Winter Night - for Jerry

If glory almost in excess
Is what makes heaven fair,
Then here along beside this pond
I might perhaps be there.

The rocks, the stumps, the leafless shrubs,
And all the plainest, drabbest things
Must rival in their robbing white
The shimmer of a Gabriel's wings.

And all the trees ensheened in ice,
The moon-kissed oaks and snow-bowed pines,
Are doubtless bright as any jewel
That in the heavenly city shines.

And God omnipotent, I think,
Would find it a creative strain
To duplicate the diamonded sky
That scintillates above the lake.

A frozen hush lies on the hills;
The tired wind has ceased to blow.
I shiver! Yet my kneeling heart
With flaming worship is aglow.

- Vernon Grounds

My friend, Jerry Driesens

After a long fight with cancer our dear friend Jerry goes home to be with the Lord in heaven. For now, we are robbed of Jerry and his love for us, his zest for life and the outdoors, and his beautiful example of the Christian life. I know he's in the sunlight of eternal happiness which has always shined brightly in his eyes. God our Lord "brightens" everything. And when everything becomes darkest - for what's as dark as the grave - God truly "brightens." And so it's this promise of God we cling to; "For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus."

Biking with Joe

Yesterday I went biking with Joe (pictured below) and his neighbor. We rode about a 30 mile loop through Chatfield, up to Titan road and back North on Wadsworth. Most of the time I ride with Joe at the Y... in a cycling class. We go pretty slow there, and not very far.

Health Care "Reform"

In the words of John Lennon, "Imagine all the people, living for today." Yea, but what if I get sick tomorrow? Don't worry, tranquilizers let you go around with your head held... high. And WOW, have we got some good dispensaries now. But the new health care plan really is okay because we'll all be in poverty after this. Poverty is helpful in medicine. If you have it, the doctor cures you faster!

The fig tree may not bud

The route to God never takes us around our problems. We can either force something that isn't there, and be under huge pressure to improve and by our will of strength try to change, or we celebrate God's grace. In Habakkuk 3:17-19 you can read:

Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls
yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
The Sovereign LORD is my strength;
he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
he enables me to go on the heights.

Blue Dogs

Just change parties John. You wanted compromise but where did it get you? Now look what every Colorado citizen is facing:

Currently, the U.S. Debt is estimated at:

$13,050,588,009,652.62

Every Coloradan shares in this debt to the tune of:

$42,350.18

Government Motors

Turns out the new "GM" volt isn't turning out to be the plug-in electric as promised. Read Here. I guess I'll put my money in Ford. At least they deliver what they say they will.

Afternoon in October

Here's another fine poem of Dr. Vernon Grounds.

For this day's glory. God above,
My heart rejoices.
My breath, enraptured, mingles with
The woodland's voices
In ecstatic prayer.

Of maple's flame and chestnut's amber
Sing I, O God.
A copse's coloured aisles and nave
Form Thine abode;
Thou broodest there.

For sight of mounts bedizened
Humbly I praise.
Upon their slopes, reflected now,
Thy grandeur plays.
I hush; I stare.

Today we delve into the seas;
We penetrate the stratosphere;
We uproot mountains ruthlessly;
We smash the hills and atoms here.

And notwithstanding finite bounds
And limits to our mastery,
Without conceit we claim the right
To rank ourselves, O God, with Thee.

More on Herman Lake

Chris took this photo of me up at Herman Lake on Saturday. Hiking up to a place like this is a lot like exercise, which of course I need. You know, I may not jog or play tennis, but I'm a very brisk eater! Chocolate Gelato is a favorite. I do like to hike, but I don't believe in jogging. When I die, I want it to be from an illness.

How to balance the budget? - tilt the country!

A constituent called his congressman and asked, "How long does it take the government to spend a hundred billion?" The congressman, busy for the moment on another phone said, "Just a minute."
The constituent said, "I figured," and hung up.

I know one congressman left Washington for good, and many more are on the way out. There's nothing left to steal!

Spring Song

Here is one of Dr. Grounds poems which I really liked. Although, the poem may leave you cold if you don't recognize what God has done. For me, it deeply touches my heart and captures my mind.

Blossoms are beautiful
Blossoms are white,
Over the orchard - wall
Wind - spawned tonight.

Blossoms are beautiful,
Blossoms are cheap,
Crushed, when tomorrow dawns,
By dull - eyed sheep.

Life, too, is beautiful;
Life too, is cheap:
Cities are atomized,
Gaunt Rachels weep.

Ah, world of bloom and bomb,
Precious thou art:
For thee with hands fast - nailed
God broke His heart.

More hiking in Colorado

Hiking down from Herman Lake last week, we had some very nice views. However there were so many dogs brought up there by so many people, I found myself looking down all the time to avoid stepping in something. One guy avoided the pooper-scooper laws by dressing his dog in a tree suit. I asked another guy what his dog's name is. He said, "I think it's Down Boy."

When I wasn't looking down I was looking up at this; Torrey's Peak was rising above the ridge to the West. One more reason to live in Colorado!

Hike to Herman Lake

Our little group hiked up Herman's Gulch Trail to Herman's Lake today. When we got to the lake and sat down for lunch, these five girls and their five dogs decided to have lunch right next to us. One of the girls kindly offered to take a group picture of us. When she put her sandwich down on a rock she commanded her pooch: "don't touch it." Before she could point the camera in our direction the sandwich was gulped down whole by her dog. A little later she called the dog to her but he completely ignored her. I suspect the dog was bred by a waiter. He never came when she called him, and he tasted her food.

The hike up was beautiful. We enjoyed this view of the Continental Divide and Pettingell Peak all the way up. Herman's Gulch Trail runs concurrently with the Continental Divide Trail for 3 or so miles I think.

This was the only cloud on the way down. The weather was fantastic at 12,500 feet or so, even as late as October 16! We did encounter a little snow from earlier last week, but overall the trail was great.

Nancy met us a little later in the morning and then after the hike we all went to Idaho Springs and enjoyed some really good homemade Gelato.

Taxes

Back to Will Rogers for more words of wisdom uttered in 1934: "Finding things to tax is becoming quite a problem. You see when taxes first started, (who started 'em anyhow?) Noah must have taken into the ark two taxes, one male and one female, and did they multiply bountifully! Next to guinea pigs, taxes must have been most prolific of animals."

Well as it turned out, 76 years later there is plenty more to tax. Why, in Denver we have a head tax! For crying out loud! Now that Congress has left with no tax bill we get the old one Bush tossed out. Guess what? The tax bracket going up the most is the lowest bracket! It goes up 5%. Who is hitting the poor people on the head now?