Christmas 2006

My wife did good this year. She gave me a very nice ESV Bible and a leatherbound copy of The Valley of Vision. Both will get a lot of use in years to come.

Behind the books is a few of the radios in my radio room. This room functions as my home office and electronics workshop also. I spend a lot of time in this room reading, studying, building projects related to amateur radio and when there is time left over I will get on the air to see what foreign country I can talk to. Ham radio has been my hobby for over 30 years and I still get a rush when I make contact with another station far, far away.

Lord, high and holy, meek and lowly,

Thou hast brought me to the valley of vision,

where I live in the depths but see Thee in the heights;

hemmed in by mountains of sin I behold Thy glory.

Let me learn by paradox

that the way down is the way up,

that to be low is to be high,

that the broken heart is the healed heart,

that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit,

that the repenting soul is the victorious soul,

that to have nothing is to possess all,

that to bear the cross is to wear the crown,

that to give is to receive,

that the valley is the place of vision.

Lord, in the daytime stars can be seen from deepest wells,

and the deeper the wells the brighter Thy stars shine;

let me find Thy light in my darkness,

Thy life in my death,

Thy joy in my sorrow,

Thy grace in my sin,

Thy riches in my poverty,

Thy glory in my valley.

The Valley of Vision