I’m ready for a normal week, whatever that is for us. With Bruce teaching in Sumter this summer and gone three days a week, and me working two nights a week in Lexington and going to Sumter to sleep one day in between it’s been busy enough. That’s our “normal” for this summer. But then we added in a week at the house in NC to redo the flooring while Bruce was off for the Fourth and that’s where it got crazy. I came back down to work Wednesday and Thursday nights and then returned to NC where we finally finished the floor Saturday night. Then it was hurry up and get things back together so we could come home to SC and get ready for a new week.

Whew! I really think having more than one home is overrated. I enjoy the vacation home aspect of the house in NC immensely and I LOVE that we are helping save the place Bruce grew up. I would never want to sell that house but it’s a lot of work. 🙂 Good hard work.

So, here we are, another new week and this one should be more “normal.” It’s no wonder we all feel rushed and pressured these days. I know my grandparents worked hard. Physically they worked much harder than we do. However, their schedule was very much set and their routine unchanging due to the seasons of ranch life. They didn’t take vacations. They didn’t have two places to take care of. One was enough. I can’t help but think that this hard work/stable lifestyle was better for them.

I am enjoying a bit of routine I’ve developed. Monday mornings I like to sit on my swing in my front yard and write. Working two nights a week prevents this from happening every morning, but it seems I can pretty consistently do this on Monday mornings. So, I think I’ve started my week off on a good foot. Next I get to go sleep all afternoon. No. . . don’t give me a hard time, I have to since I work tonight.

I’m glad that God doesn’t change. That is one part of the routine that is continuous. God is always there, always loving me, and He will never fail. Have a great week. If it’s a humdrum routine week ponder a bit on the beauty of the routine!

There’s nothing like the feeling of a project accomplished. We finished laying the tiles at the house in NC. Well, except for a few little spots in the hall around doors. We’ll have to do that when we aren’t too tired to think. I don’t really think we would feel quite the same sense of satisfaction if we had hired it done. I’ll include a picture here for you. I’ll try to get back to my regular blog schedule next week. 🙂

When I look at the new floor, I almost feel like I can hear the angels singing. It is so beautiful!

My Grandpa Jones used to say there was no shame in getting dirty as long as you got that way doing an honest day of hard work. He called it good, clean dirt. Yesterday Grandpa would have been proud! I was a filthy, dirty, sweaty mess after twelve hours of fighting with linoleum that had been put down forty years ago, more or less.

We decided it was time. The linoleum had long passed the “lifetime warranty” the salesman had touted and we hoped (my husband) and dreamed (me) that it would come up easily. No such luck. This morning we will be back at it with the manual scraper and the electrical mechanical power tile remover which if not very carefully managed will take up the plywood underlayment we don’t want to remove.

But the reward will be when the new linoleum tile we bought goes down and our little house in North Carolina takes on a proud new look. I can’t wait. I keep telling myself, “right feelings follow right actions” and I’m afraid the sore muscles are going to need more of that kind of talk today. Is it wrong to pray that linoleum will let loose of the plywood???

Too sore to type more! I’ll be back here Friday. 🙂 Have a great week.

This morning we started the holiday weekend right. We attended Harper Street bike parade in Newberry. It started about ten years ago when the residents of Harper Street decided to let their children ride their bikes, wagons, and carts down the street on the 4th of July. It has grown from there.

It was a delightful site, full of all of the things that make America what it is. Children riding bikes, pulled by their parents in wagons, even carried down the street as the mass of red, white, and blue surged towards us. No beautiful floats, just beautiful American children and their parents celebrating in a simple way their country. I loved it. I hope you find a simple way to celebrate this wonderful country we call home.

Happy Fourth of July and Happy Birthday to my niece Katie, our 4th of July kid!

In a few weeks the Jones Family will gather again in Broken Bow for the semi-annual reunion. One of my favorite memories of the past several reunions is watching Grandma and her sisters get together. In the weeks leading up to the reunion Grandma would ask me if I knew who was coming. She always was especially interested in which of her sisters could/would be there. It was always Grandma and two of her three sisters, sitting together and enjoying each others company. I began to understand more and more just how important it was for her to have HER generation there. Imagine, you are one of the oldest in your family, one of the handful of survivors. Wouldn’t you want them there too? The moments of greeting were often touching and sweet. I treasure those memories.

Two years ago there were only two. The two younger sisters both died within months of each other and we held our breath. You could see the pure joy, grief, and relief on Grandma and Eva’s faces when they embraced at the reunion. They were the two survivors of their generation.

When Grandma died last fall I wondered if Aunt Eva would be able to come to the reunion. We wanted her there but after all, she was not well, and it would be so hard without Grandma there.

We don’t have to worry anymore. Aunt Eva went to heaven this week and they are having their own reunion right now. I can guarantee Grandma isn’t in a wheelchair! We will miss them but I’m so thankful they aren’t suffering any more. What an awesome heritage we have been given. This generation, now gone was amazing and I for one will feel the hole they leave.

This weekend my husband and I celebrated our fifth anniversary. We took the weekend and went to Greenville and just enjoyed a restful time. We didn’t take in the cities night-life, eat at the high-end restaurants, or even attend any special events. We just were there. It was wonderful. Between naps we explored the city, walking up and down Main Street in 95 degree heat, and marveled at God’s creation at the Reedy Falls. Beautiful.

For our anniversary we found a small restaurant close to our hotel, the Pho Noodleville. It was Vietnamese Cuisine which was new to me. My husband wowed me again with his knowledge of all things food. . . well, actually with his knowledge of all things. Anyway, we enjoyed a wonderful meal in a charming ambiance. 

The night before we ate at Perkins, a sentimental favorite. Perkins, in Rapid City SD is where we first saw each other face to face. We shared a piece of peanut-butter silk pie. It is also where we had our rehearsal dinner and they served, you got it, peanut-butter silk pie. So, when Bruce suggested we go to Perkins on the fifth anniversary of our rehearsal dinner I was elated.  I knew I was going to get a piece of peanut-butter silk pie. You see, our marriage is best because of its simplicity. We enjoy the normal every day activities with occasional special moments thrown in. And we both love sentimental memory-making.

Some people might call our anniversary weekend boring. A couple middle-aged folks holed up in a hotel taking naps, doing a little work, reading, and taking the occasional drive around town. . .. Not me. I believe that’s what I would call a weekend to remember!

Besides learning how to make decisions and how to treat others my dad taught me how to serve God. My dad has served as the pastor of several small churches. He started three churches and has ministered to people in four different states. Many “preacher’s kids” have less than positive things to say about growing up in a pastor’s home. They say their dad was too strict, there was never any money, the ministry took him away from his family, and they were always being watched. Not me. It was a joy to grow up in a Pastor’s house. My dad loved the ministry. It was the life God gave him and he loved it. He still does. He enjoyed working with people, even the difficult ones. One day when I came home from work as a nurse and complained about a patient’s difficult family member my dad said, “Miriam, as long as you are working with people, there are always going to be a few strange ones in your life. Don’t let them ruin it for you.” He chose to love them but kept his focus on God and the task God had for him. He made being a pastor look like fun, serving God was an adventure, a privilege even. We were the blessed ones. He didn’t complain about the long hours, the financial difficulty, the uncertainty of the future, the pitiful retirement benefits. He knew that he was where God wanted him and that was all he needed to know. God would provide even if it meant Daddy worked a second job.  He empowered us to believe that we could be anything God wanted us to be. There are no limits when you are in the will of God. There is no greater satisfaction in life than to be what God wants you to be.

I learned what it means to have a servant’s heart. When I was a teenager, my dad had us clean the church each week. He explained the principle—if you are faithful in this menial job then God will bless you with a less menial job. Years later, when it was my week to clean the church, I asked dad about that. “Why am I still cleaning the church?” I asked, tongue in cheek. He looked at me, gave me that sly grin and said, “I didn’t say you wouldn’t still have to clean the church, I just said He would give you other jobs too.” Humph! He had me there. My dad has never been above doing whatever needs done, even if it’s cleaning toilets.

Another thing he taught me was how to plug along, even when you don’t see the results. A pastor has a tough job. There may be months, even years when the growth in the church is slow, stops, even goes backwards. Often progress is measured more in the lives that are changed, the growth in the hearts of people rather than in the numbers of people attending. From this I learned that quality is definitely more important than quantity. The bottom line is this, if you are in the will of God then all you are responsible to do is be faithful. God will take care of the results. This may be the most valuable lesson I ever learned from my dad, faithfulness.

Wow, you may say. Your dad must have spent a lot of time explaining and talking to you. He must be a very special person. I can’t be like that, I’m not that good. Of course, I think he is wonderful and the best Dad in the whole world. I know he spent time explaining these things to us. The truth is that most of the lessons I learned from my Dad I learned from watching him. You see, the lessons he taught most effectively were the ones he lived. When someone consistently demonstrates the truth, it’s a powerful thing; much more powerful than words.

I’ve heard that a girl gets her view of God from her father. For some of us that’s not a good thing. For others, like me it turns out to be a wonderful gift. My daddy has been the most influential person in my life. Without him I wouldn’t be. Without his love I wouldn’t fully understand the love of God. Without the discipline he meted out I wouldn’t know the security of limits or understand the importance of a disciplined life. Almost everything he taught me fits into one of three categories.

The first thing he taught me was decision making. To live a successful life we must determine right from wrong, the best from the not-so-good.  By example my dad taught me a simple rule of thumb. Every decision in life should be made based on the absolute principles found in God’s Word, the Bible. That may sound simplistic but it isn’t. Or maybe it is.

 “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” covers a lot of decisions about how to act toward others (more on that later). Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another. . . that gives the skinny on what to do if someone hurts you.  “…Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost?” That one covers all of the bad things we can do to our bodies. What about money decisions? It’s there. There are principles for marriage, for work ethics, for raising children, dealing with employees and employers, friends, enemies—it’s all there. Over and over my dad would point out what was wrong with a situation, why—using the Bible principle—and what would be a better approach. He didn’t focus on a list of do’s and don’ts, just Bible principles.   

Oh sure, there are definite do’s and don’ts in the Bible but often there are grey areas, things that aren’t so clearly spelled out. My dad taught us—from Bible principles, of course—a few questions you can ask yourself when in a quandary.  First, will it glorify God? If the answer is no, don’t do it. This is found in I Corinthians 10:31, “whether ye eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. . . Secondly, can I do this thing and still be a good example to others, or will I be a stumbling block? Paul addressed this in I Corinthians 8:9, 12. Maybe it’s not specifically banned in the Bible but someone will take offense. Or, they may follow your example, and it causes them harm.  The third area is more personal. Will it edify me, or build me up? Does this activity make me a better friend, daughter, wife, sister? Does it help me grow or will it drag me down? This is addressed in I Corinthians 10:23. So, armed with the specific Biblical principles and these three questions my dad sent me out into the world.

The second category of truths learned from my Dad’s life is how to treat other people. He knows what he believes, why he believes it, and he does his best to live it. This gives him a consistent walk which is demonstrated through the fruits of the spirit. If you think about it, most of those have something to do with how we relate to God and how we treat other people. Galations says, “the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. . .” That’s a pretty impressive list. My dad is a friend and encourager. He loves to help people who need a hand up. He believes that we should see the potential in everyone and let God tell them if they are in the wrong spot. He is also forgiving. I’ve watched him deal with people who hurt him and it is an awesome lesson in forgiveness and self-control. He just lets it go. And beyond that, when the hurtful person has something bad happen guess who’s the first on the scene. Yep, that’s my dad. He chooses to treat them with respect. He chooses not to say bad things about them. He rarely, if ever says something negative about someone. If he does, it’s worth paying attention to and is given as a warning rather than a condemnation. Through my dad’s daily example I have learned how to love the unlovable, how to be patient with others and myself, the meaning of true gentleness, the difference between meekness and weakness, and self-control.  The overriding Bible principle for this dealing with others is “do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” The actual verse says, “as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them, likewise.” That’s one principle my dad bases his life on. It’s a powerful one.

This morning I was reading Psalm 111. I love the Psalms and have many favorites but I am always amazed when one jumps out at me as if I had never read it before. I know I have read them all because many days my devotions come from the Psalms. Anyway, this mornings Psalm focused on the works of God. His works are everywhere for us to see: in nature, in people, in nations, in our circumstances, in history-and the list could go on and on. One point that jumped out at me is that “the works of his hands are verity and judgment” (truth and justice vs. 7). In a day where the works of so many are anything but true and just this stands out. It comforts. It gives confidence. They are also permanent (vs 8): “They stand fast for ever and ever, and are done in truth and uprightness.” Now there’s a truth you can hang your hat on!

This reminded me of the “works of God” testimonies that were encouraged at Northland Baptist Bible College. On Monday’s an opportunity was given in chapel to share what God had done in, for, or through you that week. It was always an exciting but humbling thing to hear how God provided or worked through different students. I had my own “work of God” moment this past weekend.

On Saturday my husband and I ventured over to Sumter for the South Carolina Homeschool Convention. I considered getting a booth at the convention to sell my book, since home schoolers are one of my main market groups. The cost seemed prohibitive since I only have the one book to sell. I decided to wait until I have several in the series, then I’d rent a spot. But, not wanting to miss the opportunity to get my name out there, and realizing it was a great opportunity for networking, we went. As we drove to the convention center I prayed, asking God to direct who we talked to. I wasn’t sure if I would give a couple of business cards to vendors and leave, or what to expect.  At the registration table I started talking about my book and the reasons I was there. The ladies told me that there was a book signing opportunity just outside the entrance from noon to two p.m. All I had to do was show up! WOW! So, we pulled the ever-present box of books out of the van, removed the magnetic sign from the side of the van to use as decoration on our table, taped flyers around the table and set up shop. I sold two books, but was able to pass out a lot of business cards and post cards. I made some contacts I hope will lead to classes with home school groups, public, and private schools. I believe I’ve found another store that will stock my book. All in all, it was a positive experience and I couldn’t help thanking the Lord for the answer to my prayer.

So today, are you watching for the works of God in your life? Don’t let life keep you from noticing. They are all around you.

This is a piece I wrote for the Black Hills Writers Group “topic of the month” several years ago. I think you will understand why I posted it the night before Father’s Day once you’ve read it. Thank you, Daddy for your principle-based life. 

When I was growing up, my dad had a low-key approach to teaching life lessons. He was not a preachy type, amazing for a preacher. Of course, he is more of a Bible teacher than a preacher anyway. However, the important things he taught in little life moments. Instead of reading us the list of rules, he waited for a “teachable moment,” then taught the Biblical principle. 

For instance, I do not remember any one conversation on all the rules of proper language usage. He didn’t give us a list of words not to say and quiz us later. He didn’t even freak out if we said one. “YOU CAN’T SAY THAT, THAT’S A SWEAR WORD. DON’T YOU KNOW THAT’S A SIN.” Instead, if someone around us used one, he would calmly point out what the word meant, why we never should say it, or why it should only be said in its appropriate context. Therefore, without ever having the “Word’s not to say lecture,” I learned the truth of the lesson. 

I still categorize words, based on this approach. There are two basic categories. First, there are the obvious words that you should never say. They are crude, rude, and unacceptable. Usually these words have to do with bodily functions. 

Secondly, there is the “Inappropriate Use of Words” category. This category has two sub-categories. The first is the “Good Words Used Wrongly” category. This includes the names for God. I had no trouble understanding the problem here; after all, it is one of the Ten Commandments. “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord, thy God in vain.” I cannot say “Oh God,” unless I really mean “Oh God!” I cannot say “Jesus Christ” in frustration; he died to pay my sin debt. Why would I use his name lightly, or disrespectfully. A side category of these are euphemisms. As my dad explained it, these are words that people use instead of names for God (or other words they want to say but know they shouldn’t use that way.) Examples are Gosh, Gee, Golly, Heck, and Darn. 

“God isn’t fooled,” he would say, “by us trying to white wash what we say.” He even looked them up in the dictionary for us once. (gee interj [euphemism for Jesus] – used to express surprise or enthusiasm. Webster’s New Students Dictionary. 

Then there were other words. I like to call them the “Not So Good Words, Used Wrongly.” There were two in particular that my dad explained this way. “Before you say them, make sure you know what they mean. When you say, ‘God Damn it’” he said, “you better think about what you are saying. Do you really want God to damn that thing or person? Do you understand what it means for God to damn something? Do you really want him to send that thing or person to Hell?” This led to the second word in this particular teaching moment, “hell“. Why can’t you say, “What the hell?” Or, when frustrated, “Oh, Hell.” 

“Hell,” my dad would say, “is a place. It is real. And it is terrible. Hell is the reason Jesus came as a baby (Christmas!) and lived among us, died on the cross, and then rose again. (Easter.) Hell is not something to trivialize.” 

I never heard my dad use these words inappropriately either, I guess that’s what makes a real teachable moment. When the teacher lives what he says, it’s easy to believe. 

So, when the topic, “What the hell is that” was announced, my initial response was, “well, I guess I won’t be writing to THAT topic.” Then someone reminded me that Hell isn’t primarily a swear word, it’s a destination. In light of how I have learned to deal with these words, I am choosing to use it appropriately. Using words straight from the Word of God, I have written a poem, answering the question, “What the Hell is that?” 

Dark painful lonely, never set free.