Memories Past & Present

May 21, 2009 at 2:19 pm | Posted in children, prayer, Uncategorized | 4 Comments
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In memory of John Robert Dobbs I want to refer you to his memorial site.  He died in a tragic accident one year ago today just a few days before his High School graduation.  My prayers go out to his loving family especially John & Maggy Dobbs, his parents.

I remember that day clearly as I had just a few hours earlier had given a hug to a mutual friends (Larry & Peggy West) of ours and told them it was from John Dobbs.  As we ate lunch they asked me how I knew John and we talked about Internet and blogs and chatting.  You see I have never met John & Maggy, but have chatted with them for a couple years now over the Internet and feel as though they could very well be some of my best friends.  There have been times when we have had daily interactions and prayer requests.

Anyway not 4 hours later Larry came up to me and told me the very sad news about John Robert.  I was so shocked.  We got John’s cell phone number and immediately called him to offer what words we could though we knew he was in a state of shock.  I still get tears in my eys at this writing.

I was on my first day of a We Care Campaign and over the next few days as I talked to several of those participating I found out that there were others there from all over the US that also knew John & Maggy and who knew John Robert from when he was a child at camp.   I was able to read online the many posts and words of encouragment to the Dobbs family and the articles about John Robert.  I also read over the coming months  John’s blog where he shared with the world his deep grief.  He opened his heart to so many by letting others see his pain and also allowing them to know how God was working in his own life to heal and to continue to work and heal him and Maggy.

As a mom and grandma I know that  one fear I  pray is never having to go through the death of my children/grandchildren before my own.   I thank God that He is there and promises to be there for us no matter what.  Last August when my 14 year old grandson disappeared for over 4 hours I know I felt terror myself.  I could do nothing but cry and pray as I was thousands of miles from where they live and could not join the search for him.  I know God heard the prayers…I also know God some times says yes and other times says no.  We have the right to question Him.  We are His children.  We don’t always understand Him and God knows that.  HE STILL LOVES US!  He will never leave us nor forsake us!

As I prepare today to attend my 17 year old granddaughter’s graduation I do not take anything for granted.  I thank God for all the miracles in life.  I pray for the safety of all the young graduates today.  I also pray for those families who have loses and especially for my friends John & Maggy.

Love to you!

Katrina Graduation Party

Katrina's Graduation Party-Sunday May 17th

Today is also Keagen’s last day of 1st grade!  Another big accomplishment! Here he is in his new school t-shirt ready for that last day.

Keagen

Keagen

And Kalin finished his freshman year yesterday! So everyone is happy wqith the end of school!

Kalin - finals are over!

Kalin - finals are over!

May God be with you and give you a very blessed day!

Technology: Help!!! I Am Being Swallowed!!

May 8, 2008 at 2:01 pm | Posted in motorcycle, Uncategorized | 4 Comments
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Do you feel as each day passes you seem to get farther behind on what is going on in the world of technology? I know that I have no hope of keeping up or even coming close. How do I cope with it then? There are several ways.

1. Help files. They seem to answer a lot of the same questions I have. Imagine that. There are other people out there with the same questions I have. This applies to my computer and other techie devices that I do not have a 4 year (or more) degree on how to operate. My motorcycle also has a help file with it. It is the owners’ manual. What about my personal and spiritual life? God has given me the Bible to guide me. I can lean on my daily relationship with Jesus to provide me with strength to get through the rough spots in life.

2. Tech support. I noticed recently when my husband had a question about his Verizon email he typed it in and immediately this tech person came back and started asking him specific questions and was going to access his computer to see if he could assist him. WOW! Even before that kind of personal support was available you could dial a number (and after staying on hold for a very long time you could talk to a technical support person and get some assistance) The motorcycle manual also does not answer all the questions I might have. When the manual does not have the answers I need then I can go to the
owners’ group online and ask more experienced owners how they solved
similar problems. Even in my personal life when I feel overwhelmed God has given me other Christians to help me through the rough spots. They are my “tech support” for everyday life. Without them I would have a tendency to get even more “error” messages than I already do.

3. Upgrade. It does not seem like long…maybe as soon as you take it out of the box that your model of whatever is already outdated and you have to upgrade it. I know that even when I download a software program I immediately have to download the latest updates to it. The same thing has happened with my motorcycle. Of course my bike is a 1986 model (older than my grandchildren) and the guys that have been riding and working on them for a long time have made some very important upgrades to them. They are safety issues. As soon as I found that out I was there looking at my bike to see if it had been modified yet with these new parts. I really did not want my fork brace cracking as I rode down the highway. I also check my secondary gear oil to make sure it is at the level it is supposed to be so that everything will be running smoothly. What about in my walk with God? That requires a daily upgrade. Communication with Him through prayers, listening to Him through His Word and meditating on what He is saying to me in my life and making those adjustments to my life personally.

All of this seems like a lot to comprehend, but when you do it a little at a time and on a regular basis you don’t really think about it anymore. You probably have virus protection on your computer that also has regular updates etc. That is the same with the other areas of life. When you get into the habit of doing something it is a part of life. You would not go to bed without brushing you teeth (well maybe some bikers would) but you know what I mean!

Life has a lot to throw at us these days and to keep up with. When we incorporate small habits one at a time it makes it so much easier to keep up with all of it. Maintaining our technical stuff, our motorcycles (or other transportation) and our life takes love and care. We need to take care of what we have (especially with rising costs) and the most important thing we have to care for is our own life and others about us. That is why Jesus died for us. I am looking forward to sharing more of this in the near future. If you want a sneak preview check out this link.

God bless and have a wonderful day!

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