Category Archives: Stuff I Actually Think

Tristan is a Treasure!

2 Mi Familia, 3 Celebrations & Festive Events, Stuff I Actually Think,

HAPPY-BIRTHDAY TO A SON-IN-LAW WE COULD NOT LIVE WITHOUT!

 

I don’t need a whole lot of money

But I wouldn’t turn a lottery down…

All I want is a place to lay my head with the woman I love lyin’ in my bed  {editor’s note: we all want to know if, just for your birthday, at least, she let you try sleeping on the other side of the bed!!??  haha!}

Almost 9 years ago you married our multi-prismed, colorful, feisty, yet tender Stephanie.  What a gentle treasure she’d found.  What a trustworthy man, fit to hold her heart and walk along in life with her, covering her.  We were so pleased then and have not ever for one second had any regret or fear about whether or not she’d done the right thing…even though you forgot to ask permission first{we really do forgive you!  haha}.  And you became our son.  A new son – all grown up and finished (thank you Larry and Chyrl Kelley: GREAT job.  Truly!  If only we’d known we may have sent you a few others… ;p ). 

My dreams aren’t that complicated…

I wanna be the one

When all is said and done

Who lived a good life, loved a good wife, and always helped someone in trouble

 

So, here you were: this new son from different parents, whisking our daughter off to “happily ever after” and being saddled with the burden of helping us become IN-LAWS!  What a load to have to carry – especially when we were such novices and have done it all wrong a  million or more times, I am sure.  Yet, you have always shown us honor and been a man of peace in this family.  You have thrown yourself into the life of our zaniness and odd traditions and trusted us with your babies, who, by the way, are tributes and testaments to the people you and Steph are.  They are the fruit of the life of creativity and love you have chosen to live.  They represent you well even when you are not around to hear it and see it.  The sum of  the three speaks volumes of you and Stephanie and your oneness.

On the day they lay me down

I want everyone to gather ‘round

And say he was a father, brother, neighbour and a friend

He was a good man!

Tristan is Cool

And 30!  THIRTY!  Thirty years old.  Omygoodness!  But you still look 23 with the wisdom of a man in his 70s…not sure what that means?  Haha.

 

We each had to draw one part of Tris (picked from a selection in a bowl) and see what the collective came up with.  Uh-huh.  Rocky accused me of drawing “big, old eyes staring at you!”

 

I used to dream of being a rock star

And seein’ the world in style

Used to dream of havin’ a fast car

And driving that miracle mile

But I’ve heard tales those streets aren’t paved in gold

They’re full of pot holes and empty soul who never learn

Love is something you gotta earn

 

Specialty root beers and cream sodas for the b-day boy.

LOVED celebrating your life the other night (read more about that here).  It WAS a very cool party for a very cool guy: all wood-grainy (I hope that doesn’t take my house-paint off) and red; all full of Tris-triv and drawing you the way we apparently see you.  And it was just such a perfect evening and such a blessing for me personally to sit under the stars by candlelight and just honor some one I truly love and admire so much.

Happy Birthday, kiddo

   

I wanna be the one

When all is said and done

Who lived a good life, loved a good wife, and always helped someone in trouble

When I’m gone, I wanna leave a legacy

Of love and laughs and honesty behind me

Behind me…

You ARE a Rock Star, Tristan!

You ARE a great daddy and husband.  You love Steph well.  You are a wonderful brother to the rest of the kids and a blessing of a son to us.  You’re a reliable friend and resourceful helper.  You know everything I ever need to know about anything and I appreciate your willingness to teach me all of it.  Your music students love you.  Anyone with whom you have ever played drums or guitar live or in recordings know you are the BEST and as quiet and unassuming as you are, you have managed to amass fans all over the place.  I am so pleased you were born to be one of us.

 

I wanna be the one when all is said and done

Who lived a good life, loved a good wife, and always helped someone in trouble

On the day they lay me down, want everyone to gather ‘round

And say he was a father, brother, neighbour and a friend

He was a good man…

You are a good man.  Happy Birthday, Tristan!…mom

LYRICS:  “A Good Man” by Emerson Drive…yea, it is kind of a cowboy country song (and you, Tris, are anything but country or cowboy!), but I liked it, anyway.

CHECK THIS OUT!

Tristan recently did an all-drum and the Word project with www.getthewordout.cc  Go to that site, click on downloads and look for the downloadable FREEDOM recording.  It was done LIVE all in one take.  It is Tristan playing drums under the anointing and Lewis Brown Sr. and Lewis Jr. (Proxy the Hip-Hop artist) reading scriptures on the topic of freedom!  So PROUD of you, Tris!  VERY POWERFUL!

My Little Women

1 Christ is All, 2 Mi Familia, 4 Home & Garden/Food & Seasons, 5 Songs I am Singing, 9 TV & Movies/Books & Entertainment, Stuff I Actually Think, , , , , , , , , ,

My daughters are industrious, creative, gifted and talented Proverbs 31 women.  They all see to their households, as well as to the Household of Faith.  They give to the poor and assist anyone in need; they shop for the best yarns and cottons and enjoy knitting and sewing.  They organize their days and plant gardens with the money they have put aside.  They dress for work, roll up their sleeves and are always eager to get started because they understand the worth of their work.  They take good care of their families and dress in colorful linens and silks.  They design gowns and sell them and bring the sweaters they knit to the dress shops.  Facing the future with smiles, they always have something worthwhile and kind to say.  They outclass anyone in Hollywood or the magazines.  Charm can mislead and beauty soon fades, but my little women – these who are serving God with reverent respect? They are to be admired and praised!  (The Message, personalized)

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Stormie and Stephanie are MayDae &have an Etsy shop. 

www.MayDae.com  &  http://www.etsy.com/shop/MayDae 

 

My girlies, Stephie and Storms, are such creative women.  Each on their own, but when they get together, zowie!  Stormie works in the billboard-graphics field during her “day job,” and Stephanie mommies 3 of the most amazing little red-heads!  They have proven to have a “good eye” on finding vintage wares that people will love.  I love them bunches!

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Tredessa serves as the Director of Operations for a little ministry called Heaven Fest www.heavenfest.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The night Dessy let us make her into an 80’s glam girl.  Aaahhh….good times!

 

Tre directs a leadership team of 100 people, who utilized 2000 amazing volunteers this year!  Daniel Miles said, at the appreciation event at Elitch Gardens that Tredessa was the “captain,” of Heaven Fest and people cried as he said (and others chimed in, in agreemen)t, “We’ll follow you anywhere.”  She needed to know that – because it is true.

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Jovan has an Etsy shop, now, too! 

http://www.etsy.com/shop/rockynrollin

This is granddaughter, Amelie Belle, modeling one of her mama’s creations.  Sweet baby girl!

 

Jovan makes the prettiest things for baby girls (her passion, imagine that) and for gifting.  Jovan is my sugar-and-spice-and-everything-nice daughter who is woman enough to not be afraid of pink.  And a good wife to my baby boy!

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Tara leads an international ministry with her husband and very dedicatedly teaches their son at home!

www.worshipandtheword.com

 

Yes.  That IS Hunter’s KINDEGARTEN textbook.    I shudder to think what he’ll be doing by junior high?!

I wonder if Hunter can yet comprehend what an amazing and patient momma he has?  She is fully devoted to helping Hunter fulfill God’s call in his life in his generation.   Plus?  The woman writes songs and sings and lights up a room!  My firstborn, who walks in favor.

§§§§§

Quotes I love from Little Women, the movie (1994)

Marmee:  I am going to write that man a letter.

Jo:  A letter!  That’ll show him.

Jo:  Now we are all family, as we always should have been.

Marmee: Feminine weaknesses and fainting spells are the direct result of our confining young girls to the house, bent over their needlework in restrictive corsets.

Marmee:  Oh, Jo. Jo, you have so many extraordinary gifts; how can you expect to lead an ordinary life? You’re ready to go out and – and find a good use for your talent. Tho’ I don’t know what I shall do without my Jo. Go, and embrace your liberty. And see what wonderful things come of it.

And from the book by Louisa May Alcott:

“Money is a needful and precious thing,–and, when well used, a noble thing,–but I never want you to think it is the first or only prize to strive for. I’d rather see you poor men’s wives, if you were happy, beloved, contented, than queens on thrones, without self-respect and peace.”

§§§§§

May the LORD bless you and make His face to shine upon you.  May your lives, Tara and Stephanie, Tredessa and Stormie, and Jovan, be festooned with the praises you have earned for all you are and all you do.  And may the favor of God surround you and your marriages and babies and businesses and ministries like a shield.  I admire you all!  Much love and a zillion kisses…mom

The Perfect {home-decor} Storm

5 Songs I am Singing, 9 TV & Movies/Books & Entertainment, Stuff I Actually Think

She is just back from Mexico where wild and vivid colors puctuate the dreamy, heavy air.

She needs a change from the under-the-tuscan-sun-starbucks-shops inspired decor/colors of the past decade.

She has this heavy, ornate coffee table in the garage just waiting for some crazy color to be slapped on it.

A QUICK VISIT TO WWW.CRAIGSLIST.COM HAS (HOPEFULLY) PRODUCED THE NEEDED REPLACEMENT GLASS FOR THIS AMAZING TABLE AT A VERY GOOD PRICE, INDEED!

 

She happened upon (on purpose) a little linens clearance at Kohl’s yesterday.

It is a holiday weekend and her husband can help.  ;}

THESE ARE THE UNPREDICTED ELEMENTS SHAPING UP THE FORCE OF THIS WINDSTORM…

 

I know these are dreadfully shadowy, but they are on my table this morning…making me happy as I ponder the possibilities.  Notice also a piece of Hunter’s artwork from the wall, my old green computer, a notebook, a planner…oh this coffee table project could ruin e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g.!

Something is definitely brewing and it could be dangerous.  Original thoughts of a painted piece of furniture and a few new throw pillows is threatening to cause an all-over-every-wall-in-the-whole-stinking-house paint job to be necessary.  There is a mile-long list on the kichen counter of things that could be done…that could also cause this house to be declared to be in a state of utter disaster if she doesn’t just calm the heck down.  The intensity of the storm will blow itself out and perhaps there will be a few nice changes over the course of the next few months.  But right at this moment?

The sound of maracas and Spanish guitar is filling her head….

Beware.

Note:  I am going to see George Clooney in The American this weekend which is perhaps what very-subconsciously gave me the title idea for this blog….hmmmm…or maybe it came from my baby girl, Stormie, the perfect one?

Heather’s Heaven Fest

1 Christ is All, 5 Songs I am Singing, 9 TV & Movies/Books & Entertainment, Stuff I Actually Think, , , ,

Heather Cramer is one of my great friends and a Heaven Fest photographer!  She is a creative woman  of God and I happen to own an original watercolor Heather created just for me a few years ago.  So, I am very fond of her!  

You can book Heather for a photo session: bittersweetpics@gmail.com

Love her work, her heart and her take on life.  And on HF 3.0! 

Enjoy Heather’s photography and unique view of Heaven Fest 2010 AND more stories from Heaven Fest!

  

We attended HeavenFest 2009 as a family (to scope it out) and returned [this year] with our youth group.  We had bought 10 tickets and at the last minute a youth pulled out due to a death in the family…we were adamant that God had a plan for that last ticket and prayed about it.  When we went to the little grocery in town on Friday night,  to pack the cooler with food for the trip, we ran across a young man whose parents divorced and divides his time between here and Pueblo (he was on a visit with his mom) anyhow my husband and I just looked at each other…and chased down his moms car in the parking lot.  He got to go and with the other 7 kids had a blast (so did we) and during the Sacred Assembly God just touched him and he broke down – the Holy Spirit was dealing with all of us – He accepted Christ in the hotel room later that night.  What a BLESSING you are and again we are just amazed at the way the Lord works – He knew who that ticket needed to go to.  Thank you for your hard work and ministry it truly was a Great day!   

R and K M.  

Las Animas, Colorado 

 

I gave my boss and his family free tickets to Heaven Fest and I was actually surprised at how excited he was to have the tickets because he is not a Christian and had previously made comments about that he might come but he didn’t want anyone to try and convert him because he would only be there to have a fun day out in the sun.  He is extremely opinionated and does NOT hand out compliments very often so when he came to me yesterday and said that upon arriving at the festival [he and his family were treated very well by all the volunteers and had several special requests fulfilled right off the bat.]  He said,  “I have a feeling I could have asked for anything and I would have been accommodated.”  

He went on to talk for the next 20 minutes about how wonderful the festival was and how nice everyone was and that it was great he didn’t need to worry about anything happening to his kids like he would have to worry if he were somewhere else.  He had a GREAT time and had nothing but good things to say! 

I cannot express to you guys how grateful I am for the experience he and his family were able to have at HF because of you and when you try to set a Godly example and minister to a non-believer for 6 years, it is definitely a slightly frightening experience to bring them into a Christian event, hoping and praying that everyone represents Christ well.  I just wanted to tell you that your teams were AWESOME and such a great example not only to the body of Christ but to a non-believer and I am so thankful that he came and was treated so well! 

THANK-YOU for your work and your service and for your teams!  I seriously am in awe and feel so grateful for you guys and all your volunteers, you and they have truly shown the love of Christ to my boss and to so many others and I can say with complete confidence that my boss would come back next year so thank-you!!  -S  

  

I loved everything about Heaven Fest 3.0, look forward to next year and wish there was no gap between the two. I am a little over one year old in the “Christian” faith…There are two main reason that HF3 was one of the greatest experiences of my life: 

1. This was the first concert, or set of them, that I have been to where there was no alcohol involved. It delighted me in ways unimaginable to be around such happy, loving, caring, and sober people. I love everyone who helped to make the event possible and all who attended. 

2. I loved the chance to go out and volunteer for a cause I truly believed in. The time I spent volunteering was almost more rewarding than the AMAZING music and overall experience of HF3… I just want to say THANK YOU so much for making all of this possible. Thank you all and God BLESS!  -S.M.B.  

  

On behalf of Petra, I’d like to thank you for bringing the guys to your wonderful festival! I’ve heard nothing but GOOD things about your fest, the setup and the treatment they received from your people. 

I know it was pretty hot, but I’ve heard many comments by fans who were there – and they didn’t seem to mind too much, because they got to see “their band” once again. 

Thank you for a great fest and the chance for Petra to reunite one more time.  ~Sue (management company)

  

Would like to send you a story that will stay with me for a long time. At the 9 p.m. interactive service, the leader was asking everyone who was feeling burdened or weak to raise their hands. Then said if there were some who felt led to go pray over those people to do so, I was in prayer at the time, but looked up and saw these 3 teenage girls go over and pray for those with their hands up. I knew that was the spirit of God moving in a mighty way. Praise God for each person who gave of themselves to set up this wonderful event and to pray for their brothers and sisters. I thank God that we have the freedom in this country to praise God!! Thanks for letting me share that Luke and God bless you and your efforts. Donna 

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At Heavenfest backstage of the Techno Dome, a few teenagers came to the back of the stage and wanted to talk a bit.  In the course of the conversation DJ Josiah and another DJ were able to share Christ with them and they trusted Christ as their Savior.  One rededicated and 2 trusted Christ as their Savior for the first time.  We let them know it was important to tell someone what had happened.  2 of them ended up professing publically from the microphone in the Techno dome. = Jon Burgess

  

Camping was a cool new feature at this year’s Heaven Fest!

I was brought to tears and able to give a testimony to many about the FULL rainbow that “camped out” with us for like an hour on Friday eve!!  I am sure you saw it too but I was so amazed by it and felt like God was sayin…”here I am, hangin out with ya’ll…this is my remembrance of my promise to you…I am here waiting for you.”  I think the significance was how the entire rainbow was there for sooo long!  It gives me chills just thinkin about it.  I was curious if you had lots of others comment on it too?

Thanks for such an awesome production!  Your staff and volunteers are pretty special to put in that much work to bring sooo many people to God.  I will for sure help out again next year…count me in!  God Bless you all!  B. N.

  

From one of our HF Camping Leadership Team members:

I just wanted to share the story of one of our gracious campers that attended our blessed HF event . . . 

As he was leaving on Sunday morning he jumped out of his truck and came over to me full of joy and
happiness and just beaming about what WE put together.  He grabbed my hands and just started praying
for me – and for US that “put” this event together and volunteered to make it happen.  

Upon the completion of his prayer, he began telling me that his nephew (only 21 years old) had passed
away and they were not yet sure of all the details.  I was just speechless he was praying for ME and US when
he had just suffered a tragic family loss just hours before . . .  But how blessed was I by his personal FAITH
and TRUST in our precious Lord even during his time of grief and his belief as he drove off was that ALL
things work for good through our precious Lord.  My total WOW moment as I watched him drive out the exit. 

How grateful I am that our event touched this man’s life and he was still able to leave that day filled with joy and happiness . . . OUR GOD IS GREAT!!  Many blessings to you always!!  ~Leann 

  

Hey Luke, I am from kansas and came to the heavenfest and I am very appreciative of this production that you put on. I felt the spirit of God all over the whole place and it makes me tear up right now as I am typing this to you.  I will try and make it appointment next year to stay over so I can walk right along side of you and [clean up afterwards]. Thank you so much for the awsome time that my family and I had. I want to be honest and let you know that I only paid one dollar per ticket for this show next year I hope to have a better work situation so I can give back to you. God bless you so much for allowing us to come and worship in colorado with you. Very well thought out good job to you and your staff.  J. E.

These people?  Mi familia!

See thousands more pictures at www.heavenfest.com

Lilac Photography covered Heaven Fest!

1 Christ is All, 5 Songs I am Singing, 9 TV & Movies/Books & Entertainment, Stuff I Actually Think, , ,

Ellie is just one of my favorites!

 

http://lilacphotography.com/

I don’t know anything about photography, except that I love good photographs and especially when you are allowed to SEE something in a way you’d have neglected to look.  I love the photos that arrest me, cause my heart to beat faster, make me shake my head in wonder.  Uh-huh.  I do.  And Ellie does those.  I have some of the BEST photos of my family members from her work.

So, she roamed around and took pictures at HF this summer.  I wanted to share them and I have also included a few of the stories of Heaven Fest.  People have emailed us and Facebooked us and shared a little of their hearts.   There are hundreds of stories, these are exceprts from a few…

Some Photos from Heaven Fest www.heavenfest.com & some great stories, too!

Hello to the HF Team,
I’m sorry I had to work & was unable to hel and volunteerp.  However, want to thank you for the whatever you can afford tickets. My wife got hurt on her job and has been out of work for about 7 months now. I have a 15 year old son who wouldn’t have been able to go if it were not for this. My gratitude and thanks go out to ALL of you for what you do. Hopefully, next year, we will be doing better and I will be able to give more. I truly appreciate it!  Thanks Again!
B. E.  (& son)

 

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­JESUS! JESUS! JESUS!  The might name of Jesus was all  my family heard all day!!!!
I got the Whatever You Can Afford tickets because I have been jobless for 1yr and 8mo and I am going through a bankruptcy.
My 5-year old son made a friend in the ticket line and they shared a bag of chips, as they talked about how they were both (black and white) formed from the dirt that they were walking in. Jesus!
…I prayed with a father that was reaffirming his belief in Christ and prepared to baptize his son. My children joined me at the table (under the shade) and asked what they were doing and I explained what was being done, why it was being done and how it was done. My youngest said, “Alright Mom… lets go… I know Jesus… He died on the cross for me and you and brother.” I look at my oldest son, and he looked back at me. I was a little hesitant because we didn’t have extra clothes or towels… we didn’t have anything. The hesitation subsided and I signed all three of us up.   I told the volunteer that we had been through a lot in the last two years: homelessness, no employment, no money…And to the water we went… !!!!  I REAFFIRMED MY BELIEF IN CHRIST THROUGH BAPTISM, I BAPTIZED MY OLDEST SON AND MY YOUNGEST SON!!!
After the plunge in the lake my children and I were truly grateful and call it an added benefit because we were soaked from head to toe and no longer hot.  We were definitely comforted by the water and the wet clothes!

Thank you Heaven Fest!!!!  Thank you Jesus!!!

 

This was my first year volunteering and I can truly say it was a blessing.  Lifebridge Christian Church, leading up to Heavenfes,t had been preaching about 1 body 1 Christ and that is all I was thinking about on Saturday.  It doesn’t matter what church you attend but to come together for one day as brothers and sisters of Christ and serve together and make Heavenfest a success was an unbelieveable experience I will never forget.  God willing I will be there next year to help again.  ~Ana

 

 Thank God for your ministry and all the many people that worked so hard to make it happen.  My wife and I were blessed beyond words to be able to volenteer to help with the prayer team.  We live 150 miles away and had 23 from the church here in Yuma Colorado so we had limited ability to help.  We were assigned to a team to pray in stations all around the campus for 4 hours.  We took a couple of breaks to worship in the 24/7 worhsip and prayer tent.  We finished with a half hour prayer in the tower.  My wife is deathly afraid of heights and I was shocked that she would go up.  It was the most wonderful day of prayer my wife and I ever experienced.  I can not wait to come back and serve again.  I was so amazed at the mulitiudes of servants that were willing to give their all so that God could minister to so many.  A God work this awsome can not happen without prayer, great leadership and humble servents.  Our part was so small compared to so many but It meant so much to our lives.  D and L Smith

 

I decided to get my church, my youth group, and friends excited to go Heavenfest 2010. We all came out including two of my friends that really didn’t know about God one way or the other, but were excited to go to a massive concert with friends. We all had a great time… I convinced them to stay for the Sacred Assembly, and so we all settled down on the grass and waited for the sevice to begin. Not long into the service, both girls who didn’t know Jesus started crying and both looked and me and said “I didn’t know… I didn’t know that there was Someone out there that cared so much.” I smiled held them and said, well now you know. Both said afterward that for the first time they wanted to go to church, and they now understood why people got so ‘into’ worship services. They felt the power of Jesus. Thank you, thank you so much for this. I have tried for some time to get these girls to even want to talk about God, and in one night, they not only wanted to talk about God, they were believing in Him!”  S.V.

heaven fest was awesome.  at the hardcore stage…Chad Johnson of Come and Live (great guy get him for next year) asked us to raise our hands if we were dealing with depression so that we could be prayed over.  i did this and found everyone around me had laid there hands on me and was praying for me.  i had never felt this touched in my life i found myself weeping for joy.  It ranks as one of the most life changing experiences of my life.

 

Hi everyone!
 
Just wanted to say what a blessing it was to serve at heavenfest! 
I personally was the recipient of a miracle during heavenfest:  I hadn’t felt well since the birth of my 6th child almost 2 years ago.  I think that I have a calcium deficiency as a result of having a baby so late in life and I have a hernia, were my abdominal wall is weakened and tearing due to heavy lifting and childbirth .   I had extreme weakness and pain in my joints and I was unable to lift or bend without experiencing a painfull tearing sensation in my stomach.

 I  felt exhausted and weak and had barely been able to function from day to day which had made me very irritable and hard to live with. When heavenfest contacted me and asked me to be a retail manager this year, I started praying for the strength to serve. 

At the leadership meetings, which -by the way -were unlike any meeting I had ever attended, I felt the Lord strengthening my spirit and preparing me to be his hands and feet!  I felt an energy welling up inside of me and a calming peace and confidence overwhelming me.  During heavenfest I was completely pain free!!!!  I carried heavy boxes, cases of water, and equipment up hills   and painted and drilled signs in the hot sun and was on my feet for 19 hours and never felt stronger or more energetic!! I prayed for strangers and co-workers boldly and felt the presence of God all around us!  I felt love toward all those I came into contact with and found myself praising and thanking God continually throughout the day.  At about midnight I realized that I had been using my left arm all day without any pain!! God is so awesome and I know that he equipped me to serve him in a way and with a strength that was supernatural!! 
“Not by might, not by power, but by my Spirit says the Lord Almighty” Zechariah 4:6
Annie Baker

I got healed at Heaven Fest last year in much the same way, Annie!  Praising God with you!  What an honor to serve alongside you.

How perfect is this for today?!  God rocks!!   Encouraging Word  …For I am doing something in your own day, something you wouldn’t believe even if someone told you about it.  ~ Habakkuk 1:5, NLT 

Here’s some thoughts for you! Thank you and God bless you! Another amazing year….

Three years of Heavenfest, and three years of being in the presence of God surrounded by thousands. This year was no different. I think our Lord marks this day on his calendar just as we do now. We bring them together for his glory, and it makes him glad. [boldened by Jeanie…love this!] I saw God baptizing people in the lake, I saw God dancing to techno music, I saw God pumping his fist to hard rock, I saw God beating on drums, strumming on guitars, and walking through the front gates holding peoples hands. I saw God smudging chalk with his fingertips, telling jokes and reading psalms. He sat beside me and whispered words into my ear as I prayed at the front gates for all those who passed through. God was everywhere.

The best moment for me was as we knelt with thousands listening to his word during the Sacred Assembly. As we stood at one point with our hands raised and eyes closed hand were placed upon one another in ~ The body of Christ was united. That feeling of having the hands of others on your shoulders was only surpassed when after, bowed down in the dust I felt God’s arms around me in the most gentle and purest of love. It was at that moment that we were asked to raise our eyes to heaven and smile. I did so with tears streaming down. When you seek him – he is there. When you are with him- you know his love. I have been so blessed over the years to only begin a relationship with my father I knew never was possible. Each year at Heavenfest I pray for that for others, and I have seen the seeds be planted in the fields each year. Yes the music makes us rock out, and sometimes cry, the people you meet are amazing, but the time with God surrounded by the body of Christ is like no other.

This event has changed our lives and continues to help us grow in faith each year. Both of my sons made their decision to be baptized after the time they spent with God at Heavenfest. (’08 and ‘09)  We have all grown in our convictions and calling to bring others to know Christ. Prayers and promises made in these fields each year have brought our family closer, helped us to forgive each other, ourselves and others we know, reach out to others, and to be better children of God. We were on Holy Ground in Longmont this year. We will never know the extend of all the miracles that happened there that day- but there is no doubt that they happened. One happened to me. I felt God touch me- something that has only happened several times in my life- and because of it, I am humbly and joyfully one step closer to him.

In his Grace,  Let’s share our miracles!!!!!   Smiles and blessings~ Alison

*Thanks for letting my boys help with clean-up!…. Can’t wait to help next year!!!!!!!!

This?  Is my family!

The Summer Sand-Bucket List

5 Songs I am Singing, 9 TV & Movies/Books & Entertainment, Stuff I Actually Think

Earlier this summer I decided to assemble a “sand-bucket” list  (wrote about it here and here) of things I needed to do to feel I’d enjoyed summer by its’ end.  Well, these cooler evenings and bright, breezy mornings, and the calendar flipping to September (not to mention my grandbebes back-packing it to school) tell me I had better assess.  Autumn actually begins September 22nd at about 9 pm here in Colorado, so I have some days yet to correct oversights…how about your Sand-Bucket list?  How is it going?

My update below:

My 2010 Sandbucket Summer List ~

  1. Lemonade on the swing, as many times as possible, in the evenings, on the patio (real lemons, yes, please)  {not enough}
  2. A little getting-dirty-in-the-garden everyday – at least try to make it everyday  {did pretty well on this one}
  3. Fresh-brewed iced tea every time Tara comes over – because we are the tea lovers {did Ok…Tara didn’t come over enough, though}
  4. Sidewalk chalk art days with the grandbebes  {oops…still have a grand collection of brand new sidewalk chalk in luscious colors…must do!!}
  5. Reading stories to the grandbebes on the patio swing  {if they weren’t so wiggly…lots of swing and pool time…but then this is a good fall activity, too, right?}
  6. Roast marshmallows in the chimnea {dang…haven’t done this since the chimnea moved to the poolside patio for warming bebes after summer evening swims, BUT I have 3 flavors of jumbo marshmallows in the jar: strawberry, vanilla and caramel creme and the chimnea needs some use…next visit!}
  7. An outdoor movie night  {only had one…neeeeeeeed more of these for they are divine, divine!}
  8. Slow walks around the neighborhood after dark  {shamefully lacking, shamefully…too driven as a walker and too busy this summer, it seems}
  9. Fast walks really early in the morning {yikes…reeeeeeeeally shamefully lacking…gotta get back in my groove}
  10. Fast drives over country roads (with the top down on the Mustang, of course!)  {*deep sigh…still to-do…although we did drive the Cozumel coastline at 150km which was roughly 90 miles per hour in an open-air Jeep}
  11. Some outdoor worship nights  {Rocky?  Tris?  DP?  get yourselves over here with your guitars!  Had that one amazing prayer meeting out there – will never forget it…}
  12. Floating in the pool, listening to 70s music  {yes!  lovely.  also floated to “martini” music and once to 40s standards}
  13. Hanging out with the neighbors a little  {oops…}
  14. Gotta wade around in a cold mountain stream  {missing the mountains!}
  15. Maybe head over to a festival.  {Heaven Fest was awesome!}
  16. Sing my lungs out next to a rushing mountain river so only me and God can hear  {again with the mountains, pooey…but I did actually sing my head off a lot this summer in the car and while I gardened and in the shower and etc}
  17. Read a novel…hmmm…Altar by my husband?  {well…not yet…Dave was going to read Altar to me while in Cozumel but we only got through 3 or 4 chapters…so I have a few days}

Meanwhile…

I tried to “prepare” myself for fall by getting grateful about Pumpkin Spice Lattes being back at Starbucks and assembling an “autumn” playlist of songs at www.playlist.com.  I become very melancholy each fall with my approaching birthday.  I found 110 songs and they are almost all about September or November.  October does not get the music it deserves.  Hmph.  So that depressed me.  {j/k}  Sometime this month I’ll go through and keep only the songs I really love and perhaps share it here – because I am nice like that.  ;p

Cozumel, isla de Mexico

2 Mi Familia, 4 Home & Garden/Food & Seasons, 6 Looking Back // Memories!, Stuff I Actually Think

Cozumel

Ten reasons I want to go back!

  1. It was beautiful.  In the hotel (The Palace) and away from it.
  2. We were treated like royalty around-the-clock.  The staff at The Palace was absolutely amazing!
  3. Two words: ALL INCLUSIVE!  24-hour room service, gourmet dining from various restaurants anytime, any way we wanted it.
  4. $1500 worth of activities included in our deal, among them: snorkeling, Dolphins and diving, photo sessions with their photographers, manicures, pedicures, wholistic massages, tours, and anti-aging facials, baby!  Oh, yeah! 
  5. Hunter made friends everywhere he went.  One little boy he played with kept saying ” Oh my gosh!” this.  And “Oh my gosh!” that.  Finally, Hunter thought he’d bring some correction to his little friend and he offered this advice:  “Why don’t you just say ‘Oh, my goodness?  Or sheep dip!’?”  Hunter is his daddy’s boy!
  6. There were scooters and an open-air Jeep zooming down the coast.  Snorkeling and swimming with dolphins.  Chankanaab was wonderful.  WHEN I return, I shall do at least 2 days there, whereeven  the fish dine on homemade corn tortilla chips  (how I crave them even now).
  7. There were reefs and ruins.  Soft winds and gentle waves.  
  8.  The food, oh the food!  Mexican Caribbean, delightful.  Mmmmm…!!
  9. The pool looked like it flowed straight into the ocean.  The air: hot, humid and lovely.
  10. Romantic!  The days were long and sweetly languorous, the evenings hung endlessly in the sky for dancing and dining.

Oh, I will return to Cozumel! ;p

Mood Music for my pictorial slideshow…Hunter and I put this together today and fondly remembered…and wanted to go right back!

Hunter may even honeymoon at Cozumel someday, he is thinking.


  

Push play on the mood music then the slideshow at once. 

 

Feel the moist, warm air; feel the ocean breeze, hear the waves gently lapping against the dock?…aaaahhhhhh….I am swaying in my hammock….

 

Dave and I on our last night there ~ way more rested and waaaay more tan than when we arrived.  Lovely!

Uno drawback: my hair in humidity es no bueno!

 sigh…

 

Murder and Mayhem in the Magic Kingdom

3 Celebrations & Festive Events, 4 Home & Garden/Food & Seasons, 9 TV & Movies/Books & Entertainment, Stuff I Actually Think

A one week vacation and I return to overgrown zinnia and the zucchini popping out offspring like there was no tomorrow.  Enough of this tom-foolery!

Yes.  I was blessed to retreat on Cozumel, isla de Mexico for a week.  I left Stormie in charge, a very good and responsible daughter, to water and gather the harvest in my absence.  Naturally, she was more than dependable and asked me if I’d found the garden to my liking.  To the naked eye I could see that things had grown a little too exuberantly lacking my firm direction, yet all seemed to be thriving.

But upon closer inspection, as I visited with rain-water sprinkler-wand in hand, I saw that true crime had been committed right in my own backyard: devious, wretched space-stealing, food-gobbling and in at least one instance: murder.  My investigation will continue this week.

The Squatter Sunflower

For one thing, that big-headed squatter of a sunflower (of whom I have already spoken of HERE, exposing his deliberately bold and bullyish ways) is not only haughtily looking down on my garden from the space he just decided to plop into {where, you’ll remember, he lured an innocent and dainty lemon cucumber plant to jump from her own area straight up his stalk},  but he has now become best buddies with my Burpee Big Boy Tomato, as well.  He is certainly taking liberties that only the garden’s Queen (me) should be allowed to exercise.  Preliminary attempts to reign him in are going unheeded.  I may have to get very tough.

  

See the yellow cucumber flowers?  Up, up, up they go.  And now the tomato is leaning on this brazen sunflower as well!  Sunflower is about 8 feet tall now.  *sigh…

Discovery Investigation: My garden gets hit.

Further around the garden I saw my  Spicy Banana Pepper had been feasted upon by some devouring insect or another.  Every leaf:  gone.  A lone pepper remaining and the stalk green as ever, but stripped naked of her green garments.  Quite disheartening to say the least.  I suspect that foul band of tobacco-chewing grasshoppers in this assault.

And can you believe that powdery mildew descended upon my most ornamental spaghetti squash while I was gone as well?   She went gray overnight – the stress of my absence likely the cause.  Just as well.  That particular spaghetti squash and the zucchini sharing her bale had actually been plotting against me to take over the entire south yard.  This will give them some humility!  They are flowering and fruiting quite feverishly, to cover their shame, no doubt.  Yet I, full of mercy, tended gently to them anyway this morning.

Unsolved Mysteries

But the real mystery was my Sea-Breeze Erigeron, a sort of vining daisy in the big pot near my back door.  I noticed the purple sweet potato looking pretty self-satisfied, quite ornamented and very rosy.  Little pink flowers were popping out and she seemed dressed to the nines in deep colored foliage.  I almost didn’t notice…but then I stopped.  I parted the sweet potato vines and there she was:  my erigeron.  Fully dead.  Fully overcome.  I checked for signs of life but rigor-mortise had already set in and she was completely brown and crunchy.  Sweet potato claims no knowledge and the pot wasn’t dried out.  The mystery remains…

Meanwhile…

Wrestling baby zucchini from the King in the Back Forty (feet) square this morning I once again look like I was attacked in a back alley, having had a brief reprive from unscathed arms during my time on the isla….

But o, backyard garden, I did miss you so.  Thank you for all the love {and deliciousness} upon my return….

And thank-you Stormie {sweet, gentle, phlegmatic daughter…remember, sweet-pea ~ we do have dominion in the garden!} for tending to my wild kingdom!

How many old TV shows did I reference?

Isn’t Sawyer Lovely?

2 Mi Familia, 3 Celebrations & Festive Events, 5 Songs I am Singing, Stuff I Actually Think

The Honor

I got to hang with Wrex and Stef the past couple of days as they brought their baby girl in to the world.  Omygoodness, Stef was a champ.  She had to do the entire labor in the hospital, start to finish, plus a few hours of deciding what to do and how to do it.  And that girl worked it!  She is stronger than she knew.  And Wrex, who has birthed thousands of farm animals, but with very different technique, obviously, was amazing as he coached Stef, and encouraged her and helped her and looked in to her eyes and breathed with her until a baby came to them.

This was a silly posed picture.  Stef wasn’t even in active labor yet.  We just posed as Wrex and I watching over her really laboring and Tredessa and Tara being silly.  Actually it was all Chick-Fil-A and Mountain during this time!  Sawyer-Party!

What an honor for me to get to be there, to get to pray for them and witness their love made flesh.  I am so proud of Stef and Wrex and how they worked so hard, together, committed to make the baby’s birth a wonderous and glorious event.  And I am humbled.  The favor of God shines on this family.  He must surely be smiling at what they did.  I know I am.

Sawyer Joell Phipps – isn’t she lovely?

Isn’t she lovely
Isn’t she wonderful
Isn’t she precious
Less than one minute old

Sawyer at less than 10 minutes old.  Daddy wore pink to welcome her.  He’s man enough!

7:14:21 on 8:19:10 at 9:27

At 9:27 pm, 22 1/2 hours after the very first labor contraction, Sawyer arrived to cheers and tears and joy and family.  7 pounds, 14 ounces, 21 inches long.  She has her mommy’s fabulous long legs and slender feet and pouty lips.  And she has her daddy’s heart…already!  Sawyer, blessed more than she realizes, is already loved and adored.

I never thought through love we’d be
Making one as lovely as she
But isn’t she lovely made from love.*

*LYRICS:  “Isn’t She Lovely?” by Stevie Wonder