My Summer…cont’d

As May faded and June began, Rachel got on a plane
and returned home from Ghana,

where she works with YWAM.

She arrived at Detroit Metro Airport 

 about 3 hours before Noelle

left to fly  to Mexico

to live and work in missions for the summer.

They met in the airport, and had lunch

before they parted ways again.

More of the “Summer Story” later…

I had to share this..let it amuse, refresh and delight you,
as it did me, for a soothing moment in your week.
(remember to “turn off” the music player on the left side of my page
by clicking “stop”) 

 

 

                                                                                                                                 blessings…jim

 

The Month of May

 

Matt and his fiancée, Kristy,

 

 

 decided that they didn’t want to wait ’till October,

when Matt’s tour is done   (no, not that kind of tour), to get married.

So not only was I working my usual , including 12-hour shifts,

but I was involved in the kind of frantic planning (including packing for my upcoming trip to Mexico)
usually associated with preparing for a natural disaster

 

The wedding was very nice, though, 

and I gained two wonderful grandchildren   
                                                         (Kailyn and Shelby)

and a great daughter-in-law in the process.

 

Don’t you see that children are God’s best gift? the fruit of the womb his generous legacy?  Like a warrior’s fistful of arrows are the children of a vigorous youth.  Oh, how blessed are you parents, with your quivers full of children!
from Psalm 127; The Message

 

 

MY SUMER VEKASHUN

 

Actually, well before summer started, things began hopping.In May,

Matt

                           

                                       got on a plane and flew home from Iraq   ,

                 where he was working with Kurdish and other Iraqi security forces; his group was sent there to help train them.

 

Just before Matt got here, I made the 8-hour trip

 to pick up Christian and Sera  (Matt’s children)

                so they could be ready to greet their dad when he got home (on leave).

Shortly thereafter, Noelle  got in her car

      
( some of Noelle’s decor; the car actually has pink flames as well )

 

and drove home from her school, Calvin College,  
                      in Michigan.

                                                             (Coming next; another arrival from afar, and big doings)

 

When they see among them their children, the work of my hands, they will keep my name holy;

they will acknowledge the holiness of the Holy One of Jacob, and will stand in awe of the God of Israel.

Isaiah 29:23

 

 

 

I’ve “borrowed”  this from thefirstnoelle;
it serves nicely as the prelude to my coming entry,

MY SUMMER VACATION,

which I’ll be putting up tomorrow a.m.,
as I’m at work and don’t have access to my photos.

“O Mexico, que puedo decir de ti?
Hay nada, hay nada.
Solo este–

Que tu gran corazon es un signo del
poder de Cristo, de su amor, y un signo que
se puede tener esperanza en este mundo oscuro

O Mexico, te amo.”

translation:

 

“Oh, Mexico, what what can I say about you?
There’s nothing, there’s nothing..
Only this–

That your great heart is a sign of
the power of Christ, of his love, and a sign that
it’s possible to have hope in this dark world. 

Oh Mexico, I love you.” 

 

blessings…jim

 

(monday morning….I’m working on it…LOTS of photos to transfer to
my Xanga files)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

.

 

 

Soooo…it’s been an incredibly hectic time since coming back..
some things have come up which have hindered  me
from spending time on the web;

but I see a day (soon) when I will actually be able to participate again..

there is a light at the end of the tunnel

(and it’s not an oncoming train)

I’ll be here in bits and pieces ’till then (figuratively speaking..yuk,yuk)

be God’s

jim

 

 

 

 

 JUST FOR FUN…

VIEW THE VIDEO ABOVE ,

AND HAVE A HAPPY 4TH, FRIENDS!

BLESSINGS, JIM

(2 more days ’till I have a

day off and can catch up with y’all)

 

 

HE’S BAAAAACK!!!

(I’ll update soon, but I’m working 12hrs a day right now…that and sleep are about all
I can handle  )

 

 

 

jaime fue a Mexico…hasta la
26 de Junio

(jimmish went to Mexico…´till June 26th)

in the meantime, bless God
and be blessed…jim

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After work the other day, I saw this scene on the way to my car
My mom always called those sunbeams from behind a cloud “Glory rays”.
Breath of Dawn used the term as well in her response to the similar photo I had posted

Maybe I’m “over-analyzing”,
but I got thinking about why the first impression of this type scene for many of us is

 

“Glory”.

As I looked at the sky,

I saw and felt the excitement of something just out of reach;
partially hidden.

The brilliant light, in contrast to the darkness of the clouds,

bespoke something pure,

holy,

 great;

glimpsed,

but not fully known or understood,

and the promise of its approach.

I felt a quickening of anticipation, and a longing for
majesty

freedom

home;

 for the ability to reach up and out;

to enfold and be enfolded by

That which I’ve only begun to grasp…

the King Who reigns

the God Who made me

the Lord Who bought me

the Friend Who loves me;

and deeply, oh, so deeply,

I sighed

and heard

“You are loved.”
                                                    ©june 4, ’07, james a. smallish