Its been said, "Home is where the heart is." I'm not sure if that notion is rooted in geography or the warmth of relationships. But I gotta say, I'm glad to be back in Maine!

We left Los Angeles on a beautiful morning characterized by warm temps in the 80's and perfectly clear skies. But landing in Philly for a connecting flight was quite a different story. About half way between LA and Philly, the plane started lurching forward like a car hitting patches of black ice. Then the sudden drops in altitude started. WHEW ... my belly was full of butterflies. I probably looked like I was trying to sleep through it, but I was actually pleeding with God in prayer. Thankfully, the pilots were skilled and God merciful. We landed in the home of Major League champs to a big round of applause from all passengers onboard. Unfortunately, our connecting flight was cancelled and we would have 5 hours to kill before the next flight to Portland. Needless to say, we were exausted to finally arrive home at 2 am - some 20 hours after leaving my sister's house in Cal.

Now, BACK TO WORK !!!

The "Big Sur"

WOW ... WOW ! That's all I kept saying while riding the "Big Sur" area of California's Pacific Coast Highway.

Earlier this week, Josey and I rented a 2008 Honda Goldwing and cruised the coastline from Santa Monica to Monterey. There are many 25 mph curves and several switch-backs, but the scenery was 'breath-taking'. In a few places the road is narrow with no shoulder. And the drop is about 300 ft. straight down to the ocean. This ride is a serious challenge of riding skills.

It was the longest ride we have ever done - about 350 miles each direction. We rode all day long to reach Monterey. And then a full day's ride back. Though our 'backsides' got sore (I know, TMI), THIS RIDE WAS AWESOME ! I 'highly' recommend it for the "bucket list" of every motorcyclist.

RIDE ON!

Well, we have been collecting shoes at Harmony for a wonderful new organization called "Soles 4 Souls"( www.soles4souls.org ). They are collecting and providing shoes for people who have lost virtually everything in 'natural disasters'. I discovered them when my interest was peeked with desire for our church to respond to the needs of people who lived on the Texas Coast. As you probably remember, 'Hurricane Ike' washed away their dreams about a month ago.

I liked the organization from the beginning. And now that I have done more research, I REALLY appreciate them. The organizer ( http://wayneelsey.wordpress.com ) of S4S was working for a shoe company when Hurricane Katrina blasted through New Orleans. He states that he was watching the news coverage and saw a single shoe wash up on the beach. That was his "ah ha" moment and the beginning of Soles 4 Souls.

What impresses me most is the heart of this group. They are linking up with other organizations to do some AWESOME ministry. From what I read, they hooked up with a church that meets under a cement bridge in Nashville ... in an effort to take the church to the people. The goal was to put good shoes on all of Nashville's homeless people. According to a blog entry, Vince Gill & Amy Grant even stopped in to provide some inspiring tunes. NOW THAT'S WHAT I CALL "MINISTRY"!!!

Jim's Jive 5

	1. Name something a friend or loved one did for you in the last month that made you feel good. *A friend came and helped me move a very heavy wood stove into the house. There is NO WAY I could have done it without him. 2. Name something you did for a friend or loved one in the last month and how did it make them feel? *I cooked a big seafood dinner for my brother (and his wife) during a recent visit. I think he REALLY enjoyed it. 3. Tell us about the first childhood family vacation that you remember. If you don't have a memory of that then tell us the first family event memory you have. Don't forget to include details about that experience that stick out in your mind. *The first vacation memory was a road trip to my Aunt Ruth's house in up-state NY. I was probably 12, and it was my first time seeing snow. My uncle rented a snowmobile for me and my cousins ... it was PURE JOY! 4. Kids get hurt. Tell us a time you recall as a kid when you injured yourself. *EE-W-W-W ... I remember it well. I ran into a plate glass window and cut myself up BAD. Docs told my dad I may never walk correctly again - due to muscle and ligament damage. But I believe God blessed me with complete healing. The injuries never slowed me down in sports or other activity. 5. Tell us something you want to do before the snow flies. If you live in an area that might not get snow then before Christmas will do. *I want to take ONE MORE nice motorcycle ride - maybe an all-day trip. Motorcycling is not very pleasant when there is snow. (:

Paddeez MI-5

Describe your single fondest childhood memory of the fall season:
I grew up in South Florida where there is no change of seasons ... its like summer all year (only hotter!). But I do remember that the month of October brought welcomed cool breezes after a hot and sticky months. And I remember becoming aware of it for the first time. I noticed the sea-breeze causing my bedroom curtain to stand out away from the wall - and funneling the cool relief right down on my bed. It was SO REFRESHING!

2. What are your two favorite things to eat that are specific to this time of year?:
Chili comes to mind. I LOVE eating chili when the weather begins cooling off. Second would be oranges. The best citrus crops begin coming in at the end of summer ... but not until after the first cold snap. That's what makes them juicy, and sweetens the up real nice. My mouth is watering!

3. Name three items that you dig out of the closet and wear now that the weather is turning crisp?:
Definitely need my winter riding gloves. They're leather - but have an extra liner to keep in the heat while motorcycling. Second is a heavy hat ... I have a few. Since I am loosing some hair density, I seem to loose a good deal of heat from my head. So a good hat is a 'must'. Third would be long-sleeve "T"s. I have always liked them, and fall is the time to wear them.

4. Tell us your four favorite activities that you enjoy between the Autumnal Equinox and Halloween (November AIN'T Fall here in Maine folks!):
I enjoy the woods. I would enjoy them in the summer too, but Maine mosquitoes are FEROCIOUS then. Second would be the leaves. I usually plan at least one day-trip to take in the natural explosion of color. Third would be a final trip to my favorite ice cream shop. I don't normally eat it in the winter. Finally, winterizing the house. You know I'm 'from away'... right? WHO ENJOYS THAT! But this is still new to me, and I find it somewhat exciting.

5. Finally, what are the top five things that you need to get done before the winter hits?:
1 Finish installing the new pellet stove.
2 Get new (insulated) windows for the house.
3 Insulate the basement ceiling - which is also the living room floor.
4 Get the snow thrower out and make sure it runs.
5 Make one more run for ice cream ... did I say that already?

Good Day, Mate

I'm a theologist ... not a scientist. But I'm excited about this scientific experiment. THIS IS COOL! The picture is part of a Hadron Collider that is able to conduct a proton beam at super high speed. It's a 6-billion dollar international experiment designed to prove some aspects of the Big Bang Theory.

One publication said, "It [the experiment] could also find evidence of the hypothetical particle — the Higgs boson — believed to give mass to all other particles, and thus to matter that makes up the universe." The "Higgs boson" has been nick-named the 'God Particle' by a leading British researcher, Peter Higgs. This brings me to the "really cool" thing. For me, its not the hard data gathered by this experiment. Fact is, I comprehend little of the physics involved. But the major (unspoken) issue at stake here is the possible fall of another theory ... Evolution.

I was taught Darwinian Evolution as absolute truth while attending public school. I accepted the teaching as a child and answered the test questions accordingly. But as a rational adult, I never embraced 'evolution' as the truth about our origins. And I have even less appreciation for the Secular Humanism that grew out of it.

This experiment is proof that many contemporary scientists have serious doubt about evolution too. I'm not sold on the Big Bang theory either, I'm actually a 6-day creationists by relationship. But this experiment may be HISTORIC in terms of research conducted by the scientific community. It opens up very intelligent people to the 'possibility' of a Divine factor in the cosmos. NOW THAT'S COOL!

One of the things I ABSOLUTELY love about Maine is fresh blueberries. The 'cool' thing is that they seem to grow everywhere. We have discovered them in several unlikely places ... like on top of Mount Batty where tons of tourist go. I guess most people don't know what the bushes look like.

Blueberry pie has always been my favorite - even growing up in South Florida where blueberries came from a can. And I can make myself 'sick' on blueberry pancakes. The corner store near my house makes the best! This is a real problem for me - seeing as my cholesterol level is 'through the roof'. "Thank God" for Simvastatin!

In Maine the delectable berries are 'in season'. They are available at make-shift stands alongside every major highway, and I can't pass them by! Josey and I even went to a Blueberry Festival a few days ago where we saw blueberries marketed every way imaginable. I spent all my pocket money there, and came home with a belly-ache. Anyway, the season will be over soon and I will be back to raiding my freezer-stash for blueberries. Guess all good things must come to an end ... at least in THIS life.