Sunshine in the House

"A good laugh is sunshine to a house." 

~William Makepeace Thackeray

Sarah arrived for a visit shortly after Aaron returned home. She was sharing about her ministry in the Solomon Islands with several different groups at my parents' church.

Sarah always brings joy and laughter and good food and singing and allllll the things. Truly she brings sunshine to our home.

With our newly purchased bushel of local apples, we baked (and ate) a lot. Including this Danish Apple Cake from The Great Holiday Baking Book by Beatrice Ojakangas. 

Day 18 of 40

We earned another stamp on our Coffee Crawl card the weekend after Aaron returned. 

As we drove through and picked up our drinks, the lady at the window said, "Two hot?" but what we heard was "Too hot!" We looked at each other and laughed because we were thinking the same thing :) I'm thankful to be married to a guy who delights me more and more every day. Middle-aged marriage is a beautiful thing.

We drove to Drewry Farms to pick up bushels of sweet potatoes, apples, and winter squash. I had checked the weather before we left, but we were surprised by rain while we were at the farm. The plan was to take a nice long hike together, but the much needed rain changed our plans.

We chose to take the Middle Fork Road trail at the Bayou Bluff Recreation Area, part of the Ozark-St. Francis National Forest. Aaron had camped at this little gem of a park in the past.

This dirt road gave us an easier trail to follow in the rain as we followed the bayou and listened to the peaceful sound of the raindrops. Our small umbrella helped protect us as we snuggled underneath and thought of one of our favorite songs, Bus Stop.

He's Home!

We followed his adventures from the Solomon Islands on Tuesday night (Central Standard Time) to Fiji to Los Angeles on Wednesday.

Aaron sent updates along the way. And when he stopped in Dallas to stay with dear friends and colleagues overnight, they sent a picture, too. The Gebauer Family has been a strong support for our family year after year after year.

Sarah picked him up and took him to the DFW airport on Thursday morning. Katherine and I arrived at the Little Rock airport; we watched his location move across the tarmac and slowly pull closer to the gate. Aaron's flight was early, so the gate wasn't available. We made a quick trip to put more money in the parking meter, then waited some more. Finally, we saw his tired, smiling face coming toward us.

So nice to get this guy back home and to hear all about his adventures in the Solomon Islands during the last month. Exciting things are ahead for the Lavukaleve translation project!

 

Leaving a Legacy

Lately, I've been thinking a lot about what kind of legacy I want to leave. Attending my Grandma's family reunion, having her request "Find us Faithful" for her funeral, listening weekly to her wisdom gained after 94 years of life...those things only add fuel to that mental fire. For the record, at my funeral, I want a potluck and a hymn sing with an opportunity for everyone to share stories.

Our family has been so very blessed to have reaped the benefits of faithfulness from previous generations. We've also had countless adults pour into our lives for the past fifty years. Yesterday, I got a text asking if I could play in a funeral for one of the women who taught me at church. Her son is trying to organize the funeral, and many of us whom she mentored also play musical instruments. He wrote, "She loved ya'll so much!"

Though I'm not in the classroom this year, I do get to serve as an "orchestra mom" for Katherine's youth orchestra. That involves printing attendance sheets each week and ensuring that each student has signed in. It also looks like helping organize snacks for the breaks and encouraging the students in any way I can. Over the last fifty years, many young musicians have benefited from the ensembles underneath the umbrella of the Arkansas Symphony. Katherine has grown immensely as she learns from different conductors, and Aaron and I thrived during our time with this organization. 

Arkansas Youth Orchestra in 1991

We have benefited from a multitude of teachers leaving us a musical legacy upheld by their strong character and integrity. And now we are old enough to do the same thing. So many ways to share kindness, so many ways to leave a legacy. Especially for our family, but also to others whom God has placed in our paths.

Backing into the Future: Health Update

"Acharit is the Hebrew word for 'behind' and 'after' as well as the word for 'future'. In the spiritual geography of ancient Israel, the past is before you and the future is behind you. You don't go out and 'make a future' for yourself. In a continued act of trust, you back into the future, trusting it is held by the one who 'will not let your foot slip' (Psalm 121:3)." 

~Travis West, "The Sabbath Way: Making Space for Rest, Connection, and Delight"

It's that time of year again! Time to attend the appointments to obtain feedback for my cancer journey. A reminder that the Lord is holding me, regardless of the outcome of my scans. 

The brilliant schedule maker at CARTI tacked a lymphedema scan, bloodwork, and a CT scan at the end of my volunteer morning, so it was easy to stick around and hop from machine to machine after I rolled blankets and brought patients their pillows and drinks of choice.

The CT was clear, continuing to show No Evidence of Disease (NED). Though I work hard to take good care of myself, I don't take this result for granted. HER2+ doesn't play around, but my team at CARTI does a phenomenal job of treatment and monitoring patients' post-treatment. My oncologist is watching my kidney function closely, so I've been tasked with daily monitoring of my blood pressure as my homework until the next round of scans and bloodwork in December.

Garden Update

"When we place ourselves in nature, our thoughts are naturally drawn to God's character and creativity. God designed nature to aid in this process of turning our thought to himself." 

~Erin Lynum, "The Nature of Rest"

My little garden brings me such joy. The tiger blush tomatoes are beginning to slow down, but I'm still getting a handful each day. The long beans are flourishing in our heat and humidity. They love the mid to upper 90's we're visiting every day.

But as my favorite farmer recently reminded me, it's past time to plant those fall crops. We saved quite a bit of seed from last year, so I had spaghetti squash and butternut squash seeds to poke into the ground.

I also had one package of beans that never got planted in the spring. 
Somehow my eyes are always bigger than my little raised beds, and I don't have enough room to plant everything I want to put into the ground! So, the rattlesnake beans went into the bean beds where I pulled out the bush beans a few weeks ago. Hopefully, we'll get some delicious things to eat before the first frost nips everything in mid-November.

 

Meaningful Connections

"Fast is busy, controlling, aggressive, hurried, analytical, stressed, superficial, impatient, active, quantity over quality. Slow is the opposite: calm, careful, receptive, still, intuitive, unhurried, patient, reflective, quality-over-quantity. [Slow] is about making real and meaningful connections -- with people, culture, work, food, everything."

~Carl Honore, "In Praise of Slowness: Challenging the Cult of Speed"

I lean towards fast. Towards hurry and impatience. But I long to be calm and careful. And I especially desire to make real and meaningful connections. Some old friends recently reached out to see if we would be available for lunch as they drove through Arkansas. Lori and KJ are the epitome of patient and reflective, unhurried, with a focus on relationships. They gently guided us to work in the Solomon Islands and changed the course of our lives. Spending time with them always leave me feeling refreshed and encouraged.

The first orchestra concert of the year, "Bach to School", gave me an opportunity to renew relationships with students and their families. I miss seeing these guys every day. It's so fun to watch them grow as musicians and as people.

I haven't made yeast bread in a long time, even though it used to be a regular part of my week. There is something about the pace of kneading and waiting for the dough to rise, something about having extra to share and taking the time to discern who needs the home baked goodies. Somehow the slow baking of several pans of cinnamon rolls is becoming one of the ways I make real and meaningful connections.

Update from the Solomon Islands

Aaron and the team spent some time traveling around the West Russell Islands last week and setting up the mini Starlink.

After he returned to Honiara, the team practiced using Zoom with the new equipment. They now have a regularly scheduled check-in with Aaron each week.

Aaron will be sending some copies of Matthew to equip the team for some comprehension checking in different villages, and we're already talking about the timing for his next trip to the Solomons. The possibilities are exciting!

 

Sweet Sabbath

"Amazement and astonishment are compelling synonyms for wonder and awe. To see the world this way is to see with eyes of abundance, to be ever open to noticing the extraordinary in the ordinary." 

~Travis West, "The Sabbath Way: Making Room in Your Life for Rest, Connection, and Delight"

As I hung up my sheets to dry on the line in the backyard, I noticed the beauty of the shadows the rising sun was casting. I love observing the sun move throughout the year, and on Sunday mornings I have a little bit more space for wonder and awe.

Friday Favorite Five

"Dependency means no longer being afraid of exposure, because I really do believe that there is nothing that could be known, exposed, or revealed about me that has not already been addressed by the person and work of Jesus. It means living as if I really do believe that isolated, individualized, independent Christianity never produces good fruit." ~Paul David Tripp, "Lead"

1) Social connection and its link to longevity and physical health are near and dear to my heart. Much research, particularly about dementia and inflammation and how social circles support longevity, has reinforced what I experienced during my cancer treatments and what I see at CARTI each week when I volunteer. My home church recently celebrated its 100th anniversary. What a treasure to see friends who grew up together, two Joannas and two Kristens. People filled the expo center to celebrate so many years of God's faithfulness and to rehearse His goodness.

2) Fun coffee socks. My days of the week socks were full of holes after years and years of enjoying them, so I bought a new set of socks celebrating all things coffee. These cozy and colorful socks bring me so much joy!

3) Fresh watermelon from the farmers' market. I'm learning about so many different kinds of melons! This one was a "blacktail mountain" melon. I also bought some "moon and stars" melons. The teenaged vendor, Jackson, quizzed me on the types I've been buying in the last few weeks to make sure I remembered :)

4) Puzzles. We recently finished "The World of Charles Dickens" puzzle, and now we've begun to piece together "The World of Shakespeare". So many great books represented in these puzzles!

5) Accountability. I agree with Paul David Tripp that "isolated, individualized, independent Christianity never produces good fruit", but I think we need people in every area of our lives. Including how we steward our bodies. I'm so grateful for the teenagers who accompany and encourage me. They keep me smiling even when we are working hard.

All in the Singing Tree

If you have known me for very long, you know that one of my favorite books is The Singing Tree by Kate Seredy. One day, maybe I'll open a Bed and Breakfast decorated in birds and named the Singing Tree, but until then, I'll just enjoy whomever God sends my way.

Recently, Benjamin asked if he could come stay for a weekend because Hannah was hosting a bachelorette party at their house. Then Sarah requested a bed since she was sharing at a nearby church the same weekend.

When Olivia heard her sibs would be around, she and Connor rearranged their work schedules so they could also come for a visit. For a few hours, I enjoyed a very full house with all my kids, minus Hannah. We made lots of yummy food, like this pear upside down cake with pears from my favorite farmer, Billianne.

We sat in the congregation as Sarah shared her passion and excitement for helping people worship with their own forms of art and music.

And my cousin, Luke, joined us for lunch. We decimated a couple of roasts from one of our local beef farmers. It was so nice to have a full table again.

Our family makes music almost without even thinking, but this time we had a world premier by the almost famous composer, B.A. Choate. One of his college friends is a high school choir director and requested a setting of Psalm 121. As we sang, we were blown away by the beauty and creativity of Benjamin. We field tested the song so he could hear how it sounded and also get an idea of the difficulty level. What a joy to make music with this amazing crew of young adults!

 

Dependency

"Dependency means living...as if I really do believe that my walk with God is a community project."

~P.D. Tripp, "Lead"

I love watching God build community, especially in places I never would have considered. People with whom I can confess sin and share joys. People who can drop by without calling first. My favorite farmer has become such a friend. She always knows when to share an encouraging verse from scripture or when I need some extra peppers dropped into my weekly order.

When we recently had the opportunity to help her family by gathering some eggs, feeding and watering the poultry, and collecting veggies from the garden, Katherine and I jumped at the chance!

I'm so grateful for friends who aren't afraid to live in community, who trust that dependency on each other and on the Lord is a very good thing. Who live each day stewarding and sharing the good gifts of time, energy, produce, eggs, finances, knowledge, and experience that come from above.

Our walk with God truly is a community project. What a beautiful thing.

Pizza, Poster, Paint

Even though I'm not in the classroom this year, I still love cheering for these orch dorks. 

The orchestra teachers do a fabulous job of balancing work and play to create a cohesive team. One of the activities at the beginning of the year is the "Pizza, Poster, Paint" party on a Saturday morning.

Each instrumental section, including the seniors, makes a poster. This piece of art hangs on the wall with previous year's posters, creating a legacy of teamwork, joy, and excellence.

Wonder

"Wonder looks at the world with playful expectation. It repels reduction, counters commodification, eschews thingification. Wonder knows there is always more than what is visible. Gratitude looks at the world from a place of sufficiency; its contentment ennables connection and is contagious. The more it gives, the more it receives. A Sabbath practice that intentionally cultivates wonder and gratitude in a culture dominated by greed and scarcity will bloom into a Sabbath posture of abundance, connection, and joy." 

~Travis West. "The Sabbath Way: Making Room in Your Life for Rest, Connection, and Delight"

Our Thai Soldier long beans continue to flourish in Arkansas' heat and humidity. Long after the bush beans are finished, these lengthy beauties delight me and provide beautiful and delicious food for our table. I always look forward to checking the beans when I hang out our clothes to dry; growing vegetables supplies me with abundant wonder.

I've really been working on fighting a scarcity mindset lately. Looking for opportunities to be generous is one of the ways I'm tackling this tendency to not believe that God will provide everything we need. A recent example is providing snacks for youth orchestra. I hadn't signed up yet because feeding close to 60 kids can get expensive, especially when the snacks aren't homemade. But at our local grocery store, the sale rack had boxes of granola bars available. I jumped at the chance and took a leap of faith that we could buy eight boxes. I thought I was getting a box for $1.13 until I checked out and discovered that there was another discount that took $1 off each box. What a kind God to give me exactly what I needed for just over a dollar!

Another source of encouragement was flowers that showed up after I went to bed. A new cello student's mom sent them before we even started lessons. What a sweet way to help me "bloom into a Sabbath posture of abundance, connection, and joy".

Update from the Solomon Islands

Aaron and a couple of the guys on the translation team met in Honiara for a few days. They experimented with the Starlink Mini, putting it together and taking it apart. We're grateful for the donor who bought the equipment so the team in the Russells can connect with Aaron more frequently and consistently. We are still learning the cross cultural dynamics, even after all these years, but I trust the Lord to continue to guide us through the bumps and to give us grace to share with each other.

The guys traveled together back to the Russells for a packed schedule. Aaron said he attended a wedding and got to interact with new people, he also organized several meetings with the team and with the translation committe, in addition to holding a program in Marulaon. The most astounding part of his trip to our house is that we could talk on the phone, thanks to the Starlink. Granted, we feel like we are using the radio again! We keep our sentences short and say "over" when we're finished talking. We anticipate the connection coming and going frequently, and sometimes the call drops completely. 

But what a treat to be able to stay connected, to send texts, to hear each other's voices while Aaron is in Marulaon!