Author Archives: Ellen

Summertime Bible Verse Challenge

I’ve moved on from Romans to 1 Corinthians in my daily readings so today I’m sharing several verses from my concentrated time in the Book of Romans. Share your verse/verses from anywhere in the Bible and I will add them below.

Romans 1:16,17:

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

Romans 5:10,11:

For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Romans 6:6:

We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.

Romans 6:17,18:

But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.

Romans 6:23:

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:11:

If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

Romans 8:26:

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. for we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.

Romans 10:9,10:

…if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

Romans 15:4:

For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

Romans 15:13:

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

From TCKK:

Galatians 5:22-23:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

From Vera:

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭1:3-10‬ (‭ESV‬‬):

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.”

From Karen (HappyOne):

Philippians 4:13:

I can do all things through Christ who strenghteneth me.

From Maristella:

Ephesians 4:26-27:

“In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.”

‭‭From Barb:

Psalm 6:9:

The Lord has heard my supplication: The Lord will receive my prayer.

The Sands of Time Hodgepodge

This photo of sand and surf and a pier is from Huntington Beach, California.

Thank you Jo From This Side of the Pond for Wednesday Hodgepodge.

1. July 5th is National Hawaii Day…have you ever been to Hawaii?

Yes, once in 1997.

Any desire to visit or make a return trip?

Not particularly.

Pineapple, mango, or guava…what’s your pleasure? 

Pineapple but not on a pizza. 🙂

2. Last time you were ‘thrown in at the deep end’? Explain. 

I’ll leave out some information to spare the mostly innocent but ‘the deep end’ was showing up at an event that no one was really in charge of and having to jump in and make it run smoother than it was going to.

3. Sun, sea, sand, salt…your favorite when it comes to summer? 

I like the sea in the summer because it is usually cooler at the seashore than inland.

4. Bury your head in the sand, the sands of time, draw a line in the sand, pound sand, shifting sands…pick one and tell us how the phrase currently relates to your life in some way.

I’ll go with the sands of time as in ‘the steady unstoppable passage of time’. It currently relates to my life as I turned 70 this year. How did that happen? As the saying goes I am not a Spring chicken but that is quite okay as I’ve lived and learned a lot with a lot more to learn!

5. On a scale of 1-10 (1 = make your own rules and 10=like a warden), how strict were your parents? If you’re a parent where on the scale do you land? 

Our Pop worked long hours but he had his priorities and that was making sure we were all at church on time a few days a week. My mother tried to be a warden but mostly fell in at about a 5. I was the baby of the family for 7 years before my younger 4 siblings arrived and I wore my parents down and got to do things my older siblings didn’t do. We didn’t really have chores and we never had an allowance.

Dear and I fall in closer to the warden side than the “free range kids” side.  Maybe at a 7, it’s hard to put a number on it. We had rules, specific bedtimes and other expectations but we didn’t lock them in their rooms. They had the freedom to break the rules when we weren’t watching.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

At my follow-up appointment yesterday my eye tests confirmed I have 20/20 vision in my right eye after my cataract surgery. Looking forward to my left eye cataract surgery July 16th.

Survivors

Many of our plants have survived our epic heat wave and for that I’m grateful.

This clematis hasn’t bloomed the last couple of years but this year we’ve gotten two blooms. This is the second bloom.

The daylilies seem to thrive in the heat.

How does your garden grow?

Today I have a follow-up appointment in Spokane so we’ll leave O-dark-thirty to get to the appointment on time. Need anything from Costco while we are there? That’s a standard question we ask our kids and they ask us depending on who is headed to Spokane.

Picking Cherries

Today my baby sister and her hubby are stopping overnight before they venture home to the west side of the Cascades.

We had such a wonderful church service on the 4th of July.

Have you ever sung the 4th stanza of our National Anthem? We sang all 4 stanzas in church on Sunday.

O thus be it ever when freemen shall stand
Between their lov’d home and the war’s desolation!
Blest with vict’ry and peace may the heav’n rescued land
Praise the power that hath made and preserv’d us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto – “In God is our trust,”
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Praising the Power who hath preserved our nation. Thank you Lord!

Last week during our heat wave we tiptoed to our neighbor’s Cherry trees very early to help him out by picking. Our neighbor had his leg amputated below the knee this past year and understandably is unable to do what he’s done in the past. We didn’t want to wake him up or get his little dog barking so we were as quiet as could be.

They are very tall trees and Dear is on a 10 foot ladder.

There are still more cherries to pick so we’ll sneak over early today to pick some more.

Fourth of July 2021 ~ A Prayer

Fourth of July lands on a Sunday this year and I’m sharing this post again, A prayer from George Washington’s Prayer Journal.

“O eternal and everlasting God, I presume to present myself this morning before thy Divine majesty, beseeching thee to accept of my humble and hearty thanks, that it hath pleased thy great goodness to keep and preserve me the night past from all the dangers poor mortals are subject to, and has given me sweet and pleasant sleep, whereby I find my body refreshed and comforted for performing the duties of this day, in which I beseech thee to defend me from all perils of body and soul.

Direct my thoughts, words and work. Wash away my sins in the immaculate blood of the lamb, and purge my heart by thy Holy Spirit, from the dross of my natural corruption, that I may with more freedom of mind and liberty of will serve thee, the ever lasting God, in righteousness and holiness this day, and all the days of my life.

Increase my faith in the sweet promises of the Gospel. Give me repentance from dead works. Pardon my wanderings, and direct my thoughts unto thyself, the God of my salvation. Teach me how to live in thy fear, labor in thy service, and ever to run in the ways of thy commandments. Make me always watchful over my heart, that neither the terrors of conscience, the loathing of holy duties, the love of sin, nor an unwillingness to depart this life, may cast me into a spiritual slumber. But daily frame me more and more into the likeness of thy son Jesus Christ, that living in thy fear, and dying in thy favor, I may in thy appointed time attain the resurrection of the just unto eternal life. Bless my family, friends and kindred unite us all in praising and glorifying thee in all our works begun, continued, and ended, when we shall come to make our last account before thee blessed Saviour, who hath taught us thus to pray, our Father.”

I’m humbled by this prayer from the first president of the United States. I pray along with it as I ready this post.

The stained glass window with the sun streaming through casting it’s light and color onto the statue of George Washington was taken at the National Cathedral in Washington D.C. in May of 2011. Dear had a conference in D.C. and I was able to tag along. The National Cathedral is a must see if you ever travel to D.C.

It is folly to say our nation was not founded on Christian principles. Some would like to blot out this part of our history and remove all evidence of our Founding Father’s faith in the one true God.

Have you ever seen or read the third verse of “The Star Spangled Banner”, our National Anthem?

 O thus be it ever when free men shall stand
Between their loved homes and the war’s desolation!
Blest with vict’ry and peace, may the heav’n rescued land
Praise the Pow’r that hath made and preserved us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto, “In God is our trust.”
And the Star-Spangled Banner in triumph shall wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Praising God this morning for preserving our nation to this point in history.

Give me this day almighty God the Spirit filled mind to serve thee in the righteousness of your dear Son, Jesus my Lord, who’s sacrifice covers my sin repented of and gives me the strength to live in your holiness.  God bless America and keep our land free to worship you in righteousness and truth.

Happy Independence Day the 4th of July to all my friends and family in the U.S.A.!

The Fourth of July 2021

Looking back at our 4th of July celebrations starting with July of 2020.

2020

2019

Addy 2018 in her 4th of July dress. I think Auntie Katie bought this for her.

2018 (we were out of our Kenmore home and waiting to move to our Colville home)

2017 in Kenmore

2016 below

Next are photos from 2013…

2013 (I’m missing my photos from 2015 on this computer. In 2014 Dear and I were in England on the 4th of July)

On to earlier years…

Above from 2011

Above and the next few below from 2009.

Hopefully in 2022 we’ll be all decked out for another memorable 4th of July celebration.

Welcome July

These baby Swallows were around for a few days learning to fly. They stayed relatively safe hanging on to our soccer goal.

A buck came to visit.

The deer that come into our yard have their favorite plants. The Variegated Willow is one of them.

We are headed back to double digits instead of being over 100 degrees which is a relief. We’ll be in the 90’s for several days.

We don’t have big plans for the 4th this year besides going to church. My sister and hubby are stopping for an overnight on Monday the 5th after some time in Idaho. It will be nice to see them. The mayor of Colville has made the decision to not allow fireworks in the city this year. Because our Spring was dryer than usual and we’ve been in an extreme heat wave there is a danger that any little spark could start a wildfire.

Our flags will be waving proudly!

Do you have plans?

Summertime Bible Verse Challenge

Since summertime can be a busy or less organized time of the year for some our Thursday Bible Verse Challenge will be open to any verse or verses from any Book of the Bible. As you study choose a verse or section that you’d like to share with us. Leave your verses in the comment section and I will add them below. Keep reading, keep studying, keep following Jesus and depending on the Holy Spirit to guide you and illumine the Word.

I’m just finishing up my daily reading of the Book of Romans and choosing the next Book to read for the month of July.

Romans 11:33-36 (ESV)

33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!

34 “For who has known the mind of the Lord,
    or who has been his counselor?”
35 “Or who has given a gift to him
    that he might be repaid?”

36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

From Patricia:

Joshua 1:9 Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

From Linda P:

Galatians 2. 20

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live but Christ lives in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me.

From Maristella:

“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”
James 5:16

Stars and Stripes Hodgepodge

Time to celebrate the Hodgepodge again. Jo From This Side of the Pond asks the questions and we ponder them for answers.

1. It’s been said the best things in life are free…are they?

There has been a price that has been paid for the best things in life like salvation in Jesus Christ.  We didn’t have to pay for that but Christ did and our new life in Him costs us. “Take up your cross daily and follow Him.” When we are faithful and obedient to the Word of God there will be a price to pay.

On a National note there is a cost that has been paid for our freedom. It is good to be free but we can’t forget to be grateful for the sacrifices made for our freedom.

What are some of those things? The Free Things…

*There are good things that are free like hugs, a sunset, smiles, lovely views, etc. etc.

2. Stars or stripes?
Mostly stars but I do enjoy stripes, too.
*
Red, white, or blue?
How about all three…
*
Apple pie or home made ice cream?
*
I do enjoy ice cream but unfortunately it doesn’t like me anymore so I’ll go with apple pie!
*
Do you like hotdogs?
*
Yes, give me a good Hebrew National Hot Dog, Nathan’s or better yet a Chicago Dog!
*
*
I love a good Chicago dog (see above) and all the things they put on it but can’t get one of those locally, sigh.
If so, what do you like on yours?
*
I enjoy hot dog relish on mine. Side note: Hot dog relish has been scarce in my area grocery stores.
*
3. One thing on your summer bucket list?
*
To make it to the “Coast” for some visits.
*
Any plans to make it happen soon?
*
No…people are way too busy right now.
*
4. What’s your summer anthem? Yes, you need to have one
*
A few came to mind like Summer in the City and Schools Out for the Summer but since I don’t live in the city and I’m not in school anymore I’ll go with, You Are My Sunshine.
*
*
5. What’s something you love about America? If you live outside of America, tell us something you love about the place you call home.
*
So much to love about America if you ignore the crazy politics going on and the absurd redefinition of basic biology.
I love how you can travel from shore to shore, north and south and see so many different topographies and enjoy small and large towns, seashores and deserts, mountains and plains, regional dishes, amazing architecture, historical sites, iconic landmarks, etc. etc.
*
We are in the middle of planning a road trip from Washington State to North Carolina for a wedding in early October. So far some of the diversions along the highways we will travel will be Deadwood, Mt. Rushmore, Wall, Badlands, The Ark Encounter, Kentucky Bourbon Trail, A Shaker Village, Pigeon Forge, and Asheville. After the wedding, Lord willing, we plan to journey to Dallas to visit my brother’s family. We’ll go through Nashville and Memphis on our way to Dallas. From Dallas home we are waiting to see weather patterns before we make those plans.
*
6. Insert your own random thought here.
Hope you all have a good 4th of July weekend here in the States and to our Canadian neighbors, Happy Canada Day on the 1st.

Garlic

We are novices when it comes to garlic and harvesting garlic. All the garlic that appeared in our raised planter was put there by someone before we moved in. It was a surprise last year when they popped up and our Daughter in law informed us what they were. This year we were a wee bit more informed and were told if we removed the scapes as soon as they appeared we would get larger bulbs. That advice was timely and good.

This is what the scapes look like and you remove them before you harvest the bulbs. They are good for eating, too. You can see the curly stem with a single bulb on the plant and you can remove them easily.

Next year we will be even smarter about how to pull up the bulbs and what to avoid. I watched a lot of youtubes on the subject after we pulled the bulbs up. Why not before you might ask? That’s the way I roll.  Hopefully I’ll learn from my mistakes.

Hanging the harvest in the Cold Room that we have in our garage using the deer hanger. It’s dark and dry (hopefully). We’ll check them in about 3 weeks to see how they are doing. When they are good and dry we will cut off the stalks, trim the stringy roots and brush off the dirt. Then we’ll store the bulbs in mesh bags like lemons or oranges come in, something airy. Then we’ll store them in a cool dark spot.

Going into the cold room this morning to take the photo I was hit with that pungent fragrance of garlic. It smells like an Italian or Greek restaurant in there!

On the weather front: Our little digital window thermometer tells us our high yesterday was 107 degrees. Today they are predicting 111. Time will tell. Dear is mowing today very early (6:30 am). Our neighbors aren’t close enough to mind too much. We continue to water in the coolest part of the morning.

On the Cataract front: My eye is doing well and Dear is administrating the 3 different drops 4x a day. Tomorrow we move to only 2 different drops 3x a day. Thank you all for your encouragement!