Clouds

There is no one like the God of Jerushan (Israel),

Who rides on the heavens to help you

and on the clouds in His majesty.

The eternal God is your refuge,

and underneath are the everlasting arms.

Deuteronomy 33:26,27 Weren't the storm clouds amazing tonight?

I love to watch clouds!

Allen's sister called.

She and her family were in North Newton for the league track meet.

They live in Little River and wanted to know if

they could come to our house for refuge from

the approaching storm.

Russell actually does storm watching and works with

the emergency team so I felt safe having him around.

This morning's devotional from "Streams in the Desert" just happened to be about clouds! "Men see not the bright light which is in the clouds." Job 37:21

"Much of the world's beauty is due to clouds. The unchanging blue of a beautiful, sunlit sky still does not compare to the glory of changing clouds. And earth would become a wilderness if not for their ministry to us.

Human life has its clouds as well. They provide us with shade, refresh us, yet sometimes cover us with the darkness of night. But there is never a cloud without its "bright light." God has told us, "I have set my rainbow in the clouds" (Gen. 9:13) If only we could see clouds from above - in all their billowing glory, bathed in reflective light, and as majestic as the Alps - we would be amazed at their shining magnificence.

(I love to look at clouds from an airplane window!! You know how you might leave the ground and it is pouring rain, and it is so dark! Then the plane goes through the clouds, there is some turbulence and then the plane gets above the clouds - you get on top of the storm and you see how beautiful those clouds look from above.)

We see them only from below, so who will describe for us the "bright light" that bathes their summits, searches their valleys, and reflects from every peak of their expanse? Doesn't every drop of rain in them soak up health-giving qualities, which will later fall to earth?

O dear child of God! if only you could see your sorrows and troubles from above instead of seeing them from earth. If you would look down on them from where you are seated "with Christ...in the heavenly realms" (Eph. 2:6), you would know the beauty of the rainbow of colors they reflect to the hosts of heaven. You would also see the "bright light" of Christ's face and would finally be content to see those clouds cast their deep shadows over the mountain slopes of your life.

Remember, clouds are always moving ahead of God's cleansing wind.

A day at the zoo

It was a beautiful, nice cool day to go to the zoo - except it was the craziest, fullest day I have ever, ever seen! I wonder how many hundreds of people were there!! Schools are taking field trips as are day care centers and even retirement centers. Newton schools were there. Iola schools were there. People, people every where!! Our Thursday morning small group leaders (wives) and kiddos went to the zoo too. Unfortunately, Sophia had a fever so Jill could not come. I brought Hannah with me. Sarah was the only one that I saw who brought along sun screen lotion. I didn't even think about it! Bad Nana.

The kids were all ready to go!

Rachel Beverlin and her children are staying with Sarah while Matt finishes up school so she came along with the kids. It was fun to have them along!

Hannah's favorite animal (well, technically, a bird)

is the flamingo.

The giraffes were up close.

This one is a little too close - she has learned how to

navigate it down into the trench where they are

not supposed to be!

We ran into people we know.

Anbeth and Dante.

Hannah's friends, Payton and Rauley.

Hannah and Rauley plan to be married

someday they say.

If a zoo keeper had seen this, we would have been in trouble.

Ran into Lori Guggisberg

and baby Riley

The elephants were giving a show.

A popcorn break.

On the way home, some of us stopped

at the Park City McDonald's for lunch.

Do you know that the hamburger off the $1 menu is cheaper

than the regular hamburger?

And the regular hamburger doesn't have

lettuce, tomatoe etc.

Look at the Iced Mocha. Yum!

The kids enjoyed the playground after eating.

Rauley and Payton showed up at McDonalds too!

It was a fun day.

This is My Father's World - #2

Here are the words to "This is My Father's World". (previous post)

This is my Father's world,
And to my list'ning ears;
All nature sings and round me rings
The music of the spheres.
This is my Father's world,
I rest me in the thought
Of rocks and trees, of skies and seas,
His hand the wonders wrought.

This is my Father's world,
The birds their carols raise.
The morning light, the lily white,
Declare their Maker's praise;
This is my Father's world;
He shines in all that's fair,
In the rustling grass I hear Him pass,
He speaks to me everywhere.

This is my Father's world, O let me ne'er forget
That though the wrong seems oft so strong,
God is the Ruler yet.
This is my Father's world,
The battle is not done;
Jesus, who died, shall be satisfied,
And earth and heav'n be one.

My Father's World

I love to look at nature - at God's beautiful creation!

I just have to show off His glory!

"...For the world is Mine, and all its fullness"

Psalm 50:12b

The baby robins are wanting some food.

This is called Papyrus.

Do you suppose it is like the papyrus that

was used in ancient days to make "paper"?

I was told this is called "Bad Hair Day". Ha!

paddle plant

Hoping to keep slugs away this year!

Al got another pole - a stronger one.

The purple martins are happy.

Looking at the beauty of nature made me think of the song "This is My Father's World." I have a wonderful book, "Then Sings My Soul" by Robert J. Morgan. In this book, you can look up a hymn and along with the hymn, there is the story of the origins of how the hymn came to be. I looked up the above hymn.

It was written by a man named Maltbie Babcock (ok, young moms. How about that for a name??) Maltbie was from an aristocratic family and a brilliant scholar with a winning personality. He was handsome, an outstanding athlete, played several instruments and even directed the Syracuse University orchestra. He composed several compositions, enjoyed drawing and was a proficient vocalist. Although he could have been successful in any profession, God called him to the ministry. So he went to Auburn Theological Seminary and then became a pastor. His first pastorate was in Lockport, New York. It was a beautiful area, located not far away from Niagara Falls. Maltbie enjoyed hiking and running in those hills outside town. He would tell his secretary "I'm going out to see my Father's world." Sometime during those years, he wrote a sixteen stanza poem. Each verse began with the words "This is My Father's World". When he was 42, his church gave him a special gift - a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. While enroute, however, at Naples, Italy he was seized with a deadly bacterial fever and died at the International Hospital in 1901. After his death, his wife compiled his writings and included was this hymn.

I had to include this picture of Sophia. She picked a dandelion and was so happy with it...until the yellow flower fell off. She tried in vain to make it stick back onto the stem. She was so sad.

Mother's Day weekend

On Mother's Day, before I was heading out for church, I noticed that our Mother robin and Daddy robin were a little busy with their nest. I went over to peek. You can't see it, but the last blue egg had a little hole in it and the last baby was hatching. I thought I had caught it on camera...sadly I didn't. But I didn't want to stay too long peeking as the parents were just a little upset I was so close. They don't understand that I am not a threat.The killdear were making a racket and I looked out my bedroom window at the lot next door. There was a Mommy and Daddy killdear with several little chicks. They were all taking a little walk. Then as I watched, 2 little baby killdear went up to their mommy and tucked themselves under her feathers. They literally disappeared under her wings. It was almost like a baby kangaroo that pops itself into the mother's pouch.

It reminded me of the verse from Psalm 91:4. "He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge."

At church we had child dedication.

Very sweet.

I cried.

Joel and Kendall's sweet Lily who is so precious to us.

Treaster's new darling, Brookelyn, after the loss of their baby girl to Trisomy 18.

Brynn, who arrived early and was in danger for awhile.

Sweet Payton who the Anderson's adopted.

Twins Hollis and Murphy.

The newest baby, Landrey.

Lane and Logan.

Caleb and Alyssa.

Alyssa has Down's and she has been such

a blessing to her parents.

So many parents choose to abort such a child.

These children are so dear to me.

I am so lucky to get to know these

children as they come to the nursery each week.

A reminder from Amanda and Jess about why we do this.

After afternoon naps, I went to Jill's to pick her and my mother up for a date to Wichita. We were giving ourselves a Mother's Day gift of time together. My mom had received a cookie bouquet from my sister-in-law, Linda Voran who lives in Kansas City. Mom brought it over to show the girls and to let them each pick one cookie to eat.

My mother, Lois Voran, and my daughter, Jill and myself went to Wichita and picked up my other daughter, Mindy. Mindy told us about a place called....

If you've never been....it is a classy place!

Located at Douglas and Oliver.

They are building another restaurant at Bradley Fair.

Loved the jazz music playing.

We treated ourselves to dessert. Yum!

I have to share about Saturday...

The Andersons had an adoption party for Payton.

Congratulations on your forever family, Payton!

In the evening, we went to Pretty Prairie to visit with Al's Dad.

Wayne Graber, who grew up with Al was performing with his group, Graber, Souter & Rupp at the Prairie Sunset Home where Al's Dad lives. This musical group lives in Dallas, Oregon (only 45 minutes away from Tony and Angela!) and since they sing country gospel music, they wanted to call themselves the Dallas Cowboys, but that name was taken already.

If you like country western music, you can find out more about them at waynegraber.com.
I have attached a video of them at the end.

As I pan the video about, you will see Al's brother, Sid and Al too.

Here is a picture of Al and his Dad.