Laura's Birthday
12/1/2003 8:45:18 AM
Today is Laura's birthday. I am still debating exactly what to give her. She doesn't really want anything specific. The irony is that no matter what I get for her...  No matter what I do for her...  She is always going to be a much more valuable, wonderful, perfect gift for me than I will ever be able to find for her. Of course, that does not excuse me from the trial and tedium of trying to find that perfect, wonderful, valuable gift for her, now does it? So it's back to the search for the holy grail! Thank God He blessed me with mine in her.

Need a Blessing?
12/2/2003 11:23:30 AM
The best way to get a blessing is to be a blessing. God can't use you as a vessel to bless others unless He first blesses you. It's like the pot of oil the widow woman had left in the house. As long as there were empty vessels to fill, the pot of oil continued to flow. But before any oil could spill into the empty vessels the original vessel first had to first fill to overflowing. So, let the Holy Spirit of God fill you to overflowing so that you can bless others. And by doing so, bless yourself.

Remembering The Memories Of My Dad
12/8/2003 6:47:18 AM
Today is the anniversary of my dad's death. The day after Pearl Harbor Day. It was certainly a sort of surprise attack on my family. Six years ago our lives changed forever. Each year, the remembering is kinder and gentler to me--less intrusive on my life. Each year, I don't notice December 8 sneaking up on me as quickly. Each year, I focus less on what I miss from the days before his death and more on what I miss from the days after. Six years could have created a lot of memories. This year, for the first time, I am remembering how I felt about remembering the memories. What a strange thought!

Counting The Ways
12/11/2003 7:29:07 AM
I love my God so much. I am completely overwhelmed by His actions towards me...by His presence in me. Every day I tell Him that I love Him, but have little more than my words to show it to Him. Yet, He pours out blessings, grace, and mercy upon me daily without so much as a word of boasting. Even when I have been harsh to Him, ignored Him, forgotten Him as I travel through this maze in the moments of my life, He still demonstrates His love for me on so many levels. I can never repay Him. All I can do is sit here and tell Him over and over and over how wonderful He is.
 

The Day I Moved Laura To Tears
12/13/2003 5:01:50 PM
Today Laura and I went Christmas shopping. She shopped. I went. Somewhere during our shuffling from store to store, discarding potential gifts and trying new ideas out on one another for the neices or nephews, I looked at her, paused, and smiled. Her eyes began to swim with tears, and--honest to goodness--she began to cry. I asked her what was wrong, but she brushed me aside. I persisted. She finally told me that she was just moved to tears by my smile. MY SMILE. She loved it that I was happy. I had two thoughts: First of all, I thought, "I really do need to spend more time with this woman." Secondly, I thanked God for giving me someone who loves me like that. And I fell just a little bit deeper in love with her.

A Dictator Without A Country, Weapons Of Mass Destruction, or A Razor
12/15/2003 8:51:28 AM
Saddam was found in a rat hole in the middle of a remote farm. How far the proud and powerful can fall! Ozymandias springs to mind. The disheveled, disoriented, displaced dictator won't be long for this earth, if justice prevails. In fact, he was discovered in a grave-sized hole in the ground. Talk about your dead man walking. Though a man can conquer worlds and peoples he eventually will be conquered himself. The sands of time cover all human glory sooner or later.

The Silver Box
12/23/2003 9:14:15 PM
Once upon a time there was a silver box, sealed with a golden lock, which sat upon a crystal rock. Every knight, wizard, and smythe took a hand at opening the silver box but the golden lock was impregnable. There was no sword that could cut it. No spell that could release it. No fire that could burn it open. The box sat unopened upon that crystal rock for ages until one day a young lad full of vim climbed the crystal rock, attracting the townspeople to the old silver box with the golden lock. They mocked him and scorned him as he stood closer to the box, reaching into his pocket. Surely this little boy could never open what tournament-champions, spell-casters, and iron-workers could not open. A gasp rang through the crowd as the blond, slippery lad pulled a golden key from his pocket. He grabbed the golden lock and in one quick motion placed the golden key into the lock and it was tripped. The silver box sprang open, and the young lad gathered up its contents and escaped into the forest, never to be heard from again.

MORAL: For every lock on every box on every rock, there is a key!