31st Anniversary

This week we celebrate our 31st wedding anniversary! It sounds like a long time, yet it feels like only days have passed. When I tell folks that we have been married for 31 years they always comment on how unusual that is these days and congratulate us. This is the photo that I carry in my wallet, what a beautiful bride! Oh, and by the way, I got a haircut for the wedding the day before.

We have been through so much in these last few years with our kids, and it seems like another lifetime when I try to recall when they were babies. The other day we were driving home from the grocery store with our granddaughter in the back seat and the local oldies radio station had a song on that I remember listening to when our birth children were little. Here we are 31 years latter listening to the same music, still together, still in love, and still with a little child in the back seat. I told my wife that I felt ageless.

Ageless... that is how I can sum up our relationship. We have weathered 31 years of life together, ups and downs, good and bad, but we have always been there for each other! When I first saw my future bride it was at church, I said to my self "I really need to meet her". It was on our third date that I asked her to marry me, of course she said yes. When we decided to get married we were only 19, but I said that I only want to get married once in my life and she was the one. On our wedding day we had only known each other for six months.

...Who said love at first sight couldn't last?

God said, "It's not good for the Man to be alone; I'll make him a helper, a companion." (Genesis 2:18)

Peace, Love, and Light through Jesus the Christ!
Kevin (Cloud)

Deterrence - A Formula For Disaster

“I am the only person who ever looked at all twelve thousand five hundred of our targets. And when I got through I was horrified. Deterrence was a formula for disaster. We escaped disaster by the grace of God. If you ask one person who has lived in this arena his whole career, I have come to one conclusion. This has to end. This must stop. This must be our highest priority.”

- General George Lee Butler, United States Air Force (Retired), head of US Strategic Nuclear Forces 1991-1994

Peace, Love, and Light!
Kevin (Cloud)

We Came In Peace For all Mankind

Thirty-eight years ago this week I was glued to the television set watching the most amazing trek humankind had undertaken since Ferdinand Magellan circumnavigated the globe in 1519 - the flight of Apollo 11 and the first man to walk on the moon. All these wonderful NASA photos can be found at The Project Apollo Archive.

This plaque was attached to one of the Lunar Lander's legs. It remains there on the moon to this day. I find it interesting that those words were chosen while the Vietnam war was ragging.

What an awesome view of our beautiful planet. The earth sure looks like a welcoming place to visit in contrast to the appearance of the moon. From here it looks so peaceful and alive. If we "came in peace" to such a desolate and uninhabitable place like the moon, then why can't we live in peace on earth?

Peace, Love, and Light through Jesus the Christ!
Kevin (Cloud)

In The News

Somehow I made it on to the religion page of the Dallas Morning News as the website of the week...

Web Site of the Week: Hippie Christian

09:27 PM CDT on Friday, April 28, 2006

This site is maintained by a guy named Kevin - or Cloud, as he was known back in the day. He explains how to live the hippie Christian lifestyle: Study and follow Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, hang out with like-minded believers, talk daily with God. His hippie lifestyle defies some of the stereotypes; he writes that he prefers to stay sober to hear God's voice. But there's no mistaking the site's groovy design - peace symbols, tie-dye and rainbow colors.

There's a silly quiz to determine whether you're a hippie Jesus freak, and a collection of drum rhythms for drum circles. The most poignant writings are found on his blog, linked from the site. The hippie and his wife are taking care of their infant granddaughter while the girl's parents fight drug problems, he says. Grandpa Cloud's musings on love, faith and parenthood are sincere and worth following.

Tyra Damm

Online at: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/religion/stories/0428dnrelwebweek.2809867.html

Thanks Tyra for the kind words!

Peace, Love, and Light through Jesus the Christ!
Kevin (Cloud)

07-07-07

Another mystical, magical combination of numbers for today's date... 07-07-07.

Some have tried to capitalize on the significance of today's date. Well for someone born on a Friday the 13th I have a hard time buying into all the fanfare. First it was the Y2K thing, yawn! Then it was 06-06-06, oops 666 is the number of a man not a day. Now it's 07-07-07, hold on to your hat Martha - it's a new age a'comin'.

One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks. (Romans 14:5-6)

Peace, Love, and Light through Jesus the Christ!
Kevin (Cloud)

Juggling Followup

How could I be so remiss as to write about juggling and not mention the 60's hippie icon Wavy Gravy. A post today on the Hippie Christian Bulletin Board caused me to realize my faux-pa. One sister's post about Wavy Gravy brought up a good observation...

"My grandfathers claimed to know Jesus yet their life did not reflect the love that does this man's life. Perhaps they don't know Jesus as much as they think, and just maybe he knows Jesus more than he realizes."

Peace, Love, and Light through Jesus the Christ!
Kevin (Cloud)

Fair Use Notice

All You Need To Know To Develop Amazing Juggling Skills

That is the sub-title of a book I spotted at a local store marked down for clearance, it is hard for me to pass up a bargain. The step-by-step book came complete with three colorful balls to get me started on my journey to the circus. I have never been very coordinated, especially with round objects that require any degree of throwing and catching skills. I usually end up with either a face full of ball or having to chase the elusive round object that had somehow passed right through my hands.

I have always been fascinated by juggling and I have a hard time passing up an item on sale so I bought the book. I have spent more time picking up the little multi-colored balls than I have spent catching them, so from time to time I put the book away allowing my back to rest from recovering the colorful orbs.

One of the more important tips for juggling is learning where to look while tossing the balls. This is the hardest thing for me to master at this time because it involves NOT looking at the objects that I am attempting to juggle, but rather looking UP. I read that I am not to keep my eyes on the object but they are to be focused upward and I am not looking at my hands either but having faith that the balls will return to my hands only long enough to release them again.

The spiritual lesson for me is threefold...

First: Keep my eyes focused heavenward where my help comes from and not focused on my current situation. I am to look to the heights that my situation can soar to and not the lowest point. Being focused upward forces me to not worry about being in the depths of despair.

Second: Don't focus on my hands (my own strength) it will only mess me up. If I am concerned with how I will do it then I am not having faith that Father is in control. If I am looking at my hands then I am worrying about how I will get hold of the situation rather that how I will release it upward to God again.

Third: Even though situations may end up in my hands again they are to be released upward to Father on a continuing cycle. I am through prayer and conscience effort tossing to God everything that lands in my hands. He allows them to be there long enough for me to give them back to Him. If I hold on to them my hands get too full to do anything else productive. If I let them drop to the floor then my hands are empty and idle, uninvolved with the Father's work.

"...look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near...” -Jesus (Luke 21:28)

Peace, Love, and Light through Jesus the Christ!
Kevin (Cloud)

Memorial Day

Anonther Memorial Day... and according to an Associated Press story "Nearly 1,000 American troops have been killed in Iraq since last Memorial Day, and that number is expected to rise."

Read my Memorial Day post from last year... Today I Fly The Flag

Keep praying for our leaders...
Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.
(1 Timothy 2:1-2)

Peace, Love, and Light through Jesus the Christ!
Kevin (Cloud)

Bush Warned of Iraq Challenges

Here is the biggest "I told you so" that I have heard in a long time... Bush was twice warned of Iraq challenges

From the Los Angeles Times

Prewar reports alerted the president to the difficulty of establishing democracy, among other assessments that proved accurate. Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman John D. Rockefeller IV (D-W.Va.), said the report demonstrated that "the intelligence community gave the administration plenty of warning about the difficulties we would face if the decision was made to go to war." He added: "These dire warnings were widely distributed at the highest levels of government, and it's clear that the administration didn't plan for any of them."

Too bad our President didn't heed this proverb...

Where there is no counsel, the people fall; But in the multitude of counselors there is safety. Proverbs 11:14

Peace, Love, and Light through Jesus the Christ!
Kevin (Cloud)

Jesus Loves You So Much...

Peace, Love, and Light!
Kevin (Cloud)

The Draft

I remember registering for the draft during the Vietnam War. I registered as a CO (Conscientious Objector) but didn't have anyone to tell me how to prove my status as a CO. The local Selective Service System Board didn't offer me any advice on how to file a CO claim (surprised?). No, instead they were kind enough to issue me a draft card with my classification of 1-A and my "Random Sequence Number" 077. Can you say cannon fodder? I know you can! For those of you too young to know what the heck I am talking about check out the Selective Service System web site...

Selective Service System - The Vietnam Lotteries

Thank God Nixon was brining our brave men & women home so I never had to go through the process of proving my claim. I still have my draft card, I keep it as a reminder of the insanity of that day.

Now you might ask how I came to the conclusion that I was a Conscientious Objector. As a young long hair hippie Jesus freak I couldn't reconcile the mandate to spread the Gospel and killing. How could I point a weapon at someone I was commanded to share the good news of God's love with and then send him on his way to eternity with a few rounds of 5.56mm fired from my government issued Colt M-16 rifle? "Hi, I am a Christian and God loves you so much that he has a plan for your life. Have you heard of the 4 spiritual laws? Oh, by the way I am here to kill you." BANG!

This didn't mean that I wouldn't have served my country. There is an Alternative Service Program that allows COs to work in noncombat - nonmilitary jobs and I was more than willing to serve in that program.

If you need help registering as a Conscientious Objector please check out these web sites before they start up the draft...

Selective Service System - Conscientious Objection

The Center on Conscience and War

Peace, Love, and Light through Jesus the Christ!
Kevin (Cloud)

Fourth Anniversary Of The War

On Saturday my granddaughter and I went to a local peace rally, not the first and sad to say most likely not my last. We ran into a church group handing out cold soft drinks and helped them until they ran out of sodas.

There was a lot of excitement about the large turnout, but I couldn't help but think how sad that here we are protesting the war - again! Well it's been four years of the same old stuff that I remember being served up on the 6 o'clock news forty years ago.

War always sounds good at the outset when we are told of the good and noble cause that rallies the troops to serve... then the realities set in, the photos of the destruction hit our doorstep in the morning paper and the flag draped boxes start coming home.

"I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone - for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness." 
(1Timothy 2:1-2)

Peace, Love, and Light through Jesus the Christ!
Kevin (Cloud)