All the references in Scripture to Heaven paint such a glorious and wonderful picture of life without pain, sickness, sadness, war or death or the troubles we face in this life. No more pests, varmints, critters, pollen, itchy rashes, weeds, criticism, flat tires, mold, broken down cars or all the other annoyances that make our lives so challenging.
No need for extended service contracts, vitamin supplements, eyeglasses, dialysis treatments, physical rehabilitation, lawyers, marriage counseling, or self-help books. A lot of professions will be unnecessary, but unemployment will not be an issues, because there will be plenty to do and everyone will be eager to do any task they are assigned. No student loans, no failed exams or negative test results of any kind. Hard to imagine, but life will be care-free and totally fulfilling.
How God will accomplish all this, and so much more, boggles the imagination, because we have no current standard to judge it against. Heaven will be infinitely better than our greatest vacation, more abundant than any billionaire's lifestyle and so much more than any politician has ever promised to do "if elected". I can hardly wait, but wait we must until God determines the right time and circumstance for each of us.
So, for now, we trudge onward, stay faithful to the call placed upon us, know that our present tests, trials, temptations and travails are preparing us and strengthening us for something so much better. And we know in our hearts that the best is yet to come.............and.........it is going to be GREAT!!
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Saturday, March 19, 2016
Wednesday, March 16, 2016
March 16, 2016. Madison, GA. Planning Ahead
Accuweather Weather forecasts for this area are pretty accurate and we rely on them and the MyRadar App to locate the presence and direction of rain and storms approaching our area. Since a lot of our work is outside, it's good to be able to plan the day and days ahead. Such was the case for our volunteer workers here this week from South New Milford Baptist Church, PA.
After nearly finishing re-shingling a roof on Monday, they wrapped it up yesterday and began work tearing the old shingles off a second roof, but weren't able to work further in the nearly 85 degrees yesterday afternoon because the shingles were tearing and not cooperating.
So with another hot day in the forecast for today, the plan was to eat an early 6:30 breakfast, be on the job by 7:00, skip morning prayer time at 8:00 and not attend chapel at 11:00. All this to avoid the mid-80's of the afternoon. It all seemed doable, except for one small detail. Remember, my last blog? They didn't either. Sunrise this morning was 7:40 EDT(not 6:40EST), and it was cloudy, so the best laid plans..............they did skip prayer time, and chapel, and at last report it was 83 degrees. Their van is in front of the main building, so maybe they finished the roof........or planning their schedule for tomorrow. I don't know them well enough to ask.......but they do good work, and we are very thankful they are here and doing the work we don't have the people, or desire, to do. I was content to ride a zero-turn mower most of the day and only needed assistance once getting out of a muddy ditch. That one last swath......as I said....the best laid plans.......thanks for rescuing me, Marvin.
Sent from my iPad
After nearly finishing re-shingling a roof on Monday, they wrapped it up yesterday and began work tearing the old shingles off a second roof, but weren't able to work further in the nearly 85 degrees yesterday afternoon because the shingles were tearing and not cooperating.
So with another hot day in the forecast for today, the plan was to eat an early 6:30 breakfast, be on the job by 7:00, skip morning prayer time at 8:00 and not attend chapel at 11:00. All this to avoid the mid-80's of the afternoon. It all seemed doable, except for one small detail. Remember, my last blog? They didn't either. Sunrise this morning was 7:40 EDT(not 6:40EST), and it was cloudy, so the best laid plans..............they did skip prayer time, and chapel, and at last report it was 83 degrees. Their van is in front of the main building, so maybe they finished the roof........or planning their schedule for tomorrow. I don't know them well enough to ask.......but they do good work, and we are very thankful they are here and doing the work we don't have the people, or desire, to do. I was content to ride a zero-turn mower most of the day and only needed assistance once getting out of a muddy ditch. That one last swath......as I said....the best laid plans.......thanks for rescuing me, Marvin.
Sent from my iPad
Sunday, March 13, 2016
March 13, 2016. Madison, GA. Time......
Yesterday before we went to sleep, we had a time change. The time remained the same, but the clock was moved one hour ahead. I'm not sure I really understand why most of us have a time change, while others, like Arizona, Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands don't. I know time flies when you're having fun, and if you take your time, the job will get done right in a timely manner.
It seems that the time is ripe for us to unpack our warm weather clothes, and there is no time like the present to make sure our taxes are completed, so they can get to the IRS in time. And if we don't manage our time properly, time will get away from us and we will have to take a time off or time will run out. Karen is having a rough time with her sinuses and earlier today we had to spend time at the urgent care with a whole bunch of others who seemed to be marking time while the doctor was so overworked he couldn't take much time with every patient, one at a time, and by the time we left there I'm sure he said more then once, "time is money".
When we had time to relax after I spent time doing our laundry, I took time to ponder Ecclesiastes 3 (A time for everything) and read the word "time" 30 times in just the first 11 verses. For the time being, I won't waste any more time, since every time I turn around, there seems to be something or someone wanting a piece of my time, and in good time I will have time to handle it, in the nick of time. But in the interest of saving time, I think I'll bide my time for it's about time I put a time limit on this writing time and get ready for feeding time. Well.......time to go.......until next time........time's up......6:34pm Eastern Daylight TIME.
Sent from my iPad
It seems that the time is ripe for us to unpack our warm weather clothes, and there is no time like the present to make sure our taxes are completed, so they can get to the IRS in time. And if we don't manage our time properly, time will get away from us and we will have to take a time off or time will run out. Karen is having a rough time with her sinuses and earlier today we had to spend time at the urgent care with a whole bunch of others who seemed to be marking time while the doctor was so overworked he couldn't take much time with every patient, one at a time, and by the time we left there I'm sure he said more then once, "time is money".
When we had time to relax after I spent time doing our laundry, I took time to ponder Ecclesiastes 3 (A time for everything) and read the word "time" 30 times in just the first 11 verses. For the time being, I won't waste any more time, since every time I turn around, there seems to be something or someone wanting a piece of my time, and in good time I will have time to handle it, in the nick of time. But in the interest of saving time, I think I'll bide my time for it's about time I put a time limit on this writing time and get ready for feeding time. Well.......time to go.......until next time........time's up......6:34pm Eastern Daylight TIME.
Sent from my iPad
Thursday, March 10, 2016
March 10, 2016. Madison, GA. Make a Difference for the Kingdom
When I was in college, a long time ago, Spring Break was a time for many students in the northern states to head south to Florida, Texas, or places on the Gulf Coast to unwind, get crazy, get in trouble, get arrested and maybe get hurt or worse. I didn't hear of too many people making a positive impact on others or doing something that had lasting worth or eternal impact.
These days, there are still a lot of Spring Break "party-ers", but because of the people we associate with and the life style we have chosen, we hear a lot more about Mission Trips and Spring Breaks spent doing something for others, becoming a short-term missionary in a foreign country or going to "party" areas and trying to plant a seed in someone who is not predisposed to hearing the Good News of Jesus Christ.
The Pennsylvania group which is here at SLMI for the week has been a blessing to us, helping in so many projects, using some of their "younger-people"enthusiasm to boost us and help in areas where some of our people have been ill, out for medical procedures, or just in need of a strong back and a willing heart. It has been wonderful to see these volunteers spread throughout the main building, working on outdoor projects and having some young children just laughing and having fun. And more than this, our home church in Fort Collins is having their annual youth/adult mission trip to the El Faro Orphanage in Mexico. We know of groups going to The Great Passion Play over the next three weeks to work on projects which will prepare us to begin the Play and Holy Land Tours the first weekend of May and our students here will soon be heading to Ethiopia for their overseas mission project. In all of these, and so many more, people are making a difference now for God's Kingdom here and the one yet to come.
We may not be having earth-shattering results, and at times it may seem that we are not having much impact at all, but everything done in Jesus' name, sows a seed and only God knows who will tend that seed, water and fertilize it, and in time see it sprout into something which may sow seeds of its own. All for Him......all for His good pleasure......and all for His glory.
Thank You for allowing us to be part of Your grand plan.
Sent from my iPad
These days, there are still a lot of Spring Break "party-ers", but because of the people we associate with and the life style we have chosen, we hear a lot more about Mission Trips and Spring Breaks spent doing something for others, becoming a short-term missionary in a foreign country or going to "party" areas and trying to plant a seed in someone who is not predisposed to hearing the Good News of Jesus Christ.
The Pennsylvania group which is here at SLMI for the week has been a blessing to us, helping in so many projects, using some of their "younger-people"enthusiasm to boost us and help in areas where some of our people have been ill, out for medical procedures, or just in need of a strong back and a willing heart. It has been wonderful to see these volunteers spread throughout the main building, working on outdoor projects and having some young children just laughing and having fun. And more than this, our home church in Fort Collins is having their annual youth/adult mission trip to the El Faro Orphanage in Mexico. We know of groups going to The Great Passion Play over the next three weeks to work on projects which will prepare us to begin the Play and Holy Land Tours the first weekend of May and our students here will soon be heading to Ethiopia for their overseas mission project. In all of these, and so many more, people are making a difference now for God's Kingdom here and the one yet to come.
We may not be having earth-shattering results, and at times it may seem that we are not having much impact at all, but everything done in Jesus' name, sows a seed and only God knows who will tend that seed, water and fertilize it, and in time see it sprout into something which may sow seeds of its own. All for Him......all for His good pleasure......and all for His glory.
Thank You for allowing us to be part of Your grand plan.
Sent from my iPad
Monday, March 7, 2016
March 7, 2016. Madison, GA. Reinforcements
Over the weekend, a group of about 20 from Cornerstone Bible Church in Nescopeck, PA arrived. They will be here for a week to volunteer at the Mission. Their hometown is a rural community of about 1,500 on the Susquehanna River, southwest of Wilkes-Barre and Scranton in east-central Pennsylvania. I've met a few of them, but haven't heard much about their town, other than it's cold in the winter. They have jumped right in and are working on a number of construction, demolition, painting and clean-up projects we had started, but left for them to complete.
I wasn't any help to them, as I awoke to a familiar pain and spent all morning and part of the afternoon working to get a kidney stone through my system. I'll spare you the details, but like most little things that aren't immediately visible (like no-see-ums, salmonella, metal splinters or the dreaded chigger), the stone feels more like Stone Mountain than a grain of sand. In any event, the pain is gone, I've been set free and I do thank God for seeing me through the experience. And the work I would have been doing, has been done by enthusiastic, younger, stronger people. Tomorrow, I'll be back in the battle, thankful that much was accomplished today and we all had a beautiful weather day to do what each of us needed to do.
I've always marveled at the way God brings the people needed, the message needed and the conditions needed to accomplish what He has ordained to be done. We, as believers, are in reality a single body, regardless of our different denominations, styles of worship or the various ways we "do church". If we just step back, look at the Scriptures (regardless of the translation) as the inerrant, inspired Truth, we can find in its entirety, Old and New Testament, the way to navigate this life and be ready for the eternal life to come. Working together, many parts, one objective, One God in three Persons, reinforcing and encouraging each other, we can have joy, peace and the other fruit of the Spirit even in the throes of a kidney stone or any other trial. In all this, Thank You, Lord. Help us all to see the Light, and be the Light.
Sent from my iPad
I wasn't any help to them, as I awoke to a familiar pain and spent all morning and part of the afternoon working to get a kidney stone through my system. I'll spare you the details, but like most little things that aren't immediately visible (like no-see-ums, salmonella, metal splinters or the dreaded chigger), the stone feels more like Stone Mountain than a grain of sand. In any event, the pain is gone, I've been set free and I do thank God for seeing me through the experience. And the work I would have been doing, has been done by enthusiastic, younger, stronger people. Tomorrow, I'll be back in the battle, thankful that much was accomplished today and we all had a beautiful weather day to do what each of us needed to do.
I've always marveled at the way God brings the people needed, the message needed and the conditions needed to accomplish what He has ordained to be done. We, as believers, are in reality a single body, regardless of our different denominations, styles of worship or the various ways we "do church". If we just step back, look at the Scriptures (regardless of the translation) as the inerrant, inspired Truth, we can find in its entirety, Old and New Testament, the way to navigate this life and be ready for the eternal life to come. Working together, many parts, one objective, One God in three Persons, reinforcing and encouraging each other, we can have joy, peace and the other fruit of the Spirit even in the throes of a kidney stone or any other trial. In all this, Thank You, Lord. Help us all to see the Light, and be the Light.
Sent from my iPad
Friday, March 4, 2016
March 4, 2016. Madison, GA. Ladybug Update
The battle continues. We seem to be gaining the upper hand, but there are still some hard core resistance fighters unwilling to just fly away and abandon the fight. The weather has been in our favor, with only a few days in the high 60's or low 70's the past few weeks. We also have tried to keep the inside temperature cooler by opening the windows sooner in the day and not letting the sun warm up the coach to where the little buggers will stay outside and not take up residence inside out of the cold.
I don't think we've seen the last of them though. They seem to feel at home with us, and may hang on for the next month sensing that we will soon be heading back to their native Arkansas environs. They have adapted to being Dawgs, but at heart they are really Hawgs and want to get back to their kinfolk. After all, a ladybawg is still a ladybawg even if they are really Asian Beetles.
The word is out that our next critter, the red fire ant, is starting to stir. Some of our young MK's (Missionary Kids) have spotted them in their game-playing on the lawns, and the ant powder has been brought out, and ready for use when needed. These guys can be ferocious and they come in huge numbers. No chigger sightings yet, but that, too, is just a matter of time and warmer weather. The warm weather will be welcome when it finally comes, but there are definite inconveniences to be taken into consideration and contested. We are vastly outnumbered, but there is a lot of history we can draw on to boost our morale and encourage us in the fight......David versus Goliath, and then his Mighty Men, Gideon and his army of 300, Elijah against the Prophets of Baal.........to name but a few. We, too, shall prevail.
Sent from my iPad
I don't think we've seen the last of them though. They seem to feel at home with us, and may hang on for the next month sensing that we will soon be heading back to their native Arkansas environs. They have adapted to being Dawgs, but at heart they are really Hawgs and want to get back to their kinfolk. After all, a ladybawg is still a ladybawg even if they are really Asian Beetles.
The word is out that our next critter, the red fire ant, is starting to stir. Some of our young MK's (Missionary Kids) have spotted them in their game-playing on the lawns, and the ant powder has been brought out, and ready for use when needed. These guys can be ferocious and they come in huge numbers. No chigger sightings yet, but that, too, is just a matter of time and warmer weather. The warm weather will be welcome when it finally comes, but there are definite inconveniences to be taken into consideration and contested. We are vastly outnumbered, but there is a lot of history we can draw on to boost our morale and encourage us in the fight......David versus Goliath, and then his Mighty Men, Gideon and his army of 300, Elijah against the Prophets of Baal.........to name but a few. We, too, shall prevail.
Sent from my iPad
Tuesday, March 1, 2016
March 1, 2016. Madison, GA. Disciple/Discipline
The hills of Arkansas are calling; the call is to be one of Jesus' Disciples in The Great Passion Play and the call to discipline myself to the physical demands of that role. The "training" began a few days ago, starting with setting my alarm 30 minutes earlier in the morning, getting my journaling, scripture and devotional reading completed and hitting the road for my wog (walk/jog) before attending prayer at 8:00am. It's been in the 40's for my first three training sessions, so the shock has not been too bad. From past experience, once you set your mind to the routine, it becomes routine and that's where the discipline kicks in. You just do it.
No place on the grounds of TGPP is flat, so even the normal daily activities require walking the hills, but the play takes place on a large and "elevation challenged" set, and some of the roles demand physical strength, so it is important to anticipate and get in decent shape. Again, from past experience in the play, as an athlete (or wannabe athlete) most of my life, and a newly appointed septuagenarian, it's important to do the nitty gritty down and dirty grunt work needed. Some people may not feel the need to do as I do, but to me that's what being disciplined and being a disciple is all about. Do it well and do it right. Jesus trained the first Disciples and even though it took them a while to get the hang of it, the result was that it encouraged a lot of people, and many of us, to follow their example and follow the example of Jesus.
How much more enjoyable the race is, and will be, if we train for it and keep training even when we think we're in top shape. We never know when God will call us to climb taller hills than those in Arkansas or run a longer "race" than the one we just completed. And my being a disciple is not just for the hour and forty-five minutes of the Play, but for every minute of my life as a Christian. I'd much rather have the discipline to stay the course than face the discipline of God when I haven't done all I was called to do or didn't do it to the best of my ability in every "role" I play. Thank You, Lord, for calling us as You have and allowing us to serve as we do. What a blessing and joy it is.
Sent from my iPad
No place on the grounds of TGPP is flat, so even the normal daily activities require walking the hills, but the play takes place on a large and "elevation challenged" set, and some of the roles demand physical strength, so it is important to anticipate and get in decent shape. Again, from past experience in the play, as an athlete (or wannabe athlete) most of my life, and a newly appointed septuagenarian, it's important to do the nitty gritty down and dirty grunt work needed. Some people may not feel the need to do as I do, but to me that's what being disciplined and being a disciple is all about. Do it well and do it right. Jesus trained the first Disciples and even though it took them a while to get the hang of it, the result was that it encouraged a lot of people, and many of us, to follow their example and follow the example of Jesus.
How much more enjoyable the race is, and will be, if we train for it and keep training even when we think we're in top shape. We never know when God will call us to climb taller hills than those in Arkansas or run a longer "race" than the one we just completed. And my being a disciple is not just for the hour and forty-five minutes of the Play, but for every minute of my life as a Christian. I'd much rather have the discipline to stay the course than face the discipline of God when I haven't done all I was called to do or didn't do it to the best of my ability in every "role" I play. Thank You, Lord, for calling us as You have and allowing us to serve as we do. What a blessing and joy it is.
Sent from my iPad
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