Happy Birthday to My Brooke!

Today is a very special day in the Burress family. Today is an especially wonderful day in the the life of one mother ~ me!


         On this day just thirty-four years ago, I received the wonderful gift of a beautiful daughter. This little tiny bundle had been prayed for for many years - five, to be exact. God's timing is perfect, but it usually does not appear to be so to us mortals.

I remember the day well, as mothers tend to do for each of their children. Her delivery was an easy one, and because my doctor knew that we already had two boys at home, he kept it a secret for a few moments as to whether I had a new boy or a new girl. He smiled suddenly, flipped the just born infant over and proudly proclaimed, "My specialty - little girls!" Then the tears flowed...tears of joy, tears of amazement at the handiwork of God, tears of love for this baby, and tears of thankfulness to God for the love He had just shown to me in such a precious way. Our God is truly full of love for his people and when we see it, we are blessed.

Brooke was such a wonderful baby - a dream come true baby. She was always happy and laughing, never crying unless there were something very wrong such as sickness or pain. She went everywhere with me. She became my sidekick at this early age. All of us enjoyed this little girl and she brought joy to so many lives.

In four more years, we were blessed with another beautiful little girl named Emily Beth and we felt our family was now complete....two sons and two daughters, all of them a delight in their own unique way. Life was beautiful. God was good to us.

Our Brooke was born with a vision disorder called "cone dystrophy." This did not become a problem until she went to school and we learned that she could not see what other children could see, even with her glasses that she had needed since she was two years old. Her problem was one that could not be corrected. What it entailed was an inability to see clearly. She looked at the world through blurry lenses, never clearly. She did not know it because she had seen the world that way from the beginning. We made adjustments for her in whatever ways needed to be made. She had to sit up close to the front in the classroom. Her teachers had to be informed about her vision. No one could tell, just looking at her, that there was anything wrong. She adapted her life to the only situation she knew.

She grew up a happy child, but a shy girl who never wanted to take part in group events. After we knew what she could see, that was easy to understand. She loved quiet activities such as reading or playing alone.

Naturally, I became her chauffeur for all events, all the way though high school and beyond. We did not think she would ever be able to drive because of this. We were wrong. When she was about twenty, an eye doctor experimented with some contact lenses for her. He found the right correction so that she could safely drive herself. This enabled her to experience life and develop some independence as a young woman. She was a very cautious driver and only drove to specific places where there was no traffic. She began to blossom and grow.

She had a love for horses. In fact, her first word was 'horsey.' This was the most beloved part of her life. We bought her first horse for her when she was ten years old. She developed into quite a horsewoman, showing Morgan horses at the national level and having great success. Our barn is loaded with ribbons she and her sister won at the horse shows, which became a family affair. When asked once how she could do this with her vision problem, she easily replied, "That's no problem. My horse can see!"

Brooke became a riding instructor who was very good with teaching children who were just beginning to ride. She had a love for them and a quiet patience which helped the children and gave her a unique communication with the horses. They all worked well together.

God's ways are not our ways. He sees the big picture, while we see the very small picture of our life and our desires. Many times things happen in our lives that are beyond difficult. They are impossible. It is at those times that He gives us all we need to trust Him and go on living the life He has planned for us. What happened to our Brooke fits this category very well. On December 19, 2001, Brooke left home to go to the stable where she gave riding lessons and the unthinkable happened. She was in a car accident in the late afternoon and she went to her Heavenly Father's arms immediately. Her time on earth was finished. Her purpose for life had been fulfilled.

This was the most dreadful time, the most desperate time, the most helpless time. As a mother, that little fear of what you would do if you lost a child, just became a reality. Now I will learn just what I will do in this terrible time. I will grieve at a depth that is impossible to print or share. I will wonder - why, God? I will try to help others to cope with their own feelings of loss. I will spend time with my family and draw closer to them. I had a choice to make - I could have been angry at my God and gone into despair - that seemed like a reasonable option. What could come of that? Could I bring her back, no matter how I longed to do? Did God know all of this? How could this have happened to my sidekick, my joy, my baby? How would I go on? She left a big gaping hole in my heart and in her Daddy's heart, and in her siblings' hearts. Nothing can ever fill the place she has in our lives, but she was gone from us. Did I misunderstand God? Did He not show His love to me by giving her to me as her mother? Did He really love us or not?

The answer came in time. Indeed, He did love us and He had sent her to us for one purpose ~ to bring joy and blessing. She certainly did. We know we will see her when our time comes to run into our Father's arms. I look forward to that day for another reason now......I will see my girl again and she will happily show me around her eternal home and show me all the beauty that now just awaits me. Oh, and she will spend time showing me Jesus's beautiful white horses, where she will be working!

Today she would have been thirty-four years old. I wonder what she might have been doing here on earth. I know we would be having a birthday party, just like we always did...She would be loved. She would still be the loving sweet girl she always was. She would still be a blessing. Now she is the one who is blessed the most.

Happy Birthday, daughter!

Completing a Lifelong Dream

My life has been a series of events that were wonderful and others that were terrible, just like most people's lives. There has been one event that I have long desired to complete. I am one of those weird people who love school and love learning about so many things. I love the search for knowledge and the special feeling of a job well done, no matter what the job may be. The event that I have been waiting a very long time to accomplish was the completion of my college education. Many people wonder why this is so important to me. That answer is beyond my full explanation. I guess the final answer is that I wanted it. Will I be using it? I have no idea....perhaps. My life goal now is to be who I should be to my family, my friends, my church, my community, my love of imparting history to interested people. God will show me what to do. I have no doubt about that at all. I just pray I do not jump out ahead of His plan for me. I am in the last quadrant of my life, most likely, so I want to do something special that bears fruit. that will impact people and especially my grandchildren for their lives. All of us only get one chance at living our lives. Shouldn't it be doing what God gives us to do? It is different for all people, but for me, I feel sure it will involve some sort of teaching since that is what I love the most. God knows. I do not!

My graduation was a feeling that is hard to put into words. It was very emotional, after having waited forty-seven years for this event. It was awesome just seeing part of my family up in the seats cheering me on. I am not accustomed to being the one with the cap and gown. I am accustomed to being the one in the stands, proud of my child who is graduating.

I can't close this blog without telling about the sweetest part of the day. My Ike planned a beautiful surprise party for me. I was truly shocked! There were so many dear friends there to celebrate with us. My kids were there. My life in Oklahoma which began in 1970 was well represented by the presence of friends from the various areas of my life. What a tremendous day that the Lord provided for me.

Pondering the direction of my life is still something that continues. I do not have to know. I just have to search God, ask Him, and then follow his leading. I cannot go wrong with that plan. I just know that I have lived a very full life, full of things that really matter. Actually most of my personal expectations never turn out the way I think they will, but after a while, I can look back and see that His plans for me have been better than my own. Pondering the will of God for your own life is a 'pondering' that yields fruit. I am contemplating the future of America, the lives of my children and grandchildren and how in the world I will ever get ahead of the weeds in my flower gardens! First things first!!

Counting the Blessings of My Life

October Glory

Today is the day before Thanksgiving. Normally, on this day, I am frantically planning all the details of the "event" tomorrow. We have had such extravagantly full tables of food, adding all the things I grew up with to new items that some new family members had grown up with that were just a natural part of their Thanksgiving meal.

There has always been the good stress incumbent with the entire family coming.....where will everyone sleep, will they have a good time, are we building wonderful memories for the children, can I still make dressing and gravy....on and on.

This year is different - in many ways. This year has been different.I have been working on getting my degree in history since my Emily went to college. Em is now 29 years old, happily married and living in Texas. Her leaving for school was eleven years ago. Many things, happy and sad, happen in life. In these ten years, God has blessed Ike and me with five perfect grandchildren, and a wonderful new son-in-law. My mother went to Heaven five years ago....my daddy joined her on November 3, this year. My sweet Brookie made that short trip from this earth to her Heavenly home on December 19, 2001. That is picture of her tree at the top of the page, planted in her honor. It is an October Glory maple, chosen because of the name. She was in her glory time in October, the month of Morgan Nationals where she showed her beautiful Morgan gelding, Sundance.

This past few months have been a blur of busyness. I took nine hours of school this semester so that I can graduate next May. My Daddy began to get much worse this fall. He was getting weaker and his mind was getting slower. He developed gangrene in his foot. He had to have two toes amputated.....then his leg......then he just kept getting progressively smaller and weaker, sleeping most of the time, without medication. Mercifully, the Lord took him home on November 3 and he was buried on the following Saturday, the 6th. His funeral was very honoring. Many family members were able to travel to Tulsa for his funeral. We enjoyed seeing each other. It does seem true that it takes a wedding or a funeral to have those big family reuions.

I am exhausted from the stress of school papers, tests, and other busy work required to get that "sheepskin." I don't truly know why I feel so strongly about getting this done at my age, but I do trust that God is leading and controlling my numbered days

Daddy's numbered days for earthly living ended this month. He was 87. That is a good long life. He was blessed in every way that mattered. He had good health always, he had a good job for as long as he wanted, he had a loving wife and four children. I don't know what else he could have wanted. He lived a life of honor and loved us well.

My life has been full also. I have never missed a meal, never had to sleep anywhere but in a bed, always had a roof over my head, and been given an incredible family to love and be loved by. I am counting my blessings today, feeling calm after the recent blast of life storms, waiting expectantly for my kids and grandkids to bounce through that back door, along with our grand-dog "Murphy.

We will celebrate another wonderful year of living in America together. Usually the children and we grandparents dress in costume and put on a Pilgrim story play. We shall see if they want to do that this year. One family will not be here this time. They will be missed.

We all have much to remember and appreciate about what God had done in our lives. It just takes time......and that is what we seem to neglect most often.......taking time!!!

Loss of a Special Friend

Ike and I have been very blessed in our lives together. We have shared joys and sorrows, highs and lows, births and deaths, but every time a new sad event occurs, it seems we can never really be prepared for it.

Our precious daughter Brooke, who went to be with the Lord on December 19, 2001, had a major love in her life. That was her sweet Fortunes Sundance, known as Sunny. Brooke's greatest enjoyment in life came from riding horses. This horse was not her first or her only, but he was the best of all. He was her quiet counselor. He brought her comfort when she might have had a bad day. He loved her as much as she did him. She spent all the time she possibly could riding and training and grooming him. No horse ever had a better life. Neither did any young girl either.

We even built a barn on our property so that she could take care of him herself. From these experiences, she developed into quite a wonderful rider. She was involved in Morgan Horse shows from a very early age and won many ribbons and trophies. Brooke grew up to become a trainer of young riders. Her specialty was young girls who needed something like riding horses to feel something special in their lives. There are many girls like that and she felt a special bond with them.

She also seemed to be able to communicate well with horses and to ride the unrideables. This was her gift in life and she used it well.

After Brooke's death in a car accident, we kept her horses and took care of them and loved them also. They never received from us what only she could give them though. The horses were somewhat depressed acting after she was gone from them. They seemed to know.

This sweet Sunny had become the love of some of our grandchildren. Oh, how I loved to see them enjoy him and I wished that Brooke could see them. too. Perhaps she could.

It will be so hard to look out my office window into the green field and not be able to enjoy watching that big chestnut gelding shining in the sun. We have lost another special part of our lives. He wasn't just a horse, he was our Brookie's horse! I miss them both so terribly and always will until that day comes when I can run to meet her in Heaven. Oh, that will be good!

Summer Fun

Andrew

Well, summer finally came as it always has. It just seems like this past winter with all the snow and ice and the lingering cold days this spring made the arrival of summer more welcome.

We were just blessed with the welcome visit of our third grandson. His brother had gone to camp and it seemed like a great time for a one-on-0ne visit with a special boy.

We had so much fun just doing whatever we wanted. He wanted to swim and play in our dirt pile, which all the grandchildren love. Unfortunately, the first morning he was here, we had a record breaking rainfall with terrible flooding throughout many parts of the city.

No dirt pile this visit, but we were blessed to have been spared flooding here. We found other ways to occupy our selves. The posted pictures attest to the fact that he had fun and I just enjoy seeing him have fun. That is my fun!!

Hard Days in America

I have no picture today. I have this new computer and all my pictures are still on the old one. Nothing worthy of a picture is appropriate anyway today. I have just been listening to the news and watching our beloved land deteriorate in many ways. Our President Obama seems to be bent on the destruction of America, and is moving very quickly.
What does all this mean? I look at my precious children and grandchildren and my heart is so heavy for what they might have to bear. I feel helpless and almost hopeless until my mind and heart go back to the One who holds the whole world in His hands.
None of this is a surprise to our Father. He has known all about these days from the foundation of the world. It is just that we have not.
This country has been more blessed than any other country in the history of the world. America as a nation along with our elected leaders, has not been interested in God. Many loud-mouthed voices would have Him removed even from our history. They will not be successful. God is at work. Many Christians are waking from a deep sleep, induced by the comfortable blessings of life in this amazing land. We have work to do. Resting on our blessings will not accomplish the work of God. While He alone is in total control, He gives us our marching orders. What are yours? I am seeking mine. Right now I am learning all I can about our government and the Hand of God in its formation. Only God knows where this knowledge will be used and in what way.
Our only real hope is the Lord and He desires to help His children. We must ask, seek, and knock in humility and repentance. God in His Providence is woking out His plan and we get to be a part of His Story. What a blessing!

Some Special Blessings to Ponder

Mike Huckaby speaking at CHA Banquet
TAKING OUR COUNTRY BACK TOUR
Sarah Palin - LIVE


This truly has been an incredible month. We have been to Texas three time for family birthdays. I had a surprise birthday with my kids and grandkids. Life has been truly busy and hurried with the normal activities of my school at night, my teaching school a couple of afternoons, physical therapy winding up and two amazing events recently that I cherish.

On February 23, our annual Christian Heritage Banquet was honored to have as our speaker - the Honorable Governor Mike Huckaby. He was a fabulous speaker. We were totally sold out very early, with about 1000 seats filled. This was held at the Cowboy Hall of Fame, which is always going to be a special place in my heart because of Emma's wedding reception being there.
Governor Huckaby spoke about our country and the great need to train our students to be good citizens because they are the leaders of our future. He really seemed to get CHA and our mission of training men and women to propagate the gospel throughout the earth as fully educated men and women equipped by the Lord for His service wherever he may lead them. We had our picture taken with him and that was fun for those who sat at our table. Gov. Huckaby is truly a Godly man and I believe he would be a wonderful leader as president of our nation. We certainly could use one about now. I know God is in control of this also, but it can't help to hope and pray!

The other pictures above were taken yesterday in Tulsa at the kick-off of the "Taking Our Country Back" tour. Glenn Beck just brings tears to my eyes with his amazing passion for our country. His heart is so real. He is the best communicator I have ever seen. He is such a great example to all Americans that we too need to educate ourselves about our heritage and do what we can to help good people get into positions of service, as well as doing all we can in our personal lives to live a purposeful Christ-centered life. He clearly told the group that the reason for our success as a nation is not our people, but it is our God. If we leave Him out and His principles, there will be a huge crash heard round the world as this great nation - the only current nation with a hope for freedom for all people - falls. If it does, we will know why and that God is still on the throne and His plan for the world will go on. We will have great trouble though. I am praying that American Christians will awaken from whatever it is in our lives that is keeping us from totally following His will. When I see and listen to Mr. Beck repeatedly and without fear warning America, I am reminded of Jeremiah, the weeping prophet, who warned Israel repeatedly of impending doom if they did not repent and turn back to him.

Seeing Sarah Palin in person was such a thrill. I know she is just a person, but it was still fun! She gave a great speech, full of hope and patriotism....my biggest cup of tea! After she finished, they showed a video of all the names of young Americans from Oklahoma who have died in these current wars. There were ninety young men and women, and it is heart wrenching to think of the families and the sacrifice they have made of their children for our nation. While Sarah was watching the video, her little girl came out and stood with her. What a precious sight! She had on just what kids would, a knit shirt and pants and she hugged her momma and Sarah hugged her girl....sweet picture. I felt very blessed to get to attend this special event.

These things have set me pondering more. I wonder what God is doing. I wonder what His plan for America is. I wonder if American Christians will repent and pray so that God will heal our land. I wonder what He wants me to do about all this. I wonder why He has given me this incredible passion to learn and share with others what God has done in our land. I wonder!!!!!