Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

9 May

Enduring Truths for Recent Grads

Posted by Zachary P. Hubbard in Uncategorized.

Graduate [2]

 

A couple of years ago I wrote an article  for my newspaper column with some advice for recent grads.  It has become one of the most popular pieces I ever wrote. I received dozens of emails thanking me for writing it.    Therefore, I decided to  republish it annually around graduation time.  I hope some of you might find it useful.  You can view the original article in The Tribune-Democrat news at this link:  http://goo.gl/LtN72

For those who are graduating high school this year and beginning the long transition into adulthood, I’d like to offer you a gift. Here are five enduring truths I’ve learned. They will help you through life’s journey.

Choices

“If you decide to just go with the flow, you’ll end up where the flow goes, which is usually downhill, often leading to a big pile of sludge and a life of unhappiness. You’ll end up doing what everyone else is doing.” ― Sean Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens

 Life will deal you an endless string of choices along the way.  Some will be trivial, like deciding what to wear today.  Others will be weighty and their outcomes will affect you forever.  Weighty decisions should always be preceded by much thought and soul searching.  This includes decisions about who you date or marry, what you put into your body, bringing children into the world, what you do for a living, how much debt you incur and who you associate with.

All of these decisions will have a lasting effect on your life. Therefore, make them slowly and deliberately. Often you’ll discover that the right choice is not the easiest one.  A habit of making poor choices will, as the Sean Covey quote suggests, drag your life downhill.

I was recently contacted by a young man who had just received a bad conduct discharge from the Navy.  He asked me how the discharge would impact his future employability.  His mistake was choosing to drive a car while intoxicated and hitting a pedestrian. Fortunately, the victim wasn’t seriously injured. Had it been otherwise, the young sailor would probably be in prison.  It was my sad responsibility to inform him that with some employers the discharge would be a black mark for life. Choices matter!

 Learning

“Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterwards.”    ―Vernon Saunders Law, former professional baseball pitcher and Cy Young Award winner

Some of you will go on to college or technical school.  Others will enter the workforce.  Even if your formal education is over, don’t quit learning. Make learning a lifelong adventure.  I did my undergraduate work at the University of Kentucky.  The school offers a fellowship program for individuals aged 65 and older to attend classes tuition free. Every year numerous senior citizens walk the stage to receive degrees ranging from Associate of Arts to Doctor of Philosophy.  It’s never too late to learn.

Even if you don’t choose to continue formal learning, make it point to learn from life. Observe others; note their successes and failures; then learn from their experiences.  More importantly, learn from your own mistakes.

Some of the greatest lessons I’ve learned, particularly those while serving in uniform, were the result of having made a terrible mistake.  This sort of lesson sticks, like the first time you grab the handle of a hot iron skillet with your bare hand.  The key to learning from mistakes is owning them.  Admit your mistakes and then move on, having learned something from the experience.  Don’t let, “It wasn’t my fault,” be part of your vocabulary.

 Work

“A dream doesn’t become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work.”  ―Colin Powell, retired U.S. Army four-star general and former U.S. Secretary of State

Work isn’t always fun. If it were, they’d call it play.  Work can be downright unpleasant, but it’s an essential element of life! Along the way you’re going to have jobs you won’t like. Note what you don’t like and make it a point to improve yourself, so you’ll never again have to work at such a job.

Accepting a job means submitting to the authority of those placed over you.  Learn to work within this system.   You’ll inevitably have bosses you don’t like.  Learn to respect the position, if not the individual.

Fairness

“Life is not fair; get used to it.” ―Bill Gates, founder and former CEO, Microsoft Corporation

You will hear much discussion about fairness in this life. It’s all hot air.  Life isn’t fair.  Some good people die young, while some bad people live a long life.   Disease sometimes strikes arbitrarily, for no apparent reason.  Some people prosper while others suffer failure. A death or accident can change your life forever.

There is randomness to life that can’t be avoided.  Don’t expect kindness to be returned with kindness.  Don’t expect generosity to be returned with generosity.  The best choice is to be fair and kind to others and learn to accept what they return to you.

A wise man named Harry Browne ran for president of the United States on the Libertarian Party ticket. On Christmas day in 1966, Browne wrote his young daughter a letter aptly titled, “A Gift for My Daughter.”  I encourage every graduating senior to read it and digest it. In the letter, he explains to his daughter that, “Nobody owes you anything.”  Understanding what Browne meant can truly bless you. You can find it at:  www.harrybrowne.org/articles/GiftDaughter.htm.

Faith

“A faith is a necessity to a man. Woe to him who believes in nothing.”  ―Victor Hugo

I once had a senior Army officer tell me he preferred to work with men who possessed spiritual values, regardless of their religion.  He explained that having faith in a power higher than one’s self was an indicator of how one will perform under pressure; in this instance, the pressure meant combat.

Too many people place their faith in all the wrong places.  It might be in wealth, celebrity, good looks, talent, or even government.  Whatever the case, misplaced faith leads to disappointment after disappointment.

To avoid these disappointments, put your faith in God alone.  You, your loved ones and your friends will all inevitably let you down, but God will never fail you.

30 Apr

Sin: the Uncomfortable Condition of Man

Posted by Zachary P. Hubbard in advice, Bible, Faith, Prayer, Radical Christianity, Sin, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , .

Praying

“Prayer is not asking. It is a longing of the soul. It is daily admission of one’s weakness. It is better in prayer to have a heart without words than words without a heart.”  –Mahatma Gandhi

Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz has received a lot of flak in the media recently over his public displays of Christian faith. A video showing members of the clergy laying hands on him and praying was particularly troubling for some. Many people get uneasy when they see politicians displaying their religious convictions in public. For that matter, any public display of religious faith downright scares some people.

Cruz isn’t the only American politician to receive criticism for displaying his faith in public.  Presidents Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush were criticized at one time or another over openly displaying and discussing their faith.

I’m not here to support or reject Cruz. The American voters will take care of that. I’m just fascinated by the way religion scares so many people in our society. I understand there is reason to be concerned about politicians who become overzealous about their religion. But why should seeing a politician pray, hear them speak about the role of faith in their live or discuss sin cause concern?

Remember how many people mocked President George W. Bush for referring to terrorists as “evildoers?” Bush didn’t coin that term. It appears more than two dozen times in the Old and New Testaments. Psalm 92:9 (ESV) says, “For behold, your enemies, O Lord, for behold, your enemies shall perish; all evildoers shall be scattered.

I believe that somewhere deep inside every person, as a sentient being, holds the knowledge that we owe our existence to an omnipotent, omniscient creator. For many this knowledge resides at an unconscious level, but it has to be there nonetheless.

We were created in God’s image to glorify him and dwell in his presence. Acknowledging God requires one to admit that he/she is not in charge. This flies in the face of the concept of individuality and personal freedom that so permeates the American psyche. For those who refuse to acknowledge God, the deep seeded realization of God must be an unconscious source of conflict and discomfort—a deep down sense of one’s personal inadequacy and, dare I say, sense of personal sin.

Many people are repulsed by being called a sinner.  Yet sin is a condition we all live in. Martin Luther described it eloquently in a letter to Philip Melanchthon on August 1, 1521:

 “Be a sinner, and let your sins be strong, but let your trust in Christ be stronger, and rejoice in Christ who is the victor over sin, death, and the world.  We will commit sins while we are here, for this life is not a place where justice resides.  We, however, says Peter (2 Peter 3:13) are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth where justice will reign.  It suffices that through God’s glory we have recognized the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world. No sin can separate us from Him, even if we were to kill or commit adultery thousands of times each day.  Do you think such an exalted Lamb paid merely a small price with a meager sacrifice for our sins?  Pray hard for you are quite a sinner.”

Only when a person acknowledges his sinful nature God can begin to fully work inside him.  What a pity so many fail to understand this. Christ’s church is full of sinners—and that’s exactly where sinners need to be!

 

 

27 Mar

Easter 2016 – Resurrection Sunday

Posted by Zachary P. Hubbard in advice, Bible, Christianity, Daily Devotional, Easter, Faith, forgiveness, Freedom, Hope, Salvation, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , .

“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!”

 Resurrection of Christ by Raphael

The resurrection of Christ by Raphael

 1 Corinthians 15 (ESV), The Resurrection of Christ

15 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. 11 Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

The Resurrection of the Dead

12 Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.15 We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.  20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.

 May God bless you and keep you on this holiest of days!

23 Mar

Be a Simple Kind of Man

Posted by Zachary P. Hubbard in Uncategorized.

17 Mar

Let Not Your Hearts be Troubled

Posted by Zachary P. Hubbard in advice, Bible, Daily Devotional, depression, discipline, end times, Faith, Hope, ISIS, Islamic State, Oswald Chambers, Religion, simplicity, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , .

ISIS

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?   And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”  —John 14:1-3 (ESV)

The daily news is filled with hate and violence. The Islamic State (ISIS) is conducting a systematic genocide of Christians and other minority religious groups in Syria and Iraq. Iran routinely threatens to destroy the state of Israel. North Korea recently threatened a preemptive nuclear strike against the United States for what its leader perceived as threats.

Here at home the anger in many Americans is palpable. Violence is increasingly occurring at political events as the presidential election approaches. Respect among diverse people and groups in our society is waning. Many American Christians feel persecuted. Sometimes it seems as if God is no longer welcome in our society.

With all of the bad news it’s easy to become disheartened if you lose sight of the big picture. However, Christians may take comfort in the assurance that GOD IS STILL IN CHARGE. He reigns supreme in this World. “The Lord has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all.” (Psalm 103:19)

The world may turn its back on Christ today, but a time of reckoning will come.  Hebrews 12 reminds us that God is “slow to anger,” but his wrath is a “consuming fire.” God commands a kingdom that “cannot be shaken.” Neither should we be shaken when we hear of all the troublesome things happening in the world today.

God’s perfect plan is being played out in our lives, even though it might not be clear to us today. Speaking of the future, St. Paul reminds us, “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.” (1 Corinthians 13:12).

The heart trouble Jesus speaks of in John 14 is a spiritual problem for which He is the only cure. Let not your hearts be troubled!  When we take our eyes off of Christ, the heart troubles begin. Christians must stay focused and avoid getting caught up in the daily distractions. As St. Paul encourages us, fight the good fight, finish the race and keep the faith! (2 Timothy 4:7)  

Perseverance means more than endurance— more than simply holding on until the end.  A saint’s life is in the hands of God like a bow and arrow in the hands of an archer.  God is aiming at something the saint cannot see, but our Lord continues to stretch and strain, and every once in a while the saint says, “I can’t take any more.” Yet God pays no attention; He goes on stretching until His purpose is in sight, and then He lets the arrow fly. Entrust yourself to God’s hands.   –Oswald Chambers

 

26 Feb

Unemployed? Seek the Lord in Your Day of Trouble.

Posted by Zachary P. Hubbard in advice, Bible, budgeting, Choices, depression, discipleship, Faith, family, Fear, fitness, Hope, isolation, loneliness, simplicity, Uncategorized, Unemployment. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , .

Prayer

In the Day of Trouble I Seek the Lord

Today millions of Americans are facing the challenges of unemployment or under employment. These can lead to fear, frustration, depression and even physical illness. However, they also present opportunities for growth.

When you’ve lost your job or find yourself in a job that is not self-sustaining, a whole-person approach is needed as you strive to improve your situation. I like to use the “Wheel of Life” to help illustrate this. The circles on the outside of the wheel represent six areas of one’s life that contribute to the whole we refer to as “self.” Neglecting any of these puts the entire wheel out of balance, leaving one struggling and feeling out of sorts.

Wheel of Life

 Wheel of Life

Family and Social Life.  A period of unemployment or underemployment opens the door to opportunities in each the six areas on the wheel of life. It is a good time to spend extra time with family, renew old connections with friends and build your social network (which will improve your chances of finding self-sustaining employment).  Don’t forget to have some fun!

Physical Conditioning. It also provides an opportunity to improve your physical condition through proper exercise, sleep and nutrition. It is a wonderful chance to shed a few pounds and look your best for your next interview..

Career and Financial.  Dedicate some of your extra time towards education. You don’t necessarily need to pick up another degree or certification. Focus on learning something that will help make you more employable. Perhaps you can focus on improving your Microsoft Office software skills. There are free training courses galore on the Internet. If you need to improve your speaking skills, you could join the local Toastmasters chapter. The possibilities are endless.

Finances.  Being unemployed or underemployed is also the perfect time to work on improving your finances. Perhaps you’ve been talking about downsizing your household.  Start by selling off things you don’t really need.  Put together a new budget, trying to reduce frivolous spending. Try keeping close track of where your money actually goes. You might be surprised at how most of it gets spent.

Mental.  Take time to relax and stretch your mind.  Put down your phone, turn off the computer and TV, and pick up a challenging book that you’ve always wanted to read.  Spend some time with people who challenge your way of thinking. Visit an art gallery or museum that would not normally be of interest to you.

(Read Psalm 77: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2077&version=ESV)

Spiritual.  Lastly, Psalm 77 provides a simple, yet perfect framework for approaching the spiritual realm when you’re unemployed or under employed. When things aren’t going your way, it’s comforting to be reminded God has not and will not abandon you. The Psalmist finds comfort in reflecting on how God helped his people in the past. We should follow his example.

Pray fervently—then pray again. The Psalmist prayed throughout the entire night. He felt abandoned by God. He spoke what was on his mind. We can be totally honest and open with God, telling him about our feelings, our fears, our doubts and our desires. We can ask him any question. Because Jesus suffered every temptation we have faced and felt every emotion that we have felt, we are free to discuss our deepest thoughts and feelings with God. Through Jesus’ experiences, God the Father has firsthand experience with everything we might face in our lives (v.9-10)

“We tend to use prayer as a last resort, but God wants it to be our first line of defense. We pray when there’s nothing else we can do, but God wants us to pray before we do anything at all. Most of us would prefer, however, to spend our time doing something that will get immediate results. We don’t want to wait for God to resolve matters in His good time because His idea of ‘good time’ is seldom in sync with ours.” ― Oswald Chambers                                              

Recall how God has blessed you in the past. The Psalmist did not simply spill his heart out to God. He thought about everything the scriptures say regarding what God has done for his people in the past. God blesses those who have faith in him (v. 11).  Too often we dwell on what God hasn’t done for us rather than being thankful for the multitude of blessings he has provided.

Focus on the future. Think positively about your situation, hopes and desires. What is God teaching you? What is His will for your life? Make a list of Biblical promises you can identify about your future? (v. 13)

Reconsider your present circumstances. Ask God to strengthen your faith as you strive to cope with unemployment. Remind yourself that you can always trust  His promises (v. 14). Share your experience with others.

Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace,  that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.   ―Hebrews 4:16

 

18 Jan

Remembering Martin Luther King, Jr. – 1964 at the Jasper city pool

Posted by Zachary P. Hubbard in Uncategorized.

Source: Remembering Martin Luther King, Jr. – 1964 at the Jasper city pool

30 Dec

As you continue to search, remember to always follow the light!

Posted by Zachary P. Hubbard in advice, Bible, depression, Faith, Fear, jobs, joy, Prayer, security, simplicity, Uncategorized, Unemployment, work. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , .

The Risen Lord [by Arnold Friberg]

“The Risen Lord” by Arnold Friberg

Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer. From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. –Psalm 61:1-2 (ESV)

Christmas day has passed, but many Christians around the world continue to celebrate the Christmas season through the day of Epiphany on January 6. The joy and hope of the Christ Child still shines brightly! Unfortunately, joy and hope will fade for many as the Christmas season passes and they return to their often mundane daily routines.

This can be a particularly difficult time for those who are already living with the fear, anxiety and depression that frequently accompany periods of unemployment. Fortunately, if we open our eyes and look we will see that God is present always in his Word, Holy Spirit and blessed sacraments.  

While you’re job hunting, networking, sending out resumes and filling out countless job applications, don’t forget to make some extra time to spend with God in prayer and studying the Word.

Spend time with other job seekers and pray with and for them. Take time to use your God given talents to help others in need. God knows your needs before you ask and He already has a plan for you. His plan will produce fruit in your life at the time He has appointed.

Meanwhile, don’t miss out on the joy today has to offer.  If you will only seek Him, God will give you joy with or without a job. Habakkuk 3:17-18 says, “Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls,yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.”

It is impossible for one to know what God has in store for him or her, but rest assured that He only wants the best for us all. Christians may take comfort in the knowledge that God’s love does not depend upon our success in this world. He doesn’t look at our education, work history or awards. He loves us unconditionally. While we busy ourselves with the worries and toils of this life, He is preparing us for something bigger and more glorious than we can possibly imagine.

The Bible promises that those who make seeking the Kingdom of God their top priority in life will be blessed with everything they need in this world. While you struggle with the pain of unemployment and all of the other burdens you will bear during this life, remain close to Christ and let His light show you the pathway that He would have you follow.

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. So we do not lose heart, though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.  For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. –2 Corinthians 4:6, 16-18 (ESV)

Prayer: The link below leads to a website not associated with this blog.

Prayer of the Unemployed

9 Nov

Day Nine – Safe in Sioux Falls

Posted by Zachary P. Hubbard in Uncategorized.

Thanks be to God!  Our entire convoy arrived safe in Sioux falls around 3pm yesterday.  We’re settled into a nice hotel near the airport with a fantastic indoor water park that will help keep three grand-critters happy.  Today is closing day for Nate and Jenne’s house.  We’re praying that the wire transfer from Friday’s settlement from their home closing in Pennsylvania will be completed before closing at 1pm today.  Now come the move-in challenges.

Our 1,000+ mile drive was long but exciting.  It had been a long time since I visited the upper Midwest.  Things are so compact on the east coast, but everything along our route through Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota was so wide open.  The agricultural might of our country is truly awesome. It makes me wonder how we as a society allow any American to go to bed hungry!

Western Iowa was particularly interesting, with hundreds of wind turbines generating electricity in the middle of cornfields and grass beef cattle grazing ranges.  I wish we could have stopped and made a video of the massive turbines that in some spots covered the horizon for 360 degrees.

Wind Turbines Wind Turbines 2

Having previously lived in Kansas, Oklahoma and Arizona I had seen big sky before, but I’d forgotten how beautiful it is.  We enjoyed a particularly beautiful, big sunset two evening ago as we trekked along I-90 west.

I really like the wide roads here and the 80MPH speed limit on the interstates is fantastic.

I can’t wait to get settled in and begin exploring.  Lots of work ahead though. Praying for strength and stamina!

8 Nov

Days Five, Six and Seven – God’s Amusement Consists of Watching Us Make Plans

Posted by Zachary P. Hubbard in Uncategorized.

Laughing JesusThe beloved Scottish theologian Oswald Chambers wrote frequently about how God orchestrates our circumstances in order to help us grow closer to him.  Days five, six and seven of this move were solid proof Chambers was right.

To recap day five (moving day), things began normally, but around 8am, an hour before the movers were expected,  my son-in-law received a call from the moving company telling him the moving truck had been delayed in route and would not come until the next morning.  The remainder of the beautiful, sunny day was spent in a flurry, rearranging hotel reservations along our route to Sioux Falls, rescheduling the house closing on the departure end and basically dealing with a load of frustrations.

Day six would  be  the new move day.  Torrential rains in the morning and a grim weather forecast didn’t do much to lift out spirits.  Miraculously, God provided intermittent breaks in the rain which allowed the moving crew to load without getting the boxes and furniture wet.  A squad of eight movers arrived around 7:30am, but no moving van.

Finally, around 9:30 the long haul van arrived.  Unfortunately, it couldn’t make the sharp turn onto the small side street where our daughter and son-in-law’s house was, so it was necessary to load into a shuttle truck and make multiple runs to the large semi-trailer which was parked about a quarter of a mile away in a ball field parking lot.  Using the shuttle method of loading meant it required twice as much time to load.

As the movers cleared room by room, son-in-law Nate and I cleaned-up behind them.  By the time the long haul van was full, we were finished cleaning the house. Unfortunately, there was still a lot of furniture and boxes sitting on the driveway that wouldn’t fit.  The packing crew had to inventory all of these items and take them back to their warehouse.  They will come to Sioux Falls on a second load later this week.

Nate and I finally drove away from his former house a little after 9pm.  What a day.   Fortunately, we had already dispatched my daughter Jenne and my wife Linda with two vans, the grand kids, dog and cat around 1pm.  They spent the night in a hotel a couple of hours west of Cleveland off of I-80.  After a nice, very late prime rib dinner at Longhorn Steakhouse, Nate and I crashed at the home of some  very gracious friends, Amy and Burt.  God bless them!

On day seven (Saturday), everyone departed their particular locations in the early morning.   Traveling without the kids and pets, Nate and I were able to link-up with the ladies near Gary Indiana and the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore.  The ladies and kids had a chance for a short visit to the park to play on the dunes.  Nate and I linked-up just in time to watch everyone else eat lunch at Quaker Shake and Lube.  We had already eaten sandwiches along the way.

After lunch, we all headed for Sioux Falls together at last.   It was a beautiful, sunny day and the big sky was spectacular. It was fantastic crossing the Mississippi River in Davenport, Iowa.  I’ll have to get use to the flat landscapes of the prairie. Everyone was tired last evening, especially Nate and I who drove about 800 miles in separate cars in one day.  Ugh!   That’s not to say that the ladies weren’t exhausted as well. They had all of the kids and pets to manage in their two vans.

Today, day eight, we are packing up to depart our hotel in Urbandale, IA, a suburb of Des Moines.  Sioux Falls or bust!  We have a little over 200 miles to go. God has blessed up with a safe journey thus far.  I pray for his continued grace as we begin the final leg of our journey.  Please keep us in your prayers.

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