T-Shirts Over Time

By Hally Franz –

Girls like bling; boys like t-shirts. Specifically, my 13-year-old son loves his t-shirts. He’s amassed quite a number of them over his double-digit lifespan, many of which I have retained for posterity. Early endeavors into Tae Kwon Do and soccer are commemorated with t-shirts, as are more recent seasons of Khoury League baseball. There are 4-H club and camp t-shirts, as well as drama club shirts. And, he rotates four VBS shirts in blue, green, yellow and purple on Sundays when I allow jeans for services.

Ivan attends a Christian school, and, of course, he believes the school’s modified dress code is horribly restrictive. So, when given an opportunity to buy an item of clothing, he’s likely to choose yet another t-shirt. The elective t-shirt purchases will typically reflect one of two themes: anything country/cowboy or St. Louis Cardinals.

I have seen moms hang their kids’ t-shirts on display at high school graduation parties, and I’ve heard that awesome quilts can be made from your graduate’s childhood shirts. Maybe that’s what I’ll do when 2016 arrives. It would be a terrific souvenir of what my son has done, what he likes and where he’s been at the age of 18.

It makes me wonder, though, what Ivan’s shirts would say about his activities, interests and experiences after he leaves our home. What phrases will sum up his adult life?

One cotton favorite might read “married the girl that God made just for me.” Perhaps, he’ll don a tee with the words “took my son and others on a mission trip this summer” or “faced some tough decisions at work, but Jesus gave me wisdom.” As seasons pass, Ivan may wear shirts that tell how he “faced grief, but God granted mercy and strength in pain” or how he “celebrated when the youngest completed a college education.”

Many young people will complete high school or college this year. We’ll celebrate their accomplishments and encourage them as they enter a new phase of life. The future can be scary and there will be struggles for these young people, but hopefully they will each move forward with their Heavenly Father at their side.

My boy isn’t there yet, but it is time to order another shirt. This one is our 2011 VBS shirt. The theme is “Stepping Up to the Plate for Jesus.” That’s one he’s going to love!

 

PRAYER: Mighty and merciful God, place your loving, guiding hand on those young people who draw to a close one period of their lives to begin other phases. Bless them with your wisdom and protection.

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them”  (Ephesians 2:10 NKJV).

 

Wandering No More

By Hally Franz –

The surgery is planned for July 8^th. My daughter was recently diagnosed with strabismus, which is not to be confused with amblyopia. Until a month ago, I hadn’t heard of either one of these vision malfunctions. Rosaline has one eye that wanders (strabismus), but it is not necessarily a lazy eye (amblyopia). Her pediatric ophthalmologist assures us that her eye muscles can be aligned by the planned surgery, improving her vision and appearance.

Actually, I’ve never noticed much issue with the appearance of my daughter’s eyes. She’s Guatemalan-born with almond-shaped eyes framing ebony marbles. The doctor says the ailment would be considerably more noticeable on a Caucasian child, but her facial structure hides it somewhat. Still, it seems I should have been more aware of this; after all, I am her mother.

Rosaline’s doctor held a glass cube to my eye to demonstrate how she currently sees; it seemed like a foggy mess. This procedure is supposed to enable her to see dimension, because currently she has no depth perception. She relies primarily on her left eye, often while her right eye seems to do its own thing. Once the muscles are aligned, she will use both eyes in unison.

I’ve been thinking about how this will impact Roz. She’s fast and agile, though I wonder what athletic abilities may emerge after she can see more thoroughly. She’s been a fair student, but I have to believe that reading must be more difficult now than it soon will be. I am excited for her to discover what she’s been missing.

Often we don’t know what others are experiencing, spiritually speaking. A look into one’s eyes doesn’t always reveal what’s happening in the heart and soul. On the other hand, isn’t it amazing what happens to God’s children once they have experienced the saving grace of Jesus, accepted Him as their savior and been baptized?

When believers see through the lens of faith, life has more meaning, we see things more clearly, and we more fully realize our gifts and talents. Rather than wandering through life, there is purpose. I’m grateful for a doctor who can help my girl see better. I’m grateful for opportunities to reveal Him to those that don’t currently see. How exciting to help others see what they’ve been missing!

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, grant me wisdom to recognize when others need to hear about You, courage to share Your message, and inspired words that those not seeing need to hear.

“They said to Him, ‘Lord, that our eyes may be opened.’ So Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes. And immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him” (Matthew 20: 33 – 34 NKJV).

Here Come the Brides

By Hally Franz –

My personal artist glopped on wide brushstrokes of the red, orange and brown color concoction. We chatted about her upcoming busy season while she painted my hair. There’s the holiday season, and then the spring season. Soon, Nichole will be creating make-up, hair and nail masterpieces as young girls prepare for proms and graduations, and older girls primp for weddings.

June, I understand, is traditionally the biggest wedding month; however, my husband and I were married over Memorial Day weekend in May. We will celebrate eighteen years of marriage this year. We’ve had bliss and battles, trials and triumphs, but much of the hard work is behind us.

Weddings fascinate me. Exhibitions of creativity—theme weddings and ceremonies in all sorts of settings. Among the many wedding trends, one of my favorites is the candy bar; I wish I had thought of that! Another sweet theme is a spot for families to reminisce. Brides set up a table with vintage photos of their parents’ and grandparents’ weddings.

Couples used to put disposable cameras at tables for the guests to snap away. Now, a young friend told me, brides are having actual photo booths. Guests can get souvenir shots to take home, and leave one with a message behind for the album. I attended a wedding a few years ago where the bride asked specified guests to prepare table centerpieces, according to some color and style guidelines. Each one was to feature a photo of the couple with that particular group of friends or family. That bride trusted her guests much more than this control freak would have, but the results were very impressive and fun to look at during the evening.

My hope is that this year’s couples will enjoy their special days with friends and family, but, more importantly, invite God to the festivities. I’d encourage them to recognize that while the effort and time put toward that once-in-a-lifetime event is worthwhile, the energy, patience and prayer expended once married is much more meaningful. And, veteran married couples, let’s remind young lovers that their wedding photos will last a lifetime in frames, scrapbooks and multiple digital forms, but the pictures they create through their marriages are the real works of art.

PRAYER:  Heavenly Father, bless those who marry, to produce good fruit together. May they encourage and love one another, and live as shining examples of Your love and faithfulness.

“I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:1-3 NKJV).

Magic or Muscle?

By Hally Franz –

If I would have had my way, I’d have ended up living in a large city rather than the rural community where I was raised. If the Lord would have liked my plan, I never would have gone into education; I’d be a clinical psychologist today. If I had known better than Him, I wouldn’t have had children. How many of us, as children, expect that life will turn out a certain way, and later find it’s nothing like what we wanted? It’s far better.

When I was young, I didn’t want children. First, the physical aspects of the ordeal were appalling to me. Secondly, I was terrified about how my offspring would turn out. I had this idea that raising children was like roulette, strictly a game of chance. I viewed parenting as something outside one’s control, where a swipe of a magic wand may produce a perfect child. Or, more likely, I could pull a silly looking and simple-minded rabbit-out-of-a-hat kind of kid. Even worse, I’d end up with one under an evil spell, who’d give me years of heartache. I’m not a risk-taking sort of person, and it all seemed too uncertain for me.

Fortunately, as I grew older I got past those thoughts and couldn’t wait to have children once my husband and I married. Over the years, I’ve learned that being a mom is much more about muscle than magic. Moms come in a variety of personalities and styles, but the best ones know there’s no getting around the work.

Ambitious moms are eager for their children to get the tough teacher even though they know they’ll spend more hours at the kitchen table as their children survive that year of homework. Conscientious moms recognize that getting “help” from their little guys on housework takes twice as long; they do it anyway to instill in them a work ethic. Tireless moms attend an excruciating number of concerts, sports events, programs and plays as their children explore areas of interest and hobbies. Christian moms pray with and for their children, and they attend worship. They know this gives young people a sense of purpose and faith for a lifetime.

There’s nothing mystical about parenting. Kids sometimes look silly and often aren’t perfect, but we do have an impact in how they turn out. Blessed be the moms who put in the time, the energy and the prayer!

PRAYER:  Gracious God, encourage diligent moms as they go about the work of raising servants for You. Guide them, give them wisdom and restore them daily.

“Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6 NKJV).

The Evolution of the Hunt

By Hally Franz –

Soon it will be time for that perennial tradition known as the Easter egg hunt. There will be hunts in our communities and churches and at family gatherings. The White House will host one too. There will be children clad in their spring finery clutching straw or plastic baskets in a frantic mission to find eggs. Except, there really isn’t much finding involved in it.

If your experience is like mine, you have noticed that the word “hunt” doesn’t seem quite right these days; the event is more like an “Easter egg scatter.” Where it once required keen observation and time to fill one’s basket, today’s hunts are more like speed events. The ratio of eggs to child is about 24 to 1, and eggs are often tossed on the lawn in clumps as opposed to strategically disguised within the landscape. In our family, we give the littlest participants a head start. I plan to challenge that this year. Instead, we should gather the slow kids together and send them out first. However, that may not be the most sensitive approach to the festivities.

Like the fast-paced egg games themselves, the enjoyment of the haul is immediate as well. Historically, the eggs were refrigerated and later cracked, peeled and salt and peppered for enjoyment one at a time. Now, children can dump the plastic, pastel eggs onto the floor, sever the tape with a fingernail, split the egg at the seam, and retrieve the candy in a sugar-filled frenzy. This updated version comes with a mandate that kids must share 10% of the harvest with parents. Some changes are good.

Whether we hide, scatter or toss candy-coated super balls at our children is really not an issue. We know that customs will morph over the years, but they will continue to provide family fun and memories for a lifetime. What is important is that we recognize the one constant behind our Easter celebration, its unchanging nature and eternal truth.

There is no evolution when it comes to the story of Jesus’ birth, life, death and resurrection. God created His Son without sin to live as a man among His children. Jesus came to teach the Word of God, and He was crucified to save us from sin, allowing us to have eternal life. That’s the simplicity and the consistency of the story, no adjustments needed.

PRAYER: Almighty God, thank You for the enduring truth of Christ Jesus. We are saved from sin through His death and resurrection, given eternal life through Him.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you” (1 Peter 1:3-4 NIV).

Today’s devotion is by Hally Franz. Hally is a former high school guidance counselor, turned homemaker. Hally sees each day as a new exercise, where routines change and weights vary. Her goal is to maintain all-around fitness for service, while training her children to be competitive, compassionate and Christ-like in the world in which we live.

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