the mission is now closed...

Sometimes you need to say, "Enough is enough!"  Sometimes it is time to say cue the finale and ed the show. Today is that day and I wanted to let all 12 of my dedicated readers know that.  Okay, that's a slight exaggeration, but you get the point. I started blogging in May of 2005 as a creative release and to have a place to share my sometimes outside of the box thoughts on life, God, politics and sports.  Now my life is going in another direction and I need to free up the time to make things fit. I'm still passionate about politics.  As recently as this weekend, I thought we should offer Rep. Marlin Stutzman (R-Ind.) who said on Saturday that Obamacare should be repealed because it "...shows a disregard for the will of the people" a deal.  Here's the deal I'd offer since he seems to believe it is the job of our political leaders to follow the will of the people. Pass the gun control initiative that was defeated in Congress.  The people overwhelmingly support it. Raise taxes on those making more than $150,000.00 a year.  Again, the people overwhelmingly support it. End all this talk and pass the debt limit extension and a continuing resolution to fund the government so even more people do not lose their jobs. Finally Mr. Stutzman, if you feel strongly that we should follow the will of the people regarding Obamacare, fine, repeal it, but then replace it with a single payer government backed system for all Americans since that would truly reflect the will of the people. Of course I am still passionate about God and in fact, my time serving in Mexico as a host receiver for short-term teams increases every year.  I will continue to write about that over at Notes from Dave, where my latest post is about American Exceptionalism and Mission.  I also send out a weekly Monday Mission Moment that you can subscribe to through my ministry, Adventures in Life. I still love sports and will continue to follow my teams, albeit not as fanatically and I will still be thinking and writing about life, just in another context.  After over 20 years of living, working and traveling in Mexico, I've decided to dedicate the majority of my writing time to that great country.  I'll be writing about the people, the culture, the art, the food and the beauty that can be found not just in the normal tourist areas, but off the trail as well. To that end, along with my good friend Joe Ramirez, who will providing most of our top level photography, I have started a new WordPress blog dedicated totally to my experiences in and around Mexico and her culture. It's up now, has a few posts and I'd love you to visit, give us a look.  If you like it, please take the next step to subscribe and recommend it to your family and friends, asking them to also subscribe.  We want to win a few awards next year for our work and no matter how good your blog is, you need readers, so please, come on over to Dave Miller's Mexico and follow me on the journey to My Mexico! Blessing to all of you.  I'll still be commenting here and there when something catches my fancy or gets my goat, but this will be my last post here at the mission. (All material posted on this blog is the sole property of Dave Miller (c) and represents his personal views.  This blog is in no way, nor has it ever been officially associated with Adventures in Life Ministry, for whom Dave has worked for over 20 years.)

Lila Downs Wows in Las Vegas

While many people hunkered down avoiding black cats, ladders and broken mirrors on the night of Friday the 13th, a small group of about a thousand people braved the odds and were rewarded with a wonderful night of music at the House of Blues in Las Vegas. From my seat at one of the tables close to the stage, I had the perfect perch from which to not only see the show on stage unimpeded, but also to experience the feel of this wonderfully designed showroom. There, backed by a seven piece band, and a great multimedia program, Grammy award winning Mexican born singer Lila Downs thrilled the audience with her unique interpretations of the heart, soul, and unique battles of what is means to be from Mexico.  Read more...