TAD, PAD, and Devotions

TAD and PAD, both are "afflictions" that those of us who smoke pipes suffer from.  TAD is Tobacco Acquisition Disorder, and PAD is Pipe Acquisition Disorder.  Neither are bad things, but just like other things in life, they can take over your wallet and web time in a heartbeat.  There are other types of disorders that some pipers suffer from.... LAD (Lighter Acquisition Disorder) RAD (Rack Acquisition Disorder) and tAD (Tamper Acquisition Disorder).

I primarily suffer from TAD.  The reasons for this are as follows:
1) tobacco doesn't get any cheaper.  Having a cellar stored up allows one to go through tough times without suffering with the lack of baccy to smoke.
2) I like to try different blends.  There are hundreds, if not thousands of different blends to try.  I may love some and hate others.  You can't try them if you don't have them
3) Sales.  Sometimes there are excellent sales or deals that one just can't pass up.  www.4noggins.com is notorious for selling  different blends at a heavily discounted rate every month.  I try to take advantage of this as it allows my cellar to grow by leaps and bounds.  (I now have close to 16 lbs of cellared tobacco) This should last me several years if I suddenly couldn't buy anymore.
4) Ageing tobacco.  A lot of blends really benefit from ageing in the tins or jars.  They loose their sharpness and gain sweetness, or the flavors just blend better over time.  Sometimes I can find aged tins for cheap.  ie.  I just scored some 4 yr old tins of Esoterica Penzance and Butera Pelican for a very cheap price (traded some tobacco I had).  I snagged it up as both are very difficult to find, or not in production anymore (pelican).  The aged baccys are worth much more than I paid, and can, in the future be used as an income source, or as a barter item for baccy that I prefer.

Today, I just got in an order of tobaccos that I truly enjoy, PS Luxury Bulls-Eye Flake, PS Luxury Twist Flake, and Newminster Superior Round Slices (smells and tastes of wild honey)  These weren't on sale, but I was running low on these blends that I smoke regularly.  I got 4 oz of each.  They will last me a few months.

I just recently suffered a major attack of PAD.  I scored 6 handmade Briar Spirit Pipes in a trade and 3 estate pipes.  I have kept 4 of the BSP pipes and 1 of the estates. I traded off 1 of the BSP and one of the estate pipes. And, 1 BSP is to be a gift for someone who needs a good dose of encouragement.  There is nothing quite like receiving a new pipe and breaking it in with your favorite baccy.  It truly does lift the spirits.  It truly is better to give than to receive. It is always fun to see someone excited about something that you sent them with no strings attached.  I haven't decided whether to keep the last estate (a canadian) as I am not a huge fan of straight pipes.  However, I hear that they smoke extremely well.  I have listed it for sale on a couple of the forums I frequent.

Anyways, on to my devotions.  I have struggled a little bit lately to be in the right mindset for prayer and devotions.  My mind seems to wander way too much.  Pipe smoking gives me time to relax and to pray and read the Bible.  I make sure that I take the time to do both.  However, there seems to me, that my mind cant seem to slow down lately.  I will be in the middle of prayer, reading, and then I remember something I need to do, or a situation at work that I am dealing with.  Next thing I know, it is 15 minutes later and I have gotten sidetracked.   I know that this is just the evil one trying to keep me from growing spiritually.  So, I bring back my focus until the next time the rabbit trail crosses my path.  It is a constant struggle lately.

So, tonight, I got distracted by some website hosting and then some forums.  Fortunately, I remembered that I needed to do my reading and prayer.  I opened up my Bible app on my laptop, and proceeded to read.  I am glad that I did, as I was able to receive an encouraging word.  A lot of times I feel that I struggle with my relationship with God by myself.  That I am the only person I know that is really trying.  Well, I am not alone.  And I am not alone in pursuing a deeper relationship with God.  Tonight's reading was Isaiah 41:9-10.  It reads,

You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth,
And called from its farthest regions,
And said to you,
‘You are My servant,
I have chosen you and have not cast you away:
10 Fear not, for I am with you;
Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you,
Yes, I will help you,
I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’

It is encouraging to see that no matter how distracted, tired, or worn out we are, that God is by our side.  He doesn't ask us to be perfect, just to trust in Him.  

Well, it is now bedtime, and I need to get some sleep before my long day tomorrow.  My prayers are with you, whoever you might be.  

May God Bless you and Keep You.  May He make His face to shine upon You.  May you feel His love and presence surround you.

A promise

I missed updating yesterday as I was highly distracted and had a lot of thoughts running through my mind.  Even my usual quiet time with my pipe was cut short.  I did read the scripure, but felt like I was in a dry spot.  To be honest, I was not mentally prepared to receive any insight or knowledge from them.  It wasn't a wasted time, as reading the scriptures never is.  But I just couldn't concentrate.

I did get several new pipes from my good friend, Kirk (Briar Spirit) in the UK.  Beautiful pipes, each and every one of them.  I fired up a bowl in the one that called my name the loudest, and enjoyed a truly smooth smoke.  I was smoking some Carter Hall (not one of my favorites) but it was a good baccy for breaking in a pipe.  I think I will try using some CH as a burley base for blending some tobaccos. I had an aromatic baccy in it today and is smoked it perfectly down to a fine grey ash.  This is probably the best smoking pipe I have had of his to date. 

I had a good, busy day today, and finally got to sit down and read the Bible a little bit this evening. I was in a much better frame of mind to receive from the Lord.  The following passage caught my eye, and it was if the Lord told me to stop and really understand what He was saying.

Jeremiah 33:1-3 NKJV

Moreover the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah a second time, while he was still shut up in the court of the prison, saying, “Thus says the Lord  who made it, the Lord who formed it to establish it (the Lord  is His name): ‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.'

To me, this is an encouraging passage.  First notice where Jeremiah is... in prison.  He was in a trying time in his life.  No way out of the current situation was immediately available.  Now, during this time, what was Jeremiah doing?  Was he moaning about his circumstances?   Not according to this verse.  It instead implies that Jeremiah was listening for God to speak.  For when God spoke, Jeremiah heard.  As we know from other Scriptures,  the voice of the Lord is heard in quiet.  It is a "still small voice"  it requires active listening and focus to hear.  So, in the midst of trials and discomfort,  God spoke to Jeremiah.

He says, "call to me, and I will answer you."  Wow, what a promise!   There is no prerequisites other than to call unto God.  But even more interesting than the promise of an answer is thevsecond part of the promise.  "And, I will show you great and mighty things, which you do not know."  Notice what is not promised.... Deliverence from the situation.  God didn't tell Jeremiah that He would get him out of prison, or even make his time in prison easier.  He said He would show Jeremiah new things.  

Sometimes,  we have to be in a rough spot in order to be receptive to the Word of God.  God is not wanting bad things for us.  Jeremiah wasn't being tortured or beaten that we can tell, just in a situation that he couldn't escape from.  God, instead of delivering Jeremiah,  took his mind off the circumstances and showed Jeremiah new things, interesting things, visions and prophecies.   This captivity turned out to be a good thing in the long run as Jeremiah listened to God and learned what God was trying to teach him.

I have heard it said that God always answers prayer with one of three answers, yes, no, and wait.  In this case, it was "wait and learn"  What situation are you in that you can't escape?  Open your mind and heart to God.  Listen to what He wants to show you.  It may just surprise you and help you down the road.  Jeremiah eventually was granted freedom once he learned what God wanted to show him. 

The Perfect Pipe

As I sit here tonight, I am enjoying a great, after-dinner smoke of Virginia Spice.  I am smoking this in a pipe that I had commissioned by a good friend in the UK, Kirk, of Briar Spirit Pipes.  To most people, this pipe would be just a simple pipe that has visible flaws.  There is a small pit in the outside of the bowl that most pipe collectors would say is the mark of an imperfect pipe.  They would not want it in their collection as , in their opinion, the pit is a fatal flaw.  Some renoun pipe makers would even point out that the shape could have been finessed a bit more to make it a "perfect pipe".  None of this matters to me, as I see the pipe for what it really is.  It is an instrument for the burning of tobacco to produce a pleasing taste and aroma.  To me, this is a perfect pipe.  It does exactly what it is meant to do, and very well I might add.  Even, what others would call imperfections, are perfect to me.  They add character and uniqueness in a world of "perfect" pipes. 

This brings to mind a scripture that I just read tonight.

Jeremiah 1:5 NKJV
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.”

God made each and every one of us, flaws and all.  We suffer from the dings of life, and "pits" in our characters.  To others, we are not "perfect".  We suffer from inherent faults, like the unstraight grain in this pipe.  However,  God saw us before we were born.  He knows exactly how we will turn out.  He knows all of our flaws.  We may have physical deformities and mental issues.  How could anyone want us for their friend? How are we desirable?   Remember, it isn't what a pipe looks like that makes it perfect, it is how it smokes.  In the same way, it isn't our looks or personality that makes  us perfect, but how we live for God.  Even the best smoking pipe has its off days, and tobacco blends that it doesn't smoke well.  It is the same way with us.  We are not perfect in every situation.  But, God made us for a reason.  We are valuable and perfect in His eyes as he knows where to put us so that we can be "perfect" for Him.