Are we "Check the Box" Christians?

" I took a speed reading class where you run your fingers down the middle of the page, I was able to read "War and Peace" in twenty minutes, it's about Russia".--Woody Allen.

I got a book of quotes for Christmas, so your in for more of these. Remember back in school? You know, you read your assignment, but remembered none of it. Have you ever read the same 10 pages 10 times and still not known what they said? Do you ever read the Bible like this? I used to get the "Read the Bible this Year" guide, and read the word of God in a year. You know, you read a certain number of chapters some in the New Testament, some in the Old Testament and some in Psalms or Proverbs, then you can check the box, that you finished that days reading. I couldn't tell you much of what I read but that wasn't the point, checking the box, was the point. I must have read through the bible 10 straight times but did not remember half of what I read. I was reading so that I could check that box, not remember what I was reading.

What good does it do to read through something so fast, that you don't comprehend or even remember 5 minutes later, I mean besides being able to check the box? I believe you could "Study" one verse a day, or even a week, and get everything there is to get out of that verse, and get more then speed reading your way through the bible.

That brings me to another point, do we sometimes do other things in our lives, just so we can "check the box"? I was just thinking this morning that my church is having a "Watch Night" service this New Years Eve, from 8:45- 12:15 AM. Then we are not having a service at all on Sunday New Years day. I got all excited, I could sleep in on Sunday, relax, watch all the football games, spend the day being lazy and goofing off. I was happy NOT to HAVE to go to church. Is that the way I think about going to worship God? Having to? Like it is a chore, a problem, out of my schedule, time wasted, when I could be doing something I like instead? Sounds to me like I need to stop "speed reading" my way through my walk with God, and slow down and see what really is there. God has meat in His word, in this life. There are lessons, there is JOY like we have never seen, there is hope, there is LIFE. But many times we are to busy with our schedule to see it. "OK, I went to church this week, I read 10 chapters in John, I think it was John, and I paid my tithes, I even spoke to that homeless man on the corner down by the Target, wow, good week, see Lord?" "OK, now I can check off 3 NO 4 boxes, great week"
We are trying to "speed read" our way through life, but like Woody Allen, we have no idea what the story is about, except where it takes place. Back in school, I would "Skim" through allot of my reading assignments, I got pretty good at picking out the major points, the things that would, more then likely be on any exam. But, if it was English class, and the teacher wanted to know what the characters felt, and why they seemed to do such and such, things like that, I had to read the entire book. You cannot get the total experience of a book, or life for that matter, by hurrying through and "skimming" your way along.

Readers Digest is famous for their "Condensed" books. They got many people mad at them years ago for publishing a "Condensed Bible". But I always liked those condensed novels, they kept the "jest" of the story intact, but left out all the rest. You could get the meaning of what was going on, but you didn't have to "waste your time" with all that other stuff. BUT the Bible is not like other books. All that "Other Stuff" is just as important as the main stuff. There is not one single word in God's word, that is not there for a reason. I know what your thinking: "What about all those "....was the son of, was the son of..........? Well, the lineage of bible time people is important. How else would we know that Jesus' was in the line of David the King? That He had royalty in his blood, here on earth, AND from God His father? These things are important.

I heard a preacher one time say: "Every letter in the bible is important, from the "H" in Holy Bible, to the ..8 in "copyright 2008"

Just remember that reading the bible fast, and checking that box, is not important. Going through life just to check those boxes, is not what life is all about. We are here to share Jesus Christ with everyone we meet. To communicate Him in EVERY part of our life, so that others will see HIM, through us, and want what we have. If we are simply "Checking off the boxes" they will see that, and who really wants a life like that?


1 Peter 1:25
"But the word of the Lord remains forever.” And that word is the Good News that was preached to you."

"The word of the Lord remains forever", I think then that the word of the Lord is important for us to KNOW, not just skim over. There is NOT ONE SINGLE thing in the Bible that has not come to pass that was said to happen. What other author can say that? No, not one. Speed reading the Bible, is for the ones who don't really care about anything but checking the box.

I do not want to be a "Check the Box" Christian, do you?

Is Heavan like the NFL?

I was watching a football game and there was a "crawler" at the bottom of the screen. You know what a "crawler" is right? They show you scores and highlights and breaking news from the world of sports 'crawling' along at the bottom of the screen. They were showing the NFL games coming up this weekend, the last regular season weekend of the season. I had to laugh because after each match up, say : "New Orleans at Seattle" they would say something like: New Orleans clinches home field advantage throughout all the playoffs with win at Seattle and loss by Green Bay and San Francisco, or tie and loss by San Francisco, AND loss by Green Bay. New Orleans clinches wild card with win at Seattle AND Losses by San Francisco AND Green Bay or Losses by Washington And Atlanta, and loss by New York Giants And Snow in Detroit. Of course I went a little crazy there, but it does get a little ridiculous doesn't it? This went on for a while. In other words, there where many scenarios still possible for the Professional Football playoffs. For a particular team to make the playoffs, and what order they would be seeded, quite a few things had to happen. I live in Texas, we have two pro teams, 1) Houston Texans are already in the playoffs, seeded #3 in the AFC. 2) Dallas Cowboys have to win at New York against the Giants Sunday night or they will sit home for the playoffs. But for some of the other teams, it get's confusing. It could actually come down to how many points a certain team scored against common teams. If say, the New York Jets beat the Miami Dolphins by 21 but the San Diego Chargers beat the Dolphins by 22, then the Chargers are the wild card team over the Jets. If your a real sports fan, then you know none of this is accurate I just made it up as I went along, please don't think I am saying the Chargers have any chance to make the playoffs, I just like them. Also know I do realize that if it snows in Detroit, that does NOT have ANY meaning in the playoff scenarios. OK, just had to make sure we we are cool.

What has to happen for us to go to heaven? Do the stars have to be aligned just so, or do we have to score 28 or more points at our local church? It is getting close to Jesus coming back for us, so is time winding down and we have to win games more often? If, say, we went to church 51 out of 52 weeks this last year, but Bob only went 50, does it all come down to this last Sunday, the last Sunday of the year? If I missed this last week but Bob went, then we are tied, does that mean it goes to a "tie breaker" who paid more tithes? If we both paid 10% of our income then we go to "Tiebreaker #2: Who paid the most in 'Offerings" goes to heaven, whoever did not, well sorry, you miss out? Is that how things work? NO, sorry, it doesn't. It is not about our abilities, not about our "works" that gets us into Heaven. You cannot "Earn" you way into Heaven. There is only one thing required to make it. Love the Lord your God, with all your heart, soul, and mind. Nothing else.

Aren't you glad we cannot earn our way into Heaven? There is NOTHING I could do, to earn that privilege. Heaven is NOT about that, we ALL do not deserve Heaven. It is only "by His grace" that we can go. If it were not for what Jesus Christ did on the cross, then Heaven would not even be in the future for any of us.

Romans 11:6
"And since it is through God’s kindness, then it is not by their good works. For in that case, God’s grace would not be what it really is—free and undeserved."

See? God wants us to take what He is offering, free , not deserved because of what we have done, but free because of what He has done. How can you earn something yourself and be grateful to someone else? You can't, pride knows YOU earned it, therefore it is not FREE. There is no way we can obtain Heaven by ourselves. We cannot even start to do enough for the first step. It is NOT, I say again, it is NOT about what we do, it IS about what HE did.

John 14:6
"Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me." Jesus did not say, :"You are the way, the truth and the life. No one can come to the Father unless they earn it". NO, "HE IS THE WAY.............We can only get to Heaven because of our faith, trust in Him. We cannot score more points in this life then others, we can not win a battle and then watch the other battles and hope Bob, looses by 21 or more points, so he is eliminated thereby we get into the playoffs. It is not like there are only room for 100,000,000 Christians in Heaven, and you have to fight it out for the last spot. There is room for "ALL".

So, if your a sports fan, enjoy the games this weekend, play along with the many different scenarios as they play out. Hopefully your team will make it and live to play another day. BUT remember no matter what you do, how often you volunteer at the church, the homeless shelter, or how much money you give to the church, you still must get to Heaven by the GRACE and Forgiveness of God.

BUT if you do all these things, they will help you in your daily walk. They will NOT get you into Heaven, but they will change your perspective and love of others. You may be as example to others and thereby start them on their on road to heaven. Don't just sit around because works will not get you to heaven, go out there and help where you can.

Violin lesson and Einstein

"I took violin lessons from age 6 to 14, but had no luck with my teachers, for which whom music did not transcend mechanical practicing I really began to learn only after I had fallen in love with Mozart's sonatas. The attempt to reproduce their singular grace compelled me to improve my technique. I believe, on the whole, that love is a better teacher then a sense of duty"--Albert Einstein.

I came across this quote recently, thought it was very insightful, and then I noticed who the quote was from. I believe Mr. Einstein has hit upon a truth.

Why are you and I living as Children of God? Is it because we love Him, or because we sense a call to duty? Is it because: "That is the way I was raised, and it is the right way to live?" Why do we worship Him, is it because it is the "Way we have always done it"? Do we "Go through the motions, do we do things out of habit? According to Einstein:..........Love is a better teacher then a sense of duty."

While I was in the US Navy, we came close to war during the "Iran Hostage Situation" in 1980. There was a very good chance we would see combat. We all thought about it, wither we talked about it or not. I know we all would have done "whatever" we had to do, because we had a "Sense of Duty" to our country, and we had taken an oath. We had been trained for combat, but actually staring at a real possibility of it, was another thing altogether. If it had happened would I have "Loved it"? No, I am pretty sure I would have hated it, had nightmares from it for the rest of my life. The only people who knew what combat was like are the ones who had been through it. Experience had taught them what it was like, and the best way to deal with, or not deal with it. But it is easy to say that NO ONE loves war.

In Einstein's above quote he talks about a love for music, a REAL love, adoration, sensing the beauty and be moved by it,. When this happened, he improved his "Technique". Why? Because he was seeing the beauty in it. He wanted to recreate the sound he was hearing down to the least minute detail.]

When you fall in love with someone or something what happens? You want to spend every minute with them or it. Ever had a brand new car that you absolutely LOVED? You think about getting to drive it to work all night long, then spend your day thinking about driving it home. It's new, it's exciting. After awhile, you don;t think about it, it has become old, you've seen it, you've pushed all the buttons, know what they do and it is not so great anymore. Falling in love with someone is also like this, after awhile, you grow complacent or take your lover for granted. The love matures, the excitement seems like it is gone, but there is a maturity and trust that has formed.

OK, my point is that when you fall in love with someone or something, you are moved, your senses are enlightened, your emotions are all brought to the surface, the SUN is brighter, the sky is bluer every day is better, even the rain is beautiful. AND your creative juices are flowing. If you don't love something, it is hard to get excited about it, isn't it? People who don't care for Football, see fans going crazy and think they are stupid, jerks. "WHY?" is more then likely what they are saying. "Why, go out in 10 degree weather and take your shirt off, so we can see you painted it to look like your favorite players jersey?" Why? They don;'t have the passion for the sport, and team and players like we do. They don't understand.

I have always loved writing. I have tried to write books for years. I have always failed. I just couldn't finish. I would get a great idea, but fell short with all the work it takes. Characters, relationships, story line: where do we go next?, background, tying it all together to make a great climax. I just did not have the drive to do all that. Short stories, no problem, blogs like this one, easy, but anything over 5 pages, forget about it.

1 Corinthians 16:22
If anyone does not love the Lord, that person is cursed. Our Lord, come!

Wow, that pretty much comes right to the point, doesn't it? My question to you, and me is: Do you love the Lord, are you serving Him because you love Him? Are we just going through the motions and doing what we have always done? Are we, like Albert Einstein, practicing and practicing the mechanics, but don't have the passion, the desire, the Love to understand the meaning? How can we get complacent about our love for God Jehovah and His Son, Jesus Christ, after the work that was done on Christmas, and especially Easter? Where is our true LOVE for Him? Have our services become like a church I attended years ago: 3 songs, announcements, sermon, Luby's? Move of God? No that is not in the schedule, sorry. When we love something, I mean REALLY love something, not just say we do, then it will show. It will show in our actions, our pray life, our scripture reading, our relationships, our attitude, our WHOLE life. We will desire to have more of Him, to "Play His music with passion, meaning, emotions. "

Let's all be like Albert Einstein was with his violin, let's fall in love with the music of life, of love, and of the God Jehovah who loves us so much He created us, and sent part of Him, His son to become one of us, and sacrificed Himself, willingly, so that we might live. Would we be willing to do that for another, for the Lord God? To sacrifice our self for Him? Are we that much in love with God's ways?

"Just" or "Just"

Joseph, Jesus' earthly father, is called a "Just Man".



Matthew 1:19
Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily.



Websters tell us that "Just"" means: acting or being in conformity with what is morally upright or good : righteous : conforming to a standard of correctness ."

Another definition is":only, simply "just last year" "just be yourself", "He was just a man".

So which one of these definitions do you think Matthew was referring to when he called Joseph "Just"? Was he: "Just a man, as in only, simply ? Was he a "Just" man, good, righteous, upright? I think we all see that what was meant was the good, righteous and upright definition, but I have a question for us today.: "Are you and I "Just a man/woman, or are we "A JUST man or woman?"

It is easy to use the excuse that we can't do something God may be asking us to do,:"God, I am JUST a man, I have my limitations!". But then God answers: "But I don't".

Moses was "Just a man", had his difficulties, problems, weakness', BUT look at what God did through him. Moses led a whole nation out of bondage. What about Noah, he had problems, he was "Just a man", his wife and family tried to stop him from building a huge boat in their back yard, and the smell from all the animals, come on Noah. Noah was "Just a man". Then there was Paul, he was "Just a man" who was killing Christians just because they believed differently then he did. Yes he thought he was doing the "Just" thing, the "Nobel" thing, the "Right" thing, but found out he, too, was "just a man." And he changed so much they changed his name. Then there was Jesus. The best example of "Just" we could have. Yes, He was God's Son, the second person in the Trinity. BUT, even Jesus was "Just a man;".

We are all "Just a man/woman", so how do we become a "Just" man or woman? How does a person achieve good morals, right decisions, obey all the rules? We see it all the time in movies, the good guy has finally caught the bad guy, the one who killed his wife, the one he has been hunting for 20 years so he would have this moment. Our hero has his gun pointed right at the bad guys forehead, the bad guy says: "Go ahead, I'll never tell you I'm sorry, I enjoyed killing your wife, she cried". Then the good guy lowers his gun and says something like: " Your not worth the price of a bullet, I want you to suffer the rest of your life in prison." The good guy had a knowledge of where the "Line" was and knew he was about to cross it. He did not want to become like this 'piece of garbage", at least that is what he will tell his partner when he comes running around the corner.

Just: knowing the difference between this side and that side of the "Line". Knowing what is right and what is wrong, and CHOOSING right. Knowing what is fair and what is not and choosing fair. Have you ever worked for a very "Just" boss? You know one who is fair, doesn't keep any secrets from anyone regarding the possibilities of lay-offs, raises, cutting back hours, and pay. I worked for a man years ago who would tell us almost everything that was going on considering us. If the company branch was doing well and they were going to hire new workers, he would tell us how well we were doing and ask for anyone we knew who might fit in. If the company was not doing well and lay-offs were a possibility, he would give us the "heads up" so we could start looking out for possible new jobs. He "Had our back" is how we said it. He was a good guy. He was just, fair, and treated us as adults.

So here is Joseph, a just man. Is this a reason God decided to have His Son born to this man? Yes, I believe that was part of it, but I also believe Mary was born to birth the Christ child. Joseph, who had been chosen to marry Mary, because God knew his heart. God knew Joseph being a Just man, would not "Put Mary Away" because of her unbelievable story about how she got pregnant. (A angel had to come down and explain things to Joseph, though, I don't think that is bad, I am pretty sure I would not have believed the story either.) But Joseph did the right thing, being the Just man he was.

I believe being called "Just" is more then likely one of the best compliments you can have. Being fair, knowing the difference between right and wrong, knowing where that "Line" is and when your getting too close to it. Being a good boss,(Joseph was a carpenter, and may have had a few employees, we don't know for sure)>


Like Joseph, Noah, Moses, Paul, and especially Jesus, we are all Just Men/Women. But are we "Just" Men/Women? I want to be Just, fair, righteous, of good morals, have a good reputation, be looked upon by those that know me as a "Just Man"


So I will leave you with the question I am pondering, "Are you Just a man, or are you a "Just" man? Ask your friends, co-workers, boss, family.......they know.

Merry Christmas

To anyone who reads this post: I sincerely hope you have a wonderful Christmas. I am working on my next post and it will be about Freedom. I know, it's Christmas, not the 4th of July!! But it will be posted, either Christmas Day or the 26th, depending on how much time I have between then. Enjoy your time with your families. If your spending Christmas alone, give me a call 512-791-5124 well meet if your close, or we'll talk on the phone. Remember the significance of this season, Jesus came so we might live. Talk about freedom. Have a Merry Christmas.......................Chris

Psalm 119:45
"I will walk in freedom, for I have devoted myself to your commandments."

I have a question for you: What is your idea of "Freedom"? Is it being an American, you know, "The Land of the Free", and all that? Is it that your ancestors were slaves, and your "Free"? Is it your faith that gives you "Freedom"? What is Freedom?

The above scripture holds a secret, I think. You see, it says "..............I have devoted myself to your commandments." Now, How can you be truly free, if you follow SOMEONE ELSE'S commandments? I thought "Freedom" meant doing whatever YOU wanted to do, not having to follow anyone other person's rules.

About 10 years ago I spent 6 months, (that's 180 Days, felt like forever!!) in jail. This is another story for another time, but I made mistakes, that I regret and paid for them. While in Jail, "Freedom" meant going to the bathroom without someone being able to see you. It meant being able to sit down in a comfortable chair that was not bolted down to the floor. Yes, we do enjoy freedoms in this country that many people don't. These freedoms are being taken away one by one, though. BUT in this life we will never be REALLY FREE. We will always "owe the man" (The IRS). We will always have to earn money to survive. Freedom: what does it mean to you?


Christmas is more about freedom then the 4th of July. Wow, that is a extreme statement, don't you think? I think it is fantastic that the good ole US of A won our independence from Britain. I think it is wonderful we have so many freedoms here in this country. these freedoms are two fold, they make us free, but they also bind us. Take for example the Terrorist activity that have been on our home soil for the last few years. Some people get all excited and angry when they have to be body searched at the airport. This is an example of freedoms vs. our safety. Freedom has a price, millions of Armed Forces Personal have died over the years to keep us "Free".

As Children of God, we have enormous freedoms. But as I said, "Freedom has a price". So who paid the price for our Christian freedom? Jesus on the Cross.
We just celebrated the birth of Jesus, and here I am talking about His death on the cross? Yes, you see without Easter, Christmas would mean nothing.

There is a freedom like no other in God. Freedom from sin, from bondage, from our worldly ways. Freedom from ourselves, from Satan. Freedom to do what we were created to do.

Why don't we have fireworks displays on Christmas and especially Easter? With the things God and His Son Jesus Christ accomplished on those 2 days and all the days in between, their should be celebrating like no other day. I don't think the Shepherds were quiet and reverent when they saw the "Christ Child", I think they jumped for joy, worshiping like we do today. Raising their hands and shouting their praises to God. They realized this was their Messiah, Jehovah, come to earth for them. How could they be all "Holy, Reverent, and still"? I think I would have been doing laps around that stable, thanking God for what He had, and is about to do. If the Chinese had invented fireworks then, I would have had bottle rockets, and sparklers, and whatever else was available going off all around that sleepy little town. It would not have been very sleepy for very long, I would have waken up the whole place.

Yes, God has set forth laws. Does following laws mean there is no freedom? Adam and Eve were told they could do anything they wanted except eat of this one tree over here, don't touch that one, God told them. What happens when you tell a child NOT to do something? Usually they try to do it anyway, just because you said: "NO". God is all knowing, so He knew what Adam would talk Eve into. He knew they would be tempted by the Serpent and give in to him. So, why didn't God just NOT put that tree there? Why didn't He just skip that one? Because, even before the "fall of man" God was all about freedom. If he had given us NO choice, a beautiful garden, with nothing bad, we would not have been free. You see, freedom is a choice. You can live in bondage all your life, or you can CHOOSE to let Jesus take that bondage away. You can be bitter and angry and blame others for all your problems, or you can accept that you had a hand in where you life is right now, and accept Jesus' JOY, and live in FREEDOM. But, how does Jesus give us this freedom. Because of what He did on the cross. AND the work on the cross would have never been possible without Jehovah Himself, coming down in the form of a man, completely Human, and sacrificing Himself for us.


Christmas is about FREEDOM, it is about SACRIFICE, it is about a DEITY that loves His creation more then He loves Himself. Merry Christmas to everyone reading this, and try to remember that without Jesus' work on the cross, without His taking on the form of us, without Him living the life He did, with NO sin, Heaven would be impossible for any of us. Freedom would just be a fantasy. But because of Christmas, Easter was possible.

Merry Christmas.

Just Finish IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Have you ever wanted to finish something you started, just because you started it? Years ago, my ex wife, who is very creative started a beautiful white ornate "Christmas Tree Skirt". It was very large, very detailed, and would take up lots of time. I ask her if she was going to have in finished by this next Christmas. She just rolled her eyes, and said: "Not THIS Christmas". It became a kinda joke for us over the next few years, I think I enjoyed it more then she did, looking back, though. I would ask her around Thanksgiving if the Christmas Tree Skirt would be making an appearance this year. Mary, always being busy, especially around the Christmas season, would say something like: "Don't get your hopes up." It's not that she didn't want to finish the skirt, it's just that it took so much time, and it was a style of knitting she had not done before. She was fantastic at "cross stitching" "Knitting" and some others I don't know the proper name for, but this was something that she was learning as she went along. Mary is one of most "crafty" (I mean that in a Craft way, not a bad way:)) people I have ever known, along with her Mom. I saw her do things that amazed me, I never saw her NOT be able to do anything like this. So, I kinda pointed out each year about the "Skirt" she had failed to finish, and I am sure I made her a little mad.

I have started writing a book, about 25 times. Right now I have a book "in the works", I have written the whole first chapter, of course the "chapter" is only 3 pages long> I find it easier to give up when I run out of ideas of what to do next. It just seems easier. This latest book I've started, I have vowed to finish, no matter how long it takes. Yeah I have told myself that before, too. Just once I would like to finish, say, 100 pages. I figure, if I can make it to 100 pages, then I would have a pretty good idea what was happening and will happen in my book. I would have the main characters story down by then, I would have a plot pretty much established. It's those first hundred pages that are the hardest, once you get to page 101, the rest will just flow, right?


Finishing something you started, it's a problem for many of us. My dad has a neighbor, who has a half finished deck, a slab he laid for a non-existing above ground pool, a old jeep in the back yard that he is going to restore, "someday" and several other half, or not even started projects. Does any of this ring a bell?

Paul talks allot about "running the Race", "hitting the mark", "not quitting, until we have reached our goal". Philippians 3:14
"I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us."

Are you in it to win it? Or, like all of us at times, just strolling along, and watching the weeds grow.

Years ago, after my hitch in the Navy, I was in the Navy Reserves for awhile. One of the things you have to do in the "Reserves" is pass a Physical Test, for your age group, every year. You know, do so many pushups, so many pullups, and walk a preset length in a certain time. I "drilled" each month in New Orleans, they would fly us down there for the weekend. Our C.O. (That is Commanding Officer, in case you did not know), was about 47 maybe 50. My age now! He worried about this PT every year. He would lay out the course we were to run using his car. He would make sure there were no hills, of any kind. He would make sure we would have to run mostly toward the ocean/bay, so that we could feel the breeze on our faces to keep us cooler. In the Navy, at least at that time, the times we had to finish this run were very easy. (Sailors, after all, don't have to do much in the way of hauling 50 pound packs through the forest or run from the enemy as they are firing at you, we just sat on a ship hundreds of miles away and launch missiles and planes at the enemy.) So, on the day of the test, unless you were in the 20-25 age range, you could walk the entire course and do fine. You would have to walk at a fairly fast pace, but no problem. Our CO would always be: "Taking up the Rear" to "Make sure everyone was in front of him ,and thereby passed." We all knew this test worried him, he was getting older, and in the civilian world a lawyer,who did not get much exercise. But he was a fantastic man, we all respected and loved having hun as our CO. But, we all finished the race and passed for another year.



2 Timothy 4:7
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful.
I think Paul in this scripture, has hit the nail on the head, "............finished the race, and I have remained faithful." We all want to finish the tasks we have started, but sometimes life just gets in the way, or we just don't have that drive we had when we started, or we found out it was a LOT harder then what we thought it was going to be. Making it through "Boot Camp" was one of those for me. I finished, I accomplished something. Looking back it wasn't that hard of ordeal, but at the time it gave me the satisfaction of completing something hard.
My first "West-Pac" or Western Pacific cruise while on the USS Kitty Hawk CV-63, a Aircraft Carrier out of San Diego, was the longest time I had ever been away from home, let alone the first time I had ever been out of the country. We were "extended" from a 6 month cruise to a 9 month cruise thanks to the "Shaw of Iran" and the hostage situation. But when we arrived back in San Diego, I felt "Salty" a real Sailor, I had finished my first extended cruise, I had been halfway around the world and back. I had been across the Equator I was a "Shell Back". Look that up on the internet, sometime, don't really want to go into it here, you "Pollywogs"

OK, lets talk about finishing something we started, like our Christian Lives. I ask Jesus Christ into my life when I was 5 years old. That was almost 50 years ago. If you good a math, you now know how old I will be in February. I have left the path, stopped running the race, lost much ground, gave up, fallen down, decided it wasn't worth it, started thinking the race was all about me, left the course because I saw a new and "better" race being run " over there", for many of those years. I have known the Lord Jesus Christ for almost 50 years, I should be a Saint. But I am nowhere near that. Why? Because, many times in my life, I have decided not to finish this race.

But there is good news: You can reenter the race at any point. Just talk to the Race Judge, and ask Him if it is alright if you start running again. You will have to tell Him your sorry for dropping out, and doing stupid stuff, but He has NEVER denied anyone from continuing. The race has gone on while you were off doing whatever you were doing, so you will have to start where you left off, or maybe even further back. But it's OK, there are runners at every part of course. There will be others at the same point on the track where you pick up the pace, and they will help you and you will help them. You see one of the reasons to run this race is to finally, maybe for the first time in your life, finish something. And it is not about finishing 1st or even 100,000th, it is about finishing. We are NOT racing against each other, but pushing ourselves, with His help, to finish. To complete this task. To enjoy our Reward.

We have NO idea what is waiting at the end of this race, we have our own pictures in our minds, but NOTHING we, as humans, can compare to what is waiting for us at the finish line.

In the end we will be able to say as Paul did: Philippians 2:16
Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ’s return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless.

Updates Available

I have a fairly new TV, it is connected to the internet through my Wireless Wi-Fi. Yesterday I turned it on and was greeted by a notice that the TV needed to have it's software updated and if I press "Enter" on the remote it would happen automatically and would take no more then 15 minutes. It actually only took about 5 minutes. A few weeks ago I turned on my cell phone and it told me a update was available and asked me if I wanted to install it. Of course I did, I always want the latest and greatest software running my devices. Even my "Surround Sound" system has offered to update it's software for me, which of course, I took it up on, because, hey it's free and it is NEW. I have never noticed anything different about these updates, but who knows?

We all want the latest, the best, the newest. We have 4G now, why would you buy a 3G phone, 4G is so fast you won't notice the difference. I recently bought a I Phone, it was the latest the 4-S, I could have gotten the just plain ole 4 at 100$ less, but it wasn't the latest and greatest, that "S" meant allot. A friend of mine at church has a new car with a pretty cool "Entertainment System",
it is pretty cool. He told me that the system in his CAR updated fairly often. He said he would be listening to a song on his system and a female voice would say: "Update needed, should I continue?" He said it didn't take long, and it was new, so like me he said: "Yes, continue with the update."

Updates we see them all the time in this "Gadget" age we live in. Our computers are constantly telling us there are updates available for this program or that one, sometimes they are offered free, and other times they want money, but it's alright, just enter your credit/debit card number and continue updating, everything will be fine. Windows operating system has a setting that you can select and the updates just happen, you don't even have to approve them,they just happen.


Did you know that God has updates ready for you? There is strength, wisdom, joy, peace, shelter,hope, love, assurance, you name it God wants to update your system (your heart and mind and body) with "Chris 12.3", the latest update for our particular operating system, (you see, each and every operating system is designed with only us in mind, so the "updates" must be personalized as well, how does God keep up with all this? Easy, He is God.), BUT these updates will not happen automatically, they will not leave you a message that there is a update available and you can accept it by pressing here. You and I have to ask Him for them. We have to read His word, talk to Him, be in His presence , to realize we need them.


Psalm 94:19
"When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer."

See, this is the "Hope and Cheer" update 10.9. There are millions and millions of these throughout bible. But we have to ask for them, God will not give them to us without us wanting them.

I love to play games on my I-Phone, but one of the things that bothers me is all the updates. I have a soccer game that is fun and time consuming, lately they wanted me to purchase a update, they called it a "holiday update". I did not buy it, but a week or so later they offered it free, so I downloaded it. (I guess no one wanted to pay 99 cents for it, so they just decided to give it away in the spirit of Christmas.) All it did was make it look like it was snowing on the field, nothing else changed, same game, same options. I don't think this would have been worth almost a buck!!

God NEVER charges for His updates, they are all offered free of charge, BUT we have to ask for them. He wants us to have them for OUR benefit. He wants us to grow in His love, wisdom, and glory.

With God our "system" will never freeze up, or get boggled down . The internet will work every time. Sometimes I get a upgrade and nothing works right. I have removed the update because my system worked better before. This will not happen with God, either. He will make sure the updates are what we need right at that perfect time. You see, new releases are coming out all the time, BUT the are not for everyone. God tailors each for each of us, at different times through our walk with Him. Joe may have updated recently to "Joe 34.8" but I am only running "Chris 08.0" It doesn't matter, we are all walking through this at our own pace. HE know where each and everyone of us are, and what is next, and best for us.

Aren't you glad there is not an "Automatically Apply Updates" setting? We would get new stuff we weren't ready for. We would get discouraged and freeze up and possibly blow out our Mother board. God knows each and everyone of us, where we are in HIM and what we can and cannot take. We'll eventually get to "Chris 189.7" but there is no hurry. The journey is the lesson, the strength comes from the trip.

There is some software out there that is not designed for all of us. Some need it and others don't. God knows who, when, and who not to apply these. Trust Him, He will give us the updates we need, at the right time in our lives. He knows us better then we know ourselves. Thank you Lord,for this last update, it came when I needed it most.

Transparant

I was cooking recently and the recipe I was using said: "Cook Onions until just transparent." Of course, I knew what this meant, having had cooked onions before. When you apply heat to sliced onions, they get soggy, and you can actually see through them if you hold them up to the light. (Yes I have done that, out of curiosity) It takes heat, though, fire, pressure.

I have noticed that those things that I have had in my life, you know, "Those Things" that you would rather not have anyone else know about, are not transparent, I don't want anyone else to see them, therefore I keep them hidden behind a wall that no one can see through. We want to keep them from any light, keep them in the darkness. God wants us to be transparent. He wants ALL of our lives to be in the light. But if we don't do this ourselves, He may allow a little heat to bring forth transparency.

Have you noticed politicians, coaches, public figures.....that have secrets, and those secrets come out "Accidentally". You know: "Breaking Story, Senator Air Bag found to have 2 female and 3 male lovers, more at 6", Or "Coach Jones of "The University of It's All About the Money" has had 15 separate young men come forward with allegations of sexual misconduct, more at 10"


These men, have kept secret lives, or turned their head when others they knew kept secret lives. They did not want the public to find out what was really going on. They have allowed pride to keep them from living the truth. If a politician comes forward and acknowledges he or she has had an affair, say 15 years ago and they have talked to their spouse and are working through very difficult times. I tend to respect them, for one thing, they have beat the press, who would find out about it eventually, but also because the came clean, become transparent, tired of the secrets. They , I am sure felt much better after "coming clean".

Heat causes onions to turn slightly transparent, it also FORCES us, human beings, to accept our past, we may have thought we had hidden successfully.. The Bible tells us: John 3:20
"All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed."

It doesn't matter what you think you have gotten away with, it will be found out. I know of what I speak. I have done things in the past, that I thought would never be found out, but were. We see movies all the time about how crooks get away with money, or the "take". This rarely happens in real life, does it? It NEVER happens with God. Your sins will be found out, and exposed to the host of Heaven and all mankind.

So, be transparent, let the heat do it, if that what it takes, just don't start a secret life. In Psalm 90:8 it says: "You spread out our sins before you— our secret sins—and you see them all."

You see, you may keep secrets from, say your spouse, your employer, your family, your friends, BUT there are no secrets from God. Be Transparent, or, in His time He will apply the heat so you have to face the music. Don't wait for the Network trucks to be parked at your house, waiting for you or your family to come out and harass you with questions. If you do have any thing your hiding from others, and you want freedom from them, confess them to God, your family, your friends, those that you may have lied to, used, mocked by your actions.


Believe me I know what I am talking about. God wants these things out in the open, and He will make sure they are, one way or the other. He does this because He knows secret sins keep us from His glory, and He wants only good things for us.


Jeremiah 29:11

New Living Translation (NLT)
For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

Sometimes those good plans of hope and a future, are in our grasp, and then we do something stupid. God, knowing this, does whatever it takes to get our attention. He allows heat, problems, embarrassment , uncovering what we thought was hidden deep out of sight. Jesus Christ came to save us from ourselves.

The Manger

Luke 2:12
And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”


Do you think the shepherds talked about the angels as they headed toward the town of Bethlehem? Yeah, I imagine they were shocked, amazed, they more then likely talked about what the angels looked like, how their wings were so beautiful. .... BUT I imagine the main topic of conversation was what the angels had told them. They asked each other what this all could mean. After talking about this for awhile do you suppose the topic changed. They thought some more about what the angel had told them, and one of them remembered..........."Lying in a MANGER"? Why would He, our Messiah, the Christ Child, being lying in a Manger?"

This last Sunday evening our church had their annual "Candlelight Communion" service. It is always so beautiful, so Christmas feeling. If you still aren't in the Christmas Spirit, after this service there is no hope for you. We sing Christmas Carols, they have special music, 2 or 3 of our church leaders give little talks about what Christmas means to them. Our Pastor then brings a short but always a very special Christmas talk. This short talk, is my subject for today.

Manger, what is a manger? We all know Jesus was born in a Stable, (today we would call it a barn), we all know why, because there was no room for them in the INN> Several weeks ago, Pastor Kermit spoke about how this was a miracle, for that part of the world, in those days, NO ONE turned away anyone, especially a pregnant teenager and her husband. But let's talk about the manger. Think about a barn you may have seen once. There are stalls for the animals, there is hay all over the place, maybe in Mangers in each stall for the specific animal that is housed there. What do horses and cows and different large animals do allot of besides eat hay, yes there was allot of THAT around as well, it was, by the way, a BARN. So the picture we have in our minds of a nice clean Stable, with clean animals, a smiling happy Jesus lying in the Manger wrapped in nice clean blankets, with His mother and earthly father and the Shepherds and the Wise Men, (who really weren't supposed to be there for at least a year or more.) This is more then likely, not at all the way it was. If you have ever been in a barn, then you know how dirty, smelly, awful it can be. The Inn Keeper had not had time to keep the place clean, because he was taking care of his guests he had, there was no room for Mary and Joseph, because the place was full. The Stable I assume, was filthy. It smelled, there were flies swarming around all over the place, the animals were making all kinds of noise, because these people had came into their living quarters. Our "Nativity" scenes we put up all over the place, are not very authentic, because we cannot imagine the Son of God being born in such a place as a filthy barn out back.

Manger? What is a manger for? It is a small stand that they would put hay in to keep it dry for the animals. The animals would come to the manager when they were hungry and eat. This hay that they ate out of the manger gave them life, it was how they survived. It was their Bread of Life, they could not survive without it. This is the thought that my Pastor told us Sunday night. That Jesus Christ, who years later would refer to Himself as the "Bread of Life" became that "Bread of Life" when He was born. Is this why there was no room for them? So that Jesus Christ, God's son would be born in a lowly barn, but also in a place that only had one purpose, to give life? When "Pastor K" got to this point in his talk, I was astonished. What meaning, what love. God uses things like this throughout the scriptures to show us of His purpose. Jesus Christ is mentioned throughout the scriptures, Old and New Testament. His first and second coming is referred to thousands of years ago. It has been prophesied thousands of times what has and is to come in this world, and EVERY SINGLE ONE of these has come to pass so far. No other "Religion" can say that,not even close.

This Jesus, who became our "Bread of Life" so that we might live, gave His all. He could have asked His Father to rescue Him on that cross, He could have asked Him to rescue Him instead of being beaten, or spat upon, or cussed out, or made fun of..............BUT HE did not. Don't you think He was fully human? Don't you think He hurt, suffered terribly physically? He knew that if He failed in His mission, all the work all the prophesies over the last few thousands of years would be wrong. He knew that His Fathers work that had begun in the Garden with Adam and Eve, would be for naught. So He raised His head to Heaven looked into His Fathers Eyes and continued with His mission. He finished what many thought was His worst night, but had no idea the significance of that act.

Why am I talking about Easter things at Christmas time? Because without Easter, Christmas would have no meaning.

I mentioned to my Pastor, after service the other night, how that thought about the manger had "floored" me. He said it did him as well when God put it into his mind, the other day. Jesus became the "Bread of Life" the day He was born, and continued to be our way to live, right up to the day He died on the cross. Aren't you glad?

Thank you Pastor Kermit Bell for your insight, and listening to the Holy Spirit as you studied for this message. God, I believe, gave you an insight that is amazing.

That New Car Smell

2 Corinthians 5:17

So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything
old has passed away; see, everything has become new!


I am a NEW creation, I am not like I was. My mind has been renewed, my emotions have, my personality has, I am NEW.

Don't you love new? You have to get it out of the box, you have , somehow, to get into the hard plastic shell type thing. That "New Car " Smell is like no other. You look through the "Owners Manual" to see all the cool things it does, or to explain how to use it. A " new to me" type item is OK, BUT it does not hold a candle to brand new. I love the title: "Certified Used". What does that mean, that someone stamped it somewhere with a "Certified" stamp? Do we have "Certified New", also? I don't care what title you give it, used is used and new is NEW.

Notice Paul in the above writing did not say :" I am a "certified used" creation" He did not say a "slightly used" or "gently worn" item. HE SAID NEW. I am a NEW creation, God has not rebuilt me, He has made me again. He started from scratch, He did not "reboot" my system, and see if I would work better, he replaced my software with NEW stuff. WE who have accepted Him as our personal Savior, are BRAND NEW. Everything in our lives is NEW. We might have the same jobs, the same car, the same bills, the same dog, the same family, the same problems, BUT WE are new. Our outlook is NEW, our attitude is NEW, our actions are NEW.

All that OLD stuff is "passed away", or dead, gone away, never to be seen again. The new Washer and Dryer are being delivered and the delivery guys are taking the old ones, the ones that did not work very well at all, the washer you had to sit on top of to stop it from walking across the floor, the dryer that cost more in electricity then gas to drive your car, those old ones are being taken away and to never be seen again. Completely new ones are taking their place, not rebuilt, not used, not even "Certified used" BRAND NEW ones.

Wait, what is the first line of the above scripture? "So, if anyone is IN Christ" What does that mean? To be "IN Christ"? Have you ever been "IN" love? Have you ever been "IN" a relationship? That is what being "IN" Christ is like. We are part of Him, we want to please Him, to do what He wants us to do, to lean on HIM, because He knows what is best for us and wants only it for our lives.
BUT actually it is much more then that, To be "IN Christ" means we are part of His family, we are His friends, we are HIS Fathers children, He is our brother, We are Children of GOD. This boggles my mind, how can we, lowly humans who are living in a sinful world, be children of God? I mean, GOD Jehovah, the maker of everything, I mean EVERYTHING? How can God who made US, each and everyone of us, accept us as sons and daughters? Did Steve Jobs accept his Apple computers as sons and daughters? Of course not , Apple computers are THINGS, not people. God could have looked at us like that , as things He made for His pleasure. He could have turned us own, watched us for awhile, tired of us, turned us off, and then later turned us on again when the mood stuck Him. NO, God is not like that, He made us as human beings with minds, thoughts, emotions, He let us choose wither or not we wanted to serve Him. Free Will, He wants us so badly to commune with Him, walk with Him, learn from Him, our Father, BUT to MAKE us do these things, would not be love, it would be us living in fear of Him. "So, if anyone be IN Christ, there is a new creation: EVERYTHING old has passed away; see, everything has become new".

I do NOT understand how God could do what He does. I know I will not understand that this side of Heaven, but I do KNOW, have no doubt, cannot be persuaded otherwise, that He love me. I do NOT understand why He loves me, I don't think I could love me like He does, after the things I do. It is beyond our understanding as to WHY, HOW, He loves us, but He does.

God makes us a new creation, why? Because I don't think He could be around us in our old form. We are soaked in this world of Sin, He does not look upon us, but He looks upon what His son , Jesus,who was perfect, did on the cross. You see, it is not our Holiness that He sees when He looks down on me, it is Jesus'. Without me being "IN" Christ, none of this would be possible. Jesus did His work on the Cross, now it is up to us to be IN Him or not. But IF we decide to, We are a new creation.

Jesus is refereed to as the "Second Adam" The first Adam fell into temptation and sin came into this world, he failed. BUT, the second Adam, Jesus Christ, did not fail and therefore we can become a new creation. Jesus, the second Adam, paid the price for Adam's mistake of letting Sin come into this world. Jesus provided a way out of this trap of Sin.


Have you ever thought that you did not like yourself? Yes, I think we all have had those thoughts. We get mad at ourselves for thoughts, actions, attitudes, regrets for doing stupid things. "WHY"? Why did we act like that, why did we say that? Sometimes we don't even like ourselves, but God Loves us, even when we raise our fist at the sky's and curse Him. WHY? Why, God, do you love me so much, what have I done to deserve it? Absolutely NOTHING. Real Love has no requirements. If you love your children, do you love them less if they do wrong and end up in jail? Of course not, they are you child. See? We are Gods children, He feels the same way about us. Not that He doesn't tire of our sin, I am sure He does, but He still loves us. Like parents here on earth, we disappoint Him, at times, we make Him proud at others, BUT He loves us, OH How He loves us.




Lamentations 3:23
"Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning." See, God can make us NEW everyday, if that is what we ask. We can fail everyday, and ask God for forgiveness , and He WILL, everyday, every hour if needed.


Thank you Lord for your mercies, your LOVE, your punishment to/for me, that teaches me your ways. The work Jesus did on the cross, made a way for us to become NEW, BRAND SPANKING NEW. Stop trying to get through this life with that old mind, those old emotions, that old way of thinking, that old depression. Let God take those things and make them "Passed Away" Let Him give us NEW EVERYTHING!!

Light in Darkness?

2 Corinthians 4:6

New Living Translation (NLT)
For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.

Wow, can you imagine: The light that God spoke into existence in the beginning, is the same light that shown in the face of His Son Jesus, AND is alive and living with US. Talk about POWER, LOVE, BRIGHTNESS, nothing can hide from this light. We are talking about the SUN, here, folks, the power of the SUN, that God put into the sky to light our world, we are also talking about the LIGHT that shone from Moses as he had been in the presence of God on the mountain getting the 10 Commandments. This is also the light that was in the eyes and face of Jesus as he looked toward His Father in the Garden of Gethsemane while praying before He gave His life on the cross for us. This is the LIGHT we can have in our hearts, our souls, our lives to let others see WHO we serve and that He and we love them.

The other night I got up in the middle of the night to visit the bathroom. I had changed my bedroom furniture around as I do fairly often. (This gives me the change I like, plus it makes sure I clean the room really well.) The nightlight I have in my bathroom had a burned out bulb, so getting there with no light, and not being sure were the furniture was, I stubbed my toe on a ottoman. It hurt, and still does. I got upset with myself for having to change things all the time. I got mad at myself for not putting a new bulb in the nightlight (I had spares, they were in the bathroom, under the sink, but I just was to lazy to do it!!) But I realized how dark it was without that nightlight. I now realize how dark of a world we live in, literally

Have you ever been driving out in the country at night? I mean out in the middle of no where? Years ago my family and I lived in Bastrop Texas. (Yeah right in the path of that wildfire not long ago. The house we owned is gone, burned to the ground, sad) We owned one acre of land and had a nice modest house in the middle of the trees. It was beautiful, we loved it. We had one "guard light" mounted on a telephone pole at the entrance of our property. But other then that one light, and the porch light there were no other lights around. Driving home at night was a challenge. The roads were dirt, usually very bumpy full of ruts and holes from recent rains. There were nothing but trees everywhere you looked, beautiful in the day, but just dark objects blocking out the moonlight at night. There were 3 or 4 turns you had to make on different dirt roads, and if you didn't have the trip memorized, you could easily get lost. Then, if you made the quest correctly, you would make that last turn into our street and there would be the guard light. You made it, you were home. That light was a sign of things were alright, you are safe, home is near.


God gave us light so that we could see. Can you imagine if there were no Sun? That would mean life as we know it, could not exist on this world. It also means we could not have a relationship with God. God is that light, He is that source of the knowing that: "All is safe, All is OK< there is the light, we are home" Have you ever seen the last movie in the "Lord of The Rings" trilogy? Picture Frodo, Sam, and Gollum climbing that sharp, steep, dangerous climb on that "path" trying to get into Moordor. It is dark, the only light coming from the inside of the gated evil land below them. Higher and higher they climb, they're mission is almost over, but it has become so dangerous, the enemy may spot them at any second. Got that picture in your mind? That is how I picture us traveling through this world of sin. It is dangerous, it is steep, it is dark, the only light coming from this evil world, and it is very dim. But then Sam Wiseman remembers that magic light thing that a Fairy or something gave him, pulls it out of his pocket and "whammo" they can see the trail in front of them much better.


Jesus Christs is that bottle in our pocket, as long as we leave Him hidden away inside our pocket, we struggle, we cannot see, we don't know where we are. BUT the moment we pull Him out of the invisible and into the visible, guess what? Everything becomes clearer. God gave us the Light, ALL the light. The Sun is a symbol of the coming Lord Jesus, because it lights our world. We are the moon because we reflect His light in a dark world. Don't you see, we are here for more then helping an old man to not stub his toe when he gets up to go to the bathroom. We are here to reflect the light, and make this a beautiful world full of His light.

LIGHT, the world would not exist without it, and we as people could not live. Plants and trees would not grow, there would be no difference between night and day, it would be a depressing place. But God DID give us light, so that we could SEE. AND Jesus Christ was born to Mary, did live among us and gave His life willingly, so that we could SEE.

God is a God of LIGHT and LIFE. LIGHT gives LIFE. God and His Son, Jesus, are the light, without it, we would die. So, accept His light, and share it. Because what good is a light on a hill if you cover it up?

Light, we need it, God gave it, let's use it.

Waiting Patiently.

ROMANS 8:23-25: And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us. 24 We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it. 25 But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.)

I love these verses. I like the way Hope is talked about. Remember when you were a kid, maybe still, but Christmas was coming up fast(But not fast enough for you). You couldn't wait, you dreamed about what wonderful toys you were getting, the anticipation was almost overwhelming, almost more then you could take. You would spend hours looking at the wrapped boxes under the tree wondering what they held. You Hoped one of them held that special toy you wanted so bad, the one you had made sure everyone knew that this was "THE GIFT" for you. Most of the fun of Christmas presents is the anticipation. What would happen if you got something you already had? Your hope would be crushed, you would be sad, even mad. "I hoped for this for weeks and look what it is".


My folks used to let us open one present a few days before Christmas, kinda as a teaser, but mainly so we would settle down a little. This was a Calvin Christmas tradition for a few years. My wife and I even did this for our kids when they were little. Just a taste of what was to come. In Romans 8:23 above, Paul tells us that: "...even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory.............." So then if we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we have been given a "taste of what is to come in Heaven". God in His wisdom, is showing us what Heaven will be like, with just a glimpse we can have when we are filled with the Holy Spirit.

I remember as a young teenager in West Texas. Our youth group had an annual trip to Six Flags in Dallas. When school was out, I started looking forward to this trip. We usually went around the end of June. I would have about a month to think about the roller coasters, the food, the bus trip there and back, and, of course, the girls that were going with us, (as I got older the girls were the thing I thought about the most.) I looked forward to something "I didn't have yet, so, I must wait patiently and confidently". If you know something is going to happen, then you are waiting patiently and confidently. Confidently: You have no doubt it will happen, you paid your money for the trip, your parents have signed the permission slip, you have the schedule to when the bus was leaving and when it would be back, all that was left was the waiting patiently part. BUT this did not stop us from "Groaning", a requirement for teenagers, when you turn 13 you have to take a class on groaning, rolling your eyes at your parents, and acting like you don't care about anything, you MUST pass this class, or you cannot turn 13. So as qualified teenagers, having passed the required class,we would complain daily how slow time was moving to that trip. I KNEW I was going, I had no doubt, I knew that the new girl whose family had just started coming to our church was coming also, and I could not wait to get to know her better, ride roller coasters with her, walk around the park with her, you know do what teenagers like to do, within reason of course, we had chaperones.



If you already have something, how then can you "long" for it? " We LONG for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering." Right now, our bodies are subject to this worlds rules. Rules of pain, suffering, illness, death, sadness, confusion, you name it we go through it. BUT, we LONG for Heaven because our bodies will be new, no suffering, no pain, no emotions other then joy and peace and love. WE will NOT get sick, we will NOT get hurt, we will NOT die. This is something to "LONG", "HOPE", and be "Eager" for. If we already enjoyed these things here on earth, what good would Heaven be? Why would we get that excited about going to Heaven? If you already have something there is no reason to "HOPE" for it.

I admit it, I am a very selfish person. When I see a commercial for the "Newest", "Latest", "best" of something, I long for it. I wish I could go right out and get it that evening. Why? Because I don't have it, I have the "OLDER" version, not this newest one. I don't have Windows 25 that just came out, latest version, I have Windows 24.8, it is 2 months old, how can I exist without the new one? I can't, I must get this latest one, now. This is greed, pure and simple. But it is what I deal with, fairly often. It is part of being human, and part of being a Man. We Men tend to want things more the Women, most of the time. Wow, have you seen the new Audi sports car? Love it, it so sleek and cool.

I long for the day when: "God shall give us our full rights as His adopted children..........." Those rights will make that Audi sports car look like nothing, like dirt, it will pale in comparison to what will be before us. Jesus will stand before us in all His glory, all His knowledge, all His wisdom, we will NOT be able to take our eyes off Him. 'The things of this world will go strangely dim", as he songwriter says.


So, when did this hope start? Before we came to know Jesus Christ, we did not have this hope, we did not know of God's love for us, we did not know that He was preparing a place for US. We more then likely thought Heaven was a place everyone goes to, unless they robbed a bank or killed someone. We did not have a "Longing" to be with Jesus, to share in His glory. So when did this hope begin, when we allowed Jesus to come into our hearts. Then we felt such love, such joy, such forgiveness............that we realized we did not want this to stop, if fact we wanted more. Yes, we can have more in this life, BUT NOTHING compares to the MORE we will feel, see, experience, when we live with HIM in Heaven.

So don't get to attached to this world of sin, suffering, pain, evil, corruption............because He is coming to take us HOME> I LONG for,have HOPE for, have an Assurance that it WILL happen and happen soon.

Colossians 3:18
" Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting for those who belong to the Lord"


OH, don't get all upset, now, thinking that I am going to talk about how wives should do everything her husband tells her, call him "Sir", work 24 hours a day to "Please" him. No, I don't believe that for one minute. I know a marriage is a partnership an equal partnership.

I was watching a "Everyone Loves Raymond" rerun recently and something struck me. After going to the emergency room and being told I did not need stitches, I started thinking how belittling many wives were to their husbands on these "Sit-Com" on TV. At the end of most "Raymond" shows "Debra" (Ray's wife) usually calls him an Idiot behind his back. In this particular episode she was making bets with their children that Daddy would not notice her new hairdo. The children were all laughing because Daddy did not notice anything, thereby he must be an Idiot, like Mommy called him all the time. Another show that is very bad at this same thing is "The King of Queens" Doug's wife continually yells, screams, "overrules" hits him "playfully " on the forehead, basically you see Doug as a fool, who needs a woman to make it through this world. There are many more like this, but most "family" sit-cons have a "idiot" Dad, and a Mom that points this out quite often,. It is all done under the "tag" of "Comedy."


In my failed marriage, I did some pretty stupid things, thus the word "failed Marriage". I cannot remember one time my ex called me "Stupid" or "ignorant" or "brainless wimp" or anything like that. Sure, she hated some of the selfish things I did, and I did a LOT of them. She loved me, and as a woman of God, she knew wives were supposed to lift up their husbands, not belittle them. She did, however, with love, try and point out some of my faults. She did this with love, patience and in a way that I would not take offense, hopefully. It didn't work, thus again the word "Failed Marriage".


For many years, Hollywood has torn down the family. It has left us with pictures and stories of a dumb, idiot husband/father and a wife who continually points it out. I often wondered what would become of these children in a real family in the above situations. As they grew would they think, "Sure, Dad loves me, but He is stupid". How would this effect their future marriages? You don't have to imagine it, just look around, divorce is higher then it has almost ever been today. Broken families, fathers who, after getting a girl pregnant abandons them. I am not trying to say that "Sit-Com " are the main reason this world is like it is, I am saying they added to the already decaying respect for the Father figure. Sure, we Fathers have done our part to destroy this union, with our selfishness and just plain lack of caring.


I am old enough to remember the TV shows that showed the Dad as the leader, the respected, the decision maker, the "Head of the family", because He deserved it. Fathers had wisdom, they had love for their family, they made all decisions from knowledge, wisdom, and love. They handed out the punishment to their kids with both understanding, (Yes, Jr. I remember being 15 and having the same desires and hormones you have, but what you did is wrong and I am going to have to punish you for it) and respect. What happened?


My Dad and I talk of this sometimes, he blames the "Women's Lib" movement for it. I think their is some truth in this, but like TV "Sit-Com" you can't blame everything on one thing or another.


OK lets look here:
Ephesians 5:25
"For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her"


What is the best way to gain someones respect? Deserve it. So, husbands, fathers: how do we gain respect of our families? LOVE them. NO, don't just tell them, but SHOW them. I told my ex wife constantly that I loved her, and yet I was so selfish I very seldom showed her. This is why she left me, because I was not loving her, I was loving myself. Tell your wife you want her help, but the final decisions will be yours. Tell her, that if she balances the checkbook keeps the bills paid, you want to be in on process. I left this all up to my wife, and did not take any interest in helping her unless she "nagged" me into it.

Being a good father/husband is simple. You must love your family more then yourself. You must want to help out around the house, you must want to spend time with your wife and children. You must not be expected to be waited on 24/7 because "your the man of the family" The best way to gain respect and the occasional "You sit there honey, and I'll bring you a piece of cake and a glass of milk, you worked hard today", is to help often, show your wife that you know she worked a 10 hour day just like you, and you'll make dinner tonight, you'll also clean up, see it works both ways. Remember it is a equal partnership.



Think of the jobs you have had in your life. Think of the best boss you ever had. Why did you like/respect him so much? Was it because he took time to get to know you , was fair in his decisions at work, rolled up his sleeves when it got busy and helped everywhere he could to get the job done? This is an example of someone you would respect, like, work for. Guess What? This is also the example of a good father/husband. No, you cannot fire your kids.

There is an old saying "Garbage in, Garbage out" It is talking about computers, but it is the same with a father/husband. What you put into your marriage and family is what you are going to get out of it.


So,I am going to stop watching these TV shows, they make me mad, now that I have seen what they are trying to do. So I have an assignment for you men: Let's prove Hollywood wrong. Let us show our wives and families that we are not Idiots, we are not morons who think only of ourselves. Let us show our families one thing Love, and gain respect from them because of it.


According to Ephesians 5:25 we are supposed to be like Jesus, who loved the church so much, He gave up his live for her> You cannot be willing to give up your life for someone and not love them. Are you willing to die for your Lord? How about your family? Selfishness, it has no place in the family. Now, go tell your wife and kids you love them, then show it to them.

Common Sense Integrity-Don't Leave Home Without "Em

Proverbs 2:7
He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest. He is a shield to those who walk with integrity.


In the above scripture we are told that if we are honest, God will give us common sense. And we are also told that God is a "Shield to those who walk with integrity." So, obviously, we need to find out what these attributes really mean.

COMMON SENSE:
: sound and prudent judgment based on a simple perception of the situation or facts

INTEGRITY:
: firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values : incorruptibility

: an unimpaired condition : soundness

: the quality or state of being complete or undivided : completeness


Wow, those are some pretty impressive attributes to have, aren't they? I know a lot of people, myself included, that need more "common sense", or even SOME "common sense". If your driving down the interstate in the left lane doing 100 miles an hour, and a police car comes up right behind you with lights flashing, siren blaring,: "Common Sense" would recommend that you pull over, and be very polite to the officer as he either writes you a ticket or even handcuffs you and takes you "downtown". We hear about people, though, in this very same situation, who decide they can get away from the police, so they decide to run. We usually hear about the aftermath on the news: "Police chase car for 20 miles through downtown, at speeds of up to 120 MPH, as 2 people are killed, and the culprit crashes into a bridge support and dies, film at 11". The first thing I think when I hear things like this is: "Why did they run?" Surely, "common sense" had no place in this decision.

How did God tell us we would have common sense? He calls it a "treasure" that He grants to the HONEST. Oh, now I get it, that is why so many crooks are seemingly stupid, lacking any common sense. When they crossed the line between Honesty and Dishonesty then common sense jumped out the window. So what does the first part of Proverbs 2:7 tell us? That God "Grants" (gives us, as in a gift.) the "Treasure" (something valued, sought after, given praise for having, beautiful, rare) of "Common Sense" to the "Honest" (truthful, reliable, just, someone you would trust your most precious possessions or even your family).


"He is a shield to those who walk with integrity. Look at Websters definition of Integrity above, especially the last line, last word: "Completeness". Integrity is allot of things, but I have never heard the word completeness used. What is God saying here? That integrity 'Completes" us, as human beings, as His children, as men as women. Thus it is implied that to not have Integrity we are not complete, we are in parts, trying to figure out what is wrong with us, nothing works because we are not finished, but we think we are.
Do you , like me, see a lack of Integrity in this world? Everyday, it seems, there is another "Breaking Story" about a corrupt, or immoral act of a famous person, a politician, a athlete, a teacher, a coach. If there is THIS many people that are famous that are acting this way, think of the millions of "Plain Jane" citizens who do also.


When you find a place of business, say a cleaners, a automotive garage, a restaurant, somewhere you take your business that shows honesty, and integrity, you tend to go again and again as the need arises. There is a automobile shop here in town that my Mom found many years ago. She took both of her and Dad's cars there for years and years. My ex-wife and I did also, both my children have taken their cars there over the years. If anyone asks me of a honest shop, I recommend them. I always say: "They aren't the cheapest, but they will fix it right and be very honest with you, and they stand behind their work". No, they aren't cheap, but they use the best parts, fix it right and will not pressure you for more work then needs to be done. They have integrity, they have been in business a long time, they are not the busiest shop on the street, but they do well. I take my truck to them, because they are honest, and they know me. Why would I go anywhere else?
My Dad and I go to a fast food restaurant every week, usually at the same time of day, on the same day of the week. The workers there, know us, they usually say "Regulars today, guys?" They know our orders even before we get to the register. They are very nice and friendly, they genuinely care about us,they ask us how things are going in specific areas of our life. They laugh and cut up with us, make us feel comfortable. We continue to go back because of this, and we also like the food.

One of the first things I think of when I hear the word "Integrity" is the lack of it in Washington DC. It that city is void with it. But according to the above scripture, God is a "Shield to those who walk with Integrity". When you walk with integrity, honesty, transparency, refuse to take the "kickbacks" refuse to "play the game", then your going to be attacked in this world. GOD will be your shield, He will protect you from the "stones" that WILL be thrown at you. I think of politicians who stood up for "Right" who had Integrity in their lives, and where dragged through the mud for it. BUT God shielded them from harm. They were not hurt, they knew who they represented, and they stood up for Him. He rewards that.

One of the phrases I really like from the above definition is "Firm Adherence" to a code of especially moral or artistic values" "Firm Adherence" brings to mind a "Sticking to your principles" type of person. Your "adhered" stuck, couldn't get loose even if you wanted to, stand by your ethics type of person. How many politicians today can we say that about?

I read a "letter to the editor" in my local paper recently that really made me think. This person was saying that a politician that "flip-flops" on certain things, always gets criticized for it. But, according to the writer, this was something that made the politician more honest and real to them. " What is wrong with changing your mind about something" they asked. "Admitting you were wrong, and that you have seen that, is a appealing attribute to me" they went on to comment. I agree but had never given it this much thought. Yes this is something that is important to me in a person, especially someone I want to cast my vote for. Admitting that you were wrong about a certain thing, and that you have "seen the light" and changed your mind. Isn't that what we all are supposed to do when we come to Christ? Admit your a sinner, and you were wrong?


OK, back to Common Sense and Integrity, God has it, we need it, He will give it to us if we obey Him. Pretty much sums it up, doesn't it?


"Common Sense and Integrity" don't leave home without it.

"OH"

"OH"
Webster tells us that the word "OH" means:

—used to express an emotion (as surprise or desire) or in response to physical stimuli

—used in direct address

—used to express acknowledgment or understanding of a statement

—used to introduce an example or approximatio.


The word "OH", is used for many things. "Oh, I forgot my cellphone", "OH, what a beautiful sunset". "Oh, that is nice, how much did you spend on it?", "Oh no, I forgot to turn the sprinklers off before we left", "OH NO YOU WON'T". The word is a feeling of emotion, to get someone's attention, as in: "Oh, look, they scored a touchdown". It expresses understanding as in: "OH, now I see, if you carry the one the answer IS 47". It can be used to approximate something as: "OH, I would say it is about 100 miles to Waco from here" BUT my favorite is: "OH, How He loves you and me". This was a song years ago, "OH (That is "OH") how He loves you and me. (I put the extra: "that is "OH" in there.)


When you put that OH in front of something, it emphasizes what is about to come next. "OH, I forgot, I have another gift in the top of the closet for you". This was usually what my Mom said Christmas afternoon after all the presents were opened and the Christmas meal was devoured. She usually would shop for Christmas presents all year long, wrap them and put them away. And most of the time forgetting all about them until after Christmas unwrapping time. Of course this was a good "OH" to us, it meant more presents. "Oh, I had a slight accident in the car on the way home"' is not a good "Oh"> But still my favorite is: "Oh how He loves you and me".

When my Mom was near death, she saw her father coming to get her, she saw an Angel with a sword standing in the doorway, she said he had such beautiful wings. Just a few hours before she died, (she was not conscious anymore, and more like in a coma), she mumbled things all the time. One time it was just her and I in the room and she said, "OH, this is MY house?" She was having visions of Heaven. She died about 10 hours later. "OH, THIS IS MY HOUSE?" Exclamation of wonder, beauty, unbelief, OH. But STILL my favorite is: "OHHHHHHH how He loves you and me".


Have you ever stubbed your toe? Of course you have, what do you say without thinking? "OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH"!!!!!!!!!!" An exclamation of shock, and pain. When we are hurt, and crying out to God for something that gives us much grief, or despair, or confused about the situation we are someone close to us is going through what do we say to God? "OH GOD................." But STILL my favorite is: "ohhhhhhhhhh how He loves you and me".




"Oh" such a small word, just 2 letters long. OH< OH< OH. So many meanings. BUT I like this one the best: "OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH< How He loves you and me." That "OH' tells us that what is coming next is true, real, wonderful, not expected, over the top, has no end, is greater then what we can comprehend...................the amount of love He has for us cannot be explained except by "OH"


We cannot explain, understand, or conceive that much love, it is beyond our human condition to do so. My Mom now in heaven, is now experiencing that love OH that love. She KNOWS how much it is, how far, deep, wide, high it goes. He eyes have been opened to the LOVE God has for her, and us. OH, I miss her, but OH, she is in a far more wonderful place. OH, I so want to be with her, and experience what she is experiencing.

The next time you use the word "OH", think about what you really saying. We use it all the time, and most of those times, don't even think about it. Have you ever heard anyone say: "OH, how much I love God?" It just isn't the same, The "OH" just doesn't seem right going that way. We cannot love the way He loves. OH, thank you Lord, for you love for me.


There are many uses for the word "OH", but STILL my favorite is: " OH how He loves you and me".


"OH", I guess I am through now, sharing what's on my mind, and in my heart. OH how He loves you and me.

He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless.

~ Isaiah 40:29, NLT



Let me ask you a stupid question: "Have you ever felt powerless or weak? Of course you have, I mean we are all human and we have all felt this way. My ex wife's mother died just a few weeks ago, my kids and Mary went up to Norman Oklahoma to be with her and her family before she died. I, being the EX Husband, just stayed here and prayed. I have only felt this helpless one other time in my life, when my own mother died a year and a half ago. It hurt, imagining how much pain and loss this family was feeling. I felt so powerless, there was nothing I could do . I was the ex brother-in-law, the ex son-in-law, I felt like the outcast of the family, but I hurt too. Maude Whaley Graham was one of the sweetest, nicest people I ever knew, she made me welcomed in her family, and I felt like her son every-time we visited. I miss her, also, but was not close enough to the family because of divorce, to be there. I sent a sympathy card to the family, that is all I could do. Powerless, it is a awful feeling.




My niece has not had a job in a very long time. She has a Masters Degree in teaching, and cannot, it seems, get hired anywhere. God has provided, and provided, and spoken to her through others and directly to her, that He will provide, and He has a plan. But she does not see that plan, and "God, it has been a long time, where is the job, the plan, your will?", I am sure this is how she feels. Powerless, she is doing everything she can, filling out applications, going on interviews, doing her part, but natta. It's like God is shutting the doors even before she gets to them. Do you think she feels powerless, depressed, even questioning God, Himself? Sure she does, all she sees is failure.


I don't know God's mind, I do not understand why He does certain things and why He does not do others. It seems sometimes prayers take forever to get answered, but in the end they are answered. God has HIS ways, and they are different then ours. Most of the time, His ways, are over the top, more then we could ever imagine. But, He really loves to teach us patience, doesn't He?


Are you in a situation right now, that has you feeling powerless? Maybe your at the end of your rope, there are situations going on in your life that have you so stressed, so tired, so depressed, that your ready to give up. You feel "Powerless" you feel so weak, how will you go own. The rent is due, no money, the car payment is due, no money, the car needs new tires, no money, the car tags and insurance and safety inspection tag are due, no money. The kids need new clothes new shoes new everything, no money. You have tried to get a better job or a part time job in addition to your low paying job you have now, no results. You lie down at night and are so tired, so weak because all this stress, how will you go on? You cry out to God: "Do you see this? Don't you understand what is going own in my life? Why do you ignore my pleas?" Your powerless to do anything about your situations, you give up, your so weak you cannot go own anymore, something has to change. Then through the night, you get a very restful sleep, your recharged, you feel pretty good the next morning. Nothing has changed, but you feel better. You still don't know how things are going to work out,but all of a sudden is doesn't matter as much. What happened? God gave you power and strength while you slept. He came while you were sleeping and made sure you slept well, that your mind was renewed, that your outlook was refreshed. He gave you a assurance deep down in your self, that He would work things out for you. I am not saying that by bedtime tonight you may be going through the same thing, but I am saying He will refresh you again and do the same thing in you. And, HE WILL answer your prayers, your problems in HIS time, which is always Just in time.


Philippians 4:13

New Living Translation (NLT)
For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.

I used to wonder about this scripture, I mean what was Paul saying? I that is I can do everything? Wow, talk about conceited! NO, I can do everything THROUGH CHRIST, WHO GIVES ME STRENGTH.
If we try by ourselves, we will fail everything, guaranteed. BUT if we take the strength that Jesus Christ offers, and try it with His STRENGTH guess what? Nothing is impossible, NOT through OUR strength, but through HIS.




So, if you have ever felt powerless and extremely weak because of circumstances in your life, the your not alone, by a long shot. But, it is not our strength you have to rely on, it is Jesus Christ' strength. This is the same Jesus Christ who conquered death, Hell and the grave. He went to Hell and took the keys of death, hell, and the grave away from Satan, and I am sure Satan did not want to give them up easily. But because Jesus had defeated death, Satan was over powered very easily. THIS is the strength at our disposal, through Jesus Christ.




It is very easy to be weak, to feel depressed, to feel down, to worry, to not get any sleep. It is very easy to give into these emotions, and feelings. It is human nature to try and solve problems ourselves, to come up with ideas from ourselves to solve our situations. But our strength is very limited, we wear out so fast, it effects our physical body our minds, our life, our relationships. BUT the good news is, we don't have to depend on our own strength, Jesus Christ has enough for everyone in the world, and even more. Yes, I am weak at times, I have felt powerless many times, and as a "last resort" taken Jesus' strength. It is time I/WE stop seeing God as our "Last Resort". God should be our first thought.



God, forgive me for putting you last, and not first. Forgive me for trying to do "IT" on my own strength, and not yours. You will not stop me from trying on my own, because you want me to give up and ask you for help. I am a selfish, stingy, conceited person, Lord, and I need you everyday. Please forgive me and let me start anew with your help.


He will give " power to the weak, and strength to the powerless" I am pretty sure that includes everyone of us. So go ahead, accept His power and strength, you won't be sorry.

Are ya Stuck?

He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along.

~ Psalm 40:2, NLT
For many years I drove delivery trucks, trash trucks, pick up trucks just about any kind of truck except 18 wheelers. I made deliveries as far away as El Paso (I live in Austin Texas, so that was quite a trip). I delivered kitchen and bath cabinets for a company to new construction homes some years ago. While doing this I drove a 24 foot "bobtail" straight truck. One of the construction companies we sold and delivered cabinets to was a "we build on your lot" type company. Every order would have map attached to it, because most of the time you would not be able to find the property without one. Very seldom were these houses in any kind of neighborhood. The owners wanted seclusion and privacy and they may have owned 10 or more acres and their house was being constructed right in the middle of there property. Many times this property had never been accessed by any type of trucks at all. I would have to follow the ruts left by the cement truck that had been there to lay the foundation, or the lumber truck that had come to deliver the wood for the framework. There was one area down southeast of San Antonio that I dreaded going to, it was a "Subdivision" that had lots FROM 25 acres. The thing I hated about it the most though is that it was sand, everywhere you looked there was sand. If I stayed on the "road" that had been kinda established by all the delivery and construction trucks, then I usually was alright, but if I had to turn the truck around and get my wheels off the "beaten" path, I had to really be careful because I would get stuck in the sand. I know of many times I had to end up calling a tow truck to come and pull me out of the sand, this did NOT make my boss very happy, as it was expensive.
Over my 5 years or so of working for this company, I believe I had to call a tow truck about 20 times. 12 of those, I think, were in this one area.

I drove a trash truck for around 15 years. We all hated rainy days, working in the rain was not very fun, the water that collected in trash cans and dumpsters flooded our truck and leaked out the back all over us all the time, dirty smelly "trash water". BUT the main reason I hated working on rainy days was going to the dump (sorry, Land Fill). If you have ever been to a large land fill, then you know what a mess it is. Large trash trucks coming and going all the time, large bulldozers pushing the mountains of trash left by these trucks as we would empty our loads. But a dump is very muddy, because these bulldozers push dirt on top of the piles of trash after the spread them out. There is a system that landfills are required to follow, different layers of different types of dirt below and above the trash. New areas of the dump are used everyday, it seemed to spread the trash around. One day you may dump your load over here, then the next you are way back over there. You never knew. But when you backed your truck into the dump zone of the day, guess what was below your wheels? Yep, trash, dirt and if it was raining mud, lots and lots of mud. The only thing good about getting stuck at the landfill was that there were bulldozers everywhere to push, or pull you out. I never got out of the truck without my rain type boots.

Have you ever tried to walk in deep mud? You have to lift your foot all the way out of the stuff, up into the clear before you can take another step and sink it back down into the gooze. It is very tiring and seems to take forever to get anywhere. Snow or sand can be almost as bad. But at least snow is prettier. If you were going to walk along the beach on a beautiful day, where would you want to walk? In the surf where there is wet sand, or up above the surf where the sand is although not dry, much more solid and easier to walk on top of? You see TV shows or perhaps your lucky enough to live near a beach and see this in person, but of people who run along the beach, where are they running, in the break of the waves coming to shore? Of course not.

I live in Texas, as I have stated before, central Texas. I am not very familiar with winter, I mean REAL winter. We get rain, cold rain, we even get ice every couple of years, REAL ice that freezes on the roadways. But snow? Very seldom. And when we do get snow, it is usually melted by lunch time, so you have to have your snowball fights early or you'll miss out. Make fun of us "Southerners" all you want, but we do not know how to drive in the snow, because we don't have snow. I spent about 4 months near Chicago going to "A" school while in the Navy years ago. It was the "Great Blizzard" of 1978-1979. They set records for the amount of snow they got that winter. I flew out of Orlando Florida, after boot camp, and flew straight to Chicago. Talk about shock. I arrived in Chicago with one coat, and not a very heavy one. Four months later I flew to San Diego with snow boots, a very heavy parka, heavy socks, a few scarfs, 2-3 winter knit hats, and a few pair of nice heavy warm gloves. Never used any of that stuff again. But I will never forget walking around that base in Great Lakes Illinois , on top of 2-3 feet of snow on the way to the Movie theater, or the Exchange store. Walking on top of the snow that had piled up and been packed down from hundreds if not thousands of sailors walking and thus packing it down was one thing, but fresh snow that fell and began piling up and covering everything getting deeper and deeper, this was hard to walk through. There were times when you would take a step and you leg would sink down to where snow came up to your butt. Talk about hard and slow walking. I will never forget these experiences, as it was my first and last "Real" Winter in that area.

OK,so I have set up a picture that has us trying to walk in mud, snow or sand. What happens when we try and walk through any of these? We slow down, get tired easy, struggle, want to give up sooner, because it is hard. Read Psalms 40:2 again. It is at the top of the page, go ahead, I'll wait for ya right here. OK, read it again? What did it say? " He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the MUD and MIRE. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along." WHY do we sometimes continue to walk in the "Mud and Mire" (sand, snow and mud), when Jesus Christ told us He would lift us out of it, and set our feet on solid ground? Then once we are on solid ground, He goes on and tells us He will steady me as I walk along. WHAT are we doing walking along the beach in waist deep water, trying to get to our ultimate goal, Heaven? Look up along the beach beyond the waves, there see them, Christians running along at a brisk pace on "SOLID GROUND"? Why do we wonder off the beaten path, and find ourselves getting stuck in the mud or sand? What makes us want to try that over there, or see what is going on over there? We look at the goings own over there, BUT we don't notice the ground is wet, slippery, muddy, sandy, has no footing, and we find it very hard to walk there, let alone to get back. I am reminded of a children's song from my Children Church days:"....be careful little eyes what you see, be careful little ears what you hear, be careful little feet where you go.........." Before we take a step, look down at the ground and see what your stepping into.

God has promised to guide us, to keep us on the solid foundation, to keep us on solid ground as we walk this earth, to steady us as we weaken and get tired.................WHY do we constantly waiver from His path?



So the next time you walk along the beach, walk up a little higher, up where the sand has been packed down and it is easier to get a footing. That is unless you want to walk in the wet sand and water, sometime that is fun, at the BEACH that is.