My Ongoing Thoughts

A CHANGE OF MIND…

8/9/2022

While out walking this past week, I happened to encounter a dog out on the road. I had never seen it before; so I can only assume it is new in the community. At the same time, it has been several days since this transpired; so the poor creature could have simply been lost.

In any event, it saw me about the same time as I saw it, at about a two hundred yard distance. I continued on my walk; but it became aggressive and quickly closed the difference between us. I kept an eye on it until I had passed it up, and then continued on my way assuming the little crisis had passed.

But after I had ventured another hundred or so yards down the road, I happened to hear the pat of footprints quickly approaching form behind me. I immediately wheeled around and confronted the creature, whereupon he stopped and growled. I turned to walk away; but he came on again. This time I turned, and raising my arms to make myself appear bigger, I charged him. At this, he backed away.

I backed away from him, making my way down the road. I soon came to a crossroads, where the road I was on crosses a main highway. As traffic regularly roars up and down this road, I was sincerely hoping the dog would not follow me. The last I saw of him, he was standing at the corner of that intersection, assumingly trying to decide whether or not to cross and pursue me further.

As I made my way along, I wondered whether or not I would encounter the dog again. I also thought about how I would respond if the dog came at me again. I was some ways down the road and fairly deep in my thoughts when a local farmer pulled up and stopped me.

I initially thought he might be about to inquire about the dog. So I was caught off guard when he asked me if I had seen a calf. He gave a description and told me where he last saw it. He had apparently been hunting it for several hours. I assured him I would keep an eye out and let him know if I came across it, which is precisely what I did all throughout the remainder of my walk.

The good news is that, while I never saw the calf, it was found. I talked to the farmer by phone later that evening; and he reported that the calf was safe and sound and back in the pasture with its mother and herd.

I can also report further good news in that I never encountered the dog again; so he did not accost me. Nor was he run over by traffic. He simply disappeared; leading me to hope he made his way back to his own home.

But upon further reflection, what has struck me is my own perspective changed once I met the farmer. Up until then, that which had occupied most of my thinking while out walking was my encounter with the dog. Viewed as a threat to me and my safety, it had thus consumed me. Justified or not, my thoughts at the time were more for and about me than any other situation.

But that all changed once I encountered the farmer. His concerns, by contrast, were not about himself, but about another. He was concerned not for his own safety, but for that of a poor lost calf. At his behest, I too became concerned for the calf. I found myself thinking about it and its safety more than my own. And therein rests the point of my post this evening.

Jesus once told a story about a shepherd who lost a single sheep. In the New Testament Gospel of Luke, chapter 15, verses 4-7, we read:

“What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the pasture and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it?

And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders, comes home, and calls together his friends and neighbors to tell them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my lost sheep!’

In the same way, I tell you that there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous ones who do not need to repent.”

From the time just on single member of his flock went astray, the shepherd in Jesus’ story, just like the farmer I encountered, had one agenda, and one agenda alone: to seek and to save that which was lost! By comparison, nothing else mattered. Certainly not his own safety! In fact, if need be, he would even be willing to place himself between any member of his flock and whoever or whatever threatened it!

As a follower of Christ, I have been called to participate in that redemptive pursuit, and to do so with equal attention and fervor. Of course, for this to be the case, I have to get my mind off of myself and my concerns and begin to think more about Christ and His concerns. Otherwise, how can I possibly have any effectiveness either on His behalf or for His agenda?

In his New Testament Letter to the Philippians, chapter 2, verse 5, the Apostle Paul told us: “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.” For this reason, I have now changed my mind! Accordingly, I will not soon forget the events of that eventful day this past week. Nor should I!

SCRIPTURE SOURCE:

https://biblehub.com/bsb/luke/15.htm;

https://biblehub.com/philippians/2-5.htm.

Good Night!

8/6/2022

All I can say is that it was one wild and crazy night – one the likes of which my wife and I have not had in quite some time. When I awoke this morning, my head was spinning, my eyes were bleary, and my ears were ringing. She was in much the same condition.

But lest you jump to conclusions, the cause of all this distress was not what you might be thinking. The only thing we overindulged in last night was the pure enjoyment of four rambunctious grandsons!

Proverbs 17:6 tells us that grandchildren are like a crown for their grandparents. Last night, the Queen and I went to bed reveling in the jewels with which God has now adorned our hoary heads.

Upon their arrival yesterday afternoon, we played on the swing set, then on the trampoline, and then out in the yard, all before transitioning inside to gorge ourselves on pizza and cookies and Sunkist Orange Crushes and Sprites and Dr. Peppers.

Recharged, we next assaulted the plastic bin kept under the coffee table and chock full of Matchbox and Hot Wheels leftover from their fathers’ childhoods. We drove muscle cars, dragsters, monster trucks, construction equipment, and motorcycles all over the living room. We even “launched” air planes and had dog fights all up and down the hallway.

Afterward, we settled down to watch Spiderman defeat the Green Goblin and Doc Oc before we witnessed the Incredible Hulk singlehandedly overcome a whole host of bad guys. Of course, these movies fired up our imaginations, and we restaged these titanic battles between good and evil with action figures retrieved from the toy box.

Following this, we popped and then consumed massive amounts of popcorn together with Fruit Roll Ups and Cheetos while we watched the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles display their impressive martial arts moves. Unable to restrain ourselves, we concocted and then donned our own handkerchief “masks” and armed ourselves with home-made versions of Ninja bos, nunchucks, sais, and swords.

This led to a philosophical discussion on the nature of the four Turtles themselves. In the end, inspired by their names - Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello and Raphael - we were led to drag out poster paper and colored markers in order to create our very own modern day masterpieces. What we eventually generated can be said to rival anything ever produced by the great artists of the Renaissance. Eventually, through the magic of Scotch tape, one entire wall was plastered with these newfound works of art.

I have to admit that, as the night progressed, the sheer volume and speed of the unfolding activity was somewhat dizzying for me. Doubtless, we engaged in several other similar undertakings that now elude my memory. At some point, I seem to recall that we managed to slow down long enough to brush our teeth and put on our jammies.

About the last thing I remember is the sweet sound of little voices as they lay there in their concocted “camping” set-up, complete with a tent made of sheets, and uttered their prayers, thanking God for their parents and their siblings, and their cousins and their friends and for pizza and cookies and popcorn and Fruit Roll Ups and Sunkist Orange Crushes and Sprites and Dr. Peppers and for Spiderman and the Incredible Hulk and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles all having defeated the bad guys.

Oh, yes… I seem to recall that they also thanked God for their “Yaya”, and lastly, for me, their “Granddaddy”.

Of course, unbeknownst to them, at that very moment, I was thanking God for all these things as well. Plus a few other things – among them, four little grandsons full of life and wonder and excitement, along with the infusion of these things that they and their three younger brothers bring into mine and my wife’s life together whenever we are with them.

Selfish as it may have been, I asked the Good Lord for many, many more such wild and crazy nights in the future!

SCRIPTURE SOURCE: https://biblehub.com/proverbs/17-6.htm.

APPLE TURNOVER!

8/1/2022

In previous posts, I have written about my first ever venture into the world of growing fruit trees. I thought I would give an update here. To date, I have place thirty trees in the ground. Of these, all but four have budded and shot forth leaves. I have been assured by the company who sold me the dormant young trees that the remaining four should bloom by the end of the summer.

Of the twenty-six trees that did put out foliage, twenty-five are progressing well. I readily admit that I had no prior knowledge in this endeavor, and have relied entirely on the advice of others. Neal Denton, Extension Agent at The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture and local television personality, has been particularly guided me through the process of nurturing them along.

As the attached pictures show, at first glance, they look a bit comical. But everything has its purpose. The trees were placed in the ground at regular intervals. After one was dug up by vermin, I then placed bricks around them to keep them for protection. In addition, I added tomatoes plant cages to keep browsing from deer to a minimum.

After planting, I purchased fruit tree nutrient sticks, containing ideal amounts of fertilizer and minerals needed to enhance development and produce growth in fruit trees. These were then hammered into the ground approximately two feet uphill form each tree. In theory, the saturation of the ground by ensuing rains would then slowly deliver these ingredients to the trees’ roots.

Initially, I watered them every day. After a few weeks, I transitioned to every third day. But later, when the heat of the summer set in and temperatures soared into triple digits, I was advised to place two by four supports across the top of the cages and place five gallon buckets there. By drilling a very small hole in the bottom of each bucket, and then filling each of them with four gallons of water every other day and allowing it to drip down on the plant, the exact amount of water needed was supplied.

As you can see, a lot has gone into my little fruit orchard. Trust me; while it has been a labor of love, it turned into a little more than I originally anticipated. Still, I am encouraged, as I am told that future years will require far less attention than has this initial one. Plus, I am looking forward to many years of rewards with everything from peaches to pears and plums.

There will be apples too; only not as many as I had hoped. You see, that twenty-fifth tree, the one tree in all the thirty that actually died, was my Red Jonathan Apple. And I reminded of it every time I visit my little orchard. For it is situated front and center on the very first row. Its ugly, dried, and swiveled leaves remind me that even though it was given the same amount of careful attention as all its comrades, it still failed to produce.

I have already made up my mind to replace it. Sadly, though, I cannot even order a replacement for it until the fall of the year. The extreme temperatures will not allow for doing so until then. For this reason, whatever replaces it always lag a year behind the other trees – in size, in output, and in whatever reward its fruit will eventually give.

As I have reflected on this, I have been reminded of the story that Jesus told in the New Testament Gospel of Luke, chapter 13, verses 6-9, commonly referred to as the Parable of the Barren Fig Tree…

“A man had a fig tree that was planted in his vineyard. He went to look for fruit on it, but did not find any. So he said to the keeper of the vineyard, ‘Look, for the past three years I have come to search for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Therefore cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’ ‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone again this year, until I dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine. But if not, you can cut it down.’”

As heartbroken as I have been over the demise of a single apple tree, it surely cannot compare to how the Lord feels about us when we enjoy his favor, yet fail to flower! In Jesus’ story, the fig tree, though given a position of prominence and allowed to use up the soil, was nevertheless barren! And as such, it pictures far too many individuals.

Let’s face it, the Lord has blessed us in so many ways – with life and talents and skills and untold potential. But what have we done with that favor? Have we lived lives merely of consumption, with little or no production? Have we “used up the soil” without ever bearing fruit? If so, it behooves us to beware. For the owner of the vineyard in Jesus’ story made plain that the clock was ticking on the fruitless fig tree!

It would be given one more opportunity, but if it continued to consume valuable resources without giving back anything back in return, it would lose the owner’s favor and be plucked up and burned in the fire. Another tree would be given an opportunity in its place!

Surely such a story speaks to you and me today! Surely it reminds us to take stock of just what all we have been blessed with. And also to remind us that the same Jesus Who told this story also said: “From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and from him who has been entrusted with much, even more will be demanded!”

May we bear fruit in our lives just as God desires!

SCRIPTURE SOURCES:

https://biblehub.com/bsb/luke/13.htm;

https://biblehub.com/luke/12-48.htm.

GRASS ROOTS ISSUES

7/28/2022

Not far from where we live is a boat ramp for Tellico Lake on the Little Tennessee River. My wife and I went down there to watch the sun set the other evening. At the boat ramp is a dock designed to assist in the launching and landing of watercraft.

The first portion of the dock at the boat ramp is concrete. About halfway across the concrete portion gives way to wood, affixed via large hinges allowing the outer portion to rise and fall with the level of the water.

As we approached the dock, something caught my attention. Halfway across the first portion of the dock, where two seams of concrete mix, several shoots of grass had boldly taken root and began to grow.

Doubtless some level of dirt had accumulated there over the years. Perhaps it was even a few inches deep. But what was also plainly evident was that whatever dirt there was quite limited in width and depth. Clearly whatever took root there had very little prospects for growth, and therefore also had limited potential for life.

I know there are people who firmly believe their houseplants are sentient and will grow better if they are talked to and made to feel love on a daily basis. For my part, though, I seriously doubt if grass can think, let alone communicate.
But let’s posit for a moment that it can. If so, then what I would want to say to it is:

“Good luck with that! What were you thinking? Of all the places you could have taken up residence and put down roots around a reservoir with some 16,000 acres in surface area and over 357 miles of shoreline, why would you ever choose to do so inside a one inch seam amidst two giant slabs of concrete perched several feet above open water?!”

As I have reflected on this little episode, I have been reminded of a story Jesus once told that is recorded in all four New Testament Gospels. Matthew (chapter 13, verses 3-8) recounts it this way…

And He told them many things in parables, saying, “A farmer went out to sow his seed. And as he was sowing, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it.

Some fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly because the soil was shallow. But when the sun rose, the seedlings were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.

Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the seedlings. Still other seed fell on good soil and produced a crop—a hundredfold, sixtyfold, or thirtyfold.”

In response to His disciple’s inquiries, He then went on to explain the meaning of the parable (as is recorded in verses 18-23)…

Consider, then, the parable of the sower: When anyone hears the message of the kingdom but does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sowed along the path.

The seed sown on rocky ground is the one who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since he has no root, he remains for only a season. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away.

The seed sown among the thorns is the one who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. But the seed sown on good soil is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and produces a crop—a hundredfold, sixtyfold, or thirtyfold.”

It seems that grass growing in the seam of a concrete dock is not the only entity with little prospects for growth and life. Apparently, many a well-intentioned but misguided human being has made the same ill-founded decision. And the same fatal mistake!

No, people do not physically plant themselves firmly in such habitats. But they certainly do so spiritually! Jesus’ story is spot on in this regard! As is the proof of His assertion; for one does not have to look far to see individuals whose lives have withered because they lacked genuine spiritual roots!

For my part, I have chosen to plant my soul in what our Lord here calls “good soil”, in order that I can hopefully bear fruit and then produce a bountiful crop for His Kingdom!

What about you? Where are your roots? And what are your prospects for growth and life as a result? Unlike a shoot of grass, you are a sentient creature.

And if you don’t like the answers you have been forced to give to these questions, then maybe now might be a good time to consider uprooting yourself and undergoing a transplant! After all, your life depends upon it!

SCRIPTURE SOURCES: https://biblehub.com/bsb/matthew/13.htm.

HISTORY CHANNEL

7/24/2022

In my last post, I talked about a mail carrier backing out of a driveway. I came upon a similar experience a day or so later. Down the road a ways, a neighbor of mine has a gravel driveway. Recently, I happened upon him on a tractor fitted with a box blade in the process of retrieving gravel that had washed out into the road.

It seems that on occasion, after a hard rain, he can awake to find that much of his driveway gravel has been washed out into the road. Whenever this happens, experience has taught him that he needs to retrieve as much of that that gravel as soon as he can. Otherwise, it can be washed further down the road by additional rains. Even worse, it can wind up being scraped into the ditch by county road maintenance personnel.

I reflected back to a similar sight etched into my memory as I watched my dad do much the same thing on our driveway at the old farm where I was raised. At the time, I had no appreciation for the cost of a load of gravel, either in terms of money to have it delivered, or in time to get it spread.

What I do remember is that it was not uncommon in my childhood to go out into the driveway after a hard rain and find old coins that had been washed down from the vicinity of the old barn in the backyard. Over the years, I found my share of Lincoln wheat cents, Buffalo nickels, and Barber dimes. Long before the History Channel ever appeared on television, the washes and furrows in our driveway on the old farm became a channel of history to me!

I can only surmise that the coins I found were dropped over the intervening decades by others - either by my own ancestors or else by whoever owned the property before them. These days, I realize that this is not all that surprising given that the farm house I grew up in was actually partially antebellum, complete with hand hewn pole rafters up in the attic.

The structure itself had been added onto many times. As I was to learn later, the main portion was originally an outlying slave quarters. Apparently an old plantation house had been located about a quarter of a mile or so to the east of our modest little home; but it had long since been demolished.

Thus, by the time of my childhood, back in the 1960s, the place where I lived had obviously been inhabited for well over a century. It is little wonder, therefore, that the residue of multiple generations of previous inhabitants would periodically manifest itself.

To be sure, I found nails and tools and other such items as well. But I remember how I would take particular delight at the discovery of any old coins. These, of course, would always bear some actual date, such as 1898 or 1919 or 1923. I would fondle them in my fingers and ponder with considerable imagination what might have accounted for the origin of these coins. In the process, I would posit all sorts of possibilities.

Had it been dropped by some careless farm hand? Had it slipped from the pocket of someone on a wagon? Did someone agonize at the end of the day when, in the early 1900s, they came up one precious nickel or dime short of their daily earnings? Had a moonshine purchase gone down there? Or had an unlucky penny even been deliberately discarded? Who knew? In my mind, at least, the possibilities were legion.

But one thing was for certain. Others had definitely dwelt there long before me. Their entire lives had played out; and they had then passed on long before I ever even came to be. This one fact, above all others, intrigued me. to this day, it still does.

Years later, after another hard rain, I was out walking on the dirt road where I lived, and happened upon an arrowhead lying in the middle of the road. I still have that arrowhead. Many a time since that day, I have pondered just how it came to be where it was when I found it.

Was it too carelessly dropped? Perhaps from either a pocket or a pouch by some passing Indian clad in breach cloth of buckskin? Had it been attached to an arrow lost in an errant shot at wild game? Or had it actually found its mark, only to be lost when the animal itself eluded its hunter and slinked off into the woods somewhere to die? Again, the possibilities were endless.

A few years later, I began to notice that certain trees in our woods were in the shape of a giant figure four. My meanderings throughout our woods and those of our neighbors uncovered several of these. Later, I was to discover that they were, in fact, “Indian Trail Trees”. At some point in the past, young saplings had been intentionally bent and then tied off with leather things in order to form this shape, so that the tree, once grown, would always point Native Americans to some local water source, village, or other place of significance.

This too fired my imagination as I wondered just how many generations of travelers had previously transited across the land that would one day be farmed by my ancestors. Had our own dirt road at one time been a game trail that then became a foot path, only to then become a wagon path before eventually being widened to permit the passage of automobiles?

Once again, I was fascinated by the fact that, long before those who had lost coins on our farm, others had obviously lived and died there as well. These individuals had also had their entire lives play out before they too had passed on. One cannot help but wonder if these people ever considered that, untold generations later, other people completely unknown to them would one day dwell on that same land.

It may well be that these cumulative experiences, as much as anything, account for my love of history. Had I never happened upon these few old coins and similar relics, I might never have developed the keen interest I have in all things historic. Without a love for history, I wonder how much I would have been inclined to read and to study and to travel and experience and to learn! And in time, to then impart some of what I was privileged to learn to others.

In the Old Testament book of Job, chapter 8, verses 8-10, we read: “Please inquire of past generations, and consider the discoveries of their fathers. For we were born yesterday and know nothing; our days on earth are but a shadow. Will they not teach you and tell you, and speak from their understanding?”

As one who loves history, I have come to see the truth of these words. We can learn a lot from those who have gone before us. But even when we know little of them and the circumstances of their lives, they can still teach something.

And perhaps the biggest lesson they can teach us has to do with humility. In truth, most of those who came and went before us have long since been forgotten. I read once where the vast majority of people who ever live are totally forgotten within two generations of their passing. For this reason, we often know very little of them or the details of the lives they lived.

Given this, we are fooling ourselves if we think we will be remembered hundreds of years hence. For we, like they, are here for only a short time, and then we pass into eternity.

Understanding this helps us to keep a proper perspective on just who we are, as well as the legacy we will leave in this world. Hopefully, this will lead us to live a life that is glorifying to God and beneficial to others. Doing so makes our lives not only a channel of history, but also a channel of blessings. By comparison, little else that we do in this world really matters; for little else will have eternal significance.

Still, I loved history. I love learning about people of the past, and imagining what the world must have been like in their day. Thus, I have now decided to dig out these old discoveries of my childhood, and provide some provenance of them for my children and grandchildren. I do so in the hopes that their imaginations too will be inspired.

While I cannot account for how these artefacts got to where they were when I first found them, I can at least account for their presence ever since they came into my possession. Of course, once they pass into my children and grandchildren’s possessions, I cannot account for where they will go next.

I may just do something else as well. I may just get myself a roll or two of pennies and nickels and dimes and then proceed to drop one or two here and there for posterity’s sake. Who knows? A hundred years from now, or even a thousand, someone may just happen upon one of them and become just as enthralled with the past as I once was.

Should this happen, even without any knowledge of exactly how they arrived at the location where they were found, the mere discovery of any of these remnants of the past may well evoke within their discoverers a newfound fascination for, as well as a lifelong appreciation of, history.

If and when it does, the love of history will have repeated itself!

SCRIPTURE SOURCE: https://biblehub.com/bsb/job/8.htm.

SHARED MESSAGE

7/20/2022

While out walking earlier this week, I happened upon a rural mail carrier backing out of a driveway. As he did, he rolled down his window and asked me which of the two adjacent mailboxes, one an odd number and one an even number, was for the house he was at, and which was for the one across the street.

I did some quick processing, and answered that since I lived on that side of the road and since my address had an even number, then I would assume the even number applied to the house he was at, and the odd number applied to the address across the road. No sooner had I said this than I realized that I was no longer on the road on which I live, but instead off on an adjacent one. Thus, I could not guarantee which mailbox went with which address.

He said he was attempting to deliver a package and did not know where to leave it. In response, I asked if he was permitted to give me a name instead of an address. He replied with the name, which I immediately recognized. Because I knew the recipient, I was able to point the carrier across the street to the proper recipient.

He thanked me; and we each went our separate ways. As I strolled along, I reflected on the impromptu experience, as well as its application for my life as a believer.

Mail carriers are charged with delivering correspondence, be it letters or packages. In effect, therefore, they deliver messages. Most of the time, they do their job with quiet efficiency. But on occasion they require a little assistance. In this case, I was glad to assist the carrier, who was new and still earning the route. Working together, with each off us doing his respective part, the message he carried was successfully delivered.

Of course, he played a far larger role than I did. After all, I assisted on only one delivery; and he doubtless had hundreds to make this very day. What is more, I am not technically employed to make deliveries. It was therefore not my job in the sense that it was his. Hence, I am not obligated to deliver the message per the creed of the U. S. Postal Service, which states “neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds”.

Nonetheless, this did not change the fact that I have a moral obligation to assist my fellow man whenever I have the opportunity. And for this reason, given the opportunity to assist a postal carrier, I responded eagerly and supportively.

Now, as a follower of Jesus Christ, I am also involved in delivering a message. Only this time, the correspondence I help to deliver is not of this world. It is the message of the Gospel; and it is Heaven sent. And while I may not be a professional evangelist, charged with delivering that message full-time, as it were, I am still obligated to help see that this message is delivered whenever it is within my power to do so.

What is more, on occasion, there may be times when I am able to help secure that delivery even when a professional evangelist is unable to do so. Granted, I may never deliver the message to as many people as a full-time evangelist. But on that periodic occasion when my assistance is needed, I pray that I will always be both sensitive to and responsive to the Holy Spirit’s prompting to speak up and get involved.

In the Old Testament Book of Second Kings (chapter 19, verses 1-14), the story is recounted about Naaman, a mighty commander of the army of the king of Aram, whose only flaw was that he suffered from leprosy. He tried everything he knew, but was unable to overcome the disease. One day, knowing that she held the key to his healing, an Israelite slave girl in his household spoke up and told him about a mighty prophet named Elisha in the land of Israel.

Thereafter, Naaman journeyed to see the prophet, who told him to dip in the Jordan River seven times. After doing so, Naaman was completely healed. Clearly, Naaman’s healing came about as a result of hearing and responding to the words of the prophet Elisha. But it is arguable that he would never have heard and heeded that word had it not been for a little Israelite slave girl who first had the courage to speak up and share the message he needed to hear from her.

You, like me, may not be a full-time professional evangelist. But that does not mean that you and I do not have the responsibility to speak up and do our respective part in leading people to the Lord. The little Israelite slave girl could have chosen no to speak up. I, too, could have chosen not to speak up earlier this week. But what would have been the result if either of us failed to do so?

Given this, may we ever be faithful to speak up and share the message God has given us! Doing so is critical; for we never know just how the life of the recipient of that message may be changed as a result!

SCRIPTURE SOURCE: https://biblehub.com/niv/2_kings/5.htm.

HEAVEN HELP ME!

7/16/2022

I have shared before that one great thing about being semi-retired is getting to do things you always wanted to do but never quite had the time before. This includes all sorts of little things. And I will confess that, for me, one of them is watching some of the old television programs form my childhood.

I always marveled that certain of my friends got to go home and enjoy a little leisure time. Growing up on a farm, I always had chores to do whenever I got home from school. Often, these tasks kept me busy right up to supper time. Afterward, I had to get a bath and do my homework. This typically meant foregoing the pleasure of watching television.

One particular show I always wanted to watch was Perry Mason. As a child, I remember that we would work in the garden on summer mornings before going inside for lunch. My mother would watch Perry Mason during the lunch hour. I was always intrigued by this program. I knew it was about right and wrong, good and bad, and solving mysteries. Still, I also knew much of its subject matter was above my level of comprehension.

That is why I love watching it today. My goal is eventually to view every single episode. Admittedly, this is a lofty goal. A little research shows that there were 271 episodes spread over nine seasons. And this is just the original black and white show starring Raymond Burr. Thereafter, a revival version had another 15 episodes. And this was followed by 26 made for television films also starring Raymond Burr.

But with the marvels of digital media, I have now acquired DVD versions of many of these, allowing me to view them at my leisure. These also come with the added benefit of reduced running time per episode, as no commercial breaks are involved.

Of course, I have also now discovered the availability of 82 Perry Mason novels and four short stories from the character’s creator, Erle Stanley Gardner. Then there are also six films from the 1930s, as well as a long running old time radio Perry Mason show of over 3000 episodes. All of his is not tom mention the brand new 2020 series on HBO.

As you can see, of I am so minded, I now have enough Perry Mason material to keep me engrossed for some time to come! Fortunately, I am only committed to the original black and white series for now.

There is one thing about watching Perry Mason that ne can always count on. In the end, he is always going to win the case on behalf of his client. In 271, episodes, he only lost once. And in that instance, it was only a temporary setback. He continued probing until he found the truth and righted wrong that was done to his client for having been wrongly convicted.

One of my favorite episodes is one that comes toward the end of the final season titled “The Case of the Twice-told Twist”. In it, after years of imagining while viewing in black and white, we viewers get to see what all the lead characters actually looked like in vivid, eye-popping color. We also get to see the amazing scenes in and around Los Angeles back in the day, as well as Perry’s office, and, of course, the beautiful automobiles.

At this point, many of my readers may have already suffered through more information about Perry Mason than they ever cared to. With that being said, if I ever do find myself in need of a lawyer, I still hope to find one as gifted as he was.

One always knew he would win out on behalf of his client. The only real mystery was just how he would do so. Of course, that is what made the whole program so rewarding to watch in the first place.

The good news is that I am not aware of my need for a lawyer, at least not at this time. But being human, I do suffer many other needs. And the good news is that I do have much needed help, for Heaven has sent me an Advocate!

In first John, chapter 2, verses 1-2, we read: “My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.”

The word advocate is the Greek word “parakletos”. According to HELPS Word studies:

paráklētos (from 3844 /pará, "from close-beside" and 2564 /kaléō, "make a call") – properly, a legal advocate who makes the right judgment-call because close enough to the situation. 3875 /paráklētos ("advocate, advisor-helper") is the regular term in NT times of an attorney (lawyer) – i.e. someone giving evidence that stands up in court.

When we stand before the judgment seat of God, our eternal Advocate will be there to plead our case before the Righteous Judge! And He will not lose that case!

In the meantime, the Gospel of John, chapter 14, verses 1-3, Jesus tells us we have another advocate to guide us through the ups and downs of daily living in this present world. On the night before He was crucified as the atoning sacrifice for our sins, Jesus Christ affirms that He was going to Heaven to prepare us a dwelling place there.

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”

But in His absence, He further tells us (in verses 15-17): “If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth.”

Wow! I have not just one Divine Advocate, but two. Talk about a legal dream team – God the Son and God the Holy Spirit together at work on my behalf! One to care for me and my concerns in this world, and Another to do so for all eternity! How’s that for Heavenly help?! I simply cannot lose!

Oh, and one last thought. One day, out there, somewhere in the future, I will have that ultimate and final blessing. I will finally get to see my Chief Advocate face to face, in beautiful, vivid, living color! What a day, glorious day, that will be!

PERRY MASON RESOURCES:

If you care to know more, start with this website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perry_Mason. The article’s numerous links will take you on what amounts to an “all things Perry Mason” journey.

SCRIPTURE SOURCES:

https://biblehub.com/niv/1_john/2.htm;

https://biblehub.com/greek/3875.htm;

https://biblehub.com/niv/john/14.htm.

ONE WAY OR THE OTHER!

7/12/2022

Modern farmers both rotate their crops and replenish their fields with lime and fertilizers in order to protect and enrich the soil. But the custom of crop rotation is as old as human civilization. Indeed, the residents of ancient Mesopotamia were doing so in the third millennium B.C.

In a similar practice, the Ancient Israelites were instructed by the Lord to let the land rest every seven years, so it would not be depleted of all its minerals.

I pondered these things this week as I took note of my neighbor moving his cows from one pasture to another. Granted, he is a beef farmer and not a crop farmer. But the cattle he raises are utterly dependent upon the grass and hay each of his pastures produces. For this reason, he regularly moves his herds from one location to another. Otherwise, he runs the risk of having a given pasture overgrazed.

As I was out walking one morning this week, he was busy loading his cows for transport from one location to another. The process is fairly simple. He gets them into a barn and then loads them onto a lowboy trailer before transporting them on to the new location. Of course, the trick is to get them into the barn and/or corral.

He usually does this by luring them there with the promise of some reward. Usually, the offer of corn or sweet feed is sufficient to bring them in. Once in the enclosure, it is not difficult to walk them up the plank into the trailer.

And yet, even then, some refuse to cooperate. When this happens, he is not deterred. If they cannot be enticed to enter the trailer, he will resort to other measures. Among these is a cattle prod - a handheld device commonly used to make cattle or other livestock move by striking or poking them.

And if that fails, he makes use of a “hot stick”, which is an electric cattle prod with electrodes on the end which employs a relatively high-voltage, but low-current electric shock. This is typically all it takes to make even the most uncooperative of cattle decide to get going and load up.

As I have studied on this, I have been reminded that Jesus refers to Himself in the New Testament Gospel of John as the Good Shepherd. Of course, as the term indicates, a “shepherd” is one who “herds sheep” as opposed to cattle; but the principle is the same. Jesus tells us that His sheep hear his voice and He leads them.

But even sheep can be uncooperative at times. And there is no better example than in the New Testament Book of Acts, chapter 26, the apostle Paul recounts the events of Acts 9 to King Agrippa, and says that the Lord said to him: "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks."

The International Standard version translates this verse as: "Saul, Saul! Why are you persecuting me? It is hurting you to keep on kicking against the cattle prods."

Clearly, God had a purpose and a divine will for the life of the Apostle Paul. But Paul was resisting that will. And for this reason, God had increase the pressure on him in order to help him see the direction God wanted him to go.

As I reflect on my own life, I can see that there were times when I gladly followed the Lord and His will for my life. But there were also times when I was not quite as amenable. All I can say is that I am thankful that when those times arose that I was hesitant, or even outright resistant to the will of God, He did not give up on me. Instead, He simply increased the pressure until I surrendered to His will.

Looking back on my life and the various paths I have travelled, I can now see the hand of God at work. It has been said that is often easier to trace the hand of God and His involvement in our lives in retrospect than it is at the present time. I understand that now more than ever.

And I am also more thankful now than ever for God’s persistence. Whether he lured me (as He did for the most part) or whether He prodded me (as He did on occasion), I am where I now am because He directed me here. And that, my friends, is an awesome thing to ponder!

What about you? Are you being prompted by the Lord to take some uncertain step or make some uncertain move today? If so, are you resisting this? If so, let me encourage you to hear the voice of the Master and go wherever He directs.

While it may seem scary now, if it is His will for you to be there, you will certainly eventually wind up there. And you will surely be glad in the long run that you did. So, why not go willingly, and avoid the unnecessary experience of being prodded?! I assure you, the journey will be a lot more pleasant along the way!

SCRIPTURE SOURCES:

https://biblehub.com/niv/john/10.htm;

https://biblehub.com/acts/26-14.htm.

TIME AWAY!

7/7/2022

With the Smoky Mountains, Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, and dozens of other places to visit, it is little wonder that east Tennessee draws millions and millions of vacationers about this time each year. Most local residents, however, tend to vacate this neck of the woods and go to other places for their own "R and R" (rest and relaxation).

I suppose it is the same pretty much everywhere. Most people tend to forego local attractions for other destinations whenever they take time off. There is something refreshing about a change of locale whenever rest is sought.

For instance, I recently heard about two Alabama friends, Bubba and Billy Joe, who decided to get out of town for a few days. They made their way to out to Texas, and were taking in the sites in Galveston., While walking downtown and window shopping, they came upon a sign in a store window which read, "Suits $5.99 each, shirts $1.99 each, trousers $2.49 each.

Bubba said to his pal, "Billy Joe, Lookee here! We could buy a whole gob o’ these, take ‘em back to Alabama, sell 'em, and make a fortune. Just let me do the talkin', 'cause if they hear your accent, they might think we was ignorant, and not wanna sell that stuff to us. I'll talk in a slow Texas way so's they won't know we is from Alabama."

They went inside; and Bubba, with his best fake Texas drawl, said, “I'll take 50 of them there suits at $5.99, 100 of them there shirts at $1.99, and 50 pairs of them there trousers at $2.39. I'll back up my pickup and..."

At this point, the owner of the shop interrupted him, and asked, "Y'all from Alabama, are ya?"

"Well... yeah," says a surprised Bubba. "How come y'all knowed that?"

To which the man responded, "Because this here is a Dry-Cleaners!"

I owed that one to my two sisters who actually live in Alabama. About this time every year, several carloads of relatives from up here in Tennessee show up on their doorstep. Hey! That’s what they get for living on a lake!

All jokes aside. I look forward to seeing my two sisters and their families each year. I also look forward to a little down time, just relaxing and recuperating by lying around on the dock and/or in the water and not doing much else for a few days.

Believe it or not, taking a little time off is actually a Biblical principle. In the Old Testament, God ordained that every seventh day was to be a day of rest. He further ordained that every fiftieth year was to be a year of jubilee! Why do we find these patterns built into Scripture? Precisely because God knows that we need regular rest and periodic opportunities to reset.

Early in my ministry, I encountered a Pastor who was fond of saying that Jesus never took time off, so neither did he! I knew in my heart that this man was mistaken. In the New Testament, Jesus often went away by Himself. Cf.: Matthew 14:23; Mark 1:35-37; Luke 5:15-16.

What is more, Jesus also encouraged His Disciples to do the same. Cf.: Mark 6:30-32, where verse 31 tells us that Jesus told His Disciples to get away by themselves "to a lonely place, and rest for a while."

Sadly, it was not long before I watched the Pastor referenced above burn himself out and have both his life and his ministry fall apart. Had he heeded Jesus' admonition, things might have turned out entirely differently for him and his family!

I hope you have taken the opportunity this summer to enjoy a little "R and R". If not, I hope you soon will! In the end, it will be for your benefit. As well as for the benefit of those who know you and love you.

JOKE SOURCE:

Available widely on the internet in various forms. See, for example: https://upjoke.com/vacation-jokes.

SCRIPTURE SOURCE:

https://biblehub.com/.

OLDIE, BUT GOODIE!

7/3/2022

I once heard an “oldie, but goodie” about a woman who went to the doctor’s office, where she was seen by one of the new doctors. But after only about four minutes in the examination room, she burst out, screaming as she ran down the hall.

An older doctor stopped her and asked what the problem was; and she told him her story. After listening, he had her sit down, and told her to go relax in another room. The older doctor then marched down the hallway to the back where the first doctor was, and demanded, “What’s the matter with you? Mrs. Terry is sixty-three years old, she has four grown children and seven grandchildren, and you told her she was pregnant?!”

The new doctor continued to write on his clipboard, and without even looking up, said, “Well, at least she no longer has the hiccups!”

The truth is that one cannot reach a ripe old age without a hiccup or two along the way. Sometimes, the unpleasant experience is brief; at other times, it may last a little longer. But generally, no matter how severe the case may seem at the time, it eventually passes.

I share this because I know a grand old lady who is turning 246 years of age tomorrow. Her name is America! As she approaches her semiquincentennial, or 25th birthday, she may well be described as an “oldie”; but she is also still clearly a “goodie”!

The dictionary offers two definitions for “oldie, but goodie”. The first is: “something that was created a relatively long time ago, but which is still excellent by today's standard.” The second is: “a person who is advanced in years, but is very likable, reliable, helpful, etc…” As I see it, both of these definitions can aptly be applied to America.

Still, as we pause to celebrate her birthday, we do so well aware that she has had many a hiccup along the way. This is because she is not perfect. No nation is. But she has managed to survive and to thrive in spite of her imperfections.

Why is this? Because despite what deficiencies she may have had, she is still the greatest nation the world has ever produced! Whatever hiccups she has endured she has also managed to work her way through. What is more, as a general rule, she has always come away from those experiences healthier than she was when she entered them.

So, on this occasion, I take time to say “Happy Birthday” to a grand old lady – my country! I, for one, am proud to call her my home; and this is because I would rather live right here in her midst than in any other place in this world! As Lee Greenwood put it:

“If tomorrow all the things were gone I'd worked for all my life,
And I had to start again with just my children and my wife,
I'd thank my lucky stars to be livin' here today;
'Cause the flag still stands for freedom and they can't take that away!

And I'm proud to be an American where at least I know I'm free!
And I won't forget the men who died, who gave that right to me!
And I'd gladly stand up next to you and defend her still today,
'Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land,
God bless the USA!

From the lakes of Minnesota, to the hills of Tennessee,
Across the plains of Texas, from sea to shining sea,
From Detroit down to Houston and New York to LA,
Well, there's pride in every American heart,
And it's time we stand and say…

That I'm proud to be an American where at least I know I'm free!
And I won't forget the men who died, who gave that right to me!
And I'd gladly stand up next to you and defend her still today,
'Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land,
God bless the USA!”

I couldn't agree more!

JOKE SOURCE:
Available widely on the internet. Cf.: https://upjoke.com/hiccup-jokes.

DICTIONARY SOURCE:
https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/oldie+but+goodie.

SONG LYRICS SOURCE:
https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/leegreenwood/godblesstheusa.html.

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