Monday, April 16, 2012

Rain and Snow.

Tom's Journal. http://tomschuckmanjournal.blogspot.com/ tschuckman@aol.com

IMHO [in my humble opinion] , the U.P. is a funny, unpredictable place to live or visit-- and a little bit like the mountains in Colorado, USA, where I have been for a short time also.  Friends have told me that you NEVER go for a ride in the Mountains without several important things to take with you;  A gallon of good  water, flashlight and batteries, perhaps an extra gallon or 2 of gasoline, a few hearty sandwiches, and a warm coat AND a warm blanket!  Maybe it's the little boy scout in me from Milwaukee, or some good survival training, plus 2 years in combat--Vietnam: 68-70, but I always take the basics 'tools' with me.  And unless you are a very close, trusted friend of mine who has come over to visit me at my home, I will not divulge all my personal secrets.  But ONE of those items will always be a KJV Bible, and I have different sizes, for different motives and places, including-- just giving them away for FREE!! 

Back at the U.P. [Upper Peninsula, MI.]  the weather has been intermittently raining all day, and just changed to snow.  My fiance and close friends all know that I am a 'betting person' -- but I never bet on something that I KNOW  I can't win.... so maybe it wasn't much of a 'bet' to start with.  Just like the coming Spring/ Summer weather, that I BET-- will be scary and hairy for sure, with many tornadoes and earthquakes in the USA THIS YEAR!!  Now just how do I know these things??  I also think that our economy COULD have a small 'spurt' of good news-- as it is 'manipulated' by the 'powers that be-- this current administration-- but only for a time, to get the votes.  Generally speaking, however,  housing, and Wall Street, and the economy, jobs, will continue a 'slow burn' so that things will get from bad to worse, with internal tensions, crime, greed, and deprivation making men fearful and depressed....   sorry folks.

The only good news is:  That God will never forsake His own people-- the elect, the Born-Again Christian followers of the Lord Jesus Christ who openly confess, bend knee and serve...  'We will never beg for bread...' we see in the book of Psalms - from King David.  But we will see some hard times for sure, and will have to learn to live lean.  Just remember that our hard times will only be momentary-- temporary,  because our Lord and Master will step in at the proper time!!  He knows and sees his people being murdered and persecuted every day on earth, but He will keep his mighty sword sheathed until the proper moment in time when HE WILL RETURN TO GATHER UP HIS ELECT, CHOSEN PEOPLE!   So with this good news we can be happy and joyful with what we have, with out the garbage type of  life style, station in life,  but with a 'roof, clothes and food' - we shall be content - according to the apostle Paul. 

I am having hamburgers with grilled onions tonight -- but just think:  supper could just as well be the onions and nothing more.. or dog food!!   I have personally seen terrible poverty and was even homeless for a very short time in cold, windy, heartless Milwaukee in the Winter of 1994-95, and had to drop out of college, the 2nd time, early, to take a  job welding foreman, over some very hostile ghetto people who hated me just because of my skin color [German-American] and the fact that I earned more than them-- but I had much experience and schooling behind me from years past.....duh.   Not long after that experience, I got called back to Chrysler in May of '95, and finished my 30 years with full pension and bennies.  Now... is that LUCK???  The answer is NO!  Actually, when I was homeless and desperate, I DID find the Lord, confessed my sins, asked Him into my life and heart, and vowed to try harder to give my life to Him --Jesus, and things shortly after started to get better in my life.  But I am STILL A SINNER, and still have much to work on, learn, share, teach, grow, etc.

If my Lord grants me another two months, I feel that I will experience a 'quantum leap'  in the 'warmer weather' where I will find a good, bible teaching, preaching home church, and re-start my bible sharing/ handing, out ministry and hook up with the right people who can help me net work to go soul winning again and also reach some folks who need to be reached about the Gospel of Jesus Christ, as best as a crippled, bionic knees, and one of them [R] messed up by the Milwaukee VA... Disabled, Veteran can.  I have an old Dodge Ram 2007, 4 by 4 vehicle, but am think [JUST thinking, 'dear one'...] of buying an XR650L, on/ off the road dirt bike that can climb the hills and mountains where I presently am calling home, sweet home.  I've already got tangled in some 'briars' but the Holy Spirit got me out of that situation, so that now I can pray for those who oppose me, if they still do.  If those folks do read this humble column-- please know that I am a very peaceful man with some hobbies, like other God-fearing men have, and no body need fear me.  I seek not war nor battle, but PEACE, just as my Master does.  One of my fav' . scriptures is:  "For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain."  A few  unlearned people tell me that I talk about death too much...but death is all around us and I have no illusions as to what death is!  It is nothing more than a GATEWAY to everlasting life!  And MOST folks have it all wrong, including my believed, dear, old Mom, in Wisconsin... who claims that only the 'good people go to heaven -- the holy Saints-- like Mother Theresa, etc!'  Therefore, I don't have a snow ball's chance in a 'hot fire' to gain salvation and heaven --- in her opinion.  But then, Mom never did read the Bible, and that grand BOOK also comes in audio tapes, and CD's that I have and can direct others with vision problems to get, easily.  In fact,  I am going to suggest/ ask Terri if she would like to both follow with her own Bible, and listen to a special Scottish gentleman reader of the Bible at the same time-- sometime soon!   I will let you all know how it goes.

Be of good cheer, dear brother, sisters and friends!  And please continue to pray for me.  My cute, handsome grandson, who broke his leg during a skiing accident a few weeks ago, is now doing well!!  Thank you for praying for him too.

Warm Regards,
Tommy Schuckman