"Within Her Grasp"

^"When we heard the news we lost our courage and no one could even breathe for fear of you. For the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on earth below!" Joshua 2:11

"By faith Rahab the prostitute escaped the destruction of the disobedient, because she welcomed the spies in peace." Hebrews 11:31

"Charm is deceitful and beauty is fleeting,
but a woman who fears the Lord will be praised."
Proverbs 31:30


Hebrews 11 is the hall of fame of sorts of those
commended in the bible for their faith.

And there she is.

Not exactly the girl next door your momma wants
you bringing home for dinner.

In fact, her profession pretty much
makes her the lowest of the lows of any society,
past and present.

Yet, God used her.

And with that, I have a hope.

"7"

What shall we say, then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “Do not covet.” But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire. For apart from law, sin is dead. Once I was alive apart from law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death. For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death. So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good.

Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! But in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it produced death in me through what was good, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful.

We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!

So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.

Romans 7:7-25

"Autumn"

On the verge of the fall season, I thought I would
make a list of things that I enjoy about fall.

1. Colorful Leaves.
We don't live in a black and white world.
God created the brilliance of color.

2. Jeans and Sweatshirts.
It's really about the cooler temperatures.
Warm in the sun. Cool in the shade.

3. Football.
Friday night, under the lights, high school football.
Throw in a hot cocoa and funnel cake.

4. The Pumpkin Patch.
Columbus Day at Hozaks with Samantha and the kids.

5. Thanksgiving Day
Yes, it's late November, but it's all fall.
Pilgrims, Pumpkins, Turkey, Stuffing...

6. Hunting Season.
Whether you're hunting deer, turkey,
rabbit, grouse, squirrel, etc... and no
matter your weapon of choice...
Fall is hunting season.

7. Routine.
With school back in session, a new
routine begins. Back from the freedom
summer brings. Fall is about refocusing.

These are but a few of the reasons I enjoy
the autumn season.

"Happy Cows"

California dairy cows.

Yep, they're happy cows.

Why?

Because as you can see, they live on ocean front property.

"Back Three School"

Yesterday marked another milestone day
in the Trimble homestead. Numero Tres
kiddo (the child formerly known as
Lukenstein) went for his first day of
Kindergarten.

Yes, the hardest working 5 year old
in America... and most productive
Trimble house-cleaning child, went
for his first day in big K.

A few tears were shed. And then when
I realized I was to be home alone with
a crazy two (soon to be three) year old,
I cried a little more.

Three are now part of the schooling world.

Leaving one behind.

Time churns on like a locomotive full
of life saving importance... slowing
no where along the way.

After all the summer was... ALL that
summer was... I will cherish the
one on one time with the family
clown; and certainly miss the hours
separated from the trio of Trimble
teachables.

"The Day My Love Seat Shook"

So the great 5.9 mag that rocked Virginia
and sent a scurry of shakes through many
states was nothing more than the belch
of a 2 year old during dinner:
It was loud, caused a ruckus; but in the
end did nobody any damage.

At least that's the early thoughts being
circulated through the 24 Hour News
Cycle.

For me, hundreds of miles away from
the epicenter in Virginia, I merely mistook
what I thought was the severe scratching
of the dog up against the love seat... and
discovered upon the instant media that
I love... and visual evidence of a sleeping dog...
that I felt the like many others the earth move.

A strange sensation it was... even this far away.

SO, I survived the Great Shake of 8/23/11...
as, apparently, everyone else did.

Now, we who survived it all must turn our
attention to the ocean, and the nasty lady
who is whipping up quite a stir.

Goodbye shaky shake... hello, Irene.

"Still Cracks Me Up"