Reading Is Fun!

Our grandson agrees with that statement. Reading brings smiles, stimulates thought, provokes conversation, changes views, motivates action, enlightens understanding, and provides hours of enjoyable entertainment.
I have generally been of the opinion that one good book at a time is the most I can digest. Yet, just recently, I counted the number of books on my nightstand and was quite surprised. Five different selections were resting there all with bookmarks nestled among the pages and another is on order from Amazon!
Daily Light by Anne Graham Lotz was given to me by my parents in 1998 and I have read it through every year since, writing in the margins so I can chronicle events in my life and revisit them each year.
Voice of the Faithful by Beth Moore is a book of inspiring stories of courage from Christians serving around the world. Since my sister and her husband will be serving as missionaries in Tanzania I thought this was a very relevant daily "read".
Everything Must Change; Jesus, Global Crises, and a Revolution of Hope by Brian D. McLaren was a Christmas gift from Jacob and Stacia. It deals with the question: "How do the life and teachings of Jesus address the most critical global problems in our world today?" THIS is my "thought provoking" read!
Black by Ted DeKker is book one in a trilogy. This is definitely an adrenaline-packed epic where there is a world of dreams colliding with a world of reality in a tug of evil versus good. Ted is one of my favorite authors, whose books Thr3e and Obssessd kept me up until dawn.
The Bible-New Living Translation, by God, is front and center this year. I'm once again challenged to read it in it's entirety but have happened upon a new method. The text is divided into seven sections and I read a portion from a different one each day of the week: The Law, History, Psalms, Poetry, Prophecy, Gospels, and Epistles.
Finally: my book on order-
Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois. Since I love to bake bread I am anxious for this book to arrive. I will add it to my pile!

I hope I have wet your appetite and you are hungry to turn some pages. Let me know what is currently occupying your nightstand.

"Thanks-mas" in North Carolina

Two holidays were combined on December 9th-11th. Hunter flew in from India while Jacob and Stacia,(Jacob's fiance),flew from San Diego all converging in Raeford, North Carolina. Following was our "designated" itinerary, which unbelievably we followed quite well.
DEC. 9TH:
Christian Michael Thorpe dedicated to the Lord at Manna Church
Thanksgiving dinner complete with turkey, stuffing, and pumpkin pie
Transition into Christmas with opening of presents involving a crazy treasure hunt and a nerf gun fight throughout the Thorpe home
"Apples to Apples" family game occupying the evening hours
DEC. 10TH:
A morning professional photography session at a horticultural garden with sunshine and 80 degree weather
"Some-R-Set" tournament (an unusual bidding card game, which has become the source of fierce competition between the sexes in our family)
Pizza and "Hit the Deck", another fast moving card game
DEC. 11TH:
Pancake breakfast at Branden and Brooke's new home
Bocce ball up and down the sandy knolls of Thorpe's yard complete with fire ants that unmercifully attack "sandlefooted feet"
Murder-Mystery dinner, "Til Death Do Us Part" with everyone in costume and character for an evening of laughter (Check out Rebecca's blog-www.rebeccathorpe.blogspot.com, for more details on this event, which was voted in as an annual affair)

May your holiday gathering be as eventful and fun.

Scuba Diving "Proof"

Just wanted to let everyone know that we really DO scuba dive. Ha! (Photo courtesy of the dive master in Costa Rica.)

Daddy's home!!!

Leave it to Steve to "throw" us a curve ball. Rebecca and I were fully intending to go to the airport on Friday afternoon, Nov. 30th, with Christian in his mom's arms to greet Steve at the airport as he disembarked from the plane. It was going to be one of those "Hallmark Hall of Fame" moments! Well, Steve decided he was going to surprise us and surprise us he did! Rebecca's cell phone rang and as she was talking to Steve, assuming he was in Atlanta, Georgia, the door bell rang. Expecting another UPS Christmas delivery, I went to retrieve the delivery. I was speechless as I opened the door and saw Steve standing there in his army fatigues wearing a grin from "ear to ear". Needless to say there was no well-planned video. I did manage to grab my camera and get a family photo. It was a happy reunion, to say the least!!

Christian's team?

Here is a recent picture of my grandson, Christian. He looks just like his Daddy, except for the big eyes, which definately came from his Mom. As you can see he is sporting an Iowa State "jersey". That is his Grandma Kate's alma mater. His uncle Branden would like to see him in a Bear's outfit, whereas his uncle Jacob would prefer the San Diego Chargers. But as far as Steve, his Dad, is concerned he should be wearing nothing but Denver Bronco gear!!

This coming Saturday Steve and Christian will meet for the first time. I will be video-taping this exciting event and will post it on my next blog entry. Be watching!

Scuba diving in Costa Rica

"And God said, 'Let the water teem with living creatures....' So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems..." This verse in the book of Genesis takes on real meaning when you stare eyeball to eyeball with a 5 foot white-tipped shark or swim over a sting ray with a wing span of 8 feet! Although the water off the Pacific coast of Costa Rica is cold, a frigid 68 degrees the first day we dove, it is indeed "teeming" with God's creations. Because of the bone-chilling temps I wore three, yes I said THREE, wet suits. For those of you who have never been diving let me give you a little bit of information concerning wet suits. They are made from neoprene, synthetic rubber foam that is filled with thousands of tiny gas bubbles. Once you enter the water a thin layer of water enters your wet suit filling the space between your skin and the inner surface of the wet suit. This layer of water is then warmed to your body temperature and it helps to keep you warm throughout your dive. The optimum word in that last sentence is "helps". I can get cold in 80 degree water when I dive longer than 20 minutes. So I knew I had to add the third suit but then I encountered another problem. You see, since the suits trap air, I'd simply be a big bobber if I didn't actually add weights to my gear in order to sink to the bottom of the ocean floor. More suits equal more weight. I needed 24 pounds of added weight to sink. Once in the water that's poses no difficulty but with a pitching boat, getting either into or out of the stern is a definite test of patience and balance! (I managed with the help of an attentive husband and the helpful boat crew.) It was worth all the effort when I skimmed the ocean's bottom and witnessed an orange seahorse gently swaying with the current and a spotted octopus wrapping its graceful tentacles around an unsuspecting fish among a multitude of other sights. I have marveled at a sunset, been amazed at the brilliance of fire-red fall leaves, and sighed in wonder at the beauty of the mountains, but I've learned, that is only half of God's creation. The rest lies under the water and possesses its own kaleidescope of shapes, colors and swimming creatures. I would challenge each of you to consider scuba diving. Give it a try. You'll never regret it!

Besides enjoying the scuba diving adventures, Hunter and I joined the group riding a "zip-line" through the rain forest canopy. Hunter became a "modern" Tarzan flying upside down from one tree to another!

Less thrilling but equally enjoyable activities were playing cards with friends, feasting on gourmet cuisine, walking hand in hand along a black sand beach, and sitting on volcanic rock beside a cave watching the tide rush in and out and just sharing with one another.

Although Hunter and I live thousands of miles apart right now, God continues to provide us with special times together that bond us with unforgettable memories!

Christmas "Cheer" for Charlie Company

As the holiday season approaches we often begin to think of ways we can help others. This year Rebecca, my daughter and wife of Captain Stephen Thorpe, and Star, wife of Lt. Eric Bradley, are spear-heading a project to provide Christmas "stockings" for the men of Charlie Company. This is a group of approximately 167 infantry soldiers who are stationed in Iraq for 15 months. I am helping by sewing some of the 167 stockings, which will be filled with candy and various other items. We hope these gifts provide a bit of "cheer" on Christmas Day, as these men will be far away from their loved ones.

If you would like to give toward this project please e-mail or post a comment and I will respond with the information. Here is a photo of one of the completed "stockings". Thank-you for your generosity and willingness to remember our servicemen and women. Let us continue to pray for their safety; both physically and spiritually.