Hearts in Service

Each week is busy with the normal activity that needs to happen in my church ministry, district ministry and as well as my roles in our national and denomination's world fellowship position. This week however took on some added busyness with the sheer number of meetings and events I had to attend. Approximately 16 hours was spent just sitting in meetings. There was a point mid-week when I really wasn't sure if I would make it to the end of the week.  I generally always have many things I'm juggling with multiple items which must be accomplished. At the beginning of each week, I honestly am not sure I'll get them all done. And because I hold so many different roles it's always a plethora of projects. But I'm pleasantly surprised when I do manage to get it all done. Some of it is utilizing the phrase, "Just do the next thing." If I look at everything I get overwhelmed and then spin my wheels. If I just take it one thing at a time, I'm able to accompl...

My mother-in-law's graveside service was yesterday afternoon and as I reflected on it afterwards, it seemed to perfectly suit who she was. Her entire life centered around her family and each of the children, their spouses, and then any of the grandchildren who were comfortable doing so, got up and said a few words about how they impacted their life. Her youngest son and my son played songs they wrote. We sang one of her favorite hymns. It was a sweet time. The words used to describe her were joy-filled, patient, and kind. She brought art, music, books and beauty into her family's life. She loved them equally and unconditionally. She believed they could do anything. She instilled confidence in them. She loved and was loved, and that was expressed beautiful yesterday. Her family's love for her is her legacy. My nephew, who couldn't be there, wrote something and I thought it was a beautiful tribute and a fitting way to end this blog post as it expresses very eloquently wha...

  It's been a strange week with two out of the five days being spent with my father-in-law and just letting him process the loss of my mother-in-law. I took him to lunch one of the days and he is so wobbly and frail that I was afraid he was going to fall. I had to hold right on to him while we were walking. I think he is going to need a lot of attention in the coming weeks.  Other than that, I've spent it outside and enjoying the nicer weather, catching up on emails and correspondence, cooking and a bit of sewing. When I was at my conference I had some free time the morning of the event and hit up one of my favorite fabric stores which is owned by a Mennonite woman. She has a beautiful selection of fairly inexpensive quilting cotton fabric. Now that one of the fabric giants have gone out of business I have to find a different source of fabric. My oldest celebrated his 34th birthday yesterday and I made him one of his favorite meals. There is a woman who works with individuals ...

I got back from my conference on Sunday afternoon and was determined to get outside and get moving again. It was a long winter with lots of snow and ice and while I did do some walking, it wasn't enough to stay in shape. I do a lot of sitting as most of my work is on the computer and I'm trying to remember to get up every 30 minutes or so and move around.  At times it feels as if I have too much to do to take the time to exercise and yet, when I do, I feel better and have much more energy and am able to focus more. Taking some time to get outside for a walk clears my head and lifts my mood. Since Sunday afternoon, I've been able to get out each day and go about 2-3 miles each time. I'm definitely feeling stiff so it is important I keep moving. I'm thankful to live in an area with lots of options, including just walking down my street and up into the local park.  I love that everything is starting to wake up and be in bloom. The birds have been noisy too and it's...

I was greeted by this sight as I stumbled out of the bedroom this morning. The sun was brightly shining and its warm glow covered the corner of my dining table. It was a reminder of another new day and a fresh start. This weekend was a whirlwind as I led our district women's conference. 147 ladies came and it was a wonderful weekend. Each moment was packed full of something, and didn't really give me time to pause and reflect. This week will be strange and hard as we prepare for my mother-in-law's service on Sunday afternoon. As I'm starting my week out slowly, I'm reflecting on her life. The sun this morning was a reminder that life goes on. In grief, time seems to slow and stand still, but the world still spins around and time keeps ticking by. Today I've been given an opportunity to start afresh and serve others, to act justly, to love mercy, and walk with God in humility. We never know how many days we have here on this earth and I hope I live those principl...

We received a phone call early yesterday morning, letting us know that mother-in-law had passed away. While we are sad, we are so very thankful that she is no longer in pain. Who she was as a person had slipped away a few years ago as she struggled with advanced dementia and Alzheimer's. I am also thankful that the siblings and spouses spent Sunday afternoon and evening together at her bedside and were able to remember the good things, enjoy one another's company and say our goodbyes. We weren't sure how long she would last and I am so happy that we spent our Easter that way. She leaves behind children and grandchildren who loved her. Her family meant the world to her and everything in her life centered around them. She introduced them to music and art and beauty. We all have wonderful memories of her and her art pieces in our houses. We will be having a small graveside service in two weeks. I will miss her unending patience and kindness and her attentive interest in whatev...