My wife and I have returned from our travels to Portland to see our son and daughter-in-law. Three weeks, one week driving out, ten days in Portland and the trip home. The picture on the left was a little 1950s camper we ran into at a gas station. A whole group of these little mini vehicles had driven from Key West on their journey to Alaska. What man can create! The picture on the right was taken on the Oregon coast. We spent a day traveling a small section from Fort Clatsop to Tillamook. Wonderful day, beautiful views. It was also wonderful to spend time with our children. It is always good to watch children grow up and turn out to be great human beings. We were able to attend their church, which did take me back to a Rich Mullins concert, the pastor wore no shoes or socks, taught the Word and asked thoughtful questions. A blessed time in the Lord.
This flower has grown under the care, feeding, and nurturing of my wife and our Creator. Last Sunday our pastor addressed the question, "Who knows how we will end up?" He discussed the erosion of faith in our country because the economic crisis, the relentless battering of the media, and the lack of understanding by Christians that they are God's children. "The world may fall apart but we know where we will end up. The God of tomorrow is the God of today. As we walk with Him we know Him more and more so we trust Him more and in times of crisis what is inside us becomes the outside." These words struck me deeply. Because of the lack of depth in my spiritual walk with the Lord I become easily frustrated with our culture. I become angry with political leaders, economic leaders and life in general. I forget upon Whom and what my foundation is built. I can only influence those I am in contact with and my life must reflect the joy and hope I find in the Lord. "God came to give us confidence to take a stand. Today we tend to live in fear, we are called to live in the confidence of a creator who has promised to guide us AND direct us." We must be confident to step into the future and walk with Him and walk like Him. " from Tim Bias and I John 3)
What better way to get a group of guys together than tell them they can wreck something? I have an old termite riddled garage that must go to make way for a new garage. I am probably the only person in central Illinois who lives on a corner lot and can enter a garage from either street. The destruction began on May 30 and the final fall came on June 6 (D-Day). No major injuries occurred during the filming process! I must express my thanks to Dennis Koch of Koch Konstruction for hauling away the first load of junk. There is more to haul and you will be paid.
June 5, school has been out for two days and we are finally hitting the road for the first annual Tour de Casey's. Blaine, newly graduated senior, Tom, my team-teaching partner and I are leaving Pekin High School at 7:00 a.m. bound for Tremont, Hopedale, Minier, Mackinaw, Morton and finally Groveland where we will stop at every Casey's. I have ridden all of 100 miles in 2009 and we rode 55 miles in one day most of the final 25 miles into a fairly steady headwind. Overall the day was fantastic, the Casey's donuts were supurb, the G2 cold, second breakfast at the Mackinaw Family Restaurant was outstanding and my legs were shot. We were only yelled at once by a driver who didn't know how to pass bicyclists riding single file. This is a great time of year to ride and the winner of the outstanding Casey's was Minier. All you bicyclists.....this route is a great ride and there are dozens of others in Tazewell County that would equal it. Cycling is a great way to truly enjoy the outdoors, even though Blaine had his Blackberry out at every stop and had to listen to two teachers discuss the "voice" of each community we passed through the day was great. My apologies for the lousy video, my legs were shaking so bad from lack of training and riding with people who could be your children is getting more difficult each year. My thanks to both of these guys for allowing the old fat guy to ride along. It means a lot. Oh, Groveland....I couldn't face riding another mile north and then back to head home....next year!
Light and shadows interest me. They hide and reveal. The can show hope and despair. These were taken on our recent field trip to Chicago. Federal Reserve Bank on the left, Sears Tower on the right.
Premise: That I am obligated to assist those in need. This is a command from Christ. However, at what point has my assistance allowed a person to become dependent upon assistance and never seek to break that bond?
We have lost a war on poverty, we have lost a war on drugs, when do you raise the white flag and admit defeat and start over in a new direction? For example, we have such a large government system that employs thousands built around these two areas that nothing will ever change. Do humans need to be free to fail?
My wife and I have returned from our travels to Portland to see our son and daughter-in-law. Three weeks, one week driving out, ten days in Portland and the trip home. The picture on the left was a little 1950s camper we ran into at a gas station. A whole group of these little mini vehicles had driven from Key West on their journey to Alaska. What man can create! The picture on the right was taken on the Oregon coast. We spent a day traveling a small section from Fort Clatsop to Tillamook. Wonderful day, beautiful views. It was also wonderful to spend time with our children. It is always good to watch children grow up and turn out to be great human beings. We were able to attend their church, which did take me back to a Rich Mullins concert, the pastor wore no shoes or socks, taught the Word and asked thoughtful questions. A blessed time in the Lord.
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