I was always a Yankee fan as a kid growing up in upstate New York. Mickey Mantle was my favorite. I tried to run like him, always liked the number 7, and never listened to all the negative things Dodger or Giant fans said about him. I also liked Yogi Berra because he was the least likely looking baseball player yet one of the best; and he said some very funny things with a straight face and an obvious opinion that they made perfect sense to more than just himself.
One of his great "yogi-isms was, " the game's not over 'til it's over" and many athlete's have celebrated too soon, made comments they later had to "eat" or just plain assumed they were going to win, when they were about to get beaten. The list is endless, and it extends to non-sporting activities as well. How often in life have we found that our pride in completing a task, gloating about a recent accomplishment or thinking we did it better or faster than the other guy, is about to become the "agony of defeat", to use another common phrase.
Today we are about to conclude the work week here at Source of Light, and I have been amazed at how many times we fall prey to the "I.....I....I....." of what we just fixed, or completed, or thought was in the out box, only to face the same issue again......again......and then another time. I'm pointing fingers, but I also see the fingers pointing at myself as well. How often we swell with pride only to have to eat our own words, or that bad tasting "crow". We want to blame the slow or broken down Internet, the devil, the distractions of the world or someone who gave us faulty information, but most of the time WE and our ego ego are the culprit, and God in His understated and disciplinary role is telling us we celebrated too soon, the game isn't over yet and there is still time on the clock and our task is still undone. When we get it right, when God says it's right and when the time is up on HIS clock..........then we will be able to celebrate. Won't it be wonderful to hear that "well done" and know for sure that it really has been done well.
Until then, keep at the task, do our best and thank God for His patience, His grace and His love. How blessed we are to be on His team.
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Friday, January 29, 2016
Tuesday, January 26, 2016
January 26, 2016. Madison, GA. .....a Tooth for a Tooth
Our two visits to Madison have not been good for our teeth. Just over a year ago I chomped down on a "Mike and Ike" candy and broke an upper left tooth. No pain, except to the bank account, and another crown entered the already much worked on mouth. A few weeks ago a bite on an ultra-thin pretzel broke the crown covering an implant done over 8 years ago. The dentist, glad to see me again, thought the front of the crown would hold, but two days later the first bite of a potato chip completed the removal of the crown and took the top of the abutment with it. Now we had to take action. After putting a new cuff on the implant and getting an impression for a new crown, I was on my way.
Before I could even get back to Dr. Marie, Karen was eating lasagna at one of our get-togethers here at the Mission, when she noticed one of her teeth was gone, not in the food to be swallowed, but gone completely. No pain, just a big gap and some tooth still in the gum. Next day, it was extraction of the tooth remnant, which had been the recipient of a root canal many years ago. Karen is still aching from the procedure and today I went back for the new crown to be installed. Hopefully this will be the last "bite" into our bank account for a while.
Karen may be facing an implant later in the year and depending on our ministry travels, we're not sure when or where that will be done, but for now we just need to get her over the ache-I-ness and off the ibuprofen. Karen also had issues last time in Georgia with sties and an infected eyelash and this year she was able to get a new sty calmed down before it caused a problem. Last year's problem had to be seen by a number of doctors here and in Colorado and really didn't have a final resolution. It seems too obvious to conclude with a scriptural reference about our health issues, but here goes; "an eye for an eye, and ...........
Seriously, we have been so blessed by our Colorado dentists, Drs. Siegmund and Anderson and their staff and also the care we have received here in Madison, and are thankful for those who God gifts in these areas to help so many people in their times of misfortune and pain. Thank You, Lord for the roles You give us in Your larger plan. Each part is important.
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Before I could even get back to Dr. Marie, Karen was eating lasagna at one of our get-togethers here at the Mission, when she noticed one of her teeth was gone, not in the food to be swallowed, but gone completely. No pain, just a big gap and some tooth still in the gum. Next day, it was extraction of the tooth remnant, which had been the recipient of a root canal many years ago. Karen is still aching from the procedure and today I went back for the new crown to be installed. Hopefully this will be the last "bite" into our bank account for a while.
Karen may be facing an implant later in the year and depending on our ministry travels, we're not sure when or where that will be done, but for now we just need to get her over the ache-I-ness and off the ibuprofen. Karen also had issues last time in Georgia with sties and an infected eyelash and this year she was able to get a new sty calmed down before it caused a problem. Last year's problem had to be seen by a number of doctors here and in Colorado and really didn't have a final resolution. It seems too obvious to conclude with a scriptural reference about our health issues, but here goes; "an eye for an eye, and ...........
Seriously, we have been so blessed by our Colorado dentists, Drs. Siegmund and Anderson and their staff and also the care we have received here in Madison, and are thankful for those who God gifts in these areas to help so many people in their times of misfortune and pain. Thank You, Lord for the roles You give us in Your larger plan. Each part is important.
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Saturday, January 23, 2016
January 23, 2016. Madison, GA. SNOW
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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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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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.
Sent from my iPad
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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