Things Peter is doing, interested in, or otherwise feels like posting
The desert sun is hot and white, The sky an azure blue, The wind-blown sand a golden glow, The rocks a rusty hue. The rabbit brush with yellow trim, Accents the silver sage, Green piñons point up towards the sky, Grown massive with great age. The prickly pear with flowers pink, And spiny fruit a purple-red, In starving coyote's hazel eyes, Is better than sliced bread.
No sound escapes this vacant void No light leaks from its space A hiding place of perfect form Devoid of touch and taste Desperate pleas that enter there Return no echo or reply They die in silence, fade away A mute unanswered cry I never meant to make this hole Its silence burns my ears It stops the things that should come out To calm my doubts and fears How do you kill a blackened hole That feeds on all it finds To open up the inner soul And clear a troubled mind So questions voiced to God above Escape… Read the rest
Paint the trees a vibrant red, Or yellow, orange or brown, The signs of summer fade away, And fall sings all around.
Down a dark trail through deep frozen spruce, The lights peering outward bright halos produce, As we crawl over snow that squeaks under our tread, Pushing farther from home into darkness ahead, Breathing smoke as warm vapors freeze and turn white, Tiny crystals suspended in the breath of the night, Collecting on eyebrows and all sorts of hair, The heater flat failing to warm the harsh air, Our mission's a clearing far out in the wood, Some broken equipment that must be made good, So onward we press 'till the work is complete, And fend off the frostbite that threatens… Read the rest
I honestly have no idea who originally taught me this, but one of the more useful lessons I tried to put into practice while dating was to get in good with my date’s parents. I suspect it was a bit of wisdom from my parents coupled with suggestions from other influential people and a dose of common sense. In any event, I made it a point to do things in such a way that my date’s parents wouldn’t worry about me or my intentions. I tried to make sure to have my dates home early or at least on-time, I … Read the rest
The house I grew up in was a little unusual… It was built by the neighborhood developer for his daughter, and was the carpenter’s version of the mechanic’s car. It was the smallest house on the largest lot in the neighborhood, and seemed like it was built using leftovers from the other homes. My parents told stories about the piles of crap they had to haul off when they bought it, and strange behavior of the lady who lived there before them — including letting a Shetland pony wander in and out of the sliding glass door that opened from … Read the rest
Earlier I wrote a bit about what I would do to cut the Department of Defense down to something more limited in scope and expense. Granted… some of the proposals weren’t strictly Department of Defense, but that’s not particularly important. In that post, I mentioned I might get around to explaining some of my rationale for my recommended changes, and at the moment I have some time, so I’ll start and see how far I get.
My first, and most important, recommendation was to recognize that there are … Read the rest
As I sat in church today, two men wove their way through my thoughts in a way they haven’t for years. It happened during a discussion about talents, and using them to further the Lord’s work. It crossed my mind that one talent that has greatly influenced my life was the talent to tolerate young boys.
When I was quite young, I was part of a pack of boys at church. We were what you might label “challenging” to the extent that the church leaders had trouble finding anyone who could put up with us for more than a few … Read the rest
I believe it’s the nature of any bureaucracy or bureaucrat to take whatever territory, responsibility, or power they have and expand it through any means possible. Walking around Washington, DC, there is ample evidence of that trend. If you visit the Smithsonian Castle on the National Mall and make your way to one of the corridors you can see a display of two panoramic pictures taken from the top of the castle tower. One of these pictures was taken roughly in 2005, and shows the area as it is now with the exception of a few new buildings. The other … Read the rest
The dreams of the present viewed in sleep long ago Bear no semblance to what I now see, Wishes fervently made with the best of intent Have passed by and never will be. Looking back through the fog of memories past I know now that the path I have trod, Seeming crookedly bent, twisting this way and that Has been mercifully guided by God. The pitfalls and dangers I couldn't observe Would have swallowed me up in their depths, So wand'ring along the strange course of my life I'm content to let Him guide my steps.
