Turtle Shells

"Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield.
For our heart shall rejoice in Him, because we have trusted in His holy name." Psalm 33:20-21


Today I was driving home from a morning of fishing on the Kentucky Lake when I slowed down and drove around a turtle that was trying to cross the road. He was going as fast as he could go when he saw me coming. The turtle just stopped and drew up into his shell.

Didn’t he know that my GM pickup weighs over a ton (probably close to 2 tons)? Didn’t he know that his shell would be useless against my truck and boat trailer?

It makes me think about the things that I trust in to save me in times of troubles. Like sickness, do I really trust in doctors and health insurance? Like my future retirement, do I trust in Social Security and my 401k? Like food and my other daily needs, do I only trust in my weekly paycheck?

Like the turtle I find myself trusting in things that are not very trustworthy. Doctors and insurance have let me down many times. Social Security, will it even be here when I retire, who knows. Can you trust in a paycheck? Ask the 9% plus unemployed in the United States.

Every night I cry out to God my Savior to be my shield, my protector, my provider. In my 54 years of living, God has never let me down. Sometimes He has been a little late according to my watch and calendar. The day will come when I will know the reasons why God does things the way He does and the timing was always perfect.

I will trust in the Lord with all my strength and not in the shells that this world provides.

alight

My Special Visitor

I had a special visitor at my pond the other day. It was an American bald eagle. Our running club was standing out on the road waiting for everyone to arrive and lo and behold here comes the eagle flying right over us heading up the valley I live in. When he got even with the pond I had built he suddenly turned and begin to circle it a few times.

Then to our delight the eagle landed in a tree at the back of the pond. I have a couple of geese decoys and two duck decoys sitting on the water just to decorate with. I think he may have thought that they were real or something. Anyway, I ran into the house and got my camera.

When I came out I had the camera ready and the eagle began to fly off. I was able to take a couple of pics and he was gone. He was so big! No, huge!

"Thank You Lord for letting us see one of Your most spectacular creatures."

If you are having trouble seeing him in the picture, he is on the left side of the tall tree. I promise you that the picture does not do him justice when it comes to showing how big he is. He is huge!

alight

The Rainbow

This evening God took His paintbrush and did it again. He amazed me with the most beautiful picture in the sky. As soon as I noticed it I had to say, "Praise The Lord". I was reminded of God's promise made to man that He would not destroy man again by flood.

It was a reminder that just like He kept His promise then He will keep His other promises also. It was written all over the sky this evening that God is faithful.

Although I have seen many rainbows in my life, I still have to grab my camera and take a lot of pictures. I just want to capture the beauty so I can look at it later. This one will be my desktop picture for a long time. I hope it blesses you.

alight

Hello Birdie!

Well, I've added a new member to my family. Her name is Birdie. The previous owner did not have much of an imagination when it came to giving her a name. I might change it.

She is an African Grey parrot. She is 6 years old and may live to be 60 years old. She already talks a lot. For some reason she does not like women. She bites Dale every time she gets a chance. She just loves me and likes to go for a ride on my finger.

I look forward to teaching Birdie new words. She already knows "Praise the Lord". I have read that the African Grey is the smartest bird. I am hoping that she will speak lots of praises to encourage me.

alight

The Super Moon

Tonight (March 19, 2011) I just had to go out and take a picture of the Super Moon that everyone has been talking about. Well, it was 9:00 pm and so right before bed time I went out in my pajamas and set up my camera.

I was hoping to get a good picture in the dark but I am not sure of the camera settings so I just took a lot of them. After I finished I went back in my house and sat down to go over my pix.

After looking at all of them I was impressed with my new camera. Then I started zooming in on them to see how they would look. To my surprise I had taken a picture of a meteor streaking across the sky.

I mean, what is the chances?

One of these days I will look up and see the most special surprise when I see Jesus coming back in all His glory. Oh, what a day that will be! I can't wait.

alight

Space Shuttle Discovery

Tonight I watched the Space Shuttle Discovery following the International Space Station for the last time. Because of the NASA website I am able to know the times that the Space Station or Shuttles are viewable from my area in Tennessee. I hear that after this last mission it will be heading to a museum.

I wanted to see both of them still connected but it wasn't to be. Tonight was the first chance for me to see them and they were already separated. They looked like they were only a little bit apart but probably many miles.

In order for me to watch this last flight of the Discovery I needed to jump on my ATV and ride up on top of the hill behind my home. From my location it was viewed in the northern skies and the hill was blocking that. At 7:32 pm, right on time, the two of them came streaking across the sky. It was quiet a sight.

alight

Listening to the Gospel

On my many mission trips I have taken thousands of pictures. I must admit that most of my favorite ones are really accidents. Most of the time when other team members are sharing the gospel with a group of people I will sneak the camera out and capture the looks and expressions on their faces. The Kenyan lady above has got to be my favorite.

This Ethiopian lady was listening to every word.

I treasure this picture of a African girl. Even though the sermon she was listening to was kind of long, she never put her basket down.

I walked up to a group of men who where working in their field and asked them when they had time I would like to talk to them about Jesus. They all dropped what they were doing and sat down to listen to me. They were so kind.

I have been so blessed to be able to go on mission trips around the world. I try to go at least once a year and hopefully when I retire I will do much more. "Thank You Lord Jesus for the chance to share the gospel with so many people."

alight

I had a dream about Heaven last night

It never occurred to me that I was either dead or raptured when I took my first step in heaven. I was completely at peace and all excited that I was about to see Jesus. All my possessions that were left behind did not matter at all. The things that I was worrying about just hours before never entered my mind.

The troubles and hardships at work I never thought of once. The price of gas which will cause our economy here in the United States to crash again suddenly was a little thing. The wars and rumors of wars around the world was unimportant. My wife's health was completely out of my control (as if I ever had any control).

I was in Heaven! It reminded me of the time that I was on mission in Africa and I was standing in the middle of the Great Riff Valley, looking around at the vastness of the Masai Mara, with thousands of God's creatures all around me and the sun was about to sit, the awe of it all filled me completely. I didn't know what to say then and I was speechless now.

When I think of "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem" which I do every night, I realize that this is the peace that I pray for. Not man's peace that is good today and gone tomorrow but the true peace that God supplies. I was feeling this peace. You know, I believe that if we really, really trust that God is in control and that we should completely trust in Him and Him alone, we would experience a form of this peace.

I'm going to see Jesus! I'm going to see Jesus! I kept telling myself. Then I woke up. One of these day, just wait, one of these days!

"Come Lord Jesus!"

alight

The Road to the Cross

In Mark chapter 14 we see that Jesus goes into a garden area of the Mount of Olives called Gethsemane and there in verse 35 it says, "He went a little farther, and fell on the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him. And He said, "Abba"! All the angels in heaven had at least one eye on Jesus at all times now because they knew what was about to take place.

They were all on edge as they seen the day approaching for Jesus to give His life for the sins of man. When Jesus cried "Abba"! I can just imagine that millions and millions of angels rushing at one time to come to His aide but was stopped by the hand of God the Father. It must have been like hitting a glass wall that kept them from going any closer to the Son of God. They no doubt were on edge and would go in force at the lowering of the hand of God.

After His first prayer he goes and finds Peter, James and John sleeping and tells them to watch and pray. The angels just shake their heads. He goes off the second time and prays again the same words, "Abba"! The angels lunge forward to the aide of Jesus and again is stopped by the Word of God the Father, "No". Like a moth that hits the windshield of a car they are stopped.

Then a third time Jesus prays the same words but this time God the Father stops the angels with just the look of His eyes. They want to go so bad and there is a great moaning sound heard through out all of heaven. You could hear the sound of speeding heart beats and the fidgeting of their feet but for now they must wait.

This is part One of a fictional story that I wrote about the days leading up to the Cross. I will post other parts in the "comments" so feel free to check back often. Please click on the "time" that I post the comment.

alight

Satan had a chat with me today!

While out on a 4 mile run this afternoon a, let me say voice, kept asking me questions. I was not born or let me say born again yesterday. I knew immediately who this voice was. It was Satan, the ole devil. To my knowledge he does not come by very often. I guess I am not that very important.

I am use to getting asked questions. My wife ask me questions all the time. I am also use to not answering questions. My wife ask so many that I don't have time to answer them all. Today the questions came one right after another. I remembered when Jesus had to listen to Satan in the wilderness. He only answered with scriptures.

Satan brought up past sins that I had committed. Not the white lies or the sins of omission but the ones that make me cringe each time I think about them. Sins that if done by others I would condemn.

Satan asked about the time I sinned by ****? (I cringed) "Forgiven!" Ephesians 1:7 says, "In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace."

And over and over again he would ask about another time when I had failed God miserably and my only answer was "Forgiven". I know in my heart that I am a sinner, one of the worst but God has saved me through His Son because of His amazing grace.

In these last days, I think it wise for us to remember the amazing grace of God our Maker and give Him much praise.

alight