dpp- 18 december

Snowflakes
by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Out of the bosom of the Air.
Out of the cloud-folds of her garments shaken,
Over the woodlands brown and bare,
Over the harvest-fields forsaken,
Silent and soft and slow
Descends the snow.

Even as our cloudy fancies take
Suddenly shape in some divine expression,
Even as the troubled heart doth make
In the white countenance confession,
The troubled sky reveals
The grief it feels

This is the poem of the air,
Slowly in silent syllables recorded;
This is the secret of despair,
Long in its cloudy bosom hoarded,
Now whispered and revealed
To wood and field.

on worship

God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.
John 4:24

“True worship is not confined to any place or building on earth. It is not concerned with stained-glass windows, ecclesiastical garments, candles, liturgies, or incense. Rather, in genuine worship we pass from earth to heaven by faith, and there, in the presence of God, we pour out our souls in thanksgiving, praise, and homage to the Lord for all He is and for all He has done for us.”
Alone in Majesty by William MacDonald

dpp- 17 december

Free wifi and unlimited ice tea refills... not a bad retreat on a drizzly gray day.

dpp- 16 december

(update: the professional bird guy tells me that it's a mockingbird)

I think it might be a warbler, but it never sang for me and I can't decide. I sent a note to a warbler expert to see.
My husband says he thinks I might be turning into "one of those birdy people." My daughter says, "A birdiac." psheesh! who wouldn't take a picture of that cute little thing? :-)

dpp- 15 december

a beautiful brand spankin' new library AND amnesty on fines, besides? How exciting is that?!

dpp- 14 december

sometimes the hassle and conflict of gathering together for the candles and the reading just doesn't seem worth it, and then I remember...
this is why we need a Savior...

dpp- 13 december

I think that is 20 games, 19-1.
And now, I think, not another game until next year.

phew.

dpp- 12 december

the food was my favorite, but the fellowship was even more rich. we are blessed.

"veiled glory in a garb of flesh"

But we can know that, though He emptied Himself of His position in heaven to become a man, He never emptied Himself of the attributes of deity. He did not become God minus some of His attributes; that would be impossible. Rather, He became God plus humanity. He did not lay aside the glory of deity; rather, He veiled that glory in a garb of flesh. If a prince leaves the royal palace to go and live in the slums, his position has changed, but he is still the same person. He can empty himself of his privilege place and veil his true identity, but he cannot empty himself of his personhood. So it was with the Lord Jesus. he did not consider His position with the Father in heaven something he had to hold on to at all costs. Instead, He came down to this planet as a man so that He might die for humankind. But He never ceased to have full knowledge of all things.
- from Alone in Majesty by William MacDonald

(art credit: Nativity relief prints by Eric Gill, in the Tate Collection)

dpp- 11 december

400 tubas, euphoniums, baritones and sousaphones playing together makes for a pretty impressive sound.

(and who knew that an audience shaking their keys would sound so much like jingle bells...)

dpp- 10 december

it was the rainiest of days, and as my kids pointed out, my heart was "two sizes too small." But when they laughed at my rant, I had to laugh too (even though I'm right! HA!). And besides, a basketball win, six quick points, time with the best of friends, another win, and soup waiting on the stove, that adds up to a pretty good day.

dpp- 9 december

because what says "Christmas" like Santa Cougar?
:-)

dpp- 8 december

if only all of life's mice were so gosh darned cute...!

dpp- 7 december

The temperature dropped to around 38 before warming up. The girls insisted that it was "freezing" and had me get out the winter accessories. I don't miss the cold, but I sure miss the mitten maker...

You know you live in south Texas when...

the weekly grocery ad.

(ingredients for tamales, which are one of my favorite foods EVER, but I've never actually made them...)

dpp- 6 december

Bubbles, the coolest turtle ever.

dpp- 5 december

there was a POP and a bunch of smoke, and then the oven would heat no more. Plan b took us to the grocery store. She loved the trick candles. :-)

dpp- 4 december

it has been over a month now, and I'm still amazed, every single time, how many birds there are at that corner...

snowflakes!

Today the high here at the edge of the US/Mexico border is predicted to reach 85. I'm entirely satisfied with "cutting" virtual snowflakes. It's the best part of snow- all the fun, none of the mess!

Create your own snowflake

DPP- 3 december

My midwestern friends are sending me photos of snow... this is as close as I get to Winter Wonderland tonight!