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’.

Decisions don’t always come easy to us. I’ve had to make decisions that have been extremely easy and some that have been extremely difficult. One of the easiest significant decisions I’ve had to make is where I would go to nursing school when I finished high school. This was a no brainer for me. I would go to the only nursing school in Nebraska that didn’t require me to take Speech in high school or college. Because, you see, I was terrified of the thought of standing in front of a roomful of classmates and an instructor to give a five minute speech. I would have cleaned out 100 chicken coops – maybe even a 1000 – before I would have given a speech. I was so thankful Bryan School of Nursing wanted their students to have Physics instead of Speech!

Then there’s the decisions that weren’t so easy. We’ve all had them. Do you stay with this job that you really like or apply for the one that makes more money? Do you go out on a limb to start the venture you’ve always dreamed about but could fail? Do you change churches because you don’t feel you’re getting fed even though all your friends are here? Do you continue befriending the neighbor that’s always asking for childcare help and rarely giving anything in return? And on and on.

It’s sometimes helpful to confide in others when a major decision needs to be made. They may be able to help you process your options. But, it’s wise to be selective when discussing life changing decisions. And even then it can get confusing. Have you ever noticed that everyone has an opinion and they seldom coincide? The experiences they have had will play a big part of what forms their contributions to your situation. Even if we’re not seeking an opinion, but only wishing to be heard, it’s a rare find to have a friend that’s willing to listen only. It’s human nature to offer our viewpoint.

I have found that as I get older I have become more confident in my own opinions as long as I have included God in the process. I have come to appreciate and agree with what Charles Stanley, pastor and author, has to say on this subject. People have influence in our lives and they’ll always have an opinion when we have a decision to make. But they aren’t you and will never know better than you what God’s will is for your life.

I am convinced that if we feel God nudging us one way but we take the advice of someone else to go another way, we will be settling for second best. It is God that is our all knowing Counselor. Psalm 32:8 tells us what the LORD says. “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you. (NLT) Could it get any plainer than that?

You might be interested to know that I’ve gained freedom from my fears of speaking – found my voice you might say. It began with teaching Lamaze in the 70’s and beyond, and progressed to speaking at Christian Women’s groups, at my father’s funeral, and at book promotions. When God is in your heart, all things are possible. (Matt: 19:26)

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

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When we moved from the farm in the eastern part of Nebraska to the ranch in the Sandhills of Nebraska, the demographics changed. It was the summer before my 6th grade year. I had attended school, up until then, at the Osmond Public School in Osmond, Nebraska. There were 20 kids in my class. Now, I would be attending a country school with twelve in the entire school – grades first through eighth. My class would have the largest number of kids (5) but some classes would only have one. Raven School was 22 miles from the closest town of Ainsworth.

Within a couple of weeks of starting school that fall, Mrs. Pike announced at the end of the day, “Don’t forget, the Bookmobile will be coming tomorrow.”

I leaned over to the classmate beside me. “What’s a Bookmobile?” I asked. She whispered back, “A van that comes every month to bring us books.” Well, that’s good I thought for those that are bookworms. But, I was a picky reader and doubted that a van with a few books would have anything I would be interested in. I had already read the “Little House on the Prairie” series and as far as I knew, that was the extent of what I liked.

A brightly colored minibus tooted it’s friendly horn as it came down the lane to the school. “What’s that about?” I asked. “It’s the Bookmobile!” the other kids yelled. They ran to get in line. Maybe, I had underestimated the Bookmobile. It looked like a promising venture, but too bad they came at recess. I could have done with a little less math class.

As my turn came to step up into the bus, I was amazed at the number of books that lined both sides of the aisle. Shelves and shelves of them. It was like stepping into a mobile library for kids- for indeed, it was just that. I not only found one book that grabbed my interest, but returned to the school with the maximum allotment of three books. I couldn’t wait to get home to tell Mom and Dad about the visiting library on wheels.

With the close of many country schools in the United States, along with budget cuts, functioning bookmobiles are decreasing. The Brown County Bookmobile that visited Raven School traveled it’s last route in the late 80’s. By 2015 bookmobiles across the United States had decreased by more than a third. But along with the few mobile units still in service, there are also private citizens across the globe that have taken up the passion of providing books to rural areas.

One such citizen is Antonio La Cava, a retired schoolteacher, from Italy. He has converted his three-wheeled van into a functioning blue mobile library. He calls it the Bibliomotocarro which in English breaks down to library/books + scooter + cart. He services the remote area of Italy called Basilicata, which sits between the heel and the toe of Italy. He targets the remote villages of less than 1000 people. Antonio encourages writing as well as reading. As he stops in one village, he invites the children to write the first chapter of a story. He collects these chapters and takes them with him to the next village where those children will write chapter two. And on it goes to the next village.

When I read about Antonio, I thought of his obvious gifts – that of teaching and service. He retired from a teaching career, but has not put it on a shelf, so to speak. In fact, he’s done quite the opposite with his multiple shelves of traveling books that he delights to take to others.

We all have spiritual gifts, but it’s not always obvious which ones we have…at least to us. We each possess at least one. (I Peter 4: 10) but it’s often easier for our good friends to see our gifts than it is for us to recognize them. These gifts are given to us by God so that we can build up and encourage other believers (I Cor. 12:31) and further God’s purpose. Through them we channel God’s love to others. Makes sense, as gifts are something we don’t keep – we give them away. We don’t all get the same gifts because there are various tasks to be done, but they all work together in unity to build up the body of believers. James Goll, author and Coordinator of Encounters Alliance, puts it this way: The gifts of the Spirit are like the colors of the rainbow, blending together to achieve the end result.

A few examples of spiritual gifts are: faith, mercy, giving, knowledge, discernment, prophecy, serving, teaching, speaking in tongues, hospitality, wisdom. Romans 12, 1 Cor. 12, and Ephesians 4 all speak about spiritual gifts. If you have difficulty determining yours, ask a close friend that knows you well. Pay attention to what others say you are especially good at. There are also spiritual gift assessments available online. Once we find our gift, we are encouraged to use it to God’s glory.

Knowing that different gifts are given to different people, promotes harmony within the family of God. We should understand that every gift is important…ours, theirs, everyone’s. We could liken it to a stanza of music notes. We know that a middle C has a different job than a high E. They are both equally important within the stanza and we respect what each one contributes, for their differences are what makes the song beautiful.

Keep on readin’ and I’ll keep on writin’.

Do you remember when we would see a dog in a store or a restaurant and know immediately that the person it was accompanying was blind? Along side of the well trained harnessed canine would walk the person – usually with dark glasses and shifting a white cane back and forth in front of them.

Times have changed. I was in Safeway a few weeks ago. I had some business to do at the customer service desk and was idly waiting my turn. I watched as people checked out and headed towards the door, passing closely by me. I wasn’t paying intense attention to anyone until….a small, yellow bobbing head with a big orange beak caught my eye. It was nestled very comfortably it seemed against a woman’s chest. I must have been starring (come on…you would too). She smiled and said, “Would you like to meet my support duck, Millie?”

“I sure would,” I said. “I’ve never met a support duck before.” In all honesty, I was having some difficulty processing this.

“Millie goes with me everywhere I go,” the woman said as she stroked the duck’s head with a finger. “See, I have this sling here,” she says and lifts up an edge of the long scarf draped around her neck, “that Millie rides in.” Inconspicuously, I tried to see if Millie had a diaper on, but the sling made it impossible to tell. Millie was hunkered down like she would be if sitting on a nest. I wasn’t sure how the lady felt about it, but considering I was shopping in a grocery store, I was voting for a diaper. As I finished my business at the counter and was walking out, my thoughts returned to the strange encounter. I wondered what kind of support can a duck give? Maybe they have a real sense of what is better – Jif or Skippy. She probably likes to pick out her own lettuce – I’ve heard ducks won’t eat wilted greens. Oh, and I think they are quite the connoisseurs of fine breads.

Ok, so I’ve poked a bit of fun and giggled about this unusual experience but I really think it’s quite sad. Sad to think there are people so yearning for something that they can’t seem to find, that they will try to find the answer in just about anything, including a 24/7 duck hanging around their neck.

I wish I would have had the opportunity to tell her about the One that goes with me wherever I go. The one who never leaves us or forsakes us. (Joshua 1:5) The one who is always available and bends His ear to hear us. (Psalm 116:2) Maybe God will provide another opportunity to run into Millie and her kind master. I won’t be so flabbergasted and will have a story to tell.

Keep on readin’ and I’ll keep on writin’.

Before my dad’s ranching days when he raised beef, he farmed and raised corn. One of my favorite activities in the spring was to follow behind the plow and pickup fish-worms. They were plentiful and plump in the rich, black soil of Pierce County, Nebraska. Our farm made for a self sufficient fishing operation…fish-worms out the front door and the Elkorn River out the back door.

If you’ve never smelled the aroma of fresh, overturned earth in the damp spring, you’ve missed out. It’s a special…well, earthy smell and to me it’s invigorating. As an adult, I often go to my vegetable garden to get my head straight. After hoeing the rows I leave in a better frame of mind than when I arrive. I thought it was the tranquility, sunshine, and completing a laborious task that had an uplifting effect on me. But now, I learn there is a hidden ingredient in our gardens and plowed fields that contributes to this feeling of well-being. You see, scientists have found that there is a micro-organism called myobacterium vacii that lives in soil, compost, and leaf mold. It is what causes the soil to have that earthy rich aroma and not only that – they have discovered it to be an anti-depressant. When the organism gives off that nice smell it triggers our brain’s neurotransmitters which then release serotonin – known as the happy hormone. Just one tablespoon of soil can contain 50 billion of these microbes. I now look at my potted geranium with a whole new respect! Studies with animals are showing that playing in the dirt may have the same effects as taking Prozac, but without the side effects.

Once my dad had plowed the field, I would watch him plant the corn. Within a couple of weeks, little green shoots would sprout up all across the field. Barring any hailstorms and enough rain, golden kernels of corn would be harvested in the fall.

The seed corn dealers made sure that Dad was given “good” seeds to plant that produced good stalks and good ears. Just as the persons preparing the seed sacks to sell sift the bad seeds from the good seeds, we must sift through the seeds that we plant in our souls. Satan loves nothing better than to scatter seeds of discouragement, doubt, shame, and guilt into our fertile souls. He has devious ways of accomplishing this – through the things we watch on TV or the Internet, the books we read, the friends we keep, the places we go. As Christians,we should choose wisely. Would you be embarrassed to invite Jesus to come in and watch what you’re watching on TV or to accompany you on your evening outing or to look over your shoulder at what you are reading? It can be tempting to start thinking it’s okay when society is moving in a direction away from what God’s Word tells us is true. “Everyone else is doing it.” We must think twice about buying into that kind of seed. Bad seed produces inferior crops. I encourage you to wrap your seeds in scripture, prayer, and Christian friendships that speak encouragement into your lives. These are things that produce good plants and good fruit.

No where will we find better encouragement than in 1 John: 4:4. The One who is living in you is far greater than the one who is in the world. Now that’s a truth to fertilize.

Until two weeks….keep on readin’ and I’ll keep on writin’.