Leif

Well seems like I have not posted since 09!  It is now 2012- What could make a 57 year old woman begin to post again?  Grandbaby!!!   I must admit I have a fine grandson who has been blessed with two wonderful parents.  I hope to post a photo here soon.  Leif Orrin Neill weighed in at 7 lbs 2 oz and 21 plus inches,  long and lean.... The adjustment from womb comfort to digestion, temperature variation and non muffled noise intrusions is difficult at best.  My prayer is with all new exhausted mothers everywhere that they might have hope...it is self limiting and babies do increase the number of hours they sleep in a row, even though it seems they never will and digestive problems usually work themselves out with time.  Blessings on you both as you encounter the joys and trails of parenthood.  Love you

Meredith's trek

09/13/2009 Easton Glacier: Glacier is quite broken difficult navigation.

09/11/2009 Easton Glacier: We turned back at 8,000 ft. on the Deming-Easton glaciers mostly due to crevasses which required much detouring. At 8,000 ft. there was about 6 inches of new snow from the storm activity from the past weekend.

9/10/2009 Coleman Glacier: Route impassable, thin snow bridge at 8000'

09/06/2009 Easton Glacier: Sunday Morning snowing heavily, complete whiteout conditions, did not summit.

08/31/2009 Easton Glacier: 300 feet of alpine ice at top (below is a crevasse – nice to have ice screws), very direct.

Post post

Neglected blog site. Facebook has won my time! I can look and enjoy and don't have to think a thing!

Elizabeth

Elizabeth has learned silks!  

Hi,  I really liked this, it was sent to me by my sister, Olivia.  It is making the internet rounds and the originator has been lost to me or I would give them credit.

 I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright no matter how gray the day may appear.

I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun even more. 

I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive & everlasting. 

I wish you enough pain so that even the smallest of joys in life may appear bigger. 

I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting. 

I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess. 

I wish you enough hellos to get you through the final good-bye. 

The Reason for God

Several years ago my son Duff would often respond to diatribes with the statement, "One should be able to argue their opponents position as well as their own before they speak about that position."  It is true.  One should grapple with  another's viewpoint, one should be able to see why the 'opposition' holds that position and what are the merits of that position.  I think that is why I like Timothy Keller's book, The Reason for God, so very much.  He begins with the opposition, the merits of the objections to Christian faith, before he displays the love and teachings of Jesus.  As I have been reading this book, one of my son's favorite writers, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, is quoted.  I was struck by the beauty of these words so I will rewrite them here, in hopes that others will be ennobled by them as well.

  It is not a religious act that makes the Christian, but participation in the sufferings of God in the secular life.  That is metanoia (repentance): not in the first place thinking about one's own needs, problems, sins, and fears, but allowing oneself to be caught up into the way of Jesus Christ....Pain is a holy angel... Through him men have become greater than through all the joys of the world....The pain of longing, which often can be felt physically, must be there, and we shall not and need not talk it away  (I am reminded of Meredith's post, "In Praise of Grief" 

http://wheatie2011.blogspot.com)But it needs to be overcome every time, and thus there is an even holier angel than the one of pain, that is the one of joy in God.

Annoying mom thing

I have been thinking about what Jamie said to me and Daniel confirmed, that I am self righteous and overbearing. I surmise that my thinking which leads to self righteousness is this; I read and think I understand a scripture and how it applies to their lives and then try to force them to see it the same way. (That is probably closer to arrogance than self righteousness) Usually motivated by fear and anxiety over their well being which comes through in a very uncomfortable way.  This is a man centered approach to sanctification. It is Christ who sanctifies us, not ourselves nor our understanding, it is Christ who calls and creates the hunger and love for Him. And Christ is calling, sanctifying, and making us all whole, not only is He doing this but in the resurrection sense this work is already complete in the heavenlies; for all of us who call on His name...we may all be in different places in the working out of that salvation in our lives.   I become overbearing when I take my eyes off Christ, who is our sanctification as well as Lord of our holiness and understanding, and presume to play the Holy Spirit in their lives.  Christ is not making any mistakes in our sanctification and He does all things well.