Celebrations

I climbed into bed a couple of hours ago nursing a sick headache after a full day. I awoke hearing Louis's deep breathing that comes when he's soundly sleeping. My heart is celebrating and overflowing with gratitude...even beyond laying quietly and communing with God.
Thanks for taking away that headache. THANKS FOR SHARING YOUR LOVE FOR ME AND ESTHER TODAY THROUGH YOUR SERVANT & MY SPECIAL FRIEND (SHERRY)! You brought Esther into the adult world in such a fun and memorable way. She'll always fondly remember her 18th birthday! She didn't know how to respond when I woke her with a kiss, whispered "Happy 18th Birthday!' & handed her a piece of warm Noodle Kugel and a glass of milk. (The eight days of Passover/Unleavened Bread challenge me a bit in creating "birthday cakes".) Sherry's greeting with a roll, an hour or so later, must have been special too.
Thanks for giving Sherry the desire and talent to create the habiscus-decorated, lemon cake just to Esther's tastes. Thanks for having Sherry include me in the mini-celebration. Once again, Es didn't know how to respond when we surprised her with it at Subway. She was thrilled we didn't forget her "big day"...She was embarrassed that Sherry asked her to wear the birthday crown and had the co-worker and customer join in on the "Happy Birthday" song as she blew out the 18 fancy candles..She wasn't hungry, but didn't want to offend us when we were honoring her. You removed her mourning of previous years that "her day" was shared with the anniversary of Columbine & Hitler's birthday - replacing it with a quiet joy!
Thanks for having her other friends remember her with small gifts and the arranged party at the cabin. Keep her safe there.
Thanks for having Sherry listen to Your prompting about checking out the Massage Therapy School so Esther has the choice to attend the Spring introduction and make a more informed decision about her future. Remind her how important it is to her when the time comes to leave her friends & attend.
You even used Sherry's artistry with the camera and computer to give us these photos to recall the day & to change my blog profile.
Yes, You also gave us the greatest weather yet in 2006! Clear blue skies, 70 degrees, a few Spring flowers ! Oh, there's more, but I just wanted to express my gratitude for your "chesed/faithful love" and for Sherry's friendship! I so enjoyed our time together today! I've added this day to my most treasured ones. It can remind me on those dreary, gray days of the abiding joy You bring to those who are Yours.

Problems seem larger, the closer you are to them.
My daughter's gray cat, Rachel, shadows me. She misses Esther, who is home very little these days, and has made me Esther's substitute. When she gets especially frustrated she has developed the habit of reaching around and pulling out some of her hair with her teeth. She almost denudes the back half of her body this way. At first, we took her to the Vet, thinking she might be in pain. The Vet. gave her a thorough check-up, took lab. tests & later reported she was in good health. I would rather clean up cat hair than cat urine, so I am thankful the habit isn't a worse one. Now I am praying for wisdom. While I'm praying, the Lord just reminds me that I am often like Rachel. When I get frustrated and try to resolve my frustration on my own, I am only hurting myself - and sometimes others. I need to realize that He is still in control. Therefore, I need to take each frustration to Him and leave it with Him. I also need to ask what I am supposed to be learning through the situation.

Chag Sameach! (Happy Passover!)

At 10 p.m.- about 24 hours before the start of Pesach- Esther began violent vomiting. Like clockwork, every 2-3 hours until 5 a.m., she began another episode of hugging and filling the trashcan. Of course, desperate calls for "Mommie" preceded each episode. Somewhere around 3 a.m. I gave up and spent the rest of the night in Esther's room with her. We had a Pesach guest from Great Falls, trying to sleep in the next bedroom. Thankfully it takes 2 to 3 days to incubate a flu virus before symptoms appear. The next day included cooking from scratch 4 large kettles of chicken-matzoh ball soup, table set-up for 65 seder attendees, cooking broccoli and assembling the appetizer plates, organizing the hand-washing and desert areas, music and overheads, etc. I was so grateful for the help of several women the day before, including Jeanne, when we prepared the charoset (chopped apples/nuts & honey, cinnamon & wine mixture) and the potatoe knishes. Then God sent great support before and after the seder service and meal, as well. The 5766 seder lasted four hours, but will be remembered as a success. PTL! The next day as we slipped into the seven day Feast of Unleavened Bread, Louis & I finished the clean-up, sorting and packing away of Pesach items along with a tinge of nausea. Yesterday, we awoke with full-blown symtoms. Nausea and bouts of diarrhea led to a low-key day, so I was once again so thankful that Sherry was accompanying Esther to her next portion of the GED exam. (Thanks, Sherry, for following through with this when you also were exhausted.) Chag Sameach!

Pruning

The sunshine and 60 degree temperatures beckoned to me yesterday. So I spent time in the yard that's greened-up from our two weeks of rain. The sucker branches that Louis & I pruned from our trees the day before the rain started in earnest, were still surrounding each tree trunk in pick-up-sticks fashion. We hope for bigger and better fruit late summer and fall as a result of the pruning done in early spring. The sun warmed my back as I gathered each armload of deadwood to carry to our burn pile. It felt so good to be outside again and recovering from my bout with an upper respiratory infection that came with the spring rain. My thoughts were on the pruning that God has been doing in my life. I was praying that His pruning would lead to my personal growth and fruit for His Kingdom, when suddenly one of the sticks I was bending over jabbed up one nostril! I nearly blacked out from the unexpected pain and held my nose...sure I had started a nosebleed. The reality of my day to day life is often like that unanticipated sharp poke from the stick. Sometimes I walk away bleeding, sometimes I'm just brought up with a start. Yes, I haven't yet slipped into olam haba - that world to come just beyond the vanishing point at my horizons. I'm still living in a fallen world. I need to submit to each experience my Master sends with "for this I have Yeshua/Jesus!"

Life Changes

In Hebrew class we have been translating our way through Psalms 90 - A prayer of Moses.

Adonai, you have been our dwelling place in every generation.
Before the mountains were born, before you had formed (literally "whirled")
the earth & the inhabited world,
from eternity past to eternity future you are God. (verses 1-2)

You bring frail mortals to the point of being crushed, then say, "People, repent!"
For from your viewpoint a thousand years are merely like yesterday or a night watch.
When you sweep them away, they become like sleep (or a dream);
by morning they are like growing grass, growing & flowering in the morning,
but by evening cut down and dried up... (verses 3-6)

The span of our life is seventy years, or if we are strong, eighty... (verse 10a)

So teach us to number our days, so that we will become wise. (verse 12)

After attending the Hebrew class today, I drove to my parents' home. Both Mom and Dad are 80 this year and viruses tend to linger with them now. They were both breathing shallowly so they could talk without hacking. Their flu virus has shown more respiratory components than the stomach flu like Tano Chidwick had recently. They appeared pale and more frail even than normal. I leave each visit with them now, thinking how I should treasure each moment spent with them. I wonder how many more years they will be able to manage a home by themselves. They are still involved with their church, the hospice and hospital patients they visit and our extended family. PTL! Mom filled me in on all the changes occurring in our family. My sister and husband are selling the "old homestead" and will be building a home soon. Their oldest son will be doing the same. Their youngest son is getting married in June. My brother's oldest son is getting married in the Fall... & so forth. I sensed I was observing & hearing Psalm 90 all over again in a fleshed out format. The chapters of our lives fly by so quickly. The comfort is that Adonai is our habitation or dwelling place - even as He will be throughout eternity!

A.D. Chronicles

For over 20 years I have enjoyed reading books written by Bodie & Brock Thoene. My favorites were their Zion Covenant, Zion Chronicles & Zion Legacy series until they started the A.D. Chronicles. "First Light", "Second Touch", "Third Watch" & "Fourth Dawn" are set in the time of Yeshua of Nazareth's public ministry and have numerous Messianic facts woven throughout their story lines, which I love. They are well reseached and well written. So... I highly recommend them to any of you who may have not already found them. I reread them the last couple of weeks as a wonderful stress reliever, as they refocus me on the eternal perspective.

Purim & Spring are around the corner

Hamentaschen baking has consumed a couple of days this week. My kitchen is lightly dusted with flour, but smells of orange peel and cookie dough! We will be eating those delicious three cornered cookies tomorrow at Beth Tephila & through the week since Purim arrives Monday evening. (I posted the recipie for the cookies a year ago.) We also read out-loud the story of Queen Esther in dramatized fashion each Purim. Haman's name is covered with the noise from our noise-makers and Mordecai's name is praised. Esther gets oohs/ahs/ or wolf whistles. Our Esther, Sweetheart Queen, has been a 17- going on 18 year-old- handful recently. Yet, with my friend Sherry's help, the prayers of many & the Lord's allowing rare glimpses into her heart, I have hope that this time too will pass. We will all benefit in increased maturity as a result. The LORD will deliver us from the enemy. He is so able!
Spring is almost here. Our recent snowfall has melted. We are expecting lambs any day and are beginning the preparations for Passover, April 12th. Yes, it takes much of a month for us to host a large Passover Seder each year. We always find it's worth the effort. This is one holiday we are commanded to keep. We enjoy keeping it along with Beth Tephila and many others.

El Shaddai

One of the principles I taught my 4th grade Sunday School class over a year ago has been returning to me as I'm jogging my 31/2 miles on the treadmill or just working in the kitchen.
I can be at peace in the midst of any storm because my God is Sovereign! We defined the word sovereign by the words within it...God reigns over this world. He always has the deciding vote and can turn around any situation to suit His purposes and will. I am believing Him for that very basic fact as it applies to my family. In the meantime, in my devotions I have started to once again study the Hebrew names of God. A couple days ago I did a word study of EL SHADDAI - God Almighty. The first time this word/name is used is in Genesis 17:1. "When Avram was 99 years old, Adonai appeared to Avram & said to him, ' I am EL SHADDAI. Walk in my presence & be pure-hearted.' Adonai had not spoken like this to Avram for 13 years, since Hagar bore him Ishmael (Avram's son of the flesh.) Now Ishmael, being 13 years old, was considered a grown up & responsible male. God was rejecting this 13 year old as the heir of the covenant between Him and Avram; He would institute circumcision as the sign of that covenant and tell Avram that his son of the Spirit would be born of Sarai; He also renamed Avram (exalted father) to Avraham (father of many) and Sarai (mockery) to Sarah (princess). First though, ADONAI revealed a part of His nature: EL SHADDAI - the One who reigns in power. He is so powerful, He can create life where there is death. That is, EL SHADDAI would create Isaac (laughter) from a 100 year old man and 90 year old woman. In Hebrew, Isaac is made with three consonants. The first is a tzadee with a numerical value of 90. The last is a kof with a numerical value of 100. Between these two letters is a chet which is often used in Jewish necklaces and pins, etc. to symbolize life since it begins chaim the word which means life. So EL SHADDAI would take a 90 year old and a 100 year old and between them create life. That life would become heir of the covenant and father Israel/Jacob.
God took the initiative by appearing to Avram, speaking to him, commanding him and promising things to him. Because of who EL SHADDAI was, Avram/Avraham was to do 2 things. 1. Walk in God's presence. (Although God is omnipresent and Avram was always walking in God's presence, I understand this as a synonymous way of saying "Fear the LORD" or walk consciously in my presence, knowing I hear every word you say & see every action & judge every thought & attitude & motive.) 2. Be pure-hearted. The Hebrew word for pure-hearted is tamiym and has the meaning of pure, complete, entire, whole, integrity, sincere, without blemish or spot.
As I meditated on these things and asked God to apply them to my life. I am reminded that at a time when the fleshly works I have born have matured, I am aware that they do not satisfy or complete me. In fact, they are extremely frustrating and destroying my dreams and peace. The Almighty, Sovereign God reminds me not only who He is, but that I am unable to do for myself what He asks. He alone can circumcise my heart, enable me to fear Him and be whole-heartedly His. I expect Him to take over from here and create life out of the ashes of my poor attempts to please Him in my way.

Transformers vs. Immutability

Back in the 1970's and 80's, Louis and I spent almost all our vacation time from the Army Nurse Corps enjoying Montana's gorgeous Autumns. Louis would hunt deer and I would visit with my sister and parents. My sister had two sons who for several years loved those sleek miniature cars and trucks that with a click or slide of a part or two became monsters of the mechanical or human types. This past month has been such a ride! One moment I am sitting back in my circumstances, enjoying the life God has allowed. My hand is lightly touching the cool, apparent solidness of my environment and my mind is supposing that I had something to do with creating all this pleasantness. The next moment, something or Someone behind the scenes tweaks one or two small parts of my safety zones and my circumstances have morphed into terrifying ones where I am clinging to a raging beast by my sweaty fingers & praying like mad. My illusion of any control or influence is broken and I am much more sanely aware of my total dependence on my God. Since I am not yet comfortable in discussing the details of all the transforming, I am just relating my underlying feelings. I am also praising the Lord for His immutability! When all else around me changes frighteningly, I can count on His character to remain unchanging. "The Name of the Lord is a strong tower. The righteous run into it and they are safe." ...whenever they experience those 9/11 moments, days or longer!

Hanukkah Carols

Hanukkah has been over for a week, but before we leave this holiday, I want to share a couple of the carols we sing:

THE SHAMMAS
Eight little candles in a row. See how the candles shine and glow!
Above the rest there stands the Shammas, servant to the others.
One for each night the candles' lit...'til through the days there are all eight.
None would be lit without the Shammas. Darkness alone would then pervade.

Chorus: The Shammas came to serve the small.
The greatest is the Shammas of all.
He came to earth so He might serve
and died for us though not deserved.

Thanks to our God who sent the Shammas, who lights our lives and gives us worth.
So like the other little candles, we might shine forth His light on the earth.


WHY PRAISE THE MACABEES?

Moses, our teacher, gave to us a code.
He said, if we obey it and love the Lord our God,
Then in a land we'd prosper, with peace on every border,
And be filled with the plenty from the land we'd sown.

CHORUS: Why do we praise the Macabees when we forget to
praise the God who sent them? Not to praise our
God has meant our fall. His law demands that we
should love Him and obey Him above anything.
Religion does not honor Him at all.

We've failed to keep our God's command
and failed to keep His law.
Instead of peace and plenty, war, dispersion came along.
And men, like Antiochus, have come, through time, against us
and filled our lives with agony and made us sore.

In mercy, God has come to us so all of us can see...
How great His love is towards us when His Son died on a tree.
It ought to make us love Him...Should we reject His favor,
A new Antiochus we shall ever see.

Hanukkah or Christmas or both?

The first week of December, Louis and I spent in Palm Springs, California, attending a Union of Messianic Jewish Congregations Leaders' Retreat. We missed the first large snowstorm of 8 to 10 inches at home by leaving for Spokane a day early. We drove into the storm as we entered Spokane instead, but at least had dry pavement over the mountain passes. Palm Springs was a wonderful break!! We've been trying to catch up ever since then, however. Here it is, December 30th and I'm still sending out holiday greetings via the snail mail. We are celebrating Hanukkah ... lighting six candles tonight at sunset. We minimized our gift-giving this year, and have spread out our gift-opening from family over the days of Hanukkah. It's been a very different holiday season this year. We've spent time with Sandy, my former boss, the owner of Nightingale Nursing. Her husband died a couple of days before out Palm Springs trip. We've visited Ruth, another good friend, who is rapidly going downhill physically and mentally. First she was in Community Hospital and now she is at The Village Nursing Home. This week we attended two other funerals. What a time for really going HOME!

While in Palm Springs, we stayed at the home of Rabbi Alon Barak. Here are some of his thoughts, slightly edited by me, on Hanukkah.
Hanukkah or Christmas?
OK, which one do we observe? Do we as Messianic Jews compromise and do both? What is the right thing to do or is there even a right thing to do? It can be pointed out that HaShem (G-d) never demanded either Hanukkah or Christmas be observed on His List of Holy Days. Let's see what the scriptures have to say.
First, there is no mention of the early believers observing the birth of Yeshua with a holiday called Christmas or anything else. The birth of human beings was not a day of celebration in the Bible. In fact, it was a part of pagan practices.
Secondly, there is no mention of Hanukkah in the Tenach (Old Testament). How could there be? It took place during the inter-testamental period - that time between Malachi and Matthew/the period of Yeshua.
When we want our activities to be based solidly on the scripture and what pleases our Heavenly Abba, but have no definitive proof text, what do we do? We look to Yeshua! Jesus observed the holiday of Hanukkah & not his own birthday. This seems strange to us. Let's first look in John 10:22. "Then came Hanukkah in Yerushalayim. It was winter, & Yeshua was walking around inside the Temple area, in Shlomo's Colonnade." Yeshua traveled from the Galilee to Yerushalayim to observe Hanukkah, the Feast of Dedication. The tie of Hanukkah to Yeshua is easily recognizable. If Antiochus was successful in destroying Jewish identity, no one could fulfill the unique prophecies that were required of the Jewish Messiah. Antiochus was defeated, the Jewish community annually celebrated and Yeshua was there. John, who stated that he could not record everything Yeshua did, made certain that this event was added to his gospel. It was IMPORTANT. He knew that the entire Jewish population had been spared a holocaust, just as it had been in ESTHER.
Yeshua said that HE was the light of the world. So what's the center of the celebration of Hanukkah? You got it, the Menorah light. The Menorah is one symbol that G-d has repeatedly used throughout the Tenach (O. T.) and in Revelation. If there is only one symbol that Yeshua will use during His millennial reign, it is hard to find a better choice than the "light-menorah". For 3500 years, G-d has used it. It is much older than the famous "Star of David". Hanukkah celebrates light.
Hanukkah paints a picture of G-d's dramatic deliverance of his people from evil tyrants. (A shadow perhaps of Herod's slaughter of the Bethlehem babies.) We look forward to the return of Yeshua as a conquering King. The impact of Hanukkah fits this perfectly.
Is there a more appropriate time to celebrate Yeshua's birth? Of course, the actual time of His birth. Messianic Jews believe it was either during the Feast of Tabernacles in the Fall or at Shavuot (Pentecost) in May. Both dates were commanded by G-d to be observed.

Well, that is sprinkling of Messianic Jewish thought on this holiday time. What do you think?

Happy Thanksgiving!

Our gorgeous frosted world, created by the fog of our weather inversion, looks more like Christmas than Thanksgiving. It inspired us to mail our first Christmas package that has the furthest to go ... southern Forida. Today we baked squash and green beans as our portion of the family Thanksgiving get-together. We are starting to saute onions, garlic and homegrown oregano in olive oil to add to our homegrown green beans. The result is delicious and less calories than the more traditional green beans with mushroom soup and french fried onions. We made both styles for today and will see which one folks like the best. We fix the squash almost like you would candied yams. Louis will eat yams or squash only if they have a little butter, brown sugar and marshmallows to sweeten the dish. Hope you all are enjoying your favorite foods & families. God is so good! May He receive all of our thanks for such memory-making times as this.

Simple yet delicious

Sometimes I find a recipie that is both delicious and extremely simple to make. While I was volunteer nursing at Camp Utmost, the cook was Chef Bill Colson. Bill usually is the chef for a restaurant in Shelby, Montana, I believe. After tasting his cole slaw at two meals, I sought him out in the kitchen to see if he would share his recipie. He did and here it is...

COLE SLAW DRESSING
Chef Bill Colson (Camp Utmost 2004)

Chop up 1 large head of cabbage & 1/3 small white onion.

Blend: 1 cup sugar
¼ cup oil
¼ cup vinegar
salt to taste
1 1/3 cup salad dressing or mayo.

Combine with the cabbage and onion and refrigerate.

Sometimes I add some shredded carrot to this recipie.

Enjoy. - Cary

Storms are a part of life and growth

Our first snowstorm arrived yesterday but is melting away fairly quickly this morning. We loved watching the big snowflakes, but had to moderate our driving to the lack of visibility and slick pavement. Another storm of sorts has arrived in our household. Have any of you had to take away a car from a teenager? Fireworks! No, warfare results! Our daughter's grades had fallen dramatically and she was not always obeying the family curfew, so the boundaries got tightened to her dismay. Now the relative shalom/peace of our home has been exchanged for a familiar battleground of wills, tempers, negotiations... It's back to taxiing our daughter to school because she won't budge out of bed to get to the bus in time. It's teaching through consequences that you don't always get your own way in this world, even if you are doing "OK" in the biggies like staying away from alcohol and drugs and illicit sex. More is expected in the areas of responsibility and authorities - to include parents - are to be respected and obeyed. Sound familiar to you? It's become a decade's theme for us. Thankfully, we have the best Father around to turn to for encouragement and wisdom. He assures us that it is worth it to hang in there and teach the proper values.

October Hikes in the Bitterroot/Selway

The drop off at the top of Bear Creek Canyon Overlook was a little scary.
Bear Creek Canyon Overlook is a long but fairly easy hike with a gorgeous view from the top.

While Louis hunted and brought home four deer for our year's meat supply, I had the fun of weekly Wednesday hikes in the Bitterroot Mountains and Selway Wilderness. The best way to share these with you is by a sampling of my photos taken during some of those hikes.

More hiking photos

Would you like to join me on a hike like these in the Spring?

Golden tamaracks and aspens are common in the Bitterroots...as are cathedral-like cliffs... so typical of our hike up Chaffin Creek in the Trapper Peak area.


Glen Lake was a more difficult hike into the Selway Wilderness, but the scenery was great!! The hillsides were covered with bear grass and huckleberry bushes dressed in their Autumn russet leaves.
Because of the high elevation, on some of the hikes we had a touch of winter via snow on the pine branches on either side of the trail.

Glorious September

I have just returned from a wonderful 1 1/2 hour hike up Sweathouse Creek Canyon that ended at Sweathouse Creek Falls. It is in the mid- 60 degrees on a bright clear day. Our leaves are just beginning to turn to golds and russets and brilliant reds on the bushes and trees. The intermediately difficult hike wound up the narrow canyon beside the creek on the left and steep canyon sides on the right. An old wooden flume could be seen in some places along the canyon wall and rock slides. Fallen timber was everywhere, sometimes across the trail. Laura and I knew the black bears are hungry this time of year. Hungry enough for a mother and two cubs to even venture on the university campus this week. So we decided early on to make this hike a prayer-hike. We talked and openly prayed our praise and petitions all the way to the falls and then all the way back. At the top of the falls, we ate our sack lunch and gazed at the glorious Fall splendor around us. No, we didn't see any bears ... only some grouse, a squirrel and chipmunk. This is the way to enjoy September! This is such a hug from the LORD!!

Wisdom or cowardice?

With an older teen in and out of the house, I'm slowly but surely learning how to react wisely when someone close to me wants to pick a fight or manipulate with anger:

- Detach emotionally, (physically leave if need be).

- Pray about the situation.

- Draw closer to the Lord.

Louis's cataract surgery was successful. In three weeks, at his postop. appointment, we will see if he'll need new glasses. Rosh Ha Shanah, the Jewish New Year or Feast of Trumpets, is only about a week away. Even as we are watching the news of the areas hit by hurricanes Katrina and Rita, our eyes are also on Israel, God's timepiece.

I'm feeling sheepish...

After church and a quick lunch, we drove to Hamilton with the horsetrailer yesterday. It was time to wrangle our six adult sheep. Wrangling includes positioning the horsetrailer next to my parents' pasture fence, setting up some horsepanels on both sides of the trailer to make a broad "run" into the open trailer filled with some scrumptious alfalfa hay, then chasing the sheep around the pasture a bit until they follow our directions out of sheer exhaustion. Thirty minutes was all the wrangling took this year as the sheep had grown lazy and tired out quickly. We also had kept the lambs separated the last couple of months...allowing the ewes some down time and then the chance to breed again with the ram. We wrangled the lambs into our trailer this morning to take them to the co-op. truck pick-up point. There they were weighed in, (an average 93 pounds each), and loaded into the truck for the drive to market. Another lambing season come full circle.

The willfulness of each sheep and lamb is evident during wrangling. Yet, so is the flock instinct. It takes only one reluctant sheep/ lamb to keep the others from entering the chute/run and therefore the trailer. It also takes only one leading sheep/lamb to start the flock back in the right direction. Yeshua so frequently compared humans to sheep. Here is another similarity. I can influence others toward His way or my own. Without thinking the rest tend to follow. I may be one of those unthinking followers much of the time, too. Oh, I'm feeling so sheepish again.

Seeing clearly and "that's Greek to me"...

Back when Louis and I were in San Jose this summer, we met a young woman who I believe called herself a "theophostic". Have any of you heard of this? She gazed intently at Louis and I as we were eating lunch together and then started speaking to us about our desires, our family, our finances, etc. Each comment was right on. Some of it was so personal & uncanny that it left you speachless. She commented on so many things that no one but God could have known about us...and she had just been introduced to us by our mutual friend who invited us all to lunch. Our mutual friend did not know us that well either and could not have fed her the information. Well, God allowed her to see into our heart of hearts and speak encouragement to us.
Louis has been scheduling and getting insurance authorization for another cataract surgery for this coming Tuesday. His first eye had a cataract removed back in June of 2003. He was at least twenty years younger than any other patient in the waiting room back then. His clear blue eyes were one of the physical features that attracted me to him. They evidently are more susceptible to cataracts than brown or hazel eyes. Now the other eye's cataract has obscurred his vision enough to require the surgery soon. I wonder if he will notice the mold that is just beginning to show up on the shower tile or the not so spotless floors once his operation is done. I love to read and have been known to cut corners in housework to be able to get back to a book I have started. Then there is my enjoyment of learning Hebrew, which requires study time. This year our class will continue translating in Genesis, but also start into Greek. I have been trying to memorize the Greek alphabet today. Louis says he learned it back in college. I never did. I was not a sorority girl. I have good focus, but it can be a fairly narrow focus at times, blocking out everything else. That helped me in my studies, but didn't enable me to absorb all the college culture around me. I always believed that was a good thing. Now I'm not so sure. My mind does not memorize with the rapidity it did in my twenties. Yet, to be able to glean nuggets of truth from the Word in the original languages is worth the time and effort. I hope that learning Greek, along with the Hebrew, will be like removing cataracts from the eyes of my understanding of Scripture. Of course, that carries the weight of added responsiblity before the Lord.