It is the story of the sinking of the USS Indianapolis, as told by one of the remaining survivors. This book is such a great read! I know it's not Memorial Day, but I just needed to post about my gratitude to our armed forces, especially this generation of men who fought in WWII. There are not many of them left. Most of them are in their late 70's or 80's. Soon their voices will be gone and that just makes me sad. When this happened the majority of the men on this ship were in their late teens or early twenty's! One was just 16! He and I think it was his twin lied about their age to join the Navy. What these men and boys went through is so unbelievable! This book is written by a devote Christian who gives glory to God and His sovereignty over his life! He speaks of the Holy Spirit giving him peace as he entered the water, and that the Holy Spirit continued to speak to him throughout the 4 days in the water. I cannot recommend this book enough!
THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! for your sacrifice!
Here is a video of the last reunion of survivors. There are only 20 left!
I love daffodils and I've always wanted to try take a good picture of one. I don't know if your camera is the best for taking certain shots, so I love Picnik.com.
33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
I know the truth "Do not worry". I tell others the truth "Do not worry". I know it in my head "Do not worry", but alas here I am "worrying", fretting, thinking of the worst!
When it comes to my children, sometimes I feel so powerless (I know I'm not powerless, but I feel that way). Our oldest struggles with many issues. We think we are going along fine and helping him overcome, but so often we feel that we are getting now where. He is very anxious about performing period. If it is ever so slightly difficult for him, he backs out. We try to talk to him and feel like he doesn't listen. I pray with him and tell him to go to God when he feels this way and God will give him the strength to endure (Here is one of these things I should be listening to myself!) I WORRY! What does the future hold for him? Will he be O.K.? My husband has even said "where did we go wrong?", "where did we fail him?" I so want to trust that everything will be O.K., but we are not guaranteed that. God didn't say everything would turn out rosy, he did say "he has a plan". How do I give that speech to my children if I can't walk the walk myself? Are they seeing through the mask of my lack of faith, and is it effecting them?
Oh the thoughts that go through my head!!! Another thing that is effecting him and so many kids today is BULLYING! I just read on the news this morning a 5th grader committed suicide because of bullying! 5TH GRADE!!! How do we stop this from happening? I know that Jeremiah is bullied often, and I feel powerless (again) to help him. I have wanted to offer my services to school to monitor the halls, but Jeremiah said that would make it worst for him. Why are children today so mean?! How do you protect your children and help them through without taking the road of this 5th grader? His mother even went to the school. It didn't help!
I don't know what I'm looking for: advice, prayer, wisdom, a good kick in the pants for my lack of faith? You name it, I'll take it! Thanks for letting me vent! I have a great kid! He is really wonderful! I just wish he could see that too!
Yesterday I went with Bekah and her class to see the movie "Earth". I wanted to see it but was a little apprehensive because I didn't want it to be about evolution and how bad we humans are because we are destroying the ozone layer, and so on and so on. I have to tell you this movie moved me so. Bekah at one point looked at me and said "Mom are you crying?" I had to tell her yes, because of course I was! Anyone who says there is no God, no loving creator, is TRULY blind!
Genesis 1:1-3 (Amplified)
IN THE beginning God (prepared, formed, fashioned, and) created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and an empty waste, and darkness was upon the face of the very great deep. The Spirit of God was moving (hovering, brooding) over the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light; and there was light.
This movie shows over and over the wonder of His creation! How he made these wonderful living creatures, and how he gave then the innate sense to survive where he has placed them! AMAZING!
My favorites were these cranes that had to cross the Himalaya's (THE HIMALAYA'S people). Men and women die climbing Mt. Everest, but these birds fly over the mountain! Truly AMAZING! There was one part also where the narrator (James Earl Jones) mentions that the Earth needs light and water to survive! I thought how cool, we need the Light of Life to survive! We need the Living Water to survive! Even in their unbelief they are proclaiming our need for Christ! Can I get an AMEN!!!!!
There were so many moments of pure AWE and THANKFULNESS to my creator! I wanted to keep yelling out "THANK YOU GOD, YOU ARE GREAT! YOU ARE AWESOME! PRAISE YOU FATHER!!!"
I cannot recommend this movie enough, and if you have an IMAX nearby go see it there. I want to go back and see it in IMAX! Here is the trailer to watch!!!
Romans 1:19-21
since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.
Today I met up with Bekah's class at the mall to watch the movie "Earth" (that is another post coming). How convenient that the theatre is at the mall, AND I didn't have to ride the bus there with the kiddo's but could meet them there (can I get a woot woot from people that hate riding the big yellow monster with a bunch of excited kids!!!) So after I escort the kids to the bus I meander over to Kohl's (yes I know we're mad at Kohl's right now because of who they choose as spokes people for your girls, but hey the clearance racks call my name!!). Checking out the sales, I find a plan pair of Capri's I can wear to church and work (which just so happen to be the same place). Then lately I have been checking out the purse clearance because I want a bigger purse so I can fit my personal size Bible in it (very spiritual aren't I?!) Any woo I am a BARGAIN shopper. I will not ever pay alot of money for anything and I LOVE getting a good deal. So I was checking out the purses to see if any of them were the right color (I never buy weird colors that are for a certain time of year, it has to be an all year color). Does it have a zipper? I like zippers in purses, not snaps. Handle, handle is important. I don't like holding my purse in my hand it has be fling over the shoulder with a good size strap, not to little, not to long. Also no plastic inside, must be cloth and there needs to be a place for my cell phone! Not to much to ask right?! Well looky, looky what I found:
So here is where Mari & Cheri come in. I am again meandering mindlessly through the store and all of a sudden I hear "Hey Kim". It was Mari and I knew that one of the sisters had to be near by and sure enough Cheri was there too. They both said this purse was blogworthy, so there you have it. Oh yeah why is it blogworthy? It was regularly $55.00 and I got it for $5.50. Cheri thought it was as good a deal as she got, but I told her I thought her deal of the $7.50 carpet was a bit better! So what do you think? You can't see it well but there is also a shoulder strap, and it's leather! I am very happy with my purchase!!!!
I have been reading in Ezekiel 40-46 this last week and 1/2. Ezekiel is having a vision where a temple is being described and measure by a man with a measuring rod. Ezekiel also sees God's presence re-enter the temple after leaving it in the first couple of chapters of Ezekiel. What an awesome experience it must have been to see God's holy presence come back to His temple. It mentions this in:
Ezekiel 43:1-5
Then the man brought me to the gate facing east, and I saw the glory of the God of Israel coming from the east. His voice was like the roar of rushing waters, and the land was radiant with his glory. The vision I saw was like the vision I had seen when he came to destroy the city and like the visions I had seen by the Kebar River, and I fell face down. The glory of the LORD entered the temple through the gate facing east. Then the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court, and the glory of the LORD filled the temple.
Can you just imagine!!! What an experience!
I needed to get a visual of this temple. It is not the same temple that Solomon built, or that Nehemiah built. It is a different temple that will be constructed once Israel is back home. Here is a model someone made of the temple to scale.
This temple is yet to be built! Isn't that great! It is truly amazing!
I received this wonderful award from two of my blogging sisters: Lisa @ Extravagant Grace and Kathy @ Blessed Builder. These two ladies are such a blessing to me too! Thank you so much! I usually do the right thing and list a bunch of you wonderful ladies to give it too, but this time I just want to bless all my bloggy sisters with this award! Yes Patty that even means you!!!! My no-bloggy-anonymous blogging-can't live without at work Sista!!!
Well we have begun another 50 day journey in our Biggest Loser contest, and boy am I glad! I felt myself starting to slip and become comfortable where I am and that is not good! I still need to maintain and lose more weight. I need to make these things that I am doing habits and not get caught back up in the "old way of thinking". You know what I mean, things like: Oh these jellybeans won't hurt me, and these, and these! Or how about I can have a good size breakfast, and a small lunch; then lunch comes around and it ends up being a good size lunch too, etc... etc.... Boy I fall back into the same old routines so easy!
So this morning I am reading day two of "Spiritual secrets to Weight loss", and a new idea comes to me. This devotion is called "Jehovah-Raphe: The God who Heals you. I blogged about it before because it spoke of being a covenant keeper. I know that is what I want to be and what I wrote about a few months ago. Check the post here. But today I saw something new in this devotion! Isn't it great how God does that!
The author says that there are unconditional covenants, such as the one God made to Noah when he said he would never bring a world wide flood again, but there are also conditional covenants. They usually start with the word "if" such as in Exodus 15: 25 & 25
Then Moses cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a piece of wood. He threw it into the water, and the water became sweet. There the LORD made a decree and a law for them, and there he tested them. He said, "If you listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, who heals you."
The author says "They have stipulations that must be met by one or both parties in order for the agreement to be legitimate. When God revealed himself as Jehovah-Raphe, it was in this context. The passage makes it clear that the Israelites had to meet certain requirements in order to experience God as a healer. These conditions were the following:
Listen carefully to the Lord
Do what is right in His eyes
Pay attention to His commands
Keep all His decrees (or statutes)
The author also speaks about what you are addicted to is your idol. She says "The addict yields allegiance to a substance giving it authority to control his behavior." She also writes "WE must break the tendency of expecting God to operate on our terms and instead live by His terms. The Holy Spirit enables us to adhere to the conditions required for healing."
Here are more scriptures I have found that I believe show conditional covenants:
Exodus 19:4-6
'You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites."
Duet. 11: 7-13
Therefore, take care to follow the commands, decrees and laws I give you today. If you pay attention to these laws and are careful to follow them, then the LORD your God will keep his covenant of love with you, as he swore to your forefathers. He will love you and bless you and increase your numbers. He will bless the fruit of your womb, the crops of your land—your grain, new wine and oil—the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks in the land that he swore to your forefathers to give you.
Duet. 11:13-15
So if you faithfully obey the commands I am giving you today—to love the LORD your God and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul- then I will send rain on your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains, so that you may gather in your grain, new wine and oil. I will provide grass in the fields for your cattle, and you will eat and be satisfied.
Duet. 11: 26-28
See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse- the blessing if you obey the commands of the LORD your God that I am giving you today; the curseifyou disobey the commands of the LORD your God and turn from the way that I command you today by following other gods, which you have not known.
What this means for me is - I cannot expect God to bless me if I do not obey his commands. One of them being to take care of my temple. Anything I put into my temple that is bad, is not taking care if it. Making excuses to eat alot is not taking care of it. If I fall back into old habits and forget his promises I am doomed to fail. Again I need to remind myself that I am in this from now on. I cannot give up or give in! I must press on in God's strength, for there is the victory. I ask for prayers that this will not only be head knowledge, but that God will change my heart forever and that the battle will be won, and I won't have to fight this one any more because HE will heal me!
As of Thursday I lost another 4lbs. Don't know how that happened, but I'm happy with that. After my backsliding I am back on track and ready for the journey
Here are just a few pics from Bekah's 10th slumber party with 3 of her best friends. Honestly I couldn't handle more then 4 girls for that amount of time! Cute little girls still like to burp like crazy and make all kinds of weird noises! They had fun sleeping downstairs in a tent, and made a couple of little crafts too! Then yesterday we went to see the Hannah Montana movie! Surprisingly it was pretty good! I just hope after her major blunder early last year she is a better role model for our young girls! Parents (Billy and wife) do your job!!!!
This is the giant cookie I made instead of a cake! We had ice cream and Hot fudge with it.
These are the girls after eating the cookie!
Doing the Zip line in our back yard
Their creations. The spoted thing is supposed to be a doggie pillow and the pillowcases they got to decorate and autograph.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Lisa had this on her blog this morning. I heard about it yesterday while at work, but never watch American Idol so why would I know about England's idol! Check out this video! I dare you not to be moved!
This morning in my Bible reading I read part of chapter 44 of Ezekiel. Yep almost done with the book! It has been an awesome study! I think I'll share the highlights once I'm done, but these are the verses I read this morning:
Ezekiel 44:6-9
Say to the rebellious house of Israel, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Enough of your detestable practices, O house of Israel! In addition to all your other detestable practices, you brought foreigners uncircumcised in heart and flesh into my sanctuary, desecrating my temple while you offered me food, fat and blood, and you broke my covenant. Instead of carrying out your duty in regard to my holy things, you put others in charge of my sanctuary. This is what the Sovereign LORD says: No foreigner uncircumcised in heart and flesh is to enter my sanctuary, not even the foreigners who live among the Israelites.
When I read the part where God says "while you offered me food, fat, and blood, and broke my covenant" I stopped. What did he mean by that? The sacrifices? Isn't that what he called the people to do? Yes that is exactly what he called His people to do, but he didn't want the food, fat and blood - He wanted them! He wanted their devotion! He wanted their hearts! He wanted communion with them, not empty ritual! Instead the Israelites thought so little of God, so little of His covenants, so little of all the things he had and continued to do for them that they brought foreigners into his sanctuary, desecrating His temple! Instead of carrying out their God given duties and responsibilities, they thought so little of God's ways that they had other people do it! People who were not even God's chosen people! Foreigners who were uncircumcised in heart and flesh were allow to enter His sanctuary!
WOW! That blew me away! It made me think "do I just practice empty rituals for God? Is all I do just food, fat and blood, while I break His covenants?! God doesn't want me to do anything just because it needs to be done, or it's the way we've always done it! He wants me! He wants you! He wants your heart and soul to be dedicated to him because you love Him and want sweet communion with him! Are we today like the Israelites of old, where we put so little stock in our relationship with him that we allow others to do what we should be doing? Do we think so little of God's laws and covenants (that he still is keeping today) that we would allow his temple to be desecrated?
God wants so much more for us! He had so much more planned for His chosen people too, but Praise be to God because of their sin and rebellion we were grafted in! We do not want to become like them though. Let's be real and worship God for real! Let's stop practicing Lip service to day, and offer God the best - OUR LIVES!
Matthew 15: 8 & 9
'These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
They worship me in vain;
their teachings are but rules taught by men.
.1 John 3:18-20
Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything
**I feel like before I begin this Post I need to add a disclaimer, like at the beginning of Law & Order. - No specific situation or person is the reason or main topic of this post. It is a composite of situations from my life**
Presume - to undertake without leave or clear justification
2 : to expect or assume especially with confidence
3 : to suppose to be true without proof
4 : to take for granted
Presumption - 2 a: an attitude or belief dictated by probability
b: the ground, reason, or evidence lending probability to a belief
3: a legal inference as to the existence or truth of a fact not certainly known that is drawn from the known or proved existence of some other fact
Do any of you presume things that you don't know are true? You belief them to be true based on feelings or emotions, but you do not have any hard evidence to support your theory, only feelings. I have to admit I have and do this alot, and lately God has been convicting me of what I should do about it. This happens in may different relationships; whether in your own home, say with your spouse, or extended family or in your church family, etc....
Scripture tells us to love one another, to forgive one another. It says this in
Colossians 3: 12-14:
Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
So why is it that we do not go to each other with things that we may think, but are not sure is true? Isn't this where alot of issues become bigger then they really are? People are hurt by misunderstandings that were never fully investigated. Friendships are lost! Siblings never speak! Opportunities missed! All because we are afraid of that initial confrontation seeking truth! Isn't that what we should be searching for: TRUTH!
1 John 3:18-19
Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence
I love these verses in Proverbs:
Proverbs 12:16-18
A fool shows his annoyance at once,
but a prudent man overlooks an insult. A truthful witness gives honest testimony,
but a false witness tells lies. Reckless words pierce like a sword,
but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
and in 1 Corninthians 1:8-10
He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful. I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.
Where am I going with all this? I'm trying to understand what my role is in reconciliation. Whether perceived or real! I need to use the power of the risen Christ that is within me to restore broken relationships! Maybe they're not even broken at all, but there is some misunderstanding that is keeping a wall up between me and someone! I don't want walls! I know that! Whether with my husband or with anyone else! So God is challenging me to be a restorer of my relationships, not anyone elses! I need to practice Matthew 18 and go to the person who I have offended or I feel has offended me. Hard, OH YEAH! This so does not come naturally for me! I am an avoider to the inth degree! But again I want to be obedient. If God is calling me into the hard task of lovingly asking the question, then I must do it!
Proverbs 15:4
The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life,
but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.
I pray that my tongue will always bring healing to whomever I am in relationship with!
This day 10 years ago a little ray of sunshine was born into our family! This little chick is her father in a girl's body! Her daddy always said "give her a stick and a box and she's happy!" That is so true! Bekah is willing to give just about anything a try "except for food of course". She doesn't give up and has a wonderful attitude (most of the time) when she doesn't do as well as she expected! She loves Jesus, dogs and stuffed animals! When she grows up she wants to be a veterinarian. She has a heart for service, and desires to go on a missions trip, which we are praying about! I thank God for my sweet little Pippa!!!!
lens - something that facilitates and influences perception, comprehension, or evaluation
reflection - consideration of some subject matter, idea, or purpose
Looking at oneself through the lens of God is a hard thing to do! Necessary, but oh so hard!! This is where I am and have been the lasts couple of weeks! God is showing me just what my heart really looks like, and it's not pretty!
Luke 16: 14 & 15
The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. He said to them, "You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God's sight.
It all started a couple of weeks ago. There has been so much going on lately that are so outside of my control, and that tends to put me in a state of upheaval. We are, like most people in Michigan and the US have had to make many adjustments, and will continue to have to do so as Steve's job is just not stable. At home there are many stresses mostly involving pre-teen angst, and just the stress of raising a family to love and honor God. Work (which is where I worship) has it's own set of stresses. I have felt that in every facet of my life I am at a stand still! This has caused ugliness to come up and out of me, that have surprised me and have also given me pause, as I see that I am not as far along in my journey of sanctification as I desire to be.
Just a couple of Sunday's ago I was up at 3:30am, got my Bible and laid down on the couch. Discussing with the Lord how frustrated I was with everything! This is what I said "I am going to flip open my Bible and read where it flips too, and I want to be spoken too!!!" (BTW - I am so glad he allows that without lightning striking us - CAN I GET AN AMEN TO THAT!!!!) So where does my Bible flip too? Romans 2. If your not familiar with Romans 2, this is how it starts:
You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. 2Now we know that God's judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. 3So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment? 4Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance? 5But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed.
O.K. then, that was certainly not meant for me, right?!!!! Ah yea, it was! Of course at the time I was pretty upset he brought me there, but later on that morning I realized that is exactly where I needed to be taken. I really have an issue here, that needs the refiners fire!
He has also shown me since then my selfishness. Last week our Pastor asked: "what are you willing to die for?", and he also mentioned that the dieing is not just physical death, but ARE YOU WILLING TO DIE TO SELF? O.K. there's #2! I am selfish! So often this past week that has come to mind - you are not willing to die to self are you! You want what you want, when you want it, and don't ask me to sacrifice! (I told you people this isn't pretty - now you see!)
So you see God is currently peeling away my layers (just like the video above is talking about). It is most definately not a pretty process, but I submit to his control (again) because I so want to be like Him! I so want to be used by Him! I confess this today to you to ask for prayers that just like in Ezekiel - God will change my heart of stone to a heart of flesh! Some of the verses I will be memorizing this year are these:
Hebrews 13: 5 & 6
Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?
Now I know these verses discuss the "love of money", and this is about so much more then that. It's the word Content that I focused on! Be Content! Don't worry! Why? Because God will never leave me or forsake me! He is my helper! I will not be afraid! What can man do to me?!!
This is my first time here at fPhoto Friday. I love to take pictures and would love to learn more about taking them. Every once in awhile I get a picture that I really like. This is one from our trip to California this year.
I used to work at our area's township offices. In my role there I proofread the monthly "Seniors" Newsletter. When I quit to start my position at church I asked if I could be kept on the mailing list because I enjoy the newsletter so much. Who knows I even might sign up for one of their trips! Anyway this morning I was reading it came upon this article:
The Story of Laminin
Laminins are a family of proteins that are vital to making sure overall body structures hold together. They are cell adhesion molecules. They are what holds one cell of our body to the next cell. Pictured above is what Laminin looks like. The glue that holds us together is in the shape of the cross.
Look what it says in Colossians 1:15-17. "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created; things in Heaven and Earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him ALL THINGS HOLD TOGETHER."
Isn't it amazing that a few thousand years before the world knew anything about Laminin, Paul wrote those words. We can see from a very literal standpoint that we are held together one cell to another by the cross.
Isn't it amazing that our Creator knew exactly what Laminin would look like long before Adam even breathed his first breath!
Psalm 139:13 & 14
For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
(The above is from an excerpt from a sermon by Louie Giglio)
I want to take this a little farther yet. I was amazed at the wonderful truth that is written above, but I also thought of the body of Christ (the Church, His Church). What does scripture say about that?:
1 Corinthians 12: 12 & 13
The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.
Ephesians 4:11-13
It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
So not only is our physical body held together by a family of proteins in the shape of a cross, but the church itself is held together by Christ and what he did on a cross!
I've heard this song before, but never really listened to it until this morning. I have a good friend that is always saying "remember who you are"! So this morning this song is dedicated to Amy for her constant reminder to me of "who I am in Christ"! Thanks Amy!
These are the girls after eating the cookie!
Check out the other awesome pictures at 
