Good Morning All!
It’s another beautiful morning in Spokane. You’ve heard the song lyrics that say “it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas”…well, “it’s beginning to look like Summer” here in Spokane. It’s great day too on the health front, as my Mom (Chris) came through her heart procedure yesterday with flying colors, thanks to the good Lord who guided her doctors and the 7th Floor Cardiac Care team at Deaconess to get as good an outcome as could be expected. Mom’s primary artery to her heart had a 99% blockage…Wow! They were able to get her in for a heart catheterization/angiogram and placing three stents end to end in the primary artery to heart and no there is no blockage whatsoever…Praise The Lord and Glory Hallelujah! Drs. Wyrick & Wysham and the Cardiac Care team at Deaconess did a superb job of coordinating Mom’ care and getting her in for her procedure just in the nick of time. Have you heard of the old saying “hanging on by a thread”? Well, that’s what Mom was doing until the team determined what was going on and took the necessary steps to achieve a good outcome. We are so thankful to all of them!
Prayers are lifted up for my dear friend, Keith, who is having some challenges with his heart. Please pray for wisdom and discernment for his doctors and the cardiac care team at Sacred Heart and that Keith has a good outcome from this latest challenge. You couldn’t ask for a better friend and he is one of the finest people I have ever known. The world’s certainly a better place because of Keith! He’s a great listener, takes an active interest in the lives of others and is always an “outward thinking” kind of guy…the best there is, for sure, not to mention being one of the best husbands & fathers around! Here’s to you, Keith, and get well soon!
Speaking of friends, when my friends Harold and our personal guide, Roland, left the farm cottage in rural Belgium a few weeks back, we received the following lovely note from our host, Annie (and her husband Frederick):
“Dear Guest,
Very pleased to have met you—All our best wishes for the end of your “big trip” in Europa and for your private life…”
With our best,
Annie
They were great hosts to us and we loved their farmhouse cottage. Be sure and check out this option if you are ever headed to Belgium’s Ardennes region. It’s fantastic!
Have you ever noticed that some things stand out more vividly in the early morning hours? Such was the case the other day, as I was driving out to get my Mom to the hospital due to her heart event. It was about 5:00 a.m. and the sun was just rising in the east. I came upon this vacant, neglected lot in the East Central area of Spokane as I was driving along and there stood the most beautiful pink rose bush I’ve seen in some time. It was all by itself and you could tell that it was making its beautiful appearance of its own free will, with absolutely no help and/or tender loving care from a human. It made me think that God makes beautiful things for us to enjoy without the help of humankind. Because He is a sovereign God, He can do anything He wants to with His Creation. Isn’t that a marvelous thought! All the more reason to give thanks to Him and be in awe of Him. He makes something beautiful out of nothing…
Speaking of beautiful things/places, our visit to the American Cemetery in Luxembourg City took our breath away. Row upon row of Crosses of Jesus & Stars of David, each representing a soul who gave all in the cause of freedom and liberation. The cemetery is meticulously cared for…every blade of grass neatly cut and all of the flowerbeds and shrubs carefully trimmed and cared for, as well as each Cross of Jesus or Star of David being tended to with the greatest of attention and reverence. I commented to the fellows who were trimming each of the head stones how moved I was by what they do there, and even though we had language difficulties, they still understood my expression of gratitude for what they were doing. One of the lasting impressions from my trip to Europe…
Speaking of lasting impressions, I always fondly remember each breakfast we had with our friend and personal guide, Roland. Each day he was with us he would rise a bit early and prepare what he called a typical Belgian breakfast…delicious raisin buns, small pastries with chocolate inside, slices of delicious gouda cheese and thinly sliced ham along with a cup of cappuccino. We had some fresh fruit to boot! I couldn’t get quite used to having chocolate for breakfast, but Roland said that was pretty much standard fare for Belgians in starting their day. Who could blame them? Belgian dark chocolate if full of anti-oxidants and tastes oh so good! They make their chocolate without refined sugar…lots of cocoa in their chocolate recipe. Maybe I should start my day with chocolate…a nice way to start the day, don’t you think? Not to mention the yummy apricot marmalade they make in Belgium. It goes great with a piece of toasted bread. Our breakfasts with Roland will be long remembered!
Here are some thoughts for the day:
“I think it’s good that I had some experience of the real world before I became successful. You know, having to get up in the morning and going to work in construction.”
—Tom Jones, Welch singer of “It’s Not Unusual” fame
“If you want to get warm you must stand near the fire: if you want to be wet you must get into the water. If you want joy, power, peace, eternal life, you must get close to, or even into, the thing that has them. They are not a sort of prize which God could, if He chose, just hand out to anyone.”
—C.S. Lewis, “Mere Christianity”, as quoted in “C.S. Lewis’ Little Book Of Wisdom: Meditations on Faith, Life, Love & Literature” (2018)
Here’s to a great Wednesday & lots of love always!
Press on,
Papa ‘a (Dad, Uncle Mark, etc.)