Give me, O Lord, a heart of grace,
A voice of joy, a shining face,
That I may show, where’er I turn,
Thy love within my soul doth burn.
Though life be sweet and joy be dear,
Be in my mind a quiet fear,
A patient strength in pain and care,
An enmity to dark despair.
A tenderness for all that stray,
With strength to help them on the way,
A cheerfulness, a heav’nly mirth
Brightening my steps along the earth.
Words: Rosa Mulholland, 1886.
Today is another walking day for me. I walked on Friday with some new friends on the trail. Today I meet up with another of my former walking buddies and my sister to continue the quest of walking and keeping our joints from freezing up on us. Do you walk? It’s one of my favorite forms of exercise when I have a friend to walk with…
Friday is here and it’s time to join Susanne at Living to Tell the Story to share our favorites from this past week.
Uno ~ Oh my what is it about clean windows that make me happy. Makes me want to stop and sing “I can see clearly now, the rain is gone…” Dear washed the windows in our new spare room (formerly Katie’s room). I want to sing every time I walk in there. Since it is the new office, too, and I was going to see the Tax man this week, I had a lot of time in there enjoying the clear views.
Dos ~ A good long walk with one of my walking buddies. We had a stretch of beautiful dry days up here in the Pacific Northwest and that made the walk even more pleasant.
Tres ~ Experimenting with foccacia bread to make a pizza sandwich. It was interesting flipping it to get both sides of the bread nicely baked. Even though the experiment isn’t something I’d be too keen on trying again it was real tasty and satisfying as a meal! The thing we didn’t like was how hard it was to eat without all the innerds squirting out.
Cuatro ~ On Sunday and the reason for all my Spanish numbering this week we were invited to a party by our favorite waitress at the Mexican restaurant we frequent. We were honored that she’d even think to invite us and more honored when we got to the party and we were the only fluent English speaking people there except for her 20 year old son. Everyone made sure we were comfortable and had enough to eat and drink. Her son kept us in the loop explaining who everyone was. Her parents are visiting from Mexico for 2 months and one of her nieces was being baptized that day so this was a party in honor of that occasion. A Mariachi band came later and that’s when all the dancing and singing started. Such suave dancing with twirls and steps and turns with smooth transitions. It was kind of like watching dancing with the stars.
Cinco ~ Decorating a little for Valentine’s Day and Chocolate Fondue! If you’d like to see the recipe hop over to Mennontie Girls Can Cook! It’s a good treat to serve for Valentine’s Day!
Our weekend looks pretty free and laid back. Hope your weekend is relaxing and rejuvenating!
It’s time for Teacher Jenny’s Alphabe-Thursday. I’ve been delinquent the last couple of weeks and was really trying hard to come up with something for the letter L and there it was staring me in the face. L-O-V-E….Love. Love is in the kitchen and I can see it from different angles…
Valentine’s Day in Elementary School is a fun memory for me. I so looked forward to exchanging Valentine’s Day cards at school and getting special treats on this day. These days I don’t put pressure on Dear to make Valentine’s day special. I want to find joy in our everyday…
Star of India is the world’s oldest active sailing ship. She began her life on the stocks at Ramsey Shipyard in the Isle of Man in 1863. Iron ships were experiments of sorts then, with most vessels still being built of wood. Within five months of laying her keel, the ship was launched into her element. She bore the name Euterpe, after the Greek muse of music and poetry.
The ship now known as HMS Surprise began life in 1970 as a replica of the 18th century Royal Navy frigate Rose. During the next 30 years Rose sailed thousands of miles as an attraction vessel and sail training ship prior to her conversion to HMS Surprise. For the academy award winning film, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, the filmmakers made a painstaking effort to recreate a 24 gun frigate specific to Great Britain’s Nelson era Royal Navy. The result is a replica vessel unmatched in its authenticity and attention to detail.
Surprise found a new home at the Maritime Museum of San Diego in 2004. A popular shore side attraction, the ship now joins our collection of ships along with the Star of India and Californian.
I saw these beautiful ships on our last morning in San Diego while walking along Harbor Drive.
Hope your February is going well. Life has been good and challenging amongst our family and friends. Joy and Sorrow going hand in hand. This week I’m trying to memorize this part of scripture from Job.
New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)
25 I know that my Redeemer lives,
and that in the end he will stand upon the earth.
26 And after my skin has been destroyed,
yet in my flesh I will see God;
27 I myself will see him
with my own eyes—I, and not another.
How my heart yearns within me!
…and I need to walk more.
I met my former walking buddy and we walked 6.7 miles on the river trail on Saturday morning at a 3.5 mile an hour clip. I know all that because she has a new fangled program on her phone that tells you things like that…
The weather was sunny and dry and perfect for walking in the Great Northwest. The ducks were in abundance and were really making a racket!
I’m looking to be able to walk a least 3 more times during the week. One more day of dryness has been promised to us. We’ll take it and enjoy it to the fullest. Next Saturday we hope to walk again with our third former walking buddy along as well. Time will tell. You just have to be flexible these days.
When the golden day is done,
Through the closing portal,
Child and garden, Flower and sun,
Vanish all things mortal.
As the blinding shadows fall
As the rays diminish,
Under evening’s cloak they all
Roll away and vanish.
Garden darkened, daisy shut,
Child in bed, they slumber–
Glow-worm in the hallway rut,
Mice among the lumber.
In the darkness houses shine,
Parents move the candles;
Till on all the night divine
Turns the bedroom handles.
Till at last the day begins
In the east a-breaking,
In the hedges and the whins
Sleeping birds a-waking.
In the darkness shapes of things,
Houses, trees and hedges,
Clearer grow; and sparrow’s wings
Beat on window ledges.
These shall wake the yawning maid;
She the door shall open–
Finding dew on garden glade
And the morning broken.
There my garden grows again
Green and rosy painted,
As at eve behind the pane
From my eyes it fainted.
Just as it was shut away,
Toy-like, in the even,
Here I see it glow with day
Under glowing heaven.
Every path and every plot,
Every blush of roses,
Every blue forget-me-not
Where the dew reposes,
“Up!” they cry, “the day is come
On the smiling valleys:
We have beat the morning drum;
Playmate, join your allies!”
~Robert Louis Stevenson
Joining in on Mosaic Monday with Mary at Little Red House.
City Scapes taken in San Diego, California. The Sunrise photo is taken at my house in the Seattle area.
My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly trust in Jesus’ name.
Refrain
On Christ the solid rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.
When darkness seems to hide His face,
I rest on His unchanging grace.
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.
Refrain
His oath, His covenant, His blood,
Support me in the whelming flood.
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my hope and stay.
Refrain
When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh may I then in Him be found.
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.
Refrain
Words: Edward Mote, circa 1834; first appeared in Mote’s Hymns of Praise, 1836:
One morning it came into my mind as I went to labour, to write an hymn on the ‘Gracious Experience of a Christian.’ As I went up Holborn I had the chorus,
‘On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand.’
In the day I had four first verses complete, and wrote them off. On the Sabbath following I met brother King as I came out of Lisle Street Meeting…who informed me that his wife was very ill, and asked me to call and see her. I had an early tea, and called afterwards. He said that it was his usual custom to sing a hymn, read a portion, and engage in prayer, before he went to meeting. He looked for his hymn-book but could find it nowhere. I said, ‘I have some verses in my pocket; if he liked, we would sing them.’ We did, and his wife enjoyed them so much, that after service he asked me, as a favour, to leave a copy of them for his wife. I went home, and by the fireside composed the last two verses, wrote the whole off, and took them to sister King…As these verses so met the dying woman’s case, my attention to them was the more arrested, and I had a thousand printed for distribution. I sent one to the Spiritual Magazine, without my initials, which appeared some time after this. Brother Rees, of Crown Street, Soho, brought out an edition of hymns [1836], and this hymn was in it. David Denham introduced it [1837] with Rees’ name, and others after…Your inserting this brief outline may in future shield me from the charge of stealth, and be a vindication of truthfulness in my connection with the Church of God.
Edward Mote
Letter to the Gospel Herald
Ht: Cyberhymnal
Have you noticed lately when you go to a motel/hotel that there is always a note that explains that the hotel is concerned about conservation and being green and would like you to use your towels etc. for more than one use? When we were in San Diego they even gave us a $5.00 credit to be used at the hotel restaurants and Starbucks in the hotel. I was happy to get the $5.00 coupon but I wasn’t thrilled with our bathroom…can you see why?
Not one towel rack in the bathroom. Where do they want me to hang my wet towel that they are giving me a $5.00 credit for? How will my wet towel dry nicely before my shower the next morning? Do I have to come up with my own towel rack?
For this great invention, I think they should give me a $10.00 credit!
Today is Saturday. I’m headed out on a walk in our great dry sunny weather we are having! Yippee! Dear has a lot of plans that involve hauling and moving stuff. Wish me luck on my body holding up!
Time to get together and think on the good things from this past week. I’m joining in with Susanne at Living to Tell the Story our lovely hostess for Friday’s Fave Five.
1. Last Friday we were traveling home from San Diego but before we left I had a nice walk along the waterfront. It was good to walk in the sunshine and see new things.
2. On Sunday we became members of our church. It is a good step for us. Here’s a photo from our current sermon series. The series is called Desperate Days.
3. On Monday I traveled to Canada to get together with the MGCC girls to celebrate a special birthday for two of our girls! What a wonderful time we had at Harrison Hot Springs.
4. After another busy day on Tuesday I had a totally free day on Wednesday. I love days like that mixed in with my busy days. Sleeping in with no time crunch schedule is so peaceful. Being able to enjoy my coffee while reading and watching the sun rise and little birds coming to the feeder is a good way for me to start the day. Don’t worry y’all, the feeder is full again!!
5. We started up our small group again after our holiday break and it’s meeting at our house. It was good to get re-connected.
Hope you have time to consider the good things from your past week. I hope to get around and see what your favorites were. Are you throwing a Super Bowl party or going to one?
The Happy Wonderer ~ ellen b. 