All's Well That Ends Well

"The Lord shall be praised, that I have been delivered from evil, God dwells here. I did not think that all would end so well."

Okay, so this isn't really a line from Shakespeare's All's Well That Ends Well. But since we just saw that production at APT yesterday it really was a surprise to see that quote in today's reading from Martin Luther.

Here's the complete entry:

We know that tribulation worketh patience, and patience, experience, and experience, hope. Romans 5:3-4

When God wants to strengthen a man's faith He first weakens it by feigning to break faith with him. He thrusts him into many tribulations and makes him so weary that he is driven to despair, and yet He gives him strength to be still and persevere. Such quietness is patience and patience produces experience, so that when God returns to him and let His sun rise and shine again, and when the storm is over he opens his eyes in amazement and says: "The Lord shall be praised, that I have been delivered from evil. God dwells here. I did not think that all would end so well".

Within a day or two, within a week or a year, or even within the next hour, sin brings another cross to us: the loss of honour or possessions, bodily injury or some mishap which brings such trouble. Then it all begins again and the storm breaks out once more. But now we glory in our afflictions because we remember that on the former occasion God was gracious to us, and we know that it is His good will to chastise us, that we may have reason to run to Him and to cry, 'He who has helped me so often will help me now'. And that self same longing in your heart (which makes you cry, Oh that I were free! Oh that God would come! Oh that I might receive help!) is hope, which putteth not to shame, for God must help such a person.

In this way God hides life under death, heaven under hell, wisdom under folly, and grace under sin.

Sermons from the year 1527
Day by Day We Magnify Thee. Luther. p. 343.

I also received the latest issue of Good News in the mail this week. The topic? Trials and Afflictions. Sub-titled: How God Blesses You Through Your Trials and Afflictions.

Side note: Good News IS NOT the magazine you find when you google "Good News". The magazine I'm referring to does not have a webpage (that I'm aware of anyway). But you can contact them at 1-800-778-1132. Issues, Etc. also has some links to samples of what is in their magazine here. Look for the ones that say "from Good News magazine ". If you don't want to sift through the list I'll give some direct links here and here and here and here. That's just some of them.

Side note of the side note: Issues Etc. is a great resource also. You can check out past shows here. The first week of July has an interesting segment on Glenn Beck. And some segments from Higher Things that was going on in Nashville that week...that's where we were at the time. Summer was very short and very busy.

Update: There's another Issues Etc episode on Sept 3rd after the "Restoring Honor" rally.

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Diamond Circle Lace Cloth

After a short hiatus, I have added another lacy square cloth pattern to my collection.

I called this one Diamond Circle Lace Cloth. (Ravelry pattern link)

It is knit in the round with size 2 double point needles and fingering weight cotton. Finished size: ~12" sq.

For more specific details click here.

Click on the link on the right hand side bar to purchase this pattern for $1.

Thank you for your interest and support!
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Hudson River Triangle

I'm trying out the new feature at Ravelry that allows me to share a project page with people who are not members of Ravelry. Let's see if this works.

I finally finished this shawl in April. I thought I posted the pictures here but apparently I only put the pictures up on Ravelry.

If you click on the link. It will take you to more pictures and details about the pattern, yarn, needles, etc..

Great Horned Owl in Madison

We took a trip to Madison today for a vet appointment. Little did we know we'd be seeing a female Great Horned Owl. There were two babies somewhere but we couldn't find those.












Same picture. Just zoomed in.














Another shot. And if you can't see her. I've zoomed in again on the next picture.

Digital cameras. Just amazing. Even considering this is a relatively cheap camera.
















Spooky!

More bird pictures

My daughter's pictures from the Bird Banding/Bird Fest Saturday May 8, 2010




Birds in waiting













Banding in action














Woodcock











Yellow-headed Black Bird

Lutheran Study Bible

I have the hard cover version of the Lutheran Study Bible (so do the kiddos). But when it was announced that we could get the LSB on Kindle I was pretty excited. Irrationally excited, according to my children.

I love my LSB, but I don't like carrying it around out of the house. Or trying to pack it for the Higher Things conference coming up and carrying it around there. It is just too heavy for me. My back and neck hurt normally and then to add that weight. Well, I'm not a kid anymore. I could and did haul ~60 lbs of books in my backpack in college but that was a long, long time ago.

Now I've got the whole LSB in my purse when I go out. Tucked neatly on my iPod touch. Along with the Book of Concord on one app. And the Large Catechism on another (Stanza)...that one I can book mark and annotate. And about 50 other classics on various apps...oh and all of Shakespeare. Plus iBird (way cool!), music (or course!), games, etc. Can't wait until the hymnal and prayer book can be added to my iPod touch. Oh my. Just checked Amazon. The prayer book is already available on Kindle. I probably should have got bigger than an 8G iPod.

The first question people ask me when they see the Bible on my iPod is "How small is the print?" I then show them how the font size can be easily changed to suit the individual's needs. You can change the color of the text also. I like the sepia.

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Bible Class

We studied Psalm 124 last night in Bible class.

Our Help Is in the Name of the Lord

1 If it had not been the LORD who was on our side--
let Israel now say--
2 if it had not been the LORD who was on our side
when people rose up against us,
3 then they would have swallowed us up alive,
when their anger was kindled against us;
4 then the flood would have swept us away,
the torrent would have gone over us;
5 then over us would have gone the raging waters.
6 Blessed be the LORD,
who has not given us as prey to their teeth!
7 We have escaped like a bird from the snare of the fowlers;
the snare is broken, and we have escaped!
8 Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.

And here are the notes from the Lutheran Study Bible (CPH) for verse 7:

Imagery of earthbound people nearly drowned in the flood (vv4-5) is followed by a comparison of people to birds caught in the subtlety of a snare. The flood's danger is open and frightening; the snare is hidden and tempting. But God delivers from both extremes.

And the final note for the entire psalm:

We need this psalm's reminder that our strength and safety come only by God's hand. We are in danger from flood and snare, the overwhelming and the enticing. But God is faithful for His name's sake. He rescues us so that we will continue to bless and call on His name.

Lead us safely, Lord so we may always give glory to Your name. Amen.

This psalm really came to life for me after this weekend and seeing the birds caught in the "snare". It truly is "hidden".












Our strength and safety come only by God's hand.

He rescues us so that we will continue to bless and call on His name.

God gets us out of the mess we are in.

Want to see what happens when I try to help or struggle as God is getting me out of the "snare".








I get stuck worse than I was at first.

Bird Fest 2010

We enjoyed the bird fest this weekend.

We got out of bed two days in a row (at 5:15am!) to attend the bird banding demonstration. It was our most favorite part!

These pictures are from Sunday, May 9th, 6am. We only had an hour and a half before we had to leave to get ready for Sunday school and church. On Saturday we stayed for 3 hours. Unfortunately my camera's batteries were dead. So no pictures on my camera Saturday.

They netted and banded 100 birds Saturday even though the weather was cloudy, cold, and windy. Sunday was calm and sunny but not as many birds moving.







































Tree Swallow
















Yellow-Rumped Warbler














Yellow Warbler

























Common Yellow Throat

(Not to be confused with the Yellow-throated Warbler.)

Buddy

Here are some pictures of our house bunny.
He was going to be 7 years old in May.
He passed away yesterday morning.
It was a very, very, sad day....




The first one is Buddy relaxing at the cabin.


















The second he's dreaming of being outside.













Third, one of the rare trips outside.













Relaxing at home in the hayloft of his deluxe cage.











Buddy in all his coolness!