Julie Fillinger

Hello Readers, 

I met today’s guest this spring through The Gospel Coalition’s writer’s cohort. She was in my breakout group. She took on the role of a seasoned teacher, balancing encouragement and constructive comment with ease. I was pleased when she said yes to Sunlit Stories. It is a joy to welcome my new friend, Marti Ahlman, as she reflects on the assurance of God’s faithfulness in every season of life.  

Marti Ahlman is a Kansas native living in Hickory, North Carolina, the mother of six children, and grandmother of 10. Marti taught for 37 years, beginning in elementary grades. In 1983, she and husband Al pioneered homeschooling in Newton, Kansas. After a successful legal battle with the school board, they continued to educate their children until Marti began teaching high school English in Columbus, Georgia in 1998, retiring in 2016. A widow since 2011, Marti enjoys teaching Bible studies and connecting with younger women in the church, reading, painting with watercolor, writing, sewing, and grandparenting. 

A Season of Memories  

In the heart of summer, as the sun casts its golden glow, we are reminded of the simple joys and cherished memories that shape our lives. Each season brings unique experiences, yet through them all, we find the unwavering assurance of God’s faithfulness in every season of life.  

Childhood Summers in Kansas  

Crickets chirping and cicadas sawing. Playing tag around the yard, screaming with laughter until I swallow a fly. Brilliant starry skies. Lemonade. The scent of sunscreen. Pavement too hot for bare feet. A wet washcloth and a fan. The scent of freshly mown grass. Bagworms. Climbing to the top of the too-high slide to catch the fireworks in the distance. Sunday dinner at Grandma’s house. Homemade ice cream. Mulberry-stained feet. Collecting eggs from the hen house. Sleepovers with cousins on floor blankets. Cottonwood trees releasing clouds of fluffy seed pods. Each season in my home state of Kansas is distinct and fully developed. Winter – cold to very cold. Autumn – a blend of warm to chilly. Spring – turbulent weather melding to mellow. Summer – hot, windy, and full of childhood’s sensory memories. 

The Simple Joys of Childhood  

Several siblings and I sat outside in the backyard on a blanket with my parents. A lover of nature, Dad taught us weather signs, constellations, and appreciation of God’s beautiful world. Mother contributed popcorn and lemonade, tuning the radio to play quietly in the background, often humming to the tunes in harmony to Big Band music and Christian programming. One evening stands out as the news gave the results of the presidential election in 1953. Dwight D. Eisenhower, a son of our own state, won! 

One bane of our summer was picking bagworms off the bushes in front of our house. Moth caterpillars created a bag made of detritus, stuck to the branches. We earned one penny per bag. They seemed to come each summer, so we at least had a little bit of personal money in a season of economic scarcity. 

Life before air conditioning was challenging, but our resourceful mother conditioned the air with damp washcloths given to each child along with a fan pointed at the bed. 

I loved the smell of fresh-cut grass. It reminded me of freshly cut watermelon, a delicious but rare treat which always involved a seed-spitting contest.  

A Lesson Learned   

One of my most powerful life lessons happened when Cousin Nan told us a neighboring farm to our grandparents was invaded by clumsy cows. They broke several watermelons, which were lying in the field going to waste. She urged us to claim some of them. My father refused. Unless we gained permission from the farmer, we could not take them. I was keenly disappointed, but the example of integrity has remained. 

To Grandma’s House We Go: A Strong Foundation of Faith and Family  

Visiting Cousins  

Traveling the half hour to our grandparents’ home in Maize was a treat when cousins visited. Coleen, the eldest cousin, was a year older than I was, and Nancy a year younger. Uncle Richard was in the Air Force, so our visits were occasional but  memorable. We created plays and gave out parts to the younger siblings. One outstanding vignette was enacting the song “Who Shot Liberty Valance?” 

Grandma’s Standard Fare  

Grandma’s summer fare was standard, gleaned from her hen house and garden, but succulent. Fried chicken (freshly killed, scalded, and plucked), corn on the cob dripping with butter, juicy sliced tomatoes, marinated cucumber slices, fresh green beans (which I often snapped beforehand), and often chocolate cake. Just thinking about it calls for a moment of silence to honor the memory. The well water needed to be iced or boiled to overcome the metallic taste of minerals. Generally, we drank iced tea for dinner. 

Summer Birthdays  

The grandparents celebrated birthdays in a way that fit the season. We summer kids got to choose the flavor of homemade ice cream, but we helped Grandpa make it. Grandma mixed up the cream, eggs, sugar, and fruit while Grandpa loaded the barrel with chunks of ice and rock salt. I sat on the burlap bag atop the bucket to hold it in place as he cranked the handle. Sometimes he needed a break, so I attempted to turn the handle. The closer we got to ice cream, the harder the turn. When it was impossible, my peach ice cream was ready! 

Connecting Past and Present  

The Impact of Cherished Memories  

Although my youthful delight of summer has given way to an adult resistance to heat and humidity and less tree climbing, I look back with gratitude for that childhood season of freedom, exploration, laughter, family gatherings, fresh produce, all served with love and security. 

The Assurance of God’s Faithfulness in Every Season  

Ecclesiastes 3:1-2 states, “For everything there is a season, a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted.” Just as my childhood was full of rich memories of summer, so my adult winter is full of the wealth of wisdom accumulated over many experiences and the assurance of God’s faithfulness in every season of life.  

Instilling Summer Memories in Another Generation  

Now as I contemplate another summer in my 70’s, I am the grandma ready to love and bless my own grandchildren, to instill summer memories in their souls. I bake “Grandma cookies” made with molasses and fragrant spices, take
them to the local hands-on science museum, fill the bird feeders, cook fig jam from my tree, play Apples to Apples, Pitch, and Chess, host a family reunion, and send water-colored cards and gifts. Whether I am called Grandma, Gommy, or Gaba, I pray they remember that I love them.

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