Sunday, January 31, 2010

A Puppy!

Introducing... the world's cutest puppy...




Loxley is the world's cutest puppy... in my opinion. :D He's a Rotweiler/Bluetick mix... I wish I could say he's ours, but I can't. :P  He belongs to Peter and Angela... but we had him at our house for a few hours one day.  The kids absolutely loved him, even though he slept more than he played.  Olivia gave up her lunch because he was sleeping on her lap under the couch.  Isn't he adorable though?? 


Monday, January 25, 2010

Christ's Redemptive Love... And some other things...

I am sitting here with the after-effects of a wonderfully taught Sunday sermon... And I thought that I would share what's on my mind... as well as some other things... (I just love rambling :D)

Anyways, this is short... but I have been completely enamored with Christ's love of late... not just loving him, but feeling the full assurance of his wondrous love for me! His love is redemptive... His love is a sacrificial love...

(I just remembered I never finished this, and it accidentally got published, and now I forget my train of thought.... except for: Let's imitate this Christlike love towards our brethren... our fellow Christian... :) )

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

O The Deep, Deep Love Of Jesus!!

Never, O never forget, my dearest readers, of his unfailing love for his beloved! Though our strength may fail, though our love may be weak, unfaithful, and inconsistent, remember that he is faithful.  He sits on high, and he is perfect in everything.  His love is perfect, and though we turn away, he will chase us down and bring us back to him.  Even in the suffering he sends our way, there is undying love... Remember that he sanctifies us through trials, tribulations, and sorrows, that we may be more like him. "For the Lord will not cast off forever, but, though he cause grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love, for he does not willing afflict or grieve the children of man." (Lamentations 3:31-33)

This hymn reminds us how faithful and infinite his love is for us...

O the deep, deep love of Jesus,
Vast, unmeasured, boundless, free!
Rolling as a mighty ocean
In its fullness over me!
Underneath me, all around me,
Is the current of Thy love!
Leading onward, leading homeward
To Thy glorious rest above!


O the deep, deep love of Jesus,
Spread His praise from shore to shore!
How He loveth, ever loveth,
Changeth never, nevermore!
How He watches o'er His loved ones,
Died to call them all His own;
How for them He intercedeth,
Watcheth o'er them from the throne!


O the deep, deep love of Jesus,
Love of every love the best!
'Tis an ocean vast of blessing,
'Tis a haven sweet of rest!
O the deep, deep love of Jesus,
'Tis a heaven of heavens to me;
And it lifts me up to glory,
For it lifts me up to Thee!

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

The Bridegroom And His Bride












What a beautiful, wonderful day!


(Photo courtesy of Kate Doriean)

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Of Weddings and New Years

 Hello my dear blog readers!!

I must say, that the holidays are certainly the most buzzing time of year... ESPECIALLY for big families... and even MORE especially for big families with a wedding on New Years Eve!!  But these are all good things... After all, we celebrate the Advent, and the birth, of Christ, and we celebrate the beginning of a new year - a new start!  And on top of this we celebrate a marriage... the bringing together of two godly people who partake of a covenant more holy and sacred than most imagine.  It is the imitation—nay, the foreshadow, of the great marriage of Christ to his purified and beautiful bride.  What a beautiful season!! We have the snow, which reflects God in its beauty, and though cold, lays on the hard earth a soft blanket which transforms nature from bleak and hard to displaying a soft splendor unmatched in its beauty by any other element of nature.  I say, we have the snow, and we have the birth of Christ, and we have the joy of a new start, and in the midst of all these joyous times we have a marriage!  How incredibly beautiful!  How much more breathtaking can it get!

So these are the things that have been taking up my time.  My brother was married, and I now have a sister-in-law.  We had a wonderful time with extended families... We hosted the rehearsal dinner at our house, of which I will post pictures. :).... Oh, and I suppose you'd like to see pictures of the wedding, wouldn't you?! Well, what I have, I will post. :)



Preparation for a VERY special cookie... :D





Voila! Duncan created this... the base is a heartshorne cookie, baked in the shape of a heart.  He then baked a gingerbread boy and girl.  He used icing, and sprinkles for most of it.  The tuxedo is made of shredded dark chocolate. :)





We moved the furniture out of our dining room and living room, and replaced them with big long tables and chairs.  We entertained about 40 people.... It was a great blessing to have Mrs. Neubecker's invaluable and immeasurable (I have two people telling me what adjective to use) help and expertise for this celebration.  We are immensely grateful for her, and for the Marino family, the help of whom was vital to the success of the occasion.  We made green salad with creamy dressing, chicken curry with raita, roasted sweet potatoes and warm fresh pitas for dinner... For dessert we had little bowls of mint chocolate chip ice-cream with a little sugar cookie.  It was very pleasant. :)






The tables started in the dining room, went into the living room, turned and went to the end of the living room.  It was quite an arrangement. :D






Peter and the best man... and a blurry mother. :D





This is... Oh, this is me... yes... a short-haired me. :D





And old-fashioned girl at 6 AM ready to go to the Blair Center to get ready for the wedding with her sisters!





The Best Man shines Peter's shoes. :D I think Peter looks just a little excited...





Mrs. Willeke puts the veil on her daughter.  If you can, click on this picture to see Mrs. W's face.  It's so sweet and loving. 






The Flower Girls. Notice Olivia's face.





Two sisters, a sister-to-be, and the sister-to-be's sister... the Maid of Honor. :)





This was where the ceremony was held.





The new family.





Silly faces.





The send off.


These last few pictures are courtesy of Peter Serven, a groomsman in the wedding... but he was able to snap a few pictures. :)


I PROMISE I will have more pictures of the ceremony.  Right now this is all I have... Because most of our family was in the wedding, we couldn't take pictures, and the people who did didn't have a very good view... Anyhow, we will get some up here soon. :)

Monday, January 11, 2010

A Poem :)

Hey y'all!

I found this poem in the Original Blue Back Speller... and I liked it, so I thought I'd share it with everybody.

But I don't know who it's by :P

The Rose

The rose had been wash'd, lately wash'd in a show'r
That Julia to Emma conveyed
The plentiful moisture encumber'd the flow'r
And weighed down its beautiful head.


The cup was all filled, and the leaves were all wet
And seem'd, at a fanciful view
To weep with regret for the buds it had left
On the flourishing bush where it grew.


I hastily siez'd it, unfit as it was
For a nosegay, so dripping and drown'd
And shaking it rudely—too rudely, alas!
I snapt it—it fell to the ground.


"And such," I exclaimed, "is the pitiless part
"Some act by the delicate mind;
"Regardless of wringing and breaking a heart
"Already to sorrow resigned.


"This beautiful rose, had I shaken it less,
Might have bloomed with the owner awhile
"And a tear that is wip'd, with a little address
"May be followed, perhaps, with a smile."