When we left Colorado in December, 2013 on our Ministry of Miles journey we left behind below zero weather and snow. We did encounter an ice storm in Goodlett, Texas right out of the chute which corralled us for five days, but from that point, we have not seen a flake of snow until this morning. We didn't actually see the snow fall, just awoke to it on the vehicles and skiffed on the grass. It got down to 29 degrees, but with the wind chill it feels like about 20. For a Georgian, and us "dry cold" mile-highers"......that's cold.
Today and tomorrow it looks like we will have cold days and cold nights, so the "snow" will stick around, then next week we're back in the 50's and high 40's during the day and above freezing at night. The snow will be but a memory, and we can bask in the balmy Geogia weather again. As we hear everywhere we travel, " if you don't like the weather, just wait a few minutes.........". The truth is; It is what it is and regardless of what Al Gore may be trying to pawn off on us.........right now in Madison, Georgia..........it's COLD!!
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Saturday, January 23, 2016
Thursday, January 21, 2016
January 21, 2016. Madison, GA. Earl
Hugh and LaVon's cat, Earl, had to be put down today. After an adventure-filled 15 years, Earl was at the end, not eating, not hearing very well and may have been losing his sight. He was spending all his time outside, was not able to keep himself clean and was showing some indications that he wasn't able to defend himself from other animals.
When we met Earl in Eureka Springs nearly two years ago, he was quite the "little man" as Karen referred to him and we grew very fond of him, his frequent visits to our motor home and his unique personality. He was mainly an outdoor cat, not a mouser or bird chaser, and was more than willing to share his tuna with the feral cats who populated the Passion Play grounds.
He was eager to be petted, always wiped his paws on the mats outside the door before coming inside and would willingly hop on your lap. He was quite a guy. He travelled with his "folks" all over the country, befriended geese and ducks and had a brother, Cooper the Yorkie who passed away just before we arrived in Eureka Springs in April, 2014. When we left Georgia last April, Earl was not happy that we left, but when we came back in November he forgave us and welcomed us back. We will miss Earl and did have the opportunity to say good bye to him this morning before he left.
It's never easy to lose a loved one, friend, family or pet. We build relationships and then sometimes suddenly, or after extended illness the relationship is over. I'm not sure where animals "rest" in God's eternal plan, but I am thankful that we do have the opportunity to enjoy each other and love each other for the period of time we do. I'm sure there is a special place prepared for you. You brightened our life and blessed us with your "Earlness". Be good , little man.
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When we met Earl in Eureka Springs nearly two years ago, he was quite the "little man" as Karen referred to him and we grew very fond of him, his frequent visits to our motor home and his unique personality. He was mainly an outdoor cat, not a mouser or bird chaser, and was more than willing to share his tuna with the feral cats who populated the Passion Play grounds.
He was eager to be petted, always wiped his paws on the mats outside the door before coming inside and would willingly hop on your lap. He was quite a guy. He travelled with his "folks" all over the country, befriended geese and ducks and had a brother, Cooper the Yorkie who passed away just before we arrived in Eureka Springs in April, 2014. When we left Georgia last April, Earl was not happy that we left, but when we came back in November he forgave us and welcomed us back. We will miss Earl and did have the opportunity to say good bye to him this morning before he left.
It's never easy to lose a loved one, friend, family or pet. We build relationships and then sometimes suddenly, or after extended illness the relationship is over. I'm not sure where animals "rest" in God's eternal plan, but I am thankful that we do have the opportunity to enjoy each other and love each other for the period of time we do. I'm sure there is a special place prepared for you. You brightened our life and blessed us with your "Earlness". Be good , little man.
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Tuesday, January 19, 2016
January 19, 2016. Madison, GA. For Want of a Nail........
In the centuries-old proverb, the want of a nail, led to the loss of a shoe, the loss of a horse, the loss of a rider, a lost message, a defeat in battle, ultimately leading to the loss of a kingdom. In law school we called these type of sequential consequences "a parade of horribles", There are any number of events which pyramid on one another to create frustration, jangled nerves, harsh words, lack of productivity and what might just be called "a bad day".
Last Friday we discovered a belt on the Source of Light collating machine which seemed ready to come apart. With nearly 30,000 Bible Lessons needing to be collated, cut, shrink wrapped and eventually sent out to students, it was not a repair which came at a very opportune time. The repair on Friday turned out to be done wrong, the adjustments needed did not work well and the belt eventually had to be repaired again, leading to a second belt seen to be in similar need of repair. Yesterday and today held a series of other issues with the stitcher, cutter and shrink-wrapper, holding five machine operators and three maintenance people hostage for various periods of time. As many times as we thought we had it solved, we found ourselves at times standing around like a county road crew repairing a pothole.
But, the good part of these three days is that we all "hung in there". When we weren't actually running the machines, we were doing other tasks which needed to be done in the vicinity. We left the repair to those most capable of doing it, we laughed, ate chocolate, took care of needed paperwork and filing and were able to stay indoors and out of the cold, windy Georgia weather. Some painting was done at a house being renovated and we left this evening ready to face the cranky machines again tomorrow. It may have not been the most productive day, but it was still a good day, not a bad one, because we were serving the Lord, and any day in His service and for His Kingdom is one worth celebrating. The "nail" didn't defeat us and we are determined not to let any shoe, horse, rider, message or battle cause our Kingdom to fail. By God's grace, we will persevere and prevail. Thank You, Lord.
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Last Friday we discovered a belt on the Source of Light collating machine which seemed ready to come apart. With nearly 30,000 Bible Lessons needing to be collated, cut, shrink wrapped and eventually sent out to students, it was not a repair which came at a very opportune time. The repair on Friday turned out to be done wrong, the adjustments needed did not work well and the belt eventually had to be repaired again, leading to a second belt seen to be in similar need of repair. Yesterday and today held a series of other issues with the stitcher, cutter and shrink-wrapper, holding five machine operators and three maintenance people hostage for various periods of time. As many times as we thought we had it solved, we found ourselves at times standing around like a county road crew repairing a pothole.
But, the good part of these three days is that we all "hung in there". When we weren't actually running the machines, we were doing other tasks which needed to be done in the vicinity. We left the repair to those most capable of doing it, we laughed, ate chocolate, took care of needed paperwork and filing and were able to stay indoors and out of the cold, windy Georgia weather. Some painting was done at a house being renovated and we left this evening ready to face the cranky machines again tomorrow. It may have not been the most productive day, but it was still a good day, not a bad one, because we were serving the Lord, and any day in His service and for His Kingdom is one worth celebrating. The "nail" didn't defeat us and we are determined not to let any shoe, horse, rider, message or battle cause our Kingdom to fail. By God's grace, we will persevere and prevail. Thank You, Lord.
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Saturday, January 16, 2016
January 16, 2016. Madison, GA. Who'da Thunk It?
In the 1980's Karen and I thought we would use my triathlon and endurance bicycling experience to run a bicycle touring company, travel the country leading tours and have a home on the road and make a living at it, to boot. Ours plans didn't materialize. God wasn't part of our plan.
In 2013, Karen and I were rutted down in Colorado without any real vision for our lives, searching for new direction after nearly 10 years of volunteer ministry at a Fort Collins mega-church followed by four years of searching anew for God's will for us, when God birthed a plan to minister to Vietnam Veterans as we traveled on the road while He provided the resources and itinerary for the journey. It was God's plan and who would ever imagine that we would, twenty-six months later, still be doing what He called us to do and still enthusiastic about it.
Every once in a while we ask each other if we are where we are supposed to be, should we be looking for other opportunities, are we just coasting through "retirement" or are we really where God wants us to be? The answer always seems to be; if God wants us to be elsewhere, He will close and open the doors necessary to get us where He wants us to be, and all we need to do is listen, pull in the slide-outs, retract the jacks, fire up the diesel and follow Him. For now we're in Madison, Georgia. And so it goes. Who'da thunk it?
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In 2013, Karen and I were rutted down in Colorado without any real vision for our lives, searching for new direction after nearly 10 years of volunteer ministry at a Fort Collins mega-church followed by four years of searching anew for God's will for us, when God birthed a plan to minister to Vietnam Veterans as we traveled on the road while He provided the resources and itinerary for the journey. It was God's plan and who would ever imagine that we would, twenty-six months later, still be doing what He called us to do and still enthusiastic about it.
Every once in a while we ask each other if we are where we are supposed to be, should we be looking for other opportunities, are we just coasting through "retirement" or are we really where God wants us to be? The answer always seems to be; if God wants us to be elsewhere, He will close and open the doors necessary to get us where He wants us to be, and all we need to do is listen, pull in the slide-outs, retract the jacks, fire up the diesel and follow Him. For now we're in Madison, Georgia. And so it goes. Who'da thunk it?
Sent from my iPad
Wednesday, January 13, 2016
January 13, 2016. Madison, GA. News From The Front
The war continues. The opposition is amassing huge casualties, but they are far from defeated. Our bedroom seems to be the focus of their attack due to the late afternoon direct sunlight and the gaps in the areas where our slide-outs do not seal tightly enough. We have employed chemical weapons (not a violation of the Geneva Convention when used against critters) but we are not sure it is effective against all the varieties of beetles we may be fighting.
The Ortho label says it is effective against "Beetles (including Asian, Lady, Carpet, Japanese(adults)", but they may have called in mercenaries not on the list, which may necessitate additional chemical agents, Intelligence and Google searching to identify the culprits not affected by the Ortho. Karen and I, Ortho Home Defense, the whole-house vacuum and the wet-dry vac are in this for the long haul and we will persevere and defend the home front.
Over our country's history, we have fought a lot of wars and conflicts. Quite a few have involved Asian nations; Japan, North Korea, North Vietnam, our involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan. There have also been health issues; the invasion of various Asian Flu strains, MERS, malaria, dengue fever, typhoid, cholera, hepatitis, encephalitis, yellow fever, filariasis, leishmaniasis, Congo-Crimean Hemorrhagic Fever and plague, to name a few. And now the Asian lady beetle and its cronies are attacking many places in our country and our home in particular. At one time they were imported into the country to fight aphids and other crop-eating pests, but they are no longer imported and once in they tend to stay for long periods of time. Seems like an immigration policy for critters should be part of the Congressional agenda along with all the other immigration discussions taking place or not taking place. Ha ha.
For now, without getting politically incorrect, or arousing more critters to come to the aid of their beetle friends, we will fight on. Suggestions accepted.
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The Ortho label says it is effective against "Beetles (including Asian, Lady, Carpet, Japanese(adults)", but they may have called in mercenaries not on the list, which may necessitate additional chemical agents, Intelligence and Google searching to identify the culprits not affected by the Ortho. Karen and I, Ortho Home Defense, the whole-house vacuum and the wet-dry vac are in this for the long haul and we will persevere and defend the home front.
Over our country's history, we have fought a lot of wars and conflicts. Quite a few have involved Asian nations; Japan, North Korea, North Vietnam, our involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan. There have also been health issues; the invasion of various Asian Flu strains, MERS, malaria, dengue fever, typhoid, cholera, hepatitis, encephalitis, yellow fever, filariasis, leishmaniasis, Congo-Crimean Hemorrhagic Fever and plague, to name a few. And now the Asian lady beetle and its cronies are attacking many places in our country and our home in particular. At one time they were imported into the country to fight aphids and other crop-eating pests, but they are no longer imported and once in they tend to stay for long periods of time. Seems like an immigration policy for critters should be part of the Congressional agenda along with all the other immigration discussions taking place or not taking place. Ha ha.
For now, without getting politically incorrect, or arousing more critters to come to the aid of their beetle friends, we will fight on. Suggestions accepted.
Sent from my iPad
Sunday, January 10, 2016
January 10, 2016. Madison, GA. On a Spree
Yesterday, Karen and I went on separate sprees. Karen and a few of the "girls" here at Source of Light went north to Athens for shopping and Chinese food and came back with a carload of goodies and full stomachs. They had a good time together and it was nice to have a change of scenery, if only for a few hours.
Hugh and I went west to Conyers and a Men's' Ministry cat fish fry at Belmont Baptist Church. About 50 of us ate fish and hush puppies, had a time of fellowship, a real good message and a chance to also have a change of scenery for a few hours. We didn't do any shopping, so it was a cheap day for us. The girls came back with a bunch of stuff, but didn't break the bank or go into further debt, so it was a good day for everyone. Hugh and I both had a few Tums, or their equivalent, for dinner and today I skipped breakfast and lunch and just now had a few veggie chips for dinner.
This Thursday, a bunch of us will be "spreeing" again. This time we will all be going to the same place, our normal Sunday church in Rutledge. The women will start a seven week Priscilla Shirer Bible Study and the men will have a dinner, fellowship and a message. Karen has been wanting to get into a Bible Study and I need to find something beyond the work here at the Mission. We get into ruts sometimes, and it's good to have a change of routine, to find areas where God is at work and wanting us to join Him there. There are a multitude of ministry opportunities "out there" and we need to stretch ourselves from time to time to see where they are and how we can have an impact on the world around us.
We never know where we will be called to serve, touch others, and advance God's Kingdom. Thank You, Lord, for allowing us to be Your ambassadors.
Sent from my iPad
Hugh and I went west to Conyers and a Men's' Ministry cat fish fry at Belmont Baptist Church. About 50 of us ate fish and hush puppies, had a time of fellowship, a real good message and a chance to also have a change of scenery for a few hours. We didn't do any shopping, so it was a cheap day for us. The girls came back with a bunch of stuff, but didn't break the bank or go into further debt, so it was a good day for everyone. Hugh and I both had a few Tums, or their equivalent, for dinner and today I skipped breakfast and lunch and just now had a few veggie chips for dinner.
This Thursday, a bunch of us will be "spreeing" again. This time we will all be going to the same place, our normal Sunday church in Rutledge. The women will start a seven week Priscilla Shirer Bible Study and the men will have a dinner, fellowship and a message. Karen has been wanting to get into a Bible Study and I need to find something beyond the work here at the Mission. We get into ruts sometimes, and it's good to have a change of routine, to find areas where God is at work and wanting us to join Him there. There are a multitude of ministry opportunities "out there" and we need to stretch ourselves from time to time to see where they are and how we can have an impact on the world around us.
We never know where we will be called to serve, touch others, and advance God's Kingdom. Thank You, Lord, for allowing us to be Your ambassadors.
Sent from my iPad
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