Rearview sunset

 The sun seems brightest when it is low in the sky.

It will soon be only the day's memory.

It is still too bright to gaze upon.

At least directly.


This is Oklahoma.

Friday Night Lights

 The sun escapes the day.

But not without comment.

Colorful remarks.

They make a statement.


This is Oklahoma.

Meat on the hoof

 Headed home from Sizzlin on Friday evening.

Steak was good.

This one was spared.


This is Oklahoma.

Color

Dry summer.

Brown fields.

Some defy the dryness.

Some offer color to a parched landscape.


This is Oklahoma

Oh that creosote smell. By any other name would smell as sweet?

 

Steel, wood, and rock.

The smell of creosote.

Weeds on the tracks.

Tracks setting alone begging to be walked.

This is Oklahoma.

With an eye on energy

 Most folks have been keeping their eyes on energy costs.

Oil and gas companies mean a lot to western Oklahoma.

Of course there are other forms of potential and kinetic energy that surround Oklahomans every day.


This is Oklahoma.

Crossings

 The railroad system is still viable in some parts of Oklahoma.

Folks don't see much traffic here.

A new sort of crossing is much more common.


This is Oklahoma

Welcome to my courtyard

 The burn ban put an end to evenings by the fire.

No complaints.

It was still over one hundred degrees when the sun went down.

The Morning Glories jumped at the opportunity to expand their domain.

Morning Glories are like that.

Welcome to my courtyard.

This is Oklahoma.

Life finds a way

These catus plants were pruned at the beginning of the summer.  Severed limbs were cast into empty spots along the border to the house.

By the end of September, the older plants were once again reaching rooftop height and the discarded segments had begun their own life nearby.

Life finds a way.


This is Oklahoma

Cloudy morning

The sun behind the clouds says mystery.

The clouds themselves speak of potential.

The red light offers boundaries of comfort.

The new day was not promised, but delivered.

This is life.


This is Oklahoma.

Throw Away Kids

Kids are being discarded by their parents.

They get to live in the house--most of the time.

They don't get beaten--most of the time.

Sometimes the parents even know where the kids are, but not that often.

Kids are being dumped on the school systems, churches, and government agencies for parenting.

Are we content with a generation of throw away kids?

Do not read this book if you do not want to get involved.  If you realize that we who have brought up our children without giving up are blessed, then read this book.

If you are struggling to raise your kids but know there is not an "opt out" for parenting, then read this book.

If you think it is time to call all parents back to parenting, then read this book.

We can judge or complain about the problem, or we can become part of the solution.

From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.

Luke 12:48

Throw Away Kids

Are you concerned enough to get involved?



From an Author you may know

West of Burns Flat.

September 2011.

Author:  God

No charge for this viewing.



This is Oklahoma.

A rose by any other name?

 Sometimes we just need to stop and smell the roses, or in this case the Blackeyed Susan's and the Lantanna.

Green wheat fields in the winter.

Indian Blanket and Redbuds in the spring.

And a variety of wildflowers throughout the summer.


This is Oklahoma.

Blackeyes and a sunset

The ground offers little moisture but it is enough to bring these flowers to bloom.

The blooms and the sunset say Oklahoma.


This is Oklahoma.

No two sunrises are quite alike

Oklahomans are seldom surprised but always amazed at the fantastic color of the sunrise.

No two are ever the same.

Many are similar.

All are unique.


This is Oklahoma.

The sunrise calls

The sunrise speaks of possibilities.

The sunrise calls us to reach beyond what we knew yesterday.

The sunrise calls us out of our comfort zone.

The sunrise reminds us of the eternal goal to which we press forward.


This is Oklahoma.

I've never been to heaven, but I've been to Oklahoma

If you can just catch a sunrise or a sunset, you will change the countenance of your entire day.

What masterpieces unfold before us daily.

Glory to God in the highest!


This is Oklahoma.

He Arose!

He Arose!

He arose a victor from the dark domain,

And He lives forever with his saints to reign.


The cross in the foreground of the Oklahoma sky reminds us that we are more than conquerors.

This is Oklahoma.

Blue skies smiling at me

Find a color.

Find a shape.

Find a story.

The Oklahoma sky beckons the imagination to come alive.


This is Oklahoma.

Oklahoma Sky

Just when you think you have seen it all, the Oklahoma sky says, "Look here.  See what I have painted for you now."

A little sun, a little moisture, Oklahoma air, and there you have it.


This is Oklahoma.

Swimming with the Saints

The Cumberland Presbyterian Church invited the entire community to come and swim as their guests on August 1st.

What a better way to beat the weeks of triple digit heat than a couple hours in the pool.


This is Oklahoma.

Backpack Ministry - God's Love in Action

The Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Burns Flat rallied the community to procure and fill 80 backpacks for needy kids in the 2011-2012 school year.

This is love.

This is love in action.

This is God's love in action.

This is Oklahoma

Chewy Tuesdays

This first year ministry was an excellent complement to Pop Tarts and Peanut Butter!

This is Oklahoma

Pop Tarts and Peanut Butter

How does this picture get in with Oklahoma sunsets?

It is a picture of the generosity of the people of western Oklahoma.

Every year, people donate food, clothing, money, gifts, time and talents to help their brothers and sisters in need.

Every summer for the past 5 years, the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Burns Flat collected Pop Tarts (or a similar brand) and Peanut Butter.

These foods help feed kids who are home alone during the summer months.  This has been one way the local church has become God's Love in Action.

Sentinel Sunset

The sun disappears over the horizon that appears in field between Sentinel and Lone Wolf.

It is as if it offered its viewers one last comment in an array of color.

This is Oklahoma.

Receive each day as a gift

We are only here for a short time.

We are only mist that is here for the moment.

We must learn to number our days.


Receive each day as a gift.

Live it to the full.


This is Oklahoma



These kittens were killed only a few hours after this picture was taken.  A roaming pack of dogs that runs free in the town of Burns Flat left their bodies strewn across the driveway and yard.

Perhaps we should remind ourselves that tomorrow is not promised to us either.

Live each day to the full.

Holy Week

When God paints this picture over your church building during Holy Week, you just have to take notice.

Hallelujah!  Christ Arose!

This is Oklahoma.

Most notice the days when the wind does not blow

That's what marksmen call a full value wind.

Those in western Oklahoma generally notice those few days when the wind does not blow.

Some days, like this one, it blows hard enough to get your attention.


This is Oklahoma.

A tough year for cattle

2011 has been a tough year for cattlemen.

Rain has been scarce.

Pastures are brown.

Feed is scarce and high priced.

Many cut their hurds to survive the drought.

Pray for rain.

This too is Oklahoma

Sadly, much of the Oklahoma landscape is covered in trash.

Plastic bottles, bags, and all manner of disposable materials blow across the Oklahoma landscape until they come to rest in a bush or a fence.

This is Oklahoma.

Isn't it time we took care of her again?

Got News?

Only the chain remains from where The Oklahoman newspaper rack once stood.

The two other daily papers servicing Burns Flat continue to provide a point of purchase service at the U.S. Post Office.

While the landscape of western Oklahoma changes little over the years; the landscape of the print media avialable to the state has changed dramatically.  The Oklahoman can still claim to be the state paper, but only in the way that this blog can claim to be a world-wide blog.

The next generation of Oklahomans may not know what it means to get newsprint on your hands when you read breaking news.

This is Oklahoma.