Sunset - Skywatch Friday

From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the Lord's name is to be praised. --Psalm 113:3

Oh, How I love to put into verse and rhyme

Things that have been filling my mind:

A beautiful red, orange, and purple sky at night,

Fireflies twinkling, like stars in my sight,

Gratefulness & One Lovely Blog Award

For many Americans, November is the month of gratefulness and thanksgiving.  I think the only ones who did not enjoy Thanksgiving this year were my neighbor's turkeys.  I captured this shot of them in October.  I haven't seem them lately, so it's quite probable they spent this Thanksgiving somewhere warm.    

I'd like to take a moment to thank Paige at Sunday Best and All the Rest for nominating me for the Grateful Blogger Tag and Aimee at Aimee on the Mountainside for nominating me for the Lovely Blog Award.

A Real Auction

A few Saturdays ago we went to a real auction.  Unlike the church fundraising auction where everyone was there to have fun and donate to the church, here everyone was trying to get the best deals possible on the equipment and tools of a closing electric motor company in Waterloo.  

Lessons I Learned at Bethany: Serving

Luke 10:38-42 finds us in Bethany at the home of Martha and Mary.  Martha was busily serving dinner while Mary sat at the feet of Jesus, listening to him.  Who was Martha serving?  She was serving Jesus!  

What did Jesus tell her?  “Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” 

Dwight L. Moody said, "You've got to have fire to set fire with. You've got to have life to propagate life with." In science, this is the law of biogenesis.  You can only get life from the Life, and you can’t give life to others unless you have the Life.  Martha needed to hear the words of life from Jesus, all else was of little importance.

Does God care about candles, stained glass windows, choir robes, and religious customs and traditions?  No.  What God cares about is His creation: you.  

Today, we are busy with our duties, working with the talents God has given us, and serving.  Let us not forget to talk with our Creator and first love, Jesus Christ.  We must constantly be drawing from His well of living waters if we are to share His love with others.  Isn't it awesome that Jesus takes the time to spend with us?

"As Thou hast died for me, so may my love to Thee, pure, warm, and changeless be, a living fire."  --Ray Palmer

My $1000 Tip

Last week we received a cashier's check for $1000 more than the price of a painting at my grandma's Carson Art Gallery (for which I am online sales manager).  Unfortunately, it didn't come with a note, "Keep the change."

Credit: National Numismatic Collection, National Museum of American History

Tips for New Bloggers

Ashley from Precious Moments recently nominated me for the Blogger Recognition Award with the question, "Why did you start blogging?"  I thought this would be a fun opportunity to answer her question and offer a few tips, which I hope will prove useful to new bloggers.

My blog began as a place where I could voice my opinionated political views. I quickly branched out to include devotionals, book reviews, photography, and posts about interesting experiences and places.  My advice in an early post on my first time welding in 2012 is advice I still give myself and others today: "Don't be afraid to try new things; you may make many mistakes, but never give up!"  

The Des Moines Fall Classic

The Des Moines Fall Classic chess tournament this year was held at Faith Baptist Bible College in Ankeny and directed by Matthew Jacob with 75/5 time controls. 

We started our drive at 6 AM, delivered a load of concrete pads, and enjoyed sausage egg McMuffins.  The first round started late, so I chatted with fellow participants, and a few kindly answered my survey on chess player psychology. 

My first opponent was John Herr (1798), an experienced tournament veteran.  I remembered him playing on the top boards at CyChess L in 2012, so I determined to take my time and be careful.  The opening was a delightful straight-from-the-book example of the open variation of my beloved Sicilian Dragon.