Mountain Musings

A Different Sunday

Well, it was quite a different Sunday with Dad sick in bed today and not with us at church. He must have picked up some cold germs last week, and by Saturday he wasn't feeling up to par. Today, he was even worse.

Thankfully, he had already written the post below on "family" earlier. I'm glad God made families and deemed them important.

We enjoy our family alot and are together probably much more than your average family. When even one of us is missing, the rest of us can feel the loss. One man at church even teasingly refers to us as..."the together family." I like that description! And hopefully, we'll be back to normal soon!

"For the body is not one member, but many. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. Now you are Christ's body, and individually members of it."  ~ I Corinthians 12:14, 26-27

~Deb

Some Thoughts on the Family

God's Idea

The idea of family and fatherhood is not a human invention. It has its source in God Himself.

“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name …” Ephesians 3:14-15 NASB

"Paul was not saying that God is the Father of all but rather that He is the Prototype of all fatherhood. “Father” is derived from God, not man. He is the first Father, the only One with “underived” fatherhood. Thus every human family derives its name, that is, exists as a family with a father, because of Him." (Walvoord, John F., and Zuck, Roy B., The Bible Knowledge Commentary, (Wheaton, Illinois: Scripture Press Publications, Inc.) 1983, 1985)

An Illustration

In the Scriptures, God uses earthly family relationships (parents to children; husband/bridegroom to wife/bride) to illustrate His relationship with us as believers in Jesus Christ. This indicates the large importance God places upon conducting our earthly family relationships in a godly, righteous, loving, and affectionate manner. (Deuteronomy 1:31; Isaiah 61:10; 62:5; Hosea; Matthew 7:7-11; 25:1-13; Mark 2:18-20; Luke 15:11-32; John 3:29; Romans 7:1-4; Ephesians 5:22-33; Hebrews 12:4-11; James 1:17; Revelation 19:7-9)

~ Tom

Do You Recognize Your Favorite Blogs?

Blogging--can you believe it's become such an interesting, time-consuming hobby for so many folks!? A couple of years ago I didn't even know what a blog was! Now, there are tons of blogs out there, and just as many different personalities!

The list of regular blogs I read is probably much different from yours. My sister, for example, has her own blog niche; I have my own blog circles I travel in. And, of course, sometimes my blog buddies travel the same places I do. When I see comments made on other blogs by cyber friends I've "met" I feel like waving, "hi ya, I must have just missed ya!"

I thought it would be interesting to list a few by-lines to see if you can recognize right away which blogs they match. I'll include the link to the site, but first, see how many you can guess before sneaking a peek. Leave a comment and let us know how well you did!

• Thus says the Lord: "Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths..."
• "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials..."
• "Yea, the sparrow hath found a house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young."
• "Life is either a daring adventure or nothing."
• "...echo in eternity."
• May all your days be beautiful.
• ...and all that entails.
• "Though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day."
• Glorify God. Serve Others. Advance God's Kingdom.
• My everyday life, which is simply by God's grace.
• this and that from here and there.
• Encouraging and Equipping Women in their God-given Roles
• An Independent Baptist Blog for Young Women
• There was an old woman who lived in a shoe...
• Rediscovering the Power of Homemaking
• A slice of life of a happy man's wife...
• "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."
• Be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed...
• We're down by the creekbank..."bringing up children, showing hospitality, washing the feet of the saints, and helping those in trouble."
• Encouraging women at home.
• Come on in for a cup of coffee and a quick peek into my corner of the world. Would you care for cream or sugar?
• "How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD Almighty! My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. Even the sparrow has found a home..."
• ...from "the land of hills and valleys...a land for which the Lord your God cares."

How did you do? Did you get them all? That was fun! For those of you who read here but don't have your own blog, what would your by-line be if you had one? What quote or verse describes you?

~Deb

I Like These Pots!

Recently my outside workday included repotting some houseplants, and I wanted to post a picture of one of my favorite pots from Guy Wolff Pottery I purchased from Country Boys when I visited my sister last month.

The pots are basically your everyday clay pot but with an updated, classy, made-to-look-old look. I love mine! And on the sides of each pot are etched the words Guy Wolff Greenhouses. If you ever see a Guy Wolff pot in a shop, you'll recognize its distinctive characteristics.

In this pot I planted a cyclamen which was given to me by my sister-in-law from Connecticut. I have another Guy Wolff pot with an asparagus fern in it, and my newest Guy Wolff pot needs a plant. I'm not sure what will end up there--my purple shamrock plant, maybe?

I like houseplants as well as my outside flowers and shrubs and try to keep a plant in almost every room of the house for healthy breathing. Check out this site, and maybe you'll be increasing your supply of houseplants, too!

~Deb

I Won!

My mailbox has been filled with some goodies recently, and the latest arrived yesterday. I received a Glade Plug-In, it's the third one with the tulip face. Not long ago I registered to receive the Clean Home Journal, an online homemaking newsletter that includes cleaning, decorating, and gardening projects, and because of that I won one of their giveaways--a Glade Plug-In!  It'll go in the downstairs bathroom. I've never bought one before so I'll see how it works...and whether or not I'll buy another one.

Another treat arrived in the mail last week--a WaWa $10 gift card redeemable at one of their gas/convenience stores. I'm thankful for $10; every little bit helps with gas prices as high as they are!

Now, we just need to find a WaWa; we don't have one in our area. But I'm thinking we might be able to put the card to good use this summer when traveling in the Williamsburg/Hampton area.

Keep those goodie mail days a'coming! :)

~Deb

Way To Go, J!

This evening our family attended the special time set aside to recognize the community college students who earned the honor of being named to the President's List. Here's Jonathan with President James Perkins as he is awarded his certificate for this year's studies.

We met Jonathan's Physics teacher and some fellow students, munched on refreshments, and took pictures, of course. Congratulations, Jonathan! We wish you well in the next school years.

~The Family

Thursday Thirteen

Thirteen Places I'd Like to Visit in the U.S.

1. St. Simon's Island, Georgia. I think just the name sounds so romantic and relaxing, and I'd love to walk on the beach in the early morning, although I'm not normally a beach person.
2. New York's Statue of Liberty. She looks so regal, and I'd enjoy creating a scrapbook page of my day with her. I almost bought some New York themed scrapbook paper...just in case.
3. Niagara Falls. Everyone goes there for their honeymoon or anniversary, and the pictures I've seen are breathtaking; I'd like to be in that little boat going under the falls.
4. Maine. Specific pluses: L.L. Bean Outlet store and seeing a moose in the wilderness.
5. San Antonio, Texas. Touring Vision Forum headquarters would be interesting. Then I'd like to rent a car and drive to see The Alamo.
6. New Mexico. We so enjoyed our Grand Canyon tour last year; seeing more areas of the southwest at our own pace and eating at little Mexican restaurants would be such a treat.
7. Florida. Never been there. Maybe I'd like driving through the Everglades, but if they have lots of mosquitoes in Florida, I'd never get out of the car.
8. California. We'd start at the top of the state and slowly drive our way down the coast seeing the Pacific and all the interesting small towns along the way.
9. Alaska. Just to experience such a different state. I'd travel during their warmest season, if warm is even a word Alaskans know.
10. Hawaii. I visited once long ago and loved the tropical atmosphere, luaus, and those tall pineapple/coconut drinks. This time would be even more fun with Tom along.
11. Kentucky. Petersburg, the place where they're opening the new Answers in Genesis Creation Museum. I'm sure one of those behind-the-scenes tours has my name on it, but I'm doubtful I can make it there this year. Maybe next year once they're officially opened.
12. Grand Tetons, Yellowstone Park, and Mount Rushmore.
13. Montana. Big Sky Country. I'd love to see the beauty of a huge sky as they see it there all the time. But...Micah hasn't volunteered yet to take me with them on their honeymoon trip there. I can't understand it.

~Deb

Lots of Stuff!

The girls and I will be traveling over the mountain this morning to help Elizabeth unpack some of her "stuff!" She arrived yesterday with her car and her brother-in-law's truck packed with some of her furniture and many boxes! While Micah is knee-deep in studying for next week's finals, we'll be helping to organize the apartment so it will be ready for them after the wedding. Speaking of wedding...it's just around the corner! June 3rd will be here before we know it!

It was wedding central headquarters around here last night. Elizabeth brought the bridesmaids' dresses this trip and spent last night measuring Hannah and Sarah for hemming and alterations, did some sewing, and steaming. She's adding sleeves and extra cloth to the back of the dresses, and hopefully she'll finish them this week before she heads back to Georgia on Friday morning. Everything seems to be shaping up nicely.

~Deb

Free Cone Today!

It's FREE CONE DAY at Ben & Jerry's today, April 25. Do you have one near you? If so, venture out with the family between noon and 8 p.m. and celebrate 28 years of scooping some fantastic ice cream. If you go, write and tell us all about it; we don't have a shop near us.

~Deb

Treasure Tuesday

Here are the two cutesy little "mice" I mentioned last week--my first cross-stitch project after my friend Nancie taught me how 25 years ago. Thing is, now that I look at the picture, they're not mice at all! They're those dreaded rabbits that eat my flowers! All this time they had me fooled hiding under those quilts.

You can see how yellowed the material is. In fact, I took it out of the frame last week and soaked it for the longest time, but I'm not sure it will ever be like new again. (If anyone has any suggestions for cleaning, let me know.)

It surely looks like an antique treasure--and it is to me, because every time I look at it I think of being "just married" to my best friend.

~Deb