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Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Sunday, April 27, 2014
April 27, 2014. Branson, MO It seems like we've been here before
In March, 2012 we made a hasty retreat from Branson when our seven month old vehicle was made road-worthy after the tornado which raced thru this town and impacted a lot of people and a lot of property. Today we are hearing reports that later this afternoon and into tomorrow we will face the prospect of storms which could contain high winds, large hail and the possibility of tornados. This may be our third encounter with tornado warnings on this initial journey of the Ministry of Miles. It has been quite a ride, so far.
I've written a number of times about the call we are answering with this ministry, the wide variety of weather, vehicle issues, unexpected changes of plan, and the grace and protection we have experienced in the miles we have traveled and the opportunities we have had. We feel God's hand on us. We feel at peace with the message we are delivering and are blessed by the people we have met. We are learning more about ourselves, our relationship as a couple, our relationship with God and our life as Christians in a changing and uncertain world. We have been attending the Worldview Weekend Conference since we left Mountain Home, AR on Friday and we are hearing messages which are new to us and need to tested and put against the background we have with our local church, our ministry and our relationship with God, Jesus, The Holy Spirit, and the Truth of Scripture. It's been a blessing to share this weekend with our Fort Collins friends, Larry and Kari.
For the moment we are facing an interesting day as the Conference concludes, and the possibilities of tough weather. We pray for the people in the path of the storm, for their safety and for God's continued protection and grace as we seek to do His will and serve those He puts in our path. To God be the glory.
Sent from my iPad
I've written a number of times about the call we are answering with this ministry, the wide variety of weather, vehicle issues, unexpected changes of plan, and the grace and protection we have experienced in the miles we have traveled and the opportunities we have had. We feel God's hand on us. We feel at peace with the message we are delivering and are blessed by the people we have met. We are learning more about ourselves, our relationship as a couple, our relationship with God and our life as Christians in a changing and uncertain world. We have been attending the Worldview Weekend Conference since we left Mountain Home, AR on Friday and we are hearing messages which are new to us and need to tested and put against the background we have with our local church, our ministry and our relationship with God, Jesus, The Holy Spirit, and the Truth of Scripture. It's been a blessing to share this weekend with our Fort Collins friends, Larry and Kari.
For the moment we are facing an interesting day as the Conference concludes, and the possibilities of tough weather. We pray for the people in the path of the storm, for their safety and for God's continued protection and grace as we seek to do His will and serve those He puts in our path. To God be the glory.
Sent from my iPad
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
April 22, 2014. Mountain Home, AR. Behind the shop, again
Yesterday we drove a beautiful stretch of road from Mountain View to Mountain Home, Arkansas. We were hoping to have a repair completed on our water heater and an inverter remote and be on our way toward Missouri and the Worldview Bible Conference later this week, but plans change and so did ours. We spent the day on the south side of the shop and moved to the north side of the shop and spent the night. The repair will probably take until tomorrow and then, maybe, we can head to Branson and being with our good friends Larry and Kari.
Part of the day we spent at the ma-and-pa restaurant across the road, talking with people about our ministry and the hope we have for a repair-free eternity. That will probably be our "pulpit" for part of today as well. We have been blessed by God with caring and capable repair people and the means to meet the expenses of those repairs. As I wrote to a friend in Fort Collins, we're "helping the economy and serving God". We have tried to resist the tendency to "bemoan our fate" and just take the opportunity to meet people and minister when there are few miles traveled. Our ministry is much more than miles on the odometer or new places to visit. There is less urgency in the daily destination and more care given to the person in front of us and the conversation in that moment. "Seizing the moment" means something different to me now.
While we were in Mountain View, AR over the weekend, we were able to experience the flavor of a simpler time: candle making, dolls made from corn husks, whittling, gun smithing, herb gardens, weaving, spinning wool, one-room school, acoustic music, Easter church in the Pickin' Shed, ten or more folk music groups in a city block area and no beer or alcohol in sight among the listeners or the players, Mary, a just-turned nine fiddle player with amazing ability and a proud papa, kettle corn and ice cream and an old hippie band with no marijuana (medical or otherwise) celebrating nearly 40 years performing at the Folk Music Festival. We made new friends, including Bear and Shorty, bass player Ron from the glass shop and his twin brother Don, and we shared our lives with a host of people. Some of these people we may meet again and some not in this life, but will in the one to come. We find the people of our age group generally have a deep faith and are at peace with the "trials" we endure and rest on the promises of God and the Hope He offers. Denominations seem to pale in significance to the Person of Jesus Christ, The Holy Spirit and our Heavenly Father and a desire to be at peace with a world that doesn't tolerate us as we are called to tolerate them.
It's been an adventure, this Ministry of Miles, and even though we are behind the shop once more, we know that we have this bright, sunny day and this moment to enjoy and be thankful for and that's what we plan to do. Thank You, Lord. We trust You and what You have for us "up the road".
Sent from my iPad
Part of the day we spent at the ma-and-pa restaurant across the road, talking with people about our ministry and the hope we have for a repair-free eternity. That will probably be our "pulpit" for part of today as well. We have been blessed by God with caring and capable repair people and the means to meet the expenses of those repairs. As I wrote to a friend in Fort Collins, we're "helping the economy and serving God". We have tried to resist the tendency to "bemoan our fate" and just take the opportunity to meet people and minister when there are few miles traveled. Our ministry is much more than miles on the odometer or new places to visit. There is less urgency in the daily destination and more care given to the person in front of us and the conversation in that moment. "Seizing the moment" means something different to me now.
While we were in Mountain View, AR over the weekend, we were able to experience the flavor of a simpler time: candle making, dolls made from corn husks, whittling, gun smithing, herb gardens, weaving, spinning wool, one-room school, acoustic music, Easter church in the Pickin' Shed, ten or more folk music groups in a city block area and no beer or alcohol in sight among the listeners or the players, Mary, a just-turned nine fiddle player with amazing ability and a proud papa, kettle corn and ice cream and an old hippie band with no marijuana (medical or otherwise) celebrating nearly 40 years performing at the Folk Music Festival. We made new friends, including Bear and Shorty, bass player Ron from the glass shop and his twin brother Don, and we shared our lives with a host of people. Some of these people we may meet again and some not in this life, but will in the one to come. We find the people of our age group generally have a deep faith and are at peace with the "trials" we endure and rest on the promises of God and the Hope He offers. Denominations seem to pale in significance to the Person of Jesus Christ, The Holy Spirit and our Heavenly Father and a desire to be at peace with a world that doesn't tolerate us as we are called to tolerate them.
It's been an adventure, this Ministry of Miles, and even though we are behind the shop once more, we know that we have this bright, sunny day and this moment to enjoy and be thankful for and that's what we plan to do. Thank You, Lord. We trust You and what You have for us "up the road".
Sent from my iPad
Friday, April 18, 2014
April 18, 2014. Searcy, AR. God grant me the serenity..........
On March 28th in Corinth, MS we were preparing to leave the WalMart parking lot after staying the night and replenishing our supplies for the week ahead, when we met two women involved in the local LifeChangers rehab and recovery program who were seeking donations for their organization. The discussion about the Jesus-based program covered a wide range of topics, experiences and professions of faith and trust, and amazing testimonies of healing and recovery. We told them about our Ministry, our dependence on the strength of Jesus and prayed for each other and the mission God had called each of us to. One of the items I purchased that day was a ring with the Serenity Prayer on it. I immediately put it on my right ring finger and have worn it continuously. I have never been a participant in an organization like LifeChangers, Teen Challenge, Celebrate Recovery, AA, Harvest Farms or similar groups. I have worked with participants through my benevolence and outreach work in Fort Collins, have contributed financially to them over the years, and only know the basics of the programs and how they work. I have read the words of the Serenity Prayer many times, but yesterday was one of those days when every moment of the day seemed like one where the "things" of the day were beyond my ability to handle and I wasn't handling them well or even at a minimal level of proficiency. I won't even give you an example because in the grand scheme, they were too petty and too insignificant to even merit concern and would show how out of control I was. It wasn't until we had a totally unusual and ultimately hilarious encounter with a Searcy Police Officer at 9pm last night that I realized how much I had need of that Serenity Prayer and the message it conveys for each of us every moment of every day. And so...... "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference". While the rest of the Reinhold Niebuhr prayer is not on the ring I bought, it is a beautiful expression of how we should seek to live out the words of Proverbs 3: 5-6, "Trust in The Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths." Read the full Serenity Prayer. Read it until it sinks in and take it to heart as the path to a happier and more joyful life. Are you listening, Hal? Oh, by the way ------ No fine, no jail time, no warning from the Searcy Police. Just a dedicated Officer doing his job. Ask us, we'll tell you the story. It may make your day, the way it changed mine and has started this day off on a higher road. Thank You, Lord, for humor and Your control of it. |
Sunday, April 13, 2014
April 13, 2014. Village Creek State Park, Wynne, AR. Spring has sprung...
Sent from my iPad:
Sixteen weeks ago, Karen and I left Fort Collins after waiting for the subzero weather to pass, being able to de-winterize our road home and hitting the road for warmer weather and "snowbird" conditions in the southeast part of the country. In those sixteen weeks we have been mostly cold and rainy, rainy and cold. We have only seen snow on one occasion, in Charlotte, NC, but for the most part we have been cold. The past few weeks we have begun to see the trees budding, wildflowers blooming and it appears that Spring has sprung, and with it the possibility of Spring storms. We have yet to use the air conditioning in our motor home and it's probably time to dig out the owner's manuals and get prepared. The next few days, the weather app says we are in for possible thunder storms, wind and another cold snap mid- week. Even with Spring sprunging, we need to be prepared for whatever comes.
Sixteen weeks is quite a first trip for the Ministry of Miles. We had thought of being away from Fort Collins for three, maybe four, months, but here we are four months into the journey and still no firm plans for our return. God has taken us on quite a ride and in the process we have met some amazing people, heard many stories of God's grace and faithfulness and been provided with safe travel, needs met and "coincidences" which could only be God at work in our life. We celebrate this Palm Sunday (a significant day in the ministry of Jesus Christ), on top of Crowley's Ridge in Arkansas (a significant geological feature of our country), near the Trail of Tears (a significant event in the relations between the Native Americans and the "new" Americans), at a time in our history where we face many of the same issues as we have in the past. Spring has sprung, the earth is coming back into bloom, and God is calling each of us to closer communion with Him and the purpose He has for us as His children and heirs with Christ to the promises of His Word. Let this day, and each day be surrendered to Him.
Sent from my iPad
Thursday, April 10, 2014
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