Blog Archives

PERFECTLY FLAWED

10/29/2021

Liz MacGahan reported on www.Newswer.com a few days ago that an enormous pumpkin has been disqualified from winning a $20,000 Prize due to a very tiny crack.

According to the article, the heaviest pumpkin in the USA this year was grown by Mike Schmit of Wisconsin. It weighed in at a whopping 2,520 pounds. But sadly, that “great pumpkin” will not be winning any ribbons, or prizes. Why? Because of a teensy, tiny crack.

It seems that, to win the Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off and the $9 per pound prize that accompanies it, the pumpkin in question has to be completely perfect. Sadly, Schmidt’s giant gourd developed a tiny defect as a result to a quirk in how it grew.

Though disappointed, Schmit is not giving up. He’s already planning for next year. He’s been growing big pumpkins since 2016, and along the way, has perfected his craft. Hence, he’s already planning to save the seeds from his near winner in hopes of growing another one.

And he knows that will take a lot of work. Schmit said he spent about 30 hours per week this past year tending to three enormous pumpkins. His near winner for this year grew more than 50 pounds a day, and needed 150 gallons worth of watering every day to accomplish that.

And even if he won’t be getting ant prize money this year, he is still having fun. According to Schmit, “Pumpkins are like ice cream—everyone loves them.” He further notes that when he takes his giant pumpkins out of the patch and into town, “kids stare and grownups take pictures”.

As I read this short article, many thoughts came to mind. To begin with, I don’t much care for pumpkins. To be sure, I enjoy looking at them during the traditional fall holiday season. But beyond a little pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving Day and an occasional pack of store bought pumpkin seeds in pace of sunflower seeds, I don’t consume much pumpkin.

What’s more, when we grew them on the farm where I grew up, I remember that their number one purpose seemed to be for fall décor. And whose job was it to lug them to their appropriate place before the holidays? You guessed it… Yours truly! And after the holidays passed, whose job was to lug them to the hog pen for consumption? Again, you guessed it.

Worst of all, no one ever told me I could have entered one of them in a contest to actually get a prize and/or money! Alas! How many times could my father’s hogs have consumed my reward?!

Now I get that not everyone grew up on a farm. And for this reason, my thoughts about farm life may not have any bearing here. But another may. Indeed, the most relevant thought I may have had as a result of reading this article could be this one: “In the pursuit of perfection, even the smallest of flaws is unacceptable!”

If the Old Testament teaches us anything, it teaches us this very thing. In his New Testament Letter to the Christians at Galatia (chapter 3, verse 24), the Apostle Paul states: “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.”

Paul’s point here is that the law had two purposes. The first is to show us exactly what would be expected of us if we would be perfect before Almighty God. The second is to show us that we could not possibly hope to achieve that, and thus to drive us to the grace of God as found in Jesus Christ.

You see, no matter how hard we might strive to be perfect, we will invariably fall short in some small way. We will invariably manifest some teeny, tiny crack in our façade! And because of this, once we do, we are inevitably disqualified for any reward from our pursuit of perfection.

What is more, this truth applies no matter how hard we try to be perfect. No amount of effort will overcome this principle. It is immutable.

How comforting it is, therefore, to come to the realization that we do not have to be perfect. How comforting it is to realize that once we repent and turn to God’s One and Only Son, Christ Jesus, He takes our imperfection upon Himself and imputes to us His righteousness in turn.

Thus, when we eventually stand before the Father in Heaven (as we all will), we will find that we are accepted into His Kingdom, not because of anything we have done, but because of what Christ has done for us.

The smallest of flaws disqualified a record setting pumpkin. Likewise, any single flaw, even the smallest of the small, disqualifies any human being for righteous standing before God! Thank God, therefore, for Jesus Christ! In Him, and in Him alone, we have the promise of eternal life!

STORY SOURCE: https://www.newser.com/story/312536/tiny-flaw-took-title-from-this-enormous-pumpkin.html.

SCRIPTURE SOURCE: https://biblehub.com/galatians/3-24.htm.

HAPPY DAYS!

10/26/2021

Today marks my 60th birthday. The day is not yet complete; and already, it has been a special one, marked by much fanfare and well-wishing from both friends and family.

For instance, who would not be moved by receiving a card that, on the outside, reads “Ice Age” (with a picture of a cave man with a club), “Stone Age” (with a picture of a man with a spear), and “Bronze Age” (with a picture of an man with a sword), but when opened to the inside reads “Old Age” (with a mirror to see oneself)?!

Feel the love!

Seriously, I am truly appreciative of all the attention. Even when offered in jest, a showering of affection manifested in such gifts only underscores their love for me. Besides, why get mad when you can get even? Their own birthdays will arrive in due time!
But I digress…

As anyone who has been here before me well knows, reaching 60 is a major milestone. It all but begs one to pause for reflection; and my experience has been no different.

George Clooney, who also turned 60 this year, recently quipped to a reporter:

“As far as turning 60, listen, I’m not thrilled with it, but it's better than dead. So I'll take it. I got two options.”

In another interview with BBC’s Andrew Marr, he got a little more serious about his feelings:

“I turned 60 this year. And I had a conversation with my wife, and we were working a lot, as we both do, and I said we have to think of these as the halcyon years. In 20 years, I will be 80 and that’s a real number. Doesn’t matter how much you work out, what you eat, you’re 80, and so I said we have to make sure we enjoy and live these years in the best possible way.”

Now I admit that I do not always see eye to eye with Mr. Clooney on every issue. But I completely agree with his remarks here. His choice of adjectives is particularly poignant. According to Merriam-Webster’s, “halcyon” means something “characterized by happiness, great success, and prosperity”. A secondary meaning is “idyllic”.

In light of this, I hope to make certain that my own remaining time in this world is idyllic, and characterized by happiness. And the best way I know to do this is to heed the admonition of the Apostle Paul, who (in Ephesians, chapter 5, verses 15-16) tells us to “redeem” the time we have in this world.

The Amplified Translation puts it this way:

“… see that you walk carefully [living life with honor, purpose, and courage; shunning those who tolerate and enable evil], not as the unwise, but as wise [sensible, intelligent, discerning people], making the very most of your time [on earth, recognizing and taking advantage of each opportunity and using it with wisdom and diligence]…”

I do not know how much time I have left in this world. But there is something about turning 60 that underscores the importance of making the most of whatever time I do have left in this world. And of doing so in a way that honors and glorifies God!

In truth, though, the same can be said for any person at any age. Whether one is turning 90, or 80, or 70, or 60, or 50, or 40, or 30, or 20 or any other age, he or she would do well to live each day to the fullest.

Whatever your age, my friend, remember, each day is a gift. And as such, each day should be lived to the full in such a way that honors Almighty God. For once it passes, no day can ever be retrieved or relived again.

QUOTE SOURCES:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/celebrity/george-clooney-on-his-milestone-60th-birthday-and-teaching-his-kids-charitable-values-exclusive/ar-BB1gcnhL;

https://outsider.com/news/george-clooney-feelings-turning-60/.

SCRIPTURE SOURCES:

https://biblehub.com/ephesians/5-16.htm;

https://biblehub.com/amp/ephesians/5.htm.

SEE ALSO:

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

SMALL WONDERS!

10/22/2021

My oldest grandson will turn five in the next couple of weeks. Back when he turned six months old, I posted a blog titled “Little Big Man” about how he was growing and changing every single day. Four and half years later, that trend continues.

These days, he runs fast, talks faster, and dreams even bigger! In fact, his most oft repeated assertion is “Look at me. I’m big!” And trust me, he means it. Though barely half my height, he sees himself every bit as big as my wife and me. And he likes to prove this by trying to show us how he can do everything we can do.

When not telling us how big he is, he likes to expound upon what all he is going to do when he gets to be a grown up. Flying planes, driving race cars, riding bucking broncos, playing ball, finding dinosaurs, catching sharks… the list grows longer with each passing day.

I do not know what all my grandson will go on to accomplish in life. But I wish him the very best. And I know in my heart that whatever it turns out to be, it will be epic!

Being small and having large dreams is something to which we can all relate. Who among us, back when we were little, did not dream about all the places we would one day go, all the people we would one day meet, and/or all the things we would one day do?

And if you, like me, actually got to see some of those dreams come true along the way, then you know just how meaningful those experiences were. But small people having big dreams awaiting fulfillment is not something that is limited to children. Sometimes the same can be said of adults.

Witness what happened to a certain Mr. Small on Saturday, October 9th of this year in College Station, Texas. There, on Kyle Field, the Aggies Football team of Texas A&M University hosted the number one ranked Crimson Tide Football team of the University of Alabama.

Few people gave the Aggies much of chance, given that the Tide has been a powerhouse, dominating NCAA College Football for much of the past decade. But lo and behold, with time all but expired and the game tied at 38 all, A&M had penetrated deep enough into Alabama territory to tee the ball up for a game-winning field goal attempt. Enter Seth Small, the Aggies place kicker.

Although a senior, his name somewhat reflects his size. By comparison to many on his team, his 5 ft, 11 inch, 200 pound frame is somewhat diminutive. Indeed, on the play in question he was surrounded by players close to a half foot taller and nearly a hundred pounds heavier.

Yet, when the ball was snapped, the kick was made, and the score was tallied, Mr. Small had suddenly become Mr. Big! In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, a lifetime of preparation met a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. On the last play of the game, he nailed a 28 yard field goal, defeating the number one team in the nation. In short, a small man stood tall! In the process, not only did his dreams come true, but so did those of the entire Aggie nation.

Do you have dreams in life? Do you hope one day to stand tall and make a difference in this world? If so, then good for you! In the meantime, get busy doing all you can to prepare for the moment when the time comes for those dreams to be fulfilled.

And trust in the Lord that in His perfect timing, He will provide just the right opportunity for that very thing to happen. After all, as the Lord told Jeremiah the Prophet (chapter 1, verse 5): “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I set you apart and appointed you…”

It is not surprising then, that the Lord would go on to speak to others through Jeremiah, saying (chapter 29, verse 11): “For I know the plans I have for you … plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

The Lord has created each and every one of us in His image. In the process, He has endowed each of us with a unique set of gifts and talents which He intends to see us use for His purposes and glory. Therefore, as we grow into maturity, it behooves us to discover and employ those skills for His glory and the benefit of our fellow man.

My grandson may or may not grow up to play ball one day. If he does, he may or may not kick a game-winning field goal on national television to knock off the number one team in the nation. But even if he never does any of these things, whatever he does do will surely be something reflective of how God chose to create him and endow him.

And as long as he chooses to use his God-given talent(s) to glorify the Lord and benefit others, he will indeed be an awfully big person.

Small wonder; but the same can be said for you and me.

SCRIPTURES:

https://biblehub.com/jeremiah/29-11.htm;

https://www.biblehub.com/jeremiah/1-5.htm.

THE IMPORTANCE OF STAYING FRESH

10/18/2021

The coolest of stories was posted on www.FoxBusiness.com this past weekend (Saturday, October 16, 2021). It was titled “Why Bread Bags Have Different Color Twist Ties”. According to the writer, Ann Schmidt, the simple reason for this is that each color reportedly represents the day of the week that the bread was baked.

In other words, it all has to do with just how fresh the bread is. Whether they be twist ties or plastic tags on loaves of bread, they are put there to indicate on which day of the week the enwrapped loaf was produced.

The article goes on to cite the Reader’s Digest website in asserting that there is, in fact, an entire color code for bread production, with each color representing a different day of the week on which a particular loaf of bread came out of the oven, with blue tags indicating the bread was baked on Monday; green tags indicating Tuesday; red tags indicating Thursday; white tags indicating Friday; and yellow tags indicating Saturday.

It also seems that most commercial bakeries are closed on Sunday and Wednesday, which explains why those days of the week do not have specific colors assigned to them. Thus, each color reportedly represents a different day that the bread was baked.

Moreover, the reason bakeries color-code their twist ties and tags is to help employees (their own as well as store owners) to quickly identify stale loaves and replace them with fresh ones. This is also the reason that it is unlikely most of us ever see more than two colors on any given store shelf.

While this system is by no means universal, given that some local bakeries have their own systems, it is still “widely used at commercial bread bakeries across the country”.

As I reflected on this tidbit of information, I was reminded that the Bible often employs metaphors regarding bread. Chief among these is when Jesus told us that He was the bread of life which came down out of Heaven. It follows that we who are believers are purveyors of that very Bread. And while the Bread of Life does not diminish or grow old, the methods to share Him and His message can and often do.

Perhaps this is precisely why Jesus also used metaphors about the importance of freshness. A classic example is that of salt losing its savor. In the New Testament Gospel of Mark (chapter 9, verse 50), He states, “Salt is good for seasoning. But if it loses its flavor, how do you make it salty again? (Therefore) you MUST have the qualities of salt among yourselves…”

What is Jesus doing here if He is not encouraging us to stay fresh in our spiritual lives?! We who carry the “Bread of Life” to the world must be sure that we ourselves remain fresh! “In what ways?”, you might ask.

Well, one obvious way is in our approach to the world. As believers, we are called to try to intersect effectively with non-believers in such a way as to that give us the opportunity to effectively share the gospel with hem. If our approaches, methodologies, and /or strategies are outdated, how can we hope to be successful in this endeavor?

As one pundit put it several years ago, we must be careful not to package the Good News of Jesus Christ in an 8-track format when we live in a CD world! (And even that illustration is now quite dated, given that we live in an MP3 world!)

But fresh methodologies are not all that matter here! As believers, we must also be sure to remain fresh in our own personal spiritual lives! Few things are as pitiful as a believer who has grown old, crusty, and stale! One thing that is even more pathetic, however, is a believer who has essentially grown moldy and therefore toxic!

If you are a believer, I encourage you to always be on the move! Keep moving to the front of the shelf! For surely this is a large part of why you were put here to begin with! As long as you are moving forward, you are available to be used of the Lord to impact others with the life-giving nurture they so desperately need. But when you just sit still and never progress, you become a detriment to the kingdom and its cause.

And as Jesus Himself says (in the New Testament Gospel of Matthew, chapter 5, verse 13), that which has lost its effectiveness is no longer good for anything except to be “thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless”.

Physical bread is not the only thing that needs to be regularly freshened. Spiritual bread does as well.

So, then, just how stale are you?!

STORY SOURCE:

https://www.foxbusiness.com/lifestyle/bread-bag-color-code-twist-tie.

BREAD SCRIPTURES:

https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Bread;

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

SALT SCRIPTURES:

https://www.biblestudytools.com/topical-verses/bible-verses-about-salt/;

https://biblehub.com/matthew/5-13.htm.

THINGS TO COME!

10/14/2021

The news today was all abuzz with stories about 90 year old William Shatner, the actor who portrayed “Captain Kirk” in the famed 1960s television series, Star Trek, having actually gone into space yesterday.

Shatner and three fellow passengers found themselves hurtled to an altitude of over 66 miles above the West Texas desert in a fully automated capsule, before safely parachuting back to Earth. The total flight lasted just over 10 fleeting minutes.

When he joined Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin Vice President of New Shepard Mission and Flight Operations Audrey Powers, as well as Dr. Chris Boshuizen and Glen de Vries, as they blasted off on the aerospace company’s latest suborbital spaceflight yesterday, Shatner became the oldest person to ever travel into space.

One particular article, titled “William Shatner Talks Difference Between Space Simulators and Reality, the Physical Toll Flight Took at Age 90”, by Tyler McCarthy and appearing on www.FoxNews.com, struck me as apropos. It was here that the acclaimed actor described being struck by how different the real experience of going into space was from the simulations he ran with Blue Origin.

It seems that, as soon as he touched down in Texas, the former Star Trek lead was quick to explain how the simulations for the flight didn’t necessarily prepare him for the immensely moving and physically taxing experience that was to follow. In short, the reality of space flight was apparently far beyond anything he had imagined.

According to Shatner…

“We had a simulator, they simulate what they say you're going to feel and it doesn’t come anywhere near it. [They say] ‘Here you’re going to be in weightlessness and you've got to grab a hold of something, don’t push too hard with your hands, just use your fingertips because you’ll bounce off the ceiling…’ You can talk about weightlessness all you want but the feeling of weightlessness; the actual feeling of weightlessness is indescribable!”

He continued, noting that it was one of the moments he felt his age compared to the other three younger people he was on the flight with...

“First of all, your body doesn't have any pressure, so suddenly your body is expanding. Secondly, you’re floating and I don’t want to turn somersaults, I don’t want to throw Skittles, I want to look out the window!”

Above all, Shatner explained that he was humbled by the entire experience. He concluded by referencing some of the thoughts he shared when he initially touched back down the day before, summarizing the entire experience as “indescribable”.

Granted, I never was a full-fledged “Trekkie”, having never dressed up in costume and attended conventions, etc… Nonetheless, as a child of the sixties, I was completely fascinated by the space race. Like most Baby Boomers, in the build up to the Apollo Moon landings, I gobbled up all things space related.

This included such television shows as “The Jetsons”, “My Favorite Martian”, “It’s About Time”, “I Dream of Jeannie”, “Lost in Space”, and of course, “Star Trek”. (Not to be confused with “Star Wars”, which came along a full decade later.)

Still, to dream about space travel and all it entails is one thing. But to actually experience it is an entirely different matter – which is precisely what William Shatner’s experience proves.

After all, here is a man whose signature life experience was to portray the captain of the U.S.S. Enterprise “boldly going where no man had ever gone before”. And yet, as exciting as the weekly installments were, they were still based solely on imagination, not actual experience.

Of course, all that changed on Wednesday, October 13, 2021. On that day, for William Shatner at least, the dream became reality. The man who had taken a thousand imaginary journeys into space was finally rewarded with the one and only genuine article.

And what was his response? In a word, “Indescribable!”

As I read the aforementioned articles, I was reminded of the thousand and one times that I, as a believer, have envisioned the moment when the Lord shall return and receive me unto Himself.

To quote a popular Christian praise and worship song, “I can only imagine” what that moment will be like. And yet, as surely as I write this blog post, I know that the time will come when my dream will become reality, when my hope will be rewarded, and when, as the Bible promises, my faith will be made sight!

Still, I do not know what all that moment will hold for me (or for you or for any and every other person who truly believes). But, along with the Apostle Paul, this much I do know. As He was led to declare in I Thessalonians, chapter 4, verses 16 through 18…

16The Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18Therefore encourage one another with these words.

I have often imagined what that moment will be like. Even now, I cannot fully know this. But I am certain of one thing. When it does eventually occur, my only response will be something akin to that of William Shatner, who described his own experience of blasting off into space as simply “Indescribable!”

Oh, and one more thought... Unlike what happened to the long suffering “Captain Kirk” of “Star Trek” fame, who longed for space travel way back in the 1960s and finally who achieved it over a half century later in the 2020s, when I do blast off, I won’t be coming back to this earth!

For as the hymn writer declares: “Soon He’s coming back to welcome me, far beyond the starry sky. I shall wing my flight to worlds unknown. (And once there) I shall reign with Him (forever) on high!”

SOURCES:

Story: https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/william-shatner-difference-space-simulators-physical-toll-took-90;

Scripture: https://biblehub.com/niv/1_thessalonians/4.htm;

Hymn: https://hymnary.org/hymn/BH2008/148.

ALL IN ONE

10/11/2021

One of my goals as a grandfather has been to get some fruit trees planted. Back in the day, when I was little lad growing up in rural Georgia, one of the highlights of visiting my own grandparents’ farm was always to head straight out the backdoor to their fig tree.

After a small feast there, I would then eagerly trek out across the pasture to their enormous pear tree. From there, I would eventually cross the road and head over to their huge apple tree. By the end of my little tour, I would be gorged on fruit; and more often as not, more than a little sick at my stomach for having so stuffed myself.

While I do not relish fresh fruit as much as once did, I still remember the premium I placed on it as a child. And I now want the same for my grandchildren. For this reason, I recently began shopping for fruit trees to plant that will thrive in our local “plant hardiness zone”.

To my delight, I have discovered that all sorts of things will grow here in east Tennessee. As a result, on my list, I now have such selections as apples, apricots, cherries, crabapples, figs, kiwis, nectarines, peaches, pears, plums, pomegranates, and even quinces. I have also discovered that nearly all of these come in multiple varieties.

In fact, I now have so much to choose from that I find myself worried over whether I will have enough space to plant all the options I have available. This is why I was so excited to discover that apple, pear, peach, and plum trees all come in what are called “5 in 1” varieties.

That is to say that a single apple tree is actually capable of producing five different varieties of fruit. For instance, one pear tree can produce any combination of Anjou, Bartlett, Flemish Beauty, Keiffer, Moonglow, or Seckel pears. The same is true for apple and peach trees.

What is more, one type of fruit tree, known as the “Fruit Cocktail Tree” can even be made to produce as much as seven different fruits on the same tree! That’s right, apple trees, citrus trees, and stonefruit trees are capable of being manipulated to achieve this very thing.

How is this possible? The answer is through what is known as grafting – the horticultural technique whereby tissues of different plants are joined together by grafting in a “scion” (or upper portion) of a branch with a rootstock (or lower part), so as to continue their grow as a single unit.

Actually, this horticultural process has been around for thousands of years. It was even known to Biblical writers. For this reason, perhaps, the apostle Paul was led to utilize this phenomenon to describe how the family of God now includes all people.

In Romans chapter 11, he uses the analogy of grafting wild olive branches onto an existing olive tree to address how Gentiles have been added to Jews as members of the family of God.

And who was the grafter? None other than God’s One and Only Son, Jesus Christ, the Master Gardener, Who worked to bring all people into the family of God!

As the beloved Bill Gaither song puts it…

I'm so glad I'm a part of the Family of God,
I've been washed in the fountain, cleansed by His blood!
Joint heirs with Jesus as we travel this sod,
For I'm part of the family,
The Family of God.

You will notice we say “brother and sister” ‘round here,
It's because we're a family and these are so near;
When one has a heartache, we all share the tears,
And rejoice in each victory in this family so dear.

I'm so glad I'm a part of the Family of God,
I've been washed in the fountain, cleansed by His blood!
Joint heirs with Jesus as we travel this sod,
For I'm part of the family,
The Family of God.

From the door of an orphanage to the house of the King,
No longer an outcast, a new song I sing;
From rags unto riches, from the weak to the strong,
I'm not worthy to be here, but praise God I belong!

I'm so glad I'm a part of the Family of God,
I've been washed in the fountain, cleansed by His Blood!
Joint heirs with Jesus as we travel this sod,
For I'm part of the family,
The Family of God!

I hope you too are a part of God’s family. If not, I hope you soon will be. Even now, there is room to graft you in!

SOURCES:

Grafting: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grafting.

Scripture: https://biblehub.com/romans/11-17.htm.

Hymn Lyrics: https://www.hymnlyrics.org/newlyrics_f/family_of_god.php.

GLAD TIDINGS!

10/8/2021

The folks over at www.SlogansHub.org have posted a wonderful piece titled “50 Advertising Slogans That You’ll Never Forget”.

Per their article...

“Advertising your brand to a high level depends on a few important factors and one of which is the slogan/tagline you choose. The most popular companies in the world have advertising slogans that are well known and instantly recognizable. Let’s take a look at the top 50 and how they make an impact. Is your favorite on the list?”

They then go on to list their selections. For the sake of brevity, I will only list a few of the ones that I particularly remember…

-KFC – It’s Finger Lickin’ Good!
-Nike – Just Do It
-Gillette – The Best A Man Can Get
-Subway – Eat Fresh
-Apple – Think Different
-Crest Toothpaste – Look Ma, No Cavities
-Skittles – Taste The Rainbow
-Camel – I’d Walk A Mile For A Camel
-The US Army – Be All You Can Be
-Rice Krispies – Snap! Crackle! Pop!
-Burger King – Have It Your Way
-Energizer – It Keeps Going, And Going, And Going
-L’Oreal – Because You’re Worth It
-Kellogg’s Frosties – They’re Grrrrreat
-Maxwell House – Good To The Last Drop
-Hallmark – When You Care Enough To Send The Very Best
-Yellow-pages – Let Your Fingers Do The Talking
-Snickers – You’re Not You When You’re Hungry
-LG – Life’s Good
-Levis – Quality Never Goes Out Of Style
-Red Bull – It Gives You Wiiings
-Lay’s – Betcha Can’t Eat Just One

Of course, this list is debatable. For instance, one can only ponder why Wendy’s “Where’s the Beef?” did not make the list! Not to mention “Got Milk?”, “Breakfast of Champions”, “Like a Good Neighbor…”, “You’re In Good Hands”, “The Quicker Picker Upper”, “Please Don't Squeeze the Charmin”, “Fly the Friendly Skies”, “Can You Hear Me Now?”, “Don’t Leave Home Without It”, “We Try Harder”, or any one of a hundred others…

But their point is still well-made. They conclude their listing with these words…

“Advertising slogans are really important for your brand and these top 50 are an example of the companies who have got it right. It’s vital that you stay in the head of your customers and a catchy slogan is just the way to do it. Whatever it is that you offer, show what the company stands for plus a little bit of personality by choosing an awesome slogan.”

I share all of this because I heard a new advertising slogan for the first time this week. It was a commercial by Edward Jones Investments that showed a couple doing all sorts of fun and/or significant things, each one ending with one of the two of them saying, “I’m so glad we did this!” As they settle down, buy a home, and have children, the commercial ends with them having just met with their financial planner and earnestly proclaiming “We’re so glad we did this!”

I immediately adopted this newfound slogan and personalized it. On at least a dozen occasions this week, I have said to my precious wife that I was so glad we did what we just did. Whether it was after having just worked out, having just walked, having just cut the grass, having just washed the car, having just cleaned the house, having just washed the dirty laundry, having just gotten the dreaded grocery trip over with, etc…, the feeling was always the same.

Let’s face it. Any necessary step or task in life may be unpleasant. It may even require some level of exertion or discomfort to endure. But the feeling one has once it has been completed is undeniably satisfying.

And such a principle applies to both small matters (such as I have listed) and to large ones. Ask any college graduate whether or not they are glad they did what they just did over the last four years! Ask any successful entrepreneur whether or not he or she is glad that there was a time when they took a risk! Ask any inventor whether or not the struggle to produce a successful product, no matter how daunting, was worthwhile. Ask any couple celebrating a golden wedding anniversary whether or no they are glad they first tied the knot! The list goes on and on.

Now, as I look back over my life, I grant that not every moment was properly seized, not every goal was eventually achieved, and not every purpose was ultimately fulfilled. But in spite of this, I find that I am increasingly glad that I took the many steps I did take. I am happy that I took whatever risks I did as directed by the Lord, that I went wherever I went as directed by the Lord, and that I stayed with most of the important things that I felt led by the Lord to pursue until they were completed.

Indeed, what better epitaph can any person have than to look back over his or her life and be able to say, “I’m so glad I did that!”? Conversely, what worse epitaph can anyone have than to look back and be forced to say, “I sure wish I had done that!”?

Given all this, I would conclude this post by asking you what all you are so glad you did. And conversely, what all are you so sad you never did?

If you don’t like the answer(s) to either or both of these two questions, then why not get busy now and change them. I assure you… You’ll be so glad you did!

SOURCES:

https://sloganshub.org/advertising-slogans/;

https://www.ispot.tv/ad/qAjT/edward-jones-so-glad-we-did-this.

PIPELINE

10/4/2021

A recent news article by Cortney Moore on www.foxbusiness.com titled “Albert Einstein’s Tobacco Pipe Collection Up For Auction with Bids Over $20K” related how the RR Auction Company out of Boston, Massachusetts has now put up for sale a collection of tobacco pipes that is said to have once belonged to none other than Albert Einstein.

It seems that the historic collection is a part of something known as “Remarkable Rarities”; and bidders have already driven the price up to more than $20,000. The collection purportedly includes nine intricately carved pipes once owned by Einstein that came into the current owner’s possession in the mid-1980s through their ties to the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey – roughly three decades after Einstein’s death.

According to the letter of provenance, the owner stated:

"My father was employed at the Institute for Advanced Study (IAS), Princeton NJ as a caretaker of real estate properties owned by IAS from 1969 to 1995. When these houses became vacant he would have to clean and prepare them for the next professor to move in."

According to records published by the Institute itself, Einstein did indeed work there as a mathematics professor (at the Institute for Advanced Study) from September, 1933 to April, 1955.

This story resonated with me for two reasons. First, as a student at Princeton Theological Seminary back in the early 1980s, I often walked by the Institute of Advanced Studies (on one side of the campus) and Einstein’s home, located at 112 Mercer Street (on the other side). At the time, Einstein himself was long deceased; but his stepdaughter, sculptor Margot Einstein, still lived there.

I have always regretted that, by the time I arrived in Princeton, it was too late to meet this distinguished man, who not only postulated “E=Mc2”, but who also wrote a personal letter to FDR advocating the development of an atomic bomb to use against our enemies and bring a quick end to WW2.

In any event, this particular news story came at an uncanny time for me. I had just spent the better part of the previous week unboxing long stored items to use in decorating my new “man cave”. In one particular box, I came across a wooden pipe holder with six pipes that had once belonged to my grandfather and namesake, Cleo Jackson.

I treasure that collection! And while this man was no nuclear physicist, he was, for me at least, a giant among men. And these six pipes all in a row represent for me a “pipe” line of descent straight back to this amazing man.

Famed country music artist Randy Travis once wrote a song with these lyrics:

“He wore starched white shirts buttoned at the neck,
and he'd sit in the shade and watch the chickens peck.
And his teeth were gone, but what the heck,
I thought that he walked on water.

He said he was a cowboy when he was young.
He could handle a rope and he was good with a gun.
And my mama's daddy was his oldest son,--
and I thought that he walked on water.

If the story's told, only heaven knows.
But his hat seemed to me like an old halo.
And although his wings, they were never seen.
I thought that he walked on water.

Then he tied a cord to the end of a mop,
and said, ‘Son, here's a pony, keep her at a trot.’
And I'd ride in circles while he laughed a lot.
Then I'd flop down beside him.

And he was ninety years old in sixty-three
and I loved him and he loved me.
And lord, I cried the day he died,

'cause I thought that he walked on water.”

Now upon closer inspection, it is obvious that Travis is here referring to his great-grandfather, as opposed to his grandfather. But the principle remains the same. As a little lad, he obviously held his forbear in great esteem.

The same can be said for me. I have always thought of my grandfather as unique - sort of as a man among men. And from my perspective, at least, indeed he was.

Cleo Jackson was born back in 1909. The oldest of three children, he had to quit school after the third grade in order to stay home and farm, all because his own father had contracted pellagra, a debilitating disease that comes from a diet consisting of almost 100% corn products - corn meal, corn bread, corn muffins, grits, etc… (Obviously, corn was the cash crop of the era.) As a result, his father, John Bunyon Jackson, was was forced to declare bankruptcy.

Cleo later came of age and got married to my grandmother, Junie Mae Turner, just as the Great Depression unfolded. Thereafter, he was destined to be a sharecropper for another nineteen years before he was finally able to afford to buy an obscure, rock-strewn hillside, and finally begin to earn a living (as a hardscrabble farmer) for himself and his family alone.

All these things notwithstanding, when he died in 1975, he had managed to amass two forty-acre farms, a whole herd of cattle (along with another of swine), and right at $65,000 cash in the bank. All of this amounted to a small fortune at the time. But more to the point, he had loved, married, and honored a single woman, my grandmother; and with her, had produced three children and ten grandchildren, of which I alone bear his name.

That name is important to me. For when I received it, it bore no shame. It had never once been tarnished. And it was held in esteem, not only by me, but by every other person in our community. And I have done my best to pass it on just as I received it.

Ironically, perhaps, all of the above unfolded virtually on top of “National Grandparents Day”, which occurs each year on the first Sunday after Labor Day. And this leads me to my point…

Whose name do you bear? Are you a “Jr.” or a “III” (like me) or even a “IV”, or more? If so, how do you remember them? Do you (even) know their story? And if so, can you appreciate the time in which they lived, how they responded, and the integral effect this all had on their life (or lives)?

More to the point, how do you honor them?! If you bear their name, do you do so honorably? That is to say, do you live your life in such a way as to show that you value and appreciate what they represented in their time in this world?

It’s a long way from rural Fayette County, Georgia to Princeton, New Jersey. It’s even longer from a third grade education to a Master’ Degree. Just as it is from a net worth of $65,000 to what is considered financially successful today. But none of these things matter if I have not recognized, remembered, and honored those who came before me and imbued me the values I now have.

The Old Testament Book of Proverbs (chapter 22, verse 17 through chapter 24, verse 22) contains a collection of thirty “Sayings of the Wise”. Among these, saying five (found in Proverbs 22:28) says: “Do not move an ancient boundary stone which your fathers have placed.”

I take this to mean that God would have me to honor the boundaries set my forbears. And these boundaries are not just physical, but also ethical, moral, and spiritual!

I last saw Cleo Jackson on Monday, April 21, 1975. He was at our house that evening. I did not know that he would die the following morning, on Tuesday, April 22, 1975. (Believe me - if I had of known any such, I would have cherished each and every moment with him!)

Since then, the Lord has since blessed me with more than forty six years of life. And when I next see Cleo Jackson face to face, I sincerely hope that he will be proud of both who I became and of what I accomplished as one who bore his name.

Of course, all of this reminds me that Heaven will surely record, not just what all I have done in my earthly name of Jackson, but also what all I have done in my eternal name of Christian.

By comparison, all else will be of little consequence. In fact, it will be about as fleeting (and meaningless) as pipe smoke!

In the meantime, as Dierks Bentley puts it, "I may never make it famous, but may I never bring it shame. It's my last name!"

SOURCES:

https://www.foxbusiness.com/lifestyle/albert-einstein-tobacco-pipes-rr-auction-20k;

https://genius.com/Randy-travis-he-walked-on-water-lyrics;

https://nationaltoday.com/grandparents-day/.

SCRIPTURE:

https://biblehub.com/proverbs/22-28.htm.

NOTE: In 2003, Dierks Bentley released a hit song titled "My Last Name". The lyrics seem apropos for this blog post...

"I learned how to write it when I first started school,
Some bully didn't like it, he said it didn't sound too cool,
So I had to hit him, and all I said when the blood came,
It's my last name

Grandpa took of to Europe to fight the Germans in the war,
It came back on some dog tags nobody wears no more,
It's written on a headstone, in the field where he was slain,
It's my last name

Passed down from generations too far back to trace,
I can see all my relations when I look into my face,
May never make it famous, but I'll never bring it shame,
It's my last name

Daddy always told me far back as I recall,
Son, your part of somethin', you represent us all,
So keep it how you got it, as solid as it came,
It's my last name

Passed down from generations too far back to trace,
I can see all my relations when I look into my face,
May never make it famous, but I'll never bring it shame,
It's my last name

So darlin' if you're wonderin' why I've got you here tonight,
I wanna be your husband, I want you to be my wife,
I ain't got much to give you but what I've got means everything,
It's my last name, oh, it's my last name

I learned how to write it when I first started school..."

Cf.: https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/dierksbentley/mylastname.html.

A MATTER OF TIME

10/1/2021

We’ve all heard the old adage that “timing is everything”. The phrase essentially means that the success of something is often related to when it happens. If an idea, concept, or notion is introduced before the world is ready for it, it is often said to be “ahead of its time”. Conversely, if any of these things appears after the time was right for its introduction, it is said to be “behind the times”.

While out running errands the other day, I had the radio on satellite. I happened upon a familiar song by Dwight Yoakam titled “Little Ways”. It turns out the show was a broadcast of the top 25 hits for the last week of September in 1987. When the song ended, the announcer provided the following tidbit of trivia.

It seems that Kentucky born Dwight Yoakam first made his way to Nashville intending to become a star back in 1982. But at that time, Nashville was oriented more toward pop country music, as best represented in the soundtrack of the film “Urban Cowboy”. Thus, Yoakum’s distinctive style of “honky tonk” country music was not accepted by record executives, as they did not consider it to be marketable.

How did Yoakam respond? Did he throw in the towel and quit? Did he pack it in and go back home? Did he sell out by adapting his chosen style to suit others? No, he did none of these things. Instead, he packed up and moved to the west coast where his preferred style of country music had more receptivity. He knew that decades earlier, the “Bakersfield Sound” had been pioneered there by individuals like Buck Owens and Merle Haggard.

The result? Yoakam slowly bided his time, all the while honing his craft and perfecting his sound. By the late 1980s when he returned to Nashville, the winds of taste had changed, and the time was now ripe for a whole generation to embrace his brand of “honky tonk” or “hillbilly” music.

Since then, Yoakam has gone on to record more than 20 albums and compilations. Of these, five albums reached Billboard No. 1, twelve albums went gold, nine went platinum, and one (given this blog post, ironically titled “This Time”) even went triple-platinum. Among these albums, more than 30 singles have charted on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts. And along the way, Yoakam has sold over 30 million records!

It is plain to see that Dwight Yoakam when on to become one of the most successful country music artists of his or any other generation. This is no doubt due to his remaining true to who he was. But it is also true, at least in part, to his having learned to appreciate the importance of timing.

Speaking of learning, perhaps there is something you and I can glean from Dwight Yoakam here. Perhaps we too need to place a premium on remaining true to who we are. And equally as important, perhaps we also need to learn to appreciate the importance of timing.

Do you have some idea, concept, notion, product, or service that you would like to unleash upon the world? Have you written a song or an article or a book? Have you conceived of something as simple as a better mouse trap or as profound as a replacement for the internal combustion engine? If so, then good for you!

But have you also presented this to others only to get a lukewarm reception? If so, don’t be discouraged. It may well be that the concept itself is sound; but the timing is just not right. If such is the case, then whatever else you do, do not surrender your dreams! Rather, learn to bide your time and to hone your craft.

And as you do, keep trusting in the Lord, Who imbued you with whatever talents and skills and ideas and dreams and goals you have! After all, the Bible is full of people who attempted things once, only to fail, and had to wait until the timing was right in order to find success.

A pent up Noah had no success with the first bird (a raven) he released from the ark; but it was a different story with the second one (a dove). Even then, he had to release it three times, each a week apart, before he found success! Joseph got his hopes up about getting out of prison when Pharaoh’s cupbearer was released and restored; but it was to be a few more years before the time of his own release was to come.

Moses did not do very well in his first go around with the Egyptian authorities; but things turned out entirely differently the second time around. Naaman the Syrian saw no results from the first six times he dipped in the Jordan. But the seventh time around, he was completely cleansed!

On his first Missionary journey, the Apostle Paul had limited success. But on his second and third, he had more and more! Over time, he was even allowed to realize his dream of taking the Gospel to the very heart of the evil empire in Rome itself! The list goes on and on…

In each case, the initial timing was not right. But in each case, in time, it would be! Perhaps, then, this is part of what Solomon had in mind with his two observations from Ecclesiastes 3:10-11 when he said: “10I have seen the burden that God has laid upon the sons of men to occupy them. 11He has made everything beautiful in its time.”

If God has burdened you with a passion designed to occupy your time on earth, stay faithful and pursue it! In His time, he will make something beautiful out of it! You can count on this. After all, you never know what tomorrow will hold. You never know how tastes might change, and how what is not received well today might instead be sought for tomorrow!

As God’s word teaches us, and as Dwight Yoakam’s life shows us, what is “pop”ular at present may well not be so in the future. What the world rejects on this day, it may well accept and embrace on the next. Happy is the person who understands this concept today! And successful tomorrow!

SOURCES:

https://www.dwightyoakam.com/;

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dwight_Yoakam#Discography;

https://www.billboard.com/charts/country-songs/1987-09-12.

SEE ALSO:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dwight_Yoakam#Discography;

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bakersfield_sound.

SCRIPTURE SOURCE:

https://biblehub.com/bsb/ecclesiastes/3.htm.