There’s something about enjoying a serene Saturday in September. No need to go anywhere. No rush to have to do anything. Just a day to chill and watch a few college games. Being Labor Day weekend, it’ll be nice to have another one of these on Monday. I don’t know what the day will bring, but I hope it’s as serene as today.

Anyway, within a couple of weeks, I noticed my dreams were becoming intense, memorable, and far more vivid. Before using the “miracle tooth powder,” I seldom remembered my dreams. But now, uffdah Lewis, three to four nights a week I’m dreaming, and often, it's some uber-trippy stuff—like something straight out of Alice in Wonderland.

This evening I’m grateful for the prompt greeting party at the door; it was a nice change, and a wonderful way to kick off the ministry year. Perhaps it’ll serve as a sign for good things to come.

Today, I’m grateful for you. I’m grateful for the ongoing inspiration. I’m grateful my wife has graciously given me the 1½ to 2 hours per night to create these posts. Parenthetically, that’s about 480 hours, or 20 days straight (with no sleep) of continuous writing, designing, and posting these blogs.

I honestly can’t remember the last time I slept the whole night through without interruption. Truly! And as silly as this all sounds, today I’m totally grateful for that uninterrupted sleep.

Now, truthfully, we didn’t just go for a drive to look at the crops. While I do find them fascinating, I have no idea what I’m looking at, other than what’s obvious....

I was realizing that I was getting a bit testy and needed a break. I don’t know if it was showing at church, but I was feeling it inside. And while I married and absolute angel and woman of almost infinite grace (except with the doggos), I’m sure she was noticing my circuits were starting to short. Had I not taken a break, work and church might have turned into a soap opera itself. Oh, the drama.

I’m thankful for the wildly different designs on so many of our nation’s barns. But it’s not just barns; it’s in everything, really. And that goes straight to the heart of the human soul, spirit, and eye: the desire to design with beautiful intricacy, just as we’ve been designed by the Great Designer.

Thank you, Lord, for a wonderful day of adventuring down dusty roads to find and photograph these aging treasures on the prairie. Thank you for rejuvenating my spirit once more, and for reminding me of the blessings of living in this beautiful land.

Anway, I’m grateful for the time today to just go out and play and click-click away. Moreover, I’m thankful for the wonderful conditions, the permission to drive onto the property, a wife who indulges my hobby, and the history behind the farm. While I don’t know that history just yet, people made their lives on that farm, and they added to the culture of Comfrey: the community I’ve grown to love.

That glorious sun, without it we wouldn’t exist. It’s light and radiant heat give life to everything on planet earth. And for our sun, and God’s only begotten Son, who spoke our sun and all life into existence, I have the Lord to thank.

I didn’t hear her get up. I had no idea what time it was, or that my wife had already been working for nearly an hour and a half. All I knew was that the sun had come up and the electric rooster hadn’t crowed. As my eyes naturally awoke and caught a glimpse of morning light, my ears heard nothing except silence in the house.

365 Days of Thanksliving — Day 266 I think sometimes I take for granted the good life we’ve been gifted by the good Lord. This kinda hit me this evening, albeit softly, as we descended into the chillbox to turn on the tube and relax. As I quickly reflected on the week behind, I couldn’t think of a single moment of conflict, anxiety, or anything upsetting… well, except for one. I suppose I should tell ya about it since I just hinted at it. Monday evening… I think. Yeah, in

what’s more neat? It’s to be a child of the Most High God. While I think it’s neat to carry the name I do, the name I’m most proud to carry is Child of God. For this, I’m truly grateful. While I’m uber-grateful and proud and all that to be the son of Ronald, the son of Art and Claire, and the son of (I honestly don’t know who); I’m even more grateful to be called by God’s child through Jesus Christ our Lord.

“For Thou, in Thine infinite and occasionally baffling mercy, hast seen fit to lop off a portion of the aforementioned Morty, and pass it down unto us, Thy terribly peckish flock. Yea, verily, we beseech Thee to bless these choice cuts, that we, Thy miserable and famished servants, might completely stuff our faces and thus gloriously feast upon his wondrous, savory flesh. Amen."

Truly, I don’t even know what my impetus was to walk toward the sanctuary and just start praying. My feet just started moving that way, and the next thing I know, I was “there” opening my lips.

Some of the ladies in the room apologized for her outburst. There was no need. She had no idea what she was saying. They confirmed my presumption that she’s a resident in the home’s memory care unit....

Tonight, I’m thankful for those who’ve preserved these historical places: like Saint Kilian’s and Old Westbrook Lutheran. Those churches are living time capsules, reminding us that while times change, we’re blessed when some things stand still.

Me, I could never quite master the art. I try but just can’t seem to sit quietly enough in any chair and doze off. If I want to rest my eyes and mind, I literally gotta go horizontal. And then, hours not minutes tend to pass, and I feel like I’ve wasted the day.Today though, that nap felt good, and for that I thank the Lord.

America was built by the ma-and-pa business, and all those little boutiques and comfort food joints on Main Street. I’m thankful there are still plenty around to support and do life with. Today, we spent a few dollars at one of them on the way home, just to get a few licks of summer in with an old-fashioned ice cream cone.