Chronicles of Nada

Sunrise on the mountains

2012-01-30T16:29:00.001-08:00

Yahweh's cathedral has spoken once again - El Shaddai is God of the mountains. I love living here. Steve Heinrichs shot this looking north across Sparks Lake.

Central Oregon Lightning

2012-01-29T15:15:00.000-08:00

A friend took this photo during an autumn storm here in Bend. The distant lightning is striking Smith Rock, a well known climbing spot.

Photo by Steve Heinrichs.

Sweet Family R&R

2011-05-25T13:22:00.001-07:00

North Sister as seen from the meadow at Black Butte Ranch.

(photo by FS)

weary traveller

2011-04-20T14:46:00.000-07:00

No, I believe that light will come;
The sun again will shine.
On every dark road out of Egypt
The sea will open just in time.

And if I sometimes lose my way,
Or feel I’m walking blind,
I now can say (though hell may scoff)
This road -- THIS road is mine!

-A Man of Faith

nothing

2011-04-15T11:12:00.000-07:00

"God gives His gifts where He finds the vessel empty enough to receive them."
-Clive Staples Lewis

(photo by PS)

I find the desires of my heart to beat with increasing strength against the confines of my empty chest and I am powerless to bring them about. I am in a prison of boredom and uselessness, having work stripped from me. I find things to labor on every day yet very few of them yield any fruit that brings sustenance. I continue to minister but even in that I am virtually empty. I know You are sustaining me, Father. There is no other. I have nothing else.

I am weary and tired and beaten down. Come quickly Lord Jesus. Save me.

rhema

2011-04-12T17:17:00.000-07:00

"...you whom I have upheld since you were conceived, and have carried since your birth. Even to your old age and gray hairs I am He, I am He who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you."

"Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please. From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do."

Who am I that you should know my name and reach out to me in the midst of all these people?

(photo by PS)

You are Yahweh, the King of kings. You are Yeshua, the Lord of lords. And you are mighty to save.

Teleion

2011-04-06T11:17:00.000-07:00

It is like you are stuck in the middle of the road, cars coming and going both directions, and all you want to do is get out of the road. All you want to do is make the pain go away. But God calls us to persevere, to hang in there, to lean into the pain, to sit in the middle of the road even though it feels like your life is being threatened every day. And then someday, as we lean into the pain, as we cry out to God, as we choose to persevere in our faith and lean into the pain, as we stay in the middle of the road, we realize that we are growing into spiritual maturity. And then again, one day, God calls us to leave the middle of the road and come to the other side, perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

Justice

2011-02-14T14:51:00.000-08:00

The church family we are part of, with World Relief, hosted a conference this past weekend. In a word it was excellent. It was so excellent that I couldn't possibly process all of the material so chose to "sit out" several of the sessions just so my brain wouldn't explode. There is so much injustice in the world, so much corruption, so much pain that I simply could not effectively assimilate all that was being presented.

I believe Yahweh is leading me to exercise justice in certain ways. I want to carry the cause of and defend the spiritually oppressed. I want to bring food, water, clothing, shelter and education to as many as I can in India. I want to declare the truth which sets us free in order to defeat lies which bind and take captive. I will follow my God and trust that as He does His work in this world He will allow me, even invite me, to join with Him.

a means to an end

2011-01-25T18:39:00.000-08:00

The whole meaning of prayer is that we may know God. - Oswald Chambers

(photo by PS)

How much do I believe this? How much does my life demonstrate that I believe it to be true? The statement moves me. It convicts me. I agree with it completely but I don't think I always remember or embrace it's meaning. Most believers, including myself, often use prayer as a means to an end but not the end He intends. We want something so we ask. We need help so we pray. But where I want to fall is with those who pray for want of one thing - Yahweh himself. David heralded his own cry to know God in Psalm 27 when he said,

"One thing have I asked of YAHWEH, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of YAHWEH all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of YAHWEH and to inquire in his temple." (vs 4 - ESV).

This is my desire - to know the only true God, and Jesus the Messiah, whom He sent (Jn 17:3). We will know great peace and deep satisfaction as we seek God for God while not failing to make known our requests to Him with petition and thanksgiving (Phil 4:6).

family park 'n' rec

2011-01-22T19:11:00.000-08:00

We spent part of our afternoon - after the epic donut run - at the "boat park". It seemed fitting that we be outside with not more than long sleeves during this unusual winter warm spell. I think it helped that they were also able blow off the sugar high. And if I may speak for my boys, they had a great time. Well, their expressions don't necessarily tell it that way but it's true. They did.

mmm donuts

2011-01-22T18:56:00.000-08:00

Yep. Custardy, joy-filled, yummy goodness. So big and messy you have to eat 'em with a fork. I felt a bit sick afterward but it was worth every tasty bite. I love donuts. The End.

Waiting is difficult

2011-01-21T15:56:00.000-08:00

A friend sent me a text last night and as I read it the Spirit spoke to me. I knew this was not an ordinary text without much behind it. I later confirmed that my friend was moved by God – while in the market no less – to communicate a message to me. The essence of the message was "remember Joseph who did not give up hope in the face of opposition and lack of fruition of his dreams. God is with you and making you more like himself as you wait on him."

Proverbs says that hope deferred makes the heart sick (13:12). I have been asking God and waiting on Him for fulfillment of some deep desires for years now and my heart has often felt sick during this wait. These past four years have been particularly hard but I know my God and he tells me that as I trust him with everything, literally delighting in him, he can then trust me with the desires in my heart (Psalm 37:3-7). In pondering the concept of ‘waiting’ found in that passage I discovered an excerpt from Dallas Willard’s book, The Divine Conspiracy, to be not only accurate but also as if he wrote it specifically for me.

“Prayer as kingdom praying is an arrangement explicitly instituted by God in order that we as individuals may count, and count for much, as we learn step by step how to govern, to reign with him in his kingdom. To enter and to learn this reign is what gives the individual life its intended significance. This high calling also explains why prayer frequently requires much effort, continuous effort, and on some matters possibly years and years of effort. Prayer is, above all, a means of forming character. It combines freedom and power with service and love. What God gets out of our lives – and, indeed, what we get out of our lives – is simply the person we become. It is God’s intention that we should grow into the kind of person he could empower to do what we want to do. Then we are ready to “reign for ever and ever” (Rev. 22:5).

And a major element in this training is experience in waiting for God to move, not leaping ahead and taking things into our own hands. Out of this waiting experience there comes a form of character that is priceless before God, a character that can be empowered to do as one chooses. This explains why James says that patience in trials will make us “fully functional” (teleion), “perfect” (1:4).”

I suppose my countenance should be like that of my baby boy here in this photo. I love when my kids look at me like this. May the King of all glory bless us as we wait on him with expectancy and delight.

(photo by PSchrock)

Cozy Christmas Cheer

2010-12-18T10:56:00.001-08:00

At first I was a bit unwilling for the season to arrive. It felt like a lot of work wrestling the decorations out of their year-long slumber in the garage. Clouds of dust wafted into my face as I first hefted the boxes into the house and laid them carefully by the tree. The kids had great fun "helping" with the decorating but in reality that translated to breaking fragile glass balls into a million pieces on the rug, hanging all the decorations in a slender band around the bottom of the tree and making a tangled mess of the strands of twinkly lights. Decorating this year took about twice as long as other years but I'll wager that it was also twice the joy.

It took me another whole week to discover that I had energy to hang lights out front. I think I found inspiration by watching the neighbors dutifully adorn their own houses. One guy looked like the Michelin Man in his puffy snow suit but the cold did not deter him. Another neighbor was much more akin to the Brawny guy from the paper towel ads. In the end I got out there on a mild afternoon and made it happen. I wonder if the sight of me slapping my hands on my legs to warm them gave any of my neighbors a smile. No matter what I am glad because I feel warm and happy each time I sit back to bask in their holiday glow.

Winter Goodness

2010-12-18T09:57:00.000-08:00

We woke up to 4 inches of snow this morning. It started snowing again after a yummy breakfast of pancakes. Saturday morning cartoons are playing now (a nostalgic thing for me) and soon we'll suit up and head out in search of the perfect hill for sledding. Beat that California.

testing

2010-12-11T11:33:00.001-08:00

Does this thing still work?

cuddles

2010-02-22T12:23:00.001-08:00

25 little known things about me

2009-02-12T11:04:00.000-08:00

1. I like to bike and run but only on trails. If I can see my destination I don't enjoy the exercise.

2. I'll eat Thai food for any occasion, on any day of the year at any time. How about now? Anyone want to make a Thai run?

3. Swimming is one of my favorite ways to exercise and relieve stress but sometimes I get so bored that it's hard to commit.

4. I have eaten black monkey. Before cooking/eating we had to get our meat back to camp so I wore the little beast like a backpack with his arms tied around my neck.

5. I consider reading to be a stimulating activity. I also sometimes use it to help me fall asleep.

6. The heaviest I've ever been is 205 pounds. That was a dark time in my life.

7. I think truth is one of the most important terms and ideas of our day yet also the most over-looked, underrated and ill-defined.

8. I really miss surfing and days at the beach. The ocean is a wonderful thing. But thankfully, so are mountains and we have lots of those here.

9. My favorite publication is National Geographic. Even though I've been a member in the past I've never read through an entire magazine except when not at home and usually on the toilet at my in-laws' house.

10. I sometimes think people who work 4 day work weeks have it good. But then I think "I'd like to meet someone who works a 3 day work week. That would be even better."

11. I have a love/hate relationship with technology. I value communication in my relationships and talk with most of my friends a few times per week. But the same tech also keeps my phone ringing, my email popping and my brain fried so that I can't wait to turn my cell off when I get home.

12. I once hunted and shot a cayman. I wasn't prepared for the shotgun's recoil and almost fell backwards out of the canoe. People laughed at me. It was dark so nobody saw me blushing.

13. One of my favorite sports to play is softball. I enjoy the sense of team that is required to win and I love the Americana of baseball but with lots more action. But it's super embarrassing to strike out in softball.

14. Last year I really got into clove cigarettes. I kinda started to like them too much so I quit a month ago.

15. I burp more than I fart. Ask anyone I work with.

16. I am fiercely competitive to the point of wrecking other people's fun...especially in table games. Dutch Blitz anyone?

17. I sometimes imagine myself as a mixed martial arts hero, conquering evil with my amazing combination of physical prowess and humble wisdom. Then I shift my weight on the couch and try to beat the next level.

18. I think conservation is important. I believe people are responsible to wisely rule over the resources of the earth. I believe the earth is gradually getting warmer. I do not believe humans have anything to do with it.

19. I like to talk to God. I do this when I hike, drive, ride my bike or any other activity where I find myself alone. I often do it out loud and sometimes people look at me funny.

20. My wife is my best friend and we have a really good marriage. She makes just about everything in life better...including dinner. She's a good cook.

21. I am a curious person. I like to ask the questions "Why" and "How".

22. I have spent hundreds of hours in airplanes over the past several years. Most of that time has been spent with my knees touching the seat-back in front of me.

23. I have a sensitive spirit. I often cry during movies when I identify strongly with the characters and their emotions. Even silly movies make me cry - like "Armageddon" or "Cars".

24. I gauge my fitness level by how many chins I have at any given time. Right now it's just one so I'm in good shape.

25. I had poison oak on my honeymoon. It was everywhere. Everywhere.

Asia is good

2009-01-27T21:24:00.000-08:00

http://blog.emote360.com

Tippilakatta & Belatejessu

2009-01-16T18:29:00.000-08:00

Production Day 1

-Peter in the banana orchard

-Small boy from Belatejessu

-Widow from elderly home

-Relaxing with Suresh

Off to India

2009-01-14T10:30:00.000-08:00

We are on our way to India to make a documentary film about an organization called Harvest India. We're running the project through our sister production company Emote360, which is an organization that exists to help other non-profits enhance themselves and their vision with the use of multimedia. It's really fun that we're finally getting a project off the ground with Emote in this way.

Please pray for safety & health while traveling and while on the ground in India. For more detailed information please visit this LINK which explains the purpose of the trip, the schedule, our funding needs and various ways you can help.

We do still need to raise a small amount of money to cover the total project costs. Any donations over $25 will receive the final DVD that we produce for Harvest India as a 'Thank You' gift for helping us. Visit our Donations Page to find out more information.

Ellis Family Thanksgiving

2008-12-18T17:46:00.000-08:00

Click here for SLIDESHOW

sometimes work is fun

2008-10-11T20:29:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago LJ3 Media was on site for a couple days with a client doing some production. We had a good time with the crew and gathered some great footage.

bad blogger, bad

2008-10-11T19:34:00.000-07:00

i'm not very good at doing this regularly. just admitting to something everyone already knows.

bye

loving the cob corn

2008-07-24T22:37:00.000-07:00

Who me?

S&M

2008-07-24T22:28:00.000-07:00

Steve and Michelle, not sadomasochism. Think happy thoughts.
We had a good time with them and Everett during their weekend visit. Thanks for getting us hooked on 'The Office' :)

battlefight!

2008-07-24T22:22:00.000-07:00

That's what Eli calls it. And that's what these guys are getting ready to do.

NOTE: A battlefight is much more intense than a simple battle or measley fight. You must know this. Especially when the commander is holding a goblet of mead.

brothers

2008-07-01T13:41:00.000-07:00

elijah wyatt

2008-06-30T17:39:00.001-07:00

Our oldest son is also very much the wisest...out of all of us. He's been correcting us on all sorts of things like song lyrics, what animals eat what foods, what insects do what to people they don't especially like, and of course, our language. For example, we don't say butt, we say bum. We don't say stupid, we say silly...and other such fundamental things that all children must enjoy pointing out to their errant parents.

curren manassa

2008-06-30T17:29:00.000-07:00

He's bigger. He's faster. He toddles. He waddles. He's Curren Manassa and his chubby little legs are carrying him into new and unknown parts of our home every day.

Eli quotes

2008-05-03T18:45:00.000-07:00

While watching a short, animated movie today that he has seen over 10 times he exclaimed, "Dad, the good guys win this time!"

While we were all walking to the park and munching on oatmeal chocolate chip cookies Susan piped up and said "If these weren't so bad for me I'd eat them all the time. Eli then added, "If I didn't have a family I could eat cookies all the time too".

About a month ago he said to Susan, "Mommy, can I have one little kiss? I've never had a kiss today."

A few months back Curren had a cold and was sneezing. After he did it twice in a row Eli said, "Mommy, Curren did two bless yous!"

Later when speaking of sneezing while eating Raisin Bran he said "Mom, what happens if I bless a raisin out?"

ripping

2008-05-03T18:28:00.000-07:00

Here you see Susan tearing it up on her first ever mountain bike ride. She went out with a couple other girls for a 'birthday ride' and loved it. Of course I'm quite pleased with this because I also love to ride. I am believing God for another bike so we can get out there together.

pining for summer

2008-03-26T21:23:00.000-07:00

It was cold today. I walked home from my office and decided to go the long way to stretch my legs. While I walked I talked to a friend and literally had to switch phone hands every few minutes. When I got home I couldn't feel my hands and my coat was wet from snowfall. It nearly whited out later during dinner but now the stars are out. The weather is a fun part of Bend. But I must say I'm excited for Spring and Summer when the yard is green and in bloom.

I'm really looking forward to times like these again...

Passion

2008-03-24T16:27:00.000-07:00

For Easter I cut together a short film using footage from The Passion of the Christ.

PC users: right click HERE and select 'save target as' to download and watch. Mac users can select 'Open with QuickTime Player'.

Sunday family

2008-03-17T15:22:00.001-07:00

mornings

2008-03-15T11:08:00.000-07:00

Here we are together in the bed. I am torturing myself with the latest issue of Surfing magazine as Eli and Curren wrestle together.

This is one of Curren's favorite past-times...removing CDs and eating them.

Bad Curren.

quiver full

2008-02-12T10:03:00.000-08:00

I'm not referring only to my kids - I have great family on both sides. I'm a happy man.

Thanksgiving - Ellis

New Year - Schrock

from the past

2008-02-08T20:27:00.000-08:00

Circa 1996. Santa Barbara - Rincon - Westmont.

Good Times.

Tumalo Mtn.

2008-02-05T21:17:00.000-08:00

Jon and I went snowshoeing on Tumalo mountain. Our intention was to go to the top - about 7500ft. As you can see the snow was kinda deep...so we didn't make it...more than about 200 feet up. Instead we followed a trail for a few miles. It was great.

india

2008-01-29T13:17:00.001-08:00

I just returned from what is probably my favorite place in the world other than here. India is magical. With generous and beautiful people, a tropical yet arid landscape, a diverse, spiritual and colorful culture and endearing friends I couldn't ask for more in the partnership I have with Harvest India. I am blessed among men.

Click here for a slideshow of my favorite images from this year's time.

Click here to link to our team's blog for stories and more photographs.

God is very, very good.

traveler IQ challenge

2007-12-24T22:46:00.000-08:00

I'm leaving for India in exactly 2 weeks. I'll be sitting on a plane in San Francisco getting ready for a 16 hour flight to Singapore which will then deliver me and our River Church team to India. After a short night's sleep in Hyderabad we'll get on a bus and head to our final destination about 4 hours away. After many hours of travel we will be with the children of the Kallurigudem Orphanage...literally in the middle of nowhere. India is a wonderful place like that.

In honor of exploring God's amazing earth check out this site and take the "traveler IQ challenge". Anything over 90 is pretty darn good. Anything less and you'd better brush up on your geography.

Traveler's IQ Challenge

cruising Andromeda

2007-12-22T16:43:00.000-08:00

I took a short flight this weekend to tweak in the weaponry and booster strength of my new, custom spaceship. It was a beautiful trip but much too short. I plan to go back soon and take in the sights of the many planets and stars that are not so unlike those of our own galaxy. Sometimes when I'm out there I pass the time by pondering questions like: Is there such thing as a space wolf and if so, would it travel in space packs? or.. What would happen if I run into a dead astronaut? and.. Do comets have feelings? To tell the truth I don't much care. But isn't my spaceship cool?

hike

2007-11-13T21:12:00.001-08:00

Bro-in-law and I went out for a quick hike the other afternoon. It was raining, cold and the perfect afternoon to get outside and enjoy a good, short climb in the local hills. We headed out to the falls and went south rather than NW to the falls themselves. We followed single track for a couple miles. Jon got in front of me for the last 3/4 of a mile and pushed us to the top where we rested for a while and took in the quiet and the view while night began to move in on us. We ended up about 500 feet above the valley floor on a little mountain - 6000 feet in the air.

Here is Jon preparing some tea in his super hi-tech, miniature stove that can boil water at altitude in 2.5 minutes flat. Yummy.

chubby baby

2007-11-13T21:03:00.000-08:00

boy stuff

2007-11-03T10:53:00.000-07:00

We've been enjoying a beautiful fall here in Central Oregon. Lately Eli and I have ventured out in search of some good old fashioned adventure. We've gone on hikes, tromped through unfinished houses, thrown rocks in the river, chased cats, watched hawks soar through the sky in search of food, had lightsaber duels in the middle of the living room and other good boy stuff. A couple times Poppi and Grandma Great joined us for a hike. Good times.

growing bird list

2007-10-31T09:40:00.000-07:00

Last weekend my father-in-law was here with us. He is an avid birder and has an uncanny sense for the identification of birds whether it be while in flight, on a perch, listening for unique calls or simple behavioral tendencies. I've even seen him ID a bird from its silhouette while in flight - pretty cool.

My yard list is up to 26 now and 2 of those came with his help last weekend. Here are a few feathered friends that are most common to my yard and feeder.

Cassin's Finch in my Ponderosa Pine

Mountain Chickadee on the copper feeder

Pygmy Nuthatch eyeing the feeder from his Pine perch

Pygmy with Pine Siskins

[ Thanks for the photos, Floyd. ]

blessing

2007-10-18T22:06:00.000-07:00

from the past

2007-09-28T11:17:00.001-07:00

squirt guns & birds

2007-09-17T23:27:00.000-07:00

this is a fine synopsis of our sunday afternoon. eli took great delight in riding his tricycle around the back patio whilst shooting with his squirt gun, the trees, birds, flys, ants and anything else that moved. at times he would switch to a squirt bottle for its increased capacity. this meant, in short, more shooting time and less filling time. makes sense.

i also added 2 new species of birds to my yard list. this is quite a feat considering that my list is only at 19. i positively ID'd a pair of Cassin's Finches and a pair of Red-Winged Blackbirds. then there were many many of the blackbirds in conjunction with Brewer's. they attacked the feeders, scared the smaller birds away and ate until they were content or scared away themselves by larger birds overhead such as turkey vultures or hawks of some sort. i had previously thought that I'd seen the Cassin's Finch but now I know that I hadn't. they are a beautiful bird - both male & female. and the Red-Winged are awesome as well. their red wing bar with yellow spot below is really cool while they're in flight.

finally, the afternoon brought an acrobatic squirrel who leapt from our large ponderosa pine to the copper feeder. and there were even more birds - at one point I counted 7 species at one time. for the day, the tally was at 9 total species. what a blessing to live here and have such varied wildlife in my own backyard.

the coast in august

2007-09-13T15:10:00.000-07:00

that's what it's called here in the NW. that reference being different than what most people in California call it - which is the beach. the differences are important i think. the main one for me being that the water is not as friendly here as it is down south. it's alive for one thing - there are sea monsters a'plenty out there. and the summer temps hover between 57 & 62 depending on current. by cali standards that is freezing - winter conditions for sure. the other points of contrast include space - there is a lot more of it here, weather - it's typically colder and more windy here, and geography - the coast has an untamed, wild feel - different than the populous beaches of socal. also, there is a vast array of beautiful, unique landmarks and coastal topographies here when compared to say, the beach in Huntington Beach, for example. granted, they have more consistent surf, but it's crowded with kooks and its major defining point is the unbroken row of homes that line the boardwalk, continually frowning down upon the sand and water. no me gusta. but the tall palm trees and warm, sunny afternoons with enjoyable surf make cali a sure spot for fun summer frolics.

Click here for a sampling of our time in lincoln & pacific cities in august.

those guys

2007-09-06T20:58:00.001-07:00

the voice of reason

2007-09-01T11:19:00.000-07:00

adventures with Pooh

2007-08-31T09:57:00.001-07:00

potty feet

2007-08-26T15:01:00.000-07:00

eli was standing in the corner. all of a sudden there was a shriek from his direction and then crying. in his distress from having been sent to the corner he had peed a little in his underwear. ok, a lot. but with a hurried admonition to make his way to the center of the room where his potty sat he scurried with wet feet ::snicker:: to his little throne and did his business. here he is enjoying his treat - an otter pop.

we are proud of him. this has been a traumatic change for him. i guess it is for most kids but i don't know other kids. i do know that eli would rather eat worms than use the potty. he's been quite attached to the convenience of the almighty diaper.

Mt. Bachelor

2007-08-25T12:10:00.000-07:00

from the west - the meadow at Sparks Lake

grandpa & the boys

2007-08-15T19:19:00.000-07:00

at the Deschutes County Fair

interruption

2007-08-08T10:46:00.000-07:00

there was a fire here a few days ago. that night the power went out throughout our neighborhood. i got in to work the next day and my macintosh wouldn't boot. the power button would light up for a second and then fade. the fade was like the life going out of it. actually i think the life had already gone out of it. either way i knew it to be bad. i took the box to the local computer store and they wanted $125 to place it on the tech bench so that they could tell me what I already knew - that it was dead. i asked for an advice freebie and told him my symptoms. "For free" he told me that I was correct - the power supply was dead. He also told me that Apple no longer manufactures that power supply, that every 4 or 5 years their parts become obsolete as they upgrade their line with newer, faster, sleeker machines. i felt betrayed by Apple. but this guy had just saved me 125 dollars - i wanted to give him a hug. instead i bought a new Mac Pro with 3GB of memory and an extra terabyte of storage for all of my new and cooler projects that I was sure to be working on with such a powerful computer as this one. i also got the 23" HD screen - a small but welcome upgrade from my previous 22" SD monitor. but all of this great stuff carried a large price tag and i am hoping that my business insurance will kick down and be the carrier i thought it would be when i purchased the policy. so far i'm not so sure. that's why the dual 2.66Ghz, intel driven Mac Pro and large, beautiful monitor will remain in their boxes, ready for return, in case @$^#%* doesn't do what i heard them promise to do in the event of computer failure due to power surge - replace the darn thing.

july was fun

2007-08-03T15:53:00.000-07:00

"And finally to Bend which seems a little like a heaven on earth. The evening skyline is one of the best... Any town which features “floating the river” as one of its main attractions on a summer afternoon has my vote. And the fact that as you float, you float right past the back door of the Gap makes you realize that this is a different kind of place. Here they use SUV’s to carry their kayaks, not to ensure that they have lane changing rights on the evening commute."

-as penned by Uncle Peter - Bend Visitor, Summer 2007

I made a slideshow for the month of July. You can watch it here.

Los Greens

2007-07-31T01:25:00.000-07:00

Friends. Bi-lingual. Missionaries in Columbia. They stopped in to see us about a week ago. We went downtown to catch the bike race and had some Mexican food and Mexican beer. They're good people.

i love my family

2007-07-29T21:21:00.000-07:00

photos by brother p. schrock

grandparents nearby

2007-07-18T21:52:00.000-07:00

my parents recently moved up from socal. they love it here. we love that they are here. it's fun to have them close and to know that they are at peace here in this place. it's also great to be close to better half's parentals. i'm really glad to know that there are grandparents on all sides. that's how kids should grow up - surrounded by family with their granddads and grandmoms close by. God is good to us.

dinner by the river

looking for birds near the canal

villainy

2007-07-15T10:40:00.000-07:00

The terror alert has been raised in Central Oregon this week as signs of a new and insidious foe have been found scattered around the yard of yours truly. Evidence of new devices of harassment and warfare were discovered this morning as I woke from my slumber and decided to take a stroll in my backyard. From what has been found I can only surmise that my enemy is cunning, wise and extremely wily. His strategies seem to include trenching and foxholes while signs of exceptionally smelly bomb fragments were also found. Overall I feel fortunate to still have my life. But I will not back down and in a show of desperation I testify that I have identified the perpetrator to be: Shadow Greeley the Wonder Dog.

He is cute, black and great at chasing flies, his own tail and balls of all sorts. He stores energy like a camel does water and can outrun a cheetah.

we're hungry

2007-07-13T01:13:00.000-07:00

My brother-in-law has been here for the past week. We've had some good times in the outdoors. Monday we spent the day together with my other bro-in-law at Smith Rock. We were 1 of 3 parties in the entire park with 1500 climb routes practically all to ourselves. We had a great time. My arms are actually still sore today from that climb 5 days ago.

Pete put this image together like a movie poster. I still hungry...

musical togetherness

2007-07-05T22:33:00.000-07:00

father and son, grooving together. or is it just the son who's doing the grooving? who knows? you can't hear that in a photo. of course, we can see him holding his guitar in the wrong hand with the soundhole facing up. we'll work on that. but hey - maybe he's a natural at the Dobro. what it is also evident is that my son enjoys hanging out with me - wanting to do whatever daddy does. i like that. it's precious to me.

i hope he'll follow in my footsteps - some of them anyway. not all of my steps have been helpful or useful. but God is gracious and has ordered so many of them for my good when they should have ended up hurting me. beauty from ashes. my own son is a reminder of that. he's a beautiful little boy and he's been entrusted to me by my own Father. may i not abuse his trust, O God.

so good

2007-07-04T23:30:00.000-07:00

there is something mystical to me about a long, warm summer evening. tonight was one of those nights.

peace & love

2007-07-03T23:33:00.001-07:00

I really like this picture. I like the expressions. I like the feeling it conveys - the ones I feel when I look at it.

I'm thankful for my family.

men one day

2007-06-25T23:02:00.000-07:00

We played king of the mountain out on the end
The world come chargin' up the hill, and we were [young boys] and men
Now there's so much that time, time and memory fade away
We got our own roads to ride and chances we gotta take
We stood side by side each one fightin' for the other
We said until we died we'd always be blood brothers

In the early evening light
And the miles we have come
And the battles won and lost
Are just so many roads traveled
So many rivers crossed
And I ask God for the strength
And faith in one another
Cause it's a good night for a ride
Cross this river to the other side
My blood brother
(from revised edition)

But the stars are burnin' bright like some mystery uncovered
I'll keep movin' through the dark with you in my heart
My blood brother

-Bruce Springsteen
www.brucespringsteen.net/songs/BloodBrothers.html

Christ on the mountain

2007-06-25T22:45:00.000-07:00

Our knowledge of Christ is somewhat like climbing one of our Welsh mountains. When you are at the base you see but little: the mountain itself appears to be but half as high as it really is. Confined in a little valley, you discover scarcely anything but the rippling brooks as they descend into the stream at the foot of the mountain. Climb the first rising knoll, and the valley lengthens and widens beneath your feet. Go higher, and you see the country for four or five miles around, and you are delighted with the widening prospect. Mount still, and the scene enlarges; until at last, when you are on the summit, and look east, west, north, and south, you see almost all England lying before you. Yonder is a forest in some distant country, perhaps two hundred miles away, and here the sea, and there a shining river and the smoking chimneys of a manufacturing town, or the masts of the ships in a busy port. All these things please and delight you, and you say, "I could not have imagined that so much could be seen at this elevation."

Now, the Christian life is of the same order. When we first believe in Christ we see but little of Him. The higher we climb the more we discover of His beauties. But who has ever gained the summit? Who has known all the heights and depths of the love of Christ which passes knowledge? Paul, when grown old, sitting gray-haired, shivering in a dungeon in Rome, could say with greater emphasis than we can, "I know whom I have believed," for each experience had been like the climbing of a hill, each trial had been like ascending another summit, and his death seemed like gaining the top of the mountain, from which he could see the whole of the faithfulness and the love of Him to whom he had committed his soul.
Climb up, dear friend, into the high mountain.

-Charles Haddon Spurgeon

outdoor solace

2007-06-23T21:56:00.000-07:00

i haven't worshipped in any greater or more beautiful cathedrals than those i've found in nature. my backyard is this kind of sanctuary for me - a small refuge..a place of peace & solace. i love it. thank you, Creator God. i'm very grateful.

so after many long, sweaty, sunburned & joyous hours of manual labor my yard is nearing completion. this particular project has been very long in coming and extremely satisfying as a process. i'm thankful for the good friends, family & neighbors who all pitched in with time and tools to help me get it done. about 5 months ago it began with a sketch on a scratch pad at my in-law's and today the idea has come to nearly full fruition. a bird bath will just about round it all out - and hopefully bring in more feathered friends.

"Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in where nature may heal and cheer and give strength to the body and soul."

- John Muir

firstborn

2007-06-20T11:15:00.000-07:00

this is eli.
he’s 3½ now and he loves diggers, playing in the sandbox, bob the builder, taking walks – especially by the river, cuddling with the peanut, and everything john deere. the john deere part threw me for a while but I guess when both granddads grew up on a farm, who can blame him? we’ve all received a thorough education on the tractors, implements, earth moving machines and general farming & forestry equipment that john deere has to offer. I never could have guessed that my son would be instructing me on the finer points of the Fellerbuncher and Knuckle-boom loader. as I said, everything john deere.

good things come in small packages

2007-06-19T20:09:00.000-07:00

-- 11:30pm -- 5 June 2007 --

You are coming soon. I’ve been waiting for you. We began tonight with prayer – a circle of friends around mommy. Many hands lifted you to God.
You are coming soon. I’ve been waiting. I don’t yet know you but I love you. You are coming soon. Big brother is excited.. Grandparents are excited.. Mommy is excited. You are coming and I’ve been waiting.
We love you little baby. We love you. You are coming soon.

-Papa

Curren entered the world at 11:46pm on Tuesday, June 5th. He weighed 6lbs. 6oz. He has remarkably large hands which he uses to scratch his face and he is already very accomplished at performing the startle-reflex. Did I mention that he’s super cute? Welcome little man.

blog 1.0

2007-06-18T19:10:00.000-07:00

this is where it all goes down. or doesn't go down. i guess that depends on your perspective. either way, this is the blog i never expected to take shape. but an out-of-state move can sometimes change things like that.

what to expect:

-photos of our adventures here in the great northwest and beyond. these may, at times, be accompanied by a witty caption. most likely not as Betterhalf says i'm not witty. ok, she doesn't say that. but she doesn't laugh at me much anymore and that about sums it up for me.
-the random video or two. but not too many because as we all know, the cobbler's children don't have shoes.
-simple reflections on the good life God has given.

what not to expect:

-deep thoughts...unless penned by Jack Handy
-political rants
-soap boxing

...keep in touch and all that...