Merrillee Whren's Blog, page 15

POLITICS

This is an election year, and we are being inundated with political ads on TV, robo calls and political signs at every intersection. Conventional wisdom says a person shouldn’t discuss politics or religion. People who know me well will tell you that I often don’t steer clear of those subjects. However, I have refrained from being political in my professional life, and that includes my blog and my Facebook page. I don’t want to start a heated discussion among the people who read my posts. I learned from experience that even posting something that I didn’t consider political can bring on an argument. To end the controversy, I removed it from my Facebook wall.

Because I believe Christians need to share their faith, I often post things about my faith. I try to do it in a manner that is consistent with what Peter says in 1 Peter 3:15. “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,” (NIV)

Politics, at least while I’m in my author persona, I will leave to the politicians and those who don’t mind jumping into the fray.

What do you think about sharing political views? Do you discuss them?

HISTORY

This post is a follow-up to my last post, in which I posted some photos of places we visited on our recent cruise. We were fortunate to see a lot of historic places. The photo on the left is a picture of the ruins of Ephesus. We visited there when we took a Mediterranean cruise a couple of years ago. Ephesus is an ancient city located in present-day Turkey and what was known as Asia Minor during New Testament times. The Book of Acts in the Bible tells us that the apostle Paul preached in this city. Although the city is in ruins, history seemed to come alive when we walked the streets.

I was one of those people who actually enjoyed studying history in school. So visiting places around the globe that have a lot of history are fascinating to me. Every day history is made. I wonder how people many years from now will view this period in time. If you read through the Bible, you can see how God had his hand in history. Even though sometimes, the world seems out of control, we know that God is there. His timing is perfect.

Romans 5:6 “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.”

How do you view history? What historic event speaks to you?

 

OUR BALTIC CRUISE

 In recent years my husband and I have taken some European cruises. We have seen some wonderful, historic places and experienced different cultures. We decided that we would travel overseas while we are still young enough to take the rigors of going overseas. Jet lag can be a killer. On our recent cruise we were in 5 different times zones during our two-week vacation.

Our first stop was Copenhagen, Denmark. Here I am with the statue of Hans Christian Andersen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our next stop was Tallin, Estonia, a medieval town.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our next stop was St. Petersburg, Russia, where we spent two days. It is difficult to pick one photo to represent that city, but this one is probably my favorite.  The Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Our next stop was Helsinki, Finland, where we visited the memorial dedicated to Jean Sibelius, the composer of “Finlandia.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Next we visited Stockholm, Sweden. This photo was taken in one of the older sections of the city.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After a day at sea, we stopped in Warnemunde, a seaport on the Baltic. That day I took a three-hour bus ride into Berlin. Here is a portion of the Berlin wall that is still standing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The last stop on our cruise was Kiel, Germany. We took a train to the nearby town of Lubeck, which has a lot of medieval buildings. Here is part of the wall and one of the city gates from medieval times.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you would like to see all of the photos from our trip, you can visit my

Facebook page.

Have you taken an interesting trip lately? Share your experience.

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Here is a picture of my daughters taken when the older one got married. Today is their birthday. No, they are not twins. They were born on the same day one year apart. Things have been wild and crazy around our house while we are making multiple changes all at once, so I almost forgot that today was their birthday. That is pretty sad since I only have one birthday to remember. Thankfully, I didn’t forget altogether, but their cards will be late if I can find them in all of the chaos that is my house these days. It is a joy to have two wonderful daughters, and I wish them the riches blessings of God on their birthday.

Happy Father’s Day

On Father’s Day, we celebrate the fathers in our lives. I lost my father when I was only twenty-four, but I have many fond memories of him. When I was a little girl, he used to dance while I stood on his feet. He loved to laugh and build things. He also loved to fish. My brothers and I all had our own fishing poles, and he would take us fishing. When we grew older, my brothers and I called him “Pops.” Last of all, but certainly not least, he loved his Savior, Jesus Christ. My dad was a wonderful father. I miss you, “Pops.”

I also want to celebrate my husband this Father’s Day. He has been a loving and kind and fabulous father to our girls. And now he is a terrific and fun grandfather. Here he is with our granddaughters, who have a fantastic dad.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our son-in-law is one of those modern dads who stays home with the kids while “mom” goes off to work. Our daughter is blessed to have a husband who is also a marvelous dad for their girls. Here he is with the girls.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Father’s Day, Bob and Joe.

Who are the fathers you celebrate?

FLAG DAY

I wrote this several years ago, but my feelings haven’t changed.

Today in the United States it is Flag Day. It’s a day set aside to honor the flag that represents our country. You can go to this link to learn more about the history of the United States flag and this day.

http://www.usflag.org/more2.html

Since it’s flag day, I’m going to put on my patriotic hat. I love the USA. What a great country! When I see the flag and sing our national anthem, tears often come to my eyes. I’m truly troubled by people who denigrate my country, saying it is evil. I just want to tell them to go live somewhere else if they think the USA is so awful. I wonder if these people consider the fact that if we shipped them off to Cuba, they could find themselves in prison if they were so bold as to criticize the Cuban government.

No country is perfect, but the USA has so much to offer. Why do people risk their lives to come here? Why do hundreds of people come here illegally every day? (And we won’t get into the argument over illegal immigrants.) They know this country is a wonderful place to live, full of opportunities that they didn’t have where they came from. And I’m more grateful than I can ever explain that I was born in the USA.

I’m an American child. If you’ve ever heard the song Phil Vassar sings entitled “An American Child,” you’ll understand what I mean. The line in the song about dreams being born inside an American child speaks right to me. Here is a link if you’d like to listen. You may have to listen to a commercial first.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3c1x3wcbvAc

I wasn’t born into wealth or privilege, but I was born in the USA where I could pursue my dreams. I had a dream to be a published author. I’ve realized that dream. I really believe there are opportunities for anyone who has the willingness to work and sacrifice to make his or her dreams come true.

In some circles it’s not politically correct to be patriotic. But I’m going to stand up today and say I’m proud to be an American.

What do you do to be patriotic to your country–whatever that country might be?

CHANGES

Once again I find that I have shirked my duty when it comes to my blog. Soon my blog may sue me for neglect. But I will argue that I have good reasons for not attending to my blog. My daughter recently had a baby, and I spent five weeks helping out there. Also my mother-in-law has been in and out of the hospital and is currently in a nursing home. When she gets out of the nursing home, she will be coming to live with my husband and me. So we are in the process of going through her house and bringing many of her things to ours. We are all going to have to make some changes. I’m having to clean out one of our spare bedrooms to make room for her things. That means going through a lot of my stuff and getting rid of some of it. I’m learning little by little that I can live without a lot of the stuff I have stored in closets and drawers. Right now my house is in chaos with boxes and bags all over the floor. Company arrives in two weeks, so I have until then to make this mess into organization. Will I be successful? Stay tuned.

What kinds of changes have brought chaos to your life? How did you handle it?

MEMORIAL DAY

Today is a holiday in the United States, a day for remembering those who fought for the freedoms we enjoy. My dad fought in World War II. He was a sergeant in the army and trained pilots. He and my mother were married in Amarillo, Texas, near the end of the war. The topper for their wedding cake featured a groom in his army uniform. A couple of years ago, I visited the World War II Memorial in Washington, DC. The photo below is a portion of the memorial.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am thankful for those who, over the years, have risen up to fight against evil forces in this world. War is a tragic thing, but sometimes it is necessary to give life and freedom to people who are held under ruthless tyrants and evil men who desire to further their own agendas by killing and enslaving others.

Christians have a battle against evil as well. We are called to be soldiers for Christ as we read in 2 Timothy 2:3. “Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.”

Is someone in your family serving in the armed services, or has someone in your family served?

MOVING

As a bit of a follow-up on a post I wrote a couple of weeks ago on time zones, I’m going to reminisce about the places I’ve lived through the years. A move can be intimidating, but it can also be an opportunity to expand one’s horizons by learning something new and making new friends.

I was born in Rapid City, South Dakota, the gateway to the Black Hills and Mount Rushmore. When I was a kid, I also lived in Montana, where my neighbor had his own little rodeo. I saw a calf being born, fished in the Yellowstone River and visited Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument. I went to high school while we lived in Spokane, Washington, the area where three of my novels are set. Also the last scene of my latest book, Montana Match, is set there as well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of my favorite places is Atlanta, Georgia. We lived in a suburb of Atlanta for nine years. I remember the indescribable beauty of the dogwoods as they dress the Atlanta landscape in lace. I recall the fun times with friends at Chastain Park, Stone Mountain and a raft trip on the Chatahoochee River. But Atlanta is only one of many places I’ve lived, and each place holds a lot of memories of good times and good friends.

Even though a person can find the same fast food restaurants and stores to shop in throughout the United States, each area of the country has its own specialties. If I’d never lived in Boston, I probably wouldn’t know that they call water fountains “bubblers.” And I may never have walked the Freedom Trail or seen the Boston Red Sox and Fenway Park. If I’d never lived in Dallas, I probably wouldn’t have attended the Texas State Fair and seen Big Tex or seen people walking around munching on huge turkey legs. Living in the Chicago area made it possible for me to see the Chicago Cubs and Wrigley Field and have the opportunity to stroll along the shore of Lake Michigan and check out the entertainment at Navy Pier.

Part of my college years took me back to South Dakota, but I also attended Milligan College near Johnson City, Tennessee. During summer school one year, some of us made the short trip over to North Carolina, where we took in the Scottish festival at Grandfather Mountain. After college, my move to Cincinnati, Ohio, resulted in my meeting the love of my life, my husband Bob. Now that was worth the move.

Thanks for indulging me while I reminisced about the places to which I’ve moved. Because of my many moves, I’ve managed to visit all fifty states. What can you tell me about the places you’ve lived and the memories you made there?

 

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY

Happy Mothers’ Day. I hope you all have a wonderful day and are fortunate enough to share it with your mother. Mothers’ Day brings both joy and sadness for me. I have the joy of being the mother of two wonderful daughters and the grandmother of two delightful granddaughters. I also have a touch of sadness that my mother is no longer with us, but I have the joy of knowing she is in heaven. And I have happy, happy memories of my mother.

One of my earliest memories is of my mother reading to me before bedtime. I loved the book, Old Bones the Wonder Horse. Little incidents touch my heart. Like the time she was the only mother who showed up for the meeting with my Brownie Scout leaders. She loved to eat cheese and was always on a diet. She taught me how to bake and let me make cakes, cookies and pies. She loved to garden, especially flowers. As I look at my life, I see much of my mother in me.

She was widowed when she was fifty-four. Only my youngest brother was still at home. She spent the next ten years mothering a whole crew of young people who attended her church and some who rented her upstairs apartment.

My mother was a quiet woman, and taking care of her family was her biggest joy. There were four of us kids. I was the oldest and had three younger brothers. When my brothers were all taller than Mom, they began to call her “little mother.” I never had a chance to ask her whether she liked that nickname. After I went away to college, I didn’t live close to my mother again. She lived in Spokane, Washington, and I got a teaching job in Cincinnait, Ohio, where I met my husband. We moved to Atlanta when my girls were three and four. The following year my mother died when she was struck by a car while she was crossing the street. She was only sixty-four.

I miss my mom, especially on a day like today, but the wonderful memories carry me through. I hope someday my girls will look back with fond memories of me. So today I’ll remember my mother and savor being a mother and grandmother. Happy Mothers’ Day again.