Happy New Year's

Sorry for avoiding everyone, but I have been very busy. What with the grant and all, I am feeling a lot of pressure.

But this is to talk about our holiday. It was one of the best Christmases I can recall. Adrian and Stormy were able to come up and spend a week with us over Christmas. Here are just a few of the pictures we took. More to come.


We have a tradition, in which we open one present on Christmas Eve. This is that night. Ten people in one room, plus our beagle, Diamond. Pure chaos. Here, Stormy is teaching Abby to dance. Abby is having a great time, plus she is showing off her Eeyore PJ's

Wow, am I proud...

Here I am, 30 years into being a librarian, in Portsmouth. And now, all of a sudden, I choose to get creative! I heard about a website that lets you make your own books, and thought it would be a great activity for our sixth graders.

I suggest it, folks like it and suggest I apply for a grant, and voila! I get a grant for the project I am really proud of myself, in case you haven't figured it out. :)

And here's the proof:

Fun around the house, #2

As you can see, we also have a kitten/cat. This is Pye. Or as Pye's owner calls him, "A heaping helping of crazy!" Which is a really good descriptor for this cat. Pye is as nuts as they come. Every once in a while, he takes it into his head to beat up Diamond. There is nothing funnier than watching Diamond and Pye go at it. Pye trying to either get under Diamond's legs to attack the soft underbelly, or jumping on Diamond's ample read quarters. I swear one time he looked like a cowboy trying to mount a horse to go riding.

He is obsessive-compulsive. Son Nate has two neck thingies that he wears and had taken them off for Pye to chase. Now Pye will come into a room, see Nate and mewl until he takes them off so that they can be chased.

And the odd thing is that he can be very affectionate. At times, he is almost like a dog in his need to be with Abby or Nate, and be petted. Here Pye is, reaching out and touching Abby, in his need for contact.

Fun about the house

I haven't mentioned our pets. We have two cats and a dog. One cat, Kittyshaw, is an outdoor cat and really just hangs around our house for food.

We have had a beagle for the past two year, named Diamond, and she is the darling of the family. Someone once said that beagles are "The merry little hound that lives to snack, sniff and snooze." And that describes Diamond to a T.

Beagles are pack-oriented, and the family is Diamond's pack. She loves to lay on the furniture whereever anyone is sitting. When I come home from work, she jumps up to me on the couch and whines about my absence and how good it is to have me back. After a good ear scratching and tummy rub, she lays down next to my hip and stays there for a long time. For her, the pack is then complete.

Apostle's Creed #6

I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
the Creator of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord:

Who was conceived of the Holy Spirit,

Virgin Birth. The miracle of Christ's birth. "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you." Jesus was unique in His person, unique in His conception. He was fully God, and fully man.

"You can't believe in a story like that, can you Chuck?"

Yes, I can. He was the God-man, sent to Earth by God the Father as the Lamb of God. Pure, spotless, sinless, he came to bear our sin, that we might be reconciled to God. His virgin birth was part of the miracle of salvation. He became our brother, not our judge/condemner. He came to bring us to God, not harangue in our guilt. As a loving brother, He came to show us the God who loves us, not hates us. Although we have estranged ourselves from Him, Jesus tells us that the Father is still waiting, still drawing us to Himself.

And the Virgin Birth is part of the drawing. God became one of us, to show us the Father.

Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers. He says, "I will declare your name to my brothers; in the presence of the congregation I will sing your praises." And again, "I will put my trust in him." And again he says, "Here am I, and the children God has given me."Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death--that is, the devil--and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. Hebrews 2:11-15

Oregon visit

One of the best things about our trip to Oregon was meeting and getting acquainted with Laurel's son, Jesse, and his wife. He is really a nice young man, and Sarah is a wonderful young lady. Here is a picture of all of us together. From left to right, Nate, Jesse holding his daughter Ellie, Maria (Laurel's daughter), Laurel, me and Sarah. Nate and I are getting ready to leave, which was hard to do.

Needed update

I just looked back over the blogs I have written, and realized that I have left a big hole in recent history. As I posted last year, my dad had cancer and I requested prayer. Well, I went to out to Oregon to say goodbye to Dad, as he was dying of cancer. He died May 18th. I got to visit him a few times during his last week, helping him to get out of his chair and into bed. Helping to spell my mom, some evenings.

Nate and I went by train from Virginia to Oregon and stayed at my sister Laurel's house. (I really thank Gary, Laurel's oh-so-patient husband, for putting up with the two of us.)

Son Nate and I left on the afternoon of the 17th, and before we left, we stopped to say a final goodbay to Dad. My sister Laurel and her daughter-in-law Sarah were there, taking care of Dad. Sarah, a nurse, was giving Dad water via a swab (used to keep the mouth moist). When I came in, Laurel said, "Dad, Chuckie's here."

Dad opened his eyes, smiled, and turned his head to look at me. I remember telling him, "Dad, I want to say good-bye. I want to say we love you, and we thank you for all that you have done for us."

I remember his last smile, as he closed his eyes, and Sarah continued to give him water. Laurel told me later that that was the last time Dad was conscious and recognized anyone. He died the next day.

I am glad that I got to thank him for the life he lived for all of us. He loved us, and sacrificed to give us all a good start in life, and to help us in our lives.

And as Forest Gump said, "That's all I have to say about that."

Apostle's Creed #5

I believe ...
in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord:

I am not an inclusiionist; I am an exclusionist. Once you say "I believe one thing," you exclude all others.

I believe Jesus is the Son of God. I believe He came to earth to die for the sins of mankind, including mine. I believe that He was raised from the dead on the third day, and that He ascended into heaven. I believe that He will come again, at the end of this age as Savior, Redeemer and Judge.

I just posted on the message board of some friends that my life verse is John 6:68:

Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life."

Back in the 70's, I went through a period in my early Christianity when I began to doubt the claims of the Bible. I was being taught by a professor at Old Dominion University that the Bible was man-made, and fallible. But after a time, I thought, "Is God able to be trusted? Is the life of a Christian better than a life lived as a non-Christian?" Finally I came to the point of decision.

I am not smarter than God. My professor is not smarter than God. The Bible presents the best hope for life, both here and in eternity. I decided that I believe in God the Creator, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, MY Lord.

(Which goes a long way in explaining why Puddleglum is one of my heroes. Read "The Silver Chair, by C. S. Lewis to find out what I am talking about.)

Apostle's Creed #4

"I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
The Creator..."

I believe in Creation. I believe that God created this world in six days; not six eras, not six eons, six days.

I know that this brands me as an ignorant yahoo, a back-water bumpkin. Too bad. And yet, I have a lot of questions for those who deny God's creation. Please deal with any of the programs that are on Creation Moments. Where did the Lancet Fluke learn to develop its life cycle in the intestines of three different animals (cow, slug and ant)? How could that have possible developed?

For anyone with a truly open mind (with that, I exclude evolutionists), take a trip over to www.creationmoments.com and check out their past programs. Each one is only about two minutes long and an easy download. If you are capable of wonder, you are in for a treat.

In the interim, I believe in God the Creator.