Just Want to Tell You I'm Thankful

I'll never forget the day that this song was introduced to me. We were adding new songs to our chorus book at church. There was a couple who'd started attending after relocating from out of state. They had a few songs that they particularly loved from their former church. I knew a couple of them but this one I was unfamiliar with. Sis. Monroe offered to teach it to me but the catch? She was tone deaf. She would try to sing a phrase and I would play it back. She would tell me whether I needed to go up or down on particular words/notes.

My shirt was soaked with perspiration by the time we got to the end. But the result was this beautiful song that fast became a favorite. We might have re-written part of it because I have never found these exact verses or the tune anywhere. But it has blessed me many times over the years and God's presence would certainly come and hover over a particular little chapel in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, whenever we sang it. I can still hear my parent's voices with Dad raspily belting out the melody and Mom's loud but steady alto joining in.

Just want to tell You I'm thankful for all that You have done;
For the stars and the moonlight and the setting sun;
And when my work on earth is through, I'm coming home to be with You;
Just want to tell you I'm thankful, that's all.

I'm even thankful for the trials that You send from day to day;
For they mellow my spirit and teach me how to pray;
Let me cling a little closer to Thee lest I fall;
Just want to tell you I'm thankful, that's all.

Just want to tell You I'm thankful each moment of the day;
For You never cease to love me or hear me when I pray;
And when I find it hard to stand, You're there to lend a helping hand;
Just want to tell you I'm thankful, that's all.

I'm even thankful for the times when Your Word has pierced my heart;
Showing all those imperfections from which I must depart;
And if I love you first and always, You won't let me fall;
Just want to tell you I'm thankful, that's all.
Just want to tell you I'm thankful, that's all.

To Dad

Well, Dad, I know I'm a few days late with this post. I tried all day on July 31st to figure out what to say. It's certainly not that I haven't missed you and shed my share of tears mourning your loss over the last year. But all day whenever I would think about you being gone all I could see was you sitting in your recliner with your oxygen mask in place. I couldn't get past the fact that you don't have that silly thing hampering you any longer. And because of that, I could not bring myself to shed one solitary tear.

I received a text message from Janiece that afternoon telling me she was thinking of me. My response (and one that I think you would be proud of) was, "Well, I'M thinking of YOU." You taught us to think of others and not put ourselves and our agenda before theirs. You are already gone and there is no amount of tears or grief that can bring you back. But how much more appropriate would it be to spend the thinking of and praying for some of my dearest friends while they spend the last few days of their mother's life by her side?

Then today while I was going through some emails from last week, I saw one from Wanda Sprauer Viehdorfer who suggested that I listen to this song. It's lyrics so completely fit your circumstance and my feelings. I can't wish you back. I know you're having the time of your life and that's what you lived for. See ya' later!

Have you prayed for a loved one
Struggling hard with pain?
You ask the Lord for healing
But that healing never came;
And in spite of all your efforts
The good Lord called them home;
It's hard to let go
When you're trying to hold on

Now you're down in the valley
Looking up to the sky
And you pray, "Lord, You know what's best
But I don't understand why,"
If you could hear your loved one
Speaking now to you
They'd say, "You wouldn't be grieving
If you only knew."

"If you only knew I'm just going home;
Your prayers have been answered
My sickness is gone;
Things look much better
from Heaven's view
The sun always shines, we're having a time
If you only knew."

"To be absent from the body
Is present with the Lord;
I'm in the arms of Jesus now
And I'm not suffering anymore;
Hand in hand we'll stroll together
Down Heaven's avenue;
We're having a big celebration
if you only knew."

"If you only knew I'm just going home;
Your prayers have been answered
My sickness is gone;
Things look much better
from Heaven's view
The sun always shines, we're having a time
If you only knew."

Last of the "Firsts"

Today is the anniversary of my father's death. And hopefully one of the lasts of all the firsts we've all had to face this year. I will post more on Dad later but right now, I wanted to leave you with a quote that I found and has been my favorite for the last several months.

The Money Game

I heard Tony and Britnee in the dining room, sorting change last night and it brought back a memory so strong I immediately wanted to be in my parent's house, in the living room, listening to my dad jingle change in his hand, hearing him say, "Who wants to play the money game?" Of course, no one ever said no to this question!

The money game was easy enough but there were rarely any winners. Sometimes it would be a handful of change, sometimes bills from his wallet and on rare occasions, it would include ALL the change in a coffee can that Dad had been saving for quite a while. I remember someone winning $20 once and it almost seems like someone won $100 one time.

The rules were simple. 1. No two guesses could be the same and 2. Most of the time you had to guess the exact amount.

But the time that sticks out most in my mind was one night when several family members were present and Dad brought out a coffee can. He must have been feeling generous that night (or else he was in a gambling mood) because he told us our guesses only had to come within 25 cents of the actual amount. In reality, that gave us a 50 cent leeway since we could be 25 cents under or over. At any rate, we went around the room and stated our guess. Some of us probably lifted the coffee can and tried to give an even more educated guess. Once all the totals were laid out, the fun began. The coffee can was dumped and everyone gathered around the table and sorted. Dimes over here, pennies there, nickels on this side and quarters on that. We stacked them in piles of 1os and 4s then grouped them into dollars.

When the sorting, piling, grouping and counting was done most of us weren't even close to the 85 dollar and some odd cents total . But my nephew, Paul (PJ as we called him back then :) had guessed within...are you ready for this?

...26 cents!

He begged and pleaded with Papa to share the wealth with him. I begged and pleaded Papa to share the wealth with him. But to no avail. Rules are rules - even when you are less than 10 years old and you miss by a penny.

Enthusiasm and Charisma Abounds

I never cease to be amazed...while checking out a link from Keith Waggoner's blog, I came across the video below. I couldn't believe there could be anyone out there with more charisma than Andrew Phipps and his wife from Phipps Gospel Sing! (cough! Sorry Phipp's fans!) Then add the enthusiasm of the featured singer's wife and I don't know if I can handle it. The guitar pickin' and hearty voice reminds me so much of my dad, though, and that makes up for everything else. Which means that I've watched or listened to this clip countless times this week :) Enjoy!

Still Reveling in a Win

This may or may not be my last word on this subject. Time will tell. But in our family (Fritz side), it was always okay and expected that you would revel in the win of the team you were rooting for for at least a few days! I remember well, coming downstairs the morning after a big win to find the sports sections of various newspapers scattered all over the kitchen table. Dad had already been to town for the latest news so he could "read all about it." He would tell and tell again the big plays and stats...stuff that didn't necessarily matter to me at the time - I just wanted to know the final score. Whether you'd heard it already, did or didn't want to know, he didn't care, he'd tell you anyway.

It's not that I'm a sports freak or that football consumes my mind 24/7. This will all pass in due time. But for now the Internet is my pile of newspapers and my blog is my voice retelling the plays. The only difference? If you don't want to hear it (or read it) you can go on to the next blog :)

The following is an excerpt from a link Tony sent me this morning:

"Last week, Giants' receiver Plaxico Burress predicted a 23-17 win over the Patriots. We all laughed. Not so much that he thought that New York would win but that New England would only score 17 points. I mean ... this is the highest scoring offense in the history of the NFL.

Later on, Tom Brady wondered why Plaxico lowballed the Patriots score, too. 'We're only going to score 17 points?' Brady said before chuckling about it. 'OK. Is Plax playing defense? I wish he had said 45-42 and gave us a little credit for scoring more points.'

Uh, Tommy boy, he actually gave you too much credit. The Patriots went over 57 minutes with just 7 points scored. Of the 84 teams that have played in the Super Bowl ... only 14 scored less than the Patriots did today (14). This was the sixth lowest scoring game in Super Bowl history."

Tribute to My Dad

Anticipating
Holding
Napping
Playing
Pushing me on the swing
Teaching
Instructing
Disciplining
Encouraging
Being an example by showing me
Praying
Guiding
Directing
Loving
Working together at the school
Sharing me with the other man in my life
And repeating this cycle with my kids

Thanks for being the greatest example of Christ. I remember you admonishing the dad's on Father's Day each year that anyone can be a father but it takes someone special to be a dad. You were the best example of that very true statement. Thank you! And I love you!

Change of Plans

Sunday, we were eating dinner when suddenly all of the phones in the house were ringing one right after another. My cell phone, Tony's cell phone and the home phone. Two of my sisters had been trying to contact us to let us know Dad hadn't been feeling well. That morning his blood pressure had dropped as low as 80/45! The sister from Missouri was making immediate plans to go to Michigan. And so our plans for a nice leisurely afternoon nap in preparation for a busy week - the last week of school - were hijacked. We were quickly thrown into packing mode (getting easier after the last several trips taken just a few weeks apart).
Dad finally consented to see his doctor Monday morning. Guess he felt kind of foolish not to do something when two kids from out of state show up to escort him to the doctor's office :) Extensive lab work, a chest x-ray and an abdominal ultra-sound later, we still have no answers.
I am comforted to know, however, that even when our plans change and things must come to a screeching halt and have to be shifted around...God's plans have NOT changed. He's not taken by surprise at anything that has taken place this week. He's in control and I'm content to let it stay that way.
I will add that in spite of what we may have anticipated during the ride up here - envisioning him being to sick to communicate or be out of bed - we have actually had a very nice visit with Dad. Last night we enjoyed a rousing game of Mexican Train Dominoes (kicking myself now for not getting pictures!) and Dad came in second, only one point below my sister, Barb.