Well, summer is officially here, but I didn’t have to be told. I know when it’s summer just by opening the cold water hydrant to discover “cold” is on vacation and “warm” is filling in until it’s return some time in September. “Mucho caliente!!” I’m watering my trees and grass hoping to keep them half way healthy and avoiding bankruptcy until it decides to rain again. The birds seem to enjoy the benefits of the lawn sprinkler and I enjoy watching them. The water seems to attract every bird in the neighborhood, every size and color, male and female. I have a hard time deciding to water the lawn. To me lawn watering is a paradox of life that I struggle with. I have a passionate dislike of mowing the grass, yet here I am watering it to make it grow. It seems counterproductive, but then again, green grass, spotted with some brown grass is a lot better than dirt, weeds and burr grass. Have you ever noticed how the weeds and burrs flourish in times of drought? I don’t know if it’s true or not, but I’ve been told that native plants – nut grass, burr grass, cactus, mesquite and the like – noticeably produce more seed in times of drought, insuring survival in the future. It sounds reasonable to me, another sound reason to water the grass and mow the weeds, keeping them at bay.
A minister asked a minister friend how large his worship attendance had been the previous Sunday. The friend replied, “It was large and respectable.” The first minister later found out that only two people had been there that Sunday morning. He confronted his friend saying, “You lied to me. You said your attendance last week was large and respectable, and I found out only two people were there!” The other minister calmly replied, “That’s right. There were two people. One was large and the other respectable.”
Three preachers were having lunch in a diner. One said, “You know, since summer started I’ve been having trouble with bats in the loft and the attic of the church building. I think I’ve tried everything – noise, sprays, cats – nothing seems to work.” Another said, “Me too! I have hundreds living in my attic. I’ve had the place fumigated and still they won’t go away!” The third said, “I baptized all mine. They all became members of the church and haven’t seen a one of them back since!”
[Hebrews 10: 19-39] In this passage, the Hebrew writer says, (vs. 24-25) “And let us consider how we may spur (a Texan at heart, no doubt) one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the day approaching.” I know it’s summer and it’s a time for relaxation, vacations and recreation; me time. But, it seems, we have a tendency to allow our spirit to run cold while out and about enjoying our “me time”. If we don’t continue to water the good seed, the Word of God, (Luke 8:11) that was planted within us, the world will begin to creep back into our life, drawing us away from God. The assembling of God’s people didn’t stop on the last day of school and is expected to begin again the first day of the new school year. Don’t get me wrong here. We all need some “me time”, but don’t leave God out. Take God on vacation. Take Him fishing. Take Him to the coast. You want to know a little secret? He’s already there waiting for you and wants to show you a good time. Want to keep the burrs and weeds out of your life? Fertilize and water your life with the Word of God.
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
Father's Training
I guess y’all know what a whiteboard is, right? Well in case you don’t, in my opinion, it’s the worst invention of modern technology that replaced the chalkboard. The color pens used to write with have felt tips that wear out quickly, that is if the ink doesn’t dry up or run out first. The boards are difficult to keep clean and it only takes one person to clean it with the wrong material to ruin the whole board. Whiteboards are expensive and because of my upbringing I find it very hard to just toss one out replacing it with a new one. Well, I found a product called chalkboard paint. The whiteboards at work are all becoming reborn as chalkboards for a matter of pennies. For me, chalk is still king in the classroom, and chalk comes in just as many colors as those pens do.
While painting one of the boards I got to thinking about all the things my father has witnessed coming down the pipe during his lifetime and then an email received the other day reminded me of all the things that have come along in my own lifetime. If you were born just after WWII, television was brand new, most people had not yet seen one or knew it existed and penicillin was being introduced to the public. You were born before polio shots, frozen foods, Xerox, contact lenses, Frisbees or the “pill”. There were no credit cards, laser beams or ball-point pens. Man had not yet invented pantyhose, air conditioners, dishwashers or clothes dryers. Clothes were hung out to dry in the fresh air and man had not yet walked on the moon. When I first heard of fast-food I thought it was what people ate during Lent. It was a time before FM radio, tape decks, CD’s, electric typewriters, yogurt or guys wearing earrings. Pizza Hut, McDonald’s and instant coffee were unheard of. If you saw anything with “Made In Japan” on it, it was total junk. You could buy a brand new Chevy coupe for $600 and fill it with gas for 11 cents a gallon. For a nickel you could mail 1 letter and 2 postcards. In my growing up days we mowed “grass” and drank “coke”. “Pot” was something mother cooked in and “rock music” was a grandmother’s lullaby. “Aids” were workers in the Principal’s office, “chip” meant a piece of wood, “hardware” was found in the hardware store and “software” wasn’t even a word. I’m not yet 60 years-old and wonder just how much more I’ll need to survive in this world until I’m my father’s age of 90.
[Ephesians 6: 4] “Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” (NIV) The King James says, “...provoke not your children to wrath”, and the Living Bible says, “Don’t keep on scolding and nagging your children, making them angry and resentful.” I think all fathers look back and wish they had done a better job raising their children. Yes, we need to see they are clothed, fed properly, protected and educated. But, too often we introduce them to the world and force them to conform to our will of conduct in the world. Sometimes the “exasperation of our children” doesn’t show up as “anger and resentment” until they have to deal with the world on their own. That’s why God says a father’s job is to bring up his children in the “training and instruction of the Lord”, so they will treat the world as they would have the world treat them. Sound familiar? I’m know that while my children are facing the challenges of the world on their own they will be comforted knowing that God is there with them. I may not have gotten it all right, but they are spiritually alive in God’s love.
While painting one of the boards I got to thinking about all the things my father has witnessed coming down the pipe during his lifetime and then an email received the other day reminded me of all the things that have come along in my own lifetime. If you were born just after WWII, television was brand new, most people had not yet seen one or knew it existed and penicillin was being introduced to the public. You were born before polio shots, frozen foods, Xerox, contact lenses, Frisbees or the “pill”. There were no credit cards, laser beams or ball-point pens. Man had not yet invented pantyhose, air conditioners, dishwashers or clothes dryers. Clothes were hung out to dry in the fresh air and man had not yet walked on the moon. When I first heard of fast-food I thought it was what people ate during Lent. It was a time before FM radio, tape decks, CD’s, electric typewriters, yogurt or guys wearing earrings. Pizza Hut, McDonald’s and instant coffee were unheard of. If you saw anything with “Made In Japan” on it, it was total junk. You could buy a brand new Chevy coupe for $600 and fill it with gas for 11 cents a gallon. For a nickel you could mail 1 letter and 2 postcards. In my growing up days we mowed “grass” and drank “coke”. “Pot” was something mother cooked in and “rock music” was a grandmother’s lullaby. “Aids” were workers in the Principal’s office, “chip” meant a piece of wood, “hardware” was found in the hardware store and “software” wasn’t even a word. I’m not yet 60 years-old and wonder just how much more I’ll need to survive in this world until I’m my father’s age of 90.
[Ephesians 6: 4] “Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” (NIV) The King James says, “...provoke not your children to wrath”, and the Living Bible says, “Don’t keep on scolding and nagging your children, making them angry and resentful.” I think all fathers look back and wish they had done a better job raising their children. Yes, we need to see they are clothed, fed properly, protected and educated. But, too often we introduce them to the world and force them to conform to our will of conduct in the world. Sometimes the “exasperation of our children” doesn’t show up as “anger and resentment” until they have to deal with the world on their own. That’s why God says a father’s job is to bring up his children in the “training and instruction of the Lord”, so they will treat the world as they would have the world treat them. Sound familiar? I’m know that while my children are facing the challenges of the world on their own they will be comforted knowing that God is there with them. I may not have gotten it all right, but they are spiritually alive in God’s love.
Saturday, June 07, 2008
Four Quarters Of Life
There are certainly plenty of things to complain about lately and it seems there’s a never ending list of inconveniences piling up to discourage and depress even the most cheerful of people. My half full glass has become half empty and I find myself scrambling to ensure I find a way to keep it half full all the time. Yes, it’s becoming harder and harder to maintain my optimistic outlook on the future with the price of gas going up every day and the continued forecast of no rain. Transportation has become a premium ticket. Airlines have cut back flights to conserve on fuel and fill their aircraft to capacity in an attempt to lower per passenger overhead costs. Freight shipping costs have gone through the roof while sales in all areas have dropped. Then reflecting on a statement I heard the other morning while drinking coffee, I’m sort of willing to accept the theory, it’s just another cycle of the world that we’re all going to have to endure knowing that everything will even out and we’ll move on. Just think; one day we’ll be the generation that remembers the good old days and our great-grand-children won’t believe a word, because they’ll be growing up in a totally different world than today.
I’ve researched the cycles of life and no matter what happens in the world during ones lifespan, man will experience four quarters of life. With tongue in cheek, here’s what my research has brought to light. God created the dog and said, “Sit all day by the door of your house and bark at anyone who comes in or walks past. For this I will give you a lifespan of twenty years.” The dog said, “That’s a long time to be barking. How about only ten years, and I’ll give you back ten.” God agreed. Then God created the monkey and said to it, “Entertain people, do tricks and make them laugh. For this I will give you a twenty-year lifespan.” The monkey protested, “Monkey tricks for twenty years!? That’s a pretty long time to perform. How about ten years and I’ll give you back ten like the dog did.” God agreed. God created the cow and said to it, “You must go into the field with the farmer all day long and suffer under the sun, have calves and give milk to support the farmers family. For this I will give you a lifespan of sixty years.” Calmly the cow said, “That’s kind of a tough life you want me to live for sixty years. How about twenty, and I’ll give back forty?” God agreed. God created man and said to him, “Eat, sleep, play, be marry and enjoy life. For this I’ll give you a twenty-year lifespan.” But man said, “Only twenty years!? Could you possibly give me my twenty, the forty cow gave back, the ten monkey declined and the ten dog didn’t want; that makes eighty, okay?” “Okay”, said God, “You asked for it.” So that’s why the first twenty years we eat, sleep, play and enjoy ourselves; the next forty years we slave in the sun to support our families; then for the next ten years we do monkey tricks entertaining our grandchildren and the final ten years we sit on the front porch barking at everyone.
[Mark 8: 34-37] One thing is for certain in this life, it will end one day. We came into this world with nothing and we’ll leave the same way. But, only a sinless spirit will enter into everlasting life, to be with God forever. The unprepared, lost spirit, will enter into everlasting torment, the second death. I keep my glass half full with the knowledge that God is still sitting on His throne, and everything is under His control. The four quarters of life pass quickly. Are you ready to leave this world and face your creator?
I’ve researched the cycles of life and no matter what happens in the world during ones lifespan, man will experience four quarters of life. With tongue in cheek, here’s what my research has brought to light. God created the dog and said, “Sit all day by the door of your house and bark at anyone who comes in or walks past. For this I will give you a lifespan of twenty years.” The dog said, “That’s a long time to be barking. How about only ten years, and I’ll give you back ten.” God agreed. Then God created the monkey and said to it, “Entertain people, do tricks and make them laugh. For this I will give you a twenty-year lifespan.” The monkey protested, “Monkey tricks for twenty years!? That’s a pretty long time to perform. How about ten years and I’ll give you back ten like the dog did.” God agreed. God created the cow and said to it, “You must go into the field with the farmer all day long and suffer under the sun, have calves and give milk to support the farmers family. For this I will give you a lifespan of sixty years.” Calmly the cow said, “That’s kind of a tough life you want me to live for sixty years. How about twenty, and I’ll give back forty?” God agreed. God created man and said to him, “Eat, sleep, play, be marry and enjoy life. For this I’ll give you a twenty-year lifespan.” But man said, “Only twenty years!? Could you possibly give me my twenty, the forty cow gave back, the ten monkey declined and the ten dog didn’t want; that makes eighty, okay?” “Okay”, said God, “You asked for it.” So that’s why the first twenty years we eat, sleep, play and enjoy ourselves; the next forty years we slave in the sun to support our families; then for the next ten years we do monkey tricks entertaining our grandchildren and the final ten years we sit on the front porch barking at everyone.
[Mark 8: 34-37] One thing is for certain in this life, it will end one day. We came into this world with nothing and we’ll leave the same way. But, only a sinless spirit will enter into everlasting life, to be with God forever. The unprepared, lost spirit, will enter into everlasting torment, the second death. I keep my glass half full with the knowledge that God is still sitting on His throne, and everything is under His control. The four quarters of life pass quickly. Are you ready to leave this world and face your creator?
Sunday, June 01, 2008
My Grace Is Sufficient
While filling my gas tank the other day I had a flash-back to 1970 when I was in the Air Force stationed at Randolph AFB. I was also working part time at the base gas station pumping gas costing as little as fourteen cents a gallon during some of the gas wars at the time. Maybe you don’t know what a gas war was. Gasoline used to be so cheap and gas stations were so plentiful, that station owners would drop the price of fuel just to get more business at their location. Then everyone in the area would have to drop their prices to get their normal business back again. Well, you couldn’t get ten dollars worth of gas in the biggest of the biggest cars back then. This fill-up just cost me sixty dollars for fifteen gallons of gas. Of course my foremost thought is, “I hope somebody chokes on every penny of profit from this sale!” Well, I guess I feel just like everyone else. I’m being fleeced of every nickel I’ve got and I’m really becoming concerned as to what the future holds. I hope the last car running is a classic, with big fins.
A sales clerk went to the manager with a problem. “How”, he asked, “can I stop women customers from complaining about our prices and talking about the low prices of the good old days?” “Very easy”, replied the manager. “Act surprised and tell them you didn’t think they were old enough to remember them.”
There once was a man who woke up one morning, looked in the mirror, and noticed he had only three hairs on his head. “Well”, he said, “I think I’ll comb my hair to the left today.” So he did, and he had a wonderful day. The next day he woke up, looked in the mirror, and saw that he had only two hairs on the top of his head. “Hmmm”, he said. “I think I’ll part my hair down the middle today.” So he did, and had a great day. The next day he woke up, looked in the mirror, and saw he had only one hair on his head. “Well”, he said, “Today I’m going to wear my hair in a pony tail.” He did, and had a grand day. The next day he woke up, looked in the mirror and noticed he didn’t have a single hair left on his head. “Yea!” he exclaimed. “I don’t have to fix my hair today!”
[Psalm 37: 25] David wrote, “I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.” So, who is righteous? First of all, God is righteous. (Psalm 145:17) All that God does is good and is pleasing to man. Of course man doesn’t always think so. Noah was a righteous man. (Genesis 6: 8-9) He was blameless among the people and he walked with God. Abram believed the Lord and he credited it to him as righteousness. (Genesis 15:6) To be looked upon as a righteous person in the eyes of God, I must be blameless among my peers and all that I do must be pleasing to God. Am I always pleasing to God in all that I do every day? I’d be a liar if I said yes. But, like Abram, I believe the promises of God and the greatest of them, to me, is that He will forgive me of my sins. I also believe that God will never forsake me no matter how bad I think things are in this life. As I continue to walk daily with God I’m learning that righteousness has a lot to do with attitude. Although the man saw he was losing his hair day by day, he didn’t allow the situation ruin his day, and as we all know, a bad frame of mind can ruin a perfectly good day for everybody around us. Paul said he learned the secret of being content in any situation. God gave him the strength to carry on. (Philippians 4:11-13) A righteous attitude is found in God’s grace. (2 Cor. 12:7-10)
A sales clerk went to the manager with a problem. “How”, he asked, “can I stop women customers from complaining about our prices and talking about the low prices of the good old days?” “Very easy”, replied the manager. “Act surprised and tell them you didn’t think they were old enough to remember them.”
There once was a man who woke up one morning, looked in the mirror, and noticed he had only three hairs on his head. “Well”, he said, “I think I’ll comb my hair to the left today.” So he did, and he had a wonderful day. The next day he woke up, looked in the mirror, and saw that he had only two hairs on the top of his head. “Hmmm”, he said. “I think I’ll part my hair down the middle today.” So he did, and had a great day. The next day he woke up, looked in the mirror, and saw he had only one hair on his head. “Well”, he said, “Today I’m going to wear my hair in a pony tail.” He did, and had a grand day. The next day he woke up, looked in the mirror and noticed he didn’t have a single hair left on his head. “Yea!” he exclaimed. “I don’t have to fix my hair today!”
[Psalm 37: 25] David wrote, “I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.” So, who is righteous? First of all, God is righteous. (Psalm 145:17) All that God does is good and is pleasing to man. Of course man doesn’t always think so. Noah was a righteous man. (Genesis 6: 8-9) He was blameless among the people and he walked with God. Abram believed the Lord and he credited it to him as righteousness. (Genesis 15:6) To be looked upon as a righteous person in the eyes of God, I must be blameless among my peers and all that I do must be pleasing to God. Am I always pleasing to God in all that I do every day? I’d be a liar if I said yes. But, like Abram, I believe the promises of God and the greatest of them, to me, is that He will forgive me of my sins. I also believe that God will never forsake me no matter how bad I think things are in this life. As I continue to walk daily with God I’m learning that righteousness has a lot to do with attitude. Although the man saw he was losing his hair day by day, he didn’t allow the situation ruin his day, and as we all know, a bad frame of mind can ruin a perfectly good day for everybody around us. Paul said he learned the secret of being content in any situation. God gave him the strength to carry on. (Philippians 4:11-13) A righteous attitude is found in God’s grace. (2 Cor. 12:7-10)
Saturday, May 24, 2008
The Debt Is Paid
While in the doctor’s waiting room I was browsing a May 26th issue of Newsweek and began reading about the China earthquake. Unlike the reaction of the Burmese government leaders amidst their national weather disaster, the Chinese leaders poured rescue troops into the effected areas within hours of their disaster. Help and aide from throughout China in the form of personal contributions was so great the leaders of local governments asked that no more be sent for a period of time for they had no place to store it all. When victims were interviewed by reporters, although very distraught now living with death and destruction all around, they seemed to be very well informed about their situation and what they could expect to happen over the next few weeks. When asked what has given them the most hope for recovery so far, they overwhelmingly answered the immediate visit of the Chinese Prime Minister, Wen Jiabao. Their leader had come to see for himself and made discussions on the spot as to what must be done for the survivors. The philosophy of the Chinese Department For Public Communication is simple and straight forward. “Tell the truth; Tell it fast; Tell it first” The natural disaster forced the Chinese people and government to mobilize and pay a debt they don’t owe to their fellow-countrymen, who now need to rebuild their shattered lives.
I always promise to not get political in this column, but sometime it can’t be helped. As I read I couldn’t help but think about Memorial Day and our honoring of the war dead who served this country, paying the debt of freedom with their life. I also couldn’t help but think about all those who have survived, only to return to a devastated home buried in debt, unemployment and perhaps having been maimed or crippled for life, who find themselves without the guidance of their leaders who sent them to war in the first place. Something is definitely wrong when it takes private contributions to build housing for families trying to recover from the personal devastations inflicted by serving their country. Our love for one another is outstanding, but where are our leaders? Veterans are asking questions and receiving no answers. Why? That’s all I’ve got to say about that.
A six-year-old boy was asked where his grandmother lived. “Oh”, he said, “She lives at the airport and when we want her we just go get her. Then when we’re done having her visit, we take her back to the airport.”
[Hebrews 10: 9-10] We live in a world of devastating sin, that is, disobedience toward God’s will for man. Greed, selfishness, murder, sexual immorality, stealing, lying and cheating are just some of the things that destroy our lives. Sin separates us from the love and blessings of God. God demands a blood sacrifice for the atonement of sin, but the sacrifice of bulls and goats did not satisfy this requirement. Jesus, the Word of God, stepped forward as a man and willingly sacrificed his sinless body, one man for all men, shedding his blood which covered all sins ...past, present and future. Jesus came to our rescue in the midst of our sin sick devastation. We have received from God guidance for rebuilding our lives and our relationship with Him. In Jesus, we have truth and hope for everlasting life with our Father in heaven. “He paid a debt He did not owe; I owed a debt I could not pay. I needed someone, to wash my sins away. And now I sing a brand new song – Amazing Grace; Christ Jesus paid a debt that I could never pay.”
I always promise to not get political in this column, but sometime it can’t be helped. As I read I couldn’t help but think about Memorial Day and our honoring of the war dead who served this country, paying the debt of freedom with their life. I also couldn’t help but think about all those who have survived, only to return to a devastated home buried in debt, unemployment and perhaps having been maimed or crippled for life, who find themselves without the guidance of their leaders who sent them to war in the first place. Something is definitely wrong when it takes private contributions to build housing for families trying to recover from the personal devastations inflicted by serving their country. Our love for one another is outstanding, but where are our leaders? Veterans are asking questions and receiving no answers. Why? That’s all I’ve got to say about that.
A six-year-old boy was asked where his grandmother lived. “Oh”, he said, “She lives at the airport and when we want her we just go get her. Then when we’re done having her visit, we take her back to the airport.”
[Hebrews 10: 9-10] We live in a world of devastating sin, that is, disobedience toward God’s will for man. Greed, selfishness, murder, sexual immorality, stealing, lying and cheating are just some of the things that destroy our lives. Sin separates us from the love and blessings of God. God demands a blood sacrifice for the atonement of sin, but the sacrifice of bulls and goats did not satisfy this requirement. Jesus, the Word of God, stepped forward as a man and willingly sacrificed his sinless body, one man for all men, shedding his blood which covered all sins ...past, present and future. Jesus came to our rescue in the midst of our sin sick devastation. We have received from God guidance for rebuilding our lives and our relationship with Him. In Jesus, we have truth and hope for everlasting life with our Father in heaven. “He paid a debt He did not owe; I owed a debt I could not pay. I needed someone, to wash my sins away. And now I sing a brand new song – Amazing Grace; Christ Jesus paid a debt that I could never pay.”
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