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Man Can Make His Plans

Jun20

So, we have all these great plans in place for our summer odyssey across the United States. The impetus is seeing my 94-year-old great aunt in California while we still can. Then my niece decided to get married in July in Washington state. So, while we’re in the area, we decided to head on up there for that great event. Then, since we were up there, we decided to head home via the northern route to see some friends we hadn’t seen in a really long time because they live in faraway states. We threw in some national parks (The Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Mt. Rushmore) and the San Diego Zoo, while we also “in the area.” (That’s one BIG area, I’m thinkin’.) David determined it was something like 8,000 miles. But Justin will be heading off to college in just a few years, so we figure this might be our last chance to take a family trip like this. It’s all about making memories.

It’s exciting. It’s exhausting. It’s fun. And we pray it all goes smoothly. (Look for my blog posts along the way.)

There’s a statement I’ve heard that always amuses me: Man makes his plans, and God laughs.

The Bible says it another way: “In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps” (Proverbs 16:9).

We leave in 12 days. I can hear God’s chuckle now.

Thankful today for:

384. a nice van

385. Berkeley being beyond the puppy stage

386. chick flicks with friends

387. prescription sunglasses

388. a cooler June so far

389. the grocery shopping being done

390. breakfast

391. coupons

392. rootbeer


Dear Dad

Jun17

My dad is no longer with us, but I thought I would write him a letter on Father’s Day. Ever since I had kids of my own, my Father’s Day focus has been on my kids’ dad rather than my own, and there’s just something not quite right about that. So even though he’s not here to read it, I wanted to tell him a few things.

Dear Dad,

I can imagine what it was like for you, having 3 kids in 4 years–and another one 7 years later. We pretty much had to be your focus. But I know that you loved to drive your Porsche, and you loved to fly, and you loved to sail, and you loved to take pictures. You were an ardent Cal football fan, and you transferred that love to your kids. I remember being at the Big Game, when the Stanford band ran out on the field before the final whistle and Cal had the ball and there were something like three or four laterals and finally a touchdown by the Bears! That was so exciting! I’m glad I got to be there with you for that one.

Remember when you took me camping with Paul and the Boy Scouts? Luckily we had our pop-up camper, and I didn’t have to sleep in a tent. I go camping with my family now. I bet it started with you.

The smell of pine trees still brings back memories of our Lake Tahoe vacations. Those were such great times with Grandma and Grandpa Allan. I loved that house we rented. Thanks for planning those, and our week on Balboa Island. That is still one of my very favorite places. And one of the best childhood memories I have is our trip to British Columbia. We’re hoping to give our kids great memories like that on our trip across the country this summer.

Remember when you told your friend that I was a good driver and he could trust me to go on a little drive in his Corvette? I appreciated your confidence in me. It was so fun to drive that hot car down Shepherd Canyon Road.

We had fun at the Warriors games you took me to several birthdays when I was in college. I’m not a big basketball fan, but the Warriors are still my favorite team. If they’d quit being perennial celler dwellers, I could get a little more fired up about them.

Remember going to A’s games? I stay up way too late even now watching them from the east coast. Let’s go, Oakland!

I’m pretty sure I got my love of writing from you. Of course, our styles are vastly different: you’re technical, I’m . . . not. But you read my articles in the magazine, and you told me what you thought. I hope you were proud of me.

I remember once when you told someone I was a good singer. That meant a lot.

I remember that you used to like to hunt. That’s something I didn’t get from you.

When I was preparing to buy my first car, I called you for advice. Your love of automobiles runs in my blood a little bit. You suggested I get something practical. I got a convertible instead.

When David called you to ask for my hand in marriage, you gave him advice about marriage. Yours lasted nearly 50 years, so I guess you knew something, right? By the way, thanks for giving him your permission.

I’m sorry that life’s pressures got to be so hard for you in your later years. Job challenges, health challenges. I don’t think you knew how to handle them very well. I wish I had talked to you more about the peace you could find in Jesus. I wish that heart attack hadn’t taken you so suddenly.

Well, I’ll wrap this up for now, but I just wanted to say thanks for being my dad. I have some good memories. I wish you were still here to make more.

See you in heaven.

Love,

Stephanie (aka Blondie)

Thankful today for:

375. my dad

376. my children’s dad

377. fresh paint on my living room walls

378. my kids being old enough to help with the painting

379. choices

380. breakfast

381. a nearby grocery store

382. new marriages

383. old marriages like mine

The Day It All Began

Jun12

We had talked about getting married, but when he actually “popped the question,” I was surprised. I thought we had decided to wait until fall. He didn’t want to leave me wondering while he spent almost two months in the Soviet Union.

I had never had a boyfriend before. At the ripe old age of 28, I was beginning to wonder if it would ever happen. Then I saw him.

It wasn’t love at first sight. He had a beard–I’m not fond of beards. But there was something about his eyes that drew me. He was working in the building next to mine. Soon after I first saw him, he moved in with two of my friends from college. And he shaved his beard. What was handy in the mountains of North Carolina was only irritating in the heat of So. Cal.

We became friends. But that’s all we were. Until it became more. One night after hours of talking, he said to me, “The more time I spend with you, the more I like you.” I’d never had anyone say that to me before. I allowed my heart to hope.

Another day, driving down the highway to pick up something from the office, he grabbed my hand and asked,”What would you think if I did this?” My answer: “I would say that you better not be doing that with any other girl.”

A week, a few weeks, a month (I really can’t remember how long) later, he said, “I don’t want to date anyone but you.”

I had already determined that in my mind long before. Now, it was official. Six months later, on June 12, 1990, he invited me to go up to Arrowhead Springs, the former international headquarters of Campus Crusade for Christ, for a small picnic before he left for the U.S.S.R.

As we sat on the lawn overlooking the smoggy city of San Bernardino, Calif., on a red-checked tablecloth with a book of poetry and a bottle of Martinelli’s sparkling cider, we decided to close our time with a prayer. In the middle of praying, he said, “Hold on a minute, God.” I thought he was getting choked up. Instead, he lifted my chin with his hand. I opened my eyes and looked into his. He had a small black box in his hand. He said something along the lines of, “Will you marry me?” I laughed and said something along the lines of, “Are you serious?” And quickly followed up with something along the lines of, “Yes!”

That was 22 years ago. And I would still say yes today. Even if I knew that everything would stay the same as it has been. It’s not like a do-over. He is God’s gift to me, and I am more than grateful.

Happy engagement anniversary, Hunny! Thanks for asking. 🙂

 

 

 

Thankful today for:

366. My husband

367. Happy memories

368. A sleepover nearly every night for the past 21+ years with my best friend

What Yard Work Taught Me About Sin

Jun4

If you don’t have borders, even good things can turn bad.

Sin is attractive sometimes. Knowing the roots and fruit are essential to telling the difference between the real beauty and the junk.

If you try to root out all the sin in one day, you’ll get discouraged and never want to tackle it again.

Sometimes you find sin in unexpected places, even in the middle of something that’s good.

Work with another person to control the sin in your life–it’s so much more fun.

It doesn’t work to just cover up sin, the roots are still there and eventually, the truth will come out.

Some roots go a lot deeper than you think, and sometimes you just need professional help.

Sin never, ever totally goes away. We are never free from it and it’s a constant battle to keep it at bay.

Life is messy and hard and it hurts, but it’s worth it for the beauty in the end.

 

 

 

Thankful today for:

345. Flowers

346. the first full day of summer break

347. photographs

 

Doing Things Well

May30

My son posted this status on his Facebook page today: ‎

” A normal person practices until he gets it right, a Ranger practices until he never gets it wrong.”
– Ranger’s Apprentice Series, John Flanagan

Something to think about, isn’t it?

Thankful today for:

327. the youth ministry at our church

328. Netflix

329. silly movies

330. the last day of school

331. games

332. fluffy white clouds