A taste of Paradise…

…that is what I think every time we are blessed to visit Mexico. Here are some pics from our latest adventures: 

Remember, O Man…

…that thou art dust and unto dust thou shalt return.

Old Lutheran Quote of the Day

A good thought for holy Lent, whose arrival is so soon:

“The one who knows that the enemy stands before the gates and straightway lets him enter the city; the one who has been warned of the descending steps of sin but does not heed the warning; the one who knows what is the armor of faith and has been clothed with it but does not use it to repel the evil spirits, mocks and despises the good gifts of the kingdom of God more than the heathen. The violent conflict with shame, dread, and hesitation that always rages in his heart before a Christian consents to sin, in contrast to the easy course of a ‘child of the world’ does not lessen the grievousness of that sin but makes it worse.”—Adolf Köberle, Quest for Holiness, p. 214, 215

I am thinking about rereading the entirety of the book again for Lent. His information on the spiritual battle is so sorely missing among us. 

And…

…I got a little grandpa snuggling in Winnie Mae, our youngest grandchild (#13):

It was a little early

But we had a birthday party for this young man who turns 1 on Tuesday:

Happy birthday, Emmett William Ibisch!

Quinquagesima

 

Patristic Quote of the Day

What Paul meant was that no one obtains the gift of justification on the basis of merit derived from works performed beforehand, because the gift of justification comes only from faith.—The Venerable Bede, ACC NT XI:31. (Emphasis added)

OMAD

This week Cindi and I went back to OMAD (one meal a day). What a difference it makes in our schedule! I find myself so much more relaxed not having to think about the extra meals (no prep, no clean up!) at breakfast and lunch. And if I eat my 1.5 to 2 lbs of meat at dinner, I don’t even think about food till dinner time the following day! Today’s feast was awesome. Cindi did up half a tenderloin she had found on sale.  I stirred up some alfredo while she was frying the meat. I have definitely decided that I prefer the alfredo on tenderloin to hollandaise. That was dinner: a plate of tenderloin and a bowl of alfredo to spread on top, and it was totally satisfying and majorly yummy. Then after dinner I grabbed myself a cup of decaf tea with a splash of raw milk as we engaged in that stupid game of Liverpool. You know who won. AGAIN. Lois and I wonder why we even play. But the tenderloin she made was so delicious that I almost didn’t mind her winning. Almost. 

Old Lutheran Quote of the Day

Man cannot save himself, but he can destroy himself… The “I will” comes from God, the “I will not” from man’s own free choice. Acceptance is not earned through merit but is a gift; perdition is not the result of fate but of sin. In the final judgment, men are placed at the right hand of the Judge; they place themselves at His left.—Adolf Köberle, Quest for Holiness, p. 143, 144.