Every Day Should Be This Sweet! 

Stopping To Watch The Clouds!

Perhaps it's just me that sees the world most days through some kind of happy lens. Like the love note I sent my wife at her E-mail address this morning, I know for a fact that she only picks up mail every other week or so, and she does that from her home office. I had no idea that she had started picking up at work on the employee computer in the cafeteria(this was the second time). Actually at the time I was putting the piece together with animations and sweet words of endearment I was thinking forward to our(coming soon) anniversary. So, I guess there are a lot of folks at the 3M plant that now know how much I care about my honey. That's alright, I can take the heat, and I will not allow this to embarass me in any way. It's been a day like that. God's blessings have been shining on me with blinding luminosity! Mom used to say, "Eat dessert first!" Dad would say, "Save the best for last!" I always thought they had to both be right, so I have dessert before and after dinner when the opportunity arises. Quick story: I was rolling down a highway about thirty miles from home today and stopped to take pictures of clouds. No sooner had I shut my Harley off then a lady of at least 70 years of age pulled over on the opposite side of the road to enquire if I had a problem. I told her no, I was just stopped for some pictures, and then I thanked her. She smiled, I smiled, and she was gone and I took my pictures and left. The thing is, I wouldn't want my wife to stop for somebody that looks like me when I'm on two wheels, but the lady that stopped made such an impression on me that I had to share it with you. God does a lot of things to let us know how much He cares for us. Sometimes we need to be reminded to care about one another. There are times when our caring is not fully understood, but that may work out for the best, too, once in awhile. In the case of ladies(this is generally speaking, of course)stopping for guys on Harleys, it's not a very good idea unless you know them. Personally I suspect she may have been an angel sent to remind me of how truly "good" most people are! This is South Dakota, though, who knows, maybe one of the guys that rides stopped and helped her at some point in time and she was just returning the favor to another rider. It would be great if we could understand people's motivations by their actions and words, but unfortunately this is not the case. I'm reminding myself to "not" look so deeply at incidents, save that energy for things we can interpret. Oh, I forgot a part of what mom always said, the rest of it was, "Life is short!" It is short, indeed! Perhaps this is why we all need to enjoy God's blessings as much as possible. In Christ's Love, Preacher.

The Beauty Of Life Surrounds Us When We Are Ready And Willing To See! 

We are all "Standing In The Need Of Prayer," some just closer than others! 

Shaking Off The Cold And Damp

I missed the sunrise. I missed the sunset, too! The former I don't mind so much, I'm thinking that my body is still trying to "catch up" on sleep that it didn't get over the weekend. It can't do that, but for some reason it insists on trying. The scoot and I('90 Ultra Classic HD)had a shortlived opportunity this afternoon but ended up riding through a gully washer composing lyrics for a new song. I don't mind riding a motorcycle in the rain. The clothes will dry and the bike can be wiped dry, and while you're in it you never get thirsty. The rub came with the sudden drop in temps, and I should have had the sense God gave a goose to head for the shed at the first deep rumblings far off in the distance. I daudled and paid the price. The jeans will dry by tomorrow, the socks can dry after I take them off, and my spirit never did dampen, so all is well!
During the course of my first rural ministry appointment for the UMC(United Methodist Church)I was contacted by phone late one spring evening by the daughter of an elderly person confined to the local nursing facility. It was her father that she was calling about. She needed a pastor and she needed one right away! I met her and her dad about this time of the night in a darkened room where the next several hours were spent outlining the plan for salvation that God has freely offered to everyone. The elderly gentleman was worried about his eternal soul. He believed he had very little time left on earth(this was a Friday, according to my journal and he passed over on the following Monday), and at the age of 89 was 'fearing' for himself, and his entire family, who had been raised without benefit of a "church upbringing." It was well after midnight when the baptizing began, he and his daughter received Christ and were baptized unto the life eternal that night, but that was only the beginning! He had heard the sound of that long black train coming down the line and had heeded the calling of a heart that desperately wanted peace. At his funeral the Word of God was preached(per my promise to him)to his entire family, children-12, grands-43, greats-5, and an uncounted number of brothers, sisters, and cousins. I had promised him I would share his heart with everyone who attended and offer God's Grace. I won't go into numbers here, that is not the important thing, I won't ever claim that the events of the following summer were my doing, they weren't, the Glory is God's alone for the miracles He can work in people's lives. Entire families came to be saved, extended family members also came and were baptized(at that time I still believed in infant baptism so I've got some tracks to cover again one of these days)the actual numbers are in my book, and in God's book of folks whose names are now written. It was a blessing in my life that I shall never forget, and I share it here that you, also, may know that it is never too late to come to the Savior. What's the old saying, "better late than never?" I agree with that whole heartedly. You don't have to wait for the sound of the train coming down the line, you don't have to wait your whole life to take the step that leads to eternal joy, you can do it now, today, tonight! There was something in that rain today, a reminder of the baptism that is offered to you, and to me, another undeserving soul saved by grace. The truth is, none of us knows the number of our days. God bless, Preacher.

When The Conductor Calls Out, "All Aboard," We Can Be Certain Of Where We're Going! 

One Purrfect Day Deserves Another!