My Ongoing Thoughts

THE IMPORTANCE OF STAYING FRESH

10/18/2021

The coolest of stories was posted on www.FoxBusiness.com this past weekend (Saturday, October 16, 2021). It was titled “Why Bread Bags Have Different Color Twist Ties”. According to the writer, Ann Schmidt, the simple reason for this is that each color reportedly represents the day of the week that the bread was baked.

In other words, it all has to do with just how fresh the bread is. Whether they be twist ties or plastic tags on loaves of bread, they are put there to indicate on which day of the week the enwrapped loaf was produced.

The article goes on to cite the Reader’s Digest website in asserting that there is, in fact, an entire color code for bread production, with each color representing a different day of the week on which a particular loaf of bread came out of the oven, with blue tags indicating the bread was baked on Monday; green tags indicating Tuesday; red tags indicating Thursday; white tags indicating Friday; and yellow tags indicating Saturday.

It also seems that most commercial bakeries are closed on Sunday and Wednesday, which explains why those days of the week do not have specific colors assigned to them. Thus, each color reportedly represents a different day that the bread was baked.

Moreover, the reason bakeries color-code their twist ties and tags is to help employees (their own as well as store owners) to quickly identify stale loaves and replace them with fresh ones. This is also the reason that it is unlikely most of us ever see more than two colors on any given store shelf.

While this system is by no means universal, given that some local bakeries have their own systems, it is still “widely used at commercial bread bakeries across the country”.

As I reflected on this tidbit of information, I was reminded that the Bible often employs metaphors regarding bread. Chief among these is when Jesus told us that He was the bread of life which came down out of Heaven. It follows that we who are believers are purveyors of that very Bread. And while the Bread of Life does not diminish or grow old, the methods to share Him and His message can and often do.

Perhaps this is precisely why Jesus also used metaphors about the importance of freshness. A classic example is that of salt losing its savor. In the New Testament Gospel of Mark (chapter 9, verse 50), He states, “Salt is good for seasoning. But if it loses its flavor, how do you make it salty again? (Therefore) you MUST have the qualities of salt among yourselves…”

What is Jesus doing here if He is not encouraging us to stay fresh in our spiritual lives?! We who carry the “Bread of Life” to the world must be sure that we ourselves remain fresh! “In what ways?”, you might ask.

Well, one obvious way is in our approach to the world. As believers, we are called to try to intersect effectively with non-believers in such a way as to that give us the opportunity to effectively share the gospel with hem. If our approaches, methodologies, and /or strategies are outdated, how can we hope to be successful in this endeavor?

As one pundit put it several years ago, we must be careful not to package the Good News of Jesus Christ in an 8-track format when we live in a CD world! (And even that illustration is now quite dated, given that we live in an MP3 world!)

But fresh methodologies are not all that matter here! As believers, we must also be sure to remain fresh in our own personal spiritual lives! Few things are as pitiful as a believer who has grown old, crusty, and stale! One thing that is even more pathetic, however, is a believer who has essentially grown moldy and therefore toxic!

If you are a believer, I encourage you to always be on the move! Keep moving to the front of the shelf! For surely this is a large part of why you were put here to begin with! As long as you are moving forward, you are available to be used of the Lord to impact others with the life-giving nurture they so desperately need. But when you just sit still and never progress, you become a detriment to the kingdom and its cause.

And as Jesus Himself says (in the New Testament Gospel of Matthew, chapter 5, verse 13), that which has lost its effectiveness is no longer good for anything except to be “thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless”.

Physical bread is not the only thing that needs to be regularly freshened. Spiritual bread does as well.

So, then, just how stale are you?!

STORY SOURCE:

https://www.foxbusiness.com/lifestyle/bread-bag-color-code-twist-tie.

BREAD SCRIPTURES:

https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Bread;

https://www.biblestudytools.com/topical-verses/bible-verses-about-bread/.

SALT SCRIPTURES:

https://www.biblestudytools.com/topical-verses/bible-verses-about-salt/;

https://biblehub.com/matthew/5-13.htm.

THINGS TO COME!

10/14/2021

The news today was all abuzz with stories about 90 year old William Shatner, the actor who portrayed “Captain Kirk” in the famed 1960s television series, Star Trek, having actually gone into space yesterday.

Shatner and three fellow passengers found themselves hurtled to an altitude of over 66 miles above the West Texas desert in a fully automated capsule, before safely parachuting back to Earth. The total flight lasted just over 10 fleeting minutes.

When he joined Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin Vice President of New Shepard Mission and Flight Operations Audrey Powers, as well as Dr. Chris Boshuizen and Glen de Vries, as they blasted off on the aerospace company’s latest suborbital spaceflight yesterday, Shatner became the oldest person to ever travel into space.

One particular article, titled “William Shatner Talks Difference Between Space Simulators and Reality, the Physical Toll Flight Took at Age 90”, by Tyler McCarthy and appearing on www.FoxNews.com, struck me as apropos. It was here that the acclaimed actor described being struck by how different the real experience of going into space was from the simulations he ran with Blue Origin.

It seems that, as soon as he touched down in Texas, the former Star Trek lead was quick to explain how the simulations for the flight didn’t necessarily prepare him for the immensely moving and physically taxing experience that was to follow. In short, the reality of space flight was apparently far beyond anything he had imagined.

According to Shatner…

“We had a simulator, they simulate what they say you're going to feel and it doesn’t come anywhere near it. [They say] ‘Here you’re going to be in weightlessness and you've got to grab a hold of something, don’t push too hard with your hands, just use your fingertips because you’ll bounce off the ceiling…’ You can talk about weightlessness all you want but the feeling of weightlessness; the actual feeling of weightlessness is indescribable!”

He continued, noting that it was one of the moments he felt his age compared to the other three younger people he was on the flight with...

“First of all, your body doesn't have any pressure, so suddenly your body is expanding. Secondly, you’re floating and I don’t want to turn somersaults, I don’t want to throw Skittles, I want to look out the window!”

Above all, Shatner explained that he was humbled by the entire experience. He concluded by referencing some of the thoughts he shared when he initially touched back down the day before, summarizing the entire experience as “indescribable”.

Granted, I never was a full-fledged “Trekkie”, having never dressed up in costume and attended conventions, etc… Nonetheless, as a child of the sixties, I was completely fascinated by the space race. Like most Baby Boomers, in the build up to the Apollo Moon landings, I gobbled up all things space related.

This included such television shows as “The Jetsons”, “My Favorite Martian”, “It’s About Time”, “I Dream of Jeannie”, “Lost in Space”, and of course, “Star Trek”. (Not to be confused with “Star Wars”, which came along a full decade later.)

Still, to dream about space travel and all it entails is one thing. But to actually experience it is an entirely different matter – which is precisely what William Shatner’s experience proves.

After all, here is a man whose signature life experience was to portray the captain of the U.S.S. Enterprise “boldly going where no man had ever gone before”. And yet, as exciting as the weekly installments were, they were still based solely on imagination, not actual experience.

Of course, all that changed on Wednesday, October 13, 2021. On that day, for William Shatner at least, the dream became reality. The man who had taken a thousand imaginary journeys into space was finally rewarded with the one and only genuine article.

And what was his response? In a word, “Indescribable!”

As I read the aforementioned articles, I was reminded of the thousand and one times that I, as a believer, have envisioned the moment when the Lord shall return and receive me unto Himself.

To quote a popular Christian praise and worship song, “I can only imagine” what that moment will be like. And yet, as surely as I write this blog post, I know that the time will come when my dream will become reality, when my hope will be rewarded, and when, as the Bible promises, my faith will be made sight!

Still, I do not know what all that moment will hold for me (or for you or for any and every other person who truly believes). But, along with the Apostle Paul, this much I do know. As He was led to declare in I Thessalonians, chapter 4, verses 16 through 18…

16The Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18Therefore encourage one another with these words.

I have often imagined what that moment will be like. Even now, I cannot fully know this. But I am certain of one thing. When it does eventually occur, my only response will be something akin to that of William Shatner, who described his own experience of blasting off into space as simply “Indescribable!”

Oh, and one more thought... Unlike what happened to the long suffering “Captain Kirk” of “Star Trek” fame, who longed for space travel way back in the 1960s and finally who achieved it over a half century later in the 2020s, when I do blast off, I won’t be coming back to this earth!

For as the hymn writer declares: “Soon He’s coming back to welcome me, far beyond the starry sky. I shall wing my flight to worlds unknown. (And once there) I shall reign with Him (forever) on high!”

SOURCES:

Story: https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/william-shatner-difference-space-simulators-physical-toll-took-90;

Scripture: https://biblehub.com/niv/1_thessalonians/4.htm;

Hymn: https://hymnary.org/hymn/BH2008/148.

ALL IN ONE

10/11/2021

One of my goals as a grandfather has been to get some fruit trees planted. Back in the day, when I was little lad growing up in rural Georgia, one of the highlights of visiting my own grandparents’ farm was always to head straight out the backdoor to their fig tree.

After a small feast there, I would then eagerly trek out across the pasture to their enormous pear tree. From there, I would eventually cross the road and head over to their huge apple tree. By the end of my little tour, I would be gorged on fruit; and more often as not, more than a little sick at my stomach for having so stuffed myself.

While I do not relish fresh fruit as much as once did, I still remember the premium I placed on it as a child. And I now want the same for my grandchildren. For this reason, I recently began shopping for fruit trees to plant that will thrive in our local “plant hardiness zone”.

To my delight, I have discovered that all sorts of things will grow here in east Tennessee. As a result, on my list, I now have such selections as apples, apricots, cherries, crabapples, figs, kiwis, nectarines, peaches, pears, plums, pomegranates, and even quinces. I have also discovered that nearly all of these come in multiple varieties.

In fact, I now have so much to choose from that I find myself worried over whether I will have enough space to plant all the options I have available. This is why I was so excited to discover that apple, pear, peach, and plum trees all come in what are called “5 in 1” varieties.

That is to say that a single apple tree is actually capable of producing five different varieties of fruit. For instance, one pear tree can produce any combination of Anjou, Bartlett, Flemish Beauty, Keiffer, Moonglow, or Seckel pears. The same is true for apple and peach trees.

What is more, one type of fruit tree, known as the “Fruit Cocktail Tree” can even be made to produce as much as seven different fruits on the same tree! That’s right, apple trees, citrus trees, and stonefruit trees are capable of being manipulated to achieve this very thing.

How is this possible? The answer is through what is known as grafting – the horticultural technique whereby tissues of different plants are joined together by grafting in a “scion” (or upper portion) of a branch with a rootstock (or lower part), so as to continue their grow as a single unit.

Actually, this horticultural process has been around for thousands of years. It was even known to Biblical writers. For this reason, perhaps, the apostle Paul was led to utilize this phenomenon to describe how the family of God now includes all people.

In Romans chapter 11, he uses the analogy of grafting wild olive branches onto an existing olive tree to address how Gentiles have been added to Jews as members of the family of God.

And who was the grafter? None other than God’s One and Only Son, Jesus Christ, the Master Gardener, Who worked to bring all people into the family of God!

As the beloved Bill Gaither song puts it…

I'm so glad I'm a part of the Family of God,
I've been washed in the fountain, cleansed by His blood!
Joint heirs with Jesus as we travel this sod,
For I'm part of the family,
The Family of God.

You will notice we say “brother and sister” ‘round here,
It's because we're a family and these are so near;
When one has a heartache, we all share the tears,
And rejoice in each victory in this family so dear.

I'm so glad I'm a part of the Family of God,
I've been washed in the fountain, cleansed by His blood!
Joint heirs with Jesus as we travel this sod,
For I'm part of the family,
The Family of God.

From the door of an orphanage to the house of the King,
No longer an outcast, a new song I sing;
From rags unto riches, from the weak to the strong,
I'm not worthy to be here, but praise God I belong!

I'm so glad I'm a part of the Family of God,
I've been washed in the fountain, cleansed by His Blood!
Joint heirs with Jesus as we travel this sod,
For I'm part of the family,
The Family of God!

I hope you too are a part of God’s family. If not, I hope you soon will be. Even now, there is room to graft you in!

SOURCES:

Grafting: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grafting.

Scripture: https://biblehub.com/romans/11-17.htm.

Hymn Lyrics: https://www.hymnlyrics.org/newlyrics_f/family_of_god.php.

GLAD TIDINGS!

10/8/2021

The folks over at www.SlogansHub.org have posted a wonderful piece titled “50 Advertising Slogans That You’ll Never Forget”.

Per their article...

“Advertising your brand to a high level depends on a few important factors and one of which is the slogan/tagline you choose. The most popular companies in the world have advertising slogans that are well known and instantly recognizable. Let’s take a look at the top 50 and how they make an impact. Is your favorite on the list?”

They then go on to list their selections. For the sake of brevity, I will only list a few of the ones that I particularly remember…

-KFC – It’s Finger Lickin’ Good!
-Nike – Just Do It
-Gillette – The Best A Man Can Get
-Subway – Eat Fresh
-Apple – Think Different
-Crest Toothpaste – Look Ma, No Cavities
-Skittles – Taste The Rainbow
-Camel – I’d Walk A Mile For A Camel
-The US Army – Be All You Can Be
-Rice Krispies – Snap! Crackle! Pop!
-Burger King – Have It Your Way
-Energizer – It Keeps Going, And Going, And Going
-L’Oreal – Because You’re Worth It
-Kellogg’s Frosties – They’re Grrrrreat
-Maxwell House – Good To The Last Drop
-Hallmark – When You Care Enough To Send The Very Best
-Yellow-pages – Let Your Fingers Do The Talking
-Snickers – You’re Not You When You’re Hungry
-LG – Life’s Good
-Levis – Quality Never Goes Out Of Style
-Red Bull – It Gives You Wiiings
-Lay’s – Betcha Can’t Eat Just One

Of course, this list is debatable. For instance, one can only ponder why Wendy’s “Where’s the Beef?” did not make the list! Not to mention “Got Milk?”, “Breakfast of Champions”, “Like a Good Neighbor…”, “You’re In Good Hands”, “The Quicker Picker Upper”, “Please Don't Squeeze the Charmin”, “Fly the Friendly Skies”, “Can You Hear Me Now?”, “Don’t Leave Home Without It”, “We Try Harder”, or any one of a hundred others…

But their point is still well-made. They conclude their listing with these words…

“Advertising slogans are really important for your brand and these top 50 are an example of the companies who have got it right. It’s vital that you stay in the head of your customers and a catchy slogan is just the way to do it. Whatever it is that you offer, show what the company stands for plus a little bit of personality by choosing an awesome slogan.”

I share all of this because I heard a new advertising slogan for the first time this week. It was a commercial by Edward Jones Investments that showed a couple doing all sorts of fun and/or significant things, each one ending with one of the two of them saying, “I’m so glad we did this!” As they settle down, buy a home, and have children, the commercial ends with them having just met with their financial planner and earnestly proclaiming “We’re so glad we did this!”

I immediately adopted this newfound slogan and personalized it. On at least a dozen occasions this week, I have said to my precious wife that I was so glad we did what we just did. Whether it was after having just worked out, having just walked, having just cut the grass, having just washed the car, having just cleaned the house, having just washed the dirty laundry, having just gotten the dreaded grocery trip over with, etc…, the feeling was always the same.

Let’s face it. Any necessary step or task in life may be unpleasant. It may even require some level of exertion or discomfort to endure. But the feeling one has once it has been completed is undeniably satisfying.

And such a principle applies to both small matters (such as I have listed) and to large ones. Ask any college graduate whether or not they are glad they did what they just did over the last four years! Ask any successful entrepreneur whether or not he or she is glad that there was a time when they took a risk! Ask any inventor whether or not the struggle to produce a successful product, no matter how daunting, was worthwhile. Ask any couple celebrating a golden wedding anniversary whether or no they are glad they first tied the knot! The list goes on and on.

Now, as I look back over my life, I grant that not every moment was properly seized, not every goal was eventually achieved, and not every purpose was ultimately fulfilled. But in spite of this, I find that I am increasingly glad that I took the many steps I did take. I am happy that I took whatever risks I did as directed by the Lord, that I went wherever I went as directed by the Lord, and that I stayed with most of the important things that I felt led by the Lord to pursue until they were completed.

Indeed, what better epitaph can any person have than to look back over his or her life and be able to say, “I’m so glad I did that!”? Conversely, what worse epitaph can anyone have than to look back and be forced to say, “I sure wish I had done that!”?

Given all this, I would conclude this post by asking you what all you are so glad you did. And conversely, what all are you so sad you never did?

If you don’t like the answer(s) to either or both of these two questions, then why not get busy now and change them. I assure you… You’ll be so glad you did!

SOURCES:

https://sloganshub.org/advertising-slogans/;

https://www.ispot.tv/ad/qAjT/edward-jones-so-glad-we-did-this.

PIPELINE

10/4/2021

A recent news article by Cortney Moore on www.foxbusiness.com titled “Albert Einstein’s Tobacco Pipe Collection Up For Auction with Bids Over $20K” related how the RR Auction Company out of Boston, Massachusetts has now put up for sale a collection of tobacco pipes that is said to have once belonged to none other than Albert Einstein.

It seems that the historic collection is a part of something known as “Remarkable Rarities”; and bidders have already driven the price up to more than $20,000. The collection purportedly includes nine intricately carved pipes once owned by Einstein that came into the current owner’s possession in the mid-1980s through their ties to the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey – roughly three decades after Einstein’s death.

According to the letter of provenance, the owner stated:

"My father was employed at the Institute for Advanced Study (IAS), Princeton NJ as a caretaker of real estate properties owned by IAS from 1969 to 1995. When these houses became vacant he would have to clean and prepare them for the next professor to move in."

According to records published by the Institute itself, Einstein did indeed work there as a mathematics professor (at the Institute for Advanced Study) from September, 1933 to April, 1955.

This story resonated with me for two reasons. First, as a student at Princeton Theological Seminary back in the early 1980s, I often walked by the Institute of Advanced Studies (on one side of the campus) and Einstein’s home, located at 112 Mercer Street (on the other side). At the time, Einstein himself was long deceased; but his stepdaughter, sculptor Margot Einstein, still lived there.

I have always regretted that, by the time I arrived in Princeton, it was too late to meet this distinguished man, who not only postulated “E=Mc2”, but who also wrote a personal letter to FDR advocating the development of an atomic bomb to use against our enemies and bring a quick end to WW2.

In any event, this particular news story came at an uncanny time for me. I had just spent the better part of the previous week unboxing long stored items to use in decorating my new “man cave”. In one particular box, I came across a wooden pipe holder with six pipes that had once belonged to my grandfather and namesake, Cleo Jackson.

I treasure that collection! And while this man was no nuclear physicist, he was, for me at least, a giant among men. And these six pipes all in a row represent for me a “pipe” line of descent straight back to this amazing man.

Famed country music artist Randy Travis once wrote a song with these lyrics:

“He wore starched white shirts buttoned at the neck,
and he'd sit in the shade and watch the chickens peck.
And his teeth were gone, but what the heck,
I thought that he walked on water.

He said he was a cowboy when he was young.
He could handle a rope and he was good with a gun.
And my mama's daddy was his oldest son,--
and I thought that he walked on water.

If the story's told, only heaven knows.
But his hat seemed to me like an old halo.
And although his wings, they were never seen.
I thought that he walked on water.

Then he tied a cord to the end of a mop,
and said, ‘Son, here's a pony, keep her at a trot.’
And I'd ride in circles while he laughed a lot.
Then I'd flop down beside him.

And he was ninety years old in sixty-three
and I loved him and he loved me.
And lord, I cried the day he died,

'cause I thought that he walked on water.”

Now upon closer inspection, it is obvious that Travis is here referring to his great-grandfather, as opposed to his grandfather. But the principle remains the same. As a little lad, he obviously held his forbear in great esteem.

The same can be said for me. I have always thought of my grandfather as unique - sort of as a man among men. And from my perspective, at least, indeed he was.

Cleo Jackson was born back in 1909. The oldest of three children, he had to quit school after the third grade in order to stay home and farm, all because his own father had contracted pellagra, a debilitating disease that comes from a diet consisting of almost 100% corn products - corn meal, corn bread, corn muffins, grits, etc… (Obviously, corn was the cash crop of the era.) As a result, his father, John Bunyon Jackson, was was forced to declare bankruptcy.

Cleo later came of age and got married to my grandmother, Junie Mae Turner, just as the Great Depression unfolded. Thereafter, he was destined to be a sharecropper for another nineteen years before he was finally able to afford to buy an obscure, rock-strewn hillside, and finally begin to earn a living (as a hardscrabble farmer) for himself and his family alone.

All these things notwithstanding, when he died in 1975, he had managed to amass two forty-acre farms, a whole herd of cattle (along with another of swine), and right at $65,000 cash in the bank. All of this amounted to a small fortune at the time. But more to the point, he had loved, married, and honored a single woman, my grandmother; and with her, had produced three children and ten grandchildren, of which I alone bear his name.

That name is important to me. For when I received it, it bore no shame. It had never once been tarnished. And it was held in esteem, not only by me, but by every other person in our community. And I have done my best to pass it on just as I received it.

Ironically, perhaps, all of the above unfolded virtually on top of “National Grandparents Day”, which occurs each year on the first Sunday after Labor Day. And this leads me to my point…

Whose name do you bear? Are you a “Jr.” or a “III” (like me) or even a “IV”, or more? If so, how do you remember them? Do you (even) know their story? And if so, can you appreciate the time in which they lived, how they responded, and the integral effect this all had on their life (or lives)?

More to the point, how do you honor them?! If you bear their name, do you do so honorably? That is to say, do you live your life in such a way as to show that you value and appreciate what they represented in their time in this world?

It’s a long way from rural Fayette County, Georgia to Princeton, New Jersey. It’s even longer from a third grade education to a Master’ Degree. Just as it is from a net worth of $65,000 to what is considered financially successful today. But none of these things matter if I have not recognized, remembered, and honored those who came before me and imbued me the values I now have.

The Old Testament Book of Proverbs (chapter 22, verse 17 through chapter 24, verse 22) contains a collection of thirty “Sayings of the Wise”. Among these, saying five (found in Proverbs 22:28) says: “Do not move an ancient boundary stone which your fathers have placed.”

I take this to mean that God would have me to honor the boundaries set my forbears. And these boundaries are not just physical, but also ethical, moral, and spiritual!

I last saw Cleo Jackson on Monday, April 21, 1975. He was at our house that evening. I did not know that he would die the following morning, on Tuesday, April 22, 1975. (Believe me - if I had of known any such, I would have cherished each and every moment with him!)

Since then, the Lord has since blessed me with more than forty six years of life. And when I next see Cleo Jackson face to face, I sincerely hope that he will be proud of both who I became and of what I accomplished as one who bore his name.

Of course, all of this reminds me that Heaven will surely record, not just what all I have done in my earthly name of Jackson, but also what all I have done in my eternal name of Christian.

By comparison, all else will be of little consequence. In fact, it will be about as fleeting (and meaningless) as pipe smoke!

In the meantime, as Dierks Bentley puts it, "I may never make it famous, but may I never bring it shame. It's my last name!"

SOURCES:

https://www.foxbusiness.com/lifestyle/albert-einstein-tobacco-pipes-rr-auction-20k;

https://genius.com/Randy-travis-he-walked-on-water-lyrics;

https://nationaltoday.com/grandparents-day/.

SCRIPTURE:

https://biblehub.com/proverbs/22-28.htm.

NOTE: In 2003, Dierks Bentley released a hit song titled "My Last Name". The lyrics seem apropos for this blog post...

"I learned how to write it when I first started school,
Some bully didn't like it, he said it didn't sound too cool,
So I had to hit him, and all I said when the blood came,
It's my last name

Grandpa took of to Europe to fight the Germans in the war,
It came back on some dog tags nobody wears no more,
It's written on a headstone, in the field where he was slain,
It's my last name

Passed down from generations too far back to trace,
I can see all my relations when I look into my face,
May never make it famous, but I'll never bring it shame,
It's my last name

Daddy always told me far back as I recall,
Son, your part of somethin', you represent us all,
So keep it how you got it, as solid as it came,
It's my last name

Passed down from generations too far back to trace,
I can see all my relations when I look into my face,
May never make it famous, but I'll never bring it shame,
It's my last name

So darlin' if you're wonderin' why I've got you here tonight,
I wanna be your husband, I want you to be my wife,
I ain't got much to give you but what I've got means everything,
It's my last name, oh, it's my last name

I learned how to write it when I first started school..."

Cf.: https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/dierksbentley/mylastname.html.

A MATTER OF TIME

10/1/2021

We’ve all heard the old adage that “timing is everything”. The phrase essentially means that the success of something is often related to when it happens. If an idea, concept, or notion is introduced before the world is ready for it, it is often said to be “ahead of its time”. Conversely, if any of these things appears after the time was right for its introduction, it is said to be “behind the times”.

While out running errands the other day, I had the radio on satellite. I happened upon a familiar song by Dwight Yoakam titled “Little Ways”. It turns out the show was a broadcast of the top 25 hits for the last week of September in 1987. When the song ended, the announcer provided the following tidbit of trivia.

It seems that Kentucky born Dwight Yoakam first made his way to Nashville intending to become a star back in 1982. But at that time, Nashville was oriented more toward pop country music, as best represented in the soundtrack of the film “Urban Cowboy”. Thus, Yoakum’s distinctive style of “honky tonk” country music was not accepted by record executives, as they did not consider it to be marketable.

How did Yoakam respond? Did he throw in the towel and quit? Did he pack it in and go back home? Did he sell out by adapting his chosen style to suit others? No, he did none of these things. Instead, he packed up and moved to the west coast where his preferred style of country music had more receptivity. He knew that decades earlier, the “Bakersfield Sound” had been pioneered there by individuals like Buck Owens and Merle Haggard.

The result? Yoakam slowly bided his time, all the while honing his craft and perfecting his sound. By the late 1980s when he returned to Nashville, the winds of taste had changed, and the time was now ripe for a whole generation to embrace his brand of “honky tonk” or “hillbilly” music.

Since then, Yoakam has gone on to record more than 20 albums and compilations. Of these, five albums reached Billboard No. 1, twelve albums went gold, nine went platinum, and one (given this blog post, ironically titled “This Time”) even went triple-platinum. Among these albums, more than 30 singles have charted on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts. And along the way, Yoakam has sold over 30 million records!

It is plain to see that Dwight Yoakam when on to become one of the most successful country music artists of his or any other generation. This is no doubt due to his remaining true to who he was. But it is also true, at least in part, to his having learned to appreciate the importance of timing.

Speaking of learning, perhaps there is something you and I can glean from Dwight Yoakam here. Perhaps we too need to place a premium on remaining true to who we are. And equally as important, perhaps we also need to learn to appreciate the importance of timing.

Do you have some idea, concept, notion, product, or service that you would like to unleash upon the world? Have you written a song or an article or a book? Have you conceived of something as simple as a better mouse trap or as profound as a replacement for the internal combustion engine? If so, then good for you!

But have you also presented this to others only to get a lukewarm reception? If so, don’t be discouraged. It may well be that the concept itself is sound; but the timing is just not right. If such is the case, then whatever else you do, do not surrender your dreams! Rather, learn to bide your time and to hone your craft.

And as you do, keep trusting in the Lord, Who imbued you with whatever talents and skills and ideas and dreams and goals you have! After all, the Bible is full of people who attempted things once, only to fail, and had to wait until the timing was right in order to find success.

A pent up Noah had no success with the first bird (a raven) he released from the ark; but it was a different story with the second one (a dove). Even then, he had to release it three times, each a week apart, before he found success! Joseph got his hopes up about getting out of prison when Pharaoh’s cupbearer was released and restored; but it was to be a few more years before the time of his own release was to come.

Moses did not do very well in his first go around with the Egyptian authorities; but things turned out entirely differently the second time around. Naaman the Syrian saw no results from the first six times he dipped in the Jordan. But the seventh time around, he was completely cleansed!

On his first Missionary journey, the Apostle Paul had limited success. But on his second and third, he had more and more! Over time, he was even allowed to realize his dream of taking the Gospel to the very heart of the evil empire in Rome itself! The list goes on and on…

In each case, the initial timing was not right. But in each case, in time, it would be! Perhaps, then, this is part of what Solomon had in mind with his two observations from Ecclesiastes 3:10-11 when he said: “10I have seen the burden that God has laid upon the sons of men to occupy them. 11He has made everything beautiful in its time.”

If God has burdened you with a passion designed to occupy your time on earth, stay faithful and pursue it! In His time, he will make something beautiful out of it! You can count on this. After all, you never know what tomorrow will hold. You never know how tastes might change, and how what is not received well today might instead be sought for tomorrow!

As God’s word teaches us, and as Dwight Yoakam’s life shows us, what is “pop”ular at present may well not be so in the future. What the world rejects on this day, it may well accept and embrace on the next. Happy is the person who understands this concept today! And successful tomorrow!

SOURCES:

https://www.dwightyoakam.com/;

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dwight_Yoakam#Discography;

https://www.billboard.com/charts/country-songs/1987-09-12.

SEE ALSO:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dwight_Yoakam#Discography;

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bakersfield_sound.

SCRIPTURE SOURCE:

https://biblehub.com/bsb/ecclesiastes/3.htm.

SCARE GOOSE!

9/27/2021

My title today is an obvious play on the more common notion of a "scarecrow". As the fall unfolds, many a home will be decorated with one or more of these cornstalk based adornments that mimic the famous character from L. Frank Baum's The Wizard of Oz.

Of course, a select few of us who were privileged to grow up on a farm will recall the "Real McCoy", as it were. The purpose of a scarecrow was and is literally to scare crows out of one’s gardens and/or fields. In the world where I grew up, nearly everyone employed such a ruse at one time or the other.

What occasioned my blog idea today is what I encountered last week as I approached the doors to the local church we attend. The church’s leaders had taken a proverbial page from the farmer’s almanac, and placed several very lifelike three dimensional coyote archery targets near the various entrances to the facility.

What was their purpose in doing this? Well, the church grounds are located adjacent to a large lake and several semi-resident flocks of geese. With little to fear, the emboldened bird often parade around the church’s grounds in great numbers, causing major destruction to the lawns and landscaping, and leaving behind voluminous waste deposits all over the sidewalks and parking lots.

As if to add insult to injury, they sometimes even harass members arriving for worship on Sundays. Kudos, then, to those who thought up the idea of scaring them off with the faux predators. From all appearances, the scheme has worked, at least for the time being.

That being said, the appearance of a pack of coyotes laying siege to the entrances of a church building can be a little disconcerting. And I will admit that I was initially taken aback by the sight. Only after I came to realize that they were fakes did I let my guard down.

As I walked passed them and into the building, for some reason, the thought that came to my mind was a quote from Don Henley, who once famously asserted that "The wolf is always at the door!" This was followed by a brief glimpse in my mind’s eye of a scene from the 2011 survival movie, The Grey, starring Liam Neeson, wherein a group of petroleum workers, having survived a plane crash in northern Alaska, have arrayed themselves in a circle around a large fire at night even as a pack of snarling wolves, eyes glimmering in the light, harasses them on all sides.

In many respects, having wolves gathered at one’s door is a fitting metaphor for life. Many a person who has never seen a literal wolf can still appreciate this concept. Who among us has not faced financial wolves at our door in the form of creditors or bill-collectors? Or physical wolves in the form of sickness? Or emotional wolves in the form of discouragement or depression or sorrow? Or ethical and moral wolves at the door in the form of temptation after temptation? The list goes on and on…

Are the wolves even now at your door individually? Very likely they are. Are the wolves even now also at our door collectively? After all, is not what is true of us individually also true of us communally? Do we not as a society face many, many wolves at the door? Relationally, as families struggle against seemingly insurmountable pressures? Medically, as we face diseases and pandemics galore? Culturally, as we are assaulted by pressures unimagined by our forebears? Historically, as we drift further and further from our heritage? And above all, theologically, as we seem to have lost our Biblical moorings?!

How fitting, then, that our Lord, Himself, should remind us that the wolf is always at our door! And that includes the door of the church! Remember, Jesus told us that we who follow Him would be as sheep among wolves (Matthew 10:16, Luke 10:3). And as Jesus further points out, it is the nature of wolves to attempt to attack and destroy sheep (John 10:12). We should therefore anticipate such treatment from the world. It is to be expected.

But our Lord also asserts that we can expect to face what He called "wolves in sheep’s clothing" (Matthew 7:15). We must keep our guard up, then, against those who are in reality false prophets, and who would enter the house of God in disguise, seeking only to harm the flock of God. For this reason, the Apostle Paul also admonished us to be wary of "savage wolves" coming in and "not sparing the flock" of God (Acts 20:29).

For all these reasons, I urge believers to be careful of the wolf which lurks just outside the door! His bold presence there shows that he seeks any and every opportunity to enter and to attack and to bring destruction to every facet of our lives!

But this raises a question. Is there anything else we can do other than just to be vigilant and on our guard? Indeed there is; and the Apostle James (chapter 4, verses 7-10) tells us what that is. We are to:

"7Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9Grieve, mourn, and weep. Turn your laughter to mourning, and your joy to gloom. 10Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you."

How, then, are we to respond when the wolf is at the door? We are first to submit ourselves fully to our God. Then, and only then, we are to actively resist the devil. And ultimately, we are to allow the Lord to give us victory as He fights for us.

As you commit to do these things, remember the words of the Apostle Paul (in Romans 8:31 of the Amplified Bible): “If God is for us, who can be successful against us?”

SCRIPTURE SOURCES:

https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Wolves;

https://biblehub.com/james/4-7.htm;

https://biblehub.com/romans/8-31.htm.

SEE ALSO:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scarecrow;

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Grey_(film). The scene referenced above occurs about thirty minutes into the two hour movie. (Be advised; while an otherwise excellent study in the "man against nature" genre, the movie contains excessive amounts of strong language, which is unnecessary to the plot and arguably in poor taste.)

TONGUE TIED?

9/24/2021

The late Bob Ross made a name for himself as a painter, art instructor, and host of the long running PBS instructional television program titled "The Joy of Painting". Among the things he was noted for was his assertion that there were no mistakes in painting, only happy accidents.

By this he meant that whenever he messed up and inadvertently did something wrong, he would just make the best of it. For example, a slip of the brush resulting in a slash across a previous painted scene would invariably be transformed into a tree trunk and incorporated into his finished painting as such. In short, he was a master at using his own gaffes to his advantage.

Have you ever had a happy accident? I did this very morning. It happened during breakfast. I was busy eating and trying to talk to my wife at the same time. That was my first mistake. In retrospect, my parents cautioned me about any such decades ago.

Anyway, as if attempting to do these two things together wasn’t enough, I managed to undertake and accomplish a third. Only, I did this last one far more successfully than the other two. I bit my tongue!

I’m sure you have had this experience. When it happens, you quickly stop eating. And you stop talking as well. You then recoil in pain, as you spend the next moment or two holding your mouth and wondering how that could have just happened. All of this is then followed up with a brief period of chastising yourself for having been so careless, and finally vowing not to ever let that happen again.

And yet, as the day has progressed and the pain of the experience has subsided, I have come to see the whole experience as a happy accident. Sure, it was a painful mistake that I hope not to repeat. But if I could find a way to learn from it, and profit by it, then it was a worthwhile experience.

And how have I benefitted from this experience? By being reminded that biting one’s tongue, as painful as it can be, is sometimes still a good thing. In truth, there have actually been many times in my life when I have bitten my tongue on purpose; and the benefit from the experience has far outweighed the pain of having undergone it.

Of course, I am talking here about those times in my life when I have chosen to bite my tongue in order to hold it back and not say something that would have caused me and/or someone else pain or sorrow.

The Bible teaches us the importance of holding one’s tongue. The New Testament Book of James (chapter 3, verses 4-10) addresses this:

"A small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong. 5In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. 6And among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.

7People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, 8but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. 9Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. 10And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right!"

The Apostle James reminds that an unrestrained tongue, free to say whatever and how much it desires, that proves so devastating. Like a small spark that sets a whole forest on fire, so the untamed tongue all too often produces great devastation.

After accidentally biting my tongue this morning, I stopped talking and got busy eating – which was, ironically, what I should have been doing all along. Only after I was done eating did I resume talking. Both I and my wife were better off for it. And for this reason, I’m actually happy that I bit my tongue.

In a similar way, a fresh commitment to biting my tongue, even if difficult, whenever I am tempted to speak at some inappropriate time or in some inappropriate way will very likely prove beneficial for me and others with whom I interact. Might the same be said for you?

SCRIPTURE:

https://biblehub.com/nlt/james/3.htm.

MORE ON BOB ROSS:

https://www.bobross.com/;

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Ross.

IN JESUS' NAME?

9/20/2021

Back in the day, when we were in the youth group at our local church where we grew up, our “Student Pastor” (or “Youth Minister” as he was called in those days) was made aware of an issue that had arisen.

That issue was how to get beyond what was, at best, kidding around, and at worse, outright deceit, among certain members of the youth group in their dealings with other members. And what was his solution to the problem? Just this: he encouraged us to look the individual telling us whatever was in question directly in the eye and to ask them, “Can you say that to me in Jesus’ name?”

Soon, we were following up virtually every conversation involving some tidbit of gossip with the inevitable question: “In Jesus’ name?” Needless to say, once this happened, the gossip, the exaggeration, the embellishment, the deceitfulness, and the outright lying all quickly stopped.

Why was this so? Precisely because we all knew better than to affirm something in Jesus’ name if we had any doubt whatsoever that it might not be true. I have kept that well-learned lesson with me for over forty years now; and it has served me very well. Indeed, putting this principle into place will soon all but guarantee that telling the truth becomes a way of life by which one learns to live.

Now, I get that the phrase “In Jesus’ Name”, whether put in the form of a question or a statement, may not resonate with you in this way. But even if not, chances are it still has significance. After all, the vast majority of Christians end their prayers with some such similar phrase.

Perhaps all of this is why a recent piece published by “Lead Like Jesus” caught my eye. Their September 17, 2021 devotional reads as follows:

“To many people today, the words ‘in Jesus' name’ are tacked on at the end of a prayer before saying ‘Amen.’ Yet the book of Acts tells a different story. The early disciples boldly stepped out to serve in Jesus' name. In Jesus' name, people were forgiven, healed, restored, baptized and commissioned. What about you? Is Jesus' name just a catch phrase for you? Or does His name compel you to serve others as He did and carry His message to others?”

Wow! What a novel thought! “In Jesus’ Name” is not just something that should accompany our prayers. It should also accompany our thoughts, our words, and our actions! Personally, I was quite convicted by this notion.

And thus, I concur with the concluding prayer offered by the good folks over at www.leadlikeJesus.com:

“Jesus, I don't want to speak Your name in vain, nor do I want to live in vain. I want Your name to be the impulse for every desire and every deed in my life. Fan this longing into flame, and let my life bring glory to You. I ask this in Jesus' name, Amen.”

Amen indeed!
DEVOTIONAL SOURCE:

https://www.leadlikejesus.com/devotionals/jesus-name.

A PURPOSE DRIVEN LIFE

9/16/2021

Like many of you, I took time to remember the events of 09/11 this past week. In addition to personal thoughts and reflections, I also tried to catch as many documentaries as I could so as to better understand this significant event in world history. One program in particular caught my attention.

It told the story of how then President George W. Bush was given a port authority badge by the mother of an officer who perished in the attacks. It went on to relate how Bush carried that reminder with him for years into the future in order to help him to “Never Forget” the victims and heroes of that horrific day.

According to an article summarizing the matter, Bush met with families of the victims. One woman, Arlene Howard, approached the president during a Ground Zero visit and gave him a police badge, which had belonged to her son, George Howard, who was an officer for the Port Authority Police Department in New York City.

The article further said that Bush “would always carry it and pull it out to remind people and to remind himself about what happened that day.” In fact, during an address to Congress ten days after the attack, Bush held up Badge 1012 as a symbol of all those who had lost their life.

In that speech, he stated: “And I will carry this. It is the police shield of a man named George Howard, who died at the World Trade Center trying to save others. It was given to me by his mom, Arlene, as a proud memorial to her son. This is my reminder of lives that ended and a task that does not.”

It seems that President Bush is not the only one who vowed to remember Officer Howard. The official site of the Port Authority Police Benevolent Association hosts a memorial to him. He wasn't officially working on September 11, 2001. He had the day off; but heard about the attacks and immediately went down to the World Trade Center to help in any way that he could.

And what is more, that was not the first time Howard had responded to an emergency at the World Trade Center. When the site was bombed in 1993, it was none other than Officer Howard who responded and was credited with saving several lives. He was off duty on that day, as well.

Other than the photos of the event unfolding that very day, perhaps the most iconic moment of 09/11 happened three days later when President Bush stood atop the rubble with a bullhorn and boldly declared to the rescuers shouting “U.S.A.”: “I can hear you! I can hear you, the rest of the world hears you, and the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon.”

“He stood on a crushed fire engine and spoke about fear, hope and sadness,” the President’s chief of staff said. “He spoke to every single person.”

As I reflected ion these things, I have been reminded of Mordecai’s statement to Queen Esther (in chapter 4, verse 4 of the Old Testament book named for her): “Who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

On more than one occasion, President Bush has indicated that the events of 09/11, as much as anything else, helped him to appreciate and understand exactly why he had been chosen to be President. His task was made clear to him from that day forward. As he stated of the badge in his pocket, it was to remind him “lives that ended and a task that does not”.

Ministers understand this. In a very real sense, they know that their purpose is directly related to the story of a life that ended in sacrifice on behalf of others, and the unending task of telling that story to others.

While few are called to be ministers, and even fewer to be the President of the United States and the de facto leader of the free world, we all still need an overriding purpose in life. With one, our lives are sure to be more productive and meaningful. Without one, the opposite is more apt to be true.

I hope you know your purpose. I hope you know why you came “into the kingdom”. If not, I pray you will discover these very things. And I wish you the best as you then seek to fulfill whatever that God given purpose is.

STORY SOURCES:

https://news.yahoo.com/news/george-w-bush-9-11-reminder--the-badge-he-kept-close.html;

https://www.bostonherald.com/2020/09/10/a-9-11-memory-of-a-bullhorn-and-a-badge/.

SCRIPTURE:

https://biblehub.com/esther/4-14.htm.

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