Happy Retirement to Sister Sarah!

If you've been reading our blog, it will not come as a shock to you that Sarah had been counting down the days to her official retirement. Well, count no more! In late October, Sarah bid ado to her adoring coworkers, turned in her badge and embraced retirement! 

Sarah went home... sat around, ate bon bons and watched reruns of I Love Lucy. 

NOT!

Sarah and hubby had been praying for God's direction in the next phase of their lives beyond the work-a-day world for over a year and the minute the retirement bell rang, things started falling perfectly into place. 

Within a few short weeks, they had sold their house in Richland and moved to a new home near Minneapolis and more importantly - near their grandchildren!

During this mad rush of activity, Sarah managed to find time to dine with the Girlfriends at one of our favorites, The Kitchen House. Elizabeth made the snowy trek from South Haven while Ruth, Sarah and I had only a few blocks to travel. 

We missed Rebecca who was helping her children and grandchildren prepare for a move and of course Anna, who is back in Florida for the winter.

It was so much fun to see the excitement on our dear friend Sarah's face as she outlined their plans and described how God had prepared a place for them, close to the family they have missed the last 10 years after relocating to Richland for their careers. We loved hearing how their Richland house sold in one day and how after looking at many houses near Minneapolis, the exact right house in a perfect location popped on the market and they were able to snag it. 

We laughed, listened, encouraged, praised God and so enjoyed this last supper with Sarah that won't require a MUCH longer drive!

In fact, at most restaurants, we may not have even noticed we were eating. However, food prepared at The Kitchen House is an amazing treat for the taste buds that demands attention. Although the portions are large, it's hard to take home leftovers! Three of us enjoyed the pork tenderloin prepared with a special sauce and Ruth had her usual Chicken and Mushroom Penne. 

With our stomachs full of food and our hearts full of love, we hugged Sarah and said our "see you laters."

As I listened to Sarah share her joy in what the Lord has done for them, I was of course reminded of my favorite Bible verse, Jeremiah 29:11

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

May the hope of God be found in your future,

Miriam  

An Eventful Couple of Years!

Hello, loyal blog readers. Elisabeth here, reporting in on what has been quite an eventful couple of years! 

First, my husband and I bought a condo in South Haven, which is situated right along the beautiful Lake Michigan shoreline, about one hour west of Richland. Soon after, I retired from a lifelong career with a Kalamazoo company and within a few months, we sold our home near Richland and moved to South Haven full time. Whew!

You may have noticed that I've missed the last few Girlfriend's dinners and now you know why!

I'm happy to report that after all these changes, my husband and I are doing great and loving the peaceful atmosphere along the lake shore and the slower pace of life.  

Everyone is happy here, and people actually talk to each other face to face, or greet each other on the street - even complete strangers!  It's so refreshing.  

I've met some wonderful, funny, intriguing ladies in South Haven through a golf league at a local course. They have been an organized league for over 50 years, if you can imagine that!  Within the league there is a great diversity of age, socioeconomic background, locals, seasonals, and all levels of golf expertise.  They have readily accepted me into their club, and now I actually see some around town and I'm really enjoying getting to know them better.  

I've been delegated the official golf league photographer and I'm having fun with that.  Additionally, I'm officially launching my photography business in the next month and working on my portfolio. (That's one of my shots above.) I love the creativity and being able to capture special moments on film.  

Hubby is thinking about working part time this winter/spring at the local Menard's a few hours a week to get to know some of the local guys and earn a little extra fun money! Not sure what the winter will bring for us, but we are keeping our options open and may travel south, hoping to find some warm weather, at least for a few weeks.

Although dinners in Richland will be difficult to make this winter as the days get shorter and the deer more active, I do miss my Christian girlfriends. I'm hoping to schedule some lunch or coffee times with these dear ladies who have supported me through all my BIG life changes!

I am blessed!

Elisabeth

Mad Dogs and Englishmen?

It was an overcast, somewhat chilly evening in July when the girlfriends last met for dinner and a chat. Our dining choice was the North End Deli and Spirits, located just across from the boat launch on beautiful Gull Lake.

The NEDs location used to be a convenience store, in and out of business over the years, but sometime in the last couple, it morphed into a lively little restaurant featuring grinders and pizza with BBQ on Sundays.  NEDs does a big take out business and will deliver your meal right to the boat landing as well! 

Bicyclists doing the loop around Gull Lake stop here to refuel their bodies or wet their whistle - over 100 flavors of bottled beer lay in wait in the long wall of coolers. Shermans ice cream, offered in a couple dozen flavors, also makes NEDs a destination for the sweet-toothed crowd.

We arrived at 6:00pm and they were already busy and continued to bustle as we dined. Some of that business on a sleepy Wednesday evening was no doubt related to the upcoming Mad Dogs and Englishmen Car Faire at the world famous Gilmore Car Museum. This 90 acre historic campus is said to feature over 300 vintage cars, motorcycles and memories and on the upcoming weekend it was to be invaded by hundreds of British made vehicles, some offered for sale or swap.

Tonight, we were missing Elisabeth, who was in the final hours of preparing her home to turn over to new owners - a bitter/sweet day for our dear sister in Christ.

Cheeseburger and Tater Tots

After a quick menu perusal, we settled on grinders and burgers to quiet our tummies and the conversation began to roar.  

Mediterranean Chicken Grinder

Topics were widely-arrayed. Job concerns, aging parents, summer fun, retirement joy, upcoming trips, grandchildren and pets all found their way into the conversation. 

We prayed together for the concerns on our hearts and found comfort in God's presence.  ("For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” Matthew 18:20)

We laughed, cajoled and carried on like a bunch of school girls for a couple of hours, then feeling loved and blessed, we gathered our belongings and headed home. 

As I drove away, I thanked God for the gift of friendship and these amazing women who choose to be my sisters in Christ. 

May you be blessed with the gift of good friends, 

Miriam

Sittin at the Dock on the Bay

Warm sunshine blessed us as we gathered at the Dock for dinner. It was so wonderful to have our whole group back together and “catching up” was the first order of business. 

Conversation always flows freely with the common topics of family, activities we have been involved in, and the usual concerns and stresses with work. Everyone seemed so happy to see better weather and spirits were raised immensely. 

Shrimp Basket for me and Elisabeth

We ordered drinks and meals.

French Dip for Ruth

Fish Sandwich for Miriam

Grilled Chicken Breast Salad for Sarah

 





All meals were acceptable and tasty, but the central focus is meeting with friends and fellowship with Christian women. It is refreshing and renewing for all of us to know we are being lifted up in prayer especially during our most trying times. Prayers are being answered; we all feel stronger in unity with one another.

Proverbs 27:9
The heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume and incense. (NLT)

"When we consider the blessings of God—the gifts that add beauty and joy to our lives, that enable us to keep going through stretches of boredom and even suffering - friendship is very near the top."—Donald W. McCullough, Mastering Personal Growth

With the reassurance that we have wise counsel in the company of friends, each one of us leaves renewed and better equipped to face what lies ahead. Praise God for friends! 

Summer begins soon and life just seems easier. If we get through the rainy season without having to float a boat, we will all be blessed! 

Looking forward to our next adventure in July, 

Anna

Growing in Faith

The Girlfriends met not too long ago at Panera Bread to share a meal. As before, Anna is out of state with her parents for a couple more weeks. Elisabeth was also out of town celebrating with her hubby for his birthday. We miss them and look forward to the next dinner when we expect all to attend!

Nothing out of the ordinary came in conversation….husbands, children, work, church, life; however, the outlooks seem different, especially in our attitude toward events in our working lives. Within the group I have seen us experience harassment, age discrimination, new bosses with different ideas and employers reorganizing. 

I know if these same circumstances occurred at earlier times in our lives, our responses would have been much different than they have been. The Bible tells us in James 1:2-4 “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking.” 

I believe we are maturing. I see us praying more, trusting more and submitting to His will.

Prayer. 
Praise God for Bible studies and small groups that help us learn and grow. God wants us to learn what He has for us and how to live our lives. One study focused on prayer. What a wonderful way for us to develop a personal relationship with our Lord. We can pray. Lay down our cares and concerns. Tell Him everything. He listens! Any time. Any where. About anything. He is always accessible and wants us to call on him. Philippians 4:6 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

Trust. 
We have studied and discussed Biblical characters who trusted God. Those stories remind us of our natural inclinations to be in control. We try to handle things on our own first and they don’t work out. We learn to turn to God first. He is faithful. He fulfills His promises. Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.”

Submission. 
Admittedly, I did not look forward to the study about submission; however, I gained a new understanding for just how much God loves us. He is our heavenly father. He was and is and is to come. He knows what is best for us. Jeremiah 29: 11 reminds us “I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare, not for evil, for a future and a hope.”

This meal Sarah shared about future uncertainties with her employer. She is concerned, but not worried. She knows that no matter what happens, God will provide. Sarah, like the rest of us, has been praying, she trusts God and is submitting to His will. 

None of us are perfect, far from it; however, we keep pressing on like Paul does in Philippians 3:13-15 “Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. [ Following Paul’s Example ] All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you.“

May you persevere in maturing your faith in Christ,

Ruth

Misplaced Faith

Last night on a blustery, winter evening, the girlfriends ventured out to dine at what is arguably the nicest restaurant in Richland. Mission Point has been the location of at least a couple girlfriend dinners in the past year, and since we planned this dinner as a belated Christmas get-together we wanted to go somewhere a little special.

We shared our latest praises and concerns that ranged from proud grandma videos to concerns of a corporate takeover to the boiler in my basement that fuels my home's hot water heating system and currently sounds like a B-52 about to drop its payload. 

One concern we all shared was how technology and social media have become such a part of our lives. Although we like to see photos of our children, grandchildren and extended families – constantly checking social media can be a real time waster. And how do we handle those friend requests from high school chums who, well, really were not at all chummy back in the day?  Ruth suggested only logging on once a day and limiting the time – a great philosophy that takes some willpower – especially for Elisabeth and I, who are retired.

Well, as we often say, God works in mysterious ways.

This morning, my computer was being stubborn, so I rebooted. While I waited for my MAC to come alive again, I picked up a little book that Ruth gave me for Christmas titled “New Every Morning, A Celebration of God’sFaithfulness for Women” authored by Leah Slawson.

I opened to the first devotion, titled Misplaced Trust and read the following: 

Sometimes it seems the entire world is connected – through texting, phone calls, status updates and the list goes on. We all want to communicate with one another – all the time. We want to speak and have an audience, and we want to read and listen to what others say. We need and depend on one another, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. We were created for interdependence like parts of a body.

But it’s easy to cross the line of trusting in people more than trusting in God, talking to friends more than talking to Jesus, seeking counsel rather than seeking the Counselor.

Our instantaneous connection with others carries with it the danger of putting all our trust and hope in others. We put faith in our companies, our political parties, our social groups, our teachers, even our preachers. We can always find another blog to read, website to peruse, sermon on podcast, text to respond to or email to read.

We become dependent on these relationships and before we know it they have displaced faith.  Our time and our thoughts are consumed with the words of everyone but God. Scripture tells us people are here and gone in the blink of an eye. In a moment, our plans perish with us.

Only Jesus - only His presence is lasting in our lives Only He will be with us in this world and the next, every moment of every hour.

So without checking email, FaceBook, twitter, the local newspaper website or my favorite blogs, I began to write this post.

Now you could argue that asking you to read MY blog post is part of the problem. But I choose to think of it as a way to bolster my resolve and offer a suggestion to you as well.

Today, as recommended by the scripture below, I will put my trust (and time) in God, not in the princes of social media. 

Psalm 146:3-4 (NLV) 
3 Do not put your trust in princes, in a son of a man, who cannot save us. 4 When his spirit leaves, he returns to the earth. His thoughts end on that day.

Stay warm out there (and perhaps say a prayer for my boiler),

Miriam

Women's Weekend in South Haven

Last month the girlfriends met at NED’s (North End Deli) in Richland for dinner.  I said I would write the blog for this gathering and never did.   Now, I can’t remember enough of the evening to do it justice.   

Forgiveness.  That is one of the MANY attributes I LOVE about my Christian sista’s.  They are loving, kind and forgiving.  Thank you, God, for putting them in my life. 

On to the latest gathering….

Groceries at Bloomingdale's Bulk Food and Grocery:  $6.36

Lunch at Taste of South Haven: $18.48

Shopping in town: $60.00

Weekend get-a-away with Christian Sista’s:  Priceless!

Elisabeth and her husband purchased a condo in South Haven to enjoy in their retirement.  Since making the purchase they have been busy with updating the condo to their liking and helping plan and enjoy their son and daughter-in-law’s wedding. 

This fall things have slowed down a bit and Elizabeth invited us for a women’s weekend in South Haven.  Unfortunately, Anna is already out of state for the winter and Sarah had other commitments so they were unable to join us.  We missed them.

Elisabeth, Miriam and I met at Elisabeth’s house early Saturday morning and drove west, the back way, to South Haven.  It was late fall so most of the leaves were already down, but an occasional splash of color dotted the woods.  It was overcast and windy, but not too cold.   

We drove through Alamo, Gobles and Bloomingdale and Elisabeth said she wanted to make a stop at a quaint Amish grocery co-op.  We wandered up and down the aisles looking at spices, baskets and baked goods.  We picked up a couple of things to eat later and got back on the road.  The conversation continued from one thing to the next and it wasn’t long until we arrived in South Haven.

Elisabeth has created a warm, welcoming get-away.  The condo has two floors, the lower with two bedrooms and a full bathroom.  She let us pick which room we wanted to sleep in and continued the tour to the upper floor.  It has an open concept living room, eating area and kitchen.   It is a beautiful place to call home.  They will make many memories there with family and friends.

After getting acquainted with our weekend surroundings, we went downtown.  The main street is lined with great shops that have household goods, clothing, bakery goods and much more.  I always enjoy shopping out-of-town hoping to find a unique gift to give for Christmas.  This trip was no exception.  I bought…oh, wait!  I can’t tell in case my daughter’s read the blog! 
 
We had a variety of options for lunch.  Elisabeth suggested Taste of South Haven.  She and Miriam have eaten there before and enjoyed the food.  If I remember correctly, they both had Chef Joel’s signature tomato bisque with Parmesan cheese and a blend of herbs followed by Bay Scallop Scampi with garlic bread.  I enjoyed the corn tortillas filled with grilled tilapia, homemade creamy slaw, corn & avocado salsa.  We had no agenda for the weekend so we had a leisurely meal enjoying every bite as well as great conversation and a glass of wine.

We had a chance to walk to the beach just as the sun was coming out from under the clouds and setting in the west.  The water and wind were wild!  There were snow fences on the beach to help control mother nature later this winter.  The sand was blown through them and up and over the road.  The water swelled in the channel up and over the walls.   

The sand was dotted with clumps of weeds and shells from Lake Michigan.  From a distance they looked like sea animals on shore.  The wind pushed the water this way and that crashing onto the shore.  It was a beautiful display of God’s power and beauty.  I see why Elisabeth and so many enjoy the shoreline.  As the sun set we walked back to the condo and enjoyed pizza, a girly flick and more conversation.

One of the nicest things about being with my Christian Sista’s is that we can talk or remain silent and it is okay with everyone.  We had great conversations regarding our bodies and how they are changing.  We talked about recent events at church.  We shared family joys and sorrows.  It was a relaxing weekend that was much needed and much appreciated.   

Thank you, Elisabeth, for sharing your space with us.  Thank you, God, for friends.

As we come to Thanksgiving I was reminded recently at church to always give God thanks for His many blessings. 
“Always be joyful.  Never stop praying.  Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”  1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18.

And in that spirit, thank YOU for reading my blog post!

Ruth

Dog Days of Summer

I always love these last few weeks of summer when it seems everyone is relaxed, trying to soak up the last bit of beautiful sunshine, kids are not yet thinking about school, and summer vacations are at their peak.  

I fondly remember these days as a kid, basically just laying around.  Some days I would spend a good couple hours just laying on the ground watching the clouds, and trying to find animals or people's faces in the ever-changing puffiness.
  

Sometimes a dragon would turn into a elephant, or a person's profile would turn into a horse.  Always changing.   It was awesome and sometimes I miss it a lot.  

I've retired this past year, so I'm actually thinking of spending some time doing this very activity this week as the dog days of summer are surely upon us.  

This time of year, I tend to get a little nostalgic and sentimental, too.  Not sure why, exactly. Maybe because that was how I marked time in my small little life as a kid.  Starting school, new hair cut, new shoes, you know.  Looking forward to new adventures, excited, but nervous, and wanting to linger in the dog days of summer just a little longer.   

The last several decades have flown by, and my mark of time has somehow been lost over the years.  Once the kids were out of school, there was no longer a good mark of time, and it got away from me.  

One of my goals for retirement is getting back to basics, lingering a little longer in some places, and reliving some of those memories with a different set of eyes.  Though I love the excitement of new places and people, it always feels comforting to be in familiar territory, with familiar faces.

So speaking of the familiar, our girlfriend's dinner this month was also back to the familiar, back to basics, back to Richland!  We love our small little town and the basic food establishments that are dotted across the village.  We've traveled across the county and eaten at many wonderful establishments, but we all agreed we wanted to come back to  the hometown.  

Walking into the Richland Pub was like old home week for some.  We perched on the high-top table right next to the door amid other friends and families that came to enjoy good, hometown bar food.  

The Richland Pub has been "a Richland tradition for over 50 years" and never fails to deliver.  The Pub has been a long-standing local hangout for a long as I can remember.  I've lived in Richland just over 30 years, and though the owners and menus have changed, a number of things have stayed the same -  their cool retro cocktail sign, their burgers and their hometown atmosphere.  

The latest owner, Phil, has made it a favorite stop for car enthusiasts heading to Gilmore Car Museum, local teams, families, golfers and sports enthusiasts!  There's always a lively atmosphere.  

I believe we sampled the menu quite well! Sarah and Anna ordering the famous Pub Burger, I had the shrimp basket, Miriam chose a chicken wrap and Ruth had the French Dip.

Conversation with this group of women is never dull or boring.  We touch on so many topics, it's hard to capture everything, but this time we were very interested Sarah's story about her recent mentoring opportunity.  

Sarah is a person of great intellect and compassion, and has many pieces of wisdom to pass on to a willing student.  She entered into this mentoring program after much prayer, because it will take a considerable amount of her time, not to mention some fairly intense emotional energy as well.  She had her choice of students through the program, each with their own set of challenges.  

The students are given homework assignments, like making telephone calls to certain service agencies, or calling the bank to complete a financial transaction.  Things that may sound simple to the average person, but create a challenge for those who are struggling.  

Sarah says she prays for patience and perseverance, as the challenges can sometimes seem overwhelming, and she feels under equipped.  We assured her she is more than equipped to handle this and God will guide her through it, one way or another.   

Funny how we as Christians sometimes feel the same way when we are confronted with a "mentoring" opportunity on faith.  We feel so under equipped, and tend to step back from opportunities that may have a huge impact on someone's life and the Kingdom, just because we think we don't know what to say or do.  But God tells us in the Bible, don't worry, I will give you the words to say (paraphrasing, of course!).

Miriam made us laugh with a picture of her son, who is currently studying in China, enjoying a care package from home with all the candy, cookies, and sweet treats he is unable to get in China.  It shows him lying on a bed with a big smile on his face wallowing in all the packages of candy.  Priceless! 

Anna was excited to share pictures of her nephew's wedding and give us an update of one son's upcoming move back to the Midwest.  As parents, we are so happy when kids actually choose to move back to familiar territory, and be closer to family and friends. 

Ruth had lots of pictures to share also of her first and most darling granddaughter, born a few weeks early, but doing great.  So tiny, but so perfect!  I've always said if people want to see God's miracles, just look at a perfect newborn child.  It's amazing and almost unfathomable!  God is so good to us!  

Unbeknownst to me, we were also celebrating several birthdays that evening, with Ruth and Sarah!  

That is something else I have to get better at.... remembering birthdays and other special occasions.  You'd think with all the social media, I wouldn't miss a beat, but apparently I've not been paying attention.  I want to start sending paper cards in the snail mail, (along with all the electronic versions, I suppose).  I don't know about you, but I love getting a card in the mailbox.  Something about it just makes me feel good, like a person actually took the time to hand write a note, put a stamp on it, and walk it to the mailbox.  Back to basics. 

Here I go again, reminiscing, longing for some of the good old days.  But I guess it's that time of year for me so I'm relishing it!  Hope you all enjoy the dog days of summer!

Until next time,

Elisabeth

Flashback Friday with the Girlfriends

One of the great things about our lovely little community of Richland is that we are within a few minutes drive of Kalamazoo, home of two campuses of higher education, several theater groups, a variety of restaurants and entertainment venues as well as one-of-a-kind retail shops.

Tonight our destination was two-fold. Dinner at the University Roadhouse, followed by a play at Western Michigan University.

The Roadhouse, as the regulars refer to it, is operated by The Housler Restaurant Group which has been family owned and operated since 1989. The varied menu, lively upstairs pub and outdoor-patio seating make the Roadhouse a popular spot any night of the week for students, parents and townies.

With so many choices and a couple great-sounding specials, it was hard to choose our entrees. After much deliberation,

Ruth went with the Gyro and Sarah chose the club sandwich with sweet potato fries. Elisabeth was home nursing a virus (it’s been a long, cold, sick winter in Michigan) and feeling a bit puny as well, I chose the tomato soup and half a turkey sammy.

The food at the Roadhouse is consistently tasty and filling, although not award winning in the creative department. But that’s OK for three girlfriends more interested in the conversation than the grub.

And converse we did. Sarah and I caught Ruth up on our adventure in Florida and Ruth gave us a rundown of her busy week while we were away. While we were with Anna searching for sun, Ruth was spending a great weekend with her hubby and their three young-adult offspring.  We chatted up our past theater-going experiences and our familiarity with the topic of the upcoming play based on the 80’s movie Nine to Five.

After dinner, Ruth drove us over to the WMU Gilmore TheaterComplex, home of the “nationally award-winning department of theater” and we settled in to enjoy the play.  As the lights went down, the stage erupted into a rousing rendition of the musical theme song of Nine to Five. The costuming was a fabulous flashback to the 80’s with frilly to frumpy dresses, masculine-styled suits for women and BIG hair! As the play unfolded, it was entertaining to remember the days of typewriters and secretarial pools and at the same time disconcerting to see the womanizing actions of the top executive, Mr. Hart!

We laughed and booed and were amazed at the talent of the students on the stage and behind the scenes! No wonder this theater program is known as one of the best in the nation!

Before we knew it the lights came up and it was time to head home – well after our typical bedtime! We all agreed however, that it was a great evening and we must see what the WMU theater students are up to next season.

Until next time, when the girlfriends get together to break bread…

Blessings to you and yours.

Miriam