The Third Man on the Mountain

One of the stocking stuffers was this little "grow-your-own-crystal" kit, which was something like you'd see in a dollar store.  It wasn't much of a big deal, but we wanted to give it a try, so here it is at the end of day one.  We'll post another picture later on, but you can see a little bit of growth here.

We started working on our Stormtrooper today too:

This is something we got for Christmas, a blank canvas of a helmet.  Madison and Daddy decorated this one, attempting to make it look like a "Day of the Dead" stormtrooper.  It's turning out well so far, although we still have the back to decorate as well.  Madison and Daddy were at the kitchen table today doing crafts, and Mommy was back with ancestry for a bit as well.  Madison has been coloring more of her stained glass window pictures, and hanging them up on windows.  Soon we'll have our own little cathedral here, the windows all completely covered with hand-colored stained glass window imagery.

We had a visit today at our doorstep, a candidate for a local office here in Forsyth County.  Madison had got the door for him, and although we didn't let him into the house (it's a post-Christmas mess), we did hear him out for a bit.  It was not that much of an ordeal at all, to be honest.  His views were quite similar to ours, so it was sort of a unique civic moment for us.  The thing about these local primaries is that we have occasionally have candidates with the same viewpoints running for the same office, with similar experience.  That being said, how can you tell the difference between the two, at least enough to make a decision to cast a vote.  This was clearly one of those deciding factors, should that occasion arise.

A little later, we were back with LEGO Dimensions, one of the "toys of the week" after Christmas.  This level was hilarious, a visit with Dr. Who and these LEGO Weeping Angels.  This is by far Madison's favorite level right now, as it's hilarious and creepy at the same time.

Our phones were dead today, but just the dialing feature on both.  It's odd.  The dial tone is there, but the phone isn't that enthused about making an actual call, despite our insistence.  Furthermore, our cell phone service is about to end.  This makes for an interesting moment with trying to talk with people.  But we'll have service on New Year's Eve, and we'll make contact with the relatives again.

Tonight's movie feature was more of a research thing, as we prepare for "Elevate."  Daddy popped in the movie, "The Third Man on the Mountain," an old Disney movie that is actually not that bad at all.  It has a great message at the end, certainly.  But the views of the Matterhorn are wonderful, as is some of the climbing footage.  For back then, this movie had to be astounding.  Today, some of the footage is pretty amazing, the perilous rock climbing causing Madison and Daddy to cringe a bit:  "No way we're doing that!"

The "Third Man on the Mountain" in the movie is about an actual person, and it makes sense for the story, and a good bottom line about what's important in life.  But in researching for the "Elevate" devotional, Daddy was reading frequently about a "Third Man" that many climbers sensed nearby as they climbed higher and higher.  In fact, here's the devotional entry for that very topic, something I'll post here as we close for the day:

“The Lord your God will go with you. He will never leave you. He’ll never desert you.” Deuteronomy 31:6 NIRV

     Reinhold Messner is the first man to climb Mount Everest without an oxygen tank.  He’s the first climber to reach the top of all fourteen peaks that are over 26,000 feet tall.  He’s also the first to cross Antarctica and Greenland without a snowmobile or a dogsled.

     As you can imagine, he’s seen a thing or two.  But he’s also heard a thing or two as well:  he’s one of the many climbers who has heard the voice of “The Third Man.”  

     “The Third Man” is something that was first described by an explorer in Antarctica who felt the presence of someone with them, encouraging the troubled explorers to keep moving to safety.  There were two people trying to survive their journey, but they both just knew there was the presence of a “Third Man” that was with them.

      Messner himself said this voice “leads you out of the impossible.”  Doug Scott, who climbed Mount Everest in 1975, describes it as “someone else walking beside you, a comforting presence telling you what to do next.”  Alone on Mount Everest in 1933, climber Frank Smith was so convinced he was with someone else that he reached into his pocket for a piece of peppermint.  He said, “This I took out of my pocket and, carefully dividing it into two halves, turned round with one half in my hand to offer to my companion.”

      You have a “Third Man” with you, of course.  Our Heavenly Father has promised to never leave us or forsake us.  He’s a comforting presence, a guide, and a place to go to in times of trouble.  You may not physically hear His voice, but you can always know He’s there right beside you, every step of this journey. 

      Sometimes you can feel that presence right there.  Other times, not so much.  But regardless of what you feel, just know this:  He’s there, our Provider, our Healer, our Protector, our Hope and Salvation, and our “Third Man.”