connecting individuals to Jesus
At some point early in the pandemic Monica and I binge-watched a series on Netflix called “Heartland”. We think it was my brother and his late wife who introduced us to it. To this day we are still hooked. We are currently recording and watching season 16! The previous seasons we have watched multiple times. However, I must warn you – suspense, bloodshed, and similar scenarios are not a part of it (so it might not be for you).
Other than a white – and windy – Christmas, the Detroit area has been pretty much snow-free for the first third of our winter. That was, until yesterday. The forecast when I went to bed on Tuesday was for the snow to start around 8:00 a.m., but when I opened the garage door at 6:00 a.m. it had already been snowing for 10-15 minutes.
With retirement a month from today, I am reflecting back on some of the formative times when the narrative began. Monica and I grew up in the same church and met when the three one-room schools were consolidated into the new building. It was in January. She was in the fourth grade, and I was in the fifth.
No, I am not talking about a bank … that would be Fifth Third – whatever that means. And I am not even talking about first-time experiences for me. I am talking about five different individuals who all reached out to STL for the first time this past week! How exciting – and, since they reached out in three different ways, we probably could add a third to this fifth!
There are two psalms that I regularly use in my morning devotions. The verses I recite almost daily come from David after the prophet Nathan confronted him regarding Bathsheba.
Tuesday was all set to be a trial run for February 21. After a sequence of very busy days, the plan was for me to be home alone with nothing to do – except to relax, recover, and recuperate. In a similar manner, I have been telling people my “plan” is to work very hard until February 19, then rest very seriously for 3 months, and after that see what God has in mind. Tuesday’s “trial run” has probably prepared me for those months even more than I had hoped.
There is just soooo much going on! Yesterday our staff celebrated Christmas with our preschool children and their families at their Christmas party. This was followed by caroling to our community and our granddaughter’s Christmas program. Tonight, a day late, we celebrate our eldest son’s birthday. Friday brings the first snowstorm of the year.
What’s the expression? “What goes around comes around.” No, that’s not it. “Don’t believe anything you hear and only half of what you see.” No, but that is a good one. “There’s a first time for everything.” Yes, this is it. Except that I always thought in this regard, I would be the exception!
I promise this will be the last time I write about shampoo, but there has been a “to be continued” that I did not expect. As I write this a week after stating “I anticipate finishing off this bottle of White Rain today or tomorrow” the new bottle still stands by as my “shampoo in waiting”! Every morning I look forward to emptying the old bottle, yet when I get in the shower the next day it looks like the same amount of shampoo remains. At this point in time, it feels like I will be functioning with this broken cap forever.
It was in September 2021. I do not remember the exact date, but early in the month. I walked into a dollar store looking for something else and happened to notice that they sold shampoo. I had emptied the previous bottle a while ago and was getting tired of using up old motel bottles. You see, with hair like mine, virtually any shampoo will do.