Beautiful Blue Norther Day

Today the temperature is in the mid 50˚F's here in North Central Texas. Thanksgiving was a beautiful, cool day, as was the day after. Then on Saturday the temperature began to dip, and it is colder now that it was when we went to church. The temperature has dropped two degrees in an hour. The wind is about 12 mph, and, as we are want to say, the only thing between us and the North Pole is a barbed wire fence!

Actually, it isn't that cold. Our priest and his wife went to lunch with us, and his wife noted that a "blue norther" is what the weather is. I told her it was a very, very light blue.

The Weather Notebook describes a Blue Norther:

Blue northers get their start when a bitterly cold air mass builds up not far from the North Pole. This usually happens beneath a dome of high pressure which leads to light winds, clear skies, and successively colder nights. Sometimes the high pressure builds up enough to spread south through sheer gravity, like a blob of maple syrup rolling across your pancakes. However, for a really intense norther, you need the jet stream to help push the air south. When everything comes together, a newborn cold front can race south at speeds of 60 kilometers per hour or more, enough to move it from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico in less than two days.

So it's really mild compared to that!

Right now I a listening to an album I bought from iTunes. It's Kenny Baker's Love Walked In. He sings When You Wish Upon a Star, Stairway to the Stars, and Alice Blue Gown, among others. Beautiful! I had heard him sing Let Me Call You Sweetheart in Stage Door Canteen, but I suppose he never recorded it. Wish I had that one!

Here in Texas we have lots of wild flowers in the autumn. Often they are yellow and purple. In winter we plant pansies, and I took photos of the ones my friend Margaret brought to me last week. Aren't they beautiful? I had just watered them. Remember, we're here in Texas. It may be cold and windy, but nothing says we have rain or snow!

May The Lord bless you and keep you.

May the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you.

May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.

Who's on First?

I needed a laugh...then I thought I would share it. Have a Happy Saturday. God bless you all.

Thanksgiving Day

What a lovely Thanksgiving Day we had! Carolyn's family arrived about noon, John and Arsi came about 3, and Christi and her kids arrived about 4. We ate a little after they arrived. We fixed a turkey and dressing, three pumpkin pies, one buttermilk pie, and a can of cranberry sauce. I also I got a lot of salad dressings.

Carolyn brought two green salads and a potato salad, and Christi brought mashed potatoes (a bag full) and a chocolate chess pie.

We ate until we were stuffed. Then we played Harry Potter Clue. After that John and Travis put up the Christmas tree. They we all played Trivial Pursuit, and, of course, Raf and Bethy won. Raf nearly always wins. We did keep playing and Carolyn, Christi, and I came in second. John was partnered with Jenn, and Darrell was with Travis. Never got photos of Jenn and Bethy, but they were there...out walking, as teenage girls are want to do!

We thank God for our family and for our being able to gather together to celebrate!

The photos are from last to first, of course!

Travis is finishing up the Christmas tree.
Darrell and Raf are relaxing after dinner, waiting to play Trivial Pursuit.
John and Carolyn visiting...watching something?
John and Christi getting ready for Harry Potter Clue.
John and Arsi brought the little kids funny gifts. They gave Travis a girl's brush set, and Darrell and Raf ended up with bows in their hair...then Travis got a play knife.

Carolyn??
Arsi beside Christi.
Raf, bows, and Travis with Clue
Raf bows, Darrell bows, and Travis



Again, we had a lovely, Thankful day.

Praise God!!
~~Amen.

Thanks be to God!

Praise God from whom all blessings flow, Praise Him all creatures here below, Praise Him above, ye heavenly hosts, Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. ~~Amen


Happy Thanksgiving to everyone who reads this. We have so much to be thankful for. I challenge you to stop for 30 seconds and count your blessings! And thank God!

Pray Without Ceasing

From Breaking Point

The Day After
Pray for Our President and Our Nation
November 5, 2008

Whether you voted for Barack Obama or John McCain, whether you’re recovering from your all-night celebration or drying the tears from your pillow, today’s a good day to remember the words of the apostle Paul: “I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.” (1 Timothy 2:1-3).

And the new President will surely need our prayers because he and his administration face huge, serious challenges to the health of our nation and to peace in the world—challenges that, in my opinion, neither he nor any government on earth will have the power to overcome without divine aid.

How has America come to this point? Why is our economy on the brink of disaster? Why is our culture so utterly depraved?

I can only think of what Alexandr Solzhenitsyn said about the catastrophic consequences of the Russian revolution. “I recall,” he said, “hearing a number of older people offer the following explanation for the great disasters that had befallen Russia : Men have forgotten God; that's why all this has happened.”

Solzhenitsyn was right. Indeed, I can’t find any better explanation for why we Americans find ourselves in the state we are in. We have forgotten God.

We have also forgotten that American democracy—indeed Western Civilization itself—is the product of the Judeo-Christian understanding of God and humanity. Without that revelation that man is created in the image of God, our founders never would have recognized the unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Indeed, as I and others like Rodney Stark have argued, modern science and education, liberal democracy, capitalism flourished in Western civilization precisely because of the Judeo-Christian worldview.
The attacks on Christianity these days are only going to intensify in the months ahead. But we must press on all the more to make a winsome witness. Those who would banish Christianity from American life are risking the very survival of American society.
Friends have asked me whether this economic crisis is God’s judgment upon us. I don’t know.
As I’ve re-read the Old Testament prophets recently, I couldn’t help but notice the recurring theme: The people of God turned away from Him and worshipped false idols. The result was always disaster.

Is God responsible for credit markets collapsing around the world? No. We’re responsible.

Because instead of worshiping God, we’ve worshipped false idols of the marketplace, credit card companies and cheap mortgages. We’ve put our own appetites over our duties to God and neighbor.

So this is no time for Christians to go into the bunkers. No time to wail or moan over our retirement plans. This is a time to repent, to pray more, to give more. It’s a time for Christians to lead, encourage, and minister to a faltering country in a faltering economy.
This is a time for the Church to get serious about Christian discipleship. Enough cheap grace.
So pray for the new President and his administration. But most of all, my brothers and sisters, this is a time to love our neighbors and to hunger for God and His righteousness.


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Thoughts for Today and Tomorrow

Obituary from the London Times:

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as:

Knowing when to come in out of the rain; why the early bird gets the worm; Life isn't always fair; and maybe it was my fault.

Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in charge).

His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a 6-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.

Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children.

It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer sun lotion or an Aspirin to a student; but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.

Common Sense lost the will to live as the churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims. Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault.

Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.

Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents Truth and Trust, by his wife Discretion his daughter, Responsibility, and his son Reason.

He is survived by his 4 stepbrothers;

I Know My Rights.
I Want It Now
Someone Else Is To Blame
I'm A Victim

Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone.

~~~~~

A GREAT RECIPE for LIVING THE GOOD LIFE

1. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. And while you walk, smile. It is the
ultimate anti-depressant.

2. Sit in solitude for at least 10 minutes each day. Buy a lock if you have to.
Pray. Talk to God about what is going on in your life.

3. When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement:
"My purpose is to __________ today. I am thankful for___________."

4. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food
that is manufactured.

5. Drink green tea and plenty of water. Eat blueberries, wild Alaskan salmon,
broccoli, almonds & walnuts.

6. Try to make at least three people smile each day.

7. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires, issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead, invest your energy in the positive present moment.

8. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like
a college kid with a maxed- out charge card.

9. Face the fact that life isn't fair, but it's still good.

10. Realize life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

11. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

12. Admit you are not so important that you have to win every argument.
Agree to disagree.

13. Make peace with your past, so it won't spoil the present.

14. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

15. Remind yourself that no one is in charge of your happiness except you.

16. Frame every so-called disaster with these words:
"In five years, will this matter?"

17. Forgive everyone for everything.

18. Don't be so concerned about what other people think of you.

19. Know that GOD heals - but you have to ask Him. Pray.

20. Remember, however good or bad a situation is, it will change.

21. Stay in touch! Your job won't take care of you when you are sick,
but your friends will.

22. Forget envy - it is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

23. Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements:
"I am thankful for __________. Today I accomplished _________."

24. Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.

25. Start listing your many blessings when you are feeling down.
You'll be smiling before you know it.

~~~~~

And finally, words of wisdom from a young Air Force officer of our acquaintance:

"I am going back to work for the American people (cue Bill Clinton, 1999). It's not the end of the world."

Who is Chris Stern

Chris Stern performed at our house concert a couple of weeks ago. These YouTube movies were taken the week before when he performed in Wimberley, Texas. Chris has a new CD out. He's an Yorkshireman, now living in Manchester, England.

I began my participation in NANOWRIMO today. This is my second year to participate. Got 2,036 words today...working on last year's novel to finish it before beginning the sequel.

Got back into DAR today...found out they had appointed me to stuff I didn't know about, but that's ok.

Tonight we have a house concert tonight here with Stacey Arnold, a classical guitarist.

Tomorrow we are coffee hosts at church.

Tuesday we are election clerks.

So there it is in a nutshell! See ya!