....I guess that's not so bad ... is it?

The rain was like a welcome friend coming to the door this morning.
I shut off the alarm and went right back to sleep. I can't remember the last time I did that.
What makes the rain so comforting? Is it the inviting coolness after long, hot summer days or the wetness that soothes the skin and melts away the 'crust' of the day? Both come to mind.
I have been busy with the tasks of life these past two weeks and forgetting to blog everyone and stay in touch. Please forgive me.
It seems as though I have made a good turn in life recently. The woes of the old job are far behind in my memory and the issues of the day press in, captivating my thoughts.
I have been blessed with several new songs of late as well. It is as though they are waiting there for me to discover them as I sleep or as I read. The words jump off the page and into my mind creating a melody, setting a rhythmic tempo and I'm off and running in search of pen and paper.

The addition of a new guitar has done wonders for my mental atmosphere. I can actually keep it in tune and play more than one song before it goes out of tune like before. "Little Brownie" has served me well but his time is past now and I'm really enjoying "Glory"; the new one.
I can't remember the last new guitar I owned. It has to have been forty years or more.

My new job is exciting. I contracted to do a small building for the first time. It will be quite a learning experience, I'm sure. The ins and outs of what goes where and when are going to keep me on my toes for at least a couple of months. I am rather enjoying the challenge though. I have to keep a pace of sorts and not get ahead of myself or fall too far behind with the components. Everything has to come together in the right order or it will be much harder to complete.
But isn't that a description of life? Everything has to be done in order or life gets out of control and we suffer losses and setbacks.
I find reading the daily Proverb essential to starting the day now. I missed one morning this week and the whole day was terrible.
I apologize for the rambling on so much but I haven't said anything in awhile and it is just 'coming out'.
I guess that's not so bad.... is it?

...what a friend

I had another great time at the lake today. We didn't stay as long this time but it was still encouraging and enlightening.
We began with prayer, as usual. The girls have a spot they call "the wall", where they begin each time they come. We stood with outstretched arms, our faces into the wind, looking out over the water like sentinels. As we began I noticed a small boat making it's way out onto the lake, passing right in front of our position about 100 yards away. The girls were already lost in prayer and didn't notice but I watched as the lone occupant suddenly slowed his pace and stared wide eyed at the three of us with our arms in the air there on the shore. I think he thought we were trying to get his attention at first and then realized that we were indeed praying. After a moment he increased his speed and continued on his way.
It made me wonder what his thoughts were at that moment.

We have to make a stand. We have to be a presence in this world that people can look to in times of trouble and need and sorrow and yes, even joy. Too many 'christians' are far too silent. They are like 'undercover agents' that have little or nothing to say when the opportunity presents itself. Our voices should ring out like great trumpets proclaiming the Good News so that people will know where to come when they have a need or when they are seeking answers to life's questions.

On a lighter note, I received a card in the mail today when I got home. I had been looking for it for quite awhile. A friend had said that he was sending it and so I waited for it arrive ... and waited ... and waited. After almost two months it arrived, post marked July 12th. Today is the 22nd of August.

As most of you know, I just quit my job last Friday. Money is a little tight just now and the money order inside is just what the doctor ordered if you know what I mean. If I had gotten it when it was supposed to come in I would probably have already spent it, thinking it was "extra" money; the kind I spend on 'fun'. The Lord knows me better than anyone. He delayed that card so that I would have bill money when I needed it. Man, what a Savior! What a friend!

... I think so

I spent some quality time with the Lord today.
I took my wife's advice and went to the lake and it was great. There were few people there. An occasional passerby to wave to for the most part, but other than that it was just me and the Lord and one lone, brown dove lighting on the ground amongst the trees in search of food. I do believe the dove was a sign. To me it represented the Holy Spirit on hand to minister to me.

I didn't want to leave when I did but I knew I needed to get back, so I reluctantly turned the van toward home and left the waters to gently roll ashore on their own.
Isn't it funny how easily we get distracted from what's really important? I haven't taken the time to just 'wait before the Lord' in quite some time. How sad.
However, I have made up my mind to do this on a more regular basis from now on. I need it and I know it will be good for me. I need to spend time with the Lord to find out what I'm to do next. I know that his plan is much better than any of mine. I pray to know soon but I also know I have to be patient and wait for him to pass along whatever it is he needs me to hear and understand, no matter what the topic.

Dianna has been such an inspiration. She goes almost every day now and always returns refreshed and ready to continue the battle. I love her so.
I know I'm in for a time of adjustment but that's alright by me. I need to get out of my comfort zone again and see what the Lord has in store for me. I think it's time to get much  closer to him now and hear what he has to say a little more directly. Pastor's sermons are tremendous but there's jut no comparison when it's one on one with God. How could it be?
Isn't that the way it was originally designed to be? I think so.

... in the meantime

I quit my job at the park yesterday.
The odds that I would soon be unemployed were greater by the day anyway it seems. At any rate, I had been getting more and more dissatisfied with the way things were going over the past months and then before I realized it, it was over. The unrelenting pressure to say something about the situation was mounting and I half expected a harsh ending to it all at some point. Thankfully, it ended rather quietly with both parties not having to raise our voices.
I ended it by saying, "You need to get yourself another maintenance man....", and that was it. He walked out without another word.
He did make a rather odd statement before I said what I did. He said, "If that's the hill you want to die on ... it's up to you...." What does that mean exactly? It must come from some obscure story of some sort that he recalls from his past. I have never heard those words in that context before.

Okay, so, where now? Where does a person like me go to get work ...and then again what kind of work?
Di says that I should just stop everything and just go before the Lord and ask him what to do next. That's probably the best advice anyone could pass along to another person in a situation such as this, wouldn't you agree?
I do and that's just what I intend.
I do have a lot of other work I can be doing, but it doesn't exactly pay anything for the completion. It just needs doing.

 I feel a kind of relief. The pressure to please a person that can't be pleased is like a great weight being lifted off of my shoulders. I can actually breathe better.
I do wonder if there will be any unforeseen repercussions. Will he be vindictive toward Dianna as she continues to manage the park? Will he just fire her and send us packing so to speak. That's what we would have to do ...pack.

As for me, I will leave all that up to the Lord and how he sees fit to arrange the circumstances from here on out. I always feel better and do better when I remember that God is in control.
Anyway, I just wanted all to know that I am among the ranks of the unemployed for a time. Let me know if you need anything done ...in the meantime.

... it might get worse

Sweating and tired, covered in mud, I crawled out from under the trailer at 5 PM. We gone under it several times since about 2:30 or so setting up for the duct exchange. My arms were so tired I could hardly lift them to get a drink of water from my jug. I had been trying to change out a "crossover duct" and just as we got into position to make the change we discovered that we had the wrong size duct. The one we were trying to put on was two inches too small. Someone had measured it wrong. Three hoours of hard, dirty work all for naught.

There are certain things I like to do but being under a trailer isn't one of them. I think I suffer from a slight case of claustrophobia anyway and being in such close quarters makes me stress out more than usual. I don't like heights either, as Di will gladly tell you; as much as I don't like close quarters.
The ideal scenario would feature my having a helper that can do those things for me while I  supervise.
But isn't that the way of it nowadays? Don't we all wish we could just do what we want to do and have someone else do what we don't want to do? That would be paradise; having a 'second' to do the unwanted tasks while we sit back and watch the progress from our easy chairs.
Somehow I don't think I'm in line for that particular position just yet. The hard jobs keep falling to me to accomplish and so I keep crawling under those trailers or onto those tin roofs that want to buckle just as you are taking a step in uncertain territory. I suppose I had better get used to the idea that not everyone gets what they want just when they want it. Our world hasn't become any easier overnight and I really don't expect it to any time soon.
In fact, I rather think ...that it might just get worse.

"...a roll of toilet paper."

I had anticipated being in the studio by 9:30 or 10 this morning. As I was having my morning coffee I was informed that we, Di & I, had an appointment for a meeting between 9 and noon. That meant that I would have to stick close to the house until the meeting.
Who wants to wait around for 4 hours anticipating someone else's timetable? Certainly not me.
Granted this person was getting ready for a long trip out of town and had a lot to do to complete preparations, but who sets a meeting time with a 4 hour window in this day and time? No one.
Normally, a person wanting to get things done sets things in motion with some sort of plan in mind. And ordinarily that person also takes into consideration the time each part of that plan may take; allowing for the interested parties having adequate time to be in place as needed. Did I say 'consideration'? That's it, consideration.
That's what bothers me. There was no consideration for our time. It's as though we aren't important enough to have a schedule of our own, we're just supposed to 'be there' as needed, like a roll of paper towels or better yet, ...a roll of toilet paper.

... but then, who's counting

I spent a couple of hours tonight cleaning up the studio. I had done a lot of painting and rearranging but I hadn't put things away that had been 'sitting around' for months. I was feeling 'surrounded' and disorganized every time I opened the door to 'go to work'.
It makes a lot of difference to the psyche when things are in order and comfortable. The creative juices can flow much more easily and obviously more can be achieved in an organized, creatively designed atmosphere.
Di  found some really nice pictures that added to the design; each having music content phrases and instruments done in a modern color motif. I did my best to put them where they 'encouraged' the observer.
Tomorrow I begin a brand new project that promises to reach a lot of people. It is a study on the Book of Revelation by a man named Jesse Garcia. I am looking forward to his 'take' on what is there. I have been a curious bystander for years in regard to the many debates over what is written and the meanings. I have heard many interpretations but they are more often confusing and contradictory than complete and informing. I hope to learn from this in a way that both clarifies and settles all the various 'opinions'. Stay tuned for updates on this one.
As I left the studio I was reflecting on how long I had been there. It's going on 5 years now. So much has been done that it would be hard to relate it all, but it would be good to make a record of it just to show how much God can do with small, unknown servants that love to do what we do... but then, who's counting?