BeLOnGings

Yesterday Hilary and I did something we rarely do. We went out ‘for a run in the car’. I was not fit for a ride on our bikes as I had collided with a tree when playing soccer with my sons and grandsons which left me with a very painful hip. You should see the tree though😀

So we ventured out to explore the picturesque Wisconsin countryside.

We ended up in Stockholm, Wisconsin that is, and in the historic Stockholm Pie and General Store that boasts it is ‘The Best Pie Shop in Wisconsin’. On our way back through Minnesota we stopped off for a pizza in Redwing.

From Pie to Pizza are again something we don’t do a lot of.

Driving back I became aware of an ache, a ‘groaning’ …….not just in my hip, but in my spirit.

It was that intercessory groaning of Romans 8: 26, when we don’t have words. It was the groaning of Jesus as he carried the weight of the sins of the whole world on the cross as recorded in Ps. 22. ‘My God, my God , why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me , from the words of my groaning.”

We had noticed in the two eating establishments how many very overweight folk there were, uncomfortably overweight, unhappily overweight.

‘It’s what they’ve been fed’ is what came to me. ‘Not just the ‘bad food, but the bad information from ‘the father of lies’ who has ensnared them and robbed them of health, of joy, and of hope that it could be any different!

Hilary added, “Yes, traditional pie was likely ‘in the beginning…….created good!’ …..no GMO wheat, or insecticide covered berries, and sparing on the sugar. Then out into the fields to work it off with healthy manual labor being blessed by grounding of the earth and vitamin of the sun, God’s truly ‘safe and effective’ remedies for illness.

We continued pondering in silence, and our spirits lifted again with the depth of the sun bathed greenery all around on tree clothed rolling hills and crop laden valleys, not unlike the ‘drumlins’ that had enfolded me as a lad decades before when come Sunday afternoon we’d take granny ‘out for a run in the car.’ through County Down in ‘the Emerald Isle.

Then that other ‘groaning’ scripture came to mind. Roman’s 8: 22 …and hope began to arise,

‘For we know the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only creation but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons,the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved.’

Pondering this hope, moved me from Pain to Pang……. knowing that there is a joyful birthing taking place even now, not just for the sons of God but ultimately for all and for the whole of creation.

We crossed over the Mississippi, named by the first European explorers, “The River of the Holy Spirit’ back into Minnesota, and headed north.

I looked up……..

Highway 61. ……….Revisited from my Dylanesque youth!

Of course! It is Isaiah 61, quoted by Jesus of himself…….and of us, his body, for it is given for us to be the mediators of this hope

‘The Spirit of the Lord God……….. is upon me, because he had anointed me to bring good news to the poor, he has sent me to bind up the broken hearted, proclaim liberty to the captives and the recovering of sight to the blind to set at liberty those who are oppressed to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.’

Today I caught up on the latest Johnny Enlow Unfiltered, Episode 67. ……there it all was being told again, all that we had been experiencing, right from the on point ‘Trump’ clip at the 8:40 minute mark through to the end!

The previous episode #66, was also a profoundly sobering follow up to The Sound of Freedom message. Another must watch.

Our friends Pieter and Loes Donkers in the Netherlands are moving house. They discovered an old box of my CDs and wondered what I wanted them to do with them. I said, “Give them away to anyone who’ll take them…. and just dispose of the rest.’😀

After receiving Paul McAree’s encouraging email last week, Pieter wrote one to me……

Hi Paul,

I distributed a number of your CD’s in our congregation, two weeks ago. Well, today the preacher took one of your songs as the base of his sermon, namely the song “We seek your presence”

He was touched by it, he told us and he wanted to use it to encourage us to seek the Lord. When he finished his sermon, he played your song on his mobile device for all of us to hear.

So I asked him if he would allow me to tell something about the composer of the song, which he did, so I told them (briefly) the story of you and your family being called by the Lord to go from Belfast to the US, the hard times you had in the beginning to support the family and what the Lord finally provided for. A story that encouraged us to seek His presence! Your CD’s still inspire!

Reminds me of Corrie ten Boom. After she came out of the concentration camp and was led by the Lord to spread the gospel, the Lord promised her that people would listen to her.

When I taught religion in high school, I used to show my wild and worldly pupils an old video of Corrie as an old lady, sitting in a chair and knitting (or something like that) and then she shares the gospel, very quietly and friendly, in English, with a terrible Dutch accent. You would think that would be utterly boring for those youngsters. On the contrary. The all listened in breathless silence. I saw the promise that God gave Corrie fulfilled through that old video.

Today I saw the ministry God gave you, working through that old CD.

Blessings,

Pieter

Again take a few minutes to ‘Sit back, relax and enjoy the journey of this song’……..with ‘those whose hearts are set on (this) pilgrimage.’ (Ps. 84)

Following the last blog in which I mentioned Paul McAree, I received this inspiring email from….’yer man himself’ He began it,

‘Wow Paul

I just listened to King of Summer…as of hearing it fresh for the first time again. O my! You really played a blinder the day you wrote this song. You must’ve had your Weetabix and said your prayers that morning! Definitely my top pic’ for my ‘Desert Island Discs!’ A cinematic vision of heaven for the poor sinner, just after drawing his last breath here on earth. An extraordinarily vivid cinematic scriptural vision of heaven, perfectly depicted in your lyrics. As I recall you recorded it in one ‘take’. All credit to young Paul McAdam who plays the Irish whistle and pipes, culminating in the ‘Celtic orchestra’ on the last verse, including the bodhrans (Irish drum), on our stripped down instrumental arrangement. We recorded this 30 years ago this year in my little studio above the legendary “American Bar”, just a stones throw from where the Titanic was built and launched in Belfast, 111 years ago this year! Like a good wine, this song never grows dull, but with time just gets better and better!

“Fill your mind with thoughts such as these!”

Thank you Jesus!
🙏Paul☘️

PS You know there were seven clergy men on the Titanic, Catholic and Protestant, who stayed with their flock that day. All of them went down with the ship, RIP. Father Thomas Biles was invited onto a life boat, at least twice. He chose to stay and minister to the souls about to die a terrible death, just after midnight on Monday April 15th 1912, far from home in the freezing North Atlantic. It begs the question; what would we have done? Surely all of them saw the Beatific Vision that morning! As we, and our loved ones before us hoped to do in their time. Come Lord Jesus.’

When we recorded O Ireland 30 years ago, in Paul’s little studio above The American Bar, little did I know our family would subsequently find themselves actually living in America and sharing those same songs every Sunday for the first 5 years in…..an American bar, in fact in no less than The Titanic Lounge of Kieran’s Irish pub!

Between our live sets ‘O Ireland’ would provide the background music as we mingled and met with the folk Father has brought through the doors that week to be exposed to the ‘goof news’ in an Irish cultural context.

In fact not only did we worship in an American bar, but we can be seen in the photo above eating and drinking last week at the American bar of The Anchor Fish and Chip Restaurant owned by our son Luke! Our final fling together before Abby, Stephen, Luke and Tom headed back from home to home.

We realized at the time of recording O Ireland how prophetic it was that God had appointed a ‘prod’ Paul and a ‘fenian’ Paul to ‘make music together’ at a time when our unredeemed ‘tribes’ where literally killing each other! Paul mentions the third of the Trinity of Pauls our Father assembled for the project. Our gifted Irish musician, Paul McAdam, at that time as far as I knew was not professing any faith in Jesus.

Wow I believe stands for, the Wonder of Worship….. of a God who can bring together a prod, a fenian and a prebeliever into a divine harmony in order to create a glimpse into the ‘kingdom of heaven’ ……..that is already here, and yet is coming still. (Is. 9:7)

At a time like this when those with eyes of faith see the arrogant ‘Titanic’ (and Titan) of this world’s Babylonian kingdom (Rev. 18) leaking and rapidly sinking, how encouraging for this ‘Beatific’ song with it’s story and setting,, to float as a ‘lifebelt’ up to the surface once again😀

The question remains,

‘Will your Anchor hold in the storms of life? ‘

Thankfully the answer comes,

‘We have an Anchor that keeps the soul

Steadfast and sure while the billows roll

Fastened to the Rock which cannot move.

Grounded firm and deep in the Savior’s love!’

Or in the words of a present day hymnist…….

P.S. If you look carefully at the photo above you can see three other Kyles in the top left corner. That is a photo of Joel and Grace at their ‘Groom’s dinner’ that happened in The Anchor before their wedding celebration last year.

And that young chef? Why it’s none other than Roy Kyle on his second shift😀

I was talking to Paul McAree the other day and he said that this summer he had been listening to The King of Summer and thought it was maybe his favorite of all the many songs we’d recorded together. He was a mite surprised when I replied, ‘Me too’

I love how these blogs keep us connected to many friends all over the world.

After last week’s offering beginning with Good Morning Dad, I got three messages from three friends, one in New Zealand, one in Ireland and one in Canada. Each of them had or were currently going through very challenging personal trials.

The line came to me from another of my songs,

‘……but open hearts, open heaven’s door, to see and hear and touch and feel all we’ve been longing for’

It is this ‘beatific vision’ that these three people have been given that inspires and sustains them.

Then on listening to the song again I realized it too builds to bring us to the same place……

‘ My Father’s smile, Jesus’ embrace,

The Spirit’s kiss. We’re face to face

Man and God at last are one.

Salvation’s work, has now been done.’

Take a few minutes to sit back and listen.

Relax, and open your heart again to this blissful reality, that,…….‘the King of Summer’s here’.

Last night 7 of the older and younger Kyle men went together to see Sound of Freedom which has become a #1 box office smash in the nation.

It is an incredible movie with many poignant moments. One that stood out for me (spoiler alert) was when the rescued child Rocio wakes from sleep and turns to see her father’s face. As the camera lingers our hearts swell with theirs. This is the joy our Heavenly Father wants all his children to know as they behold His smiling face.

‘On that brand new dawn we say,”Good Morin’ Dad!’

A few blogs back I recommended watching The Great Awakening which I believe is also being used to ‘waken up’ millions worldwide, from a ‘hypnotized’ state. If you haven’t seen it yet you can watch it for free at, Plandemicseries.com

In a recent enlightening interview with the Director, Mikki Willis, he describes his personal journey out of this hypnotized state as he participated in Hollywood, ‘the environmental movement’, and politics, to also awake to a real reconnect to God, creation, humanity and family. Here is the link…..

https://www.brighteon.com/5da2466b-2af9-463f-a641-4db7c5576897

God is literally ‘the bottom line’ in both the movie and the interview.

Someone else I have linked to over these last years in the blog is J.P.Sears. AwakenWithJP is his website and in a recent video he also gives a great sharing about his personal journey back to God.

P.S. A tip. I personally go to speed settings and increase to 1.5 or faster, to move through these longer videos more quickly.

Homepage

I’ve been ‘a runner’ all my life. As a schoolboy I was a fairly decent sprinter, 100 and 200 meters. As an adult I then began appreciating long distance running and was lead to do 2 marathons. Brian Caruth and I crossed the finishing line of the iconic New York City marathon in 1997, and then Sam Cox, Joel, Ben and myself completed the Twin Cities marathon in 2006.

That is why I found it interesting that in Jeffrey Prather’s book Initiation, running was used by his Apache mentor as one of the ways in which he would be taught about how to best journey through life as a man.He learned how by combining the correct minimal footwear (in the form of moccasins), right breathing and physical and spiritual posture, it was possible to endure over a long distance.

I implemented what I had been reading about, as I ran some distance, barefoot each morning for those few weeks, along the northwest shore of Belfast Lough.

Then a few weeks ago Robin sent me a YouTube link to Dr Sean O’Mara. This wise doctor of Irish extraction who just happens to live in Minneapolis, also talked about moccasins, but in his case it was not about using them to endure over a long distance but rather using them to excel over a short distance

He was advocating, that no matter what age you are, you should be sprinting in moccasins! His science backed up by personal experience made perfect sense to me and encouraged me to take my ‘interval training which I have been doing for years to the next level.

Immediately I went to the website he suggested of a local moccasin company, and ordered a pair.

At the dinner table that night I eagerly shared my new knowledge, but the moment I announced my purchase I realized how rash my decision to purchase the moccasins had been.

First off, amongst our Dakota guests was Raine, an expert moccasin maker who should at least have been consulted.

And then of course there was my wife…..

‘You already have a pair of moccasins!’ Hilary exclaimed.

‘I do?’ I replied.

‘ Yes. Did you forget. Carolyn gave you Mark’s pair.’

Early the next morning I retrieved from the back of the closet a pair of very fine moccasin boots. They fitted perfectly, so I slipped my set of BFR bands into the pockets of my running shorts and set out, warming up with a gentle jog through the woods.

Then at the farthest point, I turned and put on the bands. Tension just right, I was released by the imaginary gun to speed along the track on my almost bare feet counting sixteen labored breaths before easing to a gentle walking pace. A minute later, I sprinted again. Then again and again twelve times.

The question I pondered was, ‘To endure as the genius Indigenous or to excel as the ‘enlightened’ European?’

I concluded ‘Not an either/or, but a both/and.’

My thoughts returned to the strange turn of events in American politics where some are speculating about how Donald Trump representing traditional conservatism and Bobby Kennedy representing traditional liberalism might work together? In a recent interview Colonel Douglas McGregor commented that what the two had in common was “authenticity’ and this was something ordinary people recognize and are looking for.

All the while praying, I was brought back to the one whose moccasins I was wearing, and what an honor it had been to inherit them from this marvelous son of God, taken from this side, and now on the other side’

Now I was indeed, in God’s time, ‘running in another man’s moccasins’.

‘Judge Softly’ is the name of the poem written by Mary T. Lathrop in 1895 known for the famous line, ‘walk a mile in another man’s moccasins’

At Mark’s funeral I was privileged to sing on his behalf,

“ I open my eyes. I see your smiling face.

Warming my heart, ‘Good Mornin’ Dad’

There others described, how the message Mark’s life lived on this side left us with, was simply…..

Never Judge. Always Forgive.

To which I would add the message Iris Mearns brought back when she returned from a visit to the other side, and scribbled on a chalk board….

Give Thanks.

It was a few years ago when the Lord gave me “The Innocents’ song. The above is a ‘one take’ recording on my iphone looking out our bedroom window.

I listened to it again today after watching the interview with the courageous Jim Caviezel on Elijah Streams, about the long awaited release of the movie Sound of Freedom, appropriately over this 4th July ‘Freedom’ holiday.

Several times Jim used the term,‘The Innocents’ – the name of the song. The line that stood out to me in the chorus as I listened afresh to it was,

‘The time has come’

The time has indeed come as another line in the song says, ‘for the silence of the lambs to give way to thunder’.

Another line that came alive was, ‘The shepherd came and found His sheep……love was the answer.’

God is using men like Tim Ballard and Jim Caviezel as real life expressions of his shepherd‘s heart to seek and save these exploited children. He wants to use each one of us too.

‘Wake us up from our sleep from our slumber.

Break our hearts for these ones who are plunder.’

Please listen to the song again. Let God break your heart as you click on the link below and listen to this most compelling interview, and then book your tickets to be part of God’s thunder that will help rescue the 2-6 million children who have until now been ‘led to the slaughter’ each year, for ‘The time has come.’’

This instead, is what we want for our children…….

We had some excitement at The Big Green House a few weeks ago.

‘Fire! Fire! Call 911! Call 911! ‘

Robin had discovered the clothes dryer in the basement was ablaze!!!.

We had a houseful of guests. I dashed to the smoke filled basement where Robin was frantically pouring water into the flaming appliance. Realizing that water alone was not going to quench the fire, Hilary sprinted (Yes,I mean sprinted!) up the stairs to the top apartment, that she had just been cleaning. She knew for sure there was a fire extinguisher there.

She ‘passed the baton’ to Rudy who was following close behind, and who then rushed down the three flights to dowse the smoking appliance and kill the flames’

‘I’ve had to do that a few times before, on my truck.’ He said calmly

Sirens blaring and lights flashing the emergency services arrived Holywood style. The whole neighborhood turning out to watch the spectacle. The crisis however had already been happily resolved.

Adrenaline flowing, the extended household congregated around the kitchen island, with rapid fire colorful personal accounts complementing one another, all punctuated with relieved laughter and expressions of deep gratitude to God!

With a little more distance the fiery dots began connecting for me…..……

I had been flowing in unity and prayer with Rudy and Tanner, the two brothers pictured above, in the Upper Room, when the fire fell. Now where have I heard that before?

Then there was the recent blog about Ashland and the prayer and the promise about the fire arising in America ‘…..and once again God’s love proclaim, a burning heart in Jesus name.’

And of course the new song ‘Light the Fire.’ by Dana that had arrived fresh from Ireland via Paul McAree.

God promises ‘Call on me in the day of trouble and I will deliver you and you will glorify me.’ (Ps.50:15)

God will continue be true to his word both on a personal level and on a national level, until His holy fire which is his glorious love, covers the whole earth, as the waters cover the sea.

Father’s Day, in the absence of my children in our home, I got to do my favorite thing – make my wife happy😀

I helped her clean.

As I was doing it, as a bonus I got this next blog. Father said,

‘It’s a clean up operation”

Yes no matter how bad things may appear to be in the world out there we know it was all sorted, 2000 years, i.e. 2 Days ago.(2 Pet.3:8)

As Johnny Enlow says repeatedly in his Unfiltered series, we as God’s people have just been slow on the uptake to exercise the ‘All authority in heaven and earth’ that he received and passed on to us. Stephen Jones complements Johnny’s perspective with his amazing studies at Godskingdom.org about timing, as time did need to elapse for the kingdom to be fully given to ‘the saints of the Most High.’ as we now happily enter ‘the third day’

Now we are at that monumental time in history and it is time for God’s people to ‘get up to speed’ and ‘get with the program’, a they become the answer to the prayer, “Thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.’

I won’t elaborate because Johnny and Stephen (see my previous blogs for links) teach the ins and outs of this stuff much better than I do.

I’m happy to just be ‘an encourager’ …..just as I am when I am changing the chair covers or tablecloth or vacuuming the floor for my beloved😀

Make your heavenly Father happy, by engaging fully with Him in His ‘clean up operation’ ‘on earth… as it is in heaven.’ – first in your own life and then as He gives opportunity in the lives and world he has placed around you, ‘for such a time as this.’

We now realize that one of the reasons we were lead to come to ‘Turtle Island’ was so that we could learn from the First Nations, who were given to be the original stewards of this piece of God’s real estate (Acts 17;26)

Last Friday we had the privilege of attending a ceremony where two young girls took the step into womanhood. This involved a time of preparation including fasting and prayer and instruction by the older women. It is said to be the most important of the 7 traditional Dakota ceremonies because everyone is ‘set in their place’ e.g. the men as the guardians outside the tepee where the girls come aside for three days.

There is not a corresponding ceremony for the boys, however I recalled the book Initiation by Jeffrey Prather that had a profound influence on my spiritual life a few years ago when I first read it while in Ireland.

I pulled it off the shelf again to review all the underlined parts and my margin notes.
Therein was a section where the Apache Medicine Man who trained the young Prather, echoed from their tradition what I had just been learning in my Dakota family…..

On Sunday morning we had a Kyle family birthday celebration and as we sat around the table honoring one of the mothers, I felt I should read the above quotation. Then Asher (6) raised his hand.

‘Yes Asher’ I said inviting his comment.

“ But what about the sperm?’ He asked earnestly.

After the uproarious laughter died down we continued our family education with several wise inputs offered in answer to his great question😀

This ancient wisdom is so relevant in today’s ‘world’ which would force us to accept that a man can have a baby!

Another profound quote I came across was this piece of conversation between Jeffrey and his Apache teacher……

‘How timely!’ I thought……..in the light of what is now coming to light!…….as articulated for example here by Tucker Carlson…….

After the ceremony some new friends from the Reservation spent a few days with us at The Big Green House. Sounding them out about the last few years in conversation one said of ‘the jab’ They offered us a big pay increase if we would take it, but I said,’The government have been lying to us and trying to wipe us out for 500 years, so why should weI trust them now?!’

When I later relayed this to our friend Bill, He said,’ Yes. Now we’re discovering we’ve all been living on the Reservation’!’

Wakan Tanka means the Great Spirit. John writes about the Spirit that has been given to believers. “But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him.”(1 John‬ ‭2‬:‭27‬ ‭ESV)‬‬

As Tucker Carlson points out, deception is ripe everywhere with shifting characters all the time. How are we to know who and what is true (even Tucker?) and what is manipulative propaganda?

John advises we abide in him and stay close to the one who walked in humility and openness and we will move beyond mere opinions to true discernment as we seek to hear His teaching, no matter through whom whatever vessel it may come.

One more lesson we learned in the school of Wakan Tanka is illustrated below……

The girls are taught that moving from childhood to adulthood means that you moves from being a ‘taker’ to being a ‘giver’. Therefore for months before the ceremony they and their mothers spend time and money making gifts for ‘The Give Away’ to honor those who attend who have had a helpful influence in the lives of the girls.

Hilary and I were so blessed to receive this spread from our ‘adopted daughter’ Raine and her daughter, Mni who is pictured above with another of our granddaughters, Saachi, who grew up, together with Mni, in The Big Green House. They are enjoying their traditional feast of wild rice, buffalo, fruit……and fry bread (shucks you can’t get everything healthy😀)