The day is coming.

In a few moments the day will arrive. It will roar down the track with the rising of the sun. The stillness of the dawn will be exchanged for the noise of the day. The calm of solitude will be replaced by the pounding pace of the human race. The refuge of the early morning will be invaded by decisions to be made and deadlines to be met. For the next twelve hours I will be exposed to the day’s demands. It is now that I must make a choice.

Because of Calvary, I’m free to choose. And so I choose.

I choose love. No occasion justifies hatred; no injustice warrants bitterness. Today I will love God and what God loves.

I choose joy. I will invite my God to be the God of circumstance. I will refuse the temptation to be cynical… the tool of the lazy thinker. I will refuse to see people as anything less than human beings, created by God. I will refuse to see any problem as anything less than an opportunity to see God.

I choose peace. I will live forgiven. I will forgive so that I may live.

I choose patience. I will overlook the inconveniences of the world. Instead of cursing the one who takes my place, I’ll invite Him to do so. Rather than complain that the wait is too long, I will thank God for a moment to pray. Instead of clinching my fist at new assignments, I will face them with joy and courage.

I choose kindness. I will be kind to the poor, for they are alone. Kind to the rich, for they are afraid. And kind to the unkind, for such is how God has treated me.

I choose goodness. I will go without a dollar before I take a dishonest one. I will be overlooked before I will boast. I will confess before I will accuse. 

I choose faithfulness. Today I will keep my promises. My debtors will not regret their trust. My associates will not question my word. My wife will not question my love. And my children will never fear that their father will not come home.

I choose gentleness. Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle. If I raise my voice, may it be only in praise. If I clench my fist, may it be only in prayer. If I make a demand, may it be only of myself.

I choose self-control. I am a spiritual being. After this body is dead, my spirit will soar. I refuse to let what will rot, rule the eternal. I choose self-control. I will be drunk only by joy. I will be impassioned only by my faith. I will be influenced only by God. I will be taught only by Christ. 

Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithful-ness, gentleness, and self-control. To these I commit my day. If I succeed, I will give thanks. If I fail, I will seek His grace. And then, when this day is done, I will place my head on my pillow and rest.

Excerpted from Let the Journey Begin by Max Lucado © Thomas Nelson.

Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control... How I wish those traits were mine! I've read this a few dozen times since Sunday. I really wish I could say that these words described me in anyway. They just don't. At least not right now. The news and social media is wearing me down. People are just plain nasty to each other right now. The media is out of control and boosting peoples fear to the point that elected officials are declaring mandates to change our way of life! My only relief is that when "I fail, I will seek His grace, and then when the day is done, I will place my head on my pillow and rest."

DEHYDRATED HIKERS AND DOG: SARA CRACK TRAIL, SOUTH LAKE HAVASU CITY

Late Friday (6/26) morning, the Mohave County Sheriff's Office received a call of three hikers (58-year-old female, 50-year-old female, and a 46-year-old female) and their dog visiting from California who had become dehydrated while hiking the SARA's Crack trail system, south of Lake Havasu City. They started their hike late in the morning, around 9am, and were unprepared for the blistering hot temperatures forecasted for Friday. They had run out of water for themselves and their dog and had indicated their dog's paws were bleeding. They had no idea where they were and had left the trail system trying to find help. During their search for help, they had got into an argument and the 58-year-old female hiker had walked away from them. Search and Rescue, the Mohave County Sheriff's Office Division of Boating Safety, Lake Havasu City Fire, River Medical and a Careflight medical helicopter were activated. Search teams began a route and location search through the extensive trail system. All three hikers were found separately from each other. The 58-year-old female was found responsive, but showing signs of heat stroke and was extracted by Careflight and flown to a local hospital for further medical evaluation. The other two hikers were located separately from each other, along with the dog. The hikers were all showing signs of heat exhaustion and brought back to the Command Post. Great job by everyone involved! Search and Rescue would like to remind everyone (especially if deciding to hike on the surface of the sun) to bring plenty of supplies for themselves, as well as everyone in the hiking group – including your pets! Poor decisions like these put our first responders and your pets in dangerous situations. 

Jason Smith about.me/theoriginaljasonsmith

It’s been a crazy few days. I find myself being that old man standing in his yard yelling at the clouds. It just seems that the adults who should be running the world just stopped. All I know for sure, a dirt road, a full tank, a cold drink and spending time alone in the desert may be what we all need. That or maybe a good whiskey and a little time in the Bible. I’m a complicated red neck!

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Not gonna lie, at 45 and during the craziness of 2020, this hits a little different. ———————————— Ecclesiastes 12:1–8 (NLT): Don’t let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator. Honor him in your youth before you grow old and say, “Life is not pleasant anymore.” 2 Remember him before the light of the sun, moon, and stars is dim to your old eyes, and rain clouds continually darken your sky. 3 Remember him before your legs—the guards of your house—start to tremble; and before your shoulders—the strong men—stoop. Remember him before your teeth—your few remaining servants—stop grinding; and before your eyes—the women looking through the windows—see dimly. 4 Remember him before the door to life’s opportunities is closed and the sound of work fades. Now you rise at the first chirping of the birds, but then all their sounds will grow faint. 5 Remember him before you become fearful of falling and worry about danger in the streets; before your hair turns white like an almond tree in bloom, and you drag along without energy like a dying grasshopper, and the caperberry no longer inspires sexual desire. Remember him before you near the grave, your everlasting home, when the mourners will weep at your funeral. 6 Yes, remember your Creator now while you are young, before the silver cord of life snaps and the golden bowl is broken. Don’t wait until the water jar is smashed at the spring and the pulley is broken at the well. 7 For then the dust will return to the earth, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.

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Great night for a drive. Just have to watch for the free range cheeseburgers. Jk no hamburger was harmed this evening. 😂

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Took a little road trip this evening. From the dirt trails to the big city of the state capital. Ran into a little protest on the way, luckily the mob wasn’t unruly, so it was only a short delay. Spending a couple days at the new house before heading back to the sticks. I’m a little too yee haw for all this pavement 🤪

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Wow it’s been a successful season for the pronghorns. A lot of calf’s this year. This herd ran across the road in front of me this afternoon. Luckily I was able to avoid them. Love seeing them though. I always feel lucky when I spot them.

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