Go West, Young Man

Last week I was enjoying the big blueness of the skies, scattered with puffy white clouds, and the rolling plains leading off to snow capped mountains as we rolled towards Denver airport to be reunited with our children.  I had to think of these famous words, that have probably rung in the hearts of many men over the years.

 “Go west young man, go west! Do not lounge in the cities! There is room and health in the country, away from the crowds of idlers and imbeciles. Go west, before you are fitted for no life but that of the factory.” Horace Greeley

I'm not sure if the highway out here is named Greeley in honor of Mr. Horace or not, but we are here in Cheyenne, Wy "where the west begins." As I traveled I was asked by many people where I was going, and the unanimous consent of all the male population seemed to be one of envy for Darren getting to live out here. It seems to be many a man's secret dream!

We've been here for over a week, and no, we are not getting settled into our new house yet. We discovered that the very wet weeks and flooding our here leading up to our arrival have caused a mold problem that has to be taken care of first. One of the bedrooms was actually growing mushrooms! So there will be some extra work and cost involved before we get to the settling-in stage.
The carpets and paneling have been ripped out, and the exterior calked. Today I think they will try to finish repairing the siding and then prepare to drywall and paint. Thank you to each one of you who is reading this because of a personal interest in our lives. Please keep us in your prayers as we start out in this new area.


Yesterday I was reading in Hosea 6 -
“Come, let us return to the Lord;
for he has torn us, that he may heal us;
he has struck us down, and he will bind us up.
 After two days he will revive us;
on the third day he will raise us up,
that we may live before him.
 Let us know; let us press on to know the Lord;
 his going out is sure as the dawn;
he will come to us as the showers,
 as the spring rains that water the earth.”
 What shall I do with you, O Ephraim?
What shall I do with you, O Judah?
Your love is like a morning cloud,
 like the dew that goes early away.

... I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice,
 the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings."(italics added)

I got to pondering how often I am like Ephraim and Judah. There are revival meetings or I hear a message that stirs up my heart in love and worship to the Lord. For a short time my love fires burn brightly, then like the morning dew when the sun has risen, it seems to evaporate, and I am back to "normal life."  What is my normal everyday living like? If I rate my devotional life, prayer life, and witnessing on a scale of one to ten, what would it really look like?  Not long ago I dreamed that the Lord's return was taking place, and the one regret in my heart was my lack in these areas.  I want to live my life so that if the Lord did come back today, I wouldn't have regrets.  I want to truly "press on" to know the Lord like the passage says.
May the Lord help me to seek him with my whole heart,  to sow and reap a harvest of steadfast love and his refreshing rain of righteousness! 
Hosea 10 :12  Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love; break up your fallow ground,
for it is the time to seek the Lord, that he may come and rain righteousness upon you."