Sisters

Anticipation

I've been thinking about gift giving lately. Go figure, right?

As I've thought about giving gifts and receiving gifts, I've also thought about the word anticipation. I think anticipation should be a major component of gift giving and receiving. It's like an essential ingredient to the whole process.

The dictionary definition is "to look forward to; to be before (another) in doing something; expect, hope." If we lack anticipation in our giving and receiving, I think we miss the joy involved in the process. Anticipation creates suspense, which creates positive tension. This tension finds exhilarating release when the gift is fulfilled.

So in some small way, I've experienced this idea of anticipation as I've given my small gifts to friends. Through the process the questions have come to mind: How much do I anticipate the greatest Gift of all? How much am I anticipating the Return of the King? How much am I reveling in the Gift He has given? And the fulfillment of the Gift when we are reunited with Him?

How much anticipation do you have? Are you allowing the time necessary to create the anticipation? Are you enjoying the process, waiting with excited patience, knowing that the seemingly delayed gift will be sweeter with each passing day between now and the time you receive it?

Winter!

Home away from home. San Fran Peaks in Flagstaff. I want to go skiing, and throw a snowball, and hug an aspen, and drink Late for the Train chai.

There Will Be A Day

I try to hold on to this world with everything I have
But I feel the weight of what it brings, and the hurt that tries to grab
The many trials that seem to never end, His word declares this truth,
That we will enter in this rest with wonders anew

But I hold on to this hope and the promise that He brings
That there will be a place with no more suffering

(Chorus)
There will be a day with no more tears, no more pain, and no more fears
There will be a day when the burdens of this place, will be no more, we'll see Jesus face to face
But until that day, we'll hold on to you always

I know the journey seems so long
You feel you're walking on your own
But there has never been a step
Where you've walked out all alone

(Chorus)

Troubled soul don't lose your heart
Cause joy and peace he brings
And the beauty that's in store
Outweighs the hurt of life's sting

I can't wait until that day where the very one I've lived for always will wipe away the sorrow that I've faced
To touch the scars that rescued me from a life of shame and misery this is why this is why I sing

by Jeremy Camp

Austenbook

Pride & Prejudice + Facebook = funny.

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."
He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true."

Revelation 21:1-5

Our freedom had a high price

We have it easy. Read this.

Perseverance and spirit have done wonders in all ages.

~ General George Washington

Two Poems

Thy kingdom come, with power and grace,
To every heart of man;
Thy peace, and joy, and righteousness
In all our bosoms reign.

Charles Wesley

We know not what the path may be
As yet by us untrod;
But we can trust our all to Thee,
Our Father and our God.

William Josiah Irons

My definition of fun

So I Admit...

...I have Pride and Prejudice playing in the background as I write the last research paper of my MBA career. It's a momentous occasion and a fabulous movie. (Too bad they made such a mess out of the latest remake.)

Because my creative juices are flowing (and with some help from my sis), I've come up with a list of actors and actresses for the newest remake:

Mr. Darcy played by Clive Owen
Ms. Elizabeth Bennet played by Kate Winslet
Mr. Bingley played by Ioan Gruffudd
Jane Bennet by Romola Garai

What do you think?

Two Questions

1. What has God shown you about Himself today?
2. What has God shown you about yourself today?

Thanks Kim.

Letting good things run wild

...the more I considered Christianity, the more I found that while it had established a rule and order, the chief aim of that order was to give room for good things to run wild. ~ G.K. Chesterton

Here Are Your Assignments by John J. Pitney Jr.

More NRO brilliance.

Am I going to be allowed to think for myself?

Brilliant Thomas Sowell. Check him out.

Soldiers Win

Article by David French.

David, thank you for your service, leadership and encouragement.

Jesus' love melts hard hearts. ~ Matt Cassidy

A facebook friend said this on his status:

"Today we got the king we deserve -- but one day, oh that day, we'll get the King we don't deserve."

I couldn't agree more.

Vote for Life.

Portions of a letter by Barbara Nicolosi:

It is proof of the complete triumph of the civil rights movement that the group that was once oppressed now gets to declare another group subhuman so as to nullify their civil rights.

Don't kid yourself. Abortion ain't just one more issue on the horizon anymore than slavery was in the 19th Century, or anti-Semitism in Germany in the 1930's. There were certainly other issues in 1858. There were economic problems and international disputes - but the truth is, today, we remember none of those other issues. Slavery was the DEFINING issue in the same way that abortion is today...

For more. Warning - graphic image.

Peace is here.

Little children, born to chaos, sojourn by the stars appear,
Though your fears wrap all around you, love has come and peace is here.

Men to men, in violent rapture,
Wars lay sons in fields unknown,
Hope to quell the disappointment,
Justice born and mercy shown,

Gloria, Gloria, peace is here,
Gloria, Gloria, peace is here.

Angels sing in righteous envy,
Kings of Earth kneel by the throne,
Born to push against the fall, as far as the curse is found.

Gloria, Gloria, peace is here,
Gloria, Gloria, peace is here,
Peace is here, peace is here.

Na, na, na-na-na-na,
Na, na, na-na-na-na, na,
Na, na, na-na-na-na,
Na, na, na-na-na-na, na.

Gloria, Gloria, (peace is here)
Gloria, Gloria, peace is here,
Peace is here, peace is here.

I love this song! by Jars of Clay

Proof that there are elk in Texas. Taken Saturday am about 1/2 mile from home.

A lengthy and worthwhile read

A letter from my dad to a relative:

I would agree with [him] that overly simplistic summaries are not terribly helpful. But that doesn't make them "blatantly false," and there are some pretty clear lines between the candidates. [He] rightly takes issue with the superficiality of the email, and does a good job using his sources to make his argument. I've not got the time to do a job of equal quality, but let me hit a couple things quickly if only to make the point that his analysis should not carry the day.

The abortion issue is really pretty simple: Senator Obama was the sole opposition voice raised in the Illinois Senate when it considered a bill that would require treatment of infants born and fully delivered consequent to a botched abortion. His objection was that such a child would be given the same right as any other baby had: the rights of a freeborn American citizen. Bear in mind that this is a born child--not one still in the birth canal, not one in the womb that is being aborted--but a living, breathing, delivered baby. And Obama opposed that law for fear it would undercut the pro-abort political position. I can't find words to describe that inhumanity, but I can say this: he is a radical pro-abort, and McCain isn't. That is pretty much a "yes/no" bright line. You can read for your self at http://www.ilga.gov/senate/transcripts/strans92/ST033001.pdf. Starts about page 84.

As well, he's committed to passing the Freedom of Choice Act, that is a deceptively simple law that not only protects abortion on demand as a "fundamental right," but sets the stage to have most if not all existing regulations on abortion (which have already been upheld under state and federal constitutions) challenged again under this law. Planned Parenthood would have a free-fire zone to attack almost every limit on its commercial abortion business.

He's no better on gun control. He supported a federal bill that purported to ban armored piercing ammo in handguns as a measure to protect police officers. Sounds noble, but its also an old trick to regulate the majority of sporting ammunition and force the majority of civilian arms into obsolecence for lack of ammunition. It had several slick tricks in the bill: it defined the ammo as that capable of piercing the least-protective armor. Police armor comes in a multitude of grades, with the minimum having protection only against the weakest, most obsolete pistol cartridges. The most common hunting cartridges (.357 magnum and up) would have been banned under that law, as would the majority of "rifle" cartidges because their are handguns chambered for virtually every handgun cartridge short of the proverbial elephant gun. Oh...but then, he also banned everything over .50 caliber, which catches the elephant guns. So, no ammo, no rifles. And virtually any rifle cartridge will penetrate the minimum grade body armor. Indeed, Sen. Kennedy used the 30-30 round as an example of an "armor piercing" bullet--its been in use almost a century and is one of the lowest-powered deer rifle cartridges around--when he pushed a similar, early bill. Ironically, Kennedy also promised that the later law would not ban sporting ammo. Go figure.

As well, he voted for an Illinois gun ban (SB 1195) on "assault" weapons which would have banned many common shotguns along with a multitude of semiautomatic rifles, including the AR-15.... This points to two things: First, Obama sees the right to own firearms as based only in hunting and target-shooting...he does not recognize the right to keep arms for self defense (he voted against the "castle doctrine" bill in IL which gives legal protection for homeowners using deadly force to protect their home). With that right grounded only in recreational interests, it is easily eroded. Worse, it completely escapes him that the 2nd amendment is a balance against government power and was intended to protect individuals' bearing military-type weapons. Today, that means the AR-15, which is a civilian version of the current Army rifle--the exact type of arm protected by the 2nd amendment's core purpose would be banned in an instant by Obama. Indeed, he is heartily endorsed by the Brady Center that pursues a no-gun agenda. I know some people don't like guns, but this really reflects the overarching thrust of Obama's policies--personal responsibility is secondary to government care and regulation of the population.

Nowhere is that more evident than in tax policy. The income tax--a concept so perilous to liberty that our founders designed the constitution so it would not be lawful (until the constitution was amended)--is intended for all citizens to contribute a fair share for the national governments necessary activity--defense, regulation/protection of foreign and interstate trade, the conduct of foreign affairs, and so on.

It was never designed to "redistribute wealth" as Obama bluntly proposes. That turns it into a form of welfare program (and is socialism disguised as tax policy). And you and I both are old enough to remember the promises of LBJ's "Great Society," which was the first grand experiment for a modern welfare state. It failed, and it has failed year after year and president after president, despite ever greater mounds of money being dumped into it. Turning the income tax into a welfare plan is a stunningly bad and thoroughly un-American concept: it undercuts personal responsibility; penalizes the thrifty and productive; fosters the entitlement society; and will no more solve poverty than any of the other welfare programs have. And when was the last time when you saw a welfare program actually stop being funded? Once started, there will be powerful impetus for this to continue. There are all sorts of ways to bend and twist the numbers, but to my memory no major party candidate has ever proposed the kind of wealth redistribution plan that Obama has frankly paraded before the public.

Obama on marriage is a book-long analysis but there is no doubt that he has signed off on every major goal of the homosexual movement--ENDA, don't ask/don't tell; civil unions, domestsic partnerships, etc. As soon as he goes in office, I'll guarantee he will order all persons contracting with the federal government to recognize same-sex "marriages," give benefits to same-sex couples, etc. That's exactly the tactic San Francisco used successfully a decade ago. And once in office, I'll bet every gun in my safe that within a year he has candidly endorsed same-sex "marriage."

I don't have time to respond in detail to the other points [he] raises, but almost across the board they can be rebutted with unbiased sources. The Brookings Institute is notoriously liberal, and [he] relies on it....just like I'd probably pull info from the American Enterprise Institute, which is at the other end of the spectrum. Some things you can go to original sources, such as legislative transcripts, vote tallies, etc.

Some things are probably not going to be known any time soon--Obama has been uniquely closed to scrutiny, from the mysterious LA Times video, to his missing thesis, to his role at Harvard law review, etc. etc. Even the birth certificate issue, as loony as it may seem, is starting to reek to me--what he's produced is just a modern, computer-generated report. It is not a copy of a real birth certificate, and that strikes me as odd for a family that was very international, and obviously had a rising star on their hands. One would think that they'd have kept that certificate as a treasured heirloom. But unlike McCain, who had a similar challenge, Obama has stonewalled the issue.

Anyway, I must go; am off to TN tomorrow to welcome back our attorney who just finished a year with the 3rd Armored Cav in Iraq. Iraq, by the way, is a killing field for us; Al Queda in Iraq is on the losing end of a major campaign that is yielding a treasure-trove of intelligence. That info is actively being used against Al Queda (even to the point of us going into Syria with the tacit cooperation of the Syrians). The only real mistake in Iraq was Saddam's error in intentionally misleading the international community about his weapons capability. He fooled Iran (his intent) and unfortunately fooled us. Surely there were some errors in the fog of war, but if I had a choice between the Democrats' "war on terror" (Clinton tosses missles into abandoned camps and Pakistani drug factories, Obama wilts at the notion of putting enough troops on the ground to win) and Bush's, I'll take Bush.

Speaking of whom, we need to keep a bit of perspective here. How many times have we seen or heard that bit of Reagan's famous speech, calling on Mr. Gorbachev to "take down this wall." But how often do we remember that Reagan was reamed by the left for his war-mongering attitude (the "axis of evil" speech provoked a firestorm of criticism from the left). And perhaps more to the point, how many remember what motivated Reagan to make that claim...that the rest of that speech dwelt on the love of Christ, the fruitless efforts of the East Germans to suppress Christianity, and the ultimate inability of evil to overcome love. That motivating faith was the genuine belief of Reagan, of Bush, of Palin, and even of McCain, for all his faults. And it is the faith that truly divides this race at its core over the issue of human life.

I, for one, will live out my life without ever voting for a candidate who uses the force of law to enable the intentional killing of human life for the convenience of the would-be mothers.

Abortion is barbaric, and I cannot compromise the promise of life for political gain. Obama can. And you can take that at face value.

******************

Dad, when are you going to go teach?

Remembering St. Patrick

Turn ye in faith to my Lord God to
whom nothing is impossible.

Remembering St. Patrick's

The inside of St. Patrick's. We got there just as the choir was practicing. We listened to them for an hour while we wandered around and took photos. Then we stayed for the afternoon service. During the service we sang Be Thou My Vision and it was ethereal.

Remembering St. Patrick's

St. Patrick's, Dublin Ireland.

Bias

“the truest measure of any society is how it treats those who are most vulnerable.”

Too bad the media hardly noticed.

Cappppowwwww!

Video: Jeri Thompson nukes Colmes, defends Palin’s wardrobe expenses.

God's Grandeur

The world is charged with the grandeur of God.
  It will flame out, like shining from shook foil;
  It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oil
Crushed.  Why do men then now not reck his rod?
Generations have trod, have trod, have trod;
  And all is seared with trade; bleared, smeared with toil;
  And wears man's smudge and shares man's smell: the soil
Is bare now, nor can foot feel, being shod.

And for all this, nature is never spent;
  There lives the dearest freshness deep down things;
And though the last lights off the black West went
  Oh, morning, at the brown brink eastward, springs--
Because the Holy Ghost over the bent
  World broods with warm breast and with ah! bright wings.

       by Gerard Manley Hopkins

one streak of light

Some murmur if their sky is clear,
And wholly bright to view,
If one small speck of dark appear
In their great heaven of blue;
And some with thankful love are filled,
If but one streak of light,
One ray of God's good mercy, gild
The darkness of their night.

by Richard Chenevix Trench

Lord, help me be much less the former and much more the latter.

Remembering Westminister Abbey

Up close and personal with the Abbey.

Remembering

Some architectural pictures from England and Ireland. Taken near Inken England, Oxford, London and Dublin.

Remembering Ireland

Some photos from a hike we took in Ireland.

Remembering Ireland

Kilkenney

Mont Juliet

Kenmare Abbey

Kenmare cemetery