Today, I’m proud of my brother-in-law, Grand Island firefighter, Seth Ross. He climbed 110 flights of stairs. In full turnout gear. He was one of 343 firefighters who participated in the Denver Stair Climb. 110 flights of stairs because the World Trade Center was 110 stories tall. And 343 firefighters climbed because that is how many of New York’s finest we lost on September 11, 2001. Seth climbed for William S. O’Keefe, one of those 343. 343. That number is…
Millie She was a head tossed back laughing. She was beautiful blue eyes with a mischievous twinkle. She was playing the organ and singing old hymns. She was rolling dough to make homemade noodles. She was getting chased by headless chickens but having the last laugh when she’d fry them up extra crispy. She was always on the go. On a lawn-mower, a 4-wheeler, an old pick-up truck. She didn’t quit. She worked hard on the farm for everything she…
I am so sorry it has been such a long time since I’ve written. Life overwhelmed me for a bit there. For those of you who missed it, this happened. We moved away from our home in North Platte to put down roots in my hometown, Giltner. Stu is the new principal/superintendent at MY school. I think God likes to throw us funny life quirks that we never thought we’d see coming. Just to let us know He’s in charge…
It’s Good Friday. This week, I spent some time reading the account of Jesus’s betrayal, crucifixion, and the resurrection. Like many of you, I’ve read this account many times. At least once a year at Easter time. But this year, something stood out to me that hadn’t before. The centurion and his confession of Christ. You can read all of Matthew 27 for context but at the point of the centurion’s confession, Jesus had been crucified and just gave up…
You guys, it feels good just to log onto this blog, open up a blank post and type. It feels like I haven’t written in forever. The week of Christmas, we found out we are expecting another baby! We couldn’t be more excited about our little Christmas gift. But when the holidays settled down, the sickness settled in. January felt like the month of yuck. Morning sickness that was actually all day, random sickness…feeling like my days were spent rocking on…
I feel like somebody’s watching me. Somebody little. And to further creep me out, he’s copying me. Mimicking me. Somedays, it actually feels like he might be mocking me! Sometimes it’s cute. Like how he chirps “Here ya go!” when I hand him anything. Apparently, I say that often? Or how he holds his toy phone up to his ear and parrots, “hello!” over and over. I guess he’s seen me do that before a few times. But sometimes, it’s…
Christmas 2016 is in the books. It was so much fun to watch Colton experience Christmas this year. He is at an observant age. Everything is “Whas ‘at”? Anything new to him is “ooo” and “wow!” We had our little family Christmas on the 23rd. Stu came home from work and we opened presents. For supper, we made Cornish Hens and mashed potatoes. The Cornish Hens were a tradition that…
I am always torn about mailing Christmas cards. I’m an old soul so I appreciate getting real mail. I love to hang up the thoughtful cards sent from family and friends. We enjoy the faces smiling from our fridge until we finally take them down to put up the new ones. But in the name of simplifying Christmas with both time and money, I decided to skip mailing out cards. I am on social media so often, I figure it’s…
Have you stopped to behold Him yet this Christmas season? I know, it’s a busy time of year. Full of Christmas lists and shopping, wrapping paper and gift bags, decking the halls, endlessly addressing Christmas cards, running to this pageant and that program, feast planning and baking, charity events, trips to see Santa, Holiday light tours, caroling, family get-togethers. All good things. Festive and family-focused. Spreading good cheer to all. There’s nothing wrong with it. I love this time of…
If I close my eyes, I can picture that night. Pitch black and still. Quiet. When suddenly, it wasn’t dark or quiet anymore. The brilliant light of the angels’ glory pierced the darkness and startled the shepherds sleepily guarding their sheep. Upon that midnight clear, they began to sing a “glorious song of old”. Luke 2:13-14 says, “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of heavenly host praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, and…