No More Night ~

No More Night

The timeless theme, Earth and Heaven will pass away
Its not a dream, God will make all things new that day
Gone is the curse from which I stumbled and fell
Evil is banished to eternal hell

No more night, no more pain
No more tears, never crying again
And praises to the great, “I AM”
We will live in the light of the risen Lamb

See all around, now the nations bow down to sing
The only sound is the praises to Christ, our King
Slowly the names from the book are read
I know the King, so there’s no need to dread

No more night, no more pain
No more tears, never crying again
And praises to the great, “I AM”
We will live in the light of the risen Lamb

Veterans Day 2017

They Did Their Share

On Veteran’s Day we honor
Soldiers who protect our nation.
For their service as our warriors,
They deserve our admiration.

Some of them were drafted;
Some were volunteers;
For some it was just yesterday;
For some it’s been many years;

In the jungle or the desert,
On land or on the sea,
They did whatever was assigned
To produce a victory.

Some came back; some didn’t.
They defended us everywhere.
Some saw combat; some rode a desk;
All of them did their share.

No matter what the duty,
For low pay and little glory,
These soldiers gave up normal lives,
For duties mundane and gory.

Let every veteran be honored;
Don’t let politics get in the way.
Without them, freedom would have died;
What they did, we can’t repay.

We owe so much to them,
Who kept us safe from terror,
So when we see a uniform,
Let’s say “thank you” to every wearer.

By Joanna Fuchs

For the record and something I learned from family experience is that “soldiers” is not a term that describes all of our military.

United States Marines don’t like to be called soldiers. Unless you wish to cause mild offense, refer to them as Marines (usually capitalized). Members of the U.S. Army and National Guard are soldiers. Members of the Air Force are airmen. Members of the Navy are sailors.

Pub Night 049Every year, on 11 November at 11 am – the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month – we pause to remember those men and women who have died or suffered in all wars, conflicts and peace operations.

Smile

This happy girl always makes me smile.

What makes you smile?

And in the meantime we are dealing with a few more things besides our renovations like this…

When you look up or down all you see are leaves!

So we either rack or we mow or we blow them all to one spot to pick them up and fill our yard waste barrels.

Happy Birthday to the Marine Corps! Happy Veteran’s day weekend to our son-in-law and everyone who has served our country in the military!

Taken somewhere in Afghanistan a few years ago. Our son-in-law is holding the flag on the right. One of his Marine buddies took the photo.

Out with the Sink Hodgepodge…

1. In a rut, in a jam, in the groove, out of sync, off balance, out of touch…which saying best fits some area of your life currently (or recently)? Explain.

I’m literally out of a sink. The only thing that is still standing in our master bath is the toilet. The photo at the top of this post is what this area in our master bedroom looked like on Monday. Demolition started after I took the photo. Because of this chaos I am out of sync and off balance right now.

We are extending the bathroom wall into the bedroom by a foot and the wall will go all the way on the right instead of having that useless desk area. A new double vanity should be delivered on Tuesday. The new toilet will be in a different spot. Instead of a tub/shower unit we installing a shower stall. New flooring and two new smaller windows in different spots which means the siding on the outside of the house will need to be re-done, too. Dear is doing all the work himself. He will get some advice from a plumber along the way.

2. What is it about somebody else’s style of work (coworker/employee/shared volunteer project/household chore) that makes you crazy? Why?

Oh dear, this question can get me in trouble. I get antsy around laid back, do it the last minute kind of people. I might start tapping my foot wondering when the job is going to get started. Now I’ve learned over the years that these types of workers still get the job done but I’d rather not be there to watch. I like to plan and plan and make a list and start things early and have everything ready on time. For unplanned last minute things I’m good with fly by the seat of your pants.

3. What’s a tradition that always makes you feel at home?

Having a meal with family and friends sitting together around a table holding hands while saying a prayer of thanksgiving to God before we eat.

4. A favorite song with a girl’s name in the title or lyrics? Any reason why this is a particular favorite?

Michelle by the Beatles. Beatlemania was alive and well in my junior high and high school years.

5. Share a favorite quote, verse, or saying relating to gratitude or thanksgiving.

Psalm 118: 28-29 ~

You are my God, and I will give thanks to you;
    you are my God; I will extol you.
Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
    for his steadfast love endures forever!

6. Insert your own random thought here.

On Sunday I posted this for Bread for the Journey at Mennonite Girls Can Cook Blog.

More and more it seems the world around me is choosing to come against the truth of God’s Word. Some of these voices, strong and bold, can confuse me and sometimes because of the labels they attach to anyone who does not have their strong point of view I am silenced. What should I do? …read more at this link.

I’ll be linking up with Joyce From This Side of the Pond for Wednesday Hodgepodge. She asks the questions and we answer them. Thank you for stopping by and reading my answers. I appreciate my fellow bloggers and others who stop by, too.

Chaotic

We are getting down to the bare bones of our former small master bath so we can make a new footprint and expand the bathroom into unused space.

Here’s the space before he started ripping into the walls. A full before and after post will hopefully be ready by Christmas. That’s my “all I want for Christmas wish”.  The master bedroom is the only area up the stairs from our kitchen so at least it can be out of sight and out of mind. I still feel unhinged and not at the top of my game. We are also waiting to create total chaos in the kitchen area when the new counter tops are cut and ready to be installed.

Here’s a fun photo that our kids took last Friday night when Addy arrived for a couple of days.

Addy and Uncle Andrew. We are an eyebrow rich family!

Have a nice Tuesday everyone.

Bushel and a Peck

This little cutie arrived at Baba and Gramps’ home on Friday evening after a long drive with her mommy and granny great. Daddy stayed at home. It was fun to sing to her (I love you a bushel and a peck, a bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck) and enjoy some nursery rhymes, too. Her new bibs were waiting for her here from Great Uncle and Auntie from Texas. Yeehaw!

Her aunties and uncles arrived for dinner and some hugs and fun. Photo fail on my part.

On Saturday morning we made a quick trip to Molbak’s in Woodinville for a little shopping and found that they already had their poinsettia tree up and their amazing poinsettia varieties displayed.

The Christmas displays were up already, too, so it was fun to see many new things for the season.

Responding to granny great and smiling and sticking her little tongue out at me.

After our morning together and a trip to Molbak’s they left for a cousin’s birthday party north of us.

We corralled a great play area with ottomans as borders so she could crawl and pull herself up without getting to other hazards in the room.

It was great to have all three in our home for a couple of nights. Thankfully they made it over the pass and through the snow and ice safely home before 5pm on Sunday. Addy will not be happy to get back into that car seat anytime soon!

Update: We are so so thankful that our girls left early and were over the pass by 10am because we just saw the news that 1-90 was shut down both east and west over the pass and beyond at 12:15 today! Whew!

We are again grieving the evil killing of people just going about their day worshiping together. May God comfort all the families and friends of those killed and wounded at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas.

The Lord is near to the brokenhearted
    and saves the crushed in spirit.

Psalm 34:18 

Red Skagit Barns

A month ago we drove to La Conner in Skagit County for lunch with a friend. On the way home we took a back road and saw these red barns and others I’ll share later. Looks like this one above is a gym.

Linking up with Tom for The Barn Collective.

We had a busy couple of days with special overnight guests, our daughter-in-law, Addy and Granny great. They are on snowy roads heading home today.

We had to hurry out and take the patio covers down on Friday when the first snow came down so they wouldn’t get torn by the heavy snow. We draped them over the privacy fence until they dry and we can fold them up and put them away until late Spring. We were surprised again to see snow this morning. So early and out of the ordinary for our area. Have you had snow yet?

Moment by Moment ~ Hymn

Moment by Moment

Dying with Jesus, by death reckoned mine;
Living with Jesus, a new life divine;
Looking to Jesus till glory doth shine,
Moment by moment, O Lord, I am Thine.

Refrain

Moment by moment I’m kept in His love;
Moment by moment I’ve life from above;
Looking to Jesus till glory doth shine;
Moment by moment, O Lord, I am Thine.

Never a trial that He is not there,
Never a burden that He doth not bear,
Never a sorrow that He doth not share,
Moment by moment, I’m under His care.

Refrain

Never a heartache, and never a groan,
Never a teardrop and never a moan;
Never a danger but there on the throne,
Moment by moment He thinks of His own.

Refrain

Never a weakness that He doth not feel,
Never a sickness that He cannot heal;
Moment by moment, in woe or in weal,
Jesus my Savior, abides with me still.

Refrain

Words: Daniel W. Whittle, 1893.

While I was attending the World’s Fair in Chicago, Henry Varley, a lay preacher from London, said to Major Whittle: “I do not like the hymn ‘I need Thee every hour’ very well, because I need Him every moment of the day. Soon after Major Whittle wrote this sweet hymn…[He] brought the hymn to me in manuscript a little later, saying that he would give me the copyright of both the words and music if I would print for him five hundred copies on fine paper, for distributing among his friends. His daughter, May Whittle, who later became the wife of Will R. Moody, composed the music. I did as Mr. Whittle wished; and I sent the hymn to England, where it was copyrighted on the same day as at Washington.

In England the hymn became very popular. Falling into the hands of the well-known Rev. Andrew Murray, of South Africa, then visiting London, he adopted it as his favorite hymn. A year later Mr. Murray visited Northfield [Massachusetts], and while holding a meeting for men in the church he remarked, If Sankey only knew a hymn which I found in London, and would sing it, he would find that it embraces my entire creed.

I was very anxious to know what hymn it was, and when he had recited it I said to him: Doctor, that hymn was written within five hundred yards of where we are standing.

For years Dr. Murray had his wife sing this hymn in nearly all his meetings. It also became a great favorite in South Africa during the war.

Sankey, pp. 190-91

ht: Cyberhymnal

Give Thanks and Make Known

Yesterday I reported that we weren’t slated to get snow but when I walked down the stairs this morning at “oh dark thirty” I noticed that we did get a dusting in the wee hours. Once it’s light I’ll take a photo before it all melts off with the rain that is falling.

Waking this morning my mind was singing these lyrics off an old Acapella cd.

Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name
Make known among the nations what he has done
Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name
Make known among the nations what he has done

Chorus:
Sing to him sing praise to him
Tell of all his wonderful acts
Glory in his holy name
Glory in his holy name
Glory in his name
Glory in his name

Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name
Let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice

Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name
Let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice

I rejoice and give thanks for God’s beautiful creation. I so love autumn, the weather, the colors, the start of something fresh and new.

We live in an area with easy access to walking trails and parks that show off God’s creation.

There’s an old public golf course along the Burke Gilman Trail that the city of Bothell sold off and it is sitting and waiting for developers to change it’s landscape. There was lots of controversy over this sale and I’m sure the folks whose homes have enjoyed the green views are disappointed. In the interim they are allowing the public to walk on the course. We enjoyed our first time doing this last Sunday. The many hazards on the course were left there by Canadian Geese, wink wink.

Old and young golfers are mourning the loss of this course. We met one of them who wasn’t golfing this day but walking his old dog on the course instead.

I’m thankful to God for this guy and all the years we’ve had together so far.

Not linking up today with any memes because it snowed and I have to make potato salad to go with the pork butt that has been in the smoker already for 5 hours and the Sounders won last night and I was at the game and didn’t get home till after 10:30 PM…way late for this early to bed, early to rise person. I hope no grammar police are out today to critique my run-on paragraph! Our Sounders are off to the Western Conference Finals!

Go Sounders!

This is what it looks like here this morning. Yikes! It’s melting fast.

Also…to to Mennonite Girls Can Cook for a yummy white chili recipe.

November is Here…

…but I still have stuff to share from October.

Some fun times with Auntie Katie in the new outfit Auntie Laura and Uncle Josh bought.

These shots are still from our time at Dan and Jamie’s for the first annual family hunting trip in mid-October.

Fun with gramps and a box on Wednesday night before we left for home on Thursday.

On October 19th we said our goodbyes to Colville and to Dan, Jamie and Addy until next time.

Now back to the present. We have all kinds of interesting weather advisories across our state on this first day of November and the next few days. Snow has even been mentioned. The snow won’t fall on us but north and east of us it’s a possibility. Today I spent some time watching leaves fall from the huge maple in my neighbor’s yard. The leaves twirl as they fall and catch the light as they make their way to the ground. It’s kind of mesmerizing. We filled up our large yard waste bin plus one other bin yesterday and Dear rounded up mounds of leaves twice today.

Above is from our drive. The maple tree is just on the other side of that fence on the left.

Here is a reverse view with part of the tree pictured on the right. Half of the branches come out over our drive. Our privacy fence is on the left and you can’t see our home in this shot. We still have lots of leaves in our future.

This photo was taken in downtown Bothell at the Fire station. Fall really has been amazing here.

This was one of those random catch-up posts, a little of this and a little of that. What are you catching up on?