Miscellaneous photos from Christmas 2008

This is a photo of Cody.  Julie painted it years ago from a photo that we had taken with our camera.  She found it so we put it in a frame and brought to them, it fit very nice in the hall upstairs.



















This is Russ and Janet's house the way it looked the day we left.  We know how much they are enjoying it. 





On our way home we stopped by the bank where Brenna works, I know how much she liked having me take her photo, but I did and I want her to know she is a special girl.

Christmas with Wrights

We had a late Christmas with Russ, Janet, Trey and Cody.  We got there on December 26.

Ruby is an important part of their lives, here they are all together and below are the boys.





They had decorated their tree 'western'  It was very attractive and looked nice in the bay window.

Guest room at Janet's house

This is the guest room.  The day we came to Janet's house, Russ had found this furniture in the granary.  It was used by his parents in the 1960's  I have seen this furniture.  My mom didn't have a real bedroom set, but she painted and antiqued the furniture that she had to look like this.  We used this piece and the head board in the guest room.  The lamps are one that I brought.  i think that they belonged to Grandma Helen.  The dresser scarf was given to Janet by Grandma O'Brien.  Each of you children received a similar package.  You can see the bed reflected in the window.  Trey is using the dresser in his room.






This was Grandma Helen's cedar chest.  Janet has had it for a long time.  Grandma Helen had tried refinishing the lid and so it doesn't look so great, so we put a rug on it.  It is handy for us to set our suitcases on when we stay with them.








This is the bed, it was given to her, and is really a very comfortable bed.  The quilt is one that my mom made for me, we put a dust skirt around it and I want to make pillow shams.  The curtains are lace, and this room also has shelves above.  The little round table was Grandma O'Briens, I think she got it from her friend Millie Neidlinger. Janet has painted room in a nice ice green,

Cody's room

this is Cody's room  He has a camouflage design pained on two walls, and this wire deer is on one of the walls.














Shannon sent him this flag, I think it was flown in Iraq.


















He has shelves around his ceiling, I think on three walls.  He like Trey, has trophies on his shelves.  There are other shelves in the corners of his room, too.











This is the deer that he shot in 2007.  it was a big one.  On one of his windows we have a curtain that covers the window completely, the other has a valance like this one.  The window completely covered, was a bit cold.  Cody needs some kind of a desk and a good light.  The ceiling lights are old don't give a lot of light.   I think Cody likes his room.
















 

Trey's room

This is Trey's room.  The photo at the left shows his window with the flag, and the valance for a curtain.  At the right is his telescope.  He got the keyboard this year, and we hope he will learn to play it, there are music books on the rack.













Trey has stars on his ceiling and he has arranged them the way they are in the sky.  On the shelf which goes around three sides of his room, he has trophies and models.  It looks really nice.










This is the decal that auntie Shauna put on his wall, with Janet's help, while Trey was sleeping on Christmas eve.











Here is trey with the quilt that I made for his bed.

January 3, 2009

Take the Glory with You

Walk as children of light  Ephesians 5:8

Behold, I have brought you out of a dark and solitary land.  I have given you a drink from My own hand.  I delight in your companionship.  For I have seen your devotion, and I have observed with pleasure your thoughtfulness to those less fortunate who have crossed your path.
Take the glory of the mountaintop with you; take My presence, My light, My love.  This is not the valley of personal darkness--this is the valley where you will find those who need the touch of blessing you can bring.

/When I read this I thought, you will think it a bit irrelevant, so here are some personal thoughts.  Darkness, I remember how my mom would send me out to feed the dog at night, it was dark and I was to feed the dog away from the house, so I would run til I could get into an area where there was light.  I didn't like darkness.  I have always thought of dark as being where sin is at, but light as being where Jesus is at.  Works of darkness often take place at night, sin, sinful life styles, etc.

She is talking about being in a place where we find those who need the touch of blessing you can bring.  Each one of us can be that vessel.  It doesn't have to be super spiritual.  God will bless you as you show kindness.  Last night I stopped at a store to get cat food, the man at the til, was kind, friendly, he was doing just that, touching those he served by his attitude. I walked away thinking his job isn't very exciting, but he was making the most of it. Each one of us is in a position to do that, and it may need to start with the one we are married to,or our parents, or our children.  They may be the ones God is calling us to love.  I have struggled throughout my life, having a not very compassionate heart, but as I seek God, he is showing me people and he is giving me compassion.  It isn't me, it is God, so now I start feeling compassion for a student or staff and then realize that what I am feeling is God working in me.  That others around me may not feel that compassion.  If you remember I wrote in my Christmas letter about this at the end of the letter.  What can God do if we see people the way he sees them?  Every person is God's creation, but they aren't all alike.  On Sunday when we were at Aberdeen at church, there was an older man ahead of us several rows.  I feel that he was somehow handicapped, but that didn't deter him from worshiping God.  He could simply worship from his heart and express his feelings.  God wants us to see people like he sees them, he loves all of them.Is there someone God is speaking to you about, that he wants you to show a bit more love and caring for?

Father,  Thank you for making me the way I am, and for each one in my family.  Today, father our prayer is that we would desire to live in your light and that you would help us see those around us like you see them.  Help us to value each, and to accept them the way they were made by you. In Jesus name.  amen


*Personal note,  Yesterday, I went to Cando and cleaned the church, Michael was there and we tried to get the BGMC material on the overhead projector,  we haven't got it working yet, but he was working on the music.  I then went to Physical Therapist at New Rockford,  I think we are getting at what to do for why I have the pain in my leg, I came by DL and then home.  We have thought of coming to Grand Forks, but I am feeling this morning that maybe we should stay at home.  I have been gone a lot of really would welcome a day at home.  Love all of you.

January 2nd 2009

The Comfort of My Presence
For thou wilt light my candle, the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness.....By my God have I leaped over a wall.   Psalm 18:28-29

More than all the comforts of the  world.  I want you to know the comfort of My presence.
Many dangers beset your path, but I shall keep you if you trust in Me. Darkness presses you, and doubts arise, but the light of My Holy Spirit ever burns within your heart to cheer you and encourage you to go on, yes, to go on knowing surely I will bring you out.--

/There may be a lot of darkness in our midst, we might see it as sin, or when we see crimes committed, people abused, but God wants to give us light,  In NIV  verse 28 says:  You, O lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light....with my God I can scale a wall.  Truly with God's help we can defeat obstacles in our lives.....Today, when you feel defeated or discouraged, remember that God wants to guide your steps, he wants to direct your path.  He is with you.  Reach out to him.

On a personal note:  We enjoyed having Jerry, Julie, Jackson and Jesse over to eat with us last night.  The boys made necklaces out of beads for their teachers.  I am also trying to clean out and sort things that need to go.  Have a great day.  We love you.