Inside the National Cathedral

For InSPIREd Sunday I promised a couple weeks past that I’d share some inside shots from the Washington National Cathedral.

We searched the crypt for this very nook because we own a painting by a friend of ours that was inspired by this very spot in the cathedral. The next photo is of our painting that hangs in our home.

These photos I’ve shared today are just a very small sample of the amazing architecture and beauty of our National Cathedral. You can spend a day touring the Cathedral and Close and still miss some beautiful details. If you ever find your way to Washington D.C. take a Tour Trolley out to the Cathedral!

Hope your weekend has been inspired in some way.

Reflections

My walks on the trail give me some great photo opportunities. Today I’m sharing some reflections that my lens captured.

Linking to Weekend Reflections.
All of these photos were taken in Washington State on and around Lake Washington.

Water reflected on duck and duck reflected in the water.

I’m happy to be headed into a weekend with my sore throat and coughing spells gone. Woohoo! Apart from the rain and wind it should be a quiet weekend at this old house. It’s good to have those every once in a while. How’s your weekend looking?

Every Good Gift…

It’s Friday again and I’m joining Susanne at Living to Tell the Story for Friday’s Fave Five. So many good gifts come to us to enjoy and here are five from this past week that were perfect.

2015-02-01 Super Sunday6We had our second annual Super Sunday at church and it was so fabulous. Two of our pastors went head to head with short sermons on the great Comebacks in the Bible. In the end Jesus’ Comeback from Death had us all cheering. The perfect ending to the sermon. My church, pastors, and staff are a gift.

10945612_10205969125695521_2137270504244193458_nFor our afternoon festivities after church Dear had ribs in the smoker that came out just right. A great meal is a gift I enjoy and enjoying it with our daughter Katie and son in law Andrew made it perfect.

 

10437688_10205867108578790_4313922370450234755_nOur two sons were able to spend the weekend together and I love the photos they send my way. They had a nice snowy hike out the door of our son Dan’s home in Eastern Washington. It’s a good gift to Dear and me that our sons love each other.

310005_585390848160419_526762518_nThese girls (Mennonite Girls Can Cook) are a gift from the Lord to me and every week we share our joys, struggles, triumphs, and failures with each other holding each other up in prayer and giving each other encouragement. This gift of friendship is straight from the “Father of lights”.

1959399_10205999747661051_7491996857274709490_nJosh and Laura gifted me these cool ABC verse cards and I display one card each week so I can see it and work on learning the verse. I’m on the letter e. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” (James 1:17) Since I’m a visual learner this gift was perfect to help me learn and retain the 26 verses included.

What gifts did you receive this week that brought some joy and light into your world?

Signs from Whidbey Island

Washington State has a few islands to enjoy. One of our favorites is Whidbey Island. The Bible camp our kids have attended and served as directors at is on Whidbey Island. When we have out of state company we try to include a trip to Whidbey Island. Our favorite town on the island is Langley. The Star store and the Saratoga Inn is in the little town of Langley. We stayed at the Saratoga Inn when we were attending a wedding on Whidbey.

We ate at Gerry’s kitchen in Freeland and had a great breakfast and I’m sad to say that they are now closed. There are a nice little collection of antique shops in this town.

Another town we like to walk through and eat their great Penn Cove Mussels is Coupeville. This visitor information center is in Coupeville. The town’s Main shopping street, Front Street, borders Penn Cove.

I had to include a nice bowl of mussels. We had these at Front Street Grill, Coconut Green Curry Mussels…delicious.

And here’s a photo of Penn Cove from Front Street.

I’m linking up with Lesley’s Signs Signs weekly meme.

Fences ~ Huntington Beach

This yard of oil memorabilia and other memorabilia in Huntington Beach is being transformed into a museum.

John A. Thomas Oil Museum

Huntington Beach used to be known as Oil City. We lived in Huntington Beach when our first 2 children were born. Our boys called these oil pumps “up and downs”. I can still hear their little boy voices saying “Mommy, Up and Downs!”

Linking up to Good Fences with thanks to TexWisGirl at Run*A*Round Ranch Report.

Miss Hope Turns 7!

It’s not every year that we get to celebrate a birthday with our Texas niece. This year Hope’s family decided to celebrate in California and add a trip to Disneyland for the cherry on top! I was so grateful I could travel down to California for the fun.

Hope’s new little brother Andrew got some gifts, too, since a lot of our family and friends were meeting him for the first time.

My niece Hope and my grand niece Avery.

My nephew Anthony with my grand nephew Thomas. He was the youngest guest on this day.

Hope’s birthday cake was 7 cupcakes with a candle in each.

I think she was pleased with the cupcakes her older cousins Debbee and Melissa made and decorated for her.

May God bless you and keep you dear Hope. May he make His face to shine upon you and give you peace!

Love you dearly…

Return to Downton Abbey

D is for Downton Abbey for ABC Wednesday this week. Thank you Denise Nesbitt and the ABC team!

The village of Bampton was used for filming outdoor scenes, most notably St. Mary’s Church and the library, which serves as the entrance to the cottage hospital. On our trip to England with our son and daughter in law in September of 2013 we stopped at this Oxfordshire Village.

Alton to Cotswolds 237

Alton to Cotswolds 265

Alton to Cotswolds 247

Alton to Cotswolds 256

Alton to Cotswolds 260

Alton to Cotswolds 239

Alton to Cotswolds 249

Alton to Cotswolds 242

Alton to Cotswolds 244

Alton to Cotswolds 241

Alton to Cotswolds 2672013-09-16 Alton to Cotswolds14

Alton to Cotswolds 232The village was nice to walk through. It’s been fun to see the places we strolled by and through when we watch Downton.

Alton to Cotswolds 270Just to the right of this photo where you can see the bench is where they erected the War Monument during this season.

Alton to Cotswolds 258

Alton to Cotswolds 264My Daughter and I had a marathon day of watching season 5 of Downton Abbey last week and now I don’t have to wait till Sunday nights to see one episode at a time. I was a lot more pleased with the ending of this season. Are you a fan of Downton Abbey?

Barn Collective Bothell, Washington

The Monte Villa Farm land has long since been converted to other uses. The land is now used as a business park as it is adjacent to the 405 Freeway running through Bothell and Canyon Park. The Farmhouse still stands and has been used as a wedding venue until just recently. The old barn has been converted into a nice restaurant with a loft for private parties or wedding receptions. The land next door to the Barn is now being used by Eastlake Community Church which is thriving and growing.

P1050598Last August we celebrated our son Josh and Laura’s 13th wedding anniversary at Russell’s Restaurant in the converted barn. Here’s a collage of what the interior of the restaurant looks like.

Jan1I’m linking to Barn Collective #17 with Amy at Rose Street Reflections. Click on over to see some great barns around the country.

Welcome to February. I’m feeling a lot better and hope to be back to speed by the time this week is over. This will be an interesting month at this old house with work related stuff and of course a visit to the Taxman. No travel that I know of yet so maybe I’ll finally do some deep cleaning around here. What’s new with you?

Hallelujah, ‘Tis Done

IMGP0992In my junior high and high school years I spent a week in the summer at Hume Lake Christian Camps. We would sing the chorus/refrain of this song at the Friday night campfire when someone would testify that they had been saved that week at camp. We would insert their name like this “Hallelujah, ’tis done, Ellen believes on the Son; She was saved by the blood of the crucified One;”

Hallelujah, ‘Tis Done!

’Tis the promise of God, full salvation to give
Unto him who on Jesus, His Son, will believe.

Refrain

Hallelujah, ’tis done! I believe on the Son;
I am saved by the blood of the crucified One;
Hallelujah, ’tis done! I believe on the Son;
I am saved by the blood of the crucified One.

Though the pathway be lonely, and dangerous, too,
Surely Jesus is able to carry me through.

Refrain

Many loved ones have I in yon heavenly throng,
They are safe now in glory, and this is their song:

Refrain

Little children I see standing close by their king,
And He smiles as their song of salvation they sing:

Refrain

There are prophets and kings in that throng I behold,
And they sing as they march through the streets of pure gold:

Refrain

There’s a part in that chorus for you and for me,
And the theme of our praises forever will be:

Refrain

Words and Music: Philip P. Bliss, 1874.

This was an great story that goes along with this song that I copied from Cyberhymnal:

“A minister from England, in telling of a certain meeting, says: Among the converts was a man somewhat advanced in years, who was very anxious about the salvation of his wife, and expressed a wish that I should visit her. I did so repeatedly, and explained to her in very simple words the plan of salvation, but she could not comprehend the meaning of my message. Every time I left, however, she would express a strong desire that I return. One day I went in just before dinner, and talked to her about Jesus, but no light seemed to dawn upon her mind. Then the thought struck me to sing something to her, and so I commenced, ’Tis the promise of God, full salvation to give. When I was through the chorus, she exclaimed Sing it over again. I did so, time after time, and when I asked her to assist me, she joined in very heartily. The light dawned on her dark mind while we were singing, the big burden of sin was removed from her heart, and her face was lighted up with holy joy as she exclaimed Hallelujah, ’tis done! I do believe in the Son; I am saved. Just then her husband walked in for his dinner, and she shouted out to him, Ah lad! I’ve got it! Hallelujah! ’tis done! Their hearts were full of joy over the wonderful discovery she had made, and I was grateful to God for a sinner brought to Christ by the ministry of holy song.

InSPIREd Sunday – Skagit Valley

There’s a little white church in the valley
That stands in my memory each day
And it seems I can hear the bells now ringing
Though I am many miles away

And many times in church on Sunday morning
That whole countryside would gather there
They would all kneel down by the altar
As they lifted up their voice in prayer

   Oh the church in the valley that little white church
Is the place I love so well
Now I’m sad and lonely yes I’m sad and lonely
For that little white church in the dell

They would sing the old song Rock of Ages
Oh Christ let me hide myself in thee
And I know some of them are now waiting
Just o’er the dark and stormy sea

I know that troubles all are ended
And happy forever they will be
They are waiting and watching up yonder
For the coming home of you and me

I took these series of photos in April of 2012. When we travel to La Conner or to Mount Vernon, Washington State to see the tulip fields we take the road that runs right next to this church. Fir-Conway Lutheran Church met first in a smaller building built in 1896. This larger building was dedicated in 1916. You can read it’s history here.

I’m linking to InSPIREd Sunday hosted by Beth and Sally. I’m also linking to Sunlit Sunday at My Little Home and Garden since this little white church is enjoying the sun.