God Kiss Series - Ethopia & Love

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Our family in Ethiopia with our honorary son

~ This story is featured in the Home & Harvest January/Feb 2024 magazine and I wanted to share it as well on my blog.  g

Imagine yourself sitting down with a book. On the cover, it looks ordinary, like hundreds of other books, but you buy it anyway. You open it up and start reading….

Boy meets girl and they become high school sweethearts. They marry.  They move to the Palouse so she can attend vet school.  She finishes school and they decide to start a family. But then … fertility struggles. After a couple years of fighting the good fight of trying to have a baby, they are finally blessed with Baby #1. But was that it, or did God have more in store? They hoped for more children. 

A fairly common scenario,  except the part where infertility leads to the part where they help hundreds of street people on a different continent.  Wait?! What?!… PLOT TWIST!!! And with that, let me introduce you to, Josh & Jill Quaade, two regular people with a story like none other.  

Like most people, you marry and usually the pitter patter of little feet is the next step.  For Josh & Jill,  after a  bit of a struggle, the blessing of daughter #1 came along.   But then came the decision of what else would God have them to do.  Should they maintain with one child or add to their family through another avenue?   After much prayer and research, they were led to Ethiopia to adopt Baby #2. After selecting an agency, they were sent regular updates on available children. One day in the Spring  of 2008, the weekly summary, complete with pictures of various children available, spoke to Jill, she knew God had a daughter for them.  She handed the flyer to Josh and said, “do you see our daughter”.  Josh took one look and pointed out a picture of their future little girl. They both knew instantly, independently yet together, the one God had for them.  They had decided that her name had to be connected with the word “Joy”, for there was so much joy in those eyes that had seen so many struggles in the few short months of her life.  Adoption proceedings began and after what seemed like a very long year of waiting, Josh and Jill learned that the orphanage home to their daughter had to move the children to a different location. Josh volunteered to assist with the move and flew to Ethiopia. During the taxi ride to the orphanage, the driver began explaining to Josh about his mission to help the street kids who lived without home or family in the city.  He gave detailed insight to the plight of these young people and how every Wednesday he somehow eked out enough money from his $30 per month wages to feed these hungry, impoverished youth as well as some women & men.  With hesitation in his voice Josh, called Jill that night and told her of the taxi drivers’ tale and asked what she thought about helping. They agreed to pray about it. After Josh returned home from his trip, it was clear that God was asking them, “will you go”? Will you help my people?” The answer was then “YES”.  They would help this random taxi driver with his mission of Wednesday food for the youth and whatever else God put before them.  

Jill with a baby from the daycare program

Together, Josh & Jill knew this was their calling – with a “heart for Jesus”, they knew they had to help nourish the souls and bellies of this vulnerable population.  As Jill put it, “feeding the belly lasts one day, but feeding the soul with Jesus lasts an eternity”.  So in 2009 they formed a 501c3 nonprofit corporation called “One Changed Life”.  A board of directors was assembled.  Twelve kids were initially sponsored, wherein it provided life necessities. The taxi driver and they, side by side, strove to feed the body and the soul.  Josh began traveling to Ethiopia regularly and witnessed how great a work God was doing not only with the sponsorship kids, but also in continuation with the street ministry. 

Street boys prayer time

At first churches would allow the use of their building for the weekly food sessions that drew about 75 kids and adults. But as time went on the churches raised their rent forcing the program to move and regular meetings became a struggle. After 8 years of doing this, Josh & Jill knew they needed some kind of permanent compound. The Ethiopian government began to crack down on the need to separate humanitarian work from evangelical work. One Changed Life worked with a “humanitarian license ” to feed the kids” but to formally teach the gospel, they needed their own area where they could house a second licensed entity with an evangelical license.

With a clear vision, a sister organization, under the umbrella of One Changed Life was formed. A donor stepped forward and donated 3 months of rent.  After discussion with their board, a decision was made to go forward when and if they could raise rent for 80% of a year.   They started praying, and within 3 weeks, donations to provide enough rent for one year were donated.  An entire compound was rented and the work to move forward  to again  provide food and gospel teachings side by side was blessed.  The ministry began feeding about 280 people 5 days a week and the sponsorship program blossomed.   At the new compound, through donations and much fundraising in the states, staff was hired and programs were established to help , sponsorship now serving 109 kids, widows with job training to help them be self-sufficient, feeding and teaching the Gospel to 35-75 kids per day with ages ranging from 3- 18 years of age, and feeding, teaching and counseling about 180 men and women from the street. All who come into the street ministry get a meal and a short biblical message daily.  The facility also has allowed them to host annual programs for the sponsorship kids such as putting on biblical musical productions to bring joy, singing, and music to enhance day to day life and vacation bible school programs.

Mommas in traditional dress

And life continued on for Josh & Jill in America as well.  While all this was going on, they  adopted frozen embryos and were blessed in welcoming their twin “snow babies”, Baby #3 & Baby #4. Time continues to march on and Josh & Jill now home school their 4 children which allows them  the ability to typically spend 3-5 months a year in Ethiopia.  Josh is self-employed.  His employees keep the business afloat while he is away.  Jill works part-time and says she has the best employer ever, who allows her all the time away she needs.

With the increasing time Josh & Jill have spent in Ethiopia, it became obvious God was calling them to do more. Homeless mamas and babies would make their way to the compound, as they had no place to call home.  After much prayer and discussion with their board, it was decided to open another compound as well, where the mamas and babies could go live, learn the essentials of life and faith, along with the tools to make it on their own.  And once again the funds came in. In 2021, the Women’s & Infants Transition Home was opened.  With another full home of Ethiopian staff,  10 single moms with nowhere else to go are able to live at the women’s home.  Over the course of a year, they  receive training in basic life skills, parenting, and the Gospel along with skills training on how to make items to sell. Item they make include bracelets, soaps, cards and scrubs.  They are taught the basics of business and  sell their items both in Ethiopia and  to friends of OCL in the U.S.A,  all with the goal of being self-sufficient.  All these funds are saved for their transition into life out of the home.  They are also given training in trade schools lasting 3-4 months for learning how to become a cook, housekeeper, seamstress or childcare (being a nanny).  Each mama is provided 3 months of rent upon securing a job and moving from the Women’s Home.  

And it has just kept going.  Just after the Women’s home was opened, a boy’s home was opened just down the street.  In this home, boys from the street who wanted a fresh start could live and grow in the home, go to school, and learn how to be a productive citizen.  Now, the boys who live in the home help out voluntarily with the feeding program and Vacation Bible Schools that minister to other street boys who are still stuck in the street life.  Always seeking ways to make the most of Gods provision and to make the  most of the space,  the basement of that home,  by God’s provision,  was converted into a daycare and was opened to provide care for the babies of the graduate moms during the day as standard daycare is overwhelmingly expensive.   

Still, God had more, a discipleship program was started, typically, with about 75 men signing per session.  Unfortunately, the dropout rate is high and usually 12 men graduate.  The men who stay received job training, help do outreach to other street men, and often help donate money back into the program as they are eternally grateful for being shown a new way to live, skills to help them be stable but most importantly living a Christian lifestyle.  

Street men's breakfast

All this is accomplished by 18 full-time staff members:  two feeding programs, a discipleship program, a women’s and infants transition home, a boys home, women’s empowerment training and  109 sponsorship kids.  Affectionately Josh and Jill relayed the story of one of their first sponsorship children, Ephrem, who was sponsored since he was 9 years old.  He is now a 24 year old young man and an active part of the staff ministering to the boys from the street and helping with translation.

The excitement and joy of their life work for Josh & Jill was evident as they were telling me their amazing story. Both feel beyond blessed in working to make all the things that most of us take for granted such as a roof over our head, clothes on our backs, enough food to eat and the opportunity to be self-sufficient, not to mention knowing basic life skills. Today these children, men, and women have found a soft landing with Christian love that has forever changed their lives for the better.  Josh and Jill  are grateful to God to help them see the need and be instruments in lessening human suffering.

When I asked if the taxi driver was still driving his taxi, Josh proudly the man, with the help of an investor, opened several businesses and employees 90 people, many of whom he has hired after graduating from the job training programs. His heart still joyful in serving the God  who gave His all for him and happily giving so much of his personal time and resources to the ministry.

Then Jill happily said the next program that they hope to focus on is  a coffee shop that will be a gift shop wherein the women from their home can sell their crafts, work, make a good living  and be self-sustaining.  Once again, they give it to God in prayer.   

As we finished the interview, I was seeing firsthand the beauty and faith of two ordinary, but beautiful God filled people doing exactly what the Bible has taught us. I swear images of Mother Theresa were flashing in my mind as I was talking to them. When I inquired if they were affiliated with a church, they replied no. They were just filled with a Jesus loving heart and doing what God had led them to do. And then as we sat, taking in the moment that this amazing journey all began because of infertility issues.  And in reflecting at each occurrence along the way with just the right person entering into the story at just the right time, coincidence? Nope, I personally do not believe in coincidences, however, I do believe in serendipity by God’s hand.  All you have to do is have the eyes to see it.

Sometimes words aren’t enough to describe the wonderous beauty of seeing in real life what it looks like for two people to take a leap of faith to help their fellow mankind and walking a Christian life.  To find out more about their organization, their website is www.onechangedlife.org, email is info@onechangedlife.org.

And as the promise of the new year awaits for each one of us, what kind of story will you be living? Where does your heart lead you?  May we all find the faith and courage to live our best life in 2024 and beyond.  All my best, Gayle

 

Christmas Letter 2023

 

A picture of this beautiful church taken this past summer

Christmas 2023

In the early morning hours, words started swirling about to write a Christmas letter.  As I crept down the stairs the house is quiet, a good time to reflect on this past year.  With a freshly brewed cup of coffee,  a cozy spot by the fire, I wish each and every one of you a very blessed Christmas. 

If you have ever watched the movie “The Way” (which I recommend wholeheartedly) it’s about a man walking a path towards a very specific journey's end.   And I realized that everyone’s life is a lot like that movie.  In that each of us is walking on their own path with the end goal to a specific destination.  We walk along with others, some for a time, sometimes alone.  The people we meet along the way help shape us in ways that teach us lessons about life, love and hope.  Sometimes the lessons are brutal and harsh and sometimes they are pure beauty. For me, it’s fair to say that overall, the most significant experiences were the hard ones, but that they resulted in learning about faith, hope and love.  I don’t know about you, but my pathway on my personal journey has been filled with many people, many lessons to be learned (usually the hard way), but nonetheless, each has had an impact on me that helped shape who I am and where I am going.  My end goal is eternal life with God. I am filled with the knowledge that our God is a great one.  This year for the first time, I’ve been reading a chapter a day in the book of Luke.  As I go about my days in this Advent season, it’s so easy to get side-tracked by all the hustle and bustle and forget the “Reason for the Season”  the birth of  Jesus.  Maybe you are like me getting so busy that all I see are the "to do lists"....and then in the quiet hours of early dawn, I realize what a magnificent gift has been bestowed to each and every one of us.  All we have to do is accept that gift of God’s love. It’s free.  He shows up for us.  Each day is a new one to get up and try our humanly best to live it in ways that honor our Savior. 

On a personal note, this year has been filled with so many blessings.  Rod & I did a commitment ceremony with his good friend and pastor performing the ceremony and attended by our immediate family.  For us it represents our commitment to each other before God.

This past year has been filled with many wonderful family gatherings and adventures, some close to home and some afar.  And regardless of where we were location wise, it was all about being connected to each other. We laughed, ate, drank and yes sometimes cried together - bonds formed of what makes up a family.  Is our life perfect? No, but each day we get to try to be the best we can… for me that is where “grace” is either given or received when I stumble and falter. 

I find as the years go by, filling my days with quality people that include family and friends, is where a person sees true beauty in life. We have also found a wonderful church and are forming a lovely church family there.  Words sometimes fail to convey the beauty of connectedness.  But it’s real and I can say both Rod & I feel it.

And with that, I wish for each and every one of you that as you walk down the path of your personal journey, that you find those good people who make your life beautiful, the ones who help hold you up when life knocks you down. And I hope you will take a moment to reflect on all the blessings in your life and give credit to God. My hope is that as you walk on this road that we call life, that one of your goals is to ask God to be your walking partner as we go up & down the hills towards our final journey’s end.  

Merry Christmas,

Gayle

Our family....not a blended family... A BLESSED FAMILY 

GOD Kiss Series - Earth Angels

 

 

We all have our “life stories” the ones that got us to where we are now.  The roads we have had to travel, whether chosen or not, we walked that path and learned so many lessons along the way.  Sometimes the lessons inflicted were brutal that no one should ever have to experience.  And then by the grace of God, we met beautiful souls who were nothing short of being “earth angels” sent to shape us and provide gentle guidance to help us step into what we were destined to be.  Once again, I am privileged to hear and share the incredible story of Bethany Bertsch. A courageous, beautiful young woman who is the living testimony of being the recipient of the beauty of God’s love and how simple acts of kindness helped shape a tender young girl.  And as you read her story,  you may find as I did that she has so many similar components to Tara Westover who wrote about her life titled, “Educated”.

When I first met Bethany, it was over coffee after she had extended the invite based on the contact card I had filled out after attending the Venture Church.  I had emailed her my God Kiss blog posts and one day she asked if she could share her story with me. And so…..

I arrived, pen & paper in hand and had no idea of what a journey she has been on.  Sitting in Bethany’s comfortable home and seeing the young kiddos energetically popping in and out of the kitchen, it was a normal setting that could be anywhere in any town of a young mom with little kids. It was a home filled with a little bit of chaos and a whole lot of love.

Bethany begins by telling me that no one would have recognized her when she was an 18-year-old.  She was beyond withdrawn and scared of the world at large.  However, at the legal age of emancipation, she gathered up courage and moved out to live on her own.  Bethany explains that when her parents married, they had 6 children between them from their first marriages, and then they had 4 of their own, of which Bethany was the oldest.  Her childhood was filled with neglect and abuse.  She & her family lived rurally in Northeast Oregon with no running water and no conveniences. She explained that her mother suffered from severe mental illness to the extent she burned down a historical school building. Her workaholic father was a conspiracist political activist who was rarely home. If trauma had a recipe, this would be it.

The only picture that shows my entire family, taken in 1997. I'm in the front in pink. 

Me on a truck in Promise. You can see the generator to the right. We turned on the generator a couple of times a week to do laundry and watch a show on TV. We got 3 or 4 channels with a big antenna.

My brother Nathan and I washing potatoes in Promise. There were times when potatoes were all we had to eat. Guess I was destined to be an Idaho girl.

Bethany and her siblings were all home schooled after finishing 6^th grade. Her father felt that anything after that level of education in the public educational system was ripe for poisoning the minds of the children.  Her dad had tried to convince her that her role was to stay home and take care of him. However, when she turned 18, she left to try to navigate the scary world her father had warned her about. Being on her own, certain people began to show up in her life to become her “earth angels” to give her the guidance she so desperately needed. The first earth angel was the woman who gave Bethany a job as a dishwasher in a small café, and gave her a place to live above the café.  Bethany said her coworkers thought she was a “mute” as she was painfully shy, rarely speaking to anyone.  She says she often confused the manager and assistant manager with each other as they both wore similar shoes, noting she was unable to make eye contact with anyone.

-The Zollman girls, my sister, and me. Brenda Zollman is at the bottom. Charity Zollman, my dishwasher buddy, is above me.

Life might have gone on like that for months, maybe years…. but little did she know that God had a plan for Bethany’s life.  The second earth angel was the chatty young female dishwasher who was hired to work alongside of Bethany.  It was through their discussion that they learned they were distantly related as cousins.  And then the cousin took Bethany home and it was there that she was taken in by this Christian family who began showing her what a normal family life entailed.  They lavished love and wisdom on her and taught her basic common-sense things such as how to dress, how to relate to others and in this nurturing environment, Bethany flourished. While attending church services with them, the church prayed over her to release her demons and to help her heal.  Bethany recalls it was a turning point wherein she realized how horrendous her childhood had been. When I asked Bethany if she wanted to give an example, she opened up that life had been filled with emotional & sexual abuse from her older sadistic brother.  He was removed from the home, and it was then Bethany finally found the courage to come forward with the abuse to her mom. However even though her mom acknowledged that she had suspected it, that she failed to protect Bethany and allowed the brother to come home for visits.

Bethany brought her brokenness to God to heal her, and it was where she committed her life to Our Savior.  One night Bethany had a vision. Even though as she puts it, she was a baby Christian, she knew God was speaking to her and that in her vision she saw a roadmap with streets and pathways on it.  And as it unfolded, the map showed roads crisscrossing each other and that the pathway was highlighted denoting where she had been and where she was going.

With the newfound faith along with the warmth of her cousin’s family, Bethany began to see the world in a new light and began to branch out.  At work she became a line cook followed by being a manager.  The owner of the café eventually shut down the business and the building was sold. That meant that Bethany was now out of a job and a place to live.  However, her former boss offered her a place to live in her basement.  When she went to look for a job with the unemployment office, she took a job placement test and it was there the third earth angel, a staff member said to her, “you are really intelligent, you should go to college!”  College had never entered Bethany’s mind as an option; however, this wonderful staff member helped her apply to 2 colleges, one in Central Oregon and the other was the University of Idaho.  Bethany chose the UI based on the financial grants offered.  She recalls arriving in Moscow with no money, no support and yet she felt she was exactly where she was meant to be.  Not long after, Bethany connected with Chi Alpha, the Christian student group on campus. It was there she met Clark, who later became her husband.   

Showing off my name on the outstanding senior board in the JAMM Department at UI with my major professor Becky Tallent and admin assistant friend Diane McGarry. I was accepted to UI on a provisional status because of my SAT score and lack of educational records. But I loved college and did well there.

One day while attending the Palousafest, she collected church literature of area churches and chose the one that was close to campus.  Currently it was called Christan Life Center on Jackson Street and she attended while working on her degree.   Fast forward, Bethany graduated from the UI in Public Relations, married Clark and blissfully settled into a life that she never imagined was available to her.  

In 2014, Pastor Scott Underwood took over as paster for the Christan Life Center which then turned into Venture Church.  During this time Clark and Bethany gave birth in 2017 to their son and she recalls his parents had gifted them with an expensive flannel craft biblical children’s story board for the baby.  And one day Pastor Scott asked if they would lead the children’s ministry when a vacancy occurred, of which they said yes!  After all they had this amazing story board and were excited to serve.  Not long after that Bethany took the lead and has been in charge of overseeing the care and education of the youth in Venture Church ever since. Last year Bethany stepped up to serve in a paid role as the Connections Pastor along with her duties in the Children’s ministry.  Today, Bethany says she feels like she is living in a “Hallmark movie” where life is full, joyful and beautiful. And Bethany feels blessed to be living a God-centered life with a wonderful husband and their three precious children.  As a bonus, Clark’s mom came to live with them a year ago, and again, a blessing to have her sweet mother-in-law’s presence and help. And even with great strides, love and support Bethany confided that she occasionally suffers from PTSD and that certain things will trigger childhood memories that she has to work through.

When I asked Bethany if she had any other visions, the answer was yes. Bethany recalls that she was in God’s Throne room and desperately wanting to go in, but she knew she couldn’t as she wasn’t clean. She was sobbing and then she noticed drops of wetness on her from above. She says it was the blood of Jesus dripping on her and everywhere it landed, she became clean.

There's a recent one of Clark and me and the kids. 

In hearing the story of this brave young woman’s story of survival and faith. I was awestruck by all the events that occurred to change the trajectory of this tender soul. So many things went right.  Just the right person at the right time to be a lifeline, a safe haven and a guide post. Each person doing their own little part that came together to make a truly beautiful story of success.  And unfortunately, not everyone is as lucky or blessed. “Child sexual abuse can have lifetime impacts on survivors—especially without support. It can impact educational outcomes, lead to heightened symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder, higher suicidality, drug abuse, higher likelihood of teen pregnancy and chronic health issues.” (as reported by  YWCA)

It’s hard to understand the evil in the world, however, we all have free will and the ability to make choices.  Bethany could have chosen to not accept the help of the earth angels sent to help her.  And thankfully she did.   The road Bethany had to travel as a young child was beyond horrific, however sometimes you have to know the story of where a person came from to understand how far a person has moved forward.  Bethany is a living witness to the greatness of Jesus who helped her overcome hurt & sorrow and become a cornerstone of what a beautiful life can be when you are a Child of God.  

Look to the lord and his strength; seek his face always. 1 Chronicles 16:11 NIV

 

God Kiss - A New Journey

 

Road site crosses along a highway in Montana

In the quiet stillness of the predawn hours, I awoke with a clear message.  I call it a God Kiss.  For a while now, I’ve been feeling the gentle but insistent prodding from God to do more since I’ve been committed to deepening my relationship with Our Lord.

But I didn’t know what it was until I read Isaiah 6:8 “I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.” I  felt like it was a calling, I must answer.  And I knew that God wanted me to use my words and passion for writing and telling stories.

After interviewing and writing stories about others for the magazine Home & Harvest for a few years now, I gained a true love of interviewing people.   I felt privileged that they allowed me into their life and hear their story and then have the honor of putting it in words.  I loved it so much that as I await my next writing assignment for a different segment for the magazine, that I knew that I wanted to continue to write about people.  That I would seek out people to share their stories about how God works in their lives. There are so many blogs out there on how to do this or that and I can only hope that this finds its way to those who need to hear it. All I know is that I’ll do my part and Jesus will do the rest. It’s that simple.

And as I begin this journey of writing about being blessed by Our Savior,  it’s only fair to first start out with a little about me as I dip my toes in the holy water of writing about how God works in people’s lives. 

On a recent trip to the 406 (Montana) it’s common to see little white crosses along the highways.  I’ve seen them all my life and it was just part of the landscape, and I never gave them a second thought.  However, this time the significance of the marker registered that this was not just a cross, but it represented an actual person whose last day on earth was documented at the exact spot that their life ended on that fatal day.  And as we came upon each one, I wondered what that person was like, what were their hopes/dreams and did they have a good life? And if they knew that this was their final day here on earth, would they have wished they had lived a better life? Would they know that their pathway after death would be to go to the eternal kingdom?  

As for me, growing up we weren’t a religious family.  My dad was raised as a Seventh Day Adventist and seemed to have little regard for that religion as an adult. My mom didn’t have a strong religious life either. But they were good hard-working people trying to raise us right the best they could.  They baptized all of us kids as infants, but that was the extent of our religious guidance.  However, I had a longing even as a child to be a “Child of God”. One of my first memories as a young child was riding in a car with a woman who was taking me to Sunday School.  I must have loved it and talked about it a lot. However, my parents didn’t want the Mormon influence of this woman to impact their daughter, so they didn’t allow her to take me to church anymore.  I was envious of my Montana cousins as they regularly went to Sunday School and church with their parents. However, that was not the case in our household, our life was chaotic as we moved around so much, and we never had a permanence in anything.  By the time I had reached 7^th grade I had been in 9 different schools in different towns as moved all over Montana and the Dakotas.

Fast forward to my teen and early adult years ….by then the world had gotten ahold of me and I didn’t pursue becoming a Christian.  I felt I was spiritual, but God definitely took a back burner.  I made good decisions most of the time, but I did make mistakes, truth be told….  lots of them.  I used God as a 911 call and then I’d let him step into my life while I was in a crisis. And slowly when life was better, I’d put him back on the shelf and go it alone until the next major crisis. For this I’m ashamed. Would my life have been better? Different choices made?  Most definitely. I can remember at least 2 separate times that I was bound and determined to take a wrong path… and God quite definitely steered me away and down the pathway he wanted. Whew!! Praise be to God!   However, I was and still am not perfect and I still will make less than stellar choices. Those  tough life lessons learned have helped give me insight and strength to help others. When you weather a storm, you understand and hopefully can help someone else get through a difficult time. Silver linings by the grace of God.

In my mid-20 and being a divorced mom of a 2 yoa, my mom had remarried and she and my beloved step-dad had invited me to attend a church they had started going to.  It was the most beautiful little country white church located in Genesee..  My daughter and I lived in Moscow but drove every Sunday to this picturesque church with its charming congregation that consisted of members mostly my parents or grandparents’ age. About a year later, a young man suddenly started coming and he sat behind me. He had come home to farm with his dad. Long story short, we married about 1 ½ later. A couple years later we had a daughter.  We raised the girls in this close-knit farming community, farmed, attended church and life busy & full. It was a beautiful part of our lives & I will forever treasure it.  While I loved the church community, it wasn’t fulfilling my spiritual needs.  I felt closest to God on my walks.  In 2012, after 28 years of marriage, tragedy struck with deaths of 2 close family members and my marriage ended all within a couple weeks of each other.  It was a brutally hard time for all of us.  I stopped attending our church. However, I continued my talks and felt God in my long walks.  He urged me to blog about healing, forgiveness and moving forward, which I did. I look back during those dark days and know Our Savior was walking along side me and giving me the strength to heal. Once again I have seen, felt and know I’ve been blessed. Looking back, I can see how God put certain people in my life for a reason, some to help,  some to learn lessons from which would serve to help me in the future.  He has a plan for me.  Plus by his grace he put the perfect man for me in my life.  Rod is truly is my earthly rock and haven and soul-mate. We each have a deep faith and absolutely love the Venture Church that we have started attending.

Each morning I read my life application study bible ( it is the best – as it explains what I am actually reading) and it’s so helpful.  And somewhere in my journey, I noticed a shift in myself.  It’s hard to explain, and the best way to describe it is that  I feel blessed beyond measure and have a contentment knowing that God is with me every step of the way.  Seriously, it’s the best feeling ever!

For the first time in my adult life, I look forward to going to church, it feeds my soul and I make it a priority.  I wake up thinking about Jesus and try to see all the beautiful little miracles each day.  And best of all, I know he will still love me when I make mistakes.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith- and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.” Ephesians 2:8

I will say of the LORD,  he is my refuge and fortress: my God. In him I will trust. Psalms 91:2

As always, thank you for stopping by. I urge you to share this blog in hopes that it will brighten someone’s day knowing that we all live an imperfect sinful life and that life can be so much better if we give ourselves to Jesus.  And come on back as I share stories about others and I’ll title them “God Kiss Series ” as I get to share their story about their lives and how they have have been touched by God.   

Wishing God’s best for you,

Gayle

Easter and Beauty in Faith

 

It's been a minute since I last wrote. The words have quietly been stirring. And on Easter Sunday that quiet little voice says it's time to write.  

Sometime last year I noticed a shift on what appealed to me, from everything that I watched to what I wanted to read or listen to was geared to kindness, hope and the gospel.  And I would get a small quiet nudge here and there about the need to deepen my relationship with Christ. I ordered myself a study application bible and started reading it from the beginning. I'm ashamed to say I have never read the entire bible. This particular one explains what was written and it's so helpful.  I knew I needed and wanted to strengthen my Christian faith and relationship with our Lord.  Truth be told, I've been a lukewarm Christian most of my life.   

Rod and I were going to church shop when he moved down, then Covid happened and life as we all knew it stopped.  And as we emerged back into life, we started church shopping last December and attended several different ones.  None really felt like we synced until the morning we attended the Venture Church.  I had looked them up and liked what they had written about welcoming new members.  For the first time, I was excited, really excited to attend.  And true to their word, it was and is a welcoming place.  Pastor Scott's sermons are amazing.  He talks about life today, the bible and delivers a message that resonates in ways to be a better Christian.  Rod is equally impressed and we both have found our new church family. It was time.  

As I read the bible, and as we attend the services, I can sense there is a purpose and plan that will unfold. I'm not exactly sure what is in store, but it will be beautiful.  Maybe it's just going to be my stories and that my writing that will touch someone somewhere.  All I know is I am a child of God who has received his mercy and grace when I certainly didn't deserve it.  Let me share a personal encounter.  Remember the movie "Ghost"?  One afternoon, I was driving, alone in my car when the song Unchained Melodies came on the radio. And I remember thinking back to the movie and wondering if the  evil black shapes that took bad souls to hell were real and was there really a beautiful white light to go to heaven? And then the most peaceful beautiful feeling overcame me and I knew... I KNEW I was in the presence of our Creator.  I can't describe the feeling, but it was the most awe inspiring feeling I have ever known. And I kept that amazing moment to myself, cherished it and rarely shared it.  It was so beautiful that I wanted to keep it to myself.  Weird.  So today, I am sharing. Our Creator is real. God wants a personal relationship with you and me.  I've felt his guiding hand helping me along this road we call life.  And as my faith deepens, it colors my world in ways that resonate in this girl's heart and soul.  

If you are reading this and need a church home, please consider the Venture Church or begin searching for the Church that makes you feel like you are home.  Order a study application bible, trust me it's the best and begin  your journey towards a closer relationship with our Lord.

Wishing you a blessed Easter. 

1 Peter 1:3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

A Journey to the Good Part of Life

 

Driving to the airport on Tuesday at 3:45am to take my sweet girl, Kaitlyn to the airport, I couldn’t help but remember the last time we had flown out together for an early morning flight.  It was December 24, 2012, it was a white-knuckle drive through a blizzard to get to the airport where we were headed to Hawaii to avoid Christmas. Just a few short weeks before, both of us had suddenly found ourselves single, Kaitlyn as a widow and me with an unexpected divorce. Those dark days are now way behind us and we both have stepped into the light.   For Kaitlyn, she found love again, got married 2 ½ years ago and is a happy mom-to-be just finishing her second trimester.  For me, I moved to Moscow, after buying the most perfect place five years ago (today) and then found love too.    From where we came from to where we are now, we both know we have been blessed beyond measure.  Sometimes it’s good to look back and see where you came from to know how far you have come.  Simply put, life is beyond good and we know it.

During Kaitlyn’s visit, we held a baby shower, gathered family and close friends to celebrate this beautiful time in her life.  All the pregnant mom wanted was a balloon arch, crème puffs and chocolate drizzled bacon on a stick… lol.   I have to say, her cousin, Sarah planned out a splendid theme, I added a few more food items and my barn was created into a very magical place by her sister, Jen and cousins – Sarah & Bridgette. Thought I’d share some precious pictures . 

After getting Kaitlyn safely checked in, and seeing her off, I once again felt like I was leaving a piece of my heart watching her walk into airport security headed to the other side of the country.  All day I felt lost & blue…. I think the combination of that remembrance glance at the past along with putting your daughter on a plane was a gentle reminder that yes there will be dark days, but there will also be good days too.  After the darkness there is light.  That you should be gentle with yourself as with others who are or were on a rocky pathway. The journey to light is hard, but so worth the effort and that our Creator walks with you every step of the way.  It's character building 101 and sometimes we just need a little reminder of just how far we have come and to appreciate it.  One of my favorite quotes, " Maybe you have to know the darkness before you can appreciate the light.” – Madeline L’Engle" .   And both of our lives are filled with light. We were given a second chance. There was hope for us and I know there is hope for anyone else going through a difficult time, you just have to give your burdens to God and ask him to help you.

As always, thanks for stopping.  I wish all the best for you and that peace, love and comfort are yours.  All my best, Gayle

Saying Yes to Living Life Large

And he says yes…. to adventures, to projects, to my whims, to the requests made by the inherited grandkids to do things and mostly to living life large. That’s my sweet man, Rod who I usually refer to as “Mr. Right”.  Who knew five years ago when I accepted a date with this guy that we would end up enjoying life together, embracing each other’s kids, family members and friends?    This is the guy who doesn’t complain when the garbage disposal switch went out on Christmas Eve morning. He just went to town to get the part and fix it.  This is the same guy who has never told me no to any project that I think up… nope, he just figures out how to do it. With that thought in mind, what does he ask for Christmas? More power tools for projects, so that is what I gave him. 

Yesterday on Christmas morning as Rod’s kids weren’t here with us, we invaded Jen & her girls to watch them open gifts and have breakfast.  And the girls made seating placements for everyone, and where do they put Rod (a/k/a “Pops”)?..... well he was the only one invited to sit at the kid’s table.  And when they asked Pops to take them skiing today, he said yes, so off to the slopes is where he, Jen and the girls will enjoy the snow. That makes my heart so happy.

I have to admit, I’m not really a very smart person and often get tunnel vision on life.  The good thing is that I am a committed life learner and I absorb so much from others on how they enjoy life. Plus, for an added benefit, I truly feel God knew he had to give me some earthly human help and placed Mr. Right in my life.  For that I know I am blessed beyond measure.  Funny thing is - that Rod says he is the one who is lucky.  Either way, life is good, we are grateful for all that we have.  And yes, we both know we are far from perfect and when we drive each other crazy… well we take a step back and yep…. You guessed it – we look at what is “right in our lives” and that rebalances us.

And what did I get for Christmas from Mr. Right?  It’s a “mystery history tour adventure” scheduled for next month.  All I have to do is pack for cold weather, bring books and be prepared to enjoy the fun he has planned. Seriously, is that not the best thing ever?  The recipe for living life large brought to me by this very special man of mine.    

And as 2022 will be ushered in within the next few days, once again I’ll try my best to saying yes more often to the unexpected opportunities for fun and playing.  We’ve both worked so much of our lives, that now is the time to seize the moments of joy and see life just like a 5 year old does.  It's about seeing more good and what is "right" in life, in people and in our everyday surroundings. How about you? What are your goals and hopes?  Hugs, blessings and love to all, Gayle

 

Harvesting Faith and Good

Soul restoring Montana style

The one thing that I learned from being on the farm for so many years, is that despite your best efforts, sometimes things don’t go as planned. And perseverance and faith are your best friend, along with a good dose of hope. That learned life skillset has served me well and as I continue to learn new lessons from less than desirable circumstances, there are blessings and silver linings to be found.

And the reason I am sharing this is because of a setback on a goal of mine.  Without getting into the weeds too much, my application to host other events at my barn was denied by the Planning & Zoning Committee.  All the events Rod & I had dreamed about hosting were now in ashes.  The application hearing & process as a whole was basically awful and I was unprepared for mudslinging at me by one distant neighbor. (I now have even greater empathy for politicians who endure name calling). Anyway, after the dust settled and a recent soul restoring trip to my beloved Montana, a new dream is in the making.

Let me share my story on the magic of when things don’t go quite as planned.  After the P&Z hearing, I was feeling a bit off balance and said to my “Mr. Right” that “this girl’s soul needs Montana”. His response was, let’s go!  As Rod described a leisurely trip up Lolo pass and on over to Philipsburg (P-burg), I could hardly wait.  Bless that sweet man of mine.  Anyway, we arrived in Montana late afternoon and hungry. We were beyond disappointed that our favorite brew pub diner was closed… on a Wednesday of all things.  So after a quick bite at another place that wasn’t all that great, we discover that our hotel reservations were for Philipsburg, Kansas…. Not Montana.  Ugh. No hotel room was available in this cute little tourist town.   I was trying to not be glum as this evening was turning out not as I envisioned… so we decided to console ourselves by getting a beer at our other fav brew pub.   There the magic began, as we were sipping our adult beverage and getting a game plan, we struck up a conversation with another couple who didn’t live in P-burg, but spent a fair amount of time there. This couple were nothing short of being fascinating (she was an appellate judge in Ohio & he was a contractor building a small cabin here in Montana) and we felt like instant friends.  We head over to a different bar so the other couple could grab a bite to eat and (only in small towns) is a hoola-hooping contest in progress.  Out of the blue, a woman walks up to me and hands me the hoola-hoop, so I give it a try and win the contest. I guess I impressed Rod with my new found skill and got high 5’s from all the patrons…. Lol.  Basking in my new fame, in walks the mayor & owner of the beautiful historic hotel to find us as our new friends had called him after learning of our hotel situation.  He has a drink with us and says he has one room available with a king bed. Glory be! We follow him and the hotel is spectacular, the great room has comfy chairs, a wood stove and books that made you want to stay all winter and read your way through the room.  All the rooms were themed and we had a rustic style room decorated with skis and sleds and a divine plaid Eddie Bauer down comforter that you melted into on the chilly rainy evening.  The universe was putting just the right people in our paths and let me tell you,  I felt blessed beyond measure.  The next day we headed over to see my cousin Ginny & Scott with plans to see their fav Western themed dinner show in Jackson Hole, WY.  Family, music, good food… heavenly! On our way home, Rod & I do a day trip through Yellowstone and opt to spend the night in Virginia City, again another historic hotel and good conversation with the manager.  Getting to soak up the magic of Montana, spend quality time with beloved family…. this girl’s soul was filled up and I was ready to move forward as I felt there was just something better out there for me to do.  

Picture perfect in Jackson, WY

Barn envy

Yellowstone and Old Faithful, be still my heart

Once home, I connected with a lovely woman named Sara who sought me out and asked if I wanted to partner with her and do an antique show as this was also a dream of hers.  We plotted, planned and found a venue at the fairgrounds and now have two dates, the first will be a Spring event, April 2, 2022 and the second will be a Holiday sale November 12, 2022.  We’re starting to attract other cool vendors and I’m beyond excited!!!!

In the matter of a 3 weeks, I got my soul restored and a new events partner by trusting in a higher power and that Our CREATOR had something better in store for me.  The power of good people put in the right spot in the right time and seeing the magic of silver linings in situations that you didn’t plan for.

Again, those lessons learned from my time in Agriculture, this is an industry unlike no other. Besides feeding the world, I got to see firsthand how hardworking farmers/ranches paychecks depend on circumstances beyond their control – weather and the market.  This creates in you the power of faith and hope in all situations.  So no matter what speed bumps come up, I’m grateful to have gotten through them, I’ve prevailed and come out strong.  As for the barn, well we are blessed to have a large family and it will be the central point for our family gatherings, and that is  always a good thing.

Wishing you a very blessed Sunday.  Here is a special blessing I came across and want to share.  “May you always have enough happiness to keep you sweet; enough trials to keep you strong; enough success keep you eager; enough faith to give you courage and enough determination to make each day a good day”.  All my best, Gayle 

 

 

 

You, Me and Respect

 

Greetings friends,

On this splendidly glorious rainy Sunday, it’s a day to cocoon, pull on a sweater and comfy jeans maybe read, nap, bake or enjoy some comfort food.  And I fully plan to do all of the above, except I have some thoughts and the words that want to come out regarding something that is bothering me.

A couple days ago I had a childhood friend that I keep in touch with send me a very long impassioned message about who was the best candidate (in her opinion) to run the country.  And I read the lengthy text, but what really bothered me was the last sentence in which she said, regardless who wins the election she hoped we could still be friends!  It took me by surprise, literally!

Chapters 2 and 3, Life Stages

Week 2 and 3,  August 9, 2020

Greetings from the farmette.  From the last post on working on the chapters of “A Year for You” here’s the progress report. Chapter Two’s focus was finding a place in your home that is special, a place that invites cozy, comfort and security. 

Living Color Blind

I don’t have to tell you how these last couple of months have been chaotic and fraught with the fear of the unknown.  We all feel it and are living through it to the best of our ability.  Our world as we know it isn’t the same and we wonder if it will ever return to the old normal.