appy Monday. I do hope you started your brand new week off yesterday by spending some time with God. Some believe you can do this all by yourself as you go about your normal routines, or take a long walk in the park, or enjoy some other activity. Some like to think they can meet with God by watching a religious television program or while listening to sacred hymns or gospel songs. While I would never deny that we can spend time with God at anytime and when we determine to do so there's always benefit and blessing, 
however, He sent His one and only Son to die on our behalf, and His death included the establishment of His blood bought Church. Therefore, spending time with God at the place where brothers and sisters come together is the very best way to begin your week. Sure, there are always notable exceptions and God understands better than we ever will when folks are unable to be in service with other believers. Yet, we lose the blessing and the start we need in our walk with Him whenever we fail to do life in the way He has laid it out in His Word.We are very busy people. I am amazed at just how busy we really are. Our sc
hedules are jam packed with places to be and people to see. This doesn't just apply to the workplace, our families are on a dead run even on the weekends. I'll be 62 within a couple of months and I can tell you that I have actually lived at a time whenever this scheduling deal did not dominate people's lives like it d
oes today. No, I'm not saying people didn't need to be at certain places at certain times. They had appointments just like we do today. However, the schedule was in big blocks not by the minute and hour. I can actually remember people in the evenings or on Sunday afternoon just dropping by to visit. That's right. They would just drop by. We would all sit on the porch or out in the yard and visit. My wife 
and I had one dear friend who would do this and he might well stay for hours. Priorities and pacing was different and it goes without saying that we most assuredly did not have the choices for entertainment, amusement, sports activities, and even shopping places to choose from. The question for us is to think about whether we are better off in this melt down approach or when we took time to enjoy people.
hedules are jam packed with places to be and people to see. This doesn't just apply to the workplace, our families are on a dead run even on the weekends. I'll be 62 within a couple of months and I can tell you that I have actually lived at a time whenever this scheduling deal did not dominate people's lives like it d
oes today. No, I'm not saying people didn't need to be at certain places at certain times. They had appointments just like we do today. However, the schedule was in big blocks not by the minute and hour. I can actually remember people in the evenings or on Sunday afternoon just dropping by to visit. That's right. They would just drop by. We would all sit on the porch or out in the yard and visit. My wife 
and I had one dear friend who would do this and he might well stay for hours. Priorities and pacing was different and it goes without saying that we most assuredly did not have the choices for entertainment, amusement, sports activities, and even shopping places to choose from. The question for us is to think about whether we are better off in this melt down approach or when we took time to enjoy people.
Perhaps what brought this up was my mom telling me they had an unexpected visit from some old friends who were just passing through last Saturday morning. They were up in that area, therefore, they just dropped by. Wow! Can you imagine the panic in most of our homes if some folks decided to just drop by on a Saturday morning. I know in our busy busy world this would be not only a surprise but I'm not sure we could handle it anymore. It's hard to imagine that we o
perated with that more or less open door approach as a way of life just forty years ago. We often would throw a meal together and invite people to join in. It most likely would not have been anything fancy or special but we didn't feel embarrassed in asking them to stay and they didn't feel like they were intruding by joining together with us to share a breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Maybe that's where we got off track, expectations. Today we want everything to be just right before anyone enters our home. We want them to feel welcome but basically on our terms and at our convenience. We are told the standard for hospitality in biblical times was that people felt a sincere obligation to take in folks who needed a place to stay, were just passing through, or for any other reason. We still get cards from folks that say their back door is always open for their friends and loved ones, and they then invite us to just drop by to see them some time. My wife and I have often talked about how wonderful those old days were when the spirit of fellowship and community was so evident, however, when it comes to how we 
might move back in that direction, well, we'll just have to schedule a time in our Daytimer to sit down and talk about it and perhaps develop some thoughts and ideas, that is, if we ever find the time to do it! Something to think about on a Monday! I do pray that you and yours will have a most wonderful week! Amen. ....More later.
perated with that more or less open door approach as a way of life just forty years ago. We often would throw a meal together and invite people to join in. It most likely would not have been anything fancy or special but we didn't feel embarrassed in asking them to stay and they didn't feel like they were intruding by joining together with us to share a breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Maybe that's where we got off track, expectations. Today we want everything to be just right before anyone enters our home. We want them to feel welcome but basically on our terms and at our convenience. We are told the standard for hospitality in biblical times was that people felt a sincere obligation to take in folks who needed a place to stay, were just passing through, or for any other reason. We still get cards from folks that say their back door is always open for their friends and loved ones, and they then invite us to just drop by to see them some time. My wife and I have often talked about how wonderful those old days were when the spirit of fellowship and community was so evident, however, when it comes to how we 
might move back in that direction, well, we'll just have to schedule a time in our Daytimer to sit down and talk about it and perhaps develop some thoughts and ideas, that is, if we ever find the time to do it! Something to think about on a Monday! I do pray that you and yours will have a most wonderful week! Amen. ....More later.
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