Friday, March 16, 2012

Blaine's first short story was awarded 2nd place at the Regional Art & Literature Contest


The Great Sea Captain's Adventure

Once there was a submarine captain named Bliff. He was a mighty man, he was. One day he was exploring underwater and he found a big, old volcano. When he looked down into the volcano's hole, he was shocked to see a forbidden place called Atlantis. Bliff had heard rumors about human people living down under the sea in an air pocket. he was curious and wanted to go into the crack, but just then something that looked like two red glowing eyes came out of the kelp line.

Bliff felt surprized to see those funny red eyes. But then he thought they weren't so funny after all. Just then abig Sea Creature with glowing red eyes came out of it's hiding place in the kelp. Bliff pushed the button in the Submarine that brought up a computer auto pilot for the Submarine to be protected and have its moves directed by the comuputer. That way Bliff could look in his dictionary to find out what this creature was. He looked in his dictionary until he came to the "L's." He passed the pages in the dictionary that said Land, Layer, and Latin. Finally he came to the page that said "Leviathan."

Bliff was to see that he was looking face to face with a Leviathan, the scary monster that Job was talking about in the Bible in Job Chapter 40:11. He was so worried that he took over the submarine controls, and dove straight into the volcano. It didn't burn him, and he saw a little crack in the volcano wall. He made the submarine go down in it. Then he found a little tunnel. He thought it may be a way out of the volcano, and it was.

The Leviathan was right behind him, shooting electric bolts and fireout of his mouth at the submarine. Smoke was everywhere. Bliff went up through the tunnel, and dashed about 15 feet into the air pocket, and landed with a Ka-Splash! He landed back in the water, just in time for the Leviathan to give up, but when the Leviathan swished his big tail, lots of smoke and dust came out of the volcano, and the water was murky. A big cloud of dust came into the tunnel crack and mixed with the water where the submarine had gone.

Bliff got out of the submarine and went into the water in his scuba suit, carefully climbing up into the airpocket in the tunnel. He explored all around until he came to a huge puddle full of molten lava. Some strange, friendly creatures allowed him to pass through a path. The friendly creatures had glowing blue faces, and they led Bliff to a bridge taking them all safely over a lake of molten lava. They all got across, and came to a really weird cave-like place. There, standing before them all was a Fish-looking hammer head shark machine. The machine had a small hidden cove inside it, and there was a crystal there. The Blue creatures told Bliff that the crystal was a magic power source to make it fly. Bliff worked with the crystal and figured out how to make the machine fly.

The blue creatures were so happy that Bliff had learned a way to make the Fish machine fly. They smiled and took off their blue masks. Bliff saw one creature who looked very familiar. He looked so much like Bliff's best friend back home, named "Langston." When he looked around at all of the creatures, he was surprized to see that they were not just creatures, but little people, just like him, only much smaller. The creatures played with Bliff and enjoyed themselves for the rest of the day. Then, they got the Fish machine ready to take Bliff home.

Bliff said goodbye to everyone, then got on the Fish Machine, and it flew out of the air pocket, into the tunnel, and back to where the submarine was waiting. There was no Leviathan in sight, so Bliff got into the Submarine and took off into the ocean towards home. When he got home, he went over to his best friend, Langston's house, and told him all about this adventure. Langston said, "Wow, take me along next time."

Bliff said, "You'll have to borrow my submarine, because after this adventure, I think I want to explore the outer space."

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Wednesdays with Blaine: Roller Skating Race

I love to skate fast!-- Blaine

pursue a righteous life-- a life of wonder,
faith, love, steadiness, courtesy.
Run hard and fast in the faith,
Seize the eternal life, the life you were called to .
I Tim 6:11-12
The message

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Still in Love after 23 years (Happy Anniversary, Baby)

"Above all, LOVE each other deeply,
 because love covers over a multitude of sins."
(I Peter 4:8)

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Saturday, February 18, 2012

The Bridal Shower

We had a little shower for a new Bride at Church

I brought in Mike's Grandmother's Vanity
and we decorated the Fellowship hall like a
New Bride's Bedroom

The Food was marvelous!

Jill was our most excellent Hostess


Setting up the Fondue (Chocolate, of Course)

Playing Bridal Shower Games

The Bride and Bridesmaid read cards at the end of the Shower

Miss Ann

Transforming the Fellowship Hall

Games with Carla M

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Wednesdays with Blaine: I invented a Cat Swing

the cats are not sure they like to swing
but I made it safe so they won't fall out

The Swing
by Robert Louis Stevenson
How do you like to go up in a swing,
Up in the air so blue?
Oh, I do think it the pleasantest thing
Ever a child can do!

Up in the air and over the wall,
Till I can see so wide,
River and trees and cattle and all
Over the countryside--
Till I look down on the garden green,
Down on the roof so brown--
Up in the air I go flying again,
Up in the air and down!

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

The Legend of St. Valentine

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; 
and walk in love,
 just as Christ also loved you
and gave Himself up for us…”
—Ephesians 5:1-2

The tradition of expressing affection to those we hold dear actually precedes the legend of St. Valentine sending violets to his fiancee in the mouth of a dove from his prison cell.  The greatest act of love in history is the Gift of God’s Son—the Gift of Eternal Life.    Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice to demonstrate His love for us!  When I thought about this, REALLY wrapped my mind around the vast and profound nature of Such Love,  I realized that I will never again feel unloved! 

I am trying to be an “Imitator of God.”  That means that I will know how to love more purely than others, perhaps.  Maybe it means to love like a child, purely and without any experience of hurt.  Little children never put limits on their love.  I have learned much from observing them.  I remember when Blaine was about 11 months old, how excited and enthusiastic he would become when his Daddy came home from work.  Mike always came in and made a big fuss over the little guy.  He would grab him up and hug him and take him outside to do guy stuff (walk the dog, take a ride on the four-wheeler, go and visit Mr. Dave our elderly neighbor) while I put the finishing touches on our dinner.  I cherish the memories of those days. 

Unfortunately, now Blaine has been taught to put certain conditions on love.  I suspect he learned it mostly from me, but maybe some of it came from school and other places.  But he can also re-learn from me, if I teach him the way God intended.  In commanding  us to be “imitators of God,” and to “walk in love,” we should diligently strive to love unconditionally, just as God does.  Actually, Blaine does this better than I.  For me, achieving this kind of love is tough.  Loving is a process, and it takes time to learn to really love.  I want to learn to make “Unconditional Loving” the way of life in our home.  I love to just meditate on the way Jesus treated people.  I am making a concerted effort to teach our son to be an “imitator of Christ.”  The Bible teaches that it will be one of the greatest gifts I can give to him.  On this day of love, my we all pursue the act unconditional loving as Christ loved us. 

My Prayer this Valentine’s Day:
My Creator and the Lord of Love,
Thank You for  sending Your Son as a Gift of Your love. 
May my husband, son and all those around me
experience unconditional love in me,
as I have experienced it in You. 
Please help me to walk in love,
and show me how I can teach Blaine and others to do the same. 
In Your Son Jesus’ Holy Name.
Amen