Debi Gray Walter's Blog, page 2

South Dakota Wildlife

Anyone who knows my sister knows she loves all animals. That’s why I had to devote a post to the animals she adored on this trip.

Look at that smile

I’ve mentioned the prairie dogs already, but I didn’t share the benefit they provide to the prairie. If they lived in our yards we would call them pests. But here the way they burrow in the ground turning up the roots of the rich grasses, helps the larger wildlife eat the rich nutrients with ease.

Prairie Dog Towns

I love that.

We also saw for the first time antelopes in the wild. This one was among the bison and the prairie dogs minding her own business. Of course my sister and I started singing, “Oh, give me a home where the buffalo roam, where the deer and the antelope play.”

These were all taken in Custer State Park, the largest state park in the country. It covers 71,000 acres filled with all sorts of wildlife.

When we got to the Bison Center we were surprised to see wild burros, as they called them, in the parking lot. My sister couldn’t wait to get up close to pet them. And they were just as happy to greet her.

Of course she made friends with him

We spotted this wild one hiding behind a rock…

It was a beautiful day. We kept thanking God for the perfect weather and for allowing us to enjoy His creation together.

I’ll close with this video of the prairie dogs chattering as we passed.

It’s hard to believe we still have more to see. Next time we’ll share our experience seeing the Crazy Horse Memorial.

A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes

We left in the morning to reach Custer State Park in time to see the wildlife enjoying the cool of the morning. We were not disappointed.

We began along the southern Wildlife Loop. My sister couldn’t contain her joy—so many animals from bison to prairie dogs. They all seemed to anticipate her arrival. The prairie dogs were standing to salute her retirement—yeah, we have big imaginations in my family.

But the highlight of the day was driving through one of the Custer State Park’s tunnels and seeing Mt. Rushmore gazing at us from a distance.

My sister nearly exploded. She has dreamed of this day her whole life. What a gift to bring her here together as a family. She has always sacrificed for the good of all who know her, and today was her turn to be blessed.

George Washington is seen stern and steadfast with the conviction of leading this new nation. Thomas Jefferson is gazing upwards anticipating the future with his words penned, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”

Theodore Roosevelt is next looking down as he sees the beauty our country has to offer. He secured lands for generations to enjoy in their natural state. This park was included in his vision.

Finally, Abraham Lincoln is the one who gave our country the pathway to freedom for all Americans. His resolve is the foundation of our United States.

My sister nearly cried when she approached the magnificent memorial.

And she nearly cried when she left.

When you dream of a moment like this, there are no words when your wish comes true; only gratefulness. And what a privilege to witness the moment.

Grateful to Tom for helping to make it happen

Wyoming to South Dakota – America the Beautiful

We started our journey with a fantastic breakfast in Ft. Collins. Yay for Yelp! We always find the best places because of the recommendations on this app. Try it when you’re in a new area and see if you don’t enjoy your experience that much more.

Urban Egg

Tom loves corned beef hash and eggs. This restaurant knows how to do it well.

After we were satisfied we hit the road east through Wyoming. The countryside of Wyoming is beautiful. We saw “Amber waves of grain,” and lots of bison grazing under “spacious skies.”

Bison lowing in the field

Stopping at a rest area we were greeted by this sign. Yikes! It must be how tourists feel in FL when they see our signs saying “Beware of alligators and water snakes.”

We finally arrived in Hot Springs, South Dakota. The weather is refreshing after our scorching hot Summer in Florida. Our home for the next few days is spacious and has a great view.

Our view with the moon rising

This trip so far has been a fresh reminder of the beauty in God’s creation of America.

“God shed His grace on thee.”

Tomorrow I’ll share the day my sister has only dreamed of happening…Mt. Rushmore and Custer State Park.

And So It Begins…

View somewhere over Kansas

We are celebrating my sister, Bettie’s retirement after a lifetime of nursing care. She and her husband, Dennis also celebrated their 50th anniversary on August 31st. We couldn’t miss the chance to help her lifelong dream come true—to visit Mt. Rushmore. So they along with our sister-in-law, Sherry, flew out this morning to Denver International Airport.

Fun Fact: Bettie and Dennis haven’t flown in 50 years.

Our flight was full—every seat. And no one happier to land in Denver than Bettie. She is literally sore from being so tense all morning.

We had quite the challenge getting our rental SUV, but after an hour and unfortunately lots of steps for Tom, we ended up with a nice, roomy Suburban. Ahh! It happened Planes, Trains and Automobile style—and I’m not exaggerating.

Our first stop? In and Out Burgers. We were so hungry since the flight only provided snacks, these tasted like Prime Steaks. Once full we piled back in our SUV and drove North.

After an hour we made it to Ft. Collins where we’ll stay in our comfy (albeit 3 levels with steep steps) Airbnb. But it is brand new and beautiful.

We will drive east to Hot Springs, South Dakota tomorrow.

A Bushel and a Peck

I love you

A bushel and a peck

A bushel and a peck

And a hug around the neck.

Songwriter: Frank Loesser

This song is endearing and one I’ve often sung to my grandchildren. But today it made me think in opposites. What if the lyrics went something like this?

I see you

A log and a speck

A log and a speck

Puts a grip around the neck

Ouch. Have you ever been on the receiving end of someone’s unfair judgment? I’m sad to say I have and nothing hurts more.

When I feel falsely accused, all I want to do is defend myself so I’m understood and the tension is released.

But usually defending myself only creates more tension. The best thing is to follow Jesus’ example and walk away. He didn’t answer His accusers unless they were speaking the truth. With all others He kept His mouth shut.

Oh to be like Him.

There is a scripture that has helped me look at this rightly…

“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.”
‭‭

Matthew‬ ‭7‬:‭1‬-‭5‬ ‭ESV‬‬

To realize that any judgment I make against someone will be the same measure God uses against me is sobering. It brings me to my knees in surrender.

If God has allowed the conflict, there is an opportunity to be made more like Christ. But usually I want the other person to feel the sting they’ve assaulted on me. This just proves I’m still in need of a Savior to rescue me from my own sin.

In fact I will never be above the need for His grace working in my heart until I take my last breath.

This Bible verse helps me because the speck is made up of the same log. If the sin of another (the speck) offends me I need to look at myself (the log) first. I’m recognizing the other’s sin because it resides in my own heart as well.

This fact humbles me and brings me to my knees.

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you,

1 Peter 5:6 ESV

Let us love one another well by dealing with our own heart before pointing a finger at someone else.

I’ll close sharing with you something my pastor said years ago…

“Anytime you’re pointing a finger at someone, know that there are three more pointing back at you.”

When we choose to humble ourselves we can honestly sing, I love you a bushel and a peck…

Through The Valley

I learned something last week.

It was time for my follow-up appt. with my Orthopedic doctor. It had been 3.5 weeks since my downfall, literally, and I was ready to see what progress I had made. Being a rule-follower, I followed his instructions by not putting any weight on my foot and sleeping with my obnoxious boot.

The good news is my fibula fracture is healing as it should. The bad news is I have to start putting weight on it as I can tolerate. He said to let the pain be my guide. If it hurts too bad take a rest.

He explained to me that the pressure of weight on a broken bone actually tells the bone to heal. Without taking the next steps my bone would take longer to heal. This metaphor jumped out at me the moment he said it!

I have to do something painful to receive the full benefits of healing.

How I needed to hear this and maybe you do too. What circumstances in your life have broken your heart? Are you tempted to despair? That’s the worst thing to do for healing to happen. We must stay engaged and keep taking the next step God reveals for us to take. To sit still will only prolong the pain and delay the healing needed.

What help you need will depend on your specific situation; maybe it’s counseling, exercising, quitting a job or setting boundaries in a difficult relationship? Maybe it’s a literal broken bone like I’m facing. Whatever it is the remedy is the same—we must continue moving forward one step at a time.

David in writing Psalm 23 says, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.” (Emphasis mine) We shouldn’t stand still and be overcome with fear over harmless shadows. A shadow can’t hurt us, but still the fear can be debilitating.

I encourage you to walk one step at a time through your hard. God will be your Comforter and He will faithfully lead you to still waters.

This song has ministered to me. I pray it will to you as well…

Uncle Bill, My First Boss

Bill, Mardy, Bill, Jimmie Freeman

He was my first boss out of high school. He hired me to take the place of a friend of mine named Mardy who was attending college in TX. But I had no idea what the job was, only that it was Monday thru Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Having worked as a restaurant hostess for a couple of years, I was ready for a job with a predictable schedule with good pay and benefits. I had no idea of the benefits I would have working at Nass Service Company, Inc.

It was May 1977. This was a month before I graduated from high school, and three months before Elvis would “leave the building”, as was often said about his death.

I remember this so well because Nyla, who worked in the parts department, had an obsession with The King of Rock and Roll. She cried hysterically when his death was announced over the radio. I cried for her and her broken heart.

On the day of his funeral, Bill brought in a little portable black and white TV so Nyla could attend his memorial service and say goodbye to him.

Bill had a compassionate heart.

It was a family business. His wife, Jimmie, was the office manager. Bill was the General Manager. His brother at one point was the Service Manager and his Niece worked in the Parts Dept. He also had one son who was a tech in the Service Dept.

I was hired as the receptionist and I loved being the one to greet customers, technicians, the mailman and our UPS delivery man, Boots.

Once hired you became family; the kind that laughs, cries, celebrates and reprimands you. Even when we would get in trouble for kidding around too much, Bill would always end up joining in the fun one way or another.

Bill had a great sense of humor and let us all call him Uncle Bill.

After Tom and I were married and had our first baby, Tom wanted to quit the retail industry. Bill was looking for a new Service Manager and Tom asked if he could apply.

Bill and Jimmie had us over for dinner to talk about it. Bill said he wanted Tom to come in on his day off to see if he liked it. Tom loved the job and quit his General Manager position at Gordon’s Jewelers the next day.

It wasn’t until years later that Bill told us he was actually considering a couple of others for the job, but when Tom quit his job he didn’t have the heart to turn him away.

We heard later that he had been mistakenly hired by Mr. Nass in Miami too. So he extended to Tom the same grace he had received.

Bill was empathetic and understanding.

When I heard last week that Bill Freeman had breathed his last breath in this life, my heart was a mixture of sadness and gratefulness. Sad that I would no longer be able to see him, but grateful for the memories shared and lessons he taught me.

Uncle Bill practically raised all the young adults he hired. Two even became his daughters-in-law. He taught us a sound work ethic, not an easy job for all our pranking ways. He let us be ourselves all the while leading us into being responsible adults.

Well, we like to think we’re responsible when needed. Uncle Bill might have said otherwise with a huge grin on his face.

Uncle Bill, I will miss you and always love you and your compassionate, humorous, empathetic and understanding heart. What a gift you have given all who knew and loved you. Now that’s a benefit most jobs don’t offer these days.

Rest in peace.

I’m Broken

I’m almost 64 years old and have just experienced a new kind of broken—a broken fibula, a spiral fracture to be more specific.

It happened so fast and was really unnecessary. Yet it happened and now I have to go through the process and all that healing entails.

When I told my daughter she exclaimed, “Mom, you can’t get a break!” We both laughed realizing that yes, yes I had received a break.

The Details

I got out of the pool and put on my flip flops with wet feet, mind you. A few minutes later I took one step down on our pool deck. That’s when my foot slid through the flip flop causing me to fall on my right ankle. Ouch, is an understatement. I was in pain!

My two granddaughters were visiting us and also in the pool. As a Nana my biggest concern was holding my emotions in check for them. I didn’t want to scare them, but I knew my foot was hurt really bad.

Tom wanted to help me up, but I couldn’t imagine trying. So we called 911. One look at my foot and the EMT said you need to go to the ER and have that checked.

Tom couldn’t come with me.

Our girls were ready for our neighborhood 4th of July Parade. We had decorated two wagons for them to pull filled with stuffed animals to make the experience complete. But Nana couldn’t be there now; I fought tears of disappointment.

I was grateful I was only at the ER for 4 hours—surprising considering it was a holiday. The bad news was I couldn’t get my pain meds until the next day. which leads to my next moment of gratefulness this break provided me.

All night long my foot hurt so bad.

It was a constant stabbing pain that made me groan like I was in labor. There was nothing to be done but endure the pain until morning.

I remembered One who endured stabbing pains for me, and He did it willingly. Jesus’ feet were pierced through on the Cross as He hung there for hours crying in anguish.

In the darkness of that night I had a fresh revelation of His sacrifice of love. I whispered with tears of gratefulness, “Thank you, Jesus.”

When dawn came the pain subsided to bearable levels.

Why is it pain is so much worse when under the cover of darkness. The morning light brought much needed relief with Tom’s ability to fill my pain medicine. Thank God!

“Weeping may tarry for a night, but joy comes in the morning.”

Psalm 30:5b

I am now one week on the mend. I realize how much worse this could have been. How is it possible that I have no other scrapes, bruises or sore spots? It’s as if God caught me on the way down making sure no more damage was done.

He measures our pain.

“And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.”

1 Peter 5:10 ESV

I may be broken, but I know the healer of broken things, my ankle included.

An Easter to Remember

Sunday was a long-awaited day in our family.

Elias Angel Aznaran, age 2 1/2, was dedicated to the Lord as were his parents in front of our church family. In the congregation were seated hundreds of faithful, praying friends who have loved our little boy by providing for them. Including: meals for them during his long 7 month cancer treatments, helping clean and organize their home. They donated not only time, but their financial support as well through his Go Fund Me campaign.

There was a moment in the dedication when our pastor turned to the church and said, “As Hannah prayed for her son in the temple, so too, you have prayed for their son, Elias Angel.” It was then that I was overwhelmed, crying with gratefulness to all of them for their support and prayers, but more their love for our family.

But God.

He is our strong tower. He provides for us what we need when we need it, but not necessarily when we want it.

It’s like the disciples when they were overwhelmed with the events of Thursday and Friday. Saturday must have been a day of bewilderment to them all. “What just happened?” They could do nothing but wait until Sabbath was over. It was then they could take care of their Rabbi and bury Him as was required by the Law. They had no idea what God had in store for them.

Jesus didn’t come resurrected with a huge fanfare. Instead He did what was needed, He fed them. Then He made His presence known while they were doing an ordinary thing–eating breakfast.

How often is Christ walking with us in similar ways, but we don’t recognize His presence?

Looking back now, since Elias’ birth, I can see Him clearly. Most of the questions we had then have been answered in miraculous ways; Will he be able to hear? How will Matt and Heather care for him without the help and support of family? Will Heather have what she needs to physically provide for him? Will there be insurance to cover all this? What about what isn’t covered?

So many questions that haunted us then, now have answers. At least for the time being. God knew then where we would be now. And He knows where this road will lead us, but we can only get there one step at a time.

This year Easter will be a day remembered as a Memorial of Thankfulness to God for the gift of this sweet boy. He lights up any room he enters with his smile. And oh how we love him.

As we face all the days following with more unanswered questions, we are confident that God is walking before us leading the way. We are purposing to thank Him now, in advance for all He will do, for His glory and our good.

“Your way was through the sea, your path through the great waters; yet your footprints were unseen.”

Psalm 77:19 ESV

A Praying and Waiting Grandmother

I am the youngest granddaughter of Grace Oswalt. She was born in the 19th century. I was born in the 20th century, and I will die in the 21st century. Three centuries have marched forward from her birth to my last breath. I find this amazing and beautiful.

Sprinkled through all the years are prayers prayed in faith for God to hear from Heaven and answer according to His will.

And answer He has! Our family is full of stories where God met us in the hardest of times–suicide, house fires, accidental deaths, rape and unwed motherhood. But God has walked our family through every step and listened to every cry capturing every tear in His bottle. What a Savior. What a friend.

Today is Grace’s birthday. It is her 43rd in Heaven. I’m confident if possible, she is continuing to pray for each of us and the hardships our family is facing. Her faith inspires my faith to pray for help and hope when none is seen on the horizon. Answers that aren’t yet are still to be embraced as if they are already here. Waiting is hard because it reveals our impatience and our desire to be in control. But we aren’t in control–thankfully, God is.

Our daughter shared a Reel on her Instagram regarding her son, Elias, and how hard it is to wait while he is recovering from cancer. This was the quote read…

“Why is waiting such a part of spirituality? Because waiting is where faith actually becomes necessary. I mean think about it a God of immediate gratification requires no faith. It’s in the waiting and silence where faith actually develops. So the three days that exist between the crucifixion and the resurrection, they teach us what? That the presence of silence never equals the absence of God. And the eight days that exist between Thomas screaming doubt into the sky and God actually appearing to him, teach us that He is in both the miraculous appearance and the 8 days of silence. The presence of silence never means the absence of God. So the challenge of waiting is to actually let faith do its work trusting that on the other side of this period of silence I will have a richer, deeper more alive faith than I did before.” – The Honey Scoop

My grandmother died waiting to see some of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren come to know Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior. In the 43 years since she has been gone I have watched her prayers come to pass. Every one of them.

So what is it you are waiting on God to do? Offer it to Him as a sacrifice of praise. Then trust Him to do what’s best in you and in the circumstances as you wait. Be sure to pray for His Kingdom come and His will be done in His timing for His glory.

Happy Birthday, Big Mama. Your legacy of faith continues to expand in our family and I’m certain you have heard from our Heavenly Father, “Well done, My good and faithful servant.”