My Ongoing Thoughts

ANGRY BIRDS!

8/2/2021

A few weeks ago, my wife purchased and hung five brightly colored hummingbird feeders in the vicinity of our front and back porches. At first, we hardly saw any of the fast moving creatures. But over time, that all changed.

So much so that all that now comes to mind is the old adage that if you do not wish to catch a fish, then you should not dangle bait in the water! Suddenly, we are overrun with hummingbirds. At first, it was just one or two, then three or four. Now, it is not uncommon to count as many as a dozen or more literally swarming about the two porches. And here is where it gets interesting, for I never realized just how feisty these little birds can be.

Back in the day, Cassius Clay made famous a phrase about floating like a butterfly and stinging like a bee. He had nothing on these creatures. They are masters of the air. They float, they dart, they zig, and they zag. Indeed, unlike most members of the bird species, their method of flight is less like an airplane and more akin to a helicopter. Only no helicopter can move as swiftly and change direction as smoothly as can the humble hummingbird.

And yet, for all their grace in flight, they seem to be somewhat ornery in nature. I get that the experts tell us that they are supposedly tanking up for their annual migration down to South America. By any account, that’s quite a long flight; and any amount of sugar consumed now will likely pay handsome dividends later en route.

But it is quite evident that, having happened upon a food source, not one of them is willing to share it in any way. Each of the five feeders has five separate feeding stations. Theoretically, therefore, there is ample room for every bird to feed simultaneously. Yet no one bird seems willing to tolerate for one second the presence of any other bird!

All of this gives new meaning to the expression once made famous by a popular video game: “Angry Birds”! I say this because, on average, I would estimate that each bird spends thrice as much time fussing and fighting with his or her neighbors as it does alighting and actually feeding.

No sooner has a given bird landed to feed than its neighbors begin to bombard it incessantly. And the attack generally does not let up until the hapless creature relents and leaves its perch. Of course, once this has happened, the victim then immediately joins the fray and proceeds to attack the next quarry.

The result is that the air around our house has become akin to the skies over Midway Island in the famous World War Two battle. Imagine an aerial dogfight involving a dozen or more planes that goes on from sun up to sun down, and you have a picture of our little flock of hummingbirds vigorously pursuing their typical day.

As I sat this afternoon observing this spectacle for the umpteenth time, I could not help but think of how we must look to our Heavenly Father. In His magnificent goodness, He provides enough for all of His creation, including each and every one of us, to be blessed.

Yet, so many of us fail to recognize this principle; and instead, we pursue a life of selfishness with such intensity that we find ourselves constantly struggling not just to outdo, but also to overcome and vanquish our fellow man!

Should it not be enough that we are allowed to partake of and consume sufficient sustenance in life? Why must we not be satisfied with this, and instead seek to dominate and lord it over others, often to their detriment, and insuring that they consume, acquire, and/or become less than we do?!

The Bible uses a whole parade of animals to teach us important life lessons. Among these are birds, camels, dogs, donkeys, doves, fish, lions, quails, roosters, sheep, and even snakes. To this list, I would add a flock of hummingbirds. For in their daily pursuits, they have collectively reminded me of a few important lessons. Chief among these, perhaps, is that God has been good to me; and a result, I need to be good to others in return!

To do otherwise is to violate the clear teaching of Jesus Christ. After all, as is recorded in the New Testament Gospel of Matthew, chapter 18, verse 21-35, He once told a parable about a man who was forgiven a tremendous debt, only to go out and immediately demand payment from another who was indebted to him for a far smaller amount. Not surprisingly, the one who originally forgave this man’s debt, once he heard, was not pleased, and held him accountable.

Out of the goodness of her heart, my wife provided ample sustenance for every hummingbird in or near our place. Sadly, those who found it cannot seem to enjoy it for wishing to stick it to their neighbor! Needless to say, my wife (and I) are not all that pleased!

Does any of this sound familiar? To be sure, you may have a few hummingbird squabbles at your place as well. But that is not the intent of my question. And my suspicion is that you know that.

Let’s be clear. God has been good to both you and me. I trust that is enough; and that we will not therefore feel the need to combat, conquer, and defeat others in order to hoard all He has provided just for ourselves.

If we do, we can rest assured that He will not be pleased! And trust me, an angry bird is nothing compared to an angry God!

SOURCES:

ANIMALS IN SCRIPTURE: https://ministryspark.com/amazing-animals-series/.

PARABLE SCRIPTURE: https://biblehub.com/context/matthew/18-21.htm.

THE RIGHT DIRECTION?

7/29/2021

Many of the towns my wife and I pass through between while driving between our house and my two sisters' houses down in Alabama have much in common. To begin with, they are undoubtedly wonderful places to live. Many have a central square with a court house in the center. Even those which are not county seats still contain one or more major intersections of old state or federal highways.

Radiating out from the center of town is usually a number of beautiful old buildings, shops, and gorgeous old homes from a by-gone era. The word that best seems to describe them all is picturesque.

But they have also tended to suffer from a similar ailment in that, for the most part, their respective downtown business districts were pretty much drying up. As a general rule, many of the local businesses had long since relocated out to whatever four lane highway happens to by-pass the particular city in question. Those that have not relocated have had to face the consequences of competing with superstores and fast food franchises which have cropped up. Others simply could not compete and were forced out of business.

As of late, however, it is evident that many of these cities have become intentional about revitalizing their downtown business areas. With funding from grants and other economic initiatives, these efforts have not been without success. As a result, to the credit of many local communities, their respective Main Streets, Broadways, and Central Avenues are now beginning to rebound as they play host to with chic little shops and eateries designed to attract shoppers away from big box stores and franchised restaurants.

However, even the best laid plans can go awry. One such town I passed though recently had completely reworked the intersection between its main street and the four-lane bypassing it. New pavement had been laid down, along with beautiful landscaping, and clearly marked signage encouraging people to visit their downtown area.

The only problem is that the big bold beautiful new sign pointing would-be visitors to the downtown area was pointing in the wrong direction. Downtown was to the left; but the sing pointed to the right. Anyone unfamiliar with the situation and seeking to visit downtown would have actually been directed away from downtown.

Apparently, I was not the only person to note this. Not many days thereafter, when I again passed thought the same intersection, the large sign directing people downtown had been corrected and was now pointing in the right direction.

As I reflected on this, I came to several conclusions. First, anyone can make a mistake. In fact, we all do. The important thing is to fix the mistake once we realize what we have done. But that does not change the fact that mistakes, especially those involving giving direction to other people, are not only counterproductive but often costly.

Now, if this is true in regard to earthly matters such as economics and industry, how much more is it true in regard to spiritual matters? Think about it. As believers, we have been given the responsibility of directing people to the Lord and His Kingdom. But if we give people the wrong directions – that is to say, if we point them in the way they should not go - do we not share some responsibility for their not ever arriving at the desired location?

In light of this, should we not always make absolutely certain that we are being clear about what direction we are pointing people in? Should we not be very careful that we do not mislead people in directing them on their path to Almighty God?

In the 14th chapter of First Corinthians (verses 8 and 9), the Apostle Paul warns us to make sure that we do not sound an unclear trumpet call, but that we speak with words that are clearly understood so as not to confuse others about the gospel. Given this admonition, may we be found faithful in the direction we give others about how they find their way home to God!

SCRIPTURE SOURCE: https://biblehub.com/niv/1_corinthians/14.htm.

LIVING DANGEROUSLY

7/25/2021

Today’s title comes from back an Oscar-winning motion picture from back in the day starring Mel Gibson and Sigourney Weaver: The Year of Living Dangerously. The film’s title says it all, as Gibson plays a foreign correspondent sent to cover the tumultuous events unfolding during the overthrow of Indonesia’s President Sukarno in the 1960’s. Little did he know that this one bold step would change his life forever. (Spoiler alert: he meets the love of his life.)

Now, I myself have never lived through a political revolution and all its inherent dangers. But that does not mean that I, like you, have not seen my share of danger; or else known others who have. And like you, from time to time, I have even seen certain individuals intentionally flirt with danger.

But I have never seen anything like I did this past Sunday morning. As my wife and I were coming across the parking lot and approaching the entrance to the Southern Baptist church we attend, what do you suppose we encountered? I kid you not! A chicken was strutting back and forth right outside the door.

Talk about living dangerously! Do not miss the irony here. After all, Southern Baptists are known for certain things. Above all else, of course, they (we) are referred to as a “People of the Book” due to our love for Holy Scripture.

But like all people everywhere, we also have a propensity for certain earthly delights. And chief among them, perhaps, is our love for “Southern Fried Chicken”. This is especially true of Baptist Pastors. Many a joke has been uttered about entire chickens “entering the ministry” whenever the local minister was invited over for Sunday dinner!

These days, casseroles have largely taken over at church dinners. But most ministers really do not care so much about how the gospel bird is prepared so long as it is actually on the table! Many people are at a loss to explain the love we preachers have for chicken. Perhaps we are somewhat justified in our assault on all things poultry. After all, was it not a rooster that once ratted out poor Simon Peter?! While I personally know of no secretly sworn initiative to get even on Peter’s behalf being undertaken by ministers, many of us still seem to do so quite willingly.

I also do not know what became of the chicken referenced above. It was gone when church let out. I can only assume that in a day and age where people largely acquire pre-packaged meat at the grocery store, it managed to depart the premises intact.

But for the life of me, I simply cannot get the image of it strutting about just outside the door of a Baptist church on a Sunday morning out of my mind. It is obvious that just as God once used the bold crowing of a rooster to speak to the heart of Peter, so also did He use this particular chicken to speak to my own heart. Granted, the latter never once crowed, but its mere presence was enough to declare volumes.

And what was the message it delivered? As I have reflected on this, I have concluded that if its presence in front of the very door through which a multitude of Baptists were passing signified anything, it was surely the power of boldness! And maybe the need for boldness in life is a worthwhile lesson for each of us to ponder anew today.

Frances Schaffer once famously asked the question: “How should we then live?” In a world where we are often opposed, persecuted, and/or oppressed by those who desire to see our demise as believers, how are we to conduct ourselves?

The natural inclination, of course, is simply to play it safe – to sit back and hide ourselves away so as not in any way to endanger ourselves. In high school biology, we learned about the natural tendency of the human body to seek the point of lowest resistance. When we stand, if possible, we lean. When we sit, if possible, we slump. Etc, etc… It’s an apt metaphor for our spiritual behavior as well.

But surely we were not given our bodies for the sole purpose of always taking it easy. We were not given strong skeletal, muscular, and nervous systems only to sit back and play it safe. No, we were given these things to act, to move, to achieve, and to accomplish. And if we always chose to play it safe, none of these things can ever occur. Even worse, there are consequences for continuously failing to utilize these endowments. Unused muscles grow weak, as do bones and reflexes.

Of course, what is true in our physical lives is also true in our spiritual lives. We are not meant simply to sit back and play it safe. We have been gifted by Almighty God with certain spiritual endowments; and we are expected to put these to use for His kingdom. Only by boldly going forth, boldly taking our stand, and boldly engaging this world, especially in the face of opposition, can we ever expect to make any real difference. Only in this way cane we ever have any sort of real victory!

We are free to choose otherwise. But if we choose not to, then our spiritual muscles will surely atrophy. Our spiritual frames will likely grow weak, and we will invariably lose our spiritual edge, becoming complacent, lazy, and soft in the process. And all these things will only serve to make us easy pickings for the enemy!

So don’t live your life always playing it safe, my friends. After all, nothing ventured, nothing gained. Not to mix too many metaphors here, but as more than one pundit has put it, go ahead, get out on that limb, because, after all, that‘s where the fruit is!

How true! Anything worthwhile I have ever achieved, obtained, or enjoyed in life has come about only as a result of my having put forth some amount of effort. This has been true in all areas of my life – from my health to my relationships to my education to my finances to my career. On and on I could go. And it has been true in my faith as well!

So, no matter what you call it - taking the plunge, pushing the envelope, going for broke, etc - it is arguably in our best interest that we should ever be willing to do it!. It might be disconcerting at first, especially if we are unaccustomed to doing so. It might even be seen as dangerous. It will certainly take boldness. But ultimately, that is what we were made for. And that is the only way we will ever have victory!

I leave you with words so often attributed to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe: “Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.”

SOURCES:

MOVIE:

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086617/.

QUOTES:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_Should_We_Then_Live%3F;

https://quoteinvestigator.com/2015/11/13/limb/;

https://quoteinvestigator.com/2016/02/09/boldness/.

RELEVANT SCRIPTURE:

https://biblehub.com/niv/matthew/26.htm;

https://biblehub.com/niv/luke/22.htm.

GO AHEAD!

7/19/2021

As I write this blog, the 33rd annual broadcast of “Shark Week” on the Discovery Channel has just wrapped up. Now broadcast in over 72 countries, and heavily promoted via social networks, it has become the longest-running cable television programming event in history.

No doubt inspired by its success, and not to be outdone, the National Geographic Channel introduced “SharkFest” a few years ago. Rather than focusing on sharks for one single week, however, Nat Geo spreads its programming out over a six week period each summer.

Between the two channels and their two approaches, a reasonably attentive viewer can pretty much become an expert on all matters related to sharks.

Not that any of this necessarily matters for my purposes here. I have just been enjoying the shark-based programming, even as I learned from it. Which brings me to my point…

One of the things I came to appreciate down through the years as a teacher was that learning should be fun. The periodic injection of humor into the learning experience always seemed to enhance it.

Of course, what is true for teaching is also true for blogging. And for this reason, I find it appropriate to season my blog posts with a little humor here and there. That being said, I thought I would post a story here today that came to mind as I watched “Shark Week”. It seems that…

A wealthy west Texas rancher had an unmarried daughter. He decided to give a party and invite every eligible bachelor in the county, where had a big barbecue around his swimming pool.

At the appropriate hour he announced that he had filled the pool with man-eating sharks, and that anybody who would swim the length of that pool could have a million dollars, a thousand acres of land, or the hand of his daughter in marriage. They could take their choice.

He had hardly gotten the proposition out of his mouth when there was a splash and he saw a man was literally flying through the water.

He popped out on the bank right at the feet of the rancher and the rancher said to him, “Congratulations! I didn’t believe anybody would take me up on my offer. But you did and now you have a choice: Do you want a million dollars?” He replied, “No, I don’t want that.”

“Do you want a thousand acres of land?” the rancher asked. “No,” replied the man, “I don’t want that.”

“Well, then, you want my daughter’s hand in marriage?” “No,” the man replied, “I don’t want that.”

“Well,” the rancher asked, “what do you want?” The man wiped the water off of his face and hair and said, “I just want to get my hands on the man that shoved me.”

Thankfully, I’ve never personally had to brave a pool full of man-eating sharks. Nor would I want to. However, on many an occasion, I have found myself needing a gentle nudge in order to go forward. And the vast majority of times, whenever this has happened, I have emerged thankful that someone did indeed give me that prod.

The ratings for the National Geographic Channel’s “SharkFest” arguably illustrate that the Discovery Channel’s “Shark Week” motivated them to either get into the game or get left behind. And my suspicion is that the bean counters at Nat Geo are kind of glad they got that gentle nudge.

Are you currently standing on some precipice overlooking some disconcerting or frightening difficulty before you? If so, do you need a gentle nudge or two in order to proceed? If so, be sensitive to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, which are common experiences for believers.

Biblically, a man named Simeon was “moved by the Spirit” to go into the temple where Joseph and Mary were dedicating the baby Jesus to God (Luke 2:27). Later, once grown, Jesus Himself was “led by the Spirit” into the desert to be tempted by the Devil (Luke 4:1). And later still, the Apostle Paul was “compelled by the Spirit” to make a trip to Jerusalem (Acts 20:22).

Let’s face it. It can be somewhat scary to take the proverbial “plunge”. No doubt it was for the individuals in each of these Biblical examples. But it can also be very rewarding! The Biblical story affirms this. As will you, if you follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit in your daily life. Such is the promise of God!

SOURCES:

SHARK ITEMS:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shark_Week;
https://www.discovery.com/shark-week;
and https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/topic/sharkfest.

JOKE:

https://www.baylor.edu/content/services/document.php?id=146507, #51, p.37.

SCRIPTURE:

https://biblehub.com/luke/2-27.htm;
https://biblehub.com/luke/4-1.htm;
and https://biblehub.com/acts/20-22.htm.

NOTE: The astute shark enthusiast will probably note that my title for today’s blog post, “Go Ahead!”, is actually a play on one of the more famous lines from the movie JAWS, when, just before the shark makes its very first appearance, Chief Brody repeats Captain Quint’s order to his mate Hooper to proceed “Slow Ahead!”

MORE THAN A MOUTHFUL!

7/16/2021

The folks over at the Book of World Records office have certainly had a busy week. Let’s just say that they have had plenty to chew on as they have worked to verify two new world records.

The first is for the world’s most expensive hamburger. According to numerous media outlets, Dutch Restauranter Robbert Jan de Veen was inspired to create the priciest burger in history. He soon had a buyer, as Rober Wilemse, chairman of the Royal Dutch Food and Beverage Association, paid Veen $5,964 for his creation.

This transaction surpassed the prior Guinness World Record holder for the most expensive burger, when a mere $4,971 was shelled out to an Oregon restaurant back in 2011.

In an apparent case of follow the leader, another eating establishment was then led this week to create the world’s most expensive order of French fries. Arriving just in time for “National French Fry Day”, a world-renowned Upper East Side restaurant reopened this week in New York City, and promptly broke the Guinness World Record for the most expensive French fries ever with its offering of “Creme de la Creme Pommes Frites”. A serving of these award-winning fries costs a whopping $200!

Wow! That’s over $6000 for a burger and fries! All I can say is that, at prices like these, one can only assume the helpings being served up are indeed super-sized! After all, that’s quite a price to pay for a single meal.

And yet, I would suggest that once, long ago, an even more expensive meal was undertaken - one that cost far more than any other meal ever consumed. We read about it in the very first book of the Bible. Genesis, chapter 3, contains the story of Adam and Eve and the eating of the forbidden fruit.

Prohibited by God from eating of tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they nonetheless tasted and then consumed its fruit. But at what a price! The costs for doing so, when they came due, were far greater than either had anticipated.

They lost their innocence. They lost their home in paradise. They lost the blessing of living free of the curse of pain, sickness, and sorrow. Ultimately, they lost their very lives! Oh, the price they paid for swallowing a bite of sin! It turned into much more than a mouthful! It turned into the expensive price ever paid for a single meal – death!

Happily, by the grace of God, the story does not end there. They (as well as we, their descendants) have been given the chance at new life. The price for our tasting sin was ultimately paid by the sacrificial death of God’s One and Only Son, Jesus Christ. As the Bible tells us (in John 3:16), “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

The third chapter of the Old Testament Book of Genesis records the costliest meal ever consumed. The third chapter of the New Testament Gook of John records the incredible price that was paid for that meal. The Son of God died that we might live!

Chew on that, my friends! I assure you that, with each munch, it will taste sweeter and sweeter!

NEWS ITEM SOURCES:

https://nypost.com/2021/07/14/worlds-most-expensive-burger-sold-for-5964/;

https://www.foxbusiness.com/lifestyle/nyc-restaurant-world-record-fancy-french-fries.

SCRIPTURE SOURCES:

https://biblehub.com/niv/genesis/3.htm.

https://biblehub.com/niv/john/3.htm.

AMAZING GRACE!

7/12/2021

Some time back, my wife and I visited a certain church in another city on a Sunday morning. The worship service turned out to be quite a blessing, in more ways than one. It began with a musical set, involving three songs. Given that all three songs focused on God’s grace, it soon became apparent that this was to be the theme for the day's worship.

The prayer time also focused on grace, as did the Scripture reading. Sure enough, when the Pastor began his message, it too centered on grace, which he began by defining as God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense. It was about this time, as I was reflecting on his words, that God drove home the power of grace to me.

To understand what happened next, you must understand that I was never personally a smoker. Having grown up in a home where both my parents smoked, I grew to detest the smell of cigarettes. People who do smoke are very often desensitized to the smell of smoke they carry on their person.

In fact, many former smokers will tell you that they failed to realize how much they reeked of cigarette smoke when they did smoke. One such individual once told me that, having quit smoking, he could now smell a cigarette or a smoker from a hundred feet or more away from him.

As an individual forced to endure second-hand smoke for nearly two decades, I can relate to his assertion. I, too, find that I am extremely sensitive to the odor of cigarettes. Little wonder then that when a man came in late to the above mentioned worship service and sat down one seat over from my wife and me, I was taken aback by the strong smell of cigarettes upon him.

It was obvious that he had enjoyed more than one cigarette in route to church, and also that he had very likely finished one off just before coming into the sanctuary. I will readily admit that I was slightly annoyed that I would have to sit through the remainder of the service having to smell the offensive odor he extruded with each exhalation of breath.

Nor was I alone. As we were seated on the back row, I could not help but notice that more than one person seated ahead of us ever so slightly glanced over his or her shoulder, as if in a subtle attempt to discover the source of the unpleasant aroma.

It was about this time that I witnessed the very personification of grace. As I said above, the man in question seated himself one seat over from my wife and me. The seat between us was occupied by an elderly gentleman. There is no doubt that he too was all but overcome by the stench.

After about two or three minutes, he quietly reached into his pocket and pulled out a little box of breath mints. He placed a couple in his mouth, then plainly offered breath mints to my wife, myself, and another individual or two before finally offering them to the man in question. Needless to say, we all took them, as did the man on the end of the row.

Now, I will admit that I could well have bad breath. Many people do. But to my knowledge, I have never knowingly been accused of it. My wife certainly doesn’t have it. Nor did I sense what the infamous television commercial calls “chronic halitosis” being emitted from anyone else around us.

The truth is that I knew in my heart exactly what the old man knew. He knew that he, himself, was not the source of the offensive smell. He knew that those seated to his left and to his front were not the source either. Above all, he knew who was the true source – the man seated to his right.

But rather than confront the man, judge the man, and/or condemn the man, he found a way to show that man grace. Even though he, himself, needed no breath mint, he still took one first. He then offered one to all of those around him. And most important of all, He then offered one to the man who truly needed it!

As time passed, and as the smell dissipated, I reflected on what I had just witnessed. And I soon saw a picture of what God had done for me in Christ Jesus. He, Himself, was not guilty of the offense of sin. Yet He was sensitive to the plight of those who were. And yet, rather than confront and condemn them (actions He was no doubt entitled to undertake if He so desired), He chose to find a way to extend grace.

He did this by the process of redemption, wherein He allowed Himself, though completely innocent, to bear the assumption of guilt first, in order that He might then offer the grace needed by the rest of us to cleanse us of our guilt!

I hope I will never forget this simple, but powerful, illustration of grace. And I hope I will never forget what god has done for me in Jesus Christ. For, as the Bible says, “God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.”

Amen and amen!

SCRIPTURE SOURCE: https://biblehub.com/2_corinthians/5-21.htm.

THANK GOD FOR KIDS!

7/8/2021

I’m a tad late in my regular twice-weekly blog post - but not without good excuse. Let’s just say I was out doing some “field research”. You see, my wife and I have spent the last few days at the lake with our children and grandsons.

After several days with my grandsons, all I can say is “Thank God for kids!” Perhaps you remember the hit song by the same name as released by the Oak Ridge Boys back in the day. The lyrics are as follows…

If it weren't for kids have you ever thought
There wouldn't be no Santa Claus
Or look what the stork just brought
Thank God for kids.

We'd all live in a quiet house
Without Big Bird or a Mickey Mouse
And Kool Aid on the couch
Thank God for kids.

Thank God for kids, there's magic for a while
A special kind of sunshine in a smile.
Do you ever stop to think or wonder why
The nearest thing to heaven is a child?

Daddy, how does this thing fly?
And a hundred other wheres and whys
I really don't know but I try
Thank God for kids.

When I look down in those trusting eyes
That look to me I realize
There's love that I can't buy
Thank God for kids.

Thank God for kids, there's magic for a while
A special kind of sunshine in a smile.
Do you ever stop to think or wonder why
The nearest thing to heaven is a child?

These words were brought home to me again and again as I experienced the joy of witnessing my grandsons experiencing many of the wonders of life for the very first time. Such firsts included…

playing and splashing in the water, jumping off a dock, baiting a hook, reeling in a fish, riding in a boat, being pulled on a tube, chasing bubbles across the yard (from a bubble-making wand), catching fireflies, grilling hamburgers and hot dogs, eating ice cream sandwiches, making “s’mores” over a camp fire, playing putt putt, going on a hike and finding footprints that may or may not have been from either “bigfoot” or “T-Rex”, and several other such activities that little boys find immensely fascinating!

This week will surely live on as a memorable experience in the minds of my grandsons. Who among us can forget experiencing such things for the very first time? And yet, in the short term, these experiences may well be more meaningful to me than to them.

“In what way?” you might ask. To which, the first answer I would give is: “In the sense that the many firsts they experienced served to remind me of many such firsts in my own life!”

After all, who among us cannot help but reminded through the experiences of our children and grandchildren of the very experiences that we ourselves once underwent?!

And as this remembrance came to me, so did a realization; for just as my forebears provided such opportunities for me, even so am I now responsible to provide these very opportunities for my descendants.

But I would offer a second answer as well. And that is that the innocence of childhood begs not only an acknowledgment of their initial experiences in life, but also an acknowledgment of their ongoing experiences - as well as the ultimate outcome of those experiences.

And that is why the last verse of this song has been on my mind more than anything else…

“When you get down on your knees tonight
And thank the Lord for His guiding light
Pray they turn out right.
Thank God for kids.
Mmm, Thank God for kids.”

Above all else, therefore, I pray that each and every one of my grandsons “turns out right”. As I do, I also pledge to do all I can to support their parents (my children) in order to see that this actually comes to pass.

If it does, then I’ll have all the more reason to say: “Thank God for kids!”

SONG LYRICS SOURCE:

https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/oakridgeboys/thankgodforkids.html.

CHANGING COLORS

7/2/2021

As Independence Day approaches, my family and I will be joining lots of our fellow Americans this weekend in celebrating the “Red, White, and Blue”. For together, these three colors symbolize both our nation and her values.

When he proclaimed 1986 “The Year of the Flag”, President Ronald Reagan put it this way: “The colors of our flag signify the qualities of the human spirit we Americans cherish - red for courage and readiness to sacrifice, white for pure intentions and high ideals, and blue for vigilance and justice.”

Of course, these three colors also symbolize other things. If someone is feeling blue, they are likely depressed. If someone is red-faced, they might be feeling embarrassed or angry. Likewise, if someone is pale or overly white, they may be said to be feeling sickly.

The Bible makes use of these colors as well. It directly references the blue skies and the deep blue seas, as well as red blood and crimson fabrics and décor. It also speaks to feelings of depression or despair; as it does to feelings of anger as well as paleness due to fright and/or sickness.

But perhaps the most vivid imagery of red and white in the Bible comes from the writings of the Old Testament Prophet Isaiah, who said in the 18th verse of his opening chapter: “Come now, let’s reason together,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool.”

Isaiah goes on to prophesy that God will send a Messiah who will make this possible by becoming a suffering servant Who will accomplish this His by giving His life as an atonement for many. The prophet specifically details all of this between chapter 52, verse 13 and chapter 53, verse 12, where he affirms that this righteous Servant will bear the sins of other and justify them in the process.

Christians, of course, understand these prophecies to have been fulfilled in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. By His gracious sacrifice, our sins, though as scarlet, have now been made as pure as white snow!

I could not help but be reminded of all of this earlier today. My wife and I recently had a metal garage constructed adjacent to our home. Like many people, we just needed some place to put our lawnmower, weed-eater, and such. The building has white sides and a black roof. But, when the summer sun hits the building early in the morning, the roof seems to miraculously change color – from a dull black to a gleaming white. See for yourself...

As I beheld this amazing spectacle, I was reminded of what God has done for us in Christ Jesus. Praise God, through His atoning work, our sins, as vile and dark and black as they are, have miraculously been made gleaming white, and as pure as new-fallen snow! In short, it is the introduction of the Son into my life that has changed forever how my soul is now seen in Heaven.

I am thankful this weekend for the red, white, and blue as seen in our American flag. Together, these colors represent my freedom in this world, as well as the sacrifices and values inherent in that freedom. I am thankful as well for the two most vivid colors depicted in Scripture, red and white; for together, they represent my spiritual freedom!

FLAG INFORMATION SOURCE:
Available widely on the internet. See, for instance: https://swampland.time.com/2013/07/04/why-the-u-s-flag-is-red-white-and-blue/.

SCRIPTURE SOURCES:
https://biblehub.com/isaiah/1-18.htm; https://biblehub.com/niv/isaiah/52.htm; and https://biblehub.com/niv/isaiah/53.htm.

SEE ALSO:
And excellent short discussion of colors in Scripture can be found at: http://dentonpbc.org/colors.htm.

ON BEING WELL CONNECTED...

6/28/2021

Years ago, as a young pastor, I received some very good advice. I was told to find some small pastime to engage in on a regular basis that would give me immediate gratification. Whether that activity be sketching, painting, woodworking, gardening, landscaping, or any other similar activity, this was very important.

The reason for this is because ministry is an endeavor that very often takes a long time to see the full results. And sadly, it can be disappointing and even depressing to labor away without seeing results as soon as one might desire. For this reason, I have tried to follow that advice. While my interests have changed, as have the chosen activities I have pursued along the way, following this advice has served me well down through the years.

These days, one such small daily activity I engage in is to play a game on my iPad. It is called “Boom Beach”. For those unfamiliar with this game, according to Wikipedia, “Boom Beach is a freemium massively multiplayer online real-time strategy game for iOS and Android, developed by Supercell… (It) is a strategy game that combines attacks on and from other players with attacks against computer-generated (NPC) bases. The game's storyline is set in a tropical archipelago with the player on an island with defenses and troops.”

My son-in-law introduced it to me a couple of years ago. Nowadays, I tend to play it around twice a day - for a little while in the morning, and then once again for a few minutes before I go to bed at night. Later, I introduced it to my brother-in-law; and we often have friendly competitions to see who can defeat more bad guys and rescue more islanders.

One thing I have learned to do is to scan the map right away to see if my scouts have found an enemy-held island that is not well defended. Naturally, these hapless individuals are the first targets I go after. Their readily apparent vulnerability quickly gets my attention, making them tempting targets for my own invasion forces.

Sometimes, however, when I click on one of these bases, I receive the following message: “You cannot attack right now. The player is online. You must wait until they are no longer connected.”

Having seen this message recently, I was struck by its spiritual application. Is it not true that, as believers, we are constantly being scrutinized by our enemy, the evil one?. First Peter chapter 5, verse 8 tells us that he lurks about as a lion, seeking those among us who are susceptible to an easy attack.

This vulnerability can sometimes be brought on by circumstances in life that are beyond our control. But often, it comes about merely through a lack of attention to our spiritual life. Either way, the Devil soon enough spots our weakness, and quickly exploits it.

Thankfully, however, even when we are vulnerable, we are not without hope. Whenever we recognize that we are in a precarious situation, and then make a deliberate attempt at reestablishing our connection to Heaven, we find ourselves far less vulnerable in the enemy’s eyes.

For this reason, being faithfully connected to our Heavenly Father through regular prayer and devotion certainly keeps us far less susceptible to spiritual attack, and much less likely to suffer any ill effects from what the Apostle Paul told the Ephesians (in chapter 6, verse 16) were the “fiery darts of the Devil”!

GAME INFORMATION SOURCE: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boom_Beach.

SCRIPTURE SOURCES: https://biblehub.com/1_peter/5-8.htm;
and https://biblehub.com/ephesians/6-16.htm.

FEEDING TIME…

6/24/2021

The older of my grandsons have now recently discovered the local zoo. Each in turn has visited there with his respective parents. As might be expected, each in turn has also come away enthralled with the vast array of exotic animals on display there.

Apparently, the old adage is true in that the apple does not fall far from the tree. I say this because, as a child, I myself absolutely loved getting to go to the zoo. I was simply fascinated by the sight of “lions and tigers and bears”. And for this reason, as an adult, I often took my children there as well. Now, it seems, they are carrying on a family tradition.

As each of my grandsons involved has excitedly shared his experiences at the zoo with me, a story I once heard has come to mind. I thought I would share it here today for my regular blog post.

It seems that three boys who had recently gone to the zoo later found themselves hauled before the local magistrate. As the story unfolds, the zoo attendant is making his complaint…

“They were causing an awful lot of commotion at the zoo, your Honor,” the zoo attendant said. “Boys,” said the judge, “I never like to hear reports about juvenile delinquency. Now I want each of you to tell me your name and what you were doing wrong.”

“My name is George,” said the first boy, “and all I did was to throw peanuts into the elephant pen.” “My name is Larry,” the second boy chimed in, “and all I did was to throw peanuts into the elephant pen.” “My name is Mike,” added the third boy, “and all I did too was to throw peanuts into the elephant pen.”

“And you,” the judge said to the fourth boy, “what is your part in all of this?” To which the fourth boy responded: “My name is Peanuts!”

Now, none of my grandsons is named “Peanuts”. Nor, thankfully, have any of them ever been thrown into an animal enclosure. But I share this story here simply because we all can use a good laugh every now and then.

Like peanuts in the mouth of an elephant, humor brings a pleasing smile to our faces. Better yet, just as peanuts nourish an elephant’s body, so does humor nourish our souls. As the Biblical Book of Proverbs (chapter 17, verse 22) affirms: “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine…”

A merry heart… And a healthy soul! Trust me, that ain’t peanuts!

STORY SOURCE: Available widely on the internet. See, for instance, https://www.baylor.edu/content/services/document.php/66830.pdf, p. 18.
SCRIPTURE SOURCE: https://biblehub.com/proverbs/17-22.htm.

<<Previous