Music Notes

Tim, one of my younger brothers, was reading in his Grade 9 Liturature book yesterday and commenced to laugh quite often as he read. My curiosity got the better of me, and I asked him what he was reading. "Every Dog Should Own a Man", he replied. I wish I could give you the whole essay (by Corey Ford), but that would be a little too time-consuming; instead I have decided to share a few beneficial excerpts for your enjoyment - and, hopefully, amusement!  

 "Every dog should have a man of his own. There is nothing like a well-behaved person around the house to spread the dog's blanket for him, or bring him supper when he comes home man-tired at night. Properly trained, a man can be a dog's best friend... I have decided to set down a few basic rules of manhandling, as a guide for other dogs who happen to own other friends of mine. 

 "The first problem is to pick out the right man. A dog should exercise great care in making his choice, since he is apt to become quite attached to the man and will find it hard to get rid of him later if he proves to be usatisfactory...

 "The main things to look for in a man are sound teeth and gums, a good coat, and a self-confident manner. Remember that a dog is judged by the man he leads, so do not accept a specimen that is scrawny or a runt...

 "The first thing to teach a man is to stay and heel. To accomplish this lesson, the dog should hook one end of a long leather leash to his collar, and loop the other end around the man's wrist so he cannot get away. Start down the street slowly, pausing at each telephone pole until the man realizes that he's under control. He may tug and yank at first, but this can be discouraged by slipping deftly between his legs and winding the leash around his ankles. If the man tries to run ahead of the dog, brace all four feet and halt suddenly, thus jerking the man flat on his back. After a few such experiences, the man will become leadbroken and will follow with docility...

 "The matter of phisical conditioning is important... The best way to keep him in shape is to work him constantly, and never give him a chance to relax. Racing up and down the street at the end of a leash, for example is a great conditioner...

 "Last but not least, it is up to the dog to see that his man has the right companions. If he does not approve of a guest who has been invited to the house for dinner, he should express his dislike by removing a small section of the visitor's trouser leg as a gentle hint...

 "The dog must be patient, and not work himself into a tantrum if his man cannot learn to chase rabbits or wriggle under fences as well as the dog does. After all, as my setter says, it's hard to teach as old man new tricks."

 Yup, Jack still has lots of training to do!

Oh to see the dawn
Of the darkest day;
Christ on the road to Calvary.
Tried by sinful men,
Torn and beaten then
Nailed to a cross of wood.

This the power of the cross:
Christ became sin for us,
Took the blame, bore the wrath -
We stand forgiven at the cross.

Oh to see the pain
Written on Your face,
Bearing the awesome weight of sin.
Every bitter thought,
Every evil deed
Crowning Your bloodstained brow.

This the power of the cross:
Christ became sin for us,
Took the blame, bore the wrath -
We stand forgiven at the cross.

Now the daylight flees,
Now the ground beneath
Quakes as it's Maker bows His head.
Curtain torn in two;
Dead are raised to life;
Finished! the victory cry.

This the power of the cross:
Christ became sin for us,
Took the blame, bore the wrath -
We stand forgiven at the cross.

Oh to see my name
Written in the wounds,
For through Your suffering I am free.
Death is crushed to death;
Life is mine to live,
Won through Your selfless love.

This the power of the cross:
Son of God, slain for us.
What a love! What a cost!
We stand forgiven at the cross.

Keith Getty & Stuart Townend

That was the essence of the CCEF Conference I attended last weekend. I was exposed to the light of God's Word - it revealed to me more of the depth of my sin, the frailty of my flesh, the relationship I broke, the death I should have died. Jesus was totally forsaken by His own Father that I may be adopted, loved, free to call Him "Father"! The height of God's grace toward me is incomprehensible -- how could He even stoop to know my name, let alone send His One and Only Son to live a life of suffering and pain, marked by broken relationships - One of His own followers betrayed Him (with a kiss, no less!), another denied Him, and His very Father, with Whom He had had perfect communion, left Him, utterly rejected, forsaken, alone. All this so that I may be restored to a relationship with God! Words are inadequate... 

Conference quote: "Sin in its essence is not about breaking rules, its about breaking relationships." - Paul Tripp  

Here are some pictures from the weekend trip that Amy, Cheryl and I took this past summer. We had a blast!!

We cannot linger here

But the moments we have shared

Will never wash away

Here I sit in with the sound of pleasant classical music and the sweet company of a little bouncing baby on my lap. We have the privilege of borrowing Nathan for today as his parents are spending the day at the Royal Winter Fair with their two oldest girls (ages 2 and 4). I'm impressed at how he's managed to put up with all the fussing of four "mothers" over the course of today - no wonder he was too distracted to want to drink his bottle at first this morning! He's a very happy and content baby though, with wide blue eyes and cute, rosy cheeks that are "two sizes too big for him" -- in Peter's words. He'll grow into them someday, I'm sure... "mnk,, h jh b " (That's the current extent of Nathan's typing abilities :o)

Now that I can type again (Essie kidnapped Nathan), I can write what I came here intending to write (if I don't get sidetracked again!).

Today when I was on my way to teach a couple of students, I saw what looked like a puddle on the right side of the the road, close to the middle -- but somehow it seemed different than the other ones scattered about as it rained. Soon enough I realized it was not a puddle at all, but rather some dull, gray cylindrical object -- and not too little either! By the time I realized this though, it was too late to completely avoid it, and so I stradled it with the brown pickup truck instead. Immediately there was this horrid grinding sound underneath the truck and I hit the brakes and stopped as quickly as possible. Upon looking under the truck, I found out this gray thing was near the rear axle, very stuck. I tried backing up and driving forward a few times to try to get it loose, but realized in a matter of moments that I couldn't do this alone. As I stood out on the country road under the bleak sky with the rain falling, I prayed for God to send help quickly -- and He did! I looked up to see an old blue pickup slowing down behind where I was stuck on the road and walked towards it. There, in the form of a man with a short, scraggly beard and a checkered shirt was my answer to prayer! He asked me what was wrong as He hopped out of his truck and I quickly explained. He took a quick look, told me to slowly reverse, and in short order I was free of the old pressure tank (I took it home and Dad identified it :). I thanked him for his help and continued on my way, praising and thanking God for His tender mercies to me.

How amazingly God provides! Before I left to teach, I was perhaps going to take the mini van, but I didn't because Peter was maybe driving the van to school... Dad said the pressure tank could have ripped into the front end of the van or worse, if I had been driving it and reacted the same way.

"O praise the Lord all you nations, praise Him, all you peoples, for His merciful kindness is great towards us..."

  Well, Dad & Mom, Tim, Joe, Mark and Essie safely arrived here at home at around 5:30ish yesterday, and so life is beginning to be back to normal. Abby is still in SC keeping Curt & Jen and Phillip company, so for now I must be satisfied with one sister...

  I must admit, it is certainly nice to have everyone back, even with all their little ideosyncrasies (I have a few of my own...)! ;D Its also nice to not be the one soley responseable to keep Jack from eating waylaid Squirrels (but that's another story...), or attacking unsuspecting bikers (much to my consternation and embaressment), or leaving the safety of the roadside for the purpose of attempting to launch full tilt at the dreaded Yellow School Bus... Thankfully he failed to pull the "[I'll] Hide and [you] go seek [me]" stunt until today, so there were lots of kids to "play" this game with him. Actually, "Doghunt" might be a better word for it (I'll run away and you try to catch me! :).  Yup, Jack has a few ideosyncrasies he alone seems to be capable of -- which befuddle all who attempt to understand his logic.... :S

  Yes, I have learned a few things from having the majority of my family gone (for 2 weeks and 4 days!):

 - There are only 24 hours in a day, and some of them are meant for sleep.

 - Making friends with your Mother's kitchen isn't as hard as it may seem.

 - Being "stuck at home" with two older brothers can actually prove to be quite enjoyable... and fattening (for the amount of Ice cream, dounuts and banannas - for milkshake - they each brought home, I began to wonder if they were having some kind of competition to see who could please me the most! I, Princess... :)

 - Much more, but since I have to leave to babysit, any of you who wish to know more should drop me a line -- I'd love to chat!!