It's Good To Be Home

We have returned safely from our journey to Tennessee! A beautiful trip accompanied by personable people and weather that was fantastic! Memphis is always a joy and this return did not disappoint us. BB King's backup band had me wound nearly as tight as I ever get. The return miles were done in one 30 hour day. I would have made it all the way without sleep but just south of Sioux City, Iowa there were snakes jumping up and down on the highway. The next thing I saw was my Savior carrying His cross down the center line so I knew it was time for a short nap. The Iowa department of highways provides a rest area at exactly the right place for catching some much needed sunrise shuteye. It took about 40 minutes to rejuvenate my battery(I didn't need these "rest" stops 30 years ago, but back then they weren't quite as nice so I suppose I need to be thankful for that, too)for the 2 hours necessary to pull us up in the driveway of our present home. I use the term "present" simply because we did find a few places that appeared to be suitable for us to reside in if doors should open in that direction. I heard that the temps are not always as warm as we experienced, but then, anything has to be better than 20 below on the Great American Desert! I give thanks tonight for a safe journey(2800 miles in all)and the protection that God offered over the course of my birthday week. I also extend thanks to all of the folks who E-mailed congrats. While we were in Nashville I think a lot of people knew it was my birthday. Everywhere we drove people were honking at us as they went by. It's always good to know that folks care even when you're a long ways from home. Today being Sunday I was back at First Baptist at the piano enjoying the relaxation that music affords me in the context of worship. You know, things do not always go as we plan, and there can be some really rough bumps in the road while we're traveling. It's good to know that at the end of each day God is with us, and at the beginning, too, and everywhere inbetween He is beside us, guiding us as best we allow. I'll be back with my stories about the days between these past two Sundays this week. I pray your life is good! In Christ's Love, Preacher.

Life Is A Journey, Not A Destination!

Tomorrow is Sunday. I'm not as prepared this week as I would like to be, but then who can really be prepared for a Sunday of communion? When we come forward to partake of the elements of communion we are supposed to be really aware of the state of our hearts and in the process of doing everything we can to cleanse them before God. From my faith perspective this is the ultimate test, short of meeting my Savior face to face, of the strength of belief that is within me. Can I really forgive every wrong that has been done me? Can I truly find it in my heart to repent of the evil thoughts that have floated to the surface of my mind when confronted with an abolute idiot on the streets? Do I truly repent of that desire to throw a punch instead of share a kind word? How far removed must I be from my human side as I step forward once again? In our humaness there is some of this that I am certain sounds impossible, but when god speaks to our hearts and knows our repentence for the vile creatures we are He does add forgiveness to the long list of blessings we receive in faith.
I'm going to be gone for about a week starting tomorrow. My wife, Cheryl, and I are headed south a thousand miles or more and visiting with friends I have yet to meet. Tonight I am both excitedly expectant and sadly hesitant. I haven't begun to pack yet(if this were a journey on two wheels I would have had that done yesterday)and I wonder if that is a sign that I am not really ready for the journey? In my heart of hearts I believe that my preparation for the journey begins tomorrow with the moment of communing with my Savior. Each day is a new beginning, and each journey provides opportunities to serve. Our unique opportunity to commune within the Body of Christ is so important that it has often been on my heart that we whould commune together in the fellowship of the sacred meal each time we gather. I'm afraid most church attenders would rapidly tire of this event and decry it's frequency. Perhaps it is good that we celebrate communion only once a month. I also keep in mind that we celebrate a personal "communion" with our Lord each time we offer prayer. Maybe that is why we need to cleanse our hearts so well. Much of life is a mystery as is the celebration of the Holy Sacraments. But then, the events of each day are a surprise, too! So it is good that we have the opportunity to share with brothers and sisters in the Lord wherever we meet them. I pray that your Sunday is a blessed one and that your heart is constantly being mended by the love of our God that cares for each of us so beautifully. In Christ's Love, Preacher.

Helpful Hints 329-335

When preparing a "scalloped" meal use a baking dish that is slightly smaller than the portion you wish to prepare. Carefully line the pan\dish with aluminum foil and let it extend about an inch above the edge. Cleaning time afterwards is a breeze and your oven will thank you for helping to keep it from exuding smoky odiforous emanations during the baking process! When seeking a "center" of calm in your life it is useful to draw upon images that guide you toward that sense of calm you seek. When traversing mountainous regions in a 1937 Dodge pickup take care to have all the tools necessary for rebuilding the engine in the back along with a host of spare parts and, whenever possible, have your mortorcycle along on a trailer or flatbed conveyance! When in Frankfort Germany be certain to dine exclusively on the local quisine. I realize it is a temptation to drop into the "American" fastfood emporiums, but what with the sentiments concerning our country running at an all time high, it is best to avoid giving away your country of origin. When seeking to share your christian heritage it is always good to have prepared well ahead of time by actually knowing in whom you believe. When using a computer becomes a frustration rather than a joy it is time to quit! Upon completion of a thousand mile journey to meet your enemy make certain the journey is his! Finally.....When the days grow short(I'm talking about life here)is a good time to begin making plans for your eternal future, but not the best time! The best time is right now, today. The free gift of Salvation in my Savior is yours for the asking. Christ is ready to receive all who will come to Him and desire the freedom of truth and light! In His Service, Preacher.

Deserted Forever!

This was a "gray" day. The kind encountered when the first light of dawn grows no brighter as the hours pass. The sun finally peeked through the overcast just as it was setting, but that was not nearly enough brightness for my eyes. I tried one of the spots that I've been going to write about for a long time. Even the brilliance of the cameras flash barely cut through the goom of this long-deserted workshop.
Completion of winter preparations nears completion here at our home. Workbenches once clean as a "whistle" are now heaped with bits and pieces accumulated from the many tasks I've been accomplishing. Everything has to be cleared away before the final piece of work, vehicle prep for the long winter that comes. The pictures were taken in a forgotten workshop miles from our home. Tools still lay on the bench, amidst blown leaves and debris that has to encompass a minimum of fifty years of disuse. I was particularly fascinated by the array of bits and pieces still hung on nails above what was once a busy place. The person who worked here was a proud, orderly, and talented man. The variety of parts indicate that his expertise extended to mechanical stuff large and small. Even the wrenches are hung neatly beneath the bench, still in order the way I must assume they were the last time the space was in use. Roof caved in, doors falling off, and very little glass left in the windows due to the press of surrounding brush and trees, it could be called a "spooky" place by some. For me this is another of the mysteries which encourage exploration and speculation! I love the wheel hanging from the ceiling. That's an old one! Some childs vehicular conveyance or perhaps a carriage for the baby, a cast off that harkens back to pages in America's history long closed. I suppose if I walked out the door right now and nobody ever cleaned up the space in my cave it might look a lot like this in fifty years. Hammer handles would rot and their heads would rust, and the dust would deepen obscuring the scars left on the surface of the bench by tasks long ago completed. There was an entire rack of bits standing rusted in their holder. The type which went with what they referred to as a "brace & bit" affair for drilling wood. The block holding the bits was handmade, and each one was in order, except for one which was still in the tool set aside on the bench from the final project. I can never bring myself to move the articles around from where I find them, it feels as though that would somehow break the spell of the last presence to occupy the space. There was no wind to speak of this morning so the quiet within the confines of the old shop was overpowering in contrast to the music I have blaring from the speakers on the Ultra Classic while riding. Thinking back on the moment, I remember now that when I started up to leave I turned the music off, it seemed somehow inappropriate for the time just spent. I find myself, even now, praying for the person who last used that bench. Life was good for him, and he took pride in the many things he did. I've got to clean up my workspace before leaving for the week long journey that lies ahead. Just in case I don't make it back I don't want someone snapping pictures of the things I left undone. What we have is a limited number of years in which to get everything done that God would have us do. How we use those years is going to say much about who, how, and what we stood for. Even if we have never met a person we can tell by the things they have left behind much about them. So it is with my Savior. He has ascended into heaven to sit at the right hand of His Father, God, and has left behind His Holy Spirit to reveal to us the things that are truly important in life. More than likely none of us will make the journey to the next life with everything nealtly cleaned up in this one. The guy who left behind this workspace had every intention of coming back to do more. So it is with our Savior. He is coming back to do even more! We've got some time, maybe we'll be a little closer to "finished" with our stuff than we are today, but more importantly is keeping the order and making certain we have all the necessary tools for our job. When all of the windows are broken and the world has reclaimed our space, it will be good to return and see clearly how well we ran the race. God bless, Preacher.

Considering Turkeys

I'm going to try these pictures from a different direction and see if they come through a little later. Sometimes the server can be slow. The photos of the turkeys were shot above Jericho camp last August in Sturgis, SD. Now here is the interesting things I've learned about turkeys(I lived about half a mile from a turkey farm when I was growing up). They are not very smart! They are not stupid either, they are simply turkeys and when encountered in their different habitats they react differently. When they are on the farm I could walk up to the fenced in enclosure and talk to them. They get curious and very soon they will all flock up to the fence to see what is going on. It's really quite amusing. One of my friends pointed out this week during a turkey discussion(we shoot them out here on the Great American Desert), that when in captivity they will all bend their necks and heads to watch an airplane go over, thus presenting the watcher with a view of hundreds of turkeys turning their heads sideways to look with one eye. I don't think they can use both eyes simultaneously to observe the same objects. In the wild they are quite impossible to approach. That's what makes hunting them so much fun, you don't actually "hunt," you find a spot and wait. Now a few months ago a gentleman from Minnesota brought out a family of turkeys to a 25 acre spread owned by mutual friends and turned them loose. They had been raised in captivity so they knew nothing about just being free to roam. Most often the little ones accompanied their mother everywhere she went and it was fun to watch them troop around the grounds. That is, until they began to diminish in number, one by one, until they were all gone. You see, without any practical skills for living in the wild they knew nothing of the danger present in the form of fox. This has been a landmark year for fox out here. Early mornings you can ride out about fifteen miles from the house and watch them playing in the sunshine on the fields that have been cleared by harvest machines. So it is with people, not the playing in the fields(although we do some of that as well)but the distinct difference between being raised in the "wild" and growing up in the more remote corners of our nation.
We're not turkeys, although that term has been used for a number of years to refer to folks in a derogatory manner. We do, though, bear some striking similarities that are very "turkey" like. Something is happening and we all gather to watch. We're fine in our own "backyard" but find it difficult to adapt to new surroundings. Raised in the city(the wild)we're much more difficult to approach. This is where I pick up the faith perspective for those who are just curious enough to see where this is leading. God created all of us in God's image. Therefore, the only thing that truly separates us is the conditions of our upbringing based on the variables found in our environment. If it is a "christian" environment of faith and a belief system founded on the principals set forth in God's Word, we can truly find others in whom we can place our trust. Mutually shared faith is the basis upon which we can live in peace and, presumably, safety based on our ability to take care of one another. Sounds like a model for living, doesn't it? It is! Thousands of years in the preparation, even more in the planning stages, and available for us today at no cost whatsoever! God's plan is perfect, and one that if followed leads not only to a good life, but to an eternal one as well! You don't need to take my word for it. Look around you and see for yourself the goodness that seems to fill the lives of some. You might even want to check where they are on Sunday mornings. God calls each of us to a life that is good, not all respond to that call. I pray you are listening for that call right now. I also pray that if you have already responded this helps to confirm your belief that you are on the right path. In Christ's Love, Preacher.

Turkey Business!

I think I've now worked out all the "turkey stuff" that was going on in my 'puter. I'm going to have dinner now. Tonight I'm dining on roast pheasant, I've had enough turkey for one day. God bless, Preacher.

Micro Turkey

 
This is my own way of having a little fun. I'm sure the computer has no clue who is supposed to do what other than when I am putting things in. What I don't understand is how when I do a "Firefox" update, complete the download, and restart, according to the directions, that Internet Explorer suddenly becomes my default browser. Could it be there is a turkey in the woods and he's just hiding out until we aren't watching to come out?