Cry with one voice unto the Lord...

Today was a comfortable Sunday. Testimonies were just that. Sunday School was instructive. And third hour found us in the company of our Bishop and his inspired message.

He spoke to us about the world in which we find ourselves and the assault upon us and our beliefs and made a comparison to the Lamanite’s attack on the Nephites in the forty-third chapter of Alma. Although the Nephites were better prepared for battle, having armor and shields, there came a point in the battle that the fierceness and anger of the Lamanites caused them to doubt. They would have given up had it not been for Moroni who plucked them from disaster and caused them to stand their ground. “And it came to pass that they turned upon the Lamanites, and they cried with one voice unto the Lord their God… And they began to stand against the Lamanites with power…”

In this world where the assaults upon us are mostly individual and seldom seen as an organized attack upon us collectively, the question is how do we “cry unto the Lord with one voice”? How can we accomplish that as families and as a church?

The answer to that is something I’d like you to consider and ponder upon. Perhaps make it a question to bring to a family home evening. And if you wish share your thoughts with me.

Here's your 2008 baseball schedule... !!!

Rainiers Baseball 2008

Date Opponent Time Event
Thursday, April 3 // Sacramento // 7:00 pm-Opening Night // Opening Night & Free Scarf
Friday, April 4 // Sacramento // 7:00 pm // Fireworks Opening Weekend & Free Scarf
Saturday, April 19 // Colorado Springs // 7:00 pm // Summer Saturday Night
Friday, May 2 // Oklahoma // 7:00 pm // Fireworks
Friday, May 16 // Tucson // 7:00 pm // Fireworks
Friday, June 6 // Fresno // 7:00 pm // Fireworks Free Hat
Saturday, June 7 // Fresno // 7:00 pm // ZOOperstars & Free Hat
Friday, June 27 // Salt Lake // 7:00 pm // Fireworks
Thursday, July 3 // Colorado Springs // 7:00 pm // Fireworks
Friday, July 18 // Tucson // 7:00 pm // Fireworks Rhubarb Bobblehead
Friday, August 1 // Round Rock // 7:00 pm // Fireworks
Friday, August 15 // Las Vegas // 7:00 pm // Fireworks & Rhubarb Bobblehead
Friday, August 29 // Portland // 7:00 pm // Fireworks
Monday, September 1 // Portland // 1:30 pm // Labor Day & Last Game of Season



Same seats as every year and we have season ticket holder status. You'll notice that we have opening night and last game of the season as well as Fourth of July, ZOOperstars, hat nights and lots of fun ahead . I've talked to the people in the office and they expect this year to be better than last in respect to stuff for the fans.


I'm excited.


I'm ready for baseball.


All together now...


Take me out to the ball game
Take me out with the crowd
Buy me some peanuts [cracky-wackies] and CrackerJacks [I'd prefer a hot dog]
I don't care if I never get back
Let me root, root, root for the home team
If they don't win it's a shame
For it's one, two, three strikes you're out
At the old ball game.


Nothin' like it!

When chased by a cow...

One of my earliest recollections is being chased by a cow. To me - as it appears in movie of my mind – it’s all head and getting closer and closer. Not just once but over and over it seemed to me. How I escaped I’m not sure. That I did is a certainty. My mother, one of my aunts, or even my grandmother plucked me from disaster each time.

How is it possible that a cow would suddenly appear in my cousin’s yard in suburban Milwaukie, Oregon? First of all the Milwaukie where I grew up and when I grew up was not at all suburban. Sub-rural maybe but not suburban. We lived on a half acre that abutted the half acre belonging to Ross and Ada. And to their west that of George and Orvilla Smith. The land had been bought from the Glover ranch. In fact all the land around us had been part of the ranch. The ranch house and the out-buildings stood for many years just east of Forty-first Street and just west of the airport as we called Wells’ landing strip. What is now Forty-third Street was during my childhood Glover Road. It started at King Road and ended at the entrance to the airport just behind the ranch house.

The Smiths had a cow. And they were not good at building fences. I suppose the cow saw Ross’ place as greener pastures and me as something to follow. Chasing me was the result, I’m sure, of my fright at seeing the monster and running from it. Something in the recesses of my mind says I had been told that cows follow things that run. But run I did as fast as my pre-school legs would carry me.

Now it doesn’t seem to be as frightening as it was then. I suppose the lesson to be learned was to stand my ground. That’s easy to say when you’re not face to face with a mad cow.

In the beginning...

Sunday last I made a comment to my son, Chris, about something he had written in his blog. Essentially what I said was that it didn't accurately describe my situation at a particular point in the Solvang Century. His response was "Get your own blog." So now I have and now it doesn't seem so important to give an accurate account of that moment in cycling history. I do, however, reserve the right to revisit the story at my discretion.

Every blog seems to have a theme. And when it was suggested to me earlier this year by my daughter-in-law that I start a blog to which I said "What would I write about?" She said, "Write about your favorite team or..." My reaction was that I would quickly run out of material. Although I do have a favorite team I don't follow it very closely. That's when it struck me. I can do a "Seinfeld" blog. I can write about nothing.

So I am beginning.