Summer Reading

                 Possession - A Romance    by A.S. Byatt

"...there is enough evidence in human history of topless towers set on fire for a passionate whim - or poor souls enslaved by loveless unions imposed by parental will and the dictates of lineage - or friends slaying each other - Eros is a bad and fickle little godhead..."

"METAMORPHOSIS

Does the ruffled Silken Flyer

Pause to recall how She - began -

Her soft cramped crawling Origins-

        Does man

In all his puffed and sparkling Glory

Cast back a Thought

To the Speck of Flesh the Story

Began with, from Naught?

But both, in their Creator's terrible keen sight

Lay curled and known through timeless Day and Night

He Form and Life at once and always-Gave

Is still their Animator and their Grave-"

"Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog"  by John Grogan

" 'A person can learn a lot from a dog, even a loopy one like ours,' I wrote. 'Marley taught me about living each day with unbridled exuberance and joy, about seizing the moment and following your heart.  He taught me to appreciate the simple things-a walk in the woods, a fresh snowfall, a nap in a shaft of winter sunlight.  And as he grew old and achy, he taught me about friendship and selflessness and, above all else, unwavering loyalty.' "

One Big "If"

"The liberties of our country, the freedoms of our Civil constitution, are worth defending at all hazards;  and it is our duty to defend them against all attacks.  We have received them as a fair inheritance from our worthy ancestors; they purchased them for us with toil and danger and the expense of treasure and blood, and transmitted them to us with care and diligence.  It will bring an everlasting mark of infamy on the present generation, enlightened as it is, if we should suffer them to be wrested from us by violence without a struggle, or be cheated out of them by the artifices of false and designing men."   ~ Samuel Adams

"You and I have a rendezvous with destiny.  We will preserve for our children America, the last best hope of man on earth, or we will sentence them to take the first step into a thousand years of darkness.  If we fail, at least let our children and our children's children say of us we justified our brief moment here.  We did all that could be done."  ~ Ronald Reagan"...if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and I will forgive their sins and heal their land."  II Chronicles 7:14

Long Line of Love

Last week, my family celebrated the 50th Wedding Anniversary of Uncle Joe and Aunt Anna.  While thinking of the many years of marriage that have been accomplished among her siblings and herself, my Mom recalled a country song by what she thought was the title A Long Line of Lovers.  I think that's probably some other kind of country song, but we finally determined it was Long Line of Love by Michael Martin Murphy.  

Before I share those heartwarming lyrics with you, though, I'd like to introduce you to my Mom, Kathy, and her successful-in-long-marriages siblings.  They aren't in birth order in this photo, and there's a set of identical twins (can you guess who?), but their number of years married follows their name:

Standing - Ruth, 50; Janine, 46; Judy, 41.  Seated - Anna, 50; Victor, 46; Ray, 56; and Kathy, 56.  Now folks, when you add all that up, you'll find 345 combined years of successful marriage.  And if you throw in their parents' marriage of 59 years, it comes to a whopping 404 years of faithfulness.  Now that is a heritage to be thankful for!

God is a faithful God, a covenant-keeping God who extends the blessings of His covenant to a thousand generations, and the marriages of my mother's family is a testimony to the goodness of the Lord to His children.  It is also a testimony to those of us who struggle and grow weary in marriages that have long since left the halcyon honeymoon days.  You stick with it.  You don't give up.  

My generation has not always fared so well in marriage, a testimony to the difficulties in this fallen world.  But, the true standard, a high goal, has been set for us and we have done our best to shoot for it.  And as the scripture tells us, our Father is always faithful, His promises are sure, and in Him is redemption and restoration of all things.  

I bought a beautiful diamond ring.

I offered it to the sweetest thing I knew - she said she would take it.

We started making some wedding plans

She came to me and she took my hand and said

Are you sure we can make it?I said my Grandad's still in love with my Grandma

I said my Dad still thinks my Mom's the sweetest thing he ever saw

I come from a long line of love.

When the times get hard, I don't give up,

Forever is in my heart and in your blood,

You see I come from a long line of love.

Well the years went by and we had a son

Now he thinks he found someone for him.

They're planning a wedding.

He called me up on the phone today 

Just to see what I had to say to him.

Did I think he was ready?

I said what his Grandfather used to say to me.

It's been handed down for ages - it runs in our family.

You come from a long line of love

When the times get hard, you won't give up

Forever is in your heart and in your blood, Son,

You come from a long line of love.

Many thanks and much love to:  Ray and Ginny, Mama and Daddy, Anna and Joe, Ruth and Dick, Vic and Judy, Janine and Joe, Judy and Bob.  By the grace of God, you paved the way for the rest of us.

Cameron Beau Scherrer

This morning, we were delighted to receive a first peek at little Beau, who plans to make his debut sometime around Christmas.  

In case you were wondering, his tummy is on the left and his head is on the right.  You can also see plainly that he is smiling for the camera.  

God's Best Gifts . . .

. . . quite often come in the sweet little bundle of a baby.  And our next little bundle will join his cousins in the brotherhood of BOYS!  Yes, our next grandchild is another boy - appropriately due around Christmas - and we are giving thanks and praise to his Maker for this newest gift!

              "Little Boys are Treasures"

Little boys are treasures

Who are worth their weight in gold.

And charm everyone around them

From the time they're minutes old.

They're Mommy's little darling,

They're a special pal to Dad,

And they bring the very happiest days

A family's ever had.

              ~  Unknown