What is Heaven's favorite color?

                        Oh, what do you do in the wintertime, when all the world is white?  

We learned on Sunday about a little girl who shared her thoughts about the temple, 

                    

when asked about the reason that the clothing is white, she answered, 

because it is God’s favorite color!

                        

   What is your favorite color?  

When asked the reason our mother likes to wear blue, her answer has been, 

“It is the color of your father’s eyes!” 

So is the sky. 

Only the clouds can change and cause gasps of delight or surprise at day’s beginning or end. 

Another color we are learning to love in our family games is Azul.  

Yes, the color blue.  

And an eldest son in a family nearby has quite the talent to come out on top. 

                      

Especially when birthdays bring you to the moon and back!  

Days off can be a treasure to grandparents! 

Speaking of developing talent and celebrating success, we joy that a Washington grandson  recently recorded a personal best on his cross country team, which his younger sister joined (hoorah!) and a cousin further north traveled to State with her high school team, which took first place. 

 Winning can be amazing.  Being part of a team can be even better.  

This season, does it not feel good to step as a team?

                                      

To share teams past? 

To inspire teams present?  

To create, as a team?

Which may include gathering loved ones

or meeting cousins, extended family branches, in tender mercy moments 

Beginnings, during these past weeks include a few lovely repairs.  One of us (may or not be confessing culpability) decided to clear out the P trap in the main bathroom sink.  So great, it is to have clear pipes!  Lesson learned:  Returning the pipes to original position can be a tiny bit tricky.  As are a few other things in our lives!  We learn from  Henry’s Awful Mistake,  that some things are okay to ignore. 

 Grateful we are, for repairs, a new plumbing valve and extra water pressure for night time showers.  Thanks, Val, and Mr. Smedley!

Speaking of pipes, this Saturday, after waking to our first “winter wonderland” blanket of white, a couple of grandchildren  drove with me 30 minutes to an organ workshop and were encouraged by some professional and accomplished organists and teachers in marking pedals, creating a homemade “king of instruments” from scratch, and choosing to “up their game” by paying the price of practicing.  Practicing offers rewards of lifting hearts.

                                          

And singing with a workshop group of seven or eight dozen atop support of organ at full stop brought out voices and unexpected Spirit.  A yearning to "up our game" and personal best.  

During the "linger longer" meal, we learned that one of the participants is a cousin to Grandma Pearl.  Not everyone can claim having grown up on Canyon Road in Paris (Idaho!)

Before the snowflakes came, a granddaughter planted pansies in our front gardens overlooked before casting aside extra crutches.

                                          

Looking out upon bright yellow faces can gladden a heart.

   With a little voice to remind me, "Grandma, have you prayed about your lost earphones?"  Opening eyes, my sight went straight to the missing cords.  Similarly, when that very granddaughter hunted and hunted to find lost wages which she carefully had tucked into a stocking inside two tiny purse zippers. Bemoaning her loss, she told her grandma and again, gaze was drawn directly, and the lost was found. 

 Not every loss is solved as simply as plugged pipes and puckered purse strings, but regardless the outcome, somehow dilemmas are deemed a bit more doable when coupled with divine direction. 

 A visiting friend shared a Bible verse about hope Romans 5:3-5 … We glory in tribulations … knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope.  

Another verse reminds me of the “hooks” taught in the organ workshop, where your foot finds a sure place (to avoid annoyed elephants that can sometimes seem to bellow from pedal pipes)   

Hebrews 6:19 speaks of hope as  an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast.  

We are hoping you are finding colors in your daily walk. 

                                                 

Our neighbor, suggesting Chi Gong, is confident that a deep belly laugh before bed enhances rest.  

                    

May you each encounter a lifting of the corners of your lips (even a pencil between the teeth can help!) Ask our granddaughter.  She is good at prayer and perhaps can help you find the pencil!  Our neighbor organ teacher taught that music becomes powerful when we attend to the rests.  

  May you ever obey your rests!  

Happy November!  Grateful, are we for friends who lift the corners of our lips! 

  Love, Laurene and Val 

How is your harvest?  Thank you for joining in ours!