"Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life."

Proverbs 4:23, NLT


As we travel through life, guard your heart but don't let it stop you from moving on to a new course in life as I will on the Adventure in Middle Grove.

Ya Never Know

The past few years have been ultimate highs and real lows...


But the last 9 months has brought great joy in seeing my family grow.


Hannah- August
Liam- January
Linnea- February

Not too many times in life will I get to hold 3 babies in 9 months.

God is a great God!

Never Forget

"Be careful never to forget what you yourself have seen...And be sure to pass them on to your children and grandchildren." Deuteronomy 4:9, NLT








I don't feel that old but tomorrow will be the 4th grandchild in my family. 3 babies in the past 8 months.

I hope I have the opportunity to pass on the love God has shown me and the love of other people.

Let me never forget what I have seen on the Adventure in Middle Grove... and pass it on.

Reconcillation

God has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God.

2 Corinthians 5:19


The price has been paid. The ransom is provided. God's judgment was averted, not because of anything I did to appease him, but by his own sacrifice of Jesus for our sins. If God has gone to such great links to reconcile us to himself and adopt us into his family, how can we refuse? We must not! We must offer you our hearts!

I praise you for your grace, thank you for your love, and promise to share your
mercy while on the Adventure in Middle Grove.

All the Days of Your life

Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
Psalms 90:12



So often we look up and time has passed us by. The things we promised ourselves we'd accomplish and the deeds we told others we'd do get left undone. Before we know it, days have become weeks, and weeks months, and months years. We find ourselves unable to do
what we once assumed we could do any time we wanted. We must seize the opportunities placed in our path.

Don't wait until it is too late

Please help me see your plans in each of my days and live in a way which not only honors you, but also blesses those you want me to reach on the Adventure in Middle Grove.

I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither present nor the future, nor powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is ours in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:38-39


Besides food, relationships are something we desire as humans. Separation is something we fear whether it's separation from a child, a parent, a sibling, a spouse, a friend, or from God. Jesus endured separation from God by becoming a human and by going to the cross. Because of Jesus' sacrifice, we can know we won't have to ever be separated from God's love. He bore the separation so we would never have to fear it!

Separation and lack of relationships on earth can be a painful experience but nothing will seperate me from the love of God on the Adventure in Middle Grove.

Continued love

This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. -- 1 John 3:11







As you probably remember, I can get stuck on a topic or in the activity of life something keeps coming to my mine. The path of life leads to many unexpected turns and twists. Unforeseen obstacles and challenges are always on the path we travel. Looking forward beyond the challenges to continue the journey is the only way to go. Looking at the relationships in life and the challenges they present can provide a formidable speed bump on the path of life. When you look at the disappointment and discouragement in life, only take a quick glance.

Focus on the path ahead and fix your eyes on love as I will on the Adventure on Middle Grove.

I'm BAAACCK

"Don't just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good." Romans 12:9, NLT





Hello to all my Adventurers. I really needed a rest to recharge my thoughts. Much has happened in the last 2 years and I needed to take some time to reflect on many elements in my life.


I thought is was was good place to start where I left off after 18 straight months of writing.

LOVE

Having just passed a "man made" holiday, love is really in the forefront of society. But is it really love?

Love is not a day for flowers.

It is a long term commitment to the good and the bad. It is up holding each other through the good times and the times of struggle. It is understanding the soul.

So, as I begin another segment of the adventure, remember this in your relationships...

REALLY LOVE THEM as I will on the Adventure in Middle Grove.

If you would like to be removed from the list, please let me know as I am working on some email maintenance.

A special message....

Wow,

I was without computer access for the past 4 days. I had a few messages published automatically but I lost a few days.

Can't believe how much I depend on technology.

I will be taking a break for a week or so. I have been writing the Adventure in Middle Grove non stop for 18 months, The past few days are the first days I have missed in 18 months.

I need some time to recharge my thoughts and start again in a few weeks.

Stay tuned....

Ya never know what will happen!


Rick

It doesn't have to end

Much of the world celebrates Christmas from a secular point of view and it is a nice day ending at mid-night on the 25th of December.  The best part of Christmas for me is knowing that it never has to end.  Every week should remind me of the great news that God delivered about 2000 years ago.  God sent his Son to minister among his people so I might have my sins forgiven and have fellowship with him.  God gave his Son to make us part of his family, and I share the good news he gave me.  

This is something I need to be reminded of every day.  God gave me the most perfect gift this Christmas and a story that never ends... on this earth.  Thank you Lord for your message of hope on this Christmas day.

  
...This is only the beginning.

A Christmas Message

To all my friends of the Adventure in Middle Grove

Have a Great Christmas!


link

No Room at the Inn

Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.
Proverbs 31:9

"No room in the inn!" "Placed him in a manger!" So often we play favorites with the rich, beautiful, powerful, and prestigious. Isn't it interesting that God revealed himself as the defender of the widow, the orphan, and the alien and then entered the world as the child of a Jewish carpenter and a young virgin from a small town? God wants us to notice those in need around us. He wants it to be more than an annual good gesture at Christmas. He wants us to be

advocates for the folks like Joseph, Mary, and Jesus. We're not just told to be fair; we're told to defend and to plead the rights of those in need. When we do, we do it for him (see Matthew 25).

Make me more aware of those around me who need love and grace. Make me your instrument to defend them and to serve them. Open my eyes to see the faces of those in need on the Adventure in Middle Grove

The Reality of the Season

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice.And the God of peace will be with you (Philippians 4:6-9)



The Christmas season is a cacophony of thoughts and emotions in our society!

For some, it's a time of giving and getting, a time to spend more money than should be spent to buy things that nobody really needs. For others, it's a time of quiet religious reflection.

For some, Christmas is a special, family time, sharing precious hours with those that we care about. For others, it's a time of loneliness and hurt.

For some, Christmas is a deeply significant time to remember the birth of Jesus and reflect on the meaning of his coming to earth. For others, it is merely another day, sharing space in the holiday season with Hanukkah and Kwanzaa and New Year's Day.

For some, Christmas is a desperately needed time to sell goods and make one last bit of profit in a difficult year. For others, it's a time to protest the religious misconceptions that abound in this celebration.

It's easy for us to feel more than a bit overwhelmed.

In the mix of emotions during this holiday season, let God surround you with his peace. Place all of your worries on him and focus on the things that will truly bring you peace.

May there be peace on earth during these coming days and months, and may there be peace in your life and on the Adventure in Middle Grove.

Hockey Tuesday- From Champ to Chump and Back

Psalm 31:24 (The Message)

24 Be brave. Be strong. Don't give up.
Expect God to get here soon




It's Hockey Tuesday...

Must be a story in that!

Last night the ice was perfect. For my non hockey friends, you probably don't care but for my hockey friends, you know how that feels. I play in the Glens Falls Civic Center, Home of the Adirondack Phantoms of the AHL. It is a great rink to play in as it is a small facility with a big league feel.

Not even close to any league for me !

Playing goal needs a huge belief in your abilities and skill. The one thing in hockey is as a goalie, I will get scored on no matter what. It will eventually happen.

Playing games is fun but I admit, I do make a mistake occasionally. Last night I had a puck get whacked and it wentup in the air and I "lost it in the lights", went over my head and in to the net.

This was a chump time

Later in the game, I stopped a breakaway and the rebound came out front to an open net and jumped back, on my back, and stopped the puck with a swiping motion away from the net.

This was champ time!

It is a good thing God does not look at me by how I make a save in life or let one go by. He is with me whether or not its in the glove or in the back of the net on the Adventure in Middle Grove.

Did you have an Uncle Joe?

The Christmas season this year is full of uncertainties. With travel, visiting relatives, cram packed schedules, tight budgets, and unexpected emergencies, most of us will have our share of "You've got to be kidding me!" moments.

Growing up in large family was very interesting. My mom was one of 12 and we regularly got together for Sundays and always for holidays. We are a great time in a small house with lots of people stuffed in to a little house smoking cigars and drinking Spanish wine.

Then there was Uncle Joe, really a 2nd uncle.

He had issues and usually came in to the celebration REALLY drunk after hanging out someplace. Never did figure out where that was. It was hard to kick him out since he lived next door in the 2 family with his mother.


This was one of those"You've got to be kidding moments"


Life's journey's have many of these moments. Some significant and some we care not to remember

And in the middle of our journeys, fraught with challenges and problems, let's remember that our Savior chose to make His journey to us through the same kind of confusion, stress, and uncertainty so that we could know Him as Jesus.

Let's us remember this week the reason for this time of the year and remember the important aspects of life and living on the Adventure in Middle Grove

Light in a Dark World

 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.
Romans 12:16


I really started to follow what is said about me in relationship to others and how should I be as a person awhile ago . How do I do what is right in the eyes of everybody? How can I truly be someone who is a giver of encouragement and hope.

"Live in Harmony with one another"

...not a term I heard much of today. I believe this is for people who need to really look at themselves  and see who we need to love together as brothers and sisters in this adopted family God has created. This was also written to the Romans who were very independent people and needed to heard what it meant to be a believer in this new faith and how we need to be like a family where we strive to live together in harmony with each other.

I need to also consider people who  "low in position" I think this is all of us! We are all made lower than God therefore I need to be aware that my self- righteousness and view of myself, without God would tend to not be willing to associate with people in low position.  We are all in low position so I guess I am part of the crowd again!

"Don't be conceited!" That's a command for someone else, right? I don't think I've ever met someone who felt he or she was conceited. But, when we're looking for someone with whom we want to associate, we seldom look for someone ignored by the crowd, forgotten by the pretty people, and easily overlooked by others. We want to "hang around with" those who are important, who are superstars, or at least who carry some clout. We believe we deserve to be noticed and valued, too. Oops, guess that's where the commands in this verse come from!

Don't be conceited

Don't be proud

Live in harmony

Please help me to continue to see those who are less fortunate in spirit and position so I might be a light in a dark world where harmony and peace seem like a distance thought never to be approached or attained. Help me to be more like you every day as I continue the Adventure in Middle Grove.

What's faith got to do with it...

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

Romans 12:9-13


What is the definition of sincere?

An earnest devotion without reservation or misgiving.

Many times in live you have to be sincere before you are aware the other person is reciprocating
Being sincere in love of others is also a leap of faith not know if the other person will offer the benefit of returning love.

It takes a bit of faith...

I found this quote awhile back that is a good example of giving in to faith in love.

“Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.”

Martin Luther King Jr.

Faith in love is something only experienced in the intimacy of great friends and relationships. This is just not romantic love but brotherly love for those people we really care about.

Help me keep the zeal in love on the Adventure in Middle Grove.

Good Medicine

"A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person's strength. "

Proverbs 17:22, NLT


As I have been talking about for the past few weeks, this season can be one of joy and sadness. The joy of past memories and the sadness of past memories. Our emotions are in our control if we wish to take control. Use this time of the year to seek happiness in the din of hollow exceptions and situations.

Dream big and keep a cheerful heart the focus of who you are in life.

Let me be a cheerful heart in a world that is not always so cheerful on the Adventure in Middle Grove.

Got to have FUN!

"So I recommend having fun, because there is nothing better for people in this world than to eat, drink, and enjoy life. That way they will experience some happiness along with all the hard work God gives them under the sun."



Ecclesiastes 8:15, NLT

This time of year there are so many pressures and expectations on your personal lives it is hard to remember life can be fun. Thanksgiving and Christmas probably provide the more family stress than any other time of the year. As kids get older and start to have their own families, meeting together is harder and harder as the complexities of life get exponential more complicated.

This Christmas season really take a look at what is important in life.Try to take your eyes off of the superficial extravagances of society and look at what really makes a difference.

Take notice of those special times and relationships in a new way, as I will, on the Adventure in Middle Grove

Asleep at the wheel

So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled.
1 Thessalonians 5:6






Working for government is sometimes interesting. Many people have worked at the same job doing the same thing at the same time for over 25 years. So many sleepwalk through relationships, their jobs and life in general. They never are awake enough to really live and feel the excitement of life and the people in their lives.

But I have made the choice to not to be "dead" in life.

I am alive because of the people in my life and the relationships established to enhance living and not be drawn to the ho hum existence that is easy but not fun or challenging.

Awaken me to dream great dreams and imagine great things as I continue the Adventure in Middle Grove

Hockey Tuesday - Battlle at Broken Stick

12Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

James 1:12 (New International Version)


No, this is not another story about an Indian Battle!

Last night was a battle and I lost....

About 10 minutes in to the game, someone stepped on my stick and cracked it. About 10 minutes late, it was almost completely broken. I did not have another stick with me so we taped it up and I used it for the rest of the game.

On the way home, well after 11:00 PM, I was thinking,

This is alot like life.

Things are going ok and then all of a sudden there is a crack in the stick. We get along for awhile and before you know it the stick is broken.

We have 2 choices.

1. Quit
2, Play with a broke stick until you can get a new one.

My choice is to tape it up and keep playing and get the new stick as soon as I can on the Adventure in Middle Grove

Is this about Christmas?

Follow the way of love...

I Cor 14:1a







I have heard much over the past few months about Christmas.

It seems that Jesus up in heaven with a cosmic cash register praying that sales during the Christmas season are good or it will be a very BAD year!

It seems that "being in the black" is the main goal of the Christmas season and the guiding principles of Christmas are hoping that the "Jesus effect" has the most bang for the buck to get all the people out shopping.

It seems the success of Christmas has only a monetary result and nothing else matters.

Well, nothing could be farther from the truth.

The season is about the love of God for us and how the motivation for how we should take action in life.

Today, "follow the way of love" as you look towards the Christmas season on the Adventure in Middle Grove.

This is the Day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it!

Worship with your heart and soul today

Pre- Christmas Message

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment...



1 John 4:18



As you prepare for this holiday season remember one thing...

It is not a time of shopping , gifts, decorations, parties, etc.

It is a time to take those special relationships and to cherish the time you have together. To look at the past as a reflection, and to the future as the direction for harmony and love.

Hold on the past only long enough to help guide the present as you look towards the future, as I do, on the Adventure in Middle Grove

“When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves."






Once in awhile I come across a quote that really strikes a chord with me. This quote has been hanging around my computer for a long time.

As I started to really examine who I was on the Adventure in Middle Grove, I came up with a few principles and conclusions .

“What do I want from life?” I asked myself.

“Well…I want to be happy.” I had many reasons to be happy:

I had three beautiful daughters;
I was doing what I wanted to do in life;
I was living in one of the best places in the US;
I had many great friends;
I had my health;
I was meeting some great people

but there were a few things I did not have conclusions for...

Did I really know myself? Not just on a superficial level but on a deep level transcending the shell of my person.

Learning to know myself in a deeper way allowed me to really put things in perspective as to who I wanted to be and how was I going to be happy in life.

It was a tough but refreshing experience to know myself better and to seek a life of "happiness"

Some people assume happiness is mostly a matter of inborn temperament: You’re born an Eeyore or a Tigger, and that’s that. Although it’s true that genetics play a big role, much of your happiness level is within your control. Taking time to reflect, and making conscious steps to make your life happier, really does work.

So, today,

SEEK HAPPINESS as I will on the Adventure in Middle Grove

A HAPPY HEART

Proverbs 15:13 - "A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit." (NIV)







One of the things I notice during this time of the year is many people are stressed about what they need to do for the holidays. It is also a time where memories and possibilities come to the forefront of consciousness.

Contentment can be seen on the face of a person but deep heartache can be something goes to the core of the soul.

This Christmas season I am preparing for happy heart with friends and family on the Adventure in Middle Grove.

Better than yourself

Do nothing our of selfish ambition or vain conceit , but in humility consider others better than yourself.




This must be something I need to live by if the Philippians verse is to really be part of my soul as I interact daily with my friends, family and people in general.

What I really want to know is  do I consider myself part of the "everybody" Do I act in a manner that is right in the eyes of not only everybody but in the eyes of God.

As I mediate on this, I am drawn to a familiar song that gives me the insight in to what God is saying here for me to be a part of the "everybody" mentioned in this passage

I need to continually  open the eyes of my heart so I may see what is right and honorable. If I do not do this,  what I am looking at is through filters that cloud my sight. I need to continually go before God and ask him to let me see things through eyes that are guided by him so I do not put my spin or my prejudices, or my shortcomings as I try to  to "do what is right"   I need to come before the Lord and ask him to open the eyes of MY heart first and then I can do what is right in the eyes of the Lord, not my eyes.

 That's how Jesus lived!

He sought to make a difference in the lives of others. His goal wasn't getting even, getting what was rightfully his, or even winning the arguments, God won the arguments! His focus was to interact with people and to leave them more blessed than where he found them.Even if he was telling them something about their person or about sin in their life. Jesus sought to make a difference and  keep peace. He spoke the truth.


Forgive me, God, for the grudges I've harbored and the evil things I've thought about others. The times when I have look at people through my eyes and not  the eyes guided by you. Help me be a part of the "everybody" so I may live with peace and your watchful care as I continue living the Adventure in Middle Grove. Help me to see and to value them as Jesus does.

Open the Eyes of MY HEART

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1Fz1rviXFU

Hockey Tuesday

9 So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.

Galatians 6:9 (New Living Translation

OK, It is Tuesday so there must be a hockey story...

Last night was a good night but it seems the over 30 hockey league gets younger every year!

Playing goal tender is a good example of what this verse says. When playing goal for 1.5 hours there are many times when I am tired. There are many times when I really do not want to get up to stop another shot.

...but I do.


If I just stood there and did nothing, it would not be good.

This is just like life.

You can stand there and do nothing or make a choice to move in to action.

It is tiring
It is hard
It is sometimes disappointing

but it is worth the effort as I reap the reward of blessings.

Work in me to continue to look forward and be a person of action as I continue to work for "good" on the Adventure in Middle Grove.

Y M C A

If a man is lazy, the rafters sag; if his hands are idle, the house leaks.   Ecclesiastes 10:18     


Going to the Y this weekend on top of  coaching hockey and hiking.... I am beat!

Laziness is not just an attitude, it is a lack of action. It is a choice to let important matters suffer neglect. While the results of this choice may not always be evident, over the passage of time, the basic results of idleness are demonstrated by the accumulating signs of decay and destruction. I really try to exercise in many different ways. It is hard to find the time to do it and I have to be creative or it does not happen. This is the same with our spiritual  health. If we do not "exercise" our spirits, we will suffer also. Whether it is physical exercise or spiritual exercise, they both are good for body and spirit.  Don't let your rafters sag! It is an ugly sight!   Stir in me, a passion to do what is true and good and righteous. Convict my heart when I neglect what is important. Please help me discern the difference between laziness and a genuine need for rest and to balance my life between my many responsibilities. 

Getting ready for Christmas

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.


1 John 4:7



Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.


-- 1 John 4:8



This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and
sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.


-- 1 John 4:10



Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one
another.

-- 1 John 4:11




No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives
in us and his love is made complete in us.


-- 1 John 4:12



And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love.
Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.


-- 1 John 4:16



In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have
confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are
like him.


-- 1 John 4:17



There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear,
because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not
made perfect in love.


-- 1 John 4:18



If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a
liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen,
cannot love God, whom he has not seen.


-- 1 John 4:20


As we are only a few weeks away from Christmas, many hearts and minds are turned to family, friends and good times together. This takes work. This is a good time for remembering a special person or persons as we approach Christmas. Too many times Christmas is thought of as a "getting" season not a "giving" season. As I looked at what real love is over the past few months, God opened my eyes to the real source of love. I knew God loved me but I really did not absorb the immensity of his love and what this love means for the other relationships in my life.





My heart needs to be filled with the love of God!




All other "feelings" of love need to emanate from my heart filled with the love and the spirit of God has he continues to work in me. Love is a feeling, but God loves me, whether I have the feeling of love or it is missing.





I can love when the love is not returned,

I can love when I feel unlovable

I can love when I don't see a path to love



God's love has changed me. His love is not only a gift to me, but it is a gift through me.



Thank you for the power to love others. Thank you for the confidence your love gives me.


You have done so much to save me and love me in spite of me.



Thank you for loving friends

Thank you for loving family

Thank you for waiting on love




Thank you for your loving grace today as I do feel your love and the love of others on the path as the Adventure in Middle Grove winds through life.

Your comments are welcome

I was looking at some material this morning for the next week and I came across this quote.

What do you think it means?


You cannot go on being a good egg forever. You must either hatch or rot.

-- C. S. Lewis

He was certainly an interesting guy...

What do you think?

TRUST

“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much …”

Luke 16:10

I have many friends who will never make the Guiness Book of Records but they will leave a legacy.

A legacy of trust. There is never any doubt about their trustworthiness

If we are trustworthy with something that has a little value, we can also be trusted with something that has greater value. The passage indicates we can also be trusted with more than worldly wealth.

Life is really about handling true riches.

True riches are found in relationships of faith and trusting each other. Trust develops steadily and gradually over time.

Help me to walk in ways of hope and confidence today on the Adventure in MIddle Grove.

It's gotta be LOVE

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.

2 Peter 1:5-7, New International Version

This time of year,many things make a difference in life.

Friends
Family
Relationships
Health
Finances

Above all this year,bring love to the forefront as I will too on the Adventure in Middle Grove

Xs and Os

Proverbs 15:22
Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.






Last night I had hockey practice for the woman's team I coach. I really try not to give too many instructions but in life the Xs and Os are much more complicated. They tend to look like the picture above. Not an easy explanation but a sheet of intersections and collisions. The path to the goal is not always a straight path nor one that is not complicated.

Life can take different paths and I do not always know the direction but I know there will be A direction to take on the Adventure in Middle Grove.

Getting Weary

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.  Galatians 6:9,   


Wow,Was I weary last night!  Monday night hockey was fast and furious and the defence kept giving up the puck right in front of the net!  In the end , we lost by 1.  I can stop most any shot when I am ready for it.   But ...  When one of my own players passes the puck, right in the front of the net, I am not ready.  It is not expected...  Gets a little weary as the night goes on. I think I stopped more shots from passes from my own players than the opposition!  This is a small insignificant example but there are many things in life that make us weary.  Job Kids Family  Let's not stop doing good because we are weary but let's persevere today on the Adventure in Middle Grove.

"Reach Out and Touch Someone"

Luke 6:17-19 (New International Version)



Blessings and Woes He went down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coast of Tyre and Sidon, who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by evil spirits were cured, and the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all.


I found this quote during the weekend that meant a great deal to me as I continue to give thanks for family and friends and new relationships.


Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life
around.


-- Leo Buscaglia

Sports are often excited about seeing the players of their favourite team play and after the game have a chance to meet some of them. Better yet, to talk with them, shake their hands or get their autograph. To do that is a thrill — just to be near them or to touch their favourite player. It is something they will remember for a long time.

For Roman Catholic people it is an even greater thrill to see the pope when he, in the pope-mobile, drives through the streets. You can see the people line up by the thousands, waving — if only to be close to the pope — maybe even to have his shadow fall on them, or better yet, to touch him, or his garment. Best of all, to get to speak to him, to feel his power and influence in their lives.

The same thing happened when Mother Teresa was still alive and she would come to visit a town. Or, nowadays, Billy Graham for that matter. People who come near them or touch them, somehow, feel close to God and extremely blessed. Even the sick have experienced healing power in their lives.

In the book of Acts, chapter 5, there is such a phenomenon. The apostle Peter was in the temple at the place called Solomon's colonnade. Because many men and women believed in the Lord, people brought their sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter's shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by.

People saw in Peter healing power that he did in the name of Jesus. Later, in Acts 19, Paul was in Ephesus and God did extra-ordinary miracles through himso that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick and their illnesses were cured and evil spirits left them.

The power of touch by a doctor or therapist, even today, enhances healing. It's regrettable that we live in a society where no one dares to touch another person for fear of sexual harassment — a touch that so easily sends out the wrong message.

Our children need to be touched and hugged on occasion, including through the teen years. It conveys the message, louder than words could say, “We care for you and about you.” It gives encouragement and hope.

Adults also need to be touched too. In a time of difficulty, times of depression, after a talk, a handshake or better, a hand on arm or shoulder, even a hug with the words, “Hang in there... you can do it, ” makes hope soar.

"Reach Out and Touch Someone" today, with love, on the Adventure in Middle Grove

Alive and Well

After a long weekend of family and friends, let's focus today on the reason for our salvation and for how we can love others





I'm forgiven, because you were forsaken
I'm accepted, you were condemned
I'm alive and well, you're spirit is within me
Because you died and rose again

I'm forgiven, because you were forsaken
I'm accepted, you were condemned
I'm alive and well, you're spirit is within me
Because you died and rose again

Amazing love, how can it be
That you my king would die for me
Amazing love, I know it's true
It's my joy to honor you
Amazing love, how can it be
That you My king would die for me
Amazing love, I know it's true
It's my joy to honor you
In all I do I honor you

I'm forgiven, because you were forsaken
I'm accepted, you were condemned
I'm alive and well, you're spirit is within me
Because you died and rose again

QUICK < SLOW< SLOW

Listening and Doing

19 Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.


James 1:19 (New Living Translation)


The holiday season seems to bring out the best in families and the worst in families. It is a somewhat condensed , close, and intimate time where it is easy to speak and difficult to listen. It is a time when past experiences can illegitimately drive conversations and the past becomes the present.

Take time as we approach the holiday season of 2009 to listen to conversations and move forward in family and friend relationships. Look toward the future as the walk continues on the Adventure in Middle Grove.

Making a connection

Carry each others burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ."
Galatians - Chapter 6:2







I can't get this verse out of my head!

Relationships have taken on new meaning in the last year.

Friends who were marginal friends or acquaintances are now people who are now part of the fabric of my life. New friends who were not even know last year. Friends who care about me in times of trouble and times of contentment.

Jesus was very clear about relationships with people, in general. He taught about relationships.


The woman at the well. Jesus was talking about relationships

The tax collector. Jesus was talking about relationships

The cripple. It was about friends and relationships

The critically ill woman. It was about relationships


The Bible is filled with stories about relationships. My pray is God would teach me to value the relationships I have in family and friends.

It is about relationships near and far and especially those close to me, today on the Adventure in Middle Grove

Thanks for Friends

This year has been a year of change and unknown.

One of the constants is my friends,near and far...

From Brasil to Washington to New York to Canada and many places in between, friends have been there in joy and sorrow, in victory and defeat. Friends who learn to laugh and have fun.

Great Friends!

When we count

our many blessings;

It isn't hard to see

that life's most valued

treasures are the

treasures that are free.

For it isn't what

we own or buy

that signifies

our wealth.

It's the special

gifts that have

no price:

our family,

friends and health.

Thanks for all my friends with me today and moving ahead in life on the Adventure in Middle Grove... keep the humor in life

Giving Thanks

Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The Lord is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made. The Lord upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time. You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing (Psalm 145:13-16

...For my friends in Canada and afar, tomorrow is the traditional Thanksgiving celebration in the United States...

This Thanksgiving as I come before God as a renewed creation in him, I am thankful for my family, my friends and for a job to provide for me. I am thankful for the many relationships I have developed over the years. I am thankful for opportunity to be loved by my friends and to love friends.

BUT..

More importantly...

I am thankful for the faithfulness of God and his everlasting kingdom. Our influence and memories fade after a few generations. The Lord's last through all generations. His promises are honored and he lifts up all who fall. He opens his hand to us. This gesture is one of complete openness and welcome. An open hand is there for us to accept it to be lead in his time and his place to a kingdom everlasting.

I thank you Lord for accepting me and loving me. Let my love be evident in all I do, think, and say to bring you all the honor and glory. Use me as an instrument of your love and mercy on the Adventure in Middle Grove.

Slippery Conditions

If the LORD delights in a man's way, he makes his steps firm; though he stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand.

Psalm 37:23-24




If life is a race, I have hit many speed bumps on the track and ice as I edge towards the finish line. I don't know about you, but I've stumbled my way through much of life. I've tripped at some of the most embarrassing moments. I've stumbled over my own feet, shoelaces, curbs, and just thin air both spiritually and physically. Just a few weeks ago, I came out of the dressing room on hockey night , came out of the tunnel in to the bright lights of the 5,000 seat arena. I confidently jumped on the ice and fell right on my butt. The very next night while coaching my team, I went over to show a drill and stepped on a puck and went down flat on my back! Still feeling the effects of this one. Also, remember I coach a woman's team so I fell in front of the 13 women on my team. They didn't laugh too hard, when they saw I was in pain!

However, I am confident that in my spiritual life, even though I have stumbled from time to time, God has not let me completely fall. When I think I'm going to plunge into the depths of the abyss, I feel the love, care, and concern from all my friends. God is there in times of trial. He is with me on the journey.


Thank you for your steadying influence in my life. Thank you for lifting me when I have been down, protecting me when I have been vulnerable, and comforting me when I have been broken.
Thank you for family and some great friends as I stumble on the Adventure in Middle Grove.

Thanksgiving

***An Article I read to share this week***

The generous will themselves be blessed, for they share their food with the poor

(Proverbs 22:9 TNIV)




The teacher asked the children in her class about the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. She thought it might be effective to inch toward its meaning by having them playfully correct some wrong ideas. "Now let me think," she began. "Thanksgiving. That's the day when we think about all the stuff we have. And how we want more things than anybody else has. And how we don't care about anybody but ourselves. And ..." "No!" the preschool kids were starting to chorus! "No-o-o!"

Then one little guy in the middle of the pack looked up and chirped, "That's not Thanksgiving,

That's Christmas!"

Little children understand that there is something unique about the fourth Thursday in November. As much as I love Christmas, its commercialism is over the edge and leaves me feeling jaded at times. Our children still have Halloween candy in their mouths when the store windows and TV ads begin the Santa Shakedown.

Thanksgiving has somehow escaped almost unscathed. Oh, the florists may do a little extra business. And there are greeting cards for Thanksgiving. But, the focus of the day is still generations gathered at a table. The traditional meal is pre-microwave. And, so far at least, there is no "McTurkey" or cranberry pizza.

An essay by Walter Shapiro made this point several years back:

Pray silently for God to make you sensitive to those whose hearts cry out for help.

In a nation where the mall never palls and seven-days-a-week shopping seems enshrined as a civic religion, Thanksgiving stands out as an oasis of tranquility and a reminder of the values that once tempered America's materialism. This Thursday give thanks for the one holiday that cannot be bought.

Before you sit down to your loaded table this week, try to do somethingthat helps insure that a person or family whose year has been bleaker than yours will have a hearty Thanksgiving meal too. Then, when you finally do sit down to your own, don't feel guilty -- just blessed -- and bow with your dear ones to give God your sincere gratitude. As you get up from a table still heavy with leftovers, pray silently for God to make you sensitive to those whose hearts cry out for help.

The blessings we celebrate will become a curse unless we receive them with grateful hearts and with a willingness to share on the Adventure in Middle Grove

Out of Order?

"For God is not a God of disorder but of peace, as in all the meetings of God’s holy people. "

1 Corinthians 14:33

Bring order today on the Adventure in Middle Grove

When OK is not OK

But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus

(Philippians 2:13-14 TNIV)




I recent wrote about this verse but it continues to come back to me as I look forward in life.

How many times have I settled for OK?

How many times have I taken the easy way in life?

How many relationships are out there that need to be more than OK?

How many times have I looked back and not looked ahead?

TOO MANY TIMES

I am not settling for OK, ANY MORE.


Let me experience life in a new way as life is too short for OK, today and forever, on the Adventure in Middle Grove.


The "AFTERS" song below is one of those songs that has been in my head for quite awhile.

It's not the end, but it feels like it is
I'm waking up like I'm back from the dead
I'm stepping out, and I feel so free
But as long as I'm moving it's all right

I feel alive, and it hurts for a change
No looking back
It's hard to believe that I was cool
With the days that I wasted
Complacent and tasteless and bored
But that was yesterday...

We're never going back to OK (OK)
We're never going back to easy
We're never going back to the way it was
We're never going back to OK

This discontent, like a slap in the face
I'm mediocre, I've had enough of this place
This party's over, and I'm moving away
from the things of your Beverly Hills
That was yesterday...

We're never going back to OK (OK)
We're never going back to easy
We're never going back to the way it was
We're never going back to OK

Make EVERY Effort

Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace andto mutual edification.
Romans 14:19





The President is just returning from a long visit to Asia. His mission was to try to "make peace" and open up discussions that can only happen if there is peace. Working on economic challenges in the world cannot happen before the world makes peace.


"Make every effort!" That's quite a challenge. But notice where that exertion is to be focused: peace and mutual edification. Both sides of this exhortation are two way responsibilities. I must pursue and share peace if I am going to have it myself. I must edify, and be open to being edified, if mutual edification is going to happen. In other words, I live with other people in God's family. He wants me to be responsible for making relationships work. He reminds me it will require strenuous effort. But, isn't that true in every important relationship? Love means sacrifice, effort, and concern. When I share my love willingly, I'm much more likely to see it coming back to me!

Don't take Love for granted!


Forgive me for how I can become impatient and selfish. Energize me by your Spirit to see areas where I can be a blessing and an encouragement to others on the Adventure in Middle Grove.

Squeezed like a grape

8 We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. 9 We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.

2 Corinthians 4:8-18


Do you ever feel like a grape?

The kids are acting up...

Your finances are in trouble...

Your pet is sick...

You have troubled relationships...

Life, in general, is messed up.

Now you know what a grape feels like!

smooshed, squished, flattened, and squeeze beyond recognition.

What is a result of all this violence?

Taking time and the right conditions, a fine wine is made from the juice of the grapes.

The pressing in was worth the effort.

Just like life...

We are pressed in from all sides and from many places.

Just like wine...

The rewards of the squeezing results in a life of appreciation knowing what happened to get to the rewards.

Squeeze me to make me a fine wine on the Adventure in Middle Grove.

(Donations of wine gladly accepted!)

Mighty to Save

The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.



Zephaniah 3:17



Last night I had my Monday night beating. I played hockey with the "over 30"group last night. Some nights are good, some not so good. I had about 60 shots last night. There were flurries of 4 and 5 shots at a time. I did OK but I finally succumbed to the barrage. I don't know where my team was! I also had a few shots that scored because I was exhausted and was not concentrating. Sometimes I could make the save, some times I was fairly useless.

Good thing God is not like that!

God is with me!

All the time.

That's the great message of the story of Jesus (Matt. 1:23). That's the message of hope Zephaniah gives the defeated people of God. God is with me. He is mighty to save. He loves me. He delights in me. He stills the storms of my heart with his loving touch. He sings songs of joy. God longs to be close to me and invites me to draw near.


Father, strengthen my resolve as seek to draw near to you. I want to experience your presence and to be used as your tool of grace in the lives of others. I need your presence to settle the noise of my soul. Thank you for being near on the Adventure in Middle Grove.

Don't Give up

. . .And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. - excerpts from

1 Corinthians 13:4-13


God didn't give up on me, he loved me even though I was unlovable. He brought me back in to his arms and loved me for who I was. He loved me for my imperfections and short comings. He loves me for who I am.

This does not mean I do not change but I change God's way, not my way.

God did not give up on Love... He did not give up on me!

I will not give up on Love.

Sanctus Real

"Don't Give Up"?

Well I heard you say you would love for a lifetime
And now you complain a lifetime just doesn’t feel right for you
Another casualty of casual love
Another soul out of place, a heart that gave up


Why do we break the promises we make?
Are we living for ourselves?

Don’t give up on love and throw it all away
Don’t give up on love and let it fall away
When did it become so easy to run from your pain?
Don’t give up on love and throw it all away

I heard you say you can’t change a stubborn heart
I can relate ‘cause that’s how I feel when I talk with you

Why should it take losing everything
To realize it might be time to change?

Don’t give up on love and throw it all away
Don’t give up on love and let it fall away
When did it become so easy to run from your pain?
Don’t give up on love and throw it all away

Your restless heart won’t win ‘cause you take but you don’t give
And you’ll keep moving on until you learn what love is.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNU64zDIDg4

I am learning what is is to love as I am guided on the path on the Adventure in Middle Grove.