From the Mouths of Babes

When the twins were little, Gramma would often take them to the river to cool off—and to give me, the mom, some time to speed clean the house!

One such day as they walked through the village on their way to the river a week-long drunken party was taking place. Obviously people were not on their best behavior.

"Gramma, why are they doing bad things?" one of the twins asked.

"When people get drunk they do bad things," Gramma explained in a nutshell.

Thoughtful for a moment, the twin then responded, "Sometimes I'm drunk."

The Village Laundromat

People love before and after shots. I could show you a before and after shot of my laundry closet to the right—and yes, it was a definite improvement! Greater yet is the improvement of my present laundry facilities compared to the laundry facilities in our early years in Venezuela. Going to the village laundromat meant scrubbing clothes on a rock or overturned dugout canoe in the river.

Which is better? My automatic washer and dryer are definitely better! I love not having to try to wring out clothes well enough that they'll dry before they sour. I love being able to do something else while the washer and dryer do all the work!

With yesterday's blog being about being thankful, I must say I am really thankful for my modern laundry facilities!

Thankfulness in a Time of Economic Depression

We're in a time of economic depression. People are facing uncertainties. People wonder what the future holds. People are suddenly more cautious in their spending, in their planning, in how they view their jobs. Life has changed—but God has not!

So what do we focus on in times like this? On the hardships? On the uncertainties? On the lack of funds? On the loss of a job—or the possible loss of a job?

I think not. In fact, I think it best to focus on all the things, little and big, that we have to be thankful for! In Hebrews 13:5 we're instructed to be content. So often contentment and thankfulness go hand in hand. And so, here goes... .


I am thankful for...

...my healthy family.

...the sun shining in my eyes on the way to work—a rare occurrence here in central New York!

...children that respect and obey us—and are just fun to be with!

...parents that raised me in a loving Christian home.

...Mocha, my Jack Russell Terrier that gives me my cuddle times and makes me feel special!

...food on the table!

...a husband that is a godly man who looks after me, encourages me, makes me smile and is my best friend.

...our home—a refuge at the end of a long day.

...my job with all it's variety. Working the 11pm-7am shift for a year and a half at a factory REALLY makes me appreciate my present job!

...older sons that will actually sit and talk with me! It's fun having friendships with adult children!

...a daughter(-in-law) that understands how I think—in contrast to my four sons at times!

...a sister that, though miles away, is always close to my heart.

...electricity and hot running water. (Yeah, we lived long enough in a tribal situation where that really did not exist!)

...the ice-maker in my freezer. (I love the sound of the ice falling, already formed, into the ice tray.)

...friends. (How does one live without them?!)

...my Heavenly Father who loves me despite my failures, encourages me, strengthens me, and makes all the difference in my life.

What do YOU have to be thankful for?

Do You Live in the City or in the Jungle?

Our children are a source of joy to us. Sometimes they bring a smile to our face at the unexpected response that slips from their lips. One such unexpected response occurred when our twins were being taught Kindergarten by our co-worker.

Realizing that since the twins lived in a remote jungle village, that they had little concept of what a city was, Jane attempted to explain. Feeling confident they were understanding, she went on to ask, "So where do you live? In the city or in the jungle?"

Without missing a beat, the twins responded in unison, "In the city!"

Jane looked at them a bit bewildered. The village around them was definitely not a city. There were no street lights. There were no streets! There were no hospitals or stores. On the contrary, there was a grass airstrip that allowed access to the village of palm-roofed huts in the middle of the jungle.

"But don't you live in the jungle?" she questioned them.

"No," the twins insisted. "The jungle is out there!"

The jungle was out there where their mother had warned them they were never to wander. The jungle was out there where cougars, jaguars, snakes and other dangerous creatures lived. The jungle was beyond the border of the village, and therefore, their young minds reasoned, the village must be a city!

What unexpected responses from your kids do you have to share with me?!

Being Still in the Storm

"Be still and know that I am God." (Ps. 46:10)

I have a framed copy of this verse in my home office. In the midst of a hectic life when at times more things seem to vie for my time, energy and effort than seems realistic, there's a peace in this verse. There's the knowledge that all the activity and demands on my life don't have to consume me. It's okay to set them aside, to just be STILL and to know, not just in an intellectual manner, but in the depths of my soul, that HE is GOD.

Knowing God makes all the difference. Admittedly, the demands of life don't go away. Bills still need to be paid, taxes still need to be filed, the house still needs to be cleaned, the paperwork piles still need to be gone through—but knowing God puts all the demands, all the activity, into a different perspective. Suddenly I can be at rest in the midst of a whirlwind. I can be still and know that He is God.

Missing Toddlers and Big Cats

I always felt the village was generally a safe place to raise our children—as long as they stayed in the village. There was that one day when our twins were toddlers that I feared the worst.

The twins were playing happily in the puddles near the front of the house. I could hear their chatter as I headed for the bathroom. I was only gone for a few minutes....

When I came out I realized the chatter was gone. I glanced out the windows and there were no twins in sight. I wasn't panicking—at least not yet. I headed for the door to go see if they had disappeared to Gramma and Grampa's place a few doors down—but Gramma was walking in our front door!

"The twins aren't at your house?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

Don't panic! I told myself as I dashed out the door in the direction of the river. It was a ten minute walk to the port, but I had to be sure they weren't there. Others were searching close to the house.

Reaching the port in record time I found women washing their laundry—but no twins. No one had seen nor heard them.

I was on my way back to the house when a young Maquiritare girl met me with news that the twins had been found. They were found walking along a jungle trail between the slash and burn gardens holding hands, maybe to give them courage?

The jungle wasn't in the same category in my mind as the village. The jungle was not on my safe list. It was a place where cougars could roam. It was a place where snakes could strike. It was a place I did not want my toddler twins to be.

Reaching the house to find the twins safe motherly fear surfaced in these words, "Don't you know a "big kitty" (their name for a cougar) could have ate you!"

Maybe not the best in wording, but they never wandered off again!

Anaconda

One of the greatest fears of the river would be encountering an anaconda. Thankfully I never encountered one—but my husband and boys did! They were returning home from a relatively unsuccessful hunting trip when they came upon this anaconda swimming in the river. Not that they would have looked for one, but when the river is the laundromat, the local water hole and the bathing area for the various villages along the river, well, anacondas are just not welcomed! My husband tried to convince me that was the last one in the river and I had no worries. Hmmm... . Wouldn't you have liked to believe him?