Music Monday

Music Monday

An odd dream

I dream a fair amount.  Sometimes I remember my dreams, but most of the time I don't -- or I remember only bits and pieces of them.  There are some dreams that I wish I could hold on to and store away every detail to retrieve whenever I want.  Other dreams . . . I can't forget them soon enough.

Last night I had a rather odd dream and, unfortunately, I don't remember too many of the details.  There were four people in the dream, but I can only recall three -- my mother, my daughter, E, and me.  I have no idea who the fourth person was, but I'm sure that there was someone else sort of hovering in the background.

E and I were sitting together and my mom was across from us, talking on a cell phone.  It was obvious from the pauses in the conversation that she was talking to someone.  One of us asked her who she was talking to and she said, "My mother."  My grandma, my mom's mother, has been dead for almost 25 years.

I'm positive that either E or I asked her how she could talk to grandma on her cell phone, but I don't think she answered that question.  All I can remember her saying is that she really needed to get a new battery for her phone, but she was afraid if she took the old battery out and replaced it with a new one, the phone would work differently and she would lose the ability to talk to her mother.     

When I woke up, one of my first thoughts was that I would like to have a phone like that.  I can remember years ago, when I was first married, my parents would go to Florida for a few weeks in February.  They stayed in a mobile home that some friends owned, but, because these friends didn't live in Florida year-round, they didn't bother with the expense to have a landline installed in their home.  This was also long enough ago that cell phones were a rarity.

Long distance phone calls were pretty expensive then as well, even with a calling card from one's long distance carrier, so my mom almost never called me while they were gone.  She could have gone to a phone booth (they still were plentiful then) but it was a hassle.  I would gladly have called her and paid for the charges, but there was no number where I could reach her.  At least one year, I must have had an emergency number because I had to call her and tell her that G's father had died very unexpectedly.  But usually I didn't have any way to get in touch with her.

I really missed being able to talk to her once or twice a week, and I remember the thought crossed my mind, "so this is what it will be like when my mother is dead and I can't pick up the phone and call her whenever I want.  This is what life will be like when I won't ever be able to talk to her again on this earth."  Knowing that I will never have a phone like the one my mother had in my dream, I hope I am able to hear my mother's voice, on the phone and in person, for a very long time. 

Music Monday

Music Monday

Saturday

Lethargy has set in.  I had plenty of things that I could have done today, things that I needed to do.  But I didn't do any of them.  Not even one.

My procrastination has ensured that tomorrow will be a full day.  : /   

Thankful Thursday

It has been quite a week: bombing at the Boston Marathon, suspected pipe bomb at Purdue (it wasn't a bomb), massive fire and devastating explosion at a fertilizer plant in Texas, and torrential rains and flooding in Chicago and the greater metropolitan area.  Additionally this week also marks the anniversaries of the Titanic sinking, Columbine shootings, the Oklahoma bombing, the Virginia Tech massacre, the botched rescue at the Branch Davidian complex in Waco, Lincoln's assassination and Hitler's birthday.  Not exactly a list of events that makes one thankful.

Still, I am thankful for several things:

Safe travels to and from Iowa City for K and T, even if they didn't get to see Neil deGrasse Tyson

A successful presentation for N to his cohorts and advisers at the VA

Continued progress and healing for AF from injuries sustained in a cycling accident

A time of fun and fellowship at KS's bridal shower

Our sump pump is running -- this means there's water in the crawlspace, but it also means that the sump pump is working to get the water out

GAI's basement only had a little bit of water, even after five inches or so of rain, and the furnace and hot water heater both are still working

The car repairs for the Suburban were less than the mechanic anticipated  

Thank you LORD!

Music Monday

The lyrics don't fit, but the melody and the overall tone of this song capture what I'm feeling on a day that was filled with so much sadness and fear.

So, ignore the words and listen with your heart.

Thankful Thursday

I've been praying for a Purdue University student, A, for the past 10 days.  My daughter, who's a senior at Purdue, told me about A and the accident he was involved in while riding his bike on campus.  The accident was very serious and A was rushed to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.  It seemed like he might not survive the incredible trauma that his body (specifically, his brain) had sustained.  But, here it is, a week and a half later, and A is making progress, improving a tiny bit every day.

I am so thankful for the thousands of people -- I'm not exaggerating; there are truly thousands of people all around the world who know about this student -- who are praying for A's recovery.  And these same people are also praying for his parents, siblings, extended family, friends, doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals who are watching over him and providing excellent medical care.  The staff at A's hospital are dedicated to giving all their patients the best care possible, and I'm sure that many of the people on his medical team are also praying for A and his family.

I'm also thankful to God for hearing and answering the prayers of the many prayer warriors who are interceding for A.  The Lord has been so faithful to answer even the smallest requests and everyone who is praying is confidently expecting that our prayers for complete healing will be answered in His perfect timing.          

So much sadness

The good and bad of the internet.

Music Monday

I went to a memorial service today.  It was a beautiful celebration of a life well-lived to the glory of God.  While Mr. H's family and friends are grieving their loss, they are also rejoicing for heaven's gain and praising God for the sure promise of the resurrection.

This was one of the hymns we sang at the service.  Mr. H was a veteran and he was born on the 4th of July, so this patriotic hymn was an especially appropriate selection.

 

Thankful Thursday

Decatur

Music Monday/Tuesday

I thought of Music Monday yesterday, and then I forgot.  That happens a lot these days.  : //

This is a fairly old song.  I think I heard it when I first started listening to Moody Radio . . . last century.  I seem to remember the artist as Rita Baloche, not Michele Pillar, but the song is the same.

I can't even begin to imagine the amazement, fear, and despair of the women when they arrived to find the stone rolled away from the tomb where they had laid Jesus' body only a few days earlier.

Christ is risen!  Death and the grave have no power over His resurrection power!  Hallelujah!