106 thoughts on “Our Daily Thread 11-16-15”

  4. Programming note: Belle Starr the Bandit Queen is on The Westerns Channel this month. Gene Tierney is even prettier when she speaks with a Southern accent.

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  5. Good Morning Everyone. Not quite as exhausted as I was last evening. I knew the flower had to be from Janice. The camellia is the state flower of Alabama.
    The morning commute was a breeze. I had to cross tile, wood, and carpet to get here. Amos has come in to check things out. It has been a while since he had me at home this much.
    It will be good that I will be at home now when BG gets home.
    Yesterday we went to lunch and talked about JH Ranch. She is being very open to the idea. She knows several people in her class who have been. I told her if this works out well maybe in 2017 she and her dad can go. Yeah right. 😉 My first payment will be drafted today. It is refundable until the end of April, and I would be able to get all but $200 back.

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  6. Good Morning…..we are all sitting around here anticipating the over 2 ft of snow we’ll have by tomorrow….blizzard snow….lots of wind…big drifts…oh what fun! 🙂 Seems the Palmer Divide always gets the lions share of the snow…and guess who lives on Palmer Divide…yep…that’d be us 😎 This should be fun taking a puppy out of doors to do her business….
    Lulah is not responding to her name….my sister always called her “Girlie”…which she seems to recognize when we say it….her name just may be going back to the original…

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  8. I went out to get the paper yesterday morning and stopped in surprise. What was that sound? Rushing water? Did we have a leak?

    No. It had rained so hard during the night we actually had rainwater running down the gutters!

    Joy!

    Thanks, God!

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  11. Spent a lovely three days the end of last week visiting family and friends. I even enjoyed driving all over by myself. I think I’ve proved to my family that I’m as good a navigator of maps as my father 🙂

    On the parable of the talent, I’m still working that one out. I grew up hearing it variously ascribed to using one’s abilities for the Lord and sharing one’s faith. I think it is neither, and I lean toward the view that it is another version of the parable of the sower. The two servants who gained talents are like the seed that fell on good ground and bore fruit, some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred; while the servant who hid his talent in the earth is like the seed that fell on stony or thorny ground. Gaining talents isn’t about how many converts you win or what you accomplish for the kingdom, it is about what you do with Jesus Christ.

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  12. I read once where dogs like the “ee” or “y” sound at the end of their names. But I’ve named dogs without that (Tess) and they still respond to their names, it may just take a little more time. Maybe Lulie as an alternative for a while?

    Or just Lu? Or maybe “Louie Louie?” 🙂 Then you could sing “Oh no. Me gotta go, Ay-yi-yi-yi, I said Louie, Louie, me gotta go.”

    Woke up to my new stripped-bare landscape. Only I appreciate that it’s actually “better,” it really doesn’t look very nice. 😦 I do miss my jasmine & the bouganvelia (the latter will grow back, but probably not until spring — it was gigantic and needed the severe takedown before it engulfed everything in its expanding path). It was massive and filled with thorns. One of the guys was actually allergic to it, I think that was one of the the toughest parts of what they did. I’d trimmed it up one summer and remember dealing with all those nasty stickers.

    So now, with all the rain supposedly coming our way and my roof being quite old, Oscar’s going to put me in touch with his pal who does roofs (he thinks he did the one that’s on this house now before I bought the place, when the former owners were here). He said the guy is in Mexico for the next week or so but Oscar said he’s pretty sure he could do the work in a timely way (said he’s a “workaholic”), knows what he’s doing and would do it for less than I’d pay a company, especially at this stage.

    Meanwhile, no rain here yet, just a lot of dry, cold winds all night long. I wore multiple layers to bed and still have them all on. 🙂

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  13. It is all about perspective, I suppose. Eight year old looked out the window and rejoiced that there was a lot of snow. It is about one flake deep. I suppose if you took all of the snow spread around and stacked it, it could get deep. So it is a lot of snow, just not deep enough to seem like snow.

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  14. I have deep drifts of leaves and still some dead foliage in the backyard (not nearly as much as there was yesterday). They’re supposed to come back to gather all the rest of that up today.

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  15. Mumsee, when I was eight I would also have rejoiced at that much snow in November. Once the leaves were off the trees, we looked eagerly for the first snowfall, and were always disappointed when it was wet snow that melted quickly.

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  17. The camellia was right outside the breakfast area at the Marshall, TX Fairfield Inn. I saw it from the table where husband and I were dining. I went outside to take the picture and did not realize the door would lock behind me. Some other folks were dining near the door and a nice lady let me back in. 🙂

    I showed my photo to one of the workers and she had not even noticed the flowers. It was a stop and smell the roses, or see the camellias, moment.

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  18. That is a gorgeous flower. 🙂

    Our weather is very conflicted out here:

    LOS ANGELES — A cold front today will bring the Southland strong winds, high surf, snow as low a 3,000 feet, and an elevated danger of fire, National Weather Service forecasters said.

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  22. So Michelle’s question and Roscuros answer reminded me of this song. I had to listen to several versions but most were too stylized and more about the singer than the song although Bruce Springsteen has a rockin’ version of it. I finally settled on sharing Cedermont Kids with you.

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  24. Well, I’ve got more unofficial work. Both Second and Youngest siblings are in their second month of pregnancy and feeling quite sick. I go today to babysit Little and Baby Niece while Youngest goes to the doctor, and Second has phoned to ask for my help a day this week.

    I discovered this gorgeous song while spending my birthday gift of an iTunes card:

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  25. Gene Tierney was better looking than the real Belle Star.
    I told you before. I was watching that movie at the America Theater in Charleston on Dec. 7. 1941. I didn’t know about the attack until I came home.
    I didn’t know about the 9/11 attack until about noon.

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  27. Speaking of pretty flowers (we were, weren’t we?), I have a question. I’ve taken various photos in my mother-in-law’s garden. I guess the garden isn’t quite what it used to be, since for years it was on the “garden walk” in their town, but she’s nearly 80 now and Dad’s caregiver, so it isn’t quite as elaborate. But she still grows multiple things over the course of a year, and I’ve gotten some nice photos of the flowers and a few critters. I’d like to make some of them into photo cards for her, and possibly also make the cards for my girls, for Christmas. I bought clear boxes of the sort that cards are sometimes sold in, to prepare a set for each. I’d like to label the set, and also mark the back of each individual card with the set name and the name of that specific photo.

    So here’s my question: “Mom’s Garden” doesn’t seem to work, since she is “Mom” to only four people (her two children and their spouses). I don’t call her by her first name, I call her Mom, but most people call her by her first name, and most of the people receiving the cards would do so. Do I label them “Grandma’s Garden” or “D—‘s Garden”? If I use her name on the ones for her, then I’d imagine I’d use Grandma’s on the cards for the girls (which will not be opened at the same time–we do Mom and Dad’s Christmas at their house on Christmas Eve, our own here Christmas morning). I guess the question, for those of you who have grandchildren, is which of those would make more sense to you if you were the recipient of such a gift from your daughter or daughter-in-law? (Or am I just overthinking it?) She’s 79, still in good health, and she enjoys the homemake I make for her, and I thought she might find it fun to have homemade cards from her own garden, whether she uses them or keeps them to look at.

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  28. Ricky. Is it called “The Westerns” channel. I have UVerse but I don’t have that. I looked under “The Westerns” and “Westerns” and didn’t find it.
    I thought I might watch it just because of what I said earlier.

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  31. 6 Arrows, from last night.
    Our church has three morning services. We run between 1300 & 1400 for the three. The early service has, I estimate, about 600-700. Our sanctuary will seat 900…..
    The orchestra has about ten people. The other two services have guitars and drums.
    I have never attended one of those.
    Pastor Steve stays outside until the singing is over for the contemporary services..
    YES! he said that.

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  32. We are all given opportunity to pray, but do we all take God seriously enough to call on Him to do what He can that is within His will? Are the prayers like wasted talents, things that might have made a difference in what the master received? Just wondering. His word says we do not have because we don’t ask rightly. Hmmm…I still have lots to learn. I suppose if we ask rightly then perhaps His kingdom on earth might advance more rapidly? I know He certainly acts without our doing anything as He did at creation, and He is not dependent on our prayers, but in giving free will does it mean if we freely pray according to His will that He will make good happen that would not have happened otherwise? I think there is a question for today in that pondering.

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  35. Cheryl, first I think you are overthinking it.
    Second, I think I would label them From the Garden of Kimberley Smith Johnson.
    One day great, great grandchildren or nieces or nephews could be looking at a note card and not know who Mom or Grandma was. But ask Michelle. She is more into that than I am.

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  36. Janice, thanks. Because I’m titling each photo, I like the simplicity of D———‘s Garden or Grandma’s Garden (and also because some of the photos aren’t of flowers, but of birds or chipmunks or squirrels), but I’m just not sure which one to use. (Most are of flowers.)

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  37. Chas, if your sanctuary seats 900 and you have more than half of the total number of attendees in one service, then why do you have three services and not two?

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  39. Karen, that’s part of what I liked; “Grandma’s Garden” is alliteration, and it also sounds cozy. If she were my own grandmother, that would be my obvious choice. Since she isn’t, I don’t know.

    Kim, thanks.

    Michelle?

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  40. Oops, I started that with my questions to Chas last night. Sorry, Donna. But just be glad I didn’t ask what time the first train delivering congregants comes, and when the second train will arrive if traveling five miles further and leaving six minutes and eight seconds later than the first train.

    Solve for T.

    Or something like that. 😉

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  45. Found this online:

    Encore Westerns is a western channel on AT&T U-verse. This channel features western movies and popular series from classics to contemporary favorites. Encore Westerns is one of only two Encore channels that currently airs series programming (consisting of classic western series airing during the morning and late afternoon hours). The channel was originally called Westerns.

    So looks like the western channel is one of the Encore channels (I forget if I get those or not!)

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  47. Cheryl- It could be that the rock-concerts-with-a-sermon are more popular than the traditional services, so they need the third service. I think a good idea to get young people out of bed earlier on a Sunday would be to have the rock concert service at 8AM.

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  48. C, Donna J is right. You are also right about the real Belle Starr.

    It seems the old Japanese were pretty sneaky. They caught everyone at the movies. Another friend of mine was watching Seargent York. The theater owner came in and announced the bombing of Pearl Harbor. All the men rushed out, leaving only the women and children to watch Gary Cooper kill and capture all the Germans.

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  49. I am with you on THAT Peter. If they don’t want a traditional service then they don’t get the “traditional” time.
    I didn’t go to church yesterday, but last Sunday I went at 8am. The service I told my priest I wasn’t going to attend. I liked it. It was the same music as the 10am service but with only a piano and 1 guitar instead of the whole shebang.

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  51. “I think a good idea to get young people out of bed earlier on a Sunday would be to have the rock concert service at 8AM.” — Peter

    So then maybe you’d wind up with just 2 services … 8 a.m. rock concert to sleep in? I suspect most young people would opt for the latter. 🙂

    When we had an early (8 a.m.) service for a while (identical to the 10 a.m., but it was added for space purposes as it was getting too crowded), it was populated by the all the older people exclusively.

    I figured older people probably get up earlier in general — plus they no longer have the added burdens of scrambling to get a family ready.

    I remember going for a while because Norma preferred it, but I was glad when it got cancelled and we all went back to a 10 a.m. time together — it felt like it “split” the church and I (personally) preferred the energy of the better-attended and more family-friendly, younger 10 a.m. service.

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  55. Yep.

    From michelle’s link above on why congregations have quit singing along:

    ________________________________

    Spectator set-up. Increasingly, the church has constructed the worship service as a spectator event. Everyone expects the people on stage to perform while the pew-sitters fulfill the expectation of any good audience–file in, be still, be quiet, don’t question, don’t contribute (except to the offering plate), and watch the spotlighted musicians deliver their well-rehearsed concerts.

    Professionalism. It seems it’s paramount for church music to be more professional than participatory. The people in the pews know they pale in comparison to the loud voices at the microphones. Quality is worshipped. So the worshippers balk at defiling the quality with their crude crooning. It’s better to just fake it with a little lip syncing.

    Blare. The musicians’ volume is cranked up so high that congregants can’t hear their own voices, or the voices of those around them, even if they would sing. So they don’t sing. What would it add? The overwhelming, amplified sound blares from big speakers, obliterating any chance for the sound of robust congregational singing.

    Music choice. Sometimes people refrain from singing because the songs are unfamiliar, hard to sing, or just cheesy. Sometimes worship leaders choose a song that may thematically tie into the day’s sermon topic, but it’s unsingable. Sometimes worship leaders choose lame songs written by their favorite songwriters–themselves.
    _____________________________________

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  56. Michelle and talents:

    We are given the Truth and offered salvation. All of us. Those who accept the Gift and allow Him in and take up the cross and follow Him will be richly rewarded with duties and opportunities to come in the New Heaven and the New Earth. Those who refuse to open the gift and use it, will find themselves without, as in outside of the New Earth and the New Heaven: Hell.

    We also apply it here at the farmlette to actions. Those who put their hand to the plow and help out are richly rewarded here in the present with both freedom and more opportunities to serve. Those who don’t, get to sit back and watch as nonparticipants.

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  57. There is a local Minister of Music who stands in front of the choir-at the pulpit- facing the congregation and has his microphone turned up louder than the choir. It is a very large church so he has at least 75 to 100 choir members and an orchestra backing him up. Oh and you should see his facial expressions as he sings. God is not happy with the thought in my heart when I am witnessing this spectacle.

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  59. I actually think everyone in the choir, praise team, etc, belongs in either the back of the church or the choir loft. As a clarinetist, I’m happier there.

    (And I can see the who,e congregation from my perch!)

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  60. Agreed. Went to a Christmas Eve service once and the choir was in the loft. Never saw them but, oh, what a beautiful sounds.

    With our recent leased space remodel, the worship musicians are now on a platform next to the pulpit, which many of us don’t like much (they were on the floor before, much less visible which I understood was by design).

    I guess it was a space consideration and something they had to do to make everything else work (with regard to getting more seating, etc.).

    But I really don’t like it.

    That said, we do strive to keep the musicians modest and not overly loud. 🙂 And all of our hymns & songs are congregational singing, no solos or “performance” type pieces.

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  61. We’re now putting in a screen and video capabilities in our 250 attendance Lutheran Church. Much anguish over the design; we lost an elder in the process who couldn’t take the pressure anymore, and it isn’t even in place yet. Sigh. I don’t care, just don’t ignore the cross.

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  62. Cheryl, numerous studies have shown that people will not continue to attend an auditorium at capacity. In our church, almost everyone wants an isle seat. 2/3 is a comfortable crowd. We just about make that in the early service. I don’t know about the other two.
    They also need to consider SS facilities.

    I have found Encore Western. I may try to find Belle Starr.

    Thanks Ricky and Donna.

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  63. We recently installed screens, too, which is ironic since the church long ago — before becoming reformed — had screens, then did away with them in an effort to develop a more pulpit-centered design. But now they’re back. I can see the help they are in SS and other classes — and during the sermon the longer verses he cites go up (though I still prefer to follow in my Bible).

    But yeah, there are a couple of us who were dismayed at the appearance of screens, 😦 something we were trying to get away from in attending an orthodox church.

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  65. We have one music leader. She stopped leading a few weeks ago in the middle of a song. We were not being cooperative. She was waving her arms and dancing, and nobody joined her. Maybe she was having a bad health day or meds conflict. It was bizarre. But I would never be the one up there leading the music! Though I probably should have when she stopped. The pianist kept playing and some folks tried to continue but most were too shocked. Poor ending to the service.

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  70. We don’t have cable. We feel spoiled when we get to stay at a hotel with cable. While in TX we got to see Steel Magnolias on cable. It was wonderful. We tried to see the Republican debate but did not find that channel available. We watched it on our Smartphone. It was r
    frustrating to think we would see it on the really BIG screen only to find out we had to watch it on the tiny screen. How quickly we become accustomed to the luxuries of life. Now it is back to cat scratch tv that stalls out every few minutes because we don’t have cable. But who would want to pay for cable tv to only have it marred by an obsessive/compulsive cat?

    Our son does not have a tv in his apartment. 🙂 He has a lot of books.

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  72. Chas, unless the other services have people spaced out more, if you have 600-700 in your service and 1300-1400 for all three, then the other two together have about the same number of people as yours alone . . . which made me wonder why they have two services for your one.

    Honestly, I don’t like the idea of a church having two different services for two different styles. Older and younger people need each other. In our service, the ages range from infants a few months old to a couple in their nineties. I think that is how it should be. Funny thing is, we are a long way from “contemporary,” and we don’t even have much of a nursery, but young couples are inviting other young couples and we’re growing with the addition of young families. But any “church growth expert” who saw our service without seeing the congregation would guess that we must not have anyone under 50 in the crowd. (We’d have to hide those who take the offering or play the piano for them to get that idea, but the piano is in the balcony so we can at least do that much easily.)

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  73. I do not like the screens in church. Pick up a hymnal if you don’t know the words to the song. Our songs are printed in our bulletin.
    When Wendell was interviewing for the music leader position at our church he stated his goal was to get the congregation to sing. He has done that well. The guy before was a professional musician and writer. He spliced songs together, repeated stanzas out of order. It lasted f o r e v e r. Lots of times I got tired and just sat down. Many were sad to see him go because he had been at the church from the beginning. I was relieved. I like him. I was just frustrated with the music. It was a better opportunity for him to go and I now enjoy the music at church.

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  74. I try not to get too worked up about the music in church. I can worship with just about any type. I do not like it too loud, however. Loud is painful for those older or babies. Also–do not treat me like I am in kindergarten. I do not want to march, clap, dance or do hand signals. I find it all distracting and irritating. I cannot concentrate on worship when I am thinking about the rhythm, for example.

    Cheryl, your idea sounds wonderful. What a nice gift; no matter which name you choose. I get a family calendar each year which features family photos. Each grandchild has a picture on their birthday. It is big enough to use to write appointments down, so well used. It is a joy to turn the month and very helpful for remembering each birthday. The pictures are usually from the year before in the appropriate months. It is one of my favorite gifts.

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  76. Michelle, you asked about the cards I’m making. No, I’m not making them on my printer, but I got photos printed and I’m using these cards: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CRNYCV6?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=ox_sc_sfl_title_8&smid=A210QA53RKH6N3 Only I placed an order directly from the manufacturer, and I got some other colors besides the black ones. But the black ones should look super sharp with anything with really bright color. I haven’t gotten these particular photos printed yet, but I did get the cards, and now I have to figure out how to use them.

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  77. We are having rain. Lots of it. I would prefer snow, but only a few inches at a time. We need it for brightening things up and insulating other things. ‘Tis the season. It is also much better than ice on the roads and sidewalks.

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  78. Funny children. Fourteen year old was given a ride to school this morning due to the snow, but told to take his bike so he could ride home. He put the bike in the back of the truck but neglected to take it out. He just called to tell us he forgot his bike so he would be walking. It is only four miles rather than the eight or ten it would have been had he not been given a ride this morning.

    Seventeen year old daughter had her car fixed but they failed and it failed the next day. She walked the seven miles to work. Grown daughter had told her to call somebody or take a taxi rather than walk home from work (the Boise game) at midnight. She did not call somebody or take a taxi. Some woman had seen her walking and then saw her at the game and offered her a ride home. Turns out, the woman has a home health care business and offered daughter a job. We will see how that goes. Grown daughter says seventeen year old’s attitude is better. We believe in exercise improving attitude.

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  80. Mumsee, I’m so muddled right now, I’d be happy to give them to you. Just as I was about to put part of the Biddy bio to bed, I discovered her mother apparently eloped with her first cousin. What is it with these folks? Off to finish cooking dinner. I’m going to review Bible study stuff tomorrow morning when hopefully my brain is clear!

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  81. Lots of interesting discussion here today!

    BTW, Janice, that sure is a gorgeous flower in the header. 🙂

    When 3rd Arrow and I play We Gather Together at church next week, right at the end of the pre-service music for the Thanksgiving Eve service, we will be seated at the piano in the back of the sanctuary. And that’s a good spot.

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  82. Our songs also are printed in the bulletin & once a month we’re “unplugged” — hymnals only, piano only.

    Nice thing about our remodel with new chairs — they include undercarriages where the hymnals can be placed so they’re handy.

    It was very cold at the dog park tonight. Someone was heading off to buy some tights and try to dig out her dog’s jacked (her dog is a pit bull so he tolerates it only).

    And one of the trees fell down in the dog park as a woman leaned against it. Or so they told me, I wasn’t a witness and dog park people sometime tell tales.

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  85. Too late to open up a can of worms tonight, after a busy day discussing all these things we did here, but tomorrow I will.

    I came across a website today that just began a study on Debi Pearl’s Created to be his Help Meet book. I don’t know what schedule she will be on, but today’s post was on chapter 1.

    I own that book, and have read it twice. I was also part of two different women’s groups who studied that book a few years ago.

    Through Cheryl and other people online, I have come to view some of the Pearls’ materials in a different light. I am seeing theologically erroneous ideas that I’d not noticed before, and it is becoming more and more troublesome to me all the time.

    More tomorrow…

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  87. There is a relationship between music and math so it is logical that 6 Arrows thinks in those terms. The person I use to teach Sunday School with taught piano and I believe she majored in mathematics in college.

    I never heard 9 the Pearls except for here on the blog.

    I am sad tonight after talking with my brother. Because of his job loss he is uber sensitive about bills he is receiving and other costs. He is concerned about paying parking at the hospital if I want him to be with me for Art’s surgery. He wants to ride with us which means he’d have to leave super early since he lives an hour away. I would pay for his parking and gas but I don’t think he would let me. He just hates to pay parking on general principle. Anyways, I just feel overwhelmed dealing with his job loss stress along with feeling like I have no one to be with me at the hospital. I know God will be with me. And I know some of you are only a post away. I think Art’s lady pastor may be there some of the time.

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  91. And it’s definitely true that math and music are connected. I’ve noticed that among my friends — those who are musicians love (or at least are very good at) math (and visa versa).

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  92. Praying for you, Janice.

    I’m not too great at math (algebra, geometry and everything after that I’m horrible at; everything before those, I enjoy and do well), but I really love a good rhythmic challenge, figuring out the mathematics of notes of different values played simultaneously with my two hands, or how each beat is divided up into interesting — and sometimes complex — parts.

    I enjoy finding larger patterns in the music, too — phrases, whole sections of the “A” theme, “B” theme, transitions, codas, etc. I like discovering those patterns and trying to memorize them.

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  97. I didn’t do much today, but I did get the dogs to the park & started clearing out my pots-and-pans cupboards (dishwasher running).

    Some need to be tossed, others given away. Interesting to see the eras I’ve passed through — the basic stainless set my mom gave me for Christmas umpteen years ago, the copper-bottomed Revere-ware I loved 20-30 years ago and found on sale at Montgomery Wards, the unfortunate romance with the throw-back of cast iron, and the random, cheap non-stick pans picked up here and there in between. 🙂

    Do you all still have your original pots and pans?

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  102. Wow, we made it. It’s been a while.

    Love old pots and pans, I’ve got to say.

    I kept my mom’s “potato pot” — the big, bent, dented, rounded-bottom pot that always was used to cook and mash (my job) potatoes through the years as I was growing up (and beyond).

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  103. Staying in a lovely luxurious hotel tonight. I’m so glad we didn’t try to tackle the Rogers Pass tonight. My sister and BIL and my parents are currently stuck in the middle of nowhere on the highway 😦

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  104. Good evening, Jo. Today is when we hopefully get a new hot water heater. It’s been tough without hot water, but it helps in thinking how many in the world live. Are you still planning to see New Zealand?

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  105. Hi Janice, hot water is so nice. just used a hot pot to get enough hot water to wash a frying pan. Still hoping for New Zealand. My friend still hasn’t gotten her ticket and the price has now gone up. I really feel that I can’t stay here over the holidays. everyone leaves and everything closes. I would be too alone even for this introvert. Christmas is hard anyway.

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