Winter

How timely for my day to begin w/ this. Winter is not even on the calendar, yet, but I can feel it's frosty blast.




My soul begin this wintry month w/ your God. The cold snows and the piercing winds you that He keeps His covenant w/ day and night, and assure you that He will also keep that glorious covenant He made w/ you in Christ Jesus. He who is true to His Word in the revolutions of the seasons of this poor sin-polluted world, will not prove unfaithful in His dealings w/ His own well-beloved Son. Winter in the soul is by no means a comfortable season, and if it's upon you just now it will be very painful to you. But there's this comfort, namely, that the Lord makes it. He does it all, He's the great Winter King, and rules the realms of frost, and therefore you can't murmur. Many negative and burdensome situations are of the Lord's sending, and come to us w/ wise design. Frosts kill noxious insects, and put a stop to raging diseases-they break up the clods, and sweeten the soul. O that such good results would always follow our winters of affliction! How we prize the fire just now! How pleasant its cheerful glow is! Let's in the same manner prize our Lord, who's the constant source of warmth and comfort in every time of trouble. Let's draw near to Him, an din Him find joy and peace in believing. Let's wrap ourselves in the warm garments of His promises, and go forth and perform works that befit the season. Don't be like the sluggard who won't plow because it's cold. He will beg in summer and have nothing.- Charles Spurgeon

"You made both summer and winter"- Psalm 74:17

Running Like the Wind Blows

...or not. (my pace is... well, slower. :) )

my sister and i ran a road race in DC last weekend to raise awareness and funds for gynecological cancers. some of the highlights included having dinner with one of my sister's patients who is diagnosed with ovarian cancer. she shared with us that she was the youngest patient there with ovarian, and while she showed a tough face, i suspected it was only a veneer over more raw emotions. she was registered for the 5k and was planning to either run it herself or have her husband push her in a wheel chair. we found out later she did finish it on her own!

on the morning of the race, mandy moore made an appearance. i don't know if she was actually in one of the races or if she was there only to help with publicity. she had her own tent set up on freedom square, and for 6:30 in the morning, she looked normal... she was made up, but not super-star made up. i admit, it was hard not to stare. i wanted to be one of those "couldn't care less", but i felt my eyes following her. she's cute!

Independent Films

Fall's Here Again

Here it is coming on a month since my last post. i haven't had much to say or post. However, today we spent the afternoon at a couple of fall festivals, and i finally have a picture of the kiddos together, both looking at the camera, and neither looks like he/she is in pain. (We tried to do some family ones yesterday, and those were a hoot. i love taking pics of others' but don't have much success w/ my own! Savannah, though, had fun getting behind the camera. i'll have to post those sometime. :) )

Working hard for a doughnut

Crazy Gourd Girl

On her first horse that she's "waited all [her] life" to ride

Pack Family Post-Hay Ride

Nonnie-isms

Recently, we've been enjoying listening to savannah's increasing vocabulary and phrases. my favorites of late are:

"in general"- we were talking about a mouse who died in a story from carrying an
aspirin in his mouth. i explained it's like poison to mice.

savannah: "oh. is that general?"

me: "what do you mean, 'general'"

savannah: "like mice in real life die or just mice in the
story?"

"who among you"- my bro-in-law and his wife were visiting and
had bathroom toiletries on the sink. savannah, after washing her hands, came
from the bathroom and asked,

"who among you has a bag w/ razors and things in it? 'cuz i
dropped water in it."

and the latest greatest from today:

"circumcised"- savannah wanted to tell me a story, and while she
was making it up, she quickly fell into reciting the christmas story from luke
2.

savannah: "on the 8th day, when it was time to circumcise him,
that means give a baby shower."

me: "oh, i see."

savannah: "mary got ready to, ya know, (rubbing her face), clean
him. is that what a baby shower is?"

The Rain

I was at a wedding not too long ago where the groom's best man was his brother. it's always interesting to meet your friends' families because of the insight into their lives you would otherwise never have been afforded. (for some of you it would be really helpful to meet my family... it would explain a lot :) ) during the reception, the best man raised a glass to his brother and new sister-in-law and shared how only recently have the brothers been reconciled after years of discord. it was heart warming, and i thought on it for several days afterward, happy for how God had blessed my friend with peace in his family. i later learned that the best man is an atheist, and this verse came to mind:

"he...sends rain on the [believers] and the [nonbelievers]." matthew 5:45

this man is enjoying a peaceful relationship with his brother. he also mentioned in his toast being in a great marriage to his wife of more than ten years. no doubt there are other good things in his life. all these are gifts, sweet, thoughtful gifts to both a man who believes in God and his son, Jesus, and to a man who adamantly refuses to acknowledge His existence. that is grace.

to be so kind... amazing.

"I will love him and hug him and call him George"

"time for your bath, little guy!"

"i'm helping him swim!"

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