Father in the wilderness of the Jordan you sent a messenger to prepare people's hearts for the coming of your Son. Help me to hear his words and repent of my sins so that I may clearly see the way to walk, the truth to speak and the life to live for Him our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Jim read this at his Father's internment service Thursday. Seemed extremely fitting since Mac worked on numerous planes during his career as an aeronautical engineer starting during WWII. He wanted to enlist during college but was told his services as an engineer were more valuable. Rest in peace Mac. We love you.High FlightOh! I have slipped the surly bonds of earthAnd danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings; Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth Of sun-split clouds - and done a hundred things You have not dreamed of - wheeled and soared and swung High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung My eager craft through footless halls of air. Up, up the long delirious, burning blue, I've topped the windswept heights with easy grace Where never lark, or even eagle flew - And, while with silent lifting mind I've trod The high untresspassed sanctity of space, Put out my hand and touched the face of God. | |
| Pilot Officer Gillespie Magee No 412 squadron, RCAF Killed 11 December 1941 | |
Hokey-Pokey by William Shakespeare
By Jeff Brechlin
O proud left foot, that ventures quick within
Then soon upon a backward journey lithe.
Anon, once more the gesture, then begin:
Command sinistral pedestal to writhe.
Commence thou then the fervid Hokey-Poke,
A mad gyration, hips in wanton swirl.
To spin! A wilde release from Heaven’s yoke.
Blessed dervish! Surely canst go, girl.
The Hoke, the poke—banish now thy doubt
Verily, I say, ‘tis what it’s all about.
There is a fish ladder so the salmon can travel safely - this is the underwater viewing area
The terraced lawn is gorgeous and a great spot for a layback (nap).
before
after
The spillway's job is to keep the water levels of the sound and lake where they should be
Hugging is good medicine. It transfers energy, and gives the person hugged an emotional boost. You need four hugs a day for survival, eight for maintenance, and twelve for growth. A hug makes you feel good. The skin is the largest organ we have and it needs a great deal of care. A hug can cover a lot of skin and gives the message that you care. It is also a form of communication. It can say things you don't have words for. The nicest thing about a hug is that you usually can't give one without getting one. ~ Author Unknown
“Hugging is good medicine. It transfers energy and gives the person hugged an emotional lift. You need four hugs a day for survival, eight for maintanance and twelve for growth. Scientist say that hugging is a form of communication because it can say the things you don’t have the words for. And the nicest thing about a hug is that you usually can’t give one without getting one.”
17 Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace. 18 She is a tree of life to those who embrace her; those who lay hold of her will be blessed.
A minister passing through his church in the middle of the day,
Decided to pause by the altar and see who had come to pray.
Just then the back door opened, a man came down the aisle,
The minister frowned as he saw the man hadn’t shaved in a while.
His shirt was kinda shabby and his coat was worn and frayed.
The man knelt, he bowed his head, then rose and walked away.
In the days that followed, each noon time – came this chap,
Each time he knelt just for a moment, a lunch pail in his lap.
Well, the minister’s suspicions grew, with robbery a main fear,
He decided to stop the man and ask him, “What are you doing here?”
http://www.dailylifesinspiration.com/just-checking-in
The old man said, he worked down the road – Lunch was half an hour.
Lunchtime was his prayer time, for finding faith, strength and power.
“I stay only moments, see, the factory is so far away;
As I kneel here talking to the Lord, this is kinda what I say:
“I just came again to tell you Lord, how happy I have been,
Since we found each other’s friendship and you took away my sin.
Don’t know much of how to pray, but I think about you everyday.
So, Jesus, this is Jim – just checking in.”
The minister feeling foolish, told Jim that was fine.
He told the man he was welcome to come and pray anytime.
“Time to go”, Jim smiled, and said “thanks” as he hurried to the door.
The minister knelt at the alter, he’d never done that before.
His cold heart melted, warmed with love, and met with Jesus there.
As the tears flowed, in his heart, he repeated old Jim’s prayer:
“I just came again to tell you Lord, how happy I have been,
Since we found each other’s friendship and you took away my sin.
Don’t know much of how to pray, but I think about you everyday.
So, Jesus, This is me – just checking in.”
Past noon one day, the minister noticed that old Jim had not come.
As more days passed with no sign of Jim, he began to worry some.
At the factory, he asked about him, learning he was ill.
The hospital staff was worried, but Jim had given them a thrill.
The week that Jim was with them, he brought changes in the ward.
His smiles, a joy contagious – changed people, were his reward.
The head nurse couldn’t understand why Jim was so glad,
When no flowers, calls or cards came, not a visitor he had.
The minister stayed by Jim’s bed, he voiced the nurse’s concern.
No friends came to show they cared, he had nowhere to turn.
Looking surprised, old Jim spoke up and with a winsome smile -
“The nurse is wrong, she couldn’t know, that in here all the while,
Everyday at noon – He’s here, a dear friend of mine, you see,
He sits right down, takes my hand, leans over and says to me:
“I JUST CAME AGAIN TO TELL YOU, JIM,
HOW HAPPY I HAVE BEEN,
SINCE WE FOUND THIS WONDERFUL FRIENDSHIP,
AND I TOOK AWAY YOUR SIN.
I ALWAYS LOVE TO HEAR YOU PRAY,
AND I THINK ABOUT YOU EVERY DAY,
AND SO JIM, THIS IS JESUS … CHECKING IN.”
I saw this and though of you! “It starts with the simple desire to lose a few pounds or scratch off a bucket list item. We begin nervously, but as the layers of doubt and fear and fat are shed, the magic of the run sets in. Over the miles, we stir our souls, open our hearts, sharpen our minds, and strengthen our bodies. As we break down what was, we allow our best self to shine through. This completely predictable, yet always powerful story begins again each day when another woman laces up, dusts off her heart, and says ‘I’m going for a run.’”
Gratitude
How can I thank God for all he has done for me?
GOD'S RESPONSE
We praise God for the wonderful kindness he has poured out on us because we belong to his dearly loved Son. Ephesians 1:6
Great is the LORD! He is most worthy of praise! He is to be revered above all gods. The gods of other nations are merely idols, but the LORD made the heavens! 1 Chronicles 16:25-26
Who can list the glorious miracles of the LORD? Who can ever praise him half enough? Psalm 106:2
Let us continually offer our sacrifice of praise to God by proclaiming the glory of his name. Hebrews 13:15
✙ You can thank God by offering him a sacrifice of praise. What does that mean? It means that you sacrifice, or give up something, to praise him instead. You might give up some sleep to get up early to praise him. Maybe you will give up some free time to spend time in prayer praising him. Perhaps you need to give up complaining to praise him for all he has done for you. Whatever it is for you, give God praise. He is worthy of it.
GOD'S CHALLENGE
It is good to give thanks to the LORD, to sing praises to the Most High. PSALM 92:1
God of Love,
through this Lenten journey,
purify my desires to serve you.
Free me from any temptations to judge others,
to place myself above others.
Please let me surrender even my impatience with others,
that with your love and your grace,
I might be less and less absorbed with myself,
and more and more full of the desire
to follow you, in laying down my life
according to your example.
