After our first year and a half...

Since July of 2008, we have pulled our RV more than 10,000 miles across America and are about to head out of Idaho for another 6,000-plus miles to Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee and possibly as far north as Connecticut and Michigan, then across the Dakotas, Wyoming, etc., on our way back to Idaho by August 1, 2010. It's been an exhilirating experience, filled with the wonder of the American landscape and the friendship and encouragement of genuinely wonderful people we have met (and made friends with) along the way.

Helen on Savannah riverfront:
Helen in corn maze:
Helen at Cowboy breakfast cookout in Alpine, TX:
Helen in Scotty's castle, Death Valley, CA:
Helen at Gammons Gulch in Benson, AZ, with owner of John Wayne movie set:
Larry tees off on Arizona golf course:
Horse shoeing contest in Wilcox, AZ:
Helen with oldtimers at Arizona horse shoeing contest:
Larry and his 'Deliverance' flyfishing buddies on Panther Creek, Idaho:
Honey relaxing in the Molly II:
Larry with a Tombstone lady:
Helen with Badland gunslinger:
Helen and Larry on top of the world, almost, on Lemhi Pass:


More photos of our journey added Wednesday, December 23rd:

Larry at Talledega race track:
Larry flyfishing at Torry's fishing camp near Salmon, ID:
Rodeo at Caldwell, ID:
Brother David digging us out of being stuck in his backyard in Nashville:
Sandstorm at Ambassador RV Resort:
Typical evening out west:
The mysterious Burro lady who rode the Texas roads, died shortly before we arrived; she was found dead beside the road, her faithful burro crying at her side:
Badland gang in Jackson, Wyoming - Larry, Buck, Mike and George:

Grandaughter Molly on her Arabian in Nampa, ID:
Grandaughter Emily preparing to ride:
Larry flew to Oxford, MS for the Ole Miss vs LSU game...Rebels won!
First snow -- December, 09:
An Idaho sunrise: We attende a Mission Aviation Fellowship to hear Astronaut Forester talk about his recent shuttle mission -- photo of MAF pilot in Africa:
We're going back to this resort in Pahrump, NV on January 1:
We got to Jackson, MS in March in time for brother Gene's 75th (photo of one view of his and Judy's place on Lake Catherine):
We stopped by Saltillo, MS to see my first church assignment (64-67):
Overlooking Lake Michigan from a spot on the north side...bridge in distance:

More photos of 18 mos on the road ...later....

A Possible New Name on the Political Front

Take time to watch and listen to this video. My reaction? Wow! Where is my bayonete?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VP2p91dvm6M

A Troubling Question

It's cold. The U.S. is blanketed in cold weather.

Our pastor today reminded us of John Stott's question to his students in a time of very cold weather, and I paraphrase. He asked them to close their eyes and vision what was in their closets. Then he reminded them they came to class wearing a coat. In your closet, he reminded them, were other coats. Then he asked, "What are those coats doing in your closet when so many have no coat?"

I've been thinking alot about the poor and what I do or don't do to assist them.

Many churches have pantries for stocking food for the hungry, but many of those same churches don't have enough food in their pantries to meet the needs of the hungry around their churches. Our pastor wondered out loud, "What if each of us when grocery shopping bought one more can of food for our church pantry?" At our church that would mean 500 cans of food brought to the church each Sunday to be given to the local food bank or Rescue Mission.

Too, if all of our families in our church brought one coat to church next Sunday (one out of likely many coats in our closets), we would have hundreds of perfectly good coats to take to Salvation Army or the Rescue Mission or some mission outlet.

Our pastor was preaching on Luke 3:7-18. Read the passage and ask yourself how you would respond to Jesus. We all have plenty of the world's necessities, yet we hoard much.

What's in your closet?

We have a new greatgrand..uh...puppy!

Molly got her requested Christmas present early today when she and her Mom picked up a six week old black and grey Schnauzer puppy. Molly has named her new puppy 'Little Sargeant Danka' and will call him 'Danka' (German for 'thank you'.) He's a little dear ... here's some pics.

I'm no political guru, but ...

... a year ago I said that at some early point in Obama's presidency, we will ask ourselves, "What the hell did we do?" in electing this man to the highest office in the land, not to mention 'in the world'.

Obama and his Democratic cronies are, it appears, determined to sweep away into a garbage heap, the life of this nation. He strides with pomp to a podium day after day and quotes numbers that are lies; continues to denegrate the previous administation; continues to break his promises made during his bid for the presidency; spends hours and millions flying around the world and nation promoting his presidency, receiving ill-decided awards and ignoring the pleas and anxieties of the American people; and pushing his socialistic agenda.

I am finding it more and more difficult to pray for him, much less believe him.

First Snow December 7, 2009

First snow of 09-10 winter. Projected to go to 9 degrees tonight. Helen just returned from taking Molly to school...using four wheel drive. She said there were cars in ditches, others sliding. More snow on the way now that the no-snow barrier has been punched.

First Saturday In Advent

WE ARE THE GIFTS WE ARE GIVEN

"But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ's Gift." Eph. 4:7

Many things in our lives matter intensely to us, but those are what we must be careful to "hold lightly." Holding lightly to all that is important in our lives means remembering that we are not what we acquire and we accomplish as much as what we have received. The deepest joys come not from the money we earn, the friends we surround ourselves with, or the results we achieve. Rather, we are whom God made us to be in his infinite love. We are the gifts we are given, not just the conquests we make. As long as we keep running around, anxiously trying to affirm ourselves or be affirmed by others, we remain blind to the ONE who has loved us first, dwells in our heart, and has formed our truest self.

O God, may we be grateful for the incomparable gift of faith you have granted us through the redemptive grace of your Son, Jesus.


ADVENT MEDITATIONS FROM THE WRITINGS OF HENRI NOUWEN

"LVING IN HOPE"