Author Archives: donsimba1

O holy Child of Bethlehem, descend to us, we pray; Cast out our sin, and enter in, be born in us today. We hear the Christmas angels the great glad tidings tell; O come to us, abide with us, our … Continue reading →

Jane and Glenn’s son, Zel, feeds his son a morsel at our house as he and Dani enjoy their annual break from their home in Australia.  So here we have three generations, Jane, Zel, Finn!  What joy!  Zel is a … Continue reading →

Isaiah is writing as the armies of Persia invade and conquer the Jews whose military forces collapse before them. Jerusalem is falling.  The situation looked dreadfully hopeless.  The ten northern tribes had been defeated by Syrians years ago.  Now the … Continue reading →

This is one of my favorite flowers, of all the thousands at Longwood – a white orchid, fluffy, vivid, inviting and just plain stunning in beauty.

Christmas is upon us!  Time to give God praise anew.  I am approaching my 90th birthday.  Anna Ruth, bless her, is already 90!  It is fitting that we should be touched by this hymn, long a favorite of ours.  It … Continue reading →

Did you ever see an orchid tree?  Here is one, beautiful beyond words. Orchids!  Dozens of them.  Overwhelming. We tend a little orchid now and again, and get attached to it.  How about this whole “tree” of orchids?  Anna Ruth, … Continue reading →

As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, … Continue reading →

Alan found a Longwood orchid to his liking!  Does it have any smell, Alan? One of the many breathtaking displays at Longwood Gardens.  This wreath of apples, cranberries and other nice things, etc.. must be three or more feet across.  … Continue reading →

Scene one.  A newborn baby, embraced and fed by his young mother in a strange place among strange people, in Bethlehem, a small village of Judah, far from family and friends. Scene two.  A condemned man dying as cursed by … Continue reading →

There is something quite special about the first snow of the season.  I think we can see this mystery in the picture out of our dining room window.  Got over 4 inches!  Nice snow, soon melted by the warmer weather.  … Continue reading →