Testimony of God's Grace

Our church website has a page devoted to our members' salvation testimonies.  A few weeks ago, I decided to re-write my own in a format suitable for this purpose.  You can find it here, but the text also follows below.



God’s blessing and grace have been evident in my life since my earliest days.  I was born into a family with parents who loved God and shared a desire to raise their children in the fear and knowledge of God.   My sisters and I grew up in an environment where we were daily taught about Jesus Christ and His work of redemption on the cross, and my childhood days hold sweet memories of learning what it means to love and obey Him.   God worked in my heart and opened my eyes to see my need for a Savior at a young age, and I placed my faith in Christ when I was around seven years old.

My life since that time has never been the same as God has used His Word, experiences, and people to further His sanctifying work in me and make me who I am today.  My teen and young adult years in particular have been spiritually rich as God has shaped me through the trials of life.  Psalm 119:71 says, "It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes."  Learning to fully trust God's goodness, love, and wisdom have been hallmarks of spiritual growth and depth for me as God has continually brought me to the end of myself in order to strengthen my faith and open my eyes to see Him for who He truly is.  It has been through heartache and sorrow that God has given me what I have needed the most:  a deeper understanding of His faithfulness and an unshaken confidence in His promises.  I praise God for this work and thank Him for giving me above and beyond what I could ever ask or think.      

My friends and pastors from Second Reformed Presbyterian Church have also held a significant role in my spiritual growth as they’ve challenged me in Bible study, offered opportunities for ministry within the church and surrounding community, encouraged my interests and pursuits, and most importantly, called me to live a Christ-filled, Gospel-focused life.   It has been a great privilege for me to be part of the staff at Second Reformed Presbyterian Church the last eight years and see first-hand how God is building His church, and I look forward to continue serving here as long as God allows.

September Bike Ride

Ever since I had biked the Monon Trail with a friend of mine earlier this summer, I had wanted to take some of my family members there to experience the beauty of the trail with me.  I wasn’t sure if that would take place before the winter, but a free weekend for Kathy came up this Saturday, so we decided to spend the afternoon biking.  An added plus was that I just purchased a brand new bike on Thursday, so I was able to ride it for the first time on this trip!

Few people know that Dad was an avid cyclist while in college and just after he was married.  He would spend hours not only cycling, but also conditioning his bike, taking it apart all the way to the ball bearings.  He had to put this hobby aside when God gave him children, and his bike has been stored in our attic all these years.  Well, when he heard that we were planning this bike trip, down came the bike – and he spent all of Saturday morning making the necessary repairs so that he could ride with us. We enjoyed having him come along, and it was nice to have an expert with us when Kathy managed to shift her chain right off her bike!

It was a beautiful day, and we enjoyed a lovely ride from 96^th Street up to 163^rd Street. Kathy loved the hills—mostly going down them. J 

Here are a few pictures from the outing:

Here’s my new bike and Dad’s antique. J

Can you tell all three of us are in this picture?   Kathy requested I take my sunglasses off after this realization. 

It was a fun afternoon, and we hope to plan another outing soon.

From the weekend

Eating dinner outside during the summer is something that the grandkids always enjoy.  So this past Saturday, we washed down our lawn chairs and set up the kitchen in the backyard.  The yellow jackets were a bit of a nuisance this go around, but that's part of the summer experience, right?

We enjoyed the classic summer meal:  grilled chicken, yellow corn, fresh green beans, salad, and watermelon.  Oh, and I didn't get a picture of dessert:  strawberry shortcake or fruit popsicles.  The latter was the preferred choice for most.  

It was fun, though the constant getting up and down to retrieve what was forgotten from the kitchen made me wonder if all the effort was worth it.  But at least we could sweep the crumbs from our laps and the picnic table onto the grass and not worry about cleaning it up later! :)

Another Year of Grace

Saturday, August 31 marked another year of God's grace in my and Kathy's lives.  Our birthday festivities actually began early that morning at 12 a.m. since we both had yet to retire for the evening, and upon realizing that the big day had already dawned, we greeted one another while on the way to bed with a hearty, "Happy Birthday!"

Since cake is my absolute favorite dessert, I had decided several weeks ago that I wanted to bake a two-layer white cake and ice it with our famous chocolate-fudge frosting.  Pure yumminess!  Kathy's contributions were the decorations, which we soon discovered were Hannah's favorite part of the cake.

Given that we have been extremely busy the last month, we did not give a whole lot of thought to party decorations.  So Saturday late afternoon found me and Kathy going through our specialty-occasion paper plate and napkins stash to see what we could use to make it fun for all the adorable children coming over soon.  Believe it or not, this simple task made our opposite personalities and likes and dislikes come out even more!  After numerous discussions and a couple of "rejects" from Jenny coupled with lots of smiles and laughter, we finally settled on something we BOTH liked, using what we had. :)

As usual for all our birthdays, Laura and the family came over for the evening.  Those precious little ones make parties that much more fun and enjoyable!  One of their favorite things to do is put the appropriate number of candles on the dessert and help blow them all out.  Their expressions of sheer delight and excitement make it something you won't forget!

Getting ready to blow them out... (Sorry for the blurry pictures, but you get the point!)

Since we had so much going on in our lives at the beginning of August with flooring installation and an out-of-town vacation, we never completed celebrating Mom's birthday.  So this evening was a combined party, and we finally gave Mom her birthday gifts.

An added birthday activity for me this year was spending Friday evening with a very special friend of mine.  We enjoyed dinner at PF Changs downtown and a leisurely walk along the canal.  An added bonus was watching the fireworks show following the conclusion of the Indian's game that night.  I couldn't help but think that they were in honor of our special day. :)

As we reflect on the last year, both Kathy and I recognize that we have so much to be grateful for:  the family and friends God has placed in our lives, the ministries He's given us, the abilities and interests He's blessed us with in order to pursue the opportunities He puts before us, etc.  We look to the future with hearts that praise Him for all He's done and a confidence that He will complete that good work which He has begun.

Eyes to See

I cry aloud to God, aloud to God, and he will hear me.  In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord...I will remember the deeds of the Lord, yes I will remember your wonders of old.  (Psalm 77:1-2, 11)

At the beginning of the year 2013, I felt like I was walking in a thick, black fog.  All my eyes could see were the struggles and heartaches facing me on all sides, and most days I awoke with a heart filled with fear, disappointment, and endless questions that seemed to have no answers.   The discouragements of my heart built a huge wall that seemed to hinder my steps and block my view from seeing beyond the troubles of the day.  I was stuck, caught in a deep mire that pulled me deeper and deeper into its grip even as I tried to fight back and go on.  

There were two spiritual disciplines of life that never waned throughout this time:  personal Bible study and times of prayer.  It was through these means of grace that God carried me through a dark valley and restored my soul.  

In mid-January, I began to realize that my perspective was askew and that a drastic re-adjustment needed to take place.  But I felt utterly helpless to change.  It seemed like everything was working against me - my emotions, my physical well-being, my natural responses to life and its pressures, etc.  But when God finally brought me to the end of myself, He gave me the desire to humbly ask this of Him:  "Father, give me eyes to see your goodness and cultivate in me a heart of gratitude."  

In talking with a friend shortly thereafter, they mentioned that they daily wrote down one gift that they saw God give them that day.  My heart instantly responded to that idea.  In order to cultivate a heart of gratitude and train my eyes to see life differently, I needed to consciously consider, "What has God done for me today?"

So, on January 18, 2013, I started my "God's Gifts to Me" journal.  I purposed that for one year I would daily record one gift of God to me.

Sounds easy, right?  Well, for me it wasn't - at first.  This exercise was quite revealing for when I decided to begin this journal, the trials of life only increased and intensified.  When I sat down at the end of the day with my pen in hand, I had to think hard.  I had to push aside my emotions and discouragements and look for evidences of God's love and provision for me.  My early entries reveal the depths to which I stooped to notice the simple things coming from God's hand:  the chirping birds on a spring day that reminded me a new season was here, the warmth of the sun on my skin after a cold winter, an email from a friend, a text message from another, etc.  They were simple things.  Yes, it didn't seem as if God was providing for any of the "big" issues going on in my life, but I slowly began to realize that He was indeed giving me good gifts and that He did indeed love me.  

Gradually, as the days and weeks wore on and I continued to write, the thick fog I felt trapped in begin to lift, and my joy at God's present work in my life returned.

"Eyes to see.."  I am so grateful that God led me to pray that prayer in January!  Although God had me walk through fiery trials during that time, He taught me that it is possible to possess a joyful, trusting spirit as long as my eyes are focused on Him and my heart is grateful for all that He does for me - big or small.

Eight months later this exercise has become easier - almost second-nature!  And not only has God enlarged my vision, but He has also given me a record of His faithfulness that I can read during seasons of doubt as well as share with future generations.  

This journal has become a treasure to me.  So I challenge you: Do your eyes truly see, and is your heart grateful?   

The New Complete!

Last Friday was an important day in our home as the flooring installation was finally completed!  After three weeks of our surroundings in a constant disarray, it has been so wonderful to have everything in its proper place and order (and peace) restored!  Today, as I sorted boxes and helped to put some in the attic and then cut down others for the recycle bin, it was hard to believe that a project we've talked about for 10 years or more was finally done, and that all the boxes we had been packing/unpacking and moving all over the house for the last three weeks wouldn't be used again for a long time.  What a relief!

I love these before-and-after pictures.  We'll treasure them years later when we recall all that we experienced throughout this ordeal.

It was certainly a family project!  Each one pitched in and did what they could while juggling numerous other responsibilities.  We actually really enjoyed spending time with one another while working toward a common goal.  I won't deny that it was a lot of work (and we did get a little weary toward the end), but the final product has been so rewarding.  We thank God for His provision and blessing and continue to ask that He use our home for kingdom purposes.

The Queen City: Day 2

Saturday morning came a bit too early for some of us, but we didn't sleep too long because we had to pack up and check out of the hotel before enjoying our outdoor recreation:  biking along the Ohio River.  We parked in Newport, Kentucky and walked across the bridge to rent our bikes.  (We found out later that this particular bridge was going to be destroyed, but three business men intervened and had it turned into a bridge for pedestrians only.  Now it leads one to the "backdoor" of the Newport Aquarium.)

Even though it was quite humid, we greatly enjoyed our hour-long ride!  The riverfront area in Cincinnati is beautiful with trees, flowers, paved paths, and historical markers along the way.  We biked the full length of the trail two times, across the bridge, and back before returning our bikes.

We did work up a sweat (which didn't evaporate in the humidity) so decided that a scoop of ice cream from Coldstone Creamery was in order.  It was both delicious and refreshing!

Before leaving town, we had one more planned activity:  a Ride the Ducks city tour.  That was certainly an interesting experience; not so much the water and street ride (which was fun!) but all the "extras" that went along with it.  But we did learn some fascinating facts about the city, such as the Paul Brown football stadium being the safest place in the city during a tornado because there are no touchdowns there.  Ha - I thought that was a good one! =)

When Dad and I visited Cincinnati earlier this year, we walked across a bridge that reminded us so much of the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City.  Come to find out, engineers patterned the Brooklyn Bridge after this bridge in Cincinnati!  It was the very first suspension bridge built, and once completed, no one trusted it enough to cross it.  In order to prove that it was indeed safe and structurally sound, they had 21 elephants cross. That worked!  Now there are suspension bridges all over the world.

What a wonderful two days God gave us!  We came home a little tired but so grateful for all that we had seen and experienced together.  The memories built will last a lifetime.