Notes from the Trail

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Wow. This picture has not been altered, nor have the names in this article been changed to protect the innocent. Sam and my twin nephews captured this runaway tumbleweed in the prairie beside Carolyn’s folks’ house.

Found a nice coffee shop at Hastings yesterday to read and study and answered the phones at Hunter Plumbing yesterday afternoon for Caro’s mom so she could go home and spend time with the plethora of grandkids at the house. Of course, that meant I wasn’t at the house with the plethora of grandchildren. Hmmmm.

This a.m., I’m at Pacific Rim, another nice coffee shop that also has Wifi, but it’s playing the most annoying techno-vomit music I’ve ever heard. I’ve gotten to listen to the young guy behind the counter complain about the owners under his breath to all the regulars who come in. Joy.

On the other hand, things are great here. We’re doing Christmas tonight, and it should be lots of fun watching the kids shred packages while the adults betray each other playing Dirty Santa. Each year is a steady reminder of aging. I remember when Carolyn and I were only dating, and everyone in Hobbs regarded me with wonder and amazement. Now my kids are the oldest grandkids, and there are no teenagers running around anymore. All but Carolyn’s 22 year-old brother have gotten married and had their own kids. A new generation is running around. In fact, Jeff (Caro’s brother) was younger than our son Sam is now when I first started coming to New Mexico… I’m old. Sniff.

Here’s a thought I’m meditating on after reading Matthew 7 this a.m. What in the world was Jesus talking about when He told people,

“Do not give dogs what is sacred;
do not throw your pearls to pigs.
If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.”

Sound off in the comments about your take on this.

For many of you in tune and in tech, this will be old news. However, for others of you, it will be new or an update. Were you aware that the burial box that was found in Israel in 2002 and declared to be James’ ossuary is still being debated as to its authenticity?

There is an excellent article detailing the ongoing saga at Wikipedia. However, as I read it, I began to come to some conclusions about the Israeli Antiquities Authority (who have now claimed it as a modern forgery). Primary among my thoughts is simply this: why would modern Jewish authorities be any different from ancient Jewish leaders? They simply cannot acknowledge the existence and reality of Jesus. Therefore, they must claim the ossuary as a fake.

On the other hand, it may indeed be a forgery. However, something smells fishy in the whole thing. There are a host of other experts aligned on the side of its authenticity. Yet the IAA apparently continues to parade its own line of experts that defend its position.

What in the world brought me to this story at this time? Well, I’m reading Elders and Leaders, and there is a footnote in it related to the ossuary, so my curiosity was provoked, and I had to do a quick Google on it.

We arrived in Hobbs today and celebrated Carolyn and my birthdays with her family. Hers is the 24th, and mine is January 5. Before the sun set, I took my twin five year-old nephews and Sam “hunting” in the prairie located out back.

During supper, we were talking about “church,” and Carolyn’s folks related that their church, Taylor Memorial Baptist, had just undergone an extensive renovation. As part of the renovation, their hymnals were removed. Sam perked up from his table, and in mid-bite said, “What’s a hymnal?”

Suffice it to say that he has little to no remembrance of his time in a traditional church. Times are a’changin.’

Just can’t wait to get on the road again
The life I love is making music with my friends
Oh, I can’t wait to get on the road again.

We’re at a LaQuinta in Weatherford, Texas tonight, heading to Hobbs, New Mexico to have Christmas with Caro’s folks. We stopped in Texarkana to eat at Chili’s, and then Caro took over the driving responsibilities. Thank goodness there were no EMP blasts anywhere between there and Dallas, or the kids would have been at a loss. Sam played with his PSP; Adelyn watched movies and listened to music on her iPod nano; Caro had my iPod connected to her cranium. Me, I was engrossed in George R.R. Martin’s A Storm of Swords.

I hope to be able to post some pics and updates from the flatlands. More later!

Well, some Macs do… Read to believe. (By the way, I have a Mac SE with a carrying case, for sale for $25,000…)

Pictures need to be seen to be believed; the original box and all manuals were included in this auction. This early 1980s 1mhz Apple II+ originally sold for $1,200. Adjusted for inflation that would be $3,000 today meaning that over the last 25 years despite being outpaced several thousand times in mhz you’d have only lost 50% of your investment.

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