Summer Indulgence

This Saturday:

The author Barbara Ellen Brink is preparing a series to savor in the Fredrickson Winery Series. As her daughter, I've had the opportunity to create all her cover art and advertising materials. 

This weekend, she is having a book signing at Cannon River Winery where she will be selling print copies of the first two books Entangled and Crushed, and taking pre orders for the third book Savor which will be available October 1st. 

Please come by the winery this Saturday between 10am-5pm to indulge in wine, live music, and products from various talented vendors. There is more information about the event at the bottom of this post and at http://cannonriverwinery.com/

If you can't make it to the event, you can purchase in paper back or ebook form any of Barbara's novels here: Barbara's Books at Amazon.com

Here's a little bit about the Fredrickson Winery Series books:

 One lost summer is time best left forgotten...

When Minneapolis divorce attorney, Billie Fredrickson, inherits her uncle's small California winery, she has no intention of actually moving to the west coast and starting a new life. Her only thought is to get it off her hands as quickly as possible. But her return to the winery after an absence of twenty years opens up more than the reading of her uncle's will. Childhood memories, long-buried, begin to surface, prompting more questions than anyone is able or willing to answer. 
A late night prowler, a break-in at the winery, and an unearthed box of shocking photographs is someone's way of pulling the Welcome mat out from under Billie's feet, but it only makes her dig her heels in deeper. More secrets lie buried beneath Fredrickson Winery's innocent facade and Billie intends to get to the root. But disturbing the past lays bare the skeletons of others, including her mother's. Can she live with the consequences of full disclosure or will she run home where everyone is Minnesota Nice?

 Creating the perfect wine can sometimes be murder... 

When Adam Fredrickson shows up at his sister’s California winery, footloose and carefree, looking for a temporary job and a chance to play his music, he doesn’t expect to find the winery struggling financially, or that the girl next door might just be the girl of his dreams. 

Margaret Parker, a single mom, newly hired as Chief winemaker at Fredrickson's, finds her simple world put to the test when her father is unexpectedly released from prison, and the man who got her pregnant at fifteen, shows up from Italy wanting to play daddy nine years too late. 

It's crush time at Fredrickson Winery and everyone is working feverously to get the grapes in and ensure a great vintage. No one expects murder to be part of the joyous harvest season.

Savor the moment, cause it just might be your last…

Newly married and trying to keep the romance flowing along with the wine, Billie and Handel find themselves knee-deep in another mystery. Defending a wealthy San Francisco businessman against capital murder, Handel soon discovers that media attention brings more than fame and fortune. When Billie’s life is threatened and someone starts vandalizing winery property, he believes it’s connected to the case.

Across the vineyard, Margaret has problems of her own. Davy’s Italian grandfather comes to town and starts right in where his son left off. Throwing the weight of his money around, and using the rash of vandalism as a weapon, he tries to prove that Davy would be safer and better off living with him in Italy.

This Saturday is the Summer Indulgence at Cannon River Winery

in Cannon Falls, Minnesota, 10am-5pm.

Check out the following news about the event from cannonriverwinery.com

SUMMER INDULGENCE

SATURDAY, AUGUST 24

Join us for a day of indulgence on Saturday, August 24 from 10 am to 5 pm!

Summer Indulgence is a delightful annual event complete with locally handcrafted jewelry, clay pots, art, artisan soaps, wine inspired gifts, clothing, and more!

Bring your friends, sisters, moms, aunts, and grannies. Enjoy a glass of our award-winning wine while you shop local!

Reservations are not required and there is no fee to attend. 

*Wine by the glass only.

Enjoy free live music by Brooke Ellis from 1 pm to 4 pm. 

Vendors attending:
Author Barbara Brink

Brie'sBoutique-Dawn Quist

Bella Mi Jewlery- Samantha Hurd

Sun Catchers-Pat Barsness

Touhl Jewlery-Grow Touhl

Creative Confectionaires Chocolate-Dave & Cindy

Pam's Pepper Jams-Pam Hoepner

Touch Awakenings Massages-Kathy Shaw

Bubbles by Brooks-Amy Brooks

Lucero Jewlery-Sally Lucero

Bijaux by Cindy-Jewlery-Cindy Spreiter

My Sister & Me- Hats-Denise Ellingson

Day Brightner Bakery-Mary Shepard

http://cannonriverwinery.com/events/summer-indulgence/

Big Catch

First day of fishing, second time out. We were trolling for something big. Although I grew up in Minnesota, land of 10,000 lakes, I had never been fishing until that day. I had my poll over the right side of the pontoon, waiting and hoping I was doing this “fishing thing” correctly. All of a sudden, I felt something pulling hard. “Uh, I think I might have something.” I said as I stood up and started trying to reel in the line. Jim hopped over beside me and began coaching me through it. The excitement in his voice made me believe this was going to be the best fishing experience of my life. “Keep it tight. Keep reeling!” he said. “Oh man, it’s a huge one! Look at your arms. Your muscles are really working! This is a really big one!” I wondered if his heart was healthy. The shock of a fish this big could give a middle-aged man a heart attack. Jim was totally freaking out, but I was too inside. I was putting all my energy into reeling in this extremely heavy “fish” instead of wagging my jaw. Also, I didn’t want to say anything stupid if it turned out to be a boot or a tire. This lake doesn’t have boots and tires though… We were all at the corner of the pontoon, and Dwayne was hunched down ready to scoop up my catch with the net. After reeling my “big catch” in for what seemed like 5 minutes, I brought it to the surface. It was the “biggest” catch of the day, the “largest” catch of the day, it was even the “longest” catch of the day. It just wasn’t a fish. We all started laughing as Dwayne grabbed it out of the lake and held it for all of us to see. It was a tree branch as tall as me. For all the excitement, adrenaline, and laughing this turned out to be my favorite fishing experience of the weekend.

Success

Lately I have been overwhelmed with the fact that I’m not succeeding. Basically failing everything, I let my stress, worries, and fears take over. Failings in my job, career search, art, relationships, living arrangements, finances. I felt judged and lost. Crying for my future that seemed to be so clouded. I just wanted to run away from it all. So I went to a friend's place where I didn't feel judged, and hid from the world for a while. The thing that pulled me out of my pit of despair was the truth of the gospel. My friend read some verses, I don't even remember what they were, but they were about Jesus. I had been so stressed over these things in my life, that in the end, won't even matter. My selfish heart longed for praise from people instead of desiring to please God. I needed to give my hearts desires up to God. I thought I had before, but my concern for the way the world measures success had gotten in the way. The world, culture, my family, school, they all perceive success in getting what you want, being on top, being the best, being known in the world. But God doesn't measure success like that. 

^"15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father^[d] is not in them. ¹⁶ For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. ¹⁷ The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of Godlives forever." -1John 2 15-17 NIV

A long time ago, Jesus saved my soul through his death and resurrection. When I believed in him, I also gave my life to him. I'm here for one purpose, to further the kingdom of God. Success in God's eyes is following Jesus Christ and following the Holy Spirit's promptings. Regardless of the outcome, because my expectations are from my earthly point of view. Simple obedience is the starting point. 

"'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,' declares the Lord." -Isaiah 55:8 NIV

¹⁷ 
My career of choice has nothing to do with it unless God sees fit that I can share Jesus with the people in that place. I have heard many times that as Christians, we should be different from the world. The Bible tells people to act a different way from their culture. I need to act and think differently for God. I need to stop chasing after success of this world and start chasing after success in my Saviour.

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. ² Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." -Romans 12:1-2 NIV

Since I have hope in Jesus Christ, repentance and giving up everything, is the most freeing feeling ever. It is followed by praise and thanksgiving flowing from a joyful heart. I have thanked God for showing me this so much in the past few days. I wish there were more words for thank you. 

^"4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! ⁵ Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." -Philippians 4:4-7 NIV

If you want to check out something in the Bible that relates to this, the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart on this subject through James 4, but really it is the gospel of Jesus Christ that is the point.

^"16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. ¹⁸ Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son." - John 3:16-18 NIV

To Know One's Self

Benjamin Franklin once said, “There are three things extremely hard: steel, a diamond, and to know one’s self.”

Benjamin Franklin was not the brightest bulb. Pun intended. His well documented stupidity of electrocuting himself with a kite lives in infamy. So why do we listen to his quotes. Knowing one’s self is not hard, you’re just expecting more of yourself than what you are.

“Who Am I?” This is a question that seems to plague young people these days. Like we’re supposed to know our special talents and what we want to do with our lives. We’re supposed to have a “vision” for our future and make “life” goals and reach for the stars, but we end up grasping at straws and mixing metaphors.

Wake up already! “Know thyself? If I knew myself, I’d run away.” (Johann Wolfgang von Goethe). I know I’m a mess just like everyone else, and if you think you’re not a mess, you’re lying to yourself. Stop worrying about the mess and start cleaning it up.

Everyone wants something to change in their lives; whether it be, a different job or you just want to start buying more absorbent paper towels. The trouble is, you know the thing you want to change but you don’t know what to change it to. The fact is, it’s not that you don’t know yourself, it’s that you don’t know the options. So get out to the store and see what paper towel brands are available in super absorbent.

“Real knowledge is to know the extent of one’s ignorance.” (fortune cookie) When I was growing up, if I didn’t know a word that my parents used I would ask them and they would say, “Go look it up.” I am ignorant because I rarely followed their advice. But I never thought for a minute that I know what the word means when I was never enlightened to the meaning. You can’t know something you never knew. You can’t forget something you never heard. Stop thinking you don’t know something about yourself. You’ve spent your entire life asleep and awake with that person. 

Be Still and Know

“Be still and know that I am God.”

This is what I heard from God today. I started praying out loud and it just poured out, my worries and fears of now and the future. I didn’t even know I was so worried. So that’s why I’ve been breaking out this week. When I was finished with my little rant, I thought about asking God to cure my zits, but I decided to go a bit deeper and asked him to make me content in my circumstances. He spoke to my heart and said, “Be still and know that I am God.”

This phrase is not new to me. I’ve read it plenty of times somewhere in Psalms, but I couldn’t remember exactly where so I looked it up. Thank you biblegateway.com!

Psalm 46:9-11

New International Version (NIV)

⁹ He makes wars cease
    to the ends of the earth.
He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
    he burns the shields^[a] with fire.
¹⁰ He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
    I will be exalted among the nations,
    I will be exalted in the earth.”

¹¹ The Lord Almighty is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress.

God is my defender and my fortress! “Be still and know that I am God.” No matter what happens God will defend me, and keep me safe. God is so mighty and he knows where I need to be, I don’t need to worry, just be still and know.

Broke, Single, White Girl

When I came home from college, I felt lost. A broke, single, white girl living in her parent’s basement. I thought my identity was nonexistent because of my lack of worldly things. My not-so-stable job or jobs combined with my failing internship search was making me feel like a failure in my field. My status as “single” was making me depressed. While it seemed like so many people my age or younger were getting married, I was still waiting to get asked out for the first time. My church was no help in my identity search, I felt completely out of touch in my home church.

I was being consumed with the way culture and people around me perceived things. I could either go on and hate my circumstances or ask my self the question I knew would take me to the answer. “What is the greatest thing in life?” The Sunday school answer to this is correct, but whenever I ask that question, this verse comes to mind.

“’Teacher, what is the greatest commandment in the law?’ And he said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord you God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment…” (Matt 22:36-38 ESV)

I realized, I had not been following the greatest commandment faithfully. I was leaving God out of my new identity, but that only leads to failure and doubt. Something I was fully aware of when I was focusing on an identity apart from Christ. Remembering who God is and what Jesus had done let me take a look at the identity I already had. A woman saved from hell by faith in Jesus Christ, A follower of Jesus and a sower of this good news of Christ.            

“For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”(2 Corinthians 5:14-17 ESV)

This is my true identity. Jobs, relationships, money, friends, they can’t define my identity because I am a new creation in Christ.

Swift Kick

 Sometimes God just needs to give us a swift kick in the butt to get us to stop and smell the roses. In this case, it was my butt and the roses weren’t so much flowers as they were answered prayers. I had been unfocused and uncertain about everything in my life. Lately I just started drifting. You know the drift. The one where you just do what you have to do and not really care about anything. I was so bored I couldn’t even keep that up for a week. I was so unfocused I couldn’t even focus on not caring about focusing. So as the Holy Spirit was urging me in my heart to do, I went to the Bible to get my focus back. And guess what I found. A passage about who God is and how he wants us to seek him, (When talking about who God is Paul says, "God did this so that men would seek him & perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us." Acts 17:27), which brought to memory other verses I know about seeking God. God was reminding me that he wants me to continually seek him.

Part of my unfocusedness was because I was worrying about certain things I didn’t have, so in seeking God, I thought about what he has blessed me with lately. I found that many of my prayers have been answered in the last couple months. I am amazed.

1^st a few months ago I prayed that God would lead me to a church where I could connect and serve and learn more about him. Prayer answered!

2^nd I asked God to put someone in my life who I could be close friends with to share our hopes and struggles. Prayer answered!

3^rd I needed income. He gave me two jobs.

4^th I asked God to use me. He led me to a class to teach me how.

5^th I asked for understanding, and he showed me how quickly life can change.

6^th I asked for wisdom, and I keep seeing how stupid I am.

7^th I asked God to keep his Holy Spirit nagging on me when I’m not doing what I should. It was coming in loud and clear.

I see that I don’t need to be unfocused and uncertain about my life. God has a plan. I just need to seek him and he’ll lead me when and where he wants me to go.

Kiss of Victory

Kiss of Victory, Sir Alfred Gilbert, 1879-1881

The best pieces of art to me have passion, skill, and beauty. Of course there’s something to be said for the disturbing, grotesque art. Which would be “eww.”  But I’m talking about the pieces of art that make you feel something (other than a sick feeling in your gut). That tell the story before you read the informational plaque. A young warrior falls back in death and is greeted by a kiss of an angel. The skill alone to carve such an image is impressive. It also tells a story. His fight has helped bring victory. The angel kisses him as he dies; yet, this angel has a peaceful look because it knows this is not the end for him. What’s so beautiful about it is that it’s one end to a battle but there’s also a new beginning for the man.

No Sleep Tonight!

What if...

I want to be more bold, more out-there. I just seem to mess up, take the easy way, and then I’m left beating myself up about what I should have done or what I should have said. What I should have done and said probably would have gone over really well. But alas, I’m here to wallow in the “what ifs.”

“What ifs,” haunt me like the ghost of an angry x-wife with rabies. I just can’t stop replaying it all in my head. It makes getting back to things after a weekend away just that much harder. I have no idea what to do with myself, so naturally I plan a bonfire party.  

Wild Cows

Have you ever seen a wild cow? This weekend I visited my grandparent’s farm in the extremely small town of Platte, South Dakota. They raise cattle. On Saturday, I followed my 82 year old grandpa around the cattle yards. He drove his four-wheeler and I drove the mule (the motorized vehicle, not the animal). The cows were used to him driving up close to their pens, but they were wary of me. They instinctively sensed my unpredictability. I am so unpredictable that I went around a second time alone singing to the cows. I don’t think they favored “Tonight, We Are Young;” although, it could have been my voice or my bright blue sweater that was scaring them. 

Were cows so anxious when they were wild? Apparently, farms nearby to my grandparent’s farm, are brining in mules (this time I’m referring to the animal) to protect the cows and lamas to protect the sheep. Now I’m wondering about wild sheep? What are wild sheep like? I digress….

Now back to the wild cows. Cattle type cows need to be protected, milk cows need to be protected…. I don’t know any other kinds of cows. My specificity isn’t important. The point is, why are there no wild cows roaming the plains like buffalo and wild horses and wild boars. I think we need to preserve the wild cow. We’re already preserving the mountain lion, like the one that howls outside my grandparent’s house every so often. I’m not saying that we should have less cattle farming, I love meat! I just want to see a natural wild cow roaming free and being its crazy wild self. Like when you go to Roosevelt national park and are stopped in your cars whilst buffalo roam all around you just to roll in the dirt on the other side of the road.

Does the "Heavenly Accountant" wear dress shirts?

It’s 68 degrees Fahrenheit in my room tonight. Nine degrees warmer than its usual chilly temps. The reason for this “heat wave” is that I’ve been ironing my father’s dress shirts. He is an accountant, and as everyone knows, accountants must wear dress shirts. Except for Wednesdays, Fridays, and any other day that he feels like breaking this “societal rule.” Benjamin Franklin once said, “The only things certain in life are death and taxes.” So why not liven things up with a polo shirt!

Tax professionals will tell you to invest your money wisely and save your money for the future. These are great tips for money, but it’s not going to matter once we’re dead. If you can’t take it with you when you go, what will matter?

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:21

Jesus said to invest in heavenly treasures. (Matt 25:31-40) Invest in learning about God, helping the poor and needy, sharing the gospel of Jesus with everyone.

I get caught up in having things, finding the perfect job, having fun, and concentrating on the shallow, fleeting happiness of things that could never make me whole. I wonder why I let myself get so distracted from what matters when life is so short. Because I will never forget that Jesus died so we could have eternal life, a life where death and taxes don’t exist. My heart has been transformed by that truth. I put my faith in Christ as my savior from sin and death. Because of that transformation I want to do what is right and good in God’s sight. So I will take advice from my “heavenly accountant” (Jesus), and invest in lasting, heavenly treasures.

Christian Death Metal: Oxymoron

I have always thought of myself as being open to many different types of music, but there are now two types that I know I don’t enjoy: Death Metal and African Drum music. Those African Drums are just a little creepy, especially after the theatrical production of Jumanji. Concerning Death Metal, the metal part could be enjoyable but the death part puts me off. When I speak of the “death” part, I am referring to the screaming. That must be the “death” part because they sound like they are dying, or that they are the monster that is going to kill some one.

I went to a concert a while back, which was related to me as one that was hosting a few “Christian” bands. I put it in quotations, because only God knows what in the world they were screaming. I should have realized, when I was looking up the venue, what type of music would be played at this hole in the wall place; yet, I blindly followed my friend. She needed some one there with her. I know I wouldn’t want to be in that place alone. I don’t know if the genre was really “Christian Death Metal,” but the screaming and “devil voice” parts seemed to resemble the screaming and “devil voice” parts of regular Death Metal. Call it what you may, “Christian Death Metal” is an oxymoron.

There wasn’t a very large crowd there. It’s no wonder. The greasy long hair, the red lighting, the screaming, the spitting, the awkward couple of people “dancing” like they are mentally retarded zombies… It’s not a pretty picture; and yet, I wonder how the lead “vocalists” can keep up the angry looks on their faces.

Death Metal musicians are simply very sad little boys that are just too emotional to cry, so they scream like banshees. So in a way, “Death Metal” suits them since a banshee is a spirit whose wailing warns of an impending death. But if they claim to be Christian, they must be holding just a little too much onto the death to sin part, and forgetting to focus on the alive in Christ part. If they kept the metal and just changed the vocals to joyful sounds, they wouldn’t have to be an oxymoron anymore, they could be called Christian Alive Metal. That’s a corny way to think of it, but they don’t really need to change. Their message was clear when they stopped the screaming for a moment to give their mission statement. They wanted to encourage people and let them know that Jesus loves them. As long as they are encouraging depressed youth with banshee screaming it could be good. God can even use this to draw people to him. It just wasn’t helping me because I couldn’t tell what they were saying the rest of the time, while they were screaming their lyrics.  

Brink Girl to Stay

I'm back at my original blog: Brink Girl
With a haitus from the Brink Girl blog for two years, attending college, writing a different blog, and growing as a person (spiritually, mentally, somewhat physically), I am back to connect with the world.

I will be posting new blogs every week, so don't forget to follow me here or follow my twitterings: @Brink_Girl

SHOES

In my search of shoes to inspire my graphic design project at school I came across some interesting shoes. This one made me laugh. I wish I had a pair of these just so I could try this.

"Tube Shoes of 2005 incorporate several of Mr Moorer’s recurring themes: play, performance, and the opportunity to turn every day into an adventure. Tube shoes are designed to work as both conventional footwear and as a way of hanging from the overhead hand rail of the London subway trains (the London subway is called “The Tube”)…"

Eelko Moorer tube shoes

If you want to find some other crazy shoes you can go to the website I've been searching http://lustforshoes.com/

Chinese Laundry - CL SHOES SUEDE

Beautiful Shoe! I love this! I've just been researching shoe sites for my brand identity project, but I had to take a moment and show this amazing shoe. Click on the link below and you will see it!
Chinese Laundry - CL SHOES SUEDE

Unlocked

     This is my first posting to start off my 4^th year of the college experience at Minnesota State University of Moorhead. If there’s something specific you want me to write about concerning what I’m “experiencing” then you should leave me a comment and I will most likely write a blog about such an “experience” or thought.

Unlocked

     Walking around the campus today I decided to check out the Center for the Arts building. Since today is a Saturday I knew that most lights would be off and doors closed, but since it is the Saturday after orientation week, almost every door was unlocked. I didn’t realize this until I tried opening one of these “supposedly” locked doors. That’s what I do when I’m wandering around bored. I test doors. It’s interesting being in rooms that you’ve never stepped foot in when you’re all alone. I also had a little rush of adrenaline as I walked through the pitch-blackness of the performing arts auditorium, but I was determined to walk all the way through to the other side. Why did the chicken cross the road? How should I know? I’m not a chicken. I walked all through the arts center without seeing anyone except for a man I could only guess might be a janitor. Anyone could have walked into that building. Thank goodness they lock the doors during normal weekends.

     College campuses are very open. Probably more open than people know. Of course they lock certain buildings at certain times, but what about student union buildings and library buildings. I know that anyone can walk into our library. I’ve met one such person before. The hung-over Michael Holloway hit on me in the library on the 3^rd floor next to the computer bench. That was almost a year and a half ago. I’m sure the security has really cracked down on those wandering townies since then. My sarcasm here does not lie in any resentment toward security or Michael Holloway, but in the thought that libraries are not safe. You might feel safe because there are books and quiet and knowledgeable librarians on the first floor. But go up to another floor and around behind the shelves of books. Then tell me if the library feels safe. The library is a scary place…on Saturday after dark on the 4^th floor. I’ve never been there at that time, but it sounds frightening.

     MSUM is not the only college that can be completely walked through. For example, Concordia College in Moorhead leaves their buildings unlocked as well. I know because I’ve walked through that campus a couple years ago with my good friend Alexis. And yes, we did walk up into the window overpass, through the fitness building, and some other random building. We walked straight through their campus and under the bell tower. Don’t you feel safe knowing that your kids are able to run around nilly-willy at college? With hooligans like me, wandering through neighboring college campuses, who could feel any safer?

I like rats in my river.

The River Rats of Minnesota put on their weekly show this past Thursday. It was a magnificent effort of power, speed, strength, and poise as the teams of the River Rats took to the waters on their skis. I was amazed. Here's their website if you are interested> http://www.tcriverrats.com/

This was the first water show I had ever been to and it couldn’t have been more perfect. The temperature was perfect for sitting outside. There were hardly any bugs to be seen. The hillside we sat on was comfortable for at least the first 20 minutes of the show. And the Biff’s hand sanitizer was full. What more could we ask for than to be sitting right in front of the Mississippi River watching people perform stunts in the water while being pulled by boats with powerful engines?
Sadly, I do not have any proof that I was there other than an eyewitness. Emily Fischer came with me to the show after a sampling of the Fireside Restaurant in Rosemount where slivers are chunks so what happened to the rest of the apple?
Back to the River Rats: How can someone love a temporary high so much as to offer all of their time and energy to that one thing?

Trust

“But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.” Titus 3:4-7

Sometimes I just can’t express thoughts in words. I guess that’s why I’m a visual artist instead of a writer, but I wanted to share a story and song that I recently had the opportunity to hear. This young man (whose music I found through a convoluted, random search in myspace/facebook several months ago), put his hope and trust in God. He wrote a song, which is amazing, telling of his change, and he wrote about it on his blog. So, just go to the link at the bottom of this entry, read his blog, and follow his instructions to hear the song. It is very encouraging to hear about another person trusting in Christ.

 

http://www.vincepierri.blogspot.com/

Football? No futbol. So soccer.

Why are people so obsessed with watching a sporting event. Since football is the "American Past time" you'd think the summer would be a safe time to do the other American past time: eat food in the sun (picnic). But some people want to ruin that tradition because they have a problem. I see futbol rehab in store for them; although, living in the United States of America, this rehab facility would be called "Soccer rehab for the futbol fanatic."
You might be wondering why I'm bad mouthing the soccer lovers. I am not. I'm bad mouthing the "futbol fanatics." There is a major difference. I don't care if people love soccer, to play, watch, or cheer on their kids. But when people are so obsessed that they have to include a sport into whatever event they are attending, then it gets pretty sick. Not the Californian "that's totally sick!" rather, the "this person really needs mental therapy" sick. They can't even use their native tongue to speak of the sport. Instead they call it futbol as if they are from Europe or are speaking to Europeans.
It's only five days past Independence Day and people have forgotten to wave their American flag, call futbol soccer, and remember the Alamo. What has happened to our country?
As you can probably tell. I have not put too much thought into this. I have only put ranting hysteria into my posting today because that's all I got right now.