FOCUSING ON THE LORD!!

         When I was driving out to the NW in October, '12, I had taken many, many photos and this one was special to and for me.  I'll put a couple others, too, with the Word of God.  Then, officially, I put my poem on this about 6 months later when I was home.   Anyhow, since I can't read well, write well, speak well, all I can do is share that right now.  AND I'm singing my song day-by-day, night-by-night with the words re: worshiping, glorifying, praising, honoring, and praying.

                                       
                                            THE WORD...

UGANDA GRABBED OUR HEARTS!!

    Twenty-five years ago, when Dave and I were at our first time in Uganda, we saw so many little kids in a lot of places back then and were able to give little hugs.  And I was a preacher and a teacher at churches immediately way back then.    Since it was 25 years ago, now the little ones we met are about 30, and they have lots of kids, too.  Sure would love to see them again.  Even when we were in Uganda a few more times -- a bit from '94 to '04 --  and were around towns, villages, and BIG cities,  we sure loved many then, and still love many now.  On email, fb, and some phone situations, we are blessed to be in touch with our "sons, daughters, grandkids, brothers, sisters, moms, and dads".    Still filled with love to us and from us to them.  BTW, sure would love to see this girl again, but I have no idea where and when she stayed and remained.   

I always think that when I'm in Heaven, we might be put together to smile and worship the Lord and appreciate how He dropped us together. So when I'm there, I can hardly wait to see and meet many again ... in and around our world, of course!!! 

AND these photos were during our first time.  Dave and I were walking very suddenly up a hill to a home we were staying at.  I took that picture.  Then, with another girl we really loved, were able to have a picture of the us with her.  And I was holding a little boy and he was giving me a hug.  Have known a little bit of his family since then, but have never seen him again.  Anyway, here they are...

HE'S OUR LOVELY ROCK!!!

YES!  HE'S MY ROCK!!!

I TRUST HIM, MOMENT-BY-MOMENT,

DAY-BY-DAY.

AND I ALWAYS THINK OF THAT ROCK AND,

WHEN IN THE SECTION OF WASHINGTON

HE IS MY ROCK THERE, TOO.

AND HERE, IN OUR OMAHA AREA,

WE HAVE ROCKS IN OUR YARD

 [AND WHEN SEEING PARKS

OR GOING TO THE ZOO].

YES, OUR LORD IS OUR ROCK!!!

OUR LORD IS MY REFUGE!!

HE HAS BEEN, FOREVER AND EVER, FOR ME...

AND MANY, MANY, MANY OTHERS.

HE'S WHAT COUNTS!!!

OUR WORLD CHANGED...YEARS AGO!

      I was about 12 to 14 years old in Tacoma, WA, at a Lutheran Church in a Confirmation class time.  Since I got into the church later than most of the others I had known at grade school and the junior high school, they were pretty shocked, b/c they knew I had never been there.  I hadn't been in any church ever at a regular time.  And many of them had known me as a fighter and a bad foul language girl.  But, suddenly I was put there.  Amazingly, insisted by my parents who didn't go there or anywhere at all.  I truly believe the Lord must have dropped this into them to put it into me.  I wasn't happy then, but, as much as I would never have understood quickly, it truly became a blessing.
     Suddenly, I had lots of the verses of the Bible to read and other portions of learning and Lutheran pieces.  As I recall, when there when 12 years old, I got a list to read Genesis, Psalms, John, and Revelation.  It was a strong difference than I had ever known.  It was a whole new world for me.
     I was thoroughly blessed by the pastor and his secretary.  She was in her early 20s and she really wanted to bless me.  Both of them were a wonderful treat.
     Now the info is re: how our world changed since then.  I was in that situation in the 1958 to 1960.  When I was reading Revelation, and talking to Mom, she was very upset.  She was about 37 to 39  years old during my time there.  Much of it frightened her.  However,  the main portion of Revelation that upset her strongest was listed in Chapter 11.  
     In the Book, accordingly, God had sent the 2 guys back down from heaven, and they were fighting with the other god/demonic situations.  Some of the info is that they were possibly Moses and Elijah OR Elijah and Enoch.  [I've heard a variety of info re: them, BTW.] They were protected people and the situations in Jerusalem and fighting very straight-forwardly for about 3-1/2 years.  Then, surprisingly and suddenly,  they were murdered, even though they had not been murdered before then, even though people had been trying to kill them.  Then, for 3-1/2 days their bodies were just on the open street.  People were refusing for them to be buried, even though the body stinkiness was extreme.  When they were dead, the people were rejoicing about it and somehow the races, tribes, languages, and nations were able to see their bodies on the street.  Then, suddenly, these Holy Spirit Servers were raised up again and ascended into heaven in a cloud. The consequence was that the destruction in that city hit strongly and people died.  But, according to other info pieces, there were people not just there, but around the world seeing this.  They were rejoicing when they were dead and happy to see the bodies, and then exploding because God had raised them up.
     Back then, which is logical, my Mom with those verses, told me that that was very scary and so much was filled with lying in the Bible.  She indicated that the world could never check up on people as easily as that.  I never forgot her response and knew she was thinking very carefully and, in those years, I thought she was right.
     Now, a number of years later, our world has truly changed in regard to seeing everything, especially in significant situations.  When I'm reading Revelation now, which is a consistent portion of the Bible for me, and I read that Book many, many times a year.  It occurs of the death and the healing to heaven, and people in our world will see it momentarily and most of them, since sinfulness has covered our world more strongly at that time, will explode in their fearfulness.
     So, Mom's in heaven and she'd sure get to know much more there than down here.  That's a treat! She officially came to the Lord when she was 80, even though she had known the Bible since she was a kid.  I can hardly wait to see her and my Dad and many others.  And I'm looking forward to Revelation filling our world more significantly now than dozens or hundreds or millions of years in the past to describe.  Trusting my Heavenly Father is all I can do, moment-by-moment.  He is "IT", forever.

Mom was a wonderful sax player in school and she was in a portion of Wisconsin during those years.  She had me do it when I was 9 years old.  And it laid on me strongly.

Mom's 90th birthday in Tacoma, July 28, 2010.

6 months later, the end of January, 2011, she went to heaven.

As I've said, I can hardly wait to get there and see her and my Dad and others.  A heart-filling situation now. 

JOY RISES!! YEP, IT DOES!!!

RON AND SHIRLEY HAD JUST STARTED THEIR JOB, NEAR

KAMPALA, BUT HIGHWAY TO THE ENTEBBE AIRPORT.

ANYHOW, WE MET IN '94 AND THEY WERE BACK

IN THEIR HOME BETWEEN SEATTLE AND TACOMA,

DEALING WITH THE MINISTRY CONNECTIONS THERE.

THEY RETURNED.  WHEN WE WERE GETTING READY TO LEAVE TO OMAHA FOR A SUMMER BEFORE RETURNING BACK TO UGANDA,THEY WERE AT THEIR PLACE.  

DAVE AND I LOVE THEM VERY MUCH.

DAVE WOULD LOVE TO SEE THEM AGAIN!

WE'VE SEEN THEM IN THEIR UGANDA AND SEA-TAC AREAS, AND THEY ACTUALLY CAME TO SEE US IN OMAHA WHILE THEY WERE DRIVING AROUND OUR NATION TO SHARE WITH CHURCHES,  SHORTLY AFTER WE ARRIVED IN '96. 

I HAPPENED TO SEE THEM WHEN I WAS IN TACOMA

IN FALL, 2012, AND WE GRABBED LUNCH TOGETHER 

AND I WAS HITTING THE ROAD TO OMAHA. 

 BEING WITH THEM WAS A HUGE BLESSING.

BLESS THAT WORLD OUTREACH MINISTRY!!! 

CONFIDENCE TO MY HEAVENLY FATHER!

MY FEARFULNESS BECAME A BLESSEDNESS!

I'VE RARELY EVER BEEN A HOSPITAL "DOING ANYTHING" PERSON FOR MY WHOLE LIFE.  THEN, NEARLY 5 YEARS AGO, WHEN THE BHUTANESE WERE DROPPED INTO MY LIFE, BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T HAVE CARS OR WALKER-INNERS,  I WOULD TAKE THEM TO HOSPITALS FOR WHATEVER THEY NEEDED.  SOMETIMES I WAS THERE FOR MANY HOURS, AND BACK AND FORTH FOR DAYS WHEN THEY WERE KEPT IN FOR SURGERY OR OTHER TYPES OF HEALINGS THAT WERE NECESSARY.  SINCE WE COULDN'T EASILY SPEAK TOGETHER, I COULD JUST HOLD 

THEIR HANDS AND GIVE THEM HUGS.

 THEN NEARLY 4 YEARS AGO I BEGAN TO HELP A FEW OF THE BHUTANESE TO VISIT AND CHECK INTO AT THE IMMANUEL HOSPITAL WHEN THEIR PREGNANCY WAS OFFICIAL.  THE DOCTOR WAS/IS WONDERFUL FOR THEM AND I WAS USUALLY AT THE CHECKING PORTION...  SOMETIMES FOR EVERY MONTH, SOMETIMES FOR EVERY WEEK.  I HUNG OUT AND HELPED AS I COULD.  

SOMETIMES DROVE THEM AND SOMETIMES WENT 

WITH THEM AS THEY PICKED ME UP.  

THEN, WHENEVER A BABY WAS GOING TO ARRIVE, WE WENT TO THE HOSPITAL ANYTIME THAT WAS NECESSARY... MORNINGS, NOONS, OR NIGHTS.  I, CONSEQUENTLY,  NOW HAVE 10 "GREAT-GRANDCHILDREN" THROUGH THEM.  I ALSO EVENTUALLY WAS USED TO HELP DELIVER THE BABIES, ANYTHING THE NURSES USED ME  TO HELP.  I BECAME USED TO IT...WHATEVER IT WAS... AND WASN'T SHOCKED AS MUCH AS BEFORE IN MY LIFE,

 EVEN THOUGH I WAS IN

 MY MID-60S WHEN THIS BEGAN.

HOWEVER, THIS, SHOWN ON THE PHOTO, WAS THE ONLY TIME I HAD TO GO INTO THE SURGERY SITUATION.

I KNEW I NEEDED TO DO IT, BUT I WAS AFRAID OF WHAT I WOULD SEE AND HOW IT WOULD COME TO PASS.

WELL, I MADE IT, AND THE BABY CAME AND THE MOM WAS NOT IN SERIOUS DIFFICULTY.  DURING THE SURGERY, I SIMPLY HELD HER HAND AND TOUCHED HER HAIR, 

EVEN THOUGH SHE WAS MOSTLY NOT AWAKE,

NOT MOVING AT ALL.

I HAD TAKEN PICTURES OF THE BABY AND THE FAMILY THAT NIGHT, BUT I HAD GONE HOME ABOUT 5:30 IN THE MORNING.  I RUSHED BACK TO THE HOSPITAL AND GOT THERE ABOUT NOON,

 AND THE BABY WAS IN THEIR ROOM 

AND I WAS ABLE TO HOLD HIM. 

WHAT A TREAT!

AS I SAID AT THE BEGINNING...

MY FEARFULNESS BECAME A BLESSEDNESS!!

 

HOLY TEMPLE

HEAVEN AND EARTH PRAISE..

WORSHIPING, PRAISING...

WORSHIPING WITH NEW FRIENDS,

OLD FRIENDS,

ALL TOGETHER IN MOROCCO.

TRULY A BLESSING.

OUR MERCIFUL AND GENTLE LORD

FRANCIS AND ADRIENNE ... FAVOR AND SUCCESS.

 

Here's the story.

Dave and I first met Francis Mugwanya in September, '99, at New Hope Uganda when we were there for our son Sam's wedding.  

When we first met Francis, while staying in the Casebow's house while they happened to be in England, and one of my Ugandan daughters was there playing the guitar, Francis came through the screen door, and plopped onto the floor, and scooted along and grabbed a drum and played it with her.  And Francis and I became laughers.    He always made me grin and we howled together over and over.  He did have a wheelchair, but it sure couldn't very often come in the doors.

When I was at NHU some of the time when over during the Soroti issue, 10 years ago, I never really talked to him.  I sure saw him rushing with his wheelchair and always having a young kid on his lap, "driving" it to another part of the orphanage area, and they were always laughing while he sped around.  And he was so busy I didn't have a chance to be with him. We just waved to each other.

I was amazed when I heard he had married.  Adrienne, from Canada, who was spending some mission time in Uganda, connected with him.  Their baby, Hannah, entered birth much too early, and they were with Adrienne's family in Canada, and the baby remained in the hospital for a time.  I happened to be in the NW, so, we arranged that when and if their daughter would be released, I could hit the road from Tacoma area, cross the border and visit for lunch.  Being with Francis and meeting Adrienne was a real treat.  And holding Hannah was also a a special treat for me.

Their ministry, called "Father's Heart Mobility Ministry",  has developed and gone forward and forward for the sake of people who need wheelchairs.  And it's going around and around.  I hear so many wonderful reports. 

I hope the Word of God, connected to this, will open more and more doors for many more of us, too.  While theirs is very busy, very heavy, it is filled with blessings from many, many people.

[I wrote this late last evening, and this morning, on FB, I saw amazingly that they were having their 4th anniversary.  All I could do was rejoice and LAUGH!  Yesterday, my goal was simply to put them on the photo and the Word.  WELL, I expanded and expanded.  I hope more people know more and more about Francis and Adrienne.  They ain't always, only in Uganda, the US, or Canada.  Spreading around.  And blessing many. -- And, you'd LOVE to see the photos they posted for us today, so just check it out on FB.]

 

 

NO FEAR B/C OF JESUS

THE BLESSING OF MY LIFE:

HE ARRIVED,

HE HEALED,

HE BROKE THROUGH THE FEAR OF MY HEART.

HALLELUJAH!!!

HILLS AND MOUNTAINS FLOURISH

AND WHEN THEY DO, WE DO!

... ETERNALLY ... 

JOYFUL THOUGHTS ABOUT HIM

MY LORD TRULY IS!

HIS GIFT TO ME OF GODLY FAMILY AND FRIENDS

ADDS TO MY JOYFULNESS... BIG TIME!

HIS HOLY NAME

DAVE AND I WERE WALKING IN THIS AREA, SEPTEMBER, '99, WHILE DURING THE 17 HOURS LAYOVER WHILE GOING TO UGANDA FOR OUR UGANDAN SON'S WEDDING, AND WERE BLESSED TO SEE AND BE IN THE HISTORIC

 PHASE OF LIFE.

[BEING A HISTORY-ORIENTED PERSON, I ALWAYS WANTED TO SEE SOMETHING SIGNIFICANTLY CONNECTED TO HOW OUR NATIONS CHANGED AND THE WORLD WAS ADJUSTING AND READJUSTING.]

HERE WE WERE AT THE OFFICIAL MAGNA CARTA LOCATION:

AND WHAT WAS NEAR IT?

THE AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION HAD HAD THIS
 SPECIAL LOCATION BUILT.  

 WE HAD TO WALK THROUGH A FARM AREA

 ON LESS-THAN-WONDERFUL PATHS.

BUT REACHING THAT SPECIAL LOCATION

 WAS TRULY WONDERFUL, TRULY A BLESSING.

HIS EARTH...PS. 24

Could have shown, would have shown, piles and piles of 

flowers, birds, animals, bugs, mountains, rivers, oceans, hills, and PEOPLE!

But always smiling at this flower photo taken nearly 18 years ago, I decided I needed to share it to make all of us 

GRIN and REJOICE for our 

CREATOR'S CREATIVITY.