Joy
 
 
 
Rogier van der Weyden. St. John Altarpiece. c.1455-1460. Oil on panel. Gemaldegalerie, Berlin, Germany
http://www.abcgallery.com/W/weyden/weyden56.html
 
Let Heaven and Nature Sing
Concordia College Christmas Concert
Moorhead, Minnesota
http://www.hetland.com/murals/sing.htm
Here is another view of the entire mural ... less visible in detail.
http://www.hetland.com/murals/sing2.htm



 
Joy is the holy fire that keeps our purpose warm
and our intelligence aglow.
                                                                ~ Helen Keller

 

A leaf fluttered in through the window this morning,
as if supported by the rays of the sun,
a bird settled on the fire escape,
joy in the task of coffee,
joy accompanied me as I walked.
                        ~ Anais Nin




One of the greatest joys known to man
is to take a flight into ignorance in search of knowledge.
                           ~ Robert Lynd
Joy is the feeling of grinning inside.
                                                                ~ Melba Colgrove


 
 
This is not a good picture, but it shows what Sylvia and I saw
out the window of her room at the Life Care Center of Evergreen.
I had to take it quickly right through the Venetian blinds.
This is a bobcat!!!  Sylvia is going to write about it in her
newspaper article for Evergreen's weekly paper.
(Sylvia is recuperating in the nursing home from a broken hip/leg.)
 
Tina and Steve had a wonderful Christmas Reception!
Last Sunday Steve announced to our congregation
that his doctors told him he is in remission!!!
 
On my way to breakfast Wednesday morning I had to stop for a few minutes
for the traffic to pass!
 
Wednesday Breakfast ... Gail and Bryce.
This week we ate at a restaurant in Idaho Springs, Marion's.
 
Fran (left) had a delightful Tea Party for a dozen guests.
 
 
 

Joy to the world, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing.

Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns!
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.

No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as, the curse is found.

He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders, of His love.

by Isaac Watts
melody composed by Lowell Mason*

 

 

December 17, 2006    Third Sunday of Advent

 

Previous OPQs may be found at:      
                http://www.dotjack.com/opq.htm
 
*  Quite a few years after Isaac Watts death, the words of the hymn were put to music through the efforts of Lowell Mason. Dr. Mason did not write the music himself but improvised from another hymn called the Messiah by Frederick Handel. He had a great music career and composed more than 1600 devout works.
 
 
 
 
 
10And the crowds asked him, "What then should we do?" 11In reply he said to them, "Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise." ... 16John answered ... "I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
                            Luke 3:7-18

Agnus Day, by James Wetzstein

Agnus Day appears with the permission of www.agnusday.org


http://www.shalfleet.net/advent/firstweek.htm
 
 
Remembering ...
Elizabeth Ann Schiever
November 9, 1939 ~ December 13, 2006
 
"Here I am, Lord.
I'm home!"
 
 
 
"Bunco!!!"
 

Zephaniah 3:14-20
Isaiah 12:2-6
Philippians 4:4-7
Luke 3:7-18