The Double Rainbow

My An Arkie's Faith column from the July 26, 2023, issue of The Polk County Pulse.

A few raindrops began to fall as we pulled out of the parking lot. Off in the distance, the skies looked dark and foreboding, and the thunder rolled. We were headed back to Arvada, Colorado, after spending the afternoon at my great niece's wedding rehearsal and dinner in Campion. Before getting on the highway, we drove through our old neighborhood. We moved from our house on Hankins Lane to Mena, Arkansas, over forty years ago.

As we drove through Berthoud and Longmont, the rain intensified, and the clouds were dark and angry to the south and east, with occasional lightning. But to the west, the sun was shining brightly on the mountains. I snapped a quick photo through the windshield while we were stopped at a traffic light in Longmont. With the dark grey skies to the south and the apartments on the east side of the road lit brilliantly by the low angle of the evening sun shining from the west, the contrasts made a striking photo.

The rain continued to fall, and before long, a rainbow's fuzzy, muted colors appeared in the sky. A few minutes later, the colors had intensified into one of the boldest and most colorful rainbows I had ever seen. We pulled off the road to try and get a photo. While I was taking pictures, a faint second rainbow appeared. After taking several images, I returned to the truck, and we tried to get back on the highway. The traffic was heavy, and it was impossible to cross the road to go in the direction we needed. We could merge into traffic headed in the direction we had just come from.

We drove to the next intersection, where we turned left and then pulled into a parking lot to get turned around. By this time, two complete rainbows were arcing across the sky. I had never seen a double rainbow that filled the sky from horizon to horizon. I stood in awe of the beauty before me. 

A rainbow is a natural phenomenon that occurs when light is refracted or bent as it passes through water droplets in the air. It is seen as a band of vibrant colors, including red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. The colors of the rainbow are arranged in a specific order and are caused by the different wavelengths of light being refracted at different angles. Double rainbows are formed when sunlight is reflected twice within a raindrop.

Rainbows always make me smile, and seeing a double rainbow was a fantastic experience. Seeing the double rainbow made it worth going through the rain. It was a moment in time that I will never forget.

Do you like the rain? I tend not to like rain very much, especially if I have an outdoor activity or work planned. We don't like rain unless we have crops that need water. Few of us look out the window on a rainy day and say, "What a great day!" The rain gets in the way of our comfort.

Too often, we let the possibility of something going wrong keep us from doing something we want. "But what if something goes wrong," we say. "What if it rains on my parade." We fail to reach our potential in life because we are too timid. But, "God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline." 2 Timothy 1:7 (NLT)

And God is telling you the same thing. Don't let fear of failure keep you from doing great things. Don't let the threat of rain keep you from being all God wants you to be.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote a very personal poem titled "The Rainy Day." The poem's first lines read, "The day is cold, and dark, and dreary; It rains, and the wind is never weary." He personalizes his thoughts in the second stanza, "My life is cold, and dark, and dreary; It rains, and the wind is never weary; My thoughts still cling to the moldering Past, But the hopes of youth fall thick in the blast, And the days are dark and dreary." But Longfellow doesn't leave us in his dark place. The final stanza says, "Be still, sad heart! And cease repining; Behind the clouds is the sun still shining; Thy fate is the common fate of all, Into each life some rain must fall, Some days must be dark and dreary."

Into every life, a little rain must fall. It's what we do with the rain that makes the difference. Rain can be a force that destroys our lives and washes away hope, or it can become a tool God uses to bring healing, growth, and new life to our hearts.

What are we afraid of when the rains of this life come our way? Are we afraid of getting wet? Nowhere in the Bible does God tell us that we won't get wet. Pain in all its forms is the standard universal human denominator we all share. Your pain and difficulties differ from mine, but we all have them.

We see this concept in Matthew 5:45 (GW): "He makes his sun rise on people whether they are good or evil. He lets rain fall on them whether they are just or unjust." God doesn't tell us that we won't have rainy days. He says, "Even if it rains, I will be there for you. You may get wet, but it will be OK." And sometimes rain brings a beautiful rainbow. "When I see the rainbow in the clouds, I will remember the eternal covenant between God and every living creature on earth." Genesis 9:16 (NLT)

Gentle Reader, God displayed a visible reminder to me of His everyday grace with the double rainbow. It reminded me of His promise to extend a common grace to all living things. How often do we take that promise for granted? I know that often the busyness of my life makes me lose my focus on God even though the evidence of His daily grace is all around me. This week, I pray that I will not lose focus but instead remember the rainbow and God's promises.

The Photophone

My An Arkie's Faith column from the July 19, 2023, issue of The Polk County Pulse.

The phone call came from Porter Memorial Hospital in Denver, Colorado. My wife and I were racing along Interstate 70 in Kansas, headed to Denver. My father-in-law was in the hospital, and the prognosis wasn’t good. On our way across Oklahoma, Kansas, and Colorado, we made and received four phone calls to get updates on Dad’s condition. I still remember opening the cell phone bill the next month and being shocked at the additional charges of over one hundred dollars for those four calls.

I recounted this story to my teenage granddaughters while we discussed the advances in technology. They had never heard of a bag phone. I told them how we upgraded from the bag phone to a handheld Nokia phone that was almost as big as a brick and seemed heavy. When we upgraded from the Nokia to a Motorola Razor flip phone, we thought we had achieved the pinnacle of phone technology.

But the part of my cell phone history story that shocked my teenage granddaughters was when I told them they had both been born before I saw my first iPhone. They had never considered that they had been born before there were iPhones. Smartphones have become such an integral part of our lives that they couldn’t imagine life before them.

A few days after my conversation with my granddaughters, I watched a documentary about the inventor Alexander Graham Bell. Although Bell is best known for inventing the telephone, he pursued hundreds of projects throughout his life. He created early versions of the metal detector, built hydrofoil boats, and giant tetrahedral kites. He served as president of the National Geographic Society and made the first aircraft to fly in the British Empire. But Bell considered his most important invention the first wireless voice transmission technology that he dubbed, Photophone. 

In 1878, two years after patenting the telephone, Bell read an article by scientist Robert Sabine on how the electrical resistance of the element selenium changes with exposure to light. He realized that this effect could transmit the human voice via light beams. Bell soon began work on a device he called the photophone. 

The transmitter of Bell’s new device consisted of a parabolic mirror like a satellite dish and gathered and focused the sunlight beam from the transmitter onto a piece of selenium which was connected to a battery and telephone headset. The light falling on the selenium changed its resistance, creating a modulated current that the headset converted into sound. In 1880, after a couple of successful messages were relayed indoors, Bell and his assistant transmitted a message from a rooftop to the window of the laboratory, 700 feet away. It was the first demonstration of wireless communication, predating the development of radio by over 20 years.

After the demonstration, Bell told his father, “Well, I have heard a ray of the sun laugh and cough and sing. I have been able to hear a shadow, and I have even perceived by ear the passage of a cloud across the sun's disc. You are the grandfather of the photophone, and I want to share my delight of my success.” 

Wireless communication and fiber optics are so crucial to our modern ultra-connected way of life that Alexander Graham Bell was not exaggerating when he declared that the “Photophone is the greatest invention I have ever made; greater than the telephone.” The invention that he considered his most important was so advanced that it would take nearly 100 years for the technology to catch up with the concept of the photophone.

In her article, “Alexander Graham Bell’s Photophone Was an Invention Ahead of Its Time,” Mary Bellis wrote, “Although the photophone was an extremely important invention, the significance of Bell's work was not fully recognized in its time. This was largely due to practical limitations in the technology of the time.

That changed nearly a century later when the invention of fiber optics in the 1970s allowed for the secure transport of light. Indeed, Bell's photophone is recognized as the progenitor of the modern fiber optic telecommunications system that is widely used to transmit telephone, cable, and internet signals across large distances.”

Long before Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone and the photophone, there was wireless technology that worked flawlessly. The 19th-century Canadian minister A.B. Simpson said, “Prayer is the link that connects us with God.” And the apostle Peter wrote, “The Lord watches the righteous, and he pays attention to their prayers.” 1 Peter 3:12 (ISV) Christians always have a wireless connection available. We can talk to God anytime and don’t need a tower, receiver, or transmitter. We simply need to talk to Him anytime and anywhere.

Through prayer, we voice our requests and concerns to God, giving Him thanks for His many blessings and praising Him for His incredible love. Through prayer, we get to know God better. God promises that if we pray, He will answer. King David wrote of his experience in Psalms 66:19 (NKJV); “Certainly God has heard me; He has attended to the voice of my prayer.”

Gentle Reader, God will certainly hear you. There is nothing too trivial to talk to him about. Corrie Ten Boom, who survived a Nazi concentration camp, said, “Any concern too small to be turned into a prayer is too small to be made into a burden.” Jesus told his disciples, “Whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.” Matthew 21:22 (NKJV) The best thing about prayer is that we don’t need to use Alexander Graham Bell’s photophone because God is always listening.

The Ishtar Gate

My An Arkie's Faith column from the July 12, 2023, issue of The Polk County Pulse.

Light filled my hotel room as I rolled over and looked out the window. I reached for my phone on the bedside table to see what time it was. The screen showed 4:30. “How can that be,” I thought. I rolled back over and tried to go back to sleep, but sleep wouldn’t come. It was my first morning in Germany, and I was excited to be there. A half-hour later, I was dressed and walking out of the hotel to explore Alexanderplatz, the largest public square in Germany.

Today our tour group will be going to the Pergamon Museum, and I was looking forward to seeing its striking reconstruction of the Ishtar Gate. I knew from my research of the museum that the Ishtar Gate was a passageway to the inner city of Babylon, constructed by King Nebuchadnezzar II in about 575 BCE. The gate was a part of the city walls of Babylon and was considered one of the original Seven Wonders of the World.

After walking three-quarters of a mile from our hotel and standing in long lines, I finally entered the museum. After months of anticipation, I would see one of Europe's most important museums. I walked through several rooms, taking in the bas-relief sculptures, statues, and other artifacts from thousands of years ago. As impressive as they were, I was not prepared for the visceral reaction I had when I walked out of the room into the Ishtar Gate Processional Way.

The vivid colors of these 2600-year-old blue, yellow, and green tiles leave a lasting impression. The Ishtar Gate Processional Way is a red and yellow brick-paved corridor, initially over half a mile long with walls on each side, over 15 meters tall. The walls were decorated with over 120 images of lions, bulls, dragons, and flowers, made from enameled blue, yellow, and brown tiles. This processional way led to the Ishtar Gate and the temple of Marduk. 

My thoughts propelled me back to ancient Babylon, and I wished I could have seen the entire structure. The blue walls around me whispered of the souls and history of Babylon. As I walk down the hallway, stopping to take photos and inspect the deep rich color of the ancient tiles, I am in awe of the fantastic artistry of the Babylonian artisans.

But as incredible as the Processional Way is, when the room opened, and the Ishtar Gate appeared, it took my breath away. The same stunning colors appeared on the walls, but the imposing size and height of the gate were astonishing. Standing before the gate, I could feel its powerful presence at the core of my being. Passages of scripture came to my mind. 

When the Babylonian armies surrounded Jerusalem and conquered it, “King Nebuchadnezzar ordered Ashpenaz, his chief officer, to bring some of the men of Judah into his palace. He wanted them to be from important families, including the family of the king of Judah. King Nebuchadnezzar wanted only young Israelite men who had nothing wrong with them. They were to be handsome and well-educated, capable of learning and understanding, and able to serve in his palace. 

Ashpenaz was to teach them the language and writings of the Babylonians. The king gave the young men a certain amount of food and wine every day, just like the food he ate. The young men were to be trained for three years, and then they would become servants of the king of Babylon. Among those young men were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah from the people of Judah.” Daniel 1:3-6 (NCV)

I thought of the captive Daniel seeing these gates as he was being marched into the city of Babylon. Babylon was a spectacular city! Nebuchadnezzar oversaw a vast building program and improved the city’s walls, including the Ishtar Gate, raising its magnificence to new heights. When Daniel lived there, it was the largest city in the world, covering over four square miles with 200,000 people inside its walls.

As Impressive as the city was, Daniel and his Judean friends never abandoned God to worship the grandeur that was Nebuchadnezzar and the city of Babylon. The impressive gate, with its vibrant blue color and jewel-like shine, was integral to the ancient Walls of Babylon. It was considered one of the original Seven Wonders of the World, along with the Hanging Gardens of the city. But the wealth and grandeur of Babylon couldn’t convince Daniel to abandon his faith.

Located between the Tigris and Euphrates in Iraq, Babylon was made magnificent by King Nebuchadnezzar II in the 6th Century BC. He made it one of the wonders of Mesopotamia by building large structures and decorating them with expensive glazed bricks in vibrant blues, reds, and yellows. Ancient texts describe the many splendors of Babylon, which at its time, was the most significant city in the world.

King Nebuchadnezzar II was one of Mesopotamia's most influential and transformative kings. It was his vision to create a central powerful cosmopolitan city. He beautified Babylon with building projects and art, focusing on intellectual pursuits and enlarging the army and territory. 

His inscription on the Ishtar Gate reads: “I laid the foundation of the gates down to the ground water level and had them built out of pure blue stone. I covered their roofs by laying majestic cedars lengthwise over them. I hung doors of cedar adorned with bronze at all the gate openings. I placed wild bulls and ferocious dragons in the gateways and thus adorned them with luxurious splendor that people might gaze on them in wonder.”

Gentle Reader, no matter how impressive we find any person or thing, they are not worthy of our veneration. Too often, we are more impressed with celebrity and wealth than with our Creator and Savior. The Bible says, “Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.” Colossians 3:2 (NKJV) “For where your treasure is, there your heart [your wishes, your desires; that on which your life centers] will be also.” Matthew 6:21(AMP) 

At one time, Babylon was the most fantastic city on earth, but there came a time when it was said, “Babylon is fallen—that great city is fallen! She was clothed in finest purple and scarlet linens, decked out with gold and precious stones and pearls! In a single moment all the wealth of the city is gone.” Revelation 18:2,16-17 (NLT) Don’t be dazzled by the treasures of this world. “We must keep our eyes on Jesus, who leads us and makes our faith complete.” Hebrews 12:2 (CEV)

After the Storm

My An Arkie's Faith column from the July 5, 2023, issue of The Polk County Pulse.

A light drizzle began to fall as I pulled out of my driveway into the inky blackness of the early morning. The headlights of my S-10 pickup struggled to pierce through the veil of darkness. It was 4:30 A.M., and once again, I was driving to De Queen to pick up a load of windshields. For the last week, my early morning trips to pick up glass had been an almost daily occurrence. 

As I headed south out of Mena, the light drizzle turned into heavy rain. Soon the rain was falling in sheets instead of drops. So much rain fell that the highway began to flood. The visibility was abysmal as wave after wave of rain seemed to crash to earth. The windshield wipers slapped at the rain in a vain attempt to keep the windshield clear, but it was a losing battle.

The rain was relentless as I drove on into the night. Water rushed through the ditches like a mighty river, flowing over driveways as the culverts were overwhelmed with more water than they could channel away. My head hurt from the tension of peering into the darkness and trying to see the road. My hands gripped the steering wheel so tight that I had to remind myself to relax. But then I would hit another patch of water on the road, and the stress would return.

The sky is tar-black and vengeful, with large clouds moving toward me. Suddenly, out of the blackness, came streaks of bold light, illuminating the highway. The wind whipped up into a frenzy, shrieking and rocking my little pickup. While the rain fell in great sheets, lightning flashed around me, followed by loud cracking booms. 

As I drove, white-knuckled, into the storm, I thought about how miserable it would be to load the windshields onto my truck in the pouring rain. I wasn’t looking forward to getting drenched to the bone. But as I neared De Queen, the thunder and lightning stopped. The rain changed from a deluge to a more moderate rain as it let up enough so that my windshield wipers no longer had to be on high, furiously trying to keep the windshield clear. I was thankful for the reprieve. 

By the time I reached my storage unit and began loading the glass onto my pickup, the first light of dawn was pushing the darkness away. The rain has subsided to a light drizzle, and everything smells very clean and fresh. There is a peculiar scent to it that I can’t really describe. My attitude has changed from one of fear and apprehension to one of gratitude and wonder.

With my truck loaded with glass, I pulled back out on Highway 71 and headed back to Mena. The early morning light is turning everything golden, and I am energized by the start of another beautiful day. Steam rises slowly from the grass meadows and the ponds. It rises eerily and drifts mist-like towards the heavens. Through the trees, I can occasionally catch a glimpse of the fiery reds, oranges, and yellows of the sunrise as I look to the east.  

I keep hoping to get a better look at the sunrise because the colors that I can see streaming through the trees are spectacular. As I round a corner, I am greeted by a view that takes my breath away. I pulled my pickup to the side of the road and got out to soak in the glorious beauty of the sunrise. 

Brilliant golds and oranges light up the clouds that not long ago were drenching the landscape with torrential rains. The greatest artist in the universe had created a beautiful canvas for me to see. I pulled out my phone and snapped a couple of photos. The image was so vivid that it stayed with me all the way home.

As I drove away from the magnificent scene, I thought about how my attitude had changed in the hour from the time I had previously driven past this location. I had gone from being worried about the weather conditions and getting soaked to basking in the glory of the Creator and his creation. 

It seems like a day doesn't go by that someone doesn't talk to me about the condition of the world. With the recent world events, people seem very nervous. I must admit that I have my concerns. Fear and worry seem to dominate many people’s thoughts. 

In the past few years, I have noticed that the people I have talked to who have been the most worried are Christians. Many of my Christian friends are sure that doom and gloom are right around the corner. I can't believe that God wants us to live that way. In 2 Thessalonians 3:16 (VOICE), Paul wrote, “And now, dear friends, may the Lord of peace Himself grace you with peace always and in everything. May the Lord be present with all of you.”

I do believe that we are living in the last chapter of Earth's history, but I am puzzled by many of my fellow Christians. Does God want us to worry? In Matthew 6:31 (AMPC), the Bible tells us, “Do not worry and be anxious, saying, What are we going to have to eat? or, What are we going to have to drink? or, What are we going to have to wear?” “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” Matthew 6:33,34 (NKJV) 

I saw something the other day that puzzled me. I was in a Christian bookstore and saw they had Christian worry stones for sale. According to tradition, a worry stone is a smooth, polished stone that, when rubbed, is believed to reduce one's worries and add a sense of calmness. When the stone is rubbed, the negative energy and worries are supposedly transferred into the stone, and you are left calm and peaceful. I don't think worry stones are what Christians need to reduce their worries.

Gentle Reader, In Isaiah 41:9,10 (NLT), God tells us, “I have chosen you and will not throw you away. Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.” Whatever storm you may be going through today, God has promised to be with you and promises you a glorious sunrise when the storm is over. 

The Murnau Incident

My An Arkie's Faith column from the June 28, 2023, issue of The Polk CountyPulse

The public address system on our train car crackled to life, and a scratchy voice announced, "nächste station, Murnau." "That's our station," I said to my wife and sister as I got out of my seat and started getting our luggage. Each one of us had a suitcase and a backpack. I grabbed my wife's and my sister's luggage and gave it to them. They headed for the train doors while the car was still moving. When the train came to a halt, I was grabbing my luggage off the overhead rack.

With my suitcase in one hand and my backpack in the other, I rushed down the steps from the train car to the doors. My wife and sister stepped onto the train platform as I ran for the door. There was one man between my travel companions and me. I stepped toward the door but was suddenly jerked back as the straps of my backpack caught on the railing beside the two steps down to the door. I turned around to free my backpack as the door closed. I frantically pushed the open-door button, but the doors would not open. In a few seconds, the train started moving out of the station.

Through the glass panes on the train door, I watched as my wife and sister stood on the platform, and I moved away from them on the train. "I can't believe that just happened," I thought. "What am I going to do now?" 

I have been traveling through Germany with my wife and sister for the past week. When I planned the trip, I researched the German rail system and decided we would travel by rail. I purchased rail passes that allowed us to take as many journeys as we wanted on Deutsche Bahn trains. We had already used our passes to travel from Frankfurt to Hannover, Hannover to Berlin, and Berlin to Erfurt. 

Today we were traveling from Erfurt to Oberammergau. After changing trains several times, our last change was in Murnau, where we would get the train to Oberammergau. But instead, I was still on the train headed to Garmisch-Partenkirchen, and I had the rail pass with me. My wife and sister were stranded at the train station in Murnau, and I needed to figure out what to do.

As I thought about my options, I remembered the advice I had read on the blog Brian's Guide to getting around Germany. "Make sure you are ready to jump off when the train arrives at your destination-- remember that at some stops, the train only stops for a minute or two. If you're not ready, you may end up taking an unscheduled diversion to Germany's Timbuktu. As the train pulls into your station, be standing at a door, and when the wheels grind to a halt, open the door and leap off. To open the door, look for a green button. As the disembarking passenger, you have the right-of-way over people trying to clamber aboard but be prepared to shove your way through any Teutons who aren't minding their manners."

"Well," I thought, "here I am on an unscheduled diversion to Germany's Timbuktu." I took out my phone to see where I was going and my options. My friend Bernd had taught me how to use the Deutsche Bahn app, and I quickly found that the next stop was in the small town of Ohlstadt. If I got off the train there, I could board a train back to Muranu in a little over an hour. "That is my best option," I thought. A few minutes later, I stood in front of the train door with my luggage in tow as the train stopped in Ohlstadt. I quickly pushed the open-door button and, a few seconds later, stood on the deserted platform beside the train, watching it leave the station. 

No one had boarded the train, and I was the only one who had disembarked. I looked around at the surreal scene. The train station was a small shelter beside the train tracks with several benches. I sat down and took a moment to look at my surroundings. I was in a beautiful small town in the Bavarian Alps. Fantastic mountain views surrounded me, but I couldn't take the time to appreciate the beauty around me in every direction. I had to figure out what to do.

I checked the train schedule once again. It would be an hour before another train arrived. I pulled up my maps app and clicked on the transit button. I found the app very useful in navigating the city streets of Berlin and Erfurt and checked to see if there were any options here in the Bavarian countryside. I saw that in ten minutes, there was a bus going to Murnau. But to my dismay, the bus station was on the other side of town from the train station. I decided to try to catch the bus.

I started walking as fast as possible with my bad legs, backpack on my back, and suitcase bouncing down the cobblestone streets. I can't imagine what people were thinking as they saw an older man with a backpack and suitcase half running through their sleepy little town. I reached the bus stop with a minute or two to spare. I had just enough time to snap photos of the incredible scenery surrounding me. As I boarded the bus, a sense of relief washed over me. It was going to be okay. I would reunite with my wife and sister in a few minutes.

That evening as we walked through the quaint town of Oberammergau, I thought about the day's adventures. Our journey started by walking from our apartment to a tram stop a half mile away, where we took the tram to the Erfurt Hauptbahnhof. We took the train to Munich, where we changed to a train headed to Murnau. After the Murnau incident, we finally arrived in Oberammergau at about five o'clock.  

 

Gentle Reader, in Revelation 22:11 ISV), the Bible says, "Let the one who does what is evil continue to do what is evil. Let the filthy person continue to be filthy. Let the righteous person continue to do what is right. And let the holy person continue to be holy." This scripture is a dire warning regarding death and the end times. 

People who reject the gospel do not receive a second chance for salvation if they die. Eternity does not change anyone's status. The person who dies in an unsaved condition will be unsaved throughout eternity, and the saved person will be saved throughout eternity. Someday it will be too late for the unsaved to change their destination by repenting and believing in Jesus. Don't let the doors close on you before you can change your destination.  

The Tour Guide

My An Arkie's Faith column from the June 21, 2023, issue of The Polk County Pulse.

A light rain fell as Sergio drove the bus from Munich to Schloss Linderhof. I watched out the window as the Alps came into view. I had heard about the Alps all my life, but seeing them was a magical moment. The palace is nestled in a valley at the foothills of the Bavarian Alps. The views as we drove there were magnificent.

Schloss Linderhof was the favorite home of King Ludwig II of Bavaria. He built the palace on the site of his father's old cottage and finished it in 1878. King Ludwig was intimately involved in the design and building of Linderhof, sometimes to the extreme irritation of his architects and artisans. He lived at Linderhof for over seven years. Ludwig was a recluse, often refusing to see to matters of state. He dined alone. Ludwig installed a "magic table" that could be lowered and raised to and from the kitchen. His servants cooked and served meals without ever coming face to face with the king.

King Ludwig was inspired to build Schloss Linderhof by his hero, the French Sun-King, Louis XIV. Traces of the Sun-King's Versailles palace are all over Linderhof's grounds. After touring Schloss Linderhof and the fabulous grounds, including a large reflecting pool and fountains, incredible gardens, and even an artificial cave and lake, we returned to the bus and headed to Garmisch-Partenkirchen.

As we drove through the winding mountain roads, our tour guide, Bernd, filled us in on the story of King Ludwig II. He ascended the throne upon his father's death in 1864. Ludwig was only 19 years old, and his first year as the king did not go well. The shy young king soon left Munich and went into his beloved mountains in the Bavarian Alps. In 1868 Ludwig began a building campaign. Much of Ludwig's fame is associated with his castles: Neuschwanstein, Linderhof, and Herrenchiemsee. 

King Ludwig died mysteriously at age 40 when his body was found floating in Lake Starnberg. He spent most of his reign absorbed in a fantasy world at the expense of affairs of state. When his castle building caused the virtual bankruptcy of the Bavarian state, his ministers accused him of insanity and deposed him on the grounds of mental illness. They had him committed to the custody of Lake Starnberg Castle. 

The day after his imprisonment, Ludwig was found dead in Lake Starnberg. He disappeared while walking and was discovered a few hours later. The death was officially declared to be suicide by drowning, but the circumstances of his death remain open to question. Ludwig was a strong swimmer, and the water was less than waist-deep where his body was found. There was no water found in his lungs at the autopsy.

As we neared Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Bernd told us that it was possible that at the next intersection, the Polizei might ask us to take a detour that would add an hour to our trip. Ten miles away, at Schloss Elmau, the G7 summit was underway. Leaders from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the U.S., and the U.K. were meeting to discuss global economic governance, international security, energy policy, and the response to the war in Ukraine.

When we arrived at the checkpoint, the Polizei escorted our bus to our destination instead of making us detour around the area. As the police cars escorted us with lights flashing, our tour guide, Bernd, leaned over and told me, "See that nice BMW? You should convince the Mena police department to get some of those." As more police cars joined us, I said, "You're getting more important, Bernd." He replied, "No, It's because of you." He said, "The Poleizei say, these Mena people, they need special observation."

Throughout the ten-day tour of Germany in June 2022, Bernd was our tour guide as our group of fifty Americans visited many Reformation and WWII sites. We spent many hours on the bus as we traveled from place to place. He and I became good friends as we visited on the bus. My Daddy and I sat in the seat directly behind the driver, and Bernd sat in the seat across the aisle. When he wasn't talking to everyone on the bus over the P.A. system, Bernd and I would talk and learn about each other's lives.

When the tour ended, Bernd and I exchanged personal information and promised to keep in touch. I was surprised when a few months later, I received an email from Bernd telling me he was coming to Texas and would like to see me and learn more about Mena.

We had a lovely time hosting Bernd and his wife Marion in our home. It felt surreal to have a new friend from Germany visiting us here in Mena. I told him my wife and I had planned a trip to Germany the following year. He was excited about the idea and spent much time explaining the German transit system and showing me all the different rail pass options. He said that when we came to Germany, we must stay with them for a couple of days at their apartment in Hannover.

Earlier this month, my wife and I and my sister headed to Germany for our summer vacation. Our first stop was Hannover, where Bernd met us at the train station, and we took trams and a bus to his home. For the next two days, we had a personal tour guide who showed us all of the sights in Hannover and took us to the village of Gehrden. After Bernd saw us off at the train station on our way to Berlin, he kept in touch for the rest of our trip, offering us local insights. My friendship with Bernd made my vacation even more special.

Having a tour guide for a friend makes things so much easier as I travel in a foreign country. As we travel on life's path, we all can have a tour guide for a friend. The Bible says, "In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed. In your strength you will guide them to your holy dwelling." Exodus 15:13 (NIV)

Gentle Reader, God is not just a guide who points us to a path. He isn't just a person we ask for directions when we've lost our way. He doesn't just hand us a map and walk away. God is a guide who makes the plan, directs our destination, and journeys with us. He walks with us every step of the way and wants us to follow His lead day by day. "The Lord says, 'I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.'" Psalms 32:8 (NLT) It is lovely to have a tour guide as a friend.

Rainbow Cheerios

My An Arkie's Faith column from the June 14, 2023, issue of The Polk County Pulse.

When my granddaughter was young, she would ask to listen to "those southern stories" when she rode with me. She was referring to a podcast called Tales from the South that I liked to listen to. The podcast features true stories written and told by the Southerners who lived them, in front of a live audience. One of her favorite stories was "Rainbow Cheerios" by Paul Strack. When she asked if we could listen to southern stories, she often added, "Can we listen to the Rainbow Cheerios story?" 

Paul starts his story by saying, "Cool – You have Rainbow Cheerios!" He explains that on the night of April 26, 2011, tornadoes hit the Mayflower, Arkansas, area. His 13-year-old daughter learned that the tornado destroyed her friend's house.

He asked the family, "What can we do to help?" The family needed someplace for their teenage daughters Rachael and Taylor to stay for a few days. Paul recounted, "With three teenagers of our own, and a 10-year-old to boot, we have a pretty good understanding of the adolescent attitude. What was odd and completely unexpected was the positively bubbly, effervescent attitude that these two brought with them. And to have this attitude after immediately being displaced was nothing short of remarkable."

When Paul told them how sorry he was for their loss, Taylor replied, "Oh well, what are you gonna do? It's just a bump in the road." Rachael quickly chimed in, "Yeah, they will bulldoze our house, and we will get to rebuild. And anyway, Mom finally gets to get her new carpet." He couldn't believe their positive attitude.

The following day at breakfast, Paul heard Rachael exclaim, "How cool!" Rachael repeated – "How Cool! You guys have Rainbow Cheerios!" In the podcast, Paul explained, "We often buy our more popular cereals in bulk and empty the contents into plastic containers so they stay fresh. (No, my own Fiber One is not one of these.) But we often do buy Fruit Loops. You know, those sweet and sugary rings full of all the colors of the rainbow. Cheerios have the Honey Nut version, the Frosted version, and the Banana Nut version, and now even the Multi-Grain version, but no rainbow version. Except through the eyes of Rachael."

Two days after a tornado destroyed her house, she could still find complete joy – in a bowl of multicolored cereal. Her attitude reminds me of the admonition found in James 1:2 (NIV); "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds." James explains, "You know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." James 1:3,4 (NIV)

We are to consider the troubles we are going through pure joy, not because the trouble is pleasurable, but because it helps produce patience. At least one good thing is happening to us in the middle of our situation. Our suffering is more than just pain. God has a purpose, and that purpose is always good. "We are confident that God is able to orchestrate everything to work toward something good and beautiful when we love Him and accept His invitation to live according to His plan." Romans 8:28 (VOICE) We can consider all things joyful because God is working in all situations, even the most painful, for our salvation.

When we have trouble, sorrow, and grief in our lives, we must be able to look to the future to find joy. Jesus is our example. "Now stay focused on Jesus, who designed and perfected our faith. He endured the cross and ignored the shame of that death because He focused on the joy that was set before Him; and now He is seated beside God on the throne, a place of honor." Hebrews 12:2 (VOICE)

Joy is more than just feeling good. Joy has to do with accepting our present circumstances and having a positive attitude. Our positive assessment is that God is still in control of our difficult circumstances, and in the end, all things work together for our good. "When my worry is great within me, Your comfort brings joy to my soul." Psalms 94:19 (NLV)

Charles R. Swindoll writes, "The single most significant decision I can make today is my choice of attitude." Suppose you let negative attitudes such as anxiety, envy, anger, or bitterness dominate your mind. In that case, those attitudes will lead you to make decisions that negatively affect your life. But if you choose with God's help to have a positive attitude, your life will become positive.

In 1988, Singer-Songwriter Bobby McFerrin recorded the song "Don't Worry, Be Happy," The lyrics say, "In every life, we have some trouble. But when you worry, you make it double. Don't worry, be happy. Don't worry, be happy now." Whenever you have trouble, avoid reacting negatively. You can't control situations or people, but you can choose how to respond.

Our attitudes are an outward display of what's taking place in our hearts. Although enduring problems with a smile and pure joy in our hearts can be difficult, doing so helps us become stronger and opens the door for an attitude transformation. The only thing we have to lose by choosing a positive attitude is a negative attitude.

Gentle Reader, "Be joyful because you have hope. Be patient when trouble comes, and pray at all times." Romans 12:12 (NCV) "I heartily recommend that you pursue joy, for the best a person can do under the sun is to enjoy life. Eat, drink, and be happy. If this is your attitude, joy will carry you through the toil every day that God gives you under the sun." Ecclesiastes 8:15 (VOICE) So, what will you do when you hit a bump in the road? Where do you find your Rainbow Cheerios?