Standing in the Gap for Oregon

The wilderness and the dry land will be glad; the desert will rejoice and blossom like a rose.  Isaiah 35:1   We have covered ten of the thirty-six Oregon counties in our blog so far. This week we are looking at the county just to the west of Wallowa and Union Counties in the northeastern section of the state.     Umatilla County was established in 1862 out of part of Wasco County. Its northern border is the Columbia River. Like many places in Oregon, it was gold that first drew pioneers to the area who then realized the country was a good place to raise cattle. By 1868 the town of Pendleton had become the county seat and remains so. In 1881 the arrival of the railroad made dryland wheat farming practical. Other types of agriculture were limited, however, in an area that grew sagebrush best until the Umatilla Irrigation Project was established early in the 20 th  century. Then "the desert bloomed" and the economy began to grow, especially in the western section ...

Image by  PublicDomainPictures  from  Pixabay   So, I can’t seem to get away from the movie   Labyrinth . Something I came across recently reminded me of the line Sarah finally remembers to say to the Goblin king, “You have no power over me.”   What triggered that was a statement in an article to the effect that our spiritual enemy is wicked but has no power. Really? Looking at the news, or just at my own life, my natural human response is, “coulda fooled me.”  But, also (Don’t you love how spiritual lessons link together? One of the Lord’s teaching methods, I believe) I have been meditating on communion lately, at least more than just our traditional monthly celebration at church. During my own private prayer time I had begun to focus more on what the bread and wine actually mean. One thing I realized is that the bread bestows salvation, healing and provision; the wine (Blood) bestows power and authority. It represents the New Covenant....

Image by  Manfred Richter  from  Pixabay   ‘ Not   by   might   nor   by   power , but  by  my Spirit,’ says the  Lord  Almighty .  Zechariah 4:6 Don’t tell anyone, but I love the movie  Labyrinth . It might be because of David Bowie. Alright, it’s David Bowie. However, my other favorite characters in this favorite movie are Sir Didymus and his cowardly sheep-dog steed, Ambrosius.  When Sarah and company reach the Goblin City, Sir Didymus utters several of my favorite lines, all while surrounded by the Goblin army: “Don’t worry Ambrosius, I think we’ve got them surrounded.”  “I have you right where I want you!” And, famously, to a hoard of goblins pointing spears at him, “So, had enough, eh? All right then, throw down your weapons, and I’ll see that you’re well treated.” If I were to take one of those online quizzes to reveal which  Labyrinth  character I was, I hope ...