YEAH! I finally figured out how to add my own personal header. It only took several long hours of reading websites and a bit of trial and error... OK, a lot of trial and even more ERROR.

Last night was our celebration Sunday worship at church. It's a time to celebrate birthdays and anniversaries. I took my camera and walked around taking some pics. My friend Kim wanted to see my camera and as she held it, in my direction, she snapped the shot above in the "new" header. With a little photoshop, taa-daaaa! New look. Thanks Kim.

Here is a shot I captured last night... Walt Hamilton.


When I first moved here to Wenatchee, I was in the office for the second day when Walt showed up to let us know his wife had passed away sometime that morning... It was a sorrowful time and not the best way to meet someone for the first time. It make you think of your future with your wife and who will have the blessing of going home first. However, the sorrow was felt. He would be going home second. He would have to sit at the table with one plate and go to an empty bed at night. I couldn't even begin to imagine.

Since that difficult time I have come to know Walt on a more personal level. Not a defeated man named Walt Hamilton, but a victorious saint and servant of the most high God. He grew up in Goldendale and his family owned a farm, that to this day still has the name "Hamilton" on a big white barn which can be seen on the westside of hwy 97.

To those of us here, he is known as Grandpa Walt and he is the kind of Christian man I want to be when I grow up.

He loves to talk to you and grab your arm so you can't run away.
He crosses icy parking lots every Sunday and Wednesday to meet with the saints
He prays in the King James language
He quotes scripture... in the KJV language
He says, "thank you"
He laughs
He cries
He fought for and loves his country
He calls my kids, all of them, peanut
He opens doors for the ladies
He takes his time
He listens... even when he can't hear you
He is a traditional believer but loves to see young people love Jesus
He says, "God bless you"
He watches TV... really loud
He makes you stop and want to visit
He wears a tie
He supports the great commission
He speaks with knowledge and authority
He says, "I don't know"
He Drives! but not fast
He tells stories of his past
He writes letters to students in Africa, through World Bible School
He is alive
He loves God
He is saved by the blood of the Lamb

I would like to be like him when I grow up.

peace.
johno~

It's winter time and cold is in the air. There is a difference between having cold and nothing to show for it; and cold with lots of snow. As much as I don't really like driving in the snow, I would rather have cold and snow than just cold. It's a beautiful site.

Today we picked up our Christmas tree and the lights around the house are shining... Of course, I never took them down from last year. Last year my lights were multi-colored... This year, we have white lights around the house. OK, we have white lights on the south side of the house. The other sides are a bit faded... Some faired better than others.



I am sure there is a spiritual story in this... I'll let you think about it instead of telling you what I think.

God bless you as you focus on Him.

peace.
johno~

Well, it has been a while since I've been on this road. My original thoughts of this page was to include ONLY the times I had come into contact with others and shared Christ. So the pages have been emptied for some time waiting for that moment. I've been stuck in a moment and I can't get out of it. I think I may have missed something. Daily being lead by the Spirit? Of course, everyday. It may come in the form of a man on the side of the road... It may come in a photograph of a child. It just might be in a dark closet. Wherever, the Spirit is there.

Today I can hardly see the road... It's covered in snow. But what a wonderful thing to illustrate the Spirit of the living God. He covers our sins and makes us white as snow.

I am not sure if I have met a person on the face of the earth that has not been taken back by the scene of snow covered fields. It is as beautiful a reminder to me as the rainbow is a promise of God. The Spirit is everywhere. He is leading. The question is, am I following?

I must remember, even if I don't see it, I still have a Spirit to follow. James Berry the author of Peter Pan wrote, "God gives us memory so we can have roses in December." So with the snow, the roses go, but I remember.

I must remember, not by my strength, but by the Spirit of the Lord. Everyday, in all Your ways.

peace.
johno~

Well, today I had a chance to be encouraged by my good friend Jason Hill. He took me to the Japanese here in Portland, OR to take some pictures. So, I thought I would share a couple of shots. The first one was taken just north of Multnomah Falls and the second at the Garden. It's good to have friends. It's nice to know the the Spirit can work in so many lives and you could lifted by the same Spirit living in you but from another life.





peace.
johno~

It's amazing how much a person can have so much and yet still find themselves empty. It can happen to anyone if they are not careful. Busy, busy, busy. Save the world. I once heard a speaker say, "If the devil can't make you bad, he'll make you busy." True.

I have to admit, I have had a busy year. In a total of one months time I had driven 7,766 highway miles. This doesn't include the trips back and forth to Portland, Idaho, Seattle and Canada. Then there is the standard "normal" miles you put out on your family car running errands. All I can say is, "YUCK!"

What ever happend to, "Be still and know that I am God"? I somewhere missed a memo or have gotten to caught up in doing "good" that my pouring out of ministry has left a once "cup runnith over" into an empty cup looking for another refill.

I love refills... Free refills. I hardly eat at any location that does not offer this wonderful service. But where do you go to get a "free refill" of life? Jesus said to the woman at the well, "Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." John 14:13-14 A spring of water welling up is greater than a normal refill.

Have you ever busted a water main? I have and when you do the only way to stop the flow is to find the source and turn it off. Did you catch the key, "turn it off." I have to admit that I have gone to the source and turned it off. I think that is my problem. I have made God a "shut off valve" so I can manage the flow. The difference between a water main and a spring welling up is design by man and design by God. Man wants to contain the flow, God's design does not allow flow control and thus our cups runnith over.

When our cups become empty, we may need to go back and find our where we placed the flow control and remove it. Whatever, is damming the waters may need to be dismantled so the abundance can find it's way into our cup.

peace.
johno~

Well, I just finished with some post production of photos while down in Slidell, LA during the Kartina relief effort. It's tough to post pictures when so many have captured images from CNN and FOX News. I have to say it was hard to take pictures. What do you say when you see them? "Nice pictures?" No.

Anyway, here are a few images we saw while helping with relief work. I hope you don't enjoy them.


"Neverland"


"Looks like a hurricane"


"Lost Treasure"


"Not Shot... Killed!"

Anyway, if anyone would like to help in this effort, contact http://www.hilltoprescue.org

peace.
johno~

What has the Spirit done today? It can be difficult when your day has been set apart for getting your home ready for winter. The temp has dropped into the 40's at night and my wife has turned the electric blanket on. Next the heaters. Winter is coming.

Still new to this blogging thing, I tried to send a message from my email with a pic of my wife having an ultra-sound... My attempts were unsuccessful. So here I am at my computer trying to catch up. It's funny to think that everyday has its events and opportunities... Miss a day and you either put people to sleep reading your blog or you become overwhelmed in trying to edit life down to a few paragraphs as you journal how the Spirit leads you in your daily walk. So... here is what I tried to email last week.



Life. Can we really understand it? Science now has the ability to capture images of life in some of its earliest stages but it cannot compare to the awesome wonder of the giver of life.

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."
- Jeremiah 1:5

We are known and we are set apart. This is so God. It's not just the choosing you that He would send His one and only Son to reclaim us, it is that He knows us and has set us apart.

peace.
johno~