The Nonexistent Blog: June 2009

Friday, June 19, 2009

Can we really fathom it?

Psalm 136

¹Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
²Give thanks to the God of gods,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
³Give thanks to the Lord of lords,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
⁴To Him who alone does great wonders,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting;
⁵To Him who made the heavens with skill,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting;
⁶To Him who spread out the earth above the waters,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting;
⁷To Him who made the great lights,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting:
⁸The sun to rule by day,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting,
⁹The moon and stars to rule by night,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
¹⁰To Him who smote the Egyptians in their firstborn,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting,
¹¹And brought Israel out from their midst,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting,
¹²With a strong hand and an outstretched arm,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
¹³To Him who divided the Red Sea asunder,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting,
¹⁴And made Israel pass through the midst of it,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting;
¹⁵But He overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
¹⁶To Him who led His people through the wilderness,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting;
¹⁷To Him who smote great kings,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting,
¹⁸And slew mighty kings,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting:
¹⁹Sihon, king of the Amorites,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting,
²⁰And Og, king of Bashan,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting,
²¹And gave their land as a heritage,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting,
²²Even a heritage to Israel His servant,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
²³Who remembered us in our low estate,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting,
²⁴And has rescued us from our adversaries,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting;
²⁵Who gives food to all flesh,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
²⁶Give thanks to the God of heaven,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

Eternity is an unfathomable concept for me. No matter how hard I try I can't wrap my brain around the idea...it just doesn't work. To go on forever doesn't make sense to me...I can sort of understand not ending...but always just being...and yet God's lovingkindness is eternal. How great it must be, and yet I still cannot truly value it because it doesn't make sense to me. How He must love me though, as messed up as I am, to be that tender and gracious to me!

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

After the serious post...

I decided to add some fun pictures of the Eagle Scout!

Yep, there are the Eagles...they make some of the wackiest faces!

Stifling a grin?

He can't beat me up! lol, actually he says I beat up on him :D

Somehow we all managed to look weird in this picture

Terror at the thought of losing his hat. (it was just taken away for the sake of the pictures)

Hmm...that looks mischievous and dangerous

and now, handsome, intelligent, courageous, diligent, humble, godly, loyal and cheerful...
my wonderful brothers!

him of whom I am so proud...

my wonderful, godly, humble, diligent, gentlemanly, gracious (and more, much much more!) brother Gregory! The Sunday after my graduation we celebrated his Boy Scout Eagle Court of Honor. Greg actually got his eagle at fourteen (I think, or maybe just after he turned 15) but was unable to celebrate until now. He has worked very, very hard to achieve this rank. Only about2% of Boy Scouts ever attain the Eagle rank! That's pretty small. Also the NESA (National Eagle Scout Association) is the only mens organization in the U.S. in which one has to have done something while a boy to be a member. So anyway, I want to post pictures of his wonderful and very memorable occasion!! :D (partly an inside joke that)

Master of Ceremonies, Mr. McBride and Assistant Scout Master, Mr. Silvey

Pledge of allegiance

Scout Oath and Law

The five Eagle Scouts at the court of honor (Matt Reinkemeyer, Pastor Bowen, Luke Storer, Robert and Grandean)

They received the honor of escorting Greg to his chair

Lighting the candles for each of the points of the scout law, along with Scripture verses for each.

Robert, older brother and Eagle Scout, gave the Eagle Charge

and delivered the Eagle Promise to Greg, once Greg had made this promise he became an Eagle Scout.

The brothers and Eagles

Greg now gives receives his certificate, medal, etc.

Mom pins on his medal

and receives her Eagle Mom pin

Dad gave him his certificate and received his pin as well. (I don't remember which one gave him his patch... (which, btw, was on the next day! That's the one badge that scouts don't dally about putting on their shirts!)

His Eagle medal

Mentor Pin goes to Mr. Stan Inman! He was shocked and so blessed!

Mr. McBride and Greg

Talking to Greg

No, they weren't straight-faced the whole time. Far from it!

Eagle Scout's remarks...he made a comment which had Dad absolutely rolling with laughter!

Brendan from the color guard preparing to retire colors

This picture is so cool...Mr. Schnell, Mr. McBride and Mr. Silvery saluting the American flag.

I honestly don't deserve the blessings the Lord has given me through my family, but I really don't deserve this brother. He and I have had our problems through the years, some of which came to violence (ask about that later), and we've had a lot of struggles in our relationship. But he and I have both grown in the Lord and I can honestly say that Gregory is a man now, and I'm excited to see what the Lord is going to do with him.
Congratulations Eagle Scout! I love you bro!

Monday, June 15, 2009

Because of the event I wanted family photos...

and I love to show off my wonderful family! So here are some of the pictures and I wanted to share them with you.
(Oh, btw, if anyone would like to read my comments or anything just leave me a comment and let me know. I don't think they're a big deal, but some people might want to read them.)