This skit reminds me of one I did years ago and it was a great blessing to me to be involved in it then and still today I'm blessed.  There is one who fights for us still today and values us.  There are many distractions that try to get in the way but He never lets go or gives up on us.  I want to thank Elise for sending this my way today, it means so much to me.  God bless you!

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YouTube - Lighthouse Everything Skit
  

What to do for a title when you're not sure what the heck to say?  Well, you get conglomerates like the mess above!  I've been really trying to catch the blue heron outside on my camera.  The problem is he can be quite shy so I occupy myself with some other things in the mean time.  This is the season when the local ranchers have their cattle put out to pasture right next to our house .  I don't know why but I always find them to be reassuring and peaceful somehow .  It really speaks of where we are in Montana too...I do love this state.  I also had some time to get out and see how the flowers in our front yard are doing .  I was very pleasantly surprised to find them actually intact .  You see usually the antelope find these to be the perfect edible garnishes for their breakfast, lunch and dinner salads .  This time however they must have been too busy with their little ones to get over and demolish the blossoms so I had something really quite special waiting for me and my camera .  The outdoor adventure was capitalized by the Great Blue Heron that I saw...though I don't know how out of the corner of my eye .  He was sitter there with his neck sort of scruntched up and his long legs hidden by the deep prairie grass so at first I didn't know what the heck he was until finally he sat up straight.  I though that I'd go out there and see how close I could get...let me just tell you now:  not very close at all!  All that said I did get a little closer to him so this is what I ended up with:  .  I thought what the heck?  Maybe I'll get him when he takes off...the whole problem was that he took off alright but I had my zoom extended and lost him in flight!  Well sometimes you have to to keep from right?  Anyway, that's the extent of it.  We've got cooler weather that doesn't provide for any spectacular storms and I can only take so many pictures of stuff around here without it making this house and area around here as familiar to you all as it is to me.  Good news is we have Independence Day coming up and that could provide some good pictures I hope since they've been having some nice events up near our house that a local church provides...even excellent fireworks !  Before that happens however I'd like to wish those of you from Canada a wonderful Canada Day!  Have a great weekend all!

The anticipation was high yesterday with the storm watches coming long before anything actually arrived.  We had coffee with some friends that are immigrating here from Canada and had a great time and they mentioned the storms that were on the way.  I thought maybe this was going to be the big one at last.  I moved our trampoline to a place where the wind wouldn't make it take off like a flying saucer if this thing really came through and said a little prayer that we wouldn't get the large hail they were talking about.  I watched as the popcorn clouds formed in just the right place .  Could it be that this will be it I wondered.  Next we got the tell tall strange tint of the sky and the lightning looked promising .  I sat in our front yard watching and waiting as the sun shown through the clouds like a dying eye ...this thing is really going to happen I thought !  Well, I watched and I waited .  I saw some kind of interesting clouds and I came in under our porch when the rain came along and clicked my shutter a few more times and pretty much nothing happened !  Can you believe it?  LOL!  God really does answer prayers but I mean, c'mon man, couldn't it at least give me something to take a more interesting picture?  Well, count the blessings because I heard other places really did get some large hail and we don't need that.  The rain is welcome too because it's a wonderful day and things are staying fairly green.  It's kind of funny how this seems to teach a little lesson though.  I have a lot of things that I pray to God about but as with this the answer isn't exactly what I had hoped for.  I really don't believe that prayer is supposed to be a tool that we need to bend God's arm to finally do right or something.  It's a request for sure but also it's an exercise that I use to meditate and put myself in the place that God is free to answer as He sees fit....being a Christian should never be about domination...religion has really given God a bad name.  Lots of times we may pray that God really deals with someone that's wronged us and we find ourselves changing and finding our own internal weaknesses...doesn't that just figure?  Well, I weathered another storm...yes, that pun is intended and today I'm blessed for it not being something that brought death but rather brought more new life ....can I really complain ?  God bless everyone today.

I have a few more pictures to post.  I figured I could wait until I've got more but rather than sit and hope for another opportunity I think it best to put these up while they're fresh.  There's often a prelude to a good sunset and when that happens I can look out my door and know it's going to be a good one .  This isn't always the case though because from where I usually am in the house it's not always so easy to tell what's going on outside.  Those are the times when I have to go out and see what's going on and then I can see it in all it's glory .  Other times the best way to check it out is to bring my camera along for my evening walks with my wife...then there's almost always an opportunity that will arise .  Sometimes the sun reminds me of what I've seen in Africa only I'm here in my home place witnessing the sun behind trees I know all too well but it makes me feel all sorts of things even if I'm here at home.  It's like melancholy though not bitter, peace yet with some longing in there too.  I've mentioned about my travels before and how that's forever changed my life.  None of the countries I've visited are perfect...no country is, no person is but this has never stopped me from seeing it...not just as a tourist but as person who wants to learn something...not just to witness and forget.  I had someone recently react very negatively to the fact that I felt Japan is beautiful...funny in these times of pseudo acceptance and everything goes don't you think?  This person said that they eat cats and dogs and kill whales and dolphins...yeah, nice place to visit.  It made me think that there's surely a difference between constructive criticism and hateful and destructive commentary.  I don't think we can ever change anyone by never visiting them to prove some kind of point or hating a whole country full of people for the mistakes a few.  I just don't believe that kind of attitude will change anyone.  Confronting wrong means nothing if you destroy the people you're trying to convince.  I guess I feel that it's important to consider that the same kind of judgment you meet out to others is the standard you'll be held to yourself....who can stand unscathed in such a harsh and unforgiving light?  Who has never offended anyone?  Who hasn't made a calloused comment that's hurt someone because we didn't really know the whole story?  Who is really perfect?  Sin is a funny thing..we justify some while we consider others unforgivable but sin is simply missing the mark and we have all done that.  I'm not saying don't confront but I'm saying for sure we should chose our battles wisely...if we considered the subject of our criticism as much as we should I think we'd be a lot more careful.  How convenient to sit in our comfort zone and pass out judgement to those we don't understand.  I think we've all been judge, jury and executioner or served our time as the condemned.  None of these positions make the world a better place.  Romans 13: 8 says it all too well:  Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.  This is my philosophy as well though I've failed miserably at it more than once.  My point is how much better to consider our fellow man before passing judgement?  The Bible says to love your neighbor as yourself and immediately the question comes up:  Who's my neighbor?  The question should be who can I be a neighbor to?  Anyway, there's my rambling of the day...let me leave you with just one more picture...be blessed today !

Well, it's certainly behaving like summer should at last here in Montana!  We've been waiting for a very long time for it and now here it is .  We have a little water park near our house where all too soon the fireworks for the 4th will be enjoyed by our city.  Right now the kids have really been having a good time over there as my son Michael can testify .  Gabby is a bit more adventurous this year than last but Mike has always loved it and loves nothing better than to man the water cannon .  There are several different sprinklers and such that have buttons the kids can push to activate randomly.  I never get tired of seeing kids surprised at a sprinkler activated right next to them .  Lovely makes some of the most wonderful submarine sandwiches ...notice the Coke can with the Russian writing?  All about the Olympics I guess..my wife likes to collect them.  My eldest daughter Danielle thinks she too old for this sort of thing but it's always a matter of time before she gets sucked right into the fun again .  There are several buckets that are shaped so that when they are full they tip sending water down on whoever is below and they just keep refilling and then nailing anyone nearby .  Mike likes to rally any who will join him to have a water fight .  We joined our friend from Louisiana with her two children and had a great time .  We had to eat the ice cream pretty quickly but the kids didn't mind at all .  Mike would have done great in a commercial I think .  Gabby doesn't want to just sit still when she's eating and this means that she gets ice cream all over her !  I really like to see how socially well adjusted they are ...I guess home school doesn't ruin a kid socially...take it from me...it doesn't...they're way more out going than me but then again...they learn world history by traveling all over the world and they love it every bit as much as I do.  Water parks are wonderful places to take your kids to if you're not afraid of getting a little wet ...even if you're taking pictures it's pretty much guaranteed you won't get away without a drop on you .  We finally headed home to find a wonderful deer enjoying some time in someone's front yard .  Both the deer and antelope play here but today it was the deer we were able to see .  We took several shots before moving on at last .  The evening started with another great sunset .  I'm not a great fan of cotton candy but cotton candy skies are just fine with me !  They say that red sky at night is a sign of better weather...well, not for the rest of the evening which held a lot of lightning .  These storms have so far continued their march to the north east of us but I know that I know that I know it's only a matter of time before one of them develops in the west and we get hammered good .  I worked my butt off to get the lightning shots...I sure hope you all appreciate them!

Do you have any idea how long I've waited to have a title like that?  It's been anything but summer like...not even spring like for so very long.  Now at last the temperatures are in the eighties and it's so nice!  We have had several violent storms pass by in the evenings so I thought I'd get out there and get some pictures of them.  I saw this one building on the way to my son's Chi Tu Do class .  The popcorn clouds show that it's winding up for sure but it's position North East of us pretty much guarantees that it won't come our way.  None the less as the sun began to set I saw that it was certainly picture worthy .  The sun caused sort of a blood red effect on the neighborhood and the anvil shape of this monster started to look like a nuclear mushroom cloud!  The moon was out in full force too so I snapped a shot of it before the clouds covered it .  The clouds started to build in the West and I thought maybe we'd actually get hit but it never did materialize so I went back to checking out the other storm as the sunset just seemed to get more and more beautiful .  I loved the red and pink in the light as it bathed the neighborhood in an eerie light .  The clouds of the West continued to build but didn't have the power of the other storm...likely because it didn't have the earlier heat to build in strength but I still liked the two tone effect next to the fading light of the blue sky.  It was really amazing as the storm moved out and it just got more and more awesome .  I thought that at the very least there'd be some hail in it from the look of things .  I love being out in the evening with the kids...here I am taking pictures of this monster storm and all around is the awesome sound of crickets and various birds and them playing...they leave their mark on this world wherever they go .  I don't even know how to express just how much they mean to me.  Life doesn't seem like it would be worth living without them and I mean that just as I type it...no exaggeration here.  They spice up everything that's already good and make the difficult times bearable.  This evening was so glorious.  I watch the sky that God has painted and I feel the feeling I've had while ministering in nations all over the world....I don't so easily feel this that all is right with the world after all...it's going to work out.  This storm will pass but when others come I will have this little family that God has given me...what treasure could be worth more

Well, here we are, this is my twelfth year of being a dad, each and every one of those years has been very rewarding I must say.  No father is perfect...except God of course...nobody tops that.  My natural father and I have had difficulties in our relationship...nothing unusual about that I know but all in all I'm very thankful that through it all we've not hit the place where we can't talk.  It's often a long road to get where we're supposed to be but it kind of reminds me of the strawberries that are in our front yard now.  They might be green right now but they are numerous and hold promise for the future .  Sometimes I think that the most important thing in the world that I can pass onto my kids is that fact that I truly accept them...I don't just tolerate them or put up with them but they are my friends.  I don't say this like the "cool Dad" but from the place where I don't know what I'd do without them.  My wife also is not just someone that's in the house to keep me from being lonely...she's my dearest friend.  God has been this way for me my whole life.  It's not a religious obligation but really a relationship...I like and love Him and He far surpasses  that in His love back.  It's far more complicated to be a friend to a person than to fulfill a religious obligation to them...it's also easier to call yourself a Christian and meander in to church once or twice a week or less instead of seeking to extend some real commitment to Christianity...this is not something that can be taken care of with sheer amount of time behind the doors of the church...it's a way to live.  We all fall short but this is a noble goal to seek to do right by God and your fellow man and I really want to strive for that all the days of my life.  I feel I need this in my position as husband, father and friend.  Anyway, I taught today on Father's Day and really enjoyed doing it.  It's always hardest to teach on days like this...one of my least favorite is the one before Christmas...there's certain scriptures that people expect and I always find an alternative way to do that if it's my turn.  Today was no different and I felt pretty good about it today.  Anyhow, I have a few more pictures to share...the garden is doing well I think.  It's not always the biggest flowers that capture my fancy .  The little ones have a beauty all their own and the variety here makes my day every single time .  I pray that everyone had a blessed Father's Day....you don't have to be a natural father to encourage someone and extend a little acceptance...you might be surprised how far such a thing takes you!

It's been a very cold and wet couple of days.  The weekend did have a few photo opportunities but I had to dig a bit to get enough to have enough to post them.  I'll share what I've got thus far to sort of break up the doldrums here.  Sometimes I look outside and think that for sure it's going to be a sunny day like we totally haven't had in literally months .  Lovely and I like to walk and bring Gabby along when it's like this.  The neighbor's plants all seem to be doing very well .  I see some of the flowers out there and wonder if we shouldn't add it to what we've got .  The robins have been out in force since the rain makes it easy for them to capture worms .  I like them because they are very seldom camera shy .  We walk in sort of a big loop and on the way back we ran across these antelope .  We had some roses in the front yard but when these guys come along they don't last very long .  They love to munch on the various plants and sometimes it amazes me that people have anything left at all !  It is kind of cool here because there's the wildlife while at the same time not having to really leave the comfort of home .  We've got city water and high speed Internet yet we can walk out the door and see scenes like this pretty much every single day !  Eventually the antelope moved on .  So I decided I'd get some more pictures of out flowers and how they're progressing through the cold and rain .  It seems that flowers don't get depressed over weather like this in fact they seem to really thrive .  I think maybe I could take a lesson or two from them.  The clouds inevitably roll back in but I still have to be thankful it's not bringing huge hail or tornados right?  We went to our friends house warming and birthday party for their son .  The kids all seemed to have a very good time but once we were home we knew right away what to do .

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YouTube - 3 Doors Down - Citizen Soldier
   This song touched me to the core.  I have friends in the military and I have walked with Christians who are nothing less than soldiers on the mission field and in the United States and Canada...I salute you!  Here's the lyrics to this powerful song:  Beyond the boundaries of your city's lights
Stand the Heroes waiting for your cries
So many times you do not bring this on yourself
When that moment finally comes
I'll be there to help
On that day when you need your brothers and sisters to care
I'll be right here

Citizen soldiers holding the life of the ones that need guide from the dark of despair
Standing on guard for the ones that need shelter
We'll always be ready because we will always be there

When there're people crying in the streets
When they're starving for a meal to eat
When they simply need a place to make their beds
Right here underneath my wing you can rest your head
On that day when you need your brothers and sisters to care
I'll be right here

Citizen soldiers holding the life of the ones that need guide from the dark of despair
Standing on guard for the ones that need shelter
We'll always be ready because we will always be there

Hope and pray that you never need me but rest assured
I will not let you down
I walk beside you but you may not see me
The strongest among you may not wear a crown
On that day when you need your brothers and sisters to care
I'll be right here
On that day when you don't have the strength for the burden you bear
I'll be right here

Citizen soldiers holding the life of the ones that need guide from the dark of despair
Standing on guard for the ones that need shelter
We'll always be ready because we will always be there

Well so far it's been one storm after another rolling through here .  I can see 'em coming from quite a ways off and then the atmosphere gets kind of eerie quiet like and then our local antelope know it's time to go and find some shelter .  These storms have basically been skirting off to the north of us but I know it's a matter of time before they hit us head on...notice again the funnel clouds here .  I know that it's thinking about it but something is missing in the final ingredients to set these things off .  It even can sometimes go a strange green or off yellow color and we've then got these little funnels that end up making me wonder if this is going to be it .  These are often more than close enough to make me feel uncomfortable but fortunately so far we've been kept safe and have been given some great photo opportunities .  I pray that you all are safe during this season that's been so tornado heavy.  It's been a blast to take the pictures here but I would never want to see people hurt.  God bless and keep you all!

I've just felt it in my bones that we were on target for some storms here recently.  You never know what you're going to get through the day here lately.  It can go from really sunny and beautiful and then as you're sitting there it will start to slowly cloud over .  Today I thought were were going to make it without much going on at all and then I started getting the warnings on my computer for some of the nearby counties and for the northeastern extreme of our county here.  Dad then called me up and said that I might want to take a look at the storms out there and I'm sure glad that I did!  I started snapping shots right away and as I was doing this I started to wonder if we were going to get something really interesting because it can sure happen around here .  This storm then began to develop what to my untrained eye looked like a funnel cloud .  Nothing did come of it so I just took some other photos of it passing just over our back fence .  I really love to get out there and take pictures of storms and this one really was picturesque .  I was really surprised that it didn't give a drop of rain though it certainly cooled things off .  I think that somebody down the way may have gotten more out of this storm than we did but haven't heard .  Anyway, I just wanted to share the pictures and let everyone know I'm still here...just hanging around and living life and enjoying the summer.