tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-209419912024-03-13T14:01:50.746-07:00Life's PrologueThis is only the beginningAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16663647667275488323noreply@blogger.comBlogger503125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20941991.post-63926975437832312902015-12-18T20:30:00.002-08:002015-12-18T20:30:45.290-08:00Advent Day 15: Love beyond obligation
Have you ever felt obligated? Obligated means that you are legally or morally constrained to do something. You may be obligated to do your chores or go to school. When you get a job, you will be obligated to show up on time, work hard, and do the tasks you are given. You are obligated to obey your parents and when you get married, you have a whole new set of obligations. Life is filled with Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16663647667275488323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20941991.post-67074974715468111222015-12-17T09:04:00.000-08:002015-12-17T09:04:25.340-08:00Advent Day 14
The time was here! It was finally here! The wandering, homeless people of God were finally able to cross into their Promised land. There was only one problem: The land was occupied by another people. A people who would not just willingly hand over their territory to wandering vagabonds. Overcoming this hurdle would take belief, courage, and obedience. And God knew that Joshua was the man who Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16663647667275488323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20941991.post-81099651132388016642015-12-15T16:41:00.003-08:002015-12-15T16:41:55.340-08:00Advent Day 13
Here they were. The Israelites. Wandering around in the desert with new laws, a new leader, strange food and no more access to the comforts that come from a permanent city. They began to complain and grow weary. God was in their very midst and yet they were dissatisfied.
And so, in His love, God sent snakes into the camps.
The last time we read about a snake wandering around people...it wasAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16663647667275488323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20941991.post-65000750450593474942015-12-15T16:40:00.001-08:002015-12-15T16:40:55.417-08:00Advent Day 12
Don’t, don’t do it. You are not allowed
No. No. No. No.
You cannot, you must not, you may not...
Do you just feel the love? We’ll get there.
When the Israelites fled so quickly from Egypt, they were not leaving a foreign place. They were leaving their homes. They had lived in the Land of Pharaohs for over 400 years and not even the oldest man among them remembered any other life.
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16663647667275488323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20941991.post-2550952926194817392015-12-11T08:54:00.002-08:002015-12-11T14:47:30.428-08:00Day 11: Blood
It was the final blow. The last standoff.
Not the river of blood or the frogs, or the lice, or the flies.
Not the killing of the livestock, or the boils, or the thunder, or the locusts.
It wasn’t even the darkness so dark it could be felt.
“Now it came about at midnight that the Lord struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16663647667275488323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20941991.post-5613728454179306702015-12-11T06:51:00.000-08:002015-12-11T06:51:44.012-08:00Advent Day 10: Oppression Overcome
A royal decree: Kill the Hebrew baby boys. All of them.
Throw them in the river. Kill them when they are born. Whatever has to be done to stop them from threatening our way of life. Just. get. rid. of. them.
People are threatened by groups of people who see things differently than they do. As the Pharoah, this was the easiest way to assure they would not outgrow the culture they wereAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16663647667275488323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20941991.post-25508558137275480952015-12-09T18:31:00.000-08:002015-12-11T07:07:01.995-08:00Advent Day 9: Restoration
Abraham fathered Isaac who was the father of Jacob who, after wrestling with God, became Israel.
Israel. We know this name as a nation, but at this time it was simply one man. One man who grew in wealth and cattle and sheep and sons. 11 sons. One favorite. Remember? I told you that would happen.
The favorite was his youngest son. And very spoiled. Have you ever been around a spoiled Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16663647667275488323noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20941991.post-66619579887288713712015-12-07T15:02:00.002-08:002015-12-07T15:02:54.664-08:00Day 7: Jacob: A way of escape...from ourselves.
At first glance we often see the men and women of the Bible as some sort of super-people. Chosen by God, called out of the nations, spoken to by the One and Only God Himself. They must be something special. Something better or above average. They are even called Bible Heroes from time to time.
And yet, look closely and you see a different story.
Through foolishness, Noah got drunk and Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16663647667275488323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20941991.post-31207107066137468842015-12-07T05:55:00.004-08:002015-12-07T05:55:53.340-08:00Advent Day 6
Day 6: Isaac
The waiting, growing anticipation as the months go by. One by one.
Imagine Adam watching Eve’s belly growing bigger and bigger. The first parents. Imagine their joy as they cradled the first infant. They had never seen a child learn to crawl or walk. They, not long ago, had experienced creation for the first time, and now they were watching as their child saw the wonders with Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16663647667275488323noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20941991.post-36769178068452326622015-12-03T22:09:00.001-08:002015-12-03T22:09:37.340-08:00Day 5: Worth the Wait
Wait. Just wait. (Sigh.) There is something about trying to go along in our days when we are waiting for an event that is completely out of our control. If only something could be done. If only we can work to make it happen...build an ark or something...perhaps the waiting would be tolerable.
But so many times...we are just told to...wait.
If you are a child when you read this, you will Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16663647667275488323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20941991.post-85899742518080587922015-12-03T20:38:00.002-08:002015-12-03T20:38:48.667-08:00Advent Day 4
Remember our last story? Adam and Eve and the spark of hope God gave them? Let’s fast forward now through many generations. Adam and Eve’s family had grown into many different families. They lived, they worked, they laughed, they took care of their children, they saw the light of the sun circle the earth countless times.
But it appears that they lost something. They lost the spark. They letAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16663647667275488323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20941991.post-50190673743151815682015-12-01T19:38:00.002-08:002015-12-01T19:43:12.079-08:00Advent Day 3: Adam and Eve
Day Three: Adam and Eve
“What if.”
I used to imagine what it would be like if Adam and Eve hadn’t sinned. What if they had NOT taken a bite of that fruit. What if they had NOT listened to the lies of the snake. I distinctly remember feeling upset knowing how much beauty and glory must have been in that garden and wondering why she HAD to eat that one fruit. Of all the wonderful things. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16663647667275488323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20941991.post-38350493110031578462015-11-30T21:05:00.002-08:002015-11-30T21:05:50.771-08:00Advent Day 2: Creation
Advent Day 2: Creation
Do you remember a time when the darkness was so piercing that your open eyes deceived you into thinking they were closed? Your search for light was futile in the all-encompassing blackness. It may have made you laugh. It is a strange feeling afterall. Maybe in the stillness you thought of the light. Maybe you imagined the wonderful things in your life because of Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16663647667275488323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20941991.post-34612777746909610382015-11-29T15:58:00.001-08:002015-11-29T15:58:54.404-08:00Advent Day 1: The Rod of Jesse
Have you ever seen a tree stump? All bumpy and mangled in the ground? Once it was large, beautiful, strong and tall. Now, it is dead. The massive limbs gone. The crowning leaves now fallen forever and the juicy fruit that once brought nourishment is only a memory. The strong trunk reduced to nothing more than a bench. A place of rest in a weary time of trouble.
In the days of Isaiah, The Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16663647667275488323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20941991.post-5959769026245361382015-05-09T19:03:00.001-07:002015-05-09T19:03:25.647-07:00The Symphony of CreationHe sits alone.
Strategically and sometimes wildly transcribing the notes so real in his head to a crumpled scribbled meager piece of paper. The work is intense beauty. A masterpiece from a master's head. From his heart.
Every note. Every pause. Every strum, beat and breath of every instrument must be painstakingly transcribed to come together into one stunning heart-stopping masterpiece.
And Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16663647667275488323noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20941991.post-52897707016102862322015-05-03T20:47:00.000-07:002015-05-03T21:19:30.612-07:00Town 11: Daysville
A little ways down the Highway from Mitchell we stopped at Daysville. A tad bit contrived, but holding that classic charm that shouts "we used to be a legitimate town of Western Lore"
Storefronts:
Bass Reeves in Action
ha ha.
These Two.
We stopped in at the Dayville Mercentile to find all of those "candies from the past."
Candy sticks and gum cigs. Oh theAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16663647667275488323noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20941991.post-80774136375208002322015-05-03T18:06:00.001-07:002015-05-03T18:06:34.559-07:00Town 10: Mitchell
Traveling East en route to Idaho we decided to take the "Business Loop" through Mitchell.
This ranks as MY favorite-so-far town.
A lady saw us "milling about" and let us into the closed restaurant.
She was prepping for dinner service.
"Business Loop"
There we are, folks. Main Street.
Apparently...according to the locals...this place is hopping in the Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16663647667275488323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20941991.post-77701761676735161542015-05-03T16:59:00.000-07:002015-05-03T17:01:51.074-07:00Towns 6-9: Tangent, Shed, Halsey and HarrisburgA short trip down south on HWY 99E took us on a fun adventure with lessons on small towns of the past and what was important to them.
First stop...five miles out of Albany...Tangent.
Tangent was named for its long stretch of railroad. Named after the mathematical tangent.
Another of Grandpa's old shops
Also in the "history books" for Tangent was the story of a prominent man who, upon his Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16663647667275488323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20941991.post-6786931466588843262015-04-26T12:21:00.000-07:002015-04-26T12:22:14.694-07:00Town 5: Florence
Florence. Eugene's Coast. I've always heard about it, driven through it, but never stopped. Mistake. This is one beautiful little town.
First stop: The museum.
Some little man gets stuck in his stroller on these little outings.
Time to explore the town.
Oliver suddenly likes to have his picture taken. I don't mind.
These boys.
And then...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16663647667275488323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20941991.post-20264321411555063902015-04-26T11:19:00.003-07:002015-04-26T11:20:50.034-07:00Town 4: Jefferson
Jefferson. Just up North...between Albany and Salem. Hmm...
With map of houses for sale and six semi-happy children, we drove the 20 min to the heart of the little town.
While reading the history of Conser's Ferry...the start of the small town, I sent a message to a very dear man from church by the same name. Relation? Yes! Turns out it is his great, great grandfather!
There Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16663647667275488323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20941991.post-13444679358080263022015-04-25T20:54:00.000-07:002015-04-26T10:27:38.186-07:00Bridges 1-11
50 Bridges Together.
Connection.
Transition.
Wherever the road leads, we walk it together.
This bridge was strongly warned against. But we survived.
We covered a lot of ground with a drive through the covered bridges near Albany
Next came Albany's two bridges.
Jefferson's lovely stone bridge
Bridge 10: Siuslaw River Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16663647667275488323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20941991.post-23245258024315377042015-04-25T12:36:00.000-07:002015-04-25T12:41:18.621-07:00Playing the Fool"Have you ever acted like someone you weren't to get something you wanted?"
"Have you ever pretended to be crazy?"
These are the openers. The conversation starters. The personal invitations to study one great play in the depths of great works.
This is how Hamlet Book Club begins.
The beauty of this book club is that we are all learning. Perhaps that is why the conversation is so open and real.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16663647667275488323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20941991.post-47640468006703281102015-04-24T20:09:00.003-07:002015-04-24T20:09:24.205-07:00Favorite Photo Friday
The Favorite: Grandma's Hugs
The Runners Up:
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16663647667275488323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20941991.post-35940523393123402142015-04-18T08:59:00.000-07:002015-04-18T08:59:23.481-07:00A moment in time: 4/17/15Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16663647667275488323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20941991.post-80534938491543820962015-04-18T08:56:00.000-07:002015-04-18T08:59:41.920-07:00Town 3: Scio
Do you know how sad it is to have lived in the Willamette Valley for the majority of my life and never spent any time in these small farming towns that sprinkle the countryside? I suppose that is just The Way it Is.
The fun thing about these trips is the excitement of the kids. Something about these little towns.
While on a covered bridge tour, we rolled through Scio.
Stopped by Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16663647667275488323noreply@blogger.com0