2 Corinthians 12:9

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

I don't know that I ever really boast of my weaknesses. I wonder if I'm actually taking the above verse out of context when I quote it to myself during times when I feel my weakness most apparent. You know those times when you realize you've been trying too hard to do everything in your own strength? But what Paul was talking about was God's grace through the suffering he was enduring. I don't even know if I can really categorize what I experience as suffering - especially in comparison. I won't pretend to think that my situations are similar to what Paul (or even other Christians around the globe today) endured. But I do know I need to be reminded of God's grace. And faithfulness.

Perhaps instead I should quote to myself Lamentations 3:21-27

But this I call to mind,
     and therefore I have hope:
The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases;
     his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
     great is your faithfulness.
"The LORD is my portion," says my soul,
     "therefore I will hope in him."
The LORD is good to those who wait for him,
     to the soul who seeks him.
It is good that one should wait quietly
     for the salvation of the LORD.
It is good for a man that he bear
     the yoke in his youth.

We had a fairly close lightening strike the other night and it's really amazing how strong the [olfactory sensations](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olfaction "aka odor") can be when the aquarium water pump goes out...

Betsie made an astute observation this morning: we have a Toastmaster (tm) coffe maker and a Mr Coffee (tm) tea pot in our kitchen.

Weird.

Cell Phones Are the New Wristwatches | Gadgetopia

I have been using my cell phone as my watch for years...

According to [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memorial), "A memorial is an object served as a memory of something, usually a person (who has died) or an event."

A few tims in Scripture we see memorials raised. Jacob raised memorials on at least two occasions. After his dream of a ladder rising up to Heaven, he raised a stone and [called the place Bethel](http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Genesis+28%3A18-22), which means "The House of God." And again after his covenant with [Laban](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laban_%28Bible%29) he raised several stones into a pile and [called the place "Galeed"](http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Genesis+31%3A45-52), which means "The heap of witness."