Have you ever had the sensation of being upside down when you are squarely on your feet? Have you had to have someone hold your hand while you’re spinning around uncontrollably? That is what I experienced not long ago. You may think you are right when you are in truth wrong. John F Kennedy Jr thought he was right when flying a plane into the ground with his wife and her sister. The probable cause of Kennedy’s accident was spatial disorientation-which results in a person being unable to determine their position or relative motion, commonly occurring during periods of challenging visibility. The auditory system within the inner ear and other sensory receptors work to coordinate movement and balance. My experience with Vertigo, caused by a problem in my right inner ear, made me think of how perceptions in life can be skewed. We cannot trust ourselves and our own perceptions or we could make a decision that could have dire consequences and plunge us into an abyss.

I was taught that we have five senses, but indeed we have many more. Here’s what happened when I had my experience with Vertigo.

When I woke up not knowing I had Vertigo, I stepped on the ground, but the world was spinning and I crawled on the floor calling for my husband, not knowing what was happening to me. After two days of Vertigo/nausea, I got the help I needed. A pill took care of the nausea. I reached out for my husband’s hand when we worked on a medical exercise to correct the problem in my right inner ear which was caused by the calcium crystals coming loose from their normal location on the utricle, a sensory organ in the inner ear. It was scary, as we tried the procedure, because the world was spinning but when i stood up, the problem was corrected and the world once again was normal.

We need a compass to tell us which direction is correct when driving. We cannot say that any direction is fine in order to get home. And for me, the Bible is my moral compass giving me the directions for how to live a fulfilled life. It tells me the way to live and how to have the abundant life I now live. I find the words of Jesus fill my heart with wisdom, love and peace. He said, “The thief comes to kill and destroy, : but I have come that you may have life, and have it abundantly.” John 10:10.

We have seen first-hand the damage the thief has done to our world, but know that there is a better way to live.  If you want to communicate further, leave a comment on my blog. www.lifewithlarry.org or Sue Schuerr Face Book.

After all the political division these last couple years, with supposed Christians cozying up to threatening organizations and questionable un-Christlike people, I was very dismayed that there would be a large fall out of believers.  Our churches are down in attendance by a third from pre-pandemic days. If Jesus walked the Earth today, would many who call themselves Christians embrace Him? He lived a servant’s life and had a heart for the poor and marginalized. He warned about how difficult it was for the rich to inherit the kingdom of God.

But I turned on the radio, and while listening to part of the football game, Damean Bivins went down and without intervention would have died. I watched as both teams were on their knees rallying around him in prayer. I was so grateful to see the demonstration of faith and team support. The real Jesus still inspires people to reach out to him in time of need.  Yes, the Spirit of God is still moving on Earth. People do believe in prayer and in miracles. We are the hands and feet of Jesus and God wants to use us as he used those who resuscitated Damen and the wonderful doctors who helped bring him back to health.. Damean’s doctors are calling it a miracle.

 I am given hope that after all the horrible division that has separated us as a nation, that there is still hope for the future of true followers of Jesus. 

Whenever the weather permits, I either take a long walk or a bike ride. It’s October and the mornings and evenings are cold, but when the sun comes out in the afternoon, it’s delightful. That’s when I grab my bike, put on some tunes and take off. Each day I take a different route while listening to tunes on my I phone. I marvel at the beauty of flowers and the trees that are just beginning to fade. It’s Ok that I’m riding alone, because I always talk to God and mainly thank Him for health and happiness. But here is what happened last week.

I took a bike ride last Saturday while a soccer game was going on at the park I often ride around. I noticed a young beautiful woman on the walk/bike path. She was distressed. On my second time around the path, she stopped me to tell me she had lost her keys. I told her if she lived locally, I could ride home and get my car. I noticed she had a thick Polish accent. She said, “Could you just look for a shiny object in the grass? This is where I walked.” I continued around the almost mile circular path and asked again. “Any Luck?” I continued the next time around, and she still hadn’t found her keys. I stopped riding and said, “God sees your keys and knows where they are.” And I prayed with her that God would help her find her kays. No sooner had I finished praying, when an elderly woman holding a dog in one arm held up the keys in her free hand. We were so happy that God had answered our prayer. Now you may say, “This is just a coincidence in timing.” But I say, “It has happened to me so many times. What are the odds?”

The words of Norman Maclean in the book A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT have haunted me since I first saw the movie.” As an old man, he wrote about his loved ones from the past.  “The RIVER was cut by the world’s great flood and runs over rocks from the basement of time. On some of the rocks are timeless raindrops. Under the rocks are the words, and some of the words are theirs.” His memories stir in the ripples of time and rise up while he casts his rod on the banks of the Big Blackfoot River.

It made me think of all those who I have loved and lost, and how they have impacted my life.   My father had encouraging words, my mother gave me the gift of music, my brother taught me to stoically face adversity when his cancer was uncurable, and my sister’s words and laughter are with me daily.   

Like Norman, we may not have understood our loved ones thoroughly. Often, we may have cast a rod to help them only to discover that the ones we love the most are hardest to help.   

We can look back to the basement of our time and reflect on how they have shaped who we are today, and how God has used them in our lives.  Like fish rising to the surface at sunset, they speak to us from the roof of timelessness.   lifewithlarry.org

I feel like a fairy princess this morning waking up in my magical kingdom in the Black Walnut B&B located in Sturgeon Bay, WI. The 1890 house with each multiple rooms decorated and themed is freshly painted and newly renovated while keeping the original veneer. Each room is equipped with its own jacuzzi which even my 6ft 2in husband could comfortably enjoy despite his recent shoulder replacement. He was so happy to be completely relaxed and pain free.  The jacuzzi faces a mirror for the romantic couple wishing to be framed.  We slept in a very comfortable queen-sized bed adorned with blue and white fluffy pillows and blankets.  While looking for a place in Door, a friend suggested we call the Chamber of Commerce in Sturgeon Bay since there was no place to stay in the Upper Peninsula.  It was reasonably priced with a military discount in a high demand season. Queen Amanda, the owner, greeted us each morning with wonderful breakfast which included ample fresh fruit garnished with Greek yogurt. We dined on the deck outside our room where the sun beamed in and birds sang beautiful songs.  What a wonderful place to get away and spend quality time with my Prince. Sturgeon Bay was less crowded than the Upper Peninsula and easier to find a good restaurant for dinner. There was also interesting stores and live plays close by.

It was a short drive to Whitefish Dunes where we spent several hours. I walked along the beach and enjoyed watching children play; it our first time on a beach this summer. We checked out on Sunday morning with warm memories of our stay in the Magic Kingdom refreshed and ready for our volunteer assignment with Humble Design/Chicago on Monday.

I wake up in the morning to the sound of birds, humming birds are at our feeders and go from flower to flower at the plants Larry planned. Each day is a gift as the days get shorter.

Larry had shoulder replacement surgery and struggles at times to find a comfortable position to sleep in. On the otherhand, I usually sleep well and wake up early to grasp the best of the day for me. But Larry still would use each day to one handedly complete tasks around the house like mowing the lawn and feeding the birds while up on a ladder. As he got better, he continued his volunteering by making Welcome Home plaques and serving at Humble Design, Adaptive Adventures and Habitat for Humanity. I marvel at his dedication in traveling miles to help others with the high prices of gas.

When I knew he could easily take care of himself, I hopped on a plane to Bozeman MT, and spent 8 days with my Montana family. It was such a delightful time to go with my son, Aaron to his workouts at Cross-Fit at 7 PM. Afterwards, he made me a delicious foamy coffee latte that gave me energy for the day ahead. Aaron and Lynelle have built an art studio and apartment in their yard. I’m so impressed with how they have used the internet to learn how to do difficult tasks like plumbing, etc.

Deb and I went hiking to beautiful places in Montana and enjoyed a lunch with her friend, Bradford, who is an actor and teacher at MSU. We talked about theatre and I shared about directing plays and teaching high school English.

Each day I was there, the mornings and evenings would be cool with the sun becoming intense during the day. A highlight to my week was seeing Shakespeare in the Park’s Twelfth Night at Chico, a beautiful resort in Pray, MT.

The frosting on the cake, was the time I spent with my grandsons, August, Jasper and Isaak. They are young men now with a love for karate and the outdoors. They are so close to one another. I took a walk with Isaak, the youngest of the three, to Yellowstone River. As I absorbed the beauty of the place and listened to the roar of waters, I became emotional about such a special place to visit. I wished it was closer.

As much as I enjoyed my vacation to MT, I missed my husband, my home and friends. There is beauty in almost every place we visit if we can look at it with fresh eyes. I love, love, love summer and I’m holding on to each beautiful day that comes our way. We are so blessed.

“Normal Christian political engagement is humble, loving, and sacrificial; it rejects the idea that Christians are entitled to primacy of place in the public square or that Christians have a presumptive right to continue their historical predominance in American culture. Today, Christians should seek to love their neighbors by pursuing justice in the public square, by promoting religious liberty, fostering racial justice, protecting the rule of law, and honoring constitutional processes. That agenda is different from promoting Christian culture, Western heritage, or Anglo-Protestant values.”(Christianity Today)

God calls us to live a life embracing the tenants of Matthew 25: Jesus said in illustration, ” For I was hungry and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick or in prison and you visited me. “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, YOU DID FOR ME!”

This is our life mission as a couple—to live out these tenants on our short journey called LIFE! We also have found that true happiness comes when you reach out and help someone else. It’s then that you forget yourself and your worries about what others think of you.

True joy comes with living the life God called you to live. He said, “My sheep hear my voice and follow me.” (John 10:27)

You will find Him when you seek Him with your whole heart.

On Thursdays, I volunteer in the lobby of Good Shepherd Hospital playing background piano music during the staff lunch hour. I was playing the song, The Shallow, when Olga asked if she could videotape me playing the song. We got to talking and I found out she was from Eastern Europe and had a job in the Ophthalmology department at the hospital.  She needed help in English to pass an exam. I said, “I can help you since I used to teach ESL.” We got together about three times before the pandemic hit. She told me about her desire to have a baby, but that she had to be cancer free for 5 years before she could safely conceive. It has been four years now of being cancer free.

When the war in Ukraine hit on February 24, 2022, I thought of Olga and I still had her in my contacts. When I called, I did not know for sure where she was from. She called me back in tears telling me how her mother lived in the beautiful city of Kharkiv in Ukraine known for the arts and exquisite buildings.  Her home town was being bombed and she feared for her mother, relatives and friends’ lives. She sent me a video of what the town looked like before and after the bombings. This was a first hand view of the war I had only seen on the news. My heart went out to Olga and her family.  Her mother has decided to stay in Ukraine,  but her husbands’ family of four came to live with them in April, 2022. There are now 7 people living in a small apartment in Buffalo Grove. The youngest is a 15 year old high school student named Nevor.

Larry and I decided to meet and gift them at their apartment one evening. We sat around their kitchen table hearing their stories and weeping with them. We tried to figure out how to help connect them to World Relief and Willow Creek’s Care Center. Not only did the whole family come to the Care Center for food, but Olga has applied to volunteer at the Care Center where they need her language skills for the many Ukrainian and Russian clients who will be entering their doors for food, clothing and medical help.

We had all seven of them over to our house on Sunday, May 29^th. The men helped with lawn and tree removal in our yard.  The woman earlier helped clean my house. They wanted to demonstrate their gratitude. They are hard-working and talented individuals.  One is a nurse, the other has a degree in computer science and film directing, another has a factory job and an on-line business.  The youngest is a student at Buffalo Grove High School. They are quickly learning English.We had a team meeting and lunch at my house recently to figure out ways we can pool our talents to help Ukraine in its fight for democracy and for the needs of the incoming immigrants. So far, they are very touched by the welcome Americans have given them.  

Julie was always a happy, energetic, strong little one. She was born with curly red hair and I was certain I had the next Shirley Temple or Annie. I remember when Gloria Rendleman came over for a visit and seeing Julie with a cute new hairdo with curls circling around her face, she said,” She’s so cute, I’m going to cry.” Cindy Ginther, also a red-head, wanted to adopt her.

Deb and Julie were the best of friends, almost like twins. Julie was brave and outgoing while Deb was quieter and more introspective. Julie had a laugh that would fill the neighborhood as she wrestled down the boys. One time, they decided to go outside right after their bath. I let them run around naked while I answered the phone. I then got another call from a neighbor saying, “Sue, look outside your girls are going down the slide butt naked.” Yikes.

I remember one time after being up late with Larry that I heard her walk down the stairs to the kitchen. I thought to myself, I better get up and see what my 2-year-old is up to. But it was quiet so I slept a little longer before I came down the stairs to see her covered with powdered sugar. A friend had given us a dozen donuts and Julie had taken a bite out of most of them leaving her and the kitchen a royal mess. I looked at her and said, “Julie, you won’t need any breakfast this morning.” Speaking of breakfast, Larry and I went on a ski trip and left Deb and Julie with Barb and Ken. They fed them pancakes and Julie was able to eat as many as 240 Ib. Ken.

Dad would place Deb and Julie on the dresser and have them jump to him. After Deb jumped, Julie would not hesitate to jump almost immediately afterwards showing her total trust in her dad to catch her. Her spirit of adventure was evident at a young age. Even though Deb was 15 months older, she insisted on doing everything Deb did.

We went on a picnic with a Jesus People group and the gnats were buzzing around Julie’s nose. I had to take her to our VW bus to keep her safe from them. I took her to the doctor the next day, and after some time he found that she had something up in her nose that was rotting. When he removed it, all was well. We never knew what it was. but it brought back memories of my mother putting her finger in a meat grinder out of curiosity and of me trying to make my little iron hot like my mother’s by transferring the heat with my hand.

We loved to take the kids camping at Kettle Moraine and we have pictures of Julie shirtless on the Merry-go-round. We would sleep under the stars and play Hide-and-Seek and Mother May I. Dad and I loved playing with our kids at all their ages.

I remember one trip to Kentucky to see the Mammoth Cave. Dad had a bout of unexpected diarrhea and had to go immediately. He used Julie’s little potty I brought with us in our VW Conversion Van. The rest of the way, Julie chimed in saying, “Julie’s potty, Daddy’s potty” which gave us a lot of giggles.

At a restaurant, we sang songs to entertain our kids while waiting for our food. We just finished singing Six Little Ducklings when the waitress arrived. Julie said, “My daddy calls my mommy “Wibble Wobble”. Dad had names for all of us. Deb was Bear and Julie was Hulia.

Julie never talked baby talk. She could speak full sentences at an early age. She would grow up to be an excellent student, singer, actress, guitar player and a strong and self-assured leader.