Phil Mitchell's Blog

 
Come see the New Book "The Living Spring" by Phil Mitchell.
http://www.christianquotes.net
It is full of interesting stories and quotes.  Phil grew up many interesting water springs that werea source of healing and beauty.  He reflects on this and his faith.  

Getting up early to see a sunrise is not an easy thing.  Dean and I got up early and headed out to the Planetarium to take some pictures of the sunrise. We arrived at 5:00 am at the office and were surprised to see other drivers heading on to work for an early charter.  We met another photographer at the Planetarium and several families that were also up to see the sunrise.  We could not believe the pictures we were getting.  The sun peaked through the clouds with shades of blue, red, yellow, and brown.  Suddenly, a full rainbow came up over the whole skyline.  We could not believe what we were seeing.  God's blessings.  The early wake was well worth it.

The next day, I did a parade in Chinatown.  It was the feast of St. Rocco.  Fireworks were lit off every block before the parade arrived.  A statue and relic greated many Italian families in the neighborhood.  The statue would stop in front of a house after the family donated fifty or hundred dollars.
St. Rocco is the patron of the sick.  I drove my trolley by St. Jerome's church into a crowded festival.  Many people surrounded the trolley and I do not know how I got through.  Bringing faith to other people is another way of seeing a bright new morning.

A bright new morning should something different.  Maybe, you could go to work a different way or try something new.  Maybe, you could ask God to give you another choice for the day or help brighten another person's day.

[image error]

The Fourth of July was great! I was a tour guide on top of the double
decker. The temperature said 93 degrees.

I started the morning by bringing donuts and coffee for all the employees.
We all headed out and Paul B. was my driver. He bought a case of
grapes for the passengers on top.

We drove by Greektown, Little Italy, China Town, and Harpo Studios.
We had people from all over the US and the World. One couple
from China got off at chinatown. They told me that the Nine Dragon
Wall looked like the one in Bejing. Some passengers got off
at Little Italy for some coffee and pasta. Passengers took pictures by the
Oprah sign.

It was pretty hot up there. I talked about the city and Freedom.
Freedom is the past, present, and future. Being free is calling
America our heart and home. We have to be concerned for the
youth of this nation. We sang "God Bless America" and waived
to some of the troops on leave in the city.

At the end of the day, rain came in and we started to all cool off.
A group from New Orleans was on top of the double decker.
They had drove their church vans all the way to Chicago and were on their
way to a baptist mission in Hilcrest, IL. They sang church songs in
addition to patriotic songs. How fitting, it was Sunday and
the Fourth of July. I was not alone.

I went home later and celebrated with my family. Strong families
help to build a strong nation.    Happy Fourth everyone.....

[image error]
Help Phil on his journey and buy a copy of his book.
Share with a friend.


http://www.brightnewmorning.com/book.php

A student asked me if I ever see God on the trolley?

I replied, "I see him everywhere."

The student asked, "Does he have a beard or a mustache?"

I replied, "God has a quiet presence."

I left the class off at the Bean to take pictures.
Suddenly, a man came up with a tube in his nose
pushing his son in a wheel chair. The boy could
barely talk. I asked them if I could say a prayer
and I prayed with them. The class returned from taking pictures.

Maybe, God does want all of us to come together.
Maybe, he wants us to build a brighter
road for our children or a happy home.
Maybe, he want us to take time to
notice he is there.

Street musicians downtown in Chicago.

Parade to support education. I was driving in the parade.

Teachers and students gathered at the Thompson Center to protest cutsin education.

How can we build a brighter path?

1) National Debt: We simply can not pay back 11 trillion dollars. We need to decide what we can pay back and what we can not pay back. Pension plans and companies could be protected. The dollar will continue to decline with no action.

2) Health Care: An actuary will tell you that we need to control quality and costs.

3) American jobs need to stay in America. What can we offer our youth if we do not protect American jobs?

4) Global Warming: Floods, weather problems, and volcanic eruptions are risks we can ill afford.
How can we make our cities smog free? Can we use more electric vehicles?