Vacation Bible School

VBS every evening this week...been kinda crazy. Working 8-5 every day, then rushing to church to be a Family Leader for 9 little kids. Why did I volunteer? Because it was at VBS that I, as a 6 year-old, heard the story of "Barney's Barrel" and made my first commitment to follow Jesus.
Favorite moments at VBS? Watching 140 kids wildly praising God with body, soul and spirit.

Things that make me happy in my home

My dad frequently said, "Don't love anything that can't love you back." So I try not to do that. But there are some "things" in my home that I really like, for a variety of reasons: it reminds me of someone I care about, a place I like, a serendipitous find, a good memory.

I feel quite happy in my "red room." The geranium picture was the inspiration for the whole room.

The rocking love seat came from Vintage Charm, Marcee and Tana's delightful store in downtown Mesa. Doug surprised me with it one Christmas.

My sister Peggy made the red-checked pillow.

I found this chair for $5 in downtown Mesa one day. It had a chip and was in rough shape. But a woodworker from church repaired the chip and with a coat of red paint it fit right in.

Angie made the candle holder in school.

These pictures came from the Schoolhouse Store in Apgar, in Glacier National Park. Indian Paintbrush.

And this funky collection just makes me smile.

Redwing pottery makes me think of my grandma and garage sales. The small jug was my Grandma Johnson's. The largest jug was in Dad Davidson's house on Island Lake, and the third one was a garage sale find in Deerfield, Illinois during seminary days.

Doug made the wooden Love Plaque for me the summer of 1975, when I was working at Bluewater Covenant Bible Camp.

Trisha created this container in high school. Love the lizard.

SIL Pete took these flower pictures in Glacier and I found this great frame at Hobby Lobby for $15.

Gotta have some loons. One came from the Rexall Drug Store in Warren, MN and Dad Davidson made the one in back.

This lamp is one of my favorite things. The wood base was at a friend's shop in Montana in the 1970s. When they offered it to us, we tried not to sound too eager. It was a tree root and it has lit our homes in Montana, Illinois, Oregon, Minnesota, and Arizona.

This picture hung in the bathroom on the farm.

This oak table was set to be "junked," when Doug and Dad set to work on it in 1984.  They sanded and sanded and sanded and then finished it and it is a reminder that underneath a rough exterior there may be something of beauty.

And in the bathroom, a good reminder.

But, to be honest, this is what makes me happiest in my home....

Passion

People with passion for a cause or a need or a place or a person inspire me. Perhaps because I feel very dispassionate about too many things.

I have a friend who is passionate about Mexico. When she crosses our southern border to serve those less advantaged than she is, she says she gets the same feeling inside that she gets when she goes to Disneyland.
Doug is passionate about sharing Christ. That gets his juices flowing like little else.
Rob is passionate about mentoring and teaching leaders.
Steve and Loraine are passionate about their ministry in Mexico, Spain, and North Africa.


What am I passionate about? I'm thinking.
I am passionate about being organized, personal finance, and Glacier, but, really, those things seem just a wee bit shallow.
I want to have a pure and holy passion for God and people but I think I need a stirring for that to be truer than it really is.

Rude Awakening on my Birthday

So I had a birthday recently and the Rude Awakening I had made me think about my personal aging. I had been thinking for several months that I was going to have a birthday with a 5 on the end of it. Was kinda mentally psyching myself up for that. But my Rude Awakening occurred when we were out for Sunday lunch a few days before the Birthday In Question. Friend Ricky asked me how old I was going to be. (Stop for a second; he needs a few tips from Miss Manners, don't you think?) I replied that I was born the same year as his wife as his wife, to which he replied, "Well, then you're going to be _6." I nearly fell off my green bench and choked on my lemonade when I realized he was right. OK, so the sticker shock of being _5 was immediately gone, replaced with the thought that I had already passed that milepost and could coast through the upcoming birthday without any damage to my psyche.

So, just a few thoughts on Aging:
1) I am loving this time of my life - so many fewer worries than when I was in my 20s and 30 (or 40s)s.
2) There are no guarantees about this day or any future days.
3) People can remain beautiful in many ways as they Age.
4) God promises to be with me as I Age.
5) I am the only one who controls my thoughts about Aging (or anything, for that matter.)