I was reminded this morning of a curious event that happened near 30 years ago. I had instructed a teenager (who had to serve time with me for some modest infraction) to dig a hole to put a pole in the ground for a new volley ball court we were building. He was a really good worker and made great progress until he got down about 30 inches. Some "roots" were blocking his progress, try as he might. I remember laying on the sand and extending my right arm full length to the bottom of the hole and feeling three smooth intertwined roots, each about as big around as my finger. I felt a nick in one root and what felt to me like a metal cable inside. A sinking feeling came over me that it was not a root but a buried electrical cable. I carefully got up and back on dry ground and saw that at the end of the volley ball court was an electric pole that had a big cable come down the pole and disappear into the ground. I felt really fortunate that we....since we were still alive....hit the ground line instead of the power line. I let the water in the hole dry out and indeed the nick had exposed the metal inside the cable. After it all dried out I cleaned it out and used some 50 year silicone and pipe to seal it up. Everything was fine...for about 12 years. The power in the main church building started to act funny and the air conditioners were not working. The Electric company determined there was a problem in the
buried line connecting to the building. I remember advising the repairman to begin his search for the break where I had repaired the line years before. He listened to my story and dug where I suggested. Sure enough, my old repair, good as it was, did not account for the moisture in the line that I had sealed in. Over the years it had
corroded the metal into powder. He went to the pole to disconnect the power but I told him it was safe, it was just the ground wire that was harmed. He shocked me when he objected saying NO it is a hot line. There is NO ground cable on this three wire cable! I told him when I discovered it and fixed it we were in WATER. Why were we not electrocuted? His dead pan response was "I don't know, You should have been....electricity sometimes does funny things". I don't know if there is a natural
explanation to my good fortune or a supernatural one, but I do know that I was protected. Today Paul's reminder
"you are not your own, you have been bought with a price" rings very clear. Not only did Jesus
literally die to
demonstrate his love for me, but he has saved me....litterally...several times in my life from what should have or at least could have been certain death. That memory makes it easier for me right now with all the uncertainty that surrounds me and the future. I know I can trust Him with whatever comes my way. I hope you know that too.
Nate and Macy Jo
Deanna kept asking why I was on HER dream vacation without her. She wasn't buying the work line at all. I dismissed it until I walked up to his spot on the river. Easy access and could not be more beautiful...exactly the way she likes it. By the way, this is what Oregon considers "HIGH DESERT". For some reason they do not distinguish between cactus needles and pine needles. A hint: Cactus needles are NOT green!
Steve tells me he stood in this spot once for 6 hours casting a fly into the same pool! I fished for about 5 minuets then sat under a tree and just enjoyed watching the river go by. He did catch one little one...and released it. Oregon is a great place to be in August. Before I left Phoenix I literally melted the soles off 2 pair of shoes working on pavement that was 167 deg. It felt like the dead of winter to me there! On the way home I spotted some black berries beside the road, so we stopped for lunch. Apparently there is some kind of rule that you have to eat as much as you pick to put in the bucket. I was worried about it but evidenty you cannot overdose on Blackberries. We started the trip gathing blueberries that were growing everywhere. You can't OD on them either. If anyone wants to fly to the area, don't overlook flying to Eugene from Mesa Williams Airport. Tickets are less than $100 round trip. 
It was just to hot to stay in the valley yesterday and I had a quick errand to run in Prescott so Daniel, Doni, David, Sweetie and I headed off to the cool mountains via the back way through Walnut Grove and a delightful creek for the kids to play in for a while. Sweetie got a little nervous when a magnificant huge black Angus Bull walked up to her holding Tori at the creek. He got within 4 ft. He probably never saw anything bigger than himself so nothing seemed to threaten him. I told Sweetie to just sit still and he passed on by. My theory is why run, I can't outrun anything any way so why try? After we left the creek we went inI to Prescott where the kids all visited the candy store. Everything was really great.....except for Zane gettiing car sick and throwing up about 10 minuits from home. Uncle Daniel had to make a late night trip to his old office to clean the seats, but it was no real biggie. Doni had her camera with her and got some great shots down at the creek which I imagine will show up on her blog soon. 
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