Going To Bed With A Smile On My Face

Where in the World is D Today?

Preparing for Sweet Dreams.

If you read the blog post directly after this one, You will see I was in a bit of a bad mood this evening.

But, as we say in my church back home, "God doesn't always come when you call, but He's always right on time."

Today, I got comfort from Timmy, Shaq, Pie, and Cindy. They lifted me from my afternoon funk. But After I got home, I really don't like coming home, the clouds returned.

Wrote on my blog, I love Taiwan but it doesn't love me back. Then I was comforted unknowingly by Joselyn (a Friend in Taichung), Yi-Wen my new friend at church and Ming my friend from school. My mood was better and I was beginning to think I should update my blog before bed. Then the best thing happened....

My Big Sister Marian called. I called her last night because I was sad. She was in the car and stopped at my younger Brother Steve's house so I could talk to him. Yeah!

So today Marian called to check on me and brought reinforcements. I got to talk to my Big Brother Kirk and my Sister-in-Law Theresa!

I LOVE my family! I miss them terribly at times. I appreciate them so much more now that I am in Taiwan and so far away. Families NEED each other. Our family understands that simple but very important principle.

Thanks to everyone who unknowingly through me a life preserver today. But my Big Sister KNEW from 7700 miles away her little brother needed a life preserver today. And she made sure I got it.

The love of and from ones Family is the greatest buoy any of us can hope for on this side of eternity.

And that is pretty darn cool! Sweet Dreams!

Tired of Being a Grown Up

Where in the World is D Today?

Wishing he could just pack up and leave.

I love Taiwan, but right now I'm not feeling the love back.

I wanna go home.

I'm not going to because it's not the grown up thing to do. I've been 40 years old since I was 12 so I know to ride out storms. So I'm going to go try to sit in the back of the boat. Somebody tell me when we get there.

Peace

Road Rules: Look Left, Right, Front, Back and Oh Yeah, Up!

Where in the World is D?

Looking Up and Saying... DUH!

OK, I know I promised no more stories on Taiwan traffic but this is REALLY important.

You've heard say or read my comments about the traffic here in Jhongli. Comments like, "People drive like Freddie Kruger on Crack!" Or "Taiwan traffic is not for the faint of heart" or "I said a prayer of Thanks because I didn't die crossing the street." (I actually do this several times a day.) In all seriousness, the traffic is not joking matter. I saw two scooter accidents on Sunday. Yesterday I was almost hit by a scooter, but here's why, and this is very common; It was 7:30 PM, the driver Did NOT have their light on AND was wearing a tinted visor. Even though I have taken to wear WHITE shirts at night, I can't see you with no lights on and she/he certainly didn't see my me in all my Blackness, white shirt or no. So, when crossing the street, I look forward, I look left I look right and I look behind me, because having a scooter follow you across the street only to whip around you on your blind side so they can make a left hand turn is very common. (People back home have no idea what I'm talking about, but I guarantee every Taiwanese person reading this knows Exactly what I'm talking about.) You understand why I thank the Lord just to go 50 feet without dying.

You also know I walk every everywhere. A big part of my routine is going to and from work. At every corner I look left, right, front and behind. I see the same things everyday. And EVERYDAY I come to the corner of Yanping and Jung Ping Roads. I look left. There's the Organic Food Store. I look right. There's lots of shops. I look forward. There's the Little Green Man (He is Animated. Which is TOTALLY COOL!) telling me I can cross the street. I go on to work without thinking. I come home the same way, except now the Organic Food store is on the right and there's a LOT more traffic and people to negotiate.

Saturday I was rather bummed about some personal stuff. The usual stuff for me; How are the boys, Why can't I get everything to work right all at same time, but the big thing on my mind was am I doomed to walk the rest of my life "alone" (without a mate.) When I get like this, I like to take a prayer walk. It's calming. So as I'm wander the streets of Jhongli like some sort of ghost, I take a path I never before. Instead of going straight at Jung Ping Rd. I turn left at the Organic Food store. I walk all of 40 feet when I hear Christian music. It's in Chinese, but the style is completely recognizable to me. I stand across the street and watch for a long time. I was asked to go sit on a stool several times and decline. I'm comfortable watching and standing by this nice safe pole. After a while this group, lead by Lia, comes over and hauls me over to the seats. They have no idea what's going on in my head or my emotional state, but I acquiesce. They are not to be denied!

Remember that Organic Food store I see twice a day as I'm looking left and right for and arrant scooters or cars? Well, it never dawned on my to look UP!! If I would have looked up I would have seen this.......DUDE!!

I found my church home.

And like so many things that I've looked for over extended periods of time, it was right in front of me all along. The timing was perfect. I told Yi-Wen, the group leader, it was no accident I wandered by on Saturday. It was their first time doing something on the street.

So I needed to look up both literally and metaphorically. I will never understand God's timing. But I don't really care. I found wonderful Brother's and Sister's in Christ. A few people suggested that they could help me find an English church. My response was, "You don't want me to go to church here?" with a smile. "Oh no, I mean yes we want you" or something like that.

Thus begins a new chapter in this adventure. I'm sure more wonderful stories are on the way.

Let some Healing begin

Where in the World is D?

Smiling at a note I got from a Christian Sister.

I have already voice my great disappointment at how many Christian have had so much venom for now President-Elect Barack Obama. Today I got a note from my friend Erin called 10 Ways to Pray Barack Obama. This is the proper attitude that the body of Christ should have.

Here's the address to Charisma magazine. Even the comments I read were good. Let the people say, AMEN!
http://fireinmybones.com/index.php?col=110508

Is God a Repulican or a Democrat?

I've heard this question asked every four years just like clock work. The gears of the clock is the election of a President for the United States of America. Strangely I hadn't heard the question from anyone until I heard the sound of my own voice asking.

Today I opened an email from my very good and dear friend Mike the Republican. He truly is my good and most dear friends. I was even best man at his wedding! Mike and I loved and nurtured each other through some very trying times in each others life. But every once in a while he says or does something that makes me want to shake the hell out of him.

The subject of today's email, a forward, was a one minute prayer. While it didn't say specifically McCain is good and Obama is evil, the author of the was concerned that Christian might not vote "Christian Values". I seriously snapped when I read that part as well as the Bible quote that followed. My response was, "I pray fervently, I vote Christian Values, AND I volunteer full time for the Barack Obama campaign."

The daring part here is that I replied to all. It's was a list of maybe 15 people. I don't usually go picking fights with people, but Mike drew first blood. He knows me well enough to know my politics. It's hard for me to believe there wasn't a hidden agenda in sending it to me. Thus, I fully expect my email to just blow up tomorrow. That's OK. It's something we should discuss. I just hope we can discuss it in a civil and dare I say christian way.

By the way, the question never gets answered. Personally I think God thinks it's a dumb question.