Ole Velcro Butt

A true test of friendship is being able to spend the entire summer with someone and not killing them. This is one of my good friends Blake and his horse Sonny. We spent many summers training our horses together at a barn nearby. Blake is one of those dependable guys that you have to watch out of the corner of your eye or you might get hit by a flying object. One of his favorite things was throwing unwanted Bojangles particles at unsuspecting victims riding at our barn. I found this photo way back in my computer files and just had to drag it up. Blake was commonly know as "Velcro Butt." There wasn't a horse he couldn't ride. I learned the hard way that when someone said, "Only Blake rides that horse," they weren't kidding.
Blake and I learned a lot from each other including how to speak without uttering a word. Facial expressions usually said it all. We were most famous for these three....

1) Oh my gosh. I can't believe they spent that much money for a horse that looks like that.
2) Run and hide before they make me ride this mule.
3) Your horse looks like crap but I'm going to smile and not tell you so you don't feel bad. (Which is my personal favorite...I got that look a lot)

We had many good times together. Blake is still a good friend even though we have both moved on and don't see each other as much. If we haven't spoken in awhile he always gives me a call just to check in. He also lets me drag him to horse shows to scream my number even when rule #3 applies...and I love him for it. I made him swear that one day we would get a barn and train together again. And you know what, I'm holding him to it.

"The most I can do for my friend is simply to be his friend. I have no wealth to bestow on him. If he knows that I am happy in loving him, he will want no other reward. Is not friendship divine in this?"
-Henry David Thoreau

Eternal Friendship

Fog
The fog comes
on little cat feet.

It sits looking
over harbor and city
on silent haunches
and then moves on.

-Carl Sandburg

This is Arnie, my sister's little cat. Well, little would be a huge understatement. He actually weighs from ten to fifteen pounds easy. I guess he's just "big boned." Arnie loves my sister. I honestly believe that he thinks that she is his mother. He especially loves it when she sings to him....licks her face and everything. Arnie is a prime example of unconditional love which mirrors what God shows His children every day of our lives. If we accept Jesus as our Savior then we are safe. It does not necessarily mean that we are safe in the physical sense...that we will never suffer hardships....but we are spiritually safe. We are hidden under His wings, in the rock, in the palm of His hand. We are safe.

"For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus."
Romans 8:38-39

Randomness of Life

Drummer With Attitude
This is my answer to Hannah's post on me. As I have stated before, Hannah and I are good friends. We knew each other when we were young. She left with her family for the mission field in Africa...she's back....and we're right back at it. She is one of those fearless types and I have learned a lot from her. I won't even begin to tell you where this photo came from. Only that I have altered it accordingly (sort of an inside joke).

If there are words in which I can describe Hannah's love for life and free spirit it's this..."Never take life too seriously....no one gets out alive anyway."

Lazy Days

Vast
"I want to see mountains again, mountains, Gandalf. And then find somewhere quiet, where I can finish my book...I feel thin, sort of stretched, like butter scraped over too much bread. I need a holiday, a very long holiday, and I don't expect I shall return. In fact, I mean not to."
-Bilbo Baggins /J.R.R. Tolkien

Well, I'm not quite that bad off. But, I would like a holiday. I am leaving this weekend with 11 other church buddies for the mountians. We always look forward to our vacations. Last summer we bummed it up at a beach cottage....and did absolutely nothing. Just the way a vacation should be...leaving the house to eat, parasail, and tan (burn). This weekend we were all going to ski but just can't find the energy. So, a lazy weekend it is... and I can't wait.

Hannah thanks for the photo

The Great Things In Life

Kiss
Do good, O Lord, unto thoes who are good, and to those who are upright in their hearts.
-Psalm 125:4

I just got back from a "night out" with some friends....and for some reason we always end up doing the most random things together. I once heard a graduation speaker say "Don't let the good things in life get in the way of the great things in life." I have definitely found some great things.
I love you all and thank you for loving me ;)

Lament

Bonny Portmore
O bonny Portmore, you shine where you stand
And the more I think on you the more I think long
If I had you now as I had once before
All the lords in Old England would not purchase Portmore.
O bonny Portmore, I am sorry to see
Such a woeful destruction of your ornament tree
For it stood on your shore for many's the long day
Till the long boats from Antrim came to float it away.
O bonny Portmore, you shine where you stand
And the more I think on you the more I think long
If I had you now as I had once before
All the Lords in Old England would not purchase Portmore.
All the birds in the forest they bitterly weep
Sighing, Where shall we shelter or where shall we sleep?
For the Oak and the Ash, they are all cutten down
And the walls of bonny Portmore are all down to the ground.
O bonny Portmore, you shine where you stand
And the more I think on you the more I think long
If I had you now as I had once before
All the Lords of Old England would not purchase Portmore.

"The destruction of old growth forests has become an important conservation issue in recent years, but it is not a new phenomenon. Over the centuries many of Ireland's old oak forests were leveled for military and shipbuilding purposes. Only recently has there been an effort to reestablish these great hardwoods. The Great Oak of Portmore stood on the property of Portmore Castle on the shore of Lough Beg." -Loreena McKennitt

This is a beautiful song I have recently discovered by Lorenna McKennitt. However, I have had a difficult time finding much information behind it besides her description of the song. Any info. is welcome. Hannah thanks for the "incredible" photo.

Bonny Portmore

The Mission

www.cosy.sbc.ac.at

My Lord knows the way through the wilderness,
All I have to do is follow,
My Lord knows the way through the wilderness,
All I have to do is follow.
Strength for today is mine always,
And all that I need for tomorrow,
My Lord knows the way through the wilderness,
All I have to do is follow."

I learned this song as a child. Then, it was only a Sunday school song. The concept is simple. The action is not so simple. The wilderness is a hard, and cold place. We trip, fall, get lost, get frustrated, and many times just give up. But as Christians, there is no excuse for surrender. He gives us no more than we can handle...plus...He gives us Himself....the Creator, King of Kings, Lord of the heavenly lights, the Cornerstone that the builders rejected, the Firstborn from among the dead. There is no excuse. So get up, keep moving.

Hannah!

Echo of Angels

He will give His angels charge of you, to guard you in all your ways.
Psalm 91:11


As the battle between the North and South rages, the death of thousands brings a once united nation to its knees . In fear and trembling young men and old alike cry out for mercy. As the heavens rise to answer, the hosts of earth grow silent, listening for an echo.


This is the second attempt that Hannah and I have had at screenwriting...and it isn't easy. This is the opening monologue and if it sounds confusing...it's still in the works.

Basics: It was inspired by Psalm 91:11. We hear acounts all the time of people having encounters with "angels". We wanted to show it and have chosen the Civil War as the bases. If God was respected by both the North and the South, did He take a side?

Sisters

"Sisters share the scent and smells...the feels of a common childhood."
-Pam Brown

My sister and I are complete opposites, but best friends. She is the older, more rational one who can have a list of a million things to do...get them all done....and still have time to mop her house before American Idol comes on. I'll never live up to those standards. So, I don't even pretend to try. I will simply content myself with remaining jealous of her and her get-out-and-do-it-right-now attitude, and love her for lending me clothes...staying up late and talking about ridiculous things with me, and simply loving me back.

p.s.-hannah, thanks for the photo.

Fire Extinguisher Inside

Hero

This is Mike. He is my brother in law. I have a lot of respect for Mike. He's done just about everything. He was a paratrooper in the 82nd, he has his pilot's license, he was a race car driver, and he is currently a fire fighter. He isn't afraid to do or try anything. He once told me something that I have ever since kept in the back of my mind; "never let fear get in the way of anything." Mike is very involved in our church. He is one of those guys everyone wants to be friends with, because he is very accepting and compassionate. Mike has become a role model for me these past couple of years. He never just settles for second best but believes that if its going to be done, then you know what, do it right. So, if you don't know Mike....then GET to know him.

Oh, he also gives the best Christmas presents ever. Not everyone gets a signed autograph and letter from the real Band of Brothers Major Dick Winters.

Mike...this is for you.

The Respite

I want to build a house up on this mountain
Way up high where the peaceful waters flow
To quench my thirsty soul
Up on the mountain

My faith is strengthened by all that I see
You make it easy for me to believe up on the mountain
Oh, up on the mountain

I would love to live up on this mountain
And keep the pain of living life so far away
But I know I can't stay
Up on the mountain

I said I'd go, Lord, wherever You lead
For where You are is where I most want to be
And I can tell we're headed for the valley
My faith is strengthened by all that I've seen
So Lord help me remember what You've shown me
Up on the mountain

You bring me up here on this mountain
For me to rest and learn and grow
I see the truth up on the mountain And I carry it to the world far below
So as I go down to the valley
Knowing that You will go with me
This is my prayer, Lord
Help me to remember what You've shown me
Up on the mountain
Up on the mountain

I cherish these times up on the mountain
But I can leave this place because I know
Someday You'll take me home to live forever
Up on the mountain

-Steven Curtis Chapman

This song has been stuck in my head for a while now. It often describes how I feel. Sometimes you just know when you're on a mountain peak. Everything seems to be peaceful and perfect. However, we are not necessarily meant to live at the top of the mountain. The valleys are meant to grow and mature us as Christians. I have noticed that when I am in a valley, more people tend to watch me than when I am at my very best. How we handle valleys is critical. This is a time when our actions can have the most influence over others.

And for a completely unrelated side note:
I dedicate this to Jesse

CATCH THE GATE!!

Show Time
One of my biggest fears in life is that I will miss the gate call at a show. The announcer will call for the horses to enter the ring for a particular class. Once the gate has been shut and the class as begun, there's no getting into the ring. I don't know what the deal is...I've never missed a class. Nevertheless, I'm a total nervous wreck for the entire horse show. My buddies Tammy (Tammy Fay) and Asa (Asamaycurly) spend most of the show trying to calm me down. Cole, however, knows what he's doing. He has done this so many times (with and without me) that he could probably show himself. He really acts like a pro. From the moment he steps into the show ring he comes alive....and becomes a complete snob. It's amazing to watch. I think that he genuinely enjoys himself.

Hannah took this photo from the rail at a show last year. I always make Hannah do strange stuff with me. She had it rough. She was my photographer and cheering section all rolled into one. She did a great job. I hope one day I can make it up to her as well as Tammy and Asa who have learned how to deal with my random panic attacks and babysit me while we're on the road. God has blessed me with such fantastic friends.

Starting Over

Cole, the perfect gentleman

I have decided to start over. I'm ready for a complete overhaul (and that's a very scary thing for me). I am a Christian... I don't show it enough. So, I'm starting over. And I'm making a list.

1.) I will read my Bible every day.
-my grandfather was an evangelist. he gave me a Bible several years ago. i pulled it out the other day and read what he wrote to me on the inside cover. It said, "read it every day," and yes, i intend to.

2.) Don't get bent out of shape about dumb stuff. Consistant overreacting will eventually kill you.

3.) No gossip. No matter what.

4.) Love people completely. Especially close friends. They already have to put up with all of my crap. They deserve to be loved a lot for it.

5.) If you fall down....get up. If a baby can do it, it can't be that hard.

6.) Let Jesus show through in everything you do. We only have a short time to be used. Make it count.



Oh-- about the photo. This is my baby. His name is Cole. He is a Tennessee Walker I bought a few years ago. My good friend Hannah snapped this photo in my back yard one day while my sister and I were doing family photos. This is one of my favorites. It really shows his personality...which is perfect. If it wasn't I'd be in bad shape. We spend our summers together in the N.C. mountains at horse shows. He's a good buddy (and therapy after a long day).