Prayer -Word of the Year 2019

At the beginning of 2019 on the inspiration of my daughter Sherilee, who has been picking a "Word of the Year for more than 10 years... and my good wife Shirley, who has been doing this even before Sherilee started, I did my first "Word of the Year."

If you decide to pick "Word of the Year for 2020" take enough time to consider more than one possibility and the right word will soon show itself as the overwhelming favourite for you.

I could not have predicted the enormous blessing that doing this project has been to me. In a sketch book with 72 pages I have filled it with quotes on Prayer from a wide variety of sources and friends.

Oswald Chambers devotional book, "My Utmost for His Highest" has been my devotional book this year... and has been a rich source of inspiration.

I left out about 20 quotes and tried to pick the very best ones for this blog post. With the sketch book on my lap and my iPhone camera, I snapped the photos sitting in our family room. I hope this helps you get the idea.  Without further dialog, just browse through my quotes on Prayer and enjoy.

Tim Keller is the founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City... he has several great YouTube sermons on Prayer.

Oswald Chambers devotional book.

Michelle Ule has been a disciple of Oswald Chambers and provides a daily spin to help apply each days devotional.

This is the first part of Jeremiah 29:11-13

Amazing commitment to Him!

This leads into...

My daughter Sherilee shared this choice quote with me by Mary Oliver.

The answer may not be what we think it should be.

The chapter "Asking to Give" in Christ's Object Lessons is a rich source of wisdom on prayer.

The YouTube video "Life Changing Prayer" was a game changer for me. I pray Colossians 1:9 for someone every single day now.

From another great YouTube video on prayer.

Several sources advocate using 4 or 5 elements in our prayers... Starting with Praise and Adoration, then Confession, followed with Thanksgiving and Gratitude, and the finishing with Intercession or Supplication and Petition.

Shirley and I have been writing out our prayers most every day, and she tells me she not only starts but also ends her prayers with Praise and Adoration. There is no wrong way. Do what feels right to you.

2019 Our Year in Pictures

This adobe chapel is part of the DeGrassi Museum and Art Gallery in Tucson Arizona.

Went to the Tucson Home and Garden Show... they had a corner for an Antique Car Show. We liked the old cars better than the Home Show!

The stained glass front window at Desert Valley SDA Church... so wonderful!

Sabbath afternoon at Saguaro National Park... delighted to find a new Crested Saguaro Cactus!

No one knows why this anomaly happens.  We have photographed about 14 different Crested Saguaros.

Marilyn's dog Rosebud in her red winter coat... in dog years she is about 90.

Good to see my best friend, Buz Starrett, at our PUC 50-year homecoming April 20 weekend.

Donated about 50 screen printed posters done while a student at PUC... and they set up this display in Paulin Hall lobby.

Granddaughter Maizy graduates from High school May 24 weekend. Shirley hiding again?

The same weekend grandson Seth graduated from Pacific Lutheran University... interesting school photo collection Sherilee displayed.

Shirley loves to photograph most all flowers... especially these cone flowers. She has made several watercolour paintings from her flower photos.

It's always fun to go to the Armstrong Fair... and see the prize winners!

Shirley and her sisters, Marilyn, Sheila and Roberta spent most of a week together here in September.

One of our favourite places to walk is along the lake on the Rail Trail... which is as level is it gets.  Shirley always likes level!

In the summer we shop every Friday either at the Farmer's Market or at the local farms here in Lake Country. Farm fresh and locally grown is wonderful.

Our kids Sherilee and Shelby get together occasionally... we love this selfie they sent us.

Shelby and I hiked the Carrot Mountain trail that we built behind our Shannon Woods development. I'm getting too old for this hard a climb. Just to see the golden leaves on the maples in the subdivision below made it all worthwhile. When we planted most of those trees over 20 years ago they were much smaller and had green leaves! What a difference 20 years makes!

I've played several hundred rounds of golf at the Shannon Lake Golf Course that surrounds the little lake.

We try to go for an hour walk together every day... rain or shine.

This is the landscape plan of our condo development just getting out of the ground. You can check out our development called the Uplands.

This is Building A taken with a drone.  The white and orange insulated tarps keeps the snow and frost away. By early fall 2020 we believe 16 purchasers will be living here.

Setting up the forms and rebar in preparation for the concrete.  What a lovely valley view.



The lighthouse and light house keepers residence on Mayne Island along Active Pass.

We see some amazing sunsets from our deck on Mayne Island.

Our home there is still a part of our lives.  The 10-acre property is listed for sale, and we are praying that if He wants us to be elsewhere, when the time is right He will send the right buyer. We did a major addition with a carport and studio above. To see photos of the construction process you might check in my blog archives during 2012 and onward.

Here is a 4-minute video for 455 Heck Hill, Mayne Island posted here if you are interested.