ThAnKsGiViNg

Thanks, God for my wife and for our home. Thank You that it is a
loving home filled with laughter and honesty. Thank You for clothes on
my back and food in my belly. Thank You for freedom. Thank You for
friends and family who care deeply. Thank You for creation and the joy
it brings to experience it intimately. Most of all, thank You for your
Son, Jesus and the hope that He offers us through his shed blood on
the cross for our redemption and salvation.

The TImes They Are a Changin’

By: Bob Dylan

Come gather 'round people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You'll be drenched to the bone.
If your time to you
Is worth savin'
Then you better start swimmin'
Or you'll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin'.

Come writers and critics
Who prophesize with your pen
And keep your eyes wide
The chance won't come again
And don't speak too soon
For the wheel's still in spin
And there's no tellin' who
That it's namin'.
For the loser now
Will be later to win
For the times they are a-changin'.

Come senators, congressmen
Please heed the call
Don't stand in the doorway
Don't block up the hall
For he that gets hurt
Will be he who has stalled
There's a battle outside
And it is ragin'.
It'll soon shake your windows
And rattle your walls
For the times they are a-changin'.

Come mothers and fathers
Throughout the land
And don't criticize
What you can't understand
Your sons and your daughters
Are beyond your command
Your old road is
Rapidly agin'.
Please get out of the new one
If you can't lend your hand
For the times they are a-changin'.

The line it is drawn
The curse it is cast
The slow one now
Will later be fast
As the present now
Will later be past
The order is
Rapidly fadin'.
And the first one now
Will later be last
For the times they are a-changin'.

Copyright © 1963; renewed 1991 Special Rider Music

Hard To Get

By: Rich Mullins

You who live in heaven
Hear the prayers of those of us who live on earth
Who are afraid of being left by those we love
And who get hardened by the hurt

Do you remember when You lived down here where we all scrape
To find the faith to ask for daily bread
Did You forget about us after You had flown away
Well I memorized every word You said

Still I'm so scared, I'm holding my breath
While You're up there just playing hard to get

You who live in radiance
Hear the prayers of those of us who live in skin
We have a love that's not as patient as Yours was
Still we do love now and then

Did You ever know loneliness
Did You ever know need
Do You remember just how long a night can get?
When You were barely holding on
And Your friends fall asleep
And don't see the blood that's running in Your sweat

Will those who mourn be left uncomforted
While You're up there just playing hard to get?

And I know you bore our sorrows
And I know you feel our pain
And I know it would not hurt any less
Even if it could be explained

And I know that I am only lashing out
At the One who loves me most
And after I figured this, somehow
All I really need to know

Is if You who live in eternity
Hear the prayers of those of us who live in time
We can't see what's ahead
And we can not get free of what we've left behind
I'm reeling from these voices that keep screaming in my ears
All the words of shame and doubt, blame and regret

I can't see how You're leading me unless You've led me here
Where I'm lost enough to let myself be led
And so You've been here all along I guess
It's just Your ways and You are just plain hard to get

My Hands Are Shaking

my hands are shaking from carrying this torch,
from carrying this torch for you,
my lips are bleeding from kissing you goodbye,
from kissing you goodbye every night,
my sheets are tearing from sleeping in too long,
from sleeping in too long with you
my hands are shaking from carrying this torch,
from carrying this torch for you,
my lips are bleeding from kissing you goodbye,
kissing you goodbye every night.
my head is where its always been,
if only I knew where,
my feet can stand the ground or more,
it seems that I don’t care

my heart is pounding yes, yes, yes,
my mind just second guess,
my love is so articulate,
but I am such a mess.
– by Sondre Lerche from the movie “Dan In Real Life”

Last night we had a good time hanging out with friends after the
downtown Christmas parade.

Today, we got the privilege of meeting some amazing people who are
without homes in Jackson. We appreciated their hospitality to us and
their sharing of their lives with us tonight.

Oh, and Lindsay got her hair cut today. Isn’t she hot? Don’t answer.


On Saturday, I went to a funeral of my Uncle Burt’s mother Lois
Kingsley. It was a very good for me to learn about her amazing life of
faithfulness, prayer, teaching and love. My cousin Suzie said it well
when she said that I hope at the end of my life I make half the impact
on others lives that Lois did.

Last week was busy. It was very good to spend quality time with family
this weekend. I am grateful for it.

Today, it was a huge highlight to have my brother Ryan and sister-in-
law Lindsay bring our nephew Caleb over to hang out. The came to
church with us and then we went for a walk on the Falling Waters Trail
which was entirely lovely and rejuvenating to converse with them and
walk in the autumn cool weather with starbucks in hand.