Part of the Rambeck Clan

Ethan getting a hair cut

Go Grandma

Pretty in pink

The girls !

Bloomington

We were in Bloomington today and we had to stop by Gene's for their famous Turtle Bar. I had a slushie. They are a seasonal ice cream stand that Caren visited while growing up and today was the last day of this season. Yum!

Ice Cream!

NOAH!

This handsome guy is my nephew Noah.

Illinois

This is me and my niece Ashley, and Ashley's kitten who hasn't recieved a name yet. Anyone have any ideas what he should be called?

Hop on pop

Illinois

We made it to beautiful Illinois country yesterday evening. I'm super excited to be here. My niece Ashley is getting so big and it's wonderful to finally meet my nephew Noah. I'm already taking plenty of pictures. The ones on the blog will be from my phone. We've just been relaxing this afternoon and are about to have some fried chicken for lunch. Yum!

Arn't they cute!

"Give 'Em Watts, Boys!"

Another minister-leader in the Revolution was the Reverend James Caldwell. His church, the First Presbyterian Church of Elizabethtown, New Jersey, counted among its members such noted men as William Livingston, the governor of the state; Elias Boudinot, Commissary General of Prisons and President of the Congress; Abraham Clark, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence; and more than forty commissioned officers of the Continental Army. In 1776 Caldwell was named chaplin of the regiment that was largely composed of members of his church. Later he became Assistant Commissary General.
Known among the troops as the "Soldier Parson," Caldwell was a zealous proponent of the partiots' cause. During one particular battle, near a battered Presbyterian church, the Americans had run out of wadding for their guns-a problem just as serious as having no ammunition. Rev. Caldwell recognized the perfect solution; he ran inside the church and returned with a stack of Watts' Psalms and Hymns-one of the strongest doctrinal hymnals of the Christian faith. (Isaac Watts authored hymns like "O God Our Help in Ages Past," "Joy to the World," "Jesus Shall Reign," and other classic hymns.) Distributing the Watts hymnals among the soldiers served two purposes: First, its pages would provide the needed wadding; second, it carried a symbolic message. In fact, Rev. Caldwell took that hymn book-the source of great doctrine and spiritual truth-raised it up in the air, and shouted to the Americans, "Give 'em Watts, boys!", the famous cry that inspired a painting of the same title.

[pulled from the book "Under God"]

Happy Birthdate

Yea!! It's my birthdate!

Travel time.

After six and a half hours travelling time, we've made it back to Portland. Cherm and I will drive back in the morning.

Guess who Cherm's talking to?

Soup time!

Fun

Fun at the park

A day at the beach!

The set up.

Wowser! What a day! An amazing day. The wedding was so beautiful and everyone had a great time. Cherm did a crazy fabulous job being the wedding cordinator!

Neon

Here's our cute little number that Wes at Enterprise was so lovely to let us borrow.

At the airport!

Phase One

So much for leaving at 11.

NYI

I just finished lesson one of my photography course. High five!

HAPPINESS

Happiness is as a butterfly, which, when pursued, is always beyond our grasp, but which, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you.

-Hawthorne

Leaves of Gold

Enthusiasm is reason gone mad to achieve a definite, rational objective.

Enthusiasm is inflamed by opposition, but never converted; it is the leaping lighting that blasts obstacles from its path.

Enthusiasm is the X-ray of the soul, that penetrates and reveals the invisible.

Enthusiasm is a contagion that laughs at quarantine and inoculates all who come in contact with it.

Enthusiasm is the vibrant thrill in your voice that sways the wills of others into harmony with your own.

Enthusiasm is the "philosopher's stone" that transmutes dull tasks into delightful deeds.

Enthusiasm is a magnet that draws kindred souls with irresistible force and electrifies them with the magnetism of its own resolves.

-Presbyterian of the South.

Unexpected turbulence.

I guess I've been pretty distracted with life lately. The last week or so has taken me by surprize. It's amazing how God can put so much joy in your life and how quickly the devil will try to steal it. I can't seem to be able to organize any complete thoughts right now. When my head quits spinning, perhaps I'll be able to scribble something more tangable.

Quote

"The same God who is in us... also is all about us-inside, the spirit; outside, the Word, and the two are ever trying to meet in us."

-George MacDonald

View from Alki Beach.

Later in the night, we all went up to Alki Beach for the fireworks show. It was really busy so getting around wasn't very easy. We met up with a group from Blue Sky Church. Such nice people! The fireworks weren't all that spectacular, mostly because we were so far away. It was still a great night!

Taking a swim break.

Adrian was there too and she and Zachary had a great time playing in the pool!

Pool party!

On the fourth, after working all morning into the afternoon, I went to a pool party with the Miller's for a few hours. The boys really liked the water.

July 4th

Happy Indepence Day! Show your American Pride!

Farewell.

God Bless you Millers! You have served Lighthouse well! You will be missed!

Food for the road!

On the way home the next day, we grabbed some Arby's! We need fuel, too!

I had a great time chatting with Amy on the way back to Puyallup. She's a great converstionalist.

Salt water taffy!

Once in Canon Beach, Amy showed us all the favorites, including Bruce's Candy Kitchen where you get the best salt water taffy. It was SO good.

Haystack Rock.

This was my first time EVER in Canon Beach! It was too cold for my taste! Still very fun! Here's the famous haystack rock from Goonies!

So cool!

I sat with Amy in the back on the way to the Beach! My friends are so cool!

A really big tree!

Today, I went to Canon Beach with Amy and her friends, Ryan & Natalie. We stopped to see the largest tree of it's kind (don't ask me what kind) in the U.S.

Bernard.

This is Bernard. I met him at Amy's house.

Planes, trains, and .... more trains!

Here's a shot I took from the train last night. This is in Tacoma, isn't it beautiful. I went down to see my friend Amy in Portland. We're driving back together on friday. I don't get to spend much time with her since she moved, so I'm glad to finally get to visit.

Come thou fount

Jesus sought me when a stranger / wandering from the throne of God / He to rescue me from danger / interposed His precious blood

Friends and Family

A song for Cheramie!

The man of steel!

Everyone needs a hero, right? :)

Encouraging words.

"There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off." Prov. 23:18 NIV

It's about time.

Was time created or has it always been?

Time is, in it’s simplest form, a measuring unit. It is used to measure duration.

Can a unit of measurement be created?

For example, the yard. A man can create the yardstick. A tool which is used to measure the yard. But does that mean the yard was created at the same time as the yardstick, or had it been there all along?

You cannot ever take away length, width, nor height from an object. Neither can you remove it’s time. Those units have always been and will always be. You can’t change them. The object can change yes, but length, width, and height will not. An inch will always be an inch, whether you can measure it or not.

Was time non-existent before the sun dial? Of course not, that would be absurd. It has always been.

What happens when we apply this logic to the God of the universe?

Video

My new camera has really come in handy, check out this video of the hike.

Mountain Man.

Here's James, my talented guide. He probably could've made it up and back in half the time we took. But he was very patient! What a guy!

On top of the world!

Yup, that's me. You can see Mt. Rainer in the background. Doesn't James take nice pictures?

Mount Si

This morning I arose early and went up Mount Si with a friend. What an awesome time! I loved it! I hadn't been hiking in a while and it was so nice to get out there.

Yakima?

By a show of hands, how many think I should work with a photography studio in yakima for a year?

moBlog: yum!

I had some red vines while organizing my room.

Guitar blues.

Well, I finally did it. I broke a guitar string. Last night I was doing a little strummin'. Trying to record some tunes. I broke a string when i tried to tighten it. Oops! They are old strings. However, I don't have extra strings. As you can tell I'm not a professional by any meaning of the word. Just a hobbist, if even that. I enjoy making a little music now and then. I also fiddle with the harmonica. I always carry that one around so I always have music in my life. I'll have to ask my friend Mike to take me strings shoppin'. He'll love it!

Movie quote time!

Can you guess which 1971 classic family film this quote comes from?

"A little non-sense now and then is relished by the wisest men."

Don't you love storms?

There's a fun storm coming this way. I made a quick video for you.

moBlog: A beautiful day in the ...

A day only the Lord could make. It's the last day of spring, but I'm sure there will be plenty of rain still. I could use a new season in my life. I feel restless for something more. Everything seems so meaningless right now. Still, I will press on. I will trust in my God.

Just the girls.

Tonight I went with Candice to the Spaghetti Factory in Tacoma to celebrate her birthday (it's on monday) with all her friends. We had a party of about 20. It was great fun. I didn't really know anyone other than her parents and her boyfriend, so it was nice to get to know her other friends. Happy Birthday Candice!

My favorite flower!

Check out this picture I took with my new camera!

YMCA

I had a great time at the gym today with my friends Zachary, Nathan, and Suzanne. Thanks for letting me come along!

moBlog: Friends!

The Lord never ceases to amaze me with the relationships He's blessed me with.

moBlog: Tozer

What a thought. How easily we can be overcome with the pursuit of knowing God, and yet fail in all our searching because we have not love.

Just when things get good.

My sweet friend Cheramie, who I could never imagine life without, is leaving Wednesday for Korea and will be gone for 27 days! I know she was gone for 6 months recently and I was a mess for a while, but I think this will be a bit more trying. There's new and exciting things happening in both our lives and it's hard to think we might miss something. I know in a month it will seem so short, but I have to deal with today, not next month. Perhaps I'll just put my life on hold until she returns. I'll focus on perfecting the smoothie and catch up on my scrapbook. Thank the Good Lord for email and instant messenger! And I thank Him for the amazing friends He has placed in my life. Without their support, I'd be hopeless!

moblog: Chapman Trail

On the trail with mom and mini!

moblog: Old Friends

I went to some graduation parties this weekend and got to see many old friends. Don't you love this time of year?

Grand opening!

Welcome to my new home! I hope you like it here. I do. Things are a little easier to manage. I predict many wonderful posts and exciting happenings. I also predict some very random moments that won't be easily explainable. There's a bit of a sadness in my heart for the old "a.m. ink" blog, but life must go on. Out with the old and in with the new! This is the year of change! For those of you wondering, 'Scrivere' is Italian for 'write'. I became a little attached to the Italian language while on vacation there. I guess there's not much more to say than that! Here's to new ventures!

To the Church of the Laodiceans

To the Church of the Laodiceans
[Sermon Excerpt by George MacDonald]

The Christian life is a constant fighting.... You think Jesus Christ came to save you from any suffering and to do you good. He came to save you from your sins, and until you are saved from them He will step between you and no suffering. "As many as I love I rebuke and chasten. Be zealous, therefore, and repent." Rev. 3:19

What does repent mean? To weep that you have done something wrong? No; that is all very well, but that is not repentance. Is repentance to be vexed with your self that you have fallen away from your own ideal...? No; this is not repentance. What is repentance? Turning your back upon the evil thing; pressing on to lay hold of that for which Christ laid hold upon you. To repent is to think better of it, to turn away from the evil. No man is ever condemned for the wicked things that he has done; he is because he won't leave them...

The Son of the Father-the Eternal Son, with my heart and soul I believe, Who was ever and always with the Father; we cannot understand these things, but we get a little nearer to the profoundest truth of the Universe when we know something of the relation of the Son to the Father, for upon that the whole universe hangs-I say, the Eternal Son of the Father speaks of Himself as a suppliant at our door. "Behold, I stand at the door and knock."... Do you hear Him knocking at your hearts? He wants to get in. What do I mean by that figure? Well, I mean this, that He want to get to your inner house, your consciousness, your life, and to clean it out for you, and to turn out that self that you are always -to turn it out, and put the Eternal Father in its place.... It is His Father that He want to see ruling there. He is to be one with us in a way that there is no power in our hearts to understand the closeness of it, no figure in our language to say how close it is, for except you know how close the relation of Jesus Christ to the Father you cannot know how close the relation of every child of God, every creature that He has made, is to his Father, his origin...

When you are unhappy, restless, dissatisfied, do not know what to do with yourself, is is just because you have not Christ as your friend. To know God by knowing Christ, that is salvation, that is redemption, and nothing else is.

AAHHHHH!

As you can see, things are still a little crazy right now.