Memorial Day

“Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service. There are many stories as to its actual beginnings, with over two dozen cities and towns laying claim to being the birthplace of Memorial Day. … It is more likely that it had many separate beginnings; each of those towns and every planned or spontaneous gathering of people to honor the war dead in the 1860's tapped into the general human need to honor our dead, each contributed honorably to the growing movement that culminated in Gen Logan giving his official proclamation in 1868. It is not important who was the very first, what is important is that Memorial Day was established. Memorial Day is not about division. It is about reconciliation; it is about coming together to honor those who gave their all.” (Text) (Photo)

To honor those who gave their all. We live in a country that is free because of ALL the men and women through the centuries who have fought and died. Who gave their all.

“Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13NIV) If a friend would have no greater love than to die for me, how much more love is it for a stranger to die for me. For our country. For our freedom.

People you don’t know and will never meet have died for you and are dying today for you to remain free. The love. The sacrifice. When I think on this, I am in awe.

“In 1915, inspired by the poem "In Flanders Fields," Moina Michael replied with her own poem:

We cherish too, the Poppy red
That grows on fields where valor led,
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies.”

(Text)

Just remember, freedom is never free. Someone, somewhere has paid for your freedom. And that blood of heroes never dies.
(Photo)

Snym is back!

Snym is a beautiful white Siamese. Please don't ask what his name means. My son named him. Snym doesn't really mean anything. It just is.

Snym is my son's cat, and he is moving back for a while so his cat is coming too. Snym has arrived a couple of weeks ahead of my son. Three of our cats and our dog are adjusting just fine even after one night, a few hissy fits here and there, but nothing serious.

My cat on the other hand will have the longest adjustment period. She is a people cat (madly in love with my husband) and only tolerates the other pets. When snym comes around, she sounds just like a cougar. Seriously! I didn't know a little domesticated house cat could make those large wild cat sounds. Given time she will quit freaking out.

Now I can't wait for my son to get here.

For Me

I’m studying Hebrews in my Bible study.

In Hebrews 2 it talks about Jesus as man. Whenever people would teach on or talk about Jesus as man, they would say something along the lines of “because Jesus was a man as well as God and suffered and was tempted, He can understand me and my troubles.”

And it hit me.

God did not need to come down to earth and be a man to understand my troubles and trials. He already understood all too well and came down to show me how much He understands. He knew that humans needed to see Him as a man so our little brains could comprehend that He does identify with us.

Don’t think I am saying if we understood, He wouldn’t have come down as man. For it says in Hebrews 2:14b-15 “For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying.”

He had to become human to save us but not to fully understand us. He created us.

Also in Hebrews 6:17 & 18, “God also bound himself with an oath, so that those who received the promise could be perfectly sure that he would never change his mind. . . . it is impossible for God to lie. . .”

If it is impossible for God to lie, then He need only to say something for it to come to pass. If He says He is going to do something, it will be done. He does not need to make an oath. But He knows man well and knows that man needs the oath to be sure. God does not need the oath to keep his promises as man would.

I just think this is all so neat how God does things He doesn’t need to do prove to man and to me that He understands and will keep His promises.

Not for Him but for me.

God goes the extra mile.

Blossoms!

I have been trying for 10 years to grow fruit trees in my backyard. I have not had much luck. They seem to do well the first year, but don't come back the next year. Then I rip them up and plant a new tree. Last year my two new cherry trees came back and I had one whole cherry on one of them. I was so excited. My first fruit. It tasted delicious! And this year all but one tree came back (It wasn't one of the fruit trees).

My two cherry trees have blossoms on them! I'm so excited. I'm hoping for more than one cherry this year. I can't wait.

I have this pathetic dwarf apple tree that has been struggling for 10 years. It will grow and leaf for a couple of years and then the branches and trunk will die and not leaf, but up from the ground shoots a new trunk and we start all over again. It's done that 3 or 4 times. My two-year-old cherry trees are bigger than the 10-year-old apple tree. Maybe some day I'll get to taste an apple from it.

Mini China Dolls

In the novella Faithful that I’m posting on Fridays, I have Hannah assemble and dress a China doll for little Sophie. So I thought I’d post a pair of mini China dolls I just made some dresses for.


These two little cuties are 5 ½” tall. She was so cute I had to make two. Then I couldn’t decide which fabric or pattern to use for the dresses, so I made several. I may even make a few more.







My doll friends think I’m crazy for making the really small dolls. I figure that I’ll make them while I can still see (with the aid of glasses). Also, small dolls take up less space and I can fit more of them in my house without having to sell any of my children.











The doll that Hannah would have made for Sophie would have been about 15”-16” tall. But I thought these little cuties would give you an idea of the kind of doll she was dressing and maybe the kind of dress Hannah would have made.

☺

NEW RELEASE!

The Prairie Romance Collection

12 complete stories by 12 authors is ready to be released this month.

Relive history on the American Great Plains as penned by twelve different multi-published authors. Follow pioneers, immigrants, and orphans through their adventures, heartaches, challenges, victories, and romances. You are sure to find more than one favorite among twelve stories in this unique collection to warm your heart and inspire your faith.

The authors are Lynn Coleman, Mary Davis (ME!), Susan Downs, Birdie Etchison, Linda Ford, Linda Goodnight, Joann Grote, Cathy Marie Hake, Judith Miller, Kathleen Paul, Janet Spaeth, and Lena Nelson Dooley.

My story is Love Notes and won in the historical novella category in the Book of the Year contest from ACFW.

Love Notes: Laurel has just lost her father in a bank robbery of his own scheming. She is ashamed of his behavior and the small town is shunning her and doesn't want her around. The only solace she finds is in the sheet of music she discovers propped up on the piano in the church. Each week another line of melody is added to the music. She falls in love with the author of the song even though she doesn't know who he is. She thanks God for sending her the music. Ethan has his arm in a sling because her father shot him in the holdup. She can't bear the shame to face him. Ethan thinks Laurel hates him because he is the one who killed her father.

You can go to Barbour Publishing to find out just when this book is available.

I hope you enjoy all the stories!