Him

images felt more than remembered

flashes of memories drifting through the dusty corners of the attic of the mind

the hard newly fallen log under us

the smell of fresh sawdust

the thunderous calm of a just silenced chain saw

oily blue exhaust hanging in the air

this man, gentle, old yet strong beside me

loving me like he had such a long line of young boys

not always with words or touch but with time

working beside them, unknowingly molding them

the wagon is loaded, the tractor started

adding its own darker puff of exhaust to that of the chain saw

the ride back

feet stuck through the rear of the buckling seat

his strong back supporting mine – loved, wanted, safe, free

I stand beside another driveway now

the same tractor puffs into view and I see his son with mine

I know what he is feeling and smile

Just a reminder that your kids could be worse off......

Someone passed this to me in an e-mail - couldn't pass it up!

WHY PARENTS DRINK
A father passing by his son's bedroom was astonished to see that his bed was nicely made and everything was picked up. Then he saw an envelope, propped up prominently on the pillow that was addressed to 'Dad.' With the worst premonition he opened the envelope with trembling hands and read the letter.

Dear Dad:
It is with great regret and sorrow that I'm writing you. I had to elope with my new girlfriend because I wanted to avoid a scene with Mom and you. I have been finding real passion with Stacy and she is so nice. But I knew you would not approve of her because of all her piercings, tattoos, tight motorcycle clothes and the fact that she is much older than I am. But it's not only the passion...Dad she's pregnant. Stacy said that we will be very happy. She owns a trailer in the woods and has a stack of firewood for the whole winter. We share a dream of having many more children. Stacy has opened my eyes to the fact that marijuana doesn't really hurt anyone.. We'll be growing it for ourselves and trading it with the other people that live nearby for cocaine and ecstasy. In the meantime we will pray that science will find a cure for AIDS so Stacy can get better. She deserves it. Don't worry Dad. I'm 15 and I know how to take care of myself. Someday I'm sure that we will be back to visit so that you can get to know your grandchildren.

Love, Your Son Cody,

P.S.. Dad, none of the above is true. I'm over at Tommy's house. I just wanted to remind you that there are worse things in life than the report card that's in my center desk drawer. I love you. Call me when it's safe to come home.

Return of the 17 Year Cicadas

As a kid I loved hearing my dad tell me about the "17 year locust". The cicadas nymphs live underground for 17 years before they come to the surface to mature as insects. I love to hear the cicada song on those warm summer days. This year my kids found about 30 shells in our back yard and it was my turn to begin to tell the story. "God made this magnificent insect..."

An Important Story

I read the Ethos blog by Randy Elrod regularly and he recently had a awesome post on a young man's conversion from Islam to Christianity.

This Is An Important News Story-Why Have We Not Heard About It????

Son of Hamas Leader Turns Back on Islam...

Mosab Hassan Yousef is an extraordinary young man with an extraordinary story. He was born the son of one of the most influential leaders of the militant Hamas organization in the West Bank and grew up in a strict Islamic family. continue on his blog here

Sunday School Class Week Two

Showing my SS class Blogger!

Knowledge and Wisdom

For my devotions I use some thing called a Life Journal. It combines a daily reading plan with intentional journaling. It is a great way to focus on God's word. I don't normally pulish my journal entries but today's kind of tied in with my post yesterday.

Knowledge and Wisdom

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:7 Always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth.

Observation: We are not to merely seek knowledge but truth. Some people spend their whole lives learning about stuff but never live out the truth of what they know. Like spending all you time reading about sailing and never setting foot in a boat.

Application: I need to do both - life is not an academic pursuit. I don't need to just know more about God I need to know God more. I do not need to just know all the answers I need to know the answer! My passion is for Him not knowledge about Him.

Prayer: Father - Keep my eyes on you and not the stuff I surround you with. May I run passionately after you and you only. - Amen

What are you chasing?

I was listening to an interview on the Steve Brown Etc. Show the other day. They were talking to an actor named Eduardo Verástegui from the movie Bella. He said "Greyhounds spend their lives chasing a false dream." He went on to say that once in a while a dog will catch the rabbit and that when they do and discover that it is fake they will never chase it again. It made me wonder how many of us do the same thing. We chase wealth or pleasure or status or peace or comfort or any of the things that appear to have value and yet when we actually get them we find them fake and empty. Some times we get hurt so deeply we decide not to chase anything again - it must all be as empty as that fake bit of fur and metal.

Do you ever feel like you are chasing empty dreams? Are you ever suspicious that the pot at the end of the rainbow might be filled with fools gold?

Paul talks about the race in Hebrews 12:1-3 "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."

Michael Card once said "What we need is not to do more for God but to love God more." We can get so wrapped up in doing good things and chasing good dreams and end up empty because we have lost sight of what we were created to be. We were not merely created to be servants we were created to be companions. We are the Beloved, the Bride and we need to keep our eyes on the bridgroom.

Father, may I pursue you desperately. May my soul thirst for you. May you be so fixed in my sight that the distractions of this world seem pale and empty.
Amen

Pursue Him desperately my friends.
Dan