Sweet*13

Monday was Gracie's birthday! Remembering the day she was born and so grateful she is still here gracing us with her presence! Great day! It even snowed, she got cake and a walk~and showed us her gratitude by making a snow angel. She's a trooper~here's hoping she makes it to sweet 16!!

Once lost now found!

R.E.M.

at the cabin ~ for good ~ a year later . . .

The sun is still shining . . .

The bee and tree are still growing (with cousin Haley)

This was Mom and Dad on their honeymoon in July 1961.
Last year began a new chapter in their life as Mom joined Dad in retirement, sold their home in the cities, and moved up to the lake! This is where they most love to be. My sibs all have nearby cabins as well so they get to see their grand children & great grand children even more than ever!

And this is Leeah bee. We snapped this in June in back of the lot where the slab foundation of Grandpa and Grandma's new house had just been poured. I hear it is almost finished so I'll post more pics this weekend.

Then, the bee will repeat this pose every year to see how much she and the tree have grown!

[originally posted 7/16/2008]

animate

Find more videos like this on Woodland Hills Bridge

art ~ live ~ inspired

Paul Young Interview ~ The Shack

For those of you who have read the New York Best Seller book, "The Shack," here is an opportunity to hear from the author. It is incredible. When you access the web site click on 1 (along the left side of the video box). There is praise and worship for the first 1/3. You can put your mouse on the left-hand side of the sound bar and drag the cursor about 1/3 to the right and find when the interview begins if you want to bypass the singing. The interview is close to 45 minutes. Enjoy! The Shack Interview

p.s. You can listen, even if you have not yet read the book; it won't spoil anything for you!

generations of soul

baby got sticks

equality

oh happy day!

Today at 9am Rob defended his final work for his Master's degree in Counseling and Psychological Services [on the Therapeutic Use of Forgiveness] and it is finished! Hooray! Congratulations Rob on this great accomplishment!!

We celebrated with good friends while supporting Providence Ministries as NDY rocked the hizouse followed by Kingdom's debut performance.
And now to personally commemorate this day to the tune of Rob's favorite childhood song, here's a toe tappin' mind synapsin' rendition of the
B. J. Thomas hit...

Neurons keep dancin’ in my head
And now that this day has come there’s something to be said
And this song seems to fit
Those neurons are dancin’ in my head they keep dancin’

So I just did me some talkin’ to the Son
And he said good work my man it’s time to hear well done!
The Kingdom’s got your job
Those neurons are dancin’ in my head they keep dancin’

And there’s one thing I know
The blues of APA did not defeat me
It won’t be long till licensure steps up to greet me

Neurons keep dancin’ in my head
But that doesn’t mean my eyes are all done turnin’ red
Now onto MFT
‘Cause I’m gonna help them with their non-stop complainin’
Because I’m free
Well technically on sliding fee

[trumpet]

It won’t be long till licensure steps up to greet me

Neurons keep dancin’ in my head
And that really means my heart has fully come alive
Calling out to me
‘Cause this Counseling-Psychological degree is now mastered
I’m feelin’ free
Nothin’s worryin’ me

future

You have to watch and listen all the way through...I was glad I did.

Merry Christmas!

to you and yours...from us and ours

Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!

I'm dreaming of a white.... bunny!

[Rob put a carrot out so she just might get to see one]
asking Gracie if she wants to come in

I guess not.

word~rocks

. . . mccabe's creations

and mine . . .

rock-n-around the christmas tree

our first charlie brown christmas tree and we're ready to rock!

inspired by a lovely mermie by the sea

advent conspiracy

Autumn Falls on the North Shore

The Water Song
~ ~ ~
Come, oh come! let us away--
Lower, lower every day,
Oh, what joy it is to race
Down to find the lowest place.
This the dearest law we know--
'It is happy to go low.'
Sweetest urge and sweetest will,
'Let us go down lower still.'

Hear the summons night and day,
Calling us to come away.
From the heights we leap and flow
To the valleys down below.
Always answering to the call,
To the lowest place of all.
Sweetest urge and sweetest pain,
To go low and rise again.

Hannah Hurnard ~ Hinds' Feet On High Places

'Much Afraid,' said the Shepherd's voice in her ear, 'what do you think of this fall of great waters in their abandonment of self-giving?'

She trembled a little as she answered. 'I think they are beautiful and terrible beyond anything which I ever saw before.'
'Why terrible?' He asked.
'It is the leap which they have to make, the awful height from which they must cast themselves down to the depths beneath, there to be broken on the rocks. I can hardly bear to watch it.'
'Look closer,' He said again. 'Let your eye follow just one part of the water from the moment when it leaps over the edge until it reaches the bottom.'
Much-Afraid did so, and then almost gasped with wonder. Once over the edge, the waters were liked winged things, alive with joy, so utterly abandoned to the ecstasy of giving themselves that she could almost have supposed that she was looking at a host of angels floating down on rainbow wings, singing with rapture as they went.
She gazed and gazed, then said, 'It looks as though they think it is the loveliest movement in all the world, as though to cast oneself down is to abandon oneself to ecstasy and joy indescribable.'
'Yes,' answered the Shepherd in a voice vibrant with joy and thanksgiving. 'I am glad that you have noticed that, Much-Afraid. These are the Falls of Love, flowing from the High Places in the Kingdom above. You will meet them again. Tell Me, does the joy of the waters seem to end when they break on the rocks below?"
Again Much-Afraid looked where He pointed, and noticed that the lower the water fell, the lighter it seemed to grow, as though it really were lighting down on wings. On reaching the rocks below, all the waters flowed together in a glorious host, forming an exuberant, rushing torrent which swirled triumphantly around and over the rocks. Laughing and shouting at the top of their voices, they hurried still lower and lower, down through the meadows to the next precipice and the next glorious crisis of their self-giving. From there they would again cast themselves down to the valleys far below. Far from suffering from the rocks, it seemed as though every obstacle in the bed of the torrent was looked upon as another object to be overcome and another lovely opportunity to find a way over or around it. Everywhere was the sound of water, laughing, exulting, shouting in jubilation.
'At first sight perhaps the leap does look terrible,' said the Shepherd, 'but as you can see, the water itself finds no terror in it, no moment of hesitation or shrinking, only joy unspeakable, and full of glory, because it is the movement natural to it. Self-giving is its life. It has only one desire, to go down and down and give itself with no reserve or holding back of any kind. You can see that as it obeys that glorious urge the obstacles which look so terrifying are perfectly harmless, and indeed only add to the joy and glory of the movement.'

being a part of the great waterfall

each drop being a necessary part

of a greater whole that together

form a healing flow
Yes!

seven

With the month of elul nearly coming to an end, I am breaking my blogfast to celebrate a birthday past, present and future. Inspired by the lovely mccabe ~ here's a glimpse into our brave and beautiful sapphire days.

Last Saturday begins our photo montage. Rob was going to be spending his birthday weekend doing one of his most favorite things ever, watching the football game from as up close and personal as it gets! Our good friend Terry invited Rob to help him...so first things first, meet the Carolina team at the aiport, unload the equipment from the plane and truck it over to the Dome locker room. Here are a few official mementos of day 1.

And knowing tomorrow would be a full day, there was no time like the present to, well....
Let's not get ahead of ourselves.
First...it was birthday past!
These keepsakes were given to Rob by his Mom a while ago and tucked away by me for such a time as this. In the flowery constructed envelope were 24 handmade birthday greetings from his 2nd grade classmates with personal heartfelt wishes for his 7th birthday. Precious! Thanks for keeping the memories Mom!

But that's not even the best yet.
Turns out young Robby had some things on his mind back then and was a pretty good speller too! This masterpiece definitely needed to be framed and preserved and remembered.
"My name is Robby Kistler. I have 9 in my family. I don't want to get married. I like spaghetti and I like to play cowboys and Indians. I like math. I don't want to go to 2nd grade. I don't like school and I never will."

"Boy is that 'not liking school' ringing true today!!!"

Speaking of today. . .
here is a much gentler form of awakening . . .













And then, last but certainly not least for this true blue purple-blooded never a Packer-backer fan, courtesy of his brother from a different mother (aka mine)
MINNESOTA VIKINGS
vs.
GREENBAY PACKERS

oh yeah baby!

(I'm not supposed to tell my brother Tom it brought big welling tears to his eyes that you'd give these up! Thanks bro!!! You got'm good.)

This calls for a little Tiger cake celebration!!!

What a glorious morning! The day you were born...

September 21





Game Day!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY ROB!



















[Rob & Terry's son Jake after the big win!]














Meanwhile . . .
back on the home front...
just one more thing to do.











VOILA! that's one lemony luscious-ness sure to please!

























I wish she'd stop taking pictures and just let me eat this CAAAAKE!!!!

"sniff sniff" what's this?

ooh la la! that's goooood sweeeet soooo yummmy!

I'm totally licking the bowl and begging for

more of this delicious caaaake!

blogging elul

journeying through this month of elul
with a very dear friend
feel free to listen in
prepare to be
challenged
inspired
sharpened
by a deeply beautiful soul
...karen aviah davis

It is a time for instrospection, teshuvah (repentance) and reconciliation.

I'm all in.

ransomed hope for rob...

discovered here