Becoming Spiritually Stronger

I don’t know who has the time to just sit around and figure out worthless bits of information and statistics, but it has been stated that with all the rain the state of Texas has received over the past month, the total comes to trillions of gallons of water. If that wasn’t enough, it is said that if all that water were gathered at one time, it would cover the state with water eight inches deep. We are fortunate to have many flood control dams in the state, and across the country, to help the slowing of rushing waters trying to get back to sea level. Unfortunately, there never seems to be enough of them when relentless rain clouds unleash torrential amounts of water in one area, turning serene streams and rivers into raging monsters of destruction. There is no way to describe the before and after visual shock one experiences without having seen it first hand. In the late seventies, I was making a regular trip to Medina, Texas through Bandera along the Medina River. One night rains came to the hill country around Kerrville, Medina and Bandera filling the Medina River and sending it on an unbelievable rampage, slowed only by the Medina Lake dam. Many lives were lost and much property destroyed. The next trip I made to Medina was a shock. Any time the highway neared the river, nothing was left but white stones and rocks, void of any dirt what-so-ever, for hundreds of feet either side of the once again trickling waters of the river. The once beautiful and warm tree-lined highway was naked and cold, remaining that way for several years. The area has since recovered, the last few times I traveled that way, but I don’t know what it looks like after this round of monsoonal rains. Now, tornadoes are another breed of destruction all together. What they leave behind is nothing short of a tangled, twisted, torn-up pile of memories, and that my friend I pray I will never have to experience. Just seeing it brings tears to one’s eye. Many Texans have suffered a severe blow to their life. All most of us can do is pray for the lose of their loved ones and their swift recovery from the devastation so they can get on with their lives. I almost feel guilty at times as I clean up some minor damages caused by the storms, but most of the time remember to thank God for my many blessings as I pray for those who have been stripped of their warmth and having to move forward with a long time of recovery.

[Acts 17:24-28] I have no doubt there are folks shaking their fist to the sky asking where God was in all this. If He calmed the sea why can’t he govern the storms of life a little better? God has made the world and everything in it, and it comes with rules that govern it. Jesus calmed the sea and raised the dead, along with countless other miracles, to show mankind the unfathomable power of God. We exist to seek His love and comfort, not for our physical well-being, but for our spiritual stability which enables us to move on after we have been physically struck down. Where was God? In the same place he was when mankind nailed his Son to the cross of Calvary. God allows things to happen, so that through the love of God-fearing men and women His glory might be made known; ‘For in Him we live and move and have our being’. It’s hard to see the physical blessings in any disaster, but through Christ the spiritual blessings of God’s love lifts us up and makes us stronger than ever before, ready to show the glory of God in our life to others and ready to take on future challenges of life, whatever they be. ‘…he is not far from each one of us; …We are his offspring.’

Remember and Honor

He just wanted to get the day over with. Sneaking a look at his watch he calculated five more minutes to go before the cemetery gates could be closed for the day. In full dress uniform on a hot Texas day, with humidity to match, he was ready for a cold drink. He saw the car pull into the drive, a looking like new, mint-condition ’69 or ’70 Cadillac Deville, and it entered the parking lot at a snail’s pace. An old lady, weighed down with flowers, slowly got out of the car, steadying herself with a cane. The thought came unwanted: ‘She’s going to spend an hour and I’m ready to get out of here right now!’ But for this day, his duty was to assist anyone coming to the cemetery. He knew that Kevin, his companion soldier on duty, would lock the ‘in’ gate and if he could hurry the old lady along they could still get out of there at a decent time. “Ma’am, may I assist you in any way?” he asked. She handed him the flowers as they boarded the golf cart used to get around the grounds. She said she needed to visit a few old Marines and at eighty-five years of age it might just be the last time. She noticed he was a long-time campaigner himself by the ribbons on his breast. “Wounded in action I see. Well done marine!” at which he replied, “Vietnam, ma’am.” Her directions were precise, then ordered the halt of her chariot, whereupon she placed flowers at a gravestone where under the name was engraved, ‘USMC; France 1918’. Then in the WWII section more flowers at a stone engraved, ‘USMC; 1943’ and at a nearby stone marked ‘USMC; 1944’. “Where’s the Vietnam section? I’ve seemed to have lost my way” she searched looking all around. “I’ll get you there in short order ma’am” the Marine assured her. Then, recognizing her surroundings, she placed flowers at two more gravesites, one marked ‘USMC; 1968’ and the other, ‘USMC; 1970’. Her guide inquired as to her relationship to all these Marines. She informed the soldier, “One was my father, one my uncle, one my husband and the other two, my sons, all killed in action, all Marines.” After returning her to her car, he radioed Kevin to go to the ‘out’ gate immediately; there was something they had to do. He ran across the field to the gate where they were to meet hoping he would get there before the Cadillac. Just in time, he and Kevin stood at attention, in full dress uniforms on either side of the gate, and presented a perfect salute. She drove through the gate with two old worn-out soldiers giving her the send-off she deserved, for service rendered to her country, and for knowing duty, honor and sacrifice. Memorial Day is for remembering and honoring

[Luke 22: 19; 1 Corinthians 11: 23-25] In Christianity every first day of the week, commonly referred to as the Lord’s day, is memorial day. Christians partake of the ‘Lord’s supper’, or ‘commune with the Lord’ in remembrance of what Jesus has done for us. He gave his life as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of mankind that through Jesus (John 13:6) we receive the grace of God which will save our soul from everlasting punishment. Grace is hard to explain, but here’s a good acrostic. GRACE: God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense. Without Christ we have no forgiveness of sin and it is only in Christ we can receive the grace of God; not through our works or negotiating power (Ephesians 2:1-10). Jesus gave his life to set us free from sin. Patriotic men and women of our great country have given their life for the freedoms we enjoy. If we ever forget that we are “One Nation Under God”, then we will be a nation gone under.

Now I've Gone To Meddlin'

The other day I was shocked to hear that some perspective employers are now demanding employee applicants to supply their email addresses, web page account addresses and all social media addresses with consent to allow examination of their contents. That brings up a lot of thoughts and questions about privacy and how much about you does an employer really need to know? Well, it seems when you spill your life out all over the inter-web one no longer has a personal life because you’re too dumb to keep it to yourself. The perspective employer gets to know about your personal practices such as, your social life and do you drink a lot and party your money away, and are you a gossip talking about others; or are you constantly cutting down the company where you are currently working and the people who work there. Ouch! Thinking that the inter-web is composed of some sort of invisible ink, social media nuts are laying their whole psychological profile on the line for analysis by anyone at any time. You might be totally qualified for a job, but not get it because you’re determined unstable. The ole inter-web, and the cell phone, is getting a lot of people in trouble as they leave a trail of inappropriate text messages, posts and tweets about themselves, forgotten and floating around in cyber-space like a silent witness of ones character, waiting to be subpoenaed. Maybe you aught think before letting your fingers do your talking, for sometime down the road you may regret being a quidnunc.

I shouldn’t let this out, but I heard my little Bella pray the other night. “Now I lay me down to sleep, the king-size bed is soft and deep. I sleep right in the center groove, my human-being can hardly move. I’ve trapped his legs, they’re tucked in tight, and here is where I pass the night. No one disturbs me or dares intrude, till morning comes and I want food. I sneak up slowly to begin, sniffing on my human’s chin. He wakes up softly, I start to lick, and suddenly he’s up real quick. For morning’s here, time to play, I always seem to get my way. So, thank you Lord, for giving me, this human person that I see, the one who hugs and holds me tight, and shares his bed for the night.”

[Proverbs 26:18-20; 18:6-8; 16:28; 11:13; 20:19 & Romans 1: 18 - 2:11] I really don’t want to get off on a rant here but God’s Word is very frank about gossip. First of all, what is gossip? Gossip, according to Webster is: “a trifling rumor of a personal nature; news of no importance.” ‘A’ gossip is: “one who chatters idly about others.” “…Like a madman shooting firebrands or deadly arrows is a man who deceives his neighbor and says, “I was only joking!” doesn’t soothe the hurt. A gossip has a way of breaking up good works and separating close friends. “A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy man keeps a secret; A gossip betrays a confidence, so avoid a man that talks too much.” Paul, writing to the Romans, expresses his disappointment in the new Christians because even though they know what is right in the sight of God, they are not practicing it. “Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.” Folks, when you get wrapped up in idle gossip, God is not very happy with you. You are encouraging others to sin! Do you really need to let everyone know what you are doing right now so they can talk about it? “The words of a gossip are like choice morsels, they go down to a man’s innermost parts.”