One thing I've noticed... is that the only one in a hurry is me... unless maybe it is you too... but it seems to me that God doesn't ever  seem to be in a hurry... to do anything... now... how come do you suppose that is...?... Philip says, "hurry up"... and God says, "wait"... how come is that?

So what is it... this cost  thing...?... What does it look  like...?  Well.... for each of us it is... or it  can be different... but whatever it looks like... whatever the specific situation or circumstance that takes me there... that really doesn't  matter... what matters is where it is bringing us... and whatever God  is allowing to happen in my life...

Who doesn't count the cost ... before we start to build something? ...before we start to do something... do I have enough to finsh the task..?... to start that business...? ... to build that house...?... to buy that car....? What is that going to cost me...?  What is the price I have to pay... ?    what is it going to cost me to follow  Christ?

We have been talking about this a lot  lately... Ellen and me... and the folks we walk with up here in Vermont... talking about it a lot... talking about what was missing  when we were first presented with the Gospel... some things that maybe should be said right in the beginning  of our walk with God.... we wonder what it might be like... for instance... if we told people that from this moment on... every single step we take...

Is it really possible? I mean... can we actually do it... can we keep the Gospel the simple thing that it really is?  God says it is available to every person... any culture... any nation... any language... it has nothing to do with how smart we are... how gifted we are... how educated we are... it is just a very simple thing... we can know God... and we can know Him better every day.... we can walk and talk with Him in the Garden of our lives.... every day.

I left off last time talking about how we have presented a gospel that costs us nothing... it is absolutely free... so it ends up having no value... because we never understood that for anything to have value  to us... it has to cost us  something... we said there was nothing we could ever  do for God... He had done it all... it seemed so simple... but it never worked... and it got very complicated... oh my ...

Took some more time to try to figure out how to say more...and use less words... really am working at it... not exactly the same as being successful at it....

You know... like all the things I keep seeing about how free isn't really free... and if it's free then it has no value to us... have you ever thought about that?

I mean really...?   When was the last time you got all excited because somebody on the other end of the phone told you they had a deal  for you and it was absolutely free?  Come on now... when was it? 

"It is free"... that's what he said... "free"....one of the owners of our new web-hosting company... you know... I mentioned them last time..."Innkeeper's Advantage"... they are doing this great job for us.... especially the job of getting Philip's act together... not an easy task...

It's been a while... a time for some needed reflection... about the future... you know.. planning... goal setting... re-evaluating... all that good kind of stuff... I am re-focused... making decisions and pretty much ready to get on with what we have come to call the "Great Adventure!"