9 Michaels tall

The official measurement -  the Cypress trees are "Nine Michael's" tall. 
My brother took these trees down yesterday... fell them perfectly! 

Mt Whitney High School choirs!  

This is just before Spring Show.  Look at these great shirts!  Our theme was "iPod Shuffle".  The shirts all say "iSing" on the front and "MW Choir" on the back.   Mr. Howard's shirt said "iDirect"; our choreographer's shirt says "iDance", and mine... "iPiano".  :)

With Hope

He's been on my mind a lot the past few days.
My nephew, Andrew, would be graduating High School this week.  

Thank God we do not grieve as those who have no hope.  We will see him again. 

This is not at all how
We thought it was supposed to be
We had so many plans for you
We had so many dreams
And now you've gone away
And left us with the memories of your smile
And nothing we can say
And nothing we can do
Can take away the pain
The pain of losing you, but ... 

We can cry with hope
We can say goodbye with hope
'Cause we know our goodbye is not the end, oh no
And we can grieve with hope
'Cause we believe with hope
(There's a place by God's grace)
There's a place where we'll see your face again
We'll see your face again 

And never have I known
Anything so hard to understand
And never have I questioned more
The wisdom of God's plan
But through the cloud of tears
I see the Father's smile and say well done
And I imagine you
Where you wanted most to be
Seeing all your dreams come true
'Cause now you're home
And now you're free, and ... 

We have this hope as an anchor
'Cause we believe that everything
God promised us is true, so ...

We wait with hope
And we ache with hope
We hold on with hope
We let go with hope
~Steven Curtis Chapman~

Golden Arrow

"Patience is more than endurance. A saint's life is in the hands of God like a bow and arrow in the hands of an archer. God is aiming at something the saint cannot see, and He stretches and strains, and every now and again the saint says - "I cannot stand any more." God does not heed, He goes on stretching till His purpose is in sight, then He lets fly. Trust yourself in God's hands. For what have you need of patience just now? Maintain your relationship to Jesus Christ by the patience of faith. "Though He slay me, yet will I wait for Him."" - Oswald Chambers

This was my devotional reading for Sunday, May 8th.  I can sure identify with the saint that says "I cannot stand anymore".  The challenge is to trust myself, my family and other loved ones in God's Hands.  He knows what He is about.  I think it's all more than I can take but He sees the big picture and He knows me.  "But he knows the way that I take; when he has tried me, I shall come out as gold."  Job 23:10

So, I figure... according to "Ozzie" (our affectionate term for Oswald Chambers) and according to Job...
I am like an arrow and one who will come out as gold.   A golden arrow?  I don't know about that.  I just want to be whatever He wants me to be. 

Should We Be Glad?

"Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles." - Proverbs 24:17

Another blog friend posted about this.  
I agree with her.  One one hand, yes, the face we have attached to "evil" for the past decade is now gone, and we should be relieved.  But how many more are there just like him?  And should we rejoice in death? 

"As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, people of Israel?"

Ezekiel 33:11

 

I'm just sad.  This world is full of sadness, evil and death.  I would much rather have watched the Royal wedding again or "Extreme Makeover Home Edition" last night.  I want to rejoice in good things.