Changed By Love

Changed By Love

Following the Lamb wherever he goes… Revelation 14:4

Labor (and Delivery) Day Birthday

The family’s cake

Patrick’s cake

Yes, Patrick was responsible for my labor on that Labor Day weekend sixteen years ago. Ah yes, I remember it well!

I teased him and said that one of the cakes was his and the other was everybody else’s. He chose one of them to put the candles on. The truth is that Gary insisted that I make two cakes. The last time I made the Strawberry 7-up cake, not everybody got a piece!

Gary shot video with the video camera. That’s why he was not in the pictures. He was there! By the miracles I told about in my post about why I’m smiling, he was able to be home for Patrick’s birthday.

Early tomorrow morning we have to take him to the airport to fly back to South Carolina for work. What a life! I’m grateful for the time we’ve had together this Labor Day weekend. Believing for better, though.

Nature Study and Spiritual Lessons from Caterpillars and Butterflies

We’re studying caterpillars again this fall. We try to find a caterpillar (at least one) every year in the early fall. Last year, we found some near the middle of August while they were still very tiny. I wrote several blog posts about that experience which became quite a saga. They are under the Caterpillar Chronicles category.

I found two this year. They were both almost full-grown caterpillars and ready to make a chrysalis by the time I found them. I didn’t have to work so hard to find fresh milkweed to feed them. I always try to find Monarch caterpillars. They eat milkweed, so I just go look on milkweed plants near the end of August when I want to find a caterpillar.

It is a great experience for children to watch a caterpillar form a chrysalis and then about two weeks later come out of the chrysalis as a beautiful butterfly. It’s very easy to do. It’s one science experiment that usually works out pretty well. Last year, I did have 2 butterflies that were afflicted with OE Spore and didn’t develop correctly. They couldn’t even get out of the chrysalis. Their wings were all shriveled. I had never heard of it. I had to do some research to find out what was wrong with them. I learned a lot from the experience, even though it was very disappointing and sad. We kept waiting for the butterfly to come out of the chrysalis, but he just never could. We felt really bad about it. But we had two that came out just fine and we got to watch them dry their wings and then fly away.

Our caterpillars are now both tucked safely inside their chrysalises. I hope they will both come out healthy and strong. We live in a different place now, so I have good reason to hope for different results this year. We were in Illinois last year. We’re in Pennsylvania this year.

There is so much to learn about caterpillars and butterflies, and even lots of spiritual concepts to talk about with your children. New life and transformation in the life of a Christian are powerfully demonstrated by a lowly worm-like creature hiding away in a safe place for a while and emerging as a whole new creature. That’s how we are to be – new creations in Christ. But we must stay hidden in Him to let Him transform us.

Growing and Changing Together or Blessed Are the Flexible

After searching for the best place to establish himself so that he could grow and change and develop, our caterpillar chose a place right beside our first caterpillar.

Kind of like Gary and I found each other and are growing and changing side by side.

It’s a good thing we’re both flexible.

We were not thinking ahead to the holiday. We were just thinking about finally getting some money coming in after a whole month of nothing. We had a vague idea that maybe Gary could come home next weekend. As things developed (while we were talking on the phone), we realized he was going to be stuck there all alone for the three-day weekend. I told him to go ahead and come home when I realized the situation. He just moved in with a guy named Kurt. Things are going well so far, but Gary didn’t want to be there all weekend without us.

So we started talking about him driving home, then I realized that he needed to fly home to make it worthwhile. While we were discussing these things, he drove through a drainage ditch and popped the tire of his car.

He went inside his new home away from home and got on the computer. He found a place that sells the kind of tires we have on our car and found out their hours. He found some airline tickets that weren’t too terribly expensive.

So this morning he had to take his car and get a new tire. Fortunately, he had a warranty that allowed him to get the new tire for $11. Then he drove to the airport. He had an expired driver’s license since he lost his wallet a month ago. But God got him through the identification process. And he was able to fly home.

I had to drive to the airport in Baltimore and pick him up today.

None of this was planned until about 9:00 last night.

The first thing he wanted to do was to get stuff to make tacos. He made tacos for everybody and then sat down to eat with all of his kids while they watched a family movie together.

We have changed and adapted to each other in many ways. The fact that he’s here with us right now is proof that we have learned to work together pretty well!

Sudden Happenings and Why I’m Smiling

Since Gary has been working in another state, the task of taking the big kids to the YMCA every other night has fallen to – me. I don’t mind, really. It’s hard to get dinner for everybody on those evenings. I used to fix dinner while they were at the Y. But I am happy to get some time for exercise. And I also get some time for reading. I ride the exercise bike there and read a book that I brought along. Always multi-tasking.

Speaking of which, I also go nature hiking sometimes while the kids are inside lifting and running and shooting baskets. I went out last week looking for caterpillars, but I didn’t find any. 🙁 But I hit the jackpot this week. I found one Wednesday night, and he was pretty big, so I thought he was probably about ready to make a chrysalis. Well, I’m proud to report: He made his chrysalis yesterday. I didn’t have to feed him for very long at all!

Then last night, we went late to the Y, and it was already dark. But I went back to the patch of milkweed where I found the other one, and guess what, I found another one! He’s pretty big, too, so I bet he will be making a chrysalis today or tomorrow.

This is our newest caterpillar, Thomas. We named him for Thomas Becket, Thomas Jefferson, Thomas a Kempis, Thomas (Stonewall) Jackson and Thomas the Tank Engine. I just threw that last one in. We have been learning about some great men named Thomas! I hoped he would make his chrysalis near our first caterpillar. It looks like he may be thinking about it.

Oh, by the way, these are Monarch caterpillars, of course. The milkweed here is huge. That’s why I had such a nice juicy pod to plant seeds from.

Caterpillar Dancing to Andy Hunter Music from Penney Douglas on Vimeo.

Oh, guess what else. I get to drive to the airport and pick Gary up in about an hour. He’s coming home for Labor Day. We made some last minute plans since Labor Day snuck up on us, and in spite of some opposition from our enemy, Gary is flying here even as we speak. I’d better get off here and get ready for him and get ready for my hour and a half drive to the airport!