Quiet Month

     Well, it's been a relatively quiet month in my blog world. The reason is pretty simple, I've been sick the last 2 weeks. Appendix removed Oct. 17. It was a distraction from Alicia's birthday. Bonnie said maybe I should have surgery each year on the girls' birthdays. Ummm...NO. Back in the ER on Oct. 23, no BM in 7 days is PAINFUL. More so than the appendix. NO FUN AT ALL. Enemas are enemies.
     I missed the Missouri Baptist Convention earlier this week. I watched much of it online. I was so proud of Sarah Miller as she made an amendment to the motion from the Executive Board to change the name of HLG to University of Hannibal. Her amendment changed the name from HLG College to HLG University. It passed by a 60+% margin. Yay Sarah! On Wednesday morning I missed one of my best friends and former pastor/co-laborer, Wesley Hammond, being nominated and winning the race for 1st VP of the MBC. I am very glad for Wesley. He is a true leader, a man of God with wisdom beyond his years.
     Bonnie was at the MBC because of her role as State MSC Coordinator. She spent many hours on her feet at her booth in the exhibit hall. Because of this, I spent 3 1/2 days by myself recuperating and resting.  I watched High School Musical and rested and watched the Santa Clause Trilogy and rested and watched Scooby-Doo and rested and watched Over the Hedge and rested and watched the Fantastic 4: Rise of the SIlver Surfer and rested and watched Mark Schultz in Concert and rested. I also spent time during my waking hours playing Family Feud on Facebook and playing Madden 2008 on my laptop. There were also extended periods of time in the bathroom. Those were eventful but not noteworthy. I also listened to music. I catalogued my music in EXCEL files on my computer. The music on my laptop that is, there are other CDs in cabinets that aren't on my computer. Not many, but a few. God and I talked. Truth be known I talked more than listened. I have questions, doubts, praises, thanksgiving, misgivings, concerns, confirmations, confusions, & wonderings. I had a few revelations about myself. Some were good, others not so much.  As I looked back over my postings here I've realized that not only am I chasing God's heart, He, too, is chasing mine. His heart isn't difficult to catch, although, I'm afraid, there are times when mine seems to be. One of these days I hope to be able to express all this in clear and understandable ways. That will happen when I have clear understanding myself.
     Unless something eventful happens this weekend, I will return sometime in November.

Why

Here are a couple of Why songs that have been playing through my head today. The first 4Him and the second Michael Card.

Why - I wonder
why do the rainy days have to come
When the storm clouds hide the sun
I wanna know why
Why - I wonder wny
When the reasons aren’t clear to me
When it all is a mystery
I want to know why
And though down here
I may not understand
I won’t let go
Of the Unseen hand
For It holds the reasons why


Why did it have to be a friend
who chose to betray the Lord
Why did he use a kiss to show them
That's not what a kiss is for
Only a friend can betray a friend
A stranger has nothing to gain
And only a friend comes close enough
To ever cause so much pain
And why did there have to be thorny
Crown pressed upon His head
It should have been the royal one
Made of jewels and gold instead
It had to be a crown of thorns
Because in this life that we live
For all who seek to love
A thorn is all the world has to give
And why did it have to be
A heavy cross He was made to bare
And why did they nail His feet and hands
His love would have held Him there
It was a cross for on a cross
A thief was supposed to pay
And Jesus had come into the world
To steal every heart away
Yes, Jesus had come into the world
To steal every heart away


He has stolen my heart so the whys aren't so pressing.

Seeing Is Believing

I've lived in Missouri longer than anywhere else in my life. Not quite a third of my life has been spent here. The slogan for Missouri is the Show Me State. The background behind this is varied historically but the basic thought is...you can say all you want but I'm from Missouri so you're going to have to show me.
It's interesting how that applies to so much of our lives. That's not necessarily a good thing. We even use it in our approach to God sometimes. Remember Thomas after Jesus' resurrection. (MJC version) "Unless I can see Jesus with my own eyes, I can't believe what you're telling me. You gotta show me" I can relate to that. But is seeing enough? It was for Thomas. Jesus appeared, stretched out his hands and Thomas responded "My Lord and My God". I haven't seen the scars. I haven't heard the Master's voice. Jesus made a promise to me, to each of us, that day."Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." John 20:29.
So maybe we have seen; not with our eyes but with our hearts. "God demonstrated (showed) His love for us in this way, while we were still sinners Christ died for us." We SEE the sunsets and sunrises, the changing of the seasons, the night sky with its diamonds laid against the blackness of the sky. We SEE our love for each other, our spouses, our children, our family, our friends. We SEE lives changed by the power of God.  But to SEE we have to LOOK.
God promised "you will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." Seeking with our heart not our eyes. That's what faith is. But not just sorta kinda seeking but seeking with all, ALL our heart. At home, I don't seek for things well. I glance but rarely do I seek. If it ain't in plain sight, I say, "Where is such and such in the refrigerator? I don't see it." Well if I had sought for it. Moved things around. Made an effort to find it. It would be there, usually behind the milk. 
God wants us to seek Him. All we have to do is open up our eyes and our hearts. So what are you looking for today? What have you seen? What is it that you are saying to God, I hear You but you gotta show me? Look with your heart.