No Running And No Hiding

This was last year. Winter hit the Great American Desert with a vengeance. We were pretty tight to the house for a few days. This year we are basking in sunshine and enjoying(that is tongue in cheek)the continuing yardwork. Our spot on God's earth has never enjoyed better "eye" appeal. I feel very good about that portion of our lives. Others that we love are not doing so well. One broken wrist. One interred for the winter. Another with a stainless steel screw that popped out of a knee operated on many, many years ago. Some with severe depression and others with the loss of their lifelong mate. Need I continue? That is the part of life that is hard to get past. We can deal with the winter storms, the summer's heat, and everything else that nature can throw our way. It is the people with whom we suffer that turns life from the never-ending carnival into the....ride that has ended.
I suppose it has always been this way. The ups and downs of life inflicting their pressence on those who are sensitive enough to hear. Last night we had a young possum in the back yard trying to threaten our Mexican Healer. He was so mad! The police and the animal folks came and took the critter away. I informed them that I had a .410 that could have done the job a lot more swiftly, at which they laughed. That's life out here for today. I pray that in your world the snow doesn't get to deep and the animals aren't interfering with the peace of your backyard. In Christ's Love, Preacher.

A Reminder For Us

Late night, very little sleep, computer did not cooperate very well, so I did little "combat" naps in between working the programs. I'm smiling! It is all back together(not mine, but a friends)running at full tilt. Cheryl got home this morning earlier than anticipated and what a welcome sight she is! We don't have enough time for just the two of us. Does that remind you of song lyrics?
Today has been a drizzled on mess outdoors. Therefore I can't work the yard or ride my cycles, I have to stay in with the dog. That isn't so bad, though, I get to tap out a message to you. The picture you see above is sent out from the Great American Desert, it's one that my sister-in-law took about six weeks ago. I had a lot of fun with it and sent it via E-mail to about a hundred folks today just the way it is here(well not all of them). I pray the rain is not depressing folks as it oftimes does out here. It will clear, and the sun will shine, and we can once again rejoice in the beauty of God's creation. As if we weren't even now! In Christ's Love, Preacher.

Year Number Seven

Nobody told me this was Friday the thirteenth. That's better than it could have been because of some of the superstitious bones in my body. It has been an absolutely wonderful day! I spent the greater part of it raking(again)and then mulching the south side. For the very first time in my life I am experiencing the wonderful feelings of "HOME." I've never been anywhere for this long. Today I found myself redoing the raking task and finding within myself a peace which surprised me. I have another place of peace, that is the one which I share with my Creator. Today has got to be the be-all, end-all, for feelings of belonging, though. I realized that it is up to me to make the very best of my circumstances, and they are sooo good. Yeah, I know, it is only 160 feet by 60 feet, and the house on it has problems, but then what home doesn't?
What I have is a peace of knowing that life is working out as it should. Eleven grandkids, now, and more to come, and a wife that knows me and loves me in spite of myself. A faith that seems to remain unshakeable no matter what, and a sense of belonging to a community of faith inspired folks that love God much in the same manner that I love God.
At the present time I cannot locate a job that allows me to be me and make a living, other than preaching. I play an enormous amount of music, and I could probably enter again the secular world and prostitute my talent and gifts for the sake of monetary remuneration, but that is not necessary, yet!
All any of us really desires is an opportunity to be of use in this world. My Dean of Divinity in the seminary I attended lost his daughter to the world of unbelief. In an instant she was gone, but she knew in her heart, even in the final moment, that she was right. You and I live in a world that has so much that is wrong. We cannot combat it at the level of politics, or censures, we can only stand firm in the faith we have received in Christ Jesus. Think about where you stand in terms of the world today. Is your backyard a place where you can find total peace and harmony?
In Christ's Love, Preacher.

Another Way Of Looking At The Morning

I'm smiling as I tap this out on the 'puter! Amazing as that may sound at 6:21 in the am, I'm happy. We are ahead of the snow out here on the Great American Desert for the first time in 7 years. It was predicted that we could get some today, so for the past two days I have been diligently about the task of removing as many leaves as possible before they get soaked and matted. The pictures depict the sight that awaits our garbage collector this morning. He will look at my stack much differently than I. We don't know one another, but I am so thankful for the job that he and the other members of his crew perform each week. Perhaps therein lies one of the keys to being at peace with the world. An attitude of gratitude!
Here I sit in my warmest robe in an office that will never reach 60 degrees today, with a runny nose and itchy eyes and a scratchy throat(no, I am not ill, it is the result of the past few days in the dust and dirt of fall)and I am happy. The job could have been done better had it not gotten so dark(I worked with floodlights until 10 or so), and if I had more bags to fill. The important part of this is knowing that I did the very best job I could with what I had to work with and I'm satisfied. My wife pointed out that there are still leaves which have refused to fall. Yes there are, but with all the ones that have left the yard they will probably be so lonely here that they will blow somewhere else. It did occur to me as I worked the lawn outback that life would could really be simplified if I could find some way to get inside myself and get rid of the dead leaves and branches and assorted bits and pieces of trash that have fallen from my tree of life. That is why I need a Savior so much. He does that cleanup task for me and carries away the garbage on wings of forgiveness. My job is to bag it for Him, and He helps with that, also! I pray your day is beginning with a smile. If not, you can have one of mine. In Christ's Love, Preacher.

Beautiful Days & Wonderful Nights

Time is growing short for the enjoyment of simple pleasures out here on the Great American Desert. Snow is predicted for Tuesday. This may have been the last weekend for just getting out and appreciating the freedom of two wheels on the highway. That was not our plan! We were going to have the best rummage sale ever, and we set up for it with all the strength God could provide. We made it through Friday and sales were slow. Then came Saturday morning at the table with an artist friend and the words of wisdom that came from his adorable bride; "You will only have this day to live once, live it to it's fullest!" It was as though we had both been struck by lightning. We zipped and stripped the tent(everything from the rummage sale was secured inside)and spent the rest of the day enjoying friends, relatives, an occaional baby or two, and the highway that leads to peace in the spirit. We are not opening back up tomorrow! The evening was so pretty that we tore everything down and put it away in the barn for another time. Which means that tomorrow we can relax, pray, worship, love one another, and enjoy the beauty of the fall as it has happened this year. Yeah, there are leaves to be raked, limbs on trees to trim, plants to move in for the winter, and numerous other tasks to perform. We will get them done, but we will not have another day like tomorrow to spend with one another and spend it we will without thought to the cost of hours not given elsewhere. I truly believe in my heart of hearts that God sends us angels to remind each of us of the things that are truly important. Thanks be to God! In Christ's Love, Preacher.

Trends & Traffic On The Net

I enjoy communicationg with folks. We're headed into another winter out here on the Great American Desert, and this 'puter thing has been a lot of fun.. I've been using my dialup connection for two years. During the course of that time I have experienced a real awakening as to what the world contends with daily. I did an average thing this past week on my Email receptions. About 10% come from my circle, another 10% come from my christian networks and sources, and then the rest is advertising and that is why tonight's header.
How often do you see a picture such as the one posted above and consider that it may have nothing to do with what you think? More often than not the stuff that comes through our collective 'puters(80% in mine)is garbage! It seems that many minds are wandering around in the gutters of humanity seeking to exploit the baser nature of people. There is a part of that attempt which I resent. I've always been able to find plenty of problems in life without anyone's assistance. So why the push to provide us with temptations? Have you figured it out yet? The answer is money! This is the same reason we have casinos out here on the reservations, open gambling across our state, and a little lottery machine area in nearly every quickstop and popstand across the length and breadth of Dakota land. There is a vote coming up on that this November 7th(my birthday by the way). This year we also face the issue of pro life and abortion along with the same sex marriage question. I didn't know that one was a question. What it comes down to for me and many others is pure idylic thinking. We would like to have the conveniences and technologies of the 21st century with the lifestyles of the 50s. That's not happening! The next best thing we can do is continue to communicate our thoughts and feelings to those who can work with us to make this world a better place in which to live. We can create a future for our children and grandchildren that is better than the one in which we are now living. By God's Grace and with a lot of prayer we will make a difference. We must!
In Christ's Love, Preacher.

What Did You Expect On A Blog?

  

Security

 
We did some very unusual things this past summer. For instance: The collage(I'm really liking these)you see above is of my Brother Richard the day we towed the sail boat down from the lake along with all of it's parts and pieces with our Harleys! This was just prior to Sturgis and we passed a lot of bikers who gave us more than a double take. Not everyone tows a 15 foot sailboat with a bike! There are things we do in this life simply because we don't know for sure if anyone else has done it. Then when we have accomplished the task we can sit back and tell the story with a smile on our faces knowing that nobody is going to believe it unless we have pictures. Tonight I am trying to do a reinstall of a modem that works great if you have the correct drivers in place and they are impossible to find. One young lady has spent 20 odd hours with her 'puter trying to get the thing to come back on line. The 'puter I am hopefully going to have done tomorrow is for Richard, yeah, the guy in the picture. He lives down the road a ways in Wisconsin. The thing is, we don't see each other very often, but we have a relationship that goes far deeper than the motorcycles we ride or the strange things we do with them when we're together. We share the bond of christian fellowship. We have in common our Savior, Jesus. We don't have a lot in common in terms of backgrounds, but we do have a very real love for Ministry, Music, and Motorcycles! That's how we happened on one another about eight years(or was it ten)ago in Sturgis working, together in the Christian Crusaders camp. This Sunday I have spent a lot of time with a room full of 'puters and thoughts about people. I guess the most important part of the day has been the time spent giving thanks for how gracious God has been in my life(that and the canadian honker that I shared with my wife for dinner, but that is another story)and the opportunity to work in solitude as I offer up prayers for those who are desperately in need in our world. I pray you aren't one of the very needy, but know that if you are there is one you can turn to who is ready and willing to share your burdens as He does mine. In Christ's Love, Preacher.