Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Friday, July 25, 2008
Thursday, July 24, 2008
A Tribute to Grandpa - July 23, 2008
I have been doing a lot of thinking lately about life and death and I have come to believe that it is in a way “a journey of hands.” Life begins at birth. You emerge into this world with the help of loving hands assisting you. The first few years you need your Mom and Dad’s hands to help you do just about everything. As you progress, your hands learn to tie a shoe, throw a ball, drive a car, and receive a diploma. Sometime in there hopefully you learn about the greatest gift of life ever when Jesus in all His love stretched out His hands and died to give us a way to Heaven. Believing that, you reach out and take His hand allowing Him to guide your life. Just as my Grandpa did.
In marriage, your family gives away your hand and you are joined with another. Then there’s the transition of having your own children where you use helping hands to teach them all what you were taught so many years before. You use your hands to make a living for your family and provide food for those you love. You give your own children away in marriage and begin helping your grandchildren in ways you held and helped your own. Towards the end of life your hands are feeble and you, once more, rely on the help and care of others. Then one day, death claims your life and you joyfully reach again for God’s hand as you enter eternity. Lives passed hand to hand.
I am thrilled to say that my life was deeply touched by my Grandpa’s hand. He taught me how to fish, throw a baseball, play Parcheesi and Crazy Eights. He and my Grandma Gigi would babysit me after school and feed me, care for me when I was hurt. He showed me Bible verses, baseball games, and was always ready to give out hugs. His hands comforted me and guided me. He was an amazing man. I am so thankful that I was able to use my hands to help him these last few weeks with feedings and holding his hand while praying and reading Scriptures. I am blessed and happy he is home where his hands are finally reunited with Gigi (as he’s longed for) and his Savior.
Love RachelMy Grandpa - July 19, 2008
Today was a difficult day for me because my Grandpa went home to heaven. He was a wonderful Christian man and I had a great relationship With him, so I am sad. I am sooooooooooooooo thankful that we were here and not in Indonesia. We just put the kids to bed and they were all sad thinking about not seeing Grandpa again, so pray for all of us as we deal with this, please.
Right now we are on our way back from a family reunion in New York and should be in Wisconsin tomorrow.
I will write more later.
Hello in there - July 12, 2008
Do you all remember me? SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO sorry it has been ages since I have written you. My apologies. I can’t blame it on the crazy Indonesian internet either. Ha Ha. Right now as I write we are sitting in Maumee, Ohio on our way to New York for a family reunion with Garth’s side of the family. We have been trying to do it every year and are excited about seeing them all again. We will be there all week long and I am sure you will see pictures.
This past 2 weeks have been difficult for me. I was really sick with a cold and thought I could kick it so I waited and didn’t go to the doctor. However after 6 days of a fever and not getting any better I finally went to the doctor and found out I had pneumonia, an ear infection and a sinus infection. If you’re going to get it you might as well get it good! I am much better now, but it is still hanging on. Hopefully every day will be an improvement.
Let me tell you what we’ve done lately. We had our presentation at church and that went real well. We have my Aunt and Uncle from North Carolina visit, we went to Milwaukee and saw Garth’s sister and husband and 2 girls, my parents took the kids to the waterpark, many trips to our local parks and libraries (we have to get caught up on all the books that were written while we were in Indo), lunch dates and kid dates, and soceer games, more doctors appointments, a Brewer’s game (of course, because they were playing the Orioles, Garth’s favorite team), and we celebrated our 13th wedding anniversary.
My sister and her husband gave us a getaway to Sundara Spa up in the Wisconsin Dells. So we went on Monday and I was concerned at first because I had been so sick and I thought it wouldn’t be the best time to go away, but it was exactly what I needed. Sleeping in, relaxing by the pool, being pampered…who doesn’t need that when they are recovering. IT WAS FANTASTIC! What a wonderful gift that was along with the gift my parents gave us by watching the kids for us. I am supremely blessed!
Thank you all for caring about us.
Have a great week.
Love
Rachel
Funny thing about Emma-she told me today she would rather do karate than chores.My Grandpa - July 2, 2008
Today at the nursing home while I was feeding my Grandpa breakfast I noticed something. He had a special spoon that is curved to make it easier for him to feed himself. On the spoon was written in black marker his name. I could see underneath it was the scrubbed off name of the person who needed that spoon before him. When my Grandpa is gone they will scrub off Frank and write someone else’s name. Just like that. Gone. I don’t want to go there and see Frank scrubbed off. However, I know that he is not doing well at all. He has deteriorated so much in the last few weeks. He is such an amazing man. I spent a lot of time with him growing up. He and my Grandma would watch my sister and me after school. He would take us fishing, and always say, “Whoever gets the first fish will get a treat from Doc’s when we are done.” And every time he would take both of us for treats-usually a Charleston Chew, or a Laffy Taffy. We would eat dinner there on Sundays after church, sit on the couch and read the Chicago Sun Times, and then watch old black and white movies like Charlie Chaplin or Laurel and Hardy. He would begin every meal by singing “Thank you Lord.” Times when the whole family would be gathered his eyes would fill up with tears as he prayed and thanked the Lord for all of us. He treasured us all and always made friends and families a priority. Grandma and he would drive all over to visit friends and families and offer whatever help they could. He volunteered at the hospital for many years along with helping out at the Christian League for the Handicapped. I knew he was one of my greatest prayer warriors as he and Grandma would spend every morning in prayer. Last night I was looking through some of his photo albums at pictures from my childhood and it reminds me how blessed I am. I have an incredible family-they love the Lord and love me and have always been there to support me. Grandpa has always been a wonderful example to me of how to live in faith as a Christian. I know he is ready to go to Heaven and get out of this worn-out body and see my Grandma again. I am so glad that I had him in my life. I am a better person just from being around him.
Rachel
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