Week of Fun

Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. Philippians 1:3 (NLT)


Early morning hugs, golf cart rides to see the "jackbunnies" and javelina, craft day with Miss Jan, back flips into the pool, peanut butter cookie baking lesson, making bead bracelets, delivering neighborhood newspapers, reading the next chapter of Ramona's kindergarten adventure with everyone in jammies on the bed. Yes, it was a full and busy week…but so much fun for all of us. My prayer is that these memories will last for a lifetime in the hearts and minds of my grandgirlies. I'm not sure when we will do this again but all of us look forward to another visit. I knew all had gone well when they announced they didn't want to go home.

My grandparents were so important to me. My mother and I even lived with them for a year when my dad was overseas during the war. As a young girl, I knew that I could count on their unconditional love and acceptance. And my heart still aches for the nana who was taken to heaven, much too soon for her 10-year-old granddaughter. I missed her sharing in the milestones of my life. Now it is my turn and I love being a grandmother. The best part is that you get to love and love and love without all the responsibilities. Yes, thank you, God, for my sweet girlies. They make me smile.

Truce

Grandchildren are the crown of the aged. Proverbs 17:6 (ESV)

The landscape is dotted with high drama consisting of tears, scowls, tattling, territorial rights, negotiations, and compromise. Do you think I am describing the situation in Israel? No, pretend you are a fly on the wall at our house this week and watch three sisters, our grandgirlies, in action. This is the first time we have had them without their parents for any length of time. We are having a great time but it is amazing how the bantering and interaction can escalate to full-on crisis mode at any moment. We are a bit tired after a few days and it is not so much the constant activity that is wearing us out but the relentless mental alertness required. I have a much better understanding of my daughter's daily interaction with these girls and the frustration with each one for very different reasons. It is easy, as a Nana, to referee from the sidelines and have all the answers but living in the situation is quite a different story. Parenting is one of the best refiners as we age which, hopefully, results in wisdom. It requires all you have to love, discipline, encourage, motivate, and praise those children placed in your care for 18 years. The task, is even greater as a Christian parent because you want them to develop a personal relationship with Jesus and learn His teachings. Our little girls are growing up to be wonderful young ladies. Their bedtime prayers are precious and the moments when they play as if these are all each other's very best friends are priceless. They enjoy each other and are fiercely loyal. Squabbles end at the water's shore. Maybe I should send them to Jerusalem for a day or two to show them how to do it.

Life Instructions

No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good,
and this is what he requires of you:
to do what is right, to love mercy,
and to walk humbly with your God.
Micah 6:8 (NLT)

Do you ever notice that sometimes things don't turn out exactly like you think they will? Mark headed off to Memphis to spend some time with his mother after she took a fall and injured her knee. Since she is 91, she doesn't bounce any more and found herself in rehab for a few weeks. However, a trip that we thought was going to be five days stretched into two weeks once he arrived and assessed the situation. After looking over my empty calendar, I decided to have a girlfriends lunch. I enjoy entertaining and it would give me purpose in this quiet week. My table seats six but I couldn't seem to fill it. Either people were away or plans already made and I was one person short. After a couple of tries, I decided that God just wanted me to have five.

Over a simple salad and bread, it didn't take long for a lively conversation to begin even though these ladies did not all know each other. Love began to flow freely from one to another as the life stories unfolded. One is a relatively new widow, one has a husband with multiple injuries after an accident, one is raising her granddaughter, one is a pastor's wife. Each of us has experienced the ups and downs of life but now in the fourth quarter, we see the footprints of God in our lives and know the best is yet to come.

So many times, I have asked God what he wants me to do and the verse in Micah answers the question. This week, it was to have a luncheon. I rotate tag lines after my signature in emails and right now, I am using:

Live simply, love generously,
care deeply, speak kindly,
and leave the rest to God.

Sounds like the modern day version of Micah to me. What better way to sum up our daily walk with Him. Have a good one!

Sunshade

The Lord himself watches over you!

The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade.

Psalm 121:5 (NLT)

It is HOT! This shouldn't surprise me since I live in the desert, yet each summer I have to get back into a "hot weather" routine. It is imperative to put up an interior sunshade on the windshield if you have any hope of touching the steering wheel or sitting on the seat. After suffering the consequences of forgetting a couple of times, I now reach for the shades before I turn off the engine. It makes a huge difference. What an encouragement to know that my God is there to protect me when life gets hot. This past weekend, I was drooping with the weight of the cares of my family—frustrated, fearful, and disappointed. I really wanted to fix it or at least make it go away. But I couldn't do a thing. Today, our verse reminded me that I have the promise of God's watchful care over me and those I love. He knows what is best for each of us. So, whether it is scorching heat or thunder and lightning, let's wait it out under the umbrella of His love and power and see the great things He will do.

King?

You thrill me, LORD, with all you have done for me!

I sing for joy because of what you have done.

O Lord, what great works you do!

And how deep are your thoughts.

Psalm 92:4-5 (NLT)

In a few minutes, Michael Jackson's memorial service will begin. As I was reading this portion of scripture this morning, I couldn't help but compare the words of the Psalmist as written about the LORD, our King and Creator, and what I know will be portrayed on stage for a man dubbed the King of Pop. Many will sing and speak praises about this man who spent his life entertaining people. The crowd will thrill as his life in pictures and music thunders through the Staples Center. Yet, Michael was a tortured man who spent his days under a cloud of mystery and despair. I feel sorry for his children. Having a parent suddenly taken is never easy and these three face a future of uncertainty and curiosity by the public. We live in an age of idols and icons. But is this the kind of person I want my grandgirlies to emulate? No, I want them to worship the King of kings and the Lord of lords and thrill in His presence.

In God We Trust

Only by your power can we push back our enemies; only in your name can we trample our foes. I do not trust in my bow: I do not count on my sword to save me. You are the one who gives us victory over our enemies; you disgrace those who hate us. O God, we give glory to you all day long and constantly praise your name. Psalm 44:5-8 (NLT)

The 4th of July weekend started off with a bang. Normally a quiet news time, the reporters and pundits had their weekend unravel with Sarah Palin's retirement announcement. Today, the North Koreans fired seven missiles with an upraised fist, threatening our safety and security. Adoring fans tie up the Internet in hopes of getting a seat at Michael Jackson's funeral and the city of Los Angeles prepares for the worst. Can't we just have a normal, family, fun-filled 4th of July?

Today our world is both smaller and less safe and we can no longer expect life to be "normal." I have read with interest about the nations of Judah and Israel who discovered that regardless of the number of men, horses, chariots, spears or swords, it was impossible to defeat all of their enemies. They thought they had the best tactics and minds to put together a great offense but they failed. As the Psalmist writes, the kings and generals finally understood—God gave the victory. Change will come when we replace arrogance with humility. It's time for us to humbly bow before our Maker and acknowledge His hand in the life of our Nation.

So Much

Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. 1 John 3:18 (NLT)

It was not the first time but this time it made me stop and think when Mark said, "I love you but I don't think you understand how much." My immediate response was, "I love you, too," but in the back of my mind, I wondered about his follow-up comment. Why didn't I understand? How does love express itself? One of the things I learned as I read The Five Love Languages is each person speaks and hears love differently and it is vital to learn the love language of your spouse if your efforts are going to mean anything. It might be a card with words of affirmation and affection. Or maybe it is getting the Honey-Do list done. Try catching the hand of your honey as you walk down the street or bringing home a small bouquet of flowers. And for some, just sitting down and giving uninterrupted attention and conversation makes the heart of your mate sing. It takes work to make this happen because we naturally speak to our spouse with our personal love language. The problem occurs when our expressions of love fall flat and he doesn’t get it. He missed all the effort I made and sometimes, even criticizes it. What good is that? In his book, Gary Chapman encourages each person to discover his particular way of expressing love and then talk about it together. If I know that Mark needs to hear "good job" or snagging him and planting a big kiss as he walks through the kitchen then I need to be careful to do it. Bringing home several bags from Nordstrom for him is just not going to make it. So, pay attention. Does your honey understand how much you love them? Are you speaking their love language? One more question. Do you have any concept of how much God loves you? He doesn't go half way. In fact, He gave up His son, willingly, for each of us so that we could know Him and be part of His family. And because He made us and knows how we think, He always speaks our love language. How do we show love back to Him? Spend time with Him…worship Him…obey Him…listen to Him…enjoy His presence…tell Him. "Jesus loves me, this I know."

Sea of Men

Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. 1 Peter 3:8-9 (NIV)

I really like our new church. Each season highlights some of its traditions. Over the years I have seen roses passed out to the women on Mother's Day or the mother with the most children honored but our pastor had all the men stand and applaud the women present. His words of encouragement and this visible act of appreciation warmed all the hearts of the women in attendance. Last Sunday, he announced that Father's Day has a different tradition, one started when the church began fifteen years ago. He invited all men – dads, granddads, husbands, men, and boys to the front of the church to kneel down with him in prayer. As the leaders of the home, he wanted to ask for God's guidance and blessing for these men. Pastor got down on his knees behind the pulpit and as he prayed, I'm sure the spirit of God filled that room with glory and hallelujahs. Nothing pleases Him more than to see men bowed before Him, seeking Him, loving Him, desiring to do His will. Tears filled my eyes as I looked over that sea of men kneeling before God, thankful for the roles they play in their families. I heard some knees cracking as they stood to return to their seats but there was also a warmth and camaraderie. Sometimes it is a lonely job but these men knew that God had met them on a Sunday morning in June.

What's for dinner?

Don't worry and ask yourselves, "Will we have anything to eat? Will we have anything to drink? Will we have any clothes to wear?" Only people who don't know God are always worrying about such things. Your Father in heaven knows that you need all of these. But more than anything else, put God's work first and do what he wants. Then the other things will be yours as well. Matthew 6:31-33 (CEV)

Dairy-free, wheat/gluten-free, egg-free, nut-free, seed-free. The words just rolled off the tongue of the nutritionist last week. I felt hit by a tidal wave as I listened to her explain Mark's new elimination/rotation diet for the next six months. I have a degree in home ec so this shouldn't be a big deal but the ramifications of these dietary restrictions seemed overwhelming to both of us. Retirement means many things but menu planning and cooking are not high on my list. Going out to dinner is much more fun. It seems that just when life begins to get comfortable, God initiates a change of plans. Over the past months, I keep learning that He wants me to depend on Him for each detail of my life—even down to what we are going to eat each day. It is amazing the food options that are now available for those with food sensitivities. I can only imagine how difficult this would have been a few years ago. We are learning options, reading labels, making mistakes but trudging along this new path. Mark is trying new things—some tasty and some not. Good thing he was not a picky eater before all this began. We even have restaurant options. He knows that ultimately, he will feel much better and with this hope, we keep going. God's plan for us is much the same. He challenges us with new opportunities to grow and trust Him. Sometimes we try to go our own way ending up with a stumble and fall. Other times, the communion with Him is sweet as we walk in the light and He warms our hearts with His love. Whether it is three steps forward and two back, we have the assurance that each step brings us closer to Home. I will update you on occasion about this new chapter at the Blumbergs. Eat hearty!

Meaningless

The last and final word is this: Fear God. Do what he tells you. Ecclesiastes 12:13 (The Message)

The pomp and circumstance of a Harvard graduation is awesome. It was great to watch Mark's son, Alan, graduate with his Master's degree and complete the journey that he undertook two years ago. Walking around the historic Harvard Yard brought me back to stories that my dad would tell of a semester he spent at Harvard back in 1945 as part of his Navy training. I don't think it has changed much physically in those intervening years but it is now coed, led for the first time by a woman president, and will soon have a greater percentage of women to men. Big changes for an all male school that began in 1636 and only became coed 1999. I have been reading Ecclesiastes, written by Solomon, the wisest man that ever lived. He spent twelve chapters recounting his life experiences often stating it had all been meaningless. I wondered at his comments since he had it all. Why was it meaningless? As I thought about his view on life, it reminded me of all the young people that had just passed their hardest test and were ready to take on the world. There was a celebratory feeling permeating the campus. You could see it in the smiles of the parents and the joy of the graduates. But, at some point, would they look back and wonder if it had all been worth it? Solomon sums it up: Fear God and do what he tells you. The choices we make for our career, family, hobbies, or personal growth are meaningless if we don't consider God's purpose for our lives. His final admonition is worthy of great consideration.