Tonight I have a quiet house to myself and thought I better get on this yearly letter. Several times I’ve forgotten all about my tradition and then I have to scramble… Thankfully not this year! Earlier I decided to pull out a folder with all my past paper copies: first Christmas letters, then New Year’s letters, and now Easter letters. I have them starting from 1983 – 40 years ago. A Generation’s Worth some would profess. That’s SO WILD. – I think I’ve mentioned before that even if I wanted to pull the plug on these yearly communiqués, Bree wouldn’t let me! ☺ Admittedly the accumulation tells a tale and chronologues the bullets of my life if nothing else. – Might be good for the Grandkids some day!
Anyway. I didn’t read the letters - someday I might - but I did skim 1983 and it caused me to pause awhile. 1983 was when I first went to China. When I met Mark. That seems like a different life and sometimes hard to fathom how I wound up here and now. To date I feel like I’m living my fourth life. (Ha! Letting you in on my ponderings.) The first was with my family of origin; the second with Mark and raising Levi and Bree; the third was a brief five years of being single after losing Mark; and now I’m in my fourth life with Greg and grandkids in the mix.
AND it’s all good. My Faithful Father has walked beside me all the way.
Another thing: I turned 64 last Saturday. SIXTY FOUR! Indeed, how did I wind up being 64?
I believe some of my current introspection stems from losing my mom last June and celebrating (of sorts) her life with my sisters, Jill and Jamie, here in New Mexico last weekend. Many of you already know my mom was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma in 2021. After briefly going into remission for a couple months, she was diagnosed with Leukemia in April 2022 and moved to Heaven soon thereafter on June 25th. It was a whirlwind and the family is still trying to wrap our heads around her quick departure. We weren’t ready. She was, I’m certain, but gosh it’s a strange world now without my dad and mom in it. – Realizing pretty poignantly again how brief life is on the planet.
I’ll move on and not make this letter all about today’s head-space, but I tell ya; I’m starting to understand why “old(er) folks” often live in their pasts. Connecting the dots of all the ups and downs and adventures of one’s story leads to some interesting thinking. Recognizing God’s Presence and Sovereignty become more and more powerful. Hmmmm … He’s so Faithful.
Following Easter 2022, the McEwen/Macallister/t’Sas/Lisea fam obviously hit a tough season. Even so, as with Dad’s move in 2018, Mom’s move was bittersweet also. It was hard AND we REJOICE that she completed her Earth walk WELL, is now with Jesus, and is living her BEST life with so many loved ones.
July 4th brought that circle of life back into focus with the arrival of Colt Robert Barela, weighing in at 7lbs 4oz no less! Might be a patriot and is certainly a firecracker in the best sense of the word. He’s sweet and funny and leans towards Macallister in his coloring and bright blue eyes. Always amazing how siblings with the same two parents can look SO different from one another!
Chad and Bree are those parents juggling family and church and business and community. They’ve truly done so well despite the challenges of the past few years. Arlo and Scout are PRECIOUS big brother and sister to Colt and I love these five with all my heart.
I may have to fill in some Levi-gaps next year as he’s in the middle of some big plans and I’m hesitant to spill beans before things happen. I am offering a link here that will at least catch you up to now. Some hard stuff but I’m so proud of my boy and the journey he’s committed/submitted to. He continues to amaze me; did I ever tell you how a handwriting analyst once told me Levi is “crazy artistic?” – That’s another story not for today, but BOY did she get that right! – Love my boy MADLY!
Greg’s work finally picked back up some after the far-reaching COVID tentacles. Though mostly remote activity, he’s done a few in-person facilitations now. It’s been a decent year between his training job and the ongoing time he gives to our church weekly. – We attended his middle daughter Krista’s wedding in CA last August which provided great opportunity to see extended family beyond the celebrating. Nice! His eldest daughter, Laina, was just here for a quick visit and we’re headed to the Bay Area again next month for a little more Humbles-Time! (Actually enjoyed the East Coast Humbles last November after attending my nephew Braeden’s wedding in Franklin TN. … Feeling the adrenaline of all our events last year as I type! We packed a lot in.)
My days are pretty status quo: same job, same Grandma joys, same church activities. And there’s no “Ho-Hum” intended; I LOVE my season of life. My half-time job is fulfilling and so conducive to my higher priorities of Jesus and family. – Being 64 now, I’m considering dropping my work hours back to two days a week and whittling down to retirement, but we’ll see. Pretty satisfied with how things are presently. ☺
In thinking about Easter Sunday’s approach this year, I’m reminded of the words Jesus spoke to the woman healed of a 12 year hemorrhage: “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.” Greg and I did a study in Luke together and I learned “go in peace” was literally, “go into peace.” Somehow that changed the whole meaning for me and I’m still pondering, - both as it pertained to the woman’s healing and as it pertains to the transference from spiritual death to life. Gosh it’s beautiful, a real place in my mind. In my book, years ago, I wrote that the veil between the seen and unseen, between Heaven and Earth, was so thin – such as each side of a single page. Now I imagine turning that page INTO peace, - a place, a Kingdom, - one small step. In, with, by faith.
Not sure if that hits you like it hit me; God brings to life words of His own choosing for each of us in His own timing. I get it. Suffice it to say, from me: God has a Place of Peace for all who choose to step into it this Easter. – Amazing!
Love and Blessings to all you my Family and Friends.
Forever grateful. HE IS RISEN.
Jody