Filed under: Life experiences
As I attempted to catch the bird that was caught in the trap she attempted to keep away from me by going around a bush for cover. After about five around the thicket, I finally caught the trapped bird that was trying to get away from me.
As I lifted the clamp that had the birds leg the bird immediately fluttered away.
After the episode was over I noticed the little sparrow was following me. Maybe to say thanks or maybe not.
Anyway it makes me think of the traps we get ourselves into from time to time and how someone bigger, someone greater comes along to free us.
getting loose from the feeling of being trapped and powerless must feel something like that little bird experienced last Monday. Free and very grateful!
This Saturday I’ll perform the ceremony in which my only son, Caleb, marries his fiance, Beth.
Both seem deliriously happy and eager to get on with their future together.
“Make the ceremony brief”, they’ve warned me.
That won’t be a problem, I’ve told them.
I intend to employ as few words as is ministerially possible while still leaving them legally wed –
I’m so glad for Caleb. Brenda and I love Beth with all our hearts. Beth seems already to have adopted me as a second father. I appreciate the standard cliché’ — “I’m not losing a son but gaining a daughter.” That’s terrific because now I have two great daughters.
And I’m hoping that at some point in the not-too-distant future, I’ll also get some grandchildren out of the deal. I can’t wait for that.
I realize I’m enormously blessed, compared with the trials other parents have been through. I’ll be meeting Caleb Friday for the wedding rehearsal, not driving him to rehab or watching him board a troop plane to Iraq or bailing him out of jail. Nope, This young man is an American treasure to me and we need more just like him is this country and more dads would be really blessed to have a son like Caleb.
The author of Genesis understood this feeling I’m experiencing thousands of years ago when he wrote: “A man shall leave his father and mother,” he said, “and cleave to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” -
Thanks Caleb for being my canoeing buddy, my fishing and camping friend and a real encourager these past 26 years.
You are the best son a dad could ever have.
Filed under: family
“God made…all the creatures.” Genesis 1:25 NIV
Here is a great story about pets.
In his 45 years as proprietor of Cooke’s Funeral Home Fred Cooke comforted thousands of bereaved people. But when his wife died of cancer Cooke needed comforting himself. So he adopted a golden retriever named Abigail. Cooke lived in an apartment above the funeral home. “Most days I’d take Abigail downstairs with me and let her play in my office while I worked.” But one day Abigail got out and went looking for new friends to play with. When he went looking for her Cooke discovered her in the chapel, curled at the feet of a woman seated near her husband’s casket. Cooke apologized profusely and tried to lead Abigail away. “Does she have to go?” the grieving woman asked him. “It’s such a comfort having her here.” Soon Abigail was sneaking out of Cooke’s office regularly, heading for one of the funeral home’s visitation rooms. “She seems to sense who’s most distraught and that’s the person she’ll go to first,” says Cooke. “She’ll sit at their feet and gaze up at them with those compassionate brown eyes, and within minutes they’ve stopped crying and started stroking her fur. Off duty, you won’t find a more playful pup. But the moment she steps into that chapel she turns into a completely different dog,” says Cooke. Abigail’s only mishap occurred when she was still a pup, and even that turned out well. She ate somebody’s carnations. Cooke rushed out to replace the flowers, but the family wouldn’t let him. “Mabel was a real dog-lover,” they told him. “You can’t imagine how it would make her smile to see those chewed-up flowers.” No doubt about it, pets are a gift from God! So enjoy yours!
I just love this dog.
Real name: “Courtois” (pronounced “coda way”) a stream in Southern Missouri ( named after the Coutois Indians) This was the first river Codes floated with us when he was a pup 13 years ago in my old town canoe.
Nick names: “Chinka boy “, “Curley Bill”, “Esau”, “Moosehead” , or more simply we call him “Codes”. He his a real retriever and a great friend.
Bella was brought to us from Rescue Golden. She had been bitten by a rattle snake and survived to be our second golden retreiver.
Both of our dogs go every where we go. Loyal Labs for sure.
July and August are the two months out of the year when the people of Prescott get the most amounts of liquid from the sky.
Since May 1st of 1898 someone has been keeping a record as to how much rain we get each month.
Our average rain amounts for the month of July for the past 100 plus years is, 2.90 inches of the wet stuff.
Because we only get 19.04 inches anually it is kind of a big deal for us here in this part of the country to get a good rain.
I think we got most of our July amounts of H2o these last two days.
While out in the out skirts of town I grabbed this pic of a great gift to the Southwest – H20.
Filed under: family
Really happy for my daughter and son n law today. They closed on the first new home here in the Prescott area.
Congratulations.
Caleb and Beth our son and daughter in law closed last week on their first home in Flagstaff.
Really proud of the two couples getting this done in this economy.
Filed under: Arizona
This past week I had some trainning in the heart of downtown Phoenix.
I wanted to post some pics of the hottest city in the United States.
My brother Gary and I visited Chase field.
Gary is a Phoenician.
Residents of the city are known as Phoenicians.
Located in the northeastern reaches of the Sonoran Desert, Phoenix has the hottest climate of any major city in the United States. The average high temperatures are over 100 °F (38 °C) for three months out of the year, and have spiked over 120 °F (49 °C) on occasion.
It is kinda of neat to be 90 miles away from the nations fifth largest city. But man It is even greater to drive up the hill to the mile high town of Prescott with it’s cool pines. The three days I was there it was around 111 degrees during the afternoon.
Filed under: Ministry
I love this picture of an old gate from an old homestead here in Arizona.
Gates are interesting. They are there to keep things in or keep thing out.
Here are some thoughts about gates that are good to think about.
You can learn a lot from the crippled man at the temple gate:
(1) A weakness in one area can cripple you in others – like a habit you can’t break, a lustful spirit, a bad temper or a self-pitying attitude. Apart from lacking strength in his ankles this man was normal, but one weakness stopped him from living that way. We all struggle with something. “The temptations that come into your life are no different from what others experience” (1Co 10:13 NLT). That’s why James writes, “Pray for each other so God can heal you” (Jas 5:16 NCV). So, how are you handling your weakness? Through denial? By having a pity-party? By walking past others who are struggling? This man was “at the temple gate to beg” – why are you there? You need to know that before you can get up and move on. Don’t settle there; determine “This may be who I am now, but it’s not who I’m going to be!”
(2) What are you looking for? A crutch to help you live with your problem? A way to avoid doing what’s necessary to become whole? This man was looking for handouts, not healing. Now, handouts are okay but they won’t get you back on your feet. Furthermore, when your interest in others is limited to what they can do for you, it causes you to miss what God can do for you. This man ended up walking, leaping, and praising God because that day he experienced God’s power – and you can too!
Don’t let man made gates keep you out of God’s best …
Filed under: Prescott
This year our family got to be up close and personal with the fireworks here in Preskitt. One of the guys in our church put on the show for our city.
Here are just a few pics of the 4th a July.
Filed under: outdoors
Now I am hooked!
The Petroglyphs here in Arizona are amazing.
Here are a few pics of my latest find near Wet Beaver Creek here in Northren Az.
This rock art is mostly clanish langauge and some spiritual language expressing the thoughts of the Shama who was the “priest” of the Sinagua peoples.
Some claim this site is a Sinaguan Sun Dial…I was able to witness the 1:00 PM shadow.
I picked up a book by Liz and Peter Welsh on “Rock Art Of The Southwest.
Next stop, The PALATKI RED CLIFS.
Check into this blog in a week or so for “ROCKS THAT TALK” – part 3.
