Blog Archives

BIG BROTHER

5/30/2019

My sister has a plaque in her house that reads: “Grandchildren are a reward for not killing your own children!” While neither I nor my wife ever quite got mad enough at our own kids to consider killing them, we do understand the sentiment behind these words.

Of course, the Bible also has much to say about children and grandchildren. For instance, it repeatedly tells us that children are a blessing to those who have them. In one particular instance, the Psalmist (in chapter 127, verses 3-5) puts it this way:

3Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him. 4Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth. 5Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them.

To this, the writer of Proverbs (chapter 17, verse 6) adds that “grandchildren are the crowning glory of the aged”.

For our part, with three grown children, plus two daughters-in-law, a son-in-law, and four precious little grandsons, my wife and I can say that we have finally begun to appreciate all these words.

Indeed, these days, the highlight of our lives is to spend as much time as possible with each and every one of these God-given blessings!

Obviously, we cannot always be there with them in person. But at least we have the blessing of daily video clips forwarded to us by text and email. It was through one such recent video clip that the Lord spoke to me.

My daughter filmed her two year old son playing in the backyard sandbox that we had gotten him. While he is playing, she is holding his younger brother, age six months, in her lap. As the camera cuts back and forth, the latter is completely transfixed by his older brother barely three feet away.

The clip shows him keenly watching every move his older brother makes, and literally cackling out loud each time his brother does anything particularly noteworthy (such as tossing sand in the air or squealing with delight as he stamps his own feet in the sand, etc…) The caption she added to the forwarded clip said it all: “I can’t wait to grow up and join in the fun!”

The first time I watched the clip, I naturally delighted in the frivolity on display. Just seeing two of my grandsons laughing and having such fun was reward enough for the moment. But as I have watched it again and again, the Lord has spoken to me about a spiritual truth on display.

My youngest grandson is happy and content for two main reasons. First, he is in the arms of a loving parent, who has met all his needs – even those of which he is not yet fully aware.

Second, he has his eyes on his older brother, whose every word and action give him supreme joy and absolute delight. Indeed, his only desire in the clip seems to be to one day follow the example of his elder brother and emulate him in all that he does.

If you think about it, how like us this is! As born-again children of God, we are continually in His loving embrace. All of our basic needs have been, and continue to be, met by our Heavenly Father – even those of which we are not fully aware.

Nonetheless, He continually nurtures us and protects us and showers us with love. And even as we rest securely in His care, we fix our gaze upon the One Whom the Bible (in Hebrews 2:17; Romans 8:17, 29; and Mark 3:34-35) asserts to be our older brother, Jesus Christ.

In Him, we find our supreme delight! Thus, we are inspired to follow His example and become all we can become and experience all we can experience as a result!

I offer this simple prayer as I close:

“Thank you, Heavenly Father, for all you have provided for me. And thank you, Jesus, not only for saving me, but also for inspiring me and encouraging me to follow your example in order that I may experience all you have for me in this world and in the world to come! Amen.”

SCRIPTURE SOURCES: All Bible verses referenced above are available at: https://biblehub.com/.

SACRIFICIAL LIVING

5/26/2019

I do not know what all your Memorial Day weekend has thus far involved; or what all it may yet entail. There are plenty of parades, cookouts, reunions, concerts, and of course, fireworks shows to attend.

But I do know that for a lot of folks here in east Tennessee, it has also involved pulling for the lady Volunteers softball team as they have battled the Florida Gators in the NCAA Gainesville Super-Regional trying to advance to the Women’s College World Series.

Our daughter brought her two little boys over and we all watched the game together on Saturday, as the Lady Vols evened the best of three series at a game apiece. Alas, however, it was not meant to be, as the Lady Vols then went down in defeat in the rubber game of the match on Sunday afternoon. But we enjoyed the games nonetheless.

As we watched, we also reminisced together, for my daughter played a lot of fast-pitch softball down through the years. For years, my wife and I literally hauled her to tournaments all over the southeast. Later on, she was privileged to be a part of a high school state championship team as well.

I learned a lot about softball watching all those games down through the years. For instance, rarely does one team actually blow another team out. More often, the games are quite close, and come down to being won by just one or two runs.

What is more, very often in close games, a team will work together to “manufacture” a run.

This is how it worked when my daughter played. She was not a power hitter; but she could absolutely scoot around the bases. For this reason, she was often the lead-off batter.

When she came to the plate, her job was to get on base most any way she could, she was to coax a walk, to lay down a bunt, even to get on by an error. Most any way she could, her job was to get on base.

Then, once on first base, her next job was to steal second base. Over the years, she got good at that. She would worry the opposing pitcher and/or catcher mercilessly, feigning a steal, until she finally caught one or both of them off guard. At that moment, off she would go, speeding toward second base, and usually managing to slide in just ahead of the attempted tag after the throw down from the catcher.

Now, if all of this happened as planned, the most important step in the sequence came up. The job of the number two hitter was then to lay down a sacrifice bunt in order to get my daughter on over to third base. Once this was accomplished, with only one out and the power hitters due up, most any ball hit out of the infield, either on the ground or in the air, would easily allow the run to score from third base!

Looking back, while I was always happy whenever we got a run this way, I have to admit that I often felt sorry for the number two hitter. You see, unlike the base runner, or the power hitter, she never got the glory!

What is more, because of her role, her own personal offensive statistics suffered terribly. Her personal batting average, her personal on-base percentage, her personal “RBI” (or “runs batted in”) totals, her personal runs scored totals, and even her own chance to steal bases herself – all these statistics suffered in comparison to those of her team members!

Yet, without her willingness to sacrifice, the “manufactured” run would not have been scored. As a result, quite often, the game itself would not have been won!

And there you have it! Sacrifice is a powerful thing. Nonetheless, it is always costly to the individual undertaking it! However, without sacrifice, the cause is not advanced, the victory is not won!

This Memorial Day weekend, remember all those who have willingly sacrificed to give us what all we now have. Remember the men and women of our nation’s armed forces who willingly laid down their lives for our political freedoms. Statistics tell us that over the centuries, some 1.2 million individuals have died in service of our country, helping to guarantee the rights we enjoy each and every day.

Beyond this, as you have opportunity, seek out and thank any veterans and service members you know for their willingness stand on the line and, if need be, go into harm’s way, on our behalf!

Above all, remember the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who willingly gave His own life that we may have spiritual life –and have it to the full! Be sure to express your gratitude to Him as well. And take every opportunity to share the good news made possible by His sacrificial death, burial, and resurrection!

STAKING OUR FUTURE

5/23/2019

A few days ago, Reuters News service ran the story of the 'Golden Spike' event, marking the 150th anniversary of the driving home of the final spike that signified the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad. At the time, a single spike cast in 17.6-karat gold was driven into the ground, officially connecting the newly finished rail line that ran for more than 1,750 miles (2,816 km) between Sacramento, California, and Council Bluffs, Iowa.

The article discussed how thousands of visitors were convening for a day full of speeches and music designed to culminate in a historical re-enactment marking this very significant event in American history. Actually, the (now completed) "Golden Spike" celebration, taking place on a remote bluff in northern Utah 66 miles (106 km) northwest of Salt Lake City called Promontory Summit, was designed as a three day event lasting from May 10-12, 2019.

It was here (in what is now a national historic park), back on May 10, 1869, that the Central Pacific Railroad from the west was joined to the Union Pacific Railroad from the east. The driving of this one last “golden” spike, coming shortly after a divisive and bloody civil war, marked not only the culmination of a six-year feat of 19th-century engineering, but also the symbolic joining together of a once divided but now unified nation from coast to coast.

At the time, in what was widely regarded as one of the nation's first media events, the original ceremony was announced by telegraph, as the single-word message "Done" was flashed across the country.

Of course, the original commemorative golden spike was immediately replaced by an ordinary iron spike in 1869. It is now on display with several related artifacts in Salt Lake City at the Utah State Capitol.

The completion of the Transcontinental railway cut coast-to-coast travel time within the young nation from several months to just a week. This in turn, greatly accelerated the settlement of the American West, helping to drive the notion of “Manifest Destiny” so popular among the American populace at the time.

As I reflected on the significance of the events referenced in this article, I thought about the importance of having a vision, and of seeing that vision through to its completion. If ever any single object signifies such a notion, surely the driving home of the famed “Golden Spike” does. The American people in the post-civil war era were clearly driven to embrace their future on the world stage as a leader among nations.

But there was another spike, equally as important as this last “golden” one, which was also driven into the ground on that Transcontinental Railroad project. And that was the very first one! I assert this because any project, any goal, any dream can never be completed unless it is first begun!

Wise men of every generation have understood this simple principle. The renowned Greek philosopher Plato is reputed to have once said that the beginning is the most important part of the any work. Likewise, Lao Tzu, the famed Chinese philosopher, also understood this principle when he said that a journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.

How astute these two men were. For if one never begins anything, how can one ever hope to complete anything? Similarly, how can anyone ever hope to go anywhere if he or she does not ever take the first step in that direction?

As we reflect on these things, we might well ask ourselves some important questions. Where are we currently in life? Where might we feel led to go from here in life? What might we feel led to accomplish henceforth in life?

Having a vision is crucial for life. The Bible itself tells us (in Proverbs 29:18) that where there is no vision, the people perish. Without a vision, without a dream, we wither and die. I hope each of us will always have some vision for the future that gives us a reason and a purpose to go forward in life.

Of course, as we dare to dream about our future, and the manifest destiny we believe God has for us, we must then decide how willing we are to embrace all of this. And ultimately, we must be willing to start by taking that first significant step. We must be willing to drive that most important of all stakes in the ground – the very first one!

In his speech at the Dedication of the Aerospace Medical Health Center in San Antonio, Texas, on November 21, 1963, President John F. Kennedy told the following story:

“Frank O’Connor, the Irish writer, tells in one of his books how, as a boy, he and his friends would make their way across the countryside, and when they came to an orchard wall that seemed too high and too doubtful to try and too difficult to permit their voyage to continue, they took off their hats and tossed them over the wall–and then they had no choice but to follow them.”

Why not toss your own hat over some wall? That is to say, why not face your own future? Why not seek to discover and then embrace your own destiny? Why not drive that first stake? And then keep on driving more and more successive stakes until the day comes when you celebrate your completed feat by driving that last great stake in the ground, symbolizing how far you have come, what all you have done, and above all, how committed you are?

After all, your future, indeed your very life, depends upon it!

SOURCES:

NEWS ITEM:
http://static1.businessinsider.com/golden-spike-event-marks-150th-anniversary-of-transcontinental-railroad-2019-5.

KENNEDY QUOTE:
https://coachcampus.com/coach-portfolios/coaching-models/wiebke-kleine-throw-your-hat-over-the-wall/.

OTHER QUOTES:
www.brainyquotes.com.

BIBLE VERSE:
https://biblehub.com/kjv/proverbs/29.htm.

“IT’S ME AGAIN, LORD!”

5/20/2019

My readers who reside in the east Tennessee area will likely have already heard or read about the subject of my blog post today. For the rest of you, just know that most every University of Tennessee sports fan is excited today as the UT Lady Vols Softball Team are now advancing to the Super Regionals in their attempt to reach Oklahoma City and play in the 2019 NCAA Women’s College World Series.

But what made the biggest headlines was what happened just before the game ended. According to a WVLT News article, the Lady Vols pitcher stopped the game with one strike left in order to meet the catcher halfway between the pitcher’s mound and home plate - in order to say a prayer together. The article states:

“Tennessee pitcher Matty Moss was one strike away from sending Tennessee to the super regionals on Saturday, when she called for time, stopping the game, momentarily. The crowd, which was in a frenzy at the time, became nearly silent. She held hands with her catcher for a matter of seconds, before smiling and returning to action.”

After the game, reporters asked Tennessee Co-Head Coach Karen Weekly about the brief incident. To which she replied:

“It was a prayer. That's what Matty does. When Matty needs to calm down, she calls the catcher out. She says, ‘grab my hand.’ I don't know who does the praying. I don't know if it's out loud or silent because I've never been a part of it; but it's a prayer!”

Coach Weekly told the reporters that she was fully aware of what Moss was doing when she called for time and went out and met the catcher. She concluded:

“I love it. If that's what gets Matty calmed down, she can pray every pitch ... Yeah, amen!”

Little wonder, for after her prayer, Moss promptly returned to the mound and ended the game exactly two pitches later - with a strikeout!

Prayer is indeed a wonderful thing. It has many effects, to be sure. God certainly answers our prayers, especially those we offer on behalf of others and their concerns. But prayer also has benefits for those of us who actually undertake it. Dr. Charles Stanley suggests fourteen benefits of prayer in the lives of believers who pray regularly. He asserts that regular prayer…

(1) provides timely direction, (2) prevents wrong decisions, (3) eliminates worry and anxiety, (4) produces peacefulness, (5) invites God into our activity, (6) produces confidence, (7) eliminates fretting, (8) sharpens discernment, (9) gives us energy, (10) prevents distractions, (11) reminds us to act now, (12) protects us from discouragement, (13) opens doors of opportunity, and (14) helps us discern between busyness and fruitfulness.

I do not necessarily know what all Matty Moss was seeking in her prayer. But as her own coach later affirmed, her conversation with God apparently allowed her to calm down and continue to compete effectively. And through her example, I have been reminded that it well behooves me to talk to God on a regular basis – not only for the effects of my prayers in the lives of others, but for the benefits it has to offer me as well.

Perhaps this is exactly what the Apostle Paul had in mind when he admonished the Thessalonians (and us through them) to “pray without ceasing” (I Thess. 5:17). Maybe, just maybe, the more we talk to God, the bigger a difference it makes in our lives!

And for this very reason, maybe, just maybe, some of the sweetest words heard up in Heaven were summed up by Rev. F.C. Barnes years ago:

Troubles come and I can’t find an answer;
Lonely nights I spend in agony.
I have no other friend that I can turn to;
So here I am Lord back upon my knees.

It’s me again Lord; I’ve got a prayer, I need an answer.
It’s me again Lord; I’ve got a problem I can’t solve.
Well I don’t mean to worry you; but here I am facing something new.
And I need help that only comes from You; it’s me again Lord!

It's me again Lord; With a pain, I need Your healing.
It's me again Lord; With a burden I cannot bear.
As I cope from day to day, keep me Lord lest I stray.
I need Your help every day; It's me again Lord. It's me again Lord!

It's me again Lord; With a door I cannot open.
It's me again Lord; Will you please open it for me?
There are hills that I have to climb; In Your word, Your help I find.
I need Your help all the time. It's me again Lord. It's me again Lord!

Amen!

SOURCES:

NEWS STORY: https://www.wvlt.tv/content/news/Lady-Vol-pitcher-stops-game-to-pray-with-one-strike-left-510151211.html.

SEE ALSO: https://www.intouch.org/Read/Blog/14-benefits-of-prayer.

SCRIPTURE: https://biblehub.com/1_thessalonians/5-17.htm.

SONG LYRICS: https://www.lyricsbox.com/reverend-f.c.-barnes-and-company-it-s-me-again-lord-lyrics-3bng78k.html.

“I MUST DECREASE THAT HE MAY INCREASE!”

5/17/2019

It’s been a busy couple of days for the Jackson family. But it has also been quite a profitable time; for the Jackson tribe has now increased yet again!

In the years after my wife and I were married, we were blessed with three wonderful children. During this time, we were lovingly referred to as the Jackson 5. In time, our three children were each married; and I suppose we then became the Jackson 8.

Thereafter, our tribe increased again as the Lord began to bless us with grandchildren. And now, over the last two days, we have welcomed our fourth grandson. This most recent addition has brought our total number from the Jackson 11 to the Jackson 12. Now, any way you look at it, that is an increase of just under ten percent in nine months. (Would that my investment accounts had performed so well in that same time period!)

If you think I am brimming with pride, you should see my son. He has a grin on his face the size of the Grand Canyon! Last night, as we sat and talked, he reiterated what he had already told me once before – the fact that, with the birth of his first child, his life is now changing forever!

“You know, Dad,” he said, “I have been so blessed in life. The Lord gave me a wonderful family and home in which to grow up. When the time was right, I came to know Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. Later, as I grew up, I finished school and got to go to college; and I was then given the opportunity to pursue a career in something I absolutely love doing. Later, in God’s perfect timing, I met the most beautiful girl in the world; and she eventually consented to become my wife. And now, God has given me a son to carry on our family name!”

I acknowledged all he was asserting. But it was clear he was not done. He continued: “At every juncture along the way, as I have lived my life, I have had to face changes. And now, with the birth of my son, I know my life has changed once again – only this time, it has changed in a way that it has never changed before.”

“You see, up until now, my wife and I have pretty much done whatever we wanted to do. We have gone wherever we have wanted to go, and pursued whatever we wanted to pursue. For us, that has meant going wherever we wanted to go on vacation, or driving whatever type of vehicle we wanted to drive, or even living wherever we wanted to live, etc… “

He went on: “For me personally, that has meant that whatever I wanted, within reason, I just went out and bought it. If I wanted a new tool, I went out and bought it. If I wanted a new piece of hunting gear, I just went out and got it.”

At this, he paused. And then he said: “But now, we have this precious little life that God has entrusted to us. Now, we have the responsibility to protect him and to provide for his needs and to see that we raise him up in the fear and admonition of the Lord – just as you and mommy did for me. From now on, the needs, concerns, and well-being of our son all trump our own wishes, desires, and choices. That’s a pretty heavy thought, you know?!”

I agreed with him; and then let him know that I affirmed him in his conclusions, as well as his commitment to learn to become less focused on himself and more sacrificial on behalf of those whom God had entrusted to his care.

As I did, I was reminded of a story that I referenced in a blog post way back in October of 2010 titled “A LIFE THAT MATTERS”.

In 1805, while somewhere near the Continental Divide in the Rocky Mountains exploring the vast expanse of wilderness acquired two years earlier in the Louisiana Purchase by President Thomas Jefferson, Captain Meriwether Lewis of the famed Corps of Discovery made the following journal entry on what was his thirty-first birthday (August 18, 1805):

“This day I completed my thirty-first year, and conceived that I had in all human probability now existed about half the period which I am to remain in this sublunary world. I reflected that I had as yet done but little, very little indeed, to further the happiness of the human race, or to advance the information of the succeeding generation. I viewed with regret the many hours I have spent in indolence, and now sorely feel the want of that information which those hours would have given me had they been judiciously expended.

But since they are past and cannot be recalled, I dash from me the gloomy thought and resolved in (the) future, to redouble my exertions and at least endeavor to promote those two primary objects of human existence, by giving them the aid of that portion of talents which nature and fortune have bestowed on me; or in future, to live for mankind, as I have heretofore lived for myself."

Ironically, my own son turns thirty-one on his very next birthday. At pretty much the same juncture in life, he too has reached pretty much the same conclusion as did the famed Meriwether Lewis – which is to live in the future for others as he has heretofore lived for himself!

I suppose I now owe it to my son to tell him that I too went through just such an epiphany. It was the births of him, his sister, and his brother at roughly the same juncture in my own life that drove me to similar conclusions.

I also trust that, if our Lord tarries His return, and my son lives to see his own son come of age, marry, and have children of his own, that the day will come when my grandson reaches these same conclusions on his own and then shares them with his father (and my son).

If and when that day comes, I hope my son has the same sense of satisfaction that I now have. For when all is said and done, most all of us protect and provide for our children in order to help them mature to the point that they are autonomous and can stand on their own two feet. But even more importantly, we do so in order that they can begin to glorify their Lord and Savior by learning to live a life of sacrifice on behalf of others.

The simple truth is that we are never more like Jesus Christ than when we give of ourselves and sacrifice on behalf of others. After all, as is recorded in the New Testament Gospel of John (chapter 13, verses 34 and 35), Jesus Himself once said: 34“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

The type of love Jesus referred to here is neither friendship love (“adelphos” in Greek), nor marital love (“eros” in Greek), nor even parental love (“storge” in Greek), but rather Godly, sacrificial love (“agape” in Greek).

It is the same sort of love the Bible references in that most famous of Bible verses (John 3:16) wherein we are told: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

Like Meriwether Lewis, my son is now onto something – that life is more about us living on behalf of others than it is about us living on behalf of ourselves. As the Bible makes plain, just as Jesus gave all He had to give on our behalf, may we learn to give sacrificially on behalf of others!

SOURCES:

PREVIOUS BLOG:
https://www.cleoejacksoniii.com/my-ongoing-thoughts/a-life-that-matters.

SCRIPTURAL REFERENCES:
https://biblehub.com/niv/john/13.htm;
https://biblehub.com/text/john/13-35.htm; and
https://biblehub.com/niv/john/3-16.htm.

PASSING IT ON

5/13/2019

My wife and I were blessed to spend yesterday, Mother’s Day, together with her parents, our three children, their respective spouses, and our three grandsons. What is more, we are even now sitting on go, as it were, as my daughter–in-law is expecting to go the hospital at any moment in order to deliver our fourth grandson.

As I shared previously, yesterday was the first Mother’s Day in my life without my own mother (who is now in Heaven). This fact, combined with so many new grandsons running around under foot, has led me to do a lot of thinking about how life progresses from one generation to the next, and also about how each generation does its part in producing and protecting the ensuing generation.

Bear all of this in mind as I now relate what happened to me when I came in and went walking late Sunday evening. The Lord obviously knew full well what was on my heart and mind. In what can only be described as His perfect timing, two things that have never happened to me before occurred while I was out walking.

As I approached the entrance to our subdivision, I noticed a Mockingbird on the ground. She seemed to be hurt, and was walking sideways, dragging what appeared to be a broken wing with her. While I took note of her situation, and felt pity, I made no effort to intrude on her space.

No sooner had I passed by, however, than I realized that she was not hurt after all. For only a few feet away from her in the grass was a small fledgling. Apparently, either accidentally or intentionally, one of her chicks had just left the nest. She was now protecting her offspring by attempting to serve as a decoy in order to lure any perceived predator(s) such as myself away.

I had seen such things enacted on nature documentaries on television many times. But this was the first time I had ever witnessed any such behavior in nature firsthand. It was impressive to say the least. I pondered all of this as I continued my walk.

About twenty minutes later, I rounded a curve and headed up a little grade that passes near a large shade tree. As I passed by, I heard a fluttering sound and felt a rush of wind pass extremely close to the top of my head. As might be expected, my natural reaction was to swirl around and simultaneously duck to the side as quickly as I could. As soon as I did, I realized what had just happened. I had been dive-bombed by a mother Swift bird, which obviously had young somewhere nearby.

As she gained attitude and prepared for another attack, I clearly heard her chicks chirping loudly in the tree beside me. I quickly concluded that, like the Mockingbird mother I had encountered not twenty minutes before, this mother was simply protecting her offspring.

Having reached this conclusion, I decided that the single best thing I could do under the circumstances was to “get out of Dodge”! I quickened my pace (ironically while walking backwards so as to protect my vulnerable side). She made two more passes before apparently concluding that I was no longer a threat.

These two episodes, coming back-to-back as they did on Mother’s Day of all days, certainly left an impression on me. A mother, by definition, is someone who has produced and then raised, or is raising, an ensuing generation of offspring. The vast majority of us have (or had) some such person in our lives. The sacrificial love practiced by mothers is something for which we are eternally indebted.

The two mother birds I encountered yesterday evening were only doing what comes natural to all mothers everywhere. They were protecting their children in an attempt to see them through to adulthood.

It is probable that these two mother birds will be outlasted by their offspring. Their fledglings in turn will likely one day grow up to produce and raise their own brood of youngsters, before they themselves pass on and give way to those who come after them. But in their time, like links in a chain, these two mother birds faithfully did their part to give and sustain life. They each laid their eggs, hatched their chicks, and bravely protected their hatchlings until the were ready to leave the nest. And in this way, life is renewed, generation by generation. Such is the way God has designed our world.

Of course, similar principles apply to us as well. Forty or fifty years ago, my two sisters and I celebrated Mother’s day with our mother and grandmothers. A few years later, we were joined in this celebration by our respective spouses, and then by our children. Along the way, however, our grandmothers went on to Heaven. Three years ago, my mother was still alive; and I had no grandchildren of my own. Now, my mother is in Heaven; and I will soon have four grandsons.

What do we make of this? That each generation, in its time, did its part. In her time in this world, my mother did her best to provide for and to protect her children. She cared for us and nurtured us until we were old enough and mature enough to make it on our own in this world

Having accomplished this, she then helped us and our spouses to raise our own children. And once she had fulfilled these responsibilities and all the other purposes for which God had created her, she went home to Heaven to be with Him as her Lord and Savior. If the truth be known, I will have to get to Heaven myself one day before I truly discover just how hard my mother worked and just how much she sacrificed on behalf of me and others in this world.

These days, for the most part, my wife and I have now raised our own children; but we are still busy helping them to rear our grandchildren to maturity so that they too can one day function as autonomous individuals in the world in which they will live. At some future point, when the time comes that all of our own earthly tasks will have been completed, we too will pass on to Heaven.

But until then, I am thankful for the opportunity to be a part of the chain of life which God has created, and through which He works His miracle of creation with each successive generation. I fully recognize and acknowledge all that has been done by those who have come before me, as well as the role they have played in giving me life and raising me to maturity.

Equally as important, I plan to give as much as I can in return to those to whom God has now given life through me. I pledge to do all I can to see them through to maturity as well. For in this way, I help to pass life on. I help life to be renewed. More importantly, I help to fulfill at least part of the reason for which God created me.

HONOR THY MOTHER!

5/9/2019

As “Mother’s Day”, 2019 rolls around, I thought I would share a very convicting story posted by the good folks over at www.Ministry127.com. It seems that…

President Abraham Lincoln once summoned an Army surgeon to the White House. The major assumed that he was to be commended for some exceptional work. During the conversation, Mr. Lincoln asked the major about his widowed mother. “She is doing fine,” he responded.

“How do you know?” asked Lincoln. “You haven’t written her; but she has written me.” Lincoln continued, “She thinks that you are dead; and she is asking that a special effort be made to return your body.”

At that, the Commander-in-Chief placed a pen in the young doctor’s hand and ordered him to write a letter letting his mother know that he was alive and well.

My own mother passed away on May 23, 2018. At the time, Mother’s Day, which fell on May 13, 2018, had already passed. Consequently, Mother’s Day of this year (May 12, 2019) will be unique for several reasons.

Obviously, it will be the first time my sisters and I have ever faced a Mothers’ Day without her presence here in our midst. It will also be the first Mother’s Day in my adult life when I have not sent her flowers, a card, and/or a gift – all of which have been followed up by a personal phone call.

In the fifth of the famed “Ten Commandments” (first found in the Old Testament Book of Exodus, chapter 20, verse 12), the Holy Bible admonishes us to “honor our mother”. The Book of Proverbs (in chapter 31, verse 28) underscores this admonition by reminding us that the children of a virtuous woman rightly “arise and call her blessed”.

For my part, I am now more thankful than ever before that, to the best of my knowledge, whenever I was given the opportunity to honor my own mother on this special day, I was faithful to do so. I say this, not to sound braggadocios, but rather because I now no longer have the opportunity to do this very thing.

My mother is now in Heaven; and that time has passed. For my sake and hers, therefore, I am more thankful than ever before that whenever God prompted me to acknowledge and honor her while I had the opportunity, I found the time to respond as I should.

Are you in a similar situation to mine? Is your own mother no longer with you? Is she also now in Heaven? If so, then I hope you have a similar testimony to mine.

Conversely, is your own mother still alive? Is she still present in this world? If she is, then you might consider this very blog post a subtle reminder from God to seek her out this Mother’s Day weekend and to find some special way to honor her.

If the Lord tarries His return, then the day will surely come when you can no longer do this very thing! And take it from me, when that day comes, you will find yourself asking whether or not you did all you could to let her know just how much she meant to you!

STORY SOURCE:
http://ministry127.com/resources/illustration/write-your-mother.

SCRIPTURE SOURCES:
https://biblehub.com/exodus/20-12.htm;
https://biblehub.com/proverbs/31-28.htm.

MOTHER’S NATURE

5/6/2019

Years ago, the little publication titled Bits and Pieces contained the following story:

A teacher asked a boy this question: "Suppose your mother baked a pie and there were seven of you - your parents and five children. What part of the pie would you get?" "A sixth," replied the boy. "I'm afraid you don't know your fractions," said the teacher. "Remember, there are seven of you." "Yes, teacher," said the boy, "but you don't know my mother. Mother would say she didn't want any pie."

As I re-read this little piece earlier today, two things came to my mind. The first is the noticeable parallel to the noble or virtuous wife as found in the Old Testament Book of Proverbs, chapter 31, verses 10-31:

10 A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies.
11Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value.
12She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.
13She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands.
14She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar.
15She gets up while it is still night; she provides food for her family and portions for her female servants.
16She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.
17She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks.
18She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night.
19In her hand she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers.
20She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy.
21When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet.
22She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in fine linen and purple.
23Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.
24She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes.
25She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.
26She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
27She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.
28Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her:
29“Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.”
30Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
31Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

Take particular note of verse 15, which has to do with the provision of food for loved ones. Though separated by some three thousand years, the mother depicted in the story and the woman depicted in Proverbs bear a striking resemblance. Both are very loving, devoted, hard-working, and self-sacrificing individuals who seem to care more for the needs of others than for themselves.

The second thing that comes to mind is that there have been a great many such women in my own life. My own two earthly grandmothers and my beloved mother are all represented in both the story and the Proverb. So is my precious mother-in-law. While the former three are all now in Heaven, my precious mother-in-law is alive and well in this world.

As Mother’s Day, 2019 approaches, I can only trust that my two grandmothers and my mother all passed on to their eternal reward fully aware that I was appreciative for all they had done for me.

And as my mother-in-law now lives out her retirement years, I plan to do all I can to communicate to her just how thankful I am for what all she has done for me. For I fully realize that it was in large part due to her hard work and great sacrifice that my wife and I have been as richly blessed as we have in life.

For these reasons, if and when she reads this, I hope she hears me saying: “Thank you for all you have given on my behalf!”

Perhaps you too have a grandmother, a mother, or a mother-in-law who have sacrificed greatly on your behalf. If so, and if any of them are still alive, would not this week be an appropriate time to seek them out and let them know how much they have meant to you?

After all, the concluding verse of Proverbs 31, verse 31, admonishes us to do just that: “Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.”

SOURCES:

POEM: Bits and Pieces, June, 1990, p. 10. Also available widely online. See, for instance, https://www.preaching.com/sermon-illustrations/illustration-mothers-sacrifice/.

SCRIPTURE: https://biblehub.com/niv/proverbs/31.htm#footnotes.

MUSCLE-HEADED?

5/2/2019

Long ago in America, before the fitness craze had yet hit, health enthusiasts hung out mainly on or near beach front communities. This was often true of weightlifters, and especially of bodybuilders, most of whom lived in places like the Jersey shore, south Florida, and especially southern California.

As early as the 1930s, spots like "Muscle Beach" in Santa Monica, California (outside Los Angeles) in particular were becoming noted for musclebound marvels that frequented the sand and surf. There they appeared regularly over the next few decades, flexing for fans, posing for photo shoots (in muscle magazines), and not infrequently, starring in specific genres of movies, such as “beach party” and/or “sword and sandal” epics.

However, in the late 1960s and early 1970s, as more and more baby-boomers came of age, weightlifting in general and bodybuilding in particular became more and more popular, eventually moving into mainstream American culture. As a result, weight rooms, gyms, and fitness facilities cropped up all across America. By the 1980s, many local “mom and pop” local gyms had been replaced by nationwide fitness chains.

Early on as this transition unfolded, the media picked up on the phenomenon, and helped to disperse it. Gary Gulbranson, writing in Leadership magazine, recounts a now famous scene that once unfolded on the "The Merv Griffin Show" during this time.

Merv’s guest for the day was a certain bodybuilder. During the interview, Merv asked "Why do you develop those particular muscles?" The bodybuilder simply stepped forward and flexed a series of well-defined muscles from chest to calf. The audience applauded.

"What do you use all those muscles for?" Merv asked. Again, the muscular specimen flexed, and biceps and triceps sprouted to impressive proportions. "But what do you USE those muscles for?" Merv persisted. The “muscle-headed” bodybuilder was more than a little bewildered. He simply did not have any answer other than just to stand there and display his well-developed frame.

Dr. Gulbranson goes on to write: “I was reminded that our spiritual exercises - Bible study, prayer, reading Christian books, listening to Christian radio and tapes - are also for a purpose. They're meant to strengthen our ability to build God's kingdom, not simply to improve our pose before an admiring audience.”

How right he is! In his First New Testament Letter to the Corinthians (chapter 8, verse 1), the Apostle Paul admonishes his hearers not to be caught up in merely amassing lots of spiritual knowledge, for doing so only puffs one up! Instead, he encourages believers to put that knowledge, gained through repetitive spiritual discipline and consistent spiritual exercise, to good use by loving others.

Biblically, to love someone is to seek his or her highest good at all times and in all ways. And surely this is what it means to put the results of all of one’s spiritual discipline and exercise to some good use! For this reason, Christians, above all people, must be careful not to become spiritual muscle-heads!

For like a bodybuilder with gigantic muscles who does not find some good purpose for which to employ them, so is a Christian who is puffed up with knowledge from extensive amounts of Bible study, church attendance, Christian books, tapes, CDs, conferences, workshops, retreats, etc… without ever finding a way to put all of this knowledge to work for the good of others!

Now, please do not misunderstand me. I am not contending for us as Christians to live lives devoid of spiritual discipline. I am, however, contending that we as believers should also strive to put the results of all of our spiritual discipline and exercise to work for some higher purpose. Otherwise, we run the risk of narcissism!

And need I remind you that, for men and women who purport to follow Jesus Christ, nothing could be more incongruous? After all, everything Jesus did was on behalf of and for the benefit of others – even to the laying down of His very life!

STORY SOURCE: Gary Gulbranson, Leadership, Summer, 1989, p. 43. Dr. Gulbranson is Senior pastor at Westminster Chapel in Bellevue, WA. Cf.: https://www.westminster.org/gary-gulbranson-senior-pastor/ as well as https://www.westminster.org/history/.

SCRIPTURE SOURCE: https://biblehub.com/niv/1_corinthians/8.htm.

NOTE: Narcissus was an individual in ancient Greek mythology who, upon seeing his own reflection in a pool of water, became so enamored with the image he saw that that he remained frozen there in admiration of himself until he died. Cf.: https://www.ancient.eu/Narcissus/.