Nicole Practicing for Her High School Christmas Concert This Week

Nicole 2 Lap Relay Swim Meet at Hardin MT

Nicole Hardin MT Swim Meet 1 Lap Relay

Nicole's Hardin MT Swim Meet Interview

Nicole's First High School Choir Concert Part 2

Nicole First High School Choir Concert

Nicole Standing on Her Head on Thanksgiving

We had Thanksgiving with the Seekins clan. Three table of three generations of family with about 15 kids. The kids entertained us after eating.

Nicole Beat the Competition

Nicole Getting Some Coaching.mpg

Or, just two hot babes!!!

Shaq Vs Michael Phelps

Shaq has a good sense of humor.

Nicole's First High School Swim Event.mpg

Nicole's first race of her competitive swimming career. Can she go all the way? Yes, she is going all the way!!! Maybe next time she will compete against Shaq. Stay tuned.

Nicole Swim Meet Interview .mpg

Live Interview with Nicole who is the hot newcomer to the Billings High School Swimming Team. Call right now 555-6262, that's 555-6262 to order your Nicole Bobblehead, but hurry because if you call in the next 5 minutes we will throw in an autographied swim cap while supplies last, and all sales are final.

Nicole, Friends, and Her Date (Caleb), Going to High School Dance

Brother Shawn Baptizing a New Believer

Shawn you are definitely not just talking the talk, but also walking the walk. Shawn told me I could share this with you. He said Jane accepted Jesus as her Father at one of their small group gatherings a few months back, and yes the water was cold! I asked Shawn did he help her with understanding the gospel, and he said, "I simple listened and asked the question." Just like Jesus actively listened to the Samaritan woman while the disciples could not be bothered with her (John 4). "How, then, can they call on the one in whom they have not believed? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard?" (Romans 10:14). Shawn listened and then told her about the Father who wants to have a relationship with her, and probably shared God's word. Then he asked the question about her accepting Christ, and she accepted. The Bible says repent, be baptized, and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Act 2:28-39). "For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord at his coming? Is it not you? For you are our glory and joy" (1 Th 2:19-20). This is Paul writing to the Thessaloian Church. To me, this means when we die and then are judged by Jesus an experience like in these pictures is what Jesus sees as glory and joy. Thank you Shawn for sharing this experience.

Our apartment in Billings is next to a busy cemetery. Actually another body was buried three days ago. I am glad I live next to a cemetery, because it constantly reminds me that we come in the world with nothing and leave with nothing. All that matters is the experiences and relationships we have, including our relationship with our Father. Love and grace, Steve

Michael Jackson's REAL cause of death! [OFFICIAL]

With all the celebrate deaths this summer I thought this might be on your mind. We lost Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, Ed McMahon, Billy Mays, Walter Cronkite, Senator Ted Kennedy, and Patrick Swayze. Regardless of your spiritual beliefs, everyone I know accepts that he or she will die one day, too.

Many of my family and friends are Christians. Nevertheless, I also feel that if I love you then I should share the gospel with you. If nothing else it is a reminder of how precious our time is, and that we should make the most of it daily.

Bison Stampede!!!

Bison stampede!!! This stampede is right next to our car during our Labor Day camping trip in Yellowstone.

"Where I'm From" Poem

A poem from my daughter Nicole. What is your gift that needs to be shared?

9/11

Nicole wrote this after 9/11 when she was eight. It is an unfinished fictional short story. I was, and still am, deeply moved by her thoughts and how that day affected her.

Nine Eleven

BOOM!!! All the stories had gone down! I remember crying that night. It was in New York City, my hometown. My Dad had been working in the World Trade Center, which we called the “The Twin Towers.” That morning I was awaking from home. Dad had taken me to school, when I when I said bye to him. I gave him our secret love sign like I always did (which was like one of our handshakes). I remember having a great day with all my friends. I can still feel the pain, and what I had felt like when the day ended, even though I was only eight-years-old at the time.

Life was hard, we had been homeless before, and we had been rich. That did not matter, because my Dad and I are were very glad to have each other. The loving and caring that he gave me, and how he made me feel proud of how I did in school made us tight. That is why I love him so much. You will never want to feel the pain I did. However, writing this story seems to be the only way to express my feelings for him, and at the same time express what happened to others, and what happened to my Father and me.

It was September 11, 2001; I had no way to know anything would even happen to my Dad or me. No warning: Nothing. In school, we were learning about how to add and subtract. Then we saw smoke. Some freaked out and others just thought it was a car wreck right by our school. Police had been gathering in large formations, heading down road where the smoke was coming from. I watched through the window and saw suffering people, but I was not sure what was going on and why more and more people were panicking. Teachers were screaming in horror. Some of my friends had even started to walk out of the building. No one was supervising us. I could not believe what was happening. It frightened me and gave me the chills. I had decided to see what was going on, so I too got up and went outside. By the time I got outside, there were people screaming and pushing. I realized that the Twin Towers were collapsing, piece by piece. I knew I could have been dead any second.

All of a sudden, I heard a voice calling my name, it was my Dad! We were so happy to see each other. Others were running past us in the crowd, trying their best to not to lose their lives. Surprisingly, we ran too and made it out in time. I was in the middle of the largest crowd ever, and then I realized my dad was no longer next to me! I prayed, as others shoved and pushed me out of the way. If only there was a way out of this mess, I thought to myself. I ran around looking for my Dad, when in the corner of my eye I saw someone. It was my Dad gasping for breath under the heavy smoke, surrounding the whole city. I helped him as much as possible, but I could not pick him up. Therefore, I lay there on the street with him praying in the alley crying and trying to give my Dad confidence that we will get though this together. I am not going to give up; I said to myself. We laid there for a while until someone saw us. But no one had really cared about others; they just went along without even helping my Dad or me. I got up and told my.... [This is Nicole’s unfinished piece.]

Yellowstone Grand Canyon

Nicole is showing you the upper falls. Watch the waterfall. I would not want to raft down this waterfall.

Yellowstone Upper Falls

Here we are a the top of the water fall. Top of the World! Nicole is the cameraperson. She does such a good job.

Lookout Point and Red Rock Trail

We just got done walking up from Red Rock Trail, which was at the bottom of the waterfalls. We also walked up to Lookout Point.

Beautiful Scenery and Hot Babes

Beautiful scenery and beautiful babes. I have the best of both worlds. You can tell we are high up, because you hear the wind blowing during filming. Please to enjoy.

Yellowstone Mule Deer

Mule deer are classified as browsers and prefer shrubs to grasses, especially in the winter. Although very few of the Yellowstone mule deer winter inside the park’s northern boundaries, some are occasionally seen grazing in the Mammoth Hot Springs area. We saw them as we left are Tower Falls Campground.

Wolf

At the end of 2008, at least 124 wolves in 12 packs and various groups occupied Yellowstone National Park. This is one more pack than in 2007, but several long-term, stable packs were lost and smaller, newly formed packs replaced them. This represents a 27% decline compared to the 2007 population and was similar to the 30% decline in 2005. Only six of these packs were breeding pairs, the smallest count since 2000 (when wolves first reached the minimum requirement for delisting of 30 breeding pairs in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming). High mortality of both pups and adults caused the low breeding pair count, despite there being 12 packs. Disease and intraspecific mortality are the two primary factors that caused the wolf population decline.

Yellowstone Climb Out of Grand Canyon

We are climb up the Yellowstone Grand Canyon for exercise, and I talk out of breath during this interview from Nicole. Oxygen, please!

Us at the Yellowstone Grand Canyon

Us at the lower end of the Yellowstone Grand Canyon. I think Nicole would make a good newscaster. Please enjoy the scenery.

Toni and I Playing Pickleball

This is the game pickleball. We play this at least once a week. We are training for the state games next summer. We are starting to get very competitive, and we win frequently. Sometimes, not often, we win by a big margin. Once we were down by over seven points, and we came back. That was way cool! Toni plays like she is on fire! She is a mad woman on the court.

Book Review: Forgotten God

This is Francis Chan. He is the author of the book "Crazy Love." I have not read his new book "Forgotten God" yet, but it is in the mail to me. I will let you know what I think after I read it. Below is what Amazon's web site says about the book. Toni and I have really gotten a lot out of his preaching. He is a pastor in Simi Valley, California. We invite you to check him out at his blog (http://francischansblog.blogspot.com/).

Editorial Reviews
Product DescriptionA follow up to the profound message of Crazy Love, Pastor Francis Chan offers a compelling invitation to understand, embrace, and follow the Holy Spirit's direction in our lives. In the name of the Father, the Son, and ... the Holy Spirit. We pray in the name of all three, but how often do we live with an awareness of only the first two? As Jesus ascended into heaven, He promised to send the Holy Spirit--the Helper--so that we could be true and living witnesses for Christ. Unfortunately, today's church has admired the gift but neglected to open it. Breakthrough author Francis Chan rips away paper and bows to get at the true source of the church's power--the Holy Spirit. Chan contends that we've ignored the Spirit for far too long, and we are reaping the disastrous results. Thorough scriptural support and compelling narrative form Chan's invitation to stop and remember the One we've forgotten, the Spirit of the living God.

About the AuthorFrancis Chan is senior pastor of Cornerstone Church in Simi Valley, California. He is the founder of Eternity Bible College and sits on the board of Children's Hunger Fund. His first book, Crazy Love, has sold over 175,000 copies in its first year. Francis and his family make their home in Southern California. For further information you may want to go to http://www.amazon.com/Forgotten-God-Reversing-Tragic-Neglect/dp/1434767957/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1253369127&sr=8-1.

Dog Sledding

This was us dog sled riding in the Beartooth Mountains during our first vacation to Yellowstone.

E Rosebud Lake - Custer National Forrest

These are pictures of us back in the Beartooth Mountains hiking. Again, we were all exhausted. It was only a seven-mile hike, but it took all day and seemed like 15 miles to me, because it was elevated and rocky. We need to buy hiking shoes. We joined the Beartooth Nordic Hiking Club. We also mined for sapphire gems by Anaconda, MT.

E Rosebud Lake

These are pictures taken in the Beartooth Mountains again. We hiked seven miles to East Rosebud Lake. You can only get there by hiking. Lexy went with us. Nicole looks pretty by the lake. As you can see, I had to take a huge dump on the way back. We could not believe how much came out! Lexy almost made it seven miles but just could not make the last ½ mile. Nicole had to carry her. What a mother! One of our mottos is “Never Leave a Man Behind.” In this case, it was dog, but she is still a family member

Lewis & Clark Cavern

This is us at the Lewis and Clark Caverans. The last picture is Lexy and Sophie.

Lewis & Clark Cavern

The first two photos are Nicole with Sassy (neighbor's dog). We watch here when their out of town. She is a really good dog. First dog Lexy does not act like a fool around. They even ate out of the same plate the other day. The kid in the kennel is Josh. Nicole puts him in the cage when she baby sits him. Nicole really like hanging out with Josh. She even changes his diaper. The last picture is the Beartooth Mountains.

Nicole's Second Poem Beach

The Beach
The sea gulls approaching for their morning catch, the waves crashing at my bare feet it gave me a feeling of being home.
I would love the fresh air it made me think how could God create this, but in a snap, he created it. The sand had a sparkle of delight to my eyes. The feeling of the sand made my feet feel like I was on a cloud up above. I could smell the salt every time the waves crashed against the seashore.
Near the seashore, I saw tiny seashells and sometimes enormous seashells. The sun seemed as if it was smiling at me with its light. When I looked left or right, it looked like the beach could go on forever.

Nicole's Poem Beach

The Beach

At night, there is no one in sight
It is so silent not a sound is made
Peace and delight to the creatures
That lives under
Here they come out
One, other
Waves all around singing in a peaceful
Way that loves
To go around and play
During the day and night

Beartooth Mountain Christian Ranch

The first picture is this hot Montanan cowgirl I met at the Beartooth Christian Ranch. She looked good on a horse, so I took her home. The third and fourth pictures are Nicole and Bella with their horses. Bella is Nicole’s friend. Bella reminds me of Haley, who is Nicole’s cousin. Bella stays with us sometimes. She is cool. The last pictures are the horses running wild on the range. They are let free at the end of their workday.

There really are bears in Montana

We finally saw a bear in Montana and not through a telescope!

Just Stop And Think

I cannot understand how God loves us this much. It is beyond my comprehension.

A Letter to My Daughter

To: Nicole

Date: July 17, 2008

Why I Believe in Jesus and Being Saved

Was the world and us accidents or created?

I believe the world and you were created by a God in love with you (us), because the mountains and beaches, and you are more beautiful than anything I have ever seen man make. When I saw you for the first time (actually besides the medical staff I was the first person you looked at) you were the most beautiful, fragile thing I had ever seen. And once I was rested, I thanked Jesus for your health and promised him to take the best care of you and most importantly love you while in my care. Although I am your father on earth, your ultimate father is God.

Psalm 139:13-16 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

Do we need God in our life?

I believe we have a relationship with God rather it is good and strong, or just there but not
involving, distant and weak. God has given us the freedom to choose. Just as you have a relationship with me your earthly father, and it can be loving and tight, or it could be like the relationship I have had with my father all my life: distant, cold and unloving. Each of us must decide what is really important with the time on earth the Lord has given us.

God (our Father) is there and wants to love us. But he does not want us to love him because we have to, or because he said so. He wants our love to be real, sincere and genuine. Just like I do not love you because it is my job. I love you because it is just part of my heart, genetic make-up (the way God made me); it is real, not fake. I love you unconditionally, and that is how God loves you too.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world (you) that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Why Jesus? Why not Buddha, Mohammad, a cow, or someone famous in Hollywood etc?

I believe the Bible is the word from God to help us here while we are here on earth. The Bible is specific, clear and on point as to why you should believe in Jesus.

John 14:6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Many people believe just trying to be a good person is enough to go to heaven, but Jesus clearly said otherwise.

1 Peter 3:18 For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit.

We cannot have a relationship with God without accepting Jesus as his son, and that he was sinless and died then rose to life because we had sin that needed to be removed to see God. Remember “The Passion of the Christ” movie? If you do not believe it is true. Then you would be telling God your Father that he is a liar. Totally disrespecting your Father (Creator). How hurtful is that?

Jesus died to take the penalty our sins deserved. He took punishment that was ours. And unlike Buddha, Mohammad or any other religious figure Jesus did not stay dead like them. He rose from death to life. He promises this for each of his children too when we die.

How can you be sure you our in a relationship with Jesus?

The bible gives us instructions on how to know for sure.

Romans 10:9, 10 That if you confess with your month, “Jesus is Lord, “and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.

From this I believe if you sincerely acknowledge that the movie “The Passion of the Christ” is true and verbally admit it. Then you are welcomed back into God’s family.

Also, when you do this you get the Holy Spirit in you to help you daily in deciding what is right in how to live your life and make decisions.

Be careful because once you have the Holy Spirit in you I believe you will know in your heart right from wrong forever. If you do wrong you will know it and have lots of guilty feelings.

What will you do with your relationships?

I am old, but recently learned from YOU that relationships are more important than goals, tasks, or objectives. Most of my life I have had big dreams of want I wanted to accomplish in my life. I have not accomplished most of them. But sometimes I did accomplish my goal and often it turned out to be a disaster for my life. For example, I wanted to be the first in my family to own my own business. But I did not pray that it be God’s plan for me and it failed. I did not consult my Holy Spirit. (Actually I ignored it.) Even worst I sacrificed two years with you that I cannot get back. For this I am truly sorry to you. I always said to myself that I would be the opposite father that mine was to me.

The good news is God used this experience to tell me that relationships are more important than goals. Once you’re saved Jesus puts in you the Holy Spirit. You should use your Holy Spirit daily the rest of your life in making decisions. Do not ignore it like I did.

John 14:26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

Just as you will always be my daughter and I will always love you unconditionally. Jesus (the ultimate Father) will always love you unconditionally as a daughter of his family.

In conclusion, experiencing Love is the most important thing in life to me. Both receiving it and giving it. And I believe Love is the whole reason for Jesus.

Mark 12: 28-31 One of the teachers of law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”

“The most important one,“ answered Jesus, “is this: ’Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ’Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

If you do these two things, then everything else will fall into place in your life.

The Awe Factor of God

After you watch the video stop and take a moment to think about how the God who has the power to create everything you saw wants to just have a one-on-one relationship with YOU! And that you will die; therefore, you will come face to face with him.