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"Helping Others Communicate"

GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN

4/29/2013

 
In my message yesterday morning, I pointed out that the church is ultimately a big family.  Because of this, one of the things we should all be more faithful to do is to stay in touch with and affirm one another as brothers and sisters in Christ.  

The illustration I used was that of what so often happens in the modern world when a death occurs in one’s family.  It is sad but true that many funerals today  are also occasions for family reunions.  We all live such busy lives at such a fast pace that we lose contact with the very people we love, especially our extended family.  Needless to say, we do this to our detriment.
 
This past week alone, I was notified of the death of two of my own extended family members.  The first, “Uncle Alvin”, was technically my father’s uncle, and thus my great uncle. He was the younger brother of my paternal grandmother, closer in age to my own father.  They grew up playing together. 

For my part, I remember him mostly from my early childhood years.  He was a veteran and a hardworking man, who owned a  cabinet shop and provided well for his family.   Sadly, he suffered from dementia in his latter years; and in so many respects, he has now been made whole.  I know he will be well remembered, sorely missed, and one day, seen again.

The other uncle, “Fred”, was the husband of my maternal grandmother’s sister.  He too was a veteran who spent almost four decades  working at the Atlanta Journal and Constitution newspaper.  Together, he and “Aunt Doris” raised four wonderful children in the  suburbs south of Atlanta.  
  
I regret that life, particularly in the modern world, so often  takes us down divergent paths. This may have been true for ministers in all generations; but it appears to be true of most other professions today as well.  We follow our careers wherever they take  us.  As a result, we very often lose contact with our families.  In retrospect, I wished I had done more to keep in touch with my own extended family.  Both they and I would have been better off for it. A little lesson came my way this week that underscores this very truth.
 
Tom Brokaw wrote a book a few years ago titled
The Greatest Generation (New York: Random House, 1998).  In it, he had this to say about the generation of men and women who grew up in the depression and then went off to fight World War Two, "It is, I believe, the greatest generation any society has ever produced."  His contention was that here was a group of men and women who fought, not for fame and recognition, but because it was the "right thing to do".  

Then, once they had won the war, they simply came back home, put away their weapons, and quietly went back to work rebuilding both their lives and their nation. Furthermore, for the most part, once home, they hardly ever said anything at all about their wartime experiences. 

How right Tom Brokaw was!  Witness the fact that, other than listing the details of his funeral service and his beloved family, my Uncle Fred’s obituary contains only seven simple sentences…
 

Fred Graham Watson, 90, of Fayetteville, passed away April 14, 2013.  He was a faithful husband and loving father.  Mr. Watson was a good and faithful servant to the Lord Jesus Christ, faithful member of Bible Baptist Church of Hampton for over 35 years and was a supporter of missionaries worldwide.  He served his country in the US Navy in World War II, was on the first ship in Tokyo Bay during the Pacific Campaign and was present at the signing of the Japanese Surrender.  He retired from the Atlanta Journal Constitution after 36 years of service.  He was also featured as the “Unknown Hero” in the September 1, 2011 edition of the Fayetteville, Georgia newspaper.  He was an avid Georgia Bulldog fan and follower for 75 years.*


When I read this, I was simply dumbfounded.  Here I am, an avid history buff, and somewhat of a World War Two enthusiast in particular, with literally  hundreds of books and documentaries on the subject in my personal library; yet, I never knew anything at all about the military service of my mother’s own uncle.  I am still busy piecing the story together, but it now appears that he was aboard the first U.S. Destroyer (perhaps the U.S.S. Collett, DD 730) that sailed into Tokyo Bay.  

Whichever U. S. Destroyer he was on, one thing is for certain.  Shortly, thereafter, along with 200 other shipmates, he was transferred to the deck of the U.S.S. Missouri (the famed “Might Mo).  There, mere feet away from my “Uncle Fred”, would have stood Admirals Chester Nimitz and Bull Halsey, the heroes of Doolittle’s Raid, of Midway, of Coral Sea, and the famed Marianas Turkey Shoot.  There, too, would stood, General Jonathan Wainwright, and, of course, General Douglas MacArthur himself.  Of course, there too would have stood representatives of the defeated Japanese Empire, forced to sign the official instruments of surrender, thereby ending the single greatest event in world history.  
 
In short, “Uncle Fred” himself lived history.  Then, just as Brokaw asserts, he simply came home, put away the mementoes and the memories, and went on with his life, never bothering to speak about them again.  Even his own children did not know of his exploits until very recently.  
 
For my part, I am essentially flabbergasted.  How many times I crossed paths with this man and never once thought to inquire about his service to his country.  Now, he is gone and his beautiful wife has Alzheimer’s and cannot recall any of the matter.  Thank God for the fact that his basement flooded a few years ago, forcing the family to clean out the boxes, and thus uncover the records and the photos.  Otherwise, the entire matter would likely have gone unnoticed and simply faded away into oblivion. 

But there is much more to learn from all this.  As a nation, we were once losing World War Two Veterans at the rate of c. 5000 a day.  Now, that number is down to under 1000 a day.  Obviously, the vast majority of the men and women who were privileged to be part of that greatest of all generations have now passed away.  If you even suspect that you know any who are left, my admonition is to seek them out.  Get their story.  And do it now.  Why?

Because their stories need to be heard.  You and I will be better off for having heard them.  (And if we don’t hear them, they may be lost forever.) Likewise, the brave deeds of these individuals need to be recognized and lauded.  They really did save the world for us.  More importantly, perhaps, these esteemed man and women deserve our attention.  In our busy lives, spent for the most part in pursuit of things only trivial by comparison to their pursuits, we have now all but abandoned them.   We have made them little more than living relics, and relegated them to the dust bin of history.  And there is, perhaps, no greater sign of being unappreciative than that.

So, in closing, let me simply say what is long overdue: "Thank you, 'Uncle Fred'.  I am sorry I did not know about your service on behalf of our country, nor any of the details of your amazing story.  But, I look forward to seeing you in Heaven one day.  Maybe we can sit down and spend a century or two recounting your experiences on behalf of your fellow man.  I, for one, would love to hear all about them. Your grateful nephew, Jack."
 
*SOURCE:  
http://www.mowellfuneralhome.com/sitemaker/si
tes/Mowell1/obit.cgi?user=971010Watson
.

FINALLY KNOWING ENOUGH?

4/25/2013

 
My son Micah is finishing his last week or two of college, hopefully having now been prepared to face the rigors and responsibilities of adulthood.  At this point, thankfully, all seems to be on track for him to graduate in a couple of weeks as scheduled.  But things can and do happen; so we won’t count our proverbial chickens until they have hatched.  
 
In any event, assuming all goes well, this will culminate the formal educational process for the Jackson family.  All three kids will have successfully completed college.  Their mother and I are certainly proud of them.  And if they choose to pursue more education, we will be even prouder of them.  But they are on their own for graduate school!

Observing my son in his endeavor to get everything done before graduation, I was reminded of that season in my own life.  At the time, for me, it seemed like a very frantic process.  In retrospect, it really was not all that bad.  

When I graduated back in 1983, Mercer University had just implemented a new course that was required for all graduating seniors.  I cannot for the life of me remember the name of the course; but I do know that it had to do with being able to demonstrate a basic grasp of the history and collective wisdom of western civilization.  I managed to pass the course.

I do not know that it is still required.  It probably is not.  One thing is for certain though:  education itself today is quite different than it was in the past.  This is true of most every component of modern educational theory -  including educational philosophy, objective, approach, curriculum, technology, etc…  I shudder to think what would happen if I were to find myself immersed in the classroom as a student today.  I fear that I would be in  for a major pedagogical culture shock.
 
But the same would have probably been true for my forebears as  well.  I can only imagine what they  would have thought if they had found themselves suddenly thrust into class with me when I was in school.  In some respects, they may have felt bewildered.  And yet, in other respects, they may have felt a little over-qualified.  
 
Recently, someone sent me an e-mail containing the questions from an exam dating from 1895 A.D. which I thought I would post here today for your bemusement. Purportedly, this is  the eighth grade final exam from 1895 for the Salina, Kansas, USA school system, taken from the original document on file at the Smokey Valley Genealogical Society and Library in Salina, and reprinted by the
Salina  Journal.*

Try taking this test yourself.  (Before you do, however, note that the exam took FIVE HOURS to complete.)  If you do take it, I assure you that, as a result, you will have a new  appreciation for your parents, grandparents, and /or great-grandparents, many of whom once stated that they (only) had an eighth grade education.  
 
Eighth Grade Final Exam:  Salina, KS – 1895

Grammar (Time, one hour)

1.   Give nine rules for the use of capital letters.
2. Name the parts of speech and define those that have no  modifications.
3.   Define verse, stanza and paragraph.
4.  What are the principal parts of a verb? Give principal parts of 'lie, ''play,' and 'run.'
5.   Define case; illustrate each case.
6.   What is punctuation? Give rules for principal marks of punctuation.
7.  Write a composition of about 150 words and show therein that you understand the practical use of the rules of grammar. 

Arithmetic (Time, 1 hour 15 minutes)

1.   Name and define the Fundamental Rules of Arithmetic.
2.   A wagon box is 2 ft. deep, 10 feet long, and 3 ft. Wide. How many bushels of wheat will it hold?
3.   If a load of wheat weighs 3,942 lbs., what is it worth at 50cts/bushel, deducting 1,050 lbs. for tare?
4.   District No 33 has a valuation of $35,000. What is the necessary levy to carry on a school seven   months at $50 per month, and have $104 for incidentals?
5.   Find the cost of 6,720 lbs. Coal at $6.00 per ton.
6.   Find the interest of $512.60 for 8 months and 18 days at 7 percent.
7.   What is the cost of 40 boards 12 inches wide and 16 ft. long at $20 per metre?
8.   Find bank discount on $300 for 90 days (no grace) at 10 percent.
9.   What is the cost of a square farm at $15 per acre, the distance of which is 640 rods?
10.  Write a Bank Check, a Promissory Note, and a Receipt. 

U.S. History (Time, 45 minutes)

1.   Give the epochs into which U.S. History is divided.

2.   Give an account of the discovery of America by Columbus.
3.   Relate the causes and results of the Revolutionary War.
4.   Show the territorial growth of the United States.
5.   Tell what you can of the history of Kansas.
6.   Describe three of the most prominent battles of the Rebellion.
7.   Who were the following:  Morse, Whitney, Fulton, Bell, Lincoln, Penn, and Howe?
8.   Name events connected with the following dates: 1607, 1620, 1800, 1849, and 1865. 
 

Orthography (Time, one hour)

1.  What is meant by the following: alphabet, phonetic, orthography, etymology, and syllabication?
2.   What are elementary sounds? How classified?
3. What are the following, and give examples of each: trigraph, subvocals, diphthong, cognate letters, lingual?
4.   Give four substitutes for caret 'u.'
5.   Give two rules for spelling words with final 'e.' Name two exceptions under each rule.
6.   Give two uses of silent letters in spelling. Illustrate each.
7.   Define the following prefixes and use in connection with a word: bi, dis, mis, pre, semi, post, non, inter, mono, sup.
8.   Mark diacritically and divide into syllables the following, and name the sign that indicates the sound:  card, ball, mercy, sir, odd, cell, rise, blood, fare, last.
9.   Use the following  correctly in sentences: cite, site, sight, fane, fain, feign, vane, vain, vein, raze, raise, rays.
10. Write ten words that are frequently mispronounced and indicate pronunciation by use of diacritical marks and by syllabication. 
 

Geography (Time, one hour)

1.   What is climate? Upon what does climate depend?
2.   How do you account for the extremes of climate in Kansas?
3.   Of what use are rivers?  Of what use is the ocean?
4.   Describe the mountains of North America.
5. Name and describe the following: Monrovia, Odessa, Denver, Manitoba, Hecla, Yukon, St. Helena, Juan Fernandez, Aspinwall and Orinoco.
6.   Name and locate the principal trade centers of the U.S. Name all the republics of Europe and give the capital of each.
7.   Why is the Atlantic Coast colder than the Pacific in the same latitude?
8.   Describe the process by  which the water of the ocean returns to the sources of rivers.
9.   Describe the movements of the earth. Give the inclination of the
earth.

 
So, how did you do?  Don’t feel bad…  I myself have an earned doctorate; and yet I have never even heard of orthography!!!  No wonder so many of our forebears dropped out after the eighth grade.  They probably figured that they already knew more than they needed to know!  
 
No doubt my poor son feels the same way right about now, some four years after having started college, and two weeks before he graduates.  But one day, should the Lord tarry in His return, his grandchildren will marvel at the changes in education since he went to school, no doubt amazed at what all he had to  learn back in his day, as well as what all he never even knew about!
 
*SOURCE:  This version received via e-mail.   As will always be the case, e-mails tend to grow and develop iterations as they spread.  The version I received it thus slightly different from the original posted at: 
http://www.salina.com/1895test/.   

The Salina Journal newspaper article itself  is posted online  at: 
http://www.salina.com/rdnews/story/Eighth-grade-test. 

TruthorFiction.com 
points out that there is evidence both for and against the historical validity of this particular school test. (Cf. http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/a/1895exam.htm#.UXk7OsfD85s.)

Snopes.com itself does not debunk the authenticity of the test, but only the notion that we are somehow less educated today than in that day. (Cf.
http://www.snopes.com/language/document/1895exam.asp.)

In
truth, few of us today need to know all that much about farming as did our forebears.  By contrast, however, it is critical  that we know technology and be computer savvy, things to which they themselves were completely oblivious.

FILLING BIG SHOES

4/23/2013

 
As a child, I remember with fondness putting on my grandfather’s boots out on the back porch of his old farm house, and then running, or else attempting to run, all over the backyard in them.  I must have looked somewhat foolish doing so.  But I must have also brought a lot of joy to his heart, for he no doubt watched me and laughed at my behavior.  I spent most of my childhood happily traipsing along behind him as he made his endless rounds on the farm.

And then, 28 years ago this week, my life was changed forever.  On April 22, 1975, my grandfather, Cleo Jackson, passed away suddenly.   He was 64 years of age, and had suffered a heart attack.   The reason it hurt me so badly was because we were so close in our relationship, at least by today’s standards.  I would easily see him four or five times a week, even as my teen years unfolded.  In fact, the evening before he passed away, he was at our house most of the afternoon and evening.
 
Obviously, each year around this date, I think of him.  And as I do, I thank God for his impact on my life.  Being only 13 when he died, I had no way of fully appreciating the influence he had on me.   Now, at age 51, I am a bit more qualified to assess that.  This much I can say.  He was not an educated man, as he only had a third grade education.  Yet, in retrospect, I can now see that he taught me so much more than I ever realized! 

It is said that values are more often caught by children than they are taught to children.  That being the case, I will forever be in debt to my grandfather for what all he threw at me!  Clearly, I bear his spiritual, moral, and ethical stamps on my soul, my heart, and my life; and I do all of this proudly.  

My fervent prayer is that God will give me the ability to fill his shoes.   With each passing day, I see not only how difficult, but also how vital, that task truly is!

Because of these things, I also take time today to honor my grandfather today.  I have chosen to do so by posting a wonderful poem in his memory - one written by Mr. James M. Carr and titled Treasure Remembered.  I hope you enjoy it.
 
TREASURE REMEMBERED 
 

For all the stories that were never to be told,
Back to a time when I was a boy so long ago,

I knew a man whose kindness touched the hearts of many,
And he would often be the first to lend you his last penny,

Yes his heart was pure gold forged from out of love,
Right from the hands of the Almighty who sits high above,

There were times I must of drove him crazy as if he were my toy,
With all my “want to’s” and “why not’s” when I was a boy,

He loved and cared for all those that he knew,
His family, friends and most of all you,

Many happy memories I carry within my heart,
Vowed never to forget and never to be apart,

As a boy I would look up to this man with great awe, 

For you see he was my friend and he is my Grandpa.

SOURCE: http://www.familyfriendpoems.com/poem/treas
ure-remembered#ixzz2RIawyYSa
 
Cf. also:  www.FamilyFriendPoems.com

BOYS TO MEN

4/18/2013

 
Both of my sons will have birthdays this coming week.  It is hard to believe that they have grown up so fast - but grow up they have!   In my eyes at least, these two little boys, whom God chose to entrust to my wife and me, have, in so many respects, now become men.  
 
I thought I would devote today’s blog to both of them.  It is a famous  poem titled “If”, which was written way back in 1895 by renowned Jungle Book author and Nobel Laureate, Rudyard Kipling.  Along with such poems as "Invictus" by William Ernest Henley and “Desiderata” by Max Ehrmann, Kipling’s work speaks volumes about what it means to come of age and be a man in the midst of a troubled world.
 
If you can keep your head when all about you 
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you; 
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, 
But make allowance for their doubting too; 
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, 
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies, 
Or, being hated, don't give way to hating, 
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise; 

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master; 

If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim; 
If you can meet with triumph and disaster 
And treat those two imposters just the same; 
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken 
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools, 
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken, 
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools; 

If you can make one heap of all your winnings 

And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss, 
And lose, and start again at your beginnings 
And never breathe a word about your loss; 
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew 
To serve your turn long after they are gone, 
And so hold on when there is nothing in you 
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on"; 

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, 

Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch; 
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you; 
If all men count with you, but none too much; 
If you can fill the unforgiving minute 
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run - 
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it, 
And - which is more - you'll be a Man my son!*

Happy birthday, men!  
 
I love you both, Dad
 
*SOURCE:  
http://www.everypoet.com/archive/poetry/Rudyard
_Kipling/kipling_if.htm

MAKING THE MOST OF ONE’S LIFE

4/15/2013

 
Yesterday, in my message, I made reference to one of my favorite United States Presidents: Theodore  Roosevelt, or "TR" as he is commonly referenced.  Though known mostly  today for his two terms of service as President of the United States, he packed a lot more into his life than just being Commander-in-Chief.
 
I thought I would post a couple of my favorite quotations from TR here today.  Obviously, most everyone knows his motto:  “Speak softly, and carry a big stick.” But he had other gems as well. Among them is this one, known as “The Man in the Arena”, which has been carved into a great many monuments around our nation.  (For what it’s worth, a copy also hangs to this day in Elvis Presley’s bedroom at Graceland.)

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

My personal favorite, however, is from a speech known as the “The Strenuous Life”…

“I wish to preach, not the doctrine of ignoble ease, but the doctrine of the strenuous life, the life of toil and effort, of labor and strife; to preach that highest form of success which comes, not to the man who desires mere easy peace, but to the man who does not shrink from danger, from hardship, or from bitter toil, and who out of these wins the splendid ultimate triumph.” 
 

TR then applied that same approach to the life of our country as a whole when he said:
  
 
“Above all, let us shrink from no strife, moral or physical, within or without the nation, provided we are certain that the strife is justified, for it is only through strife, through hard and dangerous endeavor, that we shall ultimately win the goal of true national greatness.”

As America looks back over the last hundred years, it is increasingly clear that his call to greatness was in large part responsible for our rise to prominence as a nation later on in the twentieth century.

And he lived what he preached.  Here was an indefatigable man who literally filled his life with remarkable achievements, living each and every day to its fullest!

A graduate of Harvard University, he wrote and published over 25 books.  An articulate orator as well, he once delivered a 90 minute speech right after being shot in his chest, and before ever going to the hospital!  He was a cattle rancher, a big game hunter (both in the western U.S. and on African safaris).  He also led an intrepid expedition to the headwaters of the Amazon River. 

He served as Police Commissioner of New York City, as a member of the National Guard, as the Assistant Secretary of the U. S. Navy, and as a Lieutenant Colonel in the U. S. Cavalry, where he famously led his famous charge up San Juan Hill.

He was elected Governor of the State of New York, as well as Vice President, and then later on as the 26th President of the United States of America.  As President, among other things, he established the U.S. Park Service, the U. S. Forest Service, and led in the building of the Panama Canal.  He also oversaw the construction of the world’s largest Navy and sailed it around the world to announce that America was now a world power.

For his accomplishments, he has received many accolades, including the Medal of Honor, the Nobel Prize, and had his likeness carved on Mt. Rushmore.  He also has a United States Naval Aircraft Carrier named for him.  
 
Now, at this point, you may be saying, “Thanks for the history lesson; but what is your point?”  Just this:  here is a man who made the most of his life.  And we, too, have all been called to do the same. 

In Matthew 25, Jesus tells a story that drives this point home quite well.  

14 “Again, (the Kingdom of Heaven) will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. 15 To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag,[a] each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16 The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. 17 So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. 18 But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

19 “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them.  20 The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’  he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’ 21 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

22 “The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’  23 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

24 “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to
you.’


26 “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.

28 “‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. 29 For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

This story is commonly referred to as “The Parable of the Talents”, because the King James Version (KJV) uses the word “talents” for “bags of gold”.   I love this story because it reminds us all that God had blessed each and every one of us with a given set of resources, as well as skills, for the time we have been allotted in this world.  
  
The KJV’s use of the word “talent” is especially convicting. Obviously, there is a double entendre in the English language, as a “talent” nowadays means a given skill from birth.  But, “talenta” was also the Greek word for a bar of gold, and it equaled about 6,000 denarii, or twenty years’ worth of a daily wage.  This being the case, the story reminds us not only of resource, not only of skills, but also of time - as some people get 100 years, some get 40, and some only get 20!  
  
In light of these things, I stand convicted by a man like Theodore Roosevelt, who made the most of everything God entrusted to him.  And I am compelled to ask myself what I am doing with what all has been entrusted to me!  What about you?  What are you doing with your “talenta”?  We may neither one be destined to be President of the greatest country in history; but what will we do with what we have been given?

Remember, it was Jesus, Himself, Who said (in Luke 12:48, NLT)
“When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required.” 
 

If you desire to know more about the remarkable life and accomplishments of this man known affectionately as "TR", check out this website: 
http://www.theodoreroosevelt.org/.

MISSED OPPORTUNITIES

4/11/2013

 
On Wednesday evenings at our church, we have been studying the lives of the Patriarchs from the Biblical book of Genesis.  We tend to think of them all as super saints.  In truth, however, there are very few families in the Bible which are more dysfunctional than that of Isaac and Rebecca.  We can learn a lot from their experiences – in regard both to how we should and how we should not behave.

Last night, we dealt specifically with the consequences of sin.  Little did Rebecca know when she hatched a deceitful plan for her son Jacob to deceive his father Isaac and get the blessing that was intended for his brother Esau that there would be consequences that would last her whole life. Of these, the most significant is that when Jacob left, at her bidding, to go live with his Uncle Laban, he would wind up being gone for years.  In fact, he would be gone so long that she herself would be dead long before he ever returned.
 
One cannot help but wonder what went through her mind night after night during all those years.  And the same is true for Jacob.  Remember that there were no telephones, no text messages, no e-mails, nor was there even a postal system for communication.  There simply would have been no communication between them.  

Years later, when Jacob eventually returned and learned of his mother’s death, one wonders whether he wished he could have said some things to her before she passed and just what these things may have been.

Years ago, a young man from Wisconsin named Berton Braley lost his father when he was seven years of age.  Later on in life, he himself  became a published author, with works appearing in Forbes Magazine, Harper's Magazine, Atlantic Monthly, and the Saturday Evening Post, as well as some twenty books.  His first love, however, was poetry.  Indeed, half of his published works were poetry collections. 

He is best remembered today for a poem he composed titled Do It Now.  I read it last night and thought I would post it here today.  
 
If with pleasure you are viewing
any work a man is doing,
If you like him or you love him, tell him now;
Don’t withhold your approbation
till the parson makes oration
And he lies with snowy lilies on his brow;

 

No matter how you shout it
he won’t really care about it;
He won’t know how many teardrops you have shed;
If you think some praise is due him
now’s the time to slip it to him,
For he cannot read his tombstone when he’s dead.


More than fame and more than money
is the comment kind and sunny
And the hearty, warm approval of a friend.
For it gives to life a savor,
and it makes you stronger, braver,
And it gives you heart and spirit to the end;


If he earns your praise – bestow it,
if you like him let him know it,
Let the words of true encouragement be said;
Do not wait till life is over
and he’s underneath the clover,
For he cannot read his tombstone when he’s dead.*


Having recently learned of the untimely death of one of my own childhood friends, I see more and more the importance of Mr. Braley’s admonition.  Life is short; opportunities are fleeting.  It behooves each of us to make the most of every single day.  
 
As Solomon says in Ecclesiastes 9:10:  
“Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.”   What is true for our works is no doubt true for our words.  

In light of this, may we take full advantage of every opportunity we have to share our love for one another, taking special care to
“encourage one another and build each other up” (I Thessalonians 5:11).

*SOURCE:  
http://www.artofmanliness.com/2012/12/15/man
votional-do-it-now/

MOUTHING OFF

4/8/2013

 
I read this week about a nurse who came rushing into the doctor's office...  "Dr. Campbell!" she yelled, "you just gave Mr. Brewer a clean bill of health and... he dropped dead right outside the door!"

The doctor jumped to his feet. "Quick, Nurse Susan," he said, "we have to turn him around so it looks like he was just coming in!"*
 
I have some good news...  I saw the Oral Surgeon this morning and I was given a clean bill of health on my mouth!  I have some better news...  I made it out of the Surgeon’s office without dropping in my tracks.  And I have what may be the best news of all…  I will not be talking about my surgery in my blog anymore!  

So, for those of you who may be weary of hearing about all of my mouth problems, I will no longer be "mouthing off" on that subject.  I cannot promise, however, that I won’t soon be "mouthing off" about other matters!  Old habits do die hard.
 
Seriously, thanks to all who prayed for me and checked on me during my minor ordeal.  I had my stitches removed this morning.  At  that time, I was told by my Surgeon that, while I am not yet completely healed,  I am well on my way there.  I plan to resume my regular duties this week, including returning to the pulpit as  scheduled.  
 
*SOURCE:  
http://www.ncbuy.com/humor/jokes_view.html?
jkv=12884

DOWN AND OUT!

4/5/2013

 
With a little bit of down time this week as a result of my recent  mouth surgery, I spent some time surfing the web.  Who knows?  Perhaps I was driven by some sort of subconscious need to find either consolation or else commiseration among any fellow convalescents.  
 
In any event, my web surfing led me to do some reading about surgery in general.  And as I did, I came across this particular story.  It seems that…
 
A man who had just undergone a very complicated operation kept complaining about a bump on his head and a terrible headache. Since his operation had been an intestinal one, there was no earthly reason why he should be complaining of a headache.

Finally his nurse, fearing that the man might be suffering from some post-operative shock, spoke to the doctor about it.

The doctor assured the nurse, “Don’t worry about a thing. He really does have a bump on his head.  About halfway through the operation we ran out of anesthetic.”*

Let’s just say I’m glad I didn't awake from surgery to find any knots on my head!  But I did discover what happens when the anesthesia wears off:  the pain sets in. 
 
Nonetheless, they say you can’t keep a good man down.   In this case, I guess the same is true for a preacher and his mouth!  Just as the Doctor had promised, with the passing of each successive day, I have experienced noticeable improvement.   

I am slowly chewing and swallowing.  No doubt to my family’s chagrin, I am also talking more – both in the  quality and the quantity of my words.  Best of all, perhaps, I am now (ever so gently) brushing my teeth again!

As a result of all these things, I am encouraged.  And I look forward to getting back into my regular routine very soon.  In the meantime, I appreciate all the thoughts and prayers. 

*SOURCE:  
http://www.5jokesaday.com/content/surgery-jokes.

BAD MOUTH

4/2/2013

 
Several years ago, I heard an evangelist tell a story about a very talented dog.  It seems that...

A butcher is very busy working at the meat counter when he notices a dog in his shop.  He shoos him away, but the dog returns a while later.  He  walks over to the dog and sees that he has a note in his mouth. He takes the note and reads it, "Can I please have 12 sausages and a leg of lamb.  The dog has money in his mouth as well."

The butcher looks in the dog's mouth and, sure enough, there's a ten dollar bill.  He takes the money, puts the sausages and lamb in a bag, and places it in the dog's  mouth.  The butcher is very impressed, and since it's closing time, he decides to close up shop and follow the dog.  So, off he goes.

The dog walks down the street and comes to a crossing.  He puts the bag down, jumps up and presses the crossing button. Then he waits patiently, bag in mouth, for the lights to change.  They do, and he walks across the road, with the butcher following him.

The dog then comes to a bus stop and starts looking at the timetable.  The butcher is in awe at this stage.  The dog checks the times and sits on one of the seats to wait for the bus.  A few minutes later, a bus comes along.  The dog walks to the front of the bus, looks at the number, and goes back to his seat. Another bus comes. Again the dog goes and looks at the number, notices it's the right bus, and climbs on.

The butcher, by now open-mouthed, follows him onto the bus.  The bus travels through the town and out to the suburbs. Eventually, the dog gets up and moves to the front of the bus. Standing on his hind legs, he pushes the button to stop the bus. The dog gets off the bus, groceries still in his mouth, and the butcher still following.

They proceed down the road until the dog turns up the path to a house.  He walks up the path and drops the groceries on the step.  He then walks back down the path, takes a big run, and throws himself -whap!- against the door.  He goes back down the path, takes another run, and throws himself -whap!- against the door again.

There's no answer at the door, so the dog goes back down the path, jumps up on a narrow wall, and walks along the perimeter of the garden.  He gets to a window and bangs his head against it several times. He walks back, jumps off the wall, and waits at the door.  The butcher watches as a big guy opens the door and starts yelling and screaming at the dog.

The butcher quickly runs up and stops the guy.  "What in the world are you doing?  This dog is an absolute genius.  He could be on TV, for goodness sake!"   The guy glares at the butcher and says, "Genius, my eye!  This is the second time this week that he's forgotten his key!"*


Like this poor dog, I have spent a lot of time delivering  messages and earning my keep with my mouth!  So much so that, it now appears, I may just have worn it out!  Seriously, I did have to have some mouth surgery early Monday morning of this week.  The reason?  Like many people, I suffer from what is called “Bruxism”, where I grind my teeth at night.  I guess it is how I handle stress.  
 
In any event, as a result, I have now worn my teeth down prematurely, and will need to have some dental work in order to repair all the damage I have done.  Before that can happen, however, I needed to have some gum surgery, as my teeth grinding has also affected my gums, making them separate from my teeth.  In short, the gum line needed straightening before the teeth themselves could be repaired. Not to be gross, but that meant taking grafts from the roof of my mouth and then stitching them in along the gum line.

Needless to say, because of this, I am now spending a few days convalescing.   I can function in pretty much every way except for smiling, talking, and/or eating!  But this too shall pass. In the meantime, I appreciate your prayers.  I should be back in the proverbial saddle in about a week - provided, that is, I can manage to keep my mouth shut for a few days! 
 
*SOURCE:  This classic joke is available widely on the internet.  One such site is:  
http://petbehavior.org/fun-stuff/jokes/.

    Cleo E. Jackson, III

    Occasionally I will add
    a few thoughts to my blog. If you find them inspirational, I will be
    honored.

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