Wonderful Tuesday

Yesterday was the first day to take out the Lee Enfield No 4 Mk1 (1943) to the range.    Old Son was chuckling that I would end up with my keester in the dirt from the recoil of the rifle.  Ah.  There is something to be said for wisdom and white hair..... I ended up sitting down to shoot :)      

Old Son did very well for our first time out with this old rifle.   And I am happy to say that there is no gravel that wasn't disturbed on the firing range.   (In other words,  I kept missing the target and kept hitting the ground!).

I now have new respect for those soldiers who used the Lee Enfield in WW1 and WW2.    How they didn't come home deaf as a post is beyond me... and how some of those very thin lads didn't get blown over with the recoil is also beyond me.

After a very frustrating week of loosing computer programs and hearing a lot of negative comments, it was a delight to get out to the range with Old Son and just do something new.    A mini retreat.  Doing something new and giving God thanks that we can do new positive things.    It is in keeping positive that we can grow in the Good News.  

Today,  do something positive and something new!  And rejoice in God!!

Tuesday Retreat.....

Prayer:   Be good to Your servants, O Lord,  be as good as Your Word.   Train us in good common sense,  we are thoroughly committed to living Your way.  Before we learned to answer You,  we wandered all over the place, but now we are in step with Your Word.  You are good and the source of all  goodness.   Train me in Your goodness.  Keep our focus upon You.  In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen.

Read St. Matthew 14:  1- 12

And the work and words of Jesus had travelled to within reach of Herod the tetrarch.    Herod was always worried that someone would rise up and take over his kingdom.    When Herod hears these works and words of Jesus,  he immediately thinks that it is John the Baptist raised from the dead.  

John the Baptist had gone again and again to Herod and prophesied  that Herod should never ever have had Herodias and should declare his relationship with Herodias as adulterous.   Herodias was Herod’s  brother's , Philip, wife.  Herod would not budge and would not call his relationship with Herodias as adultery.    

 It was in a wild birthday party for Herod that Herodias convinced her daughter to dance and then ask Herod for John the Baptist’s head.  Herod in a moment of drunken foolishness said “I will give you anything you ask for”.  This was a binding oath.  Because of the binding oath, Herod reluctantly had to  agreed.   This death of John the Baptist obviously weighed heavily on Herod’s mine.  So when Herod hears about Jesus,  he immediately thinks it is John the Baptist returned to life. 

Have you ever gotten into a situation where you promised someone something that went

against all your beliefs as a Christian?  How did you handle the situation?

Prayer:    Great God,  with Your very own hands You formed each one of us.  Now breathe Your wisdom over us so we can understand You.  Let us live whole and holy, soul and body, so we can always walk in Your Word and Your love.  In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen.