I had so many pimples as a young man that one day I fell asleep in the library and when I woke up a blind man was reading my face!

I'm off and running, how about you? I do hope the day gets better. I stopped at my regular place to get gas this morning. The store is closed but the pumps are on 24 hrs per day. Well, I first had trouble getting one of the pumps started so I moved to another one. It did start but I was only able to put in 23 cents before it shut down. Here I am at 4:20 a.m. and the gas pumps are refusing to cooperate. Man, I hate it when that happens. Sorry. I was supposed to stop saying that because of how it becomes a self fulfilling prophecy and then before you know it I will be saying it again. This means I will have to stop on my way out from work. But I always like to get my gas in the mornings. It is part of my routine. Good grief Charlie Brown, just chill out. Okay? I don't think 23 cents is enough to even make a smell and it will look funny on my bank card but that's the way the cookie crumbles on this Thursday, July 15, 2010. I don't want to get off on one of those Rodney Dangerfield days if you know what I mean. He once said that as a kid all he ever knew was rejection and even his yo-yo refused to return. He also said that it's no wonder he turned out like he did because his dad carried around the picture of the kid that came with his wallet. It's always fun to poke fun at yourself but it's also important to remember who the real you that your are. If you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ and have made Him your Savior, according to God's pronouncement, not mine, you and I are His very own children, and we are heirs to all His promises as found in His word, and we are also joint-heirs with Jesus. These are not words just to build us up, they are the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. I am not one of those who believes in empty catch phrases like going around saying, "I am somebody!" but I do believe it is the truth that sets us free and if Creator God declared these things about us, then nothing my friend can change who we really are in Christ, except you and I can live without fully realizing them because of our failing to embrace them and make them a part of every day! (Read Romans 8:17 and 2nd Corinthians 5:17 and there's plenty more found in the Good Book, God's Holy Word!)

Thanks. I needed that. Speaking of being blessed, we have a very small group who meet on Wednesday evenings to share a time of fellowship and teaching from God's Word. Last night was such a wonderful time of laughing, loving, praying, and hearing from God as He spoke to us as His Word was read. We share our burdens. We share our love. We share our connection that makes us brothers and sisters in Christ. Growing up it was the standing practice of our small local fellowship to have a Wednesday evening service to be observed faithfully just like the Sunday services. Today most folks see it as an optional service and in our case, mostly for our older members. That's always been interesting to me. The ones less mobile and perhaps less able to get out at night are the ones who cherish a time of fellowship and feasting on God's Word. I remember hearing Dr. David Jeremiah defending his decision not to dismiss evening services at his mega Church out in California. While all the other area Churches had made this change he said he came to his decision after asking himself a simple question: Do my folks need more or less of what happens when we come together to pray, study, and to build each other up in the faith? I know how busy we are today and I know how difficult it is for families because of their whacked out schedules but my how we all need, and that means all, young, old, and everyone in-between, we need what God provides when we come together as His people. And, as one who is not easily entertained, I will tell you that we have a ball together and I consider this also to be a gift from God.

Okay. Enough preaching for a Thursday. Even as I am writing these wonderful encouraging words that 23 cent gasoline incident is still lurking and ready to mess with my thinking. But with God's help I will eventually come to realize that no matter how irritating, stuff like that shouldn't even make a blip on my radar screen. It's like that scene from the movie Home Alone where the mother is on an airplane headed for France distraught and in a panic having discovered that they have left little Kevin home, all alone. The uncle tries to cheer her up by telling her that if it makes her feel any better, he had left his reading glasses behind as well. See what I mean? Mountains. Mole hills. Big picture. I do enjoy seeing what jumps out of my head to land somewhere on the electronic page each day. I receive feedback from time to time and one recently said that it was a good blog but difficult to follow my train of thought. Bingo! The story in a nutshell. You should have to deal with the fellow writing this stuff every day like I do? Difficult to follow is a cake walk compared to some of the challenges he gets me into! But I do appreciate being able to work out some of these crisis moments as I share my struggles with you, including things like the 23 cent gasoline debacle. I hate it when I continue to bring up what I said I wouldn't bring up again but I do pray that you will have a wonderful day and that all your gas pumps will work and you and yours will live in recognition of the truths God has given to us! Amen. ......More later.