MiMi & Poppy Go To See 'Horton Hears A Who!'

My wife was on vacation last week and she had a very busy week. She enjoyed visiting with some of her close friends from Church, she had luncheons to attend, dinner invitations, and she also spent some time chasing our grandson, Alex. Exercise, who needs exercise when you have a 2 ½ year old to keep you moving? Her big objective for the week was to finish redoing one of the bedrooms upstairs which will become her office. It used to be my office but when the tree came through the roof I had to relocate into her office. It has been a work in progress for over a year. (The tree story will have to wait for another day.)

Because my old office sits on top of our downstairs bedroom, she never wanted me to go up there until after she was awake because even when I did my very best to be quiet she could still hear my chair, my keyboard, or other squeaking sounds, and it would keep her awake. Therefore, since I am an early person, we are talking 4 a.m., and since I need to be able to be in my office that early, especially on Saturday and Sunday to work on my Bible study lessons and other related items, we, (she), us, determined it was best for her to move into my old office which allows me to stay in her office, (soon to be my office), and not disturb her beauty rest.

At any rate, she worked very hard throughout the week as best she could on the re-work of that room and found herself late in the week not having finished it. She was very tired and frustrated. I could see this coming but my feeling was since it was her week off, it was not my business to interfere with how she used her time. Meanwhile, my week was fairly routine. I did my 60 regular hours at my job. I worked up a lesson and taught it on Wednesday evening. I put together a Bible study lesson and a sermon for the African American mission where I covered for their pastor this past Sunday.

On Saturday she announced that we should do something, together. We should? She said she knew that I was perfectly happy if we never went anywhere but she wanted us to do something, together. I had plenty of things already stacked up on my mental plate but I was agreeable to try and find something for us to do, together. I looked on the computer and found some of the usual suspects like museums, parks, and things like that. None of them appealed to her so we decided to look for a movie. I read about the movies showing in our area and concluded most of them were not suitable for viewing except for the new animated film, ‘Horton Hears A Who!’. I told her about my findings and we decided to go and see this movie. We were the only ones there with no little ones but I very much enjoyed this film. Can you spell s-e-n-i-l-i-t-y?

After seeing the movie we drove across town and met up with our eldest son and his family for a late lunch. We enjoyed our time together at the barbecue joint but my wife had some smoked sausage that later brought on a bout with food poisoning that disabled her all of Saturday night and Sunday. I had planned on her going with me to the mission services because she can play the piano or organ, and we usually sing a song together. Instead, she spent most of Sunday in bed. On Monday, it was a return to the grind for her and I told her to be sure and not tell anyone she was feeling bad on her vacation because my experience tells me that most people aren’t interested in hearing about it.

I did put forth an effort for us to do something together and there was something about her choice at lunch that bothered me, but she just had to have that smoked sausage. (Just so you know, I had a salad.) At least we, (mostly me), enjoyed the movie. Our eldest son said we should have carried a child’s cap and jacket. That way most people would think we had a kid there, somewhere. My wife said she did feel a little out of place. Give me a break. We paid our $12.00 and it’s a free country. If we want to go and sit through a G-rated film made strictly for children, so what? But that was the week that was, and now we are off to new adventures wherever we can find them! Do we lead exciting lives or what? Have a great week leading up to Resurrection Sunday! Amen. …….More later.

What List Is Your Name On?

Here’s an interesting list of names: George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Mean Joe Greene, Barry Manilow, Priscilla Presley, Ozzy Osborne, Sylvester Stallone, Donald Trump, Susan Sarandon, Connie Chung, Reggie Jackson, Dolly Parton, and Sally Field. These people all have an indisputable common connection. They are all members of the very first class of the baby boomer generation, born in 1946. They are listed along with about fifty other folks as being the most famous of those born in this particular year.

The others on the list are what you might expect. They are movie stars, media personalities, singers, athletes, and other recognized professional types. This list did not include folks who have made contributions in the fields of research, science, and other academic pursuits. These can be found in a more comprehensive list found on the Wikipedia website, (Category: 1946 births). That listing of important people born in 1946 makes up 200 pages. The fact that we have two presidents born in the same year is not unprecedented in American History. It has happened a total of five times and the most recent before our current duo of Bush and Clinton, was Bush Sr. and Jimmy Carter, both born in 1924.

Why am I looking at these folks in my blog today? Because I am also a member of this first class and my name along with millions of others do not appear on any list of those most recognizable or most famous. I suppose this could be intimidating, but in reality, we all live out the life God has given to us, and with His help, we accomplish what we are able to accomplish, hopefully, for His honor and glory. One of the first things I am reminded of is the most important list ever known since creation or before, referred to in the Scriptures as the Lamb’s Book of Life. (Read it for yourself: Philippians 4:13; The Revelation 3:5; 13:8; 17:8; 20:15; 21:17; and 22:19) It’s the list of those who are going to spend eternity in the presence of God. There will be no distinctions regarding earthly fame or fortune on that list, only those who have put their faith in God. Therefore, I can be forever thankful that I know that I know my name is on that List. Some say you have to wait to know, and hope for the best. I’m thankful that God accepted me based on my faith in His provision through His Son, therefore, I’m not hoping for the best, I’m only waiting for that day whenever I enter into His presence.

As it relates to being proud of what you have accomplished in the life God has given to you, there’s a famous passage from Jeremiah, the 9th Chapter that gives some really great insight into how we should view any and all we are able to do: 23)Thus says the LORD: "Let not the wise [man] glory in his wisdom, Let not the mighty [man] glory in his might, Nor let the rich [man] glory in his riches; 24) But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I [am] the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight," says the LORD.

I can’t speak for the people on that most famous list but I do know that I have been blessed beyond measure. I was privileged to grow up in a home that honored God. I had role models like my mom, my grandmother, and my granddad to follow. I married a godly woman and she is a blessing beyond my dreams. I have three boys and they have their wives, and we have our entourage of grandchildren who bring joy into our daily living. I have been gifted by God and placed in a position of teaching His word. I have been able to lead others to Christ, share the Scriptures with them, and see them confess Him, which puts their name on that list in the Book of Life.

Let me be very clear, I’ve known my fair share of heartache and pain, much of it brought on by my own choices. Yet, God never gave up on me. Why? Because I am His child and He will never leave or forsake His own. Yeah, I would love some ‘do-overs’ in the life I’ve had and I’m quite sure most folks would, however, I am eternally grateful for who I am in Christ, and for all that He has allowed me to experience up to this time. Some say we all reach certain times in our life where we wonder if our life has counted for anything. That is a natural part of observing milestones as we grow older. But, when it is all said and done, if we have been faithful within the realm that He has given to us, we can anticipate hearing Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant, enter now into your rest.” (Matthew 25:21) That’s enough to keep me focused and I do hope it will be an encouragement to you as well. I admit it’s a long one today and we didn’t even see it coming! Have a great week and may God bless. ….More later.

No Captions Needed

We are visual by design. We have been given the ability to see images and those images conjure up thoughts, ideas, and emotions. Science tells us that most people remember things they see better than things they read or hear. While the Bible does not come with pictures, it does contain very clear and vivid portrayals of people in the conduct of their lives and how they related to their circumstances and the God who created them. Jesus was the greatest teacher who ever walked on earth and He used word pictures to illustrate His teaching points.

Here's what Wikipedia has to say about the impact of images and the message they convey: A picture is worth a thousand words is a proverb that refers to the idea that complex stories can be described with just a single still image, or that an image may be more influential than a substantial amount of text. It also aptly characterizes the goals of visualization where large amounts of data must be absorbed quickly. It is believed that the modern use of the phrase stems from an article by Fred R. Barnard in the advertising trade journal Printers' Ink, promoting the use of images in advertisements that appeared on the sides of streetcars. The December 8, 1921 issue carries an ad entitled, "One Look is Worth A Thousand Words." Another ad by Barnard appears in the March 10, 1927 issue with the phrase "One Picture is Worth Ten Thousand Words," where it is labelled a Chinese proverb. The Home Book of Proverbs, Maxims, and Familiar Phrases quotes Barnard as saying he called it "a Chinese proverb, so that people would take it seriously." Soon after, the proverb would become popularly attributed to Confucius. Despite this modern origin of the popular phrase, the sentiment has been expressed by earlier writers. For example the Russian writer Ivan Turgenev wrote (in Fathers and Sons in 1862), "A picture shows me at a glance what it takes dozens of pages of a book to expound." The quote is sometimes attributed to Napoleon Bonaparte, who said "Un bon croquis vaut mieux qu'un long discours," or "A good sketch is better than a long speech". While this is sometimes translated today as "A picture is worth a thousand words," this translation may not predate the phrase's common use in English. The phrase has been spoofed by John McCarthy, the famous computer scientist, to make the opposite point: "As the Chinese say, 1001 words is worth more than a picture."

Not every image means the same thing to every person. Some I am including today will be very obvious to those who lived during the times they were made. However, that's what I believe to be so amazing about God's gift of a life created in His own image. We do have this ability to think, appreciate, formulate, and respond to stories, reports, images, and other stimuli. In looking at literally hundreds of thousands of images from all over the world during my sojourn here, there are threads that connect us all in an undeniable way. People are people no matter the color of their skin or their status in life. Children are for the most part innocent no matter where they live. People cry when they hurt both physically and emotionally. People love their families and they desire to live their lives in peace.

However, people also need to know the God who created them. Jesus told one of His powerful word picture stories when He spoke about someone who could gain everything in the world but end up losing their own soul. As I surf the web and see folks from every nation and in every status in life imaginable, I often think about our calling to reach them with the Gospel, the good news, that God loves them and His Son came and died for them, and resurrected, and is alive today, and calling them to Himself. Many photos, paintings, sketches, or other visual representations need no captions but everyone needs Jesus.

My granddad used to say that I often acted like every day I woke up in a new world. He said that because I wasn't always doing things like I should as if I didn't remember what it was I should be doing. But in many ways he was right. If I had to define my approach to the life God has given to me, I can't think of a better way. It's like today's blog. I didn't have a clue until I had a clue, and what you see is what I grabbed hold of this morning as I woke up in my brand new world. I've always said that being me and working without a net is not for the faint hearted. But, guess what? You likely have your own approach to life and it too is how God has put you together. Embrace it and use it for His honor and glory. Amen. Have a great upcoming Saturday and Sunday and know that I will most likely be just as surprised as you with what might be coming up on my blog for Monday! May God bless you and yours. ........More later.

All We Need Is One Dollar!

I passed my Louisiana driver’s license test in 1961 at age 15, barely. The fellow who administered the test had to be close to 100 years old or at least that’s the way I remember him. He was very abrupt and had this scowl on his face like he was just looking for any reason at all to keep me from getting my license. (I believe he had one of those pocket protectors before we knew they were for nerds.) We got off to a pretty rough start. The car I was using to take the test was parked out in front of his office. After passing the written test, we came out, he checked out the car, and then he gave me the okay to begin the test. I was very nervous and once under the steering wheel, he proceeded to lecture me about all the ills of teen aged drivers. After what seemed like hours, he indicated we should drive. I pulled out but he immediately yelled for me to stop and pull over. As it turned out, he said I was parked close to a stop sign and that I should have pulled up a few inches and stopped again. After another lecture we continued and somehow by the grace of God he acquiesced and signed off on my test.

In 1961, the price of gasoline was 31 cents per gallon. I don’t think anyone ever even thought about gas mileage but there was one thing my friends and I knew for sure; if we could somehow come up with $1.00, we could cruise the night away. While that might make folks smile today because of what sounds like a very low price, let me be clear, it was not so easy coming up with the one buck we needed. Someone might have a quarter, someone else had maybe some nickels and pennies but adding up to the $1 was not easy at all. And, we didn’t have to worry about whether that was the right amount or not, it was, and we knew it, and without it, we would just as soon stay home.

Some of us did odd jobs that paid us a little and sometimes we had someone in the group whose folks had more money than most. If Charles Miller happened to be available we could always raise the money because he typically was given whatever he asked for by his mom and step dad. My mom always did the best she could but money wasn’t stacked up around our place where she was doing her very best to clothe and feed the six of us kids. While my memory isn’t that great I would not be surprised that on occasion I may have been riding in a vehicle being fueled by gasoline that had been obtained through a method called siphoning thievery. This situation, if it occurred, was very wrong but I do know that those who did it felt compelled to do what they did in the interest of keeping young teenage boys off the streets at night. After pooling our pennies, we may have had to settle for a pine float at the drive in, meaning a glass of water with a toothpick, but we were able to pull up beside a carload of girls and flirt with the best of them.

The other day I saw a picture from a war torn country in Africa of a man literally carrying a huge grass sack filled with their currency. The inflation rate had soared into the hundreds of thousands of percent and he was taking that money into a grocery store to buy basic provisions for his family. He had many stacks of paper money but it would not buy much at all. Back in the day, we had very little in terms of currency but if and when we could get our hands on a single $1 bill we could be assured of driving the night away. We may have had trouble coming up with gas money, but I couldn’t be more thankful for my upbringing, the simple and uncomplicated life we had, the security we felt, and the good times we enjoyed with the very little resources we had. That one dollar's worth of gasoline in 1961 adjusted for inflation would equal $1.98 today; therefore, at $3 per gallon we are paying about 65% more in real terms. I am fully aware of this each time I pump $35 to $40 of gasoline into my car. Have a great Thursday and try to limit your driving because that’s the only way I know that you can be sure to reduce your spending on fuel. ……..More later.

Cracked Pots

They tell me there are over 2900 named people mentioned in the Bible. I haven't counted them but one thing I do know that while we have trouble identifying with those we read about, they were really just ordinary folks exactly like we are. Lately I've been thinking much about the people God chose to carry out His work as I have been preparing to present a verse by verse exposition of the Apostle Paul's letters to two of his main assistants, Titus and Timothy. One of the things that really blows me away is how God knows everything about everyone before, during, after, even our future failures, and yet He still loves us, chooses us, calls us, saves us, and enables us to serve Him.

We think of Moses and how he is revered as a great leader and a great man. But when we read the texts we find he grew up with extraordinary privilege as provided by God. According to Stephen's sermon in Acts 7, Moses had been fully educated in all the schooling available in Egypt. Stephen informed us that he was a man of mighty speech and capability. However, at age 40 he was driven out of his posh surroundings and for the next 40 years he led the life of a nomad shepherd on the back side of a desert. God was not unaware of Moses' situation. In fact, God was aware of every detail of the life of Moses from before Moses was conceived. At age 80, God called Moses to become His chosen leader to bring the nation of Israel out of bondage. Forty years had changed Moses. As God called him, he made all kinds of excuses as to why he would not be able to do this great task including the fact that he was now a stuttering speaker. What a contrast and what a wonderful example of how God prepares those He trains. As people today think about leadership models and I was involved directly in this as part of my profession at one time, they typically see something quite different than what God looks for. We know this from a statement made about Moses found in Numbers chapter 12. Here we are told that Moses was very humble, more than all men who were on the face of the earth. The old preachers used to say that Moses filled himself up with Egypt for forty years and it took God forty years to empty out of Moses the things He didn't want in his life.

I read the other day from the letter James, the Senior Pastor at Jerusalem, wrote to build up and encourage his scattered flock. In the closing paragraphs of that short letter he instructed them to pray to God and to be reminded of Elijah's great prayer results. James told them Elijah was a man, a human being, just like they were, yet he prayed and God caused a great drought to come on the land for three and one half years. He prayed again and God caused it to rain. Now if you go back and read the life of Elijah you will find some remarkable things God accomplished through this Prophet. However, you will also find a man who had his own set of issues, problems, faults, and failures. Elijah allowed his fear for his life to cause him to flee from Jezebel the Queen. He became depressed and despondent and even suicidal. God continued to love and care for Elijah and He brought him back to recovery and Elijah was able to return to the ministry God had given to him.

You and I today may rule ourselves out of being usable in God's service. For some, that's an easy way out and an excuse. But far too many have believed the lies of the enemy in thinking their failings have ruined any and all opportunities to serve and be in ministry. God is very much into working with vessels that need repair and He is the Master Potter. We may not be able to do what we once did but we can, with His help, do what He provides for us to do, now! And, if we are His child and we are still breathing air, then our race is not over. It will not be over until we hear the heavy set angel singing. (I had to throw that in.) But until then, you and I need to find ourselves busy about our Father's business as the first priority in our life. This encourages me and I do hope and pray it encourages you as well. What a privilege to be used by God in His Kingdom's work, in any capacity at all! May God bless and have a great Wednesday. .....More later.

Watch Out For Incoming Mud!

Having thrown a little mud in my time, I can testify that it not only sticks, it can produce an immediate blister on the neck, arm, or face on the one unlucky to be hit by it. When I was a kid we did our mud slinging using the real stuff, daubed onto the end of a stick and hurled across the way at our opponent. They, of course, were doing the same thing and it was not unusual for us all to leave the battlefield with plenty of red spots and bruised egos. But what about the mudslinging we hear every day coming from the politicos? We say we hate it but according to the experts it typically is what works in winning an election. I’m not certain if that’s an indictment of those doing the slinging or those of us who allow the mud to stick and in the end it influences our vote.

As with any and all things, one person’s mud is another person’s facts they feel the need to bring to the attention of the voters. We heard earlier this year one candidate accusing the other of always wanting to be president even though they said they had not previously thought about running. What was the basis for this charge? A paper written while the candidate was in kindergarten! I don’t remember too many details from age six but you do have to give them credit for digging up such an important piece of historical evidence. It was Otto von Bismark who once said, “Laws are like sausages, it is better not to see them being made.” This comment could easily apply to our election process, and I have made sausages from scratch, therefore, I can fully appreciate what he meant.

Okay you had to know I would be sharing something about the origin of the word:
MUDSLINGING - "wild, unsubstantiated charges; a word, like 'smear,' used to turn an attack back on the attacker. 'Calumniate! Calumniate!' Some of it will always stick,' advised Beaumarchais in 'The Barber of Seville' in 1775. This was based on ancient Latin advice, 'Fortiter calumniari, aliquia adhaerebit,' or 'Throw plenty of dirt and some of it will be sure to stick.' Sometime after the Civil War, 'dirt throwing' picked up some water to become 'mud-throwing,' mud-gunning' and the word that gain pre-eminence, "mud-slinging.' The New York Tribune of April 13, 1876, disagreed with the Latin dictum: 'Mud doesn't stick to Mr. Blaine any better than it does to Bristow. The slander peddlers are having a bad season.'." "Safire's New Political Dictionary" by William Safire (Random House, New York, 1993). Page 471.



Here’s another source that tracks this expression to a slightly different point of origin: MUDD/MUD -- "his name is mudd/Mudd. A reader of our column, reading of efforts to obtain a belated presidential pardon for Samuel A. Mudd, the doctor who set the broken leg of Lincoln's assassin, John Wilkes Booth, raises the question of whether the popular expression 'His name is mud' should not actually be 'His name is Mudd,' referring to the fashion in which the doctor's name was blackened. In truth, it has been well established that Dr. Mudd was not a part of the conspiracy to kill Lincoln. It wouldn't surprise us a bit if the story of Dr. Mudd and his claim of ignorance may have contributed to the popularity of the expression during the nineteenth century. However, 'mud' in the sense of scandalous of defamatory charges goes back to a time well before the Civil War. In fact, there was an expression, 'the mud press,' to describe newspapers that besmirch people's reputations by throwing mud, as long ago as 1846. So it seems most likely that the expression 'His name is mud' was well established before Dr. Mudd met his unhappy fate." From the "Morris Dictionary of Word and Phrase Origins: by William and Mary Morris.

That’s at least two ideas about how we came to name the charges and counter charges that fly forth and back, mudslinging. In passing, I do know that the descendants of Dr. Mudd have tried many times over the years to clear his name but have not been able to overturn his conviction as a conspirator with those who plotted the death of President Lincoln. That shows the power of ‘mud’ and it demonstrates why folks still sling it today. In short, it works, and in a game where winning is everything you will see the mud fly. Sad to say, in my opinion, most of the stuff that passes itself off as political discourse gives mud a really bad name. I prefer the memories I have of the wet gooey stuff that raised up a mighty welt on one of my best buddies who just happened, on that particular day, to be in the wrong place at the right time. At least once the soreness was gone, we didn’t even remember it, and we soon found ourselves side by side fishing together on the creek bank. I do hope today’s blog is as clear as mud, but that’s a topic for another day! …….More later.

Monday, Monday!

Good Monday morning. I have found that being able to embrace Mondays has much to do with what happened the day before. Since Monday is the second day of the week, it stands to reason that the first day of the week would be important in how the week not only gets started but how it goes. We had a rodeo emphasis at the meeting place where our Church family comes together and it was a long but wonderful day. Most everyone were wearing their hats and boots and some had those huge western belt buckles. We had some special singers in and there were animals to pet, a tractor with hay on the trailer for riding around in, a four wheeler, and plenty of grilled hot dogs and extras for eating. It was a great time of food, family, and fellowship.

The family part is the most crucial because that's exactly who we are as a local Church. We are the family of God and brothers and sisters united by our common birth experience through Christ. That is a remarkable benefit that comes with our salvation as we connect ourselves into God's people and identify with His chosen approach to carrying out His plans, that being the local New Testament Church. What a privilege to be a child of God! And, what a privilege to be a member of one of God's local Churches! Some like to think that being a child of God is enough and that is certainly the most important because it does provide for our eternity in heaven. However, God has a plan for every one of His own in this age and that plan includes them becoming a part of a local faith community.

When we talk about getting first things first, it does include our coming together on the first day of the week to worship our great God together, to build each other up in our walk in Christ, and to enjoy the sweet fellowship that comes from God being present among us when we meet. That's what I am talking about when I say that Monday can be a good day if we have it in it's proper place, and to me, that means knowing exactly where it fits in relationship to God's calendar plan. He speaks through His messenger in the letter to the Hebrews in telling them that whatever they find themselves doing, and no matter how busy they become, they should not neglect or leave out the assembling of themselves together as a local body of believers. The writer said that some had forsaken the meeting together as they should and it was to their hurt and discredit.

God knows best, always and forever, period, end of story. He established this entity we call Church. It is not a building, location, or facility. These can be used for a local Church to meet together but it is the meeting together that God has promised to bless and when we cooperate with Him, we will have better Mondays, and better Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and the rest of the week as well. Let me be clear. Church is not a spectator event. Since Church is made up of flesh and blood folks, it is a coming together to serve and minister to one another as well as to learn from God's word, to sing praises to God, and to have ourselves built up in our faith. Believe me, we do need to have a strong faith as we face all that comes our way each day. Because of circumstances, some are not able to fully participate in Church but for most of us, that's typically not the issue. My advice is to always do what you can, with God's help, to do life His way, and that includes a priority for His chosen approach for His own, His Church! I do hope you have a great Monday and a great rest of the week! .......More later.