Paddling Oz Lake

It has been seven long, cold, frozen weeks, but the weather and ice broke a little bit the other day and I was able to paddle a while! It was a balmy 36 degrees and sunny, so I loaded my 'yak and headed for Osawatomie Lake. 36 degrees is the coolest that I have paddled in. Thanksgiving day two years ago I paddled when it was 38 degrees at Horsetooth Lake in the foothills west of Ft. Collins Colo. Oz lake is not a big lake, but it is big enough when you haven't paddled in nearly two months. My Hummingbird fishfinder told me the water temperature was 37 degrees, and the fish were pretty much near the bottom of the lake. The deepest part of Oz Lake is 27 feet. You may have to come back to this site again to see the pictures. I will probably need to have my wife load them to this site this evening. I am signing off from the Country Bean coffeeshop in Paola.

The Crisis in Haiti

I am sitting in the Country Bean coffee shop writing my weekly blog and contemplating a couple of things. First, I have not been able to paddle for over a month. Last winter, I paddled just about every other week. But this year, it has just been too cold. And, it is pretty hard to paddle when the water is frozen over with ice! The other thing I have been thinking about is the fact that paddling really doesn't matter that much when one considers the huge loss of life in Haiti due to the 7.0 earthquake. They have estimated that at this point, 200,000 have died. They have buried 80,000 in mass graves. Two million are homeless. To put that in perspective, 200,000 souls passed into eternity, either Heaven or Hell. If an individual had trusted Jesus Christ as personal Savior they went to be with the Lord. If they had never heard the gospel and never relied upon Jesus' sacrifice on the cross, they died and awakened in the fires of Hell. That is a sobering thought. I know from my missions trip in Haiti several years ago that there are many believers there. 54 were saved in the services that I preached. But, I also know that there are many more who are lost. It is a miserable thing to be lost, but, it is doubly miserable to be lost and without hope in a desperate crisis such as has overtaken Haiti. Some have asked where God was in the tragic crisis that has happened in Haiti. Quite simply, God is there every time someone is pulled alive from the rubble. He is there with the pouring out of compassion and supplies from every area of the globe. He is there with the men of God who are preaching the gospel.

My Grace is Sufficient

We should not presume on the future. We should plan, but keep in mind that God has the option to change those plans at will. God's Word warns us to approach life with the idea that if God is willing we will fulfill our plans. So far, this year has turned out to be nothing like I had planned. Frankly, it has been one trial after another since the day after Christmas. But that's o.k. God's grace is sufficient. I know that my only responsibility is to just be faithful. One of the trials I have faced this year is the crisis in Haiti. I vividly remember my time there several years ago. I remember the extreme poverty, the sweet spirit of the Haitian Christians, and their openess to the Gospel. I remember that 54 Haitians came forward in the invitations for salvation after I preached each night. I know that Haiti was in no way prepared for the devastation that befell them with a 7.0 earthquake. Very little worked right in Haiti with the best of conditions. Some are estimating that 500,00 could be killed. They will probably never have an accurate death toll. But, with all this, I also know that God's Word says, "my grace is sufficient for thee". God's grace is sufficient for any situation.

Life Can Turn On A Dime

I like to write this blog at the Country Bean coffee-shop with a vanilla latte, but the weather has not cooperated, so, I am writing this in my living room with a Coke. Life can certainly turn on a dime! After many winters with minimal snowfall, it seems we are making up for it this year. I had big plans for this new year. I always look forward to a new year with fresh goals and new beginnings. I had some great goals (I still do) that I could not wait to share with our church on the first Sunday of the year. A snow storm hit Saturday evening and I shared the goals with a handful of people. Another storm hit Wednesday evening and so just another handful of people at church. So far this year, very few have been able to make it to church. I totally understand though. I don't want anyone to get hurt trying to get to church. My point is, life can turn on a dime. Our best laid plans can get sidetracked. I also had some plans to paddle this winter whenever the temperature was above 32. We're having some of the coldest temps in many years. The temperature is 8 degrees as I write, and Hillsdale Lake is 100% ice covered! Life can turn on a dime. We (I) need to realize that God knows best! The Bible says, "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not to thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths". We should plan, but realize that God has the option to change those plans anytime He sees fit.