Stories and other stuff

I live next door to a large university.  I'm not kidding you; with the property purchases Weber State has made over the years, it's left us literally back fence neighbors.  My house is still 5 doors away from the campus, but my back property abuts property they own. And they have been great neighbors, with one exception:  They pick up the garbage early and make a bit of noise doing it.  I've learned to live with it.  If they wake me up, I just go pee and go back to sleep.  I'm old.  A trip to the bathroom in the middle of the night is part of what my normal is these days. But apparently, I live close to someone who needs to be "that guy" in relation to starting stuff with the University over their noisy trash collection procedures.  I guess he/she forgot to factor in that traffic in the morning on campus is a nightmare and parking is a huge issue that might also impact the school's need for early morning trash collection. Here's what I woke ...

I had a good time ice fishing with my friends.  My middle son went down with us and he got to spend some time with his uncle KP.  That kid of mine, he's the real deal.  And so is KP.  We had a great time! I had this big story I was going to share, but it didn't feel right to share it just yet.  There's a lot of stuff going on in my life right now that I just can't make sense of.  About the only way to explain it is that everything seems to be pointing me to a path that's not what I'm on, but at the same time, I don't see a way down that path. My mom and I were talking the other night and she's been the biggest skeptic of what's been going on over the last few years because she didn't want for me what appeared to be on the horizon.  At this point though, I think she's even come to terms with the fact that when you start adding up the little providences, they're unexplainable, except that they're there, they're very real, and th...

The thing about my walk with Jesus; I'm always being challenged to venture deeper into that relationship, which is wonderful. And I'm reminded this morning that while there are periods of rest along the way, the journey is ever forward.  This week, I'm learning how to pray.  That may sound dumb, because I pray.  A lot.  Annoyingly a lot, sometimes, I think.  But I do talk with God all throughout the day, just as if I had a dad to call on the phone and talk to.  And of all people, you'd think I'd have a handle on praying. I guess what I'm learning to do is to spend time during my day with the TV off, no animals, shut in a quiet room, and praying intentionally and deeply about stuff.  It's kind of a new adventure for me, and I'm trying to get into the habit of journaling those prayers. That's important to me.  I mentioned that maybe I'd be a mighty prayer warrior when the day comes I can't do some of the stuff I do now for church.  I...

I have been not the best at keeping a journal of all the things that happen to me.  I used to blog about them, but then so many things started happening to the people around me that just weren't for public consumption.  I started again earlier this year.  And then I misplaced the journal I was keeping.  I'll find it, but in the mean time, blank dated papers will have to do. I think too, part of my reluctance stems from a period of disappointment that things didn't go the way I thought they would.  I want to pretend it wasn't, but if I'm honest with myself, I think that plays into the narrative a little bit. Yesterday, though, I got down on my face and asked God to show me something.  He told me later in the evening, that no, He was not gonna show me or tell me, and gave me a Scripture verse to confirm that answer.  He used Billy Graham as the messenger, who just happened to be on TV for noise for a minute.    Funny, but it was just what I...

Editor's note:  This will make much more sense if you read 2 Samuel 6:12-22 (or 23 if you prefer) and Romans 12:6-8 before you read the post This morning’s message is about sharing our gifts.   Steve broached the subject a little bit in last week’s message, when he spoke about the many things that happen around here and how people are serving the Lord.   I kinda want to build on that this morning, and to start, I’d like to take about three minutes and introduce you to a young lady named Loren. Isn’t she just the cutest thing?   I wanted to share that video with you this morning for a few reasons.   First off, I love the message in the song.   Second off, out of all the kids standing there, Loren gets it.   I mean, she REALLY gets it.   And lastly, there are a lot of folks involved with making Loren’s little moment a reality.   There are numerous people there at that worship service sharing their gifts. God giv...

I spent today doing what I would have done yesterday if I hadn't been called to work.  In the end, I'm happy with the results.  My day was just a bit longer without the benefit of running hot water, but I do have large pans and a large stove to heat water, which is what happened so I could wash dishes, mop the floors, and clean the carpet I needed to. At the end of today, I'd had to run to the store three different times.  I forgot peppers.  I forgot dog food.  I forgot milk.  I ran out of boxes so a trip to Walmart was a must, but now, I have the sitting room back.  Miss June's things are fairly well packed up and ready for her when she returns.  My bedroom is clean and the bed made.  Laundry didn't get done, but boxing up the last bit of June's stuff took the better part of the day, when you include stacking it all in one room.  It's done.  All of it, save for what's in the middle bathroom because it's not hurting anything by be...

They handed me a cell phone at my mom's retirement ceremony today and expected me to take pictures of my mom with her crew.  Me, being me, said 1,2,3 "who's your daddy?", and for the second one, "who's your doggie?" I was trying to get people to smile.  They didn't know me and I didn't know them, and I like it when people genuinely smile in photos, and not fake smile. My sis and my cousin showed up.  My cuz' works in the same building as my mom used to.  Good for her!  She's busted her hump her whole life like my grandma did.  My mom's earned the rest.  I say that. She'll be bored and have a job in a month. Anyway, my little sis shows up and I'm always happy to see her.  She's quite unique and I quite enjoy her company.  I wound up having her laughing before I left. I got called into work, so I had to leave the retirement ceremony early, and I did something today totally NOT me.  I passed up on cake.  I'm getti...