"Only Grace" -- a Christmas poem

You have to admit it.  We humans have messed  up time and time again, day after day, year after year, century after century...and we'll continue to do so till He comes again.

Reflect with me on the Hope that the Christ's birth brings after our failure to value his gifts...Hope in our lost-ness. Have we truly, truly understood, deep in the center of our souls, how much we have lost...and how eager He is to restore?
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                                     Reflect...as you share this poem with me:

                                                     Only Grace

                                       We lost your Way's simplicity,
                                       mazed in detours and dead-ends.
                                       Now only Grace can show us
                                       how and where to walk again.

                                       We lost Truth's bold identity;
                                        threw falsehood in its face.
                                        Only with Grace from Heaven
                                        can Truth reclaim its rightful place.

                                        We lost Life's sacred purity;
                                         we failed ourselves...and You.
                                         Father, your Grace alone
                                         can take us back to start anew.

                                         All along You knew we couldn't
                                         hold onto these things!
                                         You knew that fragile Man
                                         can only thrive beneath your Wings.

                                          So, your Grace wrapped up the perfect gift -
                                           no price too dear to pay -
                                           And now..."the Way, the Truth, the Life"*
                                           lies, Incarnate, in the hay.
                                                                                                               --Becky Rhon
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* "Jesus answered, 'I am the Way and the Truth and the Life.  No one comes to the Father except through Me.'"  (John 14:6)

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A 45-year-old gift comes home. (Part 2)

If you haven't read the previous post, I suggest you do so now, before reading this one.

After the meeting I told about last time, Germán had help bringing in the Carrot Cake I had brought to share at refreshment time.  I decided to make a change from Banana Bread, and it went over very well.  I was glad I had thought to take copies of the recipe!  It's amusing to be sharing recipes with the Tsáchila - both men and women.  It's such fun!   
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HCJB  (the mission we used to work with) has for many years given away pre-tuned radios, especially to people in the remoter areas of the country.  Germán took down a box full of them to give to the Tsáchila.  There were just enough for each family to receive one.  Here they all hold up their radios for the photo.

See this little cutie?  As I was waiting at the church in our car, this little boy attached himself to me...or rather, to our car!  He had a ball pretending to drive, when he wasn't touching things and asking questions.  Hyper-active doesn't begin to describe him!  I asked him where we were going.  With an infectious grin, he replied, "Home!"
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Already we are looking forward to out next visit, in February or March.  It's so heart-warming to know that our Tsachi brothers and sisters in Christ will form part of the scene described in Revelation 7:9:

"Before me there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, every tribe, people and language, standing before the Throne and before the Lamb."
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A 45-year-old gift comes home. (Part 1)

Once again we visited the Tsachi believers in Cóngoma, joining in their joys, songs, and prayers.

(Once again I'm not starting at the beginning!)  Towards the end of the service, I was given the opportunity to present a special gift to the Tsachi church.  Let me tell you its story.

When I was 17 (45 years ago), I crafted a Bible verse, sewing the letters onto fabric, as a gift for my father.  The verse was Hebrews 13:8...in Tsáfiqui, the language into which he had translated the Bible.  He appreciated it so much that wherever he and my mom moved, the verse went along and was one of the first things to be put up on the wall of each new abode.  (My sister told me that!)  When my mother died, and I brought the verse back with me, I just put it away and sort of forgot about it.

Not long ago, I suddenly thought of it...and of the "verse-less" walls of the Tsachi church.  In a way, my parents' final "home" here on Earth is now the Tsachi cemetery, back with the people they loved.  What better thing than to, once again, put this gift up on their wall?  We had it framed, asking that it be done so as to protect it from humidity.  When I got up to speak, I told the story of the gift, and the reason I now wanted it to hang on the church wall...as a reminder of the love our family has for them (besides, of course, the love of our Father). I didn't finish with dry eyes.
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As the meeting ended, this young Tsachi couple let us know they wanted to dedicate their beautiful 6-week-old baby to the Lord.  Germán had the privilege of praying, and I had the joy of holding Ansel Daniel for this heart-warming event.
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After the singing in Spanish at the beginning of the service, we were so pleased to change languages!  Believers from another Tsachi area had come, trusting that I hadn't forgotten my offer to give them my keyboard.  As a group they did a lot of singing, but their keyboard was damaged.  They set this one up in a very improvised way (see photo below) and had us all sing  We were thrilled when he told us that one of their objectives is to make sure the children learn to sing to God in their own language.  Awesome!!

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Next week I will tell about some of the other highlights of this wonderful time.  Until then, think with me on the verse that now graces the Tsachi church:


"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."  
(Hebrews 13:8)

"Most Wanted" at the Marriott!

The Marriott Hotel in Quito went into alert mode.  Someone was missing!  Family members - especially the husband - searched high and low.  Not finding the missing person, they enlisted the help of the security staff, complete with a plan worked out to communicate, and re-group in the lobby when successful.

Meanwhile...I had gone into the underground parking lot (after using the bathroom), to get into our van - where others would be waiting for me. (Members of the extended Rhon/Ron family had met for the luscious Marriott Saturday-morning brunch, and were in the process of leaving.)  

I didn't see our van anywhere.  I waited for a while.  Maybe they'd gone to pick someone up and would come back.  Nothing.  I started walking back and forth to the several entrances...ending up in tears.  I was all alone.  Where were they?

Finally, after an eternity (maybe about 20 - 30 minutes), I heard "Becky!!!"  I rushed toward the sound of my husband's voice.  We fell into each others arms - he was almost in tears himself!  "Where were you?"  "I thought you had left me behind!"...

And then..."Becky...we weren't parked on this floor!"  Germán, as he desperately searched for me, finally thought that maybe I had gone one level too low.  And I had. The floors were identical, so I didn't realize. (Later we were able to laugh about my being on the "most-wanted list!"                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 *************************************

God doesn't give up looking for us, either, when we need to be found.

"For thus says the Lord GOD, 'Behold, I Myself will search for my sheep and seek them out.'" (Ezekiel 34:11)

"For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."  (Luke 19:10)
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And we shouldn't give up looking for and seeking God.  He WILL be found. He won't hide from us (on a different floor!).  We just have to do it in the right spirit:

"You will seek Me and find Me when you seek for Me with all your heart."  (Jeremiah 29:13)

"The humble will see their God at work and be glad.  Let all who seek God's help be encouraged."  (Psalm 69:32)
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                      Jesus, thank You for your so-familiar, yet so-heartening words:
                        "Ask and it will be given you; seek and you will find; 
                               knock and the door will be opened to you."  (Matthew 7:7)

Truman, Titus and Trump

I recently read that when President Truman was in Mexico once, he went to see the fiery, active volcano Paricutín.  His Mexican counterpart (Alemán) asked him what he thought of it.  Truman answered, "It's quite a volcano, but it's nothing compared to the one I'm sitting on in Washington!"
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Truman's analogy fits in today, doesn't it?  Over half of the Americans are still shocked at the election results.  Some are out protesting.  Others are blowing off steam in their homes and with their friends, and on the internet.  How can a man of such questionable morals and ethics become our head of state?  Others might ask, what is more important, the guy's personal morality or his policies for the country?  (Not that Trump explained any of his in enough detail.)

There are arguments on both sides...I guess.  My daughter Debbie was talking with her girls about the candidates, explaining (in a way appropriate for a 7-year-old and an 8-year-old) first about their negative points.  Then Liliana asked, "And what are the good things about Trump?"  Uh....that was a hard one to answer!  (I told her that if she thinks of anything, please let me know!)
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But you know, in the face of upheaval and our misgivings about the future of America, I've found that our best balance comes from turning to the One who can "trump Trump"!  Are we asking this question: "But now, Lord, what do I look for?  My hope is in You."  (Psalm 39:7) Listen to what He tells us through the psalmist:

"It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man...than to trust in princes."  (Psalm 118:8-9)

"Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his rest, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods."  (Psalm 40:4)

"Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God." (Psalm 20:7)

"In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid.  What can mortal man do to me?"  (Psalm 56:4)

"My soul finds rest in God alone, my salvation comes from Him.  He alone is my rock...my fortress, I will never be shaken.  Find rest, O my soul, in God alone;  my hope comes from Him."  (Psalm 62:1,2,5)
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So let's not forget Who our ultimate HOPE is, the One in Whom we must ultimately put all our trust...especially when we don't know yet if we can trust the one who will be our president.  When asked what he thought about accepting Trump's election, one person said, "We have no choice." That's true. But we DO have a choice as to how we act and speak and live after this blow.  Heaping more fuel of our own (insults, verbal explosions, threats, etc.)  just pulls us down to the same level as Trump and his followers. What can we do and say to calm...to encourage...to remind others where our Hope lies:  with the One who can, as I said before, "trump Trump"?  Let's let Him work, and trust Him.  He knows all about it.
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Were you wondering about "Titus"?  He received a letter from St. Paul that's in the Bible, and in which he is counselled, "Remind people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility to all men."  (Titus 3:1-2)

                              As difficult as it might be, it's the best thing we can do!

"Broken I was born..." A Poem

Are you feeling "broken"?   Have you tried and tried to fix yourself, without much success?

Have you forgotten that there's Someone who understands every emotion that's swirling around inside you?

To our brokenness, pain, trials, confusion...did He not say  "Peace, peace to those far and near...And I will heal them.'" ? (Isaiah 57:19)

Share this poem with me.  You may find in it echoes of your struggles...and reminders of our Hope.


                                         
                Broken I Was Born
     
       I wanted to feel whole,
       instead of cracked and marred;
       feel smooth and clean and clear,
       instead of scratched and scarred.

                 I glued, I patched, I spliced
                 to keep the pieces braced,
                 I tried to shore them up,
                 and hoped they'd stay in place.

                           But everything I did
                           turned out to be in vain.
                           Broken I was born,
                           and broken I remained.

                                     New cracks and dents appeared,
                                     so I still strove and strained...
                                     but broken I was born...
                                     still broken I remained.

                                                            *******
                                             Then You were by my side!
                                              I turned to see your Face,
                                              and felt your healing warmth
                                              melt me in your embrace.

                                               It poured into my soul,
                                               finding each damaged place.
                                              Thus mends your Mercy, Lord;
                                               thus flows amazing Grace!

                                               And now I look toward Heaven!
                                               I'll be made new...and then,
                                               perfected, safe beside You,
                                               I'll never break again!
                                                                                                            -Becky Rhon
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Who better to make us whole than the One who knows we were born broken, lived with our brokenness, and died to bring us eternal peace?

"A man of suffering, and familiar with pain...Surely He took up our pain and bore our suffering...He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on Him, and by his wounds we are healed."  (Isaiah 53:3-5)

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                                                What overwhelming Love!
                                                What unsurpassed Hope!


                                 

They were only 14 years old!

All of the Tsachi men in this 45-year-old picture are in native dress. The one on the left, Samuel, wears the short black-and-white-striped skirt (woven by his wife)...which nowadays no one  wears!  All have their hair properly cut and coiffed with annato into a bright red "cap".

Now look at the young man in the center.  If you read my last post, you saw a picture of him!  In fact, he's been in about every post I've written about our visits to Cóngoma.  In that photo, he's 14 years old...
                                            ..and in this one, taken a couple of weeks ago,  he's 59.                

On our last visit, Primitivo pulled that first photo from his pocket and asked if we knew who the people were...particularly the one in the middle!   As I wrote before, Primitivo was one of Dad's language helpers, starting very young.  When we remember the people God used to bring the Tsáchila His Word, this fine man must be included.  

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Here's another Tsachi that I remember from when she was 14 and about to be married.  She was such a pretty, willowy lass.  Carán (whose nickname {Pelá} meant "spider") is now 66, wiry and as skinny as a rail!  Every time we go, she asks about our next visit. 

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At 14, Tsachi youngsters are becoming adults.  But  Primitivo and Carán were even younger when they first  heard of their Savior, and I think this Bible passage appropriate for them:   

"But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed,  knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus." 

 (II Timothy 3:14-15)

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Thank You, Father, for  Primitivo and Carán, along with all the other Tsachi believers, who will be joining us Heaven!  

My Tsachi brother's tears

It was a lovely surprise! I had told them I missed the singing in their own language. And they remembered!  At the end of the service, this group led everyone in praise.  My heart was filled,  hearing them all sing with so much enthusiasm.

(And there I go, starting at the end again!)  My husband and I went to join the service in the Tsachi church in Cóngoma (the area in which we kids grew up), taking with us some literature in their language.  They wanted more Bibles, but we also had other books (including a couple with the old legends and stories that were written down so they wouldn't be lost).

We began our evening by arriving late! It wasn't easy to find the way in the night (no streetlights out that far).  As soon as we got there (after being asked "did you get lost?"), we were given the pulpit.

First of all, I told them about the books we had brought, including the few Bibles we had been able to find.  Then, I made my Tsachi brother cry.  Primitivo, the leader in the Cóngoma church, had been one of my father's language helpers...from about the age of 14!  Going through the Bibles, I had found one which had belonged to my father!  He had written his name in it.  I thought it would be fitting to gift it to Primitivo.

I asked him to come to the front, and explained that this Bible was my dad's, and my siblings and I wanted him to have it.  I didn't expect his reaction!  He stared down at the Bible he now held in his hands, then slowly lifted his head and looked at me...and his eyes were filled with tears.  His lips quivered as if he wanted to say something, but was too overwhelmed.  Finally he just nodded to me, trying to communicate how touched he was, and how much he appreciated it...but his tears had already let me know!

I wish we had videoed that precious moment!  (This photo was taken afterwards.)

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Germán gave the message then, and the service continued.  Later he posed with Primitivo and with Marco, a "white" brother who comes with his family to help "shepherd" the flock.  Then we shared Banana Bread again!

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Paul wrote something in Colossians 2:3 that sums up pretty well what we feel resonating in our hearts for the Tsachi believers:  "My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in Whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."

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Thank You, Father, for letting us share such special moments!

God...and "dumb" questions!

We spent several days in Baños last week, celebrating our anniversary.  In one place where we had lunch, there was a sign similar to this on the wall.  (I wish I had thought to take a picture of it!)

It made me wonder about how God sees some of our questions.  Does He ever consider any of them "dumb"?

Since He knows absolutely everything, (imaginable or not), surely some of our queries might be considered odd, inappropriate, "dumb"...but mostly sad.  (Maybe He shakes his head and muses, "The things these people come up with!!)                                          
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"Can you fathom the mysteries of God?  Can you probe the limits of the Almighty?"  (Job 11:7)  Do we have any right to ask Him questions? Should we save only the really knotty ones for Him and figure He wouldn't want to be bothered by the lesser ones?  (For fear that one of the questions might turn out to be really "dumb'!!)

Actually, we are encouraged to ask, call, seek!  "Call to Me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know." (Jeremiah 33:3)  King David was full of questions!  (See Psalms 74:1 and 10:1, for example.)  I doubt God ever considered any of them "dumb".

If, as Hebrews 11:6 says, "...He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.", we can trust the fact that He will see first of all our earnestness...and to Him, an earnest question is NEVER "dumb"!

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Maybe this would be a good thing for us to remember when someone asks us a "dumb" question.  Instead of irritation or ridicule, consider that for that person, it could be a very valid search for an answer.  (Or the questioner may have had a bad night, or be going through a stressful situation, and not be very coherent.)  Can we show the same grace as God does  in the face of "dumb" questions?
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Job must have been rather perplexed when, towards the end of his story, God confronted him, saying: "Brace yourself like a man, and I will question you and you shall answer Me."  (Job 38:3)  Yes, He asks us questions, too.  And God's questions are never "dumb"!  They are always pertinent, used to teach us and make us think.

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                             Father, thank You for your patience with our questions!
                              Please help us to be patient with those of other people.

Happy Anniversary, my Love!

Forty-three years ago!  Here we are in a classic after-ceremony picture.  (Everyone else in this photo is dead by now!)  To Germán's right is his mother (María), and to my left, my parents (Bruce and Joyce).  It's hard to believe that Mom and Dad, at that time, were only 43 and 44!

Yes, forty-three years ago today we knelt together before God to begin our shared journey.  It has taken us over many trails, with twists and turns, sunshine and storms, ups and downs, chronic illness, laughter and tears. Our journey has brought us two wonderful children...and after they married, five beautiful grandchildren.

Forty-three years ago, the Tsáchila still used their native dress.  Now very few do.  It was fun to have some of them as our guests!

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Here are two Bible verses that reflect our gratitude to our God:

"The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy."  (Psalm 126:3)

"Surely your goodness and love will follow {us} all the days of {our} lives, and {we} will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."   (Psalm 23:6)
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                            Thank You, Father for these forty-three years!

"This Trail That's Before Me"...a poem to encourage

Shaken up...challenged...scared...We sometimes feels like "the trail before us" is overwhelming.  How will we ever make it all the way through to the "better times" that are supposed to appear eventually?

When your way looms difficult ... daunting ... intimidating, talk to God about it. Take to heart what He says...in this poem...*




                                         This Trail That's Before Me

                        This trail that's before me - it's so narrow...untried!
                        Don't worry!  There's room there for two side-by-side.

                        No guardrails protect where there's steep, rocky ledge.
                        So I'll always walk between you and the edge.

                        But what if I stumble, and can't see at all?
                        I'll pull you back up if you trip or you fall.

                       Don't fear what's before you, though shadows grow deep;
                       for, watered by tears, great joys wait to be reaped!
                         
                               ******************************************   (Becky Rhon)

...and in His Word:

"Along unfamiliar paths I will guide them.  I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth."  (Isaiah 42:16)

"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for You are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me."  (Psalm 23:4)

"The Lord upholds all those who fall and lifts up all those who are bowed down."  (Psalm 145:14)

"It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect."  (II Samuel 22:33)

"'I will strengthen them in the Lord, and in his Name they will walk', declares the Lord."  (Zechariah 10:12)
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May every one of you who is facing a difficult time be encouraged by remembering that God offers His children:
                                "The oil of gladness instead of mourning...
                          the mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting."   (Isaiah 61:13)

                                               *********************

* (His words in italics.)

I had always wanted...just once in my life!

Look carefully at the airline tickets in the picture. What do they show that could have (very pleasantly) shocked me?
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My travelling to the U.S. for the three-week visit with kids and grandkids - that I have written about in the last two posts - started with a tremendous surprise.  When I saw that my seat was in row 2, I thought maybe this particular plane didn't have a first-class cabin.  But when I boarded...there was the first-class cabin, and there was my seat! (I asked the flight attendant, just to be sure!)

When I switched planes in San Salvador, I was still in first class. Once I got to Chicago, and Steve, Debbie, Liliana and Miriam picked me up, Debbie told me that it was Dan's doing...and that he'd said, "But tell her not to get used to it!"

I assumed that the trip down to Orlando, two weeks later, would be on a regular ticket.  So I was really surprised when it turned out I was in first class again!

They were the most relaxed, least stressful flights I've had for ages! So much leg room, softer seats,  meals on china (set on a cloth place mat) and metal silverware...flight attendant at your service for whatever...even the restroom exclusively for first-class passengers!  It was so much fun! (Even checking in had special perks.)

I doubt Dan even knew that one of my little "dreams" was to travel first class just once in my life...just to see what it was like.  I never figured it would ever happen.  We always fly in the "commoners'" section.  Because he travels so much, Dan has a huge store of frequent-flyer miles, and used some to get me the tickets, to give me a surprise.  (Thanks again, Son!)
 
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As Proverbs 13:19 says, "It is pleasant to see dreams come true..." or, in another version, "A fulfilled desire is sweet to the soul..."

Even if Dan hadn't known of my dream, God did, and He used my son to make it come true. Jesus said, "So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask Him!"  (Matthew 7:11)  (Although, to be honest, I don't remember ever asking specifically for this - but God knew!)
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Orlando was chosen as a place to get together because Dan had a conference to go to there.  He would always attend in uniform, as in this photo with us.

In the photo below, Micah dons his dad's beret, as Eli peers around (maybe to make sure he got in the picture, too!)

We've been back in Quito for a couple of weeks now, but the whole adventure will stay in our memories as long as we live.  (Unless we get Alzheimer's!)

How we thank our heavenly Father who "gives good gifts"!
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Sorry, Noe...no alligators!

Since Dan had a conference  to attend in Orlando, he decided to take his family along and...invited us!  So, after I had spent two lovely weeks with Debbie and her family, I flew down and Germán flew up (from Quito) to Orlando.  We all arrived at the airport on the same day, at different hours.  How awesome it was for me to come down the escalator in the airport, see Noe (10), Micah (8) and Eli (5) waiting, and have them run over to where I was for a big communal hug!

There were so many things to do, we didn't need the theme parks!  There are an abundance of things like kids' museums, the Crayola Experience, water parks, fun restaurants in Disney Springs (like "T-Rex", the one where dinosaurs roar as you eat under a "meteor shower").  The kids loved the different stores with Leggos, Star Wars, and other interesting things...like jewelry and candy!

The lake in the picture was so pretty and peaceful...but we were warned about the alligators.  We saw some bubbles rising up to the surface now and then, and decided that the alligators just might be there.  But we never saw one, there or anywhere else, which was a great disappointment to Noe!                                                                                                                                                      
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Snuggling with Eli.

       
We have been the recipients of the blessing in Psalm 128:6: "May you live to see your children's children."

Dan and KC are faithfully instilling principles of a life lived according to God's Word in their offspring, who we pray will become strong members of the Family of God, so that the words of Colossians 1:12 will apply to them:

"...giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light."  

That inheritance is "incorruptible, undefiled, that does not fade away, reserved in Heaven for you."  (I Peter 4"1)                                                                 
                                          

Becky, Noe and KC by the lake.

     

Dan with the three kids

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Noe, Micah, Liliana, Miriam, Eli...five grandchildren...five blessings.

Thank You, Lord, for the special grace of these weeks with them!
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"those things you dip in ketchup"

Two wonderful weeks with my Indiana granddaughters!  (And their parents, of course!)  We had a lot of fun, both crazy and sane.

One day Miriam (on the left) wanted to "do" someone's hair, so I  volunteered. Then Liliana joined her, and they ended up getting a little wired! All of us were laughing  as they improvised some weird additions to my "hairdo".

The girls started school a few days after I arrived, but in the afternoons we had time to spend together.  In the mornings, I had time to go shopping with Debbie, talk with her about so many things, help out as I could, etc.

Sunday night is "movie night" for them, and we'd eat in the living room.  On my last movie night there, I made something I think the girls had never eaten before.

 Debbie wanted to know some ways to fix quinoa, so I made some quinoa patties. With some ketchup on the side of their plates, the girls settled down at their TV trays.  I doubted they'd rave about the patties, being something new and "different".  So I was surprised when Miriam asked, "Can I have another of those things you dip in ketchup?" When she was done with the second, she asked for yet another.  But her ketchup ran out before she finished it, and it turned out she didn't like it plain!  Oh well, at least it's a way to get something very nutritious into little kids...let them dip it in ketchup!

We ate out a few times, too. Here, Liliana (7) is on my right, Miriam (6) on my left. I think it was a Mexican restaurant.

As my departure grew closer, when I would leave to spend time with Dan's family,  I told Debbie how much I loved being accepted and trusted by the girls as part of their lives.                    Being grandmother to these two is awesome!
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Debbie and Steve are instilling in their daughters a growing understanding of the Family of God..  We pray that they will become strong, faithful members of this Family.

In an amplified version, Deuteronomy 6:7 says, "You shall teach them diligently to your children {impressing God's precept on their minds and penetrating their hearts with His truths}..."
                                        *****************************

The Word also says that grandparents should be a part of passing on these truths.  "Teach them to your children and to their children after them."  (Deuteronomy 4:9)

                           "You are....members of His household.."  (Ephesians 2:19)
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                    Thank You, Lord, for the miracle and blessing of grandchildren!

Old or New? It's our choice...

I think the old heat diffuser, on the left, only stayed in one piece because all the little specks of burnt-out metal were desperately holding hands!  I wondered when they would give up, let go, and disintegrate!

But I kept using it because I didn't have another one to replace it.

Sound familiar?  Have you ever felt like that inside?  I have.  We may be in a flawed situation, but we stay there because we don't see anything with which to replace it.

I had looked for a new diffuser, but not seen one.  Then I remembered:  Amazon!!  Of course!  I found it there, and my sister brought me down a new one.  What a difference!  Now I could throw away the old one...because I had a new one to take its place.
                                  **********************************

When our heart is ever in this kind of situation, remember...God!!  Of course!  If we meet someone else who feels like this, let's tell him/her about the Person who is willing and able to offer the New, to take the place of the Old...if we are willing...and if we allow Him.  It's our choice.

"You were taught... to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness."  (Ephesians 4:22-24)

"...since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator."  (Colossians 3:9-10)
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It's not always easy to "put off the old", but God is always ready to act on our acceptance of the fact that our "old" needs replacing with His "new".

"...and to provide for those who grieve in Zion - to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair."  (Isaiah 61:3)
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                          Our God of Love is an inexhaustible source of "newness".

                       "his compassions never fail.  They are new every morning."
                                                      (Lamentations 3:23)
                                           ******************************                
                             

A New Poem...about a Friend, closer than...a husband...or a sister!

I don't have that many friends, but I have the blessing of living with my best (earthly) friend - my husband Germán.  He's on my left. On my right is another friend...my sister Carol, visiting us from the U.S.  We had a lot of fun!
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But I'd like to direct your thoughts to "a Friend who sticks closer than a brother". (Proverbs 18:24)

Having Him as my very Best Friend...what would it be like?  Let your heart's imagination soar with mine!

                                      It Could Be All That?

                 Friends I have few, so it's often "just me",
                 but...what if You knocked at my door, Lord?  "Here's how it could be...

                 "weaving our words, in-and-out, back and forth,
                 or sitting in silence when mere words fall short;

                 "smiling, remembering the things that we've done,
                 laughing with you at a joke or a pun;

                 "or holding you close when you need an embrace,
                 when fear makes you seek Me as your hiding place;

                 "sharing the shadows that try to creep in,
                 soothing your sadness, forgiving your sin;

                 "letting you cry when you don't understand,
                 then drying your tears with the warmth of my hand;

                 "singing with you...an impromptu duet!
                 teaching you love songs you'll never forget;
  
                                "then breaking the boundaries of time and of space
                                 to blaze you a glorious trail of pure Grace;

                                "and walking with you so you're never alone,
                                 we'd follow that trail till we're all the way Home!"

          Wow!  All that with our friendship?  All that could come true?
          Oh, Lord...how to ensure I'm best-friended by You?

                            "You have only to ask!  and then open the door,
                            for I can do, and will do, all that...and much more!"
     
                           *****************************************************Becky Rhon

It seems incredible that He is willing to put so much effort into building an eternal relationship with us! We don't even begin to deserve so much attention from such a perfect, awesome Person...yet He longs for our companionship!

                                     Let's "open the door" - and keep it open -
                               and we will see for ourselves what it means 
                                        to have Him as our Best Friend!
                               
                                          ************************************

Beyond "Ashes and Indians" (Part Five {Part Last})...wrapping it up

Although you can't see it in the picture, there is a crack that runs down one wall, across the floor, and up the opposite wall of the church, from the big earthquake in April.  But that was only the physical church, and didn't dampen anyone's spirit.
            *******************

You've read about our precious time with the Tsáchila in Cóngoma in the last four posts.  After my talk, my brother Paul's letter and my sister Carol's slide show, my husband Germán closed the program with a prayer.  Although he himself didn't grow up around the People, he's been married to me for almost 43 years, so something has rubbed off on him!  As usual, he provided moral support for me...a great help!

After we finished, once the banana bread had been devoured (see prior post, if necessary) and everything was being gathered up, we went around the room saying goodbye to people individually.  My friend Carán took my face between her two hands, looked straight into my eyes, and told me I HAD to return. I would, I told her.  I will.  (If you don't remember who she is,  see Ashes and Indians, part 3.)
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Returning. Yes, I'll return to this unique part of the core of my childhood.  For almost 60 years, I've carried a little piece of Cóngoma (and all it meant and means) inside me.  Lately I've pulled some of that out of its cozy nesting place, to again see and hear people and things that connect us to each other.

One day we, along with Tsachi believers,  will be "returning"...to the Beginning.  We started out in innocence, not having had a chance to sin yet.  When we finally reach Heaven, we will once again be guilt-free and have no desire to sin. We'll be happier than we can ever imagine now! Like this:

"The ransomed of the Lord will return.  They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away."  (Isaiah 51:11)
                                                  **********************************

We're assured that the Tsachi Christians will, indeed, be part of the great assembly mentioned in Revelation 7:9:

"After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb."


                        Until then...I'll still carry a little piece of Cóngoma in my heart.
                                           

Beyond "Ashes and Indians", (Part IV)...never forgotten

Many years ago, Dad used to tell the Tsáchila Bible stories using a little battery-run projector, with reels of pictures that he turned one-by-one.

Now it was all electronic. In the picture, Carol is over on the left, standing beside the equipment, awaiting her turn.  (It seems none of us took a picture during the actual show, so this is the best I can do!  By the way, the church wasn't empty; the people there are just as adept at avoiding the front rows as anyone else!)

The lights were turned off, and as the pictures were projected onto the front wall, the people were "all eyes"...and quite a bit of voice! How young everyone seemed!...Look - there's So-and-So!...

Carol had compiled the photos (found among Dad's papers) chosing the ones she thought would be of most interest to them.  She had also written simple (but creative) background captions, giving the picture series a chronology, flowing along a timeline, as it were.  At the end, she told the Tsáchila that she was leaving them the flash drive with the presentation, and also the photographs themselves.
                                    ****************************************

Remembering the past...emotions re-evoked...joy of memories, but also a twinge of sadness that those times are no more...(or relief that other things are no more!).  Those feelings are pretty much universal, right? With their memories, they permeate every aspect of our lives and loves.  God made us that way, and that way fits right into its place in our spirit.  Memories can affect us in many ways...at times depressing us...enslaving us...or causing us to reflect...or lifting our spirits...or bringing us closer to the One who gives us Life and Love.

"Remember the wonders He has done, his miracles, and the judgments He pronounced."  (I Chronicles 16:12)

And isn't this AWESOME?   "He remembers his covenant forever, the word He commanded, for a thousand generations."  (I Chronicles 16:15)

And He said, "Even if mothers were to forget, I could never forget you!"  (Isaiah 49:15)
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If He never forgets or abandons us, let us never forget Him...let us never shove Him to one side...let us strive to never let anything or anyone else be more important to us.

 Let us all, along with our Tsáchi brothers and sisters, say:

                   "Yes, Lord, walking in the ways of your laws, we wait for You; 
                     your name and renown are the desire of our hearts." (Isaiah 26:8)
                                                 
                                                     ************************                        

(The final Part will be posted soon!)