Does Any of This Matter?

My purpose in creating this blog was to share my love of woodworking and, whenever possible, show how that love is related to my love of a God who loved me enough to show up on earth in human form and save me and any other who would believe in that sinless human form. Although this post deviates from the standard format, I feel compelled to sort out some of what has been occupying a lot of my thought time the last several weeks. My intent is not to spark a great political debate. Although whenever we choose to write about our belief systems, we run the risk of having some who believe differently feel compelled to tell us how wrong we are.

A quick and admittedly unscientific look at my friends, facebook and otherwise, would indicate an almost 50-50 split between those who, from what I can determine, supported one or the other of the two feasible choices in our recent presidential election. The reluctance on the part of either group to suggest that they may have made the wrong choice, I find baffling. Since practically all of my friends claim to be Christian, I have to believe that they prayed about their choice of candidate. This leaves me in quite a dilemma, Could it be that half of us were told go left and half go right? What was it we were praying for anyway? These are important questions. Because if we were all praying for the leadership that would make us move closer to being a nation that honors Christian values, wouldn't the answer to our prayers have been less ambivalent?

My faith life has been shaped by interaction with many different people. I think it fair to say that no one influenced me in trying to know God more than a man named Isaac Rottenberg. Some of you will recognize the name. Most probably will not. He was the pastor of our church for eight and a half years at a very formative point in the life of the church as well as the writer of this blog. Isaac taught me that God will always give you what you ask for as long as you ask for what He wants. In this past election, assuming people were asking the right question, He gave us two different answers. Could it be that we are being told that the results of one election in one country that will affect a microscopically tiny piece of eternal time just doesn't matter all that much?

As we Christ followers prepare to celebrate the miracle that occurred over 2,000 years ago. We will do well to remember why Christ had to become human, live a sinless life, die for our sinfulness and be raised from the dead as proof that we need not worry about worldly things. His plan is for eternity. No matter how you voted, realize that the only change in which God is interested is in each of us as individuals. How can we be more like Christ tomorrow than we are today? My prayer is that all my friends keep seeking God's guidance and loving one another in obedience to His command.

Jumping Through Hoops With a Broken Ankle

When a situation such as my current one (broken ankle, limited mobility) comes along, the question, "Why is this the direction things are going?" comes up. As I write this, had I not been otherwise impaired, my wife and I would be on a vacation to The Great Smokey Mountains. We planned to make the trip a couple months ago and were looking forward to a scenic adventure. Unless you live in some unconnected location (not likely if you're reading this I guess), you know what tragedy is playing out in the area we hoped to visit. Our plans got changed and we really didn't have much say in the outcome. Makes me have even more confidence (if that's possible) in our Creator. We must always acknowledge that He has us right where He wants us and there's something He wants us to do in that place. In the meantime, I try to deal with the business of repairing a fracture.

When I went to the orthopedic doctor, I was told that the piece of bone that broke off my tibia (shin bone) would need to be reattached with one or two screws to avoid a future complicated with arthritis caused by improper healing. I said, "Sounds good. Let's do it." Turns out the doctor was teasing in that he couldn't get out the scalpel and screwdriver until I underwent a battery of tests and my family doctor said it was ok. My family doctor, not happy with the results of the EKG, said my release for surgery would require the approval of a cardiologist. My cardiologist (I was hoping to never have to claim one as mine) was good enough to give me an appointment for Thursday, one day after the orthopedic doctor had originally indicated I could have my appointment with the screwdriver. So now, best guess (don't want to think about worst guess) is that we may have that date on Friday.

Hopefully this is going to get settled so that the real healing can begin. I'm beginning to envision a future of getting from one place to the other looking like Dennis Weaver's character Chester Good in the old "Gunsmoke" series. It just seems ironic that when an old man breaks his leg he is asked to jump through a bunch of hoops to get it fixed. No matter what, God's got me where He wants me and in that I shall always be content. I'd appreciate it if you'd join me in praying for those folks in Tennessee who are affected by and dealing with the wild fires.

Sticks and Stones

It has been so long since writing here, I almost forgot how to put up a post. Perhaps it will be more likely that some posts come along more regularly due to circumstances that have me reduced to mostly working on the keyboard. Hopefully that will carry over to a time in the not too distant future when even though the choice to remain more active is available, I'll choose to put more of my silly observations into print.

I have been blessed to be able to spend a good portion of my time in turning trees into useful objects. It is in the pursuit of that "hobby" that I got a bit of a setback last week. Most of the wood we use in Out of the Woodwork begins as trees that my son and a few friends help me work up into saw logs and eventually lumber for future projects. Working with big logs requires a healthy respect for how they move, sometimes in a direction not anticipated. An unanticipated move by a log that probably weighs about a ton caught me by surprise and broke my ankle. Hence my position with laptop on propped up leg will sort of force me to pick up the blog again.

Seeing as how it is Thanksgiving, I must say that there is much for which to be thankful. Although mobility is a bit of a problem, I don't have any place (except doctors) to which I must go and Jen (my best friend and spouse) take care of that. I have had an outpouring of "What can I do for you?"s from so many friends. I'm indoors out of the weather, can message and talk to friends, and the aforementioned spouse brings me tea and cookies once in awhile. Life is good, Most importantly, I am thankful for an all loving God who works all for good to those who love Him. Knowing that allows even a broken ankle to be counted as a blessing, another thing for which to be thankful.

Hopefully you folks who are reading this have experienced a happy Thanksgiving and have likewise counted your blessings.  

Old Time Tonic

It's about this time every year that I'm reminded of a ritual that took place virtually every year when I was growing up. Although the winter blahs weren't nearly as bad, perhaps due to the mild weather so far, as in some years, they are here none the less. Going almost anywhere from where I have always lived means going down hill. One choice is a recently upgraded and widened road and the other, except for paving, is not much different than it was as far back as I can remember. It is along that less traveled road that the beginning of the ritual begins. The road basically follows a stream valley and winds back a forth crossing the stream at least four times in a mile and a half. Several places along that road grows a short, bushy tree we call Spice Wood or Spice Bush and that is what we need to get started on chasing the winter blahs off.

Spice Wood is best identified in early spring when the buds are just opening. At first glance you might think you're seeing forsythia. But the yellow freshly formed leaves soon leave no doubt that you were seeing Spice Wood and it was now a bit late to use it for the tonic that I and many generations before me have come to give ourselves assurance that although we may have to endure another snow or two or three, spring is on the way and the daylight hours are undeniably longer than they were just a short while ago. I stopped today and cut off a small branch filled with those delightful almost spherical buds just as we have been doing for so long and fetched it home to brew up the magical Spice Wood tea.

Boiling the twigs fills the house with a special aroma not quite like any other. Somehow your senses tell you that this is helping even before it gets put in a cup with a bit of milk and sugar and then warms you all over as almost nothing else can. As these things tend to happen, today I created a new variation on the traditional Spice Wood tea. Having just cut up a pineapple, the core sat on the counter and said, "Don't throw me away. Put me in the pot with the Spice Wood." How could I refuse? I'm now on the outside of my first cup of 2016 Spice Wood / Pineapple spring tonic. But I suspect it is not the last.

Just as with all good things, Spice Wood connects me with the past while encouraging me into the future. Knowing what has come before us is essential, keeping that which was good and taking it with us being thankful to the Creator who has provided it all is what I encourage my good readers to do. If you can find some Spice Wood, brew up a tonic that connects you to past and present and future.

Warmth Provided

Sometimes the things you want to do take a back seat to the things that get in the way. Writing this blog and sharing my various musing with those who would take the time to read it is something I really enjoy. And yet, it's been months since I last took the time to put something up here. It would be easy enough to say I've been busy with more important stuff. However, the truth is that if I had limited my dallying around on Facebook, I could have had a good many more posts. So, call it a resolution if you will. I plan to be a bit more disciplined about this small part of life in the coming year.

The subject of much of this blog is wood; trees and the things that can be made from this amazing God-given miracle. Today was a pretty relaxing one and the intermittent sunshine invited me to the woods. A dead White Oak tree had caught my attention a couple days ago and, just as with my writing, my firewood gathering was a bit behind as well. A couple hours of cutting, hauling and splitting (about all this old body is up to anymore) and the wood pile looks a bit healthier. What a blessing to be able to go out the back door and harvest what has been provided.

The tree I cut was one of hundreds in the area that succumbed to a combination of Gypsymoth defoliation and seasons of drought. The first invasion of Gypsymoths was back in the '70's in this area and the sickening feeling that our forest would be destroyed was overpowering. As it turns out, most trees were not killed and the ones that were had a culling affect that made for better growth in the survivors, not unlike what happens in the animal world with a balance of prey and predator. This kind of observation is what has been a faith builder for me. I no longer fear what may happen to me or the trees. There is a plan for both and it would appear that the two are intended to blend together. The comfort derived from my stack of firewood pales in comparison to the warmth that overcomes me when I acknowledge how much Our Creator cares for me and you.

So, Happy New Year to all and may the blessings that attend the faithful be with you in the coming days. Be grateful for the provision that has been guaranteed. Hopefully the next post will be more timely.