Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Maya and Ben


Ben and Maya were over for a visit this morning,
so I was able to get a few pictures of them
(as usual, unfocused but viewable!)...

Maya enjoyed some one-on-one time while Ben napped...

  


and after he napped, Ben was ready to play!


The hat was courtesy of Maya getting him ready to come over,
and it does give him a bit of a jaunty flair.
(He does have the softest, downy hair underneath!)

It is never dull at Nana's House!
Now, if I can just catch Jack and Eli for a few pics! :)


Monday, June 25, 2012

Great is Thy Faithfulness ~ Think on These Things



This I recall to my mind,
Therefore I have hope.
Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed,
Because His compassions fail not.
They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
Lamentations 3:21-23
NKJV

This is the familiar hymn with different music,
by Fernando Ortega.

Great Is Thy Faithfulness
Thomas A. Chisolm (1866-1960)
Hymn written in 1923


During the fall of Jerusalem the weeping prophet, Jeremiah, describes the evil acts of humankind in such loathsome detail that the reader is given to despair. In his book of Lamentations Jeremiah vividly portrays the emotions and feelings of those who actually experienced the catastrophe. Right in the midst of the ruin, as though he were transported into a completely different setting, renewed hope springs up within his heart as Jeremiah looks away from the affliction and ruin and contemplates the infinite mercies of God. His perspective turns from the evil peril that surrounded him to the eternal promises that renewed him.

"I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. I say to myself, 'The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him'" (Lamentations 3:19-24).

In 1923 Thomas Chisolm birthed one of the greatest modern hymns regarding the faithfulness of God from this golden text. In stanza one he writes of God's unchanging character and unfailing compassions. In stanza two he writes of God's faithfulness in maintaining the order of His universe. In stanza three he writes of God's faithfulness in forgiving our sins, providing strength for today and hope for tomorrow. Each stanza leads to the great culminating chorus that declares the victorious words of Jeremiah, "Great is Thy faithfulness."

May we all be transported through prayer and faith from our difficulty to a tranquil state of mind where we too can confidently and gratefully proclaim this to be our personal testimony, "Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me."
Great is Thy faithfulness, O God, my Father,
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions they fail not;
As Thou hast been, Thou forever wilt be.

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above;
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

Pardon for sin And a peace that endureth,
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today And bright hope for tomorrow
Blessings all mine, With ten thousand beside.

Great is Thy faithfulness
Great is Thy faithfulness
Morning by morning new mercies I see
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me
Please join Think on These Things at


Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Getting Settled

We've been in our new home for nearly 6 months, and we are slowly getting settled.

Lauren built this bench for our entry...



as well as this window box...



and the front porch is a favorite place to relax...



We have been slow to hang things on the walls, but we recently hung this above our bed...


I plan on hanging a variety of things according to the seasons or my own whim.

 I got the coat rack from Heather @ Post Road Vintage...

Pinned Image

where she creates and sells delightful items for farmhouse decorating.
Go see her!!



Now, if you look close, you will see a little bit of reality outside these kitchen windows...



It's a little hard to see, but right out these windows there is one of these...


a dumpster for construction debris,
and this...


a perpetual pile of construction dirt.

We remember that other neighbors lived through the building of our house, and that
soon we will have wonderful new neighbors next door.

The main thing is, this is still Nana's and Grandpa's house,
and more than anything, we love to fill it with the sights and sounds of our family.

Sometimes, though, I think it should be named Lucy's House,
because when the grandkids come, she is the one they run to! :)

With this sweet face, I don't blame them!




Saturday, June 9, 2012

Think On These Things ~ The Good Shepherd



“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep.
So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away.
Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it.
The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.

“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—
just as the Father knows me and I know the Father —
and I lay down my life for the sheep. "
John 10:11-15

 
 

Thursday, June 7, 2012

A Birthday Afternoon

We celebrated Lauren's May 28th birthday this past Sunday, and we all got together
at Erin and John's house for an afternoon of food and fun. Here are a few photos of the day.


Lauren and Jack with pound cake and berries, complete with a candle...




the fort that John built, promising many summer days of fun...

(Maya and Eli are happy to have swings again, after we took ours down when we moved.)



a hammock to swing and laugh in...




lambs and horses to feed...



and Grandpa teaching Maya how to make a blade of grass whistle.



It was such a joy to spend this time together to celebrate Lauren's birthday,
and our time together will be a wonderful spring memory for years to come.
God has blessed me with a husband who loves his Lord and his family,
and we are all blessed to have him as our husband and father.

Thank you, Father, for my dear husband, and
Happy Birthday to you,
Lauren!


I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine...
Song of Songs 6:3