You make the springs pour water into ravines, so streams gush down from the mountains. -Psalms 104:10.
The bible speaks of springs, rivers and oceans.
I look at springs as the hearts of individuals, rivers as a group of people flowing in one direction and oceans as nations. If the springs are not flowing, the rivers will run dry or become stagnant. If the rivers are dry or polluted then the seas will suffer too. We must follow the rivers to their source, travel up the ravines into the heart of the mountains of our hearts and tend the springs. Too many rivers are dangerously low, it is time to call for the rains of the earth to fill the springs to overflowing again. The rivers of our communities are longing to surge with the fresh living waters from the souls of her people. As I pondered this picture I took of Christian wandering the dry riverbed, the Lord reminded me of the above verse. The picture and the verse have become my prayer.
 

out of you will flow rivers....

Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, they simply are! Think of the sea, the air, the sun, the stars, and the moon, all of these simply are as well, yet what a ministry and service they render on our behalf!

So often we impair God's designed influence, which He desires to exhibit through us, because of our own conscious efforts to be consistent and useful. Jesus said there is only one way to develop and grow spiritually, and that is through focusing and concentrating on God. (John 15:5) In essence, Jesus was saying, "Do not worry about being of use to others; simply believe on Me."

In other words, pay attention to the Source, and out of you "will flow rivers of living water" ( John 7:38 ). We cannot discover the source of our natural life through common sense and reasoning, and Jesus is teaching here that growth in our spiritual life comes not from focusing directly on it, but from concentrating on our Father in heaven. Our heavenly Father knows our circumstances, and if we will stay focused on Him, instead of our circumstances, we will grow spiritually... just as "the lilies of the field."

The people who influence us the most are not those who detain us with their continual talk, but those who live their lives like the stars in the sky and "the lilies of the field"... simply and unaffectedly.
-Oswald Chambers

I really liked this piece. I thought it went well with this picture that I took of the Little Spokane River. I am going to learn to fly fish right at this spot and also let go of worrying about being of use to others...

Today we spent Memorial Day with a bunch of friends at the Williams house. Good food, great people, awesome weather and horseshoes...just does not get much better. 

Austin and his friend Christian, getting some air. LeeElla hates these things and forbids them most of the time but today Dad had to overrule. 

Playing some horseshoes with the guys today. 

Here is The Grill Master himself showing off his cooking skills. One of the best things about Spokane is this guy, we just call him Neue. He is Norm of our Cheers. 

Here is my final work on my Children Of The Sun piece. Its done with pastels, my least favorite art medium.  

Spokane Riverside ORV Park. I am excited to get a hold of a motor bike and play here. Me and Christian checked it out today on our hike.  

Little me and a very big rock. 

Here is my latest piece of art that I am working on. Inspired by another picture I have and the first nation people of Spokane. Spokane means Children of the sun.  

Another shot on the trail. 

A great hike through Deep Creek Canyon. The trail follows the dry river bed and goes in an out of these huge rocks. It was cool in the ravine and the sweet smells of the foliage around was mesmerizing.
 

A shot of the Little Spokane River. I was wishing I had my new fly-fishing pole with us. The fish were jumping and the warm morning sun was so relaxing.  

Christian on top of Deep Creek Canyon. 

Here is the snake Christian caught on our hike. He was going through the tall grass with fearless determination, I wasnt sure what kind of snake he was gong to pull up.  

too funny...

A teenage granddaughter comes downstairs for her date with a very sheer blouse on and no bra. Her grandmother just pitched a fit, telling her not to dare go out like that! Theteenager tells her "Loosen up Grams. These are modern times. You gotta let your rose buds show!" and out she goes.

The next day the teenager comes down stairs to meet her red-faced date, aghast to find the grandmother is sitting there with no top on. The teenager wants to die. She explains to her grandmother that it is just not appropriate...The grandmother says, "Loosen up, Sweetie. If you can show off your rosebuds, then I can display my hanging baskets."

(Thanks Dad for this one...)

Hearing my echo...

"Writing now was like dropping stones in some deep, bottomless pool.
They drop; they sink -- there is no answer."
- Alexander Solzhenitsyn, One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich.

So much of art is like this quote but I am finding that simply dropping stones begins to have its own reward. The process is meditative and regenerative too. There is something unclogging about engaging the side of the mind that produces poetry, music, art and writing. It has the power to open doors of thought and veins of emotion that are often hidden or repressed.

It can begin as a poor tool for insecure souls needing too much affirmation but after awhile it actually begins to steel one against that very thing. After the piece is spoken and you hear the echo of your own words, images or music..you begin to see yourself in a new light.
That process purges you and cleanses you at the same time.

Some problems with missiological art...

Here is an article that is worth reading if the arts interests you, especially film making.
The Artistic Bankruptcy of Next Generation Christians.

I took a few pictures of Micah and Kona playing with bubbles in the backyard this morning. It's so funny to see what these two come up with to do, since during the morning hours they are playmates. It was hilarious to watch Kona jumping all over the place after those bubbles, she really got some air!
 

Another shot of Kona and Micah playing bubbles. 

Kona jumping for a bubble 

I know I posted this picture before from Blaze but I thought I would add something else about it. Before Destiny was ever born we received a prophecy in a meeting from Timothy Sherman. In that prophecy he said we would have a daughter who would dance before the Lord. At that time dancing was not a part of our spiritual experience at all. When I see this picture I remember that word. Destiny was conceived in Spokane, born in Portland and now dances in Spokane. I wonder at that works of God.
 

a sign...

These signs will accompany those who believe...they will pick up snakes with their hands.
-Mark 16:17-18.

I had a dream the other night that really disturbed me and today I finally received the interpretation. In my dream there was someone who had a pet snake that was getting out of the cage. It was a venomous snake and very ominous. In my dream there was a large amount of anxiety about the snake getting out and biting someone.

The person who owned the snake was looking to me to take care of the snake as if I was the only one capable of handling the situation. I wrestled with the snake as it continued to strike but it didn't hurt me. I was still afraid of the creepy thing but I wasn't bitten. The snake got out of its cage a few times and in my dream there was no resolution to it, it ended with me trying to get the snake in the cage.

I took this today after mowing my backyard. There was something beautiful about the sky that captured my attention. It just seemed so big and gazing at it lifted my spirit.  

Micah won a second place trophy in yesterdays Pine Wood Derby race in his age division. He was thrilled! The other kids cars didn't fare so well...oh well, another year, another four cars added to the shelf. 

LeeElla and I got away for the weekend to recoup after last weekends youth conference. A night at the Oxford Suites honeymoon suite, saw the movie Kingdom of Heaven, visited the Japanese gardens, lunch at Northern Lights Brewery on the Spokane river and dinner at Clinkerdaggers all of it made for a perfect weekend. 

I love the way the water from the falls and the stones from the path merge into each other at this spot. It evokes a lot of spiritual imagery to me.  

A shot of the pond at the Spokane Japanese garden.