Misc Mark Pics

Love this pic

Phone pics

"Last Stop, Carnegie Hall" by Dr. Brian Shook

A few days ago, I finished reading a book written by my friend, Dr. Brian Shook. It was a biography of the great trumpet player, William Vacchiano. Vacchiano was the leader of the trumpet section for the New York Philharmonic Orchestra for over a third of the 20th century, and contributed in large part to the astounding catalog of music that has been created by that ensemble. I found the book interesting, engaging, and even motivating at times. Brian did a fantastic job capturing the life of this man and his contributions to the trumpet and to orchestral music. If you are interested in such things, you will not be disappointed by this book. Here is a link to Amazon.

Aunt Hope and the boys come to visit (last June)

Mark visits Uncle Les and Aunt Barbara

Psalm 34:4

I needed to hear this today...

"I sought the LORD, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears."

...our boy

"unless we form a holy habit"

"If it be Thy will, bestow these many tokens of Thy loving-kindness on those who know Thee not, to draw them to Thy service; for me it is enough to have the riches that faith brings in the knowledge of Thee."

"O Lord, enlarge the chambers of my heart that I may find room for Thy love. Sustain me by Thy power, lest the fire of Thy love consume me."

"Life is full of perils and of hidden reefs, on which we shall make shipwreck without the continual succor of the grace of God... How can He be in our thoughts, unless we form a holy habit of abiding in His Presence, there asking for the grace we need each moment of our life?"

"Believe me, count as lost each day you have not used in loving God."

- from 'The Practice of the Presence of God', 'Gathered Thoughts', pgs 110, 111, 112

'the guise of zeal for our own perfection'

"We are made for God, and for Him, alone; He cannot therefore take it ill that we forsake all, even ourselves, to find our all in Him. In God we shall see more clearly what we lack than we could in ourselves by all our introspection; which in reality is but the remnant, unexpelled, of self-love, which, under the guise of zeal for our own perfection, keeps our gaze down on self instead of rasied to God."

- From 'the Practice of the Presence of God' by Brother Lawrence, pg. 92

My Covering - Watermark

I died in Your death my Lord
Glory, glory to Your name
Buried in the grave with You
Glory, glory to Your name
And I arose with You my Lord,
Glory, glory to Your name!

Chorus:
Your blood is my covering
My sheltering, where life comes from
Your blood is my innocence
My righteousness, where I begin
Once so far, I am brought near
Glory, glory to Your name
Raised and seated up with You
Glory, glory to Your name
And reconciled to God in You
Glory, glory to Your name!

Bridge:
Death has no victory
Sin has no hold on me
I'm covered in my Christ who is my life....
And I arose with You my Lord
Glory, glory to Your name
Glory, glory to Your name

Chorus:
And Your blood is my covering...
Oh Lord, its where I begin
Your life, Your love, Your blood falls over me
And Your blood is my covering....
Your love it falls over me
And your blood is my covering...

Books that I have read this year...

- The Fountainhead, by Ayn Rand
- Ship of Fools, by Katherine Anne Porter
- One, Two, Buckle My Shoe, by Agatha Christie
- The Practice of the Presence of God, Brother Lawrence
- The Reversal, by Michael Connelly
- not enough of the Bible

'Disrelish'

"It is the schooling of the soul to find its joy in His Divine Companionship, holding with Him at all times and at every moment humble and loving converse, without set rule or stated method, in all time of our temptation and tribulation, in all time of our dryness of soul and disrelish of God, yes, and even when we fall into unfaithfulness and actual sin." - From 'the Practice of the Presence of God' by Brother Lawrence

"The virtues which we chiefly lack..."

6. "Necessity is laid upon us to examine ourselves with diligence to find out what are the virtues which we chiefly lack,  and which are the hardest for us to acquire; we should seek to learn the sins that do most easily beset us, and the the times and occasions, when we do most often fall. In the time of struggle we ought  to have recourse to God with perfect confidence, abiding steadfast in the Presence of His Divine Majesty; in lowly adoration we should tell out before Him our griefs and our failures, asking Him lovingly for the succor of His grace; and in our weakness we shall find in Him our strength." - pg. 73, From 'the Practice of the Presence of God' by Brother Lawrence

From 'the Practice of the Presence of God' by Brother Lawrence

From the third letter:

"We have a God who is infinitely gracious and knows all about our wants... He will come in His own time, and when you least expect it. Hope in Him more than ever; thank Him with me for the favors He does you, particularly for the fortitude and patience which He gives you in your afflictions. It is a plain mark of the care He takes of you. Comfort yourself, then, with Him, and give thanks for all.

From the fourth letter:

I say again, let us enter into ourselves. The time presses, there is no room for delay; our souls are at stake. I believe you have taken such effectual measures that you will not be surprised. I commend you for it; it is the one thing necessary. We must, nevertheless, always work at it, because not to advance in the spiritual life is to go back. But those who have the gale of the Holy Spirit go forward even in sleep. If the vessel of our soul is still tossed with winds and storms, let us awake the Lord who reposes in it, and He will quickly calm the sea.