Saturday's Scribbles

Good Saturday morning to you from our corner of Iowa where crisp and chilly air graces us each morning. The ground is covered with locust leaves after Thursday night's winds, but other trees are holding on to their bounty as their leaves turn Autumn colors.  The geese are gathering and flying overhead throughout each day.  The squirrels are burying corn kernels from the neighbor's yard and adding to that anything else they can find to store up for winter.  Our yard was full of robins for a couple of days respite before they all took off South again.  Fall is making itself known.  There is nothing I dislike about this most beautiful time of year in the Upper Midwest.  I think God prepares us for Winter with the gift of Fall.

It has been a quiet week here in our own Lake Woebegone.  Last Sunday Joel filled in at a church in Clear Lake Iowa.  I went along to Galilean Lutheran, a place we have been before.  We attended a group Tuesday night where we are discussing the book "Spiritual Awakenings".  Otherwise our days have been filled with walking, writing, listening, learning, and for me, resting.  It has been a quieter week in our world too.  A hurricane caused terrible destruction, which seems more understandable and reasonable to us than human again human destruction.  By the way, it is not an "act of God".  It is an act of nature! I have been pondering why people choose to stay behind rather than evacuate when asked to do so.  It makes no sense to me, with water being such a powerful source of destruction.  I can't figure out if they are strong, stubborn, or silly. Maybe a little of each!  Each to their own I guess.

Joel is preparing for a funeral of a friend of his family.  He grew up in the same farm community as this man, and considers it an honor that B. wanted Joel to officiate at his funeral.  He seldom goes back to any place we "used to live", but he will stand in the pulpit of his home church once again and speak of life, death, and Jesus.  Such a privilege.

Another grandchild has their license.  Our oldest grandchild is now 18, two are seniors in high school, and come November we will have 8 who are teenagers.  I truly feel like it was just yesterday they were babes.  I can look with longing at our neighbors across the street who see their kids almost on a daily basis.  And our neighbor June who has her daughter come every Sunday for dinner. And my sister Kay and her husband Dan see their kids about every two weeks.  With having had so many kids, you would think we would live by one, but as a pastor we have moved so much and as they went off to college they did not have the home they grew up in, or their "hometown" to return to.  I think it is smarter now the way pastors usually stay longer in one place, and yet we raised them to go out into the world and make their way,  living a life of adventure in faithful living wherever God sent them.  Speaking of sending, we are sending congrats to Abbi on passing her test and joining the drivers of our world.  Stay safe.......stay safe.

I have been watching the "Open Heavens Conference" at Bethel this week.  As always, inspirational. I have been reading Andrew Wommack's book, "You've Already Got It" in regards to our spirit where Jesus and all His promises dwell.  Joel and I are reading the book of Daniel, too.  I have taken in a few TV shows and picked up my pencils to color.....  What have you been up to?

Until next time.................