A trilogy of Life!

Okay, so trilogies are still on my mind, but this trilogy has been on my mind for several months already, so I can't write it off just like * snap *: We are awaiting the arrival of THREE new family members!! Wait, not Ken and me --good grief! That's the stuff that gets rumors started!! No, we'll merely be grand uncle and aunt (our variation of grandpa and grandma). :) Two of my nephews and their wives and a niece and her husband will be the button-popping parents:

• Daniel & Pamela Stence - a boy any day now! - #1
• Rhoda (Stence) & Luke Grout - a girl in May - #1
• Philip & Jennifer Stence - a boy in late April-June (depends on who is right: mommy, midwife or doctor [trilogies are everywhere!]) - #5

That will bring the "grands" total to 22! We can't wait for them to make their arrival. Hopefully Daddies and Mommies will stop popping their buttons long enough to email us some pictures. (Yes, that is a HINT!) ;)

Perspective makes all the Difference

* sigh * Today (Tuesday, I mean) has been a sad day...from earth's perspective. My friend called to let us know her mother-in-law had passed away this evening. Later we received an email that a dear friend of Ken's family had also passed away tonight. (So much for my trouble with trilogies ponderings: the last email makes four.) I'm thankful, however, that I was reminded today of the poem that had comforted me, and that I took the time to share it. Yes, it was a sad night here--and tears are in order! We don't sorrow for these ladies who have gone on--we sorrow for those who are still here. But even through the tears, we rejoice that
"...just at the moment when someone at my side says,
“There she goes!”
there are other eyes watching her coming,
and other voices ready to take up the glad shout:
“Here she comes!"

Today was an awesome day in heaven! :)

I DO have words to say! :) May they be a comfort.

I've been checking my friend's blog so many times every day and praying for the family, and every time I want to say something, want to comfort, but I don't know what to say or maybe how to say it.

Today, however, when I read something she posted, "the life that this amazing, Godly woman has lived, and it's come down to this...numbers, temperatures, procedures, pain medicine, phone calls, tears. She is SO MUCH more than all this!" my heart started thumping!! I knew immediately something I could share!

That was exactly how I felt sitting at my dad's side those last days before he passed away. This person who had blessed us with his wisdom, wit, teaching, singing... This mind and these hands that had incredibly produced music on every instrument he had picked up (except the flute!)... On and on. How could so much "person" evaporate?

Then someone gave me a poem that changed my perspective and really comforted me. It comforted me again when my mom passed away. So I posted it in her comments hoping that they will gain perspective and, in that perspective, find some comfort too.

Parable of Immortality
by Henry Van Dyke (1852 - 1933)

I am standing by the seashore.
A ship at my side spreads her white sails to the morning breeze
and starts for the blue ocean.
She is an object of beauty and strength,
and I stand and watch
until at last she hangs like a speck of white cloud
just where the sun and sky come down to mingle with each other.
Then someone at my side says, “There she goes!”

Gone where? Gone from my sight - that is all.
She is just as large in mast and hull and spar
as she was when she left my side
and just as able to bear her load of living freight
to the places of destination.
Her diminished size is in me, not in her.

And just at the moment when someone at my side says,
“There she goes!”
there are other eyes watching her coming,
and other voices ready to take up the glad shout:
“Here she comes!"

Wordless? Yeah, riiiiiight!!

After posting last night (no, it wasn't morning because I hadn't slept yet), while drifting off to sleep, I realized I probably wasn't very convincing that I couldn't think of any words. * sigh *

I was also thinking of two emails I received yesterday and realized they were from school friends as well. Had to chuckle about that. A student who was always organized and prompt was apologizing for being slow about a matter, and one of my three bestest friends from college found me (I obviously don't stay in touch with her like I should!) and wanted to add me to her FaceBook account--you betcha!! :)

Which reminds me that the night before, my brother-in-law called to tell me that one of my students had just visited in his church and home and had told him memories of his "favorite English teacher." I have listened and trembled as people tell (yeh, even in a public venue) their memories about their English teachers (Why is it that certain memories seem to be associated with English teachers rather than, say Algebra or Chemistry teachers?!), but I think I passed his test. :)

Growing up I was so often sighing and groaning as my parents introduced me to yet another person "we went to school with." I think I am indeed "shaving my dad's face"! (see About me)

Words aren't all they're cracked up to be...

Wow, maybe my life DOES revolve around school, even though I haven't been involved in one for almost seven years. Recently I've had a former student and a former school family (especially the father) as well as a former classmate on my mind and in my prayers a LOT. I've also had on my mind that words just aren't all they're cracked up to be. (I know my English Comp students will be shocked if they read that last sentence!) All of the wonderful words in the wide world of vocabulary (which I have extolled, of course!) fail when sharing another's grief or joy.

My brother Andy called Monday to tell me about a former student's wife passing away last Friday. So I've been remembering my friendship with him--various conversations we had, random acts of kindness with which he blessed me, how special he made me feel watching out for my safety and needs with my poor car, etc. But I was his teacher (not his mother!), and he's a grown man now, for pity's sake, so how do I properly put into words that just because the classroom years are over and we've not been in contact for a long time (although I did see him for a few minutes this past summer) doesn't mean the caring is over. He will always be in my heart--he was my student, my "kid"! Time doesn't change that. He was safe in our friendship then; he would be safe in that friendship now. Since I can't be there for him, I thought I would call and send a card. Therein is the problem: words. I can't distill into words what I have prayed, how much I care. I can cry, but I can't think of any words. Somehow though, I think if I can get past the busy signal, maybe the words will come. But I admit that every time I hear the beep - beep - beep, I sigh in relief. I've selected a card and written some of my thoughts and prayers there, but when I read it over, it doesn't say what I wanted it to say and I suddenly have a new definition for "discard." But it's my best attempt, so I send it... surely he will understand at least part of what I can't seem to say.

I've been logging in to a friend's blog several times a day over the past week or so. She's been posting updates there of her mother-in-law who was not that long ago diagnosed with cancer. Over the past 10+ years, Ken & I have shared lots of laughs and tears in our hours and hours of visiting with this family who used to be part of the school where I worked. We have often chuckled because Ken and the mom think so much alike, and I and the dad think so much alike. (It's a crazy wonderful friendship! :)) I care about each one of the family members dealing with the death of their mother/mother-in-law/grandma, but, because of the special connections we have made over the years and having lost a mother to cancer myself, I have identified especially with the dad. And I experience the same wordlessness each time I read a new update. In many ways, I've been where he is. During many inevitable late-night discussions, I've expressed a broad range of opinions, emotions and convictions. (Oh, that words were lacking then!) When I read the updates on the blog, however, I can cry, but I can't think of any words. Every day when I click to go to the blog, I know I am one day nearer to reading that her mother-in-law has gone to be with the Lord, and I already know what will happen when we see our friends: I will cry, but I won't be able to think of any words to say. Somehow tho, I hope that whether or not he (and his brother) lets me hug him and cry a little bit on his shoulder, the fact that I'm hugging them in my heart will help them understand some of what I can't seem to say.

A friend sent me a joyous email tonight. For nearly a month, I've been praying for a former classmate who has been hovering wayyy too near death. We've known each other almost our whole lives and have made many memories. Every year she has faithfully sent my first Christmas card of the season (except this past one when she was second!) in spite of the fact that I haven't sent any out in a decade. This summer we connected again and rejoiced together about God's purpose for her life. How could her situation have come to this little hope so soon?! But tonight's email announced that throughout this week, she has been experiencing gradual but definite and miraculous healing! She had been in an induced coma, on a respirator then a trache, too many physical problems to list. The doctors told the family that if she survived she would probably be bedfast. Now she is conscious and talking! Her lungs were severely damaged, but they have healed! She's ready to get up and walk as soon as she regains strength! The trache may be removed within another day or two and then she will be discharged to rehab care. God still has a purpose for her life! And it happened again as I read the email: I could cry, but I couldn't think of any words. I already have a card on my desk that I want to mail to her. Again I have attempted to convey what I feel, but it's just not there like I feel it. So I will hurry and mail it because I think once she is holding my card in her hands, she will understand a little of what I can't seem to say.

Trouble with trilogies...

(Thursday, when I started this) I've got just the greatest big brother (well, actually I have TWO greatest big brothers, but this time I mean the older one!)--looked up to him all my life, been incredibly influenced by him, love to pick his brain and hear his perspective on all kinds of things, but we disagree on this:
Do events happen or not happen in "threes"?

I say, Yes. Nature loves trilogies. There's a reason behind the old adage Mom recited so often, "What seconds itself, thirds itself."

Tim says, No. The human mind loves trilogies. Whenever two events "connect," the human mind googles [my term, not his!--his would be far more academic :)] for a third event to complete the trilogy. I have been praying for a former classmate who has been hovering near death; praying for a friend whose mother is hovering near death; and now praying for a former student whose wife just died. Three people dealing with death. I don't WANT a trilogy on this issue!

Thank God, I received word tonight that my classmate is experiencing miraculous healing!! So my mind joyfully releases it's "obsession" with trilogies. I mean, I'm truly NOT LOOKING for a third person to be near death!!

(today - Tuesday, when I finished) ... I decided not to post such a perhaps morbid post on Thursday, but now I have this trilogy thing on my mind again.

On Saturday, Ken & I traveled over to Sevierville to meet my brother Andy on his way home from Mississippi. We pulled into the parking lot of the Golden Corral Restaurant, looked around... Yea! We beat him getting here! (He had no idea what an accomplishment that was on my part.)

But Ken thought that he remembered Andy saying Ryan's (which is across the street), so we decided to call him just to make sure he wasn't waiting for us at Ryan's while we were waiting for him at Golden Corral!

He answered sounding sort of out of breath, "Yes, I'm right up the road from there. Did you see the flashing lights? There was a bad accident here right beside me, and I'm filling out the police report..." We so thanked God that he is safe!! When he met us and told us more about it, we thanked the Lord again...and have been ever since. Andy thought that the one driver might need treatment and then would be okay, but that the other driver, only by a miracle, would survive. Later that evening we checked the website for the newspaper and learned that the man had indeed passed away.

In Monday's online update and obituary, we learned that a wife and three children are left to mourn their sudden loss. We have been praying for them this weekend and especially today (funeral). The only comfort is in knowing that he was a Christian man, so he is with the Lord.

Where do I begin?

* sigh * I'm here. Now what? :) Maybe being birthed into the blogging world made me realize why newborns sleep so much. By the time I should be ready to blog, I'm ready to sleep instead ...nah, it wasn't really THAT bad. I feel a second wind blowing!

I usually click in to one friend's blog to keep up with her family's goings-on and click right back out again--didn't think I had any particular interest in Blogland. Before long, I blog-hopped to a couple of her friends' blogs whose names I recognized and added them to my click-time. Then one day not so long ago, I googled something (I completely forgot what!) and clicked on a link that landed me on the blog of someone connected to Penn View. Ironically, I don't know the blogger, but I recognized several names on her list of Blog friends, and I could hardly click fast enough! I was so excited to find several of my former students from Penn View!

Now I have spent hours blog-hopping while looking for and catching up on friends. I must say that it's incredible what happens in almost 16 years!

My curiosity has me wondering, "Where are student friends from Penns Valley Christian Academy (I'm not even going to figure how many years ago that is--hey, my specialty wasn't MATH!!), our little school in Taiwan (too many years ago too!) and Foothills Christian Academy (almost 7 years ago). I haven't been able to locate anybody from any of these yet, but I have only begun to fight--oops, I mean, search! :)

I'm hoping to find lots of former students' blogsites. If you are a former student of mine from PVBI or Penns Valley, or a student from Foothills while I was in the office there, and you're not on my list, I'm probably looking for you. So drop me a line and let me know where to find you! :)

Okay, so maybe I'm getting a little carried away raving about former students--but hey, they were my kids!!

Hmm... I'm thinking of a number of other people I hope I can find, and lots of them are high school and college friends! (Has my entire life been "school"? I hadn't thought so.)

Well, whether you are school related or not, if you're my friend: gimme a holler! o/