Fishin' Fred

Fred and Marsha Crawford were a wonderful couple and a lovely support to my parents when we lived in Lompoc years ago. Marsha was a secretary at the church and Fred always seemed to be around. They were like grandparents to us (especially to my little brother) and friends to my parents. Fred and Marsha had a camper and a small fishing boat. He took us fishing and I loved every minute of it. I could sit for hours in that boat just waiting for the fish to come.

For some reason I was thinking of Fred and Marsha yesterday. I sent my father this memory;

I remember going camping at Lake Lopez (or maybe Lake Cachuma) and camping with Fred and Marsha. I remember packing up and heading to their site to have lunch. Marsha was sitting at the picnic table peeling tomatoes. You asked her what she was doing. She said that Fred didn’t like the skin on his tomatoes and she was peeling them for him. You turned to Mom and said “I don’t like the skin on my grapes.” Mom something to the effect of “You married the wrong woman.”

My father sent back this email;

Yes- thats when you went fishing with Fred - Cachuma - I always liked to be funny with your mom - BTW - I married the right woman, she married the wrong guy. Too late now!

Today my father sent me something my sister wrote years ago. I wanted you to see the childish handwriting but have written it out below.

Fishing With Fred

"We'll come back" he said.

"Yeah, we'll do it agin soon."

Then he began to pray.

"Lord, thank you for this wonderful world you have made, thank you for geting the Reed and Marsha and I here to spend time together, help us to do it ofton, amen."

Then we ate the fish we had caught. We had been out fishing from 6 am untill 11 pm. My dads bald head was red from the sun. I was burning up in my sweats and me sister was afraid she wouldn't get a tab. After lunch we pack up to leave. We had been there fridat and now on saterday we had to go home. Fred kept telling us he'd freeze the fish and later on wed eat them togther. When the fish were gone wed fish again. About 6 month later, Fred died. He had cancer and wasn't getting beter. We went to his funal but I couln't beleive he really wasn't going to be with us any more. We all know he had been a strong christain and was going to heaven. We would see him there. I've never been fishing after. When I do I think of camping with him and being out on his boat fishing. We never did eat the fish in her freezer, maybe there still there. I dosn't mater were gone away from Marsha and Fred's house. All I know is I'll see him again soon.

After this encident I learned not to take life for granite. Spend time with those you love because you don't know when it will end.

This was our first exposure to grief. We all cried. It was probably the first time I saw my father cry (except that time we watch Where The Red Fern Grows). Rachel was probably in middle school when she wrote this. But even at that age she understood the hope we have in Christ.

This blessed me today.

Thanks, sis.

Destructive Duo - Part I

So I bought my boys a new toy. The package said it was good for all ages; teething puppies, keeping healthy gums, and aging teeth.

But after just a few hours, my boys had chewed a hole through the middle.

The next day, they has pulled the ropes out and chewed through the ball.

Now all that is left are the ropes to chew on - and they won't last long.

It look likes we need to stick to the Kong's.

Doubt

How can I believe that God can do, and yet struggle with He will do? If we are to expect and hope and wait for miracles, am I going to miss them because of my doubt? I want to believe. I want to hope. Lord, help me to remember/learn that my ways are not your ways. You are never early and never late. You are God and I am not.

Passion and Purpose

I don’t have a passion. I don’t have a purpose.

I have read The Purpose Drive Life, and don’t remember anything I read (it’s been a few years). For so long, I have put a focus on the future and what is to come that I fear I am missing the here and now. But I still don’t know what to do with the now.

Is it apathy? Is it laziness? What am I supposed to be doing beyond the day to day?

I’m frustrated.

I'm losing sleep.

Puppy Playtime

We played out with the hose this afternoon. They loved it until the water goes up their noses.

Here are a few more pictures from this summer.

Liar, Lunatic, or Lord

"A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic - on the level with a man who says he is a poached egg - or he would be the devil of hell. You must take your choice. Either this was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us." - C.S. Lewis Mere Christianity