To The Boy and The Old Man Who Was Lost

I saw you from here,it was easy for me.I am one who loves you as you are.
You knew,down deep inside that I had been watching and waiting for you a very long time.
You had been close to me and sometimes you were quite far from me.I knew you would come back of course,it was just a matter of time.
You did not need to worry like you did about passing a test.There was never a test I gave you.There were trials you needed to understand your life and to point your life more towards me.

You did not need to worry about your family.
While your time is getting close,you do not have to worry about your wife.You know that I will watch over her too like I have for so many of your years.
You did not have to hide the bad things from her,she loved you deeply.Just like I do.
She understood you better then you thought.She and I both knew your needs.Your fears were understood and you needed to let all that go before you came home.
The deep love you have for all your family always made me smile.The friends that came your way were special.They were people that you needed at the time.
I have been waiting for you.I have helped and protected you when you did not know.
Your blessings arrived in your life when you needed them most.
Angels have been with you.They will be with you again when you get here,that is something to look forward to isn't it?
I laughed along with you at the absurd,the strange things people do.I always love your sense of humour.Your God laughs easy and often.Did you forget that?

The children brought us great joy.They are wonderful people.
I know the times when you thought you failed with the children and I know you still have doubts.Have no fear,all children are in my hands.Always.

Remember my forgiveness,I know you don't always.Put the past away now and live.
No, I am not telling you the day or the hour.Be ready.
Think of me as I think of you.
A friend of ours recently wrote about how I said I was very fond of him.
You know I am awfully fond of you too
I will see you soon.
With Love Everlasting,
Jesus

My Friends Down Under

For many years I have secretly been in love with another country,Australia!
I have read many books,scanned the local papers I find online published in the smallest towns with most odd names ever. The stories usually make me asking more questions.

I read about the animals which to us Americans seem so bizarre! We have snakes and bugs here obviously but they have bugs and snakes that can kill you right quick!

I read about the history,early settlements,how they became our allies in all foreign wars and most of all I read about the people.
We seem to have many natural disasters here in the USA and so do they.
Wildfires where it seems half the country is fire,dust storms that reduce visibility to zero and now of course the floods.
My friend Will Lanting sent me a link where I can watch the coverage.I saw the damage,the heartbreak,and now I see the water is coming down a bit.

The damage remains and now the people of Australia are coming together to help clean up and rebuild.
Nothing has impressed me more then to see the courage and tremendous spirit of the people.
Complete strangers showing up a house to clean it,not for money,not for thanks,just because this is the right thing to do.
It reminds me of 9.1.11 when we had that same spirit of coming together to fight terrorism and to mourn for the lost.

The times will be hard,the loss is great yet I see the spirit of my friends down under and I love that country even more.
God bless you.

When are you going home?

I do wonder now that I am a year older again.

How much time is there left?

So many people I have met who are now in their 90's.

They are living out the end of all this the best they can.
Some have smiles a mile wide,isn't that the coolest thing ever?

Some have gone demented,some cruel joke played by some chemical imbalance or maybe it's just because they got tired of trying.I don't know.

Some of said,cover my face with a pillow.Well we can't do that.
We remain hopeful that there will be a cure.Or we pray for release and a home going.

What is our lot in life now? Shall we live in memories? Shall we live for the smiles our grand kids bring us?
Shall we weep and mourn for the things we wanted but just never came?

Some older folks have got it.They got it right.The Bible says the whole duty of man is to fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

As much as I am able,this is my life's commitment.

A Day For Remembering Our Sailors

Not long ago I sold a book to a sailor on the USS Juneau.
I sell a lot of books on the Internet and don't give much thought to who gets them.
This time I had to stop and think about where this book was going.
The sailor said there was no rush to get it because he would not see land for another 4 months.
Four months.
So tonight I am grateful for your service son,and I thank you.

This one one of thousands of sailors patrolling seas that are danger filled.How may sons,daughters,moms and dads are serving on the watch tonight?
They are serving for me and they are serving for you.
24 hours a day,they are serving us,we must always remember the dedication these people have.They remain watchful for us.They are diligent for us.They are following the orders they receive.
Think now of sailors in the Atlantic,the Pacific,the Barents Sea,the Indian Ocean,the seas of all the world.Think of them as family,think of them as loved ones who are away for a very long time.
Today I honor you,and I thank you.
Mike

Facebook is Cool

A few years ago I join Facebook and really did not have many expectations about it.

Well,it really surprised me how many people I have connected with,not only from my past but people I did not know existed have become very good friends.
I don't know how many countries are represented but it is amazing to me.
If I don't know the language there is Google Translator which is an awesome program.Google continually is updating this and adding more languages.

Facebook has bugs and flaws but I can deal with that,it's a small part of it.

I found many people who lived on 104th place when I did as a kid.
The girl next door(Janis),the girl across the street(Mary Ann) and Kenny who lived across the street and a few houses down.
Using my last name in the search function I found hundreds of Lantings spread around the world. How cool is that?
I enjoy Facebook a lot,five hundred million of us do.

Simple Easy Times

It's now the second day of the new year 2011.
Looking back over the year 2010,I find the simple things are the things I liked best.
The times with family of course mean the most to me.Christmas,Easter,Thanksgiving we all get together,all 23 of us.

The next best thing is I joined a local church which I am very happy to attend.
Great people there and I enjoy them very much.The church is very old and well established.
The are many old people there and our pastor is 27.Pastor Matt Waterstone has his hands full and does and excellent job leading us.

Business was up a little but still nowhere near what it should be.I am grateful for the work I do have as I really love what I do for a living.We will try to match our record income which happened a long time ago.

I guess I am an optimist,I have to be.

New Year 1-1-2011

Tonight Linda and I spent a nice evening with some excellent friends.
There were just 6 of us there so it was a small intimate celebration of the new year.

These are friends who know my faults,flaws and even the slightly crazy parts of me.
I would rather be with them on a night like this then anyone in the world.
Except my brother Bud,he is the best brother imaginable.

It is a good thing to have friends,they are reminders of good things,and good things to come.
Thank you Phyliss,Larry,Lindsay,Donna and Linda.
You make my life better.