bigtime book

I've been reading my father's day present, John G. Paton's autobiography. Needless to say it is amazing, and has already lifted my heart to God in many ways and areas of my life. I wanted to share his introductory note to the reader. This is perhaps the best note I've ever read, and the best reason for writing a book that I've ever heard of.

PS - upon reading this book and hearing his story, you will soon find why we named our little boy after this man.

"What I write here is for the glory of God. For more than twenty years have I been urged to record my story as a Missionary of the cross; but always till now, in my sixty-fourth year, my heart has shrunk from the task, as savouring too much of self. Latterly the conviction has been borne home to me that if there be much in my experience which the Church of God ought to know, it would be pride on my part, and not humility, to let it die with me. I lift my pen, therefore, with that motive supreme in my heart; and, so far as memory and entries in my note-books and letters of my own and of other friends serve or help my sincere desire to be truthful and fair, the following chapters will present a faithful picture of the life through which the Lord has led me. If it bows any of my readers under as deep and certain a confidence as mince, that in "God's had our breath is, and His are all our ways," my task will not be fruitless in the Great Day."

post breakfast photo shoot

thought

I'm so thankful that happiness is in no way contingent upon money!

overalls like his daddy

great video of corban in the simulation chair

first four-wheeler ride

new family photo

Taken by Garry Gamble on Lake Superior two miles south of Grand Marais.

jscottalexander and corban

Good looking boys!

corban pics

corban's email

Yesterday Corban and I sat down at the computer to write a quick email to a friend. Corban was really intested in the keyboard and was frequently trying to add a few keystrokes to the email (sometimes with success). He was so into it that after I sent the letter to my buddy, I brought up a new email template and decided to let Corban go to town on the keyboard to see what would happen. It was great! Very funny, and a very fun time. The computer was making many fun noises and different windows kept popping up all over. I was amazed that Corban knows the shortcut keys for Quicksilver and Spotlight.

Anyways, here's the letter he drafted. I'm going through the final editing process now and I believe it's almost ready...I think it's a question addressed to "K". Something about channel 3 on the CB radio and how he's bummed about his favorite CD being scratched. Later on he mentions something about 8 BM's...I wonder what that's about? :-)

k ,-1 ,,j mncxb Va N CB 3 CVN ; …………… 7MV V B M.; ' .,m cd fv b uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu m nvv vvvvvvvvvv b???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????/��
b� x\��/ 9 nnnnnnnnm 8 bm

you once were called "not kayakers," but now you are called "kayakers."

So I went Kayaking for the first time ever this weekend - a lot more difficult then I thought it would be. I don't know how those people can survive going down rapids!

So on Lake Superior on a calm day, I kid you not, I could see clear as day 20 feet below the surface of the water! The weirdest thing happened. Normally when you're on a sea craft you can't see that far beneath the surface so the surface becomes your reference point. Well, since you could see clearly so far down, the bottom of the lake became my reference point and I actually was getting scared of heights. When the kayak would wobble, I thought, "If I fall, I'm going to hit those rocks way down there!" It was such a crazy thing. Not to mention how ridiculously cold the lake water is! I tried swimming, but I may as well just have taken a bath in liquid nitrogen then try to enjoy my swim in Superior. I will say, it was refreshing!

waterfalls and wildflowers

Once again we were blessed to be able to go up to Grand Marais this weekend and play in God's creation and enjoy him therein. I took a hike on Saturday morning, exploring some the wilderness around Garry and Renee's house. The wildflowers were everywhere and they were stunning. Emily made the comment, "the ditches up here are more beautiful than our landscaping." I agreed with her. The waterfall pictures are from Fall Creek which is the nearest tributary to Gambles. It actually passes under Hwy 61 via a large cement culvert that I throughly enjoyed walking through. This was a good way to do my morning devotions!