Late Night Drives

My new role as a missionary involves lots of travel - our minivan is now my office. Even before we leave for Africa we will travel tens of thousands of miles sharing our vision and raising prayer and financial supporters.

It has been wonderful to travel across Michigan and beyond ministering in churches and meeting with missions committees and Pastors. I would rather drive home, sometimes 200 plus miles after an evening meeting, than to get a motel room for the night.

Driving late at night - with just me and the truck drivers and the deer, gives me a different perspective.

The long late night trips give me lots of time to think and time to pray - late night drives are the perfect time for extended times of prayer - but it is not automatic - it is so easy to turn on the radio and find a basketball game or a hockey game or a talk show. Christian Music stations are great - but can also keep me from my intended late night prayer time.

Prayer is always a choice - in our homes, at our offices (2002 Caravans included) in our quiet times with God - we make a choice - we choose to use the time to Pray - to AVOID the distractions and to spend the time with God -

What a great choice that we can make = and God is always willing to take the time to spend with us - WOW -

He get's it

A relative just got some terrible news from the doctor - "The C word" - the disease is so dreaded that we often can't face even saying the word. He has had tests and more tests and now Chemotherepy will be starting soon. He was preparing his young grandson for the side effects of the treatment he will recieve and he discovered something that we should ALL understand! Here is what my relative said that made a difference for me.

In the car on the way to school the other morning, {my grandson} asked why I am going to take medicine to make me sick. I told him I needed some pain to get some gain. His reply to me was “Just like Jesus dying on the cross to take away our sins.” I knew then that this kid gets it and two years of paying for Christian School was worth every cent. Bob, I don’t know why I am going through this, but God does and that is all that matters. One day I may know but for now I just go with it.

Wow -- He Gets it - they both do!

Melting

The snow is melting - there was so much of it late this winter in our part of Northern Michigan. It seemed like it would never stop coming - it seemed like winter would NEVER end. One storm after another came - but TODAY it is warm - the sun is shining and the snow is melting.

Seasons of storms come and go - but Spring will come - it always does.

Which do you want first?

You have heard it - many times - which do you want first "the good news or the bad news".

In the end it does not matter. We all go through ups and downs. Good things happen and what we perceive at the time as "Bad News" comes to all of us. I am learning that it is the lessons of the Bad News that shape us. We have a choice when faced with challenges. We can cower, we can run or we can worry. But at the same time when we are shaken - WE CAN TRUST.

We can trust that God is with us - even we it seems like our world is turned upside down. When we don't know what the future holds or even when the "other shoe" is going to drop.

We get good news and we get bad news. - I LOVE the good news - but I know that God shapes me as I respond by trusting him = even when I get Bad news!

Friends

I have great Friends.

I hope I am a good friend back to those who call me friend. Sometimes it seems like the "favors" that friends do for me are out of balance with what I have to offer back to my friends.

I have friends like Dave and Jack and Craig - who are helping so much with our remodeling. I have friends like Tom who helped my son with a project when I had to be out of town preaching. I have friends like Brian - who helps me almost every week with our Website and our blog. There are hundreds of others and I could not possibly name them all but I think of them and pray for them often.

I am convinced that God brings Friends to us! Mine are GREAT! I just hope that someday they will feel like I do - that God has brought them into my life and I am a better person for knowing them!

The Stuff of Life

The transition from Pastoral Ministry to that of a Candidate Missionary has left me without a place to share the "stuff of life" with people. My presentation to the congregations that I am blessed to share with every week are limited to presenting the vision for our minstry in Africa. So this blog will give me a place to share "the stuff of life".God's many blessings and the fun stuff that happens as we live and walk with him!I hope you enjoy these musings.Bob

Power Tools

Those who know me know that I am not a "handy" guy. Those who know me well will acutually hide the power tools when I am tempted to use them. Some friends are doing some work in our basement and I was "helping". At one point I was the only one who had a power tool and I was using it as I was instructed. The thing about me and power tools is that I can usually find a way to do the one thing that will make the biggest problem. I did! - I was drilling away and suddenly the bit I was using was bent, distorted and banging my hand between the drill and the wall.I learned an important lesson - sometimes we know what to do and we know how to do it - but some things need to be practiced and experienced for a long time before we can begin to do them correctly.This applies to our walk with the Lord as well. Practice makes us better! We may get things all bent and distorted but when we practice the disciplines of a Christian life we gain skills, and we become experienced and productive.They may still hide my power tools but I learned an important lesson about walking with God.