Our French Adventure!

Bonjour!





With family spread all over the world, my husband and I have no lack of places to visit!

This year we traveled to France to spend time with our middle daughter and family currently living in a small French town cradled by the magnificent, snow-capped mountains of the southern alps. My camera shot simply does not do justice to the pristine splendor of these beauties. However, the actual visual image while standing before them is a snapshot in my mind I will not soon forget.

Among our touring spots was Conflans, a village nestled in the mountains, and dating back to the 1500s. The building below is the Catholic Church in the center of the village with houses grouped around. I enjoyed ambling along the meticulously laid cobblestone streets. The pic below is also taken at Conflans as the sun set.

Sledding at a nearby ski resort was a highlight for me! I think I love this activity about as much as I enjoy bobbing in ocean waves.

A stroll through town on a mother-daughter date with a stop at a crepe shop proved an enjoyable and meaningful way to experience a bit of French culture/language and catch up on each other's lives.

Speaking of la crepe . . . France is full of delectable baguettes, croissants (huge and so light and flaky, I thought I was eating air!), other pastries, cheeses, chocolates, and cafe ooh lait. The vendor in the above picture is scraping off melted cheese onto a baguette during an outdoor Christmas festival in Annecy (the Venice of France). More pics of Annecy below.

A tour of a cheese factory included a walk through what felt like a dungeon, cold and smelly, with aging molds of shelved cheese. A robot worked 24/7 to lift, flip, and dip each huge hunk of cheese (representing about 100 gallons of milk) in salt water, then return to the shelf. Yummy samples of summer cheese followed the tour. See pic below.

Time with family enjoying another culture is always the best treat of all! We are so thankful for our fun and meaningful time with our kids/grandkids, making more good memories to draw upon until we see each other again.

The Last Place You Wanna Be

The last place you wanna be on your birthday is in a dental chair, looking up at the ceiling.

But God has a way of showing up to celebrate your birthday when you least expect it.

Even while in a dental chair, counting the holes in the tiled ceiling.

Which in a flash took me back to my church days as a five-year-old snugged against mom during the service. Fidgety, I'd finally comfort myself by laying my head in her lap and staring at the ceiling.

Yes, a similar tiled ceiling with holes I could count.

The memory provoked a warm nostalgic flood to wash over me.

Mama would stroke my brow with a gentle sweep of my bangs to the side.

Just when I'd counted as far as I could go (maybe to twenty or so as a five-year-old), I'd get fidgety again.

Mama would pull out her pretty cloth handkerchief and fashion it into a tiny cradle with baby inside. I can still picture it, though I never learned how to do it.

I wish I had, because it would be a wonderful thing to pass down to my grandchildren from their great grandmother.

Perhaps my sister will know how. I'll ask her when I see her next.

In the meantime, I'll bask in the glow and wonder of God showing up with a warm mother memory to help me feel close to her on my birthday.

Even in the dental chair. 

A Grandson's Change of Heart

            Grandson Gabe and I walked down the brightly lit hallway. A nurse smiled at us from behind her computer screen as she tapped on the keyboard. A dietitian carrying a food tray disappeared through a doorway. An elderly man with white hair haphazardly sticking out from his head worked his wheel chair with his slippered-feet. He grinned as we passed, revealing multiple missing teeth. A mix of disinfectant, urine, and the day’s lunch menu hung thick in the air.

            “I don’t think I could work in a place like this,” Gabe said, squeezing my hand.

            I nodded. “It does take a special person to invest time and energy in these dear ones who are so often forgotten, even mistreated at times.”

            Gabe grew quiet as we approached the door we were looking for. Room 103: Mable Bishop. “This is it!” I purposely brightened my voice to encourage Gabe. On occasion, he and our other grandchildren sang and quoted Scriptures when we visited various nursing homes, so he was acquainted with the protocol. However, since he and his family had recently returned to the States after serving in Thailand, he’d not been with me to the nursing home since he was six.

            I gingerly pushed on the heavy door and peered inside. Mable lay in her bed staring out the window. Her roommate, Edith, snoozed in her bed. Mable and I enjoyed a rich history as prayer partners. While she didn’t remember my name, only that we used to go to church together, she smiled whenever she saw me. Widowed at age 51, Mable taught me by word and example, and definitely through her prayers, that the Lord was her number one Husband, and as such, would provide and protect her. How I’d valued her simple, honest prayers during those days. Now in her advanced years, she no longer prayed with me verbally, but she testified to praying silently throughout the day as she gazed out her window.

            Her head turned as Gabe and I moved to the side of her bed. Her face lit up. “Hi, Mable!” I gently squeezed her shoulder as Gabe took his place at the end of the bed. Perhaps his advanced age of eight was making him more cautious. “How are you today?” I said. She smiled, nodded. “This is my grandson, Gabe.” Plates clattered in the hallway. “You remember my youngest daughter, Stephanie. This is her son.” She beamed as if remembering, but I knew she didn’t.

            I pressed on, uncertain how long Gabe would tolerate this visit. “Would you like to sing today, Mable?” I winked at Gabe. He was all about music. I leaned over, gazed into Mable’s eyes. “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound . . . ”

            Riveted on my face, she mouthed the words with me, an occasional sound slipping from her lips in the form of a groan. She loved it! I exchanged a glance with Gabe. He had moved a bit closer to us and was beginning to sing, too.

            By now Edith was awake, and while she couldn’t utter a note, she seemed fixated on our music. After a verse or two of “Nothing But the Blood” and “The Old Rugged Cross,” it was time to leave.

            I gave Mable a hug. “Please, come back and see me,” she said as I lingered in the embrace. “Any time.” She grinned at Gabe.  

            Gabe and I waved to Mable and Edith as we left the room. As we walked back down the hallway, Gabe was quiet. At last, he said, “Ya know, Grandma, I think I could work in a place like this.”

Bekah and the Spanish Surprise Release!

New release for kids ages 8 and up!

Bekah and the Spanish Surprise

Book 2 in the Missionary Kid series


Bekah wants a little brother, but Mama and Daddy can't have any more babies. When adorable foster child, Emilio, shows up at children's church, Bekah launches a prayer and a plan to adopt the little boy. But Bekah isn't the only one who wants him. Just when she's given up hope, an unexpected visitor arrives at her door with a surprise!

Available in paperback on Amazon.

What's So Great About America?

Recently someone asked me, “What’s so great about America?” By impulse I responded with the typical Christian answer: “America is great because our founding fathers chose to acknowledge God’s sovereignty and apply biblical principles in its formation and survival.”

However, America has come a long way from her early roots of Christian influence. Even from her inception, the evil one has relentlessly pursued her destruction throughout her history. Whether by enemy attack or inner turmoil, America has struggled to remain the beacon of light God birthed her to be.

Yet despite an increasing move away from “one nation under God,” in modern times reflected by ruthless murder of the unborn, the stripping away of religious liberty, applause of same-sex marriage, prayer-less schools, the terror of random shootings, and confusion on moral issues among professing Christians, America still stands as the greatest nation on earth.

Americans still enjoy prosperity which the rest of the world largely does not. Americans, for the most part, go to bed in peace, not fearing attack by an evil regime, and go to sleep with a full stomach. We still experience freedoms specified by the Bill of Rights. As a privileged people, we can peacefully picket, lobby Congress, and vote for our candidate of choice. And as my third culture grandchildren remind me when they travel back to America, we can enjoy lush grass, public libraries, and drinking water right out of the faucet! 

Still, beyond these pleasures, America is fundamentally great, indeed blessed by God, because God chose to use her to shine His light from shore to shore. During times of great spiritual complacency and apostasy, God stepped in with his man or woman for the hour. In every instance, fervent prayer preceded a mighty work of God.

Consider the circuit riding preachers who prayed and traveled thousands of miles across America on horseback to preach the gospel during their lifetimes. Out of those efforts arose amazing revivals, turning countless souls to Christ. Consider, too, God’s hand on pivotal colleges, such as Yale. He used President Timothy Dwight, the grandson of Jonathan Edwards, to spur a revival that ignited a spiritual flame across campus, and indeed around the world. Pastor Lyman Beecher, and later his famous daughter, Harriet Beecher Stowe, impacted culture through their speaking and writing on various topics, including their anti-slavery position. Then, of course, there was George Whitefield, and a century later, Charles Finney, both well-known in Christian circles for bringing multitudes to faith in Christ. From this passion for Christ and His gospel, mission and Bible societies formed which sent numerous missionaries to Africa, India, China, Japan, and the Pacific Islands. Caring Christians took in orphans and treated the mentally ill with compassion and respect. Indeed, in every age, God has called and used a faithful remnant. 

For all her transgressions, and they are many, America still houses those who love the Lord and long to share Him here and around the world. 

So, to that person who asked me, “What’s so great about America?” I would now respond, “America is great because God has used her to shine the light of His gospel around the world!” It is the amazing privilege and responsibility of Bible-believing Christians to fulfill this God-given destiny for as long as He gives us life and liberty.    

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Recommended reading: From Sea to Shining Sea by Peter Marshall/David Manuel, Revell, 2009.

Also available in a children's version.

Check out From Sea to Shining Sea on Amazon.

Summer Kid's Read!

Kenzie Gunter, new missionary kid in India, wants a friend but finds one in short supply. When an Indian family with a nine-year-old girl moves into the house next door, Kenzie urges her mom to make an introduction. But friendship in a foreign land proves to be a challenge. That doesn't stop Kenzie, however. Her humorous and sometimes dangerous attempts to connect with her neighbor keep the adventures coming . . . and the surprises!

Also includes Fun Facts about India and thought-provoking questions to stimulate discussion between parent and child. 

Check out Kenzie and the Spooky House Adventure for a summer read at Amazon.

Inspired by Eileen's kids and grandkids who serve the Lord around the world in full-time mission work. 

Treat Mom to a Giggle!

Kids can take us right to the heart of God, one way or another. When they provoke frustration, we breathe a silent prayer for grace. When they incite giggles, we hear God’s laughter as well. When they stimulate an endearing moment, we sense God’s touch. When they utter a profound statement, we step back in wonder. What is this phenomenon a little one evokes? Bubbly ripples of laughter that transport us to another realm. Unabashed honesty that cuts to the chase. Joy splashing around our ankles, light spilling into shadow, awakening us to a childlike appreciation for the world around us. If we take the time, if we listen, if we stoop to their level, we can go where kids go—straight to the heart of God. Wit & Wisdom from the Wee Ones is a collection of cute quips and quotes inspired by Eileen’s grandchildren. Along with other contributors, Eileen cracks the door to the whimsical, yet often wise world of the child.

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Enjoy a few teasers . . . 

Paper trails

While in my van, grandson Ryan (8) was talking to his cousins about eating paper.

Vina: “I eat paper, good for digestion.” 

Ryan: “I don’t eat paper cause paper’s made out of trees, and dogs pee on trees.”

Vina: “Well, don’t they wash it?”

Ryan: “No, they just pee on it and walk on off.”

Janice Blevins

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Pool pleasure

Rebekah (5) while looking at a map of Africa: "Hey Mom, there are lots of swimming pools on this map!"

Rachel Waldock

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Behind bars?

I asked my granddaughter, Lindsay (6): “Have you ever been in a Turkish prison?”

She replied, “No, but I’ve been to Chuck E. Cheese.” 

Russ File

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 Prophetic utterance

Emma (7) woke up at 3:30 one morning talking about the thunderstorms. "God must really be mad at someone in this town."

Marsha Noland

For more quips and quotes, check out Wit and Wisdom from the Wee Ones on Amazon.