Am I Your Lighthouse Human? You are Mine!

I want to be a lighthouse human. A light to see that there is hope in any circumstance. To not be the one to minimize the pain or reality of a situation but to wrap my arms around others when the world is crashing.                                                                              I am beyond blessed to have people in my life that are  there for me when I am blinded by tears, grief, or uncertainty. Susi, Jenn, and Pat have walked beside me through the storms and always allowed me the room to grief while being close enough to reassure me that we can make it through even the darkest times. My survival depends on my faith and my family and friends to even be able to take one more step through the losses of life. Even when life doesn’t throw a loss but a worry over the outcome of a frightening situation, my people surround me and give me hope. They don’t pretend that all will turn out as I hope but that whatever lies ahead there won’t be a moment I have to step out alone.                                                        What comfort we can be to one another not when we sugar coat life’s challenges but rather just be present. Present to support, listen, and stay close enough to assure each other that none of us is alone. Life gets hard. Thankfully, there are also so many moments in life that are joy filled or downright silly. Our lighthouse friends are also there for us when we just want to have fun and be a bit ridiculous. The connection comes from walking life out together.

I hope and pray that each of you have those people in your life. There are of course more people in my life that step out with me but these three are my go to ones. Pat reminded me to go pee when my son, Ryan, died. Although she recently joined him in heaven, when I find myself busy and forgetting to stop to go potty, I wish she was here to remind me. Pat’s house was my peaceful place. I could go there and just be which was often what I needed. The coffee was hot and there was always plenty of pie to eat.  Susi has been with me for over fifty years. She has been my person driving through the night with three little boys to get to my dad when he found out he had cancer. Put up with my shenanigans in our college dorm and spent the summer we brought home a twenty-eight week preemie to take turns with two hour feedings. Natalie, our preemie is now a mom herself. Susi is special because she loves all the nooks and crannies of my weird and wonderful personality. To say I am random is the tip of the iceberg. Jenn lives across the street and knows when I need to be included or when I need to be left at home alone. We make snow angels, pass out random stuff to strangers just to brighten their days, and can sit having coffee for hours. We may not solve the world’s problems or even be able to fix what is broken in our kids lives, but we love one another and will jump in the car to make sure Tyler is alive or that Elissa is not overwhelmed. 

Look for lighthouse people. Be a lighthouse person. Let your lighthouses know that life would not be the same without them guiding your steps.

In Him,

Joyful

7-24-26

 

Felix Loves Spending Time with his Cousin Millie

Felix asked to help write a blog about his favorite cousin. 

 This is our grandgirl, Millie. She is full of laughter and excitement. It is wonderful that she lives in Washington near her cousins, Felix and Auggie. They don’t get to see each other very often but when they do  they have the best times of their lives. Whether they are at a trampoline park or hanging out in Noni and Papa’s rv. Felix says Millie is his most favorite cousin in the whole wide world. What does he love about her? She is playful and fun. They don’t ever get mad at each other. It is just great to play together and run around. Millie can be silly, funny, and crazy and that always makes him laugh. 

Felix is glad he has his other cousins like Dot, Caleb, and Mayve but his favorite time is when he gets to hang out with Millie. 

This summer Felix has been on a roadtrip with us for a month. He is excited to get back to his family in Washington. He will have fun playing with Auggie and snuggling with his mama and dada and playing with his kittens. But he also is looking forward to spending time with Millie.

In Him,

Joyful

7-15-26

Felix Time is the Best of the Best

This kid……Nate and Natalie gifted us with Feli time. He left with us on Father’s Day in our Goldie rv from Washington and here we are almost a month later in New Mexico. Our time together is coming to an end but oh the laughter and joy we have shared.

This picture sums up our six year old grandson’s personality. He may get frustrated or entitled just like each of us but with a bit of time and reflection he is all good. Here he is in the er where he ached all over and had a high fever. Thirty minutes before this picture our little man was miserable. A bit of Tylenol and multiple tests and he let us know that he was all good. So Felix!

I have learned so much from Felix this past month. 

1. Each of us works better when we get enough sleep.                                                                                   2. Boundaries keep us in a good mood better than getting what we want when we want it. Tantrums come when others  bow to our desires rather than when  rules are kept clear.                                                                  3, Trying new things can be hard but with the right reward we can find that new things can be fabulous rather than frightening.                                                                                                                                     4. Learning is exciting and sharing what we are learning is even better. Khan Academy shows me how brilliant little man is and while he reads I learn. He prefers nonfiction so I now know more about alligators and crocodiles, planets, and so much more.                                                                                                    5. When we are secure in our relationships with others, it is not worrisome to be away from them. It may hurt Felix’ parents that he isn’t homesick but the truth is it shows that he is confident in their love. His place with Ronnie B and I is comfortable. That is a tribute to how loved he feels. 

6. Don’t lead with what your goal is. There will be negotiation so inflate and then there is room for negotiation.

7. Laughter is infectious. 

8. Having the confidence to approach others whether at a park or in a grocery store gives us connections to others and makes life more

 

Lastly, it is the best way of life when everything is viewed as over the top wonderful. There have been two people in my life that truly believed that every meal is the most delicious, every gift is the best, and every person is their favorite. Grandma Co Humpton not only said this but felt it with every fiber of her heart. Felix is this way as well. He truly embraces and loves life. There is nothing fake about his joy as he walks through his days. Felix just finds joy in the moment and all it comes with. Well, maybe not taking medicine or getting his toenails cut. 

People like Felix and Co lift others up and remind us to look for the positive. I hope to turn up my enthusiasm for life in my days ahead. After all, our attitude does matter is true. 

 After receiving what I have prayed for I ask for the discipline to maintain it and the wisdom to make it grow. This time with our grandson has been such a gift that we treasure more than his parents could know. Now that we have enjoyed all the adventures and moments it is time to be more intentional with all our grandkids to FaceTime, call and stay connected. Personally, this Noni needs to get a strategy to connect regularly. Who knows, perhaps we will get to build our relationship with others not with a glorious month together but conversations. Sharing life is the answered prayer and we intend to be more intentional about nurturing this gift. 

full.

In Him,

Joyful

7-14-

Hear, Receive, Respond, and Wait the Best Prayer Connections

 

I listened to a Bible teaching this morning on prayer. Megan Fate Marshman had a good prospective that I had not considered. There are four things that happen with our prayers…….God listens, God receives, God responds, and God waits. The first and last can be difficult for us. While God listens and holds onto our prayers, we also listen for Him and need to spend time not only asking but silently being in His presence. As He receives our heart response He allows us time to be still and rest in His comforting presence. Then when we are patient and near to Him the answers will come. Whether they are the ones we wish to receive depends largely on if our requests align with God’s will. The last is the wait. Sometimes prayers are answered immediately but at other times the wait can be years. What we need to know is to have faith that God hears us and wants what is best for us. He uses even the difficult moments to stretch our faith and help us connect with others. There is power in praying alone and with others. 

When Ron and I went through struggles in our marriage, a counselor suggested we separate. We lived in separate homes for years. My prayer and the one I asked others to pray over us was simple. Three words that healed our relationship. Under one roof. Those were hard years. A lot of tears, stress, and being harsh with one another. But the truth is that I cherish that time. It showed us that we belong together. We got back under one roof and a big part of that was beginning a routine of praying together. We would join hands, eyes open and bring the hard conversations to one another with Jesus in the center. It gave us both a safe space to share our hearts that were vulnerable and broken through years of unkindness. I love our life now and wouldn’t change the struggles we went through to get here. 

Prayers are powerful not only in changing our circumstances but mostly in connecting us with the one who is always present in our life. Felix, my six year old grandson, asked me what hell would be like and why we don’t want to go there. My answer is my truth. It is not about fire and brimstone or bashing of teeth. I believe the worst hell is that we are separated from God. His presence and those He places in my life are everything to me. Without Him it is hell. Building the relationship with Him day by day makes it clear just what His presence means in my life. When I don’t make time my life has a bigm gaping hole. 

Let’s all pray for one another not just say we will but share the words with one another right then and  there. God is listening, receiving, responding and waits on us as we wait on Him.

In Him,

Joyful

7-3-26

Ronnie B and Me Roadtrip at Seventy-Family, Felix, and RV Fun

 

Home again, home again after a five week journey in our casita on wheels. What a fun-filled trip Ronnie B and I had celebrating accomplishments of our grandkids, graduations, birthdays and just being present in life with our kids and grands. Here we are back home once again so many memories made along the journey. I failed to blog on this trip but that was because my mornings were filled with conversations, cartoons and just catching up. There is a routine when I am at home that lends itself to blogging. I get up early and do a Bible study with my coffee and then share my heart, my faith, and my life on this page. So here I sit back in my spot on my mom’s couch which she gifted me when she journeyed to heaven. My coffee is hot after a third zap in the microwave and I want to share one thing that has blessed Ron and I. 

 Natalie and Nate entrusted us with Felix for a few weeks. He left his home and jumped in the rv for an adventure with Noni and Papa. This is our second trip with him and he is pure joy and wonder. Always up for what comes next. He is convinced that he picked out all our camp spots and confidently said he found the perfect one each time. The last one had a pair of stray, black kittens that we watched bounce around and fed. Felix reminds me that we are to take life as it comes and be glad in it. He had a broad idea of how long we were traveling and the states we would pass through getting from Washington state to New Mexico. But mostly he put his faith in us believing that we had great plans for him and he would simply go along for the ride. 

Isn’t that how we are supposed to have faith? Believing that even in the worst moments God is with us and will never leave us to deal on our own. There were a few rough patches on our trip. Felix hates blood and gets in a panic not when there is blood but even at the prospect that there could be blood. But knowing we were there with him helped immensely. I feel honored that what usually takes Mama’s kisses and warm hugs could be calmed with Noni and Papa. 

 Felix has not asked to go home but enjoys sharing FaceTime calls with his parents and Auggie multiple times a day. I am sure Felix being gone has been hard on his almost three year old brother. But Auggie is getting all his parents attention and having adventures of his own with them. It will be lonely when Felix returns to Washington but this time with him has been one of the greatest gifts we could receive.Ron and I learned about Pokémon and so much more that Felix could teach us. We were blown away at how well he reads for a kindergarten graduate. It was apparent that we could not be sneaky and spell things because this kid is sharp. His reward when we arrived in Los Alamos was a binder specially made for Pokémon cards along with a pack that he spent time organizing. He assured us that he didn’t need our help and quite frankly didn’t need our input to get it filled. After all, he knows more about these cards than we do and we would only mess it up. Such a joy this kiddo that I get to have as a grandson. 

Thank you Nate and Natalie for allowing us the pleasure of spending time with your family and then trusting us to take Felix, your little man, on this trip with us. I hope there will be many more in our future. After all, Papa and I have the sign on the back of our Chinook……..Adventure before Dementia. And so far at seventy, we are still able to drive and take these fabulous roadtrips. Heck, we have even got enough energy to hang out with all the families and friends. Last night, our granddaughter, Elissa, came over with her two and almost four year old and Felix played in the back yard for hours. I will say that Papa and I slept soundly in our own bed with Felix on a Noni made bed on the floor right beside us. It is good to go but it is also so good to be home. 

In Him,

Joyful

7-2-26

Sandy Romping into the Pacific, Then and Now

 What a treasured moment I just had.. When I was a Young Life leader, I had the honor of taking middle schoolers to camp near San Diego. Many of these young teens had never seen the ocean and we ran hand in hand into the crashing waves. God is good! Yesterday, Carrie sent me this message along with a video of her daughter seeing the ocean for the very first time. I am humbled that she remembers me being with her for her first time seeing the Pacific and dipping her toes in the sand and surf. Carrie was a teen that had a rough start. She and her sisters became so special to me. Their mom and my son didn’t always make the best choices with addictions leading their choices. Carrie often was left with babysitting my grandgirl, Elissa. Years later, Elissa went with me when Carrie’s daughter, Maeve, was born. I took her a baby blanket I crocheted. Elissa fell in love with this newborn and her lovely name. Here we are years later and my Elissa is married with two kids of her own. She now has a daughter of her own named Mayve. That tiny baby who just saw the ocean for the first time at almost seven years old touched Elissa when she was only fifteen. Life evolves and God connects us to others if we will allow Him. 

I love that Carrie is enjoying the majesty of His ocean with her Maeve as I type these words. A couple weeks ago, Elissa had her kids at the beach in Los Angeles. Crazy! Can I add that Carrie is now a teacher and is spending her life in a classroom the same way I did.  Maybe He showed her the same life path I lived with kids that touch us in beautiful ways. 

This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Psalm 118:24

It is always a day to be glad when I am reminded of how God allowed me to share His love and my faith with others. I am no longer a Young Life leader but am still in touch with many of my girls who ate breakfast at our home most Saturday mornings building relationships with each other and with Jesus. My life  mission is to know Him and to make Him known. Life is wonderful, difficult, heartcrushing and fabulous. Through life I never want to walk alone and am so thankful that I have Jesus always by my side. That is why sharing my relationship with Him especially teens, makes me so joy filled. 

Thank you Carrie for reminding me of our sandy romp into the Pacific. I adore you and the life you and your husband are making for your Maeve. Your message touched my heart and made my day.

In Him,

Joyful

6-20-26

Caffeine Jitters or Naptime?

 What the heck? How did I not see that and why don’t I even understand what happened? Oh wait! I am just not even making any sense to myself. Do you ever just confuse yourself and not even know what it is about? That is the kind of day I am having. Nothing is wrong. Everything is going just fine. In fact, I am spending time with my grandgirl and I am really enjoying this relaxing day. But there is something unsettled about the day as well. I can’t put my finger on it. A couple days ago, Brittney said she felt anxious and she had to keep reminding herself that she drank full caffeine coffee instead of her usual half caff. The jitters she felt were from the caffeine not anything she was worrying about. But the day got busy and she kept wondering what was causing her to be unsettled. Then she would remember the three cups of coffee without food that affected her whole day not just her morning. This would cause her to take a breath and remember that there was nothing that she was worried about. Well, that is how my day is going. But I always drink my fully loaded caffeine without food so that is not it. 

I am feeling like the other shoe is going to drop. But I haven’t even had one foot hit the floor so this makes no sense. Okay, when I get this way there is a perfectly effective solution. Pray. Step away and spend a little time with Jesus. That will calm me and let me move into a space of enjoying my day rather than wringing my hands over an unknown fear.

 Are there things currently that have me praying for solution? Absolutely. But I have been doing a pretty good job turning my hands up and giving them to God. In fact, my Bible study this morning was about laying down what I am not meant to carry. The line that sticks with me is that just because I am capable doesn’t mean I am called. Like when I try to micromanage other people’s lives rather than trusting them to figure it out. My job is not to play Miss Fixit but to pray that they will work through whatever situation is concerning. So here I sit with this unusual blog that may or may not make any sense. But in writing this, I am already feeling better. Reminding myself that I am not called to carry burdens but to lay them down at Jesus feet has helped immensely. 

I may just end with my prayer that always comforts me because it has all that I need. 

Lord above, comfort me. Give me courage. Help me see. Guide my actions. Guide my words. Let me know my prayers are heard. Amen

Perhaps it is time to take a nap and wake up refreshed with a better sense of well being. Sweet dreams to each of you. Hope you are having a stress free day. If not, treat yourself to a prayer and a nap. 

In Him,

Joyful

6-1-26