That's my dad!

I have a different perspective on things since my dad makes pottery. I guess you could say that he's an artist. I get to see all the different things that he comes up with. Sometimes he comes up with a unique piece that is very useful, or maybe just different. He has some of the most beautiful glazes on some of his work. Not only do I get to see the end product, but I even get to see the process in which he forms each piece. It truly is amazing what one can do with a pile of mud.

Speaking of which, I was taking a walk today and was taken away by what my eyes beheld. I got to see the sun making its course toward the end of the horizon, all the while casting its golden rays so liberally as to say, Good night Dillon! Here's a little beauty to remember me by until I come back in the morning. And to see the glorious planet on which I have opportunity to abide in under such light, I was in awe. And the thought occurred to me... My Dad made this. My heavenly Father made this little ball of mud with all its splendor, and he has given me the eyes to gaze upon it. What a beautiful creation, and to think I not only know the creator, but he's adopted me. I am his child. Come what may he's coming for me one day. He'll take me up to my home where not hurt nor harm can reach. No sin, no sickness, no sorrow nor pain. I'll see Jesus who so lovingly gave himself for me. I will live in heaven for all eternity. I look around me and see this earth that while it may be beautiful, it's still fallen. But that this fallen earth can be filled with such magnificence, how beautiful Heaven must be! Oh that it were today. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.


Scripture to ponder:

Psalm 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.
2 Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.
3 There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.
4 Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun,
5 Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race.
6 His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.

An amazing summer. Part 1

I would apologize for not posting for so long and tell you all just how sorry I was for my lack of blogging except for the fact that I am not really sorry. Sorry for not being sorry.
This Summer has been great. It has been full of challenges, fun, excitement, change and commitment. But even better than having a great Summer full of blessings is the great God of the Summer of blessings. His mercy to me is far beyond my comprehension, why he should pity me is far from my feeble understanding.

First I will start with the Big Sky Bible Conference. I know that most people have had their little afterglow parties. That everybody has told of all the blessings they got. And I know that it's been a couple months since it was over too. But I haven't had mine.

This year was tremendous just as it is every year. I was praying for something specific and God answered. It's actually kind of funny. I was hoping for the first 4 days or so that God would just move like I have had before and that he would almost overwhelmingly like I am sure some of you could relate to. But it seemed like nothing. Like it was unusually quiet. God was speaking but it wasn't like I had hoped for or expected. (Funny thing: you can't expect God to sit in your little box and perform little tricks for you based on what YOU think.) What I had come to realize was that God has spoken to me on many different occasions before. This time it was more or less his confirmation on a lot of things that I have been iffy on. Let's just say that I am a modern day Gideon and that was one of my last tests, hopefully(you know how we as humans are). God wasn't showing me some new thing, he wasn't changing my direction to a better way for him, but rather he was saying, GET WITH THE PROGRAM, BUCKO! Let me confess something to you. I have lived a rather empty and selfish life up to this point. There has not been a whole lot done for God in the past several years that I have been saved. Before moving to Dillon my witnessing had all but died, my prayer life had been worse than poor, my Bible reading a joke. It still needs a lot of help, but by God's grace he draws me nearer everyday. I know what God wants and knew what God wanted besides all that I mentioned before and I had always been afraid of my calling. But on Friday night I hit the altar, I gave up. I was tired of fighting. All my fighting probably caused me more grief than if I had just surrendered in the first place. All that being said, I have had some more battles with this thing. I know what I am fighting now and a little better how to do so. Since then I have started doing a little in what I believe my calling is and to my surprise GOD BLESSED! WOW! To think that he would let me down just goes to show what sort of nature I have.

Besides all those blessings, it was great to have all the people from all over come and to have sweet fellowship with other believers! One day it will be a GRAND reunion. Here are some pictures from that.



Canoeing at Clark Canyon

 




Cliff Jumping at Clark Canyon

 


The Drink Table Ladies

                                       



Hike around Agnes lake





I also got to spend some time withe these...

 


...some of my very best friends.




This was found whilst straitening hymn books
You can tell the kids are paying attention

 It was a great time outside of the preaching too!




Scripture to ponder:

Matthew 9:37 Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few;

38 Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.

More later

Just wanted to put something up since it's been so long. Here's a couple verses that always prick my conscience when I go to judge a lost person.

1 Corinthians 6:11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

 Read the context on that one. Really convicting when I look at someone who is lost and want to judge them.


2 Timothy 2:24 And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,

25 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;
26 And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.
                  What do I need to say here?


Praying for you guys.

Brandon W.

What's this? This curious black box?

What indeed? I almost appears that someone plans on distributing some sort of merchandise from this thing. I'll take better pics tomorrow. I just happened to see this on the way home and snapped a couple photos.

Hee hee just kidding. I was excited to see this thing. I can't believe that we're seeing these again. Soon I will be tallying up my left over fireworks, AGAIN.

We also went through my dad's favorite state park on Monday.

At this sign my dad stopped because he had received a phone call. Well, people like to take photos at signs like this. So while he was on the phone I decided to help this group of people, a man and two ladies, and get pictures of them on their cameras since the guy was taking pictures, I asked him if I could take pictures so that he could get in with his friends. Well... as always, sometimes I feel like a real bad luck charm, I mean really! He unstraps one camera from his wrist, then from the other wrist he unstraps another camera and then he hands me a blackberry phone with a hot pink cover on it, and then, finally liberated, he dashes over there with his friends. They all give me big cheesy grins and I lift up the first camera. MEMORY CARD IS FULL a message reads across the screen, and then as I try to press the button it flashes at me MEMORY CARD IS FULL! Hmm, Uhhh this one says MEMORY CARD IS FULL, I say. Oh, uhh, that's ok, just take one with the other camera. Ok! I think to myself. As I raise the other camera to look at the screen and that one has lots of colorful lines through the screen but something's definitely wrong. Uhhhhhhh, now there's something wrong with the screen on this one. After that they decided to leave and come back with more memory cards or something. My guess is that the lady didn't want my charms to do something to her phone.

It was really nice to have a day with my dad. We spent ALL day together. We haven't done that in a long time. I am grateful for that, and I will remember it probably for the rest of my life. We also saw this! The video will tell you what it is.    \/ \/ \/(click to see)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/12482241@N04/4696690923/

This thing stopped traffic for quite a ways back. People were hopping out of their vehicles to photograph it with lenses that were close to 2 feet long. People were running across the road darting trough traffic.

There were also a few other places where people did stupid stuff too. It was fun though.

 

Dillon had it's annual Expo trade show and that always brings people out to town. I went and perused through everything real quickly. I stopped at the Wells Fargo booth where my mom works and said hi. Everybody there wanted me to enter to win a bag so I did just for the fun of it. I only entered at 2 booths and won at one. Pretty good odds there! I won this really cool bag!

Guess what else is happening! The lilacs are popping. Beautiful, and fragrant. Thank God for them.

The BSBC is in two (2) weeks! Or as I like to joke, It will be over in three weeks! It is a joke, so don't take it seriously. there was a work day yesterday and I guess they got a lot done. I would have loved to be there but I had to work. Pray for it, it's almost here!

This blog entry has taken me three days to complete, I hope it's worth it. Also, you like the face lift on my blog?

Scripture to ponder:

Hebrews 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

It's been a while

Hey guys. I kept expecting people to get on my case for not updating my blog, but no one did. I guess nobody really cares... Just kidding. Here's some pics from the last couple of months. It's been really fun lately!

This is Brittany after her 1950's hairdo was taken out.

My Great-grandma also had her 100th birthday on May 10th. I also had my 14th second birthday on that day!

This is our take on the famous Lewis and Clark expedition silhouette.

This and the previous photo were taken on a Tuesday. We usually play softball on Tuesdays. This particular Tuesday there was a constant drizzle of rain, in which we played softball, and then we just played in general. We were soaked. Also, I might suggest from experience, that if you are going to try a handspring, you should know how to land one too... just a suggestion.

And these last three photos are from yesterday's Memorial day picnic at Barrett's Station. We played a lot of things, starting with capture the flag. We then moved on to ultimate frisbee, but then after breaking 2 frisbees (yes... we broke two(2) of them!) we decided to play ultimate football(?). Bill called it Flicker ball though.

Thank you to all of the service men and women that have served and continue to serve this great country. Our appreciation will never be properly shown, and we can never give you enough gratification for all that you do, and have done for us. Thank You!

Through all this God has really been good. We have had a blast and he continues to work in my life. He keeps speaking to me in church and he's drawing me nearer and nearer. I am thankful for his mercies and love. I am very thankful for his long suffering. No one could ever be like my God, and for that I am thankful. He has Given me some GREAT friends, a GREAT church and a GREAT family. I feel that he's forming me to go a certain way for him and I just need to yield to him. Please pray for me that I can listen to his guidance and that I will see the path that he has laid before me, and that I will do what he wants.

Haircut, and the first photos on my blog... ever!

Hello all. All three of you. I was happy to get a haircut yesterday. It was the first in while. I think my last one was in February. I have always wanted to try this just to see how different I looked before and after. I have always felt that I looked a lot different with longer and shorter hair almost like if you didn't know me that you wouldn't recognize me. So I finally did it. And have photos. And who doesn't like before and after pictures? There's just something fun about them. Isn't there?

Sorry! I didn't mean to frighten you like that. I should have warned you that they were coming...

It is very liberating to be free from the longer hair! No more worry about combing and brushing and getting it right and all that!

Lately it has been funny seeing God work. I suppose he always is but it's funny when you finally open your eyes and actually see it. He has been a real blessing here, this last week we got one of the wettest and heaviest snows in a long while. We have been needing the moisture so thank God for that.

Church has also been pretty good. Been seeing a lot more visitors. And have been seeing a lot of Youth Challenge kids. It is neat to see them come and get excited to be in church. And It's neat to see them get saved too!

Another neat thing is a website that has been shared with me and I will share it with you. http://www.goodpreachin.com/ I hope you enjoy.

Scripture to ponder:

Hebrews 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

Dishes

What is it with the dishes? I truly hate them. They are actually what I should be doing right now. I could have a million things to do and dishes being at the top of my list and I will still procrastinate like no other time. I have met people that either say that they don't mind doing them or so crazy to say that they actually enjoy it and I personally think that they're clinically insane. I wouldn't mind them too bad if I had a dish washing machine, but I don't. What's kind of funny is that I have learned to call it a machine because my parents decided to get smart and call my sister and me dishwashers. So now they're dish washing machines. It scares me to go out to live on my own one day because I fear that I will put off the dishes until there is a giant mound piled to the ceiling. What's also possible is that they will form together and create a living being with all the food particles and stuff and then they'll just walk away. That, or I would have a new roommate.

Life has been pretty great the last few days. It was really windy yesterday. It was probably around 40 mile winds. Not too much damage around though and we can thank God for that. We have been getting moisture off and on the past couple weeks. Another thing to thank God for because we need the moisture.

Boy am I getting excited for the Bible Conference in June! Just a couple months away. I can't believe it! Life is just going by faster and faster as we get older, or so it seems. That has been on my mind as of late. I have been thinking that Christ is coming back soon. If you look at the world around you it seems very apparent, does it not? I really need to get more done for Christ. Get an urgency behind everything I do. One day we will no longer be able to do this and what will we have done? I wonder how many people I will bring to heaven with me.

Well, I better get to the dishes... *sigh*.



Scripture to ponder:
Romans 13:11-14 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.
The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.
Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.
But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

New Blog

Well, here we go. I have just entered the wonderful world of blogging. To all those who may read this, hello. Bear with me as I become a full fledged nerd. We shall see how long this will last too. I do not know how long I will be able to keep up with blogging but I will give it a whirl.
The thought of a blog to me is a little odd. It just seems a little narcissistic to me too,(No offence to anybody who does) so maybe I will try to keep it to a minimum about myself and just try to share life experiences, or whatever. I don't really know what a blog SHOULD be but I think in time it will develop. Whatever the case, keep checking in with me and I will try to be entertaining and keep things interesting.


Scripture to ponder:
Lamentations 3:22-23
It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.