Ponytails

I don’t know what it is about long hair pulled back into an equine like appendage that I find so fascinating. But, there is something about ponytails on tall, long legged girls that makes my heart lope. Before I get too carried away…trot off in the wrong direction…I must remind myself that ponies are just little horses and by definition horses tails are connected to horses asses.

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for these sobering reminders.
Not to mention the much needed blinders.
Keep me focused on You, my pal.
Keep me safe in Your corral.
I know it’s better on Your side of the fence.
Where the meaning life makes perfect horse sense.

Amen.

A Public Service Announcement

Warning
To all homeowners, apartment dwellers and whoever has access to a refrigerator.

Do not under any circumstances look on top of or touch the top of your refrigerator unless you are HAZMAT qualified/certified and have the entire array of HAZMAT suits and clean up materials.

This morning I made the mistake of placing my hand on top of the refrigerator while talking to my wife. When I withdrew it, my hand was cover with a blackish-gray greasy matter incrusted with a fuzzy substance. After an hour of laborious cleaning I deemed the kitchen safe for habitation. I am debating whether or not to pull out the refrigerator and look in the back where that little dust-collecting fan resides.

I’m having a hard time rationalizing the “what I don’t know won’t hurt me” argument.

Cool Names

I tore each page of useless notes from my spiral notebook and found this dated (4/13/11)

I sat in my usual seat listening to the readings from the book of Daniel. King Nebuchadnezzar grilled Shadrack, Meschach, and Abendnego about their faith. And I thought “how cool would it be to have a name like that?”. Well maybe at my age…but probably not growing up…all the other kids would make fun of me. Then I thought…how cool would it be to have the faith that Shadrack, Meschach, and Abendnego had. In spite of all the fiery threats they refused to bow down to Nebuchadnezzar’s golden statue.

That’s a sobering thought…if I can’t take a little childish name calling…how will I ever pass the test when the furnace is turned up to seven.

Dear Lord Jesus
Thank you for all of your caring over the years.
Thanks for getting me through my childish fears.
Please give me the courage to walk in the fire.
Just don’t turn up the furnace seven times higher.
Amen.

Industrial Solutions

It was day nine of the countdown…the countdown to my wife’s return after a four-month absence from the house. In all the excitement about her returning I forgot that myself, my son and my grandson had been “batching it” and had paid little attention to the house cleaning chores…myself being the worst offender. My main concern was the shower, which I remember had white grout with light blue tile…not greenish brown grout. I searched the grocery store shelves for an industrial solution but found none. All the advertised scrubbing bubbles, foamy cleaners and sudsy solutions were a total failure. I went to garage and retrieve my 2500psi high-pressure sprayer, donned the proper attire (birthday suit) and charged into the jungle like enclosure.

Voila…clean white grout…what a difference and with very little effort. I'm sure my wife will be pleased with the results, I’m no so sure she would approve of the method. Well what she don’t know want hurt her. Now, for the dusting…lets see…where did I put that leaf blower.

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for all my blessings especially for the right tools to do the job.
Amen

Two-Lane Highways

As I drove the winding two-lane highway that followed the swells of the rolling hills and severed the green pastures…I passed through quaint little towns with names ending in “Burg” or “Ville”…towns with names that seem to have too many consonants and not enough vowels. I recollect making the same drive…down this same highway…numerous times in my youth. Back then it seemed like there were always some old people in some old car or pick-up poking along holding up traffic…keeping me from getting to my destination in record time. But today there were no such “old people” holding up progress. I enjoyed having the whole road to myself…life is good…I thought.

Glancing into my rear view mirror I notice a line of vehicles that disappeared over the last hill. At that moment I realized that I was the “old people” in my 14-year-old car…poking along. I looked down to make sure my blinker was not on. Well...at least I didn't have that embarrassment to deal with.

Life is good…it’s all about change. I‘ve changed my ways…I now recognize that sometimes you just have to pull over and let the rest of the world go by.

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for a changed life.
Amen.

Can’t Stop Smiling

Tuesday…as I drove to work I could feel a silly grin pulling the corners of my mouth upward into a smirk of a smile. My entire being was still giggling with delight at the thought of my weekend adventure. The flight up to Lubbock, on Friday, took three hours due to a miserable headwind. And the clear skies allowed the West Texas sun to warm the plowed fields…causing strong thermals to push up and meet me at 10,500ft. While the ride was a bit rough I considered it a small price to pay in lieu of a nine-hour, five hundred mile drive. Besides I was excited to visit my dear sweet Mary after a three–month separation and a few bumps were of little concern. It was sort of a two-day date. We even went out to a very nice restaurant…the kind without a menu…the waiter just tells you what they are cooking and you don’t ask the price. It was fun…the food was great and the company was wonderful. I didn’t have to share “the company” with anyone else…it was just the two of us and it was as exciting and as intense as our first date over 44 years ago. Sunday afternoon came all to soon. I check the weather for the return flight and found that the wind had picked up. While the official weather was for Visual Flight Rules (VFR) they also reported winds 240 degrees, 30 knots gusting to 45 with blowing dust. That was a direct cross wind for the little grass strip I was to depart from. Not to worry my wife I tried to show no concern while vision from the show “Flying Wild Alaska” entered my head. I kissed her goodbye and climbed into the cockpit. The take off went rather well…in spite of my rusty piloting skills…thankfully the grass runway was very forgiving. As I climbed out the blowing dust became an issue. While officially it was Visual Meteorological Conditions (VMC) I could not see the horizon…much less anything else in front of me. I instinctively went to my flight instruments and had to rely on my less that proficient instrument skills. Then there was that fuel stop with my less that stellar landing and the take-off…it was more across the runway than down the runway. After climbing over the dust storm into clear blue skies and smooth air the remainder of the flight was quite boring.

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for a wonderful weekend, an exciting flight, and a fantastic visit. Thank you for a wife to share with my “going to be 105 year old” mother-in-law. Thank you for a smile I can’t get off my face.
Amen.