CAMPING IN OUR BACKYARD

photo taken on July 27, 2012 of our tent lit from within when we camped in our backyard over the weekend

(That is the moon peaking out from the clouds)

HAPPY 24TH of JULY

Photo taken with the family playing with sparklers tonight on the 24th of July 2012

TWO HAWKS

photo taken up Provo Canyon

GOLDEN SUNSET

photo taken on July 4, 2011 from Utah County. Same day as the Alpine Fires. The smoke in the air created a golden amber glow as the sun went down.

LAST SUNLIGHT OF THE DAY SHINING ON PEAK

photo taken on July 4, 2012 of the north part of Mount Timpangos mountain range above Alpine

LONE PEAK

photo taken from our neighborhood on  July 11, 2012 

THE END OF THE DAY GLORY

photo taken on 7.11.2012 from our street

WATER MEETS LAND

photo taken near Laguna Beach on June 18, 2012

OVERCOMING FEAR AND OBSTACLES

Photo taken jumping off the Lido Bridge in Newport Beach on June 21, 2012 

Photo taken of a horse jumping competition on June 22, 2012 near Newport Beach

I will write more shortly

SUNSETS: RED AT NIGHT

photos taken of two differents sunsets down on Newport Beach - June 2012

The old adage in North America is:

Red sky at night, sailor's delight,

Red sky at morning, sailors take warning.

In Great Britain and Ireland:

Red sky at night, shepherd's delight,

Red sky in morning, fisherman's warning.

We know this old folklore has been around for some time and might have some truth to it. In Matthew 16: 2-3 Jesus replied to some Pharisees and Sadducees that wanted to "test" him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven. "When evening comes, you say, 'It will be fair weather: for the sky is red.'And in the morning, 'Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast. You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times."

It might be hard to see in the bottom photo, but there are three birds flying to the left of the sun.

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY

photo taken on June 16, 2102 on Balboa Island.

 (If you look carefully.. there are  3 American Flags in this photo.)

"And it came to pass that he rent his coat; and he took a piece thereof, and wrote upon it

— In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children—

and he fastened it upon the end of a pole.....and he bowed himself to the earth, and he prayed mightily unto his God for the blessings of liberty to rest upon his brethren,

so long as there should a band of Christians remain to possess the land.

Alma 46: 12-13

.

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!

May we appreciate the liberty that was given to us, and be courageous enought to continue fighting for it.

................................................

Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence ?

Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died. Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army;  another had two sons captured. Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or  hardships of the Revolutionary War. They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor. What kind of men were they? Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists.  Eleven were merchants,  nine were farmers and large plantation owners;  men of means, well educated, but they signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they were captured. Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the  British Navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts, and died in rags. Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly. He served in the Congress without pay, and his family was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him, and poverty was his reward. Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer, Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton. At the battle of Yorktown , Thomas Nelson, Jr., noted that the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters. He quietly urged General George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt. Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months.John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying. Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his children vanished.


So, take a few minutes while enjoying your 4th of July holiday and  silently thank these patriots. It's not much to ask for the price they paid. Remember: freedom is never free

ABOVE THE FOG AND CLOUDS

photo taken on a morning hike in Southern California on the Summer Solstice

You have to travel some distance and hike to greater heights if you want to see the sunrise on the coast of Southern California. However, it is worth the effort to be able to rise above the dark clouds and fog to see the beauty of a new day dawning.  

Below are some of the lyrics to this song by Matt Redman called Ten Thousand Reasons:

Bless the Lord, O my soul O my soul
Worship His holy name
Sing like never before O my soul
I'll worship Your holy name

The sun comes up, it's a new day dawning
It's time to sing Your song again
Whatever may pass, and whatever lies before me
Let me be singing when the evening comes

You're rich in love, and You're slow to anger
Your name is great, and Your heart is kind
For all Your goodness I will keep on singing
Ten thousand reasons for my heart to find

And on that day when my strength is failing
The end draws near and my time has come
Still my soul will sing Your praise unending
Ten thousand years and then forevermore

Sing like never before O my soul
I'll worship Your holy name
Jesus, I'll worship Your holy name
I'll worship Your holy name