Janet's Blog

When you are a toddler, everything is new and exciting, and sometimes a little scary.  Even brightly-colored Easter eggs are intriguing--what are they for, anyway?  This rock will fit in that basket just as well as that egg.  But, if you point out another egg, I'll pick it up and put it in the basket just because you want me to.  I won't smile, though.  I have to concentrate! It was a beautiful day to be outdoors, a beautiful day for an Easter egg hunt.  Victoria hid the eggs carefully in our backyard.  Levi and Sheridan found a few, but they were most interested in helping Toby find more eggs.  He was so serious about his newly-acquired job, even though he lacked some basic understanding of its purpose. He didn't give up; he just kept plodding along, dutifully picking up each egg and placing it carefully in the basket. Then, it was time to fill the pond!  What an adventure--holding the hose, catching the water in his hand, and runn...

Today, the wind blew.  And blew, and blew some more.  It was a horrific west wind, blowing steadily at nearly sixty miles an hour.  When the wind blows that hard in March, at the end of a dry winter, the topsoil blows, too.  Anyone unfortunate enough to be outdoors this afternoon ended up eating dirt.  Visibility was near zero.  Today's wind caused several car accidents, and damaged some property.  And it isn't done blowing yet.  It's March, after all.  We all know that March is historically a windy month, at least here in Nebraska. When we lived in Michigan, I was surprised to find that the wind doesn't blow much there.  Oddly, I found that I missed the wind.  A rare, gentle breeze would instantly remind me of Nebraska and home, but even more, it reminded me that God was present with me in the wind, even though I was far from home.  Since then, I find that windy days always remind me that God is here with me, and that he i...

The challenge was daunting, at least to me.  One person would write, while the other dictated the highlights of his life in one minute.  I chose to write, because I didn't think I could possibly summarize my life so succinctly, in a way that would be entertaining.  Oh, I almost forgot to mention that the results were read aloud to the entire group as a way for us to get to know one another a little better. Some condensed life stories were funny, in spots.  Some were informative; I learned some things about certain people that I hadn't known before.  Many were predictable--"I was born, I lived, I graduated, I got married, I work, I have children and grandchildren..."   In a way, the vignettes reminded me of obituaries. I still don't think I can summarize my life, thus far, in one minute's time but, maybe, I can condense it to the length of a blog.  The real test is to make it interesting.  Hmmm, here goes... Grandpa Wegner often called me his...

Young children don't have a very clear concept of seasons.  They assume that snow falls only in the winter, so any snowy day, even in October or April, must be a winter day.  Some kids think that a sunny winter day, with above freezing temperatures, must be spring, even in January.  And, now that March has finally arrived, children think it must be spring for sure, because the first day of spring comes in March. Yesterday was a beautiful, breezy day.  It was jacket weather, for sure.  After church, Levi pulled on his green shorts and came downstairs to ask if he could wear them.  I sent him right back upstairs to change into jeans, but he got to wear a short-sleeved shirt all day, and his winter coat stayed in the closet.  It was a small step toward spring.  We're counting the days. Even though I am able to think more logically than my preschoolers (and my son), I'll admit that I, too, am hoping for instant spring.  That's why I was so ex...

It seems like I know so many people who are hurting.  So many people, so many reasons for their pain. Some of the pain is physical--aching bodies, caused by disease or injury or age.  Modern medical practices can help alleviate some of this pain, but not all of it.  It is said that "time heals all wounds."  Well, I think that time helps heal many injuries and medical conditions, but not all of them.  Some people have to live with chronic pain.  I've been there-- I know what that's like.  Those of us who have lived with daily pain may learn to revel in the occasional pain-free days (or hours) that come our way.  We don't take good health for granted any more.  Mental or emotional pain, caused by the cares--no, the trauma--of life in this world, that's harder for us to understand.  We grieve when a loved one dies.  That's normal.  We grieve over lost jobs, lost relationships, lost innocence, lost material possessions.  ...

Oh, you can't put Jesus' love in a box, love in a box, love in a box, Oh, you can't put Jesus' love in a box,  'Cause his love will come a-bubbling through. When I taught in Christian schools, this was a song we sang around Valentine's Day.  The kids understood--it's just silly to think that we can put love in a box.  And Jesus' love certainly doesn't fit into any container, no matter how big.  His love has no limits; it is intangible, untouchable, and essential. In public school, Valentine's Day is a rather innocuous holiday.  We talk about how much we love our families and friends, and we make cards and collages to share with the people we love the most.  Everyone receives a bag full of cards and candy; no one is left out. Over the years, I've tried out lots of containers for valentines, those tangible tokens of love and affection that kids exchange in classrooms all over the country this time of year.  White lunch bags are a lit...

We ordered a pepperoni mushroom pizza the other night, from Domino's.  They make good pizza and, best of all, Domino's delivers.  I was peeling the cheese off of Levi's slice--the order mistakenly included the cheese that should have been left off of Levi's portion to accommodate his milk allergy.  Suddenly, inexplicably, I was transported back to my college days.  All of a sudden, I could see and smell that unforgettable Pizza Chic pepperoni mushroom pizza, its soft, foldable crust slathered with gooey, dripping cheese. Pizza Chic delivered, any time of day or night; it was the only reason they stayed in business.  Pizza Chic existed just to serve the lowliest college students at Concordia College in Seward--those of us without cars.  The pizza was passable; in fact, to those of us who were stuck with the college meal plan, it seemed downright delicious.  It wasn't unusual for someone in my dorm to make the rounds late in the evening, looking for ot...