We still have snow on the ground in our yard. Some has melted off. The roads are clear. We are expecting more snow, though, late on Thursday night into Friday morning. The snow is supposed to turn to rain on Friday as the day progresses.
I’ve heard that some of you are having warmer than usual temperatures right now.
Hope your Friday the Thirteenth is full of good things!
For this Thursday in November we are on the letter J in our Truth from A to Z Bible Verse Challenge.
There are many verses with Jesus as the theme and others with important J words, too. I’m looking forward to the verse or verses that you settle on. Please share in the comments and I’ll add them here.
J is for judges and judgement:
John 5:22-24 (ESV)
For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.
From Vera: J is for Justified
“And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.”
Romans 8:30 ESV
From Maristella: J is for Jesus and Joyful
“If anyone acknowledges that *Jesus* is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God.”
1 John 4:15
“Be *joyful* in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”
Romans 12:12
Click over to Raindrops and Rainbows to see the verses Bethany chose for I and J!
Thank you to all our Veterans who are serving or have served in any of the branches of the military.
1. It’s the 11th day of the 11th month and bloggers often make lists on days like today. Let’s go with a list of eleven things you’re feeling grateful for today.
2. What’s something you decided to do or act on at the ’11th hour’?
During our move across the state of Washington there were a lot of 11th hour decisions to get rid of stuff instead of packing them up and moving them.
3. Apparently the Kentucky Fried Chicken recipe contains 11 herbs and spices. What’s a dish you make that calls for exactly eleven ingredients? Feel free to share the list and/or recipe.
Here’s a Classic Macaroni Salad recipe with an added twist.
Cut recipe in half for 2 people
4. Something you remember about your 11-year old self?
When I was eleven I was a 7th grader in Junior High School. ( I skipped a grade) Sometime during that school year I convinced my mother to let me shave my legs. I come from a hairy stock of ancestors. When I arrived at school with my freshly shaven legs the news spread like wildfire all across the school halls. Yikes, how embarrassing. Back in those days (the 60’s) we were only allowed to wear dresses or skirts to school so the end to my hairy legs was news!
5. The 11th of November is Veterans Day in the US of A. This is a day to honor those who have served their country in war or peace-dead or alive-although according to the government’s website it’s largely intended to thank living veterans for their sacrifices.
Memorial Day is when we honor military personnel who died in service to their country.
Our brother-in-law Nick was buried on Veterans Day in 2015 at the Riverside National Cemetery.
Share a thought relating to Veterans Day or tell us something about a Veteran you know-love-admire.
Our son-in-law Andrew actively served with the Marines and had two tours of duty in Afghanistan. The photo above is of some of his Battalion in Afghanistan. The photo below was taken at the Marine Birthday Ball a few years back.
The next photo was taken at winter training on the border of California and Nevada.
We are proud parents (in-law) of our Marine. We are thankful for his service and that he came home to us and especially to our daughter. Even though he was honorably discharged from active service, once a Marine always a Marine.
6. Insert your own random thought here.
This happened early Tuesday morning.
Thank you to Jo From This Side of the Pond for asking the questions each week.
So happy to report that we have one more side of the shop siding installed. Two more sides to go before Winter sets in. We are expecting some snow tonight and time will tell just how much falls. For now my vehicle is enjoying the covering of the shop. We are so thankful for this progress on the shop!
Did you know that Wal-Mart is staggering their Black Friday savings every week. When I was there on Monday I found a lot of fun savings in the aisles. Fun toys for $5 and $10 dollars. Nice Hotel quality towels for $5. I’m happy to say I restrained myself from buying too much!
On Saturday while his daddy helped Gramps start on the shop siding Baba got to play with Jaymison. Addy and her mommy took advantage of being free of a very busy little toddler to help Granny with her yardwork since Granny was recovering from surgery. Dan and Jamie are such a blessing to both sides of the family. I’ve said before that they are not afraid of hard work.
Our little Jaymison is a cuddler for sure which is so sweet!
We spent a good amount of time putting the dollies’ shoes on and taking them off after using the swiffer (a favorite) along with vacuuming. He loves noisy tools.
Outside on Saturday was a learning curve on cutting and setting up the metal siding on the shop. Dan came back on Sunday to finish the task on this side of the shop. We are expecting some snow this week so the pressure is on to get as much of the siding up as they can.
While the guys worked on the shop I finished clearing out the front planters to get ready for winter. This time I wore a back brace which is something I should remember to do when working on planters, weeding, etc.
It was a relief for Dear and Dan to get this side of the shop done and to understand the process better.
On this day I was able to meet our neighbor’s sister-in-law and exchange phone numbers as our neighbor has been in the hospital for weeks and ended up having to have part of his leg amputated because of a logging accident years ago. He got a prosthetic and will be in rehab for a couple more weeks. It was good to talk and get acquainted and to be a resource for any emergencies that might arise. This same neighbor lost his wife a year ago to cancer.
And then on the same day I was able to meet the neighbor two doors up from us who received a package of ours accidently from FedEx. It’s not as easy to meet country neighbors who are acres apart and I’m very grateful to know a face and a name now.
God is good to us and we see the evidence daily.
Press On, Press On, Ye Workers
Press on, press on, ye workers,
Be loyal, brave and true:
Great things the Lord is doing,
And greater things will do;
His army, still increasing
With each revolving year,
Shall send a sound of rapture forth
That all the world shall hear.
Refrain
Rejoice, rejoice, ye workers all, rejoice!
O clap your hands and sing,
O clap your hands and sing!
God’s holy Church shall triumph yet,
Triumph yet, triumph yet,
And He shall reign our King,
Shall reign our King.
The walls of leagued oppression
To dust shall fall away;
The sword of truth eternal,
No pow’r on earth can stay;
Tho’ all the hosts of darkness
Were marshaled on the field,
The Church of God would stand unmoved,
With Christ her strength and shield.
Refrain
Behold her marching onward,
In majesty sublime,
Along the rolling prairies
That bound our western clime;
And soon from every hamlet
On all our vast frontier
Glad songs shall rise to Jesus,
While the skeptics turn to hear.
Refrain
Words: Fanny Crosby, 1894.
I received a couple old photos new to me of our little Babushka Vera and I wanted to put all the photos I have of her in the archives of this computer together in one post. She’s sitting on the bottom row of this photo taken in Iran in the late forties. My grandfather that I never met and who was killed in Iran shortly after this photo was taken is on the right. The gal above my grandfather is our aunt Nina. She was married to our uncle Paul, our mom’s only brother. He’s next to Aunt Nina on the end of the top row. The rest of the people in this photo are Aunt Nina’s people and her mother and father are sitting next to our maternal grandparents. The little girls in this photo are the only ones still alive. They all live in Southern California. The two girls flanking the bottom row are both suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. The little girl in her mother’s arms is alive and well in Southern California. My cousin Alex who is standing next to our Babushka died in an automobile accident in Wheaton, Illinois in 1979. The two grandmothers sitting next to each other, Manya and Vera were close friends and at the end of their lives they lived next door to each other in an apartment building a couple doors down from our Russian Baptist Church in Los Angeles. Several of our Russian widows lived in that apartment building. Our mom and pop had already immigrated to the USA when this photo was taken.
These are our little babushka’s three children. Our mom, her sister who died and her brother Paul.
This photo is from 1951 with friends and family after they all immigrated to the USA. Our little babushka is above our mom who is holding me. Our Pop next to our mom. Uncle Paul is holding our cousin Valia and next to him our aunt Nina is holding our cousin Walter. Next to our little babushka is our Aunt Nina’s sister in law Zena. Next to our mom is Mrs. Hamzieff from San Francisco and I’m not sure who the lady next to her is. The little boy, I believe belongs to Mrs. Hamzieff. Babushka immigrated from Iran as a widow to the USA with our Uncle Paul’s family.
These are our Babushka Vera’s 7 grandchildren as of 1956 ish. Cousin Alex, Babushka, sister Kathy, brother Fred, cousin Valia, Me, cousin Walter and my sister Vera. One more cousin and four more siblings were added to these two families. We had a sister that died in Iran so Babushka had 13 grandchildren in total.
This is a new to me photo of our babushka at a beach in California.
This is Babushka Vera and Babushka Manya in Arrowhead in California.
The two of them again in this photo. Our little Babushka lost her left hand and arm up to her elbow when she was young. Her arm was injured and got infected and had to be cut off at the elbow to save the rest of her arm and her life. She always positioned herself so that her missing hand was not in view in a photo.
Not a well preserved photo but this was our growing family with our Babushka at our Uncle Paul and Aunt Nina’s home in Huntington Park in California.
Me and Babushka at my 9th grade graduation and my high school graduation. I remember shopping with her for a dress at Sear’s once and she wore a size 16-1/2. She always searched for a dress with 3/4 length sleeves.
Our parents and Babushka at our home in La Mirada in the 70’s.
Cousin Walter, cousin Tanya, Babushka, our Pop and Uncle Paul.
Babushka, mom and me at Laguna Beach in California.
Kathy, Babushka and our mom.
Christmas at Babushka’s with our sister Lana in the late 60’s.
Our Babushka at Nick and Vera’s wedding in 1969.
Our little Babushka enjoyed embroidery and made a special gift for each of her grandchildren for their weddings. The tablecloth above was given to our sister Vera for her marriage to Nick.
Babushka at our sister Kathy’s wedding with our sister Vera in August of 1974.
Babushka, me and our mom at Dear and my wedding in December of 1974.
The center front row with our pop, mom, Babushka Vera, Babushka Martha and Dzeduska Timofei.
Dear’s family and my family at our wedding.
For our wedding Babushka Vera embroidered this tablecloth along with 8 napkins. A treasured gift. It’s amazing to us that her embroidery was so beautiful even with the handicap of having only one hand.
Christmas morning at Babushka Vera’s. See all those baked goodies that our Babushka baked with one hand! Grandkids with their spouses and our cousin Alex’s in laws. This was mid-1970’s.
Babushka would tell us to not stay out after dark. She said nothing good happens in the dark!
I think Debbee was Babushka’s first great grandchild. This was in 1976.
This last one is at our second home in Huntington Beach in early 1977.
I hope to add more photos to this post as I find them.
Our Babushka Vera died in March of 1980. She was a Godly woman who prayed for all her grandchildren and for all her grandchildren’s future spouses. She prayed for our Pop’s salvation and for the salvation of her own husband. Our Dzedushka Fedot became a Baptist Minister before he was killed in Iran. I am so looking forward to seeing Babushka in heaven and seeing Dzedushka for the first time in heaven.
We do love it when the Larches turn golden here at our country bungalow.
Larches are called Tamaracks in other parts of the country.
The windows are in the shop and the service door is also in. Now Dear will move on to trims and then the siding.
Hope all is well in your corner of the world.
For the first Thursday in November we are on the letter I in our Bible Verse Challenge. I’m going to go with several “I ams” that are found throughout the Bible that God declares about Himself.
I is for I AM
Exodus 3:14: “I am who I am.”
Isaiah 41:13: “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.”
Isaiah 45:18: “I am the Lord, and there is no other.”
Matthew 28:20: “I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
John 6:35: Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.”
John 8:12: Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
John 10:11: I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
John 11:25-26: Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
John 14:6: Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Revelation 1:8: “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
From Tom: Another I Am:
Exodus 3:14 God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’
From Cheryl:
My verses today are two similar questions:
“Is anything too hard for the LORD?” Genesis 18:14
“Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?” Jeremiah 32:27
From Maristella:
“Better a little with righteousness
than much gain with *injustice*.”
Proverbs 16:8
And
“The *integrity* of the upright guides them,
but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.”
Proverbs 11:3
From Vera: I is for Immortal, Invisible
“To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.”
1 Timothy 1:17 ESV
Add your verse/verses for the letter I in the comments or on your blog and I will add them to this post. Happy Hunting!
I want to give you a heads up that we will not have our Bible Verse Challenge on the Thursday that Thanksgiving lands on this year, November 26th. We’ll resume the following Thursday, December 3rd.
The verses before this verse are: Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4: 4-7
1. How do you define peace?
Funny you should ask that question. Tuesday morning as part of my devotions I read these words from a commentary on Ephesians:
Speaking about Jesus…
For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one, and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. And He came and preached peace to you who were far away, and peace to those who were near. (Ephesians 2:14-17)
Jesus alone is our peace.
Jesus Christ came as a babe to earth, and in His sacrifice on the cross He Himself became peace for those who trust in Him. His peace is not temporary but permanent. he made both groups, Jews (those who were “near”) and Gentiles (those who were “far off”), into one, and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall. (MacArthur New Testament Commentary, Ephesians)
Believing in Jesus Christ as Savior because of his perfect sacrifice on the cross for our sins is the only way to peace with God. This is the only permanent peace available.
2. November 3rd is Election Day in the US of A, but did you know it’s also National Sandwich Day? Let’s vote, shall we? egg salad or tuna salad? chicken salad or grilled chicken on a bun? peanut butter and jelly or a bagel with cream cheese? turkey and swiss or ham and cheddar? grilled cheese or pimento cheese? roast beef-corned beef-or make mine veggie?
I vote for tuna salad, grilled chicken on a bun, peanut butter and jelly, turkey and swiss, grilled cheese and corned beef on rye, please.
3. When did you last say (or feel) ‘no rest for the weary’?
This is my hard working husband every day while he tries to get the shop ‘snow tight’ before the next big snow. Hard to work in freezing temps so his hours are limited but he keeps plugging away.
4. This time last year, where were you?
This time last year we had just had a weekend with my sister Vera in our neck of the woods and I was taking her back to the airport. While she was with us we enjoyed a trip into Canada to enjoy a Persian lunch at Kootenay Kebab in Trail, B.C. and we had a baking day in my kitchen making Piroshky with our kids and our cousin while Dear and our son worked on the shop. (We’re still working on the shop!!) I’m hoping that some day in the future we’ll be able to cross the line again into Canada…
5. Share a favorite song, verse, or quote featuring the word ‘peace’.
What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer.
Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged;
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness;
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Are we weak and heavy laden,
Cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge,
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do your friends despise, forsake you?
Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In His arms He’ll take and shield you;
You will find a solace there.
Blessèd Savior, Thou hast promised
Thou wilt all our burdens bear
May we ever, Lord, be bringing
All to Thee in earnest prayer.
Soon in glory bright unclouded
There will be no need for prayer
Rapture, praise and endless worship
Will be our sweet portion there.
6. Insert your own random thought here.
A quote from our pastor this last Sunday that made a few of us laugh out loud.
“The Bible tells us how to live in the nasty now and now.”
Thank you to Jo From This Side of the Pond for asking the questions each week!
The Happy Wonderer ~ ellen b. 