path

i see my path, but i don't know where it leads. not knowing where i'm going is what inspires me to travel it.
rosalia de castro

18 july 1923 to 18 october 2009

gramps' funeral was about a month ago now, but i just wanted to share the song that my family and i sang at the grave site on the day of. it was a beautifully sweet, sorrowful, and joyous moment for us. it was mixed with tears, sniffling, and smiles. we had been allowed the wonderful opportunity to have know this great, loving, sneaky, smart, God-fearing man. so we will miss him dearly, but we rest assured that he is in a far better place. a place he has been longing to go to for so long, to be home with his most precious lord and saviour.

And can it be that i should gain

an interest in the saviour's blood?
died he for me, who cause his pain?
for me, who him to death pursued?
amazing love! how can it be
that thou, my god, shouldst die for me?

'tis mystery all: the immortal dies!
who can explore his strange design?
in vain the first-born seraph tries
to sound the depths of love divine.
'tis mercy all! let earth adore,
let angel minds enquire no more.

he left his father's throne above -
so free, so infinite his grace -
emptied himself of all but love,
and bled for adam's helpless race.
'tis mercy all, immense and free;
for, o my god, it found out me!

long my imprisoned spirit lay
fast bound in sin and nature's night;
thine eye diffused a quickening ray 0
i woke, the dungeon flamed with light,
my chains fell off, my heart was free,
i rose, went forth, and followed thee.

no condemnation now i dread;
jesus, and all in him, is mine!
alive in him, my living head,
and clothed in righteousness divine,
bold i approach the eternal throne,
and claim the crown, through christ, my own.
-charles wesley

photo exploration

i tried uploading this picture last week, but it wouldn't work. sadness at the failed attempt.
however, patience has paid off.
there was a little photo exploration last week through my gran's photo albums in preparation for my grandpa's celebration of life service, as he has recently passed away. gran used to sit and go through an album or two with me on most my visits as i've gotten older and before gramps got ill. i seriously could be content sitting looking through all those albums over and over again. so much photographic history.
when i'm not so sleepy, maybe i'll post a few more of my favourites that have been scanned in.

until then, i'm not exactly certain what it is about this picture that brings me so much joy, but it does.
for world, these are my parents a la 1974.

dirt caked eyes and rat's nest hair

melissa and i went on an impromptu hike yesterday out at the white cliffs of dover.

i've realized that when i am out in nature, this is when i feel closest to God. when i am surrounded by what my Creator has created. this obviously extends out to really good get-togethers with people as well. there is just something about a good gathering of folks and hearing the stories and the laughter everywhere; however, that's another bloggy topic.

back to the cliffs.
it was an INCREDIBLY windy, and as a result we had difficulty walking in straight lines the whole time....
dust and dirt were blown everywhere, and this morning "rat's nest" doesn't even begin to cover what my hair was like.
but it was worth it. to be able to see sights like this.

we didn't complete the entire national trust trail just because we wanted to make it back to the high street in dover priory before it got too dark. it is definitely a trail i want to finish in the future though.

sick

my rubbish bin overflows with used tissues.
i need to find where the off switch is for my nose
because that overflowth as well.

goodbye sunshine

it's official, in my book at least, that summer is no more.

the weather is being a bit schizophrenic though. on the very same day it would be unbearable to go outside without a coat and then piping hot to wear same said coat. oh won't it make up it's mind?

i should enjoy whatever lingering warmth there is about.

soon i may end up freezing in the forthcoming winter. it is a very good thing that i will be going to florida for a month over christmas. already dreaming about my favourite time of year weather-wise in south florida :)

i just realized that i wrote an entire post about "the weather." did i just turn 80?

"soul"journing

my aunt convinced me to purchase rail tickets and get out of london.
so, i'm heading up to lovely scarborough this afternoon. afterall, it's a bank holiday weekend.
get in some family time. celebrate birthdays galore. have lots of laughter. seriously, lots of laughter.
this will be good for my soul i think.
it will be cold for my body though.

i mean, it's getting cool in london. i can only imagine what the temps are in north yorkshire. the leg warmers might get to make a reappearance ;)
(i'm such a florida wimp)

well my lovelies, enjoy the last few moments of summer. autumn is drawing near.