"Summer Bug"

Well, I spent from about 9pm Saturday night,
until about 9am Monday morning, fighting a
fever of bubonic proportions. 105 at one reading.

It was an experience. Fighting the summer bug.

Also this summer, we had on several different
occasions, battling ticks. I believe all of us at
one point, except me, had one removed from
their persons this year.

And if that's not enough, the mosquitoes and
the flies have gotten to a rather annoying point
in recent days. Not that they aren't always
a nuisance, but the level of their annoyance
has been rising quite quickly.

Enter: The cross orb.
Last summer, I was very adamant that a
beast of this nature must be destroyed.
They are down right scary looking and
as I found out later, rather harmless to
humans (especially my babies.)

Add to my info this:
Diet: flying insects, such as, flies and mosquitoes.
Oh how the ugly duckling turned into the swan
with that little bit of information in my brain.

SO, goodbye Mr. fly and Mrs. mosquito.
You are now on the entree list of my new
friend. I guess you could say as far as
the flying pests are concerned... my family
is now protected and covered by the cross.

For the message of the cross
is foolishness to those who are
perishing, but to us who are
being saved it is the power of God.
1 Corinthians 1:18 NIV

"3+1=6?

3 boys +
1 girl +
2 parents +
1 bathroom +
3 bedrooms =

well, it's beginning to not add up very well.

And what's really beginning to add up
quite well is the headaches that I've been
getting thinking through all of this...
trying to pray through all of this.

What's for sure... well, I'm not sure.

I believe we are on the verge of outgrowing
our home, and leaving ourselves with some
tough decisions.

How do we put another bedroom in our
home... or is it even possible?

Do we sell our home... then try to find
one that at least gives us another bedroom?

Do we really want to move...
to another town, school district,
higher tax area?

Motrin is now my second best friend...
right next to Tums.

Decisions, decisions.
Prayers and more prayers.

"Lukenstein"

This picture is a few months old.

July 26th, 2006... a son was born.

Luke Boswell Trimble.

I have in the past written some things
concerning the one I once called
"Lukenstein." Thanks be to God that
he came through those terrible twos
and early threes.

He is much sweeter these days, and
probably the hardest worker of our
four children.

He usually tries to play up... be much
older than he is. And often times I forget
he's only... well, he's only 4 now.

It seems just like yesterday. But it
has been four years. Time surely
does fly by.

Happy Birthday, Luke!
I am proud to be your father.

"Clean Fun"

"Psalm 24"

¹The earth is the LORD'S, and all it contains,
The world, and those who dwell in it.
²For He has founded it upon the seas
And established it upon the rivers.
³Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD?
And who may stand in His holy place?
⁴He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
Who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood
And has not sworn deceitfully.
⁵He shall receive a blessing from the LORD
And righteousness from the God of his salvation.
⁶This is the generation of those who seek Him,
Who seek Your face--even Jacob.
⁷Lift up your heads, O gates,
And be lifted up, O ancient doors,
That the King of glory may come in!
⁸Who is the King of glory?
The LORD strong and mighty,
The LORD mighty in battle.
⁹Lift up your heads, O gates,
And lift them up, O ancient doors,
That the King of glory may come in!
¹⁰Who is this King of glory?
The LORD of hosts,
He is the King of glory.


NASB VERSION

"Darkness"

I spent a little over an hour with
my family some where between
entrance and 175 below the entrance
of the Laurel Caverns this past Friday
during our first camping trip of
the summer.

It was cool.

Literally.

It was about 90 degrees outside where
you could see the sun. But in the caverns
it's a constant 50 degrees... all year round.
(See, I did learn something on our trip.)

We took the lighted guided tour.
It was a great activity. My daughter
even asked the guide about
stalactites and stalagmites... which apparently
are not conducive to the Laurel Caverns
due to the makeup of the ground it's in.
(See, I don't remember much.)

But the coolest part of the trip through
the cavern was the room they shut us in
and turned all the lights off.

Darkness.

Complete Darkness.

Can't even see your hand in front of your face.

That's Darkness that is never penetrated by
natural light... DARK!

But you are a chosen people,
a royal priesthood, a holy nation,
a people belonging to God, that you
may declare the praises of him who
called you out of darkness into his
wonderful light. 1 Peter 2:9 NIV

"called you out of darkness"
from the depths of the caverns...

You can't find your way out of
this darkness alone.

If you don't take light with you,
or someone doesn't bring a light
to you, you are lost...

in the dark... pitch-black dark.

The darkness of the Laurel Caverns
is broken by man-made light.

The darkness of my heart is broken
only by my savior, my God.

"He's Probably A Minister"

Bank.
Wally World.
Get-Go for gas.

Fun, fun, fun on a Saturday morning,
the day before Independence Day.

SO, I pump my gas and go inside to pay.
Yep, cash only guy here.
It's great.

There's one fellow working inside the
rectangle. I call it the rectangle.
The cashier area.

Anyway, a guy is standing there counting
out pennies for his egg-sandwich or
something, so I get in LINE (key to
the story) behind him.

Another fellow, is standing around the bend
of the rectangle. (He's the red circle below)

So I started messing around getting my
money ready and organized as penny
guy was finishing up. While I was doing
that, another couple stepped in to the
store to pay for something. Kind of
stopping right beside me.

The lady kind of looked at me, and
since I wasn't in too much a hurry
I told her that they could go before
me.

Fourth of July fireworks started
here this weekend.

As penny guy was leaving,
angry white haired, white beard
man (guy in red in diagram)
says something about his chance
of paying being next... but not so
nicely.

Cashier says, "I was just getting
to you."

Not good.

Angry white hair says something
not so nice again and proceeds to
verbally smack cashier around.

Well, man who came in with lady
who I allowed to go ahead of me,
says, "why don't you get in line
like the rest of us?"

Angry white hairs says, "I was
here before you."

Man w/ lady says, "not really,
he was here before us."
He points at me.

Angry white hairs says, "I was
here before him too!!!" Continues
to mumble. Storms out mumbling.

Man w/ lady says, "Some people."

And Cashiers says, "Sad thing is...
he's probably a minister."

HUH?

Now, I'm not saying ministers don't
have their moments... impatience,
anger, acting like spoiled brats...
you know, SINFUL moments.
Those moments they need forgiveness for.

I mean, really, aren't ministers imperfect
finite beings like the rest of us.

A minister?

Crazy old guy maybe.
Sinful human dirty rag like me maybe.
A minister maybe.
maybe not.

Pray for you minister today. He needs your prayers.
The eyes of not only his church are on him.
The eyes of everyone are on him...
watching him...
waiting...
maybe even hoping...
to see him fall.