Dakota’s faith is awe inspiring.  It is a gift I have yet to recieve, however I do rejoice in hers and wonder if it is due to the innocence of childhood or something deeper and more truly special.  For instance, a couple weeks ago Dakota’s mom ran to the store leaving Dakota and her three year old brother with Randall, who was back and forth to his shop.  Ryder began poking Dakota with a fork and Dakota didn’t like it so she called the store and had her mother paged to tell on her brother.  Suspecting a practical joke by her husband, Lee Ann immediately called Randall on his cell phone.  He denied complicity and went into the kitchen to investigate.  Randall even hit redail on the phone and no real number was on it.  Now, tattling is a fairly normal occurance in any household with young children and none of us would have been surprised except Lee Ann had not told anyone which store she was going to and it happened to be the new Alaska Ship Supply which had recently opened.  Dakota is five years old and can not read the telephone book even if the new store’s number had been it.   After she had explained the fork poking incident to her father, Randall asked her how she got the telephone number.

“God told me,” she said.

So far we haven’t found a more plausible explanation.  I, for one, am not going to disabuse her.  Faith is a wonderful thing.  Alas, it cannot be manufactured.  However, I do reap the rewards of Dakota’s faith.   After I got out of surgery she told me she was going to ask Jesus to make me better, but she was going to have to wait a day because Jesus was gone.

“Oh, really?” I asked.  “How do you know that?”

“His sister told me,” she said, without a moment’s hesitation.

“Jesus has a sister?”

“Yes,” she said.  “Her name is Lizzie.”

Hello,

Happy New year.  I wish the very best for you all. 

On December 6th, I fell walking home from work, a gentle controlled fall but my prosthesis slipped down and I broke my arm.  So here I am, after surgery and slowly on the mend.  Boy, what a nusiance, especially since my kids and grandkids will hardly let me take a step without one of them in attendance.  In truth I am so weary of this one handed business, must walk with a stick for balance with my arm in a sling.  However, the stick comes in handy to scare off foxes who congregate outside the library doors where well meaning people think they are cute and throw them scraps.  Soon the daylight will be back and I won’t feel so nervous of them.  For some reaason we have a lot this year and seeing five or six in a group sort of unnerves me.  I feel so vulnerable with only one arm, the strangest thing, since my actual arm has been gone nearly 25 years.  So, this has really bummed me out.  Sorry, I know I should be able to to take it in stride. 

Anyway, enough whining.