Walking by Faith

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." - Hebrews 11:1 I love that word. It is, for me, one of the most beautiful words in the world. Five simple letters with a world of meaning. Faith is a belief, a dream, a hope. It's a promise of things to come. It's love; it's life. It's holding on when things get tough. It's the driving force behind our goals. Without faith, how can we pray? Without faith, how can we let loved ones go without the promise to see them again some day.? Without faith, how can we exist? I cannot imagine living without faith; without the knowledge that there is One who cares for me and knows my every need before I do. Some people think they are week in faith, when in reality, we all exercise faith every day of our lives. We go to bed believing we will awake to a brand new morning. We work every day believing that pay check will be there on Friday. We place the key in our car and don't even think twice about whether it is going to start when we crank it. We do so many things without even thinking about it because we KNOW already that it will happen. Then why do so many of us have trouble placing their faith in the one who controls everything. Why is it so hard to let go and give it to God, with faith believing, that He will handle it. If you can place faith in that little car key turning that huge engine over, why not place your faith in God and let him turn over the challenges in your life.

The call

I have to share with you a funny call I received the other day. Here are the players: Diana - my daughter Shelby - my granddaughter who will 2 years old in 13 days and is pictured above. Don't let the darling little face fool you. She can be "you know what" on wheels when she wants to be Myself - Known to most as Mamaw B and occasionally shortened to Ma B The phone rings and I answer it and the following conversation occurred: Diana - "Mom, I'm sending a 2 year old little girl to stay with you." Me - "Uh oh. What did she do?" Diana - She has smacked Caleb, pushed him and now she bit him." At this point, I hear a little girl's voice yelling in the background "I tell Ma B! I tell Ma B!" So Diana hands Shebly the phone and I hear "Ma B, Caleb (jabber, jabber, jibberish) Mommy (jabber, jabber, jibberish) Soooooo I mad Mommy." Then she hands the phone back to Mommy. How funny is that. We are not quite at 2 yet and it is going to be a LOOONNNNGGG year once those terrible 2's hit for the Princess.

Getting past the hurt....

I'm sitting here this morning with a glassy eyed stare and am astounded at something that happened this week. In the overall scheme of life, it was no biggy. But in my own little world, it is unbelievable that some people can make hurtful remarks and not even realize they are being hurtful. I won't bore you with details, but suffice it to say it is true that we may forgive, but we never forget. I was hurt by words over 25 years ago and the person didn't even realize they were being hurtful. I let it go, I moved on, but I have never forgotten the incident. This week, the same person did almost the exact same thing, using almost the same words, causing the same pain. Well, let me tell you, it didn't hurt any less this time than it did 25 years ago. I guess we think we put things behind us, but we really never do. They are lurking below the surface, just waiting to sneak up and get us again. Whenever something like this happens, I have to vent and get it off my chest and stand amazed and astounded at the things people do or say to others. Then I use my normal philosophy of "Oh well" and move on. So, oh well. Thanks for letting me vent.

A celebration of life

I attended a very unique funeral yesterday. It was not the usual funeral. There was grief and there was mourning. But moreover, there was a celebration of life. Rob was a very down to earth person. He loved hunting, fishing, hiking, camping and most importantly his family. He and his wife had discussed the funeral in great detail and they had very specific ideas about how they wanted everything. The viewing room contained many side tables. Each table was covered with either picture frames or picture albums of Rob’s life. Through each and every photo, his love of his family and his country showed through. From his days in the Boy Scouts through his time in the service, from his days as a newlywed through his days as a father and grandfather, each picture, each moment is filled with his love for life. There was a viewing room sit up that had a TV which played non-stop video of pictures of him with his family. The music selected were country songs that meant something to him and his wife, such as Garth Brooks and The Dance. When it came time for the funeral, the initial song was a love song “I’ll Keep on Loving You” by Reba McEntire that his wife had played to honor the memory of their life together. That was followed by Brad Paisley singing The Old Rugged Cross. The preacher spoke a few words then his oldest son did the eulogy. It was a wonderful tribute to his father and the man he was. It gave you a great feeling of love that runs deep throughout the family. Then Rob’s best friend since his teens spoke. The preacher closed with a few more words and Amazing Grace with bagpipes was played. Though I walked away with tear-filled eyes and a deep grief in my heart for the loss of a very special brother-in-law but with the wonderful feeling of knowing he had spent every minute of those 49 short years loving his family and leaving them a living legacy of the type of person they wanted to be.

A piece of history....

Last night I was rummaging through some family albums and keepsake boxes we inherited from Allen's Papaw Keefer. It is amazing what you can learn about ancestors by doing that. For example, I found that Papaw Keefer was called to military duty in 1944 and was denied acceptance as being physically unfit. I would love to learn more as to why because the man was the picture of health and lived to be 89 years old. He was never sick a day in his life until the last 3 days. I found copies of sugar rations from the depression; copies of his first paycheck from a furniture store. I found his dry goods statement from the general store. Granny had purchased a bolt of dress material for $3.00 FOR THE WHOLE BOLT. Papaw had purchased new shoes for 25 cents. I found a list someone had written on first grade style paper. I'm guessing it was granny as it was in her album. She had written that she had $3.60 and if mom gave her $1.40 she would have $5.00. Then she listed family members and how much she would spend on them. I had to laugh. Everybody was around 80 cents or 90 cents each. But, dear old Mom, who she was going to hit up for $1.40 was listed at 25 cents for her gift. Does that crack you up or what?

In loving memory

Robert Glenn Keefer

1960-2010

Rob's family (l-r) Christopher (son), Rob, Sarah (daughter) Ben (son), Tami (wife) Robert (son)

Memories Build a Special Bridge

Our memories build a special bridge when loved ones have to part

To help us feel we're with them still and sooth a grieving heart.

Our memories span the years we shared, preserving ties that bind,

They build a special bridge of love and bring us peace of mind.

By Emily Matthews

Rob, you will never know how much you are missed. We love you. Rest in peace.

Cat Confidence

I woke up in the middle of the night with thoughts on my mind. I hate when that happens. I was thinking about the many things I have to do this upcoming week, the challenges I was facing. Then the fears set in. Can I get everything done? Will things work out the way I want them? Out of nowhere came the thought, "I need some cat confidence." It got me to thinking. A cat is probably the best example of confidence you will ever see. They will jump great heights, showing no fear, because they know they will land on their feet. They will hop up on your lap to enjoy a long nap because they know you will never shoo them off. They know they will get their way. They are spoiled, loved, and content. Confident in everything they do. My prayer today is for God to provide in me a confidence that will override the self-doubts and insecurities that I bring upon myself. My bible verse for today is: Isaiah 30:15a - For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength.