June Dred Update

The Tempest

Montana Shakespeare in the Park

Dred-ed!

Minda and I both have been wanting dreds for several years. She, however is young and can pull off anything outrageous and make it look cute. After graduation, she ordered a kit of organic wax & powder and a comb & we went to work!

(STILL WON"T LET ME LOAD PHOTOS!!!! GRRRRRRRRRR!)

Call to Pray - - Ammended at the end

This morning I received a note from a friend about the Freedom of Choice Act. I had never heard anything about it. In researching and seeing that it is, indeed, real, I am now asking anyone and everyone who reads this blog to pray that this does not pass. We don't have much time, but God is always in the knick of time anyway! Read below, research for yourselves and then hit your knees, PLEASE.

Please join in praying the 9 days of prayers in the hope that FOCA will not pass. If you are apposed to abortion then there is bad news on the horizon.For those of you who do not know, the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) is set to be signed if Congress passes it on January 21-22 of 2009. The FOCA is the next sick chapter in the book of abortion. If made a law then all limitations on abortion will be lifted which will result in the following:

1) All hospitals will be required to perform abortions upon request.
2) Partial birth abortions would be legal and have no limitations.
3) All U.S. tax payers would be funding abortions.
4) Parental notification will no longer be required.
5) The number of abortions will increase by a minimum of100,000 annually.

Perhaps most importantly the government will now have control in the issue of abortion. This could result in a future amendment that would force women by law to have abortions in certain situations (rape, down syndrome babies, etc) and could even regulate how many children women are allowed to have.

***I have since learned that this bill may not be passed on the 21-22nd of this month, however, it is still vital to be on our knees, seeking God's intervention and power in the face of what this bill could mean.
It is still a bill that is before congress that will likely pass (due to the majority of democratic support), it is still a bill that will give the government control, it still means that my taxes will be going toward taking a life, and that abortion could become common place. Catholics aren't the issue, in my opinion, life is. This bill is like putting a Herod into law who will be able to send out forces to kill at whim. The bill is real, even if the statement by the "novena" was misleading as to the extent of impact or the day of passage.

Long Awaited!

24 is BACK!

Are ya'll watchin'??? (click)

(Since Paul asked, Here is a link to the Charlie Rose conversation I mentioned in the comment box)

'24' - the movie

(click)

Justice

"Justice is what love looks like - in public" ~ Dr. Cornel West
http://www.callandresponse.com/

A Night to Remember

*Disclaimer* I didn't use flash due to the distraction I knew it would be, nor did I attempt to try to manually manipulate the camera in the darkness - needless to say the photos are blurry.

Our 20 year anniversary just passed. The revelry was overshadowed a bit by all the activity(Thanksgiving, Cassia's 19th bday, worship practice, photo shoots...), so we agreed to spread out the celebration. When I finally arrived in Bozeman 2 years ago, our first date was The Jeni Fleming Trio's goodbye concert. It was a magical evening for me. I was together with my husband again after 2 long months and one week prior to that night we had quietly passed our 18 year anniversary. We don't go see many concerts. #1 we can't justify the outlay of dough for something that lasts a couple hours and you have nothing to show for it at the end, & #2 there are many people we do not feel comfortable supporting. Jake and Jeni Fleming do not fall into either one of those categories. They love this community. Its musicians, its everyday people, its businesses, and its culture are something they invest in. Bozeman, in turn, loves them back.
Jeni has an amazing voice and, to be honest, I'm surprised she is not more widely celebrated. It may be on purpose ~ intentional on their part. They teach instruments and voice to the underprivileged, give scholarships to attend music camps and to encourage music majors, and they put on concerts for $15 just so those of us who are friends can come and see them without breaking the bank.
I love watching Jake, in his element, lost in the music. He grooves, bops, directs, makes Jeni laugh, and totally loves what he is doing. They are both very true and loyal to those they call friends and, in so doing, they have many. Jeni's voice carries you away. Sweet, powerful, funky, and lilting all in one song sometimes. The audience literally sits in awe. Then they bring in a few of those friends, who also are extremely gifted, to jam with them for a few evenings and we get to enjoy the phenom unfold.
Craig mesmerizes us with his guitar, Chris has us wrapped around his fingers as he tickles the ivories, Ben practically jerks us to our feet to cheer as he wails on a FLUTE of all things! Adam and Kelly keep our feet tappin', make us giggle at their interchanges, and give us the need to groove.We sat next to a lady from California who knew Cassia from the Garage and couldn't say enough about our girl! :o) She had brought her nephew, Ben, who takes guitar lessons from Jake. On the other side of us was a couple who knew friends of ours in Moses Lake! Such a small world.

We loved every moment last night!
Jeni, if you read this, Thank you. It will be another magical memory for many years to come!

Summer Days Driftin' Away...

Home Group this week was with the Kavy's. It was a night of pizza, Corn in the Hole (as Abbs calls it), Canasta, and frisbee (which is why Tofer is on the roof and Sara and Lily are "watching so he doesn't fall")

We decided this summer to just do fellowship nights. We've been rotating homes and sharing meals, and bringing our whole fams. It's great for those of us who are beyond babies because we get to snuggle and kitchy-coo the wee ones. Kalen Charles (seen here sporting he polar bear unionsuit!) is a fave because he wants you to feel you are doing well and encourages you with tons of smiles.

When Maizy passed away, Per and Sue immediately bought Abby-girl. She is finally big enough to come up to play with us. Still very much a puppy and not ready to do the hike but, frisbee - ball - wrestle - etc ... Ready, willing and able!

We got to go to our first Bozeman Farmer's market. In comparison to where we came from, it was produce-lite (actually it was like a gnat's eyelash) but it is early still, and so we remain hopeful. Yummy Butterheads, and some nice garlic, but most everything else was crafts. I'm hoping to go again on Tuesday at the park instead of the fairgrounds.

Scott and Sadie had us over for some serious grub. They feed you well (or as Scott would say, "Feed you well - in a mug! You know what I'm sayin'?! Ya, that's what I'm talkin' 'bout right there!") Ribs, black bean salad, corn, acorn squash, baked beans... and I brought Scotty's favorite dessert ~Triple Berry Crumble. I literally felt like I was going to pop.

Dan, Jess, Doug, Kaitlyn, Minda & I took in Montana's Shakespeare in the Park this week also. It is the best performance of MacBeth I have ever been too and the first one that was free! It was fantastic! Of course, it was also gory, demonic, and a testament to pride and the true nature of man ~ but that is the best of MacBeth! And they did it so well that you walked away saying, "God keep me from myself! Let me always look to You alone as my source." Scary stuff.

Life Questioned ~ edited

It is our own heart, and not someone's opinion of us that forms our character

Frederich Von Shiller

Our church is making cutbacks. Money is a rudder. It isn't a storm, or the helm, or even the sail or the wind in the sail. It just makes all those things way more obvious when it is lacking. Sadly, it does turn the ship. It creates panic and unrest on board when you know that one little piece of wood has been cracked, damaged or removed and you no longer have the power to control the ships movements.

It has been an emotional week. Our dearest friends, and the associate pastors of our body (the Murrays) have been let-go. We are heartbroken, discouraged, at-a-loss, and reeling from the blow. I don't understand the decision, but what I do know is that these are some of the most God-honoring people I have ever had in my life. God is for them. He is completely able to turn for good something that doesn't look that way in the natural. I know they will let Him lead them into the next glory beyond what He began here, as they look to Him. My heart will be bowed low for a long, long, time ~ both in prayer for understanding & comfort, but also because that is the only place it can be right now... low, at the foot of the cross ~ in sackcloth and ashes.

Don and Jen, River and Mo, we love you way up to the moon and deeper than the ocean. We will miss having you by our side everyday. Thank you for being our friends. This is one of the most difficult things we've ever experienced.

(J felt that I shared a bit too much, so I have edited this post. Please forgive me if I helped to start a root of bitterness in any of you, and please, please know that wasn't my intention. I journal here. Sometimes I forget that others even read it, so I must be more careful in content. Thanks for understanding. ~D)

More Power to Him

More from VBS!!

Quarentined Lepars.

Every Move I Make.

Ben is Brave!

Cheese Its!

the POWERS Christ gives

I'm photographing VBS this week, so I won't be posting a whole lot.... Bunch of Mad Science goin' on as we test out and discover the Power from Christ to be thankful, to help others, to be brave, to live forever, and to tell others about Him! Our whole family is involved and it has been a blast the past few days - except for the 6" of snow out at YAA campground where we are holding it!

30 hours - 31,300 dead

Tofer and Minda took part in World Vision's 30 hour famine this year. Our family pastor took several youth and joined with other youth from our city to gather for a night of learning to empathise and care about the 29,000 children that die each day as a result of hunger or hunger related illnesses. The morning after, the kids walked into service with LONG butcher paper rolls of stick figures. There were 29,000 figures, but even more had died in during the event. Each of the kids had to raise at least $35 to participate, but few raised only that amount. $35 feeds a child for a year! A YEAR?!?!

Minda raised $500, and she was sad she didn't have more time to get word out and gather more. Tofer and she led worship with another friend. It was a big step for her. Not only was it in front of people, it was in front of people she didn't know. God gave her boldness to use her talent and her knowledge of her instrument (with encouragement from her big brother and his time in teaching her to "feel" the change...) to usher kids into His presence so He could speak to their hearts.

Minda was asked several times, as she knocked on doors of friends and neighbors, if she was REALLY going to go without food for 30 hours; when it was over she said, "At least I knew there was an end in sight - they don't."
31,300 children were dead by the time she came home because they didn't have the meals her $500 will provide ~ but maybe this year there will be a few less because she chose to go without for only 30 hours just for them. We probably won't know until heaven.

Thaw

I'm still doing the raw food challenge. With the coming of sunshine there is greater desire to eat raw. When it was still snowing and 34 degrees outside for some reason I didn't crave a chilly smoothie over a hot cup of coffee! This was part of dinner last night. A 7 grain and mushroom "tortilla" (brushed with EVOO) with green onion, tomato, cucumber, orange bell pepper and avocado slivers (with pink sea salt sprinkled sparingly) and a green smoothie made of apple, peach, mango, strawberry, banana, spirulina, wheat grass, barley grass, wheat sprouts, jerusalem artichoke, lemon, and flax seed. I know it looks and sounds gross, but even my kids want some when I drink it!

The sunshine has been working it's wonders in other areas too! The woodlands are greening! We have a pair of eagles that have chosen to nest on our hillside. When the sun is warm they circle on the wind currents and call to each other. Tofer has the hoop set up and has been out there shooting baskets every shiny afternoon when school is finished. Nimbal-O and he sat and chatted with one another yesterday.

Cricket and I and Cassia had hoped to walk along the creek and get a bit of exercise, but it is still to deeply entrenched in snow.

Little by little winter is losing it's grip on the mountain. It's raining today and we are hoping it is diminishing some of that frozen depth at the creek side. I'm sitting with a cup of peppermint tea watching the drizzle. We just finished PSAT tests and have one more week of school before we are on our 3 month break! I'm going to do dishes and then work on curtains for our bedroom (they've been in process for months). Life is good.

Expelled

Expelled, originally uploaded by efiw.

We took the kids to the "movies" Monday.
I've been following this movie for almost a year and was intensely interested to see if this was going to just be another bash fest or a presentation of facts. Ben Stein did a decent job of getting word out there as to what is happening and how our World View seems to influence our ability to look at facts objectively and follow those facts to their ultimate conclusion. Still, it was a bit bashing (typical Ben sarcasm.)
I did learn a few things:
*You do not have to be a Christian (or even a Creationist) to subscribe to the ID theory. ID is simply stating that since scientists don't know the origins of life, could there be an intelligent designer instead of having to have all the proteins and atoms mesh in just the right way to bring about the 1st cell that in turn evolved into life.
*Darwinists are much more violent and vigilant than IDists.
*Science has been reduced to popular belief instead of testing, achieving results and documenting facts.
*It sounds just as crazy for me to say that God created life by molding mud and breathing into it, when I have never seen with my physical eyes the performance of the creation of life with mud or otherwise, as it does for Darwinists to say the first cell came about billions of years ago through lightning striking primordial soup causing evolvution into complex life forms.

One of the professors in the movie who teaches evolution was passionate about making sure nobody believed in God or the idea of after-life (heaven in particular). It was hopelessness up close and personal. Minda walked away from it in tears. I did too. He will never know the grace, mercy or love of God, and he doesn't care to.
The next day she said to me, "Mom, it seemed so much easier to believe in God when I was little. This whole God-head thing is strange, and difficult to understand." I went on to talk with her about how faith comes into play where we don't totally understand, and how growing up also means having to make choices for ourselves and not just following our parents like we did at 4 or 5 years old. In the end she said, "I wish I could stay 6 years old in my spirit then, forever."
Don't we all?

Breaking Up Is Hard To Do

We just sent our Host son back to Korea. There were so many wonderful moments, and we came to dearly love him. Letting him go was difficult. I hope to see him again someday. I hope he experienced the love of God and family and friends, and that he will never forget us. I know we won't forget him.



The smiles for photos were followed by hugs and consolation. Goodbye Sang-hun. Anyonghi-ka-seo.

We Going Party, Samba, Fiesta...

Sing it Mr. Ritchie...


What a great day!