Stories and other stuff

This story has absolutely nothing to do with money but if you don't realize that up front, this story could have everything to do with money. Today's story is about the promises of God to His children.  It's a story of a yielded spirt and a trusting heart.  It's a story of sharing and forgiving.  It's a story that couldn't happen without God's divine intervention. Julie, my ex was very kind today and shared with me some money that was left over from the house we used to own in Murray.  She didn't have to and honestly I had no expectation that she would.  But she showed me some grace that puts me back on some dry ground in regard to my finances.  This couldn't have happened, I firmly believe, without God softening her heart.   We'd agreed on Friday to share this money, but something she said in the tail end of this conversation made me realize she was under no obligation to do so.  Not giving her the entire check was not an option becau...

You're gonna want to read this thing on Monday afternoon.  I have a story to tell but just how the whole thing is going to play out won't be determined until Monday afternoon after a trip to Salt Lake City. Trust me, you're gonna want to read this story.

I had already made up my mind that I was going to break my own rule and give the young couple holding the cardboard sign some money.  I had some cash, which is inconsistent with what I usually have; an empty wallet.  When I have money, though, there is usually a reason to have it and sometimes it involves sharing. As we approached where the couple was, I started noticing some things I couldn't see from far off.  There was an empty gas can in front of them and they were there with their two young children, one being breastfed by mom.  To me, the child looked a little too big to be breastfed still, but the reality of the situation was that maybe that's all there was at the moment.  The couple spoke some English and asked that God bless me for helping them. He did. I have this jar and the only thing that goes in it is money found on the ground.  Lately, we've been finding a few more pennies.  Yesterday, though, it was dimes.  At the Smith's yes...

I am blessed. I really mean that.  I am absolutely blessed. Tonight, I was feeling a little bit sorry for myself.  I am ill.  If the doctors don't figure this out tomorrow and I'm praying they do, there is a chance it could turn into something serious.  I've lived through a lot of these symptoms about thirty years ago.  Stuff that you should never feel hurts bad enough that I took a pain pill.  I'm gonna take another one in a minute.  The first one didn't work.  I didn't expect it to. It's not that I hurt that bad.  It's what hurts.  One should never have to feel their giblets. Anyway, a co-worker gave me a box of apples from his private orchard.  He has eleven apple trees.  That qualifies as an orchard.  Anyway, as I was walking out to get them I found myself telling God that I didn't understand, that I did the good things I do because I love Jesus.  Because I love God.  Because that's what His word says...

If there's a simple way to explain something, chances are you won't hear it from me. In the past, I've been blunt about things to the point where I've been rude and offensive.  For that, I'm sorry because it does little to improve a situation.  Sometimes though, there are nice ways to put simple things. I saw a quote the other day that I shared on my Facebook page for someone who occasionally stops by for a peek.  She said something to me the last time we talked and tried to justify something that wasn't right.  Me:  I didn't 'splain it as well as this does: When you walk in the flesh, you look like an unbeliever.  Exactly like an unbeliever. Pretty much summed up a long reply to a short issue.  I hope she saw it. Things in my life are changing.  Nothing I can talk about but over the last week, the devotions in my Promise Keepers Bible have been right on the mark and perfectly in season with what I'm going through.  Today's though, ...

One of the things I enjoy about taking classes with the Vine Institute in Salt Lake City is that the classes are designed to be ethnically diverse.  Last year, I met a lady named Francois from Rwanda.  This year, it's some guys from Africa.  I enjoy listening to them and how they came to America.  And that's when I realize I have first world problems. The thing that bugs me about life is that if I only had what I once had, there is so much good I could do with it.  I've learned to live with worn out clothes and broken but still usable stuff.  I'm trying as hard as I can to fix the sucking sound that my bank account makes.  I buy discount meat.  I have learned to be thankful for whatever is put on the table in front of me.  I'm a far less picky eater.  I no longer yearn to have the best of everything and I haven't ground coffee beans for coffee since treating myself to a pound of coffee last Christmas. My favorite brand of everything ...

As the cameras panned to the Dodger dugout during the 7th inning, you could see Don Mattingly fight with himself about pulling his starter out of the game.  They carried a five run lead into the top of that inning, and by the time they took the bat again, the score was 10-6 in favor of the St. Louis Cardinals.  I like both teams, but the Dodgers are my team and the best pitcher in the game of baseball blew a five run lead, in part because the manager failed to take charge of his team when the bleeding started. When you're in charge, you have to make the hard decisions and this loss is on the manager.  His pitcher was getting shelled and he didn't make the change. There's a life lesson in there too but this is about baseball and not life. I flipped over to the Angels vs. Royals game.  I saw a player take advantage of a defensive shift and drop a bunt down where nobody was for a base hit.  You see stuff like that in October. I'm between innings.  I'm ...

Today's blog is about too much information.  Unfortunately, it's just a sign of the age I have arrived at and the circumstances I find myself in.  These days, when something is free, free is good and I get to have a free colonoscopy. Normally, I wouldn't share but hey, it's a slow news day.  Besides, I'm at the age now where talk has shifted away from talk of fast cars, fast girls, and fast food, to the topics commensurate with my 5 decades of life on the planet:  medical conditions and aches and pains.  I have my fair share of aches and pains.  The medical procedure described above is designed to protect the former from becoming an issue. The big day is November 10.  That's my mom's birthday. The free stuff good part comes in courtesy of the VA.  They've asked me to participate in a study where 50% of the participants do one sort of test (which I will kindly spare you the details of because you just ate), and 50% get the scope.  Guess ...

I opened up my Bible today and just happened to see myself in what I read.  I don't know how I'd never read that particular devotional in that Bible, but it was me to a tee.  So much so that I had someone else read it for a second opinion. Yup, that used to be me. The blessing in there is that it used to be me.  Finding and reading it may have not had the meaning I thought it did, but it did speak to my heart today about what used to be wrong with me. And then the blessings came. I don't smoke anymore.  I haven't for a very long time now.  But the Blazer has a cigarette lighter.  It didn't until today, but as I got out of it for my walk around the duck pond, I noticed it was attached to the magnet at the base of my retirement flashlight.  That sucker has a pretty good magnet and it found the missing cigarette lighter.  It works, too.  It doesn't stay pushed in like it should, but it does heat up. That's OK.  It just needs to be...