COURAGE FOR TODAY

A Masterpiece of Scribble

"being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:6 (NIV)

I have thoroughly enjoyed having my Daughter, Son-in-Law, and three Grand-children live with us temporarily.  Since their arrival from China, they'll be staying with us for a few months until they can get their own place.  It's been many years since I've come home every night from work and had children to welcome me after a long day, but you just can't beat the Grandkids world of video games and toys to remind you of your true priorities.

There is no way to put a price on learning to love the Grandkids personalities and interests and see the excitement in their eyes watching the latest episode of Sponge-Bob Square Pants.  My youngest Grandson is especially artistic and creative.  He loves to draw and color.  Almost everyday, he will spend time coloring a new page in his coloring book.  Of course, at five years old, the colors don't always match and he doesn't always color between all the lines, but he is so proud of his masterpiece.  He smiles from ear to ear when he finishes his artwork and can't wait to show it to me and everyone that will look.  To the casual observer, it wouldn't even be noticed, but to me, it's as beautiful as the greatest Picasso.  My grandson is an extension of me and I couldn't be more proud, no matter how his artwork looks.  He isn't worried about how the artwork will be judged.  He isn't worried what others will think.  He's just drawing and coloring to the best of his abilities.  In fact, he's so proud of his handy work that he has taped pictures that he's colored to his bedroom walls. Most people hang framed pictures and posters; he hangs pages from a coloring book.  It would never be part of Better Homes and Garden decor, but it's beautiful to me.

UnEducated and UnTrained

Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus.  Acts 4:13 (NIV)

I've been fortunate in life to cross paths with many, many different types of people and personalities.  I've met Presidents and CEO's of Major Corporations.  I've met famous politicians.  I've even met popular sports figures.  All in all, I guess you could say that I've been able to meet a lot of individuals that are held in fairly high esteem by the World's standards.

The World would look at these people and come to the conclusion that they were at the top of their respective fields.  Afterall, the Presidents and CEO's certainly must have advanced degrees and education.  The politicians certainly must have education plus all the "people" skills necessary to influence others.  And, of course, the sports personalities surely must devote their energy to hours upon hours of dedication and practice.  I think all of these things are probably true for the most part, but somehow that just doesn't impress me. 

Coming Home Again

Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.  Matthew 24:42

My wife and I are eagerly awaiting news of exactly when our Daughter; Son-in-Law; and Grand-children will be arriving for the Christmas Holidays.  They are missionaries in China and are only able to get home about every two or three years.  So, it's obviously extremely exciting knowing that they're coming, but also unnerving because we don't know exactly when they will be arriving.

My Daughter and family live in the mid-western part of China.  They must first take a two day train ride to some City I can't pronounce.  From there, they have to complete some Visa and Passport paperwork at the U.S. Consulate, then it's on to Beijing.  From there, they take a short flight to Tokyo and then connect non-stop to Atlanta.  If all the timing happens as we hope, they should be home by Christmas or slightly later.  A lot depends on the amount of time for the Consulate to complete the needed paperwork.  They'll know at almost the last moment as they're boarding the flights and should be able to call us before they leave.  What a joyous call that will be to hear their voices and know that they're in route.  Then, it's a 14-16 hour wait for us before we drive to the airport to meet them.  I know it will seem like 14-16 days.

Behold, New Things Have Come

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.  2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)

It's late October and getting close to Halloween time again.  I was thinking the other day about a particular Halloween a couple of years ago.  Our grandkids were 5 and 4 years old at the time and had been living overseas with my daughter for some time.  This was their first Halloween that they were really old enough to remember or participate in and they were so excited.  We tried to explain how they were going to get to select a costume for themselves and dress-up like their favorite character.  I'm not sure they really understood what we were saying, but they were excited nonetheless.

Highway To Somewhere

I spend a lot of time in my car.  Unfortunately, my commute to work each day is about 80 miles round trip.  In some ways, I enjoy the commute.  It allows me time to gear up for my day at work, or gear down on my way home in the evenings.  It also gives me some time to myself to think about the topic for the day, whatever that might be.  In other ways, I dislike the commute.  The wear and tear on my car is great.  The aggravation of traffic is unbearable some days.  However, the bottom line is I try to make the most of my particular commuting challenges.

Strength In Numbers

Sunday was an especially emotional day for me.  The Cemetery in which my Mother is buried holds a special Candlelight service the First Sunday in December of each year.  The Cemetery personnel place small, single candles in front of each grave marker in the Cemetery.  Then, at a designated time, all the candles are lit.  It is truly a sight to see.

Like the Ocean Waves

My wife and I love going to the beach.  Not so much to swim, but simply to lay out in the sun and take long walks on the beach.  We've been fortunate to see some of the World's beautiful beaches from Key West to Daytona to Destin to Savannah and even Mexico, the Bahamas, and Grand Cayman all the way to Taiwan.  Its very relaxing and peaceful to lay in the sun and listen to the waves roll in and out.  There's also always good food to be found somewhere and always time to people watch.  We get a kick out of watching the children on the beach and the unfortunate souls wearing swimsuits a couple of sizes too small.

A Parade of Champions

This trip to my grandmother's small, middle Georgia Town was supposed to be highlighted by something special this time.  At this particular time, my grandmother was the Mayor of the small town, which is another story in and of itself.  She had invited my parents and all of us to make a visit on this particular day because the Town was going to have a special Founder's Day Parade.  We were told it was going to be a spectacular event with Marching Bands from the local High School; Fire Trucks and Police Cars from the area; winners of local beauty pageants; and of course the mandatory politicians of which my grandmother, the Mayor, was front and center.

Alone in a Crowd

February is typically known as the Month of Valentines. It’s that magical time of the year when we dote on our loved ones. Maybe this year, it will be a beautiful bouquet of Roses. Or, perhaps the delicious box of chocolates is this year’s choice. I always preferred a hand-written note for my wife since I usually can’t find a card that really expresses what I want to say.