Happy New Year!

"This day is new, it comes from God.

It is a gift from Heaven's hand.

Let troubles held from yesterday

Melt in the grace that comes today."   

--Unknown

Dallas Willard Quote

"...Jesus did not send His students out to start governments

or even churches as we know them today...

They were, instead,...

to bring the Presence of the Kingdom and its King

into every corner of human life 

simply by fully living

in the kingdom with Him."

(as seen in the "Breakthrough Calendar")

More Christmas Pics

Lili on the Baby Roller Coaster

Merry Christmas!

"And the angel answered her:
The Holy Spirit will come upon you,

and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; 

therefore the child to be born will be called holy—

the Son of God." 

Anniversary Party

                                                                (Patsy, Jean, & Pam)

Congratulations, Jerry & Jean, on 50 years of marriage!  

We heard some funny stories at the party.  Jerry told us about Jean telling him that she was 15 when he started dating her.  He asked Aunt Helen if he could throw a surprise party for Jean's 16th birthday.  "She told you that she is 15?!  She is 13!"  They got married when Jean was 17.

What a cake--Italian cream cake frosted with shaved white chocolate.  

Chant

This day is new, it comes from God.
It is a gift from heaven’s hand.
Let troubles held from yesterday
Melt in the grace that comes today.

--Renee Miller (explorefaith.org)

Thou art our need; 
and in giving us more of thyself 
thou givest us all.—Kahlil Gibran

Little Lil is 1 today!

4th photo folder, 4th photo

I wasn't tagged to do this, but when I saw the rules, I wondered what my 4th folder held.  The 4th photo is a priceless picture of Mason when he was on the bench during a soccer game back in 2005.  What a sweet little boy!

Rules:

1. Choose the 4th picture folder on your computer
2. Choose the 4th picture
3. Explain your picture
4. Tag 4 people to do the same

Chippewa Prayer

"Let me walk in beauty

and make my eyes ever behold

the red and purple sunset."

(Yesterday, KT and I went to get my new peppernut maker.  We decided to go ahead and take a look at the Kauffman Museum in North Newton since we were already there.  After all of those years living in Newon, I had never stepped foot in there.  We had fun looking at the artifacts--Mr. Kauffman had quite a collection of Indian moccasins.  This Indian prayer was painted on the wall.)

Let them eat cake...

Don't forget...

Don't forget to look outside this evening--right at twilight. The 3 brightest lights in the sky (Venus, Jupiter, and the moon) will be very close together. I read that the next time we will see them this close will be November 18, 2052. It was beautiful last evening--hope it is clear again tonite.

Come on in--we're ready for Christmas!

Lena's Barn

Lena--You said you didn't have any pictures from when you lived in your red barn. My computer is on the fritz, so I can't burn you a CD of them, so I will just post some of them on here...that was one of my all-time favorite Thanksgivings--2005. Seems like a lifetime ago.

Thanksgiving Blessing

May your stuffing be tasty
May your turkey plump,
May your potatoes and gravy
have nary a lump.
May your yams be delicious
and your pies take the prize,
and may your Thanksgiving dinner
stay off your thighs!
-Unknown

Clifford Ears

Lena's tree

He that plants trees loves others besides himself. Thomas Fuller

Happy Birthday, melanie-pearl

Star of Bethlehem Flowers

Sweetly Broken

Grandkids--Halloween 2008

GI Joe--3 years in a row

Chloe the Corinthian
(Zamma borrowed her wig for a while)

Amur Maple Tree

Trying to get one good hat picture...

Birthday Boy

Little A. Ford turned 2, so we celebrated his birthday today. I'm pretty sure this was his favorite present--a popping lawnmower. The cousins had fun playing. Chloe got up in the tree and hung onto a croquet mallet for the little girls to swing on:


One more photo--flowers from friends...

The Many Faces of Lil

Such a pretty tablescape...

I remember the first time I heard the word, "tablescape". My niece's 3 year old used it. Well, today I saw a beautiful tablescape--M. had her mamas and grammas & Cody's Aunt Mary over for lunch. It was so special because we were able to use some very old things. The dishes had been packed away for years. Cody's Grandma told us she got them when she bought groceries. The teapot was my Grandma Jost's--she died in 1954. We had potato soup, chicken salad on croissants, applesauce, creamed peas, and pumpkin pie. Thanks for going to all of that work, M!

House Blessing

KT and I received this blessing from 2 very special friends when we moved to our new home. Maybe it will inspire you to bless your own home if it has never been blessed...

We dedicate this home to love and understanding.
May its joys and sorrows be shared
and the individuality of each person
who lives and visits here appreciated.
We light a candle to love. (Light a candle.)
We dedicate this home to work, and rest and play.
May our home have joy and high fellowship,
with kindness in its voices and laughter running within its walls.
We light a candle to joy. (Light a candle.)
We dedicate this home to friendly life.
May its doors open in hospitality
and its windows look out with kindness toward other homes.
We light a candle to friendship. (Light a candle.)
We dedicate this home to cooperation.
May its duties be performed in love,
its furnishings bear witness that the work of others
ministers to our comfort,
and its table remind us that God works with us
for the supply of daily needs.
We light a candle to cooperation. (Light a candle.)
We dedicate this home to the appreciation
of all things good and true.
May the books bring wisdom,
the pictures symbolize things beautiful,
and the music bring joy and inspiration.
We light a candle to appreciation. (Light a candle.)
We dedicate the time and talent of those who live here
to help build a world in which every family
may have a home of comfort and fellowship.
We light a candle to Christian service. (Light a candle.)
We dedicate this home as a unit in the Church universal,
an instrument of the Kingdom of God,
a place of worship and Christian training
and a threshold to the life eternal.
We light a candle to spiritual enrichment. (Light a candle.)

As the flames point upward, so our thoughts rise in gratitude
to God for this home, and in prayer for God's blessings upon it.

The Original Morning Glory Muffins
Earthbound Farm's culinary consultant, Pam McKinstry, created these muffins in 1978 for her eponymous restaurant on Nantucket Island. The recipe was first published in Gourmet Magazine in 1981, and in 1991 it was chosen as one of the magazine's 25 favorite recipes from the past 50 years. These muffins have a great shelf life and actually taste better a day after baking, when the flavors have melded. Store them at room temperature, covered, for up to 3 days, or freeze them for up to 2 months.
Makes 16 muffins
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shredded, sweetened coconut
3/4 cup raisins
1 large apple, peeled and grated
8 ounces (1 cup) crushed pineapple, drained (Optional)
2 cups grated carrots
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans or walnuts
3 large eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.
Sift or whisk together the sugar, flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Add the coconut, raisins, apple, pineapple, carrots, and nuts, and stir to combine.
In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs with the oil and vanilla. Pour into the bowl with the dry ingredients and blend well.
Spoon the batter into muffin tins lined with muffin cups, filling each to the brim. Bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool muffins in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to finish cooling.

This sweater used to be blue...

"This sweater used to be blue when Chloe wore it when she was little." --S.

I ran across this photo...

It is not surprising to me that Newport, RI is on the list of the Prettiest Towns in the U.S. I still think it is amazing that the public can walk on the sidewalk that runs along the edge of the mansions--the Vanderbilt summer home is in the foreground of the picture. What an amazing place! (We stayed in the hotel on the tiny island under the bridge.)

Just when you think fashion shows could not get any weirder...

Infinite Love

"The world of earth is one great scene of spiritual strain and anguish, whose moans would drown the music of the morning stars, if there were not eternity to unfold the mystery, and to reveal that at the heart of it all there is ineffable and infinite love." –

James Baldwin Brown, The Doctrine of Annihilation in the Light of the
Gospel of Love (London: Henry S. King & Co., 1875), 66.

A Word from Habakkuk

"The Lord God is my Strength,
my personal bravery, and my invincible army;
He will give me the speed of a deer
and bring me safely over the mountains."
Habakkuk 3:19 (Amplified & Living Bible)