A life well lived!

My sweet mother went to be with Jesus in the early hours of Sunday morning July 22, 2012.  My mother was one of the kindest souls you would ever want to meet!  My mother was a woman of faith and she walked the talk each and every day of her life!  She has been reunited with my Dad who has been gone 12 years.  I am sure they are skating together on a golden rink!  (they met on a skating rink)  I know she is basking in all of God's Glory!

This picture was taken in 1956 of my family in its early years..

front row left to right  (me trying to get away, my mother, John and Jean (twins) back row Pat, Dad and Jim

These are some things my daughter and my niece posted on Facebook.


"She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. (oh and could she ever laugh) She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. (never a bad or cross word about anything) She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. (she was always there for her family and her hands were always working. Idleness was not in her dna.) Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her. (Oh we all know what a gem we had. Grandpa definitely thought she was a special lady. She is probably the only person who didn't know due to her extreme humbleness.) "Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all." (she most certainly surpassed them all.) Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate." Proverbs 31: 25-31 {so much of the entire passage describes my Grandmother. I am most definitely sure that she was greeted at the gates of heaven in the wee hours of the morning with a pat on the back and a "well done good and faithful servant" for she had a true servants heart!} ~jala


and the following from my sweet niece Kim:

I know a woman who is an inspiration.  She is a woman full of grace, love and kindness.   Sometimes I wonder if she ever had any idea on how amazing she was.  I doubt it.  She’s a humble woman.  Did she ever have any idea that she was showing everyone around her love, simply by her attitude?   Sometimes I wonder, is it possible for me to do the same?  I sure hope it is.  What made this woman so different?  I know what it was.  It was her letting Jesus shine through her.  It was her faith.  She is leaving a legacy.  She is a Godly woman and with all that she has in her, she made an effort to point to the Lord, to seek the Lord, to show the love of the Lord. 

This woman is 90 years old and is still inspiring.  However, time has taken it’s toll and she is just waiting for her time to be called home and it appears that it may be soon.  Is it sad?  Of course.  However, I can honestly say that I also feel a sense of celebration for her.  Why?  Because, I know where she’s going to be spending eternity.  This isn’t the end for her.  When she leaves this world, she will be welcomed into Heaven with open arms.  She will be meeting her Savior and she will be reunited with the love of her life. It is going to be a celebration when she gets there.  It is going to be far better than anything you can possibly imagine.  And, for this reason, I am celebrating for her, too. 

As great as she is,  she won’t be going to heaven because she is a good person.  Believe me, she is a great woman, but no one can ever be good enough.  When you lay your head down to sleep, do you know without a doubt where you will be spending eternity?  There was a time, I didn’t know.  But, I do now.  If you aren’t sure, all you have to do is open your heart.  Ask the Lord for forgiveness and as Jesus to be the leader of your life and your heart.  It IS that simple.  We try to make it difficult when it is not.  We try to add all sorts of our own rules and ways to make it all come together.  But, plain and simple:  God wants to have a relationship with you.  He wants to love on you and to guide you.   He wants to spend eternity with YOU! 

This woman is someone who inspires me to be more like her.  I hope that someday people will be able to look at me and know that I am a follower of Christ…not because I go to church or because my Facebook page says that I’m a Christian….but, because I am showing the love of the Lord.  I am trying, but I am a work in progress.  God’s not done with me yet.  And, I praise Him for that!  I hope that when he is ready to call me home that I will have been an inspiration like she was.  She is beautiful inside and out.  She is my Grandma, Fay Williams.

Mom and Kim early 2012

Rain, Rain, Where Art Thou?

I am sure it is no different here in Eastern Iowa than it is anywhere else.... WE NEED RAIN!  Oh and while I am asking.... we could use some cooler days also!

I recently traveled south (well actually several times since last posting)....

I did see some gorgeous flowers at my daughters house...

The crops down south looked HORRIBLE...  Her flowers and vegetable garden only looked good because they had been watering....

I celebrated my grandsons' 2nd Birthday....

Was home a few days and headed south again.... My mother is 90 years old (A says she is 99)  Really she is 90...  and she isn't doing so well after having her gall bladder taken out a month ago...  She hasn't bounced back... They have called in Hospice for her at the Nursing Home.. It is so sad to see her like that. Little Miss A knew that her Great Granny wasn't doing so well and she insisted that she was 99 after all she went to her Birthday Party a few weeks back...  My conversation with little Miss A went something like this...

Ab:  Nana, Granny is going to die isn't she?
Me:  Yes, Abigail Granny is going to die sometime and her time here is not so long...
Ab:  Oh I am sad she is going to die...
Me:  Well Ab, you know what?  She and Grandpa met on a skating rink and I will just bet that he is up
         there waiting for her to skate with him again, and you know what else?  She will see Papa Gary
         too!  And better than that even.. she will see Jesus!
Ab:  I know it just makes me sad, cause I will miss her!

 Please keep my family in your prayers.  It could be days, weeks or months.

Thus the absence from my blog....

Hope you are staying cool wherever you might be!

Nancy

A mother's heart.....

I know this blog is really about, our old home, crafting things I do, but it s also about the lives of those who live here! My mother turned 90 the end of May and had been ill for several weeks, then the 6th of June she had gall bladder surgery. She just hasn't bounced back very well! I do realize that her days are numbered.... But I received a phone call Monday evening that Hospice had been called in for her at the Nursing Home... Mom has demensia, she still knows me most of the time when she sees me. I drove down to where she is at to spend some time with her and possibly tell her goodbye, of course each time I leave her I never know if I will see her again this side of Heaven! She had not been eating very well if at all for a number of weeks, but she seems to be eating better now....