On the lake.

I needed it.
I had forgotten how peaceful it is.
Several years ago my friend Jim and I started catfishing at a nearby state lake, and as all good catfishermen know, the best time to catch them is at night.
In our younger days we would stay out till 1-2 in the morning, now I start to feel it about midnight.
Over the years Jim and I have been through a lot. Jim has been through two divorces, I had lost my Dad.
So fishing had been our therapy, it's so peaceful on the water at night.
Last year we both were busy in other things, we didn't go at all.
Jim called me the other day and wanted to go, I finally had a free night so I said I would.
I love being on the water, but at night it's even better.
As I sat on the boat, waiting for the next bump on my line, I looked up, and saw the night sky.
You really haven't seen stars until you see them from a boat, at night. Since there isn't much light, you can see stars that you wouldn't normally see.
I had missed that, it seems lately that a billion things are running in my head, more demands on my time, tough issues at my church and tough issues for the region I lead.
But as I sat there, smelling of garlic covered chicken livers (yes that's the bait we use), looking up at the sky I realize once again how awesome our God is. So many people are so tight, we have run ourselves almost to the point of a complete breakdown, we dance on a razors edge trying to always be right, not leaving any room for mistakes.
If we could all just take a deep breath, put some chicken livers on a hook, throw it in the water and just stare at a star filled sky, maybe we would realize that maybe we take ourselves to seriously, that we have forgotten the simple things.
That the things that concern us today will long be forgotten when we are gone, and our relationship with the Creator of the stars should have been the most important thing in our life.
Maybe I'm to simple.
But from a lawn chair, on a lake, at night, I'm okay with that.

The 2006 family vacation

I have returned.
Back from the Gulf coast were it was very warm.
When I told people I was going, people asked me "are you going on a work team?"
I have to admit, no.
What I went for was to see a couple of WWII museum ships, one in Mobile AL and the other in Baton Rouge.
You see I'm a ship nut, I love being on the water (although I can't swim) and when you combine that with my love for naval history, you can see why I went.
Don't you feel sorry for my wife and kids?
They were pretty good sports about it, they endured the heat and walking up and down ladders that were never made for the tourist.
We did see some of the hurricane damage in some places, but we didn't get off the highway very much.
What I did see made me feel pretty good.
And what did I see?
Several church vans pulling little trailers, some as far away as New Jersey.
You see the church as a whole has taken some pretty good shots from a variety of different sources.
But nobody can argue the impact churches have had in the damaged areas of the south. They have not stopped working, not stopped loving people in need of hope.
And there still coming, still working, still loving.
So I'll take my hat off to those who have sacrificed their time and energy to help their fellow man in a time of extreme need.
Just as Christ did for us.