Northern Lights in October

We got a prompt from our son who was working nights that there were Northern Lights on view in our area. We walked out on our deck and I started taking photos on my phone to see what we could see. Later I walked out front of our home to capture some different views.

It was fun to capture these colors in the night sky outside our home.

These photos were taken on Monday night October 7th. We are supposed to have more views on Thursday the 10th of October.

My laser eye surgery went well yesterday and was so quick and easy, so surprising. Here’s hoping my eyesight will be improved and the glare issues will diminish.

We are still following the aftermath of Milton and Helene hoping for good response and help for all who were affected.

Truth for Today #118

Thursday October 10th

On Thursdays my posts will include verses that stood out in my readings from the Bible during week. One, two, three or maybe more. If you have a verse/verses that you read during the week and would like to share, leave it/them in the comments and I will add it/them to the post. Let’s dig deep in God’s Truth again this year!

The verses that you share are appreciated and so encouraging, I’m thankful for them and for each of you!

I’ll be late in posting your verses you share this week because I’m having laser surgery at noon in Spokane to correct some blurriness in my eyes. Here’s hoping there is improvement. 🙂

Romans 12:9-13

⁹Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. ¹⁰Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. ¹¹Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit,^[g] serve the Lord. ¹²Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. ¹³Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

From Maria:

Psalm 117:1-2

Praise the Lord, all you nations;

extol him, all you peoples.

For great is his love towards us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.

From Vera:

“Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name. When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”
‭‭Psalm‬ ‭91‬:‭14‬-‭16‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Walk Boldly Hodgepodge

Jo has a new set of questions for us to park on and answer for Wednesday Hodgepodge! Thank you, Jo!

1. Thursday is National Walk To A Park Day. I know these celebratory days are mostly made up, but some are fun to think about. Do you live close enough to a park to walk to one on Thursday? Will you? The most famous park in the world is Central Park located in NYC. Have you ever been to Central Park? What did you think? If you haven’t been is this a place you’d like to see?

The closest park to us is Douglas Falls Park and it is 3.3 miles away so it would take over an hour to walk to on roads that frankly aren’t safe to walk on. We will not walk to this park. We’ve been to the Metropolitan Museum of Art which sits on the edges of Central Park but I do not remember walking in the park. I’m not interested in traveling to New York at this stage of my life.

2. Something you’ve done recently that turned out to be a ‘walk in the park’?

We were able to walk in parks recently while in Scotland and the ‘walk in the park’ part is that because Greg and I pushed ourselves to condition our bodies for stairs by climbing the stairs at the high school football stadium every day for a few weeks before we flew to Scotland we were able to walk and climb easier than normal for us. The photo at the top of this post is from one of the Castle parks we walked in and this was our bonus sighting… below!

A baby Coo!

3. Can you parallel park? Do you have to do this often where you live?

I can parallel park but I do not have to where we live and even though I can, I avoid it.

4. The colors of fall…red, brown, russet, golden bronze, golden yellow, purplish red, light tan, crimson, orange red, and scarlet. Are these colors you like to wear? Is this your season in terms of color? What about your home? Would we see these tones in your home decorating?

I do put out fall decor in all these colors for a few months in fall and wear some of those colors but they are not my go to colors.

5. What part of history do you find most interesting? Elaborate.

Because of our recent trip to Scotland I found the history of the Scottish Reformation most interesting. It made our whole trip so much more meaningful to watch for and follow in the steps of the Reformers and Covenantors like Knox, Wishart, the two Margarets and Jenny Geddes and others. To hear of their interactions with Kings and Queens in history and how they boldly stood up for Christ was inspiring. We saw evidences of their remarkable legacy in Museums, Libraries, Graveyards, Cathedrals, castles, and on the streets.

Knox: “As touching nature I am a worm on this earth, and yet a subject of this commonwealth; but as touching the office wherein it has pleased God to place me, I am a watchman…For that reason I am bound in conscience to blow the trumpet publicly.”

6. Insert your own random thought here.

We had a great show again of the Northern lights on Monday night here in Colville. Here is one of many shots I took.

Scotland Travel Journal ~ Stirling Castle

Stirling Castle was first mentioned around 1110, and many royal dramas unfolded here. Until the Union of the Crowns in 1603, almost every Scottish monarch had either lived in the castle, or been crowned or died here.

The castle’s long, turbulent history features:

William Wallace
Robert the Bruce
Mary Queen of Scots
Bonnie Prince Charlie

Stirling Castle is a complex monument of diverse buildings and spaces added over the centuries.

In this shot we can see the William Wallace Monument in the distance. We would travel there after we explored The Church of the Holy Rude.

From high on a volcanic outcrop, the castle guarded the lowest crossing point of the River Forth for centuries. Today it remains a great symbol of Scottish independence and national pride.

At the castle’s heart is the Inner Close, a square formed of the principal buildings for royal occupation.

Our tour guide, Joanie! She was excellent and kept us entertained and laughing.

A statute of Robert the Bruce, designed by George Cruikshank and sculpted by Andrew Currie in 1876-77. The carved stone statue stands on a square stone pedestal and depicts the king as a tall chain mailed figure resting his hand on the pommel of his sword. At the feet and to the rear of the king is his shield and axe.

From the castle we went down hill to the Church of the Holy Rude to take a look inside.

There is so much history and conflict associated with this castle and area. Here is a link to more information.

Marcus Ciderfest 2024

It was that apple time of year again and we headed out to Marcus on Saturday to enjoy the small town Ciderfest.

The kids had Jamie’s Thunderbird on display again.

We had another glorious sunny albeit chilly start to the fest.

The Grands enjoyed playing checkers before the parade began and while many folk came around to look at the Thunderbird.

Hi Baba!

Time for the parade!

Here comes Granny Great and Jim. Granny Great threw out a lot of candy for her great grands!

After the parade we stood in line for our caramel apples and a half-gallon of fresh apple cider and headed home.

The views of the Columbia were glorious again this year.

Hope you all have a good new week!

For All the Saints ~ Hymn

For All the Saints

For all the saints,
Who from their labors rest,
Who Thee by faith
Before the world confessed,
Thy name, O Jesus,
Be forever blessed.
Alleluia, Alleluia!

Thou wast their rock,
Their fortress and their might;
Thou, Lord, their captain
In the well fought fight;
Thou, in the darkness drear,
Their one true Light.
Alleluia, Alleluia!

For the apostles’
Glorious company,
Who bearing forth
The cross o’er land and sea,
Shook all the mighty
World, we sing to Thee:
Alleluia, Alleluia!

For the evangelists,
By whose blest word,
Like fourfold streams,
The garden of the Lord,
Is fair and fruitful,
Be Thy name adored.
Alleluia, Alleluia!

For martyrs, who
With rapture kindled eye,
Saw the bright crown
Descending from the sky,
And seeing, grasped it,
Thee we glorify.
Alleluia, Alleluia!

O blest communion,
Fellowship divine!
We feebly struggle,
They in glory shine;
All are one in Thee,
For all are Thine.
Alleluia, Alleluia!

O may Thy soldiers,
Faithful, true and bold,
Fight as the saints
Who nobly fought of old,
And win with them
The victor’s crown of gold.
Alleluia, Alleluia!

And when the strife
Is fierce, the warfare long,
Steals on the ear
The distant triumph song,
And hearts are brave,
Again, and arms are strong.
Alleluia, Alleluia!

The golden evening
Brightens in the west;
Soon, soon to faithful
Warriors comes their rest;
Sweet is the calm
Of paradise the blessed.
Alleluia, Alleluia!

But lo! there breaks
A yet more glorious day;
The saints triumphant
Rise in bright array;
The King of glory
Passes on His way.
Alleluia, Alleluia!

From earth’s wide bounds,
From ocean’s farthest coast,
Through gates of pearl
Streams in the countless host,
And singing to Father,
Son and Holy Ghost:
Alleluia, Alleluia!

Words: William W. How, 1864.

Scotland Travel Journal ~ Stirling ~Margaret Wilson

We arrived at our lodging before we could check into our rooms and left our luggage before we walked uphill to Church of Holy Rude and their Kirk on the way to Stirling Castle. We had been given outdated information that there was a tourism bus available in Stirling but that service had ended in August. It was good we didn’t wait at one of the stops that were advertised.

We were so very thankful for a beautiful sun filled day to start our Stirling adventures!

“Stirling, where every walk seems to be uphill.”

We made it to the Church of the Holy Rude while a service was going on so we planned our look inside for after our time at the castle. My main interest was the Kirk Churchyard and the memorials to Margaret Wilson and other Martyrs.

Wigtown Martyrs Monument

A large and ornate memorial to Margaret Wilson, one of the Wigtown Martyrs, is located on the shoulder of Ladies’ Rock in the Mar Place Cemetery. The statue shows the martyr in the act of reading the Scriptures, with her younger sister Agnes by her side. A lamb rests at their feet, and over both is a guardian angel. The statue is covered with an ornate cupola and glazing. The statue was erected in 1859 and was the work of Handyside Ritchie. Originally, the statue was open to the elements, but in 1867 an ornate cast iron frame and glass cupola was raised over it, making it one of the most distinctive monuments in Stirling, if not the whole of Scotland. The cupola was designed by John Thomas Rochead (1814-1878), who is better known for his design for the Wallace Monument on Abbey Craig. The frame was cast at the Sun Foundry in Glasgow, and when it was added, a marble lamb that lay at the feet of Margaret, had to be removed. The cost of the monument was financed by William Drummond, of the Drummond Tract Enterprise. Margaret Wilson was one of the Wigtown martyrs, two women who were drowned in the rising Solway Tide on 11 May 1685. They were both Covenanters, and the other martyr, Margaret MacLachlan, was a woman in her sixties. Drummond had a great love of the Presbyterian martyrs, and erected other memorials to them and other ministers in Stirling, including statues of Rev James Renwick, Rev Ebenezer Erskine, Rev John Knox and the Star Pyramid.

The words around the top of the monument are ‘Christ~In Us~Lord ~Jesus ~King~ Judge~ Saviour. I think there was one other that I couldn’t see well.

ny ¤ Ω

MARGARET

VIRGIN MARTYR OF THE OCEAN WAVE,

WITH HER LIKE–MINDED SISTER

AGNES

“LOVE MANY WATERS CANNOT QUENCH” – GOD SAVES

HIS CHASTE IMPEARLED ONE! IN COVENANT TRUE.

O SCOTIA’S DAUGHTERS! EARNEST SCAN THE PAGE”

AND PRIZE THIS FLOWER OF GRACE BLOOD – BOUGHT FOR YOU.

PSALMS IX. XIX.

REV XXII. 13 – 21

I wore my ‘Margaret’ t-shirt that I ordered from The Essential Church Movie. The story of the Margaret’s and Jenny Geddes really inspired me. More about Jenny in a future post from Edinburgh. This monument to Margaret Wilson is many miles from Wigtown, where the actual drownings happened.

A detailed history of the Solway Martyrs can be read here. Another account can be read here.

When the now limp form of the first Margaret was being tossed about by the swirling tide, the waters began to engulf Margaret Wilson. Her lips were not silent. First she sang the stirring words of Psalm 25.

My sins and faults of youth
Do thou, O Lord, forget:
After thy mercy think on me,
And for thy goodness great.
God good and upright is:
The way he’ll sinners show;
The meek in judgment he will guide
And make his path to know.

And, upon finishing this Psalm, she quoted the words of Romans 8:

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to com, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

These stories make me wonder how I should stand for the Truth. I trust if ever I have to, God will provide all I need to Stand.

Other monuments to John Knox, Alex Henderson and Andrew Melville, early Reformers in Scotland.

We moved onward and upward to Stirling Castle and that will be another post.

Here at Home

While we were in Scotland life was busy on the mountain. Our Colville family went out to their favorite forest location to down and prep firewood for the winter. The most exciting thing is that while getting more firewood they found the axe that they left behind/lost last season!

Awana had a beach night and the Grands dressed in style for the theme!

This little guy got a haircut. He’s always ready for a snack!

It is so good to receive photos and updates in real time while we are traveling.

Truth for Today #117

Thursday October 3rd

The verses that you share are appreciated and so encouraging, I’m thankful for them and for each of you!

Psalm 145:1-3

I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless you and praise your name forever and ever. Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable.

From Vera:

“For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of Lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe. He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing. Love the sojourner, therefore, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt. You shall fear the Lord your God. You shall serve him and hold fast to him, and by his name you shall swear. He is your praise. He is your God, who has done for you these great and terrifying things that your eyes have seen.”
‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭10‬:‭17‬-‭21‬ ‭ESV‬‬

From Willow:

“The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding.” Job 28:28

From Nikkipolani:

Psalm 96:2

Sing to the Lord, bless His name;
Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.

From Leonard:

Psalm 110:5

“The Lord stands at your right hand to protect you. He will strike down many kings when his anger erupts.”

In Their Steps Hodgepodge

The new questions for Wednesday Hodgepodge are coming from Jo From This Side of the Pond while she is across the Pond!

Thanks Jo and I hope your jet lag will be mild!

1. Hey, it’s October…what’s one fun thing on your October calendar?

This Saturday is the Marcus Ciderfest and we’ll enjoy some time there buying some freshly squeezed apple cider from local apples.

I’m also following along on an October 31 day journey with the Heroes of the Reformation called Here We Stand. I get an email each day with the history of one of the heroes.

If you want to follow along you can sign up here.

2. Thursday is National Poetry Day (first Thursday in October)…do you like to read poetry? If so, what’s a favorite poem, or whose poetry do you especially enjoy?

My favorites are songs and hymns and spiritual songs. That kind of poetry I can understand. I also enjoy children’s rhymes.

So many favorites in the Psalms;

The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?

3. Tell us about something you’ve seen recently that could be described as ‘poetry in motion’.

Other than watching Eagles and Hawks in the sky I would hearken back to the Olympics and watching the diving and other pool events including synchronized swimming that they now call artistic swimming.

4. What’s one song on your autumn playlist? Do you have an autumn playlist? If not, pretend you do. If yes, then feel free to share more than one.

This is a song that has been playing on the cd in my car that gets me every time.

And this one that I was listening to yesterday…

5. Share a quote that inspires you this time of year especially.

I’m inspired by our very recent trip to Scotland and specifically walking along the steps of John Knox and his influence on Scotland and the Scottish Reformation. Not him alone but many other Covenantors who lost their lives for the Gospel and the Kingship of Christ and the Church. So at this time of year I’m inspired by Knox and other Martyrs. John Knox preached across Scotland and in England and Europe. George Wishart was burned at the stake in front of St. Andrews Castle another location where John Knox spent time. We visited St. Andrews and the ruins of the castle. St. Andrews is filled with history and not just golf. 🙂

“Resistance to tyranny is obedience to God.”
― John Knox

“The man who stands with God is always in the majority.”
― John Knox

And from George Wishart a friend of Knox and Scottish Martyr–

When he came to the place of his death he knelt and prayed to Christ, then he addressed the watching crowd: ‘If I had taught men’s doctrine, I had gotten greater thanks by men. But for the true Evangel [gospel], which was given to me by the Grace of God, I suffer this day by men, not sorrowfully, but with a glad heart and mind… This grim fire I fear not: and so I pray you to do, if any persecution come unto you for the Word’s sake; and not to fear them that slay the body, and afterwards have no power to slay the soul… I know surely that my soul shall sup with my Saviour this night, ere it be six hours, for whom I suffer this.’ Next he prayed for those who had viciously persecuted and slandered him, saying, ‘I forgive them with all my heart.’

These images and placards were inside the visitors center for St. Andrews Castle Ruins.