Reserved Parking

Since I'm at Barnes & Noble so often, someone asked me if I pay rent. No, but I
do have my very own parkig spot. It's reserved for handicapped parking.
I told others I'm pastor emeritus there. I have all the prividges and none of the
responsibilities. I'm like a greeter at Walmart. As people pass my table in the
cafe, I smile and say hello to many of them as I drink coffee and read from a
book. The servers even take my coffee to my table for me as I walk with my
cane to be seated. My tip to them is, "brush your teeth daily." They don't pay
much attention since I don't pay them a tip of money.
On these hot days of summer, it's a real cool place to be. It's better than working!

WAYNE'S WEEDS

Since the weather was cooler this morning, my wife and I went to my bother's
house across town to work in his yard. While she sprayed the weeds on one
side of the house, I cut down weeds out front. Afterwards we carried them out
beside the street to be picked my this afternoon by the city. By the time we
were through, we were both soaked with sweat but the work was well worth
it. One neighbor stopped to say so. I said, "Thanks for your help!" He drove
on off. Thanks for nothing!
We are back home and are resting after a busy morning. I sure hope she
doesn't put me to work here, I'm exhausted! Besides, I need to rest since
I'm speaking to a group at church tonight. My topic: "Am I My Brother's
Keeper?" My answer: Yep! Just wait till he gets my bill. My real topic for
tonight will be: "My Stephen Ministry." I hope I don't put them to sleep.

IT MADE MY DAY

Early this morning I took some items by the church for the Mountain Mission truck,
dropped in at Barnes & Noble to read and then went to a retirement home to see two
men before stopping by to see some friends who just moved to Bowling Green. By
the time I got home I needed a nap. My morning reminds me of what I used to do
daily before I retired. I miss it at times and then I'm glad I don't do it daily noq.
I speak to a small group Tuesday night about how I handle my MS. It allows me
to share ways that others can have insight in how to minister to people dealing
with physical difficulties. I hope it helps them help others. Some from the Stephen
Ministry have helped me deal with stress in my life.
Each new day offers new opportunities to be helped and to others if we will take
advantage of them. Someone told me just yesterday at church something I had
done for his daughters that they still speak about it with words of thanks. What
a wonderfull thing to tell me after all these many, many years. It made my day !

RETREAT TREAT

I'm reading a mysterry by Nora Roberts whenever I go to Barnes & Noble. This
book is about a woman who lives alone in the woods where she trains dogs. It
is interesting to see all the details of the area as I read page after page. I feel I
am right there while I read. I am about half way through with reading as I
sip coffee in the cafe. It is my treat retreat each time I go there, which is
often.
Next week I'm sharing some thoughts with the Stephen Ministry at our
church. My topic will be" My Stephen Ministry" as I share about my MS
which I learned about about the time our son Stephen was born 1n 1979.
Stress has been an issue from time to time as well as the heat which affects
my strtength. I want to share how others can help people cope and have
hope in dealing with any disease. And that is what Stephen ministers do.
I know, I had one help me awhile back.. What a wonderfull retreat treat.

CASE CLOSED

When my wife and I were leaving home to go out to eat, I changed glasses. Right
after we arrived home I couldn't find my glasses I had taken off when we leaving.
I looked in pockets, in the car, under the bed and didn't find them. I thought I'd
look for them in the morning when I woudln't be so tired.
As I was about to head to bed, I picked up the glasses case to put the glasses I had
on back in the case. When I did, I heard something shaking inside the case. That's
when I knew where the other glasses were. All I can say is case closed.
I see my eye Doctor Wednesday morning, I hope he prescribes new glasses for
me. The pair I have on has only one lens because the case of the missing lens
hasn't been closed yet. It's quickly becoming a cold case. That's why I wear my
reading glasses in public. I know I look odd but I really don't care because I am.
Case closed!

THE RIGHT WORDS AT THE RIGHT TIME

When I went to the retirement village to speak this morning, I had some things to say
about waving at people and whittling to pass time. Since there were no men present
but myself, I spoke about how one of our dogs had died last Friday. I shared some
serious things along with some funny things. The women were paying close attention
to every word I said. When it was over, three shared thoughts about their pets of
the past and thanked me for sharing my story with them. I knew then and there
that waving and whittling would have to wait untill next month.
As I approached my car afterwards, I thanked the Lord for letting me share something
from down deep in my soul with those women. I also got to thinking about how the
right words were said at just the right time when I've needed them so very much. My
pastor seemed to be reading my sore soul and wanted to but salve on it in the Name of
our Saviour. The Spirit works in wonderfull ways, doesn't He? He even speaks through
us from time to time. What a blessing that is.

A CLOSE SHAVE

I've been working on a devotion for the Retirement Village next Wednesday in hopes
it will help them in some small way. I'm plcanning to preach on, "A Close Shave: How
to Whittle." I think too many people whittle their lives away." I want the residents
there to think about ways they might be wasting the hours of their lives away. What
ways are there for them to accomplish much any more in their lives at the Retirement
Village?
While writing the sermon, I started wondering in what ways am I wasting my life? I
visited a lady in the hospital this morning who is on her death bed. She has cancer
and most likely a short time to live. She spoke of her family and her faith while I was
with her. She smiled as the sweat poured down her face. She held my hand as we
prayed together. She thanked me for coming to see her on a Saturday morning when
I could of been somewhere else, doing something else. It was then and there that I
knew though her life is wasting away, I wasn't wasting my time at all by being with her on a Saturday morning. I was right where I needed and wanted to be.
The shavings of our lives lay on the floors of our lives and yet we seem to not see them
because we too busy wasting our lives away on things that aren't worth much at all. So
don't make it a close shave by almost doing something or almost saying something. Do
it now while you can.

DIRTY DOG

When I got up around 5;00 to take the two dogs outside, only one came running to me. I
snapped my fingers for Dirty Dog to come but she didn't. So I thought she was already out.
She wasn't. When I walked into the kitchen I saw that she had died during the night. We
think it was a heart attack and her age. Dirty Dog was one of two rescue dog that belonged
to our son.
My wife and daughter and I have wept often today because she had become one of our
family members. Derby Pie is a cocker who belongs to our daughter who lives with us.
Derby and Dirty Dog were the best of buddies. He knows she is gone and seems so sad.
I've dug a grave for Dirty Dog so that this evening we can bury her in a spot where she
loved to go. I gave her that name because she was dirty most of the time. She loved
being loved and left a lot of love with us whenever we remember her. That will be often.