UNCLASPED HANDS

Our family spent most of July, Aug, and Sept in the U.S. We were privileged to share in 15 Southern Baptist Churches of our past year's service in Siberia. We left our second oldest, Bryan,for college, celebrated with our oldest, Reagan, in his full time surrender to Christian service, and in Bryan's engagement, enjoyed a second honeymoon-a Christian cruise, held and beheld a beautiful and a handsome new great niece and nephew (and another coming soon), enjoyed alot of family time, reunited with old friends, made new friends, and endured 2 of the hardest heart aches of my life: losing my dear friend, Teri, very unexpectedly, and seeing my brother in law, Steve, my sister, Donia and their children endure a life threatening accident, Both of which have changed my life. It was hard to leave my mama, after losing my daddy just a year ago, and to leave our two oldest sons there in college, but I left them and they sent us with unclasped hands.



Oh, Lord, give me unclasped hands which symbolize my willingness to receive all You choose to give, and give up all You choose to take, receiving and giving, as an act of worship and praise to you.

In Memory of my sweet dacha sister chick, Teri Tarleton, July 4, 1959 - July 28, 2008, who lived a life of unclasped hands.

Even the fairest of petals must fall.

"See the flower in maturity. The calyx hands have unclasped utterly now. They have folded themselves back, past all power of closing again upon the petals, leaving the golden crown free to float away when God's time and wind come." Lilias Trotter (Parables of the Cross / Parables of the Christ Life)