Pure joy

Yesterday had to be the most beautiful day I have seen in this humidity hole ever. The breeze was blowing just barely rustling the leaves. The sun was warming and not a death heat wave like the ones we usually have in Texas. I decided to take the wild hyper dog to the dog park for a little energy burn. Dressed in a smart blue harness, leash, and collar we walked in and I took a seat on the small rolling hill to watch the dog play. He found a friend in several dogs but he took a particular liking to a cheribin looking child with bright blue eyes who simply giggled in delight at the sight of my dog. Thankfully, my normally nipping bad behaving monster transformed into a sweet puppy and sweetly licked her hand and played the part of "doggie doll" without nastiness. The utter happiness in her laugh and giddiness was infectious and I couldn't help but smile as the sun warmed my shoulders. Funny how happiness sort of finds you all of a sudden.

A day of remembrance

I was in a physiology class listening to lecture. The heart and blood flow in each chamber.The class ended and chaos was in the air as we walked into the hall. There on the television in the dean's office was the World Trade Center engulfed in a plume of smoke and flame. The anchor was mid sentence and out of the corner of the screen a miniature plane flew into the other tower and a burst of fire erupted. 400 students and professors stood aghast unable to comprehend what was happening. That day the world changed for 3000+ people at the World Trade Center and every other American watching this tragedy unfold.

May I say my heart goes out to all the people who have lost someone to this horrible act of terrorism. Our world has never been the same. On days like today, I am terribly sad and still angry. Five years and it the wound is still bleeding open.

A call to action

The past few weeks I have made a choice to change a lot of things about myself. This spiritual awakening has stirred inside of me something I cannot explain. I went to church this morning and heard a sermon about the call to Christ. I never thought of myself as this person who was fervent about God so much so that I would let it direct even the most important decisions in my life.

Today, I realized something about myself.

I grew up in a church hearing that God was coming again to save his people. I heard that to not accept His eternal salvation is to get a free ticket into the lake of fire. I heard a lot of things about God in the last 25 years. I always thought some day when I've had my fun and I think that I am ready to settle down I will change. God will be there for me to pick up off the shelf and tote around with me when I need Him.

I am lucky in a matter of speaking. For some people there is no time to put God on a shelf and decide when you can choose to pick Him up. There is one chance and then there is no chance. How blessed am I to have made the choice after all these years and escaped the tragedy of not coming to know Him at all. I feel a tremendous feeling of mercy and gratitude.

In a world of such senseless tragedy and lawlessness, I feel my life is ever changing because of my profound choice. I no longer want to do the same things I did. I want to be different and to be changed. I feel a sense of urgency about this and compelled beyond all reason to say if you have not had an encounter with the God....you don't know what you are missing.

the dream is over

MARRIED...'nuff said!