Thoughts on Remembrance

My Saturn may be dead.  For two years I have repeatedly requested the mechanics to determine why it "lurches", "hesitates", and "misses".  They could find nothing. "Just wait until a service light goes on", was their counsel.  Of course, no service light flashed when Bill drove it to the gas station and could barely get it moving into the right gears.  He parked it in the garage to rest (our form of denial) until we get home from Tennessee.

My mental processes kicked into gear to try to come up with a plan for:  A) possible transmission, or B) different car, or C) utilizing only Bill's truck.  As usual, money is the driving force in these brain gymnastics.  To settle my mind, I turned to Psalm 66, my reading for the day.

     Shout with joy to God, all the earth!  Sing the glory of His name; make His praise glorious!

What was God's command to the Israelites whenever they were up against an obstacle? REMEMBER
So I will do the same in regards to His provisions to us over the years.

REMEMBER when He supplied green beans, corn and grapes from the good people of Plainwell First Baptist, and also a canner.
REMEMBER the first, little house He provided for $13,000 on a FHA loan.
REMEMBER the black and blue baby who "looked like he had been in a fight" (said a nurse), delivered by forceps because of my tilted uterus and his wide shoulders...who was healthy & normal.
REMEMBER the provision of a loan to pay for Bill's seminary.
REMEMBER the perfect parsonage we were blessed to inhabit in Downers Grove, IL
REMEMBER the contractors who remodeled our home in Allentown...at no cost to us!
REMEMBER the very imperfect parsonage we were forced to inhabit in Valley View..but very perfect after Bill's transformations.
REMEMBER how I labored over college FAFSA forms, wondering how we could help pay for college educations, but somehow it happened.
REMEMBER vacations provided by family members that we could never have done without their generosity.
REMEMBER the healing of my daughter in her bulimia struggle.
REMEMBER the arms of Jesus holding me tightly when my sisters died, comforting me.
REMEMBER the amazing details of acquiring this home over 22 years ago, this home that I love.
REMEMBER the many other miracle vehicles over the years: a green mustang for seminary; a silver station wagon when the third child came; 3 custom vans during our PA years so we could travel back to MI at least twice a year; the big Ford Bronco that cost nothing except that Bill had to dig it out of a barn where it had lived - under hay and pigeon droppings! --a safe first car for Mikkel to drive; Grandpa DeBoer's chevy that provided a car for a college kid; Uncle Maynard's Toyota provided for another kid in college; our recent mini RV for retirement enjoyment; and the list goes on!!

So, can I not believe that this small problem with my Saturn will be resolved in some way by the graciousness of a Father who gives and gives and gives?  I will resolve to REMEMBER and be grateful.

My Dear Hamilton by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie

".... there is not a breath in any American's life that is not shaped in some way by Alexander Hamilton.  My husband. My hero. My betrayer."

Because of Lin Manuel Miranda's astonishing Broadway phenom, Hamilton, most of America has become mesmerized by the story of this statesman.  However, when the story is depicted by his wife, Eliza, as in this book, there is a vast broadening of understanding and perception.

 
This 700 page epic is a brilliant example of why I love historical novels!  As I became enthralled in the story line, my "need to know" mind kept sending me to Wikipedia to check for the real facts....how little I actually know about the story behind our founding fathers!  In some ways I questioned whether that early government could be equally as divided as our nation today, and could the authors have put a "present day spin" on those matters of long ago?  But as I reviewed my previous thoughts about well-mannered gentlemen sitting around a table politely discussing the birth of a new nation, I realistically was able to put aside that vision and understand that "birthing" is messy, hard, and painful. 

Many of our first presidents were ardent believers in freedom...but how to manage the nitty gritty of that?  "Black and white" thinkers were on both sides of the fence, Hamilton stridently supporting a strong federal government, and Jefferson just as adamant on states' rights.....and so it has continued for over 200 years.  I was appalled when Eliza eloquently voiced that the Jacobins actually wanted the "commoners" to have just as equal a say in government matters as the educated and wealthy; while she and Alexander stood firmly against that position, believing that the "rabble" of commoners did not understand the intricacies of government.  It sounded so elite and uppity but caused me to wonder if our political parties actually feel the same today.  I also thought it interesting that Eliza could mentally feel this way but also have compassionate feelings against slavery...did she want them free but not fully as free as the wealthy?  And ironically, Alexander was not born into class so wasn't he considered a commoner?!  I recently read this from an opinion piece: "Our equation of spending with speech has led to a political arena in which a rich person's or corporations's "speech" is necessarily valued more highly than an average or poor person's speech."  Democracy has been fighting the same issues since its inception!

 The authors bring this well documented period in history alive with all of the drama, intrigue and disappointments that happened to the Hamilton family.  Eliza Hamilton was a strong and passionate woman who endured humiliation from the community, but persevered to not only bring Alexander's  detailed writings to the public for posterity; but to establish homes for orphans.  She was no "shrinking violet", even when her heart wanted to quit from all of the sufferings of her life.  I appreciated the sensitivity of the authors in acknowledging her strong faith, that brought her through the hardness of her life.

Kudos to the Dray and Kamoie for telling Eliza's story, the story of a true Influencer.  I am ready to read more from these two.

Fall Travels --the Beginning

Early September found us in Orlando with the Hendren crew for a DisneyWorld week.  The two weeks preceding were a bit unsettling as we tried to wait out Hurricane Dorian...who was moving at a snail's pace towards Florida.  However, we persevered and were able to keep our original flights--and it may have helped weed out the crowds!  I so anticipated watching the kids' faces when they saw the Princesses and other characters, as well as the afternoon parade and evening fireworks; but there were so many other "make you smile" moments!  Catching Keith throwing kids across the pool; Boppa entertaining Aubrey with sounds and faces; rocking & singing Aubrey back to sleep  one night; taking Maelie to see Cinderella and Elena on our own; Walker volunteering to be the horse in the Enchanted Tales with Belle event; experiencing Mel completely at ease as we played in the pool; the Safari ride at our first time ever in Animal Kingdom;  and the "laugh out loud" Kali River ride --all of us getting wet in the 95 degree heat.  Magical Moments, indeed!

So very grateful for the gift of our timeshare, which we have managed to keep for over 20 years.  Delighted we could gift each of our kids a honeymoon with it- -and now trips to DisneyWorld for each of the families... at least Bill and I get to join in on these trips !!  HA!
Two down, one more to go!!