Second Week of Advent - Thursday

Only one who truly knows the Lord could pen words such as these.

Psalm 145

King James Version (KJV)

¹I will extol thee, my God, O king; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever.

²Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever.

³Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable.

⁴One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts.

⁵I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works.

⁶And men shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts: and I will declare thy greatness.

⁷They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness, and shall sing of thy righteousness.

⁸The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.

⁹The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.

¹⁰All thy works shall praise thee, O LORD; and thy saints shall bless thee.

¹¹They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power;

¹²To make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his kingdom.

¹³Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations.

¹⁴The LORD upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down.

¹⁵The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season.

¹⁶Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing.

¹⁷The LORD is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works.

¹⁸The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.

¹⁹He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them.

²⁰The LORD preserveth all them that love him: but all the wicked will he destroy.

²¹My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD: and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever.

Lord, Thank You for giving us men such as David. Thank you for giving them the ability to express to us their deep love and understanding that they have of You. I pry that I too may share in their love and understanding of You and Your ways. Amen. - DD

Second Week of Advent - Wednesday

Today's headlines constantly refer to the fossil fuels provide to us by the Earth upon which we live. Whether it be coal from Pennsylvania and West Virginia, oil from Alaska and the Gulf of Mexico or the numerous natural gas fields found far and wide, it is where we get our strength to carry out our daily activities. The food grown by the American farmer or cattlemen fill our store, freezers and plates with high protein nurishment. All this only fuels and feeds the carnal. Man is a spiritual being. One made in God's image. Where does the fuel for that come from? Read on as the prophet Isaiah has something to say about it.

Isaiah 40:25-31

King James Version (KJV)

²⁵To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One.

²⁶Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth.

²⁷Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from the LORD, and my judgment is passed over from my God?

²⁸Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.

²⁹He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.

³⁰Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:

³¹But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Have you ever seen an eagle soar in a clear blue sky? Your eye catches this massive bird soaring effortlessly at what seems to be just above your reach. Then without the appearance of any spent energy an invisible force places itself beneath the wings of the bird and it spirals towards the heavens. Our eyes squint as the form of a bird changes to a dark spot, then to a dot and eventually to a shape that plays tricks with your eyes until you realize it is not there any longer. What kind of force can accomplish this?

When I was young I ran to stay fit. There was much pleasure to be garnered from this activity. As I ran I would reach a point where it became effortless to continue or so it would seem. Soon the muscles would tire and the lungs begin to labor for more and more air. Then it would be over and what seemed to be a pleasure became something that made me tired and weary.

Today the Lord is telling me that if I wait upon the Lord I will run and not grow weary. My strength will be made new and He will lift me up in the same way that He lifts the eagle, taking me to new and unseen heights.

God will supply the power and strength that I need if I just wait upon Him. Pretty simple. Pretty smart.

Thank you Lord for this promise. Thank you for this gift. May I always be found grateful and using it in your name. Amen - DD

Second Week of Advent - Tuesday

In today's society it is difficult to reflect upon shepherds and their relationship with their sheep. Shepherds spent so much time tending their flocks that they would become very familiar with their sheep. They would have names for their sheep not unlike those who in our times have names for the whales or sharks or gorillas that they study. They would know the sheep's tendencies. Each and every sheep became a thing of value to the shepherd and to the flock community. When one sheep got lost or disappeared it was extremely upsetting to the shepherd. The shepherd would do what ever it took to restore the sheep to himself. Matthew tells the story like this:

Matthew 18:12-14 King James Version (KJV)

¹²How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?

¹³And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray.

¹⁴Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.

That is how important you are to the Shepherd. That is how much He loves you.

Open our eyes Lord. Open our hearts Lord that we might realize our importance in Your eyes. Allow us to rest in that peace. Amen. - DD

Second Week of Advent - Monday

Forgive us Lord and be ours. Forgive me Lord and be mine.

Psalm 85

¹Lord, thou hast been favourable unto thy land: thou hast brought back the captivity of Jacob. ²Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou hast covered all their sin. Selah. ³Thou hast taken away all thy wrath: thou hast turned thyself from the fierceness of thine anger. ⁴Turn us, O God of our salvation, and cause thine anger toward us to cease. ⁵Wilt thou be angry with us for ever? wilt thou draw out thine anger to all generations? ⁶Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee? ⁷Shew us thy mercy, O LORD, and grant us thy salvation. ⁸I will hear what God the LORD will speak: for he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints: but let them not turn again to folly. ⁹Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear him; that glory may dwell in our land. ¹⁰Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other. ¹¹Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven. ¹²Yea, the LORD shall give that which is good; and our land shall yield her increase. ¹³Righteousness shall go before him; and shall set us in the way of his steps.

Have mercy upon me and direct me in your ways, Lord. Show me your truth. Cover me with Your righteousness, set my feet upon your path. Come quickly Lord. Amen. - DD

Second Week of Advent - Sunday

So simple but yet so complicated. A voice crying out. For who, for what? Is the voice John, the baptizer? Is it Billy Graham? Is it your pastor? Your parent, your neighbor or your spouse? It's crying out. I have heard it. Have you?

Isaiah 40:1-5

¹ Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. ² Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the LORD’s hand double for all her sins. ³ A voice of one calling:“In the wilderness prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.⁴ Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain.⁵ And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all people will see it together. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”

⁹ You who bring good news to Zion, go up on a high mountain. You who bring good news to Jerusalem, lift up your voice with a shout, lift it up, do not be afraid; say to the towns of Judah,
“Here is your God!” ¹⁰ See, the Sovereign LORD comes with power, and he rules with a mighty arm. See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him. ¹¹ He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.

Hear the voice. Listen to the crying voice. Soften your heart. Prepare the way of the Lord. He came and He is coming once again.

Father, I have heard the good news. I have heard the voice. I am comforted. The One of which the news is about IS sovereign, does come with power and rules with a mighty hand. Praise be to God. He is the shepherd and cares for His own like sheep in a flock. Prepare my heart, prepare my life for His coming. Amen - DD

First Week of Advent - Saturday

The first week of Advent hastily comes to a close today. As I continue to wait for the coming of the Christ Child my excitement is only tempered by my link to the mortal binds of time. Cast upon the essence of time itself, twenty-eight days is nothing more than the blinking of an eye. As I sit near the entrance of a twenty-eight daylong tunnel the end seems to be light years away and out of sight. Why do I feel so out of sorts?

God understand this. He understands my anxiety. He lets me know He understands it and then encourages me to be patient.

James 5:7-8

New International Version (NIV)

Patience

⁷ Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. ⁸ You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near.

I am very impatient. I live in a very impatient world. Instant gratification, that's what I want. That's what I demand. That's not what I need. God knows that. When he designed the world He did it so that His people would come to know patience. Would come to know waiting and come to know anticipation. Crops take time to grow. Seasons take months to change. New life takes time to develop before its birth.

It is only through these things, patients, waiting and anticipation that I garner a full value and love for what ever it is I long for. If I got everything the moment I wanted it, it's value to me would be cheapened. While waiting for something oft times my heart will burn with desire. That is good. Think about the last time you were away from home and could wait to get back.

It's that same desire I have now in this Advent season for the coming of the Lord. I wait and my heart burns for the Christ Child. I wait and burn for my Redeemer. As I wait, I am encouraged. Be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near.

Praise be to God for the gift of patients. For the gift of anticipation. For the gift of waiting. For without these gifts my heart would never know the joy of the eventuality. The Lord is coming and the Lord is coming back. Praise be to God. Amen - DD


Here is one of my favorite song by Rich Mullins:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_Q3vA2tuG0

So I'm waiting for You Jesus
'Cause I know that those who wait
They will mount with wings like eagles
They will run and not grow faint
They will walk and not grow weary
Their strength will be renewed
Coming from You

So I wait
I'm waiting for You
Waiting for You
So come back soon
I'm waiting for You

First Week of Advent - Friday

Today a familiar Psalm is brought into the Advent Celebration. David has such a way with words, words that flow from deep within his heart. Words like David's just are not written but are rather the fruit of a deep love for the one for which they are written. Relax now and let David's words touch you as we wait for the Christ Child.




Psalm 27
Of David.

1 The LORD is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid?

2 When the wicked advance against me to devour me,
it is my enemies and my foes who will stumble and fall.
3 Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear;
though war break out against me, even then I will be confident.

4 One thing I ask from the LORD, this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.
5 For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock.

6 Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me;
at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the LORD.

7 Hear my voice when I call, LORD; be merciful to me and answer me.
8 My heart says of you, “Seek his face!”
Your face, LORD, I will seek. 9 Do not hide your face from me, do not turn your servant away in anger; you have been my helper. Do not reject me or forsake me, God my Savior.
10 Though my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will receive me.
11 Teach me your way, LORD; lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors.
12 Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me,
spouting malicious accusations.

13 I remain confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.
14 Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.

David begins by making a statement about who the Lord is and what He means to him. Being David's light the Lord is David's everything. Without light there is only darkness and darkness is nothingness and fear. David address that when he says, "the Lord is the stronghold of my life".

David next lets us know that he is confident that because of his relationship with the Lord that he will always be protected and cared for. What peace that brings to one's soul. Right now I have two new born granddaughters and their very existence is built on the premise that someone greater than them will be there to protect them and keep them safe. I truly understand what David is speaking of when he writes these words.

Next I believe David addresses the fact that he can get in the way of the relationship he has with the Lord. He asks the Lord to be merciful, to not reject him and not to forsake him when he stumbles. He cries out for the Lord to not only stay with him but to also "teach me you way and make straight my paths". How many times I have called out with those word.

And now the Advent tie in. We will see the goodness of the Lord as we wait for His coming as the Christ Child and as the Bridegroom returning for His bride. We will be confident in His coming. His coming to our seasonal celebrations, His coming to our families, His coming to our world and most important His coming to dwell in our hearts.

Turn David's words into something powerful now by reading them to yourself again but this time read them out loud. Then do it again, louder with more conviction. Then stand up and read them out loud again. Come quickly Lord! Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD. - DD

First Week of Advent - Thursday

Today's scripture readings are ones that are very familiar to anyone who goes to church on a regular basis. I am glad that they have surfaced here during the Advent season because often what is familiar and routine is often over looked and missed. Take the time to read these words again. Then, close your eyes, relax, breath deeply putting away all of the distractions around you and read them again. However as you read them, hear them as if Jesus was sitting right there with you, looking you in the eyes speaking to you.

Matthew 7:21-27

True and False Disciples

²¹ “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. ²² Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ ²³ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

The Wise and Foolish Builders

²⁴ “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵ The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. ²⁶ But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. ²⁷ The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

Just because I know the company line doesn't make me a company person. Just because I sit in the garage doesn't make me a car. I must not only talk the talk, I must walk the walk. I must become a doer of the word. In doing that, in becoming an obedient doer, I am building my house on not only a rock but on The Rock. After coming through these past eight months of rain and storm and more rain, I have a fresh, vivid understanding of standing against the rain and what it takes to do so.

Father, as I wait for your coming, as I prepare for your presence, I thank you for your words that enable my finite mind to understand your infinite love for me. Thank you for your corrections of my ways and for the map that you provide taking me from from here to Your heart. Amen. - DD

First Week of Advent - Wednesday

Isaiah 25:6-10

New International Version (NIV)

⁶ On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare
a feast of rich food for all peoples,
a banquet of aged wine—
the best of meats and the finest of wines.
⁷ On this mountain he will destroy
the shroud that enfolds all peoples,
the sheet that covers all nations;
⁸ he will swallow up death forever.
The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears
from all faces;
he will remove his people’s disgrace
from all the earth.
The LORD has spoken.

⁹ In that day they will say,

“Surely this is our God;
we trusted in him, and he saved us.
This is the LORD, we trusted in him;
let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.”

¹⁰ The hand of the LORD will rest on this mountain;
but Moab will be trampled in their land
as straw is trampled down in the manure.

I wait for you Lord, my provider, my protector, my redeemer. I wait for you sovereign Lord who will wipe away my tears and forgive my sins. As I rejoice and am glad in Your salvation build in me a greater trust, rest your hand upon my mountain and give me peace. - DD

First Week of Advent - Tuesday

David was a "man after God's own heart".

Psalm 72
Of Solomon.

¹ Endow the king with your justice, O God,
the royal son with your righteousness.
² May he judge your people in righteousness,
your afflicted ones with justice.

³ May the mountains bring prosperity to the people,
the hills the fruit of righteousness.
⁴ May he defend the afflicted among the people
and save the children of the needy;
may he crush the oppressor.
⁵ May he endure as long as the sun,
as long as the moon, through all generations.
⁶ May he be like rain falling on a mown field,
like showers watering the earth.
⁷ In his days may the righteous flourish
and prosperity abound till the moon is no more.

⁸ May he rule from sea to sea
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
⁹ May the desert tribes bow before him
and his enemies lick the dust.
¹⁰ May the kings of Tarshish and of distant shores
bring tribute to him.
May the kings of Sheba and Seba
present him gifts.
¹¹ May all kings bow down to him
and all nations serve him.

¹² For he will deliver the needy who cry out,
the afflicted who have no one to help.
¹³ He will take pity on the weak and the needy
and save the needy from death.
¹⁴ He will rescue them from oppression and violence,
for precious is their blood in his sight.

¹⁵ Long may he live!
May gold from Sheba be given him.
May people ever pray for him
and bless him all day long.
¹⁶ May grain abound throughout the land;
on the tops of the hills may it sway.
May the crops flourish like Lebanon
and thrive like the grass of the field.
¹⁷ May his name endure forever;
may it continue as long as the sun.

Then all nations will be blessed through him,
and they will call him blessed.

¹⁸ Praise be to the LORD God, the God of Israel,
who alone does marvelous deeds.
¹⁹ Praise be to his glorious name forever;
may the whole earth be filled with his glory.
Amen and Amen.

²⁰ This concludes the prayers of David son of Jesse.

Lord Jesus, While we wait in great anticipation your coming, help us to be men and women after your own heart. Praise be to the LORD God, the God of Israel, who alone does marvelous deeds.
Praise be to his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen and Amen. - DD

First Week of Advent - Monday

Isaiah 4:2-6

The Renewal of Zion

² In that day the Branch of the LORD shall be beautiful and glorious; And the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and appealing for those of Israel who have escaped. ³ And it shall come to pass that he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy—everyone who is recorded among the living in Jerusalem. ⁴ When the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and purged the blood of Jerusalem from her midst, by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning, ⁵ then the LORD will create above every dwelling place of Mount Zion, and above her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night. For over all the glory there will be a covering. ⁶ And there will be a tabernacle for shade in the daytime from the heat, for a place of refuge, and for a shelter from storm and rain.

Reflection by Matthew Henry -
Not only the setting forth Christ's kingdom in the times of the apostles, but its enlargement by gathering the dispersed Jews into the church, is foretold. Christ is called the Branch of the Lord, being planted by his power, and flourishing to his praise. The gospel is the fruit of the Branch of the Lord; all the graces and comforts of the gospel spring from Christ. It is called the fruit of the earth, because it sprang up in this world, and was suited for the present state. It will be good evidence that we are distinguished from those merely called Israel, if we are brought to see all beauty in Christ, and holiness. As a type of this blessed day, Jerusalem should again flourish as a branch, and be blessed with the fruits of the earth. God will keep for himself a holy seed. When most of those that have a place and a name in Zion, and in Jerusalem, shall be cut off by their unbelief, some shall be left. Those only that are holy shall be left, when the Son of man shall gather out of his kingdom every thing which offends. By the judgment of God's providence, sinners were destroyed and consumed; but by the Spirit of grace they are reformed and converted. The Spirit herein acts as a Spirit of judgment, enlightening the mind, convincing the conscience; also as a Spirit of burning, quickening and strengthening the affections, and making men zealously affected in a good work. An ardent love to Christ and souls, and zeal against sin, will carry men on with resolution in endeavors to turn away ungodliness from Jacob. Every affliction serves believers as a furnace, to purify them from dross; and the convincing, enlightening, and powerful influences of the Holy Spirit, gradually root out their lusts, and render them holy as He is holy. God will protect his church, and all that belong to it. Gospel truths and ordinances are the glory of the church. Grace in the soul is the glory of it; and those that have it are kept by the power of God. But only those who are weary will seek rest; only those who are convinced that a storm is approaching, will look for shelter. Affected with a deep sense of the Divine displeasure, to which we are exposed by sin, let us at once have recourse to Jesus Christ, and thankfully accept the refuge he affords.

Father God, As we await your coming as the Christ Child and as the Groom we thank you for the trials we have that help purify us. Protect us and all that we have this day and every day. We seek your rest; we seek your shelter; we seek your refuge. Come quickly Lord Jesus. Amen -DD

The Advent Season for 2011 is upon us. How wonderful these next twenty-eight days will be. These days are pregnant with wonder, waiting, joy and redemption.

The wonder come from trying to understand why the Creator of the universe would want to take on the form of a human by entering the womb to be born of simple parents, in a poor simple land during a time of cruel, harsh rule. Why enter the world so simply into a cramped, smelly, sheep pen? To what ends does the Creator perform such an event?

"Anything worth having is worth waiting for." This has been spoken to me many times. I have in turn said it to my own and to many others many times. "Waiting" also creates in us, probably because we are mortal and physically confined and defined by time, a deep sense of urgency and anticipation. It is just as difficult for an adult to wait for the birth of his child as it is for a child to wait for his birthday year after year. What are we waiting for now? For what are you waiting?

Joy! Joy! Think about it. Joy! What causes you joy? What do you do to create joy for yourself? What do you do to create joy for others? What do you do to create joy for the Creator of the universe? How do you feel when you feel joy, unbridled, free-range, non-ending JOY? Does your heart pound? Do your cheeks become flush? Do you become light-headed? Can't sit still? I feel all that plus more.

Redeem. Redeemer. Redemption. When something is redeemed is something bought back or paid for by the original owner because it once belonged to him. It was lost, deeply desired, and then sacrificed for because it was knowed to be of great value.

Over the next 28-days I hope to share with you my thoughts on Advent and on some daily scripture readings. I'm doing this as I prepare and get ready for the coming of my Lord, Jesus the Christ. This is what Advent means to me:

First Week - Sunday - Isaiah 63:16-17, 19; 64:2-7
Passage Isaiah 63:16-19:
¹⁶For [surely] You are our Father, even though Abraham [our ancestor] does not know us and Israel (Jacob) does not acknowledge us; You, O Lord, are [still] our Father, our Redeemer from everlasting is Your name. ¹⁷O Lord, why have You made us [able] to err from Your ways and hardened our hearts to [reverential] fear of You? Return [to bless us] for Your servants' sake, the tribes of Your heritage. ¹⁹We have become [to You] like those over whom You never exercised rule, like those who were not called by Your name.

Passage Isaiah 64:2-7:
²As when fire kindles the brushwood and the fire causes the waters to boil--to make Your name known to Your adversaries, that the nations may tremble at Your presence! ³When You did terrible things which we did not expect, You came down; the mountains quaked at Your presence. ⁴For from of old no one has heard nor perceived by the ear, nor has the eye seen a God besides You, Who works and shows Himself active on behalf of him who [earnestly] waits for Him. ⁵You meet and spare him who joyfully works righteousness (uprightness and justice), [earnestly] remembering You in Your ways. Behold, You were angry, for we sinned; we have long continued in our sins [prolonging Your anger]. And shall we be saved? ⁶For we have all become like one who is unclean [ceremonially, like a leper], and all our righteousness (our best deeds of rightness and justice) is like filthy rags or a polluted garment; we all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away [far from God's favor, hurrying us toward destruction]. ⁷And no one calls on Your name and awakens and bestirs himself to take and keep hold of You; for You have hidden Your face from us and have delivered us into the [consuming] power of our iniquities.

I believe this scripture show us that God was, is and always will be. I also let's us know that our sinfulness and the separation that it causes is all a part of the plan. I also see that even though there is a gulf of separation between God and sinners, the sinner knows there is a separation and that there is still a yearning in the sinners heart in the sinners spirit to be restored with the Creator.

Heavenly Father, Help us prepare our hearts for your coming this Advent season. Make us mindfully of your desires and give us the strength to be obedient to your wishes. Amen - DD

Letting Go

Last Tuesday evening I was sitting at home doing one of my many things that I do on my computer. Ann's cell phone rang, she answered it, spoke for a while and then unexpectedly handed it to me. For me? A cell phone call for me? A cell phone call for me on Ann's phone? It's either a prank call, a son or daughter or God calling. It was God! Well, not really God directly, but rather God was using a friend to get to me.

The voice on the other end of the call was asking me to spend the next four evenings plus Sunday afternoon as "Follow Spot 2". For as often as I say "no" to folks, it's almost impossible to provide a negative response to a request such as this. So off I went.

On the surface this may seem to be a tale of me doing a good deed, helping a friend in need. God had a much deeper plan for the event. On the first rehersal we started at the top of Act Two. I was struggling with following the cue sheet and finding my actor on stage when I realized that Noah was singing a song to which I needed to listen. I made a mental note to look it up to see what it was exactly but like with most of my "mental sticky notes" it fell from the monitor of my mind and was lost.

Dress rehersal was Thursday night. I found this night to be challenging also because there were some cue changes, everyone on stage was no dressed differently, thus they were in disguise to the second night spot guy, and not everyone stood at the same spot on stage as the had the night before. On purpose or not doesn't matter to the follow spot, you can't illuminate what you can't find. I did remember to try and listen to Noah's song but was confused because the previous night Act Two was first and Act One was second. This night Act One was first and Act two was second. Overload on the synapse channels. I made another mental note to look it up to see what it was exactly all about.

Opening night things slowed down. Things seem more cohesive. Either they were or my familiarity with the show made them appear as such. As Act Two started the Holy Spirit got my attention and had me ready and primed for what I was supposed to hear. Noah started his song on the hardest part of love. It was the tune and the chorus that got my attention. The chorus spoke of not being able to close an acorn once the oak begins to grow. That gave me a really neat mental picture. After I got home I realized that this song wasn't only about Noah's relationship with his sons, it was also about the relationship between God and Noah.

Saturday night was dynomite. There was a really good, responsive audience, technical issues were minimized and the performers were at the top of their game. As Noah began his song this night God opened a book of understanding to me. The song tonight was about more than Noah and his sons. It was about more than God's relationship with Noah. It was about my relationship with my own children and about my relationship with God.

I have always said the toughest part about being a parent is to allow your children to fail. You do not set them up for failure but when you see them on a course to failure and they reject you as you try to save them from that eventuality, it's hard to step aside and let them fail. Noah's song addressed that issue head on from the position of 'letting go'. All the heartache, rejection, and pain felt as a father when this happens weighs heavily upon one's heart. That is what Noah felt, that is what I have felt. But God joins the song as a duet with Noah and suddenly I knew that He knows that same feeling.

As a loving father God has given me the free will to do as I please. He's also given me the guide book to read and follow so I know what is the chosen path. Both He and I know that I don't always choose the right path. However, He let's me go. I know this weighs heavily upon His heart and I know He knows how I feel when this happens to me as a father because He took on flesh and lived in my world, walked in my shoes so He would know that I know.

They Holy Spirit wasn't only working on me through this song as after the final curtain several other men made comments, validating comments, that they had a similar experience with the song. God took a play where some men took liberty with Biblical stories and used it to touch His own to let them know, to remind them that He is still there and that He still understands. Sure am glad I got that call and helped a friend out. - DD

THE HARDEST PART of LOVE

Noah -

Oh father please don't make me choose Either way it's more than I can bear to lose Oh this son of mine I love so well And all the toil it takes I'd give to him a garden and keep clear of snakes But the one thing he most treasures is to make his own mistakes ohhh He goes charging on the cliffs of life A reckless mountaineer I could help him not to stumble I could warn him what to fear I could shout until I'm breathless And he'd still refuse to hear ohhh

But you cannot close the acorn Once the oak begins to grow And you cannot close your heart To what it fears and needs to know That the hardest part of love Is the letting go

As a child I found a sparrow Who had fallen form the nest And I nursed him back to health till he was stronger than the rest But when I tried to hold it It would peck and scratch my chest Till I let it go And I watched it fly away from me With it's brightened self resolve And part of me was cursing I had helped it grow so strong And I feared it might go hungery and I feared it might go wrong ohhh

But I could not close the acorn Once the oak began to grow And I cannot close my heart To what it fears and needs to know That the hardest part of love

FATHER

Is the letting go

NOAH

Is the letting go

FATHER
And it's only in Eden grows a rose without a thorn And your children start to leave you On the day that they were born They will leave you there to cheer for them They will leave you there to mourn ever so Like an ark on uncharted seas their lives will be tossed And the deeper is your love for them The crueler is the cost And just when they start to find themselves Is when you fear they're lost ohhh

NOAH and FATHER

But you cannot close the acorn Once the oak begins to grow And you cannot close your heart To what it fears and needs to know

NOAH

That the hardest part of love

FATHER

And the rarest part of love

NOAH and FATHER

And the truest is part of love Is the letting go

My Crib's in the Hood but I'm Still Dealin' Good or You Really Can't Make This Stuff Up

On a recent Saturday, I put on my sweat shirt, grabbed my camera, got my wife, placed my child volunteer approval badge around my neck and set off to Cumberland Valley High School to chaperon the Bishop McDevitt Marching Bands competition trip at CV, "Echos in the Valley". The trip there, the event, the trip back; all uneventful.

I get home about 10:45, dash into the house, remove my coat and dash to the shower so that I can 1) have hot water, b) TCB before everyone else gets home and 4) sit on my recliner to unwind from the events of the first paragraph. My glass of milk, my remote and my Fios On-Demand have set the mood. I am chillin' in my crib. Everyone else returns home, showers, snacks and goes to bed. The light in my bedroom has been extinguished so I know now that I am on my own.

Sometime after midnight, maybe 12:30 Sunday morning, I hear some thing knocking at my side door. Maybe I had dozed off and it was on TV. Maybe it was the wind. Does the wind have the ability to make my side door vibrate to the tune of "Shave and a Hair Cut"? Naahhhhh! I don't think so. Anyhow, I get up and quietly sleuth across the room in the eerie blue glow of the TV to peak out to catch the wind performing it's magic. Much to my shock and amazement it wasn't the wind, it wasn't a family member and it wasn't Santa, the Tooth Fairy or the Easter Bunny. It was ...

Let me pause here because I need to try and be politically correct. I am not sure what adjective to use to describe the noun that was at my door. Should I say Negro? Should I say African-American? Should I say Black? This is the stress placed upon me as a white male in the 21st century. I am no longer comfortable referring to someone who is a homo sapien, just like me, and using their race, not as anything derogatory, but rather as a distinguishing trait that makes them more identifiable. I have decide, I am using black.

... the black girl that has been living with my neighbor for the past several weeks. As I reached for the door knob to open the door and address the crisis at hand, a thought flashed through my mind, "Holy Cow!, Dan. You're in your boxers and are about to open the door to talk to an almost stranger of the opposite sex. Just as quickly the thought was answered with, "It's my crib, I'm chillin' on my time: What you see is what you get." So I opened the door.

"Can I borrow a knife?". I didn't think the boxers were that bad looking.
I said, "What?"
She stated very matter-of-factly, "Can I borrow a knife? I came home and no one is supposed to be here. But when I got here the door was open and lights are on inside. I'm scared and I need a knife to use to search the house."

Being relieved that it wasn't the boxers and using my superior intellect knowing that one shouldn't take a knife to a gunfight, I countered with, "Why don't we call the cops?" Being white from the burbs and not possessing a rap sheet this seemed to me to be the next/most logical step in the whole process. But nooooooooooo!

"We can't call the cops! We can't call the cops! That just wouldn't work!"

I tried to explain that I would call the non-emergency number, that they would come and she could walk with them through the residence to make sure all was in order and secure.

Again it was, "We can't call the cops! We can't call the cops! That just wouldn't work! I ain't callin' no cops."

I did the most logically thing I could think of at the time. I piroeted from the door, strode proudly across my kitchen floor in my boxers, addressed the cutlery board and got the biggest knife I could find. Upon returning to my midnight visitor I handed her the knife and said, "Good luck!"

I closed the door not knowing if I'd ever see the black girl or my knife again. Oh, maybe I'd see the knife again in court but then again maybe not.

As the good Lord provides sometime around 12:45 the wind knocked on my door again to return the knife. She said all was well and that she didn't need the cops.

Never mentioned my boxers. She was probably trying to be politically correct. - DD

Recipes from Our Neighbors or You Just Can't Make This Stuff Up

This past summer the Pilgrims from St. Margaret Mary Church put together a book of their favorite recipes to sell in order to raise money to offset the cost of their World Youth Day trip. It was either a rousing success or a complete and total failure. I am not sure which. I only tell you that so that I have some sort of introduction to what I am about to write.

I found out that our good friends and neighbors have a great recipe for banana nut bread. It goes like this: go to the supermarket, buy a hand of bananas, bring them home, place them on the counter, let them ripen beyond "yellow", have neighbor Ann in, let her see the yellowish-brown bananas. At that point neighbor Ann says (like clock work), "If you aren't going to eat those brown bananas I'll make banana nut bread." At that very moment the good friend and neighbors respond, "I don't know why I buy so many bananas, no one eats them. Sure go ahead, bake the bread." Within minutes the wafting aroma of baking banana nut bread fills the neighborhood. By the following afternoon there is freshly baked banana nut bread at our good friend and neighbors house.

The story doesn't stop there. If good neighbor Ann walks in while a pot of water is boiling on your stove in the anticipation of a pound of semolina spaghetti, she will inquire about the type of sauce to be used. At this time good friend and neighbor will reply, "Oh, darn! I was supposed to get sauce and forgot!" No problem for neighbor Ann. She grabs fresh tomatoes from the garden along with supplements of crushed tomatoes from the pantry and quicker than you can say "Nuovo Vesuvio", voila, fresh, homemade sauce.

Another great recipe is to be a good neighbor and friend and show up as neighbor Ann is cleaning up after her own meal. Come into her kitchen, sit at her table and talk to her husband, neighbor Dan. Within minutes she will be offering you a plate of what ever the 'food du jour' was. If you politely decline when the unfed, hungry husband of the good friend and neighbor arrives to find his wife, he will also be offered the 'food du jour', the 'dessert du jour' and/or any and all leftovers in the Frigidaire. He eats it all and takes some along for his lunch tomorrow. Que sera, sera.

When you get right down to it, there is nothing at all wrong with these recipes. If everyone cooked this way the world would be a much better place. Glad we could be of service. -DD

PS - Upon arriving home from his annual doctors check-up, George Burns was asked, "What did the doctor have to say?" His reply, "He told me not to buy any green bananas."

The Cross and the Twin Towers - A Reflection on 9/11

Having been raised in a protestant home and having spent the first twenty-two years of my life attending a church where the Cross of Jesus was always on display, it was a big cultural difference for me when I started to attend a Roman Catholic church where the same cross was always displayed but with one dramatic difference. Jesus was still hanging on the cross in the Catholic Church. This fact and this fact alone caused a lot of turmoil in my soul as I believed that Jesus went to the cross for me but at the same time came down from the cross, rose from the dead and went to prepare a place for me in Heaven. So why did the Catholics still have Him hanging there?

Sometime in the early 1990's as I was sitting in a Navy training room minding my own business working on my computer based instruction (CBI), God provided the answer to me. A lady came in and sat down in the learning station across the aisle from me and started to work. After a short while the CBI leader came in and greeted the first lady. A chit-chat session ensure from which I tried to distance myself as I found it very irritating and interrupting of my thoughts. Suddenly, I was shaken by the Holy Spirit to stop and listen. I did not pick-up immediately what they were discussing but the conversation became riviting when the CBI-Instructor said, "It's just like the Crucifix. I hate to look at it. I mean with Jesus hanging there all beaten, and bleeding, and crushed and dying. It's just so horrible, I can't stand to look at it."

In the next instant of a thought God spoke to me saying, "That's exactly what Satan wants. He doesn't want you to look at the cross and see the Redeemer, the price paid for sin, the pain and suffering offered for you redemption. He doesn't want you to realize the cost of saving your soul or the fact that there is nothing you could ever do to garner the same results as the time spent on that cross that Friday afternoon on Calvary by the Son of God."

Wow! I had my answer. The beauty of the Crucifix is in what it represents and what it is trying to make us remember, feel and understand.

I thought of this faith lesson on the anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the United States as I have listened to many discussions over the past several days as to what we should be watching in regard to the 9/11 news reels from ten years ago. Should we watch the Twin Towers being flown into? Should we watch the falling bodies? Should we watch the Towers fall?

To each of these questions I say, "Yes". We should watch. We should also encourage our children and grand children to watch and listen to the stories of those who survived or who lost a loved one that day. Watch but do not allow the pictures to stir up hatred for those responsible. Watch rather to help us remember the price paid by the innocent that day. Watch to learn the forgiveness that needs to be present. The price those who died paid was because we are a Christian nation. We are founded upon Christianity and we are a target to those who oppose our beliefs.

Just like the Crucifix, if we remove the vision of the act from our memory we have also removed the value of the price paid from our lives.

God Bless America! -DD

Rainy Day People - That's Us

Gordan Lightfoot sang:
"Rainy day people always seem to know when it's time to call
Rainy day people don't talk, they just listen till they've heard it all
Rainy day lovers don't lie when they tell 'ya they've been down like you
Rainy day people don't mind if you're cryin' a tear or two
If you get lonely, all you really need is that rainy day love
Rainy day people all know there's no sorrow they can't rise above
Rainy day lovers don't love any others, that would not be kind
Rainy day people all know how it hangs on a piece of mind.

Rainy day lovers don't lie when they tell you, they've been down there too
Rainy day people don't mind if you're cryin' a tear or two.

Rainy day people always seem to know when you're feeling blue
High stepping strutters who land in the gutters sometimes need one too
Take it or leave it, or try to believe it
If you've been down too long

Rainy day lovers don't hide love inside they just pass it on
Rainy day lovers don't hide love inside they just pass it on."

Today Ann and I were blessed to be "Rainy Day" people. It's late now and we are tired but we are blessed. Today maybe for the first time since the end of May when I lost my job, I realized that maybe, just maybe I lost it for a specific reason and maybe that reason was to be a "rainy day people".

The day started out like most others recently. Micah and Seth left for school in the rain. Ann and I went to church to load the Equinox with donated food to deliver to the food pantry like we do the first of each month even though this month's delivery was delayed by two days because of the Labor Day weekend. It was for this reason that we missed Grandma Delp's urgent phone call saying that she could go swimming in her house even though she doesn't have a pool there.

Until we got home from our delivery and got the message water was rising rapidly in her basement and Uncle Tim was trying to "get everything up" that wasn't still up from Agnes in 1972. While in route to help out in Rutherford Jen calls and says she has 4" of water in the basement and it was rising. Help! Within minutes Grandpop reports the same thing even though it was not as deep. Help, Delp!

In order we 1) helped Tim move a washer and get everything secured, 2) provided instructions to Grandma Delp that she was to stay out of the basement, 3) she was leave the house if the water covered the washing machine that she could now see from the landing, 4) went to Grandpops house , 5) assured him that yes his carpets were wet but that he didn't have a problem, yet, 6) helped Nate set his freezer, washer, dryer and fridge up so as to keep them out of the water, 7) stopped home for 2-seconds to get a phone number to call about a pump, 8) checked our house for water, which was only seen in the fridge, in the sink and in the toilet. All places where water is normal and expected.

We met some very nice people at a plumbing supply house that we did not know existed until today. They supplied us with three pumps and many wishes of good luck in exchange for being able to use my Visa in their machine. They even helped us to the truck in the pouring rain with our pumps. Ann had a free lunch with them while we waited. The trip back to Rutherford with our pumps reminded me of one of those walks taken by the kids in the cartoon "Family Circus". We meandered all over the East Shore of Harrisburg trying to find a route from where we were to where we were going that wasn't impassable because of high water.

At our destination we hooked up the smaller of our pumps because it used a garden hose as its out-take. After a brief but frustrating battle with a window screen the pump was in action, pumping away. We were just trying the stem the tide at that point as the water was still rising. The hook up for the bigger of the pumps wasn't as easy. We had a 1 1/4" hose and a 1 1/2" fitting on the pump. To a plumber that is no obstacle but as you have read in my previous blogs, "I ain't no plumber!" Read my blog on the kitchen sink.

A trip to Lowe's then to Grandma Delp's, then to Grandpops, then to Nate's gave me time to think about what really need to be done. With enough time and with the Holy Spirit guidance one can always remember about going to R.F. Fagers plumbing supply. They know everything about plumbing and are always willing to share.

Five minutes and $6.12 later we are once again weaving our way back to Rutherford. Abracadabra, alakazam the bigger pump is put together, put in place and puttin' what is inside and should be outside, outside where it belongs flowing freely down the street. In what seem like a very short time, about the same time it takes a family of four with their Grandmother and Uncle to demolish two large pizzas and two orders of fries, the basement was emptied of standing water.

It was during the eating of the pizza that I spoke up and said that, "As bad as everyone thinks today is we really have been blessed. First Ann and I were around and available to help everyone. When we needed pumps, we got pumps, When we need fittings, we got fittings. When the water was at it's highest, we got everything working. When we needed pizza, we got pizza. We needed pizza too.

When the people who owned homes that were filling with water were down and very concerned, we were able to be there to help out and provide an encouraging word. We knew that they was nothing that we couldn't rise above no matter how daunting.

We are blessed and are glad to "pass it on". - DD

WYD in 17103 - Part 12 - Question, questions, questions? Answers!

Are you going with Ann?

You are leaving your wife go to Europe alone?

Why don't you want to go?

Will you survive at home without Ann around?

The sun has set and night has blanketed Madrid and the ones closet to me. My day started out with a call from Ann. She indeed figured it all out. That plus her inate ability to touch people by using her 'Holy Boldness' as Fr Hauf used to call it. She indeed figured it out.

Ann decided that in order to protect those with her she would get up early and leave for the final destination long before anyone else did. Now here is where the 'Holy Boldness' comes in. Ann wasn't only satisified with beating the crowd she want to get as close as she could without walking several miles in the late summer Spain heat. So, she employed her talent of talking with total strangers and making them fell like family and found a way to not only get close to the venue but she got dropped of at the main gate. Prayer and 'Holy Boldness' do indeed work. Not only did Ann, Rebecca and Micah benefit from this but the entire St Margaret Mary contingent followed along once the leader of the group saw the plan unfold and develop before her eyes. Doing this was extremely wise because when Ann called to tell me of the successful mission she said the afternoon temperature there was 45-degree Celcius. A quick math computation later reveals that it was 113-degrees there. ONE-HUNDRED-THIRTEEN, sweat producing, skin burning, strength zapping, clothes soaking, rash creating, uncomfortable, down right nasty and unbearable degrees. The people in charge were spraying the crowd with fire hoses. In less than an hours time everyone was dry and looking for more. Ann et el took their umbrellas with them in case of rain. She said they were using them to create shade. For those of you who thought I married her just for her beauty, think again!

Back to the questions that to this time I have not answered. It's obvious that I am not did not and never wanted to go with Ann to WYD. Travel like that just isn't me. Nor for me. Doesn't mean I wouldn't or couldn't do it some time in the future, I just can't imagine the circumstance that would stir me to do it.

Yes and no to the leaving Ann go alone. Yes because I know how much she wanted to go to something like this. Ann never asked to go nor did she say, "I'm going." When I heard the youth group was going via the diocese, I said, "If you ever want to do something like this, now is the time." The rest as they say is history. So she wouldn't be alone I saw to it that Rebecca and Micah were along also.

Why don't you want to go? I have a real tough time being strapped inside a cylindrical tube and sent zipping through the upper levels of the Earth's atmosphere at hundreds of miles per hour to get anywhere. The only exception I'll make to that is if God says that's how He's transporting me to Heaven then I'm in. Until then I'll blog from 17103. When my brother heard about the trip he deadpanned, "That's along way to go just to go to church." He also reminded us that there is a KFC and a Burger King within 2-miles of our house. They did not have to go to Madrid for a leg, a wing, a breast and two sides or a Whooper with fries. Sort of how I feel too.

I did survive without Ann being home. It wasn't easy. All those things that she does that were left for me to do or were left to go undone are more meaningful, more noticeable and more appreciated than ever before. Seth and I have gotten along wonderfully these past two weeks. Even at that he is showing signs of missing Micah and Ann. The thing I missed most was her presence. Just being there. That feeling of closeness when she'll just come in and sit while we watch a ball game. The joy of sharing a trip for coffee, trekking to the grocery store or mowing a lawn together.

As mentioned before I have come to understand the perfect plan God has for us within the marriage covennent. The labor required to have a home, raise a family or parent your parents is greatly reduced and much easier to share when there are two of you pulling together. Not just two random people but a man and a woman committed to each other and to each others dreams and desires.

I am glad she went but gladder still that she's coming home. - DD

WYD in 17103 - Part 11 - A Routine Day and Three Sleeps to Go

The boys got home from the Phillies game at 1:15 this morning. Thought I'd be Super Dad by letting Seth sleep in. I got up and went to walk Duke-the-dog. That's two times in a row for those keeping score at home. So after completing my dog duties I went to Mickey D's for my senior coffee. A stop for donuts and then back home to wait for Seth to get up. Surprise, surprise, surprise! Seth is up and greets me with, "Where were you?"

So we eat breakfast, read the paper and did two loads of wash. Then it was off to continue the yard cleanup I started yesterday. Cut, drag, load and its off to the dump. After dropping Seth off at home I went to the farmers market for fresh corn, followed by a stop at the bank.

Then the August thunderstorms rolled in. At 5 o'clock I went to the flea market. Dropped off five bags brought home one.

Because I stopped for pizza on the way home I missed Ann's call. I have been concerned because the daytime temps have been close to 100-degrees each day. Tomorrow they have to hike 8-miles to where the closing Mass will take place. Ann did assuage my fears when she called back by telling me they could get within two miles by taking the Metro. This then became a problem because both Becca and Micah have been minding the crush of the crowds, especially in the Metro. Just like their dad does. Prayer is answered because Ann figured out that the three of them would go on the Metro hours before everyone else and be there early. Since she has a special pass and not because she is related to me, even though she could mention my name if need be, she can get on the grounds early. This will all work out for them, I know.

Friday night, Saturday night, the Sunday night. Three sleeps until the day comes when they will be returned to us here in 17103. - DD

WYD in 17103 - Part 10 - Tempus Fugit!

I'm supposed to be in Philadelphia at a Phillie's game right now but I'm not. The replacement for our dog watching duties is at the Phillie's game and the replacement's replacement is in western Pennsylvania. So two different people benefited from this snafu. First my son Mark got to go in my place. Second, Duke had the privilege of having me take him for his walk. I actually picked up after him which is an amazing feat. Each time I had to stoop to pick up, I just imagined I was gathering Spanish doubloons in the white sands of Bermuda. Additionally it's nice to see my boys all get together and enjoy the company of each other at a ball game.

The game just went to a delay because of sever thunder storms in Philadelphia. Possibly 3 inches of rain per hour. Stay dry guys.

Got grandpop's drivers license renewed today. Everything went smoothly for us. He was as happy as a pig in mud. His license is good for four years. He said he'll be 94-years old when we have to do this again. That's the 'tude, dude!

Seth went to McDevitt orientation today. Came home with a detention. What a start to high school. He was supposed to be done at 11:15. I was running late coming home from PennDOT and when I hadn't heard from him by 11:30 and since he wasn't waiting for me at home I called him. His phone rang in one of their late running activities and he got a detention. They were just toying with him and Seth laughed about it.

Picked up a very substantial yard clean-up from a former client this afternoon. Spent 3-hours there this afternoon and only scratched the surface. I'll have plenty to do on this for several days.

The hours between now and Monday evening are still many but are dwindling rapidly. I can tell that all are having a great time but like the cool evenings, painted skys, and shorter days of September that whispers that autumn is on it's way, I can tell they are all looking forward to the return trip home.

My prayer is to have them return safely from Europe, the Phillie's fans return home safely from the ballgame and to be here myself to take Grandpop for his next drivers license picture. - DD