Thank you, LORD

Thank You for my wife. 
Forgive me for never understanding her. 
Please, please give me wisdom as only you can give. 
Thank You for what You teach me through her.
Always keep her in Your steadfast care, protect her, envelop her with Your peace.
Forgive me for always wanting to be heard, and hearing so little.
Change my heart, oh God, make it ever true.
Change my heart, oh God, make me more like You.
I am a blood-washed pilgrim! 
Blessed be the name of the LORD!!!

Thank you, LORD, for this new day! Forgive our sins, strengthen us all, so that we may sin no more.
To imitate Christ is my goal to-day; bless my efforts, live and love through me.
Be with my bride and keep her safe today.
I celebrate this day in Your name, Amen!
 

A Prayer from St Francis of Assisi

"You are holy, Lord, the only God…. You are strong, you are great, you are the Most High, you are almighty…. You are Good, all Good, supreme Good…. You are love, you are wisdom. You are humility, you are endurance. You are rest…. You are our eternal life, great and wonderful Lord, God almighty, merciful Savior."

Random lines while I watch Illinois at Minnesota

I have not written a rhyme in so long
I feel that I am due.
So here I sit and try to form
A cute dit-ty or two.

To read, to write, to do the math
These are my fav'rit things.
But when the joy spills from my heart
I really likes to sings!

I miss my family very much
Here in the north count-ry;
I miss my bride 'specially so
I love when she's with me.

The snow, it fell, and fell and fell
All while the night was dark
We woke this morning blest to see
Snow stuck to the tree-bark ... (-8

Sometimes I force a rhyme to come
E'en when there's not one there.
But tonight it seems it's hap'ning more
...and I seem not to care!

smile


be well, do good work, keep in touch

So Beautiful a Saturday

We were greeted this morning with about six inches of wet, clingy snow. Every branch of every tree I can see from my bedroom windows looking south and east is covered and is drooping with the extra weight. I shoveled for about an hour; the workout was as beneficial as a good BOSU aerobic session.

The birds have re-discovered the suet feeder I put out there to the east in the fall...I regularly see cardinals and blue jays, and other white faced birds whose names I don't know (with apologies to my parents, who have bestowed upon me at least two good bird identification books). Another I have been seeing lately is the red-headed woodpecker (whose name also I will have to look up again...). We had one near us in Stanwood and we had one at the Lakehouse...

I've always believed that God communicates to me through wildlife. When I'm in close communion with Him ('close' for me, it's a relative thing), he sends me wildlife to enjoy, admire, wonder about; when I'm distant and selfish, He sends me wildlife to remind me that I'm being distant and selfish. Isn't He amazing?!?!? Even the starving barn cats who constantly sit outside our front door and stare lustfully through the glass are a love message from Him to me.

Each of the types of animals have a different meaning for me, but that, I think, is for another post.

Little Fielder is also a Tiger!!

Cecil is quite fit to tie the sandle of his son, Prince

The Tigers reportedly signed Prince Fielder to a 9 year, 214 million dollar contract yestreday, pending the outcome of a routine physical. Kind of hard to believe, especially after Dombrowski said just last week that the son of former Tiger Cecil was probably "not a good fit" due to the length of contract Fielder wanted.
I can just see FSD eating this up, pairing Prince with Detroit's own Tayshawn to do cheesy commercials...

In seven big league seasons, Fielder has stolen 16 bases, struck out 767 times, hit 230 home runs and knocked in 656 runs. Career .390 OBP and .540 slugging  He was the first 23 year old to hit 50 homers in 2007. 3 time all star, 2 silver slugger awards...kinda glad the Rangers didn't get him...

In 2011, Fielder was 2nd in the NL in homers, RBI, OBP, and BB, and 3rd in the League in total bases, extra base hits, and slugging percentage.

Enjoy the ride, Detroit fans!!!

The Old Red Lutheran Hymnal

I remember the liturgy from the Order of Matins (found on page 32 in the front of your hymnals) because we worshiped thus every Thursday in chapel while I was in Kindygarten through 8th grade at Greenfield Peace Lutheran School, 7000 West Outer Drive, Detroit, Michigan, 48235.
Oh Lord, open thou my lips.
And my mouth shall show forth thy praise.
Make haste, oh God, to deliver me.
Make haste to help me oh Lord. Glory be the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be; world without end. Amen. (and in Church seasons other than Lent, we added a hearty Hallelujah)

LVCCM Weekend #77

Welcome the brothers into the Cursillo community who have just made their weekend in Saginaw; the Women's weekend will be 2-5 February coming up.


Come, Holy Spirit, and fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in us the fire of your love. Send forth Your spirit, and we shall be created, and You shall renew the face of the earth.
Oh God, Who by the light of the Holy Spirit instructs the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise, and ever rejoice in His consolations. 
Through Christ our LORD, Amen. 

Somber Sunday

Joe Paterno has passed and I am sad. Three days after he was fired he found out he had cancer. I read parts of an interview with him from the Washington Post a couple weeks ago; they said he had lost that full head of black hair and was frail and weak. I couldn't believe it. Yestreday the basketball games were interrupted with news that the family had been called together to say their farewells. This morning I read the news that he had succumbed; he had crossed to the other side.
He never bad-talked the University after he was fired. He felt terrible about the whole mess and I believe the whole mess killed him.

Forgive us, LORD, for our sins; forgive our brothers and sisters when they fail also. Help us to be better, to do better, to trust better, to love better, to adore You better.



Playoffs?!?
Baltimore at New England first to-day; no score midway first quarter.
Tied at 10 with 6:03 left in the first half.
13-10 Pats with 3:22 left.
Tom Brady came into the league in 2000 and his completion average over all those years is just over 63%. His yearly average before 2007 (when he missed all the games due to a knee injury in game #1) is between 60 and 63 but from 2008-2011 his average is closer to 66%. He threw for 5235 yards this year, a record of some sort I am sure.
20-16 Ravens end of the third quarter.
23-20 Pats final...good ending: Cundiff missed a 32 yarder to tie it, good for Brady, a Michigan man.

 

Because building a dream from your memory is the easiest way to lose your grasp on what's real and what is a dream.

He was carrying nothing but this... and this.

Saturday in the 231

Three Stooges are in Egypt doing their thing on IFC, I have already baked a loaf of bread, talked to my sweetheart, and took a walk out in the 14 degree sunny-glazed snow.
Trying to figure out my new Motorola EX124g phone and my wife, not necessarily in that order.
Michigan State plays at noon hosting Purdue, Michigan at Arkansas at 2 and  OSU at Nebraska at 8 (go Huskers!!).

Thank you, our heavenly Father, for this day. Thank you for the sunshine on the beautiful landscape. Thank you for family, shelter, food and clothing, our jobs.Thank you for our Saviour the Christ.

 

MSU-UM

After-school activities cancelled due to snow in the area. Lots of blowing right about now but it doesn't look like any more accumulation...

'If there's a heaven, son, she aint in it.'

Will there be a snow day tomorrow?

MSU-Northwestern

The Cats giving Sparty what-for over there in Chicagoland...


What is the most resilient parasite?