We are home

I'm not sure I have ever posted without a photo and I don't like doing it now; but I have hundreds of pictures to go through from our trip to El Paso and I am kind of particular about how I post them. We left El Paso yesterday at just about 3:00 p.m. and were supposed to arrive in Grand Rapids before midnight; however, we ran into several delays in Houston and so didn't arrive home until 2:00 in the morning. I punched in at work this morning at 6:24 a.m. without very much sleep in between. It is terribly hot here in Grand Rapids and this back room office is the hottest room in the house -- and with hot flashes on top of the heat, I am feeling a bit miserable. There is a rumored "cold front" coming through tonight that should give us about a 10 degree cool-down by tomorrow. This will be very welcomed. Tomorrow afternoon I will have a good block of time to tell everyone all about our trip to Fort Bliss.

There is an overwhelming sadness, an aching really, that I have in my heart today. I have so much to be thankful for, and I am -- but Texas sure is a long way away and Iraq is half the world away -- so I am struggling tonight to put it into perspective. So I am going to do what I always do when my heart is aching. I am going to run into the wide open arms of Jesus and let Him take care of it for me because He always does. He is amazingly good. He is Immanuel. He knows every kind of sadness there is in this world because He came and lived here with us.

Last week when we were in Ohio for the Jones reunion, Sabrina and I and Olivia were in a little gift shop in Roscoe Village. We were looking at cute refrigerator magnets and one of them said: "The 10 commandments -- not 9, not 8! -- God." There was another one with God's signature that said, "Don't Make Me Come Down There!!" I looked at the clerk and I said, "Too late!" She quietly agreed. But let me say to all of you who are reading this: God came! Jesus was born and lived and experienced all of the sadness of this world. Why did He come? BECAUSE HE LOVED US!!! He knew that we could not save ourselves. He laid down His own life and rescued us from our sin and our sadness and our empty way of life. Do you know that there is nothing that means anything apart from Him?

The few days we were in El Paso I was reading in the Psalms. I love the Psalms because they are emotional like I am -- and it is okay. So I am going to share a Psalm with you. Hear it -- for these are the very words of God. Psalm 86:5-13.

O LORD, you are so good,

so ready to forgive,

so full of unfailing love for all who ask you aid.

Listen closely to my prayer, O LORD:

hear my urgent cry.

I will call to you whenever trouble strikes,

and you will answer me.

Nowhere among the pagan gods is there a god like you,

O LORD.

there are no other miracles like yours.

All the nations -- and You made each one --

will come bow before You, Lord;

they will praise your great and holy name.

For you are great and perform great miracles.

You alone are God.

Teach me your ways, O LORD,

that I may live according to your truth!

Grant me purity of heart, that I may honor you.

With all my heart I will praise you, O LORD my God.

I will give glory to your name forever,

FOR YOUR LOVE FOR ME IS VERY GREAT.

You have rescued me from the depths of death!

O God, insolent people rise up against me;

violent people are trying to kill me.

And you mean nothing to them.

But you, O Lord, are a merciful and gracious God,

slow to get angry, full of unfailing love and truth.

The countdown to my "retirement" is now 30 days. This is good, yes? The month of September is already laid out for Mr. Jones and I. We are traveling to the huge state of Texas to see all of you and make happy memories. But foremost in my thinking will be what is contained in this Psalm. I want to shout very loudly the goodness of God. I want to tell everyone about His unfailing love and forgiveness through Jesus. I want to bow before Him and praise His great and holy name all of the days of my life. I want to learn His ways and live according to His truth! See what the Psalms says about people? There are insolent and violent people in the world and GOD MEANS NOTHING TO THEM! I hope that is never true about me. I hope that can never be said about you.

I have e-mails to answer, phone calls to make, pictures to edit -- all of that can wait really until tomorrow. I just wanted to touch base, share these thoughts, and tell you that you are loved.