Wednesday, December 26, 2012
A sign of the times
I guess it's a sign of the times but I thought it interesting that many of my grandkids greeted me at our Christmas dinner with "Hi Grandpa, What is the WiFi password?"
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Simple things of life
When I was 8 or 10 years old, my sisters Connie Shafer Strahl McDill and Cheryl DeYoung would comb my hair without mercy, to get the tangles out. With what little hair I have now, tangles are but a fond memory. I had one this morning though. Thank You Lord for reminding me of the simple things in life and the people who bring me joy, lest I forget!
Monday, October 22, 2012
God's Timing
Autumn is a great time of year... fresh air, beautiful colors, wildlife, and a reminder that God has planned a time of rest, even for the trees.
The other day I sat in my hunting blind as the wind blew 20-40 mph gusts. Not a hurricane by any means, but with the light rain added, many leaves were falling. The following morning I was there again but this time the air was still and as the sun began to rise, I also noticed a few leaves falling. How is it that the leaves falling this morning survived the wind and rain the day before only to fall in the still sunrise of this day. The only answer, was God's timing. Thank you Lord for reminding me that you are in control.
The other day I sat in my hunting blind as the wind blew 20-40 mph gusts. Not a hurricane by any means, but with the light rain added, many leaves were falling. The following morning I was there again but this time the air was still and as the sun began to rise, I also noticed a few leaves falling. How is it that the leaves falling this morning survived the wind and rain the day before only to fall in the still sunrise of this day. The only answer, was God's timing. Thank you Lord for reminding me that you are in control.
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
If I could do it over
Sometimes we're asked if we would marry our spouse again, if given the option. Now, after knowing what I do about myself I have decided that I WOULD NOT walk down the isle with Brenda again. If I had the option, this time I'D RUN!!!
Friday, April 20, 2012
When I was little
We babysat my granddaughter a couple of days ago... who just turned 2 years old. As she played on my lap, she noticed a picture of herself in our shadowbox on the wall. She pointed to the picture and said to me "That was me when I was little, grandpa."
Friday, April 13, 2012
Getting Older?
I decided that I must be getting up in years because 'haircut' now includes nose, eyebrows and ears.
Happy
When I get home from work each day, I am greeted by Hershey, my chocolate lab. His tail is wagging fast so I know he is happy to see me. I told Brenda that I wish I had a tail so I could wag it fast when she gets home, that way she would also know I am happy to see her....;-)
Monday, April 2, 2012
The best thing I ever did
It was November 2008. My wife, Brenda was on the Board of Directors at Love INC. in Newaygo MI, a Christian Ministry. If you know Brenda, that would not surprise you, and neither will this true story about the ‘best thing I ever did’.
Brenda decided to adopt a needy family for Christmas. She asked the folks at Love INC., to help her find the right family. She learned of the children, their names and ages etc. We already knew plenty of needy people including some within our own church and family so what’s the point? It was simply Brenda’s heart for giving. Not mine. Brenda purchased gifts and although she never said so, I’m sure all of them were on sale. I didn’t take part.
Finally on the Saturday before Christmas, Brenda was planning to deliver her surprise load to this small family of mom and 3 young children. Now I love my wife but there’s no way she would ever find this home without help (she didn’t ask for any though), so I decided to take her. We loaded my vehicle with several bags and boxes of sale purchased and beautifully wrapped Christmas gifts, each with a child’s or mom’s name on it. No gps in those days, so I used my Newaygo county map to find the road and then the address.
I pulled into the driveway believing that I had done my duty as a husband, Christian, and generally good person. Brenda waited in the car as I went to the door. No one was around so after knocking for quite a while, I peeked into the window through the back door. The house was mostly empty except for a few items. With a load of gifts and no people we sat in the car and tried to decide what to do. I finally went to a neighbors house to inquire. The gentleman was reluctant to tell us much until he came out and saw the gifts we were trying to deliver. He then told me that the family had been evicted a couple of weeks prior and that they were staying with her brother.
After getting the address to the brothers’ mobile home, we went off to find this young family. When we arrived, Brenda went to the door to confirm and then waved me in. She visited with the young mom as I carried in the bags of gifts. As I got to the door, I saw the young mom in tears and Brenda hugged her and joined in with tears of her own. This young lady put her hand on my shoulder and thanked me with tears running down her face. Brenda told her that the Lord loved her and her children, just as he loves us. The children jumped with laughter and asked who all these presents were for. “I think they are for you,” I said.
After we left, Brenda prayed for the family and she and I cried together. I realized that the best thing I ever did - was due the heart of my wife, Brenda. No surprise.
Bill Shafer
Brenda decided to adopt a needy family for Christmas. She asked the folks at Love INC., to help her find the right family. She learned of the children, their names and ages etc. We already knew plenty of needy people including some within our own church and family so what’s the point? It was simply Brenda’s heart for giving. Not mine. Brenda purchased gifts and although she never said so, I’m sure all of them were on sale. I didn’t take part.
Finally on the Saturday before Christmas, Brenda was planning to deliver her surprise load to this small family of mom and 3 young children. Now I love my wife but there’s no way she would ever find this home without help (she didn’t ask for any though), so I decided to take her. We loaded my vehicle with several bags and boxes of sale purchased and beautifully wrapped Christmas gifts, each with a child’s or mom’s name on it. No gps in those days, so I used my Newaygo county map to find the road and then the address.
I pulled into the driveway believing that I had done my duty as a husband, Christian, and generally good person. Brenda waited in the car as I went to the door. No one was around so after knocking for quite a while, I peeked into the window through the back door. The house was mostly empty except for a few items. With a load of gifts and no people we sat in the car and tried to decide what to do. I finally went to a neighbors house to inquire. The gentleman was reluctant to tell us much until he came out and saw the gifts we were trying to deliver. He then told me that the family had been evicted a couple of weeks prior and that they were staying with her brother.
After getting the address to the brothers’ mobile home, we went off to find this young family. When we arrived, Brenda went to the door to confirm and then waved me in. She visited with the young mom as I carried in the bags of gifts. As I got to the door, I saw the young mom in tears and Brenda hugged her and joined in with tears of her own. This young lady put her hand on my shoulder and thanked me with tears running down her face. Brenda told her that the Lord loved her and her children, just as he loves us. The children jumped with laughter and asked who all these presents were for. “I think they are for you,” I said.
After we left, Brenda prayed for the family and she and I cried together. I realized that the best thing I ever did - was due the heart of my wife, Brenda. No surprise.
Bill Shafer
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
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