A Moment Of Reflection...

When we are on vacation, Mom likes to set up posts scheduled to publish while we're gone. 
Since she didn't have time to do that this year, she asked me (as well as some others) to guest-post for her. 


This post was originally written mid-last-year and was the 2nd half of a really LONG post. However, I edited/refurbished it, and here is the updated version!


*****


The other day I was sitting on mom's deck. 

And I was looking up at the huge trees around our home.

 My thoughts went to Noah's ark.

 I closed my eyes and tried to picture my whole yard under miles of water. 

The hills we sled down every year being carved by particles of dirt being stirred up by torrents of rain and massive waves, flooding, hypercanes (REALLY BIG hurricanes), and even mudslides afterward. 

I thought of all the trees in my yard that wouldn't have even been there and if they had, they would have been torn up by the aforementioned vicious hydraulics

 (if you don't know what it means, look it up- you might learn something{boy do I sound like I was home schooled or what!?}).

 Try doing this some time in your yard, if you never have before. 

Not only do you once again stand in awe of God's might power, judgement, and mercy toward Noah, you'll wow at the power of water. 

Think of the Grand canyon!

 I've heard Christian science teachers (Young Earth Creationists, such as Kent Hovind, and Ken Ham ) who teach that this gigantic canyon was carved by flood waters in about 20-30 minutes! (Watch Kent Hovind's Scientific Creationism Seminar video 6, available here.)

 WOW! Our God is Awesome!

(inspiring awe or admiration or wonder)

Psalm 19:1 

"The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handiwork."

Let us take a stroll about the grounds...

Taking pictures is a favorite pastime of mine. Mostly what I like to photograph are faces and nature.

You've already seen some of my favorite faces. Here are some flowers, grass and trees from our garden.

We'll begin with a plaque I painted for Mom's herb garden:

And here is the biggest tree in our yard, not counting the woods. I stood with my back against the trunk and pointed the camera straight up. This tree is a tulip poplar.

 And you can see it in comparison with the maple next to it. The maple is in the foreground.

Our flowering ornamental cherry is a favorite when it blooms in mid-April.

 Does anyone know what flower this is? I don't remember and we threw away the tag :{

The dogwood tree

A tulip...an inside view.

Hyacinth

Azlaea

Plain old-fashioned grass...done up new.

Lilac... and heirloom plant. When my paternal grandmother was young, her mother died, and she went to live with her Aunt Edith. Aunt Edith became a second mother to her, and taught her everything there is to know about lilacs. This was a part of Aunt Edith's original.

Grape arbor + evening lighting = lovely!

Honey suckle

here is the "anchor" of the garden: the pink redbud.

here is a neat shot. I was trying to get a close up of the delicate flowers, but couldn't find the right setting...

A REALLY CLOSE close-up of a pansy, or heart's ear.

Here is another.

Narcissus! Including:

daffodil...

jonquil...

I can't remember what this is called but it is in the narcissus family.

Ah, the beauty of God's creation!

Graduation! Part 4

RECEPTION!

Ellie finds a quiet moment while...

Some ladies bring out the cake...

KK and Peter March have a sadly one-sided but terribly serious discussion of soccer...

Two of my girlfriends, B.B. and E.C.

                                                                                                                                                

Mrs. O. finds a comfy spot...

...as does Mr. O.

My little friend A.D. eats a hot dog...

And so does her big sister, J.D.!

Aren't they adorable?!

Poor Luke Skywalker March had a fever, poor boy.
Too much excitement.. ;}
His big brother, Peter, assured me with a shake of his head
 that poor Luke had come down with Typhoid
 and was not long for this world...I love your brothers, Jo!!

 Wake up, buddy, you'll miss the cake!

It took a bunch of us to figure out why this cake did not look right... maybe you'll be faster... leave a comment with your answer!

Honored guest...our own Jo March! Sorry, Jo, this was the best picture I could find... ;{

A few weeks later, Mr. O presented me with my Bible college degree from Faith Bible Institute.

Here is Mr.O with the graduating class...Sam C. big brother of E.C. (3rd picture from top)

May I present:

The class of 2010!

Graduation! Part 3

picking up where we left off...

Nathaniel and Samuel presented lots of carpenter's pencils and a sharpener. Their verse was:

Samuel proudly displays his pencils!

Deuteronomy 6:7

"And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up."

Aedan quotes the verse he worked so hard on to memorize.

Aedan gave to me a tape measure. Then he said his verse:

Hebrews 12:2

"Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God."

Mama was next in line:

Mom had a chisel to picture perseverance...a quality I struggle with. 

I Chronicles 16:11

"Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually."

The last of the tool presentations was a T-Bevel from Pa.

Unfortunately, I do not have a picture of Pa from here.

But what he said was that when he was a trim carpenter, his boss, who was an attendee of the ceremony, insisted on perfection, just as God does. Unable to do perfect, we must give our all to Christ, using the T-Bevel of God, the Bible, to get that perfect angle to fit.

This ended the tools for the journey. My piano solo was next.

Yours truly play "My Tribute (To God Be The Glory)" written by Andre Crouch

The next item on the program was a presentation of a Bible of my choice by Pastor Jonathan Purks.

"Thank you, Pastor and Victory Baptist church, for this Bible. I was wondering how I would see over the podium today. Now I see that all I have to do is stand on the promises of God!"

KK gives her speech: Christ In Every Subject

 Digging into the vaults of time, we come across a little red/brown curly-haired girl in her little "Daisy" girl scout outfit, waiting to cross over the little bridge where one crosses to becoming a "Brownie". 

More recently, the principal of WWA would come the dinner table, and find 1 or more certificates awaiting him. He would pull out the knife sharpener, in lieu of a sword, and would knight the praised person, as the "crossed over" his chair. Everyone would applaud.

Last, but not least, KK receives her official, but hopefully not final "Bridging Ceremony".

In honor of the occasion, Pa brought his fencing saber to use, instead of the knife sharpener.

And then...

Graduation! Part 2

When we last left the graduation post, we were stuck in a time-continuum...if only we had known about the improbability drive that enters every possible place at every possible moment at the same time! It would eliminate all that mucking about through hyper-space!!

Sorry!

I had a hitch-hiker's guide to the galaxy moment!

*AHEM*

To return to our narrative:

Here is the very talented pianist, former babysitter and dear friend, (not to mention the Pastor's baby sister) : Julie.

And now, for the CEREMONY!!

Brianna took the place by storm with her moving speech: The History of WWA (for those uninformed few, that would be Wachter Wagon Academy).

Next, my Uncle Frank (my birth-uncle, not honorary ;} ) acted as MC for a certain part of the ceremony: Tools for the journey. It was a time of laughter and tears, as members of my family (birth AND honorary) made presentation of different tools, and how I could use them in my life. U.F. began with a hot pink tool box being set on the platform near my seat. And he began with his own tool.

Uncle gave a line and plumb bob. He stood in the aisle and held the line as close to the ceiling as he could, letting the bob hang, barely touching the floor. He explained how they would mark the floor in the exact spot where they wanted to lay the air ducts for the air-conditioning of a commercial building. Then he said: Christ knew we were inadequate to reach heaven, so He reached down to earth, just like the line and bob, making a way for us to reach Him. Then he placed the line and bob in the box, and introduced

Honorary Uncle John and Honorary Aunt Helen

They presented a level, exhorting me to remember that a just balance is the Lord's delight.

Next came Honorary Uncle Terry

armed with blueprints for a godly life. The house layout was labelled with the name of each room and a verse. For example, a large room on the first floor was labelled thus:

Kitchen

Service

Matthew 10:42 etc.

Honorary Aunt Katrina-Uncle Terry's wife, chose a pink tool belt, 

reminding me to always gird on the 

belt of Truth from Ephesians 6.

Miss Jackie, who'd been a brick through all this ordeal of setting up, printing programs, and so much more, stated that she wanted to give me a hammer, to remind me to build my life of the solid rock, but, that she could not actually give me her hammer, as it was the first tool she ever owned and was special to her. ;} how sweet! 

watch out front row! Miss Jackie's here and armed! if you get out of line... ;}



Here is Mr. Brunofamily friend

this poor guy is shy of talking a group of 4 people he doesn't know, let alone an audience of 100!

Well, he told me that he had a square...and that with it, I was to measure truth. Not the same as Aunt Katrina though. No, he meant to be cautious of what the world tells me, etc. As he placed the square in that *awesome* PINK! tool box, Uncle announced the next presentation:

Miss Debbie

family friend

Miss Debbie gave me a flashlight *PINK* with the admonition to use the Word of God as the lamp to my feet, and light to my path. Along with the comment that she practically had to hide it from her 3 sons and husband, who all love flashlights! ;}

Here is Mr. Hill and family.

family friends, long-time church members.

The little girl (Miss A) peeping over the piano is pretty cute!

They presented me with a !*PINK*! hardhat- my helmet of salvation. ;}

Here is Nana, whom we all know and love, presenting an awl.

she is soooo cute in those stripes!

Her "mini speech" was for me to not be afraid to scratch the surface... to be willing to try anything new... even if it means climbing on the roof of the shed to shoot arrows into the unsuspecting Calormenes below.  ;}

Ellie is such a ham!!

Emma and Elisabeth presented locks and keys (yes, even THEY were pink!). Emma quoted Psalm 119:11 "Thy Word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee." Ellie marched up to me, dropped the keys in my lap, hugged me, smiled at the audience (above picture) and ran back to Mommy and her seat-such a princess!

see part 3 for more!