My Ongoing Thoughts

WHERE THE ROSES NEVER FADE

9/19/2019

My title today comes from the hymn written by Jack and Elsie Osborn back in 1942. It contains these famous lyrics:

I am going to a city
Where the streets with gold are laid,
Where the tree of life is blooming
And the roses never fade.

Here they bloom but for a season,
Soon their beauty is decayed;
I am going to a city
Where the roses never fade.

Nearly four decades later, in 1980, Hollywood underscored these words in a particularly poignant scene in the movie titled Coal Miner’s Daughter.

Sissy Spacek won an Oscar for her portrayal of legendary country music star Loretta Lynn in this acclaimed biographical music film. Spacek worked hard to learn Appalachian dialect and even sang all Lynn’s songs herself on film. Indeed, the soundtrack itself reached the top 40 in the U.S. on the Billboard 200; selling over 500,000 copies and being certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America.

Supported by such talented actors as Tommy Lee Jones, Beverly D'Angelo, and Levon Helm, and with cameo appearances by Ernest Tubb, Roy Acuff, and Minnie Pearl, Spacek’s performance was a tour de force, and obviously the masterpiece of her career.

As the scene unfolds, Spacek (as Loretta) and Jones (as her husband Doolittle) have come home to the little Kentucky coal-mining community of Van Lear for the funeral of her father, who has died unexpectedly. They are alone together at the grave when the irascible Doolittle asked his wife: “Loretta, this ol' mountain top is gonna be covered in wildflowers in six weeks' time, what the heck are you doing bringing plastic ones up here?”

Exasperated, Loretta responds amidst here tears by saying “Because they don't die! The real ones just die!” In that heartbreaking moment, overcome with anguish, her lament captures the essence of universal human emotion regarding death.

Like you, I can relate to her grief. This very week, the man who chaired the Pastor Search Team that was used of God in my call to my present pastorate some twenty years ago passed away. His passing has been hard on me. Over the last couple of decades, I came to know and to love that man as an older brother in Christ.

Sadly, he is the fourth of five members of that same Search Team who are now deceased. All of them were special; but he held a unique place in my heart. I can only imagine how his grieving wife and sons feel at this moment as they confront the terrible void now created in their lives.

To make matters worse, my father-in-law has lost not one, but two of his earthly brothers this very week as well. Of an original eleven siblings, he and one other brother are all that remain. The two of them have experienced terrible grief together this week, as their hearts and minds have again known the loss of two souls so dear to them. Burying one loved one is hard enough; but burying two in one week is extremely hard to bear.

And as if all this were not bad enough, even as I pen this blog post, I have just received that a church member has now lost her precious step-mother. Her heart is heavy as she absorbs the impact of this unexpected blow.

As a Pastor, my heart goes out to all these individuals. I pray for them as they undergo the awful process of grief. In times like these, therefore, I am especially thankful for the hope that we have in Christ Jesus, Who (in the New Testament Gospel of John, chapter 11, verses 25 and 26) once said: “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies. And therefore, everyone who lives and believes in Me ultimately will never die.”

Because of Him and His redemptive work in our lives, our grief is tempered by the knowledge these loved ones we have now lost are all in Heaven. And in that place, they have now found a new sort of life – one that is eternal and abundant beyond our imagination!

As the apostle Paul himself puts it in his Second New Testament Letter to the Corinthians (chapter 2, verse 9): “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.”

The Apostle John was given a vision of this magnificent place called Heaven in the closing chapters of the New Testament Book of Revelation. After having witnessed its wonders, which are replete with echoes of the Garden of Eden, John is told personally by Jesus Christ that He is now preparing to come and take all who believe in Him to be with Him there forever.

In light of this, and on behalf of all who have ever lost a loved one (or ones), I join with the Apostle John and pray: “Amen, come quickly, Lord Jesus!”

HYMN INFO SOURCE:
https://wordwisehymns.com/2015/04/27/where-the-roses-never-fade/.

MOVIE INFO SOURCE:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coal_Miner's_Daughter_(film);

MOVIE SCRIPT SOURCE:
https://www.springfieldspringfield.co.uk/movie_script.php?movie=coal-miners-daughter.

SCRIPTURE SOURCES:
https://biblehub.com/john/11-25.htm;
https://biblehub.com/john/11-26.htm;
https://biblehub.com/1_corinthians/2-9.htm;
https://biblehub.com/niv/revelation/22.htm.

TRIP OF A LIFETIME!

9/16/2019

Fox Business News contained a story recently about the world’s longest and likely most expensive trip. The article, titled “This May Be The World's Longest Cruise, And It'll Cost A Boatload”, was written by Jeanette Settembre, and published on September 03, 2019.

It seems that luxury liner Viking Cruises now aims to set a world record for sailing around the world in 245 days – the longest continuous passenger excursion at sea. The article, citing Forbes magazine, states:

The massive 930-passenger Viking Sun set sail from Greenwich cruise terminal in London on Aug. 31, embarking on its eight-month trip through 51 countries across six continents stopping in 111 ports and making overnight stops in 23 cities, Forbes reported. Trips that cruise around the world typically last up to 120 days.

Passengers will cruise through Scandinavia, the Caribbean and through South America. Viking Sun will continue on to the coast of Australia, and breeze through Asia before it returns to the Mediterranean and Europe next year.

Sailing the world comes with a steep price tag. The Ultimate World Cruise package onboard the Viking Sun costs $92,990 per passenger including meals, beer and wine with lunch and dinner, room service, free Wi-Fi, business class air travel and complimentary excursions at each port. Passengers must be 18 years or older…

The 245-day journey could be unrealistic for most Americans, considering the average person only gets 15 days of paid vacation and holiday time off per year. And those who get it aren’t even using all of it. Around 54 percent of Americans used all of their vacation time, according to a report from Glassdoor from 2018.

As I read this article, I thought about another fantastic trip. Only this one will be much, much longer and cost infinitely more than mere trip around this world. The trip I am referring to is described in the Bible; and it has to do with going to Heaven. It is, of course, a one way trip. And it will last for all eternity.

The Bible also tells us that it will be a trip with a wonderful endpoint. The destination is the most beautiful place imaginable- so much so that the pleasures there are simply indescribable. In the New Testament Book of Second Corinthians, chapter 2, verse 9, we read: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” What is more, these blessings will go on for all eternity! They will never end!

Of course, it goes without saying that the cost of such a trip must be quite expensive. It is - so much so that no human being could ever afford to get to Heaven on his or her own accord. No amount of money, no amount of effort, and no amount of merit can ever qualify any of us for this trip. But praise God, we can still go on this trip!

The reason is because the way has already been paid for us. It was paid for by the sacrificial love of Jesus Christ, Who gave Himself as a ransom for us in order that we might be made whole and restored to a proper relationship with Almighty God!

All one needs to do to have a home in Heaven is to embrace the forgiveness of God made possible through the grace of Jesus Christ. As Jesus Himself put it:

1“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2My 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? 3And 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. 4You know the way to the place where I am going.”

5Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” 6Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

I hope you have made plans to go to Heaven. If not, I hope you soon will! I’ve made my plans to go and I’d love to spend eternity with you there!

STORY SOURCE: https://www.foxbusiness.com/features/this-could-be-the-longest-cruise-in-the-world-for-nearly-100000.

SCRIPTURE SOURCES:

https://biblehub.com/1_corinthians/2-9.htm;

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

JUST BECAUSE!

9/13/2019

I have blogged before about my love for the novels of Clive Cussler. He is either the sole or lead author of more than eighty books, seventeen of which have reached The New York Times fiction best seller list. What is more, many of his works have inspired various other media productions, including films, television, other novels, and even video games.

Given that his novels have sold scores of millions of copies, it seems somewhat surprising that only two of them have ever been made into full-length motion pictures. These are “Raise the Titanic” and “Sahara”. This may be due to the fact that neither performed well at the box office. “Raise the Titanic” lost $33 million; and “Sahara”, despite starring Matthew McConaughey and Penélope Cruz, lost over $40 million. It follows that few, if any, investors are likely willing to chance a third film.

Nevertheless, in my opinion, “Sahara” is still a fairly good movie (and an even better novel). In a previous blog post, “NOTE TO SELF” back on 09/17/2018, I shared a well-written scene in this movie. Today, I would like to share another one.

In this particular scene, World Health Organization Doctors Eva Rojas and Frank Hopper, who are accompanying National Underwater and Marine Agency team members Dirk Pitt, Al Giordino, and Rudi Gunnis up the Niger River, stop at a port for supplies. As they do, Dirk is (once again) talking about his love of diving. Dr. Rojas asks him if all he ever thinks about is diving.

He responds by saying no, and then adds that sometimes he thinks about the “angel wing clam", a sample of which he picks up and calls "Petricola Pholadiformis". He further tells her that the Niger River is the only place on the earth they are found.

After turning the empty white shell halves around and positioning them to look like angel’s wings, he then tells her that they glow in the dark, adding that the amazing thing is that scientists still do not know why. “Until then,” he says “my theory is that they do so because they can!”

I love this scene. The reason why is because it reminds us that there is so much in nature that we do not understand. Perhaps we never will. Yet, in spite of this, we can still wonder at the sheer spectacle of it all!

Whether I am looking at beautiful sunrises or beautiful sunsets, whether I am looking at dazzling displays of lightning or of lightning bugs, whether I am hearing the roar of lions or the roar of oceans, I know in my heart that all these things are simply doing what they were made to do! They are simply doing what they were empowered by their Creator to do! All because they can! And because they should.

You and I, too, are a part of God’s creation. As such, we too were designed by our Creator to do certain things. And when we do these things, and do them well - because we can, we too bring glory to our Creator!

How has God gifted you? With what talents and skills has He gifted you? In light of this, how are you utilizing these God-given talents and skills? What are you doing with what you have been given?

I encourage you to glorify God with all that you have been entrusted and/or endowed with by Him. All because you can! All because you should!

UNSUNG HERO!

9/10/2019

We all have our heroes. As I reflect back over my life, I remember quite a few from my own formative years.

I suppose the very first one was my uncle, Roy Jackson. I have blogged about him before – back on 05/14/2018 in a post titled “Bigger than Life!” Perhaps this is because at 6’ 2” tall, and weighing in at around 240 pounds (all without an ounce of fat on him), he was so much bigger physically than his older brother (and my father). Suffice it say that, as a little boy, I looked up to him as one impressive physical specimen.

As I grew older, however, I found more and more heroes. Among them were professional wrestlers, such as “Fireman Bob Armstrong”. He had the biggest arm muscles I had ever seen (in my 12 year old life). At the time, however, I thought he was the pinnacle of masculinity.

Later on, as the fitness craze caught on in America, professional wrestlers realized that big biceps alone, without correspondingly proportionate muscles distributed throughout the rest of their bodies, were not exactly representative of the ideal human form.

Enter Tony (a.k.a. “Black”) Atlas. He was the first wrestler to actually train his whole body in the gym, so as not to look lopsided while in his wrestling trunks. He literally had muscles bulging everywhere! And he once took time to show off his muscular strength by bench pressing 500 pounds on live television from inside a wrestling ring.

Shortly after this, in 1978, the 6’6” tall, 275 lb. “Mr. Universe”, Lou Ferrigno, was cast as “The Incredible Hulk” on a weekly CBS television drama. Overnight, all across America, impressionable young men such as myself took to weightlifting. We all desperately wanted to look like our newfound (albeit green) hero.

As the fitness craze took hold, weightlifting gyms sprung up all across America. Thereafter, for many of us, men like Dennis Tinerino, Tom Platz, Ed Corney, and of course, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Franco Columbu, became larger than life.

While few if any of us went on to achieve any fame as weightlifters, these men, who bore such titles as “Mr. America”, “Mr. World”, “Mr. Universe”, and “Mr. Olympia”, still served as our heroes and inspired us to grind away daily in the local gym.

These days, of course, my illusions have been somewhat shattered. As I have aged, I have come to realize that even men of iron have feet of clay! To begin with, the whole world knows that a certain fitness icon, despite his bodybuilding success, his Hollywood success, and his political success in California, still experienced moral failure as he fathered a love child with his maid.

Other once famous bodybuilders have found themselves caught up in crime, and are no now serving prison terms. Still others have made the news for various other nefarious activities. And all of this brings me to my point.

The news this week reported that Franco Columbu, two time “Mr. Olympia” who was considered the strongest bodybuilder who ever lived, passed away last week at age 78 from a heart attack while swimming in the ocean in his native Sardinia.

I want to take a moment and commend this man. He accomplished a lot in his life. Originally a boxer, he later transitioned into weightlifting and then bodybuilding, going on to win the “Mr. Olympia” title in 1976 and again in 1981. He also competed in the inaugural edition of the “World's Strongest Man” in 1977.

Later, he also had an acting career (with 23 credits) and authored numerous books on bodybuilding and nutrition. In 2001, Columbu was inducted into the International Federation of Bodybuilding’s Hall of Fame. Later, in 2009, he received the Arnold Classic Lifetime Achievement Award.

Yet, despite his celebrity status, he remained a humble man. More to the point, he placed a premium on integrity. I say this because to my knowledge, he never allowed himself to be caught up in any moral, ethical, or legal scandals. That, in and of itself, is somewhat of a rarity. And for this, he will always remain one of my personal heroes.

Beyond this, unlike many high profile bodybuilders who merely parlayed their weightlifting success into social and material acclaim, Franco tended to live his life contented to stay behind the scenes. He transitioned from competitive bodybuilding into medicine, where he went on, quietly and consistently, to serve his fellow man.

Nonetheless, Dr. Franco Columbu (a licensed chiropractor later in life) proved that, despite his impressive array of muscles and humble service of others, he was still human in the long run. Alas, at age 78, he too was destined to go the way of all flesh, proving that.

The lesson I take from all of this is that no matter how large your muscles are, they will inevitably fail you. No man can live forever; and even the strongest eventually have to say goodbye! Thus, when we come to the end of our physical lives, we have to ask ourselves what truly remains.

And what remains is our soul! As well as a record of how we have spent our time in this world. To his credit, while Franco Columbu made the most of the physical body God gave him, this mild-mannered man seems to have made the most of something else as well - and that is every opportunity to improve the lives of those around him.

And if anything qualifies as heroic, surely that does!

SOURCES:

https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/franco-columbu-dead-bodybuilder-arnold-schwarzenegger-best-friend.

SEE ALSO:

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

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

https://www.wwe.com/superstars/tonyatlas.

LABOR OF LOVE!

9/6/2019

Most pastors love to read. I am no exception. I find that I pretty much have to in order to keep the well of creativity from running too low. Sadly, I don’t always have the time to read. But when I do, I often have a stack of books I intend to get to ready in waiting.

My personal preference for leisure reading is history, and also fiction - particularly historical fiction. But when I want to do light reading, or if I do not have the time to justify starting a longer work, I often read trivia books.

Down through the years, I have collected up quite a few trivia books. I have found that the great thing about a trivia book is that I do not have to finish it all at once. I can just leave a book mark and then pick back up later right where I left off. Unlike a novel, I need not remember anything I previously read.

Another great thing that I have discovered about trivia books is that they are often quite full of illustrative material for speaking and/or writing. I came across one such instance recently in an old paperback trivia book I had bought back when I was in college. I thought I would post it here today as an example.

Found on page 157 of The Book of Lists, #2, it reads as follows:

On May 2, 1962, a dramatic advertisement appeared in the San Francisco Examiner: "I don't want my husband to die in the gas chamber for a crime he did not commit. I will therefore offer my services for 10 years as a cook, maid, or housekeeper to any leading attorney who will defend him and bring about his vindication."

One of San Francisco's greatest attorneys, Vincent Hallinan, read or heard about the ad and contacted Gladys Kidd, who had placed it. Her husband, Robert Lee Kidd, was about to be tried for the slaying of an elderly antique dealer. Kidd's fingerprints had been found on a bloodstained ornate sword in the victim's shop.

During the trial, Hallinan proved that the antique dealer had not been killed by the sword, and that Kidd's fingerprints and blood on the sword got there because Kidd had once toyed with it while playfully dueling with a friend when they were both out shopping. The jury, after 11 hours, found Kidd to be not guilty. Attorney Hallinan refused Gladys Kidd's offer of 10 years' servitude.

From my perspective, this is a beautiful description of love. Gladys Kidd was willing to sacrifice 10 years of her life in order tro secure the freedom of her beloved husband.

It is also a picture of how much Jesus Christ loves us. When we were deemed guilty and facing punishment for our sin, Christ loved us so much that He willingly stepped forward and offered his life for ours!

Granted, Mr. Kidd was innocent to begin with. And granted also, that while his wife offered her service for his defense, she was not ultimately required to give it. Nonetheless, her effort on his behalf showed just how much she loved him.

Conversely, we are indeed guilty of sin! And Christ not only offered, but did indeed give His life for us to be forgiven! How much more then did He display truly sacrificial love on our behalf!

The Apostle Paul puts it this way in the New Testament Letter to the Romans (chapter 5, verse 6- 8):

6You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. 8But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

And that, my fiends is a true labor of love!

STORY SOURCE: Irving Wallace, David Wallechinsky, Amy Wallace, and Sylvia Wallace, The Book of Lists, #2 (New York: Bantam Publishing, 1980), p. 157.

SEE ALSO: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Book_of_Lists.

SCRIPTURE SOURCE: https://biblehub.com/niv/romans/5.htm.

ESTABLISHING OUR IDENTITY

9/2/2019

My wife and I recently went to see the movie, Overcomer, directed by Alex Kendrick of Kendrick Brothers Productions. While I will not give away the plot, suffice it to say that the picture is about a man who reluctantly coaches the only young lady to try out for cross country at a Christian High School, and the process of transformation that unfolds in each of their lives in the process.

In one particularly poignant scene, the character known as Coach Harrison is challenged by another man to answer the fundamental question of who he really is. He replies that he is basketball coach. The man presses him further. He then responds that he is a history teacher in a Christian School. Pressed still further, he states that he is a husband and father.

Finally, having been reminded that all these things could be taken from him and he would still be someone, he grasps what the man is driving at and states that he is a follower of Jesus Christ. The point is that he eventually realizes that there are many ways in which he can define his identity. But there is only one thing that can never be taken from him; and that is his identity in Jesus Christ.

I share this on Labor Day weekend as a reminder that our own ultimate identity as Christians is to be found in Jesus Christ. The things by which we so often define ourselves – things such as our job, our profession, our career – these can easily be taken from us. Therefore, our identity should not be attached to what we do by way of profession (as in butcher, baker, or candle-stick maker), but rather to Whom we attach ourselves.

In chapter 1, verses 7-9 of the Old Testament Book of Jonah, we read:

7Then the sailors said to each other, “Come, let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity.” They cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah. 8So they asked him, “Tell us, who is responsible for making all this trouble for us? What kind of work do you do? Where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?”

9He answered, “I am a Hebrew and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.”

The context here, of course, is that Jonah is being a rebellious prophet and running from his assignment to deliver God’s message to the people of Ninevah. He has caught a ship headed for Tarshish; and God has sent a storm to interrupt his flight.

In their fear, the sailors confront Jonah and ask who he is and what kind of work he does for a living. The words translated as “what kind of work” are from the Hebrew term ““mel-aw-kaw'”, meaning “work or occupation”. Interestingly enough, this word itself comes from the root term: “mal-awk'”, which means “a messenger, or a representative”.

And thus, when Jonah, obviously realizing that he has been found out, decides to come clean, he states that he is a Hebrew who worships the Lord, the god of Heaven”. In so doing, he owns up to the fact that his own true identity is not found in his profession, but rather in his relationship to God.

As you and I take time out from our busy occupations this Labor Day, let us do so fully cognizant of the fact that no matter how much we love our jobs, or how successful we are in them, our true identity is not to be found in our employment. It is to be found in our relationship to God which we have through Jesus Christ.

FILM SOURCES:

https://www.overcomermovie.com/;
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8186318/;
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overcomer_(film).

SCRIPTURE SOURCES:

https://biblehub.com/niv/jonah/1.htm;
https://biblehub.com/hebrew/4399.htm;
https://biblehub.com/hebrew/4397.htm.

PUT ME IN COACH!

8/30/2019

Technically, the night before "All Saints Day", which falls annually on November 1st, is called "All Hallows’ Eve". While "Halloween", as it is more commonly known, is over two months away, given that former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee was not far off when he noted that most football fans here within the Southeastern Conference esteem football as something akin to religion, tonight might be seen as a sacred night.

This is because the long awaited opening day of this year’s college football season is tomorrow. Even now, excitement is brewing. And by this time tomorrow night, emotions will be running quite high. Therefore, I thought I would take a moment to interject a little levity before all the tensions associated with the game of football begin.

For no matter how week one’s box scores eventually read, someone is sure to need a little cheering up before it’s all over. With these things in mind, I share the following football story popularized by Paul W. Powell. It seems that…

A substitute quarterback was sitting on the bench while the game was going on. The coach called him and said, “We are losing this ball game through stupid quarterbacking. I want you to go in there and do exactly what I tell you, understand?” The substitute quarterback said, “Yes, sir!”

The coach said, “On the first play you take the ball yourself on the left-hand sweep. You’re going to be new in there and they’re not going to be looking for you.” He said, “All right, coach.” The coach said, “On the second play, you take the ball again, run a slant play right over the left tackle, you understand?” He said, “Yes, coach.”

“On the third play,” the coach said, “I want you to make a long pass to Hank Miller, you understand?” He said, “Yes, sir!” The coach said, “And on the fourth play, kick!”

The substitute quarterback went in and did exactly what the coach said. On the first play he went around that left end and the coach was right. They weren’t looking for him and he picked up twenty yards. On the second play he did what the coach said again. This time he went over that left tackle on a slant play and a hole opened up and he cut back and picked up fifteen more yards.

The third play was that long pass to Hank Miller, and it was a dinger! Fifteen yards in the air and old Hank snagged it and ran twelve more before they got him down. He was at the three-yard line, with ten seconds to go.

On the fourth play, the substitute quarterback dutifully kicked the ball the way the coach said, and it went clear out of the stadium. The coach, of course, was livid. When the quarterback came back to the bench, the coach grabbed him by the shoulder pads and said, “Son, what were you thinking out there?” He replied, “Well, to be completely honest, I was thinking what a stupid coach we have!”

By this time tomorrow night, many football fans will be happy and thinking just how smart there coach is. Others will be sad and beginning to question just how much smarts there coach actually has! For my part, I hope my favorite team has a really smart coach. I’m just hoping for a few smart players as well!

SOURCE: Powell, Paul. A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Retirement (Dallas: Texas Baptist Leadership Center, 2000), pp. 111-112. Available online at: https://www.baylor.edu/content/services/document.php?id=146507.

BUSTED!

8/26/2019

We’ve all heard the phrase, "You know you’re having a bad when…" The good folks over at “You-Can-Be-Funny.com have built upon this notion and posted a humorous piece titled: "Signs You're Having A Bad Day".

In addition to cute cartoons showing a convict tunneling out from under a jail and headed directly for a septic tank and a 747 jet landing in a car’s rear view mirror, among the numerous things listed are:

A black cat crosses your path and drops dead.
A copy of your birth certificate comes in the mail marked null and void.
Everyone avoids you the morning after the company office party.
Everyone is laughing but you.
It costs more to fill up your car than it did to buy it.
Nothing you own is actually paid for.
People give you the senior citizen discount and you're only 37.
People send your wife sympathy cards on your anniversary.
The bird singing outside your window is a vulture.
The bride's family throws rocks instead of rice.
The city turns your water off just as you need to rinse out the shampoo.
The department of biological warfare asks for your stew recipe.
The house is messy again before you can finish cleaning.
The little league puts you on waivers.
The moths in your money belt starve to death.
The pest exterminator crawls under your house and never comes out.
The plumber floats by on your kitchen table.
The power is out and you go on to work never hearing it was canceled on TV.
The worst player on the golf course wants to play you for money.
Uninvited guests showed up at dinnertime.
You call suicide prevention and they put you on hold.
You can't afford to drive your new car.
You get to work and find a "60 Minutes" news team waiting in your office.
You have an appointment in five minutes, and you just woke up.
You have to borrow from your VISA to pay off your MASTER CARD.
You have to hitch hike to the bank to make your car payment.
You need one bathroom scale for each foot.
You see your stockbroker hitchhiking out of town.
You step on the talking scales and it says, “One at a time please.”
You take ½ day vacation and find out your appointment is tomorrow.
You turn on the news and they are showing emergency routes out of the city.
You wake up to the soothing sound of running water...and remember that you just bought a waterbed.
Your 4-year-old tells you that it's almost impossible to flush a grapefruit.
Your birthday cake collapses from the weight of the candles.
Your boss tells you not to bother to take off your coat.
Your computer quits one day over its warranty.
Your doctor tells you that you are allergic to chocolate chip cookies.
Your get one free coupon ended yesterday.
Your pacemaker has only a thirty day guarantee.
Your plants do better when you don't talk to them.
Your twin sister forgets your birthday.
Your wife is sitting on the stove holding a picket sign.
Your wife takes the dog on vacation and leaves you at the kennels.
Your wife tapes your picture to the dart board.
Your wife wraps your lunch in a road map.
You’re running late and you find out your battery is dead.
You’re the only one who thought the invitation said casual.

And last, but not least...

Your secretary tells you the FBI is on line 1, the DA is on line 2, and CBS is on line 3.

How many of these can you relate to personally? For my own part, I’ll have to admit to more than I prefer! Of course, most of these are said "tongue in cheek". But every so often, truth is indeed stranger than fiction. As was the case recently in New York, where according to a recent headline, a "New York man allegedly impersonating a police officer pulls over van of detectives".

The article, written by Nicole Darrah and published on August 19, 2019 at FoxNews.com, tells about a man who was arrested after he allegedly tried to pull over a van while pretending to be a police officer. It turns out that there was reportedly one really big problem - the van he pulled over was filled with actual police detectives.

Investigators said that the incident occurred in Hicksville, a city on Long Island roughly 30 miles east of New York City. The man in question turned on emergency lights and sounded an air horn as he tried to pull over a van. Unfortunately for him, the van was full of detectives from the Nassau County Police Department's electronics squad.

When the detectives identified themselves, the man allegedly tried to flee the scene, swerving into oncoming traffic and eventually speeding to the Long Island Expressway. There, his flight came to an end, as he was stopped and apprehended without further incident by the highway patrol.

The damage had already been done, however; and he was soon charged with criminal impersonation, reckless endangerment, and fleeing the police.

What do I make of all of this? At the very least, one might add to the previous list and say: "You know you’re having a bad day when you choose to impersonate an officer and inadvertently pull over a van full of real detectives!"

But of course the real lesson we take from this is that crime never pays. Despite appearances to the contrary, we really do eventually reap what we sow! Had the man in question not been impersonating an officer, he would not now be facing all the charges he is facing.

Moses once told the children of Israel to be careful for this very reason. As he put it (in the Old Testament book of Numbers chapter 32, verse 23): "You may be sure that your sin will find you out!"

The Apostle Paul affirmed this principle in the New Testament when he noted in his letter to the Galatians (chapter 6, verse 7): "Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap."

Remember these things whenever you are tempted to engage in activity that is less than praiseworthy. The decision to do so may well lead to your getting "busted"!

JOKE SOURCE:
http://www.you-can-be-funny.com/Signs-Youre-Having-A-Bad-Day.html.

ARTICLE SOURCE:
https://www.foxnews.com/us/new-york-man-impersonating-police-officer-pulls-over-detectives. The Associated Press also contributed to this report.

NOTE:
Nicole Darrah covers breaking and trending news for FoxNews.com; and can be followed on Twitter at @nicoledarrah.

SCRIPTURE SOURCES:
https://biblehub.com/numbers/32-23.htm;
https://biblehub.com/galatians/6-7.htm.

HANDIWORK

8/23/2019

In my previous post, I mentioned in passing the fact that Leonardo da Vinci’s actual fingerprint has been found on one of his paintings currently in the collection of the Queen of England.

According to a January 29, 2019 national news article titled “Leonardo da Vinci's Thumbprint Discovered: Drawing in Queen Elizabeth's Collection Reveals Secrets” written by James Rogers:

"At the center of the sheet’s left edge, the print is in the same reddish-brown ink as the ink lines of the drawing,” explains the Royal Collection Trust, in a statement. “It can only be concluded that, after creating the work, the left-handed Leonardo picked up the sheet with inky fingers."

As I read the article, I felt assured that this thumb print will likely become the source of many new investigations. If it can be shown to occur repeatedly upon known works of Leonardo, it might well become his signature. And for this reason, its discovery on other works long attributed to Leonardo, but without proof, might well validate their authenticity.

After all, any individual even remotely familiar with modern forensics techniques knows that fingerprints (and any DNA residue deposited therein) are pretty much the universal standard of identifying and documenting evidence of an individual’s involvement in a crime.

Simply put, pretty much anything you or I touch is littered with our fingerprints, thumbprints, and/or palm prints. (In fact, one episode of “Forensic Files” that I saw on television showed how one individual was convicted based on the imprint of his bare foot!)

In a similar article by Akiva Sanders titled “Potters and Their Fingerprints” that I came across in August 2109 edition of the American Schools of Oriental Research’s online newsletter, The Ancient Near East Today, Bible scholars are increasingly finding the actual fingerprints of the potters who made ancient clay figures and utensils.

It turns out, that a fairly surprising amount of information can be gleaned just by examining these fingerprints. Such basic things as the age and gender of the various potters can be reasonably ascertained. And from this, one can begin to track patterns.

For instance, it seems as if younger individuals worked mostly on figurines; while older individuals worked on more intricate pottery designs. Often, the larger size (and placement) of fingerprints increases and corresponds in direct proportion to the level of sophistication of the object being crafted.

The conclusion is that individuals may have been schooled in the work of pottery, perhaps even by being apprenticed to older individuals from whom they learned their trade and under whose tutelage they enhanced their skills. And the older these apprentices became and the better they got at their trade, the more impressive the products they fashioned became. Such certainly seems to have been the case.

One thing remains clear, however. It is highly unlikely that any of these individuals ever suspected that hundreds and even thousands of years after they had passed away, others would be studying how they spent their earthly lives by focusing on the fingerprints they left behind.

In light of this, who knows what the future may hold? Given that everything you and I touch contains a record of our fingerprints, might we reasonably anticipate that future generations will very well one day judge us by our own so-called “handiwork”?

And if that be the case, what then will the record left by our own hands say about us?

As anyone who has seen a beautiful sunset can attest, God’s own handiwork speaks for itself. The Psalmist puts it this way (chapter 19, verse 1): “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.” But God’s handiwork is not limited to the heavens above.

In his New Testament Letter to the Ephesians (chapter 2, verse 10), the Apostle Paul says: “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

As individuals who have been created by the hand of God and who bear his signature, I hope that you and I both will always find ways to glorify Him by the work of our own hands! In the words of wise King Solomon (in Ecclesiastes chapter 9, verse 10), may we do with all our might whatever our hands find to do!

And in the process, may all who gaze upon us and our accomplishments in this world see clear evidence of our desire to honor God in all we have set our hands to do!

STORY SOURCES:

https://www.foxnews.com/science/leonardo-da-vincis-thumbprint-discovered-drawing-in-queen-elizabeths-collection-reveals-secrets;

http://www.asor.org/anetoday/2019/08/Potters-and-Their-Fingerprints.

SCRIPTURE SOURCES:

https://biblehub.com/psalms/19-1.htm;

https://biblehub.com/ephesians/2-10.htm;

https://www.biblehub.com/ecclesiastes/9-10.htm.

WHAT LIES BENEATH!

8/19/2019

The headline from three days ago read: “Da Vinci mystery: 'Abandoned' angel and Christ discovered beneath masterpiece”. The article, written by James Rogers and published August 16, 2019 on Foxnews.com, shared how art experts have now used sophisticated imaging technology to reveal the hidden drawings of an angel and Christ beneath a Leonardo da Vinci masterpiece.

The painting in question hangs at the National Gallery on Trafalgar Square in London and is known as “The Virgin of the Rocks”.

Macro X-ray fluorescence technology, recently applied to it, reveals zinc in the underlying drawings. Once discovered, additional Infrared and hyperspectral imaging were also used to reveal the details of the hidden figures.

According to the article:

“Now for the first time Leonardo’s initial designs for the angel and the Infant Christ can be seen, showing significant differences to how they look in the finished painting,” the Gallery explained in a statement. “In the abandoned composition both figures are positioned higher up, while the angel, facing out, is looking down on the Infant Christ with what appears to be a much tighter embrace.”

What remains unclear, however, is why da Vinci decided to ditch the original design. To further quote the article:

“Why Leonardo abandoned this first composition still remains a mystery,” said the National Gallery in its statement. “The new research has shown how the second under-drawing, while aligning much more closely to the finished version, nonetheless displays his characteristic elaborations and adjustments from drawing to painting. For instance, the angle of the Infant Christ’s head was changed so that he was seen in profile, while some parts of the angel’s curly hair have been removed.”

The analysis also revealed human handprints on the painting; although it has yet to be determined whether they belong to da Vinci, an assistant or someone else. Leonardo’s actual fingerprint, dating from 1509 or 1510 was discovered under an earlier, similar investigation on another masterpiece owned by Queen Elizabeth II of England.

Of course, art enthusiasts around the world are aware that May 2, 2019 marked the 500th anniversary of da Vinci’s death. The original “Renaissance man”, known for his painting, sculpture, writings, original scientific pursuits (such as the dissections of cadavers) and above all, his impressive mechanical inventions, which were hundreds of years ahead of their time, continues to be a source of fascination with people worldwide.

As I read this story, I could not help but think of what the Bible tells us in the 24th chapter of the New Testament Gospel of Luke. In verse 27, we read:

“And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.”

Later, as if to underscore this, in verses 44-46, we also read:

“He said to them, ‘This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.’ Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, ‘This is what is written...’”

I take from this that a careful examination of the Old Testament will show anyone that Jesus Christ, as the long awaited Messiah, lies just below the surface. Indeed, with God’s enlightenment, His presence there can clearly be seen there. And once it is, one can never look at the Old Testament the same way again.

The next time you sit down to read through the Old Testament, either in whole or in part, why not pray and ask God to help you see the portrait of Jesus Christ that lies just beneath the surface?

I am confident that He will answer this prayer; and as you begin to see things you may have never seen before, you will very likely get more from the Bible than you ever have before!

STORY SOURCE:
https://www.foxnews.com/science/da-vinci-angel-christ-discovered. NOTE: The Associated Press and Fox News’ Chris Ciaccia contributed to this article. The principle author, James Rogers, can be followed on Twitter @jamesjrogers.

SEE ALSO: https://www.foxnews.com/science/leonardo-da-vincis-thumbprint-discovered-drawing-in-queen-elizabeths-collection-reveals-secrets.

AS WELL AS: https://www.leonardodavinci.net/.

SCRIPTURE SOURCE:
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=luke%2024&version=NIV.

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