Travels

Yes, even though I have been talking about journaling about my life here in North Dakota, so far this year (2011) I have spent more time traveling than I've been home. Therefore, from time to time, I will post a bit of my travels from this year just to catch up a little where I might have left off on my old blog.

My first trip this year was a quick flight out to California to see my family. It was another bad winter here in ND and I suppose a little cabin fever had set in. So in the middle of January I took a flight out to see my kids and grand kids for about two weeks.

The day I left home for the airport was a cold and snowy day with the north wind starting to pick up. I had been having a problem with a leak in the radiator of my pickup so I made an appointment with the garage to work on it for the two weeks that I would be gone. (That way I wouldn't have to pay for parking at the airport either! Pretty smart, eh?) I topped off the rad with antifreeze and headed out on the day of my flight. Sure enough! 12 miles from home my radiator completely blew! Naturally, I'm talking with God all the way asking for safe travels, not only because of the icy roads but that the radiator would make it to Minot. All I can say is, as with all things in God's perfect plan, that God had his hand in this since the radiator let go right in front a bar right in the middle of nowhere.

So does God have his hand in bars too? Isn't God Omnipresent? Does his providence prevail no matter what? Doesn't he watch over us no matter where we are and what we are doing? You answer that for me.... I already have. As it happened, when the rad blew and the temp gauge started to get dangerously high I shut the engine off and was able to coast right up to the front door of the bar. Now being out in the middle of nowhere I checked my phone and sure enough...no signal! I knew the bar had been closed for quite some time and the traffic past there was quite sparse. But wait! All of a sudden the front door opened and someone asked if I needed to use the phone. The place wasn't even open yet but the new owners had just moved in a day or two earlier to start getting the place ready for business. I went in, used their phone, they made a fresh pot of coffee and we had a nice chat. When the tow truck finally arrived I thanked my hosts for their help—but only after I thanked God for his protection, providence, and watch care in my LIFE. God is good!

It was still winter in North Dakota when I got home at the end of January as seen from the street in front of my house: