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Our Daily Thread 12-29-12

Good Morning!

Happy Saturday!

What’s going on at your house this weekend?

I’m waiting for the snow, which is late in arriving.

Quote of the Day

“And finally Winter, with its bitin’, whinin’ wind, and all the land will be mantled with snow.”

Roy  Bean

122 thoughts on “Our Daily Thread 12-29-12”

  2. Our grass is still green, but you can’t see it because it has an inch of ice on it from the last snow. The next snow has still not started, but it should very soon. Up to 6 is the call. We’ll see.

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  3. We’re not waiting for snow, we have it. First we weren’t supposed to get any Christmas snow, but then we ended up with quite a bit the day after, and then we had it yesterday (unpredicted) and then some more overnight. Not vast quantities any of those times, but several inches altogether.

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  4. Good morning. We never have snow, though it has been rather cold (for us) the last few days, dipping down to low 30’s at night. Christmas day was beautiful with a high in the upper 60’s. I don’t like cold weather, so I’ve been enjoying our mild winter.

    We’re going to my husband’s uncle’s ranch today for lunch with extended family. Husband’s father died about eight years ago and we have rarely seen his brother (or anyone from that side of the family) since. I don’t know these people well, but they are a very formal, stoic group (quite different from my loud, boisterous family-of-origin).

    Had a wonderful time visiting with my sister for three days before Christmas. It was amazingly good to see her in person! She will be in the states until January 18, so I plan on burning up the phone lines while we can. Her children all seem to be doing well in Africa. I saw lots of pictures of Rwanda and the people they are serving there. It is a beautiful country but most of the people are impoverished beyond belief. Some of her stories gave me nightmares. The level of suffering is incomprehensible to someone like me… It made me more cognizant than usual of my many, many blessings.

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  5. Uhh, yeah, I’m waiting for snow too…don’t think it will happen any time soon, but okay, I’ll wait for it. 🙂

    Today our weather is wind and blowing sand. You know the snow storms that send waves of snow blowing across the fields, well, that’s what we have today only it’s sand (and a few degrees warmer!).

    Not much going on here this weekend. Most of the missionaries have taken off for some down time in the city. Phos and I are left here on the compound with one family and one other single. So it’s quiet, but as the only Wolof speaker on the compound, I still keep busy as I get called in to assist in different things. I had to assist Phos in the clinic yesterday by serving as her interpreter with a little girl that almost got her toe cut off a couple weeks ago. One of the missionaries sewed it back on and hoped/prayed for the best. The family was given permission to come during this time that the clinic is closed so she could be checked. I have to help a new family fire their laundress too. That won’t be fun.

    Oh, Mumsee, I didn’t see that Phos answered your question about lazy language and if they drop half the word. Yep, they do and then they run it all together so that it sounds like one big word.

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  6. Good Morning! It’s dark and cold outside! -2 and the high is to be 23….this snow is going nowhere and we are predicted to receive more on Monday…you’d think it was winter or something around here!
    Breakfast this morning with three of my dearest friends…always makes for a good beginning to my weekend…then I’m off to the Bird Store to buy more thistle and sunflower chips for our little winged friends…they get all in a flutter when the snow flies…eat eat eat…that’s all they do…and they love to take their baths in our heated bird bath on the deck…so, we have well fed and very clean birdies in our neck of the Forest! Have a blessed day everyone

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  7. Good morning. Snow — yep, I know what that is. 😉

    This morning I finished my bible reading plan for the year. Well, not my plan, but one of the through-the-bible-in-a-year plans I found at the Ligonier site last year. I believe it was Donna who posted a link to the plans on that site last year. One of the many benefits I received in my WorldMagBlog lurking days. 🙂

    There haven’t been many QoDs recently, so how about this one for the last weekend of the year: Do you have a Bible-reading plan you are going to follow in 2013?

    Just this past week, I read (not having figured it out on my own) that there are 260 chapters in the New Testament. 52 weeks per year times 5 chapters per week equals 260 chapters covered! So I am going to read one chapter per day, Monday through Friday, with the kids (starting Monday, December 31, actually). I plan to read the Old Testament (3 chapters per day Monday through Saturday) in my personal Bible reading time, and that will take me through just after Christmas next year.

    Saturday readings with the kids will probably be from the Proverbs, and Sunday readings for all of us will be a review of the readings we had in church that day.

    How about you?

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  8. Morning all. A little snow fell last night here. Most of last week’s snow melted.

    This weekend is just a stay-at-home except for church. Hopefully I can get a couple of home maintenance chores done (one of them electrical in nature).

    As for Bible reading plans, I just start at Genesis and read two or three chapters, plus a Psalm or chapter from Proverbs, and one chapter from the NT every day. I have it planned to get through Psalms in five months and Proverbs in one, so I read those twice per year. I get through the NT once every seven or eight months and the NT about once per year. Or, I’ll do the Psalms/Proverbs schedule while reading one chapter from Genesis-Job and another from Song of Solomon-Malachi. I also divide the NT by reading one chapter from the Gospels – Acts followed by one from the Romans-Revelation.

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  9. Mumsee, I thought of you during my morning devotional time today. You had spoken yesterday of enjoying that quiet hour and a half before your kids get up. I finished a devotional book today that I had gotten for Mother’s Day this year. There were some Psalms featured today talking about the importance of meeting with the Lord early, and it brought to mind your commitment to having that quiet, uninterrupted time with the Lord first thing, something that I aspire to but do not always follow through on. I hope to do better with that this coming year.

    Psalm 5:3 My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.

    Psalm 63:1-2 O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;
    To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.

    The last Psalm in the devotional book was this one, which I had underlined in my Bible another time, and just love:

    Psalm 89:15 Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O LORD, in the light of thy countenance.

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  11. Nothing going on at our house this weekend. Tomorrow is the Christmas family gathering for my husband’s side of the family, held at his brother’s house. And my husband might have to miss some of it, as he has to work and does not know his hours yet. 😦

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  12. I don’t have a plan for reading my bible this year. I recently finished another reading from cover to cover and am in Matthew right now. I am blessed to have the time to spend on most mornings and love it like mumsee. I am a morning person and this is when I best think. Plus, everyday goes better after the reading and prayer.

    My husband is not a morning person and prefers to do his reading in the evening. Doing it is much more important than when. The time may change as your life circumstances change.

    I went through many bible studies in the last 40 or so years. I remember one group I was in had us read at least one chapter from the OT, one from the NT and a psalm. That was a challenge at the time. One step at a time is a good way for someone to begin.

    I have now read it through several times in different versions. I can tell you, it only gets richer and easier to read. What once seemed incomprehensible, seems clearer. What once was overlookied too quickly now stands out and I have a desire to look more deeply. Memorization has also gone from a ‘must’ in bible studies to a desire of my own. It has surprisingly also gotten easier, which is strange, since we think as we age it would be more difficult.

    I prefer to read larger sections now, rather than the piecemeal way of so many of the planned readings. It gives a better picture of what is being discussed or taking place. Also, if you have studied the time, place etc. of the book, you don’t forget it before you get through reading it. I can also take side-trips to follow up words, other places the same event is cover in the gospels or where a quote in the NT came from in the OT. All of this makes for a richer reading for where I am right now in my life.

    The main thing is just to begin and then keep going! The other most important thing is to ask for the Holy Spirit’s revealing of truth and then for it to become real in your life and actions as appropriate.

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  13. We attended a memorial time for an acquaintance who died Dec. 24th. His wife was telling us that at the end he had the most amazing smile on his face. She told him she wished he could tell her what he was seeing, because it must be beautiful. She did hear him call to his father (deceased) that he would be there soon. His wife had such peace.

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  14. I have six chapters and I will have read the Bible through this year. The Psalms and Proverbs twice and each gospel twice. It’s the “Victory Bible Reading Plan” by the late Jim McKeever. An ambitious schedule.
    But I’m not going to use it this coming year. Don’t know what yet.

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  15. It’s raining here this morning — and it’s dark out, even though it’s after 8 a.m. But we’re supposed to have a spectacular day on Jan. 1 for the Rose Parade, clear/sunny skies with a high of about 59 degrees. We’re famous for bright sunny New Year’s days in California, though sometimes it’s been known to rain.

    (We had an editor several years ago who originally was from the midwest and was so thrilled to be riding on one of the Rose Parade floats. But then we had a rare rainy day on Jan. 1 that year and she got absolutely drenched.)

    6 Arrows, you’re putting me to shame. I wasn’t able to stay consistent with the Bible reading plan last year but am going to try again this year. I’m checking out the M’Cheyne plan, which I’ve used before, I was reading the intro to that before going to sleep last night. I think I’m going to ask a friend or 2 at church to be my accountability person for it this year, it’s something I always struggle with.

    Got the trash out early this morning (our pickup was delayed a day because of Christmas) and I’m waiting to do a telephone interview later this morning with Jane Goodall, which should be fun. She’s doing a fundraiser in our town next week and the organizers have been trying to set up the interview — today was our best shot at it so I said i could do it from home.

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  16. Oh yeah, de-decorating. I really should try to get that done this weekend as I don’t want to have to deal with it on New Year’s Day, which this year is an “orphan” holiday for us (1 day off surrounded by regular work days). And I’m probably going to be out and about with a friend on Tuesday.

    Sigh. Everything looks so pretty leading up to Christmas: the lights, the greenery, the wreaths, the baubles and candles and garland — and the Christmas angels gracing the fireplace mantel.

    I always hate to sweep it all away and pack it up again for another year. 😦

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  17. I’m just finishing up a one year chronological reading plan. I’m thinking that next I will do it again, but in a different version (Amplified) & stretch it to 2 years.

    The only plans we have for this weekend, besides Lee working today, as he always works Saturdays, are for church tomorrow morning, & babysitting Forrest this evening & tomorrow afternoon.

    Still not feeling well, mostly feeling worn-out & weakish. Glad it’s not just me here to babysit.

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  20. Lat time it snow here was 1967. But it is coooold for us. Fire on the hearth, coffee is hot.

    QoD:Hubby and sons are going to the auto show in San Diego while I write. Tomorrow I will do more writing after church. Through it all is puppy training 😉

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  21. It is tempting, Karen, to leave it all up for a few weeks — but it begins to haunt me, a constant reminder of a job left to do!

    When I was growing up, New Year’s Day was de-decorating day in my house. I hated that. It was the last day of school vacation and it was always sort of a sad (and time-consuming) job helping my mom to dismantle it all and pack it away. Truly a work day.

    So while I do it much more quickly now on my own, I still like the idea of getting it all down before Jan. 1 so I can enjoy that day off work.

    But I may leave a few little things up for this month — the outdoor lights and small artificial tree, though, probably will be coming down this weekend (unless I talk myself out of it! I’m pretty good at that when it comes to ‘housework’).

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  23. Ooh, how’s the puppy doing Adios? 🙂 Everyone adjusting?

    We’ve had some graupel here and there through the years (that’s kind of like ‘soft’ hail or snow pellets according to the official definition — it’s snow to us, though).

    We do currently have some nice snow on the mountains (our local snow get-aways are Big Bear & Wrightwood, but sometimes the snow levels are even lower and it’s just a matter of heading northeast for 60-90 minutes).

    We can see the snow on the mountains from where I live, though. And sometimes that’s enough. 🙂

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  25. I forgot to mention that I read Hendrickson once, who said it’s a good idea every so often to read the Bible in a different translation (which someone Kathleena mentioned she is doing). I read a different version every time I start over. Right now I am reading the gospels in KJV (which I have never done) and the epistles in a 1960s’ translation by Beck. I am rereading the OT in the NASB (which is the version I haved used the most.) In January, I’ll switch to the ESV for the Psalms. I also have a Spanish Bible I used for the NT once.

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  26. Wow, someone else who knows what graupel is!!!!

    I like de-decorating, because when I decorate, I take down my usual decor to put up Christmas stuff. When I de-decorate, I don’t put back everything that was up before – I edit and move stuff around. It’s a great way to keep my house from getting cluttered up with stuff.

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  27. I mentioned on R&R that while in MB, we went to see “Christmas on Ice” at the Palace.
    I saw the skaters whizzing about and tossing the girls about. Then, people would walk across the stage and sing and dance.
    Elvera says I’m the only person in MB who was bothered by this. But I couldn’t help wondering how they could ice skate and walk and dance (some with heels) on the same surface. There had to be some special shoes.
    After the show, some of the cast members went into the foyer to have pictures taken with the theatergoers. I didn’t want to have my picture made, but I did have a question I needed to ask him.
    “How do you skate and walk on the same surface?”
    ”We have shoes with a sandpaper material on the bottom. It gives excellent traction on the ice.”
    Makes sense.
    I was the only person there who needed to know that.

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  28. Kare2012, good point about getting a “new look” out of the change in decorating. Guess I should look at it as a new opportunity to refresh for the new year rather than taking away everything that’s so beautiful. 🙂

    I remember interviewing a meteorologist who was trying to explain graupel to me (since we had some snow-like substance piling up in the area and everyone was going nuts, calling the paper because it was “snowing”). SNOWING!

    All the kids were throwing grauple-balls and building grauple-men. But we still called it snow. The meteorologist tried to set us straight but to no avail.

    Just finished the phone interview with the famous primatologist — who’s also going to be the grand marshal for this year’s Rose Parade on Tuesday (which I don’t think she’s ever even watched before; nor, she told me, has she ever watched a football game). 🙂

    They’re planning to get a couple dogs out of a local shelter to use on the float to also help raise awareness for homeless animals, she said.

    Meanwhile, it’s still raining cats and dogs here today.

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  29. That is the one downside about Christmas decorations — they can really start to clutter a space. True, it’s all beautiful. But there is so much STUFF.

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  30. Donna (15), it is only by the grace of God I got all those little boxes checked off on the Bible reading plan I did this year. I have one of the worst deficits of stick-to-it-iveness of anyone I know. I have grand plans for this or that or the other thing, and soon something else comes along that I allow to replace it. I fell off the regular Bible reading wagon once or twice this year, getting one or even two weeks behind, I think, at some point. Getting back on track didn’t happen in my own strength. Anything I’ve been able to do over the long term (homeschool 14 years, stay married 26 years — even to a good man like the one I have, who, in the early years of our marriage I didn’t appreciate for who he is) is a testimony to the power of Christ, which, without Him, would likely have ended up discarded on the pile of good intentions, like so many other things I’ve tried to do.

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  31. DonnaJ, my brother and I once snow skiied and surfed on the same day just to say we did 😉

    The puppy is adapting well. Everyone loves her. She, so far, is only chewing on the appropriate things.

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  32. Snow skiing and surfing on the same day. 🙂

    My siblings and I had a snowball fight in July on a family vacation to the Rocky Mountains one year. We didn’t go surfing that day, though. 😉

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  34. In parts of South America, you can always have snowball fights in July. No big deal there. Same in Australia or New Zealand. But this time of year it’s impossible unless you go into the highest mountains.

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  36. My first snowball fight was in college, in my twenties. My younger siblings grew up wishing it would snow (in Phoenix); I didn’t. I lived briefly in other places outside Phoenix in my teens and thus saw snow a few times, but the first time in my lifetime it snowed in Phoenix I was 20.

    But we have snow several inches deep outside now, and somehow I have to deal with it. At least I have a husband to shovel the walks and a neighbor to plow the drive! I kinda just hibernate when we get snow. It’s pretty to look at from inside, but I’d rather never have to touch it. It’s cold in physical form–no thanks!

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  37. It’s cold in physical form–no thanks!

    That reminds me of my brother when he was 3 jumping into the snow and wondering where the warm snow was. He thought it should be warm since everyone talked about a “blanket of snow”!

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  39. Son number seven and I were shoveling off the deck and we would have gotten into a snowball fight but the snow was too cold to stick so we got into a snow shovelful fight.

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  40. A “blanket of snow” 🙂

    I grew up on a farm, in a state that gets snow in the winter (and other seasons). I remember one time jumping off the chicken coop roof with my siblings into a huge pile of snow that was only a few feet below the level of the roof. Fun times, and nobody got hurt, either!

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  43. Go Boise. Speaking of which, I see where Idaho has the lowest in overall earnings by full and part-time job holders. Our median annual wage is holding strong at 23,192 dollars. Interesting that Boise was selected as the number one place for men to live. I guess money does not buy everything.

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  44. You may be wondering where I developed my football prophesy skills. Or is it basketball. Anyway, I watched and learned. Second son says he is in the family fantasy football league but did not know it until about two weeks ago. He is winning, having never done anything with his team. Makes sense.

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  49. Fifth Arrow is my little music man. I’ve been playing Beethoven’s Pathetique Sonata a lot lately, so young son has gotten pretty good at knowing where the page turns are now (it’s 20 pages long, so he’s got his work cut out for him). He sits on the chair next to the piano bench and turns the pages when I give the nod. I just got done playing the sonata, and he turned to me after I finished it and asked, “How does it feel?” 🙂

    Invigorating!

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  51. Oops, looks like 5th Arrow and I interrupted a bunch of sports posts. We’ll just take our piano out of here before somebody punts a football into it.

    And thanks, Kare, but look out for those flying footballs 😉

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  52. Meanwhile, here at the nest. We have noticed a common thread. New children tend to sit around discussing the horror movies they have watched in the past, gradually tapering off to less traumatic things as they become comfortable here. I am happy to report that this morning’s discussion centered around various programs of SpongeBob which they had all seen in various other homes. Having never watched a Sponge Bob episode, I can only say that they sounded much less disturbing than the other genre. But it was fun to listen to a bunch of fifteen/sixteen year olds giggling and chortling over remembered cartoon episodes with their little brothers and sisters rather than discussions of…..

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  53. Just had an epic telephone conversation with my mom’s 2nd cousin (who turns 90 in June). She lives in Salinas and we only talk a couple times a year, if that — fascinating stories from her family (including some aunt who shot and killed her 3rd husband in Alaska and some other relatives who fell into disrepute and fled to, ahem, Idaho — Payette? They were run out of that town eventually, too, though).

    Good conversation, but it did last 4 hours so I’m beat. I think my bundled phone plan includes unlimited calling in California, though. 🙂

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  60. Today we go to my in-laws’ for the family Christmas gathering. First Arrow worked overnight last night, and will sleep some after work, then go later. Hubby works this morning, and the four youngest and I will pick him up on our way to the gathering.

    Things continue to be a big confusing mess at my husband’s workplace, on many levels. There is so much work to be done in the transition, and hubby is working some very long hours without getting weekends off. I mentioned the other day that he worked 15 hours. Then yesterday it was about 13 hours. Today won’t be long. Tomorrow will be early (and late), then January 1 will be his first overnight, starting at 5:30 pm and, hubby estimates, going till probably 6 or 7 in the morning.

    There will be some big checks the next couple pay periods, but the wear and tear from working those kinds of hours is considerable. From December 17, 2012 through January 5, 2013 (a 20-day period), he will have worked 18 of those days — every day but December 23 and 25.

    Continued prayers for him would be appreciated.

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  63. Today is 27 years since my grandmother (Dad’s mom) went home to the Lord. Doesn’t seem like that long. She lived next door through all my growing-up years, and bought the piano I practiced on at her house, and took me to piano lessons with my first teacher, a friend of hers, until the lady retired.

    Grandma had such an impact on my musical development. She really encouraged me, and would sometimes come sit downstairs while I practiced in the basement. When I got older and more accomplished and could play from a hymnal, from time to time she would ask me to play her favorite hymn, Onward Christian Soldiers. She’d sit on the bench next to me and sing her heart out, and often would not be able to finish, as the song choked her up thinking about her firstborn son (my dad’s only sibling) who died in WWII. I can’t ever sing that hymn now without also getting choked up.

    I remember the day Grandma died. I was babysitting for two young and very active boys when my other grandma called to tell me. Grandma hadn’t been sick long, so her death took me a little by surprise, though she was 91 years old. After I got off the phone, I went and sat on the bottom step leading to the upstairs of the house, rather stunned, and those two little boys, ages 1 and 3, sat down on the step, as well, one on either side of me. They sat PERFECTLY still, without moving or speaking, while I contemplated all of it.

    I will never forget that. It’s like it happened yesterday.

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  64. Donna, yes. Once my husband gets his replacement trained in (which starts January 1 and involves all overnight work), then he will go to first shift and have consistent start times (7:00 a.m.). There also will probably be no more overtime at that point, so from a financial standpoint, we’re hoping to do the best we can with socking away most of this extra money that’s coming from the long hours now. After that, finances will be more of a challenge, but working conditions will be MUCH easier. As far as we know.

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  65. 6 Arrows, sounds like you had such a special closeness to your grandmother, what a blessing.

    The two grandparents I knew best (the other two died early) were my dad’s mom and my mom’s dad. I’m sorry I didn’t get to know my grandfather better, but he was a quiet man and I was very shy around adults (he died when I was 12). My mom so looked up to him — and he had some fascinating stories. When he’d come out to visit to escape the Iowa winters he loved sightseeing and was intrigued by places like the Watts Towers and the Angels Flight cable car in downtown L.A.

    He took the bus and walked all over, always wearing his hat and sometimes using a cane. He was a very tall and big (not fat) man.

    After he died, my mom told me she still did a double take whenever she’d see a tall older man with a hat walking along the street.

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  66. Donna, you paint such a neat picture with your words about your grandpa. And I see you got it down in only four minutes from my post about my grandma! I’m in awe. 🙂

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  67. Oh, never mind, it was 9 minutes. I was looking at the wrong post of mine (9:28), which was about something different. Ahh, mornings. 😉

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  68. My dad’s mom was German — all the rest of my relatives were British, mostly Scottish — and she was somewhat chilly. She died when I was in college.

    We stayed at her place in Iowa when we’d visit through the later years (after my grandfather in the same town died). She had a house (it’s still there, my cousin went by there when she was back in Iowa last year) that sat right next to the railroad tracks. I think it was built for the railroad people, in fact.

    When we stayed there I was put in one of the upstairs “bedrooms” — but the house was one of those that had the steeply slanted roof line so the makeshift “bedrooms” upstairs had these crazy slanted ceilings (and I’d frequently whack my head going up the stairs as there was a low overhang at the top).

    She’d often send me to the little store at the end of the dirt road behind her house — with just a list of things that I’d had to the clerk who would collect and bag the items for me. I guess the store is now gone, though.

    She was widowed twice and took in sewing for income. But I don’t remember much in the way of a lot of chats with her. But like clockwork, every year, she’d send a $1 bill (cash) in the mail to me for my birthday (from the time I was little until I reached my later teen years). 🙂

    Her house was always spotless and my mom became especially anxious whenever she’d be coming to our house in California. 😉

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  69. Both of my dad’s parents and my mom’s mom were Germans. Mom’s dad was Polish. I’m not sure of any other nationalities that may have been thrown into the mix. I’m thinking I really should research this more, my ancestry. It’s getting a lot more interesting to me now as I get older.

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  71. And both of my German grandmother’s husbands during her lifetime also were Scottish/British.

    Ancestry.com is very helpful (but costs $); there’s now quite an online data base of census records, ship passenger lists, birth/marriage/death records — much of it comes to you by way of prompts or “hints” as you plug in names and places. It’s pretty amazing how little you have to know to begin building a family tree.

    I was doing that a couple years ago but since have dropped the membership for now (after I wasn’t using it much). I’ll get back to it someday, but it really was pretty interesting. My mom (and her cousin I talked to last night) both did pretty extensive research the old-fashioned way in their day so I did have something already in place.

    There’s another 2nd cousin of my mom’s still in Iowa who also is on Ancestry.com, I’ve gotten a lot of names & dates from the research she’s done.

    There also are pictures on the site, I came across a photo of my great-great grandparents from Northern Ireland along with a picture of an ancestor’s grave marker and copies of signatures on census records.

    One of my more curious finds was a Scottish ancestor whose occupation was listed as “pauper.”

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  72. Here is a verse that’s been on my heart for Mr. & Mrs. 6 Arrows, for Donna, & for anyone else who needs this encouragement…

    “Cast your burden on the Lord,
    And He shall sustain you;
    He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.”
    Psalm 55:22

    sus·tain
    [suh-steyn]
    verb (used with object)
    1.
    to support, hold, or bear up from below; bear the weight of, as a structure.
    2.
    to bear (a burden, charge, etc.).
    3.
    to undergo, experience, or suffer (injury, loss, etc.); endure without giving way or yielding.
    4.
    to keep (a person, the mind, the spirits, etc.) from giving way, as under trial or affliction.
    5.
    to keep up or keep going, as an action or process: to sustain a conversation.

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  73. The pastor finished a series on “The Grinch Who Stole Christmas”. Today was “Grinch of the Unknown” from Exodus 14:10f.

    Something strange occurred to me during this sermon:
    In the past, it seemed that everyone looked to the New Year as a fresh start, something new, start over again.
    This is the first time I can remember that most people are approaching the New Year with apprehension. Seems we are facing change with no hope.
    Domestic or foreign.

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  74. I tried to post my Bible reading plan yesterday while on the home computer, but it was having trouble and finally got deleted by continuing connection problems. Today I am at our vacation spot so the connection will probably be better.

    I have been using the One Year NLT Large Print Bible to daily read from the Old Testament, New Testament, Psalms, and Proverbs. I am a few days behind finishing it so I hope to finish today. I also use the Scripture Union Discovery daily guide for reading. For that I use the Blackaby Study Bible which I enjoy for the NKJV version and for the little encouragement notes scattered in the reading and for the biographical sketches of missionaries on some of the pages which relate special verses that inspired the missionaries.

    I got the One Year NLT and its Companion book on Kindle which I will use for 2013. I have not used the Companion book before. I think it will be helpful. I will continue with the Scripture Union readings and Blackaby Bible. I may get the Blackaby Bible on Kindle, too.

    My leg has been feeling better—no more pain, just still having stiffness. I am not stressing it. Thanks for prayers. We are at Hilton Head where it is sunny and cool.

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  75. Janice, enjoy your trip to Hilton Head. We have been there a couple of times, but for us, MB or rather Surfside, is a better choice. It’s closer and there is more to do. I”m no golfer. While at Hilton Head, we make side trips to Beaufort and Savannah.

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  76. Good Sunday everyone….we are supposed to receive 5 inches of snow overnight and tomorrow… 🙂
    Church has been sweet and wonderful….Sabbath School has been a video teaching from Sinclair Ferguson on the Holy Spirit….very good teaching indeed. We’ve been going through the book of Hebrews during Church service…the teaching has been so edifying…continuing to thank the Lord for His guidance and direction to this fellowship 🙂 We have to speak with the Pastor and Elders next week before we can partake of communion week after next…I wasn’t certain how I felt about that, but, when I consider the Lord’s Table has been taken rather lightly and haphazardly in our former church ( which grieved me to the point that I could not partake), I can appreciate their concerns….
    Chas, is the amusement park still in operation in Surfside? As I recall, it was rather smallish and the kids loved going there….a friend of ours worked there…he gave us passes 🙂

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  77. I am alive and kicking. Yesterday we went to see the movie version of Les Mis. Whatever you have heard about how good it is –it’s true.

    Today I have been on a mad cleaning spree. I took down all the decorations and packed them away for another year. I de-cluttered my bedroom. I just can’t sleep if there is too much “stuff” in there.

    I have scoured most surfaces with Comet and now have meat loaf in the oven. We will have it with Spanish rice and some sort of veggie.

    I didn’t sleep well last night so I watched TV from 3 am to 6 am—needless to say, I was a heathen that didn’t make it to church this morning. 😦

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  78. Nancyjill, I love Sinclair Ferguson — it was a talk by him on the 23rd Psalm (given at an L.A. area Ligonier conference I attended probably 18 years ago) in which he compared the idea of God’s “goodness and mercy” following us all the days of our lives to the work the sheepdogs did in Scotland.

    I made a note of it in my Bible (the notation is still there 🙂 ) and several months later, when I found and kept an Australian shepherd mix that was a stray in our neighborhood, I named her “Mercy.”

    We also “fence” the table when it comes to communion — our pastor explains that the church needs to do that to protect both the church but also individuals who may partake unworthily and call judgement upon themselves. But if visitors believe in Jesus, are members in good standing of a Bible believing church (not necessarily ours), and are fighting against (not accepting) the sin in their lives, they are invited and welcome to join in.

    So glad you’re enjoying the fellowship, it sounds like a good one that you’ve found. It’s not always easy when we live in more remote areas.

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  79. Donna, my husband is a tall man (6’3″) with a hat (a fedora), but he’s only 52. But then, in Nashville I had a cynical old lady neighbor, and she once had some unkind words to me about how dumb that hat looked on him, how it made him look so much older. (This is the same lady–maybe the same conversation, actually–who physically threw me out of her house because she just could not handle the thought that he and I were guarding our purity. I’m thinking it was the same conversation because she started by asking me why he was sititng on my steps if I wasn’t out there, and I said it’s because we did not go into my house together unless someone else was there, which she took to mean I didn’t trust him, and she wondered why I would marry a man I didn’t trust. She went from wondering aloud why I didn’t trust him to wondering aloud why I’d consider marrying a man without sleeping with him. Sigh.)

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  81. Hey, remember when I ticked Anlir off by guessing the teams right? I think it was the end of the season, and I hadn’t been guessing any, so I decided “now or never.” I decided teams based on having lived there or near there (Arizona, Chicago, Tennessee, or something like that), and for the teams that were left, I think I chose first in alphabetical order. And I think I tied with all but one correct and I got the tie breaker (and I’d “guessed” that by adding a point to someone else’s guess). He wasn’t very happy as I recall, but I thought it was funny. 🙂

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  82. On my way to buy dog food after church today (I was completely out of kibble and wasn’t able to make it to the store to buy any yesterday), I passed by the local “Beach Bikes” store which was open.

    I’d just been telling some friends at church I was thinking of getting a bike again, I really would like to get moving more this year & I miss not having a bike. (The one I gave away several years ago was a mountain bike that I hadn’t ridden in some time & now I really need something, well, a little softer and gentler. 🙂 )

    The store had an end-of-the-year sale sign out front so I decided to stop and check out the models. He showed me one women’s cruiser, a 3 speed, that I just might go back for. One of the attractive features was the “oversized” seat. 😉 Oy. It’s come to this …

    It’s white & cute, and 3 speeds are just right for me now, my old bike had 15 speeds, half of which I never really used.

    I just want something comfortable that I can ride along the waterfront or through the marina for some exercise and recreation as we head into spring and summer.

    I didn’t test ride it, though, as I was wearing some clunky boots and figured it would be hard to get a feel for it in those.

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  84. We went for a drive through the nature preserve. I wrote down a few reflections in haiku.

    Hop, hop little bird
    Water ripples toward the shore
    Movement of nature

    Shaggy moss hanging
    Caught in clumps upon the limbs
    Five o’clock shadow (we were there at 5:00 p.m.)

    Nature preserve drive
    Twenty years ago by foot
    Twenty-twelve four wheels (2012 four wheels)

    We enjoy the quiet, peacefulness of this area. Harbortown is beautiful when decorated for Christmas. The beach can be cold and windy, but a down jacket can help a human as much as a duck!

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  85. So, yesterday I said that we would be babysitting this weekend, & that my Bible reading plan for the coming year was to read the chronological one-year plan again, this time in the Amplified Version.

    Well, it turned out that Forrest’s daddy had him while Emily worked this weekend, so I have been catching up on reading & resting.

    In my email this morning, there was one from YouVersion.com about their many reading plans. After looking at them, I picked one that looked interestingly different – the ESV Study Bible one year plan (which I will stretch to 2 years). It “includes readings from four sections of the Bible each day: the Psalms and Wisdom Literature, Pentateuch and History of Israel, Chronicles and Prophets, and Gospels and Epistles.”

    What I found “interestingly different” about it is the first day’s readings are Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, Genesis 1, 1 Chronicles 1, & Luke 1:1-25.

    There’s also a 21-day devotional plan I’ll be doing starting January 7 (in addition to my regular Bible reading plan). That’s when our church begins its annual 21-day Daniel fast.

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  86. Oldest son sent tickets for the older seven to attend The Hobbit or Les Mis. Six chose The Hobbit and one chose Les Mis as she did not want to watch the other in 3D and that is what it was at the time. Anyway, they enjoyed theirs and she thought hers was absolutely wonderful and will now read the book. I suggested they read it before going but as she only had two hours, she did not have time.

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  87. I saw The Hobbit with my husband and son recently. It was good with wonderful special effects, however, it had too many battle scenes for my taste. We have discovered that we can go to the early movies at our local theater (not the 3D showing) and see the movies for $5.00 each which seems reasonable. It is also nice because not many people attend the early showing. Sometimes it can even feel like a private screening.

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  88. Mumsee, I’d have had a hard time choosing! (I think the 3-D would have made the decision for me too, though, since I had heard the Hobbit is really too intense in 3-D, making some people ill. As a carsick-prone person, I pay attention to reports like that.) My hubby and I saw the Hobbit as our first movie together, but I’d like to see Les Mis too. I generally only see about one movie per year–less than that, on average, over the years I’ve been seeing movies, so one movie every year ot two, actually. But Les Mis sounds well worth seeing, and we’d been looking forward to the Hobbit for some time.

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  89. Janice, too many battle scenes for my taste too, and way too exaggerated on the number and intensity of “amazing escapes.” I think they way overdid the scene of the hobbits in the trees with the wargs beneath, for example–it felt like a roadrunner and coyote cartoon! But overall a very good movie, and worth seeing. And I thought the reviews that panned it were way offbase (how anyone familiar with the story could say the first hour dragged is beyond me, for example–I suppose if you’re used to shoot ’em up action, maybe, but I thought it was true to the book and very well done).

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  90. I missed an invite from a friend yesterday to see Les Mis which I’ve heard is excellent. I’ve had less interest in seeing the Hobbit considering the less-than-stellar reviews. I did see a lengthy preview of it at the theater, the special effects look wonderful (but I’m not sure I’d do well in 3D either!).

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  91. They had to fit the movie to the trip for town for Karate. If they watched the movie after Karate, they could have seen it not in 3D, but that would have made them very late getting home. All were very pleased with their choices. Someday, I may see one or two of them but not in the foreseeable future.

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  92. Forgot to tell Karen thanks for the verse in #72. I’ve been blocking work out of my mind this weekend. 🙂

    Just had a good time at the dog park with Cowboy, ran into a couple friends including an old neighbor (in real estate) who caught me up on the housing market in our neighborhood. We both agreed that next year, economically, looks grim despite the very modest bounce in housing.

    Then I took Tess & Cowboy for a brisk walk along the waterfront, but we had to turn back as we approached some of the spurting ground fountains — for some reason that really just spooks the dogs, especially Tess.

    It’s chilly & windy out here tonight. Hat and glove weather.

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  95. We are on the water. That’s my only defense. That and it’s somehow all relative.

    I have a friend who is a NY transplant and now says she gets genuinely cold out here in the winter. “How can that be?” I asked her. But she said she does, said she’s somehow adjusted to the coastal California climate.

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  96. Mumsee – I agree, must be very cold down there.

    We have so much snow up here, my husband was snowshoeing in the fields and bush behind our place and suddenly fell down 5 feet. He had been snowshoeing on top of the hazelnut bushes and didn’t even realize it! He said it was ‘fun’ to fight his way out and back to the open field.

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  99. Donna, I was agreeing with you. How hard is that to accept? I have been there. It can be cold down there. Almost makes one regret the tee shirt and sandals for a moment.

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  100. We don’t have much snow, just enough to use a sled to move the hay but not enough to have to wade through. And it has been cool enough to keep it frozen.

    I sent a couple of big children out the other day with the little folk to help them make snowmen. Somebody had given them snow paint and little snowman outfits. I went out to check on their work only to find just two upper torsos and heads with hats and carrots and buttons and scarves and sticks, all in a blue ocean. It really was quite funny. I have such artistic children. The closest I ever came to that was a snowman lying on a lounge chair on our deck in Greece. With hat and sunglasses.

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  103. Karen (72), thank you. Beautiful verse. And I loved this part of the “sustain” definition: to support, hold, or bear up from below; bear the weight of, as a structure.

    That part also reminds me of the verse (verses?) in Scripture talking about the Lord being a strong tower. Running to Him and being safe. I’m paraphrasing, but thoughts like that, about the Lord and his almighty strength bearing us up are so comforting.

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  104. Kind of an alarming moment here. I turned on a space heater in a bathroom to keep the pipes from freezing only to have tiny flames. I unplugged it. My guess is it is not to be used again so moved it outside to some concrete, away from everything. Call me a coward.

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  106. Well, well, isn’t that interesting to see that He is a strong tower and all, right after I started thanking Him for keeping us from burning up.

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  110. Flames!

    I have mittens. But they’re in a dresser drawer, it’s not quite cold enough for those, even I’ll admit to that.

    But I figure in case I ever migrate north, say to Idaho, I do have mittens in reserve. 🙂 I’ve had them a while. Bought them for NY. But they’re still fairly new-looking, as you might guess.

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  111. Cheryl, I like how you put that comparison—like a roadrunner and coyote cartoon. I had not thought of it like that, but you are exactly right! My very favorite part was when the eagles came to the rescue! That alone was worth the trip to see the movie.

    We are involved in putting together an aggravating jigsaw puzzle. One time a number of years ago we were doing what seemed to be an impossible puzzle that I think we finally gave up on. I later found out my friend out in California was doing the same one and having an awful time with it, too. Seems like she did finish it and sent us a picture of it!

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  112. Sure would be nice to have another adult around here. I might have made it to church this morning with that bit of extra. But I was not up to watching the four younger ones. Why do I get left with the most difficult? Oh, yes, because I am willing to stay home with them, and prefer it to all the excursions.

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  113. We are doing jigsaw puzzles again these days. I enjoy most of them, but there have been a few. Daughter number five got me one for Christmas, one of the mosaics. I am afraid I am not fond of them. It will take a long time and I am not getting it out yet. She has asked about it….

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