A Quiver Full: Special Family Memories

By Giles Isaacson

"Psalm 128:3-4 beautifully relates a wonderful truth and a precious promise that has truly been confirmed to my wife Marian and me: "Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine in the very heart of your house, your children like olive plants all around your table. Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the LORD." Yes! The LORD has blessed us with eight incredible children. The Psalmist wrote, "Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one's youth. Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them; they shall not be ashamed, but shall speak with their enemies in the gate." [1][1] For several years I have been adding to my memoirs, "A Chronicle of Blessings" devoting a large amount of that writing to my amazing family. Since that document probably will never finalize until I am called home to be with my LORD, I thought it would be a good thing to make the family part into a separate document to possibly, hopefully be published to bless families with children or are planning, hoping for children - a precious treasure indeed.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Covenant Books, Inc.
• Release date: Mar 4, 2021
• ISBN: 9781636303871

Book preview

My Inspiration For Writing On This Theme

Psalm 128:3–4 beautifully relates a wonderful truth and a precious promise that has truly been confirmed to my wife Marian and me:

Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine in the very heart of your house, your children like olive plants all around your table. Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the LORD.

Yes! The LORD has blessed us with eight incredible children. The psalmist wrote, Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth. Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them; they shall not be ashamed, but shall speak with their enemies in the gate.¹

For several years, I have been adding to my memoirs, A Chronicle of Blessings, devoting a large amount of that writing to my amazing family. Since that document probably will never finalize until I am called home to be with my LORD, I thought it would be a good thing to make the family part into a separate document to possibly, hopefully, be published to bless families with children or are planning and hoping for children—a precious treasure indeed.

So if you fit into that category, I pray that this will be of great encouragement and blessing to you and perhaps a little instruction too. Or if you have passed the time of raising children and are now empty nesters, such as we are, I pray that you will be greatly blessed as you are reminded of the many blessings of raising your family—good times and hard times and have come through it all by the grace of God. I’ve found that you never cease being a parent! Often I hear my children tell me how much they need and want me to be around and available still in good times and hard times for them. What an encouragement it is to be needed in my old age. Frankly, I need them too!

Our children are often available when I need them to perform tasks that I am no longer able to do. Also, the local family provides meals for me several times per week. Since my wife, Marian, passed through heaven’s gates, they have been especially attentive to my needs. I have an open invitation for lunch and games at the Johnsons every Sunday after church. Furthermore, Renee’ comes on Thursdays, sometimes with her daughter Joanna with lunch and goodies. Then they hang out for an hour or more, and we watch our favorite TV programs before they leave. Renee’ says, We have to leave and get home to let the dogs out! They’ve been cooped up for several hours. Well, I guess that’s her story, and she’s sticking to it!

The Dekles invite me to lunch or dinner a few times each week, and sometimes we all go to our favorite restaurant for lunch. When Christina or Lynette come into town, most of the time we will go to a local restaurant for a meal. The other children are scattered from North Pole, Alaska, to Glendale, Arizona, so I don’t get to see them very often. But each time they come into town, most of the local family come together for a meal and good times.

Two of my children, Mari and Renee’, are living in Moses Lake. Also, two of my granddaughters and their families consisting of seven of my great-grandchildren have their abode in Moses Lake. My great-granddaughter Madi often came each Wednesday after school to hang out until her mother, Sara, picked her up after work. During that time, because she is interested in law enforcement, we watch the whole series of Sue Thomas, F.B. Eye on Hallmark Now. Much, much more could be said, but this is enough to show that I have a very caring and attentive family here in Moses Lake and wherever they are. Much more will be revealed as we progress through this narrative.

Yes, when you are a parent, ultimately there comes the awesome blessings of being a grandparent, then a great-grandparent—and the blessings go on and on! God is good all the time!

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¹ Psalm 127:3–5.

My Children—The Arrows In My Quiver

I’ve been told by a dear friend who is an archer that a full quiver contains eight arrows. Since that time, I’ve done a little research and found that a full quiver is really what the archer wants or needs it to be according to their purpose. Indeed, the LORD has graciously put eight amazing, shining arrows into my quiver. What a fantastic legacy!

The children made their impressive entrances into our increasing family on average of one and a half years apart. Throughout their growing years, we tried our best to teach them to know the LORD through family devotions each day at the breakfast table, which included a daily Bible memory program. Each week on Fridays we had a contest to see how many verses they remembered that week. I don’t remember the rewards that were given for the winners of this exercise, but most of the children enjoyed this experience. All the memory verses were written on 3×5 cards. Renee’ stated that this gave her a love for memorizing scripture! We also taught them by taking—sometimes dragging them—to Sunday school and church every Sunday, enrolling them in Christian school, and encouraging them to become involved in various Christian youth groups and activities.

For many years, we attended Family Bible Camp at Lake Retreat Baptist Camp, which is nestled in the strikingly serene foothills of the Cascades near Ravensdale, Washington. This event was always the highlight of the year for the family—they all loved Lake Retreat and always looked forward to this time each year. In fact, one of them was so eager that she packed her suitcase two weeks ahead of time!

I was asked to serve as the music director at family camp one summer after REACHING Ministries was established and our family was grown up and had left home. After camp, I recorded this observation: "We Just finished a week at Lake Retreat. During the week, I was music director leading worship each morning and evening, and choir three nights. What a pleasure and blessing it was for me to have this opportunity of service. Several people told me that they were blessed through the music this week—the LORD is so good. It is His work, and He did it.

Our daughter Renee’ and her son Jon were with us that week in the Alice Johnson cabin. Theodora and her daughters Eve and Sara had their own room in another dorm. It was really fun having family with us this week. They really enjoyed it, and all want to come back next year.

Early in their young lives, each of the children made the decision to commit their lives to the LORD Jesus as their Savior and LORD (one is now in the presence of the LORD). All of them are now living exemplary Christian lives, students of God’s Word, and active in various ministry activities. And nearly all our grandchildren are following their parents’ example of faith. Most of the children have had times in their lives when they questioned. And some even turned away for a time, but they later returned and were much stronger in their faith after that experience. God always keeps his word! Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you, will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.²

I am very proud—no, enormously proud—of each of our amazing children! Looking back, I regret that I have not affirmed them as often as I should have. Each of them has their own special God-given spiritual gifts and talents. Most of them are very musical with beautiful singing voices. Some are instrumentalists. Some are artistic, and some are entrepreneurial. Some are very strong in political activities. Some are prolific writers and gifted poets, designers, and teachers and Bible teachers. A few have homeschooled their children. All minister in their chosen vocational activities. Five of the children have attended Bible college; four have graduated with a degree, including one who graduated from seminary. Two of the others have secular college degrees. Two have served in the military. One is a career missionary, and most have served in Short Term Missions projects. Much more could be said. Hopefully, each of them will write it all down for posterity. All of them are achievers and survivors. All of them have attended the school of hard knocks and have attained their DDS degree (doctor of desperate situations).

For a period of time during their early years, I gathered them all together, usually on Saturday mornings, to practice singing together. A couple of them did not enjoy this at all! It was a boring chore to them—they would rather be outside playing with their friends. We practiced in the lower level of our house, next to the sliding doors that opened to the beckoning back yard playground—oh, to be free! Nevertheless, in time, we had many opportunities to sing together as a family and in groups or duets and trios, including Marian, at church and rest homes and other places as well—it was really enjoyable times for most of them. The musically inclined among them have had many opportunities to sing solos in their church and before various groups. Occasionally, one or more would sing with me during a concert. These occasions have been very special times for us. Most of the children have had piano or other instrumental lessons as well.

Family life was not always—well, actually, rarely—easy. As with most families, we had our problems, especially with a large family such as ours, problems have a tendency to multiply—accelerate, boom, crash—and recover! As an example, after one situation, I wrote, This was a very hard day emotionally because of problems and strife’s in the family. The LORD had to say to me, ‘Hey, you’ve been preaching to others about keeping their eyes on Me and not on their circumstances—now, you do the same.’ Sometimes it’s not all that easy because we can’t pretend that the problem isn’t there. The problem is there, but so is the LORD—I cast my burden on Him, I offered praise to Him, I read His Word, He calmed my spirit. Psalm 25:1–2, ‘To You O LORD, I lift up my soul. O my God, I trust in You; let me not be ashamed; let not my enemies triumph over me.’

I went to the N.A.I.T.P meeting tonight and took my grandson Jon with me—he went potty six times! This topped my day!

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² Philippians 1:16.

Each Arrow In My Quiver Has A Beautiful Story

Theodora Marlene Hackenberg

THEODORA MARLENE HACKENBERG made her grand entrance as our firstborn on August 25, 1952, with the skillful help of Dr. Smersh at Fort Laughton Military Hospital in Seattle. Shortly thereafter, I received an honorable discharge from the air force. Dr. Smersh set up his practice in Seattle a short time later when he was released from active duty. Subsequently, all eight of our incredible children were skillfully delivered by him.

At the time of this writing, Theodora and her husband, David Hackenberg, live in Glendale, Arizona, a sister city of Phoenix. They have two children. Eve, the eldest, is married to Mike Stein. The Steins came back to Moses Lake for a time, then returned to the Phoenix area. Late in 2015, they returned to Washington, residing first in Olympia for several months while Mike managed an aeronautical business there. During October of 2013, they adopted four—yes, four—small children. They have now returned to Moses Lake. Eve a few years ago set up a photography business in Moses Lake—Eden Reflections. Some of the most creative pictures of Marian and me were taken by Eve. She is a very gifted photographer and posts her family pictures on Facebook every day. Mike was a charter airline pilot. He also attended postgraduate school and now manages an aeronautical business in Moses Lake. On July 18, 2018, Agustus (Gus) came into their lives by natural birth—a surprise and blessed pregnancy!

Sara, the youngest, was first married to T. J. Duchscher. They moved back to Moses Lake from Phoenix also and are still here. About two years after their return, they divorced after Madi came into their lives. So now all the Hackenberg clan lives in Moses Lake except the parents, Theodora and David, who are still living in Arizona and have no intention of leaving. However, they do come to Moses Lake fairly often to visit family, including her siblings and me.

On October 6, 2012, Sara became the wife of Billy MacDonald, who is a nurse at Samaritan Hospital in Moses Lake. By trade, Sara was a caregiver to people