Spring’s Reign

This has been a week of tremendous transition.  Some of it was obvious.  My wife has worked for Sisters for many years and has grown very close to the sisters that own the business.  They have been very kind and generous to us.  It was a fantastic place to work and because of their kindness to us we were able to travel on several mission trips and come home to have that job still there.  Now we learned that the store will be closing it’s doors.  This was a real shock to Lovely.  I haven’t seen her cry that much in a long time.  They will hold final sales next month and that will be it.  It’s not that we won’t still see the sisters or that they won’t be our friends but it’s an end to an era.  Remember them in your prayers and remember Lovely please.  Other changes aren’t as obvious.  We can feel big changes coming.  The Bible mentions baptisms…they often involve great struggle and then a breakthrough to something that’s a higher level where God wants us.  I can feel this in a big way.  This isn’t a feeling that I sometimes have that is a calm before a storm…it’s big change, change is in the wind that I’m convinced will effect us all.  I’d say into the hands of God but reality is we never left.

 

Lovely had a wonderful birthday…I enjoyed it very much as well.  Part of her day was about the flowers we got her.  I don’t know about you but I love Snap Dragons!  Lovely hasn’t been fond of the smell of the blossoming trees around here since her last pregnancy but for me…oh man, it’s the best smell in the world!  It’s been dry and record breaking hot.  The farmers behind us had a field burning the other day…I admit that I look on these with concern sometimes.  My ritual these days has been to start the day off enjoying the sound of Western Meadowlarks and Red Winged Black Birds, catch some grasshoppers and/or crickets for our salamander and soak in the awesome weather and amazing blooms that are everywhere I look.  The path to our mailbox is tunneled in small white blossoms that carry a fragrance that can only come from heaven.  These glory days of spring…when spring reigns supreme I see a lot of white flowers and of course the standard Daffodils and Tulips but there are other colors of the more delicate variety that catch my attention.  This bush is enjoying the weather as much as we are I think…what a delightful cluster of flowers!  Sometimes on the mild evenings there can be a sunset that defies what I would think naturally possible!  This is a celestial pallet far beyond the norm.  Fact is I hate to go inside until the whole spectacle is donebecause just when I think that the best is done something changes that makes it striking in a whole new way!  Our little neighborhood is a spec under the Big Sky but I love it so much!  I’ve been all over the world and have seldom seen any sky to match these!  The new day brings a whole new sky to enjoy.  April is all about the march of the clouds and the endless battles between white and blue.  Sometimes it looks that blue will win the war once and for all and then the cotton ballmanages to turn the tide and get reinforcements.  All in all it’s just another spring day in April here in Montana.

Maybe…Maybe Not…

Today started pretty early for me because I had to bring the car to the garage for a timing belt change and that of course includes a water pump…that time for it so what can I do? My Dad has helped me out because he works part time at Napa making parts much cheaper and for that I thank God and him both.  I see real live eighties in the forecast now!  For today it’s still fighting to decide if it will let the sun shine or not .  I love the heavenly aspect the clouds can get when this battle rages throughout the day…it’s so beautiful!  We are entering our strong storm season…if we have tornadoes it is usually mid May through mid June that are the most dangerous…for now I just relish the scenery the Big Sky country has to offer.  Here’s the panorama from our backyard.  The birds take no notice of the cool breeze or rain…they always sound ecstatic for the season! Sal couldn’t care less about these things…he’s just happy to be alive…love his smile !  Regardless of the struggles…don’t forget to take in the view and breath the air.  I love to see life in such a way where the dark things only frame the better picture that God has in mind!  Blessings to you all!

Said and Done…

I have waited until today to post the pictures of Easter until I put up my regular post.  It’s vital to me for the kids to know what the season is all about and they surely do however we let them decorate eggs and get them some little things and candy to enjoy the day.  The three of them had quite a stash to enjoy this year.  These close ups may not be calorie free..you’ve been warned.  This pitcher holds the varieties of candy that would fit…oh my!  Gabby got some cute goodies this year.  I just love the colorful wrappings the candy has.  Just look at this spread!  Going out and taking in the Easter sunrise was well worth it!  There was a regular symphony of birds outside that was an absolute joy to listen to

Beyond

.  I taught at the church then we came home and hid eggs before our Easter meal.  Hard to hide something with these colors let me tell you.  Maybe they won’t see this…then again I hate to think what these would smell like if they weren’t found.  Some of these were specialty eggs with a little bit of money or special candies in them.  Other eggs were the standard variety…this one became the hood ornament on my Dad’s old jalopy.  The specialty eggs were the most popular of the day I thinkthough they didn’t have that much to them they were new and therefore popular.  I like this shot.  I balanced the egg on a branch in the big pine tree on the side of our house.  We always have a good time as a family with this…Mom often is my chief partner hiding eggs

The Hunt

.  Here’s Gabby and my son Mike who turned 13 today…I love these kids so much!  I decided to take some pictures of the stash that Mike and Gabby got.  I noticed Mike’s basket had a lot more blue in it.  Gabby decides to open one of the mystery eggs.  This is one satisfied little girl…just look at that basket.  Mike did well too believe me.  The antelope live the day as they do any otherbut it is by the grace of God that we all live in this world.  All in all I thank God for each day and for those that he’s given me…it’s not all that complicated…in Him I live and move and have my being.

Odds & Ends

Man, I don’t know how many times the weather will dip back to nasty temps and grey skies but I have to admit I’m tired of it.  I was going to go out again and see what I could see but the cool temperatures just sapped my interest in things outside today so I’ve only got a few pictures from earlier this week to share today.  It’s really no surprise to see it get nasty like this before Easter.  This has happened many times before.  The good news remains that it can’t last.  I love to see the triumph of the sun over the gloom.  It gives the sky sort of an angelic appearance that really ministers to me.  The brightness creates a silhouette from our trees that always draws my attention .  I keep feeling that there’s a theme here.  Never in my life have I ever had such a sense of dark things waging a war against all that’s right and true but somehow beyond all the dark tendrils reaching up to drown the light there’s the strength of God’s promise coming to pass beyond it that will surely overtake it all .  This is a season when there’s either many religious posts or themes of colored eggs.  For me I don’t mind the eggs as long as we all remember what the season is really about and frankly the religious for a day thing doesn’t do much for me.  Where would we all be every day if Christ had not sacrificed himself for us all and been raised again from the dead?  However you chose to celebrate I pray you’re blessed.  I thank God for giving His son for us all and making this life worth living.