Heaven

Do you think much about heaven?  I mean really, do you spend any time at all thinking about heaven?  Well I don't.  I  figure it's there for me and when I get there I will be most pleasantly surprised.  But, except for right now, I don't think much about heaven.  Just like I don't think much about breathing.  My faith is real simple.  God is God.  I believe God is.  And I don't understand the rest.  Actually, I don't think we're supposed to understand.  I just think we're supposed to live the best life we can and God will take care of the rest. 

 We went to a new church today and the sermon was about heaven.  Sunday school discussion was about heaven.  I don't get it.  One of my lovely Christian customers said one day (as I spend lots of time talking about life and the way things are with my customers), "I find it funny, as much as we all talk about how wonderful heaven is, there doesn't seem to be a big rush to get there."  I loved it.  To me, it's life, that is so wonderful, maybe because it's finite.  Heaven on the other hand it infinite.  So the finite must be so very valuable. 

I vote for now.  God will take care of then.  But now is such a remarkable time.  Now we can touch someone's life.  Now we can take a walk with a child.  Now, we can lift the heart of a loved one. Now, we can crack a joke to make a handicap seem more accessible.  Now is what we have.  God has heaven.  And, I expect it to be wonderful. 

When I was growing up, my grandparents would visit often on Sundays and the big deal was greeting them at the gate.  There was joy in running out to meet them and welcoming  them to our home.  I think heaven will be something like that.  Our family members who have gone before will run to greet us, and we we celebrate the joy of knowing.  Knowing.  Knowing one another.  Knowing that what we believed without seeing is the truth.  Knowing that God is God and all his faithfulness has been revealed in our very presence. 

I actually don't think much, or hardly ever, about heaven.  But, just like breathing, and just like I know Jed will walk someday, I know it is there, it's in the bank and the reason we have banks, is so we don't have to think about it.  We know it's there. 

I'm Gonna Knock Your Socks Off

Our youngest grandchild started kindergarten this year.  We're blessed to be here in Colorado to watch the transformation. He proudly entered the house after his first day saying, "Grandma, I'm going to knock your socks off!" And then he proceeded to read his first student made school book with great pride.

It's good to be reminded of the great joy of learning.  We're here with three little boys who are entering into new worlds with new schools and classmates.  We too, are entering new worlds.  Sameness is safe and venturing out can be quite fearful. We've ventured many miles from our safe place.  Jed has a new doctor, a new OT therapist, a new PT therapist, new methods, new bed to sleep in, new TV remote to get used to, new, new, new.  Some of it is hard for him.  Some of it is painful.  Some it is hard for me and some of it is painful, but all in all we are going to knock your socks off.

I'm so proud of Jed.  He works so hard.  Today he had a "tired" day.  Tomorrow he will be ready to stand and practice walking.  He doesn't give up.  He doesn't say things like, "I'll never get better."  He is a man of great strength, great faith in himself, great faith in me, and great faith in God.  And, he has a marvelous sense of humor that carries us both through tough days.

Shared living is quite a lovely thing.  There's just more people to carry the weight of life.  Never in my wildest imagination did I think we would be living in a house with my son and his family, but it is quite nice.  I almost feel like John Boy should be saying, "Good night, Grandpa."  It's nice.  Just a few minutes ago our oldest, Ian, was digging through the refrigerator.  I went out and said, "hungry?" "Yeah, and there's nothing good.  Do you have anything good in your fridge?"  So we quietly searched and found a cucumber.  Odd, I know, but he loves them.  "Thanks Grandma, goodnight."  Moments like that are magic.

We try to get the kids to talk about their school day so we started, "five things."  The idea is that they are to tell us five things that they did during the day.  It's a riot.  But today was a kicker.  "Well, grandma, I just didn't have a five things day."  Like who can't think of five things they did?

My five things today was:  we slept late (which was wonderful), Jen and I got pedicures,(which was wonderful), then we went shopping (which was wonderful), then we had steaks that Nate BBQ'd, (which was wonderful), and then we went fishing (which was wonderful, but we didn't catch a thing.)

But Jed didn't have a five things day.  He was just tired all day.  He got a massage yesterday that made him so relaxed that he couldn't really get with the day today.  Right now he's sleeping and when I look at him I see so much hope even in his sleep filled face. 

So, I'm here to tell you that, just like Gavin in his joy to share his great new book, "We're going to knock your socks off."  It's been 16 months and it's much longer than we had in our heads for his recovery, but we both are still strong in our faith and commitment to his recovery.  Watch out.  One of these days Jed will be able to put his socks on and that indeed will knock my socks off. 

Colorado or Bust!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We're here.

It's been quite an adventure.  Packing, making decisions, watering the precious plants for the last time, repacking, "oh I forgot this," and "oh I forgot that."

But we got off.  We got to Jed's son's house the first day and reveled in the joy of their new life.  Proud as we could be we moved on.  Ubaldo at the helm and Jed the first mate.  Me squeezed between them with Wally on my lap, then Jed's, then mine, yadda, yadda yadda, for miles and miles. 

We trecked on.  And so it was for four days.  Some of it amazing fun, some of it barely tolerable, but we trecked on.  Great grandpa's hall tree in Matt's new home, we trecked on.  Stopped at two casinos on the way.  Paid for gas. 

Colorado would not be special if the kids weren't here.  But, they are and it is.  But here we miss the people.  People who we go to the movies with, people who know us, people who we know.  Here we are strangers in an amazingly beautifulstrange land.  So here we will meet people.

We now have an occupational therapist who we think is brilliant.  We have a physical therapist who we just met today and are confident that  she will do magic.  We are settled in our home and even have a "silver bullet" ( old clunky wheelchair van with hydrolic lift) that we are calling the "silver bullet, family van."   Push comes to shove we can ALL (dogs and all) go on an outing.  By the way, Wally is very happy.  The mountain air has given him back his youth.  And, Sarah, and anyone else who cares, we have a lake that if full of very hungry and big fish. 

So, we're set.  We are now officially bistatal.  So, come visit us, because we even have a guest bedroom.

We miss the ones we love in CA, but are enjoying the ones we love in CO.  Could anyone be more blessed?