Request for Intercession & Jerusalem Day of Prayer

We could use your intercession on our behalf. A troubled woman, who has attended Beth Tephila for about six months, has increased her opposition from accusations & harrassment to death threats. We would appreciate your prayer for our protection. This may be linked to a spiritual victory. After nearly 40 years of prayer & witness, Louis's brother, Jerry, has accepted Yeshua as his Messiah. Now Louis has one living relative besides himself who knows the Lord.

Today, June 7th, join with fellow Christians from all nations to stand in solidarity with Jerusalem and Her King, to pray for peace and security.Please take a moment to intercede for the following:
Jews and Arabs to grow deeper in love and unity with God and each other in Jerusalem, Israel, and the Middle East.
God to open a fountain over both communities, the House of David and all other inhabitants of Jerusalem.
God to strengthen the leaders of Jerusalem and Israel to stand in His everlasting covenant, that Jerusalem will remain the united capital of Israel forever.
The way to be prepared for the coming of the King of Glory.
Shalom to Jerusalem and her becoming a praise in all the earth forever. Her King will reign as Prince of Peace over Jerusalem, Israel, and the Middle East.
Watchmen in all nations and cities to take no rest and give God no rest day and night, standing in solidarity, worshipping and interceding on behalf of Jerusalem.
Israel Resources on CBN.com
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Christianity's Jewish Roots
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Wallman Creek Loop

This is the fourth year for the Hallelujah Hikers to meet on Tuesdays for day hikes in our gorgeous area. This year we seem to be using the hiking to invite new folks to share the beauty, while we drop some gospel seed into their lives along the trail. Tuesday was during the peak of Trillium blooming so we saw whole meadows of this early to mid-Spring flower. We hiked 8.3 miles in a loop along Spring, Wallman & the Rattlesnake Creeks. Chris in the red tank top below, was our newbee. She normally goes to MOPS on Tuesday & next week is in charge of the MOPS presentation on "boats". We taught her a ditty she could use to learn the children's names, that would go along with her theme. At the underline below, you insert the child's name.
"My little boat will stay afloat when the wind begins to blow. It is all because of _________, who just learned how to row."

The banks of Wallman Creek were lined with snakegrass, so Diane taught us how to make tiny grass boats that we could set afloat in the creek. Chris plans to teach the Moms & children how to make these boats, with perhaps a triangular sail made, colored & hole punched to thread over the upright end of the snakegrass. They will float the boats in a tub of water at MOPS. The current was just fast enough on the creek that our boats didn't stay afloat long. We had such fun trying. Chris will then talk about the boat God had Noah build, which stayed afloat during the chaotic cleansing of the earth with the worldwide flood.

Another friend, Pam, is writing a book about the days before, during & after the flood. She let me read the first couple of hundred pages to do some editing for her. I was entranced! Her book is titled, "Yedidah Shem, Mother of the Middle East". The world is viewed primarily through the eyes of the wife of Shem, one of Noah's sons. Yedidah Shem is Hebrew for "Beloved Name".
The book has layers to it, so that you can read "Yedidah" as the woman's name on the superficial level or the Lord's name on a deeper level. I can hardly wait to read the next few concluding chapters.

My pilates instructor, Lani, has just asked if she could join up with the Hallelujah Hikers. I have shared some about the Lord during our pilates sessions. Lani has listened so far. She is not a believer in Yeshua yet, as far as I can tell. It's so exciting to see the Lord beginning to work in the life of someone for whom you have been praying!

Trimming

Trimming can be a bit sad. We gave away our remaining seven 3-year old laying hens yesterday so we could get our almost two month old pullets into the hen house. The old wire dog cage that Louis outfitted with the perches was getting too crowded now that the pullets are about five times their two-day old chick size & are fully feathered.

Louis had one Spangeled Spitzer that he almost didn't let go. This hen, with an attitude, would have pecked & picked on the young pullets the most, but has so much personality. She's always the first hen out of the hen house each morning. We have only been getting two large brown eggs a week recently from our older hens. The Spitzer lays only white smaller eggs. So it's not for her egg production that she'll be remembered. It's just that she's different than the others, who sort of blend into an indistinct group. We hope we found a good home for their old age... a Bellarussian family with 5 children. The Dad had just built a chicken coop for the children so he could teach them about chickens. The Spitzer will stand out to them, but probably not attack them. She only picks on others of her kind. Do you know people like that? I do.

First 2010 Hike with the Hallelujah Hikers - Up & Over Mt. Sentinel

Israeli Independence Day & Esther's 22nd birthday was a clear 80 degree day. The Hallelujah Hikers spent the morning hiking up & over Mt. Sentinel. We started on the Ken Williams Trail out of the University district & after about a half mile, hiked up a trail on the North side of Mt. Sentinel. Part way up that trail we could look over the mouth of Hellgate Canyon & see Missoula in the distance & the Ken Williams trail bordering the Clark Fork River on the left & I-90 on the right.

A few minutes later, we had hiked high enough to look north & see over Mt. Jumbo to the mountain range beyond. A previous year's hiking post detailed our Spring hike up & around Mt. Jumbo. We laughingly recalled that hike where we were literally crawling on our hands & knees at points.

At the top of Mt. Sentinel, we ate our lunch. Above is Harriet; below
are Laura & Esther. This was Esther's first hike with us. She grew up in Switzerland & learned to love hiking mountains there. We crossed a few remaining patches of snow, like the one seen in the background beyond Laura & Esther.

The hiking poles laying next to Judy helped us get through the snowy patches without falling. Judy is my prayer partner. We get together a couple of times a month to pray for our church, friends, nation, etc. Such times are extremely bonding.

After lunch, we hiked down the south side of Mt. Sentinel into Pattee Canyon, where we had already left one of our cars. The entire hike was about 5 miles with a slight breeze much of the way. A wonderful start to this year's hiking.

April Snow & Our Pets

Zeke waiting for his bottle in the 1 inch of snow we received yesterday. The snow melted off by mid-day today.
Zeke gobbles his thinned goat's milk bottles in less than a minute.

Ben Ari is jealous of the attention I share with Zeke. The only time he jumps on me is when I am on my way to feed Zeke a bottle.

Our huntress, Shadik, loves tree climbing even more than usual when there's snow on the ground. Here's a close-up of her on her perch.

Happy Passover & Feast of Unleavened Bread!

It's Spring! Peep...Peep

The sounds of Spring entered our dining room on Saturday after "Chick Day" at Stevi Feed & Farm. Every March this local business offers 8 free chicks when someone buys 100 lbs. of chick food. The locals show up enmass, waiting in the cold in a long line that particular Saturday morning. We usually replenish our flock of laying hens this way. Our current flock is down to 8 hens from the original 15. Those remaining are all 3 years old & are not laying as much as they did last year. So, although we had Beth Tephila on Shabbat, we prepared early & detoured to Stevi Feed & Farm on the way. We chose to buy 6 of the Araucana pullet chicks at $2.99 apiece so we knew for sure that we were getting layers & not roosters. (Araucanas are pretty hens that lay either green or pink eggs.) We paid for the chick food so we could also get 8 Buff Orpington chicks for free...not being sure how many of each sex the store clerks would place in our box when our turn came after waiting in the long line. Through a mix-up by the clerk who waited on us, there were no more free-run Buffs as we slowly reached the head of the line. As a result, we were given the "deal of the day" according to the store by being given 8 Buff pullet chicks for free instead of having to pay around $24.00 to make sure we got layers. The long wait & then mix-up with all the discussing amongst the store clerks, made us late to Beth Tephila. Those waiting for us, easily forgave us once they saw the chicks. In fact, it was hard to pull away from chick watching to start the service. Louis set-up this old wire dog cage for the chicks once we got home. Rachel, our oldest cat, had just jumped onto the dining room table to check out the chicks when I snapped the above photo.

Later, Shadik was tantalized. She remained stationed near the cage all evening, watching the chicks as they ate, drank, slept. She circled the cage patting it with her paws to make sure she couldn't get one of them in her claws. Shadik is our huntress. She had caught two fat field mice & one small bird in our yard already this past week. We should have named her Diana or Artemis.

Can you see Shadik just under the heat lamp? This enticing situation was almost too much for her & Rachel.

This was an attempt to get a close-up of Shadik peering at the chicks in great hope.

Ben Ari's Dam as she received the last points needed to become an American Champion

Mattiaci Petrus & Fancyfree is the mother (dam) of our puppy, Ben Ari. Here is her official photo as she made the last points she needed to become an American Champion. We hope our puppy will look this good when he matures.

Update into Spring

Spring begins this coming Saturday, but we are already on daylight savings time & doing the spring chores. After almost two months at the vet's, Beauty is back home in her homemade stall. She is still getting a daily oral antibiotic for the laminitis she was developing & remains on her diet until she is only 1000 lbs. Special shoeing has kept her on her feet. She started with styrofoam...advanced to soft wooden horseshoes...now she has metal horseshoes that are somewhat padded. We are so thankful Beauty survived.

We've cleaned up the flower beds & burned the winter "bedding" along with pine cones & pine needles that fell during the Fall & Winter. Soon the flower bulbs will be popping up in these beds. Louis planted some new varieties last Fall, so I may post some photos if the results are pretty. As I removed the grass bedding, I noticed some mold starting to form on the underside. We didn't get the bedding off any too soon!

Last Friday I went on a "date" with Ron & Jeannie to see "Annie" at the Hamilton Playhouse. The Chidwick family were all involved in this great production. Andy was a wonderful "Daddy Warbucks", Elli was one of the orphans, Tano was the Dog Catcher & Sherry was one of the stage crew. What a delightful evening! Before Jeannie left to return to Washington, Ron had us look at another one of the homes he was scouting out in the Florence area. Elli had been to this upgraded model home before for a garage sale in months past. It was nice inside, but overpriced.

Ron, Jeannie & Elli came over to our home only 3 minutes away from the one above. Jeannie loved on Ben Ari, who was in his pen out on the back porch. He is about 3/4ths grown now & a sweetheart in his disposition. He & I have taken a few 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 mile hikes already. His mother just became an American Champion last week-end. His Sire was already an International Champion. We hope he ends up looking like them.

Lambing started with our arthritic, grandma ewe. Her lamb died before it was a week old. We think it may have had a birth defect as it didn't appear to gain any weight although it was feeding all the time. A couple of weeks later two more of our ewes each had a lamb. The one above has a tiny left ear. She appears perfect otherwise. She hop-skips & runs around the barnyard with our other lamb which Elli is feeding below. Does anyone have a suggestion for her name?

The ram lamb below is so tame. His Mom/ewe had her milk dry up shortly after he got a little of her colostrum. We've been feeding him bottles of goat's milk three times a day for almost three weeks now. Louis has named him "Zeke" - short for Ezekiel. Only one ewe has yet to deliver this Spring. Hopefully she will birth before the Passover Seder on March 29th. We are in preparation mode for the seder now. Louis has already koshered & roasted & frozen four large legs of lamb. We have seven more in the refrigerator & freezer to prepare, dependent on the reservations we receive by this coming Sunday. This will be Beth Tephila's first seder at our home church.

E is for enough

I received this e-mail today. It's so good, I decided to share it since Debbie doesn't mind.

“Debbie, do you really believe I am enough?”

Yes, Lord – I think I do -

And – you are discouraged because once again you feel you are not doing anything as well as you would like.

Yes Lord.

And you think that you should get to the place where you are able to say “enough” with what you are doing with eMi, homeschooling, habit training, wiving, home keeping, friendship keeping…

Yes Lord, I think I should.

Debbie. This feeling of ‘I’m not doing enough – it’s never enough’. When you look at your own performance in your duties, “it’s not enough” will always be there, until heaven.

But why Lord?

Because the kind of “enough” you’re looking for is found only in perfection. And that, beloved, you will never be while on earth!

But You are perfect, Lord

Yes, I am.

So can’t You, through me, give perfection?

Remember you are a vessel of clay – broken because of the fall, and more broken due to life. So yes, when I shine through the cracks, it is a perfect light that shines through. But the pot itself is still cracked, Debbie.

But I certainly shouldn’t stop trying, should I? Your Words are full of ‘make every effort’, ‘excel’ , ‘add to’. Shouldn’t I be striving for excellence, Lord?
Yes, you are to be “adding” (2 Peter 1) all the time. But not for the goal of perfection in your performing the duty – or perfection in the results. The world is still fallen, Debbie, and you can’t get back to Eden. Living is not burdensome, Debbie – unless you are striving for perfection. “Not that I have already attained it, but I press on” – That’s the mindset.

Debbie, you . will. do. nothing. perfect. You are not Me. But because I am Enough – for everything, Debbie – Everything – you can find rest in your “adding to”. Your efforts are never enough, Debbie. And until you really take that to heart, you will never be satisfied with anyone else’s efforts either – at loving you, for instance. (ouch)

Lord – what if every time I feel my “it’s not enough” start to be on the tip of my thoughts, I shifted to the truth that “Of course it’s not enough, but You are always, for ever and ever, enough.”

Do you know what that’s called, Debbie? It’s called “thinking on whatever is true, right, noble, pure…” It’s setting your mind on things above. Start treasuring My enough-ness, Debbie, and you’ll find you’re no longer stewing or fretting over your never-enoughness.

But Lord – it never IS enough! In my prayer life, in my letting the tyranny of the urgent rule me, in ignoring the still small voice – it isn’t enough!

It IS enough in the sense that I Have Finished the Work for your perfeciton. It IS enough in that I Have Enough Grace to fill in all the areas you have missed. Reach for the sky, Debbie, in trusting Me to do more than you can ever ask or imagine in all these areas. I Am ENOUGH. You never will be.

Lord Jesus.
Your sacrifice was ENOUGH ot pay for ALL my sins: Yesterday. This moment. Tomorrow
Your robe of Righteousness is ENOUGH for me to enter and talk with You.
Your blood covering me is ENOUGH to make the Father smile on me the same way He smiles on You.
Your Words You spoke, the Life You lived on earth are ENOUGH for me to know – and trust – that Your Love for me never changes.
Your Love for my children is ENOUGH to keep them and present them pure, spotless, unblemished with joy (Jude)
“Enough” is what You say when I say I need MORE – more love, more time, more money, more self-discipline, more this, more that.
And “Enough” is what You wil say one day – and then there will be no more tears or partings or poverty or questions or self in the way to give and receive love.

“E” is never ever for “not enough”, which seem to be two of those words which keep trying to suck the contentment right out of me.

Lord. Thank You that truly and really no matter how I feel or think, You are ENOUGH.


Debbie BastianThe Bastian FamilyEngineering Ministries International,America Latina officeAtenas, Costa Rica

In right - Out right for 2010

Last week in the Neighborhood Bible Study, we talked about what it means for something to be in God's "right hand" or someone to "sit at His right hand" as we discussed Rev. 5:1 & 7. We also mentioned that group dynamics research proves that the person seated to the right of the "leader" is the one in the power position as far as influence is concerned. I shared an incident from my days in the Army Nurse Corps. As a new LTC (Lieutenant Colonel) & as the Asst. Chief Nurse for the military hospital at Fort Leavenworth, I occassionally would fill in for the Chief Nurse. One of her jobs was to brief the Medical Commander of the hospital each morning on the patients & other things that had occurred in the hospital in the past 24 hours. One of the first times I filled in for the Chief Nurse, I walked into the Commander's Office & took the chair that was open & closest to the Commander. Thinking that since I would be doing the briefing, I would want to be close to the Commander, I didn't think about it being the first chair on his right. About as soon as I sat down, the Chief of Preventive Medicine walked in the door & straight over to my chair. "That is my chair," he demanded. I replied, "I did not see a sign on this chair & besides, I am a woman." Everyone else in the room was a man & most of them had smirks on their faces as the Commander told the Chief of Preventive Medicine to find another seat so we could get started. Only after the morning briefing did the Adjutant pull me aside to tell me how I had "cracked up" everyone! It was known by the others that the chair closest to the Commander's right hand was the "power position" in the room. The Chief of Preventive Medicine always grabbed that chair if possible. He even bullied the others for it. Since he was almost late that day, I unknowingly outwitted him. My comment about being a woman just added to the hilarity of the whole scene as far as they were concerned. (Thankfully I had previously developed a personal relationship with the Commander & his wife through my assignment as the hospital representative to the Red Cross, so the Commander supported me in my blunder.) Anyway, I guess my mind was still ruminating on this "right hand" meaning as I read Psalm 16 in my devotions this morning.

Psalm 16:8 jumped off the page at me. "I have set the LORD continually before me; because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken." I would paraphrase that to myself as, " My eyes must remain focused on the LORD & I must let Him be my chief influencer in 2010." A friend of mine has an e-mail address of inrightoutright@----.com. I am sort of borrowing the "in right - out right" idea as the spiritual theme of 2010 for myself. Like computers, what we put into our minds & bodies will be displayed for the world to see given time. The food I eat will show on my body. What I choose to input to my mind will overflow into my attitudes, words & actions. (Matt. 12:33-37) I so need the Holy Spirit to guard my eye, ear & mouth gates today & every day of the year, so my output will be pleasing to Him. Psalm 16:8 gives me one of the keys to achieving my goal. No matter what 2010 brings my way, my soul/spirit will be calm & at peace in the LORD as long as my focus & position in relationship to Him remain right.

This was tested immediately in early January, when my daughter moved in with her boyfriend. She says they got a marriage certificate first, but we have not verified that. They plan to have a church wedding at a later date...whatever that may mean. She is all set to start college nursing courses toward an LPN on Jan. 25th. So far, I have responded by placing this firmly in the LORD's hands & have prayed continually for Esther & Robert. Esther usually chooses to do everything the "hard way". Two large transitions so close together without much family support is a difficult way for her to start 2010.

Have a great week in the LORD with Him at your right hand. May He be the chief influencer in your life & the Commander, too!

Happy 2010!

May your new year be as quiet & peaceful in the Lord as this Thomas Kinkade print.

Happy Hanukkah/Chanukah!

This was the best Hanukkiah picture we received so far this year. It comes from one of the Jewish web sites from Israel that we monitor daily. That site & others are warning that Israel is about ready to make some military moves soon - very soon. I am so glad the Word tells us "the rest of the story" ahead of time.

Our local university Griz. football team slipped & slid their way to a win in the semi-final playoff game in the snow yesterday. They will be playing in the finals in Chattanooga, Tennessee this coming Friday! All week we had experienced sub-zero temperatures, but it warmed up to around 20 degrees by Saturday's game. We celebrated the start of Hanukkah at Beth Tephila with about twenty folks: frying potatoe latkes, doughnuts & turkey; singing Hanukkah songs & rededicating our lives - God's current temple on earth. As we finished our service & party, the snow started falling. It fell during the second half of the Griz. game & just kept falling until this morning. We had 6-8 inches on the ground when we left for the Sunday School Christmas Program. Our first major snowstorm of this season.

Family at Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving was a wonderful family affair. Great grandchildren posed with Mom & Dad House & ate at the table that my sister & I got for Christmas over 55 years ago. We ate at that table when we were their age too.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I liked this google Thanksgiving motif, so decided to share it. Hope you are able to share this day with loved ones. We have overcome all the flu symptoms of the past week or two & are grateful for our good health along with everything else the Lord has given us. Enjoy His blessings!!

125th Anniversary Celebration of the Dry Creek Bible Church

This past week-end my sister & her husband, my parents & I drove into mid-January scenery & temperatures to attend a 125th Anniversary celebration. We met my brother & his wife in Bozeman, who had driven from Billings. Sunday morning, it was only 8 degrees outside as we left the Comfort Inn in Bozeman to drive the 30 minutes to the Dry Creek Bible Church.

My father pastored here for 14 years - while I was in Junior High, High School & college. This church was started in November 1884. That was 5 years before Montana became a state... only 20 years after the Civil War...& 8 years after the Custer massacre.

Mom & Dad were younger than me when they pastored at this community church in the middle of a rural farming area. We saw folks we hadn't seen for over 25 years & were able to catch up a little on their lives. What a blessing!

The older part of the church is now the fellowship hall, in which are several historic photos. This one is of the church building being moved a number of miles via bobsleds & 24 horses in 1905. The only damage suffered from the move was a crack in the brick chimney.

My family of origin had the week-end to reminisce without the distraction of children or grandchildren for the first time in many years. Here we are in front of the desert cake for the celebration -a replica of the older portion of the church. This is all there was to the church back in the 1960's & 70's when we drove out to serve each Sunday. Oh, yes, there was the outhouse in the yard that we used back then too.

Sampling of October-November 2009 photos

This was our October sukkah setting - snapped just before our Beth Tephila members started coming to our home for the first day of Sukkot celebration. Lacking palm branches & other items like the etrogs (citron like a lemon), we substituted what was locally available...pine branches & cattails & lemons. Last week I reduced those lemons to hot lemonade with honey to treat the sore throat I developed from a sinus post-nasal drip. It worked so well!

These other photos are a sampling taken the last month or so. Above is a look towards Missoula during a hike Becky & I took on logging roads in Pattee Canyon.

Shadik is now 18 months old & usually sitting somewhere near my workspace. Outside, she is a huntress, but inside is slowly becoming a snuggler like our other cat, Rachel. They still do not get along, so we keep them separated in the house.

Our new puppy is growing but is not completely house-trained...so much of the time he is in his puppy playpen in the dining-room area. He answers to "Puppy" or "Ari II".

Here is Becky on our Pattee Canyon hike. Since it is now hunting season, we were wearing orange. I continue to drop seed into her life & pray for an eventual harvest.

Last year in the AWANAS nursery, we usually had 4 to 7 children. This year it is usually only 2 girls. Elizabeth, the red head, is around 20 months old. Her grandma is my co-worker during AWANAS. Her brother, Andrew, became a Sparky this year.

Katie is almost a year old. Her brother, Luke, also became a Sparky this year.

Fun & Work with a new golden puppy

We have a wonderful bouncy, fluffy, golden retriever puppy at our home these days. He is show quality. Our friend Florence gave him to us for free! He sleeps alot & I am threatening to name him "Peewee" because of the other thing he does so much.

Part 7 - Starvation Creek Falls

Instead of stopping at Multnomah Falls in the Columbia River Gorge on our return trip, we opted to see something new. Starvation Creek Falls was a great potty stop & quite beautiful.