I am Blogger-Man, watch me roar, and roar, and roar!

Okay. So my granddad was right. He often wondered out loud when I was talking on and on if I was ever going to come up for air and now after having pecked out 400 blogs, (that’s how many I’ve done but a couple have yet to be published), you are most likely, on this Wednesday, the 26th day of November 2008 wondering the exact same thing! But that’s okay because to be honest I have the same concern about myself when I read some of what I have written. I need to archive these and preserve them so that if God grants our planet enough years that one day one of my great-great-great grandchildren might open them up and fall all over themselves while reading my version of comic relief written so many years before. I wrote my first one in this format back in May of 2007 and the rest have come and gone at least 400 times.

Repetitive? No doubt some have been just that. But when you only have one life and one set of eyes to view it through, one would expect a rerun now and then. I go back occasionally and read one or two at random and for the most part I’m satisfied with the subjects covered if not the quality of the writing. I know from time to time people comment on them, therefore, there are those who read them. I’ve never received an official request to quit sending them to those on my delivery list, however, I am tuned in enough to know how in-baskets fill up and how time might dictate the use of the delete key when necessary. At any rate, it is what it is and for me it has been a fantastic ride not only down memory lane but also all over the road, ditches included. I never really know exactly what’s coming out until it does and I will just tell you there have been times when I am quite sure God has been pleased with what I have tried to convey, and when I sense that happening I always try to pause and give Him thanks for His hand in it all.

A few friends have told me they could never practice enough discipline to do one on such a consistent basis. Others have commented on the fact that one would have to be gifted to come up with this much stuff. I appreciate all the compliments but I happen to think it is more in line with my grandfather’s thoughts, a flowing well that just keeps on keeping on. Life is my subject. My life. The life given to me by God and especially the life changed by His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Here’s what I had to say in the final paragraph from my first blog on May 9, 2007: “One final thought in this opening monologue: I know that without God as the foundation of my life through my identity with His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, there would be little hope in all the ups and downs encountered in this journey called life.” Three hundred ninety nine blogs later and all I can say is that I couldn’t now say it better than I said it back then. Will there be 400 more? I do not have a clue but I have enjoyed this outlet in sharing the life and times I’ve been privileged to be a part of for these 60 plus years. Thanks to all those who have read and especially to any and all that have experienced a smile or an encouragement in the Lord as they have journeyed with me. May He be honored as we make our way forward from here. Amen.

I do send out a greeting of blessing to one and all on this Thanksgiving commemoration. May God richly bless each one. The place where we are staying does not have internet access, therefore, I will be on a short sabbatical for the next few days. But Lord willing I will be back to start with a brand new blog number 401 next Monday. Until then I will leave you with this reminder or warning ……yes, Virginia, after 400 installments, there not only is a Santa Claus but it also looks like there will be .…..more later!

Time to remember to be thankful!

As we approach this coming Thursday’s time of gathering with family to show forth our thankfulness to God for His goodness and His provisions to us as a nation, and to our families, we do so realizing that the future is very clouded at the moment. This is what I’m thinking about on this Tuesday, November 25, 2008. Genuine thankfulness comes from a heart full of gratitude. We can pronounce our prayers and make our speeches but being truly thankful comes from the inside of our very being. The children’s grace offering before a meal is appropriate for our consideration. Here’s how some of my grandchildren have been taught to say their prayer: “God is good. God is great. Let us thank Him for the food we eat. By His hands we all are fed, let us thank Him for our daily bread. In Jesus Name we pray, Amen.”

It’s hard to add anything to this simple expression that is profound in it’s recognition but I wanted us to read the first official proclamation setting aside a day to recognize God’s providential care on our young nation. This is an amazing statement from the man we call the father of our country, President George Washington. Would to God that every American beginning with me and you as well, could grasp the meaning of the words and their reflection of truth as we pause to honor and thank our great God.

General Thanksgiving

By the PRESIDENT of the United States of America

A PROCLAMATION

WHEREAS it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me "to recommend to the people of the United States a DAY OF PUBLIC THANKSGIVING and PRAYER, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:"

NOW THEREFORE, I do recommend and assign THURSDAY, the TWENTY-SIXTH DAY of NOVEMBER next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed;-- for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to establish Constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted;-- for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge;-- and, in general, for all the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us.
And also, that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions;-- to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shown kindness unto us); and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.

GIVEN under my hand, at the city of New-York, the third day of October, in the year of our Lord, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-nine.

(signed) G. Washington

Source: The Massachusetts Centinel, Wednesday, October 14, 1789

Hoping the coming clouds are cumulous and not ominous!

They tell us that the worse things get it is the more that some are given an advantage. No, I’m not talking about those hedge investors who bet that certain stocks will tank. On this Monday, November 24, 2008, I’m actually focusing much higher, I’m thinking about the United States in the realm of global power. Several articles have recently pointed out how that the worse things get it is the more that President Elect Obama will be able to have his way in just about any and all things he desires to implement. While you may not have seen people referring to Mr. Obama as our Savior or Messiah, believe me, they are out there and it actually sends chills down my spine as I consider the implications of this blasphemous praise along with a resultant conceding of power. Here’s a quote from one of Mr. Obama’s key transition team leaders, Valerie Jarrett, on Meet the Press: “Given the daunting challenges that we face, it’s important that President-elect Obama is prepared to really take power and begin to rule day one.”

I don’t know about you but as best I can remember we became a republic after a long protracted war in order to get ourselves completely away from a form of government where we have a king who rules over their people. We are supposed to have elected officials who lead and serve, not rule and reign. Louis Farrakhan, leader of the Nation of Islam had this to say: “When Obama talks, the Messiah is absolutely speaking.” Here’s some of our new president’s own words ripped from a speech made at Dartmouth College: "… a light will shine through that window, a beam of light will come down upon you, you will experience an epiphany, and you will suddenly realize that you must go to the polls and vote." The implication of course was a vote for him and while this may have been filled with tongue in cheek hyperbole, it still sounds creepy to me. A couple of more examples, one from columnist Mark Morford of the San Francisco Chronicle where he wrote this: “ Obama has a charisma that goes beyond his youthful vigor, or handsomeness, or even inspiring rhetoric. Bill Clinton, with all his effortless, winking charm, didn't have what Obama has, which is a sort of powerful luminosity, a unique high-vibration integrity…." Freelance writer P. J. Gladnick wrote: "Dismiss it all you like, but I've heard from far too many enormously smart, wise, spiritually attuned people who've been intuitively blown away by Obama's presence - not speeches, not policies, but sheer presence…"

Okay. Let me be clear. I am not suggesting Mr. Obama is the coming world leader described in the Book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ as found in our Bible. However, he certainly has shown that an individual with very little in the way of substantive accomplishments can make a seemingly impossible rise onto the world scene. In that regard his rise to power does validate this as a prophetic potential. My thoughts are immediately turned to the record of the early Church in what is called the Acts of the Apostles. There we find a ruler who stood and presented himself before the people. As he spoke the people cried out that his words were not that of a man but rather they were the words of a god. The passage from Chapter 12 then says that Herod Antipas was immediately struck with an intestinal plague, which brought on his death. Why? The text says because he received that praise and did not give it to God Almighty. (Read all about it in Acts 12) Who am I to serve warning to our new leader and his team? A nobody for sure but I am able to share with you and them the truth that God has given to us all. May God help this man to recognize Him and to do his best to please God as he seeks to lead and not rule over our nation. Amen. …..More later.

The economy is like a wheel spinning out of control, where and when it will stop, no one knows!

Do you ever get the idea that no one has a clue as to exactly what’s going on in our economy? That’s what I have on my mind on this Friday morning, November 21, 2008. In fact, it’s so unclear that it is even hard to figure out who to blame. Our sitting president takes most of it and doing so does come with the territory. His administration most likely deserves some of the credit for what’s gone wrong that is if we knew exactly what has gone wrong. That’s not to say we can’t identify and itemize the many ills that currently plague our economic well-being. We are well aware that there were way too many bad loans over a too long period of time where credit was stacked as high as the stars with no way for it to be paid back. Some go all the way back to the Carter administration and say his policies created this ‘easy’ credit approach where lenders were coerced to loan money to folks without enough resources to handle the debt. Next came the Clinton people who expanded this failing approach.

The interesting thing to me is how we find ourselves in a situation where all the best and brightest cannot even begin to figure out what to do about this huge mess. We don’t want inflation but now the fixes may produce something called deflation which can end up being worse. Everyone keeps saying we have hit bottom but suddenly we find there’s a ‘new’ bottom. My youngest son mentioned to me the other day that he senses there is something very ominous about all of this and he wonders out loud whether it could be connected to the biblical teachings on how things will be just prior to the return of our Savior. He is certainly not alone. Faithful believers have always viewed world events through the prism of God’s Word. No one could have made it through the Great Depression without at least wieghing such a calamitous event and what it might mean in the grand scheme of things. Who could blame people for wondering if Adolph Hitler was the anti-Christ? This focus on what might be happening as it relates to revealed truth is exactly what we are called to do. The Apostle Paul told his young helper Timothy that he was to be fully aware how that in the last days perilous times would come. (See II Timothy Chapter 3) Therefore, when we see things happening in our world we should always evaluate them based on thus says the word of the Lord.

How bad will it get? When will it get better? Obviously these are answers that fall into the category of being unknown at this time. We do have plenty of predictions and our new president has such high expectations I feel sorry for him because many of them are beyond the reach of any one person. From a world perspective one thing is clear: We here in the United States are responsible for this huge catastrophe and we should be ashamed. While I agree that we as a nation have much to answer for and we have strayed from the great principles that has guided us for much of our history, I also take great exception to the rest of the world blaming us for all of their problems. There is a Bible verse that speaks about sowing and reaping and how that God will not be mocked because eventually people, and I believe, nations will have to deal with the crop they have planted and cultivated. (See Galatians Chapter 6) Jesus said that when the end draws near He would have His own to look up for their redemption would be drawing near. (See Luke Chapter 21) What a blessed hope we have in His promise that regardless of how bad it gets He will take care of His own! Here or THERE, I’ve read the end of the story and we win! Let’s all keep His words in our hearts and minds as we continue to make our way through these very difficult and choppy waters. Have a great Saturday and Sunday and may God bless one and all! Amen. …More later.

Tis the season to be jolly, but what about our happiness quotient?

I haven’t hit on any heavy issues lately so I thought I would tackle the subject of what it means to be happy on this Thursday, November 20, 2008. Might as well hit a really big one, don’t you think? The idea behind what true happiness means is essentially all over the page with much of it seemingly in the eye of the beholder. It has for the most part become the ‘holy grail’ in life for the majority of folks who populate the planet: “All I want is to be happy!” Hey, in our country we actually have the ‘pursuit of happiness’ codified in our Declaration of Independence making it part of the most famous phrase from that treasured document. The freedom to pursue certainly does not guarantee that it will be attained but only that one should not be inhibited in trying. This brings us back to trying to understand exactly what it means for someone to be happy.

Here’s a couple of randomly selected views on the subject from a website that collected thoughts from a diverse group of folks from all over the world. "Happiness depends upon achievement of personally significant goals and leading a balanced life." Michael from Worcestershire, England "Happiness is the ultimate realization that everything was, and is, exactly as it should be." Paul from The Netherlands On this site they also included some famous people and their quotes on the subject: “True happiness is not attained through self-gratification, but through fidelity to a worthy purpose.” Helen Keller “Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence.” Aristotle “The greatest part of our happiness depends on our dispositions, not our circumstances.” Martha Washington. There were many more listed but given the critical priority of this as an ultimate experience to be sought after and achieved, I think it very important that we consult the only inspired operating manual for the human family, that is, God’s Holy Word.

The Hebrew word translated ‘happy’ in our English bibles carries the connotation of one being in a state of blessedness. Therefore when we read from Psalm 144:15 it tells us: “Happy are the people who are in such a state; Happy are the people whose God is the LORD!” We can see that people who identify themselves as being connected to God are in a state of blessedness. In the New Testament the Greek word translated ‘happy’ carries a very similar meaning, that of being blessed. Having shared and demonstrated dynamic life changing truths and principles with His inner circle, Jesus then said, “If you know these things, happy or blessed are you if you do them.” John 13:17 This tells us clearly that true happiness is not found in any pursuit but rather it comes as a result of a Person. That Person is God and His gift to the world, our Lord Jesus Christ. Far too many of us become weary in our pursuit of pursuing and as a result we end up lacking a sense of what being truly blessed is all about. Whatever true happiness is, it can never be defined by the circumstances we find ourselves in or the possessions we attain. Jesus summed it up in this way as found in Luke 12:15 “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.” That coveting (an out of balance and inordinate desire for things, often those that others have) can become the root of our pursuit if we are not grounded in the true source of happiness, that being our Savior, and the life He has given to us. This is a good reminder for us all especially as we enter the season where we celebrate the ultimate blessing to the entire world, the coming of our Savior to die on our behalf. Amen. ……..More later.

Exceptional Mind Travel

That’s right. Mind travel. You can visit places far and wide and never leave your computer. This is what I am thinking about on this Wednesday, November 19, 2008. There are literally millions of slide shows out on the web and they depict just about every nation, people, and culture that exists on the planet. Or, you might have a thought about a particular subject like the cold, automobiles, any subject in history, space flight, sports, religion, geography, and a myriad of others that can be found and usually supported pictorially somewhere out on the worldwide information highway. If you are able to take five minutes you can embark on a quick trip and visit just about any place your imagination can conjure up. These brief interruptions can help make the day fly by and provide stimulating input into those lazy gray cells to keep them pumped up, active and moving.

On Monday I mentioned the cold. But there’s a daily real time map out on the web that shows low temps all over our country. I was wowed by 29 degrees here in our area but we have places that have already experienced low teens with prospects for colder. It sure does put a damper on the global warming conferences that keep getting postponed due to snow, ice, and blizzard like conditions. When I think about cold it’s nice to make a virtual visit to places where it really is cold and enjoy the beauty of the associated scenery. However, I can well remember the few times it snowed in our southern hometown growing up. It was beautiful BUT once all our clothes were wet, and we were chilled to the bone, and worn out from playing out in it, one could see where a few months solid of the white stuff might begin to wear on the nerves. Isn’t that like most things we find in life? So many things look so wonderful from a distance but up close and personal there’s always another point of view to be considered.

Maybe you are having one of those down in the valley types of days and need a mountain top view to help change your altitude and attitude. There’s too many to count available at your finger tips and they remind us of God’s handiwork and how it must have been before sin marred the original brilliance of it all. That mountain top view also reminds us that one day we who are believers will experience a new heaven and a new earth that will be perfect in every way possible. While many think of heaven as a place where folks sit around on clouds strumming harps, the Bible gives us a picture of a place brimming with beauty, buzzing with activity, and illuminated by the very presence of God Himself. It’s not the escape so many envision but rather it’s the reward and eternal destination and home for those who have placed their faith in the Christ, our Lord and Savior, Jesus. Looking out over the vastness of God’s creation as captured in stunning photographs helps to remind us of His constant care and awareness that not even a sparrow falls from a tree without His notice. (See Matthew 10) Five minutes is not too long to take a ride on the Reading and do pass go and by all means do collect your $200 worth of encouragement and inspiration! Have a great Wednesday and may God bless one and all. Amen. ….More later.

We will find a way!!!

It’s that time of year again and it’s got that feeling but also it’s not the same. Yeah, on this Tuesday November 18, 2008 I’m thinking about thinking about the upcoming holidays. I can’t recall a year quite like this one and that makes putting our holiday planning hats on a little more difficult than usual. One thing we are excited about is being able to see all our family together again in one place. We haven’t done that since before the hurricane and that is a great thing to look forward to. But, we are still living in someone else’s home and we do not have all our pots and pans, some of which have been in use for 30 or more years. Getting ready under these circumstances is tough. We’ve never ever considered one of those catered Thanksgiving meals that you can pick up from a local shop or grocery store but there’s a first time for everything and I wonder if perhaps this might be that kind of year.

I am well aware of how the season is not defined by one’s circumstances but for us it has always consisted of our own special traditions and MiMi’s world class cooking. Our times together for these special days throughout the year are everyone’s little escape from the world of fast food and hurried living. We can stop, catch our breath, enjoy each other, take in the sights and smells, and relish that very special union that makes family one of God’s unique gifts to His created human race. Even the little ones look forward to these special times. Last Saturday our middle son’s four laid all over me and I could tell how much they miss their MiMi and Poppy and our times spent together. We will do all we can to get things back on track as soon as possible and we are still pushing for Christmas to be back in our house but there are many variables that may make that a very difficult schedule to meet.

Who knows? Maybe Kroger can put together a Granny Mac style of meal for Thanksgiving. I don’t even won’t to go there and as the doctor once told me when I had inflammation around my heart, “It’s not dangerous but the thought of the pain alone could kill you!” My mind goes back to those ‘good old days’ and come to think about it, they have been continuing since I was a young boy. Did I ever hit the jackpot when I got the wife God gave to me! She had some learning to do but she was an excellent student and my did she ever have some great teachers. Her own family were good cooks in their own right and then there was Granny Mac, the Queen of our cooking world, and right behind her, my mom, the princess in waiting. Why am I going on and on about the meal preparation? Since the diabetes deal came calling I can’t eat much of it anyway. It’s because it is how we do what we do and doing it that way is part of what makes it so very special. We will just have to find a way - - - and we will! I will have to consult with our very own Queen of our cooking world and see what she actually must have to pull this off. It will not be like doing it in her own kitchen but we will find a way because to tell the truth I get the shakes just thinking about that Kroger deal! You can go ahead and laugh because while it is serious, it’s also not life threatening and in the end we will make do with whatever God provides. Amen. …….More later.

HAPPY MONDAY!

Welcome to a brand new work week and may God grant us all a good day on this Monday, November 17, 2008. We had a very early cool down for this time of year over the weekend. On Sunday morning I had real ice on my windshield. Not frost. Real ice. My windshield wipers were squealing like a distressed pig and I finally had to sit there until the defroster warmed up enough to melt it. A neighbor living close by to where we are staying said his thermometer read 29 degrees. Wow! That's getting close to a definition of cold no matter how you look at it. It had been a windy cool day on Saturday with wind gusts over 30 miles per hour. The wind chill was pretty stiff late Saturday afternoon as I fought it to get plastic over the plants over at our damaged house. My eldest son and I had worked there most of the day. My middle son had come by with his four kids to give us some advice about phone wiring and coax cabling to support computing and telecommunications once we get back in our home. My eldest son inherited my resilience to cold. He was wearing a short sleeved shirt and cut offs. I was wearing a long sleeved shirt, jeans, and a jacket. He teased that I must be practicing for when it was going to get cold. Now wait just a cotton picking minute. That's my line. Or, that once was my line. I used to be the one making all the jokes about other people being cold. Now with all the medications, chemical changes, and whatever else is going on in the old man's body, I'm not mister hot natured anymore. I had read a little recently on why boomerangs come back but I think on Saturday I got an up close demonstration of how it works right back in my face!

But this morning it's 38 degrees and we have this beautiful clear and crisp view of all the stars. Out here in the country where I work there are days when you feel like you could reach up and touch one of them. No wonder the Scripture proclaims how the heavens declare God's glory! My playing freeze out days may be long gone but my ability to be struck in awe of God's glory remains. The economy may be in the tank and stress levels may be working on overdrive but God and His faithfulness is the constant we can count on. Our time spent with other brothers and sisters on Sunday, the Lord's day, was an opportunity to see God at work as we shared with one another, prayed for one another, and studied together in seeking to hear from our heavenly Father. Yes, He does inhabit the praise of His people and what a joy it is to feel His presence when among His children. My wife was able to attend morning Bible study but then had to leave for work at the local mall. She called and gave me her time for lunch and I made special arrangements to bring her favorite pizza as a surprise. I had it all timed down to the minute in fetching the pizza and getting there exactly at the right time so it would still be hot and fresh. BUT, the folks out in our area haven't heard about the recession and the parking lots were full, AND, she works retail and was running 20 minutes late. We still enjoyed it even though it was only slightly warm but she was surprised and pleased, and, after all, that was the point.

As I sat there at the food court waiting on her I observed how that people were hustling and bustling all around me. It was 2 p.m. in the afternoon and hardly anywhere to sit. Everyone was hurrying here and there, some with packages and others on a dead run to get to wherever they needed to go. It was like being in the middle of grand central station. Grand central station has become a metaphor for busy traffic and it has its roots in reference to the central railway station in New York city. I heard it all my life growing up and for the most part I doubt seriously those using it had ever been or even knew it had something to do with New York. However, it was always used to indicate busy and hurried activity especially where people are going in all directions at the same time. As I sat there seeing those people, all so different, all headed here and there, it reminded me how that God loves each and every one. The short, the tall, the beautiful, the ugly, the red, brown, yellow, black and white, He loves them all and sent His one and only Son to die in order that each one might live with Him forever. The children sing: "Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world, red, brown, yellow, black, or white, they are precious in His sight, Jesus loves the little children of the world." He also loves those who are hot natured and those who are cold natured and even those who end up having to switch and I am so glad He does! Amen. ....More later.

The bigger they are the more humble they can become!

Welcome to the Friday edition of ‘You must be kidding!’ on this November 14, 2008. This past Wednesday I had a visit here at my office from a fellow I had not seen in well over a year. His name is Pat. He is a superintendent for a building construction company. I worked with Pat on a building they did for our company last year. During our association we became connected because we are both believers, both Bible seekers, and both desirous of learning more and more about God and all He has for us as His very own. I am a small person and Pat is not a small person. He, in fact, is a huge hulk of a man, about 6 foot seven inches and carrying nearly 300 pounds. We must be a sight walking and talking together in deep conversation about difficult biblical passages, our most recent studies, and related forth and back discussions.

He came by unexpectedly because it had just been too long since we had been able to share. He said he felt like he owed me some additional response on the last conversation we had about the various views regarding the impeccability of our Lord and Savior. This teaching has to do with Jesus being the God Man and whether in His humanity He could have sinned or not. I believe the record of The Scriptures indicates that He could not because of Him being God. Pat sees it differently but we do our forth and back in a very loving and enjoyable manner. Of course we gush out with all kinds of other things going on in our lives, our studies, and to tell the truth, I always feel blessed when we have been able to have a good time of fellowship.

Pat’s testimony is powerful. He was raised to know the truth of the Gospel but did not truly find Jesus as His personal Savior and Lord until he was 28 years old. The journey has not been easy but he is a brilliant thinker and leads with a love for the Lord that is captivating. It’s quite amazing to observe this giant of a man being moved to tears as he tells about his latest encounter with the Lord through the study of His word. I know his testimony and I can assure you he was able and did utilize his size and strength in all kinds of ways before coming to Christ. Now his eyes glisten like a child seeing a brand new toy for the first time as he tells about how God is using certain verses and circumstances to work in his life. How could this be possible? I said earlier it is amazing and it is just that: “Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me, I once was lost but now am found, was blind but now I see.” Wow! You would have to see it first hand but believe me it encourages anyone when you see someone so enthralled in their journey with God. And, I do look up to him; both from a spiritual standpoint and will always look way up to him from a physical viewpoint. Let this testimony be an encouragement to you --- TODAY! Because what God did for me, or Pat, or anyone else, He can do for you! Have a great Saturday and Sunday and I do hope to see you back here at the old keyboard click clacking away on Monday. Amen. …More later.

When even your dreams become dreary, it's time to change the subject!

Please join in and follow along as I tiptoe through the tulips on this Thursday, November 13, 2008. I know those who delve into deep psychological study have come up with all kinds of notions and ideas about dreams and the meanings they may represent. I’m not able to sort these all out but I do know I am a nighttime dreamer. Some folks say they rarely, if ever, dream, or at least they have no conscious recollection of doing so. That’s certainly not the way it works with me because I am wired up to be a dreamer and I’ve always been one, or at least, as far back as I can remember I’ve been one. For me it is a night and day situation but the day deal is a subject that will have to wait. At one time I had read quite a bit on the subject but can’t recall all the different theories at this time. I do seem to recollect that many believe our dreams are in one way or another connected to us trying to subconsciously work out issues and problems in our conscious life.

Hey, that may be true because last Saturday night after having spent ten hours on a roof chipping away at old shingles, I dreamed about slipping and falling all night long. By the way, I did quite a lot of slipping and sliding during the day Saturday and it turned out to be a really good test of my recent knee surgery. I am most happy to report I came through pretty good and other than some residual soreness I might soon be ready to say the doctor did a good job. At any rate, I suppose I was working out in my dreams the times when I thought I might not be able to stop the slide and what might happen if I landed on the ground, OR maybe it was the fact that chipping, slipping, and sliding had pretty much been turned on and I could not, by bedtime, find the cut off switch. Just like when you have been out on a boat all day and everything still moves around you even after you return to shore.

I will confess that most of my dreaming since childhood has been primarily focused on escape to places all over the world, or joining an event from the Bible, or being witness to a significant historical event from the past. Please don’t send me some terrible analysis that says this is a sign of being whacko, because I already know that! Lately, however, my dream world has been taken over by the press of business, the seemingly endless array of details, and all of the above as it relates to the housing project, the job situation, the economy, the future, retirement, and to tell the truth, I rather enjoyed the other type of dreaming a whole lot more. I get the idea that maybe I’m trying to operate a huge network but on my end I only have one instrument and it’s one of the old fashioned phones with a rotary dial. In other words, my personal breaker box is way too small for the dozens of high-powered circuits required to keep everything up and running as it should. At least I recognize it. I believe in the self-help world that’s the first step to making progress. Maybe tonight I’ll go back and enjoy that wonderful festival on the day King Solomon dedicated the Temple in Jerusalem. I’ve always loved that account and can only imagine, (or dream), what it would have been like to have been there. You can read all about it in II Chronicles. We may have stepped on a couple of tulips today but we always can look forward to doing better next time. Until then, may God bless and keep you all. Amen. ….More later.