Remembering our hope is in the Lord our God!

Good morning and welcome to Wednesday, May 11, 2011. I have so many lost blogs. No. You can't help me find them because they only existed in my mind but before they made it through the pipeline to the page, well, they became officially missing. They are probably the best ones too. You just knew I had to say that. Right? The ones that got away. And, you are not fooling me one bit. You are reading this and thinking to yourself that almost anything would be an improvement. That's okay because maybe I'll land a good one soon and that will give you something to look forward to. What's that you say? It's not that big of a deal so don't lose any sleep over it? Now that you mention it, sleep may be the reason they got away. I had them in my mind safely secured but sometime in the other worldly atmosphere of that rapid eye movement deep sleep cycle they must have slipped out and made their escape. That leaves me with no other choice but to write about them getting away. I will get some of them back based on my experience and some will be replaced with new ones. There have been times when I've thought of a good one and I jotted down the subject. That, however, has not been a consistent habit, thus, we end up with today's version of me making it up as I go. That doesn't mean I've run out of things to say as proven by the very paragraph you are reading. This is mostly intended to be funny but it also reflects the struggle us older guys have in remembering things.

Bro. Robert Francis, 1957 - 2011

One thing I am not likely to forget soon is the last sermon preached by a pastor we knew. He was a fellow we had contact with here and there over the past twenty years. On Sunday, May 1st of this year he preached his last sermon. He didn't know it was going to be his last sermon. (Or, did he? That's a discussion for a different day.) On Tuesday of that same week he became very ill and was called home to his heavenly reward. His name is Robert Francis. He was 54 years old. He was a pastor, a husband, a dad, and a lover of all people. Here's the big set up. When I watched that last sermon, knowing what awaited him on Tuesday, it literally caused the hair on my neck to stand up. Why? I hope you will watch it and find out but I will say this. Brother Robert had just experienced a very special contact with the Lord God of the universe. His last message will be one that all who heard it in the congregation that day, and all who have watched it since that day, they all will ponder its profound significance in the days to come. They also have his memorial service video up on the same webpage. Talk about a celebration! Talk about laughter! Talk about a man who took what God had given to him and used it to make a difference in other people's lives! Both his last sermon and his memorial service are long, well over one hour each, and that is unusual by today's standard of dishing it out in soundbites. But, they are well worth anyone's time in watching them. Why? Because they speak to the very heart of what it means to walk with God and what it means to have God at work in your life. The memorial service honored the memory of Brother Robert, but more than this, it magnifies the greatness of the God he loved and served. I would suggest watching his last sermon first and then later the memorial video. You will be blessed. You have my word on it. I guarantee it. Here's the link: http://www.faithnlr.org/

I will tell you that it is powerful stuff. And as our Pastor often says, it's also, "That's good stuff folks." Are there questions in the hearts of so many within his family and the sizable ministry he oversaw? Many. Even the numerous men of God who stood and spoke confessed to having questions about God's timing. However, the good news is still the good news and as the old song says, God is always on time, every time. One of the preachers quoted from a past sermon by Brother Robert where he addressed our hope for heaven. Brother Robert had commented that while most believers know about this hope and they grasp it intellectually, often it is not the very essence of our expectation because if it was, then we would be excitedly looking forward to going home. We would be living out our expectation that when God calls, we will finally achieve the ultimate crowning of our life in Christ. As I heard this being said I could identify because Brother Robert was aware that most of us, including most believers, do cling to life here and we often think about heaven very differently than it being a very present reality in our day by day living. Here's my summary of all of this. I have believed for a long time that God rewards some folks with an early call home. They have honored him with their lives and completed the work He called them to do. That's why there was so much rejoicing along side the tears during that memorial service. Perhaps we all could use a little more of the expectant hope where we anticipate our wonderful call to our heavenly home, and we do so as a natural response to all that God has in store for us. Pretty amazing thought for today. Amen.   ........More later.

It's okay to feel that way. Some days I don't really feel like being me either.

Clicked on to my blogger page via email or the internet? If you landed here intentionally, you know what to expect and I bid you welcome on this Tuesday, May 10, 2011. If you landed on this site by random chance, proceeding with caution might be the order of the day. Arnold Schwarzenegger starred in movies where he was called the Terminator. When Dale Earnhardt Sr. raced in NASCAR he was called the Intimidator. Having read a few of my episodes I may well be in the running to be called the Opinionator. I can't promise to do better, because, let me see if I can make this more confusing, it's just that at the end of the day it turns out to be exactly what it is, The View From Here. Maybe my wife won't read this one but I'll let you all in on a little secret. I'm not always right. Sometimes people may get the idea that I follow the slogan, "I may not always be right but I am never wrong." Hopefully that is not the way I see things because I only need look in the mirror to be reminded of the many times that I have had to admit I was wrong. This doesn't mean that there's anything wrong with opinions. It's also very much okay to be opinionated. Where we hit the wall is when we are unapproachable and unreasonable in the discussion and debate of our opinions. I try to be this way only when it is a clear teaching that God has given to us. One of those thus says the word of the Lord types of truths, where it is the truth whether I agree with it, practice it, or even whether I stand up for it or against it, if God said it and it is clear that is what He said, then debating it becomes somewhat of an exercise in futility because in the end, it is as the Scriptures say, "May it never be! Yes, let God be found true, but every man a liar. As it is written, 'That you might be justified in your words, and might prevail when you come into judgment.'" (Letter to the Romans, Chapter 3, Verse 4, World English Bible.)

My wife on Mother's Day with our three sons.

This doesn't mean we can't have a discussion and dialogue. And, we can always talk about things that we do agree on. Things like family.  Here's an interesting excerpt from Word-Origins.com: "The word family. Date of Origin: 15th century. Latin famulus, a word of unknown origin, meant ‘servant’. From it was derived familia, a collective term for all the domestic servants of a household. Only rarely was it used for the entire household, including the servants’ employers too, and when it first entered English it was with the original Latin sense (which indeed survived until the late 18th century). Gradually, however, the English word broadened out to ‘whole household’, and then in the mid-17th century narrowed down again to the current main sense ‘group of related people’." Of course we who know our Bible realize that God instituted the human race and that included a man and his tribe or clan. The first clan or family was that of Adam, Eve, and their first children, Cain and Abel. My point is that while the word family may be somewhat modern, the concept is as old as creation itself. I am thankful to God for my family. I am thankful we were able to meet Sunday, sixteen of us at a local restaurant, and express openly our love and appreciation for the moms in our family. Fundamental to society is the functioning of families. Fundamental to healthy families is the desire to live according to God's plan and purpose. That's a high calling. And we are a flawed people but that should be our desire. Thank God for His design in giving us the family we have.


Bro. Kim and his wonderful family.

We can identify with all people everywhere because of our common ancestry. That's right. If the Bible is true and it is, then we can know that we all have the same original parents, Adam and Eve. That gives us a connectedness at the very identity level. However, God also ordained the family of faith. For us, He gave us the local assembly, a called out body of people that labor and work together to advance God's Kingdom. In addition, He also provided for a special connection beyond the local fellowship for all who are identified through the acceptance of Jesus the Christ as Savior and Lord because all believers make up a special family of God's heritage. Sons and daughters of God, made right with Him through Christ. Therefore, no matter where we go we may encounter a brother or sister in Christ. This is how we function to assist other believers in their labors for the Lord. This is why we do mission work. This is why we do outreach. This is why we pool our resources together to spread the Good News of the Gospel. In doing so we enlarge the family of God. One way in particular that I've been privileged to cooperate is through our Bible club ministry in the inner city of Houston. Working with these children not only has seen many of them come to faith in Christ, but it has brought me close to some folks that have become beloved to me. Pastor Kim and his family are unique. I didn't say perfect and I wouldn't say they have it all figured out, but in the past twelve plus years that I have known this family, they have demonstrated this one message: God first in all things. Family. Personal. Church. They do this because they have embraced the Good News and they are busy about sharing it with their neighbors here, and the world at large, the family of man, everyone of which needs to know the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.                    ......More later.

Someone needs to!

Hello again and welcome. I do hope and pray that you had a wonderful Saturday and Lord's Day Sunday where here in our country we recognized moms and the institution of motherhood. It is a God ordained distinction and we do thank God for our mothers. It is Monday, May 9, 2011, and the work week has officially commenced. I maybe should apologize but I'm still a little stirred up about the stuff going on all around us. Have you noticed how the mainstream press has done any and all they can to bolster President Obama and his connection to the killing of Osama bin Laden? I mean it is at times downright embarrassing. We find out that this raid was able to be accomplished using just about every tool the then Senator Obama loudly opposed and voted against. And, what's up with the twenty two different accounts since this raid went down? According to the new, bright eyed White House Press Secretary, it's not unusual for the details to change as more debriefing of the participants is concluded. What? Hello? We started off with a firefight that included Osama blazing away at our guys. Then we had him hiding behind a woman as a shield. He was armed before he was unarmed. We would have taken him alive but he resisted. Now we hear he did not have a weapon and he did not use the woman as a shield. Stay tuned, more revisions to come. For those who are staggered by this cooperative effort to dazzle us with all this stuff, we need someone to stand up and do what real journalists are supposed to to, hold the people in government accountable. Not here and not on this president's watch. But, if you will take the time you can find some journalists that are doing just that. They are going after the facts and reporting when they do not make sense or they don't add up. No. I am not talking about Fox News. I'm talking about the British press because they tend to follow the Reagan approach, trust but verify. Find some of their main newspaper websites and read what they are saying about all these ever revised and changing stories. I for one am glad that the press there is at least holding our government officials accountable. Someone needs to!

I think we are going to have to bring back the TV show Flipper just to compete with the flip flopping going on within the mainstream media and the George W. Bush haters that still occupy seats in Congress. Nancy Pelosi just a few years ago denounced the hunt for Osama bin Laden as being nothing much more than a political ploy of President Bush. She also said it would not make any difference if he was captured or killed. Now she is giddy with what she calls our great commander in chief. Who knows? She may be somewhere right now sewing him a cape that will help identify him as the great superman that he is. I'm not making this up. Go check it out. And, if you want something to check your gag reflux, just do a little channel surfing across some of those left wing liberal talking head programs. You will hear these previously on the record vehemently opposed to any and all things related to war, now acting like a bunch of drunk soldiers having taken down America's arch enemy. They have the right to say what they want to say. That's a sacred privilege in our nation. But, I suppose it just reeks to the high heaven when you can be as two faced as they show themselves to be on a regular basis. It's no wonder they almost have to pay people to watch their shows. So, here's my point. How can everyone be that transparently hypocritical and get by with it? Are we really that stupid? Again, don't take my word for it. Check it out and see if I am speaking the truth. Yes, it would really be high comedy if it wasn't so unbelievably serious, especially with so many of those flag draped coffins coming home. Haven't seen too many of them lately? Of course not, they only made sense to be made more visible when President Bush was at the helm. It's alarming folks. Alarming! One evening last week we sat in silence, stunned as a local station flashed a dozen photos of some of our brave military men and one woman who had lost their lives within the last week. My wife commented that some of them looked like children, and that they are! My children, your children, our children! May God bless and protect them all!

I know. I know. Take some deep breaths and try to get hold of yourself. Speaking of which, I will tell you I am so thankful that they set aside global warming, or global roasting, or whatever, as we were treated to some wonderful mornings last week. Tuesday, 46 degrees, Wednesday, 45 degrees, and Thursday, 48 degrees, and I will even say a thank you for the 58 on Friday morning. These temps all happened in May? I suppose it was only right since we had an early start of summer the last few days of April. (Very warm with dripping humidity) But I will take those cooler starts to the day, and I did, and I will enjoy every breath of it, and I did. Do you folks get the idea that I obsess to a great degree, (no pun intended), over cooler temperatures? That would be an accurate statement but it's not a new development, therefore, at this point and time I wouldn't see the need for you to suggest any remedies. It at least helped relieve my aging air conditioning system in our home. It seems to be working fine but the fellow who did the check up said it was way overdue to be replaced and he quoted numbers and options that caused our heads to spin. We have been around the block a few times, therefore, we know the clock is running on that system which is only the second one we've had since 1984. Those kind of dire predictions always give one pause. He mentioned something about it will most likely happen in the midst of a heat wave in the dead of summer, they will probably be backed up with calls and unable to deal with it quickly, and right now they have great deals on unsold systems as they gear up for the summer. Silly me. I thought this dude was a technician but it turns out for his real job he was trained as a used car salesman. I have noticed over the past several years that field technicians seem to show up looking to make a sale whether it is on an appliance or a home cooling system. And the way they go about it, it obviously is a fair amount of their incentive pay. But, we've decided to wait. It is doing fine at the moment but he did do a good job of planting that seed of potential doom and dire consequences. We do think about that whenever we hear it grumpily grinding along. But, if it wasn't that it would be something else, and that reminds me of another story but I'll hang on to it and let it age some before I share it. Until next time, may God bless one and all. Amen.               .......More later.

Mother's Day - 2011

Good Friday morning and welcome to the 6th day of May, 2011. This coming Sunday we will pause to recognize our mothers and what they have meant to our lives. I've said it before and I will repeat it over and over again, God has surrounded me throughout my life with wonderful God loving moms. How has all their influence shown up in my life? It may be hard to detail but it certainly is a major element of who I am today and how I operate my life. My mother is a legendary woman. I don't say that just to be saying it. Folks over in the area where I grew up know her well in all the hardships and challenges she has faced. But what a mom! And, how blessed I am to be her son. I think of her mom, Granny Mac, and her love for us grandchildren. How was her love proved? She was always in there praying, always in there showing her heart in her actions. Like food. That's right. There was a day and time when I was allowed to like food. Sorry. That was my pre-diabetic days but my grandmother and my mom made the next meal always something to look forward to. I think about my wife and the fact that she can easily be called out in the same breath of these other great women. I think about my wife's mom, and her grandmothers, all of them, simple but strong women. I'm not rubbing it in, I'm just taking the time to express the blessings I've enjoyed because of moms in my life.

Let me also add that these women do and those gone on to glory did their best to model the message of the Biblical pattern for a lady, a wife, and a mother. They were not focused on having the 'I promise to obey' taken out of the wedding ceremony, they were committed to doing life as best they could, with God's help, God's way. I will tell you something the world at large doesn't really understand. God will always bless whenever we seek to do life the way He has directed. Always. It may not be with fame or fortune. It may not be the way in which others count it up. But, it could just end up being some little boy somewhere who grows up and learns the true meaning of having a Godly mom. That someone would be me. Today I rise up to honor my mom and all the moms who have made a difference in my life. God bless them all and may God help us to have more moms who desire to follow God's model for success.

And just one more thought here. My wife. She models those who have preceded her. I am the recipient of her being the type of woman that seeks to please God. On Wednesday I came in from work to find a meal fit for a king. The smells were wafting on the rolling tide and they were singing a song. It was a song that goes all the way back to my earliest memories. I walked into that kitchen as a little boy. Sure. It was time to hide the diabetic testing kit. She had fixed her patented fried chicken. I say that because those who think the colonel was on to something, they really don't have a clue. She had rice and gravy. She had mustard greens that my mom had brought to us. She had fried okra. She had field peas. And, she had some wonderful cornbread. With a glass of iced tea in hand, I sat down to a feast. It was a feast of food and a feast of remembrance as I recalled such sweet times from my past. I know. Some don't make that big of deal out of food. But, forgive us, because we did and I am so thankful that, on occasion, we still do. Thanks to my dear wife for standing over that hot stove. Yep. That's one of the things it is there for. And, I thank her for being such a great wife and mom. I may have to wait a couple of days to check my blood sugar but no doubt even my insulin starved pancreas is applauding my indulgence in such a great meal. May God bless you all and in particular, I wish all the moms a Happy Mother's Day. Amen.         ......More later.

Will Rogers: "I love a dog. He does nothing for political reasons."

I didn't notice any rioters at my doorstep this morning, therefore, I guess I didn't upset too many people in the views I expressed in yesterday's episode. It should always be remembered that the views expressed in this space do not represent anyone other than the writer, and on some days, even that may be questionable. At any rate, thanks for bearing with me as we make our way forward and here we are, it's Thursday, May 5, 2011, and I once again invite you in for today's one way dialogue. One way. That does seem a little stiff but given the format and structure of how I go about all of this, it's not that easy to do forth and back, questions and answers, and that type of thing. I also have a pretty good idea that my explanations would generally not be any better than the stuff that makes it to the page, therefore, it might be best to let sleeping dogs lie. That phrase about dogs is rather ancient but sufficient to say it has something to do with not stirring up trouble because if at the moment things are quiet, let them stay that way. We know that can't always be the case because there are times when we do have to stand up, speak up, and be counted. One of the things you learn in life is how that situations that are bad typically don't get better on their own, even though we all would prefer for it to work that way. Today I pledge to try to steer away from controversial items and just more or less enjoy our visit. I did say try. And while I must admit that sometimes what I write can be a surprise, I cannot deny that I am the first to know exactly what flows from those tormented gray cells as they are directed through my fingers that slap around the keys, and that's more or less how we end up with each day's version of what you see is what you get.

Too wordy. Too repetitive. That's pretty much the story of my life, I'm just too "too". This tends to happen when your editor is also the originator of the text itself. Here's the way I see it. I think about something. I write about it. I read it after it is written. I try to make sure that a regular person reading can get the gist of what is being said. If it meets that test, it will probably be left in unchanged, and I will tell you that I do change quite a bit of what I write because there are times when it doesn't even meet the smell test. The smell test idiom supposedly originated based on the smelling of food to determine if it was spoiled or not. Over time it came to mean testing to determine the authenticity or legitimacy of something. I understand the idiom has now expanded where there is a gasp test to check if something is appropriately shocking or provocative and a giggle/laugh test to see if something is serious or funny. What if I write an entire blog that doesn't pass the smell test? Again. It's the editor deal. Same writer and same editor. Same writer and same smell tester. But we do have one thing going for us and that has to do with the fact that I do care. Caring doesn't always guarantee competency but it sure is better than when it is missing from the equation. Therefore, if it does seem a little ragged some days just mark it off to me not having been that good at dealing with equations. If that makes sense?

You were not aware that someone could put together that many words without having anything of value to say? You must be a new reader because I have honed my craft and I pretty much can do that with one hand tied behind my back. That particular idiom is pretty much self explanatory although I did see one that said with both hands tied behind the back. I will have to think about that one because when it comes to typing, well, I think you can see my point. "Look ma no hands." Well that one has a fairly long history and it generally reflects a child doing something without using their hands, like riding a bicycle. The joke says, "Look ma, no hands. Look ma, no teeth." I told you I was going to try and steer away from anything serious today and thus far I am pretty much guaranteed to end up with a twist on that old famous newspaper slogan, "All the news that's unfit to print." Of course the original said fit to print and it dates back to the late 1890's and was used by the New York Times. But you knew that already and I've now not only bored you with all of this, I've even bored myself. Maybe tomorrow I will have something better. One would hope. Until then, take care and be careful riding that bicycle without hands. May God bless. Amen.         .....More later.

Death is like those Navy SEALS, relentless, and it will not be denied!

Good Wednesday morning and I bid you welcome on this May 4, 2011. Don't say that I didn't tell you. The Osama bin Laden story continues unabated from just about every conceivable viewpoint, spin, and agenda one can imagine. Justice has been served but the death of this one mass murderer will not alleviate the pain and suffering that continues for survivors, nor will it make a dent in reducing the evil that lurks all over the world. This is, after all, a fallen world, and we all stand guilty before a Holy and Righteous God. I commend our troops and those who trained them. I commend those in the intelligence field, especially those on the ground, who risk their lives daily to help protect our way of life. I commend our commanders, including our President, for taking the decisions that culminated in justice being served. I don't know what level of thankfulness is appropriate in terms of the response to this man's death, however, I do know that I have been reminded that Jesus the Christ came to die for the sins of all humanity, and that it only takes one sin to make us unworthy of His presence. Osama bin Laden joins the long line of despicable killers like Hitler, Stalin, Mao, and many others that have gone on to meet their judgment. I believe in the death penalty only because God has decreed it in certain situations. As for the international legal issues involving sovereignty and all the other technicalities, they will be sorted out and debated for years. I do not join in the gloating but I can see where this act of justice may bring some comfort and closure to so many who have been devastated by this man's evil deeds. For that I am thankful, and may we all see our need to deal with the evil in our own heart by seeking God while we still have time. Why? Because death is stalking us just like those Navy SEALS and it may not catch up with us today, or next week, but it is relentless in its pursuit, and what we have done with Jesus is all that matters when death finally gets hold of us. Is this my version of hell, fire, and brimstone? I don't see it that way. But, you have your view. I have mine. That's why I call it: The View From Here.

What is almost comic is to see the political pundits spinning this mission to gain points. It's happening on all sides. Some who are promoting President Obama in his reelection bid are attempting to make his decision to go forward with this mission to be somehow compatible with Truman's decision to drop the atomic bomb. On the other side, we have those who minimize and even attempt to trivialize the President's role in all of this. This is why we likely will never become unified, but at the same time there is one theme from all sides that is clear. This one death does not end the war on terror. While I don't doubt for one second the veracity of that statement, we all have to know that fighting wars of any kind is a hugely profitable enterprise. This means there are special interests who would not want to see any reductions in funding. No. I am not being cynical here. It's just the way it is within our system. Take for instance the billions we have given to Pakistan. It is fairly obvious that Osama bin Laden was being aided by officials within the Pakistani government. He was actually living in the shadow of a huge military compound and only a short distance from Pakistan's capital. Billions to a country that does not appreciate our way of life and our form of government, but only the billions they receive. Last week I read where Pakistani officials are trying to convince Afghanistan to join up with the Chinese and Russians for aid and assistance, after the Americans have left. You had Secretary of State Clinton trying to cover by saying we appreciate the help from Pakistan. But, probably closer to the truth, you had the head of our National Security Agency who said we dared not tell the Pakistani government anything at all because it would have no doubt compromised the mission. These are our supposed allies? I just remind one and all to interpret things with a fair amount of skepticism realizing the corruption that permeates much of our policies. Not Democrat or Republican, Libertarian, or Independent, it is sheer power and its use and misuse that we should focus on.

Sounds pretty hopeless doesn't it? No. Not at all. Go back and read the first paragraph because while some trust in the modes of power and war, we join the Psalmist in saying that instead, we will trust in the Lord our God. (See the 20th Division of the Psalms, Verse 7) You didn't know that I did international affairs also? Here's the deal: If you blog you can be an expert on anything you choose. And, just so you know, there have been no phone calls directed towards me asking for my advice or input on any of these matters. You knew that already? I must say you are a well informed group. When it comes down to it there can be wars and rumors of wars but typically the bread and butter issues are those that mean the most to people. Take for instance the price of coffee. I just read that coffee prices have hit a 34 year high. Hello? Can you spell p-a-n-i-c? Man cannot live by bread alone because everyone deserves a little Louisiana Community coffee now and then. Don't write me about misrepresenting that verse. It's a joke. But coffee prices are no joking matter. Just yesterday we had that unbelievable morning, on my mom's birthday, May 3, and we were sitting at 46 degrees. Let me paint this picture for you. A light breeze, a little mist of rain, and a smoking hot cup of Community. Now I ask you one more time: Do we live in a great country or what? Pray for our men and women who wear the uniform of our country. Pray for those who make decisions that impact our lives. And, let us pray for one another that we will be all that God has called us to be. Amen.                     .......More later.

Happy Birthday to the Greatest Mom in the World! (It's recorded, check it out, read about her in Proverbs Chapter 31)

This past Sunday, mom and dad came over from Louisiana to visit my brother Donald. I was able to join them for a time of family sharing and I was also able to present mom with a gift and a card honoring her 87th birthday. And today, Tuesday, May 3, 2011, we officially mark the actual day of her birth as well as to think about the life and times thus far of this remarkable woman. Now I ask you: How in the world could we ever do a sketch of this one-of-a-kind woman that would do her justice? There's really not that much to be added to such a wonderful life lived with all of the challenges she has faced, but only to note that she has consistently lived with a determination and resilience, along with a testimony that only God could have provided to her. Therefore, I thought the only thing appropriate was to share with everyone the sentiments I wrote on her card because it reflects our hearts as we think about our precious mother on her birthday:

Dear Mom,

What can we say to these things? Do we serve a great God or what? Eighty seven years and you are still able to do what you have always done.....love, care, and serve God and your kiddos. You and dad have become our special heroes and we can do nothing but thank God every moment of every day for all that you have contributed to our lives. Easy? No one in their right mind could say it has been easy but God's plan included giving to us the best mom we could ever hope for. Your children bend their knees on your special day to give honor and praise to God for you. Happy Birthday Mom. We love you and we wish you the most wonderful birthday ever! Our love, Marilyn & Al

That's it for today. It's okay to join the celebration because she deserves it. Have a great day and may God bless us all. Amen.                ......More later.