11:06 p.m. and all’s well!
Coram Deo! Graciebird
Editor’s Note: In light of the fact that I have been busy to the very height of craziness I will be postponing blog posts for a while. I will reply to everyone’s comments shortly, you all deserve more than I’ve been weasling out every two days.
P.S. I have exciting news. I am going to be able to do more Civil War dancing soon!
One has to ponder the extreme weirdness of going in loops on the net. Everyone knows someone and someone knows someone you know, and they know someone else who you are aquainted with and so on. It can get very scary.
Coram Deo! Gracie
Hard sewing. Deadlines. Lightning and thunder outside my window. Ideas have consequences. Original sin. The Irish In America. Coloma classes. Colored pencils. Hamburgers. Breakfast for brothers week. O The Deep Deep Love Of Jesus Braveheart. Money. Trips. Rainy days. Homework. Survival of the fittest. Epistemological self conscience. Shamrocks. Random. Tired. Going to bed.
Coram Deo! Graciebird
Sometimes the night was beautiful
Sometimes the sky was so far away
Sometimes it seemed to stoop so close
You could touch it but your heart would break
Sometimes the morning came too soon
Sometimes the day could be so hot
There was so much work left to do
But so much You’d already done…
As I finished sprinting up the long flight of outside stairs, leading to our shop, I stopped at the very top and turned slowly. Rays of gold were painting the trees a brilliant color of richness and striking my face as the morning sun climbed the hills behind our house. This is why I love to rise in the morning and look out my window. I view a beauty that I will forever remember. I have to debate the granduer of the rising sun and the setting sun, though. As our family drove in our van, sloping along the ridge lines of hills and passing through avenues of trees, we shaded our eyes as the beams of the setting sun cracked through the pines, turning our winding path home into a golden ribbon of light.
It’s a funny thing to meet someone who you know, but have never met before. It was very pleasent to meet someone yesterday at church with no warning that they were going to be there, but who knows us through the internet! The internet is a strange place.
Yesterday, we went for a very long drive. Traversing the roads that Mommy and Daddy traveled on when they were newly married. Through gold country and through tiny little towns we went. Over the steep hills that afforded us views of several different valleys, and a stop for icecream cones and milk shakes at the diner that Mom and Dad used to eat at. On the way home we stopped and suprised our friend’s son who is working at a CDF station. He generously gave us a tour of the fire engines. I have always been fascinated by fire engines and make it a habit to wave at them or an ambulance on the road. Hopefully, Ben will be working at that same CDF station next year. Then we piled into the car and headed home again.
I love Joe Morecraft’s sermons and it was a delight to listen to his sermon on Revelation. It was a very encouraging sermon, and I think is very strengthening to those who are down in their spirits.
“And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. And He laid His right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:
I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.” (Revelation 1:17-18)
Christ hold the keys of hell and death, we do not have to ever be afraid that any one can harm us, because it is Christ who unlocks those doors and when he does, no earthly power can keep us here.
Oh God, You are my God
And I will ever praise You
Oh God, You are my God
And I will ever praise You
I will seek You in the morning
And I will learn to walk in Your ways
And step by step You’ll lead me
And I will follow You all of my days
Coram Deo! Graciebird
This is way after my time in Coloma, but I really enjoyed the site. It’s almost like too much candy. The Graceful Lady. Enjoy!
Coram Deo! Graciebird
God Be Merciful To Me (Psalm 51)
1. God, be merciful to me;
On Thy grace I rest my plea
Plenteous in compassion Thou,
Blot out my transgressions now;
Wash me, make me pure within;
Cleanse, O cleanse me from my sin.2. My transgressions I confess;
Grief and guilt my soul oppress.
I have sinned against Thy grace,
And provoked Thee to Thy face.
I confess Thy judgement just;
Speechless, I Thy mercy trust.3. I am evil, born in sin;
Thou desirest truth within.
Thou alone my Savior art,
Teach Thy wisdom to my heart;
Make me pure, Thy grace bestow,
Wash me whiter than the snow.4. Broken, humbled to the dust
By Thy wrath and judgment just,
Let my contrite heart rejoice,
And in gladness hear Thy voice;
From my sins O hide Thy face,
Blot them out in boundless grace.5. Gracious God, my heart renew,
Make my spirit right and true.
Cast me not away from Thee,
Let Thy Spirit dwell in me;
Thy salvation’s joy impart,
Steadfast make my willing heart.6. Sinners then shall learn from me,
And return, O God, to Thee
Savior all my guilt remove,
And my tongue shall sing Thy love
Touch my silent lips, O Lord,
And my mouth shall praise accord
A wind is rippling through the trees. It is this sort of day that I remember the most. Accents of Fall, leaves spinning through the air, then landing after their short flight. With the windows open we invite in the cool air, beckoning it to come and cleanse our house of the last remnants of Summer.
The coming of Fall means brightly colored scarves and leather gloves, gloomy people on the streets during a rainy day and overcast skies, sharp winds and a comfortable fire in our woodstove, books by the window and an blanket covering my lap, pumpkin pies and Reformation Day.
Coram Deo! Graciebird
20 elderly people die in a bus fire on the highway in Galveston. It is unsure how the fire started, but this was a bus from a nursing home. The bus driver survived.
More than 2 million people have evacuated along the coastal areas and Houston. Included in them are our new friends the Keeths. Please remember to pray for Lora and Lindsay and their family as the are evacuating. Many of their possesions they have had to leave behind, and they don’t know if they will come back to a house when this hurricane is over.
Today is going to possible see yet another major hurricane battering the gulf coast and Galveston, Texas.
Coram Deo! Gracie
…Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies…
Of late, I have been thinking about my character. It’s quite frightening what I find when I get deep, down into it. It is only when I take the time to truly examine my thoughts, my normal actions, and the appearence that I give others, that I realize just how little I know myself.
Right now I see myself through a darkly veiled glass. While others may look on and watch me, I am concentrating so hard on my goal that I cannot take my eyes off the path of achieving a Godly character; a process that will take me all my life. And I, least of all, know my true character. What I see in myself is mostly what my decietful heart whispers into my ears. I dare not trust that. Only the one who created me and planned me before the world, knows my very soul.
The steps that I take now, are such little baby steps that I cringe when I look at my progress. If I try to jump to the end, it will turn out as a begginning failure and leave me with a bigger mess of things than I can ever hope to reknew. So I stick to my winding, torrential path in life, weathering it, as the seasons come and go, but eventually the day of small things will prevail.
One day, not too long from now, I will look in my mirror, as most girls do, and view myself as I really am. I may not want to look again. But perhaps I will see in that mirror something that I have prayed and worked hard for. Something I desired and wanted very much. Something that has taken years to establish. Something that is more precious than the purest of gold, or the very richest jewels; a Godly woman with a Godly Character.
Coram Deo! Graciebird
Only Our Rivers Run Free, by Michael MacConnell
When apples still grow in November
When blossoms still bloom from each tree
When leaves are still green in December
It’s then that our land will be free
I’ve wandered her hills and her valleys
And still through her valleys I see
A land that has never known freedom
And only her rivers run freeI drink to the death of her manhood
Those men who’d rather have died
Than to live in the cold chains of bondage
To bring back their rights were denied
Oh, where are you now when we need you
What burns where the flames used to be
Are you gone like the snows of last winter
And will only our rivers run freeHow sweet is life but we’re crying
How mellow the wine but we’re dry
How fragrant the rose but it’s dying
How gentle the wind but it sighs
What good is in youth when it’s aging
What joy is in eyes that can’t see
When there’s sorrow in sunshine and flowers
And still only our rivers run free
Coram Deo~ Graciebird
…and the world did gaze in deep amaze at those fearless men, brave and true, who bore the fight that freedom’s light might shine through the foggy dew…
Rita is on the move. She’s picking up speed to winds of about 160 mph. Pray for those who are yet again in the hurricane.
I was “accused” earlier of not being nicer to my brothers. That halted me for a moment (right Lisa?) Perhaps I am not as nice to them as I could be. I usually go by the rule of “if they are nice to me, I’ll be nice to them.” Wow, if I applied that to everything in my life I don’t think I’d be very far progressed. What true worth do I have in my brothers? What are they there for? Just to tease and pester me? To have me iron their shirts and make them black coffee and peanut butter on whole wheat bread? I am in the peculiar predicament of having 7 brothers, I ought to expect a lot of annoyances, but sometimes, if I try hard enough, I can just scratch the surface of brotherly love, protectment and friendship. And they can be awfuly intimidating to those young dudes who seek attention from me.
I’m looking forward to seeing the Worldview Class develop. I must peruse my glossary more and use some of the words in my conversation. (without sounding superior, of course.) I didn’t know when I packed my backpack that books weighed so much.
Coram Deo! Grace