Good morning to everyone!

I say good morning but it is not really very good weather-wise. The sky is dark and scary, the wind from the north is cold, and at nine a.m. I have to have a lamp to see by. Besides the weather being cold, I am too. I have a window in my front door that seems to be stuck open. The chilly breeze is persistently blowing in right on me here in my favorite chair in front of all the water and beautiful scenery. It is beautiful even while I am shivering. Nothing can change that. God made it lovely and nothing can alter that, not even the weather.

Things are trying to mess with my optimistic view though. Besides the weather I have been alone here and that tries my conviction that being upbeat is a choice. It’s been a struggle the last two days. My Grosse Pointe family is all working very hard to get packed up to move to Houston. I am so sorry to see them go. They are feeling sad too, I know. Soon they will be up here because their home is sold and will be gone so they have nowhere else to go for a week or two. I am staying here because I want to spend as much time with them as possible before they are so far away. Once they go, I will go home to my wonderful home in Medina, get out on my sun porch and join the squirrels celebrating the fall of the year.

The wedding we so eagerly anticipated is now over and it was all a wedding should be. The bride was so beautiful. I cried when I saw her. The weather was perfect. The little ones were adorable and did their parts perfectly; even Colton, not quite two, pushed his truck with the rings down the aisle as directed. The ceremony was touching and full of God’s direction toward a good marriage. Everyone celebrated their union with good food, music, dancing and fun. God is so good!

They had a table at the door holding a new Bible and a hi-liter. Every guest was to hi-lite his or her favorite verse and sign his name by it; thereby giving the new couple a new memory and a verse to contemplate and live by. I had never seen this done before and thought it a great idea. I had a hard time putting down my verse because I actually have four verses that I use to guide me in my walk with Jesus. So I put down all four and signed each one. Wonder how long it will be before they realize Gramma appears quite often directing their lives from the pages of their new Bible.

Contemplating these four verses, I want to share them with you. They seem to tell me today that I couldn’t find a better way to live my life than to follow their direction.
The first one is Psalms 46:10 “Be still and know that I am God.” I first encountered that one when I entered the hospital in Denver, Colorado, after Jim was hurt. Doug was home with terminal cancer and I was alone trying to cope with that and my darling son’s horrible accident that left him a quadriplegic. Life seemed impossible to deal with and as I walked in the hospital door, there; carved in marble over the chapel door, were these words. They said it all. God was there. He was in charge. Calm down and He will continue to take care of everything.

The second verse to live by is Romans 8: 28. “So we know that all things work together for good to those who love God.” So if God is in charge then He will see that all things will work for good. I do love Him, so end of discussion.

My third verse is Philippians 4: 8. “So whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute,, if there is any excellence and if anything is worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things.” So – because God is in charge and He will see that all things work out for the best, I am not to worry but to think positively and stop worrying. I am not to let dark thoughts penetrate my mind, but trust in God to do what He has promised. I’m to dwell on and remember all the good He has done for me and not imagine that bad things will happen. If they do occur, then I am to look for the good that can come from it. I can think about a bad experience as a learning one and one which will equip me to be more compassionate and empathetic to others. I’m to see the bright side of God’s plan and if I can’t then I am to trust that I will. (This is so hard for an experienced worrier like me. I really struggle with this.)

The fourth verse is one of the very best in the whole Bible. It is I John 5:13. “These things I have written to you who believe that Jesus is the Son of God, so that you can KNOW the truth.” The word “know” in this text means in the Greek that one can believe beyond ANY SHADOW OF DOUBT that these things are true. John writes his book as an eye witness who saw and touched the Lord. He saw the miracles done. He SAW 5000 people get fed from five loaves and three fish. He heard the voice from heaven saying “This is my son.” He saw the body of Christ on the cross and saw it again alive and well. Also John saw Jesus in the transfiguration in His glorious new body. John saw all this and attests to others seeing it too. He knows what is true and we can know too. I can know the Bible is true and to be depended on. This is my fourth favorite verse but I could name so many others. I do love the Word of God and am so grateful for it.

So round and round we go in a wonderful full circle. God is in charge. He can take all things and work them out for good to those who love Him. He wants us to remember that and dwell on all the good He has done and that He is. And, finally, He wants us to KNOW that what He has promised and done is all true and He is in charge——

My prayer today is that Joanna and Mike will take that Bible that stood by the door at their reception and cherish it; but also read all the hi-lighted verses, share them, and dwell on them as “all things true”
I also pray for all of you that we can continue in love and care for each other. God is so good.

I love you all, Irma Jane Fritz-Zager

June 30, 2014

A Great Big “Hi” to All of You! I’ve missed you!

I’ve meant to write and actually have scribbled some thoughts since my last “Coffee with Jesus.” However, while I didn’t get those thoughts into the computer, I haven’t missed a single morning without my coffee and definitely haven’t missed a morning without Jesus. He’s always there for me.
I scribble still on paper. It’s easier to sit with paper and pen than to prop up a laptop and type. Besides, since I had no wifi, there was no use putting thoughts on the computer. I couldn’t send it on anyway. That’s my excuse.
Wifi is a biggie these days. Kids, adults, everyone comes here and almost the first question after “Where is the bathroom?” is, “What is your wifi code?” That’s today’s world. No one can exist without their phones, tablets, kindles, etc. Me, too. I’m guilty too.

I am back in my spot on Stag Island. My corner in the cottage has glass on three sides. On the north side I see the bird feeders, in the front, I look out over the water. On the third side I see down south where the weather actually seems to originate and approach. We’ve had some glorious weather here but this a.m. I see clouds scud over the water, blow north, and take my sunshine away. That’s ok, though. I love to see storms come and go.

I’ve had a fun two weeks. I watched my granddaughter process down the aisle to receive her High School diploma. I shared the fun of her graduation party. Then my dear friend, Marie, and her granddaughter drove up to help me get settled at the cottage. I had their loving care and fun presence for five days and then my daughter, Jackie, and my granddaughter, Joanna, came. Jo will be married in July and wanted to have a “fling before the ring” with her bridesmaids, future mother-in-law, and friends. Jess came with her three little ones. We were all female except for Colton who is almost two. My house was full of giggling silly women, who did every girly thing we could think of. Plus eating. We did a great deal of eating. We had a great time.
The girls left, one or two at a time, except for Jess and the kids. They stayed on to play in the sand and water. I loved having them. My great grandkids are the cutest things!

Last Friday, they too, left; but John, my oldest, and his wife, Karen, came by Friday evening. I think all this coming and going has been carefully orchestrated so that I will not be alone here. I am not afraid to be alone, but do appreciate their efforts to care for me.

Karen always brings fun things to do. This time was not an exception. She brought a doodling book! Art work from doodles! That is right up my alley! I love to doodle and do it constantly, wherever I am. I always have a pen in my hand and draw nothings on grocery lists, magazines in the Dr.’s office, church bulletins, and even on Pastor Greg’s sermon note page. I admit it. I doodle pretty constantly in church. I do listen. I do take notes. But I doodle too.

So we are going to take our doodling to a new and productive level. We will make ‘doodle’ greeting cards. We were sitting there, exclaiming over the fun of creating beauty from scribbles, when Karen said, “What would Jesus doodle?” We giggled at that; but if you think about it, Jesus probably did doodle. Did He write something in the sand with His stick or did He just doodle? We won’t know, but what encouraged me the most was the casual acceptance of Jesus’ presence in our home and our activities. His presence here into every facet of our lives is so natural. It seems so right.
Before I really knew Christ as my personal Savior, His name always seemed to be private and almost embarrassing to be used in conversation. I am overwhelmed and proud that my family counts His name and presence as a normal thing.

Jesus will doodle with us. He will be with us in everything we do all day. He is with me at night. Still, my most precious time with Him is always the beginning of the day when I have “My coffee with Jesus.”

What would Jesus doodle? I am sure that like all His creation, it will be beauty, goodness and joy! What will you doodle? Whatever it is, do it with Jesus!
My love to all of you,
Irma Jane Fritz-Zager