Food For Thought

I was more than ready to curl up with a pizza and a bowl of popcorn to watch a movie with Cheryl this evening. That was when it began. The little bread guys jumped out of the loaf and as I prepared to place them in the toaster I started laughing. They were little singing bread guys. I'm certain you aren't supposed to toast bread guys unless you're making cinnamon toast or something with jelly on it. Even the popcorn sounded strange and then Cheryl came out and told me that my youngest daughter was on the phone and she sounded really weird. Of all times of the year for things to get hinky this was it, the night before All Hallows Eve!
Jasmine(my youngest daughter, 20)has been in Oklahoma visiting her grandmother. She and a friend drove down from Colorado to say "hi" this weekend. On the way back the two of them encountered a stranger and Jazz was totally beside herself with fear and worry. It seems she has just had her first encounter with a person that is bad to the bone, demonic, evil! She said it made her physically ill to be around the individual and had to call me to find out if something like that was possible, the whole evil personified thing. I confirmed her suspicions and gave her my best pastoral advice along with a few fatherly asides which went in one ear and out the other, I'm sure. The pastoral thing, though, was quite another thing. She listened intently and spoke respectfully to me. She knows. I've told her since she was very young, there is evil in the world and more unseen dangers than we are ever fully aware of in the light of day. I'm not discounting the sickos that roam the earth, either, but what she has described to me tonight is one of those individuals who has given themself over to Satan and seeks only to serve the dark master. I am thankful that she is safe, and I pray for the remainder of her journey home. I guess it might be well to say that I pray for her and each of my children and grands every day along with lots of other folks. It seems I'm on some sort of pilgrimage for a while in the blog. Angels, demons, and all of the other things that accompany the spiritual realm of which we, like it or not, are a part. Life would be a lot simpler if all we ever saw were singing "bread guys" and friendly little half popped kernels of corn. Maybe I just need to concentrate of food as a thought for blogging. That would be safe, wouldn't it? In Christ's Love, Preacher.

Preacher's Peeves

 
I don't know for certain that the word "peeves" is in common useage at this juncture in linguistic history. It probably is of little concern to many but I for one have become tired of people rewriting history to suit the whims(probably another archaic term)of their fancy. Oftimes(maybe I belong in a different century)the rewrites are done on the basis of appeasement for a special interest group. More often than not these days it is done for financial gain. I was recently informed by one publisher that if I really wanted to write something the public would "buy" I needed to be toatally controversial on something\anything. I submitted my thoughts and lo and behold the first one to bite the big one was about angels. People, it seems, do not wish to be told that angels are not cute little cherub people with wings, or beautiful women who dress in wisp thin apparel and do good deeds. I must assume, therefore, that people for the most part are not really interested in the truth, they want something that will titillate their fantasies and allow them to enter into a warm fuzzy relationship with their misconceptions. Whoosh! Is this truly the depth of modern intellect? Having now watched some TV after a 10 month hiatus from that form of entertainment, I discovered that not much has changed. Whatever it is people are trying to sell one another, it sells better with sexual overtones and subliminal messages designed to perk the excitable portions of modern minds. It really isn't such a modern idea. Hence(boy there are a lot of those old words)we have the statue\picture of the angel in a short skirt with naked breasts. This once more proves beyond a shodow of a doubt that if you dress it up right somebody will buy it. (Have you seen the HOG monthly with real life pigs dressed up in sexy costumes as a type of pin-up calender?) Well, there you have it! I've gone off on a tangent and wound up chasing smoke. Angels were guys. Big, scary, and very much the servants of our Creator God. They did get a little sidetracked with the beauty of human females for awhile(lust is no stranger to the dweller in heavenly realms)but we must reconcile that with God's forgiving nature and anticipate that all is well that ends well. Christmas is coming! For God's sake this year avoid supporting those foks that would sell you angels in the guise of hollywood. For that matter, avoid spending your money on any product that is hawked by means of sexual innuendo. Oops, that would mean foregoing purchases of most apparel, hygene products, and virtually everything else out there in the market place. There has to be another answer for tapping into the mindset of modern day America. I'll keep searching, and please let me know if you spot anything out there(exclude visions of Julia Roberts as an angel, please)! In Christ's Love, Preacher. 

Signs Of Continuing Faith

It's amazing what you see on a rainy day when you've got your head down to avoid the drops. I ended up parking at the wrong church on this particular day. 1st B is another block west, but it was raining and I was in a hurry. I parked the car under the first sign and as I stepped out I saw the second. I suppose that is when I realized my error. Jumping back in the car I sat looking at the second sign and realized that I had never seen one of these before. Probably sounds strange to some, but we can go through life thinking that we are "seeing" the signs around us and then, quite suddenly, discover that there is still more to see if we keep on looking.
I found it quite ironic to view the sign of the fish painted on the storm drain cover. I sat there listening to the rain tap on the roof of the car and pondered the sign of the fish. Symbolic for centuries as the "secret" logo that marked gathering places for christian believers. How thankful I am to be in a country in which we do not have to hide our faith. And then, as I thought, it came to me. Here I am in the 21st century living in America, a country founded by believers, that now seeks to irradicate any and all forms of public witness to God and His only Son, my Savior. We seek to legislate when, where and how the emblems of faith may be displayed, and forbid prayer in public places such as schools, while at the same time ordering the ancient sign of the fish to be painted on walkways. "Can it be," I thought, "that all across America cities are painting this symbol on their sidewalks and curbs?" What a blessing this is! If the time ever comes when we have to begin meeting in secret again we already have a system of markings for meeting places provided for us by the same government that would prevent us from displaying this sign in public places. Lol.........Ain't God great? Absolutely awesome! Do you think anybody else knows about this? Is it perhaps a "Christian Conspiracy?" Nope, it's just the way our country works. When a disaster strikes we see the cross everywhere. When we are in the midst of deleting God in one way, He just pops back up in other places. Ya just can't keep a good God down! In Christ's Love, Preacher.

Peace Is Found In Knowing For Certain That We Are Living According To God's Will And Doing The Very Best That We Can At It! 

Time To Spare & Stuff On My Mind

This evening was the first in a few weeks that it seemed as though I might be getting close to ready for the coming winter. So much so that I took a few moments to let my creative side loose on the workbench for a few minutes. what I came up with is a toilet paper tree that allows a variety of users their choice of texture and comfort. It also provides space for "what to do" with that little bitty leftover roll that you hate to be wasteful and throw away. Constructed entirely from plexi round stock and quite well balanced, if I do say so myself, it affords the person making leisurely use of the facilities time to ponder their choices. For the decorator in each of us it gives another opportunity to express oneself in creative ways by mixing and matching the various prints and colors available. Top it all off with the "ever present" spare on top and it should be a winner in every department store. I'm certain you will be seeing something like this soon, if not already, at your favorite discount outlet or possibly even on the TV as a "special" buy one get one free offer. Just $9.95 plus applicable taxes, shipping & handling(of course)and it is yours. Nine color coordinated hues of bathroom background to choose from, including(for an additional $9.95)one that lights up and serves both as night light and dispenser extraordinaire!
Seriously, it was a wonderful break from the tasks that always seem to be at hand. Life is like that, busy with one sort of cleanup\fixup or another. It started as a joke for some of my E-friends, but now as I look across at it on the workbench I see real possibilities. That's what I think God sees in each of us, real possibilities! We are flawed, and quite often without any real purpose in life other than to live out our days eating, sleeping, and working. When the Master takes the time to wield the tools of His Spirit, though, some very amazing things begin to occur. I suppose the first thing that I noticed in my walk was less focus on me(inward)and more focus on others(outward). It can be an awakening from which there is no recovery, only complete, sweet surrender. I won't repeat the catch phrases here, you already know them. What I will add to tonight's creative side is an opportunity to be more each day than you were the previous day. You know where I'm headed with this, Christ! He is the one to take up the reins of our unruly lives and guide us down paths that will truly be a blessing in the lives of everyone around us, and ultimately, to ourselves as well. There I go on that selfish streak again. Have a wonderful day, and know that I am praying for you along with the rest of our world. God bless, Preacher.

Welcoming Guests And Celebrating Love!

I have to be quick this evening. The temperature in my new office is at a chilly 48 and I'm dressed as warm as I can be and still use my digits. Today was fantastic! God blessed me in so many ways that even the pain of driving a nail into my finger by accident seems to mean very little right now(can't feel the fingers much at low temps anyway). We had surprise visitors to our home. A surprise to me, anyway. Cheryl and I have talked about getting a dog for years now, and most of the time I was not quite ready and she was not really sure. Today that all ended when she invited a co-worker from Astoria, SD to bring over a five month old Great Pyrenees male pup. She said if I liked him I could have him as my B'day present from her. I nearly fell off the earth for a moment. I had to say no, because I really don't want a pup coming to live with me unless I get him just before weaning is completed. It's a thing I learned back when I was breeding Poms that has never proven to be wrong. They just seem to train better and become a more attached animal that way. The main thing was that she has agreed to have one! Now the question is all about finding the "right" one. Isn't the kid that came with the dog cute(unfortunate that he can't come with the pup or I might have reconsidered)! It seems like there is a hitch to almost everything. While I'm in this celebratory mood, though, I would like to share with you that there is a blessing that comes without a single hitch. That's the love offered you in Christ from our Creator God.
That comes with a bonus, too, the indwelling of God's Spirit to make all things in life more beautiful and fulfilling. I don't know when the last time was that I had a day so filled with true heartfelt emotion. I tried to share my feelings with my wife, but I don't think she really appreciates it when I get so sentimental that tears begin to show. She truly made this a day to remember. Many thanks to You tonight, my Lord, for providing me with the most wonderful gifts a heart could ever desire. Your love is more precious than gold or fine silver, right after that is the love You have revealed in the heart of my wife. God, I thank You and Cheryl for this day! In Christ's Love, Preacher.

Winter Comes

I decided to title this edition the same as my first novel. It seemed somehow appropriate this evening. I was relaxing before stepping into the shower today, coffee in hand, stereo pounding out a pleasant background, when the first white flakes began to fall. There went the plans for the day. Within thirty minutes as I watched in awe the flakes grew in size and frequency until the backyard looked somewhat like a TV with no station coming in. Wet, heavy snow covered everything rapidly and I had to turn my back and get in the shower grumbling about all that was left to do to really "be ready" for winter this year. Oh, nothing major, now, just lots and lots of little things that should have been done yesterday except I was busy doing other things that had to be done. The barn has electricity now, and the lines to the garden shed are run but unconnected. The outdoor kitchen is just like it was a week ago when last I made use of it. Lawn chairs have yet to be stowed away(cushions and stuff, too)and the list goes on and on. No sooner did I step from the shower than the phone began to ring. An emergency call from my wife informing me that if I didn't bring lunch for her and a friend they would starve today. Out through the storm in record time with grilled chicken chunks in a beautiful salad with two sandwiches to accompany the feast I made my way through town. Some folks have a hard time getting used to driving in the snow(two accidents lay between me and my goal)so I opted to drive the side streets. I must admit the snow was beautiful the way it came down. So many reminders of God's grace in the midst of the day as the flakes covered everything equally. Streets of pure slush and gutters awash as the snow tried but failed to stay snow, slowed progress. I made it right on time, though, to deliver lunch and avoid the untimely passing due to starvation of two lovely ladies. Choosing to stay off the main thourough fares I was back home safely about twenty minutes before my first appointment. That was how the entire day went. Just in time to take care of what needed to be done and no spare time to fool around except for the minutes I spent walking through the backyard picking up the few things that shouldn't be gotten wet and taking these quick pics. All in all I'm sitting here smiling over the whole mess. The sun came out, the snow is gone, and all that remains is to arrive for services in the morning and enjoy some time in God's house with the warmth of friends and fellowship to surround me. There will be time to finish the things that must be done, I remind myself. Winter comes, and with it a whole new way of living for the balance of the year and a good portion of next.
I suppose that my greatest thanks today are given for the advance warnings I had from far off friends of impending weather. Or should I say, I thank God for friends that care enough to let me know when things aren't looking good. If things aren't looking really good in your life why don't you stop on in to a church tomorrow and see if getting a little "good news" can make a difference in your life. I'll be at 1st Baptist here in Brookings, but there are branch offices all over and we all work for the same boss. Have a wonderful Sunday, and be ready for winter. After all, it's the best six months of the year here on the Great American Desert...Lol...God bless, Preacher.