Hodgepodging A Thousand Words

 Although it's going to be in the 80s today,
it's starting to look very fallish out there.

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She writes the questions;

we write the answers.

Plug them into your own blog post

and join in!

 We've been seeing and hearing flocks of geese

and sandhill cranes in our neighborhood this week.

I love it!

And this early morning there was a doe and her fawn

under our apple tree.

1. Is a picture worth a thousand words? Elaborate.

I certainly always hoped so, when I was a kid and had to write a paper for English class.

But actually, yes, I do think so, especially for poor writers. :-)

 Something to ponder.

Something to praise God for.

And Grandpa got a giggle out of this three year old!

2. Have you ever driven any part of the Pacific Coast Highway? If so what was your favorite stop? If not, is this sort of trip on your bucket list?

Yes, many years ago. My favorite stop was the airport and returning home. Even back then, California seemed like a foreign country. If I had any aspirations of visiting before it breaks off into the ocean, I'd probably better do it sometime soon. But it's definitely not high on my bucket list. I'm more interested in traveling the eastern coast.

 Antique railroad freight wagon

Rice Lake, WI

3. How do the changing seasons affect you? As the seasons change do you find yourself looking more forward or backward? Which season-season transition bothers you most? Why do you suppose that is? 

I love having four distinct seasons here in Wisconsin. I love the change from summer to fall and the change from spring to summer. But fall to winter is depressing because winters are so very long up here, and winter to spring is still very cold, wet, and dreary. So let's go back to thinking about May, June, July, August, September, and October. They're beautiful here in Wisconsin. And we do need snowy December for Christmas.t

 Our Four Seasons

Can you see why I like fall and summer better?

4. It's your birthday and you get to pick the dinner menu. What are we having? Do you ever lie about your age?

I would choose fish and chips at The Cricketers pub in Canterbury. And no, there's little point in lying about my age. My hair and wrinkles tell it all. I doubt anyone would believe me if I said I was 29. or 39. or 49. or 59!!!  Yikes. I never dreamed I'd live to be so old. 

My daughters and their mother

5. What's a life lesson you've learned recently?

As God's image bearers on the earth, reflecting his image to the world, we can look at Jesus (not anyone else) to determine how we're doing as image bearers.

Philippians 2:6: 'who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death - even death on a cross.'

   

As God's image bearer, does my life have the remotest resemblance to Jesus' life?

What do we most want our children and grandchildren to learn about God? If we are God's image bearers, what of his character are we reflecting to them? Are we reflecting a true image as Jesus did, or a distorted image? And because of it, how will they perceive God? So back to your first question, 'Is a picture worth a thousand words?' I'd say that in the case of parenting and grandparenting, it most definitely is. And I pray to be aware of it every day.

6.  Insert your own random thought here. 

We're so grateful that Hurricane Irma wasn't as devastating as initially predicted. That doesn't mean, of course, that we'll stop praying for those who lost so much and are left homeless and/or without electricity and with such a huge mess to clean up in Florida, or those who were and are affected by the storm and its aftermath as it moved farther north.

And a little more random:

 Tommy & Smokey, of course.

 ***

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Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Rushing to Forgiveness

Bless the Lord, O my soul,

And all that is within me, bless His holy name.

Bless the Lord, O my soul,

And forget none of His benefits;

Who pardons all your iniquities,

Who heals all your diseases;

Who redeems your life from the pit,

Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion;

Who satisfies your years with good things,

So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.

The Lord performs righteous deeds

And judgments for all who are oppressed.

He made known His ways to Moses,

His acts to the sons of Israel.

The Lord is compassionate and gracious,

Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness.

He will not always strive with us,

Nor will he keep His anger forever.

He has not dealt with us according to our sins,

Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.

For as high as the heavens are above the earth,

So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him.

As far as the east is from the west,

So far has He removed our transgressions from us.

Just as a father has compassion on his children,

So the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.

For He Himself knows our frame;

He is mindful that we are but dust.

As for man, his days are like grass;

As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.

When the wind has passed over it, it is no more,

And its place acknowledges it no longer.

But the lovingkindness of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting

 on those who fear Him,

And his righteousness to children's children,

To those who keep His covenant

And remember His precepts to do them.

The Lord has established His throne in the heavens,

And His sovereignty rules over all.

Bless the Lord, you His angels,

Mighty in strength, who perform His word

Obeying the voice of His word!

Bless the Lord, all you His hosts,

You who serve Him, doing His will.

Bless the Lord, all you works of His,

In all places of His dominion;

Bless the Lord, O my soul!

                  -Psalm 103 

'slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness,' or as another translation has it, 'abounding in mercy.' 

This morning I was reading in the book of Daniel where Daniel is praying for the congregation of Israel,

'And I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed and said, "Alas, O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments, we have sinned, committed iniquity, acted wickedly, and rebelled, even turning aside from Your commandments and ordinances. Moreover, we have not listened to Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings, our princes, our fathers, and all the people of the land. Righteousness belongs to You, O Lord, but to us open shame...'"

Daniel continues praying and while he was still speaking, Gabriel appeared.

Here is something that struck me about these two chapters in Daniel (9-10)

Gabriel told Daniel, 'At the BEGINNING of your supplications, the command was issued [to come to you]...'

And in chapter 10, Daniel has a vision and a man [the preincarnate Christ] tells him, 'Do not be afraid, Daniel, for FROM THE FIRST DAY that you set your heart on understanding this and on humbling yourself before your God, your words were heard...'

'At the beginning...' and 'From the first day...'    

How eager is God to forgive!

'God is slow to anger and ABOUNDING IN MERCY.'

Unlike us, He is just. He does not overlook, tolerate, or trivialize sin.

But also unlike us, He doesn't withhold forgiveness when there has been repentance. He doesn't recount our sins to make us feel sufficiently guilty. 

Instead,

When we repent, He rushes to forgive us.

Thankful Thursday

Purple Clover on Fifth Avenue

'Christ didn't die for his people because they were special, but because they were sinful.'

Now there's something to think about. We might be able to fool a lot of people, and maybe even ourselves, but the truth is, we are sinners. Our only hope is the grace of God.

I'm posting the following passage from the Bible because it is one of my favorites. It reminds me that God is not impressed by our pretense. He knows us inside and out. He knows we are but dust, and that we are totally helpless to save ourselves. He loved us anyway, in our hopeless condition, enough to shower mercy and grace upon us, through His Son, Jesus!


Ephesians 2:1-10  NIV

'As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins,  in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.  

All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath.   

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy,  made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions —it is by grace you have been saved.   

And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,  in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.   

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith —and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—  not by works, so that no one can boast.  For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.'

***

Today I am thankful for a merciful Savior who buries my past and loves me with an everlasting love. His forgiveness is the only thing that can truly give us a fresh start. When we put our trust in Christ, our report card gets thrown away...

...and we get His instead!

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