B: 6/15/14 - 6/22/14

Monday, June 16, 2014

Father's Day

In today's world, the children who are able to make an easy connection between their earthly and Heavenly Fathers are becoming more and more rare. For me, it is easy. I've never had to question God's motives or fear abuse from his hand, because my daddy showed me what loving guidance and having my own best interest at heart was. I've never had to wonder if Heaven would come through, because my daddy taught me that Fathers provide for their own. I've never had to question Gods plan for my life because my daddy taught me that I could trust in the stability of a loving Father. I'm the girl who chose fishing with daddy for birthday #16 over a bash with my friends. He spanked me rarely enough (once) that it actually meant something and I grew up wanting to please both him and my Heavenly Father.

His spoken voice read me many books and taught me about animals, plants, and nature. His quiet life taught me about living. About loving. About trusting a God who's not much ado about nothing....About simple faithfulness.

....and then, I wanted to marry a man just like him, so my children could have that same image of a Heavenly Father.

And I did.

I'm sure my husbands father was one of these rare men too, in order to raise this treasure of a man for us, and I am grateful for him as well.

Thank you is MUCH too small of an expression for all that you do, baby.

AND you make my heart go pitter-patter too!

Side note: Please excuse Little Boy Blue's disheveled appearance. He is currently too busy enjoying life to worry about such trivial matters as a tucked-in-shirt, combed hair, or shoes.

Old Idaho Penitentiary

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Visit the Old Idaho Penitentiary

Old Idaho Penitentiary

Photo Credit: Clay Almquist

The Old Idaho Penitentiary opened its doors in 1872 to some of the West’s most desperate criminals. Today, visitors can experience over 100 years of Idaho’s unique prison history with a visit to Solitary Confinement, cell blocks, and the Gallows. The Friends of the Historical Museum and Old Idaho Penitentiary is an organization dedicated to support the Idaho State Historical Museum and the Old Idaho Penitentiary.

The Old Idaho Penitentiary features thirty historic buildings and special exhibitions including the J. Curtis Earl Memorial Exhibit of Arms and Armaments. Events and programs provide families, school groups, and visitors an opportunity to relive the Old Pen's exciting past of daring escapes, scandals, and executions.

After returning early from our camping trip, we spent ALL Friday getting ALL the laundry and clean up done and prepping the trailer for next time. It felt really good to get that done, and because the kids had such a fantastic attitude and worked so hard on what was supposed to be a vacation day, we rewarded them with a rare "play day" Saturday. Saturdays at the parsonage are usually busy work days.

Kayla and Kalli made us a breakfast of pancakes and sausage and we set out early. We played one round of mini golf and then headed to Boise. Rick showed us where for several months now, he has been running 3-4 times a week in the mountain foothills. I envy him the views--especially the sun rising behind the cross on table rock, but I am not having the same sentiments about those steep trails or the 5.5 miles. He's tough--and I am his proud wife!

This cross on Table Rock looks down on the city of Boise and the Old Idaho Penitentiary. From any point within the penitentiary yard, you can look up and see the cross. I love the reminder that there is hope and forgiveness for even the vilest offender who truly believes.

Rick mentioned the song Amazing Love and in particular the line,

"My chains fell off, my heart was free! I rose, went forth and followed thee!"

The cells in the oldest part of the prison are stacked in rows 4 high, 16 deep, and 2 prisoners to a cell. The ceilings were barely higher than Rick's head. There were crude buckets for human waste and a little door with poor ventilation in which to store the contents. I think maybe if our prisons were more like this today, they would not be so crowded?

In 1906, a man named Harry Orchard was incarcerated in this very prison. In these very cells. He was the hired hit man who planted a bomb at the gate to Idaho governor Stuenburg's Caldwell home killing the governor. Two years previous, using a skeleton key to enter the governor's room at the prestigious Idahna Hotel, he had planted a bomb in an alarm clock under his bed. (Red brick and sandstone, with marble steps, carved mahogany, intercom, telephones, and an electric elevator, the Idanha had boarded Stuenenberg’s killer and other colorful players: Clarence Darrow, the nation’s most celebrated defense attorney; James McParland, the century’s most famous detective; Harry Orchard, a notorious mass-murderer and hit-man for the labor bosses; and co-prosecutor William “The Lion” Borah, a future senator and presidential candidate who famously opposed the anti-radical Espionage Act in 1917.)

Legend says that Orchard was quite smitten with the hotel chambermaid, and that shortly after planting the device, he returned to remove it in a effort to save the pretty young girls life. Orchard was hired by mining labor boss Big Bill Hawood and the motive was to settle a score.

In his prison cell sleep eluded Orchard. He felt certain that the powerful Western Federation of Miners would back him in court and succeed in getting him off, but the guilt of his past deeds began to haunt him. He questioned whether God could forgive him for the horrendously despicable things he had done. In his heart Orchard believed that God might forgive him only if he made a full and complete confession. In 1899 Orchard participated in the blowing up of the Bunker Hill and Sullivan Mill Concentrator in Wardner, Idaho. In 1904 he helped bomb the train depot in Independence, Colorado. This second bombing killed at least 13 men and badly injured 24 others. Estimates of the total number of people Orchard murdered range from 17 to 26. He also unsuccessfully attempted to kill the governor of Colorado, two Colorado Supreme Court justices, an adjutant general of Colorado, and the president of a mining company—all at the behest of the top officers of the miners’ union. In addition to these crimes, Orchard, a married man, became a bigamist in 1903 when he married a widow with three children. Orchard eventually opened up to McParland, who assured him that according to the Bible, God most certainly forgives sinners. Orchard later agreed to tell the detective his entire story. He also wrote out his confession and gave it to the prosecuting attorney. Orchard wrote to his first (and only legal) wife, Florence, and asked her to forgive him for deserting her and their daughter 11 years earlier. He also told her that he had accepted Christ. She soon responded, offering her complete forgiveness, and added, “I shall never cease praying for you.” In March 1908 it was Orchard’s turn in court, but obviously the labor union would no longer be there to defend him. Despite his initial “not guilty” plea, he now knew that as a Christian he could no longer make that claim. Consequently, he changed his plea to “guilty.” He was then sentenced to die by hanging for the murder of former governor Frank Steunenberg. His attorney applied for clemency, and Orchard’s death sentence was later commuted to life imprisonment. Following Orchard’s sentencing, the former governor’s 21-year-old son, Julian Steunenberg, came to see him. He gave Orchard a package that contained several pamphlets, including a copy of Ellen White’s book Steps to Christ. Julian also had a message from his mother, Eveline Belle Steunenberg. She urged her husband’s now-convicted killer to read the tracts and to give his life fully to Christ.

Belle Steunenberg’s actions deeply moved Orchard. “Her forgiving attitude toward me convinced me that she surely must be a true Christian,” he said, calling it “the supreme factor in leading [him] to accept Christ. Although Orchard had tried to kill the former governor at least three previous times, Steunenberg’s widow and children believed God spared the governor’s life long enough for him to make his decision for the Lord. On the Sabbath morning of the day he was killed, Steunenberg told his family for the first time that he would no longer conduct business on Sabbath, and he joined his wife and children for family worship. This brought a measure of solace and comfort to the grieving widow and her children. During the years he was serving his life sentence, Orchard occasionally corresponded with his wife in Canada (she never remarried); organized and operated chicken- and turkey-raising businesses for the penitentiary, and made and sold furniture, combs and shoes. He also studied his Bible and other religious literature, and shared his faith with others. At the time of Orchard’s death on April 13, 1954, he was the longest-serving prisoner in the Idaho State Penitentiary—some 46 years altogether.

What had happened? The message of the cross, overlooking his sin-bound soul, broke through and Harry Orchard's heart was set free!

There is probably no better end to the story of Harry Orchard than his own description of the change that occurred in him as a result of his conversion to Christ. “In 1931 Orchard told a reporter: ‘The Orchard that blew up mines and killed men as I did was another Harry Orchard who was steeped in sin. I am the reclaimed Orchard that is seeking to atone for the sins of the old Harry Orchard. The Bible says it can be done, and I believe it.’”

Some say that the old prison is haunted, but all I felt here was the presence of the Holy Spirit, and that was BEFORE I knew the details of this story. Truly the cross carries the most powerful message of all time!

In 1952 the new cells looked like this. Quite warm and hospitable by comparison to the old ones. These were used until 1974 when the prison was closed.