Unleashing Our Inner Kid!

Jesus was and is a kid friendly Savior. He loves everyone and that includes every girl and boy. When He was here on earth, He knew all about the human family that occupied the planet and He often used children to illustrate what God would like to see from His children, those born again believers who put their faith and trust in Him. Children are by nature trusting. They find their security and confidence in those who are their parents. Jesus on one occasion said unless we become as little children we will not be able to enter into the kingdom of heaven. He was talking about a child like faith that would trust solely in God, the Heavenly Father, and His provision through His Son, for their eternal security and confidence.

This past Sunday I was able to spend some time with our grandchildren and observe their behavior. The little ones are just like the model Jesus used as they abandon themselves to their world while depending totally on their parents to make certain they are safe and sound. As they grow older they become a little less free to enjoy the life they have as they pursue other interests. Then, when they reach those teenage years they are being pulled in all directions in trying to figure out their identity and fit. I saw a book title that had this inscription, "No Grown-ups In Heaven." The author was playing up the significance of people becoming as a little child in order to operate in total submission to the heavenly Father.

But as Art Linkletter used to say, "Kids do say the darnedest things." Here's a few chuckles on the subject of love. When asked why love occurs between particular people here's some of their answers: "One of the people has freckles and so he finds somebody else who has freckles too." (Andrew, age 6) "No one is sure why it happens, but I heard it has something to do with how you smell ... That's why perfume and deodorant are so popular." (Mae, age 9)"I think you're supposed to get shot with an arrow or something, but the rest of it isn't supposed to be so painful." (Manuel, age 8) In talking about the role of looks in the pursuit of love, here's some more insights: "If you want to be loved by somebody who isn't already in your family, it doesn't hurt to be beautiful." (Anita C., age 8) "It isn't always just how you look. Look at me. I'm handsome like anything and I haven't got anybody to marry me yet." (Brian, age 7) "Beauty is skin deep. But how rich you are can last a long time." (Christine, age 9)

When asked how people act when they are in love, the responses were pretty much on target: "Mooshy ... like puppy dogs ... except puppy dogs don't wag their tails nearly as much." (Arnold, age 10) "All of a sudden, the people get movie fever so they can sit together in the dark." (Sherm, age 8) Finally, if you observe adults in a restaurant, how can you tell they are in love? "Just see if the man picks up the check. That's how you can tell if he's in love." (Bobby, age 9) "They will just be staring at each other and their food will get cold ... Other people care more about the food." (Bart, age 9) "Romantic adults usually are all dressed up, so if they are just wearing jeans it might mean they used to go out or they just broke up." (Sarah, age 9) "See if the man has lipstick on his face." (Sandra, age 7) "It's love if they order one of those desserts that are on fire. They like to order those because it's just like how their hearts are... on fire." (Christine, age 9)

Children are a blessing from the Lord and no matter how old we get we are still called a child of God. Yes, we are supposed to mature, grow, develop, and build strong spiritual muscles, discipline, and character. However, we are never to grow out of our child-like faith, dependence, and abandonment to our Father who is in heaven. Unfortunately, as we make our way in the pilgrimage of life, we mature, but far too many of us at the same time lose our kid heart that God wants us to always have in our relationship with Him. Good lesson for a Wednesday morning especially for someone I know all too well. He's the fellow at the keyboard and he knows exactly who I am talking about. Have a great day and may God bless. Amen. ........More later.

Surrounded By Peace

My wife mentioned to me that she has noticed that some of the good preachers she watches on television or listens to on radio are beginning to spend more time asking for donations. She figures that with gasoline prices sky-high and the other uncertainties regarding the economy, these types of ministries may be the first to feel the pinch. I will have to admit that I had not thought about it like she did and I thought her insight was very perceptive.

These are some apprehensive times we are presently living in. In fact, this past Sunday one of the faithful brothers in our local congregation mentioned to me that he was very much of the belief that things are winding down with our Lord to soon return. He said he sensed this as he looked around at all the happenings here in our own country and around the world. I was on my way to the choir room so I didn’t have time to flesh out the details of what he was saying, but it was a sobering conversation.

I visited for over an hour with a local pastor friend on the telephone the other night and in passing I found myself saying the following words: “We have a baptism coming up for two more of our grandchildren, and we also have our twins who will soon be starting their new believer classes. I have this great desire to see all my children and grandchildren saved and ready for heaven before God calls me home.” I hadn’t really thought about what I was saying when I said it, but later it hit me because there’s a sense of urgency stirring within me regarding this matter of reaching our family for Christ.

We all know that while we sing songs about being faithful in the good times and the bad, it typically is somewhat easier when things are going pretty well, at least as it pertains to our personal well being. It’s much tougher when troubles seem to surround us, and we have setbacks, our plans falter, and we are faced with unexpected difficult news. Right now everyone seems uneasy about financial security, the direction of our nation, and what it will ultimately mean to us as individuals, and to our children and grandchildren.

I know God would have us to realize that while our government may miss the mark, and companies may fail to prosper, families may struggle, and health may not be the best, He remains Sovereign, Faithful, and He is never surprised about any and all things that happen. He is eternal; therefore, He already exists in our tomorrows, our next weeks, and in our futures. He cares and He will take care of His own. It may not be on our timetable or in the way we would prefer but we can always count on our God to do right according to His perfect will.

While some talk about a recession that may become a depression before we are done, you and I who are believers need to walk by faith and not by sight. Jesus said that many if not most live every day grasping for all they can get hold of in what this world has to offer. In stark contrast He instructed His own to seek first His kingdom and allow His Father to take care of all the needs they have. I readily admit this is much easier to read and even teach than it is to live, but remember that God does His greatest work whenever He shows Himself to be mighty in our weaknesses, as we trust Him. The song says that God is still the same God whether on the mountaintop or down in the deepest and darkest valley. Because of this we can have assurance and hope even when the world becomes wobbly with panic and uncertainty. It is my prayer that we would all experience the peace that comes only from our Savior. It is called a peace that goes beyond understanding. That’s the kind of peace we need in the midst of the storms of life. Amen. ……..More later.

Meandering on a Monday

Friday afternoon I stopped by the grocery store on the way home to pick up a few items. On my way to the car my cell phone rang and it was the doctor’s assistant with the results from the MRI. She said the knee was damaged on the outside and the inside with a recommendation for arthroscopic surgery. The doctor’s first opening is May 1st, therefore, as he said last week, if you have been able to tolerate it up to now, maybe you can tolerate a little longer. So, as Charles Barkley once observed, “What we have here is one of those surreal moments, whatever surreal means.” Imagine, after a busy day at the office, you run into the store, run back to your car dodging rain drops, the cell phone rings, and you sit there for a couple of minutes talking about your medical options. Wow! Is this a great country or what? Since hearing the description of the multiple problems found on the MRI images, I do believe the pain has kicked up a notch and my right knee has started to echo some sympathy pains. Joking, I think. At any rate, I’m still able to be upright and mobile and look forward to having this taken care of as soon as we can.

Saturday was our eldest granddaughter’s 20th birthday. We had a little get together after Church services yesterday afternoon in her honor. I can remember when she was born. They brought her into the nursery and our son got them to let me in. There we stood. He was trembling and I was too. Just twenty-three years earlier they had come and announced that we had a big baby boy, now as the two of us stood and looked down at our brand new bundle of joy, we knew something historical and something special had taken place. Within my wife’s family, the birth of this little girl broke a long drought where nothing but boys had been born. My wife had been the last female born and there had been 8 grandsons and one great grandson, but our Tiffany made her debut as the first great granddaughter.

Born in April, I will say her first Christmas with my wife’s family was something we will always remember. After more than twenty years of trucks, cars, tractors, and everything boy oriented, suddenly the pent up longings all came gushing out. There she was, a nine month old completely surrounded by dolls, dresses, tea sets, and girl stuff stacked to the ceiling. She looked like one of those contestants who had chosen the grand prize behind door number three. Our eldest son walked around like he had just planted the flag at the South Pole. She was something special then and still is today.

Twenty years of many ups and downs, hills and valleys, but one thing has been consistent: God’s faithfulness. We played the VHS tape from 1988 for everyone at her party. I’ve not heard so much laughter among all who were present in a long, long time. The children were knocked down by seeing their dads looking and acting so differently. Of course the dress styles, hair styles, and everything in general was all so different, it made for a great time of remembering, reflection, and in the end, being thankful to God that we were all able to come together one more time as a family. Our prayer for our eldest granddaughter is that she, like the Apostle Paul’s advice to Timothy, would seek to live out the faith seen in those family members who have loved and cared for her. We left our eldest son’s home with a sense that God’s goodness and His grace had been on display once again. May God help us to make a difference in someone’s life this week! Have a great week. Amen. ………More later.

PGIF - Praise God, It's Friday!

I had the MRI done on my knee last night and now await the results. The place where I went to have it done was a little eerie. You know by now I am a visual person and when I arrived at Suite 100, I immediately sensed that this particular location had previously been a funeral home. Now that may be a morbid thought for you on a Friday morning but I do speak the truth here. The carpet, the overstuffed sofas, the lighting, the other furnishings, along with that unique smell, made me wonder if I was in the right place. And, I could have sworn the little old lady receptionist patted my hand as she shook it, just like they do at that place we would rather not think about on a Friday. The only thing missing was one of those organ tapes playing in the background that's been used so much it drags just enough to irritate you. While the technician was doing the MRI she gave me some earphones and I asked her to set the radio to a local Christian station. The program on was Grace to You, featuring Dr. John MacArthur and I do love his teaching but could only pick up bits and pieces since the MRI was rocking and knocking so loud. Oh well, another day and another challenge. The entire procedure was only twenty minutes BUT I'm one of those people who have much trouble being confined or restricted in any way. Being still for 20 minutes shouldn't be that big of a deal to anyone. BUT it is to me. Thankfully, I made it without causing too much of a ruckus and now I'm ready to begin a brand new day.

This past week has been one of those where I have had way too much on my plate and today it is showing. My granddad used to tell me not to let my eyes be bigger than my stomach when I was loading up my plate at the supper table. He meant I would be expected to eat it if I put it on my plate. Well, that's what I have been doing this week. Trying to eat the 'way too much' I put on my schedule plate for this week. The sad thing is how busy I have been all week, heads down, 15 to 18 hours a day, but still know of so many other really needful things I haven't been able to do. Now let's see if I can figure out a way to let myself get down and gloomy about all of this.

Well, I have this diabetes problem, and the medications have their side affects, I am functioning on a busted knee and it hurts all the time, and there's the unending demands from work, family, ministry, and all of the above that keep me strung as tight as a tuned up Stradivarius. OR; I have diabetes but it is being controlled by breakthrough medications only dreamed about a few years ago, I am able to get up and go each day, make contributions to the company I work for, participate in ministries like the inner city Bible club, Wednesday evening Bible study, and give out advice and counsel to many who seek my help. Am I beat down or am I blessed? Hey, it's not even close. I am blessed and that's what makes this day, not a TGIF as if I'm ready to explode but a PGIF because of His great goodness and provisions into my life.

Sure, burning the candle at both ends and also in the middle can become wearisome. But God is faithful and He gives us grace to carry on. Instead of the pity party that my flesh wants to have, how about a praise party that reflects upon the reality of God's presence and His working in my life? Don't get the idea that I never let stuff get to me because I do. At the same time I am thankful that often God reminds me through a variety of ways that He is still there, He is still God, and He is on my side, and will never leave me, never forsake me, and He will accomplish His purpose in my life as I yield myself to Him. My little sister who died from leukemia at age 27 took the Gaither song which says, because He lives I can face tomorrow, and changed it into a Kayla song which said this: because He lives I can face today! She was right! Amen. Have a great Saturday and may God help us all to find ourselves worshipping Him with other believers on Sunday! That's why we call it 'The Lord's Day!' .....More later.

Can You Say MENISCUS?

I became much more acquainted with an anatomy term yesterday at my doctor’s visit. As Mr. Rogers would say, “Can you say the word meniscus?” Now, can you say, “You most likely have a meniscus tear”? I will be having an MRI to confirm this diagnosis at 8:30 p.m. tonight. That appointment will most definitely interfere with my shut down sequence where I have a snack and take all my meds and begin the winding down part of getting ready for my five to six hours of shuteye. But I prefer the after hours schedule, therefore, you have to take what you can get.

I did feel a little uncomfortable at the Sports Medicine Centre. They call it ‘centre’ in order to add another $10 to my co-pay or that’s about all I could come up with as to why it was higher. The walls were filled up with hall of fame player jerseys and other sports memorabilia. However, many of the patients waiting to see their doctors looked like they had not been in the gym for quite some time. This was somewhat reassuring. The doctor was one who laid it out very short and sweet. The x-rays showed no bone problems and no arthritis. Therefore, the damage is most likely in the soft tissue and since it was a twisted knee, most of the time it is a tear in the meniscus which is cartilage that acts as a shock absorber within the knee. In other words, I have a busted shock absorber that is going to require repair but we need the MRI to confirm this.

Let me mention one thing I particularly noticed at this high profile sports medicine joint. There are lots of uniforms running up and down the halls. The smocks are different colors; therefore, I suspect they reflect some type of ranking system. The x-ray people were wearing gray. The doctor’s assistant who took my history was wearing green. Others were in dark blue, light blue, and another group who acted like they were at the top of the food chain wore floral smocks. The doctor had on the traditional white jacket. The clerical folks wore burgundy. Having observed this I am beginning to see patterns for why medical costs are so high. While they have a huge waiting area, my brief analysis says there has to be many more smocks than patients. So, there you have it. They have to charge to pay for all those different colored smocks! Maybe they will call me to testify at the next congressional hearing on soaring medical costs.

Also, there are quite a number of these folks who appear to walk constantly forth and back, all the time. They seemed to be really serious about wherever it was they were going but within seconds they would walk back by with the same determination. And, the conversations they had with their colleagues as they walked together was quite revealing. Just grabbing bits and pieces I heard about who is not talking to who but nobody knows why, who is expecting, who thinks she really is somebody, and oh yes, which doctor is on the warpath again. I wonder if maybe this walking and talking is their real job to keep the patients distracted from things like the higher co-pay and other hidden charges to be revealed at a later date.

I did enjoy my very brief conversation with the doctor. He had to have been close to my youngest son’s age so I had to resist correcting his condescending tone a couple of times. Other than that it was a great visit and I look forward to finding out exactly what my treatment plan options are going to be. That was what he called the next step in the process and let’s hope using those words doesn’t turn out like the ‘centre’ deal! Hey, you can smile because I’m really just joshing about all of this because my way of looking at it is that you might as well enjoy the ride as much as you can! May God help us all to seek His help for all our needs! Amen. …….More later.

Stumbling Out of the Gate!

Okay, I try not to fall into the pessimist category. In fact, it pretty much is impossible for those of us who trust God completely to be pessimistic in our outlook. That certainly doesn't mean we will not have some troublesome days. That old idiom that says 'I got up on the wrong side of the bed.' may be working on me this morning. Before leaving the house I had to make several trips upstairs to finally get whatever it was I went up there for. When I stopped for gas I decided to clean the windshields and when I applied the water it mostly turned into a mud ball. Therefore, I had to keep piling on the water and finally was able to get it moving enough to scrape it off. The car was washed last Saturday. Exasperating.

I made it to work a couple of minutes after 5 a.m., because of the trauma at the gas pump, and tried to hit the ground running and connect into my regular routine. Today is an oatmeal with raisins day. I put the coffee on, mixed my oatmeal, and put it into the microwave. Once the oatmeal was finished I put some of that imitation sweetener on it and stirred it with a little milk. The first bite was a little warm and what did I do? Bit what seemed like a sizable chunk out of my tongue. Sweet! Then when I went to pour my coffee I noticed the filter had collapsed on one side so I have grounds in my first cup of wake up juice.

Well, I am off to a great start. I can hardly wait to see what will be happening when I get to the doctor's office at 8 a.m., that is, if I make it. Only kidding. I will admit these aggravations did cause me to flush a little with a flash of anger. Why? Like the Apostle Paul in Romans chapter 7, I have to admit that I'm still in the flesh and I have not arrived or achieved perfection yet. I do know as I sit here thinking about these inconveniences how really small they are compared to the great challenges faced by so many. I told you before that He is still working on me and I also know that I can be a handful at times.

My wife has been looking for a particular video tape the last few days. We went through that camcorder phase when our eldest granddaughter was born. We probably have 100 VHS tapes scattered here and there. In her searching she discovered one of the first ones we made back in 1988. When I came home she wanted me to watch it. Okay, lets just say that many things change over a twenty year span. I couldn't believe how young the two of us looked. No wonder people were surprised to learn we were grandparents. Two of our boys were still at home and they showed themselves to be typical teenagers. I did notice that we had about the same number of pictures in our family room as we do now. Only one difference. They are all of the same child! That same child will say goodbye to her teens and become a twenty year old this week. Watching how we fawned over her in that video brought back so many precious memories.

Time gets away from us but we don't have to have our day defined by muddy windshields, a sore tongue, or failed coffee filter. We are who we are in Christ and because of Him, we can have confidence and live in spite of the ups and downs we have to deal with. Last night in our inner city Bible club, the verse the children memorized was from Deuteronomy 32:4 "He is the Rock, His work is perfect; For all His ways are justice, A God of truth and without injustice; Righteous and upright is He." The lesson dealt with how we often feel picked on and even may believe that God is unfair. But He is always consistent with His Perfect Character and that's a lesson I should have remembered when I bit my tongue! Three steps forward and two back! Have a great day and know that God is at work even in the irritations that come our way. Amen. ....More later.

Maybe This Day Is In My Honor, Happy April Fools

Today is April fool’s day and I could start off by using one of those stupid jokes like: “Doctor, doctor, will I be able to play the violin after the operation?" "Yes, of course..." "Great! I never could before!" Maybe I can come up with a better one tomorrow when I go to an orthopedic specialist to check on my knee. He is part of a sports medicine practice here in our area. In looking at this clinic’s website it made we wonder if I had chosen the right place. They feature an array of services but focused primarily on athletic injuries and sports training. The doctor I will be seeing did his residency in Colorado and has a background of working with professional teams, football, hockey, and basketball.

I’m not sure I’m athletic enough these days to even get the foot problem you hear advertised all the time. When I was a kid and I came and asked my granddad for something, he would often say, “Well, son, in this case you have come to a goat house looking for wool.” I’m still not exactly sure what that saying meant since goat skins can be called wool, but I believe he meant that I had come to a goat house looking for sheep wool. At any rate, I ended up leaving empty handed and let’s hope my visit to the sports medicine center won’t have the same results.

I had planned on seeing another doctor there that I saw many years ago who treated my arthritic hips with physical therapy. He had done a good job for me but when I mentioned his name to someone who had used him they told me not to see him because all he wants to do is cut on people. In fact, they called him a ‘cutter’. It must be tough whenever people give such graphic labels to folks whose job it is to help people function better.

I haven’t always been a sedentary fellow. Beginning when I was a youngster, all the way through my middle teens, I ate, slept, and breathed baseball as a way of life. I even slept with my Al Kaline glove, and was good enough to make the regional all-star team one year. My baseball avocation got me a summer trip in 1961 on a chartered train to Kansas City where I saw Roger Maris hit one of his home runs the year he hit 61. On that same trip I was part of a huge crowd of little leaguers (even though I was a Dixie League guy) that went out to the presidential library in nearby Independence, Missouri. While there, President Truman made an appearance and spoke to us. That was pretty heady stuff for a rural kid from a small town in Louisiana.

I suppose I could tell this hot shot doctor who has worked with some NFL, NHL, and NBA players that my injury came from an extended pick up game, instead of wrenching my knee when I flipped off the platform while teaching my Sunday Bible study. That would fall into the category of misrepresenting the truth which is the same as lying where I came from. The good news is that our insurance company has this guy on their list and based on my experience, he will be quite pleased that while I am not Mean Joe Greene, the color of green will be what gets his attention.

Since this injury occurred back in February, my wife believes that I have technically given up any rights to complain about it. We have always had this funny system in our home where we used to tell our boys that self inflicted problems did not garner the same level of sympathy as random accidental occurrences. The question is which category does my ailment fall into. Surely flipping off the platform was unintentional, even though it did do a great job of getting everyone’s attention. Therefore, I believe that having fallen, I should now fall into the category that warrants much sympathy and if you would like to pass that on to her, feel free. However, there’s that matter regarding the asterisk that indicated if you failed to get anything done about it, then that would also nullify any sympathy. Now if only I could figure out who made up those silly rules. But, alas, I fear I already know, as the famous philosopher, the comic strip character Pogo observed in 1971, “We have met the enemy and it is us!” Enjoy your day and may God bless us all. I ask each one who reads my blog to whisper a prayer for my younger brother. He's dealing with some huge life threatening issues and He needs God's intervention. Thanks. Amen. …More later.