Screen Saver Reminder

Instead of flying windows or some other freaky screen saver, I like to use a Marquee screen saver with important thoughts traveling across my sleeping computer screen. This month's thought is from John Piper:

"If you live gladly to make others glad in God, your life will be hard, your risks will be high, and your joy will be full.”

Food for thought....

Thanksgiving

As you and your family gather and give thanks today, please remember to thank Almighty God for blessing our nation.

"Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor--and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me `to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.'

Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be -- That we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks -- for His kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation--for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his Providence which we experienced in the tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed--for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted -- for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.

And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions--to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually -- to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed--to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shewn [sic] kindness onto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord -- To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the encrease [sic] of science among them and us -- and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best."

Given under my hand at the City of New-York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.

George Washington

Happy Birthday Mom!

Today is Mom's ____th birthday! (In deference to her desire to remember herself as "younger," I won't fill in the number.)

My mom is truly a godly woman who taught me everything I know about being a wife, mother and servant of Christ. Thanks, Mom!

A Colorful Perspective

Aren't you glad that God created the world in color? Even though Dave and I are basically boring people who see too many things in black and white, we can appreciate the color around us....

Autumn leaves...

Babies' pink cheeks...

Cool aqua streams...

Our new condo is just a few steps away from the Museum of Glass, a site that I know will become one of my new favorite places. Have you ever seen anything quite as colorful as these pieces of glass?

Lost and Found

I'm sitting here writing this post with a splitting headache. You know the kind; the headache that comes AFTER a stressful situation has worked itself out.

Earlier today we received a call that an older loved one was lost in downtown Seattle. We were told that the police had been notified and would we please come help look. Of course we dropped everything to join the search. To make a long story much shorter, this person eventually "found" himself, walking back to the location from which he had left. While everyone was relieved, there still remained a sense of unease in that it could very well happen again.

Many of us have been there before... a lost child in the mall, the elderly aunt who still loves to roam.... The feeling is never a good one, whether you are the searching one or the lost one.

Jesus had a lot to say about being lost and found....

And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house.... For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost." Luke 19:9-10

Now all the tax collectors and the irreligious Jews were coming near Him to listen to Him. Both the Pharisees and the scribes began to grumble, saying, "This man receives sinners and eats with them." So He told them this parable, saying, "What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? "When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. "And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!' "I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. "Or what woman, if she has ten silver coins and loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? "When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin which I had lost!' "In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents." Luke 15:1-10

I am so glad that when I was lost Jesus found me!