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God has given both his promise and his oath.

These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie.

…This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls.

Hebrews 6:18-19 (New Living Translation)

And I Thought This Would Be a Normal Day!

When we got home last night, Cerwin was looking like this.

He woke up this morning feeling more like this, and has been in bed or in his favorite La-Z-Boy all day.

After unpacking suitcases…

…and getting the laundry started…

…I kept at a safe distance from him by spending my day in the office, reducing my 300 emails to the eight I still need to deal with.

Then I went through the stack of mail that had accumulated during the six days that we were gone.

One envelope was quite exciting to deal with.  It contained a very large donation that will enable TFC to finish the chapel construction for Racine, Wisconsin.  That was good news for Cerwin, as he had to put the chapel construction on hold at the end of October.

The highlight of his day was informing TFC’s President (Scott) and Director of Finances (Mike) about the donation.  Scott told Cerwin to do the honors of calling Doug (in charge of placing a chapel at the Racine truck stop). 

Doug told Cerwin to call him with that kind of news any day. 

Because snow is predicted for tomorrow, and I need groceries for a TFC Truck Rally meeting on Sunday, I decided that late afternoon today was a better time for shopping then tomorrow.

 An article in a magazine I was reading during yesterday’s drive, reminded me how much I like to learn new things, so when at Hilltop Acres (grocery store) to pick up the things I ordered this morning, I picked up a fruit I don’t think I ever purchased – a mango.

I love the flavor of mango in juice.  I am sure it will not taste as good as the fresh ones we had in Mexico City when we visited my brother and his wife – who lived there at the time (thirty years ago).

I decided to learn about mangos – their origin, how and where they are grown, how to tell when one is ripe, and how to cut one properly. 

Look for that information in a day or two.

Don’t hoard treasure down here where it gets eaten by moths and corroded by rust

or—worse!—stolen by burglars.

Stockpile treasure in heaven,

where it’s safe from moth and rust and burglars.

Matthew 6:19-20 (The Message)

Home From Maine

Cerwin had to remove a lot of snow and ice from our trusty CRV before it was ready for our trip this morning.

This was the view in front of us before leaving their driveway.

I looked back at the house and took this picture of Diane and Mark, just before she looked out the window and waved goodbye.

Route 1 was still snow-covered when we pulled out of their side road at 7:00 a.m.

Familiar Maine scenery

A car in front of us that was about to lose the layer of ice and snow it had accumulated overnight.

Several times we had to slow down to avoid getting hit by chunks of ice and snow that came off of cars and trucks. 

We had a forty-five minute drive in traffic like this, and think there was an accident or some kind of vehicle problem ahead.  At one point a police car went past us in the ditch in an effort to get to something that was happening, but we never did come upon the situation that caused this very slow moving traffic.

This dog in a car next to us also seemed to be curious about the traffic.

There were several areas where melting ice had refrozen into these pretty designs.

As we approached Connecticut, we began seeing ice-covered trees.

In one area, we could see that the ice was causing damage to the trees.

While listening to the news, we began hearing about powerlines that were down, and that lots of people were without electric.

We saw icy scenery through most of Connecticut.

We also drove through a short snowstorm.

In New York we only saw ice in the higher elevations.

Thanks for your concern and prayers.  We had a good day.

~~~

I was grateful for a break from the office (I mailed twenty-nine newsletters during November and December), and then there was the busy Christmas week.  Now I am ready to get back in my office and into a more normal routine tomorrow.

~~~

Reach out and experience the breadth!

Test its length!

Plumb the depths!

Rise to the heights!

Live full lives, full in the fullness of God.

Ephesians 3:19 (The Message)

Wednesday in Maine

 It was a snowy, rainy, icy day – the reason we are still here.

 Cerwin decided that it wasn’t worth the hassle of driving on hazardous roads for ten hours.

 I woke up to the sound of Josiah making coffee.  He had just come home from night shift at Wal-Mart.  He played a game on my old laptop while waiting for the others to wake up.

 Lydia bought a horse coloring book at Play ‘n Learn on Monday (after shopping at L.L. Bean) and colored a few pages while waiting for breakfast.

 Hezekiah and Cerwin watched a hunting video.   Breakfast (brunch) was late because Mark only got in at 1:00 a.m. this morning – and was not driving bus today.  Josiah went to bed after eating, and the rest of us relaxed or cleaned up the breakfast dishes.  Abigail spent most of the day in bed, as she was sick with a stomach flu.

 At noon, Cerwin and I logged on to the Webinar that TFC was conducting this week.  We planned to participate at home tomorrow, but changed our registration to Mark and Diane’s computer today – because we will be on the road tomorrow.  (Wireless is a bit uncertain here – the reason I did not use my laptop.)

Technology is amazing.  The seminar was conducted from Pennsylvania, and TFC staff were logged in from across the USA and Canada.

 We “goofed off” in the late afternoon and evening – playing games (computer and otherwise).

 Toward evening, Hezekiah went outside to check on the snow.

 It appears that we got two or three inches, along with rain and sleet.  It would have been a miserable day to drive.

 Josiah woke up in the late afternoon, and played a computer game with Lydia and Hezekiah.  You can see that Hezekiah’s cheeks are still rosy from being outside.

 ~~~

Supper

~~~

 It has been a long time since I ate soybeans.  They were delicious.

The highlight of the meal was stuffed crab shells.  Diane cleans for a lady whose brother is a commercial fisherman, and when he gave them fresh crabs the other week, Diane and a few of the children helped to “pick” the crab meat.  They were rewarded with some of the meat.  It was fabulous.

 Elizabeth made the dessert:  a mixture of raspberry and cranberry yogurt, Cool Whip, and blueberries. 

It was a wonderful, snowy day in Maine!

Tuesday in Maine

A highlight of the day was a short visit from http://www.xanga.com/coolmomofeight.  It is always fun to say hi to Michelle and get an update on her life when we visit Maine.

Abby got her hard cast put on this morning.  It was cast above her elbow so she can’t twist the two broken bones in her wrist.

Hannah babysat Andrew.  He was here at the house for a few hours, then she took him home when the large van became available.  Elizabeth was using it to do childcare for a Bible study at the military base, and Mark needed the minivan to go to Portland.  He drives motorcoach, and was taking the University of New England’s men and women’s basketball teams to a game at Lewiston.

  Hannah and Andrew were playing with a variety of animals and vehicles.

 The children presented Diane with her belated birthday cake.

~~~

We spent the afternoon and evening playing games, reading, visiting, and relaxing.  After receiving a phone call about Wednesday’s weather on the east coast, we decided to stay here one more day, so we don’t have to drive home in snow, sleet, and ice.

The LORD can always be trusted

to show mercy each morning.

Lamentations 3:23 (Contemporary English Version)

Monday in Maine

 We woke up to a dusting of snow.

Becky was here for the morning, so I asked for a photo of her and Josiah.  They were easy to convince. 

 This silhouette happened by accident when I took a few “rapid fire” photos – and the flash did not go off.

 I played with it in Photo Impressions – and liked this one as well.

 Elizabeth was having fun with my camera – taking photos of the roses.

 How many people know where we were shopping today?

 L. L. Bean

 It was fun checking out their after Christmas sales and unique displays.  I almost bought a new camera bag – for my camera’s extras, but wasn’t sure it was what I wanted.

 Lydia took me to see the “Fish Bubble.”

 The bubble is in the fish tank, and to get inside you must crawl under the tank, then stand up in the bubble.

 I enjoyed seeing the L.L. Bean ice sculptures.

 Heading to the van

 Lydia and Hannah decorating Diane’s birthday cake.

 Diane has always liked Ziggy.

 After supper we played Blokus.

 Diane and Abigail

Players choose a set of the same colored triangle shapes, then take turns trying to place them on the board by touching points of any shape of their color.  They also try to block the others from being able to place their triangles next to each other. 

The winner has the least number of little triangles left at the end of the game – when there are no more possible moves.

Real wisdom,

God’s wisdom,

begins with a holy life

and is characterized by getting along with others.

James 3:17 (The Message)