Arctic or Iranian desert?
I thought these photos were a commercial for Obama picturing his planned meeting with his bear friend Ahmadinejad in Iran.
Oops, our cameras caught the last photo in the sequence, not likely to be printed in the NY Times.

Your roving photographer, Compostholestoy

Something Funny happened on the way to the Glacier this morning...

Instant Answer to Prayer

WHAT AN AWESOME TRIBUTE TO GEORGE W BUSH! PLEASE READ THE ENTIRE STORY NO MATTER WHAT YOUR PERCEPTION IS OF HIM. YOU WON'T REGRET IT...

Sent in from our most esoteric Correspondent: Jewels -- "Go ahead Jewels --"

If you want to see an uncut version of this story by Bruce Vincent just go to this URL. http://www.snopes.com/politics/bush/vincent.asp

Story by Bruce Vincent, May 2004

"For those of us who sometimes find ourselves having doubts about our President, here is an excellent piece -- worth every minute it takes to read it. This story is from Bruce Vincent of Libby, Montana who had gone to the White House with others to receive an award from the President..."

He writes:

I've written the following narrative to chronicle the day of the award ceremony in DC. I'm still working on a press release but the White House press corps has yet to provide a photo to go with it. When the photo comes I'll ship it out. When you get done reading this you'll understand the dilemma I face in telling this story beyond my circle of close friends.

Stepping into the Oval Office, each of us was introduced to the President and Mrs Bush. We shook hands and participated in small talk. When the President was told that we were from Libby, Montana , I reminded him that Marc Racicot is our native son and the President offered his warm thoughts about Governor Racicot.

I have to tell you, I was blown away by two things upon entering the office. First, the Oval Office sense of 'place' is unreal. The President later shared a story of Russian President Putin entering the room prepared to tackle the President in a tough negotiation and upon entering, the atheist muttered his first words to the President and they were 'Oh, my God.' I concurred. I could feel the history in my bones.

Second, the man that inhabits the office engaged me with a firm handshake and a look that can only be described as penetrating. Warm, alive, fully engaged, disarmingly penetrating. I was admittedly concerned about meeting the man. I think all of us have an inner hope that the most powerful man in our country is worthy of the responsibility and authority that we bestow upon them through our vote.

I admit that part of me was afraid that I would be let down by the moment -- that the person and the place could not meet the lofty expectations of my fantasy world. This says nothing about my esteem for President Bush but just my practical realization that reality may not match my 'dream.'

Once inside the office, President Bush got right down to business and, standing in front of his desk, handed out the awards one at a time while posing for photos with the winners and Mrs. Bush. With the mission accomplished, the President and Mrs. Bush relaxed and initiated a lengthy, informal conversation about a number of things with our entire small group. He and the First Lady talked about such things as the rug in the office. It is traditionally designed by the First Lady to make a statement about the President, and Mrs. Bush chose a brilliant yellow sunburst pattern to reflect 'hope.' President Bush talked about the absolute need to believe that with hard work and faith in God there is every reason to start each day in the Oval Office with hope. He and the First Lady were asked about the impact of the Presidency on their marriage and, with an arm casually wrapped around Laura, he said that he thought the place may be hard on weak marriages but that it had the ability to make strong marriages even stronger and that he was blessed with a strong one.

After about 30 or 35 minutes, it was time to go. By then we were all relaxed and I felt as if I had just had an excellent visit with a friend.The President and First Lady made one more pass down the line of awardees, shaking hands and offering congratulations.

When the President shook my hand I said, 'Thank you Mr. President and God bless you and your family.' He was already in motion to the next person in line, but he stopped abruptly turned fully back to me, gave me a piercing look, renewed the vigor of his handshake and said, 'Thank you -- and God bless you and yours as well'

On our way out of the office we were to leave by the glass doors on the west side of the office. I was the last person in the exit line. As I shook his hand one final time, President Bush said, 'I'll be sure to tell Marc hello and give him your regards.'

I then did something that surprised even me. I said to him, 'Mr. President, I know you are a busy man and your time is precious. I also know you to be a man of strong faith and I have a favor to ask of you.'

As he shook my hand he looked me in the eye and said, 'Just name it.' I told him that my step-Mom was at that moment in a hospital in Kalispell, Montana , having a tumor removed from her skull and it would mean a great deal to me if he would consider adding her to his prayers that day.

He grabbed me by the arm and took me back toward his desk as he said, 'So that's it. I could tell that something is weighing heavy on your heart today. I could see it in your eyes. This explains it.' From the top drawer of his desk he retrieved a pen and a note card with his seal on it and asked, 'How do you spell her name?' He then jotted a note to her while discussing the importance of family and the strength of prayer. When he handed me the card, he asked about the surgery and the prognosis. I told him we were hoping that it is not a recurrence of an earlier cancer and that, if it is, they can get it all with this surgery.

He said, 'If it's okay with you, we'll take care of the prayer right now. Would you pray with me?' I told him yes and he turned to the staff that remained in the office and he and motioned the folks to step back or leave. He said, 'Bruce and I would like some private time for a prayer.' As they left he turned back to me and took my hands in his. I was prepared to do a traditional prayer stance –standing with each other with heads bowed. Instead, he reached for my head with his right hand and pulling gently forward, he placed my head on his shoulder. With his left arm on my mid-back, he pulled me to him in a prayerful embrace.

He started to pray softly. I started to cry. He continued his prayer for Loretta and for God's perfect will to be done. I cried some more. My body shook a bit as I cried and he just held tighter. He closed by asking God's blessing on Loretta and the family during the coming months. I stepped away from our embrace, wiped my eyes, swiped at the tears I'd left on his shoulder, and looked into the eyes of our president I thanked him as best I could and told him that me and my family would continue praying for him and his.

As I write this account down and reflect upon what it means, I have to tell you that all I really know is that his simple act left me humbled and believing. I so hoped that the man I thought him to be was the man that he is. I know that our nation needs a man such as this in the Oval Office.

George W. Bush is the real deal. I've read Internet stories about the President praying with troops in hospitals and other such uplifting accounts. Each time I read them I hoped them to be true and not an Internet perpetuated myth. This one, I know to be true. I was there. He is real. He has a pile of incredible stuff on his plate each day -- and yet he is tuned in so well to the here and now that he 'sensed' something heavy on my heart. He took time out of his life to care, to share, and to seek God's blessing for my family in a simple man-to-man, father-to -father, son-to-son, husband-to-husband, Christian-to-Christian prayerful embrace.

He's not what I had hoped he would be. He is, in fact, so very, very much more.

NOTE: If you decide to forward this story... please do not add to it. Let Mr. Vincent's encounter stands as he wrote it. * * *

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MTC#11

If I could write and pass a law it would say: " Henceforth, on this day of our Lord May 11, 2008 and on subsequent days ordained by our 'Maestra' and until such time as this law shall be deemed null and void by amendment or rejection which will be acceptable from any single Blog Ninja or quorum, forum or simple majority of the heretofore mentioned Blog Ninjas, that with due consideration and ample permutation through a grouping of reliable and highly knowledgeable individuals , who by all appearances are of sound mind and outstanding character, do so, with no reservation or covert motives, hereby proclaim said day to be not only one in a series of such but the type of day that each person who joins this endeavor should and will be expressive, verbose, humorous, serious, grandiose, simple, full of guile, innocent, deliberate, spontaneous and above all write like the wind." BN Bill 1:1


Please visit the Mystery Topic Challenge Blog to view all of the other entries. Once you've read them all, please be sure to vote HERE for your favorite.

The Dangling of Carrots is as old as Angels, for God told them to, righteously

As my Father in Heaven tries to replace the constant ringing of "me,me,me,me,me,me,me,me" in these clogged ears with "God,God,God,God,God,God,God,God,God!", the notion that we are all together in a virtual room talking, laughing, sharing, witnessing and spilling our emotions and "Pieces of our hearts", as Janis so aptly wailed, to each other and all who care to take the trouble to enjoy and agonize, as R.C. eloquently shared , and learn, as yours truly is, how #&@!*^?&:) amazing IT IS, keeps me on the edge of my seat, anticipating more.

My eclectic and verrrry sleepy brother,( Remove all invasive thoughts from your mind and watch the clock hands tick, tick, tick) and I have joined in the "Tough Prayer for us and our father, Bob, during his senior walk, to be suppliant and responsive to the idiosyncrasies that we share as unique but bound to each other, men of identical genes. How successful our prayers are depends on the perceiver, but as God's child, put near our parents, I want to report to Pat, Sylvia and Becky that all seems to be as intended, minus the commitment to Christ. So we must pray again and again, without end ."

" I appeal to you brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God,which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." Romans 12:1&2.

Paul was the type of man who is missing from our limelight these days, a devoted, eloquent and fearless " man of God". He goes on in Romans 14 to say "One man believes he can eat meat sacrificed to idols, yet the other man who won't eat the meat and will eat only vegetables, is called weak. God has welcomed them both and says do not dispute over opinions."
We have grown up with the fine explanation of how opinions are similar to an anatomical orifice and we all have one. Now, what I get here is to be healthy, moderate and it seems God has an interest in us eating our vegetables, which include carrots.

"Are not all angels ministering spirits sent forth to serve, for the sake of those who are heirs of salvation?" Heb 1:14

More than once I have been told stories that can only be explained by the grace of God, through his angels. Several by our Dad, some by close friends and once or twice random stories. I have felt the presence of Our Lord, close at my side on occasions very dear to me. Angels are the ministering spirits of God. They enhance our feeling of majesty and Holy Spiritual glory when God is over-powering the worldly travails that assault us. Can you feel that power sometimes?

Well, beloveds, as a cohort of my brother, in all of this, sleep well with the grace of God and tomorrow eat your vegetables.