Friday, February 29, 2008
Thomas K. in the winter ...
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Four years ago today ...




Monday, February 25, 2008
On the edge ...

I was telling Mr. Jones about this information and he stopped me practically mid-sentence. He claimed the debated phrase WAS on the coins! I gave him one of my doubtful looks so he marched me right over to the internet, where we were readily able to bring up this exact picture of the new presidential coins. And there it is in plain print ~ “In God We Trust, “ right along with “E Pluribus Unum” (out of many, one). How DOES Mr. Jones always know this stuff?

Anyway, all of this reminded me of a conversation I had with Dylan a few years ago about the Pledge of Allegiance. I am uncertain of all of the facts involved, but there seems to be an ongoing argument that the two words “under God” should be eliminated from the pledge (“…And to the Republic for which it stands. One nation under God. Indivisible …”)
Dylan said he would be delighted if those two words were completely left out of the pledge. At first I was shocked and disappointed to hear him say that. But then he explained that our nation didn’t seem to be willing to be “under God” or His authority at all! Why give ungodly folk a wrong impression? Perhaps by reciting the pledge, people were gaining a false sense of religion, a completely wrong understanding of their relationship to their Creator!
“In God We Trust.” I wish it were true! Sometimes it seems the god who is worshiped in America is just a man-made egotistical, impotent, whimsical weakling … someone we blame all of the ills of the world on … but Scripture says He is the exact opposite!
“Everyone knows that God doesn’t sin! The Almighty can do no wrong…The Almighty cannot twist justice!” Job 34:10-12
“Look, God is all-powerful. Who is a teacher like him? No one can tell him what to do. No one can say to him, ‘You have done wrong.’ Instead, glorify his mighty works, singing songs of praise.” Job 36:22-24
The LORD, your Redeemer and Creator, says: “I am the LORD, who made all things. I alone stretched out the heavens. By myself I made the earth and everything in it.” Isaiah 44:24.
“I created you and have cared for you since before you were born. I will be your God throughout your lifetime ~ until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you.” Isaiah 46:3-4
“… do not forget the things I have done throughout history. For I am God ~ I ALONE! I am God, and there is no one else like me.” Isaiah 46:8-10.
Well, now you know! If you receive any forwarded e-mails about the presidential coins, fear not! “In God We Trust” is inscribed on the edge of the coins. Perhaps they used the rim because the inscription won’t rub off as easily as it would on the surface of the coin. Or perhaps they just wanted to see how many Evangelicals or Religious Right folk would glance over the coin, miss seeing the words, and immediately jump to the conclusion that it was intentionally omitted? I’m not sure, but perhaps there is more information out there on the internet as to why they put the words where they put them. I just know that our God is The Almighty, Powerful, fair and perfect Judge, Redeemer, Creator and Savior, the One who “cares for us and carries us”! He is a God we can trust in! There is surely no one like Him! Perhaps if true believers daily walked with Him, "letting their light shine", proclaiming the great salvation of their great God, all people everywhere would bow before Him and truly put their trust in Him!
“If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14).
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Karis Danielle
Thursday, February 21, 2008
We tried our best ...
blood and fire and pillars of smoke.
The sun will be turned into darkness,
and the moon will turn bloodred
before that great and terrible day of the LORD arrives.
And ANYONE WHO CALLS
ON THE NAME OF THE LORD will be saved."
This bottom picture is mine. It's a pathetic photo, but the moon was actually that RED. I was using the 4x magnification (which is the most I have) and I haven't altered this picture at all. I tried all of the fancy stuff on my photo program, but it really only distorts the image and doesn't do anything at all to enhance or clarify it.
If you want to see what the eclipse REALLY looked like in all of its beauty, and exactly like we saw it, click onto my sister's blog. She has a great picture of it there. I thought she took it with her camera, and knowing that her camera is very similar to the one I use, I was completely amazed at her technical abilities! I was insanely jealous until I read that she obtained the picture from the internet, and then I was relieved, and then hugely ashamed of myself all at once! (We artists have complicated emotions).
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Oh the MISERY!

Sunday, February 17, 2008
A blissful few hours ...
"... We cannot comprehend the greatness of God's power.
He directs the snow to fall on the earth ...
The stormy wind comes from its chamber
and the driving winds bring the cold.
God's breath sends the ice,
freezing wide expanses of water.
LISTEN! Stop and consider
the wonderful miracles of God!"
JOB 37:5b-10, 14
"God's breath brings the ice." WOW! Isn't that passage of Scripture so beautiful? Well, like I said, there are two lighthouses and they are called by very similar names. The taller one at the end of the pier is the South Breakwater Light. The smaller lighthouse is known as the Muskegon South Pier Light ~ it is actually on the west end of the south pier, on US Coast Guard private property.
I was wearing my winter hiking boots and really got a good workout, sometimes walking through knee-deep snow. It was so much fun! I dressed in lots of layers so that I could really enjoy the day. I determined not to walk anywhere foolish or dangerous, and actually I didn't think it would be possible to walk out on the pier at all. But I was wrong! I walked quite a distance out on the pier, surrounded by mounds of ice and snow. I made sure to stay right in the center and follow everyone else's footprints in the snow. I was very careful. It was a GREAT walk. I was amazed over and over again at the "awesome works of His hands."
Who gives birth to the frost from the heavens?
For the water turns to ice as hard as a rock,
and the surface of the water freezes."
(God talking to Job)
JOB 38:29-30
"Have you visited the treasuries of the snow?" (God)
JOB 38:22
The sunset was dazzlingly spectacular! I loved every single minute of this marvelous two hours at the beach!
"You, O God, are my king from ages past,
bringing salvation to the earth ...
Both day and night belong to You;
You made the starlight and the sun.
You set the boundaries of the earth,
and you made both summer and winter."
PSALM 74:12, 16-17
Thank you, LORD, for every single snowflake, each shimmering icicle, the seagulls (!), the beach grass peaking through the drifts of snow ... the shadows, amazing cloud formations, and the wonderful array of colors of the sunset ... I stand amazed!