Today I Still Remember

We will remember them...

It is ANZAC Day and amidst all the nostalgia and remembrance of our loved ones and ancestors who fought and died for the freedom we enjoy today, I seem to keep drifting back to thoughts of Dad. 

He wasn't a veteran but he was my hero.

So much of my knowledge of the wars and what life was like "back home" comes from my own parents.  I think of my Dad now, when still only a teenager, who felled a paddock of scrub country using only axes, with his older brother in 1942. The following year his two older brothers went to the war in the Pacific and Dad was the eldest at home and much depended on to keep the farm going.  He did apply to the army but his colour blindness and the fact that by so late in the war the farms desperately needed fit people to keep them going, kept him home.  I have always been thankful for that.  My dear Dad was a very tender soul who I think would have struggled to recover from such an experience.

I have been enjoying afternoon tea each day with Mum in these past two weeks.  The days of our mourning.  What a wonderful, stoic and resilient woman she is! But the realities of grief have hit her and also the frailty of her own body.  She has been quite miserable and unwell. She is tasting loneliness. Her memory is very poor. Sometimes when I mention something about Dad she can't recall it....and that is hard, painful.

"Today I still remember, just like yesterday,

'Bout a mighty big man with a mighty big heart

And a mighty few words to say."

Here's a link to one of my old poems

Remember

Lest we Forget

For everything there is a season

And a time for every purpose under heaven

I woke up early last Saturday morning and drifted back to sleep with happy thoughts of my family gathered in Melbourne and a prayer for my gorgeous niece who was to marry later that day.

When I actually got our of bed a few hours later I was greeted with the tragic news that there had been a shooting in a school in America.

Sometimes, all  the seasons seem to happen in one day.....

So while I spent the afternoon waiting for pics to come up on Facebook and visiting my parents, there was a very sombre cloud over the day, even here so far away.

Ecclesiastes 3

1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

² A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
³ A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
⁴ A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
⁵ A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
⁶ A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
⁷ A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
⁸ A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

And so it has been for most of this year.  A season of casting away but also gathering and regrouping.  A time to keep silence on some issues but with others to voice our opinions. And we have had lots of times of weeping and sadness and trial but also many memorable happy times ♥
And so it seems, it has been all my life, as I look back from this high pinnacle of fifty years.  The ups and downs, the good times and the bad, sickness and health.

The one constant in my life?...............My Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!
For even before I knew of my need of Him, I can see now that He was always leading and guiding my steps.  Before the Lord became the centre of my life, the love of my life, through many "dangers, toils and snares" He knew me and was working all of my life together for good and for His glory!

This is great consolation for us when we are travelling through dark valleys. And when life is going well and we are able to see all the wonderful blessings and glimpses of Glory that God has bestowed on us, we can also look back and see that the same faithful Jesus led us through that difficult time.

I know now that my niece was an enchanting bride. She  and her lovely husband are honeymooning and everyone is talking about just how special their nuptials were.

My heart aches for the the families of the sweet children and their teachers from Newtown.  I selfishly hold my children and grandchildren close, unable to fathom what pain they feel.

We do indeed "Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep."
As we come to the end of another year, when there is a lot of rejoicing and thanksgiving, I want to give praise and thanks to God ~ for His mercies endure forever! "The JOY of the Lord is my strength" and no matter what comes our way in 2013 "Nothing shall separate us from the love of Christ which is in Christ Jesus"!

Thank you all for your friendship, encouragement and entertainment during this very eventful year.  God bless you  xo

Rawr!!!!!!!!!

One Hundred Years of Farm & Family #3

One Hundred Years of Farm & Family #1 & #2

are the two previous posts.

When the melee of the tree planting was over

(we had decided they would all be planted at one time

to prevent a long drawn out session)

the men started up the branding fires for the branding of

the entrance gate and fence.

In real life, branding cattle used to be a very hot, smelly event.

The gas burner still get hot and the one doing the

branding needs to be careful.

P7J

Formally Dad's and now my youngest brother's.

Planks were branded for any who wished to take

home a memento.

6GD

Grandad's brand and now my cousin's/

Another cousin and her husband constructed the gate and fence

and put in a watering system for the grove.

Note the old cow bell hanging on the gate.

Dad can no longer see.

He listens carefully as my sisters read out the brands.

Of course, he knows whose each one is.

Sunset at the top of the world!

With wine and cheese

we soaked in the splendid view from the highest point

on my brother's place.

A 360 view of the Callide Valley and toward the Dawson.

Westward ho!

The local school bus driver, and family friend

loaned his bus for ferrying folk around.

My grandkids loved the bus ride but being

almost dark, fell asleep on the trip up the mountain.

Memorabilia displayed on what was once my grandparent's

family table and later hosted many happy occasions

at my own childhood home.

including my Family History Albums.

(And my sweet grand-daughter behind)

Old photos hanging in the corrugated iron shed

plus old implements, cream cans etc

added to the rustic feel.

My youngest son and his cousin give my two

grandsons a ride on the quad.

In our day, visiting kids got rides on horses.

My brothers are both horse lovers and good horsemen and

use them for mustering,

but many farm jobs are done on bikes these days.

And so it is over......sigh.

Our celebration and reunion were well worth all of the effort

that went into it. 

Every detail seemed to fall into place.

Thank you for reading and sharing in this special occasion.

100 years of Family and Farm

Readin', Writin' an' 'Rithmatic

Wind back the clock, if you will, to your high school years.  Okay, some of us have to wind a long way and wrack our middle aged minds to get there, but for a moment transport yourself to those long ago, golden days.  I am able to say that because my high school memories are happy ones despite it being five years in an all girls boarding school.

In my last post I mentioned that I had studied Logic!  Premises and conclusions etc. etc. and while this is a source of some hilarity to my better other half I actually believe some of these early "Clear Thinking" methods have served me quite well in later life.  For many years I loved  Logic Puzzles as well but alas, the brain does grow rusty and I find them much more difficult these days.  Sudoku, which I also love,  are solved in much the same way.

Can you remember the subjects you chose in Year Eleven and Twelve?
I'm thinking  English, Maths (Social Maths aka Vegie Maths :-)., Economics, Biology, Home Economics, Logic, RE.  As you can see from the random choices I had no idea what I was going to do when I grew up and just took a stab at general things.  I feel now, over thirty years later that each of these subjects has been useful to me in adult life.

I always imagined I would do teaching and got into the Uni here, but by the end of those five secondary years I was very "over" studying.  I thought I would take a year or two off and maybe  go back to the books at some later time.  Of course, once one has a job, an income and a social life, it is hard to take up that challenge.  So although I mooted it almost every year, encouraged by my various bosses, I never did return to study.

I began my working career in a job I absolutely loved!  I was the Kindergarten Assistant in Biloela for two years.  Not only have I always loved children and been interested in their development and education, but I was blessed to work with a marvelous teacher who informed and encouraged this in me.  I left that job only because of my loneliness for young people of my own age and interests in what was a little bit of a rough country town in those days.

Moving to Rockhampton I almost immediately scored a job in the area of one of my other great loves....books!  I was Library Assistant at the Girls Grammar School for five years.  These were great years.  These were firstly the years of very hectic social life of which I eventually grew weary but also the time in which I learned of my desperate need of a Saviour and by His providence, came to know the Lord.

I have of course been "teaching" for over twenty years!  Again, I think all of the learning I did in high school has in some way benefitted me and my children in our home schooling venture.
Just this week I surprised myself by rattling off  "Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species." when it came up in the boys work.   Such clunking of the old grey matter! But it did get me thinking of the ways in which my school subject choices have  been useful in real life.

You will notice that I did not do History, Ancient or Modern.  While I love History now I am not sorry I didn't study it at school as it is an area that I have loved to learn about in my years of home schooling.  A good general knowledge is so beneficial.  I have always marvelled at my father's fabulous general knowledge being a lad who left school at year seven, didn't have TV till he was in his 50s and has never used a computer.  His one downfall in Trivial Pursuit or TV quiz shows - Arts and Entertainment.  Wouldn't know one movie from another!


So...  What subjects did you choose and were they beneficial for later study, work or home making? Did you go on to University and what did you study?  Were your high school subjects prerequisite for the course you undertook or did you have a complete change of interest?

And on another note, something I have also been pondering with all the home school neglect articles and posts in the past week, What level of education is needed to teach ones children at home?   Do you think this is a factor? Would you disqualify someone who say, left school at Year 10? 12?

Just to finish off another post with a lot of meandering thoughts and get your eyes and brains working.  See if you can pick me out of this Year 9 schoolphotograph.

Remember your creator in the days of your youth.

Making Golden Memories

My own childhood holds

many Golden Memories.

I love nothing more than to see the little ones enjoying making memories, too.

We have limited income and a lot of children around, so most of our

memorable occasions are not fancy or far flung.

We just enjoy being together, watching the babies develop,

celebrating the milestones of life and

being a part of these special little lives..

My second grandson turned three on the weekend.

What a happy, exciting day for a small boy

Full of barbecue, cake and party food.

One big uncle, one small nephew.

(GS 3 almost two)

You can read about my own Golden Childhood from old posts

here if you are interested

in what makes Ruby the peculiar person she is today!

My parents didn't have much money, either.  They didn't

enjoy the luxury of travel.

They worked hard and made many special memories along the way.

Whether they intended to, I'm uncertain.

I think it was more just how life flowed and as an adult I have that happy,

glass half full knack of being able to remember the good times fondly

and not focus on the bad.

I hope my children, and my children's children, will do the same. ♥

Enjoy a wonderful week.

Learning About Me.

On this day, 24 years ago, my first child was born.  The years pass quickly indeed. Sometimes I don't even feel as though I am 24.  How could I have children this age??!! Do I still grieve.  Yes, in the sense that one of my family are not here, but not in that heart broken way you do when you first loose a loved one. 
Recently someone commented that I seemed to think about  this   child and talk of him a lot considering his eight short days of life, such a long time ago.  Ha, only someone who has not lost a child could think that.  Losing anyone we love is painful, but in our children are tied up many hopes and dreams and a great deal of love, long before he ever leaves the womb.  Counselling books will tell you that the loss of a child, whether a still birth, neo natal death (as mine was) or later in life is one of life's greatest sorrows akin to the loss of one's spouse.
Thank you Lord for my son, through whose pregnancy, birth and death I have known such great joy and desperate sorrow but in the long run been strenghtened in so many ways. I would say, that has been one of my most valuable character changing/ developing experiences.


I am learning lots of lessons about my character at the moment.  I have always loved children and I guess I am a little dotty about my own :-)  My grandsons have always been a delight to me and now sharing such close time with two of them is flipping my heart and giving me much to giggle and gloat over!
I am learning that I am much more tolerant with these little ones that I can hand back to mother for the tough stuff!  I attribute this calmness to my heart medication which keeps my heart pounding at a a slow, even pace even when things are noisy and chaotic!  I think my partial eyesight and deafness in one ear are both helpful in glossing over behaviours which may have got my dander up in by gone days.  I hope also I have simply relaxed and can take life a little less impatiently and a lot more humorously than in days gone   by.        
I know I am learning to re-assess my goals and reasons for home schooling.  My boys have begun the year's work and I am contented with their progress.  It is a new challenge for us all to have a one and two year old in the house!  Drawing, books and puzzles only occupy them for a very short time.  So while my own fellows have all the challenges of their learning limitations, they are also developing some great diversion tactics for small people,  a lot of patience, and how to keep their precious belongings OUT OF REACH.

Dad is coping tremendously and is also finding he is more patient and less stressed about little people than he once was.

And my daughter is coping marvellously under difficult circumstances.  She is a blessing to have in the house.  (Hey, didn't I train that girl?) My second daughter is also doing a great deal to help with flood clean up and child minding which is a great help.

It is one of those hectic and potentially fraught weeks ( with the cyclone threat and unpleasant weather and other trials) which has turned out well and productive
A nice stir fry for tea and maybe a movie tonight.
Hope everyone else has had a good one as far as school goes and those still in flood areas and cyclone affected areas, I pray for your safety and a quick recovery.

Create in me a clean heart, oh Lord, and renew a right spirit with in me.

The Great Flood of 2011

When I was a child, my Grandfather would tell us about a dim memory he had from his early childhood.  He was a four year boy in 1893 when Brisbane experienced devastating flooding.  He lived in the suburb of Rosalie which we are seeing a lot of in the news this week.  Thankfully Great Grandfather and Grandmother lived in a very high house but I believe the Brisbane River rose to about 8 meters which is A LOT higher than this flood.  I actually remember visiting my maiden (great) aunts who still lived there in the 70s and being overawed with how very high that house was!

As this historic week  has unfolded I have been working on one of my Golden Childhood posts that has had the working title of "One Momentous Week in '74".  It is about the week of the Australia Day floods which ravaged Queensland that year, but more about my personal dramas and memories of that week.

So now I am thinking that this too will go down as one of those historic episodes, which generally mark a generation.  As Grandad spoke of the '93 flood and 1918, my parents used to compare to the '54 flood which was huge in the Don River area where they lived and here in Rocky also. My hubby and I speak of '91 when with a toddler and a small baby we were marooned, surrounded by flood waters in our little rural home.

We are country folk.  Our lives revolve around the seasons. I don't feel I need to, nor am I able to write to much about the floods here and the catastrophic events on the Downs and South East Queensland.  I know even readers in the US and other overseas places are hearing about all the drama.  It is on our TV and radio channels 24/7.  We feel a little numb.

We have the refugees back after a week at the Evacuation Centre.  I am glad.  Even though it is crowded and hectic, it is good to have them all here close.  Sickness had broken out over there anyway and some "disturbances" which are bound to happen when large groups of random people are thrown in together. This is a special opportunity to support family and build bridges in our community.  I battle for my turn at the computer anyway, but doubly so with so many in house!  If you don't hear from me.....don't panic!

I have been touched and comforted and greatly uplifted by the people of God at this time.  So many blogs that I read which have posted about the floods have had beautiful, faith filled comments.  How blessed we are to know that the Lord reigns, that he does all things well and that he works all things together for the good of his people.

My thoughts and prayers are with all those in flood affected areas both here in Queensland and further afield.  Thinking of you Jeanne, you have been through it all so recently and now a double whammy. 

The photograph above is taken in Wood St, Rockhampton.  On the left where the trees are is the park where we play often with the grandchildren.  My daughter home is one street to the right but the flood water was 2 metres high at the peak :-(  They hope to get in next week to begin the clean up.

Of Marriage, Milestones and Many Waters!....

The last week of every year is very special and usually very busy in our house.  This year was no different except we have had the rain and flooding to contend with :-)   This has been the biggest rain event in these parts for many years.  It is very widespread and the Fitzroy River is the catchment river for all the surrounding water ways...all of which are experiencing record flood levels!  So we sit here in Rockhampton, waiting, watching, wondering!

Previous record 1918
The Old Fitzroy River Bridge

There are predictions as to how high the river will rise but realistically no one knows for sure as the levels coming in from the north and west are higher than ever previously recorded.  Needless to say the Big Wet of 2010/11 will go down in history as one of the biggest.

My older daughter and her family live in the flood inundated area of town and have evacuated to us for the duration.  It looks as though their place (a high set house) will get water through the upper living area. We have a house full but we are enjoying it and will make the most of the precious family time despite the stress of the situation and the knowledge that when it recedes the big clean up will begin.

This is what the Depot Hill area looked like over the last couple of days.
If the river rises to expected heights this area will be under 2m plus of water.
This is where my daughter lives!

My second daughter and her family spent the long weekend in the south and are now (happily) stranded there until the roads reopen.  Their home is thankfully high and dry.

The town is very low on milk, bread, fruit and vegies etc.  We are fairly well stocked but with nine in the house plus their dogs we will need to be!!

oo00oo

For better, for worse,
For richer, for poorer,
In sickness and in health,
Until God shall separate us by death.

On Tuesday we celebrated our 25th Wedding Anniversary. Yes, 25 years!
 Although we did not take the above vows in our marriage service, I think it sums up well the commitment that two believers make when they stand before God, and the congregation of his people to promise and covenant themselves to one another.
My own children and my little grandchildren make every hurdle and difficulty through out the years seem trivial and very worthwhile.

Psalm 127

1Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it:
 except the LORD keep the city,  the watchman waketh but in vain.

2It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late,

 to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.

3Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD:
 and the fruit of the womb is his reward.

4As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.

5Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not
be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.

oo00oo

Yesterday, Thursday was my birthday!  How quickly these seem to roll around these days. We had to postpone our usual lunch with my  little group of birthday celebrators . We regularly take the birthday girl out for a meal when each one rolls around.   When the flood dramas are past we will go out and have a nice meal together.  As mentioned, I had plenty of my family here to celebrate the day and some visiting friends from Canberra came for lunch.  This meal was cut short too with their decision to fly home before the airport is closed! Earlier, I had enjoyed a coffee and a chat with JJ and tomorrow will be lunch as usual with Dad and Mum .
I love that I get lots of phone calls and messages and I feel very spoiled in general. I am so grateful to the Lord for preserving my life thus far and giving me so many wonderful family members and friends to share it with.

Tomorrow will be the beginning of 2011.  We are having a barbecue with friends but it is most unlikely that I will actually see it in . I am sure my boys will take the opportunity to stay up late and have some goodies!

May God bless each of you in the coming year xo

And a NEWS FLASH!
The missing fuel cap was found today by my daughter, just going about her business down the back! Thank you Lord!

A Poppy for Remembrance









,

A Rose for the Anzac Boys







When my sister passed on this book to read, I thought I may read it aloud to the boys. Yes, it is historical fiction, and very accurate. But now that I have read it I will pass on the reading aloud. When you start to get teary from the very first chapter, you know it will be a difficult book to read to others in any sort of cohesive manner. It is one of the most heart breaking books I have read in a long while.

Although it is fiction, it is meticulously researched and poignantly realistic in the telling. Jackie French has based her story on the letters, diaries and memoirs, right down to some very gory details, of real characters who were there as well as official dates and documents. Mostly, it is the vivid and emotionally charged portrayals of this bloodiest of all wars which pulled my heart strings and kept me in tears throughout.

Set in Australia, New Zealand, England and the battle fields of France in the Great War, it tells the story of Midge Macpherson.   Midge is a New Zealand girl of Scottish decent who winds up leaving school in England to volunteer in France. Although it is a story which both boys and girls will enjoy/ benefit from, it is very much the story of the valiant women who volunteered in so many roles, without the recognition received by the even more valiant young men who fought in the War. It is also the story of the nurses and rich patronesses who kept the basic needs of these selfless men foremost in their minds and worked tirelessly for the duration of the war.
But just as much it  the story of, to quote The Band Played Waltzing Matilda,

 "The armless, the legless, the blind and insane,

All the poor wounded heroes of Suvla."

and all the other arenas in which the ANZACs fought.

This story, though a novel, is very close to the bone, and heart,  for me as my own Grandad fought in this conflict in the very fields of France where the story is set. As a child, he spoke very little to us of the horrors he had experienced. He was wounded on two occasions. After the first he returned to action (Oh, after reading this I can hardly bear to think how hard that must have been to do.) After the second very close escape (We have his pocket book complete with bullet hole to show how he was spared) he was sent to recuperate in England and after the armistice was signed, shipped home. As this book describes vividly the transportation and conditions of the wounded and dying, I imagine Grandad in those very tents, among the screaming wounded and the shell shocked. My heart goes out to him and all those brave young men who went to war to do their duty, to serve King and country and came back, alive but forever scarred.

As children, (Grandad died, aged 91,  when I was 20 years old) he glossed over the actual horrors and atrocities we now know he must have seen and experienced. But he loved to tell of the wonders of Egypt and spoke of how lovely the people of France, England and Ireland (where he visited relatives after recovery) were. He would roar laughing about  how the French girls called him Michelle (Michael). Of course, France and London were battle scarred and deeply depressed when he visited.But as I got older, I realised that Grandad didn't just carry the scars of the shrapnel which we could see on his shoulder and over his kidneys. He carried much deeper scars and as so many men of that era, he carried them silently.

Now I have only the few memories which my own Dad has relayed of those dreadful hand to hand battles on the fields of France. An image of his mate being blow apart beside him. Of Grandad refusing to shoot a German whose head kept bobbing up and down as he dug in just yards away from them. All was quiet and apparently he told the Captain if he wanted him dead he could shoot him, himself. Which he did apparently and all hell broke loose.

My grandfather was a quiet man, a gentleman and a scholar. How that war must have crushed his spirit.
When World War II broke out and his sons wanted to enlist he advised them to seek positions other than foot soldiers to spare them the same horrors. The two who went become drivers in the Army and were also blessed to return home safely. My Dad, a little younger and also a gentle soul, was blessedly not required, though the ones at home carry many cruel and vivid memories as well.

Once again, as we remember the fallen and those who have served our country in all conflicts, on this November 11th, I thank God that my grandfather was spared and that I have such precious memories of a wonderful man. A grandad, a story teller,  a farmer, a deeply religious, pious and well read man, a hero.

The pocket book which was tucked in Grandad's trousers, over his kidneys,

which took the brunt of the bullet and probably  saved his life.

(It is hard to see the hole in the bottom in this pic.)

Service medals and the Rising Sun insignia

He served in the 47th Battalion

.

A Rose for the Anzac Boys

http://www.jackiefrench.com/historical.html#anzac

An Old Favourite.

WORDLESS  WEDNESDAY

This Week, Tonight.

Blogger looks good!
I like the new look of the dash board, although some of the pictures are HUGE but I seem to have my own pictures back to work with.
Now all I need is some fresh inspiration....sigh. I have had a very busy week back to school and all, and have really limited my computer time. This is always necessary when I have pressing things which need attending to. Also, we have four bodies who claim time on our computer and sometimes it can be difficult to get a moment without others looking over one's shoulder. The same goes for the telephone, which I do not use a lot. Sure enough, if I want to call someone, usually one of my sisters, the whole family will end up crowded around the telephone which really puts a dampener on any meaningful conversation. One thing for sure, it prevents me blogging or gossiping about my loved one!

School has started back smoothly and in a low key fashion. I am sad to loose our dear helper Rae but I am very impressed with both of my boys in attitude and application! I even had an early starter trying to get through book work in order to get outside one morning. And who wouldn't? The Spring sunshine is calling and when you live in this part of the country it is really important to make the most of these days before the intense heat and humidity set in. And they will.....any day now :-(



Babies, babies, babies. The birth rate may be down to 1.6 or some such but it is not going out of fashion around here! Two new great nephews (24 great grand children for my dear Mum and Dad) and Rae gave birth to an 8lb 1oz baby girl on Monday morning!!! We give praise and thanks to God for these safe arrivals and as both my nieces had two little girls already they were super excited to add boys to their families.

Boundaries was the title of my post on Monday and I have been thinking on this and many scriptures since then. I hope to get my thoughts together enough to post more on that on Monday or soon at least. On Wednesday, I also posted pics of the gorgeous cat and dog I owned in my spinster days! They were puppy and kitten and came to me within days of one another in 1984. I was single and living alone and my family thought I was becoming eccentric! They grew up together, slept in one basket while they still fitted and particularly Jep, my dog, went everywhere with me. Romance, a large dog lover and one very large dog changed our family arrangements. Ah, but that was twenty five years ago....


Jeopardy & Couch
1984

Enjoy your weekend!

Warm Fuzzies from my Single Days

WORDLESS  WEDNESDAY

The Beautiful Woman Behind the Veil

Once upon a time there was a sweet blue eyed, blond girl ~ I'll call her Gemma. She was obedient and placid, with a pleasant nature. Truly kind and loving and loved by all who knew her. Gemma was the doted upon only girl in a fine, upstanding Christian family and the apple of her parents' eyes.

Twenty five years ago, as a four year old,  she sat beside me as flower girl on my wedding day. She behaved impeccably through the hour long service, the formal photographs and the wedding reception.

Gemma grew into a beautiful young woman. She professed her faith in Christ at about fourteen years of age. She spent a lot of time at our house and we at hers and we were all family friends. Gemma's mum was and is one of the most precious "Titus 2" women in my life and Gemma was like a big sister and mentor to my girls when they were small. She was the type of girl you trusted and loved to spend time with your children.

When Gemma was around nineteen she began to struggle in her faith. Her parents, family, christian friends and pastors all tried to help and encourage her. Myself included. We had no idea the depth of pain she was going through, but as Christians we knew the answer lay in the peace and forgiveness found only in the Lord Jesus. But Gemma broke her parents heart. She shocked all who knew her.

Gemma told us she had converted to the Muslim faith.

Today we visited with Gemma, her husband and children along with that very dear family as they gathered for a special family milestone celebration. Eight years ago, as a fresh convert to Islam, she visited wearing a light head covering around her face. Today, in full burka and only the slits of her once beautiful eyes showing we felt it was a distant visit. Much less showing than the picture above. We did not see her at all. We waved to the children and shook her husband's hand.  I hugged her goodbye and when my hubby went to shake her hand she held it up and said, "No, I can't." She has known him since baby-hood but could not so much as touch his hand.

Our hearts break for our dear friends. Outwardly they cope so well and yet they find it all so hard. And for the precious, sweet children, so like Gemma as a little girl. Our hearts break that she who was taught so well and professed to know the Saviour   has turned her back on him and claims she needs no mediator. That Allah is her god and that her works will one day earn her salvation.

I am grieving tonight, dear readers. May our great God be merciful!

My Dad's a Mechanic, What's Yours?

WORDLESS  WEDNESDAY

Keepers...

WORDLESS  WEDNESDAY

Decisions, Decisions....

WORDLESS  WEDNESDAY

1946

WORDLESS  WEDNESDAY

Heart's Ease

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY