I am trying to make some sense of the past few weeks , as if by making sense of them I can then make sense of this Journey of mine. You see , as a matter of faith I do believe we are purposefully created, the Bible says we were created to do good works ...the bible also says that God dwells in us and He has placed Eternity in our hearts.

It is no surprise then that so many people have spent their lives looking for the meaning of life. Instinct lively we know that we are part of this great epic work of God. We are like a child lost in a corn maize From His perspective high above there is a clear way out ...we simply cannot see it.

Does anyone ever fully understand His works ? The playwright says some poets and mystics do ..and I hope some photographers do as well .

Most people see wide varieties of subjects trees, buildings , butterflies ....Mystic's simply see abundant life ...we see life as singular not separate , we realize all we see is God Stuff ...rearranged in different packages ,... A poet see's life in the same way ... Poets and Photographers ,,,,we work with Metaphors and Symbols , we frame the whole expanse of creation into a composition that at once becomes a prison and a shock wave racing through the cosmos ...We know that life is too huge to embrace , so we take a portion of that life and embrace it ....lines and rhythm , color and syntax, depth of field and symbol. The poet focuses on the apex the crucial , the photographer the same. We take what the eye and the mind cannot grasp and hold and make it graspable and holdable ...Deep in our minds we know we are imperfectly trying to corral the perfect ...but it is , at least for me , a sincere desire to praise God and to thank Him that I persist in this art form.

The contrast of color and light , is no different than the sweet massage of rhyme and meter.

By serving art we serve the source of art ..we serve the one who by His words sent all into being , who gave us color and language , who gave us diversity for all our senses to enjoy...Its late I have almost come to the time of day where I can no longer trust mt thoughts , tomorrow I plan to see if this was an Epiphany given in Grace , or a rambling forced by Antihistamines and strong coffee

We are Family

Lori and I and our friend Lee just returned from Church in Layette Oregon. A small community Church packed with fellow believers . It stuck me that world wide Christians of every tribe and tongue have been gathering , celebrating Jesus , praising him worshiping Him , asking Him for an ease to their burdens . Sometimes we may confine God into the width and breadth of our individual sanctuaries . We begin to think His servants look like the person sitting next to us in the pews ...Our understanding of His church on the planet is often too small .

Here in Oregon we celebrated communion ..How many lips touched the wine /juice today ? How many took the bread ..Hands of Carpenters , and Housewives , of doctors and lawyers , of elected officials and grocery store clerks , hands of students and hands of retired golden agers ....God reminds me of His vast army and then in an instant reminds me of His immediate presence . I am introduced to a man and wife who are moving from Oregon to Tennessee. I ask them where in Tennessee and they say Nashville , and i ask where in Nashville and they say Mt Juliet . The Kingdom is big enough for all of us to Fit , and it fits us all .

I Just finished listening to Pastor Ronnie , speaking on submitting to Authority ...I Can see your faces on Facebook...The man in the Seat next to me in Church can be within my reach or half a world away ...but no matter where we are united by Him ,,,we are purposed in Him and in time we will dine with Him ....Millions of us all together at the Feast ....Each sitting with HIM .....amazing !!!!

Pollen : Good for the Planet Bad for me

I haven't been writing much lately . I am in what I call Survival Mode . Since Leaving Tennessee the pollen count has been extreme in most parts of the USA that we have traveled through. I am not alone . along the way I have met a lot of people with itchy eyes , runny noses , and other allergy symptoms . The Medicines I usually count on to help me through this period seem ineffective ..I wear a pollen mask and that seems to help sometimes ...over all  I am not  as predictably cheerful as you may know me to be. I do take  comfort in the fact that all this Pollen is truly for my good ..the flowers and crops we have seen along the way are definitely going to benefit from the Abundance of pollen.  So I wait as patiently as I can for an end to the season...Unfortunately I feel really sapped of energy , even writing and photography is a Chore. Lori and I have landed at my Friend Lee's house in St Paul.  We tok a few days off and visited the coast , beginning our housing search.  But even on the Coast the pollen was evident. Learning to be patient . and looking forward to visiting the small church in Layfayette we visited on Easter.  Missing our Family , Friends , and Church Family ...Lori has been having some issues with pollen and alot of issues with Cat Dander ...most of our friends we have visited have cats ..and Loris Allergies  to cats have become worse over the years . We covet your prayers ....And are runing low on Kleenex .....Gods Peace to all

Signs

 

Signs ....Driving across the USA we have been really aided by all the signs placed along the roadway . Signs that told us where to turn , signs that told us how many miles to our next destination , signs that advertised food , lodging and gas.

Its possible we could have eventually made it to California without the benefit of any signs ..but it would have been much more difficult , and certainly would have taken us much longer .

The first explorers of the continent were aided by the local people they encountered ..they were told were the mountain passes were where water could be found ...

The signs we follow today ..are signs left by people of yesterday .

As Christians we are on a Journey to Seek the Kingdom of God . Our road map is the Bible , and reading the bible on a daily basis will help you note the signs for your Christian Journey .

God does not leave us alone on our Journey , We are assisted by His word , His Servants , His Church. Encourage one another , read the bible , pray to Father and seek the fellowships of the Saints

Hold on to the moment

Ecclesiastes 5:18-20

  Behold, what I have seen to be good and fitting is for one to eat and drink, and to find enjoyment in all the labor in which he labors under the sun all the days which God gives him—for this is his [allotted] part. Also, every man to whom God has given riches and possessions, and the power to enjoy them and to accept his appointed lot and to rejoice in his toil—this is the gift of God [to him].

  For he shall not much remember [seriously] the days of his life, because God [Himself] answers and corresponds to the joy of his heart [the tranquillity of God is mirrored in him].

The family reunion is ending today . Lori's younger sister , husband and new baby left us on Thursday. Today Lori's middle sister , husband and 7 children head out , followed by Lori and I and Her parents . The week has gone by very fast . IT was a good time .balanced by communal meals and discussions , and individual groups learning about each other and sharing with each other .

I spent most of my time enjoying my in laws reactions and delight in their Family. Both Becky and Jim spent a lot of time in service to us ..meal preparation , watching over the children , picking things up and moving things from one area to another ...Both of Lori's parents have servant hearts ..and that seed has been passed onto the Daughters , and you can see it in the children as well .

There were times when both Becky and Jim just watched and enjoyed the presence of the family . On Friday night each of us gave testimony of what We were thankful for , and what we believed God was teaching us . Jim's comment really stuck with me , that God was teaching him to enjoy and reflect on the joy of a smile. We often take the simple joys for granted ...

Jim and Becky had prepared some photo Albums for people to view , photos from their past . On several occasion some of the children and some of the Adults would gather around Jim as He shared his past through the assembled photos . What precious memories were created there !

Over the years , poets, lyricists and novelists have tried to comment on the rush of time ...Some of us are obsessed with How fast our lives go by and often how " poorly " we hold unto each day each moment in our eagerness to see what is the next moment .

One day you are marrying your child hood sweetheart , your children are racing around the dinning room table , and you look up to see eight grand children laughing and smiling at each other .

This was a special time . It may be a while before it is repeated ....as it has been a long time since the last Family gathering ..As human beings we often get distracted by the unnecessary ..and ignore the truly important stuff of life . The joy of family , the gentle murmur of conversations and those wonderful smiles of delight.

I think of my own family , and realize that what I miss the most is not the stuff my father was able to provide me with , not the cupcakes my mother baked , what I Miss more than anything else is their presence . And yet I know if I were to be able to have my own "Emily " moment and relive even one day of life with my family I would squander that day , Very few of us live in the moment. The Poet may see infinity in aq grain of sand , can we see Gods grace in the moment that we have in our embrace ?

The Geometry of Faith

Unity , its a process

 

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1:5-8 NIV

 

There is one subject I try to avoid at our Family reunions. Politics. Politically I am very much on the left hand side of the Aisle . Everyone else in the Family leans to the right. One left winger and about 14 right wingers . The potential for acrimonious discussion is a real possibility. I wonder how much of a hurdle that would have been a few decades ago ? Probably not much some pokes and prods

, A few jokes ...but in today's climate ...it is a challenge. I don't care for the divisive and mean spirited vibe of today's political landscape. The only place I venture into the fray is in the chat rooms . there I can "mute " those who are incapable of having a civil conversation. But in the real land of nitty gritty especially at a Family reunion it seems inappropriate to be divisive ..and difficult to mute your relatives as well. Fortunately as a family we do have one thing in common .We are all Believers . And it is this commonality and good role models that offer the best solution to diverse political beliefs .

The best model for behavior in this case for me is the Church that Lori and I go to..  one of the most compelling attributes of our church is its membership is really seeking God ...Lori and I have never been in a church that " walked the walk " the way this church does . One of the best examples of this for me is the " Gate " . The Gate is a Gathering of men from our church .we meet at 6:30 am on Tuesdays . The men who come to the Gate want to be there , and they come because they want to draw closer to Christ.

Part of the success of the Gate is its structure . We begin by a few minutes of early morning conversation ( fellowship ) then a few minutes of welcoming God into our hearts and lives . Then Pastor Ronnie brings us a brief devotion , We embrace each other and then usually one of our group will give a personal testimony. In steps we learn more about each other . over the years we have become more transparent with each other ..and it is out of this process we learn what a diverse group we are , and the one thing we all share is a desire to move closer to the Lord .

Our focus shifts away from our differences to Him the one who draws us and the closer we are drawn to Him in the Geometry of faith the closer we come together . You see no matter how far apart we are , or how diverse we are if we are each seeking the Lord and moving toward Him , it is inevitable that we draw closer to each other .

I have been really blessed to be included in a extended family of strong faith and convictions ...So while my Father in Law and I may disagree on the National Leadership , we both agree that God is on His Throne and He is in charge . My Brother In Law may differ on economics but we can agree on Gods Economy .

When held up to the foundation of His love and Grace , political discussion seems to be very insignificant . I am learning we are not Democrat or Republican , Capitalist or Socialist , we are not Liberal or Conservative. We are people ..not labels . There is no Earthly institution that will ever improve on God. Only the Kingdom , His Kingdom will rule Justly.

Ultimately I am learning that I am not a bumper sticker , nor do lapel buttons or lawn signs define me . They do not define anyone ...they may provide a mask , or a facade to hide behind , but our own reality is the life that was purposed in us by a Just and Loving God.

Scripture teaches me , it is indeed useful to begin to grasp Gods Sovereignty. And understand His commands to us ..move us closer to Unity in Christ .

Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?”

Micah 6:8

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

Family goes on forever

 

 

The Oregon Coast is still about 3000 miles away . The family time here in Arkansas has been delightful . This house is so large it can swallow us up when needed , and then bring us back together in a few moments . Our meals have been communal , Evenings have given themselves over to playing games and sharing Photograph albums that Jim and Becky have prepared of their lifetime .

Most of the sounds are laughter and joyful interaction . I have taken a lot of family photos , mostly candid's. hopefully adding more memories for the Family to treasure . Been thinking a lot about the pleasant places that the Lord has prepared for us , and how much family means to us . I think most of us will go to our graves thinking not about things and stuff , but thinking about the people that walked with us as we took life's journey .

Some of the children here ( there are 7 today ) will probably remember this week , some won't , each will have different memories , and some time in the distant future these children will have children of their won and they will be gathered around a sofa or kitchen table trying to remember that week in the Ozarks .

Life is both linear and circular ...The constant in life is life itself . Life repeating itself ...sharing itself , embracing itself . Stuff and things go away , fences fall down , corrode or decay ...But His love endures forever ....