The Tallest Point

The first of September, I had posted pictures of the beautiful park in my own hometown. A few weeks after I had taken a walk through that park, I was able to drive to another amazing place, this one twenty-some miles from where I live.

Once again I was reminded of how blessed I am. I’ve been to Timm’s Hill, the tallest point in my state, many times over the years. Of course, in another week or two the colors will be stunning. I will take what I can get though, and just be grateful that I made it there yet this year. 

 I hope you get to enjoy the changing of the seasons wherever you are.

Asking for Forgiveness

  If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them. (James 4:17, New International Version)

The other day I heard someone say something which stopped me in my tracks. I can’t remember exactly what it was, but I took it to mean something like, “this is what’s wrong with Christians – they think they are above other people because they say they believe in God, but they just keep right on sinning”. I was caught so off-guard that I couldn’t respond. And besides what could I possibly say?

Well, actually, I would like to say something like this. I am a poor, miserable sinner just like everyone else. I am so far from perfect that I feel guilty just praying to God to ask for forgiveness. I pray for patience and acceptance and humility and gentleness and a long list of other attributes which I struggle with.

“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:41, New International Version)

So, why can’t God just heal me of my sins? Grant me patience and kindness and a gentle spirit, so that I wouldn’t keep having to sin and ask for His forgiveness.

I don’t know and maybe I’m not supposed to know. It’s not for me to question why God made me the way He did. I try to be a good person, I really do. I try to obey the commandments. But I continue to fail miserably. I fly off the handle with little provocation. And I know I treat others unkindly.

 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9, New International Version)

Last night in church, the sermon was on forgiveness. God will forgive me; all I have to do is ask and remember the very little He asks of me. And then ask for forgiveness from others. 

 “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.” (Matthew 18:35, New International Version)

I have to believe

It’s hard to believe that someone reading this wasn’t alive on September 11, 2001. Or was too young to realize what happened that day.

The hijacking of those four different planes and their subsequent crashes amounted to the single deadliest terrorist attack in human history. There were 2,983 fatalities, over 25,000 injuries, and at least $10 billion in infrastructure and property damage. 343 firefighters and 72 law enforcement officers were killed. Over 3,000 children lost at least one parent in the attacks.

Fear gripped this country, but somehow, when the literal dust settled, when we realized our mortality and our vulnerabilities, we were able to rally. We came together as a nation. We turned out in droves to donate blood. We sent teams of volunteers to help with clean efforts. We flew our flags. We vowed that we would never be defeated.  

Other countries around the world supported us. They stood with us and offered whatever aid we needed. They assured us that they would join us in retaliation against the terrorists.

How different things are nineteen years later. Why would other countries stand with us now when we can’t even stand with ourselves? And our enemies? All they have to do is sit back and watch our country fall in on itself, destroy itself.

Paul Harvey said it best in 1965. He called it. How did he know that fifty-some years later his predictions would have come true. It’s sad, so very sad.

I’d like to hope there is time to turn things around for our country. I don’t see how, but I still have to believe it, have to have faith in the goodness of humankind.

And off we go to school

 You know those logic puzzles that start out something like: Joe is married to Sally; Sally’s sibling runs a restaurant; Mary has red hair and likes pizza; Bob is allergic to tomatoes and works at Home Depot. And then you have to figure out what each of them had for dinner. Ok, they give you a few more hints, but you know what I’m talking about, right?

I used to love working on those, and so did Hubby, until he had to spend the entire weekend working on a real-life logic puzzle.

School started here yesterday, which meant my husband went back to driving school bus. Which meant he had three lists of students riding his bus – the elementary school kids who ride every day, half the middle schoolers and high schoolers who ride Mondays and Wednesdays, and the other half who ride Tuesdays and Thursdays. Only siblings can sit in the same seat together, and optimally the bus fills in the morning from back to front, so students getting on aren’t passing the kids who were already picked up.

So, now, dear bus-driver, come up with a seating chart for these forty-plus boys and girls and label each of their seats. 

At that point, my organizational skills kicked in and my OCD flipped out. “Hubby,” I nearly shouted at him, “we have to color-code and laminate those name tags!”

Is it any wonder I get any sleep at night!

I do, however, need to mention, that Hubby and the other bus drivers are only one tiny segment of the nightmare which COVID19 has created for our educational system. Every teacher on the planet has my full sympathy. And you parents, trying to hustle your kids off to school, while on your knees praying that school doesn’t get called off AND that your precious babies don’t catch the virus? I wish I could be your literal shoulder to cry on. Lord knows, nobody has gotten enough hugs since this pandemic began.

Hang in there, everybody. We will get through this thing, braver and stronger people than when this started. And hopefully, our kids will be smarter. 

A Day of Rest

  “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” (Exodus 20:8-11, New International Version)

Over the years, I’ve thought about doing a series of blog posts on the ten commandments. Hopefully, some day I still will. Right now, today, however, the third commandment is on my mind.

I don’t know about the rest of you, but Sunday – the Sabbath – seems to be my day to do housework. I try my hardest to clean through the house on Saturday, so I can take the next day off, but somehow, I always get distracted, become engaged in extra chores around the house, or take a nap. I wake up Sunday morning with the realization that I am going to have to do some work and not get the rest which the Lord instituted back in the Old Testament. And even if the house is clean as a whistle come Sunday morning, I always find something to do – clean out a drawer or wash clothes. How does a person take an entire day off without doing any work whatsoever? The Jews weren’t even supposed to cook on the Sabbath. I’m all about that, but then Hubby does most of our cooking anyway.

If you really think about it, God gave us the commandments to help us out, not to hinder us. He knew what was best for us and that’s why he gave us a list of rules to memorize in confirmation class and try to retain into adulthood. The third commandment seems to demonstrate that the most.  

I think we are all tired - if not exhausted - physically, mentally and emotionally. It’s been a rough eight months. Maybe today, or tomorrow as it will be Labor Day, we need to just relax and not do a thing. Just reflect on the good things which God has given us and not worry about doing a thing.

 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

(Matthew 11:28, New International Version)

Time for a little humor

   I thought it was time to share a little humor, just be silly. 

Two weeks ago, as Hubby and I were pulling out of the driveway to head to church late Saturday afternoon, I spied this fella on the road. 

 He seemed pretty confident in where he was going. We had seen what we thought was his relative in our swamp earlier this spring. 

 Sure, enough, he sauntered right up to our vehicle and kept on going, up our driveway. No doubt heading to our swamp, which would be a disappointment, as it has dried up in the late summer weather. 

 
Here’s where my weird sense of humor comes in. This little guy’s trek reminded me of a much bigger fella I watched stroll up to our vehicle in Kenya in 2015. 

 Not that my little muskrat is any match for a majestic Simba on the wild African plain. But my active imagination still came up with the comparison. 

Have a great holiday weekend. Be safe. Be smart. Don’t get attacked by any wild animals.  

And Summer is Over

   Hard to believe – as well as very sad – that summer is pretty much over. It’s September and autumn will be upon us soon.

I don’t know where the last three months went, but I don’t feel as if I’ve spent nearly enough time outdoors exploring. My little four-acre plot has been about it.

Except for a few weeks ago when I did take a walk through our town’s most amazing park. It’s been a few years since I’ve been to Bradley Park, which is quite unfortunate. It is a beautiful, peaceful place. 

I was really excited to spy this osprey. Bald eagles are okay, but ospreys are my favorite.
I'll have to tell you a story about them another time. 

If you live in Tomahawk, or nearby, and haven’t walked Bradley Park, get over there in the next couple weeks. The trees will be turning soon and it will be even more breathtaking.