Wednesday, March 22, 2006

What gives?

I don't get it. Was this the first day of spring, or what?

Amy took these pics yesterday, but you're not going to believe it.













Wish you were here!

Tuesday, March 21, 2006

For nature lovers

Dawns and sunsets mean a lot to me. My admiration was first inspired by my grandmother. Usually a formal, reserved person, her eyes would suddenly light up and her tone would soften when she stopped to admire a sunset. I never knew her to pass one by. She always paused and shared it with me when we happened upon it. So you can understand my nostalgia when I read in verse 8 of Psalm 65 this morning, "Thou dost make the dawn and sunset shout for joy."

Makes me want to shout right along with them.

BTW: Happy First Day of Spring!

Saturday, March 18, 2006

Regarding the last post

Not that I think the last post's questions can be answered favorably by a certain age. They're more motivational than literal, but hopefully the pilgrim who is further down the path does have the graces for living manifested in his life with a more steady stream. Of course, us old folks relapse too. That's where seeking fresh daily grace comes in.

Remeber the old jalopy computer back in the master bedroom by the exercise bike? Yeah, you remember. It's the one Candace and I share because it's so slow nobody else will use it. You remember that I've told you that from time to time, I still like to raise the keyboard by setting it on a trash can and then I jump on the bike and ride like the wind going nowhere. About a week ago I was looking for a good start-up page for the jalopy. I wanted to find a page that would keep the Word of God in front of our eyes when we first get online. The start-up page I finally chose happens to be part of the Bloomington RP Church's website. They display Spurgeon's daily devitionals in his book Morning and Evening. Here's the link.

Anyway, this morning's devotion dealt with different levels of faith in believers, and it blessed me greatly. I hope it blesses you too.

“Ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.”

Galatians 3:26

The fatherhood of God is common to all his children. Ah! Little-faith, you have often said, “Oh that I had the courage of Great-heart, that I could wield his sword and be as valiant as he! But, alas, I stumble at every straw, and a shadow makes me afraid.” List thee, Little-faith. Great-heart is God’s child, and you are God’s child too; and Great-heart is not one whit more God’s child than you are. Peter and Paul, the highly- favoured apostles, were of the family of the Most High; and so are you also; the weak Christian is as much a child of God as the strong one.

“This cov'nant stands secure,

Though earth’s old pillars bow;

The strong, the feeble, and the weak,

Are one in Jesus now.”

All the names are in the same family register. One may have more grace than another, but God our heavenly Father has the same tender heart towards all. One may do more mighty works, and may bring more glory to his Father, but he whose name is the least in the kingdom of heaven is as much the child of God as he who stands among the King’s mighty men. Let this cheer and comfort us, when we draw near to God and say, “Our Father.”

Yet, while we are comforted by knowing this, let us not rest contented with weak faith, but ask, like the Apostles, to have it increased. However feeble our faith may be, if it be real faith in Christ, we shall reach heaven at last, but we shall not honour our Master much on our pilgrimage, neither shall we abound in joy and peace. If then you would live to Christ’s glory, and be happy in his service, seek to be filled with the spirit of adoption more and more completely, till perfect love shall cast out fear.

Wednesday, March 15, 2006

How old are you?

Are you old enough to know what you'll be doing the rest of your life?

Are you old enough to cast your life on Christ?

Are you old enough to understand what it means to be loyal?

Are you old enough to appreciate your family?

Are you old enough to admire a sunset?

Are you old enough to appreciate the blessings that you're swimming in?

Are you old enough to care about what happens to others?

Are you old enough to hang with outcasts sometimes?

Are you old enough to look people in the eye?

Are you old enough to care about what God thinks?

Are you old enough to stand against the pressure? Will you give in? Will you crumble?

Are you old enough to do without things?

Are you old enough to give something thats gonna cost ya?

Are you old enough to be quiet?

Are you old enough to just listen?

Are you old enough to be the human being - that you were meant to be?

Tuesday, March 07, 2006

Shakespeare ambassador

Gotta get ready for classes today, but here's the photo of the week: Canny of the red hat. Read this post to get the scoop. (That's reporter talk.)

Enjoy!












No way! We're not at Starbucks! We're ... uh ... at a freind's house. Yeah, that's it ... a friend's house.

Sunday, March 05, 2006

Josh made it to South Korea!

I woke up early this morning with a little uneasiness since I hadn't heard from Josh. But I checked my e-mail and there was a note from him saying that he'd made it okay. Ahh.

Saturday, March 04, 2006

At last we found the fusion of your two great passions

This week:
  • Josh left for South Korea. (Haven't heard from him yet, but my mother-in-law says, "No news is good news" - and I believe her.)
  • Had the week off of school.
  • Swiffled all the floors twice.
  • Did some extensive visa research on the Internet.
  • Rumaged through my school book boxes to find the ones I want to sell.
  • Stayed in bed for a few hours one afternoon and evening to pre-view Kenneth Branagh's film version of Hamlet for English Lit class. (I was feeling a little under the weather at the time.)
  • Made a special effort to call people on the phone.
  • Had a friend over from Marion who'd never been here before.
  • Went to Indiana University two times to see one-handers (one man shows). One guy read/acted out a few stories from Ovid's Metamorphosis and another guy read war poems. These gentlemen were from among 5 who were visiting IUK for a week from a London theater (excuse me ... theatre.)
  • Went back to IUK one evening to hear a lecture from the world renown Shakespeare expert, Peter Holland.
  • Went back to IUK a fourth time to see the actors from the London stage perform The Merchant of Venice.
  • Got the bestest birthday gifts.

My hubby gave me some nice earings and then there is one gift upon which I want to further comment. The title of this blog, "At last we found the fusion of your two great passions," is what my kids wrote on the inside cover of the little book they gave me. The title of the book is Yoga for Chickens.

Did they grace me with such a gift because I suffer from yogaphobia? Indeed not! They simply know how I miss all 24 of the chickens I used to own back at our farm in Texas. My beautiful chickens! My adorable chickens! They know that my attachment to the chickens went way beyond letting them out of the henhouse in the morning and tenderly tucking them in at night. They remember how I gazed out the window upon my pets with affection and often exclaimed, "There goes Jamie! Do you see how adorable she is? And look whose running right behind her! Why ... it's Jamie!" You see, I named all 24 of my chickens "Jamie."

Now my lovely children (the human ones) have given me a book so that if I ever get chickens again, I can have a chicken yoga class.

The following are a list of poses from the book:
  • The object of contemplation - chickens are perfect
  • Soar however briefly
  • Laughing chicken breath
  • I dunno shoulder shrug
  • Flying bug/crawling bug
  • Worm!
  • Sunnyside up
  • Funky chicken
  • (and my personal favorite) Crouching chicken hidden weasel
What an inspiration!

... Or do you suppose that they gave me the book because I like to exercise with yoga poses and I like chickens, too? ...