Fast Weekend

I can't believe it's already Sunday night. The weekend is almost over and yet it seems like it just started. I haven't had such a busy weekend in a long time but it was fun and felt worth every minute.
On Friday I left work a little early to run some work related errands before 5. I also needed to run by the post office on my way out of town headed for Lynden where I was scheduled to be at 5:30 to help out at something at the fair grounds. Anyway a whole series of events put me in the post office later than I had planned but the reason became clear while I was filling out a form. I became aware of a very frusterated, lost lady talking to a guy next to me. She was trying to figure out how to get to an assisted living home where her uncle lived but she didn't have the name of the facility. Since I am familier with the names of almost all the local facilities I joined the conversation and we quickly figuered out where she needed to go. She was too frusterated to understand any more directions so I offered to lead her here. She accepted and while it really wasn't out of my way I was thinking, "Oh I am going to be late getting to Lynden but Lord, you placed this woman in my path so I could help her and so please let things work out." Amazingly enough I made it all the way down the Guide on green lights and pulled into the fair grounds in Lynden at 5:31! The Lord is good when we don't pass up opportunities for service!
With the weather like it has been I just had to get out and go hiking somewhere this weekend. On Sabbath, after church, we went and ate lunch at a park with some friends and then mom and I took a 3hr. hike along Hayward Reservoir, up near Mission BC. The woods were gorgeous with living green like I haven't seen in years. The whole area smelled of warm earth and everything was blooming, all the little wild, woodsy things. We saw the biggest red headed wood pecker that I have ever seen as well as a couple of different types of ducks and a goose that flew back and forth over us. It was so quiet that you could hear it's wings pumping the air. We also heard a couple of owls talking back and forth and were surounded by a thunder storm on the way back. We never got wet as the storm went along the other side of the lake but we felt the wind as it came upon us and heard lots of thunder all around. It was quite incredible and I was so happy to be out in the woods. I am really looking forward to getting out a lot this summer. I am quite easy to please! Just give me a trail, some woods and a bit of running water here and there and I am happy. :-)
Saturday night I went back to the fair grounds to see if I could help with clean-up from the chess tournament and ended up spending the next three or so hours helping with garbage detail and hauling things around in my truck. Despite the few people that were there and how tired everyone was we got everything done that had to be done that night and I had a wonderful time. I have never hauled so much garbage in my life but I enjoyed every minute I was there (well, ok maybe not getting some unidentified substance poured down the back of my leg from a leaky bag but most everything else was fine!). It really is true that it doesn't always matter what you are doing, it's who you are with and how you look at it! We finished just when it started to rain around 11:30. Talk about good timing!!
Today I spent getting caught up on things that I have needed to do for a long time like polish my boots, finally get Casper's cart and harness over here and get the harness cleaned and polished, Mom and I put a bench for our entry way together, etc. I am so excited to finally get the cart and harness back from where they were stored because with this weather it's time to start driving him again. I plan on harnessing him up this week some evening, want to come??? I might even let you drive!
Hope you all had a great weekend too and an even better week. With God all things are possible. :-)

The Lord's Baseball Game

I recieved this from a friend and I really liked it so I had to share. Some of you may have seen it before but I don't think the lesson ever get's old. I really appreciated the part about Godly Wisdom. Recognizing Satan's pitches and letting them go by is an area I need to work on for sure.

THE LORD'S BASEBALL GAME

Freddy and the Lord stood by to observe a baseball game. The Lord's team was playing Satan's team. The Lord's team was at bat, the score was tied zero to zero, and it was the bottom of the 9th inning with two outs. They continued to watch as a batter stepped up to the plate named 'Love.' Love swung at the first pitch and hit a single, because "Love never fails."

The next batter was named Faith, who also got a single because >Faith works with Love. The next batter up was named Godly Wisdom. Satan wound up and threw the first pitch.

Godly Wisdom looked it over and let it pass: Ball one. Three more pitches and Godly Wisdom walked because he never swings at what Satan throws. The bases were now loaded.

The Lord then turned to Freddy and told him He was now going to bring in His starplayer. Up to the plate stepped Grace. Freddy said, "He sure doesn't look like much!" Satan's whole team relaxed when they saw Grace. Thinking he had won the game, Satan wound up and fired his first pitch. To the shock of everyone, Grace hit the ball harder than anyone had ever seen! But Satan was not worried; his center fielder let very few get by. He went up for the ball, but it went right through his glove, hit him on the head and sent him crashing on the ground; the roaring crowds went wild as the ball continued over the fence . . . for a home run! The Lord's team won!

The Lord then asked Freddy if he knew why Love, Faith and Godly Wisdom could get on base but couldn't win the game. Freddy answered that he didn't know why. The Lord explained, "If your love, faith and wisdom had won the game, you would think you had done it by yourself. Love, Faith and Wisdom will get you on base but only My Grace can get you Home:

"For by Grace are you saved, it is a gift of God; not of works, lest any man should boast." Ephesians 2:8-9

Psalm 84:11, "For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord will give grace and glory; no good thing will He withholds from those who walk uprightly."

What is Life?

I read this quote by George Bernard Shaw in a book I just finished called, "Feel The Fear And Do It Anyway" and I just had to share.

"This is the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one, the being a force of nature instead of a feverish selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making me happy.

I am of the opinion that my life belongs the whole community as, as long as I live, it is my privilage to do for it whatever I can. I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work the more I live.

I rejoice in life for its own sake. Life is no brief candle to me. It is a sort of splended torch which I've got to hold up for a moment and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations."

I realize that in this brief life we are not the mighty ones, God is when we allow Him to work through us. That said, we have to make the most of the opportunities that He gives us. There are so many people that feel the world owes them something and they get very out of sorts when they don't get what they want on a silver platter. I work with them all the time and I can't believe how miserable they really are. They might be getting all kinds of state services and "free money" but I wouldn't change places with them for a second. They have no real quality of life.

Sometimes in being a part of the "community" it is hard for me to prioritize but it becomes easier when I remember where the fuel for the torch really comes from. A life of service, cheerfully done, is a life well lived. I love life and all the possibilities that it holds. The next time I get really excited about a new opportunity, an idea or adventure, please bear with me. I am just trying out my torch in a new venue! Comments???

Books!

I was laying in bed this morning reading when I stopped to look around my room and I realized that I have more books than I know what to do with. I seem to have them coming out of everywhere! They are laying on my windowsil, sitting on my desk, arranged in my bookshelf and then stacked on top of the rows. I love books but I wonder do I need so many? Will I ever really read them all? What about my love for wandering in book stores looking for old musty books that don't have fancy pictures on the covers? And then there is the issue of cook books of which I have several I have never even cooked out of. As I looked around I was finally led to conclude there were some I could part with and others that must stay for one reason or another. What sort of books do I have you might ask? Well there are religious books, self improvment books, text/reference books, biographies and historical books, childrens books and books containing collections of old moral building stories, books of quotes and saying, books about horses and other animals, coffee table photo books, a set of spy technique books (yes I suppose those could go but you never know when they might come in handy! I mean really who knows when the knowledge of how to write secret codes and rig things for survailence might come in handy??), there are German books and music books and the list goes on. You won't find novels or many polictical books among my collection but that's ok with me. I think growing up without a TV had a lot to do with my love of book and maybe learning to read by the time I was 4 1/2 or 5 helped a bit as well. My parents read and I was always surounded by books. Even when we lived in a trailer for all those years we still had our books and my dad built book shelves where he could. One whole wall in our living room was lined with book shelved when we moved into a house and even now I have an overflowing 7ft shelf unit in my room not to mention all the books in the living room. The written word never grows old for me and I am constantly amazed at how many ways it can be constructed to fill so many needs. I really can't imagine living in a home without books. I feel like something is missing when I go to homes where you are hard pressed to find even one or two books available for browsing. Books inspire, they challenge, they connect you with different peoples, feelings, cultures, times and ideas, both agreeable and sometimes very disagreeable. They are windows to the world as seen by other minds. I am running out of space so I think I need to be a little more selective about the amount of books I bring home and maybe that means avoiding places where I know I will be find books that are begging to come with me for a small price, but then again maybe not because if I don't at least stop and look I might miss some true gem that I really need to bring home. Oh my this is starting to sound worse than it is. Oh to have a home where I can have a library room, with a bay window seat and cozy cushions. Till then I guess I will just keep reading on my bed and trying to make order out of my overflowing book shelf. Happy reading everyone and maybe I will run into you one day at some community book sale, wandering through a book store or just browsing in the library. If I do, feel free to remind me I don't really need any more books but don't be surprised if I still leave with something I just must take home and read! Off to feed the horse and read a little before turning in. Good night.

Ponderings on Rain

Rain

Appreciated for its reviving qualities,
Blamed for depression.
Worshiped and prayed for as the giver of life,
Despised for its power.

It waters my spirit in a way no other form of nature can ever fathom.
My spirit feels dusty and dry without its cleansing drops.
The sounds defies description and connects me with serenity
As it swings me on a gentle hammock of familiarity.
To sing and frolic in the rain is a pleasure like none other,
It satisfies my inner child in a way nothing else can.
Drop by drop it gathers into rivers and seas.
After a rain the green things of the earth shine with a special hue,
Rain drops on roses are diamonds of infinite value.

The later rain, the former rain,
Holy Spirit revive us again and cause us to spring forth speedily.
Surrounded by showers of blessings,
I thank God today as the rain falls around me.

Update

Just wanted to let you all know that my mom got some photos of Dustin from his mother and he doesn't look nearly as bad as he could have. He's definetly burned and it looks painful but they are keeping him on base for the next 10 days or so and from there who knows. Anyway he still has all his facial features, his hair, sight, etc. so his angels were definetly working overtime! He still needs prayers because burns still leave such awful scars and the pain level is high but praise God it could have been so much worse.

Please Pray

The following letter came today from a family friend who's son, an old childhood playmate of mine, is serving in Iraq. Any prayers that you feel impressed to offer would be most appreciated. Dear Family & Friends,

This morning a car bomb went off 25 feet from the vehicle Dustin was riding in. The explosion could be seen for a mile. He was riding in the hatch of the Stryker completely exposed from the waist up when the bomb went off. He has first and second degree burns on his face and his wrist. He called us around 11:30 this morning our time. He sounded ok when I answered the phone, but I asked him anyway, he lied and said he was, then he immediately asked for Chuck, I knew something was up. He talked to me after he had explained what had happened to Chuck, so Chuck would be prepared to handle the hysterical mom when he told me. He said when it first happened he felt like he was on fire, so he dropped down into the Stryker and started patting himself to put the fire out, but then he realized he wasn't on fire. He started checking himself over to make sure nothing was missing, like feet, arms, etc. Then he started looking for blood and realized he was ok. He didn't know he had been burned on his face yet. He went back up into the hatch and a few minutes later his face started blistering, so he dropped back down to get first aid before heading back to the base for medical treatment. The other soldier that was in the hatch just got a little pink on his neck and was fine. It was a miracle that they were not both killed. Once again all of our prayers are being answered.

This morning during my prayer time (about 6:00) I felt impressed to read Isaiah 43:2.
I felt like something was going to or had happened to Dustin. The Lord gave me peace and once again I committed him into the Lord's keeping. After we talked to Dustin I remembered what verse I had read this morning. I now know Dustin's angel has been very busy this week keeping him alive.

"...when you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon you."

Dustin will be receiving a Purple Heart because of his injuries and this also assures him of his request for leave in June.

Please pray for his healing and protection as he will be out patrolling again in a few days.

He said his two friends that were injured last week, that I wrote you about, are both in Germany. The one (Joe) is still in a coma and the LT (Scotty) is doing much better, he is starting to see shapes and light with his right eye. Please continue to keep them and their families in your prayers.

Thank you again for your support and prayers, we appreciate all of you so much.

Love,
Alta

Updates

This blog is a work in progress and the latest developments include links! I finally figured out (with a bit of help!) how to edit the links and get them to actually work. I learned a little something along the way through this process so it was good that I had to struggle through it. As I was trying to understand what I had done wrong and figure out the elementary lines of code I realized that there was one link I actually had entered correctly but I had not entered the second half which was the name that would show up on the page. When that was fixed of course it worked. As I was reflecting on this small detail that made the difference it struck me how like our spiritual lives this is. Just because we are sure that we have entered the link correctly doesn't really matter if the effect is not visible to the outside world. We can say that we have a connection with Christ but if those around us can not tell by the way we live maybe we only have half the code and there is still an important work to be done. As Paul once said, " Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men: [Forasmuch as ye are] manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshly tables of the heart." 2Corinthians 3:2&3 I have also added some new photos to my webshots page so be feel free to check those out if you have the time or desire. The other links I added were for my on-line portfolios that I have which highlight my mission, vision values, educational information, resume, that sort of thing. I set them up mainly for prospective employers and job related things so you may find parts of the really boring if you check them out but then again you might learn something new about me...who knows!

Smile!

A burglar broke into a house one night. Shining his flashlight around looking for valuables, he picked up a CD player to place in his sack when a strange, disembodied voice echoed from the dark saying, "Jesus is watching you." He nearly jumped out of his skin, clicked his flashlight out, and froze. When he heard nothing more after a bit, he shook his head, promised himself a vacation after the next big score, then clicked the light on and began searching for more valuables.

Just as he pulled the stereo out so he could disconnect the wires, clear as a bell he heard, "Jesus is watching you." Freaked out, he shone his light around frantically, looking for the source of the voice. Finally, in the corner of the room, his flashlight beam came to rest on a parrot.

"Did you say that?" He hissed at the parrot. "Yep," the parrot confessed, then squawked, "I'm just trying to warn you."
The burglar relaxed. "Warn me, huh? Who in the world are you?"
"Moses," replied the bird.
"Moses?" the burglar laughed. "What kind of people would name a bird Moses?"

"Same kinda people that would name a rottweiler Jesus."

Exciting day!

Just wanted to report that Tut-tut is doing well and recovering nicely. He is back to jumping on everything and going after Cleo (the other old cat I have!) so I know he is feeling better.
Today was a pretty tiring but exciting day for me and one that I have been waiting for for a very long time. One of my long time goals has been to try taking voice lessons but till now have had no opportunity and also have been too scared to persue it. Of late I have been thinking it was time to work on that and make that dream a reality but had not clue how to do that. Through the kindness of some friends who have a voice teacher in Canada and were willing to take me there and introduce me it looks like it will happen!!! I spent the day there, feeling like a sponge absorbing everything I could (my brain feels like mush at the moment) and I even had a short little lesson of sorts which was pretty exciting. I will actually start taking lessons next week and will hopefully continue until the end of Sept. when the teacher will be leaving for the UK for a year. I was and am a bit nervous but really excited as well and hope that by Sept. I will have a good foundation to keep me going while he is gone. I learned so much and can't wait to get started. I am so thankful to Ethan for suggesting that I talk to Johanna about going up because I would have never thought of suggesting it myself. Time will tell how well I do but I was very impressed with the teacher and I loved he straight up style...no beating around bush with him and he has a great sense of humor. Both qualities that I work well with. Not sure how I will do skating, voice and Toastmasters all at once but these are all things on my "To do before I get old" list and they are all thing I really want to do so I will make it work! Anyway, I know this wasn't probably nearly as exciting for you as it it for me but I had to share!

Living wills - High Importance!

Ok so I promised myself that I wouldn't post about the Terri Shiavo (sp?) case for several reasons but there is one issue that I want to mention surrounding this case that I hope everyone seriously considers. That is the issue of living wills or advance directives. Because of where I work and my own personal experience I really feel strongly about this issue so if you will bear with me for a moment I want to hop on my soapbox and talk about this.
How many of you have one or know what they even are?
Do your family members have them? and more importantly do you know where to find them in the event of an emergency?
I know some of you are probably thinking, "What in the world is a living will? Why do I need to will my stuff while I am still living?" Well in simple terms the issue here isn't about your stuff but it's about you! How do you want to be cared for in the event that you can't make your own decisions? Do you really want your family to have to make those decisions and or endure the fight that could ensue?
I mean this very seriously here...this is not just for old folks. In my case I was only 19 when my parents faced the possibility of having to institutionalize me in a "persistant vegitative state". The Lord had other plans for me at the time and woke me up from my coma when I wasn't expected to but in the event that I wouldn't have woken up I would have wanted my wishes to be known. Terri was only 26 when she had her episode so it's never too early to think about these things. If you haven't had this talk with your parents, grandparents or children about your wishes at the end of life, whatever age it might come for you, it's time you do!
Advance directives only apply if you have a life threating illness or condition and two or more doctors can confirm that artificial means will prolong the death process and that you are not able to make decisions about your own health. They are not final and can be changed or reversed by you at anytime if you change your mind about anything your put on the form so it's not like you are signing away your right to life by having a living will. They can also be used to say that you want everything possible done to keep you alive if you choose that route. The link below will take you to a site where you can choose the state you live in and download the forms. If you happen to live in Whatcom County and would like the form that is good around here please let me know because I have easy access to them at my job and I would be happy to get one or more to you.
https://www.legaldocs.com/htmdocs/livin_st.htm
For an advance directive to be valid you have to be "out of comission" so you most likely wouldn't even know what's happening around you. This is not so much for you but for your family to know what you want and not have to feel guilty or frustered when they find themselves in a situation that is already fraught with emotional stress.
Ok so I am hopping off my soapbox now but please promise me that you will at least consider it and make the effort to get one and sign it so that your wishes are known and verified.

Website

I can't quite figure out how to make the links on the side work so you will have to access it this way for the moment. I will figure it and fix it at a later time.
http://community.webshots.com/user/cbarlean

April Fool

So did anything funny happen to you this April fools day? I have never had anything funny happen to me but this year was a bit of an exception in a strange way.
I was getting ready to read morning devotions with Nicki and mom comes up with a funny look on her face and says I need to come down right now. I follow her down to the bathroom and what a sight met my eye! There was Tut-tut, my little black cat, with about a foot of doubled yarn hanging out his bum! This is not the first time he has eaten string. One time a few months ago he woke me up in the middle of the night with a piece hanging out of his mouth and I was able to pull the 4ft. drawstring that he had ingested back out again. Thankfully it was about 1:30am and I was still half asleep or I think I would have been way more grossed out than I was! Anyway it's 6:45 am and I have a cat walking around with a very smelly string hanging out of his behind. We actually were able to pull out about another foot before it stopped and then he would vomit every time it was touched after that so I just cut it off a few inches from his little bum and proceeded to call the emergency clinic. I wanted to find out if I could wait to take him in till the vet opened at 8:00. At this point he was also vomiting up 6 in. piece from the front end. When I called the clinic I explained my situation to the lady who answered the phone and her response was, "Oh hey, floss the kitty!" We had a good laugh and she assured me he would be fine till the vet opened. Needless to say I was late for work on Friday but several hundred dollars later and three cuts into his intestines later he is fine. Though he is quite frustrated that he has be to be on a liquid diet for the next week! When I went to pick him up one of the ladies at the vet assured me that it was quite a humorous operation and when I asked her if that meant she got to watch she said, "Oh no I got to be the bum string puller! Once they had gotten the ball out of his intestines and cut the other pieces that went up to his stomach I got to pull the final piece out of his bum. It was pretty exciting!" Just goes to show that certain professions have different ideas of fun and humor!
When I went back to get him from the cage yesterday morning the name tag said "Tutu" and I told him maybe that was closer to the truth. Maybe he doesn't quite fit something as intelligent as King Tut! What an April fool. LOL
Oh and your daily tidbit of useless information. Did you know that cats and dogs can walk just fine without a hip joint? I would have never thought of such a thing but you guessed it when when vet called me to let me know how the surgery went he asked me if Tut had ever had a leg injury. I told him, "No but when he was a tiny kitten, like around 3 weeks old there was a time when he really didn't seem to be able to put any weight on his back right leg." He then proceeded to inform me that Tut has just a straight femur bone on that side and it doesn't look like he has a pelvic socket there either. It seems that this will not be a problem for him (I would have never known by the way he jumps up on everything and races around.) and in fact in many cases when animals break their hips or upper femur bones they actually go in and cut the joint part of the bone off and after a short period of time the muscles and ligaments actually tighten and form a false joint there. Probably when he was a baby and just starting to walk that is why for a week or so he wasn't using that leg properly, the muscles hadn't strengthened quite enough yet but after continued use they seemed to be normal. I admit its not the most useful bit of info you will ever be told but I thought it was rather interesting.
I promise that I won't bore you with cat stories all the time but this one was a bit on the extreem side so I had to share! Sorry :-)

Cave Lesson

The last weekend of March found mom and I in Medford, Or. for the weekend visiting friends who had gathered from CA, ID, WA and OR. On Sunday a few of us went to Oregon Caves and while we were there we saw something that as I thought about it really lent itself well to an object lesson. (I love object lessons, they are usually so practical, so please if you ever have one to share don't hesitate! Share, share share!)
At one point in the cave there is a flow stone formation that back in the 1800's was the farthest point that you could go in the cave. Between 1884-1889 some professors from the university brought their geology classes there and as part of the experience would have them sign the flowstone as a way of taking role. Today the dates and some of the names are still readable. About 25 yrs. ago someone got the bright idea to remove the writing since it was "graffiti" but when they tried they realized that in the proceeding 100 yrs. the water and minerals had continued to flow over the formation and now the writing was actually sealed in and part of the rock. The only way to remove it was to actually chip it out which would have ruined the formation. Interestingly enough when they realized that the same people who had just called the writing graffiti suddenly started calling it historical markings and it has been left!
As I reflected about this writing I was impressed with how much we are like that flow stone in some ways. We are always getting "written on" one way or another through temptations, life events, choices that me make, etc. As time goes on each temptation that we don't resist for example reacts on our character and leaves a mark. Imperceptibly , as with the tiny amounts of water that have been flowing over the rock in the cave for the last 100 years., in may ways these marks because part of us for better or worse. Some of those marks are fine and should be left but others need to be removed and I thought about how at times the Lord must hew and polish us to remove the effects of sin or character defects. Sometimes the removal of the "writing" is not a pleasant process but one that must be done if we are to appear before Him without spot or blemish. This made me think about how careful I should be about what I allow to make up the "flow stone" of my life and how I need to not fight against the events that the Lord allows to teach and prefect me. Unlike the geologists that knew that they couldn't remove the writing and maintain the beauty of the formation God not only removes the defects in our lives but He leaves us more beautiful that when He began!
I realize that there probably many more lessons that could be learned from this so if something else comes to mind I would love to hear (read) it. Thinking about this whole picture was very encouraging to me and I hope to you in some way. Now I just need to remember it when I am feeling lost or confused...the end will be better than the beginning if I will only trust. :-)

My first blog

Ok so I finally decided it was time to try this blog thing out! I am a little slow on the uptake for some of these new developements so if I mess this up please be patient with me.
I have been thinking about doing this for a while because I often don't get to writting everyone personally but I have things I would like to share with people and so I am going to try this and see how it goes.
The last couple of weeks have been really busy and there are a few highlights to share. I will post them as seperate entries and I am going to try and figure out to put some photos here as well...we'll see how that goes!