Purpose of Scriptures

“In the end, the central purpose of all scripture is to fill our souls with faith in God the Father and in His Son, Jesus Christ—faith that They exist; faith in the Father’s plan for our immortality and eternal life; faith in the Atonement and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, which animates this plan of happiness; faith to make the gospel of Jesus Christ our way of life; and faith to come to know ‘the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom [He has] sent’ (John 17:3).”     D. Todd Christofferson

Letters As Time Travelers

“I’d reached the end of the first page but didn’t turn it over. I sat motionless, as if I were listening very carefully to something, and I was, I suppose; for the little girl’s voice had drifted from the shoebox and was echoing now in the shadow-hung hollows of the room. I’m in the country now...they call him Daddy...there is a tower, and three sisters...  

"Letters are special like that. Conversations waft away the moment they’ve been had, but the written word prevails. Those letters were little time travelers; fifty years they’d lain patiently in their box, waiting for me to find them.”  Kate Morton, The Distant Hours

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Letters from a young mother who journeyed with a young child to the gold mining fields in California  to join her husband and brother (before it was California), letters from a young newly-wed man serving in France in World War I, letters from a father and mother to their children  - all these, and more, patiently wait in boxes - stories and voices of our family. These time travelers are treasures. 

Image - letters written by  my parents

Country Music Message

Country music can tell some very interesting stories. For long stretches of our trips to Salt Lake City or Montana there isn't much to choose from on the radio. If we've run out of sparkling conversation (Mom's term), we fall back on country music. On our recent trip to Salt Lake City I was only half listening to the song on the radio. I heard words about there having to be more to life than ending up riding in a hearse. I just had to look up the lyrics. I found the song called "Believe" by Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn.

Believe

Old man Wrigley lived in that white house
Down the street where i grew up
Momma used to send me over with things
We struck a friendship up
I spent a few long summers out on his old porch swing

Says he was in the war when in the navy
Lost his wife, lost his baby
Broke down and asked him one time
How ya keep from going crazy
He said I'll see my wife and son in just a little while
I asked him what he meant
He looked at me and smiled, said

[Chorus]
I raise my hands, bow my head
I'm finding more and more truth in the words written in red
They tell me that there's more to life than just what I can see
Oh I believe
.............

[Wrigley died]

.............

I can't quote the book
The chapter or the verse
You can't tell me it all ends
In a slow ride in a hearse
You know I'm more and more convinced
The longer that I live
Yeah, this can't be
No, this can't be
No, this can't be all there is

[Chorus]
When I raise my hands, bow my head
I'm finding more and more truth in the words written in red
They tell me that there's more to life than just what I can see
I believe
Oh, I
I believe
........

Click here for all the lyrics and here for a YouTube video

I do believe. 

Life doesn't end with a "slow ride in a hearse."

There is more to life than what we can see. 

For a post about another country song heard on a trip, click here

Thankful

Family gatherings for birthdays and holidays have been a major part of my life. I have been greatly blessed by these times together. 

“What greater blessing to give thanks for at a family gathering - than the family and the gathering.  ~Robert Brault 

I am thankful for family and the gatherings we have – and will continue to have.

          


Picture - December 1958 at my grandparents' home in London, Ohio

Dorothy (aunt), Caryl (grandfather), David (uncle) & Mary (mother)

Grandpa always made a mobile at Christmas; see it hanging over the table. 

Arlington Street Church - Boston

My sister Susan took us to the Arlington Street Church, Unitarian Universalist, in downtown Boston. The church was constructed between 1859 and 1861. Click here for a history of the congregation which dates its beginnings to 1729. 

Kim Crawford Harvie, the senior minister at the church, is the person who introduced Susan's son and daughter-in-law to each other and ordained Susan's daughter-in-law. 

Click here for a history of this beautiful building. Click here for 360 degree tours of the sanctuary and chapel.

 Standing at pulpit, looking to the choir loft & back of the sanctuary

These tall planks are on both sides of the choir loft and contain the 10 Commandments and the Lord's Prayer. They were in the congregation's Federal Street Church and brought to Arlington Street Church when the building was completed. source

 14 Tiffany windows add great beauty to the sanctuary. The colors were very vivid even late afternoon on a cloudy day. They must be glorious on a sunny day. Read more here. Click on an image for a larger photo. 

 The sanctuary is full of beautiful details. 

The door with the arched top was off the choir loft. 

The iron grate was on the floor in the main part of the sanctuary. 

Sister Jan is holding the pumpkins her grandchildren made 

to accompany Grandma Jan on her trip. 

The woodwork on this pulpit is beautiful

Click on Travel, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire labels on the right for more posts from this trip

Angels Amongst Us

"I have spoken here of heavenly help, of angels dispatched to bless us in time of need. But when we speak of those who are instruments in the hand of God, we are reminded that not all angels are from the other side of the veil. Some of them we walk with and talk with—here, now, every day. ... Indeed heaven never seems closer than when we see the love of God manifested in the kindness and devotion of people so good and so pure that angelic is the only word that comes to mind."             Jeffrey R. Holland

The Spirit helps us know who around us needs an "angel." Sometimes we discover our act of kindness was an answer to a prayer. That's an awesome experience. Most of the time we have no idea the difference a hug, a smile, a note, a phone call, or some other act of love makes in a person's life. Our goal is to follow Christ's example and go about doing good (Acts 10:38). 

My life has been blessed by so many "angels" on this side of the veil. I am grateful for dear family and friends and the abundance of ways they have blessed my life. 

Susan, Jan & Julia - More

On one of our outings we stopped at a Barnes & Noble bookstore. 

We thought this title was appropriate. 

We talked about books we’ve read and pointed out recommendations for each other. I am very thankful for the legacy Mom and Dad left us - a love of books, reading, and talking about books.

The fall colors were beautiful - a bit past their peak. We didn’t see any reds. Susan said the temperatures and rainfall weren’t right for reds this year. There were beautiful leaves of rust, yellow, and dark orange. We saw a number of cranberry bogs. One time we saw workers out in their waders, corralling the cranberries - just like you see in the commercials.

interesting patterns

a windy evening on Cape Cod

 On a day with minimal traffic it takes not quite an hour to get from Susan's and Joe's to the bridge onto the Cape. On a nice weekend, that same drive could be four hours!!! We drove all the way up to the tip of the island, Provincetown. We found a delightful place for lunch in South Yarmouth. Had delicious lobster rolls and lobster and crab chowder.

More Cape Cod

Sisters in the Big City

The sisters headed into the big city to see what adventure awaited

My sister's grandchildren made pumpkins for her so she wouldn't be lonely on her trip. Jan took the pumpkins to Cheers bar/restaurant. Many people took pictures in front of the sign and at the door to Cheers. The place is small. We decided not to wait 25 minutes to get a seat for lunch. 

George Washington stands guard at one of the entrances to Boston Common

Like many people in Boston he sported a beard and shirt 

to support the home town team. 

The Red Sox won the Word Series the night before. 

There was still a lot of celebrating going on. 

Boston Common

rooftops

Massachusetts state house on the left

People create beautiful gardens in very small spaces

roses - still blooming the end of October

Homes on Beacon Hill were creatively decorated for Halloween and trick or treat night. 

We enjoyed watching the children and their parents.

Susan and Jan on a street in Beacon Hill.

Click here to see images of Beacon Hill's narrow "main" streets like this.

It's a beautiful area. The doorways to lower level apartments were built in a day when people were much shorter than we are now. 

This is a beautiful neighborhood. 

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For more posts from this trip, click "travel," "New Hampshire" or "Massachusetts" tag on the right

Dishes & Days

This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24

Days

...

Through the calm eye of the window  


everything is in its place  


but so precariously  


this day might be resting somehow 

on the one before it,  


all the days of the past stacked high  


like the impossible tower of dishes  


entertainers used to build on stage. 

No wonder you find yourself  


perched on the top of a tall ladder  


hoping to add one more.  


Just another Wednesday 

you whisper,  


then holding your breath,  


place this cup on yesterday’s saucer  


without the slightest clink.

                        Billy Collins

In a recent sermon, Lauren Smith talked about rejoicing in each day. She used the above scripture and the Billy Collins poem "Days." Since hearing her sermon, and this poem, I've thought frequently about each day and the stack of dishes analogy.

When we are young, we tend to stack those dishes without a whole lot of thought. We have confidence in the abundance of days, and dishes. We place each day on top of the previous one. The stack might be well organized and balanced - or it could be somewhat haphazard - depends on the course of our lives. With the confidence of youth, and confidence in a lot of dishes to build our stack, we keep building. Sometimes a life event such as death of a loved one, an illness, or a job emergency comes along and causes our stack to wobble and maybe come crashing down. But most of the time we continue along, putting each day on top of the previous one.

As we age, we become much more aware of the decreasing number of dishes to put on that tower. We "whisper" for one more year, or month, or day and we become more aware of how those plates are placed on top of each other - more aware of balance and doing what is necessary to keep the stack growing in a stable way.

I do rejoice in the days I have been given.

For copyright considerations I have not included the entire poem. 

Click here for the complete poem.

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