Looking Beyond

It's time for another Five Minute Friday, sponsored by Lisa Jo. Check here to see other writings on this prompt.

Writing Prompt: Beyond

My nephew carefully sorts through the pile of legos strewn across the floor. He follows the directions on the enclosed booklet, step by step, choosing the pieces displayed on the diagram among all the colored pieces lying around him, and eventually holds up the finished building – an ancient fortress from the “Lord of the Rings.” It looks exactly like the picture on the box.

Later, he takes apart his construction and pours all the pieces into a big container, mixing this set with all of his previous sets. He then spends hours – and many days – creating his own multitude of masterpieces. He looks beyond the pictures on the boxes to use his imagination … to see possibilities as he builds.

How often do I look beyond my complacent, comfortable life to see the rest of the world … the parts that aren’t like the intended “picture” on the box … and see the possibilities?  Can I move beyond my comfort zone?

How might God use me if I just let myself look beyond?

Home Repair Project #721

God didn’t intend for me to be a plumber. I’m fairly certain of this. But: there’s the internet and “How-To” videos and step-by-step directions (with pictures!) and “Do it yourself” and “save money” and my favorite – “it’s easy!” So I decided to do it myself. After all, it’s just a little leaky bathroom faucet. How hard could it be?

Although I first noticed the leak in April, I knew enough about my abilities to wait to tackle it during the summer, when I had plenty of time. But when summer arrived I kept putting it off. Could I really do it? It’s just a tiny leak; it only happens when I turn the hot water on. Maybe I should just leave it alone. 

But every time I saw that dribble of water appear, spreading around the hot water faucet, it annoyed me. I have to fix that, I thought. I'm an adult. I can do it. And so, last Saturday, it was finally time. (In retrospect, doing this project on a Saturday was probably not the best idea.) I did my homework: watched two video tutorials and found a website with step-by-step directions and photographs that I kept displayed on my laptop, and then I gathered up a screwdriver, wrench, flashlight, and several towels (just in case). Although the guy on the website said it should only take 15 minutes, I gave myself an hour. Starting at 9:45 on Saturday morning, I’d be finished before lunch and have the afternoon free for summer fun. Ready – set – Go!

First step: turn off the water supply. Next, cover the bottom of the sink with a rag so no parts slip down the drain. Then, find an Allen wrench to take the faucet off. (I had to call my dad to see if I had any Allen wrenches. Yes, I had a whole set on a nifty little key-ring – still in the unopened package!) Found one that worked and took off the hot water faucet decorative handle. Unscrew the silver thing Bonnie nut (see how much I’m learning?). So far, so good. This is kind of fun!

Next step: remove the faucet thingie where the water comes out faucet stem. Uh oh – mine doesn’t look like the one in the picture. How do I get it out? Google search: Delta bathroom faucet. Found a picture: cool – you can gently lift it out by the edge with a flat screwdriver. It comes right up … along with a spray of water!  (Oh yeah – I skipped part 2 of turning off the water supply. You also need to let the water already in the pipe drain out of the faucet.) Oh well – a quick little spray of water isn’t so bad.

Moving along: take out the little rubber washer seat and spring and replace. O.K. – I took them along and made a quick stop to the hardware store to find the correct replacement parts. Thankfully they had them in stock. Only $8.50 – look at all the money I saved by doing it myself! Got them in the faucet and decided to do the cold water faucet as well, since that washer was probably close to wearing out. Then it was time to put the stem back on. Make sure you replace stem in the same position. Let’s just say that it’s not as easy as it sounds with a little removable piece that goes either in the front or the back…glad I had thought to take a picture as I was removing it. Looking good – now to replace the handles and turn the water back on.

It still leaks. Not quite so fun anymore. The website says if the faucet still leaks the stem might need to be replaced as well. It’s now 11:45. Oh well, off to the store again. Except this time it takes three stores (and waiting for a train) to find the correct stem in stock (guess what: this package includes the parts I’ve already bought!). Another $20 – that’s O.K. I’m still saving money by doing it myself and now I have extra seats and springs in case I ever need to do this again.

1:15 p.m. Take the faucet apart again, remove the Bonnie nut again, lift the stem out (again) and replace it, making sure the spring and seat are still in the correct spot at the bottom. Put everything back together and turn the water back on. Cross your fingers.

Good news: it’s not leaking. 

Bad news: the water continuously pours out of the faucet, whether it’s on or off. Turning the handles does nothing.

I have no idea what I did wrong – the website says nothing about this possibility. I do a Google search: water pouring out of faucet whether it's on or off. No help. At this point it’s almost 2:00 and I’m done. I have no idea what to do to fix this. I’m sick of taking this faucet apart and putting it back together over and over. I realize: I need a professional plumber. I can’t do this. Very frustrating.

I spent the rest of Saturday and Sunday with the water turned off. Since I don’t didn’t have a shutoff valve in the bathroom, the water supply for the whole house was off. I’d turn it on for 5 minutes occasionally, but for the most part I had no water all weekend. And every time I turned it on I’d hear the water pouring from the bathroom faucet.

Monday morning: I turned the water on for a few minutes. I didn’t hear anything. I went into the bathroom. No water was coming out of the faucet. I turned the faucet on. The water came on. I turned it off – the water stopped. It worked. How – and why? I have no idea. I’m choosing to believe God performed a little miracle for me! 

I still called the plumber to come and check it out, just to make sure I didn’t do anything wrong. There were a couple other issues as well (hot water heater and low water pressure), but he said everything looked good.  And, while he was there, he installed a shutoff valve under the sink for the next time I try to fix something.

So, I didn’t save any money by doing it myself, but I learned how to take apart my faucet and what a Bonnie nut is and that I have a whole set of Allen wrenches and how much I appreciate having accessible water.  All in all, a very interesting weekend. 

I think I'll wait awhile before attempting my next Home Repair Project.

Enough: A Reminder

Five Minute Friday             Writing Prompt: Enough


Sometimes it seems my prayers are full of requests. Please be with so-and-so, help me to ..., give me ..., I need ..., please do this-or-that. It seems like I'm always asking God for more; it's never enough. 


Although these types of prayers aren't wrong, when I get off-balance in my types of prayers, I need to remember that He has given me enough.  There's an ancient Jewish song that begins: "If the Lord, the Lord, had rescued, only rescued us from Egypt, just the rescue would have been enough for us."  I need to remember that the Lord's rescue of me from my sin by Jesus - my salvation - is enough.


As I sat in the afternoon sun on my deck in the backyard earlier this week,  I heard the strong, clear sound of a cardinal. I peered up into the tree branches until I saw his bright red coat and then just watched him sing for several minutes. I could see his vibrating throat as he repeated his song of praise over and over. And I was reminded again of the numerous gifts God has given me.


If a cardinal can praise God through his song, surely I can praise Him in my prayers. I have enough. You, Lord, are enough.

Summer Reading (part 1)

I Love to read. That's one of the reasons I love summer - I can sit and read all day if I want to. And I've spent a few days doing just that this summer. When the daily "To Do" list includes weeding, cleaning the house, working on tech. curriculum for school, etc. it's so much easier to pick up a book and read just a chapter or two ...


So, now that I've finished one sheet from our local library's adult summer reading program, I'd better start working on some of my other projects before beginning my second sheet. Meanwhile, here's a look at the books I've already read this summer. Maybe there's one or two that will interest you as well. 

• Caleb's Crossing by Geraldine Brooks  Geraldine Brooks often takes an obscure historical fact and then develops a novel around it.  In this book, set in the Puritan 1660s of New England, two children: a daughter of a Calvinist minister and a native Wampanoag boy become friends and grow up together. We experience the culture clashes of the Puritan English and the Native American as Caleb, the Indian boy, becomes the first Native American to graduate from Harvard College. The true historical fact is that a young man named Caleb was the first native American to graduate from Harvard (in 1665).  I also enjoyed Geraldine Brooks' previous novel, People of the Book, based on another historical fact - the discovery of an ancient Jewish Haggadah.

• Lost in Shangi-La by Mitchell Zuckoff  I can't remember how I discovered this book, but it is a fascinating true story about a small US military plane that crashed in the remote New Guinea area at the end of World War 2. The book tells how the injured survivors hiked down a mountain into a valley, met the native tribespeople, and eventually were rescued in a daring operation as the inaccessible valley was too narrow for most planes. The valley was called Shangri-La after the book Lost Horizon, so of course I had to watch the old movie "Lost Horizon" after finishing this book. 

• The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis  I read this book in preparation of seeing the play based on the book.  It was a great combination of reading and then hearing/seeing the words come to life on stage; lots to ponder!

• State of Wonder by Ann Patchett  This novel takes place in the remote Amazon rainforest as a young pharmaceutical doctor sets off to find an older doctor who is doing research for a new drug in the rainforest. There's more to the story, of course, but it's a little difficult to describe quickly. It was an interesting book, but not one of my favorites. It's rather slow-moving and I couldn't really connect with any of the characters. I did realize that I have no desire to live out in the Amazon rainforest! 

• A Grown Up Kind of Pretty by Joshilyn Jackson  I've read several of Jackson's novels, all set in the south, after hearing her speak at Calvin's Festival of Faith in Writing conference several years ago. This story deals with three generations of women, their relationships with each other, and their personal growth as they deal with the effects of a long-ago secret after a small grave is discovered in their backyard.

• Sister by Rosamond Lupton  Wow! I discovered this author from another reader on Facebook. She's written two mystery novels; I read them both within a week. Lots of twists (some I figured out, others surprised me) in this mystery set in London, England. The story revolves around a young woman and her investigation into the death of her younger sister. Did her sister commit suicide or was she murdered?

• Afterwards by Rosamond Lupton  Another mystery, this time involving a school fire in which a mother and daughter are injured. In an unusual manner, the mother and daughter try to discover who set the fire and why. Again, lots of twists, along with an interesting storytelling technique.

• The Weight of Heaven by Thrity Unrigar  This is the third novel I've read by Unrigar, whose stories are often set in India. This novel relates the story of Frank and Ellie Benton, an American couple who move to India after their young son dies. It describes their different ways of dealing with grief  as well as the way they deal with a new culture as they befriend the young son of their housekeeper and cook.

• One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp  I finally had time to sit down and read this book that so many people have recommended. It actually took quite a while for me to get into it as I found her writing a little distracting. She uses so much description that I felt it interfered with her overall message at times; I found it tiring to get through and had to force myself to continue with it.  It wasn't until I was over halfway through the book that I could finally focus on what she was saying. Although I was a little disappointed in her style of writing, I'm glad I read it as I really like much of her message and am trying to apply it - living in thankfulness and finding joy in all circumstances because of the love and grace of God.

Afternoon on the Lazy (Muskegon) River

Summer -

       sun, water, family, relaxation, nature ...

We had it all yesterday afternoon as our family meandered down part of the Muskegon River in Newaygo, floating on tubes and enjoying God's creation. My parents hosted this excursion to celebrate my niece and nephew's birthdays (they both love the water!). An originally planned 2.5 hour trip turned into 3+ hours of floating along the current, stopping to collect stones and shells (and watergrass to throw down the adults' backs!), playing in the water, and looking for wildlife.

This part of the Muskegon River holds special memories as my dad's parents had a trailer up here at Old Women's Bend many years ago. My sister and I remember spending time up here when we were kids. It was fun to find "our" island again. We even found their old trailer and dock, although it has changed quite a bit in forty (can that be right?) years.

A wonderful, summer day spent with my parents, sister & brother-in-law, niece, and one of my nephews.

Storytelling in Africa

Trying Five Minute Friday again                             Writing Prompt: STORY

I can still see the joy on the faces of the children crowded around me in the rural municipality of Ndwedwe, South Africa, seven years ago as I told the story of the Good Shepherd. Bridging the language barrier with paper cutouts and pieces of felt (representing grass, rocks, and water), we acted out the story as they eagerly told me the Zulu name for each object. Grubby hands reached out to take their turn holding the shepherd or sheep as they retold the story over and over and over. And I remember their delight at the mention of Jesus – “Jesu” – both their Good Shepherd and mine. 

A single story binds us together forever: Jesus loves and cares for us.