Grace and Peace

Tonight we had our monthly refuge service. I love those times of communion and worship. Tonight our pastor talked about the way that Paul begins most of his letters. Written to many cultures, many people, and yet they begin the same way...

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ...

Rushing over those words, he reminded us, causes us to pass by the basis for what our faith is based on.

Grace: God's riches at Christ's expense...
Easy to look at that and say, yep that is what it means. But do we really understand daily what that expense was? Christ, God's only son, submitted to death on the cross dying for each of us and our sins. His resurrection was nothing short of a miracle. With that resurrection, we received forgiveness. We received grace and forgiveness through nothing that we have done. His grace is why we are able to receive our forgiveness. It is only that forgiveness that we can even experience His peace.

As I am writing my current paper, I stand in awe of the great love that our God has for us to have set that plan in place for us. When we have placed our trust in Jesus and accept Him as our Lord and Savior, we have the assurance of salvation and the promise of heaven and eternity with Him. Grace...His Grace is all sufficient and all encompassing. Once we experience that grace...we will experience His peace.

What a perfect reminder for us as we approach Easter. When we realize the depth of His grace we are drenched in His peace. There is nothing that can overwhelm us when we washed with His grace.

Two birds and two lifestyles...

There are 2 birds that I have become fascinated with since we have moved to Washington. It has been very difficult for me to catch a picture of the first one so this picture of the hummingbird is not one that I have taken...it's not that I haven't tried to catch pictures of this little bird...I just haven't been able to do it...maybe this summer but....

The 2 birds? The hummingbird and the eagle....

First---the hummingbird!

Have you ever watched a hummingbird? Their wings are going so fast that many times you can't see them and that keeps them stationary. They rarely "sit" down, they flit from one flower to another, and they seem to have an overwhelming "schedule."

Then there is the eagle...


I can recognize their flight! They expend little energy when they are flying. If there is turbulence, they continue to go higher and higher until they can fly above it. Their vision is phenomenal...they can see their prey as they are flying high and then they dive right to it. They seem so calm and unruffled.
A speaker said, the eagle doesn't need to figure out how to get across the stream or the raging river.

So many times, I feel like the hummingbird. I flit from one project to another and don't really LAND on one of them. I get exhausted from flapping my wings so fast, and then, even with all of that action, I feel like I just stay in one place.
I have felt like the eagle. That is when I am grounded in His Word. It is then that I can soar over the "turbulence" that comes into my life. I can set my eye on the "prize." I can look at situations with the eye of Christ and my focus is clear.
I would love to be recognized by my walk with Him. What a joy to hear: oh, she is a Christ-follower...I recognize her walk. I can see that she spends time with the
Creator and Sustainer of the Universe.
So here is the Question...
Hummingbird? Eagle?
"Do you not know? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.
He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint."

~ Isaiah 40:28-31

Overwhelming Dinner and Sunset....

I started my Saturday with the DWIPS - a group of ladies that are trying to be dangerous for Christ. We meet two times a month and I am always amazed at God's design when He brought us together as a group.

Then, after bumming around the home show, we went out to dinner in Blaine at the Beach House. It is right beside the bay and as we sat we watched the sky's canvas...as the Creator painted another one of His masterpieces.

We watched throughout dinner. While we waited for the sunset, there was other entertainment. Although they are called flying rats by some, I have to say that I am fascinated by the sea gulls out here. It was low tide and so the clams were plentiful. The gulls grab what they can in their bills and then fly up and drop them to the ground. It's more amazing than that...they find cement, drift wood, or anything that would be a harder surface to break them open. It really was quite a show...

The sun's refection on the water...

As we ate dessert, the painting was almost complete. We walked along the shore (even though it was FREEZING). As we left the parking lot, I told Steve that I felt like I was going to cry, I felt overwhelmed. It was His creation, His love, His plan, His hand, and it was God's presence that completely overwhelmed me...what a joy to serve Him...

We left the restaurant and Steve said, quick take this picture, it shows the silver lining of the clouds...I wrote a little book last year and one of the lines was:

WOW! That's all I can say! WOW!
And the dinner at sunset...WOW!

Fun with Simon and Mazie...Betsy and Jon and Lacy...

Nothing more fun than a trip to Costco. And the smiles here are so...cheesy...yep, that is what they say....CHEESE....

the first morning that I got to Omaha, I realized that I was in need of more mascara...somehow, I was running low on the stuff...but 2 little monkeys had a great
deal of fun with it!!!

Off we went to the park. It was great fun watching the kids have fun. Mazie can never be accused of not dressing for the activity... I am not sure that you would know that a boa is perfect playground attire!!! Oh, My Mazie...what a girl!

Swinging in for a kiss! It almost happened here. Just a little higher and they connected. I have such joy watching Betsy and Jon interact with the kids and they are way more trusting than I would be....

Mommy and Daddy...don't look!!! My they are trusting. But then, if Lacy trusts what is going to happen, it's okay...isn't it?

When Steve saw this picture he said, "Did Lacy really go down the slide?"

Yep, she sure did. And she was flying down that slide. You see when you go to the park...EVERYONE has fun!! Even "Wacy the dog"

Mazie shown here in a fashionable yet understated outfit which would place her on the Oscar's red carpet at the top of the star listing. (Even now there are knock offs of this dress being made) Wearing a pink sequined shift trimmed with a pink feather boa, Mazie is ready for her own award. Not to be deemed the worst dressed by some fashion guru, she added a pink tutu with purple flowers in the layers of netting and embellished with a purple flower at the waist. Feeling that she could fly to the moon to receive the award, a pair of green wings accompany the ensemble. Not caring for the traditional way of wearing jewelry, Mazie wears her elastic pink and purple floral necklace as a headband.

Worn over pants and a shirt, Mazie is ready for the runway OR the playground!

When playing hide and go seek, it is always good to hide where no one can see you!

Simon has no time for the runway for he is off to work. He slings his shovel on his back and off he goes. Since he still cannot whistle, he just talks non-stop while off to work he goes. He frequently stops to flip a shovel full of snow over his shoulder...for good luck? One can only guess!

Mazie and Nana rode a car in the children's museum which was fun and fabulous place to take kids. We all had a great time.




Simon works on a project at the children's museum while Betsy helps Mazie in the background. The completed pictures were works of art and should be sold to the highest bidder...however, somehow, SOMEONE (who is helping Mazie) put them down somewhere in the museum so those will not catch the pretty penny that Nana thought that they would. I am not prejudiced!

At the end of the stay, Simon asked me if I had enough underwear for 60 days because he wanted me to stay with him for 60 days or weeks. Poppa told him that he missed Nana and so I was able to fly home. I think he really enjoyed the book that I brought along. We read Eddie and the Great Deals every night. The first couple nights he stayed awake. The last 3 nights he fell fast asleep. He always seemed to know what we read the night before...just like a man, he was just resting his eyes.

When we moved to Washington, I told Steve that I didn't want to be a once a year grandmother. I wanted to see the kids and watch them grow. What a blessing we have had. I can go for about 3 months before I have to see them.(actually more like 2 and then I start looking for a ticket, who am I kidding? I am already shopping for June.)

This time, I was able to see their new apartment, meet their new "sisters," and have another wonderful time with them. God is so good.

Rules PS.....

Carnegie Library in downtown Vancouver

I really do remember all of the rules that Betsy and Jane mentioned. Bikes and playing within the boundaries of our neighbors. Steve hates it when you use his toothbrush. Jane and I had the same kind and I forgot what color my toothbrush was...it is an honest mistake. I did hate Donna Reed and I think she came on at 12:30. The girls were supposed to wake me, however, there is a correction...I didn't wear earplugs until much later!!! but I did jump and scare them. I also tried to tell them so many things at night when they would wake me but my...

I am so glad you are home and I love you so much...did you have a good time?

but instead it came out like this:

smuf da shud da lem da...

or I guess I never said a thing....I thought that I did!

so obviously, the rules are right and I did have lots...Even though I had lots of rules, I have to say that God has given us 2 beautiful daughters and for that we are truly grateful. What a blessing that they are, not only to us but to others who come across their paths.

President's Day....

Like good Americans, we went to Canada. Actually, Steve had the day off so...

Steve came with me to class. He helped me study my flash cards on the way up to class (I had a mid-term TEST...one of the first tests that I have had in seminary); and then he got to sit in my world religion class. He said that he did learn a lot and did enjoy it.

After class we headed to Granville Island in Vancouver. We had lunch at Dockside and this is what we were looking at out of the window.

After lunch we went to the Public Market which is similar to Pikes Place Market without the flying fish and all of the little shops. It was filled with different booths of fresh food of all sorts; desserts that were a work of art; and some of the strange foods in this metropolitan market.

No, the oranges and strawberries are Not some of the strange foods but...I loved the way that they displayed the strawberries. Unfortunately, we could buy nothing...we can't cross the border with fresh fruit or vegetables or raw meat. There are lots of other "rules" that it is just not worth bringing anything over the border.

We love going to new places or just getting out and spending the day together. And next to smart cars that we see that I love, I love looking at the electric trolleys throughout the city.

And on the way home, Mt. Baker was reflecting the afternoon sunset and it was beautiful.

We came home and are enjoying the day. Steve talks about the time when he can retire and we can do this whenever we want to. For now, we are thankful for the precious times that God gives us together.

Rules....

Last weekend, after getting a wonderful deal on the Internet, we flew to Phoenix anticipating temperatures in the 70's with lots of sun. we weren't disappointed. We flew into Phoenix and we were met at the airport by 2 of Steve's sisters and their husbands. We went to see the third one and had a great time.

We went to Old Tucson the next day and hung out with some dangerous fellows. It was fun seeing the set where so many of the western movies were made...including, Three Amigos.

There were lots of rules in this town, one for sure that Steve wouldn't be able to keep..."Mourners at a wake can not eat more than 3 sandwiches. " So limiting when there may be several varieties! Beef, ham, chicken, cheese, the choices are limitless...and to be limited to 3?

There were lots of silly rules:

* One armed piano players must play for free.

* Every citizen must take a bath one time every year.

* It's illegal for a barber to threaten to cut off a kid's ear.

And here is one that would need some additional explanation...Donkeys cannot sleep in bathtubs.

You have to wonder about those rules. But then I thought of all of the rules we have: We have rules or laws that we must follow in our city, county, state, and country. We have rules that we have established within ourselves. Sheets should always be "pattern facing together" when making the bed (that is one of mine.) We have rules in church: You can't smoke, drink, swear, or chew; and you don't associate with girls who do.

Rules: here's a question for you...do you have internal rules? Behavioral rules? When you think about them, do you wonder where they originated AND are you passing on the rules to your family? What is the basis for them? Are they real or would snopes.com report them as wrong?

I remember that whenever there was a tornado watch, my mom would rip us out of our beds and we would sleep downstairs. I never remember sleeping, but I do remember watching my mom worry. When we had a tornado watch, we would just ask the kids if they wanted to sleep downstairs. I don't think that we were panicked. I just knew that if the siren went off at night, we wouldn't hear it. Now my kids MAY see this in a bit different light.

Any rules that you remember?