We had taken lots of hikes and camped out often, but when my husband asked me to go backpacking for a week, I was hesitant. Finally, I agreed. We drove up in the high Sierras to meet with the group he backpacked with every year. As I was harnessed up with the backpack frame and loaded with camping supplies, including food, I knew I had made a serious mistake. In the thin air it was harder to breath, even without climbing with a 40-plus-pound pack on my back. But off we went. After several miles of climbing I realized how important my feet were. Those feet were my only means of transportation. You don’t think much about feet until you know they’re your only hope of rescue! It was years ago, but I have not taken my feet for granted since.

Have you ever wondered what questions 12-year-old Jesus asked the priests at the temple? Were they about the significance of the holy days he and his parents had attended? Or maybe he questioned them about some of the Sabbath restrictions he didn’t find in the Torah. His parents had told him about the circumstances surrounding his birth, therefore he knew he was special to God. So I’m wondering if he might have asked the religious leaders about the long-awaited messiah. Whatever he asked they were astounded at his perceptive questions. The Holy Spirit was guiding his young mind to more fully understand who he was.

Praying that God be with us through the day is a daily practice for many of us. I got to thinking that sometimes instead of asking God to be with us, we might ask that we can be with God. You know, like Jesus’ disciples. After he called each of them they followed him around, doing his bidding. They didn’t plan what to do and ask him to be with them, they were happy to let him show the way. We have to plan and have some structure in our lives, but how about asking Jesus if we can follow him around. Of course, like the disciples, when you follow Jesus you must leave the past behind.

We sat around the table waiting for our food, catching up on the week’s events. Just another Saturday night get-together of friends, or so we thought. We didn’t realize as we chose where we would go next week that we wouldn’t be going and we would never be getting together in the same way again. One of those dear friends died of an aneurysm several days later. It was so unexpected. We’re all shocked and we grieve for her husband of 49 years. The obituary is in the newspaper and the services are over. Time goes on, but his life, and ours, will not be the same. She was precious. Love on and appreciate your loved ones and friends while you can.

“How did you get in?” I asked. I was talking to a turtle in my compost who was enjoying some veggie scraps I’d tossed there. The compost area in the back of my yard is framed by concrete blocks. As I looked closely I saw a 2-inch space between the blocks in one corner, but the turtle was too big to get through that hole. No apparent digging either. I knew something was eating scraps but figured it was only crows. No cooked items or meat go in my compost so as not to attract coyotes. (The rabbits in my yard attract enough of those.) The next day when I looked for Mr. Houdini Turtle he wasn’t to be found.  Can turtles climb? It’s still a mystery, but what would life be without its interesting little mysteries.

You’ve heard of the carrot and stick approach to motivation. You hold the carrot tied to a stick in front of the donkey to get it to move. When we had donkeys, I didn’t try that tactic but their red bucket with molasses sweetened feed sure worked. As stubborn as they were they couldn’t resist that red bucket. But when it comes to being a Christian instead of a reward some feel dangling their faults and sins in front of themselves makes them humble and is somehow motivational to spiritual growth. Wrong! All that does is dim the glorious light Christ has given us to share with the world. Don’t let recurring thoughts of past, present or future sins (all forgiven and forgotten by God) dampen your zeal for him. Move forward in faith. He loves you! Shine your light!

When you have children you know how hard it is to see them make bad decisions, knowing they will have to suffer the consequences. When they’re young, you can often intervene and protect them, but not when they’re older and out of the house. As a parent my most fervent desire is for my children to succeed in life, physically and especially spiritually. If I feel that way, how do you think our Father in heaven feels about our children? As our children and grandchildren grow up and out on their own, we may not be able to be there for them, but he promises to always be available. It’s important they know that!

My kids got me an expensive, broad-brimmed sun hat for my birthday. Afraid it would blow away when the wind was up, I took it to a tack shop to have grommets put in. As I stood there enjoying the smell of the saddles, bridles, belts and other leather goods surrounding me, the proprietor brought back my hat, now with a leather string through the new grommets. When I asked him how much I owed, he said, “Nothing.” I protested, “Oh, but….” He cut me off. “No arguing. It’s not going to get any cheaper.” People like that make me love living in Texas!

Theologians argue about the idea of universal salvation or universalism. Some insist all will be saved and others point to the Bible and say no, the sheep and the goats will be separated, and the wheat divided from the tares. Though certainly not a theologian, my belief is that God is in one sense a universalist. Why? Because God wants everyone, from Hitler to Osama bin Laden, in his Kingdom. Jesus died to save every human being who has ever lived, past, present and future. When he hung on that cross and forgave those who put him there, it was us. He forgave all of us. We are all forgiven. Yet, God didn’t create robots. We have the freedom to choose. Implausible as it is, though God wants everyone saved, Scripture indicates some will stubbornly turn away and refuse his free gift of salvation.

As I thank God for air conditioning during this north Texas heat wave (and pray for rain), when I grew up in East Texas, we survived without AC. We had fans, of course, but not much use against the heat and humidity of East Texas. Our survival secret was iced tea—real iced tea brewed from tea leaves and sugar-sweetened in the pan while still hot. My grandmother had an aluminum pitcher in her refrigerator that was always filled with ice tea. I remember the condensation glistening on it as she poured tea over ice cubes in our glasses. Back then, the first action taken when you had a visitor was to offer them a cool glass of iced tea. Texans may be kidded about their iced tea, but it’s no joke. That’s how we survived!