country house left 04

Here's the left approximately 1/3 of the original picture of the house I've blogged so many times with so many differing colors and styles; this will be my last post on this blog for now, since I think I've sort of proven I can blog something almost every day (though I still need to fill in a couple of days from the past).

old blogger profile

a few minutes ago I updated my blogger profile, so for safekeeping, here's the old one:

Whom have I in heaven but Thee?
And there is nothing on earth I desire beside Thee.
–Psalm 73:25–

Shout to the Lord, all the earth let us sing;
Power and majesty, praise to the King;
Mountains bow down and the seas will roar,
At the sound of Your name.
I sing for joy at the work of Your hands;
Forever I'll love You, forever I'll stand;
Nothing compares to the promise I have in You!

houses again

for lack of anything else to blog, here are my latest tweaks of one of my previously blogged houses; I'm also thinking I won't continue this blog post-Reign of Christ, but may try to blog daily on one of my other (less active, maybe) blogs during Advent. The 1st has plain gradients; for the 2nd I've duplicated each layer with added layer styles.

Ordinary Miracle

by Sarah McLachlan

It's not that unusual when everything is beautiful
It's just another ordinary miracle today

The sky knows when its time to snow
You don't need to teach a seed to grow
It's just another ordinary miracle today

Life is like a gift they say
Wrapped up for you everyday
Open up and find a way
To give some of your own

Isn't it remarkable?
Like every time a raindrop falls
It's just another ordinary miracle today

Birds in winter have their fling
And always make it home by spring
It's just another ordinary miracle today

When you wake up everyday
Please don't throw your dreams away
Hold them close to your heart
Cause we are all a part
Of the ordinary miracle

Ordinary miracle
Do you want to see a miracle?

Its seems so exceptional
Things just work out after all
It's just another ordinary miracle today

The sun comes up and shines so bright
It disappears again at night
It's just another ordinary miracle today

It's just another ordinary miracle today

house 1a layer style

house 5a layer style

Dakoda_01

santa ana winds again

back unsettling the land again
making their presence felt
dry heat
fast winds
driving along the beach, free style
wind in the sands, free style
nothing but play, free style
high dry winds
transforming the spaces of paradise

Dakoda_02

Send Your Rain

stanza 1

Send Your rain oh Lord
Send Your rain oh Lord
Send Your rain to Your people
Send Your rain oh Lord
Send Your rain oh Lord
Send Your rain bring Your kingdom

chorus

Soften our hearts and pour out Your Spirit
Fill us anew, let Your rain come (repeat)

stanza 2

May Your kingdom come
And Your will be done
On the earth as it is in heaven
May Your kingdom come
And Your will be done
On the earth, bring Your kingdom

Kelly Carpenter
© 1996 Mercy/Vineyard Publishing

october musical musings intro

Like many members of this community, I have a formal background in music and regularly play the piano (sometimes organ) in church and elsewhere around town, so I've linked to scores for some of the music I enjoy playing, and almost for sure you'll be able to find bound or single hard copies or possibly an online PDF at nominal cost for most of the rest.

As I started this month's Musical Musings, I noticed most of the music came from a specific place, so initially I decided to focus on geography rather than genre, and I also opted for a short chronological span--the last half of the last century. Whether as listener or performer, much of the music I resonate with and keep returning to comes from those decades, and I ran with my instincts! Given that we all became increasingly familiar with non-Western expressions in the fine and popular arts that often ran parallel to alternative expressions of the church as the 2oth century aged, my inclusive, multicultural side longed for this Musical Musings to reflect more diversity, but in the end it really doesn't much at all. I've included music many of you likely know and possibly some none of you have heard. For the "albums," I've mentioned my favorite tracks, but you might find another more appealing. For each category I've invented a possible heading without specific comments about the individual tracks, but whatever your previous preferences, set your imagination free!

how does this display?

at least F5

1. I have this gratitude for cities...


2. and for cats;


3. gratefulness for the cat and the city and also for cats in cities.


4. for houses of almost every imaginable kind I'm thankful

and, of course,

5. thank-filled for the days (and nights) of summer.

upstream: new book

I found this book yesterday at the Breast Cancer benefit books table at the grocery store—by Melissa Lion, Upstream.

Harwich scrapbook contact sheet