Happy Father’s Day

Posted on June 17, 2007 by Clint

If there’s anything this country needs more of, it’s good fathers. These days if one turns on the Simpsons, Everybody Loves Raymond, or pretty much any other show, the dad is portrayed as dumb, immature, or even worse. Whether it’s a reflection or indoctrination, I’ll leave that for you to decide…but the fact of the matter is that there’s little glory in pop culture today for a dad who will stand up and be a man for his family. Too bad…who wants to be popular, anyway?

Fatherly advice is incredibly important to a boy’s development. I remember my dad telling me things practical things like how to work on the car or the house, matters of character such as how to treat my wife when I get married, and disciplinary lessons in the consequences of my actions. They took a while to sink in, but now that guidance is with me and shapes the way I am as a man.

Fatherly advice has always been important. In the book of Proverbs, King Solomon relays the following guidance from his father David:

4:3 For I was my father’s son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother.
4:4 He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live.
4:5 Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.
4:6 Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee.
4:7 Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

The advice David passed along to his son did not return void. Later on, when Solomon succeeded David as king of Israel, those words bore fruit. As depicted in I Kings chapter 3 and and II Chronicles chapter 1:

1:7 In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.
…
1:10 Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people: for who can judge this thy people, that is so great?
1:11 And God said to Solomon, Because this was in thine heart, and thou hast not asked riches, wealth, or honour, nor the life of thine enemies, neither yet hast asked long life; but hast asked wisdom and knowledge for thyself, that thou mayest judge my people, over whom I have made thee king:
1:12 Wisdom and knowledge is granted unto thee; and I will give thee riches, and wealth, and honour, such as none of the kings have had that have been before thee, neither shall there any after thee have the like.

Solomon obeyed his father’s counsel, and was pleasing to God. The Bible talks about David as “a man after God’s own heart.” His advice to his son was to seek wisdom, and Solomon followed through. But what is wisdom?

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever. (Psalm 111:10)

I learned a lot from my dad; mechanical skills, practical common sense, and a fear of God. But it wasn’t until one day when I was helping him at a job site before my shift at the TV station when he told me, completely out of the blue: “You know, you’ll never get to heaven unless you accept Jesus Christ into your heart.” This was a real shock to me; I grew up in a strict Catholic environment, attending private schools with uniforms and knuckle-rapping nuns. I’d fallen away from church after college, but still feared God. I just didn’t know much about him, although I could recite the Catholic Mass in my sleep. So my dad’s words made me curious.

I started exploring the gospels and was completely astounded by what I read therein. I took particular interest in the book of Romans, which every Catholic should read. I found out that trying to “be a good person” or “work my way to heaven” was not going to cut it. I always figured if my scales tipped toward good more than evil, I’d be okay. I found out that my idea wasn’t in line with God’s plan at all.

In the Old Testament times, the Jews would have to sacrifice a lamb without a blemish or spot (Exodus 12:5, I Peter 1:19) to atone for their sins. These sacrifices covered their sins, but did not take them away. But under the new covenant of the New Testament, Jesus Christ became that sacrifice for all the world. Remember how he’s called the “Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” The sacrifice for our sins has already been made, we just need to put our faith in that “free gift” (Romans chapter 5).

The Bible tells us that “and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6) and that “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). Yet I was simply hoping that I’d been more good than bad, thinking that somehow that would make me go up instead of down someday. Talk about some uninformed thinking! And I knew none of this until the advice of my father pointed me in the right direction and I opened God’s word for answers.

After reading and discovering what the Bible says about our eternal salvation, I repented and put my trust in the sacrifice Jesus Christ made on my behalf. I realized that I was a sinner that had separated himself from God; that no good thing I do or sacrament I perform could make up for that sin; and that Jesus Christ had already died and risen from the dead so that I could claim victory over sin through him. I’ve now got assurance of a place in heaven someday; not because Clint did anything of note, but that I believe that Jesus did it for me.

If you are trying to be a good person today, that’s great. If you expect it to get you to heaven at the end of your earthly run, that’s not scriptural. Only by the belief that Jesus died on the cross for your sins as well as the sin of the world can you see him in heaven someday. Read the Bible; it’s simply amazing how God’s plan works, yet we’re all too busy or distracted to find out about it!

I’ve got some wonderful news to pass along to my little boy when he’s older. He’ll know that he doesn’t have to be a slave to sin all his life or try to work his way to heaven. He’ll grow up knowing that he has a loving God, an eternal Savior who has made a way for him. That’s far more important for a boy to learn than how to ride a bicycle or change the oil in the car. Don’t worry, he’s going to learn those things too.

Your Message Here! Reach…well…nobody, really

Posted on June 15, 2007 by Clint

I got off work early yesterday and decided to capitalize on the opportunity to hop on my dirt bike and head out of town. Along a cool little section line road I found this sign. This was a really cool road, one which I probably wouldn’t even take my 4×4 truck on…but the dirt bike is pretty nimble on this stuff. I decided to stop and take a rest and grab a few shots.

So, if you want to post a message that might someday be seen by somebody, although I can make no guarantees, perhaps this would be a good opportunity! If you don’t have the means to get across some pretty gnarly terrain, however, get ready to hike. It’s only about 14 miles out of Bismarck. The way things are going, this could be prime real estate in just a few short years!

Friday night lights – the sunset kind

Posted on June 15, 2007 by Clint

While out and about with my wife and boy, we saw a fantastic sunset in the making. We pointed the car toward Double Ditch and were able to stop by that old familiar fencepost just in time to catch some fantastic reflections across the Missouri River.

Thankfully the water level has come up quite a bit on this stretch of the Missouri; it had been Sandbar Central prior to the rains that have blessed our area as of late. That also makes for nicer pictures; river sand doesn’t reflect sunrises very well!

DUCK! Well, actually…Goose!

Posted on June 14, 2007 by Clint

You may have noticed this sign while coming down to the Fox Island area. At first glance, it would appear that a duck crossing would be up ahead, or at least that’s the way I interpret the shape. But this area is actually a very popular nesting ground for geese. Lots of little newly-hatched goslings are getting their sea legs this time of year as mom and dad take them from the safety of the nests to the open water, and sometimes that involves a brief waddle across Fox Island Road.

Here a couple of goose families are enjoying the water along the road, which is especially high after all the recent rains. They didn’t care much for paparazzi, however, and scooted away from me as soon as I got set up along the shore line.

If you were in or around the Southport Marina this spring and happened to glance at this little island along the northern edge of the development, you were looking at a nest. Here the momma goose is hunkered down to protect her nest, despite picking one of the most visible spots in the area to build it. There are many such nests in this area, and a few locals even put up “nesting aids” in the back yards or along the water.

This area could use a “Turtle Crossing” sign as well; I remember one night when nearly a dozen of us on motorcycles came barreling down the road to stop and hang out near the Fox Island dock. Only once we’d removed our helmets did one guy from the back ask, with great incredulity, if anyone had even seen the turtle walking across our lane! Apparently everybody missed the little guy, which is fortunate; that would have caused a nasty chain-reaction accident. I’ve since pulled over on occasion to pick up a turtle from the road and deposit him on the other side of the road. For a turtle, that must be awesome acceleration!

Buggies ‘n’ Blues 2007 – a few notable cars

Posted on June 13, 2007 by Clint

I took my boy to walk the Buggies ‘n’ Blues last weekend and peruse all the cars and trucks on display. He’s only five months old, so I’m not sure what he gets out of it, but he sure was rubbernecking the entire time! So I guess it was a worthwhile effort. I can’t wait until he gets old enough to appreciate this stuff, because I’m going to take him EVERYWHERE.

There were a lot of vehicles on display this year. Everything from unremarkable Hondas whose owner had taken the time to Krylon the brake calipers to painstakingly restored works of automotive art. There were even some “motorcycles” there as well. I’m not a car guy…I mean, I never met a Corvette I didn’t like, but I’d be the last one in the world to sink a ton of money into something with four wheels. High performance motorcycles, though? That’s another matter. Anyway, here are a few vehicles that caught my eye over the weekend:

This 1930 Ford Model A has been given a bit of a hooligan treatment, so I thought it had a lot of character. It isn’t bristling with chrome or a high-dollar paint job, but it looks like it would be a blast to get in and drive it like I stole it! Nice work.

I want a convertible for some reason, and this Fairlane really stood out. My wife thought it looked like fun as well, and I think she’s right. I think it’s that gigantic mechanical hard top that does it. Sweet!

The orange and cream color of this Pontiac instantly won our hearts, especially because I grew up scarfing Dreamsicles back in the Rocky Mountains in the 70’s. Do they still call them Dreamsicles? I think they quit doing that in the late 70’s. The paint job on this car made the difference for us; if it had been any other color, I don’t think we’d have stopped.

Despite years of ridiculing all things Chrysler, I must admit my respect for the Cuda. Especially one that’s Kawasaki Green! Mom didn’t say anything as my boy and I were magnetically drawn to the shiny green car, but this wasn’t just about paint. This is a mean machine that just happens to be green. Just like Kawasaki, it takes a bit of boldness to make something such a blazing, in-your-face color, and I like it. There are only three cars in the history of Chrysler that I’d even give a second glance, and this is at the top of the list. And it’s in my color, too!

There you have it. An extremely unscientific and pretty much random look at Buggies ‘n’ Blues. A guy could put up a whole website about the event; the lime snow cones we had, the cars which represent thousands of dollars and hundreds of restoration hours on the part of the passionate folks who brought them, or even just the idea of getting out and walking around Mandan for an afternoon. It was a blast, and I like to see that many people pour into Mandan for a weekend. I’m really glad we were able to attend, and we look forward to next year’s show!

Tuesday windmill

Posted on June 12, 2007 by Clint

I absolutely love it when the grass is green, the sky is blue, and I find another object at which to point my camera. After work I hit the dirt roads and went muddin’ with my truck, saw lots of cool birds and new places I’d never been…then drove into a patch of rain which washed pretty much all of the mud off the truck. In a way, things came full circle.

Monday night at the edge of the storm

Posted on June 12, 2007 by Clint

Once again, we just missed getting pummeled by a nasty summer thunderstorm. Today only you can check the WSI “Yesterday” radar loop by clicking here. The fact that we were on the end of some dramatic cloud formations made for a very unique sunset.

I was just wrapping up some yard and garage work and, while my view of the horizon is obscured, I could tell that the sky had a lot of unusual characteristics. So, in the course of running and errand for my wife, I decided to bolt to Hillside Park and snap a few shots. What you see above is the edge of the cloud cover, a window to the somewhat clearer skies beyond. Even cooler:

What’s neat about this part of the sky is that something’s casting a shadow on the clouds. The rays that spread outward are blocked in a couple of places, making for some neat texture to the bottom of the clouds overhead. It’s just too bad I didn’t have an angle without all the antennas in the way!

60,000 foot clouds in South Dakota can be seen in Bismarck-Mandan

Posted on June 10, 2007 by Clint

On my way home from a grueling evening of volleyball and pizza, my wife and I were curious about the light show in the southern sky. I giant cloud that looked like it came from the movie “Independence Day” was looming southward, and full of lightning. We decided to do the romantic thing and go to the top of Hillside Park to view it. I took a couple of quick photos as well.

Once I got home and got the truck in the garage, I checked the Intellicast Radar Summary to see how close it was. I was quite surprised to find that it wasn’t close at all! These clouds were still south of the ND-SD border, and the cloud tops were hitting 60,000 feet! I took a snapshot after originally typing this post, and they were just starting to cross the border (see above) and were picking up speed

With a storm cell that compact, boiling up to a height of almost 12 miles while dropping hail, we’re likely to see its aftermath on the news tomorrow. Good thing it’s not in a densely populated area right now; of course, who knows what it might do when it approaches Jamestown!

Let sleeping dogs lie…especially when they’re stacked

Posted on June 9, 2007 by Clint

These two canine companions were having a warm summer snooze in the driveway of their owners as I drove by. They live in a house near Fox Island and the surrounding backwater, so I’ve seen them many times before. In fact, I’d even heard about them sleeping this way before…I had just never seen it for myself. Now I have, and so have you! What a great couple of pals these pooches must be.

Friday night sunset