Precious Memories of our Fathers

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A sweet friend thought of me with this lovely Blue Bird picture.  

We discovered over time that we had similar happy, precious memories of our fathers. One of these memories is of birds in which Blue Birds were my father's favorites

 although he loved all birds!

Our fathers: what a treasure! and so is this sweet gift!

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In Honor of my Father

Wizard of Id

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The Tragedies of Life

I usually say this world is terribly fallen because it is, but in reality just saying "this world is fallen" already means it is terribly fallen!

We can grow up and live in relative "harmony" but soon enough the real fallenness of this world will break into our "harmony". This, of course, is to be expected in a sinful world.

This scenario describes me just a bit.  I lived and enjoyed life, blessed by the LORD, knowing the world around me was fallen, including me, but I was saved by His marvelous grace. 

Eventually, my world was turned upside down when true evil enveloped my world, broke our lives and our hearts to this day. There is no way to "fix it" as we can't.

People I have known, even to this morning, marvel at how I "have survived" and have continued to live and live joyously, triumphantly for the LORD. These dear people in some way think that we have miraculously done this feat.

The reality is that we have not accomplished this at all except to have fallen at our Almighty's feet from the beginning to now. All of our strength is His. Every day is new as we live in the moment. Certainly, every day our agonies are with us, but also His gracious balm as He carries us.

My strength is all His as He graciously lavishes His love on me and lifts my head. The Christians I share my testimony with understand either to some degree or they understand completely depending on their own lives living with agonies.  

How can a person explain an act of God?  I only know I live it.

Yes, some days, some moments I am overcome in grief. I can not go on, I won't go on, but then I do go on, as He lifts my head above the storm that rages around me. Once again I completely marvel at how He has raised me up one more time.

I understand pain and agony to whatever degree. Pain and sorrows hurt and hurt so deeply. Trusting in the LORD God Almighty to save you from your sins and carry you through this terribly fallen world is each of our choice. 

For me, I can only say, Glory to His Name! 
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The Riches of Glory: Christ in you!

Colossians 1
"We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints; because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth; just as you learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf, and he also informed us of your love in the Spirit.

For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.

For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.

And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach— if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister.

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions. Of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, so that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God, that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints, to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ. For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me."

Colossians 2

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The Time of our Lives

OSU in the mid '70s

Bell OH-13 Sioux

Those were the days!

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Proverbs 5:18b

"rejoice in the wife of your youth."

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Value Wisdom!

Proverbs 1:2-7

"To know wisdom and instruction,


To discern the sayings of understanding,


To receive instruction in wise behavior,


Righteousness, justice and equity;


To give prudence to the naive,


To the youth knowledge and discretion,


A wise man will hear and increase in learning,


And a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel,


To understand a proverb and a figure,


The words of the wise and their riddles.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;


Fools despise wisdom and instruction."

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"Throughout history, not only in ancient Israel, virtually every society greatly valued old people—because old people were associated with wisdom, and wisdom was valued. In the contemporary world, especially in the West, youth is increasingly valued more than age. That is a reflection of the fact that wisdom is less valued and therefore the old are less valued, or the old are less valued and therefore wisdom is less valued. It is hard to know which came first—the devaluing of the old or the devaluing of wisdom. But whichever cause the other, both are tragedies.

In answer to some young people who told the great German-Jewish actor Fritz Kortner he could not understand their problems, Kortner responded, “You were never as old as I am; on the other hand I was as young as you are now.” 

The devaluation of old people is a tragedy for their sake, for society’s sake, and for the sake of the young who can so benefit from being with and learning from the old. Anyone who has, or has had, a bond with a grandparent or a mentor knows how true this is. And the devaluation of wisdom is an even greater tragedy. We live in an age that values—or at least claims to value—knowledge. But knowledge without wisdom tells you nothing about how to lead your life. It is like owning a map but have no destination. If you don’t know where you need to go, knowing exactly where you are is useless."

Dennis Prager, The Rational Bible, Exodus: God, Slavery, and Freedom, pg.355-356

God's Joy in you

ROSE is ROSE

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John 15:4-11

"Abide in Me, and I in you. 

As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself 

unless it abides in the vine, 

so neither can you unless you abide in Me.

I am the vine, 

you are the branches; 

he who abides in Me and I in him, 

he bears much fruit, 

for apart from Me you can do nothing.

If anyone does not abide in Me, 

he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; 

and they gather them, 

and cast them into the fire 

and they are burned.

If you abide in Me, 

and My words abide in you, 

ask whatever you wish, 

and it will be done for you.

My Father is glorified by this, 

that you bear much fruit, 

and so prove to be My disciples.

Just as the Father has loved Me, 

I have also loved you; 

abide in My love. 

If you keep My commandments, 

you will abide in My love; 

just as I have kept My Father’s commandments 

and abide in His love.

These things I have spoken to you 

so that My joy may be in you, 

and that your joy may be made full."

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Choosing Wisely

"Much of life is shaped by choices we make. 

We do not choose what happens to us; 

we choose how to react to what happens to us."

Dennis Prager, The Rational Bible: Genesis: God, Creation, and Destruction, pg.431

America the Beautiful

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MUTTS

The end of the season for our Violas

Too hot for Violas in the Midwest this summer.  I thought we could make it without extreme heat, but now our second wave of heat has finished their growing season. 

Thankful I enjoyed the violas while they thrived!

Matthew 6:28-34
Observe how the lilies of the field grow; 
they do not toil nor do they spin, 
yet I say to you that not even Solomon 
in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.

But if God so clothes the grass of the field, 
which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown 
into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? 

You of little faith! Do not worry then, saying, 
‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or 
‘What will we wear for clothing?’ 

For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; 
for your heavenly Father knows that you need 
all these things.

But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, 
and all these things will be added to you.

“So do not worry about tomorrow; 
for tomorrow will care for itself. 
Each day has enough trouble of its own."

Bad Company Corrupts Good Morals

"In evil societies, it is difficult not to participate in evil. Human nature is to go along with the crowd. Hence, the importance of avoiding living among bad people, unless one is strong enough to work to make a bad society better."

Dennis Prager, The Rational Bible: Genesis: God, Creation, and Destruction, pg.224

1 Corinthians 15:33-34
"Do not be deceived: 
“Bad company corrupts good morals.”

Become sober-minded as you ought, 
and stop sinning; for some have 
no knowledge of God. 
I speak this to your shame."