Pastor Jim, from alaska

Hi All,
This just in from our pastor in cool Alaska 

"Present your prayers and petitions with thanksgiving…”
Philippians 4:6

Our Alaska cabin is a “dry cabin.” That just means there’s no indoor plumbing. We have a pretty nice outhouse but the water we use must be hauled in or caught in rain barrels. Rain water is boiled for coffee or tea, washing dishes and hands, and is pumped to the outdoor shower. We fill several five-gallon jugs with potable water in town every week. A quarter buys about ten gallons.

We get along pretty well but it is inconvenient.

​Living like this for a few weeks helps me realize how spoiled I am. 

Many people haul water but not by choice. My grandmother (see picture) homesteaded a place outside of Nyssa. For the first year they hauled water from a ditch to their basement house. Yes, I’m spoiled.

In the words of an old hymn:
“When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed;
when you are discouraged thinking all is lost;
Count your many blessings, angels will attend;
help and comfort give you ‘til your journey ends.”

Yes, our lives have been disrupted significantly over the past few months. There are many “unknowns” that shadow our lives. But let’s make time every day to turn off the television, quiet our souls and “count our many blessings.”
​
Stay negative and wash your hands,
Pastor Jim