“Forgiveness, which is so easy for us to accept, cost the agony at Calvary. We should never take the forgiveness of sin in simple faith and then forget the enormous cost to God that made all of this ours. The cost to God was the Cross of Christ. To forgive sin, while remaining a holy God, this price had to be paid. Once you realize all that it cost God to forgive you, you will be held as in a vise, constrained by the love of God” (Oswald Chambers, from My Utmost for His Highest).

The vacation is over. Part of me was a little bit sad driving away from Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge. Part of me wishes I could still be there now, with a few more days of leisure still ahead of me.

Then again, part of me wants to eat nothing but pizza and chocolate all day and never get fat. I’m no nutritionist, but I’m pretty sure those two can’t coexist.

So tomorrow I re-enter the real world of early rising, long commutes, and work weeks. Thankfully, it’s another short week with the Thanksgiving holiday coming up in a few days.

Honestly, I know that too much of just about anything can get old after a while. Even vacations. Eventually the money runs out. Eventually the bills come due.

I do know that you can’t get too much of God. He’s the eternal mystery that you can never get to the bottom of in a million years. Not even in a million million years.

That’s a comforting thought, even at 5 am on a Monday.

“After the last tear falls, after the last secret’s told

After the last bullet tears through flesh and bone

After the last child starves and the last girl walks the boulevard

After the last year that’s just too hard

There is love

Love, love, love

There is love

Love, love, love

There is love

After the last disgrace, after the last lie to save some face

After the last brutal jab from a poison tongue

After the last dirty politician, after the last meal down at the mission

After the last lonely night in prison

There is love

Love, love, love

There is love

Love, love, love

There is love

And in the end, the end is oceans and oceans of love and love again

We’ll see how the tears that have fallen

Were caught in the palms of the Giver of love and the Lover of all

And we’ll look back on these tears as old tales

‘Cause after the last plan fails, after the last siren wails

After the last young husband sails off to join the war

After the last, this marriage is over

After the last young girl’s innocence is stolen

After the last years of silence that won’t let a heart open

There is love

Love, love, love

There is love

And in the end, the end is oceans and oceans of love and love again

We’ll see how the tears that have fallen

Were caught in the palms of the Giver of love and the Lover of all

And we’ll look back on these tears as old tales

‘Cause after the last tear falls there is love” (Andrew Osenga/Andrew Peterson

Well, it was another day well spent in both Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg. At the very least, I was able to pick up the required 2 AA batteries so I could operate my wireless blutooth keyboard and be able to type this blog post so effortlessly.

I visited the usual haunts– the Pancake Pantry, the Village shopping area, Ober Gatlinburg– and got my fill of good food. The weather was perfect for November– sunny, slightly crispy temps, and only moderately breezy. 

I got me another pair of jeans (which are always needed and useful) at the Gap Outlet. I also had a s0-so cup of hot chocolate from Starbucks.

The best part is getting away from the daily grind and having a couple of leisurely days to relax and unwind.

All in all, a good time has been had by all.

It’s good to be back.

Gatlinburg is one of those places where I can feel like I’ve gone back in time to my childhood.

Sure, it’s not exactly the same, but enough of it is like it was back in 1982 to evoke all kinds of happy memories from vacations past.

I plan to revisit all my favorite places in the next three days, starting in the morning at the Pancake Pantry.

My 10-year old  inner child will be in heaven.

Oh, and the Christmas decorations are up. Even better.

It’s only been a few weeks since I completed my quest to watch all the surviving episodes of Classic Doctor Who that cover the years from 1963 to 1989.

I’ve decided to begin a new quest and started on Series one of the revived Doctor Who that started back again in 2005 (also known in some circles as NuWho).

The current doctor is Christopher Eccleston and his lone companion is the lovely Billie Piper. So far, it has a very different feel than the classic series, but I’m still really liking it.

The special effects have improved– in some cases dramatically. The pacing is much faster and the action is more intense. So far I’m only two episodes in, but I give it two thumbs up.

Today’s my Friday.

“How?” you ask.

My vacation officially starts tomorrow.

So that means no alarm set for 5 am. No cold pre-dawn commute.

I can stay wrapped in that blankety hug that I like to call my bed for a little while longer.

I can already tell it’s going to be glorious.

For my purposes, this vacation starts right now.

Good night.

One of the hardest parts of having a second cat is always having to do away with the idea that Peanut will be Lucy 2.0 and act the way she did.

Peanut has her own distinct and wonderful personality, full of unique quirks and lovable ways.

Still, every now and then, she’ll surprise me and pull a bit of a Lucy. Yesterday, I laid my hoodie on the bed instead of hanging it in the closet because I was feeling particularly lazy. I come back to find little Peanut lounging on said hoodie, exactly the way Lucy used to curl up on my clothes.

 I like to think that Peanut likes to lay on my clothing because they smell like me. Or maybe the cotton really is downey soft. Maybe she approves of my fashion choices (or possibly is trying to keep me from leaving the house looking like something out of a bad 90’s movie).

It still warms my heart to see her snuggling on my hoodie, at peace with me and the world. Plus, she’s just so darn cute.

It’s little moments like these, unexpected and unplanned, that I’m coming to treasure more and more as I get older. Those little God-winks are what make those average days a little better.

Today, I’m grateful for veterans, especially those who made the ultimate sacrifice of their lives so that I and many others could live free.

Today marks the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I. I know very little about this one, except that I believe it was to be the war to end all wars (which obviously was not the case).

Today is also the eve of Veterans Day in which we celebrate the bravery of all those who have served in the military, especially those who went willingly into harm’s way. Some came home with scars both visible and invisible. Some did not come home at all.

I don’t want to ever take the freedom paid for by blood for granted. So I say a heartfelt thanks to all those who have sacrificed for democracy and freedom. Your labors were not in vain.

Evangelism is a scary word. People are often afraid to share their faith because they feel inadequate and unsure of what they believe, or that possibly the other person might start asking questions they don’t have answers for. There’s always the fear of losing the relationship or making it awkward.

But think about it. We all do a fair amount of evangelizing every day.

Have you ever heard a great song by one of your favorite artists and wanted to tell someone else? That conversation probably started off with, “Hey, you need to hear this song.”

Maybe you’re binge-watching a great Netflix show and want everyone you work with to know about it. For me, I’ve evangelized about some movies I’ve seen recently.

Possibly it’s a restaurant you love where you had that meal that nearly turned you pentecostal. You think everyone else needs to eat there.

We all evangelize about what we’re passionate about. It’s hard to keep silent about something that you truly love. Sometimes to the point of being obnoxious and annoying (but not that I would know anything about that).

Maybe the problem with evangelism isn’t technique but a heart issue. When Jesus truly captivates our hearts and changes our lives, we want everyone to know.

I’m the first to confess that when it comes to sharing my faith, I don’t. I might need a little revival in my own heart. I know I’m not the only one.

My prayer is that our love for Jesus will grow to the point that it oozes out of us and we can’t help but share it. May we live in such a way that people will ask about the hope we have and how they can have it, too.