November 02, 2011
If you ever read this journal you will be very shocked to find out what was happening in Nanna and Pop-Pop's lives while you were little and growing up. You will be shocked to find out that Nanna has a sister. You were protected from knowing that for a reason. You see, for the last almost five years (almost your entire life A___), Nanna's sister and her husband were accusing Nanna and Pop-Pop of all sorts of false and ugly things. Lies. They tried to trick Nanna and Pop-Pop. You know how you have been taught you should never bully anyone? Well, they tried to bully Nanna and Pop-Pop into doing what they wanted us to do and into believing their lies.
Nanna and Pop-Pop knew that what they wanted us to do was wrong and we said—No. This made them very angry and they made lots of mean and ugly threats and accusations against us. Nanna had a really hard time believing and understanding that her sister could say and do those awful things. They were so mad and angry that they decided they would try to hurt us and they started something called a "lawsuit." In the lawsuit they said Nanna and Pop-Pop were liars and cheaters. They said we stole money. They said we promised to pay them lots of money (that is the paper they tricked Nanna and Pop-Pop into signing). The things they said were very, very ugly... and it was lies. (I didn't have to tell you it was lies did I. You know Nanna and Pop-Pop would never do the things they said.) Anyways, when someone files a lawsuit it goes to a judge and the judge decides who is telling the truth and what should happen.
November 03, 2011
Nanna's sister and her husband want Nanna and Pop-Pop to pay them money—lots of money. If the judge says the paper they tricked us into signing has to be followed, then we will have to pay them the money. That is what my sister wants to happen. Nanna and Pop-Pop don't have lots of money. What we have is the most important and best thing of all—Love and Family (YOU!). If the judge says we have to pay them money we will have to sell the home and land you love and we will also have to sell Pop-Pop and and your Daddy's (or uncles) tractors and equipment. I bet right now your eyes just got really big and that your heart is beating really, really fast. That's okay. Sometimes Nanna and Pop-Pop's heart would beat fast too. Like the time when one of you would say to us, "We just love your house Nanna—please don't ever move." You didn't know the innocent things you would say about fishing, or swimming, or running through the woods, or the pigs, chickens, and cows, or Nanna Camp would sometimes make Nanna's heart beat fast.
Do you know what makes your heart beat fast? Lots of times it is something called fear... being afraid of something. Do you know what the Bible says about fear? It says we should not be afraid and that fear never comes from the LORD. It says it a whole bunch of times!! So, we better listen. So, even though once in a while Nanna and Pop-Pop's heart would beat a little fast it would not last long because we trust God to take care of us.
I bet you are very surprised by all of this. But, now you know why you were protected from knowing that Nanna has a sister. Do you remember when Great-Grandpa died and we had the special time with Great-Grandma and Nanna's brother and his wife, and we all sat around Great-Grandpa's grave? We listened to Nanna's brother talk and then you all sat on a blanket with me and I showed you pictures of Great-Grandpa's casket and how it was put in the ground. You asked questions. We talked about how only Great-Grandpa's body was in the ground and how the part of him that thinks and feels was with Jesus in heaven. We talked about how all of us were born with sin in our hearts. We talked about Adam and Eve and how sin began. We talked about when Jesus was born at Christmas. We talked about Jesus dying for our sins and we talked about Easter and Jesus raising from the dead so we can be forgiven of our sins. Nanna told you the reason Great-Grandpa was in heaven was because he asked Jesus to forgive him of his sins. I told you Nanna and Pop-Pop, and your Mommy's and Daddy's had asked Jesus to forgive them of their sins and that someday you will want to ask Jesus to forgive your sins too. (C___, the next night you told your Mommy and Daddy you wanted Jesus to forgive you and they helped you pray. Nanna and Pop-Pop were so excited!)
If you remember, Nanna said it was okay to feel sad when someone you love dies. I told you the best way not to feel so sad was to play "remember whens," so that's what we did and we all made silly Great-Grandpa faces. What you didn't know was that was the second service for Great-Grandpa. Nanna's sister and her husband were at the first service and your Mom's and Dad's didn't want you to be there because they didn't want you to see her or for her to see you either. Your Mommy and Daddy didn't go to the first service either for the same reasons. We all didn't know what my sister would do so that is why we had our own very special service. Nanna videotaped the first service so you and your Mommy and Daddy's could watch it. Your Great-Grandma and Great-Grandpa knew all about what their other daughter was doing to Nanna and they were very sad about it. Nanna wished the lawsuit would be over before Great-Grandpa died, but it wasn't.
Nanna told you the judge will decide what will happen with the lawsuit. The judge has had the papers for over two years. (Miss A____, he has had the papers since before you were even born.) Nanna has told you what her sister wants—lots and lots of money. Do you want to know what Nanna and Pop-Pop want? Nothing. Nanna and Pop-Pop aren't trying to take anything from them. We don't want anything they have. The only thing Nanna and Pop-Pop want is to be free from all their lies, traps, and accusations. We will be very happy when the lawsuit is over, but the lawsuit does not stop us from being happy right now. You see, happiness does not come from things around you, it comes from inside of you.
November 04, 2011
That's what I want to talk to you about now. It's the most important thing and it's what I want you to remember. A lot of things have happened to Nanna and Pop-Pop these last five years, but Nanna and Pop-Pop aren't angry, mad, bitter, sad, anxious, fearful, or nervous. We don't want to try and hurt anyone and we don't want to try and get even with people who are still trying to hurt us. There is a reason for that. Nanna and Pop-Pop are very happy, content and completely at peace. We are not worrying about "what ifs." There is a reason for that. Nanna and Pop-Pop have lots of friends who we love and who love us. And we have family that we love dearly (You!) and that loves us. We love it when you come to our house and when we go to yours. (L____, how many tunnels have we built?)
We love Nanna Camp. We love Brown County. We love fishing, sledding down the hill, (do you remember when Nanna went flying through the air?), we love the mule rides. We love Christmas. We've loved all our time with you... and that has made us very happy. But, it isn't the things around us or the people around us that has given us the peace and happiness deep down inside of us. There is a reason we have the kind of peace and happiness that nothing or nobody can take away from us. There is a reason we can go through really hard times (like when Great-Grandpa, or when Pop-Pop had his accident before you were born, or when Nanna's sister is trying to hurt Nanna and Pop-Pop, your Mom's and Dad's, and even you guys by trying to take away Nanna and Pop-Pop's home and business) and still not be upset, angry or worried. Do you want to know how Nanna and Pops can still be happy—no matter what?
November 07, 2011
It's God!! We believe what God says in the Bible. We trust Him to take care of us—no matter what. You see, when Nanna and Pop-Pop were both young, we asked Jesus to forgive us of our sins, and we put our total faith and trust in Him. As we grew and got older, and as we learned more about God we trusted Him even more. This may sound kind of strange to you, but you know what? Nanna and Pop-Pop are very thankful and grateful even for this awful thing called a lawsuit. You know why? Because it has brought Nanna and Pop-Pop even closer to God and each other, and it has done that for your families as well. Some people tell us they are very sorry that we have had to go through these bad times. But Nanna and Pop-Pop don't see it as bad times.
Some people say that when things are going really good that it is like you are on a mountain top and that when life is really hard it is like you are in a valley. We don't see the "valley" we are in as a bad thing. When you go with us to the Appalachian Trail we will show you what we mean. When you are up on a mountain and look out over the valley—it is beautiful! Sometimes all the "junk" of the lawsuit is kind of hard, and it makes Nanna very sad to think about what her sister is doing, BUT Nanna and Pop-Pop have watched things happen that could only be called God-things. We have seen the hand of God work in ways we could have never experienced without being stuck in this lawsuit. So, even though we are still "stuck" we are very grateful and thankful that God has taken this ugly thing and used it to show us how much He loves us—making what was ugly beautiful.
I can't wait until we take each of you hiking on the Appalachian Trail. We will show you how beautiful the valleys are. We will remind you then of what we have been through and what God has done so you will remember what the secret is to being happy and content even if there are difficult things you need to go through. Nanna and Pop-Pop will also tell you the story of their special friend Jane. (Her Name Was Jane)
God told Jeremiah to tell His people who were being held captive in Babylon to keep on living, having families, and planting gardens, and enjoying their lives. When the time was right God would set them free. This is what Nanna and Pop-Pop have done. We are still "stuck" in this lawsuit, but we are still planting trees, laying a lot of street bricks, changing the porch, planting gardens, etc. We are not living in fear. When God says the time is right HE will free us from this lawsuit. Nanna and Pop-Pop believe that with ALL our hearts. We think it is very, very special that each one of you will be a witness to what God is going to do. Together as a family, we are going to build a special outdoor shelter to honor and remember what God has done. Each of us will hunt for and gather stones, and we will put them together just like the children of Israel did when they left Egypt. We will tell the stories of what God has done, and someday you will pass those stories on to your children too.
We pray each one of you will want to know and DO what Jesus says. We thank God for you. We love you very, very much, and we pray for you every day.
We Love You,
Nanna and Pop-Pop
Addendum: One week from today (June 24, 2015) my husband and I will be hiking the Appalachian Trail with our oldest grandchild and we will tell him the story written in this letter. Since the grandchildren were very, very young, we have always told them that we would take them with us to hike the A.T. the year they turned ten. Well...that time is here. And one week from today we will step foot on that narrow footpath. God's timing continues to amaze me. I wrote this open letter to our grandchildren over a six day period in November of 2011 as a way to memorialize the events of our lives so we could share it with them when they were older. And now, just one week before we take our first grandchild on their promised trip to the Appalachian Trail, I am recording that letter into this blog.
Last year when my husband and I were hiking (and we discovered our quest of hiking the A.T. was over) I was crushed. (See - The Land In-Between) It made no sense at the time, but now it makes total sense. It is no longer about what path we are following, it is about what kind of trail we are leaving. It is no longer about us, it is about what we are going to pass on. I am excited. We aren't "stuck" in this lawsuit. We are being moved forward on HIS path. We are Walking on His Footpath and we are determined to Follow His Lead.
There will come a day...
There will come a day when the time is right and GOD will free us.
Addendum #2: 7/21/16 ~ This is crazy. Last year I was recording this journal entry (the letter to our grandchildren) just one week before taking our oldest grandson to hike the A.T. This year I am editing this journal entry just one week before taking our second grandchild to hike the A.T. In 2011, I wrote about our plans to take each grandchild to the Appalachian Trail. In 2015, I enter the journal entry into Blogger just one week before taking our oldest. In 2016, I'm editing this same journal entry just one week before taking our second grandchild. Crazy.
Addendum #3: 10/5/17 ~ I've been going through my blog to correct the links to the story of Jane because I changed the link from a post to a page, and here I am editing this page just one week after returning from taking our third grandchild (our oldest granddaughter) to the trail and sitting atop a mountain overlooking the valley and telling her the story of how beautiful the valleys are when viewed with the proper perspective. Wow!
Next Entry: Whose Path Are You Following?
If you ever read this journal you will be very shocked to find out what was happening in Nanna and Pop-Pop's lives while you were little and growing up. You will be shocked to find out that Nanna has a sister. You were protected from knowing that for a reason. You see, for the last almost five years (almost your entire life A___), Nanna's sister and her husband were accusing Nanna and Pop-Pop of all sorts of false and ugly things. Lies. They tried to trick Nanna and Pop-Pop. You know how you have been taught you should never bully anyone? Well, they tried to bully Nanna and Pop-Pop into doing what they wanted us to do and into believing their lies.
Nanna and Pop-Pop knew that what they wanted us to do was wrong and we said—No. This made them very angry and they made lots of mean and ugly threats and accusations against us. Nanna had a really hard time believing and understanding that her sister could say and do those awful things. They were so mad and angry that they decided they would try to hurt us and they started something called a "lawsuit." In the lawsuit they said Nanna and Pop-Pop were liars and cheaters. They said we stole money. They said we promised to pay them lots of money (that is the paper they tricked Nanna and Pop-Pop into signing). The things they said were very, very ugly... and it was lies. (I didn't have to tell you it was lies did I. You know Nanna and Pop-Pop would never do the things they said.) Anyways, when someone files a lawsuit it goes to a judge and the judge decides who is telling the truth and what should happen.
November 03, 2011
Nanna's sister and her husband want Nanna and Pop-Pop to pay them money—lots of money. If the judge says the paper they tricked us into signing has to be followed, then we will have to pay them the money. That is what my sister wants to happen. Nanna and Pop-Pop don't have lots of money. What we have is the most important and best thing of all—Love and Family (YOU!). If the judge says we have to pay them money we will have to sell the home and land you love and we will also have to sell Pop-Pop and and your Daddy's (or uncles) tractors and equipment. I bet right now your eyes just got really big and that your heart is beating really, really fast. That's okay. Sometimes Nanna and Pop-Pop's heart would beat fast too. Like the time when one of you would say to us, "We just love your house Nanna—please don't ever move." You didn't know the innocent things you would say about fishing, or swimming, or running through the woods, or the pigs, chickens, and cows, or Nanna Camp would sometimes make Nanna's heart beat fast.
Do you know what makes your heart beat fast? Lots of times it is something called fear... being afraid of something. Do you know what the Bible says about fear? It says we should not be afraid and that fear never comes from the LORD. It says it a whole bunch of times!! So, we better listen. So, even though once in a while Nanna and Pop-Pop's heart would beat a little fast it would not last long because we trust God to take care of us.
I bet you are very surprised by all of this. But, now you know why you were protected from knowing that Nanna has a sister. Do you remember when Great-Grandpa died and we had the special time with Great-Grandma and Nanna's brother and his wife, and we all sat around Great-Grandpa's grave? We listened to Nanna's brother talk and then you all sat on a blanket with me and I showed you pictures of Great-Grandpa's casket and how it was put in the ground. You asked questions. We talked about how only Great-Grandpa's body was in the ground and how the part of him that thinks and feels was with Jesus in heaven. We talked about how all of us were born with sin in our hearts. We talked about Adam and Eve and how sin began. We talked about when Jesus was born at Christmas. We talked about Jesus dying for our sins and we talked about Easter and Jesus raising from the dead so we can be forgiven of our sins. Nanna told you the reason Great-Grandpa was in heaven was because he asked Jesus to forgive him of his sins. I told you Nanna and Pop-Pop, and your Mommy's and Daddy's had asked Jesus to forgive them of their sins and that someday you will want to ask Jesus to forgive your sins too. (C___, the next night you told your Mommy and Daddy you wanted Jesus to forgive you and they helped you pray. Nanna and Pop-Pop were so excited!)
If you remember, Nanna said it was okay to feel sad when someone you love dies. I told you the best way not to feel so sad was to play "remember whens," so that's what we did and we all made silly Great-Grandpa faces. What you didn't know was that was the second service for Great-Grandpa. Nanna's sister and her husband were at the first service and your Mom's and Dad's didn't want you to be there because they didn't want you to see her or for her to see you either. Your Mommy and Daddy didn't go to the first service either for the same reasons. We all didn't know what my sister would do so that is why we had our own very special service. Nanna videotaped the first service so you and your Mommy and Daddy's could watch it. Your Great-Grandma and Great-Grandpa knew all about what their other daughter was doing to Nanna and they were very sad about it. Nanna wished the lawsuit would be over before Great-Grandpa died, but it wasn't.
Nanna told you the judge will decide what will happen with the lawsuit. The judge has had the papers for over two years. (Miss A____, he has had the papers since before you were even born.) Nanna has told you what her sister wants—lots and lots of money. Do you want to know what Nanna and Pop-Pop want? Nothing. Nanna and Pop-Pop aren't trying to take anything from them. We don't want anything they have. The only thing Nanna and Pop-Pop want is to be free from all their lies, traps, and accusations. We will be very happy when the lawsuit is over, but the lawsuit does not stop us from being happy right now. You see, happiness does not come from things around you, it comes from inside of you.
November 04, 2011
That's what I want to talk to you about now. It's the most important thing and it's what I want you to remember. A lot of things have happened to Nanna and Pop-Pop these last five years, but Nanna and Pop-Pop aren't angry, mad, bitter, sad, anxious, fearful, or nervous. We don't want to try and hurt anyone and we don't want to try and get even with people who are still trying to hurt us. There is a reason for that. Nanna and Pop-Pop are very happy, content and completely at peace. We are not worrying about "what ifs." There is a reason for that. Nanna and Pop-Pop have lots of friends who we love and who love us. And we have family that we love dearly (You!) and that loves us. We love it when you come to our house and when we go to yours. (L____, how many tunnels have we built?)
We love Nanna Camp. We love Brown County. We love fishing, sledding down the hill, (do you remember when Nanna went flying through the air?), we love the mule rides. We love Christmas. We've loved all our time with you... and that has made us very happy. But, it isn't the things around us or the people around us that has given us the peace and happiness deep down inside of us. There is a reason we have the kind of peace and happiness that nothing or nobody can take away from us. There is a reason we can go through really hard times (like when Great-Grandpa, or when Pop-Pop had his accident before you were born, or when Nanna's sister is trying to hurt Nanna and Pop-Pop, your Mom's and Dad's, and even you guys by trying to take away Nanna and Pop-Pop's home and business) and still not be upset, angry or worried. Do you want to know how Nanna and Pops can still be happy—no matter what?
November 07, 2011
It's God!! We believe what God says in the Bible. We trust Him to take care of us—no matter what. You see, when Nanna and Pop-Pop were both young, we asked Jesus to forgive us of our sins, and we put our total faith and trust in Him. As we grew and got older, and as we learned more about God we trusted Him even more. This may sound kind of strange to you, but you know what? Nanna and Pop-Pop are very thankful and grateful even for this awful thing called a lawsuit. You know why? Because it has brought Nanna and Pop-Pop even closer to God and each other, and it has done that for your families as well. Some people tell us they are very sorry that we have had to go through these bad times. But Nanna and Pop-Pop don't see it as bad times.
Some people say that when things are going really good that it is like you are on a mountain top and that when life is really hard it is like you are in a valley. We don't see the "valley" we are in as a bad thing. When you go with us to the Appalachian Trail we will show you what we mean. When you are up on a mountain and look out over the valley—it is beautiful! Sometimes all the "junk" of the lawsuit is kind of hard, and it makes Nanna very sad to think about what her sister is doing, BUT Nanna and Pop-Pop have watched things happen that could only be called God-things. We have seen the hand of God work in ways we could have never experienced without being stuck in this lawsuit. So, even though we are still "stuck" we are very grateful and thankful that God has taken this ugly thing and used it to show us how much He loves us—making what was ugly beautiful.
I can't wait until we take each of you hiking on the Appalachian Trail. We will show you how beautiful the valleys are. We will remind you then of what we have been through and what God has done so you will remember what the secret is to being happy and content even if there are difficult things you need to go through. Nanna and Pop-Pop will also tell you the story of their special friend Jane. (Her Name Was Jane)
God told Jeremiah to tell His people who were being held captive in Babylon to keep on living, having families, and planting gardens, and enjoying their lives. When the time was right God would set them free. This is what Nanna and Pop-Pop have done. We are still "stuck" in this lawsuit, but we are still planting trees, laying a lot of street bricks, changing the porch, planting gardens, etc. We are not living in fear. When God says the time is right HE will free us from this lawsuit. Nanna and Pop-Pop believe that with ALL our hearts. We think it is very, very special that each one of you will be a witness to what God is going to do. Together as a family, we are going to build a special outdoor shelter to honor and remember what God has done. Each of us will hunt for and gather stones, and we will put them together just like the children of Israel did when they left Egypt. We will tell the stories of what God has done, and someday you will pass those stories on to your children too.
We pray each one of you will want to know and DO what Jesus says. We thank God for you. We love you very, very much, and we pray for you every day.
We Love You,
Nanna and Pop-Pop
Addendum: One week from today (June 24, 2015) my husband and I will be hiking the Appalachian Trail with our oldest grandchild and we will tell him the story written in this letter. Since the grandchildren were very, very young, we have always told them that we would take them with us to hike the A.T. the year they turned ten. Well...that time is here. And one week from today we will step foot on that narrow footpath. God's timing continues to amaze me. I wrote this open letter to our grandchildren over a six day period in November of 2011 as a way to memorialize the events of our lives so we could share it with them when they were older. And now, just one week before we take our first grandchild on their promised trip to the Appalachian Trail, I am recording that letter into this blog.
Last year when my husband and I were hiking (and we discovered our quest of hiking the A.T. was over) I was crushed. (See - The Land In-Between) It made no sense at the time, but now it makes total sense. It is no longer about what path we are following, it is about what kind of trail we are leaving. It is no longer about us, it is about what we are going to pass on. I am excited. We aren't "stuck" in this lawsuit. We are being moved forward on HIS path. We are Walking on His Footpath and we are determined to Follow His Lead.
There will come a day...
There will come a day when the time is right and GOD will free us.
Addendum #2: 7/21/16 ~ This is crazy. Last year I was recording this journal entry (the letter to our grandchildren) just one week before taking our oldest grandson to hike the A.T. This year I am editing this journal entry just one week before taking our second grandchild to hike the A.T. In 2011, I wrote about our plans to take each grandchild to the Appalachian Trail. In 2015, I enter the journal entry into Blogger just one week before taking our oldest. In 2016, I'm editing this same journal entry just one week before taking our second grandchild. Crazy.
Addendum #3: 10/5/17 ~ I've been going through my blog to correct the links to the story of Jane because I changed the link from a post to a page, and here I am editing this page just one week after returning from taking our third grandchild (our oldest granddaughter) to the trail and sitting atop a mountain overlooking the valley and telling her the story of how beautiful the valleys are when viewed with the proper perspective. Wow!
Next Entry: Whose Path Are You Following?
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