Moments

                    "What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer." How blessed we are in these uncertain times to have a sure and certain God.   How blessed we are to be in a position to stand against the wind for God.  Not everyone has a cause to wake up to.  Not everyone has a reason that makes sense to keep on keeping on, when all looks wasted and lost.   Not everyone has that infusion of heavenly minded vitality added to their lives.   Of course, the course and the calling are no easy road.  There are so many naysayers out there and then there is the tough job of working on yourself, to be more like Jesus.  We can't do that ourselves and have to humbly acknowledge where the real power comes from.  God gives us the strength to face our own stuff and in doing so make a live worth living and worthy of giving away.  We have such a great opportunity to serve the cause of Christ.  These are the days we live and die for. My prayer is for God help us to step up to t

  Is it real or is it just me yearning to complete an unfulfilled dream? The ironman effort seems so far away now, with so many obstacle in front between me and completion.  I want to go peacefully into the night but a light keeps coming on.  It's like a fire I can't put out and I pray for guidance, full knowing I should NOT go after another ironman.  But, it seems I keep getting those answers everywhere I turn.  "Don't quit,"  "God equips you with what you need."  "God is calling you to trust Him that He will see you through."  And on and on it goes. Everywhere there is a "God wants this" message and I don't know if it is Him or from below and bent on my destruction and my family's as well. What a risk that would be?  And too, perhaps it is what I want to see and hear so I can blame God on my poor decision?  That kind of self centered self deception would not be serving God but only myself.    I feel like Gideon hearing from

“ My wife died you know?”  The one-time British sailor squinted up at me through ninety year old eyes as if to see if I were going to listen before he went on.  There was pain and need in those eyes.   “She was beautiful too; pretty as a picture; pretty as a picture, and played the piano like an angel.  Sixty years we been together.  She was beautiful.  Played the piano like an angel.  I miss her you know.  I got nobody now.  People don’t care about old folks like me.  They don’t even seem to see me.  It’s like I am some  kinda piece of garbage or something cause I’m  old and worthless now.  I miss her you know. She was beautiful.  Played the piano like an angel.” I am not too far from old and worthless myself.   Some say I am already worthless.      And for all the times I have gutted out races; all the times I have raised my arms in joy at some finish line,   for all the awards I have won and all my other moments of accomplishments, projects completed, gardens raised, pastures mowe

Pathetic smoke and mirrors. a celebration of an empty life of self-indulgence and self-worship. Sad in its impart, disgusting in that lives are squandered hopelessly, haplessly on worship of their futile empty lives.   God had a much better plan than that.  And,  a heart for God feels that empty sadness brought about by the fractured lives, supported only by a sort of smiling anguish with which to cover the desperation in their souls, craving the Presence of a true Living God to  reside within them in the place in their hearts God was intended to fill. It's all make believe colored crepe paper that melts and loses its color in  the rain.  Aloneness brings the whispers of unfilled hopes and tortured dreams.  Daylight brings a new face to put on to hide the pain.  And what you see is all you get. "Our real selves are waiting for us in Him."  C. S. Lewis

  There is my exercise routine each morning; stretches, crunches, leg lifts, planks, pushups and such.  In the midst of the workout, right after the  pushups, I have a prayer time right there on the floor.  Most the time I realize I should have scheduled the prayer before the pushups.  But my reasoning is that it is better to have faith I can do it and offer thanks when it's done.  So, I go with gratitude.   It is amazing what comes up to pray about, lying there on face to the floor.  I try to be grateful first, offering thanks for so much God has done for me, to include the pushups.  But today I felt lead to ask forgiveness for who I haven't been for God.  As I prayed for my wife, I confessed that I have not been the Bible for her to read.  I haven't been the Bible that I want my son and granddaughters to read.  I haven't been the Bible I would like unbelievers all around me to read.  Can they read me, my words, my behaviors, my faithfulness?   Can I be a  Bible they c