Posted in Blessings, God's Goodness, Joy, tagged Family Love on August 5, 2021| 25 Comments »
“Family is one of nature’s masterpieces,” wrote George Santayana (1863-1952), a philosopher, author, and poet.
I almost agree, except for one word. You can probably guess what word that is! Maybe I’d add one too, so the statement would read:
We’re enjoying God’s Ruegg masterpiece this week as all thirteen of us (and two dogs) have gathered here to enjoy one another’s company.
I’ll be back next week with a new post!
Posted in Appreciation, Blessings, God's Goodness, Uncategorized, tagged Family Love, Memories are treasured gifts, memories of home, Psalm 127:3-5, The Blessing of Family, the blessing of memories on April 20, 2017| 18 Comments »
Last week, our three grown children, their spouses, and three granddaughters gathered here–in one place, at one time. Even Steve’s sister and brother-in-law were able to join us for a day. Such gatherings do not happen often.
For Steve and me, the greatest pleasure in life is the opportunity to enjoy our children– what King Solomon called “God’s best gift” (Psalm 127:3 MSG).
He went on to say:
How blessed are you parents,
with your quivers full of children!”
–Psalm 127:5 MSG
And what is a quiver-full? Dr. Howard Hendricks of Dallas Seminary explained years ago that, in Bible times, a quiver most often held six arrows. Thanks to our three children who chose their spouses wisely, Steve and I now have a full quiver–with three little arrows as well.
Oh yes, we are blessed, and always count down the days until our clan can gather once more.
Even four-year old Elena reveled in the long-awaited together time.
During the week, we visited several parks with playgrounds…
…and even explored the zoo on Wednesday. But perhaps some of the sweetest memories will be those associated with home…
… such as one afternoon at Eric’s and Hilja’s, catching up with one another and playing games.
There were fun moments at Nana’s and Papa’s house, too.
(The Night of the Big Sleepover)
Now these moments are treasures to hold close in our hearts–not so much for what we did as for who we were with.
“Let us be grateful to people who make us happy;
They are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.”
–French novelist, Marcel Proust (1871-1922)
How fitting that, as the landscape blossomed last week, so did our souls–because of a family who make us very happy.
* * * * * * * * * *
I thank you, Father, for the joy of doing life with this particular group of folks. We may not live in close proximity, but because of you, our spirits are intertwined. Every opportunity to be together is cause for great celebration. And we praise you for the gift of recollection, so beautiful moments like these may live in our hearts forever.
Posted in Appreciation, Blessings, God's Goodness, God's Love, tagged Family Love, Heaven, home is the nicest word there is, John 6:37, memories of home, peaceful home, Revelation 21:4, Romans 8:1, Romans 8:38-39, secure home, wonders of creation on August 27, 2015| 14 Comments »
(“Home is the nicest word there is.” –Laura Ingalls Wilder)
Five years ago, as Steve and I looked ahead toward retirement, the question of where we should spend those years had no easy answer. We’d lived in Florida, in six different locations over forty years. We were ready for something different. Tennessee or even Kentucky appealed to us, where we could enjoy new vistas, the change of seasons (although not too severe), and best of all, be within a four-hour drive of our sons.
Lots can happen in five years. Our older son, Eric, and his wife, Hilja (Hill-ya) became a family of three. During one visit they asked, “Where do you think you’ll retire?” We shared our tentative plans. “Well, if you’re going to move that close, why not just move here?”—here being Cincinnati, Ohio.
We hadn’t even considered moving so close, not wanting to impose ourselves on either of our boys. Nor had we thought of making our home so far north, back in the Midwest where we had grown up. But family (and especially that new grandbaby) was a strong magnet.
So, Steve and I now hail from Cincinnati. And it’s a glorious privilege to watch little Elena grow, and spend much quality time with our sons and their wives. (As I’ve said before on this blog: If only our daughter and her family would move here from Washington State, life would be perfect!)
But moving back to the Midwest has been a coming home in other ways. We’ve reveled in familiar experiences from long ago:
Even the common robin causes delight as he hops across the lawn, pauses, and cocks his head to listen.
There is something heartwarming about home—the way we respond to the familiar and to the memories that surface.
Memories are the crucial element, aren’t they. Surely if Steve or I had experienced great difficulty growing up, our reaction to this Midwest relocation would be much different.
But both of us grew up in strong Christian homes—such a wondrous privilege. And most of our recollections are positive ones. We associate the word home with peace, security, acceptance, and love.
I wonder…
…when we enter the gates of heaven, will we experience a similar warming of the heart? Will we almost burst with elation to realize that we’ve finally arrived in our true forever home?
At last we will be in a place of:
As I enjoy all the beauty of God’s creation in this corner of the world, and glory in the companionship of family, I want to remember: these are just glimpses of the wonders that await!
* * * * * * * * * *
What glimpses of the wonders-that-await do you enjoy? Tell us about them in the Comments section below!
(Photo & art credits: www.quoteswave.com; Nancy Ruegg; http://www.greenwoodwildlife.org; http://www.youtube.com.)
Posted in Appreciation, Blessings, God's Goodness, tagged Family Love, Mother's Day, Psalm 113:9 on May 7, 2015| 23 Comments »
The fabric of our family;
slowly woven by the Master Weaver
upon the warp and woof of each day.
Just two colors in the beginning—
Steve’s blue, and my yellow–
our favorite colors.
Then came the addition of three children
with threads of
energizing orange
as they romped through the house,
invigorating green
as they quickly progressed
through the stages of development,
and excitable red
as arguments erupted!
But calm colors were also interwoven
among the bright:
soft gray for security,
rich brown for stability,
and luminous white for the Light
of Jesus, our Savior.
Threads of respect and responsibility
appeared throughout;
Challenge and trouble,
hopes and dreams, too.
Each thread faith-strengthened
And reinforced with love.
Not easily rended,
but repaired here and there with forgiveness,
embellished with the embroidery of laughter,
and scattered with a patchwork of
familiar, soft-hued memories.
As Mother’s Day approaches
I celebrate
the fabric of family
that is fabulously, uniquely ours.
And I thank God that
“He gives the childless woman a family,
making her a happy mother.
Praise the LORD!”
(Psalm 113:9, NLT)
(Tapestry art credit: www.etsy.com.)
Impressions Becoming Expressions
Gaining a heart of wisdom
Christian Lifestyle Blogger
I'm Patty, and my husband and I are living with our adult son who has autism and epilepsy. I love sharing lessons learned from life around me, especially life with Aaron.
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