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Luke 2:4-20
So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
"Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."
So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
Here we are at the brink of Christmas Eve. For most who are not Christians, it is a time of rest and sharing gifts, parties, and spending money that they may or may not have. But for Christians it is the holiest of times of the year. Today we find ourselves living in a time that has our nation calling for all to be tolerant of others, even to the point that we would keep our thoughts to ourselves. As a Christian, I cannot.
Christmas is the celebration of the birth of the Christ child, the Messiah that had so long been prayed for. The Romans had shown the true cruelty that was in their heart. They had allowed their own morality to be twisted and perverted to the point that the Jews were beginning to be objects to torture and mess with at will. Even the soldiers were allowed to have Jews pack their equipment as they marched from place to place.
However, at long last the announcement comes. The one whom the people of God have been waiting for has finally come. But notice who the royal announcement was given to. It was the lowly shepherds out side the town of Bethlehem. Those shepherds were watching sheep from which would come the same unblemished lambs that would be used as sacrifices in the temple. Yes, the angels came to the shepherds to show that God was reachable by all men, that Jesus came to save us all and not just the rich, the privileged, the aristocracy of life.
The best part, though, is that these shepherds were about to loose their jobs. I've always wondered why the shepherds would walk off and leave these creatures who they had taken responsibility for. Why would they risk loosing these precious lambs to wondering off, being stolen, or even being killed and eaten by the wild animals? They left because they realized that the perfect Lamb of God had arrived. They left the sheep of the field to watch over "the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world."
My prayer for us all is this, that as we celebrate the birth of the Christ child, Jesus, that we experience it even more. I pray that in the midst of all the paper, the lights, the food, the singing, the gifts, and the trees, that we all experience the coming of the Christ child in our own lives. Jesus came to take our offense of sin as His own, to pay the price for that sin, and offer us eternal life in return. This Christmas I pray that you will join me in making a difference in someone's life. This Christmas look for the opportunity that God is guiding you into, to share His message of Hope, Peace, Love, and Joy that is offered only through His Son, Jesus, the reason for the season.
May the gift of the Christ Child be real in your life. May His message be heard and accepted by more souls because of the overflowing joy in our lives this Christmas, and every day He gives us. MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, AND TO ALL A LIFE OF GOD'S HOPE, PEACE, JOY, and most of all LOVE!
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Quit Fussing and Get to Building
Today's sermon suggested that we let the petty things in life become our major focus. When we do, we take our eyes of God and His plan. I'm reminded that I am called to focus on Him alone. If we focus on Him, we'll be ready and available to serve Him when He calls on us. How rewarding could that be? I want to find out. Do you?
1 Corinthians 3, Paul gets on the church pretty hard. When he was there with them he understood that they were new to the Christian life and he fed them spiritual milk. Time has passed and although he thought they should have graduated to more solid food, the indicators were that they were still spiritual babies. What were they doing? They were fussing and quarreling over who the preacher was when they came to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. For what ever reason, some bragged that Paul was preaching, while others bragged that Apollos or Peter. Can you imagine?
Being in a minister's home all my life, I heard a lot of preachers. I always enjoyed my dad's preaching. In fact, for a year heard him preach every Sunday. He resigned to show Billy Graham films all over Florida. During that year I heard Billy Graham present the Gospel many times. I actually felt I needed to have a personal relationship with Jesus while hearing the pastor who followed my dad in that little mission church.
Who was responsible? Actually none of those pastors. Not one of them could save my soul. It was only the work of the Holy Spirit in my life that brought me to the realization that I needed a personal relationship with Jesus. God used those men whom He had called to proclaim His message to urge me, teach me, and encourage me. But it only be accepting what Jesus did for us on the cross that we can receive the hope of life in Heaven for all eternity.
What could happen if God's people would keep the main thing, the main thing?
What would happen if the church would make an intentional effort to not fuss or quarrel about petty things?
Would the church make a greater impact on the world around us?
Would the world around us hear the Gospel more easily?
Could we be more effective, more efficient as we attempt to share Jesus with the world?
I believe that is exactely what Paul was trying to say. Let us keep our eyes on Jesus, put our petty differences aside, and get to work doing what God has called us to.
"Go, make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them all the things I have taught you."
1 Corinthians 3, Paul gets on the church pretty hard. When he was there with them he understood that they were new to the Christian life and he fed them spiritual milk. Time has passed and although he thought they should have graduated to more solid food, the indicators were that they were still spiritual babies. What were they doing? They were fussing and quarreling over who the preacher was when they came to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. For what ever reason, some bragged that Paul was preaching, while others bragged that Apollos or Peter. Can you imagine?
Being in a minister's home all my life, I heard a lot of preachers. I always enjoyed my dad's preaching. In fact, for a year heard him preach every Sunday. He resigned to show Billy Graham films all over Florida. During that year I heard Billy Graham present the Gospel many times. I actually felt I needed to have a personal relationship with Jesus while hearing the pastor who followed my dad in that little mission church.
Who was responsible? Actually none of those pastors. Not one of them could save my soul. It was only the work of the Holy Spirit in my life that brought me to the realization that I needed a personal relationship with Jesus. God used those men whom He had called to proclaim His message to urge me, teach me, and encourage me. But it only be accepting what Jesus did for us on the cross that we can receive the hope of life in Heaven for all eternity.
What could happen if God's people would keep the main thing, the main thing?
What would happen if the church would make an intentional effort to not fuss or quarrel about petty things?
Would the church make a greater impact on the world around us?
Would the world around us hear the Gospel more easily?
Could we be more effective, more efficient as we attempt to share Jesus with the world?
I believe that is exactely what Paul was trying to say. Let us keep our eyes on Jesus, put our petty differences aside, and get to work doing what God has called us to.
"Go, make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them all the things I have taught you."
Friday, August 7, 2009
Mile Stones
I'm contemplating today the passage of time and those mile stones that mark that passage. This morning we sat on the front porch of our home which sits just off the center of our sleepy little town. The traffic was much heavier than it has been over the past ten weeks or so. The faces in those cars and trucks were different than we've been seeing lately as well. Then there's that major change in the vehicles that are going by. Yes, we're seeing lots of cars and pick-up trucks. There is the occasional semi or delivery truck that goes by. But today is different, there are those long yellow and black buses going by that mark the beginning of another school year.
With some excitement, some apprehension, maybe a bit of sadness, I watched my boy head down the sidewalk to the curb. With back-pack on and bag of supplies in tow, Christopher was patiently waiting for his bus to stop and the driver to wave him across the street so that he could board. Funny really, how until today when folks would ask if he was excited to go back he would violently shake his head no. Yet today, when the reality is smacking him in the face, he is up early and waiting in front of the TV for 20 minutes or so before it is time to go out for the bus. Yes, the excitement of the new year was there. The earlier, negative reaction was for show. They learn so early.
All this reminds me though that there is another rite of passage that will be coming soon enough. There will be another morning when things are just a bit different than they were the day before. There will be another morning when he will get up and get ready, maybe even early like today. That day will be the day that he leaves the house on a more permanent basis. That will be a truly sad day for Connie and me. That will be the day when he heads out and begins a relationship that will change where our priority is in his relationship rankings. He will not replace us or turn away from us, but his new bride will certainly become the number one relationship in his life.
That's a good thing, I guess. Kind of makes me sad to think of it. But, isn't that day what we as parents are working toward from the time our wonderful children are born? We get them birthed, raise them, teach them, love them, and train them. Then the day comes when we will once again be free to revive the relationship with our spouse and we can't even get through the wedding without shedding tears of loss. And even with all of that going on we begin to think of the day with our children will bring us news of their having children. Our grandchildren will be coming soon and we have an opportunity to once enjoy the laughs, the hugs, the excitement, and even the tears of those little faces. What a joy to be grandparents.
All this to say that I'm sure God feels much the same way at times. He loves us and cares for us. He made sure that we had a path laid out before us. He is there when we fall off the path, ready to lend a hand, to teach the lesson, to give us the love we need. Yet time and again we step off our path. We even take side roads, going out on our own. Yet He is always there. What saddens Him the most is when we replace Him as our number one relationship. The Bible tells us plainly that God is a jealous God. What I find the most interesting is that God not only wants to hold the number one relationship in our lives, but when we allow God to hold the top position, the rest of our relationships become even better. Our marital relationship, the relationships with our children, our co-workers, our friends and other relatives, all will be better when we place the God of the universe as our number one relationship. As Mr. Ripley would say, "Believe it or not." I choose to believe it because I've lived it and know from experience. I pray you do, or will soon.
With some excitement, some apprehension, maybe a bit of sadness, I watched my boy head down the sidewalk to the curb. With back-pack on and bag of supplies in tow, Christopher was patiently waiting for his bus to stop and the driver to wave him across the street so that he could board. Funny really, how until today when folks would ask if he was excited to go back he would violently shake his head no. Yet today, when the reality is smacking him in the face, he is up early and waiting in front of the TV for 20 minutes or so before it is time to go out for the bus. Yes, the excitement of the new year was there. The earlier, negative reaction was for show. They learn so early.
All this reminds me though that there is another rite of passage that will be coming soon enough. There will be another morning when things are just a bit different than they were the day before. There will be another morning when he will get up and get ready, maybe even early like today. That day will be the day that he leaves the house on a more permanent basis. That will be a truly sad day for Connie and me. That will be the day when he heads out and begins a relationship that will change where our priority is in his relationship rankings. He will not replace us or turn away from us, but his new bride will certainly become the number one relationship in his life.
That's a good thing, I guess. Kind of makes me sad to think of it. But, isn't that day what we as parents are working toward from the time our wonderful children are born? We get them birthed, raise them, teach them, love them, and train them. Then the day comes when we will once again be free to revive the relationship with our spouse and we can't even get through the wedding without shedding tears of loss. And even with all of that going on we begin to think of the day with our children will bring us news of their having children. Our grandchildren will be coming soon and we have an opportunity to once enjoy the laughs, the hugs, the excitement, and even the tears of those little faces. What a joy to be grandparents.
All this to say that I'm sure God feels much the same way at times. He loves us and cares for us. He made sure that we had a path laid out before us. He is there when we fall off the path, ready to lend a hand, to teach the lesson, to give us the love we need. Yet time and again we step off our path. We even take side roads, going out on our own. Yet He is always there. What saddens Him the most is when we replace Him as our number one relationship. The Bible tells us plainly that God is a jealous God. What I find the most interesting is that God not only wants to hold the number one relationship in our lives, but when we allow God to hold the top position, the rest of our relationships become even better. Our marital relationship, the relationships with our children, our co-workers, our friends and other relatives, all will be better when we place the God of the universe as our number one relationship. As Mr. Ripley would say, "Believe it or not." I choose to believe it because I've lived it and know from experience. I pray you do, or will soon.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Marry Young vs. Establish Life and Career
In Sixteen days I will celebrate twenty nine years of being married to the most wonderful woman God could have paired me with. There have been a lot of great times. There have been some not so great times. If I get real honest about it, there have been some times that were down right horrible. One thing I can say for sure, in all these twenty nine years I have learned that without going through the bad, we would not have nearly as much good as we've had.
Three issues cause me to talk about this. First is obvious, our anniversary being right on top of us will always cause me to reflect on the love that Connie and I share. There were days and nights that each of us wondered what we were doing with each other. But we are both so glad that we worked through those times to arrive here today. God has even used those times to help other couples who are having trouble, giving them a living, breathing example that couples can indeed work through the issues of life and make it together on the other side.
Secondly, I heard this past week of another young couple who is calling it quits. I don't know all the details. I also don't think they would want their lives posted on the internet either. But I will say that this is a couple who has not been married even two years yet. One of the spouses has decided that they just cannot agree on how much the grandparents will be involved with any future grandchildren. What a shame? Children are not even in the picture yet and this couple will never know the joy that those same children will bring into their lives. They will never experience the love they feel as they hold those children for the very first time. They will never know the feeling of holding those little hands or the hugs those little arms are so free to give.
Finally, an article came across my computer screen today talking about marriage. I read most of it simply because the title said something about the church needing to teach younger marriage. Interesting article, the author makes the point that our society encourages putting off marriage to "find ourselves." Along with later marriage comes later child birth. He makes the point that God created us, particularly women, with a prime child birthing age in our twenties. As it turns out, the medium age of women getting married for the first time is going up and has reached twenty six year of age. Men aren't getting married until they're twenty nine. And then couples are taking a few years of "getting to know one another" and getting their careers established before starting their families. So they are missing the prime years for having children if they have any at all.
So, there is a lot on my mind tonight. I wonder what God has in store for our churches. I wonder what is in store for our families. I wonder what is in store for our country. If marriage ages continue to go up and children are delayed later and later, it only makes sense that the birth rate is probably going to drop. We don't need to over populate, but we also don't need to reduce the lives being born.
There is so much more to say, but I do not want to ramble. I leave with this question to ponder: Is the church teaching "early marriage" or suggesting that marriage be put off? If we're teaching that it should be put off, are we giving the tools needed to remain chaste until marriage? I'm afraid that we've stuck our heads in the sand for too long. Let's be honest and open with our youth and help them to understand that it is important to marry young and to not delay their families. And for those who don't find their mates until a bit later, lets help them with the tools and opportunities they need so that they can remain faithful to their future mates. Sure, kids are going to make mistakes. Hormones are going to drive them, and us, crazy for a bit. But, let's not loose our young to world and to Satan because we've been afraid to talk with them.
I pray this is understandable and provokes some thought in your mind. Please feel free to ask questions or even to comment. I would greatly appreciate it.
Three issues cause me to talk about this. First is obvious, our anniversary being right on top of us will always cause me to reflect on the love that Connie and I share. There were days and nights that each of us wondered what we were doing with each other. But we are both so glad that we worked through those times to arrive here today. God has even used those times to help other couples who are having trouble, giving them a living, breathing example that couples can indeed work through the issues of life and make it together on the other side.
Secondly, I heard this past week of another young couple who is calling it quits. I don't know all the details. I also don't think they would want their lives posted on the internet either. But I will say that this is a couple who has not been married even two years yet. One of the spouses has decided that they just cannot agree on how much the grandparents will be involved with any future grandchildren. What a shame? Children are not even in the picture yet and this couple will never know the joy that those same children will bring into their lives. They will never experience the love they feel as they hold those children for the very first time. They will never know the feeling of holding those little hands or the hugs those little arms are so free to give.
Finally, an article came across my computer screen today talking about marriage. I read most of it simply because the title said something about the church needing to teach younger marriage. Interesting article, the author makes the point that our society encourages putting off marriage to "find ourselves." Along with later marriage comes later child birth. He makes the point that God created us, particularly women, with a prime child birthing age in our twenties. As it turns out, the medium age of women getting married for the first time is going up and has reached twenty six year of age. Men aren't getting married until they're twenty nine. And then couples are taking a few years of "getting to know one another" and getting their careers established before starting their families. So they are missing the prime years for having children if they have any at all.
So, there is a lot on my mind tonight. I wonder what God has in store for our churches. I wonder what is in store for our families. I wonder what is in store for our country. If marriage ages continue to go up and children are delayed later and later, it only makes sense that the birth rate is probably going to drop. We don't need to over populate, but we also don't need to reduce the lives being born.
There is so much more to say, but I do not want to ramble. I leave with this question to ponder: Is the church teaching "early marriage" or suggesting that marriage be put off? If we're teaching that it should be put off, are we giving the tools needed to remain chaste until marriage? I'm afraid that we've stuck our heads in the sand for too long. Let's be honest and open with our youth and help them to understand that it is important to marry young and to not delay their families. And for those who don't find their mates until a bit later, lets help them with the tools and opportunities they need so that they can remain faithful to their future mates. Sure, kids are going to make mistakes. Hormones are going to drive them, and us, crazy for a bit. But, let's not loose our young to world and to Satan because we've been afraid to talk with them.
I pray this is understandable and provokes some thought in your mind. Please feel free to ask questions or even to comment. I would greatly appreciate it.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Rectangular Platter
This piece is a rectangular plate, 8"x9 1/4" x 1 3/4" tall. The wood is maple that I picked up from the church's by-pass property when we took down some trees. The inspiration for this plate is most assuredly oriental, in fact I had a sushi plate in mind. Lots of stuff going on in this piece, worm holes, ambrosia, fiddleback, etc. All works together to give a lot of interest. Finish is several coats of Seal-A-Cell, hand buffed between with 0000 steal wool, finished off with Beall System, and then Renaissance Wax. I just sent it off to a benefit auction for a young lady who has recently lost both legs to a rare disease. I hope it brings a great price for her and the family.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Rite of Passage
Today our family went through one of those rites that all families must go through from time to time. Our son has been off at summer camp all week and came home today. I'm sure it is true of all kids coming home from camp, HE STUNK. Nearly had to force him to go take a shower once he was home. He is also very tired. Won't admit it at all. We can see it in his eyes. Now that he's out of the shower he smells much better. Looks better too. Still sleepy though. Best thing we could do for him is get him in bed early tonight. Problem is, momma said something to him about going to see Ice Age 3 tonight. Now it is all he can think about. Guess we'll go to the movie. My guess is that he'll either fall asleep during the movie or on the way home. We only live about 3 miles from the cinema. Won't matter though. I'm pretty sure I'll be carrying him from the car to the bed.
Our Heavenly Father is a lot like that too. He will let us burn the candle at both ends and wear our selves out. He'll even let us have our own way and do what we want. Then, when we've worn ourselves out and are not able to go any further, He picks us up and carries us to a place of refuge, where we are safe and can get rest. He wants us to have life that is full, a life abundant with all the good things He created. That life of abundance is only available when we believe in His Son, Jesus. That belief pays the price we owe for the sin in our life. Jesus had no sin in His life, yet He died so that we could have the life that God wants for us. We simply need to accept that gift.
Tonight I will most likely struggle to get my son into his bed. God never has any trouble carrying us to a place of rest and safety. I'll place my trust in Him. Won't you?
Our Heavenly Father is a lot like that too. He will let us burn the candle at both ends and wear our selves out. He'll even let us have our own way and do what we want. Then, when we've worn ourselves out and are not able to go any further, He picks us up and carries us to a place of refuge, where we are safe and can get rest. He wants us to have life that is full, a life abundant with all the good things He created. That life of abundance is only available when we believe in His Son, Jesus. That belief pays the price we owe for the sin in our life. Jesus had no sin in His life, yet He died so that we could have the life that God wants for us. We simply need to accept that gift.
Tonight I will most likely struggle to get my son into his bed. God never has any trouble carrying us to a place of rest and safety. I'll place my trust in Him. Won't you?
Friday, July 10, 2009
I got this piece of wood from Clay at Choice Woods. He was having a sale on some wood that wasn't first rate before he moved to his new location. Wonderful wood, just didn't have the grain that some does. It is now the property of our nephew and his new wife. LOML gave it to them as a wedding present. Anyway, it is right at 12" wide and about 1 3/4" tall. Sanded to 400 dry and then wet sanded between coats of Seal-A-Cell and Arm-R-Seal. One of the few pieces that I had no problems with. It went smoothly from start to finish.Questions and comments are always welcome. I only get better when I hear what folks think.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Christopher Goes To Camp
It finally happened. The summer of his seventh year he wants to go to summer camp. The flyer had come in on the fax machine. Salvation Army camp and there aren't very many kids wanting to go for some reason. We called hoping that he doesn't qualify. They really don't care as long as there is room. So, it's off to camp we go. Seems like just yesterday he was laying on my arm, sleeping, or cooing. Now he's about to heavy to pick up when he falls asleep in the car.
We've not gotten any calls saying that he is disparate to come home so I guess he's fine. Should have known. He wasn't at the camp more than two minutes when he has made a couple of friends with his cabin mates. They were waiting for the councilor to come and escort them to their cabin. These folks had things under control. There was a large screen with something about alligators being shown on it. All the kids were glued.
Connie goes to pick him up on Saturday. I'm sure we'll hear all about it. Should take weeks. There's one thing that I'm sure about even before he gets home to tell me about it, he'll have had a ton of fun. Christopher doesn't do anything without having fun at it. If momma can just make it to Saturday.
We pray for him daily. We pray for ourselves. Sure makes it easier knowing that God is watching over him. Enjoy yourself my son. I look forward to seeing you on Saturday.
We've not gotten any calls saying that he is disparate to come home so I guess he's fine. Should have known. He wasn't at the camp more than two minutes when he has made a couple of friends with his cabin mates. They were waiting for the councilor to come and escort them to their cabin. These folks had things under control. There was a large screen with something about alligators being shown on it. All the kids were glued.
Connie goes to pick him up on Saturday. I'm sure we'll hear all about it. Should take weeks. There's one thing that I'm sure about even before he gets home to tell me about it, he'll have had a ton of fun. Christopher doesn't do anything without having fun at it. If momma can just make it to Saturday.
We pray for him daily. We pray for ourselves. Sure makes it easier knowing that God is watching over him. Enjoy yourself my son. I look forward to seeing you on Saturday.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Osage Orange
Osage Orange is a really hard wood that resists bugs and rot really well. It is so resistant that farmers have used it for fence posts for hundreds of years. In some areas it is called bow wood because it is really good for making long bows. The bright yellow color will darken to a beautiful golden brown with time and UV exposure. This bowl is 6 1/2" wide x 3" tall. Finish is 2 coats of Seal-a-Cell followed by 5 coats of Arm-r-Seal. Sanded between coats with 400 grit wet/dry sand paper that was dipped in water. Seems to have worked pretty well. Not flawless, but came out pretty nice for this piece. I don't are much for the shape myself. The intent was something a bit different, but it ended up like this. So it is what it is. Might sell it for something less than the normal. We'll see.
Comments and questions always accepted.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Independence Day
Man that sounds like a good title for a movie. Despite that little attempt at humor, today has been July 4th. It is a day when we spend time with friends and family, celebrating the independence that our country declared for itself in 1776. What a day that was for those brave men, women, and children.
That same independence has been taught to each of us. You know what I mean, that idea that there is no one else that we can depend on. So, we must become independent, not relying on anyone or anything else other than ourselves. Our schools teach it from kindergarten through our graduate schools. Only recently have we begun to teach "team" and working together to get a complicated task completed.
When I think about my faith, I have to think that God does not ask me to be independent, but fully dependent. He asks us to place all our faith in Jesus, God's one and only Son. He asks us to sell out completely so that we have nothing else, relying totally upon Him. The only independence I find in the Scripture is that we are to be so dependent upon God that we are fully independent of the world.
And there's the rub. Society teaches independence because Satan is the temporary ruler of the earth. He does not want us to be dependent on God alone. Rather, he prefers us to feel we are independent, that we don't need anyone else other than ourselves, including He who created us.
I've been speaking with several couples who, at some point, felt like they could make their marriages work all on their own. Fortunately a couple of these couples were married and that institution meant something to both of them. They have returned to the root of marriage and God has restored those relationships. Are they perfect? I doubt it. They are still made up of two human beings who still want to be in control, independent, and in charge of what they do with their lives. But at least they have begun to worship and pray together. They have made God the third member of the marriage. Others were trying to play husband and wife without the blessings of God, without the commitment that comes with the ceremony and the certificate.
Point is, independence is great for a country, even a business. We need that. As a country we don't want or need to be relying upon some other country to keep us above water. But as individuals it is a different story. In order to truly live free and happy lives, we must be fully dependent upon God, fully dependent on what Jesus did for on the cross, and fully dependent on the relationship that Jesus affords us with the Father.
As we remember July 4th, I pray we celebrate the independence of our great country and our dependence upon our Lord and Savior, Jesus.
That same independence has been taught to each of us. You know what I mean, that idea that there is no one else that we can depend on. So, we must become independent, not relying on anyone or anything else other than ourselves. Our schools teach it from kindergarten through our graduate schools. Only recently have we begun to teach "team" and working together to get a complicated task completed.
When I think about my faith, I have to think that God does not ask me to be independent, but fully dependent. He asks us to place all our faith in Jesus, God's one and only Son. He asks us to sell out completely so that we have nothing else, relying totally upon Him. The only independence I find in the Scripture is that we are to be so dependent upon God that we are fully independent of the world.
And there's the rub. Society teaches independence because Satan is the temporary ruler of the earth. He does not want us to be dependent on God alone. Rather, he prefers us to feel we are independent, that we don't need anyone else other than ourselves, including He who created us.
I've been speaking with several couples who, at some point, felt like they could make their marriages work all on their own. Fortunately a couple of these couples were married and that institution meant something to both of them. They have returned to the root of marriage and God has restored those relationships. Are they perfect? I doubt it. They are still made up of two human beings who still want to be in control, independent, and in charge of what they do with their lives. But at least they have begun to worship and pray together. They have made God the third member of the marriage. Others were trying to play husband and wife without the blessings of God, without the commitment that comes with the ceremony and the certificate.
Point is, independence is great for a country, even a business. We need that. As a country we don't want or need to be relying upon some other country to keep us above water. But as individuals it is a different story. In order to truly live free and happy lives, we must be fully dependent upon God, fully dependent on what Jesus did for on the cross, and fully dependent on the relationship that Jesus affords us with the Father.
As we remember July 4th, I pray we celebrate the independence of our great country and our dependence upon our Lord and Savior, Jesus.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Ponderosa Pine
Roughly 6 1/2" wide x 3 1/2" tall. 1/8" or less thick from top to bottom. In fact, the center of the bottom will let light through without any problem. This is one of those turnings that if I still had a bunch of DO, I would have done the multiple soak and dry cycle thing ala Ron Kent. Finish is several coats of Seal-A-Cell followed by several coats of Arm-R-Seal. This is another case to show us all that too much under the top coat is detrimental to the finial finish. The buffing wheels pulled the top coat right off. I had to sand it back and start again. No more than one coat of the sealer for me from now on.
Let know what you think about it. I'd also love to answer any questions you might have about it.
Let know what you think about it. I'd also love to answer any questions you might have about it.Box from March 8
Sorry to be so long to post this picture, but I just don't like the picture part. Truth be told, I don't like the finish process either. They both take me way too long to accomplish.
I bought this piece of wood at the AAW Symposium in Louisville. Just recently decided that it had sat on the shelf more than long enough. Box is 3 1/2" wide x 4 3/4" tall. The design is supposed to be ginger jar inspired. Finish is Seal-A-Cell followed by several coats of Arm-R-Seal. Sanded between coats with 400 w/d using water as a lubricant. Turned and sanded very nicely. My only issue with the whole turning was that I got the bottom edge of the tenon too thin and it broke off. You can see the fix.
I'd love to hear what you think about it.
I bought this piece of wood at the AAW Symposium in Louisville. Just recently decided that it had sat on the shelf more than long enough. Box is 3 1/2" wide x 4 3/4" tall. The design is supposed to be ginger jar inspired. Finish is Seal-A-Cell followed by several coats of Arm-R-Seal. Sanded between coats with 400 w/d using water as a lubricant. Turned and sanded very nicely. My only issue with the whole turning was that I got the bottom edge of the tenon too thin and it broke off. You can see the fix.
I'd love to hear what you think about it.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
What Is Going On?
Today I come into the office and check my stacked up email as usual. I've been sick over the past couple of weeks and but when I left the office last week I did make sure to clear my office computer of all back email. Just one of those things I do as routine. Anyway, I come in this morning and I have 215 emails sitting there waiting for me to plow through. Fortunately there were only about twenty that I actually had to open. The rest were nothing but spam. One day I'll learn how to adjust those spam filters I supposedly have on my email account. But, that is not what I'm talking about.
Here's the deal. One of my emails is a contemporary, Christian news site that sends me a daily update on the news around the country. Notice I said Christian and so you can safely assume that they are slanted in a conservative way. Fine, that's what I want anyway. What are the headlines of the commentary section? First there is this idea of the meeting of opposites as Barack Obama and Benjamin Netanyahu met and the dichotomy between the two. Nothing new really. We all saw how ill equipped the President was coming into office. But he's a quick study and has pulled together his team of advisers who will walk him though. The deal is, though, that the world is now starting to see the differences between the "leader of the free world" and the other world leaders. Are we really leading the world toward freedom at this point?
OK, I'm depressed now and thinking that if God can just bring us through the next 3 years we'll be fine as long as the GOP can champion a worthy candidate who won't shoot themselves in the foot. However, there is a second op-ed with the title, "SAME-SEX MARRIAGE & RELIGIOUS FREEDOM." This is a problem for me. I stand firm on the teachings of the Bible. And before you get the chance, let me say that I believe that I sin each and every day. Most of the time I realize it. Sometimes I don't, but I admit that I sin often. In my studies of Scripture, the Bible says in both Old Testament and New Testament that homosexual activity is wrong. If the activity is wrong doesn't it follow that marriage is wrong? But that is my opinion and I will also stand for the freedom of the individual to make a bad decision, in my mind, and live with the natural and spiritual consequences of their decisions. What bothers me is that most of this legislation and the unconstitutional rulings that are being passed along do not allow for those of us who still believe that our country is founded on and based upon Christian tenants and beliefs to refuse to give this group what ever they want. Are we as a country, in fact, establishing a state church of atheism? Are we as Christians giving away our rights and freedoms to worship the One True God, The Living God, The Creator of All, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob? Are we, Christians, allowing our government, all three branches, to do exactly what we said they could not do in the Constitution of the United States?
Alrighty now, I'm depressed, I'm angry, what else is there? Two more opinions, one asking if parenthood as we know it is over and another about the President's recent comments on abortion. In talking about parenthood, the writer is discussing the "morning after pill" and how Obama and his minion are pushing it to be available without prescription to girls as young as seventeen. Are we taking parental responsibilities away from parents by allowing such legislation and rulings from federal judges? What's the deal? Of course we've all heard Obama with all his rhetoric dealing with abortion and we understand that he is pushing for abortion on demand. However, the writer points out, and I think rightly so, that it is only rhetoric and that there seems to be no substance. He talks about talking about these tough issues, skirting around them to give the sound bites that give false hope to his opponents and false expectations to his devotees. There is just enough for both sides to continue the arguments for another couple of weeks. This man, elected by the slimest of margins in the popular vote, is following his Hollywood advisers and speech writers well, never saying anything while giving the supporters enough to make them think they are hearing what they want to hear.
In 2 Timothy 4:3, the Bible says, "The time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear." Has this great nation come to that point? Do we only what to hear what we want to hear? Are going to allow our "leaders" to tickle our ears with what we want to hear while they do nothing and give our nation away to other countries? Are we as Christians going to sit back and allow it to happen while we sit here in our air conditioned buildings with our heads stuck in the sand?
Jesus was being asked about taxes, but I believe his comment applies to us in this situation today as well. He said, "Give to Cesar what is Cesar's, give to God what is God's." As Christians we must pray for our President Obama. We owe him, and God, that much even if we didn't vote for him. He is still our president and God has told us to pray for them. Pray for his wisdom, for God to lead him, that he would hear, see, feel, and accept God's leading for our country. But, we as Christians need to do more, we need to speak out on all of these issues that we find biblicly and morally objectionable. Let your voice be heard. Stand up on election day and have your vote counted. Democrats shortly after the election said, "It was the Christian community not voting in the presidential election that allowed Obama to win." We can make a difference, but we will not unless we stand up, speak out, and vote. What's your opinion? LET IT BE HEARD!
Here's the deal. One of my emails is a contemporary, Christian news site that sends me a daily update on the news around the country. Notice I said Christian and so you can safely assume that they are slanted in a conservative way. Fine, that's what I want anyway. What are the headlines of the commentary section? First there is this idea of the meeting of opposites as Barack Obama and Benjamin Netanyahu met and the dichotomy between the two. Nothing new really. We all saw how ill equipped the President was coming into office. But he's a quick study and has pulled together his team of advisers who will walk him though. The deal is, though, that the world is now starting to see the differences between the "leader of the free world" and the other world leaders. Are we really leading the world toward freedom at this point?
OK, I'm depressed now and thinking that if God can just bring us through the next 3 years we'll be fine as long as the GOP can champion a worthy candidate who won't shoot themselves in the foot. However, there is a second op-ed with the title, "SAME-SEX MARRIAGE & RELIGIOUS FREEDOM." This is a problem for me. I stand firm on the teachings of the Bible. And before you get the chance, let me say that I believe that I sin each and every day. Most of the time I realize it. Sometimes I don't, but I admit that I sin often. In my studies of Scripture, the Bible says in both Old Testament and New Testament that homosexual activity is wrong. If the activity is wrong doesn't it follow that marriage is wrong? But that is my opinion and I will also stand for the freedom of the individual to make a bad decision, in my mind, and live with the natural and spiritual consequences of their decisions. What bothers me is that most of this legislation and the unconstitutional rulings that are being passed along do not allow for those of us who still believe that our country is founded on and based upon Christian tenants and beliefs to refuse to give this group what ever they want. Are we as a country, in fact, establishing a state church of atheism? Are we as Christians giving away our rights and freedoms to worship the One True God, The Living God, The Creator of All, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob? Are we, Christians, allowing our government, all three branches, to do exactly what we said they could not do in the Constitution of the United States?
Alrighty now, I'm depressed, I'm angry, what else is there? Two more opinions, one asking if parenthood as we know it is over and another about the President's recent comments on abortion. In talking about parenthood, the writer is discussing the "morning after pill" and how Obama and his minion are pushing it to be available without prescription to girls as young as seventeen. Are we taking parental responsibilities away from parents by allowing such legislation and rulings from federal judges? What's the deal? Of course we've all heard Obama with all his rhetoric dealing with abortion and we understand that he is pushing for abortion on demand. However, the writer points out, and I think rightly so, that it is only rhetoric and that there seems to be no substance. He talks about talking about these tough issues, skirting around them to give the sound bites that give false hope to his opponents and false expectations to his devotees. There is just enough for both sides to continue the arguments for another couple of weeks. This man, elected by the slimest of margins in the popular vote, is following his Hollywood advisers and speech writers well, never saying anything while giving the supporters enough to make them think they are hearing what they want to hear.
In 2 Timothy 4:3, the Bible says, "The time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear." Has this great nation come to that point? Do we only what to hear what we want to hear? Are going to allow our "leaders" to tickle our ears with what we want to hear while they do nothing and give our nation away to other countries? Are we as Christians going to sit back and allow it to happen while we sit here in our air conditioned buildings with our heads stuck in the sand?
Jesus was being asked about taxes, but I believe his comment applies to us in this situation today as well. He said, "Give to Cesar what is Cesar's, give to God what is God's." As Christians we must pray for our President Obama. We owe him, and God, that much even if we didn't vote for him. He is still our president and God has told us to pray for them. Pray for his wisdom, for God to lead him, that he would hear, see, feel, and accept God's leading for our country. But, we as Christians need to do more, we need to speak out on all of these issues that we find biblicly and morally objectionable. Let your voice be heard. Stand up on election day and have your vote counted. Democrats shortly after the election said, "It was the Christian community not voting in the presidential election that allowed Obama to win." We can make a difference, but we will not unless we stand up, speak out, and vote. What's your opinion? LET IT BE HEARD!
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Easter 2009
When most of us hear the word "Easter," we think of so many things. As kids we thought about egg hunts, baskets of candy, and most of all that chocolate bunny. I always wanted a solid one. The hollow ones just weren't fulfilling for me for some reason. There was always the new clothes to wear to church. Most of the time that meant a tie, of course. I'm still convinced that ties were developed by a Satan possessed woman in order to cut the oxygen supply to men's brains. That's off track though
As adults, we're getting the baskets together for our children, finding those new clothes, making sure there are plenty of eggs dyed and ready to hunt for. We make sure the family is awake in plenty of time to get to church. Of course we're all sore from mowing and cleaning up the yard after a hard winter of neglect. It is the demarcation of spring in the minds of most of us and time to get with it outside.
Even though the name of the day, "Easter," comes from a pagan holiday which celebrates and pays homage to a naked fertility goddess, what the Christian world celebrates is the resurrection of Jesus, the only Son of God. Jesus was born to a virgin, Mary. He was fully God, yet left His throne in Heaven and took on the flesh of man. Being fully man, Jesus faced every temptation we face. Yet, Jesus never fell prey to any of those temptations. He lived a perfect life. But the authorities had Jesus executed. Interesting that they could find no charges against Him, but they still went through with their plan to get Jesus out of their way, to put Him to death so that they would not have to deal with Him any longer. So, Jesus died on the cross, innocent yet He died a criminals death. The authorities thought they had Jesus where they wanted Him, in a grave. But come the first day of the week, Sunday, Jesus walked out of that grave. Not only had He paid the debt we owe because of the sin in our lives, He beat death as well. Now we not only have the promise that our sin has been forgiven, but we have a hope of life in eternity with God in Heaven when this physical life is over.
My prayer for you on this Resurrection Day is simple. May you worship the One true God, celebrate the risen Savior, Jesus, and accept what Jesus did for you on the cross. It is only when you accept the gift of life that Jesus paid for on the cross that we can have the hope of eternal life. Won't you admit that you are a sinner and that you need the forgiveness that only Jesus can give because of His death on the cross? Feel free to contact me, or any other minister in your community, if you would like to know more about what Jesus did for you.
"For God loved the world so much, that He sent His only Son, so that anyone who believes in Him would not die, but have eternal life." John 3:16
Have a great Resurrection Day and enjoy some time with your family.
As adults, we're getting the baskets together for our children, finding those new clothes, making sure there are plenty of eggs dyed and ready to hunt for. We make sure the family is awake in plenty of time to get to church. Of course we're all sore from mowing and cleaning up the yard after a hard winter of neglect. It is the demarcation of spring in the minds of most of us and time to get with it outside.
Even though the name of the day, "Easter," comes from a pagan holiday which celebrates and pays homage to a naked fertility goddess, what the Christian world celebrates is the resurrection of Jesus, the only Son of God. Jesus was born to a virgin, Mary. He was fully God, yet left His throne in Heaven and took on the flesh of man. Being fully man, Jesus faced every temptation we face. Yet, Jesus never fell prey to any of those temptations. He lived a perfect life. But the authorities had Jesus executed. Interesting that they could find no charges against Him, but they still went through with their plan to get Jesus out of their way, to put Him to death so that they would not have to deal with Him any longer. So, Jesus died on the cross, innocent yet He died a criminals death. The authorities thought they had Jesus where they wanted Him, in a grave. But come the first day of the week, Sunday, Jesus walked out of that grave. Not only had He paid the debt we owe because of the sin in our lives, He beat death as well. Now we not only have the promise that our sin has been forgiven, but we have a hope of life in eternity with God in Heaven when this physical life is over.
My prayer for you on this Resurrection Day is simple. May you worship the One true God, celebrate the risen Savior, Jesus, and accept what Jesus did for you on the cross. It is only when you accept the gift of life that Jesus paid for on the cross that we can have the hope of eternal life. Won't you admit that you are a sinner and that you need the forgiveness that only Jesus can give because of His death on the cross? Feel free to contact me, or any other minister in your community, if you would like to know more about what Jesus did for you.
"For God loved the world so much, that He sent His only Son, so that anyone who believes in Him would not die, but have eternal life." John 3:16
Have a great Resurrection Day and enjoy some time with your family.
Monday, March 30, 2009
That was a short summer!
Got up this morning and the wind was a blowing. Didn't think much about it until I went out the door on my way to the church. That wind reminded me that my suit was not lined and that the temp had dropped from Saturday by at least 20 degrees. It was sharp. I'm not so sure that I didn't see a few snow flakes mixed in with the misty rain that we had for a while today too. We just looked at the temps for next week since we have a few days that we want to take off with our son. Monday is supposed to be sunny and in the mid 50's. Not as bad as today, but it sure could be warmer. Tuesday is to be mid 60's and partly cloudy. Again, it could be better.
But you know what? I really have nothing to be griping about. I've been given the freedom to spend some time with my family. I've been given good health. I've been given the means to take the time and do some fun things with my wife and son that a lot of people cannot do, especially in today's economy. When it comes right down to it, I have it pretty good. I can put on a light jacket or a sweater and be even more comfortable than anytime during the summer when I'm complaining about being too hot.
Kind of reminds me of the Israelites when they were brought out of Egypt. Instead of coming out as former slaves, God brought them out of Egypt as victors. They camped along the Red Sea and found the Egyptian army heading toward them on the only escape route, yet God delivered them by parting the sea. A couple of days later they found themselves traveling through the desert and running out of water. They found an oasis with a pond, but the water was bitter. Instead of looking to God for answers they began to gripe and complain. Yet their leader, Moses, prayed, and God showed Moses a piece of wood and instructed Moses to throw the wood into the water. When the wood hit the water that water became sweet. They went from there to the next oasis and not only were there several sweet water springs, but there were date palms as well. They began to travel again and it did not take long and they found themselves out of food and fussing about that too. This time when Moses prayed, God said that he would provide quail and corn bread but that the people could only gather enough for one day. If they gathered more it would spoil. What a deal. Of course after a couple more days, the water ran short again and God had to send Moses to a rock and let him beat the rock with his staff. The water poured out and the people once again saw the power of God.
Why do I tell you all of this? The story of the Exodus reminds us that God wants us to look on the bright side and to rely on Him. When the hard parts of life come along, those times when we tend to be automatic with the complaining, we should instead turn to God. Is He trying to teach us something? Is He showing us, or someone else, His power and greatness? Is he testing us? What ever it is, you can rest assured that He wants the best for you. If you'll rely on Him for all your needs, He will show you, and the world, just how good He is.
Depending on Him ...
But you know what? I really have nothing to be griping about. I've been given the freedom to spend some time with my family. I've been given good health. I've been given the means to take the time and do some fun things with my wife and son that a lot of people cannot do, especially in today's economy. When it comes right down to it, I have it pretty good. I can put on a light jacket or a sweater and be even more comfortable than anytime during the summer when I'm complaining about being too hot.
Kind of reminds me of the Israelites when they were brought out of Egypt. Instead of coming out as former slaves, God brought them out of Egypt as victors. They camped along the Red Sea and found the Egyptian army heading toward them on the only escape route, yet God delivered them by parting the sea. A couple of days later they found themselves traveling through the desert and running out of water. They found an oasis with a pond, but the water was bitter. Instead of looking to God for answers they began to gripe and complain. Yet their leader, Moses, prayed, and God showed Moses a piece of wood and instructed Moses to throw the wood into the water. When the wood hit the water that water became sweet. They went from there to the next oasis and not only were there several sweet water springs, but there were date palms as well. They began to travel again and it did not take long and they found themselves out of food and fussing about that too. This time when Moses prayed, God said that he would provide quail and corn bread but that the people could only gather enough for one day. If they gathered more it would spoil. What a deal. Of course after a couple more days, the water ran short again and God had to send Moses to a rock and let him beat the rock with his staff. The water poured out and the people once again saw the power of God.
Why do I tell you all of this? The story of the Exodus reminds us that God wants us to look on the bright side and to rely on Him. When the hard parts of life come along, those times when we tend to be automatic with the complaining, we should instead turn to God. Is He trying to teach us something? Is He showing us, or someone else, His power and greatness? Is he testing us? What ever it is, you can rest assured that He wants the best for you. If you'll rely on Him for all your needs, He will show you, and the world, just how good He is.
Depending on Him ...
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Jim Atkins
This past Thursday night I got to attend Louisville Area Woodturners' (LAW) monthly meeting. I don't get to attend very often since I live about 1 1/2 hours away. However, since I had a meeting that I needed to attend in Louisville on Friday morning, I took the opportunity to go to the turning club and spend the night with my parents. Jim Atkins from MO was our guest demonstrator for the night. You are probably not familiar with Jim's work, but he turns fairly good sized pieces and then does what he describes as a basket illusion on them.
During the demo I had the chance to wonder over to the display table where a couple of his pieces were on display. They are extremely intricate. I'm still not sure that I'll ever try one, but they are beautiful and fetch a fair price. At least Jim's do.
After turning the piece and sanding it fairly smooth, Jim begins the illusion process. There are a series of beads turned on both inside and outside. The idea is that the outside must mirror the inside in order to give the appearance of being a basket. Once the beads are turned, the real fun begins, the radial lines. Jim suggested starting with dividing the piece into 4. Each of the quadrants are then divided into 9 equal spaces. You now have lines that are 10 degrees apart. Each of those spaces are now divided into 5 equal spaces so that you now have the piece marked out with each line being only 2 degrees apart. Of course you cannot run these radial lines all the way to the center. They get to be too many lines too close together and would only create a blob for the next process.
That next process is to burn each of those radial lines. Jim makes his own burn tips in a Burn Master rig. Each radial line on each bead is burned in. Where a design is to be included using color, each little block that has now been created must be individually colored in a way that the color does not run into the next block. Other wise the pattern would be messed up.
Some one asked the question, "How much time to you have in that piece?" Jim was holding one of the examples of his work that he had brought with him. His reply, "Something like 40 hours" said with a shrug. I'm not sure how old Jim is, but maybe when I'm his age I'll have the patience that he has in order to do one of these pieces.
Both of these are of the same piece. Sorry about the quality, but they are both taken with my phone. Let me know what you think, please.
During the demo I had the chance to wonder over to the display table where a couple of his pieces were on display. They are extremely intricate. I'm still not sure that I'll ever try one, but they are beautiful and fetch a fair price. At least Jim's do.
After turning the piece and sanding it fairly smooth, Jim begins the illusion process. There are a series of beads turned on both inside and outside. The idea is that the outside must mirror the inside in order to give the appearance of being a basket. Once the beads are turned, the real fun begins, the radial lines. Jim suggested starting with dividing the piece into 4. Each of the quadrants are then divided into 9 equal spaces. You now have lines that are 10 degrees apart. Each of those spaces are now divided into 5 equal spaces so that you now have the piece marked out with each line being only 2 degrees apart. Of course you cannot run these radial lines all the way to the center. They get to be too many lines too close together and would only create a blob for the next process.
That next process is to burn each of those radial lines. Jim makes his own burn tips in a Burn Master rig. Each radial line on each bead is burned in. Where a design is to be included using color, each little block that has now been created must be individually colored in a way that the color does not run into the next block. Other wise the pattern would be messed up.
Some one asked the question, "How much time to you have in that piece?" Jim was holding one of the examples of his work that he had brought with him. His reply, "Something like 40 hours" said with a shrug. I'm not sure how old Jim is, but maybe when I'm his age I'll have the patience that he has in order to do one of these pieces.
Both of these are of the same piece. Sorry about the quality, but they are both taken with my phone. Let me know what you think, please.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Busy Schedule?
I cannot believe that the end of March is already here. Yet March Madness is not only here, but we've nearly seen the end of it already. Somebody asked me the other day how I was doing. My immediate reaction was that I've been busier than I've ever been, but I've also gotten more work done and still had time for the things I want to do as well (except for turning). Seems that ever since the first of the year there has been one issue after another. We had deaths, ice storm, our building used as a shelter, more deaths, illnesses, the sale of our church building, getting together of our thoughts and ideas for the new building, the list goes on and on. Of course the routine stuff never stops just because the unusual has poked its head up.
I remember looking over my calendar on a Monday morning and thinking, "Finally, a week without fifteen extras stuck in." Boy was I wrong. I think that was the worst week of all. Lately I have had a day here and there where I could get into the shop and either straighten up a bit, or make a tool or jig I've been needing, or just turn for the fun of it. (I haven't forgotten I owe you a few pics.) The two things I haven't had the time or energy to do is to finish several pieces and take pictures of those I have finished. That will come.
I guess all this comes to mind right now because of the events of this day. I attended the funeral of a man who died at age 43. I didn't know him, but I know his aunt and uncle. What I know about his is that he contracted some rare disease that very few ever see the outside of a hospital. This man did indeed come home and had 2 great weeks with his wife and children. He made sure all the stuff that comes with dieing was taken care of for his family. While there were tears, there was also laughter. The pastor who presided talked about this man's "achieving."
My mind began to wonder a bit and think about the things I'd like to achieve in my life. I won't bore you with my list. I will challenge you to take some time. Ask yourself the questions concerning the importance of the stuff in your life. Does it really matter? What goals do you have? What will it take to achieve your goals? Are you on the way or simply dreaming about it? What memories are you building with your kids, your spouse, your friends, and even more important, your God? Most important, will the God of all creation find you, "a good and faithful servant?"
I remember looking over my calendar on a Monday morning and thinking, "Finally, a week without fifteen extras stuck in." Boy was I wrong. I think that was the worst week of all. Lately I have had a day here and there where I could get into the shop and either straighten up a bit, or make a tool or jig I've been needing, or just turn for the fun of it. (I haven't forgotten I owe you a few pics.) The two things I haven't had the time or energy to do is to finish several pieces and take pictures of those I have finished. That will come.
I guess all this comes to mind right now because of the events of this day. I attended the funeral of a man who died at age 43. I didn't know him, but I know his aunt and uncle. What I know about his is that he contracted some rare disease that very few ever see the outside of a hospital. This man did indeed come home and had 2 great weeks with his wife and children. He made sure all the stuff that comes with dieing was taken care of for his family. While there were tears, there was also laughter. The pastor who presided talked about this man's "achieving."
My mind began to wonder a bit and think about the things I'd like to achieve in my life. I won't bore you with my list. I will challenge you to take some time. Ask yourself the questions concerning the importance of the stuff in your life. Does it really matter? What goals do you have? What will it take to achieve your goals? Are you on the way or simply dreaming about it? What memories are you building with your kids, your spouse, your friends, and even more important, your God? Most important, will the God of all creation find you, "a good and faithful servant?"
Sunday, March 8, 2009
In The Shop
Saturday I had to take my boy to his b-ball game. Momma was gone to make breakfast for a camp our youth group was at. So we got up later and started a boys morning together. We started by watching a movie. He loves it when he picks one out and I watch it with him. As soon as it was over we went to one of the local places and got some breakfast ourselves. About 20 minutes before the game was to start we arrived at the gym and had some time to relax before the game began.
Once the game was over we went home since it really wasn't time for lunch yet and neither of us was hungry yet either. Momma was home by then so the two of them began to have some fun together and I retreated to the shop for a bit of cleaning up. Sorry for the use of the "C" word but from time to time you just have to do it. I swept up several loads of curlys, shavings, and saw dust and decided that I had made enough trips to the compost pile. So I picked up a piece of cherry scrap that was laying on the wood pile and decided I would see what I could do with it.
Originally I planned to turn a platter. However, as I go the blank round, I realized the diameter and depth would allow for a shallow bowl rather than a platter. So that is what I did. I used my Ci1 Easy Rougher for the biggest part of the turning. Man that thing can remove a lot of wood quickly. Finished up with the Thompson bowl gouge that I got with my last order from Doug and it did a wonderful job.
Anyway, I thought it came out pretty good. LOML thought it was pretty nice too. That's the opinion that means the most to me other than someone who wants to buy a piece. I look forward to getting some finish on it and getting a picture of it so that you can see it too. Hopfully that pic will be coming soon.
Swept up that mess and decided to reward myself with some more turning time. I had a piece of Masur birch that I bought at the Louisville AAW symposium. I started it a couple of weeks ago with an idea of turning a box with it. I turned the bottom and had it looking pretty good. I turned the top and had the tenon turned and fitting the body pretty good. Might have been a little loose, but had a plan for that. As I hollowed the lid was where I really messed up. I was going to town and got it pretty thin. The problem is that I nearly cut my tenon off the lid. Really glad that I stopped when I did. I reversed the lid and was cleaning off the tenon when the lid launched. Hmm, wonder what that's about. Picked it us only to discover that my tenon was a bit too thin and had broken into 4 pieces. So I was left with a top and bottom of a box with nothing to join the two together.
Solution? I turned a piece of walnut down small enough that it would just fit into the bottom of the box. I used my parting tool and cut through that 1/8" in from the edge. Bottom is solved. Now the top. Took me a while, but I finally came up with a way to reverse the top so that I could clean up the broken tenon and fit it for the new replacement tenon. About the thrid attempt, perfection.
The fit was so good that I was able to chuck the box by the tenon that was on the bottom of the box and reverse turn the top of the lid. I removed the lid and reversed the bottom and chucked it in expansion mode. With the bottom finished up I hand sanded the inside edge of the lid a bit. Made a mistake in sanding the fit surface. Still a good fit with no slop at all. The pop is gone now though. No matter. Lid is a lot easier to take off now. Like the cherry bowl, pictures will come as soon as I get some finish on it. I hope it won't be long.
Until then, spin 'em round.
Once the game was over we went home since it really wasn't time for lunch yet and neither of us was hungry yet either. Momma was home by then so the two of them began to have some fun together and I retreated to the shop for a bit of cleaning up. Sorry for the use of the "C" word but from time to time you just have to do it. I swept up several loads of curlys, shavings, and saw dust and decided that I had made enough trips to the compost pile. So I picked up a piece of cherry scrap that was laying on the wood pile and decided I would see what I could do with it.
Originally I planned to turn a platter. However, as I go the blank round, I realized the diameter and depth would allow for a shallow bowl rather than a platter. So that is what I did. I used my Ci1 Easy Rougher for the biggest part of the turning. Man that thing can remove a lot of wood quickly. Finished up with the Thompson bowl gouge that I got with my last order from Doug and it did a wonderful job.
Anyway, I thought it came out pretty good. LOML thought it was pretty nice too. That's the opinion that means the most to me other than someone who wants to buy a piece. I look forward to getting some finish on it and getting a picture of it so that you can see it too. Hopfully that pic will be coming soon.
Swept up that mess and decided to reward myself with some more turning time. I had a piece of Masur birch that I bought at the Louisville AAW symposium. I started it a couple of weeks ago with an idea of turning a box with it. I turned the bottom and had it looking pretty good. I turned the top and had the tenon turned and fitting the body pretty good. Might have been a little loose, but had a plan for that. As I hollowed the lid was where I really messed up. I was going to town and got it pretty thin. The problem is that I nearly cut my tenon off the lid. Really glad that I stopped when I did. I reversed the lid and was cleaning off the tenon when the lid launched. Hmm, wonder what that's about. Picked it us only to discover that my tenon was a bit too thin and had broken into 4 pieces. So I was left with a top and bottom of a box with nothing to join the two together.
Solution? I turned a piece of walnut down small enough that it would just fit into the bottom of the box. I used my parting tool and cut through that 1/8" in from the edge. Bottom is solved. Now the top. Took me a while, but I finally came up with a way to reverse the top so that I could clean up the broken tenon and fit it for the new replacement tenon. About the thrid attempt, perfection.
The fit was so good that I was able to chuck the box by the tenon that was on the bottom of the box and reverse turn the top of the lid. I removed the lid and reversed the bottom and chucked it in expansion mode. With the bottom finished up I hand sanded the inside edge of the lid a bit. Made a mistake in sanding the fit surface. Still a good fit with no slop at all. The pop is gone now though. No matter. Lid is a lot easier to take off now. Like the cherry bowl, pictures will come as soon as I get some finish on it. I hope it won't be long.
Until then, spin 'em round.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Aiedes of March
Today is the first of March, and yes the wind is blowing. The previous week has been pretty hectic even though there wasn't much in the schedule. I was really looking forward to having a week that was laid back, non-eventful. Funny how schedules get blown out of the water when you least expect it. Being a pastor I expect that kind of thing from time to time. This has been going on for too long though.
I had a thought the other day. Jesus said that following him would not be an easy path to follow. We are pretty well guaranteed that following Jesus will cause Satan to attack us. Whether that attack comes in the form of physical, mental, or emotional really does not matter. What is sure is that Satan hates it when we follow Jesus. Want to know if you are doing what God desires you to do? If Satan is attacking you, you know that you are in the will of God. He hates it when we're doing what God desires of us. On the other hand, if all is going well and there seems to be no trouble or aggravation on the horizon, you can bet that the wheels are about to fall off the wagon. When God is being ignored, Satan has a way of letting us thing all is fine. You can, however, rest assured that when you guard is at its lowest, Satan will dump you on your head. He has no intention of allowing you to rest.
What has this to do with turning or events int he news? Nothing really. Just what was on my mind this morning as I sat down to make an entry. I'll have some turnings to add soon. Just have to take care of business sometimes. Today was one of those.
I had a thought the other day. Jesus said that following him would not be an easy path to follow. We are pretty well guaranteed that following Jesus will cause Satan to attack us. Whether that attack comes in the form of physical, mental, or emotional really does not matter. What is sure is that Satan hates it when we follow Jesus. Want to know if you are doing what God desires you to do? If Satan is attacking you, you know that you are in the will of God. He hates it when we're doing what God desires of us. On the other hand, if all is going well and there seems to be no trouble or aggravation on the horizon, you can bet that the wheels are about to fall off the wagon. When God is being ignored, Satan has a way of letting us thing all is fine. You can, however, rest assured that when you guard is at its lowest, Satan will dump you on your head. He has no intention of allowing you to rest.
What has this to do with turning or events int he news? Nothing really. Just what was on my mind this morning as I sat down to make an entry. I'll have some turnings to add soon. Just have to take care of business sometimes. Today was one of those.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Has the World Gone Nuts?
Last night we tuned in and listened to the President give was most will agree was a great speech. Later, I found myself asking what did he say. What I heard was a bunch of campaign promises that I'd heard before. The rest was mostly rhetoric that really didn't say anything of any substance. I was confused as to what he really wanted was trying to accomplish with the whole thing. I was really wondering if it was just me or if I heard, or didn't hear as the case may be, what I thought. The anchor on the news later agreed with me. There was a lot of fluff and not a lot of anything else. There was double talk and running around the issues that he, himself, brought up. But there were no solutions offered.
Tonight we were there in Bible study @ church. I was leading the study of the Parable of the Talents. We took that passage and began to talk about being stewards of what God has given us. The most important point though was God asks us to be stewards of His Word. The Bible and its contents are what tell us of eternal life that is given to us by Jesus, God in the flesh. The Bible tells us the truth of God's love for us, how He worked through His chosen people and brought the world to the point that Jesus was born. It tell us of the temptations of Jesus and how he resisted every single one so that he could be the PERFECT sacrifice for the sin of all mankind.
Take a moment to watch this video, please. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JHS8adO3hM
Pretty impressive that an avowed atheist knows that we have a story of truth to share.
Made me think a bit when I first saw this video.
Who do I love enough to tell the story of Jesus to?
Who do I hate so much that I won't tell them about Jesus?
Am I going to talk in circles and make folks think I gave a good speech, a la President Obama, or am I going to be loving and daring enough to share the truth about the love of Jesus Christ?
What about you?
Tonight we were there in Bible study @ church. I was leading the study of the Parable of the Talents. We took that passage and began to talk about being stewards of what God has given us. The most important point though was God asks us to be stewards of His Word. The Bible and its contents are what tell us of eternal life that is given to us by Jesus, God in the flesh. The Bible tells us the truth of God's love for us, how He worked through His chosen people and brought the world to the point that Jesus was born. It tell us of the temptations of Jesus and how he resisted every single one so that he could be the PERFECT sacrifice for the sin of all mankind.
Take a moment to watch this video, please. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JHS8adO3hM
Pretty impressive that an avowed atheist knows that we have a story of truth to share.
Made me think a bit when I first saw this video.
Who do I love enough to tell the story of Jesus to?
Who do I hate so much that I won't tell them about Jesus?
Am I going to talk in circles and make folks think I gave a good speech, a la President Obama, or am I going to be loving and daring enough to share the truth about the love of Jesus Christ?
What about you?
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Pleanty of "Clewes" Today!
What a day. Left the house this morning about 6:30 AM (that's not a particularly good time of the day for me). Why was I leaving out so early? Because I had a reserved spot in a group lesson with renown turner, Jimmy Clewes. Choice Woods was hosting Jimmy as part of the Grand Opening celebration of their new location. They are still in Louisville, but have moved from a very small location with no parking to a very spacious location with plenty of parking. Still lots of nice turning stock for what ever project you have in mind. Give them a look at www.choice-woods.com.
I really had no idea what to expect today. Clay had told me to bring standard tooling but to expect most anything. So I loaded my gear this morning and headed out for the lesson I've been looking forward to for about a month now. As I got there, Jimmy asked what I was looking to get out of this day. I told him that I really hadn't thought about it, that I have been turning for a few years not and wanted to get some further instruction. He suggested a box with a "pop" fitting lid. This project would allow for instruction in form and tool use. It also would be a good opportunity to learn to properly fit a lid on a box. So I jumped all this idea.
Had no hitches and completed a nice cherry box with a red palm inlay in the lid. And yes, the lid pops when I remove it. He told us that it was a simple thing and it really is. The trick is knowing how to make the subtle cuts that produce the friction needed. In the past I had tried to be so careful making the mating surfaces but simply could not make it work. One attempt to put the box together and it would not go together. The slightest adjustment, and the joint would be sloppy. Very frustrating.
Not only were taught technique, but there is one specialty tool that is made to make it all the easier. A simple tool really that most of us have used at one time or another. Jimmy showed us a parting tool that he had ground off at an angle. That simple little modification made all the difference in the world and made the pop fit box lid possible.
The joy of the day was the very end. Some of the projects was being completed, people were going home and Jimmy was in no hurry to go home. I got my second project to a point where I was ready to take it home and cleaned up my area. Before leaving, I went over to shake Jimmy's hand and thank him for the day. It really had been a pleasure. He thanked me for being a part of the class and then made a big deal out of the box that I turned. He complimented my work over all, the shape, the fit and finish. Jimmy could have just said that I did a good job, but he went so much further and complemented what had been produced and was specific about it.
I was just thinking the other day that I had not been in the shop for any amount of time since long before Christmas. Today was nearly 8 hours of shop time. It was not all turning, but I was in the shop and there were others there too. The time waiting for instructions was spent talking and sharing and helping others. Turning and teaching, two of my favorite things to do. I also decided to carve out some time each week to do more turning. I need it for my sanity. And boxes, well they are back on my list of fun things to turn.
Box, Cherry with Red Palm insert in the lid
Approx. 3" wide x 4" tall
Finish to this point is a friction polish, a mixture of shellac (same stuff to helps M&M's melt in your mouth, not in your hands) and bees wax. Not sure I'd want to drink the stuff, but once cured it is perfectly edible.
I really had no idea what to expect today. Clay had told me to bring standard tooling but to expect most anything. So I loaded my gear this morning and headed out for the lesson I've been looking forward to for about a month now. As I got there, Jimmy asked what I was looking to get out of this day. I told him that I really hadn't thought about it, that I have been turning for a few years not and wanted to get some further instruction. He suggested a box with a "pop" fitting lid. This project would allow for instruction in form and tool use. It also would be a good opportunity to learn to properly fit a lid on a box. So I jumped all this idea.
Had no hitches and completed a nice cherry box with a red palm inlay in the lid. And yes, the lid pops when I remove it. He told us that it was a simple thing and it really is. The trick is knowing how to make the subtle cuts that produce the friction needed. In the past I had tried to be so careful making the mating surfaces but simply could not make it work. One attempt to put the box together and it would not go together. The slightest adjustment, and the joint would be sloppy. Very frustrating.
Not only were taught technique, but there is one specialty tool that is made to make it all the easier. A simple tool really that most of us have used at one time or another. Jimmy showed us a parting tool that he had ground off at an angle. That simple little modification made all the difference in the world and made the pop fit box lid possible.
The joy of the day was the very end. Some of the projects was being completed, people were going home and Jimmy was in no hurry to go home. I got my second project to a point where I was ready to take it home and cleaned up my area. Before leaving, I went over to shake Jimmy's hand and thank him for the day. It really had been a pleasure. He thanked me for being a part of the class and then made a big deal out of the box that I turned. He complimented my work over all, the shape, the fit and finish. Jimmy could have just said that I did a good job, but he went so much further and complemented what had been produced and was specific about it.
I was just thinking the other day that I had not been in the shop for any amount of time since long before Christmas. Today was nearly 8 hours of shop time. It was not all turning, but I was in the shop and there were others there too. The time waiting for instructions was spent talking and sharing and helping others. Turning and teaching, two of my favorite things to do. I also decided to carve out some time each week to do more turning. I need it for my sanity. And boxes, well they are back on my list of fun things to turn.
Box, Cherry with Red Palm insert in the lid
Approx. 3" wide x 4" tall
Finish to this point is a friction polish, a mixture of shellac (same stuff to helps M&M's melt in your mouth, not in your hands) and bees wax. Not sure I'd want to drink the stuff, but once cured it is perfectly edible.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Turning a bowl without a chuck
Recently someone asked how to turn without a chuck. One way is to turn it on a face plate, either with or without 
a face plate. Some time ago I read a forum post that described turning a bowl with no chuck or face plate. I took that idea and figured out that yes indeed you can turn a bowl with out a mechanical chuck. I'll explain more as we go through the process.
Here you see a log section mounted on the lathe ready to start turning. BTW, this is my mini lathe, the only one I had at the time.
The turning process has begun. The end toward the right will be the bottom of the bowl while the left end will be, you guessed it, the top. Still some flat areas so there's more turning to do here.
Lookie here, it looks like maybe two bowls are starting to develop here. I honestly don't remember what was going on, but I'm getting this blank turned down to have a stem on both ends.
Also, do yo see the dark lines in the wood? That's spalting and it gives so much character to the wood. I wish I still had this bowl. For some reason I'm thinking it wound up being a gift.
Now you can see that I've turned the stem on the bottom and left it rather hefty. It needs to be so that I can hollow the inside of the bowl and also to take the riggors of driving the blank round and round.
At this point, with the outside of the bowl pretty well shaped, I've turned the blank around so that I can start the work on the inside. The tenon in the center will remain until the very end of the turning process. You'll see it go away later because if I were to turn it away now there would be nothing to hold it against the drive spur. Also there would be nothing to hold it up in line. The wood must spin on a constant axis in order to be turned round.
The hollowing process has gone well to this point. Notice the stem on the inside of the bowl. This is something to work around and with as you do the rest of the hollowing. There are some things different about this type of turning, but it was an exorcise for me. As you can see, it does work, at least to this point. Looks to me like I've got some sanding ahead.
You can see here that I have started to thin down the inner stem. I hope that the sanding was already done. At least it should have been done to 220 or so. Anyway, I suggest that the inner and outer stems be thinned at the same time. Thin a bit on the inside, then the outside, a little more on the inside, a little more on the outside, etc.
Once the inner stem has been removed, I suggest that you use a 2" sanding mandrel mounted in a drill to sand out the inside bottom of the bowl. Once the sanding process is done you can move on to finishing the bottom of the bowl. Now the fun begins.
You have some options now. I've alluded to one way of doing this, that is to thin the outer stem as you thin the inner. Then you can remove that outer stem with a carving knife and sand down the remaining nub. That's how you can do it with no chuck what so ever. The next picture will begin to explain the way I did it and how I might suggest you complete yours as well.
The Donut Chuck is a wonderful piece of equipment to have. It works great for these small pieces that really need to be reversed. The top of this bowl is toward the left and the bottom, outer stem is toward the right. Once mounted in the donut chuck you can turn down that outer stem to your hearts content. In this case it could be tapered on the sides and flattened on the bottom to create a pedistal or turned all the way down to form a small foot or even a rounded bottom. Your main concern is to create a bottom for your bowl that will complement the design of the piece and provide you a finished piece that will draw folks to look at your work a second or third time. The other idea to deal with is to remove all evidence of how you mounted the piece. With this method you'll have no screw holes, spur marks, or live center marks. All you'll end up with is the design that you and God combined together to share with your customers.
I'm sorry I don't have a picture of the completed piece. I do, however, have a pic of a completed spalted Buckeye bowl that I turned using this exact process. If you don't mind, I'll post it for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy.
a face plate. Some time ago I read a forum post that described turning a bowl with no chuck or face plate. I took that idea and figured out that yes indeed you can turn a bowl with out a mechanical chuck. I'll explain more as we go through the process.Here you see a log section mounted on the lathe ready to start turning. BTW, this is my mini lathe, the only one I had at the time.
The turning process has begun. The end toward the right will be the bottom of the bowl while the left end will be, you guessed it, the top. Still some flat areas so there's more turning to do here.
Lookie here, it looks like maybe two bowls are starting to develop here. I honestly don't remember what was going on, but I'm getting this blank turned down to have a stem on both ends.Also, do yo see the dark lines in the wood? That's spalting and it gives so much character to the wood. I wish I still had this bowl. For some reason I'm thinking it wound up being a gift.
Now you can see that I've turned the stem on the bottom and left it rather hefty. It needs to be so that I can hollow the inside of the bowl and also to take the riggors of driving the blank round and round.At this point, with the outside of the bowl pretty well shaped, I've turned the blank around so that I can start the work on the inside. The tenon in the center will remain until the very end of the turning process. You'll see it go away later because if I were to turn it away now there would be nothing to hold it against the drive spur. Also there would be nothing to hold it up in line. The wood must spin on a constant axis in order to be turned round.
The hollowing process has gone well to this point. Notice the stem on the inside of the bowl. This is something to work around and with as you do the rest of the hollowing. There are some things different about this type of turning, but it was an exorcise for me. As you can see, it does work, at least to this point. Looks to me like I've got some sanding ahead.
You can see here that I have started to thin down the inner stem. I hope that the sanding was already done. At least it should have been done to 220 or so. Anyway, I suggest that the inner and outer stems be thinned at the same time. Thin a bit on the inside, then the outside, a little more on the inside, a little more on the outside, etc.
Once the inner stem has been removed, I suggest that you use a 2" sanding mandrel mounted in a drill to sand out the inside bottom of the bowl. Once the sanding process is done you can move on to finishing the bottom of the bowl. Now the fun begins.You have some options now. I've alluded to one way of doing this, that is to thin the outer stem as you thin the inner. Then you can remove that outer stem with a carving knife and sand down the remaining nub. That's how you can do it with no chuck what so ever. The next picture will begin to explain the way I did it and how I might suggest you complete yours as well.
The Donut Chuck is a wonderful piece of equipment to have. It works great for these small pieces that really need to be reversed. The top of this bowl is toward the left and the bottom, outer stem is toward the right. Once mounted in the donut chuck you can turn down that outer stem to your hearts content. In this case it could be tapered on the sides and flattened on the bottom to create a pedistal or turned all the way down to form a small foot or even a rounded bottom. Your main concern is to create a bottom for your bowl that will complement the design of the piece and provide you a finished piece that will draw folks to look at your work a second or third time. The other idea to deal with is to remove all evidence of how you mounted the piece. With this method you'll have no screw holes, spur marks, or live center marks. All you'll end up with is the design that you and God combined together to share with your customers.I'm sorry I don't have a picture of the completed piece. I do, however, have a pic of a completed spalted Buckeye bowl that I turned using this exact process. If you don't mind, I'll post it for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Introduction
Hey,
I'd like to introduce myself as this new blog gets started. My name is Doug. I'm married to a great girl. She's the love of my life and the only girl for me. I have no doubt that God placed her in my life and that we will go through life together "until death do us part." We had been married for many years when we found out that she was pregnant with our first child. That child was born and is now 7, in 1st grade, and making us both very proud for how well he is doing in school and crazy for being 7 and in his own little world. But, he's 7 and that's just how 7 year olds are. We're just glad that God chose to give him to us.
As you can probably tell, God is very important to me and my family. I'm the pastor of a small Southern Baptist Church. I don't pretend to know what He has in store for me and my family, but I will say that allowing God to be the leader of my life makes things much more adventurous, fun, and fulfilling.
I decided to start this blog for several reasons. One idea is to talk about events in the news and in the world that catch my attention that I want to express my opinion on. When I do share my opinion on things it is exactly that, my opinion. I don't post anything to start arguments or to make anyone feel bad. I'm only sharing what I think about things. I fully admit that my opinions are slanted. My thoughts are filtered through my beliefs in God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, and what I believe the Bible, God's holy word, says about various events. So, don't let my ideas shock you. Do feel free to ask questions if you don't understand my point of view. Don't expect me to argue with you. I'll share my beliefs but have no interest in arguing.
Another reason for this blog is to share my love of turning wood. I have two lathes and love to make logs into round pieces of functional art. Included in the items I turn are pens, platters, bowls, goblets, boxes, etc. As you see pictures of the various pieces, you'll begin to understand what I see and feel in the wood that I work with. Another turning buddy made a statement that I agree with completely. God created the wood. As a turner, my job is to expose what God has already put there. He gets the credit for making the beauty. I use the gifts He has given me to open the wood and allow the beauty of God's creation to shine before the eyes of man.
Thank you for taking the time to read this introduction. I hope you'll check back in from time to time to see what is new. Feel free to ask any question you might have. If you see a turning you particularly like, make sure you contact me. I turn for the love of the wood. I can continue only because a piece or two sells once in a while. Whether you purchase any of my work or not, your questions and comments are always welcome.
Hope you enjoy your time here,
Doug Miller
I'd like to introduce myself as this new blog gets started. My name is Doug. I'm married to a great girl. She's the love of my life and the only girl for me. I have no doubt that God placed her in my life and that we will go through life together "until death do us part." We had been married for many years when we found out that she was pregnant with our first child. That child was born and is now 7, in 1st grade, and making us both very proud for how well he is doing in school and crazy for being 7 and in his own little world. But, he's 7 and that's just how 7 year olds are. We're just glad that God chose to give him to us.
As you can probably tell, God is very important to me and my family. I'm the pastor of a small Southern Baptist Church. I don't pretend to know what He has in store for me and my family, but I will say that allowing God to be the leader of my life makes things much more adventurous, fun, and fulfilling.
I decided to start this blog for several reasons. One idea is to talk about events in the news and in the world that catch my attention that I want to express my opinion on. When I do share my opinion on things it is exactly that, my opinion. I don't post anything to start arguments or to make anyone feel bad. I'm only sharing what I think about things. I fully admit that my opinions are slanted. My thoughts are filtered through my beliefs in God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, and what I believe the Bible, God's holy word, says about various events. So, don't let my ideas shock you. Do feel free to ask questions if you don't understand my point of view. Don't expect me to argue with you. I'll share my beliefs but have no interest in arguing.
Another reason for this blog is to share my love of turning wood. I have two lathes and love to make logs into round pieces of functional art. Included in the items I turn are pens, platters, bowls, goblets, boxes, etc. As you see pictures of the various pieces, you'll begin to understand what I see and feel in the wood that I work with. Another turning buddy made a statement that I agree with completely. God created the wood. As a turner, my job is to expose what God has already put there. He gets the credit for making the beauty. I use the gifts He has given me to open the wood and allow the beauty of God's creation to shine before the eyes of man.
Thank you for taking the time to read this introduction. I hope you'll check back in from time to time to see what is new. Feel free to ask any question you might have. If you see a turning you particularly like, make sure you contact me. I turn for the love of the wood. I can continue only because a piece or two sells once in a while. Whether you purchase any of my work or not, your questions and comments are always welcome.
Hope you enjoy your time here,
Doug Miller
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