MY 1ST JULY 4TH...

      I wrote most of this a few years ago.  BUT every time of this stretch of 4th of July has always entered my attention.  It was a very strong and different time in and for me when I was a young kid.  As I often say, I would be 5 years old on July 9th, in spite of the fighting situation.  WELL, next July 9th, next Saturday, I will be 71.  I can't be on here often b/c of my dementia and body issues and how I can't read or write.  BUT many of you are special to me in my heart, if nothing else.  So, I'll share it again! [AND my Dad came to the Lord officially when he was 59 and went to Heaven when he was 65.  Mom officially came to the Lord when she was 82 and went to Heaven when she was 90-1/2.  SO, when I'm there, I sure hope to see them.  Can hardly wait!!!]
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 MY 1ST JULY 4TH...

     I was NOT only 1 year old at the time, but it's the first main one I remember.  I was turning 5 years old near the 4th of July, because my birthday is on the 9th.
     My Dad hadn't been in my life on a regular basis until about a year before that. 

     In April, 1950, we moved into Kenton, Washington, near Vancouver, which was a slummy area and we lived in an ugly little house with brown asbestos siding.  The neighborhood had pigs and chickens running loose, and rats, and lots of dirt.  The kids were mean, too, and I was littler than most of them, having been born as a preemie.

      One day, shortly before the 4th, a 7-year old boy, a bully, came up to me and poked me under my chin with a firecracker punk and burned me.   When he took off, I ran to my parents and told them, crying, of course.
     My Dad made a decision.  The best thing that could be done was to teach me how to fight.  So, he spent time coaching me on the "old one-two" boxing punch.  He worked me hard, believe me.
     Then, a few days later, between the 4th and my birthday, the 9th, "Bully" came to the fence in front of our house and stared at me with a kind of mean look on his face.  My Dad happened to be in the front yard with me.  Dad nodded at me to go outside the fence.  He backed under a tree and watched.
     I walked out, looked at the boy, walked up to him, and took my right arm and swung it at him the way my Dad had said to do it.  I hit him in his stomach with swing number 1 and immediately hit his chin with number 2.  I said each number as I was swinging my arm.
     What did he do?  He ran away.  The bully had been bullied by a skinny, short, young GIRL.  Don't think he could ever have imagined that.  [And I bet he didn't ever tell anyone about it!]

Now, the results.

#1 -- Dad was pleased with how I did it.  Despite the fact that in our present day, a dad usually would approach the bully's family, back then my Dad handled it differently.  He had been raised as a fighter, period.  Family battles were constant in his life.  He didn't see a better way to deal with these tough situations.  So training me fit right into his view.  Seemed the safest thing to do for me.

#2 -- The portion of Satan planted thoughts in my heart that stayed there until I was 20 years old and came to the Lord.  And even then, it did not change immediately; it took some time.  The thoughts/lies were:  You're on your own.  You fight for yourself.  Can't trust anyone else to take care of you.

     And, this was the beginning of a life-style for me.  Yes, as you would see on some of my posts, I was a fighter, physically, from that point on.  [Some parents and kids considered me a bully!... Hmm!]
     The good result?  Now I am a "fighter" for our Lord and constantly focused on the spiritual warfare.  Fighting is not uncomfortable for me any more.  Why? Because my Spiritual Dad is now my Heavenly Father and when I obey Him, moving into a battle, fighting spiritual "bullies" for the sake of other struggling people, the results will be eternal.

                               Happy 4th of July!

SAVED FROM SINS!!

AT THAT AGE, AS I HAD JUST TURNED 5,

I BEGAN TO BE FILLED WITH SINFULNESS.

I WAS A FIGHTER, A HATER, A "PROTECTOR",

AND FILLED SHORTLY LATER, 

WITH MANY, MANY OTHER SINS.

JESUS TRULY AND BLESSEDLY BROKE INTO MY LIFE

[OFFICIALLY] WHEN I WAS 20 AND 

ACCEPTED HIM. 

 [I TELL THAT PART OF THE STORY RE: HIS SIGNIFICANT 

ENTRANCE TO ME, HEART-TO-HEART,

EVERY YEAR NOW AND IT'S A COUPLE MONTHS FROM NOW.

BUT THIS WORD AND THIS PHOTO ARE TRUTHFUL.]

NEED MY HEAVENLY FATHER NEAR ME!!!

IN JULY, 1950, AS I WAS JUST TURNING FIVE YEARS OLD,

 IN A BAD AREA OF VANCOUVER, WA.,

I WAS HEADED FOR SERIOUS TROUBLE THEN

AND NEARLY FOREVER.  THE LORD, IN SPITE OF WHAT WAS TRULY GOING ON IN MY LIFE, HE PROTECTED ME. HE HELD OTHERS BACK FROM WOUNDING ME MUCH WORSE, AND ABOUT 15 YEARS LATER, HE TRULY BROUGHT ME TO HIMSELF.  I WAS NOT SAFE MANY TIMES, EVEN AFTER I ACCEPTED HIM OFFICIALLY, APRIL 15, 1966.  NO MATTER WHAT HAS BEEN GOING ON IN MY LIFE, HE HAS ALWAYS PROTECTED OR SPOKEN CLEARLY TO ME--- PROBABLY THROUGH AN ANGEL---TO TELL ME WHAT TO DO AND WHERE TO GO.  I'VE BEEN SIGNIFICANTLY PROTECTED.  I'M STILL ALIVE, OBVIOUSLY, AND WORKING FOR HIM.  GOING TO HEAVEN IS TRULY A REJOICING EXPERIENCE THAT ALL OF US WILL HAVE.  AS BADLY AS OUR WORLD IS OFTEN NOW, HE IS THE ONLY ONE I CAN COUNT ON AND I CAN "LOOK" ON, 

THROUGH MY HEART, SOUL, AND SPIRIT.

BLESS HIM, HONOR HIM, SERVE HIM.

THAT'S WHAT WE CAN DO AND BE FILLED WITH JOY!

LINDA'S GIFT ... PORTLAND

On one of my last days in the NW this Fall, I went to Vancouver, WA, to meet with my friend Linda.

April, 2011  -- Our first re-visting time since high school.  A treat!

To start with, I met her for lunch on November 1st.  We were waiting for Elizabeth, my new "facial" blog friend.  We thoroughly enjoyed our time with her.  

After that, we headed for Linda's home.  I was staying there for the night.  My next plan was to leave her place about 8 or so on the 2nd.  She wanted to have breakfast with me, and I thought that would be a great way to begin the trip. Then I'd be heading for Tacoma to see my missionary friends visiting from Uganda, and then, after lunch with DeVores, I'd be hitting I-90 ASAP.

Had a great time with Linda at her place.  We yammered and laughed and shared and munched and crunched lots of good stuff.  And then bedtime hit about 11:00.

At 3 AM, I woke up.  I had been upset during a phone call that evening and it hit my heart, again.  I couldn't get back to sleep.  I tried to not make too much noise in the living room; her bedroom wasn't too far away and her door was open.  Well, Linda woke up at 5, which she had scheduled. I definitely AIN'T an early waker-upper unless there's an issue of some sort.

SO, because I was awake for so long, I told her I would leave earlier than I'd planned.  I'd hit the road about 7, and, even with rush-hour traffic, I could make it north and then visit Ron and Shirley near Tacoma for a brunch instead of lunch, and head east.  Would miss having breakfast with Linda, but reality was important to me, too, and it just seemed practical to head out earlier.

Well, Linda said that I shouldn't leave early, that we were going to breakfast in Portland and she had a gift for me.  Also, that we couldn't be there before 8:15 and I could leave about 9:00, which was the original plan.

I decided I'd do what she wanted.  Had no idea what her gift was, and didn't want to hurt her feelings.

We started the drive, me staying on her tail, and, although this next bit has nothing to do with the reality breakfast, the scenery almost made me drive off the highway, even while crossing the bridge from Vancouver to Portland.  WHY?  

 My photo of Mount Hood in'08

Mount Hood was very clearly seen that morning ... no fog or rain or clouds, which was not normal at that stretch of time during the Fall ... AND the golden sunrise view profiled the whole mountain.  I could only see it in my rear-view mirror, and could hardly stay in my lane.  Linda told me later that when she saw the mountain she knew Joanne 'd be trying to figure out how to stop and take a picture.  I sure wanted to.  I loved it so much... and would've if I could've ... but didn't want to cause a crash and die in it or end up in jail for breaking the traffic law.  Oh, well.  

I followed her to a Sheri's Restaurant not far from the bridge.  When we went in, she requested a 4-person table.  I thought, "Hmm. Now what?"

A few minutes later 2 ladies came in and I immediately recognized them... in spite of the fact that I hadn't seen them personally for 49-1/2 years.  We were in high school in Klickitat and graduated in '63. 

What a treat!  We shared, we talked about serious situations and funny ones.  We showed caring.  We left after sharing, hugging, encouraging.  I would love to see Petra and Johanna again.  Oh, and Linda, too, of course!

It was fun to send the photos to Susie. There were only 11 graduates in our class... small school, doncha think?... and with the four of us and Susie, now "seeing" each other, that covered a good percentage of the class, obviously.

It was a treat to be so beautifully treated.

Thank you, Linda.

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[Maybe 2 more NW stories in the next few days and I'll be done -- finally.  It was a wonderful, joyful, blessed 3-weeks travel-time.

 Can't ignore the people and the places and things.]     

  

AN "ELIZABETH" BLESSING

It was a wonderful hour.  I'd been wanting to meet Elizabeth.  We'd emailed for some weeks while I was planning my trip to the Northwest.  As a pastor's wife and buried in people [which is normal in so many churches] there was no guarantee that we would pull this off.

Then it happened.  We met in Vancouver.  My friend, Linda, with whom I was going to spend that night, and I had connected in the area where Elizabeth could come.

 We met again in April, 2011, after 45 years. Were

friends in high school many years earlier.

It was a blessing to see her again.

[Will tell THAT story soon!]

I recognized Elizabeth immediately when she climbed out of her car.  THAT is a surprise, since we hadn't truly "known" each other.

Could I say much more?  No.  We talked about blog issues, church situations, desires for the future for ourselves and others, and how to serve the Lord and share His love with others.  Is there anything that's more important?  I don't think so.

She had church office chores to take care of so couldn't hang out too long, although I think we could have yammered forever.  Had a pleasant hug... the photo taken by Linda. [And, during our sharing, Linda was touched by Elizabeth and our hope is that Linda will attend their church.]
 

THEN when I left the coffee/tea shop a few minutes after she did, and I saw the flowers and the gorgeous sunlight, I knew in my heart I would never see these photos again without thinking of her.

It truly was a blessing.     

REVELATION 10:6

AND [THE ANGEL] SWORE IN 

THE NAME OF HIM WHO LIVES

FOREVER AND EVER,

 WHO...

  

[YES, HE DID ... FOR WHICH I'M ONE GRATEFUL CHILD.]