Moments

 I felt compelled to pray as we left for this fishing trip on the coast.  It wasn't a natural thing to do as my two fishing partners were not especially faith-driven.  But, they complied and I prayed with them over our safety on this venture. The trip went well until coming back we came upon a large barge, going the same direction down the canal we were traveling.  My friend with the boat pulled out and began to pass this large vessel and as soon as he had cleared the barge, he immediately cut in front of it. That's when our engine sputtered, stalled, and quit, right in front of the oncoming barge.  Our engine wouldn't start and I got out the paddles and one friend and I began to paddle furiously to get out of the path on the barge.  It was getting closer.  We paddled harder. I wasn't sure we could get out of the way in time.  Meanwhile, my friend continued to try to start the engine.  It seemed a moment to exercise my faith in whatever might...

  Did you forget to drink?  Most of the I did forget.  Working outside I get so involved in my projects that my thirst goes unnoticed  and I go on and on, until  fatigue sets in making me stop.  It is only then that I find the water and at first sip realize just how thirsty I have been all this time.  So I find in my thirst for God. Life gets so involved and all encompassing and urgency is often the theme of the day.  And when things go awry and I have to stop.  Then it is that  I finally get still that I begin to realize how much I have needed God all along.  I was thirst and didn't know it.  I didn't drink of His goodness.  I didn't trust Him in the midst of the storm.  I didn't bring Him into my urgencies or my everyday life.   God has instilled within us a thirst for Him that only He can satisfy.   Now, I am terribly thirsty. Come close, He says, and place your burdens upon Me.  Come close...

My septic field line was stopped up. Nothing seemed to work until  I dug a large hole over the line and took a chain saw to the sewer pipe.  Things  happened.  With some help from a  high pressure water hose the blockage started coming loose. However the large hole I was spread eagled over began to fill up.  In fact, I was so stretched out over the large hole that I knew it would be tenuous to get out of that position.  I tried and it was going OK  until I slipped a bit on wet clay and I started on a fall. Not wanted to fall into the large hole of filling sewer, I quickly rolled the side and somehow managed to stay on the edge of the hole and finally rolled myself over wet sewer mud to get out. Looking back it was a funny but pleasant experience.  I was OK  The line came unclogged, the water in the hole went down and it all ended well.  Not a bad day...thanks God. Life has had me stretched out about to fall into the sewers of life b...

  New Years Day, resolution time for some.  There are lots of ways and resolutions to improve our lives we think.  Most fall impotent before "the way it has always been," after a short time. Maybe a big reason  at this is because we are resolving to lift ourselves up, improve ourselves?  Maybe these are futile efforts at self-determinism. Perhaps, we didn't "seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matt 6:33) ? Seek His righteousness?  First? Does that mean we need to get closer to God and His righteousness?  If so, How do we do that?   When I go to church, I take a bath, shave, put on clean clothes.  To approach God and get close, perhaps we need to ask God to help us clean up for church, so to speak. " Search me and, O God, and know my heart:  try me and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way  in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." (Psalm 139:23...