Going Home To Lubbock

As I drove and daydreamed my way down the central Texas highway...abutted on  both sides by the bristling brown brush and dry winter grass...I observed most exquisite pale blue sky, highlighted by a wispy white smearing of high cirrus clouds.  It was a display of the most awesome painting that touched the distant horizons in every direction.  Atop the high plains...mile after endless mile of dry furrowed fields  lie in wait for their blessing of rain.  I drove on...through the West Texas wind farms...with their tall proud sentinel like fans standing at attention, perfectly still in the midday calm.  Their majestic long blades held high as if to salute the maker of this most beautiful day.
Thank you Lord for skies of blue.
Thank  you for this day too.
Thank you for Your word so true.
 For all of this because of You.
Amen.

Breadcrumbs

I think my journaling is like medicine…for me it’s therapeutic.  Some days I question what I’m doing…I find myself going in circles...chasing my metaphorical tail…deluged in doubt.  As I meander through the dark forest of uncertainty and turmoil…the writing is as if I am leaving a breadcrumb trail. Somehow, desperately hoping I can find my way back to sanity.  

Amongst all the chaos and confusion

I have come to one conclusion

This I know without delusion

Jesus Christ is no illusion

Amen.

Hats Off To The Hat Lady

  Today marks the end of 44 years of training.  Tomorrow I will start the first day of the 45^th year of my training.  Maybe this year she can teach me to put my dirty clothes in the dirty clothes hamper.  Happy Anniversary!  Thank you, Mary, for not giving up on me. 

  Thank you, Lord Jesus, for the one who continues to point me in your direction.

Amen.

An Ephah Of Flour

My attention deficit mind was immediately distracted from the first reading when I heard that Hannah brought Samuel, along with a bull, an ephah of flour and a skin of wine to the temple.  How much is an ephah?  The thought took me back to sixth grade math class with all the unsolvable math problems.  If train A left the station one hour before train B and train B was traveling at fifty five miles per hour how long would it take you to get to Chicago? Would you be late for work?  How late would you be?  Or if Johnny had one ephah of flour and shared it equally with his two and one-half friends how many cupcakes could each of them make?  How many bushels are in an ephah?  Oh! Now I remember…one ephah equals one tenth of a homer.  I’ll make a mental note…should I file it under E for ephah or H for homer?  No, no…B for bushel.

As I heard the words “go in peace to love and serve the Lord” I returned to the reality of where I was and what I was supposed to be doing.  I consoled myself with the knowledge that God loves me…even with my Attention Deficit Disorder.

Thank you, Lord Jesus.

Amen.     

Cooking the Book

I heard a rumor that a local businessman was “cooking the books”. Turns out it was someone I knew, a friend and customer of mine.   I was shocked, amazed and couldn’t believe my ears.  It seemed so out of character for him…not at all the person I was acquainted with.  

This is how ugly rumors get started.  Fortunately, I was there the day he “cooked the book”…so I am able to set the record straight.

Here’s what actually happened.  In the process of trouble shooting a defective piece of equipment (a steam press) the trouble-shooting guide/repair manual was inadvertently caught in between the two boiling hot parts of the press.  By the time it was released the poor repair manual looked like a grilled cheese sandwich.  End of story…

…well…except for the ensuing laughter from everyone who witnessed the rookie mistake of leaving the book on the press while testing it. 

I felt bad about laughing and finding amusement at someone else’s expense…but it was funny.  Besides…I recall the countless times I’ve done dumb stuff that rivaled this.    

Please, Lord Jesus, give us the humility and grace to laugh at our mistakes and not take ourselves too seriously.

Amen.

Christmas

This is always a difficult time.  The Mr. Scrooge part of me seems to hold back the crippled Tiny Tim part until it's too late. Christmas Eve arrives and I am unprepared.  My procrastination is red with embarrassment as all the gifts are unwrapped and all the thoughtful tokens remind me of how thoughtless I am.  At that time I finally get in the Christmas spirit…the giving mood.  I console myself with the fact that the Twelve Days of Christmas are the festive days beginning Christmas day. The Feast of the Epiphany follows the Twelfth Night, on 6 January.  During that time the stores are not so crowded and the post-Christmas sales even excite the Scrooge in me. 

Dear Lord Jesus, help me to remember whose birthday I am celebrating and keep me mindful of the fact that there is a little bit of You in each of us.

Amen

A Prisoner No More

I once was a prisoner in a jail without bars

My soul was marked with tattoos and scars.

I listened to a world with its cynical view

Truth was a mystery because I had not a clue.

I was one of the devil’s countless recruits

I had many idols and foolish pursuits.

It didn’t seem funny…my god was my money

Greenbacks and gold could purchase much honey.

Even my wife that I promised for life

Got nothing but grief and plenty of strife.

But the day did come when I ran out of rope

In my darkest despair there was no hope.

I had no idea…it was me to blame

I longed for a solution to end all my pain.

I moaned and I groaned, I just wanted to die

When a voice suggested, give Jesus a try.

I thought and I pondered this idea so novel

But not until now, was I ready to grovel.

I swallowed hard and gave up my pride

Realizing for me, Lord Jesus, you died.

Amen

Latin Is Greek To Me

The thermometer said 39 degrees but it was one of those mornings that felt like minus zero.  I couldn’t put on enough clothes to warm up and opted to smell the diesel fumes and listen to the clatter of my old truck instead of enjoying a stimulating bicycle ride.  I spent the next half hour flipping back and forth through the new missalette trying to follow the new Mass responses.  Maybe they should have just gone back to the Latin; “et cum spiritu tuo”.  I can still recall those retorts from the time I was unwillingly pressed into the altar-boy service. I had to memorize them but had no clue about their meaning.  I’m glad I got past those years of being young and stupid.  Well at least I’m done with the young part.   Sorry, Lord, I’m not complaining…it’s just that I feel like an idiot…but, then again you already know I am one.  It’s just hard to bend this stiff neck of mine.  So thanks for giving us Pope Benedict to help keep us on the straight and narrow.  

Thanks Again

Amen.

This Too Shall Pass

Over the past week I’ve been ruminating over the pumpkin pie, the turkey and the dressing while trying to gain some prospective about the house full of children, grandchildren and general commotion.  It was wonderful to see the out-a-towners but I had forgotten how explosive and volatile the situation could get when the number children reaches its critical mass.  I cannot get the picture of my son (father of three) out of my head…that picture of him with that shell-shocked look and the “will this ever end” expression on his face. 

A week later, now that the quiet and calm has returned I can answer his question.  The answer is “Yes”.   Yes, all children grow up.  Yes, all of that energy and drama is redirected.   And yes, I know this for a fact because you are the proof.   

Thank you, Lord Jesus,

For all my wonderfully bright, gifted and talented children. 

Thank you, Lord Jesus,

For all of their wonderfully bright, gifted and talented children.

For all of whom I have much affection.

Please keep them pointed in Your direction.

Amen