The Most Beautiful Time of the Year

This is the prettiest time of year.  This is the time of year for reserving weekends to take walks in the beautiful autumn landscape.  That's what we did today.  After a leisurely morning, we headed off to Panera Bread for lunch.  Afterwards, we made our way to a park that we haven't visited for some time.  The park had a Toddler Trail with activities for kids about every 20'.  Since I'm married to a big kid, we took the trail, and my 49-year-old toddler did her best to engage me in all of the activities ... every 20' 😏.

The trails throughout this park are lovely.  Since our last visit, they added a 1.0 mile loop through some grasslands.  The nature trail is about 1.3 miles, so putting the two together makes for a great walk.  The leaves are in full color here in Bowling Green, KY, and they are amazing.  Our Creator God certainly made some awesome things.

Just before lunch, we stopped at Meijer and found these LED lights that are installed easily into existing light sockets.  WOW!!! What a difference!  Our garage space is no longer too dark 🌞.  Working out in the winter time will now be a much brighter experience!!  They were on the clearance rack for 50% off, so that makes the whole thing even better.

For the last two days, I've been meditating on this verse ...

"Wait on the LORD, and keep His way, and He shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it."  

                                                                                                            Psalm 39:1

In Jesus Christ, I'm forgiven; I'm safe; I'm victorious, and someday, I'll be with Him in His eternal Kingdom.  Will you?  I don't need to be agitated and worried about life with all of its uncertainties and disappointments.  I just need to wait on God.  I need to serve Him faithfully.  Someday soon, the wicked will no longer be in control.  

Discovering a Nearby Waterfall

You can't live in an area and never visit the local landscape, so today we decided to check out the local waterfall.  It was a great one-time-and-done adventure.  It's quite small, but the terrain was a nice distraction from the concrete and buildings of bustling Bowling Green.

Yeah, the falls was more like a trickle.  The hillside sprung a small leak 😛, but it was still a nice walk through the woods.

After lunch, we added some matting to the gym space in our garage.  My coated dumbbells were sticking to the sealer on our concrete floor, so we resolved the issue by cutting an old workout mat and fitting it to the space.  The mat also prevents the other rolled up mats from sticking to the floor.  It works great!!

Having our own equipment and space has saved us thousands of dollars in gym membership fees; plus, it's nice to have privacy and avoid the excessive skin exposure that you normally find in a gym 😏.

In study today, I was encouraged by God's provision for Daniel as he took a stand in his heart against the influences of Babylon.  The Lord is more than ready to help someone who wants to hold on to God in faith.

"But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.  Now God had brought Daniel into favour and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs."

                                                                                                Daniel 1:8, 9

Adventures at the Shedd Aquarium

On our way to a wedding in Wisconsin, we decided to stop at the Shedd Aquarium on the east side of Chicago.  Once we emerged alive from the abominable traffic and arrived at the aquarium, the day was great.  The temp was a perfect 75F.

We enjoyed every display inside the aquarium.  If you stop and look at everything, the entire aquarium takes about 3-4 hours.  Sandra's favorite was, of course, the otters.  She's a big otter fan.  We doubled back to them for a second look, needless to say.  I didn't get any pics of the otters, but here are some pics of the 2 story aquarium.

The aquarium is located inside of a very large green space that stretches for well over 9 miles along the coast of Lake Michigan.  A greenway encompassed the isthmus on which the aquarium was located, so we walked it of course.  The entire day was a great adventure, but we are both grateful for the fact that we don't live in Chicago!!

"O LORD, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches.  So is this great and wide sea, wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts."  

                                                                                                     Psalm 104:24, 25

First of More Cool Mornings to Come

"The eyes of all wait upon Thee; and Thou givest them their meat in due season."  Psalm 145:15

We are completely dependent upon the Lord for everything.  I'm grateful for the cool breezes that He sends our way, especially after months of heat and humidity.

Fall isn't here yet, but the cool morning and dryer air today tells me it's not far away 🍂🍁

Sandra and I were able to open up the garage and do our workouts with a refreshing and cool breeze blowing through the space.

Today was leg-day. 

3 sets of each move for 12 repetitions

Walking Lunges with Dumbbells

Romanian Dead-lift

Box Jumps

Bulgarian Split Squat (8/side)

Goblet Squats

On the last set of Goblet Squats, I did a jump squat every other squat move.  I used a 25-pound weight.

Having a Fixed Heart

 "He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD."  Psalm 112:7

I have noticed, that when my mind wanders from the things of God, I find myself anxious, disturbed, angry, or upset in some way; however, when I get into the Bible and fixate my mind on the things of Jesus Christ, I am calmer, more focused, and more loving and caring toward others.

Where's your trust?  Where does your mind spend most of its time?  Here's a friendly challenge.  Keep your Bible in front of you every morning or evening.  Memorize a small piece of Scripture.  Remember that, if you are a child of God through faith in Jesus Christ, you are a missionary here.  This isn't our permanent home.  Every believer in Jesus Christ is destined for a much better future.

"O LORD of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in Thee."

Sandra and I discovered that Tropical Smoothie Cafe will make any smoothie without the added sugar.  This is good news because I travel for work, and I'm always on the lookout for healthier options.  Anyway, their website lists the ingredients in each smoothie, so I made my own knockoff the other day.

It's called a Chia Banana Boost.  I can't remember the exact ratio of ingredients that I chose, but it went something like this ....

1 tabls of chia seeds

1.5 frozen bananas

3 tabls of natural peanut butter

almond slices

1/4 cup rolled oats

cinnamon

3 smaller dates (pitted)

1 serving of collagen (added 10g of protein)

It wasn't bad.  It enabled me to get some chia seeds in which I don't often do.  It ended up being about 27g of protein.

Psalm 112, Strength/Cardio Mix, and Tracking Down Electrical Issues

"Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.

A good man sheweth favour, and lendeth: he will guide his affairs with discretion."  

Psalm 112:4, 5

No matter how dark life gets, I will always have the light of Christ in my life.  Because my God is gracious, I want to choose gracious behavior.  Because my God is full of compassion, I want to choose an attitude of compassion.  Because my God is upright, I want to be upright, even though uprightness is becoming less popular (even in professing Christian circles).

I appreciate the instruction and encouragement of these verses.  It's good to lend and share what God has given to me.  Putting others first and being generous are great antidotes for bitterness and selfishness.

Today's workout routine consisted of a run that mixed strength and cardio.  I started off with a 3-minute warmup session and then performed 8 pullups.  

I followed this with a 12-minute run after which I did 20 pushups and 20 air squats.

I followed this with another 12-minute run and then did 20 more pushups, 10 chin-ups and 15 crunches.

After all that, I did a 5-minute cooldown session.

My work took me to a tractor far out in the middle of nowhere.  I followed the GPS on my phone to the "edge of forever" and then turned left into a hay field.  After 2 hours of testing, I found a power wire that had high resistance somewhere in the harness.  Solution?  Replace the harness.  By the time you spend the labor to expose and test the harness, you may as well replace the whole thing.

A Simple Day ... Simple Thought

Today began with a lower body workout.  I did 3 sets of the following with minimal rest between moves.

- Walking Lunges (12/side)

- Box Jumps (10)

- Suitcase Squats (8)

- Bulgarian Split-Squats (8/leg)

- Goblet Squats (10)

I did 3 rounds of these moves with 1 minute of rest between rounds.

I warmed up for 5 minutes first and cooled down for 5 minutes afterwards.  That is very important, especially when you aren't 20 anymore!

The rest of the day was spent answering questions about machinery and helping co-workers get their projects up and running while studying for Fuel Diagnostic classes that I have to teach this week.

While preparing for Sunday School last week, I reviewed Psalm 112.  I was encouraged by this Psalm.  I had memorized this Psalm in the past, so I decided to review and re-memorize it.  The man who lives in God's righteousness is a blessed individual.

I have committed the first 2 verses to memory.

"Praise ye the LORD.  Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD, that delighteth greatly in His commandments.

His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed."

Simple thought ... I am grateful for God's righteousness that has been imparted to me through faith in Jesus Christ the Righteous.

It's Been Awhile

Time has gotten away from me.  It's planting season, and when you're in the agricultural industry, planting season and harvest are the two busiest times of the year.  Anyway, enough excuses.

Today's workout was upper body.  I did two rounds of the following ...

Pull ups

Dumbbell rows

Dumbbell chest presses (use a loop band wrapped around your back to make it harder)

Pushups

Overhead presses

Curls

Tricep extensions

This was followed by one set of ...

Lateral biased rows

Pushups

Reverse fly

Curls

Tricep extensions

Movement is a gift of God and we ought to use it.  If you're looking at these exercises and thinking "I can't do that," just remember that you can modify any of these moves to fit your needs. Grab a light resistance band or some soup cans and just do what you can.

Or skip this entirely and just take a walk.  Walking is an amazing form of exercise, if not the best.

Sandra introduced me to a new running app called Just Run.  It's not fancy at all.  It simply gets you moving and works you up to the point where you can run 3 miles or 30 minutes without stopping. I was already to that point, but I enjoy having an app to shake things up for me.  

I was reading in I Chronicles chapter 1 and 2 today.  It's not the most exciting part of the Bible, but I was reminded of the fact that Joab, David's captain, was the cousin of Amasa. If you recall, David tried to replace Joab with Amasa, but Joab killed Amasa. 

The human heart is a wicked thing, and it can't be trusted.  My heart isn't any better than Joab's. I need to stay close to God, because I have the same selfish, prideful heart as Joab. By the way, life didn't go well for Joab. 

Saturday Run Day

We arose around 7 and made our way to our favorite Bowling Green Park - The Loops at Lover's Lane.  This is a large park with a 1.6 mile gravel loop that encircles the park's soccer fields.  I ran with Sandra today.  This is a luxury not often afforded me because we are on different exercise schedules during the week.  Here's our exercise results with a map to prove it 😉

After two laps around, I broke off to make use of the outdoor fitness court.  This is a bodyweight exerciser's dream, replete with pull-up bars and boxes for box-jumps.  Sandra finished a 3rd lap around the park while I did my thing, then I joined her.

The day was so lovely that we decided to wash the car before going to lunch.  We're still enjoying a gift card to Blaze Pizza (a relative's gift from Christmas), so we swung in to get our usual.  We both order a GF half-pizza with small side salad.  Sandra eats 2/3 of hers and gives me one piece.  For me, it's about an 800 calorie lunch which is just right.

I have been using the same workout clothes for a VERY long time.  Let's just say that it was time for some new ones.  Sandra suggested we look at Belk.  I was less than excited because Belk is an "old people" store.  I shouldn't have been so hasty in my judgments.  It turns out that their brand Zelos is very nice and good quality.  The Lord provided some quality exercise clothes that all came off the "70% off" rack.  You can't beat that!!  It's not common to find stuff that fits and looks nice on such a clearance.  I thank the Lord for meeting this need.

Today's Bible study had me in II Kings, chapters 9 and 10.  Jehu is an interesting character.  I'm glad that I never met him 😌 He definitely enjoyed killing people, and he was a deceiver.  God used him to wipe out the house of Ahab, but Jehu didn't follow God.  The Bible tells us that Jehu, "departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat which made Israel to sin."  In other words, Jehu put down Baal worship, but he didn't remove the idolatrous golden calves which resided in Bethel (southern Israel) and Dan (northern Israel).  Jehu had the wonderful opportunity to seek God and do right; instead, he pointlessly murdered the king of Judah and proceeded to keep the status quo of idolatry in Israel.  How terrible to miss such a wonderful opportunity to be used of God and to serve Him!

A Trip to Seymour

 I needed to make a trip to my company's northern-most store - Seymour.  The tech couldn't get a tractor's electronics to calibrate.

Turns out, he was looking at the wrong address for the sensor.  She's working now.

On the way through town, I found a nice park where I could set up shop for a few minutes and answer emails.  The day was beautiful!

After a long day, I came home and did some stretching.  If you've never tried legs-up-the-wall, you should.  Find an empty wall, and place something comfortable on the floor to lay on (unless you have carpet).  Place your legs straight up the wall with your back flat on the floor so that your body is in the shape of an "L."  If this is too intense, you can bend your knees a bit.

Why do this?  It improves circulation and helps relax you.  It's also a good stretch for the back of the legs.  If you stretch your arms straight over your head, you can get a bonus stretch for your upper back and shoulders.

John 5:5-8

5 And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.  

6 When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?

 7 The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.

 8 Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.

You know the story.  In Jerusalem there was a pool called Bethesda.  This was a special place, because every so often, God miraculously moved the water by an angel.  Anyone who had any kind of disease was instantly cured if he or she could make it into the pool when this happened.

This man couldn't fight the crowds.  He couldn't walk.  He didn't have a helper to pick him up and carry him into the water.  Can you imagine the people fighting to get into that water!

The Lord finds this man, and He heals him.  This man is an interesting character.  The Bible doesn't have much to say about him, so I can't draw any definite conclusions; however, the Bible doesn't mention that ... 

... he thanked Jesus.

... he repented when Jesus found him in the temple later on and told him not to sin any more lest something worse happen to him.

... he followed Christ after his healing.

The Bible does say that he found the Pharisees and told them that Jesus had healed him.

I like to contrast this man with the blind man in chapter 9.  We are given more facts about that guy.  He boldly stood against the bad doctrine of the Pharisees.  He worshipped Jesus when Jesus found him a second time.  He believed on Jesus as Messiah.

The guy in chapter 5 always leaves me wondering a bit.  Was he happy to be healed but unwilling to change?  Did he view Christ as a powerful prophet but not the Messiah?  I don't know.

I want to be grateful for how Jesus has healed me spiritually by forgiving me of my sins.  I don't want people to read the story of my life and have insufficient information to know whether or not I loved God.  I want to be more like the blind man in chapter 9.

Hilltop Walk, Coffee, and a Stray Dog

This Saturday was free.  It was definitely a day to slow down, relax, and spend time together.

Sandra and I started the day by going to our new favorite cafe - Cafe Kindness.  They have food that is actually good for you.  We started there with smoothies for our breakfast.

Sandra's was a combo of oatmeal, spinach, and peach, and date syrup.  Mine was blueberry, date syrup, and a combo of other delicious things that escape me at the moment.

We followed this up with a 4.75 mile walk that took us to the top of the hill where the Western Kentucky University resides.  The weather was fantastic.

We found this nice bridge near the very top of the complex that is built on the hill.  When walking, it's good to find some hills.  They work your legs from a different angle and pump up your heart rate for a little extra cardiovascular effect.

On the way back to the car, we came across the grand opening of a new coffee place - Mill House Coffee.  They moved into the same storefront that once housed a Starbucks.  Any business that can displace a Starbucks is alright in my book, so we went in for a coffee.

It turns out, they have outdoor seating and a cozy fireplace!  Not a bad date spot 😉.

We drink mostly decaf espresso, and Sandra uses non-dairy creamers.  This place has both, so they rank OK in my book.

Later in the afternoon, we took a "welcome to the neighborhood" gift to some neighbors, and on the way back, some kids were leading a dog and asked us if we had lost one.

The kids weren't from the neighborhood, and they needed to get back to their home, so we took the pooch.  No one responded to a neighborhood Facebook post about a lost dog, so I drove "Penny" to the animal shelter.  She was chipped, and that happened to be her name.

My verse for that day was from I Peter 1:3 ...

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead."

Because of Jesus' triumph over death, sin's power over me has been disabled, and I can live a holy life in Christ now, and I look forward to an eternity with Him.  This is possible only by God's mercy.

It's Good to be Home

Psalm 27:8

"As a bird that wandereth from her nest, so is a man that wandereth from his place."

This is how I feel when I'm away from home on a business trip.  I am grateful for our house that Sandra has made into a home.  Returning to it is always a relief.

Thursday and Friday involved a trip through southern Indiana, visiting stores in Corydon, Orleans, Seymour, and Sellersburg.

Taking care of yourself on the road isn't easy, but it is possible.  Sandra packed me a cobb salad for lunch.  I was able to find a nature preserve just outside of Corydon that had some outdoor eating areas.  This provided a break from the store and a place to walk for a bit after driving for 3 hours.

I spent the night in French Lick.  For dinner, Sandra packed turkey breast in some gravy with bread and fruit.  

That evening, I ran about 2.5 miles through the town and did pushups and squats in the middle and at the end of the run.

Orleans is in the middle of nowhere.  Pretty much the only thing out there are these grain silos.

Lunch that day consisted of GF wraps stuffed with black beans, shredded chicken, broccoli, and feta cheese.

The trip was profitable, but it's great to be home.  Today, we passed out invitations to the Easter service.  Afterwards, we came home and finished this printer shelf.  Sandra got it all painted while I was gone, so today we installed the corner braces and put it into place.

Back from a Business Trip

I had to go to Florence, KY for work Thursday and Friday.  It's always a challenge to eat well and move well while away from home, but I managed.  I have found a Hampton Inn with an outstanding gym, and that serves to keep me moving when out of my routine.

Thursday night was a walking night since I had been sitting in the truck for over four hours while travelling to the store.

Friday morning was a 20-minute, 2-mile run followed by upper body strength.  I love the weight selection at this hotel!!

The routine was ...

5 pullups, 12 rows, 15 pushups, 10 chest presses, 10 overhead presses, 12 curls, 12 tricep extensions

I did this for 2 rounds and finished with a final round of pullups, pushups, curls and tricep extensions.

After this, I had a breakfast of two low-sugar Greek yogurt cups and two homemade healthy muffins.  Sandra had packed me breakfast so I could skip the usual hotel powdered eggs and greasy, chemical-laden "sausage" patties.

Sandra has prepared numerous little gift bags that contain a small treat and a Gospel tract.  This one was designed especially for giving to hotel maids.  I left it in my room.

The gift was a bath salt, and the tract says "Two Appointments Every Person Must Keep."  It approaches the Gospel from the perspective of dying and meeting God.  It's based upon Hebrews 9:27.

The trip was successful.  The issues were resolved, and everyone was a little happier.

On the way home, I drove through Lexington, KY and stopped at PF Chang's where I picked up dinner for me and Sandra - chicken fried rice, sweet and spicy chicken, and Singapore noodles!!

I had the leftovers for lunch today 😉 I have to post stuff like this so people know that I'm almost, kinda normal.  Ok, not really.

Don't get too excited.  Today, we were back to our healthy ways!  I enjoyed a beet, strawberry smoothing with granola.  Here's the recipe ...

1/3 C plain Greek yogurt

2/3 C orange juice

1 C frozen strawberries

1 TBLS beet root powder

2/3 C frozen pineapple

optional - 1 scoop Carrington Farms coconut protein powder

I missed walking with Sandra while away, so we went for a long walk in the Bowling Green downtown area.  We found a hill that has a park on the top and a nice overlook of the city.

After this, we made our way over to the college and back to the car.  It was about a 3 mile walk.

Today, I started back in Ezra for both my personal study and Sunday School study.  I like this verse.

"This Ezra went up from Babylon; and he was a ready scribe in the law of Moses, which the LORD God of Israel had given: and the king granted him all his request, according to the hand of the LORD his God upon him."  

I want to be a "ready scribe" by making Bible study a priority.  I need God's Word; others need God's Word.  I want to be ready to help my wife and others by knowing and practicing what my Bible says.  

I like how God blessed Ezra.  Ezra had a heart to go back to Judah and help people know God better, and God touched a heathen king's heart in order to fulfill Ezra's desire.  God loves to help people who want to help others know God better.

The Perfect Day

My idea of a perfect day involves relaxed Bible time in the morning, being with Sandra on a walk in the sunshine and finding some health-conscious eatery along the way ... this day involved all 3.

I'm grateful for the slower pace of Saturdays because it makes for a more relaxed time in the Scriptures.  I've been studying for a series on the fear of the Lord, and I came across this verse in my reading.

"Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God."  Ephesians 5:21

The fear of God motivates me to put others first.  Yes, God wants us to submit to His earthly authorities, but this verse involves more than that.  God wants me to submit myself to the needs of others - to place the wellbeing of others before my own (Phil. 2:4).  By submitting myself to others, I am saying, "You are important to me.  How can I serve you?"  This attitude is contrary to what my flesh wants because I am selfish.  That's where the fear of God steps in and motivates me to do what I should do.  I serve others and submit myself to their needs because, ultimately, I want to please my high and holy God.

The sun was out today, and the air was cool but warm when walking in the direct sunlight.  Sandra found a healthy eatery in downtown Bowling Green, so we gave it a try.  Indeed, it is a gem of a place.  I don't think they have a foul ingredient in the whole cafe.  Sandra tried the Peace smoothie which had spinach, banana, mint, cacao, seed blend, and date drizzle.  My smoothie consisted of banana, cacao powder, almond butter, cold brew, seed blend, and date drizzle.  For those of you who appreciate the good ingredients of God's creation, I recommend it - highly.

This was our breakfast, so afterwards, we took a long walk from the downtown area and circled around the WKU campus.  This is a good time of year to walk there because the student population isn't out much, so the sidewalks are clear and the scenery may be enjoyed more easily.

After some stressful weeks, we needed a recharge, and God gave that to us today through quiet study, good food, and a brisk walk that inspired some delightful conversation.

God is gracious.

Orlando Trip: Day 5

Saturday morning, I found a Jersey Mikes.  They have gluten-free bread.  No, this isn't what you would call healthy, but I was starving.  I didn't feel like a $13 granola bar.  It hit the spot.

This was the best day of the trip.  Why?  Because I'm back with Sandra, of course!!  

After she picked me up, we swung down to CoreLife Eatery in Murfreesboro.  Now that was worth the detour.  I tried their Greek and Quinoa bowl.  It has grilled chicken, quinoa (of course), feta, tomatoes, hummus, cucumbers, and dill-cucumber dressing.  It was fantastic.  Add the ginger, honey lemonade, and you're really rolling!!

The verse for the last day is ...

"Let my mouth be filled with thy praise and with thy honour all the day."  Psalm 71:8

I can never give enough praise to God.  Praise can turn a "bad" day into a good one.  Praise takes the focus off of me and my troubles and places it directly upon God and His mercy.  This will cheer the heart and refresh the soul.

Thank you Lord for a safe trip, for food each day, for the peace of knowing Jesus as Savior, for a job that supports the family, for a home that meets the needs, and for a sweet wife who is my best friend!

Orlando Trip: Day 4

Friday was 73, muggy, and buggy.  It had rained a bit that night, so the ground was quite a mess.  This was the combine section.  You can have your very own X9 if you have 1.5 million bucks lying around 😉  The training was in 2 waves.  I was in wave 2.  The first wave started on Monday and ended on Wednesday.  The 2nd wave started on Wednesday and ended on Friday.  By Friday, the poor instructors were pretty much done.  They had been giving the same spiel for 5 days to 8 groups a day.  I would've been done too.  They did very well considering the demands.

After training, I went to the hotel gym and did a simple arms and legs routine.  It consisted of 4 primary moves.  They were curls, hip lifts, tricep extensions, and dumbbell deadlifts.  I did 40 seconds of rest and 20 seconds of rest.  I varied the style of each move, but stayed with these four basic patterns for 5 rounds.  It was a good routine.  All you need is a simple set of dumbbells.  I used 20 pounders.

Friday evening weather looked threatening, and I wasn't feeling up to a walk in the rain, so I got the grand idea to catch a shuttle to the airport and visit the Chick-Fil-A - Big Mistake!!  Airport Chick-Fil-As are not good.  Everything was in a state of confusion.  I walked up to the counter and said, "I'd like a kale salad, and a #4 grilled chicken nugget meal with unsweetened tea."  The kid looked at me so long it became awkward and then said, "Do you want grilled nuggets?"  I then said "Yes," while thinking, "Isn't that what I just said?"  He then said, "Do you want fries with that or the kale salad?"  I then repeated myself.  He then said, "You want sweet tea, right?"  I then said "No.  I want unsweet tea," but I was thinking, "Is this really happening?"  15 minutes later after much entertainment I received a bag with a half-filled fry box, kale salad, chicken nuggets, no utensils and zero sauces, and a drink that had no more ice because it had melted in the millennium leading up to receiving the food. 🥤

Every customer around me looked aggravated and confused.  I'm pretty sure no one got their food without some type of hiccup.  The lady that yelled out your name had such a thick accent, you couldn't tell what she was saying.  If your name was Sarah, it sounded like Ci, and if your name was Chris, it sounded like Ci, and if your name was John, it sounded like Ci.  Get it??

Haha!!  It was actually quite amusing.  

Poor Chick-Fil-A.  Not their finest location.

My verse for the day was ...

"Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them."  Romans 16:17

Don't tolerate false teachers and doctrinal trouble-makers, deal with them.  Don't ignore them and think, "It's the pastor's worry, not mine."  Don't follow them on Facebook, or give them your ear on the radio or Podcast.  Mark them, deal with them, avoid them, and don't adopt their teaching or way of thinking.

And, Yes.  They are often polite, political, and charming, so ... beware.

 

A Favorite Coffee Stop

Today, the Wright Implement store in Shepherdsville needed help, so my travels took me there.

Near to the store is a Scooters Coffee drive-thru ⛾.  Scooters will let you get any size brewed coffee for $1.  They don't charge extra for cream, and you can add a shot of flavor for $0.80.  For a $1.80, you can get an outstanding cup of coffee.  I like the dark roast with heavy cream and one shot of vanilla flavor.

This has become a new favorite of mine.  For those of you who think that my decaf coffee is just dirty water will be happy to know that this cup was caffeinated.  Scooters doesn't offered decaf brewed hot coffee 😞.

The 2-hour drive from Bowling Green to Shepherdsville gave me a long time to think about these verses ...

"O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!

For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?

Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?

For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen."

Romans 11:33-36

God is the Sovereign.  I need not worry.  I need only believe Him and obey Him.  In context, these verses come at the end of 3 chapters in which Paul describes God's ability to guide in the affairs of all men, both Jew and non-Jew.  

God is in control.  He hasn't experienced failure, because He never fails.  He doesn't worry about anything or fear anything, and He never forsakes those who have entered into a relationship with Him through faith in His sinless Son, Jesus Christ.

I really like the last verse.  Everything is of Him, or out from Him.  Creation came forth from God.  He spoke it into existence.  Without Him, EVERYTHING would fall apart.  "...By Him all things consist."

Everything is through Him, or by means of Him.  He created all things.  "For by Him were all things created that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible ... ."  

Everything is to him, or going toward him.  Regardless of who likes it, world events are leading us all toward the return of the King of kings and the establishment of His Kingdom after which will be ushered in the Eternal State.  "Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power."

Gluten Free Pizza

We received a gift certificate to Blaze Pizza as a Christmas gift.  They make excellent gluten free pizza!!

Mine was topped with roasted garlic, apple wood smoked bacon, Italian sausage, fresh mozzarella, parmesan, and mushrooms.  It was fantastic!

We are grateful for relatives and friends who make mental notes of where we like to eat 😃

Happy Birthday to My Sister

 

I'm not in this pic with Tammy, but this is the only pic that was immediately accessible.  I'm grateful for my sister today.  It's her birthday.  She loves God, her family and the outdoors.  

I have fond memories of her and my older brother Joshua playing around our childhood home near Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada.  TT, as we used to call her, and some still do, was a good shot with the gun (still is as far as I know), a good cook, and was always good for a hug when one of us was down.

She is now a good wife to her husband, Brian, a good mom to her kids and definitely a grandma who loves her grandkids (yeah, they pretty much dominate her social media page 😀).

Happy Birthday, Tammy!  We love you!

Thanksgiving Day at Cumberland Falls

Family needs are different this year, so we found ourselves with the day together and nothing planned.

We decided to make a 2 1/2 hour trip into eastern Kentucky to see the waterfalls at Cumberland Falls State Park.  They are known as the Niagara Falls of the south.  The falls were lovely.

We intended to hike a 5.8 mile trail which would have looped us around and ended at the falls, but the trails weren't well marked (or maybe I'm a lousy trail guide 😉), so we ended up taking 3 or 4 shorter trails.

After we were all done walking, we made a detour to see what was at the end of the picnic area parking, and there we found the marker for the trail that we intended to take!  

We enjoyed ourselves.  Sandra packed turkey sandwiches, veggies, and crackers.  We ate in the beautiful outdoors beside the Cumberland River. 

It was refreshing to spend the days outside in God's magnificent creation.  We praise Him for all the beautiful things that He has made.

"Say among the heathen that the LORD reigneth: the world also shall be established that it shall not be moved: he shall judge the people righteously. 

Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof.

Let the field be joyful, and all that is therein: then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice

Before the LORD: for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth."

Psalm 96:10-13