God Became A Man

   “He Became A Man and Dwelt Among Us” by Louis Cassells: Once upon a time, there was a man who looked upon Christmas as a lot of humbug. He wasn't a scrooge. He was a kind and decent person, generous to his family, upright in all his dealings with other men. But he didn't believe all that stuff about incarnation which churches proclaim at Christmas. And he was too honest to declare that he did. "I am truly sorry to distress you," he told his wife, who was a faithful churchgoer. "But I simply cannot understand this claim that God became man. It doesn't make any sense to me." On Christmas Eve, his wife and children went to church for the midnight service. He declined to accompany them. "I’d feel like a hypocrite," he explained. "I’d much rather stay at home. But I'll wait up for you." Shortly after his family drove away in the car, snow began to fall. He went to the window and watched the flurries getting heavier and heavier. "If we must have Christmas," he thought, "It's nice to have a white one." He went back to his chair by the fireside and began to read his newspaper. A few minutes later, he was startled by a thudding sound. It was quickly followed by another, then another. He thought that someone must be throwing snowballs at his living room window. When he went to the front door to investigate, he found a flock of birds huddled miserably in the snow. They had been caught in the storm, and in a desperate search for shelter had tried to fly through his window. "I can't let these poor creatures lie there and freeze," he thought. "But how can I help them?" Then he remembered the barn where the children's pony was stabled. It would provide a warm shelter. He put on his coat and galoshes and tramped through the deepening snow to the barn. He opened the doors wide and turned on a light. But the birds didn't come in. "Food will bring them in," he thought. So he hurried back to the house for bread crumbs, which he sprinkled on the snow to make a trail into the barn. To his dismay, the birds ignored the bread crumbs and continued to flop around helplessly in the snow. He tried shooing them in the barn by walking around and waving his arms. They scattered in every direction -- except into the warm, lighted barn. "They find me a strange and terrifying creature," he said to himself. "And I can't seem to think of any way to let them know they can trust me. If only I could be a bird myself for a few minutes, perhaps I could lead them to safety...." Just at that moment, the church bells began to ring. He stood silently for a while, listening to the bells pealing the glad tidings of Christmas. Then he sank to his knees in the snow. "Now I do understand," he whispered. "Now I see why you had to do it."

[John 10:1-15; Colossians 1:19-20 & 2:9-10] I think there’s a lot to be said in the old adage; “If you want it done right, do it yourself”. John testifies, “The Word (of God) (John 1:1-5) became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). God became a man to show us the way to safety and spiritual survival, free from sin and shame, which separates us from the love and grace of God. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him” (John 3:16-17). Thank you Lord.

Put The Goats Out

    Tis the season of giving and receiving, taking inventory of our ordered life and giving thanks for all the ‘stuff’ we’ve accumulated throughout the years. At the same time we’re bombarded from all sides by worthy causes asking us to give up a small portion of our ‘stuff’ to help others who have little to nothing, or are suffering with severe physical problems. Well, we think, maybe a little, and cynically deposit a small donation. Without a direct relationship to a cause, our heart isn’t moved to excel our actions. Not to discount our feelings for others, we continue to ask “Why?”, when we hear reports of accidents, fire, theft, murder and strife bringing ruination to other families, not giving a second thought that it could happen to me at any moment. We live in the midst of war, retaliation, mental illness, racism, you name it, and there’s no doubt in my mind as to why people are challenging themselves to greater heights of self-satisfaction – it’s all an attempt to escape the unexplainable atrocities of life. The reality of it all is, you can’t escape, so learn to live happily and blessed with what you have. We can’t all be rich beyond our dreams or enjoy world-wide fame, but we can all be the best we can be with what we’ve got. “I’m satisfied with, just a cottage below, a little silver, and a little gold…” I don’t care if I ever gain my fifteen minutes of fame on this earth, “…I’m not discouraged, I’m heaven bound; I’m just a pilgrim in search of a city; I want a mansion, a robe, and a crown…” Through faith I’ll achieve my goal.

    George Mikes writes: In Budapest, a man goes to the rabbi and complains, “Life is unbearable. There are nine of us living in one room. What can I do?” The rabbi answers, “Take your goat into the room with you.” The man is incredulous, but the rabbi insists, “Do as I say and come back in one week.” One week later the man comes back looking more distraught than before; “We can’t stand it!” he tells the rabbi, “the goat is filthy!” The rabbi tells him, “Go home and let the goat out, and come back in one week.” A radiant man returns to the rabbi a week later exclaiming, “Life is beautiful. We enjoy every minute of it, now that there’s no goat – only the nine of us.”

    [Isaiah 64:7-9; Romans 9:14-21; 2 Corinthians 4 & 2 Timothy 2: 20-22] Now come on, that’s not a lot of reading. One cannot expect to understand God and life without reading the Word of God. We say we are thankful for all we have and enjoy, yet at the same time we have this tendency to complain to God about our present situation of discomfort. When it gets right down to it, we have nothing to complain about. Nobody said life was fair with a sense of equality for all. We feel wronged, and it’s because we don’t know God. Isaiah reminds us: “…O Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.” Paul says: “…we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” Looking to God with faith in his promise of eternal life is a greater comfort in this life than any self indulgence can produce. Don’t get me wrong; I’m not trying to be a prude here. God wants and expects us to have fun and enjoy life, but this world is not our home. This is where the Bible comes in. Do you want to go to heaven? Then you need to know how to get there. Strangers will not be welcomed there. God is your friend not your enemy, and life is great, when the goats are outside.

Just At The Right Time

Tuesday, September 11, 2001 nearly 3000 people died when the World Trade Center came under attack and was ultimately destroyed. In the midst of this tragedy are many stories of survival and other stories of just plain dumb luck, because some people took the day off or were late for work. The head of a company survived 9/11 because his child started kindergarten that day. Another fellow lived because it was his turn to bring the donuts. One woman claims she was late because her alarm clock failed to wake her. One person was late, stuck in traffic on the New Jersey Turnpike, due to an auto accident. One missed his bus, another couldn’t get her car started and another couldn’t find a taxi for some reason. One man tells the story of the new shoes he wore that morning. His normal three modes of transportation, one of which is walking some distance, developed a blister on one foot. He stopped at a drugstore to buy a Band-Aid.

Do you believe in providence? Webster says providence is foresight; prudence; God’s care and protection. I hold a strong belief that I am where I am, doing what I am doing, providentially, under God’s guidance and direction. I believe God is active in my life every day and that I should take the opportunity to seek His favor in everything I do. As I’ve grown older I’ve learned to recognize the opportunities of service God is placing before me. Often, at just the right time, I’m there to do His will.

I’ve been without “man’s best friend” for several years. After the loss of my thirteen year companion, any time the subject of a replacement arose, my wife would say “No”; but the opportunity to melt her heart had not presented itself, until a few months ago. As we were dealing with one of life’s bumps in the road, at just the right time, “Bella” entered our life. She’s now a three and one half month old, two and one half pound, white Chihuahua, with the ability to flat wear out a sixty-three year old man. She and my wife get along great, as both hate the cold weather and love being waited on. My wife was not looking forward to the day I would eventually bring a dog home and at the same time I swore I would never start with a puppy. Just when I needed something to divert my mind from a troubling time, God deemed it time to surprise us with a baby to care for. We got everything we didn’t want, and love her to death. Spoiled brat!

[Galatians 3:26-4:7 & Romans 5:1-11] “…But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.” And, “…at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.” The Law was a good thing; a stable platform of righteousness for those who wanted to please God. But, it condemned even the righteous and condemned everyone as slaves of sin. “…But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Jesus lived the sinless life, righteous and pleasing to God in every way. He has shown us the way to achieve eternal life in the presence of God. He shed his blood, was sacrificed to God, for you and me, for the forgiveness of our sins. It is through our belief that Jesus Christ is the Son of the living God and our baptism into his death, burial and resurrection that we have been saved from our sins (Romans 6:1-14). I have been freed from the slavery of sin, now reconciled with God, to live in his love and grace for ever and ever. Years ago, at just the right time, Jesus entered my life. Jesus was not what I was looking for, but I’m so glad I’ve got him.

Comfort In Tragedy

The beginning of this holiday season has abruptly put me in my place as to my true age. When I heard it has been fifty years since the assignation of John F. Kennedy I could hardly believe it. That day seemed like it had only happened a few years ago. I got to thinking about that somber Thanksgiving holiday, with the sadness and fear that hung in the air. While passing through the halls of my high school, heading for the last period of the day, and the week, looking forward to a week off from school, there was some buzz about the killing of a government official and the wounding of the governor of Texas. Rumor said it was probably someone from Mexico who got shot. We were settled in class when, arriving late, our teacher came in and sat quietly at his desk. He was a combat experienced retired Marine, now English teacher, with tears running down his cheeks. He looked the class over and said in a quiet voice, “John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the President of these United States, has been assassinated this day in Dallas, Texas. Our President is dead.” The ex-Marine, who still held a great love for his country and its Commander and Chief, broke down and cried. While leaving school that day a deafening silence filled the air like I’ve never experienced since. I remember the TV burning up electricity like never before, and the newspapers, and the magazines, filled with everything you would ever want to know about any one person. My elder sister went about compiling all the media she could get her hands on and I believe she still possesses that collection of memorabilia to this day. My dad even set up his 8mm movie camera on a tripod in an attempt to record history from the TV. At thirteen-years-old, I still had two paper routes, an impending atomic war to worry about, Communists and puberty to complete, which put me somewhere between, should I cry too, or just be scared, but I’ll never forget that day and the Thanksgiving that brought people to the table giving thanks with feeling and prayer for peacefulness.
[Isaiah 64; Revelation 2:25-26, 3:10-11] We have all found ourselves under pressure due to the actions of others, be it personal or multilateral. The one thing that normally happens; we turn to God for answers. Job never got the answers he was looking for. Isaiah wondered if God was going to come and finish everyone off. Men of today are no different. In questionable times they are turning to God in fear of His wrath rather than looking to Jesus for comfort. “He is the image of the invisible God, the first born over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:15-17). There is not one CEO on this planet that can even come close to the superiority of Christ Jesus, and even He doesn’t have all the answers (Mark 13:32-37). So what are we to do in times of question? In the Revelation of Jesus Christ recorded by John, Jesus has some simple instructions for each of us to follow without having to have all the answers. “…Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth. I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.” Hold on to God’s promise of eternal bliss through obedience to his word, and peace and comfort will fill your troubled soul (Hebrews 10:23).

Getting Back Up

A dozen weeks ago I said I needed some time to re-evaluate my life and perhaps let some things go. Well, I’ve taken a deep look into my life only to discover it’s true, I’ve made some drastic mistakes and have behaved rather poorly in times passed. I also discovered I have improved greatly throughout the years, probably most improved since ridding myself of some debilitating addictive habits nearly twenty years ago. Unfortunately, my change has not come quick, complete or perfect enough to satisfy everyone in my life, but God’s still working on me, and if He chooses to force me to examine myself in the light of how others perceive me to be; so be it; it has been done. I’m still not perfect and walking on eggs will need a lot of spilled milk to make a decent omelet. I’m not going that route the rest of my life. I’ve been knocked down, but not knocked out. I’m getting back up and getting back on the road to forever, traveling a lot wiser and fitter for the future alterations of life I’ll surely have to endure.
In his book, “A View from the Zoo”, author Gary Richmond describes the birth of a giraffe. Did you know that when a giraffe is born, it tumbles five to ten feet to the ground, landing on its back? Within seconds the baby giraffe rolls over and stands, struggling on long untried legs. In the wild the mother positions herself directly over the newborn, swings her leg outward and kicks the baby, sending it sprawling! If it doesn’t get up, she kicks it again! If it grows tired, she will kick it to stimulate its efforts to stand. Each time the baby giraffe manages to get to its feet, the mother kicks it once again. Admittedly, this behavior sounds cruel, but there is a good reason for it. The mother is working diligently to prepare the baby for survival. The little giraffe must learn to get up quickly and run with the herd when danger comes; otherwise, it will not survive. Aren’t you thankful we’re born helpless and in need of tender loving care? Some of us, especially at sixty-three, need a stimulating kick to get us moving.
[Psalm 118] (Inspiration - AudioEvangelism.com) At first glance it doesn’t seem to make much sense for a mother giraffe to kick its baby. However, there is a good reason for it. Likewise, at first glance, it may not seem reasonable to us for God to allow us to suffer in certain ways and endure various trials, but he has reasons beyond our understanding (Isaiah 55:8-9).He loves us and wants what’s best for us (Romans 8:28). There is a lesson here for Christians. We must learn the same lesson that baby giraffe’s do: When life kicks you down, it ought to encourage you to get back up! When you’ve been dropped on your back (so to speak), giving up is not an option. Lying there, feeling sorry for yourself, is not acceptable. Our spiritual survival depends on our ability to persevere. Our Lord himself said, “All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.” (Matthew 10:22) “…Be faithful even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.” (Rev. 2:10) Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 2:3, “Endure hardship with us as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.” James 5:11 reads, “As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.” Satan would love nothing better than for you to throw in the towel and give up your faith. He wants you to forsake the church and turn your back on Christ. Refuse to lose! Get back up! You are the winner already! (James 1:12)

Calculating Wisdom

In the light of the world’s differences and difficulties, all I can say is pray for the leaders of the world; all of them. It seems there was a time when one crazed leader would terrorize the world with thoughts of grandeur and ownership, but today between selfish conquest acquisition and forced ideologies being thrown about by every kind of leadership on the globe it’s getting to the point where a person is afraid to stand up in opposition to anything. A lot of prayer is in order for those with a finger poised over a button of destruction just because their feelings have been stepped on and their solution of feeling better is that someone needs to be punished, by them, in their way. (Just me)
Wow! What do you think about the eleven-year-old boy enrolled at Texas Christian University? Carson Huey-You is taking a full load of college courses this semester and it won’t be just any class load. Carson, the boy who scored a 1770 on his SAT, speaks Mandarin Chinese and plays the piano, will be studying nothing less than quantum physics. He is the youngest student the university has ever enrolled. His mom, Claretta, says her son had intense focus as an infant. By the age of one, he could read, by five, he was doing pre-algebra. Carson says calculus relaxes him. If he graduates as his parents expect, in four or five years, Carson will receive a college diploma before or about the same time he gets his drivers license. I don’t even know what calculus is for.
Leadership and authority is welcomed when recognized and asked for its assistance, as it should be. While taking a routine vandalism report at an elementary school, the officer was interrupted by a little girl about six-years-old. Looking up and down at his uniform she asked, “Are you a cop?” “Yes” the officer answered and continued writing the report. “My mother said if I ever need help I should ask the police. Is that right?” asked the little girl. “Yes, that’s right” replied the officer. “Well then” she said as she extended her foot toward the police officer, “would you please tie my shoe?”
The world is a challenge of understanding for most young children. It was the end of a long shift and the police officer had just parked the vehicle in front of the station house. While gathering equipment from inside the vehicle, the officers K-9 partner, Jake, was barking and a little boy was staring at both of them. “Is that a dog you’ve got back there?” asked the boy. “It sure is” replied the officer. Puzzled, the boy looked the two of them over again, and then asked the officer, “What did he do?”

[James 3:13 - 4:3] Nine-year-old Joey was asked by his mother what he had learned in Sunday school. “Well, Mom, our teacher told us how God sent Moses behind enemy lines on a rescue mission to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. When he got to the Red Sea, he had his army build a pontoon bridge and all the people walked across. Then, he radioed headquarters for reinforcements. They sent bombers to blow up the bridge and all the Israelites were saved.” “Joey is that really what the teacher taught you?” mother asked. “Well, no; but if I told it the way the teacher did, you’d never believe me!” We serve an awesome God who watches over us and will help us in ways we cannot dream of or understand. When you pray for the leaders of the world, pray they ask for wisdom from God and that they not rely on their own understanding. Yes, James is speaking to the church as a whole, but just think what kind of world we would be living in if we applied scripture to everyday living. I don’t understand it all, but I know God can fix it.

Building Bridges

The Niagara River flows from Lake Erie into Lake Ontario and on it is a fairly large island and one of the wonders of the world, Niagara Falls. Above the falls the river is navigable and serene, but below the falls the river is practically impossible to cross or navigate without great difficulty. The Niagara Gorge, as the river is known below the falls, is narrow with steep rock canyon features causing dangerous rough-water rapids and in the middle of it all, a huge natural whirlpool where the water rapidly slows before entering Lake Ontario. I’ve visited Niagara Falls several times on both the U.S. and Canadian sides of the river. I heard a story the other day that I had not thought of for years, how the first suspension bridge across the gorge got started. The first thing that has to happen in starting a suspension bridge is a cable has to be anchored on both shores. The 225 foot shear cliff canyon walls of the gorge made it impossible to simply boat one across; a rifle shot was too far at 800 feet; a canon shot, too dangerous; and in January 1848 there are no aircraft yet. The rather bazaar solution arose from a kite flying contest with a cash prize for the first boy to successfully land his kite on the opposite side of the gorge. Hundreds of boys made the pilgrimage. Nearly three weeks into the contest, fifteen-year-old American, Holman Walsh, successfully accomplished the task with his kite, named the Union. With a simple kite string, engineers started pulling larger and larger cords, then ropes and then steel cables across the gorge to begin constructing the bridge. Chief engineer Charles Ellet Jr. wrote to the local newspaper, “Dear Sirs, I raised my first little wire cable on Saturday, and anchored it securely both in Canada and New York. Today (Monday) I tightened it up, and suspended below it an iron basket which I had caused to be prepared for this purpose, and which is attracted by pulleys playing along the top of the cable. In this little machine I crossed over to Canada, exchanging salutations with our friends there, and returned again, all in fifteen minutes. The wind was high and the weather cold, but yet the trip was a very interesting one to me - perched up as I was two hundred and forty feet above the rapids, and viewing from the center of the river one of the sublimest prospects which nature has prepared on this globe of ours. My little machine did not work as smoothly as I wished, but in the course of this week I will have it so adjusted that anybody may cross in safety.” He did and people couldn’t wait to take the trip.

[Luke 16:19-31] Since the disobedient act of Adam and Eve in the garden, sin has separated mankind from God. As the rich man discovered at the end of his life a great chasm was between he and the comforts of God. We all sin and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23) and the canyon that separates us from God is impossible to cross on our own. We must find a way to build a bridge of reconciliation to the grace God has to offer. Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). Jesus gave his life as a ransom, dying for the sins of the world, “For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God” (1 Peter 3:18). Jesus is our bridge back to Gods’ loving mercy. “But Tom, I don’t understand the Bible and I probably never will.” The bridge over the Niagara Gorge wasn’t complete with a kite string. Take what you do understand and build on it. God loves you and will help you build a bridge back to him.

It's That Time

Of late I have had a few people approach me with the idea of writing a book, which has taken me somewhat by surprise as I really don’t feel I have that much to contribute on a large scale. Because of their insistence I’m kicking the idea around and may settle in to composing something, but I have no intentions of delving too deeply into the subject matter until my wife gets her new bathroom. Isn’t that generally the case? There’s always something more important to tend to and for some reason it’s always a procrastinated project that gets in the way. Everything in the bathroom is falling apart and the dripping in the shower is about to drive me crazy, so it’s time I stop making excuses and get with it. My last excuse was I wanted to wait until the new lumber yard opened. Well, no more excuse there. It opened Monday last. My coffee drinking buddy asked me when I was going to get started. I don’t know. I think it’s still too hot outside.
Another acquaintance of mind challenged me about my writing with the ultimatum of not having too much time left to accomplish the things that could make my whole life worth while. Oh, thanks a lot for that! I mean, I fully expect to live to be one- hundred-years-old. I can see it now- Headlines for New Years Day 2050: The State of Florida is finally re-admitted to the Union; Spotted Owl Plague now threatening western crops and livestock; George Z. Bush announces he is running for President of the United States; 50 year study, conducted simultaneously by several universities across the country, concludes, diet and exercise is the key to weight loss; Flash! Nursing Home Event – Bill Clinton denies Candy Striper’s allegations; Texas executes last remaining citizen; Upcoming NFL Draft likely to focus on use of mutants; Baby conceived naturally …Has scientists stumped; Authentic, Year 2000 “Chad”, sells at Sotheby’s for $1.8 million; and Magnetic Pulse Fields from far too many Electric Cars is suspect for the deaths of hundreds in Los Angeles. Hey! It could happen!
[Jeremiah 8:20; 1 Corinthians 1:18-25] He brushed his teeth twice a day, with a national leading toothpaste. The doctors examined him twice a year; he wore his boots when it rained; he slept with the window open, for the fresh air. He stuck to a diet with plenty of vegetables; he relinquished his tonsils and traded in several worn out glands. He got at least 8 hours of sleep every night; he never smoked, drank or lost his temper. He ritually did his “daily dozen”; he was all set up to live to be one hundred. His funeral will be held Wednesday. He is survived by eighteen specialists, four health institutes, six gymnasiums, and numerous manufacturers of health foods and antiseptics. He made just one mistake: He forgot God and lived as if this world was all there is and now is with those who say, “The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.” I can make up excuses for not getting things done and reason away some responsibilities in this life, but I can not be so wise as to say there is no God. With the least bit of intelligence anyone can see that there is something miraculous going on all around us, if only looking to ones self as a marvelous work of art, inside and out, an independent living being, full of thoughts of grandeur, yet scared to death of death. “…the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” Decide today to save yourself from your selfish destructive sins (Acts 2:37-41). Your last breathe will not procrastinate.

Alien Trash?

I heard a couple of interesting little blurbs on the radio this past week. One had to do with statistical reasons for divorce in the United States and the world. A new category has been added - social network - as a contributing factor in the ultimate failure and disablement of the modern marriage and family. Too much information (TMI) is being shared resulting in bridges being burned or making the grass look a lot greener on the other side of the fence. Either way, folks are drifting away from their commitments and reprioritizing their life with new commitments, simply because they like what they hear from someone else. We’re drifting away from each other, staring into a four inch screen of deception, thumbing our way through life looking for greener pastures and the illusive Grimm’s fairytale life of “...happily ever-after.” (Good luck with that.) The other has to deal with evolution and the ludicrous thought that this might answer a lot of our questions. An evolutionist theorizes that mankind has evolved from trash left behind by interstellar travelers millions of years ago. We are the direct product of alien fermenting DNA, therefore a set apart and separate life-form on the planet earth. The theorist concludes that that is where our superior intellect and ability to be independent thinkers has come from. Oh, and don’t forget about those thumbs. I hate to think what those interstellar travelers would do to us if they returned to vacation on Earth again, only to discover in horror their trash had ruined the pearl of the Milky Way. Hey, I just thought of something. Maybe that’s why mankind tends to be so dirty and trashy.

A man had a bad habit of grumbling about the food his wife placed before him at family meals. Then he would give thanks and ask a blessing from God. One day after the usual combination, complaint – prayer, his young daughter asked, “Daddy, does God hear us when we pray?” “Why of course,” the father answered. “God hears us every time we pray.” She thought about this for a moment, then asked, “Does He hear everything we say all the rest of the time?” “Yes dear, every word” he replied, encouraged that he had inspired his daughter to be curious about spiritual matters. His pride was quickly turned to humility when she asked, “Which does He believe?”

A father was at the beach with his children. His four-year-old son grabbed him by the hand and led him to a seagull lying dead at the shoreline, “Daddy, what happened to him?” “He went to heaven,” replied the dad. The boy thought about this for a moment or two, then asked his father, “Did God throw him back?” (Good luck with that.)

[Genesis 1:26-27, 2:18-24; 1 Corinthians 15:38-41] God instituted marriage and the family. Far too many people are entering marriage without a spiritual thought in their head, thus it, and the family, suffers, because the physical problems of life have no support of hope and lasting faithfulness. Righteousness, obedience to God’s Word, is the glue that bonds one to another, be it marriage or family. The evolutionist had one thing right. Mankind is set apart and is a separate life-form on the planet Earth. But, God doesn’t make junk nor was man formed from left-over trash. Where does our intelligence and independent thinking come from? We are made in the image of God. I never anticipate the arrival of interstellar vacationing alien travelers, because I remain the firm believer that all I see and experience in this life was made for mankind alone, by a loving God who supports me in my faith, from which I pray I will never divorce.

Grabbing The Brass Ring

In the days of the carousel, the outside circle of horses often did not move up and down and therefore were not as enticing by them self. To create some excitement for those riders, they were given the incentive of “grabbing the brass ring”, which when redeemed gave the holder a free ride. There was a dispensing arm, within the reach of horse riders, full of rings, dispensed one at a time, mostly iron and of no value with a few brass rings mixed in. As the carousel turned, riders would snatch a ring, as they passed the wooden arm, hoping a brass ring would be available on the next trip around. A good part of life was like riding a carousel. First we sit in the chairs and just go round and round because we’re too little to do much of anything else. Them we get the nerve up to ride one of the horses that move up and down until that becomes boring. Then we find there’s a brass ring to be obtained and free rides come with a brass ring. So, we start riding the outside circle of horses “grabbing for the brass ring”. It seems throughout my life the guy in front of me always got the brass ring. No matter how I strategize, no matter how hard I’ve worked for it, I find that brass ring to be an elusive little trinket of luck just out of reach. I still have time, so I’m going to keep trying.


On the merry-go-round of life we’re always looking for that reward we don’t have to work very hard for. A modern twist on “grabbing the brass ring” can be found in a recent insurance TV commercial. Two gals spy a purse (looks like a suitcase to me) and without hesitation one of them latches on to it. Magically, she comes in contact with her insurance agent to find out if her rebate rewards, for being a good driver, will cover the cost of her new found accessory. He quotes her a figure; she takes the brass ring offered and redeems it for the new purse. Feeling rejected, her friend calls for her insurance agent, who dangles a dollar bill in front of her on the end of a fishing line. She coyly snatches at the dollar bill whereupon the agent jerks on the pole making her miss the prize. The agent grins and says, “Ooooo; You’ve got to be quicker than that.” And while the world dangles “rings” in front of us to chase all day long, we fail to see the destructive path we are walking. Me-ism has brought about the cultural mind-set of, “to each his own” and “it is what it is” and “what’s right for you is okay” and “it’s my body” and “I’m not hurting anyone”. While we snatch up worthless “iron rings” in hopes that tomorrow we get the “brass ring”, we’re ignoring the influx of artificial non-redeemable “mood rings” being collected and weighing down our righteous society.

[Matthew 13:24-30; Ephesians 5:1-21] “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away.” Pornography, alcoholism, drug addiction and you name it, are being sown into society by the enemy to destroy the family and render the Word of God non-redeemable. Individualism, pluralism, secularism, and apathy are rendering American religion impotent, nearly incapable of doing anything about our moral crisis. I dread to think where I would be if I hadn’t been taught right from wrong by my parents. I once imitated the weeds of the field and I dread to think what condition my soul would be in if it were not for a concerned child of God bringing me the “brass ring”, Jesus, and the Good News of salvation into my life. “Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” Yes, you.

Courageous Conqueror

What is courage? Webster says its bravery; fortitude; spirit. I think of late the world has confused courage with conquer. To conquer is to gain victory over; to defeat; to acquire by conquest; to overcome; to master. Some of the programs on TV of late, and over the past several years, show the amateur filming of some of the stupidest things people do, just so they can say they did it. Most of them end up in the hospital with broken body parts, testifying to what went wrong and looking forward to the day they can try it again. This courageous conquest of the unknown by these dim-witted video stars is world renowned and affects all classes. Surprisingly, among all the drunken carnage, one can find greatness in those who have courageously conquered the ridiculous and in many cases a professional sport has emerged. I ask why and someone says, why not? I’m just not cut out for outrageous courageous conquering greatness.


The Pony Express ran from St. Joseph, Missouri to Sacramento, California, a long 1900 miles. Forty courageous riders would cover the distance in ten days. Everything had to be light in weight. Saddles were small. Mail pouches were flat. No guns were carried. Letters were written on small pieces of paper. Yet, when a rider first signed on, he was given what was considered standard equipment, a full sized Bible and it was taken on every trip. The Bible should always be considered standard equipment to everyone. It is the only book that meets the needs of man under all conditions of life. May I encourage you to carry it, read it, study it and live it. Life will change if you do.

[Hebrews 4:12; Romans 8:35-39; Revelation 3:7-13] An atheist asked a little boy, whom he knew had already had a hard life at home, “I hear your family started going to church.” With a big grin on his face the boy replied, “You bet!” The man asked, “Do you really believe Jesus turned water into wine?” “Oh, yes!” exclaimed the boy. The man tried to belittle the boy and the Bible, and just about the time the man thought he conquered the boy, he looked up at the man, still smiling, with tears in his eyes, and said, “I know Jesus changed a drunk into a father and whiskey into furniture.”

Jimmy Jividen writes: “I have seen a cowboy mount a wild bronco and ride him to a standstill. The bronco would buck, kick, paw and snort trying to throw the rider. It requires a great courage for him to risk life and limb to break a bronco, but that is not the most courageous thing a man can do. If the cowboy makes the ride, he has only conquered an animal. I have seen fighters in a boxing ring pit their skills against other fighters. The punishment a fighter receives sometimes is unmerciful. His flesh might be bruised and his body bleeding, but he ignores the pain and fights on. One might think this is a supreme act of courage, but it is not. The victor has only conquered another man. I have seen a man come before the church with head bowed low and tears of repentance flowing from his eyes. He had been cut to the heart by God’s Word. He had been made to know the misery and consequence of sin. He utters a painful and humbling statement, ‘I have sinned.’ He seeks forgiveness from God and man. It is in this scene one witnesses the supreme act of courage. You see, such a man has conquered himself.” “…For the Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any two edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing …is hidden from God.” Nothing

Invading Forces of Destruction

      I know you’ve seen it on TV, the fellows in a fishing boat motoring up a river and the fish literally jumping into the boat. We laugh at the scene and can only imagine what it would be like to experience the phenomena. Unfortunately, when the truth is known, one is witnessing the near future of an ecological disaster in the making. The fish is an Asian Carp imported by catfish farmers in the 90’s to help control pests in their breading tanks. Like the fire ant, the West Nile mosquito and our newest threat, the Giant African Land Snail, the Asian Carp escaped from its users intended controlled situation, and has been breading in the Mississippi River for nearly twenty years now. The out of control species is currently threatening the Great Lakes Region and its size alone has the potential to destroy fresh water commercial and sport fishing throughout the Northeast. Farm fresh catfish may be the only “catch-of-the-day” available in the future. Major League Baseball may have to take a step backwards in the future. A beetle accidentally imported from Asia in cargo that suspect arrived in Michigan around the turn of the century, dubbed the “Emerald Ash Borer” is killing millions of ash trees in the north-central states. Many MLB players have moved from Maple wood bats to Ash, the Louisville Slugger, (about 48%), but in the future may have to migrate back. Perhaps we might hear the ever increasing “ping” sound of the aluminum bat in the pro ranks some day. The makers of the Louisville Slugger are owners of ash tree forests where they harvest on average 40,000 trees a season to make the popular baseball bat. So far their forests have not been invaded, but the fear is it’s only a matter of time before the ash tree follows the way of the Dutch Elm and the only rendering a generation or two from now will know will be in pictures along with the dinosaur, the soda-jerk, fender-skirts, fins, big hair and poodle-skirts. I’m teary-eyed.


      Did you hear about the man who professed to be a walking economic disaster? When asked what he meant by that he replied, “Well, my hairline is in recession; my stomach is a victim of inflation; and the combination of these factors is putting me in deep depression. Then there was the visiting preacher who conducted a Gospel meeting in an economically depressed area. On the last night of the meeting his hat was passed for donations. When it returned to the preacher, it was empty. He didn’t flinch. He raised the hat to heaven and said, “I thank you Lord, that at least I got my hat back.”

      [2 Peter 2: 20-24] The tree is referenced in the Bible over three hundred times. The tree has played a significant roll in God’s plan of salvation. The tree in the Garden of Eden, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, posed no problem in itself. Adam and Eve were told not to eat the fruit of it and everything would be fine. We know they disobeyed God’s command and sin invaded the world with corruption and destruction to this very day (Genesis 3).The tree, upon which our Lord and Savior hung and died, has brought salvation to man because of total obedience. Jesus gave his innocent life as the sacrifice for the sins of the world and through baptism into His death, burial and resurrection, the believer has forgiveness of their sins. The love of Jesus invaded and completely changed the world. One day everything physical will be destroyed, but the tree of life awaits the obedient believer in our heavenly abode, nevermore to be invaded or corrupted and destroyed. We who are saved will eat of it, with God, forever.

God Is Not Techno

     The information highway has so many avenues, lanes and frequencies we’re lucky the air around us doesn't start crackling with energy and fry all our hair off. Some obvious evidence can already be seen in our male population, who seem to be more susceptible to this particular phobic phenomenon. Cell phones, tablets and laptops have replaced cigarettes and loud conversation everywhere in our society and the verdict is still out on which of these unsocial graces has been the least healthy for the continued development of our species ability to love and understand one another. People are emailing, texting, sharing, liking, tweeting and talking faster than the speed of light as they rush from task to task throughout their daily life only to realize for a split second it’s already the middle of July and over half the year has passed by. It really is no surprise to me that drugs and alcohol are the choice of escape for those who can’t seem to cope with the magnitude of today’s fast-pace complicated life. I’m doing my best, but sometimes I think, “Stop the World - I Want to Get Off”, also the title of a little known 1961 musical with a book, music, and lyrics by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley. Set against the backdrop of a circus, it focuses on Littlechap, whose first major step towards improving his lot is to marry Evie, his boss's daughter, after getting her pregnant out of wedlock. Saddled with the responsibilities of a family, he allows his growing dissatisfaction with his existence to lead him into the arms of various women. As he searches for something better than he has, only to realize in the twilight of his life what he always had, the love of his wife was more than enough to sustain him. (Wikipedia) I have always found running my own life was enough of a struggle.

[Psalm 121; James 5:13-20] Prayer is a local call to heaven; no charge; no hidden fees; no taxes; no monthly bill. Can you imagine what it would be like if God got so busy tending to other things rather than His creation, that he found it necessary to installed Voice Mail? Just think; right after you start praying you hear this: “Thank-you for calling Heaven. For English think 1. For Spanish think 2. For all other languages think 3. Please select one of the following options: Think 1 for request; Think 2 for thanksgiving; Think 3 for complaints; Think 4 for all others.” Some silence and a few clicks later: “I’m sorry; all our angles are busy helping other sinners right now. However, your prayer is important to us and we will answer it in the order it was received. Please stay on the line.” A hymn or two later: “The office is now closed for the weekend to observe a religious holiday. If you are calling after hours and need emergency assistance, please contact the leadership of a local congregation representing heaven on earth. Thank-you, and have a heavenly day.” I thank my God that he isn’t always thinking up some new plan for me to contact him in a “more intimate way” getting me to join some new and improved media with more toolbar buttons for more options of getting more out of and using God in ways more convenient and suitable to my lifestyle. No, God has given each and every one of us the opportunity of a personal close relationship with Him through his son, Jesus Christ. There are no options. A little boy prayed for God to take care of his mommy and daddy; his brother and sister; his doggy and himself. Then he added: “And take care of yourself, God. If anything happens to you, we’re going to be in a big mess.” Amen!

Saved and Forgiven

      Most of the week I run around like a head with its chicken cut off, with too many irons in the fire, red hot and ready to go, only to discover I’ve gotten the cart before the horse, so I drop those projects, just for a moment, while I run off to put out a fire I had forgotten about. Have you been there? Some of the time when I get there, I’ve forgotten why I went there in the first place, but I always find something to do while standing there trying to remember why I was there. That’s when I get side-tracked, remembering and restarting what I got side-tracked from about an hour ago. Eventually I get back to the irons in the fire and decide they have to be used now, but then I remember why I went for what I needed, the cattle, only to find myself standing in the pasture not remembering why I went there, then getting side-tracked, again. Everything eventually gets completed, not necessarily in the planned order of priority, and the week comes together satisfactorily on Friday afternoon. All seems to go quite normal except when the computer crashes and demands a reboot because I have too many programs running at the same time. Or, the electricity decides to momentarily blink off then on, a span of two and one half nano-seconds, resulting in the loss of valuable computer entries not saved over the past twenty minutes, my bad. When I figure I couldn’t possibly get any busier, the phone decides to start ringing off the hook. “Hello; Hello? …No, sorry, this isn’t Churches Fried Chicken!” I love my job.


      A family moved into a new neighborhood and the man and woman of the house decided they needed a night out away from the children. A sitter was hired from a local professional service, which turned out to be a very nice young college student earning some extra money. All was well until bed-time. One of the boys kept sneaking out of the bedroom, down the stairs, and the sitter had to keep chasing him back. Soon the doorbell rang. “Is my son here?” asked the neighbor. The sitter replied, “NO!” A small voice from the top of the stairs said, “I’m here, mom. He won’t let me go home!”

      [Luke 18: 9-14] There was a young preacher who was very confident that his sermon was going to be great. He had all kinds of, somewhat arrogant, confidence in his own ability to preach a dynamic and forceful sermon. As he got up to the pulpit, grabbing the sides of the podium, he opened his mouth to begin his sermon, but he couldn’t say a word. Nothing would come out of his mouth. He tried again, but he couldn’t get a word to come out. Finally, after several attempts, he hung his head, very much humbled, and sat down. A wise older gentleman was overheard saying to his pew-mate, “If he’d have gone up there like he came down, he’d have come down the way he went up there.” Ooooo, I’ve been slapped down humbled by my God several times. I used to have to be the loudest, the most knowledgeable, the first one there and the last one to leave. I still get loud and want to tell it all, but not to be the center of attention any longer. I know someone out there is going to say, “You’re still that way!” and all I’ve got to say is, you haven’t known me very long. I still have attitude, but my Lord has been working on me through His Word and what I would like to say sometimes, just doesn’t come out anymore. Cold crow and humble pie are not my favorite dishes and that’s what gets served up on the roadway outside of God’s Kingdom. Physically, I’m forgetful and humbled. Spiritually, I’m humbled and forgetful. Yet, I’m saved and forgiven.

I Declare

      The Declaration of Independence of the Thirteen Colonies, presented by the Continental Congress dated July4, 1776 began: “When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for the people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separation and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed; That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.” The document goes on to say that this is not just some whimsical want of change, but a declaration of separation from the tyranny of an uncompromising King George III, and then it lists all the complaints the colonist have concerning the king. “…We therefore, the representatives of the Unites States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by the Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right aught to be Free and Independent States; …And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.”


      [Proverbs 2 & 3] In the year 1776, Patrick Henry wrote, “It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religion, but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For that reason alone, people of other faiths have been afforded freedom of worship here.” Thomas Jefferson wrote on the front of his well-worn Bible: “I am a Christian, that is to say a disciple of the doctrines of Jesus. I have little doubt that our whole country will soon be rallied to the unity of our Creator and, I hope, to the pure doctrine of Jesus also.” Of the first 108 universities founded in America, 106 were distinctly Christian, including the first, Harvard University, chartered in 1636. The student handbook read: “Let every student be plainly instructed and earnestly pressed to consider well, the main end of his life and studies is, to know God and Jesus Christ, which is eternal life, John 17:3; and therefore to lay Jesus Christ as the only foundation of all sound knowledge and learning. And seeing the Lord only giveth wisdom, let everyone seriously set himself by prayer in secret to seek it of him.” In light of the whimsical “needs” of some people, the Constitution of the United States is constantly being challenged to interpretation, which tends to make me believe the wisdom that is derived from God is not being sought after more than gold or silver. Well, Happy Birthday, America and I pray you have many, many more. I pray that God will continue to be merciful to its righteous citizens.

Chewing The Cud

      Painters and poets have long appreciated the picture of peace and contentment conveyed by a cow lying in a pasture, chewing its cud. Time seems to stand still for these carefree creatures as they tranquilly chew and re-chew the food they’ve previously consumed. Why do cows spend so much time chewing their cud? And just what is a ‘cud’, anyway? When a cow grazes in a pasture it fills its first stomach (yes, cows have more than one) with grass and other food. Then it settles down in a quiet place and brings up that quickly-swallowed food so it can chew it more thoroughly and prepare it for digestion. This regurgitated food is the ‘cud’. For the past few months the fast pace of the NBA finals has had many folks on the edge of their seats in anticipation of ‘bringing home’ the championship trophy, especially, in the case of my local, supporters of the San Antonio Spurs. Unfortunately, only one team can claim the trophy which means the other has to go home empty handed. In today’s social setting “Everybody’s a winner” and “It’s not who wins or loses, it’s how you play the game” are only bandages on mental battle wounds of players. I imagine the team is sitting in a quiet place somewhere, replaying the whole championship series in an attempt to make sense of their loss, befriending one another as they ‘chew their cud’, so to speak. This may be a good place to discuss the ‘ABC’s of Friendship’. A friend; Accepts you as you are, Believes in ‘you’ and Calls you, just to say ‘Hi’. A friend; Doesn’t give up on you, Envisions the whole of you and Forgives your mistakes. A friend; Gives unconditionally, Helps you and Invites you over, Just to be with you. A friend; Keeps you close at heart, Loves you for who you are and Makes a difference in your life. A friend; Never judges, Offers support and Picks you up. A friend; Quiets your fears, Raises your spirits and Says nice things about you. A friend; Tells you the truth when you need to hear it, Understands you and Values you. A friend; Walks beside you, X-plains things you don’t understand and Yells when you don’t listen. A friend; Zaps you back to reality. Ideally, a friend will take time to sit and quietly chew the cud with you.


       [John 15:19-17; 1 Corinthians 13] “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work; If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10) “A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother.” (Proverbs 18:24) “A friend loves at all times…” (Proverbs 17:17) As Jesus taught the twelve he called them his friends, because he was teaching them, in love, the very depths of God’s thoughts and will for mankind. Paul writes: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always preserves. Love never fails.” My friends, here is some food for thought. When we approach the Word of God to feast upon its nourishing contents, we should fill ourselves with its goodness and then find a quiet place to ‘bring it back up’ and ‘chew on it’ for awhile, some serious personal meditation. We need to find ways to incorporate God’s will into our life and live as God intended us to live. Jesus said, “You are my friends if you do what I command.” I want to be a friend of God, because too often, only He can pick me up.

The Lord Has Instructed Fathers

      “When the Lord Created Fathers” by Erma Bombeck (abbreviated) When the good Lord was creating Fathers he started with a tall frame. And a female angel nearby said, “What kind of Father is that? If you’re going to make children so close to the ground, why have you put fathers up so high? He won’t be able to shoot marbles without kneeling, tuck a child in bed without bending, or even kiss a child without a lot of stooping.” And God smiled and said, “Yes, but if I make him child size, who would children have to look up to?” And when God made a Father’s hands, they were large and sinewy. And the angel shook her head sadly and said, “Do you know what you’re doing? Large hands are clumsy. They can’t manage diaper pins, small buttons, rubber bands on pony tails or even remove splinters caused by baseball bats.” And God smiled and said, “I know, but they’re large enough to hold everything a small boy empties from his pockets at the end of a day...yet small enough to cup a child’s face in his hands.” And then God molded long, slim legs and broad shoulders. And the angel nearly had a heart attack. “Boy, this is the end of the week, all right,” she clucked. “Do you realize you just made a Father without a lap? How is he going to pull a child close to him without the kid falling between his legs?” And God smiled and said, “A mother needs a lap. A father needs strong shoulders to pull a sled, balance a boy on a bicycle, and hold a sleepy head on the way home from the circus.” …God worked throughout the night, giving the Father few words, but a firm authoritative voice; eyes that saw everything, but remained calm and tolerant. Finally, almost as an afterthought, he added tears. Then he turned to the angel and said, “Now, are you satisfied that he can love as much as a Mother?” The angel shutteth up. “Children’s children are the crown of old men, and the glory of children is their father.” (Proverbs 17:7).
      [Genesis 17:4-7] Abraham is revered throughout the world. Nearly every religious sect pays tribute to ‘Father Abraham’, and rightfully so. God chose him to be a father – a father with descendants as numerous as the sands of the sea. God had a plan in mind for Abraham. Can you recall what it was? “For I have chosen him, so he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just, so that the Lord will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him” (Genesis 18:19). The responsibility laid upon Abraham by God is the duty and responsibility of every father today. As was Abraham, we are to direct our children and household to keep the way of the Lord. “Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). It is sadly true that much of the trouble we see in society today can be traced to fathers who neglected their duty. There is also the charge to do ‘what is right and just’. One must never forget the power of setting a good example before his children. Long after spoken admonitions have been forgotten, a life well lived is remembered. God told Abraham, “I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you.” We never know who our children will become and in my mind it is a sin to try and make them a mini-me. God has given our children gifts to use throughout their life and as fathers we should never alter God’s plans. Our duty is to live a righteous life in the midst of our children, teaching them of God, who gave them life and will love them for eternity.

Resistance Is Not Futile

      I awoke this morning to the song of a mockingbird just outside my bedroom window. Nothing too unusual, except it was two o’clock, a little early for a wake-up call. The song was never ending and the repertoire was that of imitating every bird-song it had ever heard, over and over again. It was so loud I had to find my earplugs to escape the irritant. I don’t fault the bird for singing its praises to the Lord, but I still think it’s a little early in the morning to be singing at the top of your lungs. Remember when you used to be a pest around the house at the wrong time? Mama or some other adult would suggest, “Why don’t you go fly a kite?” The great winds this spring almost tempted me enough to go buy a kite. I remember taking my kids out to a vacant field and flying kites. My son and I would dive and sore our kites seeing how close we could come to one another without crashing. The dynamics of kite flying are rather weird. As long as one keeps a taut string on the kite the resistance keeps the kite aloft. Slack up on the string and the kite doesn’t fly away uncontrolled, it falls like a rock. Pull back on the string, causing resistance again, and the kite begins to climb. I was reminded of all this by a story on the radio the other day. It was an object lesson about breaking away from authority and doing whatever you want to do. A father had not allowed his son to do something and the son replied, “I’ll be glad when I’m not tied to your rules anymore and I can do what I want to, when I want to.” While father and son were kite-flying, the boy wanted his kite to be up in the air higher than any of the others around him. When he had all the string let out and his kite was way up in the air, it still wasn’t as high as one other. The dad suggested cutting the string and letting it fly higher on its own. The boy realized he would lose the kite if they did that, but dad said, “That’s okay. We’ll get another one.” The string was cut, and without any resistance to hold the kite against the wind, it fell to the ground with a mighty crash. The father explained to his son that that is why there are rules in this world that must be followed. If one were to just cut lose from the rules, the inevitable “crash” will occur. We can’t simply separate ourselves from those things we feel are a resistance to our way of life. Rules are in place to help us stand strong and proud of who we are as we soar through life.
      [Psalm 2] I know everybody’s life is different and each of us has a will to go and do what our heart desires, hey, it’s the American way. The problem lies in the fact that many are no longer following the American way, which is God and country. This country soared high when it held firm to the teachings of the Bible, but, selfishness, individual personal unearned rights, total tolerance and immorality are cutting the strings of resistance held by God. Once we do that, we’re going to fall with a mighty crash. Read your world history. In-fighting of leaders, political corruption, failing economy, decline in morals, ethics and values, and natural disasters, have brought devastation to past empires. “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken” (Ecclesiastes 4:12). Folks, we need to physically embrace Faith, Hope and Love, and spiritually embrace Father, Son and Holy Spirit if we truly expect to soar to satisfying personal heights and to ever reach heavenly heights. These two, three-strand cords, are the resistance we need to avoid the meism that tears down righteous living. Resistance helps us fly under control.

Worldly Preoccupation

      Eastern Air Lines Flight 401, carrying 163 passengers and 13 crew members, left New York's JFK Airport on Friday, December 29, 1972 at 9:20 p.m., en route to Miami International Airport. The flight was routine until its approach into Miami International Airport. After lowering the gear, the co-pilot noticed that the landing gear indicator, a green light identifying that the nose gear is properly locked in the "down" position, did not illuminate. The pilots cycled the landing gear, but still failed to get the confirmation light. They then told the tower that they would discontinue their approach to the airport and requested to enter a holding pattern. The tower cleared the flight to climb to two thousand feet, then hold west over the Everglades. The second officer was dispatched into the avionics bay beneath the flight deck to check visually if the gear was down through a small viewing window. Fifty seconds after reaching their assigned altitude, the captain instructed the co-pilot to put the jet on autopilot. As they worked on the light, the jet began a descent into the black night sky so gradual it could not be perceived by the crew. The altitude warning chime, located under the engineer's workstation, was triggered, but the engineer had gone below, and there was no indication by the recorded pilot's voices that they heard the chime. The plane was at half its assigned altitude as they started another turn, and noticed the discrepancy. Co-Pilot: “We did something to the altitude.” Pilot: “What?” Co-Pilot: “We're still at 2,000 feet, right?” Pilot: “Hey! What's happening here?” Less than 10 seconds after this exchange, the jetliner crashed. The crash occurred as a result of the entire flight crew becoming preoccupied with a burnt-out landing gear indicator light and failing to notice the autopilot had inadvertently been disconnected.


      [2 Corinthians 4] “…we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. (1John 1:5-7) For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (v.16-18). Nearly everything being sold to the consumer of the world today is in some way related to improving ones lifestyle. The world is constantly reminding me that I’m getting older, but that there is a solution to my every problem in life, and most of the time all I have to do is take a pill. The focus of man has become so self-centered that he can no longer feel in his heart, his separation from God. The worldly man is unaware that his attitude and altitude toward a safe landing in the heavenly realm, is in reality, going to crash short of his goal, because he’s so focused on himself; he’s taken his eyes off of God. I think some treat Jesus, our Savior, like an auto-pilot, and at the same time, ask God if they can go into a holding pattern while they live life in the world as they please. Man can not perceive the depths he is falling into and one day it is going to be too late to avoid eternal punishment. Read the last Old Testament book, Malachi. Man’s behavior then, which brought about the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem, wasn’t much different than it is now. The Day of the Lord is coming again and this time all of creation will be destroyed. Are you a crippled and blind “living” sacrifice to your God? (Malachi 1:14; Romans 12:1-2) Are you robbing God with worldly self-centered thinking? (Malachi 3:6-18)

Kilroy Was Here

      For the WWII generation, this will bring back memories. For you younger folks, it is a bit of trivia that is a part of our American history. This is a story about a guy named Kilroy. You may be familiar with his picture; a fellow with only his fingers, elongated nose, pointed head and eyes peeking over the top of an imaginary wall with the caption “Kilroy Was Here”. So, who was Kilroy and where did he come from? In 1946, through its radio program, “Speak to America”, the American Transit Assoc. sponsored a nationwide contest to find the real Kilroy. Out of forty responding men, only James Kilroy of Halifax, Massachusetts had evidence of his identity. Kilroy was a 46-year-old shipyard worker. Rivets were the mode of ship assembly, not welding, and the riveters were paid by how many rivets they installed in a work-shift period. Kilroy counted and marked each rivet with a semi-waxed lumber chalk so wages could be calculated. The problem was, the riveters removed some of the marks getting groups of rivets counted twice and being paid twice. Once this was discovered and verified, Kilroy started using a waxy chalk to mark his counted rivets, which the riveters couldn’t remove completely. Kilroy started adding his little man peering over the invisible wall just to remind the riveters they were being watched closely and the count was correct because “Kilroy Was Here”. With the war on, the ships were leaving the shipyards without paint and the rivet counting evidence was plain to see. As a result, Kilroy’s inspection “trademark” was seen by thousands of American servicemen who boarded the troopships he worked on. To the troops aboard those ships, however, he was a mystery; all they knew was that somebody named Kilroy had “been there first”. As a joke, U.S. servicemen began placing the graffiti wherever they went, claiming it was already there when they arrived. Kilroy became the U.S. super-GI who had always “already been” before everyone else. Throughout the European and Pacific theatres of war, Kilroy was reported as having been there and it is reported that the “Kilroy Was Here” graffiti has been found atop Mt. Everest, the Statue of Liberty and even scrawled in the dust of the moon. Really Buzz?


      [Genesis 1: 2-24; John 1: 1-14; Colossians 1: 15-20; 1 Corinthians 15: 20-28] Whoa!! That’s a lot of reading there Tom. Well, it won’t take you long to discover that the one we call Jesus was everywhere way before Kilroy, and Jesus is not a legion. In the beginning, God said, and God said, and God said. At the Word of God, all things were made as testified to by the books of Genesis and John. “The Word became flesh and made his (Jesus) dwelling among us” (John 1:14). God’s signature is on everything we see and he’s there before we arrive, anywhere we go. In Colossians 1:15 we read Jesus was “…the firstborn over all creation.” You can’t get any more first-er than that! Then in 1 Corinthians 1:20 “…Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep.” (v. 17) “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.” [James1:16-18] “…He chose to give us birth through the word of truth (Jesus), that we might be a kind of first-fruits of all he created.” Guess what? You are first in the heart of God! You’re first and probably don’t even realize it. Now that you know, what are you leaving behind to let others know? Are you living a life worthy of being number one? Are you striving to stay number one in God’s heart?

Drop Everything

      Bubba, not what you would classify as “the sharpest knife in the drawer” type of person, walked into the doctor’s office and the receptionist asked him what he had. “Shingles”, said Bubba. She wrote down his name, address, got his medical insurance information and told him to have a seat. Fifteen minutes later a nurse’s aide came into the waiting room and called Bubba to another room. She asked Bubba what he had. “Shingles”, Bubba replied. She interviewed him, writing down his height, weight, a complete medical history, then told Bubba to wait in the examining room. A half an hour later a nurse came in and asked Bubba what he had. With a great big sigh Bubba replied, “Shingles!” The nurse told him she was there to help and gave Bubba a blood pressure test, an electrocardiogram and drew some blood for testing. Then she told him to take off all his clothes, gave him a backward shirt to put on and to take a seat and wait for the doctor. About an hour later the doctor came in and asked Bubba what he had. Disgusted and tired Bubba calmly said, “Shingles.” The doctor asked, “Where?” Bubba said, “Outside in the truck. Where do you want ‘em unloaded?”


      I guess you can tell I’ve been dealing with doctors again. My wife was admitted to the hospital for a couple of days last week, through the emergency room. Even though her doctor had called ahead to the ER with information concerning her case we felt more like aliens from another world when we arrived. Every person along the line wanted to know, “Why are you here?” The problem here is I don’t talk doctor, a totally foreign language to me, hence the reason for the phone call from the doctor to begin with. No one seems to have the information. Only the phantom ghost doctor of the hospital knows what’s going on. We all did our best to get treatment started for my wife and eventually the doctor with the information showed up and everybody got on the same page of why we were there and what had to be done. All in a day of life.

      [Matthew 20:29-34; Mark 10:46-52; Luke 18:35-43] As Jesus and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, a blind man named Bartimaeus, sitting by the roadside begging, asked what was going on. He was informed Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. Bartimaeus was a pretty sharp fellow and knew of Jesus’ healing powers so cried out to him, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Of course the parade leaders, most likely prominent local townsfolk, told Bartimaeus to shut his trap, but Bart shouted all the more for Jesus’ help. Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” Someone went to get Bartimaeus, ‘“Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus. “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him. The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.” “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God.’” I suppose if I hung around doctors long enough I would begin to understand their language, but I know when I need a doctor I have to drop everything and go, just as Bartimaeus did. The language of religion is difficult and can be understood when studied. There comes a time in every life when begging and excuses gets old and crying out for help seems right. By faith we seek God’s favors and drop everything to pray. “…let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles…”(Hebrews 12:1-13). God heals the faithful.

Motherhood

      Motherhood. If a job description was to be found in the Library of Congress it would probably read something like this: Position: Mother, Mom, Mama. Job Description: Long term, team players needed, for challenging permanent work in an often chaotic environment. Candidates must possess excellent communication and organizational skills and be willing to work variable hours, which will include evenings and weekends and frequent 24 hour shifts on call. Some overnight travel required, including trips to primitive campsites on rainy weekends and endless sports tournaments in far away cities. Travel expenses NOT reimbursed. Extensive courier duties also required. Responsibilities: The rest of your life. Must be willing to be hated, at least temporarily, until $5 bucks is needed. Must be willing to bite tongue, repeatedly. Also, must possess the physical stamina of a pack mule and be able to go from zero to 60 mph in three seconds flat, in case, this time, the screams from the backyard are not someone just crying wolf. Must be willing to face stimulating technical challenges, such as small gadget repair, mysterious sluggish toilets, stuck zippers and crashing computers. Must screen all phone calls, maintain appointment calendars and coordinate production of multiple homework projects. Must have abilities to plan and organize social gatherings for clients of all ages and mental outlooks. Must be willing to be indispensable one minute and an embarrassment the next. Must handle assembly and product safety testing of a half a million cheap plastic toys and battery operated devices. Must always hope for the best, but be prepared for the worst. Must assume final and complete accountability for the quality of the end product. Responsibilities also include floor maintenance and janitorial work throughout the facilities. Possibilities for Advancement and Promotion: Virtually none. Your job is to remain in the same position for years, without complaining, constantly retaining and updating your skills, so that those in your charge can ultimately surpass you. Previous Experience: None required, unfortunately. On-the-job-training (OJT) offered on a continually exhausting basis. Wages and Compensation: Get this! You pay them; offering frequent raises and bonuses. A balloon payment is due when they turn 18, because of the assumption that college will help them become financially independent. When you die, you give them whatever is left. The oddest thing about this reverse-salary scheme is that you will actually enjoy it and wish you could give more. Benefits: While no health or dental insurance, no pension, no tuition reimbursement, no paid holidays and no stock options are offered; this job supplies limitless opportunities for personal growth and free hugs for life, if you play your cards right.


      [Luke 2:51 & John 19:25] Although we know very little of Jesus’ childhood, we do know something about his mother. She “treasured” her memories of Jesus. We barely see Mary in his adult life, but we see her at the cross weeping for her dying son. When all others had deserted Jesus, Mary was there to love and comfort her son. “The love of a mother is never exhausted. It never changes; it never tires; it endures through all; in good repute, in bad repute, in the face of the worlds condemnation, a mother’s love still lives on” - Washington Irving. A fitting attribute of our faithful God, attached to the heart of woman, who nurtures the precious embodied spirit of mankind with the love of God.

We Can Learn God

      I guess it’s no secret I literally flunked English in High School but graduated anyway. Wouldn’t happen today, I don’t guess. There’s simply far too much structure and too many rules for me. I just like to have fun with words and express myself in simplicity. I think some of our mental instability stems from years of learning and understanding our Americanized language. Think about this: There is no egg in eggplant; nor ham in hamburger; neither pine nor apple is in a pineapple. English muffins weren’t invented in England nor were French fries in France. Sweetmeats are candies while sweetbreads, which aren’t sweet at all, are meat. In English we find that quicksand works slowly, boxing rings are square and a guinea pig is not from Guinea nor is it a pig. Why is it that writers write but fingers don’t fing, grocers don’t groc and hammers don’t ham? If the plural of tooth is teeth why isn’t the plural of booth, beeth? One goose, two geese. Why not one moose, two meese? Doesn’t it seem odd you can make amends but not one amend? If you have a bunch of odds and ends, and you get rid of all of them except one, what would you call it? We know vegetarians only eat vegetables, so what do humanitarians eat? Do you realize that people recite at a play and play at a recital? Why do we ship by truck and send cargo by ship? We even have noses that run and feet that smell! How can a slim chance and a fat chance mean the same thing while a wise man and a wise guy are opposite? One has to marvel at the lunacy of a language in which your house can burn up as it burns down. And then there’s the classic; when an alarm is activated and turns on to alert us and we say, “I heard the alarm going off.” English was invented by people, not computers, and it reflexes the creativity of the human race, which, of course, isn’t a race at all. That’s why, when the stars are out, they are visible and when the lights are out, they are invisible. Here’s one in parting. Why doesn’t Buick rhyme with quick? I dunno.


      Nine-year-old Joey was asked by his mother what he had learned in Sunday School. “Well, mom, our teacher told us how God sent Moses behind enemy lines on a rescue mission to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. When he got to the Red Sea, he had his army build a pontoon bridge and all the people walked across safely. Then, he radioed headquarters for reinforcements. They sent bombers to blow up the bridge, throwing Pharaoh’s army into the water and all the Israelites were saved.” His mother asked, “Joey? Is that really what your teacher taught you?” “Well, no,” he replied. “But if I told it the way the teacher did, you’d never believe me!”

      [Matthew 13:1-23 & Acts 28:17-31] Jesus, in his parable of The Sower, and Paul, as he defended himself before the Jewish leaders and preached to them Jesus in Rome, quoted Isaiah 6: 9-10, concerning the learning and understanding of God’s Word. We spend much time keeping up with the trendy things of the day and growing in the ways of the world, but we don’t seem to find the time to enrich our relationship with God. We have a way of looking at God in troubled times as though he were a lifeboat to sit in until someone else comes to rescue us, all the while watching our worldly Titanic sink before our eyes. Personally, the closer I get to God, the more I understand his will for my life, the less life disappoints me and the more He supports me. I don’t want to be just a “stump in the land” (Isaiah 6:11-13), I want to grow in, and be loved by my God.

Learning Curve

      On his very first day of school, little Johnny handed the teacher a note from his mother. It read, “The opinions expressed by this child are not necessarily those of his parent’s.” At the end of her first week of school, little Suzy expressed her thoughts to her mother, “I’m just wasting my time”, she said. “I can’t read, I can’t write, and they won’t let me talk!” Well, just through my personal observations and experiences, I’ve come to the conclusion that all of us have some sort of learning disorder. It’s probably because we learn in different ways and generally feel we can never learn all there is to know about any one subject. Some people are visual learners; they think in pictures and need visual aides. Others are auditory learners; they learn through listening; lectures, discussions and such. Then there are tactile/kinesthetic learners; those who learn through experience. I seem to be a bit of each of these learning profiles which may explain my across-the-board, ho-hum attitude toward life and living. I’ve never centered my thoughts on much of anything in particular but enjoy learning a little bit about everything. I tear things apart to discover what makes them tic and fixing something generally makes my day. Math and English have never really turned me on, but I use them to my advantage every day. Isn’t it amazing how a little food can mature the body in less than twenty-five years, but it takes more than a lifetime to mature the brain to the point of self-satisfaction? Although I’m diametric toward the electronic age, mainly because I don’t understand most of it, I find myself, as did my ancestors at the changes of every century, kicking and screaming while being dragged into the quagmire of ones and zeros. I guess maybe it’s because everything is operating at the speed of nanoseconds and I’m expected to do the same. Well, I don’t use a typewriter.


       [Ephesians 4: 11-15] The Sunday school class was asked if they knew why Elijah poured water over the sacrificial steer on the altar. A little girl piped up, “I know! I know! To make the gravy!” A churchgoer wrote a letter to the editor of a newspaper complaining that it made no sense to go to church every Sunday. “I’ve gone for thirty years now,” he wrote, “and in that time I have heard about 3,000 sermons. But, for the life of me, I can’t remember a single one of them. So, I think I’m wasting my time and the preachers are wasting theirs by preaching at all.” A reply to that ‘Letter to the Editor’ read: “I’ve been married for thirty years now. In that time, my wife has cooked some 32,000 meals. But, for the life of me, I can’t remember the entire menu of a single one of those meals. Yet I do know this. They all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my wife hadn’t given me these meals, I would be physically dead today. Likewise, if I had not gone to church for the nourishment that comes from the Word of God, I would be spiritually dead today.” My mother dragged me to ‘church’, kickin’ and screamin’ some times, but the lessons learned are still used today. The spiritual world is as elusive as the electronic world, yet I know its real and I can see the product of each when I actively use them in my life. My spiritual self is for ever learning of God and his will for me. I see, I hear and I experience the grace of God every day. Faith can see the invisible, believe the incredible and receive the impossible. I thank God for my spiritual and my physical nourishment. It’s all good gravy. When Satan knocks at your door simply say, “Jesus, could you get that for me?”

It's An Evil World

      Two angels were traveling about and stopped to spend the night in the home of a wealthy family. The head of the family was rude and refused to let the angels stay in the mansion’s guest room. Instead they were given a small space in the cold damp basement. As they made their bed on the hard floor, the older angel saw a hole in the wall, where the foundation of the century’s old mansion was apparently beginning to crumble, and repaired it. When the younger angel asked why he had done it, the older angel replied, “Things aren’t always what they seem.” The next night the pair came to rest at the house of a very poor, but very hospitable, farmer and his wife. After sharing what little food they had, the couple let the angels sleep in their bed, where they would be comfortable and get a good night’s rest. When the sun came up the next morning, the angels found the farmer and his wife in tears. Their only cow, whose milk had been their primary source of income, lay dead in the field. The younger angel was infuriated and asked the older angel, “How could you have allowed this to happen? The man who had everything, yet was rude and selfish toward us, you freely helped. But, the poor farmer and his wife were willing to share everything with us and as a reward you let their cow die!” The older angel respectfully replied, “Things aren’t always what they seem to be. When we stayed in the basement of the mansion, the hole in the wall was where someone had hidden some gold years ago and the hiding place was crumbling open. Since the owner was so obsessed with greed and unwilling to share his good fortune, I sealed the wall up so he wouldn’t find it. Then, last night as we slept in the farmer’s bed, the angel of death came for his wife; I gave him the cow instead.

      [Hebrews 13:2] “Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.” I find it very difficult to write in the shadows of the recent tragedies of the last few weeks. “WHY?” is the biggest question on the minds of people and the closer to the tragedy one is, the more reasonable is our request to God for an answer. Why were four out of five family members, minding their own business, die in a car crash at the hand of a drunk driver going the wrong way on the interstate? Why the Boston bombings? Why the explosion in West, Texas each bringing about death and destruction? “…our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 6:12). Do I believe angels are among us? Yes. I also know that not all angels are obedient to God. I believe that there are spirits among us and some are evil as evil can get. “And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14) But, I refuse to believe they can control me physically or mentally. God gives me the right to invite and analyze all things of the world and it is ultimately my decision whether or not to place God in a competitive position or embrace him as my one and only sovereign. Why do evil things happen in the world? Because the world is evil. Why do people do evil things? Because they embrace the evil things in the world. Why do bad things happen to good people? Because they can’t get out of the way of evil-thinking people fast enough. The world has a serious mental superiority complex and restrictive legislation isn’t going to fix it. God’s principles and the sanctity of life will fix it, right.

Revealing Priorities

      As the family was riding down the road one warm summer evening, a woman in the convertible ahead of them stood up and waved. She was stark naked! As the parents in the front seat were reeling from the shock of what they were witnessing, a five-year-old voice from the back seat exclaimed, “Mom! That lady isn’t wearing a seat belt!”

      What is obvious to us, generally governs our priorities in life, and our experiences in life, generally govern what is obvious. Once upon a time there were six blind men who had never seen an elephant, though they had heard much about the creature. They hired a guide to take them to an elephant so they could satisfy their curiosity. The guide found a tame elephant and the men approached it from different directions to investigate the elephant using their sense of touch. The first man, who touched the elephant’s side, proclaimed that the creature was like a mud-baked wall. The second man, who touched a tusk, affirmed that the elephant was like a spear. The third man grabbed hold of the tail and described the elephant to be much like a rope. The forth man felt the trunk of the creature and believed the elephant was like a large serpent. The fifth man examined an ear and claimed that the elephant was like a large fan. The last man wrapped his arms around one of the elephant’s legs and concluded that the creature was like a tree trunk. Each blind man, based on his own personal experience, was convinced of the correctness of his own conclusion. Each man believed, with all his heart, that he now knew what an elephant was like; he believed his view was the correct one. Without examining the whole creature none of the blind men will ever get a “feel” of what an elephant is really like, thus, they do not know all there is to know.

      [Acts 17:11 & 1 Thessalonians 5:21] In Acts 12 we read that an angel busted Peter out of jail and he goes to the house of Mary, mother of John Mark, where people were gathered, praying for his safety. “…Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer the door. When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, “Peter is at the door!”’ I don’t want to appear judgmental, but I see lots of folks these days running around declaring, “God is at the door!” and forgetting to open the door to let Him in. The folks in the house told Rhoda, “…You’re out of your mind” …But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished.” There are people who hear about God and accept the conclusions presented to them without checking if what has been said is correct. Then there are people who say, “You’re out of your mind if you think I’m going to believe that!” without any personal investigation of their own. Then there are people who answer the knocking on the door of their heart and let God in, and they are astonished at the peace that enters their life. When we read and understand the simple truths of God, and His Word, the obvious becomes a priority in our life. The silly, selfish things of the world seem to fade away and ‘keeping up with the Jones’ doesn’t matter anymore. Although one can live a life pleasing to God while in ignorance about elephants, no one can please God while ignorant of His divine will. Proverbs 18:17 says, “The first to present his case seems right, till another comes forward and questions him.” Spiritual blindness can bring you to the wrong conclusion of God and eternity. Safety in God’s love is more important than comfortable clothing.

Reaping What We Have Sown

      Little Johnny used to hang out at the corner market. The owner didn’t know what Johnny’s problem was, but the other boys would constantly tease him. They would always comment that he was two bricks short of a full load, or he really wasn't the sharpest knife in the drawer. To prove it, they would often offer Johnny the choice between a dime and a nickel. Johnny would always take the nickel and they concluded he thought it was worth more because it was bigger, and would laugh at him. One day, after Johnny grabbed the nickel, the store owner took him aside and said, “Johnny, those boys are making fun of you. Are you grabbing the nickel just because it’s bigger or what?” Slowly, Johnny turned to the man and with a big grin on his face he said, “Well, if I take the dime, they’ll stop doing it, and so far I’ve saved $20.00.”

      It used to be the weirdest kid in school wore blue jeans, engineer boots and a white t-shirt; had a duck-tail haircut, smoked cigarettes and sported a leather jacket in the cold weather. In high school, I can remember we had our jocks and geeks (not computer but scholastic), genius’s and those, like me, who didn’t have a clue what algebra was all about or why there has to be adjectives and adverbs to structure a comprehensive, compound sentence, impressive enough to gain the approval of a 90-year-old English teacher who continually compared you to your siblings whom she had taught in earlier years. We had our friends and some of us had to deal with bullies in the best way we knew how, mainly avoiding contact at all cost. I guess you could say I survived the travails of high school with common-sense navigation and blending into the woodwork as often as needed. The same tactics have their advantages to this very day.

      [Galatians 6: 1-10] So, when did we cross over the line from normal, trying to fit in, testosterone aggression, to, life means nothing, revenge? I think it started when Madeline Murray O’Hare complained she didn’t want any prayer in our schools. And we said, “Okay.” Then someone said you better not read or teach from the Bible in school, the Bible that says, “…thou shall not kill; thou shall not steal; and love your neighbors as your self.” And we said, “Okay.” Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn’t spank our children when they misbehave because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem. And we said, “Okay.” Then someone said that our educators could no longer discipline our children for fear of bad publicity or lawsuits. Let’s let our daughters get abortions without our knowledge if they want and we all know boys will be boys, so, let’s let the schools hand out all the condoms they want, so they can have all the fun they desire, and make a law that says it’s no business of the parents. The entertainment industry said, let’s make TV shows and movies that promote profanity, violence and illicit sex. And let’s record music that encourages rape, drugs, murder, suicide and satanic themes. And let’s make video games that promote revengeful solutions to life such as murder and mass destruction. And we said, “It’s only entertainment and it has no adverse effect; nobody takes it seriously anyway, it’s just a story”. Now we’re asking ourselves why our children have no conscience; why they don’t know right from wrong; and why it doesn't bother them to kill complete strangers, classmates, or even themselves. Undoubtedly, if we thought about it long enough, we would figure it out. Are we not reaping what we have sown?