Peeks Through Clouds

Sleet in the night

2012-01-12T22:04:00.000-06:00

I know what happened.
The sky froze solid and,
warped by unrelenting blasts
direct from the shores of Nome,
fractured.
Razor-edged stone-hard
shards of atmosphere
pelted down
and might have shredded us,
had you not been so warm.

'12

2012-01-01T08:21:00.001-06:00

they thought it came
as they celebrated
with noise and dance and drink
before death-deep dreamless sleep
but here
as first light glistens
on monuments to the dead
here
as prayers and songs of the living
rise through tall trees
here
as the sun breaks the horizon
here
as the mercies of God are renewed
the new year begins
here

Today's Reading: Psalm 32:11

2011-11-07T17:37:00.001-06:00

"Rejoice in the Lord and be glad,
all you who obey Him!
Shout for joy,
all you whose hearts are pure!"

Uh, shout for joy?
All you whose hearts are pure?

I can't h-e-a-r you...

Uh... anyone?

Anyone?

REQUEST FORM

2011-11-02T18:10:00.000-05:00

Go with me into this day, O God
this place, O God
this world, O God
Go with me into this life, O God
the one You have prepared

Two dollar chime

2011-10-08T08:53:00.003-05:00

It clinks,

and only three notes,

and barely in tune at that.

But blending with the rustle of leaves

carried on this morning’s breeze,

it does its part;

it sprinkles peace.

After Lorenzo Scupoli

2011-10-08T08:11:00.008-05:00

Ask ye,

“O most high and holy
King of Heaven,
what hast brought thee
to me, and I but wretched
and poor and blind
and naked?”

And He shall answer,

“Love.”

Ask ye then,

“O sweet and uncreated
total love,
what would thou ask
from me, whose essence
must remain abhorrent
to your eyes?”

And He shall answer,

“Love.”

And you shall cry out,

“Love! Excepting
that of self, I have
no love!”

And He shall say,

“Take mine.”

investment

2011-09-14T18:12:00.002-05:00

Their wealth,
such as it was,
shall not be inherited.
Older, weaker and
poorer they grow,
as resources gathered
through the sweat-faced toil
of decades
are exhausted,
spent on care
delivered by caregivers
less than caring.
Only then are they,
spent and exhausted themselves,
allowed to slip into eternity
penniless,
having enriched no one,
preserved nothing,
and saved, perhaps,
not even their own souls.

immobility

2011-09-04T12:51:00.008-05:00

Am I so trained by shackles
that even when they fall from me
I remain spread-eagled on the wall,
enamored by lines of shadow
between fibers of rotted rope
and the glint of the beckoning Light of Life
on broken chains?
How long will I linger
in this clutter, this rubble,
gazing at ruins, wondering,
"Might I miss some wretched crumb,
be it left behind?" Oh, far behind!
Cursed pile of rusted
grace-shattered links,
you do not confine me;
my hesitant thoughts alone
accomplish that.
Explode in me, O Spirit, O Joy!
Lift me from this heap
on wings like eagles!
Set me once again
to walking
and leaping
and praising God!

Present Company Excepted

2011-07-25T06:18:00.008-05:00

Except for the false-front skyline
of the little prairie town,
you could see ten miles
in every direction
from the roof of this
one-story flea bag.
There are surely other stories,
but they will not be told.
No one is left who remembers,
and anyway
there's no one left to tell
except for the storyteller,
and he just left.

picnic spot

2011-07-24T08:57:00.011-05:00

In little country cemeteries,
leaning on smooth marble
or rough-hewn granite,
I play mourning songs.
Around me, these can't hear at all,
or can they? I can.

Gone the proud young soldier,
gone the child of sadness
and the old, old man.
Gone the mother,
the sister, the wife,
the one who waited,
the one who ran screaming
and the one who could not run.
Gone the lovers of the prairie wind,
those who hailed from wooded lands
and those who longed for the sea.
Gone the laborer, merchant,
student, farmer, drunkard
and intrepid pioneer.
Gone the oppressor and the oppressed,
the simple, the wasted, the slain.
Gone those with names forgotten,
joined by those who knew them,
and gone those in fresh-piled graves
dug by those still living.

Judgments are unknown to me.
Eternities are determined elsewhere.
Yet the cells of souls
dissolved in the tears of heaven
nourish this rough grass,
these hopeful flowers
and whispering cedars.

Around me, these can't hear at all,
or can they? I can,
and leaning on smooth marble
or rough-hewn granite
in little country cemeteries,
I play mourning songs.

dumbstruck

2011-06-18T07:12:00.006-05:00

sometimes there simply are no words
and prayer becomes a moaning
and a deep and silent groaning
without words
sometimes there's just a clenching
and a twisting and a wrenching
and a thirst that has no quenching
without words
sometimes your face is blinding
and there's power and there's binding
and I feel your moving spirit
and your presence is so near
it washes through me to renew me
and a prayer can seem forever
in a moment and there's never
any words

Necessarily so

2011-06-11T19:29:00.003-05:00

I believe in truth. That is,
I believe some things are
just the way they are
and always will be
unaffected
by ignorance or knowledge
and unchanged
by belief or unbelief.
So don't tell me
it all depends
on what you believe because
it all depends
on what all the truth is.

tin cicada

2011-05-14T06:05:00.009-05:00

I imagine you whispering

into my nearly deaf left ear

something personal

meaningful

sweet

and your voice floating
warm
like cedar-sifted breeze

into the lair of the tin cicada

that never sleeps
where your whisper rustles
like a candy wrapper in church

leaving me no choice

but to turn

for the millionth time

and spoil the moment

with an earnestly interested

“what, hon?”

and you, like me,

being absolutely unable

to say that certain tender thing

in just that tender way

ever again.

And I know I put it there

dug the hole myself

with the quivering headers

of some thundering engine

planted the seed

of this constant swirling sizzle

there in my inner ear
with screaming guitars
in rainbow concert halls

fertilized and watered it

earning a paycheck
cleaning bearings
with an air hose

cultivated it

with a quick shotgun
in the pheasant field

and finally harvested

the inevitable result
with a deer rifle
in the autumn woods.

And now, whether

lying here in the dark

with you beside me

or sitting alone

waiting for a winter dawn,

I can hear this tin cicada

and pretend it's a summer evening

and we’re on the porch

and you’re whispering

warm
like the cedar-sifted breeze.

or perhaps not

2011-04-30T06:48:00.116-05:00

perhaps there are
those who can fill
and be fulfilled in
some close-fitting niche
perhaps there is
a niche that would fit
someone like me
perhaps it's really
just over the hill
perhaps i'll take
the scenic route
the twisty lane
with the "bridge out" sign
and find myself
lost? stuck? resting
in the shade
of this tree
instead of
finding myself
fulfilling myself
in some niche
with my name
or yours
on the door
which is probably
closed

Confidence

2011-02-27T14:20:00.000-06:00

My confidence in myself is this;
that I shall surely fall.
Though skills apparently persist,
the Lord sustains them all.

From Him comes the gift that lets me trust
the firmly planted Vine.
Apart from Him I’m less than dust;
in Him all things are mine.

photographer

2011-02-27T14:16:00.006-06:00

To capture, as if it were possible
the morning light
to show others what they miss
not being him, not being with him
in chill early darkness
he leaves comfort behind, slips
through dim woodland
across dusty waste
around shrouded stone
climbs up or down
to the vantage point
to the hidden spot
his secret spot
the just-right spot
and waits and adjusts and fiddles
and watches and the moment comes
or moments, and the button is pressed
click and click and click and
later he pries the images, his images
from behind the lens
spreading them before you
as if seeing them could transport you
as if seeing them could deliver you
sound of water or birdsong
brush of dewdrop or cobweb
scent of damp earth or cedar
knowledge
of what he knew there
or knows there
in the hidden spot
the secret spot
as if it were possible
in the morning light

antidote

2011-02-22T20:51:00.001-06:00

the first symptom of
the serpent's venom is
the conviction that
you aren't snake-bit

if you don't believe me
just look at the world

if you don't believe me
just look at the mirror

if you don't believe me
why is John 16:7-11?

...and over and over and...

2011-02-19T08:05:00.003-06:00

Please

don't expect me

to always

do anything

the same way again.

Why, I can barely

be religious

about religion.

St. Valentine's Lunch Break

2011-02-11T19:25:00.001-06:00

He leaps the curbside snowbank
like a youth, this balding man,
and into the store he goes,
shortly emerging
with one small perfect bag,
a smile and a beating heart.
Now - to find a cheeseburger!

last winter

2011-02-10T19:17:00.012-06:00

Who shovels your snow when the new year comes,
when January blows pages off the calendar
with a wicked blast of frozen whistling white?
Is it the half-grown red-cheeked boy,
eager to learn from hard cold struggle,
to scrape your steps, your walk,
to pad his pocket and earn perhaps
a glance from the pig-tailed girl next door?
Or does the appreciated neighborhood hero
venture forth to find your driveway
with his newest howling seasonal machine,
while you watch behind loose windows
gratefully, through curtains of dusty lace?

Do they know
you once could kiss like springtime,
my tottering frail-but-fair?
Do they know
you shine like summer in my heart?
Do they know
this embarrassed striken warrior,
bound to his bed in your hidden chamber,
who only longs to clear paths for you
and taste once more the January wind?

It's been a good week

2011-01-17T18:14:00.004-06:00

Once again,
O Lord of Glory,
you have not squashed me
like a bug.

Once again,
O Power of Heaven,
you have not given me
what I deserve.

Once again
you have opened your hands to me,
O Great Provider.

Once again
you have held me in your arms,
O Loving Father.

Once again,
O Heart of Mercy,
you have not closed the door
to the wanderer come home.

under canis major

2010-11-19T21:27:00.010-06:00

Summer's fire has faded
to burnt-orange reflections
in clouds at dawn and dusk
and crisp, once-glowing leaves
beneath my feet.
Bittersweet November!
As the dog star arcs
above frost-dark mornings,
your icy fingers trace frozen tears
across my cheeks, chilling memories
of springtime folly and long hot nights
with their games of chance and skill.

Now, life gets sirius.

pretentious

2010-10-31T09:22:00.000-05:00

It’s easy to pretend that
we’re not coming to the end of the world.
I know that it’s easy;
I’ve been there too, like you.

From “Start Every Day with a Smile”
by the 2nd Chapter of Acts

sunlight and shadow

2010-10-10T18:01:00.007-05:00

sitting in the sun

harvesting autumn’s glory

slanting golden light

sitting in the sun

warming memory’s treasure

unforgotten joys

sitting in the sun

pondering future’s pathway

lengthening shadows

for all who have ever been children

2010-09-18T07:58:00.000-05:00

may they have beautiful days, all days
and see your glory, Lord

may he have beautiful days

may she have beautiful days

may we have beautiful days, all days
and see your glory, Lord

wild roses

2010-05-15T14:31:00.007-05:00

Forgive me, Father,

for I have sinned. Knowing

their shading is sublime,

their fragrance heavenly

and their season short,

while hastening to encounter lesser things

I have driven past wild roses.

Forgive me, Father,

for I have sinned. Knowing

their value is immense,

their judgment certain

and their souls at risk,

while hastening to accomplish lesser things

I have ignored your loved ones.

Forgive me, Father,

for I have sinned. Knowing

your abundant provision,

your effective guidance

and your fulfilling presence,

while hastening to gain lesser things

I have forgotten to love the Lord my God.

Forgive me, Father,

for knowingly,

I have driven past wild roses.

This Year's Valentine

2010-02-14T18:12:00.006-06:00

I heard this poem the other day on Writer's Almanac, a feature on one of the area public radio stations. I've shared it with a few loved ones, with the explanation that no man could honestly promise to do all this, despite his best intentions. But I can definitely understand the promises here as coming from Jesus, who always keeps his Word.

This Year's Valentine

By Philip Appleman

They could

pump frenzy into air ducts

and rage into reservoirs,

dynamite dams

and drown cities,

cry fire in theaters

as the victims are burning,

but

I will find my way through blackened streets

and kneel down at your side.

They could

jump the median head-on

and obliterate the future,

fit .45's to the hands of kids

and skate them off to school,

flip live butts into tinderbox forests

and hellfire half the heavens,

but

in the rubble of smoking cottages

I will hold you in my arms.

They could

send kidnappers to kindergartens

and pedophiles to playgrounds,

wrap themselves in Old Glory

and gut the Bill of Rights,

pound the door with holy screed

and put an end to reason,

but

I will cut through their curtains of cunning

and find you somewhere in the moonlight.

Whatever they do with their anthrax or chainsaws,

however they strip-search or brainwash or blackmail,

they cannot prevent me from sending you robins,

all of them singing: I'll be there.

Global Warning

2009-11-19T20:33:00.004-06:00

    There are few people these days who will dispute the validity of global warming. Oh, you can still start a heated discussion by proclaiming that human activity absolutely is (or is not) to blame, but whether the problem comes from a pickup’s tailpipe, a South Pacific volcano, long-term “natural” swings in world climate or some all-the-above combination, rapid glacial reduction and melting icecaps are hard to deny.
    With minimal effort and an internet connection, you can find all kinds of predictions about how awful it will be for all of us if we don’t get runaway climate change under control ASAP. While acknowledging that the rules are changing even while they play the game, researchers run their computer models and find shrinking ice caps and expanding deserts in our future, along with more extreme weather, stronger storms and rising sea levels.
    These developing conditions may force vast numbers of people to migrate from formerly hospitable areas to seek shelter and sustenance elsewhere. Where these migrants will go and how they might be received could be the topic for a great discussion about Christian responsibility. My guess is that most of us will want the wandering hordes to be well taken care of, just not by us. But that discussion can be held another day.
    Most of what I’ve read about the topic indicates that even if all the human factors that are thought to be contributing to “global warming” could be corrected overnight, it would be decades, if not centuries, before the swing of the climate pendulum would be reversed. And, since the human race is so hesitant to sacrifice comfort and seems to major in dithering and finger-pointing when wisdom-directed action is in maximum demand, my suspicion is that we will in fact do very little to correct those contributing factors for many more years to come.
    Does that leave the future looking grim? Sorry if global upheaval doesn’t fit your favorite retirement scenario; maybe we could talk about that some other time as well. In the meantime, surely it’s fair to say that the world certainly appears to be facing an extremely complex set of conditions that seem bound to move society away from “normal” with increasing speed in the years to come. Among those conditions, the rise in sea levels resulting from melting polar and glacial ice is likely, in my opinion, to be the most immediately demanding. And of most interest to the Bible-believing Christian, this sea level rise also seems to be noted in scripture.
    As recorded in Luke 21:25-26, Jesus told his followers that in the days before his return, “there will be strange signs in the sun, moon, and stars. And here on earth the nations will be in turmoil, perplexed by the roaring seas and strange tides. People will be terrified at what they see coming upon the earth, for the powers in the heavens will be shaken.”
    Without taking unnecessary liberties with the original text, that last phrase could be accurately translated, “The controlling characteristics of the atmosphere will be disturbed and altered.” Whether man-caused, naturally cyclical or supernaturally stirred by the finger of God as prelude to the consummation of the ages, the conditions that are bringing us global warming fit that phrase exactly. The controlling characteristics of the atmosphere are being altered, the seas will surely be roaring ever louder as a result, nations are already beginning to show signs of turmoil over the issue, and as the dire predictions begin to come true, people will surely be terrified at what they see coming on the earth.
    The apostle Peter asks a serious question for serious believers in serious times: Considering the reality of coming judgment and the destruction of all creation (see 2 Peter 3), how should we be living? Peter suggests not in fear and trepidation, but with excited anticipation coupled with efforts to hasten the day! The author of Hebrews 10:25 also weighs in on the topic, admonishing us to increase our efforts at constructive, supportive fellowship as we see the day approaching.
    These writers are, of course, only confirming the words of Jesus, quoted in Luke 21:33-36 as telling us, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away. Be on guard, so that your hearts will not be weighted down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of life, and that day will not come on you suddenly like a trap; for it will come upon all those who dwell on the face of all the earth. But keep on the alert at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are about to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man."

marvel

2009-07-05T11:29:00.003-05:00

What greater marvel could there be
than to behold one who, when he
had loved, created, freed and filled,
was hated, hounded, treed and killed?
Who, while he was hanging there,
spoke only of compassion, care
and mercy for both me and you
and all who know not what they do?
His life was given, so he said,
to rescue from the living dead
all those with hearts which would believe,
who turned from him who would deceive.

How he values those he calls!
He left heaven’s sacred halls
to take on flesh with all its woes,
to taste the pain that death bestows,
and that for those who scarcely care
to know the love he came to share!
How dare we treat as common, then,
these others who are also men,
who like us long so helplessly,
desiring only to be free,
when mere acceptance of his grace
can grant us freedom from this place?

O Son of God! To give us all
when we of our own will would fall,
nay, leap! to do that which is wrong
and celebrate it with a song!
But love and mercy still you do
extend to me – I know it’s true!
revealing goodness, beauty, peace,
and faith that helps me find release.
O my sweet foundation stone!
Man of sorrow, blood and bone,
home of all God has to give,
in you, oh marvel, I will live!

CAUTION: MAN WORKING

2009-07-04T08:09:00.011-05:00

Personal project. Wreckage
under construction. Carpenter
needed ASAP. Apply within.

When I Get Old

2009-06-29T17:15:00.010-05:00

When I get old
I'm gonna drive real slow
in a big old car
on a bright sunny day.

When I get old
I’ll park a tennis ball on my antenna
just - like - you!

When I get old
I’m gonna drive real slow
stare at the houses
remember who lived there.

When I get old
I’ll put my wheels right on the center line
Just – Like – You!

When I get old
I’m gonna drive real slow
make extra wide turns
ignore all the signs

When I get old
I’ll leave my blinker on for miles and miles
JUST – LIKE – YOU!

When I get old
I’m gonna drive real slow
wear stupid plaid shorts
with tall black socks
get a goofy white belt
and some plastic teeth.

When I get old
I’ll get my doors blown off
by some young punk
when I get to a place
where the road is straight
and nobody’s coming
he’ll go ripping by me
and flip me the bird
and shout “You dumb geezer!”
when I get old.

Just... like... THIS!!

Life by the Golden Rule

2009-06-26T22:26:00.011-05:00

He enters alone / She enters alone
as always, and
sees her alone / sees him alone
as always, and
sits beside her. He / sits by herself. She
longs to engage her / hates to disturb him
longs to be engaged / hates to be disturbed
by anyone, really, but especially
by her. / by him.

Mourning Song

2009-06-02T06:42:00.007-05:00

The wrens are back,
singing over the little cedar house
that dangles from the swing set,
singing, where the big tree used to be.

The wrens are back,
singing over the gravel
where the car was driven into the ground,
driven down until glass shattered,
metal crumpled and springs collapsed
under the weight of leaves and wood,
singing, where the big tree used to be.

The wrens are back,
singing over the sunny yard
where broken limbs and massive trunk
buried the space they had shaded
before the twister laid the giant low,
singing, where the big tree used to be.

The wrens are back,
singing over faded shadows of sweaty men
and the tracks of powerful machines,
singing in air filled once with howling wind
and deadly flailing branches,
then growling chain saws,
then silence.

The wrens are back,

singing over and over,
where the big tree used to be.

Thinking man’s woe (Luke 6:26)

2009-05-12T08:53:00.004-05:00

It’s no peculiar sin of mine,
and no remarkable vice,
to care to be thought of as loving and kind,
or even attractive or nice.
But vanity hides a poor spirit, I’m sure,
and no one would dare disagree.
So curse the desire that in spite of hell’s fire
would have you to think well of me!

Lord, let me avoid seeking credit,
and "staying on top of my game,"
and strive to known as a Christian.
(Not poetic or deep, to my shame!)
Pride comes before the destruction of man,
and haughtiness precedes his fall,
so may it be said long before I am dead,
I don’t care to be thought of at all!

On Luke 21:36

2009-05-10T08:22:00.002-05:00

surrounded by sadness
horror and darkness
trouble and danger and war
O! for a psalm
with a comforting promise
that sorrow will touch us no more!

if enemies, even
in unnumbered thousands
surround us and we watch them fall
still we who are learning
to love those who hate us
can comfort ourselves not at all

and when those who fall
are the innocent children
the lonely, the sick and the old
then heartbreak may rise
‘til it near overwhelms us
but we must stand faithful and bold

we won’t find it easy
sweet people of Jesus
to follow in His gentle way
so prayerfully heed
His commandments and warnings
and pray to stand faithful that day

I want to be one of them

2009-03-16T06:03:00.006-05:00

Following are the lyrics to "When the Saints" by Sara Groves. You may have been familiar with the song for some time, but it has only recently found its way to me, and cut my heart to shreds...

Lord I have a heavy burden of all I've seen and know
It's more than I can handle
But your word is burning like a fire shut up in my bones
and I cannot let it go

And when I'm weary and overwrought
with so many battles left unfought
I think of Paul and Silas in the prison yard
I hear their song of freedom rising to the stars
And when the saints go marching in
I want to be one of them

Lord it's all that I can't carry and cannot leave behind
but your word has compelled me
when I think of all who've gone before me
and lived the faithful life
their courage compels me

And when I'm weary and overwrought
with so many battles left unfought
I think of Paul and Silas in the prison yard
I hear their song of freedom rising to the stars
I see the shepherd Moses in the Pharaoh's court
I hear his call of freedom for the people of the Lord
And when the saints go marching in
I want to be one of them
Yeah when the saints go marching in
I want to be one of them

I see the long quiet walk along the Underground Railroad
I see the slave awakening to the value of her soul
I see the young missionary and the end of the spear
I see his family returning with no trace of fear
I see the long hard shadows of Calcutta nights
I see the sisters standing by the leper's side
I see the young girl huddled on the brothel floor
I see the man with a passion come and kicking down the door
I see the man of sorrows and his long troubled road
I see the world on his shoulders and my easy load

And when the saints go marching in
I want to be one of them...

cider inside

2009-02-19T18:02:00.001-06:00

For a few minutes there,
it was only blue sky
and warm sun
and cool breeze
and sweet red apple.
It was only about living
and not about life,
and for a few minutes there,
more than the apple was sweet.

Creche

2008-12-14T21:20:00.004-06:00

Hearts will be exposed, judged truly

by One we have esteemed too little,

as time fades with the final trumpet's echo.

But here only the smile matters,

the smile of the infant King of Kings.

Smile on us, Holy Wonder,

as we, in earnest faith,

waggle our fingers and babble

like lost simpletons. After all,

that is what we are.

found wanting

2008-11-13T18:26:00.008-06:00

I am in agony.
I am the earth,
and the wisdom of my stewards
has been found wanting.
Corrupted by the curse
they have so eagerly earned,
I now hoarsely whisper
what once I shouted...
GLORY!

I am in agony.
I am the earth,
and I echo the cry
of all creation: Come!
Come soon, Lord Jesus!

Note To Self

2008-11-02T06:02:00.003-06:00

Think you can pray
‘cause you skipped a few meals?
Call yourself a warrior
‘cause you read some books?
Get off your knees, your face, your high horse,
and show me how you changed the world!

myself the breeze

2008-11-01T19:04:00.009-05:00

Thinking myself the breeze
I pass easily,
finding myself
beyond steepness, cedar,
barbed wire and tangled hedge,
confronting backlit bluestem,
gramma, switchgrass,
streaking whitetail,
glory.

Thinking myself the breeze
I pass easily,
finding myself.

Stump Broke

2008-10-18T22:02:00.011-05:00

He tells me don’t call him sir
with his tangled red beard
his camo jacket
his grimy handshake

He rolls to a spot by the river
with his fire in a bottle
soaks up some sunshine
some so-called peace

He thinks he’s no kind of hero
with his wine-scented smile
his missing legs
his shattered courage

Blackbirds

2008-09-21T14:47:00.001-05:00

Blackbirds have gathered to feast in the fields.
Rising in a wave from the concealing grain
the great flock twists and wheels
as if with one mind
before settling to perfectly-spaced perches
on power lines above.

What secret signal, what inner trumpet
calls them from their business to their rest,
bids them rise
as we will one day rise,
on a thousand little wings?

cry

2008-08-24T07:30:00.004-05:00

Earth, O God, we know too well.

Come for us, Emmanuel!

Prayer of Faith

2008-07-20T12:42:00.003-05:00

to believe for what hasn't yet happened
to acknowledge what just isn't there
to know without seeing or feeling
to receive as a promise Your care

this is the challenge I've come to
and here I am yielded and still
Father, I know that You're able
help me to know that You will

It's only me... this time

2008-07-19T09:42:00.004-05:00

There’s this lady at work who comes from an Asian country. We have a great friendship of the kind that may only be understandable to folks who have worked in a busy factory, where two people going about their jobs often cross paths but have basically no time to speak, and no real understanding of what the other actually does for a living. It goes sort of like this:

“Hey, how you doing today?”

“Okay for a Monday. Working hard?”

“Hah! I work hard every day! Not like SOME people I know…”

“Right! You should try to keep up with me some time when you can’t find anything to lean on! See ya…”

Of such conversations, durable relationships can be formed.

So anyway, the other day I saw this lady hard at work (you can never tease a slacker about their work habits) and walked her way. She didn’t see me coming until the last second, and I must have startled her, because she jumped back, grabbed at her heart-filled throat and blurted, “Oh! Jesus!”

“Nah,” I said, “It’s only me…” and went on about my job.

And then I got to thinking. First of all, I told you she’s from an Asian country, a country where Buddhism is very prominent. But she hadn’t blurted, “Oh! Buddha!” That’s encouraging to me, because although I know nothing about her faith-life, at least she knows how to call on the name of the Lord in a moment of panic, and that’s a qualification for salvation under both the Old and New Covenants (see Joel 2:32, reinforced in Acts 2:21).

But there was more. I realized that one day there will be people who cry out, “Oh! Jesus!” when they see Him coming in His glory, but for them this sudden, accurate identification of the King of Kings will come too late. And I was reminded of how those of us who are eagerly watching and waiting for Him will also shout His name, but for us it will be in joyful recognition of our loving Savior, who has come at last to complete our deliverance.

Although for many His coming will be according to the scenario detailed by the apostle Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5, when the unexpected arrival of the “thief in the night” brings sudden destruction upon those who have been saying “Peace and safety,” I find great comfort in the promise of the following verses that tell us we believers won’t be surprised at all!

“For you are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief,” Paul writes, “but you are all sons of the light and sons of the day.” He goes on to encourage us to live according to that light, alert, self-controlled, faithful, loving… and concludes the passage by telling us, “For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath, but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.”

So thanks, everybody, for all the encouragement. Now I have to get back to work… see ya!

transition

2008-07-17T20:35:00.015-05:00

I grew up in Chapman
when most of the streets were sandy
and tree-arched, with no curbs.
Highway 40 was the main road
between New Jersey and Sacramento.
It was a time of transition,
but I didn’t really know about that;
I was too busy racing my bicycle,
building model cars, and
playing baseball without grown-ups.

I went to school in Chapman
when it was DCCHS
and the gym was at the high school.
We had an interstate that killed
three service stations and a restaurant.
It was a time of transition,
but I didn’t really know about that;
I was too busy camping with the Boy Scouts,
learning to drive a stick shift, and
scouting for out-of-town girls.

I made my home in Chapman
when I’d traveled every road
between Cape Flattery and Key Largo.
I had Jesus in my heart
and hopes for my family’s future.
It was a time of transition,
but I didn’t really know about that;
I was too busy earning a paycheck,
sitting in the bleachers, and
being a responsible adult.

I was blown away in Chapman
when the howling storm blocked streets
with trees and broken houses.
Landmarks are now banished
to who-knows-where and memory.
It’s a time of transition,
but I don’t really know about that;
I’m too busy finding a contractor,
crying on the inside, and
praying for my hurting city.

I may grow old in Chapman
until tree-lined streets and a new school
once again seem normal.
Or I may vanish too,
leaving memories for those who knew me.
It will be a time of transition,
and the One who calmed the storm knows about that.
I mustn’t be too busy giving mind to other matters,
being concerned with what is passing, to
be watching for His appearing.

Evening in June

2008-06-22T21:59:00.003-05:00

A few photos from the June 11 Chapman tornado are on my flickr site (see link, above left). These are not the regular wreckage shots like you're tired of seeing in the news. I'll add more as head space allows.

For a new (found) friend

2008-06-10T20:14:00.005-05:00

This photo was taken at Kaw Point, the spot where the Kansas (Kaw) River joins the Missouri. There, a little park commemorating Lewis and Clark and their Journey of Discovery is tucked away behind a trucking company parking lot in Fairfax. I think the reflection of the buildings across the water would be beautiful at sunset, although I gotta say it was a rather scary place alone at 4:30 on this dark, wintry morning. But it's your city, lady; you gotta love it, like Billy Graham says, warts and all. That's the way God loves us... and a good thing, too!

Deer in the Headlights

2008-06-09T21:35:00.003-05:00

There’s a stretch of Old 40 between Abilene and Chapman that our household has come to know as Whitetail Alley. When you face another vehicle’s on-coming headlights there at night, it’s as long and straight and shiny-surfaced as a dark two-lane blacktop ever needs to be, and a generous portion of it passes directly between a tempting piece of crop ground and a safe riverside timber patch. The too-frequent car-deer altercations that have occurred in Whitetail Alley have not been deadly to any humans that I know of, which is undeniably a testimony to the intervening grace of God.

Heading back to Chapman after a recent evening meeting at church, I was very aware that the remaining daylight was rapidly fading… prime time for deer, and the most difficult time to see them. So I was really making an effort to do all the right things… keep the eyeballs moving, scan the ditches and the nearby fields, stay alert, pray for the Lord to set angels around me… but you drive here, too, you know the drill. And so, thankfully, I made it once again through the “danger zone” without incident. Just a couple of miles to go now, and you hardly EVER see deer between Chapman and that fallen-down old barn…

As I approached Indian Hill just outside of Chapman, I was thinking about something I had read earlier that day, a thought about how Satan often waits until we have achieved a small victory, then Wham! he slips one in and has a victory party of his own at our expense. And I peered into the purple dusk and there, not ten seconds ahead of me, right in the road, half-way up the hill where they had no business whatsoever, two barely discernable gray-tan shapes stood staring at my headlights.

Our adversary, we are told, often disguises himself as an angel of light, an easy costume for one named Lucifer, the Light-bearer. Whether he or his demonic minions ever disguise themselves as deer-wisps in an effort to cause an aspiring Christ-follower to overreact and maybe lose control of a fast-rolling vehicle on a narrow road next to a steep embankment, I don’t know, maybe so. Been there, done that, bought the radiator. Could have bought the farm, too, but not this time. No swerve, no screech, no collision. This time it was Whoa, not Wham.

So I dodged that one, a small victory. When do I expect the Wham? To be honest, I don’t. I do try to keep in mind the admonitions of Paul to devote myself to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart (Col. 4:2 NLT) and to be on my guard, not asleep, staying alert and clearheaded (1 Thess. 5:6 NLT), but I don’t get in a panic about it. My Lord and Savior never sleeps, and He has doubtlessly rescued me from many dangers I never saw at all. I’m sure He’s willing and able to do it again, and He will probably have to.

After all, I’m an aspiring Christ–follower. And I drive Whitetail Alley.

petals on the pathway

2008-04-08T06:30:00.006-05:00

The old saying is that April showers bring Mayflowers... you know, boat-loads of illegal immigrants, pilgrims looking for the Promised Land, or at least a promise of land.

"I am a pilgrim," sang Nancy Honeytree, "but not a rambler;

there is a pathway meant just for me.

I only fumble when I won't follow,

I only stumble when I won't see.

Light of Life, shine on my pathway;

Shepherd call me, call me down the road...

I am coming, I am coming,

though I bend beneath my load."

May seeing the flowers of the season turn your heart toward your Helper, and put some spring in your step...

Vision from Kaw Point

2008-03-24T17:31:00.005-05:00

Hello again! Okay, I confess, I'm mostly only making this entry as an excuse to hang this picture in a public spot. (There's a full-size unframed version on my flickr site.) While I've been enjoying digital photography for a few years now, have given a few pictures to friends and family at appropriate times and have entered a few local photo contests with a measure of success (whatever that means), I have not yet printed, framed and hung any of my own work in my own home. I can't seem to get King Solomon's voice out of my head. (You know, "Vanity of vanities, all is vanity...") But what's a blog really for, anyway, if not to deliberately ignore the wisdom of old Solomon Davidson? So counting the frame, think roughly 36 inches wide and 20 high, and tell me, yes or no... since right now I can't think of a wall where this particular combination would look "just right," should I redecorate a room to match? :c)

New Year's revolution

2008-01-06T08:19:00.000-06:00

I feel I need more information in order to proceed with certainty. I have become weary of doing just about everything I do with no rock-solid certainty of its rightness. In fact, if truth be told, the state of affairs induces paralysis of action and a low-grade depression. --- Andre'e Seu, in a "World" magazine editorial titled "Uncertain At Best"

It's a "real world" thing to have a car that's wearing out. It's a real world thing to have uncertainties about dealing with present responsibilities or a career move or a relationship. It's also a real world thing to be temporarily blessed with (or trapped by) comfort, convenience and the illusion of reliability. As J.R. Foster said, "We live in a broken world. We die in a broken world. We hope in a broken world." It seems to me we deal with that broken situation pretty much like we walk... watching for obstacles in our path and constantly shifting from one point of un-balance to another while swinging our related controllable parts in the proper direction, we make progress toward our objective, be it eventual heaven or earthly home.

Andre'e Seu continues...

... (the Holy Spirit) calls on us to be creative because He is sovereign. A trust in God says, "I'm going to venture on this. I know my motives aren't perfect but I'm going to try it because I know God loves me." The Spirit living within us gives us "freedom of exploration."
I had been laboring under a fallacy -- the fallacy of 100 percent certainty. I am certain that Jesus loves me, but I do not possess the same order of certainty that He wants me to have a Mercedes.
I am thinking that if I (1) investigate a matter thoroughly and (2) inquire of the Lord for guidance, then even though a postcard doesn't drop from heaven with an unequivocal answer, I can move forward with a spiritual commodity that is more true to the real world than "certainty" -- "confidence."
Confidence that God loves me. Confidence that His Spirit lives in me. Confidence that if I make a mistake His arms will be there to catch this frail saint and put me back on righteous paths, for His name's sake, this new year and the next.

Yours for a great walk toward a glorious future, with love and support and prayers... Karl

Song for BASIC

2007-10-02T06:28:00.004-05:00

A song for BASIC
(Brothers And Sisters In Chains)

to the tune “The Solid Rock”

1)
If I should sing to you of pain,
Would you invite me back again?
I sing for those in cruel hands,
In darkness, pain and iron bands.
chorus:
Our brothers bleed in Pakistan
Our sisters weep in dark Sudan
And many other distant lands

2)
While we have freedom here, it's true
To worship 'neath red, white and blue
And we’ve been saved and Jesus reigns
Our distant family lives in pain
Chorus:
The savior hears their cries each day
And we, so busy, rarely pray
And we, so busy, rarely pray.

3)
The cross of Christ our savior stands
Rejected in these foreign lands
Our Father’s children suffer there
Our Jesus loves them – do we care?
Chorus:
Their churches, homes and flesh have burned
From their great need we cannot turn.
From their great need we cannot turn

4)
Oh Lord, we love and worship You
You've blessed us richly, it is true
Surrounded by our worldly gains
Help us remember those in chains
chorus:
Until You come, O blessed day!
Help us to give, to work, to pray
Help us to give, to work, to pray.

If I should sing to you of pain,

Would you invite me back again?

For brothers & sisters in chains

2007-09-28T20:11:00.001-05:00

Chains of iron
in a prison cell,
chains of depression,
a private hell.
Chains of addiction
and chains of grief -
Oh, Lord Jesus
bring relief!

Chains of deception
and ruined health,
chains of distraction
and even wealth -
we all need you
or there’s no peace -
Come, Lord Jesus!
Bring release!

Chains of ignorance,
chains of crime,
chains of apathy,
chains of time -
but still the Lord calls
“Follow me! For freedom
I have set you free!”

Indiana Wants Me

2007-08-25T07:59:00.001-05:00

You have to see this not-so-famous vacation destination for yourself! We had a great time, and it was beautiful!

Busy, busy, busy!

2007-08-25T07:15:00.000-05:00

There is a crew hard at work rebuilding our front porch these days. The only trouble is, they don't seem to get anything done when I'm not there to supervise! :c)

benediction

2007-08-07T06:24:00.000-05:00

I suppose you really had to be there, but I'll try.

Think "Youth Awareness Update Sunday" at church, and you don't know any of the youth. Then think "friendly family gathering on an attractively trimmed hilltop overlooking a small lake."

So where would YOU like to go for church? Right. That's what we did, six of us.

Oh, don't worry... spontaneity didn't rule; this was a well-planned escape, and it went according to plan. So we had some readings and some singings and some prayings. And we had a benediction.

You see, Grandpa has geese. Not farm geese, wild geese. A small family of Canadas has taken up residence at his lake, the Hidden Mere, and they joined us for church, four of them perched and preening just over there on the grass, maybe twenty yards away from our seated group. Fine enough.

But when we had finished with our service and were just quietly chatting, enjoying the morning, a larger flock flew from west to east across the sky, a half-mile or more away to the south. Nice!

But then the flock swung northward in a big arc and came back from behind us. As they approached, Jean began to count. The flock split, with the closest group passing south of us, cupping their wings and making a ski-skid landing on the water. It was picture-perfect, but of course neither Del nor I had the presence of mind to lift a camera!

Behind us, the rest of the flock split again, one group swinging past the little island to land out of view on the main body of the lake. The final group, bringing Jean's tally to 44, came from the north down the neck of the lake, passing right in front of us and over the first group before splashing down. The whole lake rang with goose chatter.

The one goose and three goslings that had come to worship with us got up from the grass, marched down the slope to the water and swam off to meet the visitors. Those of us among the congregation who would find that type of interaction more challenging packed up our lawn chairs and drove away, fully aware that we had been blessed

Like I said, I suppose you really had to be there.

Press on!

2007-03-22T21:28:00.000-05:00

A song for Easter

2007-03-07T06:29:00.000-06:00

Come and see! Come and see!
They’ve nailed that Jesus
to a tree! A tree!

Hear him cry! Hear him cry!
But…
how can the son of God…
die?

Yet, he’s dead. I saw him.
Dead. I saw the grave
where they laid his head.

But they say… the people say…
they say that Jesus is alive
today!

Come and see! Come and see!
The Master walks again
in Galilee!

And He’s alive! He’s alive!
I’ve met Jesus Christ
and He’s alive!

Come and see! Come and see!
The Savior lives to make you free!
Be free!

‘Cause He’s alive! He’s alive!
I know Jesus… He’s alive!

Just the way it is

2007-02-13T18:28:00.000-06:00

I know, I know, it's been forever. But until I come up with something better, here's a brief glimpse of part of my daily day, brought about by an upper managerial question concerning how certain "problem areas" we are facing are dealt with at some of our related facilities in other parts of the country.
Asked to check it out at my level of the food chain, I contacted one of my distant counterparts at his equally distant parts counter, and we had a little chat. Lo and behold, things were not much different at his place. So I attempted to enlighten my manager with the following...
They (as do we) sporadically attempt to enforce impractical standards with inadequate personnel, yield to the inevitable for the sake of survival and temporarily fuss about laxness before losing interest in the situation. Then when something trips someone's trigger they return to Point A and start the cycle over, apparently ignoring the common operating definition of insanity by repeating the same actions while expecting a different outcome. It's true, boss... our system really IS perfectly designed to achieve the results we're getting!

were i a good christian

2006-12-27T19:52:00.000-06:00

were i a good christian, what things would i show
enabling others my savior to know?
love as paul wrote of it? spiritual fruit?
but when self-examined, not one attribute!
no growth, no advance toward god's holy throne.
my friends sense no change as i press on alone.
the call seems so distant, the journey so long
the way hard and wasted, and i am not strong.
my past fights to own me and tears flood my bed
but jesus has loved me, and he is my head.
the promise of freedom burns deep in my heart
while i, far from perfect, am learning my part.
it's fight less and pray more and hold faith with care
and hope for his glory and push back despair.
it’s trust that as grace and truth wash through my soul
this servant to master can yet yield control.
then love i will show you! and peace deep and pure,
when i'm a good christian. oh, would that i were!

Gone and done it

2006-11-14T17:35:00.001-06:00

Well, it's finally happened... they've gone and made me a father-in-law! Sarah and Josh tied the knot November 11th. It was a beautiful ceremony, mixing tears and laughter with love-ever-after. I didn't get too choked up; in fact, my tie behaved very well! (See my earlier entry, Choking-on-Windsor.) The happy couple even gave the parents a chance to speak, so Dave Burton and I shared a few thoughts and prayers of blessing.
We had crystal blue skies and beautiful sunshine that made the little white church almost too bright to look at. But inside the church it was cold enough people could see their breath! The guys were all in jackets so we had some insulation, but Sarah and Anna were sleeveless. Sarah's fingers were evidence of the "cold hands, warm heart" theory, and when she touched Josh's face... !

haggard laggard

2006-11-01T20:44:00.000-06:00

So okay, it's been busy and I've been tired. No excuse. Colorado vacation pics were a disappointment to me. Still no excuse. I mean, it's been a whole month! So I picked and chose, and posted a dozen on flikr... come see!

The Mother Lode

2006-10-02T18:23:00.000-05:00

We've just returned from a great vacation in the mountains of Colorado. It was in a little town in the front range where we struck the mother lode...

Missler and me on the mess

2006-09-20T06:26:00.000-05:00

From an article titled "Actions Speak Louder Than Words" in the 9/20/06 K-House e-News, a product of the ministry of Chuck & Nancy Missler:

"Don't let yourself be blinded by misleading propaganda and politically-correct generalities. The cause of Islamic terrorism is not the quest for social justice. It is not freedom for a specific group of subjugated people. The goal of Islamic terrorism ultimately is to bring the whole world into subjection to their version of fundamentalist Islam. No amount of appeasement will stop them. They do not want peace unless it comes on their terms."

Welcome to the real world. As Christians we do not war against flesh and blood, Paul tells us. Make no mistake, these are spiritually lost people we see pictured in the media, shouting their condemnations of our faith and our nation, and as Christians we do not war against them. But we had better be getting beyond basic training for battle in the spiritual realm, because the lying spirits that have deceived the Muslim warriors are laughing at the death of every suicide bomber who surrenders his hell-bound soul for the lie.

The Christian battle posture as related in Ephesians 6 is primarily defensive, but that doesn't mean we are to cower in the corner. What has been won by Christ is to be held by His followers until He returns, and what has been won by Christ is the salvation of all who will believe. The front lines, those soldiers of the cross who are actively involved in the fulfilling of the Great Commission, especially those in particularly dangerous or sensitive areas, need our support in daily militant prayer, and more and more as we see the Day approaching.

So don't kid yourself. World conditions will not be getting better any time soon. It's time for a priority check, and perhaps a recommittment..

Name above all names

2006-09-17T07:28:00.000-05:00

I see the Pope has now apologized for the hard feelings caused among Muslims by his recent quoting of 14th-century Byzantine emperor Manuel II Paleologos, who said, "Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached."

I find it interesting that the reaction among Muslims to this fresh airing of a 700-year-old opinion (which the Pope said was not his own) has included fire-bombing several churches, killing a nun and burning the Pope in effigy. I have not yet read of any of Mohammed's followers condemning this violence, or even suggesting that Mohammed himself might not approve.

And note that this violence was a reaction, not an answer. I am still waiting for the revealing of what Mohammed brought that was new, good and humane. Anyone? Anyone?

In the meantime I wait, along with all creation, for the revealing of the sons of God (see Romans 8:19). May I encourage you to stand up, and not be shy about calling a spade a spade? I understand that Islam recognizes Jesus as an honorable prophet of God. That "honorable prophet" told his followers they could recognize false prophets by their fruit. What are the fruits of Islam evident in the world today? Is it only to me that these fruits seem to stink more the closer they fall to the tree?

It is my belief that in that blessed day when every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, Allah will be just like Dagon... proven false, and found face down in the dust before the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. I pray that his followers will continue to be drawn by the Holy Spirit of the living God, until they too know Jesus, the Way, the Truth and the Life.

Choking-on-Windsor

2006-09-11T17:58:00.001-05:00

Bless my beautiful daughters, both of them. At this moment I am especially thinking of Sarah the elder, the one who is soon to give me a son-in-law. (In spite of the thoughts that follow here, I am thinking of her fondly :c)

I've never been sold on the western male formal tradition of tightening one's collar and wrapping a bit of decorative fabric about one's throat, so of course I never became skilled at tie-tying. When I got married, my groomsman nobly reached around from behind and secured my just-purchased only tie in a neat knot. That knot remained tied for over 29 years, until today. Because today I began to practice.

Oh, I know, if you've seen me at church or some other formal gathering in the past couple of years, I have indeed sometimes been accessorized with a strip of cloth suspended below my Adam's apple. But let the truth be known: I use clip-ons. Until now.

It seems my blessed elder daughter began her wedding preparations by purchasing a tie for her old man to ensure that he would be attired in keeping with her chosen color theme. No quibbles with the color, it's a very attractive tie. It's just that this particular decorative strip is designed to look best TIED... and to be honest, that leaves me, the recognized master of many knots when it comes to hitching gear to the roof of the family truckster, feeling like Fumblethumbs.

So to the internet I go... hey, look, there are umpteen different possible knots to choose from! None of them are spelled N-O-T, I suppose... no, we have the Double Windsor, the Half Windsor (What? No plain old Single Windsor?), the Four-In-Hand, the Pratt... the Noose... I think I will call whichever one I settle on the "Out-Of-Hand."

So I will untie my old tie (wouldn't want to mess up the new one, ya know) and I will stand in front of the mirror and dutifully practice. A well-tied tie, I'm sure someone told me once, attracts no attention. And I wouldn't want to upstage my darling daughter, now would I?

PS: Until today, my old tie was waiting faithfully in the closet with the suit I got married in. (What do you mean? Of COURSE it still fits! It's only 29 years old!) I'll be walking Sarah down the aisle in a new suit, but I'm secretly hoping the old one will be back in style, and the right color, for the day it's Anna's turn! :c) I mean, it's not like that old tie is worn out, and the fabric seems to have memorized the knot!

Thoughts on my father's passing

2006-09-07T07:45:00.000-05:00

Neil Detrich, my dad, died Sept. 4, a week past his 85th birthday. He was a very organized man and, having helped many others finalize the affairs of their loved ones, he had done his best to ease the inevitable confusion for us. He made sure we all knew which documents were where, and what his thoughts were about extreme medical measures that might prolong life but would not prolong its quality. As it turned out, that information was an important guide to us as he lay dying.

The past few days have been busy, almost dizzying, as we go through all the necessary steps that must be taken before we can finally say Dad has been laid to rest. There will be more steps that will be necessary later on, and I'm expecting Dad's thoughts to be an important guide in many of those steps, too.

With a compulsion to share something more than the standard obituary information, I wrote the following to be included in the handout people will receive at Dad's memorial service.

* * * * *

Neil Detrich was a public servant, an advisor, a husband, a father, a grandfather and a friend. He was committed to his community as well as his family, and will be remembered for his loving service to both.

In earlier years he enjoyed travel, bowling, fishing and golf. A hard worker all his life, when he was not in his office he could often be found chopping thistles, cutting cedars or mowing his lawn. As age began to limit his pursuits, his golf game was one of the last of his recreational activities to go, although he would probably say he never really had that much of a game to begin with.

Fond of socializing with his friends, Neil continued to attend the morning coffee hour at the Chapman Senior Center until his death. It is rumored that some of the many stories he told there may have actually been true!

Neil dedicated countless hours to community service, but will be best remembered by many as a man who tried to make it possible for others to succeed. His evenings were regularly interrupted by telephone calls and visitors asking for advice about this matter or that, but there was no complaining… this was his life.

On his last day on this earth Neil Detrich was hard at work, helping out at the Chapman Area Preservation Society and serving his community as a judge for the Labor Day parade. He then relaxed in the shade with a good friend in a golf cart, enjoyed the parade and a glass of lemonade, went back downtown to make sure things were going well, and then went home to rest.

He will be greatly missed.

Twenty-nine years and holding

2006-08-31T20:17:00.000-05:00

A reasonably recent picture of my wife Jean and me... you know how hard it is to get pictures of a photographer!

Why ask why?

2006-08-31T19:49:00.000-05:00

Just wondering... why am I embarrassed to admit I can sometimes be brought to a standstill by a glimpse of simple natural beauty? But then I wonder, why are these moments so few? Should we not be routinely awe-struck by creation's everyday declaration of the glory of God? Or are we so jaded that only the exceptional can lift our lethargic spirits? Faith, Brennan Manning says, means to want God, and to want to want nothing else. That speaks of a purity of desire I can only pretend to have... but I can want to move beyond pretending, and I do.

Better days ahead

2006-08-24T06:37:00.000-05:00

It is s-o-o hot... take me to October!

Small comfort

2006-08-20T14:40:00.000-05:00

"You have been entrusted with your crisis. God could have moved in at any time, but this is His opportunity to produce in you an unwavering faith." -- David Wilkerson

2250 Lark Road

2006-08-19T07:22:00.000-05:00

I just sent this picture here by way of Picasa, Yahoo's free photo manipulation and storage program. Seems to work easily and well... thanks for the tip, Anna!

On the responsibility of the called

2006-08-18T18:03:00.000-05:00

"The person of God must maintain such integrity in his personal ethics that others can safely make him their role model... Whether we (Christians) deserve it or not, we, our companions and our children are marked people. The public holds higher standards for us than they do for themselves." -- Wesley L. Duewel

2700 & Trail

2006-08-17T20:08:00.000-05:00

I really enjoy the pre-dawn hours.

Tough to photograph, but worth the effort to see...

and the fellowship can brighten your whole day!

Over the Rainbow

2006-08-16T22:02:00.000-05:00

In the southwestern Kansas town of Meade, there has been a flap over a flag. The owners of the local hotel had received the flag as a gift from their young son, and flew it because it was pretty, with a colorful rainbow pattern. But soon some locals who equated the rainbow with the gay rights movement made a fuss, and some over-zealous do-gooder tore down the flag. The incident made some of the area papers, and I sent the following letter to a few editors in response.

Dear Editor:

How sad that those folks in Meade are unable to enjoy flying a rainbow flag, a gift from their 12-year-old son, just because in these “enlightened” times the rainbow flag is seen by some as a symbol of support for homosexual causes. And sad to realize the natural beauty of the rainbow is being co-opted, as the word “gay” has been, to mean something quite different than it did originally.
Sadder still, the real rainbow, originally intended to remind people of God’s promise to never again destroy the earth by flood, now arches over a world full of people who, for the most part, apparently either don’t know or don’t care that God will one day destroy this sin-corrupted earth by fire. Even worse, they seem to exhibit the same disregard for the eternal state of their own souls.
Fortunately for all of us, we live in an interlude between flood and fire (may I call it a “grace period?”) when judgment is postponed, allowing us time to respond in faith to the mercy of God shown through the gift of His son Jesus. Please don’t make the eternal mistake of delaying your own response too long.

Karl Detrich
Chapman

state of mine

2006-08-13T17:50:00.000-05:00

Hey, it's the Sunflower State around here, right? Or didn't I tell you I'm from Kansas? Yep, slap in the middle of fly-over country... why don't you drop in some time? Meanwhile, here's a state flower for you.

Chasing the curve

2006-08-12T21:51:00.000-05:00

Well. This is an experience of the "new tricks for old dogs" variety. I have heard of blogs, I have read a variety of blogs, I have offspring with blogs, now I have a blog.
A waste of time? Time will tell. If nothing else it should be a good place to store some of the photographs which now take up most of my hard drive... of course, to accomplish that storage I have to go through the process of beating several new procedures and a batch of terminology into my brain, which seems to be less and less enthusiastic about that sort of activity all the time. And at present it's too late in the day for me to make much sense out of anything at all, much less anything new.
Take mercy, for example, mercy, which is renewed every day by our loving Father who knows much better than we do how truly we need it. I like the idea of fresh abundant mercy flowing over the horizon at daybreak, cool and deep and utterly incomprehensible. I never have been able to get a good grasp on the "why" of mercy, except for the awareness that our Father prefers his children cuddlesome rather than crispy.

Okay, maybe tomorrow I'll figure out how to run this thing. Mercy!