Walk on the Riprap

We took a walk down to the river, on a late autumn day. 

The sky was cobalt blue, the clouds were low & grey. . . 

It is He who made the earth by His power, who established the world by
His wisdom, & by His understanding stretched out the heavens. ~Jeremiah 15:51

Bestest littlest brother in the world. :) 

Mud Boots. Yes.

Hope you have had/are having a wonderful autumn! Get out there, & enjoy the small things! Take a walk.  Smell the dead leaves. Watch the birds fly south. Feel the warm air blowing away…… 

When Memory Fades…

Psalm 62:6-8

There are beautiful memories you want to hold on to. Memories of people. Fleeting moments. Feelings. These memories will play through your mind like a flickering movie. Off & on. Off & on. The memory fades. Over the past 5 years, several people I've known have passed away. Two dear mothers & friends, Deaun and Theresa were killed in a car accident. Another friend Denise, mother & beautiful example, was taken by cancer. A childhood friend fell victim to homicide. A precious baby boy named Isacc, was triumphantly taken to Heaven, after only spending several short days here on earth. A Godly father & husband left this world suddenly at Christ's bidding. Another Christian woman, succumbed to cancer. My grandfather & grandmother both passed away. A beautiful girl of 15 years, was swept up to Heaven, called home to sing & dance for the first time before her Savior, free from all her earthly disabilities. It's strange to think about, we are all here for such a short time, but when we feel our time ends too soon, often we are troubled. We need to remember everything happens as God justly preordained. Remember, EVERYTHING is all about God's glory! I rejoice in knowing that all those people I mentioned above, truly loved the Lord. & that the Lord loved them enough to call them home, in HIS perfect timing. They are now free from Death's grasp, & are in a far better place then we could ever imagine; they are truly home, resting in Jesus' arms with all the other saints who have come & gone before us. 

When we feel like we are losing perspective & forgetting the details, we should continually go back & read God's word. It's so important, we need to trust in HIS promises... I also enjoy looking at old photos. They are my memory keepers. & smells too. The smell of railroad tracks always takes me back to Virginia, & reminds me of my dear Pappaw. What are your memory keepers? How do you keep beautiful memories alive?

We've all had bad experiences. You will welcome the fading of these unpleasant memories, so you can keep on going with your life. But you should never forget. To forget is to say, it didn't happen. When hardship comes, I believe it's our calling as Christians, to be Jesus visible. Sometimes it's hard. People will try to pull you down or speak out against you. We need to stand out, be a light to the world in the midst of everything. Let others see that Christ is our Rock. People tell you that the unpleasantness of the moment will dissipate. It will. The jagged edges will soften in time. Some very profound & comforting words spoken to me, during a hard time in my life, were: There will be a new normal. Everything will be okay. -It is so true. Everything is okay. 

God works all things for the good of his people, to bring glory to Himself, in ways we often don't understand. Who hasn’t had their heart broken, watched a friendship fade or lost someone dear to them? I remember feeling relief when I unknowingly came to the place when painful memories weren't forefront in my mind. Sometimes from time to time they will still wander through my mind. But whenever they do, it doesn't hurt anymore. I rejoice & thank God for what I have now & had then. I try to remember the happy memories & moments of people now gone, the beauty of their lives & remember the good times we had together. I've been gratefully living the dream; the new normal, for the past 4 years. I'm now surrounded by amazing people, 2,000 miles away from where the old normal used to be. I'm so grateful for the grace of God in my family's life! How has God worked in your life? 

-GB

The garden in October

Today, I'm thinking of Fall.

Of all smells. 

The scents dead leaves yield, 

Dry corn stalks, and the farmer's crop,

The golden grasses in the field.

The smoke's smell, too,

Flowing from where a wildfire burns,

The dead, the green, all in its path,

Everything to ash it turns. 

Today I'm thinking of Fall. 

Of all sights.

The sight of loosened leaves as they blow,

Pale sky, high clouds, of summer's end,

The autumn foliage set aglow. 

The frosts' beauty, too,

Settling over earths' fading verdure,

Leaves bronzed, garden gone, all things silent,

Glistering hoarfrost covers all in white splendor.

Today, I'm thinking of Fall.

Of all tastes.

The flavors hot teas yield,

Warm maple custards, and zucchini bread,

The ripened apples freshly peeled.

The pie's flavor, too, 

Orange pumpkins picked and carved, 

The sugar, the cinnamon, all things delicious,

 In the oven everything waits, soon to be served. 

-GB

All LIFE is sacred —

For you formed my inward parts;
    you knitted me together in my mother's womb.
   I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
    my soul knows it very well.
Psalm 138:13-14

please join me in prayer for 40 DAYS FOR LIFE

The world spins madly on…

Ah, the life.. It's Saturday. These late summer days are fleeting. Golden & dusty. It's one of those warm lazy afternoons. I'm sitting at the kitchen table, doin' nothing, (well, I'm typing), but mostly just sitting & listening to Saticoy, & the crickets chirping through open windows. The sound of my younger brother's crayons coloring steadily on a Spongebob-Square-Pants themed coloring book, tickles my ears. It's a beautiful day. A light breeze is blowing through the house, it unsettles the flies that have evaded my flyswatter for the past hour... 

Lately, I've been trying to embrace each moment that God has given us. Trying not to let time slip by & having regrets later, but simply celebrating the present time & making memories to hold on to for later. I  am so thankful for the life I have been given. I'm so glad to be me, to live where I live, to do what I do... What a blessing the simplicity of life is. Fighting the good fight from home. Building the kingdom. We should always do what we do, not for man, but for the glory of our Heavenly Father. When we work each day, or teach, study, drive, wash dishes; everything we do, God has ordained. Thank you Lord for life. For family. For friends. For work. For seasons. For change. 

Here's a C.S. Lewis quote:

"God intends to give us what we need, not what we now think we want." So as busy or uneventful as your life is, remember, that everything happens for a purpose, & that all things ultimately work for the good of those who love Him. (Rom. 8:28)

So often, we tend to lose ourselves & Christ in the busyness of life. We are so prone to forget, doubt, & distraction. When was the last time you turned your phone or computer off to study scripture? Or took a walk in the crisp morning air? Or didn't go anywhere? Sat on your front porch to watch the sun set? Enjoy the ordinary blessings & miracles of life, that are so often overlooked. We are so blessed, as people, & as a nation. But we have lived in gross defiance of God & His law & are now seeing our liberties disappear like a mist before the morning sun. We need to run back to Jesus. We need to repent, & pray that God will judge us not to destruction, but to repentance. We still have so much freedom that is taken for granted. There are times when we should step back from our busy lives & let the world spin madly on. The world won't even notice. We must step back to be still & meditate on our God. As we assess the sins & the strugles of our lives, we must confess them to God & rely solely on Him for deliverance. Praying for ourselves & our leaders... Drawing close to God in meditation is an important part of the Christian life & should be precious time for us! When Jesus walked the earth 2,000+ years ago, he would spend long hours withdrawn from the crowds, in communion, prayer & meditation with HIS Heavenly Father. When life gets hectic, (I know from experience) sometimes it's hard to find the time to read. You just have to strap on the seatbelt & hang on for the ride. But all throughout the day, no matter where you are, or what you may be doing, you can fight for Christ. You can talk to God. He will listen to you. You can pray. 

-GB

Zucchini-Carrott Bars:

Hi there! Here's an amazing recipe, taken from a fun cookbook called Fat Witch Brownies.
If you have a garden & are overrun with giant zucchinis - this recipe is for you!

Ingredients: 1¼ cups shredded carrots, boiling water,  1¼ shredded zucchini, 1 stick unsalted softened butter, 1 cup natural cane sugar, 2 eggs, 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract, 1½ cups unbleached flour, 1 tsp. baking soda, ½ tsp. salt, 2 Tbsp. ground cinnamon. 

Preheat oven to 350℉ & heat up a small pot of water.  
When it's boiling, pour into a colander, over shredded carrots.
 Let everything sit for a while, to cook/tenderize the carrots. Drain well. 

Mix the shredded (& drained) zucchini throughly with all other ingredients. 
 I added ½ cup chopped walnuts,  a few raisons, & chocolate chips,  for good measure.  

Blend everything well; batter will be thickish. Pour into a greased 9 by 9 dish. 
(Sometimes my batter is thiner, but it doesn't make a difference when baking. )

Bake for 30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool in dish. Your house will smell like autumn, while it bakes.  Mhmm…  I whipped up a cream-cheese frosting & spread it over the cake, just before serving. It was really good, & turned the flat bread into more of a dessert. I like eating dessert for breakfast. Or really any time of the day.

Cream Cheese Frosting:  

☙ 4 oz. cream cheese,  room temperature
☙ 3 Tsb. unsalted butter,  room temperature
☙ 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
☙ 1¼ cups confectioner's sugar
☙ 1 tsp lemon zest (optional) Beat cream cheese & butter until smooth. Add vanilla,  sift sugar directly into the bowl, mix until smooth. Add zest. Spread on cool brownies or bars. Store in refrigerator. 

notes: When I make zucchini bread, I usually quadruple the recipe - the bread is so good that it all gets eaten quickly. It freezes great too.  

Taste the goodness.

 -GB

How to eat (oversized) Zucchini:

I enjoy cooking, & I love eating. Don't you? Food is just amazing. All the different smells & flavors. The gift of taste is such a blessing. God didn't have to give us taste buds, but He did. God likes us to enjoy the different textures & flavors He created.  Just imagine life without taste buds. It would be rather bland.  (haha) Making healthy decisions with what we consume is really important.  Whenever able, go organic & whole grain.  In a sense, we are what we eat. Mhmm… I could go on & on about FOOD.  It's just so awesome. A friend shared an idea with me for cooking zucchini, & I decided to try it. I've been getting monster-sized (10lbs) zucchinis from the garden all season long.  Having fresh food is fantastic, but you have to eat it up fast.

Here's the idea, it's for veggie pizza; it's fairly fast to make, tastes realllly good & different, & its low-carb since there isn't any bread crust. My "zucchini pizza" fed five, with two large pieces leftover. 

I sliced the zucchini in halves, & removed the seeds. I pan seared the 

zucchini in olive oil, garlic & pepper, for about 5 minutes on each side. 

Fried some bacon. 

Picked some sweat corn from my garden! (I wrapped in saran wrap, 
& cooked it in the microwave. Probably really unhealthy.)

Mozzarella, tomato sauce, bacon, sweet peppers, & fresh basil were the toppings
 I chose. Then I baked 'em at 375℉ for 15 minutes, or until the cheese was golden. 

Ta-da! Everything was quite satisfactory.  :)_

"Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!" -Psalm 34:8 

Here is a link for zucchini carrot bread - my favorite way to use those oversized zucchinis. Check it out! :) 

180 Documentary —

Wow. You've gotta watch this short film.  It makes you think. 

It could save your life or save the life of another.

How to eat Eggplant:

  

For supper tonight I fried freshly picked Eggplants. Dipped 'em in beaten egg, added a dash of pepper & battered them in panko breadcrumbs.  Once they were cooked, golden & crispy, I dunked them in finely grated parmesan cheese. 

DELICIOUS.

They melt in your mouth! 

pickin' veggies

This evening I picked 10lbs of green beans, a large spaghetti squash, 
HOT salsa peppers, sweet corn & a couple large zucchinis. 

Okay, so I had a little fun  editing this picture.  :)

These dry & dusty summer months have flown by too quickly! Oh dear, where has time gone? Can you believe it's September? My summer was filled with spice, adventure, family & friends. A beautiful summer haze, with memories that are golden… 

I planted a garden, but it sadly got neglected. As morning-glory infested as it is, I've gotten, (& am still getting), lots of produce from it. It's been such a blessing. Take the beans for instance: Ordered from Burpee Organics, a pack of bush bean seeds cost $3.95. That pack of seeds (with a little TLC, water, sunshine & hard work), so far has yielded 25lbs of plump & tasty beans!
 Here's my favorite homemade recipe for cookin' green beans:
Crunchy Vinegar Green Beans & Bacon ❧

■ A heaping pan full of washed & snapped green beans
■ One pack bacon; fried flat & crispy, chopped into large pieces
■ One medium red onion; thinly sliced, slightly sautéed in butter 
■ Apple cider vinegar 
■ Sugar, salt, pepper 

Set aside cooked bacon & sautéed onion. 
Add a little water to beans, cook until just tinder, or still slightly chewy, with lid on pan, stirring occasionally. Cooked al dente is best! 

Once the beans are tinder, add enough apple cider vinegar to cover the bottom of saucepan. Simmer on low for a bit, adding more vinegar if desired. Cook by smell. You want it to smell strong. 

Then add salt/pepper to taste & sprinkle sugar over beans. (Be generous with the sugar!) Lastly add sautéed onion slices & stir in bacon pieces, just before serving. Enjoy! 

It's the best way to eat green beans in my opinion. If by chance you try it, leave a comment for me to see! I'd love to hear from you!!  

Shooting Range

I proudly support the 2nd amendment! :) 

My little bro shooting his .223 up the canyon.

Amo.

There were lots of cacti.

 Old boots.

I shot my lil' 22 rifle. 

We had ELVIS SHAKES!
(A delicious blend of chocolate, bananas & peanut butter) 

Josh Garrels - Music

Josh Garrels is one of my increasingly favorite artist! This song is one of my favorites!! Give it a listen. :) It has such a beautiful sound - something that paints a bigger picture. Almost hymn like lyrics. Mmm. So rich.

40 Days For Life

Starting September 25th-November 3th
Mankind is unique in all of creation because we were made in God's image (Genesis 1:26-27 and 5:1-2). This is true of the entire human race & every member of it without exception, including unborn children. The sanctity that God's image bestows (even after the Fall) on each & every human being, is affirmed by the prohibition on taking human life in Genesis 9:6. This prohibition became reinforced as the sixth commandment states: You shall not murder. (Exodus 20:13). This is the fundamental pro-life position: that every human life, in every stage of life is sacred! Please pray with me, not only during this event, but everyday & always, to save the lives of children the world doesn't want. Please pray with me, that our country's leaders' & abortionist's eyes would be opened & they would truly see what they are doing. Please pray that God would grant us repentance & judge us not to destruction. Please pray & vote prolife!  www.40daysforlife.com 

~GB

Composition

So. I took an advanced oil painting workshop this month. It was awesome. The instructor is a phenomenal painter & teacher. I didn't really learn that much, but just hearing what I already knew repeated was great for me, & being surrounded by other enthusiastic artists was very inspiring. As we were painting, in the studio & en plein air, we talked a lot about composition, & how a good composition is the no.1 factor in having a good painting. Many people can paint, but you have to be able to draw, to truly paint. Below are several examples of composition. I've mentioned Edgar Payne before; he's so good— here are some diagrams taken from his book: 

sketchy example ^^ 

think about it.

 The foundation for painting:

1. Composition
2. Value light vs. dark
3. Underling drawing 
4. Color scheme 
5. Texture                  

      ⬇

Have a theme, make a statement. Create a story & setting—   

    start⤵ 

Development ⇢

buildup ☟ 

           characters

<main event>  

                     ↳ find an exit for viewer↴   loop hole 

                                    that revolves back to start⤴ 

"Christina's World" by Andrew Wyeth. This is an excellent triangle 
formation can be seen here. With your finger, cover up one of 
the houses. See how instantly the composition becomes uninteresting? 

"Beartooths Near Red Lodge" a quick painting by (me) This composition I'd consider a Circle. Your eye follows the yellow grass path, up the leaves of the tree on the right, down the top of the mountains, around the edge of the dark clump of trees (left side) back to the foreground.

Balanced scales. "The Last Supper" Leonardo Devinci starts to 

combine the Eastern style of a central object that has symmetrical balanced formality, with the gothic Western style of vertical lines throughout the 

composition, adding dimension, or a false feeling of depth. 

Radiating lines; offset & simplistic. Remember the rule of thirds.
Something off set is more pleasing to the eye, then something dead center. 

Radiating lines. Van Gogh sure must have wanted us to really look
 at those woman! See how everything is pointing towards them?

Check out my pinboard of ART to see art I like! 

Watercolor by John Singer Sargent. This composition could be considered a tunnel. The pathway of water draws the viewer further up & further in.  

S or Compound Curve. Oil by Bob Rohm. See how your eye lazily
moves back & forth across the canvas. 


Balanced Scales. Everything symmetrical & radiating outwards from the center.This reminds me of child's drawing of a sunshine. A sunshine drawing is so simple, yet anyone who saw it could tell you exactly what it is. The same thing goes for stick figures. People don't look like that. But whenever a child draws a bowling ball circle for a head, & adds a few straight lines coming out from out; immediately the viewer knows it's a person. A child sees the reality beyond surface or fact. When you really begin to look at simple objects, you see how everything is simultaneously relative & abstract at the same time. This paragraph probably lost you, didn't it? (hehe.)   

Spurgeon Wisdom—

Better have two lights than only one. The light of creation is a bright light. God may be seen in the stars; his name is written in gilt letters on the brow of night; you may discover his glory in the ocean waves, yea, in the trees of the field; but it is better to read it in two books than in one. You will find it here more clearly revealed; for he has written this book himself, and he has given you the key to understand it, if you have the Holy Spirit. Ah, beloved, let us thank God for this Bible; let us love it; let us count it more precious than much fine gold.

-Charles Spurgeon

A doggerel verse on gardening:

Her wild garden grew, viridescent in hue,

Cowboy hat worn proudly, a song she sang loudly,

Underneath clear sapphire skies, as the bees hummed contentedly—

Weeds were abundant; the morning glories' stranglehold,

Sought to pull her plants down.

Long lasting days, a golden summer haze,

Garden-gloves worn and thin, dirt under her skin,

Sun beams coruscating down, the earth's crusts packed hard—

Thirsty plants weakened, vines holding ever-fast,

She weeded and pulled to no avail.

Evening light dim, cool mist drifts in,

Denim jacket worn and faded, unruly hair quickly braided, 

Crickets' shrill chirring heard, as the distant river roars—

Sunset's blush quickly fading, tired back straightened,

Empty wheelbarrow she filled again.

A day now ended, moonrise splendid,

Dusty boots worn and battered, her hopes now shattered,

The stars lambent overhead, her garden was a miscellany—

When all was said and done:
Bit of everything, and a great deal of none,

The mosquitoes drove her inside.

the end?

-GB