The Great Separation

Listen to Stacy Lynn Harp and Me.

Listen up - Hey everyone (who still reads this blog or who is finding it for the first time), you might want to click over to the Active Christian Media podcast:

A Writers Chat with Author Hal Paxton

Stacy and I discuss things related to writing and a few things not related to writing. Tips, novels, and testimonies of faith.

I recorded it a week ago and meant to post about it before now, but work and life has been a time eater.

You can find Stacy's blog at Active Christian Media.

I had Chinese this evening and got this fortune

Change is inevitable, except for vending machines.

Question: Is this life meant to be enjoyed?

The times in which we find ourselves.

Is your watch wound? - I increasingly get the sense that there is something coming. I don't mean to seem melodramatic or alarmist. But events seem to be winding up. Things are happening from earthquakes to plane accidents with a frequency that is almost becoming numbing.

Add to this a sense of discontent flowing like an underground river in our fellow man across the globe and I think we are perhaps on the cusp of a change. I'm sure that this change will be all that good given the level of socialism/fascism our country is now courting and actively engaging in.

During my quiet time with the Lord that I strive to have every morning I was reading from Provers sixteen and verse nine made me think about these things with some hope.

In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.

It also made me think about my own life, how a couple of my big dreams have yet to come to fruition. But in that last part there is a measure of hope in the knowledge that the Lord of the universe has determined my steps.

Something to dwell upon.

Father's Day Message?

Any ideas? - Since it is Father's Day in two weeks and my pop is the pastor I am tasked with filling in for him at church. I'm stuck right now with trying to figure out what to speak on.

Snap. I'm sitting here at Panera and just realized I failed to bring my Bible with me. Working on the message is one of the reasons I came here... Good thing I got a computer in front of me. ;-)

No excuses!

Picture of a Birthday Gift.

"Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. Luke 12:27" - I thought I would share today a picture of a birthday gift I recieved from my parents. If you've known me for some time, then chances are you know that one of my hobbies is growing orchids.

This is the Cattleya orchid, Blc. Beauty Girl x C.U. Kora, that my parents gave me. Beautiful isn't it? 

I was sitting there and it suddenly occurred to me.

Ba-dump-bum - The commercial came on and it suddenly occurred to me what eHarmony needed.

An eMelody.

Where is Hal Today?

In front of a computer silly. - Yeah. Seems I'm spending more and more time there if such a thing is possible. Though I guess it doesn't exactly translate here on my blog.

The other place it isn't translating - and this is really bugging me - is in the exercise field. I'm really falling behind in getting regular exercise and it's bothering me. Why? Well, if you don't know, I dropped over 100+ pounds through regular walking and exercise. So being tied to this computer is driving me bonkers.

Though the computer isn't the only reason. When I broke my foot over a year ago, that threw me out of whack and frankly I still have a bit of an issue with my foot that probably is related to that injury. I was getting back into the regular power walking but over a week ago I hit a snag with a bad cold.

So now I'm feeling guilty.

The good news is I landed some more client work (thus more time on the computer) doing what amounts to on-line marketing using the blogging/Internet skills I've developed over the last six years. Something for which I have to tell you I'm so thankful to the Lord. Last week I was driving down the road and I asked the Lord for some financial help. The next day I opened the eMail and there was the help.

What and awesome God!

Other stuff:

The economy. What a seedy restaurant dumpster dive it is turning out to be. I continue to look at the spending (stimulus / bailout / generational borrowing) plans that the DC types are promoting and at the Congressional kangaroo courts and I can't help but shake my head. I don't see any help coming out of that area. They are attempting to put a band-aide on a cancer they helped grow with their telling banks to make loans to people who couldn't afford a home. There's that and the whole idea they have that debt is what makes this nation run. They call it credit, but it is debt and they just want to encourage that "future" borrowing.

Granted the nation is running that way. But that doesn't make it right by a long shot. Those who aren't operating under that dynamic are the ones who are going to be better off this year and the ones to come.

Guest Blogging on the Persecution Blog.

You're where? - Hey folks. Oh, just a note, I'm still fighting a cold if you were wondering. This will be the one cold I allow myself this year. cough.... (As if I have any say.)

Anyway, that's enough about me... errr. I guess this post is a bit more about me but not in that self indulgent manner.

I just wanted to let you know that you can find me posting some over at Voice of the Martyrs Persecution Blog.

My great friend Stacy Harp who runs the blog asked me to fill in while she was off at the Women in Christian Media Conference and also the National Religious Broadcasters Convention.

You've more than likely seen that at the end of my posts on Christian persecution that I often make mention that the Persecution Blog is a great place for more info on the difficulties facing many Christians around the globe.

Well, until mid-week next week you can find me posting over there as well.

Check it out.

Illness is no fun.

Cough, gag, cough. - I don't know how I did it, but I caught someone's cold. And I wasn't even trying.

I spent yesterday morning distributing food and supplies for Operation Blessing and it was cold and windy. But I was warmly dressed yet somehow I managed to leave feeling like I snagged someone's cold.

Sigh... Well, the bad thing is I'll probably gain a few pounds because I can't exercise and I have some incredible munchies.

The good thing I will so love being healthy when it's past.