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Random Thoughts

Two Types of Prayer

Been awhile since I wrote anything, so wanted to share a simple insight into prayer.

There are many types of prayer — far too many to list here. But I want to focus on two approaches that seem common … and sometimes misused.

1) The prayer time that is a sanctuary. It’s a place to retreat and disengage from the world. Prayer becomes a sanctuary, a place to avoid pain, a place to find peace, a place to heal. It’s the place to go when life seems confusing. Unfortunately, the downside of this is that it can also become a …

Random Thoughts,

Fighting God

Came across this in Celtic Daily Prayer today and thought I’d share it. Strikes me as the kind of insight we could all use, especially when dealing with hardship. We want to turn those moments into “spiritual warfare” issues all too fast sometimes.

“When things seem really bad, we might need to hesitate before assuming it’s against us or out to get us. As Gamaliel pointed out, we need to be careful just in case it’s God we’d be fighting in rejecting it.”

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Random Thoughts,

Disagreements

A few weeks ago I had dinner with friends and we ended up talking politics. Though we were not really that far apart in our viewpoints, the disagreements were enough to create a true debate. These were good friends, so there was plenty of laughter and teasing. Accusations went back and forth but they were always done with a smile. Still, there were serious disagreements about policies and perspectives.

That’s going to happen a lot during this election season. Good people with informed viewpoints see things differently. That’s life. And that’s a democracy, thank God.

Of course, it can go …

Random Thoughts, Wine Reviews,

Harvest Photos

This is our first harvest here in our new vineyard home. Seems appropriate to share these photos, plus one short video at the end (which is hard to see…sorry!). The work started in the late afternoon and continued throughout the evening.

Finally, here’s a 12-second video. It’s not much…taken with just an iPhone, from a distance, at night. But it gives you some idea of the noise and energy happening in the vineyard. If you subscribe to this blog via email and can’t see it, just click here to watch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qo5uGNFDfgE&feature=youtu.be…

Family, Random Thoughts, Wine Reviews,

Vineyard Harvest

It’s almost harvest time! Our vineyard manager says “late next week” should be perfect. This is our first harvest since moving to our new home, and we look forward to seeing the process begin. The Chardonnay is looking good this year, and the brix level is 22-23 depending on where and when you test it. So not only are the grapes tasting wonderful, there appears to be an above average yield.

Below are a few pictures you might enjoy.…

Random Thoughts,

Let’s Throw A Party

Loved this devotional from the August 17th entry of Celtic Daily Prayer:

Matthew had met Jesus and wanted all his friends to meet the Master too. What could he do? He could do the one thing he really knew how to do well — he could throw a party. People always enjoyed his parties. So he threw a big party and invited everybody — Jesus could do the rest.

Why can we not just do the same — lay aside time-consuming religious activities, and spend time with people we like, instead?

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Random Thoughts,

Jesus Drove A Honda

It’s Scripture, so it must be true. The photo says it all. It’s the kind of thing that just shouts to be posted on this blog.

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Book Reviews, Random Thoughts,

Garage Full of Books

I’m hoping D’Aun will let me paint our garage door like this one. Then again, maybe not. But you gotta admit it’s pretty creative!

With thanks to Robert Crais for posting this on his Facebook page. Crais is one of my favorite authors of private detective fiction, and I’ve reviewed a couple of his books here. …