<![CDATA[Where the Olives Grow...

<![CDATA[Where the Olives Grow... - Blog]]>Mon, 19 Jan 2026 03:36:01 -0500Weebly<![CDATA[When My Book No Longer Holds Their Story]]>Mon, 19 Jan 2026 00:57:08 GMThttps://www.carasimmons.com/blog/when-my-book-no-longer-holds-their-story Once upon a time there was a little girl who had a dream of writing a book. She sat up high in the tall pine tree overlooking the yard with her friend and shared her desire to not only write a book, but to get it published someday. It seemed like a far-fetched idea, because none of her stories seemed any good at the time. but little did she know that she was indeed writing a story...a story with her life. A story that would stretch into the years to come, with lots of chapters full of tales of happiness, struggles, joyful memories, marriage, homesickness, new babies, change, and more change. It was a book that she took for granted and never thought about the story changing.
See, another dream she had always had was to get married, have children, and be a homemaker. She had not spent many days of her life without a child around, whether it was her own siblings, (she was one of 6), or babysitting the many families in the town she lived in. She felt comfortable with little ones in tow or on her hip. It was the older kids her age that frightened her. Little children never misunderstood her or made her feel uncomfortable. She could freely talk to them and never feel judged. So, she stuck with little ones.
God was good to her. He gave her a good husband and they eventually had five little ones of their own. Life was full of adventures, boo-boos, tears, laughs, potty-training, toys all over the floor, and crazy shopping trips where people asked her odd quesitons like if she knew where children came from or if she was even old enough to have that many children of her own. But she was right where she had always wanted to be.
Then something started to change. Those children began to grown up. They began to enter their teen years. The years that had always frightened her and felt like it was the great unknown. How was she going to raise teens when she couldn't relate to them? Or to their friends? That scared her more than anything. She had known they would grow up, but in the midst of daily life of changing diapers, breaking up fights, and playing Legos on the floor with the children, it always felt like it was a million lightyears away.
But here it was....there was no stopping it. It was coming whether she liked it or not. And she held onto the verse from Isaiah 41:13, that God would be right there holding her right hand through it all. She trusted Him to guide her and her husband through these challenging years, because they had no clue as to handle the difficulites that might come their way.
Before she knew it, her first son was 18, graduated, and making plans for a life as an adult. Not long after came the next son, who graduated and was making plans for an adult life. She found that when you have five children close in age in the beginning, they stay close in age in all they do, including growing up. One of the sons found his soulmate and got married in 2023. He moved out of the house and began his new life with his bride. Seeing his room empty of all his stuff made her break down with the realization that he was just beginning his own story. While he was always going to be her son, he needed to leave his mother and father, cleave to his wife, and they would become one flesh. A new story. The beginning of a new book.
Then the third child, their first daughter, found her soul-mate and got married in 2024. She moved out and began her own story. With three children still at home, their mama could still fill her time with some of the nestlings around her.
Then came 2026. A life change that God brought about in one of the children's lives provided an answer to many prayers that had been sent up over the last year. A home was provided for the oldest son and his wife, and many days were spent preparing this new place for them. That opened up a room in the home they had shared with their grandfather, which the second son decided to take. He had wanted to find a place of his own this year anyway, and this provided him with a place close to home, that was within his budget, and also allow him some freedom and independence. The third answer to prayer was for the "friend" of the youngest son. She needed a place to stay and didn't know where to turn. With the new house came an extra bedroom, and the son and his wife quickly agreed she could live with them. Another prayer was the fact that there was now a guest room in the home where all the children had grown up, and visitors (like grandma's) could come and stay for a while. It was truly a win for all.
The youngest son turned 18 and all came crashing down on their mother's head. It seemed impossible that all her children were now adults. How could that have ever happened? She had been told by a wise man from church that she should not blink because they would be grown before she knew it, and guess what? I guess she blinked.
The youngest son, now turned adult, quickly moved into the bedroom that the second son had moved out of. Now there is an empty room across the hall that echoes with the memories of little boys leaping off the bunkbed ladder, biting glowsticks and shaking the glowing goo all over the room so it shone like starlight, the laughter as they attacked Mr. Nightnight (dad with a pillow over his head), bedtime stories about JJ and Caleb-missionary pilots, and the green hand that lived under the bed.
Life won't ever be the same for this girl, who had dreamed of raising a family, as well as writing a book someday. But you know what? God answered all those prayers from that little girl's childhood. Because that little girl was me. As I look back at His hand in my life, I can see Him guiding me every step of the way. He was there holding my hand from the time I asked Him to come into my heart when I was around 6 years old, until this very day. As I sit here and write this, I can't help but feel so blessed by the abundance of blessings God has poured out on me. Though it is true that we have had our struggles, financial, physical, and spiritual, God never left our sides during any of it. He allowed me to not only write and publish one book, but He has gifted me with 5 published books now. Oh wow....I just thought of something. Five books and five children. Five times the blessings that I should have had. God is sooo good.
And so, as my children slowly leave the nest, they are beginning their own stories-their own books about their lives. Though my book will no longer hold their stories, I will still have little moments here and there with them in my story, and I will relish every moment together. I can't wait to watch them as they write about tales of happiness, struggles, joyful memories, marriage, homesickness, new babies, change, and more change. And through it all I pray that God will bless them as He has me. Because when you put Him first, you are basically giving Him the pen and He will help you write the best story ever.
]]><![CDATA[A Puzzle Piece in Our Life]]>Thu, 01 Jan 2026 03:38:23 GMThttps://www.carasimmons.com/blog/a-puzzle-piece-in-our-life With about an hour and a half left of 2025, I am sitting at our table listening to the sounds of my children and their friends playing a game in the living room. It is loud and chaotic, but it makes my mom heart happy. I can't help but think about the lines from the the song I sang at the cantata, "...the kids and the dishes make a beautiful noise." The fact is all my children are here and it is comforting to know where they are. I love watching them and seeing them interact with each other. They love being with each other and that makes me happy. And knowing that God is working in their lives makes me even happier.
This year was not the easiest year. It started out okay, and I often wrote down things that were happening in our lives and how God was answering prayers. But once spring ended and summer began, life seemed to shift with many unknowns. Time seemed to blur as we watched friends and loved ones suffer and go through trials that took many to heaven. It seemed like God wasn't answering prayers and was silent. We were stuck in a rut. I didn't have time or an interest to write down what was going on in our lives.
Then something happened right after Thanksgiving that brought a lot of stress into my life. I had never felt so uptight before and I didn't realize the affect it was having on my body. It finally came to a head when I got sick and was forced to spend a few days at home, resting and recouperating. It was what I needed to continue on with all I had to do. Vacation was coming.
It was two days before that vacation started that suddenly God stepped in and moved a piece of our family's puzzle into place. A huge piece that answered so many prayers and will change lives in this new year. A piece that made some of our children see the hand of God in their lives.
It all happened when I was in the office with my son JJ, each working on different thing. He got a call and left the room as I finished what I needed to do. We had planned to get JJ and Sierra a couch for their downstairs room in the basement, where they lived with Joe's Dad, who we call Grampy. When JJ came back in I mentioned the couch and how I wanted to take Sierra to the store to check out the couch before we bought it. We had to make sure it was comfy enough for her.
"We might want to wait on the couch," JJ said when he was back in his chair.
"Why is that?" I asked. "You don't need one anymore?"
"No, that's not it. Something has changed."
"What has changed?"
"We were just offered a house by our pastor. Sierra and I have been discussing the idea ever since he called."
To make a long story short, the reason why I had been so stressed out was because the teacher I was the aid for, had left, along with her husband. They had lived in this house provided by the church and once they left, it was vacant and free for new tenants. The first people it was offered to declined it, so JJ and Sierra were offered it. This offer was an answer to so many prayers.
I won't explain it all here, but it is clear that God intentionally moved this puzzle piece and is preparing us for some good changes in 2026. We don't want to say that we hope this new year is going to be better than the last year, but our goal is to see where God is going to take us and trust Him that He will give us whatever we need to deal with whatever comes our way. So, Happy New Year to you all! May God fill you with peace, and guide each step of the way this new year.

]]><![CDATA[When the Wind Blows]]>Sat, 06 Dec 2025 17:23:43 GMThttps://www.carasimmons.com/blog/when-the-wind-blows

The other night I was thinking about an old memory I'd had when I was a little girl. In fact, it is my very first memory, to be exact. I was maybe 2 1/2 or 3 years old and I can remember standing in my crib. The wall with the door was on my right, and to the left of me was a wall with windows, but they were higher up because it was a basement bedroom. Little curtains hung in front of them and I could hear the wind whistling eerily by the window outside. I stood there terrified of the spooky sounds the wind made, but I can also remember glancing at the left side of my crib, wondering if the angel on the other side was going to come out for me to see him or just stay hidden. (I gave an account of this to my mom recently, and she told me the room was exactly as I described.)
The memory stops there. I don't recall anything else from that night, or even in that house afterwards. We moved shortly after that time and all the rest of my memories come with the new home. And again, there were angels. Angels that flashed by the windows. A bright white flash that happened so fast that I couldn't make out a complete form, but it was so big it covered the windows as it flew by. I told my mom I saw angels and at first I don't know if she believed me, but it happened a few times. To this day I still believe they were angels.
So, I was wondering the other night, why don't I still see angels fly by anymore? Or sense their presence around me? Maybe it is because the Lord doesn't want me to worship them and He wants me to worship Him alone. Maybe the angel was my guardian angel as a child, and I don't need him anymore. Maybe I have lost my childhood innocence and am too grown-up to see angels. Maybe, but then again, I think there is simply a different way of looking at it.
I was pondering this as I got ready for my day today, thinking back on my terrible, horrible, no good, very bad week (taken from the book about Alexander's bad day). It was not an easy week. There were changes in my job that happened overnight which left me scrambling to fill in places that I was not prepared for. I felt overwhelmed at first. It was like the wind was blowing again, (and I still hate the wind to this day!) and I was fearful about the unknowns. Every morning I begged God to help me through the day, to have patience with the children, to have a clear mind to do what I needed to do, to give the administration wisdom how to proceed with certain decisions, etc. As the week went on, everything began to fall into place one piece at a time and my poor, foggy brain finally cleared up to see the light.
When I do things, I throw my whole self into my job. I take Ecclesiates 9:10 seriously: "Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might;" I don't do things halfheartedly. So, even with the challenge, I threw myself into my work and did what I needed to do.
I wondered if I would make it through. Where were those angels watching over me? Why couldn't they take some of my load off my shoulders? God doesn't give us more than we can handle, right? Actually, that isn't true. God doesn't give us more than He can handle. He promises to never leave us nor forsake us. I just couldn't see Him for the wall I had up between us, like that crib wall. He was always there. And always has been.
It hit me today that He gave me a kiss from heaven this week with the beautiful sky He painted for me. It was so beautiful I had to stop and take a picture of it. His handiwork is amazing! He painted that for me! So, I would remember that He was still watching over me. I may not sense angels anymore or see them fly by my window, but even on my windiest days, I can rest assured that the Lord is there and will protect me from the crazy storms around me. He is the eye of the storm and I can rest in Him. He loves me. I'll never know just why He does, but I am so, so thankful He does.
Have you made Him first in your life? If not, why? He loves you, too. And nothing will ever change that. Just believe in Him. He won't fail you.
Lord bless!

]]><![CDATA[Thoughts from a sleepless night...]]>Sun, 12 Oct 2025 21:27:58 GMThttps://www.carasimmons.com/blog/thoughts-from-a-sleepless-nightNormally I would be sleeping by now, but my mind is whirling a mile a minute. I knew sleep would evade me unless I sat down and wrote and just let it out. I could blame it on the steroid I am taking to help get over the nasty cold I have, but I know it is more than that. It is more like seeing all the faces of the ones that I loved drift across my mind, picturing them kneeling before our Savior.

Ten years ago, I wrote a song after my dear daddy passed and the chorus went like this:
“He set his eyes on the prize, when he gave the Lord his life, now he stands before the One Who set him free. It is well with his soul, his body’s been made whole, all because of the choice he made so long ago…he set his eyes on the prize.”

This year has been tough. It seems like one after the other people are leaving this earth to be with Jesus. And as much as I rejoice in the fact that I know I will see them again, I don’t like it.

I remember back when I was about 8 years old, I experienced my first loss of life in the family…my great grandmother Mima (Jane – who my middle name was named after). She passed away and I remember being confused as to what that meant. It was a big deal because my dad and older brother got to leave to go to Massachusetts for a little trip, but I stayed home with my mom and younger brother. I didn’t remember too much about Mima, but it was enough to understand that I would never see her again on this earth.

It wasn’t until I was about 17 years old that I experienced another close friend’s passing. It was Donna, a woman I had befriended in my teen years, who was a quadriplegic. I would often go on the weekends and visit her, and we would talk about who I might marry and what plans God had for my future. We would talk about my dreams about writing. I was living all that she wished she could have lived.

Then one day she got pneumonia. She was tired of fighting life that way, always depending on others for her life sustenance. She was secure in her salvation and knew where she was going to go when she breathed her last breath on this earth. So, she stopped fighting as the pneumonia took over her already strained lungs and let go…into the arms of Jesus.

I took it hard. It was not easy to learn that Donna had passed away, and I no longer could go visit her or be encouraged by her. It was one of the first times I realized how the sting of death affected me directly.
Having lived 50 years on this earth now, I have seen my share of death. And I still don’t like it. I don’t like the void it leaves in my heart. I don’t like the idea that someone in my close-knit family could be next, and I am not ready for that. I am not ready to get yet either. There is still so much to see and do.

But life is so fragile. Though I knew it before, I have experienced this truth repeatedly in the last few months of this year:

An uncurable sickness can change everything.
A fall down the stairs can change everything.
A person driving down the wrong side of the road can change everything.
It did for these people.

Bill Edwards.
Violet Agro.
George Stewart.
Lauren Morrill.

But one thing I know about all these people is that they had set their eyes on the prize long before the day came when it was their time. The end time that God set on their life clock and said, “This is the appointed day you will close your eyes on this earth and come to live with me in paradise. Your time on earth will end, but your life in heaven is just beginning.”

Just like my dad did, they all knew where they would be going when they opened their eyes after death. And I know I will be seeing them again in heaven because I too, set my eyes on the prize long ago. I pray I have lots more years on this earth with my family, but my reservation is set and one day I will see them all again. And my mind can rest at ease now, because God is still in control. He’s got this.

2 Cor. 5:1: “For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.”]]><![CDATA[For I know that my Redeemer Lives...]]>Sat, 21 Jun 2025 14:14:14 GMThttps://www.carasimmons.com/blog/for-i-know-that-my-redeemer-lives Job.
We have all heard of him and his trials that he went through, as the devil tested Job and his faith in God. He believed Job would eventually curse God, proving that nobody could fully trust God to the end.
All he did was prove himself wrong.
Job never lost his faith in his Redeemer and came through a changed man...with a totally new outlook on the amazing grace of God.
During his friends "helpful" advice while he suffered the physically worst part of his trial, I can imagine him looking up at the sky as he said these amazing words: "Oh that my words were now written! oh that they were printed in a book! That they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock for ever! For I know that my redeemer liveth," (Job 19:23-25a).
Job had no idea that his words would be written down and printed in a book. He had no idea that his words would be forever written on paper with a pen and set in the "rock" for all to read until the Lord returns! He wanted everyone to know what he believed....that his redeemer lived! His Redeemer was the One Who was going to get him through this messy trial he was in. He was praising God in the midst of his dire circumstances and confessing his never wavering faith in His Lord. The devil never had a chance!
This week has been a bit rough with the bombardment of bad news about dear church people, friends, and other issues that seem to keep piling up. We just had a prayer revial at church and I feel like the devil is testing us like he did Job. Every time I woke up last night I had one particular name in my head and it was like God was saying, "Don't stop praying! Keep them coming!"
Every moment I could I kept this dear brother in prayer, as well as his family and loved ones. And I won't stop! God doesn't want us to stop knocking on His door. He wants us to keep interceeding for our dear brothers and sisters in Christ. There is a battle raging around us that we can't see. Like in Daniel chapter 10, the angels could be battling the devil's helpers and may be delayed in getting here, but they will prevail. God knows all. His timing is perfect. And I praise the Lord for His mercy and grace! I praise the Lord for being the One Who will win...Who has already won.
So, keep praying, my dear friends. God is listening and will answer at just the right time. And we can rejoice in the fact that our Redeemer lives!!!!
]]><![CDATA[A Summary of 2024 in Pictures]]>Tue, 31 Dec 2024 15:07:23 GMThttps://www.carasimmons.com/blog/a-summary-of-2024-in-pictures

It would be fun, he said.
It would be another one of our adventures, he said.
But as I looked down the endless mountain trail to the little specks that were cars at the bottom, I felt like this adventure was the worst fun I had ever had. It had seemed like kind of a good idea at the moment we decided to take the trip down on foot instead of standing in line for an hour in the cold wind at the top of the mountain. The line was not moving, so it was suggested we just hike down. Most of the gang agreed, but three of the girls said they were going to wait in line and take the gondola down. About 20 minutes into it, I decided I should have waited with the girls, because it didn't take long for me to realize I would never make it down alive.

I did not have on the proper shoes for a mountain walk, so each step was carefully planned out. I knew I would lose my balance if I kept going straight down the steep incline. I found a good walking stick to use for balance, and began walking to the left for a few feet, veered to the right a few feet, then back to my left again. This was how I walked the entire way down. It may have taken longer, but it saved my life, or at least my dignity so I didn't fall face first in the mud. And I had lots of time to think about the last 10 months of the year....all the ups and downs of the year was like this trek down the hill. It had been easy during the start of the journey/year, but it soon became hard and exhausting. Each step of the way made me cry out to the Lord to help me have strength to keep going.

It all begain in April when Grammy Gwen took a downward spiral in her health. We had so much to look forward to and plan for with Alaina's wedding coming up. But the future was blurry and unsure as we watched Grammy continue to grow worse in the nursing home where she was staying. She was finally released on April 27th, but I had a strange feeling in the pit of my stomach of what the next few days would hold. She was not getting better in the nursing home, so maybe being back in her home and around her kitties would help her recover. But within days of coming home, she ended up in bed, too weak to even move herself. It was just shy of a few days of having Alaina's wedding shower....would she make it through the day? I did not dare tell Alaina until after the shower. I didn't want to ruin her special day. She would find out soon enough.

Gwen made it through the day, but the night was rough as many people came by to say their goodbyes. Her little kitty Big boy decided he would guard her as much as he could by keeping her legs warm and safe. Kitties always know when someone is sick and they love to come and comfort as much as they can.

It was three days later when Gwen made her way to the gates of heaven. I had told her earlier that day to give my dad a big hug when she got there and tell him I was still serving the Lord down here. It was a very bittersweet day. I am so glad for the promise of heaven.

A few weeks later I was teaching Sunday School when I got a text from Ben with one of the pictures below. He said, "Look what came to visit our house!"
It was quite amazing to see such a large animal eating from my bird feeder. I stood on those very bricks later that day and thought to myself, "I am standing where a bear was standing!" I just love feeding my wildlife.

Joe and I needed a little get away so we went off to Pennsylvania to see Daniel at Sight and Sound. It was nice to stay at the Steamboat Inn. Things were going to get busy around our home and it was necessary to just have some us time.

When I got back Alaina invited me to one of her dress fittings, which I gladly accepted. I was excited to be included in her preparations and wanted to be there for her in all the ways she wanted to include me. She looked beautiful and I was not sure how prepared I was to see her in the dress on her big day.

June came around and I began to sit on my back deck trying to get a few rays of sun on my winterwashed skin. I needed some vitamin D as well as color for the upcoming wedding. It was while I was sitting there one day this beautiful bird came to visit me on the railing. He even posed for me as I took a few pictures of him.
The second picture is from a beach trip I took before the schools let out. It was a great time to just get away and write my thoughts down in my journal.
The last picture was taken during 4th of July at Joe's brother's house. All the kids and a few friends came and went off kayaking on the ocean. We all had a great time.

The big weekend had arrived. The wedding was set for Saturday the 13th, but we got there on the 12th for the rehearsal. It was such a beautiful place for a wedding and I couldn't get enough of the mountains and the water. The rehearsal went well, then we had a lovely dinner in a special area of the resort, where they had a pizza oven. They even made me a special cheese-free pizza for my very own. It was delicious.
After our dinner, the entire group gathered at the water. Many went swimming, and many went kayaking or paddleboarding. I managed to snap a photo of everyone just before we all got out of the water to head over to the bonfire. It was an amazing feeling to just watch everyone having a relaxing time together before the stresses of the wedding day arrived.

The first picture below is of Alaina looking at her Auntie Mickey's dress back in 2008. I titled it "Looking at the future." I told her that I wanted to get a picture of her looking at her own dress so I could put them side by side. The future was now here. Time sure does fly by.

Just a few pics of the wedding day, as well as a fun picture of Alaina and me together. I love all my children.

The day after the wedding Joe and I went off to spend the day with my friend Rachel and her husband Joe. We went to Queechee Gorge in Vermont and had a lovely time together. I had to get my yearly time in with my dear friend.

In August we were hit with the strangest storm. It began raining and grew dark, then suddenly we heard hail hitting the roof and back deck. It got louder and harder, lasting for over 20 minutes. I could not believe how cold it got outside and how much it smelled like the winter. I shoveled a huge pile of hail balls and wanted to play King on the Mountain. Our front yard became a pond of hail and leaves. I had never seen anything like that in my life. The biggest piece we found was almost as big as a golf ball.

Once Caleb and Alaina got back from all their travels, Dexter the bearded dragon and Mocha left our home to go live with them. It was hard to say goodbye to these pets that had been at our house for 7 years or more, and it took many weeks for me to adjust to their absence. I knew I would need to find some more kitties sooner than later to fill the hole that they had left. We needed more life in our house.

September came and Joe got to do something he had been waiting to do for so long. Susanna finally got her license to fly alone, and took her dad up for a trip in the sky. It was a trip he will never forget and he put together a huge video of his time, which you can view on my facebook page if you are interested.

Welcome our new kitties, Chia and Ham (was Hamish). The other kitties accepted them pretty quickly, and we are loving the new additions to our family.

Within weeks of getting our new kitties, we went on our annual trip to Smuggs in Vermont. We had a great time as a family, and even met up with my mom and siblings while we were there. It is always a highlight of our year that we look forward to.
The last picture is of us going up the gondola to the top of the mountain where this blog all began.

Below you will see a group of swans that came to visit me while I was taking my walk around Spring Lake. I was so happy to see them and felt like they were coming to thank me for praying for them. Last year all of the baby swans had died due to many large monster turtles in the lake, as well as other issues that happened due to lack of food. But this year all of the babies survived, after many prayers on my part, and I was so glad they all made it.
The other pictures are of Big Boy and Teddy in my new office at Grampy's house during the beautiful colors of fall.

Who knew a blessing could come from a storm? After that hail storm happened, we had a free inspection and they found our roof was damaged as well as our siding. The insurance company approved us to get a new roof as well as siding on our house. We had been wanting to do something with the siding for years, but it was not within our means. With a little patience, and a huge blessing, the Lord allowed that storm so we could get the desire of our heart....blue siding put on our house. Doesn't it look amazing? And it isn't completely finished yet. God is so good!

The talents of my children....both Ben and Susy were gifted with artistic talents...a gift passed on from their Grammy Gwen and their Grandpa Pinkham. I love seeing their work and look forward to one of them helping me work on another book someday.
The middle pic is of my favorite decoration I've seen at a house down the road from us - I call it the Lion of Judah.

So, that was a quick summary of my year in pictures. There is so much more that I could share, but those are the highlights. Though it all the Lord was good and gave me grace and peace, even when my heart was hurting. It was emotional in more ways than one, as we said goodbye to loved ones and had huge changes happen that felt both good and sad at the same time.

All this went through my mind as I made my way down the mountain. (The girls took this picture of me walking down as they glided over me in the gondola.) I put my mind to getting to the bottom and kept making my way down. And I made it. Just like I made it to the end of this year. By God's grace and help every step of the way.
And I know He will take care of us this new year. I can trust Him because He is always with me. And He loves me.
God bless you.
Have a Happy New Year. To 2025!

]]><![CDATA[Letting Your Children Fly]]>Mon, 23 Sep 2024 14:18:20 GMThttps://www.carasimmons.com/blog/letting-your-children-fly It was like entering a whole new world when I passed through the gate, like a forbidden zone or something that I had never been allowed to cross before. But today was different. Today was the day that Susy was going to take her daddy up for a flight and I was there to record the moment. With all the planes parked around the small area, the past year and a half of my daughter's life became real to me. She had been working so hard to get her first pilot's license, the first step of many in the process to becoming a full fledged commercial pilot. She had taken her first very stressfull oral exam early in the year, but had not passed it and had to wait until they could reschedule a time for the instructor to be back in the area. Another issue was the weather, which had to cooperate in order for her to fly once she passed the oral part of the exam. If there were too many low clouds, she couldn't fly. If it was windy or rainy, she couldn't fly. And it seemed like every time they set it up, it was canceled due to weather.
"God has a special plan," I said. "It will all work out at the right time."
Susy kept working and studying. She worked many shifts at her job just to pay for the flight training, which is not considered college so she couldn't get credit or financial aid for it. But her love for flying made her a dedicated worker, so she could fulfill this dream that her father had sparked in her.
It all began after Joe had gotten his pilot's license to fly some small drones for pleasure and business. There was a lot of time and effort that went into that process for him, and he thought that Susy might enjoy flying the drones with him. They did go out a few times to fly, but their feet always remained on the ground while the drones went up into the air.
One day Joe asked Susy if she would like to take a test flight in a real plane to see if she liked it in the air. We paid for her to go on her first flight, which again, sparked something inside her when she felt the freedom of flying like a bird in the sky. She took off with the idea and recently passed her exam and flight test with flying colors.
And today I got to witness something I never thought that I would see. I never thought I would say that my daughter was flying a plane all by herself, with her dad by her side.
I could have gone with them. There was enough room in the tiny plane for two more people to squeeze into the backseat, but I was not ready to go quite yet. I think part of it was because they needed that first time together to bond and make a special memory. Joe had been waiting a long time to be able to go in that plane with her and I didn't want anything to steal that joy. I was nervous to see them go, of course, but all the people who have gotten to know Susy at that small airport said she is an awesome pilot; that she knew was she was doing and my husband was in good hands. It gave me a peace inside to hear them praise her like that. So, I stood back and let them go, while the tears flowed down my cheeks as I watched my daughter fly. And I prayed for them.
And as I sit here and write this, I think of my two other children who have also learned to fly in a different way, by getting married and moving out of the house. There is not much I can do to keep them safe in their flight paths, but pray, pray, pray. God is at the controls with them, teaching them, guiding them, helping them through each part of their flights. And my prayer for my children is that they will always, ALWAYS, listen for His voice and allow Him to be their first commanding pilot through every flight journey that they take.

Enjoy the pictures!

]]><![CDATA[To Have and To Hold]]>Sat, 20 Jul 2024 15:28:46 GMThttps://www.carasimmons.com/blog/to-have-and-to-hold Life is a journey.
For each of us there are many different paths and twisting turns that we go down, but we all experience the same emotions along the way, as well as the same events, such as births, weddings, funerals, etc that make up our lives as humans. But it's what we learn along the way that is the most important thing, especially when we let God be our leader and comforter of all things earthly. We don't know the struggles that are around each bend, the humps in the road that will seem impossible to pass over, nor the stresses that are strewn across our paths at any given moment. But He does. And we just need to take His hand like in Isaiah 41:13, "For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee."
Twenty-six years ago in May I began my journey of marriage with my husband Joe, where we vowed before an audience of about 85 people that we would love each other and be true to each other as long as we both should live. Having always lived with my family at home, life was going to be very different now because I was moving about 5 hours away, to another state where my husband had grown up and continued to live close to his family. I could not even begin to fathom what my family was feeling as they watched me excitedly move on as a married woman. My younger siblings were so young. My baby sister was only eleven at the time, and I had no idea how much I was going to miss as she and my three other younger siblings went through their teen years.
I had always dreamed of starting my own family, with lots of children to fill our house because that is what I was accustomed to. There had always been noise all around me and I wasn't used to the quiet and loneliness during the days when Joe was at work. But that only last a year. In July of 1999, we had our first baby boy and my time was now filled with learning how to deal with a newborn.
It was hard at first. I always felt like our first child was our guinea pig (sorry JJ!) as we learned how to raise a family, by God's grace. We made our mistakes, but are the first to admit that now, that we were not and still are not perfect.
Then along came our second son. I quickly learned that going from one to two children was the hardest adjustment, especially when the second baby demanded so much time and energy. Yet, God was there with us and helped me through the struggles as a new mom. I wasn't so sure that having six was such a great idea anymore. Around that time I found I was pregnant again, but soon lost the baby when I was about six weeks along. I felt so guilty because I thought God was blaming me for not wanting another one so soon. I should have been rejoicing at the idea of new life, but I was tired and felt a bit worn down.
It was on Caleb's first birthday that I found out I was pregnant yet once again, and this time my attitude changed. I know some people love being pregnant, but I never did enjoy having a stranger's body for nine (almost ten) months, and couldn't wait to finally hold my baby in my arms. We didn't find out what we were having so the excitement to find out what we had was something that kept me going through the deliveries.
As a side note, our first child was born at the hospital, but all of the other children were born at home, two in the upstairs apartment of the house we rented, and two as waterbirths in the bedroom of our own home.
Our third baby was due around December 23rd. I had invited my best friend Rachel to come help me out, including attending the home birth with the midwives. Alaina decided she did not want to be born on time and that extra week of waiting was excruciating. I just wanted it to be over and done with. I wanted to know if I was going to have another boy or if this time I would be blessed with a little girl, like I had been wanting for years.
December 26th nothing happened, but that night I began to have some contractions. Joe and I prayed that night that it would be soon and that God would take care of all the details. It was then that the Lord gave me the verse I mentioned above, about how God was right there, holding my right hand, helping me and taking care of me. I have loved that verse ever since that day.
It was about 6:30 am when the baby finally made an extrance into the world. Joe held the little one in his arms and turned to me as I laid on the bed.
"Do you want to know what it is?"
I braced myself to hear the words, "It's another boy," as I said, "Yes, of course!"
"It's a little girl! We have a daughter!" He said as he laid her on my chest.
The tears flowed that morning. Exhausted from laboring all night, but thrilled to know that the Lord had given us a little girl, I couldn't help but thank Him for His blessings.
As I think back to that day when Joe held Alaina for the first time, I think of the title of this blog - to have and to hold. I had the baby and he held her close. For 21 and 1/2 years we have been holding her close. Raising the family God gave us to the best of our ability - all five children (one more girl after Alaina, and then our youngest son, four years later). We have had our ups and downs, our struggles with job losses, with finances, with strange illnesses and things that just didn't make sense at the time. But God was always there, holding our right hands as we looked to Him for help in each matter that came along our path.
And our journey as parents has taken us to another moment - the one that happened one week ago today. Our daughter Alaina's wedding. As Joe walked her down the aisle that beautiful, steamy Saturday afternoon, he held her close by his side. He stood by her as the question was asked, "Who gives this woman to be married?"
His answer was loud and strong. "Her mother and I do."
And then Joe gave up his role as the leader in our daughter's life and trustingly handed her over to the young man eagerly waiting to take her for his bride. It was the groom's turn to have and to hold Alaina. To embark on their own journey together as husband and wife, as I Joe and I did twenty-six years ago.
And it hurt.
It still hurts. Oh, I pleaded with the Lord to help me that day. To be strong for her and rejoice with her because she was so happy. I am happy for her and her groom. We believe God matched them up perfectly. We have gained a son, but there is a sense of loss. Not in the sense of never seeing her again. In fact, they are only going to live about ten minutes away from us. No, it's a sense of loss as to what once was. I feel it in every day life. Like at dinner when I am preparing two dinner plates for the working girls, and realize I only need to make one now.
Or when we close the door at the end of the night instead of keeping it open for the last one to come in after being out late getting things ready at her new apartment.
Or having her come into our room and chatting with me on the bed while Joe finishes getting ready for bed....
It's part of life that we will never get back. Though every phase of raising children was not always fun, they had their good moments and I learned to like something about each. And I know this new phase is going to have lots of good moments and I look forward to seeing what God will do in their lives, as well as ours as we adjust to our new normal.
Because it isn't us that have and hold forever....our children are just on loan to us for a time. It is the Lord's job to have and to hold forever and ever. He lovingly holds their right hands in His own and we can rest assured that He will take them on their journey that He designed so beautifully for them.
Amen.

]]><![CDATA[Another Piece of my Heart is in Heaven]]>Wed, 08 May 2024 16:41:28 GMThttps://www.carasimmons.com/blog/another-piece-of-my-heart-is-in-heaven

How can I put what I feel into words? I am a writer, but my mind and heart hurt too much to think too deeply. But then again, writing has always been my way of relieving stress and emotion. Nothing listens as well as the blank page, though I have learned through trials of life that there is another One Who I can go to. There is One Who is always there, not needing me to pick up a pencil, but just to whisper the words, "Lord, please help me. Give me strength to do what I need to do." And He does.

And He did it again for me and our family during the last week and a half. I could see Him orchestrating everything: from timing things perfectly; to putting people into our path who could help us; to opening doors for medical equipment that He knew we were going to need, and so much more. It was not an easy task, taking care of my dear, sweet mother-in-law, Gwen Simmons, but I did it because I loved her. I did it as a thank-you for all that she had done and given us over the last 26 years of marriage. She was a walking encyclopedia. She remembered everything she had ever read and could tell me right away what I needed to do when one of my children slammed his head into the bunk bed ladder and grew a goose egg as big as it sounds. She knew exactly what to do for diaper rash, sick children with strange symptoms that made no sense, and many other issues that arose from having five young children. And through it all, she never pushed. She just waited for us to go to her and gave advice as needed. She was the best mother-in-law a lady could ever want.

And she considered me a daughter. And a friend. She always took an interest in what was going on in my life and the family. She often talked to me about music, and what I was doing with my little girls' choir or drama class. Whenever she heard a plane fly overhead, she would ask, "Is Susy flying today? I think I heard her plane." She loved to listen to stories about Alaina's job at the vet, and all the adventures the animals, and their crazy animal owners put her through. She loved to hear about Ben and his interest in learning guitar and music theory.

She liked to take me back to the day when Joe walked into the house after we had first met and he told them about me. Right away she knew I was the one for her son because of the different way he acted. He had never responded that way before with a young lady and her mother's heart knew. And then when she met me the first weekend I came down in June of 1997, she saw me standing there with my church dress on and bare feet and said, "That's a girl after my own heart. A country girl."

Her eyesight was fading, but she still enjoyed looking out at the hummingbirds and little house finches that came to sit on the hook I put in front of her living room window. The giant metal butterflies of bright yellow, pink, blue, and green we placed on the trees helped brighten her world for a little bit. I knew it was hard for her to know that she wouldn't be able to see much longer. Even the bright blues were getting tough to pick out on a page. Her eyes closed last Friday, and remained closed until Tuesday night, around 5:25pm, when suddenly they popped open. I am sure she was seeing the gates of heaven at that moment, and the beautiful, unexplainable colors of the celestial city. Maybe she was seeing Jesus for the first time. Whatever it was, I am sure it was beyond words. And then she was gone. Whisked away into the arms of her Saviour where pain and sorrow no longer exist.

This experience has left me exhausted from the constant care, but it also has left me breathless in amazement as I see death in a new light. I always feared it before, not understanding the process, but she was so peaceful. It is a lot like birth - it happens at the moment that has been perfectly planned by God, and you can't rush the timing. There is a time and a season for both.
Rest in peace, dear Gwen. It was an honor to be by your side all this time. Please give my dad a hug for me, and sing with those angels. You will always be in my heart.

]]><![CDATA[The Waits of Life]]>Thu, 25 Jan 2024 14:18:25 GMThttps://www.carasimmons.com/blog/the-waits-of-life The other night I was doing my daily Bible reading and was enjoying the part of the story when Joseph finally tells his brothers that the man under all the frills and Egyptian make-up was him. "I am Joseph," he announced to his stunned brothers.
The story of Joseph is one of my favorite stories of all times, but I always find that particular part of the story so amazing! It never fails to brings tears to my eyes every time I imagine him coming to that point when he just could not wait any longer. They had passed all his tests to see where their hearts were at this point in their lives, and he must have been satisfied with it because suddenly he just HAD to tell them. It was time to give the big reveal! Too bad there weren't any cameras around at the time because the looks on their faces would have been fun to see.
Yet, after the surprise was over, they had to face the fact that their father needed to know. And telling him that Joseph was alive meant they had to confess to what they had done and tell the truth. Joseph had sent a gift of wagons to carry all of them back to Egypt, as well as donkeys laden down with goods to keep them alive until they returned to him. There was no keeping the secret any longer, but I've often wondered if they confessed right away when they saw their father, or if they just simply told him that Joseph was alive and waiting for them in Egypt? It says they relayed all that Joseph had told them, but did they keep the part about how Joseph got to Egypt out of the conversation?
So, Jacob, after finally coming to the realization that he was going to see his son again, after twenty plus years, he begins his journey, only to stop along the way to make sacrifices to the Lord. It is there that God comes to him in a vision during the night and speaks to him. He reassures Jacob of the promise of making him a great nation, and that Joseph is indeed alive and will be there when Jacob dies.
This part made me pause for a moment....God knows everything, right? God sees the past, present, and the future. He knew Jacob would make this journey to see his son, the one that he thought had died by the hands of cruel beasts of the woods. God could have told Jacob so many years before and let him know that he would see Joseph again! Wouldn't that have been the kind thing to do?
It kind of reminds me of the story of the Wizard of Oz...the "good" witch kept guiding Dorothy along the way, never telling her that she could simply click her heels, which would allow her to return home. She could have saved her lots of grief and worry along the way if she had just told her upfront the solution to all her problems! But no, there were lessons to be learned, and things to do along the journey.
And so it was for Jacob. And especially Joseph. If Jacob had been told the truth that Joseph was alive in the beginning, he would have gone after his son, rescued him, and brought him back home saving them both from horrible grief and misery along the way. If that had happened, what would have become of them in the long run? Would they have died when the famine hit the land because there was no food prepared for the hard times? God knew. He had hand picked Joseph for the job because He knew Joseph's heart. And so God did not tell Jacob because He needed His plan to be fullfilled. He wanted Jacob to wait.
This is where my title of the blog comes in - The Waits of Life. You probably thought I misspelled the word, but there is no mistake. The weights in this world are often God telling us to "wait" for the answer. For His timing. He may not answer for a day, a month, a year, or even twenty years, like Jacob, but He will give an answer when it is right. And in the meantime, the time in between is often used to shape us, mold us, and refine us so we can be exactly who He wants us to be when the time is right for the answer.
I hate waiting. I hate not knowing what is going to happen, or what decision I should make regarding an important matter. I had one of those days yesterday. It was one of those strange days, where lots of things happen that are not normal. One of them was finding a little purple finch under my bird feeder. He was hurt and unable to fly. I took him in my hands and got him warm. He closed his eyes trusting that I was not going to hurt him and rested. I ended up bringing him inside and nestled him in a cozy towel inside a box where my kitties could not get him. I could see he was not doing well so I prayed that if he was going to die, that the Lord would take him quickly and not let him suffer. Within an hour he had passed. The verse about God seeing every sparrow fall went through my mind. I am thankful God answered my prayer quickly for the sake of the bird and I did not have to wait a long time to know what to do with him.
But there are other matters I need to wait for such as salvation for family members and resolutions to financial matters that still lurk under the surface, never seeming to go away. These weights can be heavy on the shoulders. It can seem like they are pushing me underneath the waves and I can't take a breath of fresh air. Yet, God knows. He knows my past, present, and future. He is using this time to make me to be who He wants me to be, shaping me, molding me, and refining me. He wants me to hand these weights over to Him, to let Him carry me through these tough times as I wait for His perfect timing for answers.
"Casting all your cares upon Him for He careth for you." I Peter 5:7
"Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly of heart; for My yoke is easy and My burden is light." Matthew 11:29-30
I want to meditate on these verses today as I learn to give Him the weights in life, and learn to wait on Him. Won't you join me today?

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