Sisters

are the best.

Happy Dog

Caspian

at his new home in Tennessee.

not too happy

about wrapping presents.

thrilled

just thrilled.

my horse is a scrooge.

what can I say?

two words

Truth and humility.



thanks Tiff.

Come Then, Lord Jesus

1. The Church has waited long
Her absent Lord to see
And still in loneliness she waits
A friendless stranger she
Age after age has gone,
Sun after sun has set
And still, in weeds of widowhood,
She weeps a mourner yet

Chorus: Come then, Lord Jesus, come
Come then, Lord Jesus
Come then, Lord Jesus, come, come, come.

3. The serpent¼s brood increase,
The powers of hell grow bold
The conflicts thickens, faith is low,
And love is waxing cold
How long, O Lord our God,
Holy and true and good
Wilt thou not judge Thy suffering Church,
Her sighs and tears and blood?

4. We long to hear thy voice,
To see Thee face to face
To share Thy crown and glory then,
As now we share thy grace
Should not the loving bride,
The absent Bridegroom mourn?
Should she not wear the weeds of grief,
Until her Lord return?

5. The whole creation groans,
And wait to hear that voice
That shall restore her comeliness,
And make her wastes rejoice
Come, Lord, and wipe away,
The curse, the sin, the stain
And make this blighted world of ours,
Thine own fair world again

by Indelible Grace

© 2007 Kevin Twit Music (ASCAP).
Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Doodle Bug

Caspian

he likes to run. can you tell?

For Friends: You Never Let Go

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
Your perfect love is casting out fear
And even when I'm caught in the middle of the storms of this life
I won't turn back
I know you are near

And I will fear no evil
For my God is with me
And if my God is with me
Whom then shall I fear?
Whom then shall I fear?

(Chorus:)
Oh no, You never let go
Through the calm and through the storm
Oh no, You never let go
In every high and every low
Oh no, You never let go
Lord, You never let go of me

And I can see a light that is coming for the heart that holds on
A glorious light beyond all compare
And there will be an end to these troubles
But until that day comes
We'll live to know You here on the earth

(Chorus)

Yes, I can see a light that is coming for the heart that holds on
And there will be an end to these troubles
But until that day comes
Still I will praise You, still I will praise You

by Matt Redman

Rooted and Grounded

You have no idea of where God is going to engineer your circumstances, no knowledge of what strain is going to be put on you either at home or abroad; if you waste your time in overactive energies instead of getting into soak on the great fundamental truths of God's Redemption, you will snap when the strain comes. But if this time of soaking before God is being spent in getting rooted and grounded in God on the unpractical line, you will remain true to Him whatever happens.

Oswald Chambers, reading for Oct 19

The Boys Are Back

• finally! a sappy Clive Owen movie
• the pain of losing someone
• how grief changes people
• the boys' anger and grief, expressed in different ways
• the older boy longing for his dad's love and his hunger to be wanted by his dad
• love/frustration/love expressed between a mom-in-law and a son
• golden, hot Australian countryside contrasted with cold, gloomy England
• fabulous music
• how boys need their dads
• a father's love for his family

beach

pooh bear, emac, and bmac

I would like to go back

to the Rockies. Do I really have to wait till next summer?

Little known facts about me

Following my sister's post, here are some random facts about me:

• Yes, I was KristaKrantz, member of the popcorn gang.
• I also went through two stick horses. My horses names were Thunder and Bree. They were both beautiful dapple greys. We spend many hours running down the beach and around the farm in Oregon.
• Yes, I was tormented by my twin, and yes I was the saintly twin. :P
• My 4H dog did really well the first year (a couple championships), but the second year she spent the whole show staring at a squirrel. Needless to say we didn't win much.
• I also took oil painting as a kid and still have a dream to start it back up again.
• I have a bad memory and don't remember the Eryn/Jessica almost-drowning incident.
• I had nothing to do with the ants served up for a Bible study refreshment. In fact, I was an innocent by-stander caught up in the treachery.

Refreshed

Cloudy morning with the window open. Warm cup of tea. Cool breeze. Refreshing after the long hot summer. I think Fall may finally be here.

Crazy

Why I would I spend my life longing for the day that it would end..
Why would I spend my time pointing to another man..
Isn't that crazy

How can I find hope in dying, with promises unseen..
How can I learn your way is better
In everything I'm taught to be..
Isn't that crazy

I have not been called to the wisdom of this world..
But to a God who's calling out to me..
And even though the world may think
I'm losing touch with reality
It would be crazy
To choose this world over eternity

And if I boast let me boast
Of filthy rags made clean
And if I glory let me glory
In my Savior's suffering
Isn't that crazy

And as I live this daily life
I trust you for everything
And I will only take a step
When I feel You leading me
Isn't that crazy

I have not been called to the wisdom of this world..
But to a God who is calling out to me..
And even though the world my think
I'm losing touch with reality
It would be crazy
To choose this world over eternity

Call me crazy
You can call me crazy
Call me crazy

I have not been called to the wisdom of this world..
But to a God who is calling out to me..
And even though the world may think that
I'm losing touch with reality
It would be crazy, It would be crazy, It would be crazy
To choose this world over eternity

Isn't That crazy..
Call me crazy
You can call me crazy
Call me crazy

by Mercy Me

Wilbur speaks

"back when I was a youngin'..."

Fun in Colorado

Can I just live up there?

Champion Show Jumper

This is what champion show jumpers look like in Rocky Mountain National Park. Just look at those tightly-tucked knees, relaxed back and arched neck. Olympic-bound for sure.

From the Horse and his Boy

"And now my son, waste no time on questions, but obey. This damsel is wounded. Your horses are spent. Rabadash is at this moment finding a ford over the Winding Arrow. If you run now, without a moment's rest, you will still be in time to warn King Lune."

Shasta's heart fainted at these words for he felt he had no strength left. And he writhed inside at what seemed the cruelty and unfairness of the demand. He had not yet learned that if you do one good deed your reward usually is to be set to do another and harder and better one. But all he said out loud was:

"Where is the King?"

by C.S. Lewis, the chapter called The Hermit of the Southern

Summer Adventures - part 5

Turning an apartment into a home (complete with rug ornament).

Summer Adventures - part 4

Swimming with the horses.

Summer Adventures - part 3

Growth of plants and person.

Summer Adventures - part 2

Going to the beach. 10 people, 2 dogs, 10 hours, 2 cars.

Summer Adventures - part 1

Adventure 1 - learning to cook. This recipe is from the June Real Simple magazine (with a couple variations).

Character

-->

I saw the Taking of Pelham 123 this afternoon with some friends. The movie is as much about character as it is violence and the f-bomb. If you can get past the latter two, the character part is good.

Walter Garber is a man who has come up the ranks in the subway control department of NYC. He started at the bottom and worked his way to the top, only to be brought down several notches when he was accused of accepting a bribe. The beginning of the movie shows him cheerfully at his job, accepting his assignment - low-man-on-the-totem-pole subway traffic director-guy (if you want the actual titles, watch the movie).

Through the process of getting caught up in a hostage negotiation, you see this man selflessly put himself and his pride on the line for the lives of others. He shows respect to an antagonistic boss and to the sad, hopelessly lost villain. He comes clean on his past mistakes when the lives of others depend on it. He shows care and concern and involvement with his family and his wife. He is willing to do the right thing throughout the drama, even to the end where he hesitates until the last possible second to take the villain down, in hopes of not taking the villain’s life. Mostly, you see him willing to accept what comes his direction – accepting it with grace, humility and candor, showing respect to every individual around him. In the end, all this earned him the respect of everyone involved; you may go so far as to say, even the respect of the villain.

3 Months

It's quiet.

Life is quiet.

Not boring, just quiet. And different. Very different.

Gone are the late nights studying and pushing through homework and reaching deadlines just in time. Gone are the hours at Starbucks with my ipod and my books and calculator. Gone are the rushed dinners grabbed at Chik-fil-a as I jet off to class. Gone is the stress of unfinished assignments and assignments yet to come. Gone is the pressure to keep the grades up. Gone is the general burden that becomes a familiar companion, and is then missed (?) when it is put to death by strange things like graduation and diploma.

Gone are the McGarys and the McScotties. This is a chapter in itself and one I dare not delve into here in cyberspace. Yes, this chapter is best kept for phone calls or in-person conversations or for prayer.

I'm still not sure how much I like the quiet. It's different.

But I trust it is good. And for my good.

roadtrips

are so much better with sing-alongs. i'm grateful for friends who are willing to do both.

Da Boyz

In the blink of an eye

You put me here for a reason
You have a mission for me
You knew my name and You called it
Long before I learned to breathe
Sometimes I feel disappointed
By the way I spend my time
How can I further Your kingdom
When I'm so wrapped up in mine
In a Blink of an eye that is when
I'll be closer to You than I've ever been
Time will fly, but until then
I'll embrace every moment I'm given
There's a reason I'm alive for a blink of an eye
And though I'm living a good life
Can my life be something great?
I have to answer the question
Before it's too late
Cause in a Blink of an eye that is when
I'll be closer to You than I've ever been
Time will fly, but until then
I'll embrace every moment I'm given
There's a reason I'm alive for a blink of an eye
If I give the very best of me
That becomes my legacy
So tell me what am I waiting for?
What am I waiting for?
In a Blink of an eye that is when
I'll be closer to You than I've ever been
Time will fly, but until then
I'll embrace every moment I'm given
In a Blink of an eye that is when
I'll be closer to You than I've ever been
Time will fly, but until then
I'll embrace every moment I'm given
There's a reason I'm alive for a blink of an eye
Mercy Me

It's like...

...he's a grown up horse.