Happy New Year

   If I take the time to look back when December 31, 2014 rolls around, what will I see?

   Better yet, what will I want to see? What will have happened in that year that will show that I might have caught the gist of what the year was supposed to be about?

   I guess that leads to what I want for 2014 as I look forward in time. I surely do not know what will happen, in the world, in my own area, or even in my own life and the lives of those that I love and care for.

   But I can take a moment this morning, to think about what I wish it might look like, maybe not the events, but what can be considered success as I look at my own life and how it is lived.

   The most important thing would be relationships, with God first of all, with my family and with others that are already in my life, or those that will enter it in 2014. Everything else will stem from those personal ties and the interaction between them this coming year.

   I want to look back and see that I have spent time with God in this year. Not only spent the time, but found it to be meaningful, time spent, not just begrudgingly, not just as a routine to be followed, but genuine time leading to a closer relationship with The Heavenly Father and a certain intimacy that springs from obedience and friendship. That is what I long for as I sit each morning.

   I want to be in His will, because I know it is the place of blessing for me and all that I touch. I want to pray "Thy Will Be Done" and mean it, not just mouth the words. All else springs from the understanding of that small but significant phrase.

   Relationships within my family are very important. My wife, my kids, and my grand kids are the loves of my life, and I want to be here for them in any way they need me. I don't want to think anything that I do for any of them to be considered a sacrifice on my part, but simply my love for them showing through.

   Then there are all those others out there that will be placed in my life this coming year. I want to look back and see that I have treated them with respect, that I have placed their needs ahead of my wants, and that those acts on my part have brought a measure of joy, both to them and to me. I would like to take care of any responsibilities that are a part of my life, in such a way as to bless others and put them ahead of myself.

   When I wish someone a "Happy New Year", these are things that I would like to be able to see as this year passes in the lives of all that I know or will know this year.

   The one thing that I can pray for in regards to all of this, is for God to give me the strength to get myself out of the way, and let Him do His work in my life, and, through that, to bless all those others that live this coming year with me.

   Looking back from December 31, 2014, I want to be able to say that it has indeed been

   A Happy Year, indeed.

What Does The Shadow Know?

   Back in the 1930s there was a radio show called The Shadow, and, as I looked at the pictures I took yesterday, I thought of the opening to this program:

   "Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows."

   Since the show aired back in 1937 and 1938, I sincerely doubt if I remember hearing it live, although I was alive, and we did have a radio, but being only 1 or 2 at the time, it would be hard to believe my memory was that good.

   But there was a shadow yesterday that I did recognize, and what he saw he captured in a digital format for us to remember, not evil in the heart, but fun there instead.

   What images will we remember from these last days of 2013?

   Well, there was a dog and a girl running on the beach. The dog, Roxie, and the girl Lucy.

   There was another girl and a dog playing Santa. Roxie and Caroline.

   Then there was an older boy and his dog. Roxie and Drew.

   But most of all, there will be memories of what a family did together for 3 days, and how they enjoyed being with each other.

   The next time can't come soon enough.

   Now if we can only get the rest of the clan to be here at the same time. Oh, that would be great!

   Christmas 2014 or sooner?

   We could all feel like this.....

To Be Continued.....

   This may turn out to be an incomplete post. Not that there is no rhyme or reason to it, but because I am not sure about the topic or its outcome.

   I like to read, maybe because it takes no physical energy, and maybe because I can lose myself in the story and live in someone else's life, but I read a lot. Retirement gives me that much time.

   But sometimes I come upon a story that I am just not sure about. Is it a worthwhile read? What is the author's purpose in writing? Should I find life lessons in it that I need to incorporate into my daily living?

   How do I associate these questions into what I read in my devotional time this morning? Here is what I saw in the Scripture this morning, from Psalm 46:

"God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble.
² Therefore we will not fear"

   What am I afraid of when I read? Mostly that I might be taken in by some pseudo-Gospel that would cause me to miss the path and truth that God has spoken. If I embrace something false to the Truth of God, I not only endanger my walk with Him, but I can be led to influence others in this way, too.

   So, I finished the book last night and this morning my first prayer was for wisdom and discernment as to its message. It read like a Christian self help book with many references to Biblical characters and a lot of sayings that sound like Scripture, and I guess that I wanted to believe that I had not wasted my time with it. But did I, and should I discard the whole thing or look into it further?

   I know that God is the ultimate authority on all of this, and I truly want to know what He would say about the themes of any book, so can I just leave it there and wait for His guidance, or do I explore further?

   When I explored what others thought about the book, one popular website gave it a 4 star rating out of 5. Does the fact that almost all of the reviews written in English give it a whopping thumbs down and most all of the great reviews are written in Arabic, matter to the truth?

   I want to please God in all of this, so I will just wait and see and pray for wisdom and discernment in all that I put in my mind, from books, from TV, from the internet, from anywhere.

   Could be the end of this particular story or maybe not....God will advise and I will wait.

Purposeful Stillness

   One of my favorite verses from Psalm 46 this morning:

“Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!”

   Then it shows up again in the devotional online: (from Jesus Calling 12/27/13)

"I am preparing you for what is on the road ahead... Take time to be still in My Presence so that I can strengthen you."

   Must be something that I am supposed to think about now.

   I think about a shot I took some time back, all the leaves pointing to a still pinecone. Is that a picture of stillness? Nature has many lessons for those who look.

   In the early days of our church, back when we had no pastor and were still pretty small, the men of the church divided the speaking assignments for the Sunday service. One particular Sunday was mine, and I decided to do a little experiment with the congregation.

   After the music time, I got up to speak, spread my Bible on the small lectern, opened my notes and then just stood and looked around at the people. Probably could not do this now, but back then I could scan the congregation and would be able to call all the people by name. As all these folks looked back at me and waited, I could feel the anxiety start to mount. As 30 seconds went by, I sensed the nervousness as to what was going on. As I looked at them and smiled, they seem to ask:

   "Did he forget how to begin?"

   "What is wrong with this guy?"

   I believe that our music worship leader, Harriet Jones, was about to get up and lead another song to get me out of my misery.

   How hard is it for us to be still, even in church? It seems that we are just not wired for that type of inactivity.

   It is not hard for me to be still in body most of the time, but being still, as God seems to define it, includes more than just sitting, doing nothing. The hardest part is to still my mind. It wants to race on and think, and wonder, and project. It does not want to be just a blank slate that God may write on.

   "Be still and know that I am God" Just know that I am God and I love you. There is no great need to worry about your plans and your future. I've got your back. Just sit still and know Me."

   Oh, to be able to do that on a consistent basis.

   Being still with an Eternal Purpose.
 

The Morning After....What Is Left?

   The Day after Christmas, and what is left?

   I thought about the shepherds again. What was their life like on the day after the miracle they had witnessed on Christmas? What did they do with the day they had been given, as they went about their work in the fields? Did they just wait around and see if something else would happen? Did they wait for another glorious appearing?

   What is left for us, when the food has been consumed, when the surprise of the presents has worn off and even when some of them are discarded? The warm glow of Christmas Day gives way to the reality of life to be lived. The room seems empty without the presents and the people of yesterday. What do we have left?

   Sure, we still have the leftovers, the food in the plastic containers in the fridge, the pictures and videos to jog our memory of yesterday and the new stuff in our closets.

   A word seemed to jump out at me this morning as I read a devotional online.

   Opportunity...a chance to tell others what the Day meant to us, deep down in our souls. Like the shepherds in Luke 2:

"The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them."

   Opportunity...to make this 'day after' meaningful, as we look again at the Gift that God gave.

   Opportunity...for serving others with the same spirit of giving that made us feel good yesterday.

   Every day that I wake up, God gives me opportunities. Will I take them today, or just sit and look at a tree that is almost ready for the trash bin?

   I will take the opportunity to enjoy what God has provided, knowing that there is more to Christmas than sweet potato casserole.

   Each new morning after brings new opportunities, to serve Him and to serve others in His Name.

   I pray for wisdom and vision to see them, and then act on them.

How 'Bout Dem Shepherds?

   Down here in South Georgia there are a lot of Georgia Bulldog fans, especially football fans, and, when something spectacular happens to the team, these folks begin their conversations with a rhetorical question, "How 'bout dem Dogs?" Of course this question can also be used in the reverse scenario by detractors of the athletic program, when those same Dogs blow one, and the question becomes a statement of derision, "How 'bout dem Dogs?"

   On this Christmas morning, as I walked, I thought about the shepherds on that first Christmas morning. These men had witnessed angels singing in the night. They had followed up those angelic words and music by visiting the stable and had seen the baby Jesus, as is told in Luke 2:

"When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, “Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.” So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger. When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart. The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them."

   But what had happened to them next? They had become a brief footnote in history, a cameo appearance in the Christmas Story, but then what?

   These were real men, men who had a job to do, who probably had families at home and responsibilities as a man, yet were blessed with an opportunity, that they took, to stand in the presence of A King.

   What did they think?

   What did they tell their families?

   How about their neighbors?

   How did that one starry night change their lives, or did it?

   I've been reading a book about a fighter squadron in WWII. At the end of the body of that book is a list of men who had been mentioned in the story, and a brief resume of their lives and what had happened to them after that war ended.

   I want the same information about the shepherds, but there is no more mention of them, only more questions to ask.

   What did their lives look like after that night?

   When people are asked who they want to talk to in heaven, they mention the greats of the Bible like Moses or Paul and, of course, Jesus, but I think I might like to find those shepherds and hear "the rest of the story" from them.

   How 'bout You?

A Multitude of People

   In reading in Luke 1, the prelude to the Christmas Story, I found these words referring to Zechariah, the priest and father of John the Baptist:

"Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense." 

   I was stuck by the term "the whole multitude of the people". What were they doing? What were they seeking?

   The incense represented the prayers of the people to God, and the priest designated for the duty on that day, burned the sweet smelling mixture on the altar as act of bringing those prayers into God's presence.

   I imagine that there were as many different prayers as there were people outside the Temple area that particular day, and I can't help but think of our Christmas Eve service tonight at church.

   People like to come. They make it a priority to worship in this way before the Holy Birthday arrives, and the church is not big enough to handle all of them at one service. There will be a multitude, for sure.

   People will bring a multitude of attitudes and situations into that room tonight. There will be hurting people, some even desperate. There will be joyful people, happy with their lives and grateful to God for blessings unnumbered. There will be folks there with the "I really don't want to be here" thought and those with the "this is what we do, it is tradition" thought.

   Many people, many thoughts, many prayers and many attitudes. Not just a multitude, but individuals coming through those doors, but God sees and knows each one. He sees hearts, and He desires that all truly worship.

   I will be a part of all that multitude.

   From Luke 2:

   "Suddenly a vast, heavenly army  appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

“Glory  to God in the highest,and on earth peace among people  with whom he is pleased!”

   And I want to be one with whom God is pleased, and so my prayer is "God help me to shut out the affairs of the world, and let me worship you in Spirit and Truth", tonight and every night.

   Now that will be preparation for real Christmas worship.

Heritages Past and Future

   Here is a verse from the Psalms this morning. From Psalm 61:

"For you, O God, have heard my vows;
you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name."

   Walking around the condo the other day, I noticed all the things that my mom had made, that we still used in the decorations for Christmas. There was this manger scene that she had molded, fired and painted. I'm not sure when, but she passed away in 1995, so it was a ways before that. We loaned it to our church when the church first began, and many folks commented on the colors and the work.

   Then there were the carolers:

   They have graced our houses for a long time also.

   Mayre's mother was an artist. She painted, and left us many of her works which hang on our walls today.

   But both of our moms left us more than just stuff. They left us a heritage of belief, a heritage that works in our lives, and in those of our family, and will be there long after the painted figures are broken and the art works have faded.

   Right next to the carolers, just noticeable in the lower right hand of the picture is this, her Bible:

   We may only bring these things out to decorate for the Holiday, but what they represent lives on in our lives all through the year. A heritage of faith.

   Makes me wonder how our children and grand children will see us in the time past today.

   And how God sees our lives right now.

   What are we passing down? What kind of heritage?

 

The No. 1 Christmas Song

   Since our condo is not good for FM radio reception, and since I thought my wife would like some good Christmas music to go along with breakfast, I brought my laptop into the kitchen to find something on the internet. I knew there were many private "stations" out there, and several of them were grouped together on a website called "Live365" so I went there and typed in Christmas Music to see what would come up in the search.

   The first one was Christmas 24/7 which sounded good, so I clicked there, and music began to come forth from those laptop speakers. Not paying too much attention to the music playing in the background, I went about fixing the table for breakfast.

   Then I heard the station announcer state "this is the number one Christmas song of all time". Wondering if it would be "Silent Night" or some other carol, I listened as the piano began to play softly, and then I was able to pick out the first notes of "Amazing Grace".

   My first thought was that it was a strange selection to be classified number one in this genre, but, thinking further, I decided that it was a great choice, and it does classify as a Christmas song, or hymn, or carol.

   God's gift of His Son on this day so many years ago was indeed the ultimate Christmas present, and  even still brings a meaning to this Holy Day, that never grows old.

   God's Amazing Grace

   His gift to mankind, to all who would receive it.

A Prayer For Christmas

   I remembered the title to a song this morning as I walked, Everything Old is New Again. Why I thought of this, I don't know, but it fits in with what was running through my mind as I sat and read earlier.

   I thought of Christmas, past and present and what might be in the future. I thought of how this one particular one could be, and should be, different from all the rest, in some ways at least.

   All around are the trappings of the Holiday. There are the lights, the figures in yards, the bows and ribbons everywhere. Even the lighthouse down by the ocean is decorated.

   Parties are held, people are shopping, stores are selling, advertisers are happy, songs are sung, bells are ringing, and I look back and see the past in all of this.

   The past is good, and it is fun to remember Christmas times from earlier years, but we don't dwell there right now. There is a danger of living there.

   How many times have I heard the Christmas Story read from Luke 2? How many times have I loved to sing the carols of the Season? How many times have I sat in a candle filled church and worshipped with a grateful heart?

   Plenty, I can tell you!

   But there is a need to return to the Story and read it one more time. So I do, and read Luke 2 again this morning. It is a familiar story, maybe too familiar.

   My prayer is that I will not let this Christmas be ordinary, just to be added to the stack of those of the past, but that it will be fresh, living again in my heart and life, that the words of the Scripture and the carols will not just be nostalgic, but alive.

   Christmas is a Holy Day, not just a holiday.

   Let it be so in my life this time around.

   Let everything old become new again.

Seeking

   The wise men sought Jesus. The shepherds did, too.

   What do I seek?

   status?

   comfort?

   recognition?

   security?

   Or do I look for Jesus? In all that I do, and in all the situations that God puts in my path?

   This is a busy day for me, lots to do. Will I look for Jesus in it, or will I just do it?

   Come, Oh come, Emmanuel, break into my life this day. Help me to see You. Help me not get to the end of the day and realize that I have forgotten to seek You, that I have sought only me.

A Haunting Question: "How much do you?"

   I woke up this morning thinking about a couple in our church whose daughter has a problem pregnancy. I got an email yesterday, asking for prayer for all of them as the doctor told them that the baby needs to be delivered ASAP. Not knowing whether this event had already happened, I prayed for all of them in my early morning quiet.

   Then to underscore the uncertainty of any day, I looked into the Jesus Calling website to see what the thought was for today. This has not happened to me before, but as I looked for today's post, it was not there. Yesterday's came up again, and, thinking that maybe I could hit the button for the next blog and get today's. I did, and the click took me to another website blog. As I looked at it, I found out that it was written by a mother of five kids, who periodically updated her family's adventures and important events. Scrolling down the pages, I came across a poem that she had written after she lost a child two short hours after he was born.

   As the tears came to my eyes while reading this, I prayed that my friends and their family would not be going through the same thing today, and then as I walked in the cold time before dawn, I thought of all the other folks, even some of those whose houses lay dark and still, right then, and what their own concerns or problems might be as another day began.

   There was a full moon retreating in the western sky and a brightness in the east as a new day began, but how many people would not have even noticed either one because of the weight of concerns and problems? I could not tell what each door held behind it, but God knew and He cared.

   That last line can be so easy to write down, but so hard to comprehend when the storms of life break over a person, but sometimes it is all we have to hang onto. God's promise is that he will never leave us or forsake us.

   God broke into my schedule to tell me that He cares, and then He asks me the question: "How much do you?"

Grackle, a Friend?

   The other day, while killing some time down in the Village, I wandered out on the pier with my camera to just shoot. It was a bright sunny day, few people were out, but there were a lot of birds, and it was the interaction of the birds with the people that I focused on.

   In particular, there was this couple feeding the grackles, having fun but being a little timid with the experience at the start. The expression tells it all.

   As I walked on out on the pier, they continued to feed and interact with the black birds, so that when I returned to where they were, the scene was more comfortable. The lady was actively asking the birds to stand on her hand and remain. And for food, the grackles seemed glad to accommodate.

   As I left the pier, to return to my car, I turned around and saw this:

   I don't know if the lady had to go back to her hotel and wash her hair or not, but I don't really want one of those standing on my head.

   But neither do I want to get this black winged creature mad at me.

   Tourists from Kentucky having a good time at the pier and one lone photographer shooting their saga,  wondering if all the birds followed them back to their lodging, not wanting their food source to dry up.

   For me a wondering, for them an adventure at the beach.



 

Season of Giving (And Caring)

   Tis the season of giving. Bells are ringing outside stores, people are standing near pots ringing them, people are encouraged to drop their loose change in there or more, and we are all reminded of folks around us that are in need, not just less fortunate than us, but really in need, desperate need.

   Our church is doing a special time of meeting needs inside the congregation and other needs that members may bring to the attention of the body. This outreach was so well received, both by the givers and the receivers, that it is happening again.

   Sure, I can put some money in the pot, or write a check to the church to be used for someone's needs, but is there more I can give?

   How about a caring heart? Not acting just to make my ego feel good, but to really care about people, to see their faces and hear their stories, and to feel their pain from whatever cause. How about looking on others as individuals, not just stereotyped groups? Not just the needy around, but all the faces that cross my path.

   A lot of the time, I am cynical. I tend to attribute the motives of others as what I would do in their situation, but, in reality, I can't know. I am not them.

   I will give my money this season, and I will even spend some time ringing the bell to remind others of needs, but I pray that I will do more.

   I pray that God will help me care, really care, that he will help me look beyond myself, to see others, really see them, and have a heart attitude that pleases Him.

   Not only in this season, but always.

Five Action Words

   We might do well to read the entirety of Psalm 37 this morning because it is filled with actions to take to lead a fulfilled life, but I wanted to zero in on one particular portion. The way the psalm is laid out in my reading, this comprises one complete paragraph and hangs well together.

"Trust in the Lord, and do good;
dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
Delight yourself in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart."

   I look at the action verbs included in this section of Scripture:

   Trust, do, dwell, befriend, delight, all right things to do in my life, all actions that provide positive outcomes in a life lived in those ways.

   Trust in God, not in anything or anyone else. Easy to say but hard to do in all circumstances, especially not trusting in myself.

   Do good, to all those people that God puts in my path, each day, every day. Seeing them and acting rightly toward them, whatever that means in each life.

   Dwell in the land of my own circumstances, not wanting something else in the present or in the future, but seeing what God wants me to do here, right now. Not living in a land of regret for the past, nor a projected land of the future, but an awareness of the "now".

   Befriend faithfulness by making this trait central in my life. Faithfulness to God first of all, to my family second, the ones he has given me a measure of responsibility over, and then last of all to myself. The JOY formula, Jesus first, Others second and Yourself third, faithful in all.

   Delight in The Lord, being thankful for what He has given and being satisfied in that, truly satisfied.

   I see it written down, the rightness of these 5 actions, but, oh to see the result of living those in my life on a consistent basis.

   Seeing and writing is a start, but only that, a start.

   Living is the key.

Is It Fall?

   One of the things that I miss by living here in paradise (with a small p) is a real distinctive change of seasons, one of which is Fall.

   When we lived in Tennessee, or later on in Virginia, when Fall came on, it was noticeable. Cooler weather and a slash of color out in nature's realm.

   But down here is totally different. Yesterday it was near 80 degrees while the rest of the country coped with a myriad of cold weather problems, so it was not cooler weather. The changing of the color of the leaves is mostly absent from our surroundings. Sure there is the occasional bush or tree that has a change to it, but live oaks and pines do not produce anything but falling leaves and needles.

   So it was with a bit of pleasure when a spot of color popped up on my morning walk. Even though the day started off cloudy with a bit of fog, as I walked through a subdivision near us, I spotted something that was not of a gray hue. Coming closer, it was a crepe myrtle (not sure if it is classified a bush or a tree), but it provided a welcome bit of color on a dull foggy morn.

   This crepe myrtle had been there on all of my early morning walks over the past weeks, but it took a dull gray day combined with the contrasting leaf colors, to bring it into my conscious thought. The fact that it stood out so much at that time made me wonder where my mind and eyes had been on previous days.

   How easy it is to just go about a daily routine and fail to see what God has put out there. How many the time that I do not notice my surroundings, whether it be nature or people.

   Just a reminder from The Creator, not to take so much for granted, but to open my eyes to all He does for me on a continuing basis each day, even when I just amble through the fog.

   Thank You

Amen

(PS: since I had no camera with me in the morning, I had to go back at noon to get the shots.....hence no gray look, but sunshine. Same myrtle, different time of day, but I still saw it)

Risky Business

   When I read a little blurb in this day's morning devotional, I thought back to our little Alabama tour last week. A lot of the pictures that I took were devoted to history, as is my bent, and some of these scenes came to mind as I looked back.

   When I think about history, I think about people who took a risk.

   The devotional thought for today concerned "going out on a limb for God", taking a risk to follow His path and walk in His steps.

   I confess that I am not much of a risk-taker. I tend to weigh the alternatives and then take a safe way, but is that the way I am supposed to live? Where is the trust in all of that?

   There are a lot of monuments all over the south, dedicated to the ones who fought in the Civil War. I think about this man who is buried in a small cemetery behind an old Episcopal Church in Union Springs, Alabama.

   The people who buried him did not even know who he was, and, perhaps his family, if he had one, did not know what had become of him after he marched off to war. Did he die close by? Was he being cared for in this place, being brought here from somewhere else? The answers are not on the gravestone, but he took a risk.

   How about the folks who built and ran this old theatre in Centerville?

   They took a risk, as well as those who took the old building and started an antique store.

   One more example from this tour, in Midway, Alabama there is an old school building, built for the education of black children in 1922, The Merritt School. A risky venture in a climate that did not foster tolerance for people of color in the middle years of the 20th century.

   As I look back through all of this history, I see folks who stepped out and risked everything for something that they deemed worthwhile.

   Then I have to ask myself, "what have I missed by not taking the risks that God has placed in my life"?

   Am I willing to do so in these latter years?

   What does it show about my trust in the One whom I want to control my life?

Destination or Journey?

   While we were traveling west on Wednesday, on our way to Arkansas, we got to cross the great state of Alabama on US Highway 82, from Eufaula all the way to the Mississippi border. As I often do while driving, I kept on the lookout for interesting photographic opportunities. Being in somewhat of a hurry to get to our destination for the night, I only made a mental note of these, thinking that on the return trip, I would have more time to stop.

   On a stretch of that highway, between Eufaula and Montgomery, we passed through the unincorporated town of Simsville. Approaching the town, I saw this on the left side.

   An old set of buildings that still seemed in somewhat good repair, and looking like it was waiting for me to shoot it.

   As explained in yesterday's post, we came straight back this way on the next day, and so I looked for this sight as we travelled the same roadway home.

   We had stopped to eat lunch in Montgomery where the storm clouds in the west threatened rain at any time, but as we moved farther east and south, we got some sunshine. Knowing that it was getting somewhat late in the afternoon, and that there was still many miles to go before bedtime at home, I wanted to get the shot, but not linger too long.

   After asking a man there if it was OK to take some shots, I took a few and jumped back in the car to get as many miles in before dark as I could. It was only after this, while driving down that road, that I wished I had stayed longer and asked a few questions. For instance:

   What kind of seeds did they process?

   Was the company still doing something?

   What were the 4 guys I saw around the premise doing? Working? For whom? What jobs?

   How long had that plant been there?

   How about the history of all that had taken place there, and who was involved?

   In too much of a hurry to beat a threat of rain. In too much of a hurry to get on before dark. In too much of a hurry to..................

   How much of life's chances are wasted for being in too much of a hurry to...........?

   A trivial moment in time, maybe, but it still reminds me that opportunities are often wasted just because I want to get from point A to point B on my schedule.

   The destination is not always the most important thing, it can be the journey along that road.

   More questions than answers, many of which could have been answered, if I only..........

Sometimes, You Just Have To....

   I am sitting here in the spot where I generally am at this time of the morning, my little room, on my sofa, with my computer, reading, praying and writing. I am also looking back to the experiences of the past couple of days and seeing God's leading in my life. But I need to explain....

   On Wednesday, we left for Arkansas to see our daughter and her family. It is easier for us to travel there, due to our flexible time schedules, than it is for her to come this way. So we planned to go and spend a few days before Christmas, just to be there. I had looked at the weather forecasts for the period and realized that it was to be cold, with a chance of some sleet and freezing rain, plus a little snow, over the time we would be there, but we could put up with that.

   When we got to Starkville, MS on Wednesday evening, after a bunch of hours in the car, Donna told us that their forecast was now calling for a significant chance of ice with possible widespread power outages. In fact, just 3 hours before we got to our motel, the National Weather Service had issued a severe weather outlook for the very part of Arkansas that we were heading toward. It was not to take place until after our planned arrival, so the driving was not the issue, it was the aftermath on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

   What to do? We could get there OK it seemed, but then what? We would have to make a decision the next morning whether to drive on and arrive before the storm, or wait somewhere to see if it really ended up as bad as they predicted, or just go home and try again some other time.

   My nature is to be cynical and say that it would not be "that bad", and go ahead with my plans. "You know, they always give you the worst possible scenario, and the chances are good that it will not be that bad at all".

   So, it had been a long day of driving, and we needed to get some rest, and we could decide in the morning on Thursday. I confess that I prayed a lot as I looked at the weather forecasts. I knew that I needed good counsel and wanted God to show us what to do for the best for everyone. We wanted to see the kids, but did not want to be just two old people in the way if there was a significant weather event.

   The next morning, the severe weather prediction was still in place, it was a cloudy day in Starkville, and I felt that God had said "Go home and don't try to second guess your travel plans. Just get on the road and go before you have to drive east in bad weather". And so we did....

   As I read this morning, in this familiar spot, these words from the Psalms were there:

" I bless the Lord who gives me counsel;
in the night also my heart instructs me.

 I have set the Lord always before me;
because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken."

   I looked at the weather radar for Conway this morning, and it was filled with pink, the color for icing. What would they get? Would they lose power for some time? It had not all taken place yet, there was today to deal with before they would know, but I had acted on what I perceived God had spoken, and I felt good about that.

   So, I had at least a couple of prayers for this time. Thanksgiving for a safe trip home and the counsel to make that return trip, and concern for family still dealing with the weather.

   Without even knowing what the final outcome will be on the weather, I feel good about acting on what I perceived was God's counsel. The fact that I did not just barge on and complete the trip that I had planned was, in fact, a trust that I needed to display.

   One preacher on the car radio yesterday talked about "My times are in Your Hand".

   My feeling exactly.

Rosca de Reyes

   We were watching a cooking show last evening, Chopped, and one of the ingredients the competing chefs had to use in their entree round was a round loaf of bread called a Rosca de Reyes, which is translated from the Spanish as "king's ring". Inside the loaf, one or more plastic figures of Jesus were placed, and there was a significance attached to the person who discovered Jesus in their piece(s).

   There was no religious connotation on this TV show, but neither was there any belittling of the name of Jesus, it was simply part of the narrative.

   Part of the devotional reading this morning was the statement, "People who have used the name of Jesus as a "shoddy" swear word will fall down in terror on that awesome day". This is referring to the end of days when the Scripture says that "every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord".

   Inwardly. I shutter when someone uses the name of Jesus as a swear word. Perhaps it is the way I have been brought up, but I know it is also because of what the Bible says about that use of the Name. I confess that I do not even like the use of "Jeez" as it seems to me of just a more polite way to convey the same thought. Even though it may be a bit Pharisaical, I don't even like any use of "Gosh". A mere technicality, maybe, but God sees the heart, and our language reflects that.

   I believe that the Bible teaches that we will account for every idle word spoken. I've got enough idle words out there without resorting to swearing, especially when the names of the Trinity are used.

   A lot of people's language is so ingrained with these terms that there is not a second thought when they pop out of the mouth, but it seems to me that we all, especially those who call themselves Christian, should have a better vocabulary than that.

   The culture around us is full of such usage, but that does not make it right. We may live surrounded by that culture, but we are to be a peculiar people, ones that stand out as we use the names of God, Jesus and The Holy Spirit in a reverent way and not as slang.

   I know that I have enough sins in my life without putting that one in my pocket, too.

Peace in Our Time

   There is this verse this morning from Isaiah 9:

"For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us;
And the government will rest on His shoulders;
And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace."

   Prince of Peace, a title given to The Messiah in this verse from the prophet. A verse that will be read and recited many times over the next few weeks in this Christmas season.

   And there is a verse from this Christmas carol, a poem from Longfellow in 1864:

"And in despair I bowed my head
“There is no peace on earth,” I said,
“For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.”

   "There is no peace on earth I said", and as I look around the world this December, that seems to be the case in so many places. In Syria, in Egypt, in Iraq, here in the US, and even in Walmart. Conflict and not peace.

   Conflict in government, conflict in the streets, conflict in the home and even conflict in His church.

   Conflict does not just have to be "out there" manifesting itself in violence, it can be inside, too. There is the conflict of what to do, where to go, how to act, how to respond.

   Perhaps I cannot stop the violence in the Middle East, but I can project the Peace of the Prince of Peace into my little world by starting in my own life. Jesus says in John 14:

" Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful."

   Then there is the last verse of the carol:

"Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail
With peace on earth, good will to men.”

   I need to take the time to rest in that true peace, so that, in the very least, one life will reflect it into my surroundings.

   "Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin in me"