Awesome God

Walking on the beach, breathing in the ocean air, watching the sea gulls hunting for food along the shore, reveling in the expanse of the ocean and the wonder of God's creation. It is amazing how small we are when we stand on the beach and look out over the ocean, watching the massive waves roll in and break against the shoreline. Imagine the power in the water as it gathers speed and rolls toward the beach.

God's power is amazing. He has set everything in motion and everything is in His control.

"Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours." (1 Chronicles 28:11)

We truly have an awesome God. When you look at the amazing creatures that roam the earth, swim in the oceans and fly through the air, it's easy to see the vastness of God's power. Do you ever stop to think about the fact that all of God's creatures function without batteries? There is no power cord that has to be plugged in to keep the motor running or the batteries charged. Instead, God breathed into each of us the breath of life. He keeps us charged and our motors running. Amazing! Awesome!

Family

I read a quotation earlier today that really gave me some food for thought: "Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family. Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one." (Jane Howard, English Novelist)

Families come in many shapes and sizes. Some are small, some are large. Some have two parents, some have only one. Others have children being raised by grandparents. Some families have small children, others have adult children, and still others have no children at all. What would we do without our families?

We have an even greater family tie--to our heaveny Father. He says, "I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters." (2 Corinthians 6:18).

Christmas Tidings

"...she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn." (Luke 2:6,7)
Once a year, the world celebrates the birth of the King of Kings. Once a year, people search their hearts and look for ways to reach out and help others less fortunate. Once a year, we remember that without Jesus, we would have no future, no eternal life.
Wouldn't it be great if we could celebrate Jesus every day instead of just once a year? Wouldn't it be wonderful to be able to reach out to those less fortunate every day? Wouldn't it be terrific to have the promise of eternal life every day?
We do. By accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, we have all of these things and more. While the Christmas holiday itself is celebrated once a year, the promise of eternal life through Jesus Christ is ours every day.
Promises are found throughout the Bible. "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light." (1 Peter 2:9)
Call on Jesus and make Him the center of your life today.

Antiques?

The older I get, the more I realize that many of those things people are trying to sell as antiques are really things that I remember from when I was younger. A couple of months ago, we spent some time walking through an antique shop in Walla Walla, Washington. It slowly dawned on us that many of the objects we were looking at were things that we played with when we were little. There was a pedal car, a doll stroller and even a set of play dishes that looked just like ones I remembered playing with. They were not only old, but they were asking ridiculous prices for them. It made me feel really, really old.
However, being old is not necessarily a bad thing. The Bible says, "Is not wisdom found among the aged? Does not long life bring understanding?" (Job 12:12) Of course, now the problem is convincing others that I have wisdom and understanding!

Water + Bubbles = Fun

What is it about water that is so appealing to children? Take one little boy, fill up a small bucket with water, put some toys in the water and you have a magic formula that entertains for quite a while.

Needless to say, most of the water escapes the bucket (with the little boy's help) and the boy is wearing most of the water. But he is having a "boat load" of fun!

And...bubbles! What is it about bubbles that is so intriguing to children? They can be entertained for a very long time with a bottle of bubbles and a bubble wand. 'Course, they want to try to blow the bubbles themselves as well, although they don't quite have the ability to do so. But it's fun to watch them try and to watch them explore.

Children are a joy to watch, to observe them as they process new discoveries and learn the consequences of choices. Sometimes it's hard to let them go through some of the experiences and trials that we know will hurt them, but we know from our own experience that we have to learn from our mistakes. To learn the results of cause and effect: Pull the cat's tail and he will scratch you. Drive too fast and get a speeding ticket. Eat too much and get a stomach ache.

It's all done to help our children (and grandchildren) become strong in the Lord and to learn right from wrong, good from evil, and to make wise choices.

That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth; that our daughters may be as corner stones, polished after the similitude of a palace. (Psalm 144:12)

Nature Photographer

Last weekend, I was much more patient with my bird-watching and nature photography. I decided to bring out the camera before I sat down on the swing so that I would be armed and ready to take photos. It was a very good plan. Here are some of the photos I was able to take in the backyard.

What? Why are you taking my photo? Can't a bird eat in peace?

Hey, you with the camera! Yeah, you. I'm talkin' to you!

Okay, so the raccoon isn't real. But he's still cute.

Purple lilac in the neighbor's backyard that overhang our fence; white lilac in our backyard (finally blooming after 7 years).

Okay, so I'm not quite ready for National Geographic. But at least I had fun!

New from Old

Twenty-three years old is young, if you are a human. However, if you are a car, it's quite old and bordering on antique. In Idaho, a car that reaches 30 years of age is considered to be a classic and qualifies for classic license plates at a reduced rate from regular license plates.

Our 1988 Toyota Camry station wagon is still running with over 250,000 miles accrued over the past 23 years. It has witnessed the driving abilities of teenaged girls, made multiple trips across the United States, and safely transported our girls to0-and-from high school twenty-five miles away for several years. It takes a licking and keeps on ticking, and it isn't a Timex!

The hood was beginning to show signs of fading and the paint was deteriorating over the past few years. My darling husband bought automotive paint that was color-matched to the car and gave the hood a fresh new look last year. The rest of the car still looks great.

The driver's seat bottom had become thread-bare over the years, and this past weekend, the front seats were given a new look. I had been trying to come up with an inexpensive way to renew the front seats without purchasing hideous seat covers that either didn't match the car color or had ridiculous-looking images on them. Last weekend, I had a brilliant idea: why not purchase bathroom towels and make carseat covers out of them?

I went to JCPenney (my favorite store) and bought four bath-size towels for less than $20. I only had to use three of them as it only took 1-1/2 towels for each seat back/bottom. Two hours later, I had great looking seat covers in a color that matches the car perfectly.