Rebecca Stark is the author of The Good Portion: Godthe second title in The Good Portion series.

The Good Portion: God explores what Scripture teaches about God in hopes that readers will see his perfection, worth, magnificence, and beauty as they study his triune nature, infinite attributes, and wondrous works. 

                     

Monday
Sep142009

My Desktop Photo 71: Fish Lake

Photo by Andrew Stark
Copyright 2009
(click on photo for larger view)

This one, especially, is worth the click to see it bigger.

Sunday
Sep132009

Sunday's Hymn

William Cowper’s childhood home

Will you think me morbid if I post another funeral hymn from the Olney Hymns? I love them; they are full of hope. And that William Cowper is a poet shines through in this one to be sung on the death of a minister.

His master taken from his head,
Elisha saw him go;
And, in desponding accents said,
“Ah, what must Israel do!”

But he forgot the LORD, who lifts
The beggar to the throne;
Nor knew, that all Elijah’s gifts
Would soon be made his own.

What! when a Paul has run his course,
Or when Apollos dies;
Is Israel left without resource?
And have we no supplies?

Yes, while the dear Redeemer lives,
We have a boundless store;
And shall be fed with what he gives,
Who lives for evermore.

—William Cowper

Other hymns, worship songs, sermons etc. posted today:

Have you posted a hymn (or sermon, sermon notes, prayer, etc.) today and I missed it? Let me know by leaving a link in the comments or by emailing me at the address in the sidebar and I’ll add your post to the list.

Saturday
Sep122009

Saturday's Old Photo

These are the Mackies of Missouri, my mother’s mother’s family. I know very little about this photo or the Mackies, and my mother’s writing on the back doesn’t give me a whole lot to go on.  She doesn’t record the date or occasion and identifies only a few of the people.

The third woman from the left in the back row is my grandmother, Rosa Mackie Deckard. (I posted another photo of her last June.) The two women farther left  are Marie and Olive Mackie, the daughters of my grandmother’s brother George, and the woman to my grandmother’s right is her sister, Sarah Emmaline (known as Emma) Mackie Burrell.

In the front row, far left, is my grandmother’s brother Haulace Mackie. He lived in Hailey, Idaho where my mother grew up, so he is the only other person in this photo besides my grandmother that I knew. My mother called him “Uncle Haulace,” so that’s how I think of him. Next to Uncle Haulace in the front row are four people my mother identifies as “4 cousins.” They would be her cousins, I guess.

Because I knew so little about this picture, I popped the names into Google and found this photo of the grave of my grandmother’s parents, John and Mahala (Halie) Mackie, listing Haulace, Rosa and Emma as their children; and also this one of the grave of  my grandmother’s brother George and his wife, listing Marie and Olive as children.

In the information for the first photo, I rediscovered something I’d forgotten: My grandmother had a sister named Rebecca, only she was called Betty, not Becky, as I am. I’m not named after her, since I’m named Rebecca only because the state of Tennesee required a “proper Christian name,” and Becky wouldn’t do. (Haven’t times changed?) I’ve decided it’s nice to have a namesake among my ancestors anyway.

Did you notice that two of the men are wearing denim overalls, but the older man in the center leaning on a cane has topped his with a heather knit cardigan. Everyone else has short sleeves or rolled up sleeves. Is he cold because he’s older?

And three of the men are wearing hats. Not cowboy hats or farmer hats, but fedoras. What’s up with that?