New Background!

Where are the Women?

Where are the women, that our country’s forgot,
Raising godly children, while complaining not?
Where are the women, giving their life for a child?
Without a contrary word, following husband into the untamed wild.
Where are the women, staying at home while husbands were away?
While men fought wars, women, not at work, but at home, did stay.

Where are the women, working hard in the home?
They made meals, scrubbed, swept, and sewn.
Where are the women, not afraid of what the world thinks?
Not afraid of mice or bugs, skinned ducks, geese, and minks.
Where are the women, rising early and retiring late?
They spent their days working hard, not taking a break.

Where are the women, who have gone down in history?
Leading profitable lives to pass down to you and me.
Where are the women, who were abundant, but now few?
Their helpful hints are not being passed to the young and new.
Where are the women, our country’s long since forgot?
From the history books, American wants their names to blot.

Where are the women, living their lives for the Lord?
Costing far above rubies, their husbands had adored.
Where are the women, bringing joy to their family?
Giving a little smile, while doing their work cheerfully.
Where are the women, making the cheerless happy?
Adding a kind word and all the gloom would flee.

~Susanna R. Criss

Happy 6th Birthday, Lydia!

She's so grown up!

Samuel Johnson

What is written without effort is read without pleasure.

Am I a Soldier of the Cross?

Am I a soldier of the cross?
A follower of the lamb?
And shall I fear to own his cause
Or blush to speak his name?

Must I be carried to the skies
On flow'ry beds of ease,
While other fought to win the prize
And sailed the bloody seas?

Are there no foe for me to face?
Must I not stem the flood?
Is this vile world a friend to grace,
To help me on to God?

Sure I must fight if I would reign
Increase my courage Lord!
I'll bear the toil endure the pain,
Supported by Thy word.

Our First Snow!

I know! This picture does not show the best of the snow. It's been raining and most of it has melted, but at least I got a picture of the snow.=)

Happy Birthday, Reagan!!!!

Reagsies is one year old today!

It Was All That We Had Left To Give

Well it wasn’t that long ago I bid fareweel
To my sweetheart and boarded this island of steel
A tribute to man all from funnel to keel
The Titanic rose in the dawn.

We promised that we would be married in spring
When I would return from the sea with the ring
Until then I’d manage Smith’s engines and think
Of the true love that I left behind.

Chorus-
So blow your winds westerly, westerly ho
Why face the darkness, I’m not alone
For my heart swells with pride at the bravery shone
For the women and children shall live.
It was all that we had left to give.

When my watch was over, I sat with my mates
We passed ‘round some whisky I happened to take
We talked to our sweetheart of promises made
And mermaids that live in the sea.

When all of a sudden, a terrible sound
Tore through the ship as if we’d run aground.
But how can that be, it’s just water around,
And icebergs too little to matter?

Well, I rushed to the deck and they fired a flare
“’Tis an ice berg!” they cried and then screams filled the air
“Attend to the life boats, gentlemen have a care
For I fear this ship will go down!”

Chorus

Then one by one, lifeboats touched on the wave
It’s women and children that we must forsave
For God and country ye men be ye brave
For I fear this night is our last

Then the life boats were gone, and our fortunes were made
We held hands with my brothers, we knelt and we prayed
The band gave us courage as proudly they played
Nearer my God to Thee.

So goodbye to my parents, goodbye Rosalie.
Goodbye to the children I pray that you’ll see.
Sweet England again and our own country
As I join the ages this night.

Chorus

And it’s strange in the silence, that I can hear singing
The stars in the heavens seem calling to me!
Though soaked to the skin, it’s not pain I’m feeling.
The joy in the knowing that soon I’ll be going
To be with my Father and I will be free!

Chorus

by Charlie Zahm

The Loss of the Birkenhead

Right on our flank the crimson sun went down,
The deep sea rolled around in dark repose,
When, like the wild shriek from some captured town,
A cry of a woman rose.
The stout ship Birkenhead lay hard and fast,
Caught, without hope, upon a hidden rock;
He timbers thrilled as nerves, when through them passed
The spirit of that shock.
And ever like base cowards, who leave their ranks
In danger's hour, before the rush of steel,
Drifted away, disorderly, the planks
From underneath her keel.
Confusion spread, for, though the coast seemed near,
Sharks hovered thick along that white sea-brink
the boats could hold?- not all;and it was clear
She was about to sink.
"Out with the boats, and let us haste away,"

Cried one, "era yet yon sea the bark devours."

The man thus clamoring was, I scarce need say,

No officer of ours.

We knew our duty better than to care

For such loose babblers, and made no reply,

Till our good colonel gave the word, and there

Formed us in a line to die.

There rose no murmur from the ranks, no thought,

By shameful strength, unhonored life to seek;

Our post to quit we were not trained, nor taught

To trample down the weak.

So we made women with their children go,

The oars ply back again, and yet again;

Whilst, inch by inch, the drowning ship sank low,

Still under steadfast men.

What follows, why recall? The brave who died,

Died without flinching in the bloody surf;

They sleep as well, beneath that purple tide,

As others, under turf;-

They sleep as well, and, roused from their wild grave,

Wearing their wounds like stars, shall rise again,

Joint-heirs with Christ, because they bled to save

His weak ones, not in vain.

If that day's work no clasp or medal mark,

If each proud heart no cross of bronze may press,

Nor cannon thunder loud from Tower and Park,

This feel we, none the less.

The those whom God's high grace there saved from ill-

Those also, left His martyrs in the bay-

Though not by siege, though not in battle, still

Full well had earned their pay.

~Sir Francis Hastings Doyle

Another Quote From Lydia

A couple days ago, Lydia was naming off all the oceans. "Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, and the Maiden Training Sea" (Mediterranean Sea)

Faces

Harvest Party

Doing the Dishes

Playing the Piano