I will be off-line for a few days.  Doc wants me to have both and upper and lower GI Scope, so both will be done tomorrow.

No sleep tonight, those of you that have been through these know that there is a ‘cleansing’ that takes place and it keeps you close to the bathroom.

When I went in a few days ago for the consultation I was sitting in the exam room waiting for the doctor.  A young high school aged looking person comes in and introduces herself as the Doctor that will be performing the procedures.

She covers all the different things that they will be doing and the risks involved, etc.

Do I have any questions?  Always do, more out of orneriness than seeking real knowledge.

Is the device used the same for upper and lower GI?  “NO.”  Then when she realized I was pulling her leg she said, “We will make sure we rinse it off before using it again.” 

Forgot to ask which procedure they will be using FIRST.

How many of these have you done?  “Lots of them.”  Then as she looked at me for a moment,  “But, doctor ? will be there with me and has done hundreds of them.”

Have you ever had any problems?  “NO”

Then it is about time, right?  Always a hesitation, no matter which doctor I have asked that, then “No, there should be any problems” or something to that effect. 

Anyway, they have to knock me out and it seems like I am out of it for two or three days, will come back on when I get out of the fog.

2 Corinthians 6:4-11 But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses,

⁵ In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings;

⁶ By pureness, by knowledge, by long suffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned,

⁷ By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left,

⁸ By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true;

⁹ As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed;

¹⁰ As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.

¹¹ O ye Corinthians, our mouth is open unto you, our heart is enlarged.

Good start for a minister of God’s job description, don’t cha think?

Now we add, visit those in the hospital and parishioners in their home at least once or twice a year.

Be there for every birth and death.

Be there for every celebration of any importance, (to be determined by each parishioner.)

Be friendly to everyone and listen when they tell you what to do, then do what they want.  Even if it conflicts with what someone else wants.

Don’t let anyone buffalo you, except for those that give a lot of money to the church.

Be a real scholar of the Bible, but don’t speak in too lofty of terms.

Don’t preach anything that makes people uncomfortable.

The list goes on and on.  After all, the minister is a man of God, and a servant – of the congregation – right?  So, we should expect only perfection from him.

The job description of a Christian is far easier.

Show up at church.  Look pious.  Tell the preacher exactly what you think of his sermons and teaching, especially if you think he is wrong – after all criticism helps him improve.

Throw a few coins in the offering plate.

Stand on the promises of God, or at least what you can remember of them since you don’t have to read the Bible, just listen to the sermons.  Pray once in a while. 

Don’t let your religion interfere with your daily activities, especially when it comes to work.

‘bout does it, right?

Oh, wait a minute, the first verse of that chapter says, We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.

As workers together with Him.

All too frequently we expect our ministers to be doing everything and the rest of Christianity just calls them to action as they feel they are needed.

But Paul makes it clear we are workers together with Him; no separation between ministers and other Christians.

To be sure there are other verses in the Bible that describe what we should look for in Deacons, Elders, Bishops and other church leaders.

God recognizes there are different talents and He gives different gifts for us to use in proclaiming His gospel; ALL of us.

WE do ‘hire’ ministers because they have studied and have a better knowledge of God’s Word than most of us, we ask them to teach and guide us, do things that are more difficult for us – either because of time or skill constraints - but they are servants of God, not of man and not subject to the whims of a congregation.

Each of us is expected to serve God.  Each of us is expected to listen to the Holy Spirit, read God’s Word, pray and then do.

Whatever we look for in a minister, we must also look for in our hearts; because the basic job description of a minister is the same for every Christian. 

Later, Art :-)

Well we had some sunshine yesterday and some more this afternoon.  Carla went to Hood River yesterday with some friends and brought back several buckets of apples.

She said the person’s car they were riding in couldn’t contain them all.  Her husband works in Hood River so they placed some of the apples in his car and then there was room in her car for all the rest.

She told them about the years we would take apples and pears down to her parents place.

There was an orchardist out of Odell that would allow us to come in and pick up windfall fruit.  Most of it was still very good, but they couldn’t use them in their turn in to the processing plants, so they allowed people to gather them up.

We would take the kids and several buckets and go up and down the hills in the orchard picking them up.  Then we would place them in the car – 72 Chev Impala for several years and then our Van for years after that.

I cringe to think of the weight we used to put into that car.  The trunk would be full, the floor between the back and front seat would be full with the kids having to sit with their feet wedged in between.

But, I have fond memories of those times.

“God is not silent.  It is the nature of God to Speak.  The second person of the Trinity is called ~ The Word ~”  AW Tozer

1 Peter 1:24-25  For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:

²⁵ But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

We get so focused on the things in front of us.  We want to be remembered as doing our best, someone that others can count on both professionally and personally.

In doing so, we have tunnel vision.  We can see what is in front of us, but we lose sight of those things around us.  What we want becomes so important that we forget to include God in our daily functions.

Very few people will have a lasting legacy; where they have books written about them, where people learn about and study them.  One of the things we have learned, is that no man is perfect, that often the fallacies are either covered up or become the focus of what we want to remember them by.  Abraham Lincoln is a good example of the former; Adolf Hitler is a good example of the latter.

I am not saying that Hitler didn’t deserve vilification, but we find very few writings that show anything positive about the man.  While Lincoln’s past has been written, discussed and studied, most writing are done in praise without looking into his faults – or when they do they are glossed over.

Countries rise and fall.  Men gain stature and pass away.  Nothing is entirely stable.  What we count on today, may betray us tomorrow, or become non-existent.

The one truth that remains constant is God.  His Word proclaims it and has held up for millenniums.

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

We often think of the verses that tell us to put on the whole armor of God.  We use them as a preparation for battle with the enemy.  The Word of God is described as a sword,

Ephesians 7:17 .... and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

We recognize it as both and offensive and defensive weapon.  We can use it against the enemy proclaiming the power and strength of God and we can use it as a defensive weapon to protect ourselves with the truth that God protects us.

And even though I know its value, I really hadn’t thought of the sword as an eternal weapon, one used by God to destroy that which stands between us and Him. 

The Holy Spirit uses it like a surgeon who looks at us and sees what used to be perfect, but somehow we developed a growth that needs to be severed and destroyed so our body can once again function as it should.

When we accepted Christ, He washed away all the impurities in our life.  But many of us held onto some of those things, not truly wanting to give them up, so we went back to them.

Most of us, as time went on, have allowed Him, through reading His Word, having it preached and taught to us, to cut the growth away and helped us heal, making us more effective for Him.

But there may still be some things we allow to grow within us that keeps us from obeying Him fully.  Sometimes we don’t even realize that until a verse we read suddenly comes alive and reminds us of our frailty and God’s power to help us.

We have a glorious opportunity to read His Word in its entirety.  Where some Christians, in other countries, can only hope to have a Bible and when they do get one they have to keep it in secret, we own at least one and do not have to hide it from anyone.

We can open it up and ask God to help us understand; to point out to us what He needs to cut away from our minds and conscience; what we can do to allow His Sword to sever all fear, all self-love and gratification and become a willing and effective servant of God.

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

For thousands upon thousands of years men and women have used God’s Word to help them grow in Him; to allow Him to guide and direct them; to change their lives and become true servants of Him.

May we, also, take advantage of His Word and allow Him to work within us severing those things that keeping us from doing our best for Him.

Later, Art :-)

Cloudy, rainy, no real sun – hidden behind the clouds.

As I look out I am reminded of one of my Real Estate Clients.  She owned a home in Rowena.  It is a small community between The Dalles and Hood River, it sits on the south side of the Gorge directly up against the tall north facing ‘wall.’

In the summer time there is plenty of sun, but in the winter, the sun hangs low and the house does not receive any sun.  Some of her property got it, but very little.

She was telling me how she had been there long enough she could measure where the sun hit a power pole at the north side of the property and could tell the time of year as the shadows wouldn’t go very low on it.

I could say the same thing about Carla’s property up here.  The sun in the summer baths the garden from early morning until late in the evening.  However as winter approaches less and less of the sun’s rays hit the garden and only the south side of the house.

Carla doesn’t handle this kind of weather well.  She really does need sunlight or she gets a little depressed.  To counteract that she has one of those lights that mimic the sun’s rays and she sits under it while doing handwork and watching television.  It does help her, immensely.

I was listening to the Pentatonix’s rendition of the song written by Mark Lowry, “Mary did you know.”  If you haven’t heard the song you can find it on you tube or go to my timeline on Facebook.

Basically it asks Mary if she knew who Jesus really was and if she knew He would perform miracles and salvation for the world.

Which led me today’s meditations.

I am just quoting a few of the scriptures, after re-reading the two chapters of Luke.

We know the story. 

As I read these verses I tried to place myself in Mary’s mind, not an easy task for someone that is in her early teens and a virgin in Roman occupied Israel at what we would consider 0000 AD.

Several times Luke mentions that Mary kept these things in her heart. 

She obviously did know something, that she had been chosen by God and that she would give birth to a son and He would be a great Savior.  But did she really understand?

How could she, this, obviously, had never been done before and there was no precedence.  But the one thing, I think is clear, she knew that God was using her to produce a child who would be extraordinary.

Luke 1:34-35 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?

³⁵ And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

46-47 And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,

⁴⁷ And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.

54-55 He hath helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy;

⁵⁵ As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.

She speaks of Him in the presence speaking to the Patriarchs of the past in THEIR PRESENCE.  She knew that this was God, yet, the enormity of it all had to be disconcerting as she heard others confirm what the angel had told her.  But rather than shouting from the roof tops that she was ‘the mother of God’ she kept these things in her heart thinking on them and what they meant.

Luke 2:19  But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

25-26  And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him.

²⁶ And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ.

And he saw the Christ in the 8 day old Jesus.

30-33 For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,

³¹ Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;

³² A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.

³³ And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him.

He grows into a young adolescent.  Mary and Joseph know who He is, yet still do not fully understand Him.  He reminds them that He is on earth to do what God wants Him to do and that it will take precedence over everything else.

49-51  And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?

⁵⁰ And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them.

⁵¹ And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart.

and was subject unto them

He was the Son of God, but He was humble enough to obey them as His parents.  Jesus submitted to the authority that God the Father had placed Him under.  Something for us to remember.

John records Jesus’ the first recorded miracle, the turning of the water into wine.  

Mary knows it is His time, but Jesus doesn’t appear to know.  Yet, He did do what Mary asked Him to do.

She had observed her son growing into an adult, helping her husband, studying and learning about the fragility of the human spirit and the temptations that abound around them.

At what point do we really know that she finally understood He really was the Christ and really was the Savior of all mankind we are not certain. 

But she did understand He had a mission and it was time for Him to begin it.

John 2:3-5 And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine.

⁴ Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.

⁵ His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.

One of the lines in the song is “Mary did you know .... when you kiss your little baby you kiss the face of God?”

Think of that.  She kissed the face of God!!!!

Wow!

The question for us to ask ourselves is “Do WE know?”

Later, Art :-)

Four Grandchildren born years apart, three on the same day, celebrating their birthdays in the same week.

Makes it easier for my mind to remember – although with everything going on in the past couple of months the dates still snuck up on me. 

Looking out the window I see the sun shining one moment and then shadows from the clouds that cover it the next.  In the past few days the trees in our neighborhood have changed into their pretty Autumn colors and are starting to lose their leaves.

We had a flock of humming birds come through this weekend, tanking up on food before they moved on.  Those birds don’t worry about what others are doing, they eat – and many times we saw four on one feeder and more on others.  The local ones usually chase each other around trying to be the king of the feeder and claim them for themselves.

It is a wonder with all the energy they use to chase each other off they even get a sip, but they do and we are back to replacing the food at about two to three cups a day.

We will be putting more birdseed out shortly, the other birds will need it to help them stay through the winter.  There is a house up above us where the owner used to put out at least half a dozen feeders – those I could see – but there are new owners and they aren’t doing that so we will need to help take up the slack.

Meanwhile all of our pets are hunkered down for the long fall and winter nights.

Proverbs 9:10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

Scientists, through the ages, have strived to determine how certain animals function.  While on the surface it is a money pit, there are times that they have learned things about the creation that they can copy and make life easier or safer for humans.

The premise is rarely to see how God has worked, but how they can tie it to the theory of evolution.  They then preach their evolutionary religious propaganda praising themselves for their discovery and how it had taken billions of years to accomplish.

What amazes me is that man can ascertain many things about our universe and all that is in it because they are so well planned out.  They can see the mathematical, the blueprints, the basis for one fantastic fact after another.

Based on the intricacy of what God has created you would think that alone would make them realize that things didn’t just happen willy nilly, it was designed.  God executed His plans and the results are things that are predictable and the way can be ‘discovered’ and, in some instances actually copied.

It also amazes me that they acknowledge that blueprints and detail plans must be developed for almost anything invented.  From carts to bicycles to boats to cars to airplanes and anything else - somewhere there is a creator who thought it up and had the wherewithal to make it.

Yet they look at the complexity of any part of the human body and say it evolved from an unknown period size mass of energy that exploded and made everything in the universe, and the most recent and, obviously the most important result, was mankind.

They have knowledge, but they do not know.  Without God in the equation all they have is the end results – while they can backtrack on each part of the body to see how it acts and inner relates with the other body parts, it does not tell them how they came about they just surmise to support their religion of evolution.

The more man becomes independent, the more he thinks he can live without God.  After all look at what he has accomplished.

It is a dangerous premise.  When we think we are our own person to the point of excluding the Creator, and therefore He is not in the equation, we fall into the same trap that the Jews fell into as documented in His Word.

These things are written down for a reason.  God wants us to understand the danger of turning our backs on Him.

He also wants us to understand that He does love us and He is willing to guide and direct us, but we must abide by His dictates, not our own.

He gives two promises, following Him through His Son, will give us eternal life with Him.  Failure to accept the Son will give us eternal life in Hell.

The choice is ours.  Do we have the wisdom to fear and love God above all things, or do we discard His warnings and live out our lives on earth without Him.

Later, Art :-)

Thought I had sent this out earlier, found it waiting.

Love the early mornings in the Fall; full of fresh smells, the dew on the grass and the crispness of the air.  Even though it is a foretelling of Winter where things die off and go dormant, it is a refreshing time that revitalizes me.

Isaiah 1:4-7 Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the Lord, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward.

⁵ Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint.

⁶ From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.

⁷ Your country is desolate, your cities are burned with fire: your land, strangers devour it in your presence, and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers.

Written by Isaiah about Two thousand eight hundred years ago – it is a vision of what Judah and Jerusalem will look like if they do not repent.

Written Two thousand eight hundred years ago and is describing what is happening in America today.

As a country we have fallen away from God.  We go about our own way and the results have been catastrophic.

Cities are indeed burning.

Our lands are suffering from improper management.

The things that are occurring within our country cannot be mollified with words or actions that are hollow in their deeds.

We see those that hate America coming in and gaining control over it by virtue of accusations of bias and prejudice; demanding changes that are in direct conflict with both the Constitution of the United States and the Word of God.

We see the same thing happening to our country that has happened to great countries throughout history.  We have followed in their footsteps like it is a blue print – but not to succeed in our endeavors, but to become corrupt and destroyed from within.

We can overcome the deceit and subterfuge, the sinful cesspool we have become; but the choice of whether we do or not is up to us.

Verses 18-20   Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

¹⁹ If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:

²⁰ But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.

We are very fortunate.  We have an advocate that can stand with us before God.  We have a Holy Spirit that can teach and guide us into a more righteous life.

1 John 2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

John reaffirms that God’s Word, that God’s desire, is for us to worship and live in Him. 

We are aware of what sin is, even those that try to twist God’s Word into meaning what it doesn’t, even those that refuse to even consider that God’s Word is both Holy and Righteous know there is right and wrong.

Yet, they have bought into the fact that man makes his own destiny and there is no Creator that is in control of us or our world.

There was an ad for something in the late 1960’s or early 1970’s, its theme was ‘If it feels good, do it!’

That has been the mantra of the majority of America since that time and it has been the devastation of our country.

If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:

²⁰ But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.

It isn’t as if we haven’t been warned.

Later, Art :-)

Had a few minutes between appointments yesterday so instead of coming home Carla and I delivered and donated some books to the Library and the Discovery Center’s gift shop.

While there, talking to the clerk, an older lady came up and told her she would buy one if I would sign it.  Sold one.  Even before I could leave.

Still not doing as well as I want.  Getting stronger, still have good and bad days, but getting better.  I was told to expect this, it was a nasty bug and did some damage to my system.  Hopefully the tests in another week will come up okay.

Really pretty today, Mt. Hood was beautiful as it glistened in the morning sun.  Not a lot of snow on it, but enough to make it look completely covered AND within arm’s reach.  A little later went out to get a photo and it was clouded over, oh, well.

“I am positively sure after many years of observation and prayer that the basis of all of our trouble today, in religious circles, is that our God is too small.

When he says magnify the Lord, he doesn't mean that you are to make God big, but you are to see Him big. When we take a telescope and look at a star, we don't make the star bigger, we only see it big. Likewise you cannot make God bigger, but you are only to see Him bigger....” - Tozer

Psalm 34:3 Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together.

Carla and I watched the movie, LILLIES OF THE FIELD, last night for probably the umpteenth time.

It was shot in Arizona in about a two week period of time with a very small budget.  The actors were paid a token and given a piece of the profits. 

It ended up receiving several Academy nominations and the Best Actor of the Year for Sydney Poitier. 

If you haven’t seen it, it is well worth looking up on Netflix or whatever extra stuff you might have to watch movies.

It is a story about faith; even if fictional. 

Five nuns come over the wall from East Germany, travel 8000 miles to take possession of a small farm that was donated to the order. 

The Mother Superior had a dream of building a Chapel for the local citizens.  They had no money, no means of support.  They had very little to eat and subsided on what they could grow, and raise.  Or at least that was the premise; if it was based on reality they probably would have also received produce and meat from the local citizens.

None the less, when Sydney Poitier’s character ‘Homer Smith’ pulled into their driveway to get some water for his car she felt he had been sent from God.  He was an itinerate, jack-of-all trades, handy man and he agreed to do some repair work on the roof, expecting to get paid.

The title comes from Mathew 6:27-29 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?

²⁸ And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:

²⁹ And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

The Mother Superior used these verses to defend her position of not paying Poitier’s character for work he performed.  

Once she saw he could actually work with his hands she was more convinced he was sent from God and the story line follows of disagreements between the two.

Even though she wrote many letters asking for support she couldn’t get materials she promised, no one was donating anything.  She “was depending on people and not God to provide the materials.”  He had nothing to work on, they get in an argument and he leaves.

She had introduced him to the small congregation who attended mass, given by a Circuit riding Priest out of the back of his pickup on a small lot next to the only business in the area, a small grocery/café/gas station.  He was going to build them a ‘shapel.’  (German accent.)

After he left she and the nuns would resume walking several miles to the services and, of course, were embarrassed and downtrodden.

After several weeks he comes back, brings them to the services and the congregation decides to support the project.

Not all of it follows biblical principles; two of the main characters participate not because they believed in God, but to have ‘insurance’ in case there was a God.  They could point to their activities as a way to earn their way into heaven.  We know better.

The final outcome:  a new chapel. 

It is a humorous feel good story and shows what determination, prayer and faith can accomplish.  The interaction between the Mother and Poitier is well done.  She received an academy award nomination.

Every time I see it, I am reminded that one person, who has faith in God, can make a difference.  The Mother’s tenacity, belief and faith that God will provide is a good lesson for all of us.

We hamper God.  We too often think that our problems are so big, or our sorrow so strong that no one, and nothing can help us and we go deeper into despair.

We pray to Him, we ask for relief, we ask for deliverance, we ask for strength and if it doesn’t come immediately we give up thinking God isn’t going to do anything – that He has left us to our own devices.

We forget that God CREATED the universe.  That, in His Word, by both promise and recorded deeds He has shown His love and desire to be with us no matter our circumstances.

Just because He doesn’t answer immediately, and especially the way WE want Him to, doesn’t mean He isn’t with us, doesn’t mean He doesn’t care.

Mathew 28:19-20 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

²⁰ Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

 

And we can remember this as we pray for the lost hunter!

AMEN!!

Later, Art :-)

10 20 2016

Just got off the phone with Wendy.  She has a close friend, Shawn, who has been lost in the woods on the coast since Friday.  He was hunting with his son, who was also lost until yesterday.

Please pray for that he is okay and hunkered down waiting for rescue, for the searchers so they find him soon, for his family who is beset with worry, and for his friends who are also concerned and trying to comfort the family.  One of the sons is William’s age, they play on the same soccer team for the last 6 years so all are very close, he too is having a difficult time with his friend’s dad being missing.

Shawn is an experienced hunter and works in the woods so the likelihood of him still being alive is high.  The weather on the coast has been extreme, but we know that as long as he got into a place where he can keep warm and dry he can still be okay.

These searches are hard on everyone, from the lost person, to the family, to the searchers and friends.  I have been there.

Your prayers are very much appreciated.

Later, Art :-)

10-22-2016

The father is still missing.  There is lots of support from the community.  Supplies and help are coming in daily for the searchers.  They actually said they had enough for the time being.

The son, who was found, was found within the search area.  He had buried himself under bark, leaves etc.  - preciously what he should do.  Once lost, stay put and get out of the weather as much as possible. 

He evidently didn’t hear the searchers, he had been there for a few days, suffering from hypothermia and who knows what else.  The searchers did not see him.  The search dog is the one who located him.  It reinforces how difficult it is for searchers and how pragmatic they must be, using every resource available and trying not to leave any stone unturned.

The father trained the son, he is a seasoned outdoorsman, which means he knows how to take care of himself so there is still a strong possibility he will be found alive, even at this late date.

Your continued prayers are very much appreciated.  We join the community of Coos Bay, where he AND his wife grew up and are active in the community, in prayer and belief that God can do what is needed.  Prayer and candle light vigils are being conducted thee.

Art

Saw some sunshine and rainbows today.  Always nice to have a reminder that the rain is not going to go on ‘forever.’

Viv and Velma are with us this afternoon.  Good to see them both.

Psalm 25:14-15 The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.

¹⁵ Mine eyes are ever toward the Lord; for he shall pluck my feet out of the net.

Of all the things in the world that we should be afraid of, the ferocious animal coming at us, the car in our lane coming right at us, and we could add to the list forever, the one thing that should fear us the most is not being right with God.

We know that God is Love.  We know that He wants the best for those that serve Him.  We know that He is forgiving and merciful.  We know that He understands and has great patience on our behalf.

But we often forget that in all of His love, in all of His concerns and cares, when we disobey Him; when we refuse to acknowledge the right full place He has in our world; when we refuse to acknowledge that His Son is our Savior and it is only by Him we are saved, then we must deal with His judgement.

By human standards we may feel it is harsh, and many refuse to believe that He would actually condemn anyone to hell, but we have been warned.

We are given every opportunity to read and accept His Word.

The pathway to Him is really quite simple, we all too often make a big deal of it and the things that must be done, but it really is simple.

It is simply a matter of believing Him.  Turning our eyes to Him and allowing Him to guide and direct us.

We are blinded by this world, and satan would have us remain so.  The world is a dark place and it allows satan to create a sense of foreboding and fear.  It is also at world of many things that satan uses to make us ‘feel’ better about ourselves.  To make us have fun and ‘enjoy life.’  He uses those things to shine in our eyes and take them off God.

But God is quite clear, The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant. ¹⁵ Mine eyes are ever toward the Lord; for he shall pluck my feet out of the net.

So why do we look away from Him, why do we allow ourselves to be taken by the hand by those that hate Him and would destroy Him and our relationship with Him.

Yes, God is love, but people also need to realize that when He is defied, He can become angry in His judgement, and I for one, never want to see that side of Him.

Hebrews 10:30-31 For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.

³¹ It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Somehow, we need to get that message out to all who will listen.

Later, Art :-)

Carla and I have been discussing the early arrival of Autumn and how it seems earlier each year.  This ‘feeling’ and observation is being supported (at least this year) by weather forecasters saying that we normally don’t get this kind of weather until middle to late November.

Watching the changes in color, so pretty.  With the flowers going dormant, losing their blooms and colors it is nice to see those leaves take their place in the beauty category.

Winds are quiet here, still not so much to the west of us.

Animals don’t mind going outside right now, although they are staying inside much more often.  The hummingbirds are still drinking two to three cups of food a day, and interestingly enough we see three and even four on one bottle – which just doesn’t happen up here.  Not sure why unless they are all related and don’t feel the need to protect their ‘turf.’

Hope the weather holds out here for the next couple weeks, Carla has four days in a row off and we hope to get more done outside in preparation for the winter.

Psalm 19:14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.

This, too, is one of my prayers – and I so badly need the help of God. 

It is so easy in this day and age to find ourselves repeating things that are not what God would find acceptable.  Innuendos, funny e-mail or Facebook posts that contain something that we know we should not say or send out – if we think about it.

While cussing is not one of my usual failures, I do say things without thinking sometimes.  Hurtful comments or things that on second thought really don’t need to be said.

I have asked you that if you see something in my posts that are an offense to God, or do not correctly interpret His Word to please let me know.  I need that critical eye.

God does help me with it, but like most people I can also become careless with actions and comments.

As I got on Facebook and then started posting things, I realized not only what I post is important but where it comes from, sometimes a post is ‘okay’ but when you look at the place it comes from (not the person, but the original site) it has statements that are unacceptable.

Like anything else, we can be so concerned that we become frozen and afraid to say anything.  That too is unacceptable to God.  He expects us to be forthright in our conversations and witnessing of Him. 

We just need to be aware of what we are saying.  Probably 99% of the time we know that we should not say something, and don’t.  It is that 1% that can interfere with our relationship with God not to mention giving someone else the wrong impression – or at least give them more ammunition against us so they can point and shake their finger at us for not being a ‘good’ Christian, or as an example of why ‘all’ Christians are hypocrites.

Psalm 141:2-3 Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.

³ Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.

Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.

May it always be so.

Later, Art (-:

Well the Oregon coast is experiencing much of what the east coast goes through with hurricanes.  The winds have been described as tornados and it whirls around damaging all in its path.

It doesn’t happen often here, but it does happen.  Friday winds were very strong, there was a lull and then today they are even stronger they are being faced with 70-80 mph winds with the potential of them reaching 100 mph very likely.

The winds have extended eastward in-land so Portland and the surrounding areas as well as counties between the I-5 corridor and the coast are enduring 55 mph winds and downed power lines.

As I write this and look out my window there isn’t even a slight breeze, grey skies and a small bit of rain are here, but I will take them over what is happening elsewhere.

“There may be more people alive today than ever before, but there are also more lonely people today than ever before—divorced spouses, homeless people, many elderly parents and, perhaps saddest of all, orphaned or abandoned children. These and many others are still alone, even in a crowded world.”  10/15/2016 Days of Praise

Psalm 119:76-77 Let, I pray thee, thy merciful kindness be for my comfort, according to thy word unto thy servant.

⁷⁷ Let thy tender mercies come unto me, that I may live: for thy law is my delight.

While not often, there have been times that I felt all alone.  Like a fish in a barrel surrounded by spear fishermen that wanted to destroy me.

I had friends and family that were here and supportive, but couldn’t reach into my heart and comfort me.

But the Holy Spirit could.  I felt that He knew all that was within me and even though I was struggling, He was there to hold me up.

We all go through periods where no one truly understands, sometimes the isolation is heavy and nothing seems to penetrate the cloud about us.  Other times it isn’t quite as serious, but still we feel like we have been under a quarantine and we allow no one in.

No matter our circumstances God has His arms about us.  It may take a while to recover, but He is there, working with us helping us go through the turmoil.

When we remember that, when we look to Him instead of our circumstances we become stronger and more confident in Him; He is always there for us.

Psalm 18:2-3 The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.

³ I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.

Later, Art (-:

Won’t be doing ribs in the oven like I did yesterday, they were ‘okay’ but not much different than any of pork product.  They did not have that good smoky flavor.

One of the things I was ‘instructed’ to do was to cover them with foil during the cooking process.  I might try doing them without covering them so they don’t steam but actually bake.  It is not a priority and will only try if there is a really good buy on them sometime this winter – otherwise they will always go in the smoker.

A bit sunnier today, had plenty of rain last night and the forecast is more to come.  The coastal weather though is fierce and both rain and high winds are going their way.  If you are in a warm house with a good fire going with a window looking out to the ocean it can be the very best time to spend there – the fierceness of the weather has a ‘charm’ all to its own as you watch the waves crashing down on the rocks.

I have been at Depoe Bay – small community, mid-Oregon coast, that is right on the coast line with only a high wall between it and the ocean – parking my car on the side of the road next to wall during this kind of weather.  The wall is several feet above sea level, but in this weather the waves break and come crashing OVER the wall, drenching the road and everything on it.

But, it is beautiful.  So, I have mixed emotions, on the one hand I would like to be there, on the other hand I like where I am right now; hoping that everyone is safe that is there whether residents or visitors.

But, it is beautiful – or not.  After writing all this, I turned on the TV and found that the coast is suffering.

High winds – Tornado strength and while not “official” officials are saying it sure looks like it and will probably be declared once fully investigated.  Houses are being destroyed, trees uprooted, wires down LOTS of rain and hail - and it is just a foreshadowing of more to come that will be even worse.

We don’t see tornados very often in Oregon, but videos from citizens posted on the TV channels shure look like we have them right now.

Prayers are going up for these people.

“He has brought himself to this state; he has exposed his heart as a common road to every evil influence of the world, til it has become hard as a pavement.”  -- Richard Trench

Luke 16:15 And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.

Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

While studying and in my devotions this morning I read the above three quotes.  They dovetailed nicely with each other.

We become a person when conceived.  Once we are born we have certain abilities that make us unique.  As we grow we learn, some things by directly being taught, but much of it by ‘absorbing’ by watching and by the ideas by our parents, peers, friends, teachers, and others that come into our life.

At some point those lessons become part of our being.  We reject some things and accept others.  Often times we do not realize we are doing it, but it still happens within our hearts and minds.  When we are young we often don’t make choices on our own, based on sifting through information we are fed, we just accept.

That doesn’t mean that if we grow up in an environment where sinful and even criminal behavior is the norm that we are not held to God’s standard.  God still works on the young hearts and through their conscience lets them know that this isn’t right.

However, as we grow older we make choices; who to listen to, how to sift through the information and glean truth from within it.  We learn to apply what we accept to our own lives.

We then start concentrating on our personal goals – even if we can’t really define them.  We hone our talents and skills.  We look to study those things that help us improve ourselves to help make us into the person we want to be.

The basic training, the early education, is similar for most of us.  However, as we grow older we pick the education and training paths that allow us to perform at our best.

Of course we can change those paths, we can choose other means to earn a living or enjoy ourselves than when we first started.

When I was in high school I thought I wanted to be an accountant.  However, once I worked with one I realized that was not really my ‘thing.’

I was working in a grocery store and as I worked up the chain of command I thought that was my calling, to be a manager or district manager for the chain.

After I accepted Christ there was a time that I felt a calling into full-time ministry, however, God put up barriers and made it clear to me that He did not want me on that path.  I realized I could still serve Him regardless of what I did for a vocation.

Eventually, I felt that, while I was serving God, teaching and witnessing to others, I was not meant to stay in the grocery business.

I felt called to the law enforcement profession and served God in that profession for almost 27 years.  That was my ministry.

The training as a police officer was based on the same things I had looked at earlier in life, but needed to be more specific.

While retail is a good way to learn how to deal with people, and served me well as a police officer, I also learned how to deal with the criminal element, how to work as a mediator in some situations, and all the other things that go with dealing with people as a police officer not a store clerk.

Some of that was learned by formal classes, some of that was done by training, some was done by observation and some was done as I applied all that and learned what worked for me.

But I made choices.  Those choices eventually led me to be the Sheriff of my county.

Most of those choices were based on what I needed to do to become a good officer and a good executive.  I focused on those things that would improve my skills in those areas, even using some of the things I learned while working in the training at the supermarket.

We are going to become what we are going to become.  Sometimes those choices are determined by others, or at least influenced by them.  If I had not been promoted within the Police Department and given the opportunity to learn and grow I might not have been prepared for the Office of Sheriff.

Other things though are solely our responsibility.  What we choose to belief, what we choose to read, watch or how we live our daily lives.

We can go down the road and choose what the world offers us and our heart becomes as hardened pavement where we have shut off God.

We can go through the actions of ‘being a good person’ without really changing our hearts.  Our goal would not be so much to serve God as to make ourselves look better to others, or make us feel better about ourselves, but our heart and mind is not focused on what God wants.

We can be ‘successful’ in the world’s eyes without serving God and when we go before Him we find it was all for naught and in the process lost our salvation.

The Word of God gives us the blue print, the path that we are required to follow to serve Him.  The beginning of which is to make sure our heart is in tune with Him; that we are listening to Him and make our service to Him truly a service to Him, not just an act.

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

And He will help us to do just that – but only if we let Him.

Later, Art :-)