Will Miracles never cease?

What if miracles only cease to exist, when we cease to see them for what they are?

Miracles, another of those religious type words like grace and mercy. Words we use all the time, but do we realize what they mean or recognize them when they happen? And what if we don’t see them? Do they continue to happen just as the proverbial tree in the forest? Our presence or awareness doesn’t change the sound of the tree falling in the woods, so maybe it doesn’t change the miracles happening all around us either.

Maybe a miracle is something more. Maybe it doesn’t have to be the parting of the red sea or resurrecting the dead.

As I turned to enter the parking lot I saw a family of three sitting beside the road holding a sign asking for help. A father who had lost his job, his wife sitting on a stool or bucket of some sort and a tiny little girl with her sweater hood pulled tightly around her ears.

They were on the opposite side of the road and I, like most of the people entering, continued on my way. I shopped for what I needed and made my way back to my truck and began leaving the parking lot. As I left the family was on my side of the road and I drove past making very little eye contact.

I made it about 75 feet away when I remembered the money in my pocket. I have been so blessed (yes another of those religious words), all my bills are paid, I have plenty to eat, way too many toys, gizmos and things to entertain myself and yet there was still money in my pocket.

I mulled over the possibility that these people were there just taking advantage of others and getting an easy hand out, and then I thought about how little that possibility really mattered to me. So what if I gave someone a few bucks from my pocket and they chose to misuse it. I was already blessed with all I needed. I wasn’t even going to miss the money.

I turned around and drove back to the parking lot. Since they were on the opposite side of the road I pulled in and parked my truck and walked up to the family. The woman shyly said hello while looking scared and confused. Who was this guy walking up to them? Was I going to tell them they couldn’t be there and had to leave? I reached out my hand indicating that I had something for them. The father, this wonderful man, took my hand in his and saying God Bless You, God bless your family, bent forward and kissed my hand. He hadn’t seen the money in my hand. It wasn’t about the amount. It was that someone stopped to acknowledge him and his family.

The tiny little girl was jabbering away in a language I didn’t understand. I waved to her and then she stretched out her hand. I took her hand to shake it and she bent forward kissing my hand just like her daddy had done.

I was floored. This man who humbled himself to plead for his family had indeed blessed me. This tiny little girl, who I could not understand spoke so much more with her actions.

I made my way back to my truck with tears filling my eyes. I came to give away a few dollars, to make myself feel better, and in return this family had given me the blessing.

I had seen a miracle, a little girl kissing my hand, melting away all the daily burdens and influences of the world.

The Man I want to be

A new song by Chris Young speaks to the hearts and minds of so many men and describes what it is we look for..to be a good man, to know that we have what it takes...to know that we are needed.

God, I'm down here on my knees
Cause it's the last place left to fall
Beggin' for another chance
If there's any chance at all
That you might still be listenin'
Lovin' and forgivin' guys like me
I've spent my whole life gettin' it all wrong
And I sure could use your help cause from now on


I wanna be a good man
A 'do like I should' man
I wanna be the kind of man the mirror likes to see
I wanna be a strong man
And admit that I was wrong, man
God I'm asking you to come change me
To the man I wanna be

Thanks Chris for putting into words the heartfelt hopes that many of us hold in our hearts.

A Thoughtful Stranger

Over the last few days, I have found my mind wandering to thoughts of the strangers we meet by chance and how they impact our lives. It seems to me that there are a few special people whose nature lends itself to others readily engaging them in conversation.

My wife is one of those remarkable women who I refer to as my treasure. She frequently finds herself engaged in deep conversations with total strangers who readily spill the most genuine and intimate details of their lives, their hopes and dreams, their failures and heartfelt prayers.

What is it about her and others like her that draws us into their confidence? Perhaps it is how she so easily finds a moment to smile or nod or say a word of encouragement to those around her. Perhaps she reveals herself by just doing the little things that come her way. It might be putting an unwanted item back on the correct grocery shelf rather than ditching it in a convenient isle. It might be by taking a shopping cart back to the corral or the front of the store, rather than leaving it beside the next vehicle. And very frequently, so much so that it has become a joyful habit, she will find herself at Aldi where it costs a quarter to get a shopping cart. She will complete her shopping and rather than take the quarter back for returning her cart, she will leave the cart available for the next unsuspecting patron to find a shopping cart for free.

This might not be anything major in the great scheme of things, it might not feed a hungry family or clothe a homeless man or woman, but then again, just maybe these simple acts of kindness, these simple acts of doing what we can, just might bring a smile or open our eyes to the angels around us.

So, if you go shopping at Aldi this week one of two things just might happen. You might find yourself engaged in conversation with a lovely woman who will listen intently, encourage and support you and even say a prayer, or you might walk up to the building and find a free shopping cart waiting by the door. Either way, remember to smile, a thoughtful stranger has been nearby.

A Norman Rockwell Holiday

I believe that most of us enter the holiday season with a yearning in our hearts for that picturesque Norman Rockwell moment. We desire to see ourselves seated at a large family table high up on Walton Mountain with all the noise and chaos of children calling dibs on the drumsticks, mom and sisters setting heaping plates of food on the table and dad standing ready with the carving knife. We yearn for a warm fire and the warmth of family and friends close by.

The holidays have a way of not turning out the way we envision them. Chances are we won’t find ourselves on Walton Mountain again this year. Not everyone we cherish in our hearts will be close and disappointments and difficulties may indeed come.

I am convinced that the Norman Rockwell type of holiday that we all envision in our minds only happens in the past. Not “happened in the past” as in past tense but “happens in the past” as in present tense. I believe that these memorable holidays do indeed continue to happen and yet we fail to see them as such until time has passed and mishaps or hurt feelings fade just far enough away from view that our heart has a chance to change focus and we look back instead with fond memories.

So the question that begs an answer remains, will we choose to adjust our focus now and let the disappointments that may come fade into the background, or do we need to wait for the passing of time to come. Will we choose to let these moments of difficulty set the tone for the holidays or will we view this season of hope and love through a new set of lenses.

This may indeed be a Normal Rockwell moment. Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas.

Cajun Microwave

After meeting with a contractor at work and shooting the breeze for awhile I was mentioning to him an Ugly Drum Smoker that I had seen online and my desire to make one. Giving credit where credit is due....(Cowgirlscountry.blogspot.com/2008/05/my-uds-so-far.html)
He began telling me about how they cook food down home, which for him is Louisiana. They make a wooden box, lined with metal and fashion a grill pan for the top, resulting in what they refer to as a Cajun Microwave or in his own Louisiana tongue a “Coonass Microwave.” (This seems to be a Louisiana version of redneck)

Well after carefully researching it online and finding ourselves with a few scraps of plywood and misc. other items, my co-worker Elvis and I began our own version. Trial one was when I took it home for a couple of days to burn off any toxic fumes from the galvanized metal surfaces.



Being more of a Redneck than a Coonass and not having a full understanding of the principals of this contraption, I built a roaring fire just hoping that the box, (which is underneath the fire) would heat up enough to actually cook. And since I had a decent fire burning I decided to try the only thing I could come up with on short notice, which was a pan of muffins. The muffins were supposed to cook at 400-420 for 20 minutes. I placed them in the box, put the grill pan back on and built up my fire, assuming that I would have one heck of a time getting this contraption to anything close to 400 degrees.

There seems to be a learning curve to this box, which I first experienced about 10 minutes into the experiment when I smelled the burnt odor of muffins.
With a little help from my wife, (did I mention that it takes two people to take the top on and off) we uncovered the burnt embers of my muffins and concluded that the box did indeed get much hotter than I had expected.



So, trial two took place at work after a few modifications and hopefully a better understanding of this Cajun Dutch oven on steroids. Modifications include, installing a thermometer, making two adjustable vent holes in the sides, adding a fire suppression holder, (otherwise known as a cup holder) and finishing the grill on top. No sense wasting all that charcoal on just heating up a box, might as well have a few sausages, hamburgers, etc.. while we wait.

Trial two commenced with a 9 lb pork loin seasoned and wrapped in foil, not to mention a few Hot Itilian sausages for the grill top.

With the top back on a charcoal fire soon had the oven (box) at 350 degrees. It actually was quite easy for us to control the temperature by just adding a few pieces of wood as needed.

While running around at work and actually getting a little work done we managed to keep an eye on the fire and let the pork roast for 2 and a half hours. Opening the box was like opening the oven on Thanksgiving. The aroma filled the work area and people started pouring out of the woodwork to try a sample.

It turned out so well that we have tried it several more times at work and at home cooking everything from chicken to bread. with fall approaching fast I think I just might have to try a pie or two. All in all we consider this Cajun microwave a big success.



Total cost $20.00 ($15 for the top grill grate and $5 for the thermometer.)

McKMama

I was reminded today of a time in my childhood when I was adept at finding four leaf clovers. I think even then I was aware that my yard was no luckier than the next but that I found these tiny treasures simply because I chose to look. This post http://www.mycharmingkids.net/2009/08/four-leaf-clovers.html from McKMama was the inspiration for my fond memories and also was God's way of providing an answer to what was an unanswered question. I pray that you read and enjoy her entry as much as I have.

Hold Fast my friends

God and Family

The two most important things in life are God and Family. This realization has been on my mind for the past couple of years along with the reoccuring presence of a compass in my life. Over the past year or so I have contemplated getting a tattoo which incorporates these images. Yesterday was finally the day. I had the artist, John add the hands and the old mariner tattoo of Hold Fast. I think it turned out great and pray that it becomes a constant reminder to me of what is important in my life.