good reminder...

(she makes me want to cry...)

even the desert is often beautiful.

...say to those with fearful hearts,

"be strong, do not fear..."

"he devises ways..."

A wise woman said this to David, to convince him to bring back his son, Absalom, who had murdered his half-brother for raping his sister.

Like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be recovered, we must die. But God does not take away life; instead he devises ways so that a banished person may not remain estranged from him. ~2 Samuel 14:14

God is crazy.

For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation... ~2 Corintians 5:14-19

We must die, yet he died.

God, who reconciled us, has given us the ministry of reconciliation.

He devises ways...

A Few Spring Break Photos

These are a few photos from our recent trip. I couldn't get any more to load after two attempts, so it's an unbalanced selection...

I'll try and put some up on picasa, and add a link later, and maybe I'll make a separate post, just for baby elephants. :-)

This is Young Adventurer sizing himself up in comparison to grandma and grandpa's dog.

The dog wins, sizewise. :-)

The kids doing karate kid/jedi moves with Urban Ranger

Urban Ranger and I took time to visit an old hangout. It hasn't changed a bit.

Sometimes, change might be good, when the countertops are still that rust color.

Probably a spiritual metaphor here...

The girls with their Auntie.

They are my kids.

They just look like my sister.

:-)

Rest in Peace, Slinder

Slinder the crab died this morning of unknown causes. He will be fondly remembered.

Young Adventurer asks for your prayers, as he is very sad.

Coming Soon To A State Near You

There were seven full-color pages devoted to these advertisements in a well-known local free magazine.

"Medical"

??

Umm...yeah...

Boing!

SPRING!

These are luring a hummingbird to my backyard, within range of my camera. I have seen her with my own eyes. Now to develop the requisite patience to capture her on film...

Denizen

We have a new resident on the kitchen ceiling. As he is green, and in the kitchen, I have named him Emeril. He's just a little guy, with a wingspan of maybe an inch, and he has a white moustache.

He (or she) is an emerald moth--maybe a wavy-lined or a southern.

The way cool thing is that their caterpillars stick bits of stuff to their backs for camoflauge.

Little spies.

They're probably hiding all over my house and yard and I never see them...

Bad Hair Day

It was breezy.

She is hairy.

Very hairy.

Nothing brings that out more than a breezy day,

or bath day (secretary, please clear my schedule for the morning. I have to wash the dog...).

The reason she's standing outside giving me this weird look?

She knew it was bath day. The other dog. The stupid one, who let herself be caught, was already sparkly clean. As soon as Dusty saw that I was done with Stupid, she asked to go outside. And stayed outside. For a very long time, considering she usually spends that part of the day asleep on the couch. She wanted no part of me. She didn't want treats, she didn't even want cheese. At least not as badly as usual.

It was the cheese that eventually got her back into the house.

I just wanted to manipulate her though--to prove she'd sell her soul for food.

She didn't get a bath after all.

Decided the schedule wasn't clear after all.

Tomorrow. When she's off-guard...

(heads I win, tails you lose!)

Dear God,

Does the New Jerusalem have a playground?

Or big backyards?

Or basketballs?

Just wondering...

The Adventurers Three

Adventurer Two gets Two photos, as it was just her birthday.

Does anyone else think he needs a haircut?

Nah, never mind.