Life Slowed Down in 2020

 This time Jan. 2020 no one would have thought our world would be headed into such a tailspin. The year started as any other, on New Years Eve the Ball dropped in Times Square as thousands watched, resolutions were made, there were slogans about 2020 vision etc. We started hearing about a bad virus in Feb. and by March it was full blown. The virus was raging thru the world like a wildfire, taking thousands of lives and causing hundreds of thousands to be severely ill and fighting for their lives. Businesses would close and public gatherings would cease. People would start working from home and many including myself are still doing it. Masks, germ killing products, disposable gloves and toilet paper would be in high demand. Shelves would be empty. Non perishables disappeared from shelves with limits on what you could buy. Jobs were lost. The economy shredded to pieces in just two short months. No longer could you gather with friends, go to church, sporting events etc. Everything quickly moved online. Restaurants closed. Grocery store lines were long with one way isles and warnings to stay away from each other. A new term emerged called an essential business. Those businesses only allowed a few in at a time and only if you were wearing a mask. We are still reeling and life is still not back to normal. The words Social Distancing are heard hundreds of times a day and signs and stickers on the floors and walls bear the words stay six feet apart. There has been much heart ache from the loss of love ones. I have known of several who have succumbed to this relentless disease and several others who became extremely ill. 

Through all of it, life taught us to slow down in 2020. Be thankful for everyday you have on earth. Those back burner projects put off for months and years around the house began to take on life. Reading books was once again popular. There was a surge of new gardens and gardeners aiming to grow their own food. New hobbies of all sorts were started by people stranded at home. Woodworking was picked up by many. I even carved some to just to pass the time. Online shopping started to boom. It has been as if life itself has been lived remotely with just immediate family or even worse alone. Life has been in slow motion for over 9 months now. 

Over the next few months I will document some of the projects, pictures and things I accomplished during this time. I will post pictures and stories in chronological order. I will try to paint a story so I/we will never ever forget the challenge of a lifetime. These stories are for me to reflect on in years to come. Come along on the journey if you want. If it is just me I am totally fine with it. Writing is a release for the soul. 

The journey Begins 

Fossil is thinking outside the watch!

Fossil Watches have been a family favorite for a long time now.

Plan your Journey

  Have you ever been on a journey and wound up in an unexpected place or circumstance? At first you think how did I get here. I am known best for circling a parking lot searching for the perfect spot to park. Just ask my wife and kids how annoyed they get sometimes. One will blurt out just park it.

  We have been to Texas many times for Lacey's surgeries. One particular time a year or so ago we had to drive home to Florida because of Lacey's lungs. It was not safe to fly back home. We left about 5:00PM headed out of San Antonio. The 20 something hour journey had begun. The plan was to drive about three hours to Houston and stop and be close to Texas Children's Hosptial in case we had an emergency. We had directions out of town and we started our journey. After 30 minutes of driving it felt like maybe our journey was headed in the wrong direction so we turned around and headed back to where we just left. Needless to say we spent an hour on a journey to nowhere. We were headed south when we should have been heading east.

   Why did we spend an extra hour on our journey? We didn't have an old school map. The rental van did not have a GPS. We were simply relying on signs, wrong directions and did I mention we called someone that was somewhat familiar with San Antonio and they helped steer us toward our journey in the wrong direction. We got to Houston but an hour later than planned. I simply failed to properly chart our exit out of town. My unpreparedness caused us to be extra tired and roll into Houston later than planned.

   I said all that to say this how many times on my Christian journey have I failed to plan my route with prayer, fasting, guidance from my pastor and mentors. Every time we don't plan our journey or our walk with God we become disoriented and head the wrong way.

  The first step in turning around and heading in the right direction on your journey is to stop for a moment, survey your surroundings and say to yourself I am headed in the wrong direction. Start your journey back as we did in San Antonio and get back to your starting point in your walk with God. Once we got back to town it all came back and we took familiar roads headed this time in the right direction.

  There is no such thing as I can't find my way back. We could have just stopped that night in San Antonio and gave up but we pressed forward. I remember how frustrated we were to know we had driven an hour for naught. God knows exactly where we are and if our journey is headed in the wrong direction. He knows what your frustrations are and how to turn them around.

My prayer is that a back slider realizes that their journey needs to circle back and pick up where they left off and move from their original starting point to a new dimension and direction in Christ.

Thanks for reading and God Bless

Pine Trees

   I really like pine trees. I see them Monday through Friday at work. There are several and the pine cones and pine straw is everywhere. They always bring back memories of growing up.

  I remember as a kid the pine trees at my grannie and papa's house. There were a few to the right of their house by the highway and it seemed like the perfect escape for fun and play. I remember my papa letting me help him cut wood one time with a two man cross cut saw. He had an old coke bottle with kerosene in it and the neck was stuffed with pine needles. It worked like a paint brush and he would go up and down the saw to lubricate it. Their woods were full of them and later after they passed the land was timbered to help pay medical bills.

  Pine trees milled into lumber and plywood  and they are a valuable resource for building. They can be found at any home building supply store. I saw a log truck this morning loaded with pine timbers and it reminded me of my uncle who had a pulp wood business in the 70's and early 80's and prompted me to write this.

  The next time you see a stand of pine trees remember these will most likely be timbered at some point and will need to be replanted with new trees.

Help replenish this valuable resource by planting a tree!

Auburndale girl's inspiring story

Auburndale girl's inspiring story

2012

We are almost a month into the year of 2012. What has happened so far?



Well for starters our church http://www.eaglelakechurch.com/ is in a month long journey of prayer and fasting. It is called The Spiritual Awakening. We have seen a great shift in our attitude concerning the things of God and his kingdom. God has poured out his blessings in healing, salvation and baptism. Last Sunday seven children were baptized. Two were filled with his spirit and one last Friday night.

It is amazing what happens when we become involved with something bigger than ourselves.

There is not a lack of God in the earth today. There is a lack of hunger to seek him. I see over and over people who are looking for love in all the wrong places. The Bible said God is Love.

My family has dusted off our family alter in our home. We will not be lulled off into so much carnal stuff this year that we forget that we were born to serve others. I have read one book this year and started another to work on my spiritual man. My wife has read two and is starting her third.

The scriptures said to seek him and you shall find him. Keyword is SEEK.

Until next time God Bless and lets see 2012 be the most powerful year for the Kingdom of God.

Where is the Burden?

I have been thinking lately about how many people are hurting and need someone to share some hope and love with them.

It seems like with such an abundance of technology that everyone would be happy and have more friends than they know what to do with but it is just the opposite. There is more confusion and loneliness than ever. You can hear and see it in the words of FaceBook and other social media sites. We are guilty of isolating ourselves and spending hours on trivial sites.

There is a cry in the world today to be accepted and and to have a since of belonging. You can see it in the way teenagers and adults engage in certain types of activities and behaviors.

When are we as a Christians going to get back to the basics of caring for our world and fellow human beings? Have we decided to just give up on people and ride out the storm without trying to rescue anyone along the way?

I think it's time to be more like Christ and rekindle the fire that was born in us we when were saved and allow the tears of compassion to flow again.

If you have stopped caring about people my prayer is that God will renew your passion for a fresh burden. There is no greater reward either financially or other that compares to seeing someone without hope be set free by the power of God.