Thank God He's With Us On Friday

I'm still somewhat hobbling around on my busted knee from falling off the platform in my Bible study class last Sunday. Our little Lexie is having ear surgery this morning. Our beautician daughter-in-law has been down with the flu this past week along with our little Alex and one of our twins, Amanda. Last night my mom informed me that the doctor had advised doing a heart procedure to deal with a potential blockage and she and dad wanted to know what I thought about doing this at her age. I continue to work each day on my diabetic situation but some days it can be a real challenge. Sound familiar? It should because these are threads that make up the fabric of our living here in this fallen world.

However, we need not be discouraged or defeated because as the southern gospel song says, "I read the back of the book, and we win!" That is so true. I'm not one of those that believe the world is defined by a mentality where the glass is either half full or half empty. That psycho-babble stuff doesn't really change the realities of life because there are times when the glass doesn't even exist much less having anything in it. Yet, we can live with a heart full and overflowing. This is one that sees and lives beyond the moment by moment report card that comes our way with each conversation, phone call, or doctor's visit. We are eternal beings and we belong to the God who created this world and because we have believed in His provision of salvation, His Son, one day we will live with Him forever and ever, Amen.

I love people who can help to put things into a frame of perspective that shows a blessing even in what we might think to be a negative situation. I was dialoging forth and back with a fellow in Detroit the other day about some issues involving our common diabetic challenges and he said some things that really made me stop, think, and then thank God for His provision. He was telling me how fortunate it was for me to find out, almost by accident, about my problem so early. He was complimenting me on my efforts to do all the things needed to manage my disease but then he said something that really struck home to me. He said because you know and are now working to deal with your problem, it could well be that you will be attending many funerals of those who thought they were healthy, (just like you did), but never found out about this silent killer. Wow! I hadn't looked at it that way and really paused to see how blessed I am to have learned this so early.

As for our little Lexie, the funniest girl ever to breathe air on this planet, she will be cared for by the very best medical teams available who have at their disposal advanced tools and techniques to use. Thank God for His provision. My daughter-in-law, our Alex, and Amanda, all have access to antibiotics, and other medicines that were once not only unavailable but not even imagined. Thank God for His provision. Then, when I consider that God has allowed us to live at a time whenever a heart specialist would think it a fairly routine matter to do a heart procedure on someone in their mid-eighties, what a blessing! Thank God for His provision.

Yes, each day will bring it's own set of issues, challenges, and often, gut wrenching experiences, but nothing about any of these things can change the reality for those who are the children of God. No, we don't act as if problems are of no concern to us because they often can be very wearisome and hard to bear. But, what we can do and what I hope we all will do, is to see that we are not alone in facing struggles that come our way. We have the living Lord of the universe Who actually resides in us in the Person of Holy Spirit God, and He will help us in making our way through what often seems like a maze. We also have OTHERS, like this fellow named John in Detroit, or loved ones in our family, or dear friends, Church brothers and sisters, meaning we are surely not ALONE! I remember the Psalmist and King, David, once cried out these words: "Oh my soul, why are you cast down? Exercise hope in your God!" That's what David needed to do. That's what I need to do. That's what you need to do. May God bless each one as we deal with all that makes up this journey called life. Have a great weekend (Saturday), and a great beginning, (Sunday)! And, Lord willing I will see you next Monday on the same station in or around the same time! ....More later.

Foggy Day People

Here, it's been another one of those 'socked in' mornings. Of course that phrase was coined in the early days of aviation when the visibility was so bad you could not see the wind sock, (if you are unaware what a wind sock is, look it up), that's what they called it, 'socked in', and unable to fly. Well, I don't know about flying but this early drive today was pretty scary. First of all you might as well forget about avoiding the wild creatures that come and go on the roads I drive because even at lower speeds there would be no opportunity to see them if they decided to cross.

Also, there are those who should really consider staying at home on a day like today. I realize that 0.2 miles visibility is pretty low but driving 15 miles per hour just might get you run over. I had to follow one such soul for several miles this morning. It wasn't that I was in a hurry or that I was getting agitated or impatient, it was just the fact that 15 mph is dangerous. Of course not being able to see makes it a real test of your memory regarding where to pass such a slow poke. You think you know the roads pretty well but you had better be sure because you can't see past the taillights in front of you. I'm not throwing off on this driver for they may have been really struggling to see because it was that kind of morning, however, it does set up a real potential for danger when you are riding down a road typically dominated by rodeo enthusiasts who drive those trucks that need a ladder to get to the driver's seat.

But I made it okay and said a prayer of thanksgiving. I lost fifteen minutes total on my regular commute but that's fairly insignificant given the potential alternatives. According to the Gordon Lightfoot song there are 'Rainy Day People' who tend to operate quite differently from the rest of us. Most people don't mind a foggy, rainy morning, with a chill in the air, if they are able to pull the covers up and stay in bed, maybe on a Saturday morning. But we don't get to choose the days these elements land on top of us, therefore, we thank God for the grace and mercy He shows, regardless of the weather, and we ask Him to forgive us for the thoughts we may have entertained concerning that nincompoop (silly, dumb, or foolish person) who happened to be slowing down my progress this morning.

We used to have a fellow in our Church who would give the welcome each Sunday morning. He would say the sun may not be shining outside but the SON is shining here among us today! That was many years ago but it was a good thought then and a good one for us to start the day with today! May God bless each one and be careful out there on the slick roads driving in the fog! ......More later.

Tuned In And Turned On!

I have a good Christian brother and friend who has been in the car business for most of his professional life. He is a tremendous communicator and has done very well in sales and management. However, the auto sales industry is not always known for upholding ethics as its main principle of operation. This caused this fellow to change dealerships a number of times and he even tried to go it alone once but was taken down because of another person who misappropriated some of his consignment stock. This was pretty tough on him and he ended up having to go back into a dealership and get with the program again.

A few months ago he left because of some very inappropriate deals he had been asked to approve and sign, therefore, he was without work, again. He has recently landed a new position but he has a one and one half hour commute each morning and each afternoon across an impossible metro traffic system. Once I heard of his new location I was puzzled because it is so far away. I talked with him last week and he was in a great mood. He said he took the job and the fellow heading up the dealership was a very committed believer. Two other fellows who he will be working with directly are also active believers very involved in their respective Churches. He told me he had never been in such a situation as this and even though it had been only a short period of time, he was so thankful to God for his new opportunity. BUT WHAT ABOUT THE COMMUTE?

I asked and this is what he said. "You know what, it is long and it can be tedious but think about it. I've got people like Dr. Charles Stanley, Chuck Swindol, and Tony Evans to teach me all the way to work and if I'm running late in the evening I have the Unshackled Program, Dr. J. Vernon Magee, and Dr. John MacArthur on the way home. How much better could it be?" These, of course, are all radio programs on Christian stations and the men mentioned are all recognized conservative expositors of God's word. I pray that things will work out for this dear brother but I know exactly how he feels about using his commute time for something special like learning more about God and His truths.

I try to be in my car each morning by 4:30 a.m., to see what Dr. R. C. Sproul is teaching on in his program entitled Renewing Your Mind. I've listened to R. C. for twenty plus years and while I think he's one of America's leading Bible teachers, I don't agree with every conclusion or thought he has about the Scriptures. However, on most subjects, he is thrilling to listen to and occasionally he handles a particular passage in such a way that makes me nearly have to pull off on the side of the road because it hits me so hard. Today I had one of those moments as he talked about how God in Genesis 15 took it upon Himself to seal the covenant with Abraham. Abraham had asked for God to show him how he could know that God would keep what He had promised. You will have to read it for yourself but one thing I got was one of those holy chills where you are essentially caught up in a sense of the awesomeness of God. I guess that might be the equivalent of backing off the stage when teaching but not nearly as dangerous.

What a blessing! What a wonderful way to start the day! The truth R. C. wanted others to see was how it is God Who guarantees our salvation, our destiny, and our ultimate victory. Abraham believed but was weak and often failed just like we do but the promises were kept because God was the keeper! I can see why my friend is excited to be taking in so much truth each day. Therefore, I highly recommend to any and all that you try to find a good Bible teaching station and pick up on some of what God can do even as you are driving down the road of life! Amen.

America's Un-Funniest Videos

Nearly everyone enjoys watching someone else demonstrate their human frailty for all to see. Some of the most popular programs deal with watching folks slipping, sliding, or flipping as they go about their daily activities. I can tell you by first hand experience, it’s much funnier to watch the other guy do it than to be the star of your own episode.

This past Sunday morning I was introducing a new study on what the Bible has to say about the operation and function of a local New Testament congregation, called ‘Church’ in our English bibles. To tell the truth, I must admit whenever I get wound up about a subject I also become excited and animated. Those can be the ingredients of a potential disaster if one is not careful. I was walking to and fro up on the platform in my class and without warning, suddenly it was wam!, bam!, slam!, and down I went, having backed off the stage and piled up like a bag of potatoes in the corner. Everyone in my class was scared out of their gourd because I went down with such a loud crash.

But, I got back up, straightened myself up, and went on to teach the lesson without missing a beat. Was I hurt? Pretty much the same as I experienced years ago in a head on collision as far as aches and pains are concerned. I wrenched my knee really bad and later Sunday evening I had some chills to contend with, however, as I write this today I am ever so thankful to be up and about, moving very slowly because of the knee, but able to get up and go.

Just previous to me falling I had been talking about how my boys are more and more treating me like I am an accident waiting to happen. I had just finished telling my class how they had removed the big ladder from the house so that I wouldn’t be getting up on the second roof to blow the pine straw off. I had been making the joke about how I was not an invalid yet and within a couple of minutes after saying that, there I was, being counted out like the bad guy macho man pinned in a WWF match.

Maybe I had been a little too cocky in my joking about this situation. Perhaps I got over stimulated in my excitement about the lesson I was teaching. Or, maybe I was being tested to see if I was going to get up and finish teaching my lesson. I don’t know for sure but I do know this, there are lessons to be learned from what happened and my wife has now ordered me to stay at the floor level only. I suppose that way I will have less distance to cover if I fall. Sorry, there’s no video for you to watch but I couldn’t be happier that one doesn’t exist. It’s turned out to be another one of those embarrassing blips on the radar screen of life, and one I sincerely hope and pray will not show up again, anytime soon. But as my Grandad always said, "You might as well laugh as cry!" And, be thankful I'm not in traction are dealing with a broken neck since I came very close to hitting my head on a window ceil. There's much to be thankful for. Have a great Tuesday and may God bless you and yours. Amen. ……..More later.

Bloviated Blogging (Happy 200th!)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: 1. 200 (two hundred) is the natural number following 199 and preceding 201. Roman numerals: CC 2. The number appears in the Padovan sequence, preceded by 86, 114, 151 (it is the sum of the first two of these). 3. The sum of Euler's totient function φ(x) over the first twenty-five integers is 200. 4. 200 is the smallest base 10 unprimeable number - it can not be turned into a prime number by changing just one of its digits to any other digit. It is also a Harshad number. Two hundred is also: 5. A common ISO-standard film speed for photographic films. However, 200 speed film is being phased out in consumer films in favor of faster films. 6. A denomination of the euro note. The 200 euro note was designed by Robert Kalina. 7. The size of one side of the main square in Kraków, Poland (200 m×200 m). 8. 200 MeV is the temperature of quark-gluon plasma phase transition. 9. The name for a car made by Rover, called the Rover 200. 10. An HTTP status code indicating a successful connection. 11.The sum of dollars given in the classical Monopoly game to a player passing Go. 12. A cholesterol level of 200 and below is considered "Desirable level corresponding to lower risk for heart disease". 13. "200" is the title of an episode of the television show Stargate SG-1. 14. The number of NASCAR races won by Richard Petty. 15. 200 is also the number of blogs written as of February 18, 2008, by a fellow who calls himself, Sixty Plus, in a blog entitled The View From Here. (Not included in the Wikipedia article but should have been.)

Yes, today I complete the 200th episode of my mostly mediocre meanderings from the life and times of only one of the 6, 651, 349, 655 people who breathe air on our planet. (estimated population count by the U. S. Census Bureau as of 5:42 a.m., 02-18-2008) That’s quite a remarkable number whenever you contemplate that less than forty years ago it was less than 4 billion. What’s even more mind boggling is to consider God’s knowledge of each and every person and His love for each one and His provision of salvation through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is able to save any and all who come to Him. And, while I am only one out of the nearly 7 billion who occupy space here on earth, God has a specific plan for me and He is not too busy with other folk to hear me, care for me, and respond as I seek Him. Now that’s what I call amazing! No wonder we call it Amazing Grace!

For those who have read many of my musings, I do hope you have been informed here and there, perhaps learned an anecdote or two, found a quip or story that brought a smile, or have been encouraged to see and seek God each day of your life. I will admit I have at times suffered from ‘blogger’s block’ but that didn’t keep me from writing anyway, and I am more than certain you recognized that in the materials I’ve published. However, it has been a real joy for me to pass on some of what ping pongs around in my head and that which springs forth from a heart desiring to honor God and be of help to others.

I know my mom enjoys reading what I write. That’s what moms do. My wife enjoys them also and sends me an email about them nearly every day. My three sons comment on them from time to time and I’ve even heard one fellow at our Church recommending them to other folks as part of their daily intake of information. Some days I have expressed the blessings of joy God has given. On other days I have shared the depths of sadness felt in dealing with pain and loss. These are the realities of the chapters that make up the story of our sojourn here, but for those of us who have placed our trust in God’s Son, this life of ups and downs is only a wisp of smoke compared to the eternity we will spend in God’s presence. Yeah, I have much to rejoice about in the life God has given to me here, but I’ve got even more to look forward to when I finally get to where I’m going! Amen. And, may God bless us as we keep on keeping on, 200 and counting! …….More later.

"It's Really Not That Bad"

Just as a quick follow-up for Valentine’s, I thought the Google logo put up for the special day really fit my wife and I. I can actually remember a time when images like this wouldn’t have even caught my attention. But, there we go, surfing or dog paddling the world wide web together as we head off into the sunset of our lives. I thought you might get a kick out of seeing it. Now to my story for the day, and you can be sure that I will be sticking to it!

Who would have ever thought Henny Penny and Turkey Lurkey would become main staples of my daily dietary consumption? But, alas, as Bob Dylan put it: “The times they are a-changin”. For me the new white meat is the old white meat, the white meat, and nothing but the white meat. Never in the history of humanity has anyone undergone a greater challenge in transitioning from the very foundation of enjoying the good life, to eating so differently for the privilege of postponing the inevitable. I’m not sure what that sentence says but it somehow does reflect this about the changes I’ve been dealing with: “It’s a real bummer!”

One would guess the yuletide classic would not have worked very well with the line, “While visions of chicken and turkey breasts danced in their heads”. I will have to give a shout out to my wife for trying to help. We’ve done the chicken strips just about every way they can be done from stir-fry to salads. She’s also made turkey chili, turkey burgers, and she surprised me one night with ground turkey meat sauce served over whole-wheat spaghetti. The good news is that nearly every time we’ve tried these dishes that are new to us we both have learned to say, “It’s really not that bad!” Wow! That’s a long way from when I used to drool all over myself just thinking about her smothered steak, mashed potatoes and gravy!

I also saw her come in the other day packing a huge bag of brown rice. That’s on nearly every one of the charts but I’m not so sure it’s that tasty. In fact, I had some in a light soup the other day, which must be something akin to what they served prisoners in the Dustin Hoffman, Steve McQueen movie, ‘Papillon’. At any rate, the other day I was eating this ‘lite’ soup, the one where the entire large can has only 120 calories, or 60 per serving to be exact. It contained those little brown rice kernels and they were all swollen up and looked like little plump weevils to me. To tell the truth, once I got that image in my head the taste ended up being nothing to write home about.

As you can tell, I am one label reading fool these days. I just hope I never have to get into that swapping deal where I try to figure out how many of one food group counts for the other food groups. I can just see myself all bent out of shape like a shopaholic at a swap meet. I’ve not even shared yet about the Butterball Turkey link sausage, or the Jimmy Dean Turkey sausage patties, and the Oscar Mayer deli-fresh varieties of chicken and turkey. We ended up having to dispose of one package of the deli-fresh because after being in the fridge way too long it was sporting a beautiful but tainted rainbow of colors. I bet you are getting very hungry about now. Bear in mind I am not complaining but just like Jack Webb used to say on the series ‘Dragnet’, as Sergeant Joe Friday, this is what I am saying: “Just the facts, ma’m, just the facts”. I am thankful to God that regardless of how difficult this has been, we are by His grace, at this time, and on this day, able to declare: “It’s really not that bad!”

Have a great weekend. Got that? Week ending! That would be Saturday, the 7th and last day of the week. Sunday is the 1st day of the week, a new week, a new day, and a new beginning. Try to get your new week started off by gathering with God’s people to recognize the significance of our Savior being resurrected on the first day of the week, and by thanking Him for the life we can have because He lives! Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition, or in my case, pass the turkey! …..More later.

Valentine's Day 2008

Happy Valentine's Day. That's what the retailers are hoping a huge number of folks will be saying today. It's estimated to be a 14 billion dollar day but I did read somewhere that you need to check out any candy you buy because some stores are putting out left overs from last year. Now that's not a very pleasant thing to do on a day dedicated to showing love and appreciation, right? My wife and I have been exchanging cards and gifts for over forty years and to us, it's a good day just to consider the meaning of our love and how our being together is a blessing from God.

This morning I anticipated she had a card for me. When I went into the kitchen and turned on the light, there it was. This year she bought one of those cards that has the music in it and to be honest I didn't realize it was going to be quite as loud as it was and at 3:30 a.m., it gave me a pretty good jolt. The song was the one made by the band Orleans back in the early 1980's, entitled, "You're Still The One". It was a really neat sentiment and I am thankful that into our 44th year, that's exactly who I am, I'm still the one.

She hasn't seen my card yet. I always make my own cards. She will find it when she gets up this morning. Inside the card I talk about while there's quite a bit less of me this year in terms of pounds and inches, my heart is still bulging and overflowing with love for her. That's the kind of nonsensical stuff you try to come up with to express what someone so dear means to you. Before I left this morning I went in and had our prayer and I did sing Happy Valentine's Day to you to the tune of Happy Birthday. I couldn't tell for sure but it appeared she might have preferred me to have held off on the singing. But since she gave me a musical card I didn't want her to miss out.

One of the things I am reminded of on this day when so many will make their professed statements about love is the model given to us in the Scriptures. For us guys, it could not be clearer and it could not be tougher. The Apostle Paul tells us in Ephesians that we are to love our wives in the same way that Christ loved the Church and gave Himself up for the Church. Wow! Couldn't he have come up with something a little less challenging? Therefore, as I consider my love for my wife, as a believer I must use this example and then compare where I am to this model. Brutal? You better believe it! But, it gives us all something to work on, strive for, and seek to reflect in our love for our mate. I'll not go into the challenge for the women folk because to tell the truth I've got enough with this example to get me busy for the rest of my life! In the end, I can always fall back on what I've been telling her for as long as I can remember, "Baby, you're the greatest!" Happy Valentine's and may God bless. .......More later.