June in Georgia

Here are a few more glimpses of my time with Lanier...

The smallest and biggest members of the farm...


Poetry and tea under a star-filled sky...


Feeding the lambs

Of tea, kittens, and literary conversations

Lanier and I are finally taking time from barn chores and tea parties to say hello! The past week has been truly delightful. Instead of attempting to describe how cathartic their menagerie of babies has been for me, I decided to share pictures. Every day plenty of time is spent cuddling with three painfully adorable kittens, playing with the dogs and cats, trying to charm the Gulf Coast lambs, and being charmed by the Nubian goats. And of course we are constantly talking--about writing, C.S. Lewis, books, poetry, and all things literary. Talking about God, life, relationships, and everything under the sun. On day eight of my visit we have yet to run out of things to discuss and I doubt we ever will.
For me, these idyllic days in the beautiful South have served as a special gift of grace. I've felt God's loving touch on my heart as I have enjoyed His creation and fellowshipped with His people.

I will write and share more when I return home, if we do not get around to it before then. For now, I will leave you with a passage I read this morning in Isaiah 46:

I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is none like me,
declaring the end from the beginning
and from ancient times things not yet done,
saying, 'My counsel shall stand,
and I will accomplish all my purpose,'
calling a bird of prey from the east,
the man of my counsel from a far country.
I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass;
I have purposed, and I will do it.

Captions: Top left - Lanier with an armful of kittens. Their names are Aloysius, Balliol, and Giles. Can anyone guess what or who they are named after? Top right - Natalie holding Hermia, one of the six lambs. Bottom center - Lanier had the idea to wear gardenias in our hair to church on Sunday! One person thought we were sisters.

All pictures by our resident photographer Philip Ivester.

Sourdough, Laundry, and Tea

The sun just dropped below the tops of the hills. It's time to start a fire again. But we had our windows open for a bit this afternoon, enjoying the fresh 50-degree air and tantalizing hints of spring (despite the snow and ice clinging relentlessly to the ground).

Part of our laundry is drying on the old-fashioned rack in front of me. The rest is in the dryer, awaiting folding. We don't have room in our house to air-dry all our clothes in the winter, but I hang out what I can. I can't wait for the days when the breeze has enough warmth that I can hang our clothes on the line again.

I just set out the sourdough starter to try my hand at Aunt Dixie's Sourdough English Muffins in the morning. This winter I finally got some sourdough starter from my mother-in-law, and so far my husband has enjoyed the results. We've made sourdough waffles, and two different kinds of sourdough bread (the one without any added yeast or soda took forever to rise!), but I'm looking for more recipes using sourdough starter. Any suggestions? My starter is made with white flour, but I just read in Mary Jane's Cookbook that you should always use whole wheat flour for your starter--maybe I'll start adding whole wheat flour to it instead. And I cheat and stash it in the refrigerator to get it out of the way, but I'm looking for a small old crock or the perfect Pyrex bowl so I can keep it out all the time and remember to use it more often.

A neighbor lady invited Ruth and me to tea today. The ornate tea cups and maple pecan muffins made me miss Lanier and Natalie, and all the other members of our tea parties in Kansas City. And I came home to the sad realization that I don't own any tea cups--just mugs! I may be a farm girl, but even a farm kitchen needs tea cups. I think I'll have to start collecting the floral patterned FireKing cups and saucers I've been eyeing so long. They would be a nice complement to my Pyrex and FireKing bowl collection. And a must-have for those promised visits from Natalie and Lanier...

Lisa on the get-together

Lisa's way with words gave me a fun perspective on the get-together--I thought you would enjoy reading it also. And I do believe I've discovered the perfect way to keep people from putting me or my world on a pedestal--all they have to do is come over to our house. :smile:

“They’re not from a different planet, Mama.”
– North and South, the BBC adaptation

The YLCF retreat was a fellowship of like-minded ladies. We all knew that going in, I think. Our differences struck me, though. Ranging from Colorado natives to a teacher from New York, and the Midwest towns and cities in between, there was plenty to compare. A few of the ladies attending (including Natalie – remember that, girls?) even lived in Japan for a while. So we enjoyed discovering how the same values applied in different lives, different families, at different places and to different interests. Some of us are writers. Some love to clean houses. Students, teachers, wives, mothers, sisters were there. There were seamstresses and dancers and photographers. I know we each came away encouraged and refreshed. God is at work so creatively in so many lives and locations. He is awesome.

I have to report that the YLCF gathering was most unexpectedly, but actually quite reasonably, quiet. Fifteen or so ladies variously occupied shared quiet conversations about lives, families, and God’s lessons for the year. For a while it felt like twenty questions or the game where a character’s name is on your back and you run around asking questions of everyone until you figure out who you are. By Friday evening, between some sort of synchronized driving by which we left Natalie’s gracious home in a caravan and arrived at the Christian bookstore independently and from different directions, and the frigid parking lot just outside the base, we hit our stride.

For me it was fascinating to observe the humanity of our online friends. Natalie is a real human being with everyday strengths and weaknesses. She is a transparent writer, and I appreciate when she shares her struggles and triumphs, her reflective journal entries. Seeing her in action was different, though. Her dogs bark at strangers. She looks different moving: laughing, walking, thinking – than in pictures.

Maybe you had to be there, but we all dissolved into laughter when Natalie was reasoning with the security guard at the gate of the Air Force base to let all of us girls stuffed into three cars onto base. I think he liked us, because he was very cooperative. But each car wasn’t really communicating with the others, so we were trying to guess what would happen next, what was going on – reading lips and hand gestures and then proceeding with trial and error.

Gretchen was mentioned often. We peppered Natalie with questions about the origins of YLCF, and how she and Gretchen met. I was most surprised to hear that they’ve only been in each other’s physical presence five or six times. Yet what friends they are to each other!

The weekend was about ladies fair, traipsing through bitter cold and token snow cover. Our experiment with blooming tea was successful. Our trips to the thrift store were totally girly. And most of us more or less stayed up in one little hotel room watching the four hour miniseries, North and South.

Saturday, my friend and I chased the sun home to Colorado, not ready to surrender the day and its memories. Even that night, at midnight finally home in Colorado, the pearly glow reflected off the day-old layer of snow welcoming me from my back yard. It was the after-glow, the still illuminating remnant of the light of a lovely day.

For he satisfieth the longing soul

and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.

- Psalms 107:9

- by Lisa (pictured above, on right)

Photos by Clara

January Get-Together

The LORD lives, and blessed be my rock,
and exalted be the God of my salvation—
For this I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations,
and sing to your name.
Great salvation he brings to his king,
and shows steadfast love to his anointed,
to David and his offspring forever.
- from Psalm 46

Bitter cold weather. Warm, wonderful fellowship. What a treat it was for me to get to meet so many sweet girls and put smiles and personalities with the online names. Despite temperatures hovering right around 0 degrees, multiple car caravans about town, a long wait at the Air Force Base gate late that night to get permission for two military girls to bring eleven others on base...it was fun and many great memories were made--sometimes in the midst of the craziest moments.

The girls arrived at my home that morning and we went to eat lunch at a little sandwich shop. While we were there Gretchen called, not realizing it was The Day for the get-together; she passed on hellos to all. We shivered and slipped across the parking lot to a thrift store full of books....and from there on to another shop where finds ranged from childhood favorite books to shoes.

In mid-afternoon we returned to my home. The girls helped me make pizza for everyone--several of them were lightning fast dish-washers and I am not sure I have ever seen girls have so much fun making pizza crust. Everything was fun with that group.

As evening came we headed up to the huge Christian bookstore for an hour or so of happy wandering...it was a treat for me to get to have various conversations and get to know them and the diversity of tasks and callings they are pursuing. From teaching chemistry to ballet to helping at home to missions work, each story was unique and a testimony of God's grace.

We spent the night in hotel rooms on the Air Force base--an adventure in and of itself. All of us squeezed into one room for dinner and a long time of sharing about God's work in our lives the past year. Some of them stayed up until after 3 a.m. but I must be getting old because I collapsed much earlier. But the conversations just picked up where we left off the next morning and continued through until we finally parted ways in the early afternoon. I already miss them and hope that many will be able to come again in April.

Hopefully more of you can join us next time--we would love to have you!

Captions: Top left - Sarah, who flew all the way from New York; Bottom left - Natalie, Kristin and Mary browse the books at a thrift store; Right - a blooming tea flower unfolding over the candle warmer; Bottom - Some of the girls thawing out from the bitter cold! Left to right: Mary, Natalie, Lisa, Kristin, Clara, Alissa, Liz, Audrey, and Sarah.

A beautiful weekend

The coldest weekend I can remember in ever so long...but thirteen girls from Colorado, New York, Kansas, and Nebraska braved the bitter weather and snowy roads to spend a wonderful 24 hours together. I'll write in more detail soon--for now here is a picture compliments of Clara H.

Even though few of them had met each other before and I had never met any of them, we had the loveliest time. They are all absolute sweethearts!

Standing, left to right: Kristin, Liz, Jennifer, Rachel, Lauren, Sarah, Audrey, and Mary
Sitting: Lisa, Alissa, Clara, Natalie
Not pictured: Arlene and Becky

Girl time!!

In less than 12 hours a bunch (not a technical term but I still am not sure how many because weather has hindered some) of young women will be arriving at my house for two days of fellowship and fun. I am so excited! This get-together is very good timing for me, as it has been a tough week and the opportunity to spend time with like-minded girls is always a beautiful refreshment. I am praying that each of us come away with hearts encouraged and many fun memories. We'll share pictures and such later on this weekend!

YLCF Nebraska get-together

It's official! I am excited to announce that we will be having our first YLCF get-together in Omaha, Nebraska on January 18-19. Anyone is welcome--if you are interested in attending please contact me. We will be finalizing details in the next few days and will need a final count of how many ladies are coming.

Our tentative schedule includes lunch on Friday, a visit to a huge Christian bookstore, a few hours "thrifting", tea time and fellowship at the Klein home, making homemade pizza for Friday dinner, time to watch a "girly" movie, time for devotions and sharing...and more. I am so excited.

Two weeks from today....

Maidens Quest Ministries

Written in September: Two sets of sisters are leading the third Maiden's Quest retreat next week. From origins in Texas, the September retreat is being held in Seattle and plans for more are in the works. It has thrilled my heart to see Katrina and Tara heading up this much-needed ministry for young ladies and we are excited to help spread the word.

Katrina writes: "Tara and I have been friends for many years, but due to the distance between our homes, we have only been able to see each other at select times throughout each year. In September of 2006, we met up again at a mutual friend’s wedding, much to our delight!

"As we visited together about the things of the Lord and the latest ministry opportunities He had given us, we discovered a like-hearted passion for investing in the lives of young ladies. Having both experienced the tremendous blessing of Godly older role models during our teen years, we shared a similar burden to faithfully pass on the baton of encouragement to younger girls now facing the choices that come with growing up....

"An idea came to me that I now know was from the Lord. What if Tara and I could join forces and host some sort of retreat, conference, or weekend event for the young ladies we knew? The event could provide edifying messages, feminine skill-building opportunities, and an atmosphere for encouraging fellowship."

Caption: Katelin, Tara, Katrina, and Kelly, the leaders of the Maiden's Quest retreat for young ladies.

Bridal Tea Party

Rooibos Flower of Africa tea, strawberry soup, Rooibos Strawberry Cream Tea, and lots of dainty sandwiches and scones...

This afternoon we had the delightful surprise of a lovely tea party compliments of the da Capo Teas & Eatery where Natalie worked last year.

"The mere chink of cups and saucers tunes the mind to happy repose."
-George Gissing, The Private Papers of Henry Ryecroft

Homemade Beauty Recipes

Aspirin Mask

Aspirin has salicylic acid in it, which comes from trees, and is good for drying up any acne outbreaks you may have. It is commonly used in face care products. The best aspirin to use is the inexpensive, uncoated aspirin. Once you find some, you need to grind it into as fine a powder as possible. (Natalie: A mortar and pestle are perfect for this) I keep my crushed aspirin in a mini-tupperware type container in the bathroom so it's handy. The aspirin is the dry portion of your mask.

Spoon a little of your powdered aspirin into a bowl. I never measure, but I guess for a whole face, I use about 3/4 to 1 tsp. of the powder. After you do it a few times, you will figure out just how much you need. For that amount of aspirin, mix in two drops of pure 100% aloe gel, one large drop of honey, and drop or two each of lavender and tea tree essential oils. Mix that together thoroughly with your spoon, and it's all ready. You should wash your face with warm water before using any mask, because it helps your pores open up so the mask can work deeply. Leave your mask on for at least 15 minutes, and then rinse with warm water.

I wouldn't do the mask more than two time a week for the first couple of weeks until your skin adjusts to it. Then you can work up to probably doing it every other day if you want. On the in-between days (especially at first when you're only doing the mask a couple of times a week), you can do a plain honey mask. Do that by just smearing plain honey on your face (and stay away from any bears or insects!) after washing, and again, leave it on for 15 minutes or more. The honey really helps to calm your skin, reduce any redness/inflammation, and make you glow. :smile:

Natalie: Wal-Mart's pharmacy will order lavender essential oil for you. Total cost: $3.50. We found 100% aloe vera gel at Target and a mortar and pestle at the local health food/nutrition store. If you can, get local honey from a beekeeper!

Conditioning Mixture

For hair, your aloe and honey are your best friends. I keep a plastic bowl in the bathroom, and I like to squirt my conditioner in the bowl, and then mix in some honey and aloe with it. I'd say I do about two parts conditioner to one part aloe and one part honey.

The honey and aloe are great humectants, which means they help your hair absorb moisture. About once a week, I like to do an apple cider vinegar rinse after shampooing (blondes should use white vinegar, as ACV has a tendency to darken light hair), and then use my conditioner mixture. I think the ACV really helps strip up any buildup that has accumulated on my hair shaft over the week, and then the super-charged conditioner mixture can really soak in.

- by April Hala

Witty Remarks From Jane: Jane Austen Quotables

There are various times when I find myself in need of a suitable response during conversation. If you, too, find yourself desiring clever, silly, or perhaps somewhat unusual replies, look no further. Jane Austen is your solution. Well-known for her witty novels, she has a wealth of superb utterances from which to draw. I have collected several appropriate remarks from the Jane Austen movie “Emma” and “Pride and Prejudice” for your express benefit. Peruse to your delight and prepare to both captivate and confuse your fellow conversationalists.

At a dance, when a gentleman friend asks with whom you’re going to dance with:
“With you if you’ll ask me. After all, we are not brother and sister.”

When those around you are not speaking:
“I believe we must have some conversation…a very little will suffice.”

When you are asked of your hobbies:
“I take pleasure in many things.”

When someone asks what you think of them:
“I hear such different accounts of you as to puzzle me exceedingly.”

When a friend announces her engagement:
“Strawberries! You must have strawberries at your wedding!”

When someone inquires if you are too hot or too cold:
“I am in the perfect state of…warmness.”

When someone is acting particularly hard to please:
“I wouldn’t be as fastidious as you are for a kingdom.”

When there is an awkward gap in a conversation:
“Allow me to interpret the silence.”

When your advice is sought about a certain action:
“I think it would be a wise and relieving thing to do.”

When you are in want of exercise and there is another near you:
“Do take a turn about the room with me. It is so refreshing.”

When asked what you thought of a phenomenal happening:
“We were quite speechless, I tell you, and we have not stopped talking of it since.”

And finally, it is a truth universally acknowledged that when one is uncertain how to answer a statement, the most convenient response is: “Indeed!”

- by Laura Moninger

And some additions by Lisa!

Don't forget:
When asked your opinion of another person on whom you have not given much thought, "Very elegant."

and when faced with being accused of perfection, being a goodie-two-shoes, or some similar character, "It has been my study to avoid those weaknesses which expose a good understanding to ridicule."

From Sense and Sensibility: when in an especially good mood, "Is there any felicity in the world superior to this?"

Photo copyright BBC Productions

The charm of a good hat

I love this post over at the Morton Clan on hats! Go on...check it out.

"Why mind the fashion? Wear a big hat, and be comfortable!" ~Little Women

Incidentally, I've got a precious newborn baby in my arms today (I get her all day once a week until my wedding!) so thanks for your patience!
Edited May 2008

You just do!

It is not eating for comfort--I know better than to give in to that. There is something about dark chocolate. I mean the real stuff that is 60-70 percent cocoa and so bittersweet you can only eat a little bit at a time. I do not know what specifically it is about this chocolate that makes me crave it, but after a good hard cry a couple chocolate chips are wonderful.

And this is definitely a girl thing. Why do we do that? :-)

The joy of cute purses

written August 8, 2005

In an effort to make more room in my closet this morning, I went through my purses. Instead of being the lady who wears many hats, I am the girl who carries many purses. Or rather, I have carried many purses in the past. Big brown backpack things, one big fun bag that had spaces for pictures on the outside, smaller brown purses, a purse with a spot for a 7x7 scrapbook page on the outside, brown camera-baggish-looking things, and even a stark white purse (to match the white heels I long since have forgone). I gathered all but the smallest backpack and a cute tiny little tan purse and put the rest in a bin in the garage. I shall probably take them to a consignment shop before we move, if I can go for several years without needing them.

I had to laugh at all the sensible browns. I had no sense of adventure when I was younger. No daring to be wild. I could be different, and different I was in so many ways. But not wild and crazy. While working at the state capitol, my small leather backpack was convenient because I could carry my lunch and anything else I needed in my purse. But now that I'm done with work, I am declaring my freedom from practicality in the area of purses. I will hereby carry cute purses until I have the joy of carrying a diaper bag. (And who says diaper bags aren't cute?!)

We went purse shopping when Natalie was visiting. I found a cute XO brand purse (for much less than half price) with hearts in all different bright colors upon it, and little X's and O's. Someone commented on my scandalous purse, and Merritt said, "One thing's for sure, when I saw it in my car I had no question as to whose purse it was!"

It's such fun to finally get comments on my purse. Yay for cute purses!

Cheerful Toenails!

I firmly believe that the color of one’s toenails has a direct affect on the tenor of one’s day. Thus, at Christmastime, I paint my toenails red and green (alternately). In March my toenails will be green for John Deere Day (also known as Saint Patrick’s Day). The summertime finds me breaking out shades of orange, while the fall finds brings chocolate and copper color trends.

But for Valentine’s Day, my toes needed a touch that was extra-special. So in anticipation of my visit to Natalie’s, I packed the pink and red polish in my overnight bag, and added to our to-do list: “paint toenails.”

Today was finally the day in which we accomplished this important task. Carefully, we painted each toe alternately red or pink (the colors were Satin Berry and Cherry Slush, to be exact).

But that was only the first step. We sat back comfortably while our nails dried, and I taught Natalie the relaxing art of knitting. (You should see the cute scarf she is making!)

Then, carefully, ever so carefully, I painted a red heart on my pink big toe, and a pink heart on my red big toe. And despite Natalie’s ticklish feet, I accomplished the same feat on her toes.

Our feet were nearly freezing by the time our toenails had dried. So we quickly put our wool socks and slippers back on.

The snow on the ground outside will prevent us from wearing flip-flops for Valentine’s Day. But the knowledge will remain that underneath our warm socks and sturdy shoes are hidden the most cheery Valentine toes you’ve ever seen.

Good Old-Fashioned Relaxation

Between Natalie’s flu bug and my own sheer enjoyment of the freedom of relaxation I find here, we have been enjoying doing very little and having too much fun doing it!

Last night we finished “Wives and Daughters”, a movie I was heretofore unacquainted with, but found positively delightful.

This morning we opened the windows wide, to let in air that felt like spring.

We finally did some laundry, cleaned up the room a bit (“nesting”, Natalie’s mom calls it), and completed the all-important task of painting our toenails. I also appeased Natalie’s brother Sawyer by making him the cookies he’d been begging for ever since I was here last time. (The promise of said cookies is the only way we can get him to answer the phone when I call!)

Then we got out our yarn and knitting needles and I taught Natalie how to knit. (She catches on very quickly, and has found knitting to be therapeutic. In fact, I personally think she has become addicted. But she claims that she is addicted only to knitting with cute yarn.) I can’t wait to finish the scarf I’m currently working on, in order to begin with the new yarn I found at Natalie’s craft store. It’s such fun to find new brands of yarn from what we have at home! For after all, a girl can never have too many scarves.

We walked toward the stairs to go find out dinner, when we nearly fell over at the sight of… snow! Gone was the warm spring air of this morning. Snowflakes were falling at an alarming rate! Apparently the “late night snow flurries” came sooner than expected. But we didn’t mind the beautiful sight while it lasted.

The rest of the family was gone tonight, so with our assorted dinner of yogurt, enchiladas, sweet potatoes, chicken noodle soup, and stir fried peppers, we settled down on the couch for a fun old flick. We found Fred Astaire’s “You Were Never Lovelier” to be enjoyable, yet it could have been given the award for Scandalous Outfits of the Year for 1941! Though I wouldn’t recommend the movie, I did find a new favorite song: “I’m Old Fashioned” by Jerome Kern and Johnny Mercer.

I'm the type that they classify as quaint
I'm old fashioned
I love the moonlight
I love the old fashioned things
The sound of rain
Upon a window pane
The starry song that April sings
This year's fancies
Are passing fancies
But sighing sighs holding hands
These my heart understands
I know I'm old fashioned
But I don't mind it
That's how I want to be
As long as you agree
To stay old fashioned with me

Shopping with my sis!

We had such fun shopping today! The afternoon was spent going from one thrift store to another. We stopped at six stores--one was closed, and we didn't buy anything at another, thus we really didn't spend half as much at the others when it all evened out.

It's a good thing you can check three bags with Southwest, because I'll sure fill my extra suitcase with the 66 books I bought today! Book shopping with Natalie is such fun. She has Sonlight's list nearly memorized, and always spots their books that I don't have. Then I find the old classics (including one from 1853 with lectures on the power and purpose of women!), and the books with quotations about love. And we both spot random favorites, passing them on to the other if we already own them. What fun!

In one thrift shop I fund a treasure trove of greeting cards, cute old-fashioned ones, and new ones too, for only ten cents each. I walked out the door with 71 more cards to send to the special people in my life, and laughed when I saw Hallmark across the way.

After a delicious Mexican dinner, we wandered through Barnes and Noble like it was heaven on earth. We didn't buy any books (why, when we had already found old classics for 99 cents at GoodWill?), but I found a few Valentine cards that needed to be sent to my Valentine.

We came home and showed our purchases to Natalie's mom with much delight. Then she read us Good Dog, Carl (one of my many finds today), so now we can go to sleep.

Tomorrow, we have some more fun stores to explore! The only problem is, my extra suitcase is already full.

P.S. On a technical note (once again), it appears the YLCF site is up and down intermittently tonight. I can get to it more often via ylcf.org than www.ylcf.org, but hopefully all systems will be go soon!

Girl time and "Pride and Prejudice"

Girl time is the bestest! Natalie's mom is like a second mom to me, and when I met her friend Sherry, it was like I had an instant grandma. What a delightful time we've had together! We sat so long talking over our late breakfast the first day that it was time for lunch when we got up from the table. And we laughed like school girls all through the movie "Pride and Prejudice." It made for a very fun girl's afternoon out yesterday!

I think this latest version of "Pride and Prejudice" is my favorite. There wasn't as much time to develop the characters as the 6-hour BBC version, but the characters seemed more believable, the setting much more realistic, the costume more appropriate (and modest!).

Other highlights of yesterday included my introduction to waffle cut French fries (they are perfect with one lil' packet of ketchup per fry), turning around numerous times in an effort to find a thrift shop we'd seen on dexonline.com (it was closed when we finally found it), finding Five Little Peppers Midway and two books by B.J. Hoff at the antique mall (for only $5 total!), and talking to my man on the phone (he's better than Darcy and Bingley put together!).

Now after a day's work (and frustration, especially with tech support reps) the YLCF site has been up and down and now it's partially up again. We hope it will all be working perfectly again soon (it's transferring to a new domain server and web host, and in the process we have to re-upload the entire site, a process which will probably take the poor 'puter all night long). Meanwhile, we're off to clean and shop the day away tomorrow!

Never Stop Crying

A new month is here. And for that, I am thankful. It seems I cried a year's worth of tears in the month of January.

I kept apologizing to my man for being emotional. But then I laughed. My brother would look up the definition of emotional and tell me that I'm a girl, thus I'm emotional all the time, about everything. The thought made me feel better, somehow: I'm always emotional, just some times moreso than others!

I've always cried easily. And while puffy red eyes aren't particularly attractive, they're a fashion statement I've made often lately.

I get frustrated at myself for my tears. But then I realize, how thankful I am that I have things in my life worth crying over!

My man says he isn't worth crying over, but I'll always argue that fact. I've cried so many missing-him tears, and so many happy tears, because of him. A lot of missing-him tears this last month.

I still cry when I find another article about Uncle Dick. I really only barely knew him. And yet, I cry for his family, his dear wife Dixie. All the while, thanking God for the testimony of this man after His own heart. He was a simple painter who loved his family. But over a thousand people came to Uncle Dick's funeral. Even in death, God was glorified.

Another dear man from our church went home to Heaven a week ago. And the way a few others are visiting the hospital, you'd think they are in a race to get to Heaven. I cry just thinking about the dear saints we will not see much longer on this earth. But how blessed I am to have had their influence in my life!

In the light of these lives, the other things I cry over seem little more than spilt milk. But I'm learning to be thankful for the emotions God has given me. I'm learning to count it a blessing that I live, laugh, love, and feel life to the fullest. Even when that involves tears.

I don't ever want to stop loving, and I don't ever want to stop feeling. So don't let me ever stop crying. Because if I did, I'd have lost one of the greatest blessings God bestowed upon women: our capacity for emotion.

Never stop crying, ladies, never stop crying.

"Those who do not know how to weep with their whole heart do not know how to laugh either."
-Golda Meir

"The soul would have no rainbow had the eyes no tears."
-John Vance Cheney

"Heaven knows we need never be ashamed of our tears, for they are rain upon the blinding dust of earth, overlying our hard hearts."
-Charles Dickens, Great Expectations, 1860