Blog Archives

REASON TO REJOICE!

1/31/2022

The headlines yesterday referenced no less than five different stories about individuals who had tragically gone missing only later to be found dead. In all such cases, my heart aches for the victims and their loved ones. I’m sure you feel much the same.

Sadly, however, this is merely reflective of the fallen world in which we live. In Genesis chapter 3, Adam and Eve sinned against God. As a result, both they and the world they inhabited were thenceforth cursed. It is not surprising, therefore, that just one chapter later, in Genesis chapter 4, their eldest son, Cain, murdered their only other son, Abel.

Thenceforward, evil has only continued, in both frequency and intensity. It is for this very reason, perhaps, that another headline from yesterday so captivated my attention and encouraged my heart. It read: “North Carolina US Marshal Discusses Finding Mother, Daughter Missing for 5+ Years”. Now there is reason to rejoice!

In the article, which appeared on www.FoxNews.com on January 30, 2022, Audrey Conklin relates how U.S. Marshals for the Eastern District of North Carolina, working with other government agencies, recently discovered of a North Carolina mother and daughter who had been missing for five long years.

It seems that Amber Weber and her daughter, Miracle Smith, were first reported missing on Jan. 31, 2017, but were actually last seen back on Dec. 4, 2016, when Weber was 21 and Smith was just a year old. Leads into the missing pair's disappearance continued to come in, but all came up dead for five years until 2021. It was then that officials got a lead that led them to a rural property site, where Weber and her daughter were eventually found.

The pair, both of whom were both previous victims of abuse, was recovered on Tuesday at a home on Lemon Lane in Bunnlevel, North Carolina. At that time, authorities also recovered Weber's second child, who had never been reported missing. At long last, a missing mother and child(ren) had all been found!

The article further details the arrest of the individual believed responsible for their alleged abduction and confinement. It reads: “Imagine two roads that intersect in very rural farmland … and there's probably about five or six different houses along these two … roads that intersect,” East explained, adding that “basically everybody living in that area was family or related to” Joe Smith, whom authorities believe may be associated with Weber's and Miracle's disappearance.

Thereafter, according to a press release, officials transported Miracle and “her sibling” to the Harnett County Department of Social Services for “victim assistance”. Hopefully, the newly rediscovered persons will soon be able to resume a normal and productive life.

As I read this story, I could not help but be reminded of the story Jesus once told, as recorded in the New Testament Gospel of Luke, chapter 15, verses 11-31, about a father who lost one of his two beloved sons; yet, after a period of time, suddenly found him again.

That story, of course, is the famed “Parable of the Prodigal Son”, which recounts how the younger son came to the father and requested his inheritance, and then ventured away. But even though he was gone for quite some time, and even though his whereabouts in the meantime were unknown, his father never gave up hoping that he would be found.

In time, the son managed freedom from the sinful constraints that had once enslaved him, and made his way back home. Then, in verses 20 through 24, Jesus clearly stresses how happy the father was to see his son once again...

“So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still in the distance, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him… The father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let us feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again! He was lost and is found!’”

At last, his missing son had been found!

Can you relate? Have you ever lost something dear to you and then found it again? More to the point, have you ever lost a person dear to you and one day found him or her again? If so, then you can appreciate not only this story in the news, but also the point of Jesus’ parable, which is how much our Heavenly Father rejoices when we, who have been lost to Him spiritually through sin are miraculously found and returned to Him through the redemptive effort of His Son, and our Savior, Jesus Christ!

May this one great truth resonate with you both this day and forevermore: At last, you have been found! The God Who created you has also redeemed you! And His testimony is clear: “Let us now celebrate. For this child of mine which was dead and gone is now alive again! The one who was dear to me and who was lost has now gloriously been found!” And that, my friend, is clearly reason to rejoice!

ARTICLE SOURCE: https://www.foxnews.com/us/north-carolina-us-marshal-amber-weber-miracle-smith-missing. The reporter, Audrey Conklin, is a digital reporter for FOX Business and Fox News. She requests that tips for stories be emailed to [email protected] or on Twitter at @audpants.

SCRIPTURE SOURCE: https://biblehub.com/bsb/luke/15.htm.

CAN I GET A WITNESS?

1/26/2022

According to the IMDB (Internet Movie Database) website, a total of 608 individuals were credited as cast members over the eight season long run of “The Andy Griffith Show”. In the role of the star character, Sheriff Andy Taylor, Andy Griffith alone appeared in all 249 episodes. Ron Howard, as his son, Opie, appeared in 239 episodes.

Frances Bavier, as his Aunt Bee, was in 179 episodes; and Don Knotts, as his bumbling deputy, Barney Fife, showed up in 162. Other top character appearances included Goober (George Linsey) at 86, Floyd the Barber (Howard McNear) at 80, Helen Crump (Aneta Corsaut) at 66, Howard Sprague (Jack Dodson) at 38, Otis Campbell (Hal Smith) at 32, Clara Edwards (Hope Summers) at 32, and Thelma Lou (Betty Lynn) at 26.

Everyone else, including such famous characters as Gomer Pyle,
Emmett Clark, Jud Fletcher, the Darlings, and Ernest T. Bass had less than this. Indeed, the vast majority of characters appeared only once in the entire run of the show.

But with 26 appearances to his credit, one often overlooked character rounds out the top twelve. And he did this even though he never uttered a single line. Who was that? It was none other than the mysterious “Mr. Schwump”, who shows up, big as life, in some 26 episodes.

In one episode, he is pictured sitting on a bench on Main Street with the show's two biggest stars, Sheriff Andy and his Deputy Barney. He also shows up at Mrs. Wiley’s dance when “My Fair Ernest T. Bass” courts Romana Ankrum. He goes on to appear in numerous other scenes as well.

What is more, even when he is not on camera, he is often referred to in dialogue, as in the famed “Fun Girls” episode when Andy tells Barney that he has no intention of going to a dance and standing in a stag line with “Old Mr. Schwump”.

In spite of all this, to this very day, no one – not one single person – has been able to identify who the actor that portrayed Mr. Schwump was. Indeed, entire websites are devoted to this mystery. Apparently, no actual written records survive indicating who he was. And sadly, all the major actors, at least the ones who may have been old enough at the time to know who the gentleman was, have now passed away. Otherwise, there would be 609 actors, rather than 608, credited on IMDB for having appeared on the show.

Sad as this is, perhaps there is a lesson here. Maybe this is a lot like how life works. Maybe there are a lot of people whose destiny it is to go through life playing a significant and needed part without ever really ever being given any credit for their efforts!

Think about it. If you look back over your life, it is likely that you will see a long list of characters with which you will have crossed paths. Some of these will have had leading roles, and will have been afforded the appropriate recognition. Such persons may well include your parents, grandparents, siblings, uncles, aunts, cousins, teachers, mentors, cohorts, etc…

Others may have barely registered in the brief time they were present amidst the great parade of individuals who have passed by over the years. These might include a classmate, a neighbor, a coworker, an associate, etc…

And yet, I dare say that a closer refection will reveal that somewhere along the way there was more than one “Mr. Schwump”. By this I mean someone who played a vital, if often overlooked, role in your life.

Maybe it was someone in your neighborhood. Perhaps it was a babysitter, a delivery man, a store clerk, a ball coach, a police officer, or a firefighter. Or maybe it was at school in the form of a teacher, or a principle, or a janitor, or even a bus driver. Maybe later, it was a professor, or perhaps a doctor, or a nurse, or some other caregiver. Or maybe it was even someone at church: like a nursery worker, or a Sunday School teacher, or an usher, or even a minister.

There are few things as praiseworthy as an individual who fulfills his or her calling (and thus purpose) without any recognition and/or fanfare! And yet, where would any of us be without them?!
My strong suspicion is that if “The Andy Griffith Show” were being produced today, the character playing old “Mr. Schwump” would be a card-carrying member of some union that would insure that he gained his fifteen minutes in the limelight. Alas, the early 1960s were an altogether different story. And in the real world, so is most of life, both today and all throughout human history.

The truth is that very few people ever receive proper recognition in this life, either for what they have done or for the difference they have made.

Does this strike a responsive chord with you? Do you feel like you have spent a good deal of time and effort in your life attempting to do right by others only to have much of your efforts go overlooked and/or ignored?

If so, let me encourage you not to become overly concerned. Instead, stay the course. Keep on keeping on. As you do, remember that there is One who sees all and Who hears all and Who remembers all. There is One Who is our eternal eye witness! And because of this, rest assured that there will come a day when He will make all things known, and will reward everyone accordingly.

The New Testament Book of Hebrews (chapter 6, verse 10) tells us that “God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.” Given this, I remind you that whenever you feel like your efforts on behalf of the Lord and others are not being acknowledged or appreciated, please don't forget that God still knows and God still remembers and God still rewards!

And if God does all these things, then what does it matter if others in this world do or not?!

SOURCES:

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053479/fullcredits;

http://www.jmarkpowell.com/the-mysterious-mr-schwamp/;

https://mayberry.fandom.com/wiki/Mr._Schwamp;

https://www.mayberry.info/history/index.php/Mr._Schwamp;

https://outsider.com/news/entertainment/andy-griffith-show-who-played-mystery-character-mister-schwamp/.

SCRIPTURE:

https://biblehub.com/hebrews/6-10.htm.

WHAT’S YOUR NAME?

1/22/2022

These days, I have a fairly eclectic appreciation for music. That is to say that I like a little of several musical genres, and rarely a lot of any.

As a child of the sixties, I grew up listening to the music of my parents, which was either easy listening or classic country. As a teenager who came of age in the seventies, I turned to pop and rock. By the latter, however, I really mean soft rock. I was never into hard rock. I cared little for music that was so loud I could not hear the artist(s) singing, even if they were screaming into the microphone.

In my college and seminary days, I briefly got into classical music. After this, I then turned to contemporary Christian music, which I enjoyed for about a decade. Thereafter, I returned to country music. But when the latter evolved into “bro country”, I quickly began to lose interest. Let’s just say that I was not prepared for a combination of “country” and “rap”.

Needless to say, all of this left me in a quandary regarding my musical preferences. As the Bellamy Brothers put it, “He’s an old hippie, and he don’t know what to do. Should he hold on to the old? Should he grab hold of the new?” Eventually, I solved my dilemma by choosing to return to the music of my earlier days. Soon thereafter, I filled my iPod (which I still have and I still use) with playlists reflecting all of the above styles of music.

I share these things, I suppose, due to the announcement of the unexpected death of the artist “Meat Loaf” this past week, and the equally unexpected impact his death had upon me. You see, in our high school years, as my relationship with the young lady who was eventually to become my wife was unfolding, the two of us listened daily to “Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad”, along with several other of his Billboard Hot 100 hits. (The album containing this one single sold more than 43 million copies and was certified platinum 43 times over, spending nine years on the music charts.)

Of course, in that era, there was no such thing as an internet, let alone a Google search. Thus, although I certainly knew his music, I never knew very much about the artist who sang it all. Little wonder, therefore, that when I heard of his death yesterday at age 74, I started searching to find out more about the man the world knew as “Meat Loaf”.

My search eventually led me to an article by Julius Young titled “How Meat Loaf Got His Nickname: Rock Legend’s Multitude of Explanations”. The article explained how, even as a multi-talented Broadway performer, music crooner (with twelve solo albums), and movie actor (with over 100 credited television and film appearances), who has received a “much-deserved send-off from a who’s who of Hollywood and showbiz”, still “one part of the late … star's life – his nickname Meat Loaf – seemingly remains obscure”.

The article goes on to explain how a certain Marvin Lee Aday, later known as Michael Lee Aday, and eventually as “Meat Loaf”, actually provided a number of different responses for his nickname down through the years.

In 1978, in an interview with People magazine, he stated that his name derived from his being overweight while growing up in Dallas – reportedly weighing 240 pounds at just over 5 feet tall. He later told “The Guardian” in 2003 that "names and ages” ticked him off, adding: “So I just continually lie.”

Then, in 2011, he told Piers Morgan: “When I was a kid I was so big, I mean I was really big, I literally could not wear blue jeans”. He also stated that he ultimately changed his name from Marvin to Michael due in part to a running Levi’s blue jeans commercial at the time that suggested that “Poor fat Marvin can't wear Levi’s”.

Later, in 2016, during a profile for Harpo executive’s “Where Are They Now” series, he told Oprah Winfrey that when he was born, his father said he “looked like nine-and-a-half pounds of ground chuck” before quipping to hospital staff that they needed to place a “Meat” tag on his crib since he had been “born bright red”.

This may well account for the “Meat” portion of his famous moniker. But what about the “Loaf” portion?

Well, according to the late singer, he appears to have obtained it in junior high school. His explanation was that, after he inadvertently stepped on the coach’s foot, the latter called him a “hunk of meatloaf”. From that day forward, it seems, the moniker stuck.

But it was the next statement in the article that really caught my attention. “Regardless of how ‘Meat Loaf’ earned his nickname, one has to be impressed by the manner with which he leaned into it and took ownership of his name – never allowing teasers and the like to dim his light.”

Focus, if you will, on the phrase: “the manner with which he leaned into it and took ownership of his name”. For this is insightful.

According to the New Testament Book of Acts (chapter 11, verse 26): “The disciples were first called Christians at Antioch.” As believers worldwide today are known as “Christians”, it is therefore obvious that, from the earliest times, believers “leaned into” and “took ownership” of that name - the name of Christ.

Accordingly, if you are a believer, as I am, then you too have a “moniker”. And that moniker is Christian!

Why do we have this moniker? Because we have been born “again”. And when we were born again, we took on a whole new set of characteristics. Hopefully, therefore, the more we have grown and developed as born again believers, the more we will have displayed certain characteristics. And thus, the more we will have become known and affirmed by our new moniker of “Christian”.

The world little knows the name “Marvin Lee Aday”. But it well knows the name of “Meat Loaf”! Accordingly, as I live out my life in this world, I must continually remind myself that it matters little if the world either knows or acknowledges who I am apart from my identity in Christ Jesus. For it is by that latter identity, and by that one alone, that I was intended (and therefore destined) by my Heavenly Father, ever to be known!

Marvin Lee Aday forsook his given name in favor of a far more valuable one. Surely, any believer who values his or her eternal destiny would do well to do the same. In my case, I certainly have. After all, what is the name of “Christian Eugene “Jack” Jackson III” worth compared to that of simply “Christian”?

Are you a believer? If so, then you too have another name: that of “Christian”. Given this, how will you choose to be known? How will you bear that Holy name? And what will you ultimately do with that esteemed moniker?

NEWS ITEM SOURCE:

https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/how-meat-loaf-nickname-rock-legend. The writer, Julius Young, is an entertainment reporter for Fox News Digital.

SCRIPTURE:

https://biblehub.com/bsb/acts/11.htm.

LETTING OTHERS SEE JESUS IN YOU

1/17/2022

A friend of mine, who I went through school with, is now a physician in another state. This is not surprising, given that back when we were growing up, he was always in great physical shape, even running cross-country track in high school. He did not play other sports, as he was always slight of build, and only medium height.

Nevertheless, he was extremely intelligent, always scoring near the top of our class, no matter the subject. Unfortunately, however, his intelligence could sometimes be manifest as much through his wit as through his test scores. Once, when we were in the hallway awaiting the bell to assemble for homeroom and the start of the school day, he obviously said or did something that aroused the ire of a large, imposing classmate.

Let’s just say that this latter individual excelled more on the playing field than in the classroom. In fact, he would go on one day to play football at a power five university.

Anyway, to this day, I remember seeing my friend being jerked up by the shirt collar and shoved up against a locker with his feet literally dangling above the floor, and hearing his assailant angrily growling these words at him: “Now say something smart, kid, now say something smart!” I never knew exactly what my friend had originally said; but I will never forget what he said next. Unable to resist himself, I suppose, my friend calmly retorted: “E = mc2!”

Suffice it to say that a chorus of laughter went up from those of us around them. As might be expected, this did nothing to relieve the tension, but only served to intensify the bully’s anger, not only at my friend, but at those of us who chuckled as well. I suppose that had a teacher not happened up on the situation and diffused the matter, my friend may well have paid a very heavy price for his wit.

Still, I have often admired my friend for his ability to respond so quickly in such situations. I, myself, can be witty and even acerbic at times. But I find that I usually need a little time to think through my responses to challenging situations. While such an approach often allows for a more detailed and thorough reply, it does little to satisfy the modern world’s appreciation for soundbite worthy sarcasm. But I digress…

I shared the above story as the result of having recently seen a television commercial which struck me as quite effective. You see, the older I get, the harder I find it is for me to remember things. That’s why these days, my wife and I, like so many others our age, take a memory supplement. (I will not here identify the specific brand we use. There are several good ones on the market; and I will let my readers decide if they need one, and which brand they might choose.)

One brand, however, deserves credit for its marketing campaign. Halfway through the television commercial employed for its promotion, the actor who has discovered the product suddenly develops a huge, thick, and disheveled head of grey hair along with a matching set of bushy eyebrows and mustache. The catchphrase is then revealed, as the announcer challenges us would-be consumers to “Get your Einstein on!”

Now, I’m certainly no Einstein! But I did get the point of the commercial. Its inference is immediate and effective. After all, in our culture, Albert Einstein is synonymous with genius. And when we think of intelligent phrases, we often think of his celebrated theory of special relativity, commonly expressed as “E = mc2”, meaning that mass and energy are the same physical entity and can be changed into each other.

Thus, in the equation, the increased relativistic mass (m) of a body times the speed of light squared (c2) is equal to the kinetic energy (E) of that body, or in simpler terms, “energy equals mass times the speed of light squared”.

Granted, not everyone can qualify as a theoretical physicist; and the above theory may not get you all excited. Yet, few, if any of us, care to be seen as unintelligent. Thus, while we might feel free to apply such terms as “dumb” or “stupid” to others, we find ourselves offended when others apply them to us.

Perhaps it is a worthy thing, therefore, to go about getting one’s Einstein on. In truth, most anything we can do to increase our mental capacity is commendable. Hopefully, the more we use our God-given intelligence, the greater the benefit to us and our fellow man.

But there is an even greater way to benefit ourselves and our neighbors. And that is not just to grow mentally, but also to grow spiritually. How much better off would the world be if we all placed as much of a premium on maturity in our spiritual lives as we do in our intellectual lives?!

Luke’s New Testament Gospel (chapter 2, verse 52 NIV), tells us that “Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.” It follows, therefore, that Jesus valued His mind, as well as His body. But He clearly valued His soul as well. So much so that He appears to have placed enough of a premium on growing spiritually that He viewed it as a prerequisite to relating to and benefitting those around Him.

In light of this, should we not do the same? If we truly desire to improve the quality of life for ourselves and those around us, should we not also place as much of a premium on spiritual maturity as we do on intellectual and physical maturity? Yes, we should.

Why not let your spiritual growth be so apparent that when others see you, they see someone who values more than just the mind or the body, but someone who values the soul as well? In other words, why not “Get your Jesus on!”, and let others see Jesus in you?

SOURCES:

https://www.ispot.tv/ad/wfy6/focusfactor-get-your-einstein-on;

https://www.britannica.com/science/E-mc2-equation.

SEE ALSO:

https://hymnary.org/text/while_passing_through_this_world_of_sin.

SCRIPTURE:

https://biblehub.com/luke/2-52.htm.

“WHAT, ME WORRY?!”

1/12/2022

Such was the phrase made famous mostly by MAD Magazine’s fictitious mascot and cover boy, Alfred E. Newman. Fictional though he was, his question forever remains relevant. For it is everyman’s question, including mine. Consider the events of this past Monday night…

It only took 41 years, but my beloved University of Georgia Bulldogs finally won themselves another NCAA National Football Championship. They came close a time or two since 1980; but not until this past season did they actually pull it off, culminating in their defeat of the University of Alabama Crimson Tide forty-eight hours ago in the College Football Playoff championship game by a score of 33-18.

My wife and I watched the whole game. As we did, we carried on what amounted to a non-stop texting conversation with friends and family far and wide. Along the way, like all true DAWG Nation fans, I rode an exhaustive emotional roller coaster throughout much of the game.

When the Dogs played well, I was feeling high! But when they faltered, I sank to emotional lows. And if the truth be known, I was more down than up for the first three quarters or so. While their defense lived up to its billing, keeping the Tide out of the end zone for much of the game, their offense sputtered.

In the first offensive possession alone, I suffered through the agony of watching a three and out series, punctuated by a sack, a fumble (fortunately recovered by us), a delay of game call, and a near interception. Alas, for us Dog fans, Alabama fared little better. Between them, both teams managed a total of five field goals.

But all that changed in the second half, as the Bulldogs’ offense finally got on track. Even though their vaunted defense did eventually allow a touchdown to the Tide, the Dogs themselves went on to score 27 more points. The last of these came on a dramatic pick-six interception pulled off as Alabama was driving to make it a closer game.

When this last play happened, a huge collective sigh of relief went out from millions of Bulldog fans, as everyone realized that the “Junkyard Dogs” had finally secured not only the victory, but also that elusive and long sought National championship.

Fast forward 48 hours till this evening. ESPN Network rebroadcast the game, which I recorded earlier and watched tonight. Not surprisingly, I found the game just as enjoyable the second time around. (After all, my Bulldogs won the game.) What was surprising, however, was that I was able to do this devoid of all the emotional ups and downs that accompanied the first agonizing viewing.

As I have reflected on all of this, I have come to appreciate a little more of the differences between my own earthly perspective and God’s Heavenly perspective. As I live my life, I experience each and every aspect of it “in the moment”.

Once that moment has passed, of course, I have the advantage of reviewing it as part of the past. But I can never know it in advance. I can never know the future. For this reason, I can never know the ultimate outcome of either any given experience within life or of life itself.

From God’s perspective, however, things are seen in an entirely different manner. This is because the Heavenly Father sees things in their totality. And thus, when He sees my life, He sees my past, my present, and even my future all at once.

He knows the outcome of every situation, just as He does the outcome of my life. He has already seen it all - past, present, and future - in advance. And all of this is to say that He already knows exactly how every single thing comes out!

In light of this, let me share some really good news with you. When you already know how something turns out, you are not condemned to ride the emotional roller-coaster that otherwise accompanies the experiences of life.

Pause and let that sink in a moment! Grasping this singular principle may well be the key to living a life of genuine joy! That’s right. It’s just that simple. After all, did not Jesus spend an enormous amount of time stressing this in His teachings?

In His most renowned message, the famed “Sermon on the Mount”, he repeatedly askes “Why do you worry?” He then goes on to remind us repeatedly that our Heavenly Father is well aware of our needs, our lives, and our destinies.

Is not His point, in part at least, that if we could only remember to see things from God’s perspective, our lives would be so much less stressful? I believe it is!

Experience has taught me that, very often, whenever some experience in life passes from the present into the past (as all of them inevitably do), I often look back and see things entirely different. I can only imagine, therefore, what all of life will look like once it is has been lived.

No doubt, only Heaven will reveal how often I fretted and worried over what I thought was some insurmountable situation, only to see that, as the Apostle Paul once told the Christians at Rome (Romans, chapter 8, verse 28), in the end “God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose for them.”

SOURCES:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_E._Neuman.

SCRIPTURE:

https://biblehub.com/matthew/6-28.htm;

https://biblehub.com/romans/8-28.htm.

WINTER WONDERS

1/6/2022

The old folks used to say that if a snowfall lies on the ground for three days, it means another one is on the way. They may be right. As I type this, we are three days removed from one dusting of snow with another predicted for tonight.

When my family and I lived further south, we tended to get long summers with short spring and falls, and even shorter winters. But the great thing about living in here in eastern Tennessee is that we pretty much get to enjoy four full seasons. Each in its own way is a blessing.

Spring brings an explosion of color and smells and sounds as life springs forth. Summer allows for long full days of outdoor activity. The fall sees a display of deciduous foliage all but virtually unparalleled in other latitudes. I have learned to enjoy the beauty of each of these seasons in their time.

But more and more these days, I find that my appreciating the splendor that only winter can provide. Few things are as breathtaking as what Clement Moore described as the light of the “moon on the breast of the new fallen snow”, giving a “lustre of mid-day to objects below”.

Or that feeling of majesty captured so well in the movie A Christmas Story. when little Ralphie opens his window on Christmas morning and beholds the beauty of a fresh snowfall that has wondrously blanketed everything in sight.

Such sights are only enhanced by the accompanying silence that snow so often brings. As a buffeting agent, snow tends to quite nature all on its own. But it also usually limits the amount of traffic and other human activity that otherwise normally punctuates the average day. Whenever this happens, one typically finds that the visual grandeur of fresh snow is further enriched.

My wife and I discussed these and many other blessings of the season as we went “walking in a winter wonderland” this past week.

But that walk provided me one other insight into what a winter snowfall provides. That is the ability to see much further and deeper than at any other time of the year. Think about it. As beautiful as they are, the blossoms of spring and the leaf cover of summer nonetheless tend to obscure the view. And even in the fall, when the leaves drop, as one peers through the woods, the view is often blurred by a lack of contrast.

But when the winter applies a fresh layer of snow, one begins to see through the trees to what lies beyond. As we walked along, I glanced into the woods in every direction. Suddenly, I could see the roof tops of numerous houses and barns as well as yards and pastures, all of which were otherwise obscured throughout the rest of the year.

I found myself able to get a far better lay of the land, as it were. I could see hills and valleys and make out all sorts of roads and other landmarks, the existence of none of which I had heretofore known about. And in that moment, I had a further insight.

Perhaps life itself is much the same. Perhaps life has its seasons, all of which are a full of blessings in their own right. In the spring of life, we come to be. Life is fresh and so much is new with each passing day. In summer, we come of age. We mature and grow tall and strong. Life is full with activity and progress. In the fall of life, we slow down a bit as the intensity of life gives way to a fuller appreciation of the beauty if life.

But the winter of life brings a set of blessings all its own. It provides us with insights into things we never really saw before, and gives us some solitude to reflect on and appreciate these things.

The Book of Proverbs (chapter 20, verse 29, KJV) tells us that “the glory of young men is their strength: and the beauty of old men is the gray head.” The Amplified Bible translates this verse this way: “The glory of young men is their [physical] strength, and the honor of aged men is their gray head [representing wisdom and experience].”

There were seasons when I was a young man. Those were the spring and summer of my life. During that time, I prided myself on my strengths and abilities. But those seasons have now given way to other ones, to fall already, and soon, to winter. And yet, I am not troubled by this. Rather, I find myself thoroughly enjoying the current season, even as I look forward to the one soon to dawn.

For even now, I find that I am better able to appreciate the beauty of life in ways I was once far too busy to value. Even more importantly, I find that I am beginning to see things as I have never really seen them before. The depth and breadth of that sight is refreshing, as I find myself better able to grasp and make sense of the world in which I live.

For all these things, I thank God more and more each day for His blessings upon me.

SCRIPTURE SOURCE: https://biblehub.com/proverbs/20-29.htm.

A FULL PLATE

1/1/2022

When it comes to the holidays, my precious wife is a bit old-fashioned. She goes all out in the fall for Halloween and Thanksgiving; and this is nothing compared to Christmas. In December, she knocks it completely out of the park, decorating, cooking, and providing an atmosphere that is guaranteed to inspire all but the most orneriest Scrooges amongst us.

She carries that same passion right over into New Year’s Day. On that day each year, there are certain things she simply will not do, such as cleaning house or washing clothes. She firmly believes that undertaking these and/or similar household tasks on the first day of a given calendar year sets a bad precedent for the remainder of that year.

Not that I am complaining. After all, who wants to run a vacuum cleaner when there is so much football to watch on television?!

On the other hand, there are certain things she absolutely believes must be done on New Year’s Day. To begin with, staying up till midnight and ringing in the New Year by kissing one’s spouse is a top priority. I, myself, am completely in accord with this. So much so, that from about 10:30 pm on last night, I kept asking her to check her watch! :)

Another fine New Year’s Day tradition she firmly believes in has to do with the kitchen. She insists on cooking a meal of ham, back-eyed peas, and either collard or turnip greens. Supposedly, the pork helps to facilitate good fortune, while the peas and greens represent pennies and cash that could be enticed to come one’s way.

As I write this, it is now c. 3:00 pm on New Year’s Day. So far, I have yet to receive any infusion of wealth. But I am pleasantly digesting one fine mid-day meal! When the dinner bell rang a little while ago, I dutifully filled my plate to the full. (And considering that I would rather be lucky than wealthy, I even had second helpings on the ham!)

All jokes, aside, here in the southern USA, we are somewhat noted for our New Year’s Day traditions. (You can read more about them in the references cited below.) And like many southerners, we here in the Jackson home hold true to them year by year.

Nonetheless, deep down in our hearts, my wife and I will admit that neither of us really believes that eating pork is lucky, or that eating peas and greens somehow ensures an influx of money.

What we do believe, however, is that each New Year that comes our way is a gift from Almighty God. If the Lord tarries His coming, and if He does not choose to call us home to Heaven in the coming year, 2022 will bring us 52 more weeks or 364 new days to live. What is more, each of these days will be divided into 24 hours, 1440 minutes, or 86,400 seconds.

Given that most anything can happen in the next second, what the Bible calls “in the twinkling of an eye”, each new second of life is a precious opportunity. That means in 2022, we may well be given 449,600 (86,400 X 364) new opportunities at life! Let that truth sink in for a moment. If you do, you will surely sense just how precious a gift the coming year is.

Now, what better way is there to utilize that gift than by finding some mean or means to redeem as many of these God-given opportunities as possible?!

Do you have a purpose in life? The mere fact that God created you and endowed you with life means you most assuredly do. So, why not commit afresh and anew to discovering just what that propose is?! As well as to seeking God-given moments of opportunity in order to fulfill that purpose?!

The Apostle Paul told the believers in Galatia (chapter 6, verse 10) that, as they had opportunity, they should seek to do all the good they possibly could. If we follow this admonition, not only will God be glorified in us, but our own lives will be more meaningful as well. Not to mention the difference doing so might make in the lives of those around us!

For these reasons, this coming year, I’ll not be looking so much to fill my plate with fortune or material possessions as I will to fill it with God-given opportunities to live a full and meaningful life. For when 2022 has come and gone, these latter things will surely be far more filling than mere good luck, a fast buck, or even a second helping of my wife’s famous ham, peas, and greens!

SOURCES:

https://www.moms.com/new-years-day-superstitions/;

https://www.newyearwiki.com/new-years-food-superstitions/.

SCRIPTURE:

https://biblehub.com/bsb/galatians/6.htm.