Golf Gulf

This past Friday I played my first, and perhaps my only, round of golf for the year. The picture above shows the threesome of my foursome. We were playing in a an outing sponsored by a couple of local organizations raising money for good causes. The fellowship was good, the food after was good, the weather was good, and the golf was good. We shot 8 under. My contribution to that score was minimal. Although, not to brag, I did finish us up by shooting a birdie on the final hole - a par 3. It was a beautiful shot - probably the best of the outing . . . . . . sorry, I digress. My help on the rest of the 18 was limited to a lot of verbal encouragement. For one thing, you cannot play golf once a year and do exceptionally well. For another, there were two others on the team that play every week - one of which use to be a golf pro. Dave, the guy on the right in the picture, is a weight lifter who, when he connects, almost knocks the skin off of the ball. So, I was there for the moral support. "Atta Boy!" "Great Shot!" "Your the Man!" Our score was not enough to place - the winning team shot a 14 or 15 under. But, 8 under is a score never achievable me alone. Playing best-ball made it possible. As a pastor, the lesson in that is all too obvious - which are the best lessons I learn. The Lord builds teams to accomplish his purposes. I have very little patience for the man/woman who discards the church as useless. Imperfect? Yes. Sometimes hurtful? Yes. Inconsistent? Yes. Intolerant? Sometimes. But, the work of the kingdom advances through the work of the body - a team dedicated to moving forward under the leadership of the King. It is not about the lone person, the American ideal of the individual, who takes on the world. Leadership is important. Single individuals have significant impact. But, in the end, it is about the body. Maybe I should play more - as a reminder of this lesson - and others - such as patience, persistence, hitting it fat, keeping my head down, not gripping too tightly, etc, etc, etc.

Hot

I grew up in this house in central Louisiana. It was a wonderful place to live. There was a pond behind the house and thousands of acres of woods around it. We lived next door to a national forest. There were some downsides, not the least of which was the heat. Growing up, we had no air conditioning. An attic fan provided the only ventilation in the evenings. And, more often than not, in the middle of the summer it only moved hot air. My brother was older than me and his bed was next to the window so I was second in line for the breeze. I remember the evenings as hot and, since the windows were open, noisy. Lots and lots of bug sounds, owls, and a variety of other night creatures created a cacophony of sound. It was like a natural orchestra. A few things helped relieve the heat. One would be a thunderstorm. The other would be damp dish towels. And, sometimes, Tim and I went out on the roof. But, to be honest, I did not really mind the heat too much. You do get acclimated and we knew no better. The vast majority of people around us did not have A/C either. Our cars, at least when I was a kid, did not have A/C. So, I have lived with it and without it. I prefer having it, but know that it is entirely possible to get along just fine without it. In many ways, it really is a luxury. Anyway, today it is hot and muggy in East/Central Illinois. Reminds me a bit of Louisiana.

Longest Day

Summer has officially arrived. The summer solstice occurred yesterday, Sunday - June 21st. It is always a bit depressing for me. Isn't that awful! What bothers me is that the days start getting shorter. The sun has stopped the ascent it makes and now begins descending lower and lower. Every day we shave some minutes off of the amount of daylight we experience, unlike our dear friends who live near the equator. And, yesterday was Father's Day. It was a good day - all three children were home. Andrew read scripture during the worship service at church, which was nice. Connie fixed a delicious dinner. We topped it off with homemade ice cream. At least we tried. The mixer/freezer ran and ran and ran. After several hours, the mix was the consistency of buttermilk. This morning, after it spent the night in the refrigerator freezer, it was finally hard enough to be considered ice cream. The family gave me some nice gifts. We played hillbilly golf late in the afternoon. I was most grateful for their kindness.

Stars and ISS

Look closely in this photo and you see a streak. That is the International Space Station flying over the U.S. two weeks ago. (Click on the pic and it should enlarge) The ISS is VERY bright. All the solar panels hanging off of it has made it amazingly reflective of sunlight. So much so that some folks are spotting it during the daytime. It was low on the horizon the evening I made this picture. Not the best locality for observing or photographing.

I also made some "star-shots". Here is one. Again, click on it and you should see an enlarged version. It is a bit "noisy" but the stars are very obvious. I am interested in doing some astrophotography but the equipment costs are significant. It would require me purchasing a different mount for my telescope and some other equipment used to attach my DSLR to the telescope. Maybe later.

In the mean time, check out the web site "Heavens Above" to see when the ISS will next pass over. You will need to enter your locality. I have found it amazingly accurate in the predictions it offers. Finally, life may be like a box of chocolates - never knowing what you get. In this last image, if you click on it, you will see a surprise. I was unaware of it until closer examination. It is amazing how much "stuff" is flying through our atmosphere.

Rain

I love rain. Frankly, and this is dangerous to say, I would rather have too much than too little. Yes, I have had my basement flooded and had to rip out carpet and tear out walls. And, certainly, I don't wish a flood on anyone. I was in western Illinois by the Mississippi River in 93. The devastation was breath taking. But, when there is too little the earth becomes parched and barren. It is as if the wind itself becomes a moan emanating from the planet for rain. And, when it comes, it comes as refreshment unmatched. When it has been dry and rains, it makes you want to run outside and dance in it and lift your face and let it run down your chin.

And, I love thunderstorms. Sorta. I don't like it when people or property are damaged in storms. But, I love a hot and dry day that ends with a cacophony of sound and fury and downpours of liquid cool. And, as quickly as it begins it ends and the day has been transformed in a moment. Where it was hot and buggy and stifling - it is now cool and clean and relaxing. And, there are no firework shows on the planet that can match a good summer thunderstorm for its intensity and pure excitement.

The Bible describes rain as a blessing from God. It is used as an example of His common grace. It rains on the just and the unjust. Showers of blessings, showers of blessings we need, mercy drops round us are falling, but for the showers we plead! Words to an old gospel song that describe rain as a symbol of the goodness of God coming to us.