Stories and other stuff

 To be certain I'm not who I was.  Aside from it being one of my favorite Christian songs, it's a truth about me.  I've changed.  I needed to and that change is not something I can take credit for.  I didn't change me.  God changed me.  He started doing it even before I started walking with Christ.  My story goes back to a Sunday drive from a place I should never have been.  As I was getting on the on-ramp back to Ogden, I just kind of felt like something was speaking to my soul and asked me what I was doing.  I now know that to be the Holy Spirit of God and by the time I hit the end of the on-ramp and merged onto I-15 North, I had made my mind up to go home and ask for some forgiveness.  My life changed course in the span of about 400 feet. I was thinking about that today.  Mostly because a phone call I missed (probably spam) came from a number in Beaver, Utah.  I was in Southern Utah the day my life started changing and ...

 If you're not a frequent participant in aviation activities, you might not be familiar with the "follow me" truck.  Most airlines have gates at airports and the planes taxi to the gates following yellow lines and gate signs.  At military bases, though, we have open ramps with designated parking spots.  Yellow lines lead to these but we use something called a "follow me" truck to lead them in.  It's literally a truck with a big lighted sign in the bed that tells the pilot to "follow me". I had the opportunity to drive the "follow me" a couple of times.  Once the real "follow me" truck literally died on the yellow line and I had to get out of my truck and push it out of the way, then jump back in my truck, hit the flashers, and have the plane follow me.  Another time, the pilot chose NOT to follow me and went his own way into the spot.  He got there.  It was all good. God promises that if we lean not on our own understanding, but...

 I stayed home today.  No beach.  No shopping.  No errands to run.  Nothing.  Just kind of felt the Spirit leading me to stay put and relax today.  I think if I had to find a word other than hurt to describe me, I honestly think spent would take first place. Hurt is kinda dissipating.  It seems this week is flying by faster than normal and I've pretty well come to terms with things.  Mostly because a person in my life would be nice, but it's not where my happiness comes from.  It comes from Jesus and I'm really leaning into Him right now. I love that I can do that.  I can't believe I get to do that.  I know me.  I know who I used to be and that the King of Kings would even want to have anything to do with me, let alone love and care for me enough to not let me have a pity party, is just mind-boggling. If you've seen my Facebook page, you know I've been rapidly making improvements to the house.  That's self-care. ...

One of the many ways God communicates with His children is through His word.  And sometimes He uses some teaching with that word to make a point with us. Keep that thought in mind, and you are definitely gonna want to read Acts 5:17-41.   Go ahead, I'll give you a minute. Are ya done?  Or do you need another minute? OK, now that you're done we can lean in.  The thing the article I read about this passage of Scripture tonight pointed out is that the first time the Apostles were arrested, nothing happened to them.  The jail doors flung open and out they went.  And what did they do?  They went back to teaching at the temple.  They got arrested again, then flogged?  And what did they do?  They went out rejoicing that they'd been persecuted for their faith like their Lord and went back to teaching in the temple. The idea is that they had a part in Jesus because they were persecuted for their faith.  To them, it was like a badge of honor ...

For once in my life, I'm gonna spare you the details of how the end came, but come it did.  At eight this morning a U-haul pulled out of my driveway headed to California.  There was a hug, and then that was that. I thought I'd take this harder than I am.  I mean, brother, am I spent.  I prayed over this thing hard.  I don't think I've ever wanted something to go the way I thought it would so badly and there was some praying without ceasing.  But with that, there were words that I genuinely meant:  "Not my will, but Yours be done." I'm satisfied that it was.  Here's why:   I never look at my Facebook memories, but I had an inkling to do that last night.  The memory I saw was from a page called Believe for One More Day.  Well, at that point, I had one more day.  The meme in the memory said something about God has a Suddenly for you. About ten minutes later, the suddenly showed up.  I was hoping for a suddenly, there was...

Life is kind of interesting here in Oregon and it's not quite how I thought it would be. You get used to some things, like not pumping your own gas.  Usually you're just sitting there waiting for the pump to shut off.  Today though, it was slow so I had a chance to chat with the station attendant.  I like it that I can't pump my gas.  It's not that I'm not capable, but that it gives someone a job.  It might not be a glamorous job, but it is honest work.  I respect the people that do it.  It's also a throw-back to simpler days. A lot of what Oregon is going to change into was kind of derailed by COVID and practicality.  The state is trying to get away from plastic grocery bags.  I think the corona kind of put a damper on that enthusiasm.  They do charge you a nickel a bag.  Well, Wal-mart doesn't.  I've learned to do without a bag unless I needed one.  I think it's funny though that I can self-checkout from the store but no...