Do You Hear the Bell?

Just up the road from my home is a field, with two horses in it.
From a distance, each looks like every other horse. But if you stop
your car, or are walking by, you will notice something quite amazing.

Looking into the eyes of one horse will disclose that he is blind. His owner has chosen not to have him put down, but has made a good home for him. This alone is amazing.

If nearby and listening, you will hear the sound of a bell. Looking
around for the source of the sound, you will see that it comes from the smaller horse in the field. Attached to her halter is a small bell. It lets her blind friend know where she is, so he can follow her.

As you stand and watch these two friends, you'll see how she is always checking on him, and that he will listen for her bell and then slowly walk to where she is, trusting that she will not lead him astray. When she returns to the shelter of the barn each evening, she stops occasionally and looks back, making sure her friend isn't too far behind to hear the bell.

Like the owners of these two horses, God does not throw us away just because we are not perfect or because we have problems or challenges.

He watches over us and even brings others into our lives to help us when we are in need.

Sometimes we are the blind horse being guided by the little ringing
bell of those who God places in our lives. Other times we are the guide horse, helping others see.

Good friends are like this..........You don't always see them, but you know they are always there. Please listen for my bell and I'll try to remember to listen for yours.

Bro. Dan

Let Me Help You Vote!!

Let Me Help You Vote!!
Originally uploaded by brotherdan44.

E-MAIL TO CHURCH LEADERS FROM OUR CHURCH THIS WEEK

"Let’s encourage our members to get out and vote. Each election is key. The Tennessee Marriage Amendment is on the November 7 ballot. It specifies the only legal marriage contract in Tennessee as one man and one woman. While there is already a law on the books, a constitutional amendment gives it greater standing. Tennessee law is quirky on constitutional amendments. Instead of a simple majority, an amendment must garner one vote more than one-half of all votes cast in the gubernatorial race. Therefore, if someone votes for governor and doesn't vote on the constitutional amendment, they are, in effect, voting no. The Tennessee Baptist Convention has a Web site with information on this--www.tnmarriage.org."

This morning as I arrived at church the Save Marriage sign was on our church property. Isn't it great to have a wonderful sign like this to help us vote ! In the 2004 elections 9 states (you might check me on the number) who voted for Bush had this same amendment on their ballots.

EVERY CHRISTIAN SHOULD VOTE REPUBLICAN !

Dan and Janet Phillips

Dan and Janet Phillips
Originally uploaded by brotherdan44.

I noted that there are few personal photographs on my Flickr account.

This was a recent picture taken at a wedding by our friend Sandy. Can

you believe we have been married 39 years!

EndingS

"Where God sends a living soul it is because there is some soul to be
found." (Andrew Bonar)

Franciscan Benediction

10/24/2006
Franciscan Benediction from Seeking the Sacred.

FRANCISCAN BENEDICTION

May God bless you with DISCOMFORT...
At easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships.
So that you may live deep within your heart.

May God bless you with ANGER...
At injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people.
So that you may work for justice, freedom and peace.

May God bless you with TEARS...
To shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation and war.
So that you may reach out your hand to comfort them
And to turn their pain into JOY...

And may God bless you with enough FOOLISHNESS...
To believe that you can make a difference in this world.
So that you can DO what others claim cannot be done.

Prayer Time

Prayer Time
Originally uploaded by brotherdan44.

Monastery Reality Show on TLC

On October 22, 2006, The Learning Channel will premier a Monastery Reality Show from the Christ in the Dessert Monastery in Abique, New Mexico. The show begins at 10 p.m. ET. If you get a chance come back to this website and let me know what you think of it. I am looking forward to it. Full Details.

Larry Munson

I was so exhausted emotionally when I got home from work I couldn't eat.
I finally ate a half bowl of grape nut flakes and milk. For supper Janet
made some tomato soup and a toasted cheese sandwich.

I can't say that the night has been without some humour. Janet threw a
tennis ball that hit Cuddles in the head and knocked him for a loop.
Hope she doesn't throw the ball at me.

A REAL TREAT

While channel surfing I found Hope Hines on Channel 50 interviewing
Larry Munson, the University of Georgia football announcer. What a
delight, Munson at 80 plus years telling his stories. I remember having
my picture made with Herschell Hobbs, the great Southern Baptist
preacher who was in his eighties and him saying, "When you are 80 you
can lie all you want because usually there is no one alive who can tell
if you are telling the truth or not." How true !

I remember Munson as the radio voice of the Vanderbilt Commodore
Football team in the early 1960s and then he moved to Atlanta and became
one of the first Atlanta Braves baseball announcers when the Milwaukee
Braves moved to Atlanta. Reminded me of Tony Clonninger, a Brave
pitcher, who once hit 2 grandslam home runs in a game. Or as Dizzy Dean
use to say to Pee Wee Reese on tv ball games, "Pee Wee those pitchers
can really hit."

Maybe tomorrow we will all hit a home run. Play ball!

Merton Quote for Today

"Quails whistled in the field and everything is green, for there was
much rain." (Vow of Conversation p.48)

Are we thankful for the rain?

Quality

"Every job is a self-portrait of the person who did it. Autograph your
work with Quality."

Theft

Last year an account of mine on EBAY was stolen. I had to get new cards, everything. Still EVERYDAY I get warnings from EBAY and PAYPAL that I had better get things straightened out. People are still using my account to try to buy things and no credit card exists. How do I get rid of these people. How can I get PAYPAL and EBAY to cancel everything with my name on it. Advise!

Tul Pens - Part 2

I am really EXCITED this morning. One of my favorite websites about Moleskine Journals has picked up my blog about the Tul Pens. Check it out and scroll down to Tul Pens. Moleskinerie.com.

Tul Gel Pens

Tul Gel Pens
Originally uploaded by brotherdan44.

I have been trying out the NEW Tul Gel Pens made especially for Office Max. The Tul Gel .5 pen is as close to the G2 as I have found, beating even the 207. It is fancier than the G2. I would say it writes 95 percent as well as the G2. Time only will tell if it beats the G2.Link To Tul Gel!

Orange County Chopper's in Nashville

Orange County Chopper's in Nashville
Originally uploaded by brotherdan44.

Orange County Choppers

Orange County Choppers
Originally uploaded by brotherdan44.

I was called into work unexpectedly today and ended up at the Orange

County Chopper's Show in Nashville. I hate to admit it but I did not

know what it was, I just saw tons of motorcyles everywhere and I was

unwilling to pay $29.95 to enter. But I discovered these were custom

made motorcyles from Orange County, New York, and they have a reality

show on the Discovery Channel.

So a picture or 2 for the fans, ok?

Birthday Reminder

Yesterday was my birthday. It seems they come more often now than they use to. Birthdays to me are a major time for reflection and recollection. For reflection I count the birthday I worked for the circus and almost got stepped on by an elephant, or the time I got my driver’s license, or the day a bombing in my hometown occurred on my birthday, or the 49th year surprise party.

But it is also a time to reflect on the last year. Have I made the most of the year? Probably not! I have been to several weddings and performed a few in the last year. I have taught many a Sunday School Class. I have done some funerals. I have prayed for those who struggle. I have walked along the rocky coast of California and spent the night in the garlic capital of the world. I have been bitten by my own dog.

And yes there have been changes in my life that I have noted. There is less hair, memory sometimes slips and I can’t remember last names, some times my knees hurt, my weight continues to fluctuate, more up than down. My vision is more incomplete. I don’t dream of the big events in life as much as the minor neat things that sometimes surprise me.

Yes, surprise and wonder are the big words for me now. On the downward side of life every day is a surprise, a surprise that I are even here. And I begin to see everything as a gift. "An inch of surprise can lead to miles of gratefulness," said someone. The surprise is the gift.

Yes, the hidden surprise of someone who gives me some candy for my birthday, the friends who remember and sing that horrible birthday song, a friendly smile, the sharing of fragile moments in a persons life, the wonder of the heavens. These are the things that matter. That is where the thank you is.

And the wonder! "Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Who marked off its dimensions? Who stretched a measuring line across it while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy? "(Job 38)

The gifts, the surprises, the wonders. a smile. All worth living for and things to be thankful for this year.

Brother Dan

When The Tough Times Come

SELLING OURSELVES SHORT

This is a tough time for all of us. Where I work everyone is stressed. Too much to do. Not enough time to do it.

Dilema

Unfortunately there is a dilemma. Managers and Administrators are judged by numbers. Did we have the right numbers. Did we reach our goals. How many things did we do wrong, is the paperwork up-to-date. Most managers have an impossible job! Some managers have 80 employees to review and they spend the weekends here and stay past 10 at night. They grow discouraged.

On the other side are the employees who are more often than not judged by what they did wrong rather than what they did right. It is an incredible feeling to have all the wrongs listed when we are reviewed. Many struggle all day to get everything done that is expected and some patient out of nowhere complains (yes, some patients complain) and we end up going in a ballistic nightmare.

On my desk is an icon of Saint John. I once stood in the cave in Patmos where he wrote the book of Revelation while he was in prison. Isn’t it strange that while in prison he wrote performance reviews to seven churches with which he was familiar . You have done a good job in this and that BUT !!!! And to the church at Ephesus he said, “You have forsaken your first love.” And that is the problem with many of us. Often times the things we love the most and are best at are subjected to time lines and paperwork and trying to do the impossible. We could do a great job with 5 patients but 8 leaves us wanting. Or one patient takes up all of our time.

Well, I don’t think we will solve it unfortunately. Laura Babbage, a nurse, once sent me this saying which I keep on my wall by my calendar and read most day:

"Finish every day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be cumbered with your old nonsense. This day is all that is good and fair. It is too dear, with its hopes and invitations, to waste a moment on the yesterdays." (Emerson)

I once went to New York City and rode the bus to many historic places. One of the places on my list was Saint John’s Cathedral. Some consider it to be the largest Cathedral in the world. I remember the story of a bricklayer hired to work on Saint Johns. Of course bricklayers are judged by the number of bricks they lay each day. Whatever. Anyway, someone asked him when he had slowed to rest a minute, “What are you doing?” (Meant in a derogatory fashion of course) and he said, “I am building the greatest Cathedral in the World.”

And what are we doing (now don’t sell yourself short)? "Oh, I am building one of the great (fill in the blank)____________________________ in all the world, right?"

Bro. Dan

Tuesday Evening

True prayer is usually experienced as tears, surrender, or forgiveness.

Prayer is like the embrace of a lover. (Rohr)

If this is not a place where tears are understood then where can I go to cry? (Ken Medema)-- (That is how I feel about the amish kids deaths. Who says we have no suicide terrorist in this country?)

One of Janet's aunts died today. We will go to funeral home 110 miles away tomorrow.
In a Melancoly mood. Sad times.