Just A Thought

TIS THE SEASON, YOU KNOW...

2010-12-07T10:23:00.000-08:00

'Tis the season to be... jolly? Maybe "joyful" would be a better fit. Maybe "happy" would work. ANY of them would actually work just fine... if it weren't for people who are dedicated to the proposition of making sure everyone they come in contact with is as miserable as they are!
And while I'm thinking about it, I want to just go ahead and get this off my chest right off the bat. It's MERRY CHRISTMAS... NOT happy holiday... happy Quansa or whatever they call it... it's NOT happy winter festival... it's MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! CHRIST-mas!!! It's the day we have chosen to celebrate the birth of the Savior of all mankind... nothing less... nothing more. It has to do with CHRIST... nothing less... nothing more... NO ONE else but JESUS... PERIOD. If people don't believe in Christ... then don't celebrate the holiday. They should just go about their business and leave everyone else alone so they can enjoy it.
That's why when people say happy holidays or anything except what it actually is, I smile and as politely as possible, say; "Merry Christmas!"
I am absolutely amazed at how many people take on the personality of Ebeneezer Scrooge during this wonderful time of year. It seems to me that the one single character trait that goes missing in far too many people this time of year is JOY... or joyfulness... or happiness... or being jolly. 'Tis the season to be... you know.
It somehow has been appointed by our culture and our society to begin an earnest effort to radically reduce or even eliminate real joy... ESPECIALLY this time of year. And for whatever reason, our culture has decided that the day after Thanksgiving shall be the day that their efforts shift into high gear. We all sit around our dinner tables and express our thankfulness with family or friends, and less than 24 hours later, it evolves into an "every man for himself" mindset that feeds a "don't mess with me" attitude.
I do have to confess that I find the "black Friday" tag they've hung on this particular day to be one of the most accurately tagged days of the year. I also have to confess that I tend to regard ANYONE who would get up and 3:00 am to stand outside in the elements in a long line to save $3.42 as somewhat short on their ability to reason or think clearly.
Personally, I wouldn't get up at that hour, go stand outside in line for 3 or 4 hours so I could proudly tell my friends that I got there first, if they were GIVING the stuff away. That's not being Scrooge-ish, that's just being hip to the scam. Listen, when the store marks the price up by 80% on Wednesday night and then on Black Friday, sells it to you for 70% off... YOU do the math. I don't mean to burst your bubble, but you really aren't saving all the money you think you are.
I've also noticed that "black Friday" is the day when most Christmas shoppers are at the peak of their Christmas spirit. It seems to go downhill from there with each passing day.
The closer you get to Christmas, the less joy you see on the faces of the shoppers. Each day seems to bring out something a little worse in people than the day before. By the time you finally get to the week of Christmas, itself, you'd BETTER not venture out of the house with any expectation of seeing people in the market place having fun... 'cause it ain't gonna happen. In fact, the shopkeepers and poor souls who work in the retail industry are so tired of dealing with grouches and idiots, that by the time Christmas finally gets here, they're exhausted. And those sweet little old grannies will run you over with their shopping cart, frown, growl, and if provoked, call you all manner of unclean names should you cross them... intentionally or not.
Don't get me wrong... I love Christmas. And I love to give and receive gifts at Christmas. But as for me, personally, I'd much rather receive a gift someone made.
I may seem a little old fashioned, but I'd much rather make someone a gift than buy them one. The reason being, that all the while I'm making it, I'm thinking of them... I'm praying for them... and I want them to know that I think they're special enough in my eyes for me to go to all the extra trouble.
Giving gifts at Christmas is without question, an appropriate expression of celebrating this one day a year. After all... this is the day we celebrate the most amazing gift ever given. This amazing gift, given to all men, was given by none other than Almighty God, the Omnipotent Creator of everything. That in itself is mind boggling to me.
The gift tells me that I can know without a doubt that God thought I was special enough to go to all the trouble. And THAT concept is BEYOND mind boggling!!! The Psalmist, a man after God's own heart wrote: "What is man that You are mindful of him?" I suppose the psalmist must have perceived God and all He has done for us to be a "wonderment"... I know I sure have. God, one day, decided to give man a gift... WOW! And no gift... NO gift ever fashioned by the hand of man, regardless of it's craftsmanship, elegance or beauty can even come close to comparing to the gift God gave us.
The gift... a Savior for sinful man. The gift... The one and only means of mankind's reconciliation with a Holy God. The gift... the person of Jesus Christ, of Nazareth, born to a virgin in a rented stall of a barn in Bethlehem, and laid in a manger. The gift... without question, the most amazing gift EVER given.
How can we think of such an awe-inspiring moment in time and NOT be happy? How can we consider that Almighty God had us on His mind and decided that we were worth all the trouble, and NOT be filled with joy?
Maybe we all ought to just lighten up a bit... this is supposed to be fun time. 'Tis the season, you know... but then Hey... It's Just A Thought.

TO MY FAITHFUL READERS... BOTH OF THEM

2010-11-10T10:31:00.000-08:00

Well... a few weeks ago I decided I'd take a short break from writing this little blog. I didn't really realize that such an outcry would arise over my decision. I actually had no idea so many people were actually reading this.
Actually, in real-world terms, I don't suppose the outcry was all that remarkable, but I did have 2 different people ask me about it. I keep hoping for some comments, suggestions, questions, or some other feedback from the readers, but I reckon the 2 folks who DO read it just get busy and forget about it.
Today, I just decided that I'd sit back down here and peck out a thought or two and see if I can't recapture my 2 avid readers' attention before they find someplace else to waste 5 or 10 minutes of their valuable time.
I had a few thoughts to pass along concerning the mid-term elections we all just survived. I intend for this site to remain family friendly and "G" rated, so SOME of my thoughts can't be shared.
I suppose my primary thought about it is: THANK GOD THAT'S OVER! At least we'll all get a nice break from the never ending stream of political ads "approved" by whichever candidate happened to sign the check to pay for it. That is one good thing about an election. The ads, billboards, yard signs and TV commercials finally stop... for about 3 weeks.
We've still a few more days to go before we start seeing the first signs of life of the coming 2012 Presidential election. Not many days, mind you, but a few, and we should all just be grateful for the brief reprieve we DO have.
Now I understand that a candidate has to market his platform... he has to rely on the media to get his message out and define what it is that he stands for. He has to have a way to inform the people of what his intentions are.
On the one hand, there are some who couldn't possibly tell you what their intentions are with any degree of honesty or they'd be laughed out of the contest or thrown in jail. On the other hand, the others can't tell you what their intentions are because they're too busy calling their opponent a no-good, sorry, low-down, lying, under the table dealing, double talking, thief who hates puppies.
And the shame of it all, is that by the time the election finally comes, you're so sick of hearing all the junk you could pull your hair out.
I noticed something this time around, though... and I paid pretty close attention to it. I heard very few openly express their love for this country. I didn't notice many mentions of the greatness of the American people, the strength and courage of the American spirit, or that it is the citizenry of this nation that makes it great, NOT the elected officials.
I didn't hear too many mentions addressing a candidate's respect for and commitment to uphold the Constitution of this country. In fact, what I heard was a lot of ideas and agendas that either undermine the authority of the Constitution or totally disregard it's authority all together.
So I paid pretty close attention to what I was hearing and then I voted for the ones who esteemed that sacred document and honored the intentions of the great men who framed it.
I had another thought... not too many, but another one I can mention. As I sat there and painfully endured the endless string of political ads that popped up with every time out of ever ball game being played on TV, I began to wonder. Why in the world would anybody WANT to run for public office?
I mean stop and think about it. They go back through your whole life and dig up every thing you ever did... and if they can't find anything really bad... they'll spin it in such a way as to make it look bad. And if they STILL can't find anything, they'll just make something up. Listen, if I want anybody to know that it was me that threw that cherry bomb in the toilet during 5th grade recess at Central Ward Elementary school, I'LL TELL THEM. And no... it was NOT an act of domestic terrorism, it was pretty exciting, though, to hear the boom and watch all the teachers and kids run into the boys restroom and see water dripping from virtually every surface... and then watch the teachers as they began to scan the faces of everyone present to see if they could detect a guilty look... which, by the way, they couldn't.
I'm afraid I'd get somewhat agitated if someone was digging up what they could from my past in an attempt to demonstrate my inability to faithfully carry out the duties of the office I was running for. If I wanted anyone to know that I had any part in putting an old 51 Ford sedan on TOP of the Principal's Office building at Stephenville High School on the last day of school in 1967... I'd tell them. But it's not anybody's business, so I'm not telling anybody!!!
Besides, the word of God says that our past is not what's important. If we ask God to forgive us, the Bible says that He us Faithful and Just to forgive us of ALL our sins. So that pretty much takes care of what's behind.
If we put our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior, Redeemer, and Friend, the Bible says that our future is forever decided and established in heaven. It says that our security as His child is not our responsibility, but His... and it also says that He is WELL ABLE to take very good care of it.
So with our past forgiven and our future established and secure, then what really becomes important is NOW. What we do and how we respond right this minute to what is going on in our lives is what's really important... it really is all that counts. And yes... it really is THAT simple.
Say... I was wondering... does anybody know if there is a statute of limitations on that cherry bomb in the toilet thing? But then HEY... IT'S JUST A THOUGHT.

WORDS LIKE: "I WISH I HADN'T DONE THAT"

2010-10-06T08:03:00.000-07:00

There are very few shows on TV, outside of those whose figures are wearing a number, worth watching. Sports on the tube remains almost singularly as a production which clearly has a villain and a hero. It's very simple, actually. You root for "your" team and root "against" their opponent.
That is probably why I enjoy watching sports on TV. I don't have to try and decide whether I'm pulling for the cop or the robber. Things aren't like they were back when John Wayne made movies. You KNEW who you were pulling for... without exception. TV was the same way; Marshall Matt Dillon was the good guy and those despicable villains were the guys you rooted "against".
Today, there are roughly 942 cop shows on TV. And the producers and networks have clearly demonstrated that they've completely run out of ideas. I mean seriously... how many "CSI's" can you have? CSI... CSI New York... CSI Miami. Within another year or two, CSI Hillsboro will be a prime time option. The trouble with "most" of the "police" dramas, is that the supposedly "good" guys are just about as bad as the "bad" guys.
There are a couple of "police" shows that are fun to watch, though. Shows like "Cops" and "World's Dumbest Criminals" are a hoot. The most gifted writer in Hollywood couldn't come up with some of this stuff. Actors, regardless of their abilities, can't accurately portray how dumb some of these real life criminals actually are.
According to the "Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel", on June 4, 1993, Nathan Radlich's house was broken into. The burglars left his TV, his VCR, his watch and a whole cache of other valuables. The only thing they took was a "generic white cardboard box" containing a couple of pounds of a grayish white fine powder. A police spokesman stated that the powder looked very similar to raw, uncut cocaine and that the intruders undoubtedly thought they had scored big. Trouble was; what they made of with was the cremated remains of Mr. Radlich's late wife.
Now try to picture in your mind how excited these burglars must have been when they thought they'd scored "the big one". Got that? OK... NOW try to picture in your mind what their reactions were when they snorted a nice big line of MRS. RADLICH'S remains.
According to the "San Francisco Chronicle", Albert Goldsband nervously walked into a San Bernadino, California bank and handed a teller a hand written note demanding money. The teller, however, couldn't read Mr. Goldsband's handwriting. She studied the note for a few moments and Mr. Goldsband, paying more attention to his surroundings than what the teller was doing, pulled a plastic toy gun from his pocket. Trouble was, the teller, not being able to decipher his handwriting had left to see if her supervisor could read it. Mr. Goldsband panicked and ran from the bank. He ran down the street and ducked into a nearby restaurant. More trouble... the restaurant he picked was one frequented by officers of the San Bernadino Police Department. More trouble... he was still holding his toy gun in his hand. Mr. Goldsband was arrested immediately and subsequently charged with the attempted bank robbery.
I guess, all things considered, that's just a lot to try and remember. I mean, running down the street with a toy gun in your hand is pretty common... isn't it?
From the "Oakland Tribune", Lee Womble, 28, was arrested and charged with robbing the Lafayette Bank in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Authorities reported that Mr. Womble was their primary suspect... in fact, he was their only suspect. Mr. Womble walked into the bank and handed the teller a handwritten note demanding the money, and SIGNED HIS NAME at the bottom of the note!
I reckon he figured if he signed it, that would make it more official... you think?
The "Chicago Tribune" reported that an "alleged" drunk driver was NOT taken to jail after his arrest. According to Police Captain Mike Lanam, the "alleged" drunk driver fled when officers attempted to pull him over. A brief, but rather wild high speed chase ensued shortly after midnight, in which several police cruisers were involved in the pursuit. After losing control of his vehicle, the driver crashed his car INTO THE JAIL!!! The driver was removed from his car and immediately booked into custody.
Does the saying; "sometimes you just can't win" mean anything to you?
I wonder how many of these people, after a little time to think about it, uttered the words, "I can't believe I did that". Come to think of it, I wonder how many times we've ALL muttered the words, "I can't believe I did that... or... I can't believe I said that". It's NOT that we've all said or done things we wished we hadn't, what's remarkable is HOW MANY TIMES we've all said or done things we wished we hadn't... usually being the same things over and over again.
When the Apostle Paul sat down and wrote a letter to the church at Philippi, he gave them AND us some good advice. Philippians 2: 3-5 says: "Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Let THIS mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus".
I'm pretty sure that if I could just get a little better hold of that scripture, I wouldn't be as prone to uttering those words like, "I wish I hadn't___". 'Cause I've read almost everything Jesus said and read about almost everything the Bible says He did, and I can't for the life of me find anything where Jesus uttered those words. Now I also know that we don't have a record of every word Jesus said, but I reckon He never had cause to say that He wished He hadn't done or said something. AND, I reckon Jesus never did let His mouth run away with itself... Gee, I wish I could say that... but then again, I wish EVERYBODY could say that... Oh, don't get mad, Hey... It's Just A Thought!

GETTING OLDER... AND THAT'S OK

2010-09-16T11:34:00.000-07:00

I'm pumped! I'm fired up! Only a few more weeks and I'm going to officially reach retirement age, 62. Now that may sound a bit odd, considering that getting older isn't something most people look forward to, but hey... I'm just glad to still be here. In fact, I'm rather enjoying myself... USUALLY.
Like most people, when I was younger, I thought that there was some magic age; some unknown dot on the timeline of life, where you would suddenly arrive at "old". But in the arena of public interest, I thought I would dispel that myth and give some of the youngsters a "heads-up" about getting older.
First of all, it is not an event... it is a long slow, often painful process. It sneaks up on you, little at a time. At first, you just begin to notice a few things changing, (like your hearing, your eyesight, and the ability to stand or walk) and you laugh it off and go on. Eventually, however, you begin to classify the signals and signs and not only put them in the "Uh-oh" file; you start keeping track. You begin to keep a running total, because it's not one single thing, it's a cumulative total that ultimately determines everything.
There are several categories. Some will go into the "Things I can't do as well as I used to" category. These are the ones you normally laugh off at first and just keep plodding along.
But then as you plod along, you come to the realization that there's another category; it's called "The things I can't do as long as I used to"... including plodding along. Every now and then you have to pause the plodding and rest up a bit. The older you get, the more frequent the pausing and the shorter the periods of uninterrupted plodding. That's OK, though, that's just part of it.
It's funny, too, that other people seem to notice your steady demise before you do. And they're not usually very subtle about letting you know that they notice. Like when you're smack dab in the middle of some physical task, requiring some measure of endurance, stamina, and strength, and someone comes up to you and asks; "Are you OK?" And you can tell by the look on their face that they're asking you a serious question.
You answer between the gasps for air, huff, puff, "Yeah, I'm fine", huff, puff. And then they get an even MORE serious look on their face and ask, "Are you sure?"
Precious and I recently embarked on an adventure. It wasn't intended to be an adventure, but it turned into one. In fact it prompted me to establish another category; "Things I THOUGHT I could do, but I can't".
After almost 30 years of marriage and sleeping on beds we'd bought at a garage sale, a moving sale, an estate sale, or one someone gave us, we decided we'd break down and buy a new bed. Brand new... never been slept on by somebody else, bed.
We mulled it over for 30 or 40 minutes and decided we'd splurge and buy one of those air beds where you can dial up your comfort setting and sleep like Rush Limbaugh says you can. After all, if Rush says it, it's GOT to be right... right? So we did. Of course we had to wait several weeks for it to arrive. The nice people came out to the house and promptly set it up, schooled us again on how to arrive at our perfect number, and then left with our thanks and a big smile on their faces.
It was horrible! Without question the worst bed I've ever laid on. Now this is another indication of getting older. Time was, when I could sleep standing up if I was tired enough. In fact, if I could lay down flat, I could sleep. Hard surface, soft surface, didn't matter. But as you get older, you suddenly come to the realization that you've GOT to have YOUR bed. Not just any bed... YOUR bed. We endured it as long as possible, and then we decided that we'd take advantage of their "money back guarantee". I called the nice folks at the 800 number and asked them to PLEASE come get this thing out of our house.
They did and the nice folks who came and dismantled that hideous torture device still left with our thanks and a smile on their faces. Now this is kind of where the adventure comes in. I have moved hide-a-bed sofas, refrigerators, freezers, and pianos by myself... no problem. Moving something as simple as a box springs and mattress is no big thing... right? Wrong!
My little bride decided that I needed some help. It must have been the expression on my face, or the gasping for air, I'm not sure which, but at any rate, she jumped in there to help me move them from the spare bedroom to our bedroom, until we could get a new "conventional" bed. After knocking down 3 pictures off the wall, cleaning off two shelves full of Sweetie's nic-nacs, and almost crippling my wife when the box springs fell on her foot... we got it. What would have taken me 10 minutes back in the day, took the better part of an hour, almost hobbled my bride, and wore me slap-dab out.
So when you catch yourself doing THINGS that "old" people "used" to do when you were younger, you can just smile and keep plodding along... till you have to rest, that is.
Things like driving that other 6 hours to get home so you can sleep in your own bed tonight. Things like catching yourself checking gas prices at the different places you drive past. (I used to make fun of my Dad for doing that and now I'm worse than he ever thought about being.) Things like going back to the car to get your glasses, because you KNOW you're not going to be able to read the menu without them. Things like buying your clothes because they FEEL good, not because they LOOK good. Things like making sure Thera-gesic, Rolaids, Poligrip, nose spray and Mentholatum are on the Wal-Mart list.
A few other things will also tip you off that you're getting older. Things like not screaming at the little old white haired woman who pulled right out in front of you, but rather just smiling and hoping she gets home OK. Things like not getting impatient with the little old fellow who's counting out his change in the check out line. And things like that crying child not annoying you, but rather putting you to wondering if there's something you can do to help.
Getting old isn't all that bad after all. The Bible tells the story of Abraham and Sarah and how God blessed them with a son, Isaac, when they were both over 100 years old. Perhaps the best clue for us in that whole story is when the Lord told Sarah that she would bear a child even at her age, and the Bible says, "She laughed".
Maybe she laughed because she thought the whole concept sounded ridiculous. Maybe she laughed because she DIDN'T think it sounded ridiculous. Maybe she laughed because she would FINALLY hear the sound of a child in her home, EVEN at her age.
So the next time you discover something else you can't do as well as you used to, or something you can't do as long as your used to, or even something you THOUGHT you could do, but you can't, smile anyway. At least you're not over 100 years old and expecting a baby! But then, Hey... It's Just A Thought.

I'D LOVE TO TALK TO THAT GUY

2010-08-28T10:58:00.000-07:00

You know, there are very few (if any) things more interesting than people. As I look back in time and even look around in the present, there are an awful lot of people I'd love to just sit down with, over a cup of coffee and talk.
There are a zillion questions I'd love to ask some of them. I love to ask Bill Gates; "How did you come up with Windows?... Where'd that come from?" I'd like to ask 4 time NASCAR Champion, Jimmie Johnson; "Does going 215 mph in the middle of 41 other cars so close to you that you can reach out the window and touch them ever scare you... just a little?"
I mean, stop and think about it... how fascinating would it be if we could just sit down in a relaxed atmosphere, lean back in a chair and just chit-chat... pick their brains... or ask them questions.
Just a quick interjection here, to let you know that one of my favorite TV shows is "Texas Country Reporter". I mean Bob Phillips has GOT to have the best job in the world. You travel around the entire State of Texas and talk to interesting people who are doing interesting stuff. That would be the coolest job ever.
There is even a pretty extensive list of people I'd like to ask; "What the #*!-X/ were you thinking??!! I won't go into that list for obvious reasons, but be honest... aren't there people you'd love to ask that question?
From time to time, people send me funny stuff, usually via email, and I got one the other day. It's a list of actual signs posted in various businesses.
On the restroom door of an office building: Toilet out of order, please use the floor below.
In a coin operated laundromat: Automatic washing machines: Please remove all your clothes when the light goes off.
On the door of a London department store: Bargain Basement upstairs.
In an office break room: After coffee break, staff should empty the coffee pot and stand upside down on the drainboard.
On the door of a second hand shop: We Exchange Anything - Bicycles, Washing Machines, etc... Why not bring your wife along and get a wonderful bargain.
On the door of a Health Food Store: Closed Due To Illness.
And probably my favorite on this list was the sign posted on the door of a repair shop: We can repair ANYTHING... Please knock, the buzzer doesn't work.
Wouldn't you love to sit down with the folks that wrote these and (assuming you can quit laughing long enough) ask them if this is REALLY what they meant?
Of all the people I'd love to talk to, there is ONE guy at the undisputed top of my list. One guy stands alone as the man I'd REALLY like to talk to and ask some questions. And if my guess is right, I'd guess this guy is somewhere near the top of YOUR list as well.
I'd love to sit down over a cup and speak candidly, openly, and honestly with the guy who came up with the idea of having people who had a problem or a question, call a toll free hot line and SPEAK TO A STINKING COMPUTER!!!!
The first thing I have to do is "press 1" to be able to speak my native language. Geez that burns my hide. Then I have to sit and listen to a long list of options, (none of which are what I'm calling about), and I usually have to listen to it several times before I'm able to make an educated guess. After I make my choice, then the computer asks me if my choice is actually the choice I made, and I must respond "yes" by pressing 1, "no" by pressing 2, or press 3 to have the list repeated to me again.
Along about this time, my jaws are beginning to ache because I've got my teeth clenched so tightly my gums hurt. But alas, I've finally made my selection and the nice computer simulated lady on the other end thanks me for making my choice and tells me that she will connect me now. Great!!! Except I DON'T get connected now; I get PUT ON HOLD. So then I get to sit and listen to music that I know Satan plays in hell just to torment the poor souls that are condemned to that place, and the awful music goes on for what seems like an eternity.
Finally... some lady, (usually) comes on the line and evidently she's substituting for the English speaking lady whose supposed to be talking to the people who "pressed 1", because I can't understand a word she says. Then after much travail, I finally get my point across as to what my problem (or question) is, and then with a cheerful voice, she tells me that she's not actually who I need to speak with, but if I'll hold on, she'll connect me to someone else. More music... more waiting... then nothing... dead silence... and like an idiot, I still sit there for another 1o minutes before I figure out that I'VE BEEN DISCONNECTED.
It's usually along about here when Precious comes in and sees me with my head in my hands, tears steaming down my cheeks, and my cell phone lying in the corner across the room. She lovingly asks me, "What's wrong?" And I don't have it in me to tell her. I just sort of shake my head and mumble. I know that God regards patience as a virtue, but there are times when I simply don't feel very virtuous. Seems like I remember reading somewhere that the testing of my faith produces patience... But wouldn't it be cool if that worked the other way. Wouldn't it be neat if the testing of my patience produced faith? Now THAT'S an idea... but it doesn't quite work that way.
James 1: 3, 4 says: "Knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have it's perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing."
About the time I think I'm doing pretty well, all I need to do is pick up the phone and call one of the utility companies with a question... then I know that God is not through me yet. But then maybe it's just me, I don't know. Come to think of it, it's probably a good thing I can't talk to the guy who came up with the whole "Let them talk to the computer" idea... 'cause he's the guy I'd ask; "What the #?!*/ were you thinking??!! But then Hey... It's Just A Thought.

A CRACK IN THE WALL

2010-08-13T12:39:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had one of THOSE weeks? You know the kind I'm talking about... the kind of week where you not only have the wonderful experience of visiting both peaks AND valleys, where you not only experience both ends of the emotional spectrum, but you ricochet off of both ends.
In one of those "good news, bad news" situations, you get to the point where you don't even CARE which one they give you first... it just doesn't matter, because you KNOW nothing is as bad as it seems at first, and quite frankly, rarely is anything as good as you might first perceive it to be. It's just all living life. Ups, downs, ins, outs... it's just life as we know it.
Let me catch you up on a "good news, bad news" kind of week we've had at our place.
Bad news: During this summer, the bride and I have noticed that there are some cracks beginning to appear in our bedroom walls. In fact, it's also noticeable that they are getting progressively bigger. The other day my little darlin' called my attention to one crack in particular in our bedroom, which is widening at an alarming rate of speed. I was thinking about stretching a little duct tape over it; not to keep it from getting any bigger, but just in case the dog jumped up there and accidently fell in.
Good news: I happened to remember that when we bought our home, included was a 10 year transferable warranty from a foundation repair company that did some foundation repair on the house before we bought it. So Precious called them up and they said they'd be right out to have a look. Problem solved, right?... well, yeah, but not quite as smoothly as it could have been.
Good news: A nice young man from the company came out a day or two later to inspect our house... at no charge.
Bad news: As he inspected our home on the inside, he would say things like, "Oh...", "Ummm, how long as THAT crack been there?"... "Uh huh"... and MY favorite... "Wow, look at that".
Which reminded me of some of the things professional people should NEVER say in the presence of a client, customer, patient, or victim, depending upon your perception of the professional. For example, you never want to hear your physician or dentist say, "Ooops". You never want to hear the guy you contracted to remodel your bathroom say, "Wow, I need to call Leo to come look at this". And you NEVER want to hear the air conditioning repair man laugh out loud. It's just NOT professional. Anyway, back to the other day.
Good news: The gentleman smiles and says, "Let's have a look outside". As he walks around the perimeter of the house, looking down at the foundation, he's counting; "four, five, six, yeah, there's another one, eleven, twelve, uh huh, yeah, that's good".
Bad news: Finally, he says, "OK, I think I've got it, let's go back inside and let me show you something". It's never good news when they want to SHOW you something.
Good news: He said, "Well, sir, the pillars we've installed on your foundation are doing their job. We can adjust a few of them and that will help"... and then came the word we've all come to dread... BUT...
Bad news: B U T... You currently have 22 pillars installed and you're going to need 12 more. He said that the pillars on the perimeter are just fine, but what we need are 12 more to level the interior walls. He explained it like my house is settling in towards the middle. The outside is fine, but the inside is sinking.
Good news: It's not really that big a deal. He assured me that it happens all the time and that I don't need to be too alarmed. He tells me that they can fix it with no problem. He also tells me that they can level the slab in our sun room by just adding seven footings and that the floor in the sun room will be good as new.
By now I'm feeling a little better about the whole situation.
Bad news: It'll be as good as new for a mere $6,500. AND he would extend the warranty to cover everything for another 10 years.
Good news: I didn't hurt myself when I passed out in the kitchen floor and the cool damp washcloth my little Sweetie used to wipe my face brought me back to consciousness in no time.
When I regained my strength enough to stand up, I thanked him and told him I'd be in touch.
More good news: After the initial shock wore off and Precious and I had a little time to sit down and talk about it, I began to realize that God has blessed us so much and that He continues to pour out His blessings on us. I also came to understand that in the overall grand scheme of things, that this really isn't all that bad.
More good news: The Lord provided the finances to take care of the repairs and our home isn't going to collapse after all. In fact, the Lord made financial provision before we even knew what it was to be used for. When we bought this home, we dedicated it to the Lord. We literally declared the Lord Jesus Christ to be the owner of it, to be welcomed in it, and that we would simply do our best to be good stewards of HIS house. My little darlin' and I have often told others that yes, we live here, but the house belongs Jesus... He just let us sign the papers for Him. And I honestly believe that, that is precisely WHY God provided the finances necessary to make the repairs.
More good news: Every house needs a good, strong foundation. When the foundation is not adequate, the integrity of the structure is compromised. And the same is absolutely true concerning ourselves being a spiritual house... our heart is His home; it is where the Holy Spirit resides... He is at the foundational center of our very lives. But the fact remains that the integrity of ANY structure is compromised IF the foundation is not adequate.
BUT we can trust the word of God, because it says that our foundation is rock solid. It says that Jesus is the Chief Cornerstone, and in 2 Tim. 2: 19 - Nevertheless, the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal; The Lord KNOWS who are His...
And I don't know much, but I DO know this; When we live our lives on the foundation of God's word, we're not going to need an outside representative to come work on it because it's sagging in the middle.
What about the walls of your life? Seeing any cracks? If you do, then there's a good chance all you need to do is get back to the foundational truths of His word, and watch those cracks disappear... But then Hey, It's Just A Thought.

REALLY IMPORTANT INFORMATION

2010-08-05T14:00:00.000-07:00

Hardly a day goes by that some amazing, albeit useless or trivial bit of knowledge doesn't seem to jump up and surprise me. A lot of these little tidbits of information have found their way onto the information superhighway, which seems to be equally super for both the really important stuff AND the unique tidbits that reside in the "Who Cares" category.

By and large, the overwhelming majority of these little gems of information come prefaced with a common phrase: "Betcha didn't know... or... Did you know?"

So with these two phrases fresh in our minds, I feel compelled to SHARE some of these nuggets with you. "Share" is a word commonly used in religious circles defining "gossip", BUT... not here. This is a genuine attempt to impart a little knowledge by "sharing" some of these with those in the camp of the uninformed.

For example; did you know that on the day Judy Garland, of "The Wizard Of Oz" fame died, a tornado touched down in Kansas? Yep... it did.

Are you familiar with the Sagauro Cactus? Those are the tall, skinny ones, usually with two arms that grow upwards, (the ones depicted on Arizona's license plates). I betcha didn't know that the Sagauro Cactus doesn't grow it's first arm until it is at least 75 years old.

Did you know that Pontius Pilate was born in Ireland? I didn't either, but "Uncle John's Bathroom Reader" couldn't just make that up... could they?!

I betcha didn't know that clams can live up to 150 years. Now think about that a minute and tell me how boring YOUR life is! Besides; how many of you have ever heard a clam complaining?

Did you know that it takes 21 lbs of whole milk to make 1 pound of butter? I'm not talking about the fake butter or the low calorie "spreads". I mean real butter. And I'll also bet you didn't know that researchers have done a 180 degree shift in their findings; their findings now clearly show that real butter is better for you than margarine.

I betcha didn't know that the fingerprints of humans and koalas are virtually identical. Even though the arrest rate for koalas is pretty low, you can bet some ingenious inmate that is currently incarcerated somewhere will read that and claim grounds for appealing his conviction.

I guarantee you, you didn't know this; that on average in America, hospitals treat 120 toilet seat related injuries every day. I have a pretty active imagination, but I can't for the life of me figure out how in the world ANYBODY could turn a turn on the toilet seat into a trip to the emergency room... unless they were using the seat for something it was never intended to be used for. Nope... I STILL can't come up with anything. How could THAT happen? Better than that, how could that happen 120 times a day??!!!

Did you know that only 4% of Americans are vegetarians? No wonder 4% of our population walks around looking so hungry all the time. And even though the following statistic isn't included, just for grins, I'll betcha 98.6% of that 4% have at some point, hugged or sung to the plants they now consume. Ummhmm...

Did you know that 4% of Americans wet their toilet paper before using it? WHY would you do that? Probably those vegetarians, don't you think?

I betcha didn't know that on average females hear better than males at every age. MAN... that sure explains a lot. I figure women are smarter than men, too, because men STILL haven't figured out that women can hear what you mumble from the other end of the house.

Here's a good one. Did you know that 20% of drivers on American roads get 80% of the traffic citations? This is living proof that some folks just don't get it.

I betcha didn't know that the leading cause of death in Papua, New Guinea is falling out of trees. That could explain the fact that there aren't any old people in Papua, New Guinea. They don't die of old age, when they hit 100, they just head up a tree somewhere.

And I betcha didn't know that a bullfrog is the ONLY animal that never sleeps.

Reckon why God would pick the bullfrog to stay awake with Him all the time? The word of God tells us in one of my favorite chapters of scripture; Psalm 121: I will lift up my eyes to the hills - from whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to be moved; HE WHO KEEPS YOU WILL NOT SLUMBER. Behold, He who keeps Israel SHALL NEITHER SLUMBER NOR SLEEP. The LORD is your keeper.

Did you know that you can call out to God anytime of the day or night? Did you know He's ALWAYS looking out for us? I don't know about you, but I betcha we all have something in common, and that is that there have been some times in our lives when we've cried out to God in the late night hours and there are times in those long nights when we figure that "God and ME" might just be the only two awake at that hour. Lonliness and desperation can warp our thinking that way, you know. What a comfort to KNOW He's ALWAYS there, and He's ALWAYS awake, and He's NEVER too busy to drop what He's doing and listen to whatever it is we have to say.

So the next time your lying there awake in the middle of the night and you REALLY need to talk to someone... just remember... God's awake, too. And he is capable of doing a whole lot more than just sitting around on some lily pad, eating bugs and croaking. But then again, if all you want to do is sit around, eat bugs and croak in the dark, the bullfrog is up, too. It's YOUR choice, but then again, Hey, It's Just A Thought.

NOW THAT'S A FIRST!!!... OR IS IT?

2010-07-22T14:14:00.000-07:00

Well, here we are in 2010 America and boy howdy... are things ever happening at an amazing clip. If you're politically inclined, meaning that you pay attention to what's "REALLY" going on, and not just getting your information from the media outlets that are under direct control of the Federal Government, such as ABC, NBC, CBS, and CNN, then you know full well what I'm talking about.
If you're NOT politically inclined, then I would like to take just a moment to cordially invite you to pull your head out of the sand, wake up, and snap out of it! Your very freedoms are at stake and your way of life (as you know it) is being threatened. Not just by some foreign enemy who fight their battles as cowards, wearing bathrobes; an enemy who is sworn to kill ALL the infidels in the name of their religion; no sir, not just them, but from within; little by little; quietly as not to attract too much attention.
Some of the most common phrases that hear repeated with more and more frequency go something like: "Can you believe... Did you ever think... Have you ever seen this kind of thing before... Who would have thought..." and so on.
Our President, is without question, a man of "firsts". The first black man elected President... that's a good thing. The first black man elected President whose very qualifications as a legal, natural born citizen of this nation is STILL in question and dubious at best... and that's a bad thing. The first President to bow to a foreign head of state, (more than once)... that's bad. The first President to apologize for American exceptionalism, (more than once)... that's bad, too. The first President to speak of this nation's military service men and women in a derogatory manner... that's beyond bad, that's shameful. The first President to spend more money than ALL the other Presidents COMBINED... and yes, that's bad, too. There seems to be no end to the list of "firsts" this President is establishing for himself. Too bad it's at OUR expense.
But the whole point of this, is to explain that our President is not "THE" President of "firsts", even though I'm pretty sure he THINKS he is. In fact, there is a whole long list of Presidential Firsts. Bruce Fowler's book, "One Of A Kind" highlights a few of the more notables.
James Garfield, (1881) was the first President who could write in two languages AT THE SAME TIME! Garfield was ambidextrous; he could write in Greek with one hand while writing Latin with the other. That's a pretty amazing "first", especially for someone like me who has trouble writing ONE language using BOTH hands.
James Madison, (1809-1817) was the first President whose IQ was a higher number than his weight. Madison is recognized by most as the Father of the U.S. Constitution and he was 5' 4" tall and weighed in at a whopping 98 lbs. One day in Washington, while walking with his friend, Thomas Jefferson, someone remarked that the two of them looked like they were on their way to a father - son banquet.
Grover Cleveland landed a unique first. Twelve years before becoming President, he was the Sheriff of Erie County, New York. When two men were convicted of murder and sentenced to death, Cleveland is the man who put the hoods over their heads, tightened the noose, and sprung the trap door... yep... he hanged two men. He explained later that he did it because he couldn't ask his deputies to do what he, himself was unwilling to do.
Jimmy Carter, historically the worst President, (at least until now) entered the sterling list as being the first President to have claimed that he saw a UFO... enough said... I'm not even going there.
John Tyler was the first President to elope while in office. On June 26, 1844, the 54 year old Tyler snuck off to New York City with the 24 year old Julia Gardiner. They decided to sneak off and get married because they were afraid of what the public would think regarding the 30 difference in their ages. The press found out almost immediately, but as it turned out, Julia turned out to be the most popular aspect of Tyler's Presidency. AND they had 7 children, with the youngest born when Tyler was 70.
And what would have to be my favorite... William Howard Taft, (1909-1913) became the first President who had to be rescued after getting stuck in the White House bathtub. Taft weighed in at between 300 and 350 lbs. One morning he got into the tub but couldn't get out. He had to summon "several" aids to come get him "un-stuck" and help him out of the tub. Taft subsequently ordered a tub that would hold 4 average sized men and that fixed that.
I'm not sure what's going to fix what's happening in America today, short of people waking up to reality by November of 2012 and putting this train back on it's tracks. But I do know this... This too, shall pass. We will survive this mess and we will remain a strong America. So the next time our President pulls a fast one on us for what seems like another "first", we need to remember the words of a man God regarded as the wisest man who ever lived; King Solomon.
Ecclesiastes 1: 8 - 11 [NLT] Everything is wearisome beyond description. No matter how much we see, we are never satisfied. No matter how much we hear, we are not content. History merely repeats itself. It has ALL been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new. Sometimes people say, "Here is something new", but actually it is old; nothing is ever truly new. We don't remember what happened in the past, and in future generations, no one will remember what we are doing now".
So instead of phrases like; "Can you believe... Have you ever seen... Did you ever think..." we could borrow a little wisdom from Solomon and just nod, smile, and say; "This ain't nothing new... and this won't last forever. We get to vote again before too long".
Cheer up America, we'll get through this mess together... but then Hey, It's Just A Thought.

SO, T H A T ' S WHERE THAT CAME FROM

2010-07-13T11:40:00.000-07:00

I have come to a startling conclusion. Not long ago, I spent the better part of a day cleaning, organizing, and re-arranging my garage. When I had finished, it looked great. Everything was in it's proper place and every place was occupied by it's proper thing. It was awesome and I almost separated my shoulder patting myself on the back.
Here we are a couple of months later and the casual observer couldn't tell my garage has been touched in years, let alone weeks. It's got to be done again, but there are some strange goin's on in my garage.
There were a couple of oddities that I first began to notice. In fact, after first noticing, I started paying much closer attention in the hopes of getting to the bottom of what's "really" going on out there. It is the eye, sharpened by years of experience and my ongoing expertise as a highly trained observer, that I credit for finally coming to an explainable, albeit startling conclusion.
There are junk fairies living in my garage!!! Now I'm not one to admit publicly, my belief in fairies, but there's no other logical explanation. I mean some fairies MUST be real... right? The tooth fairy came to see me when I was a little kid. And when my kids were little, just in case one of the tooth fairies, (I figure there's got to be more than one), couldn't make it on time or didn't get the memo with the correct address, I filled in for her.
Back to the junk fairies. The fact of the matter is, the overwhelming evidence of the presence of junk fairies living in my own garage simply could no longer be ignored. Some of the signs I first began to notice were obviously put there on purpose. Let me explain. After thoroughly cleaning up and sweeping the garage floor one day, I came in the house and got me a cold drink of water. I sat there for a few minutes, visiting with my bride and telling her what a good job I'd done and then I got up and went back out to close the garage door, because it was getting late. There... over by the shelves that hold paint cans, on the floor that had just been swept... laid one of my screwdrivers. It happens all the time. Stuff I find in the floor that I KNOW wasn't there a while ago.
Here's another sign I began to notice. A day or two later, I went back out in the garage to get the screwdriver that I KNEW was laying in the floor that wasn't there before... and it's gone! It's not there. I didn't pick it up. I checked with Precious and she didn't pick it up... it's just gone.
Another sign; you begin to notice things in your garage that you've never seen before. I mean it's like you've dug around in one particular corner 25 or 30 times looking for something, and you go back to that same corner one more time and all of a sudden, there's a box of stuff you'd swear wasn't there the last time you looked... in fact, it's a box of stuff you don't EVER remember seeing before.
Or... you go to the third shelf on the second row next to the dryer to get a clean shop towel because your hands are dirty and THEY'RE NOT THERE! They're always there. That's where they always are... but they're gone. You can completely empty the garage, look in every box on every shelf and you ain't gonna find 'em... cause they ain't there! It's the junk fairies... gotta be... no other explanation!
I have no idea HOW they do it, but I DO have an idea of WHAT they're doing. Late at night, or at least when they're sure no one is going to interrupt them, they somehow gather up your junk, sneak it out of your garage, and take it to someone else's garage and leave it there. That would explain two things. First; the reason you can't seem to find your junk that's not where it's supposed to be, is because it's in some other guy's garage on the other side of town. And second; you're not really crazy, because that junk you can't ever remember seeing before is not your stuff at all. You're right... you haven't ever seen it before, because it's somebody else's junk and it came from their garage six blocks down and four blocks over.
That explains the missing and the never before seen junk. But what about YOUR junk that keeps showing up in the floor... or keeps disappearing from the floor? I have a theory about THAT, too. I think they just do that for amusement. They're bound to be laughin' their little wings off at the looks on our faces. But with all things considered, that's OK, too.
The word of God exhorts us to be joyful in all things. Jesus' half brother, James tells us in James 1: 2 "My brethren, count it ALL JOY when you fall into various trials". And if you've ever spent 2 hours out in the garage looking for something you KNOW is out there, but you can't seem to find it for the life of you, then you begin to understand what a trial it can be. So the next time you can't find that box that you KNOW is there somewhere... or you find something in your garage that you've never seen before, smile, and count it all joy. I know you remember the old saying; "One man's trash is another man's treasure", so just be happy about not being able to find your junk, because thanks to the junk fairies, some guy across town just found a treasure in his garage he's never seen before. AND... some of that junk out there in the garage might not be junk at all, in fact, some of it could be a treasure the junk fairies brought to your garage.
I gotta for now, I KNOW I've got a left-handed pipe wrench out there in the garage, and I THINK I know right where it is... But then Hey... It's Just A Thought.

THE RETRACTION

2010-07-09T11:41:00.000-07:00

I come to you today to compose a retraction. I am forced to write a retraction to a previous submission on this site. My mistake was not deliberate nor conceived with ill will or bad intentions, it was quite simply the result of a lack of research and observation. I should have studied the subject matter more deeply, and I should have devoted more time to observing what was really going on. Nevertheless, my previous posting resulted in some hurt feelings, and that has never been my intention.
It is my hope that this retraction will suffice. The hurt feelings I alluded to earlier belong to my dog. You see, a few weeks ago I wrote that my dog is a democrat, and today I intend to set the record straight in the hopes of making her feel better and smoothing out our temporarily shakey relationship.
Now I must also point out that SOME of my research was totally accurate. She readily displays many of the characteristics and mannerisms so obvious and prevalent among democrats. Yes... she does make messes that she has no intention of cleaning up herself. Yes... she does lay around and sleep most of the day instead of working. Yes... she expects to be fed with food that has been bought by someone else. Yes... she is afforded free medical attention when she needs it. Yes... she is extremely vociferous... (that means loud and sometimes obnoxious) and is committed to the proposition that she'll not be ignored, and that her needs be met sooner rather than later. Yes... she will perform and do tricks, but ONLY if there are treats involved after she's done. Yes... she's been educated, but she still doesn't know much about really important stuff. And yes... she does get somewhat indignant when what she perceives as her entitlements aren't forthcoming in a timely fashion. All textbook examples of the mindset and behavior of a democrat.
So as you can plainly see by the above, some of my observations and research was accurate... but to my dismay, and to the dismay of my dog, I have realized it was also incomplete. My dog has gone to great lengths over the course of the past few weeks to point out a few of the things I missed, which led to my mistaken conclusion regarding her political affiliation.
Unlike democrats, who could care less and would rather NOT see you UNLESS you can do something for them, my dog is glad to see me every single time I come through the door. Sometimes I bring her a treat; sometimes I don't, but it really doesn't matter. She acts like she's glad to see me every time, even when I'm empty handed.
Unlike democrats, who are constantly searching for someone to scratch their backs, my dog will climb up in my lap, lie down and and affectionately lick my hand, even if I haven't taken the time to scratch her back first. She has moments of unselfishness and most democrats can't say that.
Unlike democrats, my old dog never seems to have a bad day. She just sort of goes with the flow and all the years I've had her (or she's had me), I have never ONCE heard her blame George W. Bush for one of her own little "accidents". My bride and I were gone much longer than expected one day, and when we got home, there by the back door was a little "pile" she'd left. She just had this "I'm sorry" look on her face, but she took ownership of the doody... she didn't blame in on the dog that lived here before her. She just said, "Yep, that's mine. W had nothing to do with it".
The one thing that finally convinced me that she isn't a democrat, is the fact that she never fails to say thank you when we do something for her. Democrats on the other hand, don't seem to think that's all that necessary. I guess when you EXPECT to get your way all the time, you don't see a real need to express your gratitude. But unlike democrats, my dog never forgets to say "thanks". Sometimes she jumps up and down... sometimes she barks... but she always, and I mean ALWAYS says "thank you". She uses sign language most of the time and she signs "thank you" with her tail. It's just a little short, nubby one, but she can sure use it. When it's wagging 90 mph, THAT means "thank you".
Colossians 3: 15 says: "And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And ALWAYS BE THANKFUL".
I'm not sure my dog is a good sound conservative yet, but at least I know she's not a democrat, and that's a relief to me. In fact, if we just use Colossians 3: 15 as a benchmark, I'd have to conclude that she's a Christian. And she isn't the only one that's got a lot to be thankful for... in fact, I've got more to be thankful for than I can even begin to list. I don't have a tail to wag, but if I did, it would be going 90 right about now... But Then Hey... It's Just A Thought.

Now T H A T ' S Funny!!!

2010-06-27T16:33:00.000-07:00

Having spent almost five years in prison, I've seen, read, and heard some pretty funny stuff. Not that prison is funny, because it's not... but I was there as an EMPLOYEE of the prison system, NOT as one in custody of the system; and being an employee, I was privy to some pretty interesting stories. The moral, however, of all the stories is that crime doesn't pay.
For example, I was reading the other day and came across an article in one of my favorite publications, "Uncle John's Bathroom Reader". They highlighted some interesting plights of would-be criminals. After reading some of the accounts, I almost had to wonder if we REALLY needed as many police officers as we have.
For example; they told of an armed robbery. Two armed bad guys held up a money courier. They pursued the courier at high speed, shooting at his tires before they finally forced him to the side of the road. The courier unhurt, but afraid watched as the crooks jumped out of their car, one of them using a crowbar forced the trunk open, reached in and grabbed a case lying there, jumped back into their car and sped away. They had managed to get away with the driver's first aid kit and left the money.
In New Braunfels, Texas, a guy named Robert was sentenced to 50 yrs in prison for selling drugs to the SAME undercover narcotics officer for the THIRD time in 10 years. At his trial, he pleaded "entrapment". He claimed after 3 yrs in prison (for the first offense) and then 6 yrs for selling to the same officer the second time, a couple of months after he got out, at his third trial he argued that he couldn't be expected to remember what the officer looked like. Now come on... that's funny! You'd have to surmise that old Robert isn't the brightest bulb in the pack.
Another guy learned it's not good to mix alcohol and crime. He was captured by police when the proprietor of a funeral home in Canton, N.Y., called the cops. Seems as though Joel might have had a few shots too many when he decided to break into the O'Leary's Funeral Parlor. He broke in, couldn't figure out how to get out, and since he was drunk, he took off his boots and his pants, opened up one of the display caskets and just decided to sleep it off. The next morning, the owner of the funeral home heard the guy beating on the inside of the casket lid and called the cops. Seems he couldn't figure out how to get of THERE either.
One fellow had some problems with deductive reasoning when he decided that stealing a box of Pop Tarts from the corner convenience store would be worth going to jail for... Now stop and let that sink in for a minute... POP TARTS!!! He managed to stuff the box of toaster pastries into his shirt but the clerk saw him; a physical confrontation followed in which the clerk tore the crooks shirt off as he was trying to escape. He finally managed to make it to the front door and ran outside, whereby he was immediately hit by a pickup pulling into the store's parking lot. Battered but still mobile, the man jumped up and took off running again... this time into the street where he was hit by a passing minivan. After a few minutes, he was able to regain his feet, but the cops caught up with him, hobbling down the street, shirtless and bloody about a block away.
You can't make this stuff up. But you've got to wonder exactly how many neurons are actually mis-firing in the brain for some poor soul to finally come to the conclusion... "Yeah, this is a good idea... or Yeah, yeah, that's what I'll do".
Listen, I know this may sound a little bit TOO redneck for you, but if you NEED a good laugh, or you're having a rough day, check your TV listing and tune in to one of the shows that shows dumb criminals doing dumb things captured on videotape. It's a hoot!
It'll also make you feel a lot better about yourself. NOT better because at least you're not a criminal, but better because ALL of us have pulled some pretty dumb stunts and by the grace of God, no one had the video camera on. Come on, now... fess up. We've ALL done something really dumb before and then immediately looked around to see if anyone saw us do it. It's not a disgrace to do something dumb. The disgrace is when we keep doing it over and over without ever "getting it". Come to think of it, sin is pretty dumb... and a lot of us just keep on without ever getting it.
The word of God exhorts us and encourages us to strive to do better in all areas of our lives. James chapter 4 tells us that it's one thing when we do something dumb (or sinful) out of ignorance, it's another thing altogether when we KNOW BETTER and do it anyway.
And please... TRY to remember... it's kind of like when you're done heating up the left-overs in the oven, the pan is HOT! I don't know about you, but I've picked up more than one hot pan in my life... and yes... I DO know better... but then Hey... It's Just A Thought.

AHHH... THE COWBOY LIFE

2010-06-24T11:06:00.000-07:00

Much has been written about the romantic lifestyle of the great American cowboy. The quiet, but always apparent inner strength, the true enjoyment of the simple things in life, the uprightness of character, the work ethic, and the integrity of a man who can be taken at his word are just a few of the traits attributed to the cowboy. Now I'm not talking about the rodeo cowboys who are nothing short of amazing professional athletes competing for a national championship. No sir... I'm talking about the working cowboy who plies his skills and experience on working cattle ranches from before daylight till often well after dark, every day all across this land.
A lot of what's been written was written ABOUT the cowboy and not BY a cowboy. A real cowboy doesn't really see the romanticism in always being three days behind; and in gathering, sorting the culls from the keepers, branding the yearlings, castrating the bull calves, pregnancy testing the heifers, vaccinating, and moving cattle in 100 degree heat, and being short of good help by about three hands. They just see it as what has to be done and so they go about the business of doing it... without complaining or whining about it.
Having always loved the cowboy lifestyle and the western heritage of this land, I've had the pleasure of meeting and getting to know some men whose lives exemplify everything that being a cowboy stands for. And it was in the company of these men that I fully realized I wasn't even capable of carrying the light for these guys. Most of them have forgotten more about horses or cattle than I would ever hope to know, but it did not then, nor does it now limit my desire to spend time in the company of real cowboys. I don't count myself to be a real cowboy, because I've been bucked off too many horses, fell off a few, and let way too many calves get away to be considered genuine. But I do love the cowboy life.
And as hard as they work, there's still occasionally time to relax and have fun. There was a time when several of us gathered up one day at the practice pens, (sort of like an arena) and we were team roping. We'd take turns working on the ground, while others would rope... (that's horseback and footback for all you not familiar with the terminology).
I happened to be footback and it was my turn on the gate. As soon as the ropers were ready, they'd give me the nod, I'd jerk the handle, the gate would fly open and the steers were off the races with the ropers in hot pursuit. We were having a ball. A friend of mine whom we'll call Kenneth was loading the chute. He'd crowd the steers into the chute, shut a small gate, (actually it's just a bar about waist high), behind them so they couldn't back up and when one would leave, he'd bring another one up. A couple of other guys were helping out on footback as well... one inside the pen and one out. Everything was just sailing along smoothly until we sort of ran into a snag.
The steer was in the chute, Kenneth standing behind the steer with the bar in place, my hand on the lever, the ropers were ready... the nod... I jerked the handle and the chute flew open... and the steer just stood there. He didn't move a muscle. The horses lunged forward, Kenneth reached up and slapped the steer on the rump... nothing. Now about that time, one of the other guys was standing there sort of beside Kenneth, but outside the chute and he figured he had the sure fire solution to the problem and a means to put the beast to flight. He had a "Hot-Shot", (or for all you not familiar with the terminology), a battery powered cattle prod that would deliver a harmless, but yet extremely noticeable electrical shock to the animal. With all the commotion going on, he just reached up and poked the steer in the flank with the "Hot-Shot".
None of us were prepared for what happened next. I don't want to be crude, but I DO want to be accurate. Immediately following the short buzz of the hot shot, the steer "bellered", and then there was a sound that really does defy description. Let me just try to explain it by saying that the animals bowels went into full firehouse mode. I wheeled around and looked at Kenneth and here again, this is hard to describe, but in a strip about eight inches wide, from Kenneth's boot tops to his hat brim, the only thing that wasn't GREEN were whites of his eyes. That steer painted an organic racing stripe right down Kenneth's middle.
The steer calmly and slowly walked out of the chute into the arena, Kenneth looked around at me and he said: "It's a good thing my mouth was open or that would have hit me right in the face!" By the time we all got through laughing, the sun was going down and our sides hurt too bad to keep roping so while one of the guys was leading Kenneth to the horse trough to clean up, we just called it off and decided we'd try again in a few days.
It's been a long time since that day in the practice arena, but Kenneth's words still live on in my mind. Never before or since, have I witnessed such a sterling example of a positive attitude. We can be rolling along through life, having a great time and all of a sudden, life's "stuff" will hit us right in the face. Question is; how are we going to deal with it? Philippians 4: 8 says: "Finally brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy - meditate on THESE things."
And try to remember, a positive attitude will help you the next time you're just cruising along through life and all of a sudden something unexpected hits you right in the face. Just try to find somebody to help you get to the horse trough... it'll usually wash right off. But then Hey... It's Just A Thought.

BOY... THAT WAS DUMB!!!

2010-06-17T08:35:00.000-07:00

I was just perusing a recent article in one of this nation's most prominent intellectual publications, (Uncle John's Bathroom Reader), that lifted my spirits a bit. Not that I usually need my spirits lifted, because I try hard to enjoy life and have a good time.
Every now and then, however, we all say or do things that make us feel dumb. Come on, admit it, you know it's true. All of us are afflicted with occasional brain locks that result in some unforeseen calamity that we immediately HOPE no one saw or heard. I honestly believe that each and every one of us have uttered a phrase under our breath that resembles; "I can't believe I did that... or... I can't believe I said that... or... I hope nobody saw that". We have all survived one of those (hopefully) rare moments when we feel REALLY dumb.
But I have some good news to share with you. Next time you find yourself in that precarious position, just remember that you're probably smarter than you think you are. The human brain can hold and process 500 times the amount of information and data contained in a complete set of the Encyclopedia Britannica. 500 times! Now that's pretty impressive, don't you think?
And just to add to your comfort, be very sure about this... you are not the only person who has those shining moments. Lawyers are among the most highly educated professionals our society has to offer. They're also some of the least respected, but they're very highly educated. Their brain may hold up to 503 times as much information as the encyclopedia... (that's just a guess). I don't know how many years they have to go to college to become a lawyer, but I do know that after a 4 year college degree, then they have to go another several years to become an attorney. Probably because it takes that long to shave off the sharp edges of their inherent integrity, learn the fine art of making deals in the interest of expediency, and discerning that the United States Justice System usually has very little to do with justice. At any rate, they are considered some of our nations sharpest and brightest professionals.
Below are listed some interesting exchanges from actual court transcripts, between attorneys and witnesses.

Q: Respiratory arrest means no breathing, doesn't it?
A: That's right.
Q: And in every case where there is a death, there is no breathing, correct?

Q: Are you qualified to give a urine sample?
A: Yes... I have been since birth.

Q: Are you restricted in some way by having your third finger shot off?
A: Yes, a little.
Q: What could you do before the shooting that you can't do now?
A: Wear a ring.

Q: Do you recall examining a person by the name of Rodney Edgington?
A: Yes
Q: Can you tell the court what you were doing.
A: Performing an autopsy.
Q: Where was this autopsy examination taking place?
A: At the Coroner's lab.
Q: Do you recall approximately what time this examination took place?
A: Yes, it was in the evening, at about 8:30 pm, I believe.
Q: And Mr. Edgington was dead at that time, is that correct?
A: No, you dumb @#*, he was sitting on the table and we were talking about why I was doing an autopsy.

Q: How many trucks to you own?
A: Seventeen.
Q: Seventy?
A: No, seventeen.
Q: Seventeen?
A: Yes, seventeen.
Q: So you own seventeen trucks?
A: No, just one more than sixteen.

Now don't you feel better? Even the brightest minds our universities have produced are subject to those moments when the neurons just aren't firing like they ought to. And we can even look at the word of God find that some of God's most trusted servants suffered from the same thing.
Take the apostle Paul for example. In the 7th chapter of Romans we see what looks familiar to us. He says, (using the modern day Texas vernacular), Look, I know what I'm supposed to do, I just have a hard time doing it sometimes. What I know to be right, I don't do, and what I know to be wrong, THAT I do.
Now before you get on me about this passage, I KNOW he's talking about sin. But then when you stop and think about it, some of our dumbest moments, some of the things we say or do that ultimately make us feel the dumbest, are instances when we step off into sin and out of God's will for our lives... right? I don't know about you, but there have been times in my life when I've gotten off track, sinned in the eyes of God, and along with the contrition and sadness at disappointing my Father... at some point after a plea for forgiveness, that thought inevitably comes to mind... "Boy... THAT was dumb!"
But we all ought to be a little less hard on ourselves, because as long as we're on this side of glory, we are all going to have to deal with THOSE moments... but then Hey... It's Just A Thought.

THE REAL MAX

2010-06-10T11:57:00.000-07:00

I've been told, for almost as long as I can remember, that things are rarely what they seem. And the older I get and the more miles I put on, the truer that statement seems to be. I should have known all along. The Lord demonstrated this very concept to me back when I was in college, but like so many other things back then, I didn't catch on right away.
I played ball with a guy named Max from Fort Worth, TX. Now Max was an odd sort of a critter with an amazing sense of humor. He was a hoot to be around and always in the mood for something fun. In fact, even his appearance was a bit amusing. Now as I try to paint this picture, remember this was a long time ago; the late 60's to be exact. Things were definitely different then.
Max played defensive nose tackle. He was relatively short at just a notch under 6 ft. and he weighed in the neighborhood of 225 or 230. He was built similar to a cement block. By that, I mean he was almost as thick as he was wide and when he would get down in his stance, his center of gravity was about 1/2 in. off the ground. All the offensive linemen hated trying to block the guy because he was like trying to move a speed bump... might near impossible.
He had blonde shaggy, curly hair, big old lamb chop sideburns, his eyes were real close together and his cheeks looked kind of like a squirrel who was stocking up on nuts for the winter. OK... now y'all got a mental picture of what Max looked like.
One afternoon, after workouts, Max and two other guys piled in my car and the four of us headed for the Dairy Queen to get something to drink. Nothing out of the ordinary; no indication of what was to come.
As we pulled up in front of the DQ, it just so happened that two young ladies pulled in at the same time. Both were obviously about our age, probably college girls, but none of us knew who they were and both were really cute. Max began pawing at the back of my seat, and in a frantic tone began saying "Lemme out! Lemme out!"
He got out and made a bee-line for their car. He opened the passenger side door for one of the girls and in a voice none of us had ever heard before, very articulately introduced himself and asked their names. He was being quite the gentleman and the three of us were just watching in a bit of amusement. It was a hot day and he very politely said to them, "I was about to have a banana split, would you ladies allow me to treat you to the same? I would love to buy you both a treat of your choice".
Now these two girls gave each other a quick glance and with a smile told Max that that would be great. He ordered for the three of them and then, as any gentleman would, pulled out chairs for them sit down and told them to have a seat, he would be glad to bring them their treats.
Now my two buddies and I just kind of sat there in our booth, not saying much, just watching. We were all three in awe. None of us had ever seen our friend act so refined and polite. To be honest with you, the three of us were pretty impressed by the whole deal.
Max carried the three banana splits to their table and sat down with them. The girls started eating and Max was just chatting away, making small talk, but all the while he was making an impression on them... AND us. They would laugh and talk and the only word that comes to mind that would describe Max's interaction with these girls is "charming". I know that sounds funny coming from me, but that's the only word that really fits... he was polite, he was being a real gentleman... he was... charming.
The three of us sat there in our booth in dumb-founded silence. I mean this fun loving, always into something guy that we all three thought we knew was giving us a lesson in how to be cool for the ladies, and I have to be honest, we were all three impressed.
The girls were almost done with their splits and one of them said to Max, "Aren't you going to eat yours? You haven't even touched a bite. Please, go ahead, don't let it melt".
Max stopped, looked down at his half melted banana split, looked back up at them, smiled and said, "Oh, sure... thanks". Then without blinking an eye, reached down with his hand, picked up a hand full of semi-melted ice cream and crammed what would fit into his mouth with the rest running down his cheeks and off his chin onto the table, while making some sort of primal grunting noises.
The looks on those two girls' faces was beyond description. They literally scrambled to their feet and were out of that place in flash, running to their car, taking quick glances over their shoulders to make sure this guy wasn't following after them. As they dashed out the door, Max called out after them, "WHAT??? What did I say???"
You can probably figure out what our trip back to the dorm was like. It didn't take long for the word to get around about our old buddy Max. From then on, when he'd be introduced to someone, they would invariably ask, "Are you THAT Max?" He'd smile and ask if they wanted to go get some ice cream.
Now I shared this story with you, (which IS a true story, by the way), to illustrate the point that you and I run into folks like Max all the time... Especially folks who pride themselves in how "religious" they are. When we first meet them, they're polite, kind, considerate... even charming. But if we hang around long enough for the ice cream to melt, we begin to get a little clearer picture of who they really are when they finally get around to eating it.
God's word encourages us to be more concerned with who we are than trying to paint a picture of ourselves that we hope someone will like. We will be judged by the fruit we bear rather than how well we tell others about the beauty of our blooms. But then... Hey... It's Just A Thought.
Well, I need to go. Gotta check and see if we've got any ice cream in the freezer... And find the spoons.

THE DAY OF THE BIG GARAGE SALE

2010-05-24T12:58:00.000-07:00

There are very few things that can get my bride's motor running faster than one of her daily trips to the neighborhood Wally-World. One of them, however, is a good garage sale. I've seen her excitement level go from "normal", (which is way yonder higher than mine EVER gets), to "Off The Chart" just at the sight of a fair sized, well organized, neighborhood garage sale. She automatically shifts into a higher gear without even realizing it.
It must have something to do with the tables lined up holding several hundred nic-nacs, clothes hanging on a makeshift rack of some kind... and I'm talking LOTS of clothes, gently swaying in a morning breeze. We'll be driving down some street... any street... and as she carefully surveys the landscape ahead of us, she spots one 2 blocks ahead on the right!!!
She immediately perks up, she leans forward, straining against the seat belts, eyes fixed like a hawk, and she begins sounding the alarm... "Pull over!... Pull over!... There's a garage sale!" Usually before I can get stopped, safely parked out of the traffic, she's got her little hand on the door handle, seat belt unbuckled, purse carefully draped over one shoulder, telling me she'll be right back, all the while NEVER taking her eyes off the prize.
It's kind of amusing to me to watch her go. I usually sit there in the pickup and watch her as she evaluates the worth of the plunder. And I'm also amazed at how rapidly she can pick up and look at every single one of the available nic-nacs and look at every article of clothing being sold; and with one sharp glance, tell if it's the right size, if it will go with something she's already got, and whether or not it's priced too high. In a matter of minutes, she's looked at everything, picked out what she wants, plucked her $1.75 from her wallet, paid the seller, folded the clothing over her other arm and heads back to the pickup... with a huge smile on her face. It really IS fun to watch her do her garage sale thing.
As I may have mentioned in an earlier post, our own garage has been in danger of collapsing under it's own weight for quite a while. We had a little... and I DO mean little pathway we could walk through to get in or out of the garage. And a lot of what occupied space in our garage was strategically placed so when we had OUR garage sale, we could easily get to it, get it out, and get it ready to sell.
Last weekend the big day finally arrived. We purposed in our hearts that Saturday would be the day we finally get rid of a lot of the junk taking up space in our garage. Now I think I mentioned how much fun it was to watch Little Red go garage sale-ing, but that's nothing compared to watching her HAVE one. She spent 3 days out in the heat, in the garage, getting her stuff ready. Friday night, I went around and stapled up some signs in various places that would maximize our marketing effort. That means I stapled them to some telephone poles at busy intersections. Early Saturday morning we both woke up early... (it must have been the excitement), and got a good early jump on it. I got up at 5, gulped down a cup of coffee, jumped in the shower, gulped down another cup and then started dragging out and setting up some folding tables. I tied one end of a swing chain around the middle support between our garage doors and the other end to a metal glue clamp stuck in one of the holes in the bed of my pickup... Then I just drove until the chain got REAL tight... I mean REAL tight. And Voila... the clothes rack was completed. (Does the term, "Redneck" mean anything to you?) We started rolling, carrying, dragging, pushing, pulling, and bouncing stuff out of the garage to begin the merchandising of our wares. Sometime between 6 and 6:30... (it was STILL dark)... I'm still hauling stuff out of the garage and this guy drives up, gets out, and says, "You don't mind if I look around, do you?" I couldn't help but laugh... "Sure, go ahead", I said as I continued my task.
He had a similar anointing as my bride's except he wasn't NEARLY as fast as she is, because he pretty much looked at everything at least once, but it took him a little while. By a few minutes after 7 it was ON. Once the duties of the pack mule was over, I could just pretty much sit back and watch the show.
Not only was it entertaining to watch people as they browsed the stuff and made their selections, it was a great deal of fun to watch my Little Darlin do her thing. She never quit smiling, laughing, and having fun. She treated every person who came up like she'd known them all her life. When they'd come up wagging a small child, she would immediately go to her stash of small stuffed animals, select one and give it to the baby. People would buy something, ask about something else and she'd say, "Oh, you can just HAVE that".
It was non-stop from 6:30 to about 1:30 pm when we finally shut it down. I don't have any idea how much stuff we sold or gave away, but when we finished, we put the remainder in the back of my pickup and hauled it Goodwill. And the back of my pickup was NOT full, so I'm guessing we sold or gave away somewhere in the neighborhood of 3 to 4,000 lbs. And my little Sweetie did it all with a song in her heart and a smile on her lips. Last Saturday, she sort of put legs on the scripture, Philippians 2: 14, 15 which says: "Do everything without complaining and arguing so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people." And the reason I know she put legs on it, is because not one person walked up our driveway who wasn't shown the bright light of Christ living in the heart of one of his children.
And as amazing as all that was to see, what's even more amazing is realizing that my garage has a concrete floor in it. I haven't been able to see it in a long time, but it's a good solid concrete floor... amazing! Now if I can just find that old hammer... the one with the handle cracked... I know I saw it somewhere out there in the garage. I haven't used it in several years, but I NEED it today. You don't think it might have been put in the garage sale, do you?... Oh well... It's Just A Thought.

THINGS AREN'T ALL THAT BAD

2010-05-10T19:38:00.000-07:00

Aren't you proud of how well the Federal Government has performed it's Constitutional mandate to "look out" for the well being of us poor old ignorant masses known in the circles of the elite as "common folks", especially when it comes to looking out for our health? I mean are you having problems controlling all those warm fuzzy feelings you're having every time you think of our duly elected officials and how seriously they're taking their charge to "represent" the wishes of their constituency? I know I am!
What was termed the "Health Care Debate", will very soon take on the name of "The Health Care Debacle". I mean, it ain't like health care isn't expensive enough NOW... try to imagine what it's going to be like AFTER the ever-so-honest politicians get through messin' with it. I'm trying to figure out how to get used to the feeling of having somebody else's hands in my pockets for the rest of my life.
But the fact of the matter is that we DO live in the greatest age. Our health care, (at least today) is the best in the world and better than it has EVER been in history. We can be thankful that we live in these times. There was a time, not all that long ago, (considering the timeline of history), that health care wasn't quite as sophisticated as it is today. Here are a few good reasons we ought to be thankful we weren't born 200 years ago.
In a book of 19th century home remedies, commonly called "Cures For What Ails You", there are some dandies. Here are a few examples.
Alcoholism: "The prescription is simply an orange every morning, at least 1/2 hour before breakfast. Be faithful in taking that, and you will neither want liquor nor medicine. The orange will make the liquor repulsive". - Dr. Chase's Recipes (1884). - I guess the first guy to drop his orange in his glass of vodka dispelled THAT notion.
To Prevent Influenza: "Instruct children to run with their mouths shut for the first two blocks after going outside in cold weather". -The Board's Guide to Health, Peace, and Competence (1870). - Now it would be nice if parents would just remember to tell their kids that today... think of all the problems we'd solve. Somebody is going to have to tell the pigs, though.
To Recover From Being Struck By Lightning: "Shower the patient with cold water for 2 hours; if the patient does not show signs of life, put salt in the water and continue cold shower for another hour". The Canadian Home Cookbook (1877). - The 3 hour cold shower might bring 'em back to life, but then the pneumonia would kill them.
For A Healthy Pregnancy: "Those who have not been accustomed to bathing should not begin the practice during pregnancy. The mother should avoid looking at or thinking about ugly people or anyone marked with disfiguring diseases". - The Physical Life Of Women (1872). - Who are some of these pregnant women going to look at if they happen to be married to an ugly man... with a limp?
To Prevent Asthma: "Asthmatics find that skipping a meal at night will usually prevent an attack. Hearty meals or certain foods produce the attacks and that constipation will likely cause the trouble; while a clean bowel helps one to avoid it. Nude sun and air-baths should be taken daily or as frequently as possible". Home Health Manual (1930). - You know... if you're a hungry, naked, constipated asthmatic laying out in your back yard, sun-bathing, your health problems may be more severe than you think.
To Treat Asthma: "A pipe of tobacco or a cigar has the ability to relieve a fit of asthma, especially in those not accustomed to it". Cassell's Household Guide (1880). - Um hmm!
To Treat Puncture Wounds and Chapped Lips: "Nothing is better than ear wax to prevent the painful effects resulting from a wound by a nail or skewer. It should be applied as soon as possible. Persons suffering from cracked lips have also found this to be most successful with other remedies have failed". The American Frugal Housewife (1832). - I don't think I can even go there... EAR WAX???!!! Are you kidding me?
Now these are just a few that I found. And after pondering on these for a bit, I've decided that EVEN the Federal Government is going to have a hard time messing up what we have now so badly that our health care begins to resemble some of these. Unless, of course, we're standing in the check out line at our favorite retailer, we look over at the rack of incidentals they always have there, and THERE IT IS... A picture of a smiling Barak Obama on the label of a brand new item... US Government funded, manufactured in Mexico, distributed by the Department of Health and Human Services... "B. O.'s Earwax Lip Balm".
Oh, I don't know... maybe if we'd all just laugh a little more and lighten up; stop being so serious about everything; we wouldn't even NEED as much health care as we do now.
The word of God says in Proverbs 17: 22 - A merry heart does good like a medicine.
And if you're having a hard time and laughter seems to be a rare commodity to you, just try to relax a little and as the old saying goes, let go and let God... Psalm 126 says He will "fill our mouths with laughter and our tongues with singing... because the Lord has done great things for us, and we are glad."
I'm convinced, we as a people are going to be OK. We as a nation have endured far worse than what the liberals are trying to cram down the throats of everyone else today. It'll be OK, I promise. Besides, it ain't over till God says it's over.
Things aren't all that bad... we can be thankful we don't have to go digging in our own ears, or worse yet, somebody else's ears, trying to pry loose some crusty wax because our lips are chapped... and by the way, if it ever comes to that... I'd rather use my own than the government's... you'd have no idea where THAT stuff came from. Hey, It's Just A Thought.

YOU GOTTA READ THOSE LABELS

2010-05-05T14:42:00.000-07:00

I had an opportunity today to just sit down for a minute and peruse one of my favorite books. Not my single most favorite... that would be the one God wrote... but this one is a fun read. Actually it is one of a series of books. I'm currently looking over "Uncle John's Curiously Compelling Bathroom Reader". It's their 19th year to put one of these books out and each one is different and unique. I'm sure not as famous as Oprah, but I'd put any of these on my "Books To Read" list.
Anyway, I was just thumbing through the pages and something caught my eye. Now I've always been fascinated with HOW people think. Come to think of it, I'm fascinated at what happens when people DON'T think. There's an obvious question that comes immediately to mind when you see someone do something dumb. The question is; "What in the world were THEY thinking?" And the most common answer to that question is just as obvious as the question, itself... "They WEREN'T thinking".
But thanks to the consideration of most manufacturers, they put warning labels on their products for their consumers' safety. But at what point do warning labels cease to be of use? At what point to warning labels cease to serve a rational purpose? I mean, aren't some things pretty obvious? And the answer is... APPARENTLY NOT.
Uncle John gave a just a few warning labels that I couldn't help but stop and THINK about what MUST have happened to prompt them to put THIS on their product's label.
On a bottle of dog shampoo... "Contents should not be fed to fish." How hard would it be to get the dog shampoo and the fish food confused? I'm guessing pretty hard, but apparently somebody did it. And then probably tried to sue 'em. That's how it usually works.
On a baking pan... "This pan will get hot when used in the oven". Listen, if somebody doesn't KNOW THAT, they've got no business in the kitchen... it's dangerous enough in the kitchen for SMART people.
On a blanket... "Not to be used as protection from a tornado." Try to let THAT soak in a minute. A tornado has the wind velocity to completely destroy a very well constructed structure... Some guy looks out the window of his mobile home, sees a tornado coming, grabs his BLANKET, puts it over his head and thinks... "Now then... it can't hurt me now!"
On a fishing lure with a treble hook... "Harmful if swallowed". WOW... that one doesn't even deserve a thought.
On a cordless carpenter's drill... "Not intended for use as a dental instrument". Two things here... 1st... do dentists REALLY go to Home Depot to get their instruments? I kind of don't think so. 2nd... If your dentist IS using a cordless drill from Home Depot, you might want to consider taking a closer look at his diploma he's got hanging on the wall there somewhere.
On a toilet... "Recycled flush water unsafe for drinking." I don't guess that's all THAT weird, but come on... who's dog is going to take the time to read the warning label? Plus... if you get your drinking water out of the toilet, just remember... that blanket isn't going to protect you from a tornado.
On a plastic shower cap... "Fits one head." Now here's another one you might want to just take a minute and try to think through. "Fits one head." Say it out loud... fits one head. Has ANYBODY EVER tried to share a shower cap with your "friend" while you're BOTH in the shower at the same time? It has to be the guy who just got back from his dentist, who uses a cordless drill he got from Home Depot, with a cup of drinking water he fished out of the toilet bowl so he could have a drink while he's hiding under his blanket in the living room of his mobile home while a tornado is bearing down on him.
On a can of pepper spray... "May irritate eyes." MAY irritate eyes? I thought that was the whole purpose of pepper spray. Seems to me that the appropriate warning label OUGHT to say, "May NOT irritate eyes." Wouldn't THAT make more sense?
On a box of zip lock 6" sandwich bags... "Do not climb inside this bag and zip it up. Doing so will cause injury or death." IT'S A SANDWICH BAG for goodness sake!!! How many people do you know that will FIT inside a sandwich bag? Me either.
I suppose this last one has to be my favorite... check it out.
On a Japanese food processor... "Not to be used for the other use." WHAT OTHER USE??? I guess I'm a little slow, here, but what do people use food processors for BESIDES processing food? I'm not being facetious here... I tried... I STILL can't think of any other use.
Now I don't know about you, but I feel a lot better knowing that manufacturers all over the world are looking out for my safety. NOW I'll know that shouldn't spray pepper spray in my own eyes. I'll try to remember not to get inside a sandwich bag and zip it up... it might kill me. And thanks to the warning label, my head is the only one going in the shower cap when I'm in the shower from now on. No more swallowing treble hooks for me... no sir! Next time I'm at the dentist's office, I'm going to see if I can sneak a peak at his drill... just to make sure. I'm going to TRY to remember that stuff that comes OUT of the oven MIGHT be hot! 'm leaving the blanket and the drinking water alone... I'm not even going there. And for the life of me, I STILL can't imagine what the OTHER use for a food processor is... unless the guy who just got back from the dentist, in his living room, wearing a shower cap, hiding under a blanket because a tornado is coming, with his cup of water so he won't get thirsty, uses one to mix his paint. That's the only OTHER use I can think of.
But the fact of the matter is that we, as Christians have God's word, which should serve as our warning label concerning the things of this life. Jesus said in Matthew 10: 16 "Behold, I send your out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore, be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. The apostle Paul said that he would not have us ignorant concerning the wiles of the enemy. Now THAT'S a label we ought to read every morning when we get out of bed. We ought to be heads-up about the enemy's plan to steal, to kill, and to destroy.
You know what the coolest thing about walking with the Holy Spirit as our guide really is... HE reads all the warning labels for us.
I wonder if you can use a sandwich bag for a shower cap... Hey, It's Just A Thought.

WHAT GOOD OLD DAYS?

2010-04-29T13:21:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite movies is called, "Second Hand Lions", with Michael Caine and one of my favorite actors, Robert Duvall. He's ranked right up there with John Wayne on my list of favorites ever since he played the part of Augustus McRea in "Lonesome Dove". Anyway, back to my thought, there's a scene in the movie where the two of them are sitting on the front porch of their run down old house and Michael Caine's character is talking about some past memory. Mr. Duvall's character makes the comment, as only he can; "There ain't nothing sadder than a couple of old has-beens, sitting around talking about the good old days".
And you know... he's right. What's amazing about it, though, is that every single generation has their own definition of what exactly made "the good old days" good. If we'll allow our minds to wander just a bit, every single one of us, regardless of our age, could come up with a memory that prompts us to look back with fondness and wish we could go back... even if it was just for a day.
It's not that we miss the day as much as we miss the feeling... the emotion... or the sheer thrill of some past experience. Part of what we miss has been stolen by the passing years. Maybe stolen isn't a good word... maybe forfeited is more accurate. And what I mean, is that for a lot of us, that kind of return is impossible because of the fact that we've changed... we're different now than we were then.
We've all grown. And by growth, I mean we've been forced to leave our child-likeness behind. We've been, through no fault of our own, forced to leave a lot of our innocence and our curiosity back there in the past. This is not altogether a bad thing... nor is it an altogether good thing, either. Its just the way it is.
But the truth of the matter is that for someone, somewhere... THESE days will be their good old days. They'll look back on today with a fondness and a special attachment. Because today, someone will feel THE feeling we're talking about... someone will experience THE emotion or THE thrill of their lifetime. The good old days have nothing to do with the days... or whether they're good or not... it's about our attachment to what happens.
As much upheaval and uncertainty as is present in our culture and our society today, there are still things that will impact our lives in a positive and wonderful way... if we'll only allow it. I can remember with fondness the excitement of the 4th Of July Parade through the streets of the small town I grew up in. It WAS a big deal... People were patriotic, proud of their country, and unashamed to show it. I seem to remember EVERYONE having a flag to wave... even if it was a small one. When the veterans marched by, sandwiched between the marching bands, people lining the streets would salute and shout words of thanks and encouragement to them. Without getting political here, just think about what you're witnessing all over the land today.
Patriotism isn't dead. In fact, patriotism is alive and well. Large groups of patriotic people have begun to gather in public places to voice their opposition to what they see as an out of control, oppressive government. God bless 'em! Thomas Jefferson said; "When injustice becomes law, resistance becomes duty".
And in the pictures I've seen of some of these gatherings, I've seen families standing together with their small children. And to some of these small children, TODAY will someday be one of the good old days to them. A day they remember with fondness and attachment.
What we... and by we, I mean all of us who think that the good old days are far behind us, what we need to do is allow ourselves to get attached to today. Who says today can't be one of the good old days, come tomorrow?
My bride and I have 6 grand kids... and we love every one of them, but the youngest is our 18 month old grandson that my wife babysits several days a week, and I can truthfully say without any equivocation that he could care less about what's happening in our nation's capital. He's having a ball at MeeMaw's house. I'm watching with my own eyes, this little guy grow up at an amazingly fast pace. And I can honestly say that THESE days are rapidly becoming my good old days. I know it's overstating the obvious here, but he's only going to be this age ONCE... and I've determined I'm going to enjoy it.
I've figured out that the good old days don't have anything to do with the past... they have everything to do with HOW we perceive and receive what's happening now... TODAY. Far too many of us miss what's happening now because we're still busy trying to RE-capture some long past feeling or emotion. And you know what?... THAT'S a shame.
As Christians, we should be living our lives with an enthusiasm and with a genuine zest for life. We should be excited about tomorrow instead of longing for yesterday. Stop and think about it... is it any wonder the lost and dying aren't breaking down the doors of our churches to get in and grab hold of the truths of the gospel that we've been shown and given? Is it any wonder there's not a long line of people trying to get what we've got? The fact of the matter is that for the most part, they can't SEE what we've got. And the truth is, most of them couldn't care less about how much fun we had making the drag on Saturday night, in the summer of '66 in our shiny clean 1950 model Ford. They couldn't care less about the night we set the "official" record for circling the Courthouse 150 times, IN REVERSE!!!
Maybe they WOULD get interested if they could see in you and I, the joys of a life in Jesus Christ TODAY... and an excitement about tomorrow... and a faith and belief that the real reason we're excited about tomorrow is because day after tomorrow, tomorrow will be one of the good old days everyone keeps wanting to talk about today.
The word of God exhorts us to forget about the past and not worry about tomorrow... but live our lives TODAY... with a fullness, an exuberance, a zest, and a joyful anticipation. WOW... what a neat idea...
I gotta go for now, though... I'm going to dig through some boxes to see if I can find that old 4 track tape player I've got somewhere. Not because I want to see if it will still work... my oldest son doesn't believe there ever was such a thing... But anyway, It's Just A Thought.

AHH... WHAT A GREAT DAY... EARTH DAY!!!

2010-04-23T12:53:00.000-07:00

What a great week!!! I hope you all really enjoyed your own unique celebration of "Earth Day" this week. You should enter your comments and tell me how you and your family enjoyed such a magnificent celebration. I'll tell you about mine in a minute.
Earth Day... Earth Day... Say it out loud... just let the words roll effortlessly off your tongue; Earth Day. Think about how it sounds as you say it. Now then... let's be frank, shall we? Is that not ridiculous? Good heavens!!!
Earth day... who came up with this idiotic idea in the first place?! I don't care who was President. I don't care which congress decided to make it official. I just want to know who the dude was that originally came up with the idea. Talk about somebody with WAAAAY too much time on their hands. Think about it. Some guy is sitting, no doubt, talking to a very interested group of liberals looking for ANOTHER cause to support, and all of a sudden this poor guy says; "Hey, I know... let's have a holiday and call it Earth Day!" Imagine if you can, the excitement that must have permeated the room. "WOW!!! What a GREAT idea... Earth Day."
I have a couple of serious questions I'd love to ask someone who might have an answer. There's bound to be someone, somewhere who could give me an answer. What I'd really like to know is, WHY we're going to have a "Earth Day celebration", when it has become politically incorrect to celebrate the birth of THE ONE who CREATED the earth in the first place. Some of y'all may remember that holiday... it's called CHRISTMAS!!!
Why is it that we can no longer have prayer in our public schools, we can no longer pray at athletic contests conducted in a public setting, or a kid carry and read a Bible in public schools without fear of being expelled? Why is it that we can't call it Easter any more? Why has it become more politically correct to call Easter, our "Spring Holiday?" I mean, excuse me, but seems to me that I read somewhere that Jesus is the one "in whom, by whom, and for whom all things were created"... but yet we cannot give glory and honor to the Creator, we have to pay homage to the creation. Now I'm not the brightest bulb in the pack, but THAT'S a little backward isn't it?!
Somebody, somewhere decided that because of their edict, we, (we being Christians) are going to be forced bow before the altar of the environmentalists. I'm sick of it and I've just about decided I'm not the least bit interested in doing it, either.
I may be sounding a little like Andy Rooney here, griping about stuff that rubs me the wrong way, but I just can't help myself. And while I'm at it, this notion of being politically correct about everything has gotten completely out of hand. It's ridiculous. And what's worse, it's totally unnecessary. Lord help us if we offend someone. The fact of the matter is that I'm pretty offended by all the lunatic fringe who seem to be charge. How'd that happen anyway? How'd THEY get to be in charge? So who's going to take up my banner? Who's going to support the cause of people, like me, who are absolutely disgusted by all this nonsense?
I didn't mean to get off track there... kind of went off on a bit of a tangent, didn't I? Sorry... Back to my original thought about "Earth Day" celebrations, and just how special they are to us all.
I celebrated "Earth Day". I really did. I got up, made me a whole pot of coffee... (I don't usually drink a whole pot... I just thought I would purposely waste about 1/3 of the pot). I turned on all the lights in the house and then I walked out my back door and intentionally left the door open, with my central air conditioning unit still running and my thermostat set to 65 degrees. After several minutes, I came back inside and got dressed. Then I decided I'd do my fair share to promote the environment. I went out and started my pickup... not really intending to go anywhere at the moment, I just wanted to let my 5.6 litre V-8 idle and emit plenty of carbon monoxide gas. As I let my pickup idle, I mowed my yard... real short... with my lawn mower powered by an internal combustion, gasoline powered engine. I was doing OK, but I could do better... I went ahead and started my little bride's car, too and let it idle... then I trimmed the walks and drive with my weed eater which is also powered by a two stroke gasoline engine. Afterward, I broke out my leaf blower and blew every clipping available right out into the street which runs in front of my house.
After putting my yard maintenance equipment back into the garage, after surveying my handiwork, I went ahead and shut off my pickup and car and then went in to take a shower and clean up. I took a LOOOOOONG hot shower, wasting as much hot water as possible and then dropped my dirty clothes into the washer. I went ahead and washed my yard mowing clothes with the water level for the washer set at "Full Load". I dried 'em extra long, too.
Doing everything I can today, to grow the size of my carbon footprint. Which reminds me; who came up with THAT deal? What is a carbon footprint? Better than that, what's a carbon look like? Have YOU ever seen one?... Me either... I didn't know carbons had feet. How many feet do carbons have; 2, 4, 8... how many? And what does it hurt if my carbons DO leave footprints anyway?
OH... I forgot... we don't want our carbons leaving their footprints on the earth, ESPECIALLY on Earth Day!!!
The word of God says in Jeremiah 51: 15 - 17a: THE LORD MADE THE EARTH by HIS power and HE PRESERVES it by His wisdom. With His own understanding He stretched out the heavens. When He speaks in the thunder, the heavens are filled with water. He causes the clouds to rise over the earth. He sends the lightning with the rain and releases the wind from His storehouses. The whole human race is foolish AND HAS NO KNOWLEDGE...
Kind of makes you wish the brain-child that came up with "Earth Day" would have read this FIRST, doesn't it? Yeah, buddy!!!
Oh well, now that it's plenty cool in here and the A/C's doing a good job, I think I'll open the window and see if I can catch the smell of the freshly mowed grass... but then, Hey, It's Just A Thought.

WHERE DID ALL THIS STUFF COME FROM???

2010-04-16T18:31:00.001-07:00

You know... being my age and having gone through some of the things I've been through, it's become a rare thing for me to be afraid. It takes an awful lot to scare me anymore. Come to think of it, I can't think of the last time I was actually afraid... that was, until just a day or two ago.
When people come clean... I mean when they really open up and get transparent about things that scare them or things that they become fearful over, when the light of logic, common sense, and some genuine adult reasoning come to the front, that fearful thing usually takes on a much less menacing demeanor. One of FDR's most famous quotes came in response to the Japanese attack on our Naval forces at Pearl Harbor in 1941. He said, "We have nothing to feah but feah itself"... (no, that's NOT a misspelling... I was writing in his famous accent)
My whole point of bringing up this famous quote is to point out that FDR never had to deal with what strikes fear into my own heart... what scared me the other day. I'm not sure he would have said what he said if he had. You see... he never ventured into my garage!!!
Good heavens, I was squeezing through the garage the other day, turning sideways so I could pass between the old hand me down antique projection type big screen TV that doesn't work and a stack of plastic storage tubs, (readily available in various sizes and shapes at your friendly neighborhood Wal-Mart store), when I first noticed the uneasiness creeping in. I'm pretty sure one of the tubs... actually is was the gray tub third from the top on the fourth stack from the left, in the second row behind the plastic wading pool, moved and made a funny noise. No, I didn't just imagine it. I heard an audible, distinguishable sound. I just can't tell you what it was or what it sounded like.
I have no idea exactly WHEN our garage got completely away from us... no recollection of the exact date it suddenly spiralled out of control. One day it was fine... and then one day it wasn't.
Somewhere between the Christmas tubs... (they're all stacked against the wall by the washer and dryer) and picnic accessories, (that haven't been used since the Carter administration) are the scary stacks of boxes and tubs that contain God only knows what.
As I stood out in relative safety of the driveway, peering back into the menacing darkness that engulfed my garage, I began to formulate a plan on HOW to get this mess cleaned up. My garage doors aren't big enough for me to get my pickup through, so I'm pretty sure a backhoe or a front end loader won't fit either. I thought about calling in an air strike, but I can't afford to replace the roof that would be damaged in the process. If I could get the city to loan me one of their fire trucks, I could bring the hose through the back door, through the sun room, into the dining room... open the door that leads out into the garage... turn the pump up to "jet blast" and wash everything out into the driveway and then bring in the backhoe or loader... but I don't think they'll loan me one.
So after much serious contemplation and planning, I have come to the painful conclusion that my only recourse is to start at one end and work my way to the other... one piece at a time.
There will, no doubt, be several different piles of stuff once it's sorted.
There's the pile that definitely goes to the dumpster. One pile that goes to Goodwill. One pile that we'll probably save, because we ARE going to have a garage sale one of these days. One pile that somebody, somewhere will PROBABLY need SOMEDAY. And one pile that will have to be sorted BEFORE it can be returned to it's rightful place IN THE GARAGE!
And as I stood there thinking about all this... the fear began to subside. It was quickly replaced with a definable sense of dread and angst... but at least the fear itself was going away.
And as I stood there formulating my plan of attack, it began to dawn on me... Our lives, or should I say our hearts are a lot like my garage. We rock along, living our lives, and then one day we wake up and our hearts are so full of clutter... so full of STUFF... so full of ideas, notions, emotions, and feelings that we suddenly seem to have lost sight of what's really important.
A heart full of love is a good thing. A heart full of grace is a wonderful thing. A heart full of music or poetry is a great thing. A heart full of compassion is an awesome thing. but there's a huge difference between a heart that's full and a heart that's cluttered. Because when a heart is cluttered, it becomes very difficult for us to find Jesus in amongst all the clutter... and it becomes impossible for anyone on the outside to look in and SEE Him in there.
So whether we like it or not, just like our garages, there comes a time in all our lives when we need to bite the bullet, roll up our sleeves and set about the tedious task of getting rid of all the clutter that gathers in our hearts.
And whether we like it or not, if our hearts are so full of clutter that Jesus doesn't even have enough room to sit down, relax, and make Himself at home, it's time to MAKE Him some room by cleaning out the unnecessary junk.
Now about my garage... I'm going to get started as soon as I can find my broom... it's out there in the garage, somewhere... I THINK... but then again, a cluttered heart is a lot more scary than any garage, isn't it? Hey, It's Just A Thought.

THE ADVENTURE OF SHOPPING

2010-03-31T11:04:00.000-07:00

You know... going to your local "large, local, discount retail" store can be quite the experience. I'm not going to name names, here, but just suffice it to say that this particular large, discount retail store ranks right up there at the very top of the list of sites my little bride enjoys frequenting... frequently.
Without getting into some kind of trouble for mentioning their particular "brand" name, let me just give you their initials... WAL-MART!!! OK... everybody got it? Let me explain briefly just exactly WHY a trip to one of these locations grinds on me so badly by just giving you a brief summary of my "excursion" through Wally-World.
Now, mind you, this doesn't happen EVERY time, but it HAS happened the last 386 times I've accompanied my little Bride. I walk from our "Reserved" parking place... (Precious goes so often, they've reserved her own "up front" parking place), into the store, dodging little old ladies with bad attitudes; a large group of foreign nationals who do not speak English; a couple of "brothus" with their jeans down somewhere between their buttocks and their knees, and at least one biker dude who genuinely seems to be enjoying himself, smiling and speaking to everyone.
Once inside, I carefully select my shopping cart. This is important, because I have one particular cart I especially enjoy pushing around. It's MY cart... and when I find it, I firmly grasp the handle bar and off I go, trailing along behind the love of my life. And then I begin to notice it... ka-thunk, ka-thunk. ka-thunk... the unmistakable sound and vibration of at least 2 of the 4 wheels which happen to have at least 1/2 of the wheel ground off flat. It sort of gives you the same feeling you get when you drive off into a pothole in your car... only you hit this pothole every 6 inches... ka-thunk, ka-thunk, ka-thunk.
People within a 4 aisle radius can hear you coming... ka-thunk, ka-thunk, ka-thunk. They just sort of look at you and smile... and the REASON they smile is because they're SO GLAD THEY didn't get MY cart.
By the time we turn right and get past the pharmacy and the personal hygiene section and turn left toward the housewares, appliances, and home furnishings, I'm already finding it difficult to smile BACK at all the people who are smiling at me, because they're SO GLAD THEY didn't get My cart.
By the time we pass the paint, the hand tools, and move ever so purposely toward office supplies, I'm NOT smiling at anyone, regardless of how glad they are, and my grip on the handle bar is noticeably tighter. Moving through the toys, (which is mandatory if you have a grandson), and continuing left toward the electronics, I begin to notice that I'm blinking my eyes in time with the ka-thunk, ka-thunk, ka-thunk, and my forearms are beginning to ache because of my grip on the handle bar.
At electronics, we make a sharp turn to the left and wind our way through the ladies fashions and lingerie. By the time we turn right and head out of there, making our way toward the aisle which separates the stuff you wear from the stuff you eat, I begin to notice that I'm beginning to limp as though my right leg is shorter than my left, and each step is in perfect time with my blinking, which is in perfect time with the ka-think, ka-thunk, ka-thunk of MY cart... and the pain in my forearms has radiated up toward both shoulders.
Winding our way leisurely through the groceries, by the time we're past the dairy case, past the water, chips, paper products and bathroom tissues, my head is beginning to twitch... my chin repeatedly bumping my right shoulder. About the time we pass the canned vegetables, spices, soup, and crackers, and are about to approach the frozen food compartments, we make a hard U-Turn and make our way back toward the sour cream and cheeses. By the time we reach the bologna and wieners, I've noticed that each time I step with my left foot (that's the one that's on the end of my leg that's NOT shorter than the other one), for some reason I can't help but go up on my tip-toes... each step... left; up on tippy toes... right; like I'm stepping in a hole. And I want to remind you, here, that UP on tip toes with my left and DOWN in a hole with my right are still in perfect time with my chin bumping my right shoulder, my eyes blinking in perfect time with the ka-thunk, ka-thunk, ka-thunk of MY cart, which is getting heavier as we go. And the ache in my forearms which radiated to my shoulders is now like someone is holding a hot branding iron between my shoulder blades, the ache has turned to muscle spasms, and I can't feel either hand.
And then, we make the final left turn at the bananas and make our way through the fresh produce toward the finish line... the checkout stands. The wonderful thing about Wal-Mart is that they have 204 check out registers... the bad thing about Wal-Mart is that they only use 3.
And just as it's our turn to check out, and Precious pries my fingers off the handle bar so I can put the items on the conveyor belt, she asks; "Can you think of anything else?"
Miraculously, I overcome the temporary paralysis in my face, the blinking stops, my twitch disappears, the pain leaves my arms, both legs seem to come back to the same length, and I look at her... I smile... and with all the thoughtfulness I can muster, I say; "No, Sweetie... I think we got everything."
As we leave the parking lot, (which can be an adventure all it's own)... with ka-thunk, ka-thunk, ka-thunk still ringing in my ears, I steal a look at my wife and my heart is filled with wonder and awe... I'm struck with a whole new appreciation for her. She LOVES this place!!! What an amazing woman, indeed.
The word of God says in Hebrews, chapter 12 that we are to run with endurance, the race that is set before us... even the race through Wal-Mart... and Hebrews 12: 2 says; We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, The Champion who initiates and perfects our faith.
So the next time the "ka-thunk, ka-thunk, ka-thunk" of life begins to grind on us, let us all... especially me... try to remember it's just one of those little annoyances of life, meant by our enemy to distract us and draw our eyes away from the LORD. He can try, but whether or not he's successful is entirely up to you and me.
Maybe next time I'll let Jesus pick me out a shopping cart... He might break my string... But then Hey, It's Just A Thought.

MY DOG IS A DEMOCRAT

2010-03-23T13:36:00.000-07:00

You ever heard the expression, "It's a dog's life"? Yeah, me too. I've even used it a time or two during the course of conversational exchange.
I got to thinking about that concept the other day and came up with some startling conclusions. I was sitting in my recliner... or is it sitting ON my recliner... I never can get that straight. Anyway, I was sitting in/on my favorite chair the other night, eatin' a cookie, drinkin' some milk, watching one of the March Madness basketball games, wondering what the "poor folks" were doing when this whole notion about a dog's life came up.
You see, I was just REALLY enjoying myself when the dog wanted to go outside. No... she DEMANDED to go outside. Well... all things considered, that's fine... I really don't mind. But then I got to thinking about it.
Here's a 20 lb. dog that can manipulate a 250 lb grown man into getting out of his chair... or is it off?... anyway, getting UP from a very comfortable position, stop what he's really enjoying, and walk out into the cold, the wind, the rain, or whatever weather conditions might be at that very moment, so she can go pottie. I mean stop and think about it... she's getting all the benefits and someone else is doing all the work.
She lives in a nice house that somebody else owns... for free. Her free housing also insures her comfort. She's warm when it's cold outside; cool when it's hot outside; and dry when it's raining. AND somebody else is responsible for making sure she's comfortable.
She isn't overly concerned about picking up after herself, either. She has people who'll do that for her... for free. What's sad about that, is that "her people" willingly do so, because they don't want to step on that dried chew bone in the middle of the night, on their way to the bathroom... which by the way, she seems totally unconcerned about and unwilling to return the favor of "helping out".
She pretty much has the run of the place, sleeping anywhere she chooses... anytime she chooses. She totally relies on someone else to meet her basic personal hygiene needs... for free. Because we, (her owners?), make sure she's bathed, clean, and we take her to the groomer about once a month for a "do"... and it doesn't cost her a dime.
All the "dog experts" say she's very vocal. That's the politically correct way of saying she makes WAY too much noise. She barks at the slightest provocation, which is usually beyond a humans ability to hear. And doesn't seem to know when to stop. Hush, stop it, and eventually shut up are frequent commands, none of which she seems to notice or care about.
She'll do tricks that my bride has taught her for the reward of a doggie treat. If she's expected to perform WITHOUT compensation, she becomes noticeably indignant, and if she even suspects that there may be no treats involved, she becomes temporarily deaf... AND indignant over the fact that her nap might have been interrupted.
She can be peacefully resting in mid-nap and the door bell rings and it's like she's wired up on speed... again prompting a "hush, stop it, and eventually shut up". She a bit socially retarded in that she seems incapable of welcoming a guest into the house that she doesn't own, without jumping all over them, lunging at their face for a quick lick, and going deaf again.
She is a bit overweight, but is insistent upon convincing everyone that she's on the verge of starving to death. Which brings another thing to mind. Not only is her food provided for her... it is prepared and served as well... at absolutely no cost to her. AND, she has no qualms about expressing her disgust if it is not prepared to her tastes, or if it is not up to her rather high standards and expectations. Some brands simply won't do. Oh, she'll eat it, but she lets you know it doesn't really measure up to her discriminating tastes.
She doesn't concern herself with money matters, because money doesn't matter to her. She has no concept of it, understanding of it, or respect for it.
Let's see here... She manipulates others to do the work that she gets the benefit from. She lives in a house she doesn't own and doesn't pay for. She expects others to do whatever is necessary to insure her comfort. She won't do any of the work because she knows others will do it for her. She expects to be rewarded for the slightest output of effort and gets openly indignant if the reward isn't forthcoming. She acts as though she doesn't hear if what she hears doesn't fit with her immediate plan. She eats food that someone else pays for and she expects it to be prepared and served to her satisfaction or else. AND she has no need for the understanding of money, because all her necessities are provided for her... with someone ELSE'S money.
Then it hit me like a bolt of lightning! My dog is a DEMOCRAT!!!
I'll get over it... I'll be OK... It may take me a while, but I'll get past it. But then I guess people get labeled all the time, don't they? If we'd all work as hard at getting past labels we put on people as we do putting the labels ON them, we might all be surprised at what we'd find.
Jesus said in Matt 7: 15 - 17 Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. YOU WILL KNOW THEM BY THEIR FRUITS. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.
Come to think of it, I don't guess labels are all that important as far as dogs are concerned... she's not a bad old dog, though, even if she IS a Democrat... But then Hey, It's Just A Thought.

I WENT TO THE MALL

2010-03-12T11:49:00.000-08:00

Ever have one of THOSE days? You know the kind I'm talking about. The kind of day when you get to experience every single emotion such is common to man? One of those days when it seems like someone formed a line of people whose only aim in life is to get on your last nerve, and the line just keeps getting longer and longer? Nah... me either. I DID come close, however, just the other day.
Precious and I took off to run some errands and we had some predetermined objectives we wanted to accomplish. So... off we went. She went to do what she had to do, and I headed off to accomplish one of my objectives, which was to get my eyes examined and get some new glasses. Not a selective luxury, mind you, but a necessity born of getting older.
Getting older is wonderful... no... I'm not being sarcastic, it really is a wonderful thing. The only troubling thing about getting older is the fact that your physical body begins to betray you. Things begin to quit working. Some of them suddenly... and some more slowly. The eyes seem to be going out, but they do it little at a time... steadily, but thank God, it's relatively slowly.
Anyway, I confidently strode up to the nice lady at one of the eye doctors who's office is in the local mall and asked if I might sign up for an exam. She told me that they didn't have any openings until the next day. I thanked her and walked out.
Did I mention we were at the mall? OK... so off I go to the OTHER eye doctor's office, which is located at the opposite end of the mall. Dear Lord... have you been to the mall lately?
At any rate, after purposely striking out for the far end of the mall... after saying, "Oops, excuse me" at least a dozen times... after practicing my evasive maneuvers so as to avoid collisions with numerous types, styles, ages, and sizes of humanity, (successfully, I might add), I made it.
The nice lady said they'd get right to me. And they did. The good doctor fixed me right up, politely wrote out my prescription for my new peepers, and bravely out into the moving mass of humanity I again confidently went.
Successfully reaching the far end of the mall, again, (because that's where I parked), I happened to look and there it was! A sign posted in big red letters, right there on the front of the eye glass establishment, and it read... and I quote... "Glasses, 2 Pair, $149.95"
HEY... now THAT'S a deal!!! My little bride was also going to have to replace her spectacles in a day or two so I politely asked a fellow if I could get my glasses and the other pair would be hers. "Sure, that'll be fine", he cheerfully responded.
So I began looking for a pair of frames. I found a pair and confidently strolled back to the little table where he was patiently waiting for me and gave them to him. He looked at them and said, "Oh, I'm sorry, but these frames are more expensive than the frames included in our promotion. You'll have to pay the difference".
I turned to give the big sign another look, and there it was, right down at the bottom of this big sign written in big red letters was the exception clause or the disclaimer or whatever you want to call it. It said, in letters that would easily fit onto the thin ear piece of the frames I picked out... (small... I mean REALLY small)... "with frames costing $49.95 or less". Now I don't mean to be picky, here, not trying to be snooty about it, but DO YOU KNOW what $49 frames look like??!!
So doing the arithmetic in my head, arriving at the difference I would have to pay, between $49 and the frames I picked out, I told him that would be fine... we continued.
I had my choice of 3 different lenses. So I picked... Oh... I'm sorry, those aren't included in the promotion. Those will be extra. How much extra? $25. Well which one's ARE included? These here at the bottom of the page. What about these here in the middle? Oh, those are $10 extra. That'll be fine, let me have those, then.
Do you want the no line bifocals or the lined ones? Is that extra? Yes, but only $10. That'll be fine, let me have those, then.
This went on for probably 20 minutes or more. With each "Oh I'm sorry, that'll be extra", my jaws clenched a little tighter. Finally it gets to; "Would you like to purchase the 2 year unconditional warranty, if you lose or break your glasses, we'll replace them at no charge"... Is that extra?... Yes... Nope.
Would you like the scratch resistant coating?... Is that extra?... Yes... Nope.
Finally... and I do mean finally, we got done with this excruciating selection of options and the young man turns and begins clicking away on his computer. After what seemed like an awful lot of clickity clicks, he turns, faces me, smiles and says, "That comes to a total of $421.67".
Now my hearing is going pretty rapidly, too, but what he said didn't sound ANYTHING like $149. it took me a minute, but I leaned in closer, and quietly asked, "Are you kidding me?"
Now I'm not sure if it was the fact that my jaws were locked shut by this time, or if it was the look in my rapidly failing eyes that did it, but he seemed a bit taken by my response.
Maybe it was concern for himself that spurred him into action, I really don't know, but he quickly turned and clickity clicked a few more times and arrived at a significantly lower total cost. FINALLY, I was OK with it. By this time Lois has returned and is sitting beside me, quietly trying to get me not to destroy my witness... calmly assuring me that everything was just fine.
Then, with my jaws a bit more relaxed and in a normal state, I looked at another sign in the window... it said "Glasses In One Hour". I pointed to the sign, smiled and asked if THAT was a possibility. He said, "Let me go check and see if we have those lenses in stock... if we don't I'll have to order them". Come to find out, they'd have to order them... IMAGINE THAT!
SOOO... my 2 pair of glasses that would cost $149, that actually ended up costing a little less than $400, that would be ready in one hour, could be picked up on Tuesday of the following week. Did I mention that we were at the mall?
The only thing I know for sure is that I'm a better man for this experience. How do I know? Because James 1: 2 - 4 says: "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience, (endurance or perseverance). But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
So the next time you need a little boning up on your patience, just head to the mall. That ought to do it... but then Hey, It's Just A Thought.

Salt Of The Earth

2010-02-24T10:50:00.000-08:00

Over the course of the last couple of weeks, my bride and I have spent some time back up in the country. We've been back to the little town her family calls home. The purpose of the trip was bittersweet.
Her mother left this old world with all it's sickness and pain to go to her REAL home, where there are no more sad farewells or tear dimmed eyes. Even in the death of a loved one, if we'll only look, we can see the tender mercies of a loving Father. And it becomes easier, somehow, if we can simply remember that not only was she a loving mother to her children, she was also the daughter of The Living God, who loved her more than we can even imagine.
As is usually the case when families get together, there was time spent listening to old stories of childhood long past and life on the farm. Some funny; some poignant, but all interesting.
As I sat and listened to my mother-in-law's four brothers talk, I was struck by a reality that became more evident by the minute.
All my life, I'd heard some men referred to as being "salt of the earth" type of men. The more I sat there and listened, the more I realized that these men were precisely that... salt of the earth. Rock solid in their character; men of integrity, and hard working men... real men. Men, the likes of whom are rare and scarce in the world today. And as I sat there among them, I was duly impressed by their genuine humility and their wisdom. I couldn't really explain it, but I just wanted to be with them.
Stories were told, not in some shallow attempt to pass the time or to entertain, but in a matter of fact way that seemed altogether necessary.
They would usually begin with one man looking at his three brothers and say, "Do you remember... " and then the story would unfold, and each of the brothers would in some manner, affirm the fact that they DID remember. And it seemed as if each story would trigger a memory in one of the other brothers of another story that needed to be shared.
They could recall funny stories that happened as they rode the school bus from the farm to school... and yes, they could even remember the bus, including what year model and make it was. There was laughter and a fondness in the remembrances they shared. But the one single thing that seemed to bind their hearts together, at least for this moment, was their sister, my wife's mom. And that seemed fitting and right.
If we were to get right down to it, my mother-in-law treated me more like a son than a son-in-law, and I had known her and loved her like a mother for almost thirty years. But listening to her brothers talk, I came to know her, and yes, love her even more. Because it came to mind that she, too, was cut from the same cloth as these men. She too, was born to and raised by the same family as these men. She was from the same blood line as these "salt of the earth" men, and I gained even more respect for her through them.
I can't help but think about things that really matter... I mean REALLY matter. Things like destiny and legacy. God ordains our destiny in this life. Our plight is not to determine what our destiny shall be... our job is to DISCOVER what our God ordained destiny is, and live our lives in such a way as to fulfill it.
Our legacy is what remains after this life is over. Our legacy is what we leave our children. Our legacy is determined largely by how successfully we realize and walk in our destiny. After this past couple of weeks, I can say without any doubt, that the legacy of the Hudson family is a strong one... a good one... and one to be admired.
I am blessed to know that my bride is also cut from the same cloth. She too, is from the same blood line. Being a "salt of the earth" type of woman is in her genes.
I knew that... I knew that all along... but this last two weeks sure has brought that to the forefront of my understanding. And thanks to some of her family members, they made it even more obvious to me.
Salt of the earth may not sound all that flattering to some folks, but as far as I'm concerned, that's about as good as it gets... but then Hey... It's Just A Thought.

THE TERROR OF A LEAKY FAUCET

2010-02-09T12:10:00.000-08:00

Today was truly a blessing. Let me tell you why. First of all, you need to understand that few things strike terror into the hearts of men like "simple" household repair jobs. In fact, "simple household repairs" is an oxymoron. The words simple and household repairs do NOT go together.
It has been my experience that as I proudly and bravely undertake such a task, seldom do things go as planned. In fact, I can begin a task that would normally take 30 minutes to complete and turn it into an all day exercise in frustration and anguish. These types of jobs DO serve a useful purpose, though; they ALWAYS humble me.
Normally, before beginning a repair job around the house, there is a checklist that must be completed. First and foremost on the list; first aid supplies. Gotta make sure there are plenty of band aids on hand... a couple of gallons of disinfectant... sterile cotton swabs and at least one Ace Bandage.
Then, if it's a simple job, I usually do a complete inventory of all my tools. Because NOTHING is exempt from demanding that one weird tool that you only use once every 10 or 12 years. If it's NOT a simple job, then I always check our account balance because there's no doubt I'm going to have to go buy some weird tool that I will only use once every 10 to 12 years.
Today... it was plumbing! That dreaded word so many men hate... Plumbing! Nothing drastic, you understand, just a leaky faucet in Little Red's bathtub... but plumbing nonetheless... So I gathered myself, my courage, my tools, and the first aid supplies and I attacked the problem with a vengeance.
Yessir... I gathered up my crescent wrench and walked (with a bit of a swagger, I might add) out to the curb to shut the water off. Up to this point, everything was going smoothly.
Then I got the faucets disassembled and headed out to Home Depot, successfully giving my bride the indication that everything was under control and that I knew exactly what I was doing. So far, so good. Still no bleeding and so far, no need to call a professional.
I strolled back to the aisle where the faucet repair items were neatly hung on display for everyone to see... except I didn't see anything that remotely resembled what I was holding in my hand. After several minutes of just standing there, pretending I knew what I was looking for, I broke down and asked for help ( an act viewed by most men as a sign of weakness ) from one of the guys who work there. These are amazing people who know more about more than most of us will ever hope to know. He strode up to me, confidently and said, "Let's see what you've got there".
I knew I might be in trouble when he said, "Wow, I've never seen anything quite like this before". Then he turned and we both stood there for several more minutes looking at all that stuff, pretending we knew what we were looking for. After a few minutes, he referred me to a plumbing supply place and told me they have all kinds of stuff there and that they "MIGHT" be able to help me.
Undaunted, I struck out for the recommended location. Not nearly as confident as before, I walked in rather inconspicuously and presented my part that no one had ever seen before. The young man behind the counter took one look and told me he had just what I needed. I reached into my wallet to get the business card for the bank, because I figured I'd need to call them and get a loan approval to buy what I was going to need, and just then, the young man set a small, little package on the counter. "This will fix you right up", he said.
He even took a minute to show me just how to install what I was buying. It was so simple. And the price; $5.19. I just stood there dumbfounded... looking at him for a minute like I was waiting for him to laugh and then tell me how much it REALLY costs. "Are you sure?... That's all I need?... It's really THAT simple?", I asked. Sure enough, it was that simple. And did I mention that it was only $5.19?
I drove back home, smiling, walked in, smiled at my Sweetie and walked right into the bathroom without saying a word. Ten minutes later, the old stuff was out, the new stuff was in, the water was back on... and PRAISE GOD... not one drip!!! Success!
I used 1 Phillips screwdriver and 1 crescent wrench... and successfully completed my mission. It took me longer to haul all my tools back out to the garage than it did to actually do the job. I didn't even bark a knuckle! I had actually completed a home repair and not bled in the process. And did I mention that it only costs $5.19?
I wonder why it is, that I've been a child of God for this many years and I still have a hard time finding a mustard seed's worth of faith when it comes to some areas of my own life. Don't ask me why, but it's like I figure God must somehow exempt Himself from becoming involved in plumbing... But He doesn't.
The word of God tells me that I should pay attention to where I place my confidence, and that my confidence ought to be in the Lord. Once again He has proven that He is my Shield and my High Tower, and that He is my very present help in times of trouble... even plumbing trouble. What a God we serve!
I think I might just tackle that garbage disposal under the sink... OR... maybe I'll wait a day or two before I start that job. Besides, I just want to bask in today for a while. God IS SO good!
Go ahead, see for yourself... why don't you tackle that repair job you've been putting off and see if God isn't still in the blessing business. But then, Hey, It's Just A Thought.

GOD AND POLITICS... Yep, They Go Together

2010-01-29T10:52:00.000-08:00

Just about as far back as I can remember, I've been told that there are two things you don't talk about publicly... religion and politics. So I guess a preacher who continuously talks publicly about God, talking about politics would be just a tad out of bounds, wouldn't it? Too bad... I'm going to talk about BOTH anyway.
Just about the time I think our elected officials have set the bar too high, (or maybe too low would be more accurate), to reach again, the 6 o'clock news comes on and sure enough... they've outdone themselves again. It must be something in their biological makeup, something in their genes that equips them for a career in politics. The reason I think that, is because I'm pretty sure nobody could LEARN to act like they do... it almost HAS to be some form of genetic anomaly.
Like the guy in Ypsilanti, Michigan, Geoffrey Rose, who was running unopposed for a seat on the city council. He gets a roll of registered voters and hands the list over to an 18 year old Eastern Michigan University freshman. Mr. Rose asks the kid to contact these folks and help him get out the vote. Now remember, Mr. Rose is running unopposed. The freshman, named Frank Houston did a great job. He contacted a huge number of those registered voters and encouraged them to get out and vote. But instead of asking them to cast their ballots for Mr. Rose, he encouraged them to vote for him and write in his name, opposing Mr. Rose. Yep... you guessed it... the kid won... by a landslide.
When contacted by the press AND a rather disgruntled Mr. Rose, the newly elected 18 year old freshman just smiled and said; "Mr. Rose didn't ask me to get them to vote for him, he just asked me to get them to vote".
Now you've got to admit, this kid sounds like he BELONGS in Washington, doesn't he? Eighteen years old and already registering solid marks on the "sleaze-o-meter".
It's no wonder we end up with some of the legislation we have. I realize that there are an awful lot of laws still on the books from a long time ago... but not all of them. Here are a few.
It's against the law to step out of an airplane while it's in the air over the state of Maine.
Goats cannot legally wear trousers in Massachusetts.
It's against the law to drink milk while on a train passing through North Carolina.
An Oregon law prohibits citizens from wiping their dishes; they must be allowed to drip dry.
Here's a good one: It's illegal to ride an ugly horse in Wilbur, Washington.
And my all time favorite on the list: Corrupt practices or bribery is against the law for any citizen EXCEPT Virginia political candidates!!! They're exempt!!! C'mon!
The simple fact of the matter is that we have no one to blame for the mess in Washington, but ourselves. WE are the one's who put them there. Do you remember that "of the people, by the people, and for the people" part?... Yeah, it's STILL in effect, but we've elected all manner of unscrupulous people with very little character who have gradually become a collective body of Godless heathens looking out for themselves rather than for the best interests of the people. But WE CAN change that. That's the beauty of democracy. Every elected official CAN be replaced.
And since I said at the outset that I would talk about politics AND religion, let me tell you why. THEY'RE CONNECTED! The church of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ AND our government are connected.
One of the primary reasons for the slide of our government is because the church of Jesus Christ has also gradually slipped. It has moved from a place of relevance and importance in our society and culture, to a place of insignificance, relegated to the periphery. And here again, we have no one to blame but ourselves. We have remained silent and sought compromise far too long. Rather than possibly offend anyone, we will just accept whatever is said, whatever is done, and politely do our best to get along. And just from a purely personal perspective, I believe enough is enough. We've ridden that old horse to death and look where it's gotten us.
When the church of Jesus Christ wakes up, stands up, and speaks up, things will begin to change. Not only will God, and His church return to their rightful place in our society, our government will find it's way and assume the direction this country's founders intended.
It's going to be up to US. The church should set the direction of our government... NOT the other way around.
Please pray for the church of Jesus Christ in America. If we can just be who and what God intended for us to be... If we can just find our misplaced courage to speak up against "any high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God" (including ridiculous laws passed by our elected officials)... If we can all just figure out how to submit to the headship of Christ and depend upon His leadership and direction, America will be just fine; don't you think?
Now then... I feel better.
Maybe we should ask Frank Houston what HE thinks about HOW we ought to go about it... but then again, It's Just A Thought.
Have a blessed week.

IMPORTANT STUFF

2010-01-15T13:19:00.000-08:00

You know, I used to make fun of people who continuously hoarded stuff. I don't mean GOOD stuff, I mean useless stuff. Weird stuff... stuff nobody would EVER need in a million years.
Who does that? I mean, come on... what kind of person does that? And NO... you CAN'T look in my garage.
A strange thing happened yesterday, though, that caused me to stop and ponder such. My little sweetie, asked me a seemingly harmless question. She said, "Eddy, you know our filing cabinet is full of last year's stuff and we sure could stand to clean it out and make some more room for what we'll need to keep this year. Would you mind going through it and re-organizing everything?"
Eager to please, I told her, "Sure, Precious... (I call her that sometimes 'cause she likes it)... I said, "Sure, Precious, I'd be glad to do that."
So with a smile upon my lips and a song in my heart, I devised a plan sure to dazzle her with my brilliance. And I don't mind telling you my plan was working perfectly until I opened the first drawer to begin. Good grief!!! What a nightmare!
I cannot even begin to tell you how quickly this little chore turned into a mind-numbing experience. My little dazzling plan went out the door within the first 10 minutes. In a matter of a few minutes, my office looked like a small bomb had gone off in it. I had to get some kind of organization going BEFORE I could even determine what stayed, what went, and what needed to be boxed and kept for future reference... And all this on the first drawer!
I found stuff I hadn't seen in YEARS... and I don't mean a couple of years... I mean a LOT of years.
I found a couple of resumes with addresses on them that I don't even remember. HEY LOIS... did we ever live in New Mexico? I mean it was amazing. I found a stack of emails that we'd printed from back in 1996 and saved. I didn't even remember having a computer back in 96. I guess I was afraid email wouldn't be around for very long so I wanted to make sure I kept them.
I mean the list of stuff I found went on and on. I even found my ORIGINAL birth certificate. I hadn't seen THAT in a lot of years. And for those of you wondering... YES they had birth certificates back then... (and yes, I put that one in the "keep" stack. You never know when I might want to run for President and I'd need it... heh, heh, heh)
I found my military discharge orders. I even found a note written by some lady from the Texas Education Agency telling me I needed to take 6 more hours of college classes in order to be eligible for a Teacher's Certificate in some area other than what I majored in. I quickly figured out why that particular note didn't make much of an impact on me. It took me 6 years to get a 4 year degree and the thought of going back to school for another year just for those 2 classes didn't excite me much.
By the time it was all said and done... which was just a tick over 5 grueling hours to go through 6 drawers, I had probably discarded enough paper to account for a large percentage of one of those disappearing South American rain forests we keep hearing about. I'm sure documenting such waste will infuriate some over-bearing environmentalists... and nope... I didn't recycle. I don't see much use in THAT either. I mean I'd have to put it all into those 4 plastic trash bags, (those are bad)... put them in my pickup, (pickups are bad)... drive several miles to the nearest recycle bin emitting all that carbon and exhaust pollution, (both of those are bad), just so I can save the planet from burning up... It just didn't seem to balance out to me.
So all in all, yesterday was a good day. I got those filing cabinet drawers cleaned out, organized and ready for 2010, AND I learned not to be quite so critical of those poor souls who "keep stuff" just because they THINK they MIGHT need it later. In fact, I learned yesterday that I AM one of those poor souls.
I'm not much on New Year's resolutions, but I might endeavor to be a little less insistent on keeping stuff I think I might need someday. Because after all, no matter how much I THINK I might need it... it's still just STUFF.
Jesus said in Matthew chapter 6; "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth (and that includes; or in your filing cabinets) where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven"... and then He said, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." And now that I've had a day to think about it, the treasures contained in my "Keep Stuff" stack can't compare to what the Lord has prepared JUST for me... Now THAT'S something worth hanging on too, but then... Hey, It's Just A Thought.
Have a blessed week and think about me when you open that first drawer to begin...
Pastor Eddy

Chicken Little Is Alive And Well

2009-12-30T11:47:00.000-08:00

You know... I've tried hard not to get too excited about the constant bombardment of insanity that comes directly at us from every conceivable angle. I've tried hard to just shrug most of the junk off as silliness perpetrated by people who don't have anything better to do than try to insult my intelligence.
All this nonsense about global warming has really taken a toll on my patience. I mean, come on... we've got a bunch of tree huggers running around like Chicken Little, screaming, "The sky is falling... the sky is falling!", and the science simply doesn't support their claims. The biggest eye opener OUGHT to be their front man, Nobel Peace Prize winner, Al Gore. You remember him... he's the moron who looked us right in the eye and claimed to have "invented the Internet". Now there's a winner for you... who better to sound the alarm than THAT guy!
And that reminds me... who are these guys who decide who's going to win the Nobel Prize, anyway. I thought they'd reached the unreachable summit when they gave it to Al Gore, but then they gave it to Mr. Obama... NOT for anything he's done... because he hasn't done anything... but they gave it to him for what he WANTS to do!!!
Anyway, back to the global warming thing... I don't get it... temperatures are colder than usual and well below recorded averages all over the planet. The polar ice caps aren't melting... their GROWING. And these geniuses who claim we're all going to be vaporized in a gigantic ball of fire because somebody decided they like driving a Suburban, will look you right in the eye and tell you, "Of course it's getting colder... that's what happens when you have global warming". WHAT???!!!
Even through all this maze of idiocy and environmental goofiness, I have managed to keep my mouth shut, and my overall opinions to myself. I've been able to withstand the onslaught and even retained my ability to laugh and have fun... But a feller can just take so many attacks on his intelligence... I mean, there IS a limit to the lunacy.
The other night, not exactly sure when, but the other night I was peacefully sitting in my slightly lop-sided recliner watching a good football game when during a time out, Madison Avenue struck again. This time it was full frontal, all out assault on the intelligence of every person who happened to see it. To be honest with you, I can't remember WHAT they were trying to sell, or what foolish notion they were trying to get us to buy into... they lost me half way through the commercial.
I'm sitting there and this little "smart looking" guy... you know the one... the guy with the white plastic pocket protector in his shirt pocket, wearing his round, turtle shell framed glasses, looks right into the camera and says... now I'm not kidding... this is exactly what he said... He looks right in the camera and says, "It takes 35 gallons of water to make 1 cup of coffee".
WHAT??? 35 gallons of water to make 1 cup of coffee? Wow... that would mean that it takes 420 gallons of water to make 1 pot full.
Now I almost lost it. I mean come on... THAT is almost the dumbest statement I've ever heard. Al Gore claiming to have invented the Internet still sits atop the list as far as I'm concerned... But PLEASE... give me a break! If it takes 35 gallons of water to make 1 cup of coffee, then 3 things must have happened... and only 1 of the 3 is a viable explanation.
Either whoever is making the coffee forgot to turn the water off when the pot was full and let the water run for a VERY long time. Or... that's a mighty big cup! Can't ever remember seeing a 35 gallon coffee cup before... doesn't mean there isn't one, but I've never seen it. OR... someone, somewhere decided that the people who would see this ad are so stupid that they'll believe anything. It doesn't have to be factual... the global warming alarmists have already proven that... but really... how stupid do these people think we are?... 35 gallons of water to make 1 cup of coffee... Now that I think about it... Al Gore may have just been bumped down to 2nd place on the all time list of dumbest statements ever made.
Using the environmentalists own formulas, that would mean that I would waste approximately 900 gallons of water to flush my toilet... and just over 1,789 gallons of water to take a shower. It would take about 2,840 gallons of water to wash my pickup. And should I decided to water my yard, I'd better alert the Brazos River Authority because I'm about to waste the equivalent of all the water in Lake Waco.
Come to think of it, I might be convinced to change the way I do things, but not by someone trying to scare me into it. 2 Timothy 1: 7 says: " For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind". Seems to me that if we could pry some of these people's arms loose from the trees they're hugging and get them to embrace the Word of God with the same zeal they have for their distorted views and silly non-sense, a guy could watch a good ball game undisturbed.
Which reminds me... I think I'll go outside, unroll the water hose and rinse off all my windows. No telling how much water that would take... but then, Hey... It's Just A Thought.
No matter what the people in Washington tell you... remember... God's in charge, they aren't.
Have a blessed day in Jesus.
Pastor Eddy

THE MARCH OF THE GENERATIONS... And I Kinda Like It

2009-12-26T11:32:00.000-08:00

Well, it's the day after CHRISTmas and the smoke has somewhat cleared and the dust has almost settled at the Hooker household. No more long lines at the neighborhood Wal-Mart, (THANK GOD!!!), no more rushing to get everything wrapped... the day has come and gone. The kids... with THEIR kids have come and gone. The presents are all opened and the paper and boxes are not so neatly stacked, (maybe thrown would be a more accurate term), in the back of my pickup waiting for disposal.
This Christmas has been, perhaps the most meaningful Christmas I can ever remember. Because of the events of my life over the course of the last couple of months, I have literally had my spiritual eyes opened to the intimate involvement of Christ in the everyday lives of His children... and it has been AMAZING!!!
Red and I have been literally living by faith and trusting God. And through that experience, I've seen first hand how God's Word comes alive. He means what He says and He says what He means... what an amazing concept! God has abundantly supplied every need we've had and He's even supplied a lot of "wants" to go along with it. What an amazing God we serve.
This Christmas has been a bigger blessing to me than any I can remember.
I sat and soaked up all the going's on the other day when the house was full of family. The sounds of children's laughter and excitement in their voices stirred something in me. I marveled at these sounds, because these sounds were not of "my" children... but my grandchildren. Another generation is being raised up. The march of generations continues and cannot be interrupted or stopped... it just continues on. And what a wonderful thing that is. I see my kids being the moms and dads. I watched as "they" were excitedly giving gifts to their children. I watched their faces light up when their kids were excited about a present they'd opened and thought back about how my bride and I used to feel when our kids opened their presents and were excited.
I thought it was cool when from another room one of the kids would holler out, "MOM..." and every woman in the house would immediately respond... whether it was their child or not... it didn't matter. It proves the point that "Mom" is not just a title... but that "Mom-hood" is a calling.
I could see the pride in the eyes of my sons as their kids opened presents that had been sweated over and bled on because of the 3 most infamous words in the history of toys... "Some assembly required"... and yet they faced the fearsome sheet of directions, (usually written by someone who'd obviously never seen the toy before in their life)... they'd overcome the curse of being 1 screw short... and they'd conquered it. They got it together and IT WORKED!!!
I loved watching the innocence in the faces of the little ones as they opened presents and showed them to their moms and dads like they'd never seen them before. All the laughter... all the excitement of the moment, but even more of a blessing is to hear one of the little ones remind everyone in the room that this is Jesus' birthday.
I was struck by the fact that this new generation that was running through the house is a generation being raised up by God for His purposes and for His glory and I was amazed by the wonder of it all. How will that 5 year old boy come to realize God's hand on his life? What lies in store for that 3 year old little girl as she grows up to become a woman of God? What all will they see come to pass in THEIR lifetimes?
Yes... I sat there and watched in awe and amazement at the march of the generations. Some famous person once said; "Time waits for no man", and as for me, I'm sure glad it doesn't. Just think of everything we'd miss if it did. For one thing, Christmas sure wouldn't be the same, would it?
I just want to express my thankfulness to God for the most wonderful, most amazing, and most costly gift ever given... His Son, Jesus as the Savior of all mankind. Yep... an amazing gift, indeed. And Jesus is just as committed to this new generation as He is to the rest of us... Yes the march of the generations continues on... and I'm sure glad about that... But then, "Hey, It's Just A Thought".
Blessings to you and yours in the coming New Year.
Pastor Eddy

CHICKEN SOUP AND JAKE OWENS

2009-12-04T18:19:00.000-08:00

As I'm sure you're all aware, there's nothing like a little bout with some tiny little bug you can't even see, to put things back in their proper perspective. I have been blessed to experience a perspective adjustment just this week... Thank you Jesus.
It's amazing to me, how some tiny little critter known as a virus... which can only be seen through the lens of a microscope... can reduce a 6'2", 265 lb man to a whining, pathetic sounding, self pitying mass of uselessness.
Now it's come clean time... no chest pounding, here... no prideful disertation what-so-ever. I confess, when it comes to being sick... I'm HORRIBLE at it. My bride is sooooo patient with her patient, when I'm her patient. I can't wait for her to come in and ask me how I'm feeling, so I can tell her that a lesser man than me would probably be dead by now. She just smiles, says; "I know, honey", and then goes and gets another sizable jug of liquids for me to consume. She's so good to me... way better than I deserve.
It's funny how your mind wanders when you're sort of half out of it. I keep reminding God that I'm not supposed to be sick. I'm His adopted son and a rightful heir of His inheritance for me, so why did this "affliction" come upon me? Now the only logical explanation I can come up with for such musings, is that it must be due to the fever... yeah, yeah, that's it... the fever! Anyhow, during one of these brief little detours from reality, I finally decided that the only reason this could happen to a child of God is that these little viruses aren't saved... none of them... which brings another point to mind.
I know that God created everything... I get that... and yes I believe that... but I can't for the life of me figure out WHY He came up with viruses. They obviously fall into the same strange category as chiggers. Chiggers and viruses... now there's a couple of deuces for you. Both of them are worthless... well, maybe not totally worthless. Both of them DO have a way of humbling you don't they?
I'll skip the obvious discomforts and embarrassing circumstances surrounding a good bate of chiggers... their uncanny ability to humble people is legendary. And now that I think about it a minute, the same can be said of the tiny little virus. Hard to be even remotely prideful when you're convinced no one has ever felt this bad before. But these two little critters can't even hold a candle to Jake Owens.
Yesterday, I finally summoned the strength to turn on the TV for a few minutes. My eyes even hurt, so I couldn't watch it long... but just to show you what I mean, I saw a short little story about Jake. Jake is a 10 year old from southern California, cute little kid who loves playing "center" on his little league football team. When he was born, he had some severe problem with his left eye, and it had to be removed when he was only days old. Now at 10 years old, the problem is back... and it's NOT a virus that last for 24 hours. The story told of how Jake's parents contacted USC head coach Pete Carroll and shared Jake's plight with him, and told him how USC was his favorite team. Coach Carroll went way beyond what most people would have done, and literally took little Jake into the USC fold. Jake and the USC center bonded right away... (it's a position thing), and Jake spent the last few days with the Trojans BEFORE he had to have his right eye surgically removed.
Then at age 10, this kid had more courage, more strength of character, and more faith than a lot of us will ever have. He told his Mom, as he was going into the surgery, "Don't worry, Mom, it's just going to be a different part of my life now".
And the show followed up as Jake, totally blind now, walked back into one of the USC team meetings 6 days following his surgery and changed the lives of a large group of big strong healthy college football players. This little 10 year old kid showed the mighty USC Trojans what real courage looked like... and it was awesome!!!
Then as I turned the TV off, I "humbly" asked God to forgive me for being such a wimp. Today, I'm much better... partly because I'm gaining on the virus... and partly because of Jake Owens.
There might be some reason God wanted to put in his word that "we ought not to complain and grumble over every little thing"... after all, complaining doesn't do much to glorify God, does it? That's what the Lord and Jake Owens showed me this week... but then, Hey!... It's Just A Thought.

Thanksgiving... Holiday or Attitude?

2009-11-26T07:14:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving... ahh, Thanksgiving. It's that wonderful time of year when the world begins it's sprint of complete insanity, which is the "shopping season" that leads up to Christmas. It's the time of year when people who are suspected of being normal, shed their disguises, put away their projected images of coherency and burst forth with their lunacy on full display.
I watched the news the other night and they ran a story about a perfectly normal "looking" lady who had pitched her tent on the sidewalk of a major electronics retailer on Monday preceding what the retailers have appropriately dubbed, "Black Friday", so she could make sure she was the first one through the doors when they opened at 4:00 am. I mean come on... does the word "compulsive" mean anything to you?
What would be an even more interesting news video would be a clip of what would happen if someone dared to cut in front of the sidewalk camper in an attempt to get in the store ahead of her on Friday morning... now THAT would be video worth watching.
I think what grieves me about this holiday, is the fact that people forget the TRUE meaning of this observance, and see it as a day when you get yourself prepared to rush at breakneck speed into self indulgence and financial oblivion.
From a purely personal standpoint, Thanksgiving is probably my favorite holiday of the year. It's a time to spend with loved ones and family. It's a time of breaking bread together and sharing in the fellowship of thankful hearts.
It's a day of almost non-stop football, which is always a good way to crank up a good debate. It's a day filled with guilt free eating... and a day when extra special care is given to the food, which is delicious and plentiful. It's a day when everyone scrambles for the perfect spot to take a nap after the meal, which is considered perfectly normal AND acceptable. It's a day when repeated trips to the fridge during the afternoon and evening hours is encouraged and, quite frankly, a necessary observance... after all, NO ONE can get around to EVERYTHING at meal time. It takes several trips to get it all sampled.
I love Thanksgiving... and yes, now that I think about it... it IS my favorite holiday. It's kind of weird, though, because to be honest, I don't think I'm any more thankful on the last Thursday of November, each year than I am the other 364 days. It doesn't matter which Thursday of the year it is, I'm thankful for so much... so many blessings God has given me. Every single day of the year, I'm amazed at God's grace, His mercies, and His love... and I AM thankful.
I'm even thankful for the man who decided a day of Thanksgiving would be appropriate and fitting for a nation so blessed by the Lord of Hosts.
Abraham Lincoln wrote this proclamation, establishing this national holiday.
"The year that is drawing toward its close has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God... I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea, and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens."
It is clearly evident, at least to me, that the man who was leading this nation at that time, and who established this "day", had profoundly established an "attitude" of thankfulness within his own heart. A man who KNEW the source of all blessings and was openly and unashamedly grateful to God. Gee... I miss that in our national leaders today.
Maybe what we as Christians should do, is crank up the prayer another notch, and spend more time working on our "attitude" of thankfulness instead of falling into lockstep with the world's view of this very, very special day. But then, HEY... "It's Just A Thought".
Lois and I hope YOUR Thanksgiving Holiday is truly blessed of God. May you laugh till your sides hurt; eat till you're miserable; sleep till you're really rested; and may YOUR team win by a landslide.
Be blessed in Jesus' Name;
Pastor Eddy and Lois.

ANOTHER YEAR OLDER... SORT OF

2009-11-13T11:14:00.000-08:00

What a treat it is to have a birthday. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not even in the same class as my little bride. She celebrates her birthday all month long. Kind of works out good for her that her special day is might near the middle of the month. The first half of the month, she spends building momentum up to the "Big Day"... then the last half of the month, she just continues to enjoy and reminisce about all the fun she had in the first half.
I think that's really cool that she does that, but I just can't. For me, having THAT much fun is way yonder more work than I want to expend.
But as I get older and watch the grandkids have birthday parties and all that goes with it, I notice that between 2 and 4 minutes after the candles are blown out and the cake's eaten, all the celebratin' just kind of tapers off. It doesn't take them long to get back to just bein' kids.
Birthdays are beginning to last a lot longer for me now. I love the cards, the emails, the text messages, and the calls. But for several days after a birthday, I catch myself thinking, "Wow... I don't really FEEL old".
Maybe "old" is a state of mind rather than a state... Nah... it's a state all right, it just takes the mind a little longer to accept it as a reality.
I read a funny poem about getting older the other day.
A Little Mixed Up
Author Unknown
Just want you to know that I'm still livin'
I'm not among the dead
But I am a bit more forgetful
And sometimes mixed up in my head.

Sometimes I'm just standin' there
At the bottom of the stairs
I can't remember if I was going up for something
Or if I just came down from there

Or like standin' in front of the refrigerator
And my mind is filled with doubt
I can't remember if I just put somethin' in there
Or came to get some out

I'm gettin' used to all the noise
As my joints all creak and pop
And trips to bathroom are an adventure
Cause sometimes I can't start, and others I can't stop

I'm used to my arthritis
And to these false teeth I'm resigned
I've learned to manage my bi-focals
But dear Lord, I miss my mind.

I know getting older means different things to different people, but for me, I suppose the biggest problem with aging is hair. It ceases to grow where you would normally think hair would grow, and it moves to different locations on your head. Like my nose. Yeah, my nose. Some mornings I wake up and go to the bathroom, look in the mirror and there's a 3 inch long hair growing on the point of my nose. How'd it get THERE? It wasn't there yesterday. When you reach 60 years of age, one hair on your nose can grow 3 to 5 inches during 8 hours of sleep... THAT'S a scientific fact... it happens all the time.
Sometimes, when the light is just right, I look in the mirror and I can see 1 long hair growing out the top of one of my ears. What's it doing THERE? Another scientific fact is that these can also grow to great lengths overnight.
But there are some REAL advantages to getting older. Like losing your hearing. You don't have to pretend to be interested in something someone is saying if you can't hear them say it. And there is some blessings that go along with the accusations of having "selective" hearing. The blessing is that YOU get to select when it works and when it doesn't. You just have to be very careful not to EVER admit it.
You can spill food down the front of your shirt and nobody ever thinks a thing about when you get older. They just think, "Awww... poor guy". You don't have to worry about being careful when you eat... you can just enjoy it... the shirt will wash.
But there is ONE MORE thing about getting older. And if I'm totally honest about it, I would have to say that it's my favorite thing about aging. No matter how old I get... no matter how much harder it gets to keep the spring in my step... no matter how many MORE birthdays I will get to enjoy... I'm still a child in my God's eyes. WOW!!! Think about THAT!!! We will ALWAYS be His child, no matter how old we get.
And when I think about the love my Father has for me, His child, I can't help but feel younger, no matter how old I get.
But then, "Hey, It's Just A Thought".
Pastor Eddy

IT'S WHAT'S INSIDE THAT COUNTS

2009-11-04T12:18:00.000-08:00

In one of our services, recently, I spoke about the "stuff" that's in the stuff we buy at the grocery store. So many times, we look at the pretty label and grab it right off the shelf without really knowing what all is inside. The example I used was a jar of queso dip. I love queso, but when I looked a little closer at the ingredients on the label of my favorite brand, I was amazed. Right there, first one listed, in plain English was the clincher... "cheese FLAVORED mix".
I have to be honest, here... the "cheese flavored" part didn't bother me a whole lot... it was the MIX part that unsettled me. Mix of what? What kind of mix? Now I don't know about you, but I've got to be honest... THAT bothered me.
Maybe I'm just being a little too persnickety about it. No one in their right mind, just by looking at me, would ever guess that I might be particular about what I ingest. No... I'm not fat... I'm just fluffy! And as a rule, us fluffy people aren't usually what people classify as picky eaters. Personally, I've never been accused of being picky about what I eat... but... cheese flavored mix??!! I don't know.
That got me to thinking about ingredients found in a lot of stuff. I just thought I'd share with you SOME of what I found... ENJOY!
Jelly Beans... who doesn't like jelly beans? They're kind of like on the top ten of American candies. Everybody knows they've got enough sugar power the lunar rover, but do you know what else they've got in 'em? Most jelly beans get their hard shiny surface from SHELLAC. Shellac made from the secretions of an insect known as "Laccifer Lacca". They live in trees and they coat the branches of the trees with this secretion. The trees are harvested and the secretions that coat the branches is refined. Not the branches themselves... just the junk that coats them. Voila... shellac.
Ladies... you're gonna love this one. Skin Cream. You know, that high dollar stuff you make the special trip to the cosmetic store to pick up that will rejuvenate your skin and smooth out those unsightly wrinkles, giving your face a younger healthier look. Bet you didn't know this. One of the MAIN ingredients found in almost all skin cream is human placenta. Yep... human afterbirth. The large cosmetic manufacturing firms have contracts in place with large hospitals. One particular Beverly Hills based company gets it's supply exclusively from Russian maternity wards.
Chewing Gum... That wonderful invention of Mr. Wrigley back in the early 1900's that today's marketers will assure you, that it will keep your breath fresh and clean for hours. I mean, come on... who doesn't like gum?... right? Most brands still use "castoreum" to enhance the flavor of the gum. What they DON'T tell you is that castoreum is produced only in the anal glands of beavers. Gee... I really didn't want to know that.
Speaking of clean fresh breath... Toothpaste; that product we all depend on daily for oral hygiene, contains "dicalcium phosphate". It's an abrasive agent made from the bones of mammals that chew their cud; like cattle, sheep, and goats. Anybody besides me know how nasty goats are?
And finally, what would have to be my favorite on this list... Perfume. Perfume contains a fixative agent, (that means it helps it stick to where you smear it), called "Skatole". Skatole is a white, crystalline organic compound found in beets, coal tar, and... are you ready for this?... are you sure?... human feces. Yep... scientists say that it is the Skatole that gives poop it's distinctive odor. Kind of adds a whole new dimension to that $100 an ounce, french perfume, doesn't it?
Well, as odd... maybe disgusting would be a better adjective... anyway, as odd as all this sounds, it's not as far out in left field as we might first think. I mean, consider this for just a minute. Think about our lives. Think about what makes us who we really are. Think about what has influenced us in ways that shape us and mold us and give us our character.
Some of the most successful people you'll ever meet, are people who've failed miserably along the way. Some of the wealthiest people have known first-hand what it feels like to be flat broke. Some of the happiest people on the planet have been through some of the most heart breaking, gut wrenching, and yes... saddest of times. The friendliest people you can think of are probably people who've been rejected, scorned and often times, discarded by others. Some of the happiest couples have been through the toughest of times... but they went through it together. Some of the best marriages have suffered through some of the harshest of trials.
Some of these ingredients in our lives, when isolated and examined, are unpleasant, unsightly, and unseemly to talk about or even think about. But when they are so thoroughly mixed in with the rest of our make up and our influences that they no longer are distinguishable as separate parts... they literally enhance who we are... improve who we are... and become a viable part of our make up.
And if we'd be honest about it, who among us wouldn't be a little better off with a little more fixative agent in our make up... but not THAT kind.
Hey... It's Just A Thought.
Pastor Eddy

WOW... THAT SOUNDS FAMILIAR

2009-10-23T18:35:00.000-07:00

The other day I was deeply engrossed in one of my favorite books. Actually it's the 19th installment of a very intellectually challenging series, and the title of this particular book I'm reading is; "Uncle John's Curiously Compelling Bathroom Reader".

And within it's pages, are stories ranging from slightly amusing to absolutely hilarious... from mildly odd to down right weird. Within the pages, one can find a virtual treasure of what some might call useless information... but information nonetheless. For example; did you know that salt is mentioned more than 30 times in the Bible, but there's no mention of pepper. I wonder why that is.

Another thing about these Bathroom Readers, is that they are inspiring. They have inspired me to try and figure out how to install some arm rests on the toilet for a tad more comfort while I'm reading.

Anyhow, while reading, I came across a story that caught my attention. At first I thought it was funny... then I wasn't sure if it was funny or not. Let me know what you think.

It is the story about an incident that occurred at the most prestigious art gallery in Britain. Not meaning to poke any fun at the Brits, but they're known to be just a bit stodgy anyhow, and this really brought that fact to life.

They prominently displayed a block of slate, topped with a small piece of wood. The gallery's owners raved about the "work" and the word rapidly spread. In fact the Royal Academy included the chunk of stone with the small bone shaped wooden stick in it's most prestigious summer exhibition in London. It created quite the stir.

But the block of slate was later found to be what's called a "plinth"... the stone slab upon which a pedestal is placed. The stick was designed to prop up and support a sculpture. The sculpture was a head, which was to sit upon the pedestal, supported by the stick. BUT... the sculpture itself was nowhere to be found... at least until after the art show.

The Royal Academy explained it this way; saying that the parts were all sent to the gallery separately and The Academy, having received the pieces separately thought them to be two different submissions. They said the two parts were judged independently. The head was rejected, but the block of slate... the square piece of stone... that was later discovered to be the base, was thought to exhibit merit, and was accepted.

And this story got me to thinking. We all rock along in our own little world, thinking we're pretty cool because we seem to "have it going on"... and then along comes someone who turns the light on and suddenly we realize we might not be as cool as we thought. But what do we do when THAT happens? Well at that point, we're forced to make a choice.

We either say, oops... my bad... sorry about that... or we try to pretend that's what we intended all along... every thing's working out just like I planned.

Which got me to thinking about something else that suddenly appears entirely relevant. That's pretty much how we act regarding sin in our lives. When confronted with our mistakes ( our sin ), we're forced to make some choices. We either say, Oops... my bad... sorry, God... please forgive me. (That's called confession and repentance). Or we just keep right on going, ignoring the sin, pretending every thing's under control and we're just fine. (That's called stupidity)

Stupidity a little harsh, you think? OK... Oops, my bad, sorry about that. Oh well... It's Just A Thought.

NOW THAT'S SOME GOOD ADVICE!!!

2009-10-12T14:07:00.000-07:00

First of all, I need to apologize for being so delinquent in getting this blog up to date. I don't really have a good excuse... I'm generally free from midnight to 4 am, but that's about the only time I have to try and squeeze in some shut-eye. As I've said before, my job sure interferes with my business. At any rate, I'll try to be a little more punctual in getting this up and running.

We talk an awful lot around here about leadership. Our church body is blessed with men and women who understand the role of leadership and who walk in it on a daily basis. What a blessing it is to have people who are "real" leaders.

There are an awful lot of people who want to lead, but for whatever reason, they just can't. It's sort of like the old saying; "If you're in leadership and you're leading... turn around and look behind you... if no one is following, you're not leading, you're just out for a walk". I might be a little bit cynical, but I decided a long time ago that it pays to be tad particular about who you choose to follow.

There are some things about leadership that are really fun... and there are some things about it that really AREN'T. Some of the fun things are: seeing people "get it". Seeing the light come on and watching them grow and mature in the Lord. Watching people work their guts out at something and seeing them succeed. Noticing how God multiplies His blessings among His people... fun things, indeed.

Some of the things that aren't, are: having to watch people you love, leave. Making decisions that other people don't want to make isn't a lot of fun... and then not being able to explain WHY you made some decision because if you did, it would violate someone else's confidence isn't much fun either.

Choosing who you're going to hang out with is critical to the success of any degree of leadership. I know that sound's simple, but it's not always as simple as it sounds. People can literally propel you to uncharted heights... or they can literally suck the life right out of you. And one of the signs of a good leader is his or her ability to discern the difference.

T.D. Jakes, one of the most prolific pastoral writers of this age recently posted a deal that some of you may have seen. It is without a doubt, priceless for EVERY leader to understand, to practice, and to master. It is, in part, as follows:

There are people who will walk away from you. And hear me when I tell you this! When people walk away from you, let them walk. Don't try to talk another person into staying with you, calling you, caring about you, coming to see you, or staying attached to you. I mean hang up the phone.
When people walk away from you, let them walk. Your destiny is NEVER tied to anybody that left.
LET THEM GO!
It doesn't mean that they're a bad person, it just means that their part of the story is over.
If you're holding on to something that doesn't belong to you and was never intended for your life...
LET IT GO!
if you're holding on to past hurts and pains...
LET IT GO!
If someone can't treat you right, love you back, and see your value and worth...
LET THEM GO!
If someone has angered you...
LET IT GO!
If you're holding on to some thoughts of evil or revenge...
LET IT GO!
If you're involved in a wrong relationship...
LET IT GO!
If you're desperately holding on to a job that no longer meets your needs or your talents...
LET IT GO!
If you have a bad attitude...
LET IT GO!
If you keep judging others so you'll feel better about yourself...
LET IT GO!
If you're stuck in the past and God is trying to move you to a new level...
LET IT GO!
If you keep trying to help someone who won't even help themselves...
LET THEM GO!
If God can't fix a situation in your life because you won't turn loose of it...
LET IT GO!

You know... it doesn't matter who you are or what your station in life might be at this particular moment in time... THAT'S some good advice. Talk about FREEDOM!!! But then I think I read somewhere that we've been set free by the blood of the Lamb.

Doesn't make much sense to keep sitting in your cell, pouting, after Christ has unlocked the door for you... DOES IT? It doesn't to me... but then, "It's Just A Thought".

Aww... I Didn't Know That !

2008-08-04T14:07:00.000-07:00

I am continuously amazed at how little I know. Now for those of you who know me best, and who AREN'T at all amazed by that... let me explain what I mean. How many of YOU have ever said something just because you've heard it all your life, but when it comes right down to it, you have no idea where it came from, or what the origin of the saying really is? Yeah... me too. But it is always fun when you get the low down on something you've heard all your life.

Here are a couple that I really enjoyed. Back in the old days, most of the houses had thatched roofs. These roofs were simply thick straw, piled high, with very little or no support underneath. During the cold winter months, this thatched roof was the only place for some animals to keep warm or dry. So dogs, cats, and other small animals, (mice, rats, and several interesting species of bugs) lived IN or ON the roof. When it rained, the straw would get very slippery, and at times, one or more of these animals would slip and fall off the roof. Hence the saying, "It's raining cats and dogs".

Some of the smaller critters would simply fall through the roof, into the house. Not especially disturbing, except for instances when they would alight in bedroom... and on the bed. Not everything that "dropped" through the roof was alive... sometimes, their "droppings" dropped. So some ingenious person came up with spreading a sheet across 4 posts at the corners of the bed... hence, the "canopy bed" came into existence.

Only the wealthy had floors made of anything but dirt. Hence the term, "dirt poor". The wealthy had floors made of slate. Pretty, durable, and very easy to keep, with one very slight exception. In the winter, when wet, these slate floors would become as slick as ice. The wealthy figured out a solution. They would spread thresh on the floor. Over the course of the wet winter months, they would simply add more thresh as the need arose, until they would have so much on their floors, that when they opened the door, the thresh would fall outside, creating an even bigger mess. So they solved that problem by placing a small board across the bottom of the doorway to keep the thresh in the house, and the "threshold" was born.

In merry old England, in the 1500's they began to have a serious problem. Being a relatively small island with only so much room available, they began to run out of places to bury people. So they would dig up old coffins, remove the bones inside, take those bones to what they called a bone house... dispose of the used coffin, and re-use the grave. But an amazing discovery took place during this practice. They discovered that roughly 1 out of ever 25 coffins exhumed, would have claw marks, scratch marks on the INSIDE... leading to the only logical conclusion... they were burying people alive at an alarming rate. So to make sure this sort of thing didn't keep happening, they would tie a string around the wrist of the deceased, feed it through a small hole in the lid of the coffin, up through the dirt, and tie the other end to a small bell hanging by the fresh grave. People would be assigned to sit out by the grave all night... during "the grave yard shift" remaining alert, listening for the those who might be "saved by the bell".

Freshly baked bread was given out according to social status. For example... the workers of a household would be given the bottom of the loaf, usually a tad burned and much harder. The rest of the family divided the rest of the loaf... except for special guests... and they were given "the upper crust".

Isn't it great, that our Lord and Savior loves us so much, that just like the animals, we're provided, in Him, a shelter from the cold and wet times of life. And when the footing becomes slippery and we fall through... He's provided a safety net to catch us and save us from the fall? That we don't have to associate ourselves as being dirt poor, but rather the co-heirs of the treasures of heaven, itself. And that there is a reliable "stop" that can keep us from falling out when the door is suddenly opened. Isn't it great that we have a Shepherd that watches over us continually... in the brightest day AND during the grave yard shift. Isn't it wonderful that we have The Bread Of Life, given freely to who-so-ever will... and it ain't the burnt bottom of the loaf, beloved... it's nothing but "the upper crust".

It sure is good to know that we don't have to worry about being "saved by the bell"... We're saved by the blood of the Lamb.
Hey... it's Just A Thought... but as for me... I sure am glad!!!

Pastor Eddy

IT'S THAT TIME AGAIN!

2008-07-22T12:03:00.000-07:00

Wow... the Summer Olympics are just a little over a couple of weeks away. I'm kind of torn, this year... I love "the games", but I'm a little conflicted over the fact that they're in China this time. Oh well, politics are not SUPPOSED to have any part in it, and just between us, I sure hope they don't. The competitors deserve better than that.

I know that there are two Olympics... summer and winter. I just can't get fired up over the winter games. Maybe it's because I've never shushed down the side of a mountain or performed a triple toe loop. Maybe it's because I can't seem to get excited watching 5 guys from Norway ski for 367 miles, up-hill and down, then stop and shoot a little .22 cal. rifle, throw it back over their shoulder and take off for another 300 miles or so. Anyhow, the winter games just don't float my boat. Ahhh, but the summer games... now that's a different story.

The swimming, diving, track and field, basketball, boxing, wrestling, weight lifting, and so much more, all of which, I love to watch. Perhaps it's the idea of an athlete training for his or her whole life for the ONE opportunity to step onto the world stage and for that one day... that one instant in time... be the very best on this planet at that one event. Even the concept of that is exciting to me. To watch these amazing athletes compete against one another and against the clock, is a wonderful spectacle worth the investment of my time.

But the one venue that always captures my attention is... are you ready for this?... men's gymnastics. Yep... men's gymnastics. And there's a very logical explanation for my fascination with it. You see, when I was a college student, my education was paid for with an athletic scholarship. Playing football paid my way... and yes... we DID have helmets!!! My nose may not look like it, but we did, and that's another story, altogether. By now, you're probably wondering what THAT'S got to do with my fascination with men's gymnastics. I'll explain.

My junior year in college, while attending West Texas State University in Canyon, the head coach decided that during the off season, during the spring semester, all the players had their choice; they could either take ballet, or gymnastics... but we had to choose ONE... and take the course. Figuring my masculine ego might take some serious hits if I were forced to wear a tu-tu and tippy-toe around some stage to Mozart, I made a dash for the gymnastics sign-up. BIG MISTAKE!... no... HUGE MISTAKE!!!

Our class consisted of about 2 serious gymnastic students and 35 football players, most of which were linemen, like myself. To pass the course, all we had to do was successfully complete ONE gymnastic maneuver on each apparatus... ONE... that's all... just ONE simple move. I'm not proud of this, but on my college transcript, the one failing grade I had at W.T. was in gymnastics. Yep... I failed. Not only could I not do ONE simple maneuver on each apparatus... I don't think I did one simple maneuver on ANY apparatus. It was horrible... it was nothing less than sheer torture. The instructor was also the gymnastics coach for the school, and you can't even begin to imagine his frustration over the fact that here were 35 LARGE individuals taking up his time. One guy mounted the parallel bars and broke them. Another guy took a running start, hit the spring board to jump over the horse in what they call a vault... the spring board exploded into a thousand pieces... he crashed the horse and broke it... and the rest of us pulled rib cage muscles from laughing so hard. The high bar was one of my favorites... and all we had to do was mount the bar, swing back and forth until we could just swing all the way over it. Now when you watch those guys on TV in the Olympics, they do that just so they can get some momentum for what they REALLY want to do. Couldn't do that either. The rings... you know, the two little rings that hand down from the ceiling... me and 2 other guys separated a shoulder just trying to do a hand-stand.

It was horrible... by far my worst experience in college. But from then on, I have never looked at men's gymnastics the same. Those guys are the strongest, most coordinated, agile, athletes I have ever seen. And what's truly amazing, is that they make it LOOK SO EASY! Trust me... it ain't!

And thinking about that, got me to thinking about how Christians work so hard at trying to be what they were never intended or gifted by God to be. If we could just somehow come to grips with the fact that God calls each person and uniquely gifts them to not only get by, but to excel in their calling, oh how the body of Christ would flourish and thrive. We've somehow made a terrible error in trying to decide what we would be good at, rather than DISCOVER what we're good at. When we finally get to the point where we hear God's call... respond to it... and use those gifts He's given us... whatever they are... then the church will be a remarkable thing to behold. Figuratively speaking, in a vague spiritual sense, if the football players would stay out of gymnastics class... and not tear everything up... it would all be a lot better for everyone... wouldn't it?

That one semester, way back then, taught me that I had no future in gymnastics... but I have wondered how I'd do in the 3 meter platform diving competition. Hey... it's Just A Thought.

Pastor Eddy

Its A Mystery To Me

2008-07-17T15:48:00.000-07:00

Mysteries, mysteries, every where you look... mysteries. There are so many things I really don't understand, that if I'm not careful, I might develop some kind of complex... or something. Seriously, if you had two piles; the first pile being the "Yep, I've got that down pat" pile, and the other being the "Clueless" pile, which do you suppose would be bigger? Now for me, that's a no-brainer. My biggest pile, by far, would be the latter.

I'm pretty convinced that there are some things in life that just aren't meant to be totally understood. And come to think of it... I don't understand THAT either. Really... stop and think about it... aren't there some mysteries in life that just seem to be beyond logic, beyond reasoning, and even beyond explanation? And if you answered yes to that question, then the only logical next question would be something along the lines of; "Reckon why that is?" There you go right there... another mystery. There just doesn't seem to be an end to it.

Not all "WHY" questions are mysteries... I get that part. Like,why isn't football season longer? Answer: because of the game's extreme physical nature, you'd run out of players before the season ended. See? That's not a mystery. But here's one: why is abbreviation such a long word? Having driven an 18 wheeler in my life, here's one: why are there interstate highways in Hawaii?... Really... why is that? Why isn't phonetic spelled like it sounds? I've got to tell you, I always wondered what the best thing was BEFORE sliced bread. And exactly what is happening when an employee is gruntled? Why is it called a T.V. SET... when you only get one to the box? Some really smart person figured out the speed of light... (I have no idea how he did that)... but I don't think I've ever heard what the speed of dark is... well... what is it? And here's one... why is there an expiration date on sour cream? Is it going to get sour-er? And the mysteries go on and on. Like, what's another word for synonym? Why is it called a pair of underwear? Why aren't they called teeth brushes? Mysteries... everywhere you look... mysteries.

One of my all time favorites... what is the difference between a gift and a free gift? If it's free, it's a gift... isn't it? And if its a gift, its free, or it wouldn't be a gift. It's either a gift or it isn't. Its either free or its not a gift at all, its a purchase. Sort of like the marvelous gift of eternal life given by God... FREE... to all who will humbly accept such a wondrous gift. Can't buy it... can't earn it... can't even swap for it... it's FREE to whomever will accept it. Amazing how many people work so hard, for so long, trying to figure out the angle... trying to find the catch... trying to IMPROVE the gift, somehow. And all they have to do, to receive the most cherished gift ever offered to any man, is simply receive it with humility and with gladness of heart. Amazing, indeed. The gift of salvation...

Its a shame so many people work so hard to make it something other than a gift. Reckon why people would do that? Its a MYSTERY to me!!! But then, its Just A Thought.

Pastor Eddy

Now THAT'S Some Handy Information...

2008-07-09T17:33:00.000-07:00

Have you ever thought about how truly amazing it is that we live in a time of instant everything? And what's truly remarkable about all this instant-ness of everything is the instant availability of information.

If you own a computer and have Internet access, then you're quite familiar with the term "information super highway". But when you get past all the periphery and get down to the most basic aspects of what seems to be the vastness of it all... there's really only 3 kinds of information. Every single tidbit of information will fit into one of these 3 categories. What are they? I thought you'd never ask. First... there's "useless information". Just because it's informative doesn't really make it useful... just entertaining.

For example; did you know that the Sagauro Cactus (the kind you see in all the pictures of Arizona... the tall skinny ones) will not grow it's first arm until it's at LEAST 75 years old? Or that snakes can catch Malaria. I'll bet you didn't know Pontius Pilate was born in Scotland. This one will make you think... the average human brain can process 500 times the information found in a set of the Encyclopedia Britannica. Makes me wonder what happened to mine! According to statistics, U.S. hospitals treat an average of 120 toilet seat-related injuries every single day. Did you know that elephants breathe 12 times a minute? And one of my favorites... Paradise South Dakota was named by two of it's residents... Adam and his friend, Eve.

The second category of information is "useful information". Things we will need to know somewhere down the line; discounting the obvious, like fire is hot and so on... there are some other morsels that are pretty handy to know. Like; if you don't remove an avocado's pit, it won't turn black, even if it's peeled. And if you divide your total weight by 3, that's how much your legs weigh. Here's a flowerdy thought... more roses are grown in Texas than in any other country on earth. And here's one I'll bet you didn't know... a person completely re-grows new eyelashes every 3 months.

Now that we've looked at useless information and useful information, it's time we know the third category... "valuable information". The first two categories can be readily accessed in print, audio-visual media of varying types, and of course, the Internet. But for us to be able to find valuable information, we must know where to look. The most valuable information available to mankind today, is found in one place... and one place only... it is contained in pages of the number one best seller of all time... The Bible... The Word Of God. The information is always current and never out of date... Jesus said in Matthew 24: 35, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away".

I figure that any information that can give me joy, fulfillment, peace, hope, assurance, happiness, instructions on how I can enjoy an abundant life, and show me the way to eternal life is pretty valuable information. The fact that it can help me to overcome my failures, help others overcome theirs, win the victory in every battle, teach me about God's amazing grace, His boundless love, and walk in the power of His might is mighty valuable information, indeed. And when you get right down to it, it's every bit as interesting as knowing that the first laundromat in America, opened in Ft. Worth, Texas, on April 18, 1934...

I wonder if the majority of information we're getting is useless, useful, or valuable...
But then, HEY... It's Just A Thought

Pastor Eddy

Back To WHERE???...

2008-07-02T15:11:00.002-07:00

How many of you can remember THAT place. You know the one I'm talking about... the one place you visited and decided right then and there that some day you just HAD to come back. It was the place that stirred you in some manner.

Maybe it stirred some emotion, like happiness, or moved you to indelibly mark in your memory so you could come back to it again and again. Maybe it was something as light hearted as a memorable trip of some sort... you know... where the views were remarkable and pictures just couldn't capture the beauty of it. It could have been a vacation spot that you and your spouse stumbled upon that just seemed to ooze romance. Maybe it was a restaurant that you'd never been to before, but the whole experience was so enjoyable that you've just got to get back to it.

At any rate, you get my drift. I'm talking about the place we have all been, where the moment, the atmosphere, the setting, or whatever... somehow stirred us to want to come back to it. And the wonderful thing about it, is that THAT place is different for every person. What floats one person's boat may not do a thing for someone else, but we've ALL got that one place in our memory or in our heart... RIGHT? And THAT'S the place we want to get back to some day.

Thinking about that got me to thinking about something else. I am continuously amazed as I talk with people and listen to their stories of how God has moved in their lives, or spoken to them in their time of trial, or delivered them from some affliction. And so many times as people continue to talk, they finally get to the point where they confess that it seems like it's been a long time since they've heard from God on a personal and intimate level.

Now true enough... one word from God spoken in due season may be enough to motivate someone for years, but over time, the intimacy of THAT moment is missed. I've had people tell me of how hard they've sought God and haven't heard from Him for a long time. How they've tried over and over, pleaded and begged God to speak to them, but all they hear is silence. I don't usually get my theology from someone else, but I heard a well known national ministry speaker say this one day, and it stuck in my mind as ringing truth. They said, "If it's been a long time since you've heard from God, stop what you're doing and GO BACK to doing what you were doing when you DID hear from Him."

For a man named Jacob, THAT place was a place called Bethel. Bethel was a place where God delivered him from his trials as he was running for his life and trying to get away from his brother, Esau. It was a place where Jacob literally had a very personal experience with the Lord. And some time later, God spoke to Jacob and told him to return to Bethel. The reason is not too clear, but it's not that important either. Bethel was the place where God could talk to Jacob, where Jacob could hear God, and God wanted him back there to talk to him some more.

For us, as Christians... for us as God's people who sometimes wonder why we can't seem to hear anything from God, especially about some important matter, no matter how hard we try, maybe we should go back to Bethel. Back to our spot where we DID hear His voice. Back to the one place where we DID experience His presence. We get so caught up in the notion that we've got to keep moving forward... keep going no matter what... advance at all costs... that we often lose sight of the fact that movement necessary to our advancement and growth may not be forward at all. In fact, God may want us to go back to THAT place where we heard Him before, because He wants us to hear Him again.

Bethel for one person may be a completely different place than it is for someone else. In fact, Bethel may not be some physical location at all... it may be a PLACE... spiritually. And I don't know about you, but I think I'd rather go back to my Bethel than that great restaurant I was just thinking about. But then, Hey... It's Just A Thought.

Pastor Eddy

Back To WHERE???...

2008-07-02T15:11:00.001-07:00

SURPRISE !!! Sort of...

2008-06-19T19:16:00.000-07:00

You know, there are words that we hear that have an ability to stir up all kinds of feelings and emotions... ranging from sheer joy, to sadness... from serenity to anger, and virtually everything in between. Words have an innate power in them to stir our souls.

For example, "fishing" is a word that I can easily associate with the feeling of peaceful enjoyment. "Kickoff" is a word that I can associate with excitement or joyful anticipation. I can relate freedom and fun to the word, "motorcycle". And there are other words that are equally, if not more powerful; like the word "fire", or "emergency", or "abuse". I don't have the time or space to go into some of the word associations that I have... like the word, "politician", for example. Maybe I'll save that one for another time. But at any rate, you're getting my drift; right?

One of those words... the one I want to focus on... is the word "surprise". Now let's be honest here for just a minute. It sort of depends on how it's said, doesn't it? If Lois gets that sort of half smile, raises one eye brow just a little and says, "sur-priiiiiiii-ise", it can mean an entirely different thing that when she raises BOTH eye brows and shouts it out.

The word itself can mean several different things. For example, how many of us have just been going along and like a bolt out of the blue, something comes along that is so unexpected, so far removed from what we're doing, that it can literally cause us to stop, step back, take a deep breath and utter the word, "Wow!" I'm talking about the kind of surprise that once you've taken it in, you just want to call somebody and tell them about it.

Another kind of surprise is one of those things that FINALLY happen. You know the kind I'm talking about. You try and try and try for some result. Or you search and look and rack your brain trying to find something... can't find it... finally give up trying and then two or three days later... BANG... there it is right in front of you. The only word that can accurately describe your feeling when you finally get it, or find it, or discover it... is that you're surprised. If we'd all be totally honest, sometimes it's a surprise when we're surprised... sort of.

There are pleasant surprises and then there are some that really aren't so pleasant. They're still surprises, but not exactly what you had in mind. For the most part, though, surprises are great and we all enjoy them.

I'm going to speak from a purely personal perspective, here. I'm not trying to come across as someone who's discovered some profound revelation... it's just a personal perspective. I believe there is a foundational truth that applies to all of us... not just me... but all of us. God LOVES to surprise us!!! I believe with all my heart that God DELIGHTS in surprising us... all the time... in all kinds of ways.

There have been so many times in my own life, that I've just been going about the business of life, when right out of the blue, through some completely unrelated activity, God will reveal a measure of one of His truths. It's like... you're busy looking in a paper sack for something, and you find a diamond. Its as if you're not really paying attention and then all of a sudden, God SHOUTS SURPRISE!!!

And there are other times that we may be seeking His heart on a matter... and we're seeking after it HARD... but we can't hear. We may be praying, but not getting an answer. We may be diligently seeking His direction in some way, but we're just stuck and can't seem to get a reply. Then about the time we're prone to give up and move on... SURPRISE!!! The answer comes from some unexpected source, in some unexpected fashion. We can't possibly know what all God is doing so that He can give us that answer... and when we finally get it... it surprises us. NOT necessarily that we got it... but maybe HOW we got it, or WHERE we got it from. Nevertheless, God surprises us... and yes... I'm sure He loves it when we're surprised. So we ought not to be surprised when we discover God has surprised us.

Jesus said in Mark 4: 11a "To you (you being us)... To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God..." God knows us well enough to know that He can't possibly reveal ALL these things to us at once... so it comes to us incrementally... little by little... and day by day. And when God REVEALS a spiritual truth, or a kingdom principle to us and it comes to us in some unexpected, amazing fashion... its as if the Holy Spirit shouts, "Surprise". I gotta confess... I love surprises... but I'm in great company... because I'm absolutely sure God loves 'em too... but then, HEY... It's Just A Thought.

Pastor Eddy

What A Day!!!

2008-06-16T14:04:00.000-07:00

Well today is certainly a day we'll all look back on someday and remember where we were when we heard the news. I'm old enough to remember exactly where I was and what I was doing when we heard the news that JFK was assassinated in Dallas. There are just some of those days that we mark in our minds and will be able to forever recall personal specifics that surround some landmark historical event. And today is certainly one of those days.

Can you remember when Mr. Armstrong stepped off the lunar module and onto the surface of the moon? Or can you remember what you were doing when you heard the news the the space shuttle Challenger had exploded? There are just days that get permanently filed in our heads for future reference. I know EXACTLY where I was shortly after 8:00 am on September 11, 2001.

I remember watching Roger Maris hit his 61st home run, breaking Babe Ruth's season home run record. I remember when Texas won it's first college football national championship... when the Dodgers left Brooklyn and moved to Los Angeles... watching John Elway win his first Super Bowl... when the Cowboys won their first one... I remember the first time I got to go to a college football game, because I'd never seen 65,000 people all in one place at the same time. That was roughly 7 times the population of the town I grew up in!!! Pretty impressive! Just days when we indelibly stamp the event in our memories. Today is one of those days.

There are a lot of other days like that for me... like the first day I saw Lois... some 28 years ago... and how I felt when I saw her. Children being born... Grandchildren being born... Graduation Ceremonies... and even the passing of someone we love. We remember those days.

So many life experiences that all come together and in some magnificent mysterious manner, mold and shape who we are. Not necessarily who others perceive us to be, but who we are... way down deep inside.

Now that I've got your curiosity aroused about today... let me explain. First of all, this day won't REALLY be one of THOSE days for me... it just struck me. I'm not sure if you can imagine my excitement this morning as I turned on the radio and heard "The News". A Federal Judge in California has ruled that gay marriages are not only legal... but of equal standing with traditional marriage. Now the people didn't vote on it. As a matter of fact, the people overwhelmingly rejected the notion over 2 years ago in a statewide referendum. No sir... a Federal Judge made that determination all on his own. Legislating from a Federal bench is WRONG.... period. And you can't imagine how happy I was to hear that two 80+ year old lesbians were going to be the very first ones to get married on the court house steps in San Francisco, with the Mayor presiding. Pretty touching stuff, ain't it?

For crying out loud, people... can we PLEASE get a break here? I checked with several of the truck drivers in our company today, and not a single one of them cared... or were interested in hearing about it!!! Me neither! No... I'm not a homo-phobe... that's a new politically correct term that refers to people who think those poor deceived people ought to go BACK INTO the closet... and keep their sexual preferences there... and to themselves, I'm just sick of hearing about it. If that's how they want to live their lives, then the mission field for the church is white with harvest. Thanks to our culture, we've successfully moved from viewing homosexuality as an "alternative lifestyle", to an "acceptable lifestyle"... and the two are NOT the same. I'm just tired of having it thrown in my face all the time. (Sorry about that... sounded a bit like a rant, didn't it?)

My God says that kind of lifestyle is a perverse lifestyle. Interesting... Webster defines perverse: 1. Turned away from what is right, or good: 2. Corrupt: 3. Incorrect, improper: 4. Obstinate in opposing what is right, reasonable, and accepted: 5. Wrong-headed.

If there may have been any shred of doubt on your part that we are indeed living our lives in the last days, and you'll check Romans 1: 18 - 32, you can get a better idea of how Almighty God feels about such nonsense as this. This type of behavior may be acceptable to our culture and our society, but it is a stench in the nostrils of a Holy God.

My prayer... and I hope you'll join me in it, is that "The Church" will finally speak up... rise up... and stand up for what's right, politically, because "that's" not a judge's job... and morally, because we've (the church) been nice and quiet for far too long about these types of things. Our allegiance ought to be to God, not some appointed Federal Judge in California. Joshua said it... "Choose this day whom you will serve, as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord". But then hey... It's Just A Thought.

Pastor Eddy

We Won... We Won!

2008-06-05T14:33:00.000-07:00

For those of you who are familiar with Little Red, you'll understand what I'm about to share with you. For those of you who don't, let me clue you in just a little bit. To say that my bride is a bit particular about matters pertaining to the cleanliness of her house, would be somewhat of an understatement... sort of like... the Titanic was a pretty big boat. As a matter of fact, I've been in a LOT of hospitals that seem like filthy dumps compared to Little Red's standards of acceptable cleanliness. I wouldn't necessarily use the word "obsessive"... yeah I would... that's a pretty applicable word... I just wouldn't tell HER that.

Now earlier in the week, we weathered a bit of a crisis here at home. It's OK now... it's going to be fine. Let me explain. We were sitting in our living room one evening and my Little Woman looked down, and MUCH to her dismay, she saw a flea on her foot. Our poor dog, Esther, has been battling fleas all spring and summer. She gets bathed, dipped, powdered, dusted, medicated, and regularly picked to de-flea her. There's a fairly big empty lot behind our house and we surmised that the fleas were making their way over here to jump on our dog when she went outside to take care of her business. SO... in response, we've spent roughly 53% of the national debt on treatment for our yard.

And even though our little dog continued to get fleas, we vowed to continue the fight. But when Little Red looked down and saw one IN THE HOUSE... and it became evident that there were some fleas living in our carpet... I was afraid that I might lose her for a minute or two... not the dog... LOIS!!! Once I laid her down, fanned her, patted her hand, placed a damp wash rag on her forehead, and reassured her that I'd take care of it, her blood pressure began to fall back into the normal range. Pretty soon, she was back up on her feet and doing OK.

Bright and early the next day, I went and procured the necessary remedies. I got some more stuff for the yard... and put twice the recommended dosage on it. I bought some liquid spray that you have to wear an air tight rubber suit to open the container, and proceeded to spray roughly 4 times the recommended amount in all the right places. Then after that, I broke out the heavy artillery. I bought some of those foggers or bombs you set off in your house. You know... the kind that you have to seal up all the windows, turn everything electrical off, turn the gas off to the water heater BEFORE you set them off. The label said approximately one fogger per average sized room. My philosophy has always been, if a little does a little good, then a lot will do a lot of good. So I figured in my head and by the time I had strategically placed all the foggers, (about 3.7 per room), it took me about 5 minutes to get them all going. But I got 'em all foggin' and we left the premises for a few hours to let them do their thing.

Today, I'm proud to announce that there are no live fleas within 6.2 miles of our house. Our neighbors all thanked me for killing their bugs too. And Precious is doing very well now, thank you. Pesky little vermin are all taken care of.

I got to thinking about the similarities between those little pests and our enemy, the devil. He has no more power than they do. He can only "bother" us if we allow him. The only real tool he has at his disposal is deception... that's it... it's his only weapon. Fleas hide right there in plain sight... trying their best to blend in and hide so as not to be detected. Our enemy does the same thing... he tries his best to blend in so as not to be noticed, all the while irritating the dickens out of whoever will allow it... or put up with it.

But there's one cure that's more effective than anything you can buy at Home Depot. One good dose of the Holy Spirit and he's got to go. Just like the foggers completely fill a house with the remedy... the Holy Spirit will completely fill a life with the cure. So go ahead... set off a Holy Ghost bomb and just see if the irritation doesn't go away. Hey, it's Just A Thought.

Pastor Eddy

Gee, I Love Baseball

2008-05-27T11:43:00.000-07:00

There's just something about this time of year. No... not the heat... I find that the older I get, the more I could do without the heat. But this time of year is baseball season. And although I don't get caught up in keeping up with my team on a daily basis... I don't even have a favorite team... there's still something about baseball season that stirs something in me.

I can smell new mown grass this time of year, and it's not a big stretch for my mind to wander back in time. When I was a kid, we hadn't even heard of video games or DVDs. There wasn't anything indoors that could compete with a good ball game. In late spring and summer, no phone calls, text messages, or e-mails were sent... didn't have 'em... it was just understood, that after chores were done, you'd gather up any baseballs you might have, regardless of their condition, grab that old bat, the one with the black sticky tape wrapped around the handle, hang your glove on the handlebars of your bike and head for the park.

If you happened to be the first one there, you usually didn't have to wait long before other guys would start showing up. We hardly ever had enough for two full teams, but you didn't need many for a hot game of Scrub or good game of Country Jay. Ahhh, yeah... those were some fun days.

In those days, every kid had their favorite team and their favorite player. Names like Mickey Mantle, Stan (The Man) Musual, Willie Mays, Eddie Mathews, Warren Spahn, Duke Snyder and others were the players kids used to look up to. Most kids could rattle off their favorite player's latest stats. The Major League was EVERY kid's dream.

But as I got older, something strange happened. Oh, there are still some great players, but what you hear more about these days are arbitration hearings, dope scandals, contract negotiations, trade rumors, and asterisks beside a player's name and statistics because of "the steroid era".
As a kid, to find REAL baseball, we had to look up. Now, as an adult, to find REAL baseball, you have to look down. Forget about the Major Leagues... the Minors... or even collegiate baseball. The farther down, or back you go, the better the game.

High school baseball is good... Pony League is better... Little League is better yet, but for REAL baseball, nothing beats a good T-Ball game. There's something to be said of the pure joy in seeing a group of 5 or 6 year olds playing a T-Ball game. The batter may run to first... and then again... he may head for third! When they hit the ball, every player with a glove takes off ater it. It's great! In every sense, it's great. Not because of the quality of play... but because of the quality of the PLAYERS. It's kids playing a kids' game... and the simpler the better. Parents may spoil the game, but the kids sure don't.

Baseball is a lot like living life as a Christian. It seems to me that we've somehow lost our focus on some of the most important stuff. We get focused on making some phenominal impact in the Kingdom, and we forget the joy of the simplicity of the gospel. We find ourselves trying to be "good enough" to make it in the Majors for God... when God, Himself would rather sit and enjoy a good T-Ball game.

David prayed in the Psalms; Lord, restore unto me the joy of my salvation. Paul wrote in his letter to the Corinthians; "But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ". Instead of attempting to hone our skills for God, we ought to be focusing on the simplicity of God's amazing love toward us. Loving God back, ought not to be such a hard thing as to require the refinement of our spiritual performance.

I think the Rangers are playing on TV tonight... but I believe I'll see if I can't find a hot T-Ball game being played down the street. Hey... It's Just A Thought !!!

Pastor Eddy

Side Effects?... What Side Effects?

2008-05-20T12:07:00.001-07:00

Is it just me, or do some of the commercials for medicine on TV seem a bit OFF. I mean there are cures for whatever ails you and they're right there at the half time of the game you're watching with ALL the details... even if you're not real keen on hearing about them.

It doesn't matter if you're suffering from high blood pressure, insomnia, acid reflux, or some other malady... there's a pill, a powder, a spoon full or some other easy to swallow quick fix for the affliction of the day. And the fix is as close as your phone call to your doctor. Now don't get me wrong, here. I praise God for the fact that He has called people and gifted them in finding medications for sicknesses and disease. He IS the Great Physician, after all, and it is by His hand that people are dedicated to the research necessary to find such amazing wonder drugs and remedies. I thank God for them and for the people who've discovered them.

BUT... have you ever noticed what happens at the end of one of those commercials? Have you ever paid attention to what the guy who's talking 364 mph is saying? He begins by saying something like; "Possible side effects may include..." and then he runs down the list of what all else can happen to you if you take it. If I've got indigestion, and I decide to take some little purple pill, after I find out what all else can happen, I'm not so sure I want one!!!

I have a hard time deciding if trying to cure my indigestion is worth, sleeplessness, dizziness, blurred vision, hearing loss, heart attack, stroke, some sexual side effects, irritability, skin rash, fainting, siezures, and in some isolated cases, permanent disability or death. GOOD GRIEF! You can say what you want, I'll take a good old case of heart burn any day over some of these "possible side effects".

I find it somewhat strange that these bear so much resemblance to sin in our lives. Our enemy, the devil, will be glad to tell you what his plan will "fix", but he never tells you what the side effects are. He'll tell you how much better you'll feel, but he never tells us what the cost REALLY is. He'll gladly offer a remedy for some "urge" we happen to be dealing with, but you'll never hear him say; "Possible side effects may include, loss of friends, loss of family, damage to personal credibility and integrity, shame, guilt, feeling of failure and disappointment, damage to personal witness and loss of intimacy with Christ, who loves you... and in some rare instances permanent spiritual disability, and spiritual death."

What a shame it is, when we forget about the side effects of sin in our lives. It would be nice if some little voice would pop into our hearing with the words, "Possible side effects may include...", BEFORE we step off into something we ought not to. I fully realize that hind sight is 20 / 20, but if we'll allow some of the mistakes we've made in the past to alert us... maybe we'll be a little more conscious about falling into the same pit over and over. I'm absolutely sure of one thing... our enemy will NOT warn us in advance... BUT IF we're paying attention to the voice of the Holy Spirit, we might hear Him say... "Wait, son (or daughter), don't do that... because possible side effects my include..." And the next time you hear that, just remember, it might not be your conscience... it very well may be the Holy Spirit.

And... I'm pretty sure He won't say it so fast that you can't understand Him. He loves us that much. Hey... It's just a thought.

Pastor Eddy

What A Shame... Nobody Knows I'm Upset

2008-05-11T17:11:00.000-07:00

Have you ever thought about what a shame it is... how truly unfortunate it is when someone upsets us, angers us, irritates us, or otherwise annoys us, and THEY DON'T EVEN REALIZE IT! I mean how irresponsible is THAT? I just can't imagine the nerve of some folks who go about their day, grating on other people's nerves and not even realize it.

The other day, I was traveling south on I-35 in my 85,000 lb. incendiary device, (also known as a gasoline tanker truck), minding my own business, when this lady in a large SUV passed me. She was apparently reading something she was holding in one hand, putting her lipstick on with her other hand, AND talking on the cell phone she had nestled between her shoulder and her ear. Now for those of you who found math not to be one of your stronger subjects in school... there aren't any appendages or limbs left to steer the bus she was driving, except for one or both of her knees. That's what we in the truckin' business call "Trick Driving". And in the course of 5 or 6 miles, she managed to cut me off no less than 3 different times. By the third time, I found myself to be JUST a tad irritated at her "technique".

She was obviously unaware that if for some reason I should "mess up", I'm going to make the evening news. Not something I would consider worthwhile fun. I finally slowed considerably to put some safer distance between me and her... so I could finally exhale, unclinch my jaw muscles and relax just a bit... then continue on.

A little bit farther down the road, I began to think about how often people irritate others and don't even know it. I mumbled to myself, complained about the inconvenience, and finally got around to asking God to please protect her and EVERYBODY else out there, but the whole point of the illustration, is that I spent several minutes focusing on what had just happened. A perfectly good, calm, peaceful day was interrupted... not hers... MINE!

A couple of miles farther along, (in the spirit... not audibly... but in the spirit), I heard, "Lighten up a little, son, you do that to people all the time". Then I got to thinking about it. I protested. Not me, Lord... How could I possibly be an irritation to some poor innocent motorist out here? Then I began to think, here I am in a 65 ft. long, 8 1/2 ft. wide, 11 ft. tall, 85,000 lb. LOUD noisy, beast that seems to always be in the way. How could I possibly irritate anybody? (Just kidding... I get it... really.)

So then for the next few miles, I drove along repenting for some of the thoughts I had toward her and her driving... (not the same thoughts God mentions in Jeremiah 29: 11... different thoughts). By the time I got through repenting and praying for her... I was pulling up to where I was to drop my load of fuel.

Wouldn't it be nice if we as Christians could come to the point where we don't pick up every offense that the enemy happens to throw our way... where we don't CHOOSE to be irritated at someone else who has no idea that they've upset us. When we get irritated, their day isn't affected... OURS is. So maybe the next time somebody cuts you off in traffic, jumps ahead of you in the check-out line, ignores you while you stand patiently waiting for some manner of assistance, instead of working up a good mad-on... listen closely in your spirit, and you may hear, "Lighten up a little, child, you do that to people all the time". Then when we get through repenting for our thoughts toward them, we can actually pray for God to bless them.

And when we finally arrive at the place where we are consistent in our repentance and prayers for others, things will get better... for them AND for us. But hey... It's Just A Thought!

Colossians 3: 13 ... bearing with one another and forgiving one another. If anyone has a complaint against another, even as Christ forgave YOU, so you also MUST do.

Pastor Eddy

New Or Used... Hmmm

2008-05-03T11:10:00.000-07:00

A Saturday off! What a treat! It seems like they come around all too rarely, but today was one of those wonderful days when there aren't a lot of demands on my time. So to celebrate the freedom, Precious and I got up early and struck out on an adventure. Now if you don't think chasing garage sales can be an adventure, then you've obviously never undertaken such a challenge with my bride.

If you don't think driving down a major thoroughfare at 40 mph and have Little Red yell out, "There's a sign!!!... Turn right!!!" can be an adventure, then you're just going to have to break loose one of these Saturdays and go with us.

Listen, I've got to tell you how much fun it really is to watch her get excited as we slow down on our final approach and begin to hunt for the all elusive parking spot. She perks up in the seat as if to catch a preview glimpse before I can get parked and the instant the car goes in Park, she's out the door and on the move. You know the advertising slogan for Mazda Motor Company?... "Zoom, Zoom, Zoom". I'm convinced one of their PR people happened to catch a glimpse of Lois one Saturday morning and that's what popped into his mind.

To be honest, I don't get much out of it other than the fun of watching my little Sweety do her garage sale thang. She can shift modes and turn it up a notch... by that, I mean that her garage sale mode is just a shade more intense than her Wal-Mart gear... and for those of you who are unfamiliar with THAT... it's really something to behold.

At one point, today, having just parked on a shady street and Lois having bailed in search of a treasure, I began to think. I wondered WHY would anyone get so excited about looking for something that someone else has already used... gotten all the goody out of it... and now is ready to cast it off.

And at that moment, the Lord quickened something in my spirit. There is STILL value in it. In fact, much like the items neatly stacked and displayed in someones garage, people are often viewed... mistakenly I might add... in the same manner. Due to the influences of our culture and our society, we have a distorted opinion about the value of a person who's been "used". And I believe God has an altogether different value system than we do.

Folks, when it comes right down to it, when the storm's brewing on the horizon... when the smell of adversity is in the air... when trouble is eminent... I'm praying, Lord, please don't send me some person who's lived their whole life on Easy Street. I don't need someone who's life is in pristine, unblemished condition. I don't need some person who's only knowledge of hardship and struggle comes from some book they've read. I don't need a "new" hand... I need someone who's battle tested, case hardened, and gotten several pretty noticeable scars along the way.
When push comes to shove, showroom models really aren't much help. Give me a garage sale model who's been there, done that, and not only SURVIVED, but came out of it beaten, a little bloody, exhausted, and VICTORIOUS!!!

I've got to give Lois a little more credit than I have in the past. I need to focus on the value, not on the newness or the appearance and condition. I'm pretty sure... and now that I think about it... boy, am I glad God sees us that way... I mean, I don't think God is impressed with how shiny and new we look, but instead, He sees our VALUE.

So... the next time you're feeling a little "used", and you think that the chips in your paint, the dents in your fenders, and knocks and pings in your motor somehow make you worth less than you'd hoped for... just remember, God doesn't use "The Blue Book" to determine your value. He KNOWS what it is. And we can ALL thank God for that!!! Hey, It's Just A Thought.

Pastor Eddy