Stories and other stuff

 It's been a simple and productive day here on the coast.  From walking the dog to washing and vacuuming out the rig, it's just been a day of simple chores.  Laundry is being done.  Garbage is on the curb as is the recycling.  I cleaned up after the dog.  I blew the pine needles off the deck so I don't track them into the hot tub.  Most of the day's dishes are done.  As always, you'd find my bed made, floors swept, and thanks to the new thing I bought, the doggy drool spots on the wood floor are cleaned up. Bucky drools.  Always has.  That's why I call him slurp sometimes.  It's who he is.  Lately, it's been worse.  There's a tool for that though.  I love that dog.  Cleaning up after him is just a labor of love. I'm finding these days that my walk is getting like that, too.  More simplified.  I had my faith tested literally to the break point one day last week over a thing in my life.  I'm finding ...

 Hey, y'all(?)... Judging by the numbers of people who still read this thing when I write it, y'all might be a stretch, but, undaunted by that, and realizing that God gives the increase, here we go.. I was thinking a bit ago about how I wound up here in Oregon.  A facebook memory reminded me that I guess I wanted to come to the coast ten years ago but couldn't for whatever reasons.  A couple of years later, I'd meet a woman who was born here that would forever change the rest of my life.  Shortly after that, I couldn't go anyplace without coming across Oregon license plates. My pastor friend and I were having coffee outside one morning at the Einstein's on Harrison Blvd. in Ogden when I pointed out a car with an Oregon plate in the parking lot.  I told him that for the last week or so before that, I'd been noticing them more and more.  It was kind of my first little taste of God's Providence and how He kind of used things like that in the early days to k...

 I got reminded today of the words that saved my life almost 11 years ago.  Maybe I needed those words again today, but hey are still just as important today as they were then.   When Life Gets To Be More Than You Can Stand....Kneel. It did.  I did.  And honestly, sometimes it still does.   I've had a lot to think about over the last few days and sometimes the things that happen to me just bewilder me.  There's a word you don't see very much anymore...bewilder.  Life can be hard and understanding mine is not an easy task sometimes.   What I do understand though is that I have an incredible, active, and abundant relationship with Jesus, and because of that, a restored relationship with the Father.  Kneeling is a daily practice in my home and prayer without ceasing happens all throughout the day.  I got thinking about that.  I spend more time talking with Jesus than I do watching TV.  I talk about my day....

Over the past several days, I have seen the same sets of Scripture three different times, from three different places, all with an emphasis on one single point:  God sometimes teaches the lesson twice. The stories used to illustrate things Jesus did twice:  He fed the 5000, then the 4000.  Then there were the two different times Jesus calmed the storms.  Once, He was asleep in the boat.  The next time, He walked on the water out to the disciples.   I have seen these things,, as I said, used in three different places, to illustrate the same point.  Jesus taught the disciples something twice because it was important. Having the point driven home three different times, I'm listening.  And I'm reflecting on the lesson I had to learn twice over the last three years.  I think there's some significance in that.  I got reminded by a photo I took that it was three years ago this week that I went to Washington to get the ex.  That didn't...

 In my last post, I described a little bit of an ongoing struggle with the DMV here in Oregon.  It's not the only one I've faced.  I've been trying since I moved here to straighten out my healthcare with the VA here in Oregon.  The VA Hospital is in Roseburg.  There is a clinic here in North Bend but it, like many other healthcare providers, is not accepting new patients.  Trying to get things fixed so I have the right authorization so I can get the billing straight and get my prescriptions filled has been a challenge. On Sunday, I started asking for God's favor over the situations I had to deal with this week and listening to the prompting of the Spirit, to deal with one on one day, and one the next. To show you the struggle is real with the DMV here in Oregon, I need to explain how I finally got an answer to my problem.  The DMV office opens at 8 a.m.  I called at, I think, 8:04 a.m.  I was on hold for 47 minutes before I got to talk to a p...

 I knew the plates on my Toyota would expire at the end of January, so at the beginning of November, I mailed off the paperwork to get Oregon plates for it.  For the longest time, the DMV has been closed to appointments for renewing registrations.  I had to fill out the paperwork, actually take the car to the DMV to have what's known as a VIN inspection done.  That's where someone from the DMV verifies the VIN on your car for you, gives you a form with said information on it, and separates you from $7 of your hard earned money. You cannot register a vehicle that's not titled in Oregon, in Oregon.  Because my car has a Utah title and the Credit Union still has possession of said title until the loan is paid off, I had to mail my application, my VIN inspection, and a check for a lot more than $7 to the credit union in Utah with a letter explaining that I needed them to send the Utah title, all the paperwork, and the check I enclosed, to the DMV in Oregon so they c...

Back in the day, you used to have tickets to things that required a punch to be validated.  Bus drivers and train conductors were among the folks who used to punch tickets.  The words "ticket punched" became a euphemism for getting dead at some point, largely because once one's ticket was punched, it was no longer good. Today was an unbelievable day.  I mean that.  God had been reminding me He knows that it's not good for someone to be alone and He did some stuff this week to fix that.  Last Friday, I stepped out in faith and attended an interfaith worship and prayer service.  Because I did, I got invited to join a prayer meeting at the church I worship at this past Sunday.  Because I went to that, I was invited to join a small group Bible study that meets on Thursday.  I went.  I had so much fun. Earlier today, I had a fantastic cup of coffee with a neighbor who has a lot in common with me.  Our lives have been eerily on parallel tracks...

I know this guy.  I'm happy that he, like myself, came to Christ later in life and his life is going well these days.  That brings me joy.  We stay in touch on social media and I like seeing the posts about his family and the ones he shares about Jesus.  A couple of them have been quite timely.  I'm always grateful to God to know friends have come to the Truth.  I'm grateful that I can call him a friend. This same friend shares other stuff too.  Political stuff that often is not based on any known or researched fact.  I wonder sometimes how people can see Truth but be blinded to things that are true and based on reality.  Sometimes I wonder if the two things conflict when pointing others to Jesus.  I think about things like that in my own life.  I think it's part of why I feel convicted by the Holy Spirit to stay out of the politics that happen on social media.  I still have my own views, but I'd like to think I'm smart enough ...

We were studying Psalm 35 last Wednesday night at Bible study and one of the things that struck me was that when we're wronged, sometimes we want that vengeance that God promises to happen right away. I used to be like that, but sometime in my late 30s, I began to see a principle at work in life and it changed my mind about such things.  I began to realize that I never needed to get even.  I just needed to live long enough for someone to get what they deserved. Some call that karma.  It's nonsense to call it anything but what it really is, which is a Biblical principle found in Galatians 6:7-9.  I didn't know it at the time, but that's God's view of things. Vengeance is His, and His alone.  He will repay.  And in far greater ways than our little minds could ever come up with.  We reap what we sow.  And God is a just God.  Even when we're forgiven, God is just in that He has us go through the consequences of some of the sins we committed....

 During the October month, many sports teams commemorate Breast Cancer Awareness month and during an October gathering of ladies, one woman in particular caught my attention with the tee shirt she was wearing which in big block letters said: "SAVE SECOND BASE!" Well, that's a for-sure way to make your point with every male over the age of about 14. I'm an ardent supporter of saving as much of second base as we can.  It's a humorous way to deal with a serious topic for far too many of our women but one that clearly got my attention. Up until about a few weeks ago (time flies so fast, I can't rightly remember the day or even how I found myself at the point of having to grapple with this question: Is getting to "second base" a sin? And my first reaction was no.  To me, God has some explicit rules about sex.  Outside marriage?  NO!  But to me you could still be in that NO! and safely get to "second base",  Until I felt the Holy Spirit really tu...

 I'm not a fan of February 14.  Mostly because two marriages broke up; one on Valentine's Day, the other the morning after.  It brings back painful memories for me, mostly because since then, I can't recall spending the day with my special someone.   It's difficult sometimes because I've met a few along the way that maybe could have been...but God has asked me to wait.  Wait for Him.  And in that wait, I've come to remember some things. I have Jesus.  He's all I need.  While it would be nice to have that relationship, especially now that God has led me on a journey to teach me not only what love is, but to actually be able to love someone more than me.  That journey has not been an easy one, but it was most certainly a necessary one.  And in the last few months, God has been busy at work, not only in the places I can't see, but in me.  Changing me and preparing me for whatever is next has been a thing lately. I made a snarky, t...

 The mic drop is a popular thing these days.  You say something strong, and for emphasis drop the microphone to the table or floor to indicate that "BOOM"...that's all there is to say on that!  It's supposed to send a powerful message and when it was first used, I'm sure it did.  Drop the mic...that's all there is to say about that. Sometimes, God has Mic Drop moments that are legitimately powerful and can shake you to the core.  I had such a moment last night as I sat down to do my last lesson in the Bible Study on U-turns.  Last time I posted, I mentioned this, mentioned the U-turn I needed was partly to change my focus to be solely on God and to put some things in their proper places.  It's taken me to re-label some things sin that I didn't necessarily think were (my mom reads this, so that's all ya get).  I'm not always right.  God is never wrong. The last lesson was about U-turns from impossible circumstances.  Some of you know I ha...

About 2 months ago, I saw a Facebook ad about a Bible study from Lifeway and Tony Evans about u-turns.  Now, I've had to do my fair share of u-turns, and there have been a couple of detours but from where I was standing, I couldn't really see myself needing to make one so I just ignored it. And then I saw it again.  And then I got an e-mail about it.  And then, I got convicted that I needed to do it, and I needed to order the study book for it as well.  I did both things. The lessons come out on Wednesdays and up until now, they've really been more about things God has walked me through more than I really needed a u-turn from.  And then today, I sat down and did the week 5 lesson and that's when I realized why God had me complete this study. For a while now, He's been working with me on two things:  The first is to realize that while I want the plan, He wants the plan for today.  Seriously, for me in this season it's day by day.  And for those ble...

 Been seeing a lot about paths the last couple of days and I'm mindful of some things after that today. I talk a lot about how God moves very Providentially in my life.  I know some, even in my own family, don't believe that for a minute.  That's OK, it's not their walk, it's mine and for His glory and good purpose God relates to me that way.  I'm not the only one, and it's not the only way He does.  He still uses circumstances to show me where to step.  Sometimes He uses them to warn me where not to step. Lately, though, He's been complimenting those things with a Bible verse.  I told y'all, I think, the other day when He gave me a verse in the middle of the night which I thought was about tithing and had nothing to do with tithing.  It was about writing things down in a remembrance to God.  I just re-read that verse and remember something He told me to write down. That's kind of important because I'm believing God for something and I am in ...

 Of the things there is a first for in my life, as far as I can remember, receiving a Bible verse in the middle of the night is one of the firsts for me.  A song in the night?  Yes, and I still remember the first time that happened.  But last night is the first time I ever recall getting a Bible verse whispered to me. The verse in question is Malachi 3:16.  When I think of Malachi 3, I think it's about tithing.  And I tried to tell myself, "No, Malachi 3:6" and thinking it was about tithing.  (it's not).  Nor was the verse God gave me last sleep, in the middle of the night.  It's about remembering and writing down.   God has done a lot of great things for me.  I try to write many of them down, either here or in a journal I sometimes remember to write in.  But it seemed important to write down some of it again in light of being blessed with that verse.  I had a weird dream after that and a person from my past made a ca...

I never know what's gonna happen next in my life.  A for-instance happened today.  I went out to the thrift stores to look through their selections of vinyl records.  While I didn't find any I liked, I did come across a plate with clock markings and a hole drilled into it.  Said plate matches my dish pattern so I bought it for 50 cents.  I found a clock kit that was affordable as well on Amazon, so I should have a fully functioning clock in a couple of days.  It'll be a nice addition to the kitchen and nice to have a clock to glance at instead of having to walk to the stove or microwave to see the time. Losing track of time is a thing these days.  My son bought me a day clock.  I needed it.  The days fly by and it's really easy to lose track of the day of the week, let alone the date.  Such is retirement. The hot tub is such a blessing.  It would be nice to have someone to share it with but it's not without its' own struggles. ...

 For every published blog post, there are so many more that wind up in the trash.  I start one, then don't finish it.  Usually it's because of a nudge from the Holy Spirit to tell me not to write this or that.  I can't take credit for that.  Infrequently it's because of my own thought that this or that might be a dumb thing to say.  It's nice to have an editor that's engaged in not only the publishing process, but in the creative process as well.  With the Holy Spirit as a guide, I write much better than I ever could on my own. Yesterday I was in the middle of writing a post about false prophesies.  And in the middle of it, I got off on a rabbit trail about not judging because I have that beam in my own eye.  Sometimes I can get it out just far enough to see that it's probably more wise to worry about my own sins than commenting on the sins of others.  Christians have God's word at their disposal and the tools and wisdom to discern truth...

It's been quite a few days.  It's going to be quite a few more days.  And yours truly?  Me, I voiced my opinion about what Wednesday was.  It cost me a Facebook friend who didn't appreciate my reply to his comment.  I've known this guy for a long time.  It happens, I suppose. I got accused of being a democrat and spewing rubbish.  I did neither and stuck by my words.  They weren't meant to be cruel, mean, or incite.  They were honest and truthful.  I still stand by what I said, and it was all I need to say about this. I have dual citizenship.  I'm An American by birth and a citizen of Heaven by adoption.  That adoption came at an unbelievable cost...the precious blood of the Lamb.  Christ Jesus died on a cross so that not only can my sins be forgiven, but at that same moment, I became an adopted child of the Ancient of Days. I love that name for my God.  Ancient of Days.  I also love:  I AM.  OK, I'm bi...

You'd think I'd learn by now, and by now I kind of wonder if I annoy God sometimes.  Waiting is hard, and I don't think I annoy God (too much, He knows I've never been where He's taking me), but I do keep on being persistent in prayer to get where I think He's taking me.  And the answer is wait. Or is it more than that?  I asked God about it and He told me today at the beach He would show me how to get where we're going.  The first direction on that map is: Wait. Or abide.  I saw John 15 in several places today.  The latest being my Bible app which had the chapter pulled up when I opened it.  Abide.  No, not like the Dude from The Big Lebowski , but abide in Jesus as a branch of the Vine. The YouVersion app explained the verse and likened a Christian attached to the Vine like a cell phone attached to a power cord.  As long as the cord is attached and plugged into the wall, the phone has unlimited ability.  The second you unplug the phone...