Chris Loehmer Kincaid's Blog, page 86

The Woman at the Well

Sorry that this post is so long. It is one of my favorite Bible stories, so I didn’t want to skip any of it.
 To get there, he had to pass through Samaria. He came into Sychar, a Samaritan village that bordered the field Jacob had given his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was still there. Jesus, worn out by the trip, sat down at the well. It was noon.
 A woman, a Samaritan, came to draw water. Jesus said, “Would you give me a drink of water?” (His disciples had gone to the village to buy food for lunch.)
 The Samaritan woman, taken aback, asked, “How come you, a Jew, are asking me, a Samaritan woman, for a drink?” (Jews in those days wouldn’t be caught dead talking to Samaritans.)
 Jesus answered, “If you knew the generosity of God and who I am, you would be asking me for a drink, and I would give you fresh, living water.”
 The woman said, “Sir, you don’t even have a bucket to draw with, and this well is deep. So how are you going to get this ‘living water’? Are you a better man than our ancestor Jacob, who dug this well and drank from it, he and his sons and livestock, and passed it down to us?”
 Jesus said, “Everyone who drinks this water will get thirsty again and again. Anyone who drinks the water I give will never thirst—not ever. The water I give will be an artesian spring within, gushing fountains of endless life.”
 The woman said, “Sir, give me this water so I won’t ever get thirsty, won’t ever have to come back to this well again!”
 He said, “Go call your husband and then come back.”
 “I have no husband,” she said.
 “That’s nicely put: ‘I have no husband.’ You’ve had five husbands, and the man you’re living with now isn’t even your husband. You spoke the truth there, sure enough.”
 “Oh, so you’re a prophet! Well, tell me this: Our ancestors worshiped God at this mountain, but you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place for worship, right?”
 “Believe me, woman, the time is coming when you Samaritans will worship the Father neither here at this mountain nor there in Jerusalem. You worship guessing in the dark; we Jews worship in the clear light of day. God’s way of salvation is made available through the Jews. But the time is coming—it has, in fact, come—when what you’re called will not matter and where you go to worship will not matter.
 “It’s who you are and the way you live that count before God. Your worship must engage your spirit in the pursuit of truth. That’s the kind of people the Father is out looking for: those who are simply and honestly themselves before him in their worship. God is sheer being itself—Spirit. Those who worship him must do it out of their very being, their spirits, their true selves, in adoration.”
 The woman said, “I don’t know about that. I do know that the Messiah is coming. When he arrives, we’ll get the whole story.”
 “I am he,” said Jesus. “You don’t have to wait any longer or look any further.” John 4:4-26 (The Message Bible)
I can picture the look on Jesus face during this exchange, a slight smile, his head tilted. The woman is bold and independent. She’s committed a fair number of sins, but she’s still strong and won’t let some strange Jew run her down. After this encounter, she hurries back to her village and tells everyone about it. They want to hear Jesus speak for themselves so they go out to meet, and many become believers. All because of a woman from the wrong side of the tracks.   Here's an interesting thought. If you read the sign describing this well at Historic Jamestown, you'll note that after its usefulness had passed, these wells basically became garbage dumps. If the woman in today's' story had been an object instead of a person, she might have ended up in the bottom of an old well, if not for this encounter with Jesus. 

Spring Vacation 2019, Day 4

After driving through a few rain showers, we arrived in Virginia Saturday afternoon, April 13. It had been a longer drive than I had anticipated. I wish we would have had more time to sight-see on the way down, but I guess that will be for another trip, one probably after I’ve retired.                We stayed the first two nights with my mom’s cousin, in her adorable guest house. She was a gracious host, just as I remember from the times I was there as a kid. Well, okay, except maybe when I was there as a kid, what I remembered more were things like the peacocks.
On Sunday, we drove over to the navy base in Norfolk, where my niece’s daughter is stationed. She loved showing us all around the base.  From planes to aircraft carriers . . .
 To the floating hospital
To battleships  . . .  Even to subs.
And finally to the Naval Base Mermaid.  After she had shown us pretty much everything there was to see on the base, including the PX, which was like a luxury mall where we probably spent to much money, we drove down to Virginia Beach for lunch.
 Unfortunately, the weather didn’t cooperate all day, but we just kept telling ourselves that it was better than snow.

Spring Vacation 2019, Days 2 & 3

Look at that. It’s May 1 already. I think that today is the day the last of my snow will melt. I am going to hope so.
But back to vacation. Last Friday, all I had to show you about the trip thus far was all the bad weather we encountered. Thankfully, the second two days of driving to Virginia, we had beautiful weather. The first time we drove past green grass and buds on the trees, I just wanted to stop and drink it in.   Ok, I wasn't about to drink in the green grass at this cemetery we ran across in the middle of nowhere in Kentucky.
 I never was able to find out the name of it.
 They call these trees "redbuds". They look more pink to me.
 The Smoky Mountains of West Virginia.
 Can see why they're called that.
 Humpback Bridge near Covington, Virginia.
 Can you see the word LOVE spelled out?
 Every trip I take, my goal is to visit some place historic (you'll hear all about that in the coming days), as well as a cemetery (as above) and a waterfall. This is the only waterfall we saw.
 View from the pass over Porter Mountain
 Near the Sharp Top Mountain trail head.
Our destination, in a roundabout way. The paper mill in Franklin, Virginia, where my great-uncles worked. I've ridden past it six times in my life, but having lived most of my life in a paper mill town, they are all in my blood.  

In Times of Trouble

  Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. James 1:12 (NIV)
When bad things happen, people sometimes blame God. They say, “a loving God wouldn’t let these things happen”. Or “if there really was a God, I wouldn’t have to go through these struggles.”
  Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV)
Nowhere in the Bible does it say that life will be easy. In fact it says otherwise.
  “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 (NIV)
In times of trial, instead of turning from God, we need to lay all our burdens on Him.
  “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV)
May God bless you all with His presence.

Spring Vacation 2019, Day 1

I debated about sharing the first day of our vacation and the long, harrowing drive. Looking at the forecast for this weekend, however, it seemed appropriate.
We left home just before eight am two weeks ago yesterday. The forecast was abysmal, as Winter Storm Wesley was bearing down on Wisconsin. We thought somehow, we could outrun it, or at least that if we drove very slow, we could still make it halfway to Virginia. Right.
We arrived in Danville, Illinois, by quarter to six, a drive that should have taken us six and a half hours instead of ten, but we made it.
Are we ever going to be done with winter?                 Our house just before we left. You will notice as you look at my pictures that there is an apparition in all them. I'm not happy about that but was too cheap to buy another camera. But I think I'll have to.   We had only gone 35 miles when we stopped at this gas station.
 Accident at Westfield. 
Then next we have flooding to look forward to. 

The Present, the Past and the way Past

 This past Friday afternoon, Hubby and I returned from our week’s vacation to Virginia. I plan on eventually sharing the entire trip with you, along with many photos, but right now, I just have too many other things going on. I still haven’t looked at the nearly 700 pictures I took.
I thought I would post a quick look at the present, past and way past.
When I was in the late stages of planning this road trip, I noticed how close we were going to be to Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson, just outside of Charlottesville. I knew that Hubby would like it, so I mentioned it to him and then penciled it into the itinerary.  
It’s not as if I hadn’t been there before. Or that my family hadn’t been there long before that.   April 2019 – no one on the steps.
June 1972 – my sister Pat and I. The only thing I remember about that visit was the clock which measured both the time and the days, which hung over the front door. What a strange thing to remember. I think it was because my dad found it so fascinating. 1954 (not sure of the month) – my brother Tom and other sister Judy.  Somethings change and some will always stay the same.

Easter Morning

  “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him.” Mark 16:6
 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Matthew 28:6
 I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end, he will stand on the earth. Job 19:25

What can you handle?

 As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross. They came to a place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”). There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it. When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots. And sitting down, they kept watch over him there. Above his head they placed the written charge against him: this is jesus, the king of the jews. (Matthew 27:32-37 New International Version)
I hate that I woke up this morning with other things on my mind. It took me a bit to remember that it was Good Friday. What do I do now that I know what today is? I can’t remember the last time I was to church on Good Friday – it is just always such a sorrowful service that I can’t handle it. Which feels like one of the greatest sins I commit. Can’t handle it? And look what Jesus had to handlefor me. 

Keeping the Faith

I don’t usually blog on Tuesdays. I do usually blog on Sundays and I didn’t this week. Which I feel bad about. It was Palm Sunday and I should have written about the events of that first Palm Sunday, the triumphant ride of Jesus into the city which would condemn and kill him by the end of the week. What else could I have said?
Here it is Tuesday of Holy Week and as everyone knows Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris burned yesterday. I won’t recap the damage; I’m sure you’ve heard and seen pictures.
One source said something about the fall of the Cathedral is a symbol of the fall of Christianity across Europe. Others have said that, though this is an unfathomable loss, our faith lies not in any building. I would certainly have to agree with the second sentiment.
Which doesn’t change the fact that the entire world, not just the French people or Christians, has lost something magnificent. 
(Keeping with my code for blogging, I won’t borrow pictures from the internet. These are ones of places of worship I’ve visited from around the world.)
 
It's not so much where one worships, but that they keep the faith.

Hey, People, it is Spring. Really.

   As I mentioned here recently, I’ve been going to post another series of my winter pictures, along with – ta,da – it’s Spring pictures! But that hasn’t really happened here in Wisconsin yet this year, has it?

I’ve seen a little ground around my house and even water flowing in places. 

And then yesterday happened. I do not even want to take any more pictures.   Spring will get here. The sun will come out. The temperatures will warm up. It will truly be “shorts weather”, instead of us bullheaded northerners wearing shorts and flipflops when there is still snow on the ground and it is 40 degrees out, but we don’t care, because gosh darn it, the calendar says it’s April!

Hang in there, Wisconsin, it will happen and it will be worth it.