WE ARE THANKFUL, ALWAYS! (November 25 - December 1, 2017)

To be totally honest, it wasn't easy to leave the white sand beaches and warm temperatures of Grand Cayman Island and fly north to Indiana and our cabin.  Well, we actually flew north to Cincinnati, Ohio.  Well, really we landed at the Cincinnati/Covington International Airport in Kentucky.

It wasn't that we couldn't have flown into Indianapolis but it was rather that, in order to have ground transportation during our one week stay in the Hoosier state, we had to fly to Cincinnati.  Let me explain.

Since we fly almost everywhere we go and because you can't take a car in your carry on, we simply sold our cars.  On the ground, in our various stops, we either use public transportation, Uber, rent a car, or find someone who will loan us some wheels.  That's where flying to Cincinnati comes in.

Back in 2012, while I was traveling and speaking, I held a revival in Plainfield, Indiana (near Indianapolis) where Darwin Pressler pastored.  Darwin and I know about each other but really had never had much contact across the years.  When he heard of my transportation need he, without hesitation, said; "I have an old truck that pretty much just sits around here.  Why not use it when you are here in Indiana?"   Thus, for the past 5 years, this wonderful Godly man has allowed me (us) to use a truck.

We are actually on the 2nd truck.  I named the first one "Gracie" to remind me of the unmerited favor this generous man had given me.  Now, it's "Gracie II" that joins us on many of our travels in Indiana.
The Presslers lived near the Indy airport until changing assignments last year.  Now they are close to the Cincinnati airport living in Rising Sun, Indiana on the Ohio River.

Why all this explanation?  Because Darwin and Jean represent so many kind and generous people that we have met throughout the years.  There are a lot of awesome folks out there;  folks who love Jesus and extend His grace to others.  I wish I had space and time to thank all the people who have helped Sherry and me enjoy our nomadic lifestyle this past year.  You know who you are.  "Thanks".  You are represented well by the Presslers.

What could you do to provide "grace" to someone in need in the year to come.  There is a blessing in being His servant.  A blessing to both you and those you serve.

Now, it's off to Tennessee for December.  Thanks, Tim and Vicky, for picking us up at the Nashville airport and delivering us to Crossville.  Man, are we blessed.

SAND AND SOLITUDE: A CAYMAN RETREAT (November 11 - 24, 2017)

After a brief two day trip to Indiana we, once again, flew standby without a problem.  As we stepped off the Delta jet in Georgetown, Grand Cayman, we felt the moist ocean air and the heat of the tropical sun.  For two weeks, cold weather would be left behind, and we would again enjoy the warmth of the tropics and the the warmth of people we have grown to love.

We have been traveling to the Cayman Islands for the last 23 years now, yet every time it seems like we see, or experience, something new.  This time it was a couple of new restaurants and sightings of starfish, Iguana, and Boobies (birds).  Now, it's back to Indiana for a week and then off to Tennessee for the month of December.  We are refreshed and spoiled.  Trust your Thanksgiving will remind you how blessed we all are, and how thankful we should be for all we have.










REFLECTIONS   

  In her book, "By the Seashore of Cayman", Jackie Bodden pens these words:

"Hammocks tied beneath fruit trees
Move at a gentle pace
Little children swinging in them 
Have a smile upon each face
High up in the banana trees
Birds sing their merry songs
How could this Island Time Forgot not be viewed by heavenly throngs?

The sparkling Caribbean, beaches beyond compare,
Coconut trees that sway in the breeze,
Familiar faces everywhere.
Heaven wouldn't seem like Heaven
If Cayman isn't there."

Sherry and I have traveled to many different wonderful places, each with its own beauty and value, but Cayman continues to hold a special place in our hearts.  We have been coming to this beautiful isle for twenty three years now and each time it seems like we're coming home.  Indeed, there are familiar faces, and familiar places that we always want to see.  The sound of the sea breezes blowing through the Coconut Palms outside our condo while the sun dances on the gentle Caribbean waves is as good as it gets.  But as good as it is, and as much as we love it, we know that it will in no way be as perfect as Heaven.  And while our time in Cayman always comes to an end, not so in Heavenly realms.  Heaven will be Heaven without Cayman but, until then, Cayman provides just a touch of Heaven for those who visit, and those who call it home.

MIDWEST MEANDERINGS (October 9-November 10, 2017)

We left Alaska after an eight-week, awesome adventure and headed back "outside" to the lower 48 and eventually found ourselves pillowing our heads in a lovely guest apartment in the home of Janice Kirkpatrick Edwards and her husband, Terry. They now live in Bethany, Oklahoma, where Terry pastors the Providence Church of the Nazarene in Oklahoma City and Janice is a Realtor.  While there we had dinner with other college friends; Don Neal and Dr. and Mrs. Don Dunnington.  Our ten day stay was perfect.

We left Bethany, Oklahoma with the Dunningtons (Don served much of his ministry as the Dean at Bethany Nazarene University) and wound our way on the back roads through Arkansas and Missouri until we arrived in Branson.  There we spent a couple of days visiting and planning some future times together before we were deposited in Republic, Missouri at my son, Aaron's, home.


There we enjoyed our grandsons, trips to football games, band competitions, and Wilson's Creek Battlefield.  We are blessed to have the wonderful family that the Lord has given us, and these two weeks just proved how very special they are.  The boys are growing so fast, with the oldest, Austin, already off to college.

We headed north to Eldon, Missouri, where I held what may be my final Revival.  The church there is pastored by another college friend, Jerry Frye.  We had wonderful services, and Sherry and I enjoyed being housed in the "Dry Creek Cabin".  Owned by a couple in the church, it sits in the middle of 500 acres of forest and fields.  Deer, cattle, and turkeys make daily visits and, at night, the stars shine brightly in the darkened skies.  It was one place that I had hoped to take Sherry, as I had stayed there twice before.

A quick flight to Indiana, a drive to the "Point", switching from Alaska clothes to Cayman clothes, and a visit to Monical's Pizza in Avon, Indiana with our grandaughters, and it was off to the airport for the next leg of our retirement adventures.

Overall, it was a busy month but one with many treasured times.

REFLECTIONS

While in Wilson's Creek National Battlefield, I saw this white tail deer standing in a flowing creek.  She was just cooling off and standing perfectly still.  Sometimes, we should do the same.  Just find a place, a time, when we can get away and simply reflect.

SERMONS AND SILVER SALMON IN SOLDOTNA, ALASKA (September 4 - October 9, 2017)

The standby flight from Cordova to Anchorage went smoothly and the three hour drive from Anchorage to Soldotna wound its' way along Turnagain Arm and through mountain passes.  When we arrived, in the early evening, we met our hosts, Dennis and Denise Linnell.  We would be guests in their lovely home for five weeks!

During this time I would be serving as "Interim Pastor" while the Soldotna Church of the Nazarene awaited the arrival of their new pastor.  Basically it meant starting with a Sunday over Wednesday Revival, preaching for the next four Sundays, Wednesday night Prayer Meetings, and being available should there be any emergency situations.  This church, which runs around 110 on a Sunday morning, is filled with wonderful believers who are anxiously looking forward to a new parsonage family.  They treated us with an amazing hospitality that included; cook outs, camp fires, beach parties, and home visits for dinner.  Both Sherry and I felt loved and blessed to have had this chance to serve them.



Located on the Kenai Peninsula, this area of Alaska is filled with natural beauty and abundant wild life.  During our 35 day stay we watched fall arrive as the Aspens, Birch, Cottonwood, and Willow trees turned from green to various shades of yellow adding a contrast to the multitude of ever green Spruce trees.  Leaves began to carpet the ground and temperatures dropped at night into the 30s.

Sitting next to the 2,000,000 acre Kenai National Wildlife Refuse and with the beautiful Kenai River (#7 on CNN Travel's list of "The World's Best Rivers For Travelers") winding through the area, it is not a surprise that we saw Caribou, Moose, Mink, Beaver, Seals, Eagles, and a lot of other critters.  The Kenai River is acknowledged as the best river in Alaska for Salmon fishing and the Silver Salmon (Coho) were making their way up the river while we were there.

This was our longest continuous stay in one state during the past year and one of the most enjoyable.  It is, with a sense of sadness that we will leave the 49th state in a few days.

REFLECTIONS

I fell in love with Alaska and the Yukon as a boy.  Jack London's, "The Call Of The Wild", left images of a rough yet beautiful land.  As Alaska became the 49th state in 1959 (I was ten years old) it became a dream to someday visit the last frontier.  Now we are completing our fourth trip to the "Last Frontier" and it has not disappointed.  Sometimes we build things up so high that reality becomes a let down but Alaska has met every expectation.

The people are amazing and the scenery spectacular.  It has been, for me, a dream come true.

There is another place that became an anticipated destination when I was about the same age.  It was then that I gave my life over to the Lord, Jesus Christ, and set my feet on a journey to the Heavenly Kingdom.  What that place will be like cannot even be imagined.  I have built up pretty high expectations about what I'll find there.  I am certain that it will meet all expectations and go beyond my wildest dreams.  I will not be disappointed.  When I will make that journey is an unknown but when I do, just know this, that for me, "The Best Is Yet To Come".  Until then, I plan to continue to enjoy my journey here on planet Earth.  BLESSINGS.

                                                                   (Kenai River, Kalifornsky, Alaska)

SOMETIMES, EVEN IN ALASKA, "IT IS WHAT IT IS" (August 21 - September 3, 2017)

                                                                  (Eklutna Lake State Park)

After dropping the Bittenbenders off at the Anchorage airport, Sherry and I returned to the Langley Lodge at the Nazarene Camp Grounds in Big Lake.  We had thoroughly enjoyed our few days with these long time friends but I now found myself struggling with a nasty head and chest cold.

After a day long outing to Thunderbird Falls and Lake Eklutna State Park, where we hiked and
enjoyed a beautiful sunny day, I returned to the lodge to pretty much spend the next week inside looking out.  Oh yes, I was looking out on the awesome view of Alaska but didn't dare venture into what became cool and rainy weather.  Sleepless nights filled with heavy coughing and labored breathing and day after day of just plain being miserable followed.  I continually reminded myself (and the Lord) that I was soon to head to Cordova, Alaska to begin a Revival and that I needed to get better.  There were other guests in the Lodge who joined with me in prayer, giving me comfort, medicines, and encouragement.  They included a retired pastor and wife from Ohio, a lay couple from Pennsylvania, and a wife of a pastor from Hawaii.

Even with being sick, the time at the Alaska Nazarene Camp Grounds was just what we needed and as we boarded the Alaskan Airline flight to Cordova I was feeling some better and excited to return to the off the roads fishing village had I had grown to love.

Cordova, Alaska is a wonderful place, hemmed in by the ocean   on one side and the mountains on the other three.  It really is like being on an island.  Rev. Steve Leppert met us at the airport and we headed into town.  In our prior visits to Cordova we had had wonderful weather with sunny skies and warm days.  Now, as we exited the truck, we were greeted by rain and cold.  The lovely apartment that the church has was warm and inviting but the weather....not so much!  It rained every day and the sun took a vacation while we were there.  No great fishing on the river because it was too fast, too high, and murky.

The week end services were times of renewal and fellowship and my symptoms eased so that I could get two straight nights of solid sleep.  When we left, in the rain, on Monday morning I was feeling much better and ready for the next stage of our Alaskan adventure.

Reflections

Sometimes our plans, our dreams, don't turn out the way we had envisioned them.  When planning our two and a half week stay in Big Lake we had planned to use it as a base to take some day long excursions into the Alaskan wilderness. They were to be days of exploration and rest.  That was the plan.  However a "bug" got in the way.  Was I happy to be "laid up" and somewhat miserable during this time?  No!  But what I came to realize was that not only "it is what it is" but that the Lord's timing is always right.

Had the weather been even a little better in Big Lake or Cordova I would have been tempted to be out running around or fishing (even in a light rain) but I was forced to stay in and get better.  I could have been sick during the Revival but the Lord provided a place of restoration and healing that enabled me to be ready to serve.  Even the timing of our exit from Cordova was perfect for the next day it was not only raining heavily but the wind was roaring off the ocean at 100 M.P.H. (someone said: "When the wind blows 100 m.p.h. in the lower 48 it is a big deal, here in Cordova it's Tuesday.)

And if I had to be laid up for awhile, I guess this isn't a bad view to have out the window.  Now it's on to Soldotna, Alaska for about a month.

                                                 (Big Lake, Alaska)

SHARING ALASKA (August 17-20, 2017)

Our stand by flight from Cincinnati through Minneapolis to Anchorage, Alaska, went without a hitch and we landed in "The Last Frontier" at about 1 a.m.!  We thought we'd be able to catch some sleep in the gate area while waiting on friends to arrive but a greatly delayed flight left us with about 200 suite mates and no peace and quiet.  Thus, it was a tired Sherry and Al who greeted Wes and Marcia Bittenbender when they landed at noon.

We picked up the rental car and headed to Homer with a stop at the Summit Lake Lodge for dinner.  After spending the night in the guest rooms at the Homer Church of the Nazarene, we visited the Spit in Homer, drove through the Kenai Peninsula (saw a Grizzly Bear),                

ate donuts at "The Moose Is Loose Bakery" in Soldotna, had lunch at "Red's" in Seward, and visited the Exit Glacier.  We arrived in Big Lake at the Nazarene Campgrounds where we would spend the next three nights together in the Langley Lodge.

From Big Lake we made the journey to the Hatcher Pass and the Independence Gold Mine, ate pizza at Humdinger's in Palmer, and just enjoyed the peace and quiet of the Lodge.  The cry of the loons welcomed the nights.  What a great time with good friends.



REFLECTIONS

Sherry and I have grown to love Alaska and her people.  We have now returned for the 4th time.  There is something about the times of absolute silence in the wilderness, about the roar of a waterfall, and about the cry of the loon.  There is something about the splashing in a creek filled with salmon, about the sight of a huge moose beside the road, and about the sight of a Grisly bear snaring salmon as they struggle to swim upstream.  There is just something special about Alaska.  That's why it was so special to share this "last frontier" with long time friends; to let them discover for themselves the sights and sounds of our 49th State.

Yet, as much as we love Alaska, there is a Kingdom not made by hands that we love even more.  So it begs the question; why aren't we as excited to share the good news about the Kingdom of God as we are about other temporal places?  Why would we not want our friends to experience first hand that which has brought us so much joy throughout the years?  Just sayin'.

AT THE POINT: RESTING AND RE-PACKING (August 7-16, 2017)

Arriving back Indiana from Australia we found ourselves exhausted and ready for a long sleep.  The problem was that we needed to hurry to the cabin, deal with some issues with Sherry's mom, and repack for Alaska.

The week at Pair-A-Dice Point at Camp Clifford was a reminder of how much we love this place in the woods.  Once again we were visited by all kinds of birds and wildlife.  The most enjoyable were the daily visits by twin fawns.  They loved our apples that fell from our apple tree and could be seen all throughout the day just kinda hanging around.  They were there when we got up in the morning and there when we went to bed.  

Packing for Alaska was a chore as we tried to figure out what clothes we might need for the last frontier.  Plans are to be up there for up to 11 weeks.  Finally the bags were packed and we were ready go (that might sound like a song to some).

REFLECTIONS

Retired life is full of ebbs and flows, full of stop and goes.  It consists of beats and rhythms.  It seems to me that there must be a balance of the rushed and the relaxed.  A blend of the going and the staying.  Too much of one or the other can ruin the whole mix.  The secret is finding the recipe that fits.  The problem is that everyone is different and that, when retired and married, this recipe becomes more difficult to find.  It takes some give and take to come up with a mix that works for both parties.  Sherry and I are discovering our blend and trusting that the Lord will help us to always remember that "the best is yet to come" and that "together is a wonderful place to be".

So far....so good.  We'll have to see what an extended stay in Alaska will bring to the table.

DOWN UNDER IS OVER THE TOP (July 17 - August 6, 2017)

After a good month in Indiana we found ourselves stepping off a Delta jet in Sydney, Australia.  This was the beginning of a long anticipated "bucket list" adventure.  The Wyndham Resort was right in the center of town and made for a great place to start our exploration of a lovely city.  Sydney has done a great job of blending the old with the new and of maintaining many manicured parks.  We walked through Hyde Park on our way to the Circular Quay and saw the famous Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge.  We learned the history of "old Sydney" and walked on Bondi Beach.  It was winter in Australia but the weather in Sydney was sunny and 60ish.

After four days we caught a flight north to the Gold Coast and Coolangotta.  Coolangotta is a friendly beach town on the Pacific Ocean.  Here we spent a full week enjoying the warm (75 degree), sunny weather, the sandy beach, and the walkways with outstanding ocean views around every corner.  We admired the surfers, petted kangaroos, watched whales, and hugged a Koala.  Like everywhere we went the people were friendly and helpful.  The week was a perfect mix of relaxing and touring.

After a twenty four hour train ride we, next, found ourselves even further north in the town of Cairns. Cairns is the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef and one of the world's most pristine rain forests.  The Wyndham Resort was tropical and well kept and the room was a huge two bedroom with a spacious deck.  Temperatures now ranged into the eighties as we explored both the reef and the forest.  We only had three days to enjoy this port city but enjoyed every minute.

Finally, it was back to Sydney for a couple of more days before stepping back on a plane for the 24 hour trip back to Indianapolis.

REFLECTIONS

Half way around the world is Australia.  It is a 16 hour flight from L.A. to Sydney.  I really wasn't excited about going.  As a matter of fact I had fought going for a long time.  What could be worth the agony of a plane ride that long?  What could be worth a fourteen hour time swing?  I won't say that I went kicking and screaming but I will say that I went primarily because someone I love very much wanted to go.

Surprise!  It was worth it all!  Sometimes it is when we fight through all the difficulties that we discover a beauty and adventure that we really weren't expecting.  Sometimes you have to go through painful places and change to get to the blessing out there on the other side.  Many times it takes a long, hard journey to get to a place where you are amazed by how beautiful it is where you have landed.  The problem is that too many times we refuse to accept the challenges to get to where the blessings are.  We refuse to endure the difficult circumstances and chose to just remain where we are ; where we are comfortable.

Sometimes your "Down Under" can become your "Over The Top"!

BACK HOME AGAIN IN INDIANA AND A BIG SURPRISE (June 12 - July 16, 2017)

Gil Dingman dropped us off early in the morning at the Traverse City (MI) airport in the midst of a thunder storm.  The flight got off on time and we got on the flight!  Traverse City to Detroit to Orlando, Florida without a hitch.  (I had a doctor appointment).  Three days later it was on to Indiana.

This would be about a month in the Hoosier state with time split between our cabin outside of Bloomington and at our daughter's house, in Avon, just outside of Indianapolis.  It would include family activities, Church of the Nazarene General Assembly, house and dog sitting, visits with Sherry's mom, and getting ready for our, three week, upcoming trip to Australia.

The cabin at Pair-a-dice Point at Camp Clifford was waiting to be opened up for the season.  We set this dry cabin up back in 2013.  It is just 12 by 20 feet but gives us a "home" when we need somewhere to go.  It sits on about 3 acres of wooded property next door Sherry's brother, Curt, who has an additional 3 acres.  It is a get away that I have grown to love.  Simplicity has become a major tenant in our life style in these later years.  The freedom of not having to worry about things is amazing.  What a blessing to be able to have the girls (granddaughters) come for an over-nighter.




General Assembly and our time in Avon was enjoyable and quite relaxing.  It was good to see a lot of folks we hadn't seen in awhile and to see our four grandsons who were there because one was an International Bible quizzer.



However, the most amazing thing that happened during this time in Indiana was a message from the District Superintendent in Alaska asking me to fill in at the Soldotna, Alaska, Nazarene Church while they look for a pastor.  So it looks like I'll be an Alaskan during September and October.  We are excited for this adventure.  I held a Revival at  this church in 2013 and they still wanted me to come back.  It's a change of plans but that's kinda what our life is about right now.

                                                                (Soldotna, Alaska)

MICHIGAN WANDERINGS (May 26- June 11, 2017)

This seventeen day period was the continuation of our spring visit to Michigan.  The time was spent with four different couples.

First, Mike and Lois Crawford drove up from Tipp City, Ohio to finish our time at the Boyne Falls resort.  Mike and Lois were members of a church I pastored throughout the 1980s.  Our time was spent traveling across the north land with stops at places like Petoskey, Charlevois, Ironton, Cross Village, and Mackinac Island.  The weather was almost perfect and the fellowship outstanding.  This is the second time they have visited us since we have begun traveling, and I trust it won't be the last.

Next, we drove about an hour south to Fife Lake, Michigan where we stayed with Pastor Bryan McInerny and his wife, Valerie.  I first met the McInernys when I held a revival at the Nazarene Church in Kalkaska, where he pastors.  They live right on Fife Lake.  They were gracious hosts who took us to a VFW fish fry, breakfast on the lake (well, actually on their pontoon boat), special scenic points (where tourists don't usually get to go), and we joined them in Worship on Sunday.  New friends who have become good friends.

Another stop was in East Tawas, Michigan, where we were hosted by Daryl Burt and wife wife, Gwen.  Daryl went to Olivet with us and is a retired Nazarene pastor.  They have a lovely log home, inside the town limits, where there were deer and turkeys in the back yard every day.  I re-connected with Daryl when he asked me to speak at the Northern Michigan Nazarene District's Men Retreat.  They made certain to represent the eastern side of the state well.  Visits to Lumberman's Monument and a wonderful State Park on Lake Huron were absolute highlights of our time in Michigan.

We also visited in Kalkaska where we stayed with Gil and Dottie Dingman.  Gil and Dottie were a part of the first church I pastored back in 1970.  Such awesome laymen then, such awesome laymen now.  Sherry had not seen them in nearly 50 years.  Lots of catching up plus visits to Lake Michigan, golf with Gil, and worshiping together at the Northern Michigan Holiness Campmeeting in Boyne City, Michigan.  My thanks to them, also, for loaning us one of their cars while we were in northern Michigan.  They dropped us off at the Traverse City airport and we flew back to Indiana.

REFLECTIONS

I guess I will always be a Michigander, or is it, Michiganian? Either way, the Great Lake State will hold a special place in my heart; always. During recent days I revisited spots that I remember visiting with my parents many decades ago.  Memories rushed through my mind of days spent in the North woods looking for deer, golf outings, pontoon boat rides, car ferry rides across the "straights", Mackinac Island, and Lumberman's Monument.  Even though right now, technically, I call Indiana home, it is just a place I hang my blue and gold MICHIGAN hat. 

Come to think of it.....right now, I call this planet "earth" home but it is just the place I hang my hat.  The memories I have from every

decade of my life are surrounded by His Church.  Memories of the little Goodells Gospel Church, worshiping in the old Coast Guard Station down by the St. Clair River, church camps, Youth for Christ, Olivet, 6 churches pastored, and 7 years traveling the country and preaching His Word.  It's been quite a journey and I am thankful for all the friends I've made and the blessings I've experienced.  But I know that "the Best Is Yet To Come".

"This world (Michigan, Indiana) is not my home, I'm just passing through, my treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue.

The angels beckon me from Heaven's open door and I can't feel at home in this world anymore."