Keeping it Simple

As I headed down highway 20 to the family ranch, I veered off at Johnstown. This was the week of Rodeo Bible Camp and my great niece and nephew were participating. It was only a few minutes after entering the gate of the Brown County Fair and Rodeo grounds that I spotted some of their clan. (There’s seven of them.) I learned rather quickly that Gracelynn – age 10 – was before the judges at that very moment in hopes of winning a saddle for memorizing and reciting the book of Philippians. Yes…the entire book! The saddle would go to the participant with the least mistakes. This was a closed competition, meaning no spectators were allowed so we waited patiently to see how she had done. The smile on her face as she approached us, reassured us that she felt she had done okay, but it would be hours later before the results were announced. When they were, Gracelynn was ecstatic – she had won the saddle!

This great aunt was proud, not to say anything about her parents, siblings and grandparents. I’ve done some scripture memorization myself and have considered it quite a feat when I put one chapter under my belt. I knew how time consuming and mind taxing it is. Gracelynn had been working on it for an entire year. I’m sure she gave up things she would have rather been doing while keeping her mind set on the goal.

In this world of instant gratification and parental indulgence, I wonder how many kids would have desired to take up the challenge this presented. Most of them can get what they want far easier than the way Gracelynn did it.

After witnessing Gracelynn’s excitement of winning the saddle as a reward for her diligent efforts, I had to wonder about the effects of handing over to our kids and grand kids the desires of their hearts. As it turns out, the effects may not be all that good. According to www.kidsinthehouse.com, children with too many things develop shorter attention spans because they have too many options to choose from and they place less value on the things they have. According to the author, spoiling kids doesn’t make them happy, it just makes them spoiled and spoiled children are more likely to grow up to be spoiled adults who will focus on their own needs before others.

Advertising to children is big business and billions per year are spent on targeting children’s desires. Our children and grandchildren see more than 40,000 commercials annually on TV. These advertisers do such a great job that if the child hasn’t wanted it yet, he/she will now. According to doinggoodtogether.org, research has consistently shown that materialism is connected to a decrease in life satisfaction, happiness, anxiety and antisocial behavior. And verywellfamily.com reports that many adults that were overindulged children are now over eaters and over spenders, all while dealing with chronic unhappiness and difficulty coping with reality.

On the upside of this, it’s not too late for parents and grandparents to change the way they do things. Instead of buckling under the pressure of the child’s desires, it would be to our benefit and the child’s to be doing damage control. What is really best for the child? It’s probably not a new toy he needs or in the case of the teenager, a new outfit. It’s our time and love that are the most valuable gifts we can give and they carry no risk of having to deal with the aftermath of materialism later. Children who feel loved through time spent with them are healthier mentally, emotionally, and physically. (extension.sdstate.edu) They are less likely to have behavioral issues and less likely to participate in risky behaviors as teenagers.

In this world of economic stress, it seems wise all the way around to avoid making Christmas something it doesn’t have to be. While keeping it simple and staying out of debt, it may increase your chances of having a well balanced child. Years down the road, it’s not the new toy or the new outfit that will be remembered. It’s the time and love that was given and the relationship that was developed.

Until next time – keep on readin’ and I’ll keep on writin’.

Gracelynn at Rodeo Bible Camp – 2022

Pauper to Prince

Every one has their favorite kind of story. Maybe it’s adventure. Maybe romance. Maybe sci-fi. Maybe a good mystery. My favorite is the pauper to prince; the underdog to victor kind of story. And if it’s based on truth – all the better. You might not be surprised then to know that two of my favorite movies of all time are “Hoosiers” and “Sea Biscuit”. I started young rooting for the underdog. My favorite children’s book was and still is, Watty Piper’s “The Little Engine that Could”. I’ve considered that these stories appeal to me because my own accomplishments seem quite ordinary…nothing too flashy. It delights me to read of others that have had more grandiose experiences in life.

Knowing this, it would come as little surprise to learn of my intrigue with the adventure of Conrad Reed in 1799. Twelve-year-old Conrad, a poor German immigrant’s son, was fishing in Little Meadow Creek where it meandered through their small farm in North Carolina. A large glistening rock in the creek caught his eye. He lugged it home and told his father where he had found it. His father agreed it was unique, but he had no idea it was a 17 pound gold nugget. What did they do with it? Well…it worked perfectly fine for a doorstop. How many times they walked past this rock over the next three years, not realizing it’s worth, is anyone’s guess. Conrad’s father, John, about this time, decided it might be worth checking with a jeweler to see if it had any value. The shrewd jeweler identified it as gold and after discussing price, they settled on $3.50! This was about a weeks wage in those days, but soon Conrad’s father found out that it was a actually worth $3600.00. He, of course, was not pleased that he had been taken advantage of, but on the upside, he was certain of where he could find more just like it. Thus began the start of the Reed Mine. It became known as the richest mine in the South and it boasted of the 28 pound nugget found there. It was here in North Carolina that the first United States Gold Rush happened. Over the next three decades, 150 pounds of gold was mined from the Reed Mine. Mr. Reed died at the age of 88 – a rich man. Had he not taken the initiative to finally have the nugget examined, he would have led a very different life.

How many times do we walk by our treasures and never give them a thought?

Matthew 13:44 tells us of Jesus explaining the parable of the treasure in a field. Unlike John Conrad, this man knew what the treasure was that he had found. He recognized it’s worth, so much so, that he sold everything he had including his home and used that money to buy the field with the treasure. What was this treasure? With a little digging (no pun intended) we discover that Jesus was using it to represent the Kingdom of God.

So many walk by this treasure every day. It’s not hard to find. A Christian friend can tell you where to find it. A pastor is well equipped to lead you to it. And the inspired Word of God (the Bible) outlines the path to receive it. It’s worth is so much more than Conrad Reed found in his large gold nugget. The gold was worth $3600.00 but no one can put a value on eternal life with God – simply because it’s immeasurable.

Until next time…keep on readin’ and I’ll keep on writin’.

The Risk of Love

“Love requires vulnerability. There is no safe investment when a person risks loving. Loving anything will lead to your heart being wrung and possibly broken.” C. S. Lewis

When I read this quote by C.S. Lewis, I thought, “now, that’s a dim look at love.” But as I thought about it, it’s also very true. Love does require vulnerability. Second, it’s not a safe investment. Is there anything more risky than giving your heart to someone? According to the theologian, when we do give our heart to someone it will be wrung and possibly broken. I envision a dish rag being squeezed and twisted until not one more drop of water escapes. When our loved one hurts, we hurt. When they are betrayed, we ache for them. When they die, we grieve over their absence. And if we are the one betrayed by a loved one, it’s as if a large portion of our own heart has died. Bones and wounds can heal, but hearts are sometimes left in such fragmented pieces there seems little hope of putting it back together.

Had I read this quote before risking to love, would I have changed my mind? I don’t think so. It’s a gamble, but often the long awaited payout is worth the pain. Even though, my heart has been wrung and broken different times, I have to admit those same relationships have provided much pleasure and fulfillment at other times.

I believe that the love a mother has for her children is one of the the deepest kinds of love. Because of this, it is an investment that creates the greatest kind of risk …it can leave you flat broke or yielding great dividends. It can do both over the period of a lifetime. It is now estimated that one out of four adult children are estranged from their parents, for one reason or another. Most of the time the estrangement is initiated by the child.

There was a time when both of my sons, (for different reasons) and I had strained relationships. My oldest had undiagnosed bipolar 1 that caused chaos in our relationship and a period of months without communication. The youngest had addiction and homelessness issues that created obstacles in our relationship. Communication was basically limited to when he was desperately in need of something Mom could provide. These were heart wrenching times for me because my love never died; yet the relationships were broken.

I threw a lasso around Isaiah 49:18, pulled the rope tight and didn’t let go. It was a promise that I claimed and thought about every day. Look and see, for all your children will come back to you. As surely as I live,” says the Lord, “they will be like jewels or bridal ornaments for you to display.”

I want to give hope to those that might be in a hard place with their adult children. Hope is something no one can take away from us and indeed, we should never lose hope, no matter how hopeless it seems.

My oldest was diagnosed with his mental illness and treated when he was in his mid to late thirties. My youngest has had sobriety for three years and has a family. I can honestly say, without any hesitation, that I could not ask for better sons. The compassion and love that was once hidden beneath the afflictions has now been freed. Our conversations always end with “I love you” and we don’t take it lightly. I am very proud of the mountains they both have climbed and conquered. They are like jewels that I am proud to display. The difficult times we went through has only sweetened the present. I hope this for anyone that is experiencing detached relationships with their loved ones. Pray and don’t give up.

Until next time…keep on readin’ and I’ll keep on writin’.

Blog written with permission of both sons.

Formula Crisis Drives a Point

Some times it takes decades to realize what a blessing you were given many, many years ago.

No matter what news you listen to – whether it’s Fox News or ABC News, or CBS – every network is talking about the baby formula crisis. We can see the worry in the faces of the mothers being interviewed. Every night we are hearing stories of mothers desperately searching online or rushing from one store to the next to the next to the next in hopes of finding at least one can of formula. Most times they are not finding anything other than empty shelves. And now, some of the infants that have required special formulas are being diagnosed with dehydration and hospitalized. Some of these hospitals have been able to concoct their own baby formulas from adult feeding formulas. But this isn’t fool proof either. Some of these babies are reacting to the new formula and becoming even more ill. This has been going on for months now. Although the biggest formula producer (Abbott) in the US is now starting to make more formula after slowing production following a volunteer recall in February, it won’t be an instant fix. It will take weeks before the shelves are restocked with the much needed formula.

My heart goes out to these mothers. Had this crisis began before their child was born, they may have opted to breast feed, if at all possible. But what about the mothers already months into formula feeding when the crisis hit? I think back and wonder what I would have done 40 years ago had this happened to me. I know I would have been distraught, just like the mothers are today. I think I would have broken the city ordinances and staked a goat in the backyard.

I almost feel guilty for how easy things were for me forty years ago when it came to obtaining formula. I was working at the Cozad Community Hospital in Cozad, NE at the time that both of my boys were born. It was a benefit for the nurses to get their formula free, already mixed in small bottles and ready to deliver to our babies at home. So easy. All I had to do was let the purchasing clerk know how much I needed each month and then back my vehicle up to the back door and load it up.

The current situation has forced me to see that I took this benefit for granted. At the time, I appreciated what was given to me, but never gave it a thought of what I would do had it not been easily accessible. It took this crisis, forty years later, for me to truly realize how fortunate I had it.

It has made me more conscious of being grateful for any good gift that I receive. If you catch me talking to myself you might hear me saying, “Thank-you for my comfortable home, thank-you for my beautiful yard, thank-you for my health that allows me to do the things I like to do, thank-you for my family and thank-you for my friends.” This formula crisis was just a reminder that the blessings of today might be absent tomorrow. I should be thankful everyday for what I am given.

Even though I was a little late, I’ve thanked God this week for the formula I was able to come by so easily those forty years ago. I will strive to take less for granted and acknowledge that every desirable and beneficial gift comes out of heaven. James 1:17 (MSG) and to thank my Creator for them…at the time I receive them. (As you can see, I’m not really talking to myself.)

Until next time…keep on readin’ and I’ll keep on writin’.

May 23, 2022

Marking What’s Important


I would sit pretzel style (politically correct) on the ground while watching Dad work on a broken piece of haying equipment. He would often use me as a gopher to run for this tool or that tool. He could have done it faster himself because he was the only one that would have known right where it was in the disorderly shop, but he also knew how to make a daughter feel important. I would watch closely as he “fixed things up”- often times taking hours. Sometimes he would decide to place a mark on the equipment for future reference. He would dig deep into his jean’s pocket and pull out his pocket knife, making a scratch in the red paint. That thin silver slash would mark the exact spot he needed as a reference for another possible repair job down the road. (Dad could extend the life of equipment quite efficiently – well, maybe not so efficiently if you figure in the hours of repair time.) These small marks to aid in future attempts to extend life to treasured possessions are called witness markers. Dad did this for his own benefit; to save time the next time he had to work on the piece. But, there was a time when people left witness markers for the benefit of others. For instance, a meticulous clock repairman would place a mark inside the clock to aid future repairmen to know how to set the mechanisms in the clock – a very time saving technique (no pun intended) for their fellow man. It gives me a “warm fuzzy” to think of a time when it was common courtesy to help out the next person – maybe a time when we thought more of others and less of ourselves.

I have to wonder if placing “witness markers” for the benefit of others is an obsolete practice in this day and age? I would like to think that I might leave something behind that might benefit others.

I am no stranger to marking things. Multiple highlighters live on the table next to my recliner. My Bible looks like a pressed rainbow – but this again is for my own benefit. In some small way, I hope my blog with family stories and spiritual tidbits will mean something to my descendants.

God encourages markers throughout the Bible of one sort or another. Remember when He had the enslaved Israelites paint the top and sides of their doorframes with blood so the death angel would pass by their households and spare their firstborn sons? (Exodus 12:23) And what about the time when they were finally passing into the Promised Land. They had just crossed through on the rocks of the Jordan River bed after God miraculously provided a dry path. He gave this instruction to Joshua. “Now, tell the men – one from each tribe – to take twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan and pile them up at the place where you camp tonight.” (Joshua 4:5) In the same chapter it tells us why He asked them to do this. When their children would ask what the stones meant, it would remind them of what the Lord had done for them and the story would be passed on from generation to generation.

As Christians we all have our remembrances of what God has done for us. Let’s pass the stories on. When they involve God, they are way to good to keep to ourselves. Maybe I’ll throw in a highlighter with mine.

Until next time, keep on readin’ and I’ll keep on writin’.