Fruit & Opposition

Do you remember those flowering fruit trees several entries ago? They are all loaded with fruit now, as are the strawberry plants. When we start picking our berries & see the apples, pears, cherries & apricots beginning to ripen..... the grasshoppers, bees, wasps, birds & squirrels are all starting to show up for the feast. They didn't do any of the work of planting, pruning, watering, or fertilizing. Yet, they always appear without fail to profit from the results. We placed netting over the strawberries & will do the same for the cherry trees tonight. We searched out the wasp nests & sprayed them. Our chickens roam about our garden & lawn freely (free range) & grasshoppers are a real treat to them. We've placed out "big stinky pots" out along the fence to catch the flies & other insects attracted to rotting meat. All this in an effort to retain some of the harvest for ourselves.

The children who attended our recent VBS & had seed sown in their lives are considered ripe bait by our enemy. Without a doubt he is already snatching what seed he can from their minds. We are trying to follow up with not only those who made decisions, but with all the "unchurched" as well as "churched" attendees. We are visiting & writing follow-up letters, inviting them to our AWANA program, Sunday School, church camps & so forth. We are also praying for the Holy Spirit to continue working in their lives.

Lava Lava Island VBS

VBS for 2007 is now over. I've never had more fun at a VBS & the Lord touched the lives of several children as we told them the good news in such a relaxed setting. Kenzie, the girl with the flipper & high heels, asked Yeshua into her life on the fourth evening. She was one of the four 4-6 year-olds that I had on my "crew" all week. As "Crew Chief", I was responsible for a total of a dozen children, but had two other leaders working under my direction with 4 children each.

Each evening started out with skits, songs & directions for that particular evening which matched the theme Bible point & verse for that day. Then the crews rotated every 15-20 minutes through four different locations that reinforced the theme & verse with active illustrations, a movie, crafts, & games/refreshments.

We ended each evening back with all the crews together in the sanctuary for a summary illustration & more songs. You just couldn't miss the point of the evening when it was repeated so many times in such fun but varied ways. Now may the Lord use others to water the seed that was sown.

Lake Como Header & new template thanks to Carol-Ann

Just when I needed the uplift, Carol-Ann started re-building my basic blog template, including one of my photos from the Lake Como hike as my header. How do you like it? I love what she did & yet kept everything fairly simple as I prefer it to be. Cudos to Carol-Ann for all her help & ability to rescue my blog entries from cyberspace when I tried to do a few manuevers myself & practically wiped out my blog!

Monday mourning yet rejoicing!

After our Saturday Beth Tephila services & almost two hours of Messianic worship dancing, we returned home to find a message that my last surviving grandparent, Evelyn House, is now with the Lord. Evelyn was a godly & spirited 97 year-old who was a mighty prayer warrior. She married my grandfather in mid-life for them both. Grandpa's previous two wives had died...my Dad's mother died while birthing her third child when Dad was seven years old...three years later, Grandpa married Alice & had two more sons. Grandma Alice died with heart problems when I was in 4th grade. Her funeral was the first funeral I remember attending. Her entire 7th grade class that she had been teaching was there. The church was so packed, people were looking in the windows to be able to take part. About 3 or 4 years after Alice's death, Grandpa met Evelyn. She had been an "old maid" farmer's daughter in the Bismarck, North Dakota area.

Grandma Evelyn was a model preacher's wife for years & years. When Grandpa - in his eighties -suffered strokes & other health problems, she - in her seventies - energetically took care of him, though he was nearly six feet tall & quite heavy, while she was just under five feet & slim. He died twenty years ago at the age of 86. Evelyn decided to stay in North Dakota near relatives & friends, living in her own apartment until she was 94. "Arthur", as she chose to personalize her arthritis, finally convinced her to move to a Lutheran nursing home. Only a couple of months after that move, the apartment complex she had lived in burned to the ground. The person who rented the apartment after her, perished in the fire, as surely as Evelyn would have, as slow moving as she was with "Arthur".

Yesterday I was reading 2 Corinthians 5: 1-5

We know that when the tent which houses us here on earth is torn down, we have a permanent building from God, a building not made by human hands, to house us in heaven. For in this tent, our earthly body, we groan with desire to have around us the home from heaven that will be ours. With this around us we will not be found naked. Yes, while we are in this body, we groan with the sense of being oppressed:it is not so much that we want to take something off, but rather to put something on over it; so that what must die may be swallowed up by the Life. Moreover, it is God who has prepared us for this very thing, and as a pledge He has given us His Spirit.

The part I highlighted here in green jumped out at me. God comforted me with this word picture of His Life swallowing Evelyn & dropping off "Arthur" & other ailments along the way. She is dancing with Him now as I write.

Thursday Hike west of Victor on roads we named Bear Grass Trails #1 & 2

MaryLou & I hiked the mountains west of Victor today. The Beargrass was in full bloom.

Lupine, Mariposa, Indian Paintbrush, NineBark & Wild Hyacinth blossums were also dotting the landscape... but this was a "Beargrass day" just as our Blodget Canyon hike earlier had been primarily a "Trillium day".

Three Ministries

It's Thursday, so here's a summary of 3 ministries in which I'm currently involved:

. Beth Tephila Messianic Congregation
We just moved to share the facilities at Lolo Community Church when our previous location was handed over to a developer, the new owner. We are now able to include Messianic dancing after our Shabbat service & Oneg (potluck meal) because of the wonderful gymnasium at L.L.C. Becky, our previous instructor, has returned with enthusiasm. Her husband died of liver cancer about 6 months ago & left her with 5 children to raise - all below high school age. She commented after our hour of dancing last week, "I feel like I've returned to a spring-time in my life."

. Vacation Bible School
Yesterday was spent at L.C.C. setting up for the VBS starting this coming Sunday evening. I helped spray paint a large volcano, decorate the teaching sites, etc. In the p.m. we prepared all the craft activities for the week, including 50 batches of playdough! Next week should be great fun reaching the neighborhood children for the Lord.

. Summer Sunday School
Last Sunday I taught the 3rd - 6th graders about the Lord is our Helper (Isaiah 41:10 was the verse that we memorized.) & how we should help each other in our genetic & church families. We had great fun feeding each other kettle popcorn although our arms were swathed in thick sections of newspaper to make them straight & unbendable. We acted out a newscast between Moses & Aaron on how the Lord used their abilities to help each other & the fledgling nation of Israel. We introduced "popcorn prayers" by completing the opening sentences of :
"Dear God, thank You for our families! Please help us remember to help them by doing these things..." The children jumped up & called out their brainstorming idea in prayer form one after another. They all took part!! We helped each other make our "teamwork snack" - frosted & sprinkled sugar cookies. We helped one member complete a difficult wooden star puzzle, etc. Needless to say, I had to vacuum our classroom after such an hour.

You think your shoes are uncomfortable...

My niece & nephew, who are living & working in Japan, sent us these photos. Owee!!

Lochsa Hike Photos

Fields of Camas were in full bloom at the lower elevations in the Lochsa Area, while Beargrass & early spring wildflowers like the Trilium were blossuming near the top of Savage Ridge. We saw evidence of bears. Their claw marks were obvious on some of the trees we had to duck under or climb over. It was interesting to change our perspective & view the Bitterroot Range from the Idaho side like Ranger Peak below.

Colt Killed Creek Hike in the Lochsa area of Idaho

The Hallelujah Hikers ventured into Idaho via Highway 12 last Wednesday. Heading towards Elk Summit, we had to leave the car due to so many downed trees across the road. Part of the hike was over crusty snow drifts. On our way back down to where Colt Killed Creek joins the Crooked Fork Creek to make up the Lochsa River, we rounded a bend in the road & startled a large cow moose who had been sunning herself in the road. In the 3-4 seconds it took for me to snatch up my camera, she had jumped up & bounded down the forested steep bank. What do you think we found in the Colt Killed Creek? Do any of you know what the contraption in the third photo does? We found out. I'd like you to try to guess before I tell you the answer.

Bitterroot (Lewisia Redivia)

June 1st, Ari & I took a walk up Antrim Point, (the conservancy land south of us). Pink & white Bitterroots were in bloom everywhere!! These elusive blooms have a two week lifespan. They are the Montana state flower & our valley is named for them. Their roots were a staple for the Indians who lived here when Lewis & Clark came through.

Reasons for Billy Graham's successful ministry

Melva Campbell, teacher of our women's Sunday School class, just returned from a graduation in the Seattle area. Jerry Jenkins, coauthor of the "Left Behind" series with Tim LaHaye, was the commencement speaker. Jerry spoke some about the series, but more about the 13 months he spent with Billy Graham. Billy had asked Jerry if he could help him to write his memoirs in "Just As I Am". Jerry spent days in Billy's library and then days interviewing Billy.

"If you could give only two reasons for why God has blessed your long ministry as an evangelist, what would they be?" Jerry asked at one point.

"Unceasing prayer," was Billy's fairly quick first response.

"What do you mean by 'unceasing'?" Jerry queried.

"Oh, you know, that on-going inner conversation I have with the Lord from the time I awake until the time I fall asleep," Billy answered.

"What about the second reason?" Jerry prodded.

"Daily time spent in the Word of God," Billy finally decided after some thought. "I always spend some time in the Word every morning. Sometimes I read & meditate on only a couple of verses, other days I read a long passage. I usually leave my Bible open & often will return later in the day to meditate further or read the context if I only started with a couple of verses."

" What happens on those days that you are too busy to get into the Word?"

Jerry said that Billy looked puzzled for a few moments. He slowly responded, "Well, I can't really answer that question, Jerry. I can't think of a day in my life with the Lord that I haven't been in the Word."

What a response!! Can any of you say the same? No wonder the Lord has used such a man to reach thousands upon thousands of souls with a clear, simple presentation of the gospel.

Jerry went on to say he had traveled to spend those months with Billy, thinking he could really help Billy in writing the book. He left Billy, knowing he was the one who had benefitted in countless ways by his time spent with this man of God.

Rattlesnake Trail Hike

The Hallelujah Hikers experienced sun, rain & hail on our 12 mile Rattlesnake Trail hike today. Once we arrived at the car, drenched to the skin despite our jackets, we also found 2 woodticks. The lupine were in full bloom in white, pink & blue shades. False Solomon's Seal & Shooting Stars were in the shade near the creek that the trail followed. The chokecherry bushes wore blossums, the squirrels ran around us & a snake slithered across the trail in front of us. We talked with two hikers who had just seen 2 black bears & 1 cinnamon-colored bear up the mountainside west of the trail. We never spotted them however. We saw much evidence of beavers: their dam & trees they had been gnawing.

God gave us such awesome minds!

I don't remember if Sherry posted this on one of her blogs or I read it elsewhere. Another friend reminded me of this today. We have been given such awesome minds!

Only great minds can read this.

This is weird, but interesting!

fi yuo cna raed tihs, yuo hvae a sgtrane mnid too.

Cna yuo raed tihs? Olny 55 plepoe out of 100 can.

i cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!

Hallelujah Hikers returned to Kootenai Creek

Today's hike along Kootenai Creek was similar to last year's with spring run-off filling the creek & later spring flowers in bloom. We saw clumps of orange to red Indian Paintbrush, Penstemon & Larkspur. A variety of other blooms were less noticeable, but filled the canyon with spots of many colors. Towering above the canyon were snow-capped peaks. Another gorgeous day spent praising our awesome Creator!

Jerusalem Day - May 16 (Iyar 28)

Today, Wednesday, May 16th, the 28th day of Iyar, marks the fortieth anniversary of the liberation of the old city of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount. It also marks the yartzheit - the anniversary of the death of Shmuel hanavi - the prophet Samuel. This is only fitting as Samuel along with King David, (whose yartzheit is marked next week on Shavuot), worked together (with the help of G-d) to turn Jerusalem into the eternal capital of the Jewish nation. Samuel and David determined through prophetic vision that the threshing floor purchased by David from Ornan the Jebusite was none other than the very location referred to by G-d in Torah as "the place where I will choose" to dwell. David spared no effort in bringing the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem and acquiring the materials necessary for the construction of the Holy Temple. It would be his son, Shlomo HaMelech - King Solomon, who would commence and complete the building of the First Temple, otherwise known as Solomon's Temple. Today, three thousand years later, the Holy Temple is not presently standing, but its destined location, the Temple Mount, and the city of Jerusalem that embraces it, is no less compelling. It is accepted as a given by most of the modern world that, as goes the Temple Mount, so goes humanity.

Prayer-Hiking & Community Work are the best!

As much fun as we have fording streams, singing our praise & shooting the wildflowers & wildlife, the prayer-time on our hikes is the best part of our outings. Last week we supported the "Right to Life" rummage sale with items dropped off on the way to the hike. This week we donated cut rhubarb from our gardens. All my spring rhubarb is now harvested & donated! On the way back home we stopped by the Skalkahoe Lodge & I made a reservation for Louis & my 35th Anniversary dinner in mid-June. We will attend "Fiddler on the Roof " at the "Hamilton Players" Playhouse after the anniversary dinner. I heard about the lodge & about the play while hiking. We have also planned part of our VBS & a meeting for the "Ladies in Lavender" group while tromping the trails.

Sunburn, 4 ticks & a wonderful 8 mile hike around Lake Como

The chipmunks didn't beg for food, but they did sit still enough for a quick photo.

These two does stood like statues for several minutes as we walked by & stared & clicked our cameras.

At the height of Spring run-off, we could see other smaller falls from the trail.

We ate our lunch feeling the cooling spray from this waterfall at about our half-way mark. Rock Creek roars down the falls, under the bridge & then empties into Como Lake.

How I enjoyed our latest hike! Lake Como is south of Hamilton & a little west of Highway 93. Wednesday was a gorgeous 80 degree day - perfect to hike the eight plus miles around the lake. The Spring flowers were in full bloom, a few fishermen were enjoying the lake before irrigation from this lake draws it down to half its current size & wildlife was peeking at us much of the trip. We saw several chipmunks, deer, loons, a tiny frog, butterflies & zillions of wildflowers.