Pathways Deep

 

Recently my wife Melanie, my son Jordon and I attended the LoveLife Seminar in Gainesville at the Harn Performing Arts Center. The speaker was Mark Driscoll from Seattle, Washington, founder of the Mars Hill Church. Mark and his wife Grace led a day long open and frank discussion of sexuality to over 1400 young adults.
One of the topics that struck me were the neuro pathways we create, be it watching pornography or engaging in other addicting behaviors. The more we engage, the deeper the pathway becomes, until the rut is so deepened, we sadly cannot escape. It is by much grace and difficulty that be turn and attempt to create new pathways, away from the destruction of the paths we have etched.
In observing these well traveled cattle paths, I thought of the pathways I have dug and those I am attempting, with the Grace of God, to dig anew.

Evidence of New Life

 

Photograph of Landon Stokes and Landun
This story is from Mike and Libby Wild, missionaries to the Wano people in Papua Indonesia. It is especially dear to our hearts. In the summer of 2009, our son Landon visited the Wild family for a month. During this time, Landon met Landun, of which this story is about. At the time, Landun was not a believer in Yahweh.
Libby relates in her story:
A month ago one of the believers named Landun went to a far off hamlet to attend a feast. While he was there he became very sick with malaria and was not able to get back here for medicine. For over a week his already feeble body became weaker and weaker. When Mike finally got word of his sickness, he sent medicine off for him. He made it back to my house the other day, looking like a walking skeleton, but alive. In our front lawn as we were talking, he gave this testimony:
"I became so sick and I could not get up to walk back here for help. The people over there wanted to seek the evil spirits help, but I told them with a strong voice, "NO! Don't call on the spirits for me!" I told them that and I continually prayed to my father Yahweh to help me. I prayed to Him and He gave me the strength to get back to here. He is the one who has helped me and kept me alive."
Landon and Landun share the same name and the same father Yahweh. We rejoice to know Landun made it home to the loving care of Mike and Libby. Please keep his family and his ministry to the Wano people in your prayers.

End of the Line

 

We had journeyed long. The prospect of untold riches kept us on the path. Arriving to the end of line, we found not the fool's gold of men, but the riches of the gold purified in the fire. The fire from the giver of the gold that commands a price beyond measure. We left new prospectors, not miners of earthly treasure, but diggers of celestial golden light.
All we could do was drop our shovels and freely recieve the gold poured forth.

Rapid Ascent

 

Your life a sweet savor. Your life a sacrifice of praise. In every leap of joy, leap unto the Lord. In every fall to earth, fall into the arms of the Lord.

Pouring Forth Gold

 

Looking upstream, the golden evening light was illuminating the trees of Little Shoals. Knowing the light was rapidly fading, I grabbed the equipment and ran for the light. There was just enough time to mine a few nuggets before the
gold disappeared into the gloam.

Hidden Treasures

 

In the Thai language, Suwannee means good gold. Walking upon the limestone boulders in search of this gold, ahead, a vein appeared. Casting all care aside, I rushed upstream to grasp this elusive wealth. There, in the deepest shallows, the rich golden vein. I planted the flag and staked my claim. That night I basked in the thought of being a rich man.

Tho He Slay Me

 

And Tho He Slay Me
Yet Shall Praise Thee
And Tho I Die
Yet Shall I Rise
Unless He Draw Me
I live Darkly
Illumine Me Dead
To Thee Wed
In My Decay
I Pray
Yahweh!

Morning Journey

 

A wind swept silence broken by the call of the Sandhills rising from the mists, to journey on from their nightly rest.
The plantiff call of the Crane calls all who would journey to rise and come. And the earthbound traveler looks to the
grey heaven and yearns for the soul of the Crane, to travel beyond these morning chills to the warmth of migration end.

Memory of Cline

 

In promise of spring

 

The Flight of the Five

 

Turkey in the Y

 

Upon coming to the scene, the wide angle attached, I composed then looked. In the background, just over the ridge, a flock of turkeys with necks craned high, watching me. Running back to the car to retrieve the telephoto, by the time I had returned, the turkeys were at the bottom of the hill.