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  

Life is Seasonal

It was my last dinner for awhile with our circle of Sisters and we enjoyed the evening at North 11. Miriam, Elisabeth, Ruth and I enjoyed the ambiance of the dimly lit, relaxing space. We immediately caught up with each others' lives including many new beginnings: ultrasound pictures of God’s miracles not yet born, new employment for a Son in Washington D.C., wedding photos for a Son and Daughter-In-Law, wedding plans for an upcoming wedding, all blessings from God we are so thankful for! 

We prayed for our Sisters Rebecca and Sarah who were unable to join us. The end of Summer is official now and we are seeing the glimpse of colors changing on the trees and cooler nights and early mornings. We discussed my parents and the change for me traveling soon to Florida.

Dinner was amazing, though Ruth had a bit of a wait for hers to arrive as it upended in the kitchen! Miriam and Anna enjoyed delicious salmon, while Elisabeth had white pizza and Ruth eventually enjoyed her regular pizza. Miriam, as thoughtful as ever had brought along delicious desert: chocolate cupcakes which were quickly devoured! It was the perfect ending to our meal.

It seems lately we all have been reminded of the fragile nature of our human form, whether due to the loss of a close friend, the loss of a dear parent of one of our circle of friends, or the passing of time watching the summer season coming to an end. 

I am reminded of a passage in James 4:14, “Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” This reminds me to live my life surrounded by close Christian friends, spending each moment praising God for our fellowship together and the reliance each of us feels when we share life together.

As humans, we cannot begin to understand His great plan, we can only await the day when we reach true understanding at Jesus’ feet. In the meantime, I am thankful for precious time with God and with my dear friends. I treasure each of them and our fellowship together. I am always thankful for the quick response to a prayer request to my Sisters in Christ, knowing instantly that I am covered by amazing prayer warriors. As time continues to pass by faster than I would like it to, let me remember to treasure moments with these special friends, trusting that we will be together in eternity with Christ Jesus. 

Until May, when I can join you again, my love and blessings,

Anna

Praises Abound!

It’s a beautiful day in my little (new) hometown of South Haven, Michigan! I love living in such a cozy, tight-knit community, while we welcome the tourists that join us every year. I mentioned to friends earlier this year, I love living in a town where you can hear the church bells ring at noon and 6pm. Just feels good. God has blessed this state with some of the most beautiful beaches and lakes on the planet and my girlfriends from Kalamazoo came to visit South Haven for our monthly girl’s dinner in July. 

We met at one of my local favorites, Taste, in downtown South Haven. It is an eclectic mix of small plates, full dinner plates, scrumptious salads, and the best martinis in town! The chef, Joel, is famous locally, and gaining notoriety beyond Southwest Michigan. 

I don’t know why, but I can’t pass up my favorite dish each time I visit Taste. I love the red beet, pear, and goat cheese salad, along with the sautéed scallops in garlic butter, with wonderful bread for dipping! Yum! The girls branched out in their choices and partook of other wonderful dishes, like tip steak and fish tacos.

Our monthly get-togethers are very important to us, and force us to set aside time for friendship, support, laughter, and Christian fellowship. We know that we need each other, and this month our conversations were filled with many praises that we shared. 

Miriam shared that her son had a great trip to China and was getting ready to return to the US, so we all keep him on our prayer list for safe travels home. What a great experience for a young man! 

Sarah is counting down the days to her official retirement and we gave thanks for the circumstances surrounding her departure from her long term employer. Though it remains a bit of an anxious time with some uncertainties, we know that God has her back and is planning so much more for her future beyond the 9-5 routine! 

Ruth had a huge praise and announcement that her youngest daughter is expecting her first child, and Ruth’s 2nd grandchild. What a blessing! We pray for good health for both mom and baby! 

Anna also shared some wonderful news about her oldest son… he got engaged to his longtime sweetheart, and invited all the parents to participate in the engagement event! What a wonderful time for Anna to be part of this beautiful demonstration of love. Prayers for this young couple as they enter this exciting time in their life. 

Rebecca also had a big praise that her son had landed a fantastic new job that will set him up for great experiences in the entertainment industry. Also, her grandson is progressing well and is a happy, healthy 2-year old! 

As for me, my praise is that my youngest son is planning his September wedding, and that my husband and I have been able to find a place, and a new church in our new community, and we are starting to feel at home here! 

God is good, all the time!

We all remain concerned for a friend who is battling cancer at a very young age, but we continue to have faith that God will show us His will for her life. She has been such a strong woman through her illness, it gives all of us strength and encouragement as we continue to pray for her.

I am so blessed to be surrounded by these faithful, supportive women. I don’t think I could do life on this earth without them. Love you all!

Elisabeth.

Are you tempted?

As Miriam and I got out of the car, I could smell it. The grill was on and it was hot. The aroma of meat cooking aroused and tempted my senses. Applebee's Grill was cooking dinner! 

Not long after we were seated, Sarah joined us. It would be just the three of us this evening. Elizabeth is traveling with her hubby, enjoying some winter time in the south! Anna is south for the winter as well, helping her parents. Rebbecca stayed home to join her husband in a much anticipated telephone call from her out-of-state son who is making some big decisions in his life. 

Many new dishes tempted us as we studied the menu. The menu had changed since I had last been there. I didn’t want to miss an option, so I studied each page. 

I settled on the Chicken Fajita Roll-up (truthfully, I wanted the French fries that came along with it)!

Sarah had the Hot Shot Whiskey Chicken which was my second choice and boy did it look yummy! 


Miriam ordered the Cedar Grilled Lemon Chicken. We thanked God for the gathering and the food and the sharing began.
 
Miriam and I asked Sarah about her job. Knowing that she has an end date in sight for retirement didn’t make it easier to hear that her employer (who just laid off a number of individuals) is now hiring. She is tempted to just put in her time, work 9 to 5 and call it a day; however, Sarah isn’t working for her employer. She is working as if for the Lord. She is strong. She is trusting God to see her through these last few months and all the stresses and trials of her situation. Sarah is a woman of God.

Miriam had just spent time with family celebrating three birthdays. It was nice to hear about her day out of town, visiting local establishments and enjoying a couple of meals with her grown children. No matter how old our children get, it is great fun to spend time with them and get a glimpse into their lives. When most people put themselves first, Miriam isn’t tempted in that way. She puts others first. She is truly concerned for those around her. She is strong. Miriam is a woman of God.

Just as I was tempted by the smells and the looks of foods on the menu, I am tempted by things in life. Satan is a liar and tries to deceive me. In a recent Bible study Children of the Day by Beth Moore, one lesson focused on deception and reminded me to not let anyone deceive me. How do I do that? I read the Bible. I study it. I pray. I surround myself with Christians to give me strength and hold me accountable. I listen to Christian music and I am careful with what I expose to my eyes. 

My prayer is that you do the same. Get to know Jesus.

John 14:6

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.

Blessings,

Ruth

Breaking Bread at the New Aubree's

At our last meeting, "Girlfriends Breaking Bread" tried a new restaurant called Aubree's Pizza and Grill on Gull Road. This is the 9th and newest location for this group of restaurants that started out in Ypsilanti, Michigan in 1972. 

The restaurant was extremely busy and after a bit of a wait, we were seated and our experienced waitress started us off with some beverages and a tour of the menu pointing out her favorites.

After some deliberation, we place our orders. Among entrees chosen were Mac 'n Cheese, B.A.T. (Bacon, Avocado, Tomato sandwich), fish tacos, salads and pizza. The food was delivered pretty quickly, considering the newness and business of the restaurant, and looked and tasted great!

I really enjoyed my shaved brussels sprout and kale salad, which included quinoa, grape tomatoes and feta cheese, tossed in a light lemon-dill vinaigrette.

Our service started out fine, but as time went on our server was so busy and pretty overwhelmed. We all felt bad for her as some customers were not very happy and didn't mind letting her know!
 
 
After finishing our entrees, we celebrated Anna's birthday and caught up with her plans as she prepares to head to Florida for the winter. The cupcakes from D&W were yummy and adorned with these cute fall rings!



All the girls were able to make it to this dinner, even Elisabeth, who drove in from South Haven!

As usual, we all shared news of our families and had lots of laughs.

It was a great night of friendship. I can't wait until our next meeting. 

Happy fall!

Rebbecca

Out of the Wilderness

Much like the Israelite’s journey through the wilderness, I find myself in the wilderness these days.

In our never-ending quest for sanctification, God leads us through the wilderness on our way to our destination. I have some tough lessons to learn and I am learning a lot about myself. It’s not all bad though. I think that God takes us through the wilderness to protect us from what would be much worse if we went in the direction that we chose ourselves. I am finally learning to relinquish control, I am learning to recognize my many blessings and I am learning to find peace in the middle of chaos. Sometimes it is in the midst of the wilderness that we see and hear God the clearest. He uses our wilderness to draw us closer and sometimes takes us to a place where our only choice is to depend on him.

I think we all find ourselves in the wilderness from time to time. It is exhausting. But – we have a good God!! While on the journey through our personal wilderness, God never makes us go too far without finding an oasis – a moment of peace and rest. Time to refresh!!

A few weeks back He led me to a perfect oasis – dinner with my Christian sisters! What a perfect opportunity to be refreshed! We met in the tiny village of Augusta, close to where we all live, at a relatively new restaurant called Canal Street Café. As we each pulled into the parking lot that Wednesday evening, we all thought that the café would be as packed as the parking lot but were pleasantly surprised to see some empty tables when we walked in. 

The Canal Street Café claims ‘farm fresh’ and has a small but interesting menu with a nearly equal number of nightly specials. Atmosphere and service were good. We all enjoyed our meals and a few of us also enjoyed a glass of wine.

Elisabeth has recently relocated to South Haven and couldn’t make it in to Augusta for dinner with us. We missed her but we know that she loves her new digs and promises to continue to join us now and then. Miriam, Ruth, Anna and I were joined by Rebbecca, a mutual friend that we have known for a long time. She slid into her chair, beamed with a big smile and instantly fit into the group. We look forward to spending more time with her. What a blessing!

The conversation was much like the others we’ve had – never anything earth-shaking but always heart-warming. It was a pleasant rest along the road through my wilderness. Thank you, girlfriends! I am refreshed, renewed and ready to continue my journey.

Pricilla Shirer in her study entitled ‘One in a Million’ says this: ‘We must synchronize our primary purposes with God’s. No matter how well-prepared we think we are, we must realize that we can neither accomplish abundant life with God nor overcome the Enemy’s advances without the Lord’s help. While we often want the easiest and least challenging route to abundant life in Christ, we must acknowledge that God wants to take us on the path that fosters a deeper relationship with Him. He wants us to lay aside our determination to do life our way and follow Him. Only when we do this can we truly become ready to face what lies ahead.’

Let’s prepare for what lies ahead, Ladies! 

Blessings until next time,

Sarah

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

Talking Trio

On a beautiful evening, a bit too warm to sit outside, Miriam, Sarah and I met at the Mission Pointe restaurant for our once monthly girl’s night out. We were small in numbers, but mighty in support of each other while discussing our latest updates on parents, work issues, and family trials. It seemed as though each of us had experienced a trying week and it is always so refreshing to know great Christian friends are there for you praying for you daily.

Mission Pointe is a nice setting and we were directed to an inside table near the fireplace. It becomes excitedly loud as the evening progresses and seating is reaching capacity. We chatted over chips and house made garlic dip while deciding on our meals. Miriam and I ordered Tilapia in a Mediterranean sauce while Sarah chose the Chicken Cobb salad.

The food is fairly tasty, although we all remarked that it was never outstanding and we were not overwhelmed with praise for the chef’s mediocre presentation. 

Miriam is soon to be going on a journey of a lifetime in Europe and we excitedly listened to her plans. Sarah updated us on the condition of her family members injured in a horrible auto accident; we are continuing to lift them up in prayer. We all remarked how we missed seeing Elizabeth regularly, but we are thrilled for her in her new adventure in her life! Ruth is traveling and doing some family visits this week and we all certainly know how precious time is with Grandchildren. We miss the other half of our group as always when they are not with us.

Miriam had kindly brought yummy cupcakes to celebrate Sarah’s birthday, and we devoured them as desert. Of course they were chocolate! It was great to celebrate with Sarah her special day- even our server got into the action, and we offered her a cupcake for later.

We decided upon the next date and location for our meeting and really look forward to having the group together again. It is our prayer that everyone enjoys the remaining few weeks of sunshine and warm summer days as cooler fall ones are around the corner.

Blessings to all until we meet again,

Anna

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

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