January Recap

January has slipped by so rapidly!  The children returned to their homes in their various states. Christmas decorations were all put away. 

I gathered up my Christmas cards and put them in a basket. Each week I am pulling out a new one and praying for that particular family. So far I have prayed for 4 different families and began praying for another family this week.

My friend, Carolyn, from California got me into choosing a word for the year.  Here are a few I've had in the past.

As I contemplated what word to choose for this year, I kept coming back to Prayer. ...to sit more in His presence, talking with God.  

In particular I love to pray back Scripture as I read it. God speaks to us from the Word, the Bible.  And I pray back to Him as He speaks to me. It is a 2-way conversation.  A relationship with Him.  

I pray for people as they come to mind; while doing dishes, or even in the middle of the night.  But I had been hurrying lately in praying through my prayer list; getting on to my "to-do" list for the day.  I sensed God wanted me to spend more time here, interceding for others.  I love it when someone says to me "I prayed for you this morning."  What a bond to pray for others in the Body of Christ.  And to pray for those who don't know God at all!  I especially love to see how God answers these prayers.  I printed off these Request/Answers pages.

"Pray at all times (on every occasion, in every season) in the Spirit, with all [manner of] prayer and entreaty. To that end keep alert and watch with strong purpose and perseverance, interceding in behalf of all the saints (God’s consecrated people)."  Ephesians 6:18, Amplified

I have seen suggestions on how to do this.  I have my own categories that I use, but these are good ideas.

We went to a conference with Paul Miller, who shared this method. 

I did it for awhile, but I went back to my notebook method.

I came across this prayerbook and had to get it since "prayer" is my word this year.  I had already decided that I would read through the Bible again this year so it was perfect! I hadn't read through the Bible in 3 years. This year I would read it in the Amplified Version and I have found it so enriching!

This past month I also started attending a class on "Learning to Accurately Handle the Word of Truth" by Dr. Jim Martin, Biblical scholar and founder of Bible World Seminars.  We went to Israel with him and also on Paul's Missionary Journeys.  We meet twice a month on Friday evenings and Saturday mornings.  On the off week, we have small group zoom classes where we "yeshiva", have interactive discussions.  

A scroll of Joshua

Dr. Wave Nunnally - He is Emeritus Professor of Early Judaism and Christian Origins at Evangel University.  He completed an MA in Hebrew language at Jerusalem University College on Mt. Zion.  He is recognized for making specialized scholarly research on the Dead Sea scrolls accessibe to people.  Our son went to Israel with both guys and does video work for Dr. Nunnally.

The purpose is not to study for information, but to SEEK Him; 

head knowledge versus knowing God.

Psalm 25:14, Amplified, Classic

"The secret [of the sweet, satisfying companionship] of the LORD have they who fear - revere and worship - Him, and He will show them His covenant, and reveal to them its [deep, inner] meaning."

"My heart will know no rest, until it has found Thee." - St. Augustine

We've seen some spectacular sunrises and sunsets this month.

A couple in our small group from church had several wooden puzzles.  They come with fun shapes!  What fun it was to put it together!

We went out to eat with our friends, Dave and Marilyn.

Our freezer gave out.  It was 21 years old.

That meant shopping for a new one.  All our kids have the french door style and like it so that's what we got also.  I do like the bigness of the frig.  Jury out on the freezer part.

It should probably last until it is time for us to move and downsize.  Allen's parents bought this frig the year they got married.  1946.  It still works!

I'm continuing the slow process of going through old photos.

    My family, 1959 - we had to have formal pictures every year to send back to the                 churches in America that supported us.

Wasn't Allen so cute in first grade?  

Well, I would say he STILL is cute!

Kansas got hit by a snow storm.  We had to cancel my older women's Bible study due to the single digit cold.  We had to cancel my younger mother's study due to illness that has hit the area hard also.

Luckily this wedding was not cancelled but it made for some rather scary driving out of town! 

We helped at the nursing home with wheeling the residents to hymn sing.  We enjoy it just as much as they do!  The words of hymns are so rich!

All the Way My Saviour Leads Me....He does!  This is my prayer for 2026, that I would follow Him in the way He would have me go.

Family togetherness

Here are some memories of family togetherness....

                        We went downtown for coffee and shopping local.  

Rec center

At home

This was a noisy game; and maybe a little intense at times?

We introduced them to our game of Pit, a game we got when we were first married.  I had my mother's set also and I grew up playing this a lot!  It also is a noisy game!   "Two, two, two!!  Three, three, three?!"  Anyone remember this?

Someone left a package at the door for Sophia!  (supposedly FedEx, but really Josh's family) It happened to be from "Graber University" inviting Sophia to come to "their" university (their home) in Arkansas next year.  They made a super imaginative and creative pamphlet and everything!

The family helped make different meals, which helped out a lot.  I'm not used to 16 people 3 meals a day for 5 days!  They came up with meal plans and I purchased the ingredients.  The kids took turns fixing the meals also.

Prayer time

Reggie was smelling the meat!

We had a song night, requested my Nana.  When you have musical kids that's what parents enjoy!:

The little girls loved singing "Jesus Loves Me".  They belted it out.  When Kaia said "I love Jesus", Al and I had a hard time not not crying for joy.

Josh sang a song he wrote about heaven.  We got choked up.

Adam and Sophia also had a song, but I missed getting a photo.  Nana would like the whole shabang - with cello, more duets and all that!  God has gifted almost all of them musically.  I'm not, but I enjoy listening!

 - - - - - 

The Colorado kids needed to go back earlier than the others.  Jason tried out Al's new toy - a miniature air compressor that you can keep in the car when you go on trips.

Good-bye Colorado kids!  We'll miss you!!

While they headed back on I-70, the rest of us went to the Dutch Kitchen west of Hutch for good old German Mennonite food!

They ran out of peanut butter chocolate pie for dessert but this sweet waitress said she would simply make another one just for us (4 of them wanted that) and it didn't take her long at all!

That evening, some played hide-n-seek in the neighborhood. A couple of them hid in the tops of trees!  Adam hid at the playground but someone called the cops about suspicious behaviour!  Oh dear.  Luckily the cop believed his story that he was playing a game.

Of course we had to play Murder in the Dark.  That's a must.  Here is Al, murdered in the shower.

We asked the kids this year if they would help us un-do our Christmas decorations. It was such a help!!  They insisted we kiss under the mistletoe!

Papa keeping  boys in line.

The last night they were here, most of the family went to the movies.  Jill, Claire and we went to Braums and had a good time visiting with friends!

Early the last day....Good-bye, Wisconsin family!

Good-bye Arkansas family!

We slept a lot after everyone left.  Family togetherness is WONDERFUL but can be a little exhausting for us "elderly" people.  But how we loved it!  We know that we are blessed.

"Behold how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell together in unity."                                    Psalm 133:1

There was a song from that verse we used to sing in rounds when we were in high school I think.  I found many various tunes to it but here is the one we used to sing (in English)  Challenge for next year - our family should learn this dance!  Maybe in Hebrew too?