Saturday, February 20, 2010

A Century of Living

Two girls entered the world at the beginning of the 20th Century. At that time, horsepower meant their dads were hitching up the team to take the buggy to church. A full moon helped bolster the light of a kerosene lantern while they helped their mothers clean up the supper dishes. A teddy bear was a newfangled toy named in honor of their President Theodore Roosevelt.

At the beginning of the 1900s, they couldn't have dreamed that horsepower would someday boost a space shuttle into orbit. They couldn't know that the Man in the Moon of nursery rhymes would become a Man on the Moon in the 1960s. During their lifetimes, the U.S. would be governed by 19 presidents.

I had the unique opportunity to interview two amazing women in January. I do some writing for a Hutchinson retirement community's newsletter, and the assignment was to explore the stories of the facility's two oldest residents. One of these women was 106 years old, and the other 105.

Neither believed they had a special story to tell. But their story is the story of the U.S. through the 20th Century, through the eyes of two who lived through the landmarks of more than 100 years. While many of the events they experienced are the stuff of history books, it is how those changes directly impacted their own lives and families that made the biggest impression.

For example, for the 105 year old, World War I was the time when her brother went away to war. For the 106 year old, World War I didn't really impact her childhood because she wasn't personally touched by it. However, World War II was a time of great growth and sacrifice for her. She cared for her three little daughters while her husband served as an Army doctor overseas.

They experienced the Depression and dusted the furniture during the Dust Bowl days. They witnessed the widespread electrification of homes and businesses. They answered everything from telephone party lines to princess phones to tiny cell phones. They went from roads fit for a buggy to the superhighway called the Internet. Both agree it was an amazing time to be alive.

The 106 year old was born in 1903, the same year that the Ford Motor Company produced its first car, the Model A. She was born just a few months before the Wright Brothers' famous flight at Kitty Hawk. It's just mind-boggling to contemplate, right?

She recorded her life story in a three-ring notebook with reflections about a century of living. By the time I was assigned the story, she was unable to talk much to me. But I visited with two of her daughters, and I read every word she'd written carefully in long hand.

But as amazing as all the "landmark events" in her lifetime, it was her family she considered as her legacy.

"The accomplishment of which I am most proud is the raising of our three daughters," she wrote. "We, my husband and I, gave them all the love we had, but with it good advice, firm discipline, a fine Christian knowledge and a happy experience. We tried to instill fine moral standards and trust. We tried to be a good example, but we respected their choices in life. ... I am proud of them, and if I have accomplished something acceptable, I am happy and grateful. The bottom line is love and happiness and faith.

"My goal has been to live life day by day and enjoy it. To be a loving and caring person. To be loved by friends and family and respected by all. And be happy with it. A smile on your face is worth so much more than a frown. I would like to be remembered as a happy, caring, unselfish woman, one who holds a strong belief in God through faith, love and hope.

"This life of mine has continued far longer than I expected with good health and a deep faith, also with many wonderful blessings. My best contribution to the world? Who is to say? One thing I know, I have lived long enough to see three daughters with their children and grandchildren live lives of honesty, trustworthiness, love for one another and a fine spiritual background, unselfishness and high morals. I have seen the love of true friends and a positive attitude about life. Hopefully, I have touched someone to carry on with a smile. I am truly blessed."

Not long after I completed the story, she died at age 106. But, she had also addressed death while contemplating her life. She wrote:

"I do not fear death and have prepared for it. ... We all wonder about the afterlife, but that is a mystery that God has kept from us, and it is well."

What legacy are we, as woman, leaving for our families, our church, our community, our country and our world?

Recently, I took a meal to a new mother (and took the photo above). She is just beginning this journey with her newborn daughter. I was struck by the tiny hand nestled in her mother's hand. We, as women, have an important job. As that mother nurses her newborn, she gives life itself to her precious baby. She does this no matter the time - day or night - making sure the baby is getting enough food to grow.

But there is other important food to share, too. Several years ago, our Sunday School class studied Stormie Omartian's book, "The Power of a Praying Parent."

In the preface, she quotes Lamentations 2:19:

"Pour out your heart like water before the face of the Lord. Lift your hands toward Him for the life of your young children."

Yes, it is important to feed and clothe our children and put a roof over their heads. It's important to teach them and mold them. But it's also our legacy to PRAY for them.

As Omartian says in her book: "Our children's lives don't have to be left to chance. We don't have to pace the floor anxiously, biting our nails, gnawing our knuckles, dreading the terrible twos or tortuous teens. We don't have to live in fear of what each new phase of development might bring, what dangers might be lurking behind every corner.

"Nor do we have to be perfect parents. We can start right now - this very minute - making a positive difference in our child's future.

"It's never too early and never too late. It doesn't matter if the child is 3 days old and perfect or 30 years old and going through a third divorce because of an alcohol problem. At every stage of their lives, our children need and will greatly benefit from our prayers.

"The key is not to do it by ourselves all at once, but rather turning to the expert parent of all time - our Father God - for help."

We get so caught up in what's for supper and getting the completed homework stuffed back into the backpack that we sometimes forget spiritual food.

But prayer is the best legacy of all that we, as women, can provide for our own children, our community's children or even the children of the world.


"Pray about everything. Tell God your needs and don't forget to thank Him for His answers. If you do this, you will experience God's peace. His peace will keep your thoughts and your hearts quiet and at rest."
Phillippians 4: 6,7 (The Living Bible)

Just a little Food for Thought today: What's your legacy?






Saturday, February 6, 2010

Heart to Heart


Just thought I'd share a quick and easy Valentine idea that is fun to do for or with special children in your life.

Every year, our church sends a box of Valentine greetings to each of our college students. Last year, I did this fun prayer mix (This was not an original idea, but it's definitely worth passing along).

I packaged the mix in snack bags and attached a business-sized card I'd made in Print Shop that explains what each ingredient means:

A VALENTINE PRAYER MIX FOR YOU!
PRETZELS look like folded hands that remind us to PRAY.
CHEERIOS are circles that have no beginning or end - just like HIS love.
GOLDFISH, a reminder that God gives us our food.
RAISINS remind us to thank God for raisin' Jesus and saving us.
PEANUTS are for God, who is "nuts" about us.
M & M's are sweets to remind us of God's BLESSINGS.
HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

Just some notes about what I used:
**I like using the multi-colored goldfish because it brightens up the mix.
**I used the yogurt-covered strawberry Cheerios since they had a touch of pink.
**You can buy the M & Ms in the appropriate holiday colors (This time, I used some I had on hand.)
**If you have a computer program in which you can create business cards, you can get 10 of these labels per page to attach to the snack bags.

This would be a fun mix to give to children at Sunday School or in your neighborhood. It's also a great activity to do with children. While they are mixing, you can talk about the different ingredients and what they represent. Then, they can share God's love with grandparents, neighbors, their classmates, friends and others.

I have also used this mix for Thanksgiving favors. Just change the graphics to reflect the holiday of your choice - whether Easter, 4th of July or even a birthday.

If you don't have a program with graphics on your computer, you can use holiday stickers and create your own.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Monday, February 1, 2010

The Heart of the Home


The kitchen is the heart of the home. And food seems to be at the heart of so many of our social gatherings, whether we're talking about the Super Bowl, Valentine's Day or a church potluck. Just a few months ago, our daughter, Jill, and her new husband, Eric, said their wedding vows in front of God, family and friends. Later that evening, they cut their wedding cake and they shared their first meal as husband and wife.


This February, they begin a new adventure when they move into a new home in Omaha. During a visit in January, we got our first look at their home. (By the way, we will be part of the moving crew during Valentine's weekend, along with Eric's parents.)

Of course, Jill is excited about moving into their first home and out of a one-bedroom apartment. But she is particularly thrilled to move into her new kitchen. No, it's not the biggest kitchen in the world, and it might not fit all the criteria found on some HGTV or Food Network show. But she is already thinking about getting her wedding gifts out of their apartment bedroom closet and into the pantry, the kitchen cabinets and a nearby closet. During our stay, the newlyweds purchased their first refrigerator, which I know my dietitian daughter will fill with lots of fruits, vegetables, proteins, and yes, some "treats," too.

During our trip to the furniture store, Jill & Eric and Randy & I walked around this massive, stadium-sized showroom and sat at dining room tables. Was the table just the right wood finish? Were the chairs comfortable? Did the table have leaves to add for guests? Was the set built to last? Though they didn't buy a table yet, they were already thinking about the meals they would eat in their new home. The next day, Jill had her tape measure in hand as she measured the dining area and dreamed of the day she could make a meal and share it - first with Eric, then by inviting family and friends for a dinner party or holiday meal.




Jill has been cooking and baking for years. Her interest in food and nutrition began as a 4-Her and translated into a career. As she contemplates life in her new kitchen, I'm thankful that we share this love of cooking and baking. I'm thankful that I took the time to let her help in the kitchen. Yes, there were days when it would have been
SO much quicker to just do it myself. But there are so many lessons in the kitchen. It may be as simple as counting out the 40 marshmallows that go into Rice Krispie treats. It may be the impromptu math lesson when you help them figure out that two 1/2 cups equal 1 cup. It may be that science lesson when you talk about how the baking powder reacts to make your quick bread lighter in texture.

Our son, Brent, on the other hand, was never particularly interested in spending time in the kitchen. But this year, the first living outside his fraternity house at K-State, he is suddenly calling home for favorite recipes. For Christmas, I gave him several cookbooks. His favorite one showed step-by-step photographs and a picture of the finished project. Even Brent and his roommates have put together chips and homemade dips for a ballgame watching day at their duplex (though they may be just as likely to walk across the street to the grocery store for provisions!)

It just goes to show how food brings people together. Maybe it's more about the time spent together.

Valentine's Day is coming. If you'd like to make a treat for family or friends, here's a cookie recipe our family has enjoyed for many years. It was an award winner for an elementary-school-aged Jill in the 4-H division of the Stafford County Fair. (And I originally got the recipe from an article in The Hutchinson News in which the Governor's Cookie Jar winner from the Kansas State Fair shared several recipes).

No, it won't be part of your quest for healthy living this 2010. But it is a special treat for special people on Valentine's Day.

Surprise Middle Cookies

2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
3/4 c. unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp, baking soda
1 c. granulated sugar
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. shortening
2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 c. chopped pecans
1 T. sugar
48 Rolo candies, unwrapped
4 oz. almond bark

Makes about: 4 dozen cookies

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Combine flour, cocoa, and baking soda and set aside. In large bowl, beat both sugars and shortening until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs: beat well. Add flour mixture; blend well.

For each cookie, shape about 1 tablespoon of dough around a Rolo candy. I use a cookie scoop so that my cookies are more uniform in size.



Cover completely (or you will have a mess. You can have kids help with this, but do double-check and make sure the Rolos are completely covered. Otherwise, caramel escapes onto your baking sheet!)


In small bowl, place 1 T of sugar and add 1/2 c. chopped pecans and mix (We often didn't add the nuts because Jill doesn't like them.) Press one side of each ball into sugar mixture. Place sugared-side up 2 inches apart on slightly greased cookie sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for 7-10 minutes until set and slightly cracked. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheets. Cool completely on wire racks. Melt almond bark in microwave until smooth (use a reduced power setting to prevent the almond bark from burning). Fill a decorating bag with almond bark and drizzle over cookies. (If you don't have a decorator bag or tube, use a plastic baggie and cut the tip of the bag). Enjoy! And Happy Valentine's Day!