The Long Journey Ahead

When Krishna's Great Grandpa Miotti left Italy he was not aware that his journey would be such a long one. He traveled through France and then he and his children boarded the ship the Pennsylvania in Champs France on July 23, 1908  and headed to the shores of America. I wonder what he must have felt as he arrived at Ellis Island. Great grandpa Miotti was 41, grandpa was 6 and his sister Matilda was 11.

My mothers great grandpa's brother Captain Samuel Stevens Woodruff  boarded a sooner in New Haven Connecticut to San Francisco in 1849 and headed around the the tip of South America. For 155 days he faced dangers of many kinds including storms, illness and of course the Pirates of the  Carribean.

Over the years the Miotti's  journey would take them across America and George would spend his final days in the small town of Tuolumne. Over the years my families journey would take them to the small town of Jamestown. From those two families came one. The family that Krishna and I now call our own. Their journey took many roads, sailed many oceans and traveled through places we will never see but their Journey is now our journey. My Journey.

To think they would take only what they could carry and head into the world to start a life of possibilities and unknowns. Today many never venture 10 miles from home and yet these explorers  traveled here and I have the great life due to their leap of faith. It must have been a leap after all who would load their kids on a boat and end their journey some 7000 miles from where it started.

I am sure like our life it was not easy. For the past several months you have followed "My Journey" and your responses and love have carried Krishna and I through some difficult days and we would never have made it through the years of set backs had it not been for our amazing God. He gives to us grace when we don't deserve it and his love never waivers.

There are days I've taken more than I can give
And there are choices that I made
That I wouldn't make again
I've had my share of laughter
Of tears and troubled times
This is has been the story of my life

So tonight I have new news about my Parkinson. For weeks I have shared that I have been in lots of pain. I try to hide it and not let it slow me down but some days it can really challenge me. Two weeks ago at my appointment with the doctor he became concerned as he felt that  the pain was not from the Parkinson's but something else. So I said "I do not have Parkinson's?" He said "no you most certainly have Parkinson's but there is something else with it. Lets do some tests."

I have won
and I have lost
I got it right sometimes
But sometimes I did not
Life's been a journey
I've seen joy, I've seen regret
Oh and You have been my God
Through all of it

So Krishna and I laid it at the cross and I had tests. Then the wait. That is always the hard part the wait. Especially wondering "what can it be?" The doctor was looking for a muscular disease and what else we were not sure. But God is faithful and so we trusted. I remember a time when this would have been way overbearing. When fear could could grip us and we would panic. But not this time. This time I felt peace.

You were there when it all came down on me
When I was blinded by my fear
And I struggled to believe
But in those unclear moments
You were the one keeping me strong
This is how my story's always gone

I have won
and I have lost
I got it right sometimes
But sometimes I did not
Life's been a journey
I've seen joy, I've seen regret
Oh and You have been my God
Through all of it
Through all of it

Today we got the answers. No muscular disease. Praise God! 

And this is who You are                                                                                                                                       More constant than the stars up in the sky                                                                                                            All these years of our lives, I                                                                                                                                      I look back and I see You                                                                                                                                      Right now I still do                                                                                                                                                 And I'm always going to

But wait. Then what. Just today I had trouble with so much pain and my legs of late have been so weak and I have been stumbling more. What is the pain from? Why do I stumble? Is it from the Chiari? After all the surgery was to stop the Chiari but I was told that I would for have lingering symptoms. 

You know that moment in time when you are waiting for an important answer and it a seems like the response is far away and that you will never hear the words? Today, I felt like that. Finally, he says "Well for one the tests show arthritis in the back." I was thinking  cool I can live with that. "But that is not what is really causing your problems, we need to do more tests. But this will be fine."

The bible tells us:

Wait for the LORD; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD.

Psalms 27:14

There are times when we can get mad. There are times that we can give up and there are times when we could shout out to God and say why. I could not help but to softly say to the doctor "This will be fine?" 

You must know that my neurologist is a very kind man. He listens to all of my concerns, answers all of our questions and he CALMLY comforts us. He reminded Krishna and I that every Parkinson's patient is different and their daily struggle is different. He said " The symptoms that you thought were from the brain surgery all these years have been from your Parkinson's. The last 10-15 years. It not uncommon for people to have symptoms and not know for years they have Parkinson's. You are like that. All these years you thought you were still struggling from the brain surgery when really you were struggling with the beginning stages of the disease and it was not until it started to worsen that you came in and you were finally diagnosed." 

I have won
and I have lost
I got it right sometimes
But sometimes I did not
Life's been a journey
I've seen joy
I've seen regret
Oh and You have been my God
Through all of it
Oh and You have been my God
Through all of it
Oh and You have been my God
Through all of it

So yes I have Parkinson's and I have arthritis and I have ...well who knows?  God does and he has known all along what I have and what I need. He has been my God through all of this up to this point and he will be my God through all the rest.

Today, I continued  my journey or some could say it started a new or that it went in a different direction. I am not sure what it did but this is what I do know. No matter what happened today and no matter what happens with the next tests and the next set of results God is with us. I just have to always remember to lay all my hope and all my worries in his hands and he will always be there step by step as I take "My Journey."

Peace Be with you God Loves You and So Do I!

A Whisper in The Dark

It is a hot summer night in August 2017 and I am laying awake in bed at about 2:00 in the morning. Not being able to sleep is a normal occurrence for me as I am usually nauseated from my medications, hurting from my Chiari or now Parkinson's and I cannot turn off my mind thinking about everything from work, to family, to bills and all that we allow ourselves to worry about. 

In the dark sky I can see the flashes of lightening as a summer storm is moving through the river canyon behind my house. I am concerned about fires so I reach over to the night stand and grab my hearing aids to see if I can hear the thunder. I figure if I can hear it I can better judge how far away the storm is and know if I should walk out and stand in the storm. There is nothing better then standing in the storm as it passes through the hills where I live. You can feel the wind, see the flashes of lightening and if I am lucky I can hear the thunder. 

My right ear clicks on and I hear very little in the night. I hear the crickets outside the window, I hear the breeze in the trees and I can hear an animal outside moving through the grass. The best sound I hear is Krishna next to me as she peacefully sleeps. I hear her breathing and it comforts me. I move slowly as I try to never wake her. I don't need much sleep but she does and with the challenges in our lives rest is very valuable for her.

Softly, I lean over and whisper in her ear " I love you and I will never leave you." My hope is that somewhere in a  dream she will hear my message of love and she will find peace and happiness in a pleasant dream. Her breathing continues uninterrupted so I know that I have not woken her but my hope is that somehow I reached her.

Slowly, in the dim light of the night I see her hand slide across the blanket and she takes my hand. A calm and peaceful feeling starts in my hand and moves up my arm and into my body. Soon it fills my heart and my soul finds a soothing peace that is so hard to describe. I am so blessed to have such a wonderful marriage with a woman that I so adore. God has given me a true gift.

I find peace and soon I fade into a short sleep that lasts about a half hour. But it is a sleep that is brought on by the comfort and security I feel as I once again realize I am not alone in My Journey. Too often we miss the small signs in life that we are not on this journey alone. We must be still and listen.

In the darkest hours and the storms that we face if we listen we can hear God as he whispers " I love you and I will never leave you." The bible tells us:


Deuteronomy 31:6

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."

We often fear God and that is because we do not always understand that he has rules and commandments for us because he loves us. What we must remember is that he gave us a wonderful and loving gift by sending his love to earth to rescue us from the troubles that attack our daily lives and if we reach to him we will find peace. 

What is the storm in your life? Is there thunder or lightening that does not allow you to find peace? If you are reading this blog then you probably know me and know the road that my life has taken. I have had many storms and road blocks that has left me feeling alone and worried and afraid. But then I found God. I know it does not sound that easy but it is. Really, I could decide each day to lay back and say "I cannot do it any more." But Instead I have listened and I have heard that tender whisper in the night from my father that say's " I love you, I am always with you and I will never leave you,"

God did not put me here and then leave me to struggle alone. Instead, he put me here and stays with me. When my body is weak and my load is heavy he fills my soul with peace and strength, It is not my body that will carry me to the next phase in my life but I must remember that it is my soul and it must remain good in my soul. So each day I will wear his armor and he will carry me and strengthen me as I make " My Journey."

There is a name I call in times of trouble
There is a song that comforts in the night
There is a voice that calms the storm that rages
He is Jesus, Jesus

Who walks on the waters
Who speaks to the sea
Who stands in the fire beside me
He roars like a lion
He bled as the lamb
He carries my healing in his hands
Jesus

GOD LOVES YOU AND SO DO I!
Blessings

Running With A Purpose

When I was a kid there was a small mountain between our house and Sonora. Well really its still there, but as a kid it looked really big and massive. In the winter the fog and clouds would hug it keeping it warm and when it did snow the mountain always got white first. During the summer, we would watch it as it dried up and there were s few times when it caught fire and we watched as the helicopters and fire planes dropped their water and pink retardant on the mountain to save it from burning up.

I remember one spring after a week of rain we decided to hike the big mountain. It was wet and cool so Mom said that sweat shirts were to be worn so we pulled them over our heads and off we went for a day on the big mountain in the distance. A day filled with fun, adventure and exploring.

After several hours we were way up there almost half up that big old mountain. We could see forever, I bet we could see all the way to Jamestown. We could hear the train in the Jamestown depot and I could even hear the roar of the trucks on the highway. AMAZING!

After enjoying the view we decided that it would be a good idea to race home. Off we went running through the wet grass, around brush and jumping over logs. We were slipping and sliding all over the place. In no time we were back in the front yard and for the next two hours we would share the stories of our big adventure and the race that ended the day.

As the years passed the adventures would change but they always included running. There was the "J" that Mr. Bergstrom made us run at school, the track we ran at Sonora High and of course the ditch trail at the college. It seemed like life was always a race or I was always running. I even had to run to catch my wife. She could really run!

There were races to win and races against time. Life is full of races, challenges and obsticles. Later my race might be to finish a job at work, a task in college or a race to get to the hospital for the baby to be born. Always a race. Some we win and some...well we don't.

Now I am in a different race well maybe not a race but a challenge the challenge of learning to live with the dailly struggles and challenges that Parkinson's brings into my life. For example, today I got up and my legs and back were just a mess. Nothing but pain. I grab the edge of the closet door to help pull me up and stumble towards the door to the other room. As I straighten up I felt an incredible pain inside my rib cage. It is as if someone had grabbed my lungs and I could not breathe. Its another cramp but this one is not in my legs or my arms but instead is nicely set in my abdomen. NICE! You can't rub those things out.

I thought I would die! There I stood twsiting, turning, stretching and gasping. There was no position I could move to get that stinker to go away. Of course within seconds there was my most trusted companion Krishna trying to help. A calm voice, a soft touch of the hand and soon I was relaxed and slowly the pain eased.

I had a victory. I have to take the ones that I get when I can right. I mean I can't really run anymore and I can't climb a mountain anymore but what I really miss is playing baseball. I even dream about it. I can smell the dirt and the grass. I can hear the crack of the bat and feel the excitement in my legs as I run the bases. I do not think that will ever happen again. But there are always those wonderful dreams. The excitement of victory and the agony of defeat. Life is full of events just like this right?

The bible says:

1 Corinthians 9:24-28

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly, I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

You know what this means? This means that every one wins. Anyone that stays the course with God gets the greatest prize of all. So matter if you are blind, deaf, fighting daily obstacles or even if you are fighting Parkinson's if you stay the course you get the prize.

This is so beautiful. I am always so amazed that God can love us so much that no matter how broken we may be here on earth our prize is a eternity of running and playing baseball. No pain. No losing. Nothing but the smell of dirt and grass and running the bases without pain. Always a victory.

What an amazing love our God has for us. He is so faithful and kind. He is a God that is always beside me. Better yet he is God that always carries me. His angels are with me and he guides me through the daily races, hills and gets me to the finish line of the biggest race of all. He is my life coach and he will forever be with me on "My Journey."

God Loves you and so do I!

Editors Note:

Each night as I type I listen to music. Right now I am listening to Chris Tomlin. In the past I have shared that I listen to Journey, Styx, and John Denver. I love all music but one of my favorites is a man whose southern voice and love songs can calm me and make me focus like no other. In fact, last week I used his lyrics to close my blog. This week that voice was silenced. I won't see him in concert but some day I hope to hear Don Williams sing in heaven. Until then I will forever pray that "Lord I hope This day is Good." Rest in peace. 

But I believe in love I believe in old folks I believe in children and I believe in you
I believe in love, I believe in babies, I believe in mom and dad and I believe in you.

Whom Shall I Fear

Photo: R. Hamilton

Friday, September 1, 2017 was not the best of days for me. First I was awake almost all night hurting badly. My arms were a constant pain and the leg cramps were unending. My morning dose of Parkinson's medication had me gagging within 20 minutes and my stomach turned for the next several hours..

At 7:30 I finally made it out the door headed for work when I realized I would need to move Krishna's car as Dan had just arrived home from grade yard shift and parked behind my truck. I grabbed her keys jumped into my truck an backed right into her car. You heard me right. BAM!

I drug myself into the house and told Kris and all she said was "Its ok! It can be fixed.". Always the understanding wife. I stood there hurting, frustrated and ready to climb back into bed and the person whose car I had just munched told me it was ok.

The day had its ups and downs as there are always challenges at work but as I have said before I have a great team at work. A GREAT TEAM. At the end of day I found myself doing what relaxes me the most these days, watering my yard. There is that mole but that's another story.

Parkinson's is a funny thing. The Parkinson websites say that every person with Parkinson's suffers with different challenges and everyday is different. I am finding this to be true for me and I know in talking to my cousin Sara Claire she says the same for her dad as he suffers with Parkinson's Disease. Everyday is different and everyday has its obstacles.

There are days I wake up feeling great and by 10:00 I feel awful and there are days I wake up feeling awful and by 10:00 I feel great and then there are days I am awful all day. The one thing that remains the same abut the disease is that it is never the same. I could get angry, but why? I could give up but that would be dumb there is to much to push for and I could get biter but I have so much to be joyful about. We all face situations where we are tested and we must find inside of us the truth of who we will trust and who will give our lives to as we look for hope in hard times.

Remember Job? You know the story about the guy who had everything. Let me remind you about the journey that Job had to take. Here is the readers digest version.

The book of Job is the oldest book of the bible and was written possibly by Job himself in 2100 B.C. It is an example of of faithfulness. Satan comes to God and wants to attack Job. God allows but tells satan he cannot kill Job.

Job losses all his children and his possessions his wife even tells him to curse God and commit suicide. ( I am really glad I am not married to that lady.) Job looses everything important to him including his health. He gets bad advice from his friends they even tell Job that he must have really sinned for God to attack him so bad. Yet he stays faithful to God and God blesses him with twice as much as he had before.

You see God does not give us trouble that is not how it works. Evil and sin give us trouble and God gives us love. Think about this. You have heard before that "God so loved the world that he sent his only son."  John 3:16 Take a step back and understand what God did. He sent a precious baby. That baby walked the earth telling us of God's love and faithfulness and in the end of his life on earth he was beaten, whipped and  had to crawl through the streets with a cross on his back. At this point anyone of us would be in critical condition but Jesus must endure even more. He is nailed to that cross and then spends the remainder of his life trying to breath under the weight of his own body hanging on that cross. Then the soldiers, who were very good at their work, stick a shard spear into Jesus and blood and water come pouring out. That water and blood, as medical science says today, must have been from the sack of his heart.

Its not over. Then he goes to fight the devil and then comes back to earth to show us he is alive and waiting for us. NOW THAT IS LOVE! I cannot imagine someone loving me that much but he does and he loves you that much too.

So I had a bad day Thursday. Looks like a cake walk compared to Job and Jesus but in the end the love God gives Jesus and Job is the same love he gives me and you. A love that overcomes all things. We may not always understand why bad things happen but in the end it is all for the glory of God.

So whom Shall I fear? Better yet what shall I fear? How will I survive? Where shall I turn when the road gets difficult? The answers to all these questions are easy. I shall fear no evil or pain or road blocks. I will survive by leaning on my family and friends. Finally, I do not know where this will all take me or where I am going but I know whom I shall turn to. God. He is always with with as I make My Journey.

God Loves You and So Do I.

Laughter is the best medicine. I love to make others laugh.

          

Here is the best meds for me. Safe in the arms of love. My family is my  all and that lady who is always there to hold me in her arms She is my rock.

I've spent my life looking for you
Finding my way wasn't easy to do
I know there was your all the while
And its been worth every mile

So lay down beside me
Love me and hide me
Kiss all the hurting of this world away
Hold me so close that I feel your heartbeat
And don't ever wander away

Mornings and evenings all were the same
And there was no music till I heard your name
But I knew when I saw you smile
Now I can rest for awhile

So lay down beside me
Love me and hide me
Kiss all the hurting of this world away
Hold me so close that I feel your heartbeat
And don't ever wander away

And don't ever wander away......

The Companion Who Carries Me

My wedding day could not be any clearer then if it had happened today. In fact, it is probably better that it happened 27 years ago because I can remember things form then and not information from today. There she was right in front of me, the most amazing woman in the world and I had just promised to be with her through all the good all the bad and all the ugly. Yes even bad hair days and there have been a few of those.

Little did we know that the first 10 years of our marriage would be so full of so many wonderful mountain and so many difficult valleys. Not for our relationship, in fact our relationship only grew stronger because of the challenges. In 10 years we lost both Krishna's parents, a dear friend and I had brain and spine surgery. It was also 10 years that saw 2 babies born and so much joy added to our lives.

For my wife Krishna these times must have been a major challenge as she was forced to say farewell to parents, hello to babies and then watch as I went through my medical troubles. She was asked once how she survived and she simply said "God!" That's my girl.

That was many years ago and today life is different. The kids are older, one in college, one going into the Police Academy and one a 15 year old social butter fly. They are  the center of universe for Kris and I and we love all the challenges bring.

It is no secret that My Journey is different now then it was all those years ago but really it is the same. Back then I had head aches, dizzy spells and trouble walking. Today I have headaches, body aches, trouble walking, shaking and memory loss. Its kind of different except one thing....GOD!

Two nights ago Krishna came to me after reading my blog. She had big crocodile tears on her checks and she just softly said "This illness will not go away will it?" You see all those years ago with my past medical there was the surgery to improve things and possibly make it all go away but with Parkinson's there is no REAL solution.

She said I was reading that this will be with us forever and I am scared. I simply replied "I am not." I have an ace in the hole I have you and God. I have a blessing in that God made me a partner that is willing to travel this journey. In fact I even said to Kris "Do you want out?' Of course she looked at me with those beautiful eyes and said "NO WAY!'

Too often we forget about all those impacted when someone is given a challenge like cancer, Parkinson's or whatever life may serve up. Everyday I have people say "How are you today?" " How do you feel today'" But often we forget to check on the others impacted by the struggles. The family members. We must remember when we pray for those in need that we pray for all those around them as well. I feel when I am being prayed for and it helps but that night I realized when I pray for a friend in need I need to also pray for their support team of family and friends.

I have an amazing support team but they need to be lifted up as well because caring for me and putting up with me can be a challenge of its own. These friends and family need to be carried on their journey as well. The journey that have chosen to take with me is the journey of their life that needs Gods love and support.

Here is the other part......

You know for years I have lived very carefully. No jumping, lifting, running, hoping, skipping, swinging, the list goes on forever. The doctors say it will make you hurt, could cause more damage and it may shorten your life. Yesterday I was asked to go to the lake with Mike and Maria Hines. Mike and Maria are friends that watch over us, laugh with us, cry with us and understand that I am not perfect.

I just realized some out there may not have known that I am not perfect. SURPRISE!!!!!!

Anyway as I am sitting on the boat for a day planned watching other people swim, jump and tube I thought wait a minute. I can set here in the heat and watch everyone have fun and tonight I will hurt. Tomorrow I will hurt. It will never end. Then it hit me.

I cant die and go to heaven if I haven't lived!

Then I remembered this verse.

Then I jumped into the cool water of the lake. I even rode the tube for about 20 minutes. Yes I hurt last night, I hurt today and I will hurt tomorrow but I lived.

 We call it Olympic synchronized downhill boat gymnastics. It felt good to laugh, it felt good to fall down and know that even though I would be hurting I lived. And my kids had a moment with Dad of laughter and fun.  

So the road may take us through valleys and onto mountain tops. Heck some days it takes us right through the middle of a lake but guess what? God is there in all those places wet or dry hurting or not he is there to carry you and love you and yes keep you from drowning in all that life gives you and your traveling companions. So tonight when you pray, pray for those on the journey with you and with me. All those family and friends who are facing the struggle with us for they make life worth living.

But mostly I ask that you pray for these feet. the big ones and the little ones too. For those little feet next to me belong to a woman with an amazing heart and those little feet carry a big load each day when I am making "My Journey."

God Loves you and so do I. 

Our Challenging Journey

Its a hot July evening at 5:00 and my Dad has just gotten home from a long week of work and we are ready to go. Yes the trip is about to begin he has worked all day in the heat and now we are all ready to make a trip to see relatives in the far away place called Oregon. As we scramble to load bags of clothes and pillows and blankets into the car we are full of giggles and excitement but I am sure Dad must be tired.

Soon the Pontiac is loaded and while the sun shines mom reads to us one of many books she will read over the years. As darkness settles into the car so does the realization that there are a lot of people crammed into this vehicle. The night is sultry and in the distance a storm is brewing. As lightening flashes we move through the night headed to our destination and not knowing what lies ahead of us.

Every journey was different. Some went smoothly and others may have a flat tire, road side repair or someone always needing a rest stop. There were hungry kids to feed, diapers to change and naps to be taken. But we made it from one point to the next without major incident because God was our captain.

I spoke about this the other day with Noah but think about all the journeys we take in our life. Often we pray at the start for safety, pray for protection in times of trouble but most often we forget to thank God for his protection after we arrive safe. Each journey starts differently and ends differently. Some can be just a day journey while others can last a whole life time time in the end we look back and can say "Thank God I made it."

One of the great metaphors of the Bible is “the journey.” The Bible is filled with journey upon journey. From Genesis to Revelation, Scripture is full of people on the move.  Moses moves for many years on a journey, until his people make it to the Promised Land. Many generations later, Abraham’s descendants journey from slavery and oppression in Egypt into the land of Israel. David travels to defeat Goliath.

Joseph and Mary journey to Bethlehem for what will become a journey that we will all remember. The wise men will journey to meet the new savior and then they will journey in the middle of the night to avoid the King so they can protect the baby Jesus. Then Joseph and Mary will take their child in the cover of darkness to Egypt and then to Israel and then to Nazareth. The journey for Jesus will never really end for his love for us carries him from village to village sharing Gods love.

It is interesting to me that all these years later My Journey touches their journeys and yours and the journey of others and eventually we are walking step by step  with each other.  It is fascinating really how we talk of journeys that took place and journeys yet to come.

Jesus's journey was more then just a walk about, it was a journey of love and understanding. It is a journey of a child sent from his father to live in the flesh only to be crucified and carry our sins away and save our souls so that you and I can enjoy eternity.

Like many of our journeys it had its bad days and good days. Think of this, My Journey has had some very rocky roads as has many of yours. But we have had some great adventures. Along the way we get battered and bruised and in the end we may look different. I wasn't born with grey hair, bad hearing, a bad back and Parkinson's. Sometimes I look like a prize fighter but often I look like I have been drug through the rubble of a rock quarry. We all do.

Think of Christs last journey. There he is hanging on a cross. He is bloodied from the beating he has taken. His body is a mess and the pain must be beyond our comprehension. But God looks down and he does not see the body covered in blood and broken but instead he can see the soul of a man and that soul, that heart is beautiful.

So today you may feel broken. You make look in the mirror and think "man I need to lose a few pounds" or you may be bent over with a bad back. Your body may be weak from fighting a disease or you may just be tired and worn out. God doesn't look at all of that. He is not judging any of that and we should not either.

When God looks down he wants to see a loving well exercised heart. He wants to see a glowing soul that even when you have made mistakes and faltered you started your journey over and tried again and you have forgiven others. You have loved those who are the hardest to love.

You see all the journeys and flat tires and souvenirs we collect along the way mean nothing if we forget to collect memories of love, kindness and forgiveness. They mean nothing if we forget to travel with God instead trying to do it our own way. OUR WAY DOES NOT WORK!

So tomorrow you will start a new journey and you should invite God along for the ride. This time however ask him to drive. This time ask him to pick the radio station. This time remember to thank him for the blessings from the start to the end. Remember bad things will still happen but with God the lesson will be of value and your soul in the end will be happier that he carried your load.

We all to travel through this life but remember so did Jesus and he made it. We have the same power in us that he had in him. I have that same power in me and each day I will carry it with me as I make "My Journey."

God Loves you and So do I!

The Captain Of My Ship

As a kid we lived in what seemed to be the middle of no where and the middle of paradise. We had the whole world to run free in. There was Grandpa's Ranch, the old golf course,  the trails to the mountain and of course the banks of so many creeks empty and full. As the cool school days of April turned to the warm days of May a kid can get pretty restless. I would sit in class and watch the hand of the clock crawl to a slow motion. So slow it seemed like it was going back wards. Then June would arrive and soon the long days of July and the dog days of August would finally come. 

We hit the outdoors before the sun and only come home long after mom turned on the porch light. There was so much to do and see and explore. It never got old especially when you have your brothers and trusty old lab cocoa by your side. We built forts in the trees, played war, tracked the wild animals like a mountain man and fished every chance we got. Late in the summer the black berries hung sweet and no matter how many times the thorns attacked us we still came home with black hands and faces from eating our fill of natures delicious fruit.

The best part of our childhood was when we got our great ideas to be creative. I remember one hot summer day we were bored and decided we should build a raft just like Huck and Tom and we could sail it in our moms Koa pond. We had seen big ships float so no worries about how big it might be we knew it would float. So we gathered railroad ties, old ply wood and a ton of 16 penny nails to build the greatest raft that would ever set sail in that pond. I did not know much about physics, engineering or construction but it looked good.

The biggest challenge was getting to the pond. Talk about heavy. Once we got it on the bank my brother decided he would push it real hard and I would jump on to keep it steady. Great plan! So he pushed, I jumped and I sunk! As I sunk I looked at my brother and he had that You are such an idiot look on his face. There I went me and HMS Hamilton sinking in dirty water and deep black mud that sat on the bottom of the pond. So much for cool and refreshing. 

It took many years to try and figure our what went wrong after all Noah built a bigger boat and filled it with every animal under the sun and it floated. But you have to think Noah had a better boat designer, leader and spiritual designer. I had a brother that looked at me like I was crazy. I love that look. He still gives it to me all the time.

Think about this the world was over run by wicked people. The entire population was evil and wicked and people were robbing each other, being rude and and some men no longer opened doors for woman. It was awful. Some people even were texting while they were driving. God looked down and thought this has got to stop! 

But God found favor in Noah. Noah was man that was well over 500 year old and he was to tired to be wicked and the whole texting thing??? Noah did not even have a cell phone. So God called out to Noah. That had to be scary There Noah was sitting in the patio drinking lemonade and a booming voice calls out to him. At first he thought I already took out the trash what can she possibly need now?' But then Noah realized it was a real big voice. 

So God said to Noah, "I am going to put an end to all the people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both of them and the earth. So make yourself an ark of Cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out. This is how it should be built: The ark is to be 300 cubits long, and 50 cubits wide and 30 cubits high. Make a roof for it, leaving below the roof an opening one cubit high all around. Put a door in the side of ark and make a lower, middle and upper decks. I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth and destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish. But I will establish a covenant with you, and you will enter the ark-you and your sons and your wife and your sons wives with you. You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you. Two of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and every kind of creature that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive. You are to take every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away for you and them."

God asked Noah if he had any questions and Noah said yes 2:

1. Are you sure about this?

2. What is a cubit?

Well God was sure about it and Noah set out for the next 120 years getting ready for the storm. I built a boat in a few hours and it sunk and I ended up stinky and muddy. I am sure Noah had many hard days and I bet the towns people thought he was crazy. Imagine how lonely, scared and worried Noah was but he kept his focus on God and he trusted him. I sure there days he was muddy and wet but Noah was a faithful man.

We all know what happened next. It rained! It really rained. God rained down and all things under heaven was destroyed. But in the end God sent a rainbow to remind us he loves us. This is a story of how God really loves us. I know that may sound crazy to some because God destroyed the earth but he did it because he wanted us to be reminded that we need to turn away from evil and trust in him. In all we do we should seek him and his wisdom and guidance. 

You know I started this Blog My Journey to talk about Parkinson's and each day I am reminded that without God My Journey would be a horrible road trip. Take today, I woke up in awful pain. I had not slept much, my body ached and my medicine only made me gag all morning. I could not miss work after all it was the first day of school and I LOVE those kids at my school. They give me energy and hope to fight this battle. I felt like I was in a lonely dark place and I have to admit a little frightened. But remember how Noah must have felt?

What could I do? I laid it all at the cross and asked God to place his shield in front of me. AND HE DID. Was it easy? NO! But it was easier. Why Because I am so loved by an amazing God. I have an amazing support system of family, friends and co workers. Isn't life absolutely AMAZING!

You see everyday we can build a ship that sinks and we can look like an idiot or we can build a ship and have it sink and say "Thank God I did not drowned'. We must remember that in our life there are dark days and there are muddy waters but God is with us.

So tomorrow you might get muddy. But ask God to sail with you and as you do look for me because I will be making my way along the rivers of life and my captain will be God. I will be watching for his promise in the rainbow. He promises to always be there and he is leading the way for me as I make "My Journey."

GOD LOVES YOU AND SO DO I!

Peace Be with you!