Opening my eyes was tough this morning. It was not due to being sleepy but rather from all of the dust from mowing yesterday. Took awhile to wash out my eyes so there would be room for more pollen. We are moving past the desperation point of needing rain. Noticed that our area is already several inches behind this year. I can also report that the visit with my Dad went well today. Always good to catch up with him. Ours is one of those strange and unique relationships. Both of us are more than a bit strange which makes it unique. My third rule of life says, "It is what it is." Age does help accept that as a reality. We may look nothing alike but God knows we share the same temperament. This does not make it a good thing but it is again what it is.

Our news seems to be getting more and more dire with each day. I do not know why anyone in their right mind would wish to be President. He is first criticized for inaction in Libya for a few weeks. When he does take action, he is hammered by both sides of our political spectrum. Do not mistake me for any sort of an expert on foreign relations but it seems to me that he is making the best effort possible now. Let me add that if anyone describes themselves as a Middle East expert that you may want to take a deep breath. Authentic peace in that region just may not ever happen no matter what our nation attempts. You could even take Israel out of the equation without ever reaching any stability there. What most people never recognize is how different that culture is from ours. I spent four years of college having friends from places we would consider an enemy to our country. They were great people who I enjoyed getting to know. But their world view is so different from ours that words cannot begin to explain. This began way back in Genesis and will be true until the end of time.

All of this unrest will inevitably lead to ministers preaching sermons or writing books to detail the end of the world. Every time an unexpected outbreak of trouble in the Middle East occurs seems to bring about more doom and gloom. My journey with prophecy started as most people of my generation. We would read the works of Hal Lindsey as if they were divine truth. It took me a long time to move past an alarmist view of the end times. It is still intriguing study but no longer is there a sense of panic for me. Again, do not misunderstand me. Some to all of the recent developments lately could in fact play into the final scenario. But just be careful of reading or watching the news in order to interpret scripture. Our hope rests on something far more secure than the next news cycle. Be warned that not every new book or sermon will unlock some secret that God hid from us all these years. He reveals the truth of the end times in complex ways to be sure. But that divine return does not depend on what happens in Libya, Russia or any other country. He is right now working out that eternal purpose in our world. Let's not be so wrapped up in future speculation to the point we miss out on joining Him in the journey. Courage is required to live fully in these days. Find that motivation in Him so that nothing that pops up in the news distracts us from that great purpose.

Bro. Trey