Movin' On

My goal was to do one post a week, but I have not done that lately. We are in the process of moving and when I get set up in our new location, I will begin again.

This is not only a hectic time, but an emotional one. Our 'old church' is like family, and was so much a part of our daily life. It was our first pastoral position, and we were there seven complete years. I say “our” because even though Big Daddy was the pastor, his family labored in that vineyard right along side him. We all certainly will miss our dear, dear church family at Harvest. We are also moving away from our relatives. That will be difficult since my Mom and brother are local as well as Big Daddy’s brother and his family. His youngest sister and her family also live nearby, however we are estranged from them. It is unfortunate that this move will likely advance the estrangement rather than remedy it. Then there are our neighbors, co-workers and friends - so many good people to miss! They all have been a blessing to us, making our lives interesting, colorful and fun. We look forward to the change, the new life, the new ministry, church and home, but it is bittersweet. These are the things I have been thinking about. I will miss swimming in the local springs, canoeing down the rivers. I will like swimming and canoeing in the gulf and the Atlantic, though. So, Big Daddy really is my moving buddy, and has been many times. We have lived in our current home for about eight years and that is the longest I personally have lived anywhere in a single location. I hope to put down some roots in the keys, I like sand between my toes! Will I grow best in sandy soil? Stay tuned.

Happy Places, Happy Faces

"My happy place"

"I found my moving buddy"


Big Daddy and I have been together so long we have a few little inside jokes between us. That comes from a few shared experiences. When our oldest child was little we had to watch Toy Story many, many times. There are two quotes we say to each other. The first is, “I found my moving buddy.” If you know the movie as well as we do you recall that this is said by the character Bo-Peep, after she and all the other toys witness a cool stunt soon after they meet Buzz. We say this to each other when either one of us is particularly pleased with the other. The other quote is when the character Hamm(?) is scared or nervous and he keeps repeating, “Find your happy place, find your happy place!” to himself. Whenever we see a nice bit of scenery, or find ourselves someplace nice and relaxing, I tell Big Daddy, “This is my happy place.”
Naturally that's what I thought of when I saw these two photos we took recently in the Keys.

The Journey's End

I’m told it’s not uncommon to be reading and studying a passage of scripture, only to have one part that strikes you in a particularly important way. This happens to me, the Caleb's Spirit post below is an example of it. Perhaps you're reading a very familiar passage and you never noticed a certain word or detail before. Perhaps the phrasing speaks to your heart in a fresh, new way. Something like this happened to me again recently. I have been studying using my parallel Bible which has a KJV, NKJV, NLT and NIV all side by side in columns. I was reading 2 Corinthians 11:26. The KJV says “…in journeying often…” but the one that I noted was the NLT where St. Paul says: “I have traveled many weary miles.” This portion of scripture didn’t jump out at me, as the saying goes, but it did wave its hand and say, “Hey there! Take a look at me.” I don’t presume to even compared myself to the Apostle Paul, who wrote that verse under the Holy Spirit’s anointing. St. Paul is speaking of all the hardships that happened to him while he traveled and preached the Gospel of Christ. It’s in his list of the difficulties he endured. I haven’t even experienced a FRACTION, no correct that, a HINT of what Paul faced in his journeys on behalf of Jesus. But I have gone some weary miles in my own little way. Like St. Paul’s list, I have my own list of bad things and difficulties God has brought me through. And I am so grateful to Him. My list is mild compared to St. Paul’s. My list and my weary journeys are just as worth it though if the end result is pointing others to Christ and being in His Glorious Presence one day! I think that if Paul can endure all he did and comment so strongly on how God’s grace is sufficient; and how everything is worth the trouble with heaven as our goal and Jesus as our King, I can too. And so can you, whoever you are!

In this life you will undoubtedly travel some weary miles. They may be literal, they may be figurative or both. We can be taught and inspired by those who have gone before us - Jesus through Calvary; and those like Paul, through persecution and hardships. They endured it all realizing that at the end of the long, weary journey is victory - the Resurrection; and also a refreshing and a party, a feast as we attend the marriage supper of the Lamb of God!
Spurgeon said, “This fact, that men shall partake of the marriage supper of the Lamb, might seem too good to be true if it were not specially certified by order of the Lord, under the hand and seal of the Spirit of God.”
An old hymn goes like this:
“Oh I want to see Him
Look upon His face
There to sing forever
Of His saving grace
On the streets of glory
Let me lift my voice
Cares all past
Home at last
Ever to rejoice!”

I hope to see you there!