Blessings & the Gift of Family - 06/26/2024

 Blessings & the Gift of Family

The gift of family is such a blessing.  To get to go on a retreat of sorts & see so many of the family was a HUGE blessing.  There’s nothing like those “Stevens” hugs.  If you’ve ever received one, I know you understand what I mean.  It just seems to be in the blood.  As a kid, I was trained to be a professional hugger by this family.  You always gave hugs when you arrived & when you left and several in between, no matter how short the visits.  Jamie & I were so blessed to have time surrounded by family at the Lake House on Gardner Lake in Maine… thank you LORD and Lindsay & Peter Sander.  We sure did miss our Kansas family though. 

If you take the time to think back, you will remember that last January for a few months I was in a wheelchair and I did not know the Lord had plans to get me up outta that chair.  Praising the Lord for His mercy & grace.  Honestly, I didn’t think I was going to get to go stay at the Lake House again, due to my health issues and the fact that it is not handicapped accessible. 

“… that my heart may sing Your praises and not be silent.  O LORD my God, I will give thanks forever.”  Psalm 30:12

It has been in our family since 1976, when my parents moved from Lubec.  I thought my parents were crazy to move!   Now I understand the value of the calm of this beautiful place.    When my parents first got the Lake House, it didn’t even have a well.  Through the years, they did a lot of work to this beautiful place both inside & out.  My Mom loved to create flower gardens & to have a vegetable garden.  Praise the Lord we have been so blessed to keep it in our family for almost 50 years.  Now we are on the third generation.  So much laughter & love has been captured within its walls and as they say, if walls could talk.  Actually when I started dating Jamie in May 1979, I was living with my parents for a few months and he used to picked me up at the Lake House.  We had our honeymoon at my parents camp on Gardner’s Lake and our granddaughter had hers on Gardner’s Lake at the Lake House.   Traditions & love keep getting passed on.   

Counting my blessings for the family we have had through the years and the family we have today.  To me it is one of the greatest gifts on earth that we are given.  Camp life started with my Grammy & Grampy Stevens.  How Grammy Stevens stood us all the time, I will never know!  Oh Cousins & family, love you so & hope to see you at our reunion on July 7th.  Can’t wait to HUG you all.  God is so amazingly good beyond what we deserve or ever could imagine. 

My oncologist told me to enjoy my summer and we are so grateful for all the blessings God has provided.  Again, thank you for your gift of prayers, love & support.  Sending my love, HUGS & blessings to you all.   What are you grateful for today? 

Psalm 75:1 “  We praise you, God, we praise you, for your Name is near; people tell of your wonderful deeds.”  NIV

ps A lot was accomplished this trip from the dock being put in etc.  But the most important was see our treasured family.