Way Back When-sday

~Alyssa

A Wissmann Family Concert

The Wissmann family gave a concert a couple weeks ago at a church not too far away from us. We've enjoyed their singing on CDs and so we were excited to hear them in person.

Mr. Wissmann and his girls singing the song "Daddy's Song" that Rachel wrote. (She is the one playing the keyboard.)

Andrew and Ruth

We thoroughly enjoyed the concert! We appreciated the gospel message in the songs and in what Mr Wissmann shared between the songs. They all seemed to really enjoy singing together, and when the concert was over and people were milling around, some of them started playing and singing some more...just for fun!

If they are ever in your area be sure to go hear them. :)

~Alyssa

Good Advice!

  I just read this article by Mr. DeMar and wanted to share it here.  The title is kind of funny but the content is very practical!

How to Make Yourself Indispensable: Advice for Young People

By Gary DeMar

1. Read at least 10 pages every day of a non-fiction book in various fields: science, history, literature, music, art, science fiction, theology, economics, etc. Increase it by one page per day until you get it up to 20 pages per day. R. J. Rushdoony read at least one book a day—“underlined, with a personal index in the back cover—six days a week for 25 years. He then followed suit with another 25 years of the same schedule.” Go and do likewise. In ten days, you will have read a 200-page book. That’s more than 35 books per year. In ten years, 350 books. In 40 years, 1400 books. Increase the number of pages per day, and you will have read in a lifetime more books than most people have seen in their local public library.

2. Learn how to skim a book to determine if it’s worth reading all of it. Learn how to speed read to mine books for information.

3. Keep a notebook of insights, facts, well stated truths, and new vocabulary words. I use “Moleskin Notebooks.” I carry one with me everywhere I go. You can’t trust your memory.

4. Each year, read at least one book in a category that you find difficult and even boring so you are able to discuss five principles about that subject. Think of yourself stuck with some guy at a party who is fascinated with celestial mechanics. You will make a friend.

5. Take the initiative and ask questions of people who know more than you do. If you’re young, that means almost everybody you meet. Listen more than you speak. If an answer is not clear, ask for clarification. Learn at least ten new things every day.

6. Be able to do a job interview without using the word “like” more than three times unless the word is absolutely called for as in “I would like to work for you” and not “Like, I would like really like to like work for you.”

7. Be able to give a talk for 12 minutes without using notes. If ever called on to give an impromptu talk, be ready to give one that lasts for about 3 minutes. Less is often more. When someone asks you to speak and gives you a time limit, DO NOT go over. You want people to say, “I wish he had more time” rather than “When will he shut up?”

8. Start your own business so you will know how much work goes into running a company and how difficult it is to make a profit, hire and fire employees (most of whom aren’t qualified for the work), market, fill out forms, pay taxes, fill out forms, pay taxes, fill out forms, pay taxes.

9. Don’t be afraid to fail. Some of the best lessons you will ever learn come from failures, but only if you decide to learn from them.

10. “Power is perfected in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9). Sometimes (most times?) God uses your weaknesses over your strengths to turn you into the person He wants you to be.

Way Back When-sday

 

Queen Victoria on "Women's Rights"

 "I am most anxious to enlist everyone who can speak or write to join in checking this mad, wicked folly of "Women's Rights," with all its attendant horrors, on which her poor feeble sex is bent, forgetting every sense of womanly feelings and propriety. Feminists ought to get a good whipping. Were woman to "unsex" themselves by claiming equality with men, they would become the most hateful, heathen and disgusting of beings and would surely perish without male protection. I love peace and quiet, I hate politics and turmoil. We women are not made for governing, and if we are good women, we must dislike these masculine occupations."
~ Queen Victoria, 1870

The Trip Home

Monday morning we packed up and headed back home.

 

 Going down......and up.... and down.... and up....  :)

Driving up one of the passes we had driven down on our way west, we realized that the part we had driven on was one tall, long, curving bridge!  Gulp!

Such beauty!

Towards the eastern end of Washington state it flattens out a lot and there are very few trees. There were a lot of these wind generators near the river...which were not moving.  We crossed the Columbia River Gorge again:

Wheat fields

Little 'tornadoes'.

In Spokane we stopped to visit friends we had met at the wedding.  It was a refreshing break from traveling. :)  Thank you so much!

This is an unusual mountain that looks very soft and velvety on one side.  It's Ana's favorite of all the mountains we saw. :)

We drove through the night, (so we missed a lot of the mountains in Montana), and in the morning we were still in Montana!  It's a LONG state! 

Amy drove for an hour or two so Dad could rest.  She likes driving. :)

Ana eating a wrap-up...

The tired but happy wrap-up maker at work on her 'kitchen counter'.  :)

Clouds over Minnesota fields!  We are almost home!

Lydia and Maria, the caretakers of our place.  :)

We are so thankful they were willing to house sit and do all the chores for us; they did an amazing job!

~Alyssa

The day after the wedding...

Sunday morning we went to Bradrick's farm for church.  We all sat out on the hay bales where the wedding was held the day before.  Pastor Voddie Baucham gave the sermon, which was from 1 John about salvation. 

Here are a few of my notes from the sermon: 

• We delight in obeying the One to whom we belong.  

• If someone says they have sinless perfection they show that they are not a Christian.

• A believer is one who is fighting sin and growing in grace.  Sanctification is a on-going struggle.

After sharing lunch together we all spent the afternoon visiting!  We girls enjoyed being part of a lively discussion with several other young people about many different things including the millennium, music and worship in church, courtship, and Calvinism/Arminianism.  It was refreshing to talk about important things together, and have fun while doing it.

This little guy was tired out!

Gabriel praying for our supper.  

They had a hot dog roast and then we made s'mores...yum!

The little boys loved the campfire!

Dad and Mr. Bradrick.

 Playing games

We enjoyed being able to spend another day with old and new friends.  I appreciate the way the Bradricks do weddings.  They always have something going on the day after the wedding so the guests have another thing to look forward to, and are able to really visit more.  It's especially nice for guests that come from a long distance...like us and many others there. :)

We were all thankful for their hospitality!

~Alyssa

Anchored In Christ’s Hands

I want you to know the length and breadth of your portion in Christ. I want you to understand the full amount of the treasure to which faith in Jesus entitles you. You have found out that you are a great sinner. Thank God for that. You have fled to Christ for pardon and peace with God. Thank God for that. You have committed yourself to Jesus for time and eternity – you have no hope but in Christ’s blood, Christ’s righteousness, Christ’s mediation, Christ’s daily all-persevering intercession. Thank God for that. Your heart’s desire and prayer is to be holy in all manner of conversation. Thank God for that. But oh, lay hold upon the glorious truth – that believing on Jesus you shall never perish, you shall never be cast away, you shall never fall away! It is written for you as well as for the apostles, "My sheep shall never perish."

~ J.C. Ryle