JANET GRACE

Grandma's mother

I think that my cousin, Janet Grace, was named for our Grandmother's mother, Janet,  for Grandpa's older sister, Grace, and also her mom's mom, Grace. See the above picture of Janet.  The picture below is of Grandpa's sister Grace, and her husband.

I always envied the childhood Janet and her brothers had in Spokane.  In their back yard they had tall pine trees. I think I remember a tree house.  Later they had a patio where they had barbecues including hot dogs, hamburgers with all the fixings, potato salad, and other goodies.  They had sidewalks from their house all the way across the South Hill.  They could ride their bikes to Comstock Park and swim all day in the pool. Their church, Manito Presbyterian, was a couple of blocks away.  I was invited to attend their youth group in the summers when we visited.

Janet kept her bedroom in perfect order.  I have never been able to do that.  Her mom, Jeanne, shopped and sewed for her.  Janet had plenty of clothes. They were always hung up or in the drawers.  Cousin Rinda remembered that she had an accordion.  She also had a parakeet name Blue Boy.

My parents exchanged pictures with the H.C.'s. Chris and others took a number of pictures also. Here are some of them. 

Janet 5 months

Janet 6 months

Janet and Richard

Richard, Roberta, Janet

Robert's christening day 1954

Easter 1958

Christmas 1961

Grandma and Grandpa's 50th wedding anniversary party

Grandchildren with Grandma and Grandpa

Mother's Day 1962-- Me, Grandma S, Grandma E., Dorothy, Janet

Janet and Evy 1965 dresses by Jeanne

 Janet and Alf's wedding

Baby shower

Thanksgiving 1974

An attractive family

Janet kept up the tradition her mother started of getting the relatives together

Holly Marie's home going

Janet fought the good fight and lived the best life she could in spite of her many illnesses. It was on April 2, 2016 when she went home to be with Jesus. Fortunately we were able to get together one day in the summer of 1999 for prayer.  I was staying in my son's college rental in Spokane for the summer.  She most of all wanted me to pray that her son would be a man of God.  

HAPPY EASTER!

One of my favorite songs at Easter time is "The Easter Song."  Click on the link above to listen to this arrangement by the California Baptist U. Choir on You Tube.

Easter is a season of hope, renewal, Easter egg hunts, new clothes for church, family, and in the Christian religion-- Jesus -- He is risen!  Today I ran across a few old pictures taken on various Easter Days.  

This first one is of my cousin taken probably in the 40's.  He was an expert Easter egg hunter.

My brother always wanted to get married and have a bunch of kids.  He achieved the married part but not the kids.  Here he was on Easter with Samantha born in March 2005.  I have never seen him look happier.

A beautiful spring day for this hunt for my darling granddaughters.

She was so proud and obliging to pose for Pops!

Just collecting more and more.  The dresses were beautiful.

Granddaughter #2 made this for us

I'm so thankful that Jesus has made a way for the world to believe in Him and have eternal life.

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world,[a] that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."

MARRIAGE

Guest book for 50th wedding anniversary party

My friend, Nan, said that the strongest marriages were those that had three strands braided together--husband, wife, and Jesus.  When I learned that a son of a friend of mine will be married this month I thought of Nan's advice.  After searching the Internet I found this poem:

·   

I have one lovely woman in my life, but we have a marriage of three.
The life long bond of our marriage is my wife, Jesus Christ, and me.

This is not simply a well known cliché, a phrase, or a simple token,
For Solomon said that a cord of three strands is not easily broken.

And when I include in my life, my two sons, I have a family of five,
For in the center is Jesus Christ who helps my entire family thrive.

The church that we attend is not just men and women under a steeple,
For the power we derive from Jesus Christ makes us a special people.

Even when I find myself alone, the number present will always be two,
For the Lord Himself promised me, I will never leave or forsake you.

If you acknowledge The Lord in all you do, He will direct your path,
So believe in The Lord my friend and you can enjoy His Eternal math.

David said Your Word is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path,
For he knew the presence of God would deliver him from man's wrath.

You can have assurance of a new freedom in Christ without exemption,
For when He begins a work, He continues, till the day of redemption.

I am assured that Christ has put me on the one and only narrow path,
And when this age of Grace is over, I will be spared from His Wrath.

My friend, as the end draws near don't be filled with fear or strife,
For God is clear, if you draw near, He will grant you Eternal Life.

Copyright © 12/2002 

Bob Gotti

I plan to find a wedding card for this young man and his bride with this sentiment, or I will enclose a copy of the poem.

Ecclesiates 4: 9 Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. 10 For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! 11 Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone?12 And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

SEATTLE

Yesterday, while I was out running errands,  I noticed two backpack carrying males fighting right in the middle of the parking lot.  The clerk asked, "Are they fighting or playing? Should we call 911?"  I said, "I have never seen anything like that before."  We didn't know what to do.  Just as Chris and I were leaving the store a police car showed up.  Good, I thought somebody called the police. 

This made me think about the news report we watched last week.  KOMO TV presented an in depth report on the homeless and drug addiction problem in Seattle.  Seattle has tried everything from building tiny houses, opening safe lots for camping in cars, and sent social workers into the camps to find out if any of the people would accept help.  Most would not.  With this report my eyes were opened to what the problem is--it is really addiction or mental health. At the end of the report it was suggested that the law against living outdoors on public property should be enforced.  The people who try to camp on public land should be offered jail or treatment.  

So when I saw what had happened in the mall parking lot--I said, "Those guys should be given the choice of going to jail or going to treatment.  They need to be off the street for their own good."  Click on the You Tube above to see the report.

A popular policy for helping the homeless has emerged over the past decade and a half.  It’s called “housing first.”It’s an approach that grants housing to homeless persons… usually without requiring changes in behavior—like sobriety.Welfare reformers point to rising homeless numbers as evidence the policy doesn’t work.  Here is a news story about something that does work.

Here is a white paper on "How Seattle's Homelessness Policy Perpetuates the Crisis and How We Can Fix It.

Isaiah 55:6 “Seek the Lord while he may be found;
    call upon him while he is near;

SPOKANE

Spokane River

Thought these photos were beautiful.  Chris took them when we traveled back to Spokane for his 50-year high school reunion.  Showing the power of the Spokane River made me think back to our living aboard our boat.  Because of the many electronics on board we needed to keep our batteries charged.  To do this off shore we relied on water power (a towing generator), solar power, and wind power.  Waterpower produced the most power.  I will add more photos of the river and then some of the Riverfront Park, and Duncan Gardens at Manito Park.  My mom would enjoy these photos, as she always loved Spokane.  Actually, I have always loved Spokane too.  I have many fond memories of spending time with relatives and friends there.

Romans 1: 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world,[g] in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 

COMBAT EVIL WITH GOOD

As we once again view horrendous scenes of senseless killing at a religious site in New Zealand we are horrified that humans could be so evil.  In this poignant blog by a writer for National Review the necessity of having even places of prayer guarded by security--  including dogs to sniff out danger--  is lamented.  I pray and ask God "How long until you take vengeance on Your enemies?  My eyes stream tears for Your law is not obeyed."  As usual the Billy Graham organization sent chaplains for a rapid response to the tragedy.  Click here to read the blog.  Meanwhile in Nigeria 120 dead.  Click here for the link.

HAS CHRISTIAN APOLOGETICS FAILED?

Jordan Peterson, a professor of psychology at the University of Toronto, is a non-Christian.  His message to students is something like, "pick yourself up by your own bootstraps.  Life is cruel and then you die."  The Christian message is that if you believe in Jesus then you will live forever with Him in heaven.  Also, that He will never leave you or forsake you. I like this verse-- Jesus speaking of Satan says in John 10:-- 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.  

Esther O’Reilly beautifully writes this blog about Christian apologetics.  She has been writing extensively about the Jordan Peterson phenomenon and what the Church can take away from it.  I highly recommend the article for those who are interested in apologetics and also for those who are not.