The fellow in the plane is certain where he is headed, so is the guy in the chute. Wouldn't each of us like to be just as certain of where we're headed? 

Longing For Freedom

More and more people every day are seeking freedom. I'm not always certain what freedom is for them so I have to ask. Mostly I get the regular answers one would expect out here on the Great American Desert. I suppose it's the same as everywhere else, but I can't be sure because I haven't been "everywhere else" lately. People seem to seek a variety of avenues that are healthy, but more often than not, we are persuing unhealthy freedoms at an alarming rate. Maybe that is why the mere mention of defining their idea of freedom frightens a lot of folks. The guys in these pics have found their freedom in the air, far above the earth. A lot of people I know find it on two wheels, and many more find it in simply getting away from the day to day work world. True freedom, though, is found in the spirit that resides within each one of us. That's a lesson I learned while in the midst of working at the SD state pen. People behind bars are sometimes more free than their brothers and sisters out here running around. They have that barrier which insulates them from the evils of the world as well as keeping them from being perpetrators of evil. For some with whom I've spent a good deal of time philosophizing, their freedom for life came when they were separated from the world, cut off, isolated. Many became 100% straight and sober for the first time in their adult life. (Now I know for certain that I've opened a can of worms that cannot be dealt with in this little space.) True freedom comes with wholeness. Wholeness comes as a result of being in harmony with the tripart nature of our being. Body, mind, and spirit, we don't do well on one or two, we need all three to live wholly, to live freely. If there is that sense of something missing in your life that you can't quite put your finger on, but oftimes refer to it as freedom it may be time to take inventory. Just a quick check before jumping, to make sure that where you're headed is where you will want to be when you arrive. Look first to your health, physical and mental. If the green light is on and you still aren't sure about your directions, check that spiritual side and see if it is fulfilling that part of your being's needs. Faith is foundational. Faith is as needed for us to be whole as water is necessary for our survival. God knows this, and when we get "inside" ourselves, we know it, too! Look before you leap to that freedom that you seek. Make certain that everything is working the way it should. These sky jocks would never jump without checking on their chutes, and in that there is a lesson to be sought, over and over. God bless, Preacher.

Gotta Learn To Be Quicker On The Draw

I wasn't quick enough today to capture the faces of the folks that made the somber outdoor atmosphere less oppressive, but the flowers held still quite nicely for me!
God bless, Preacher.

Change Is In The Air

Saturday was hot, dry, and windy, more the norm for early August that mid September, but this time of year we will take all the good days we can get. The rains have settled in once more in South Dakota. Neither the barometer or thermometer can tell up from down. The flowers know, though, and so do the birds, winter is rapidly approaching. Personally I am praying for one of those "lingering" seasons. There are years out here on the Great American Desert in which the snows and sub zero conditions hold off until well into January. The migration habits of the geese are one of the most telling signs, along with other birds, such as the tiny humming bird that was busily buzzing around the yellow flowers. I attempted to capture the tiny creature on the digital but I was far too slow. I think that's because it was a laid back Monday and without the sun present in the sky to keep me apprised of the passing of time I was in that "inbetween" stage. I'm sure passersby on highway 14 wondered what I was doing sitting alongside the road in the car. What I wanted was an opportunity to capture the sunshine and accompanying rays that I was certain were going to burst forth gloriously from their hiding places amidst the clouds. They never did. I suppose for some people, days like this are depressing. I know I had that inclination begin about midway through the day, but then I started searching for sunshine in places other than the sky. I found it! The glorious rays were found in the smiles of a grandchild, a blown kiss, a hand of friendship and the enjoyment of another's excitement over her impending wedding and the new home they are planning to purchase. Happiness is contagious(you wouldn't have guessed this by the faces of the folks at the supermarket or out on the road), but it is! It begins in our own hearts and spreads to all of those with whom we are able to share. Joy is a choice, one that each of us consciously makes. I know, it isn't all that easy to always be looking on the "bright side" of life, but I really like to try! Billy Graham wrote, "I am convinced that only Jesus can meet the deepest needs of our world and our hearts." Seeking happiness and joy? Seek first in faith, the rest will come. In Christ's Love, Preacher.

Youngest grand is starting preschool. She's about as tall as this tree. They will both grow up strong and tall, able to withstand any adversity life holds! 

Four Years After

Preparations for this morning's church service were completed about two hours ago. It has been a very restless night for my spirit, and I'm not sure why. As I sit here listening to the radio I hear the messages of remembrances of all whose lives were touched by an incident that occurred in our nation's history. Forever life as we knew it changed. Looking back I see other incidents that have impacted me this way. The death of President Kennedy, the tumultuous end of the Vietnam War, The impact Desert Storm had on those of us serving congregations out here on the prairie, events that are in a heartbeat both inescapable, and past, over, done. My mind tells me we move on, but I know that we don't! As a nation we have a collective memory that stretches back to the days before there were states, before there were European settlers, colonists, and those who sought only gold. Now, four years after the most recent life changing event that is marked on our yearly calendar, we look back on how things were before. I suppose the connectedness that we feel with the past is a good thing. Personally, I think of it in the same manner I examine photos in the lens as they are taken, and on the 'puter after they're downloaded, and on the prints when received. Some pics are looked at over and over again, first close up and then zooming out to gain perspective. Most days we are zoomed way out on the events and lives that changed four years ago, but today we are zoomed in tight. We will look at moments that changed everyone forever, even while we are in the midst of another catastrophic event in our nation's history. Her name is Katrina, and there will come a day when we will zoom far back from the scenes that erupt in our minds. We will draw close only on rare occasions. This will have the distinct advantage of insulating us from our emotions! It will depend, of course, on how great the effect of the event had on us, personally. I look forward to both times, the close up, and the zoom out. They both have their place in our photo albums, and in our hearts. Tonight I will sleep well. Today I'll zoom in on the events along with others who experienced them in a multitude of ways. Rear Admiral, Grace Hopper, puts it like this, "Life was simple before World War II. After that we had systems." In Christ's Love, Preacher.

Searching For Peace In A World Of Unrest?

Aren't we all looking for that moment of peace when our hearts can simply rest? It's not easy to find anywhere that I've been lately. This afternoon I had some time to spend with a colleague with whom I am usually in agreement about most things concerning the spiritual realms. I pointed out at least three times that he needed to read 2nd Peter, Chapter 4. Never once did he inform me that there are only 3 chapters in 2nd Peter, and I should have been better informed. What I was looking for in my aging memory was 1st Peter, chapter 4. We were talking(as many are these days)about the flood and the ramifications for our various faith perspectives. Has God punished New Orleans? Wow! Why would God stop there if He was going to do some shaking here in the United States. Surely there are places just as deserving of His mighty anger and complete chastisement. I have to laugh at the way some folks try to influence others with their knowledge of God's personality. Peter wrote (4:18) "If the righteous man is scarcely saved, where will the impious and sinner appear?" The whole chapter is so moving that I find myself in total agreement with the author... (5:6-9)"Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that in due time He may exalt you. Cast all your anxieties on Him, for He cares about you. Be sober, be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking some one to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experience of suffering is required of your brotherhood throughout the world." It seems to me that for us to be at peace in this life we have to learn to trust God so much that we don't ask how things happen, or why they happen. It is enough to know that they do, and we may never understand in this lifetime. Be at peace with your creator, your God, at all times, and give heed to His spirit which will quicken your heart to a fullness of understanding in His time. I think God's timing is always perfect, much better than mine, to be sure! Let not your heart be troubled, and seek the peace that surpasses all understanding that you might live in the light of hope. Remember that saying, "When you find that God is all you've got, you'll learn that God is all you need!"
Thousands are discovering this truth in their own lives as they relocate to new homes far from the destruction and devestation in our southern states. WWJD is an acronym (?) that we see quite often. I think He and His Father are very happy with how America is responding to the needs of her people. I've also noticed in the media that after things are over, done with, finished, there are always those whose only goal is criticize what went down as events unfolded. People are human, they are fallible. Isn't it enough to have been blasted by nature? Or must we now be attacked on every front for how someone says they would have done things differently.
There will always be those who can see better facing the opposite direction(looking back),and usually they are going nowhere in particular. Like an ancient hunter once told me, "look where you're shootin' and shoot where you're lookin'." If you're seeking peace in this life look to the leader that is out front showing the way, not all them folks that are telling you where we've been and what coulda, mighta, shoulda, if, if, but, and so on & on & on! In Christ's(THE LEADER)Love, Preacher.