December in Colorado, shoveling snow and scraping ice off the windshield, or December in Georgia, raking leaves and scraping a thin layer of frost off the windshield. Right now, I'm grateful for the aching arms and the Georgia situation. We are collecting leaves on a 25 acre property, and it could have been collecting leaves on 660+ acres at The Great Passion Play In Arkansas. If it seems bad, things could always be worse. Ron and I are tired from two days of leaf gathering, and there is still some work left for tomorrow to complete the task and have the Source of Light property "lookin' good".
We all bring our life experiences to the mix of personalities here at SLMI and it is interesting to see how they blend into a work force which can face the "opportunities" or "problems" and bring them to resolution. It fascinates me to see God bring the right person for the right task and in the process teach a city boy how to operate farm equipment and do tasks which we were accustomed to hiring someone else to do. And, it really isn't rocket science. Funny that a few weeks ago at church we met a man who is an actual rocket scientist with NASA. God does have a sense of humor.
The work day is winding down. I took off a little early to rest my half empty arms and let my half full fingers get some exercise on this blog. It has been a good day, our efforts here are appreciated and we feel that we are helping to do the work God has ordained for us at this ministry. We're learning that we are where we are for a reason, we are called to minister in a variety of ways and that we need to see challenges as opportunities, each day as a chance to learn something new, meet a new friend or turn over a new leaf, even if there are 25 acres of them.
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Thursday, December 18, 2014
Monday, December 15, 2014
December 15, 2014. Madison, GA. Happy Anniversary
One year ago, the Ministry of Miles set out from Fort Collins on what would turn out to be 6,800 miles in a house on wheels, through 12 states and a host of unique and challenging experiences. We had no idea, then, what would lie before us, but we " took the bait" and never imagined that we would be "hooked" by the challenge and still be on the road and loving it. Karen was back in Colorado in mid-summer for 5 weeks and as we have blogged, she was able to accomplish amazing feats while attending to medical appointments and tests. She added a thirteenth State and another 1200+ miles to the year's tally.
We never imagined we would spend over 6 months in Arkansas, be ministering here in Georgia the past 5 weeks, be adopted by a dog named Gus, a cat named Earl and cross-back donkeys in both States, as well as a host of new friends who don't think we talk strange, even if we think they do. We have laughed, and cried, seen people we have just met go to be with The Lord and experienced a wide-range of churches, worship and preaching styles and been able to minister to Veterans, be ministered to by any number of seasoned Christians and young children. It has been a good year, one we would not trade for anything. We have grown in our faith, our love for others and our realization that after 41 years of marriage we still have a ways to go to "get it together", but have a new resolve to keep trying for as long as it takes.
We have made plans to spend time in Jacksonville, FL, at the Navy bases we stayed at earlier this year and after that we are waiting on what God has for us and where He moves the cloud. As of now we hope those plans include a return to the Passion Play. Our friends from there are scattered from central Florida to Georgia to Texas to panhandle Florida to Oklahoma to northeastern Florida to Nevada and possibly other places as well. Some will be back at TGPP while others are making other plans for spring and summer. We all are called to different places and different endeavors and we need to be obedient to that call. But, for the moment.........
Happy 1st Anniversary. Thank You, Lord for letting us travel with You. It's been a JOY.
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We never imagined we would spend over 6 months in Arkansas, be ministering here in Georgia the past 5 weeks, be adopted by a dog named Gus, a cat named Earl and cross-back donkeys in both States, as well as a host of new friends who don't think we talk strange, even if we think they do. We have laughed, and cried, seen people we have just met go to be with The Lord and experienced a wide-range of churches, worship and preaching styles and been able to minister to Veterans, be ministered to by any number of seasoned Christians and young children. It has been a good year, one we would not trade for anything. We have grown in our faith, our love for others and our realization that after 41 years of marriage we still have a ways to go to "get it together", but have a new resolve to keep trying for as long as it takes.
We have made plans to spend time in Jacksonville, FL, at the Navy bases we stayed at earlier this year and after that we are waiting on what God has for us and where He moves the cloud. As of now we hope those plans include a return to the Passion Play. Our friends from there are scattered from central Florida to Georgia to Texas to panhandle Florida to Oklahoma to northeastern Florida to Nevada and possibly other places as well. Some will be back at TGPP while others are making other plans for spring and summer. We all are called to different places and different endeavors and we need to be obedient to that call. But, for the moment.........
Happy 1st Anniversary. Thank You, Lord for letting us travel with You. It's been a JOY.
Sent from my iPad
Friday, December 12, 2014
December 12, 2014. Madison, GA. WOW
A group of us here at Source of Light got together yesterday evening to watch two videos, Privileged Planet and Unlocking the Mystery of Life. They are videos which have been around for ten or more years and speak about the vastness of our universe, the complexity of life and the ongoing debate about creationism, intelligent design and evolution. Without getting into too much detail, and so as not to expose my lack of sophistication in such matters, all I can say is that I cannot understand why people have clung to the theories of Charles Darwin when there is so much more that would lead us to cling to God and the Biblical account of creation. Yes, it is a matter of faith and trust to believe the Bible, but it would take even more faith and trust to believe in a theory which defies even the basics of common sense.
The videos were riveting, and it was refreshing to hear a number of scientists present their views on the immensity of our universe and the tiny-ness of the building blocks of our human components and their belief that there had to be an intelligent designer of it all and not just a Big Bang or a cell which divided by itself in a swamp and eventually became a living, breathing being. I don't want to get into a debate with a Harvard professor or a nuclear scientist or any other "advocate" for their point of view, but I'm very comfortable with my belief that there was a grand plan, a grand planner and a purpose intended for it, and all of it begins, continues and ends.......with God. And as we travel, see various natural and man-made wonders, meet people who span the gamut of abilities, talents and potential, all I can say is Wow, what a glorious accumulation of things to boggle the mind and excite the senses. It behooves us all to not get too fixed in our ideas, our sense of having to be right all the time, too rigid in our demands; to have our eyes and ears open to the world around us and do what we can to ease the pain of others, meet the needs where we can and rest in the promises of God and the hope that our best days are still ahead, here.....there.....or in the air.
Sent from my iPad
The videos were riveting, and it was refreshing to hear a number of scientists present their views on the immensity of our universe and the tiny-ness of the building blocks of our human components and their belief that there had to be an intelligent designer of it all and not just a Big Bang or a cell which divided by itself in a swamp and eventually became a living, breathing being. I don't want to get into a debate with a Harvard professor or a nuclear scientist or any other "advocate" for their point of view, but I'm very comfortable with my belief that there was a grand plan, a grand planner and a purpose intended for it, and all of it begins, continues and ends.......with God. And as we travel, see various natural and man-made wonders, meet people who span the gamut of abilities, talents and potential, all I can say is Wow, what a glorious accumulation of things to boggle the mind and excite the senses. It behooves us all to not get too fixed in our ideas, our sense of having to be right all the time, too rigid in our demands; to have our eyes and ears open to the world around us and do what we can to ease the pain of others, meet the needs where we can and rest in the promises of God and the hope that our best days are still ahead, here.....there.....or in the air.
Sent from my iPad
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
December 9, 2014. Madison, GA. That'll be extra
A few blogs ago, I wrote something about there not being any free lunches anymore. Everything comes with a cost. Karen and I stopped for a late breakfast on our way back to Madison yesterday. I won't mention the name of the restaurant, so as not to embarrass them or invite the extra expense of an attorney for us.
Here's some of what inspires this blog. When we read the menu, we noticed that the prices seemed a little high for breakfast and there were a number of meals which had a basic price and then had a price for extra items added on. Examples: ham added to any meal-add $5.00; $1.95 extra for "loaded" hash browns; $.30 extra for raisin toast; milk shakes $2.99, but add Oreo cookies and it is $3.49; breakfast special $7.39, add two eggs for an additional $2.10. I know there were other extra's, but these examples will suffice to show the point I'm trying to make.
Life has a basic cost and then there are the extras. Lunch and dinner at the same restaurant may be the same meal, but it costs more at dinner. ??? the window seat costs more than the aisle seat. ??? If you happen to wear an XL or larger size, there is a higher price. ??? A hot dog at a sporting event will probably cost you $6.00 and at the market you can buy a whole package of the same dogs for half that. ??? And what about the difference in gasoline prices from state to state, brand to brand and even station to station in the same town. ??? Enough already. You get the point, and I'm getting aggravated.
Ron, here at Source of Light told us that he has an app on his phone which gives him a rebate on items he buys at a certain store if another store sells that same item for less than he pays. He just scans his receipt and the app does the rest. If I heard him correctly he just found out he saved $.69 on an item he bought yesterday and that will be credited to him on the next item he buys. Or............he could get 2 pieces of raisin toast at the "........." Restaurant for the price of white or wheat and still have $.09 left over. And, the great thing, he didn't have to pay extra for the app. Ain't technology great. I sure hope this blog posts. It would be a shame to lose such profound and life-changing thoughts to the ether. See you in a few days, God willing.
Sent from my iPad
Here's some of what inspires this blog. When we read the menu, we noticed that the prices seemed a little high for breakfast and there were a number of meals which had a basic price and then had a price for extra items added on. Examples: ham added to any meal-add $5.00; $1.95 extra for "loaded" hash browns; $.30 extra for raisin toast; milk shakes $2.99, but add Oreo cookies and it is $3.49; breakfast special $7.39, add two eggs for an additional $2.10. I know there were other extra's, but these examples will suffice to show the point I'm trying to make.
Life has a basic cost and then there are the extras. Lunch and dinner at the same restaurant may be the same meal, but it costs more at dinner. ??? the window seat costs more than the aisle seat. ??? If you happen to wear an XL or larger size, there is a higher price. ??? A hot dog at a sporting event will probably cost you $6.00 and at the market you can buy a whole package of the same dogs for half that. ??? And what about the difference in gasoline prices from state to state, brand to brand and even station to station in the same town. ??? Enough already. You get the point, and I'm getting aggravated.
Ron, here at Source of Light told us that he has an app on his phone which gives him a rebate on items he buys at a certain store if another store sells that same item for less than he pays. He just scans his receipt and the app does the rest. If I heard him correctly he just found out he saved $.69 on an item he bought yesterday and that will be credited to him on the next item he buys. Or............he could get 2 pieces of raisin toast at the "........." Restaurant for the price of white or wheat and still have $.09 left over. And, the great thing, he didn't have to pay extra for the app. Ain't technology great. I sure hope this blog posts. It would be a shame to lose such profound and life-changing thoughts to the ether. See you in a few days, God willing.
Sent from my iPad
Saturday, December 6, 2014
December 6, 2014. Hoschton, GA. On vacation
Karen and I enjoy going places we haven't been before. Whenever we travel a new road, go to a new destination or have a unique experience, we say to each other, "we're on vacation". When we left Madison on Thursday, we were soon on vacation, and for about 40 miles we were in that mode. When we reached our friends in Hoschton, we were in familiar territory. Karen and Kathy are reviving an activity they enjoyed in Fort Collins, putting up the Christmas Village. Russ, who had a busy work week is putting up outdoor decorations and I am acting like I'm on vacation, by just reading, eating and blogging and not really volunteering to help, but jumping in when asked to. It's nice to just relax, and I hope everyone will complete their tasks, and be able to just rest and relax with me.
I've been re-reading a book by Timothy Keller, The Prodigal God, and although I read the book when we were in Jacksonville earlier this year, I don' remember absorbing anything it said. It is really speaking to me this time and making me think about Luke 15 and the parables Jesus presents there. I have one chapter to go and am looking forward to finishing it later today or tomorrow. Kind of like being on vacation. I would definitely recommend this short book to everyone.
The last time I did not spend a night in our motor home was when we were here in Hoschton in February. It seems strange to be traveling as we are, be in so many different places, and yet go to sleep in the same bed every night for the past 10 months. It's nice to be here, on vacation, but not on vacation. God has been so good to us. I say it often, and as I wrote a few blogs ago, so thankful for the journey God has set out for us. I never tire of saying, THANK YOU LORD. I never take a vacation from that.
Sent from my iPad
I've been re-reading a book by Timothy Keller, The Prodigal God, and although I read the book when we were in Jacksonville earlier this year, I don' remember absorbing anything it said. It is really speaking to me this time and making me think about Luke 15 and the parables Jesus presents there. I have one chapter to go and am looking forward to finishing it later today or tomorrow. Kind of like being on vacation. I would definitely recommend this short book to everyone.
The last time I did not spend a night in our motor home was when we were here in Hoschton in February. It seems strange to be traveling as we are, be in so many different places, and yet go to sleep in the same bed every night for the past 10 months. It's nice to be here, on vacation, but not on vacation. God has been so good to us. I say it often, and as I wrote a few blogs ago, so thankful for the journey God has set out for us. I never tire of saying, THANK YOU LORD. I never take a vacation from that.
Sent from my iPad
Wednesday, December 3, 2014
December 3, 2014. Madison, GA. Happy Birthday
Today is my birthday. I was born on 12-3-45 so there is no excuse for anyone forgetting it, except my law school friend Harv who got the numbers right but spaced them 1-23 so I could always expect a belated greeting from him.
I have had a great day so far with a lot of unusual activities to mark the day. I went to the scrap yard with Brian, in a 1967 (the year I graduated college) Chevy dump truck. Brought back memories of some of the 50's and 60's cars we grew up with. We rigged a Kuboda ZTR mower to tow a leaf rake so we will be able to start picking up the 20+ acres of leaves which are covering the ground. Marvin, a genius machinist in his 80's, who has fabricated a boatload of labor-saving and money-saving "things" here at SLMI oversaw the project, and promptly jumped on the mower to test out his creation. It works, and Ron will have a field day as he mulches and picks up all the leaves he can handle over the next days and weeks. Three of us were sung to at chapel, and Karen gave me some peanut butter-chocolate brownies as a gift. I spoke with my friend Saxton from Fort Collins and my brother sent an email and a "looking forward" to our Jacksonville visit in mid-January. The weather was perfect for the morning's inside duties and being outdoors in the afternoon. It was a good day and a Happy Birthday and Earl even came by to visit.
Tomorrow we will take the car and head off for a weekend in Hoschton, GA to visit Russ, Kathy and Emily, our friends from Fort Collins who moved to Georgia a few years ago. We visited them earlier this year and it will be good to see them again. We have a back-roads route planned so we can see some of the scenery and small towns between here and there.
Yes, it was a good day and a good birthday and we are glad we could spend it in service to The Lord and His ministry here and be part of its impact around the world. Thank You, Lord for correcting our hotspot issue from the last blog without having to do anything more than restart the I-Pad and hotspot Monday morning, for watching over us as we seek to do what You have called us to do with the people You have put in our life. We are blessed and grateful.
Sent from my iPad
I have had a great day so far with a lot of unusual activities to mark the day. I went to the scrap yard with Brian, in a 1967 (the year I graduated college) Chevy dump truck. Brought back memories of some of the 50's and 60's cars we grew up with. We rigged a Kuboda ZTR mower to tow a leaf rake so we will be able to start picking up the 20+ acres of leaves which are covering the ground. Marvin, a genius machinist in his 80's, who has fabricated a boatload of labor-saving and money-saving "things" here at SLMI oversaw the project, and promptly jumped on the mower to test out his creation. It works, and Ron will have a field day as he mulches and picks up all the leaves he can handle over the next days and weeks. Three of us were sung to at chapel, and Karen gave me some peanut butter-chocolate brownies as a gift. I spoke with my friend Saxton from Fort Collins and my brother sent an email and a "looking forward" to our Jacksonville visit in mid-January. The weather was perfect for the morning's inside duties and being outdoors in the afternoon. It was a good day and a Happy Birthday and Earl even came by to visit.
Tomorrow we will take the car and head off for a weekend in Hoschton, GA to visit Russ, Kathy and Emily, our friends from Fort Collins who moved to Georgia a few years ago. We visited them earlier this year and it will be good to see them again. We have a back-roads route planned so we can see some of the scenery and small towns between here and there.
Yes, it was a good day and a good birthday and we are glad we could spend it in service to The Lord and His ministry here and be part of its impact around the world. Thank You, Lord for correcting our hotspot issue from the last blog without having to do anything more than restart the I-Pad and hotspot Monday morning, for watching over us as we seek to do what You have called us to do with the people You have put in our life. We are blessed and grateful.
Sent from my iPad
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