Our Refuge

Pictures are from the last few weeks Around Home With Mom.

What a blessing to know that whatever comes - God is our refuge.

The people of Old Harbor, "your relatives" my Aunt would say, had a place called Refuge Rock. I remember Dad telling the story of Refuge Rock and the way that our ancestors had fought their wars there. Previous to the Russian's and their guns they felt secure enough to bring their families to this rock for safety as they fought off attacks from other Peoples. But the Russian's new weaponry would bring a sad end to the log-rolling and rock throwing the Alutiit People had been using successfully from the top of Refuge Rock for years.

In 1784, an incident at Refuge Rock became a turning point in Native-Russian relations. A crew led by Grigorii Shelikhov attacked a group of natives on a small islet off the shore of Kodiak Island. Shelikhov's crew was more numerous and better armed than previous fur-trading expeditions. Seventy-one Russians stormed the rock with muskets while others fired cannons from shore. Nearly five hundred native men, women, and children were killed and hundreds more were captured. Tina Pamintuan, A Living Heritage

With all the ugly news that comes, with the unsettling accounts of the stock market, whatever health issues we may face - we can rest assured that God - knows all. What a blessing!

Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Psalm 46:10, 11.

Sharing the Love Award

This award is created by Crystal at Memoirs of a Mommy in honor of Noah and the donor of this sweet little heart who ENCOURAGES us to SHARE THE LOVE. The rules for this award are to pass it along to some people whose blogs you love. They make you laugh, smile, leave encouraging comments on your blog. You would like to share some love with them because they have uplifted, inspired, encouraged or prayed for you. Please include this paragraph with the link to Memoirs of a Mommy so that everyone know where this award originated.

Be sure and check out the story of Noah. He had a heart transplant and this award is to raise awareness of the need for organ donors.

My drivers license has a heart on it. Does yours?

"Presently there are 342,500 citizens on the Alaska Donor Registry (ADR) representing 51 percent of the state population and 70 percent of licensed drivers. Citizens with the new driver's license who are on the registry will have a "red heart" on their license. What has been learned about first-person consent and donor registries is that when asked, most people want to donate organs and tissues for transplant but don't complete donor cards or join a registry unless the process can be coupled with a required step such as license issuance / renewal or obtaining a vehicle registration. Greater than 97 percent of citizens who join the ADR have done so during a visit to a state DMV." (KTUU.com). This is the way I became a donor, while renewing my drivers license.

Always remember, it is important to tell your family members that you have decided to become a donor so that they will understand and support your decision. Register in Your State

I've heard people wonder if it's a good idea that one should give permissions to take organs if we should get into a bad accident, etc. "Maybe they'll just take organs/tissue and not even try to save me?" I suppose, that perhaps, in a very rare case that could possibly happen. But I've decided to offer myself as a donor anyway. If there is anything that this old body can give to someone else who may have a lot more life to live I will trust the EMT's and all emergency workers would be working to save my life first, if possible. If not, what a wonderful gift to be able to donate something that would give life to someone like Noah --- with so much more life a head of him.

God bless you Noah and the organ donor's family that gave so much to you.

51% of Alaskans have said "Yes!" to donation. Alaska Donor Registry

Thanks so much to e-Mom for "sharing the love" with this award.

...share some love ...because they have uplifted, inspired, encouraged or prayed for you. Thanks to these bloggers for being in my life... I pass on this award to you.

Doug
Marie
Karla
Doris
Connie H.
JoJo
Sandi H.
Connie M.
Nancy
Faith
e-Mom

Greater love has no man than this...

Hunting

Moose hunting season up here is almost over. I feel like I missed out this whole week. Doug's brother and his two sons traveled up here from North Carolina to go out hunting. So this last hunt was a guy's thing. So far the moose have been very elusive.

I suspect that having all those ATV's out on the trail have given the bulls ample warning that it is probably best not to be found in the same area. Even so, I know that Dave and his sons have thoroughly enjoyed the beauty of Alaska for the last week and all was seen while enjoying a very nice ATV ride.

Speaking about hunting... how about hunting for your spiritual gift or gifts? I have often wondered what my gift is. Everyone that is a Christian has a gift, or gifts. I found it interesting while continuing to read Billy Graham's book today, The Holy Spirit - Activating God's Power in Your Life that he said -

"In I Corinthians 12:7, the apostle Paul says the gifts are given "for the common good" so we are not to use them selfishly. Instead, we are to use them to help each other."

Well I knew that, but here is what I thought was so very good; Billy Graham continued:

"God has also designed the gifts to help "unite" the body of Christ." ....There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all. But to each one of us grace [a special gift] was given according to the measure of Christ's gift." ... Thus the gifts of the Spirit should never divide the body of Christ; they should unify it."

Are your efforts within the body of Christ bringing people together, or dividing people? This is a big indication of whether or not we are being filled with the Holy Spirit, or being filled with ourselves!

While hunting for our spiritual gifts, we can narrow it down by asking ourselves - what is it that I do that helps/works to unify Christian's around me? Our goal should be the same as the Holy Spirit's - making the body of Christ a living, healthy, and useful being that will be effectively reaching out to a lost and dying world ---rather than struggling with envying, fighting, angry words --- divisions within the church. Those actions are not evidences of the Holy Spirit, but only ---selfish ambitions.

Nothing New But...

"Governor Palin: An American Woman," which aired last Saturday on Fox News, was the highest-rated prime-time documentary in the network's history, with 2.7 million viewers. ALASKA EAR

This morning my son Kris called and asked me to find out what lastbridgetonowhere.com was about. "Why?" I asked him. "I want to know if they are FOR or AGAINST Palin. There are signs hanging on the bridges everywhere." So I Googled it. It's a new book out about the corruption stuff going on in Alaska's politics."

Corruption and politics - - - so what is new?

But...my Mom had a dentist appointment yesterday so we did that, had lunch, then visited with Millie. Before heading back to the "Great Valley" (despite media negativism about our Wasilla we still consider our Valley home GREAT) Mom spent part of her PFD on a brand-new, Lazy Boy, leather recliner for her bedroom ---- so she has a new chair!

Millie continues to slowly recover. She has not spoken a word to us yet but in her eyes, we can see --- her. She raises her arms, she turns her head when we ask her to "Look!", but not too much was new with Millie yesterday. We all love seeing a bit of her when she does decide to look out at us.

How about the nine-year-old girl who helped her Momma deliver her new baby boy??? BRAVO! BRAVO! Jaidan Lujan!

What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun. Ecclesiastes 1:9

TEXAS

May God demonstrate His mercy to all in TX right now. Praying for all in the direct path of IKE.

I took these pictures while we were in Houston in 2006. We also drove down to Galveston and Palacios to enjoy the coast. May God give miracles of grace and mercy now, and may Texas praise His holy name as they trust in Him for deliverance.

Happy birthday to my daughter Kim!

Progress? and Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday!

Today my husband sent me a YouTube link to watch. It was a video pro-McCain. It was a good video done by an Iraq war veteran. Watch it, Dear Mr. Obama.

As I watched the video I saw another video of Obama, while he spoke he was heckled by a group of pro-lifers. I watched that video, then I saw another video of Gianna Jessen, a saline abortion survivor. She speaks for giving babes the right to live. I watched her interview and then saw another which I was actually afraid to watch, but I did. It is a video done by Gynecologist Dr. Bill Lile and he demonstrates how a partial-birth abortion is done.

Oh my word! I knew that these procedures were awful, but to actually see how it is performed has me shuddering for the future of America! American women!!

Those little, helpless ones are our babies! We must at every time we can - stand up for the oppressed. Our defenseless, unborn babies are being quietly oppressed ...and because of our personal rights to happiness?. Is having the right to kill our babies progress for women? If so, it is the wrong way to progress! I can't understand how a person (doctor) who has gone through so much schooling to learn how to protect life can actually stand there long enough to snuff life away like that!

The late 60's and early 70's were the days when our women were becoming liberated, ha! I remember enough of those days to know that I felt guilty for being "just a stay-at-home Mom" then. I agree that many women were kept under the thumb of men before being "liberated" and that is not right either.

Today, as I watched Dr. Lile I wondered, is this women's progress? Has women's progress given us the liberation, the freedom to kill our babies while they struggle to live 90% outside of our bodies? Is that progress? No, it's not!

Babies are a blessing! Don't let the evil one sway you to believe otherwise! Women, you can have your liberation ---by keeping the choice to prevent being impregnated, but the liberation to kill what life has already come from poor choices - that is not a right we should claim. We must protect and nurture our babies, they are depending on us!

Today we celebrate our twins birthdays. What a blessing they have been for Doug and I. I was a new 20-year-old Mom when they were born. When friends would ask - "How did you do it? Two babies at once?" I answer that I didn't know any better. If I ever thought that it was difficult I probably put off as -this was as it was for all women down through the ages and I will just have to do it too. ha! Two years after having twins our third daughter Kim was born. Her birthday is September 12th, in just a few days too.

I realize now when I look back on the early 70's that I remember hardly anything of what went on in the world during those years! I was oblivious to anything other than caring for babies --- for years!

I've said this before when speaking of my babies: My children are the greatest accomplishments of hard work in my life today, and I pray that they are also our greatest contributions to the world's good today! I wonder how many blessings have been taken from the USA by women's liberation?

My heart goes out to any woman that may be reading this with regrets. What an incredible God we have that forgives through Jesus Christ's sacrifice. God gave His own Son to die for any and all sins that we have committed, knowingly or unknowingly. Seek Him for comforting your heart. Jesus Christ gave His own life - willingly, nobody killed Him against His will, He did it willingly so that we could claim Him as the reason we can stand with a clear conscience before God. "For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." John 3 READ IT!

Happy birthday Marie and Karla, and happy birthday Kim. We love you.

(L to R: Kim, Karla, Marie)

Marriage Monday-Why Romance Matters

Picture is of Doug and I before we got married.

It's Marriage Monday with e-Mom today. Join us for this months topic "Why Romance Matters."

Consider writing about your favorite restaurant, your favorite song, or the little things you do for one another throughout the week. What tones down the tension, and tunes up the tenderness? How do you encourage your husband to nurture the romantic side of your marriage? I want to know! C H R Y S A L I S

Doug is my fantastic husband and if you've been reading along at my blog you have probably already picked that up. Doug is a man of integrity, hard-working, a great Dad and Grandpa that is loved, conscientious in all aspects of married life and work, dedicated to our family, loves God with his whole heart - but I've noticed that he needs some help in the romance department!

When I was young.. that was a problem. Because when I was young I did not value the more important character traits my husband was developing as a married man! As time happened I realized, oh my word... what a splendid husband my God has blessed me with!

With time, I have valued my relationship with Doug above others and found that I must work to protect it from ruin. Previously, at times I became disgruntled and ungrateful and began to keep track of those things that were not in our marriage such as... romance! Long walks on beaches, lingering glances over candlelit dinners, quiet moments alone, etc., etc., while they can be fun the other more important aspects of marriage should be valued more than those movie-style romantic encounters.

What ever in the world is romance anyway? My idea of romance (and it's absence in our marriage) was triggered by the worlds movies; TV shows; even advertisements. Those ideas did not build up our relationship but made me feel like something was missing in it. Romance is elusive and when I think we have something like romance it just makes me giggle and feel silly.

There was a time in our relationship when Doug and I seemed to co-exist. Do we all go through such times as that? I believe we both took our marriage for granted, and we did not realized it needs to be protected. We both did things that jeopardized our continuing marriage relationship. In my own case, and without realizing the consequences of developing my own friendships, my faithfulness was tested. The evil one works to destroy all that God has called good. He called our marriage good and the evil one worked hard to destroy it while I made relationships outside of my marriage too important. I am happy today to say that both Doug and I realize the value of each other and our marriage relationship. I am thankful and grateful that God protected us from evil - when we needed to be protected.

My advise today is that we, as couples, must value the relationship we have with each other above the silly notions of romance. There is nothing better away from each other, there is just more of the same. We need to keep on building on what attracted us to each other and made us get married in the first place. And there are more important things in a relationship than romance.

Yes, romance does matter, and a bit of it can bring happiness... but we also need to examine what we think is romance and whether or not we are letting this notion interfere with the wonderful marriage we may already be blessed with!

I've helped my husband with romance by buying roses for myself and then telling him what a wonderful guy he is to think of buying me roses! He loves it. He says that I make him look so good! Then we have a good laugh together and I get to enjoy the beautiful roses while they last. When our children see the roses and ask, "Who are the roses for and for what?" For me, just because... from Dad." They giggle and say, "Ahhhh Dad, how romantic!"

This week... he brought roses home for me all on his own, for no reason at all!

That is romance, isn't it? I love you, Doug.

I also love the verses that e-Mom posted and post them now again for you.
"There are three things that are too amazing for me, four that I do not understand: the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a snake on a rock, the way of a ship on the high seas, and the way of a man with a maiden." Prov 30:18-19

Alaska's Own Sweetheart

Baby Palin and her Mom. (Picture found online.)

Alaska's Governor Sarah Palin.

As we watched Sarah give her VP acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention - we could not help but be touched many times. Maybe because we know her, maybe because she is one of Alaska's own, or maybe just because of the sweetheart that she is ---we all feel a close bond to McCain's choice for a running mate tonight.

I was especially touched when she spoke of her special needs baby -Trig- and the connection that having had a baby born with Downs syndrome created -to all those in the USA who also have a special needs child. We all laughed when her youngest daughter Piper rubbed on Trig's hair after licking her own hand, and then we wondered where Piper had learned to straighten Trig's hair that way - Mom? Dad? We wiped away tears when she spoke of and to Tom Moe, blowing him a thank-you kiss. Tom Moe, the POW in North Vietnam who McCain would smile at then give the thumbs-up sign to before passing his cell after his daily interrogations.

As the story is told, "When McCain shuffled back from torturous interrogations, he would turn toward Moe's door and flash a grin and thumbs up" - as if to say, "We're going to pull through this." My fellow Americans, that is the kind of man America needs to see us through these next four years.

My family and myself continue to be impressed with our beautiful, hometown girl getting nominated to go all the way down to Washington D.C.! Her speech today was great.

e-Mom emailed to ask me a few questions about Sarah. Visit her site if you would like to read that interview.

Check out Meghan McCain's blog here!

Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will serve before kings; he will not serve before obscure men. Proverbs 22:29

Useless Chasing

Picture of ChewChew with fall seeds in his fur.

Chevy has been chasing after little critters with big teeth. I take him, Chewy and Moto for a walk and when we go down by the dock he hears those beavers slap their tails in the lake. He runs, jumps in and swims and swims until I get worried he won't have the strength to return to shore!

Those beaver appear to be working together to tire him out. One critter will swim out in front of him, then veer off so that he follows, then slap his tail and dive. That seems to excite Chevy so he swims faster. He swims in a circle and sniffs the water. A second beaver, which is a ways off, will slap and Chevy swims off in that direction. When he gets closer the second beaver slaps its' tail and dives. Chevy swims in a frenzy again. Back and forth, back and forth. Today I learned there are not only two of them, there are four beaver!

Doesn't this tree seem to be keeping an eye on you?

These beaver have been cutting down trees in earnest! I told them to leave and not come back if they want to know what is good for themselves. But... they haven't yet. So - when their fur get just right and thick from the cold winter, they shall be no more.

Fall colors were fantastic!

As I watched Chevy today I thought to myself, we people do that too. We all chase after things that bring no lasting - anything! Chevy isn't even happy in the process! He sounds like he is sucking down water more and more as he gets tired out. It's not necessary for life that he chase after those elusive beaver! But he runs to chase everytime they slap their tails. I've watched him jump up from the deck, leap over the edge of the hill, and race down to the lake and jump in - ker-plosh! Then he'll come home later all tired out and barely moving - with nothing to show for all that effort. I don't know, maybe it's fun... in a dog sort of way.

Doug and I went out riding trails this past Labor Day weekend. We had fun together. We saw (before hunting season opened) one bull, one cow with two calves. After opening day - nothing! But we had a great time out there, together, riding.

Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done and on the labor in which I had toiled; and indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind. There was no profit under the sun. Ecclesiastes 2:11.