January 14, 2014. It's time to blog again

When we decided to have a website and a blog, I didn't know how much I would be able to write in addition to my daily journaling which has been a staple of my morning devotionals and quiet time for the past 10 plus years. I have always thought I would write a book, memoirs or some major opus which would rock the world, be a Charles Kurault-type journalist or write copious letters to the editor on topics which would change minds and influence policy. I like to write, but most of my writings go unread by anyone. No one has read my journals which fill nearly 8 notebooks and if and when they are read it will take a long time to complete. So, this blog is an attempt to "go public" and hopefully encourage, uplift, teach and reveal something about me, help me work out my salvation as we all are called to do, tell some of the experiences we are having and telling about the many people we are meeting and talking with. But it is impossible to tell it all in a few paragraphs. When we set out to say hello to everyone, to ask a question of a stranger, to do more than just walk along with our head down, to compliment a person on their attire or notice a t-shirt slogan, take an interest in a pet they are walking, we are creating an encounter which may lead to commonalities, conversation and a change in plans, a new priority. And so goes each day for us. A visit to Best Buy lasts 2 hours, a stop at Tasty Dogs for a quick bite to eat lasts more than an hour, paying for the next two weeks at the NAS Jax RV Park takes extra time because Julie is such a caring and personal host involved in the lives and travels of her "residents" and we have to check out an alligator sighting on the golf course, dinner is delayed because I get into a conversation with a couple from New Hampshire who have a son-in-law living in our home town. We set out with no firm itinerary or timetable and as a result our days are fuller, our conversations deeper, our prayers more personal and our lives richer and more relational. God wants us to slow down, listen to His voice and the voices of His children. This has been an eye-opener of a journey, one which has changed us already. It has not only confirmed our faith, but spurred us to share it more openly and passionately with each new acquaintance and during every new encounter. A seed here, a seed there. We pray for those we have met and those we will meet today. Press on, send me Lord.