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December 30, 2004   I think I'm just going to call it a day---or a year, that is.   I'm sure ready for a fresh start---a new beginning---a clean slate.  I think I'll just end the 2004 blog this way and next week start a new blog file...  it'll be great to have a new file for the blog as this one's pretty full...  A year in pics?  Well, I thought about doing one but perhaps I'll just post a some pics that were my favourites from this year.  They're one's that have graced these pages over the last 12 months... so here are a few pics of 2004---the best clips, however, are the ones that play in my mind---the ones I hold in my heart and the stories that are being lived out right now.

Still fresh in my mind is how I spent most of 2 months... with pneumonia this past fall.  And... the sweet company I had.

so... there's a recap of a few of the highlights of 2004.  It's time to begin making new memories.   
    

December 29, 2004   The year is winding down and I'm sort of wondering how it all happened so fast and where the days---no, months---went.  What are the results of an entire year spent and where did the little children go?  I was just getting ready to hang the new calendar and... what?  I need to hang another new calendar?  Ah... so, in the theatre of my mind plays a seeming endless film of days gone by.  It's an odd film, though, because it's got decades of memories interspersed within the frames.  Sort of like an old volume with pictures and notes and clippings and pressed flowers between the pages.  That's how this past year seems to me, for it has been in this year that I've come to discover that I'm turning another corner  in life and I'm beginning the journey down a new path---an unknown path---and for that reason, the unknown's, I'm sad and sort of not looking forward to the travels ahead.  I'm painfully aware that my baby is slowly slipping away, that she can no longer be held as an infant in my arms and will soon outgrow my cradling arms.   I had no idea that I'd ever come to this place.  I had no idea I'd ever cry for just one more opportunity to cradle , or nurse, or diaper, or rock the baby.  I had no idea this was part of the journey.  I had no idea I'd ever be to this point in the road and turn around only to dimly see all the babies and miss them so terribly.  So this year's been that "turning point" or so it seems.

I bought some dresses for amelia today...  what a shock it was for me to see that the 4T's were too short and that they fit much better the two year old granddaughter. As I walked through the infant department to purchase a blanket for our newest grandson at Wal*Mart, I was gripped with the thought that (it seems)  I'd never need to shop for diapers, bottles, training pants, undershirts, or receiving blankets, or maternity clothes or nursing-wear or the myriad of things for which I've shopped for 26 years.  O, I'm very glad to be able to look forward to helping our sons and daughters with their babies, and to picking out little things for the grandchildren... really.  I so look forward to whatever the LORD has for each of them.

I just miss the babies.  Our babies.  I miss amelia... as a baby---I so adored every day of caring for this last baby---but I do so love her as a little girl... and all the children between she and the oldest, I love more and more.  But... O, for one more day with the baby.  Just one more day.

●     These personal woes probably sound pathetic in light of current events... some 70,000 people dead and millions whose homes were washed away along the southern coast of India, Sri Lanka and Sumatra and more following Sunday's 9.0 earthquake and subsequent Tsunami.  The disaster is unbelievable and I've read and heard on the news that the death toll numbers are climbing by the hour and will perhaps double in the days ahead.  Incredible.

●     I still need to write a bit about Christmas celebrations here with the family.  Our family received many unusual gifts... a light fixture and then another, a sink and then another, a fan and duct work and towel racks and a faucet and then another and as we each opened our gifts, it was becoming more and more apparent that we were opening a total bathroom remodel---our gift from our oldest son and his wife.  Wallboard, flooring, wiring, tile, etc., etc...  The last gift to be carried in was the new toilet... certainly a first for our family Christmas celebration.  It gives a whole new meaning to: Look ma, I bought you new china!  We were told that the  gifts were all a part of the FBP... the "family bathroom project."  This FBP... this little family project is slated to begin in a couple of weeks as a family friend is building the 9 drawer double sink vanity for the new bathroom---we're keeping in mind that this nearly 100 year old farm house is very small, has low ceilings and is in need of remodel projects all over the place... but this is one project that *really* needs doing!   Daniel has high hopes of getting this project taken care of in a matter of a few days... sort of a "while you were out" sort of deal.  I'll be amazed and very thankful---I already am!

the (3 year old) baby and the 6 week old grandbaby... at Christmas.

December 28, 2004    And so the election goes.  And goes... and goes.  It's such a mess and such a 'done deal' all at the same time.  It'll be interesting to see what happens the rest of the week.

 Our boys received a very unexpected gift from our friends for Christmas... Supermag magnet toys---a set for each boy has actually been keeping all the children busy.  They're all creating lots of different things with the magnets!  I can see this will be a growing collection as funds allow!  More later...

 

December 27, 2004   I'll be writing about our special family times over Christmas and the great conversations, delicious meals, and great surprises we enjoyed.   

But first and for now... Earthquakes, floods, wars and rumors of wars.

4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
Matthew 24.4-8

A few days ago a 8.+ magnitude quake struck in the area of Antarctica and now a 9.0 quake causing tidal waves, in addition to huge numbers of deaths and homelessness from severe damage along the southern coast of Asia from the quake's rumbling deep in the Indian Ocean.  I quote here a part of the article that was intriguing to me: "The earthquake hit at 6:58 a.m.; the tsunami came as much as 2 1/2 hours later, without warning, on a morning of crystal blue skies. Sunbathers and snorkelers, cars and cottages, fishing boats and even a lighthouse were swept away."   The news stories are incredible.

 1Thessalonians 5.2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.

We know that in nothing should we fret or fear... but the Word instructs us to be watchful, that we are not in darkness that we should be overtaken by that day.  It's incredible to me the number of things taking place---our country's involvement in a war that is day by day seeming more and more indefinable and the enemy more elusive. 

Speaking of an elusive war... the Washington state governor's race-count-recount-recount them again seems to be all but over.  Predictably, Christine Gregoire has been declared the winner of the second recount.  What a tangled mess it was and what questions there are now in the aftermath---pun intended.   I sort of hope Rossi will pursue all available avenues and even contest the results.  What I'd really like to see is another election.  Not so much that he win, but that the mishandling and present fiasco might be avoided and perhaps a fair election might take place.  If I only believe a small fraction of the apparent violations or infractions on the part of the counters and the judges, I'd still believe the whole thing's been a scam here in Washington.  I'm not all that content to just let it go and let Gregoire have her time in office and have Rossi try again next term.  That'd be too easy---too easy for Gregoire and to me, impossible for Rossi to resolve.

 

Christmas 2004

Wes took Naomi out for breakfast on Christmas Eve (as is the custom, Wes takes the "birthday child" out for breakfast on their birthday).  Yes, he's even taken her out on Christmas morning---but it's sort of an odd feeling for a Daddy to take his daughter out on Christmas morning... and leave the rest of the family at home---just is a pretty odd feeling---but he likes to do what she likes and  so this year Naomi wanted to have a special breakfast for her birthday on Christmas morning .  Well, anyway...  I do love to make aebleskivers for our family so she helped with the planning of that!  Tasty and fun to eat---but more fun to make...  I use a knitting needle to turn the "cakes" over and over in the pans---I have 2 Aebleskiver  pans to keep piles of aebleskivers coming out of the kitchen to the dining table!  We like them dusted with powdered sugar and served with raspberry jam or pure maple syrup---and sausages!  It's a very healthy breakfast!  We call for the aid car just before the first batch is brought to the table.  Naomi loved using the Red Plate for her birthday breakfast---and for each meal that day!

December 24, 2004     Happy Christmas to you all... God Bless you with His presence---the greatest present ever given... the gift of life, salvation and peace in the LORD Jesus. 

What a blessing to read Roger Bennett's latest post---this, on Christmas and other things.  His thoughts are worth reading and worth pondering.  I so appreciate his approach and his views.  I so pray the LORD will enable him many more years to walk with Him, to be a blessing---to write and to communicate the Truths of the gospel and ways of the LORD.  More and more, I recognize the value of Roger's time in the valley---how sometimes the LORD uses a saint in ways no one would choose and yet wouldn't exchange for anything.   His life is one that that prompts me to consider a question I've often thought:  Lord, how would You have used me had my whole life been yielded to You.  How would You use me today?

My husband listens to gospel music all the time... we tease him for all the Southern Gospel CD's he has and for listening to The Gospel Station.com all the time ---sorry, it just seems like it! ;0) .  Well, over the last couple of weeks he has heard The Twelve Days of Christmas many times... but not the version we were accustomed to hearing.  He quickly came down from his office this morning so that I could hear the song and I agreed, it was beautiful.  I knew I wanted to get the lyrics and post them for others to read and for us sing as a family for Christmas...   We love to sing together---especially now, as more of the children can sing parts, we really have a good time.  I especially love it when Kathryn plays the piano... and now, Hannah, too---what beautiful music.

So, for Christmas... these are what Jesus gave to me... and to you upon accepting His gift and acknowledging Him as Lord of and Saviour.  O, what a Saviour.

 

Later on the 23rd...

It's the 23rd... It's the 23rd... if you could see into a web-cam, you'd be saying this to me and it would be an attempt to get through to me that it's the 23rd—of—D-e-c-e-m-b-e-r.  You'd be tempted to shout: hey, pamela, it is the 23rd.  What are you doing?  Procrastinating?  Procrastinate no longer—it *is* the 23rd.  I'm still stuck somewhere around the 23rd of some other month... say, September or October.

●   My son just sent me an email—yes, it looks like he's having a busy day at the office—your Washington Mutual dollars at work!  So it seems a disgruntled Horizon Air employee decided to make the best of his situation and placed up for auction on eBay, his Christmas bonus.  Initially, I thought---wow, that's pretty risky... considering these sorts of things never stay quiet for very long.  His sense of humor just may be rewarded handsomely (at least by loyal eBayer's).  Check out the Christmas bonus of fine China... truth---it says so right on the bottom of the mug.   Faithful eBayer's may save his kids from standing beside the busy freeway intersection and they may, in fact,  get that PlayStation2 after all.  If nothing else... you'll laugh reading through his long description of the different aspects and qualities of his Christmas bonus. 

●   The latest in the Washington state governor's race—7 weeks post election.  This is all starting to seem like a bad novel with chapter after chapter of twists and turns---a bad novel that demands to be read if for nothing more than to discover which of the main characters will prevail.  It's not a compelling storyline but is, nonetheless a story worth at least skimming.

●   According to Christine Gregoire, "Keep the faith, the election process is working exactly as it should."  She ought to have said, we paid for it (the second recount) and since we bought it, we should---read: will, win it.  Isn't that the American way?  You get what you pay for?  After the second recount, Gregoire has taken the lead by ten votes.  Ten votes.  All she needed was one more than Dino.  The mantra of counting every vote has been taken to the extreme... every time I hear it, I think, count every vote until we (Dems) win.  So, ya get what ya pay for... and in this case, the state of Washington is really going to get it. That phrase generally pertains to the negative aspect of the quality of a product that is cheaply priced.  Not in this case... this has been a very expensive election---with Democrats across the nation all too happy to contribute to the cause of Gregoire's election.  Obviously, no price was too high.   It was obvious they needed to grab anything they could get... the stories of voter fraud are endless and the number of "just found" votes for the first and second recounts is amazing.

December 23, 2004     Just one more day and it will be Christmas eve.  We're behind... and tired... and, and, and.  Today we'll be baking up a storm in the kitchen.   We hope to sort of make up for some lost time... but, we'll see.  Many family favourites need to be prepared today.  I'd fully intended to post some of the recipes that tend to be requested more than others---though, there's never been a treat that's been turned down!  We're getting ready for Christmas Even dinner and then to celebrate Naomi's birthday Christmas Day.  What a sweet little doll she is!  This year she's hoping for a "snowman cake."  I just smiled and said,  okey dokey...  So, this will be an interesting project.  The precious thing about this daughter is that she's pretty sure that anything I make her will be perfect.  O, for the eyes of a child---and, O, for her sweet heart.

●    When I first saw this... well, it made my troubles seem small and then, I'm sorry to say, I started to laugh... then I thought the situation was too pitiful to be funny.  Take a look ---this was much more than a bad hair day (probably a no longer cool phrase) ---you'll see why Dean placed a disclaimer beneath the photos.

●    With all that's been going on, it's been hard to concentrate on any one thing... the least of which is the ongoing saga of the gubernatorial race in Washington State.  If it weren't so pathetic, it might be interesting to watch the volleying back and forth.  It may be because I voted for Rossi that I'm disinclined to believe the second recount was fair and square... but, I don't think so.  Seems to me that this second recount has been wrought with fraud... and I'll never be convinced that the votes were actually accurately counted or accurately assessed for counting or recounting.  It's been somewhat of a disappointment to me and has sure put a damper on things.

●    It's an incredible challenge to me to consider justifying the great lengths people will go and the willingness to pay for expensive treatments or accommodations for pets---read: cats, let alone cloning them.  According to this article, the owner paid $50,000 to have her beloved cat cloned.  Now, it really pains me to type beloved and cat in the same sentence, but apparently, this woman felt the expense was worth paying.  Only in the Bay Area... (I'm shaking my head) The Sausalito company: Genetic Savings and Clone is protecting the cat owner's location and identity to protect her from those who might not think the new project is a cute as she does.  I imagine many would simply be balking at the cost of the cloning... what could've been done with 50 Large bills.  I'm just wondering about the ethics of the whole deal and more: why on earth would someone pay that for *any* pet or most any other thing.  Hmmm.  But it's not just that... it's... a cat.  And to think that the cat will just live a few years and die... sadly, the woman's probably got an account with the savings and clone.   There's something very sick and very wrong about that whole course of thought and action.   The article says that the company it takes many gruesome failures to produce just a single clone.   As much as I do not like animals, I can't stand all this cruelty.  To imagine what's going on in laboratories around the world. There's something very sick and very immoral about all it all---and yet there's this bizarre and fine line between medical research and unethical experimentation... and the  sickening, reprehensible, morally wrong thing is that it won't stop there... man will not stop with animals.  One day doctors and scientists will scream in horror: What have we wrought!?!?  

December 22, 2004   The beautiful sunshine is filling our home today... and what a welcome sight it is!  This is one of my favourite days of the year!  It's absolutely thrilling to me that from this day, every day will be a tad bit longer---or, rather, there will be several seconds more daylight every day!  What a blessing this is! The angle of the sun is at its most beautiful and I always look forward to these days and to the bright hope each new year brings.

We're busy here in our home... cooking and baking, getting ready for Friday and Saturday.  I am so looking forward to having our boys and family home for our annual Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve.  Wes always prepares a delicious dinner for the family and always chooses one of the children to be his assistant for the evening.  It's a special occasion in our home as we celebrate the birth of our LORD and Saviour, Jesus. 

I am not able to spend a great deal of time at the computer these days as they've been totally consumed with various things.  But I do hope to take a bit of time later tonight to reflect on some of the things the LORD has shown us over the years and ways He's worked in years past as we've come to the time of Christmas celebration.  God is gracious and has been so merciful to us through the years...

As we spent the last week preparing for my brother and sister-in-law to move, it was sort of a bittersweet time as he told story after story about different things we were packing.  He had my husband and our boys practically falling down laughing at times.  My brother is a very big man with big stories, big plans and big stuff---read *lots* of big stuff.  There were several things that he wanted me to have... but one, in particular, was especially important to me---a small grocer's scale that once belonged to our father and before that, to his dear friend we called uncle Bill.  

We don't have a lot of family---I really don't know the people who are somewhat distant relatives... and so it seems that on "my side" of the family there are few people... my mama, who is away in California, and my brother has left for what will become his new home in Florida---a place I consider to be as far from Washington as one can get.  I know-I know... this all sounds pretty pitiful especially considering my precious family of many children, grandchildren and my precious husband.   Still, I was sad---am sad.    Sort of feeling numb today... hard to comprehend feelings of sadness and loss.  I look around at different things that were his and that've made their way to our home and now belong to our family... it feels like someone's died and yet they're all around.

After a very long day, yesterday, we said our tearful good-bye's and I got in the van to drive home and as I followed my husband in the truck ahead of me, I realized that it felt as though I was saying goodbye not only to my brother, but to my dad all over again.   Hot tears flooded my eyes, I felt sick inside and somehow, though I had a couple of our children with me, I felt terribly alone and I ached all over again for days gone by.   I ached for my dad---my dad who I'd never lived with that I could remember,  but came to know and love later in my life.  I ached over my brother leaving, over differences of opinion and for differences that separated us many times over the years, I ached for poor choices and for the should-have-been's or could-have-been's that never happened, I ached for my brother who is at once my most familiar and most distant friend.  I ached because there was no more time to do what might have been done and no more time to talk over things that had been done and no time left in these good old days.   The lights of the highway illuminated my path home... I was grateful for the familiar and though tears were burning my eyes, I was so thankful I was driving home... that I'd soon be back in our home with our family.   As we made our way into the house... the familiar little faces and the sweetest smells and tenderest smiles welcomed me/us home and I realized some things I needed to be reminded about... I needed the wake-up call to love... I do have what I love and I do so love what I have.  I needed to be reminded of that.

                  

December 21, 2004   No time for blogging today... we've been scurrying around helping my brother and his wife getall packed up for their move to Florida.  Whew!  One thing's for sure---I'm glad we're not starting on a cross country move!  One never knows just how much one has until it's time to put it all in boxes and onto a moving truck!  A moving truck is a great reality check as it forces the weighing of each item's importance or worth and further forces the elimination of the unnecessary things once thought to be treasures.  We learned that it got pretty easy to start eliminating things... sort of like tipping the first domino: it's real fast and easy after that...

December 20, 2004      Christmas is for all the whosoever's... for it is for the whosoever's that Jesus was born... that He lived, that He was crucified, that He died, was buried and rose again the third day---and will come again.  It was for all the whosoever's... and all the whosoever's have names... and their names are written down in Glory.  That's the Good News.  That's the message of Christmas.  That's the message of the cross.  It's really not Christmas for everyone... it's for all the whosoever's.  Christmas is for all the whosoever will's.

"And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross,
and follow me.
 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it;
but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it."  
Mark 8.34-35

for the whosoever will's...

" And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come.
And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. "
Revelation 22.17

Christmas is for
the whosoever will's...

 

●    Time mag has selected President Bush as "Person of the Year" for 2004.  This is the second time Mr. Bush has been selected for the honor.  It's interesting to me... all the ways in which the President has attempted to unite the country, all those who oppose him, all those who revere him and all who bash him without a reason---or at least they can't seem to come up with one.  So... then, the President who has great respect from the military is given quite a prestigious recognition.

December 18, 2004   Not much time for blogging today... time for baking, time to watch the children and also to have the grandchildren overnight while the kids attend a Christmas party and do some shopping.  It's beginning to look a lot like...

  ooops, wrong picture.

●   I'm not sure when I first considered the work of Legacy Five (southern gospel quintet) to be my favourite, but, it's been quite a while and we sure appreciate the message of the Cross, the message of Christ and the hope of Glory in their music.  Over the past couple of years or so, we've been lifting up Roger Bennett to the Throne of God and we've asked Him for health and mercy to spare Roger's life and allow him to continue the journey a bit longer.  Well, it's been a tough journey for Roger and for his family, too.  But you know, his writings have been a blessing, his work and his outlook provides great encouragement  and inspiration to walk with the Master---to share glimpses the journey he faces is a real blessing and testimony of the LORD's mercy and greatness in is life.  Roger is in the midst of his second stem-cell transplant and I do not know the number of chemo/radiation treatments he's received.   He faces a great deal of pain ahead, a great testing of his faith and so I pray many will join in the privilege of praying for this brother in the LORD.

●   It's just about Christmas... time for another terrorist threat.  Seems Osama bin Laden has been making some new recommendations.  I thought on his 'demands' and pondered the irony of the West's dependence on terrorist countries' black gold: oil.  Isn't it amazing and isn't it paradoxical that we fight against not only flesh and blood, but against powers, principalities, rulers of darkness... an amazing parallel in the life of believers and the war waged by the enemy of our souls.  Well, so... I wonder sometimes... we were in Costco, just before Christmas, a couple of years ago and our Joey called out (yes, audibly), "There he is!" I wonder, Who!?!   I motion for him to be a bit more quiet, please. Then, continuing a bit more fervently, Joey said, "There he is, I saw him, there he is, that's Osama bin Laden---right over there---I don't know why they can't find him, he is *here!* in Costco!"  Wes and I (gasping, biting our cheeks and lips) quickly pulled the cart along with the other two carts, back down an aisle so as not be be so conspicuous and to attempt to explain to Joey that that wasn't Osama bin Laden and that we must be kind and not call out things in the store.    We laugh about that now, and you know... every now and then I wonder.  Nah.  Hmmmm.  Could that have been Osama bin Laden---hiding in plain sight?

●   The Washington Governor's 2nd recount.  More on the nightmare.  It's really challenging to understand what's really going on.  The game keeps changing, the rules keep changing and the content keeps changing.  One thing seems to be certain.  The goal hasn't changed.  At least for some of the players.  Gregoire must win---no matter what.  That seems to be the name of the game.  Like I shared in an earlier blog entry, I really don't think Mr. Rossi ought to get his tux ready for the January 12th Inaugural Ball---he really oughtta just spend the holidays looking for a job so he'll have some meaningful work to do in January.  Ack.  The election night image of three women (Murray, Cantwell and Gregoire) holding three of the top political positions in this state is really disturbing.  Additionally interesting is that Gregoire (state Attny General) has a tad bit of a conflict of interest when she discusses procedural changes in the recounting of ballots.  It may well be so, but midway through a third count is not the time to do so.  It was good to hear today's court ruling to not allow newly found or tossed out ballots to be figured into the recount now.

●   O, say... more good news!  Seems that eating a diet rich in "super foods" will add *years!* to your life.  Daily consumption of super foods increases life expectancy and adds five or six years to men's and women's lives, so say the researchers.  Pretty impressive.  But that's not the good news---or, that's only part of the good news.  The sweet part of the deal is that on that list of super foods is:  Dark Chocolate.  So, there you go... you need it to reduce coughs, and now to add *years* to your life.  Couple that with some of the benefits of coffee---well, you might as well steam some milk, brew some strong coffee and put a shot of dark chocolate in a cup---to your health!  That, or you'll die smiling.

By the way... I probably ought to add, by way of disclaimer and absolve myself of any responsibility for what's posted here or anywhere on this site:  read and apply at your own risk; don't try some of these tricks at home; only licensed professionals carry enough insurance to cover the lawsuits spiffy attorneys might conjure up from some of the ridiculous and hard to believe as well as the wonderful articles and recommendations found on this site.  There.  A disclaimer of sorts.  But, I'm pretty sure the chocolate would be beneficial.

December 17, 2004    After reading the article on Wal*Mart/churches giving change on behalf of the Salvation Army this Sunday, I thought of beginning today's blog by saying something like: Bring change to the church this Sunday... or Bring your change to the church this Sunday.  Then I got to thinking... what if we all brought change to church this Sunday and every Sunday or whenever we gather with the church?  What if we brought new change and shared old change we'd made?  What if every church in America---every church in the word had members bringing change?  By now you can see that I'm not talking coins or cash; I'm talking about change, bona fide change.  Can you imagine if every member of the body brought their change to the church whenever the church gathers?

I'm talking of change from former ways; change from lostness to redemption; change from mourning to joy; change from eternal separation to eternal salvation.  Change from idolatrous worship to worshipping the Living God.  Change from walking in the ways of the world, following vain things to walking the path the LORD's designed and called.  Changing from rebellious former ways to righteous ways.   Lately, as we've been reading through the early books of the Bible, we've seen the numerous times of grumbling and murmuring, the ways the Children of Israel doubted God---grumbled against Him, even while the meat was yet in their mouths, they doubted.  In only a matter of days did their hearts wax cold and they  desired to change the glory of God (who had fed then and had led them by the cloud overhead and by fire) into a molten image they could worship. 

Psalm 106.20 "Thus they changed their glory into the similitude of an ox that eateth grass."
Romans 1.23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
Romans 1.25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

But then, we have the mercy of God and His provision, the LORD Jesus Christ who will guide us in Truth.  (John 1.17 "For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.")  So, I continue to wonder: what would the church be like were the members to bring change this Sunday and every Sunday.  What would the church be like if the members were changed?

Philippians 3.21 "Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself."

2Corinthians 3.18  "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord."

Change is difficult---but God.  Change is painful---but God.  Change is intimidating---but God.  

Ephesians 2.1-8   "And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;  Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.  But God [emphasis mine], who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:"

Change is an outward demonstration of inward decisions, change is an inward indication of outward decisions.  Change is the byproduct of yielding to God, of walking in His ways, of listening to His Spirit.  If there are no changes, has there been a change?

Matthew 16.24 "Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.  For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works."

Change is the result of the great exchange.  The Great exchange.  The Greatest Gift the world has ever known: Jesus.  The Great exchanger!  His life for mine, my life for His.  The LORD is living and ever lives to make intercession for us---ever lives to bring His changes in us.  Ever lives to bring us from our sinful estate to His glorious likeness.  This is the love of God---the LORD.  O, for that love, and O, for the joy in Jesus.  Salvation is the great exchange and change is the wonderful expression of that great exchange.  O, that we would not be satisfied to remain as we are but that we would desire His change in us and that we would bring that change to the church *this* and every week.
 

●   There may never be answers to the questions that linger after Wednesday's fatality multi-car accident.  All day, I wondered what happened... how the survivors were faring and how those who'd stopped to help were coping with what they'd seen the day previous.  For one man, one of the 'hero's' of the day, it was a day for him to come to grips with grief and regret over his own grandson's auto-accident related death.  my heart goes out to all the people who've been injured in, and also affected by, that horrible accident.  Perhaps time will bring answers.

December 16, 2004   My-o-my.  It's getting to be that lawsuits appear to be trying to outdo one another in the "more bizarre and hard to believe" category of political correctness regarding Christmas---and its obvious presence.  It's like part of the country is trying to pretend it doesn't exist.  Sort of like the Emperor's New Clothes in reverse.  I'm beginning to think that those who are so adamantly opposed to references to "God" ought to just move to another place... say, Greenland.  Or, how about any of the countries whose citizens have no freedom of speech, no freedom of Religion, no rights to many of the things that distinguish the United States.  I marvel at the patience of God, His sovereignty and His mercy.  Woe to this nation who seeks to remove God, seeks to ignore or, worse, deny Him and His obvious existence; woe to this nation when God moves His Hand of judgment.

So, there're all sorts of lawsuits, threatening's, rules and regulations.  Remember the teacher in Cupertino who was prohibited from distributing copies of Founding Documents to be used in teaching his students American History---I thought the same thing: don't like the "religious references" used throughout the original documents?  Move to where they don't have such documents or such a foundation.  Then, there's a councilman who'll likely be recalled because he refuses to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance because of the clause, "Under God" in the pledge.  He cites a violation of the first amendment.  I cannot understand why there've not been (more?) challenges to the misinterpretation of the amendment regarding church and state.  Ignorance has been tolerated and now rules courtrooms.  Then moving on in the "more bizarre and hard to believe" category, there's a school district with incredible prohibitions ---all aimed at Christians or references to Christianity and parents are fighting back with a lawsuit that outlines the many grievances the parents and students have against the district.  It seems unfathomable that the colours red and green would be banned from party (winter break party, that is) decorations and that only white will be allowed.  Perhaps they don't get it that the red and green are not colours Christians would first choose to represent the birth of the LORD Jesus and so... for Christians, white is the perfect  colour choice.  Additionally hard to believe, there is "a ban on criticizing school board members or administrators on campus."  Now, I sure wouldn't want my children to be going around criticizing others; I would pray they'd behave respectfully because it's the right thing to do... but a ban?  Can they spell c-e-n-s-o-r-s-h-i-p?   How is criticism actually judged?

Wow, It's been a sad day on I-5, both here in Washington and in California.  Just north of us here, in Washington, there was a terrible accident in which a life was lost and several were injured in the horrible wreck that caused traffic problems throughout the region as the northbound lanes were closed for several hours.  In California, many more cars were involved, but amazingly, no lives were lost in that 24 car pile-up in the dense fog.  As I recall, there's nothing quite like the fog in northern California---I remember it being so thick sometimes, that I couldn't see the hood of our car at all and I used to watch my odometer to gauge where the next traffic signal was on Skyline Boulevard south of San Francisco... it was such a rush to finally see the signal while practically underneath the light!  Another thing I do not miss.

December 15, 2004    Can you imagine one day being able to sit in your home and read any book you'd like to read... find any quote from obscure or out of print books or be able to simply complete a research project even when the Library is closed?  What an amazing feat lies ahead for the Google boys as they set about lining up the page by page scanning of books.  The project will take years and will be ongoing for many more as books are scanned and then made available online.  This is phenomenal and will open up worlds of information to---the world.  I think those Google boys are pretty amazing.  An exciting angle of all this is that it only adds to what'll be done by others---especially, Microsoft.  Never-to-be-outdone, Microsoft is probably not far behind in yet another small step for a man and a giant leap for mankind. 

---

We had dinner with friends and talked over lots of things going on in our lives, in our home and fellowship; and I realized, once again, that no matter what the days seem like, no matter what we do or don't do, what we have or don't have, it's sure a blessing to have family and friends.  It's sure sweet fellowship when we talk about what the LORD's been doing and ways He's been working and to hear of it in others' lives.  So many things pale in comparison and nothing can take the place of sweet fellowship.  How blessed we were by the children when we came home to treats and coffee they'd prepared for us to enjoy.  I'm so grateful to God for His gifts of these children and I pray He'll continue to bless and use them mightily. 

From email:  "We want to give our best to Dick Clark. Doctors say he should make a full recovery. In fact the doctor listened to Dick’s heart with the stethoscope...said it had a good beat  ...gave it a 10. And you could dance to it."   My husband sent this to me...  and yes... it is a slow news day and, yes,  I really do need to get out more.

 

more later...

 

December 13, 2004  I started writing the following on Saturday... it has nothing to do with the events of Sunday and was only prompted by some articles I recently read and one, in particular, that I include later in this entry.  Sunday was a very nice day... sweet fellowship and delicious foods were shared.  As we traveled home, the lighted homes and yards were lovely to see.  This, to me, is a beautiful season and always generates a flood of memories---speaking of floods... we're so grateful that the rain subsided and the waters are receding.  I'm just not so sure we were up to the thrills and excitement of a flood.  I was picturing the yard under water... shoveling truckloads of wet sludge and cleaning up the debris that floods produce.   I was picturing the children saying that a flood would be a blast!  O, yes, a blast alright-----Hmmmmm. 

Even still...

Perhaps noticeably absent from blogs of late has been talk of house-church or our journey that's included the mainstream institutional church setting and now meeting with other believers in homes.  There's not been a particular reason for this 'quietness' aside from my determination to not create discord by talking about matters that have already done so.  I know that whenever a person makes decisions or changes in their lives or homes, they tend to go off on tangents regarding the great advantage of the new-found way or new behaviour.  There's a tendency to talk on and on about things and, that talk often bores or offends the hearer or, worse, causes others to react to what they think is a condemnation against them.  Sort of like when one has a new home or job or car or whatever... everyone hears about all the great qualities, the great deal or the advancement.  Trouble is, after the first day or two of the rambling enthusiasm, the hearers want to say, enough already!  Or, they're upset by the seeming loss of loyalty to the former ways, or life, or home, friends, etc., etc., that they don't want to hear another word or they feel judged and excluded.  I'm seeing that there might be a middle ground, at least I pray so, and there might even be a peaceful way to make changes that are seemingly adverse to one party or another.

I've learned a lot in what I call the IC, or, the institutional church.  Some of the things I've learned are things that will take years to unlearn---some things I've learned, I pray I'll never unlearn and never forget.  One, in particular, is that people on the "outside" are not necessarily bad or wrong.  Believers down the street are not necessarily "doing it all wrong" or, worse, that they're our rival, as if we're opponents or, worse, enemies.  One thing that's been very clear to me in the last year or so, is that labels are very general and do not fit perfectly any group or organization.  There are many things written about house churches, some good, and some bad.  One thing that's bad for house churches is the attempt to label or define them.  People leave churches or organizations for many reasons and those reasons just don't fit into tidy packages, those reasons are as varied as the people who have them.  There've always been attempts to define societal trends and the "house church movement" is no exception.  I read an article that was pretty interesting in terms of "terms" and reasons for people leaving the Institution... but the conclusion, at least in this article, anyway, is not one we've come to, nor are the definitions of the so-called emergent church correlative to what might define house church or churches without walls.   It's safe to say that there are as many differences in the variety of "house-churches" as there are institutional churches. 

I think, indicative of our society, that we like things in neat packages, clearly defined with easily identified purpose.  We like things orderly and in place---things we can "get our arms around," so to speak, so that we can take part in the organization---or---have the organization do everything for us so that our involvement or commitment is minimal and not physically or mentally taxing.  We like things that make us feel good [about ourselves].  We like things that suit us, that are conveniently ordered and centrally located so that we're not encumbered with much effort.  That's why most of us choose, or chose, the "churches" we attend or attended.  I think that's why we do a lot of things in life.  

More on this another time.  Thoughts fill my mind regarding what we all do and why...

 

December 11, 2004   We went for a ride tonight after seeing a movie, and took in some "sight-seeing" along the way.  The River's high... very high.  I've called the Flood info line a few times today to hear the recorded message.  Not surprising were the reports of expected widespread flooding.  Then, for the specific Snohomish River at Snohomish I do periodic checks.  What's always amazing to me is the volume of water and speed of the river flow.  It's really astonishing how much water's accumulated today.  I s'pose I ought to take into consideration the tide and the storm front, too.  It's supposed to rain heavily tomorrow and then clear a bit but probably not before doing some significant damage to low lying roads and farmland.  Wes wanted to drive in an area that is notoriously prone to flooding and when we saw water over the roadway, I said I'm getting too old for that much fun... and he turned around and in the rear-view mirrors we watched a small vehicle glide through the water to the other side.

Speaking of mirrors... while a few of the children and I were driving through a particularly heavy traffic area today we witnessed a three car accident immediately in front of us.  When I stopped the van in the center turn lane and turned on the emergency flashers, I went to each of the drivers to check their condition and ask if they needed me to call for emergency help.  One woman, the third hit, was shaken but very calmly said she was just fine and as I gave her my name and number (in case she needs a witness) I was impressed by her calm manner and alert mind.  She was older and obviously grateful for the help offered but indicated she was fine.  What impressed me and what has continued to come to mind is the fact that we, women, are instructed in the Scriptures to not be afraid with any amazement.  I marveled at that thought and applied it to the current situation and then to others as we continued our shopping.  The incident created only a minor setback in our plans and we completed our errands easily.  All the while I was aware of the thousands of cars on the road... on the freeway and was on the alert to sudden moves by other drivers and will use the incident as a reminder that folks are preoccupied with all the trippings and trappings of the season---they're all over.  I often say that we all can so easily trip over the traps of the season and not even realized we're doing so.  We see a sign or an ad and suddenly the item is a "must have" on our list.  We see or hear of an idea and suddenly, something we'd never considered prior to that becomes paramount and our need increases.  It's a very hard season if we forget to be aware of, or forget to avoid, the traps.

So happy to receive a call from my parents... arrived in southern California in two days or 22 hours driving time. Wow!  They're staying the night in the city where I was born.  It's fun to track their trip with them.  The have Microsoft's Streets and Trips software on their laptop and Wes loaned them our GPS to use with it and they're loving the wireless adapter, too.  It's neat how they've just moved right along with whatever's the latest for their computer.  I never would've thought my mom would be looking for hotels with not only the continental b'fast, but wi-fi internet access, too!

 

December 9, 2004       I've just received the book, Raising Maidens of Virtue, by Stacy McDonald.  A couple of weeks ago, I enjoyed a wonderful phone conversation with Stacy and she shared that she'd be sending me a copy of her book.  I'm always honoured to endorse books or products that have either been helpful to us here in our home or such things that will be an encouragement to others.  My passion is to encourage women to godly womanhood with love and passion for their husband, home, children---families, so when a sister in Christ shares this same passion, I wholeheartedly want to endorse the work.    Kathryn's just read the book and now I intend to read it with her and with Hannah and Naomi.  I've posted a 'sample chapter' for previewing with ordering instructions on that page as well.  This book raises topics for conversation (and implementation!) that might not have been considered prior to this.  I  won't be surprised if James writes a companion, Raising Valiant Men or something like that.  Watch for that... See, I have bunches of books inside---just waiting to be written!  I always feel like some line from a book my husband once had:  I have no mouth and yet I must scream!

●   We've continued our family Bible study each morning in the Word... these weeks, we've been reading the Pentateuch, and have made our way to Deuteronomy.  I think one of the most important studies is to do a study of the first five books, the books of Moses or, the Pentateuch.   I recall many years ago, teaching this study and was overwhelmed at the magnitude and magnificence of God.  I was astonished by the precision of His works and His commands.  I guess that might be why, in part, I so bristle at the casual nature of "preaching" and "churching" today.  We're not unlike the Children of Israel at all... they were a stiff-necked people; we are a stiff-necked people;  they tempted God;  we tempt God; they were preoccupied with their own inventions, their murmuring and grumbling, and while the meat was still in their mouths they grumbled against the Most High; we grumble against the Most High, we murmur in our hearts, doubting God and living in contempt of His ways.   God is Holy and His ways are High---His Ways are higher than our ways.  O, that we would catch a glimpse of this.  Just daily waiting at His gates---O, what a Saviour.

●   For several months now, I've been increasing suspicious or wary of our country's involvement in the war in Iraq and have wondered how entangled will our troops become in the affairs of countries who religion, politics and practices will never match those of this free country and yet, in all of this...  I see some reasons why "we're"  there and why the war is relevant in terms of demolishing the terrorist machine---though I truly believe there will never be peace. 

But, you've got to wonder... who is it really that's fighting the war and in the theater of operations, who are the fighters and whose side are they on, anyway?  I think soldiers really ought to beware who their companions are and what potential harm may come their way because of the politicizing of the operation.  If any more reporters do what Edward Lee Pitts did, surely more troops will be returning home in caskets.  There's a reason our men and women in the military are specially trained and that soldiers and not reporters carry weapons of warfare.  There's a reason they take and obey orders and there's a reason reporters have been captured: they have big mouths and egos that match.  Fighting the war in Iraq (or anywhere else, for that matter) is not fought in the arena of public opinion and the rabble-rousing and prompting of the reporter during Rumsfeld's visit seems, to me, to have caused far more damage than any good that might come to pass.  It's amazing to me the influence Pitts had on Army Spc. Thomas Wilson---that he coached him on what to say to Defense Secretary, Rumsfeld.   Amazing persuasion.

I pray the incident will bring any needed changes and provision to our troops, but I wonder if meetings with the Secretary there would have been more effective than the public press conferences.  Rumsfeld's comments were defensive and I wonder if pride will prevent the intended outcome.  The soldiers need to do their jobs the way they've been trained to do them---reporters in search of a sensational story have no business doing play-by-play's as if this war's some sort of entertainment or self aggrandizement.  From prisoner "abuse" to improperly armed forces, zealous reporters ought to be exceedingly cautious or be removed from the operations.  Their efforts may catapult them into momentary stardom or to be an unintended victim of the atrocities of war.

●  The presentation of A Christmas Carol was cancelled at nearby Lake Washington High School; and what the article neglects to mention is that the play was scheduled as an after school event.  But that's not what's got me irked.   What's so crazy is that apparently, at the same school, students are regularly taught about other religions.  I'm so glad I haven't had time to post the different thoughts I've had concerning news pieces.  Some are outright insanity---really!  Political-correctness has replaced wisdom and common sense.  Political correctness has replaced Truth---truth and reality, present and past.  It's almost scary to imagine what our children will one day read in history books being printed today.  I find more and more that I want to obtain old history books, not for their monetary value, but for their historical value.  

●   I will attempt to refrain from discussing the latest blender-mind thoughts concerning Christmas and I'll also not continually kick the dead horse second gubernatorial race recount.  It's on par with all the Christmas fiasco's.  Incidentally, we don't even celebrate in the same manner as most Americans and will pass through this month walking through stores with reality and not plastic.  There will be no pine needles to sweep off the floors inside and no stockings to hang by the, uh, woodstove, with care.  We're not going to do a lot of all those things that seem to define Christmas, instead, there will be many other ways in which the LORD will be praised.   In whatever celebrations, in whatever way Christ is honoured, in whatever way homes bring Glory to God, in the celebrating of the birth of our LORD; We join our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world in seeking to proclaim the birth, life, death, resurrection and coming again of the LORD Jesus Christ, our Saviour.  "He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly.  Amen.  Even so, come, Lord Jesus." --Revelation 22.20  

In all, I pray the Name of Jesus will be High and Lifted up and that through whatever means, Christ will be preached.

 What then? notwithstanding, every way,
whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached;
and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.
Philippians 1.18

December 8, 2004     Okay... so I wasn't going to make a Christmas page again and I wasn't going to post my mother in law's fabulous Fruitcake recipe... but I will.  Later today! :-)  Really!  It's worth waiting for, it's worth shopping for and it's worth all the preparation---you'll love it, and if you make it for your family, they'll love you for it.  I can't tell you how happy my step-father was to receive fruit cakes for his birthday.  He was thrilled!  That made my day!!  More later---too much blogging and nothing really important gets done!

Fruit cake
 

December 7, 2004    Today's my sweet stepfather's birthday!!     Happy Birthday Poppy!

 Have you ever wondered what your life would be like if you were to put all of your good ideas into practice?  Or, what if you were able to reap the benefits of selling all the inventions you've imagined?  Have you ever imagined what your life would be like if someone were to pay you for all your good ideas?  This is beginning to sound like the intro session to some image enhancing or self improvement seminar and sounds like maybe, next, I'll give you some line, like: if you will give me twelve hours and just two ninety nine,  that's $299., I'll show you what you already know: you're the greatest person ever to be reflected in your mirror and you've got what it takes! [to make *me* rich!---o, wait, they never say that] [ 12-12-04   Sorry---I had to remove the rest of this paragraph as it linked to a catalogue/store with very cool stuff---BUT!--- had some products, unbeknownst to me, that weren't "family friendly" or appropriate for me to share.  Sorry about any offense that came from viewing the website that had to do with uncommon gifts.]

Ah... speaking of cake plates--but of a totally different kind: yesterday I was so surprised when I opened a Christmas  gift from my mother (She and my step-father are going to be away for their annual trip to California and Arizona so they brought us each a present and we opened them while they were here).  The box was so exquisitely wrapped and was heavy;  I wondered what in the world could be in the large box?!?!   A crystal cake plate with a silver server---the plate is on a tall stand that adds to the elegance of the piece.  I hope I can do a nice job of decorating Pop's birthday cake for Tuesday evening when we have the family here for his birthday.  I love to decorate cakes, but this cake stand will require an elegant cake!  So... I am trying to imagine some good ideas as I plan for the cake preparation.  I'll take a picture when it's done.  He's going to be surprised---I hope---with the party---and maybe the cake, too!

●  How thankful I was to finally locate candied cherries, and candied pineapple for my annual fruitcake.  O, how ignorant and self-assured I was when we were first married and thought  (I pray not out loud!) I hated fruitcake.  You know how that goes when you hear comments from people for years and years about the many uses for fruitcake---all of them inedible and all of them with a derogatory slant.  Well, so I foolishly thought I hated fruitcake.  What I later came to discover is that I really do not like citron---but I love fruitcake made without it!  So... my mother in law, who made the *best* in the world fruitcake gave me her prized recipe which I have prepare most every year for the last twenty or so.  O, How I wish I had tasted it when I could afford to eat a few extra calories... and not decided to love it when I can least afford the calories!  So... this fruitcake: it's tons of candied cherries, candied pineapple, chopped dates and pecans and a minimal amount of batter binds the cake together. 

So, while nine fruitcakes were baking in the oven, I called my mom to tell her: our team wins!!  Really... I was so surprised to have them baking---earlier in the day I was having difficulty locating the candied fruit, and even called Wes and asked him to look for some for me.  So, when I called, she was watching the Seahawks/Dallas Monday Night Football and had to have known I was *not* talking about the Seattle Seahawks (who were being creamed by the Cowboys here at Seahawks Stadium.  She was surprised that I was making the fruitcakes---but my goal was to have them made so they could take a couple to California and so, they had to be made---ASAP!  I wanted them to turn out nicely as I want to send one to my mother-in-law in Indiana to thank her for teaching me to make them.  She's a dear!  So at the end of the evening I was so thankful to have nine glossy fruitcakes lined up on the counter ready to wrap.  More thankful that the LORD has given me strength to do the things my family loves and to be well enough to plan and do more baking for them.   I love that I'm well enough now to hold our grandson when they come over tonight.  O, how I love the LORD.  All His ways are good.

●  I was thinking of a line from an old song---I hesitate to write it because it might stay in someone's mind all day!  But that song... "Don't it always seem to go, that you don't know what you've got till it's gone..."  Well, that's sort of how I think of health and of babies, and of that phase of motherhood, and of my early years with children, those early days that seemed so long and on and on.  Don't it always seem to go, that you don't know what you've got till it's gone...

 

December 4, 2004    Magnetic poetry... that was a graduation gift Kathryn received from my mom, and it's been a neat thing... sort of gets your mind thinking as you seek to word a poem, a sentence or even a note.   It remains a favourite of hers... and mine!  I love leaving her notes when I'm up in her room.  She has the magnetic stand on a cabinet by her door.  It's irresistible to me to form a little note for her so see.

●   Just to give a glimpse of the magnitude of the Boeing Company, I find it incredible how many planes (etc) they manufacture.  Consider this, 500 triple 7's in just over nine years.  Amazing!  I find it hard to believe that nine years have passed since production first began, but more incredible is the number produced in that amount of time.   I recall our friend's thrill over the project---which, I'm sure has been very rewarding.

●   Bell Ringers... welcomed back.  Well, perhaps the Salvation Army bell ringers aren't so welcome, but the PR is and the backlash from denying them was potentially harmful to sales at Mervyn's.   It *is* odd, though, that SA bell-ringers are *not* welcome at Target.  One of those hmmmmmmm moments when you consider they're part of the same conglomerate.  Guess Target's willing to risk losing some sales and Mervyn's isn't.  Because of the "Target ban" and other volunteer problems, SA bell-ringers will not be actually present in front of some stores---but the ringer's kettle will still be out front.   Lets hope that the value of  Target's 10% portion of Salvation Army's donations last year will not be lost this year.  Salvation Army still helps hundreds of thousands of people---it's a shame that "political correctness" is becoming more and more ridiculous.

●   Well, it happened!  The Democrats came through for Christine Gregoire and now the re-recount begins.  In a slick PR campaign this week, Ms. Gregoire indicated that she wanted all or none of the votes counted.  Instantly, one's mind conjures pictures of votes not counted and voter's voices denied.   Well, so then, apparently, the needed $700,000. came in and they're set for the hand recount---the second recount in this gubernatorial race.   There's suspected foul play in one of the counties in the recount process and there's apparently a greater margin of error in the upcoming count as ballots that were not considered either time will now be added to the counting.  Hand counted ballots---nearly 3 thousand of them have much greater margin of error because of the subjective nature of the counting.  It's probably advantageous that Governor Locke's made transition funds available.  This whole thing's a win-win situation for Gregoire and her party.  If the prior election result(s) is overturned, they get their money back---such a deal!  With an incentive like that, who'd lose?    Yes... I'm still shaking my head on this one.  If they get their money back, who, then, really picks up the tab?  The paper cost for 292,000 individual sheets to be printed in Snohomish County alone will be staggering... not to mention the arduous task of counting them all and counting them accurately.

Dino Rossi won the election (in the first count) by 261 votes and the recount by 42 votes---but the trouble with that figure is that *more* ballots were counted in the recount.  That will be the trouble with the third count where the 'rejected' ballots will be counted.  These were King county ballots, for the most part.  The machines rejected those ballots for a reason---and now people will have the job of deciding the intent of the voter with those rejected ballots.  There were some 22,000 people in King county didn't vote for governor at all.  Maybe counters will guess who they might have wanted to vote for had they voted at all.  Call me a cynic or a fatalist, but I think Mr. Rossi ought not get his tux ready for the January 12th Inaugural Ball and to instead  just spend the holidays looking for a job and then get back to work because I don't think, come January, he'll have a job in Olympia.  And... whaddya guess this is probably just the way the folks doing the recount wanted to spend the weeks leading up to Christmas!

 

December 3, 2004     When retailers were ringing up sales and raking in the dollars, apparently, Wal*Mart wasn't doing so hot!  We were talking about that around here earlier this week and decided that the slow start to the holiday shopping season was due to the fact they didn't have any 'door-busters' or sizzling deals to draw customers in the door at 5 am.  Losing out on those first "after Thanksgiving" dollars is probably what led to their decision to step up an advertising campaign---but not necessarily to copy other retailer's attention grabbers and "door-busters."   So, watch for what Wal*Mart's going to do next.  I think it speaks volumes of the company when it determined to not lure customers in for a limited amount of product that would be sold out the first 10 minutes after opening the store.  It'll be interesting what items become this year's "must have's" and how the economy will fare through the end of the year.

●   I received a neat newsletter today from the "Manager's of Their Homes," Terri Maxwell.  Each month, I receive the Dad's and Mom's Corners newsletter, and this time, it included a link to the website with new eCards they're offering.

More later...

December 2, 2004      Given that my children's favourite meals consist of cereal and milk, the Cereality Cereal Bar & Cafe in Philadelphia would be on top of their list of favourite spots to dine!  I'm not so sure they'd make a habit of dining there for every meal, but I'd guess that they'd sure go for at least one meal a day there.  I'm not thinking of letting them read the article bcz we've never topped Peanutbutter Cap'n Crunch cold-cereal with pop-rocks... and I sure don't want to introduce that to them... but then, come to think of it, the dentist is just up the street... on the way from the grocery store.  Very convenient.

●   Anchors Away!  Wednesday night was Tom Brokaw's final newscast... Dan Rather's set to go in March '05 and already the campaign for his successor looks to be an aggressive one!  An ugly campaign for the beauty contest.  Whose face does America want to see for the next 20+ years?  One thing CBS can bet on is lower ratings while NBC enjoys the honeymoon with its new sweetheart each evening.  For what it's worth, I'm so glad we left off watching television some 17 or 18  years ago.  I'd hate to think of getting my daily dose from one of the three anchors on commercial television all these years.  I much prefer the slant I read. ;-)

●   I hadn't been "site-seeing" in a while, so last night I took a look at some old favourites and discovered that Rebekah (Hopechest Legacy) Wilson's new book is available.  And... noteworthy, to me is one of the new product lines she's offering: Cookie Cutters!  We love pretty cookies and the cutters she's offering are well priced, unique varieties.  I was also doing a bit of eBay browsing and decided to take a look at some companies who sell what I'm looking for... I need to replace my KitchenAid flat beater and wire whip and don't want to pay the KitchenAid company price.  I thought about looking at Bosch mixers, too... but then the price was enough to make me very content with what I already have... the 16 year old KitchenAid's been a great mixer... pumping out thousands and thousands of cookies, rolls, batters and egg-whites.  Wes bought all the attachments for it which also means it's been a shredder/chopper/grinder of all things edible over the years. 

December 1, 2004    Here we are in the final month of 2004.  Astonishing, how quickly this year's passed by!  December's traditionally a month of gift giving, baking and celebrating.  It's a month of sharing and reconnecting with family and friends.  Though, no matter what gifts are given, what sacrifices are made, how much love is extended to others, no matter what is written to share of the blessings of the year, no greater sacrifice, no greater love and no greater gift could ever be given than the greatest gift of all gifts: the LORD Jesus Christ.

We don't do a lot of the celebrating of Christmas in the same manner or way that most Americans celebrate, in that we don't put up Christmas decorations all over the house or a Christmas tree, laden with presents, and we don't buys lots of gifts and don't attend elegant Christmas dinners or parties.  But, we do attempt to share what we have, we attempt to demonstrate thanks for the greatest Gift ever given by loving our family, our friends and neighbors, and as we're able, we give gifts to family and friends. 

We do celebrate the birth of the LORD Jesus---though we know the Bible doesn't specifically address the month He was born and doesn't direct us to remember His birth---certainly, celebrating His birth with Santa and all that, is not Biblical.  However, we understand that as we seek to honour the LORD and reflect on the unspeakable gift of Jesus our Saviour.  We know many who seek to avoid all recognition of the day and its pagan practices and, yet, we haven't been led in that manner.   We understand the passages in the Word that sure seem to point to the error of setting up Christmas trees and to other "rituals" that have no part in Christ but have become part of the "season." 

Jeremiah 10.2-6
2  Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.
3   For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.
4   They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.
5   They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good.
6   Forasmuch as there is none like unto thee, O LORD; thou art great, and thy name is great in might.

We know books have been written and some [we believe] erroneously point to what are considered pagan roots. We've just attempted to not make *things* more important or the focal point of commemorating Christ's birth.  So, we study the Word, we sing of His glory and to His honour.  We enjoy the lights, we enjoy the sharing and giving of cards we write and things we bake. 

We'll sure enjoy learning new songs together as a family, and the preparing the gingerbread house my mother bought all the fixings to make!  We'll enjoy making fruitcake---no, not fruitcake like you might be thinking, but the *best* fruitcake ever!  My mother-in-law's recipe is truly the best!  In addition to that and lots of greeting cards, we'll make snowball and candy-cane cookies, fudge and peanut brittle, "almond roca" and pinwheels, date-bars and "frangos" and many other things.

It's a significant day for us as we also celebrate the birth of our daughter, born on Christmas Day, nearly eight years ago.  We've begun talking about the plans for her celebration and look forward to that day.  My husband also looks forward to preparing dinner for the family on Christmas Eve and we're always thrilled by all that he prepares for us---he's amazing!  More on all these things as the month progresses.

Thanks for coming by today. God Bless you.

Another 'get out your hankie' production ~ a tribute to our military.

 

Need Gift Ideas?

Books!   The Hope Chest: A Legacy of Love by Rebekah Wilson
Grandmother's Hope Chest: Running Roosters   and  Grandmother's Hope Chest: Lucie's Snowflakes
Rebecca's  -  Best priced Cookie Cutters!!!
Raising Maidens of Virtue by Stacy McDonald  (here's a sample chapter)

A little on the pricey side, beautiful books and gifts of all sorts...  Vision Forum
 
Music!  Legacy-5  Southern Gospel Music