All posts tagged gifts

The 12 Days of Christmas & the Gifts from our True Love

Did you know that in many church settings throughout the Western World that the Christmas season extends beyond Christmas Day? This post-Christmas period was popularized by the old song “The 12 Days of Christmas,” but truly there are twelve days of Christmas that are celebrated on an annual basis as part of the liturgical calendar.

The Epiphany

In Christian terms, the twelve days of Christmas are known as the season of Epiphany. It starts the day after Christmas and ends with the Feast of Epiphany on January 6. I’ve only become more familiar with it in recent years due to my relationship with my Spanish family and then later due to my adopted prayer times in the Catholic Church. It is in celebration of the Magi’s (wise men’s) arrival to worship Jesus.

What is the significance of the Magi’s arrival (the Epiphany)? Until that time, salvation was reserved for the Jews through God’s Covenant with Abraham. The Magi were Gentiles (non-Jews) who followed the star in the sky from the East to worship Jesus. They were the first Gentiles to worship him signifying that Jesus came to save us all. We are also the Gentiles, and were excluded from the covenant. In celebrating the Epiphany, we are celebrating our inclusion into God’s plan of salvation.

Spanish nativity scene (a Belen), photo courtesy of Pedro's family

Spanish nativity scene (a Belen) courtesy of Pedro’s family

Three King’s Day

In Spain, the Epiphany (feast day on January 6^th) is called “Three King’s Day” (Dia de Los Reyes) and has traditionally been more popular than Christmas. Spanish children look forward to this day and celebrate it with the receipt of presents, like on Christmas. The giving of gifts on this day is a representation of the gifts given by the wise men, or “Three Kings.”

For children the fun starts on the evening of January 5, when the Three Kings are welcomed into the cities in a parade. (Spain is known for its festive religious parades with ornate floats and statues.) Children are rewarded with candies thrown out by the Three Kings along the parade route. Similar to Christmas in America, children anticipate the arrival of the next day to see what kind of presents the Three Kings have left for them overnight.

Floats being prepared for a Spanish feast day parade, Toledo, Spain, June 2013.

Gifts from our True Love

Since Three King’s Day is celebrated by my Spanish family, I also make a conscious effort to acknowledge that day with them. This year, I’ve been making many observations since Christmas which remind me it is still the Christmas season. It has been a deliberate slowing down of the season and watching how God is giving me daily experiences of His love, just like in the song, The 12 Days of Christmas.

It has been an amazing opportunity to witness God’s goodness in my life. For instance, yesterday was the 5th day of Christmas and my True Love brought me three surprise encounters with friends. The days before that, I was blessed with special family outings and meals, our annual family card game of Canasta, a wedding ceremony, a movie night out, and a Seahawks victory!

These haven’t been physical gifts. They have all been experiences to treasure. They are also reminders to me of how God wants to use me by connecting with others. That got me to thinking about the everyday gifts we receive from our Father in Heaven.

He is good; and yes, life is hard.

With my ADHD, chronic fatigue syndrome, and other health issues, I seem to struggle with it every day. But when I pause long enough to see the fruit of His love to me, I can see how faithful He has been to bring me through the ups and downs of it all.

Farewell to 2014

2014 has been another monumental year for me. I’ve had to normalize that my life keeps getting bigger and that the Lord has called me to go places and do things that I never dreamed possible for Him.

But with God all things are possible. (Luke 1:37)

So tonight when I celebrate the ringing in of the New Year, I’ve decided to celebrate the gifts from my True Love. I eagerly embrace the coming of the New Year and what’s in store with arm’s wide open.

Happy New Year to my faithful readers, supporters of my writing, and to those who prayed for or donated to my call to share the gospel in Spain. You have all abundantly blessed me in 2014! May you celebrate the 12 days of Christmas and the gifts from Our True Love every day in the coming year!

What gifts are you celebrating as you ring in the New Year?

1 Comment

by ardisanelson on December 31, 2014 • Permalink

Posted in Faith & Hope, My Spanish Connection

Tagged Catholic, Christianity, Christmas, encouragement, Epiphany, gifts, God, gratitude, holidays, hope, My Spanish Connection, Spain, Three Kings Day

Posted by ardisanelson on December 31, 2014

https://ardisanelson.com/2014/12/31/12-days-christmas-gifts-true-love/

On Mission for God, Part 7 ~ Review & Gratitude

I am struggling! It’s not like last year’s return from Spain. But I am at a loss on what to write about my trip and how to re-engage in my writing discipline since my return two weeks ago.

I’m not sure what’s up with that. Writer’s block? Writing fatigue from the mission? Spiritual attack? Or just plain brain drain from the last eight months of intense planning and preparations?

The one thing I am reminded of is to have an attitude of gratitude. So I cannot help but write a post about how grateful I am to have experienced another trip of a lifetime.

My Week in France

I am grateful for…

The Air France strike. My flight from Paris to Lyon was cancelled so I took the high speed train to Grenoble instead. That provided me with more time to explore Paris. I attended mass at Notre Dame, stopped by the Eiffel Tower for a quick photo opp, and bought some souvenirs.
The invitation from my American missionary friends to come to France to share my testimony at their church. My hosts showered me with their generous hospitality and acclimated me to life in the French Alps. We explored nearby villages by foot and scoped out some old cemeteries. They literally took me to new heights (on a perch thousands of feet above the valley and on mountaintops). God took me to new heights spiritually.
The opportunity to share my testimony at the Celebrate Recovery meeting In Grenoble. I met women who resonated with my story and shared my desire for spiritual revival in France.

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My Week in Rivas

I am grateful for…

The invitation from Pastor Josh Fajardo to come to his church in Rivas and teach about Celebrate Recovery. I hadn’t even met Josh at this time last year. God beautifully orchestrated all of these steps.
The opportunity to share my testimony in front of a Spanish audience. This also provided the opportunity for Rosa and Pedro to attend and hear me speak in their native language. It was an amazing blessing!
The connections that I made with people in the Rivas church, old and new friends, committed to life transformation through Christ.
The privilege to announce that the Spanish version of “Walking My Mother Home” was published as a gift to the church in Rivas.
The hope of continued partnership with the Fajardo’s, the church in Rivas, and that CR will take root in Spain.

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My Week in Madrid

I am grateful for…

The generous hospitality showered on me by my Spanish family, Rafa, Rosa and Pedro.
The hours of walking around Madrid and being able to physically keep up with it all. Some of my walks took me to sights I saw last year, but this time around I was able to appreciate them more fully and explore more leisurely.
The opportunity to visit and pray in several local churches. I treasured each one and especially being able to attend mass multiple times.
The comfort and safety I felt with my family and in Madrid. I was able to explore one day on my own, taking the subway, meeting new people, walking to new places, and dining out by myself. It gave me great freedom to experience Madrid in a new way.
The short visit with Pedro’s extended family allowing me to reconnect with a niece who stole my heart last summer and Pedro’s grandfather. We enjoyed the giving and receiving of gifts.
The ability to give signed copies of my Spanish story to Pedro’s family and that it can now be shared electronically with other friends and family.
The closure and peace I had leaving my Spanish family. I have no idea when I will see them again, but I am trusting the Lord to bring us together in His timing.

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Most of All

I am grateful…

To the Lord for allowing me to be His Hands and Feet on the ground in France and Spain, and for perfectly putting all of the pieces into place for me to go on this mission of hope. I am grateful that He stretched me outside of my comfort zone and has grown my faith in new life-giving ways.
To everyone who prayed for the mission (before, during or after) and for all of the generous donations that allowed me to follow God’s call to Spain.
To Timberlake Church for donating $1500 to cover the cost of CR launch materials for Free Methodist churches in Spain.
To the CR leader team at Pine Lake Covenant Church for sponsoring and supporting this mission across the globe.
And, to my family for taking care of the household for three weeks and supporting my call to Spain.

Yes, today is Halloween, but let’s not forget to be thankful for the blessings in our lives. Don’t wait for Thanksgiving. Let’s start a season of thanks-living. What are you thankful for?

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Looking for updates on the CR mission to Spain, check out the blog post series on the ministry site where I serve, celebraterecoveryontheplateau.org or re-blogged here.

1 Comment

by ardisanelson on October 31, 2014 • Permalink

Posted in Faith & Hope, Healing & Recovery, My Mission to Spain, Travel Adventures

Tagged Celebrate Recovery, faithful, family, France, friendship, gifts, God, God's timing, gratitude, hope, living abroad, Mission to Spain, relationships, saying goodbye, Spain, writing

Posted by ardisanelson on October 31, 2014

https://ardisanelson.com/2014/10/31/celebrate-recovery-mission-review-gratitude/

English Additions to “Walking My Mother Home” Available

As I mentioned in my announcement about the E-book of “Walking My Mother Home,” it was a writing dream come true for me to publish my story in Spanish. I wanted it to be a complete book, with Preface, Foreword, etc. So I had to write those additional English pieces in order to have them translated into Spanish.

Writing the Additions

In my quest to determine how best to compile a more complete E-book, I researched the parts of a book, and reviewed books by some of my favorite authors and published friends. My writing plopped me right back into the throes of my story—the grief, the joy, and the miraculous way that God has been tying this season of my life all together. And it was all beautifully orchestrated in time to share on my mission in Spain (and the church in Rivas).

Printing Spanish copies of Walking My Mother Home.

It was also especially poignant for me to share it with my Spanish family while there. Last year, I left them with a signed copy of Journeys to Mother Love. It was more a symbolic and sentimental gesture than anything else because most of the family couldn’t read it. However, while I was in Spain last week, I had copies of the Spanish book printed and bound. I personalized and signed each one for family members. My only disappointment was that I couldn’t give the books to them personally.

‘Foreword’ Thinking

When it came to determining who would write the Foreword that was an easy decision. It had to be Pedro. We had that discussion a few years ago. I was getting ready to work on my memoir in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month).

In doing other writing research, I came across references to the movie “Finding Forrester” as a good writer’s story. It is about a writing relationship between Forrester, a Pulitzer Prize author (played by Sean Connery), and his unlikely protégé, Jamal. The ending scene of the movie spoke volumes to me. Watch the first two minutes of the scene to see why, Letter to Jamal.

“Jamal: Opens the letter.
Forrester: Dear Jamal, Someone I once knew wrote that we walk away from our dreams afraid that we may fail or worse yet, afraid we may succeed. You need to know that while I knew so very early that you would realize your dreams, I never imagined I would once again realize my own. Seasons change young man, and while I may have waited until the winter of my life, to see the things I’ve seen this past year, there is no doubt I would have waited too long, had it not been for you.”

Role reversal, Pedro signing the Foreword of my personal copy of the book.

I found Ardis in the process of coming alongside my mother as she prepared to leave this earth, and in my relationship with my Spanish family. Pedro was a big catalyst in my following my writing dreams back then. Like Forrester’s posthumous request to Jamal, I knew that someday Pedro would write my Foreword. I told him then of my desire, not knowing how or when the right time or context would present itself. Now was God’s perfect timing. (Muchas gracias, Pedro!)

I’d Like to Thank…

The other part of these additional writing pieces that I am excited about publishing are my acknowledgments to those who made publishing my story possible. The list of names was too long to detail and translate on the page, but if you were a close part of my life during the writing process, you know you have my gratitude for your prayers and encouragement. (You know who you are.) Below is an excerpt of my acknowledgements:

First and foremost, I thank God for prompting me to write and submit this story for publishing. He healed me, and He gets the credit. He is using my pain for His glory and I am eternally grateful for that.

Second, I am indebted to the bi-lingual expertise and selfless donation of time and energy by Oscar Farfan (Saddleback Church, CA) for the Spanish version. I am grateful for his making this story available to a new audience of readers, and for having it ready in time for release while on my Celebrate Recovery mission in the fall of 2014.

I am also grateful to:

Cathy Lawton, publisher at Cladach Publishing, for seeing the value in this story, accepting it and granting me permission to translate it into other languages.
My Celebrate Recovery community at Pine Lake Covenant Church, for their steadfast support throughout the writing process and for approval of the CR mission to Europe.
My prayer partners, mentors and pastors who encouraged and supported my healing and writing journey.
My Spanish family, especially Rosa, Rafa, and Pedro, for extending their friendship and love across cultural, language, and religious differences, and for being such an integral part of my healing process.
My husband and sons, for their patience, understanding, and love as I pursued my writing dreams and the call into missions.

Book Dedication

Finally, I dedicated my story to someone who without their acceptance of me and my friendship would not have put the healing steps into motion. It is to Rosa, Pedro’s mother.

The Complete Story

So today, it is with great pleasure that I am sharing those additional pieces to “Walking My Mother Home” in English. If you’ve already read the story, I encourage you to sit back and read it again with the bookends of the Preface, Foreword by Pedro, (then “Walking My Mother Home” from Journeys to Mother Love published by Cladach Publishing) and the Epilogue. You’ll be glad you did. I’ll be including these pieces with each book that I sell from now on.

PREFACE to Walking My Mother Home

FOREWORD to Walking My Mother Home

EPILOGUE to Walking My Mother Home

May this story inspire you on your journey and turn your healing into hope.

3 Comments

by ardisanelson on October 22, 2014 • Permalink

Posted in Identity, My Spanish Connection, My Writing Journey, Relationships & Family

Tagged following your dreams, friendship, gifts, God's timing, hope, identity, memoir writing, My Spanish Connection, publishing, relationships, Spain, writing

Posted by ardisanelson on October 22, 2014

https://ardisanelson.com/2014/10/22/additions-walking-my-mother-home/

A Tribute to Mom, Part 2 – Her Final Gift

This week marks the 3-year anniversary of my mother’s passing. Last year I shared her eulogy on my blog. It continues to be the post with the most hits (interest). I am sharing it again to commemorate the sacrifice my mother’s life became for me. May it inspire you to turn your healing into hope.

Making Me Bold

When I started writing for a public audience, I knew that many of my initial writings and journal would potentially become published. They were the basis for much of what I wrote in my story “Walking My Mother Home”, published in “Journeys to Mother Love”. One year after the acceptance of that story by Cladach Publishing, and to mark the anniversary of my mother’s passing,

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Life Lessons From the Seahawks

I am not a football fan per se, as I referenced in my last post, but the Seattle Seahawks Super Bowl victory last Sunday and the legacy they are leaving, warrants another post.

Inaugurating a New Football Dynasty

Ever since that victory, our city (Seattle) has been going crazy, crazier than before. No one could possibly predict that the Seahawks would dominate the Broncos with what appeared to be such ease, by outscoring them 43-8. For Seahawks fans, it was the icing on the cake, as it helped to erase the wounds from our first and last Super Bowl appearance in 2006, when so many Seattleites still believe they (we) were robbed of a Championship title due to poor officiating.

Seattle hasn’t won a World Championship title since the former Seattle SuperSonics NBA team won in 1979. There has been a lot of fan heartache in this town in the last 38 years. Wednesday’s mass crowds estimated at 750,000 people lining the streets for the Seahawks victory parade, put an end to the waiting and the disappointment. It brought (or fed) Seahawks and 12^th Man fever. It brought the national spotlight to our city and our team. It brought hope for the start of a football dynasty in the decade to come. And it feels good…

Onward to Century Link Field (Photo by Rod Mar)

The 12^th Man Factor

How does a team like this command such attention and respect from the community? How does it garner so much support from their fans? It is because the Seahawks have cultivated a relationship with their fans and given them first class status by virtually putting them right on the field with the players. They are The 12^th Man!

Certainly you’ve heard about The 12^th Man. It is the collective name given to Seahawks fans. Opposing teams dread playing against the Seahawks at our Century Link home field because we hold the Guinness World Record for crowd noise, a mere 137.6 decibels.

I’m not as crazy as most fans. On the day of the victory parade, I chose to watch from the comfort of my home instead of standing outside in subfreezing temperatures for hours.

One friend who attended shared her thoughts with me: “I observed how nice people are to each other if they have one thing in common – Seahawks. It’s really touching seeing the emotions going around. It was awesome and thanks to the Seahawks for getting families and communities together.” Well said.

The Seattle Space Needle is awash in Seahawks colors, with the 12th Man flag flying proudly. (Photo credit: Anthony May, antmayphoto.com)

Life Lessons

Putting all of the hype and hysteria aside, there are some real lessons to be learned by watching the Seattle Seahawks this season, or merely by watching the Super Bowl. I’m not talking about football lessons and strategies specifically. I am talking about lessons that can be applied in life.

Why not us?
By now, you heard this phrase repeated all over the media. When Russell Wilson, Seahawks 25-year-old starting quarterback, was interviewed in pre-game and post-game shows, he repeatedly shared the philosophy handed down to him by his father, “Why not you, Russell?” At 5’11” he was an unlikely professional prospect, but his father instilled a positive influence and confidence in Russell from an early age. Russell shared that with his teammates throughout the season. It permeated the culture of the Seahawks.
Loyal Fans
The Seahawks have fostered an environment of loud and proud fans with the honoring of The 12^th Man by hoisting the logo ‘12’ flag at each home game. This prominent display acknowledges the role the Seahawks fans contribute to a positive home game advantage. The fans and players are united and bonded with a winning focus for each game—at home or elsewhere. The 12^th Man was a relevant factor in the Super Bowl, with fans not only from Seattle supporting the Seahawks, but also residents from the New York and New Jersey areas where the game was played.
Team approach
The Seahawks players modeled a team approach to winning. Each game was viewed as a championship game. The players were a collective force to be reckoned with—one game at a time. In most of the interviews I viewed or articles I read it was pretty obvious that there were no egos behind the scenes or individual attempts to steal the limelight. They led with positivity and humility.
Gratitude
The Seahawks were not only grateful to their 12^th Man contingent, they were also grateful to God. Russell Wilson (and other Seahawks) have made their faith evident in some very powerful youtube videos. He has openly expressed how he is using the talent God has given him and encourages the same in others. His first televised words after the Super Bowl were: “It’s a true, true a blessing. God is so good.” His gratitude runs beyond his faith though as he also gives back with weekly visits to Seattle’s Children’s Hospital.

These are just a few of the lessons and the role modeling that the Seattle Seahawks have imparted on their journey to become the 2014 NFL World Champions.*

(Photo by Mark J. Rebilas, USA TODAY Sports)

When we embrace these positive characteristics and attitude, we can influence our world and our lives for good. And like the Seahawks and their 12^th Man tribe, we all need a support team around us to encourage us, build us up when we fall, and keep our focus on our goals for success.

WHY NOT YOU?!

Congratulations to the 2014 NFL World Champion Seahawks, and thanks indeed for bringing unity in our community.

*No offense to Peyton Manning, the Broncos team, or their run for the Championship title. They may have modeled or exuded some of these same winning characteristics. But for now, let’s just allow the Seahawks and Seattle to bask in the limelight and the thrill of victory.

This post is listed on Christian Mommy Blogger/Fellowship Fridays and Missional Women/Faith Filled Friday.

2 Comments

by ardisanelson on February 7, 2014 • Permalink

Posted in Faith & Hope

Tagged celebrations, encouragement, following your dreams, gifts, goals, God, gratitude, hope, leaving a legacy, perseverance, Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks, success, Super Bowl

Posted by ardisanelson on February 7, 2014

https://ardisanelson.com/2014/02/07/life-lessons-from-the-seahawks/

Stop, Look & Listen to God

On New Year’s Day 2014, I attended mass at a local Catholic Church. I suppose it may seem like a strange thing for a Protestant to do, but it has become commonplace for me on special occasions. It was the perfect time for God to show up and remind me of what brought me here in the first place, and to give me direction for the New Year.

The Fruit of Spiritual Growth

It was three years ago this month that He put the wheels in motion for my first step into this church. Within weeks God brought about the amazing revelations and healing that led to my writing “Walking My Mother Home” published in Journeys to Mother Love. So I sat in church reflecting, and taking in the significance of how God has aligned so many events and brought so many people in my life these past several years that led to my unique walk of faith.

One place of my reflection and prayer in Spain on the island of Mallorca, July 2013.

There are too many to thank here, but they know who they are: pastors, support group leaders, and men and women of faith, here and abroad. They encouraged me to follow where God was leading me, to reclaim my identity, and to live missionally. They planted seeds of righteousness in me. They fertilized my dreams of bringing Glory to God through my writing and my voice.

After 13 years of actively seeking spiritual growth and ten years of recovery, they have supported me in my journey to turn my weakness into victory, and my brokenness into a personal ministry of compassion for the poor in spirit.

A Word from the Lord

“What’s next, Lord?” I asked during a moment of silent prayer in church. The word He immediately gave me was ‘STOP’. It wasn’t to stop serving or reaching out to others. It was more like ‘stop, look, and listen’.

In all of my excitement about going to Spain last year, it wasn’t unusual for me to get ahead of God or to start acting on something that really wasn’t the right time. Case in point, I thought I was supposed to speak in Spain and eagerly jumped into setting up talks and honing my speaking skills.

“Not now,” He lovingly told me. “But, but, but…” I knew I had to let go and trust Him.

The other word that God gave me for 2014 was ‘reflect’. That doesn’t sound like a hard thing for a contemplative to do. I spend hours in prayer every week; so what’s the difference this year? God reminded me recently of a scripture that He gave me when all of these amazing things started to happen. It was Luke 2:19, “But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.”

I have gotten away from that posture in the past two years. I was so excited about traveling to Spain, being a first time author, and Pedro’s music success, that I haven’t slowed down much to just take it all in. It is a normal part of my life now, but there are times that I forget to do as Mary did. Don’t act on it, just treasure it.

Treasures of the Heart

God made some pretty big deposits in my heart these last few years. He has given me new dreams for the coming year and beyond. This year I want to be more deliberate in noticing when to stop, look, and listen for His guidance. I want to abide more and react less. Maybe that even means not being so bold on my blog, sharing so much, or so often.

Whatever it takes, I want to be in alignment with God’s will for my life and to wait for His perfect timing. Hopefully by the end of 2014, I can attest to His building the fruit of patience in me like never before. And I’ll have more things to treasure in my heart for the coming year.

What is your focus for 2014?

8 Comments

by ardisanelson on January 15, 2014 • Permalink

Posted in Faith & Hope, Identity, Spiritual Growth

Tagged Catholic, Christianity, encouragement, following your dreams, gifts, God, hope, identity, letting go, obedience, prayer, Protestant, spiritual journey

Posted by ardisanelson on January 15, 2014

https://ardisanelson.com/2014/01/15/stop-look-listen-to-god/

I’ll be Home for Christmas

A few days before Christmas, while in the throes of the holiday rush, I dedicated some rare bedtime reading to a book given to me by my friend Debbie. The book was a short memoir by her sister, and best friend, Shelly, published posthumously. Debbie lost her sister to cancer on Christmas Day last year.

I’ve watched Debbie bravely live beyond her grief, especially over the past few months while serving together in ministry. It is in honor of Shelly’s memory and Debbie’s family grief that I am writing this post.

Shelly Lynn Bartholomew, circa 1983

The Cancer that Saved Me*

Shelly’s book, “The Cancer That Saved Me,” is a chronicle of her 19-month journey through cancer treatment, from diagnosis to her passing. I didn’t read it to learn about cancer treatment, although I did get a better understanding of the medical process, I read it to get a sense for what Debbie went through—as a way of identifying more with her grief.

I had also heard Debbie recount how Shelly was full of spirit and that her battle was having a profound effect on their family. Shelly’s ability to lean on God was giving back to the family and giving them the courage and strength to be there for Shelly.

A few pages into Shelly’s book, I didn’t think I was going to be able to read it. The Forward of the book gripped me. Below is an excerpt:

“I no longer ask, ‘why me?’ I now say ‘thank you.’ I no longer feel sorry for myself. I now feel ‘blessed’ for every day. Through God’s grace, I am alive, and although my body may be broken, it was my spirit that was broken before I got cancer. God has given me ‘time.’ I may have a little hiccup in my giddy up, but I amble along every day giving thanks for all my blessings. Ironically, I did not see them when I was healthy.”

One of the things that struck me is her statement about God giving her time. When I read that I think of how most people don’t know when or how we are going to leave this earth. Shelly was given a gift of time to prepare—to be aware of the gift of life—to turn to the Lord with her remaining time, and to develop an attitude of gratitude and worship. Yes, even in the face of death—or especially in the face of death.

Leaving a Legacy

Life isn’t fair. It doesn’t seem right for a 51 year-old woman who was full of life to be taken from her family so soon and in such short order. But through it all, God’s purposes did prevail. With Shelly’s passing and limited publishing of her story, she was able to leave a legacy greater than her love for animals and her family.

Shelly left a legacy of restoration in her heart, love for the Lord, and hope for the future. Her renewed commitment to God helped her to face each day. She knew she was not alone in her battle. That gave her great peace. I see that same legacy of God’s comfort and love in Debbie every time I see her because she proudly wears it and shares it as well.

We each have a date sometime in the future that the Lord will call us home to be with Him. We can live our lives for ourselves, or we can live them for God, leaving a legacy that is full of His Light, His Love and His Hope. Shelly did that, finishing well.

Sisters and best friends, Debbie and Shelly, in a Christmas play from their youth.

I’ll be Home for Christmas

We all long to be home for Christmas–to be with our earthly family and friends. But it doesn’t always work out that way due to distance, finances, broken relationships, and more. We also innately long for our heavenly home, where peace will reign. Revelation 21:4 tells us it will be a place of no more mourning, or crying or pain.

On Christmas Day 2012, God got a beautiful present when Shelly joined Him in heaven. Shelly got a gift too, as she was freed from the cancer that ravaged her body, and united with her heavenly Father.

On Christmas Day 2013, the family turned over the calendar of first-year milestones in their grief process. Just like anyone who loses a friend or family member at Christmas time, their holidays will be filled with sorrow and hope. Their grief will continue in invisible ways for years to come, dissipating over time. Shelly’s final legacy will see them through it—and us as well, if we are open to living a life dedicated to following God.

______________________________________________________________________________________________

*“The Cancer that Saved me”, by Shelly Lynn Bartholomew, is not available online. In lieu of payment for the book, donations are gladly accepted and forwarded to the Swedish Hospital Uncompensated Care Program/Oncology Department through her family. There is a nominal charge of $4.50 for shipping. You can request a copy or more information by contacting Debbie@gowise.org.

2 Comments

by ardisanelson on December 27, 2013 • Permalink

Posted in Faith & Hope, Relationships & Family

Tagged cancer, Christmas, death, dying too soon, gifts, gratitude, grieving our losses, healing, hope, leaving a legacy, saying goodbye

Posted by ardisanelson on December 27, 2013

https://ardisanelson.com/2013/12/27/ill-be-home-for-christmas/

You Can’t go Home Again, or Can You?

Have you ever longed to go back to your childhood home—one that your family left many, many years ago? Did you dare drive around in the neighborhood or maybe even knock on the door in hopes of connecting with the new residents and maybe getting a chance to go inside? Or maybe your childhood memories were too painful to even think of doing such a thing.

This kind of chance of a lifetime recently presented itself to me—and like so many of these life coincidences; I took it as a sign from God to follow where He was leading me.

In the Neighborhood

It was on my 54^th birthday—also the day that my driver’s license was expiring. So a trip to the Department of Licensing became a high priority on this day—not something I really had time for or wanted to do. I made the best of it though, even deciding to wear a special outfit so my ‘mug’ shot might have a chance of being pleasantly memorable.

When I pulled into the parking lot, I took more than a mental note of where I was. My childhood home was around the corner. A few weeks earlier, I had pulled out my memoir, still unworked on since last year’s NaNoWriMo. I began the painful process of re-reading it, but stopped after the first chapter, the chapter about my mother’s nervous breakdown and living in this neighborhood. After that reading, I felt God nudge me to contact the one last neighbor who I knew still lived in the neighborhood. But I didn’t act on it.

Or can you?

Although this wasn’t the home or neighborhood I was born in, I knew God was giving me another nudge, on my birthday, to pursue this last link to my childhood. I’d been to this neighborhood before several times as an adult. It was one of the first places I visited when my husband and I moved to the state of Washington about 25 years ago. At that time I went so far as to meet the residents, the people who bought the home from my parents in 1966.

This day’s visit was to the neighbor’s house though. The name on the mailbox was still the surname of a childhood friend. Maybe, just maybe, I would get some more insight into the day my mother had her nervous breakdown and our life on that street.

I knocked on the door. There was no answer. I was torn. Should I leave a note under the door? I just couldn’t believe that God brought me to this doorstep without as much as an answer.

My Childhood Home

So I took the bold step of going next door to my former home. An elderly woman answered the door. I told her a bit about who I was, a writer, etc., and asked about the neighbor. I was surprised when she invited me into the home and even offered me a seat in the living room.

Hiding behind the 50-year old landscaping lies my childhood home.

It was surreal. I had just written a post about the events of JFK’s assassination on that day—my birthday—50 years ago. And here I was sitting in the same room where I watched the unfolding of those horrific events in our nation’s history. I shed a tear or two in the retelling of the significance of that home.

The couple was quite kind to me. They gave me free reign of the house, asked me things about the property, and what it was like back in those days. The house seemed much smaller to me than I remembered, but that isn’t unusual in light of the fact I was a mere 3-6 years old when we lived there.

Regarding the neighbor, I found out that he had sold the house and moved out a month ago. Too bad I didn’t follow that nudge back then, I thought to myself. But his dementia would’ve precluded his ability to help me anyway.

The street sign may have read ‘DEAD END’, but the events of the day proved otherwise.

What Lies Around the Corner?

It was all so unanticipated—to stop by the neighborhood, to knock on their door, and most assuredly to be invited inside. Their invitation and interest was a precious gift to me, one that I’m not sure they were really able to fully comprehend. Out of my gratitude for their kindness to me, I gave them a signed copy of my book.

Plan as we may, we never really know for sure what lies ahead in our lives from day to day. What if God is calling us to something just around the corner? Would you heed to His nudge? Would you blindly do something that to outsiders may look foolish or presumptuous?

Some may say I have a habit of doing those things. Others see it as obedience and trusting God when I embrace these chance encounters. I’m just grateful that He cares enough to give me these little kisses from above, and that others may be inspired to do the same—turning their healing into hope.

In the end, I really was able to go home again. And that really was the proverbial icing on the cake for my 54th birthday.

1 Comment

by ardisanelson on December 12, 2013 • Permalink

Posted in Faith & Hope, Healing & Recovery, My Writing Journey

Tagged 11-22-1963, birthday, childhood memories, gifts, God, God's timing, healing, hope, memoir writing, obedience, wounds of the past

Posted by ardisanelson on December 12, 2013

https://ardisanelson.com/2013/12/12/you-cant-go-home-again-or-can-you/

Not Just Another Wives’ Tale

The year was 1983. It was a very memorable year for me. I got married, my husband graduated from chiropractic college, we moved to his hometown back in Illinois, bought the family home, and started his chiropractic practice in the rural town of Sandwich, Illinois. It was an exciting and stressful time in our lives.

The Chiropractic Wife

While studying for the CPA exam, I was also working with my husband to build his practice. I was learning about chiropractic, how to navigate the ins and outs of insurance billing, and how to manage the front desk operations. Unfortunately I didn’t pass that exam, and I took it more than once. I gave up my dream of being a CPA and caught my husband’s dream. I became the typical chiropractic wife—devoted to chiropractic and to my husband’s business.

For the early years of our marriage we led a blissful life, working long hours to build the practice and traveling across country to chiropractic conferences. His second year out of chiropractic college, he decided to change from the more traditional manual (hands-on) adjusting technique to a more gentle technique called Activator Methods. From that point on he has devoted nearly all of his patient treatment to the Activator technique.

30 Years Later

We no longer live in Illinois, and I no longer work for my husband, but have done so at varying times of our marriage. We live in the suburbs of Seattle, Washington where my husband started another practice based on the Activator technique. He is an Advanced Proficiency rated doctor. Way back when my husband started using the Activator technique I knew that someday he would be up front teaching. Someday is here.

My husband, Dr. Curtis Nelson, teaching at the Phoenix Activator seminar.

I am so proud of my husband and the platform teaching role he now holds in his profession. (He has been an assistant teacher for many years.) His new teaching role started last spring. Last month, I got to travel with him to a conference for the first time in years. I wasn’t the typical chiropractic wife, but I knew it was time for me to step back into the role of wife to my husband, who just happens to be a chiropractor. The timing couldn’t have been more God anointed for me.

Weekend in Arizona

A chiropractic couple we’ve known for those 30 years recently moved to Seattle and is starting over with a practice here. The husband, Dr. Ed Shepherd, has been teaching at Activator conferences for years. So we joined the Shepherds for a weekend trip to Phoenix where the men taught and the women played. My friend Cheryl and I explored the Red Rock Country of Sedona one day and the Chihuly Exhibit at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix the next. Breath-taking views abound. The heat reminded me of Spain, but the views were definitely the Southwest.

Cheryl and me on the way to Sedona.

On Saturday night, spouses were invited to join the teaching doctors for dinner with the co-founder and CEO of Activator Methods, Dr. Arlan Fuhr, and his wife, Judi. I was torn. I wanted to explore Sedona and have a leisurely dinner with Cheryl. Cheryl, who works with her husband, wanted to return to Phoenix and join the chiropractic dinner party. Sedona would have to wait until another trip.

When seated at the dinner table, I had the unexpected honor of sitting closest to Dr. Fuhr (aside from his wife). An introvert by nature and not up to date on the status of the chiropractic profession or advances in Activator, I felt a bit awkward. With a heart for Spain, I asked him about Activator in Europe, and specifically in Spain.

Dinner with the Fuhr’s and the other chiropractic instructors.

I was surprised to learn that the Fuhr’s were on their way to Madrid in just a few days. I was even more shocked and excited to hear he was teaching Activator to the first chiropractic graduates in an accredited program in Spain. Naturally I brought up my summer travels to Spain, and in time, how my story in Journeys to Mother Love is connected to Spain.

In God’s Timing

By the end of the weekend, Dr. Fuhr had an autographed copy of my book in his hands for him and Judi. It brought a tear to my eye to give away this copy of my book. I know it landed in good hands. I know it is an indirect expansion of my Spanish connection. I know it was not coincidence at this point in my life to have this encounter. It felt like a kiss from Above.

Dr. Fuhr and me, expanding my Spanish connection.

It took 30 years for my husband to step into his role as an Activator instructor. My role is no longer as a business partner in his practice. It is now as a spousal supporter of his professional career. I have my own career now in writing and indirectly in ministry to the people of Spain. The two intersected in a restaurant in Phoenix in a way that only God could’ve orchestrated.

It’s not just another old wives’ tale. God’s timing was once again, perfect.

Cathedral Rock, Sedona, AZ

Chihuly glass art exhibit at the Desert Botanical Gardens.

2 Comments

by ardisanelson on December 5, 2013 • Permalink

Posted in Faith & Hope, My Spanish Connection

Tagged Activator doctor of chiropractic, Activator Methods, encouragement, gifts, God, God's timing, gratitude, hope, Journeys to Mother Love, Sedona, trusting God

Posted by ardisanelson on December 5, 2013

https://ardisanelson.com/2013/12/05/not-just-another-wives-tale/

Mothering Inadequacies

God heals us and satisfies the desires of our heart in such surprising ways. Meeting my Spanish family this past summer is confirmation of that.

Journeys To Mother Love

I was 33 years old when I had my first child. Like many women, I felt unsure of myself and ill-equipped to be a mother. Unlike many, though, I believed I had good reason for my misgivings.

My mother had a nervous breakdown when I was six. She was still able to function in her role as a housewife, but it left her emotionally unavailable to me. For whatever reason, she rarely spent time with me in the kitchen or preparing me for my role as a wife or mother.

As I grew up and went out on my own, I wondered whether I would ever be a mother or have kids of my own. I never had a strong desire to be around children. I didn’t have the longing, like I hear some women express, to have children to feel complete.

After ten years of marriage my husband and…

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Making Me Bold

All posts tagged gifts

The 12 Days of Christmas & the Gifts from our True Love

On Mission for God, Part 7 ~ Review & Gratitude

English Additions to “Walking My Mother Home” Available

A Tribute to Mom, Part 2 – Her Final Gift

Life Lessons From the Seahawks

Stop, Look & Listen to God

I’ll be Home for Christmas

You Can’t go Home Again, or Can You?

Not Just Another Wives’ Tale

Mothering Inadequacies

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