Julie & Michael

"Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD." (Prov. 18:22).

And in this case, this young man found our precious daughter! Michael (Luthi) and Julie have been engaged for several months now but we finally got some engagement pictures taken this past weekend.

41: A Portrait of My Father

41: A Portrait of My Father by George W. Bush

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Reading two "5 Star" books in a row is a rarity and this one touched a tender place in my heart. It truly is a father-son love story and offers a unique glimpse into the shared experiences of the men who hold the 41 and 43 slot in the presidential lineup. Always an admirer of the Bush family and a lover of history, especially presidential history, I thoroughly enjoyed every chapter. But it was the closing thoughts which moved me to tears: the legacy of unconditional father-son love and the forever bond of shared passion and common experiences. Made me miss my dad and give thanks for my own love story.



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One year later...

...I still miss him terribly.
...Every day.
...The counsel.
...The friendship.
...The shared interests...God's Word, our church, the elder body, current events, history, especially presidents.
...Just checking in.
...Sharing the latest books read.
...Chuckling at our human condition, never taking ourselves too seriously.
...The integrity and unfailing "I have confidence in you."
...and so much more that love entails.

One year later...
...Still thankful for that last week.
...For strong faith to the last.
...That he's "waiting on the far side banks."
...That we'll meet in the morning beside the Eastern Gate.

...For the hope, the promise, of a glad reunion at trumpet sound.

"For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words." (1 Thess. 4:16-18)

Happy 2014!

Something about this little girl's innocent anticipation made me think of the dawning new year.

Another year is dawning, dear Father, let it be

In working or in waiting, another year with Thee.

Another year of progress, another year of praise,

Another year of proving Thy presence all the days.

Another year of mercies, of faithfulness and grace,
Another year of gladness in the shining of Thy face;
Another year of leaning upon Thy loving breast;
Another year of trusting, of quiet, happy rest.

Another year of service, of witness for Thy love,
Another year of training for holier work above.
Another year is dawning, dear Father, let it be
On earth, or else in Heaven, another year for Thee. 

--Frances R. Havergal

Wait For It!

I have to infer that the gentleman on the left is the storyteller.  I seem to have caught his friends at three distinct stages of grasping the humor of it all.  Mind you, it was all in Spanish so I was far behind the man in the center.  And I was rather focused on being surreptitious.

Lifelong friends, I fancy.

"A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly" (Prov. 18:24).

Note: feet left in place on behalf of Sydney Eisenmann Parkhe!

Faith's Victory

Some dear friends from Connecticut are saying goodbye to this precious soul, "Gram Webb" to them, this week.  We rejoice in victory won.  What a delight to have known her!

The soldier won the battle, (She's) in gloryland somewhere.
The soldier won the battle, no more aging there.
Living now with Jesus, waiting 'til I come
Busy for the Master, forever always young.

"Soldier Won the Battle" (unknown)

Sense of Wonder

Solomon records four things which are "too wonderful" for him (Prov. 30:18).  Do you think his list was longer when he was a child?

Zeal

"I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord." 
(Ps. 122:1) 

This reflex shot from the church bus in Magdalena, Mexico serendipitously captured the best portrayal of this verse that I've seen.  I'll let you ask yourself the obvious question.

Mysterious Ways

"Hey, stop looking at me like I've got a crooked toe!"  Can you guess which of our children was overheard making this tongue-in-cheek comment recently?


This one goes in the category, "God works in mysterious ways".  We first saw these toes (both corrected by surgery but one needing it again) shortly after they made their entrance into the world.  We have the birth certificate to prove it.  The amazing part is that this same infant somehow lost the standard hospital identification wristband in the nursery.  But we had built-in proof that the toes matched the certificate and definitely belonged to our child!  One trip to Solomon avoided...  :)

The Eyes Have It

I've been trying to decide whether and how to use this image which I snapped somewhat surreptitiously during a recent visit to Lancaster County, PA

I suppose I could comment on the juxtaposition of the Amish boys with an "Italian Restaurant" sign behind them, or the modern street bearing their 19th century conveyance.  But it strikes me that there's something hidden a little beneath the surface. Maybe it's in the eyes?

Maybe Next Sunday

Shot this one on the church bus in Magdalena, Mex.  I pray this little girl will someday climb aboard that bus rather than simply wave as it goes by.

Wondering

During our time in Magdalena, Mexico last week we had a chance to ride the church bus through town while it picked up people for Sunday services.  As we stopped for a family, I caught sight of this little girl.  Don't you wonder what she's thinking?  I fancy maybe it was something like, "Maybe I can go to church someday, do you think?"

How many around us are peering around the corner, wondering if God can be trusted...if this church thing is real...if maybe, just maybe, it's for me?

Liam

A delightful little boy and his parents visited us this weekend.  In addition to having a very cool name, he's kind of an adopted grandson in that his mommy and daddy were our adopted kids for a month a couple of years back.

Almost gets one ready for such things...almost.

Hats

It seems to me that you have to reach a certain age to be able to pull off a straw hat. If you know George, you know he's pretty comfortable in his own skin.  That gleam in his eye reveals his zest for life and learning that is evident in any conversation with him.

And it just may be that the hat young Philemon is sporting may less appeal to him when he reaches adolescence.

Regardless of their choice (or mother's choice, perhaps, in Philemon's case) of headwear, I'm charmed by the easy connection they seem to have and the evident mutual interest in some object of attention just off camera.