Deb and I are connecting more now than ever. How can we not?  We both hang out in the same 238 square foot space.  We share the same vehicle, and dine together.  Our acceptance, and grace quotients have increased along with the RAM’s odometer reading.  Everyday there are new adventures, new sights, along with new stress, and new challenges. The greatest constant is a Bible study commitment with our Time to Revive (TTR) family. Each day it entails reading a chapter or two, a thirty-minute audio teaching, and a weekly one-hour online group review.  For the most part it works very well.  We download the weekly questions, do a daily reading then complete each day’s Q&A, Rachel sends out a Doodle, and Bruce facilitates the Zoom meeting.  Doodling and Zooming how fun is that?  Did you know Zipporah, Moses’wife saved his life with a knife?  This Jesus guy stuff might just catch on.

Connectivity enters a whole different realm when living on the road.  The internet, Wi-Fi, hotspots, GIG’s of data, cost, usage, 4G, LTE, one bar verses four bars, sheeeeeese the years of commuting to work on a bus were easier than all that.  Here’s how a hotspot works in a state campground located eight miles from a small town. The screen goes blank, I wait and wonder if a coffee shop hacker in East Albania captured my data, and absconded with it?  Dang!!! Do I really need a VPN?

We also Zoom with a TTR couple from Indiana, Brent and Debby.  “ZOOM ZOOM” I sound like a Mazda commercial.  Deb and I will Facetime with my mom, Skype with Deb’s sisters, and I connect with guy friends on Saturday mornings.  There are times when we drive to a location for connectivity. Our phone calls when service available, can sound sketchy, and certainly not as crisp when compared to the good ol’ wall mounted rotary phone. However it would take a very, very, very long curly cord to reach us here in Manatee Springs, Florida State Park.

One confident connection we have is with Christ.  It does not matter where, or when.  The standard is always the same, and always will be.  It’s a reliable free connection.   Think of it.  Leadership changes, conflicts occur, and given enough time powerful empires and governments yield to greater even more powerful empires and more powerful governments.  Egypt, Rome, Ottoman, Germany, Japan, China, and yes lets include the U.S.  “Go Army!!”

It’s good to have child like faith.  It makes it easy for me.  One day I will exhale, and there will not be another inhale.  Life happens that way. My faith tells me that after my spiritual determining exhale, in my time of judgment, Jesus will rest his hand on my shoulder, look towards God in my defense and say, “I know this man.”

December 25th may not be the Biblical correct birthday for Jesus, yet it’s a blessing to recognize and celebrate this day of a truly free everlasting gift.  For us mortals it is a gracious honor to be invited as heirs to the kingdom of heaven.  “Merry Christmas.”

With Joy,

Dan