The Search Is On

Our recent move to our new house has been hard. The long period of transitioning from one house to another is grueling mentally, emotionally and physically. I told My wife, Sherri, that I was sure I had lost weight, but I couldn’t verify it because we cannot find our bathroom scales. Not being able to find things is a stress producer. I could not find ten boxes of test strips that I need to check my blood sugar. Sherri finally found them. Now I am looking for three pocket knives that Sherri’s dad gave me many years ago. Two of them are the fiftieth year commemorative knives of the running of the Kentucky Derby. They have red handles with a small brass image of our state embedded. I wouldn’t take anything for them. The other knife is one to carry in case I need to use it for something. The last time I used it, which was not long after he gave it to me, I almost cut my thumb off. I required stitches and had to go through weeks of therapy because I had nerve damage. After that I laid it to rest with my Kentucky Derby knives. Any way moving usually leads to intense searching.

This move has coincided with my reading of First and Second Chronicles which is basically a history of Judah and Israel and how the two nations’ kings led them. The leadership of these kings usually determined how the people obeyed the laws of God. In these scriptures for every man who became king one of two things was said about him when they were introduced; Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord, or Jehoram did evil in the eyes of the Lord. Unfortunately, many of the kings, especially those of Israel did evil in God’s eyes, and the  people did evil as well.

Asa was one of the good ones. Here is a verse that spoke to me when I read it. “Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God...He commanded Judah to seek the Lord, the God of their ancestors, and to obey his laws and commands.” 2 Chronicles 14:2,4 The result was that Judah prospered, and they knew peace during Asa’s reign.

“They sought God EAGERLY, and he was found by them. So the Lord gave them rest on every side. 2 Chronicles 15:15.

“Asa’s heart was fully committed to the Lord all his life.” 2 Chronicles 15:17.

Wouldn’t it be great to have political leaders like Asa? He searched for God, and the people eagerly searched for God. But they were not alone in searching. 2 Chronicles 16:9 says, “For the eyes of the Lord range (search) throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.” God is looking for people who are fully committed to him.

A person will not be fully committed to God unless he or she is daily searching for him. Seek God as though you are looking for something valuable, something that means a lot to you, something you cherish. Do this and you will find him. I try to seek God each day. I just wonder, am I searching for God as fervently as I’ve been looking for those knives? Am I as worried about finding God in my life as I am about finding things that I’ve lost? I hope so. It is something we should think about don’t you think?

A Christian and Sin

Everyone Sins

I have heard it and I have said it, but what does it mean? When we say, "Well, everybody sins", is that a statement that somehow makes it permissible for us to sin? Do we say that to make ourselves feel better about our actions of disobedience because everyone is doing it? Can we sin, ask God to forgive us and continue to live in that sin? God does forgive the souls who come before him with repentant hearts. However, God knows the intent of our hearts. He knows those who are legitimately sorry about the wrongs they have done. Sometimes a person will ask for forgiveness because of guilt or because he fears God's punishment, but he loves his sin so much he has no intention of giving it up. Everybody does sin, but a true child of God will not continue to live in sin. 

Consider someone one with an addiction. Their addictive lifestyle is destroying them, and they are in danger of losing everything--a job, family, friends, home.  Finally, this person reaches the breaking point where they realize what this addiction is doing to them and their families. They see that they are being destroyed by their addiction and seek help to overcome it. After months of rehab, counseling, or whatever corrective plan they follow the addiction is under control. For the rest of their lives they avoid the source of whatever caused them to become addicted because they know how destructive it is, and they don't want to hurt their loved ones anymore.

Like the addict a Christian recognizes the destructive power of sin and loves God so much that they are heartbroken because of their transgression. That brokenness leads them to true repentance. Their love of Jesus causes them to hate the sin and they don’t want to commit that same sin again. God forgives those who come to him broken and repentant. The sweet Spirit of God renews the spirit of the forgiven soul and strengthens him so that he will not yield to temptation again.  Sin consumes a person so that it becomes his style of living--like an addiction. He may ask God to forgive him several times a week, but like the proverb, "A dog returns to its own Vomit and.” A sow after being washed, returns to wallowing in the mire." he proves that he did not have the brokenness required for forgiveness.

Christians will be known by their fruit. They will be Christlike. If a person is really a Christian sin will hurt, and they will not have peace because of their sin. Others will be able to tell if we belong to Jesus, or if we are living for Satan. Galatians 5: 19-25 makes it  very clear how we can notice the difference between a Christian and one who does not bear the fruit of Christ. as Paul says, “Our acts of sin are obvious,”

19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

If we have God’s Spirit we cannot be comfortable living in sin. Our attitude and our actions will show the world the true person we are.

Who Is Man

“O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth.

You have set your glory above the heavens.

When I look at the heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon, the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you would care for him?”

These words came from Psalm 8. I got up very early this morning and went out on my porch, looked up at the sky and noticed the moon. These words about God’s creation immediately came to mind. Our Lord, majestically reigning, filled with glory, greater than all the created beings, men and women, from the beginning of time until now, he actually cares for me, a small speck, a flower that springs up briefly then withers and dies just like the billions of other flowers that have sprung up before me and that will follow. And so the question that came to my mind this morning was, “What is man, who am I that God would be mindful of me and cares about me and for me?

I don’t understand this amazing truth about our God who is all powerful, all knowing, and is everywhere all the time. He is a personal God who loves me. He does not need me, yet he desires my presence. He has chosen me, like he has chosen all who will chose to come to receive him. The Lord God Almighty has chosen to live in me, so that I can abide with him, be used by him through his power, because of his gracious love for me. Who am I, who are you that God care so much even to die for us? Who are we that he is mindful of us?

O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

A Fried Chicken Sandwich

Two of the most iconic institutions in America are Walmart and Cracker Barrel. Someday books with stories about the things that have happened while shopping and eating will fill the shelves of libraries with the things that people have experienced in these establishments. Everyone has seen the videos of Walmart shoppers who have unusual ways of dressing or not dressing in some cases. I try not to go to Walmart, but I do eat at Cracker Barrel, especially when traveling. I have a few stories about some funny and not so funny things that happened to me in that restaurant.

One thing I’ve learned about Cracker Barrel is that if you go there at a busy time and have to wait several minutes for a table there is no place you can stand and not be in the way. Women love to wait in Cracker Barrel. That is because God made them to browse. They love to look at all the tacky things in the the shopping section where you have to wait. There is barely room to squeeze between the displays holding clothes, toys, nicknacks, videos of old TV shows, local sports teams shirts and memorabilia and just about anything men don’t want. In just a few weeks they will begin putting out their holiday junk. It will start with Halloween, followed immediately with Thanksgiving and Christmas. For four months people will be buying all kinds of dancing ghosts, turkeys, and Santas. Millions of dollars will be spent impulsively on these things that people simply don’t need.

I do have one personal story about eating at Cracker Barrel. We were living in Elizabethtown Kentucky at the time. My brother, Mike, and his wife, Lisa, were visiting my wife and me, and we decided to go have lunch at the local Cracker Barrel. At this particular time period the management there was horrible, and the waitresses were not the greatest.  Many times I had issues with the service there. I complained several times to management, or anyone who would listen. After my brother witnessed what happened on this day he began telling people that the management had put my picture up in the kitchen to warn the workers about me. That is not true, I don’t think.

The waitress came and took our order. I ordered a Ruby’s Fried Chicken sandwich and fries. I don’t think we had to wait very long before our food was served. Everything looked like we got all that we had ordered. I picked up my Ruby’s Fried Chicken sandwich and took a bite. Something didn’t seem right, but after eating a fry or two I took another bite of my sandwich. It didn’t taste bad, but in some way it appeared to be lacking something. I removed the top of the bun to check and see if I could spot the problem. Immediately I saw what was missing—Ruby had left off the chicken!!! I couldn’t believe it! I had gotten a Ruby’s Fried Chicken sandwich without the chicken! Ordinarily, especially after having problems before, I would have been very upset, but this time I just laughed. My brother and his wife were dumbfounded. But I was not surprised.

The waitress came by and asked if our food was good. I said, “Oh yes! It’s perfect except there is no chicken on my fried chicken sandwich.” She began laughing and exclaimed, “I can’t believe they did that again!” After we left I began thinking, ‘Maybe they do have my picture hanging in the kitchen.’

Radiate Christ

“They don’t just talk about Christ, they radiate Christ.” Max Lucado

We had only been members a few months when a lady approached me and said, “I’ve been looking for you!” I had never seen this person in my life. I said, “Well, here I am!” She went on to tell me that her maiden name was Brady, and she wanted to know where I was from. I told her I grew up in Kentucky. She quickly let me know she was a North Carolina Brady. I think most Bradys settled in North Carolina when they came to the new world. She was a funny lady, and I liked her right away. I think we were a lot alike.

Emma was a member of Christ Baptist Church, and she had two jobs; teaching the four and five year old children — and the other (not an office or a position) was a prayer warrior. She loved children and they loved her. Ms Emma could get more out of those little children than their parents could. They could not wait to see Ms. Emma on a Sunday morning. She loved all children, from the smallest to the oldest teens. And she prayed for them.

After Emma and I had finished talking about our blood kinship she asked, “Do you have any grandchildren?” I told her I had three of them, two in Wake Forest and one in Kentucky. She immediately handed me a piece of paper and said, “Write down their names, their ages and where they go to school. I want to pray for them.” I learned that she had a very long list of church members grandkids’ names to go with the list of children and teens in our church. And I understood that she prayed for all of them.

Wow! Isn’t that what we want—a prayer warrior praying for our children and grandchildren? Max Lucado said that these people have one foot in heaven and the other on a cloud. We need people praying for us whose prayers reach the ears of God. We need those who love Jesus and who radiate his likeness.

To quote Max Lucado again, “We need those who will pray for our children.”

“We need them to put passion in our worship.”

“We need them to write songs of joy and sing songs of glory.”

“We need them to kneel and weep and lift their hands and pray.”

A few months ago Ms. Emma and her husband were at a McDonalds having lunch. She  got up to go get something they needed. As this sweet lady made her way from the table, she fell backwards and hit her head on the floor. She was knocked out. The EMTs were called, but they were not able to revive her. She was taken to the hospital, but Ms. Emma never regained consciousness. In a couple of days she went to be with Jesus.

The next Sunday the parents of some of the children were worried about how Ms. Emma’s absence would affect these little ones. One of the little five year old girls came running into the room just as excited as she could be and exclaimed to the others, “Guess what! Ms. Emma has gone to live with Jesus!” That seemed to please everyone of them. There was a time of rejoicing! Indeed Ms. Emma, my North Carolina cousin, is in heaven living with Jesus.

Now, let me ask, Who is going to take her place? Not just at Christ Baptist Church, but in every church across our nation. Who is going to step up and take her place and the place of others like her in your church? Maybe, just maybe, that person is you!

Let It Shine

Right now the sun is bursting through my window, and I am watching tiny specks of something float around the room. I don't know for sure what they are called. They may be dust particles. You would think a man as old as I am would have figured out by now what these specks are. I've seen them all my life. I only see them when rays of sun stream brightly through the window. The specks probably are floating around the room all the time. But I only see them when they are illumined by the radiant sunshine.

Isn't it interesting how we fail to see something that is all around us all of the time because it is hidden due to a lack of illumination? I thought how in my life many things have remained hidden in darkness. Some I had chosen to hide because I was ashamed to reveal them. There were times when I was afraid to allow light to be cast on the good things in my life that should have been seen by everyone. I was embarrassed to speak out or to act because I was afraid I would be laughed at, or that I would not be accepted. Unfortunately, there have been many times that I did not let Jesus be known in my life. That happens in a number of ways for everyone. Anytime we do, say or write something that does not reflect Jesus' love we hide the image of Jesus. The Bible calls that putting our light under a bowl or a basket. The light of Jesus is always in the lives of his people. The world needs to see that light. People need Jesus. Read what Jesus said about this.

Matthew 5:16 Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

The world needs so much to see who Jesus our Savior is. People need to see his love in us. This happens when  we allow the illumination of the Son of God to shine brightly in our lives. In letting your light shine you glorify your Heavenly Father, and bless those whose lives you touch.

Now Where Did I Put My Glasses

In the early 1960's Walt Disney produced a movie called The Absent Minded Professor. The movie is about Professor Brainard (pronounced BRAY-nerd) who teaches at Midfield College. Professor Brainard invents a substance that he calls flubber. The professor is so excited and so involved over his discovery that he forgets to show up to his own wedding. Because of his "absent mindedness" his fiancée, Betsy Carlisle, is left alone at the altar. Throughout the remainder of the movie Professor Brainard encounters many unfortunate but funny disasters, and one that is not so funny as he almost loses the woman he loves.

Absent-mindedness occurs when a person has lapses of concentration. Some refer to this as "zoning out".  This problem is most common in teenagers and senior citizens. Going back to the brilliant absent minded professor it is evident that even very intelligent people are prone to be absent minded. The story is told of the ancient philosopher Thales, who "walked at night with his eyes focused on the heavens, and as a result, fell down a well." My wife is a very smart, intelligent person. She finished college in three years with very good grades. Her problem sometimes is that she becomes so focused on one thing that she has no idea what is going on around her. There have been times when I have interrupted her to tell her something, she looks at me and answers me, but later when I mention the information I shared with her, she has no idea what I am talking about. Distraction, lack of attention and intense focus (hyperfocus) are reasons for absent-mindedness. I have been so lost in thought that I have driven miles past an exit that I should have taken. Very often the reason that we lose an item is that we were too focused on something else when we put it away. There are tragic stories of mothers and fathers who have been so focused on getting to work that they forgot to drop off their child at the baby sitter and left the child in  a hot car all day. I think everyone has had moments of absent mindedness. This fast paced world is very demanding, placing before us many less important objects of focus.

God did not intend for us to be so distracted by the demands of the world that we miss the things in life that will truly bless us. In His Word we find the secret to peace and comfort.  "You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you." Isaiah 26:3. The goal of the evil one is to draw our focus away from God. When that happens our attention is captured by things that prevent us from focusing on what is most important. As we direct our focus daily on God He will guide our minds so that we can accomplish the work that is before us. We will be better at our jobs and we will find more pleasure in performing our tasks. I don't know if is because I am getting old or if I am just absent minded, but there have been times I have looked everywhere for my glasses only to find them on top of my head. A couple of times I searched for my car keys and discovered that I was holding them in my hand. Talk about absent mindedness!

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7

Better Days Ahead

One of the blessings of being young is that most of your friends and family are still living. When we are children we can’t appreciate the fact that our parents are alive and relatively healthy. Friends are forever, life is predictable and we are caught up in the excitement of being young and energetic.

A downside of getting old, if we live long enough to obtain that distinction, is that many of our friends and family members are no longer alive. And a lot of those who are still alive seem to be struggling and fighting to keep going. Parents are gone, aunts and uncles are gone as well as other extended family members. And possibly several of our closest friends are gone. When we get old we find ourselves talking a lot about days long ago. We relish in our thoughts of the good old days which maybe were not as good as we think they were.

For Sherri and me so many of our friends are basically gone from our lives. Having served as pastor in five churches, teaching in three schools and living in several different communities we have left behind hundreds of wonderful friends. I realize that we most likely will never see most of them again, especially since we now live so far away in North Carolina. I have lost touch with friends from childhood that at the time I thought I would be with the rest of my life. I don’t know their children, their grandchildren and in some cases I don’t even know where they live.

So as we get older we talk about people and experiences from our past. We are so much further removed from those days than we are from the time when we will leave this world. I know that my homegoing is not that far away. I’m in relatively good health, but in a few months I will turn 70. So how do we keep from wallowing in the mire of sadness and depression knowing our time on earth is very close?

We survive by enjoying each moment that God gives us with the family and friends remaining in our lives. We continue to spend time with our best friend, Jesus serving him with all of our might. We continue to tell him everything, and trust him to take care of us no matter what a new day brings. But most of all we keep reminding ourselves that there are better days ahead. We can look forward to the time when Jesus takes us to our permanent home to be with him forever. We’ll have a lot of catching up to do with old friends and our dear family. Yet, I assure you, our greatest pleasure will be to see Jesus in all of his glory.

The Cross, a Doorway

The cross, affixed on the top of church buildings all over the world. It is an adornment worn on a necklace by women and men alike. The cross, two pieces of wood, one vertical, the other horizontal, significant only because Jesus died there a death of crucifixion. The cross is a sacred symbol of every Christian’s faith. The cross is the portal, a doorway, by which mankind enters into a the new life made possible by the willing sacrifice of the Son of God, the Sacrificial Lamb. That blood stained cross facilitated the death of pure innocence so that the penalty of our sins would be satisfied. And so we can be released, set free, from the bondage of sin.

This death of Christ was foretold thousands of years before. God’s chosen, made slaves and brutally treated by Pharaoh, were set free one night by the blood of the sacrificial lambs. The lambs were slain, and the blood was applied to the door frames of each household. The people entered in through the blood stained doors thus escaping the wrath of the death angel. The next morning they walked back out those same doors free to enter into a new life. No more bondage, no more harsh treatment from their task makers. Those people left that cruel land with a promise from God that he would take them to a new land flowing with milk and honey.

Those wooden doors in Egypt spoke of the doorway of the cross. Each smeared with sacrificial blood. But the blood of the cross was much more powerful. The blood of the cross was perfect for there was no blemish in that sacrificial Lamb. The blood of our Savior was powerful enough to take away all our sins forgiving us of every one of our transgressions. So we come one by one to the foot of the cross bringing our sins laying them down never to take them up again. The cross becomes our entrance, a portal, into a new life, an eternal life where we will never be under the bondage of sin, nor will we ever be controlled by the one whose desire is to destroy us. A new life, a new home is ours when we walk through the portal provided by the cross. As that old song says, “The way of the cross leads home.” Is your faith and trust in the One who died on that cross?

Christmas in July

We have moved, AGAIN!  Let it be known that I hate moving. Moving is not simply getting your junk from one house to another house. Moving is not for sissy’s. It involves weeks of preparation—preparing the house to sell, waiting to find a buyer, then going through the legal process of the closings on your house and the one you are buying, getting rid of junk you don’t want, packing, finding a moving company, the actual moving day, and there is much more, but here is where I want to stop and dwell for a moment.

I want to mention the day of our move. The movers came early on a Tuesday morning. We had packed only the dishes and some other breakable things. The movers packed everything else. That day was frantic. I was trying to take care of a hundred things at once. Our belongings were going to be in the trucks for two nights while we took care of the closings on both houses on Wednesday. So we had to pack some things to take to our daughters just as if we were going on a trip. I remembered to set aside some clothes to wear to the closings as well as the personal items that I would need. The day of the move I was wearing shorts, a T-shirt and a pair on old worn out running shoes.

After the movers left and we were ready to leave our completely empty house I went upstairs, got my suitcase, my clothes for the closings, and was about to get a pair of nicer shoes when I discovered the movers had packed every pair of shoes in owned except the ones I was wearing. “Oh no! I need some nicer shoes, some move comfortable shoes!” The only pair of shoes I had were the old worn out running shoes. Sherri said, “Don’t worry about it just wear them. You will have the others when they move us in on Thursday.” I didn’t like her plan, but I agreed.

Well, today is Saturday. We have unpacked boxes for two days, boxes that had only a vague description of what they contained. It has been like Christmas in July. Like a little kid I have opened box after box hoping that that the moving Santa had put my shoes in one of them. Disappointment after disappointment until finally a box with shoes. I was excited! I quickly removed them only to find that the box contained one pair of golfing shoes, one pair of old hiking shoes and a pair of heavy insulated snow boots. That was all there was. I wanted to scream. In fact, I think I did.

Today is Saturday! I am still wearing my OLD WORN OUT RUNNING SHOES! What kind of hellish Christmas in July is this? Where are the rest of my shoes? Many boxes still to go. Maybe today will be the day that the good Santa will show up. I sure hope so. I don’t think old worn out running shoes will look very good with the suit I intend to wear to church tomorrow.

Add Some Water

The soup is too thick. The coffee is too strong. The Bible is too harsh. Hell is too hot. God has too much control, and he expects too much from man. What is the answer? How can society solve these problems?

Add some water to the soup, and Goldilocks will be happy. Add more water to the coffee, and it will become weaker. Water down the Word of God, and sinners will feel good about themselves no matter what they do. Water down hell or extinguish it altogether from the pulpits, then everyone can live as they wish and still go to heaven. Water down the character and nature of God. Shrink him so that he will fit in little boxes, then we can control him and make him what we want him to be.

What happens when people do not agree with the sound teaching, the godly teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ?

“They become conceited and understand nothing.

They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions, and constant friction between people of corrupt minds, who have been robbed of the truth, and who think godliness is a means to financial gain. “ I Timothy 6:3-5

I don’t believe I have read anything that better describes what is going on in our nation today. Watch the news. What is being reported today? Controversies, malicious talk, constant friction, corruption, falsehood, suspicions, godliness and all sorts of evil. It seems people don’t care about showing respect for their adversaries, trying to work together in a civilized way, admitting when they are wrong or any of the godly values which used to be the standard for living. Good has become a ridiculous thing and bad has been twisted around to seem good. As Jeremiah 37:2 says, “Neither Zedekiah nor his attendants, nor the people of the land  paid any attention to the words the Lord had spoken through Jeremiah the prophet.”

We are adding too much water to the truths of God.

The Mashed Potato War

Kids get in trouble over the craziest things. Who would ever even begin to imagine that two brothers would consistently get in trouble over a bowl of mashed potatoes? Mashed potatoes, those creamy white delectable sides born of the spud! The caviar of the country dinner table! Not since the Civil War had there been such a skirmish where brother took up arms against brother, both  marching to the beat of a different drum. I suppose if one of us had erected a statue in honor of the potato the other would have protested to have it torn down. How in the world could a bowl full of mashed potatoes be the cause of friction between two brothers?

This conflict I mention was between my brother, Michael Lee, not Robert E. , but Michael Lee Brady, and me, John Paul Brady. Of all the items on our mother’s dinner table mashed potatoes seemed to be the favorite for each of us. Knowing how the other one cherished and adored what was in that bowl there was a race to see who could first dip into it. When I was able to get the first helping I would dip out the biggest spoon full I could manage to get. Always my little brother would protest to our parents, “He’s getting all the potatoes!” If he happened to get his grubby little hand on the mashed potato spoon first I would threaten him with a beating if he took too many. Not too smart on my part because my dad very often excused me from the table, and when I finally got my mashed potatoes they were cold and somewhat sparse.

This kind of thing went on for some time. The battle lines were drawn every time mashed potatoes were served. I remember the day when that war ended; I remember it very well. On that day my mother happened to place the mashed potato bowl between Mike and me. That was a good thing for me, I thought. I was bigger and faster so I knew that first helping of mashed potatoes was mine. My dad had us bow our heads for the blessing on the food. He began his prayer, and as he was nearing the end of his prayer I began maneuvering myself to spring into action as soon as I heard “Amen”. I looked over to get my bearing, and to my surprise that fat little opponent of mine already had his dipping hand on that spoon. As soon as my dad began praying Mike had grabbed the mashed potato spoon waiting for the “ready, set, go, Amen!”

It was on that day of the Mashed Potato War the conflict ended. MP-Day had arrived. (Mashed Potato Day incase you were wondering) That was the day that the war became violent. The first casualties were recorded. Once again I overreacted. I couldn’t help it. The unspoken treaty had been broken. My brother had stepped out of bounds, and as far as I was concerned my only option was to attack. I grabbed Mikes spoon hand which was holding a hefty amount of mashed potatoes. As I jerked the spoon away from him mashed potatoes went flying hitting my mom and my dad. Mike's clumsy counter attack sent the bowl of mashed potatoes flying off the table and onto the floor leaving a big mess and a broken bowl, the best bowl that my mother owned. It was a terrible scene, but it ended quickly.

Apparently, my dad had had enough. Mike and I were apprehended and taken to the woodshed, so to speak. After peace terms were given and accepted by both parties the painful punishment was handed down. My mother had some rules of etiquette to which we had to abide. From that day forward Mike and I had to ask politely to have the mashed potatoes passed. After a time we would object, on occasion, about the amount of potatoes the other one was getting, but always when that happened we were reminded about the woodshed.

God Does Not Skimp

I eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch almost everyday. That is because peanut butter is my favorite food and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich is easy to make. I eat a bunch of peanut butter. My wife buys the largest container of peanut butter she can find. We usually have two or three containers of that precious spread in our cabinet. We never run out of peanut butter or coffee. I am a master at making the peanut butter and jelly sandwich. My jelly of choice is strawberry. Grape will do if we run out of strawberry. When I make a sandwich I apply a generous portion of peanut butter.  Sometimes I will spread peanut butter on both slices of bread so that the jelly is trapped snugly in between the two layers of peanut butter. I never skimp on the peanut butter or the jelly. I do not like a skimpy peanut butter and jelly sandwiche!

I guess it is our nature to want a generous portion of what we like. We appreciate it when someone gives us generous gifts. Most of the time if we are given a really nice gift it is from someone who loves us and cares deeply for us.  Their nice gift is an expression of their love and affection. And who loves us more than God? God enjoys giving gifts. Sometimes we may forget just how generous God is. There is no one who loves us the way God loves us. There is no one who gives the way God gives. The Bible teaches that God lavishes us with gifts. To lavish is to bestow something in generous or extravagant quantities. Notice what God's word says about his lavish giving, "For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he ‘LAVISHED’ on us. With all wisdom and understanding," Ephesians 1:4-8 (NIV)

God lavishes us with his grace--gifts that you and I don't deserve. He takes great pleasure in giving to us gifts which are according to his perfect will. God knows exactly what we need. His gifts are precious, rich, elaborate and priceless. God gave us his most precious gift, the One he loves, his Son, Jesus Christ. This is the grace that he lavished on you and me. Why did he do this? He did it because he loves us. God keeps on giving. He gives us everything we need, more than we need and at exactly the time we need it. God never skimps. He is the generous giver of all good things. We might say that he lavishly covers both sides of our bread.

Unwanted Hair

Everyone over fifty years of age suffers from a very common problem; however, no one likes to talk about it. The plague that I’m referring to is unwanted hair. Our hair follicles betray us, and we end up with hair in places that hair has never grown before. Women struggle to stop the growth of unsightly chin hair or that hideous mustache. Men have hair growing out of their ears, on their ear lobes or massive growths of hair coming out their noses. The eyebrows pose another problem for both men and women. It is amazing the way hair grows in that location. There are always those rebellious hairs that refuse to conform to the growth pattern of all the other eyebrow hairs. They run amok by corkscrewing, twisting this way and that, and of course there are those gray ones that grow faster and longer and more coarse than the others. Actually, the eyebrow dilemma is the reason that I address this unwanted hair issue.

Before I get into this I want to offer an apology to all of my jock buddies. I am about to mention something I have done that may make you throw the yellow flag on me for unmanly-like conduct. You may say that I’ve stepped out of bounds by revealing more of my feminine side than you care to hear. For this I am sorry, but before you disqualify me completely I want you to realize that what you are about to read may save you from great pain and anguish someday.

A couple of years ago my wife suggested that I go have my hair styled at the place where she got her hair done . I balked at first, but finally agreed to go. She got me an appointment with a real cute young lady named Dana. I was given the same treatment that all of Dana’s customers got. She took me back to a room where I was told to lie down on a padded table. The first thing I noticed when I walked in the room was that it was dimly lit with the sound of beautiful soft oriental music. My head rested comfortably over a sink where Dana began the shampooing process, massaging my head the whole time until finally warm water rinsed away all the suds. I’ll have to admit it was a very relaxing experience. We then went back to Dana’s chair where she cut and styled my hair. I was surprised to be taken back for another shampoo and then came an absolute first for me. Dana began spraying something from a bottle that fell as a soothing mist covering my face -- something that smelled so good. Then she began rubbing my forehead, my cheeks, my chin, and all over my face. I thought, “man this feels great!” I can look forward to something like this! When Dana finished she laid a hot towel over my face, and I just relaxed for a while almost dozing off. Finally, it was time to go back to her chair where my hair was blown dry, combed and jelled leaving my hair looking like it had never looked before. It really looked good and the whole experience was fantastic.

From that day on Dana became my personal “barber”. She most likely would not want to be called a barber. Her place is nothing like the barber shops where I used to go for a haircut. No spittoons, no hair all over the floor, no Field and Stream magazines laying around, no dirty jokes being told by some old man just passing the time of day, nothing at all that looked like the places I usually went for a haircut. Dana’s place was nicely decorated, clean, pleasant, a place not only to get a haircut, but a place for a pedicure or manicure, a full body massage, and I’m sure things for which I have no idea.

One day I was getting ready to go to Dana’s to get my haircut, and enjoy the usual relaxing treatment that I had on my first visit and each of the times I’ve been since. Just as I was walking out the door my wife said, “Tell Dana to do your eyebrows.”

Men, remember this phrase, “Do the eyebrows”. I can tell you now I did not know what that meant.

I was aware that my eyebrows needed attention. I would try to grab some of those wild gray hairs and pull them out, but unfortunately, those nonconforming hairs had gotten away from me. My eyebrows were taking over my forehead. I knew I had problems because every time I went outside small birds hovered over my head waiting for a chance to nest in that thick bush above my eyes. When my wife said, “Have Dana do your eyebrows”, I thought she would just take the old clippers and thin them out and trim them up. Simple enough, I thought.

So when I sat down in her chair I said, “Dana, could you do my eyebrows?”

That was one of the biggest mistakes I’ve ever made. Everything started out just as always. Nice shampoo, back to the chair for the haircut, back to the dimly lit room, nice music, padded table, another shampoo, good smelling mist to the face, massage the face, hot towel, heaven all over again. Then, all hell broke loose! The towel was removed. I lay there relaxed, on the verge of dream land, and I felt a sharp pain just above my eyes. Dana was plucking my eyebrows. Not a pleasant thing, but I could take it. I should have expected that. There was a lot of plucking, and I was relieved when it was over. I was ready to get up when Dana started rubbing my face again. I thought, I can certainly handle some more of this, especially after the pain from the plucking. The rubbing felt good and in the right place too. She was rubbing right between my eyes. That felt wonderful, yet kind of strange. Then the rubbing felt more like a pressing.

“What is she doing? She’s never done this before!”

I’m not sure what happened next. There was a deafening sound; a ripping sound that I’m sure was heard all over the shopping area. I may be exaggerating, but one thing I can say for certain, I was in great pain -- no, it was excruciating! I was relieved that my vision was still in tact; no damage to my eyes. She had ripped about two layers of skin from between my eyes. No warning -- no one, two, three, go. There was no, “this may sting a bit”. No piece of wood to grip between my teeth. No, I had just learned what, “Doing the eyebrows means”. I had just experienced my first and last unibrow waxing.

I was fully recovered in about a week. For three or four days I displayed what appeared to be a misplaced bindi between my eyes, and I‘m certainly not an Indian woman.

Someone would say, “What’s wrong with your head?’

“Just a little rash”, I said, preferring not to discuss it.

At least my eyebrows looked nice. Actually, I think nice looking eyebrows are overrated. One thing is for sure. I will never again say, “Dana, would you do my eyebrows?”

　

Raining Cats and Dogs

Right now, early Saturday morning, I am listening to the downpour of a noisy rain. My first thought was, “It’s raining cats and dogs!” I’m sure most of you have heard that funny little saying. I’ve heard it all my life. We all know that small animals don’t fall from the sky during a rainstorm.  So where did this come from? There is a theory that cats and dogs were washed from the thatched roofs in England during heavy rain. It was thought that in the 1500’s dogs and cats slept on the roofs to keep warm by snuggling in the thatch, and during heavy rains they were washed off the roof. This is a widely repeated tale. But how did dogs get up on the roof; and no self respecting cat is going to hang around on a roof if it begins to rain.

There is another theory which some think explains the saying.

“Jonathan Swift described the streets being awash with the dead bodies of animals in his satirical poem 'A Description of a City Shower', first published in the 1710 collection of the Tatler magazine”: Sweeping from Butchers Stalls, Dung, Guts, and Blood, Drown'd Puppies, stinking Sprats, all drench'd in Mud, Dead Cats and Turnip-Tops come tumbling down the Flood.” That’s pretty gross. I tend to think that this theory fails to explain why someone said, “It’s raining cats and dogs.” But if would be nice to keep it going so that our children and grandchildren can wonder about such a thing happening.

If you think about, it isn’t it amazing that water falls from the sky? In just a few minutes the harsh summer heat is washed away, and the grass and plants and trees get a respite from the burning sun. The lakes and streams are replenished. We welcome a good soaking rain that breaks a dry spell. I love to sit on the porch and listen to the rain, watch the lightning and hear the thunder. Rain on a tin roof is calming and even therapidic it seems. Water from the sky; another blessing from God for us to appreciate and be thankful.

No cats or dogs were injured in this word rambling.

Where Might You Find God

This morning nothing was coming to me. I drew a blank trying to think of something to write. Finally, the story of Elijah, when he was running from Jezebel, crossed my mind. Elijah was afraid and depressed. His get away eventually led him upon a mountain hiding in a cave. The Spirit of God told him, “Go out and stand at the entrance of that cave on the mountain for the Lord is about to pass by.” There at the opening of the cave a mighty wind unlike, I suppose, anything any person has ever witnessed, literally tore massive rocks apart. But God was not in that wind. Next there  was an earthquake, but God did not present himself in the violent shaking of the earth. What I assume was an incredible fire appeared before Elijah, and once again God did not appear. Three displays of the power of nature did not reveal the Almighty God. Then seemingly out of nowhere Elijah heard a still, small, gentle whisper. It was in that diminutive, sweet whisper that God revealed himself to this frightened prophet.

God’s presence fits in all sizes and dimensions. He is not limited by any of our measurements, our timing, or our ideas of grandure. Our expectations of what will satisfy us or give us lasting happiness pale in comparison to even the simplest of God’s revelation. God is often found in our weakest, most vulnerable situations as we hustle and bustle through life. He brings us peace and joy in those quiet times when a cool gentle breeze kisses our face or when that smallest of hummingbirds appears right before our eyes making his motor like humming sound. God’s message for me this morning was, “Be still, be quiet, and know that I am your God.” No fanfare needed! No giant fireworks display required! Only a moment when you are still enough to hear me whisper in your ear that I love you and will always be with you!

Seeing God

God sits on his throne in heaven where no living human has ever gone. For who has seen the face of God? His glory is too great for mortal eyes to gaze upon. Yet, his essence and a mortals portion of his glory are provided to those who seek him. Those who search for the presence of the Almighty will walk with him and talk with him. “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul longs for you, O God.” “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.” The message of that old song is so true: “He walks with me, and he talks with me, and he tells me I am his own.”

Last night I was walking my usual path through the neighborhood. The air was cool following a nice rain after a very hot day. I had just finished listening to a wonderful sermon, my mind freshly on the Father, when I looked up at the sky. I was overcome with a feeling of wonder and amazement by what I saw. There in the clouds at the dusk of day I saw Him. Not his face, not his form, nothing that anyone would normally conclude as any type of being, but what I saw was the presence and the essence of the Almighty. I found myself in a moment of praise and worship. Not to the clouds or the sky, but to the One who for that instant revealed himself to me.  

Praise to the One who created the heavens and the earth. Praise to the One who is omnipresent. There is no place we can go that he is not. He encompasses the heaven and the earth. More than we desire him he desires to be with us because he loves us. Seek him as you would seek a great treasure. Seek him now while he may be found. Praise the Lord God Almighty!

The First Thing You Do in Heaven

I suppose those who think they are going to heaven when they die have given some thought as to what their first action will be when they get there. Some may figure some loved one will be waiting for them, and that there will immediately be lots of hugs and kisses. I can understand that all of us will be excited to see those dear mothers, fathers, children and friends who have preceded us to heaven maybe many years before. We really cannot assume with accuracy what our first experience will be in heaven. I think our first act in heaven will be something very different than a warm reunion with our relatives.

The Bible tells us something about what is continuously going on in heaven. Isaiah chapter 6 says that Isaiah mentioned that he saw the Lord high and lifted up seated on a throne. That was Isaiah’s first experience of heaven. He saw the six winged seraphim standing or flying above God calling to one another over and over again, “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty, the whole earth is filled with his glory.” Isaiah’s response to all of this was to recognize his unworthiness to be in the presence of the holy God. He didn’t mention seeing any relative or good friend.

What we must understand is that heaven is about God, not us. Heaven is about God’s holiness, not about the selfish desires that had often defined our humanity. Heaven is about worshiping the Lord our God. God will certainly welcome us when we get to heaven, but his welcome will be the most glorious event that we have ever seen. It will be beyond anything you or I can imagine. Our immediate reaction when we get to heaven will be one of humble adoration and praise.

I heard an illustration that describes why the seraphim were saying, Holy, Holy Holy, three times the word holy, not just one.

In Isaiah’s day if a person fell in a shallow hole he would say, I fell in a hole.” No big deal. He got up and went on his way. If he fell in a hole that was deeper he would explain what happened by saying, “I fell in a hole, a hole.” Mentioning his experience by saying the word hole twice would indicate that he may have needed a little help getting out, but he did finally get out of the hole. But if the man fell in a really deep hole, deep enough to injure himself, or maybe he was not able to get out, the incident might be reported by someone else and they would say, “He fell into a hole, a hole, a hole.” To repeat something three times indicated in that time that, in this case, the hole was as big as it could have been. This may seem funny or weird, but for people in that day when they heard Isaiah’s account of what he saw and heard they understood that God’s holiness was beyond anything they could imagine.

People in our society are not concerned about God or his holiness. They are concerned about their rights, their pleasure, being number one, being noticed. Their God is whatever is humanistic. They have no concern for the sanctity of life, just their rights to do what they want to do anytime they want to do it. The liberal slant toward godly values is a slap in the face of God. But God is Holy, Holy, Holy and he is sovereign. He is ruler over all the earth. Understanding and accepting His holiness as the guiding factor in our lives will change the direction of our thinking and our actions. But don’t fret about the delay of your family reunion when you get to Heaven. There will be plenty of time for that in our eternal home.

I Am Pretty Special and So Are You

Someone needs a "pick me up" today. There are times when all of us need a little encouragement. We all have physical, emotional and spiritual let downs that cause us to not feel real good about ourselves. When we experience these “woe is me” times we tend to become our own worst enemy. We need to be reminded who we are. We need to remember that we are really pretty special despite the fact that we may have messed up or that our bodies are not operating at one hundred percent. In case you haven't noticed lately, we are not perfect.

Our worth as a person does not hinge on how well we perform. I don't have to be able slam dunk a basketball, sing on perfect pitch, or be the greatest father or mother to be a person of worth. We don't have to perform our jobs without making a mistake or look like a model on a magazine cover to be a special, lovely person. You may expect too much of yourself. When your expectations are too high you are setting yourself up for certain failure. You were not made to go through life without making a mistake. You were not made to be like anyone else but Jesus.

The Bible says that we were created from dust. Isn't that a humbling thought? We started out as dust balls! I would say that we have come a long way. The most encouraging thing about each of our beginnings is that God created us. The Bible says that we were fearfully and wonderfully made. You were uniquely made. There is no one else like you. You are a wonderful person. You were made to fill a void in this world, one that God the Father sent you to this earth to fill. It doesn't matter what you or anyone else's opinion is of you, you are wonderful. God created you and he loves you. He wants you to love yourself and to love others as you first love him. He wants you to be proud of yourself. Today, right now where you are, you are wonderful. Don't let anyone make you feel that you are not wonderful. The Psalmist said, “I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” And then he concluded, “Wonderful are your works.” Let  this be your prayer of praise today. Thank you Lord for the wonderful work that I am. Thank you for making me the person that I am.

Psalm 139:14

July 4th and Fireworks

In three days America will be celebrating her birthday, 242 years old, I believe. We are still a young nation compared to most nations of the world. 242 years of freedom is something to celebrate, don’t you think? We celebrate in a variety of ways: parades, picnics, barbeques, fish fries, dancing, singing, thanksgiving services, and of course fireworks. There are a lot of people who love a good fireworks display on Independence Day or one or two days before. I’ll have to admit that a well done fireworks presentation is a beautiful, moving tribute to our countries dedication to freedom. But there are firework demonstrations, for lack of a better word, which are completely idiotic nuisances and should be outlawed.

Last night on June 30 about the time I went to bed a fireworks show began just a few houses away. Pop, pop, boom, boom, boom, and that annoying whistling sound, over and over, one right after another. Celebrating our nation’s birthday? I think not! The desire to aggravate the neighbors? Yes! Being disrespectful? Of course! Childish and immature? Absolutely? I heard one final firecracker pop at 3:05 AM. This happens everywhere, every year. And it is just the beginning. It will probably happen again tonight to be repeated well into the week after July 4th.

I would say that parents should be held responsible for allowing their children to shoot off fireworks so late, but often the culprits are adults. They have their reasons for doing this sort of repulsive act,  but I can’t think of any reason for anyone to to be so rude to do such a moronic thing.

Maybe I’m overreacting. The truth is I hate fireworks. I’ve never cared much for them. When I was six years old I got a firecracker, my first one, lit it from the gas burner in the kitchen, and tried to run through the house to the door where I was going to toss it outside. I wasn’t fast enough. That dumb firecracker went off in my hand! And dogs don’t like fireworks either. I say ban firework!