Wall of Fame

On our stairwell wall hangs a large boat paddle painted with the words: Fish Stories Told Here.

Granny T's fishing hat, Grandpa Curt's first rod and reel, and Grandpa Roy's 17-pound northern pike all hang there too as conversation pieces in our family history.

Our bassmaster has long aspired to making his mark on this wall too.

While working at the elementary basketball tournament this morning, Aaron told his buddy, "Today I'm gonna spear my biggest one yet."

This afternoon, he did.










With this 38-inch
northern pike
in his grip,

Aaron joins
 the family
Wall of Fame.






(Weight estimated between 13-14 pounds)
(96.5 cm and roughly 6 kg)

Grandparent Gifts

Some of us are blessed by grandparents touching our lives. As a child, I spent hours playing cribbage with my Granny T.

"I'm gonna take those points!" she'd threaten if I missed counting a 15 for two, a pair, run or a go. When I countered, "Yeah, Mom says: You play for blood!" Granny would pipe up, "No, I don't play for blood. I play to win!"

That gift of competiveness stuck. As an adult, I've taught all four of my men - from my husband to my three sons - to play cribbage to win. The long winter nights provide a perfect opportunity to exercise Granny's gift.









However, my son Aaron would argue that the cold winter days provide a greater opportunity to exercise his grandpas' gifts.

During the summer, Paka Al helped Aaron remodel Dan's old fishhouse into a spearhouse.


On those days, when young ALJ can convince his dad or the elder ALJ to spend time on the frozen lake,

he's off lighting
the fire
in the milk can stove,


chiseling
through
the ice,

dropping
the
Christmas
decoy
from
Paka Al

and poising
the birthday
present spear
built by
Grandpa Curt

to
lance
lunkers.







If I am so blessed,
I wonder what legacy
I'll leave my grandkids?

JOY

Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6

I know. My husband knows. We both benefitted from attending parochial schools while growing up in our Christian families.

This morning,
I returned to
St. Francis Church
for the
all-school Mass.

Listening to classes of elementary students
extend greetings, sing songs,
read scripture, answer questions
and offer petitions in God's house
reminded me why I serve
the youngsters in my own church
and desire to offer similar
leadership opportunities to our youth.


The sound of children learning truly gives JOY.

Returning home and
walking with our dog,
I noticed the earth seemed
to resound that JOY too!

Finding Peace

Make me a channel of your peace,
Where there is hatred let me bring your love;
Where there is injury, your pardon Lord;
And where there's doubt true faith in you.

It was late Sunday evening. Sunday morning was a long way off. How I longed to meet the Lord, hear his living word and listen to a reflection for the day.

I am no stranger to God's house. In fact, I serve there regularly. But rather than feed those around me, I longed to be fed. I longed to know that the path I am traveling is the one in His will. I needed to separate myself from my regular surroundings as I searched for the the answer.

That's when I realized: I am blessed. I live in an area abounding in spiritual opportunities. A quick web search revealed a Monday morning worship service held in a church not too far away.

My husband agreed to see our boys off to school while I left to make the 8 a.m. service at a church I'd never visited but was of my childhood denomination.

As I walked through two sets of tall wooden doors, entered the nave, took a back row seat and pulled down a kneeler to pray, I smiled as memories flooded back to me. I thanked God for the opportunity to meet Him in this place of quietude.

That ambiance continued throughout the service - void of all instruments and sung in A capella. The short homily focused on the day's psalm: "You are a priest forever in the line of Melchizedek."

Our young priest informed us that by virtue of our baptism and belief in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we are all priests - not in the same way that he and his superior were ordained ministers - but rather in the sense that we all have the ability to serve the Lord by making offerings to Him. He encouraged us to take our struggles and pain and offer them up to the Lord with fasting and prayer.

That surprising message - coming from a Roman Catholic priest to this struggling Lutheran Sunday School teacher - was the exact reassurance I needed during an unrestful moment in my life and life of the congregation where I serve.

I walked out of the service giving thanks

• that, for those who seek Him, God truly provides -sometimes in places and ways we never imagined;
• for grasping that no matter where the path leads, I will trust God to light my way;
• and mostly for Finding Peace.

Thank You St. Francis for providing hope on Monday, coincidentally, the Feast of St. Anthony!
(Click to read more about this amazing saint.)

Walking

in

His







presence.

The Labyrinth

There
are
times

when I fight
my inherent nature

and try to be

something




I am not.

In those times,
I find myself
wrestling questions

and

exhausting
my energy

on matters

beyond
my control.

When
I finally
let go

and

reassert
myself

in ways
befitting

who I am,

I

find

peace.

A
writer
writes.

A
photographer
makes
images.

Wendy
wanders...

The
Labyrinth

called

Along
Life's
Road.






Happy New Year! May you find peace too.