If We Truly Open Ourselves To The Endless Possibilities Dreams Can Come True! 

Good Morning! Welcome to Tuesday!

I've been waiting with great expectation for news concerning the publishing of the novel. Today I am ecstatic over my first official "rejection." I knew it was coming eventually, and today is the day! Actually it is a first that I shall not forget soon even though I might like to. I've read the horror stories about authors getting rejected dozens of times before finding the right connection to get their work off the ground. The "encouragement," if I may call it that, comes from the rather simple knowledge that "Chicken Soup For The Soul" was rejected over thirty times before being picked up as a possible book to be published. That idea fostered an entire genre of literature all by itself, and continues to sell sequels as quickly as they are in print! It's just after 7 in the am, much earlier than I stirred yesterday. Monday was always the day I took off when I was serving as pastor to rural congregations here in SD(everything is "rural" here). Things are picking up on the net, the second reject just came in. I wonder what people did back when there was no E-mail? I can only imagine the wait for the mail, day after day, for weeks. What a wonderful world we live in, one can be rejected, dejected, and feel completely alone and miserable in a matter of minutes! That's only tapped out with a great deal of "tongue in cheek." In all things there is an answer, though. Our Savior never rejects us. He is always there to pick us up, plant us solidly on our feet, and point us back in the right direction, no matter how often we fall. Comfort in many guises can be found through faith, that and another cup of coffee and I'll be prepared for however much "rejection" comes my way today! God bless, Preacher.

Whether Built To Keep The World Out Or Keep It In, These Walls Have Never Worked! 

Memorial Day 2005!

It's almost noon and I'm still in my robe. This is a good thing! It means, for the most part, I'm very relaxed. I've got that 2nd or 3rd cup of coffee sitting next to me and the day is shaping up outside my window quite nicely. Really early morning is my favorite time of the day, when the world is asleep and there are few, if any, sounds emanating from our neighborhood. The entire backyard is fenced(redwood six feet high)and that helps to block a lot of the regular noises and the wayward animals. It's not unusual to see deer in the back, they go over the fence as if it weren't even there. I've got a pair of wood ducks living in the hollow tree next to the patio. This is their third year here. What a hoot they are! They come in full bore, skimming the treetops and angling between the surrounding branches, braking at the very last possible moment to stop on the edge of their doorway, and then step inside. Last year mama raised five little wood ducks in the back yard! Their chosen habitat is one picked for safety. Like the fence around my yard, it is there for safety. And that wall pictured below was built a very long time ago for the sake of safety. To keep someone or something, at an acceptable distance. The "Great Wall of China" is in disrepair. One of the "Wonders of the World," but no longer necessary. One cannot "keep" the world out. Never could! We might delay it a bit, forestalling the eventual encroachment it makes, but the world will not stop at our borders, at the "great" walls, or even my fences. The world will eventually find a way to get in.
We build defenses within the confines of our lives also, to keep the world at bay, but, inevitably, an unguarded entrance is found. The "crack" in the wall, a "board" which should have been nailed back in place last year, that unseen "hidden" place in the heart that has been protected so carefully for so long is breached by a feeling, an emotion, a forgotten sentiment, and there we are
in the midst of a full scale attack on what we believed in our hearts was "safe" space! Life affords us no truly "safe" space, other than that which we can choose to share with God. That space will not crumble with age, get loose boards in it, or leave us unprotected. It is the "Secret Garden" of our lives into which, when invited, God enters in to become for us the defender against whom even the most formidable of foes will find the fortifications unscaleable. Looking for a bit of peace, a place of safety? He's available 24\7, for each of us! Check out whatever or whoever you got guardin' your garden, and get back to me! In Christ's Love, Preacher.

Thousands Of Years Ago The Warlords Of China Sought Protection With A "Great Wall" 

Recognizing And Accepting Generational Differences

A youth movement for Christ formed up not too far from where I live(couple hundred miles)with a "new" way of sharing the good news. You have to be over eighteen and not past thirty to belong to this group. They've been in action for several years now and there seems to be a cohesive core of persons that form up the group with the best of intentions for the future. Realizing that generational differences are a part of our cultural system in this country I wonder about the wisdom of excluding, on the basis of age, any individual. But there has to be some sort of dividing line somewhere, doesn't there? After all, in a society that literally sells anything and everything on the basis of age and sexual attractiveness, we have to be aware of our limitations. Male enhancement drugs are an "in thing" today, so that an old guy like me can "feel" young again. Women, bless their hearts, are so encouraged to maintain an appearance of youth by the advertising world that I'm surprised we don't have more counseling services specifically designed for the loss of self esteem that must come with the inevitable increase in years. There is only one way I know of to "not" age any further, and that's to cease aging entirely(death cures advancing years). My thoughts on this today go like this: Ladies, you are as beautiful at every age as you allow yourself to be. Men, since we never really grow up, all we have to deal with is an elusive image of maturity. That said, why do we allow forces beyond our control to alter the perspectives of "who" we are? Because we are taught, conditioned, and trained that way by the world around us! Some of it is natural, but most of it is hype. Inside this shell of physical proportion there is another dimension, the realm of the spirit. It is eternal, unaging, timeless, and forever refuses the onslaught of years, declaring the years "unacceptable," recognizing only that essence of life begun with conception. Maybe that is why we have to be limited in the number of years we live, so that the spirit can be shed of the encumberment of life that restrains its true freedom. (Here comes the "hook") I believe we can get there before we pass over! I think we can empower the spirit to live joyfully and thrive within us. I believe there is far more to life than meets the eye. Take a moment of quiet time and still your mind. Don't you feel it? The life force that lives within the confines of your earthly home! God bless, Preacher.

It's Not the church, the man in the pulpit or on TV, even the good deeds you do or the offerings you make, that get you into heaven! 

Memorial Day Weekend!

There are so many facets to our nation that holidays such as this one bring about thoughts of "how" we actually celebrate. For many it is an opportunity for four days away from their regular lives. For some it is an opportunity to attend the famous Indianapolis Speedway with their wives and children. Others prepare speeches and sermons for the events of remembrance the next few days. Growing up here in South Dakota I looked forward to the services in the church and cemetaries. My bugle by this day would have been shined and polished to a high luster and the tuning made as perfect as it could get for the blowing of taps. Genuine U.S. Cavalry issue from just over 125 years ago, it brought a great deal of pride to my family of military serving, prayer speaking, God honoring, elders to have me be a part of the services in our small community of 400. I guess I started doing that when I was 11 or 12, and really never gave it up. My last taps was blown on my trumpet at a service about 9 years ago. I would still serve if asked, in that capacity, or any other. I've delivered the sermons, the messages, the remembrances and simply done the introductions of distinguished members of every branch of military service(even introduced politicians during election years), but life in America has seen change. On any given Sunday there may be found but a remnant in our churches. If you look closely at the age groupings you will see differences that were not present even a decade ago. I spoke of my "family's" pride at my early service to God and Country, but I didn't mention my pride because at that time the biggest reason for doing the services was money. $5 went a long way in 1962, and I hadn't lived long enough to reach a level of maturity that brought about any real understanding. I knew growing up that some funerals were "different." Uncle Ed in '55 and my paternal grandfather in '56, the flag and the rifles wielded by the uniformed men, the same guys that worked in the hardware store or the filling station, but on special occasions carried the American flag at the front of the parade and were ever present at the military services. The funerals became a sort of parade for me as the sixties came and went. The money for doing the funerals got better as I moved up in the ranks to "organist" and "soloist" for the services, but it never really "got to me" until I watched men die for their country. Then it dawned on me in a flash of inspiration that can only be described as extraordinary! Perhaps that realization is why I write today. I guess some of us are slow to wake to the mournful meaning surrounding the sunset service and the haunting melody of "taps" blown in a graveyard populated by white crosses and flags. "All gave some.....Some gave all." This slogan is being sent across the net Memorial Day Weekend '05 from all points on the compass, as the "giving" continues in lands far removed from our own. Here is my "take" on the day: "Polish with pride what needs to shine brilliantly! Write words of consolation for the living! Wave the flag proudly! Share words of a celebratory nature for the dead! Pray loud, long, and strong for those who, at this very moment, place themselves in harms way for the sake of duty! Take time to consider what has been given for you!" God bless the USA! In Christ's Love, Preacher.

It seems so simple, faith of a child, more powerful than a mountain, untamed and wild! 

"A Daughter Is A Special Little Girl Who Grows Up To Be A Friend!" 

Learning More About How "Life" Really Works!

My youngest daughter fell absolutely head over heels in love with the kitty. She and three of the young ladies she works with at our local "Applebees" came over around 11 last evening to fetch the kitten. When Jasmine was 9 her greatest fondness was for cats. She loved them! At one time I think she had over a dozen living in, around, or near the parsonage. You see, they love her, too! I thought about this yesterday as the kitten played around my feet and followed me everywhere I went in the house. Animals have a sense about folks. I had a male Pom that was with me for eighteen years. I learned to trust him about people so much that I used his innate ability to tell what kind of person someone was 100%. If he didn't take an instant liking to them they were to be watched. If he warmed to them after awhile they might be all right. If after a couple three times of being around he didn't care for them and showed it, I needed to be very careful. I sure do miss him. Jazz says her cats can tell if someone is going to be an okay type person. I don't doubt it! The circle of firends she has are a perfet example of the way she lived when she was nine. You see, she lives with five girls, they all rent a fairly large house. Guys don't live with them but do stay over on occasion. One young lady is awaiting the arrival of her boyfriend serving in Iraq, another is in the pre-engagement stage. All of them have friends of every description but only Jazz seems to collect the people. She put it this way, "we got a couple three girls at the house that are adopted, just 'til they can find their own place." Just like when she was little she has surrounded herself with the ones she admires, trusts, loves, and the ones who simply need to be taken care of. She turns 20 tomorrow, and I don't think any parent could be more proud of a child than I am of her. God bless you Jasmine, happy birthday, I love you! I would so enjoy being in her life when she is my age, but that, of course, is an impossibility. Jesus operated along the same lines that Jazz does. He "collected" people from every walk of life. He knew in advance how they fit into God's scheme for living. Even Judas served his purpose. The instincts which God has implanted in us are often missed or dismissed, rather, by a veritable host of possible misunderstandings. How much easier life would be if we just had a pet that could tell us, in advance, everything we needed to know about someone before we put ourselves out on a limb. We do have prayer, though, and prayer can provide even better insights to the character of people, more so, I suspect, than a pet. The "Spirit" of discernment is with us when we seek God's will for our lives. I encourage everyone to give prayer a try, and applaud those who employ the benefits or prayer regularly. Life just seems to work better when we have a 'point' and our 'six' covered. In Christ's Love, Preacher.

It Gets Worse, I've Named Him CD! Does That Mean Anything To You? 

If You Know Where This Kitten's Mother Is, Please Call! 

Each New Day Is A Welcome Surprise!

I left for a few hours this evening to attend prayers and meetings at the church. This is perfectly normal for a Wednesday night. Cheryl arrived home about 50 minutes after I left to find a kitten(7-8 weeks old)crying beneath "Old Blue," our '86 Chevy conversion van. She did not get the name from her color, although she is two tone blue. Blue has 260,000 miles on her 315 cu. in. V8 and when started up takes about 30 minutes before the exhaust changes to a normal color. Probably valve seals, or just flat out old age, but I digress. The kitten is now living comfortably in a box in my dining room, and has mastered the art of whining to get whatever it needs from my wife. My daughter, Jasmine, who turns 20 the day after tomorrow thought it was the sweetest thing. She arrived shortly after the kitten to show us her "new" car. Now, I love my wife, and I love my daughter, and I even like Jasmine's friend Dave, but the kitty has got to go! We reside on the fastest, busiest street in the entire hamlet, and the life expectancy of a cat in this neighborhood is between 6 and 7 months, tops. Cats by nature are independent(this is a male)and prone to wandering far and wide. As much as everyone adores this kitten planted on our(almost)doorstep, it just would not be fair to the feline. Our neighbor to the east, Joel, a retired college professor, has lost two cats already this year to traffic. The scary part of this whole situation is the picture thing. Jazz has a new phone to go with her new car, and it takes pictures. The phone, not the car! It has always seemed a little like if we start taking pictures of an animal in the house it has to stay until claimed by natural causes or naturally(can't you see it flat)unfriendly(downright inhospitable and unforgiving)traffic. This is the last thing I will share with you this evening. Did you know they have "in-dash" DVD, CD, MP3 players for vehicles? I didn't! Think about it, my 20 year old daughter that is moving to Boulder, soon, can zoom down the highway watching a movie on her dash while talking on the phone and taking pictures of all the new things she is seeing. Throw a coke and a burger in to the mix and please, please, if you are out there on the highway watch out for her! She's driving a new green Pontiac Grand Am two door with a sunroof. If you see her in Colorado, tell her that dad is praying for her every day! God bless, Preacher.

A California Desert Sunrise! Photo Courtesy Of The Kind Folks At "Webshots." 

A Mini Vacation In The Land Of "10,000" Lakes!

Taking time away from everything that we do on a daily basis, my wife, Cheryl, and I found this unique piece of history depicted in the photos below. Whenever we tour on the big HD we try to travel roads we haven't been on before. Yesterday was no exception, and for our time we received the most exciting reward. On a less traveled two-lane black top in Minnesota we came on this relic of a bygone era. It's only 20 miles from the interstate! Holding the southwest corner as it has for years, this railroad car was history before it arrived here! Shutters clicking and forgetting all about the inherent dangers in such a find, we explored. The concrete footings in front and the sidewalks which at one time ran all around indicated to me that this had been a sizable gas station. Two ancient concrete pylons indicated where the single pumps had once stood sentry at the front of the station. There were signs of a possible camping areas to the north, and there had to have been picnic and playground areas as well. I wish we could show you all of the pics. In the early days of our love affair with the automobile this had to have been a wonderful place to stop on the way to anywhere USA! It brings back visions of pop machines that vended like a one armed bandit, and cars "without" radios and heaters. Probably already here for years when the first roads were "tarred" this symbol of a once traveled highway now awaits the casually curious camera equipped traveler. Many blessings, Preacher.

My imagination stirred to the feint sounds of steam power first heard in my youth. 

The interior shows signs of having been "lived in" until the late1950s or early 60s. 

It was a beautiful day to be exploring my wife's home state! 

I Don't Know What To Say About This Post! 

Remembering The Good Old Days

What I thought I would share with the reader today had to do with the picture shown below and the peace that it conveys concerning times when life was more gentle. Those now famous "Good Old Days," that never were! That is the truth! My paternal grandmother was born in 1889 on the prairie here in South Dakota. She was one of 11 children born in a sod, single room house. Some of us in the family recorded her words of wisdom on her 90th birthday(she went home to be with the Lord over 20 years ago) and when asked what she thought to be mankind's greatest advance during her years we waited expectantly for her answer. After all, she had been there through the invention of electricity, phones, automobiles, aeroplanes, radio & television, space exploration, computers and instant communication globally. Her years of experience replied in a New York second, "INDOOR PLUMBING!" The good old days never were! Grandmothers everywhere washed clothes on a washboard. Farmers plowed with a single bottom hitched to a horse. Factory workers put in 12-16 hours daily, 7 days a week. It took weeks, sometimes months to get a letter to someone. Life expectancy, let's not go there. I'm in the process of searching out a publisher for the new book. The CD of all original music is to be released next month. My freezer is full and so is the fridge. Yet, I sit here in my 21st century comfort and sometimes bemoan the fact that things are not as easy as I would like for them to be. Poor me! I like to think of myself as a "rugged" guy. I can travel 5-6 hundred miles a day on two wheels, live in a tent and eat out of a tin can heated over the fire. I can bring down my own dinner with a gun and have it ready to eat 30 minutes later. Talk about "fast food!" So I look wistfully at a picture and think "Ah, for the good old days." They never were the "Good Old Days." Life was hard and the people that lived it were either just as hard or they didn't survive. Which puts me in a totally different head. How about, instead of the time worn, "Good Old Days," we talk about the, "New Good Days." Surely there must be pictures somewhere worthy of depicting the wonderful time we are living. Or, do we have to wait another 90 years before realizing it is the little stuff(remember that indoor plumbing), that sometimes makes the biggest and longest lasting impression on us? It is Sunday, again! Take a moment to count your blessings, and consider what your "New Good Days" have brought to your life. In Christ's Love, Preacher.

Photographs And Memories Are All That Remain Of This Vision. 

Dreams, Everyone Has At Least One Big Dream!

Most of my personal dreams in life have already been lived at least once, some more. There is this one, though, that I have not yet been able to get together. I've been on every imaginable type of water vessel known to man, but I have never sailed around the world. That's the dream I have yet to realize. I think about it once in awhile. My wife and I could have done it a few years ago, even talked about it while we were out in the Bahamas aboard the "Southern Cross." The thing is, I don't want to do it on a great big ship with lots of other people around. My vision has us on a 40-45 foot combination fiberglass and traditional wood, sail driven(power below decks in case of a doldrum, of course)ocean going vessel. Sell everything, except for one Harley which goes with, and a vehicle to get us to Aplena, Michigan, where the boat of my dreams will be waiting. Just the two of us and our faithful dog, wandering the seas in search of adventure and someplace that looks interesting enough to pull in and enjoy for awhile. The entire world in front of us and not a single thing to go back for. How does that sound for a dream? I've always liked it! In fact, it is my favorite! Do I think it will become a reality? God only knows. Cheryl doesn't really care too much for the water, and has never learned to swim, but as I've told her, "Swimming is not a required talent for sailing around the world, we'll have a small launch and life preservers! So there is nothing to worry about." The really best "life preserver" I can imagine, though, I already have. My faith in Christ Jesus. After that, this life and everything in it is on a "take it as it comes basis." I love the picture below of the sailing ship, "The Gazel" she looks so inviting, but a little too large for just the three of us. Out on the Missouri river we see sailing vessels every year on our way to the rally in Sturgis, and on the way back. One of these days we need to stop, go down to the docks, wander around and dream together. That is the best part of having someone to share life and it's many experiences with, the dreaming. Just the two of us with the sun setting to the west, feeling the wind come off the water as we move about the deck taking care of the details of managing a boat together, the smell of the salt air, and the wind in our faces. Standing wrapped in each other's arms watching the world as it comes to us. Ahhh, the dream.......God bless, Preacher.

Freedom For The Spirit, Found In Every Human Pursuit! 

Genealogical Roots Versus Ancestral and Cultural Roots! 

How Do I Blog Thee? Let Me Count The Ways!

I've been going around and checking out different blog spots the past two days. Something that I had no time for until just recently(I was at E-Bay this evening. What an interesting place!). What I've learned about blogs could now fill a comic book(Do they still have those?). Some refer to this as an "online diary" others call it a "forum" and there are probably dozens more descriptive terms for what this personal enterprise entails. From my own perspective I guess I would have to call this a place to post my thoughts so I can check up on me occasionally and see what I've been thinking about. Personal opinions tend to run really strong throughout my blog, thusfar. Maybe that's how it is for all of the people out here blogging. The picture plus the dialogue way of doing this is more than likely not original, but it is to me! Below this(hopefully)is a picture sent to me from a friend in Canada. I loved it when I got it and knew instantly that it brought out in me many feelings that I wished to share. I really don't have much to say to go with the pic. It's a personal thing that I pray about. I try not to hate others. I try not to have "unchristian" thoughts about people anywhere, of any faith, color, economic background, or any of the pigeon holes we in our "humaness" are subject to sticking folks in. The actions that some persons choose really do get deeply under my skin, though. The recent bludgeoning deaths in Idaho and abduction of two young children is as much an act of terrorism as any that could occur in another country. It is domestic terrorism of the worst kind. Totally reprehensible, and the act of a mind that is so far removed from "normal" as to have created it's own sick niche in today's "unsociety." My wife, Cheryl, says that it seems to her that these types of acts are becoming more frequent in this world we live in. I would pray not! But the truth is that they 'do' seem to be happening at an alarmingly increased rate. I can't, in my heart, agree that it is the world we live in that is causing these heinous crimes. It's "someone" in and of the world who did it. Thay could be next to us at the quick stop and we would never guess. The strangler down in Kansas, what was it he was called, "the BTK killer" or something similar. Average sort of guy that was going to church and living in a community for years doing those things before getting apprehended. Just a couple of guys paying their money and learning to fly in our country. Maybe the guy purchased far too much fertilizer, but maybe he had a lot of fertilizing to do, right? This is getting out of hand and could go on far too long, so I'll quit. Keep your top knot tight, and your powder dry! God bless, Preacher.

Photol Recall - Visiting The Inside Mind When The Theology States "Forgiveness!" 

Taking Control In Our Lives

I'm sitting at the kitchen table having my morning coffee. Cheryl was up and away to her job, waking me before leaving to remind me that Kyra, my favorite four year old grand daughter, is up and busy. That she is! Mickey Mouse is a dominant force in her life. She wants to go to Disney World, today! I have not shared with her, as yet, that I do not take children(even a favorite grand)under the age of twelve(ten if they're really healthy and active) to Disney world. It seems I had to learn the hard way several years ago. How far can you carry a seven year old in 90 degree heat to have fun? That was an exercise in futility not to be repeated. We live and we learn, which, I guess, brings us up to being in control of our lives. We can be at times, but all the biggies leave us lacking in the control department. I wish you were sitting here so we could talk about your life and how things are going. Mine has just opened up an area of space, timewise, that is welcome. The new book is finished(62 Ch. 190 P), publishers will have it in their hot little hands, soon. Praise God! I was beginning to think it was a never-ending task. That's the upside this morning! Good news, bad news, time. Several names in my prayer box have cancer written after them(Some Terminal). One is winging his way to a bone marrow transplant, another goes into surgery this morning with great expectations of full recovery. Health is one of those areas of our lives that seems to evade our personal control issues. That and age, gravity, hair, teeth, and for most of us life will be long enough that we run the full course, and that is a blessing! Last evening I had a very distraught young mother here at the table with me. It seems her fifteen year old son has become sexually active with a girl(thank God these days that it is with a girl)and she needed advice on how to handle the situation. I gave her my best insight. After having six or eight go through this stage I told her, "You yell, scream, demand an explanation, pull your hair out by the roots, and then ground them until they're 18!"
Again, a situation beyond our control. I've got a similar situation from the mother of the girl perspective. She's fifteen and mom is raising the baby while she goes to school. Babies having babies, and, again, no control. Is it any wonder that there are so many people going to the psych farms with their "control" issues? When truly put in perspective we have 'NO' control over anything other than what we, ourselves, say and do. For this reason I encourage people to search for a faith walk that will free them from having to be "in control." "Let go and let God."
Life takes on new richness when we stop trying to be in control. You see(here comes that nasty stress issue again)if you feel you must be in control, if things don't go the way you think they should, there must be responsibility placed and people either put it on someone else or themselves. You are not going to be a happy person if you do either. Take a peek back at that tornado. Nobody caused it, it just happened. Take a peek at your perspectives. Take control of the time 'YOU' have been given, and spend it wisely. God bless, Preacher.

There are very few important things in life we have control over! 

I know, seeing is believing. What a way to fish! Lol................Preacher 

Just Thinking About The Kids And Grands

The photo below(I pray)says something about being in the right place at the right time. It refers to that photo opportunity that someone took advantage of in a unique way. Don't ask me why this reminds me of all the children and grand children, but it does. I've got a few of those(I guess they call them young adults now or something equally PC)people in my family that seem to always end up on the wrong end of the stick. Have you ever known one of those unfortunate individuals who always gets caught. 15 other people do the same thing and get away with it completely and then the one that should know better(because they always get caught)does it and WHAM! Overnight in jail, juvenile court, police confrontation, that sort of thing. Right place, right time, wrong choice! The thing is, somewhere in the back of that person's mind is the thought that maybe this time will be different. Lol.......The only thing to really change much thus far in their life is the penalty that is extracted for failure to pay attention. One son(#3) is so deadset on finally getting it right that he's doing his third tour in Iraq. Army....as in people shoot at all of them and the bullets bite, big time. This is a bit like sticking your head or some other part of your anatomy in the lion's mouth while muttering a prayer that he won't bite down, this time. I respect him greatly, and I believe that he is struggling really hard with getting his life on track. I pray for him daily, his name is Justin. You can pray for him, too. That would be appreciated. His daughter is coming to spend the week with me starting tomorrow. What a beautiful young lady. Blessings never cease to amaze, she rarely gets caught doing anything wrong, and I don't say that because I'm her papa, I say that because it's true. She is one of the fortunate ones that does not get caught doing the things kids do. Yes, I know she does them, probably be like I was at that age, "I didn't do it! Nobody saw me do it! And if they did, they're lying, 'cause I didn't do it!" Then there is my daughter, who still hasn't learned that it doesn't make any difference if everyone is going down a one way street the wrong way, if she does it there are going to be officers waiting on every corner, checking on her just in case of such an event. I can remember her asking me, "How do they know its me?" I have no clue how that all works, but in the bigger picture there seem to always be those who can be in the right place at the right time and still make the wrong decision. Perhaps we can all see a little of ourselves holding that bright and shining globe and wondering , "What do I do now that I've got?" Sometimes my blog makes sense, others we have tonight. God bless, Preacher.

Sunset or Sunrise? Your guess is as good as mine, but I thought it cool, verily! 

God's Spirit Shines Through Each New Day 

Pentecost Sunday On The Christian Calendar

I prayed for sunshine yesterday and today the sky is filled with sunshine. Thanks Be To God! Allowing the heart to follow it's deepest desirings, this is the Sunday we celebrate the "Promise Fulfilled." Believing Chirstians want to be as full of the Holy Spirit as the sea is full of water, as the atmosphere surrounding our planet is full of air, and as the fire is filled by flame. His(The Holy Spirit)purpose is to animate our spirits for the doing of God's will, to calm our souls and claim our comfort and recall Christ's promises to each of us. The Holy Spirit is the witness of God's Presence and Power for good. He is the rush of Heaven's wind, the fire of Divine communication, and He does not rest until He has revealed Christ as the Son of God, Redeemer of believing men and women and inseparable Companion of the committed soul. The Holy Spirit never fails. He is imperturbable in tribulation, indomitable in spiritual action and invincible in evangelism. He calls each of us as true followers of Jesus Christ to extend our hand to all. Jesus stands at the door of every person's heart, knocking. When we open that door and invite Him in He enters to share the feast that is found in His Holy Spirit. The soul thirsts for the waters of life that only Jesus can supply. Today, and every day, we exalt God's wonderful, healing power to transform lives for the good of His Kingdom on earth. He alone can cleanse and bathe, He alone can comfort and save, He alone is Christ Jesus, at whose sacred feet I bow. God bless you this day. In Christ's Love, Preacher.

Looking Forward To New Opportunities, New Friend and Old Ones! 

Wrapping Up Friday The Thirteenth

Are you a superstitious person? I suppose we all are in some manner shape or form. I can't imagine what the world might be like if we didn't have axioms. Having been out in the world on two wheels for 45 years now I have a healthy respect for this particular day on our calendar. I don't think it's because of the date, though, I believe it is the result of what the implanted message that accompanies the date does to people's minds. If one wanders around fearing that something bad is going to happen, it probably will! My paternal grandmother used to say, "Don't go buying trouble, there's plenty of it around that's free." Nope, I don't know what that means for sure, either, but when she spoke the words they always seemed to apply to the situation. So there you have my opinion of Friday the 13th as a bugaboo. Personally I stay out of traffic and don't venture too far from the house. This has been a good thing today! I am now within 6,000 words of the completion of the new book. Last two chapters(actually a chapter and an epilogue) are all that remain to write. Tonight my mind is literally fried. My wife interrupted me a little while ago to have me assist in bringing the plants in from the patio to protect them from the cold. I was not happy about leaving my work. I asked her as I grabbed a cup of coffee on the way past the station in the kitchen, "Did I look like I wasn't working there? You can't just interrupt me because you feel the need to move the plants at 11:00 at night. I was writing. Do you think I just sit down and make up these stories? She answered, "Yes, that is exactly what I think you're doing." We both laughed long and hard. She thought I was laughing too much, maybe it was the degree of red in my eyes from sitting in this same spot the last 12 hours, or the mindless laughter I lapsed into following her comment. Something put it in her head that I'm not quite right tonight. And that is exactly correct. I thank God I don't have to preach a service this Sunday, there's not enough time to get ready, unless I don't sleep until Monday. But about these superstitions, I really wonder where some of them originated. Maybe they're a part of the collective human consciousness and we just don't know it. I am glad we have them, though. How else would we have ever learned not to walk under a ladder? And what about the breaking mirrors thing? How many people had to suffer needlessly before it was discovered that breaking a mirror brought on seven years of bad luck? It simply boggles the mind enough for one day, anyway. In Christ's Love, Preacher.

This is courtesy of the NASA Hubble folks. 

In Thinking About Those "Little" Things

Little things have a way of sneaking up on us. A lot of years ago I got married. My wife and I had a prenup of a sort. We made the agreement that "All of the big decisions that were to be made in our life together, I would take care of because I was to be the head of the house. In direct proportion she, in her infinite wisdom, assigned herself the task of making all of the 'little' decisions concerning our lives. I asked her after about ten years why I never seemed to have to make any decisions, to which she reponded, "That's because there have never been any big decisions to make honey." Am I blessed, or what? Life continues like that for us to this day. I know, you got the joke now, but what does it teach me? A lot! It's the constant little 'decisions' we make which keep every petal on the flower of our lives from closing. Every day we choose little things that have impact on who, how, where, and what we are. It's all those little 'things' that keep us growing, or not growing, depending on the choices we consciously make. The most important facet of one's life, in my opinion, is their relationships! We form them everywhere. I could make a long list, but you know what I'm talking about. For better or worse we have relationships all over the place. I've done a few funerals where the number in attendance was so small that lunch could have been a shared value meal. Then there have been the ones that even standing room didn't offer enough space and people were lined up all the way around the church with outdoor speakers to hear what was going on inside. The trip to the cemetary was accompanied by the police because it was so long. Somewhere in between the two is where most of us end up. The thought I would like to convey is "It is the little decisions of relationships that are determining, even now, how our passing will be mourned, celebrated, or remembered." Not to end on a morbid note, I would have to admit that we probably won't know or give a rip who shows up or doesn't show up. But, isn't there some personal comfort found in knowing that we have not passed this way, lived this life in obscurity, or in vain, so to speak? It's all the little things that give our lives shape and form, substance and reality. I don't know how you feel about this, but I know for myself that I have relationships that need tending in little ways every day. God bless you. In Christ's Love, Preacher.

Many Thanks To Char For Sharing Her Winter Snowfall With Everyone! 

There's More On This Great Guy And His Bride A Few Weeks Ago In The Blog!