Thursday, October 19, 2006

PARKING IT

SOMETIMES, when its raining and ALL the lanes of traffic are at a dead stop...there is a picture to be taken, a pause to appreciate that exact moment in time, a situation you can do absolutely nothing about but wait.


So you lay aside from your mind the pressing deadlines, the mad rush, the frantic pace, the expectations of others, and you turn off the engine, and just look around. Sure I could wax elephant with a lofty life application of this, but I figure if you're sharp enough that you'd "get it"...you done "got it".

Meanwhile, we're "PARKING IT" in "Dodge" for the next few days, and resting from a hard paced 16 days that feels like 2 months worth. And believe you me we're going to be enjoying the pause.

But alas, with no such hi tech conveniences at the ranch as cable or internet or even good cellular connection...the blog will probably be as silent as when we're busy. What a beautiful life life can be.

Thursday, October 12, 2006

Not Till the Safety Net is GONE

When a child turns 18 and moves out on their own and then gets in legal trouble..DO NOT bail them out of jail...its more important to them than anything you can teach them...obviously they are not much impacted by your teaching anyway.

Should they quit work and go to rehab? Scripture says if a man won't work neither let him eat, and a man that doesn't provide for his own (including himself) is WORSE than an infidel.

Should they move back in? No way! The mother of invention may be necessity, but so is the path to growth, independence, and the cause for change.

If your grown kid needs to relocate to start afresh, get em a bus ticket and send them with a weeks worth of food. They can live on the street till they find work (they'll be highly motivated) then they can rent an apartment as soon as they are able. Think after that they'll screw up their job or circumstance with a return to drugs and crime? LOL...thats funny. If they are that foolish then hey, there is their housing problem...


I suggest kids go into the service and learn about discipline and money management and the power of government that way, but if that isn't possible...then they need to work, rent, eat..all on their own doings.

Are you "giving up on them" by expecting them to work and provide for themselves and refusing to be their safety net , and refusing to bond them out? Quite the contrary, you're not giving up on them...you are empowering them, they will quickly learn that life..is up to them.

Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Kinda like Being First to Cast the Stone?

Then Peter came to Him and said, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made. The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, 'Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.'

Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt. But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, 'Pay me what you owe!'So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.'

And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt. So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done. Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. 'Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?' And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him.

So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses."

Deep Thought question...What were the feelings within the "wicked servant" at the moment he saw his own debtors on their knees pleading with him?

Sunday, October 08, 2006

Western Pennsylvania on I-70

The mix of modern and the past. An old barn with the much more recent round hay bales. Trees are changing a bit more every day towards the momentary beauty right before they lose all their leaves. There were even Canadian geese heading South already. The birds pass over Pennsylvania each fall, some traveling by day others at night.

They are following long established migratory highways to their wintering grounds -- an ancient rite of autumn that will be reversed in spring.

Fall is rocking and rolling in the northeast...today the highways were very very congested with people of all ages travelling all varieties of directions. The more weekend spirit some of them had, the more snake like their path took...a few of them were getting the silver bracelet award by the time I saw them. Others slipped thru the cracks...for now. All in all it was a quiet day with alot of good clear skies for a change. At this moment I'm 18 miles from the statue of Liberty...but alas...headed in the other direction. Deep Sigh. Aint that "just the way it goes sometimes".

Saturday, October 07, 2006

Fall is in the Air in West Virginia




Was a rainy morning but got a couple window shots of the changing trees in the mountains of west virginia East bound on I64. Naturally there were many more beautiful shots to be had, but these catch the spirit.

We finished up in Virginia and New Jersey...and are now headed to Indianapolis then back to New Jersey then West again to Wisconsin...so it will be a busy weekend and I won't get the chance to post all I wish.

Got a chance last weekend to enjoy a little time at home, but alas...being tired caught up with me...