PDave @ Vox

Sometimes I do not have the time or inclination to load up Big Dog in the car and travel to a park for our daily walk.  For such days we have carved out a local route.  It may not be the most picturesque or convenient, but it manages to provide the three miles and fifty minutes needed.  A bonus is that Big Dog needs no leash.  Today things started out not so good, which I guess is most appropriate for a Monday.  I searched but could not find the heavy duty leash.  And, I had forgotten to charge my mp3 player.  So, grumbling, I took off determined to get the walk completed.  Wanna come alone with a happy dog and an old grouch?

 First we walk around and behind the church I pastor.  This building was constructed in the 50's by volunteer help from the church.  I understand the wood was fresh-cut from nearby trees. 

 We walk through the parking lot and behind a cement factory next door.  These guys are good neighbors- well, as far as a cement factory can be a good neighbor- but they sure make a lot of noise!

 Behind the factory is a railroad track.  And, next to the track, is an acceptable trail for walking.  My hometown of Ft. Payne, Alabama, is traversed down the middle by a busy double railway.  Growing up I sometimes thought it would be a nice adventure to walk the track the fifty miles or so to Chattanooga.  Of course I never did it! 

 We decide to venture along a now abandoned track for a quarter mile or so.

 Graffiti along the track.  This is a locked box, probably containing switches or tools.  The graffiti, at least around here, appears tiresome and not very creative.  It mostly consists of fat, bloated letters spelling out the codes of the various ethnic gangs.  The businesses do a good job of quickly cleaning it up, while the railroads seem to ignore the stuff. 

 The clouds get dark and threatening in a hurry.  I guess I'm about to get soaked!

 As we are hurrying to try to get home before the flood, the drops of rain become more frequent and the wind is almost bending the trees.  We round the corner to be greeted by... a rainbow!  Wow.

 Rainbow over the church.

 Thought you might like to see the tent behind my house.  It's there in case my wife kicks me out.  But, mostly, it makes a fine playhouse for my granddaughter.  Well, we play together.

 Flower bed in front of the house.  They sat dormant, barely surviving, for much of the Summer.  In the last few weeks they have grown like crazy.

Shorty Howell Park is less than two miles from my home, and I choose it when I am ready for a frenetic change of pace from my leisurely strolls. Located along a major thoroughfare and across from a big-box shopping center, likely it is the busiest park that I frequent. It seems that people from all walks of life go to Shorty Howell to unwind and play. And even as one must be diligent not to be run over by a jogger or tripped by a multitude of dog leashes, I enjoy the show. Every trip provides new entertainment.

Busy, busy place.  What kid would not enjoy roaming around this place, not worrying about the colors or nationalities or religions or social status of the other children?  Just having fun!  Perhaps the route to world peace involves a great big playground...

 A new feature- Litterbug Of The Week.  How touching... a father, a son, and a cigarette.  Actually this guy is not polluting the environment; just his lungs.  Something seems not to be congruent, to me, when I see a seemingly doting parent with a cancer-stick hanging from his mouth. 

 The walking paths are composed of two loops.  The inner loop is a paved trail, pictured previously.   The wider path is a wood chip trail, meandering more quietly through the woods and away from the baby strollers.  When I walk both loops, and several side routes, I can do about three miles- my goal for the day.

 Pregnant Tree.

 Kudzu.  If we could figure a way to eat this stuff, the South could feed the world.

 Houses next to the park.  Often I've thought it would be nice to have a home adjacent to a nice park.  I wonder if these people avail themselves of the treasure beyond their back yards?

 Walking in a sari.  I cannot help but notice the cultural differences of people out for some exercise.  Around here, one is likely to see a lady out for a walk in a sari or a burqa, which looks awfully hot and uncomfortable to me.  But they did not ask my opinion.

 Pavilion.  Several months ago I was walking at this park when when a tremendous Spring thunderstorm burst out.  There was lightning, hail, and a torrential downpour.  I found shelter under this large pavilion.  As the storm did not seem to abate, I decided to finish my exercise by walking under the cover, in repeated circles!  In a little while a couple of guys pulled up in their car, and they sat down at one of the picnic tables to wait out the storm.  They started watching me as I walked around and around.  And I'm pretty sure I heard one of them say, "You could be worse.  You could be like that guy over there walking around in circles!"

 Ducks.  Nasty creatures.  Aggressive, too.

 Fountain, in the middle of the lake.  Very pretty.

 I like this huge double-tree, offering for free a magnificent shade.  Trees are good-guys.

She truly has a pretty smile, but it is so seldom seen these days.  For months her husband has been gone.  Together we have sought answers and made efforts toward reconciliation.  I have talked with both parties, many times.  At this point after so much has been said and done it is a jumbled mess.  There is no clear-cut bad guy, or good guy.  She and I have just had a time of prayer, asking for God’s guidance and again for His miracle.  And as she is walking out the door I am thinking this is not good.  Likely the marriage is gone.

It did not have to be this way.  For years she glibly walked her way through this marriage and he soldiered along.  He was empty and she seemed not to notice, or care.  In desperation he reached out to the church for help.  At that time she came to consider the church to be an enemy, an intrusion.  And one day he could not take it anymore.  He left.  Then the story got even uglier.  As seems often the case, Infidelity made her presence known.  A good and decent person should not take the hand of this person.  It is not good.  But I know that ultimately She is not the culprit.

Now this forsaken wife is grasping for answers.  I find it curious that she has turned to me for help.  Until this thing blew up, I thought I understood her.  She was cold.  She was a manipulator.  But now we have talked many times, and there actually seems a warm, kind, and thoughtful person there.  Too bad this person was not available for her husband.  And, then again, maybe I’m being played?

I know that a couple, who have fallen out of love, can rekindle the flame if they work hard and ask God for help.  It is not easy, but God can turn the water into wine.  But this man no longer cares.  He just wants out!  He should be stronger.  He should pray harder, and try harder.  Right?

Sometimes I will go to W P Jones Park just for a refreshing change of pace.  It does not pretend to be like the other parks.  There are no soccer or baseball fields, club house, or activity center.  It does offer some of the finest tennis courts in the city, usually occupied with people who seem to take the game seriously.  But the trails and fields of the park appear to go mostly unused, which makes for a peaceful walk but also cause for concern.  In these times of lower tax revenue I would hate to see this wonderful place restricted or closed. 

To me, its simplicity is its greatest charm.  For instance, the trails are natural, and therefore unpaved.  Some do not like it, because erosion has made the trails a bit difficult to maneuver.  But that just makes them more friendly for my visits.  I enjoy walking through the shaded forest which actually leads to the back entrance of the public library!  It is nice to stroll along the stream, and even skip a rock or two.  And I like the lush grass of the park lawns.

As Big Dog and I strolled fast into the forest, we encountered a lady who was walking in our direction with a quick pace.  She looked at me with what appeared to be horror in her face, turned, and ran in the other way!  Now I understand that sometimes I have that effect on women.  But usually they are a little more discreet in their direct response!  With friendly dog in tow, we walked ahead.  And I discovered why she was so quick to leave my presence.  She was with four dogs.  Sissy-looking dogs.  All had been unleashed and were roaming along the trail.  This lady was afraid my German Shepherd would eat her scrawny little beasts.  He just ignored them as he happily continued on his merry way.  I did the same with their owner.

Bridge into the park.  Now that's a nice view.

 
Log, decaying, and slowly disappearing.  When I die, take me out into the woods, and leave me like this log.  Seems natural to me.

Contents of a wallet, strewed on the ground.  I checked to see if the owner could be identified.  Important items, like drivers license and credit cards, are missing.  Obviously these business cards and photographs are stolen leftovers, emptied and explored far back in these woods.

Playground.  I know for a fact that Skylar, my granddaughter, likes this place.  Once I tried to get her to join me, shoeless, in the little creek.  She complained the water was just too cold.  Baby!

Empty water bottle, littering the trail.  Before tossing this into the trash, I wondered about the perpetrator?  Someone cares enough about his body to exercise.  And this is a high quality brand.  Thus, someone has gone to commendable effort to facilitate purity for his body.  Too bad he does not have the same respect for nature.  Or, for others.

This is the second of a three-part series on the fatherhood of God.  God has adopted the human model of fatherhood to express Himself and to relate with us.  We explore four points concerning how He serves as our Heavenly Father: Creator, Provider, Protector, and Instructor.  This presentation is about twelve minutes in length.  Listen, learn, and share your comments!

Fatherhood II, God Is Our Perfect Model

As we continue with our walks in the great parks of Gwinnett County, today we will hike through Best Friends Park in Norcross.  Is not that a great name for a park?  I can picture good friends sitting under the shade, on a wooden bench, playing checkers or otherwise lazily passing the day.  The park is located in a transition area of the County, as what is referred to as "white flight" has passed along the I-85 corridor and beyond.  Now the place is surrounded by low and middle-income housing, and people of many colors and ethnic persuasions.  Some call it a high-crime area.  Check out the fence and razor wire surrounding the maintenance building! 
It certainly doesn't invoke a warm and fuzzy feeling. 

The park has some fine recreational amenities, including tennis center, basketball court, and a great swimming pool.  While walking through, I noticed the social extremities of the area are alive and well in this place.  Strolling aside the tennis center I viewed expensive cars and lots of white folk, and a police officer who watched me warily.  Then, in a few minutes, I passed around the basketball courts.  Boom boxes blasted loudly from modest vehicles, African Americans ran up and down the courts, and not a policeman in sight.

A walking track meanders around the periphery.  I made four trips in order to get in my three-mile-walk.  And only a slice of the walk passes through the small forest.  However, the whole place emits a sense of character.  For instance, there seems always to be someone of interesting appearance wanting to chat and pet my dog.  This time, it was a friendly young lady with various piercing through her face, who just a moment previously was engaged with her boyfriend in a marathon french kiss.  That's amore! 

Here's some photos and brief comments:

Passing along a little stretch of woods.  Nice, cool, shady.

Knotty Tree.  This fellow has lost several limbs through they years.  Likely, there's a story to tell about storms, winds, termites, and maintenance men with buzzing saws.

Trail passes from cool shade to searing sun.  As soon as I step into the light, I can feel the rush of heat.

Since the park is so small, I walked past the tennis courts and along an adjacent trail not really part of the official area.  It led to a broken fence, with apartments on the other side.  Why would they build this fence to keep the apartment residents out?  Good for them to refuse to be fenced in.

Big Dog, big rock!  This boulder was conveniently located at a great rest spot, and it beckoned for me to have a seat.  Unfortunately, it also beckoned Big Dog to deposit a liquid specimen.  Notice how the graffiti has been painstakingly removed?  Likely, this stone has lots of stories to tell, too.

“Hey, David, F*@# Off!”

They regularly call the church office trying to get us to change our phone plan.  That’s fair.  And should they offer something attractive we likely would be a buyer.  However what they are offering is about $75 per month more than what we currently pay with ATT.  Interesting, with previous calls, the salespersons have insisted that we are paying much more for our monthly service.  When I read from our monthly statement, they are surprised, and then continue with the script as if I said nothing.  So, to facilitate productivity at the office and to reduce frustration, we have asked that they take us off their calling lists.  They still call.  Thus, the background for this morning’s conversation with Claudia.

“This is Claudia from ATT.”
“Hi, Claudia.  This is David.”
“Is this the person who makes decisions for your business?”
“Yes”
“Your current contract with ATT is about to expire, and your rates could go up dramatically.  Currently you are paying XXX amount, and we can provide you with enhanced services for XXX, which is less than you currently pay.  Is it alright if I engage this new contract?”
“Why do you continue to call?  We have asked you, multiple times, to take us off your calling list.  Why are you calling me?”

And, so, the above response; with dramatic emphasis, followed by a click.

I’m humored by this.  And that’s probably not an appropriate response.  She was calling a church, and talking with the pastor.  It is not a nice thing to say to someone, especially when you are trying to make a sale and the recipient is a Baptist minister.  Even if I were a person prone to use such language with frivolity and without venom, I think for the sake of income I would find a more appropriate way to talk while on the job and engaging a customer.  I have not heard those words, particularly directed to me, in quite some time.  It all seemed so incredulous.  And I guess because of a twisted psyche yet to be fully baptized, I find such startling and strange moments to be funny.

These people contract with ATT, work straight commission, and there is likely no way to trace down who Claudia may be.  Likely she is someone desperate for income working a job she does not like, and unprepared for my direct query.  There is an edge to my voice.  And I can be blunt.  So, I guess we will give Claudia a pass.  Perhaps this could be her regular response to ministers who do not welcome her calls?  She could keep a running total…”Today I told 14 preachers to F*@# Off!”  Her supervisor could respond, “Great!  And at $5 per insult, your commission will be…”  I wonder if she has a unique profanity for different ministers of different religious denominations?  

First of a 3-Part-Series on fatherhood:  With this introduction, I talk a bit about growing up without a consistent and positive role model as a father.  We consider the message of Galatians 4:4-7 which describes God as a loving and intimate father who adopts us as his sons and daughters.  This message is about 13 minutes in length.  It may inspire you.  It may cure your insomnia.

Fatherhood - God Is Our Perfect Model

Pastor David Lyle

Tubing The Chattahoochee

Today is Father's Day.  We had a special focus for worship at church this morning.  Of course we recognized all of the fathers who were present, giving each a buttoneer and Hershey's Bar- just a treat, and most folk like candy!  We recognized the oldest father present, the father with the most children, and the father with the youngest child.  The oldest was 93 years young, and still going strong.  The youngest child, 3-months-old, let me know quite clearly that the sermon was too long for his approval.  A most meaningful time of the service occurred when I asked members of the congregation to share with us things they had learned from their fathers.  Many quite touching tributes were shared with spontaneity and passion.  It was a deeply personal experience for all.  For the sermon, I preached about how God chooses to relate to us as Father.  We considered from the scriptures, applied to daily life, how He is the perfect father. 

I spent the afternoon with my two daughters- as many are aware, my son in serving with the Marines in Hawaii.  He called later tonight, and we had a nice conversation.  But I'm not too thrilled with his little comment about my photo on his Facebook Page.  Anyhow, this afternoon my daughters and I took a leisurely trip down the Chattahoochee.  The tubes were large and comfy, the water cold and slow.  The laughs were easy!  I've mostly transitioned from raising children to connecting with adults.  But, they are still my little girls! 

So, it was a great Father's Day.  I'm home sunburned, tired, and happy.