Billings Gazette has a story about gumbo today. There’s mud, and then there’s gumbo. It’s rock hard when dry, but slick as ice when a little wet.
Jim “Duke” Duncan got his brand new outfit “stuck” back in 1974 on account of gumbo. The mud sank his rig up to the wheel wells.
As the article says, “don’t mess with gumbo. It’s like messing with a loaded gun.”
Two things happened today that really made my day.
1. My wife found out that my 1 year old boy can stack blocks. This was a closely guarded secret we were keeping. I had taught him how when we were spending quality time together. Oh, and he showed it off to the preschool screener today too. I don’t remember teaching my 4 year old son, so this was a special memory for this son.
2 . My 4 year old and I cleaned out the basement together. He enjoyed using the shop vac to suck up the loose cement I had generated. While I know he had a lot of fun doing a grown up thing with his dad, I really enjoyed having him around.
found another great WELS blog, a Shepherd’s Story.
Apparently he’s been blogging a while, I just didn’t know about him. I’m glad I found him.
Another WELS Pastor started a blog, The Shepherd’s Study. Welcome Pastor Gumm!
Kelly had a miscarriage. Our first. The reason I hadn’t posted in a while was I wanted to post about it.
But that was a few weeks ago.
I am greatly encouraged to know that Grace (that’s the name we gave the baby) is in the hands of God. If God in his justice, sends the baby to hell, I know how great and gracious my rescue and my family’s rescue is. If God in his love and grace, receives the baby in heaven, then I know God’s love found a way to satisfy His divine justice. Either way, God is good.
Consider Abraham, who has called by God to give up his only son. When God told Abraham to sacrifice his son, to Abraham, it was as if it already happened (Read Hebrews 11). So great was his faith in God, when God told him to do something, it was as good as done. His faith placed God 1st and his emotions and reason 2nd. He is commended for trusting in God even when it meant giving up what is most precious to him and going against what made sense. In the end, I would like to see Grace again in heaven… but God and His Word is more important to me than getting what I want.
We sang Psalm 2 this past Sunday. God laughs at the folly of unbelief. Here’s another example of God’s humor in the face of unbelief:
Luke 7 tells us of Simon the Pharisee, a person who delights in their spiritual life, looking with disgust as Jesus allows a woman with a reputation of “sinner” to come near Jesus and touch him. Simon says, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”
Truth is, Jesus is the prophet, and he DOES know who people are and what they have done, specifically who the Pharisee is and what kind of person he is, that HE is a sinner. Now that’s funny right there!
Keith Christensen left his job and enlisted in the Army. He was sent to Iraq and there was injured when a roadside bomb lifted his vehicle from the back of the convoy to the front. It was the top story on the Wausau news last night. I recommend watching the video by clicking on the red video camera on the upper right-hand side of the picture. Listen to how he and his wife are positive and upbeat despite their life conditions.
I remember playing basketball in grade school when a lanky kid from Maribel/Gibson was stronger than he looked and boxed you out like you wouldn’t believe. A few years later, a not so lanky kid and I met up again at Manitowoc Lutheran High School. I ran into him a few years later when I preached at his church. I’m glad to have found him again through his wife on Facebook. I’m honored to have shared a little past with him, and admire him today for who he is and his service to my country.
If you think this is www.ruddats.com, check again, it’s www.theruddats.com. For the two people who have me on their blogroll, please make the adjustment.
WELS Q & A
