ADVENTURE

 In 1974, I excitedly got on a Greyhound bus for an eight hour bus ride to FHC, a place I'd never been before. B.A. Bible, B.A. Communication Theory. "to know WHAT to say and HOW to say it most effectively"

1978 Grad School. Getting suped up for preaching. M.Th. UPS warehouse worker. A daughter born!

1981 Michigan. "go north, young man, to the red, unchurched counties" and off on a wild adventure with my young wife and new daughter. Brigadoon. One son born there!

1985 Chicago. No job. No promises. Multiplying ministry. China next?! A disappointing debacle.  However, another son born there! And, forced to unfathomable appreciation for the Grace of God.  "by grace through faith" became so real!

1987 Huntsville, for one more adventure??  Decaffeinated Discipleship ministry, we joked. Good, godly folks struggling to find the path forward.

1990 changed direction, trade school

1992 Mobile, IP. Machinist. Plant closed. Forced to move for job. Thank Jesus, a door was opened, through which we entered with relief and hope.

1996 Thomasville, MB/WR/IP ... Millwright. quarter of a century... retired...

2022 Tuscaloosa... never been this apprehensive and unsure and anxious?!  Is a little piece of green paradise too much to ask? Godly friends? Useful ministry? Happiness? Peace?

How many more years?! 

Golden, heavenly streets next. The new heavens and new Earth. Paradise. Jesus.

Then Samuel took a stone and set it between Mizpah and Shen, and he named it Ebenezer (stone of help), saying, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.”

1 Samuel 7:12 AMP

CHANGE PRAYER

O Lord,

Calm my heart.

Fortify my mind.

Strengthen my arms.

Open my eyes.

Guide my steps.

Guard my back!

Surround me and mine, 

   with Your angelic host.

GETTING OLD

The familiar is fading.

The unknown is usurping.

Landmarks are languishing.

Progress is pushing.

Keepsakes are corroding.

Generics are growing.

Nothing is the same.

Everything is different.

LEADERSHIP ?!

 1. Confidence mandatory 

2. Correctness not so much

3. Complexity not good

4. Contingency okay

5. Continuum not so much

6. Corruption inevitable

7. Crushing competition

8. Credit grabbing

9. Cronyism often

10. Cruelty works

11. 

SATISFACTION

 Some things excite, but do not satisfy.

Distract, but not direct.

Numb, but not calm.

Amuse, but not answer.

Fill us, but leave us empty.

...

Less is more.

Silence is music.

...

A glutton is never full.

...

Give thanks.

Focus on things above.

Serve.

UNFINISHED

Books, on the shelf, unread ...

Projects, in the mind, unstarted ...

Gardens unattended ...

Equipment unrepaired ...

Friends drifted away ...

Love unrequited ...

Games never played ...

Thoughts unconnected ...

Prayers never uttered ...

Trips never taken ...

Souls never saved ...

Growth unachieved ...

Time unredeemed ...

Serenity squandered ...

It's a delusional, if not dishonest,  "soon" 

to the childish question 

"when are we getting there?"

Just enjoy the journey?!

Fulfilled in the next life?!

THINKING

Just thinking about THINKING. 

The simple believes everything, but the prudent looks where he is going.

Proverbs 14:15 RSV

"So, is it more important for parents to encourage their children to think WHAT they think, or HOW they think?" I asked my spouse.

"They must be pushed just to THINK!"

I then questioned how I think! Coworkers sometimes told me that I overthink?! 🙄🤣

My parents pushed me to filter thoughts through the lens of Holy Scriptures. But, then, when I came out the other end of the thought process, sometimes I thought different conclusions?! 🤪 Now what?

I like "consequences" thinking. Keeps me out of trouble.

I like "options" thinking. Helps prevent narrow-mindedness. There are C's and A's and X's...

I like "continuum" thinking. Some things are not just black and white.

I like "contingency" thinking. Surprises can be fatal.

I like "stream-of-conciousness" thinking, floating with muses. Surprises can be amazing!

I like "filtered" thinking. Agreeing on the filter may be difficult, but, there's a lot of poison in the stream.

I like "unfiltered" thinking. "Poisoning the well" predisposes the answers.

I like "solitude" thinking. Eurekas are better than chocolate.

I like "group" thinking. Pooling of ignorance is not the only possibility?! Advisors prevent failure, often.

a few more thoughts ... 

"garbage in, garbage out"

"you can't make chicken soup with chicken droppings"

"pigs ears make poor silk purses"

I need to think about this...

There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.

Proverbs 14:12 RSV

For among them are those who make their way into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and swayed by various impulses, who will listen to anybody and can never arrive at a knowledge of the truth.

2 Timothy 3:6‭-‬7 RSV