Don’t Be Deceived…But, Don’t Be Complacent

Finding the Message in the Chaos

Recently, a fellow Christian has taken it upon himself to offer his best guesses as to when our Lord and Savior, Jesus, would return, and he has boasted about it publicly.  He is not the first person who has attempted this feat of the unknown openly, and he won’t be the last.  Unfortunately, every time someone makes a prediction as to when Jesus will return, especially a Christian…and, they are wrong…many non-Christians become more and more skeptical as to the validity of Christian faith.  Furthermore, some Christians start questioning their own faith and start seeking their spiritual health through other avenues.  As a believer in our Lord and Savior Jesus, I wish to make two statements in response to the recent expectations of Jesus’ return and shore up any questions that you as a Christian or non-Christian may have after these questionable predictions.

Now, I am not going to throw a lot of mumbo jumbo at you for the next several minutes and expect you to take everything I have said at face value.  It will be your responsibility to check on what I have stated against the truth in which I will be sharing.  And the best place to check on what I am sharing is the place where I have received this information…the Bible.  As Christians, it is our belief that the Bible is the Word of God.  Now, there are many ways in which Bible theologians would recount this, but I will make it simple:

Regarding the Bible “Word of God” 

Christians believe that God has given exceptional men of the past his words to write down as an introduction to His creation of the world, a history of man and his interactions with God, a guide to how man should live his life and treat others, and to foretell how one man would come and open a door for sinful men, so that one day they will be able to stand before God even though He hates sin.  Simply put, Christians believe that the first part of the Bible or “Old Testament” is the history of man, an example and guide to living one’s life, and a red carpet of prophecies that give us a glimpse of man’s coming savior. 

Christians also believe that Jesus came to Earth, ministered to mankind, took our place on the cross and died for our sins, was buried, defeated death, and was resurrected.  Simply put, the second part of the Bible or “The New Testament” gives us a witnessed account of the coming, the life, the death, and the resurrection account of our savior Jesus, and his message for all humanity…which includes his return. 

Regarding Jesus’ Return

Remain Watchful

³⁶ “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son,^[a] but only the Father. ³⁷ As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. ³⁸ For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; ³⁹ and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. ⁴⁰ Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. ⁴¹Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.

   ⁴² “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. ⁴³ But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. ⁴⁴ So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.     Matthew 24:36-44   (NIV)

Remain Watchful

³² “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. ³³ Be on guard! Be alert^[a]! You do not know when that time will come. ³⁴ It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.

   ³⁵ “Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. ³⁶ If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. ³⁷ What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’”      Mark 13:32-37

Remain Watchful

 ³⁴ “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap. ³⁵ For it will come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth. ³⁶ Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.”     Luke 21:34-36

 

What is the Message?

There is no indication from the Word of God of when Jesus will return…and, God is the only one that knows.  What is important is just that…God only knows…so, we are not privy to this information.  We don’t know why this is, but hopefully that will be revealed to us when we are eventually in His presence. 

Unfortunately, patience is not a virtue most men and women possess.  People who attempt to determine when Jesus will return are impatient.  And, it is in their impatience and in their boasting of their conjured beliefs that lead to confusion and misleading principles.  It is this confusion and these misleading principles that cloud people’s hearts when they are seeking the truth.  So, I ask that you resort to seeking answers to Jesus’ return and what Jesus’ return means to you personally from the place that provides these answers…the Bible.

In closing, I would like to share with you this…don’t wait until someone gets the date right, by chance…if at all, for you to make the ultimate decision of your life.  By then, it will be too late.  If you have not done so, take the time now to put aside your selfish will, reach out to Jesus and ask him to come into your heart, and ask him to forgive you of your sins.  Do this, believe, and your life will be changed…and you will never have to look over your shoulder or wonder if someone, one day, gets the date right…for if that is the case, you will be ready.

 

Are You Ready?

 ³⁵ Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. ³⁶ But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. ³⁷ All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. ³⁸ For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. ³⁹ And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. ⁴⁰ For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”     John 6:35-40

 

Until then…while you wait patiently…look to the Son.

 

God bless you all. 

LOVE

It isn’t often that Maria and I find ourselves apart from each other…especially since we started our journey last October.  We pretty much spend 24/7 together.  Many people might say that they could never spend that much time with their significant other or other important people in their lives no matter how much they cared about them.  They need to have some anonymity and independence in their life.  I guess we all try to preserve some part of ourselves when we enter into a relationship…even marriage.  The question is “why”.  To answer this, let us look at what it means to give ourselves completely to someone…a selfless sacrifice…a commitment to a relationship, of “one”…whether it be a family member, a friend, or that special someone that takes your breath away…”to love”.

If you say to someone, “I love you”…what do you mean?  This has to be the most misused statement in the world today.  What exactly does “love” mean anyway?  We proclaim our love for someone when we want to show how important they are in our lives.  Yet we always fall short in fulfilling the true meaning of the word through our actions or lack there of.  This isn’t a mystery.  We have fallen short from the beginning of humanity.  The good thing is we have all been given a second chance to recognize the true meaning of the word.  How do we recognize the true meaning of “love”?  Well…it’s easy!  Take a moment, and look at Who “love” is…yes, that’s right…Who “love” is.

God is love.  What…how can that be, you ask?  God is the only one that is capable of completely fulfilling the true meaning of the word “love”.  He is the only one that has not put any conditions upon us to gain their love.  He loves us, not because we are loveable, but because “He is love”.  No matter what we do, he loves us.  We were made to have a loving relationship with him…and, he gave us the free will to “choose to” or “choose not to” love him, or be in a relationship with him.  He does not force us to love him back.  He does desire it, though…because he loves us that much.  Wow!  There has been some awesome evidence of God’s love for us, but the most awesome evidence was God’s ultimate sacrifice for us.

 ¹⁶ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. ¹⁸ Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. ¹⁹ This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. ²⁰ Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. ²¹ But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.  John 3:16-21 (NIV)

What does God’s sacrifice tell us?  We are all sinners and simply fall short of living up to the standards of love, and God is the only one that can save us from never experiencing a relationship with Him.  There is hope for us.  God has given us the recipe for love and has revealed to us how to share that recipe with others so that they too might see the true meaning of love and experience a relationship with Him as well.

¹ If I speak in the tongues^[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. ² If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. ³ If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,^[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing.

 ⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

 ⁸ Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. ⁹ For we know in part and we prophesy in part, ¹⁰ but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. ¹¹ When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. ¹² For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

 ¹³ And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is   love.    1 Corinthians 13:1-13 (NIV)

Just as God has given us free will to worship Him, he also gives us the free will to choose “true love”.  Maria and I have chosen to worship the one true God through a meaningful and ever growing relationship as “one” with the Lord.  Our lives have seen continued blessings from God, and our relationship with Him continues to grow and grow.  I no longer think of those days when I felt I would lose myself to my relationship with Maria.  Now, I cherish that I am able to spend every waking moment with my beautiful wife and my loving God.  Together, there is nothing we cannot do…unconditionally.

Are you looking for an unconditional relationship…one full of love?  Are you ready to sacrifice yourself completely to an eternal relationship with your Lord and Savior?  Don’t sacrifice another minute without Him.  He loves you, and he is waiting for you.  If you are interested in knowing more about God’s saving grace, visit our Salvation Page.  Don’t hesitate…He is coming!

Until then, look to the Son.

Hold Fast

Yesterday, Edward and I did a 5.4 mile hike in Zion National Park up to Angel’s Landing.  The first two-plus miles were strenuous but safe on the paved trail as it wound up the side of the cliff, through a canyon, and up another cliff.  Once we crested at “Scout’s Lookout”, we had the choice to take another trail, turn around, or continue on up to Angel’s Landing.  Since it is a famous trail (and the most famous Zion trail), I felt I had to do it.

The Grand Canyon Park Ranger (and former Zion Park Ranger) who was visiting with his family warned me that the Angel’s Landing section is not for the faint-of-heart or anyone afraid of heights.  I still wanted to go and could see people at various points on the steep, rocky terrain.

The “trail” was marked in most places with thick chains to hold onto to hoist yourself from rock to rock and to keep you from falling off of the cliff.  The chain saved me a few times from slipping on sand, snow, or ice and falling to my death 1,500 feet below.  Since chains were not along the entire ½ mile, I opted to crawl across the snow when necessary and firmly grasp the chains at the first opportunity. 

It was interesting to see people’s reactions along the climb and hear their comments.  A couple of college boys were discussing the statistical chances of falling, a young woman sat on a boulder reading her Bible, and another guy and his companions broke into laughter as he slid down the rock but caught himself before he fell off the edge.  Most people were like Edward and I – cautious, careful, helpful, and encouraging. “You’re almost there,” “It’s worth it,” and “There are only a couple more scary parts,” were common sentiments shared among hikers.

There’s no doubt that one contemplates death in situations that put the possibility blatantly in front of you.  I certainly gripped that chain like my life depended on it, even when it wasn’t necessary.  It makes me think about other things that I hold onto for dear life.  Some of those things are given more value than they deserve, while others are taken for granted. 

Romans 12:9 suggests, “Let love be genuine.  Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.”  Genuine love is impossible when we are clinging to things like pride, revenge, and self interest.  Genuine love for others is also impeded when we aren’t holding fast to our own good.  Guilt, regret, shame, and self-doubt are Satan’s tools.  In Revelation 3:11 Jesus states, “I am coming soon.  Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown.”  While we wait for Him, Jesus wants us to use our gifts and talents in the love and service of others for His glory. 

What are you holding onto that needs to be let go?  What prevents you from loving others and using your God-given gifts and skills for Him?  Hurts?  Addiction?  Pride?  Fear?  Money?  No matter what it is…cling to Jesus…hold fast to your faith…grip the Word…Jesus is coming!

Maria

City On A Hill

Our campground at Dead Horse Ranch State Park was along the top of a small mountain.  Across the valley is the city of Jerome, AZ.  It is nestled about 2/3 of the way up the side of the adjacent mountain, which is much higher in elevation than where we camped.  At night, Jerome looks suspended in air.  The lights of the city are bright, but the surrounding landscape is dark making the land almost invisible except for the light cast by the moon.  This city on the hill reminded me of the passage in Matthew which states, “You are the light of the world.  A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.  Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (5:14-16)

I reflected on this passage as I entered the hair salon one day while we were out shopping for supplies.  There are times when God hands us a spiritual opportunity – friend calls needing prayer, a new neighbor is seeking a home church, or our help is needed.  There are also times when God asks us to engage in specific spiritual or ministry activities, but God’s glory is not only shown in moments of “spiritual opportunity” but in daily living.  Sharing my faith in all situations does not come naturally, so I decided to engage my stylist in a spiritual conversation by asking her to refer me to a church in the area to attend.  This question opened the door to a full-blown spiritual discussion.

Though I’d like God to provide me neatly packaged witnessing opportunities, I must be prepared at all times.  “Let your light shine before others,” (Matthew 5:16a) means keeping the flame going and the fire stoked.  I know that it’s important for my light to burn strongly at all times, in my everyday life, and not be put out by discouragement, self-doubt, or less-than-ideal conditions.  Like the city on the hill, my light shall shine in darkness to lead the lost home.

I encourage you to also be that light…that city on the hill, reaching out to those who are lost.

I also encourage those who don’t know Jesus, the true light of the world, to reach out to him and allow him into your heart.  He is waiting for you to call to him.

Maria

Border Patrol

Have you ever been through customs?  It’s a little bit intimidating.  There’s a series of questions, eyes evaluating my body language, and scrutiny of my “papers”.  The only comfort has been in having my mom or my husband by my side.  If anything goes wrong, they will be able to get help.  (It never occurred to me that if I was detained, they would likely have been too.)

Edward and I have recently been through Border Patrol checkpoints several times.  They are less intimidating, since we are in our home country with U.S. “tags”.  The question is usually only, “Both U.S. citizens?”  Just north of Nogales was a little more intense with a dog sniffing, what I suspect were thermal imaging scanners, and more probing questions such as, “Anyone in the back?  Carrying any drugs?  How about marijuana?” (Isn’t that a drug?)

Edward responded, “No, but you can check, if you’d like.”  My mind was racing.  Glad I cleaned the toilet.  Hope they don’t confiscate our green chile.  I wonder if they would let us pull over and eat it like that time when I was a kid, and California wouldn’t let us in with fresh fruit.  There are only so many apples and bananas a kid can eat.  Well, there’s only so much green chile one can eat, too.

Now, if you’re not a citizen but want to be one, you not only need appropriate “papers”, but you need to pay significant fees, as well.  My niece-in-law is in this predicament.  Come up with $1500 to begin the citizenship process or start counting the days until she’s “illegal” and subject to deportation, leaving behind my nephew and their children.

Think customs, border patrol, and immigration are rough?  Try meeting Jesus at the border of Heaven, the Seat of Judgment, without your name in the Book of Life.  There will be no one along in case it doesn’t go well.  There is no intercessor left to smooth things out and send you on your way.  There’s no amount of money, good deed, family reputation, or lottery to fall back on.  You are either a citizen of Heaven or a citizen of Hell, and there is no passport, VISA, or green card to grant you temporary passage to your choice destination.

Lucky for us, Jesus has already arranged entry into Heaven.  No papers necessary; no fees due.  That doesn’t mean that there wasn’t a cost, and it’s not first come, first serve.  Jesus has paid the price of passage and secured our spot, but we must make the reservation by confessing our sin to Jesus, asking for his forgiveness, and accepting Him into our lives as Lord and Savior.  Have you booked, yet?  This is a limited time offer.  Pray now. 

I’ll see you there!

Maria

Continued Blessings

I just wanted to give you all examples on how God continues to bless us on our ministry trip.  Maria and I were praying diligently during November and December for God to provide more financial means for us while we continued our cross-country ministry.  Maria’s number of classes seemed to be drying up for several reasons, and we were starting to panic a little.  We continued to worry even though this dry season appeared to be a blessing in itself. 

First, it gave Maria a break of sorts from the high-class load she was teaching when we hit the road, which was seven.  Dropping down to four classes was a big hit to our financial income.  I wasn’t going to be able to get another class to teach until the fall.  It was really looking bleak.  We didn’t even have a way to tighten our belts.  But, Maria did get a break.  Yeah!  Thank you, God. 

Second, we were able to spend valuable time with my family and were able to complete some much needed renovations to my sister’s home.   We were also able to get much needed maintenance done to the RV, which didn’t turn out to be such a nightmare.  We were expecting to have to pay thousands to get the trailer maintenance completed.  In the end, we only had to pay $600+.  Again, thank you, God. 

Third, I was contacted by my school on January 3 with a request for me to take over a class that was abandoned by another instructor on the first day of the class.  I accepted, and now I have been blessed with an online class to teach for the first quarter of the year.   I am so grateful to you Lord.  Thank you.

Fourth, Maria was blessed with another class that has bumped her up to averaging five classes at a time.  You are awesome, God.  You are our awesome God.  Thank you, Lord.

Fifth, four days ago, Maria and I were talking about how nice it would be if I was able to teach at least one class each quarter.  It would help so much and remove such a burden from Maria.  I prayed that my school would start offering the course I teach to students every quarter instead of just twice a year.  Well, I don’t know if that has happened…but, I did receive an email from my school the day before yesterday asking me if I was interested in teaching a different class, Police in the American Experience, during the second quarter of the year .  I submitted my credentials to teach the course and was accepted.  I have been blessed again and now have a class to teach for the second quarter of the year.  I am speechless and humbled.  God, you are everything to us.  In you all things are made, and through you all things are made the way they should be.  We love you, Lord, and hope that our boasting on your behalf opens the eyes of others and helps them to put their trust in you fully, as well.   We love you.  Thank you.

Also, Lord, thank you for the three weeks of blue skies and great weather.  Thank you for the beauty of the Earth…even in the most desolate and hidden places.  Thank you for our good health and the break from my illness.  Thank you for our family, friends, and our readers.  May you use us to bless them in some way.  And, Lord God Almighty, thank you for Maria.

God, we continue to look to your Son for guidance and for reassurance of the time when we will be able to see you face-to-face.

Never to take our eyes off the Son. 

Ed

We’re Back!

We have experienced a wealth of faith and blessings while visiting with my family in New Mexico for the holidays…but, it has come the time when we must again head out into the unknown…for us, anyway.  Well, I can’t really say that we are just getting back into the swing of things again, because we have already been out on the road for the last 2 weeks.  Yes!  And we have had several adventures in some pretty awesome places that you will find in our Photos page.

It was a scary moment when I posted last.  We didn’t think we would be forced to return to Virginia so soon…and under the concerning circumstances.  The doc gave me a clean bill of health…at least clean when it comes to cancer.  He did say that I probably needed to have my gallbladder removed due to several stones and, what he called, sludge.  Since returning back from Virginia, I haven’t had another pain episode.  I have been tracking what I eat and have been trying to minimize my fat intake.  That has been a struggle.

You will notice that there has been some changes to the site.  We have removed several pages due to a lack of response to them and lack of their use.  We feel that they are only an obstruction and are not a necessity for Maria and I to carry on our ministry.  We had wished that they would have been a resource for the Lord, but it does not seem to be the case.  For those of you who did find the pages useful, we hope you continue to follow our journey and keep in touch.

Being out-of-sight and out-of-mind can be very discouraging.  We miss our family and friends deeply, and wish to have more communication from them.  This site is our way of keeping in touch with you.  Please, find the time to communicate with us.  We pray for you regularly and hope that your lives are going well.

Peace to you all.

Back in Virginia, Again

Surprise!  We are back in Virginia again.  We were required to race back to Virginia Beach for an unscheduled doctor visit.  I have been having abdominal pain similar to the diagnosis of my second bout of cancer.  Maria and I had to lease a rental car and travel the 2050 miles in 48 hours.  “Thank you Colleen and Eric for putting us up for a few hours of shuteye.  It really helped.”  “Thank you Nick, Melissa, and Bella for putting us up while we are staying in Virginia Beach.”

We were blessed to have my ultra-sound moved up…yes, it was completely a God story.  We hope that we have many more God stories when we return to New Mexico.  Please pray that we are able to make it back by Christmas.  We are in a holding pattern, and we are at the mercy of the doc.  We will no more tomorrow morning after the doc looks over the ultra-sound results.  We love my oncologist, Thomas Alberico, who has treated me for the last 10 years.  His and our hope is that my gallbladder is acting up…which, can be fixed so much easier.  Everyone keeps telling us that…I don’t need it.  Well, they keep forgetting that I am already missing my rectum and about 12 inches of my intestinal track…including my appendix.  I don’t know if I am willing to give up anymore of my body parts.

It was good to see our church family again and reconnect with mentors.

For now, we will continue to be in this holding pattern.  We hope all our friends in the Hampton Roads area have a very Merry Christmas.

Ed

Twilight

Another week has ended, and we have so much to update you on.  After leaving San Antonio, Fort Stockton TX was gracious enough to supply us with a new fuel and air filter.  Goodbye, $175.  It was due.  We can’t complain too much…at least the truck told us it was time to replace these things before their failure caused more expensive problems.  We were blessed on the front end of this transaction with the blessing of the new truck to begin with.  It was a stressful couple of days, but we were able to take care of all the truck maintenance and get back on the road with little problems.  Thank you very much Wal-Mart.  You came through for us again.

Guess what!?  Maria drove the truck for the first time while towing the trailer.  Yeah!  I can finally sleep…not!  Maria drove from Fort Stockton to Carlsbad NM.  She did such a great job, and in the end, was able to even give me a few pointers after getting a feel for it.  The wind was a little scary at times.  I am starting to remember why I left this part of the country.  Anyway, she got us to Carlsbad safely and without any incidents.  We were able to get an RV spot in White City NM, which is a little blip on the map just south and at the foot of the mountain below Carlsbad Caverns National Park.  We were able to get all hook-ups…Yeah!  Our first night in White City was somewhat disturbing due to the very high winds that were making our slide awnings vibrate violently.  I need to figure out how to detach them in circumstances such as this.  We don’t want them tearing.  So far we have been lucky.  Remember Land Between the Lakes NP and the tornado scare when we were there?  That was another disturbing moment for us.

We had a great time visiting Carlsbad Caverns…again.  We almost decided to skip it.  We have visited it a couple times before…we did use to live here, remember?  We felt that we would regret it if we just blew on by when we were so close.  It doesn’t take much time to see the caverns, so we felt that even if we had to do it on the way from one place to another.  We could always stop in and see the caverns as we were passing through.  Well, we were able to work out a whole day for the caverns…great.  We were not disappointed at all.

As we started our descent through the desert down the path toward the opening of the huge cave, I was taken back to when I was younger and visited the caverns.  It doesn’t matter how old you are or how many times you visit the caverns, they are always awesome and a sight to behold.  We recommend Carlsbad Caverns as one of the must see sites for anyone in the country.  You will not be disappointed, no matter where you travel from in the country.  It is worth the plane ticket and the drive…trust us.  We ventured further into the mouth of the cave and were captivated by what we were about to do.  We were traveling into the earth where no natural light ever has touched.  We were entering what the park called, “twilight”, where you disappear into the cave and no longer see visible natural light.  Already we were amazed by the huge cave and still we hadn’t even seen anything of great importance or canvas worthy…or at least I thought.  You see, I was experiencing a personal reflection of Maria and I’s relationship over the years, as we moved further into the cave.  I will share this with you.

In the beginning of any love relationship, you find yourself slipping into an unknown place where everything is new and exciting…sometimes, even dangerous.  You want to hold onto the light, where you are comfortable and familiar.  But the draw of the unknown and unfamiliar entices you to move a little further…just a little further…a little further…there now, this isn’t so bad is it?  You start to find comfort in your surroundings.  This isn’t so bad.  You are able to still see the light from where you have come, and you know the way back to where you were comfortable and believe that you could easily find your way back to where the relationship first began…in the light.  You become more and more comfortable in your relationship, and you start to forget that you are moving further away from the light you were so comfortable with.  Your relationship starts to take on a light of its own, gently lighting the way.  It isn’t very bright, but it is bright enough to show the path in front of you both.  You can barely see the light you once held so tightly to, but you have learned to follow the light of your relationship.  You are now in the twilight area of your relationship.  At this time, your relationship is still exciting and you are starting to rely more on your relationship than on your individuality.  After all, you are committed to this person, and find your partner’s life to be just as important as yours.  Now you have to think more before making decisions about your life…why?…because you no longer exist as an individual, but as a unit.  Now, before I go any further, let me get something clear.  It is not my intention to persuade or to dissuade anyone from starting a relationship with someone else.  My intention is to mirror life through my personal experience through our cave hike, as I have perceived it.  Please continue to read on.  It gets so much worse…and, it gets so much better.

You are now traveling through this unknown world together and are learning to count on each other to reach the end.  You find that you can’t live without this other person and life only has meaning with your partner in your life.  You are now falling in love.  The darker it gets, the brighter your relationship gets.  Now you are both comfortable in your new surroundings.  It is almost normal…all that time you spend with one another…how special…how cute you two look together.  You are making everyone else sick…slobbering all over each other.  Knock it off!

As you continue to move through your unknown surroundings, you start to notice things that you find interesting to you both.  At first, you view these things of interest together.  Staring and pausing for the same amount of time…as if your interests in these things were equal.  In reality, you haven’t seen anything yet, and you are just being polite and making sure your partner has had enough time to look.  You move on together and now the scenery is starting to change more rapidly.  The environment is becoming richer and there is more to see.  The world has helped you see things in different lights and different angles.  Your interests start to linger, and you start to realize that some of your interests may be different than those of your partner, and that you may not know your partner as well as you thought.  You linger for shorter periods of time when experiencing the things your partner is interested in.  Yet, you both still feel comfortable with each other’s absences while viewing the new world around you.  Your world is brand new and you are trying to take it all in.  Your individuality is starting to have a light of its own.  You no longer need your partner’s light to see the path and you can lead yourself.  After all, we wouldn’t want to lose ourselves completely…would we?

Things get kicked up a notch, and your environment starts to look as if it couldn’t get any better…unless, you get married…yes…let’s get married.  It is the only thing that can make what you have, better.  And, it is a completely different world to see.  So, you jump in…head first, of course.  Now things start getting a little crowded.  The world is moving faster now and there are more people in your path.  You both have to make decisions on which way to turn to better manipulate your ways through your environment.  The sites are even more exciting, and you both start to wander more toward your own interests and less toward your interests as a unit, or couple.  Now, every moment that goes by is justified by fulfilling your personal interests in an effort to benefit the relationship…which is completely insane.  This is where quotes like, “I work so hard so that you can have this great house” come from.  Why would 2 people work so hard apart just so they can have a place that they will rarely be able to share together?  What happened to the relationship?  Now you are both looking at the world as individuals again and in your own light, with the thought that you are experiencing it together.  Now your light and your partner’s light starts to conflict and the images in your environment become skewed…so much that you continue to move further away from each other so you can better enjoy the view.  Your relationship starts to seem unnecessary for you to enjoy your own life. 

Yes, Maria and I have fallen victim to this in the caverns…as well as in our relationship.  The majority of people do.  This does not mean that you don’t love each other or have grown apart.  It just means that you need to slow down and remember why you fell in love.  It was experiencing life together that made you fall in love.  It is when you stop experiencing life together when you start believing that you are no longer in love with your partner.  It is when you choose not to experience life together anymore that the trouble begins.  In the caverns and in our life, Maria and I found that our lives were fulfilled more by experiencing our environment (lives) together as a couple.  Holding hands, touching each other, looking into each other’s eyes, kissing, laughing, and lingering for as long as we each needed has helped us see that we do not want to experience anything without the other…no matter what.  Wow!  I love her so much.

Oh!  I would like to make one quick side note.  Just as you would in the caverns…you will take a lot of pictures to remind you how much in love you are…just in case you need reminding.

Well, we finally reached the bottom of the caverns.  It was a tough little hike and a very solid and paved trail.  Man, my knee was killing me…ouch!  Now, I am in my 40s and Maria is in her 30s.  We have been married for 13 years…13 years of ups and downs…smooth trails, and not so smooth trails.  We have seen a lot over the years and we have experienced it all together and we have been there for each other through it all.  The time we have spent together in the cave so far is a great reflection of our lives so far.  But, we are not done.  We haven’t even seen “The Big Room” yet…yes, “The Big Room”.  We have seen a lot of great things along the way, and we have thoroughly enjoyed each other’s company through it all.  We have seen and done a lot together, but, we will not be continuing our journey alone.  We do not wish to travel through the rest of our lives as a couple…but, as a trio.  We will only live our lives as they were intended to be lived, and that is…in the presence of the Lord.  We have tried living our lives by ourselves and have realized that we as individuals or as a couple are nothing without the Lord. 

Well, we spent the same amount of time in “The Big Room” as we did hiking to it.  And, all I can say…is, “we were just being prepared for what was to come”.  There are many beautiful places on this planet, and Carlsbad Caverns is one of them…no joke.  The kicker is…we would have never been able to see any of it, unless there was light along the way.  While in the caverns, we were blessed with light so that we would not stray from our path…the path we were meant to take.  We were also blessed with park rangers that would answer our questions about our path and about things we did not understand, so we could appreciate the path more.  Without the light, without understanding, and without each other, we would have never made it to “The Big Room”.

I am sure you are beginning to see my point and understand my reflection.  Though we have created much light together over the years, Maria and I have decided to trust Jesus (the true light) to light our path through life.  We have also adopted the Bible as God’s Holy Word and assurance of understanding for the path that God wants us to take.  Then, we will enter into Heaven (God’s big room) for eternity.  Wow, what a day that will be.  We can’t wait.  But until then, we will tell everyone we can about the one true light in the world of darkness.  We love you all.  God bless you.

Time Out!

This last week was a blast…as much as a blast as old people can have.  I tell you, “I am really starting to feel my age…or, at least the effects of chemo.  I don’t know which.  I have never been old before.  Anyway, it was a blast to visit a significant historical site in Dallas, and it was a blast to see our family in San Antonio.   “Hi Kia and David…Hi Tammy and Jaime!  Hope you all recover from our visit.”

First we traveled from Hot Springs, where we had a great time…to Dallas, where we visited Dealey Plaza and the 6th Floor Museum.  Is there anyone out there that doesn’t know the significance of these places?  If there is, you are probably under the age of 40.  Maria has been a JFK admirer since she was conceived.  At least it seems that way.  Traveling through Dallas finally gave her the opportunity to see where it all went down.  Dealey Plaza looks basically the same as it did in the 60′s.  A sign here, a sign there, is all that has changed.  It was kind of spooky…”shout out to Spooky, in Memphis”…standing in the place where JFK was shot.  The 6th Floor Museum was very interesting.  The audio tour led you through JFK’s career as a Senator up until he was shot and killed and through all the investigations following.  They still haven’t figured it out.  ”It wasn’t Lee Harvey Oswald that killed JFK…it was the bullets that killed JFK.”  We enjoyed visiting, and we are glad we got the chance.  By the way…today is the anniversary of JFK’s death..

After Dallas, we moved onto San Antonio to spend time with family.  We were able to spend time with my sister and brother-in-law…Tammy and Jaime…, and with Maria’s aunt and uncle…Kia and David.  We were sorry that we were not able to meet with Maria’s cousin Paul, and his family…as well as with Monique.  “Sorry for missing you all.  We hope to get another chance to pass through in the near future and take more time to see you all as well.”  We hate cramming visits.  You don’t have an opportunity to really spend time with others.

This last week was a test for the coming weeks.  As I have stated before, we will be spending over a month with family in New Mexico for the holidays.  This isn’t all we will be doing, but Maria and I are not used to having family around on a regular basis.  Don’t get me wrong, I love my family and can’t wait to see them all.  It will just be a little overwhelming.  We can’t wait to get there.  I love the holidays…especially with family.

Anyway, we would like to extend our thanks to our family in San Antonio for opening up their time to spend with us.  We appreciate it so much.  “Tammy and Jaime, we will be praying that your health improves and that you continue to seek God’s guidance in all that you do.  God bless you both…and, thanks for the 40!”  “Kia and David, we will be praying that your holiday get-together with David’s family goes smoothly and with little stress.  We also hope that you will seek God’s guidance in all that you do.  Life is so much more fulfilling.”

We have to confess that this week brought less opportunity to witness to others.  But, we do hope that those that spent time with us and those that did meet us, see Jesus in us.  We did not stay at any wonderful park…but, the KOAs were, OK.  Now, we will be moving on to Carlsbad Caverns National Park and The Guadalupe Mountains National Park.  We won’t have much time to visit these two places, but we will visit them none-the-less.  Hmmmm, this is very similar to a Lord of the Rings, quote.

We have been thinking a lot about our family, friends, and fellow co-workers that we have left behind.  We want you all to know that you are all in our prayers, and we think of you often.  Don’t hesitate to drop us a line.  We will be releasing our Winter-Spring…or January thru April…tour next week, so if there is anyone out there that is adventurous enough to join us in some of the exciting places we will be visiting, you can let us know, and we can start making preparations.  This is not an empty invite…we truly hope to have you as our guests.  We can work out all the details together.  Keep in mind that we will be visiting Alaska in July and August.  Also, we will be in the Virginia Beach area during the first 2 weeks in January, for oncology appointment and CT scan.  We hope to see you all when we are there.  God bless you all.

Our study on Revelations is coming.  It will be a daily study.  You don’t want to miss this.  Don’t forget to give Maria’s Bible Ministry link…mondayswithmaria…a visit.  She will be finishing up her blog very soon…and right on time.  She will be starting a new blog in the very near future.  I can’t wait to see what it’s all going to be about…what about you?

Until then, keep your eyes on the Son.

Ed