Well the long holiday weekend is over. We were able to reconnect with a few of our old friends at a gathering on Sunday afternoon. It was good to see everybody. It has been YEARS since we last saw several of the people there.

I just finished a really good who-done-it. I can’t decide if I am not a very discerning reader or if I am just good at picking ‘em – seems like I’m on a roll.

This was my second in a row, non-Christian, fiction. Written by the prolific Mary Higgins Clark, I’ll Be Seeing You was a fast and fun ride / read. I have shied away from her thinking that she mainly wrote horror. I guess now I’ll have to look a little closer. I’ll give it four out of five stars.

Today, I went on a walk in the neighborhood. The first thing I notice, is there are more birds, squirrels and cats than there are people out and about. In Taiwan, there are people everywhere. I notice the multiple differences daily – yet, that is not what this entry is about. I borrowed Jackie’s mp3 player and headed out for my walk this morning, it was not until this song/lyrics came on that I was able to be honest with the Lord with the many emotions going on within me. Since we arrived back in the US in late March, I’ve struggled with understanding “grief”. Grief of missing Taiwan, the people I am involved with, the ministry, the discipleship, the relational witnessing. But I am quickly reminded how, while living in Taiwan, I experience grief of missing family and friends as well as being regularly involved/updated in their lives. Listening to this song today helps me accept, that no matter where I am, I will have grief of physical separation, and bottom line is being in God’s will (be that in Taiwan or Texas) does not spare me of separational grief .

The lyrics are set to a tender hearted melody.

“All I Want To Do” – Ginny Owens

All I want to do, is give this life to You
All I want to do, is give this life to You
All I want to do, is give this life to You
And let Your will be done, until it’s all I want to do.

How does doubt slip in, so silently?
And why does condemnation come so naturally?
Why do I still get the best of me?
Loving so little and living so selfishly?

When all I want to do, is give this life to You.
All I want to do is give this life to You.
All I want to do is give this life to You,
and let Your will be done until it’s all I want to do.

What have I been given by Your grace?
Will I come to understand this mystery I embrace?
Make of me a new creation now,
Fill me with all you are and be all I am some how.

Cuz all I want to do is give this life to You.
All I want to do is give this life to You.
All I want to do is give this life to You
And let Your will be done, until it’s all I want to do.

Faith so fragile
Reaching for Your hand

All I want to do, is give this life to You.
All I want to do, is give this life to You.
All I want to do, is give this life to You,
and let your will be done, til it’s all I want to do.
And let your will be done, til it’s all I want to do.

Lord, Help me embrace those I am blessed to be with each moment; may grief of missing others, not rob me of the ability and opportunity of embracing being in your will moment by moment.

Lord, giving my life to you is truly all I want to do. Hold my heart, keep me from missing you, your blessings, and the love offering found in all relationships, no matter where they may be, no matter where I may be. Lord, thank you for your comforting promise in [bible]Matthew 28:20[/bible]… “I am with you always, even to the end of the age”. Thank you that I will never experience seperational grief in my relationship with you. In Christ’s strength and in His sweet name I pray. Amen.

Growing up in the 1950’s and 60’s, I had a steady diet of war movies. Let’s see  . . . on Saturdays at the Plaza Theater it was either westerns, war movies, or Elvis. It was a wonderful time to grow up!

I’ve never really cared to read war stories though. It was the action on the silver screen that I enjoyed.  

One of the mystery writers I found when looking for Grisham-like writers was Scott Turow. I’ve found some of his stuff to be too graphic (profanity & sex) but most I’ve read have been quite good. One of his latest strayed from his normal mystery/courtroom writings. Ordinary Heroes is a well written World War II story with an unexpected ending that I was drawn into. I’d recommend it – but – be warned it is about war, thus it is pretty graphic in places.

I gave it 4 stars at My Library Thing

I’m trying to improve on posting (semi) daily pictures. This is from a hill overlooking the lake that is walking distance from the house where we are living until mid August.

Same nite as yesterday’s pic

This one is for Bess Taken after Saturday night church – less than 3 kilometers from our church building – overlooking Lake Ray Hubbard.

If you don’t know what RSS is – you owe it to yourself to find out. The link below will take you to a three and a half minute video that will explain it all. If you don’t have the time to watch it now, bookmark this page and come back later. It will revolutionize your internet use.

There are two types of Internet users, those that use RSS and those that don’t. This video is for people who could save time using RSS, but don’t know where to start.