Years ago I was part of a drama team at our church in Fort Collins, CO. One of the skits we performed was about two older people in a rehab facility who had different attitudes about their usefulness in the world. Susie played a former teacher who was in a wheelchair and felt useless because she was "confined" in the chair and could only look ahead to her release from the chair when she could be useful again. I played a wisecracking, wheelchair-bound, ex-farmer who had physical ailments, but still was helping young people, who visited the facility, with their schoolwork. The two characters had a lively discussion about being useful even when physical or health limitations seemed to indicate that it might be time to "curse God and die".
Karen and I have been involved in Christian volunteer ministry for the past fifteen years and before that were active in community service with a number of organizations. We have always known people who have reached out to help others in their time of need by giving their time, resources or experience to assist others. For some it has been their profession, for others a volunteer activity after their work day is done. But during the past year on the road it is becoming even more evident to us that there are people who in their "retirement" are still finding ways to be of use to others and in the process are adding richness and blessing to their "golden years". For some, it is done to earn money to sustain them, for others a way to fill their life and sustain others.
Everyone has talents which can benefit others and for some of us less skilled, it's refreshing to know that "old dogs (dawgs in Georgia) can learn new tricks". Source of Light Ministries has a host of "retired" missionaries who are continuing to minister in their 70's and '80's and while they, and we, may be a step slower, are still moving and being useful in the world and in God's Kingdom. Keep pressing in to God, and pressing on with the work He has for us. We can all use the skills we have or learn new ones. There is still much to be done in a world which is in great need of what God promises and offers to those who are obedient to His call.
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Saturday, November 15, 2014
Wednesday, November 12, 2014
November 12, 2014. Madison, Georgia. Home is where the coach is
We're in Georgia, y'all, and settled in at Source of Light Ministries International (www.sourcelight.org), just south of Madison, GA. If you've followed us on the road the past eleven months you know that we have really taken to the road-life and feel extremely blessed with the places God has sent us and the opportunities He has put in our path. We arrived here mid-day Monday and have been welcomed and found many things to keep us busy and involved already.
We settled in next to our Passion Play friends, Hugh and LaVon who arrived a week ago Monday and reunited with our good buddy, Earl the cat, who also was glad to see us. Watching the weather back in Colorado, we are sorry winter came so suddenly there, but we are glad to be here and have some fall-like weather at least for a few more days. We have met a few different critters already, including a raccoon fire ants and termites and were warned about the venomous snakes and poison ivy. But we feel at home already and there is a peace here which makes us feel we are in the right place, for now. We attended our first chapel this morning and I have met for prayer the past two mornings with the men in Operations. Karen has started working with the women in Accounting and likes what she has been doing. It feels like we have been here longer than two days. It just feels comfortable, and while we don't know much about the work of SLMI, we know that where we are is where we are supposed to be. We see God at work here and in the 30+ nations they are located in around the world. For now our coach has brought us here and this is home. For how long? ............... God knows............the cloud has settled over us in Madison, GA. Thank You, Lord.
Sent from my iPad
We settled in next to our Passion Play friends, Hugh and LaVon who arrived a week ago Monday and reunited with our good buddy, Earl the cat, who also was glad to see us. Watching the weather back in Colorado, we are sorry winter came so suddenly there, but we are glad to be here and have some fall-like weather at least for a few more days. We have met a few different critters already, including a raccoon fire ants and termites and were warned about the venomous snakes and poison ivy. But we feel at home already and there is a peace here which makes us feel we are in the right place, for now. We attended our first chapel this morning and I have met for prayer the past two mornings with the men in Operations. Karen has started working with the women in Accounting and likes what she has been doing. It feels like we have been here longer than two days. It just feels comfortable, and while we don't know much about the work of SLMI, we know that where we are is where we are supposed to be. We see God at work here and in the 30+ nations they are located in around the world. For now our coach has brought us here and this is home. For how long? ............... God knows............the cloud has settled over us in Madison, GA. Thank You, Lord.
Sent from my iPad
Sunday, November 9, 2014
November 9, 2014. Fulton, Mississippi. On The Road Again
From April 11 until yesterday, two days shy of seven months, our motor home was a resident of Arkansas. It did have a few days in Branson, MO with our friends Larry and Kari, but other than that it was a Razorback and was a big contributor to the Arkansas economy. In two visits to Searcy it had nearly all it's windows defogged and a window leak "almost" fixed, in Mountain View it had six new tires and other repairs "almost" done, in Rogers it had a tow package installed, an inverter repaired and other repairs "almost" accomplished. The nature of RV repairs, we are learning, is that there is always something to be fixed and it usually takes a few times to get it fixed "right" and it always costs a lot.
But Arkansas was great. We had a super time, met wonderful people wherever we stopped and have made some friends we will have for a long time. The Passion Play experience was an experience and one we hope to do again next year. For now we are "in transit" and have to relearn all the duties of Karen keeping us between the lines and me juggling the travel plans, the nightly places to stay, Gas Buddy, weight and height issues and guiding Karen in and out of places where motor homes (now with car-in-tow) can and cannot go. Our first night away from Eureka Springs we were in a Hobby Lobby parking lot in Jonesboro, AR and now we are in a Corps of Engineers Campground a few feet from the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway in Fulton, MS. God provides and we are grateful. It's good to see diesel prices under $3.20 where they were getting close to $4.00 earlier in the year. God is Good and we are so blessed to be living as we are with a freedom we have always had, but appreciate so much more now. Our time is God's time and we feel no pressure to be "on time" as we were for so many years of our life. Yes, we still have worldly responsibilities, but we relish the slower pace, the back roads and the chance to serve God and serve others as He calls us. Yesterday we were pretty much on fast roads because there were few options, but today we plan to go rural, avoid Birmingham and Atlanta and see some small towns and slower roads as we make our way to Madison, GA. Thank You, Lord.
Sent from my iPad
But Arkansas was great. We had a super time, met wonderful people wherever we stopped and have made some friends we will have for a long time. The Passion Play experience was an experience and one we hope to do again next year. For now we are "in transit" and have to relearn all the duties of Karen keeping us between the lines and me juggling the travel plans, the nightly places to stay, Gas Buddy, weight and height issues and guiding Karen in and out of places where motor homes (now with car-in-tow) can and cannot go. Our first night away from Eureka Springs we were in a Hobby Lobby parking lot in Jonesboro, AR and now we are in a Corps of Engineers Campground a few feet from the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway in Fulton, MS. God provides and we are grateful. It's good to see diesel prices under $3.20 where they were getting close to $4.00 earlier in the year. God is Good and we are so blessed to be living as we are with a freedom we have always had, but appreciate so much more now. Our time is God's time and we feel no pressure to be "on time" as we were for so many years of our life. Yes, we still have worldly responsibilities, but we relish the slower pace, the back roads and the chance to serve God and serve others as He calls us. Yesterday we were pretty much on fast roads because there were few options, but today we plan to go rural, avoid Birmingham and Atlanta and see some small towns and slower roads as we make our way to Madison, GA. Thank You, Lord.
Sent from my iPad
Thursday, November 6, 2014
November 6, 2014. Eureka Springs, AR.
Our "forty days" on Magnetic Mountain lasted nearly six and a half months. Today we get ready for our 800 mile journey to Madison, Georgia and Source of Light Ministries. Hugh and LaVon have been there since Monday and are enthused about the opportunity and the.work to be done there. We're sad to leave The Great Passion Play, but we feel that we can return in April, God willing, and take up the cup again and do our part in revitalizing and advancing this ministry. We're glad we had this experience and thank God for opening the door and allowing us to walk through it. I hope our blog conveyed some of the joy, peace and contentment we felt here and, more importantly, the presence of God in this place and His heart for those who are joining Him here. Pray for TGPP and God's continuing favor on it.
Tomorrow we will fire up the diesel and head east. Thank you for following our adventure. Thank you for your prayers and your encouragement. And......Thank You, Lord. Your Will be done, Your Kingdom come.
Sent from my iPad
Tomorrow we will fire up the diesel and head east. Thank you for following our adventure. Thank you for your prayers and your encouragement. And......Thank You, Lord. Your Will be done, Your Kingdom come.
Sent from my iPad
Monday, November 3, 2014
November 3, 2014. Still in Eureka Springs, AR. God Is Still On His Throne
I just took a few seconds to calculate that I have lived more than 2.1 billion seconds. I never thought I would be a Billionaire, but I am, and it is amazing to think that as our world population increases to over 7.2 billion how many seconds that population has to use each second that passes. It's hard to imagine how vast the world we live in is and how it all holds together in some degree of order and regularity. Do you doubt that there is someone who has a handle on what has taken place from The Beginning, is in control of what is happening Now, and who has the future set out for each of us? Is there any question that that someone is God?
As time passes, as we move into November of 2014, as our personal plans seem to be less certain and our days become more flexible and spontaneous, it is becoming more clear to me that we are trying to rush into tomorrow without really living today. I just read an article about "hurry sickness" and how we are trying to do too much, keep up with technological change and failing to find time to relax and rest, and are making ourself physically and emotionally sick in the process. While the article was not written by a Christian, it is obvious that many are rushing through their spiritual life without finding the internal peace which faith in Jesus offers us if we just realize and accept that God is in control, He is still on His Throne and we can avoid a lot of grief and anxiety by resting in Him and allowing Him to set the pace and direction of our day and our life.
I have been fighting a cold, cough and a general feeling of the blahs the past few weeks. I have not been the most pleasant person to be around, and while I can't retrieve the seconds I lost, I can resolve to start afresh, to enjoy the sun which just rose above the trees in front of us, and rest in the reality that time is moving on, the world situation is out of my control and above all........be still......and know........God is Still On His Throne.........all is well.
Sent from my iPad
As time passes, as we move into November of 2014, as our personal plans seem to be less certain and our days become more flexible and spontaneous, it is becoming more clear to me that we are trying to rush into tomorrow without really living today. I just read an article about "hurry sickness" and how we are trying to do too much, keep up with technological change and failing to find time to relax and rest, and are making ourself physically and emotionally sick in the process. While the article was not written by a Christian, it is obvious that many are rushing through their spiritual life without finding the internal peace which faith in Jesus offers us if we just realize and accept that God is in control, He is still on His Throne and we can avoid a lot of grief and anxiety by resting in Him and allowing Him to set the pace and direction of our day and our life.
I have been fighting a cold, cough and a general feeling of the blahs the past few weeks. I have not been the most pleasant person to be around, and while I can't retrieve the seconds I lost, I can resolve to start afresh, to enjoy the sun which just rose above the trees in front of us, and rest in the reality that time is moving on, the world situation is out of my control and above all........be still......and know........God is Still On His Throne.........all is well.
Sent from my iPad
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