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Month: July 2021

MWWK17 and Other Stuff

MWWK17 and Other Stuff

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I saw this license plate while driving this week.

It read MWWK17.

I took it to mean Mark 17.

Curious, I went to my Bible and found that the license plate couldn’t have meant Mark 17 because there is no Mark 17.

Mark ends at Chapter 16.

So then I decided it had to be Mark 1:7.

“And this was his message: After me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie.”

“Not worthy.”

That was John the Baptist who wasn’t worthy, prophesizing in this early Chapter of Mark about the coming of Jesus.

 

A week or so ago I got one of my daily devotionals through my email that I must admit I don’t read much anymore.   It was titled the Angel of Strength.  Thinking I could maybe use a little of that right now I quickly skimmed the message.

 

First, it mentioned Paul, imprisoned in Rome, and his letter to the Philippians.  In spite of being imprisoned Paul maintained a positive perspective, ”I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

Then the writer mentioned Gideon and refers to him as a “nobody” in Israel, yet Gideon was called on by the “Angel of the Lord” to save Israel from the Midianites.

The writer goes on to say that even in the Old Testament, these theophanies, these visible appearances of God were in fact, Jesus.

.

John the Baptist, “not worthy.”

Paul, down on his luck.

Gideon, a “nobody.”

 

Man, I thought, this stuff is right up my alley.

 

 

I have had a good week.

Sunday was my grandson Ethan’s birthday.

He turned four years old.

Kim, who had to work over the weekend, encouraged me at the last minute to book a flight to Florida and attend Ethan’s party.

So Friday I flew to Florida spent the weekend and returned on Monday.

It was awesome.

For the first time ever, this year I was able to attend the birthday parties of all three of my grandkids, Christian and Cameron’s in June, and Ethan’s on Sunday.

God is good.

 

I don’t ask for much.

I am not a messenger preparing the way for Jesus’ return.

I am not the most influential leader of the early or modern Christian church.

And I am not a mighty man of valor whose mission is to save a country.

And to my knowledge, I have never been visited by an Angel.

 

But I have been blessed.

I have the strength to get up every day and do the best I can.

And most importantly, I know where that strength comes from.

 

Not a sermon, just a blog.

 

Postscript:

After saving Israel Gideon lived a long and happy life.

Not so for Paul and John the Baptist who were both beheaded.

 

And the Angel of the Lord appeared to [Gideon], and said to him, “The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor!”
(Judges 6:12) 

It is written in Isaiah the prophet:  “I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way. A voice of one calling in the desert “prepare a way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.”  (Mark 1:2-3)

 

…as it happened to Gideon who was called to deliver Israel from the Midianites (Judges 6). Gideon was a “nobody” in Israel, but he learned, like Paul, he could do all things through Christ (the Angel of the Lord) who strengthened him.  (David Jeremiah)

Ethan, who turned four on Sunday.
Christian
Cameron, who is on vacation in the mountains this week, eating ice cream.

Last Farewell

Last Farewell

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I’m going away at eventide
Across the wild and the rolling sea
I bid you stay, stay here by my side
And share a last farewell with me

(From Last Farwell, written by Randy Sparks)

 

 

Today is Monday, July 19th.

As is typical for a Monday, we had a little harder time waking up, and maybe on this particular Monday an even harder time getting motivated to get out of bed.

So after a longer than usual time drinking coffee and reading emails, we finally got going.

 

I woke up this morning as I often do with a song in my head.

Randy Sparks wrote the Last Farewell and it was featured on the New Christy Minstrels’ album Ramblin’ in 1963.

I remember this album as a kid because my dad had this album, and because I really liked it.

The New Christy Minstrels were a folk band established by Sparks in 1961.  It included at times Barry Maguire (“Eve of Destruction”) and Gene Clark who went on to join the Byrds.

We had one of those huge stereo pieces of furniture with the sliding tops and the record player and AM and FM radio under one of those sliders and a bin for records under the other.  It had a couple of speakers behind the decorative cloth and walnut front.

By the time we were old enough to leave home my brother and I pretty much had those speakers blown and by the end all you could hear was vibration and distortion.

 

The photo above is one that sits on a dresser in the room that Kim and I most often stay in when at my parent’s house.

It’s a photo of Donny with my father on my dad’s boat.

I have gone through lots of photos recently at my parent’s house that have brought back lots of memories and feelings.

This photo reminded me of the few days that Donny spent with my father and mother in between the Fourth of July that summer of 2002 and the next week when my parents took him to his soccer camp in Salisbury, Maryland.  Although this pic was taken on a different weekend, my dad and Donny did go out fishing during that stay just a couple of weeks before the accident.

That year July 19 was on Friday.

I know my dad valued that short time spent with Donny.

And I remember at Donny’s funeral my father telling me he just wanted to remember Donny as he was the weekend they went fishing.

 

And though today I guess we are more sensitive to reminders, and in fact may receive more reminders, but the truth is it’s a day to get through.

Because tomorrow will be the same in the obvious sense but a little different.  The memories will be more pleasant and enjoyable.  We can choose those differently.

As we would like to remember.

Today we can’t always avoid that.

 

I know I spend a lot of time writing about how much time I have spent with my dad, in particular this past year, and even this past weekend.

It’s been important for him in this period of his life and it has been important to me.

 

Because I know the time will come when I will value that time spent, even more than I do now.

 

A wandering song is all I know
Yet, I love you more, more than words can tell…
I leave you now, with a last farewell

(from Last Farewell)

Me and my dad getting into The Haskell spirit this past Saturday
Here is the whole photo

 

Groundhog Day

Groundhog Day

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In a post on my website called A Sentimental Racetrack Journey on May 1, 2019, I retold the story of a racehorse named Sir Sidney who I had originally written about in 2014, and how this horse kept popping up in my life’s journey.

In Sir Sidney, My 2020 Horse of the Year, written last August I told the story of how a nice lady named Tiffany found my sentimental racetrack journey story which helped her decide to buy Sid and give him a good home in retirement.

For reasons unknown to me but I am sure understandable, Tiffany had to give Sidney up so I lost track of him once again.

On Monday morning, I got an email. The message line said “Update on Sir Sidney.”

Sid? I thought.

I quickly opened the email and began to read:

Good morning! I recently purchased a lovely OTTB by the name of Sir Sidney. He is absolutely the love of my life and I was doing some research on him hoping to find pics of him in different homes etc. I came across your blog. I have no idea who that Tiffany M lady was, but that’s not who I bought him from so he must have bounced around to a couple more homes before he came to me. I’m emailing you to let you know he will NEVER go anywhere after me. He is the most gentle soul, just looking for someone to love him unconditionally. I’ve started eventing on him and have competed in a couple of small shows already. I’ve hauled him off property to go on trail rides and lessons etc. I dote over that horse,.he now prances around a 10 acre pasture sporting hot pink fly boots, accompanied by an obese Shetland pony (smiley face). I’ll include a few pics of the sweet guy. I hate that he has had such a long journey, but so thankful it led me to him. It feels like he was made for me. This horse is one in a million.

Marilyne

 

Just like last August with Tiffany, I didn’t know Marilyne.

But I sure knew Sid!

 

It was a Déjà vu experience.

It was my Groundhog Day!

 

I had to go back and read Sir Sidney, My 2020 Horse of the Year again!

Then I went back and I read A Sentimental Racetrack Journey again.

 

Then I emailed Marilyne back.

I thanked her for sending me the email and told her that yesterday was my birthday and hearing about Sid was a great birthday present.

 

She emailed me back and said she was glad and that Sid brings joy everywhere he goes. She told me how she renamed him Jonas because of her love of the Jonas Brothers and to just know he is super loved and finally has been given a chance to live out his life because he sure had earned it.

Yes, he has.

He’s worked hard all his life and touched many people.

And as Marilyne so nicely put it he brings joy everywhere he goes.

 

It’s been a nice week, filled with family and memories.

And Sid’s kind of like family now.

 

So now I have another memory.

And like me, he is semi-retired and doing something fun in his old age with lessons and trail rides.

He can prance around his pasture, and I can prance around my backyard!

(But I’m sorry Sid I am not sporting any hot pink fly boots even if it is only in my yard.  No sir!)

And though Marilyne can call him whatever she wants, even Jonas, he will always be Sir Sidney to me.

 

It was a nice birthday present.

It brought me some joy.

My sentimental racetrack journey continues.

Sid is truly is one in a million.

In fact, he is one of millions.

Yet he keeps coming back into my life.

 

And so once again…

I found my Sir Sidney.

 

Sid and Marilyne. Thank you!

 

Nope, I ain’t doing it