reminders

Our choir has been hard at work on an Easter cantata entitled: "Raise the Crown". The more we practice it, the more I love it. The words, the message, the harmonies, the rhythms, the solos, the powerful CD accompaniment.

We are singing it on Palm Sunday morning, Easter Sunday being reserved for other traditions. This week we have already had two extra rehearsals - and mighty good attendance for both. Wednesday will be our dress rehearsal and after Sunday's concert the choir will have a potluck (I'm in charge of table decorations - I'm thinking potted pansies - any other ideas?).

At last night's practice one of the young dads in the choir had his son in tow. This little boy is about 4-5 years old. His parents say, "He's a mess." which down here doesn't mean he's messed up, but that he is a character. I think.

Anyway, this little guy's mom has a solo in the cantata. It is the final song, "All Rise" written by Babbie Mason.

We were singing the song last night, when I heard a soprano voice behind me singing all the words (and the high notes!), almost but not quite right. It was the little boy. He had heard his mother repeatedly practice this song and he knew it as well as she did. It was so incredibly sweet to hear this little one belting out:

All rise, all rise, before the Holy One.

All rise, all rise, worship the Messiah.

Singing Holy, holy, holy; worthy!

Was and is to come; He is the Great I am!

It reminded this sentimental mama of the days when our boys were little and they would be running around the living room singing praise songs at the top of the lungs. I am so grateful that they are still lifting their voices in praise to the Lord (though not so much while running around the living room - that I know of).

~~~~

And speaking of being reminded, let me remind you that today is the day to mail your red envelope to President Obama. See here for more information.

emphatic

crabapple tree buds

Mom and Dad arrived home a day earlier than I expected. KimmeeSue was beyond delighted. I had given her a bath while they were gone and apparently she considers that to be a kin to dog abuse.

Anyway, I was glad to see Mom and Dad too, but I didn't make a spectacle of myself like some 'people' I know. Jumping, licking, wagging. There is nothing like being welcomed home by a dog is there?
~~~~~~
A little girl - probably about 9 or 10 years old, - was baptized at church yesterday. The pastor asked her if she had accepted Jesus Christ as her Savior. She responded with a loud and emphatic, "YES, SIR!"

It was wonderful to hear someone so young be so bold. I sure miss working with kids. I see in the church newsletter that they are asking for volunteers to help with Vacation Bible School......
~~~~~

Saturday reflections

A foggy morning, this. And a bit of rain too. A soggy walk punctuated with a coyote sighting and a brief talk with a neighbor with recurring health problems.

As much as I love my morning walks, there is always a feeling of relief and welcome when I return home. This morning the daffodils and hyacinths stood out against the fog and gloom. I knew last fall when I was crawling around on my hands and knees planting bulbs that I would be glad I did. I am.

This is our third straight day of (welcome) rain. Today's forecast is for severe weather. We will see how KimmeeSue handles it - she is not inordinately fond of thunderstorms and usually retreats to the car or the bonus room over the garage. Since we do not have a bonus room, she may spend part of the day in our car.
~~~~~~~
I hope you read Becky and Linda's comments on yesterday's post. I really enjoy these like-minded friends. Like me, they receive more satisfaction in knowing that they can keep a sewing machine running for decades instead of running out and buying the latest one with all the bells and whistles. (Not that there is anything wrong with a sewing machine with all the latest bells and whistles. A lady in our choir made a stunning banner for Easter with an elaborately embroidered cross and thorns. It is a work of art and one that could not have been done on my machine!)

Linda, you have both Becky and me beat when it comes to sewing machine longevity. I am so impressed that you repair it yourself (I have done a little of that, but I think now it is time for an expert) and that you used to make Denny's dress shirts! What a woman! I say - take that machine to your church missions sewing day with pride and show the younger gals a thing or two. In love, of course.

With the economy in the shape it is, people are starting to value a frugal mindset. You might find that you can influence the younger women and help train them to think frugally.

sew long

Click here to enter.

I found out about the above fabric giveaway on momawake's blog. (And didn't she leave a sweet comment on yesterday's post? Thank you! The feeling is mutual!)


It just so happens that I have been reading Anna Maria Horner's blog as of late and bought her book Seams to Me while I was on my trip. Aren't her fabrics fun and cheery looking? Wouldn't it be fun to win a coupla yards?


I finished the two angels costumes yesterday. They are plain and simple, but midway through the project my bobbin tension went wonky. My machine is over 30 years old and has only been in for repairs once. So far. During the wonkiness, I was tempted to give up, but remembered mid-frustration to ask the Lord what He wanted me to learn from this experience.
"Patience." came the still, small voice.
"Again?" was my reply.

I finished the costumes by hand. Which took twice as long (at least!) as sewing on the machine. Hence today's title.
~~~~~
Our overnight guest has been behaving herself fairly well. Unlike most of our guests though, she dug a hole in the yard and insists on chewing on the gutter drain pipe covers.

KimmeeSue and I were out for a walk yesterday. I thought she was following me but when I looked behind me she was back sitting at the entrance to the cul-de-sac. "Silly human." she seemed to say.

overnight guest

The sound of rain on the roof woke me up in the middle of the night. I quietly prowled around the house for a while. Looking out windows. Listening. Raindrops kept falling over my head. As you can see from the above picture we need a little rain (love that crocus - the color!).

Today's rain suits my purposes very well. I've lit a candle to dispel any gloom and plan to tackle a few rainy day projects. I need to make two angel costumes for the Easter cantata and memorize a song for Sunday. Those are 'must-do's'.

In addition, I want to write some notes and tackle a few other sewing projects. The lettuce and the lilies, the radishes and the rhubarb are soaking up life giving rain; I hope to be productive as well.

We have a guest for the next few days. The four legged variety. Mom and Dad left this morning to attend a funeral. The husband of my second cousin was killed in a car accident on Sunday. I never met him, but Mom and Dad knew him well. Please pray for David's wife and daughters.

In the meantime, we will be kept company by the delightful KimmeeSue:

March Mary and Martha moments

When I learned that some of my Northwoods girlfriends would be coming to the Twin Cities to see me, I decided to plan a Mary and Martha moment - much like I had done during the times I directed the women's choir.

The Mary moment consisted of a page from the Bible study I was doing back in TN. We were encouraged to reword the following Scriptures as prayers for our loved ones:

Psalm 18:16-19
Proverbs 2:7-8
Proverbs 4:23-27 and
Romans 12:1-2

As instructed in the Anointed, Transformed, Redeemed study, we were to write:
Dear Father in heaven, in accordance with Your powerful, life-giving Word, I ask You....

followed by the rewritten Scripture. I gave each gal a worksheet and some 3x5 cards to accomplish the task.

This was a very meaningful exercise for me.
~~~~~
For the Martha moment, prior to leaving on my trip, I made each gal (including my hostesses along the way) a tea wallet.

Here they are:

You'll find the directions here. (Scroll down on the page for the tutorial.)

I had so much fun making these cute little things! They are a nice little hostess gift. You may want to whip up a batch yourself!

hysterical markers

redbud

photo from www.fast-growing-trees.com

While I was traveling up north, spring was making her appearance in east Tennessee. Redbuds and Bradford pears are blooming, as well as various fruit trees. Spring bulbs are showing their beauty and rows of lettuce and radishes in my garden are advancing toward maturity.

Speaking of maturity. My Northwoods girlfriends. What a bunch of wonderful, WACKY people.

You might think that a bunch of 49+ year old women would be sedate and respectable and demure. You would be wrong. In fact, Molly, the only twenty-something in the group seemed far more mature than the rest of us.

Four of the six of us had swimming suits. The hotel had a pool, a hot tub and a WATER SLIDE.

The gals with suits headed for the pool. Lora and I were the audience. Watching these four funny ladies hurtle down the water slide was hysterical. Their attempts to come down gracefully - beauty queen style- usually ended up in throwing them off balance resulting in their elbows and knees clunking against the sides of the slide. I guess you had to be there. Lora and I laughed so hard we nearly..., well, we laughed so hard.

We did some shopping, we did some eating, we played some games, Daniel good-naturedly came over from school to join us for Quiddler (fun game - if you like word games you should get it!). What a guy. He didn't seem to mind at all hanging out with a bunch of middle-aged women. Course he did win.

The sweetest time of all was Sunday morning. We had a time of devotions before we packed up our rooms and left for church. As we ended our Bible study time, it was my intent to pray a blessing on these dear friends. I prayed the first few words and then became a sobbing, blubbering mess. Instantly, they were all at my side, hanging on to me and somehow I choked and sniffed and sobbed my way through the prayer.

What great gals. We have decided to make this an annual event. Thanks girlfriends! It was wonderful!

the end of the road

sure was hard to leave this guy

I hardly know where to start. To say that I had a great time on my trip would be an understatement. Everything met and exceeded my expectations.

It was in a word: overwhelming. Not in the 'I-can't-take-this-anymore-' kind of overwhelming, but in the 'I-can-scarcely believe-that-I-am-so-blessed' kind of overwhelming.

This trip was not about sight-seeing at all - although Suzi did take me over the new 35W bridge in Minneapolis (the former one collapsed in August of 2007 - killing several people).

This trip was about people. I love my people.

That grandson of mine. Isn't he the cutest? And so good-natured. Oh my, oh my. I couldn't get enough of him. What fun.

My daughter-in-love is a wonderful hostess and we had fun shopping and talking and frequently commenting on how cute Joshua is. (Isn't he?)

Those boys o' mine. What funny guys they are. Just sitting in the same room with them, doing absolutely nothing fills me with joy.

And I got to see my sisters and my northern niece and nephews. Thank you all for taking the time! It was so good to be with you.

And, as if all that weren't enough, five girl friends from the Northwoods of Wisconsin made a 500 mile round trip to spend this past weekend with me. Ann, Cindy, Lora, Mary and Molly, I can't thank you enough for coming over to the cities. We laughed and we cried and we had an absolute blast together. More on that in the days to come.

I'm now sitting in a familiar chair at a familiar desk, smiling a contented satisfied smile. So thankful to God for a great family, top-notch friends and safe travels.

Now...off to do laundry. And pay bills.

pictures for the fam

Joshua and Uncle Daniel

When I returned from having dinner with Lori and Richard, I was greeted by this sight. Don't my boys play nice together?

intense concentration - I'm not even sure they knew that I had returned

Daniel and Jon were playing a game - Nate was probably checking the stock market.

thoughts from the road

a boy and his dog

music men

my mac boys

Ahhh....
I love my family. Every last one of them.

It has been beyond wonderful this past week to be able to stop and spend time with various ones of 'em.

My road trip is winding down and while it has been wonderful, it is getting to be time to get on home. To be back with my hubby and to tell him and the folks all the details of the past week. Today Daniel and I head back to Minneapolis. Some of my Northwoods girlfriends are heading to the cities and we will spend the remaining days of my trip together. Laughing, crying, praying, telling silly stories on each other. "Remember the time....."

Right now though, I hear the sounds of a waking grandson. Gotta get as much granny time in as I can...

By the way, thank you for praying for my sister in love Cheryl. She is at home now and the doctors feel that they got everything!

The man who can't say no...

Happy St. Paddy's Day

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCbuRA_D3KU

stopping by...

Can you believe I've only taken a few pictures of Joshua? And I can't post them. Will try to work on that, as well as on a little video.

I am filled with gratitude to God. To be with Daniel and Jon and Kristi and Joshua is a wonderful. To see how they have dedicated their lives to serving God is such a blessing.

To sit in a worship service led by your middlest son is a joy. To hear of how your daughter-in-love helped coordinate the packing of 120,000+ meals to be sent to Africa is inspiring. To know that Daniel is on course to graduate next spring with a degree in Youth Ministry is encouraging.

And tomorrow we visit Nathan and are anxious to hear how God is working in his life.

In the midst of all these blessings, though we have received some sobering news. My sweet, lovely, kind-hearted sister-in-love Cheryl has been diagnosed with thyroid cancer. Surgery is tomorrow. We would all appreciate your prayers.

And Daniel is also scheduled for another surgery. That pesky nose polyp which was not supposed to return is back. He had a scan last Thursday. Surgery is April 8. His college years have been beset with health problems. But I don't hear one word of complaint from him.

As is so true in life, laughter and joy often have pain and sorrow and concern and sleepless prayer-filled nights as companions. The sorrows make the joys all the sweeter, don't they?

Hold on to your loved ones. Kiss on 'em and love 'em. That is what we are doing!

busy playing.....

sixty degrees of separation

Monday (or was it Tuesday?) was a record setting temperature day down in our part of Tennessee.  79*.  So imagine the shock to the system to step off the airplane in Minneapolis to temps in the upper teens.

And speaking of airplanes.  Since I had not flown since 1995, I checked a few travel related websites and followed the advice of friends and family who had flown recently.  The travel related websites said that 'things will go wrong'  and ' be prepared for delays' etc. etc.

Everything went smoothly.  No delays, no sheepish embarrassment at holding up the line at the security check.  The only thing that did go 'wrong' was that our plane landed 30 minutes EARLY.

It was wonderful.  I think I will fly up here all the time.  Only maybe not in March.

Suzi has been a wonderful and welcoming hostess.  As always.  She has indulged me and taken me around to see a few things I don't get to see in the country.  Barnes and Noble.  Whole Foods.

And...I got to meet Jenilyn.   She was Daniel's supervisor last summer when he worked for Youthworks.  Suzi took me down to their office and we got to spend a few minutes chatting.  All too short.  She is even lovelier than her picture and just as sweet as I had imagined she would be.  Thanks, Jenilyn for taking time out of such a busy day to see a coupla old gals!  Suzi took our picture and I was going to post it here, but my camera phone is not on speaking terms with Suzi's computer.  I'll have Daniel's camera later today, so hopefully we can post pics of our adventures.

Today's agenda is:

walk the dog

spend more time with Suzi

go to Crown to get Daniel and meet with Elie and Taylie (I have known these young ladies ever since they were itty  bitty by small - I get to see their mommies next weekend!).

head to Iowa to see JOSHUA and of course, Jon and Kristi.

Looking forward to another wonderful day.  

forget me not?

She looked to be about my age. She was standing in the Malwart parking lot, hand extended and sweeping across the parking lot; clicking away on the panic button on her car keys.

"Can't remember where you parked?" I asked.

She smiled.

"Been there, done that," I commiserated.

~~~~~~

There was a cup of coffee on the counter at the gas station when I paid for my once a week cappuccino (which is mostly hot chocolate with a touch of french vanilla coffee to help me feel more like a grown-up).

I pointed it out to the clerk. She laughed.

"That's Danny's. He went out of here a few minutes ago and left without paying. Came back in and paid and I guess he left without coffee."

~~~~~

Our neighbor reportedly shot a skunk the other night. Upon further examination he discovered that the varmit was only a piece of black plastic. A now very dead piece of black plastic. Ooops. He will most likely not hear the end of this.

~~~~~

I put Mom and Dad's garbage out last night. But not before their across the street neighbor got his out. Sorry, Mom and Dad. Didn't mean to let you down. Competition is pretty fierce amongst the retirees in the 'hood.

~~~~~

You will all be very disappointed to learn, after all these riveting stories, that I will not be posting tomorrow.

Because I am getting my long-suffering-not-a-morning-person husband up at dark-thirty to take me to the airport so I can fly to Minneapolis where I will be met by sister Suzi.

Posting from the road in a few days if I remember....

road trip

daffodils coming up despite a tree landing on top of them - that's perseverance!

The picture on today's post were taken on our Sunday walk. There must have been an old farmhouse or two on this land at one time. Daffodils planted long ago are still enjoyed today. We may not know the one who planted the bulbs, but we know the One who made them!

I occasionally tell Pat that someday our subdivision is going to be a beautiful place. The trees, shrubs and flowers that we and our neighbors are planting today will mature and become established and outlive us. It is nice to know that we have a small part in something future generations will enjoy.

And speaking of future generations! Two more days. Suzi will pick me up from the airport Thursday morning and I will spend the night at her house. Friday, the road trip begins.

Daniel and I drive to Iowa to see Jon and Kristi and Josh. Spend a few days there - go to church with them and - wonderful blessing - Jon is leading worship that Sunday. Then Tuesdayish Daniel and I and Jon are heading to see Nate and Michelle and I hope Lori and Richard too. I'll have all three of my boys together!

After we are done in the big city, we will go back to Iowa for a little while longer. Then Kristi, Josh and I will head back to the Twin Cities. Rumor has it that a few Northwoods girlfriends are heading to the Cities and we will have a fun reunion!

For now, I am enjoying another day of warm temperatures. We have had windows open each of the last three days and are loving the sunshine streaming in and the sounds of birds filling the air.

Have a wonderful day everyone!

a knotty tree

round and about

forget -me -nots in Mom and Dad's yard

Got all our seeds and plants in the ground over the weekend.

Worked hard. Then relaxed.

Went to church. Walked at our favorite park. Napped.

Rained last night.

Okay, I'll stop. We sort of watched a 'cop show' on tv last night. The lack of subjects in the sentence structure of the dialogue got a little tiresome after a while.

Know what I mean?

~~~~~

On my walk this morning I met a gal that I had previously only been on waving terms with. She would be headed out to work as I walked. Unfortunately she is a recent casualty of the economic downturn. No more job. She said that I have inspired her to walk (wasn't that sweet?). We walked together for a while this morning. I look forward to getting to know her better.

Before I ran into her, I saw a coyote. On the lot next to our house. Sorry no pictures as it was still a tad dark.

Mom and Dad and I are traveling this week. They are headed east, I am going northwest. They leave today for a week at a time share in Pigeon Forge with their good friends of forty years. I hope they behave themselves as I won't be along to watch over them.

I go to Minneapolis on Thursday, Iowa on Friday, Illinois on Monday and then back to Iowa and Minneapolis. If you are in my path, consider yourself warned.

easing into Saturday

Yet another beautiful sunrise this morning. Sorry, no picture, I was too busy walking and gawking. Streaks of white cut across the pastel blue, pink and yellow beginnings of the morning.

Birds were singing. Robins, finches, redwing blackbirds and some sort of flocking birds were flitting about the neighborhood. A calf in the pasture across the road from us scampered wildy about the field while the more mature cows and bulls sedately grazed. Yesterday I planted peas, a few varieties of lettuce, and radishes. Today we are planting some blueberry bushes, rhubarb, irises and lilies.

And grass.

So that the next time Joshua is here he can run through the nice soft grass in Grandpa and Granny's back yard.

Have a great weekend everyone. Don't forget to 'spring ahead '- as I am sure you would do if you found this cow behind you!

So. Sew. Sow.

This morning's 5,000 foot cloud ceiling made for a very nice sunrise, don't you think? I do.

Today's agenda includes packing groceries for the food pantry, running a few errands, working on a little sewing project and planting.

I have to pinch myself. After living in the Northwoods for decades, it is almost unbelievable that I could be planting lettuce, peas and radishes in early March. Yesterday I was weeding! It is supposed to be in the low 70's today. Y'all just have to come and visit.

Pat and I unloaded an entire trailer load of dirt onto our backyard day before yesterday. And we have the sore muscles to prove it! Hard work, but fun too. It was in the 50's that day. Perfect weather for hard, sweaty labor. We shoveled out however many yards of soil it was and then raked it out and filled in some of the low spots. We seed it tomorrow. (And may I just say here, how much we miss our three strong hardworking sons.)

After we spent a good three hours, shoveling and raking, our neighbor came home with a dump trailer and dumped a load of dirt on his lot. Then he used his tractor with a bucket and spread the dirt around. I think he was done in about 3 minutes.

We are not jealous though. We are too busy admiring our biceps.

~~~~~~

I have been mediating on a verse that Pastor preached on last Sunday night. Romans 12:12.

"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer."

Isn't that good? I just might have to stencil that on a wall somewhere.

cause

Last week, Mom, Dad and I went to Knoxville to run some errands.

One of the errands included finding red envelopes.

We finally found a box at Office Max (or was it Office Depot?).

Dad carefully explained both to the man who helped us find the envelopes and the fellow who checked us out why we needed red envelopes. And why you may want to pick up some too.

Get a red envelope. You can buy them at Kinkos, or at party supply stores. On the front, address it to:
President Barack Obama

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W.

Washington , D.C. 20500
On the back, write the following message.

This envelope represents one child who died in abortion. It is empty because that life was unable to offer anything to the world. Responsibility begins with conception.

Put it in the mail on March 31st, and send it. Then send this website to every one of your friends who you think would send one too. I wish we could send 50 million red envelopes, one for every child who died before having a a chance to live.

The information can be found on this website. It explains it much better than I could. Can't find a box of red envelopes? The website also has a link to a tutorial for making envelopes. My daughter-in-love Kristi also sent me a link to this same site.

Mom and Dad are sharing their envelopes with their Sunday School class. They gave some to me and the ladies at Bible Study snatched them all up.

Join us in making a stand for life.

A waste of paper you say? Paper, though I try to carefully conserve it, is nothing in the grand scheme of things. A human life. Now that is something.

"For You created my inmost being;

You knit me together in my mother's womb.

I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

Your works are wonderful, I know that full well."

Psalm 139:13-14

~~~~~

And to those dear readers who may have endured an abortion, please know that there is grace and forgiveness and love from the hand of God. Abortion is such a polarizing term - especially when thrown around the political ring. Pro lifers are often characterized as hateful, judgmental people.

Most of us who stand against abortion realize that in a moment of desperation a hasty choice is made. An irreversible decision. Yet God offers forgiveness and healing for those who seek His forgiveness. You cannot undo your decision, but He offers grace and mercy to help you carry on.

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.

Romans 8:1-2

in the morning when I rise

I am so thankful that God made me a morning person. Heading out the door each morning, I wonder what the new day will bring.

This morning it brought yet another gorgeous sunrise - though I don't think I've ever seen a bad sunrise. Birds were singing, neighbors were getting ready to leave for work or begin their day at home. I love the fresh newness of each morning. How about you?

Hymn writers proclaim the wonders of this special time of day:

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!

Early in the morning, our song shall rise to thee.

and

In the morning when I rise,

In the morning when I rise,

In the morning when I rise,

give me Jesus

And when I am alone, give me Jesus

And when I am afraid, give me Jesus

You can have all this world, but give me Jesus

Amen?

Have a wonderful day, filled with wonder!

too much

Sometimes I sit in front of the computer screen and have no idea what I should write for my blog. I'm sure you can tell that.

Other times there is too much to tell. The words just spill out and my fingers can't quite catch up with my thoughts.

Today is one of those days. Unfortunately, I have no time to pour out my thoughts today.

A gal from our Bible study called last night. She can't make it to study today, would I teach her portion of the lesson? Sure, said I.

Well, I am not done preparing. Her portion of the lesson is much meatier than I thought and I want to devote as much time as possible to it before I head out the door 90 minutes from now.

We are studying the book and DVD series Anointed Transformed Redeemed - A Study of David. This is from the Deeper Still event featuring Priscilla Shirer, Beth Moore and Kay Arthur. We are halfway through and it is wonderfully challenging and inspiring.

More tomorrow - here are a few family pics: Derek - the thinker


Ethan - the hugger

Emilee - perpetual motion

(brother Ethan is giving her a hand in this photo)

being followed

Three consecutive days of cloudy, rainy, windy, cold weather were brightened considerably by the arrival of my one and only brother and his three kids.



We enjoyed lots of laughs and good fellowship.



Here is the irrepressible Miss Emilee giving Framma and Frampa's camels from Saudi Arabia a good talking to: Wish I had time to post more pics today, but blogger is very slow this morning and I must run.




I will leave you with this story - mentioned by Dad at the dinner table:

A mom was concerned about her kindergarten daughter walking to school. She didn't want her mother to walk with her. She wanted to give her the feeling that she had some independence but yet know that she was safe. So she had an idea of how to handle it.
She asked a neighbor, Mrs. Goodnest, if she would please follow her to school in the mornings, staying at a distance, so she probably wouldn't notice her. Mrs. Goodnest said that since she was up early with her toddler anyway, it would be a good way for them to get some exercise as well, so she agreed.
The next school day, Mrs. Goodnest and her little girl, Marcy, set out following behind Mary as she walked to school with another neighbor girl she knew. She did this for the whole week. As the girls walked and chatted, kicking stones and twigs, Mary's little friend noticed the same lady was following them as she seemed to do every day all week.
Finally she said to Mary, "Have you noticed that lady following us to school all week? Do you know her?"
Mary nonchalantly replied, "Yeah, I know who she is."
The friend said, "Well, who is she?"
"That's just Shirley Goodnest" Mary replied, "and her daughter Marcy."
"Shirley Goodnest? Who is she and why is she following us?"
"Well", Mary explained, "every night my Mom makes me say the 23rd Psalm with my prayers, 'cuz she worries about me so much. And in the Psalm, it says 'Shirley Goodnest and Marcy shall follow me all the days of my life,' so I guess I'll just have to get used to it!"

As I spend time with my family and reflect on all my many blessings, I realize that goodness and mercy are following me all the days of my life!