Petals from the Basket

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“I love your outfit!”

The burdens from the previous week were pressing in on me. I felt alone, misunderstood, overwhelmed, and surrounded by the temporal values and philosophies of the world around me. I needed the fellowship, support, and encouragement that a church service should provide and the love of those who would be in church that morning, worshiping our merciful and gracious God alongside me. I not only needed it; I longed for it!

As I walked through the doors, my heart—both anxious and eager—was beating in an almost joyful rhythm, anticipating the balm that the body of believers would certainly and unknowingly provide.

“Hi! I love the new ‘do! It’s cute!”

“Um…thanks.”

In that one instant, my rhythmic heart dropped a bit of its joy. The conversation continued in outwardly focused topics, and I found myself looking for a reason to walk away, thankful when one presented itself. As I continued down the hallway toward my Sunday School class, I took a deep breath, pulled my shoulders back, and knew that I’d find a respite within the walls of the smaller gathering of similarly aged believers.

“Ooooh, I love your outfit!” Were those really the first words my aching spirit heard after days of hoping for an understanding friend?

I don’t recall my reply. It was undoubtedly fake. It was possibly even abrupt in its conclusion as I attempted to get to my chair before the impending tears found their way down my cheeks. With the hard swallow that prevented their appearance came a resolution that I would make a change in that very moment: I would, from that point forward, when greeting others in the context of corporate worship, speak first about heavenly things and then approach the things of this earth.

Stop. Don’t go there. I’m not being pious. I’m not condemning the kindness of others’ appreciation for my attempts to look nice or take care of my appearance. I am, however, re-prioritizing those elements of my initial conversations with people. I want to put into practice the “one another” passages in the Bible, which primarily focus on the heart, on edification, on encouragement…on the true elements of loving others. For example:

“And let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds” (Hebrews 10:24, NASB).

“Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ” Galatians 6:2, NASB).

“For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another” (Galatians 5:13, KJV).

So now, if you see me at church, expect to hear me ask about your week, follow up on your recent prayer request, or, in the spirit of accountability, ask how things are going with your decision to shine a light for Christ in the workplace. I don’t know what your smile hides or what your words will reveal. But as your sister in Christ, I’m willing to find out and willing to listen.

And then…only then…will I comment on your super-cute haircut or your dreamy new outfit!

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By Petals from the Basket | June 19, 2018 | Bible Reading, Ideas, Life Changes |

Happy Man of Influence Day to the Men – Now Here’s a Great Love Story for the Ladies!

At the risk of stereotyping the genders (which I actually may be doing a bit), when a group of men watch football, the women often like to find another television in the house on which to watch “chick flicks,” as they’re often called. (I’m an avid football fan, so I have to run from one room to the other, getting updates on both the current score and the movie’s plot line!) This afternoon, I figured that a lot of the male readers of this blog may be out trying out their new Father’s Day gifts or resting up after an extra-generous Sunday dinner—rather than reading blog posts (Joe’s posts in particular). So I decideded that this was a great time to share a sweet love story that took place on June 17, just two short years ago!

[The following excerpt is quoted directly from Petals from the Basket (Book 3), in which this story appears as the final chapter of the book.]

“This is the Lord‘s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes” Psalm 118:23.

The official launch date for this book is June 17, 2016. I chose that day for a reason, and I thought it would be fun to close the book with a little explanation—and a simply marvelous surprise!

You have welcomed me into your hearts and homes for over four years now, so I wanted a very special day in my life to be one that we could all celebrate together, even if it’s only through the pages of a devotional book! I can’t contain my “secret” much longer, so I’m going to start with that and then give the “backstory” to share with you what our amazing God has been doing!

Are you ready?

As of June 17, 2016, I will be engaged to be married to Captain Joe Henderson (US Airways, retired)!

Yes, after fifty-five years as a single, never-been-married woman, I will be married later this summer!

The sequence of events and details are too numerous to share in the closing chapter of a devotional book, so I’ll try to give you the Reader’s Digest version!

In 2015, my mentor-friend of nearly forty-five years, Betty Henderson, passed away and joined my father and countless others who are fully focused on worshipping our amazing Lord in person and who are undistracted by the things of this world any longer! She has no more pain, no more sickness, and no more tears. And for that, I am thankful. But I miss her. Her wisdom, laughter, and friendship remain in my heart as some of my greatest treasures.

Interestingly, God was doing an incredible work in my heart during the last half of 2015 and into 2016, pruning away the fruitless branches of selfish desires and demands and replacing them with a contentment in Him alone—a true, genuine, God-is-more-than-enough contentment. Little did I know that He was clearing away the withered petals of sin from my heart so that He could fill it with a bouquet of marvelous surprises.

Earlier this year, Captain Joe Henderson (my dear Betty’s widower) asked my mother and me if he could take us to lunch at Das Dutchman Essenhaus in nearby Middlebury, Indiana, along with his pastor and pastor’s wife, also dear and mutual friends of ours. I had written a tribute that was used at Betty’s funeral, and it was sort of Joe’s way of thanking Mom and me for our family’s friendship through the years. We had a delightful time, and the blessings of true friendship were clearly enjoyed by all.

Not long after this group lunch, Joe began to communicate about other possible trips to Northern Indiana, and he also began to communicate via handwritten letters to my mom and me. Before long, I was receiving handwritten letters addressed just to me, and I was receiving them more and more frequently. In fact, I began to wonder if these were “let’s be more than friends” attempts and started praying about what I would do if Joe were pursuing me. I spoke of it only to the Lord and asked Him to make it very clear to me, because I needed Him to lead through Joe.

As the letters in the mailbox increased and the time between receiving them decreased, Mom looked at me one day as I came in from the mailbox, letter in hand, and she said, “Well this is getting interesting!”

“I know, right? I’m not exactly sure what his intentions are at this point, but I know that he is a godly man of character and that I enjoy communicating with him very much, so I’m willing to stick around and find out!” Then I headed to my room to read my letter and ask God to guide my thoughts, hopes, and expectations.

Because Joe and I are both well into our adult years, it was soon apparent that this new turn on an old friendship was pointing to a conclusion that neither of us had expected or had even thought of. It was no longer a matter of “if” but a matter of “when.” Unlike many couples who have just started dating, we have known each other for forty-five years. We already knew each other’s love for God, each other’s character qualities, each other’s highs and lows, and each other’s personalities. Now we just viewed them from a different perspective!

After we spoke to one another of the love God had placed in our hearts for each other and Joe had verbalized his long-term intentions, he gave me a wondrously beautiful pendant—at the red covered bridge at Das Dutchman Essenhaus—as a symbol of that love. We could not help but claim Psalm 118:23 (listed above) as “our verse.” Our relationship—something God brought about in His time and in this season of our lives—truly “is the Lord’s doing.” Therefore, “it is marvelous in our eyes.”

Joe’s unshakable love for his late wife, my dear friend Betty, let me see that this was a man who loved so dearly that he was ready to love again. In God’s infinite wisdom and mercy, He chose the recipient of that love to be me. I am honored, grateful, and yes, thrilled beyond words!

Though our relationship has been “unconventional,” we’ve laughed, cried, talked, and embraced the silence—and we’ve enjoyed doing those things together.

So on June 17, 2016, the day that this book is launched, Joe and I will once again go to the red covered bridge on the property of Das Dutchman Essenhaus, and we will officially become engaged. Yes, I already know those details! (We’re unconventional, remember?) But I know nothing at all about the ring that will symbolize this commitment. So that will be a surprise for me!

And this book will be a surprise to Joe! In case you didn’t notice before, you can look on the Dedication page, and there you’ll find the very words that I will open the newly published book to and show to Joe in reply to his question! Lord willing, our story is only beginning. I also hope that the opportunity of sharing my life, the lessons God is teaching me, and my new God-given love with you will continue for many years to come!

Since you can’t see the Dedication page of the book, I will share it with you here:

To Joe

Yes!

A thousand times yes!

Happy Engagement Anniversary, Joe! I love you more than the whole wide world—and back again…seven times!

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By Petals from the Basket | June 17, 2018 | Events, Family, Friends, Life Changes, The Captain's Corner |

Teach from Experience

The Captain’s Corner

Many steps are required in order for someone to become a pilot with a commercial airline. The pilot-to-be must obtain various licenses along the way: student pilot, private pilot, and commercial pilot as well as instrument rating for flying in bad weather and multi-engine rating for flying planes with more than one engine. Finally, with 1,500 hours of flying time, the pilot will earn the “PhD” of pilots’ licenses—that of the airline transport pilot. After acquiring the “ATP” license, the pilot now has the opportunity to be hired by the commercial airlines.

Once a pilot is employed by the airlines, there is an initial training time as well as recurrent training to help the pilot remain proficient. After all of this, there is an additional aspect of training that both begins and continues “out on the line.” This is what you might call “thinking training,” which a pilot (or captain) will give the copilot (or co-captain) while he or she is flying the plane.

Like a master training an apprentice, each captain will, by action and example, pass along the experience he or she has learned. Good copilots will remember these “tricks of the trade” that are passed along by those whose experience outweighs their own. In one of the industry favorites, Flying magazine, this is referred to as an “I-learned-about-flying-from-that” moment! The characteristics embraced by each airline were taught, by example and experience, to the next generation of pilots. You could almost guess which airline had trained the pilot by the way he or she flew the plane.

In a similar manner, God has given believers His Word, which is profitable for knowing how to live the Christian life. (See 2 Timothy 3:16–17.) A new believer should desire the “sincere milk of the Word” to help him or her to grow spiritually. (See 1 Peter 2:2.) Additionally, God has given young believers the gift of more mature believers, whose responsibility it is to teach God’s wondrous works, power, and strength to this and future generations. (See Psalm 71:18.)

Older believers, both men and women, should share with younger believers how God guided and helped them along life’s way. You could say that these are “I-learned-about-God-from-this” teaching moments, as commanded in Scripture. (See Psalm 78:4–7.) Just as pilots share their experiences with those following in their steps, so we as believers must teach those who are watching us and who can learn from our firsthand experiences as recipients of God’s grace.

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Joe’s book, The Captain’s Corner: A 21-Day Devotional Book, is available on Amazon. Click here to learn more about the book and to order your copies.

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By Petals from the Basket | June 15, 2018 | Bible Reading, Family, Friends, God-and-I-Time, Life Changes, Online Bible Study, The Captain's Corner |

Recipe: “Come on Over” Cremosa

Summer is the perfect time to practice using (or continue using) your entertaining ideas! As a general rule, from brunches to cookouts to afternoon snacks on the deck, summer food is light, yummy, and easy to serve.

This simple-to-prepare beverage is ideal for summer entertaining, for enjoying alone, or for treating your family to a break from chores on a hot afternoon. While there are many versions of this beverage offered at high-end coffee shops and bistros and numerous recipes that incorporate club soda and Torani®-style flavored syrups, we crafted this simple recipe with items we already had in our refrigerator. We found it to be quicker, less complicated, and less expensive, since the items come from basically any grocery store (no specialty aisles required).

Joe and I enjoy a Cranberry-Grape Cremosa on our front porch, where we often sit and read or just talk in the evenings. We’ve also enjoyed them on the back deck, where we sometimes quietly read our Bibles in the mornings. Additionally, this will be our pre-meal appetizer when we have dinner guests this summer. Because this is our new summer go-to treat, we wanted to share it with you today. Enjoy!

“Come on Over” Cremosa

Prep time: 5 minutes-ish
Serves: 1 (but make several!)
From the kitchen of Brenda Henderson

Ingredients:

  • Ice (cubed, crushed, chipped—it honestly doesn’t matter)
  • Fruit juice (the flavor options are endless)
  • French vanilla coffee creamer (liquid only—not powder)

Directions:

  1. Fill drinking glass 1/2 full with ice (Note: use whatever size glass will allow you to quench your thirst; tumblers are pictured)
  2. Fill glass about 3/4 full with fruit juice.
  3. Add creamer to taste. (We use about the equivalent of three little single-serve creamers per glass.)
  4. Stir well.

Serving suggestions:

  • This is such a great treat that it truly stands well on its own!
  • Serve as a midmorning snack with muffins or mini muffins.
  • Serve in the afternoon with specialty breads (e.g., banana bread).
  • Serve as a pre-dinner appetizer.
  • Serve after the evening meal with cookies.

“Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaint. As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (1 Peter 4:8–10, NASB).

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We’re only a few short weeks away from offering our first online Bible study! Be sure to view the introductory video and follow Petals from the Basket on Facebook or via an e-mail subscription get up-to-date information on the launch date!

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By Petals from the Basket | June 6, 2018 | "Come on Over" Recipes, Bible Reading, Books, Family, Friends, God-and-I-Time, Ideas, Online Bible Study |

Lessons from a School Shooting

If you’re looking for a blog post that will help you defend your political view or add fodder to your discussions on gun control (or the lack thereof), you won’t find it here. If you’re hoping that I will insert pointed remarks to parents or to school officials or imply that evil is the result of social media or abuse of technology, you’ll want to find another blogger to read. That will not be the point of this post.

You see, this morning my husband and I were about to leave the house to head for Hobby Lobby in nearby Noblesville, Indiana, when we received notifications from our “Breaking News” apps that told us about a school shooting in Noblesville. Yes, we were saddened; yes, we were curious about the details; but we were, for all practical purposes, unaffected. Our grandchildren live out of state, and though we knew the situation at the local school was horrendous, we were not directly impacted by it. After all, we had shopping to do…at my “happy place!”

As we drove on I-69 toward our exit for Noblesville, it seemed that out of nowhere there appeared a police car behind us, causing us to pull over (as all good drivers should do) and allow it to pass. However, the impact of the nearby “active shooter” situation became more real with each law enforcement vehicle that passed us. There were many. Each silently (yet with its lights on), urgently headed toward Noblesville Middle School (the site of the shooting) and/or Noblesville High School (where students were sent by bus to be out of harm’s way and to reunite with their family members once all students were accounted for).

As Joe drove, I tuned in to the live coverage via WTHR’s live Facebook feed. It was there that we learned that law enforcement from all around Central Indiana was converging on the schools, offering assistance and reaching out to their brothers and sisters in blue to help in whatever way was needed. It was powerful to hear. It was overwhelming to see. Tears were the result. And they began to flow freely.

The impact and its reality grew with each passing police car. I began to think of the mother, the father, the grandparent, the sibling who heard this on the news, got a text message, or received a phone call. I thought of the teachers, the school officials, hoping and praying that their “drills” had been effective.

And I thought about the students. As the final flashing lights of the final car in the long line of cars passed us, I thought only about the students.

These are not college students. These are children.

They should only have to be worried about blemishes, test scores, and baseball games after school. They should be allowed to innocently wonder, “Does he think I’m cute?” “Does she like me?”

But now, they will ponder the life-changing challenges that will likely become part of walking into a classroom, trusting others, and viewing life through the filter that was forced upon their hearts and minds today.

School shootings don’t happen in middle Indiana. They don’t happen at 4-star schools. They don’t happen to “us.”

But today, it happened. In middle Indiana. In a 4-star school.

And I have felt the impact.

I will say, “I love you,” and I will say it often. I will laugh freely. I will cry when it hurts. And I will remember that life is not about “I.”

It is about loving others, laughing with others, crying with others.

It (life) is about living (not just knowing) the Golden Rule. (See Luke 6:27–38.)

It is about weeping with those who weep, even when we don’t feel the impact on the same level as those who may be on the front line. (See Romans 12:15.)

It is about more than just talking about God’s love; it is about living it and giving it. (See James 1:22–25.)

Open your heart.

Then…emotionally, socially, spiritually—feel the impact. Be the change.

By Petals from the Basket | May 25, 2018 | Bible Reading, Family, Friends, Life Changes |