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I wandered down my FB friends’ postings today. 

I know this is my age, but cancer appears more than baby announcements. 

I like the baby announcements.  You wish them well and prepare gifts to give. 

Cancer announcements are not much different.  You wish them well and prepare gifts to give.

The real difference is in the earthly life expectancy.  At birth the days can be expected to number around 22,000.  At death the days stop being numbered.

Now, one of my great achievements when I was in grade school was to be able to count to 100 – in rapid succession with as few breaths as possible. 

I wonder if I could have done that 220 times in a row?

If so, when I got there, would I be ready to stop?  Or would I want to keep going?  Or would I want to find a place of peace and rest where I could just sit back and breathe without wondering whether I would need to take my next breath?

Maybe the idea of heaven isn’t such a bad idea after all!!

One day a journey person headed towards the west.  The day was won as he skimmed across prairie and encountered the foothills.  The travel was light, his mind was filled with great adventures, and the scenery was inviting.

As he travelled, he encountered hamlets and villages along the way.  Small towns of unlikely inhabitants.  The restaurants were filled with dreamers and rushing business people.  The fill up station was inhabited with curious eyes and trusting helpers.  Everyday life filled the air.

Crossing the line from hills to mountains was indiscernible.  The elevation rose, but not much else.  Greenery changed shades and sizes. 

Until he reached the Mountain.  The towering rock did not embolden him to scale the heights.  Rather, to return to the lowlands and live a peaceable life.

A journey person does not gain their reputation without facing fears and accepting challenges.  But sometimes all they do is journey – they never scale the heights.  Those who do gain a new appreciation for the landscape and are never the same.  They have mastered their craft, floated to the top of the waves and returned with the knowledge of something far beyond the normal and acceptable.

Congratulations to those apprentices who work to master their craft.  May you have greater joy as you scale the heights of your vocation!!

I ran across a great quote from a Facebook friend, Garth Leno

When the enemy somehow tricks you into squeezing the size of your life to the size of your personal dreams, wants, and needs, he has got you right where he wants you.

I’ve been watching the great preponderance (that just means, there is a lot) of articles, videos and other media that purport (that just means, they figure they are right) to tell us about our visions for life.  We are told to have a purpose, to have plans and strategies. 

All well and good.

If we go to God first to figure out what we are about.

Our usual first place to go is to ourselves.  With pie charts and planning boards we figure out the pros and cons of life.  There are myriad (that just means, more than one or a thousand) ways to delve within ourselves and try to dredge up the truth about ourselves.

Meanwhile, God gets a sideline seat.  I’m sure he watches with amusement.  And he invites us over.  All he wants to do is put the playbook in our hands.

Simple – Yes!  Easy to do – No!  Our minds tend to like the small and controlled world we create for ourselves.  I wonder if we are ready to find out how big our lives could be?

Yesterday was a great day to be outside – while wearing some type of protection from the sun.  The weather forecast is for this to continue for the week.

Which forecast I appreciate. 

Of course, slipped in the midst of the forecast was the minor offering of a thunderstorm.  A possibility.  This does happen when the weather is warm.  But not always.  I went to bed awaiting a rainless day.  I forgot to consider a rain-filled overnight!

The rototiller was prepared, the yard was ready to be plowed.

And then it rained.  Some people missed it until they awoke this morning to a few puddles.

I awoke to the sunshine, and wet soil that would clog a rototiller without mercy.

So here I am, writing a blog.  Enjoying the sunshine.  And missing the sunburn from a day of rototilling.

Tomorrow, and tomorrow – perhaps tomorrow the soil will be tilled and the potatoes planted – or not!