Fishrapper

This Is Reality

The best of times and worst of times -- the last 15 months of my life. I wouldn't swap it for anything.

Hard? Yes! But the presence of God has been so real.

He is sovereign. His plans and choices for me are right. Nothing and no one comes to me without His approval.

Everything is designed to drive me to the end of self, that Christ might be my life.

God is the "only constant and reality" in my life (Jesus Calling, Feb. 2; Psalm 138:8)

Thank you Father.

Memories

Memorial Weekend 2011 was memorable, not as I discovered but as God had chosen.

We camped in the White Mountains of Arizona. That was good.

The wind blew for three days, 40 miles per hour with gusts to 68. That was not good. Couldn't use the stove or grill. So no dishes. We ate out.

As we went to bed the first night we discovered the two batteries on our pop-up camper were dead. That was not good. Fortunately I could connect my C-pap machine to the car battery. That was good.

All day Saturday was spent crawling into spaces my body objected to, pulling out batteries, buying one new battery and exchanging another under warranty. Not good! I put it back together and went about my business (good, I thought) -- until 9 p.m. when I discovered DC wasn't working. I had reversed one wire and blown a fuse. But I had more and in a few minutes all was well.

God cranked the wind level up even higher on Sunday. No sitting out. So off we went to a packed Denny's and then the late service at Calvary Chapel in Pinetop, AZ.

I came to read, sleep in my chair, and stare into space as I meditated on God. It didn't quite happen that way.

In the past I would have been bummed. But not this time. I chose to be content (Philippians 4:11). And I thanked God (1 Thessalonians 5:18) for the change of plans (Proverbs 16:9).

I went away blessed (Psalm 1).

No Secrets Here

When I find a good eating place I tell everyone who will listen, and those who won't. There are too many bad restaurants to not shout from the rooftop about the good.

When I find a "honey hole" -- that's Southern for great place to fish -- I tell people, even those who don't ask. I can't help it, and it has been known to get me in trouble with fishing buddies.

Likewise on great travel spots or camping areas.

In other words, I like to share what I know. That is my passion. It drives my desire for discipleship.

So here's one for you.

Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, TX is as good as it gets.

I have listened to my son for seven weeks extol the magnificence of that place. The attitudes, the caring, the consideration, and the medical knowledge and treatment are beyond imagination.

Here is Van's latest comment:

"BAMC is an unbelievable place - they are very accessible and are all about patient care. I can't gush enough about how great of service and care we receive there. Anything I say pales to what really happens - people recognized me (or us) in the hall, and asked about Barb, etc. This is all the more remarkable when you consider how much trauma they see. Amazing."

It's great to expose BAMC for what it is.

I Hurt...

It doesn't make a lot of sense but I've been grieving all day -- for Kenny Perry and his loss in the Masters Golf Tournament.

I usually pull for someone (in golf) or a team in basketball or football, but the a loss has never affected me this way. I have actually hurt. I'd like to be able to say my grief was for Perry, who at 48 probably won't have another shot at winning the Masters, or any other major, but it wasn't. It was for me. I wish I knew why.

Lord, give me a sense of what is going on.

My Rock and Fortress

I cringe when asked, "How's the church?" I don't like where we are. Neither do the people! But I can't let the circumstances reflect where I am day by day.

I realized this morning it is okay to be happy or sad, up or down, on top of it or underneath, as long as I remember God never changes and my real abiding place is in His City of Refuge.

Thank you Father for being all I need.

Up and Running Again

    This has not been a good last five months. It could have been, but I got in the way.

    We moved from our 3,800 sq. ft. ranch house to a 1,040 sq. ft. house on the Colorado River. We call it our Beach House. And it is a lovely setting. But culling has been another story. And at 66 it has been exhausting.

    I've done too much griping and complaining and too little thanking God. In other words, I've blown it. I've repented.

    Good times are ahead.

God Is So Good

    I'm sitting here in the mountains of northeastern Washington, far from civilization. The only thing that comes to mind is that old commercial, "Mmmmmm! Boy! Almond joy!"

    The view is magnificent. The air is chilled. Deer and wild turkey abound.

    We're on vacation at a place called Gaius Guest Ranch. They take only one pastor or missionary couple at a time. We have a neat cabin with a loft, a kitchen house next door, a fishing pond nearby, and a host couple who cook dinner for us each night.

    It is eat, sleep, read, talk, and spend bunches of quality time with the Father.

    Wish you were here!

Yielding, Working!

    Three questions are foremost in my mind as I focus on living the Spirit-filled life.

• Where is God working in me?
• How am I yielding?
• What problems do I have giving in?

Saying NO To Myself

    Shirley (my wife) and I had a disagreement early this week. It was a word thing. And it didn't get resolved immediately. I was absolutely sure I was right. Still am! But let me tell you God's take on it.

    I was mowing the yard Monday morning and God brought up the last point of my Sunday message -- yielding as a key to walking in the Spirit. He amplified it, suggesting I need to yield to Shirley on this issue. In response my thought was, "But I was right." And God said the issue was not who was right, but simply that I was to yield. Literally! To Him!

    Philippians 2:3-4 came to mind. "Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself..."

    I understood the principle. I needed to yield to her because I was to consider her as more important than myself. In the flesh -- the opposite of the Spirit -- that is a hard pill to swallow. But as I chewed on these thoughts I heard the Spirit saying that it was more than yielding to Shirley. It was really yielding to Him.

    So I've been walking around all week with my hands in the air, as if surrendering, and muttering to myself: "Yield."

    I don't have time to tell you all the incidents that occurred this week. It was enough to drive home the point. There were lots of opportunities. And in the process God even had the opportunity to say to me, "You really have a need to be right, don't you?"

    I need to yield, even when I believe I've been dealt a bad hand and want to fold. Folding is not the answer. Yielding is! Always!

Valuable Times

    The past month has been one of the most stressful, yet joyful times of my life.

    We had company -- Jack Taylor (wife, Frede) and Peter Lord (wife, Johnnie). They were in our home for 16 days, here to teach our people at First Southern Baptist Church, and the pastors/leaders of the Trinity Southern Baptist Association.

    I was stressed because of the responsibility I felt, plus I did not know Jack well. I was very nervous about having him in our home for five days. Shouldn't have been! He was a delight, as was his wife. We were blessed abundantly by their presence. And, of course, the time with Peter and Johnnie was as always -- refreshing and challenging.

    God really used them to introduce us in a fresh way to the Holy Spirit. The neat thing is that, though they are gone, God continues his work in us -- and me.

    I am excited about what God is teaching us, especially the principle of yielding as a model for walking in the Spirit.