Ephesians 5:1

Ephesians 5:1 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;

It is fun to watch a little guy follow his dad.  He will imitate him every way he can.  He has complete trust in his dad, in the son’s eyes dad is perfect – he wants to be just like him.  He wants to be as close to him as possible.  He obeys him as much as he possibly can.

THAT is the attitude God wants from us.

The little one gets older and one day he finds that dad is not perfect, slowly he sees that while his father is worthy of his love he is not as perfect as he once thought he was, the relationship changes.  There are those that try and say the same thing about God, they say they have ‘grown up’ and see God for who He really is and He isn’t who we think He is; or He doesn’t exist He has been made up by people to keep others dependent – who can’t think on their own and need a crutch.  They don’t want to place God in His proper place, because then He will have a right to have a say in what they should or should not do.

God does exist and He doesn’t want us to believe in Him as a child to ‘lord’ it over us.  He wants us to accept his dominion that we might have an eternal life with Him and a more purposeful life here on earth.  But not only us, He wants us to share His love with others that they too, might accept Christ as their Savior and God as their Father.

As we get older we want to be independent, we want to be our own person and show that we don’t have to rely on someone else.  Strong traits and ones we can admire and aspire towards.  Unfortunately it is that attitude that also keeps us from growing closer to God.  We need to look on God as that little guy looked on his dad and accept His guidance and love without question.

~ From the Columbia River Gorgeous

Wedding Part 4

Without a full photo it will be hard to describe how the field was divided up for the wedding- but of course I shall try.  Where we held the service and dinner the pasture is almost square.  There are several bushes almost dead center in the field.  

We had a canopy set up on the north side of the pasture, in it was the guest book manned (womanned) by my granddaughter.  Guests walked down the long driveway onto the north side of the field, through the canopy and then a path around some small trees and then an aisle between the seats of straw (covered with my wife’s quilts) to the arbor which was on the east side of the trees.  The path had the buckets of flowers spaced out alongside of it.

In the foreground is their garden, the canopy is on the north end of the field.  There is a trail to the left that goes around the garden area to the canopy and then on around to the right to get to the ceremony area.

The ceremony took place in front of a small stand of shrubs that separated that area from the eating area.  My son in-”love” to be made an arbor from trees on the property.  His mother brought a lot of plants from her place in Idaho to put around the arbor, some brought to her by my son in-”love” to be from Germany.  My wife and his mother did not want to put anything on the arbor itself, it was naturally beautiful.  My son in-”love” to be did a good job of building it and keeping that rugged beauty

The barbecues were set up on the other side of the shrubs that were behind the arbor.  My oldest son got a crew rounded up and started the barbecuing.  The large spool tables were set up a few feet south of the grills, these tables held the food buffet style. The dining tables were set up to the southwest of the spool tables.  All of this, except for the umbrellas over the spool tables, was in the sun.  After the ceremony bales of straw were moved over to the tables and the quilts put back over them.  Some of the attendees moved some bales into the shade of that large pine tree which was about 75 feet east of the grills.

The weather was nice, not too hot, but a tad warm in the sun.

My daughter in-"love" had brought up a number small Styrofoam boxes and ice packs.  After making such a beautiful cake and cup cakes she wanted to make sure people were able to take food with them.  These were used, along with aluminum foil and plastic containers for attendees to take home left overs.  If anyone left without some, it was their fault as there was plenty.  Our family has the philosophy that we never want someone to leave our table hungry and we cook for leftovers to send home with guests.

  

Then after the meal we had to clean it up – not people hired, but family and friends – working because they want to, out of love for My son in-”love” to be and My daughter.

Wedding Part 3

My son in-”love” to be smoked nine racks of pork ribs at the end of the week for the Saturday celebration dinner, finishing the last three Saturday morning.  Here is one of the ribs, that’s a five pound sack of sugar in the background, and the lock on the freezer, to give some perspective – they were delicious:

Cannot begin to list the number of people who made salads and barbecued the steaks and chicken; who cut shrimp, mixed up a concoction to go with it to stuff dozens of miniature bell peppers which were bbq’d on the grill Saturday.  We had a number of salads, baked beans, tomatoes, carrots and I can’t remember all of it that were fixed by members of the extended family – and the cookies that were brought in by a friend, a newer part of the family.

The pasture is to the east and several feet lower than the house.  To get to the ceremony and dinner area requires a walk of about 400 feet, both ways.  It is steep and the ground is uneven – as you would expect a pasture to be.  Everyone had to walk the walk several times a day as they prepared the area for the wedding.  Below you can see the dog running with ease, and me trying to catch up.  

Lots of logistics for an operation this size, porta potties, how much of what do we need to feed up to 70 or so people, getting the stuff down from the house to the pasture.  Getting enough barbecues to cook all the meat for the wedding attendees, and then actually doing the work.  Where to place the food so it doesn’t get too hot and start spoiling (large bowls with ice for the bowls of food to fit into.  Doing a lot of the work in a 1500 square foot home with a standard home kitchen.    (Fortunately people did the salads at home and brought them to the house.)  My son in-”love” to be built a good cooler on the back porch using ingenuity and Styrofoam sheets, adding dry and regular ice to keep the meats cold – it worked too.

Romans 8:32

Romans 8:32

He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

The very most difficult fatality I ever covered happened near Shaniko.  I was close so responded to the accident and arrived about the same time the ambulance did.  It was an automobile accident where the car had run off the road, if I recall correctly it was late at night and the driver probably fell asleep at the wheel, happens often in that neck of the woods.  It is about an hour from any community of any size and in wide open spaces so there is little (other than paying attention to the road and curves, etc.) to keep a driver occupied late at night, there isn’t all that much traffic either.

I looked down at the body of a 16 year old boy, Ken was 16.  They looked very much like each other and both played the bass.  Hair style similar, size similar and it really hit me, this could be Ken.  This could be my son.

I have never had to face it, and I hope I never do.  To lose a child is one of the most traumatic things that can happen to a parent.  It is difficult enough to have it happen because of an accident, illness or violent act.  I can not imagine saying this is my son, take him as payment for your sins.

God did not love His Son any less than I do my children.  Yet, He allowed Him to go through humiliation and let Him die on the cross that we, His wayward and very much not worthy children, could once again come to Him.  He wants the very best for us, He wants to see us grow and become strong children in service for Him, not because we have to, but because we want to please Him.  To accomplish what we need for that service He is waiting to give it to us, all we have to do is ask and trust Him.

~ From the Columbia River Gorgeous