Fate

Again not wild about an article's title, I'll supply it while in a bit of disagreement with it.  There is on earth no country I know of in which the inhabitants could be deemed all of one mindset or heart.  Perhaps it's merely a matter of semantics, and I'm nitpicking.  What, though, is one's definition of nation?  Personally, I'm of no more mind to call a country pagan than I am to call it Christian or any other term related to belief or practice...including the United States of America.  It seems to me an impossibility to name the inhabitants of a country "a nation" when referencing the beliefs or practices of the individuals in a sole geographic location; within the borders of the U.S.A., are there not many nations?  But what do I know? ºÜº

To be sure, the civil governance of our nation has swung from a foundation of Christian principles to pagan principles, as has the prevailing or majority moral climate.  Self is the god of so many.

The Fate of a Pagan Nation
by Jim R. Schwiesow

"...Even in the face of such divine condemnation the people do not flee from their egregious lawlessness and sin, they shun correction and sink even deeper into gross and disgusting degeneracy, and they seemingly take pride in the nastiness of their perversions.  Indeed so proud are they that their putrescence is packaged and exported via films, music, and the written word to the entirety of the world.  We are most certainly a shame deficient people..." (read more →here← at News with Views)

It's not yet too late to go to the One True God, washed in the blood of the Lamb when kneeling before His throne.  Kneel we will: all peoples, all nations.

But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.  Matthew 5:44, 45 For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.  Romans 14:11 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.  Revelation 3:20

Repurposed Grocery Bags

If you didn't talk with me this week, you weren't among the people who said, "You're what?"








Charles:  What are you doing?

CarolineNot:  Wah-wahh-wah-wahhh-wahh.

Charles (with a look of consternation):  Well, why don't we just buy some yarn?

CarolineNot:  Uh, maybe you need to look around.  There's no shortage of yarn in the house.

Who made this mess?


Stop lookin' at me!

And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear: forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.  I Peter 1:17-21

R. M. Ballantyne

Scottish author (1825 - 1894) of over 80 fictional books of particular interest to young men and promoting desired traits of character.  If your daughter alerts you to a 50% off sale on a collection of twenty of those books, think about the prospective purchase for a week or two, for when you've made your decision to buy, the discount will have been reduced to 25%, adding a whopping 3-figures to the purchase price.  And you're not about to spend that.  It took you many days to decide to spend less.

Visit LibriVox, where audio books, including a few of Ballantyne's, are available for free download.  Consider whether or not your husband will be amenable to downloading audio books on his iPod.  While you're pondering that, notice at LibriVox the link to Project Gutenberg and poke it:  "Project Gutenberg is the place where you can download over 30,000 free ebooks to read on your PC, iPhone, Kindle, Sony Reader or other portable device."  Grab a tissue to dab the corners of your mouth, gather your wits, and remember your original mission in Free Book Land: find Ballantyne.

Find him you will.  Eighty-five books.

Copy - Paste.  You want hard copies.  Don't do 19 books in one morning, or your eyes will burn into the night, because you forgot to make yourself blink.

Print one, because you and your son will be eager to dive in.  Hole punch it for the 3-ring binder readied to receive.  Be tidy about that, because if you're not, you'll have white dots all over your floor...which may get stuck to your ridiculous dog's nose.  And you'll have a whale of a time getting him to be still, so you can snap a photo of his adorned snout.

Meanwhile, at the other end of the house...


Of course.

But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; and base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence.  I Corinthians 1:27-29

He's Awake

And I used natural lighting to capture the moment.

So the shutter speed was slow, and the image isn't crisp.
That's okay.  Crisp kitties maybe don't look so hot.
Wouldn't wanna see those nose freckles in pixel-perfect detail.


Purrle's Glamor Shot


A fleeting moment in time.
He's out again.


And that is the reason we live with this:


And this:


And this:


♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
I want there to always be Purrley fur to clear from the furniture...
And boys' colorful, plastic BB's on the floor, skittering ahead of the vacuum cleaner.
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.  If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.  I John 1:5-7

That Nail Thing

Hmm, I guess that nail thing is genetic.  Remember when SugarPlum was helping me pin the pattern on flannel for a dress — one of six, the first not yet being sewn, but we'll think about that tomorrow.  She kept referring to the pins as nails, and no amount of coaching worked.  It seems she acquired that brain burble from her Poppie.

Charles:  I'll never understand that.  It just doesn't compute. 

CarolineNot:  What are you talking about?

Charles:  You put that cloth on a nail and come up with that.  It doesn't even make sense.

CarolineNot:  *laughing and lifting the strands of yarn*  This isn't cloth.  (Never mind the nail thing; been there done that...to no avail.)

Charles:  No, on the other side of the nail.  That's cloth, and it just keeps growing and growing.  I don't get it.

CarolineNot:  *laughs so hysterically she has to lay the nails in her lap*

He turned the sea into dry land: they went through the flood on foot: there did we rejoice in him.  He ruleth by his power for ever; his eyes behold the nations: let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah.  O bless our God, ye people, and make the voice of his praise to be heard: which holdeth our soul in life, and suffereth not our feet to be moved.  Psalm 66:6-9