Introducing My Friend

April-June 2024, we were able to live in a small, rural community in Japan and love on a 128-year old church and its people and those outside of the church.  Here is my wife's message as she prepared it to present to both groups.

"We will be finishing up our stay here in Japan in the next two weeks.  We didn’t know any of you three months ago and now, as we prepare to leave, we have grown to love so many of you. 

So tonight, I would like to introduce you to a friend of mine.  Some of you have known my friend for a very long time and some of you have never met Him.  I have known this friend for over 40 years.  This friend’s name is Jesus. 

Let me tell you a bit about my friend if you don’t already know Him.  He is the most loving person I know.  He is trustworthy.  I share all my thoughts and feelings with Him and He never judges me or betrays my secrets.  He comforts me when I worry or am scared and never makes me feel alone or unloved.  He is the perfect friend who never lets me down or disappoints me.  He always knows how to make me feel better and knows I can unload all my troubles on Him and it’s never a bother or too much. He is also available 24 hours a day, so if I am awake in the middle of the night, He is there for me.  Wow, what a friend. 

He became my friend when I accepted the gift of salvation from Him.  He offered to take on all my sins so God could see me as perfect.  Jesus said He would endure hanging on a cross and taking the sins of the world upon Himself and enduring separation from His father, even for a brief time, so that I (and each one of you) could have eternal life with God.  That’s an amazing gift to be given. Eternal life.  You see all of us are going to die.  If I have the gift of salvation, I can spend eternity with God. We will all have a choice of where we spend eternity, either with God or without God.  It is a critical decision each of us must make so I encourage each one of you to look into it further. If you don’t understand salvation and eternal life, ask anyone who knows my friend and they will share with you how to obtain that gift of salvation.

Last weekend, we went to Okayama and met a man whose life was changed by Jesus.  He is in his 50’s and was pretty down on his luck.  He met my friend, Jesus, and received the gift of salvation.  He is not the same man he was a year ago.  He is happy and smiles and he says he can hardly remember how hard his life was before he met Jesus.  His life has been completely changed for the better and he is so happy.   You see, that’s what happens when you meet Jesus.  He changes your life.  I can’t imagine my life without Him.

My friend and I never get tired of each other.  We are always wanting to get to know each other better.  The way I get to know Jesus is by praying to Him all the time (which really is just talking to Him about everything that is on my mind).  If it matters to me, it matters to Him.  He loves to listen to me share everything with Him, even though He already knows my thoughts and actions.  Sometimes I don’t know what to do and I ask Him. Sometimes He answers yes, sometimes no and sometimes He just says wait.  How does He speak to me?  Thru feelings; others giving me advice; circumstances around me, but the more I get to know Him the more I know how He speaks to me.  I don’t read my bible as much as I should, but many people speak and get answers thru His Word, the Bible.  God also uses music to speak to speak to me.  I love music and it is His special way He communicates with me.  Walt loves to read Christian literature and I think God speaks to Him thru books and thru the Bible.  You see He is such a personal God He uses what touches us each individually to communicate. The bible says He knows each of so well He even knows the number of hairs on our heads.  To me that’s just incomprehensible. 

When you receive the gift of salvation, Jesus comes to live in your heart.  He is not in some object, but a living God that interacts with you.  We love to camp where we live in Oregon.  We set up tents and sleep in sleeping bags and sit around a campfire at night.  It is a very popular thing to do in summer in America.  You can see the stars at night and feel nature all around you.  Life with Jesus is like that.  He camps out in your heart and is with you wherever you go.  He points out the beauty of His creation in the flowers, the stars, and the people He has created.  Life becomes new and exciting as we start to see things that we never saw before.  The simple beauty of a flower or watching the newness of the season in Spring as new leaves and buds appear on the branches of the trees.  When we receive salvation we become new.  Our old lives are cleaned out and God takes up all the space where the old life was and replaces it with His clean new life.  We are new creations, sin free in His eyes because He only sees us thru His perfect Son, Jesus. 

It is an amazing journey being transformed by God.  It is exciting and wonderful.  You never know what new things are in store for you.  He is forever wanting to give you gifts and experiences and joy.  I hope you each will meet my friend.  He is a friend like no other.  He wants to meet you.  All you have to do is ask to meet Him.  He is waiting."

It speaks for itself.

The Presence of God

 The Presence of God

The face of those that meet with God. 

I like to smile at people, even with these masks, people who are of the Lord or who are sensitive to spiritual things receive my smile because it comes out of Jesus and the Holy Spirit within me. 

There’s some days that I don’t smile but it doesn’t mean that the Holy Spirit has left. It may mean that I am not feeling well physically or it may mean that there is a barrier of sin or lack of meeting with God‘s presence.  The Christian life is not all mountain high experiences. In Psalm 25 we see that David humbles himself and asks the Lord to forgive him or pardon his sin.  David understands to be led by God and to receive his teaching and understanding that he/we must come to God in humility. David desires, as we should, the Lord’s steadfast love and faithfulness. 

“He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way. All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies. For your name's sake, O Lord, pardon my guilt, for it is great. Who is the man who fears the Lord? Him will he instruct in the way that he should choose. His soul shall abide in well-being, and his offspring shall inherit the land. The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant. My eyes are ever toward the Lord, for he will pluck my feet out of the net.”  Psalm‬ ‭25:9-15‬ ‭ESV‬‬

DEFEATING TEMPTATION

Temptation is not sin. Sin is yielding to temptation, it is acting on the temptation that comes our way. It is both a noun and a verb.  People don’t like to talk about sin.  It’s like a flashlight coming on And all the little roaches scurry to get out of the light. Sin brings to mind those things that we know are not right. 

The word, sin, immediately paints a picture in my mind of something I don’t want to have anything to do with. For somebody who has not come to know Jesus, the word, sin, does not have that infectious, grimy ugliness that separates us from a close relationship with our creator.  But God gave us a moral compass which to follow. However, the pressures of peers, or the dullness of our consciousness lets us keep repeating what we know deep down is wrong. 

“Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God," for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.” ‭‭James‬ ‭1:12-15‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Sin means missing the mark of what God requires. 

You have to love the Mirriam Webster definition of “Sin”, “a vitiated state of human nature in which the self is estranged from God.”   Vitiated means “faulty or defective” so, a  faulty or defective state of human nature. We ALL were born, and we ALL were born with this sinful human nature. 

“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, most Christians know this verse but don’t know the next except by experience, 

“and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,” Romans‬ ‭3:23-24‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Sin means missing the mark of what God requires. It’s like a dartboard in which anything but a bull’s-eye is a miss. That may seem stringent but it is the portal in which we enter into the presence of God.

Jesus said, as recorded by Matthew, “"Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”  Matthew‬ ‭7:13-14‬ ‭ESV‬‬

REVERENCE

David writes, “Who is the man who fears the Lord? Him will he instruct in the way that he should choose. His soul shall abide in well-being, and his offspring shall inherit the land.” 

The Amplified Bible says it this way, “Who is the man who fears the Lord [with awe-inspired reverence and worships Him with submissive wonder]? He will teach him [through His word] in the way he should choose.”  Psalms‬ ‭25:12‬ ‭AMP‬‬

This fear is not meaning to be afraid but to reverence, or hold in awe, the Lord. It is this man, woman or child, that God will instruct in the way that “He” has for him. 

Here is another familiar verse that we often point to, Jeremiah‬ ‭29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”  That makes us feel good and reassures us of our future…

BUT we fall short of this “promise” if we don’t take it in context with what follows, 

“Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.”  Jeremiah‬ ‭29:11-13‬ ‭ESV‬‬

HUMILITY

Humility - you do not need to be perfect in order to hear God’s guidance but you do need an attitude of humility; simply put: ‘He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way’ (Psalm 25:9, MSG). ‘God-friendship is for God-worshippers; They are the ones he confides in’ (Psalm 25:14, MSG). MSG is not monosodium glutamate but the Message Bible🤣

The following quote, “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less.” has been attributed to C.S. Lewis or Rick Warren. I’ve met Rick and he would give Lewis credit… even if it was himself. Try this yourself, a humble move and take the glory and spotlight and point it to Jesus.

“He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way.” Psalm 25:9

Nicky Gumbel, of the Alpha course said, “When we try to force our own agenda or strive to do what we want to do, there is a sense of spiritual discomfort.”  We cannot experience the presence of God when our agenda is more important than His. 

RELEASING GOD’S GIFTS

Every day we are each given gifts from God including the very breath that we breathe. The sun warms her skin, coffee that awakens her mind

“And they came, everyone whose heart stirred him, and everyone whose spirit moved him, and brought the Lord's contribution to be used for the tent of meeting, and for all its service, and for the holy garments.”  ‭‭Exodus‬ ‭35:21‬ ‭ESV‬‬

We came into this world with nothing and nothing will we take out of this world. Why, why, why is it we strive to get more stuff?  Flashier cars, bigger houses, blotted bank accounts… don’t miss what I’m saying; there is nothing wrong with wealth. Some of you may be saying, I’d love a car that works and I can park it in a “house” meant for it, or for a job, or for some security. 

“But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.” 1 Timothy‬ ‭6:6-10 ESV

It is one of life’s mysteries. Why are they sick or why are they rich and I’m not?  Why do good thing happen to bad people?  Why can’t I have…

EVERYONE that reads or hears this is rich. We have clothes to wear, probably a cell phone, computer or both. We have eaten in the last 24-hours. So, we are richer than 75% of the world!  Paul goes on to write to Timothy about us because we are rich:

“As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.” 1 Timothy‬ ‭6:17-19‬ ‭ESV‬‬

PRESENCE THROUGH GOOD WORKS

Another verse that people hold to is: Ephesians‬ ‭2:8-9‬ ‭ESV‬‬ “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

Again, we fail to grasp the whole context of Paul’s important message that follows those two verses in verse 10:

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”Ephesians‬ ‭2:8-10‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Good works are born out of love for others, thinking of others more than thinking of ourselves. James writes this about the pendulum of all faith and no works or of all works and no faith. “What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled," without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, "You have faith and I have works." Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless?”  James‬ ‭2:14-20‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Paul writes further showing examples of Abraham and the prostitute, Rahab (there us a wide continuum of population), “You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.”  ‭‭James‬ ‭2:22, 24, 26‬ ‭ESV‬‬

It isn’t either/or, it is both, in unison. The Bible (or Word) says “we love because He (Jesus) first loved us”. We have faith through grace and practice love and good works out of Christs love for us and what an amazing thing He has done for us. 

RADIATING THE PRESENCE OF GOD

When the people of Israel finished the plan given to Moses of the tabernacle it was set up and when fully erected, the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle like a cloud by day and fire by night.  When Moses was able to go into the tent of meeting with God, he would come out with a veil covering his face because his face gleamed so much that people could not stand to look at him. 

When we put away the traditions of men that weighs down the church and look into the eyes and words of Jesus directly, we are personally transformed. That transformation comes thus:

“because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.”  Romans‬ ‭10:9-10‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Being a true follower of Jesus is about a relationship with Him. He, our Creator, made us for relationships. That is why Jesus said in reply to this question:  ““Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”” Matthew‬ ‭22:36-40‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

The walk of following Jesus is daily staying so close to Him that His image is all that is seen.  When we step out of that closeness our imperfections show. Staying in close communion with the Lord makes our reflection as clear and clean as it can be revealing the presence of God. 

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”  2 Corinthians‬ ‭5:17‬ ‭ESV‬‬

We practice not a religion but this relationship as a new creation with the Holy Spirit that Jesus gives us to comfort us, convict us and guide us. True followers of Christ are never alone for Jesus sent the Helper (the Holy Spirit).  Jesus sits at the right hand of God the Father and Jesus is our advocate as we pray in His Name. 

“"If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.””  John‬ ‭14:15-17‬ ‭ESV‬‬

The Apostle writes, “But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”  2 Corinthians‬ ‭3:16-18‬ ‭ESV‬‬

CHRIST RETURNS WITH HIS PRESENCE

“and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel."” Mark‬ ‭1:15‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Christ died for our sin and sinful nature and that is the gift He made provision for. But each person must exercise their free will and either accept the blessed gift or reject it. We must repent of our sin, believe with our heart, mind and soul of Christ’s death and resurrection and follow Him all the days of our life. It is not easy but it is when we will have life in this world and the next with Jesus rather than apart from Him for eternity. 

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven."” Acts‬ ‭1:8-11‬ ‭ESV‬‬

My dear follower of Jesus, a blessed and convicting Christmas. Many people think it should be “merry” but Christmas is the fulfillment of prophecy of God’s gift to each of us if we receive. Amazement, gratefulness, praising... now what to DO next?

In Romans 12, Paul shares with us what we should do with and to the Body of Christ. The Holy Spirit gives you supernatural gifts that you are to use. What are you going to unwrap this Christmas that is better than a supernatural gift of power?

Spend time in this chapter of the Bible during the break. As you do, drill down to what YOU are to do here, “Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭12:9-13‬ ‭ESV‬‬

May CHRISTmas radically change YOUR life.

My Burning Bush

It has been a long time since I wrote to this blog. The older I get the clearer some things get and yet others seem blurred like my hearing of soft voices in a crowded room. Two days ago while I was taking the dog out I saw what I believe was the physical presence of God’s Spirit, if not God Himself. 

As I read Isaiah and Ezekiel, I see that they heard the voice of God. We are now “so educated” that everything is explained away by “the laws of nature”. Since, I believe that the Triune God created the universe and all that is in it, it, nature, must bow to its creator as we must. 

Early morning out with our dog, Lucy, when I heard and saw a great wind pummeling the tops of a couple of 100+ foot tall Douglas Fir trees; then all the sudden it stopped dead quiet. I whirled to my right where a couple of tall firs whipped but all the other trees were still. Then as quickly as it started, it shifted to a couple of trees right in front of me and everything else was calm. 

I cried out, “Lord, is that You? Speak, your servant listens.”  At that, the whole line of huge Douglas Fir waved back and forth east and west, churned and stopped. Then right in front again the two trees rocked back and forth south to North so much so I wondered if they would crack and hurl themselves on to me. The message was clear, “I am with you and my power is greater than everything else.  Fear not.”

I can’t see God or the wind but I do see what it does. I do hear His voice...

   

Who would give their life for you?

Who would give their life for you?

Walking into his cell in Aushwitz is unforgettable. Here is a taste from:  http://auschwitz.dk/Kolbe.htm

The deathcamp Auschwitz became the killing centre during WWII where the largest numbers of European Jews were murdered by the Nazis. One Christian man who died here became a martyr to the truth of evils of Nazism - a true hero for our time, a saint who lived what he preached, total love toward God and man ...

Maximilian Kolbe was a Polish priest who died as prisoner 16770 in Auschwitz, on August 14, 1941. When a prisoner escaped from the camp, the Nazis selected 10 others to be killed by starvation in reprisal for the escape. One of the 10 selected to die, Franciszek Gajowniczek, began to cry: My wife! My children! I will never see them again! At this Maximilian Kolbe stepped forward and asked to die in his place. His request was granted ...

As moving as Kolbe's sacrifice was and a reminder that those who are secure in the salvation and hope found in Jesus, it pales to when if is your own personal salvation and hope. You move from a spectator to a player on the field of life. Following Jesus is not about church going to check off a "duty" or practice on Sunday. It goes beyond helping widow, orphans and the needy. It isn't about religion, a title, or a platform to judge.

Jesus

It goes without saying…

Recently I was with one of the residents from the Courtyard, a place where Christian students can grow in their faith in their independence from mom and dad and in how now should they live. Time in a car either with college students or your children, especially when they're young, yields interesting tidbits of information.  As I was letting this young man off at the Courtyard, he turned to me and said, "It goes without saying… Pause well maybe… my time here at the Courtyard  (eight weeks so far) has made a tremendous impact on my spiritual growth."  He took the time to thank us for providing this important place for him... for his fellow residents, too. 

It didn't surprise me what he said, as I often witness residents growth in these college students' lives, in general and also their spiritual walk with God. But what I did take away from this brief encounter what is the phrase that I had not heard for a while "it goes without saying".

That little phrase as been running around my head for a day but seemed like a week. I have heard it many times in the past and fewer times in the present and I'm not sure if it is because people are not using that phrase or they're just doing it, 'letting it go without saying' anything about what they're thinking, what they're feeling, what moves them to action to change themselves and transform the world.

So, I am trying to check myself to determine if I ever 'let things go without saying'.  Do I ever let things go without saying with my wonderful wife, Kim, or our children, especially because they're adults and away from home.

Do I ever approach Jesus or my heavenly Father, with an attitude of "it goes without saying"? Thanksgiving is this week and I believe Americans, in general, do not practice a heart of gratitude about their lives. Husbands and wives get in a rut and let many things 'go without saying' how much they appreciate the other; how much they appreciate the love and respect of the other.  Children, today, use the words 'thank you' as if it were the most common thing in the world to say... "It goes without saying", so why bother. 

"It goes without saying…" is a kin to somebody else will do it; somebody else will tell of its importance, somebody else will support the work being done, somebody else will give their time and energy to invest in others.

This Thanksgiving, and every day going forward, let our speech be filled with positive things said to family members, spouses, friends, a wait-person, a receptionist, fellow workers or students; those things that, a day earlier, we would have lived out the phrase, "It goes without saying..."

The COURTYARD. www.CourtyardLife.org

Distracted

Distracted

If your life is anything like mine, it is filled with distractions that take me off a planned course or out of a peaceful slumber.  Ringing phones, barking dogs, visitors, flickering lights, or even a rumbling stomach can take your focus off one thing to the urgent beckoning of another.  

After 75 days, the rain is falling once again and there are power outages, plugged street drains, and accidents caused by slippery, oily roads.  Some of these things are expected or at least should be.  But what struck me the most today was the word and the meaning of "Distracted".

When there is music playing in the room, I find it difficult to write because my mind follows the tune and the words even as the room now is filled with a woman singing Hosanna in Mandarin.  Random thoughts flood into my mind.  Tilley, the faithful Yorkie sits on the top of my recliner as I lay out resting my back and she proceeds to lick my ear... she is informing me she wants or needs to go outside.  I must be easily distracted because even the thought of my hot chocolate cooling too fast before I drink it, causes me to pause and decide on what I'm going to do in the next few seconds.

You probably didn't even notice I stopped and took a slow draw on my Starbucks mug from Amsterdam.  Each and every day, our life is filled with distractions, some good, some bad, some annoying, and some just plain irritating.  Today, Americans like myself pack our days with so much in them, even good or fun things, that we race at a self-imposed speed to get it all done and we forget the real reason why we are doing whatever it is we are doing.  We many not even have enjoyed it and if it was vacation that finished without a relaxing awe... that is just plain wrong.

One of the busiest schedules are moms that care for the house & children (not to mention working a job to make the ends meet).  As a working dad up until 8 years ago, I had a busy schedule with my job, but it was fairly organized and the 10 hours or so were accomplished with the end in sight and a drive home to the family.  But for my lady, that was a different story, I won't even try and go into all the things that Kim did, but the results are three fine, grown, mature, wonderful children prepared to create a legacy that far exceeds anything that I did at work.  Though I was involved with our children and desired even more as they grew up, Kim deserves the medal of honor for going beyond the call of duty.

In every one's life, distractions come and how we cope with them varies to the types and intensity of the distractions themselves.  The world is full of distractions and marketers jobs depend on turning a distraction into a sale of whatever product they are hocking at the moment.  Radio, TV, billboards, magazines, newspapers, the Internet... everything is vying for your attention and we succumb and are drawn in because of our flawed self nature.  We want a new iPhone 5; we want a new 50" LCD TV to watch the game on... We want....  We need... We have to have...  Can't live without...

Ever noticed that the one most important thing, or at least should be, is the easiest for us to ignore? No matter if you are Billy Graham or the President, or a homeless alcoholic, we all need God in our life more and more.  When was the last time you were distracted by God to do something or think about something; and did you?

We ALLOW and even WELCOME some distractions to cover up how we feel or where our life is heading, but almost always those are distractions from the world and not from God.  We  tend to hide from God or count it as indigestion because we don't know His voice spoken directly, through others, or even in some media like music; we are going so fast at our lives that we run right through Jesus trying to get our attention.  We fail to walk slowly and see people for who they really are with eyes like Jesus; we don't want that type of distraction, we want to be entertained.

When it is all said and done, people are waiting to be loved and you just look the other way.  Not this distraction, only the distractions that I want.  Not God, not People; can't someone else do it because I don't have time, energy, talent, or right shoes.  You and I are really great at making up excusses but Jesus said this when asked which of the commandments was greatest:


"YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.'   "This is the great and foremost commandment.   "The second is like it, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.'  " On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets."  Matt 22:37-40  NASU

We wonder what is wrong with the world and the answer boils down to these two principles; Love God above all else and love others in the same way.  This type of love that loves beyond even beyond loving our self, isn't easy and is impossible without the Holy Spirit working through us.  But these two things we avoid doing.

Maybe next time you pray, you will ask God to distract you from the immediate thing you are doing to STOP and know Him and do as he asks.  I can't think of a better distraction than one from the Creator of the Universe; one who loves me more than anything else.  And the good thing is that He never gets tired of us showing Him how much we love Him.  Get distracted by Jesus as soon as you can.

When All Else Fails

There is a lot of political ads and talking heads trying to make their opinions and views known, but this is where I'm at with all of it.

I care less about who the next President will be because God already has that taken care of; but I still need to vote.  Check this out...

Daniel 2:20-23

"Let the name of God be blessed forever and ever,
For wisdom and power belong to Him. 
21 "It is He who changes the times and the epochs;
He removes kings and establishes kings;
He gives wisdom to wise men 
And knowledge to men of understanding. 
22 "It is He who reveals the profound and hidden things;
 He knows what is in the darkness,
And the light dwells with Him. 
23 "To You, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise,
For You have given me wisdom and power;
Even now You have made known to me what we requested of You,
For You have made known to us the king's matter." 

It is more important that I am friends with God and close to him than it is for me to be friends with athletes, stars, heroes, the famous, the rich, the powerful because nothing comes close to the Creator God.

I don't have to do everything, I just have to do what God tells me to do.  Everything around me can crash in, but if I really, really trust in an omnipotent God, than what else do I need?  Countries and currencies can fall, but the Name of the Lord will endure forever.

When all else fails in your life, God never will.  

He removes kings and establishes kings

There is great peace of who shall run America in the future when you understand that the God of Heaven is the one who "He removes kings and establishes kings".  It does not matter if they are a good or bad ruler; if they are a coward or a warrior; if they have fiscal control or loose pockets and least of all, if they are of the Republican, Democrat or Independent party.


In 586 B.C. God gave the power, authority and victory to King Nebuchadnezzar over Jerusalem and all of Judah.  The captives were taken back to Babylon.  God did this because the people of the land had turned their hearts away from God and to false gods including consumer materials, sexual abandonment, and many things other than the one True God.

This, fall, God will give to America who HE wants that America may once again recognize that HE alone is great enough to decide what is best for us.  All the campaigning in the world cannot come close to God's ability to orchestrate the outcome.  

When Nebuchadnezzar desired to give Daniel praise and glory, Daniel sidestepped it and reflected all the glory to His God, My God.  
 
Daniel proceed to interpret a vision for Nebuchadnezzar, but said this to the King

"Let the name of God be blessed forever and ever,
For wisdom and power belong to Him. 
"It is He who changes the times and the epochs;
He removes kings and establishes kings;
He gives wisdom to wise men 
And knowledge to men of understanding. 
"It is He who reveals the profound and hidden things;
 He knows what is in the darkness,
And the light dwells with Him. Daniel 2:20-22 NASU

Daniel was placed high in the government, as was his three young friends; not as king, but in public service.  We need people in government that serve not for money or man's praise, but unto the Lord of Hosts.  

What can be do?  We can humble ourselves and pray.  God's chosen King (a man birthed from an adulterous act" said this:  

"Then the LORD appeared to Solomon by night, and said to him: "I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice. When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place." 2 Chronicles 7:12-15  NKJV

It is never too late to pray.

My hero, Daniel

It has been a long time since I sat down to write; for those that follow this blog, thank you for checking back.

Heroes are few and far between these days; real heroes.  Real heroes are those ordinary men that step up to do extraordinary actions.  These are not stars as their actions are not for fame; real heroes are not saving the world in one hour on some television show, heroes leave a legacy of accomplishments not entertain.

Reading the book of Daniel again today, there are a couple of points that forever influence me to live bolder.

1.  Daniel resolved to not eat the Kings rich food, but to ask God to bless him and his 3 friends.

2.  The walk that is set apart for God is better when joined by buddies.

3.  God doesn't share His glory; Daniel did not accept God's glory, but directed everything back to Him.

4.  It isn't wrong to find favor in God's eyes or those that He places in positions of power & authority.

There are others, but these are in the first two chapters.  To live a life for God is to live it for nobody else.... not even self.  Whose your life being lived for?  What is important in life to you?  Where are you going to spend your time, energy and resources?  When are you going to bow your head and your heart to your Creator?  

A New Time

Time is the most precious thing that we consider ours; without it we cannot enjoy loved ones, read, eat, or even breath.  Many things are measured in time; MPH, beats per minute, lunch time, day we are born and the day we die.  Isn't it interesting that we have no ability to make more time; if we waste a few minutes here or there, so what?  SO WHAT, I mean if those were your last few minutes would you waste them?  We only have so many minutes.  I looked up how many a computer thinks I have... 557,206,220 seconds left according to deathclock.com  WOW, that's only 17.5 years left.  

Well, at first that seems really disturbing, but then again, the way things are going and my physical condition, I'm not sure I need more than that.  Here is what I know for sure, only God knows when I will die.  My life is in His hands and not mine.  He doesn't look at things the same way we do and I know that my life here is only a time of refining my character and making my decision who I am and whose I am.


A "new time" started many years ago, 49 years ago, I was born again into the Kingdom of God.  Not all, but most, of that time has been spent in humble service to my King.  Like many a wayward child, I had my moments of wanting my own way, but soon came to my senses and asked for my King's forgiveness which He did not withhold.


We rarely use the time we have well and waste so much of it.  I encourage you to love the Lord God, Creator of this earth with all your heart, mind, soul and strength and love your neighbor as you do yourself.  If you really love someone, you will make sure they know that the straight path into the Kingdom of God is Jesus Christ and there is no other way.  The path is straight and it is narrow, but it leads to a life that never ends in "A New Time".

Taking a Break But Have Hope

For you that have been following my blog, thank you.  I will be away from access for a period of time and need to take a pause on writing.  I will let you know when I have resumed writing, but for now, thanks for following.


For a short last entry, let's look at hope.  No other emotion can sustain life more than hope.  Anger and revenge can motivate you only so long; self-confidence in your own abilities will go along way; but HOPE is a driving emotion that propels beyond human ability through the toughest of circumstances.


I have a friend whose college-age son has a brain tumor that continues to return; often times with great speed.  Assisted in prayer by her friends and hope in Christ, as the great healer, Hope continues to hold her up as she faces the hospitals and the news that is often negative.


Men and women who have found themselves in the most desperate situations of peril have survived due to hope; usually hope in God.  These are life changing, life enduring times where there is no where else to turn.  It is then that we turn to our Creator; even the most devout atheist and agnostic call out to God when "all else fails" them.  


Hope can take us miles beyond what we can normally walk; Hope can sustain us with joy through years of chronic pain; Hope can enable us to get through the loss of a child, a sibling, a parent or friend.  Lack of hope can take us to suicide, depression or unhealthy habits - searching for some meaning in life.  


Hope is not a man-made emotion; it is built in everyone by our Creator, but some have never accessed it.  They see no future; see no life beyond this world... but there is; there is another Kingdom that springs with hope.


Hope is what drives me through every day; Faith is what allows my hope to be so real.  For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees?  But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it. Rom 8:24-25 NASU  Knowing that those that place their faith in Christ will spend eternity in a place prepared for us is my sustaining hope.

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.  For by it the men of old gained approval.  By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible. Heb 11:1-3 NASB  

If you are going though a difficult time, your faith in Christ can sustain you.  Don't worry that it is a crutch; those that are broken need help to heal.  The best time to place your trust, faith and hope in your Creator is right now; you will grow in Him and when the difficult time comes like a storm... and it will come, you will be ready to hold tight to the Savior of the World.

To those that have ears

Spring is an amazing time here at Selah; that is what I call the 5-acres that we live on.   "Selah , a technical musical term probablx showing accentuation, pause, interruption"* This is life here; one of our many resident does had her fawn this week and she is keeping the little spotted one protected.  

Last year's set of twins

She is always close by, but during the day the fawn is told to stay and be quiet; concealed in the tall grass and clover and shaded by the tall fir trees.  The mother doe chases other deer away and lays in the open where she has view of the life she has carried for 5-months.  To protect the young fawn, she must draw attention to herself and hope to lure any predator away knowing her speed is her defense.  

About half of the property was worked to remove noxious weeds and was planted with five kinds of clovers, some alfalfa and several grass species last fall.  Now the crimson clover is finishing its bloom, some of the wild flowers are showing color and the field is alive with flora and fauna.  


Like the field, my life has been through some cultivation to bring it to the place it is and even still, like the field, it requires spot treatments to take out the noxious things in my life.  When I was young my faith was my own, but it was guided by my parents' example and the listening and reading of the Bible.  There is no one that can argue with me that my experience is as the children's song lyric "Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so"; you can't convince me it isn't real and true.... for me.


Life has had its time to have weeds in it; I'm not proud of those weeds or those times, but they are part of me as are the times that I've been plowed, ground, leveled, ripped, turned, and other preparation.  Like the field, my life was being prepared for the harvest.  Even so, a field that is all prepared and not carefully planted will turn to weeds and revert to chaos quickly.  My life's field was carefully tended by my own submission and a Master Gardener that knew just what needed to be seeded into my life.


So as my example, I look at Jesus Christ and realize that He taught many and His message was clear; to those that have ears, let him hear.  Jesus taught the people the way they understood; most were familiar with the farming life and communicated in stories like this one:
"Listen to this! Behold, the sower went out to sow; as he was sowing, some seed fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate it up. Other seed fell on the rocky ground where it did not have much soil; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of soil.  And after the sun had risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.  Other seed fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it yielded no crop.  Other seeds fell into the good soil, and as they grew up and increased, they yielded a crop and produced thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold."  And He [Jesus] was saying, " He who has ears to hear,let him hear." Mark 4:3-9 NASU [  ] emphasis mine

One seed dies, is raised up into a plant and produces 30, 60, and 100 times itself.  In other words, by our self we are a single grain seed, but placed in the right hands and planted, nurtured and harvested, our life can bring life to a great increase.  Most of us want our lives to count for something.


I have a friend who wants to be remembered when he is gone so his thought was to have his name on a building.  I must admit that is a cool thing and is bigger than a tombstone, but as I've watched the local university change the names of the coliseum, the stadium. the library, on and on, it matters who has given money to maintain the building or step up to the plate; in other words, it is about your family paying to keep the family name remembered.  It isn't about what you did, but what you do with your money. WOW, what a saddle to burden your family with.


For me, it is about people.  Not everyone that Jesus taught came to a saving faith in Him and His Kingdom.  They had ears, but if they heard, they did not submit and yield their life to Him.  Those that did and those that do, continue to change the world.  So, I follow, submitted, knowing that what I do is important because of this logical directive by the Apostle Paul:  "for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."    How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?  And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"" Romans 10:13-15 NIV


So from Selah and to all the earth, this is the legacy that I continue to touch lives.  My words are only to share that I have experienced life in Christ and it has made all the difference in the world... I have hope; I'm far from perfect; I am loved and there is so much more.
"'Thus says the Lord GOD.' He who hears, let him hear; and he who refuses, let him refuse; for they are a rebellious house."  Ezekiel 3:27 NASU

Take some time today and experience your own Selah, pause, and chew on words of freedom that will set you free from the burdens that weigh you down. 



*(from The Online Bible Thayer's Greek Lexicon and Brown Driver & Briggs Hebrew Lexicon, Copyright © 1993, Woodside Bible Fellowship, Ontario, Canada. Licensed from the Institute for Creation Research.)

How does God rank sin?

When I was about seven or eight I remember I went in to Cent-Wise Drug store and shoplifted a Matchbox car because I didn't have the 99 cents.  It ate at me so much that within hours I had told my parents and had them drive me back to town so I could confess my sin to the store clerk and give back the car.  It would have been easier to just sneak it back to its display, but I needed to apologize.  I never shoplifted again.  

Now, I have not been perfect in the last 46 years or so, but am I without sin?  no way; daily I have to consider my stand before a perfect, holy God.


Ever wonder how God ranks sin?  Which sin does He think is the very worst and which one is... not so much?


Do you think God has something like felony or misdemeanor categories?

• Murder... that's a big one.  What if they deserved it.... just because?
• Adultery.... was once pretty big; punishment was being stoned (not with grass) to death, but with real rocks.
• Stealing - music, taxes, from banks, fruit at the market, pillow from the plane, phone from a car......etc. is there levels of stealing like hotels one to five stars?
• Telling a lie or bearing false witness - that has some heavy implications.
• not honoring your mom & dad... punishment was same as Adultery
• Prostitution?  Isn't that legal in the Netherlands now.
• Dishonest weights  equates to dishonest business practices.
• Homosexuality, pornography, sexual practices; these are things that are kept quiet.
• How about idol worship; not the carved wood or stone or gold images (not at these gold prices)?  No today having other gods and idol worship is anything, beyond God, that you spend your time and money on... cars, work, beauty, guns, sports, etc. etc.  Worshiping another God at times was a death sentence.
• Taking the LORD's Name in vain - Swearing.  Just because some people have a limited vocabulary doesn't mean it is right.
• Keeping the Sabbath holy, in other words, setting one day aside to rest and contemplate the God who created the universe and holds it all together.
• ooh, keeping up with the Jones....You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.  This puts a damper on "Desperate Housewives" on TV.  The ads for it are enough to make my skin crawl.
• Excesses of Drugs?  Alcohol?  Suduku?  Food? Sex?

I could go on and on, but let's start with these.  You could number them from one hundred to minus 50; worst sin is #100.  I'd leave room for the really, really bad ones at 110!  It might look like this thermometer!  Our "sin-o-meter", oh, I even found one at by Agnus of Texas!  Now, how would God rank them?????

 

First of all, I'm not God and I can't answer for Him, but this much I believe, SIN IS SIN.  SIN is missing the mark, so each of the above are sin and they are all sin.  God's word doesn't distinguish between one and another, however, one might consider that a mark missed that impacts someone else like, Rape, or Murder, are worse.  BUT God doesn't say that.  God says He can not look on any SIN.  He also sent Jesus to wipe away all our sin and He did it once and for all (all sin, all people).


Our movies, magazines, books, TVs, phones, computers, etc. all glamorize these things and that makes us feel better about our lives.  If it is "everywhere" and "everybody is doing it? does that make it less on the sin chart?


Bottom line is we are all guilty of sin and there is only one way to be freed from sin.

"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," Rom 3:23 NKJV

Living Out Loud

I've always been impressed with Joseph; not the Joseph of Mary, the mother of Jesus, but Joseph the self-righteous shepherd boy that God gave dreams and he felt he should share them.  So what if they put his ten older brothers down and his father at the same time; that makes for a great family dinner time conversation.... "all of you are going to bow down to me".  I'm not sure if it was before this or after that his father gave him a precious cloak made with many royal colors.  Hey, in the desert, why hide your favoritism of one son over another.  Speaking of which, I don't recall daughters, but that is for another time.

Anyway, what has always impressed me is that Joseph lived OUT LOUD.  Everything we know about him was OUT LOUD.  He is hated by his brothers, cast into a pit, sold to caravaning merchants as a slave, bought by Potipher who is close to the Pharaoh (his captain of the guard) and then Joseph rebuffs the Potipher's wife's advances.  This lands him prison where he does his time.


Now, I have always wondered, after a month, then a year pass, and until he is summoned by the Pharaoh was he daily praising the Lord and worshiping and not anxious about the injustice of his imprisonment?  I mean, isn't this where the proverbial "rubber hits the road"?


OK, it says that "the Lord was with him...", I get it, but my humanity wonders if my spiritual discipline would sustain me in the long rough times.  Then to add to it Joseph interprets a pair of dreams that come true and the cup-bearer is given back his job and the Baker looses his head.  The cup-bearer forgets to tell the Pharaoh of the unjust imprisonment of Joseph and he cools his heals a "full two years".  I would be feeling pretty alone at this point if it were not my faith that God is and always has been in control.

The Whirlpool Galaxy (M51) and companion galaxy

Even in prison he is living OUT LOUD!  Here is a shepherd boy, learns some management skills on the job, falsely accused of rape, can interpret dreams and when he gets his big break before Pharaoh, what does he say? 

"I cannot do it," Joseph replied to Pharaoh, "but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires." Gen 41:16 NIV
 
Humble, knowing that God does not share His glory, Joseph is a tool in God's hand and acts accordingly to save a nation, his family, and a brother he has never seen?  No, though that comes later, Joseph acts as the servant of the living God; not as a puppet, but as a committed bond servant willing to give up everything.  Joseph interprets both Pharaoh's dreams like before, God gave the dream and interpretation, all things belong to God.  And who but a man surrendered to God can do as Joseph did?


Then Joseph goes on to be second in command of the greatest civilization of the time and he helps them survive.  He didn't pour over research or take classes in political science, Joseph did what God called him to do; live OUT LOUD FOR GOD!  BE SOLD OUT TO HIM AND HE WILL TAKE CARE OF THE REST.

A Reflection Nebula in Orion

It isn't the last time that God uses a shepherd boy because of his heart.  You will never be rich enough, smart enough, strong enough, skilled enough, or fashionable enough to replace what God can do with raw, devoted, available, honest lives that He sees are so rare and ready to be molded.



Credit: NASA/ESA and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI).

Sacrifices are Messy

Walking through the American Veteran's Cemetery at Maastricht on Easter, I once again considered the blood and carnage of war and the thousands of bodies that lay in honor in the land they had fought to liberate from evil.  Their deaths were not in vain, but  Maastricht was the first town in the Netherlands and the rest of Europe was freed from the oppression and savagery that Hitler had devised.  Though over 17,000 Americans were once buried here, around half were repatriated to America for their "final" resting place.  Christ's victory over death also provides hope for the fallen.  Not to be forgotten were many thousands of British soldiers as well that Operation Market Garden on September 17, 1944 cost.  


Books, movies and personal witness have over and over told of the suffering, the blood shed, the loss of life and limb for the purchase of freedom.  Mel Gibson's life is a shambles; few would argue with that statement, but the film, The Passion of Christ, was spot on of the messiness of the sacrifice of Christ's humanity.  But The Passion, or any other medium, can not express the divine dimension that went on during that Passover weekend that culminated in the resurrection of Jesus.  Jesus' call to His Father to "let this cup pass from me" was not His inability to endure the human dimension, but the divine one; the gathering of ALL SIN, past, present and future were placed on Him and He would be separated from His Father; that was His sole purpose.  His purpose was being about the Father's business and doing exactly what He was told to do.  Jesus did not want to face that separation even for a short-time.  The sin Jesus took on Himself for you and for me is enticing, but in the end, demands a payment.  Jesus changed all that; He paid the price.


Hundreds of soldiers' bodies have yet to be known even 60 years later, but they will still rise in the end.  Wars are filled with sacrifices that are messy and the war between good and evil is no exception.  There was a price to pay and a willing Man of God to pay it.


Christ's redemption gift reminds us that we have been bought with a price and we are no longer our own.  The soldiers' crosses remind us that good people gave of themselves the ultimate sacrifice, messy and permanent for freedom and redemption; may we not forget either sacrifice.  Our obligation is not just of a human perspective but also a divine one.

The Disconnect in the World

Tomorrow is Easter and I'm ready for the joyous celebration!  Glory in the Highest, HE IS RISEN.  I'm on a river in Holland headed for God's creation of flowers and in the process seeing a number of man's attempts of drawing attention to himself.  From man's perspective, there are beautiful buildings, glamorous gardens, magnificent statues, unbelievable works of art and don't forget the Belgium waffle and Belgium chocolate.  I have seen the latter in forms that you would blush around your children.  It was interesting that the most recognized statue in Brussels is Mannikin Pis, a little boy urinating.  But the little ducklings just out for their first swim and the swan plucking out its own down to prepare the nest of two of her eggs; now there is life and beauty that man has yet to match.

Europeans know how to celebrate Easter; not just in their days off, but they decorate everything and prepare for the economic ring of the cash register, then close EVERYTHING on Easter.  We have seen homes and hotels decorated in every window with eggs, bunnies, and everything that is far from HOLY.  I'm sure that I probably missed the holy preparation for Easter, but the churches I've walked in are beautiful, ornate, hallow, empty and missing the Spirit of the Risen One.


I was watching a video called Easter, the Promise Kept this morning as the ship we are aboard has nothing scheduled for the most influential day of history, the day that hope, forgiveness, and when death was conquered by Christ's resurrection.  The ship's staff were more than happy, they put it on a TV for us and then to my surprise, to announce a viewing.  What surprised me even more is they asked if they could keep it and run it on Easter at 3:30 when most of the entire ship's guests would be on board; not just on the lounge, but available in every room of the ship!  Praise the Lord alone for opening hearts and saving souls.


In considering the movie, I was struck by this passage later in my reading: 
“Watch out! Don’t let your hearts be dulled by carousing and drunkenness, and by the worries of this life. Don’t let that day catch you unaware, like a trap. For that day will come upon everyone living on the earth. Keep alert at all times. And pray that you might be strong enough to escape these coming horrors and stand before the Son of Man.”   Luke 21:34-36  NLT


I understand the part about not letting your heart be dulled by carousing and drunkenness, BUT what about "the worries of this life"?  There are times I am so guilty about letting my heart be dulled by "the worries of this life".  It is good to get away and take a look from a distance of your own life and what it is filled with.  It is easy for me to see the disconnect of the world when I see how God has been put in his place.... no let me rephrase that, see how people have forgotten about God and all that He has done by being dulled by "the worries of this life".  I look at my life and I can momentarily have my mind crammed full of the world and only because of my love of Christ and that my chains He has broken to set me free, do I quickly come back to Him.


Generations here in Europe have had their hearts dulled by the carousing and drunkenness and the worries of this life; America isn't far behind them as I see what they/we are doing and the change that is occurring.  The disconnect in the world has come because we have not listened to some of Christ's last words as He spoke to the people of Jerusalem.  


Look at Jesus' words again: "Don’t let that day catch you unaware, like a trap. For that day will come upon everyone living on the earth. Keep alert at all times. And pray that you might be strong enough to escape these coming horrors and stand before the Son of Man.”  


I pray that I might be strong enough to escape these coming horrors and stand before the Son of Man.  I pray that for you as well.  Celebrate Easter as the first Christians did, in gratitude, joy, humility, and the hope that He has promised.  He is Risen....He is Risen INDEED!  

Lost in France

If you are wondering why it has been so long since I last posted a blog, it is because, the hands of the clock move even if I don't.  My bride and I are lost in France currently while someone rips and polishes our house.  Our goal for nine days was to just unwind and be a couple experiencing some back roads of France together.  We have done that and have new roads yet to discover.  Thanks to our friend, V, we have a Garmin and when she works (ie, we figure out how to properly program her) she does pretty well.  Sometimes her lefts, rights and go for it's are not the easiest to follow and thanks to her, we have found some single lane paths through mustard fields and grain fields, beside cozy rambling brooks and tree-lined tunnels or mini-Arch de Triumph.  We've seen more back roads and no toll-"free-ways" today than most Frenchmen see in their lifetime.  Our goal is to get lost and still find ourselves eating good bread, cheese and a little red wine.

A barn we found that has been out of use for a while

So that is what has happened from Beaune to Ribeauville, France.  We drove over a 1000 meter pass with a bit of snow along the roadside and the chairlifts standing quiet.  We stop in little villages that tourist never venture in and the locals speak NO English.  We have managed to eat the plate de jour a few times, order Pain Chocolates and Pain Raisins for breakfast without damage the international relations between France the the U.S.  We find ourselves in the French culture, ordering cafe au'lait or just cafe straight up for a morning and afternoon hit.  We been waking a fair bit, but I see not balance of the calories consumed and the calories burned, so I have to trust God's grace to burn them off in my sleep.

After driving over the beautiful mountain range and seeing the sleepy houses that line the roads, many standing hundreds of years and often ready for some new roof tiles, we wound down to lower plains.  One of the many villages had a sign for frommage direct and we jumped at the opportunity to get further off the beaten path.  Buy the cheese from the dairy; we bought fresh munster cheese (nothing like munster in America) in Munster at this beautiful dairy farm with a very high standard of cleanlyness.  Next was going in to pet the bull calves ready to be sold off; they were so fun and I'd love to have a half dozen back home.

The fields that we had experienced from the Loire valley to Burgandy were half mustard seed in full bloom of yellow and the other half of wheat in dark green (it was a U of O dream) and we couldn't believe that there was such a need for mustard as we saw thousands and thousands of hectars of blooming mustard.... it was beautiful.


While in Munster, we picked up a loaf of fresh bread, some girkens (little pickles), olives, apples, and some local red wine.  After our three-course "plate de jour", our groceries would serve up as our dinner and an early rest in bed.  OH, the munster was stinky, but once aired, it was very good.  


We have been driving an Opel diesel car and it has done very well.  It fits our needs well, but diesel runs 1.45 euro/liter, so between fuel and toll roads the first couple of days of chateau viewings, we will walk much of tomorrow.  Exploring is on tap and trying to interface with more and more locals.  We have found the Alsatians very friendly, and as a whole everyone in France has been very hospitable even with our lace of language skills.


Yesterday in Beaune, the "capital of Burgandy", we saw a hospital that dates back to the 15th century, it was called the Hospice of Beaune, but better know as the Palace of the Poof.  It ran until 1971 as a hospital that cared for the poor and rich alike, side by side.  It was amazing to see and we didn't even know it was there except we were lead by our hearts to explore the city and see what was in it.  This multi-paneled painting done by Wagner 1399-14something was incredible to see the detail and grasp of  man's choice.

We have seen a number of churches, but unfortunately, they are now memorials to a faith that was once very vibrant.  The buildings lack people and the Spirit of God in them and it isn't improving with the future generations. Past generations knew of the Master and the transformation of lives; those lives willing to care for the poor, tend the sick and comfort the helpless.   I don't know what it will take, but God does.  People can be so blind to how much they are loved by the God that created them.