My Etsy site

Yes, this is a shameless advertisement for my shop.  I know it's a little late for Christmas gifts this year, but I have an Etsy site with a lot of handmade wood craft items and forged items.  I also have some other items that might interest a local person, but are too expensive to ship.  My wife also has a lot of soaps, shampoo bars, and lotion bars, although she's sold out of most items at the moment.   

My Etsy shop
Pegler Crafts and Forge

Here are some pictures of items I've made that you might think of for yourself, or gifts that are on the Etsy site.  For other items, such as pens and pencils (mechanical pencils), please check out the Etsy shop above.

 

 

 



Here are the log slice lamps that I've made.  They are mostly around 20 inches tall, and are made of birch, walnut, juniper, aspen.  They aren't plugged in in the pictures below, but they can be plugged into a 120 v wall outlet.  No batteries.  These would be expensive to ship, so if you are in the Front Range of Colorado and are interested, let me know.

 

 

all things work together for good

Romans 8:28 English Standard Version (ESV)
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

Romans 8:28 American Standard Version (ASV)
28 And we know that to them that love God all things work together for good, even to them that are called according to his purpose.

Romans 8:28 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
28 We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose.

This verse has become very meaningful to me recently.  My children still aren't reconciled to me, my parents moved across the country in their 80s, my job is in jeopardy as I write this.  Much of this is my own fault, as well.

Some observations about what Paul writes: 

1. Paul does not say that the good things will work together for good.
2. Paul does not say that the things I've done right will work together for good.
3. Paul does say all things.  That includes the things that I've done well, the things that I've done badly or for the wrong motives.  It includes even sin and the effects of sin.

God is bigger than our mistakes and our errors and our sins, and he will work these things out for good.  This is not an excuse for doing things poorly or sinning, but it is a great comfort to know in times of difficulty, even difficulties that are of our own making.

The joy of dogs

About two and a half years we had to put down our dog of 12+ years.  She couldn't move much and was gaining weight.  Her mind was still good, but her body was failing.

It was one of the saddest things and hardest things I've ever done.

Then I had a new family and my wife, Ariane, had a dog, Guinness, that she had had for 13 years or so.  He too was getting older and a few weeks ago we had to put him down as well.  He was 15.  It was very hard.

The following quote was sent to me by a friend who has had many dogs over her life on the death of our first dog, Ginger.  

“The misery of keeping a dog is his dying so soon. But, to be sure, if he lived for fifty years and then died, what would become of me?” – Sir Walter Scott

Last Spring we began to think about getting another dog because we knew that Guinness would not live too much longer  We were able to find a local family that had two adult Miniature Schnauzers (Ariane loves the breed.) and on Father's Day Weekend picked up our two new puppies.

They were so small!

They have grown, and are a delight and joy and a comfort in hard times.

 

Dougal (Dougal Frederick MacGyver Schnauzer Pegler) is a love dog.  He loves to love and to be loved.  His biggest problem is whether to choose a walk, food, or love.  Walks usually win.  Piglet loves to eat, but she too is becoming more affectionate.  She is huge for her size (20 pounds) and last night we wanted to see if she would work for a Thanksgiving meal main dish.  So that's why she's in the roasting pan!!

They are a great joy and loads of fun for us and for the girls.  Puppies and young children were made for each other!