I am late on my Memorial Day post but I refuse to just let it go.  Today I want to put the lyrics to a song on here to show the way I've been thinking about things.  The song is called "This Means War" and is from the band Petra: 

Son of the Morning, highest of all
You had so much going, till you took the fall
Had a place in the Glory, but you wanted it all
Impossible odds, but you had the gaul

It seemed so unlikely that you would rebel
Such a worthy opponent that you knew so well
But you ended up fighting when you heard the bell
Took a third of all heaven when you went to hell

(chorus)
This means war! And the battle's still raging
War! And the both sides are waging
The Victor is sure, and the victory's secure
But 'til judgment we all must endure

This means war!

Then came the cross; you thought you had won
You thought you had conqured God's only Son
"So much for Jesus!" you said in jest
Then you got a visit from an unwelcomed guest

(chorus)

Now it's all over, down to the wire
Counting the days to your own lake of fire
But you'll go down fighting for all that you're worth
To try to abolish His image on Earth

(chorus)

(This is the war that we've already won
Victory is ours through God's only Son)

All lyrics are the copyrighted properties of their respective artist and publishing company.

I really love this song because it is the war that we still feel today far beyond this war on terror.  There's been a war raging for our spirits between God and the devil.  All things that happen in the natural realm are nothing but a shadow of this war.  The war on terror has effected us here more than any other war largely because in our small church nearly every single family has some young person that is enlisted.  One of these young people is now deployed for his second time in Iraq.  Lately I've also had the opportunity to catch up with a high school buddy of mine that's served as a combat medic and seen a lot of action.  Being able to talk to him has been a real blessing for me.  I always see this battle through spiritual eyes.  It's about the cause of freedom...just as Christ died that we might know freedom and enter into His kingdom so our soldiers fight to bring freedom to other people.  I've argued much with a friend of mine in Europe over this.  He comes from a country which was at one point dominated by the Nazis and we have many thousand graves there where our soldiers fell in WWII to free his country.  This person has often argued that we shouldn't be in this war but what always hits me is:  how can you say that when years ago we could have said they aren't worth fighting for either?  I'm not sitting here to post a pro-war or anti-war blog at all.  The point is that I'm so very glad Christ didn't look at my life and say that I'm not worth it.  Who really is worth dying for?  Who truly deserves freedom or the price that's paid for it?  What I believe is none of us are really worthy but thank God someone pays the price that we might enjoy liberty.  I'm so grateful that Jesus was ready, willing and able to do that for all of us and I'm thankful that our soldiers are still willing to do the same for a country that has never experienced it...that says something about the United States in spite of our mistakes.  I honor those that have fought this fight...not just as soldiers in the military but those that have served as missionaries or as people who refuse to surrender to the bitterness and cynicism of the age and do right to their fellow man.  This is a noble thing indeed!  I am ever inspired by this and want to follow this example myself.  I do believe that we'll see the victory in this fight as the song says.  It's a bigger thing than it appears.  I just say to my friends in the military:  I salute you and thank you for your courage and willingness to leave what you know to fight for those that you don't even know that they might get a chance to breathe free...thanks for fighting for me and my family!  For those that have fought to bring faith into this world and bring Jesus Christ not just in word but example I salute you!  Most of all to Christ who paid it all for each and every one of us:  Thank you so very much!

I decided to get out there and show a few of the flowers we bought over the last couple of days.  It's so wet out there that it's a wonder my camera didn't drown!  I looked out the window and just couldn't resist .  Everything seems to be doing well from what I can see though I'm no expert .  We have had enough rain that we can just look at things without watering for now .  I was a little bit rushed because like I said it's really coming down but it's really was worth it I think!  I love to see that the poppy is starting to put some more blossoms out there...or I should say it will soon and the others are looking pretty good too .  One flower that we've always had god success with are snap dragons...even my black thumb usually can't manage to kill them and these look unusually good to me .  I know I'm posting like crazy but it's so soggy what else could I do today?

The weather has now gone from nearly four inches behind in rain to having a torrential downpour that's supposed to last for a week .  It's times like this when you know you've got to do something especially if you've got kids that are eagerly awaiting the summer break and have cabin fever.  We've enjoyed watching some cable on demand and making some popcorn .  This has been a popular thing to do for us but you can only do that so many times before it gets old.  Lovely has always been a great help during times like this because she can always come up with something different to do.  We got up and made a field trip out of going to a greenhouse in a nearby town that has a very good reputation.  We braved the downpour and we were all so glad that we did.  They had a great selection of flowers  ...not like we've never seen them before but much like the Meadowlarks that we've been enjoying these flowers just seem to speak of better things in their own way .  I just love stuff like that because it's not controlled by circumstance one bit...it just very simply and persistently shows the good things in life.  Seeing so many flowers like this in one place was just what we all needed for the day!  Lovely got a gift card from work that allowed us to bring some of these beautiful flowers home which was an added bonus.  Just look at what we had to choose from:  , , , is this page looking springy enough?  Maybe I'll add a couple more:  and !  It was great to have them provide a wagon for us to put our flowers in...I think you can guess who wanted to pull that:  .  Some of these reminded me so much of the flowers we saw in Japan , , , .  We didn't have a fortune to buy stuff but it was fun for a very wet day none the less.  I just am so aware that God has made a way to enjoy life in all things.  He's always doing something, I know this has been a theme in the last couple of blogs I've had but I need it so much.  Sometimes standing up and refusing to be down is the most important thing you can do for the day.  Now I look outside and see the flowers we got and it reminds me of what God has done for us.  Some of those flowers remind me forcefully of Japan which also really blesses me.  The rain sure makes them happy and the flowers in turn bless me so it's simple but life is good.  It seems all the more fitting that Christ has been called the Rose of Sharon .

Today I've thought so much about the loss that the world has seen over the last couple of weeks in particular.  There's been hundreds of thousands of people that have died from various tragedies wether that be from storms or from earthquake.  It's a sobering thing to view all of that suffering without feeling very small and yet at the same time feeling so grateful for those that we have in our lives.  It sure makes the high price of gas seem to be a small issue next to that!  I'm not meaning to make little of difficulties that we suffer but I think we an all agree next to losing thousands of people it doesn't seem to be much does it?  The other feeling I get right away is a sense of appreciation for those loved ones I have in my life today.  This fallen world is filled with many evil things but at the same time there's good out there which we should thank God for whenever we can.  This is really the purpose of my post today.  I thought I'd easily repost what I had before but for some reason it didn't save my draft...instead of being uptight over it I rethought how I'd post and considered what I have to be thankful for again.  I think of how much I love the simple things of life.  My wife and I have been walking together and bringing Gabby along.  She is a lover of simple things as children her age usually are.  Even Dandelions hold so much wonder for her.  It makes me see what's around me in a new light...even the sun breaking through the clouds holds promise for me and holds great hope.  I look at my youngest daughter who loves to dress up just for the fun of it to go out on our walk and I see God there.  I watch Lovely and her walk down the street in front of me and I see the blessings of God.  Everything deserves a closer look and that closer look can make you see beauty you may have not seen before.  Gabby herself is the child we weren't supposed to be able to have after losing a baby before yet her she walks with my wife and I thank God!  Storms certainly arise in life but if you can look beyond that spring is still here, the summer is coming and no storm can stop that!  We were getting ready to go for a walk and I noticed some flowers finally coming out on our flowering bushes and it just blessed me so much.  Like the Meadowlarks that have been so bold lately these flowers are coming out and don't seem afraid that it's been pretty cold at night instead they know that it's got to warm up.  Even the smallest insect knows what the season is and they don't spend time lamenting the evil that has been or could be or should I say bee?  I think I've got a lot to learn to learn from Gabby...she doesn't care if it's a bug or a flower or the antelope out there...she wants to show everyone what she's seeing and enjoying.  She has that childlike innocence that sees tomorrow with great hope and says come on and share it with me...if you don't pay attention...she'll just keep pointing until you do !  My mom got her a little car that she loves to be pushed around in.  The thing is...she watches everything we do and if it's something she sees us push...she'd rather push than be pushed. I think of the responsibility I have to give a good example to her...I don't want her to have the bad things that have been passed down in the natural inheritance...I want the good things that have come to me through salvation...old things are passed away, behold all things are become new ....like the bud here in the plant Lovely got for us...this tradition started last Father's Day when they got me a coffee table and served me breakfast outside among the new plants that Love and the kids had gotten me...it was such a wonderful Father's Day!  There was hope that Love and the kids finally cured my black thumb and could make something grow...they did it and this promise is right there today still...that little bud doesn't look like too much at first but give it time it will unfold and show the promise of a better tomorrow!

Well, I know this is late in coming...much to my chagrin.  I was going to do this earlier but didn't do before things got way too late and then I got a call from relatives in the Philippines that left me exhausted and then had to get in gear for church early this morning and now I'm determined to do this.  My mom is worthy of a word of praise in my opinion.  She's brought all the good I've known in life to sharp focus.  It's through her that I received Jesus Christ as I've said before...this in turn had everything to do with another godly woman:  my grandmother on mom's side.  This gift changed my life forever and I'll never go back.  How perfect it seems that because of my mom I met the best Father I could ever have...I don't mean my natural dad, I mean God!  My mom brought two things into my life that meant the whole world to me:  unshakable faith in me personally and communication.  She never had anything less than faith in my life...even on my worst times she has always remained unshaken and kept the best face forward as far as I'm concerned.  This faith to me is so precious because it's not about who I might become or based on some delusional view of me but much like God looks beyond the faults and loves my unconditionally none the less.  This love in turn is what I feel from the other wonderful mom in my life:  my wife who has overcome great obstacles to become my wife and the mother of my children.  She also has an unshakeable faith in me and a love that's unquenchable...I'll not betray this love...ever.  Mom is a person that I've always been able to communicate with completely and with all honesty.  There's nothing hidden between us...much like my relationship with God.  What' the point in trying to hide things from people that know you better than you know yourself?  I can't do it with God, I can't do it with my mom and I can't do it with my wife.  Being transparent with people from whom you have nothing to hide is a most liberating thing.  Most of us have acquaintances with people but this kind of friendship goes far beyond that....there's nothing wrong with acquaintances but I think it only serves as a sharp relief to what true friendship really is.  I want to say thanks to my mom for being who she is.  I'd like to thank my wife who's been a mother to my kids and for being all that she is and last but never least I'd like to thank God who's never left me nor forsaken me either...I love you all!

Now I want to include the few pictures that I've got here and put a short video on the end.  We had a cool down again and though it didn't provide a storm it did open up a chance to take a good picture or two .  Disgusting how ominous it looks when there's no action huh ?  I should be happy, last night there were tornados in the eastern part of the country that killed people...so I'm blessed very blessed indeed...God be with the people in those areas!  Next I have some pictures of Gabby.  We finally got her a potty chair...I don't quit think she gets what it's for but maybe that's just me !  Do you think someday she's see this as an adult and I can use this kind of thing for a bribe ?  Next I was outside with Gabby...she loves to jump on the trampoline...well, I hear this ever familiar chirp.  This meadowlark was about as close as I've ever seen...quite cheerful again as they are now...they don't care what the weather is doing...these guys believe in spring and summer!  I took a short video again but this time I was quiet...what do you think

Today as I was working with my kids on their school work I was watching the Travel Channel and they had some different things about some prisons that they've investigated and such. These places are all derelict and are tourist attractions now.  I was amazed at the photography so looked up some things on the Internet to see what I could come up with.  I found a site that has some photos of ruins in particular.  Feel free to check this out: Ruins.  I know that some of it is kind of creepy but at the same time the style is quite good and always manages to make the shots interesting.  I've never really heard of someone specializing in this kind of photography before.  I thought I'd put this up for something different.  I hope you can check it out and see what you think.  Enjoy!

Today I was so happy to have some beautiful weather !  It was a day that just begged to have you go out and walk so that's what Lovely and I decided to do.  It started off really well with a wonderful prong horn buck staring right at us .  He had no intention of backing off at all so while he was standing there snorting at us I thought I'd go ahead and take another picture of him .  The males have felt pretty proud of themselves here lately and I expect by later on this summer we'll be seeing lots of little antelope .  Now this is the part that really bugs me:  I've been trying to get a good picture of a meadow lark .  For those of you that don't know that's our state bird.  This is a title that this little fellow has really earned because they not only look totally beautiful but they have the most wonderful song.  I've mentioned before that the Western Meadowlark has the Eastern beaten silly with it's song...notice he's singing here .  I had these pictures and was thrilled because I was able to get pretty close to him!  Better still I had video with a recording of his song....notice I said had ?  I get home, download it all and then the unthinkable!  I accidentally erased everything and that's after I deleted it from the camera for some dumb reason!  Fortunately the pictures were elsewhere as well but I lost the video !  The good news is I got a good parting shot of my little friend who watched this suspicious character walk away with his camera.  I want to really thank God for the nice weather...good to do that you know?  Here's a couple other shots from the other day too that you all might enjoy.  The sunset was especially dazzling at this point so I took this shot .  It just blew me away to see the rays of light break through like that!  I think it represents a breakthrough all around no matter how it appears.  God really does speak but sometimes I wonder if we ever bother to listen!  Now the other pleasant visitor that we've had is a tiny, and I do mean tiny little rabbit .  There's often little ones that love to play near our across the street neighbor's house.  They are so fun to watch.  This one lets you get so close you could about reach out and touch him .  Every single time I see these things I am reminded that God is alive....He keeps His promises to us.  How sad that so often all of this is ignored for the "real life" which somehow always manages to exclude the fact that God is just who He says He is.  Lot's of other religions are out there and claim to help you find or become God but Christianity....at least as it's supposed to be is about the living, one and true God reaching out to humanity and while the hate of all things godly seems to prevail.  This doesn't change God one bit nor dampen his belief in us....that's awesome....now remember how I said that I lost the video?  Just now I went out and had an even better chance to get this

Yet more storms have been causing some real havoc for various communities in the US.  This is a video captured of a tornado in Arkansas.  I can't believe how it started out like this little rope of a thing and became so huge so quickly.  God be with the people in these situations right now.

I have a link that I like to check out because they often put up clips of tornados or some pictures and today they had a pretty amazing video