Laughter is the Beginning of Prayer !!!

The last couple of days haven't found me out and about on my bike for a number of reasons ... I hate to admit it, but the rain played a role too ... but today, it was cloudy and overcast, but not too chilly, and just right for biking ... So, at 10:30, I set off to see how long my legs would last ...

Two hours later I returned home for lunch and a shower ... In the intervening time I had stopped a few times to chat with folks, picked up the mail and had two encounters with my new absolute FAVOURITE person Tomson Highway.

I told Tomson that the concert last night was ABSOLUTELY fabulous ... he smiled and said - "yes, it was a pleasure for me too. Any time I can stroke a magnificent instrument like "that" in public is wonderful !!"

Tomson Highway is OUTRAGEOUS, OUTSPOKEN, BRILLIANT, and utterly wonderful ... I will look back on the fall of 2007 as an enchanted period in my life when the cosmos directed me to chance encounters with a remarkable artist with many, many, many talents !!!

Those encounters have inspired in me the passion to WRITE ... not as a hobby ... but to write as a writer. There are many stories floating within me, and at least three tomes on life, ministry and the challenges there in ... and today, thanks to the encounters I've had with Tomson and his partner, I know for the first time in my life that I WANT TO WRITE !!!!!! And THANKS to both Tomson and his partner, I have been given suggestions on HOW to make it happen !!!

My bike ride ended today coming home, hot, sweaty and with rubbery legs ... but a deep feeling of contentment ... then I opened my computer to check the various blogs I read each day, and I was THRILLED to find two entries over at The Laughing Pastor, that made me smile, then laugh, and then utter a joyous Hallelujah !!!

The brilliant creator of The Laughing Pastor and I have been trading emails for a number of weeks, and he and I are sharing stories, reflections and experiences with the goal of creating a published book ... (there, the cat is out of the bag !!!) Along the way, I've written him about my biking and quietly challenged him to give it try ...

WELL, today he dusted off a bike in his garage, got it ready and managed to go out riding for about 4 miles (about 6.4 kms!!). By my current standards that's just the warm up lap ... but for someone who hasn't been on a bike for YEARS, that's an impressive start.

So join with me in offering my new Blogger Friend - The Laughing Pastor, a hearty round of applause for taking up my challenge and getting out there biking !!! It is not only impressive - it's down right COOL !!! For more pictures click here - he did TWO entries about it today !!!

The other part of today that was nice was having several (not just one or two - but SEVERAL) people stop me and express their appreciation for THIS little ole blog of mine ... Often the negative voices and the criticism of those who take exception to something here have clouded my horizon and left me wondering - "WHY??" ... but today the voices that appreciate what I do here, and why I do it at all, broke through the cloud and the overcast and brought a much needed sun into my soul ... so for that (and they KNOW who they were) I say - Thank You ... YOU are why I do this ... life is too precious not to be celebrated and savoured ... and That's what I try to do along with facing life's tough questions and challenges ...

And the cherry on top of a sundae-kind of day was going to my Doctor for a much overdue physical and having the first thing he said be: "Man, you've lost a LOT of weight. You're just fading away ..." then adding, "You look great though, whatever you're doing, keep it up !!!"

That just felt good ...and THAT is why I encouraged my friend, my colleague, and my bud The Laughing Pastor to get out on his bike and enjoy the ability to BIKE ALL year round !!!

Who knows, maybe I WILL have to do that road trip sometime and take my bike along ... Stranger things have happened !!

Today was a feel good kind of day filled with laughter ... and like the wise man said - "Laughter IS the beginning of Prayer !!"

To that I say simply - AMEN !!!!