We have a visitor at our bird feeders daily...Mr. Squirrel!  Each and every day we see this cute little creature jump onto the bird feeder.  We moved one of the feeders lately...the first day...he climbed up a side post and upside down watched the birds fly back and forth to the feeder. The next day he still would climb up the post and watch...he tried to reach the feeder...but never did.  Day after day he made his attempt...then it happened...

He got what he wanted...the feeder!!!  This is not what we wanted.  In fact on the day we moved the feeder we also put up a squirrel feeder on a tree near by...we put feed in it labeled "squirrel food".  That seemed plenty plain to us.  This was food for the squirrel. But that was not good enough for Mr. Squirrel.  What he saw and wanted was the food labeled "bird seed" (which had of course a higher price tag!).  We went out of our way to give the squirrel designed just for him. What was given to him, he did not desire.  We were a bit frustrated with this coveting  "greener pastures" squirrel.

How often are we not content with the roll or the place the Lord God has put us.  We want the "greener pasture".  He has provided us with the best 'food' , but we desire what was given to others for ourselves.  We scheme to have it. We are diligent day by day to attain what was not designed for us. Oh that we would learn to be content with what He has provided.

  Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee .Hebrews 13:5  

Although we do get rather frustrated with the squirrel, we remember that  the Lord is compassionate and long-suffering towards us - always.

  But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.  Psalms 86:15

Giveaway at Raising Homemakers

There is a give away for The Girlhood Home Companion over at Raising Homemakers.  Remembrance Press is giving away a bundle of the magazine.  We enjoy this well designed magazine  The pictures are beautiful and articles very relevant to even the seasoned homemakers.   Check it out and enter their contest.

Family Arrives

From South Dakota...Nathanael and his fiancé Jesharelah

From Connecticut...Chris, Rebecca, Abigail, and Stephen Galla

From Florida...Mom and Dad Hillis

Great-Grandpa and Stephen

Children's children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children are their fathers.  Proverbs 17:6  

Four Generations

Rebecca Galla, Mom Hillis, Me and Abigail Galla

Blueberry Picking

A beautiful Sunday afternoon on a New Hampshire hillside at Elsessors Blueberry Fields.  We have picked here for about 20 years. They have delicious blueberries plus a very beautiful view!  Picking with our friends makes the afternoon even better!

Mr. Howard Powell

A summer visit with Mr. Howard Powell in Whitingham, VT was such a wonderful way to spend a day.  Mr. Powell took us on a little tour of his country side there in southern Vermont.  We found a town monument to be quite interesting. 

"In memory of those early pioneers who in wisdom and with vision'being desireous to have the gospel propegated amongst us, and our posterity trained up in the ways of Christianity' erected a church on this spot...."  The town was founded to spread the gospel of  Christ!  Amazing!

One Sunday afternoon, we decided to use the GPS to take us home from church. (yes, we know how to go and come home, but we thought we would see which path the GPS thought was shortest. We thought that we would try a different path to our house.

  So we turned up this "road" following the GPS...soon to find that it was all gravel.  The road started pretty smooth but quickly became rougher and rougher.  We finally came to a point we were not sure if we should continue. 

Warning signs began to appear.

The road became narrow and extremely rough.  Trees seem to be in dangerous positions above the road.  The signs were becoming more obvious to us. Then we came to the final decision maker....

The warning signs were screaming out "Turn Back to the Right Path".

We stopped and turned around to go back to the trusted 'path'.

How many times do we take a short cut path that seems to be easier or just shorter...only to find ourselves turning around to get back on the 'Right Path'.  Oh that we would keep our feet on "The Path".

  Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men.Proverbs 4:14

What a beautiful way to spend our day.  The weather was beautiful.  This mountain has amazed me each time we've gone up.  It is said of the USA's first president, George Washington, "First in war, first in peace, first in the hearts of his countrymen." Maybe this is why they chose his name for this mountain--because the view from the summit captures their hearts.   People from all over the US and the world have come to the summit of this mountain, either on foot, or by car, van or train.   

The elevation at Base Station where we began our trip was 2700 feet.  The elevation on the summit of Mt. Washington is 6288.  At times the cog's  incline was 37% !!  The ride up and back again was exciting and beautiful.  I picked up a couple brochures to leave in the guest room as a recommendation of an trip to make.

We stood at the summit.  Amazed that the Lord God of Glory chose to give us beauty everywhere we look. Imagine...the Creator of all...giving us this spectacular view.  

Psalms 19:1   The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.

“But the true idea of a home is that it is a place for growth.  It is a place for the parents themselves to grow—to grow into beauty of character, to grow in refinement, in knowledge, in strength, in wisdom, in patience, gentleness, kindliness, and all the Christian graces and virtues. It is a place for children to grow—to  grow into physical vigor and health and to be trained in all that shall make them true and noble men and women.
“. . . A true home set up and all its life ordered for the definite purpose of preparing and sending out human lives fashioned into symmetry, filled with lofty impulses and aspirations, governed by principles of rectitude and honor and fitted to enter upon the duties and struggles of life with wisdom and strength.”

- J.R. Miller, The Family

Anniversary Celebration!!!

So far we have enjoyed married life together for 32 years!! 

Weekend Visitors

July 31-August 1 -- company for the weekend.   I realize that this isn't really unusual...but yes it is...this time. 

This past spring I met Laura on my blog. Mrs. Laura!! Just a few notes  went between us just here and there...then she was going to be in New Hampshire with her son Joshua...and thought we could meet.  

 Thursday before the Wiley's would be coming down from Maine...we had a phone call from the Bergeon's, a family from New Bedford, MA.  We had just met them over lunch the first week in June...at the NCFIC Road Trip conference.  They wanted to spend the weekend with us.

We had just had company over the previous weekend...then an unexpected visit from an Ohio Chiropractor on Tuesday and Wednesday...and now more people that we don't know --yet!!

The weekend was full of meals, conversations, singing, chapel meeting, and more conversations...all so very good.  Good times to remember.  

The amazing thing is that when you meet other believers who love the Lord...you are brothers (or sisters!) in the Lord.  We have a  common bond that draws us together. We have a common Friend...that friend is Jesus.
Just from simple activities this weekend...we began friendships.

There was once a sign the girls and I saw.  It said:

 "Enter as strangers, but leave as Friends"

Welcome Jonathan Gregory Moore

 Jonathan Gregory Moore was born at home at 11:19 in the evening on August 5th, weighing 6 pounds, 4 ounces and measuring 19 inches long, a perfect little blessing from the Lord! 

Proud Parents are Greg and Arielle Moore!! 

A Zipper Spider

The girls found this on our deck last week.  It makes an amazing web. Look close and you can see the zig-zag pattern on the web.  This is the zipper!  Only an All Powerful Designer could create something this marvelous.

This World is Not My Home

We have been listening to one of our favorite audio books the last 3 days...

Answers in Genesis produced our audio book.

Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan


Every time I listen to this, my heart is pricked by how easily I am distracted by the world around me.  As I meditate on this allegory, I am struck by how easy  it is to stray off the path and make our own way...we then fall and  the Lord, then, has to  pull us out.  We are in a constant battle...even on the straight and narrow way.  All though we may have battles on every hand we know that...


  Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.1 John 4:4


I often sing this song(mostly to myself) to remind me that I am just a Pilgrim in this world.  I am going to a better place!  


This world is not my home I'm just a passing through
My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue
The angels beckon me from heaven's open door
And I can't feel at home in this world anymore.


They're all expecting me and that's one thing I know. 
My Savior pardoned me and now I onward go.
I know He'll take me through, though I am weak and poor.
And I can't feel at home in this world anymore.


Just up in Glory Land we'll live eternally,
The Saints on every hand are shouting victory. 
Their song of sweetest praise drifts back from Heaven's shore
And I can't feel at home in this world anymore.


Oh Lord you know I have no friend like you
If heaven's not my home then Lord what will I do
The angels beckon me from heaven's open door
And I can't feel at home in this world anymore.
Words by S.D. Burton 
 Music by E.B. Graham

Deadly Nightshade

Deadly nightshade:  Atropa belladonna
Belladonna is one of the most toxic plants found in the Western hemisphere.  All parts of the plant contain tropane alkaloids.  The berries pose the greatest danger to children because they look attractive and have somewhat sweet taste.   The consumption of two to five berries by children and ten to twenty berries by adults can be lethal. The root of the plants is generally the most toxic part, though this can vary from one specimen to another.  Ingestion of a single leaf of the plant can be fatal to an adult.

Atropa belladonna has occasionally been used as a recreational drug because of the vivid hallucinations and delirium that it produces.  These hallucinations are most commonly described as very unpleasant however, and us is considered extremely dangerous because of the high risk of  unintentional fatal overdose.  Death.

As we walked through our field and found these very beautiful flowers in a shady area...I thought; this is just like sin.  Sin is very attractive and does have a somewhat sweet taste.   But the consequences are deadly.--eternally deadly.  If we compromise a little here and a little there, but not intending to really SIN BIG...we may have an unintentional fatal overdose. Death.


Proverbs 2:10-18  When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul; Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee: To deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh froward things; Who leave the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness; Who rejoice to do evil, and delight in the frowardness of the wicked; Whose ways are crooked, and they froward in their paths: To deliver thee from the strange woman, even from the stranger which flattereth with her words; Which forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God. For her house inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead.

Tunnels

In June we biked at the Cape.  We started our bike trip enjoying all the sites along the way.  Over each hill, around each corner was a new site to see...then we approached the first tunnel.  Everyone gathered outside the tunnel till all arrived.  

Who would go first?  What was on the other side?  How many of us would fit? How dark was it? How long was the tunnel? Steve would be the lead and all would follow - one at a time- with me at the end.  Through the dark tunnel we went, following Steve. We all arrived Safe and Secure on the other side.

This adventure through the tunnels reminded me of our journey through life.  We cannot see the tunnels ahead of us, much less what is on the other side.  What do we expect: how long, how dark, who will go with us, or what will be on the other side?  

Some of our tunnels will be short and rather easy to travel through.  Some of our tunnels will be a great more difficult.  They may be long, dark, with no end in sight.  

But to get to the other side we must travel though the tunnel ...sometimes alone...well alone humanly speaking.  Others may desert us and like Job's friends bring added grief to our burden.  But this we know...there is One who we can  follow through the tunnels of life.  He will not leave us.  He will be there to lead the way -- we just need to follow.  Safe and Secure, to the other side. 

But He knoweth the way that I take: when He hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold Job 23:10