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