Foundation

In Dulce, tipis are pretty common. During Go-jii-ya (a festival), many families pitch tipis and camp in them for the four days. If you walk around town, it's usual to see a tipi set up in a yard or two. I've been in several tipis in my life; I've even slept in one on a frigid January night in Iowa!

I had no idea, however, until a couple of weeks ago at Bible Study, that a tipi's foundation is at the knots at the top. Makes sense, once you think of it, but it really surprised me!

So when you look up in tipi, you see the foundation... instead of standing on the foundation, the foundation is above you. And of course, that got me to thinking......

What is my foundation? 1 Corinthians 3:11 says that Christ is the foundation. And in Luke 6:48-49, Jesus describes one who builds his life upon Him as a man building a house on a firm foundation.

I love thinking about these verses in the context of a tipi. Jesus Christ, who is above us, is our foundation. We build our lives upon Him, as a tipi is built around the frame knotted together at the top.

And then, FLASH! I had one of those inspirations for a glass design that comes complete. I immediately started drawing my design. As soon as the drawing was done, I made a copy and began choosing glass. Here is the first version of "Foundation":

Next time I will choose a glass for the tipi that has more contrast from the sky background glass, but I love it! The cross is the foundation for my life; if that is also true for you, please consider ordering "Foundation" for yourself or a gift. It is 10x8 inches, and I will sell it for $60.00. $10.00 of each sale will go to the Jicarilla Apache Reformed Church, a mission church serving the Jicarilla Apache Nation.

500 Loads of Laundry

500 loads of laundry. 119 days of home school. 26 Sundays of making coffee. Approximately 20 sleepovers (I've lost count, actually). 16ish trips to Pagosa Springs for theater class. 12 trips to the Jicarilla Library. 8 piano lessons. 5 Sunday School lesson plans. 3 doctor visits. 2 ski trips (with another one planned this week).

That's how long we've been in Dulce. 

Six months. It wasn't the calendar that I noticed, though, it was the dryer sheets. We bought this huge package of dryer sheets when we went to Farmington the very first time (along with many other things!). It had two boxes of 500 sheets each... And I finished the first one this week. 500 loads of laundry. More than 80 loads a month. That's almost 20 loads a week! That's crazy!

I thought it was time for a "check-in." How are we doing here in Dulce? What are we up to? What's next?

We are doing great! My husband is thriving as the pastor of the Jicarilla Apache Reformed Church. People have said that attendance is up. The church and parsonage are being used frequently for God's work. We are in the planning stage of beginning an AWANA children's program in conjunction with several other churches in town.

The list in the first paragraph keeps me pretty busy. Plus, I'm helping with the AWANA planning. And I was busy with glass through Christmas. I haven't done much since, but it feels good to have a break. I am working on a design for the centennial celebration of our church. It uses the Jicarilla Apache Great Seal as the basic design:

We are quite happy here in Dulce. We look forward to what God has in store for us here in the future. We know that He has called us here for His purposes; we are committed to working with His people here in the homeland of the Jicarilla Apache Nation. I, personally, am excited about the near future in starting AWANA. The children and youth of Dulce will benefit from the cooperation of the churches to offer such a great program.

Stay tuned for a glimpse of the centennial pattern, more about AWANA, and our continued adventures here in New Mexico!

The Sad Part

My 7-year-old and I watched this movie last night... and cried when Charlotte died. I have read the book to her, and to many students, and I've teared up every time. Last night, our wee one was sobbing when Charlotte was left behind at the fair, and I was trying to cheer her up a little.

I said, "Honey, remember what happens next in the story? The sad part isn't the end!" We watched and enjoyed Wilbur meeting Charlotte's children... and when it was over, she said, "I'm glad the sad part wasn't the end."

                                                                 Me, too.


Because today, one of our dearest friends was buried at the age of 56. Tom has been one of my husband Brad's best friends for almost three decades. His wife has become a dear friend of mine, and their daughter is a delight.

We have all been saddened by our loss of friend, husband, father, brother, and this morning I was grieving. My daughter asked why I was sad, and I reminded her that Tom was being buried today.

She immediately said, "But Mom, you don't need to be sad! Remember that the sad part isn't the end. Tom is in heaven with Jesus, and he's dancing around with legs that work. He's up there with his new body right now. Don't be sad."

Amen. And amen.

Known

The road to the Post Office

"Do you want a ride home?" I didn't understand the woman at first. We were in the post office and had exchanged pleasantries upon arriving. She had even joked with me about getting my exercise in by walking to the post office. I didn't really know the woman; I've seen her around, but didn't know her name.

"Do you want a ride home?" she repeated. I said, "No thanks" out of habit, then realized that I'd just been given the gift of hospitality and friendship. I reconsidered, "You know, with this box, I think I would like a ride." We got into her truck and headed away from the post office.

I wondered if she knew where I lived. She didn't ask, and since I'm one of the only Anglo women in town, it was possible she knew. I was quiet, and she drove me directly home. "Thank you," I said as I exited the truck.

Feeling delightfully a part of the community of Dulce, I started thinking about the whole incident. I realized that being known was a wonderful thing. Chances are, most of the residents of Dulce could have done the same thing!

And then I asked myself, I wonder if everyone in my life knows where my home truly is. Evidently, everyone here knows where my physical home is... but is it as obvious where my heart's home is? Is my belonging to heaven as strong as my belonging in the parsonage?

I doubt it.

But it is certainly something for me to think about and work on. I am called to belong to Jesus Christ in Romans 1:6. In Galatians 5, the fruits of the spirit are delineated for those who belong to Jesus Christ. Does my life exemplify those fruits: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control....

And if I am honest with myself, I know that those fruits of the spirit have increased over the years of God's work in my life, but I am not overflowing with them.

Yet.

Philippians 1:6 assures me that He will continue His good work in me... to its finish.

Thank God!

Clinging

A few days ago, I posted about studying Psalm 23. I ended by saying that we Christians make it through tough times by clinging to each other, to God, and to Psalm 23. I had no idea how soon that would be true for our congregation.


A respected elder in our church lost her daughter unexpectedly this week. We got a phone call in the evening, and my husband went to be with the family at their home. (He wrote eloquently about his thoughts in his blog.) Since then, we have been praying for the family, and my husband has been involved in planning the funeral.

Our congregation is reeling, as you might imagine. But in the midst of much pain, God is so very present. This morning, during our Sunday service, only two people came forward for healing prayer. This is unusual; there are frequently 6-12 persons.

One of them was the member who lost her daughter, and when the time came for the congregation to come forward and lay on hands as we prayed together, many of the congregation came to surround this mourning daughter of Christ with love and support. The front of the church was filled with people clinging to one another, tears in our eyes as we prayed for God's comfort and peace to encircle our sister.

I looked out over the sisters and brothers crowded to the front of the church, hands stretched out to bring love and healing, and I knew, once again, that God was deeply at work among these people. There is much pain and grief on the reservation; many people have lost loved ones too soon.

And I thank God, once again, for calling us to this place...these people. My faith is deepening and growing here among the Jicarilla Apache people. I pray that God will use my life to deepen and grow others' faith as well.

Your prayers for the work of the church in Dulce are much appreciated.

Fear No Evil

What God Has Joined

We studied Psalm 23 last night. You know the one: The Lord is my Shepherd...

We talked a lot about fear, and how this Psalm (and other verses from the Bible) have helped us through difficult times. Have kept us from succumbing to our fears. Have reminded us of God's protection and love.

There were seven adults present, Jicarilla Apache, Anglo, and one self-determined "half-breed." There was a mix of ages, but most were on the far side of forty. In the course of discussing how God is present in difficult times, we naturally discussed "difficult times."

And my heart broke.

Tears filled my eyes when someone discussed the bitter aftermath of their marriage. And two others told of escaping violence in their own homes, bruises, blood, and children in tow.

And another told of the pain and grief of visiting a Holocaust museum in Germany. How the people there stood frozen by the reality of meat hooks hanging from the ceiling of a gas chamber. Collectively, we Christian Jicarilla and Anglo people, gasped for the horror of what was done to the Jews.

But my heart was shattered when a Jicarilla man told of visiting an Indian Boarding School museum. I've read about the history and the maltreatment of the Native children in the United States, but nothing prepared me for his telling of walking through the museum, heart-heavy, and coming around a corner to find a display of a barber's chair. The display included fallen hair in braids on the floor, and he drew in a breath before he could tell us that this was his history. His story.

He was taken to a boarding school as a child, where his braid was cut off. He described the violence of the adults, holding down the boys forcefully while their braids were shorn. He said that he had to leave the museum because it was so traumatic to remember.

Other Jicarilla people began remembering their time in the boarding schools here on the reservation. They told of being forced to wear a dunce cap for speaking Jicarilla. They told of the physical punishments given by their caretakers for "acting Jicarilla." The braids falling to the floor was a universal memory.

There is so much evil in the world, so much wrong in our collective histories, so much pain...

How do we cope with it all?

We cling.

To each other.
                       To God.
                                     To Psalm 23:

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Did you hear that?

I will fear no evil, for you are with me. We can take our overwhelming feelings of despair to God; He never leaves us to deal with it alone. He is with us... Emmanuel...

My cup overflows. I have more good in my life than I can comprehend. My blessings are so many that my life overflows with them!

And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. These anguishes will be extinguished. I cling to God's promise that every tear will be wiped away. There will be no more death or sadness. All wrongs will be righted (Revelation 21:4).

Amen. So be it.

Beauty-Full

On my walk this morning, this beautiful sunrise began just as I left the house. I thought it was incredible! As I walked, I watched as the sun crept upward...

The pictures don't do justice to the beauty of the sky; it just kept getting more amazing! The rays of the sun were visible against the cloud cover; the colors ranged from pink to bright yellow-orange. It was breathtaking.

The thing that amazed me the most was the way I thought the sky was the most beautiful it could ever be, and then it became even more beautiful! I wish my iPhone camera could have captured the increasing glory of this sunrise...

And I am struck by the thought that my knowledge and experience of God is the same way: Every time I think I've reached the pinnacle of closeness to God, He reveals an even greater glory to me. And every time I have a period where God's love and grace are shrouded by the clouds of busy-ness, distractedness, or foolishness, He reveals to me His glory behind the clouds. He reaches out for me, calling me to restoration of relationship with Him.

When I am close to Him, I reflect His love and grace to those around me, like the western ridges reflect this morning's sunrise. I pray that God will continue to work in me (He promises he will in Philippians 1:6!) so that I may do His work here on earth.

And may we all stop and experience the glory of God which surrounds us always.