Lasting Friendships

How many of us have four friends who’ve been committed to us for fifty-plus years?

I’m so grateful that I do. Over this time, we five have moved in and out of touch with each other. But in the past few years we’ve reconnected in several meaningful ways:

• Through loss
• Through personal challenges
• Through body part replacements
• Through remarriages and readjustments

Two weeks ago, we met for a weekend near the beach. Our conversation after dinner the first night got into some deep questions and answers as we shared with each other. Vulnerability allows us to know the other person(s) and pray for them with greater understanding.

…And Newer Friends

Our dear friends, Dave and Pat Kelley, visited us from Washington State as they buried Pat’s uncle. We visited, shared needs, and played games together.

During that time, our second car was in an accident. Since the cost of repairs would be significant, I suspect the insurance company will total the car. That’s one way to get rid of an insurance payment! And Don and I can easily get by with one car. Although he received his license for another five years – until 105! (chuckle) I do most of the driving and am usually happy to do that.

Of course we weren’t happy about the accident, but God gave grace. He knows all that is ahead in our lives and we trust Him. We said goodbye to Pat and Dave, looking forward to our next opportunity to visit.

Family, Politics and Pumpkins

After church and lunch with a group of friends Sunday, we attended a presentation by a candidate for California Governor. Very energetic, great ideas (can he push those through the legislature?), funny. Really held our attention. How important for Christians to pray for our elections, and to VOTE!

American Eagle on Flag, carved by Kyle

That evening nephew and niece Kyle and Heather hosted us for a lovely dinner of chicken tortellini soup and gluten-free muffins, with gluten-free brownies for dessert. Yum! Their children Cole and Cadence, and Heather’s mother, Debbie, completed the party.

Last year Kyle and Heather began a tradition which we continued this year: pumpkin carving. I’ve never used a template before, but we all used different ones Sunday.

Ooh, the feel of scraping out the gooey, seeded innards. I copied our template onto the pumpkin, and Don carved it. We picked the simplest template, a gravestone with a cross on it—or, as ten-year-old Cadence said, “It looks like a chapel with a cross on it.” I like her version better than the one on the template.

Cadence’s pumpkin? A wolf howling at the moon.

Fourteen-year-old Cole is very artistic. He drew the face of their dog, Moose, which was amazingly good. Using that as his template, he carved his pumpkin. I think it’s just beautiful.

And we enjoyed a dinner out with Don’s sister, 95-year-old Joan, and her daughter, Karen.

Work on My Novel

I am about two thirds through final edits on my first novel, tentatively titled Out of Russia, inspired by my father’s family escaping Ukraine (which was then part of Russia) in 1929. God has led our ancestors (Dad was twelve when they left) through great difficulty, and has granted grace along the way. He is still doing that. I look forward to sending more information as my novel nears publication.

In this time of turmoil, without and sometimes within, I encourage you to hold fast to the God who is Present, who loved you and me enough to exchange Jesus’ perfect, sinless life for our forgiveness of sins and reconciliation with Him.

“Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

— Philippians 4:5-7