This one is purely functional - keeping the head warm!
Duane always loved winter sports.
Does anyone have photos of him at Mt. Tone?
Chicago White Sox?
This one is my favorite - what fun he had with that hat!
This was at Kingdom Bound, Darien Lake.
Duane with two hats!
Steeler's hat - he's really concentrating on something here.
I think that's the Steeler's hat again - he's at the airport
in Newburgh, leaving to visit Darren in Florida.
A fan of Weezer, an American alternative rock band.
Can't quite read this one.
Outside church with Alex, one of my "Job Corps sons."
(Alex, where are you now?)
(Alex, where are you now?)
Stylish, floppy wide-brimmed - above and below.
This was a favorite - the multi-colored knit hat.
Here he is on his 8th grade class trip.
That hat is now in the possession of one of his dear friends.
With a couple of his best friends on a youth trip.
Taken at a family Christmas dinner.
This one is obvious - the guys are goin' huntin'!
Don't they look mean?
Thinking about these hats got me thinking about hats in general. Hats can be just for fun, they can make a statement, they can keep the sun out of your eyes, bugs or rain off your head, keep your head warm, disguise a bad hair day, or just for style. Whenever I wear a hat, it is for protection from cold or rain.
When I think of the need for protection, I think of Duane's "Safe" drawing.
Safe in the Everlasting Arms
The eternal God is your refuge, and his everlasting arms are under you.
Deut. 33:27, NLT
Here is where I go for protection from every harm:
Psalm 91:
1 Those who go to God Most High for safety
will be protected by the Almighty.
2 I will say to the Lord, "You are my place of safety and protection.
You are my God and I trust you."
3 God will save you from hidden traps
and from deadly diseases.
4 He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you can hide.
His truth will be your shield and protection.
5 You will not fear any danger by night
or an arrow during the day.
6 You will not be afraid of diseases that come in the dark
or sickness that strikes at noon.
7 At your side one thousand people may die,
or even ten thousand right beside you,
but you will not be hurt.
8 You will only watch
and see the wicked punished.
9 The Lord is your protection;
you have made God Most High your place of safety.
10 Nothing bad will happen to you;
no disaster will come to your home.
11 He has put his angels in charge of you
to watch over you wherever you go.
12 They will catch you in their hands
so that you will not hit your foot on a rock.
13 You will walk on lions and cobras;
you will step on strong lions and snakes.
14 The Lord says, "Whoever loves me, I will save.
I will protect those who know me.
15 They will call to me, and I will answer them.
I will be with them in trouble;
I will rescue them and honor them.
16 I will give them a long, full life,
and they will see how I can save."
will be protected by the Almighty.
2 I will say to the Lord, "You are my place of safety and protection.
You are my God and I trust you."
3 God will save you from hidden traps
and from deadly diseases.
4 He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you can hide.
His truth will be your shield and protection.
5 You will not fear any danger by night
or an arrow during the day.
6 You will not be afraid of diseases that come in the dark
or sickness that strikes at noon.
7 At your side one thousand people may die,
or even ten thousand right beside you,
but you will not be hurt.
8 You will only watch
and see the wicked punished.
9 The Lord is your protection;
you have made God Most High your place of safety.
10 Nothing bad will happen to you;
no disaster will come to your home.
11 He has put his angels in charge of you
to watch over you wherever you go.
12 They will catch you in their hands
so that you will not hit your foot on a rock.
13 You will walk on lions and cobras;
you will step on strong lions and snakes.
14 The Lord says, "Whoever loves me, I will save.
I will protect those who know me.
15 They will call to me, and I will answer them.
I will be with them in trouble;
I will rescue them and honor them.
16 I will give them a long, full life,
and they will see how I can save."
Those are great and precious promises! Do I believe them? Absolutely! Some might say to me, "But disaster did come near your home." Yes, it did. But I do not base my faith on my experiences in life, but rather in God's Word. Can I answer all the "Why's"? No. But I know that if there seems to be a failure with receiving a promise, the failure is on my side and not God's. I pray this Psalm and the promises in it for my family and loved ones daily now, and I expect them to be kept safe.
