God's Desire - to Give You Living Water

“Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.  He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, “From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water” (John 7:37-38).

As you all know by now, we recently spent twenty-five days in the Apple of God’s Eye – Israel.  Of that twenty-five days, we spent eighteen days in the Arava, better known as the desert on the kibbutz Tel Tamar, now Biblical Tamar Park.  Tel Tamar, previously known as Ir Ovot, is located South of the Dead Sea, four miles from the Jordan Border.  It is the very same wilderness that Moses and his troops wondered for forty years.   At that time is was called ‘Oboth’.

We have spent time in the desert on several different occasions covering more than thirty years. And I can honestly say in that time the only major change that has taken place on the kibbutz is the archeologist have uncovered several ancient civilizations- uncovering more than 22,000 artifacts. We could say “We walked today where Abraham walked”.  

I do not know if you are aware of the climate in Israel, but in the lower parts of the country it tends to be a wee bit warm most of the time.  When in the Arabah and much of the Negev you have to be very careful of dehydration.  We always had people assigned with containers of water and made sure everyone drank a full cup full each half hour.  Dehydration is called a silent killed in the desert.

Some rebelled against this demand stating, “I am not thirsty I did not need a lot of water”.  That attitude is okay for Big Rapids or Clare, but not very wise in the deserts of the world.

We arrive only days after the Feast of Tabernacles had ended.  The Feast of Tabernacles was the most joyful of the seven Jewish feasts or celebrations.  It is kind of a combination of thanksgiving and family camp celebration and this year included folks form eighty countries with more than six thousand worshipers. 

The setting of the morning Scripture is Jesus with His disciples at the Feast of Tabernacles.  The weather this year was unusual- in that it was not blistering hot.  During the times of Jesus, Palestine was always hot no matter what time of the year it happened to be.  Some folks believe that of the desert, but we have found that is not always true.  On this trip we often had to don a sweater after the sun went down and the nights were on the cool side.

In the midst of the Feast of Tabernacles, Jesus suddenly stood up and, In a loud voice suddenly said,  “Is anybody thirsty?”  Because if you are, I have water” (v. 37). He followed this profound statement with another “the water that I have never, never, never runs out.   

The question, What did He mean?.  It is here that we have agreement with most of the Bible guru’s, He was talking about the Jesus in me!  If you believe in Jesus you now have Jesus in your life.  You have His Spirit living inside you! 

And what does it look like?  What would it look like to have that living water flowing inside of you and flowing out into the world around you?   We live in a very thirsty world in that sense, a world that is thirsty for the Spirit of God.  What would it look like for the Spirit, the living water that Jesus is talking about, to be flowing in this world. 

We turn to the story of the Samaritan woman at the well for the answer, “Whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life” (John 4:14).

Everything in our world that can be shaken is being shaken- so that only those things that cannot be shaken will last.  Therefore, all who come to Me I will in no way cast out, I will fill them with My living water that never runs dry. Signed Yeshua Hamashiah.

We visited this recently discovered Pool of Siloam last month.

Blessings,

Gramps

Where Is Your Anchor?

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16).  “May the beloved of the Lord dwell in security by Him, And he dwells between His shoulders” (Deut. 33:12).

Hey Gang:  I am going to challenge you to do something that I find very difficult in my old age -memorize portions of Scripture that provide a hedge of protection for those times when Satan aims his darts at you. 

As an air traffic controller I had to memorize literally hundreds of airways, minimum altitudes, frequency of every radio facility in my air space area which covered from Baltimore to New York to Columbus to Minnesota and each month a new listing which often changed frequencies by a decimal point or two requiring unlearning and relearning. 

Now, I tell you that only to emphasize the point that my mind was vastly more adept at memorizing when I was in my mid-twenties than it is today.  I would suggest, before your brain begins to atrophy, that you memorize the following verses as a hedge against those times when Satan “locks and loads.”

First, memorize Philippians 2:13 “For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure”.  The point:  if God is within us we certainly want to please Him.

Second, Isaiah 26:3 “The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, Because He trust in You”.  The point:  He will keep us in perfect peace!

Third, 2 Peter 3:18 “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ”.  The point:  He wants us to live in His perfection and grow daily in grace and knowledge of our Lord.

Fourth, Deut. 31:6 “Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you.  He will not fail you or forsake you.”   The point: It is the Lord who has kept us and will go with us through ALL of our experiences.  Keep in mind that our battles are the Lord’s. 

Fifth:  Lam. 3:22 “The Lord’s loving kindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail”.  The point:  The loving kindness of God is unfailing and renewed daily.

Sixth, I John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”.  The point:  Confession includes forsaking sin and growing in God’s Word!

Matthew 6:33 “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you”.  The point:  Seek God first, not after everything else has failed!

As most of you know, we are traveling folks and, therefore, we get into some places where one might be a little suspicious of how other folks might take advantage us. So, we decided to protect ourselves by becoming active members of ‘Life Lock’, which protects against identity theft.  So, it is with the Word of God, but we must put the Word of God into our ‘dome of intellect’ and heart so that when the rubber-hits-the-road, God can reach down and pull out what we have put in.

Blessings,

Gramps  

The Only Hedge Against Temptation

“I will ask the Father and He will give you another Helper that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you” (l John 14:16-17). 

 Hey Gang: I don’t know about you but in this day when everything that can be shaken is being shaken, I take great joy and confidence knowing that God has made a way through the wilderness for me - the power of the Holy Spirit.

Bruce Wilkerson included the following comment in his book Spiritual Breakthrough that rang my bell: “I made a dramatic breakthrough when I discovered that right before every temptation, my emotions were distressed (inwardly agitated) and that I was actually seeking for comfort.  That’s when I remembered the promise, ‘I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever’” (John 14:14-17).

Is it not incredible that Jesus gave us the Holy Spirit to be our ever-present source of comfort?  Have you ever really checked Him out? I mean put Him to the test.  Years ago, I decided to try and prayed, “Holy Spirit, I am in desperate need of you, I don’t want to sin, please comfort me now”.  Now I must admit that in the initial stage I felt nothing.  I really felt bummed out! 

But then I slowly became aware that the anxiety level had subsided and I felt a degree of comfort.  I also learned that this, like all learning experiences, had to be honed on the wheel of experience.  The more I made my mind aware of putting trust in the Holy Spirit, the more I felt the comfort that is provided only by the Holy Spirit. 

The neat part of this experience is that God has made me more aware of those times when temptation is knocking at my door and as I put my trust in the Holy Spirit to protect me from that temptation, I find that it slithers back into the pit from which it came.

Bruce Wilkerson said, “I’ve prayed to my Comforter many times since, and I’ve discovered two immutable truths: first, The Holy Spirit always completes His responsibility in my heart and second He does it without delay.”  One closing thought, we pray to Abba Father in Jesus name continually, or so we should, but, when was the last time you gave thanks that the Holy Spirit, our comforter, is forever with each of us? 

Blessings,

Gramps

God Commanded Us to GO - not Retire!

“They shall still bear fruit in old age; they shall be fresh and flourishing” (Psalm 92:14)

Hey Gang:  I turned on the radio just in time to hear one old duffer say, “Old age is a matter of mind over matter.”   I thought perhaps he was talking about making pickled baloney or some exotic type activity.  And then he finished his statement, “If you don’t mind, it does not matter”.  

But, to many in our world, getting old does matter and they tend to do everything they can to maintain their youth.   The radio and television business would soon dry up, if all of the beauty ad’s, and all the drugs and vitamins that are designed to make us look younger, would suddenly disappear.

I recently read the story of one, John Kelley, who died at the age of 96- a ripe old age even for this day and age of people seeming to living longer.   His claim to fame was that he ran in the Boston Marathon 58 times (that’s 26.2 miles each time) including his last one in 1992 when he was a mere 84 years young.

I read that piece of trivia in awe.  I am a mere 84 years of age and I am very sure I could not manage a one block run.    But I fully realize what my bookkeeper of past years meant when she said, “Use it buster, or you are going to lose it”.    It is my firm belief that since recycling twenty-three years ago from the working world, I have run into far, too many, folks who, when they punch their time card for the last time, put their body in neutral and begin to vegetate.  And, unfortunately, that includes many Christians.

 

I find no place in the Bible where God says, “That’s enough for you, get out your rocking chair and slowly start rocking, your too old to share the Good News that Jesus Christ is Lord- The Way, The Truth and The Life.  I find no place where Father says, “You have earned the right to get out that rocking chair and no longer be concerned about widows and orphans.”  I find no place where God tells us that the command -to go into all the world and preach the gospel- is for younger folks.

The Psalmist said, “The righteous shall bear fruit in old age” (Psa. 92:14).  For those who are physically able, that means continuing in active service until the ‘Roll is Called Up Yonder’.  If you have checked the obit’s today and your name is not there, fire up the boiler and take God at His Word “Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and might things, which you do not know” (Jer. 33:3).

So, all you who are still punching the time clock and looking forward to the day you can retire and get out the rocking chair – Forget it! 

Blessings,    

Gramps 

PS- For several years we volunteered in a Missionary Retirement Village where there were no retirees!  Singles and couples, many in their 80’s and 90’s taught SS classes, English as second language, checked mail-in Bible Studies did all kinds of crafts for groups and, most of all, were Prayer warriors – on their knees, prayer walks and in groups.  We, too, plan to finish well! Gma

Has God Ever Told You: "Get Into the Boat? (conclusion)

“Immediately He made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side, while He sent the crowds away.” (Matt. 14:22).  Notice “HE made”. 

Last time we closed with a question that is so very important to answering the question “Did Jesus ever have a bad day?”

In the next five verses we are given a lesson in the love and provision of God: “After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain to pray and when it was evening, He was there alone.  But the boat was already a long distance from the land battered by the waves; for the wind was contrary.” (Matt. 23-24)

He made them get into the boat and push out into the Sea of Galilee, a notoriously violent sea in daylight, let alone at night.  Keep in mind these were seasoned fisherman in that boat and they would have split for shore as soon as the waves became contrary but- they had something going for them, they had Jesus on the mountain praying for them. Can you say amen to that?

Power Verse: “In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words” (Rom. 8:26).  Does that not warm the cockles of your heart and soul?

One thing we do know: When the waves are turbulent and the winds blowing violently, you can row until your hands are raw and make no progress.  We also note from this story that although there was discomfort, it was not a life-threatening experience for them. Jesus, the intercessor was praying for them. 

Notice, when Jesus came to them.  He came at the ‘fourth watch, when it was blackest and they were exhausted. I also suspect they were about to throw the oars over board and let happen what was to happen.  Have you ever been there? When it seems no matter how long and hard you pray, it feels that your prayers feel like bricks that fall to the floor?  I certainly have.

And then it happened! Someone on that boat was praying or perhaps all of them were in the midst of a prayer meeting when Jesus appeared- walking on the waters.  Were they expecting Jesus to come and save them?  Obviously not, because they did not recognize Him. They thought He was a ghost and it scared the beegeebee’s out of them.

 

Can you imagine how they must have felt when Jesus said, Hey troops, “…take courage, be not afraid, it is I”.  Wow, Lord, how neat it is to hear those words when we are up to our armpits in alligators and the swamp is rising.  How neat that you never leave us dangling but come at the time when it seems all is lost.

So, what was the lesson that Jesus was praying would penetrate their hearts.  We find the answer in verse 33: “And those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying,  You are certainly God’s Son!” 

In this day when everything is being shaken that can be shaken so that only those things that cannot be shaken will remain, is it not reassuring that Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father in intercessory prayer for you and me! 

Blessings,

Gramps

Has God Ever Told You: "Get Into the Boat? Con't

                        First century fishing boat found in the Sea of Galilee in the last century

 “Immediately He made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side, while He sent the crowds away.” (Matt. 14:22).

Hey Gang:  We learned in the last Morning Message that Jesus did, indeed, have bad days.  He had lost his best friend, John the Baptist, had tried to go into the mountain and pray but the people came to Him for healing and His disciples had failed to use their God-given power to feed the people. 

We know the results of their failure. Jesus said, “Bring the fives loaves and two fish here to Me” (vs. 18).  “And He looked up to heaven and blessed the food and breaking the loaves, He gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds” (vs.19b.).

Sooo, what is going through your mind this morning?  If God suddenly spoke to you and said: “I am going to send a very hungry group of people across your path today and I want you to feed them.  I will provide you with a couple fish a few loaves, what would you say?

In the early years of developing the Village we had a group of young people who worked for us and showed up at our table, completely unexpected, many times.  On one Sunday noon we began our meal with our family of six and ended with more than twenty at our table, and I do not recall ever running out of food.  I know there is the proverbial ‘add water to the soup’ but that was not the case.

 

It was now time to send the people away and get out the bed rolls, build a fire and sit around chewing the fat over what had transpired that day, Right?  No, that is not what Jesus had in mind. Keep in mind John’s words: “He knew what He was going to do” (John 6:6).   It was time for another life-changing learning experience.  It was time to turn up the heat.  Hey, have you ever been there when God says, “I need to get your attention “Immediately, Get in the boat?”

It is here we find the Scripture for the day: “Notice the first word “IMMEDIATELY!” One might get the idea that Jesus looked at the failures of the day with a great deal of concern.  The shadows of the cross were growing more ominous each day and He knew He did not have much time to prepare His twelve to carry the Good News to the multitudes after He had ascended to the Father.

 

One of the profound memories I have of Korea was the night I pulled guard duty on the fourth watch. It was black as coal and I was terrified.  At the point when I thought my thumper was going to explode, suddenly a heard music.  I thought surely my life was about to end and the angels were preparing the choir for my home coming.  There was a Catholic School just down the hill from the Center and a nun had gotten up for her morning prayers and was playing the Lord’s Prayer.  Now I want you to know folks, I mentioned I was a Laodicean Christian at that time, but I took a gigantic step towards full commitment that night. 

Again, I remember a question that Pastor Stool asked that day: “Do you think Jesus was punishing the disciples or trying to get their attention?  What say ye?

As Paul Harvey would say, “Be sure and tune in tomorrow for the rest of the story!”

Blessings,

Gramps

Has God Ever Told You: "Get In the Boat?"

Has God Ever Told You: “Get Into The Boat?”

“Immediately He made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side, while He sent the crowds away.” (Matt. 14:22).

(The next several blogs center around the feeding of the 5000 and a life changing principle a devout man of God taught me as I prepared to leave for a year in the garden spot of the world, Taegu, Korea.) 

Hey Gang:  This seems like an innocent enough verse but, we shall soon learn there are no innocent, stand-alone verses in God’s Word.  Let me share how the Scripture of the morning became embedded in the archives of my heart and mind.   

 I had just gotten my orders that Uncle Sam was going to send me on a visit to an exotic place, called South Korea.  Out of thirteen newly-graduated Air Traffic Controllers, eleven went to such dangerous places as Miami, Southern California and Washington State.  The other was assigned to Germany and the last one assigned to Taegu Air Traffic Control Center in Korea.  You guessed it, that name on the assignment was mine.

At this point in my life I was, what one might call a Laodicean Christian.  Religion was more of a convenience than a way of life.  At the time, I thought my mother had “slipped me a Mickey” when she arranged a meeting for me to spend some time with her Pastor, prior to shipping out.  I must admit, arriving I was a basket of nerves.  He was a Pastor that others called a Pastor’s Pastor.

I can say with no reserve, he was the most Godly-man I had ever had the privilege of spending time with.   As I was preparing, to leave he gave me a tract that he had written titled “Contrary Winds.” I carried this in my wallet throughout my Korean experience and until it literally disintegrated in my wallet twenty or more years later.  A tract that I shared many times with people who were going through wilderness experiences.

It began with a question, “Do you think Jesus ever had a bad day?”  This story of one of those days is found in Matthew 14. Jesus was told His cousin, John the Baptist, had been murder by Herod to satisfy his lust for his step daughter.  Jesus loved John with a special kind of love.  He said, “…no greater man ever born than John the Baptist.” 

He did as you or I would have done, if we lost a very special friend, He withdrew to the mountain to be alone and mourn for His friend. But the mobs would have no part of it and came to Him.  Matthew tells us, “He had compassion for them”.  That is the way Jesus was and the essential ingredient He wants His children to have. 

The story continues; “After a busy day of healing the sick, evening had set in and his disciples came to him and said, “This place is desolate (Hainley translation – no Burger Kings in sight) and the hour is already late; so send the crowds away, that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves” (Matt. 14:15). 

John tells us it was time for another chapter in the Philip’s learning curve, “…that He was saying this to test him, for He already knew what He was going to do” (John 6:6).  “You feed them” was merely window talk.  But Pastor Stoll made a strong point -that is not what Jesus had in mind for them or for us.

At that point Pastor Stoll asked me a question that I have pondered many times since that day.  He said, “Do you think the disciples had the power to feed that multitude of people”.  He then asked, “If God said to you this morning ‘go and feed your neighbor’, even though you have no food in your pantry or have no idea how to cook, do you think God’s power in your hands is sufficient?” 

Will God give me marching orders without equipping me to complete the task He has assigned to me?  (To be continued)

Blessings,

Gramps

Unto the Least of These!! (God Does Meet Our Needs When We Ask – with a Sincere Heart)

“The King will answer and say to them, “Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me” (Matthew 25:40) Read Matthew 25:35-40 to see what Jesus was talking about here.

Hey Gang:  A grandmother came up to my bride, knowing she had connections to Eagle Village and began to pour her heart out in deep agony and concern for her thirteen- year- old grandson.  It seems he has been on a very straight and narrow road, not for good but for evil.  I wish this sort of thing was a very rare event but such is not the case, as we evict God from our families and institutions. The number of young people, who have nothing to hang their lives on, increases as hope has been ripped from their hearts and souls.

That yearning, seeking trait that God wired into our bodies at conception- you know the one- the one in your chest cavity that is the size of God, which we try to fill with the things of the world.   I wasted a lot of years following that path, with ever deepening hurt along the way.

After working in the government-run Juvenile Justice System, and seeing the failure of that system, and making a vow that I would either develop a way to reach these hurting kids or become a plumber’s helper.  I believe I would have made a lousy plumbers helper.  But God answered the deep yearning of my heart and allowed me to be part of providing a shirt tail for hurting kids to hang onto.

God laid it on my heart, a couple years ago, that I was more concerned with what I would pass down to my children, assets I had accumulated in my lifetime, but I had neglected my spiritual legacy!  So, I sought the Lord’s direction on how I could fix that.  You see, the greatest fear I have is that one of my kids, grands or great grands will reject the gift of God’s Son, who laid down His life for them and all who seek Him. Recently, I received another poke in my gut, saying I needed to do the same with my legacy,  as a small part of developing the Eagle Village.

Now, I say all of that to make two points maybe even three:  

Point one, I had absolutely no back-ground to try such an undertaking - none, absolutely none, not one single iota of background in what was down the road waiting for me to tackle.  None!   I asked God why he choose me to be His legs. He answered my question, “Because you have committed to make yourself available and will complete the task.”  He impressed on my heart and soul- “I will supply all of your needs”. 

Point two, which I am convinced was a major contributing factor to the success and uniqueness of Eagle Village, resulted when He closed all doors for me to visit other programs, attend workshops that would influence my thinking and remove my dependence from listening and taking my marching orders from anyone but Him alone.  My total dependence was Abba Father.  Remember, I knew nothing, no experience.  NONE! 

Point three, He sent me wonderful, totally dedicated people, with wonderful ideas that were innovative, effective and powerful in their results.  One young man came and said we have no mountains to climb, so let’s build a couple. And we did.  Out of the ground came the first climbing walls East of the Mississippi.    Well, folks that is another story for another day, but I will say, Satan threw everything at us but the kitchen sink, and if there had been a kitchen sink available, he would have thrown that too, much like our trip from California to Michigan. 

I felt a strong urge in my heart and spirit to reread the past “God Does Meet Our Needs When We Ask - With a sincere Heart” blogs.  And after rereading them I had the feeling it was kind of like a short book that did not have a beginning or end.  With your blessing, I would like to address the beginning but praise God there is no ending.  I have prayed unceasingly, since the day we took that first boy into that first Summer Camp, that when the Lord returns to take His children to the Marriage Feast of the Lamb, the entire 700 plus acres of Eagle Village Campus will be totally void of people -that only their clothes will be found.

Join me tomorrow for the story of an unbelievable trip from Pittsburgh, California to Hayesville, Ohio!  (Read the previous 7 blogs and first ones in May of 2017).

Blessings,

Gramps  

Lord, Did I Misunderstand ? -Conclusion

 A Foundation to Build a Miracle On!

“And My God will (and My God did) supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:19). 

Hey Gang: Have you ever experienced a time in your life when you rejoiced and felt deep concern, bordering on fear at the same time?  I felt that way on the top of Donor Pass, when the freeze plug blew on the near worn out Econo van!  I felt that way when the generator gave up the ghost at a crossroads in Elko, Nevada- a skillion miles from no-where!  I felt that way when the pick- up truck was in the ditch and I believed the nearest tow-truck was twenty-five miles away!  I felt that way when the hoses in the Van froze, cutting all heat from the Van!   

 I felt that way in Salt Lake City they said it would take four days to repair the heat problem!  I felt that way when the ice build-up under the Van was making it nearly undrivable!   I felt that way as we nursed the Van from Little America to the Ford garage in Rawlins! I felt that way when we learned that we must be at the gate in Laramie, so that we could go over the mountain before it closed for the night! 

In some of the crisis experiences I mentioned “Wasn’t that lucky?”  Now think for a moment.  It is nearing the midnight hour, you are sitting along the road on the top of Donor Pass with a blown freeze plug in a 1950 Econo Van; you just happen to have a log chain with you to pull the Van into the lighted parking lot at Harrah’s gambling casino- the only place with sufficient light to assess damage and try and figure what we would do to repair it.

The question? Where in the world would one find a freeze plug for a seventeen-year-old Econo Van in the early hours on Sunday in Reno, Nevada? I wonder what odds the folks in the Casino would place our being successful in this impossible task? 

As I relieved that night again, I do not have a clue how we ended up at that very worn garage on a darkened side street in Reno and found a very, very ancient man, who just happened to have a drawer full of freeze plugs- way back in the corner of his very cluttered shop- he reached in and, without looking at the plug, said, “This is the one.”  And it was the one!  Do you think that was luck?  I wonder, if that garage- with its drawer of freeze plugs way back in the corner- was there the next day.

 

Do you think it was luck when the generator said enough, and died at a crossroads in no man’s land in the midst of a driving rain storm? Where there happened to be a faded sign that said, “Generator Shop”; but also said, “Out of business” yet, just happened to have a generator for a seventeen-year-old vehicle that, years before,  someone ordered and never picked up?  I wonder who ordered it?  Could his name have been Michael or Gabriel? 

Do you think God might have led the Samaritan, who lived on the Salt Flats, to buy a tow-truck for He was sending a vagabond family that way one day, in a driving snow storm and would need his help?   Luck? No, I think not.  

 

I titled this blog “A Foundation to Build a Miracle On” for, as I have been recalling and recording the story of this place we now call Eagle Village- which will soon celebrate its fiftieth year (2018) of service to hurting children and families- I have become very convinced that God, not only had provisions, but was preparing me, and my family, for the trials, tribulation, and even crises that were to become a part of our lives.  

Do I think the evil one was trying to send us a message?  I certainly do!  He knew God had us on a mission.  But, keep in mind, God provided a way in each, and every, crisis! In that five days, God engrained in my heart, soul and mind John’s word: “Greater is He who is in me than he who is in the world” (I John 4:4). 

Blessings,

Gramps

P.S.  If you did not read the blog series titled “God Does Indeed Meet Our Needs” May 2017, and are interested in the rest of the story, they can be read there.    

Lord, Did I Misunderstand? Six Vagabonds and One Chihuahua Reach Ohio

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me” (Psa. 23:4-5). God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in times of trouble” (Psa. 46:1).

Hey Gang, When I left you in the last “Trip Blog”, we were on top of the Rocky Mountain traversing between Laramie and Cheyenne, Wyoming, about forty miles.  We were praising the Lord that the very tired Econo Van had enough strength to conquer the Mountain. 

About half way up the Mountain the fog changed from pure, soupy fog, to a combination of soup fog and snow-filled clouds which only increased the challenge to keep the vehicles out of the ruts and on the path. As we climbed, this familiar Scripture was so real and filled our minds: “Even though I walk (drive) through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me”. (Psalm 23).  

Shortly after reaching the summit we were blessed with a hard-surfaced road, which made life more enjoyable. Nearing the exhaustion level, we needed a good meal, a time for the kids to stretch their legs and run off some pent-up steam and a warm bed; however, as we began our decent from the summit, God gave us a glorious, beyond description experience. We drove out of the fog-cloud combo and could see the valley below and the city of Cheyenne. 

There is nothing more beautiful than the sunsets radiating off the mountains in the Western States.  But that night it was especially radiant and especially designed by Abba Father for six very weary vagabonds.  The view was awesome but it was far more, it pumped us full of adrenalin and we by-passed Cheyenne and continued for several a couple hours before stopping for night four in Nebraska.   

The morning was wonderful! Dry roads, the storms were no more, the temperature had risen and we had full tanks of excitement as we waited to see what was in store for us this Day Five!  Our original intention was to drive to Iowa and spend the night visiting some of my bride’s family but, when we arrived at the turn off point, it was much too early to stop and we were getting very anxious to get this trip behind us.  Another blessing-crisis abruptly hit.

As we pulled off the road, to discuss the change in plans, I hit a patch of that Iowa-gumbo mud, that is a combination of glue and slippery mud, which pulled the Van down an embankment.  To keep the Van pointed in the right direction and prevent it from turning over, I kept the engine at full throttle; hit the bottom and started back up the embankment, coming within ten feet of the road. 

No problem, have pick-up with more than enough power to pull the Van back to the road and ye-old-chain to complete the task.  After connecting the two vehicles together, the time for action had arrived for action.  Problem:  I forgot to tell my bride that she needed to take the slack out of the chain before pulling the Van.  I learned, at that moment, that 1950 Econo Van could fly! 

Wasn’t that Lucky? God protected us again and we were on our way!

The final catharsis of the trip happened as we approached destination in Ohio, midnight of Day Six. The Freeway was under construction, the road signs had been moved; we missed our turn off - and had to drive an additional twenty miles before turning around and driving 30 miles back!  At twelve-thirty A.M.- to the absolute amazement of my bride’s parents- we arrived!

Next: What I learned from this trip.  Be advised, when we arrived, the memories of the trip, and the many catharsis. only emphasized the question in my mind, “Lord, did I misunderstand?”

Blessings,

Gramps

Lord, Did I Misunderstand? "Dad Are We Almost There?"

Little America near Rte 80 sing on left; Laramie near Rte 80 sign before Cheyene;  Route 80 was under construction , thus the detour over the mountain.

                  

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me” (Psa. 23:4-5). God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in times of trouble” (Psa. 46:1).

Hey Gang:  Serious question?  Do you think I might have questioned whether-or-not I had heard God- or did I place my family in jeopardy chasing a pipe dream? It was now Monday noon, still Day Three. We had decided to stop in Salt Lake City and get the heating problem fixed, BUT… at the Ford Garage learned it would be four-day wait! This was unacceptable to my wallet.  So, it was ‘on the road again’.

Note: We had no cell phones 50 years ago.  We left California Family and they were praying; the Ohio Family didn’t know we were on the road. Neither did we have any communication between vehicles.  After all we had made this ‘Three-Day Trip’ several times!

The storm had passed us by. leaving two or more inches of wet snow on the highway which had turned to slush.  Slush that covered the windshield and built up around the wheel wells, which required periodic stops to scrap the ice from the windshield.  Shortly after leaving Salt Lake City we began to notice cars and trucks coming from the East were covered with ice, which brought us to crisis number six.

Due to the ice buildup under the Van and it was becoming more difficult to steer.  We were now dealing with a slushy-icy road, ice on the Van, and increasing very-wet-snow from above.  It did not take brain power to realize I was a hazard on the highway and had best find an Oasis to crawl into until the storm passed and we could get heat into the Van and the roads cleared.  That Oasis turned out to be a motel-gas-station complex called Little America in Western Wyoming.

Upon arriving we learned there was one motel unit left and we immediately moved in.  Wasn’t that lucky?  I, then, went to the gas station to see if they could repair the heating problem; but- they did not have the needed equipment to solve the problem.  While there[] , seeking advice on the roads East, I talked with three knights-of-the-road. Truck drivers strongly suggested I stay put until the storm was well past and the road cleared; however, there was also a salesman who suggested the road was not too bad and he was planning on continuing.

We arose early Tuesday, Day Four ready to hit the road, but better sense held us at bay for several hours- waiting for better road conditions.  Crisis seven was the seventy-mile trip from Little America to Rawlins, Wyoming, praying we would find there a Ford Garage.  

The seventy miles was agonizingly slow, with frequent stops to clean the windshield and chip ice away from the front wheels.  The most fabulous thing I saw on the entire trip was the sign “Rawlins, Two Miles”.  My bride had gone ahead to check out the town; she then met me at the off ramp and led me to the Ford Garage, where they were waiting for my arrival.

Our time at the Garage was a wonderful reprieve and rest from the vehicles.  We were blessed with a mechanic who had a sense of humor and kept reminding us how foolish we were to be on the roads in the midst of this storm.  He was an old Okie whose favorite saying, during our tenure with him was, “You d___ fools”.  And at moment I had no rebuttal.  The sign on the side of the truck said, “Eagle Boys Village!”

While in Rawlins we learned that that the road over the Rocky Mountains, between Laramie and Cheyenne, closed at sun down and would remained closed until about noon the next day with current weather conditions.

I use the word road loosely.  It was more like a well-worn cow-path with much traffic.  With the mountain entrance in sight, we stopped to gas the vehicles- only to find the gas cap was frozen on and the gas pipe frozen shut.   Once again, we were very lucky for this was a common problem and the attendant had it freed up within minutes, gas tanks filled and into the line heading for the gate.

I could write a several-paged dissertation on our trip over the mountain but will use discipline and give you the short version. Highway 80 was being constructed; this road was a dirt road and extremely difficult to keep the vehicles out of all the ruts. I am not sure how far it was up the mountain or how many feet we climbed that night, BUT this I know!  The 1950 Econo van was very tired, as were the drivers, and not pleased to be placed under these foul conditions -but we refused to declare defeat!

I believe this is a good place to put this to bed for today and finish it tomorrow.  Be sure and tune in for the last chapter of the Six Vagabonds and one Chijuahau Dog.

Blessings,

Gramps 

---

 [KH1]

Lord, Did I Misunderstand? The Trip Continues....

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me” (Psa. 23:4-5). God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in times of trouble” (Psa. 46:1).

Hey Gang:  No pain, no gain, right?  By the time we had the Econo Van repaired it was time to feed our bodies and stopped for breakfast.  During the night, the temperature had made a rapid decline and, I mention again, the MG had no top.  A storm was predicted for the Rockies so we said our goodbyes and parted ways - Von back to California and us to the East.

Shortly after continuing our journey, crisis three came in the form of a loud squeal from the engine housing of the Econ Van and a red light came on the dash indicating “You have big problem!”  The water from the freeze plug had poured over the generator and it was no longer generating full power.  Water holes (meaning towns with services in Gramps lingo) in the middle of Nevada are extremely few and far between.  We had no choice but to continue until we had no power left and then tow it with chain to the first watering hole.

Surprisingly, but yet not so surprisingly, the Van ran with very limited generator power for several hours. As we were approaching Elko, Nevada, we were blessed with crisis number four, the generator quit completely.  And how was that a blessing?  The Elko, Nevada, cross road is in no man’s land and consisted of buildings on three corners and nothing else for many miles. 

While sitting by the highway, in a driving rain storm trying to decide if we had any options, I noticed a very faded sign on one of the buildings - similar to the faded sign we had found in Reno that said, “Generator Shop”. But, it also said, “Out of Business” and by the looks of the building I was not sure it was occupied. 

Yes, the shop was “Out of Business” and this was Sunday afternoon, but I had no other options. So, I knocked on the door and an elderly gentleman - who had clean coveralls on - answered the door, and I stated my problem.  Do you have any idea what the odds might be for finding a generator for a fifteen-year- old Econo Van, in the generator shop at a crossroad called Elko, that had been out of business for many years might be?  About the same as finding a freeze plug in the middle of the night in Reno, Nevada! 

On this day, more than fifty years after I greeted that man and stated my crisis, I will never forget the look on his face and his next words:  He said, “Years ago, someone ordered just such a generator and never came to pick it up”.  Wasn’t that lucky?

 I wonder, if the name of the person who ordered the generator many years before the vagabond crew of six and one Chihuahua arrived on his door step, might have been Gabriel or Michael?

Within an hour we were on the road again, with full power in both vehicles but the power in the drivers was beginning to run thin. So, it was thought best that we end Day Two, which was really two days of continuous problem solving.  As we pulled into the motel parking lot at Wells, Nevada, and vacated the vehicles we noticed the temperature had continued to fall and there were the ever-present ominous clouds saying “beware”.

 In the middle of the night, my bride woke me to inform me it was snowing, heavy wet stuff!  Remember the freeze plug? All the water and ANTI FREEZE had spewed forth from the missing freeze plug opening.  

Morning arrived and we began Day Three with temperatures near the freezing mark and we were seeing ominous signs of the storm that had been predicted.  Shortly after departure we encountered crisis number five, but who is counting.     The heater and defroster hoses were exposed in the front of the van and soon froze cutting off all heat and defrosters but the van kept running.

 It required our driving with sox on our hands and changing drivers every half hour.  Also keep in mind we had two small children and a Chihuahua dog in the van (the other two in the truck) and fortunately we had warm clothing and blankets to wrap them in.  To add insult to injury, I did a Moses thing and, in frustration hit the on switch to the blower and it locked into the ON position.  We now had, not only near freezing temperatures in the Van, but also blowing air on the driver!  Gloves anyone? No, but sox work!

Crisis number six occurred when crossing the Salt Flats of Utah.  By then the storm had caught up and we were in a driving snow storm; the roads were more than a little hairy.  The pickup, with all the weight it was carrying, slipped off the road and went down a moderately-steep embankment.  Having not seen the truck for a couple miles, I pulled into the gas station to wait. But, learned that four vehicles had had similar fates and one was Boys Village – our pickup. In that stretch of road across the Salt Flats there is only one gas station and nothing else. 

We were twenty- five miles from Salt Lake City, which we were sure was the closest tow-truck and would take - who knows how long and cost how much green stuff? I had no idea. BUT! the owner of the gas station, upon learning of the problem said his neighbor had recently purchased a tow-truck for his business”.  A call was made and we were soon blessed with a spanking new tow-truck. He had us out of the ditch and on the road in a matter of an hour.  Oh, by the way, he charged us the huge sum of five dollars each vehicle, to pull us out.   Now wasn’t that lucky?

Well, so much for today.  Be sure to tune in tomorrow for the next chapter in the Saga of the Six Vagabonds and one Chihuahua dog.

Blessings,

Gramps