Last Saturday Sheila and I relaxed at our waterfall with some wine and cheese and chips to celebrate a new book contract. In the midst of kicking back, I had to rise. Some rocks in the fountain had been moved. Honest, none of you would likely have noticed, but I couldn’t miss the change. Likely from raccoons or coyotes or possums or neighboring cats coming by for a drink. The birds bathe there, but their weight wouldn’t move a rock. One shift caused the water...
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Know Your Target
The location of the above spot on Rock Creek will remain a secret. Well away from any campground or road. No recently stocked trout, so if you happen to find it, forget using Power Bait. Wild trout reign here; at a minimum, stockers have lived here long enough to get cagey. So walk softly, watch your shadows, and stalk the fish with worms. Night crawlers are best. Techniques that land trout in campgrounds with newly stocked trout won’t work here. Ya gotta know the habits and leeriness of your targeted trout. Sharing Jesus...
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Do It Right
Several months ago my sister began begging me to come up from Temecula in SoCal to Redding in NoCal to paint her house. Well, I delayed it, having a lot of our own projects. Sibling love finally won, and I blended in three days of fishing at Rock and Hat Creeks, both on the way. Their house had a nice wow factor, except for the painting. Blah tones of tan and brown and yes, a purplish hue on some. The plan: ...
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image by KPCC
Embrace Chaos
I love the line in a current worship song, “He brings our chaos back into order.” The universe began in chaos, formless and void, until he spoke it into being, with order. Enough order for us to design smart phones and sent rockets to Saturn, and, well, you get it. God also does that in our lives—we simultaneously head in different directions with contradictory goals, and he brings consistency so we can be productive. But…
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image by SnowTart
Demon Faith
Demon Faith--the ultimate oxymoron and insult, perhaps. James, the brother of Jesus, stated that many believe in Jesus without trusting him. The demons do that. Hence, demon faith. In an extended definition of genuine faith, James said, “You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless?” (James 2:19-20 NLT, but see verses 14-26). But could we possibly have some elements of demon faith in our lives? Not that our faith is...
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image by ReGenesis
First Love
The early days of a romance possess a quality that comes to possess us. We stay up all night, talking. Listening, genuinely. We think of nothing else. We’d do anything for them. But gradually, we get to know them. We get comfortable. We settle in. Following Jesus can follow that example. But should it? Can we escape that all-too-common trap?...
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Blind Faith?
What can swimming chickens teach us about blind faith? More than I ever imagined. Robin, a friend from high school days, has chickens in the neighboring town, and posted this pic of Pearl the swimming chicken. Honestly, I’d never heard of that before, and asked why she swam. Robin’s response? “Blind faith.” She proceeded to educate me on...
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Reasons to Believe
A week or so ago I gave a Facebook update on my skin cancer surgery, that the margins were all clear and the cancer had not spread. In relief, I added, “God is good.” Then I thought of the many friends, some who love God deeply, who currently struggle with very serious cancers and other health issues. For some, death approaches and when is the only question. What about them? I had to add, “And, he would be just as good if the news had been bad, but I do rejoice.” That prompted more pondering, about God and trouble, about the reasons people enter into faith, about...
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