The Patterson Family

The Sigh of Relief

2010-02-14T00:34:00.002-05:00

Ahhhh. That's the sound of two people who are finally getting to rest a little more - physically and mentally. The reason for this sigh of relief is that Robert finally gets to rest from 5.5 years of non-stop school (8 total, since high school). The last 2.5 years, he has been in aviation maintenance school and those have been the most gruelling.

I feel like jumping up and down. Yahooo! I finally get the privilege to eat dinner with my husband on a week night. We can invite friends/couples over to our home more often, because we have about 27 more hours per week to hang out! Lastly, I get to be wide awake when he comes home in the evening (and I don't have to wait until 10pm just to kiss him).

I am in my final semester of the MATS lay leadership degree at Southern Seminary. For the final class, Robert and I are attending Marriage and Family Enrichment together. The Cutrers are fantastic teachers (and hilarious as well).

Hopefully, our additional time, energy, and brain power can be put toward loving our friends and family more thoroughly. If you've felt a little ignored, please, please let us make it up to you. Phone, email, Tweet, or Facebook us. Let's reconnect!

(Note: Blogging was not on the list. Still working on being a consistent blogger, but anything's possible...)

It's like the 7th day of creation. Rest is also very good. :)

Revisiting US Air Flight 1549

2009-11-13T11:25:00.000-05:00

MAF Featured on "All Over the World" TV Program

2009-03-01T22:42:00.000-05:00

Katie Couric Interviews the Pilot and Crew of US Airways Flight 1549

2009-02-07T17:43:00.002-05:00

**Updated to embed video of the actual interview, which aired on Sunday, Feb. 8th**

Recording of communication between the pilot of United Airlines Flight 1549 and Air Traffic Control

2009-02-06T12:10:00.002-05:00

A Winter Sentiment

2009-02-04T22:41:00.001-05:00

First Impact Footage -- US Airways Flight 1549 Hudson River Crash

2009-01-19T16:16:00.000-05:00

Vintage Flight Training Promotional Film

2009-01-19T16:05:00.000-05:00

Update from Mission Aviation Fellowship

2009-01-19T12:28:00.001-05:00

January 19, 2009

Dear MAF Supporter,

Every MAF staff member, pilot, mechanic, and family member gives thanks for you ... especially for your prayer intercession.

While MAF may minister through aviation, communications, and learning technologies, none of these vital ministries would be possible without constant prayer support.

That's why I want to pass on some important prayer requests to you. Would you print this email message and place it in your Bible for your daily quiet time with the Lord? Then during January and February, bring these requests before the Throne of Grace. Thank you.

Please pray for ...

5,000 expected medical flights during 2009, including emergency air ambulance service to jungle villages and isolated missionaries who otherwise wouldn't have access to medical care. Pray for their safety, good weather, and timely transport at their critical moments of need.
the establishment of a Flying Doctor Service in northern Mozambique. This effort has been long in coming. It appears that all is in place to soon provide hope and medical care among one million isolated people.
wisdom for the MAF leadership as the ministry faces increasing demands for MAF services. It's essential for MAF to rely on the Holy Spirit for direction.
safety, always. Flying small aircraft for many hours over trackless jungles, mountains and deserts does pose some risks. While MAF has an excellent safety record, safety is of the Lord. Ask that every MAF plane and pilot remain safe, operating and ministering with peak efficiency.
the historic MAF Kalimantan flight program. (You may recently have read my letter that recounted the amazing ground trek of two courageous MAF pilots in Kalimantan. They wanted to experience the challenges of terrain faced by missionaries and nationals every day in this rugged country.) Pray especially for fuel availability in Kalimantan, as aviation gasoline (avgas) remains in critically short supply and is very expensive. Also pray that many who received my letter will accept the invitation to become monthly partners with MAF. If you'd like to join in this way, please visit www.maf.org/donate.
hundreds of MAF staff and family members serving in dangerous and sensitive regions. Ask the Lord to provide them with many opportunities to demonstrate the love of Christ. Pray that thousands of hearts, in areas where traditional missionaries cannot serve, will be touched and transformed through the power of God's love.
these challenging financial times. Many MAF partners are experiencing loss of income or jobs. Ask the Lord to bring them His caring comfort, especially to those who strive to remain faithful in their support of God's Kingdom work.

"May the LORD reward your work, and your wages be full from the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to seek refuge." (Ruth 2:12 NASB)

A special opportunity to pray for MAF ...

We invite you to sign up for the MAF Prayer RSS Feed. It's simple and easy. You'll automatically receive prayer requests the moment they are published, right at your computer. You can subscribe or unsubscribe at any time.

Thanks for being part of the MAF family,

John C. Boyd,
President and CEO
MAF, U.S.A.

Who ever said you need arms to fly a plane?

2008-12-27T15:04:00.004-05:00

The Bad News of Santa Claus vs. The Good News of Jesus

2008-12-27T12:06:00.001-05:00

Highlights from the field of Missionary Aviation

2008-12-15T20:33:00.000-05:00

Giving Thanks

2008-11-22T15:21:00.002-05:00

By Jennifer James

It was Thanksgiving, and for the first time our whole family was together. Mom and Dad had to drive all night just to get here, but boy was it worth it! The Grandsters really know how to do it up right. The Grandsters being Grandpa and Grandma. We were all seated at the table, and I couldn't wait to dive into those mashed potatoes and gravy. And the smell of the turkey -- I thought I was going to faint with happiness.

"What's that, Mindy?" demanded my little cousin Sam. He can be such a pain. He is 8 years old, two years younger than I am.

"What's what?" I asked.

He pointed to a little paper cup containing just three kernels of corn beside Grandpa's plate. I opened my mouth to answer and then realized I didn't know. Ugh! How I hate admitting that I don't know something!

Grandma answered, "It is to pay tribute to the Pilgrims."

"But why three kernels?" asked the always curious Sam. Give it a rest, I thought.

Grandpa answered, "It reminds me of what a tough time the Pilgrims had. In the beginning, three kernels of corn was each person's daily food ration." The table got real quiet after he said that.

Grandpa continued, "Against all odds, they made a life for themselves in the wilderness. Let's talk more about it after dinner."

Sure enough, dinner was over and Sam wanted to know more.

" Squanto taught the Pilgrims to grow corn!" Sam exclaimed. He's never going to forget that -- he played Squanto in the Thanksgiving Day play at school.

"That's right," Grandpa said. "But at first the Pilgrims were terrified of the Indians, as they called them. Then one day a tribesman named Samoset ventured into their encampment. He was tall and dark and by many accounts quite handsome. Loudly and plainly he proclaimed, 'Welcome!' in perfect English."

"The Pilgrims must have freaked!" shouted Sam.

Grandpa laughed and agreed. "I'm sure you're right. He had learned the language from English fishermen. For the Pilgrims, life was a constant battle for survival. Later, Governor William Bradford made a decision. Instead of the colonists sharing their crops equally, he assigned a parcel of land to each family and told them they could keep whatever they produced for themselves."

"Then what happened?" asked Sam.

"At last the Pilgrims began to prosper. Governor William Bradford wrote in his book 'Of Plimoth Plantation,' 'This had very good success, for it made all hands industrious, so as much more corn was planted than otherwise would have been.' "

"Shoot! If you can keep everything you make, of course you're going to work harder. Everybody knows that."

Grandpa answered, "The first seed had been planted for the American Revolution. People were free to practice their religions as they saw fit and were free to keep the fruits of their labor. This had never happened before in the history of mankind. In the words of William Bradford, 'As one small candle may light a thousand, so the light here kindled hath shone unto many, yea in some sort to our whole nation.' "

"That William Bradford sounds like a pretty cool guy," said Sam.

"He was a pretty cool guy," Grandpa said with a chuckle.

Video of John McCain as a prisoner of war

2008-10-23T10:08:00.002-04:00

Sanctifi-kitty

2008-10-17T00:41:00.001-04:00

You're Not Alone

2008-10-14T00:10:00.003-04:00

A screaming man falls to his knees
His broken heart, inflicts the pain
He's withdrawn, no one knows his name
One mistake, now he's lost in shame

Amidst the pain, you're not alone
Though you can't see through the haze
His eyes of love are staring down
And He feels your troubled heart

Yes it's true, that someone cares
Your perfect friend, never leaving you
Strength is gone and you're feeling cold
You will know the truth that He told

Amidst the pain, you're not alone
Though you can't see through the haze
His eyes of love are staring down
And He feels your troubled heart

By Your grace You repair the broken pieces within
Somehow You take a man and make something more out of him

Amidst the pain, you're not alone
Though you can't see through the haze
His eyes of love are staring down
And He feels your troubled heart

Lyrics by Kutless from the song "Troubled Heart"

Funny Cartoon

2008-10-09T23:44:00.001-04:00

Windows Vista and the "Mojave Experiment"

2008-07-29T23:10:00.004-04:00

As someone who works in the information technology field, I found this website about Microsoft's "Mojave Experiment" to be very fascinating. Over the past year, I have heard and witnessed an immense amount of misinformation about the Windows Vista operating system. Despite all the anti-hype, I migrated our entire corporate network to Windows Vista (SP1) and we have had nothing but success. The users love it! So, if you fear that you've fallen prey to the anti-Vista media campaign, check out this website and decide for yourself.

The Mojave Experiment

A Childhood Dream Fulfilled

2008-07-25T23:59:00.003-04:00

Funny Cartoon

2008-07-22T11:46:00.001-04:00

Legos!

2008-07-21T12:36:00.000-04:00

Do you deserve your high school diploma?

2008-05-21T12:35:00.002-04:00

You paid attention during 86% of high school!

85-100% You must be an autodidact, because American high schools don't get scores that high! Good show, old chap!

Do you deserve your high school diploma?
Create a Quiz

Union University Tornado

2008-02-07T00:06:00.000-05:00

Friends,
On Tuesday a horrific tornado hit Union University in Jackson, TN, damaging 80% of the dorms and many other buildings. I lived on-campus (in the Jelks and Patton dorms) from 2000-2002, and seeing the damage done to the campus is surreal and heart-wrenching. Robert said, "When you look at these pictures, you realize it was just a miracle that no one died." Some people were badly hurt, but no one had a life-threatening injury. Please pray for the students and administrators as they lead teams to remove debris and eventually rebuild. One particular group of students who could use your prayers are the numerous missionary kids and internationals. Please pray for God to provide for their immediate needs and to comfort them despite long distances from their families.

- Jennifer

I am full of earth and dirt and You

2008-01-26T13:06:00.000-05:00

I recently fell in love with a song by David Crowder. I had often heard this song on the radio, but never fully listened to the words. This week, I was struck by the poetic nature through which Crowder describes the vast difference between the essence of God (Holy) and the essence of man (sinful) . . .

Wholly Yours
(The David Crowder Band)

I am full of earth
You are heaven’s worth
I am stained with dirt, prone to depravity
You are everything that is bright and clean
The antonym of me
You are divinity
But a certain sign of grace is this
From a broken earth flowers come up
Pushing through the dirt

You are holy, holy, holy
All heaven cries “Holy, holy God”
You are holy, holy, holy
I wanna be holy like You are

You are everything that is bright and clean
And You’re covering me with Your majesty
And the truest sign of grace was this
From wounded hands redemption fell down
Liberating man

You are holy, holy, holy
All heaven cries “Holy, holy God”
You are holy, holy, holy
I want to be holy like You are

But the harder I try the more clearly can I feel
The depth of our fall and the weight of it all
And so this might could be the most impossible thing
Your grandness in me making me clean

Glory, hallelujah
Glory, glory, hallelujah
You are holy, holy, holy
All heaven cries “Holy, holy God”
You are holy, holy, holy
I want to be holy, holy God

So here I am, all of me
Finally everything
Wholly, wholly, wholly
I am wholly, wholly, wholly
I am wholly, wholly, wholly Yours

I am wholly Yours

I am full of earth and dirt and You

Iraq: A New Perspective

2008-01-12T11:14:00.000-05:00

As I have been listening to the rhetoric of the candidates running for President in 2008, the War in Iraq and the greater War on Terror have been a frequent topic of debate. And the opinions are varied!

In Oct. 2002, Barack Obama (D), Illinois, said the following in a speech to his state legislature: "I know that invasion of Iraq without a clear rationale and without strong international support will only fan the flames of the Middle East and encourage the worst rather than best impulses in the Arab world and strengthen the recruitment arm of al Qaeda. I am not opposed to all wars, I am opposed to dumb wars."

Of a completely opposite opinion, Mike Huckabee (R), Arkansas, responded in an interview in this fashion: "We need to understand that this is, in fact, World War III. Unlike any other world war we've ever fought, this one is one we cannot afford to lose."

On one side of the aisle, the War in Iraq is "dumb". Just 12 feet away, on the other side of the aisle, the War in Iraq is "One we cannot afford to lose." I am struck by the massive gulf that separates these two opinions!

For anyone who knows me, it is no secret that I would side with Mike Huckabee and the Republican Party (sans Ron Paul and others) who believe that the War in Iraq is of monumental importance, and was a good and just battle for our country to embark upon. What many will not know, however, is some of the background that leads me to that opinion.

In December 2003, I traveled to Iraq along with a team of nine others, representing the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. We went with the specific missionary purpose of helping five Kurdish villages in Northern Iraq. They were in need: physically and spiritually. And by God's grace, we delivered. During our time in Iraq, we were able to distribute 450 food packs (donated by churches in America), each designed to feed a four-person family for a month. We also handed out nearly the same amount of Arabic/English New Testaments.

As we entered these makeshift Kurdish villages, we had no idea what sort of response to expect. Much to our surprise, the people we met in Iraq treated us like heroes! Obviously they were grateful for the food to eat. We pray even now that they later became grateful for the truths they found in reading and studying the Word of God. What surprised me most about their response, though, was that these people were utterly and completely in support of the Iraq War! We heard chants of "Good Bush, Good Bush" and were asked to take messages of "Thanks!" back to our President for liberating them from their dictator.

How is it, I thought, that these real-life, living and breathing Iraqi people [right before my eyes] could be in such support of a war that so many at home think is "dumb" and "without a clear rationale"? Why is this nothing at all like the Iraq that I have seen on television all of these years?

Considering the relatively small amount of Americans that travel to Iraq, I figure that I may one of the only people (outside of U.S. Military personnel) that many readers know, who has actually interacted with the Iraqi people first-hand. So, after watching the recent debates, I was compelled to share a little bit of the experience that I had. I also wanted to post a reflective narrative that I wrote in October 2004, about 10 months after returning from the trip. That can be found below.

Pictures from the trip are posted on Picasa.

The fourteenth day of December two-thousand three was a day that will never escape my remembrance. In fact, the events of that day will likely persist in the memories of most everyone. But for me, the day was more personal. The day was more in my face. It began like any other, my ninth day of ministry to the citizens of Iraq. However, on this day I would bear witness to one of the most historic events of our generation. Before the end of this day a tyrannical dictator would take his first step toward justice. On this day, Saddam Hussein was captured and the Iraqi people were set free.

Nearing the end of our trip, our schedule was different from the previous days. This was the time set aside for traveling the countryside and actually seeing a good portion of the country and its people. Before dawn our team met together for a time of worship. Soon thereafter, we were ushered off in our SUVs toward the northern mountainous region. Our drivers were particularly excited to have the opportunity to showcase the beauty of their country. This was clearly not the Iraqi sentiment portrayed by the mainstream Western media. Deep in their hearts you experienced a love of country; a love which you knew had been hijacked for many years.

Over the course of the next five hours, we were given the opportunity to view scenery that rivaled Yosemite National Park. The northern regions of Iraq are truly glorious! Snowy mountains, crystal clear rivers, luscious green forests, and of course many areas of dry sand and rock. And the people, what beauty! We witnessed diligence and resolve in their craftsmanship. We saw innovation and invention in their commerce. We cherished the joy and laughter in their children. Even still, we inferred the death and sorrow in their expression. Before our eyes was a constant reminder that the mold for the Iraqi people was nothing other than the image of God. And most importantly, in the hundreds of Islamic Mosques we saw – one in nearly every village we passed – we identified their need for a Savior.

One stop we made was particularly influential. Despite the language barrier, I was able to have a broken conversation with one of the drivers who had been serving us throughout the week. He explained to me that the village nearest to us at this time was where he had grown up as child. They had been refugees from the Kurdish area of Iraq, and were forced to flee Saddam’s forces and to establish new roots in the mountainous areas near the Iranian border. Even after all the turmoil of moving their community, they still were not exempt from Saddam’s evil wrath. This driver told me that his father had been killed by Saddam Hussein, and I could see the pain and anger in his eyes. I tried as best I could to express my feelings and to join him in his mourning. I desperately wanted to express God’s love to him, but the language barrier was too strong. Thankfully, he had accepted an Arabic New Testament as a gift earlier in the trip. While I was thankful for the conversation, I came to learn that I had not fully comprehended the gravity of his feelings about Saddam.

A few hours later, as we were traveling back to our base in Erbil, we heard gunfire. While this is not an altogether rare experience while on mission to Iraq, it was unusual for it to be this close to the vehicles and in such large quantities. We knew it was out of the ordinary when our drivers noticed it. As we traveled through each village along the long desert highway, we heard this gunfire, sometimes even seeing the AK-47 that was responsible for all the racket. Something was amiss, but our vehicle had no means of communication with the outside world, so we waited patiently. After about thirty minutes, the two vehicles in our caravan pulled over ahead of us. The first driver leaped out of the truck, very excited. He ran back to us, exclaiming something unintelligible to my English speaking ears. But I did catch one word: Saddam. The translator soon informed us that the radio had just confirmed reports of Saddam’s capture in Tikrit . . . mere hours from our location! This explained the uproar of celebratory gunfire in the villages. How else do you celebrate if you’re a good Iraqi citizen?

It was in that moment that I fully understood the feelings my driver had for Saddam Hussein. I watched three grown men jump for joy and celebrate in the street. In that moment I looked upon a jubilation and gratitude that was nearly tangible. Decades of tyranny halted, and the hope of justice now on the horizon.

I will never forget that day . . . the day Saddam Hussein was captured, and the Iraqi people were set free. And still, I long for the day that those men experience true freedom, when they jump for joy on golden streets, heralding the true Enemy’s defeat, and proclaiming our shared victory in the one and only Prince of Peace.

Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed

2007-12-13T08:44:00.001-05:00

Check out this trailer for a movie being released by Ben Stein this Spring. It is a documentary investigating the plight of scientists who dare to challenge neo-Darwinism.

Red Bull Air Race, San Diego, 2007 -- Behind the Scenes

2007-09-24T12:19:00.001-04:00

Why Did the Bridge Collapse?

2007-08-03T09:44:00.001-04:00

A tour of the Quest Kodiak... live from Oshkosh!

2007-07-27T10:25:00.000-04:00

We got a new cat... help us name her!

2007-07-23T23:07:00.000-04:00

Here are some pictures of our new kitty. She is a three year old Persian and we adopted her tonight from the Kentucky Humane Society. She needs a name! Please vote for your favorite name in the poll on the right-hand side of the blog.

**UPDATE: The voting has completed and our new cat is named Lucy. Thanks to all who voted!

An introduction to Ninth and O Baptist Church

2007-07-20T18:08:00.001-04:00

If you're looking for a church in the Louisville area, we would love to have you join us for worship at Ninth and O. This video gives an excellent description of what we're all about.

For more info: http://www.naobc.org/

We are without excuse...

2007-07-20T01:06:00.001-04:00

During our trip to Yosemite last week I had a great deal of time to spend reflecting on the beauty of God's creation. For an entire week, nearly everywhere I looked I got an eyeful of incredible scenery.

One day stands out in my mind, in particular. We had made our way up a long mountain road to what the locals call the "high country". According to the GPS that was guiding our way through the park, we peaked around 9,000ft. We were driving back down this mountain road right around sunset, when suddenly we turned a corner and got a glimpse of what had to be one of the top five sunset viewing locations on the entire planet. I took this picture there, among many others.

That night, when thinking about what we had seen, I came across Psalm 19, and it helped me remember just why it is that these beautiful things exist in our universe...

1 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
2 Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge.
3 There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.
4 Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun,
5 which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion, like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
6 It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat.
7 The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple.
8 The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes.
9 The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous.
10 They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb.
11 By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.
12 Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults.
13 Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression.
14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

In this passage of Scripture, God is indicating to us that we are supposed to learn something about who He is by observing "the work of His hands" in the creation around us. It says, "There is no speech or language where [their] voice is not heard."

But it occurred to me that there is an obvious problem. From my experience, most of us are more likely to look at a beautiful sunset and give praise to an impersonal "mother nature" --- or to look at a staggering mountain valley and credit the river and glaciers that formed it --- or to look at the diversity and complexity of life on earth and dignify an accidental, random process of evolution and natural selection. It is entirely uncommon to stand around in a group of people overlooking something of such incredible size and beauty and hear something like, "Wow... God is great!"

So why don't we "get the message" that creation is trying to send?

For the answer to that question, I turn to the New Testament. The Apostle Paul, writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit in Romans 2:18-23...

18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 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.
21 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. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.

Modern theologians use the terms general revelation and special revelation when talking about these issues.

General revelation is given to all people at all times and at all places. The three primary categories of general revelation are through nature, human history, and human nature--internally--for example, via conscience.

Special revelation, on the other hand, is God's manifestation or revelation of Himself via three major categories: miraculous events, divine speech, and visible manifestations. Its content is salvific or redemptive. It includes the Gospel and the promises of God. It is communicated in both words (Scripture) and acts or actions. It must be revealed and initiated by God alone. Christ and the Scriptures respectively are the supreme examples of special revelation.

(Definitions courtesy of www.apologeticsinfo.org)

Essentially what we're saying is this: God has given us enough data about Himself and His character in the universe that He created that we should be able to love Him and serve Him and obey Him without any further knowledge. Unfortunately, though, no one does this on the basis of the creation alone. This is because of our sin.

Sin blinds us to the point that we completely miss the message that God is sending us in creation, and thus reject Him and His message (a message that is good news!).

Thankfully, God has given us so much more than even the universe to tell us of Himself. He has given us His only Son who took our deserving place in death, and who overcame that death through resurrection and achieved for His people everlasting life. He has given us His Word and His Spirit to help us live a life that glorifies Him.

What do you see when you look at a sunset? Is it the good news from God?

The Kodiak is official!

2007-07-20T00:36:00.000-04:00

The Quest Aircraft Company recently announced that they have achieved FAA type certification for their Kodiak aircraft! This officially took place at the end of May, but was only announced in recent days - likely to coincide with the annual EAA AirVenture convention that begins Monday in Oshkosh, WI.

The Kodiak is exciting to me on several fronts. First, it was designed specifically with missionary aviation in mind, by former missionary pilots. This is the first aircraft ever designed for this purpose from the ground up. Second, it represents a huge step forward in the safety and efficiency of missionary aviation worldwide - it has a very reliable turbine engine, burns less expensive jet fuel, and contains a state of the art avionics package to help the pilot complete the mission safely. Thirdly, the brilliant business minds at Quest have structured their company in such a way as to be able to provide these remarkable aircraft to missionary aviation agencies at cost! (approximately $750k) Basically, for every 10 of these aircraft that they sell to market (approximately $1.2m), they will donate one of them for use on the mission field with no markup.

Praise God for this new tool in the hands of His people. He has brought it about through the hard work and dedication of the folks at Quest. They are reporting that all of their production slots are already filled for the next three years! That should represent a significant number of aircraft hitting the mission field very soon.

Travels and Musings

2007-07-19T02:59:00.000-04:00

I hope the pictures from our trip to Yosemite capture a glimpse of what we were privileged to see. They still can’t do it justice.

Funny, but when I picture Yosemite I visualize a giant rock slab or a sunset, with the outline of a door frame and the glint of a window. Seriously! We could have had the coolest experience without even leaving the rental car. Robert and I first drank in the scenery and spoke praises under our breath from the road. Meadows, deer, and lakes alike whizzed past to our amazement. Even better, every turn was a new vista. Sometimes the switchbacks brought us to a mountain that we had photographed on the turnout ten miles earlier. From a different angle it would look so different you’d insist God had created a fresh new mountain.

Thursday was our first hint at the spectacular. We introduced ourselves to Yosemite Valley, the peak tourist spot. The parking was horrendous, but you could get to the trailheads with ease. We were enclosed on either side by the most beautiful rock faces I’d ever seen.

First we hiked to Bridal Veil Falls. In mid-summer, the wind whips the light veil of water into a dancing frenzy of misty wisps. Tourists from fifty different countries were clamoring up the rocks with their children. We must have heard parents say “Be careful!” in ten different languages.

Robert arranged for a guided all-day tour on Friday. In the tour van, Robert finally got the window seat. We drove 1.5 hours to Glacier Point, on the south rim of the Sierra Nevada. It overlooks Yosemite Valley with an awesome, awesome view of Half Dome, Clouds Rest, North Dome, Basket Dome, and waterfalls! With recommendations from our guide we took Four Mile Trail (4.6 miles), zigzagging to the floor of Yosemite Valley. After a mile or so, we found a breezy spot and broke out our lunches. We thought it was the most exquisite view of El Capitan anywhere in the park.

Saturday, we enjoyed tons of overlooks in the “high country.” The elevation ranges from 5-8,000 ft. Olmstead Point, Tenaya Lake, and Tuolumne Meadow were just a few of the sights. On our way, we stopped at Tuolumne (pronounced Twah-luh-mee) Grove, known for its old growth cluster of giant sequoia. Magnificent! Check out this stump of a tree, designed for a stagecoach to pass through. According to a plaque, the giant sequoia is the heaviest living thing on earth – past and present.

We took a few pics at Olmstead Point and Tenaya Lake before heading on to Tuolumne Meadow. There the Tuolumne River runs across a soft green meadow dappled with tiny yellow and purple flowers - only as high as your ankle. They were great contrast to the bone-white mountains beyond the river.

Darkness chased us as we drove back to the lodge. We were still high in the trees when we caught a glimmer of beet red and pulled the car over. Possibly the most beautiful sunset of our lives was right in front of us. The clouds were ripping satin reds and cool purples across a silhouette of pines. A caravan of college students found our sweet spot, too. Amidst lots of “dude!” and “whooooa,” we took their picture, and they took one for us. Loved every minute of it.

The aesthetics of nature lead me to reflect on God’s unwarranted goodness to the human race. What worship can we bring that compares to just a common sunset? Can I be steadfast in my devotion as a mountain range of granite? I am profoundly trivial. Yet here I stand, and God loved me enough to send me His Son. What a great mercy that our Maker showed us His face, not just His handiwork.

With respect to Christ’s offer of salvation, it is more than unwarranted. We deserved death for rejecting His high holiness. Our sins are abysmal crags. Can anyone bring something good before Almighty God? Can kings with their riches? Can paupers with their sacrifice? Our riches are filthy rags. Yet His mercy stretches from east to west. Each morning and night, kings and paupers can pause in awe of a blood-soaked sky. Those who hear His Words can turn to the risen Christ, who will wash out their sin with red.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!
Praise Him all creatures here below!
Praise Him above ye heavenly hosts!
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,
Amen.

We're in Yosemite!

2007-07-12T23:48:00.000-04:00

We're in Yosemite National Park celebrating our three year anniversary. Pictures available on Picasa via the link below. More to come...

Trip to Yosemite National Park

Three years together!

2007-07-10T03:22:00.000-04:00

Professionalism under pressure

2007-07-07T15:09:00.000-04:00

This video is a perfect example of the professionalism with which flight crews operate today. This crew of a Boeing 757 experienced an engine failure at the worst possible time - just after takeoff. I was amazed to watch the excellence with which they handled the difficulty. We truly can feel safe when boarding an airliner.

The flight of the bumblebee

2007-07-06T21:37:00.000-04:00

Last Sunday, we had the pleasure of taking a flight around Louisville in a very historic old seaplane. It is called a Republic Seabee and is one of only about 1,000 that were manufactured back in the late 1940's. We landed on the Ohio River -- twice!! Looks a bit like a bumblebee, don't you think?

There's a blog born every half second

2007-07-06T20:49:00.000-04:00

According to CNET, there is a new blog born on the world wide web every half second.

From the article: According to recent statistics from blog-tracking site Technorati, the blogosphere has doubled every six months for the last three years. That's 175,000 new blogs per day worldwide. Technorati added its 50 millionth blog on July 31, 2006.

Well, make that 50 million and one. Here we are!

More to come, soon...