Matthew ... Such A Hopeless Romantic

While he was here visiting, I got to see the romantic side of Matthew. They say that a picture is worth a thousand words:

(Click to enlarge comic strip.)

This picture really captures modern romance, as I have witnessed it. From sun-up until late at night, the chirping and clicking never stops.

Back From the Assembly

Well, I want to first give praise to God! He came through in a big way.

At first, it didn't look like I was going to get to go to the Assembly, but I was under too much conviction that it was what I was supposed to do, and I couldn't see myself not doing it.

The Lord really opened my eyes, as I studied and gave me more inspiration that I could have even hoped for. I spent weeks on the message that I was supposed to preach, studying, refining, and just getting it into my heart. At last, I was ready to go, and I had stepped out on faith to buy the ticket. Our latest baby, Tabitha Jeanne, was born right on time (actually, a couple of days ahead of schedule), so I at least got to be there to see her born and to help out for the next several days.

I left here on Sunday, after the morning service. I had to cover a couple of stories on the West Shore before I headed out. Then, I had to stop in Cor D'Alene, Idaho, in order to e-mail in all of my articles. THAT was a DISASTER.

I stopped at Star Bucks, thinking I could wi-fi there. They told me it would cost $10 to do so. I got on the cell phone and was going to call my boss to see if I could be an hour or two late in getting them to him, so that I could just wi-fi at the airport, but I left my briefcase sitting by the van while I was on the phone (I was in the van, and I thought that I put it inside with me). Anyway, to make a long story short, someone took the briefcase before I realized it was gone.

I lost all of my notes for the Assembly, my DELL Inspiron laptop, my DELL AXIM v51 (pock PC), a nice mp3 player, several memory cards and a bunch of computer peripherals. I also lost all my allergy medication and some non-replaceable personal items of sentimental value.

At first, I was devastated. I couldn't believe it was gone. I called everyone and asked them to pray. I asked all around, and noone had seen or heard anything. I even reported the theft to the local police. NOTHING.

Of course, I had to call my boss and tell him what had happened. There would be no articles for this issue of the West Shore News.

At last, I had to leave and get to the airport. I was still quite upset, but I kept telling myself that I didn't have time for this, since I had to concentrate on bringing the Word of God at the Assembly and ministering what the Lord had given to me.

I had already been preaching messages about how the Lord was leading us to step up and meet the challenges of evangelizing, and that there would be a cost associated for each one of us. The enemy would fight tooth and nail, because that's his job--to discourage us to the point that we are no longer effective in what the Lord is calling us to do.

I resolved not to think about it and to get back into the mind of Christ, seeking the Lord to give me the message again. He did so, and I rewrote the message while I was on the plane. I kept on praying that the Lord would prevent anything else from happening, before I got a chance to preach.

When I got to Cleveland, TN, I retyped the message on Isaiah's laptop and printed it the next day at the Assembly tabernacle, on the campus of Lee College. The Lord surely came through and the message went even better than expected. PRAISE THE LORD.

I later followed up on the theft. Still nothing. I had to drive back home empty handed.

Today, I will type up my articles for the next issue of the West Shore News on the desktop PC. I am not sure what I will do about replacing what I have lost, but I'll have to leave it in the Lord's hands.

It's good to be home. It's comforting to be with my wife and children again (and with a certain week-and-a-half-old little girl).

I still long for everyone's prayers, that the Lord will provide. I know that, in one way or another, He will. There are still many battles to fight, here in the Flathead Valley, and I don't want to let Him down.

God bless you all, and thank you for all of your prayers, as well as for your continued prayers that we will soon see the silver lining in all of this.

Good is good, even when circumstances are not, and we know that He works all things together for good, to them who are called according to His purpose.

My Beautiful Wife Getting Wet

Here are some pictures of Bekah under the waterfall, which is located between the Goat Lick and East Glacier, in Morias Pass. I really like these pictures. Doesn't she just glow?

Wednesday at Lone Pine

Elijah with Bro. & Sister Hart.

Josiah with Bro. & Sis. Hart.

The Harts taking in the view of Kalispell from Lone Pine.

Josiah getting ready to go exploring.

Josiah, just before I had to go chase him down.

Josiah with the Harts, looking out over Kalispell & Flathead Lake (in the background).

Our Visit with the Harts: Monday.

At the Visitor's Center in West Glacier. Bro. Hart is below, Rebekah above, to the right.

Bro. & Sis. Hart under the T-Rex.

Bro. & Sis. Hart await their gruesome demise in absolute terror. Rebekah looks on in disbelief.

Was Sis. Hart getting wet or getting blessed? I couldn't quite tell.

Bro. Hart, by the waterfall.

Bro. Hart, again.

A good shot of the waterfall with Bro. Hart below.

Bro. & Sis. Hart under the waterfall.

New Settlers Scenarios

Over the weekend, Rebekah and I tried out some new Settler of Catan scenarios from the University of Catan (Mayfairer) website. Dave and Melissa Hendricks even tried one out with us. We all LOVED the Pirate's Isle scenario, which adds some cool variants, including a volcano.

I have now decided that this is the greatest game ever made. There are so many different ways that you can play it/change it that it never gets old, and each way adds some fun variables to the gameplay. If anyone plays Settlers and wants to know the rules for Pirate's Isle, I can send them to you.

Mayfairer has a contest for the best new scenario created by gamers so I am now working on my own scenario, which is a variant of Pirate's Isle but more of a challenge. So far, it's only a two-player scenario and each player controls a raider (robber) that they get to place on their opponent when they roll a seven. The raider then collects for that player whatever his opponent would have produced off of that hex. The raider can only be moved by playing a soldier card and banishing him to the desert isle. There are two pirate islands and each player must build on one before landing on his opponents island. The pirate ship is activated when two sevens are rolled in a row. The person who rolled the second seven is then attacked by the pirate. One die is rolled to determine how many cards the pirate will steal. Lots more ocean to sail in this scenario, too.

On our pilot run, Rebekah sunk me bad. I would no sooner get the raider off of me than it would be back again. *groan* Beaten at my own scenario.

Here is a pic of the gameboard for a small two-player setup, using the volcano and jungle.



I also bought two new rivers to use in the Prospectors scenarios.

A Day With The Pigs (take that how you will)

Ok, everyone. We went and got pigs on Saturday. Bro. Ted took us out to eastern Montana and south from Browning to a place called Rockport Colony (middle of nowhere). That's where we got our pigs, which Bro. Ted will raise until fall and then have butchered for us. It's been a couple of years since we did it, but it is some of the best pork you'll ever eat. Here are some pics of Elijah and Bro. Ted's children with the pigs.

Elijah and Gabe. (These are day-old piglets, not the ones we bought.)

Bro. Ted overseeing the pigs. T.J. in the back, Elijah setting in front of Gabe.

Elijah and Gabe, again.

Here's Gabe, Elijah and Megan after unloading the pigs.

Our pigs, getting settled in the back of the truck.

Here's a picture of our pig. His name is Corky. Sis. Loren gave him a black eye (j/k).

Elijah giving Megan a ride. Can you believe it, Elijah's already picking up girls.