Love Like That

Posted on November 1, 2011 by dinahoverlien

I have a dear friend who is Grandma to a little guy named Drew, a 14 month old sweet baby boy. Drew has spent a lot of time in the hospital battling an aggressive cancer that has invaded his small body. A few days ago, his mommy and daddy took him home to spend their last weeks together. My heart aches and breaks for them. Please keep them in your prayers.

Thankfully, Drew has no concept of what is happening. But the only thing he needs to know is that he is loved. His parents don’t have to try to explain the diagnosis to him. And although the little guy doesn’t understand why he’s the center of everyone’s attention right now, he’s soaking it up. Drew’s family is pouring their love out on him. The time is short. Every moment counts. These are sacred and holy times.

Oh, to love like that.

To pour love out onto people like it’s their last day.

Time for Thanks

Posted on October 25, 2011 by dinahoverlien

Thank you, Lord, for the sound of the clock ticking.

You don’t hear the sound of ticking clocks much anymore, now that everything has gone digital. We have a digital clock on the DVD player, on the stove, on the microwave, on the radio and on the coffeemaker. I can sit in one place and see all five of these readouts at once. But when I want to know what time it is, I always look above the mantel to the old Regulator. My mom bought the antique when I was young, so I grew up with the sound of that clock ticking away. Then my kids were raised to the steady rhythm. It is the heartbeat of our home.

Visitors sometimes have a hard time with our clock. They say it’s pretty loud, but I don’t even hear it. In fact, I don’t notice the clock unless it stops; then there is an eerie quiet in the house that feels empty. So every five days or so, I perform the ritual of past generations. I take the key out, wind up the mechanism and give the pendulum a little push. Tick-tock. Tick-tock. All is right with the world.

I’m thankful for the sound of the clock ticking because that means I’m still ticking. Yes, time is ticking away, but every tick is a moment to appreciate and every tock is life…life… life…life.

My times are in Your hands. Psalm 31:15

Ten Reasons Why

Posted on October 16, 2011 by dinahoverlien

Ten Reasons Why Baseball Is the Best Sport Ever

1. A .300 batting average is considered to be really good. Which means you can fail 70% of the time and still be amazing.

2. If it starts raining, baseball players go inside and wait until the rain stops before going back out.

3. Baseball players get to chew great big wads of gum and they get to spit sunflower seeds all over the dugout.

4. From April to September, thirty teams each play 162 games which means there are 2430 baseball games to entertain us all summer long, unlike football players who only give their fans 521 regular season games. I’m just saying….

5. There is singing at baseball games. Where else can you join in with a choir of thousands belting out “God Bless America” and “Roll Out the Barrel”?

6. Baseball is not a slow game. A 90 mph fast ball takes approximately .4 seconds to reach the batter. The batter gets about .2 seconds to decide if he’s going to swing or not.

7. Baseball players don’t have to huddle up after every play and talk about what they are going to do next. They know what they are going to do: hit the ball, run fast.

8. There’s no hitting or tackling or blindsiding people in baseball. But you can stand toe to toe with the ump and yell your heart out, as long as you don’t spit or say bad words.

9. Baseball players are polite. If the fans are cheering like crazy after a big home run, the slugger will step out of the dugout and tip his hat to the crowd. Football players never tip their helmets. Just saying….

10. God loves baseball. Genesis 1:1 – “In the big-inning, God created…”

D.R.A.*

Posted on October 11, 2011 by dinahoverlien

A few days have slipped by here on Small Drop, mostly because I’ve had a D.R.A.

*D.R.A. = Dirty Rotten Attitude

Most of the time, I serve the Lord with gladness, but there are moments when I struggle. Mostly it happens when I have to do something that I don’t feel called to do, but am obligated to do anyway. Like maybe, for instance, when I get volunteered to lead praise music for a retreat on the most beautiful weekend of the fall and the Milwaukee Brewers just happen to be playing the biggest game of the year and Nyjer Morgan hits a walk off in the bottom of the tenth inning to send the team into the League Championship Series. Just times like that.

I’m over it now. Pretty much.

Unfortunately, there’s a residual effect after having a D.R.A. It takes awhile to get inspiration and creativity flowing again. After sufficient repentance and restoration of my soul, I expect to find my words again. Until then, Go Brewers!

The term “D.R.A.” was created by my good friend Donna, who rarely has one!

38 Years Ago

Posted on August 31, 2011 by dinahoverlien

ELINOR BRADLEY BIDDICK

April 26, 1922-August 31, 1973

On this day, 38 years ago, my mother passed from this life into the next. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1972 and died within a year. I was 13. It was the first day of my freshman year in high school.

As a teenager, I had written some of my thoughts and feelings down about the pain of losing a mom. When I was a freshman in college, I pulled out my old journal from 1973 and re-worked the raw words into a creative writing assignment for an English class. The next week, as I came into the classroom, the professor approached me and asked for my permission to read my essay to the class. It was the first time I’d ever heard someone else read my words aloud, to strangers no less. When she finished, it was quiet for a long time. I think I’ve wanted to be a writer ever since.

This morning I was looking for some papers in an old file cabinet in the basement. As I opened up a dusty yellowed file, there it was: “You Win, Cancer, You Win”, English 132 sec. 8, January 25, 1978. I had been looking for that paper for years and had given up hope of ever finding it. I figured it had gotten lost in one of our moves. But today, of all days, it found me. Thanks, mom.

*For anyone interested, I have created a Page entitled “The Paper” where the college essay can be viewed.

Restored

Posted on August 30, 2011 by dinahoverlien

PB and I spent a week up north at a cabin on a beautiful lake.

It was just what the doctor ordered. We slept in late, took naps in the afternoons, and went to bed early. I think we were tired. We listened to the loons and the sound of the water lapping up on the shore line. He went fishing, I read books.

One day we headed north to a far and distant country: the U.P. (Upper Peninsula of Michigan) We discovered they really do say “yous” as in, “How are yous today?” Although the area we saw was economically depressed, it was rich in natural beauty.

It’s pretty wild up dere in da nort woods.

Just for fun, PB and I set out to find funny signs on our little roadtrip. These signs probably won’t strike you as being all that amusing, but we laughed our heads off. I’m sure it had something to do with being on vacation and having no signal on our cell phones. We thought everything was hilarious, probably because we needed to let go and laugh.

We’re thinking about retiring someday and buying a church up by the End of the Earth.

Yous will have to come and see us!

Gone Fishin’

Posted on August 20, 2011 by dinahoverlien

And resting, reading, sleeping, resting, sunning, sitting on the dock, resting……

It’s Official

Posted on August 17, 2011 by dinahoverlien

Yes, the wedding vows have been spoken. Sure, the marriage certificate has been signed. Indeed, the crowd sent off the couple amidst cheers and waves. But it’s officially official when the name goes up on the family Scrabble board. Dan has made it into the family. And we are proud to have him join this crazy bunch. Before August 13th: