A grace-filled wink

Dear Readers,

I believe airplanes are one of the greatest places for getting to know people. My philosophy is that if you have to sit next to them for hours on end, you might as well love them and show them you care about their lives. (my uncle would say that's called being nosy, but whatever.) Sometimes you can do this without words even passing. I remember one time this happened in particular.

 My family and I sat in our seats, passing books and snacks and getting situated as other passengers with mobility issues boarded. I looked up as one woman walked onto the plane. On her way to her seat she lost her balance and nearly fell. She must have caught the concern in my eyes, for when she steadied herself she looked my way and winked. With a smile she found her seat.

Such a tiny moment. A millisecond, really. But I have remembered her wink for years. She could have taken offense that I was watching her and scowled. She could have ignored me in the face of her own struggle. But instead she took that moment to reassure me that she was okay.

Is that as profound to you as it is to me?

We spent some time with dear friends last week, and one of our discussions has been running through my mind...along with this memory of the dear woman on the airplane.

Our friends were talking about how during surgeries, hospitalizations, or whatever trying event we're going through, we need to remember that just because that is the most important/difficult thing in our lives at that moment doesn't mean it is the most important thing in someone else's life...or that we're the only ones going through a difficult time. You can't say, "Yeah, sorry about that, but my brother/aunt/cousin/friend is in the hospital, so I'm really focused on that right now." You have to continue to invest in other people's lives and realize that they are going through "stuff", too.

To me, that's exactly what that woman on the plane did. She was struggling, and she looked past her own pain to comfort someone else. Every time I remember her I'm amazed. What grace. I hope I can live a life that extends such grace to everyone, and that looks past my own struggle to help someone in theirs.

Your Blogger,
 Claire

A story for your Monday

Dear Readers,

I'm taking a moment from studying Marine Biology to write. No matter how fascinating it is (and Marine Biology really is my favorite science!), writing is always my preference. Always.

So here's a little story to satisfy my need to write and your desire for a story: (because I'm assuming if you are here you want to read something, right?)

***

The little girl stood still in the middle of the room. All of the other kids in the classroom were dancing around in a wild game of freeze dance, but she just stood watching.

As I looked around the class of little thespians, my heart went out to her. I knelt next to her and asked if she liked to dance. She shook her head no. I whispered to her, "You know what? I don't either."

I was confessing one of my biggest insecurities to a four year old. She just smiled at me.

I know how she felt. I'm most awkward when dance music is playing. What feels to me like really putting myself out there is almost always just me awkwardly tapping my foot and bobbing my head to the music. Haha...yeah. Pretty awkward.

I sucked it up, though, since the purpose of this game is to pull you out of your shell. And I was teaching it, after all. ;)

So I grabbed her hands and we danced. When I twirled her around, she didn't even smile. We stayed in the exact same place for several rounds. We kept it up, though, and with each round both of us were getting more comfortable. By the end of the game, she was asking to be twirled, spinning me around, and completely enjoying herself. I have to say I was, too. :)

Pretty sweet, huh? I love that God used that little one to encourage me to stop being so stinkin' insecure. I love that she overcame her fear and had fun.

Because, really--life is so much easier when you toss all of your insecurities to the wind. And it's a lot more fun if you just go ahead and dance.

I hope you do something that makes you smile this week--even if it requires conquering fear to do it.

Your Blogger,
 Claire

A taste of Argentina...

 Dear Readers,

    I'm back in the United States and fairly bursting with photos, hugs and kisses for each of my family members, and enough stories to write a book.

Thank you for your prayers for my trip! I appreciated them so much and could feel them as my time in Argentina was clearly blessed. To be back with my host family was amazing. I can't even put into words how amazing that was. I stepped off the bus and we picked up right where we left off. It was as if I had never left, except for a few differences: the kids had grown so much. Renzo, Isabella, and Nico are three of my favorite children on earth. They make my heart smile and teach me things and inspire me. My Spanish had gotten better--woot woot!--and so less of our conversations centered around Google Translate. Oh, goodness, we had so many conversations. That was my favorite part of the entire trip. Whether we were on the bus, walking to the church, or in their warm and inviting kitchen, we were always talking. Quality time and physical touch are my two love languages, and so oh man, am I content in Argentina! Time praying together was also so special and a blessing to my heart.

Precious Renzo!! Hasn't he grown up so much in the past year??

Argentina was full of blessings. And, as you can see, most of the blessings stem from my time with this precious second family of mine.  I have so much to share, and I promise I will write more soon.

But right now I need to continue to process and get my thoughts into order or else words will come spilling out that make no sense. :) Maybe a little more sleep would help, too...

So I leave you with a few of my favorite pictures, and also with a devotion I read by Joni Eareckson Tada today that touched my heart. It instantly made me think of Argentina. Exchanging prayer requests with my dear host family, I realized that we were indeed giving the other person our heart's burdens. And there is something so beautifully God ordained in that act. 

Te amo, readers! Thank you for your precious comments and encouragement!

"Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ."

Galatians 6:2

I don't often have the chance to physically help other people, but when I do,

I love it. Nowhere do I feel more useful than at the airport.

I have to pack what seems like half a hospital when I go anywhere. Even after my friends and I check in all this stuff at curbside, we still have a pile of carry-on luggage which includes lots of the usual paraphernalia plus a duffel bag with emergency medical equipment. The challenge is to carry everything from curbside to the plane. This is when I get to "carry another's burden." On the foot pedals under my legs goes the duffel bag. The briefcase goes on my lap, purses are slung over the handles of my wheelchair, coats or sweaters land on my lap. Airline tickets are squeezed between my leg and the side of my chair. I look like a bag lady. But I don't mind. It gives me a chance to carry someone else's burden.

That's what Galatians 6:2 tells us to do. It's good advice whether we bear actual physical burdens or emotional and spiritual ones. Galatians 6 says we should do this on a regular basis and not be so puffed up with pride that we fail to offer a helping hand.

And we are to do so to fulfill the law of Christ, which is a law of love. Love obliges us to be compassionate. Maybe under the old covenant God's people made a habit of laying burdens on one another, but under the new covenant, we don't lay them on, we take them off. So why don't you find somebody today who could use a hand. It will give you an opportunity to lighten the load of another and lighten your heart at the same time.

___________________________________

"God did not write solo parts for very many of us. He expects us to be participants in the great symphony of life." Donald Tippett

A balancing act- and the One who won't fall

 Dear Readers,
  I sincerely hope you won't tire of hearing me talk about Cinderella; because I just can't seem to stop! It truly is amazing, and I hold true to the fact that God is changing hearts and performing miracles.  However, I wanted to share a story with you, and a lesson I learned as a result.
   There are these precious little girls in ballet who have wanted to dance all their lives. Yet they have had to sit and watch friend after friend in performance after performance dance and twirl on stage; and they were never given the chance. For some, it is the fact that they can't walk and so are in wheelchairs, others have autism, and still others are emotionally abused. And there are others who, like my brother, can walk but (due to their special need) don't have the balance it takes to dance, or even to walk across the room without falling. There is one sweet little girl in the performance, I'll call her "Sophia". And on the first day of class, I was caught up in helping one of the little girls learn to navigate her wheelchair around tiny toes, when suddenly Sophia burst into tears. She said she couldn't do it; she just couldn't dance. And Mrs.Caroline (our amazing teacher) took her into her arms and held her as she changed the dance routine into something that would fit her abilities.  And let me add- this little girl is one of the most beautiful ballerinas I have ever seen. Her joy is palpable, and her face is radiant.
 
  Now, I am always by her side at practices, just holding her hand to catch her when she falls. And she has learned that, holding my hands, she can jump up in the air like the other girls, and you should see her giggle when she does! However, I can't be holding her on stage, because as Cinderella, I have to watch their beautiful performance from the side. Of course, if any one needs me I will be there, but I just won't be included in the dance every second.
    I also will not be there next weekend, because we will be in Mississippi. So when I told Sophia that, she said it wasn't okay, because she didn't know what would happen if she fell. Oh. My. Heart. I nearly told her I would stay; that it would be okay, I would be there. But I knew I couldn't.  And so, I talked with the teacher about finding someone who could stand in for me at the performance.

   Okay- that is probably the hardest thing you could ask me to do.  Really, I don't want to hand over this little girl to a person who I have no idea if she will encourage and uplift while helping her. It's eating at me; I feel so responsible for her, and I love her so much my heart aches. If she were to leave that stage feeling any less than the beautiful ballerina she is I would never forgive myself.
  And so, I just prayed. I've prayed today when I needed to study, because this is on my mind heavily. And I felt like God had no idea what I was feeling-- how many times has He taught a ballet class to a group of kids with special needs? And then I realized that He knew exactly what I was going through.....
  
  Jesus was on earth, teaching and loving everyone with Him. But He had to go to Heaven- it was better that way. So He left all of His sheep. He called Himself their shepherd- He loved them that much. And yet He had to  leave them with people who He knew couldn't do the job like He could. He had to go and help from afar- the other side of the stage, if you will. That's what I have to do with little Sophia. I have to let her go to one end of the stage, and I to the other. I have to entrust her in someone else's hands. I have to let go, and pray she doesn't fall. Oh, what a hard task for my heart!
 
  But knowing that my Jesus understands brought so much relief. I can cry over this all night long, and yet have that peace that Jesus understands. He knows what I'm going through and is crying with me.  And that goes for all things- whatever you're going through, please remember that God understands- that's why He came to earth! To better know and love us. What a gift He is! I can't feel more thankful to my King. Although my heart longs for Him to walk with me where I can see Him, hug Him, physically hear Him tell me where to go,  I know it's better for me this way.
   And I know that Sophia is going to be beautiful, with or without my hand. Because God understands not only how I'm feeling, but also how she's feeling. And He is going to show her how beautiful she is- how her beautifully different twirls make Him smile with joy.  And I know His hands are going to guide her, just like they guided me to the remembrance of what He went through for me. I know He won't let her fall.

   My dear Readers, I needed to write this for me, to let out all my feelings. But I felt like it would be a good lesson for you to see how even though Sophia has fallen, she gets back up and keeps trying. If she can, you have no reason to sit in pity for yourself and not pull yourself back up. Don't be ashamed to fall- it's the people who fall and still hold on to Jesus we all look up to. I would rather fall to His arms than go my whole life standing up far from Him.   Also,  remember that Jesus knows every feeling and thought you have; so don't run from Him! He understands and wants to comfort you if you'll only let Him in. The peace that follows will be refreshing, and allow you to love Him even deeper than before. He is my life, He is your life- in every aspect. Not just when you celebrate His birth or go to church. In all things.
  Your blogger who is not afraid to fall,
 Claire

We are soiled, yet saved

My dear Readers,
  My mom recently allowed me to read "Redeeming Love" by Francine Rivers. It is a fictionalized version of the book of Hosea, told in the story of Michael Hosea, who was told by God to marry Angel, a soiled dove. Wow- what an amazing book! I studied Hosea while I read, and it really made the words come alive.
 
   For any of you who have read neither, the book of Hosea (found in the Old Testament)  starts out with God commanding a prophet, Hosea, to marry a prostitute- Gomer. Imagine hearing that from the Lord! Hosea must have been shocked and in doubt. And yet, God had a beautiful plan. He used this to show how the people of Israel had prostituted their love out to man-made 'gods'. And through this story, we can look at ourselves as Israel- God is constantly calling out to us, and yet we don't answer. He sent His son down for us- we had Him crucified. We sell ourselves to lust, bitterness, hatred, and depression. We are so busy with our own messed up lives, we can't let God in. And yet, He says "I will heal their waywardness and love them freely, for my anger has turned away from them. I will be like a dew to Israel; he will blossom like a lily." (Hosea 14:4-5)
  If we would just turn to God, He could get our lives straightened out!  And God feels that way toward Israel after this all has happened-"...They practice deceit, thieves break into houses, bandits rob in the streets, but they do not realize that I remember all their evil deeds. Their sins engulf them, they are always before me." (Hosea 7:1-2)   
 "I trained them and strengthened them, but they plot evil against me. They do not return the the Most High; they are like a faulty blow. Their leaders will fall by the sword because of their insolent words. For this they will be ridiculed in the land of Egypt." (Hosea 7:15-16)

   And He still loves them. He still loves US. He says "How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel? How can I treat you like Admah? How can I make you like Zeboliim? My heart is changed within me; all my compassion is aroused. I will not carry out my fierce anger, nor will I turn and devastate Ephraim.  For I am God, and not man- the Holy One among you. I will not come in wrath." (Hosea 11:8-9)

  That is beautiful. Every time we do something wrong, God still loves us. He will always love us, no matter how many times we return to the bed of the adulteress. And He does not love as humans love. His love is an unfailing, eternal love.
   In the book "Redeeming Love", there is another message. Every where Angel goes, she is persecuted. Everyone assumes she is still soiled, even though Michael's love, God's love, has made her clean. She feels she has to be a prostitute forever because no one is letting her change- she doesn't deserve to change.  And that has a whole blog post right there, but I'm going to go ahead and address it.  If every time someone makes a decision to change- whether it's leaving prostitution or choosing to obey your elders-, we continue to see the ugly, black marks of sin on their foreheads, then, chances are- they won't stay changed very long! Our sins are just as bad as their sins, and we should support and love them, as Jesus would. He gave us the task to love one another- so let's start living it.
   No matter how strongly opposed you are to divorce, abortion, homosexuality, etc, you can't hate every single person you know who's done that.  My mom phrases it this way- "Love the sinner, hate the sin".
 We are all sinners saved by Grace, and one of us is no better or worse than the other. So let's start striving to be more Christ-like. Let's show the world how much God loves them, and that He will come back for each little lost lamb- no matter how many times they stray. Your Blogger,
 Claire

  P.S.- Many children today are sold into the sex trade because their parents are too poor to feed them.  After reading this book, I realize the horrors of prostitution. Little girls are scarred and abused, left hurting forever.  No one should have to endure this.  Here is a link talking about children forced into prostitution around the world and ways you can help. link   Pray for these dear ones whose lives are a nightmare! And next time you want to judge someone- don't. You never know what kind of things put them in the circumstances they are today in. Instead, show them the Bright Morning Star and the love He has for them!

A life update

Dear Readers,



The Mason Kids

 Between Grammie's birthday (where she, Uncle Talley, and Aunt Sarah came for a lovely visit), watching Harry Potter at the midnight showing, and going to the Paradise Valley Retirement Community with a bunch of friends for a service project, AND finishing up 8 grade--we have had a busy few weeks! So busy I have not had a chance to blog. But here am I, and I am armed with pictures! Let me start with Uncle Talley, Aunt Sarah, and Grammie's visit.

I loved these southwestern shots!



We drove to Sedona, Flagstaff, and Williams--the whole drive hiding this pineapple birthday cake!



And then, once in Williams, we took a train ride to the Grand Canyon.

The train ride was lovely!

We had SO much fun seeing the sights with our family, and then getting to celebrate Grammie on a train--nothing could have been lovelier! We had a wonderful time.

And the Grand Canyon is breath taking! What a wonderful artist God is!



This is an original telephone pole--that is very short! It had to be short enough that a man could reach it while staying on his horse.

 

Mom with her boys- who are, actually, Professor Lupin and Harry Potter!

Hermione and Bellatrix got along a bit too well. :)

We had a very good time at Harry Potter, as well. It was a lot of fun to pull costumes together last minute, and to be with friends in the middle of the night!ha The movie was  amazing, and everyone was so excited they would just go and talk with anyone! It was pretty cool to see.

Lupin and Harry



And I obviously didn't get enough costumed fun in this week, because today I donned a poodle skirt and went with Mason and some friends to a retirement home. We put on a talent show for the residents, where Mason announced each performance, I played my recital song on violin, a group of people came and played piano, and Breana, Ariana, and I signed to "Good Morning". (from Singing in the Rain)

It was so much fun to watch the residents tap their feet, and then afterward they all told us how many memories our poodle skirts brought up. And one kind man thanked us about a hundred times! They were a joy to be around.

 And then, after the show was over and we were trying to get the residents to play games with us, (no one seemed too interested) one lady came and asked if we would play piano again. She used to teach piano, and missed hearing it. So each of us went up and played her a song, and afterward she told me she wished someone could come and play everyday! I assured her we would be back in a few months. As always, my heart broke for those people.

Although, I must say, I was thinking that I liked going to nursing homes where they couldn't leave, because then they seemed to enjoy the performance a lot more, since they were unable to go out and about and these people were. But Mom reminded me that these people WERE in a nursing home, and regardless of whether they could run errands or not, they still were alone and we still were able to bring them joy. And that made me think of a scripture passage.

"Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing so some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it." -Hebrews 13:2

Isn't that a thrilling thought?  So, I came to the conclusion that whether you are stuck in an Alzheimer's home, young with lots of kids, or in the middle of 5 grade- you still need God. And we are called to lead them ALL to God! I feel so thankful for the oppurtunity to show this group of people God's love this morning.

(And at the same time, I made some pretty amazing friends! :) ) Your Blogger,

 Claire

Oh oh oh! I forgot to give you some exciting news!! Another neat thing that's been going on is that we got our roles for the "Cinderella" ballet. Mason will be narrator and Duke, Benjamin will be Gus Gus (the sweet,fat little mouse), Uncle Len will be the evil stepmother, and I will be Cinderella! Isn't that SO exciting??!! Just be praying that the parents of kids at United Cerebral Palsy will get their kids involved--God has some amazing things planned for this, we just have to get these kids in! Thank you so much!

Lessons to be learned from Disneyworld (with a few good pictures!)

                    Hello, sweet readers! We are home from Walt Disney World! We truly had a great time. But let me start at the beginning...

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Our Alligator Bayou room - photo courtesy of Mom

     Upon arrival, there was a little confusion with our room, so we  spent an interesting night in Magnolia Bend. (We stayed at Port Orleans Riverside, our all time favorite!)  The night was filled with wet floors, winding halls, messed up names, and a room on the edge of civilization (they were scrimping to call it accessible).  I won't go too much into detail, but you get the picture! We had always stayed at the lovely Alligator Bayou growing up, so thankfully we could move there the next day. There Dad claimed the beds were bigger and all our moods brighter!

    

My attempt at capturing her as we waited- isn't this the perfect pose?

  The vacation was one of the best. Cate didn't remember Disney World, so it was fun to watch her discover everything and to remember everything ourselves. At the Magic Kingdom, we went to Cinderella's Castle for breakfast with a red-headed Cindy of our own.  

   She was a bit emotional.. yes, that's really a look of crossness in the above photo. But don't those rosy cheeks and folded hands make her look like a little cherub?
   Next up ~ Animal Kingdom!

My favorite park, it's filled with exotic animals,a great area to watch veterinarians perform operations, and interesting facts you never knew. All in the jungle of Africa or mountains of Asia!

 This park has an amazing interactive parade, a thrill ride that goes backward, nature walks filled with gorillas, tigers and naked mole rats (Oh my!) and the best safari ever. My uncle went on a real safari in Africa and didn't see as many animals as we saw at Disneyworld.  We had 3 rhinos nudge and sniff our truck, (I had to fight the urge to pet them - they were that close!) A mama and baby giraffe fed   alongside us, and we (are you ready?)

 heard a lion roar! It was breath taking. It sent chills up my spine. It made reminded me that  we have one awesome God. He let out a thunderous roar once, and then sent out rough barks from the back of his throat. It sounded like he was coughing up something, and it just kept coming. My Dad believes he was telling us to stay away from his air-conditioned rock "This is MY rock. You can't have MY rock!" yes, the lions have a cooled rock to keep them up there most of the time, so we the people can see them in all their majesty.  

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This is my Mom's amazing photo - for more see her blog (the blessing counter) on the link to the right.

So, even though our vacation started out a little less magical than Mom and Dad would have hoped, we still made great memories. In fact, all that craziness at the beginning was, in my opinion, all part of the fun of vacation. There's a song by Point of Grace called "Turn up the music (how you live)". I love this song, and it reminds me not to worry about the dumb things in life, like how messy the kitchen will be after making that batch of pink cookies with your sister, but to embrace the moment and enjoy it! If I always go through life not doing things that will make the house dirty, I'll miss out on all the joys God has to offer me. If we had spent all our vacation mad about those crazy incidents of the first night, we would have truly missed out. And though it did take some time to get over it, we did, and had a great time. That's something I would like to always do, wouldn't you? Thanks for reading all this post, I know I get on my soapbox and don't step down for a time.... Until next time, my readers!

                                                                 Claire

                                                                                                                                       

                                                                                                          Yes, we are the silly Shraders-           

                                                                                                                  and  proud of it!