Sad Cypress

Come away, come away, death,
And in sad cypress let me be laid;
Fly away, fly away, breath;
I am slain by fair cruel maid.

A. Christy

Saturday.

I am having one of those days where I feel like pouring out my soul to someone and since there is no one, I will let it flow into this pitiful post. Today I feel like I could love the world; their are so many emotions flowing through me today. They are not all good and not all bad; some are quite neutral. What shall I say? How shall I begin to decipher the inner workings of my mind, heart and soul?

This summer a lot of new things happened to me, things unexpected and unforeseen. Before I continue I must mention that there is a most excellent sunset occurring out my window and I must pause for but a moment to admire its natural beauty. As I was just gazing out I recalled my adventure in New Mexico which occurred a few years back. The memory of what it felt like to be alone on God's Earth and under His sky. To be out in the wilderness, where I always find peace; peace that I don't find anywhere else. How good it feels to be utterly alone, with the smell of soil and sand under your boots; the even cadence of your steps moving you higher and higher into God's country.

My soul found refuge among those hills, with rolling shadows, cast from clouds high above. To hear your heart sing, simply rejoicing in the all wonderful creation before you. How I long to be up in those mountains again, sleeping under the stars; a chill breeze cooling you after a long march. One moment you are preparing your meal, then you look heavenward and all else is forgotten. Upward wounds your soul to dance among the glittering spectacle before you. For a second you are free, free to soar unfettered by your feeble frame; in that instant you experience more than a life spent.

When inwardly their is turmoil or peace, their are moments when your soul escapes you and it must find a way to express itself. For me my writing, though it may seem jumbled and disorganized to an observer. It has a form and composition pleasing to my eyes and ears. When I read it I am comforted, when I see it I am relieved. All that is within, all that is pent up and un-vented goes into these works. Maybe that is the wrong term, these are not works, they are something much simpler. These are not composed for others viewing but for my own satisfaction. Others may read them, Linnea in fact may read them if she remembers to check it. She is the only one I have told the address to. Even if she does read these words, it will not matter I will continue to write as if no one is reading them. I like this site. I can write here and not be disturbed. It almost follows a journal format. Here ends all I have to say.

A true Heart!

What! a speaker is but a prater; a rime is but a ballad. A good leg will fall, a straight back will stoop, a black beard will turn white, a curled pate will grow bald, a fair face will wither, a full eye will wax hollow, but a good heart, Kate, is the sun and the moon; or, rather, the sun. and not the moon; for it shines bright and never changes, but keeps his course truly. If thou would have such a one, take me, take a soldier; take a soldier, take a king. And what sayest thou then to my love? speak, my fair, and fairly, I pray thee.
Henry the Fifth, V- Shakespeare

Philmont Hymn

Silver on the sage,
Starlit skies above
Aspen covered hills
Country that I love
Philmont, here's to thee,
Scouting Paradise,
Out in God's country--
Tonight

Wind in the whispr'ing pines
Eagles soaring high
Purple mountains rise
Against an azure sky.
Philmont here's to thee
Out in God's country--
Tonight

---John Westfall

Latte with Leadership!

I know a lot of you out there are wondering what Latte with Leadership is all about. Well I am not going to tell you. It was one crazy evening that did not turn out well. At Intervarsity Christian Fellowship we have some 80 odd regular attenders. Do you know how many showed up for the meeting, only five. We are always thankful for the ones that do show up! Intervarsity is all about serving Christ and that's what the leadership team, small group leaders and support staff try to do. We don't always meet God's standards in fact we fail quite regularly. I often fail and you know what He still uses me. He really wants you! He really wants all of us and all our doubts, fears, pride, shyness, hatred and despair. Because he turns doubts to assurance,fear to strength, pride to humility, shyness to self confidence, hatred to love and all your despair to hope. What more can we ask for? The answer is, we truly want for nothing, God provides. He has given us so much, how much more should we desire to serve him! You get so much more out of something by pouring yourself into it. If you want to feel the power of Christ get involved in someones life, be their friend and love them. Share with them the love that God has shown you. Then we will fulfill what we are called to do and one day you will hear "Welcome home, good and faithful servant."

A girl I know 

The Power of Beauty

The difference of natural and artificial color, seems to me very easily discerned ; that of Nature, is mottled, and varying; that of art, set, and too smooth ; it wants that animation, that glow, that indescribable something which, even now that I see it, wholly surpasses all my powers of expression.

Evelina by Fanny Burney

Burden of Mortal Breast

Oh author of my being!-far more dear
To me than light, than nourishment, or rest,
Hygieia's blessings, Rapture's buring tear,
Or the life blood that mantles in my breast!

If in my heart the love of Virtue glows,
'Twas planted there by an unerring rule;
From thy example the pure flame arose,
Thy Life, my precept-thy good works, my school.

Could my weak pow'rs thy num'rous virtues trace,
By filial love each fear should repress'd;
The blush of Incapacity I'd chace,
And stand, recorder of thy worth, confess'd:

But since my niggard stars that gift refuse,
Concealment is the only boon I claim;
Obscure be still the unsuccessful Muse,
Who cannot raise, but would not sink, your fame.

Oh! of my life at once the source and joy!
If e'er thy eyes these feeble lines survey,
let not their folly their intent destroy;
Accept the tribute-but forget the lay.

Untitled Poem by Fanny Burney

Music the Expression of the Soul.

My heart can't help but rise and fall with beautiful soul satisfying music. What is it in a song that can make us cry, laugh; make all the feelings we have in side soar upward, swirling furiously to our heart, our mind and our spirit. Today has been one of those days, when all I have deep inside of me rises to the surface, when I laugh and can't stop, when I am alone and can't stop the tears of loneliness from overwhelming me. More tears have been shed this day then fits of laughter. I alone know why the bitter drops are falling. And it feels good to know that I feel this way. It's just the way I am. I feel my greatest emotions when I am in pain. Not physical pain but emotional. When I was a kid I felt excluded and forgotten at times, but I did'nt mind. It allowed me time for myself to hide in my room and read, listen to music and explore my soul. The pain I feel means I care, I care so much that it brings me to tears. Some people just can't understand that. I am swept away so intensly that I am overwhelmed, I can not stand or speak. If you were to look inside you would see the depth of the endless well of love and joy that I am feeling. If you were to look inside most people I think you would see it rising upwards. It doesn't work that way for me. Right now I could weep like a child in pain being rocked gently in the arms of my parents. I wish I had someone to hold me, to just be there, just to know that they are there. To share all that is in my heart, all my struggles and triumphs, all my fears and hopes. Who are you? Where are you? Have I found you yet? I think so? I believe so? I want to so bad. The Lord God of all, he alone knows. Then I give all to you Lord not an ounce for me, all to you I give.

My favorite airplane, the Piper Warrior. This is the most stable, loveable plane that God has put on this good earth. I have never had a bad experience flying one these good old gals, they really are a true blue friend.

The world is at our finger tips.

Yes it's really true! For those of you who read this blog there are a few things you must know about me. For one, I live in a very cold place in the middle of no where. Yes that's right, I live in North Dakota far away from friends, family and a very special someone. You might be asking yourself why, why would he do such a thing? The answer you see is blowing in the wind. Right above you and me there is a wide blue sky that stretches on and on forever and when the sun sets it turns black as black can be. When I was a young fellow knee high to a grasshopper I decided that I wanted to fly and see all that I could see. Well those early dreams did not come to aught, with a loving God to guide me I made this long and arduous journey, thirteen hundred miles from home. For the past two years I have been training to become a Commercial Pilot, yes that's right. Can you believe that the best school for aviation is North Dakota, what irony! This place is cold, I mean bitter cold with an average temperature of negative twenty in the winter, whoa that's crazy, and we haven't even thrown in the wind chill factor which, always makes it at least five degrees colder. But beyond the weather it isn't half bad out here. The sky is always clear and sunny, you can see for miles; none of that east coast haze. My life out here is pretty nice, you know there is school work and flying but you know what? I am part of this really terrific group that serves and loves the Lord, there name is Intervarsity Christian Fellowship. This year I have been given the opportunity to serve as the evangelism Coordinator and it is one of the best things I have ever done. So dear reader you see, life out here can be dull, monotonous and downright boring if you want it to be but if you seek life you will be given life! So yawl have a great day and I hope God blesses and keeps you!