Grandpa's Tools

A few months ago we lost Rodney's Grandfather. We know he is so happy to be with Grandma in heaven. He has wanted to be there since she died. Grandpa had not let anything in their house be touched or moved since he lost Grandma. So now that they are both gone the house has been an adventure. Memories galore have abounded as Rodney, Rodney's dad and his aunts and uncle and all the cousins have cleaned up the place getting it ready to sell.

As this process has gone on everyone has gotten to choose a few of Grandma and Grandpa's things to get to keep for themselves. It is a wonderful way to get to bring the memories of Grandma and Grandpa into our own homes.



I am a strange female. I tend to like tools. The more tools the better. I like them more than Rodney does. So I was very excited to get Grandpa's saw and drill. We got the saw just in time to build our garden bed boxes. It was great to feel close to him as we worked. I think he would be proud of what we put together with his tools.

Ancestors give us the tools that make us who we are. They are the foundation of our religious beliefs, they are the foundation of our facial and body features, they are the foundation of our actions, thoughts and deeds. I see so much of Grandpa in Rodney's dad and in turn I see so much of Dad in Rodney.

One of the tools passed on was how Grandpa kept his finances in order even in tough times. The same can be said for Dad. Rodney's Dad became so enamored with numbers that he became an accountant. Rodney and I have had a few tough financial stretches but my man always brings us out on top.  

Grandpa was so generous. If he knew of someone who needed help he would give even if he had to go without. Rodney's Dad is one of the most giving men I know. His whole family has seen that in action, more than once. My husband, Rodney, is generous as well. You never know what wonderful thing Rodney is going to do for you. He thinks of others more than himself, always!!

One of the the tools that is close to my heart about these men is their love and respect of their wives. I know that we wives are not perfect. I am sure even Grandma wasn't all perfect. But the Frieden boys always act like their wives are. We wives are treated like the most important people on the earth. I think more marriages would benefit from this special tool. 

Colossians 3:19

Living Bible (TLB)

19 And you husbands must be loving and kind to your wives and not bitter against them nor harsh

The last but the most important tool passed on was the way Grandpa loved our God in a deep and personal way. He always carried himself around others as God would have wanted him to, and in turn Dad and Rodney are Godly men as well. Rodney has gone so far as to become a minister. His grandparents were so happy about that. 

There was no doubt about Grandpa. He was as genuine and true as he seemed. He was a man that followed this verse...

Luke 10:27

The Message (MSG)

27 He said, “That you love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and muscle and intelligence—and that you love your neighbor as well as you do yourself.”

I thank God for Rodney's Grandfather and hope upon hope that you have a grandpa who is as true and special and who passes his tools of wisdom down the family line too!

Blessings!

Good Maintenance Is The Key

I have a Buick SUV that I have driven for over ten years. It fits me just right and even more important, the heated seats still work. It has been a good car over the years. A couple of things have gone wrong but nothing major. 

Anyway, it turned over 100,000 miles a little while ago so we figured we needed to get in for a check up to see if anything needed repaired. This decision to take it to the shop was made with a little fear in our stomachs because after having to do some repair on Rodney's car awhile back, our budget really didn't need another hit. But safety is more important than anything so I took it in today.

As I dropped it off they loaned me a loaner truck thinking that they would need to keep my SUV a couple of days. Because my old thing surely needed brakes or shocks or something kind of major.

On a side note, I am really too small to drive a king cab, full sized pick up. You should have seen me trying to just get in the thing. Very funny looking! Sorry I digressed.

I was so surprised when they called an told me that they were done, early this afternoon. It had just needed a tune up, spark plugs and the general fluids that cars need. When I got there the service manager pulled me aside and told me that he had never really seen a vehicle, the age of ours, and with the mileage ours has, be in such good shape. He said maintenance is everything and apparently we had been very diligent over the years with that. The bill he handed me was pretty manageable. Shew!


As I have sat here tonight thinking about the day and how good God has been in all areas of this day. I am reminded that maintenance is everything. In our cars, in our homes, in the way we raise our children, in our marriages and, most importantly, in our relationship with our Heavenly Father.

If we don't keep track of things in our homes we would be cold in the winter, hot in the summer, we would have leaks and even a roof that could fall in. If we don't talk with and love on our children and just leave them to raise themselves you can imagine how they will turn out. If we don't communicate and be respectful, loving and genuine with our spouses our marriages will be more hell than heaven on earth. 

But most important is how we work on our relationship with God. Our eternity depends on this. 

I can tell you that a soul deep peace can and will be had if we keep our relationship with God where it needs to be. If we understand that Jesus is the road to that relationship. Accepting His sacrifice as our way to heaven and seeking daily to show Christ's love to those around us. 


Matthew 22 says...
37-40  “‘Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.’ This is the most important, the first on any list. But there is a second to set alongside it: ‘Love others as well as you love yourself.’ These two commands are pegs; everything in God’s Law and the Prophets hangs from them.”


Acts 13 let's know....
39 through Jesus everyone who believes is put in right relationship with God.


Romans 5:11 reminds us....
11  we even take pride in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, the one through whom we now have a restored relationship with God.


Life is never perfect. It does take work. There are things that do go wrong, sometimes. But as we grow closer and closer to God, because of our relationship with Christ, all the trials that living throws at us and all the repairs that will need to follow do not have to take away our peace or sometimes even be as bad as we thought they would be, because God will never leave us to go through them alone. 

Blessings!