Blog Archives

PEACE OF MIND (AND HEART AND SOUL)

8/31/2021

It is often said that lightning never strikes twice in the same place. Maybe, maybe not; I do not know for sure. But after today, I do know that one other rare phenomenon of nature can, in fact, be experienced twice.

Back in 1985, Hurricane Gloria plowed her way up the east coast of the United States. My wife and I were at home that day in our apartment in Princeton, New Jersey as the storm passed over with its strong winds, dark clouds, and torrential rains, when all of a sudden, the winds died down, the rain let up, the clouds departed, and the sun amazingly began to shine.

We made our way outside, where we mingled with our neighbors for a brief few moments in what we knew to be the eye of the storm. Sure enough, after some twenty or so minutes, the winds picked back up, the sun disappeared behind darkening skies, and the rain began to fall before soon returning to the inundation level it had been at a half hour or so before, and which it was to maintain for the next several hours.

Obviously, it was a very memorable experience that I would not soon forget. This was due, in part, because I never imagined that I would go through this experience again. Until today, that is. Last evening, Hurricane Ida, initially a Category 4, but now downgraded to a tropical storm, made her way north from the Gulf of Mexico, and moved into Tennessee. After a spate of gusty winds, the skies darkened and the rains came. And they fell all night and all morning until after lunch.

Then, suddenly, once again, my wife brought to my attention the facts that the rain had let up, that the skies had cleared, and that the sun was actually shining. While it was tempting to think that the storm was over, the weather app on my smart phone confirmed what experience had already taught us – we were once again in the eye of the storm.

Granted, Hurricane Ida was now greatly diminished. Albeit, she was still a significant storm. And she still had a punch to pack. True to form, some twenty or so minutes after her eye passed over us, her back half unleashed its fury. The clouds returned and the rains began to fall. They have now continued for the last six hours, and are expected to do so for the remainder of the night and most of the day tomorrow.

What can we make of this? To begin with, while I have never been directly struck by lightning, I have nearly been struck by lightning on multiple occasions. To my knowledge, at least three times in my life, a blue streak has passed within a few feet of me so clearly that the hair on my head and body stood on end. I pray that is as close as I ever get to getting struck by lightning!

But while I have never been struck by lightning, I have lived through the eye of the storm, so to speak – not just once, back in 1985, but once again, here in 2021.

And yet, truth be known, I have lived through the eye of the storm many more times than this. My life has been no different than that of any other person who has ever lived in that I have lived a life fraught with its share of difficulty. Like you, I am no stranger to storms. None of us is.

As more than one preacher has put it, every single person alive today is either:

1. Just now coming out of a storm; or
2. Just now in the midst of a storm; or else,
3. Just now about to go into a storm!

In light of this, the real question is: “How do we live in light of this principle?” And the answer, as best I can assert, is that we need to learn to look for peace in the midst of the inevitable storm.

As we all know, storms are a given in life. But that does not necessarily mean that we must endure them with no respite! The Bible makes this plain. Psalms 57:1 puts it this way: “Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in you my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by.”

In my life, I have faced many storms. But I have never faced a storm when there was not some degree of God’s peace to be found in the midst of it! For that, I am grateful! As well as encouraged! Why? Because I know that this is proof positive that no matter what I go through in the future, I will never face it without divine support!

Time and again (in Psalms 31, 46, 57, 62, 91, 119, etc…), the Psalmist affirms that God was his refuge in the midst of difficulty. I affirm his testimony. And I give God praise for His peace in the midst of the storms of life!

Of course, what He has done for the Psalmist, and what He has done for me, He also promises to do for you, my friend! Will you not take Him up on this?

In Mark 4:35-41, the Disciples encountered a storm on the Sea of Galilee and cried out to the Lord in its midst. In response, Jesus faithfully stilled that storm. In the process, the Disciples found a little peace in the midst of that storm.

Are you in a storm? Then cry out to the Lord and He will surely give you peace. If and when you do, as the Apostle Paul puts it (in Philippians 4:7): “…the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

SCRIPTURE SOURCES:

https://biblehub.com/;
https://biblehub.com/bsb/mark/4.htm;
https://biblehub.com/philippians/4-7.htm.

SEE ALSO:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Gloria;
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Ida.

TRASH TALK!

8/27/2021

The New York Post carried an article by Zachary Kussin yesterday titled “Mom of 4 Ditches Job to Be a Dumpster Diver, Earning $1,000 a Week”. The Texas mom referred to in the title is one Tiffany She’ree. In addition to four children, she now has two million followers on TikTok.

The 32 year old left her job as a canteen server back in 2020 when she realized she could earn as much as $1,000 per week simply by selling off discarded items that she found by dumpster diving at local garage sales.

According to the article, She’ree is quoted as having said:

“I’d never heard of or thought about dumpster diving before I randomly saw a video on YouTube of these girls dumpster diving,” she told Media Drum. “When I saw the haul they came back with I knew I had to try it for myself.”

She took her first run at it back in 2017, and found skin care products and makeup valued at $1,200. Since then, accompanied by her husband, Daniel, she has been able to pay all their bills just from the resale of discarded items. What is more, the two of them have also furnished the bulk of their home with items they found in the trash.

Using TikTok, She’ree shows off recovered items from dumpsters outside of stores such as Victoria’s Secret, Party City, and Ulta. These items range from ones with slightly damaged packaging to returns that apparently could not be sold again.

One recent score was a $750 coffee machine from Bed Bath & Beyond along with assorted unopened makeup items worth hundreds of dollars. She added that other finds have included bedsheets, pillows, blankets, towels, little odds and ends, and even pet products like cat trees and dog cages.

To be sure, some have trashed her dumpster-diving efforts, even going so far as to accuse her as stealing. But what she is doing is actually legal. What is more, she contends that that if she hadn’t fished the goods from the dumpsters she hits, they would have simply gone into landfills. As she puts it: “I’m happy that I’m saving items from landfills and doing my bit to help the environment and keep the planet clean.”

As I read this article, I reflected back to my own childhood. When I was about ten years old, my father decided to start a garbage collection company. For five years of my life, part-time after school and full-time in the summer, I worked alongside him and his employees running trash routes and making regular trips to the county dump.

I remember one particular day when we arrived at the dump with a load of trash to make a dump. I exited the truck and stood at the edge of the c. 20 feet deep, 50 feet wide, 200 feet long trench excavated out by Mr. Marvin (the man who ran the county dump).

As my dad was backing the truck up, I glanced down and saw what could only be described as a box of pure treasure in the eyes of a twelve year old boy. For there sat a cardboard box about two feet long and one foot deep and chock full of little green plastic army men. Even from the great height, I could see that it had not only men, but trucks, cars, tanks, airplanes, buildings, and other assorted odds and ends.

My heart leapt within me. How could anyone discard such a gem? I would have given anything to possess such a prize. I immediately set about imploring my father and Mr. Marvin to allow me to descend into the pit and retrieve the beloved treasure. Seeing how much in earnest I was, they gave their consent, and I was gone.

I tore off down the length of the trench to the end where it was shallow and descended into its abyss. In no time flat, I had clawed my way through the plethora of trash and reached the box, gathered it in my arms, and lovingly carried it to safety!

Thereafter, I returned with my prize to the truck, where I placed it in the cab and saw it safely transported home with me. Once there, I unloaded the box and subjected the entire contents to a thorough wash job in a 35 gallon galvanized tub of soapy water.

As the day came to an end, I lovingly sorted each and every piece of what I would estimate to have been my new 500 piece army.

Over the remainder of that summer, I led my army to multiple victories as we vanquished foe after foe in the ditches of the dirt road where we lived fighting for truth, justice, and the American way. Never was there a single earthly commander who was so fond and so proud of his troops!

All of this is to say that I can relate to Tiffany She’ree. Like her, I willingly dove into a pile of trash to retrieve that which I valued. And in so doing, like her, I reflected what God has done for us in and though His One and Only Son Jesus Christ.

We as men and women were tarnished by sin, counted as damaged goods, and all but discarded for all eternity. But Jesus Christ valued us so highly that He chose not to give up on us. With the full blessing of the Father, He came down to where we were and retrieved us from the ravages of the pit. He sought us out and found us and washed us and made us clean. Then He formed us into a mighty army destined to win victory after victory under His leadership and in His name.

I still have my Army men. I love them too much to ever depart with them. And my Master still has me because He loves me too much to ever let me go! For that, I will ever be grateful!

STORY SOURCE:

https://nypost.com/2021/08/26/texas-mother-of-4-ditches-job-to-become-a-dumpster-diver/.

SEE ALSO:

https://www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/texas-mom-of-4-dumpster-diver.

SINGLED OUT…

8/24/2021

Turtles, as we all know, are somewhat interesting creatures. They are technically known as "testudines" (or "shelled animals"), meaning that they have a hardened external shell affixed to and surrounding their torso and abdomen, from which they extrude a retractable tail, four legs, and an extremely long neck leading to their head.

It is not uncommon to happen upon a turtle with its neck fully extended, revealing an appendage rivaled only by a giraffe. Such a sight shows us that their necks, when extended, can easily equal the length of their shells.

But turtles are also extremely shy animals. Typically, once encountered, they will quickly retreat into their shells in response to what they perceive as an uncertain situation. Little doubt this defense mechanism accounts for the longstanding survival of these creatures. Scientists tell us they are among the longest living animals in the natural world.

Of course, turtles have one other general quality as well. Let’s be honest - turtles are just not all that good-looking. In fact, their reptilian features make them ugly at best and repulsive at worst.

Given these principal qualities, excessive "shyness" and excessive "ugliness", it is easy to see why the humble turtle does not often get singled out by the press. In fact, apart from Aesop’s famous 2000 year old fable in which it races a rabbit and wins, few if any affirmations of the value of turtle-hood have been forthcoming. Nonetheless, two of these often overlooked creatures have been singled out in the headlines this week.

The first had to do with a turtle that tracked down, attacked, and then consumed a tern chic on Fregate Island in the Indian Ocean. To be clear, the seven plus minute video documenting the horrific affair was technically taken of a land tortoise rather than of a turtle. But hey, who’s splitting hairs in this shell game?

The hoopla surrounding this article seems to have to do with the fact that, heretofore, these animals were assumed to be herbivorous. But as the incontrovertible evidence presented in the video shows, we now know for certain that they are omnivorous, meaning that they eat both plants and animals as they have opportunity.

In and of itself, this is not necessarily all that surprising. Most animals with a limited food supply such as is found on a small isolated island, are opportunistic, and will gladly consume any form of sustenance that presents itself. We humans do this. Just let your pantry or fridge run low and see what all you are willing to consume!

The second news article, however, is a bit more intriguing. And also a bit more informative. It seems that a National Park Ranger recently discovered a two-headed turtle at the bottom of an egg nest on the Cape Hatteras, North Carolina National Seashore.

Nor is this the first such two-headed turtle found this year. It seems that another equally rare, two-headed turtle was found at Edisto Beach State Park in South Carolina by one of that park’s sea turtle patrollers. In both cases, it seems that the second head of the animal in question was attributed to a "genetic deformity".

The above referenced article continues:

"In response to a question about the animal’s wellbeing, the park wrote, 'This particular hatchling was released in the ocean along with the others found at the bottom of the nest during an excavation. And yes, you are correct! Park biologists identified it had good flipper function and was exhibiting overall good health.'"

All of this brings me to my point for this blog post…

The article began with seven simple words: "Two heads are still better than one." My response contains three words: "Really?! Says who?!"

Sure, in a communal setting, two heads may well be better than one. Personally, whenever I am faced with a major decision, I have learned the wisdom of seeking the input of others. But when it comes to an internal decision, two heads may not always be better than one.

Jesus, Himself, told us an individual cannot serve two masters! Either he or she will hate the one, and love the other; or else he or she will hold to the one, and despise the other!

Imagine being a hungry turtle and trying to decide which meal to pursue. Or how one mouth might react when the other gets a taste and it doesn’t. Or worse, imagine being pursued by a predator and trying to decide when and where to flee. For that matter, in the face of danger, how can two heads be withdrawn into a space designed to accommodate just one?!

Sadly, irrespective of what the so-called experts might have to say, a two-headed turtle is not likely to survive for very long out in the natural world. If it does, it is in for a pretty rough go of things.
No, turtles are not designed to have more than one head. And neither are we.

The head is more than just the housing for one’s eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. It is the home of the brain, which rules over the body. And two brains trying to drive one body is untenable. The competing agendas would quickly confuse and overwhelm the other appendages through a continual flow of mixed signals, thereby compromising the efficiency of the body as a whole.

Little doubt this is what the Apostle James had in mind when he wrote in his New Testament Letter (chapter 1, verse 8), that "A double minded man is unstable in all his ways."

Thankfully, I know of no two-headed humans. But I know many double-minded people. And the latter always tend to face a rougher path in life than those who are single-minded, meaning that they are generally focused on a single goal, a single project, a single concern, a single focus, a single relationship, a single day, etc…

So before you go sticking your neck out too far, why not use your head?! Consider carefully what purpose you are ultimately intending to fulfill, which will then tell you what task you will first need to accomplish, and in turn what direction you will first need to head, as well as what step you will first need to take, etc...

Doing so may well single you out for a little easier life. It will likely single you out for a bit more productive one as well.

NEWS ARTICLE SOURCES:

https://www.foxnews.com/great-outdoors/vegetarian-tortoise-attacks-eats-bird;

https://www.foxnews.com/great-outdoors/two-headed-turtle-north-carolina-discovered-park-ranger.

SCRIPTURE SOURCES:

https://www.biblehub.com/matthew/6-24.htm;

https://biblehub.com/luke/16-13.htm;

https://biblehub.com/james/1-8.htm.

BREAKFAST AT SUPPERTIME…

8/20/2021

Up north, here in the good ol’ U.S.A., people tend to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Down south, of course, we also eat three times a day. The only difference is that we like to say that we eat breakfast, dinner, and supper. But, whether one eats “dinner” at noon or in the evening, most everyone seems to agree that three square meals a day tends to be the norm.

That being said, most everyone would also agree that whatever one chooses to eat at each one of these three meals is expected to be both qualitatively and quantitatively separate and distinct from what one traditionally consumes at the other two daily meals. Most everyone, but not completely everyone.

Witness what happened when I chanced upon my sainted mother-in-law busily preparing supper the other night. Her evening menu included bacon and eggs along with all the trappings typically associated with a hearty morning breakfast.

As I stumbled upon this scene, I was unexpectedly whisked back to my childhood. For there, too, my mother would occasionally choose to serve breakfast at suppertime. To be sure, this did not happen often. But oh the joy when it did! Sausage, bacon, scrambled eggs (almost always cooked with cheese), grits (swimming in butter), cathead biscuits, gravy, and all the associated trimmings would constitute this rare and special meal.

Around this same time, Audrey Hepburn purportedly enjoyed “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” up in New York City. But trust me, her satisfaction in doing so could have in no way compared to my own delight at consuming the occasional “breakfast at suppertime” down in rural Georgia!

As happy as these occasions made me, they seemed to have had an even greater effect on my father. To this day, I remember how he would giddily crumble his biscuits onto his plate, before adding in scrambled eggs and cheese, then crumbled sausage, and finally topping it all off with gravy in order to create a mixture that can best be termed a proto-breakfast casserole.

I do not know if there was a name for this concoction or not. Having followed his example and made my own, though, what I do know is that, while it may have been a bit mushy in texture, it was nonetheless a gastronomical delight to the taste buds!

In those days, the notion of eating breakfast at suppertime was an infrequent and wonderful treat that provided immediate satisfaction and lasting memories for an impressionable little boy seated at the kitchen table. But today, eating breakfast at suppertime has taken on a whole new meaning. Today, it has given me pause, and cause, to ponder certain things about life.

After all, what does breakfast represent if not the earliest part of each individual day? Conversely, what does supper represent if not the culmination of each individual day? Having breakfast at suppertime, therefore, is like coming full circle, is it not?

It is like finishing the day, tired though one may be, and weary as well from the multitude of things one has had to face throughout that day, by returning to the freshness and innocence of one’s first few hours within that day!

Maybe we each might benefit by trying to end each day with a little of the perspective with which we began it. If nothing else, it might well leave less of a bitter taste in our mouths as we rest up for the next day soon to dawn.

What approaches, activities, actions, etc. might you and I consider undertaking at the end of each day that would help facilitate such a small little blessing?

And here is another thought. Might such an approach be equally as applicable to one’s lifetime as it is to one’s daily grind? One thing transitioning to retirement has taught me is that there are wonderful blessings associated with returning to some of the simpler activities I once enjoyed.

Perhaps you can relate. Was there a time when you once relished simpler activities that you now seem rarely get to ever get to enjoy? Was it back before obligations related to fulfilling the responsibilities of life largely forced you to marginalize them to the point that they all but disappeared?

Whether it was spending a morning fishing or an afternoon making home-made ice-cream or an evening catching lightning bugs or a night watching old movies, taking time to rediscover and reengage in activities that bring joy and reduce stress is a productive and rewarding approach to life. These days, I’m enjoying breakfast at suppertime in the sense that I am finding times and places for just such goings-on; and trust me, the taste it leaves in my mouth is wonderful.

Oh, and one last thought. Time and eternity may well be designed to work this same way. The opening two chapters of Genesis depict a scene where man and woman, as God’s children, live in a wonderful time and place of innocence wherein they enjoy the blessings God intends them to experience.

Sadly, Genesis 3 saw that world spoiled. The good news is that, even though it was destined to take considerable time culminating in the ultimate sacrifice, the rest of the Bible tells us how God has gone about restoring that world (all of nature) to its proper order. This He did by redeeming its principal inhabitants (us, as human beings, created in His image) through the death, burial, and resurrection of His One and Only Son, Jesus Christ.

And now, when we read the closing chapters of Revelation, we see that there awaits us a new Heaven and a new Earth. And in that time and place, we will dwell forever while enjoying the simple blessings He intended all along for us to experience as His children!

Wow! The blessings of the Garden of Eden enjoyed forever in Heaven! Talk about “breakfast at suppertime”! I plan to be there! I plan to consume as much as is possible! And to never stop! I plan to have seconds and thirds and fourths and fifths and sixths and seventh helpings, world without end!

I hope you will be there too. You can be. After all, you too can have a place at the table. For the same One who said, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world,” (in Matthew 25:34) also said (in John 14:1-4), “There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, I would have told you. I am going to prepare a place for you. When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.”

This prompted Thomas to ask just how we can get to that wonderful place, to which Jesus famously replied, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one goes to the Father except through me.” There you have it - the key to the blessings God has prepared for us, described in the Bible as being so wonderful that they can only be said to consist of things “no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined”.

Imagine! Blessings at the ending that will far surpass those of the beginning! Sounds like the ultimate “breakfast at suppertime” experience! Sink your teeth into that!

SCRIPTURE SOURCES:

https://biblehub.com/matthew/25-34.htm;
https://biblehub.com/nlt/john/14.htm;
https://biblehub.com/1_corinthians/2-9.htm.

FROM WOAT TO GOAT!

8/16/2021

The recent headlines seem to say it all…

“Mixed Bag: Erratic Pandemic Olympics Come To a Nuanced End: The Tokyo Olympics, Christened With ‘2020’ but Held in Mid-2021 after Being Interrupted For a Year by the Coronavirus”;

“NBC Has 33-Year Low Viewership for Tokyo Olympics Opening Ceremony: ‘Not a Happy’ Benchmark: The TV Audience Dropped 37% from the Rio de Janeiro Opening Ceremony In 2016”;

“NBC's Tokyo Olympics Coverage Spurs 'Advertiser Anxiety' As Viewership Continues To Decline: Peacock Network’s Costly Event Shed 49% Of Viewers From 2016 Rio Games”;

“Tokyo Olympics Likely Will Be Least-Watched Of All Time: NBC Dogged By Disappointing Ratings for Summer Olympics Coverage”;

“NBC Tokyo Olympics Ratings 'Faceplanted,' Finishes With Smallest Summer Games Audience in Network History: Everything from Polarized Nation to Modern Technology Takes Blame for the Underwhelming TV Viewership”;

“NBC Sees 'Worst Case Scenario' As Olympics Ratings Plunge Amid 'Woke' Protests: Experts Have Pointed To Woke, Anti-U.S. Protests From American Athletes As Part Of The Lack Of Interest”.

I do not know if you watched the Olympics or not. For my part, I know full well why I chose not to watch them this year. But I will let my readers decide for themselves why the total viewership was so low.

That being said, there was one other Olympics related headline that quickly caught my attention: “Canada Olympian Penny Oleksiak Sends Message To 'WOAT' High School Teacher Who Doubted Her: Penny Oleksiak Has 7 Olympic Medals in Her Career”.

This last article tells the story of swimmer Penny Oleksiak, who won three medals for Canada at the Tokyo Olympics over the course of two weeks, giving her seven total Olympic medals, and making the 21-year-old the most decorated Canadian Olympic athlete ever.

According to the article…

“Oleksiak was a part of Canada’s team that won a silver medal in the women’s 4x100-meter freestyle relay and a bronze medal in the 4x100-meter medley relay. She also picked up a bronze medal in the women’s 200-meter freestyle.

Oleksiak picked up a handful of medals at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. She won a gold in the 100-meter freestyle, a silver in the 100-meter butterfly and bronze medals in the 4x100-meter freestyle and 4x200-meter freestyle.”

As the title of the article indicates, she now had a message for one of her former high school teachers:

“I just googled ‘Canada’s most decorated Olympian’ and my name came up. I want to thank that teacher in high school who told me to stop swimming to focus on school (because) swimming wouldn’t get me anywhere. This is what dreams are made of.”

In a follow-up tweet, she stated:

“Also in reference to my last tweet no shade at all towards teachers in general, my sister is a teacher and I see her inspiring kids everyday... Most of my teachers saw the vision and pushed me towards it. That one who constantly dragged me down though, WOAT (Worst of All-Time).”

As I read this story, I could not help but be reminded that the world is full of what I choose to call “dream-squashers”! Maybe you have heard of “dream-chasers”, “dream-weavers”, and/or “dream catchers”, but what about “dream-squashers”?

According to Webster’s dictionary, to squash something is: 1. “to press or beat into a pulp or a flat mass, to crush”; or else 2. “to put down, to suppress”. It goes without saying that we have all known our share of dream “putter downers” and/or “suppressors” who have taken it upon themselves to “press” down, “beat into a pulp”, or otherwise personally “crush” our own personal dreams!

As one who experienced more than his share of dream-squashers along the way, I can readily relate to her words. As a result, to all of these individuals, I would add a hardy “Amen” to Ms. Oleksiak’s condemnation. Their kind is deadly to anyone who would accomplish and/or achieve anything of ultimate consequence!

As a result, their perspective is simply unappreciated, unwanted, and above all, unwelcome! And for this reason, I simply choose not to listen to them. Their voice is only so much noise in my ears! Or, as Kevin O’Leary so famously puts it: “They (and their opinion) are now dead to me!”

Of course, all of this is meaningless if I, in turn, wind up becoming little more than a “dream-squasher” to others! May God help me to be an encourager rather than a discourager of others!

After all, if He has chosen to equip them with certain gifts, talents, and skills, then surely He intends for them to make use of these things for both His purposes and for His glory. And just who am I to undermine this?!

The Apostle Paul gives us instruction for building others up in Ephesians 4:29 when he says: “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” To this, in I Thessalonians 5:11, he later adds that we should “encourage one another and build each other up”.

To me, it sure sounds like these passages tell us that he is encouraging us to be dream supporters and not dream squashers! After all, who knows what all those we encounter and influence in life will one day amount to?! To be sure: we may not, but God certainly does! And how dare any of us undermine what He is up to in the life of any person He allows us the privilege to sway!

The folks over at NBC are said to have face-planted this year in regard to their Olympics coverage. While the evidence suggests that they did, they still might disagree. But even if they did fail miserably, their shortcoming is no less glaring than that of a certain unnamed high school teacher who long ago attempted to squash the dream of a would-be future Olympic athlete. I pray I will never be accounted among those who fail so miserably!

In short, when it comes to encouraging others, may I not be seen so much as a “WOAT” (Worst of All Time), but rather as a “GOAT” (Greatest of All Time)! Surely doing so not only edifies others but also glorifies Almighty God!

NEWS ARTICLE SOURCES:

https://www.foxnews.com/sports/mixed-bag-erratic-pandemic-olympics-come-to-a-nuanced-end';
https://www.foxnews.com/media/nbc-has-33-year-low-viewership-for-tokyo-olympic-opening-ceremony;
https://www.foxnews.com/media/nbc-olympics-coverage-spurs-advertiser-anxiety;
https://www.foxnews.com/media/clay-travis-tokyo-olympics-least-watched-ratings-tv;
https://www.foxnews.com/media/nbc-tokyo-olympics-ratings-faceplanted;
https://www.foxnews.com/media/nbc-olympics-ratings-plunge-woke-protests.

DICTIONARY SOURCE:

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/squash.

SCRIPTURE SOURCES:

https://www.biblestudytools.com/topical-verses/bible-verses-about-encouraging-others/.

HEARTBREAKER…

8/13/2021

I’m often asked how I like being “retired”. My usual jovial response is that I never realized that I would be spending the first year of my retirement getting ready to retire - which is exactly what I have been doing!

From selling our home and relocating to getting a new metal storage building built to drying in the existing garage, the past year has been filled with a succession of steps moving toward an ultimate goal that is only now coming to fruition.

As I write this, I am finally in the process of turning that existing garage into what can effectively be called “my space”. Some might see it as a “man cave”, and others, perhaps, as a “library”. I prefer to call it my “writing laboratory”, as that will ultimately be the purpose for which it will exist.

Now that it has been dried in, sheet rocked, painted, floored, and shelved, I am finally to the point where I can retrieve my books and related items and unbox them. Trust me, doing so is like becoming reacquainted with old friends who have not been seen since the spring of last year when they were first boxed up and put into storage.

As I have been unboxing these varied items, I have come across more than one surprise. But none of them can compare with what happened earlier today. I opened a box labeled “Office Decorations” and found a statue of Jesus. To my sorrow, its arm was broken. But the distress I experienced at this discovery was short–lived once I read the note taped to the statue.

That note, in familiar handwriting, said: “This was already broken when I packed it up. Sorry.” It was then signed, with love, by my precious wife. When I showed it to her later in the day, she confessed that she did not even remember having packed the item or having written the note. We laughed and agreed that before the unboxing was over with, it is likely that many more items will be found to have been broken as well.

As I have studied on the episode, however, I have reached an insightful conclusion. Granted, neither I, nor my precious wife, may have ever actually broken Jesus’ arm. But just how many times has either of us ever broken His heart?!

The New Testament Gospel of Luke, chapter 23, verse 61, tells us that just after the Apostle Peter denied Jesus for the third time, “The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.”

Wow! Talk about breaking Jesus’ heart! Who among us has not read this verse and wondered how Peter could do such a thing? And yet, who among us has not essentially done pretty much the same thing?!

Oh, sure, we may not have ever actually denied Jesus. But have we not, by some inappropriate thought, word, or action, broken Jesus’ heart just as surely as if we had denied Him like Peter did?

For my part, I readily confess that I am guilty here. My wife, as good a person as she is, affirms the same sentiment for herself. What about you? Are you just as guilty as the two of us? If so, don’t talk to either of us about it. Talk to the One your thoughts, words, or actions have offended. Talk to Jesus about it!

By the way, the good news is that Jesus later forgave Peter. John 21:1-17 records how, after His resurrection from the dead, Jesus appeared to Peter on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, forgave him, and reinstated him to his position as leader of the Disciples.

What can we learn from this? We can learn that Jesus knows we, like Peter, are not perfect. He knows we all fall short. He knows we are all apt to let Him down from time to down. More importantly, He is willing to forgive all of us of our shortcomings if we are willing to confess them and attempt to do better. As the Amplified Version translation of First John, chapter 1, verse 9 puts it:

“If we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just [true to His own nature and promises], and will forgive our sins and cleanse us continually from all unrighteousness [our wrongdoing, everything not in conformity with His will and purpose].”

For my part, I’ll gladly take Him up on this offer! What about you? Will you do the same? If not, just know that His heart will be broken in the process. And you will be to blame.

SCRIPTURE SOURCES:

https://biblehub.com/luke/22-61.htm;
https://biblehub.com/bsb/john/21.htm;
https://biblehub.com/1_john/1-9.htm.

GROWING WISER!

8/9/2021

In previous posts, I have referenced a metal garage building my wife recently had constructed as a place to put our old lawnmowers and such out of the weather. After almost a year, the final phase of that Covid-plagued construction project has now been undertaken.

About two weeks ago, we were finally able to get the exterior grading done around the building. Thereafter, we dutifully seeded the area with “Kentucky 31 Fescue” and overlaid it with wheat straw. It would have been nice if all was well that ended well. But alas, this was not to be.

Only this time, we could not blame the trouble on a shortage of building materials and/or labor brought about by the recent pandemic. This time, it would be the weather.

We would like to have proceeded with the grading process a couple of months ago; but at the time we were getting so much rain that the dirt in the ground was just too wet to grade properly. It was frustrating to wait week after week for the spring rains to lessen. Only after they did could we finally proceed.

And yet, after waiting for mid-summer so that the weather would allow for the dirt to dry out sufficiently enough that it could be shaped and molded, we now find that we have a whole new problem. It turns out that the same heat and lack of rain that is good for getting the dirt malleable enough to work is also bad for the newly sewn and straw covered seed.

The result is that we have now had to work overtime dragging water hoses around to various places surrounding the building in order to pump water to portable sprinklers – something we would not have had to do in the spring of the year. But these sprinklers are now indispensable, as they apply life-giving water to the otherwise sun-blistered seed.

Granted, these sprinklers are a poor substitute for actual rainfall. Mother Nature can easily pull off in the rare ten to fifteen minute downpour what it takes them more than an hour or two to accomplish artificially. But without them, as any landscaper knows, the seeds would remain dormant, and the grass would have no chance at life. Conversely, with them, the abundant sunshine pouring down now sparks life and allows it to flourish.

The result is that while we have spent a very taxing couple of weeks laboring away at the daily watering process, we finally have a good head start at a graded green patch of grass radiating away from the building in all directions. Even as I speak, the area now sports what amounts to a little “five-o’clock shadow” of green shoots that have emerged. And while these are still hard to see when looking down on them from a vertical perspective, they are quite visible when viewed from a horizontal perspective just a few feet away.

For my part, I did not grow up as the son of a landscaper; but I did grow up as the son of a farmer. And this whole process has reminded me of the cycles of the seasons, along with their resultant weather patterns, and the impact all of this combined had on the growing of crops. Ultimately, farming was always a humbling experience in that people could cultivate land and plant crops as hard as they might, but at the end of the day, they had no control over the weather or the harvest.

The Lord alone controls the rain, as He does the clouds, the wind, the sunshine, the temperature, and all other aspects of the weather. And these things, or course, ultimately determine the success of the crop. Our forebears, it seems, understood all of this, and accepted it.

Today, however, we tend to assume that we have mastered nature and subdued her, and therefore somehow control our own destinies. As we reside in our climate controlled homes largely shielded from the vagaries of the weather, we find it all too easy to forget that these are really only temporary, artificial environments.

Besides, mastering comparatively small enclosed areas is a far cry from controlling all outdoors. And if nothing else, the events of last two couple of months have served to remind me of just how impotent we all truly are in that regard.

But maybe that is not such a bad thing. Maybe it is fitting for each of us to be reminded periodically that we are ultimately not in control of what all happens in life. Like a large multi-vitamin pill, this truth may be a bit hard to swallow; but it is clearly to our benefit for us to embrace! For in recognizing that we are not always in control ultimately drives us to consider Who truly is!

Of course, the good news is that we can in fact know the very One Who does control the weather. We find Him identified in Mark 4:35-41 as He demonstrates His power to still storms. And He is also the One Who controls the growth of the grass in the field. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus affirmed this in the midst of stressing a far greater truth. In Matthew 6:25-34, He spoke of this saying:

25Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air: They do not sow or reap or gather into barns—and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

28And why do you worry about clothes? Consider how the lilies of the field grow: They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his glory was adorned like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

31Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32For the Gentiles strive after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.

34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today has enough trouble of its own.

These days, my wife I do what we can to improve and enhance both our own lives and the lives of those we know and love. But we do so fully cognizant of the fact that our efforts are but little without the assistance of the loving hands of providence. In short, we have grown a little wiser as we have grown a little fescue.

Thus, along with the apostle Paul, our testimony is that we may have planted and we watered, but God alone has caused the growth. As Paul testifies in 1 Corinthians 3:7, “So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth.”

We gladly choose to acknowledge the goodness of a loving Heavenly Father, and all the help that derives from this in our lives. May God be glorified - both through His acts and through our recognition of and testimony about them!

SCRIPTURE SOURCES:

https://biblehub.com/bsb/mark/4.htm;
https://biblehub.com/bsb/matthew/6.htm;
https://biblehub.com/bsb/1_corinthians/3.htm.

HERE AND NOW!

8/6/2021

The last year and a half certainly has brought about a lot of change for everyone the world over. It has been no different for my wife and me. During this eventful time, we have transitioned to retirement, finishing up a forty year ministry pastoral ministry career, selling our home of twenty years, moving to a new community, and settling into a new home - all in the midst of a worldwide pandemic.

That, in and of itself, is change enough. But, in addition to a new home and a new lifestyle, during this same time, we have been blessed with three additional grandsons, bringing the total to seven, all under the age of five.

On the other end of the spectrum, my wife’s parents, whom we care for, are in their late eighties approaching ninety. Little wonder then, that as my wife and I enter our sixties, both the past and the present have been much on my mind. Perhaps this is why a certain devotional I received earlier today really resonated with me.

Among the many such devotionals I receive digitally is one from an organization called “Lead Like Jesus”. Today’s edition, dated August 6, 2021 and titled “Back to the Present”, contained the following paragraph that really spoke to me…

“Some people are prone to dwell in the past, reflecting on and rehashing the successes and failures of earlier days. Some are forever dreaming of the future, reflecting on and rehearsing how it will be someday soon. To lead like Jesus involves learning from the past as God draws us into the future. Lessons from the past can enhance our vision, goals, strategies, and tactics. Seek God’s perspective on the past, present, and future, so that you can lead like Jesus today. Where do you need to respond to Jesus in faith by leading as He would today?”

Granted, the specific context of this devotional, written primarily for Pastors, is leadership in Jesus’ name among Jesus’ followers. But the principle it stresses is nonetheless applicable to all aspects of life for a follower of Christ.

Naturally, having reached semi-retirement, I regularly spend time these days reflecting on the past and its impact on my life, including my upbringing, my formative years, my education, my career, my faith, and the friends and family members who supported me in and through all of these stages. While everyone has some regrets, I can honestly say that my reflections have brought me far more moments of joy than sadness. But I do not want to become mired in the past.

In so many ways, this is all the more reason why I am thankful for my children and grandchildren. Their optimistic joy about the future helps to temper many a sad reflection about the past. And their ever present stress on the future and what it promises helps to keep me from spending too much time looking over my shoulder.

Perhaps the greatest lesson I have come to learn in the last year and a half is the importance of living in the now. The past, it has well been said, is a great place to visit, but certainly no place to dwell. If we choose to linger too long in that time and place, we run the very real risk of being held prisoner and eventually becoming entombed there.

By contrast, the future certainly holds promise. But always living there can have its dangers as well. This is especially true if we choose to dwell on what Denis Waitley once called “Someday Isle”, as in “Someday, I’ll do this or I’ll do that; someday, I’ll go here or I’ll go there; someday I’ll become this or I’ll become that; etc...” Be careful, for as Credence Clearwater Revival sang back in the day, there is a distinct possibility that “Someday Never Comes”! And to quote another oldie (this time from the Grass Roots), “They can't promise tomorrow, so let's live for today!”

After all, surely that is one of the important keys to life. Living in either extreme, past or future, for too long is clearly detrimental to our personal well-being. Therefore, the best way to avoid the ill effects of either extreme is to make a concerted effort to live here and now in the present.

Perhaps this is at least part of what the Apostle Paul had in mind (in Ephesians 5:16) when he was led to admonish us to “redeem the time”. We cannot change the past any more than we can control the future. But what we can do is to make the most of the present. Given the brevity of life and the fleetness of time, surely it behooves us, in the words of the Contemporary English Version translation of Ephesians 5:16, to “make every minute count”.

I am personally very thankful for all the wonderful memories I have of my yesterdays. And I am excited about the many dreams I still hold for my coming days. But ultimately, neither matter as much as does this very day! I intend, therefore, to make the utmost of it!

So, my friends, join me. Together, let's heed the admonition of Scripture and redeem the time. Let's do this by making the most of every God given moment in life. After all, each day is a gift from God that, once lived, can never be repeated. Each moment is an opportunity that, once squandered, can never be regained.

I leave you with the words of Denis Waitley, who always finished his famous poem with a simple, yet powerful challenge: “From this day forward, make it your vow, take ‘Someday I’ll’, and make it your now!”

SOURCES:

https://www.leadlikejesus.com/devotionals/back-present;
https://poeticblessings.com/2020/06/someday-isle/;
https://www.deniswaitley.com/.

SCRIPTURE:

https://biblehub.com/bsb/ephesians/5.htm;
https://biblehub.com/cev/ephesians/5.htm.

ANGRY BIRDS!

8/2/2021

A few weeks ago, my wife purchased and hung five brightly colored hummingbird feeders in the vicinity of our front and back porches. At first, we hardly saw any of the fast moving creatures. But over time, that all changed.

So much so that all that now comes to mind is the old adage that if you do not wish to catch a fish, then you should not dangle bait in the water! Suddenly, we are overrun with hummingbirds. At first, it was just one or two, then three or four. Now, it is not uncommon to count as many as a dozen or more literally swarming about the two porches. And here is where it gets interesting, for I never realized just how feisty these little birds can be.

Back in the day, Cassius Clay made famous a phrase about floating like a butterfly and stinging like a bee. He had nothing on these creatures. They are masters of the air. They float, they dart, they zig, and they zag. Indeed, unlike most members of the bird species, their method of flight is less like an airplane and more akin to a helicopter. Only no helicopter can move as swiftly and change direction as smoothly as can the humble hummingbird.

And yet, for all their grace in flight, they seem to be somewhat ornery in nature. I get that the experts tell us that they are supposedly tanking up for their annual migration down to South America. By any account, that’s quite a long flight; and any amount of sugar consumed now will likely pay handsome dividends later en route.

But it is quite evident that, having happened upon a food source, not one of them is willing to share it in any way. Each of the five feeders has five separate feeding stations. Theoretically, therefore, there is ample room for every bird to feed simultaneously. Yet no one bird seems willing to tolerate for one second the presence of any other bird!

All of this gives new meaning to the expression once made famous by a popular video game: “Angry Birds”! I say this because, on average, I would estimate that each bird spends thrice as much time fussing and fighting with his or her neighbors as it does alighting and actually feeding.

No sooner has a given bird landed to feed than its neighbors begin to bombard it incessantly. And the attack generally does not let up until the hapless creature relents and leaves its perch. Of course, once this has happened, the victim then immediately joins the fray and proceeds to attack the next quarry.

The result is that the air around our house has become akin to the skies over Midway Island in the famous World War Two battle. Imagine an aerial dogfight involving a dozen or more planes that goes on from sun up to sun down, and you have a picture of our little flock of hummingbirds vigorously pursuing their typical day.

As I sat this afternoon observing this spectacle for the umpteenth time, I could not help but think of how we must look to our Heavenly Father. In His magnificent goodness, He provides enough for all of His creation, including each and every one of us, to be blessed.

Yet, so many of us fail to recognize this principle; and instead, we pursue a life of selfishness with such intensity that we find ourselves constantly struggling not just to outdo, but also to overcome and vanquish our fellow man!

Should it not be enough that we are allowed to partake of and consume sufficient sustenance in life? Why must we not be satisfied with this, and instead seek to dominate and lord it over others, often to their detriment, and insuring that they consume, acquire, and/or become less than we do?!

The Bible uses a whole parade of animals to teach us important life lessons. Among these are birds, camels, dogs, donkeys, doves, fish, lions, quails, roosters, sheep, and even snakes. To this list, I would add a flock of hummingbirds. For in their daily pursuits, they have collectively reminded me of a few important lessons. Chief among these, perhaps, is that God has been good to me; and a result, I need to be good to others in return!

To do otherwise is to violate the clear teaching of Jesus Christ. After all, as is recorded in the New Testament Gospel of Matthew, chapter 18, verse 21-35, He once told a parable about a man who was forgiven a tremendous debt, only to go out and immediately demand payment from another who was indebted to him for a far smaller amount. Not surprisingly, the one who originally forgave this man’s debt, once he heard, was not pleased, and held him accountable.

Out of the goodness of her heart, my wife provided ample sustenance for every hummingbird in or near our place. Sadly, those who found it cannot seem to enjoy it for wishing to stick it to their neighbor! Needless to say, my wife (and I) are not all that pleased!

Does any of this sound familiar? To be sure, you may have a few hummingbird squabbles at your place as well. But that is not the intent of my question. And my suspicion is that you know that.

Let’s be clear. God has been good to both you and me. I trust that is enough; and that we will not therefore feel the need to combat, conquer, and defeat others in order to hoard all He has provided just for ourselves.

If we do, we can rest assured that He will not be pleased! And trust me, an angry bird is nothing compared to an angry God!

SOURCES:

ANIMALS IN SCRIPTURE: https://ministryspark.com/amazing-animals-series/.

PARABLE SCRIPTURE: https://biblehub.com/context/matthew/18-21.htm.