MESSAGE OF SALVATION

I'VE USED THIS PHOTO MORE THAN ONCE.

[HOW CAN I NOT, WHEN THIS SALVATION-ORIENTED

 GENTLEMAN WAS DROPPED INTO OUR LIVES?]

 

THE PHOTO WAS TAKEN NEARLY 7-1/2 YEARS AGO.

IT WAS HOT AND HE WAS WALKING

HUNDREDS OF MILES DURING THIS

SUMMERY STRETCH OF TIME.  

[WE GAVE HIM WATER, AND A BIT MORE.  WOULD LOVE TO MEET HIM AGAIN, ANYWHERE, AROUND AND ABOUT.]

OVER THE TOP WITH TEARS [IN SOROTI]

 I wrote this as I left the Soroti, Uganda, area in January, 2004.  It isn't a truly poetic manner, but it truly is a "heart" manner.  Tears flowed, love grew immensely.  I truly want to be there again, see my dear ones.

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                       I’M OVER THE TOP WITH TEARS, LORD,
                             OVER THE TOP WITH TEARS.
                        AND I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO.

                      I CAN’T HANDLE THE PAIN ANY LONGER…
                               THE PAIN OF HEARING …

A TEARY YOUNG LADY:  MY HOUSE WAS BURNED BY REBELS AND I DO NOT HAVE MY PAPERS TO APPLY FOR WORK.  PLEASE GIVE ME TIME. I WILL BRING DOCUMENTS AS SOON AS I CAN.

ARROW OFFICER, CRYING:  PLEASE ENCOURAGE MY WIFE IN THE LORD.  SHE FEARS FOR MY SAFETY WHEN I AM FIGHTING REBELS IN THE BUSH.  COME TO MY HOUSE AND PRAY FOR US

AN ARROW MEDICAL OFFICER:  I HAVE A PRISON MINISTRY AND FIGHT FOR THE ARROW GROUP.  THE YOUTH ARE THE ONES IN PRISON AND ARE THE ONES DYING ON BOTH SIDES OF THE WAR.  I ASK GOD WHAT WE CAN DO FOR THE YOUTH.

A WORKER WITH CHRISTIAN CHILDREN’S FUND:  THE IDPs ARE BEING TOLD TO RETURN TO THEIR HOMES, AND AID WORKERS ARE BEING PULLED OUT OF THE CITY BECAUSE “THE WAR IS OVER”. BUT ANYONE WHO HAS BEEN HERE FOR 10 MINUTES CAN SEE THAT THIS IS JUST A LULL UNTIL THE DRY SEASON IS PAST AND FOOD IS AVAILABLE TO THE REBELS AGAIN.

PASTOR JOSEPH (BAPTIST) [WHILE SEEING ME CRY]: WHAT I
HATE IS GOING TO THE HOSPITALS AND WALKING THROUGH THE WARDS … THERE’S SO MUCH NEED, SO MUCH PAIN.

PastorJoseph Baptist and Nurse Pauline

NURSE PAULINE AND PASTOR JOSEPH ANGLICAN [LAUGHING WHILE WATCHING ME RANT AT THE OFFICE]:  WE ARE GOING TO MISS YOU SO MUCH WHEN YOU ARE GONE.  [THIS MAKES ME LAUGH AND CRY AT THE SAME TIME, BECAUSE I AM GOING TO MISS THEM TERRIBLY WHEN I AM GONE, TOO.]

HEAVEN AND EARTH

A HUGE BLESSING FOR US, 

HIS CHILDREN,

SMALLER THAN MOUNTAINS,

SMALLER THAN HILLS,

SMALLER THAN SEAS.

AND LOVED AND BLESSED, 

PERSON-TO-PERSON.

I LOVE MY HEAVENLY FATHER, 

MY PRECIOUS LORD,

AND AM FILLED WITH THANKFULNESS. 

 

ALMIGHTY REIGNS

MY HEART IS FULLER THAN USUAL, SEEING THE SORROW BEING SPREAD AROUND AND ABOUT OUR WHOLE WORLD.

SINFULNESS, DECEITFULNESS, HATEFULNESS.

AS IS SAID, I CAN HARDLY WAIT FOR HIM TO ARRIVE...

LOVE AND ACCEPTANCE AND ENCOURAGEMENT AND SERVING HIM, PERSON TO PERSON, WILL BE IN PLACE FOREVER.

I ALSO KNOW THAT HIS CHILDREN IN OUR WORLD ARE SERVING HIM AND PLANTING HIS SEED ANYWHERE AND

ANY TIME HE CALLS THEM TO DO SO.

KNOW I SOUND PRETTY INTENSE TODAY... 

BUT THAT'S JUST WHERE MY HEART IS.  

[MY DEAR ONES, PUT UP WITH ME AND 

MY VISIONARY ASPECT IF YOU CAN.]

SINS WASHED AWAY

BEING A "PURPLE" PERSON, I COULDN'T NOT USE 

THAT COLOR ON THE PHOTO. 

I'M OVERWHELMED WITH THE JOY OF THE CLEANSING OF SINS AND AM REJOICING, PRAYING, WORSHIPING HIM TODAY AND IT INCLUDES THIS REASON.

[OTHERWISE, I WOULDN'T STILL "BE" HERE AND

 MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN WITH HIM WHEN 

I LEFT THE WORLD IN PILES OF SIN.  

THE BLOOD OF JESUS HAS POURED BLESSINGS ON ME.]

HIS KINDNESS AND GRACE

The Lord poured His kindness and grace upon me ...

a "tough cookie" since early childhood ...

and, even as difficult as it was in my family,
 for one reason or another,

 I wanted to be helping and protecting people.  

I wasn't very nice, in general,
but truly did have a heart to protect others.

Then... Uganda touched my heart, opened my heart, has kept my heart filled with desire to share His kindness and grace.  

No matter where, no matter when, no matter how.

[Am I perfect?  Never in sin? Consistent?  NO!!!  
But HE. IS. CONSISTENT!!  And He helps me, taps me, prods me
 to keep moving on as He calls me to serve Him.
No, ain't perfect, but I am a very "grateful cookie" 
instead of a"tough" one.]

BILL FROM GRAND MARAIS

It began on 9/11.  I told you the story recently about how I began to have a serious depression a couple weeks after that horrific event. I was sent up there to seek God's kindness that would break my depression and turn me to joy. While there I was "camping" in our van at Tettegouche State Park.  I drove up to Grand Marais, about 40 miles further north.  While entering the town, I stopped at a store that was a real eye-grabber.  It was called Blue Moose and had a funny entrance.  When I went into the shop, the lady in charge, named Mary Beth, was really nice, and, in a while, I discovered that she was the owner, not just the worker.  While there, I saw cards by Jackie Kotlarek, and bought a few.  Loved her cards, and truly hoped to meet her sometime, since it was obvious she was in Duluth. [And the next time I was

up, with Dave, I called her from her card, drove up to her house, and we loved her work.  Dave bought an oil paint based on the Lake Superior with waves and rocks.  THAT was the beginning; we've bought paintings, cards, and other bits and pieces from her over this past 11 years.  We have become very good friends. And met and enjoyed her husband.]

I spent a nice time going up and down the whole area between Duluth and Grand Marais.  Then I went home.

The next year, Dave and I went up together.  We went to

Grand Marais along the way.  I took him to the Blue Moose, because I'd really liked the shop.  We went.  Mary Beth was not there, but a man was.  We talked.  His name was Bill, he was a football coach, a ski trainer, and we really liked him.  When Mary Beth came to the shop when we were there, we found out that he was her husband.  We had so much fun together and we went to dinner together.  They took us to a really fun place up in the hills. 

That was the beginning.

Every year when we hit the North Shore, we hit Grand Marais and Blue Moose.  The 4 of us always went to dinner and we went to their Baptist church, met the pastor and his wife and hung out with them, too. Bill played during worship on a piano, and eventually Dave played piano also.  This went on for 2 or 3 years, and we were up more often or staying longer.

Then seriosity hit us.  Mary Beth came down with cancer.  We did get together when we could, and she died about a year later.

Bill ended up married in Florida when staying with his dad who was dying.  People from the church were working at the shop.  It was doing well.

We saw Bill a couple times when we happened to be there at the same time.  He would spend the summer and early fall up there to work in the shop, keep track of things, worship at church.  He was a blessing to many.  Then we didn't see him for 3 years, because we went up in the Thanksgiving stretch of time and he was in Florida with his dear wife.  We missed him very much, but couldn't connect.  OH, and he had cancer, too, and eventually was healed. But his legs, feet, arms, and memory are all challenging.  He's begun to play guitar now ... began when he was about 64, and will be 67 this month ... and does well, but struggles.

This time when we went up there to check it out, the shop had no workers, and we were wandering around a bit, and suddenly Bill walked in.  Talk about rejoicing!  He

remembered our names, he was so happy to see us, he took us to the the other shop area and played the guitar for Dave, and sang some great, fun songs.  It was a real treat. 

When we stopped there on Wednesday morning so I could drop off a card, assuming he wouldn't be there that early, he popped into the yard.  And, after talking for a little while, he said he'd like us to go to breakfast with him.  Now, he'd already eaten, but wanted us at a particular restaurant.  So, we went.  He had coffee.  WE ate Swedish pancakes [as he suggested] with strawberries and whipped cream, bacon, and juice.  And when the bill arrived, he grabbed it.  So, he truly blessed us.

We left with hugs, kissing cheeks, planning to email, call, keep in touch.  Next year when we go to the North Shore again, we plan the timing will be around the time of our anniversary towards the end of September, so we can be with 

Blue Moose with him last Tuesday.

 Bill.

What. a. treat!