Chris Loehmer Kincaid's Blog, page 152

What good things has God given you?

So in this way the Lord gave to Israel all the land he had promised to their ancestors, and they went in and conquered it and lived there. And the Lord gave them peace, just as he had promised, and no one could stand against them; the Lord helped them destroy all their enemies. Every good thing the Lord had promised them came true. Joshua 21: 43-45(The Living Bible)
I seem to gravitate to the New Testament for my inspiration on this blog. There are so many passages in the New Testament that speak to our modern lives, passages which could have been written last week, instead of two thousand years ago.
In general, the New Testament, for me at least, is just plain easier to read.
Two years ago, I started working my way through the Bible for the second time. I will read a few Old Testament books, then throw in some chapters from Psalms or Proverbs, or a whole book from the New Testament so that I can keep moving.
I just finished the Old Testament book of Joshua this week. Now there is a book with a story and lots of action which keeps a person’s interest. Only a few chapters are monotonous. Lots of verses can be applied today. My favorite would be “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15)
Then I read this passage. “Every good thing the Lord had promised them came true.” What a great verse. That is me. I maybe don’t have it all, but I have everything which God has promised me – family, friends, a home, a steady job. As much as I complain some days, every day I want for nothing.
What about you?

Lord, God, thank you for everything, thank you for keeping your promise, thank you for satisfying my every need. Amen  Good times with the family back in 1996. Ok, everyone was having a good time, except Val. 

Bonus Blog - what's in your yard?

I was re-reading a few chapters of "A Time for Every Purpose Under Heaven" and came across this section. We maybe complain about our flying friends filling our backyards and filling themselves with our blood, but I guess it could be worse. 
The World’s Most Deadly Life FormWe also taught the Maasai about Hepatitis B, tuberculosis, typhoid, and malaria. Looking across the wide savannah, I could picture the many animals that lived there and killed there. Lions, rhinos, hippos, and crocodiles all have reputations as man killers. Our active imaginations added poisonous snakes to that category. In reality, a much smaller creature claims the title of the one that kills the most people anywhere in any given year.Two to three million people worldwide die yearly from diseases caused by the bite of the ordinary mosquito. In addition to malaria, this insect causes elephantiasis, yellow fever, dengue fever, and West Nile virus.People traveling to countries where malaria is prevalent are usually prescribed a simple preventive medication to take daily the entire time they are away, and to take for an additional week after returning home. An immunization against malaria also shows promise. One of the speakers at Lifest shared a tragic malaria story. A young girl had gone to Africa on a mission trip and had taken the full course of the prescribed anti-malaria medication. After she returned home, she became ill with fever, chills, headaches, and body aches. Initial testing was negative for malaria; this wasn’t questioned because she had taken her medication. As her condition continued to deteriorate, the doctors ran more tests. This time the results showed a rare and drug-resistant strain of malaria. Before enough of the proper treatment could be administered, the previously healthy girl passed away. “What were we getting ourselves into?” I asked myself at the time. Why would God send us into a country where a simple mosquito bite could kill you?Sitting on a stone in the shade of the sturdy trees at Mosiro, I studied the dark faces of the Maasai. I thought I knew the answer.
If you haven't gotten your copy of "A Time for Every Purpose Under Heaven", shoot me a message and I can mail you a signed copy. Through the end of June, I will donate $8 to Tumaini Volunteers for every book of mine that is sold. Help to bring hope to Kenya.  

Documenting my Run

All week, I have been earnestly meaning to start walking the streets of my hometown but finding just that one hour in my hectic schedule seems to be a challenge. With the fulltime job, housework, a garden, my blogs, my other writing, my bumming, and my quest to run a 5K, I am left a few hours to sleep and eat. Oh, it’s not that bad. But I did decide last night that until I get it together I could combine a few things. When I went for a two-mile run, I took my camera with and documented my very own road. That felt like a reasonable commitment to the “walk every street”  dare.
First of all, though, the mosquitoes have been horrendous for the last week. I thought that since I would dawdle on this run, I might need protection.

Bad idea. The first thing I did was spray some in my eye. I am a danger to myself.
I somehow managed to get under way, Dino leading the way.

Isn’t this tree a beauty? I should have parked Dino in front of him, so you could see how big he is. The woods all around here were once filled with mammoth white pines. But logging them all off is what most of our towns were built on, Tomahawk wouldn’t be a town today if it hadn’t been for these trees.
I don’t know what these trees were up to once upon a time. The one guy must have been lonely or maybe he was jealous and thought he should butt in between the others.
 This used to be part of a billboard, back in the day when the highway ran past our road. I should have taken another picture to put it in perspective, but you will have to take my word for it.
I think this used to be a no-trespassing sign, but it has been hanging like this for many years.  I was trying to get a picture of the ferns on the side of the road, but like our shadows better. Doesn’t Dino’s look more like I made his with my hand? 

And I need GPS, why?

I have another challenge for all of you out there who are smarter than I am. Who can convince me of the advantages of using GPS on a road trip? I cannot think of a single time when I said to myself, “Shoot, if only I had GPS I wouldn’t have driven down the wrong road and gotten myself lost again.”
I do say, very often, “Yes, I’m lost again.” But even my husband is ok with that, as his most common traveling phrase is, “You’re never lost if you can turn around.”
Oh, sure, maybe I have been late for a few meetings or have had people in my car get annoyed with me. But honestly, life is way too short to take the shortest path.
On my most recent road trip just last week, I think I did start to annoy my sister. Every time I went down a side road and didn’t know where I was, the first thing out of her mouth was, “Pull over and I’ll directions.” She even was willing to holler out the window and ask directions of the driver next to us stopped at a stop sign.
I do however hang my head in shame, thinking that maybe if I wouldn’t have horsed around so much, my sister wouldn’t have hit that deer after she left my house the night we got home. Sorry. I really am.

But look at some of the stuff we would have missed if I hadn’t strayed all those times.  The Kid's Kingdom in Van Cleve Park, Gladstone, Michigan An old church on some side street in Saginaw I don't know what this is, some kind of maintenance building for the city water works, I think. Or a place to put prisoners on a hot summer day. This was next to Lake Michigan in Mackinaw City.  This was in Lakeview Cemetery in Mackinaw City. We stumbled upon this while trying to find a good view of the Mackinac Bridge.  I took this just as I was about to go on a morning run. The public library was right across the street from our hotel. As we were leaving the hotel a few hours later, they were changing the sign, so this had been a once in a lifetime photo op.  This was walking too. Went across the covered bridge in Frankenmuth and found this beauty in an aviary in the middle of the grassy knoll. 

So, for all of you who swear by your GPS, tell me about some of the cool stuff you stumbled upon in a two-day road-trip? 

What's your minor inconvenience?

When Moses spoke, the flies and other insects swarmed in vast clouds from one end of Egypt to the other. Psalm 105:31 Living Bible

When I took off for Michigan’s UP this week, I forgot it was black fly season. I’ve written about it before. I always think of these pesky insects as infesting only the area around Lake Superior, I forgot that the entire Upper Peninsula is fair-game. What a pretty picture of Mackinac Bridge. Too bad something was on the lens of my camera. Nope, those are the black flies.  How helpful that a gas station in Escanaba offered this service.  My car when I got home, after I had washed it off already earlier in the trip.   Even though these flies must feel like a plague every May and June, it is truly only a minor inconvenience. Other minor inconveniences we encounter daily might include a flat tire, a rainy day when you had outdoor plans, hitting a deer with your car, coming down with a cold. These things might ruin your day but they shouldn’t ruin your life.  

Take a look around you, check the news sometime, see what people in other parts of the world consider a minor inconvenience. Then thank God that a few flies, a few mosquitoes, whatever you encounter today, are all things that you can handle. And when you encounter things you cannot handle, turn it over to God.  

And now. a word from my overactive imagination.

I can run three miles todayI can run three miles todayWatch me move and watch me playWatch me move and watch me playWith my Dino leading me With my Dino leading me I can run and be set freeI can run and be set freeLeft, right, left, right
When I started running last year, I would run until I had counted to 50 and then walk as I counted to 50 again. I would increase my running count in 50 increments. When I got to the point where I truly was running more than walking and lost track of how high I was counting, I just kept pushing myself without much in my mind except that I was half way there or two-thirds of the way there or that my legs were going to fall off.
Sunday morning when I started out, I wondered what better motivation I could find. I thought of the army guys all running in unison, at a tireless pace as they shouted out an echo to their leaders call. I thought, I can do that. Ok, but there was no shouting out loud, it was all in my head.
There’s another hill to climb There’s another hill to climb I must walk it just this timeI must walk it just this timeGreat there’s chickens in that yardGreat there’s chickens in that yardDino please don’t be a ‘tardDino please don’t be a ‘tardHe didn’t see them, that is goodHe didn’t see them, that is goodFarming in the neighborhoodFarming in the neighborhoodGoing down the hill right nowGoing down the hill right nowI must walk or have a cowI must walk or have a cowOn these feet I’ll trip and fallOn these feet I’ll trip and fall I have no phone, I cannot callI have no phone, I cannot call
Ok, then when the end was in sight, two-tenths of a mile to go, I thought I would try the yelling thing. There are no houses on that stretch of road and no cars coming. But I felt like an idiot. And there may have been wildlife listening in .
My house is there just up around My house is there just up aroundI should say these words out loudI should say these words out loudThat won’t work out, am I nuts?That won’t work out, am I nuts?Just get home you silly putzJust get home you silly putzLeft, right, left, right

And because I don’t take my camera with me when I run (what? Do you think I’m really nuts?), I have no pictures today. I think the mental image I just gave you was more than enough. 

Always Remember and never forget

I know that my Redeemer lives!
What comfort this sweet sentence gives!
He lives, he lives, who once was dead;
He lives, my ever living head!

If you have been following this blog at all, especially last month, you realize how fascinated I am by cemeteries. As I was driving home from church last night, it dawned on me that I haven't taken many pictures at the cemeteries in my own home town. And Calvary Cemetery is just down the road from where I live. So I spun in there, thinking that I would take pictures for a blog about Memorial Day.
As I was walking around I thought it dawned on me why I haven't taken pictures in my local cemetery. There are few really old headstones.  But that really wasn't it. In other cemeteries, in other cities, I read the headstones, and wonder what happened. Here, in the town where I grew up, I remember the day like it was yesterday.  If I didn't know you, I knew a relative, or have a relative who knew you. And if I don't remember your story, I just feel that much more sad. Not only because I should remember you, but because you are gone.  But when I remember your story, it takes away the mystery of reading your headstone.  What really matters, though, is that we remember you. That we never forget and we hold to the belief that we will be together again some day. 
He lives and grants me daily breath;
He lives, and I shall conquer death;
He lives my mansion to prepare;
He lives to bring me safely there.

He lives, all glory to his name!
He lives, my savior, still the same;
What joy this blest assurance gives:
I know that my Redeemer lives!

"I Know That My Redeemer lives" lyrics by Samuel Medley

Trial Run - The Streets of Hatchet Creek, Day 1

Several years ago I stumbled on the blog “I’m Just Walkin’.” The blogger Matt was walking across the United States, taking pictures and blogging along the way. After he had been back home in New York City for a while he decided that his next adventure would be to walk every street in NewYork City, including all five boroughs, which he estimated to be 8000 miles. That seems like a lot, but there is a lot of area to be covered in a city that large. .
After following his blog for a while, I started thinking last year that I should walk every street of my home town. I don’t know how many miles that turns out to be, but I guarantee it is way less than 8000. I’m sure I could figure it out on-line or maybe I could just check with the city and they could tell me how many miles of street they maintain. That’s not the idea though.
The idea is to a] get out and walk (it is the best exercise, low stress, heart-healthy and all that stuff I should be advocating at the day job) and b] document life in the city where I live.
Like I already said, I have been thinking about this for a year, trying to find the time to commit to some sort of schedule. Schedules are highly overrated. I have pretty much decided that I will try to walk once a week and document those travels here. If I am out of town, or the weather is lousy, or I just don’t have a good excuse, I might not make it every week. This is going to be a no-stress assignment.
I went for a trial run last night, taking along three unsuspecting women from church and one dog. I have concluded that I can do this. Three unsuspecting friends and one dog. Dogs, at least black labs, are always unsuspecting.
I thought we could take this trail that circles part of town, but apparently it is a seasonal trail.  If you have ever been to Tomahawk, hopefully you have been here. Of all the places I have roamed, Bradley Park remains one of the most picturesque.   We ended up walking up one alley. I don't intend to include alleys in my quest, but am glad we ventured down this one. 

Another thought has gone through my head. Maybe this could be the start of a trend. Everybody get out and walk every street in their own city, town, or neighborhood. Start your own blog and chronicle life in the place where you live. And if this is already being done, please someone tell me. If this is my idea – great. But if someone previously came up with it, give them the credit.  One way or the other, let me know. 

Writing for Universal Appeal: sort of a book review

Back in the day (and this is even before my day, hard as that seems), shoppers went from shop to shop buying what they needed. They went to the butcher to buy their fresh meat, they bought their vegetables from the open-air farmer's market, they went to the dry goods store to buy whatever dry goods are. They didn't go to one mega-mart to buy everything they needed, they went to the place that specialized in what they were looking for.
Today, in the era of Wal-mart and other super-centers, the general public wants to buy everything on their list at one place. Which is sad as mom and pop shops are going out of business because they can't compete.
Yet, as a struggling writer, I hear over and over again that you must write to a specific target audience, that a writer cannot be all things to all people. But I want to reach everyone! Isn't that what a best-seller is? Yes, I know that best-sellers reach target audiences too, but I don't think you can sell enough books to that specific group of readers with an interest in wearing two different sneakers to work on Thursdays to make it on any best-sellers lists.
Oh, was that too specific? So how does a writer know if their niche is big enough or small enough? Must I call in Goldilocks to get it just right?
I just finished reading "The Deer on theBicycle: Excursions into the Writing of Humor" by Patrick McManus. I loved that book. I thought it was great and I think a wide range of people would think it was great.
The premise was that Pat was writing a book on writing and getting published. So obviously, this was a book geared towards writers. Maybe.
Mr. McManus made his name writing for magazines such as Sport Illustrated and Outdoor Life. Not magazines I usually frequent. But as he says in “Deer”, if you can write a story with universal appeal, go for it, probably, you should strive for it.
So what happened to the “writers must specialize” theory? I think, if at all possible, what you write should be directed to several different groups instead of writing something so general that it has no specific genre. Such as in his book.
It may be touted as written for writers, but the many humorous stories which Pat shares cover groups from bicyclists to hunters to fisherman to those looking for the perfect getaway vacation. And I don’t care who you are, we all need to read stuff that just plain makes our cheeks hurt from laughing so hard.

I could be wrong, but that is my take on writing to a target audience. And you can take it or leave it. 

Do you have the time?

 He may come at nine o’clock at night—or even at midnight. But whenever he comes, there will be joy for his servants who are ready!
Everyone would be ready for him if they knew the exact hour of his return—just as they would be ready for a thief if they knew when he was coming. So be ready all the time. For I, the Messiah, will come when least expected.Luke 12:38-40 Living Bible
Every morning, as I am getting ready for work, I look at the clock every few minutes. “I need to get out of bed in five more minutes.” “I have three more minutes on the computer.” “I should be walking out the door in eight minutes, but I still have to finish putting on my makeup.”
When I get to work it is more of the same. Our doctors see patients every twenty minutes, which means I look at the clock on my computer constantly. “My next patient will be here in six minutes, and I am still in a room with Mr. Green.” “Now Mrs. Jones is late, but Mr. Smith is early, so should I room him first.” “Great, it’s 12:11. Looks like I won’t get out for lunch again today.”
To my credit, the only obsession I don’t have is with the watch on my wrist. I don’t change the time for daylight savings time twice a year, so it is off by a full hour six months out of the year. I also have noticed that it has lost close to ten minutes, but I haven’t bothered to change that either. If you haven’t guessed, my watch is the old-fashioned kind with a face and I only use it for the second hand when I am counting a pulse.
Overall, however, I hate this obsession with time. Things are going to happen when they happen whether I am watching the clock or not. All I can do is keep doing what I am doing at the best rate I can and stop worrying about the time it takes.
Our life on this earth is too short to obsess about anything. There is only one thing we should be thinking about when it comes to time, and that is that we are ready when Jesus comes for us.

Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Your Son to save us from our sins. Grant us patience as we wait for His return. Amen