dee Dee" which means Little Brother in Mandarin Chinese). The family has grown to 13 grandchildren, 29 great grandchildren and I think 3 great-great grandchildren.
The four children were born and raised in China -- Lao Lao (which means "old old" in Chinese -- and is the name of the mother's mother) and Granddaddy having been missionaries there from 1913 to 1949 (and then another 10 years in Korea). Of the four, three became missionaries for varying lengths of time -- Jill & Fred to China and then on to Australia, England and Ireland. Archer and Jane established Jesus Abbey in S. Korea, Clare & Glen were in Japan for many years.
The grandchildren too, have settled in far flung places -- Illinois, Michigan, Mississippi, Berlin Germany; Pennsylvania, Tokyo Japan, Missouri and Florida. Only one of the 13 grandchildren is a missionary, though several are in the ministry. Only one (so far) of the great grands is a missionary -- though it's early yet.
Today I was seeing a new mom in the hospital -- her sister was with her (three years ago she was another of my new moms) -- and I realized how envious I was of families that live close together. My siblings are in Mississippi, Germany and Michigan. When my babies were born, my mother was in Pennsylvania. Does this new mom realize how amazing it is that her family is HERE? With her?
But THIS weekend -- we had FAMILY! My cousin Dave (youngest son of Dee Dee) who is, I think, 3rd youngest of the grands (my sister Lyn and my cousin Bunny coming after him), was at Great Lakes Naval Station for his son Andy's graduation from boot camp -- or is that boat camp? Dave, wife Katie, his three kids -- Jeanne (who was a dead ringer for my Jill at age 2), Andy (who rivals my Tim in height), and Sarah (who has just about the cutest dimple I've seen) and Andy's friend Jacob, joined us at Weber Grill for dinner on Saturday night. We had a MARVELOUS time!! Not to mention the best server in the entire state of IL -- maybe the entire country! :>D
A point to be made here -- pictures add at least 20 pounds to one's frame.
Quite possibly the largest Weber Grill you have ever seen:
Well, if that wasn't enough, on Sunday, Cousin Slade Jr., a junior at Wheaton College came to see the family homestead (fondly known to the Torrey family as "618") and stayed to have Sunday dinner with us.
A parenthesis here: I cook "Sunday Dinner" maybe three times a year. One down, two to go.
Slade Jr. hails from the Clare branch of the family. It was WONDERFUL having him here. Slade (my cousin, his father) can't possibly know how much fun it is to have a Wheaton College kid in the fam, since although Aunt Clare & Uncle Glen both graduated from Wheaton (AND -- got married at our church AND -- had their wedding reception here) neither Slade nor his wife Peggy went to Wheaton.
I forgot to take pictures. Thirty lashes with slightly more than a wet noodle.
Sigh.
Then I got an e-mail from Lyn (sister in Germany). They had entertained my cousin Bunny's (Archer's branch) fiance, Nathan this weekend for dinner.
OK, what are the odds that our branch of the family would end up seeing at least one member of each of the other branches of the family -- especially one in Germany -- all in the same weekend?
Go figure.
But OH -- family is SO wonderful.
I hope all that marry into it realize how amazing we all are.... BIG GRIN HERE!!
The Luck of the Irish....
| Your Irish Name Is... |
Lorna Lynch |
Now mind you, I realize I'm a bit past St. Patrick's Day, but I'm posting this in honor of my Irish SIL (hi Chris!) and my grandbaby who is Indian/German/English, but who, when dedicated at church, it was duely announced from the pulpit that his name, Deven, was from the Irish, meaning poet.
It's actually short for Devendra, which is Indian, meaning "Gift to God."
Musings of a Missionary Mom
It's completely official. Tim has been accepted as a College Church missionary to North Africa. WOW. He wants to leave in just over two months. We are in the throes of raising support -- and this is just the first step of really totally and completely learning to trust God for his needs. So the question becomes, will he have 100% of his support raised and enough in one-time gifts to be able to start language school in France on June 4?
This morning, when I realized his dream of departure date being just 2 months away, it made me teary. If it comes to fruition, when will we see him again?
When we realized (after his Vision Trip last October/November) where his heart was leaning, I had a discussion with God. I was NOT interested in him going where he wanted to go. Couldn't God change his mind? Couldn't God want him to go to somewhere that was -- oh -- more like home? At least with running water, showers, and a Caribou Coffee nearby? And I told God -- "Hey, this is where you want Tim to go, then YOU will have to change my heart." It was said defiantly...challenging...in a "you better do it, 'cuz I'm not going to try to change...." sort of way.
And God did.
I don't know when it happened, but one day I sat back and realized that I was not only OK with where Tim was headed -- but actually EXCITED!
Am I apprehensive? Yes. Does it make me nervous? Yes. Will I worry? Oh my goodness -- worry is in the Job Description of a Mother. Of course.
But we have an awesome God who can protect Tim in North Africa just as well as he can protect Tim when he's in the good old "safe" U.S of A. And if this God can melt and change my stubborn heart...I know I can trust Him...
..and for that support. He's 45% there.
I've posted this picture before, but I have it pasted to my bookcase because it says volumes to me. My "baby" Tim, confidently striding down the street to kindergarten. Fast forward 17 years and this is a 6'4" Tim, still my "baby" but confidently striding toward all that God has for him to do.
March....
Somewhere the calendar said it was March. All I know is that it is COLD, we are still having SNOW, and it is supposed to go down to 8 degrees tonight.
OK, Jilly, I know you are laughing all the way to the beach. Stop it!
The days are getting longer, there is more sun which is really nice, but it is still COLD.
Rob, that will be just about enough from you as well!!
My southren' kin just don't have a clue as to what we all up here in the Nawth are talkin' about with this cold.
Humph.
