Bilbo Baggins may have written, There and Back, but at times we need to consider ‘Here and Back’. I am not speaking of daydreaming or such like. I am thinking of ‘here’. What is your ‘here’? The play ‘Our Town’ defines ‘here’ as the corners, the town, the county, the state, the country, the earth, the solar system, the Milky Way galaxy, and the universe. It could have been expanded downward to some degree for physical location qualification. However, that would have been true for that point in time as the earth, the solar system, and the Milky Way galaxy are all moving. So does time define ‘here’ as well? I will not venture much into the mental concept of being ‘here’. There are those on the earth that through no devising or action of their own they may not be able to participate in competent communication and exchange of thought. Other s may be but circumstances in their lives have caused them to withdraw from what they have perceived as violent, violating, and vicious. Yet others, though present choose not to be ‘here’ mentally. Though some would disallow the next thought it is nevertheless true and valid. There is the spiritual aspect of being ‘here’… This ‘here’ begins with an agreement of not only there being one God, one Divine Being, one who is almighty, one who is Creator, but also that every person who is alive and has ever lived has a relationship to that one God. This also has levels to define such relationship and provides open discussion for being ‘here’. How ‘here’ is defined in this context becomes not ours to qualify, but with that one God being Creator being ‘here’ become His definition, not ours.

Been awhile since the last post. Was it because of inconvenience? Lets see… Labor Day at Bruce’s but some had other plans… Jesse’s birthday and outing to Chimney Rock, but not all the family was there because some had already made plans… Thanksgiving Day meal as a family on Sunday because Thanksgiving Day meal came and we were in three or four different geographical locations… Then Christmas… Two days before Christmas our white van died… possibly the fuel pump… the van Andrea planned to take to Wisconsin. Christmas eve evening after at time with family at Ricky and Karlyn’s new house on the way to Eunice’s new home our blue van quits in the middle of the road. Christmas day, when Eunice was planning on taking us to Michigan, was spent at Eunice’s home. The day after Christmas Jesse and I spent five hours fixing things that require fixing, but do not get the blue van running. And inconvenience?

And this is Christmas… That first, as we tend to call it, Christmas… Was it not inconvenient for Mary to be told she would be pregnant, not by man, but by God. How do you explain that? Joseph wanted to at least hide her shame as much as he could, but it was inconvenient to be told by God to take her without shame to be his wife in the face of all criticism they would face. It too was inconvenient to be nearing the end of Mary’s pregnancy and be required to travel on foot or donkey about a hundred miles to register for the Roman government. It was inconvenient to get there later than so many others and find room for birthing in a stable. Then within a couple of years to have to flee for the life of their son to Egypt traveling the same way. Was it not inconvenient for so many families to have their children under two years old to die because of that one child? that one child whose ultimate purpose was to die on this earth for the sins of all who would ever live.

So tell me, was your Christmas inconvenient for you?

Alright everyone…everyone who is related to us at least. I just created a page with the list of who has who. It is password protected and the password is the name of our old family newspaper without spaces. Enjoy…

Josh

Jesse's Birthday Limo Ride Home From School On His Birthday

Life is what you submit to God to make it to be.

I love you Jess. We all love you!!!

Our lives are filled with ‘incidents’. Some stand out more than others. Some require a lot more time than others. Some require people, hundreds of people, and time, lots of time. Then there are incidents that bring delight, i.e. I can stand it anymore it is so great. Other incidents bring heartache and sorrow, sometimes to the hopelessness of ‘when will this stop’.

We experienced an ‘incident’ within the last week that has brought cause to reflect, great cause to seek a greater family bond, and yet a need to learn to let go. Years ago I heard said when Jesus told the disciples to come apart and rest awhile that He as Creator of these men and Himself living in the form of man knew that if we do not come apart and rest awhile we tend to just come apart. It is not a pleasant thought, but experientially I know it is true.

To the hundreds involved in our weekend incident I can not imagine that I could speak to everyone in a way to convey the thanks and appreciation so very much deserved. It is interesting how far we can reach in prayer. We only need to reach God. He alone can put the circumstances at the exact time they need to take place.

Each of us have incidents that we gladly tell. Then there are THOSE… we have a feeling that everyone will know and have THEIR THOUGHTS about the incident. I have learned that sometimes no matter the situation people will have their thougths and opinion and you know, while there is no need to broadcast that type of incident there is nothing harmful either, only in the minds and words of others.

As I had for a time as my status on Facebook,

Mercy – not getting what I deserve. Grace – getting what I don’t deserve. I am thankful and humbled that God is both merciful and gracious to me and has given both to my family.

That is what I would say in response to our family incident. May only God be glorified.