Life Verse:

"...I have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly." -- JESUS in John 10:10

Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Hiking Mountain Creek - New Year's Eve 2013


Hike: Mountain Creek, Tuesday, 12/31/2013, 09:45-11:30CST
Distance: 4.5 miles  Rating:  4/5  
Difficulty: Easy
Conditions: Overcast.  Sun trying to peek through.  Wind light.  Temp: low to mid 40s.  Felt cooler than yesterday.  Trails wet and muddy in spots from recent rains.

Thoughts/Observations:
Quiet and peaceful today.  Observed one gray squirrel and several cardinals.  Forgot to add the SD card to my camera... so the only photo is from my cell phone.

Today was my first hike at Mountain Creek since early June.  The trails have been widened in spots (fire breaks I guess) and the new reconstruction of a Confederate enlisted men barracks is complete.  (It looks impressive.)


Verse for today:

The earth is the Lord's, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein. 2 For He has founded it upon the seas, And established it upon the waters.
Psalms 24:1-2 (NKJV)

Monday, December 30, 2013

Hiking Swayback - 12/30/2013 - "And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands"




31 Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; And let them say among the nations, "The Lord reigns." 32 Let the sea roar, and all its fullness; Let the field rejoice, and all that is in it. 33 Then the trees of the woods shall rejoice before the Lord,
1 Chron 16:31-33 (NKJV)

12 "For you shall go out with joy, And be led out with peace; The mountains and the hills Shall break forth into singing before you, And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
Isaiah 55:12 (NKJV)

When thru the woods
And forest glades I wander
And hear the birds
Sing sweetly in the trees
When I look down
From lofty mountain grandeur
And hear the brook
And feel the gentle breeze

Then sings my soul
My Savior God to Thee
How great Thou art
How great Thou art
Then sings my soul
My Savior God to Thee
How great Thou art
How great Thou art

Hike:  Portions of Black & Red Trails, Swayback Bridge Trail of Legends, Monday, 12/30/2013, 10:00-12:00 CST
Distance: 5 miles  Rating: 5/5
Difficulty: Easy
Conditions: Overcast (little to no sun showing through).  Mid to Upper 40s.  Calm.  Trails wet and muddy from recent rains.

Thoughts:
 
It has been a while, much too long, since I was out on the trail, hiking.  So much interference and conflict the last several months have taken their toll.  Except for a short hike in mid-November, this is the first time I have been on the trail since hiking with Diane and Robert in the Witchita National Wildlife Refuge back in September!  I knew I needed it -- I just did not realize how much.

13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you, says the Lord... Jer 29:13-14 (NKJV)

A few things I learned today on the trail... I think I already knew this (at least in my head).  Heart knowledge though is a little better...

(1) GOD answers prayers.  HE shows up!  HE will be found when we earnestly seek HIM.
(2) I have got to guard my time with HIM better in 2014 than I did in 2013.
(3) I need these quiet hikes in the woods with HIM as much as I need air, water, or food.
(4) When we face difficulties, conflicts, and disappointments, HE is the answer!

Happy New Year!

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

The Age-Old Quest for Power (Excerpt from WND)

Well said... well said, indeed!  (lwt)

THE INCARNATION

The age-old quest for power

Exclusive: Scott Morefield spotlights choices of Frodo, Geo. Washington, Jesus Christ

Published: 2 days ago

By Scott Morefield

J.R.R. Tolkien tells the tale of a ring so powerful that, should it fall into the wrong hands, the world would plunge into darkness. Lost underground for ages, it finally made its way into the hands of a noble young hobbit, Frodo Baggins, charged with delivering it to the only place where it could be destroyed, the fires of Mount Doom. His epic journey there and the help he received is a classic story for the ages. Before Gollum's greed eventually sealed his own and the ring's destruction, the ring of power, which had destroyed so many, even almost consumed brave Frodo in the end.

History tells of a man who rose to become president of a great young republic, yet, when offered the chance to continue his run of power, declined. George Washington, who once famously said, "I had rather be on my farm than be emperor of the world," retired quietly to his Virginia farm, sadly but all too correctly predicting that, "unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government."

Little did Washington know how right he would be, that, hard as he and his fellow founders tried to create a constitutional system of government full of the checks and balances meant to protect against the tyranny common in seemingly all other nations, thanks to the inevitable and all-too-human lust for power and control it would only take a couple of hundred years for their vision of a limited government of and by the people to fall apart.

Power is, indeed, a scary thing. From politicians, to business executives, to fast-food shift managers, most everyone wants more than they already have – until the thirst and lust for it becomes unquenchable, a black hole on the souls of those who allow it to consume them. Frodo, like so many others in fictional Middle Earth, succumbed. Washington avoided the siren's call, but he is one of the few in history. Most who obtain power, whether through revolution, war, heredity, riches, or elections, tenaciously hold onto it until death or military or electoral defeat. Few wield it nobly or responsibly.

Sadly, those who long for power over others gravitate to positions where they can obtain and exercise it, often in tyrannical ways. From the evil kings, generals and dictators of old to the Communism and Nazism of the past century, history is filled with mass murderers who committed their crimes under cover of State, often in the name of the public good. Sadly, there was no Frodo to carry their rings of power to Mount Doom.

But, there is hope. The Bible tells of someone who had more power than any of us could ever imagine, the power to create and destroy stars, planets and entire universes. And yet, He was willing to give up all that power to humble Himself, to become a lowly man like us.

Born of a common woman, placed in a stable's animal feed trough, worshiped by the lowest of the low summoned from their sheep-watching duties, the surroundings of the King of Kings was conspicuously absent any "kingly" trappings. He grew up a carpenter's son in a town, Nazareth, known for producing nothing of value (John 1:46). He was reviled and persecuted, eventually suffering the most humiliating and painful death mankind could dream to do to his fellow man.

Hanging on that cross, the blood dripping from his body, Jesus Christ, the Creator of the universe, the Lord of everything, the Prince of Peace could have called ten thousand angels to destroy those who stood and mocked him. At any time, he could have asked the Father for the power He willingly gave up, but He didn't. Instead, He rose again on the third day so those of us who believe on Him could one day be with Him for eternity.

On this Christmas Day, the day Christians celebrate our Savior's birth despite the tenacious efforts of a society determined to forget, in a world where mankind has completely abused the power we have been given, might the answer to our problems be to emulate, not banish, the One who willingly gave up all His power for a creation in dire need of a Savior?

"It is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favors." (George Washington­)


Scott Morefield's articles have appeared on WND, Natural News, Infowars, Liberty Crier and many other sites, including A Morefield Life, where he and his wife, Kim, share their marriage and parenting journey. They and their four small children aspire to liberty in the hills of east Tennessee.

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Friday, December 13, 2013

Fwd: The Geminid Meteor Shower is Underway



Space Weather News for Dec. 12, 2013
http://spaceweather.com

GEMINID METEOR SHOWER:  Earth is entering a stream of debris from "rock comet" 3200 Phaethon, source of the annual Geminid meteor shower.  Last night, NASA cameras recorded more than a dozen fireballs over the USA.  Geminid activity should remain relatively high for the next three or four nights, with a peak expected on Dec. 13-14.  Check http://spaceweather.com for more information and observing tips.

GEOMAGNETIC STORM:  On Dec. 7th, a solar wind stream hit Earth's magnetic field, sparking an unexpected geomagnetic storm and Northern Lights over several US states. Did you miss it?  Auroras alerts are available from http://spaceweathertext.com (text) and http://spaceweatherphone.com (voice).

You are subscribed to the Space Weather mailing list, a free service of Spaceweather.com: http://spaceweather.com/services/ .

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"...I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." -- JESUS, John 10:10b NKJV


myblog: http://pastorlarry.blogspot.com