in the key of G

lighthouses in the dark

Has anyone else noticed that this year, 2010 has been a strange year? Almost from the start, things have been topsy turvy. I described it to one person as feeling like a snowglobe that has been shook up. I am sure some of that is just our personal life which really has been odd and unsettled, but it is more than that. It's in the air and in the atmosphere. It doens't seem bad, just very, very different. I have made more progress in some areas of my life in such a short time, like never before. I think it is a time God is doing things, a time when us, his people are to run forward, to not look back at the past, at failures, look forward at where God is telling you to go and run for with all your heart. It's like this marathon we have all been on, and you get to thinking (not that I have ever been in a marathon mind you, but if I WERE, it's what I imagine it would be like,) that it seems like it will never end, and why did I sign up for this race and how much farther do I have to go, and wouldn't it be nice just to sit down and rest for a bit. Then you round a bend and you see your support team there with water and banners and a picture of your family who are waiting at the end for you when you get there, and you realize absolutely you can make it, you pick up speed, feet that were tired and sore are strong, sending you hurtling toward the finish. That's what it feels like. It's like, we have to keep our eyes on the finish line, where we are headed, when we look to the side, we stumble and remember why this was so hard in the first place, but when we don't, whoo boy, it's like we are just getting started.

I can see how people who don't know God, who don't love him, could be feeling very nervous, scared, uncertain. The world is becoming, and already is, a scary place. I feel certain however, that we, as God's children, truly are being positioned to become the light of the world. It really won't matter whether we try to hide it or not, why would we, but even if we did, within the darkness surrounding us, we will become so bright, the world won't be able to help but notice. People will ask us, what is different in our lives, why aren't we worried? It almost makes it impossible not to be a witness for God, even if we have never done such in the past. I have heard older Christians commenting on the state the world is in and how evil it has become and I try to tell them, yes, it has but that's why we are here!
+Heather

fall again at memaloose

Thank you Hugh

wherever you are. Boy is my daughter one happy camper. I'll post pics as soon as I get them. A signed photo, I don't care what anyone says, you must be a good guy. :)

pot, meet kettle

This is priceless. I was hoping to find some collection of all the crap flung against the wall over the past 8 years, this does the job nicely, so I don't have to comb through the archives and piece it together myself. Every time I hear another whine-fest starting about the boo friggin hoo conservatives comparing O with Hitler I want to puke. I don't believe they believe what they are saying. Can they be so blind or in such denial? The only other option is blatant hypocrisy.

Summer vacation to Southern Oregon

So we had our week long trip to southern oregon, camped at Lake Selmac and made several side trips in the area. I have to say the big disapointment was Ashland, it just wasn't all that. I remember it fondly from high scholl when we went there for the Shakespeare Festival for English class. We had to tag team the backstage tour because of the dog. I can kind of get that, but in a college town you would think that the town itself would be somewhat dog friendly, we couldn't even enter Lithia park with the dog, see pics below. Friggin Nazis. Dog haters. We ate our picnic lunch just outside the park with sneering wannabe counter cultural college student-sheep looking at us like bugs. Yuck, we left there and went on to the vortex. Now that was fun. The pics don't really do it justice, maybe I will play around with them some and remove the background so you can see the size difference when people change location. I can't explain it but I saw it. Hmm. We did get down to Cresent CIty, it's still #)(#%*&^%*&($California but the seaside pics were nice. Our campground was nearly deserted the whole week. All in all it was nice and we may go back another itme.

Fall beach cleanup

I can't believe it is that time already, this year simply flew by and this summer was blur. School is already back in session and we had our annual trek to Fort Stevens for the beach cleanup. The weather cooperated more or less. We didn't find any huge garbage but we did find a dead sea lion, I did not take pictures, ughh. I do have pictures of the world famous stroller pushing pug, isn't she cute? She did not like Jake the dog faced dog, every time she caught site of Jake the snorting pug-bark would ensue. Jake didn't know what to make of that. Anyway, all this can mean only one thing, fall is here and the holidays are just around the corner. Sometimes I just wish you could slow this ride down a bit.