My Desktop image

My desktop image changes almost daily. Something strikes my fancy and I'll put it up for a few days, but it never stays the same for long.

This morning I put up this painting by Monet:

Monet's Garden at Argeteuil

Monet's Garden at Argeteuil Monet's Garden at Ar
This picture just sort of drew me in. It reminds me of the part in Les Miserables when Jean Valjean takes Cosette to live in the house with the fenced in garden. That is where Marius and Cosette meet and fall in love. I imagined it like this.

I wonder if Monet ever read Les Miserables. Surely he did.

God's Minute

December 29

For the love of Christ constraineth us.--2 Corinthians 5:14

OUR Father in Heaven, we are Thy children, redeemed by Christ our Saviour and Elder Brother, and we come to Thee in His name. Forgive our sins. Deliver us from all the guilt and power of sin, and from its consequences. Take the love it it out of our hearts. Make our live of Thee to glow. Let it burn out all the dross of evil, and impel us constantly to gracious acts of kindly ministry done to others in the Master's name and for His sake. Give us a clear vision of our ever-present Saviour as an abiding Friend. Grant that we may be trasformed by thus beholding Him, growing daily more and more like Him in the desires of our hearts, the words of our lips, and the things we do and refrain from doing.

Bless with us all others, supplying their every need, and giving them grace and guidance. Make the Gospel light shine out brightly in all lands, bringing peace and spiritual prosperity, and drawing all men to Christ, and together in the bonds of Christian unity and brotherliness. We ask all this, as we pray for grateful hearts, in the name of Him Who died on Calvary.

Amen.

J.H. Bomberger, D.D.,
Cleveland, Ohio

Mustafa sighting(s)

For the rest of the story. . .

Mom's end of the couch

My end of the couch is very popular with the dogs. When Ivy was a puppy and for the first two years of her life, we would snuggle on the couch together in the evenings--Ivy and me on my end of the couch, Tom on his end of the couch. And every day until I hit the couch in the evening, it was her royal throne. Mom's end of the couch.

Since we got Eve in February, there has been an interesting competition for mom's end of the couch. Ivy, by virtue of her position as first dog in the house, claims it as her own. Eve, by virtue of her advanced age and general wanting to be in constant contact with me, not to mention the fact that it is Ivy's favorite spot, desires it above any other resting place. And so it begins--the daily wrangling for position.

Have I ever told you how smart Ivy is? Vizslas are, in my opinion, the smartest breed of dog in the world and Ivy is the smartest Vizsla. She not only thinks, she problem-solves. She plots. She plans. Mostly what she plots and plans is how to get mom's end of the couch.

If ever Eve manages to get the coveted position, Ivy swings into action. There are many tactics. I will share a few.

Eve is on the couch. Ivy goes and gets Eve's favorite bone and chews it on the other end of the couch, just long enough for Eve to notice. Once Eve's attention is gained, Ivy lets the bone fall to the floor, Eve hops down to retrieve it; Ivy gets mom's end of the couch.

Eve is on the couch. Ivy sets up a diversion--barking like a mad dog on squirrel alert. Eve hops down to see what is going on in the sunroom; Ivy circles back immediately and gets mom's end of the couch.

Eve is on the couch. Ivy runs to the kitchen and dings the dog dish until I fill the water bowl. Eve comes out to see what is going on in the kitchen. Ivy never drinks a drop of water, runs to the living room and gets mom's end of the couch. Eve empties the bowl and wonders how she lost mom's end of the couch.

Eve is on the couch. Ivy gets up and dings the bell on the front door, asking to go out and go potty. Eve hops down as I open the door; Ivy gets mom's end of the couch. Eve finds herself standing in the front yard, wondering why she had to go out when she didn't really have to go potty in the first place.

Eve is on the couch. Ivy steals something that belongs to someone in the family--a sock, an oven mitt, a dish towel and runs joyfully through the house until someone notices. Mom goes into action--"You rotten dog, give me that fill in the blank." Eve jumps down to see what all the commotion is about, Ivy immediately drops whatever it is she stole and circles back to mom's end of the couch.

I don't think it really is my end of the couch. . .

God's Minute

December 28

Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father, in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ.--Ephesians 5:20

But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord, Jesus Christ.--1 Corinthians 15:57

OUR Heavenly Father, for all Thou hast given and all Thou hast forgiven, we thank Thee. For every gift of nature, and Thy favoring providences, and Thy great salvation through Christ, we thank Thee.

For blessings within us and around us; for everything by which Thou hast brought good and drawn us to Thyself through all our lives and the lives of our kin; for our power of understanding, of loving, of homemaking, of sharing friendships; for the good hope concerning loved ones who have gone from the ways of earth, and for our own expectation of sharing heaven's joy with them through Christ's saving merit--we thank Thee.

Help us, O Father, to live and work with the cheer of a grateful spirit, overcoming all trouble by the patience of hope and the wisdom of love. So may we share the fellowship of all who follow Christ, both near about us and in all the world.

Amen.

Rev. William Allen Knight, LL.D.
Boston, Massachusetts