Virus squared.

I have so much to write about but I can't do it right now. I have been fighting a virus for the past couple of weeks and now my computer has one to. Because of me and my computer being sick, I missed out on my first year anniversary of blogging. (Saturday was one year.) I will just have to post a belated happy anniversary post after I am felling better. I will make this short so I can get back to bed.

My wife finally made me a doctors appointment, why do guys always wait so long to go see a doctor? Anyway, I will post some later this week. I have a few good ones to talk about.

God bless, Joe b

Virus squared.

Footprints...A New Version

I know most of you have read "Footprints". The story of the man walking with our Lord on the beach and the guy notices that when he is going through trials and troubles there is only one set of footprints. When he asks the Lord why he left him in his time of troubles, the Lord replies, "Son, I didn't leave you. That is when I carried you." That story always made me cry. Now there is a new version of the old story. This one doesn't make me cry, it makes me smile! What do you think?

FOOTPRINTS...A New Version

Imagine, you and the Lord Jesus are walking down the road together. For much of the way, the Lord's footprints go along steadily, consistently, rarely varying the pace.

But your footprints are a disorganized stream of zigzags, starts, stops, turnarounds, circles, departures, and returns.

For much of the way, it seems to go like this, but gradually your footprints come more in line with the Lord's, soon paralleling His consistently. You and Jesus are walking as true friends!

This seems perfect, but then an interesting thing happens: Your footprints that once etched the sand next to Jesus' are now walking precisely in His steps.

Inside His larger footprints are your smaller ones, you and Jesus are becoming one.

This goes on for many miles, but gradually you notice another change. The footprints inside the larger footprints seem to grow larger.

Eventually they disappear altogether. There is only one set of footprints. They have become one.

This goes on for a long time, but suddenly the second set of footprints is back. This time it seems even worse! Zigzags all over the place. Stops. Starts. Gashes in the sand. A variable mess of prints.

You are amazed and shocked. Your dream ends. Now you pray: "Lord, I understand the first scene, with zigzags and fits. I was a new Christian; I was just learning. But You walked on through the storm and helped me learn to walk with You."

"That is correct."

"And when the smaller footprints were inside of Yours, I was actually learning to walk in Your steps, following You very closely."

"Very good.. You have understood everything so far."

When the smaller footprints grew and filled in Yours, I suppose that I was becoming like You in every way."

"Precisely."

"So, Lord, was there a regression or something? The footprints separated, and this time it was worse than at first."

There is a pause as the Lord answers, with a smile in His voice.

"You didn't know? It was then that we danced!"

To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven: A time to weep, a time to laugh, a time to mourn, and a time to dance. Ecclesiastes 3:1,4.

Hope you enjoyed this as much as I did.
God bless, Joe

Footprints...A New Version

Pecans in the Cemetery

I would like to thank everyone who posted a comment on my last post. I think I got more comments from that post than any other I have posted. I have told you guys many times, I do not consider myself a writer but I found a secret. If you ask God to guide your thoughts while you are writing, you can not go wrong. My last post was definately God. I mean I had some ideas but God is the one who put them all together. I knew that after I had stopped writing for the fourth time because I was about to get emotional. OK, I admit it, I am a cryer. Give me a break, I am old and I am allowed to cry if I want to. So anyway thank you. I am glad that it touched so many people.

So now that I have posted a serious post, I wanted to give you guys a gift. A little joke a friend of mine sent to me. I hope you like it.


On the outskirts of a small town, there was a big, old pecan tree just inside the cemetery fence.

One day, two boys filled up a bucketful of nuts and sat down by the tree, out of sight, and began dividing the nuts. "One for you, one for me. One for you, one for me," said one boy.Several dropped and rolled down toward the fence.

Another boy came riding along the road on his bicycle. As he passed, he thought he heard voices from inside the cemetery. He slowed down to investigate. Sure enough, he heard, "One for you, one for me. One for you, one for me." He just knew what it was. He jumped back on his bike and rode off. Just around the bend he met an old man with a cane, hobbling along. "Come here quick," said the boy, "you won't believe what I heard! Satan and the Lord are down at the cemetery dividing up the souls." The man said, "Beat it kid, can't you see it's hard for me to walk." When the boy insisted though, the man hobbled slowly to the cemetery.

Standing by the fence they heard, "One for you, one for me. One for you, one for me..."
The old man whispered, "Boy, you've been tellin' me the truth. Let's see if we can see the Lord." Shaking with fear, they peered through the fence, yet were still unable to see anything. The old man and the boy gripped the wrought iron bars of the fence tighter and tighter as they tried to get a glimpse of the Lord.

At last they heard, "One for you, one for me. That's all. Now let's go get those nuts by the
fence and we'll be done."

They say the old man made it back to town a full 5 minutes ahead of the kid on the bike.

That's just funny, I don't care who you are. I hope you liked it as much as I did.

Have a great week and God bless,
Joe

Pecans in the Cemetery

It hurts weally, weally bad.

Last night my wife and I were woke up at three in the morning by my youngest son screaming. I thought maybe his hand was hurting him because the day before his brother slammed his hand in the van door. My wife must had heard him long before I did because I heard her talking to him.

Zach "Mommy my leg hurts weally weally bad."

Sheila "I know baby."

Zach (Much louder) "Mommy it hurts weally weally bad! Make it go away."

Sheila "It's OK, it will be better in a little bit."

Zach "I want to go to my doctor."

Sheila "I know baby, the medicine will help you."

Zach "Owewee, it hurts, it hurts. Make it go away."

By now I have went to go check out my little man. He is laying on the couch and Sheila is rubbing his leg and he is screaming at this point. I reach down and push his hair back and talk to him.

Me "Hey buddy, it is going to be OK."

Zach "Daddy make it go away."

Me "I wish I could Big Guy, it will be better in just a little while."

Sheila looks at me and says she can handle it for me to go back to bed. I go and get back into bed and listen to the whole thing again. I felt so sorry for my little man. Growing pains hurt like the devil. I was wishing there was something I could do for him but I knew all me and Sheila could do is be there for him and comfort him.

So there I am laying in bed somewhere in that state where you are just about asleep but not quite and your mind is racing about stuff. Let me ask you guys a question. Do any of you have a place in your mind where you meet with Jesus? You know, a happy place. Not a happy place like in the movie "Happy Gilmore", there where no little people on tri-cycles in my happy place. Sorry but that just cracks me up. Alright back to being serious. What was the question, oh yeah, do you have a place in your mind where you go to meet Jesus? Are you bowing before Him when you are talking to him? Are you sitting beside Him in Heaven? My place is in the woods by a running stream. Me and Jesus sitting on the ground, me talking and Him listening, like a couple of old friends.

Last night I had such a dream. I was saying a quick prayer for Zach, when I found myself in that familiar setting in the woods with my Lord.

Me "Lord, it hurts really really bad."

Jesus "I know it does."

Me "Lord, all these trials and problems I have been going through these past few years. My heart, my body they hurt. I can't take it much more."

Jesus "I know, it is only for a short time. It won't be long, before you know it you will be home with me. Until then, I promise I won't give you more than you can handle."

Me "LORD, I can't handle much more."

Jesus "Oh Joe, if you only knew. You can handle so much, just rely on Me."

Just then there is someone kneeling in front of me brushing the hair out of my eyes and wiping the tears and asks what's wrong.

Jesus "Dad, Joe is going through some problems right now. I can't take them from him but I can be here for him and comfort him."

God "Look here my son, I know We allow trials in your life but I promise you will be a better man for it. We promise we won't allow more than you can handle."

That is where I left it, me, God and Jesus sitting there, Them comforting me. I finally fell asleep. This morning I woke up and you know how you kind of remember you had a dream and you try to recall the whole thing? This dream, I remembered the whole thing. During my quite time I asked Jesus to give me the words to write on this post, then I started thinking about another situation where a person was going through some pain.

Jesus "Father, this really really hurts."

God "I know my Son but it will be over very soon and then You will be home with Me."

Jesus "Father, I can't handle much more of this."

God "Oh My Son, You can handle so much. Me and the angels are here for support."

Jesus "Is there any other way?"

God "No my Son, you have to go through this. It is the only way the human race can get to me. But I promise I will not give You more than You Can handle.

After looking at it like this, my problems don't seem as bad. Jesus died for all of us. He did it so we would not have to face a sinner's hell. Death is a whole lot worse than a little health problem or money problem that I can ever face.

Remember, don't tell God how big your storms are, tell your storms how big your God is.

God bless, Joe

It hurts weally, weally bad.