Greetings 2013

2012 was a great year......

Every step of the way my friends Goodness & Mercy were there for me……

Tonight I celebrate the following….

New families filling the pews of CUPC……

So many in fact that I can’t keep all the names straight…

New friends I never knew I had…..

Resources that had heretofore been untapped because of the familiar……

A brand new grand-boy……

A new son–n-law…….

An empty-nest…..

And  an absolute joy in the memory of my dear little Sweet Annaleigh, who took a walk last April and wound up in Heaven…..

Oh yes….

Much pain…..

More gain……

Old new friends came into our lives…..

A friend called Trust came and stayed…….

And I,  like the man borne of four was also carried by Faith, Hope, Love & Charity…..

4000+ other friends came to share themselves when our Annaleigh passed away……

Then some very special people stepped into our world and were just there……

Their names need not be called for they know who they are…….

Yes, 2012 was a great year…….

Greatness comes packaged in the most unique ways…..

Packages named….

The Wonderful, for He knew we would need wonder in those dark moments….

The Counselor, for He preplanned counsel we would need….

The Mighty God, for He understood we must have a God moment to survive…..

The Everlasting Father, for He knew we needed a lap to crawl up in and just cry….

The Prince of Peace, for stormy, broken hearts always need His peace……

2012 was a great year…..

However the greatest part of the year has been…..

My Tracie, who I held when she wept, and who held my head and hands when it was my turn….

My Tracie who is without doubt a world class model of grace…..

I will long be thankful for the journey of pain and peace and love and trust……

I am oh so thankful for Him…..

He never leaves….

He never forsakes……

He stays close…..

He loves……

Tracie, Trent, Redonia, Calah, Hector, (Annaleigh), Pressley & whatever this next one’s name will be……

God has been good to us……

And for this I rejoice……

I rejoice in Him……

And through it all….

2012 was a great year……

Tonight I sleep cradled in the confidence of One who never fails…..

Greetings 2013……

rks

A Stable Family

 So here is the scoop….

Girl is with child, unmarried to guy and has an off the wall explanation….

The guy bought in and wants to help her out…..

So they take off on a 100 mile trip on a donkey……

Have you ever travelled with a 9 month preggo wifo in a car…..

Imagine the guy’s dilemma with a preggo girlo on a donkyo……

They made no reservations….

No place to stay….

So they hang outback with the other homeless types…..

Not your normal pic for a Stable Family?

Somebody’s water breaks and its time for baby…..

Baby is born and put in a rock cattle trough, while the new parents sit on hay bales…..

Heaven stands still for this family…..

Locals come visit this family…..

Nobility from around the world arrive to pay respects…..

The child grew and transformed his day…..

Then grew into a man and died and changed his world…..

He changed mine too……

He probably effected yours as well…..

And now tell me what you think about that not so stable Stable Family…..

rks

Wonderful Wonder

 The last several days my thoughts have followed this path….

For unto a child would be born, a son given with a first name called Wonderful……

The shepherds were filled with Wonder as a heavenly host sang to them things to Wonderful to believe….

And wherever the Wonderful would appear Wonder would be in his wake….

At 12 years of age the Wonderful brought Wonder to the elders in the temple…..

3 dead people discovered the Wonder of the Wonderful……

3 different blind men discovered the Wonderful Wonder of the Wonderful……

3 full of the devil guys…..

And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus’ feet; and he healed them: Insomuch that the multitude Wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see: and they glorified the God of Israel.

Regardless of where or when…..

Wonder was found in close proximity to the Wonderful……

10 lepers saw the Wonderful from a distance and began to cry out and were cleansed…..

But the 1 came and fell at the Wonderful feet and was made completely whole….

Lost things were restored…..

Lost digits of his hands were re-digitized….

By simply falling at the feet of the Wonderful……

There is no mandate for Wonder…..

When Wonder cannot be found, the Wonderful can……

However it appears the closer to the Wonderful the better chance for the Wonder…..

Today I choose the Wonderful….

Today I elect to stay as close to the Wonderful as possible…..

I pursue the Wonderful……

I live amid Wonder……

Those of you who follow this blog are aware of my life the last several months…..

Brokenness, sadness, grief, cemeteries and a dead baby……..

Days with no Wonder…..

But not a single day without the Wonderful……

And today I declare….

I proclaim Wonder…..

Wonder abides close to the Wonderful…….

If you want to know where I am….

If you can’t find me…..

Get close to the Wonderful…….

You will see 2 guys…..

1  re-digitized leper guy…..

1 regular preacher guy…..

Awaiting……

Wonder….

rks