I'm sitting at my laptop, looking out the window to a great autumn view of leaves and trees. A squirrel is running back and forth gathering acorns that have fallen among the leaves. It rained last night and it's still overcast making for a quiet cozy 7AM day-before-Thanksgiving. Ellen is still abed (unusual for her) and I hear the muffled sound of the little girls who live upstairs as they stir around on their Fall Break. It don't get much better than this
Yesterday Stone and Ryan (and Cole) were here most of the day and the boys played and watched videos all day. They really enjoy being together and I hope that last for a hundred years. It Don't get much better...
Last night we watched David and Cole, Nic and Krista and friends play volleyball at the church building. They won both of their games soundly and Ellen and I got to play with Ryan some more. It Don't get.....
We are having the kids over for Thanksgiving breakfast Thursday before they take off to see the in-laws. We were all together last Saturday at David and Cole's for our family Thanksgiving. Had Enchiladas, Mexican cornbread, Taco salad and cheese cake and played Trivia Pursuit. It don't get much...
God has blessed us so much this year I can't even start to enumerate. I can just say, "It don't get much better than this."
Have a wonderful holiday season
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Monday, November 1, 2010
11-1-10
all's quiet on the western front. at least at apt 607. Ellen, stone and ryan are down for the count after a hard morning playing out back and riding horses (stick type, 1 each) and PBJ for lunch. E just came in the room so above is amended. Stone brought a store-bought stick horse with him today. It has a brown and white plush head and if you pinch its ear it goes clippity clop and whinnies. He gave it to Ryan in exchange for a 3' long tree limb he found in the back yard. Now they are both ecstatic with their trusty steeds. E doesn't allow sticks inside (horses or guns either) so Stone traded the tree limb for a broom handle when they came inside. They're both sawing logs in the ol' bunkhouse (livingroom floor) for a while. It's almost 1:30 and moms will be be here around 3:30. We'll see if they wake before moms get here. Happy Trails Buckaroos.
fotoes fur sher
well, cole tells me the pix did't go thru so i'll send some again. we had the trunk of treats at the church building last nite. hugh crowd. i'll post pix when i get them. it's 55 degrees at noon. great weather last week. Sorry the Rangers couldn't catch up but as yogi said . . .
we have both of the boys today while mamas work. they are out with E right now terrorizing the apartment commplex. really, we have a nice grounds for them to play and explore. i'll take over so E can get a rest in a few minutes.
stone is a "stick freak", picks up sticks from the oak trees and says they are his guns. ryan goes along with whatever stone thinks up.
we have both of the boys today while mamas work. they are out with E right now terrorizing the apartment commplex. really, we have a nice grounds for them to play and explore. i'll take over so E can get a rest in a few minutes.
stone is a "stick freak", picks up sticks from the oak trees and says they are his guns. ryan goes along with whatever stone thinks up.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
10-30-10
Here's a little "children's" story that might be good for us bigger kids too. I came up with it after a conversation about how to increase our love for God:
Theodore learns about love
Some time ago, in a small village outside the great city lived a small child named Theodore. His name means “son of a father’s love”. From the time Theodore was born, it was obvious that Theodore loved his parents and his parents loved him.
Most children in the village were well behaved and obeyed their parents while there were a few children that seemed to go out of their way to go against their parents’ wishes. These children openly showed that they didn’t care if they disappointed or saddened their parents.
Some of the more obedient children were well behaved for a number of different reasons. Some, because they feared their parents. Oh, their parents were not mean or evil. It was just that these children seemed to obey their parents only in order to avoid the consequences. Such consequences as getting a spanking or losing privileges. Their motto was “what my parents don’t know won’t hurt me.” They would do all kinds of things their parents wouldn’t approve of and count on their parents not finding out what they had done. They seemed to have very little care about how their parents felt as long as they got their way.
Another group of the village’s obedient children were good only if they were rewarded for it. They would be well behaved as long as their parents paid them for their good behavior and “bribed” the children to “act right”. And mostly it was just an act.
Then there the children, like Theodore, who loved their parents so much that they would do everything possible to make them happy. These children would avoid anything that would make their parents sad or disappointed.
Theodore’s relationship with his parents was based on a deep love and respect for his parents which grew out of the knowledge that his parents loved him more than anything in the world. He avoided doing things he knew his parents wouldn’t approve of not because he might be punished or not get a gift but because he loved them so and didn’t want to make them sad or disappointed in him.
Often, when Theodore woke up in the morning, he would look at all the ways his parents showed their love for him and think to himself “I am such a lucky child to have such wonderful, loving parents. I appreciate them so much and want to do everything I can to show them my love for them.”
One morning he awoke and saw all the things his parents had done to make him safe and healthy. He looked at all the clothes and toys his parents had lovingly provided for him. Then he smelled the breakfast his parents were fixing for him to enjoy and help him grow strong.
He thought to himself “I am truly loved! Today I will make a list of the things my parents do to show their love for me and I will be very careful to show my love for them.
And so he did.
And so can you.
Thank you, God for everything …
The big things and the small,
For “every good gift comes from God,”
The Giver of them all.
And all too often we accept
Without any thanks or praise,
The gifts God sends as blessings
Each day in many ways.
And so at this Thanksgiving time,
We offer up a prayer,
To thank You, God, for giving us
A lot more than our share.
First, thank You for the little things
That often come our way,
The things we take for granted,
But don’t mention when we pray.
The unexpected courtesy,
The thoughtful, kindly deed,
A hand reached out to help us
In the time of sudden need.
Oh, make us more aware, dear God,
Of little daily graces
That come to us with “sweet surprise”
From never-dreamed-of places.
Then, thank You for the “miracles”
We are much too blind to see,
And give us new awareness
Of our many gifts from Thee.
And help us to remember
That the key to life and living,
Is to make each prayer a prayer of thanks
And every day Thanksgiving.
Helen Steiner Rice
Theodore learns about love
Some time ago, in a small village outside the great city lived a small child named Theodore. His name means “son of a father’s love”. From the time Theodore was born, it was obvious that Theodore loved his parents and his parents loved him.
Most children in the village were well behaved and obeyed their parents while there were a few children that seemed to go out of their way to go against their parents’ wishes. These children openly showed that they didn’t care if they disappointed or saddened their parents.
Some of the more obedient children were well behaved for a number of different reasons. Some, because they feared their parents. Oh, their parents were not mean or evil. It was just that these children seemed to obey their parents only in order to avoid the consequences. Such consequences as getting a spanking or losing privileges. Their motto was “what my parents don’t know won’t hurt me.” They would do all kinds of things their parents wouldn’t approve of and count on their parents not finding out what they had done. They seemed to have very little care about how their parents felt as long as they got their way.
Another group of the village’s obedient children were good only if they were rewarded for it. They would be well behaved as long as their parents paid them for their good behavior and “bribed” the children to “act right”. And mostly it was just an act.
Then there the children, like Theodore, who loved their parents so much that they would do everything possible to make them happy. These children would avoid anything that would make their parents sad or disappointed.
Theodore’s relationship with his parents was based on a deep love and respect for his parents which grew out of the knowledge that his parents loved him more than anything in the world. He avoided doing things he knew his parents wouldn’t approve of not because he might be punished or not get a gift but because he loved them so and didn’t want to make them sad or disappointed in him.
Often, when Theodore woke up in the morning, he would look at all the ways his parents showed their love for him and think to himself “I am such a lucky child to have such wonderful, loving parents. I appreciate them so much and want to do everything I can to show them my love for them.”
One morning he awoke and saw all the things his parents had done to make him safe and healthy. He looked at all the clothes and toys his parents had lovingly provided for him. Then he smelled the breakfast his parents were fixing for him to enjoy and help him grow strong.
He thought to himself “I am truly loved! Today I will make a list of the things my parents do to show their love for me and I will be very careful to show my love for them.
And so he did.
And so can you.
Thank you, God for everything …
The big things and the small,
For “every good gift comes from God,”
The Giver of them all.
And all too often we accept
Without any thanks or praise,
The gifts God sends as blessings
Each day in many ways.
And so at this Thanksgiving time,
We offer up a prayer,
To thank You, God, for giving us
A lot more than our share.
First, thank You for the little things
That often come our way,
The things we take for granted,
But don’t mention when we pray.
The unexpected courtesy,
The thoughtful, kindly deed,
A hand reached out to help us
In the time of sudden need.
Oh, make us more aware, dear God,
Of little daily graces
That come to us with “sweet surprise”
From never-dreamed-of places.
Then, thank You for the “miracles”
We are much too blind to see,
And give us new awareness
Of our many gifts from Thee.
And help us to remember
That the key to life and living,
Is to make each prayer a prayer of thanks
And every day Thanksgiving.
Helen Steiner Rice
Thursday, October 14, 2010
no excuses
Ellen & I were recently asked to talk to a young couples class at Park Plaza about "Growing Older Together and Renaining Active Serving God." Well, we've got the "growing older" part down. Don't know about the rest. In the area of service, I think one of the tools the Devil uses most successfully on me is in the area of not being able to do something as well as someone else. "If I can't give them a seven course dinner, I'll just let them starve."
Attached is a poem that has convicted me for a long time. Hope it helps you with your "cup of cold water".
http://www.inspiring-quotes-and-stories.com/be-the-best-of-whatever-you-are.html
God doesn't require us to be great, just available. God loves us anyway.
Attached is a poem that has convicted me for a long time. Hope it helps you with your "cup of cold water".
http://www.inspiring-quotes-and-stories.com/be-the-best-of-whatever-you-are.html
God doesn't require us to be great, just available. God loves us anyway.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
"He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver."
Malachi 3:3 says:
"He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver."
This verse puzzled some women in a Bible study and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God.
One of the women offered to find out the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible Study.
That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver.
As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities.
The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot; then she thought again about the verse that says:"He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver."
She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined.
The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.
The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, "How do you know when the silver is fully refined?"
He smiled at her and answered,
"Oh, that's easy -- when I see my image in it."
If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that God has His eye on you and will keep watching you until He sees His image in you.
"He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver."
This verse puzzled some women in a Bible study and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God.
One of the women offered to find out the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible Study.
That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver.
As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities.
The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot; then she thought again about the verse that says:"He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver."
She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined.
The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.
The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, "How do you know when the silver is fully refined?"
He smiled at her and answered,
"Oh, that's easy -- when I see my image in it."
If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that God has His eye on you and will keep watching you until He sees His image in you.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
