Archive for December, 2008
Merry Christmas! (Pictures, Graces and Mercies)
Posted by Tom Henderson in Uncategorized on December 25th, 2008
Merry Christmas, Bedford Falls…er, I mean, everyone! Grace has abounded in the Henderson home this year. First and foremost, we grow more aware each year of how majestic, priceless and gracious is the gift of God’s Son. Also, we awoke to unexpected blessings from family and friends in the form of undeserved gifts (then again, if a gift is deserved, it’s not a gift, now is it?)
Anyway, we wish God’s best for all of you today, and in the year to come!
-Tom, Deb and Ian
PS- For anyone who might be curious: Yes, Ian is holding a Santa Mouse in the picture above.
Ian Henderson Celebration at DisneyWorld (Ian, Video)
Posted by Tom Henderson in Uncategorized on December 23rd, 2008
Small Mouse, Big Dreams (Tom, Pictures)
Posted by Tom Henderson in Uncategorized on December 19th, 2008
We just got back from seeing The Tale of Despereaux. It’s a great kid’s movie, with many timeless messages. It touches on courage, chivalry, honor and the power of forgiveness.
And, yes, Elaine–as you can see, we took Ian’s little Despereaux with us. Ian thought that it was hilarious when the mouse used his enormous ears to glide, and recreated that scene all the way home.
Looking Over My Shoulder (Graces and Mercies, Tom)
Posted by Tom Henderson in Uncategorized on December 15th, 2008
One thing I’ve noticed as I get older, is that songs I’ve listened to dozens of times can suddenly reveal their meanings (or new meanings) as I accumulate more experiences. Case in point: I was listening to the album High Noon by Mark Heard. I came to the song “Look Over Your Shoulder”, and its meaning became very real to me (at least, a meaning that the Lord had for me).
Here is a recording of the song as done by Randy Stonehill and Kate Miner from the tribute album Strong Hand of Love. While there is nothing wrong with the original, I’ve always enjoyed this one more for some reason.
Look Over Your Shoulder
by Mark Heard
Look over your shoulder and tell me what’s coming
Tell me what is the bogey that you’re so afraid of
The eyes in the back of our heads can persuade
That just for a moment mercy has swayed
Look over your shoulder and tell me what’s coming
Look into your sad eyes and tell me what you see
What is left of the child who is hiding behind them
Who longs to be laughing in places of light
Who knows that the morning will follow the night
Look into your sad eyes and tell me what you see
If you must be afraid, be afraid of yourself
For being afraid of the fear you have felt
You will weather well in a climate of love
It takes more than your passion and more than your pain
For the rock of forgiveness to melt in the rain
Look over your shoulder and tell me what’s coming
Look into your sad eyes and tell me what you see
Look over your shoulder and tell me what’s coming
This song speaks to the fear that has been lurking in the back of my head, that looks for moments to jump out and overtake me. I love the way that this song expresses comfort and hope, while at the same time giving a sense of understanding.
How to Unfreeze a Garage Door (House Projects, Tom)
Posted by Tom Henderson in Uncategorized on December 15th, 2008
If you read CaringBridge this morning, you will note that when I tried to leave home this morning, I was surprised to find our garage door was frozen shut. Yesterday, instead of snowing in the morning and early afternoon, it rained. Mix that with the snow that came later and the sub-zero temperatures we’re “enjoying” today, and you have the described predicament.
After I came to grips with the state of affairs, I turned to the geek’s best friend, Google. I was dismayed to find that if you Google “Garage Door Frozen Shut,” 75% of the advice is about car doors being frozen shut, 95% of the advice being about how to prevent it (not much help now, thankyouverymuch), and only a couple of items about how to solve the problem in the immediate sense.
So, in the interest of helping the community, here is what I did.
- Push button again, in the hope that the door opener didn’t understand your original intent.
- Blink.
- Pull the handle, trying to raise the door manually. Grunt loudly when the door, to your surprise, doesn’t move. Making a whimpering sound is optional, but recommended.
- Push up on the door, using all of your manly strength. Try to ignore the fact that you are being defeated by a thin layer of ice.
- Kick the door, secretly hoping that you aren’t going to dent it.
- Run a hair dryer along the inside bottom edge, knowing full well that you are attempting to warm the entire garage floor.
- Repeat the process on the outside bottom edge, knowing full well that you are now attempting to heat the garage floor and the state of Minnesota.
- Put ice melting salt on the outside bottom edge of the garage door, praying that some chemist was smarter than you currently feel.
- Go inside, eat three pancakes.
- Use Google to search for ways to un-freeze door. (see definition: “Insult to Injury”).
- Pour windshield wiper fluid on outside bottom edge of door, add more ice-melting salt.
- Play Yahtzee with son.
- Use a putty knife to separate door gasket from concrete.
- Success!
Lending Hope (Graces and Mercies)
Posted by Tom Henderson in Uncategorized on December 15th, 2008
Every day, I get a devotional via email from Neil Anderson. Today’s clearly described what people do for us every day through CaringBridge, this site and through their words and actions:
LEND ME YOUR HOPE
Romans 15:13
Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit
Lend me your hope for awhile, I seem to have mislaid mine.
Lost and hopeless feelings accompany me daily, pain and confusion are my companions.
I know not where to turn; looking ahead to future times does not bring forth images of renewed hope.
I see troubled times, pain-filled days, and more tragedy.
Lend me your hope for awhile, I seem to have mislaid mine.
Hold my hand and hug me; listen to all my ramblings, recovery seems so far distant.
The road to healing seems like a long and lonely one.
Lend me your hope for awhile, I seem to have mislaid mine.
Stand by me, offer me your presence, your heart and your love.
Acknowledge my pain, it is so real and ever present.
I am overwhelmed with sad and conflicting thoughts.
Lend me your hope for awhile; a time will come when I will heal, and I will share my renewal, hope, and love with others (adapted from the poem “Lend Me Your Hope,” author unknown).
The apostle Paul gives us the biblical basis for our comfort and hope: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort; who comforts us in all our affliction so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ” (2 Corinthians 1:3-5).
Thank you to all of you who are sources of hope for us.
Where am I? (Graces and Mercies)
Posted by Tom Henderson in Uncategorized on December 13th, 2008
It’s been a few weeks since I’ve posted anything. To be honest, I’ve been too tired, anxious, busy and at times angry to write anything, at least anything I would like to hang my name on.
(This is where I had a really miserable paragraph that nobody wants to read. Carry on…)
I remembered a couple of days ago that it’s been awhile since I listed things for which I’m thankful. I need to make those lists regularly. Otherwise, it’s too easy to let my heart grow cold and bitter, grousing about what I don’t have.
I’m thankful:
* That, inspite of my emotions, God remains in the middle of this, listening to our prayers and concerns. I prayed a week or so ago that I would see God’s goodness in this situation. He shows up in unexpected ways, through people who love Him and us.
* For the fact that, after all he’s been through, Ian still has a healthy immune system. A lot of children in his situation would have had pneumonia at this point, and while that is still a very real danger, he doesn’t have it right now.
* That, despite all of his changes, he is still Ian deep down. When he talks about getting presents for others, it isn’t something he’s guilted into. He really wants to get gifts for people he loves, in the hopes of making them happy.
* That we have doctors who truly care about our little boy.
* For a wife who loves me, in spite of myself.
* That I work for a company with people who care and want to help out in our situation.
* That, for a little while tonight, we played Yahtzee as a family, and enjoyed it. It felt like old times, complete with Ian beating us.
* That I have a family who is willing to drive hundreds of miles to be with us, and is willing to sacrifice so that we could have a memorable Thanksgiving weekend.
* That even in the midst of what he’s going through, Ian is finding new ways to blossom. He’s developed a love for reading that makes me think of myself as a boy. And his writing is giving us mementos to cherish and share. Plus, we got his report card, and the boy is making almost all “A”-level grades.
* That Ian is going to a school that truly wants to help him be the best that he can be, whatever that looks like.
* That one good thing from Ian’s increased appetite is that he’s much more willing to try new things. He’s developed a love for salads now, since Deb and I told him that he can have all of that he wants.
* For flannel sheets. It’s getting cold at night now.
* Despite how I’ve been feeling or where I’ve let my heart go at times, God still speaks to me in a personal way.
* That God has equipped me with a sense of humor, so that I can make things easier for Deb and Ian from time to time.
* For gingerbread cookies, and the friends who bring them.
He saw what happened to the other ones.
* For a date night. It felt good to take Deb out for a movie, and try to mentally escape for a little while.
I know that a spirit of gratitude is one of the key ways to allow God to work in this situation. If I’m not willing to acknowledge what he’s done, why should I expect him to do any more?
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