Here today...hererer tomorrow

^{2 Cor 16-18}

So we're not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There's far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can't see now will last forever.




Sometimes the Future is closer than you think.



I don't think "hererer"is really a word.

I know the fall is here! I brought out the crock pot and I am cooking the first slow cooking dinner of the fall. I was adding to the dinner I was making today. I bought some little potatoes at the farmers market last week and they looked like a real good addition to the dinner I was making.

How many times in life do we say things or situations are "small potatoes"

I had them in my hands this morning.

The things we can see now are here today, and gone tomorrow. But the things we can't see now will last forever.

This this the line between my reality of my mind and the wisdom of God.

The things I can see are those things where I can see where I might play a part in the outcome or the decision. They are the things where I can do something to help.

The things I can see and the celebration are pale in contrast to what God can do with the things that I cannot see.

I cannot do anything

I cannot change anything

I cannot will anything

Only God can work in the unseen...not me

Being on the other side of the line is where hope is shaped and grace and mercy are strengthened as God digs deeper in to my soul to rely on him for his comfort and confidence.

It is His work, not mine...

God is making new life in me each day as his grace unfolds on the Adventure in Middle Grove.

The Right Time...

"So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor."

1 Peter 5:6, NLT



Some times the best wisdom in the Bible is also the stuff that is hardest to do. What is it hard? Because there is nothing I need to do... or at least things that I want to do.


I also find this verse a bit odd.

Humble myself

Under the Power of a mighty God.

This is asking me to humble myself before Him when he could do whatever he wants with me.

I humble myself in the sight of God, BECAUSE of all the things he has done AND the power he has.

This puts me in my place, not a place of weakness, but place of Power.

A place in strength, knowing that the God of the universe cares enough about me to lift me up and honor me.


Humble thyself in the sight of the Lord;

Humble thyself in the sight of the Lord.

And He (And He) shall lift (shall lift)

You up (higher and higher)

And He (And He) shall lift (shall lift) you up.


Lord, I place myself at you feet and humble myself in the shadow of your greatness. Thank you for the opportunity to be in your company and for the honor you will give me, in your time, on the Adventure in Middle Grove.

Whatever...

Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.

Philippians 1:27



Sometimes, sharing a a Feeling of graciousness is the best strategy


The Gospel is very clear that it is important to keep honorable and honest in all our dealings and relationships with people.

This is not always easy

I remember a tough time with a friend many years ago who thought I was in the wrong over a certain situation.

I never lost sight of the fact that God has been gracious and patient with me and this is what he wants me to do.


At one point, my friend asked me why I was still being nice to him even though he realized he was not treating me with respect.

I told him because I was I following the mandate to be gracious in every situation.

Don't get me wrong this was not easy or fun, God honored my efforts and restored our friendship . This was not for me but for the glory and honor of God.

Lord, use me to be honorable and continue to give me wisdom as I strive to be honorable in life on the Adventure in Middle Grove

Friends Forever

"I thank my God every time I remember you" (Philippians 1:3
NIV).







Serious Friendships are a gift from God



One of the things critical in my life over the past year is the importance of friends. Not just the "she/he is my friend, type of friend"

No I mean people who will be with me no matter the circumstances or situation.

Do you have someone like that in your life? These are people you love and who love you. No matter what goes on in your world you know they are there. If you are flying high, they're there. If you are hanging out in the valley they are there. They love you and you love them, and every time you remember them you are thankful and a smile comes over your face. The Message says, "Every time you cross my mind, I break out in exclamations of thanks to God."

It could be a passing thought, a lingering daydream, a certain song, a clip from a favorite movie, or a familiar Scripture. Every time they cross your mind, you give thanks to God for them.

Take a break and make a list of these people who bring joy to your heart. As you list them, spend a moment expressing to God your thankfulness for that person and why you are glad they are in your life. Call them. Text them. Email them. Post something on their Facebook wall. Tweet them. Or, if you can, look them in the eye and say, "I thank my God every time I remember you."


How about old friends that you've kept in touch with over the years. These are the old friends whom you hardly ever see, and have limited contact with through occasional phone calls, rare visits, and connections through the Internet. You can be thankful for the comfort of knowing they are always there. These are the old friendships that are so real and so strong that when you do have occasions to speak it's as if you've seen each other every day of your lives.


Lord, thank you for my friends who are friends for eternity. Thank you for them as they walk along side of me on the Adventure in Middle Grove.

"I thank my God every time I remember them."

Got your back covered

Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

Psalm 23:6

My Shepard and Friend will never leave me or forget me

God is my Shepherd. My destiny is tied to his goodness and mercy which daily surrounds me until he brings me home to dwell with him forever. I really like this verse for a few reasons. There are many times when the Bible talks about God leading me on the path or shining the light on my path.

This verse has a somewhat different meaning.

God is not only leading me on the path...

He is following me!


His goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life.

God is not only ahead of me but he has got my back covered too.

I am surrounded by his love in front and in back


Lord, please surrounded my heart in your goodness and reach through me and my influence to extend your love to others. Make my heart strong and continue to let me find my hope in you on the Adventure in Middle Grove.

NO, NO, NO

There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the LORD.

Proverbs 21:30, New International Version



Serious planning takes a Firm understanding of God's character


What do I lack many times?


WISDOM

INSIGHT

PLANNING

I think of many times where I went in the right direction. I was just ahead of God trying to drag him along with me.

Hmmmm,,,, some how that did not work

I need to be continually reminded that

MY wisdom

MY Insight

MY Planning

...really do not matter much in the grand scheme of things. When is the last time I created the heavens and the earth?

Looking to God for these things is a more of a strategy, not acting on my own.


What is the benefit.

If I look to God for Wisdom, planning and insight...

HE is with me.

Nothing will fail.

I am not always sure of the outcome but I am sure that God will be with me if I look to him.

Lord, let me look intently at you and please give me...

YOUR INSIGHT

YOUR WISDOM

YOUR PLANS

as I put one foot in front of the other today on the Adventure in Middle Grove.

Some Times it Takes Time

What the wicked dreads will overtake him; what the righteous desire will be granted.
Proverbs 10:24




Serving justice should not Fear us since it is God's job


Has there ever been a person or relationship in you life that just "plain does evil" It could be a person at work, someone in a volunteer organization or it could even be church. It could be a person who has no regard for truth or the well being of others. Using others for their own good is their mode of operation. Seeking peace or cooperation is not even in their language.

They are just wicked people!

The wicked fear the triumph of goodness, holiness, and righteousness. They fear not being in control. They fear death's overtaking them. The righteous desire the triumph of goodness,
holiness, and righteousness. They offer their lives to be controlled by the Holy Spirit of God. They recognize death is an enemy, but one that has been conquered by their Savior. In times like these, isn't it comforting to know that the things that the wicked fear are really things that they can be sure of receiving! Let me be gracious in my dealings of others. Let me be the positive influence at work and in the battle of life.


O LORD God, please bring your justice, mercy, and righteousness to triumph in the lives of all who seek after you and your will. Please make my heart more like yours in regard to evil and those who perpetuate it, and stir in me a deeper passion to lead those to Christ who do not know you on the Adventure in Middle Grove.

Set Apart

But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,
...

1 Peter 3:15




Sharing your Faith is a window on your soul


It has been interesting how God works in bringing people to me who are asking questions about faith. I think many people in society are really searching for answers about life. Life has been a struggle for me for awhile but I continue to maintain a positive attitude and focus on what God has done for me. OK, I am not perfect and I do get down once in a awhile. But, it seems when someone is going through a tough time others want to know how they are getting through it.

This is a great time to share how God has been there in the past and he is still here today.

How do I effectively share my faith, especially in situations hostile to faith or in situations where faith is the answer? First, I consciously submit my heart to Christ as Lord. Second, I need to be ready to share the hope I have in Jesus. Finally, when I share my reason for hope, I do it with respect, gently sharing my faith with others.

Lord, please use my influence and the quality of my life to bring others to Jesus. Please give me wisdom as I seek to bring friends and family to YOU. Make my words and actions lead them closer to you and show them my respect and love,today, on the Adventure in Middle Grove.

Quiet Confidence

"...Only in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength. "

Isaiah 30:15, NLT




Sometimes Finding strength is in the quiet of the soul


In times of trouble or concern, it appears that the person who makes the most noise or is the biggest or baddest wins .

I have talked about this before.

The quiet and confidence in strength is not a subject for the talk show circuits

What makes the show is how loudly someone responds and how quickly the response comes at the other person.

Just last week this happened in rare fashion

Kanye West gave a performance that will never be forgotten at the MTV Video Music Awards, but unfortunately for him, it had nothing to do with his music.The rapper stormed on stage to unleash an astonishing rant during an acceptance speech by country starlet Taylor Swift at the MTV Video Music Awards last night.The 19-year-old singer, who was collecting Best Female Video for You Belong To Me, was left humiliated as West snatched the microphone from her hands.He turned to the audience and shouted that the gong should have gone to his friend Beyonce, for Single Ladies.

Not only was Taylor Swift humiliated, Kanye West spent the next week saying he was a jerk, probably drunk and he was sorry.

Well that is the antithesis of the verse for today.

Strength in Quiet, NOT here.


Lord, As I seek your wisdom and guidance give me strength and confidence in the quiet on the Adventure in Middle Grove.

Penalty Flag on Life

Work It Out Between You

^15-17"If a fellow believer hurts you, go and tell him—work it out between the two of you. If he listens, you've made a friend. If he won't listen, take one or two others along so that the presence of witnesses will keep things honest, and try again. If he still won't listen, tell the church. If he won't listen to the church, you'll have to start over from scratch, confront him with the need for repentance, and offer again God's forgiving love.

^18-20"Take this most seriously: A yes on earth is yes in heaven; a no on earth is no in heaven. What you say to one another is eternal. I mean this. When two of you get together on anything at all on earth and make a prayer of it, my Father in heaven goes into action...

I do not watch much football but I was not feeling so great yesterday and sat aound with the football game on as background noise.

There was a penalty, at one point, and the flag was on the ground for an infraction because someone did something wrong.


I got thinking about how good it would be if we had someone around when there were problems in life,

Someone runs out and throws the yellow flag and says" Why did you do that?"

Well we have this in Matthew 18,

Matthew 18 provides a forum just like the referees on the field in an NFL football game. After an infraction, the referee and the linesman confer to either agree or take another look at it so a proper decision is made.

This is why Matthew 19 tells us to bring someone with us so things are fair and equitable.

The flag is on the ground until an agree is made an the flag is picked up.


Lord, let me be a person of compassion and love in all the relationships I have with friends and family on the Adventure in Middle Grove.

Working the Land

He who works his land will have abundant food, but he who chases fantasies lacks judgment.

Proverbs 12:11, New International Version



Seeking the Fruits of labor is desirable effort

This is an interesting verse.

This year having a garden was a tough go. The weather was wet all year and then we did not have any rain. I go to the farmers market twice a week and they battled the weather all year. The garden season is over for me. Picking the few squash I grew will end the agony of the year, missing out on the thrill of victory.

I did not get an abundant return but I did get to rely on God for the production of the garden. This does not mean God has failed. It means my techniques and ideas need to adapt more next year to the different weather conditions. I need to be ready for all the things that can happen to hamper the growth of a garden.


Gardening is a valuable life skill. I have pictures of my first garden in my backyard in Niagara Falls when I was about 7. Gardening keeps me focused on the knowledge I cannot do this alone and I must rely on God for the smallest things, even my garden.

If I am chasing fantasies, I will not have the connection to God and will not have a garden with abundant food. This was way different in the time it was written. If I did not grow food, I probably did not have much to eat. If I was not working the land and chasing fantasies, I could die if I did not get food from neighbors or friends.

Working the land has practical as well as spiritual implications.

Working the land keeps me focused on the work of God and not the work of me.

The land is at rest for 6 months but help me to continue to rely on you on the Adventure in Middle Grove.

Not Put to Shame

May those who hope in you not be disgraced because of me, O Lord, the LORD Almighty; may those who seek you not be put to shame because of me, O God of Israel.
Psalm 69:6




Do you know anyone who is self- absorbed?
Do you know anyone who cannot think out of the confines of self?


Look on the Internet some day and see how many magazines are published focusing on SELF


This verse is a very powerful reminder of one of God's promises. What a beautiful prayer for any Christian! In a world that is so self-absorbed, isn't it refreshing to be reminded of the powerful impact for good and bad I can have? Let me not only be reminded of the devastating impact of my short comings, but let me also pray that my failures will not be destructive to the Kingdom's increase nor to my brothers and sisters in Christ as they seek to serve and honor the Lord!


Lord, strengthen me and help me not stumble in my time of indecision and doubt. Let me be an instrument of your love, today on the Adventure in Middle Grove.

Make me Strong

A Fight to the Finish

And that about wraps it up. God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we'll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels.

Ephesians 6:10 (The Message)


Striving for the Finish line is a long battle

The battle of life is a race but the course is not always a straight line. Did you ever see those driving courses for testing reaction times. The student is driving along nicely when something comes out of no where and they have to react fast or they will hit the obstacle. This is much like driving the obstacle course of life. I think I am driving on the right path and all of a sudden some obstacle comes out of no place to take me off the course. There are also spots on the course where I can see well ahead because I am looking in the right direction.

One of the most important aspects of my driving through the obstacles in life are the friends I have sitting next to me.

Friends who can help...
Friends who can love...
Friends who care...

Help me be ready for the things that may be obstacles as I keep alert on the course leading to the Adventure in Middle Grove

Forever...

"For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?... "

Isaiah 43:19, NLT
Something new that will last Forever..


That is what I needed today,

SOMETHING NEW!

This is an interesting section of wisdom.

I am about ready...

I have already begun..

Do you not see it!

Modern Translation for me.


I should have been ready!

Things are already starting!

Boy am I stupid! I didn't even see it coming.


In spite of all the problems and challenges I have in life, God is about ready to something new.

New in helping to move on in life...
New to heal relationships...
New relationships to be formed...
New people who are really cared for...
New things I don't even know!


God is at work.


God is Everlasting

I have used this song before but is is very appropriate today.







I am one of his, guided by his hands as he is planing something new for me today on the Adventure in Middle Grove

On the path with me...

"No one will be able to oppose you successfully as long as you live. I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will never neglect you or abandon you."

Joshua 1:5

The Sunshine will rise and the night will Fall each day as God is with me.


Yesterday was a tough day! One of those life changing days I hope I can look back on some day and see the good in all that happened.

As I was searching for some solace in this day last week, I as drawn Joshua.


Not much needs to be said today as I know God will never neglect me or abandon me on the Adventure in Middle Grove.

In the beginning

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Genesis 1:1






Stars glowed last night as Friendly reminders of God's presence


Last night was, again, one of the rare fall nights. The air was completely still and thick with humidity. The sky was crystal clear and the stars had a brightness I have not seen all summer.

The western and northern sky at my house are completely black. If you look at a satellite view, there is nothing between me and the stars.

As I stood out in the night sky, I again reflected on the greatness of God and how he created the heavens and the earth but he also created me and knows me. He cares about me just as he cares about the birds in the air.

Last week, The Hubble Telescope sent back some of the most amazing pictures of space and stars. It is in the greatness of the universe I see the significance of who I am before God.

He cares about me as much as the stars and the heavens today on the Adventure in Middle Grove

PEACE

27 “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid

John 14:27 (New Living Translation)



Seeking Freedom and peace is a gift from God


This is a reassuring verse as I come back to it many times during the week. The peace I get from the world is not a lasting peace. It is not a peace that can soothe the soul

The soothing of the soul can only happen from the gift God gives me every day.


A gift of refreshment

A gift of assurance

A gift of love

A gift of peace today while he calms my mind and soul on the Adventure in Middle Grove.

.

Learing to learn more each day

We wait for the blessed hope--the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people
that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

Titus 2:13-14



Satisfaction in life involves Forging ahead on the path of life

Well, Those of you who know me well, know I have not always been the most patient person. This is something where God has really worked on me. I am not cured yet but my patience has reached a new level as I wait for God in many life situations and relationships. What is good is worth waiting for in life. Over a year ago, I started this new effort and named it "The Adventure in Middle Grove." This was due to my own failings in life and the reliance I need to have each day as the adventure begins. I also talk about the path on the "The Adventure in Middle Grove" I can see the path and what is ahead next but I cannot see the final destination. I can only keep walking on the path and looked expectantly as God continues to set the path before me. As I forge ahead, I am unsure of where it is going, but I do know it is heading towards a destination I will not see in this life.

I haven't arrived at my destination (cf. Philippians 3). I still am waiting! Jesus, who offered his own life for my redemption, will return to take me home. During my time of learning patience, I want to be faithful to do what is necessary to continue to move forward on the path


Lord, make me a more patient person. Holy Spirit, make me eager. Jesus, make me look ahead to what you have already done for me. Do these things for your praise and for the blessing of those who need to know you better. Please forgive me for the times I have settled for mediocrity and stir me to a holy passion to belong to you each day on the Adventure in Middle Grove.

Defeating the Giant

...The battle is the LORD’s,...

1 Samuel 17:47 (New King James Version)



Seeking Fairness is not our Job!


What a week!

If I ever believed good and evil does not exist, this week took care of that. ( I always knew this any way?

Friends who had tough starts at school

Friends who have strained relationships

Friends who have lost their jobs

Friends who are injured

Friends who have a close relative dying

Friends who are in financial distress

Friends who are looking for peace

This was just this week!

As I look back over the past week, There are many of my friends who have battles.

Physical, emotional, spiritual

All battles of life... and battles of the Lord.

My friends are not alone. I have the battle of my life going on right now and it looks like I am losing.

BUT...

I have to remember there is life after I survive the battle and the battle is not mine;

The outcome is not mine;

The victory is not mine.


The battle belongs to the Lord today on the Adventure in Middle Grove.




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_y6cf2CMEus

ER

For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any
double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit,
joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

Hebrews 4:12



Sharpened For doing the work of God

As relationships take new turns, what is needed to change the heart?

What is the greatest tool to repair the human heart? ... by-pass surgery? ... angioplasty? ... artificial heart? ... transplant?

How about the Word of God?

These other techniques can be of great aid to the physical heart of people.

God's tool for heart surgery is his Word.

This sharp scalpel can reach the soul and spirit as well as being a physical blessing. I have relationships where God's powerful heart-healing is needed. As I open Scripture, I need God to help me understand, apply, and put into practice what is being taught.

Lord, I ask that as I open your Scriptures and hear your Word preached and taught, that the Holy Spirit penetrate my heart and convict me of sin, discomfort me in areas where I need growth, and stir me in areas where I need motivation on the Adventure in Middle Grove.

Pressing in

A large crowd followed and pressed around him. And a woman was
there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. She had
suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent
all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. When she
heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched
his cloak, because she thought, "If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed." Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.


At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who touched my clothes?" "You see the people crowding against you," his disciples answered, "and yet you can ask, 'Who touched me?'"

But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering."

(Mark 5:24-34)

Yesterday I talked about encouragement. Here is the story of stories on encouragement!

The track season is over in Saratoga! For those of you who do not live here, I will give you a brief snapshot. There are only 20,000 people in Saratoga Springs. Within a 3 day period this year there were two 35,00 plus concerts and 48,000 people at the race track. It gets crowded around her. If you have never visited Saratoga in the summer, you need to before you die. It is a great place to vacation and there is some much to do.

Think of the crowds at the race track when there are 50,000 people pressing to see the horses run.

50,000 people in the heat of the summer and the oppressing humidity.

50,000 people who have no idea of who is pressing on them as the horses race to the finish line.

Think about the woman who was pressing in just to touch a piece of the clock of Jesus


I'd love to know more about this woman. This woman who was so desperate to be healthy that she was willing to defy social conventions and religious laws? For twelve years, she had lived with the bleeding. If it's the kind of bleeding it seems to be, then she had lived as well with the pronouncement of the Law that she was "unclean" (Leviticus 15:25-27). After so long, surely she had resigned herself to never being well, never joining in the joyful processions to the Temple for the festivals, never being a fully-participating part of the community. Depending on how wise her husband, family, and friends might have been, she might have resigned herself to missing much more than that. I imagine, any physical contact would have been out of the question.

So it's a true indicator of her desperation -- and I think of her alienation from people around her ..that she slips through the crowd to try and touch Jesus unnoticed. There's no raising of the voice from her, like the leper or the blind man who cried out to Jesus for healing. She doesn't even come and kneel respectfully, like the synagogue leader who got to Jesus just before she did.

"If I can just touch his cloak, I'll be healed," she reasons.

I wonder how many people in our world are like her.

No other options in life

No other friends who what to be near them

No other people to encourage and love them

Let me continue to be an encouraging person to those who are less fortunate or need comfort and care on the Adventure in Middle Grove

...You've got a friend

11 So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.


1 Thessalonians 5:11 (New Living Translation)





Sometimes Friends need encouragement

James Taylor got it right many years ago and this is still one of my favorite songs. This reminds me of another season of life that will never be forgotten.

You just call out my name,
And you know where ever I am
Ill come running, oh yeah baby
To see you again.
Winter, spring, summer, or fall,
All you have to do is call
And Ill be there, yeah, yeah, yeah.
You've got a friend.

Encouragement is a lost art. I have talked about criticism and cruel intentions of society which seem to be in vogue today. Telling people they do not know what they are talking about or calling them names seems to be a common topic on TV.

What do you think would happen to the Jerry Springer show if he all of a sudden changed the format to:

" Ok to day we are having Joe on the show so he can encourage his wife who he has been rotten to for the past 10 years"

Probably would last only a few episodes. No chairs, no bleeps, no cutting down.

Would not make great TV.

I need to be more of an encourager. I need to make sure my friends know they are valued and important.

I had a great talk with a very good friend last night. In the noise of life, she was doubting herself. I was in the position to take a look from the outside and see all the things she has done and who she is as a person.

She needed encouragement!

It is not puffing someone up but showing them I understand who they are and what they do.

Continue to use me as a person of encouragement and hope as the path takes new turns every day on the Adventure in Middle Grove.

Rotten Bones

30 A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.


Proverbs 14:30 NIV



Special attention is needed to Find life for the body...


What is envy? As I was reading Proverbs, I came to this one and realized I think I know what envy is but I wanted to look it up and see if I was correct.

"painful or resentful awareness of an advantage enjoyed by another joined with a desire to possess the same advantage"


Envy in the popular and conventional language of today is not what it really means as I look deep in the definitions. Envy today is something like "I envy the car you have" This is not the meaning depicted in the Proverbs.

The envy is hate, pain and resentment. Most importantly, it is not over a thing but is directly contrasted to peace of the heart. A peace that gives "life to the body"

It is about relationships.

But, envy is diametrically opposed to the peace of heart.

Envy rots the bones. Not a nice picture!

If I am not at peace in my heart, then the envy ( hate ) I have for others will rot my bones.

This is not the "envy of a car" but a hate of a person so much it eats away at the very person.

This is not talking about things, but about relationships and the peace relationships can offer.

The opposite is envy will rot the bones!

Lord, on this day, let me continue to be a "person in peace" with those around me and in the relationships I am in. Let me be an instrument for your love as the path on the Adventure in Middle Grove heads to fall.

Rock on

“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
Ephesians 2:1‑10





Serious Friendship is a work in time...

Each rock on the beach is unique. Every wave and current and washing of sand creates the patterns and shape of all the rocks tumbled each second.

I was thinking about this as a friend brought me a few rocks from one of my favorite beaches.
Ok, now you know I am weird if you already wern't convinced!

I collect rocks, not just any rock. I collect rock stories

Rocks brought back from trips by friends who found the uniqueness of a particular rock from one of their favorite places. I also bring back rocks from all the places I have gone around the world.

I have rocks from Spain
Rocks from castles
Rocks from far off beaches
Pieces of concrete from the night the Berlin Wall came down
A red rock from a love lost
Rocks from South America ....and more.

Each rock celebrates the uniqueness of God's workmanship and the specialness of who gave me the rock and what the place meant to them on their trip. Each rock holds a memory for them and vicariously through me. Each rock reminds me of a moment in time where a friendship meant so much they brought me back a piece of a time they remembered and allowed me to share in their excitement. Each rock tells a story and they shared their story about where they were and how they got the rock and what the place meant to them as they gathered a piece of their adventure to share it with me.

The story was the rock,but the real story was listening to each person as I heard about the excitement and adventure as the related their rock tale.

Let the uniqueness of the rocks and the stories they tell continue to enrich me each day on the Adventure in Middle Grove.

...Got any rocks, Tell me your story...

By the way, here is the most recent rock story.

REST...

He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Psalm 23:2-3






Seeking solitude in the Frenzy of life....


The other day I went out back for a spectacular night. My house is in an area where there is almost total dark towards the northwest. I went out back and planted myself on my back and gazed at the stars in the brilliance of the darkness of the night.

It was a time of reflection;

A time of wonder;

A time of rest..


Some times almost nothing slows me down. Those who know me well, will readily agree!

Well, almost anything.

When I get "too full myself" and too caught up in my own plans, the LORD, MY Shepherd, slows me down and makes me lie down. MY Shepherd knows I need rest, nourishment, and refreshment and helps me, yes and even sometimes makes me, find "green pastures" and "still waters." He then leads me in the direction of his righteousness and holiness once I am rested and refreshed. Isn't it interesting that God's order for my life is always grace and then glory?

Thank you, Lord, for slowing down my frantic life and leading me to times of refreshment, rest, and nourishment. I trust that you will lead me to what I need as you mature me to have more
and more of your righteous character. Please forgive me for getting too busy to hear your voice and to respond to your grace on the Adventure in Middle Grove.

...There is Always Hope

"Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying."

Romans 12:12, NLT



This is a nice verse but how do I live this out? Yesterday I talked about the stars in the skies and how could the God of the universe care about me. ...or more importantly, why would he care about me?

Well, I answered my own question.

I can number the people on the earth but I cannot even fathom the number of stars and galaxies existing in the universe. If the God who created the universe could care about the stars, then certainly he can care about me.

My hope needs to be built on the confidence of the God of the universe and not on my meager existence and who I think I am or what can I do.

In Job, there are many great verses.This is one of my favorites.

¹⁸ Having hope will give you courage.
You will be protected and will rest in safety.


These two verses give me great comfort in the hope I have in God


HOPE is CONFIDENT

HOPE gives COURAGE

HOPE provides PROTECTION

HOPE gives me REST

Lord, my hope is confident in you today as you protect me and give me courage on the Adventure in Middle Grove.

Why Care About me?

For you make me glad by your deeds, O LORD; I sing for joy at
the works of your hands

Psalm 92:4


Singing praise For God because I am his work!

Last night I was looking into the sky on a dark night that was one of the most perfect nights we had all summer. I looked up and saw the greatness of God's hand and the insignificance of who I am in the grand scheme of the universe.


I started to think of the incredible diversity of God's creation and how the stars I see compare to the stars that I cannot see.

Why would the God who created the heavens and the earth care about who I am or what I do?


I look at my own life and see the fingerprints of God's work in your my experience (Rom. 8:28). As Jesus said, our Father is still at work (John 5:17).

It is also reassuring to know I am not alone in working on my own life (Psalm 139; Phil. 2:13).

There is also great satisfaction at knowing that the Lord, Creator of the universe is at work in me and cares about me as much as the stars in the sky.

Singing praise is such a natural response for for the great thing God has done for me.


Father, I praise you for power and glory revealed in the majesty of your creation. I thank you for your work in transforming and recreating me, as well. Please continue your transforming work in me. Make me what you want me to be on the Adventure in Middle Grove.

Radical Glory

The Necessity of Forgiveness





"The master was very angry, so he put the servant in prison to be punished. And the servant had to stay in prison until he could pay everything he owed. This king did the same as my heavenly Father will do to you. You must truly forgive your brother or sister, or my heavenly Father will not forgive you."

-- Matthew 18:34-35


For the past few days, I have been talking about attitude and how important it is for a positive relationship in life. Well, there are time when life does not take the intended path path and relationships are damaged. The "human" response is to want to be right and not give forgiveness but God is gracious and merciful those to whom he has freely given mercy and withhold it from others.


The key principle of mercy and grace is this: it must be shared when it is received or it is never appreciated. God is very angry with an unforgiving, unmerciful, and uncharitable heart.


So let me be gracious and tender and kind.

Let me do it simply because God's first done it to me!

Lord, help me to be more merciful with those who do not want to forgive me. Please give me a sense of balance so that I may know, celebrate, and proclaim your mercy in its radical glory today on the Adventure in Middle Grove.

Give me a Break

Ephesians 4:31-32 (The Message)

^31-32Make a clean break with all cutting, backbiting, profane talk. Be gentle with one another, sensitive. Forgive one another as quickly and thoroughly as God in Christ forgave you






"Sacrificial attitude is showing the Face of Christ"



My job involves interacting with many people including the 13 people who work for me.



My job is to keep government running. I need to treat people with respect no matter what they do to me.



Many things about my life boil down to the hand I have been dealt. I can't change the fact that I was born in Niagara Falls with certain attributes, IQ, and physical skills. Education and training opened up some doors for me, but they cannot change my past, make me taller and more athletic, or alter the fact that some people are unfair in the way they treat me.

I'm still working on the taller thing!

In spite of the fact that I know that most of my life circumstances are beyond my control, I am still tempted to fret and complain about things that cannot be changed. ...Of course they cause anxiousness. They certainly put me at a disadvantage and must not be allowed to define and limit me.

The people who do best with life move beyond the temptation to whine and feel sorry for themselves. They face the disappointment and move beyond it. They acknowledge the bad break and look for a way to turn it around. They work from a half-full rather than half-empty glass mindset.

These people have a different attitude than the defeatist and whiner. They have found a way to make lemonade from their lemons.

One factor you can control is your attitude!

There is a section in John Baillie's "A Diary of Private Prayer" that
reads:

Teach me, O God, so to use all the circumstances of my life today that they may bring forth in me the fruits of holiness rather than the fruits of sin.
Let me use disappointment as material for patience;
Let me use success as material for thankfulness;
Let me use suspense as material for perseverance;
Let me use danger as material for courage;
Let me use reproach as material for long suffering;
Let me use praise as material for humility;
Let me use pleasures as material for temperance;
Let me use pains as material for endurance.

When my day begins, many things head my way which I have no control. It may be bad weather or someone's bad temper, a deadline that won't budge or people who always know they are right.

The only thing I can control is my attitude towards them

Let my attitude today make all the difference in everything that matters on the Adventure in Middle Grove.

It's Time!

A Time for Everything

¹ There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:

² a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,

³ a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,

⁴ a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,

⁵ a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

⁶ a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,

⁷ a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak

Ecclesiastes 3

Time is is a fleeting thing...

Trying to catch a second that just passed is impossible. It is in your reach but it is long gone in to the history of the world.

There is a time where it seems to stand still.

The season are not something that wait. They just happen like clock work each year.

While traveling to work yesterday, I slowed over the Mohawk River and saw the first sign of another change of seasons. A flock of geese flew overhead with a symphony of sound and the gracefulness of motion as they passed over me.

Life is full of seasons, just like the writer of today's passages suggests. Each fall, the geese know when the season is in transition. They do not have to be told. They just do it. Summer falls quick in the Northeast and yesterday was an example of how I can will time to stop for more summer but time keeps moving. My desire for more is just a wisp of a summer breeze, fleeting in to the cool fall air.

The seasons of life can be fleeting too but the next one is right around the corner on the path on the Adventure in Middle Grove.