Thanksgiving

The Peasant Family Thanksgiving feast! Turkey and stuffing, cranberry, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, green beans, peas, fruit and vanilla yogurt salad, homemade dinner rolls, and for dessert . . . three pies! Apple, pumpkin, and pecan. I ate waaaaaay too much, but it was a good and enjoyable day. Tonight we are going to a local botanical gardens to look at their "Festival Walk of Lights." The weather isn't supposed to be too cold, so should be nice!

Great Quote

Read this the other day. Think about it and you'll realize the profundity of it.

The Law always comes at the gift refusal point.

(Bill Cwirla, "In the Way of the Law and the Gospel" in Dona Gratis Donata, 5)

New Mission?

There is a church near my house. It was called the "Family Worship Center." I say was, for a couple weeks ago they changed their name to "Summit Church." Along with that name change was a new banner which said: "New Name. New Mission. Same Church."

Huh?

New mission? How does the mission of the church change? Are they no longer for families? No longer about worship? I do not understand . . .

Pastor Appreciation, Part 2

One of the best gifts I received on Sunday was not meant to be a "Pastor Appreciation" gift at all, but it was. One man, leaving the church after the service, told me something like this (I don't remember the actual words, but this was the gist):

"Pastor, 167 hours a week, it's chaos and trouble. One hour a week, it's right and peace."

How very, very cool is that?  :-)

Pastor Appreciation, Part 1

Finally got a Luther mini-fig!

Champlain Canal Lock 5

We got to see this working canal lock on the Hudson River - very cool. We watched a few boats go through as the water level rose and fell and the gates swung open and closed. There are a bunch of these still operational on the Hudson.

You can see from the sides how far the water level falls.

You can actually walk out on the gates and watch, and we did, though we didn't go for a ride when the opened and closed!

On Beautiful Long Island Sound