Michael.......and the Bible?!!!

I'm sorry, it hasn't clicked in me for several days. I dunno, maybe 4 days ago, Michael asked if I had a Bible he could read. Of course, it's on my desk, it always is, you are welcomed to read it anytime.

I dunno what's taken over the boy's mind, but obviously, God has something to do with it, I know I don't say much about the subject anymore. I have "preached" to the about the Good News of Jesus Christ throughout the last 6 years I have known him - and Anthony as well - but, I don't get pushy. It does no good, at all, to get pushy with anyone about the Lord. God can break through the heart where we mortal souls can't even put a dent.

So, today, it suddenly dawned on me that Michael has been reading the Bible every day since he asked about it. Sometimes for hours on end. I had NOTHING to do with this, either. The seed has long been planted, it's up to the Lord to give it the growth, that is out of my realm and the only thing you can do with the seed that is planted is pray over it. Which reminds me, for those that are so inclined, PLEASE remember to throw a few words in about Michael to the Lord in any moment that you might find yourself in prayer.

Twice today, he has picked up the Bible, walked to one of the living room recliners, and sat there and read chapter, after chapter, after chapter. He started with the Book of Genesis and apparently is inclined to work his way through the entire amount of scripture.

Again, I have not prodded, nagged, or even brought up the subject in any recent history, I know the work of the Lord when I see it, I must discuss this subject with other Christians, mainly some of you folks and an online prayer group and hope that some people are moved to pray through on this. This is a "seize the opportunity" moment, perhaps a fork in the road that God has placed before Michael and he is listening and acting on it. I really have NO clue what brought this on.

I have the New King James version and I suspected he might be having trouble with it. It is a FAR easier read than the King James version - which is the version I "grew up" with in my early Christianity. It takes a lot of research into the words that are used in that version to understand what is being said, but I never had a problem going into the Greek or Hebrew dialect in my studies to try to identify, exactly, what is being said.

I don't EVEN want to lay that kind of burden on this kid: I promised to get him a much easier, current-language version of the Bible. I have no clue what is even available. I just like the New King James version so I don't bother with anything else. There are several Christian bookstores around, I will be visiting one of them in the next few days.

In a circumstance like this, I could be next-to-nothing broke and I would find a way to get a person a Bible who wants one. I suspect a good rendition will not be cheap, either, they usually aren't. But, isn't this what it's all about? Is eternity not the prize in terms of heaven? This life - there are few things in this wordly realm that are even of interest to me. I am no saint, but I grew to dislike much of the world's offerings long ago. I have my faults and "we" are working on it. I say that in the very-real factor of the Lord my God.

You want to know why I rarely go out and do much of anything in "societal" terms, it's because I have no interest in such. Even the lure of the casino is beginning to fade. I haven't been in quite a long while now. I DO have interest in finding a woman, but it is something I have little control over. I have all but given up on internet dating sites. I'm sure they work for some people, I have connected with a few but it never led anywhere. I figure a church group, or a club where singles go on hikes, movies, adventures of all sorts, meeting someone in person really has much more allure to me than doing it the internet way. I have been giving it some serious consideration, but - at this point, my lack of appropriate clothing is in the way. I don't have much, really. I never gave it any kind of priority after the house burned down. I will have to start looking for some deals on such, because what I currently have is TOTALLY lacking for any kind of serious attempt to go out and find someone.

Well that was the main subject in this entry. Had to get that out there, I KNOW there are Christians that read my journal, I appeal to you to please lift Michael up in prayer.

As for today? I went to Home Depot, got a few fittings that I was lacking for the 4th station on my drip system, built the station. Hooked up the 1/2 inch line and got about 2/3rds done with laying it out. I turned on the water to blow out the line, my entire manifold came bursting out of the fitting that the entire assembly goes into to supply it water.

I had wondered where the leaking water was coming from, this was obviously it : ) That is already fixed, just re-cemented it and have been waiting quite a while to make sure it is dried and not have this happen again. I also planted the rose bush. I bought one yesterday at Home Depot. It was $6.99 for what is normally a $19.99 bush. I couldn't resist - my dad used to grow roses and I figured at least one of them out front would be cool. The only drawback to having roses is that people love to steal them. Usually kids - come right up into your yard and pluck them suckers. Kids used to go into my parents yard and take the roses and give them to their teachers at school.

I am headed back out side soon. Came in to make some hamburgers and grill them outside along with a manager's special T-bone steak that was half priced. Yes, I got the steak, the kids can have the hamburgers. The steak was absolutely glorious - I don't know of any better eating than a nice, juicy, rare, thick steak. YOU might know of better, this is just my opinion. My favorite of all steak is Porterhouse - oh so wonderful and OH so expensive.

C'ya later.
ben

Sunday

I spent a good deal of time yesterday attempting to get that irrigation system dialed in and done. Yes, I got a lot done, no, it's not done, lol. I decided to go ahead and get the last remaining plants on the sides of the house covered by yet another drip station. I did not, however, even get a start on that. I was putting in line all over the front yard trying to get all the plants, included the potted flowers, serviced. I have a line of plants against the front of the house to go and that should be done. I have a birdbath out front that I am also going to run a line to - with a valve on the line so I can simply fill it up without having to bring the house out there.

Today's venture will be to build the 4th station and run the main line next to those plants already mentioned. I am not even going to bury this line, I just want to get the system out there and doing it's job on these plants along with everything else. Unbelievably, I have already used 400 feet of the 1/4 line that runs from the 1/2 line to each individual plant. I kinda was a little shocked to find out yesterday that I was almost out of that stuff again. At the price I'm paying for it? $1.00 per 100 feet. Lol. I think I'm going to buy 1,000 feet of the stuff . That's less than the price of 200 feet at Home Depot.

Oh, and yes I did finish the cooler installation yesterday. The guy living in the trailer apparently isn't very comfortable working with electricity. I am not, either, if the lines are live. I ALWAYS just shut off the flow of electricity and then it doesn't bother me. The main jist was simply getting it to turn on - motor and pump. They wanted a switch, I said fine, go buy one, they are like $30 and I am not spending that kind of money on this stuff. Otherwise, I am going to install it by simply plugging it in. Yes, that's what I did and also effectively disconnected the AC, I won't have to worry about that rather huge amount of electricity being drained every day. This Mastercool on that trailer? Is FAR bigger than it need be. But it was free, so who cares. I still ended up paying around $100 to get it into working condition, but now it has brand new pads in there. I also told him yesterday that I have no intentions of spending any more money on that trailer for quite a while now as I have other things I need to do with my money.

Hopefully, the "non-paying" tenant who finally got a job will get caught up and I will have enough money to get the AC fixed on the car. The AC in that car takes precedence over much of anything else. If you've never gotten into a car sitting in the direct sunlight in an AZ summer - well, it's an experience. At least 135 degrees inside of it, it takes a while for any AC system to cool it down. I still wish I could have gotten a motorcycle instead of a car when I bought the car I currently have. Well, sort of I do.

Well, I am trying to find stuff - free - for those folks, but so far have struck out every time. A bed was the biggest item - I see them once in a while on Craigslist free but - they are always taken by the time I get to it. Carpeting, too. People give away carpet here and there, stuff that is pulled from their floors and some of it is in good condition. They install ceramic tile or wood flooring in it's place, hence the need to get rid of the carpet. Still, haven't connected on that one, either.

As for this neighborhood. There is a 30-something that lives down the street from me. He is living with his parents, he always has. He doesn't have a job and has no inclination, apparently, to ever get one. Why his parents allow him to live at home, no clue. I would have booted him at around 19 or 20 at the oldest age. It is not natural, at least from my perspective, to stay with your parents that late in life. Anyway, a while back, he was taunting me from the window of "his" house, in a high-pitched voice saying all kinds of stupid junk laced with curse words. Yesterday, I'm out front of my house, admiring my work I had done with all the drip system stuff, when he came walking down the middle of the street.

As he was walking by, he slowly turned his head towards me and gave me - this look. I assume it was intended to be a "I'm a bad-@$$, don't mess with me" type of stare. This is the kind of stupidity that goes on in this neighborhood. Although I'm not afraid of him, fighting over nothing is juvenile and a waste of my time. I just looked back at him while he was walking by.

The "man" that threatened the lady next door? Apparently is friends with my next-door-neighbor again. The man, from a societal standard, is a waste of human flesh. He has no life, he doesn't work, his mother pays for his rather wasted existence. He spent some 8 years in prison for drug dealing. JUST the kind of neighbors I want. NOT. I ignore him completely. He is mouthy, brash and cocky. Sticks his nose into everyone's business, including, apparently mine. A neighborhood kid was over there yesterday and this man told him that Caleb, my son, was up all night last night and was probably sleeping. HOW, pray tell, did this man know THAT, and WHY is the doings in my house ANY of his business? Again, this is the kind of freaks we have in our neighborhood.

THEN, there is the very-old lady that knocked my neighbor's motorcycle type of scooter over, on purpose. She is not all there. She stands out front of her house, staring at everyone and walking around the edges of her property, looking at neighbor's properties. No clue.

Then there's my other neighbors on the other side. These are the freaks that left the dogs unattended for over a week while they apparently went on vacation. I was staring at him yesterday. I was tempted to say something to him about his dogs and his neglect of them, but I let it go. Instead, I am going to send him a letter with a picture of his dog running down the street.

There are even MORE nutcases like this. But these are the ones that I either saw or heard from in various ways yesterday. I so ever-loving want out of this neighborhood, yet - the only way to do that is to walk from this house.

Every time I walk out front of my house, I wonder WHAT, exactly, is going to be next? Never know. Some sort of lunacy is very possible.

Anyway, I'm outta here. I'm going to go out there and get started on this drip station - or not - maybe I'll just try to finish the lines out front, though I don't think I have enough 1/4 line left to do that. Still, I can get SOMETHING done out there!

Happy Sunday!
ben