dijon mustard, I love you

I love a good hot dog, honest I do. Simple food, topped with dijon and of course, no ketchup. The breaking of bread and sharing of food. Sacred for all time.

I don't think life gets much better then when you are sharing food and life with others.

For the basics remain - - food, shelter and clothing
To have these things, these basics, are blessings beyond what we can imagine. We need to relish in them, give thanks and praises to Him who provides for He is good and great.

Taking the low road, the road of low recognition, the road to; not about me, but about you....well that is hard. SO hard, so very, very hard. Even when singing at church...."it's all about you Jesus" somehow the "you" get's replaced with me in my mind....forgive me Father.

Let's be salty....salty, salty, salty so salty that when people see and hear you that they know the goodness. They know the Christ! The truth and the light. Let our words and actions permeate the air with the aroma of the goodness of Jesus Christ.
This IS our calling. This IS our duty as believers.

Dinner was good tonight.....albeit spent with a hot dog on the 8:45 PM train out of DC and no one else....no one else that is, but you. Thanks for listening.


"But knowledge puffs up while love builds up. Those who think they know something do not yet know as they ought to know. But whoever loves God is known by God.^{"    God's Word}

note from travel

In 2002 Mar and I won a trip of a lifetime! A trip to Paris, France, all expenses paid. We quickly learned that we could CHANGE the destiny of this trip and travel to anywhere and........we did.

We traveled to Tegucigalpa, Honduras in Central America. We had been there before and had good friends there. We decided to spice it up a bit with a true relaxing vacation at the tail end of the trip, for four days.

The beginning of the trip was spent staying with our good friends Cesar and Maritza and their children in their home. We enjoyed watching the World Cup on their tiny, fuzzy tv (Brazil eventually won) and traveling around the country to visit other friends in villages like Chichicaste where poverty is king. 

Then came Roatan, worlds away from mainland Honduras, but not entirely. Roatan is a small island featuring world class diving 40 miles away from the mainland.

We stayed at the lovely Pearl Island Resort and were enthralled beyond words with the snorkeling. We can tell some serious stories. Our eyes have never been more fascinated with the features and awe-inspiring riches of our world then here.

We relaxed, and it is here I would like to share my passion. Isabella was the maid of the resort. We were the only guests (June; low season), the owners were absent and we got to know Isabella, share breakfast with her and talk. She earned 8.00 per/day wages, worked 7 days a week and it cost her $2 per/day to take the bus to work. Her net was $42 per/week. She was happy for the work.

It was here we also went shopping and I love to negotiate, and negotiate I did. We met up with Sandra, a young Guatemalan living in Roatan. She had weaved a beautiful table covering that we had decided to splurge on. Sandra wanted $65, but I knew I could do better and for 30 minutes or so I proceeded to try to talk her down as low as 20 and finally up to 50. She never budged. This was tiring. She would not give in and it was here, finally, where I recalled Isabella's wages and how Sandra had spent hours upon hours weaving this beautiful table cloth and how poor this nation was and here for 20 dollars or so I wanted to prove my authority and my own personal greed.

Needless to say. We own a beautiful tablecloth, my pride has since recovered, and now reading a journal entry or two from 10 years ago sparks these memories as vivid as yesterday.....now if I could just hear//smell the ocean......ahhhhhhhhhhh

Sometimes Daily

 

Sometimes Daily

Things are running through my mind this AM....the song Struggle by Ringside is playing in my head.  The sun is rising in the east and all I can think about is how messed up I am as a dad a husband and a human. 

I have made a study of motivation and confidence; where they come from and how we get more of them. Well right now, they are out the window. And as much as His mercies are new every morning, and I relish that they are, I do, I JUST CAN'T SEEM TO SHAKE MY SADNESS TODAY.

I think that that's part of the godly thinking...that we need to know that He is in our corner, always and forever. He will never forsake us. I long for that day, on my knees, giving Him praises, worshiping Him.

Till then I will try to keep my head up even in the shadows for it is the shadows that prove the sunshine.

Going to go read Psalm 73 and then put some Switchfoot on.

1st Snow 2012

light in snow 1/5/2012

What started as the tiniest of flurries appearing to be dust gently gliding to the earth, became a dusting as the clocks turned past midnight last night. Twas a beautiful sight to behold, the 1st snow of the winter!

The morning came and a covering of snow blanketed our town. A father and his two young boys played in the covering making snow angels as the father captured their images.

It is weather that can make us stop, sometimes without choice.

Stop and laugh, stop and see and hear.

I love to stop. For it is then that I rest and find peace. So let it snow and snow and snow for I appreciate stopping in the moments. 

day after precious day

Every day anew, over and over and over and yet they are so very precious.

In an open thought to God...

God, I am so sorry. It seems like the past two years have not been yours, but mine. I do so ever wish I could give them back to you, but I can't. Thank you for giving me today. I will work hard at being nice to others today. I will work hard at not judging others today. Forgive me when I fail Lord....forgive me.

" I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked." Forgive me Father. 

"But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all your works" Psalm 73

back in the saddle

Tonight a friend, Brett is getting a liver. An eight hour operation. Hard to believe. I take my liver for granted. I take life for granted. It always seems to be there.....even though I know one day it won't.

What would we give for a day? One day. One 24 hour day. What is the value. Isn't it time to stop taking these days begrudgingly and start taking them and giving thanks?

I am on the 8:45 train home from DC. I had dinner with Quig @ Verenda. He had the lamb shank and I had the filet. It was pouring rain. We both arrived soaked to the bone. We talked...really he listened. I am thankful for him. I love him. He is a good man, a good friend, a believer and yes that believer part makes a difference. It gives us a bond, a common truth that is not shaken.

It's a crowded train. a different crowd then the 9-5er's. A working crowd. A smiling crowd. It is a good crowd. A crowd of people that are living life and enjoying today. What would you give for a day?

What is it worth

impact

Just finished reading "The Last Lecture" by Randy Pausch. To say it impacted me is to put it mildly.

The shortness of life, the knowledge to know what matters and the desire to grow. Things I think I do, but knowing I can do them better, better for having read Randy's words.

The bible stands far and above in being the book most impacting my life.

The Green Mile- the book; blew me away, good and evil, classic/ingrained. And in the end....evil wins, at least here on earth.

The Last Lecture; an intelligent articulate man of integrity giving his children himself. Pure.

If I have nothing to give, I have yet myself which is far more valuable then all and it is time to give of myself and doing this is acknowledging who I am and loving myself for the goodness that I know of in my heart.

Thanks for listening.