Time for everyone to get back into sync, therefore, let's all simonize our watches!

Greetings on this Tuesday, January 4, 2011, where I hope today's post finds you and yours off to a good start in this brand spanking new year. That figure of speech has been around for a long time used in one way or another but the actual formal first use of "brand spanking new" comes from a magazine article back in 1860. There's a very long article about it out on the web. Feel free to look it up for yourself. You aren't in the least bit interested? That's okay because we all are interested in different things. Besides, that would bring up that whole issue of entomology as opposed to etymology and that might give us all a headache. I did think some about trying to be a little less wordy in this new year and I might just do that but we will have to wait and see what happens as those little gray cells connect to the fingers slapping the keyboard. It was a very pleasant 29 degrees here at the workplace yesterday morning. I say pleasant because somehow I had gotten the idea that it was going to be really cold and was mentally prepared for it, and somehow it just didn't seem that cold at all. It just goes to show you how that mind over matter or in this case, mind over cold, actually works. My grandfather essentially made that real clear to us when we were out hunting and we thought teeth chattering was called for, and all he could ask was how we were going to deal with it when it really got cold. This was the scared straight version of how to deal with cold with my granddad as our teacher. His practical way of life was pretty easy to sum up. You chose to come with me hunting. You knew it was cold before we left the house. We are here now and we will just have to live with it. Got it? Yes Sir!

Try closing your mouth!

Having made the transformation back from Santa to the ordinary me and that connected to the end of the Christmas season has made me once again invisible to the general public. I find myself still tempted to chat with the little kids but I need to put a throttle on that because parents these days are rightfully concerned about strangers. My wife said I have taken so many Santa photos that I still smile with my mouth open and while that worked okay with the bushy beard, it's not exactly that charming anymore. Santa I suppose is a much more interesting character than the one that now answers to: what you see is what you get. But, oh by the way, the real me is still waiting to be revealed. I know that folks who know me recognize me from my hard knocks appearance but lurking within my body there exists a living soul that is fitted for eternity and will someday be joined to a brand new body. Therefore, I am big time a work in progress because I'm on my way to an appointment with the Savior who died for me, and one day, I will see Him face to face, and will be like Him because of that makeover God has planned for me. Sound kind of weird to you? You can read about it in God's Holy Word, (Here's just a sampling: Romans Chapter 7; 2nd Corinthians Chapter 5; 2nd Peter Chapter 1; and 1st John Chapter 3)

I filled in for our pastor last Sunday evening as he was on a hospital visit. I shared with the class an exercise where we tried to determine what kind of life, what kind of person, what kind of actions, in word and deed would one have to accomplish to hear the Father pronounce: "Well done good and faithful servant." We turned those words into a desired life outcome and then attempted to piece together the ingredients we could find in the Scriptures that would prompt hearing this assessment by our God. We talked about first being qualified as a believer. We then looked at the attitude, the actions, and the approach to life that would show progress in a devoted faith walk here in this life. We talked about the use of our time, our testimony, our talents, and our treasures. We looked at people in the Bible that God commended. It was an interactive lesson and it was humbling and filled with conviction. And, I'm not talking about them. I am speaking from where I stood, that me, myself, and I fellow who still has a long way to go. My wife told me that she really felt small after the lesson but at the same time it caused her to think, therefore, she thought it to have been both timely and effective. Anytime everyone leaves a lesson from God's Word thinking it was aimed directly at them means that God is speaking. This calling we have from God to be the servant He wants us to be is not one that will take care of itself. We need disciplines and a Spirit inspired dedication if we are to ever hope to be one thought of, like Paul, who could say that he had fought a good fight, he had finished the course, and he had kept the faith. (2 Timothy 4:7) The good news: He's still working on me to make me what He wants me to be! Amen.            .....More later.