April 7, 2017 Friday #RipCLD#lightuntomypath#Jenny#NYslaves#长江

Get Fit
Although I did as much as I could, dancing with Denise to Boot Scootin Boogie this morning, I have to ditch the video.  I have been line dancing with this tape for over 20 years and it has finally died.  I'll miss hearing Elvira first thing in the AM.  Maybe I can find a replacement.

Get Faith
Psalm 16:11 "You will make known to me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; in Your right hand there are pleasures forever."  The psalms are comforting, always reminding us of God's goodness.  I read this and immediately related to the part about God's right hand.  This is where Jesus sits at the right hand of God and judges the living and the dead.  When Christ walked this earth He was loving and kind.  He forgave everyone their sins and healed their broken spirits.  He learned this from God the Father.  Make Him your path of life.

On this day
1976  Pete and I went to Java Junction for dinner.  I believe it was on Eton just down from where I lived in Birmingham.  Places come and go.  I got a phone call from Jenny, who I have no memory of but she called me most days on this week. (?)  This was one of those periods in my life when I worked out and had a membership at Vic Tanny.  It was a Wednesday so Pete (also worked out) went to the bar.  Through our entire relationship he insisted on having boys night out on Wednesday and Friday.  It was a relationship killer.  Oh to be foolish and young again (not).  Wish I could remember who Jenny is. Chris?

1712 - A slave revolt broke out in New York City. So here is a note that they owned slaves in NY.  I guess I thought they had hired help but not slaves there.  We had not even declared our freedom as a country yet.

Anqing China

Anqing, formerly (1912–49) Huaining, Wade-Giles romanization An-ch’ing, conventional Anking, city situated on the north bank of the Yangtze River (Chang Jiang) in southwestern Anhui sheng (province), China. Situated at a crossing place on the Yangtze, it commands the narrow section of the floodplain between the Dabie Mountains to the north and the Huang Mountains on the south bank, at the west end of the lower Yangtze Plain. Yangtze River is longest river in both China and Asia and the third longest river in the world, 
  Wow!
Yangtze River (长江)

Enjoy the day!  Make it memorable!  Happy Birthday Will C!  

April 6, 2017 Thursday #Jillian#doubting#communion#isolated#arrow?#振风塔;

Get Fit
Made a feeble stab at circuit training with Jillian.  Thinking I should get the Dancing Grannies video back out of the give away bag.  I made it through the warm up and set one of the weighted workouts.  Baby steps.

Get Faith
Mathew 20:27  "Then He said to Thomas Put your finger here; see my hands.  Reach out your hand and put it into my side.  Stop doubting and believe." This was after Jesus rose from the dead and showed himself to his disciples.  Thomas had heard them say they saw Him, but wouldn't believe until he saw for himself.  Are you like that?  You have to see to believe?  I think most people are when it is something that unbelievable.  Our leader and friend is back from the dead?  Really?  Show me!  Come to Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and finally to the empty cross on Easter Sunday.  Let us show you His presence with us.

Holy Communion is this remembering and believing over and over that Christ shed His blood for us and returns to us every time in communion.  Come to the Cross during Holy Week and remember.

On this day
1975 - Pete and I went up to Jan's parents cottage up north somewhere.  I worked with Jan, she was a wonderful girl from a real Polish family, great warm people.  It was just Pete and I and the dog, Ziggy who really enjoyed the trip the most.  Pete not so much, it was very isolated and there wasn't even a TV.  This should have been an omen to us.  I read and wrote poetry all weekend and he couldn't wait to get back to the city.  The dog liked it.

1199 - English King Richard I was killed by an arrow at the siege of the castle of Chaluz in France. This is old news, killed by an arrow.  The King?  Where were his protectors?  Did he ride first into battle?  So many questions - he needed a better script writer.

Anqing China

The Zhenfeng Pagoda (simplified Chinese: 振风塔; traditional Chinese: 振風塔; pinyin: Zhènfēng Tǎ) in Anqing City, Anhui Province, People's Republic of China, is a pagoda originally built in 1570 during the Ming Dynasty. Due to its location near a bend in the Yangtze River, the pagoda was formerly used as a lighthouse, and contains niches for lanterns.^[1] After construction, the pagoda was initially called the "Ten-thousand Buddha" (万佛塔) pagoda due to its interior containing over six hundred statues of the Buddha.^[2]

Structure[edit]

Built of brick and 72 metres (236 ft) tall, each of the pagoda's seven stories has seven corners, thereby creating a heptagon. Above the windows on each floor are a set of flying eaves. From the first to the sixth floor, arched doorways lead to an outside balcony. A total of 168 stairs inside the pagoda allow access to the top floor. The walls are tapered slightly, shaping the structure into a partial cone.^[2]

Enjoy the day!  Make it memorable!  Happy Birthday to Chad and Dave!

April 5, 2017 Wednesday #step#servant#commune#Bob#mixedmarriage#安庆长江大桥

Get Fit
Trying to get my fitbit step count up.  I'm not the only one that walks circles in the house.  I did add some aerobics to the mix this morning, that should help.

Get Faith
1 Corinthians 11:25   "This do.... in remembrance of Me."  This was Paul recalling Christ's words in a letter to the Corinthians.  This is something we still do in remembrance of the last supper.  Jesus's last meal with his friends and memories for them to carry on the ministry with.  The act of washing the feet of the disciples to show them that Jesus came as a servant of His Father and His Fathers people.  Us.  He came for us.  Do this in remembrance of Him.  Serve one another.

Communion - It is the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ under the bread and wine, instituted by Christ himself for us Christians to eat and to drink.

On this day
1974 - I was dating a few guys, not unusual for me in those years.  My main goal was to keep busy, socially.  My girlfriend Judy introduced me to her brother Bob.  He was a very interesting, outgoing guy with a great voice.  So great that he worked in broadcasting on the radio.  He had lived in New York for a while and had been married.  His wife was bi polar and committed suicide which left Bob with a lot of guilt.  I had a good ear for listening and a very sympathetic nature and we would talk all night long. I wrote him a poem and he really liked it.  Later he put music to it.  I wonder if I still have it somewhere.  He moved to California after a while, it would have been a good place for him.

1614 - American Indian Pocahontas married English colonist John Rolfe in Virginia.  What?  no uproar about mixed marriage?  Happy anniversary to John and Pocahontas.

Anqing China

Anqing Yangtze River Bridge is a cable-stayed bridge spanning 1,040 metres (3,410 ft) over the Yangtze River at Anqing, Anhui Province in eastern China.^[3][2] The bridge is 31.2 metres (102 ft) wide and carries four lanes of traffic on the G50 Shanghai–Chongqing Expressway between Anqing north of the river and Dongzhi County in Chizhou prefecture to the south. The bridge opened on December 27, 2004 and was the 35th bridge across the Yangtze River between Yibin and Shanghai.^[2][1] The bridge required investment of ¥1.3174 billion.^[1]

The Anqing Yangtze River Bridge is located 164 km (102 mi) downstream from the Jiujiang Yangtze River Bridge and 96 km (60 mi) upstream from the Tongling Yangtze River Bridge.^[1]

Wu Bangguo wrote the calligraphy for the bridge's name inscription.^[2]

Anqing Yangtze River Bridge 安庆长江大桥

 Beautiful bridge, in case you think they don't have structures like this there.  

Enjoy the day!  Make it memorable!  Happy Birthday Debbie C and Robin!

April 4, 2017 Tuesday# situps#Friend#communion#Elvis!#WTC#安庆市

Get Fit
Yesterday I mentioned super agers.  My friend Chris sent me a video of Millie, her 97 year old mother doing sit ups.  She did 8.  Now, what about you?  How many can you do.  Check with a doctor first though.  If you haven't been doing regular exercises and you are over 70  there are some things they say you shouldn't do at all.  Check first so you don't hurt yourself.  I have been doing Pilates for 20 years so I don't have an excuse.

Get Faith
John 15:15 -16  No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing, but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.  You did not choose Me, but I chose you.  Here, Jesus declares his love for His friends, the disciples.  He walked the earth 2000 + years ago but, is still present with us.  Remember?  He was raised from the dead.  Now He is all of our friend.  What a friend we have in Jesus.  Stay with him now and return to the Cross, our common ground.

Lenten study - Communion.  The presence of Jesus Christ in the bread and wine.  The Body and the Blood.  He returns on every occasion to be present when we have communion.  It is one of the great mysteries that separate believers.  You have to have faith to understand, but just as Jesus gave it to His disciples at the last supper - so He gives it, of Himself to you - every time.  Take and eat.  Take and drink. You are always welcome at His table.  He wants you to have it.

On this day
1973  Was a normal, boring day - worked, did some laundry, washed my hair.  I lived in Birmingham with Waynette at this time and I remember the excitement we had while we waited for the highlight of the day to come on television.  It was an Elvis Presley Special, and believe me we were glued to the set!

1973 - In New York, the original World Trade Center twin towers opened. At the time they were the tallest building in the world. Knowing what we know now, this is much more momentis.

Anqing China

Anqing 安庆市
Prefecture-level city

  I think the characters of their writing are interesting.  It would be interesting to see them and understand the word like reading our own language.  See the above Anqing Chinese spelling.  And it looks like a beautiful place as well.
Enjoy the day!   Make it memorable!  

April 3, 2017 Monday #MOVE#Godfirst#repent#H&R#Monsoon!

Get Fit
Google super agers and see what exercise and activity can do for you.  They are finding that we can maintain our strength, balance and brain power by staying active!  Don't resign yourself to aging - keep moving!

Get Faith
Matthew 6;33  "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."  Jesus reminds us that the world has wonderful things to wear and eat, good things to have, but we are to remember that our faith and love are first to Him, and that he will always provide what we need.  He doesn't demand you give up your good stuff - unless it means more to you than He does.  Then it is a stumbling block to your faith.

Lenten reading:  Confession and absolution.  We all sin and need forgiveness.  When we acknowledge our sin to God and he sees that we are sorry, He forgives us, because He loves us.  "God so loved the world that he gave his only son Jesus Christ to die for us. That whoever believes in Him will have everlasting life."  You only need believe to receive absolution/forgiveness, that's all.

On this day
1967  Wow!  50 years ago today I had my taxes done by H & R Block.  I began working in September of 1965 at Excello Corp. so it would have been my second filing, and not much to speak of.  But, when I think that it is also when I first started paying into Social Security, little as it was, it is nice to know that it is now supporting me in my retirement.  It was a good plan, I hope it continues to work.

1967 - The U.S. State Department said that Hanoi might be brainwashing American prisoners. Do you think?

Anqing China

Climate[edit]

Anqing has a four-season, monsoon-influenced humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa), with chilly, damp winters and very hot, humid summers. Cold northwesterly winds from Siberia can occasionally cause nightly temperatures to drop below freezing (although snow is uncommon), while summer can see extended periods of 35 °C (95 °F)+ days. The monthly 24-hour average temperature ranges from 4.0 °C (39.2 °F) in January to 28.7 °C (83.7 °F) in July, while the annual mean is 16.76 °C (62.2 °F). Precipitation tends to reach a maximum in tandem with the meiyu (plum rains) while wintertime rainfall is generally light. With monthly percent possible sunshine ranging from 30% in March to 54% in August, the city receives 1,831 hours of bright sunshine annually.  Sounds much like our own clim

Enjoy the day!  Make it memorable!  Happy Birthday Chris J.

April 2, 2017 Sunday #Superagers#nolimits#thisyear!#War!

Get Fit
I saw a program the other day about "Super Agers".  It showed a number of 80+ year olds, mostly women that chose to keep active, exercising with yoga and other serious forms of exercise.  They were ballroom dancing, and enjoying life.  It was an instant message to me to get back to the activities I love.  I will be able to plank for two whole minutes again!

Get Faith
Psalm 36;5-6 "Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies.  Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the great deep."  I am reminded at reading this that the flu and a broken water line are not the end of the world.

On this day
2016  Reading back on this day, it was either just before, after or it was Easter.  Being Michigan you never know what weather you might get either.  Last year it wa snowing and cold. So today look at that bright sun, here in Michigan, and appreciate the warmer temps.  It is still two weeks til Easter, maybe this will be a warm one!!

1801 - During the Napoleonic Wars, the Danish fleet was destroyed by the British at the Battle of Copenhagen. Now see, I don't remember the Danes being a warring country.  I need to read my history.

Anqing China

History[edit]

The city was founded during the Han Dynasty in the second century BC. In the Middle Ages it received the name of Anqing. From 1853 to 1861 it was held by the rebels of the Taiping rebellion. It had nearly impregnable fortifications. Zeng Guofan began his conquest of the Taiping by besieging the position with double walls. He made it his headquarters after its fall.^{[citation needed]  More war stories, but we know that about China.}

^{Enjoy the day!  Make it memorable!  Happy Birthday to Carol and Claire!!}

April 1, 2017 Saturday #getback#past#Baptism#Marty!

Get Fit
One reason I have  been away from this so long is because I don't feel any kind of fit.  While I am fighting to get my strength back - you stay on target and keep encouraging me.

Get Faith
Isaiah 43:18-19  "Forget the former things: do not dwell on the past.  See, I am doing a new thing!"  This is from Isaiah in the old testament.  He had an advantage.  He knew Christ was coming and spoke often of it.  The new thing.  I have a tendency to live in the past as you see here by my "on this day" portion.  I don't think I live in the past, I just don't want to forget it because of the people it reminds me of.  I find our pasts important only because of who it creates in us.  Hopefully your past has created the most important thing in your future.  Jesus Christ.  The new "thing", the new life and the promise for the new world with our awesome God.

Baptism - our pasts are wiped clean of sin by the death of our Lord Jesus the Christ, sent to us by God the Father and kept alive in our faith by the Holy Spirit who resides with us.  What a blessing.

On this day
2011 - April Fools Day  I will always think of today, not only for the obvious, but because it was Uncle Marty's birthday.  He entered my home when Nicole was two, lived here for seven years and was a character to be reckoned with.  He passed away just before his 50th birthday from an aneurysm and left a whole in our hearts.  On this day I had set up a lot of old videos of Marty, and there were a lot of them, and had a bunch of friends that I knew would enjoy the experience of seeing them.  It was a continued celebration of a life that was kind, loving and certainly entertaining.  RIP Marty.

1578 - William Harvey of England discovered blood circulation. How I wonder.

From Zhodzina Belarus to Anqing China
  

Anqing (simplified Chinese: 安庆; traditional Chinese: 安慶; pinyin: Ānqìng; literally: "Peaceful Celebration", also Anking, formerly Hwaining) is a prefecture-level city in the southwest of Anhui province, People's Republic of China. Its population was 5,311,579 at the 2010 census, with 780,514 living in the built-up (or metro) area.
Lets get settled, looks like a great place to visit!

Enjoy the day!  Make it memorable!  Happy Birthday Marty!!