Blessings and Ministry

It's only Tuesday, but a lot is going on already this week.

I got a phone message from AAA Auto Club and they said I won a prize in some drawing held last Saturday.  I went by the AAA office and was given a $45 book on The Art of Cruising.  I love to go on cruises, so that was fun.

Monday evening I sat down with a man who has been attending our church this past year.  He has been in a rehab complex for the last two years.  He has many issues, mainly due to Agent Orange when he served in Vietnam.  He has no one to advocate for him, so I may take on that responsibility.  He has asked me to be his appointed Power of Attorney.  I told him I would consider it.

I have been working at a training site for the Census Bureau in a nearby city yesterday and today (Monday and Tuesday).  It has been amazing how my pastoral work has become known among the people that I work with.  It has been exciting and rewarding to talk to many about my life and faith.

I got an email from a pastor friend who has a couple that is going through some relationship issues in their marriage.  They want an outside counselor to help, and this pastor gave them my name.  Wow, it really is amazing how ministry opportunities surface through friendships.

I got a phone call today from a man that I used to work with at Coronado Stone.  Both he and his wife work there still.  His wife's mother is critically ill and not expected to live very many more days.  They have asked me to come and sit with them for some serious talks about death and decisions.

I also got some phone calls from my sister and two brothers.  They had received calls from our brother David, who said he will definitely be released from federal custody on June 5!  I have not been home in the evenings lately so I did not receive his call, but I did get the recording that he tried.  In just six weeks, we will go to pick him up to bring back to California for some state parole time to finish.  We are hoping those months will be dismissed because of "good time" in Big Spring, Texas.

I may have an opportunity for a promotion at work.  I can't say much about it now, but I hope to be able to share about it in the days to come.

Lastly, I read the blog from my atheist friend asking my thoughts on more apparent contradictions in the Bible.  Just for the record, I have my thoughts and certainty on his question.  But, alas, I will not answer it in print.  If a person has that many questions and puts them out one at a time to draw attention to the queries, I am not interested in that.  There are sources to be found that give adequate and valuable answers.  My time right now is too precious to waste on silly questions that do not affect eternity.  Sorry about that.  My answers in previous blogs apparently are not sufficient to warrant a change of heart.  The answer to this latest question from me probably would not satisfy, either.  It's just a matter of playing the game of chess, only with words and thoughts and philosophies and theology.  Can't do it, my friend.

I have such joy and excitement about how God is working and living in me at the present.