Stories and other stuff

It's been a minute since I posted something on the blog.  I've been not writing mostly because I haven't really had much to say.  Things are, well, what they are.  Since I last wrote, we had our president impeached.  That may be historic, but it's also, sadly, most likely necessary.  The more we learn, and we learned something through not the President letting Congress have documents, but through a dogged use of the Freedom of Information Act process we did not know before last Friday night, the worse it gets for the President. Over the last week, I got to see the reasons why it's good to be a-political.  I learned this through a publication of an editorial and a further statement from a publication called "Christianity Today" which talks about the damage the undying support of the religious right's unyielding support to Mr. Trump has done to the Church in America.   You can read one of the articles  here . I agree with this.  It's...

I finally had a chance to catch my breath from the events of the last six weeks or so.  As I write this, there's a grey and white pussycat sitting on top of the table that now serves as a desk in a bedroom that has been re-purposed as a den.  Executives have an office.  Lions have dens. Tom thinks he's a lion.  At the moment, Mr. Lion is trying to lick his tail.  His front foot that he's trying to use for balance keeps sliding across the glass.  It slips, he puts it back, and he tries it again.  He'll figure out in a minute it won't work, and he'll try something else. Tom's official title in the den is "Senior Vice President in charge of being floofy".  Tom is a very fluffy cat...so fluffy, he's floofy  (pronounced floo-fee). Miss June is now in Indiana.  She called just a while ago and left a voice mail.  She's in possession of her own telephone.  I hope it's a smooth transition.  That she's alive is a miracle....

The following story has nothing to do with me.  I was just there.  The glory belongs to God. A friend of mine and I have been having coffee together for a few weeks now.  My friend recently made his way back to God, and because God can use anybody for anything, I was a part of that story just by being me. I've been watching God move mightily in my friend's life.  His stories are his to tell, not mine.  I've just been able to see part of it and I'm grateful to have him as a friend.  Anyway, sometimes things change in life, and opportunities to do ministry change with it. My coach, mentor, and close, close friend, Pastor Karl and I started doing a Bible study at the Rescue Mission in Ogden.  A few months ago, it became evident to me that a change needed to be made in the structure of the way other people along with us were doing Bible study there.  On the upside, my friend, who is also the chaplain at the Mission will bring some (I think anywa...

  The ex has a three year old whose nickname is "monster".  Because he is.  The child has an impish grin and is faster than freakin' Superman.  Bucky has a hard time keeping up with this kid, and that's sayin' something.  But then again, Buck is getting old and lost a step or two. Last year, for Christmas, I asked for Hobby Lobby gift cards.  I was on a decorate the joint kick and wanted some stuff from Hobby Lobby.  Ten months later, I finally spent the last bit of money on a shadow box for my military stuff and some glass votive holders for a couple of wall sconces I have hanging on the wall.  They look a lot better holding what they were designed to hold, by the way.  (I'm going somewhere with this, I promise). I get home today and start the project.  I want pins to hold the medals in place and I had to go to Walmart and get some picture frames for some odd sized items for the room I'm decorating.  Walmart didn't have just pl...

One of the most important things I've learned about being a Christian is that it's not about religion, but about a personal relationship with the Risen Lord.  And part of that relationship that we can have with God because of Jesus is one where we're listening for God's voice. I do that.  Sometimes I hear it through His word, and last week I could kind of understand some things that God would have me do.  I've been waiting for something and I may be waiting for a little while longer.  It's not an answer I wanted to prayer, but that answer was more than one that involves just waiting. God reminded me through some things that I need to be living my life. I know these verses from Jeremiah 29, but this premise was explained to me in a couple of different ways.  These are from Jeremiah 29:4-7   4  This is what the  Lord  Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried  into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon:   5  “Bu...

I have long ago abandoned any idea that I have control over my life.  I surrendered that long ago when it became abundantly clear that fighting for control from God was akin to spitting in the wind.  I'm surrendered and plan on staying that way. Yesterday at church, one of my fellow church members shared this thought with me:  You're always so busy doing this or that.  You really need to take ten minutes out just to have coffee and a chat.  I can always make time for that; there's always time for making time for important things like that.  The problem is that I work nights and he's retired, so his idea of me making ten minutes typically looks like a Tuesday morning at far earlier than I want to get up. My week looks like this: Monday:  Bible Study. Tuesday:  Mow the lawn at the church.  I like to do this on Tuesdays because every other Tuesday is hot dog day. Wednesday:  Whatever gets thrown at me Thursday:  This is the da...

One of the things that interests me these days is the argument people make about how they don't believe the Bible because it was written by man.  That's true, and the argument I would make is that it was inspired by God and written by man. I had a lesson in that today while preparing a sermon for tomorrow night's chapel service at the Rescue Mission.  I still can't believe I get to do this once a month and as usual, I never have any idea what I'm going to write about, past an idea.  My idea was to talk about peace.  I know I need God's peace in my life and I try to chase the peace.  When I have it, it's a huge indicator to me that I'm where I should be and looking up instead of anywhere else tends to invite that peace into my life.  That's another story, though. I googled some Bible verses about God's peace which led me to Isaiah 55 which is an invitation from God.  A sermon that was supposed to be about peace turned into an invitation from ...

I have several forever friends.  They're the kind of friends you have that will be your friends for life, no matter how long it's been since you've talked.  I spent the weekend with some of them this weekend.  It's amazing to me how friends can not see each other for years and then pick up right where you left off.  We all had a lot to catch up with each other on, and it was fun to reminisce over some of the good times we had. The friend that put us up for the weekend is one I've known longer than either of us would like to admit.  I remember when he first met his wife and they've been married long enough that they have great grand-children now.  I'm still waiting on my first grandchild.  They have a herd. They're retired now, the both of them and they live in their dream home in central Utah.  It's an amazing place and I'm so happy for my friends.  One of the guys now lives out of state but drove down to spend some time with us.  ...

Hey. If anyone actually still reads this thing, hello. Haven't been in a blogging mood lately.  Mostly because life has been a bit unhinged.  For me, that's saying something. I titled this post "the one you'll never read" for a reason.  It's because the last blog post I wrote was so raw and real, and at the same time, so completely WRONG about what I thought God was doing in my life. I should have known better. It's an abundant life and tonight, I'm able to sit out on the patio and enjoy the new table the neighbors gave me.  I'll never figure me out.  I'm air conditioning the house and sitting outside even though the Dodgers are on TV.  I can't watch. They're killing me. Most things are these days; to the point where a lady I worship with prayed with me last Sunday.  I had a dilemma that pretty much took care of itself, for the time being, and in the mean time, I'm trying to live by the answer to that prayer. Sometimes...

Everybody has a story.   I want to start off this morning by telling you the greatest story ever told.  I can do it in two words: Jesus saves! In today’s culture, if I were going to tell that story for maximum effect, I would just drop the mike.  Literally and intentionally. And then walk back to my seat. It’s a powerful, simple, and poignant story and I used only two words to describe what the Savior did for me.  He saved me. I could tell you my story, and some of you know a lot of it, but again, that’s not the purpose of today’s message.  Today I want to talk to you about other people’s stories and the times we have to listen to them. To do that though, I have to start off by telling you a story about what I saw in Fort Worth when I was there a couple of months ago. I knew one person in Fort Worth.  His name is Brandon Cole and he’s a pastor of C3 church Fort Worth.  C3 is kind of a new movement in chuches and I had an incredible expe...

I learned something new today. I learned about Hutterites.  At first, I thought it was just another crazy story I have to tell, and from a certain point of view, maybe it is.  Given how it started, I thought so too.  But some research and with the aid of google maps, I have a better understanding of the folks I met today. Our story starts on a rural stretch of road near Turner, Montana.  This is a two lane highway, and yours truly is going 70 mph down it with his mom riding shotgun when this woman runs across the road.  She has another woman "in tow" if you will, and the only way I can miss running them over is to slow down.  The second woman hesitated, then decided to cross the road.  As I flew by at about 40, I noticed the one woman had her thumb out.  I waved and so did my mom as we passed them. I'm thinking I shouldn't pick them up, but made it just a few hundred feet down the road when I changed my mind and backed up. I asked them if ...

Hello friends and neighbors, I haven't been writing much lately, either on here or in my prayer journal.  I really need to get serious about that, by the way.  God does so much in my life that it would behoove me to keep a record of just what all that stuff is. I have a prayer journal but only write in it sporadically.  I get busy and forget.  I get tired and forget.  I haven't made it a habit, so I forget.  Excuses, and all bad.  But I do forget.  Maybe I need to start leaving it out on the nightstand so I remember. I just made a batch of cherry jam.  I'm only going to make one this year.  The kids are pretty much gone as of this weekend so I'm back to being just me.  This time, Wendi's mom goes with her, or goes somewhere else.  I'm finally heading back into somewhat sane territory with my life. I tried explaining Miss June to this woman I dated a couple of times I don't know how many years back.  She laughed at ...

I got to be part of a story on Thursday. Only part of it, though.  And so did other people, who just happened to be available to help.  The whole thing came together and as the man I was helping out said:  "God gives me what I need." He's good that way.  Especially when we're available and willing to have our plans de-railed.  I had to throw in a railroad term because I was on my way down to see the train ceremony on Thursday when my plans were changed. There was a fair bit of spiritual warfare going on yesterday at my joint.  From a friend being late, to a malfunctioning ATM, to a glass that decided to spring a leak when I put milk in it after using it all day as a water glass, and not to forget a malfunctioning printer, a lot of stuff seemed to be going bad wrong yesterday.  It happens frequently when it's my turn to give the message at church or at the Mission.  It's just stuff you get through, though. I love my little church family....

From time to time, I start wondering if I'm on the right path.  I think that with things the way they are in my life, from time to time it's not a bad idea to check and see.  The hard part about checking is that when I want to do it, it often starts with an idea of entertaining getting off the path to see what happens. I've done that a couple of times and when I have, it always turns out bad and I always wind up right back here.  Usually, worse for the wear. I stay on the path by faith.  I'm believing God for something that seems unlikely.  I know there's nothing I can do to change the situation I find myself in.  I've tried to get out of it.  I've prayed, I've cried, and I even tried letting it go.  All those things have brought me here. By faith. Faith doesn't always look pretty.  It's not a platitude or a Bible verse that looks good hanging on your bedroom wall.  Sometimes faith is believing in what you can't see despite what ...

When I made such a mess of my life so many years ago, one of the primary things that pointed me down the path to being found by Jesus (I was the lost one, not Him!) was my therapist.  I got fired by her as a patient after she yelled at me.  That was one of the best things that ever happened to me, by the way.  The other best thing was when she told me that I should pray for the people that hurt me. I started doing that before I actually became a Christian.  If I had to think of one of the pivotal links in the chain that led me to my knees nine years ago now, that was one of them.  We are Facebook friends after all these years, and she said something nice about me today.  The thing is, though, is that it's not about me, and while I appreciated the comment, I replied in truth that I'm not all that neat.  What I am, though, is an example among millions of what Christ can do with a life. I'm a changed person, but I didn't change me.  I know th...

Sometimes my life makes sense.  For about a minute.  But oh, that minute...... The plan was on Sunday to fire up the tractor and mow the back 40.  That plan got pushed to Monday and of course, it didn't start.  I don't know at this point if it's the new battery or last year's old starter.  Just once, I'd like for something to stay fixed, but what are you gonna do? In my case, I decided that I was wasting the day today and got the old Toro mower that I'm all of a sudden very happy I didn't trade in like I was thinking about and mowed the back 40.  It was about a foot tall in lots of spots.  The good news is that time and God's creation have eliminated the furrows from the last time I planted a garden and grass is growing where I actually want grass to grow, without having to plant it. It took a couple of hours, several times of having to re-pull start the mower, and unwinding a couple of tomato cages that aren't tomato cages anymore.  As I fi...

First off, I apologize for yesterday's post.  I was tired when I wrote it and when I read it out loud, there were some disjointed thoughts and sentences.  The jist of what my day was like was there, though so I left it. I'm not trying to win a Pulitzer. My son, when I was laying under my truck in his mom's driveway asked me this: "Why didn't you just call a tow truck and pay Rocky Mountain Tire to change the starter?" "Because I can't afford it." was the reply.  God blessed me with ability to fix things over the ability to pay for things to be fixed.  Sometimes I run out of ability and then God provides money for those eventualities.  But a starter change, despite the adventure it turned out to be, is something that's in my wheelhouse. My next project is a lawnmower.  I picked this up yesterday at the DI for another purpose.  But the thing is actually a really good lawnmower that needs a transmission.  I know how to fix this problem...

Today's story starts out with this nugget which is the only way it makes sense.  The Toyota was needed elsewhere.  The reasons for that are private. I needed a lawnmower.  Someone had a lawnmower to use for the intended purpose. I was going to pick it up Tuesday or Wednesday, but Tuesday and Wednesday had other ideas.  I was going to do it today as I was expecting the departure of said Toyota later in the day.  Thursday had other ideas.   I'm left with Chevron.  Chevron has a few issues.  Chevron is old, like me.  I didn't want to drive Chevron down to Salt Lake so I went to the DI here in Ogden and found a replacement mower for the one I was to pick up.  It's a nice mower. It fired up on the second or third pull.  The transmission doesn't work.  They're cheap to replace and I know someone else who would benefit from the fact that this particular mower has three speeds.  So I didn't want to use the mower I ...

I gave up Facebook and other social media for lent.  I'm seriously thinking about giving it up permanently.  The thing that's stopping me is that I know that, used properly, it's a great thing.  The deal is that it's tough remember the "used properly" part. I haven't read the entire Mueller report.  I will get around to it.  And when I do, I will make my judgments on it based on the facts that are presented.  Facts.  Not my opinion of the president, nor the Attorney General, who, sadly, is trying add his own 'spin' on it to make his boss look good. His boss doesn't look good. If you think he does, then read on, because I'm going to share some very a-political thoughts about the whole thing. If you read the report and you're a fan of our President, read it with the idea that a Democrat was president.  Substitute President Obama's name in there, for one.  Or pretend it's a report about Ms. Clinton.  If you'd be outra...