90% chance of rain today, it is 90 percenting right now.  Sun does peak out for a moment and then ducks behind a cloud.

Speaking of clouds, the other day we looked out our window to see if we could see Mt. Hood – the sky was clears EXCEPT for a cloud that looked like a funnel over the mountain, completely covering it.  It looked like a snow cone.

Isaiah 40:31 But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Sometimes I wake up and say, Lord what can we get done today?  Other times I say, Lord what can I possibly get done today?

In the past few years I have to admit I have asked the second question more than the first.

That is when I need to spend some serious quiet time with God.

Today everything is hurry, hurry we have to get it done, now.  It is so much worse than I experienced when I was working.

We have instant communications so when someone sends a text or e-mail or whatever they expect an immediate response.

Most of us are connected with an internet and it never leaves us.  We depend on it and others depend on the fact we depend on it.

While there are some positive to our modern communications, it is also a detriment to our good health – mental and physical.

Sailors crossed oceans and were gone for years at a time without any contact with loved ones or friends.  It was understood.

When the pioneers came out west they knew that they would seldom, if ever, see their families back home again and that it would take months for a letter to reach them.

When the Pony Express was formed and letters could be dispatched across the country within a few days, everyone hailed it as being great, we could now know things in a matter of days that used to take months to find out.

Then the Stage coaches were able to carry mail cheaper and more of it – then the telegraphs gave ‘instant’ communications where a person could hear of something happening across the country within hours of it happening – and soon across the Atlantic Ocean.

Then telephones came into being – not only could we reach a person quickly, but we could actually talk with them.

Party lines became the entertainment for many kids in my generation.  We would hear the phone ring – neighbor had 2 distinct rings, we had three, someone else one and so forth.  I remember 5 people on the same line we were on.

You could pick up the phone and listen in on their conversations – Federal Government had nothing we didn’t have – although limited.  More than once I was caught – ‘one of those Labrousse kids’ is listening – never did figure out how they knew.

When you did talk on the phone you were careful what you said, never knew who might be listening in.

A friend of mine was telling how several neighbors got together at a dinner.  The phone rang, the caller tried a couple of times, it was for the neighbor down the road.  That neighbor was at the dinner and commented that they didn’t understand why the person kept calling, there was no one home.  (For you youngsters, the neighbor could have picked up the phone where they were – they were on the SAME line.

In the 80’s fax machines started being the ‘requirement’ of businesses – and government soon followed.

Our county had one fax machine, in one office.  It was located in the Emergency Manager’s office in a building several blocks away AND he was only there a few hours each week.  We could use the fax, but it was limited access.

The courthouse staff decided we needed one where we could have more ready access.  So we went to the County Commissioners to see if they would purchase one - using contingency money – money that was in the general fund set aside for exigent circumstances. 

One of our sergeants had done some research.  We came up with two kinds.  The least expensive was about $1000, however, it didn’t meet all our needs.  The other was about $8000 and would give us clear and quicker faxes, we could actually send fingerprints over it to either the state or federal agencies and they would have a copy they could analyze.  (We sometimes had inmates with false names given so they could avoid being charged with warrants, etc.)

Several of us meant with the Commissioners and gave them our request – recommending the second machine.

Bill, our County Judge/Chairman of the Board asked why we needed it, one of the department heads said, we are in the world of ‘instant communications, now’ and people expect answers right away.  He shook his head and said, ‘You know it used to take a letter a week to get to its destination.’

We got the machine, but only after several of us took a few dollars out of our budgets to pay for it.

Then of course e-mails, now texts, who knows what it will be next week.

No one has time for themselves anymore.  They are always connected and there is always something demanding their time.

But what is even worse is that we have allowed all that ‘noise’ to interfere with our time with God.  We have to schedule time with Him – it is like saying, “Lord, I have a couple minutes on Friday at 0800 I can meet with you.”

We do need to schedule time with Him not for His sake, but for ours.  We need to set aside time each day where we can take the time to meet with Him in prayer and meditation.

We need time to listen to Him, to take to heart what He is saying to us, to digest that and to find out what He wants US to do – not just telling Him what we want HIM to do.

When we take that time, we find that our heart sings again and our soul is lifted up.  The problems we face may not go away, but we find the strength, stamina and often the wisdom to deal with them.

There is nothing wrong with going down the street and praising God for all He has done for us, in a passing moment.  There is nothing wrong with asking His guidance on something that has to be done right now and we have but a minute or two to do it.

But that time cannot replace a quiet time with Him, where distractions are at a minimum and we prepare ourselves to handle whatever may come about – then those quick prayers will have more meaning and impact.

Later, Art :-)