...long time no see

I have been a bit under the weather for awhile now.

It seems to hit me at the most inopportune times too. I got a sore throat and then my whole world went nuts. I couldn't breathe, I couldn't stop coughing and blowing my nose and I couldn't sleep. It has been horrible. I would sleep awhile and then couldn't, I would want to get up and was too weak to stay up more than a few minutes. What a Wimp!

The good news is that I am recovering at last. My nose is still stopping up but I can rest a lot more than I was able to a day ago and that's progress in any man's book.

Speaking of books; I haven't written anything of note in months now and that's disturbing. For a writer, the pages need to fill up or something is definitely missing. Ideas are slow to come as well and when they do they don't seem to have the importance or 'spark' that I would like for them to have to make them worthy objects of my time. I suppose I need an inspiration to bring me around again.

I do have things to write about but most of them seem to be negative at this juncture and I'd rather have good thoughts in my head just now than bad.

With the family crisis looming and no jobs coming in, I just have to sit and wait on my Lord to settle the matters. I am determined not to get out ahead of him again. That certainly always leads to disaster.

The mountains were calling earlier today as I came out of our little apartment and saw the gray and purple clouds sitting about the landscape like so many lazy people all in a bunch. They weren't moving, just sitting there watching me cross the short expanse of lawn to the back of the church. I could all but see the Spanish Peaks looming before me in the distance, calling out for me to come closer, but I couldn't.

Later on in the day my friend from Walsenburg called to see how we are doing. How timely.

One thing of note to report; I got a call from a friend I hadn't heard from in months. He called just as I was turning over in bed, trying to get comfortable enough to go back to sleep.

"Hello, John... is that you?"

"Why yes, I'm here. Who is this?"

"It's Timothy Thomas. The Lord told me I needed to pray for you so I'm calling. Are you alright?"

"No, I'm not. Pray for me my friend, please."

The prayer lasted all of ten seconds and he hung up. He had been faithful to listen to God telling him what to do and I was the better for it.

Isn't that what we are supposed to do for one another? I do believe it is.

...tis so sweet...

I got to sleep in this morning.

I have never been an early riser like some. I used to tell people, ' I get up at the crack of noon', ... and start my day. Some might take that the wrong way but they don't know me, so I have to be considerate and explain a little further. At times I may not end my work day until 2 or 3 Am in the morning so I tell everyone that I am on the 'swing shift in life' and that seems to help a little.

But where does all the time go? Just when I think I have everything done with time to spare, suddenly there are two more things that have to be done before the project at hand is complete.

My wife and I were invited to dinner. The couple planned a quiet time together at their new home just outside of town on six acres of the most beautiful surroundings one could ask for including a scenic pond fully stocked with bass and catfish. We had steak and squash and potatoes and I stuffed myself. How great it is to have friends and time to enjoy the fellowship and the peace and quiet after such a long week.

All I have seen this past week is need and despair. People have come from every direction of the compass with any and every need you can imagine, from electric bill cut off notices to tennis shoes. The onslaught is never ending and there are not enough hours in the day to address all the needs that arise. I remembered the days in years past when Dianna and I were in the midst of this ministry in another location. It is even more intense than ever and growing worse if I have any gauging abilities at all. I have to go the the Bible at this point and recall the verses that tell us of the end times. Surely it is upon us.

...getting back into the swing of things

After a big project there always seems to be that let down; the 'jet lag' of the aftermath.

I got up with a lot more aches and pains than I went to bed with, knowing that it was going to happen. There just seems to be a pattern. If you stand on your feet for 12 hours in dress shoes on a concrete floor and answer questions all day that the average person already knows the answers to, you are going to be in pain the next day. Your brain relays the mental anguish to your feet and they throb out a message to the rest of your body in some sort of circulatory system Morse code.

I have a done a 20 year study on this so I have the facts to back up my theory. There's just no getting around it, the body has a mind of it's own.

all kidding aside, I think the truck that hit me is in Canada by now judging by the skid marks.

... I think I'll put my feet up and relax awhile.

The cool evening air felt good on my face as I left the apartment and got into my car.

I had just showered and put on some old clothes that felt good after having been in my dress slacks and dress shoes all day.

We spent the day at a local college helping out on a unique project called Queen for a Day.

A local nonprofit has done this for six years now, inviting single Moms for a special 'day out' with many treats and prizes and pampering.

I was hired to do all of the Audio Video production and work at the event as the Floor Director. In the end there were about 325 women as guests of the organization and they all seemed to have a great time of it. I was exhausted but quite satisfied with how it all turned out and I learned a great deal about such an event that I can carry into future projects and make them much better and easier for the soundman.

Isn't it funny how one thing turns into another and yet another and another and eventually, in the doing, teaches you how to do it better the next time? I have always been a 'hands on' person anyway. This just serves to be another one of those experiences that show me how 'not' to do something in the future. The old 'hindsight' adage is still very much a true statement, isn't it?

...I forgot that I prayed for patience

There must be some things that are 'time release' when it comes to the Holy Spirit.

I recall asking for more patience at one time or another and then I learned that my prayer was not such a good idea. Everything that irritated me hit me at the same time for about a week until things calmed down to a relative madness and then finally went back to normal.

I don't pray for patience.

However, these past few days have been a lot like the aftermath of that original prayer. Dianna got robbed, my Pastor got irritated with me, someone else announced their 'presence' in a way that totally surprised me, and there were a few other things that don't bear repeating that made the whole end of the week a minor disaster. What is it about trouble anyway? It always seems to come in packs like wolves, surrounding us and moving in for the 'kill'.

It's a good thing that we have God on our side. I hate to think of the outcome otherwise.

...in the twinkling of an eye

My wife was the victim of a robbery today.

She had gone shopping for me. I had asked her to look for some slacks at the thrift store we like that carries a good supply of clothing in our sizes. She was on her way to get an overdue oil change anyway, so I thought it would be alright to ask for the small favor while she was out and about on a Saturday afternoon.

As she was looking at some of the items in the store a lady came up to her and asked if it would be alright if she reached across her shopping cart to get to a coffee cup on a shelf on the other side of the cart. My wife accommodated her and didn't think anything else about it until she was checking out and reached into her purse to get her wallet. It was gone. She realized that it had been a ruse all along and the lady had used the excuse of reaching for the coffee cup to get into her purse and steal the wallet.

When I called, she was on the verge of tears. I felt so helpless. I was all the way across town and about to leave for a banquet. I had telephoned to tell her that I was leaving for the scheduled event and to see if she had been successful in her search for slacks. The voice on the other end of the line sounded a lot like a small child that was lost at the circus and didn't know which way to turn or who to talk to.

Do you know how hard it is to notify Credit Card companies on a Saturday afternoon? How about Banks?

It is astounding to think of just how many people are victimized on a given day as they leisurely go about their day...totally unsuspecting and vulnerable to the snakes that lurk right under our noses ... so closely, so seemingly calm and harmless, but in fact, they are wolves in sheep's clothing planning every evil under the sun.

Needless to say, there have been better Saturdays around here.

...the hours keep running past

It seems as though I don't have enough time to get things done.

I look at my schedule of late, and wonder how I ever got so many things going all at once. Do you ever look at your timetable that way?

My friends are busy too. They call and cancel appointments just so they will have time to make other appointments. What is more important? I can't quite figure it out, so I think I'll set another appointment to check on what time would be best to schedule a meeting to go over the calendar I set up to keep up with all of my appointments. Yep, that's what I'll do alright. You know, there just nothing like being well organized.