Eight years! No words!

Been about eight years since I have blogged anything on this site.

No real reason to be absent.

Life.

All of us have life going on.

The last time I wrote was when I had arrived back from my long bicycle trip in 2017.

Four years have since passed.

Hard to believe that incredible journey was that long ago.

So now it is time to once again start sharing some thoughts.

What has happened in that interim time?

Spent a winter at the home-in-the-woods.

At the moment I am living close by to my in-laws and helping to take care of them and their needs.

Mom turned eighty-five and Dad turns eighty-eight in a few days.

Their life, legacy and character traits have trickled down the generational line.

K left for PNG and has been teaching there for just over a month now.

J moved to Georgia and got certified in fork lift driving and works with roofing.

B & T have adopted a beautiful little girl.

B also accepted a teaching position.

M is still in Texas working at writing and training hospitality workers.

Me.

Well, I am still kicking around.

Working through the Maring scriptures.

Just recently sent off thirty different files to PNG.

Back translations, notes, questions, revisions, comments...

At this time working through Hebrews.

After all the years of not sure what was going to happen with the translation program, it is still going.

Nine men and women and two churches from the language area are excitd to see the program continue on!

An absolute answer to prayer!

The Lord has definitely redeemed and transformed what the enemy wanted to destroy.

Cannot ruin what the Lord has called to Himself!

I now have a 'fat' bike.

Have about two hundred miles on it at present.

Working up the muscles again.

Would like to take another very long ride.

This time from home to Florida. 

Between three and four thousand miles.

Next year?

Maybe.

Right now my life is all about helping Dad and Mom as much as possible. 

Weekly shopping.

Doctor visits.

And I want to tell you all it is an honor to help them.

They helped all of us as a family over the years.

Beautifully rewarding to help them at this stage of their lives!

As far as what I will post on here...

unknown at this time.

A few pics.

Some words.

Poems.

Thoughts from reading Scripture.

Starting new.

Until I write more.

Continue to joy in the journey!

Blessing and shalom in the Lord of all life!

D.

conversation with a satanist

Had a conversation a couple days ago.

With a "satanist."

Yep, that is what I said. No mis-spelled word here. And this person is my next door neighbour.

So, what occurred you may ask?

Let me tell you.

I had just finished praying with another man in my "apartment." Actually, it is really just a room. But I like to think of it as home during this time of my life.

Anyhow, I had the door open, as I always do, when I am praying, singing, or just relaxing. It allows other men from the building to come in and just relax, talk, or share what is on their minds. If the door is shut, it is common knowledge to not bother me, as those times I am usually studying.

Standing in the doorway, my neighbour asked if he could talk with me.

Certainly! I like to have conversations with many different types of people.

He went on to say that he was getting tired of hearing about all this "Christian" talk in the building, and wanted to know if I would kindly close my door when praying or singing. He did not want to cause me trouble, or put a damper on what I do. He was just tired of hearing about it all.

The Word of God is offensive to those who do not want to hear it.

Of course, my answer was...

Not. No.

What was the question again?

I explained that when you love somebody you want to talk of them. Your wife. Your children. Your Lord and Saviour.

So no I will not shut my door or be quiet.

He then went on to say that he would play his music louder, speak about satan more, make "noise" as he wanted .

Go ahead.

Then the conversation took a turn.

I asked him why he followed this particular philosophy.

His reply shocked me.

Satan had to teach God the right way to run the world cause God wasn't doing what he should. Hence, the reason God got mad and had satan expelled from glory.

Interesting take on passages from Isaiah and Ezekiel.

Found out he attended a Baptist church when he was growing up. Commented that there were too many hypocrites in "Christianity" to follow it.

By the time the conversation was over, we were shaking hands.

He was gone most of the next day. I must say that normally, he plays loud, hard, violent, mad type of music. This day, hearing the music through the walls, I realized something. It was not the hard angry music, I normally would hear. It was more like Kenny Loggins or Dan Fogleberg type of music. More easy listening kind of style.

Today he thanked me as I had told him about getting his ID card.

Thank you Lord!

You certainly are good!

Lord, we will proclaim you from the mountains, in the valleys, in the hallways, and even in a community kitchen. You are worthy to be praised, talked of and shared with all who come into our lives. 

You are Lord!

Words for the year

Been waiting.

Waiting to hear what word God has given me this year.

These are the words.

Communication in relationships.

I am not always the best at communicating. And at times what I say gets misconstrued. Not the best when you are trying to communicate God's love. Or our own to those close to us. Family, co-workers, friends, neighbors...

Most importantly when talking of our own love for Christ.

I have hurt by words. I have been hurt by words.

Yet the hurt from the words I read in God's Word actually brings a healing to my life. It is suppose to. It is there to convict us of our wrong so we can grow. It is also there to bring comfort in times of sorrow.

Words to make us laugh.
To lift up the corners of our mouths into a smile.
Words to share.

Normally I am a pretty peaceful person. A pacifist at heart.

Yet recently, I have felt betrayed by words people have spoken, their meaning of peace couched in ill intent. I want to ask You, Lord, to take away my anger toward them and help me to communicate the love You have for them in the best way I am able. With grace and mercy. With love. With compassion.

Lord, You know these peoples hearts far better and deeper than I ever could.

I simply want to communicate better. I want to grow in communicating, through various means and styles. Writing, songs, pictures. So others can see my heart and life clearly. So they can see You, Lord, through me.

Again. And again.
Over and over until I understand.

Kinda like how You do for us God.

Continuing to joy in the journey.

David

Arm us. Send us.

Just began reading Joshua. Again.

Only in the first chapter. Think I am going to be there for a while.

Was wondering about beginning our Tuesday night fellowship. Starting tomorrow. There are several verses in the beginning of Joshua that caused me to know I am to continue. And a couple in Hebrews as well. But I'll get to those further down.

We all remember the words that Moses spoke to Joshua:

"Be strong and courageous... 

Be careful to obey...

Do not deviate...

Study...

Meditate..."

And the most important:

"This is my command - be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."

Pretty fantastic words! What a promise from God!

Then further down, Joshua commands:

"Go... take possession."

"Your strong warriors, fully armed, must lead the other tribes across the Jordan to help them conquer their territory. Stay with them until the Lord gives them rest."

Do you realize, the people answered and told Joshua at the end of saying they would obey, do and go as Moses through God commanded:

"So be strong and courageous."

What a great way for the people to bless Joshua.

The people speak the same words as Moses spoke to Joshua!

As believers we know that "strokes" to our lives and ministries can be beneficial, but they are not necessarily necessary. We are not the leaders of this fellowship. God is. We are simply people God has asked to help in other people's lives. We minister, we help, we encourage to bring glory to God, not to man.

My question is this.

Are we fully armed? Not with the physical means of war, but with the spiritual. Are we leading? Are we helping others to conquer? Are we helping to bring them into rest in the Lord? 

So then I realized there was some verses in Hebrews 4 that I needed to read which went along with these ones from Joshua.

The writer of Hebrews is talking about hearing the voice of the Holy Spirit.

"Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God. You must warn each other every day, while it is still "today," so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God. For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ." 

That is what we are about. 

Let's not rebel against God. 

Let's not harden our hearts. 

All it does is cause us and others around us trouble.

Thanks for showing us Lord how to continue.

Arm us and send us to to conquer for your name.

Continuing to joy in the journey,

David

thinking...

Thinking.

Really trying to figure out what is next. Trying to figure out how to respond to emails, letters and words. Some of them harsh. Some of them pleasant.

Been asked to lead a fellowship once a week where I live during this season of my life. At first I definitely thought it would be a great idea. Do some singing. Have some sharing and prayer time. What a wonderful way to interact with the men who live here. To help input hope and meaning into their lives.

And then I started thinking.

Would it be right to say "yes" to such an opportunity when I am going to be gone so often during this year?

God has opened up a heap of doors for me to spend time with my family and many others in my life. I love getting together one-on-one with anybody. I believe that is where true discipleship and growth occurs.

So I have been thinking.

I am not sure I am ready to take on such a task as has been asked of me. I am stable yes. But I would not be able to lead such a fellowship on a consistent basis. And to me that would not show good integrity.

Been told several times over the last couple years that I have a shepherd/pastor's heart. Not exactly sure what that means. The only thing I do know, is that the Lord has changed my heart from one of bitterness over my situations from the past to one of compassion for any person. He has shown me that all are redeemable, changeable and lovable. And I do mean all.

Over Christmas, my children reminded me of something I used to say often.

The only thing of lasting value is God's Word and people.

So what to do?

I know at this time, I am to remain where I am. Through my prayers and living out my life for Christ, my open door style, and hoping my presence makes a difference, through showing forgiveness and letting all the men I am around know I am human and prone to mistakes, through praying through the hallways of this building, through loving these men as Christ loves me...

That is what I am to be doing.

Until the Lord tells me otherwise.

My son, Michal, who is doing a ministry school through Calvary of Albuquerque told me that one percent of a shepherds ministry is from the pulpit. That is scary. I don't want to be caught up into political correctness or "church" politics. We, as people of God, are the church.

Toward the end of 2 Corinthians chapter 1 and the beginning of chapter 2, there are some powerful words which have impacted my life.

We want to work together with you so you will be full of joy, for it is by your own faith that you stand firm. 

At the beginning of chapter two, Paul says this:

For if I cause you grief, who will make me glad? Certainly not someone I have grieved.

These next verses are the ones which truly hit me on the head:

Most of you opposed him, and that was punishment enough. Now, however, it is time to forgive and comfort him. Otherwise he may be overcome by discouragement. So I urge you now to reaffirm your love for him.

And when I forgive whatever needs to be forgiven, I do so with Christ's authority for your benefit, so that Satan will not outsmart us.  For we are familiar with his evil schemes.

Forgiveness helps us outsmart our enemy, whether in flesh or spirit. That is my response.

So, back to my thinking.

What are your thoughts?

Continuing to joy in the journey,

David

buffet surprise

Been a while since I posted anything on this blog.

But today was just incredible. Spent time with my brother. Did some shopping. Found some music. Some classical and an old Cd of Celine Dion. Then went to a buffet in Franklin Park Mall. It is a new Japanese one.

So anyway, my brother Richard and I were having a real enjoyable time, catching up and just spending some hours with each other. He went up for another plate. I came a few minutes afterwards.

My brother can be pretty outgoing and introduces himself to lots of people when he is waiting in lines. I think that is a pretty cool quality God has given him. So he introduces me to Christina who is heading over to Australia and then to the Gulf Province of Papua New Guinea to help with medical missions through YWAM.

I am always completely and totally amazed at who the Lord puts into my path to keep reminding me of PNG. Totally God!

My friend Paula made this comment to me:

Yes indeed!! No such thing as a coincidence, as Danny used to say they are God-cidences!! PNG is close to your heart and amazing how God puts those in your path that are either going there, been there or interested in there.

Blessings to you!!

So I asked Christina if she would mind me sharing with any who might read this, about what the Lord is doing in her life.

Continue to pray the Lord would use her in ways she may not even know of yet! Just the few minutes I was able to talk with her were inspiring. She truly wants to serve God.

If you want to see what she is doing her blog address is listed below.

http://www.christyp20.blogspot.com

Continuing to joy in the journey!

D

suffering in thankfulness

There has been a lot written about thankfulness lately. Many posts on Facebook and other social media sites. Guess it is the "season" to show and express that attribute of our lives. Kinda wonder why we do not do it all the time. With that said, I want to add my own.

Of course I am thankful for Christ. He has lavished me in so many ways that are almost unwritable and unspeakable, but through groanings in my heart and spirit only the Lord can hear.

Michal, Brendon, Jonathan and Kacia, my four beautiful children, are incredible bright spots in my life. The Lord blessed me so much over the years with their lives. Sometimes I think they have taught me more in the last few years than I have them over their years!

I will admit that it has not always been pleasant, happy, and mountain top celebration times. We have been through a lot. Death and life have both visited our family. Physical and spiritual. Death of the old and life of the new through baptism in Christ. Wow!

God has blessed me through some incredibly hard times as well. Have learned some enormous lessons through the pain and bitterness. Been able to exchange those, at least quite a bit,  for joy and celebration. Much more laughter and "dancing" lately.

I want to express my gratitude to many who have prayed, rebuffed, corrected and showed me that life is worth living. That it is. To the fullest!

If I were to try and make a list of all I am thankful for it would be unending.

But I want to share just a few highlights.

Incarceration, though a number of years ago, taught me to trust family and others around me. To learn to let go of the past and embrace the future. Not just the physical but also the spiritual. And by the way, the spiritual prison is so much more painful. It is hell, being separated from God.

Unlearning of who I was taught Christ was by society and culture and who He is personally to me in my life. Unlearning is a valuable way for all of us to truly learn.

Meeting people where they are. I used to think that people in my "situation," those who had "hurt" family or society or in one way or another, were unredeemable. That is not the truth. God wants to redeem all who love Him.

Prayer and it's power on mine and others lives. When I took the Perspectives course this last year I learned a phrase that really stuck with me.

You'll never know what prayer is for until you know that life is war.

Prayer is, I believe, one of the most powerful tools we have in our fight against the enemy of our souls. It ranks right up there with hiding God's Word in our hearts! Christ is showing me an abundance of peace, pleasure and happiness in prayer. Prayer changes our attitude.

God is continuing to restore, reveal, redeem, reconcile.

God break my heart for what breaks yours.

But this should not be all about what I have been learning. I really have to share about our fellowships on Mondays and Wednesdays. Was such a great night tonight. Eleven of us. But actually an even dozen, cause God really rocked our talk and study this night.

"God's Word is truth before it happens."

"Our tears for others are like Christ's shed blood for them."

"Normal programming is so filthy and I am so clean in Jesus I am unable to watch it."

Guess I'll leave whoever reads this with a question. One that is found in the first couple verses of Romans 12.

How are we a "living sacrifice?"

Continuing to joy in the journey!

D

"See"

It has been a while since I have posted anything on this blog. After a recent conversation, I began thinking about our character and how people "see" us.

So here goes.

All of us have a past. Some of ours may just be more recent than others. But as someone so aptly told me:

Your past is not the sum total of who you are.

How do we get people to see the truth in those words? 

By our change of speech? Nope. Anyone can change the type of words that come out of their mouths. Spouting more words you learn from a dictionary is not the answer.

By the change in our appearance? Plucking out unwanted eyebrows or ear hair? Using a grey away to make us look younger?  Exercising?

Nope. Those are only personal. They help keep us healthy and feeling good. Which is important. These  are not "seen" changes. All of that is only outward. 

The only way we can really let people "see" how we have changed is through change in our character. And even that will take time. 

I "see" it this way. People are always profiling us in regards to our past. Let them vent. Let them spin yarns, here-says, rumors. After a while, people get tired of hearing themselves rant and rave. And then it will cease. They will not have anything more bad to say. 

That is why I so enjoy these verses from God's Word. 

Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. 

Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, 

and they will give honor to God when he judges the world. 

It is God's will that your honorable lives should silence those 

ignorant people who make foolish accusations against you. 

For you are free, yet you are God's slaves, 

so don't use your freedom as an excuse to do evil. 

1 Peter 2.12,15,16

Our character, our honorable behavior will allow others to give honor to God. Wow!

Pretty cool way to help others "see."

What say you?

Celebrating the joy in the journey,

D.

A disjointed ramble

I've been thinking. I realize that at times that can most certainly be dangerous. But lately it seems to be occurring more frequently. Not sure if that means more danger or not!

Last time I posted, I revealed some about my life over the last years. Some deep, dark, skeletal secrets, that had been hidden in a stuffy damp closet. Feels good to let them out, as I wrote before. Now I am beginning to fill those spaces with God furniture. God clothing. God character.

But there is something that has been troubling me.

I am aware of a prevailing thread of fear that has weaved it's head into society. The media certainly helps it along. The media feeds an incredible amount of fear into society.

To be truthful, I am glad there is talk about those many hard issues that effect lives. They need to be explored and brought out into the light. But not exploited to keep people from experiencing freedom.

I  know personally men, and women, who have made tremendous turnarounds in their lives. Many were consumed with grief and pain, sometimes from childhood. Now, they have been touched by God. Yes, the Lord can touch even the vilest heart and mind! And change those very same lives!

People change from the inside out. Remember the verse about people wanting to whitewash their lives? The great tragedy in that, is the outside might look bright and shiny, all painted and touched up, all bright and cheery, but the inside is still smelling and looking like a skunk.

Society has also been whitewashed. It needs to look inside itself as well. And clean out those ugly corners it holds up in pride. Society needs to learn to forgive. I know from experience it is easier to have family forgive, and I am not saying forget, for those are two separate issues, than it is for society to let one in again. Society has a hard time forgiving.

When it comes down to it, I feel sorry for our society. I am grieved. So I pray that we as a people will quit putting our trust in worldly thoughts and "princes who speak one thing and do another." The Word says we will be known by our fruit. Spiritual fruit.

I want to be known by my fruit.

For a time my fruit was rotting on the ground. My life, shaken, torn and dug up, was leaning and ready to be separated from the roots. To come crashing down. But there were people, it seemed like just a few, but sure it was more than I can number, out there, who did not give up on me. They propped themselves up into my life and helped me put my roots a bit deeper into the ground.

There are many more like me out there.

Most are just waiting for someone to come and speak into their lives words of encouragement and hope. Words of forgiveness. To help them plant their feet and their lives beside the springs of living water. Not next to a dried up well. To feast on sumptuous spiritual food, not on dry, stale and moldy lies.

Maybe you are one who can help. Who can speak those words into someone's life.

Guess what I am trying to say in this rambling, disjointed post is this:

I forgive you society. Even if you do not want to forgive me. If I remember correctly, there is quite a bit about the subject of forgiveness in the Scripture. Oh yes, I am quite aware what many would say in return. But I won't go there. I am not here to raise a ruckus or get into an argument.

I want to simply forgive as I have been forgiven.

So society, locally and at large, there you have it.

Yes, I know it is strange.

One person forgiving and praying for your change.

Now. What will you do?

Continuing to joy in the journey,

David

Pray

You want to give the enemy of your soul, aka the devil, aka Satan, a black eye?


Pray!

You want to disrupt the effect "the father of lies" has on your your life and others?

Pray!

You want to see the "prince of darkness" squirm and squeal and throw a tantrum in anger?

Pray!

You want to see a grown "man" cry?

Pray!

Pray without ceasing!

Pray for the fallow ground to spring forth with beauty from ashes!

Pray for rain to penetrate the soil and bring life to what the enemy has tried to steal, kill and destroy!

It is time to give that old "rascal" a whooping!

Pray! Simply. Fervently.

Press into the Father, the Creator, the Sustainer, the Comforter, the Redeemer, the Restorer of life and relationships and ....

PRAY!

----------------------------

What I just wrote above comes after an incredible time of fellowship and worship last night at our "house" church. It was "off the hook!" as one of those there said. And it was! 

People were asking for prayer. Mainly for their families. Children. Siblings. 

And so we prayed. We sang. We praised with our hearts and then went even deeper. We worshipped with our souls. 

I do not remember a time since joining this group two and half years ago that we have had interaction with the Spirit and one another as we did last night. 

So when I got back to my "apartment" we kept praying. We prayed for a man who for seven years has lived in a "hell" and been separated from his family. We talked. We cried. We pressed in till we felt a breakthrough. The two of us finished praying at 12.30

But the Lord impressed upon me to continue to pray. Who am I to go against Him!? 

I am just simply someone who is wanting to grow deeper in love with Jesus. An ordinary man who wants to see God do an incredibly powerful move in my life and in others. But that takes an obedience to humble, follow and submit to His will. Not one's own.

I am consistently told I am "owned" by the government. Bah Humbug! I am owned by my Saviour and Lord and when he says to do something, well, we had better!

I finally felt as if the Lord was saying to me "OK. That is enough. For now."

That was at three this morning.

Am I saying that I am better than anyone else? That I have more power or faith? No way. 

What I am saying is this:

Do what God tells you to do. 

No matter the time of day or night, the season you are going through, whether the situation seems unbearable or too long and drawn out, He calls us to pray.

So there you have it. A typical, yet somewhat unique night in the life of this blogger.

Till the next excitement.

Continuing to walk in joy in the journey.

David