Having A Sense Of Humor

There is a time and place for everything! It's good to know that even in the worst of circumstances some folks out there can find some small portion of life in which there is a gleam of mirth. Katrina's devestation has planted a mission team deep within the area marked as "disaster." The house they have established as home base had to be completely shoveled out. It was filled with mud and debris! Sleeping in outdoor gear and cooking over open fires, men and women in ministry to their fellow human beings are now working overtime hours helping wherever they are needed. As time becomes available in schedules new folks arrive and others leave to return to the reality of homes safe from the devestation that they have witnessed first hand. The stories are emerging across the nation as these weary travelers return home, back to their jobs, and as one man put it so succinctly, "Back to a world that is not so real!" The most devestating effect a cataclysmic event such as a hurricane has on people is the spiritual, mental, and emotional shock that they go through. Humor is a way of combating the horror, the fatigue, and the loss. One writer mentioned rescuing a cat that looked more like a rat and had little life left in it. His description of the rescue left me with a smile on my face and a note of hope for all of those who have gone through, and continue to go through the horrendous task of putting everything back together. It will never be the same, and maybe that is a good thing. Perhpas it will be better, and that would be good as well. The best thing, however, is knowing that no matter how large or small the impact on lives, in response to the adversities encountered in life we have individuals who will stand up, step forth, and pitch in to make things better. Where our mission teams go they take faith and wrap it up in smiles filled with the warmth and love that our God has given us to share. This is "not" a plug for you to pull something out of your pocket to help, it's a request for your prayers. Send them out tonight, tomorrow, or often throughout the day. We have a whole lot of peoople who are in need, and the best thing we can offer is a spiritual boost to their moral as weeks turn into months, and the months, inevitably, turn into years, as a portion of our nation recovers from nature's insistence on it's own way. We will recover, and we will be better for having done just that! In the midst of it all let us give thanks that it was no worse than it was, and move forward in faith. In Christ's Love, Preacher.

Pictures not seen on the news! This is out even beyond the suburbs!

The lower right hand corner is the "mission" headquarters right now. The other pictures are from Katrina's wake of destruction. Except for the riverboat the rest of the Pics were shot within half a mile of the mission HQ. Preacher.

The "Greatest" Pumpkins Of All!

God finds you in the patch amidst all the others, lifts you up, takes you in, and washes all the dirt off of you. Then He carefully opens you up, touches deep inside and scoops out all the yucky stuff--including the seeds of doubt, hate, greed, and overall bad behaviors(with me, as in most of us, the work is never finished). Then He carves a new smiling face on us and puts His light inside of us for all the world to see!
The picture/depiction came to me this evening(many thanks to Char)in the form of an Autumn greeting. You probably know by now that I really liked it. A wonderful way to fly in the face of a holiday that for some has become a celebration of evil in our world(as if the day to day news casts weren't enough to remind us)!!! Yes, the time of ghosts and goblins approaches. Yes, there will be parties galore and revelry that may outdo last year. I give pause, though, for just a moment, with a smile playing closely about my lips, as I remember the celebrations of "All Hallows Eve" we shared in seminary. Quite another holiday entirely, and predates our modern day Halloween by hundreds of years. I pray you take the "pumpkin story" and share it with others. It's a good one, and one that I can't wait to share with the grand kids.
Now I come to the photo below. This one says a world of things in imagery that we all need in our lives. We all need that one who will walk with us closely through the many seasons of our lives. Not everyone finds that partner. In Christ we have that never failing love that will accompany us every step of the way, good times or bad, happy or sad, as the song goes; He will be there! Maybe you've been waiting in the patch awhile for someone to pick you up and go to work on the new creation you can be. No need to wait, you can simply ask and He will begin. In Christ's Love, Preacher.

Just A Closer Walk With Thee

The photo is courtesy of Jean. I found the work and many more on Webshots last evening. This one speaks volumes to me in relation to the walk I have with my Lord. Many thanks to your expertise with the lens, Jean. God bless, Preacher.

Ladies and Gentlemen

I tried to get this out last night, and that would have happened if not for the communications setup being worked on over the weekend. I'm still so new to using the 'puter that everytime something doesn't work the way it has in the past I figure it is my fault. Guess what? I have now learned after a year of using this new tool of the modern world that other people can make mistakes, too! This little "portabeast," (my new term for the 'puter in a briefcase, sort of like a "porta potty, only this little ditty can dump on you instead of you using it) is not without flaws, and it can be somebody else that is messing with things somewhere. I guess things are back to normal, I'm running way far afield of my intended purpose this evening.
Jackie Bird! Extraordinary lady with whom I work from time to time is ready to begin doing tracks in the studio again. Jackie has performed across the nation and across the seas, and presented here in the US for the President in the White House. I never asked her which one of them she had the honor of performing for, or even if it was only one. We don't get around to talking too much about the things we've done, we tend to focus much more strongly on the things that we want to do in writing, creating, and performance. She is a people person with a heart as big as Alaska with a spirit to match. If you haven't had the opportunity to hear her you might consider picking up one of her CDs for a listen. Jackie is an energetic, exciting, and extremely talented young lady. For instance: When she is working the traps her command of the band is such that she lays down a solid rhythm that pulls together players from an extremely wide variety of stylistic approaches. Jamming with the best she is still "out front" even when she's in the back. First, though, is her vocalizatons of original works given her by God, as she puts it. Her voice conveys an essence of the spirit-filled person that she is, sending out the messages she writes so well with a depth of feeling that one has to hear to comprehend. Whether she is sitting on the floor in the studio strumming her guitar or working the center of a huge stage under glaring lights her presence doesn't change, though. The same person shines through no matter what the occasion. Jackie's daughters, sons, and her grand daughter share the spotlight with her on occasion. Each one multi-talented, and raised in the tight family tradition that balances performance and personalities with an expertise often lacking in our modern world of "stars." I'm looking forward to our next session. The last one had us working with Jared from Australia doing new "stuff" that will be on the upcoming CD. He wandered through our Great American Desert while touring the US following his introduction at the World Day of Prayer in NYC. (Looking forward to seeing you again one of these days, Jared) Jackie brings her talents and gifts to the stage in service to people everywhere, and has what she calls, "an old spirit," but there is nothing old about how she does what she does! Her combination of faith and family, past and present, and the here and now are a welcome addition to my personal experience in the world of live entertainment. God truly blesses us each day with the time to bring talents and gifts to bear for His glory in this, our earthly existence. Thanks, Jackie, for your heart, your songs, and the spirit you bring to every session. In Christ's Love, Preacher.

Scholastically Speaking

 
So it seemed to work and I thought I'd have just a little fun. Read at your leisure and ponder at your convenience what these say about the "system" under which we are living. Maybe, just maybe, we need a little more faith in our school boards, and the decisions they are trying to make to keep dissenters happy. "You can make some people happy all of the time. You can make all of the people happy some of the time. You can't make everybody happy all the time!" It simply isn't in our nature as human beings to accomplish that feat! God bless, Preacher. 

Checking Things Out

 
I had no idea how the new interface(if that is what this is called)worked with the program so I though I'd give it a whirl. The pic is courtesy of National Geographic, the caption, of course, is mine and I pray it is readable. Mail is coming in from the devestation in the south. I appreciate the folks down there that have gone in to do ministry and work side by side with cleanup crews. I don't appreciate them referring to where they are at as "ground zero!" It seems to me that is a term that has only one connotation. It was associated(my first remembrance was bomb testing and Hiroshima)with New York and 911, and to use it in the Katrina scenario seems(in my mind), somehow, inappropriate. "Ground Zero" was heard as a phrase so often in the World Trade Towers attack that it leaves a bad taste in my mouth when it is associated with other disasters. So, Russell, Mike, and crew, if others are doing the useage thing the way you are, pray about it and see if there is not a better form of terminology that can be applied to the situation. After all, we're on God's team, and we would not wish to offend even one of His children if it were avoidable. In Christ's Love, Preacher.