My mom passed away last Saturday. It is certainly a bittersweet time. So, thankful that she served her risen Savior... so thankful for her purity of heart...
As I've been thinking about what to write, I remembered a post I wrote on Mom's birthday almost 5 years ago. I would like to share it with you here:
"IT IS NO SECRET WHAT GOD CAN DO"
I think what my Mom, Kathleen Klein, would like you to know is:
"It is no secret what GOD can do!"
She's been singing it a lot lately! She's been asking my brother, Steve, and his family to sing it with her. It's been on her mind!
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Mom is celebrating her 80th birthday today!
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Here is a picture of Mom on her 75th birthday
with her 3 children.
Oldest to youngest, left to right:
Patti (me), Steve, Pam
As I sit here, at the computer, looking at this picture, I realize that what is in the picture tells part of Mom's story. The picture was taken in one of the last years that she lived in her townhouse before alzheimer's no longer allowed her to live alone. My brother, Steve, and his wife Sandi honored mom by building a "mother-in-law apartment" on the back of their home, in Alabama, and mom now lives with them. Allow me to use this picture to give you a quick chronological tour of mom's life:
1. PINK CHAIR: It reminds me of her mom, Viola, who loved pink! She was the one who made sure that Mom learned about the LORD and was clothed with CHRIST, in baptism, to begin walking with GOD in eternal life. I have mentioned before that Mom was raised in a home with an alcoholic father (who later became a christian and then, an elder) and a strong christian mother who chose to trust GOD in spite of her circumstances and SET HER MIND to please Him.
2. CANDLE on end table reminds me of 2 things: a) Moms years of study at Washington University, in St. Louis, to become a registered nurse - there were many overnight nursing stints during those years and burning the midnight oil in studying. b) No matter how hard it was, she chose to continue to read, study, and grow as a christian during her college years...letting her light shine along the way. She even courted my dad during those years at the Friday night "St. Louis Bible Readings". As a young adult, away from home, she chose to SET HER MIND to please GOD!
3. PATTI: Mom married Clayton Klein in 1950. He was an army sergeant who had survived the depression and WWII. They were transferred to FORT Harrison, Indiana and she gave birth to me in 1952. I remained an only child until 1958. My earliest memory is when Mom and I traveled across the Atlantic Ocean to join my dad in Europe-a war torn continent, after WWII. While on board ship, a storm violently rocked the ship causing dishes and chairs to fly in the dining hall. The frightening adventure was one of many to come for this young mother. Kathleen SET HER MIND to trust GOD and to be strong for her small daughter.
4. STEVE: In 1958, during an almost 3 year tour of military duty in France, my brother Steve was born. I remember visiting empty concentration camps, salt mines, and many historic places. I remember riding in the school bus past miles and miles of bombed out buildings. I remember attending a school where only French was spoken. I remember meeting with about 10-20 christians on Sundays, with my dad being the only man. I remember the excitement of having a new little brother! I remember Mom as the hub of all these rememberings. A woman who had SET HER MIND to be a safe haven for a little girl in a foreign land.
5. PAM: Mom was pregnant with Pam for at least 5 months of the "drifting". Not only would mom give birth to Pam in this isolated place in Utah, but we would travel over the mountains 80 miles one way to go to church on Sundays in Orem. We often traveled on Saturdays and spent the night in the church building apartment. I was ecastatic about having a little sister! In the second grade, I had become a bossy little "second mother" to two young siblings and someone my mother depended on immensely. (To give you an idea of how bossy I was, I was voted President of my 2nd grade class and "Mother Superior" of the playground). During this time, I remember my dad battling severe depression - he suffered from severe allergies and chemical sensitivities. You may be beginning to understand the internal fortitude that it took for Mom to do what she felt the LORD would want her to do. She often would say, "I have SET MY MIND!" There she was raising her children in what seemed like a "foreign land" which some now connect with terms like: nerve agents, Skull Valley, UFO's, Aliens, Area 51 and biological warfare. If you have time, here is Wikipedia's description of Dugway: Dugway Proving Ground (DPG) is a
US Army facility located approximately 85 miles southwest of Salt Lake City, Utah in southern Tooele County. It encompasses 801,505 acres of the Great Salt Lake Desert and is surrounded on three sides by mountain ranges. It had a resident population of 2,016 persons as of the 2000 census, all of whom lived in the community of Dugway, Utah, at its extreme eastern end....Dugway's mission is to test US and Allied biological and chemical weapon defense systems in a secure and isolated environment. DPG also serves as a facility for US Army Reserve and US National Guard maneuver training, and US Air Force flight tests. DPG is controlled by the U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command.
6. The Japanese lamp, doll, and stacking tables on the left remind me of the times that followed Dugway: Dad was transferred to FORT Carson, Colorado where I attended the end of 4th grade and 5th grade. The army said that it would be his "home base" but it was time to move to Okinawa for 30 months. He went ahead, mom packed us up, sent the furniture on, and we went back to Missouri to Granny's, living there until it was our turn to join Dad. He couldn't get us housing on the Army Post, so we lived in the village for over a year. Our backyard faced the China Sea. Our home was filled with lizards and roaches the size of mice. "Steally boys" kept their eye on any chance to rob the home of an off base military family. Everyone around us was being affected by the Vietnam War, the earthquake in Alaska sent a tidal wave across the Atlantic toward Okinawa, and President Kennedy was shot and killed back home. I was old enough to be afraid of it all! Later, Mom shared that she, too, was afraid but the only thing she knew to do was to "Trust GOD and SET MY MIND!" Later, we moved onto the "secure army post" where it was more like an American neighborhood with sidewalks for roller skating and neighborhood games of kickball and baseball. Mom was a night civilian charge nurse at the big military hospital on Okinawa. Under her watch, were air evacs of soldiers from the Vietnam War with wounds and malaria. Sometimes she would be quarantined at the hospital, so we had a live in Okinawan maid / nanny. Mom SET HER MIND to trust GOD as she juggled the huge demands of her job, the needs of her family, her home, and herself. We had a strong military church support group, many who I still remember. My best friends were the missionaries kids. Wikipedia describes Okinawa this way: Okinawa is one of Japan's southern prefectures, and consists of hundreds of the Ryukyu Islands in a chain over 1,000 km long, which extends southwest from Kyūshū (the southwesternmost of Japan's main four islands) to Taiwan.
7. The picture behind my head is our home in Security, Colorado which reminds me that FORT Carson was indeed where we returned to twice: a) the last semester of my eighth grade year; b) then, returning my junior and senior year and the family remaining for more than 15 years. Mom worked the night shift at a Colorado Springs Hospital for many years, sleeping during the day and being there for us in the evenings. Dad's schedule often had him leaving at 4 a.m. so she would rush home in the mornings to see that we got off to school. Sometimes she had to work the evening shift which made it exceptionally hard for us all-especially her.
8. MOM: If mom could remember, she would have much to tell about the enormity of her life that I have left out. I think she would say not to leave out: a) during my sophmore year, while living in Missouri, her dad died while working on re-modeling our home, her trying to do CPR, our entire family was shell shocked by it all, it took a long time to recover/heal... b) the years of my dad battling depression or post traumatic stress disorder from all he'd been through in his life... c) the ten years that she was by dad's side as his mind deteriorated with alzheimers and then he died in 1998... d) living as a widow these last ten years as her mind has been on a similar journey...yet, what amazes me is that...
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... even this week, Mom has SET HER MIND!
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She has set her mind to focus on the song: IT IS NO SECRET WHAT GOD CAN DO! Oft times now, it's hard to talk to Mom on the phone because she won't always answer or respond in conversation. But, there's one thing that we can do together and that is sing. Last week and this week we've sung over the phone together her very favorite song: I SERVE A RISEN SAVIOR. I'm sure we'll be singing THERE IS NO SECRET WHAT GOD CAN DO.
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Today she'll be opening her gifts. The one from me: a lighthouse lamp. Every time she has set her mind, she has been LIGHT for me or LIGHT for someone in this dark world. I want the lamp to remind her of that!
I know this is a long post. I don't apologize...it's in honor of my mom. May her story give each of us encouragement to set our minds to be LIGHT to our families in this dark world. Below is the poem Mom received today with her lamp and the 3 songs that I have referred to.
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I Set My Mind to Let My Light Shine!
A poem written by me (Patti Klein Sikes), in 2008,
in honor of my mom, Kathleen Joyce Carron Klein .
On October 5, 1928, I, Kathleen Joyce Carron was born.
I grew up at 311 Virginia Avenue, Crystal City, Missouri.
Valle and Viola Carron were my father and mother.
Shirley and Bob were my sister and brother.
One day, I set my mind to become a child of GOD.
I was baptized into Jesus Christ, GOD’s Son.
Later, I grew up and moved away from home
To become a nurse at a University called Washington.
I set my mind to do what was right
For Jesus, I wanted to be a light.
I met a man who wanted the same.
Clayton Ray Klein was his name.
We married on April 8, 1950,
Making almost 48 years of marital history.
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Clayton and I had three children,
Named Patti Ann, Steven Ray, and Pamela Kay.
We set our minds to teach them about Jesus.
Living a life for Him would be the only Way!
He is my Savior, He is the king of Kings,
He is the Truth! He is my Light! He is my everything!
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So, as I look back on my life,
I can smile a great big smile.
Because on this journey,
I set my mind to go the extra mile.
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As a wife to Clayton Klein,
I set my mind to let my light shine!
As a mother to Pam, Steve, and Patti,
I set my mind to let my light shine!
As a mother-in-law to Dalen, Sandi, and Steve,
I set my mind to let my light shine!
As a grandmother to Eric, Summer, Katie, Jordan, Jessica, Caleb, and Crystal,
I set my mind to let my light shine!
So, today, as I turn on my lighthouse lamp,
I will smile and remember that I HAVE SET MY MIND TO LET MY LIGHT SHINE!
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IT IS NO SECRET WHAT GOD CAN DO
.The chimes of time ring out the news;
another day is through.
Someone slipped and fell.
Was that someone you?
You may have longed for added strength,
your courage to renew.
Do not be disheartened,
for I bring hope to you.
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CHORUS:
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IT IS NO SECRET what GOD can do.
What He's done for others, He'll do for you.
With arms wide open, He'll pardon you.
IT IS NO SECRET what GOD can do.
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There is no night, for in His light
you'll never walk alone.
Always feel at home
wherever you may roam.
There is no power
can conquer you,
while GOD is on your side.
Just take Him at His promise.
Don't run away and hide.
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The Lighthouse
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There's a lighthouse on a hillside that overlooks life's sea
When I'm tossed, it sends out a light that I might see
And the light that shines in darkness now
Will safely lead me thru the night
If it wasn't for The Lighthouse
My ship would sail no more.
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CHORUS:
And I thank God for The Lighthouse
Well, I owe my life to Him
For Jesus is The Lighthouse
And from the rocks I've seen
He has shown a light all around me
That I might clearly see
If it wasn't for The Lighthouse
Tell me where would this ship be?
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Ev'rybody that lives about me
They said tear that lighthouse down
Cause the big ships don't sail this way anymore
There's no use of it standing 'round
Then my mind goes back to that stormy night
When just in time, I saw that light
Yes that light from that old lighthouse
That stands up there on the hill.
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SING CHORUS AGAIN
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He has shown a light all around me
That I could clearly see
If it wasn't for The Lighthouse
Tell me where would this ship be.
Mom's favorite song:
I SERVE A RISEN SAVIOR (HE LIVES)
I serve a risen SAVIOR, He's in the world today;
I know that He is living whatever men may say;
I see His hand of mercy; I hear His voice of cheer,
And just the time I need Him, He's always near.
Chorus:
He lives, He lives, CHRIST JESUS lives today!
He walks with me and talks with me
Along life's narrow way.
He lives, He lives, salvation to impart!
You ask my how I know He lives?
He lives within my heart.
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Rejoice, rejoice, O Christian,
Lift up your voice and sing.
Eternal hallelujahs to JESUS CHRIST the King!
The hope of all who seek Him,
The help of all who find,
None other is so loving, so good and kind.
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- GOD BLESS YOU ON THIS SUNDAY AS YOU BASK IN THE LIGHT OF THE SON!
- GOD BLESS YOU AS YOU SET YOUR MIND TO LIVE LIKE JESUS!
- GOD BLESS YOU AS YOU GO TO YOUR BIBLE TO READ THE COMPLETE SCRIPTURES LISTED BELOW. I'VE PUT SOME HIGHLIGHTS HERE OF SCRIPTURE THAT APPLIES TO THIS POST:
- MATTHEW 5.........."And when He saw the multitudes, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. 2 And opening His mouth He began to teach them, saying, 3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. 5 "Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth. 6 "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. 7 "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. 8 "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. 9 "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. 10 "Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 "Blessed are you when men cast insults at you, and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, on account of Me. 12 "Rejoice, and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. 13 "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how will it be made salty again? It is good for nothing anymore, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. 14 "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 "Nor do men light a lamp, and put it under the peck-measure, but on the lampstand; and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. 17 "Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill.............. 41 "And whoever shall force you to go one mile, go with him two. 42 "Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you. 43 "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor, and hate your enemy.' 44 "But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you 45 in order that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven.........48 "Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect."
- 2 CORINTHIANS 4:5-12........"For God, who said, 'Light shall shine out of darkness,' is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing greatness of the power may be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. ......................13 But having the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, " I believed, therefore I spoke, "we also believe, therefore also we speak; 14 knowing that He who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and will present us with you. 15 For all things are for your sakes, that the grace which is spreading to more and more people may cause the giving of thanks to abound to the glory of God.
16 Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. 17 For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, 18 while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal."
- Colossians 3:1-4 ........"If then you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. 3 For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory."
BLESSED! OH, THE JOY!
