I have returned.... After a long absence from the computer and spending my time at work, I have found myself in the all too uncommon situation of some "alone" time. With a wife and two kids, a house, and a demanding job, I never have any time I can say is free time. Terry is working all this week. She is a substitute teacher for the city schools if you didn't know. She has been getting lots of calls so far this year from the city, and she also sent her name into the county schools to call her if they need her. The kids are off to school. It is quiet here. YEA!!!!!!!
I picked up a little book that looked interesting, It's called "Who's Who and Where's Where in The Bible". The format is something akin to a dictionary/encyclopedia, but it is written in traditional book style. The book is alphabetical for ease of use and let me tell you, it is not only helpful, but a lot of fun to read. Example..... How old was Isaac when God told Abraham to sacrifice him? Think back now...... All those pictures and stories you remember from Sunday School.... I always got the impression he was about Allen's age, around 12. Nope. Try 37, That is what a lot of Jewish scholars say. And this is what their histories and stories have held for centuries...

I have had the chance to do a lot of talking with my friend, Jesus, while I drive back and forth to work. I have felt closer to him the last couple months than I have ever felt before. I guess I got into a rut. I was saved when I was 8 when Pastor Miller was at Grace Brethren Church. I spent 35 years of my life in that church. I had my ups and downs. I made some wonderful lifelong friendships. And I left. But I left on a high spot. I was choir director and song leader, Terry and I helped with Children's Church, and we had just welcomed Abby to our family. But through the years I was searching for something more. And I didn't know what. And to be honest, even after a few years at Faith, I still was searching. It wasn't until King's Couple's about three years ago that I found it.
We had been to Food and Friends to celebrate Kevin's birthday as we do every year. It is a great time of fellowship and fun. The weather was bad and the trip home was hairy to say the least. It was snowing and sleeting and the weather was getting worse by the minute. I consider myself a better than average driver, but I was white-knuckling it that night!!! We made it home in one piece and Sunday morning, I heard the thing that made me stop. One of our couples had not been able to make it due to another commitment. But they said, "we prayed for you. The weather was so bad and we just knew we had to pray for everyone's safety, so we just said 'Hey God, keep them safe tonight'. We knew you'd be OK" Wow!!!! Now let me tell you, it wasn't the fact that they prayed for the rest of us, it ws they were comfortable enough to pray as they did. For years, I have tried to pray in a way that didn;t get me to lapse into all those thee's and thou's. I thought I had done pretty good. Until that day.
Since then, when I pray, I don't try to "pray". Rather I have a talk with my friend Jesus. And we talk about whatever is on my mind. Some days it is a good day and there's not a whole lot to talk about. Others, I fear we may have to finish up the next day. But the one thing that has helped is to remember that I have a PERSONAL relationship with Him. You wouldn't talk to your buddies in a tone and speech that was false, so why do people think when they pray, they have to thee and thou every other word? I have come to realize that. Come to think of it, think I'll call up my good friend Jesus and tell him thanks for being my friend....
Later.....