"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.

Longing...

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.

Proverbs 13:12,




Sometimes I have thought in my life I had hope for something. I did, but it was the wrong thing. I was looking in the wrong places. I was looking to the wrong people. As proverbs says," A longing fulfilled is a tree of life"

Waiting for the right thing is hard, since It is sometimes difficult to figure out what the right thing is.

When that particular longing is fulfilled, I think you know it. Sometimes it takes a very long time with the right situation and the right people.


Fulfill my longings in life as the Adventure in Middle Grove continues.

Best Regards

Blessed is he who has regard for the weak; the LORD delivers him in times of trouble.

Psalm 41:1, New International Version




We are approaching a time in the year when we think of the things we are thankful for in life. Sometimes it is amazing to me our western culture of self help and narcissism even cares about those who are less fortunate. Giving regard for the weak should be an inward sign that we are fortunate to have the things and more importantly the people who matter in life. We serve those less fortunate not to make ourselves feel good but to give back for who and what we have in life.

It is easy to let this time of the year slip by and not be cognizant of those around us needing financial, moral or emotional support. It is easy to think it is the job of someone else.

Take a moment to plan how you will give back this year. Not to give back to make yourself feel good but to honor someone with your presence or material needs to truly show you care.

Use me today for the good of those around me and for those who are in need on the Adventure in Middle Grove.

Don't Stumble

Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way.
Romans 14:13


A few weeks ago,I went hiking with a friend to hike up Hadley Mountain. If you are not from the area, Hadley Mountain is a short steep climb with a restored fire tower at the top. It has spectacular views of the Adirondacks.The trail is a road washout from years of neglect. The trail is full of rocks and is slippery. If you are not careful while walking, you will hit one of the out cropping rocks.

The stumbling block or rock!

It is so easy to be judgmental of others. I don't know their struggles. I don't know their situation. Most of all, I don't know their hearts. When I am judgmental, I erect a barrier
between others and myself. It is easy to spread that judgmental impression to others in gossip. My stubbornness to only view them with a judgmental spirit erects a barrier, a stumbling block, which can cause them to become discouraged and stumble.

Please be with my attitude toward others. Help me be more patient with the failures of others, just as you are patient with mine. Forgive me for not being more of an encouragement to those who are weak and struggling. Forgive me for sometimes being a hindrance to others. Please use me to be a blessing to others on the Adventure in Middle Grove

Overflowing

May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you.

1 Thessalonians 3:12






God is love. God is also the source of love. He pours love into my heart through the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5). So how do we make my relationships and communities more loving? I pray for God to grow his love in them, let them know that I am praying that prayer for them, then communicate and demonstrate my love to them.


Use me to help be an example of love to those around me. Please pour your love into my heart through your Spirit and then channel that love out of my life to others. Let your love be evident in relationships close and important to me. on the Adventure in Middle Grove.

Plans.....

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Jeremiah 29:11 (New International Version)

This is a repeat.... Holiday!



My daughter Lauren is an amazing person. Her love of God is evident each day as she learns to rely on him in all circumstances.


Yesterday she shared with me a quote I could not get out of my head...

More on that later...

The storms of life are always lurking around the corner. Am I ready? Are you ready?

There are many types of storms:

• Being diagnosed with prostate or breast cancer, MS, or any number of other chronic illnesses.

• Losing your job after many years as a faithful employee.
  

• Learning that your spouse wants a divorce.

• Getting a phone call that your child is probably dead.

• Living with a loved one who has a drug or alcohol addiction (in which case a storm can blow up at any time of the day or night!)

• Watching a family member be convicted of a crime and sent to prison.

• Having a child diagnosed with a serious mental illness.

• Experiencing the death of a close family member.

Any of these storms, provide a debilitating experience that can stop someone in their tracks.

How do we weather the storms of life?


The verse in Jeremiah gives me a clue.

I have hope in the plan that God has for me.

I am not always sure what the plan is so I need to not learn how to weather the storms but lean on the hope God has for me and who will he put in my path.

It is not how I hunker down and hide in the storms but in the hope God has for me and the people who are in the path of life with me.

It is not the fury of life that will control me but the gentleness and care of those who are on the path of life with me.

Let me rely on the hope you have for me and teach me "to learn to dance in the rain, rather than wait for the storm to pass. Not only will I miss out on life, but I miss out on the dance, and the chance to be refreshed today" on the Adventure in Middle Grove.

I love you Lauren!

COOL...

Like cold water to a weary soul is good news from a distant
land.

Proverbs 25:25



Playing goal a few times week is hot stuff! All the other players get a chance to rest but I need to stay on the ice for 1.5 hours, non stop. At the end of the game, a cold drink is a refreshing change from the heat of the game.

Some times in the heat of battle of life, a cold drink is not to be found. The thirst continues to parch the mouth and the soul.

Good news like a cold drink is a welcome entity in the struggles of every day life.

One thing I have learned is the cold drink of life can come from the most unlikely place and offer refreshment to the soul.

Let me be refreshed today as you cool me with refreshment on the Adventure in Middle Grove.

Brave and Courageous

Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous.Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.

Psalm 27:14

There have been many times in my life when I need to make changes or change strategies for work and home.



This is one of those times.



God is making changes now!






God has lead me to his word to look at his faithfulness and his love throughout generations. He has shown me the the importance of two concepts of the Bible paramount to our system of Christian belief.

I want to be able to look deeper in scripture to have God uncover for me the greatness of his Spirit and how he upholds those who believe.

The two concepts are the direction God is leading me on my life path to know him and know myself more as he uncovers the wisdom in His Word for me.


1. Believe the unbelievable

2. Expect the unexpected

It is clear to me God desires me to be brave and courageous as I wait on him patiently.

Believing the unbelievable is spread out throughout scripture as God unfolds his plans to his people. Times when unbelief was the popular opinion and God showed believing in him was contrary to the masses.

Expecting the unexpected is also embedded in all of God's promises as he shows me he is there and the unexpected should be expected as we wait patiently on Him. Some of the greatest stories in the Bible are of the expected meeting the unexpected.

This is where God does his work.

This is where I will ask him to work in me as I continue to wait patiently on him as he reveals the:

belief in the unbelievable

and the

surety in the expectancy of his promises.

God is an everlasting God and his love and promises are forever. His time is timeless and his grace and mercy limitless.

HE is an everlasting God.

You are the one true God


My life is important to you as I wait patiently on you to restore relationships and bring me to a deeper understanding of you and me while the winding paths continue on the Adventure in Middle Grove

WISDOM

James 1:5

If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

Wisdom is, and starts with, the humility to accept the fact that you don't have all the right answers, and the courage to learn to ask the right questions..,

Sometimes wisdom begins with a simple question...
Sometimes wisdom begins with an open mind
Sometimes wisdom begins with a gentle touch
Sometimes wisdom begins with a new perspective

Most of the time wisdom begins with love...

Love for someone not for what you expect to get but for what you are prepared to give.

Wisdom is the fine line between love and criticism.

Wisdom is sometimes in short supply.

Develop in me the wisdom that loves and cares on the Adventure in Middle Grove

Taking a Stand

Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.

Ephesians 6:11





So often I am focused only on the things that I like, that I am good at doing, or that I am interested in accomplishing. God wants me to use every piece of his spiritual armor. He wants me to be disciplined and grow in the areas of my spiritual weakness and the areas I don't necessarily find exciting or interesting. Our evil opponent is crafty and will try to attack us in the areas of our weakness and vulnerability. So let me not just commit to be diligent in the areas of my interest and strength, but also in those areas where I am not.

Lord, strengthen me in the areas where I am weakest. Open my eyes to help me see and rekindle my heart to love on the Adventure in Middle Grove

Do it in Bed

²⁶"In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry,

Ephesians 4:26 (New International Version)

Yesterday I talked about forgiveness and what it means to forgive. Much of forgiveness starts with this verse. I should never let the sun go down being angry. This is the key to the beginning of forgiveness.

Too many times, anger is taken to bed, or not;

Too many times the sun goes down and the anger is still festering;

Too many times the issues of today become the anger of tomorrow;

Too many times the selfishness of the individual over rides the good of resolution;

Strive to day to not let the sun go down where there are relationships that need healing. Start the process. Don't be afraid to initiate the conversation.

Let the gentleness of my soul be the guiding principle as the walk on the path continues on the Adventure in Middle Grove.

What is Forgiveness?

^14-15"... You can't get forgiveness from God, for instance, without also forgiving others. If you refuse to do your part, you cut yourself off from God's part.

Matthew 6:14-15 (The Message)

Forgiveness doesn't make the other person right, it makes you free.

-- Stormie Omartian

A bit late today... Some times being the IT Director for a County is not fun!

Forgiveness is the miracle of a new beginning.


It is to start where we are, not where we wish we were, or the other person was.

It is to hold out a hand; to want to renew a friendship; to want a new relationship with husband, father, daughter, friend, or indeed enemy.

It may not take away the hurt. It does not deny the past injury.

It does not ignore the possibility and need for repentance and a change in the relationship.

It means being willing to take the initiative in dealing with any barriers that I may be raising towards a restored relationship.

It means that I am willing to have a relationship with the other party that is based on Christian love and not on what has happened in the past, if the response of the other person makes that possible.


Two New Testament words that translate "to forgive" mean literally "to let go" and "to cancel a debt". I found that at times the phrase "I forgive you" seemed empty, so I said,:

I release you. I let you go.
I let go of this offense.
I cancel your debt. You owe me nothing now.
I renounce my desire to get even with you."

Imagine owing someone a million dollars and they tell you you do not need to repay it , forever!

This fills the imagery of the word "forgiveness" with a more specific and concrete meaning.

Forgiveness may lead to reconciliation or it may not, but they are not the same. Paul recognizes this when, in writing about our attitude to those who wrong us, he says,


"If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone" (Romans 12:18).

Let me be at peace today on the Adventure in Middle Grove.

A NEW DAY...Don't be so Quick

Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth.
Proverbs 27:1


Humility about the future!

I don't control tomorrow.

At other times in my life I may have taken tomorrow for granted; not so anymore.

Tomorrow may not come.
Tomorrow something horrible could happen.
Tomorrow everything I possess could be gone.

In the face of these discouraging possibilities, is there anything positive I can hold onto?

Absolutely!

God holds tomorrow in his hands.

It might not be what I expected. It might not go as we planned.


It may be better!



Lord, all my tomorrows all rest in your hands. I ask that I can be useful to you today; courageous enough not to worry about tomorrow and keep those close to me, "in Today", on the Adventure in Middle Grove.

Letting go...

Many are the plans in a man's heart...
Proverbs 19:21






We must let go of the life we planned in order to accept the life that is waiting for us.

Wow, As I look back on the past, the plans I made were numerous. They did many things, but, help me get ready for what was really waiting for me.

Too many times, I forced life due to situations and perceived direction.

Too many times I went in directions that may have been self serving and not looking at the big picture.

Too many times I forgot myself and who I was.

Too many times I let inertia be the guiding force of life

Not any more...

Life is full of new directions and relationships, today, on the Adventure in Middle Grove.

The Shadows are looming

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. James 1:17, New International Version





We do not get much sun in the northeast during the winter, so we do not get many shadows either. November is the month with the least sun. Even when we have sun, the angle of the sun is so low, we have skinny long shadows. As the feel of fall fades away, we enter in to a period of quiet as winter is looming and the darkness overtakes begins to over take the landscape. This is a good picture as I reflect on the cold morning from the heat of yesterday. The shadows are not permanent or the same from moment to moment. They change as the sun changes and clouds prevent the sun from penetrating to even make a shadow. Life's challenges are found in the light of our heavenly father , not in the shadows that reach the earth. What are those shadows? Are they the advice from other people, Is it knowledge in books, how about my own self -confidence and reliance on what I know. Probably all! , and more... The shadows of life do not matter. It is the light showing us who we are and how he can help us as we sit at his feet daily asking to be warmed by his presence.
as we approach the cold of winter, warm the inside, the inside of me. The shadows of this day do not provide any light and heat. This can only come from you, the creator and sustainer of all that is now and will be forever.

Let you light shine on this little place on earth as your glow can be felt on the Adventure in Middle Grove.