• About

Grayfeathersblog

~ Diabetes, Cancer Fighter, Father of Twins, Kayak Fishing, Woodcrafter, Lover of Life

Grayfeathersblog

Tag Archives: Bible Study

My Stuff Is Being Raptured (And I Wasn’t Invited)

04 Monday May 2026

Posted by Tim Hughes Living with CML in Life, Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Bible Study, Black Hole, Book, books, Camera, Church, Kindle, Life, Missing, Nikon, Reading, Science Fiction, Weird, writing

Years ago, back when I still trusted reality to behave itself, I checked out a book from the high school library that probably should’ve come with a warning label. I don’t remember the title, but I do remember the content—and some of it was just strange enough to stick with me all these years.

It talked about these bizarre “floating transporter” or black hole-type phenomena. Not the kind you see in science class, but the kind where you’re casually walking down the street one minute and—boom—you’re suddenly somewhere else entirely. Like from downtown New York City to Flagstaff, Arizona, without so much as a layover or a boarding pass.

One story in particular has lived rent-free in my brain ever since. A young man finishes his shower, grabs his towel, steps out… and instead of his bathroom floor, he’s standing in the middle of a cornfield a hundred miles away. Just like that. No explanation. No Uber receipt. Just corn.

At the time, I filed that away under “well, that’s weird, but okay” and went on with life.

Fast forward to today, and I’m starting to think that book might not have been fiction after all.

Because there is absolutely no logical explanation for what is currently happening in my life.

Let me present Exhibit A: my $300 Nikon Coolpix camera. Gone. Vanished. No note, no struggle, no sign of forced entry. It didn’t even have the decency to die dramatically—it just quietly slipped out of existence like it had better places to be.

And now… Exhibit B: my Kindle.

This one stings a little more because it’s not just a gadget. I’ve been using it daily—reading my devotionals, going through the ESV Bible, bringing it to Tuesday morning Bible study, even taking it with me to church on Sundays. It’s been part of my routine.

And here’s where things take a turn into Twilight Zone territory.

After church on Sunday, I did what I always do. I put my Kindle into my book bag. My wife was standing right there. She saw it happen. I have a witness. This is not speculation—this is documented behavior.

I put the bag in my truck. No stops. No detours. No shady back-alley Kindle deals.

We go to lunch. The bag stays locked in the back seat the entire time.

We get home. I grab the bag, head upstairs, unzip it, reach in…

No Kindle.

Gone.

Just… gone.

I called the church—nothing turned in. I tore apart my truck—nothing. My wife and I went through the house like we were being paid by the hour—nothing. I even had the entire maintenance staff at the church looking for it, which I’m sure made me look completely sane and rational.

Still nothing.

At this point, I’m left with only two possible explanations:

  1. I’ve somehow developed the ability to misplace objects at a level previously thought impossible by modern science.
  2. There is, in fact, a rogue black hole or interdimensional transporter following me around, casually snatching my belongings and dropping them into random cornfields across America.

Honestly, I’m leaning toward option two. It just makes more sense.

So here’s where you come in.

If you’re out walking—anywhere in the U.S. or even internationally—and you happen to come across a lonely Kindle sitting next to a plastic bag containing a Nikon camera (probably looking just as confused as you are), please take note of the location.

If you’re feeling generous, grab it.

I will gladly pay shipping to have it returned to its rightful, slightly bewildered owner.

Until then, I’ll be over here keeping a close eye on my wallet… and maybe avoiding cornfields altogether.

Built with Love (and a Little Bit of Crooked Math)

30 Thursday Apr 2026

Posted by Tim Hughes Living with CML in Arts and Crafts, Cancer, Disability, Family, Fishing, Kayaking, Leukemia, Life, Nature, Retirement, Uncategorized, Woodworking

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

adventure, Appointment, Back Pain, Bible Study, CML, Doctor, Family, gardening, Gift, Handmade, Leukemia, Life, love, Math, Mom, Mother's Day, Pain, Theology, Tools, Woodworking, writing

With Mother’s Day fast approaching, I decided it was time to push through the pain and make something for my mom. She loves plants—like, really loves plants—so I figured a couple of wooden planters would be the perfect gift. Plus, I’ve got a pile of scrap wood that’s been quietly judging me for months, including some cypress fencing material my wife has been not-so-subtly encouraging me to “do something with.”

So, around 9:30 this morning, I dragged all my equipment outside and got to work. By about 11:30, I had everything cut down to size and was feeling pretty good about life. That’s usually the exact moment things take a turn.

I started assembling the first planter and quickly realized something wasn’t right. The pieces weren’t lining up like the plans said they should. Now, the plans called for ¾-inch wood… and I’m working with ½-inch. Details, right? Apparently not. Turns out, those little fractions matter.

Still, I pressed on.

At this point, I’ve got one planter about 90% complete. It’s… let’s just say “custom shaped.” Not exactly square, which means putting the top boards on requires some math. And if you’ve followed me for any length of time, you already know—math and I are not on speaking terms. I’m pretty sure an angle finder is in my near future, the next time I wander into the store pretending I know what I’m doing.

After spending most of the day bending, lifting, and moving around, my back has officially filed a formal complaint. Sitting usually doesn’t bother me, but tonight I can’t seem to find a position that doesn’t make me question why I thought this was a good idea. The heating pad is doing its best, but the second I move, my back reminds me who’s really in charge. I took a pain pill earlier, but it’s apparently operating on its own schedule.

After looking at what I’ve completed on this planter, I’m not really happy with it. It’s one of those projects that looked a whole lot better in my head than it does sitting in front of me. So, there’s a good chance this one becomes a “keep it at the house” planter, and I’ll come up with something else for Mom.

I guess you could say this was my practice run… whether I planned it that way or not.

It all really depends on how I’m feeling after this upcoming pain block. If I can get a little relief and move around without feeling like my back is plotting against me, I may give it another shot and build something I’m actually proud to give her.

If not, well… Mom may be getting something a little less handmade and a little more store-bought this year—and honestly, she’ll probably love it just the same.

As for doctor updates, I’ve now got two appointments lined up—one with the orthopedic in mid-June and another with a pain specialist next Thursday. I’m hoping the pain specialist can help take the edge off until June gets here.

And yes, I’ll admit it… I probably shouldn’t have stayed out on that kayak as long as I did last Thursday. But I’ll still argue it was worth it. I needed that time on the water—maybe just not that much time.

Tomorrow looks like it’ll be a recliner day. I plan on catching up on my Bible study material for Tuesday morning. Theology isn’t exactly my strong suit, but I’m giving it my best shot—kind of like woodworking and math.

I also had a visit with my oncologist last week. My iron levels were low again, so they gave me a shot of Epoetin alfa to help boost my red blood cell production. They also ran my BCR-ABL1 test to check on my CML. The last several tests over the past six months have come back non-detectable, which is great news. I’m curious to see how this one turns out, though—it seems like those numbers like to keep me guessing. Should have results in a few days.

Other than that, things are pretty quiet around here. I’ll finish up that planter (eventually), survive the math, and hopefully have something worth showing for it.

I’ll check back in when I’ve got something else to write about… or when the second planter decides to humble me too.

A Car Accident, Too Many Phone Calls, and a Future Son-in-Law

04 Wednesday Mar 2026

Posted by Tim Hughes Living with CML in bariatric-surgery, Boy Scouts, diet, Family, Fishing, Kayaking, Life, Retirement, Twins, Uncategorized, Weight Loss, Woodworking

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

accident, Alarm, Appointment, Bible Study, Boy Scouts, Breakfast, Car, Coffee, Daughter, Doctor, Engraver, Family, fault, Fishing, health, Interruption, Kayaking, Laser, Life, Marriage, mental-health, Phone, Police, Woodworking, writing

Tomorrow is Thursday, and this week has gone from bad to worse.

My 4 a.m. alarm didn’t go off Tuesday morning, which meant I missed my Tuesday Bible study. That may not sound like a big deal to most people, but it is to me. I haven’t missed one since I started going nearly six months ago.

I woke up around 5 a.m. and immediately realized it was too late to rush around and try to make it on time. The real sign that I wasn’t rushing anywhere was that I didn’t even make coffee first thing. Anyone who knows me knows that’s a sure sign something is off.

After getting cleaned up and eating breakfast, I headed out to the shop and started working on some crafts with my laser. I’ve got a craft fair coming up, and every spare minute seems to be dedicated to getting items ready for it. My breakfast appointment wasn’t until 8 a.m., so I had some time to kill.

I met my friend Rick for breakfast, and of course, the first thing he asked was when we were going fishing. I told him “Soon,” but explained that I had some projects I needed to finish before the craft show. I could tell he wasn’t thrilled with that answer.

During breakfast, my phone kept ringing. No fewer than four people called wanting to talk about Scout-related matters. Even though I consider myself no longer involved in Scouts, apparently, the news hasn’t fully spread yet.

Once I got back home, I went right back to working on my crafts. Before long, the phone started ringing again. More Scout calls.

Running a laser in the shop requires attention. It’s essentially a controlled fire, and if you’re not careful, things can go wrong in a hurry. After trying to juggle phone calls and watch the laser at the same time, I finally decided it wasn’t worth the risk. I shut the laser down.

At 1 p.m., I had a dentist’s appointment.

I have a love-hate relationship with my dentist. I’ve been seeing him for over 30 years, and I trust him completely. But that doesn’t mean I enjoy what he does. I absolutely cannot stand the sound of a dental drill.

Thankfully, I haven’t had a cavity in years, but every now and then, he has to replace a filling that he put in decades ago. Yesterday was one of those days.

After leaving the dentist, things took a turn for the worse.

While merging into another lane, I was hit by a car. The driver had been turning left onto the roadway and collided with me. Before the police arrived, he admitted to me that it was his fault. But when the officers got there, his story had changed. Suddenly, he was telling them that I ran into him because I wasn’t paying attention.

There had been a witness who told me he saw the young man hit me. Unfortunately, by the time I tried to get his information, he had already left. Now I’ll have to wait five to seven business days to pick up the police report and see what it says.

Today was my bariatric appointment.

At one point, my lowest weight was 165 pounds. To be honest, I didn’t look very healthy at that weight. I had gotten too thin. People were quietly asking others if I had some sort of serious illness and wasn’t telling anyone.

My scale at home said 185 pounds this morning. I knew the doctor’s office scale would be a little heavier because of shoes and clothes. Sure enough, it read 191. Still, that’s lower than my last reading at the doctor’s office a year ago.

My doctor would like me to get down to about 175 pounds. He thinks that’s my ideal weight. Personally, I’m pretty comfortable where I am now, but I wouldn’t mind getting down to 175. I just don’t want to go much lower than that.

The next couple of days will be catch-up days.

I have projects cut out that still need sanding. Items that are sanded but need painting. And pieces that are painted but still need to be glued together and assembled.

But even with all the chaos this week, there has been a bright moment.

My wife and I had dinner with one of my daughter’s boyfriends. During dinner, he asked us for permission to ask my daughter to marry him.

It felt strange even writing that sentence.

I can hardly believe that soon I may have a married daughter and gain a son-in-law. He’s a good young man, and I truly believe he cares deeply about her. I know she feels the same way about him.

She had been worried that I might not give my permission. But I would never stand in the way of my daughter’s happiness.

That moment was a candle in what had otherwise been a pretty dark and stressful week.

Now I’m hoping the rest of the week goes by quietly and uneventfully.

After all the doctor’s appointments, the phone calls, and a car accident, I think I’ve earned a couple of calm days.

The Day Febreze Became a Household MVP

17 Tuesday Feb 2026

Posted by Tim Hughes Living with CML in Fishing, Kayaking, Life, Nature, Retirement, Uncategorized, Weather

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

aeromatic, Bible Study, Breakfast, Coffee, convenenience, evotion, Fishing, fly-fishing, Kayaking, mud, Nature, Outdoors, outhouse, pipes, Plumbing, pressure, restroom, Retirement, Smell, Travel, Water

Four a.m. came early this morning… but who am I kidding? Four a.m. always comes early. I’m convinced 4 a.m. wakes up feeling productive and personally offended that I don’t.

The only reason I willingly get up at that hour is Bible study. Otherwise, if you see me awake at 4 a.m., something has gone terribly wrong — like I heard a strange noise, or I fell asleep at 7 p.m. and woke up confused and slightly offended.

Like usual, I sat there drinking my coffee while reading my morning devotion. There’s something peaceful about that quiet time… mostly because nobody else is awake to ask me where anything is.

After that, I went over the material for Bible study so I wouldn’t show up sounding like I just crawled out of a cave. Which, honestly, is exactly what my brain feels like at 4 a.m.

Since retirement, there are only two things that get me out of bed early.
Number one: Bible study.
Number two: Fishing.

Fishing and I haven’t spent much time together this year. I’ve only been once since New Year’s. The weather has been acting like it has a personal problem with me. Too cold. Too rainy. Too windy.

This week, the temperature is perfect… but the wind is blowing 10–15 mph with gusts up to 25 mph. Fishing in a kayak in that wind is less “peaceful day on the water” and more “Lord, if You get me back to the boat ramp, I promise to behave better.”

After Bible study, I met my brother-in-law and one of my fishing buddies for breakfast. Naturally, we talked about fishing. Because if fishermen aren’t fishing, we’re talking about fishing… or buying fishing gear… or trying to explain to our wives why we need more fishing gear.

We talked about kayaks and my plan to buy another one once I can raise the money. I refuse to go into debt for a hobby. I like fishing… but not “eat ramen noodles for six months” fishing.

Around 10 a.m., as I was leaving the restaurant, my wife texted me:
“The water is off.”

Not just our water. About 70% of the city.

That’s not a “someone hit a pipe” situation. That’s a “somebody is having a really bad day at work” situation.

I still had errands to run, so a couple of hours later, I made it home. We had a little water pressure, but not much. I immediately filled the bathtub so we’d have water to flush toilets if this thing dragged on.

Let me just say — that was one of the smartest decisions I made all day.

I called the water company.
They said about six hours.

Six hours came and went… still no water.

I called again.
Same report.
Just a new six-hour timeline.

That’s when you know you’ve entered the “Well… this is my life now” phase.

I have to admit, I was slightly entertained reading Facebook comments. Some folks were VERY upset about not being able to flush toilets and how things were getting… aromatic.

When people start describing their house as aromatic, things have gone off the rails.

Ten hours later, the water finally came fully back on.

The whole thing reminded me of visiting my grandparents when I was younger. They didn’t have indoor plumbing. They had an outhouse. If you had to go, you grabbed your courage and made the trip outside to the little wooden shack out back.

And let me tell you… I can still remember that smell. That smell had layers. History. Personality.

Suddenly, our ten-hour water outage didn’t seem quite so bad.

Blog Stats

  • 14,414 hits

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 50 other subscribers
Follow Grayfeathersblog on WordPress.com

2015

May 2026
M T W T F S S
 123
45678910
11121314151617
18192021222324
25262728293031
« Apr    

Blog at WordPress.com.

  • Subscribe Subscribed
    • Grayfeathersblog
    • Join 50 other subscribers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • Grayfeathersblog
    • Subscribe Subscribed
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar

Loading Comments...