Archive for spiritual matters

ten lovely years

Whoa, ten years have floated by and here we are with a full blown family.  What an eventful decade we’ve had betrothed.

We’ve lived in more apartments than I care to count (it would take me a few minutes to recollect them all anyway).

We’ve traveled across the country in a car with two cats…twice!

We spent a wonderful few years in Boston and made memories to last a lifetime.

You made a career for yourself and provide for us so well.

We found a wonderful church home.

But our best work by far is our beautiful babes.

I love you Justin and I’m so grateful that  you are mine and I am yours.  Many more, my love.

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yellow and black bird, we barely knew ye

On our way to the car yesterday we (the girls and I) were met with a pretty little finch that just happened to have lived out his last moments right outside our gate.  Needless to say Charlotte was very curious.

Charlotte: Look at that yellow and black bird!  What’s he doing?

Me: Well, he’s not alive so he’s not doing anything.

Charlotte: Why?

Me: Well, he’s dead.

Charlotte: Why?

Me: Well, when things stop breathing they’re no longer alive…they’re dead.

Charlotte: Why?

Me:  Remember how in the God/Jesus movie (Hanna Barbera’s Easter Story, a Charlotte favorite) Jesus died?

Charlotte: Yes

Me: Well, the bird died too.  Everything dies but the good thing about being human is that if we know and love Christ, when we die we will be in heaven with God and Jesus.

Charlotte: Can I hold the yellow and black bird?

Me: NO!!!  We don’t touch dead birds.  Daddy will bury him when he gets home.

Charlotte: OK

I put the girls in the car and prayed for wisdom and clarity on the answers I was giving.  Fortunately, during the car ride to Bible study Charlotte asked only a couple of times if I remembered “that yellow and black bird that’s dead” and each time I told her I did.  I probably will never forget that little finch that introduced Charlotte to death as more than a mere concept.

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Thanksgiving Prayer

A Thankgsiving to Almighty God for the Fruits of the Earth and all the other Blessings of his merciful Providence.

Most gracious God, by whose knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew; We yield thee unfeigned thanks and praise for the return of the seed-time and harvest, for the increase of the ground and the gathering in of the fruits thereof, and for all the other blessings of they merciful providence bestowed upon this nation and people. And we beseech thee, give us a just sense of these great mercies; such as may appear in our lives by an humble, holy, and obedient walking before thee all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with thee and the Holy Ghost, be all glory and honour, world without end. Amen.

(1928 Book of Common Prayer Page 50)

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lunch with Vallee

The girls and I were lucky enough to have lunch with Vallee and her dear mother (my sweet friend). Vallee is awesome and I thank you if you remembered her and her family even just once in prayer and I ask that you continue to do so. She is in a wheelchair but can walk at least 18 steps by herself, if need be. She might be pushing herself a little too hard but it seems to work for her. While at lunch I asked her if she remembered Delia and she said no and that her first day back to church when she saw me holding her she thought to herself, “wow, they had another baby?” Of course she remembered Charlotte who she graciously let sit on her lap while wheeling her around in her chair using her good leg…what a champ!

It was such a blessing to interact with her and see her humor in full force and more than anything to see her so happy. God blessed her with such a positive disposition and she sure needs it for the road he has paved for her. Vallee has yet to return to school but has multiple evaluations this week to determine therapy and what’s in store for the near future. Well, that’s all for now so please join me in thanking the Lord for her recovery up to this point and asking for his presence to be felt strongly by this beloved family. Thank you.

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Vallee

vallee

Thank you for all of your prayers for this lovely young woman and her family.  She is far from out of the woods yet but on the road to recovery.  Please continue to pray when thoughts of her cross your mind.  You can keep updated on her progress by visiting http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/vallee.

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interesting read

Sorry for the political post but things are getting kinda scary around here and I found this article putting  in print many things I’ve been thinking…

The article below was written by Stanislav Mishin, a blogger and columnist for the Russian newspaper Pravda.

American capitalism gone with a whimper . . . . .

It must be said, that like the breaking of a great dam, the American decent into Marxism is happening with breath taking speed, against the back drop of a passive, hapless sheeple, excuse me dear reader, I meant people.

True, the situation has been well prepared on and off for the past century, especially the past twenty years. The initial testing grounds was conducted upon our Holy Russia and a bloody test it was. But we Russians would not just roll over and give up our freedoms and our souls, no matter how much money Wall Street poured into the fists of the Marxists.

Those lessons were taken and used to properly prepare the American populace for the surrender of their freedoms and souls, to the whims of their elites and betters.

First, the population was dumbed down through a politicized and substandard education system based on pop culture, rather than the classics. Americans know more about their favorite TV dramas than the drama in DC that directly affects their lives. They care more for their “right” to choke down a McDonalds burger or a BurgerKing burger than for their constitutional rights. Then they turn around and lecture us (Russia) about our rights and about our “democracy”. Pride blinds the foolish.

Then their faith in God was destroyed, until their churches, all tens of thousands of different “branches and denominations” were for the most part little more then Sunday circuses and their televangelists and top protestant mega preachers were more then happy to sell out their souls and flocks to be on the “winning” side of one pseudo Marxist politician or another. Their flocks may complain, but when explained that they would be on the “winning” side, their flocks were ever so quick to reject Christ in hopes for earthly power. Even our Holy Orthodox (Russian Orthodox) churches are scandalously liberalized in America.

The final collapse has come with the election of Barack Obama. His speed in the past three months has been truly impressive. His spending and money printing has been a record setting, not just in America’s short history but in the world. If this keeps up for more than another year, and there is no sign that it will not, America at best will resemble the Wiemar Republic and at worst Zimbabwe.

These past two weeks have been the most breath taking of all. First came the announcement of a planned redesign of the American Byzantine tax system, by the very thieves who used it to bankroll their thefts, loses and swindles of hundreds of billions of dollars. These make our Russian oligarchs look little more than ordinary street thugs, in comparison. Yes, the Americans have beat our own thieves in the shear volumes. Should we congratulate them?

These men, of course, are not an elected panel but made up of appointees picked from the very financial oligarchs and their henchmen who are now gorging themselves on trillions of American dollars, in one bailout after another. They are also usurping the rights, duties and powers of the American congress (parliament). Again, congress has put up little more then a whimper to their masters.

Then came Barack Obama’s command that GM’s (General Motor) president step down from leadership of his company. That is correct, dear reader, in the land of “pure” free markets, the American president now has the power, the self given power, to fire CEOs and we can assume other employees of private companies, at will. Come hither, go dither, the centurion commands his minions.

So it should be no surprise that the American president has followed this up with a “bold” move of declaring that he and another group of unelected, chosen stooges will now redesign the entire automotive industry and will even be the guarantee of automobile policies. I am sure that if given the chance, they would happily try and redesign it for the whole of the world, too. Prime Minister Putin, less then two months ago, warned Obama and UK’s Blair, not to follow the path to Marxism, it only leads to disaster. Apparently, even though we suffered 70 years of this Western sponsored horror show, we know nothing, as foolish, drunken Russians, so let our “wise” Anglo-Saxon fools find out the folly of their own pride.

Again, the American public has taken this with barely a whimper…but a “freeman” whimper.

So, should it be any surprise to discover that the Democratically controlled Congress of America is working on passing a new regulation that would give the American Treasury department the power to set “fair” maximum salaries, evaluate performance and control how private companies give out pay raises and bonuses? Senator Barney Franks, a social pervert basking in his homosexuality (of course, amongst the modern, enlightened American societal norm, as well as that of the general West, homosexuality is not only not a looked down upon life choice, but is often praised as a virtue) and his Marxist enlightenment, has led this effort. He stresses that this only affects companies that receive government monies, but it is retroactive and taken to a logical extreme, this would include any company or industry that has ever received a tax break or incentive.

The Russian owners of American companies and industries should look thoughtfully at this and the option of closing their facilities down and fleeing the land of the Red as fast as possible. In other words, divest while there is still value left.

The proud American will go down into his slavery with out a fight, beating his chest and proclaiming to the world, how free he really is. The world will only snicker.

Stanislav Mishin

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danger, danger

OK, check this out.  A couple in San Diego are being told that their weekly Bible study is against county laws.  They’ve been told to apply for a “major use permit”, which could cost tens of thousands of dollars, or cease to meet.  Does this outrage you as much as it does me?  If so, click here for a link to a petition admonishing SD county for going after a home bible study of about 15 people…seriously, 15 people.

Hm, Maybe we should all move down to SD because it doesn’t sound like there’s any legit crime happening so the authorities have to go after these folks)

Read this article from a local news source for more info.

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Today

…is the National Day of Prayer, let’s take comfort knowing that many in our nation still pray and believe in it’s power.

Psalm 98:5
Show yourselves joyful unto the Lord, all ye lands; sing, rejoice, and give thanks.

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He is Risen!

EASTER


And what a wonderful Easter season it has been so far.  Here we are at church for the first time as a family of four and the pic just happens to be our first family photo since Delia’s birth.  We didn’t quite make it to church as early as I wanted (surprise, surprise) so Charlotte didn’t get to participate in the egg hunt.  But we spent the rest of the day with Linsey and family and the kids got to hunt eggs then so she got a taste of that part of Easter along with a bunch of chocolate.  It was a great day and will be very memorable as Delia’s first Easter.  Joyous Easter to all, our resurrection hope is fulfilled!

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Delia

04-06-09_1022.jpeg

So I’m briefly breaking my Lenten retreat from the blog to announce the arrival of our beautiful second daughter Delia Elise.  She was born Monday 3/30 at 9:13 AM weighing 7 lbs 12 oz, 20 inches in length.  She is so healthy and mellow in temperament that she’s got us constantly counting our blessings…not to mention that she’s ADORABLE.  Big sister Charlotte is a champ.  She’s needing more attention than usual but luckily husband is home through the end of this week so she has been well attended to.  I’ll update with a brief synopsis of the birth once we get through Holy Week and have celebrated Easter.  Until then enjoy the pics we’ve uploaded on flickr….

God’s blessings.

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