A RIDDLE OF TIME: PONDERINGS OF THE PANDEMIC:

IN THIS TOGETHER!

WHAT ARE WE MOSTLY OBLIVIOUS OF? AND IT INCREASES WITH AGE!

We write lists to remind ourselves of lots of things:

1.       TO DO list for today.                                              

2.       TO DO list for this week.

3.       TO DO list for next week … next month … year …

4.       TO DO list for “When I get around TO IT.”

Have you ever received a “wooden nickel” that said “TO IT”? Well, I have.

With all that’s being said about the coronavirus we are reminded of our age.

We were most aware of our age before we turned 21—as in “When I’m 5, I can go to Kindergarten!”

Or “When I’m 12, I can ride the roller coaster at the theme park!”

And “When I’m 16, I can drive.”

“When I’m 18 (nowadays), I can vote.”                                  

And a new, kinda scary one is “When I’m 26, I can’t continue on my parents’ insurance policy.”

Adults don’t really notice another birthday much—unless you’re turning over the calendar to a number with a BIG ZERO in it. Coming up on 30, there were all those suggestions that we were not young anymore. “Over the Hill” party décor for your unkind family and friends to laughingly feature in the celebration.

Being both practical and positive, I chose to come up with my own refrain for my approaching Thirtieth. “Yea! I won’t be doing everything for the first time any more!” These are three of the fearsome firsts that come to mind: buying a car, buying a house, dealing with a car mechanic.

The comedian Jack Benny avoided being 40 for several decades by sheer denial. I chose to embrace 40 with this denial: “I’m not getting older, I’m getting better!” I was at least better at dealing with car mechanics.

When the 50th rolled around, it became more difficult to claim youth, but my motto became “I’m not just getting older; I’m getting wiser.”

At 60, a whole new era of possibilities opened up. With fewer responsibilities tying me in one place, my motto became “I’m older with so . many . new . opportunities!”

So, what’s happening with the pandemic?

They’re reminding me I’m not as young as I used to be.

They’re reminding me I am not as young as I think I am.

They’re reminding me, I am in the ‘at risk’ category.

But I still say, “When I grow up, I want to be just like my 91-year-old friend!

And for now, I’m putting my feet up and reading a book.

Check out my books here for yourself. And enjoy!

HELLO FROM TENNESSEE!

Well, hello from Tennessee—Davy Crockett country, hero of the Texas Alamo. Thank you, Tennessee!

We are enjoying the hospitality at Nashville’s Gaylord/Opryland for the National Religious Broadcasters Convention.

There’s a book signing for The Star Namer and the Unchosen and appointments for interviews already scheduled this week to talk to folks in the industry--thanks to Joni Sullivan-Baker, my favorite publicist.

The working title of my newest book was “The Archer,” and an archer is pictured on the cover. I’m signing with my motto for this year: “Aim Higher!”

More later as things develop and time permits.

Have a blessed day and give God the glory!

"When the tyrant king marches to miraculous defeat, his sadistic son grabs power until a band of unlikely heroes led by the seventeen-year-old son of the master potter rescues the good people of pre-Israelite Jerusalem."

Baptisms and Mine Fields

Near the north end of the Dead Sea is a new site not available to us in 2010. (A re-post from 2017.)

Our family “floating” in the Dead Sea.

In 2010 we visited a Jordan River baptism site at the point where the out-flow of the Sea of Galilee entered the Jordan River. At the time we were told this most northern point of the Jordan River was the only part accessible to tourists to Israel. The rest of the river all the way to the Dead Sea was in a military zone–and there was hardly any water in it due to agricultural use. The new baptism site we went to in June 2017 is near the Dead Sea.

It seems evident to me that Israelis saw great value in building a tourist site available for Christian baptisms closer to the actual site of Jesus’ baptism in the gospels.

I do not know the process or negotiations that took place between the Palestinians, the Jordanians and themselves, but Israelis spent a great amount of money to provide this place and the accessibility at Bethabara. Scott Stripling, our tour guide and dig director at Shiloh, translated the name as “the house of crossing.,” It is on the western bank of the Jordan River. The country of Jordan is across the Jordan River to the east.

The western bank is in the territory of the Palestinians known, logically, as The West Bank.

Beside the road down to the baptism site of Bethabara.in the West Bank near Jericho.

In 2010, we were told the western bank of the Jordan River from the most southern point of the Sea of Galilee was a Palestinian military zone off-limits to Israelis and tourists. We saw this area labelled DANGER, MINES! beside the road in 2017.

All this resulted in a continual flow of tourists coming to be baptized. And Israeli military personnel stood nearby to watch over us all.