Of plans and friends and migratory visitors...

Pogo was beside herself, as she looked out the patio slider from our bedroom. There, right in the middle of her yard, a beautiful pair of Mallard ducks settled into the fish pond. They bathed themselves. They ate of the rich supply of algae clinging to the rocks. In short, they were doing what ducks do, and minding their business about it. Pogo, on the other hand, was furious. She barked incessantly. She jumped off the floor at least three feet straight up (incidentally, now you know where she got her name!), and she ran back and forth between the bedroom slider and the dining room door, through which she is usually let out to "her" yard to do her chores.

The ducks stayed for a few minutes and then they departed as quietly as they had come. It was several minutes before Pogo was allowed to go out and "protect" her territory. When she was, she barked furiously at...nothing. We were told that the fox terrier is a comical breed, and Pogo has never disappointed us in that regard!

Jill is off to socialize with a couple of her favorite friends. They are from different circles, though, so she is meeting them serially, rather than in a group. The first is a dear friend from the neighborhood where Jill raised her girls. They have been friends for 25 or 30 years. The second friend is from our church. She and Jill served together in the women's ministry for many years. Jill literally served meals, while Elaine is a Bible study leader. The two of them have had a mutual admiration society going on ever since.

Jill's absence has given me an opportunity to work on preparation for a series of presentations on God's design for the family. I will be presenting to the young singles' group at church in the month of April. I am very excited for the opportunity to present this material to a generation that knows nothing of Ward and June Cleaver and their boys. In this era of glass ceilings and over-achieving; of skyrocketing rates of both divorce and co-habitation; of families with two "moms" or two "dads;" of absent fathers and stressed out single moms, these young people need to hear about what the Bible has to say about God's building block of society, the family. After all, they will be the next generation to whom God entrusts the advancement of His kingdom. My generation has failed Him miserably in this regard, and we need to stem the tide.

Because God has a purpose for the family and for society, ignoring His plans for them is like throwing away the blueprint before building the house. Eventually, the carpenter might come up with something that will serve as shelter, but it certainly would never be mistaken for the Taj Mahal. God has called me to help build His kingdom one family at a time, first through our premarital/marital counseling ministry, and now through this ministry of teaching about the Biblical design for the family. My wonderful wife is fully on board with these endeavors, and she encourages me daily in my pursuit of God's calling for us as a couple. How truly blessed I am.

To infinity...and beyond!

Our "camping" trip was wonderful. It was so nice to be out in our coach again, and everything aboard worked perfectly. The weather even cooperated. Well, perhaps, I should clarify that last statement. On Tuesday we left the house with a few drops of rain coming down. The nearer we got to the park, the harder the rain fell. The harder the rain fell, the harder the wind blew and the darker the sky became. When we arrived at the campground, however, the rain stopped.

We set up the coach and settled in to just relax. In the evening, one of our counselees called and was in a good deal of distress. That set the tone for the evening. We prayed, we studied scripture in search of answers to share, and Jill and I discussed this fellow's situation. We are amazingly well suited for team counseling. Jill is very intuitive and has a good deal of experience with 12 step programs. As a result, she is able to connect with almost anybody almost immediately. She has taught me so much...about connecting, about myself, about God's love. I, on the other hand, am more analytical and more of a student of the Bible. God provides me, thereby, with some spiritual insights that allow me to offer God's healing word when appropriate.

The last couple of days, since we returned home, have been filled with ministering to this dear man. The result has been that I have not accomplished much of the other work that is piling up on my desk.

Anyway, when we last left our heroes, they were parked at Champoeg (pronounced 'Shampoo-ee') State Park enjoying the first camping trip of the year. Wednesday morning dawned with broken clouds and temps in the lower fifties. As the morning wore on, the sky cleared and the temperature rose to about 60 degrees! We went for about a two hour walk, enjoying God's creation and getting some much needed exercise for ourselves and for Pogo. We arrived back at the coach in time to enjoy lunch with Perry (Mason). Pogo fell fast asleep, which was pretty much her status for the remainder of the trip.

On Thursday, we bid a fond, if sad, farewell to Champoeg and headed home in anticipation of our Bible study group's arrival in the evening for another installment of Focus on the Family's "The Truth Project." This is a wonderful study designed to help Christians get a better grip on their biblical worldview. Bottom line? Coming home from camping is not hard when it means we get to study God's word and share fellowship with dear friends.

To everything there is a season...

It was a dark and stormy night... well, that was last night. Today it was a cloudy, rainy, gray, chilly day. But that's OK, because we picked up the motor home and started preparing for a couple of days at Champoeg State Park. This is the first camping trip since December, so we have been loading things aboard that we took out last year in order to avoid having them freeze.

We also had a problem with the satellite receiver in the coach last fall. It just stopped working. The little green light that indicates it is turned on wouldn't even light. So, I called Dish Network and got a "new" one sent out. The "new" unit is covered with stains and smells like an ashtray. I hope it continues working. This makes two receivers that have gone bad in the last year. I'm beginning to think of switching to DirecTV. At any rate, I got the "new" receiver installed and our entertainment system is fully functional again.

I also installed some weather stripping on the passenger side cockpit door. There has been quite a breeze coming in around that door, but I think it will be better now. If that turns out all right, perhaps I'll redo the weather strip on the driver's side as well.

Once those projects were completed, I started checking tire pressures and air pressure in the rear air springs. In the process, I discovered that the front axle has air springs, too. Unfortunately, when I applied some air to the right front air bag, it wouldn't hold the pressure. The Chevy P-30 chassis' factory front air bags are notorious for failing, so I was disappointed, but not surprised by this development. I have a new set of air bags on hand, so when I next take the coach in for service, I will ask the boys at First Choice Auto to install them for me. In fact, I need to take the coach over there soon and have the transmission serviced and have them check to see why the transmission temperature gauge is not registering.

The fact is that we are thinking about taking an extended trip in May, so I need to get these things fixed. If all goes well, we will take several weeks and make a loop from home to Sedona, AZ then on to Santa Fe, NM and home again. Along the way, we hope to visit some of the National Parks in Utah and Arizona.

So, we are going camping tomorrow for a couple of days to get our "sea-legs," so to speak! Thank goodness the seasons keep on turning!

Of dental prophylaxis, dismal procrastination, and civic disappointment...

Jury duty is over. It was not onerous, but it was disappointing. Clackamas county requires jurors to call in each evening to see if their numbers have been called for the next day's jury panel. The duty is for a week. I did not get called until Thursday. Thursday morning I reported, along with a couple of hundred others, for orientation. That took about an hour. Then we waited in the jury assembly room. After about another hour, the director read a list of numbers of the jurors and said they could go home, because the defendant in the first trial of the day had waived jury trial. About an hour later they sent the rest of us home for the same reason. We were instructed to call and see if we were needed the next day. I wasn't. So, my jury service consisted of three hours of orientation and waiting, but no chance to render my wise judgment on a case. Perhaps, I will be called again, although in Clackamas county, no one may serve more than once in 24 months.

The sun is shining today, in spite of the forecast for "lots of rain" that I saw on the local TV station's web site. So we have been enjoying a bit of blue sky and temps in the 60s. I should have gone out to do some weeding with my wife, but alas, I was working on taxes and helping a friend manage the emails for his ministry, Restore America.

Pogo had her teeth cleaned today. She was one unhappy pup this morning, when Papa wouldn't give her any breakfast. She was even unhappier, when I took her to the veterinarian's office. Nevertheless, she did fine and got her teeth cleaned and pressed...er...cleaned. By coincidence, Jill got her teeth cleaned today, as well. She, too, did quite well and got a perfect check up. Next it is my turn. I need to call for an appointment tomorrow. I was supposed to call last week but didn't "get around to it." So, tomorrow I will call...I promise.

The agony and the ecstasy...

It's drizzling outside. I woke up with low back pain and was unable to do my thrice weekly mall walk with Jill. But this is the day the Lord has made, and I will rejoice and be glad in it! One never knows what blessings the Lord has waiting right around the corner. If we concentrate on the things we find distressing, we never get to the blessing. I like to remember Paul the Apostle, who was cheerful and ministered to others even when he was in prison! Paul looked at EVERY situation as an opportunity to serve the Lord and to spread the gospel. Lord give me the power to do that, too!

I am on jury duty this week...well, sort of. I am in the current week's pool of jurors, but so far I haven't even had to go to the courthouse. Each evening, I call a recording, and it tells me which jurors are needed for the next day. So far, my number hasn't come up, but this is Wednesday and I have two more chances. When I was practicing dentistry in a large group, I had to be excused from jury duty, which happened three or four times. Now that I am retired and able to answer the call to my civic duty, I have not been needed.

Today is Patrick's last game of the season. He is coaching 8th grade boys' basketball. So far, the team has done very well. They are fun to watch, because they are such team players. There are a couple of boys who are obviously more talented than the others, but they are not prima donnas. Patrick is one of two coaches for the team. TJ is the ostensible head, although he and Patrick are billed as co-head coaches. Patrick primarily works with the kids individually on developing skills and on defensive coordination, and TJ covers offense. If my back feels up to it this afternoon, I will make the 60 mile drive to Independence to see the game. C'mon, back, let's go! I love this game.

It's all good...

We had a lovely morning worship service today. Our pastoral staff has been taking us through a series of sermons on financial management over the past five Sundays. It is scriptural and has been quite good. Most of the information is not new to me, and Jill and I have managed to keep our finances under control and arrive at a zero debt status...just in time for the economic meltdown that we are currently experiencing. Still, it is good to see the scriptural basis for being good stewards, and we have been moved to work on our budget to see how much more we can give to others.

The weather today is nothing like yesterday. Currently, the rain is drumming on the roof, and I am contemplating turning on the gas fireplace for both the warmth and the cheer that it adds to this room, which is a bit dreary at the moment. Jill and I got out in the backyard yesterday and raked leaves, pruned bushes, pulled weeds and generally cleaned up the yard. As usual we got carried away, and when the day was done, we had filled five 30 gallon yard debris bags! The yard looks so much better! It is almost as if someone lives here.

I was just informed by my darling bride that there is popcorn in my future this afternoon. That is our usual Sunday treat, but I am always so grateful when I get it, because Jill makes perfect popcorn, whereas mine is usually tough, burned or both! So, hooray for Sunday afternoon, and thank you, Lord, for my beautiful wife!

Isn't this a lovely day...

It is going to be a lovely day! Well, in fact, every day is a lovely day, because every day is the day the Lord made, and we will rejoice and be glad in it! But what I am talking about, here, is that the sun is coming up, and the temperature is expected to reach 60 degrees.

Yesterday was almost that warm, and we were able to go out and putter in the flower beds. Jill weeded our front bed; the one everybody sees when approaching our front door. I trimmed the roses back to their proper level for this time of year. I think I may even feed them this year I have shamefully neglected the poor things, but I hope to be more attentive this year. We are blessed to have a perfect, sunny location for roses along our driveway. It is a shame that I don't take better care of the area.

Yesterday afternoon, we had the privilege of serving at the home of dear friends, who were hosting a post-service gathering for their dear friend, whose husband went to be with Jesus a week ago. Jill and I arrived before the party returned from the cemetery and began preparing the last minute food items. Kathy had put a turkey in the oven before we arrived, and we put a ham in the other oven. (How decadent! Two ovens.) After we set up the coffee urn, the guests began arriving. Jill made a big salad. More helpers arrived to assist with serving and preparing food. It was such a blessing to be allowed to serve others in their time of grieving, and they were so appreciative. There were about 25 guests in all.

Today, we have the prospect of a sunny day with no obligations. I hope we can do some more work in the yard. The 16 inches of snow we had in December was hard on our plants. Some of them didn't survive. Of course, I see that as an opportunity to try some different plants. We do not have a symmetrical landscape plan, so we are not constrained to planting the same things that we lost.

In addition, we probably will call some friends and see if they would like to come over for dinner. We know a couple of couples who are "spur of the moment" types, so who knows what will happen? We do know that God will give us a glorious day, no matter what happens. He's like that, you know!