Recipes

Eggplant Sauce (for a family of 8)

5 medium eggplants diced in a bosh food processor

1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil

1T. whole dried oregano

1 t. sea salt

2 t. California pepper ground

1 1/2 t. ground cumin

1 1/2 t. thyme chopped and dried

1t. rosemary powder

1 cup garlic

2 c. vegetable broth-I use canned corn water or whey

Bring all to a boil and stir till eggplant is well cooked.

Then add 8 c. canned diced tomatoes

Serve over brown rice, whole grain spaghetti or cucumbers

Jodavid's Sensational Almond Milk

2 1/2 c. almonds ground in Vita Mix

3 1/2 c. unsweetened pineapple

3 drops stevia extract

1/2 t. vanilla extract

serve over rice or other cereal for breakfast

Limas

4 c. dry baby lima beans soaked 8-24 hours.

1/2 t. sea salt

1/4 t. rosemary powder

1/2 t. California pepper powder

1/2 t. cumin powder

1/4 marjoram powder

1/4 savory powder

Bring to a boil and cook on low for 3-4 hours.

Dice 5 green bell peppers in a Bosh or food processer.

Sauté in 1tbsp. olive oil and 1cup of the lima bean water.

Slice 5 carrots (optional) in Bosh and sauté in 1 cup of bean broth

Go Green!

Spinach Smoothie

5 c. unsweetened pineapple chucks with juice

1 pound spinach

7 ice cubes

Blend in a vita mix till very smooth.

Mother and I like 1 1/2 c. less pineapple in ours.

This is amazingly refreshing and good!

Once mother went to our eye doctor and asked what was the best food for your eyes

"Actually, spinach," he said.

Rolling Out Pollen Patties

We have purchased pollen patties from other beekeepers,

But now we have a mixer and are making our first batch.

Victor
Two Chefs
Two Friends
Dough
Jodavid
Rolling in the Dough
"This is a good tractor."
Victor Landing Well
The ladies join the party.
Jodavid is kicking up his heels.

These are my treasured flowers.

They are good friends and enjoy working together.

2008 California State Propositions

We welcome your input on these:

1 NO – Tax Funded High-Speed Passenger Train

2 NO – More Standards for Confining Farm Animals

3 NO – Tax Funding of Children’s Hospital Bond Act.

4 YES – Waiting Period and Parental Notification Before Abortion of Minor’s Unborn Child

5 NO – Nonviolent Drug Offenses, Sentencing, Parole and Rehabilitation

6 NO – More Taxes to fund Police and Law Enforcement. Criminal Penalties and Laws

7 NO – More Taxes for Renewable Energy Generation

8 YES – Eliminates Right of Same-Sex Couples to “Marry”

9 YES – Criminal Justice System. Victims' Rights. Parole

10 NO – Alternative Fuel Vehicles and Renewable Energy. Bonds

11 YES – Redistricting

For Michael Thomas & Rebekah Flynn

All you really need is love.

The Grand Adventure II - For HIS Honor & Glory!

Michael Thomas & Rebekah Flynn

Aye! It's a thing of beauty No matter what we are and who,

Some duties everyone must do:

A Poet put aside his wreath

To wash his face and brush his teeth

And Even Earls must comb their curls,

And even Kings

Have underthings

Routine - Arthur Guiterman

There are Solutions40 Days for Life

This is a cross between commando training and break dancing

Flight ... remember "happy thoughts"

Ma and Pa take a picture on "The Bench"

As do Bekah and I

A Covenant Siblings Support Our Decision Our families happily engaged in the task of taking a group/mob photo.
A couple, engaged to each other ;-)

Where might the hand of Providence take us?

As of this afternoon at our beloved Blithewold, Rebekah Flynn has agreed to become my wife. I am about as happy as can be! I tried to make it a surprise, but, as she told me, she did suspect something might be up. "Details! Details!" You might say ...

The pictures, as always, tell the tale. Enjoy! Please keep us in your prayers. We now have many important decisions to make over the next couple months (and years ... but I'll take it one season at a time ;-).

As Always,

Love in Christ Jesus,

Michael Thomas ~ Webmaster for The Grand Adventure II

P.S. I love you Rebekah!

http://grandadventure2.blogspot.com/

From Gary DeMar's 40th High School Reunion

Forty years seems like a long time, but they’ve passed quickly. If you’re in your teens and reading this, here’s bit of advice: Don’t procrastinate . . . challenge yourself . . . never under estimate your latent talents and gifts . . . remember that power is perfected in weakness (2 Cor. 12:9-10) . . . make lots of the right kind of friends (Prov. 18:24)[2] . . . view adversities and obstacles as opportunities . . . listen to people who have failed and didn’t let failure defeat them . . . never rest on your laurels because they are as fleeting as the years...

Looking back over 40 years forces you to do a lot of thinking. I wished I gotten to know my classmates better. High school is such an awkward time filled with insecurities, and we cope with them in any number of ways. It’s a shame that we let these get in the way of establishing deep and lasting friendships at a young age. By the time we figure this out, we become different people with our own children in tow. These are the foibles of youth that we hope our children and grandchildren will not experience. But they will make similar mistakes, and that’s what life is all about. We become the people we are by working through the complexities, even the tragedies of life. Those who don’t understand these things live incomplete and miserable lives.

Abolish the Fed

Disposable Man or Dominion Man

…Disposable man lashes out at the world and civilization around him: if man is disposable, then all things else must be made disposable, and must be smashed.

“All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of man” (John 1:3-4). Not Disposable Man, but Religious Man, not a meaningless world, but a universe of total meaning, this is the teaching of scripture and the reality of the cosmos. Because all things were made by Him, all things, being totally the handiwork of an absolute and perfect purpose and decree, have
a total meaning. Everything has meaning, God’s meaning, and the direction of all things is neither death nor meaninglessness, but a triumph of God’s glorious purpose and plan.

…The idea of a future belongs to the world of meaning, purpose, and direction…Only men and civilizations which build on the Rock, Jesus Christ, can endure (Matt. 7:24-29)…The only possible post-Christian “culture” is the graveyard, because culture is a religious fact and presupposes faith, meaning, purpose, and direction. Thus, as the old forms of humanism erode, the only possible form of civilization and culture is increasingly manifest; it can only be a Christian culture, one firmly rooted in the whole counsel of God and His law-word. If you are not working to reconstruct all things in terms of the word of God, you are headed for the graveyard of history and God’s judgment.

Paul Jehle's Influence for Local Community Service

Seventy gathered to help clean up our town today.

Jodavid brought his cart.
While Regina and Lance worked with Carla, a first grade teacher.
Lance was glad to be listening to Paul Jehle on his ipod.
David took the rest of us to Pine Street,
where we cleaned up two empty lots and a barbershop parking lot.
We joined Regina and Lance at the car wash which needed the most work.
Nina Morehead was taking care of three whose parents were helping,
at the community recreation center in the old lumber supply building.

At nearly eighty,

Nina cleans the church each week and attends Bible Study Fellowship.
The Lion's Club provided lunch for all.
There we met with local pastors and town officials.
Louise Rambo asked David to take his (family) crew after lunch

to an empty lot on Main Street next to the bar.
As we left town, we drove past the house on Court Street where we use to live.
It appears to be well cared for.
We thank God we can live in the country.

White Crane

As I went out to the well to bring up the water pressure,

I flashed my light around and spotted this crane.

Eric & Nia Thompson Family

We gather together to ask the Lord's blessing.

Butterflies!
I caught one! (and another, and another...)

Lydia asked for a "tank" to put it in.

Jodavid punched air holes in lids of two Mason jars.

Their family is preparing to open a pet store in Reedley.

Here it is!
Eric & Nia
Hannah, Lydia, William
Melody was in her element.

Melody & Lydia

Sweet William played careful, beautiful notes.

Cell Phone Message Check

Hannah makes moonlight music mighty nice.

Talking to Good Friend Dr. Paul Shakespeare

It is great to be with Daddy...

Tuning in to his conversation.

Billy Graham Denies Jesus Is The ONLY WAY To The Father

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axxlXy6bLH0

MacArthur on the Purpose Driven Life

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nI9EzMWZoag

Uniting Church & Home Conference--Scott Brown

Nick Jesh said...I had the privilege of hearing Scott Brown teach here in Washington this past weekend, and he spoke of how encouraged he is as he goes about this country and sees five things being restored: hearts of fathers returning to children; parents taking up the command to teach/disciple their children; the Word being restored to its rightful place in homes and churches; families having large numbers of children, trusting God for their provision; the restoration of godly gender roles.

Trailers: Flywheel, Facing the Giants, Fireproof

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sVlvjqbo-w&eurl=http://melodys-notes.blogspot.com/

Congressman Paul's Texas Straight Talk: Too Big to Fail?

“In the midst of highly unpopular bailouts of Wall Street, many justifications have been given about why Washington feels the need to act. Some claim that capitalism and the free market are to blame, but we have not had capitalism. If you compare our financial capital to our aggregate debt, this would be obvious. In the same way, we have not had a truly free market. The monetary manipulations of the Federal Reserve, a complex tax code, the many “oversight” agencies and their mountains of regulations show that we are far removed from a free market economy…”

Click here to read the full article.

Weekly Straight Column:

http://www.house.gov/apps/blog/tx14_paul/

Bailout

Check out this link to a great Ron Paul interview.

It's not too long, but it's stuff more people should be hearing.
Alrighty, blessings!
Jonathan

Fellowship

We were just finishing family devotions when Luke and Adam arrived.
Victor and Lance scrambled around gathering last minute items.

Ready to go see Fireproof at the Theater from Singleton home.
Luke Had One Low Tire
We talked with men running for city council.

They have no right to spend our money on "kids programs."

Jeriah and I greeted those running for City Council.

They were gracious men, but NOT Constitutional.

We had a good time interacting with them.

Lance & Victor
Al Huey Subjects:

Free Church, John Lofton Show, Uncivil War, Gary DeMar...

ProLIFE Booth
Luke Read A Health Lesson on the Baby Bottle We Reflected of a Good Time Ministering After Church, we talked about Luke's sermon.

To vote for the lesser of two evils, when there is a godly alternative,

is to violate the commandments of God.

Church Dinner
Walt Maur, center, is running for city council.

Mike Neel, in blue shirt on left, is running for city council.
Shane & Alissa

The Mayor Came.

He who rules must be just,

Ruling in the fear of God. II Samuel 23:3

Election Sermon in the City Council Chambers

City Council Chambers
Adam, Jeriah, Jordan

Luke teasing Mell about healthy food

http://rejoicing-sisters.blogspot.com/

Time to say Good-bye

Their Hospitality was Sweet