Appreciating the Bible

I enjoy reading the Bible. I've read it in many translations and versions. (My favorite? The chronological Bible, where passages are shifted into chronological order.)

So I was pleased to read Joyce Meyer's words (in her Trusting God Day by Day devotional):

"I'm always saddened when I encounter people who view the Bible as an outdated, irrelevant religious book. Yes, its words are centuries old, but instead of being old-fashioned or obsolete, they are ancient truths that have stood the test of time and been proven over and over and over again. The words of Scripture are alive; they are saturated with the power of God. They are as real and applicable today as they have ever been - and in our world today, we desperately need to be grounded in this kind of godly truth. The Bible is not only meant for preachers and "church people"; it is a book for everyone in every walk of life. It is spiritual, but it is also extremely practical."

I totally agree!

(Natural) Snow Sculptures

Snow is pretty amazing!


After a day of snow - and wind - I look out the window and see... snow "sculptures":

Massive chunks of snow suspended from the roof of our house.

In all our years here, I've never seen anything like it, Terry comments. The strength must come from the layers that have formed...

All around us, similar "ribbons" of snow can be seen hanging from neighboring houses. It's pretty amazing!

I wonder if the temperature and consistency of the snow need to be just right for these hangings to form...

There's so much about snow that I don't understand! (I wonder if snow scientists even understand all the details.)

Cataract Surgery... Today

I'm scheduled for cataract surgery today... and I'm full of trepidation.

My mind goes back a few years to the day I drove my mother to her surgery. She looked grim... (Now I understand how she felt!)

As I recall, there were two types of people sitting in the waiting room. The first looked worried, like my mother. They were having their first eye done.

The others were smiling, even laughing. After chatting with one of these smiling woman, I discovered that she was having her second eye done. Her first surgery, several months before, had been a breeze. In fact, she could hardly wait to see better once her other eye was done!

(She's the one I want to think about today!)

A Useful Pottery Project

Pottery classes are over till January. I've had a lot of fun making things, but I haven't made many really useful pieces. Some more experienced potters in my class came with the express purpose of creating one-of-a-kind items for Christmas giving.

One popular project was making ring holders - to go on a dresser or bedside table.












How practical!









 



I decided to use my last studio session hand-building a few, not throwing them on the wheel. Each one turned out a little different...

I might try making some on the wheel when I get back to class in January.

Preparing for Cataract Surgery

This is the week I'm scheduled to have cataract surgery in my left eye... A week ago, I met the young doctor who's scheduled to do it.

When he examined my eyes and realized that I'd had laser eye vision correction, he was somewhat dismayed.

This messes up all the calculations, he said. (Apparently there is a formula that determines the strength of the corrective lens they put in the eye...) You may need glasses again...

(That doesn't sound hopeful! My 90-year-old aunt's cataract surgery corrected her vision. Now she doesn't even need reading glasses...)

So - wondering if I should have put it off for a few more years - I nontheless prepare myself:

Today I begin the regime of eye drops that precedes the surgery and continues for a month following it.

A Heating Problem...

Now that cold weather is here, our furnace is acting up! (It's apparently a "sequencer" issue.) Hopefully it will be fixed soon...

In the meantime, we have pulled out our space heaters, to supplement our heating!

(In this climate, you have to have a back-up plan!)

It's a Surprise!

I've been doing a little Christmas shopping for my family. It's hard to know what adult children really want - or need. But everyone likes to find surprises under the tree...

I guess they have the same dilemma when shopping for me... It's a delicate balance, letting people "choose" their gift - and surprising them.

My daughter recently called me on "Skype."

"I've bought you a Christmas gift," she said. "It's a book. I'm going to show it to you and you have to tell me if you already have it. If you do, I'll take it back..."

She held it up... It looked familiar, but I couldn't remember whether I'd read it or not.

"I'll take it back then," she said.

"No, keep it. I may not have read it!"

"No, I think I'll take it back."

"No, don't!"



(So now I don't know whether she'll be giving it to me or not! One way or another, that will make it a surprise on Christmas morning!)