2018 November 02 Friday

2018 November 02 Friday in Liberty Hill, Bertram, Burnet, and Marble Falls, Texas

We arrived at the church around 9:30. Our Grandies group saves aluminum cans and people donate cans to us also. Several times a year we take them to Marble Falls for recycling. I should explain that Texas has no deposit and no return on soft drink Cans. The recyclers pay by the pound for the aluminum. We made $35.

However that is skipping ahead on the story. We had loaded Rudolf the red nosed pickup bed as full as it would go and still put the cover in place.

The cover is in two pieces with each piece locked into place by four screws with wingnuts. Knowing that each of this screws would need to be removed at the recycling center, I decided that two each wingnute be enough

We hadn't gone far before I realized that Rudolf was running on empty. I went to the nearest station and filled up. 25.336 gallons in a 25 gallon tank. I told you we were running on empty. Thank God that I noticed it when I did.

Because of the side trip to the gas station I changed the route we took. We had gone through Bertram when one of the plywood covers blew off of the truck. Obviously I was wrong that it didn't need all of these screws holding it down. I pulled off to the side of the road and retrieved the cover and put it back in place with all of the screws.

After getting our cash at the recycling plant, we joined the rest of the grandies group at the Blue Bonnet cafe for lunch and pie.

After leaving the cafe we had time to return home before going to the VA Clinic in Cedar Park.

I was given a clean bill of health and a hug by my doctor. She also made me promise to walk a mile every day. She placed an order with the VA pharmacy for something that would help with the pain in my knees and the neuropathy in my feet.

After returning home, I worked some on building a deck.

God bless and g'nite y'all.

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2018 November 01 Thursday

2018 November 01 Thursday in Liberty Hill, Texas

45° overnight under starry skies. I woke around three and turned some heat on.

Lunch and canasta at the Over The Hill Gang. I

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GOD FIRST, SELF LAST

MUSINGS - November 03, 2018

GOD FIRST, SELF LAST

Mark 9:42-50
"These little ones believe in me. It would be best for the person who causes one of them to lose faith to be thrown into the sea with a large stone hung around his neck. "So if your hand causes you to lose your faith, cut it off! It is better for you to enter life disabled than to have two hands and go to hell, to the fire that cannot be put out. If your foot causes you to lose your faith, cut it off! It is better for you to enter life lame than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. If your eye causes you to lose your faith, tear it out! It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell. In hell worms that eat the body never die, and the fire is never put out. Everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good. But if salt loses its taste, how will you restore its flavor? Have salt within you, and live in peace with one another."

Jesus gives many parables about the kingdom of God. This is a rare passage where he speaks about hell. He tells his listeners that it would be better to live life maimed than to go to hell where worms that eat the body never die, and the fire is never put out.

I've said it before and I'll repeat myself here. I don't believe that Jesus is being literal here. I believe that he is giving figurative examples of giving up the things that cause us to sin. I believe this because our eyes, hands, and feet do not cause us to sin. Sin is, at its most basic a choice to choose our own desires over the will of God.

No matter how much we desire the object of our sin we must remove it from our life. Anything that we love more than God must be abandoned. In Luke 14:26 Jesus said, "If people come to me and are not ready to abandon their fathers, mothers, wives, children, brothers, and sisters, as well as their own lives, they cannot be my disciples."

I was a boy scout and was taught the Boy Scout Way: God, country, other people, and self. On our list of priorities God must be first and we must be last.

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SMALL ACTS, BIG REWARDS

MUSINGS - November 02, 2018

SMALL ACTS, BIG REWARDS

Mark 9:41
I can guarantee this truth: Whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward."

Until today I've always thought that this teaching was oddly placed in Mark's narrative. It is sandwiched between the disciples trying to stop someone else from casting out demons in Jesus's name and teachings about escaping hell. However, as I consider it today, I see that it is related to the former teaching where Jesus tells the disciples, "Whoever isn't against us is for us." Both the grander (in human thinking) act of casting out demons, and the giving of a drink of water, will earn rewards, if done in Jesus's name.

I remember a man I knew many years ago. He had several brothers who were missionaries to foreign lands. He owned and operated a small printing company. His brothers had the grander (in human thinking) acts of discipleship. However, I heard him once say, "I also serve by keeping their stuff." While his brothers were away, he would store their household belongings until they returned. They all earned their reward.

Those who do these "small" acts of kindness will indeed hear the Master say, "Come, my Father has blessed you! Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world." (Matthew 25:34)

Matthew 25:31-46 really expands on this idea of relatively small acts of kindness earning great rewards.

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NOT COOKIECUTTER CHRISTIANS

MUSINGS - November 01, 2018

NOT COOKIECUTTER CHRISTIANS

Mark 9:38-40
John said to Jesus, "Teacher, we saw someone forcing demons out of a person by using the power and authority of your name. We tried to stop him because he was not one of us." Jesus said, "Don't stop him! No one who works a miracle in my name can turn around and speak evil of me. Whoever isn't against us is for us.

"He was not one of us." Us or them? Them or us? Someone not of the twelve apostles was using the power of Jesus name.

John was, in affect, saying, "The 12 of us have the Jesus brand exclusively copyrighted and trademarked. How dare someone cast out demons in the name of Jesus? He didn't pay the franchise fee."

My salvation didn't give me exclusive rights and privileges. My salvation journey was different than yours. I know this because God didn't make Cookiecutter Christians. God came to us as individuals and through his grace granted us pardon for our sins. Then he laid out individual paths and individual jobs for us.*

God's grace is inclusive not exclusive. Jesus died for all of humanity. There is no Them. We are all Us. My path and my gifts may differ from yours but we serve the same God. Remember, "Whoever isn't against us is for us."

*Read 1 Corinthians chapter 12

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2018 October 31 Wednesday

2018 October 31 Wednesday - All Saints Eve - in Liberty Hill and Round Rock, Texas

69° and completely overcast (looks like rain) in the early morning. I don't know how it reached 77° under the cloud cover, but it did. We got a brief rain shower mid to late afternoon.

First on our list of "To Dos" today was a visit to Austin Heart for Ella's chemical stress test and echocardiogram. She survived the stress test. But we'll have to wait for the results of the last test

Ella's stress test was a "fasting" test. So we stopped at Whataburger for a breakfast sandwich to break our fast.

Home Depot was next on our list. I purchased the last two (I hope) items to build the deck.

Groceries was next on the list. We didn't need a lot but what we needed were mostly perishable that need refrigeration. That means the next stop was home. Ella went into the trailer and I handed bags up to her.

With the groceries inside, I then unloaded the last of the deck lumber.

I ordered new headlights. The old ones have becomes so yellowed with age that they were nearly useless at night. The package arrived yesterday afternoon but I didn't open them until this afternoon. It was a simple thing to remove the old ones and replace them with the new. They even came with bulbs. The bulbs were still good in the old set so now I have a spare set.

On the way home from choir practice this evening the difference in the headlights was remarkable. I think the low beams illuminated more than the old high beams.

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2018 October, 30 Tuesday

2018 October 30 Tuesday in Liberty Hill, Leander, and Cedar Park, Texas

66°and mostly cloudy. Topped out at 79 under mostly sunny skies

We both had appointments with the cardiologist this morning. Everything sounded good. However, Ella is scheduled for a stress test and MRI tomorrow morning. This is early preparation for having a shoulder replacement in January.

McDonald's was next on our list. Grabbed a couple sandwiches on the way to the Leander Senior center.

The afternoon was sent relaxing, reading, gaming, napping, and watching TV.

From 7-8 we were at the Tuesday night prayer meeting. This world really needs people to pray

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2018 October 29 Monday

2018 October 29 Monday in Liberty Hill, Georgetown, and Cedar Park, Texas

59° and clear overnight. Reached 80°

The Georgetown senior center had a good crowd for lunch. I feel out of place here because these people come to eat and watch television there is no games or really interaction. Ella and I play our normal Fast Track and Rummikub. We've invited others to join us but no one has.

When lunch is over they gather outside for the bus that transports them back to whatever facility they live at. I really want more than a meal from this experience. But maybe I'm asking too much.

I am building a deck for our RV. Replacing the foldout RV steps with standard stairs should make it easier to get in and out. I placed an order online with Home Depot. While at the center I received a text that it was ready. At Home Depot I just needed to show them the order number and a photo ID. A young man (at nearly 72 nearly everyone is a young man) named Steve brought up a cart with my items and loaded then into the truck.

Ella posted on Facebook, xWe've had a beautiful day today. The sun is shining and it's 78 degrees. We've picked up most of the lumber to build our deck. You would know it's the stuff we needed to have first that we don't have. There's always tomorrow. I'm looking forward to seeing how much drier it will be when we get home."

When we were nearly home (within seven miles) we were stopped because of an accident on highway 29. We turned around and took a much longer route home

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Later we found this posted on the Liberty Hill police Facebook page.

"Update on wreck on 29. Unfortunately we lost a family member in that accident today. He was 28, and the soul parent of a little boy. Why did this happen. Some lady had road rage and purposely chased them on 29 and hit the truck from behind causing it to loose control and flip 3x. She is in custody and facing charges apparently told police she was sorry she was having a bad day. His mom literally passed away yesterday. It’s a tragic time for our family, thank you all for your support and comments on previous post. We have the best community! ❤️"

Finally home I unloaded the truck then sat out under the awning for a while. I had gone inside and up to the bedroom which is one of the few places I can get a strong enough internet connection.

I hadn't been there long when Ella hollered for me. Our neighbor to the east had come to ask if we'd take him to Georgetown. His truck head been repaired and was ready to come home. He had tried to get a taxi but noon would come out this far. If course we took him.

When we got back into town we stopped for supper at Dairy Queen.

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BELIEF AND PRAYER

MUSINGS - October 28, 2018

BELIEF AND PRAYER

Mark 9:14-29
When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them. Some scribes were arguing with them. All the people were very surprised to see Jesus and ran to welcome him. Jesus asked the scribes, "What are you arguing about with them?"

A man in the crowd answered, "Teacher, I brought you my son. He is possessed by a spirit that won't let him talk. Whenever the spirit brings on a seizure, it throws him to the ground. Then he foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and becomes exhausted. I asked your disciples to force the spirit out, but they didn't have the power to do it."

Jesus said to them, "You unbelieving generation! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring him to me!" They brought the boy to him. As soon as the spirit saw Jesus, it threw the boy into convulsions. He fell on the ground, rolled around, and foamed at the mouth. Jesus asked his father, "How long has he been like this?" The father replied, "He has been this way since he was a child. The demon has often thrown him into fire or into water to destroy him. If it's possible for you, put yourself in our place, and help us!"

Jesus said to him, "As far as possibilities go, everything is possible for the person who believes." The child's father cried out at once, "I believe! Help my lack of faith." When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he gave an order to the evil spirit. He said, "You spirit that won't let him talk, I command you to come out of him and never enter him again." The evil spirit screamed, shook the child violently, and came out. The boy looked as if he were dead, and everyone said, "He's dead!" Jesus took his hand and helped him to stand up.

When Jesus went into a house, his disciples asked him privately, "Why couldn't we force the spirit out of the boy?" He told them, "This kind of spirit can be forced out only by prayer."

Let's recall the story. A boy who has seizures is brought to the disciples. They try and fail. An argument ensues been the disciples and the scribes (think lawyer). Jesus arrives and all were surprised.(why? I'll have to explore that later)

Jesus questions the scribes. They don't answer. The boys father did and then said, "If it's possible for you, put yourself in our place, and help us!"

To which Jesus responds, As far as possibilities go, everything is possible for the person who believes." I have to think that Jesus was staring into each of the disciples eyes when he said it. The boy's father admits how small is his belief, but the disciples say nothing. Jesus was clear upset with them when he said,p"You unbelieving generation! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you?

How much faith do we have and how much do we need? In Matthew 17:20
Jesus told them, "I can guarantee this truth: If your faith is the size of a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." And in Luke 17:5-6
when the apostles said to the Lord, "Give us more faith." The Lord said, "If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, 'Pull yourself up by the roots, and plant yourself in the sea!' and it would bobey you."

I have never said to a mountain or a tree, "Move!" However, I have witnessed miracles after much prayer.
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All content (except quotations) © 2018 Thomas E. Williams

2018 October 28 Sunday

2018 October 28 Sunday in Liberty Hill and Leander, Texas

59° and clear early this morning when only the moon and I were up.

We ate breakfast from the breakfast bar at church. We sang in the choir during the nine o'clock service and then attended Sunday school

Everyone at church had a name tag visitors are given one on which to either their name.

After that we had lunch with eight friends at Cherry Creek Catfish.

Rudolf the red nose pickup needed a fill up and a wash.

We met some neighbors this evening, John and Armina. They have the trailer directly across the drive from us. They have two The younger one pointed out that I look like Santa Claus. I just said, "Yes I do. I wonder why that is?"

This morning I got pictures of the sun through the cedar trees. Tonight it was through the live oak.

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All content (except quotations) © 2018 Thomas E. Williams