TALKS WITH PAPA

2010-01-25T11:21:00.000-08:00

Good Day Folks
It is Jan 20 something and the weather here in "Da Burgh" is warmer than normal so I thought I'd venture out on a prayer walk down at the bike trail. Last week when I was there the ground was covered by ice in some places and in others it was muddy from a semi- thaw. I had expected that I would be sloggin through mud and muck the whole time. I was pleasently surprized to find the trail damp but very firm. As usual on my prayer walk I "Bogarted" the conversation. Papa isn't upset when I do that . It's just that i may miss out on what he may want to say to me. So after yakking for a couple hours I thought it wise to shut mu yap and listen for his voice.He is always speaking but too often we are so busy talkin or doin other stuff we just don't hear him. As I was walking (quietly) I noticed that there were still a few areas along the path that were ice covered. As I gingerly made my way around them or over them if need be,Papa pointed out that this path was a lot like His Kingdom. Yeah that was my reaction to. What exactly do you mean? My unspiritual brain could not process this "God word". But God does not want us stumbling about in the dark so he kinda opened my mind to "get" what he wanted to say. He said that we are certainly in the end of the times and His Kingdom is about to be consumated. His rule and reign will be over all the earth. Every tongue will confess that he is LORD. However like the path I was walking there were still patches of ice still there were areas not melted still places that were slippy. Papa said that in the world there are many many places that know him and mony people who have come under His Lordship but that there are still patches of resistance still a few places and peoples fighting him. As the springtime comes the sun will warm and melt the last of the ice. Even so the time is near when the last of the resistance to God will also melt via "Son shine"He said just hang in there and continue to do the stuff live the life and let your light shine before all men. Sounds like good advice to me. whatdya think let me know. later Pat

2009-11-19T06:09:00.000-08:00

Gday friends and hopfully friends soon to be.
As a pastor one duty I never look forward to is officiating funerals.Even when the departed is a believer and we all know their location with the Lord, it is still a sad time of loss. We do take great comfort in the knowledge that we will see our loved one again and never have to say good by again. But the loss, the sense that ,for a time, we will not have them close by brings us sorrow and the real sense of loss. One of the most difficult funeral services I have ever attended was that of a young child. All his short life he as plagued with a disease that kept him sick and severely restricted . He was deeply loved by his mom and dad and while on this earth he know he was a special kid and was loved by God. Shortly after I learned of his death I was out on a prayer walk talkin with Papa .As a Christ follower for 30 plus years I knew that God has his reasons for everything but I still had questions about why this little boy was not healed though many prayers went up for him.As I stood amidst the green plants alng the softly flowing creek a small brightly colored butterfly landed on the flowers of a particularly vibrant green bush. I watched as this creature flitted from branch to branch and flower to flower and then fly off on some new adventure beyond the range of my sight. At that moment Papa spoke to me. He said Son that little child you are mourning is like the butterfly I just sent your way. The butterfly was not always so beautiful and free. There was a time when it was a caterpiller crawling along the ground moving from place to place slowly and with great difficulty. It was also in constant danger from predators that would attack and eat it. But now ,as you have seen, that same caterpiller has become the beautiful winged creature freely flying about where ever it wishes high above the dangers that once stalked it, freely exploring the world I've created withoutthe ground obstacles that once limited it's progress. This child you mourn is now like the butterfly. He is no longer confined to a body racked with pain and severely limited in his activities. While on earth there was much he could not do much he could never experience. But now he is free to discover and explore the whole universe. He is no longer encumbered by a mortal decaying body but he is enjoying a new body one not unlike my own. Yes son there will be mourning and there indeed must be. But take comfort in this that this boy sees my face daily and we talk and he is safe and free and happy with me, as one day will be his mum and dad and those of you who love him and love me. Death has indeed lost it's sting Bless the lord !!

2009-10-30T11:32:00.000-07:00

Greetings my friends
Sorry it's been so long since I've written. I was away for awhile at a conference in Colorado. What a great place !! I got to do some hiking in the mountains there. What an awesome experience it was !!One thing I noticed was that there were no "delecate" flowers and plantlife on those mountainsides. Papa spoke to me about that and I'd like to share a little of what he said. The plantlife and the flowers were created and placed there to survive. They were made to be tough because they were living in a tough environment. The cactus and the gnarled trees and rough bushes all had a beauty of their own and seemed perfectly situated for the rugged land they occupied. God made them to thrive in that tough place and he told me that when we find ourselves in tough places ,hard places it is to strengthen us. Life is hard and dangerous the climate of our everyday lives are not always comfortable. But God created us to adapt to the environment he places us in for his purposes. He desires for us to not only survive but thrive. I guess that is what Papa was trying to get me to understand. He was not surprized to find us walking in dark valleys and scary places. He put us there for reasons of his own but not to harm us but rather to strengthen us and cause us to encourage those who will come along those rugged paths behind us. Catcus do not belong in rose gardens and we were not created to live soft comfrotable lives but rather lives of excitment and some danger. After all we are warriors and The Lord is a warrior. Remember the words of our King "In this world you WILL have trouble --but --be of good cheer I have overcome the world"
Jpoe that encourages you who are in a rough and unfriendly place today

Sept 2 2009

2009-09-02T10:08:00.000-07:00

It was a perfect day bright sun blue skys plenty warm. Ya know on days like that it is sooo easy to worship the creator. I remember one day while talkin with Father I was on a prayerwalk along a beach in Laguana Beach. That day was also picture perfect. The blue pacific relentlessly rolling in softly caressing the golden sand. The sky a vibrant blue with nary a cloud. Along the hillsides marching up from the beach were a multitude of bright almost shimmering flowers interspersed among dark green ferns and soft windblown grass. As I walked along I could not help but to acknowledge the great artistry and creativity of Papa. I hardly had adequate words to express my astonishment in the beauty of his creation
It was at that moment that I heard his voice . H siad to me Son you aint seen anything yet ! Really sometimes this is how I hear God's voice. He said you have not even seen the tip of the iceberg. All this pales by comparison against that which I am preparing for you. He said I can hardly wait for you to see what I have waiting for you. Ya know the scripture says that eye has not seen nor ear heard nor has it entered the imagination of man what God has prepared for us. But we cannot stop at that verse because the next verse says but he has revealed it to us by his Spirit. Each day that I walk and talk with him I am astounded by how much he loves us. He told me one time everything I have created, the warm sunshine the starry sky, majestic mountains ,mighty oceans towering trees all creation I made these with you in mind. I would think of how much you would enjoy this and I am so happy to see your pleasure with all I have made for you. Only a fool could look at God's handiwork and say there is no God. If ya get a chance today or tomorrow head outside find a lake or wooded trail check out the birds and flowers. Know that all this he made with you in mind. talk to ya later

in the beginning

2009-07-22T17:17:00.000-07:00

It was about eight or nine years ago when I took an early retirement from Bell Atlantic. I did so in order to work full time as the Pastor of the small Vineyard church we started. I was looking forward to some serious times of prayer. My first day I went to my knees by my bed . Since my office was in my home with a small desk in our bedroom it seemed a logical place to go to get with God. It didn't take me long to realize that this was not going to work out. The phone started ringing or my thoughts would turn to the pile of things on my desk that needed attending to. I knew that I had to get away from all the distractions if I wanted some serious quiet solitude . Thus began a wonderful experience I've enjoyed and jealously guarded from that time to the present. I have found that prayerwalking has given me time with The Father without distraction. I have learned to chat with him about everything. I never was one for formal type prayer. As I walk I envision him walking along beside me minus the bright and flowing robes we picture him wearing. He seems (as I envision him) dressed in clothes not so unlike that of the common variety. Not on every walk do I "see" him with my minds eye but I certainly know he is there. I have learned over the years to have this two way conversation with Abba. I'll talk for a while then I'll try to be quiet and listen for his response. I mostly talk out loud with Papa so I try to walk in places where there are not a lot of people. I go to the Wildflower reserve in a state park ( gives me a great excuse to ride my Harley and get some "wind therepy". Sometimes I walk a bike trail closer to home. Both places allow me to speak out loud to God without a lot of people around. One time when I could not go far from home I walked around the neighborhood for a couple of miles. My mind was really on some other matters and I found myself walking faster and faster in order to get back to the office . As I was hurrying along I distincly heard Fathers voice asking " What are you doing? What is your hurry? Do you not know that what you are doing right now is the most important thing you can do all day?. Take your time theres much to talk about. That other stuff will get done ---don't worry about it.From that day to this I have never tried to hurry through my time talking to Papa.

introductions

2009-07-13T10:50:00.000-07:00

Greetings My friends
This is a blog concrning things I have heard ftrom the Father as I have walked and talked with him over the years. I will try weekly to update this site and write about the things I remember from past prayer walks as well as stuff we talk about presently as I wander the trails and woods talking with Papa.