Blog Archives

LAND OF OPPORTUNITY

12/31/2022

According to official sources, there are a total of three locales named “Opportunity” in the whole world; and all three of these are located right here in the good ol’ U.S.A. One is in Montana; another is in Nebraska; and yet another is in Washington.

While the Nebraska one did have a post office for several decades in the first part of the twentieth century, none of these are actual cities today. Still, they are all authentic communities; which means that, down through the years, they have also been destinations, as well as places for starting over.

I myself have never actually visited any of these places. Perhaps I will one day. But I know enough to know that I do not have to go to some spot marked on a map to find opportunity. Opportunity can be found at most any time in most any place. All one need do is to look for it!

And this brings me to the point of this short post. Today is Saturday, December 31st, 2022. Tomorrow will be Sunday, January 1st, 2023. The former represents the passing of an old year. The latter represents the dawning of a new one. As such, they are diametrically opposed to each other. And yet, they have one overarching thing in common. For each, in its own way, provides the prospect to encounter and experience some sort of new opportunity.

In this regard, they are not unique. Many a day in 2022 led me to some form of opportunity. I expect 2023 will be little different. The only real question is whether or not I will take advantage of whatever opportunities that do come my way. This is because before opportunities can ever be experienced, they must first be embraced.

I shudder to think how many opportunities I may have been presented with in times past, only to have missed out on them because I failed to embrace them. The more I have pondered this, the more I have become determined not to repeat this tragic mistake in the future.

In his New Testament Letter to the Galatians, the Apostle Paul gave this admonishment to all who would heed it: “As we therefore have opportunity, let us do good…” Simply put, I take this to mean that whenever I bypass or otherwise miss out on a Heaven sent opportunity, I fail to do what is good in God’s eyes.

My prayer is that, in the coming year (and every year thereafter with which I am blessed), I may not be as negligent in this regard as I have been in previous ones. For the land of opportunity is not limited to any nation or even to any place on a map. The land of opportunity is wherever I tread; and whenever I tread there.

As such, 2023 and every year thereafter will surely be the land of opportunity for me, even as 2022 and all the years prior have been. In light of this, may I faithfully and passionately seize any and every such gift sent down from Heaven to me in this uncharted time and place!

CONCEPT SOURCES:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opportunity,_Montana;

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opportunity%2C_Nebraska;

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opportunity,_Washington.

SCRIPTURE SOURCE:

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

HEAVEN SENT!

12/27/2022

A December 26, 2022 story by Kate Seamons on www.newser.com caught my attention. It was titled “She Was Hit by a Meteorite. Things Went South From There: Revisiting the story of Ann Hodges of Alabama”.

Seamons relates how, initially, the theory was that a housewife had the misfortune of being hit with a part of an airplane that had somehow fallen from the sky, barreled through the roof of her Sylacauga, Alabama home, bounced off her radio, and then smacked her right on the hip.

It seems she had been napping under quilts, and the impact caused what National Geographic at the time termed an ugly "pineapple-shaped bruise" But it turns out that, in this case, the truth was stranger than fiction.

It was November of 1954, and Ann Hodges became the first person known to have been struck and injured by an extraterrestrial object. Sadly, the episode seems to have set off a domino effect on her health – hospitalization, a nervous breakdown, and a resultant prescription drug addiction eventually led to kidney failure and a premature death at age 52.

As if to add insult to injury, by that time, the space rock had left the family's possession. It seems the police had immediately seized it, only to have it confiscated by the U.S. Air Force.

Her husband hired a local lawyer to get it back, which he eventually did - only to have the couple's landlady argue it was rightfully hers. Another lawyer was hired; and once again, he was successful in retaining it, though the Hodges were paid $500 to give up the rights to the meteorite.

The article then states that, by the time everything was settled, the initial frenzy of offers to buy it had cooled off, and in the end, the meteorite wound up being donated it to the University of Alabama, which paid the Hodges family a whopping $25. One can still view the extraterrestrial object there to this day.

I will admit that I was saddened by the revelations contained within the article. One would like to think that the first couple known to have been impacted by a heavenly object would have suffered a better fate. And yet, as distressing as it is to know how things turned out for Mr. and Mrs. Hodges, I am aware of another couple impacted by a Heavenly Body that seems to have fared better.

Perhaps it is no coincidence that this story appeared the day after Christmas. For in is in the story of the birth of Jesus that we read about a couple named Joseph and Mary who had their lives impacted by a Heavenly being in the form of a small human body.

And while their earthy lives may not necessarily be esteemed as enviable by very many people, there is no doubt that it was a singular blessing to have been chosen to birth and raise the Christ Child. As we read in the New Testament Gospel of Luke (chapter 1, verses 26-35):

In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin pledged in marriage to a man named Joseph, who was of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. The angel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. So the angel told her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever. His kingdom will never end!”

“How can this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the Holy One to be born will be called the Son of God.”

While little else is known of the lives of Mary and Joseph beyond the opening chapters of the Gospels, these verse contain enough information to assure us that the two of them were truly blessed to have been chosen to be the first people on earth to have their lives impacted by the Heavenly Being who was the Only Begotten Son of God!

But alas! They may have been the first, but not the last! For I too have had my life impacted by an encounter with this same Heavenly Being. As Bill Gaither put it, I was:

“Shackled by a heavy burden,
'neath a load of guilt and shame;
Then the hand of Jesus touched me,
And now I am no longer the same.

He touched me, O, He touched me,
And O, the joy that floods my soul.
Something happened, and now I know,
He touched me and made me whole.”

Have you been touched by the Heaven sent Being? If not, I hope you will be. For once you have been, you will no longer be the same!

STORY SOURCE:

https://www.newser.com/story/328756/she-was-hit-by-a-meteorite-things-went-south-from-there.html.

SCRIPTURE SOURCE:

https://biblehub.com/bsb/luke/1.htm.

SONG SOURCE:

https://www.hymnlyrics.org/newlyrics_h/he_touched_me.php;

https://hymnary.org/tune/he_touched_me_gaither.

EXCESS BAGGAGE?

12/24/2022

As a public speaker who had transited the depth and breadth of the nation many a time, the late Paul Powell once told a couple of classic stories with which anyone who has ever done much travelling can relate.

The first had to do with a man who walked up to the baggage check-in counter at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport with three suitcases. He said to the attendant, “I want one of these to go to San Francisco, one to Miami, and one to Mexico City. The check-in man said, “Fellow, I can’t do that!” The man replied, “Why not? You did it last week.”

The second had to with Christmas travel in particular, when another man walked up to the baggage check-in counter at the same airport and saw a piece of mistletoe hanging right above the counter. He asked the clerk, “What’s that for?” She replied, “Oh, that’s so you can kiss your luggage good-bye right here and now!”

Have you ever travelled at Christmas time? Have you ever done so and lost your luggage at Christmas time? I have personally had the pleasure of undertaking the first and have suffered the agony of experiencing the second.

In late November of 1996, I took a trip to India. When I returned home, I discovered that the international carrier upon which I had flown had lost my luggage. It turned out that my luggage had inadvertently been transported over much of Europe before it ever showed up on my doorstep on Christmas Eve.

Having once seen the movie, Die Hard 2, and having witnessed the inner workings of an airport luggage identification and transportation process on Christmas Eve, I am amazed that I ever got it back at all. Or that anyone anywhere else ever gets their luggage back either! After a scuffle with a bad guy, Bruce Willis, the actor playing the good guy cop is asked to show his badge, and responds that it is likely on its way to Cleveland!

And yet, as I sit here typing this on Christmas Eve, I have to ask myself a question. Is there any better time of year to lose a little baggage than at Christmas time? Seriously, what better opportunity to let go of the baggage of the past than at Christmas? After all, is that not what Jesus came to allow us to do?!

The Bible speaks of the sin that so easily besets us; and bids us to let go of it. No matter who you are or what your circumstance, if you would be honest, you can probably relate to such an admonition.

The exact words from the New Testament Book of Hebrews (chapter 12, verse 1, New International Version) are these:

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

The New Living Translation puts these verses this way:

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up.”

Scholars tells us that the context here is of an ancient long distance runner entering a stadium full of onlookers as he nears the finishing line of a tremendous cross country race. Tired as he may be, he is still encouraged to set aside any and every thing that weighs on him and slows him down so that he might finish the race.

Interestingly enough, those in the know tell us that, even today, it is not uncommon to find a marathon race course strewn with various items discarded by runners as they became increasingly focused on the prize before them.

Hopefully, herein lays the relevance for anyone who purports to be a follower of Jesus Christ. As we press on for the prize that lies before us, we are prudent to discard any and all excess baggage. That is to say, anything that only serves to weigh us down and merely slow us up!

Are you carrying any such baggage this Christmas? Be it emotional, physical, psychological, or even spiritual baggage, if it is unnecessary and unproductive, then why not let it go and free yourself of its burdensome encumbrance?

After all, the Christ of Christmas came to lift our burdens and to set us free! Would it not be a shame, then, to let such a blessing pass you by?!

JOKE SOURCES:

https://www.baylor.edu/content/services/document.php?id=146507, pp. 125-126.

SCRIPTURE SOURCE:

https://biblehub.com/niv/hebrews/12.htm;

https://biblehub.com/nlt/hebrews/12.htm.

A QUESTION OF (AND FOR ALL) TIME…

12/19/2022

“So this is Christmas, and what have you done? Another year over, and a new one just begun.” So sang John Lennon back in the day. Each year at this time as I hear these words, I reflect on this question; and in turn, I find myself sorely convicted!

Why? Because I am invariably reminded that this past year, God gave me 12 months, or 52 weeks, or 365 days, or 8766 hours, or 525,960 minutes, or 31,557,600 seconds, all of which translates into untold numbers of opportunities to better myself. More to the point, He has given me these opportunities to make a difference in this world!

These things were already on my mind when I came across an article online titled “On This Day in History, Dec. 19, 1843, Charles Dickens Publishes ‘A Christmas Carol’: Timeless Tale of Human Redemption One of the World's Most Loved, Well-Known and Often Imitated Christmas Stories”.

The article, written by Kerry J. Byrne on and published on www.FoxNews.com, explored A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, calling it “the globally celebrated timeless tale of heartwarming human redemption crafted as a haunting holiday ghost story” that was first published in London on this day in history, Dec. 19, back in 1843.

Byrne’s assertion that “Except for the biblical narrative of the birth of Christ itself, ‘A Christmas Carol’ may be the world's most well-known and most frequently retold tale of the holiday” is spot on.

It turns out that Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol over just a few short weeks in order to ensure its publication before Christmas of 1843. “And yet, its message has stood the test of time," notes the Charles Dickens Museum of London.

According to the article, the story was recognized by critics on its publication as ‘a national benefit to every man and woman who reads it a personal kindness’; and it has been retold and adapted ever since. In the words of the National Endowment for the Arts, “Dickens’ novella about the original Christmas grinch has been a holiday staple for nearly two centuries.”

So much so that the numerous characters and catchphrases from the short book have stood the test of time. Indeed, “Scrooge” is now virtually synonym for a miser; and his terse signature retort, “Bah, humbug”, has become the standard byline to express grumpily mocking disdain. What is more, “Dickensian” is now used to describe situations of urban decay or the poor who live among it, such as is the case with Scrooge's browbeaten employee, Bob Cratchit.

Lastly, “God bless us, every one,” the gleeful refrain at the end of A Christmas Carol spoken by Cratchit's crippled son Tiny Tim, is an often-used toast that sums up almost any joyful occasion when other words fail.

Of course, in the time-honored story, the rich, miserly, and lonely Ebenezer Scrooge, who derives pleasure only in his money, bitterly laments the arrival of Christmas and the joy displayed by its celebrants, and detests the indigents who suffer on the streets of Industrial Revolution London. Yet, by the end of the book, he has been transformed as he is filled with good will toward man after a series of ghosts take him on a journey through his life of joyful past, detestable present, and ominous future.

Charles Dickens had a career that produced a long list of classics, such as David Copperfield, A Tale of Two Cities, and Great Expectations. And yet, A Christmas Carol has gone down as his most famous, as well as his most culturally impactful, story.

In 2020, Paulette Beete, writing for the National Endowment for the Arts, cited an incredible list of adaptions - more than 100 film versions, according to the International Movie Database, 20 television series that have featured A Christmas Carol or its characters; four operas, two ballets; and even a video game.

And yet, the great irony in all of this is that Dickens spent mere weeks writing this great classic. According to those who study such things, this appears to be a far less an amount of time than he spent on his other classics.

All of this brings me to my point. My strong suspicion is that Charles Dickens had been playing with this idea for quite some time, perhaps even putting it off. Until, that is, something snapped; and he realized that he just needed to start. And once he did, it probably turned out to be nowhere as difficult as he had made it all out to be in his mind.

Thus, he sat down and went to work. Then, no sooner had he done so than “Presto!”, he was done! And just look what came of it!

Given all this, I can only imagine what Charles Dickens’ 1843 response to John Lennon’s 1971 question would have been. Can’t you?

Lennon: “So, this is Christmas, and what have you done?”

Dickens: “Well, I decided to get off my duff and actually do what I had been planning to do for quite some time. So, I quickly wrote and published a relatively short novella titled A Christmas Carol. It took me barely a month; but at least I got busy and did it. Only time will tell if it was worth it all!”

Lennon: “Another year over, and a new one just begun.”

Dickens: “If I have figured it rightly, it’s not just another year, but another couple of centuries!”

And now for another theoretical conversation…

Author of this Blog Post: ““So, this is Christmas, and what have you done?”

Reader of this Blog Post: “Well, I decided to get off my duff and actually do what I had been planning to do for quite some time. So, I… __________ . It will only take me a short time to actually do this, but I'm willing to start right now!” (Fill in the blank.)

Be advised, the manner in which you fill in this blank may well have considerable consequences!

As the Apostle Paul puts it (in his New Testament Letter to the Colossians, chapter 4, verse 5): “Be wise in the way you act toward others out in the world; make the most of every opportunity.”

How you undertake the latter will greatly impact how you fulfill the former!

STORY SOURCE:

https://www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/this-day-history-dec-19-1843-charles-dickens-publishes-christmas-carol. The writer, Kerry J. Byrne, is a lifestyle reporter with Fox News Digital.

SONG LYRICS SOURCE:

https://www.songlyrics.com/john-lennon/so-this-is-christmas-lyrics/.

SCRIPTURE SOURCE:

https://biblehub.com/colossians/4-5.htm.

GONE HOME?

12/16/2022

Sadly, actress Betty White’s former Brentwood home, one she had lived in for some 53 years, has now been demolished, barely a year after the Hollywood icon herself passed. This according to an article by Janelle Ash and Angelica Stabile on www.FoxBusiness.com. The star, herself a fixture in Hollywood, died on New Year’s Eve, 2021 at the age of 99 after having suffered a stroke. She was just a few weeks shy of what would have been her 100th birthday.

This past Sunday, however, White’s assistant, Kiersten Mikelas, who is in charge of the late star’s social media account shared a post on White’s Instagram announcing that the "Golden Girls" star’s former residence now no longer stands:

"Hello all! I owe a post (or two) I know. This is such a busy time of year and coming up on the anniversary of Betty’s passing is hitting in ways I hadn’t anticipated. Her Brentwood home is no more (save the fireplaces which will be gone in short order). I promise a wonderful tribute to our most wonderful lady very soon!!!!" the caption read.

The post contained an image wherein a remaining fireplace was the only thing left on the excavated lot. As might be expected, many of White’s devoted fans were quick to let their thoughts be known in the comment section of the post, with many expressing their concerns on why White’s home was torn down.

"Why in the world would they tear it down?" one user wrote, adding a sad face emoji. "This is terrible! Why demolish such a beautiful icons [sic] home not even a full year after her passing?!" another added.

White’s former Los Angeles residence had been listed for sale back in April of this year for $10.5 million. It was listed as a “tear-down”, which apparently gives the new owner(s) permission to demolish the property. Entertainment Tonight reported that the home sold for $10.678 million in June.

The single-family dwelling which had originally been built in 1952 seems to have had a fairly quick closing after hitting the market for the first time in more than 50 years. White’s husband, Allen Ludden, had first purchased the property in 1968. White had remained a resident there until her death in December 2021.

Alas, however, it seems that the setting was worth more than the actual structure. Described as “parklike” and “lovingly cared for”, the property overlooks the Getty Museum and also affords excellent views of the mountains. Importantly, the listing also noted that the property would be a “unique opportunity to build your dream home” on a flat lot in a “serene country setting”.

I personally found this article somewhat intriguing. Multiple websites put Betty White’s net worth at the time of her death was upwards of $75 million. Given this, her home constituted about one seventh of her total worth. For most of the rest of us, our home constitutes a much larger portion of our total net worth. Indeed, for most people, it is their single biggest purchase in all of life.

And yet, whether we die a millionaire or a thousandaire or a hundredaire, whatever we leave behind, we leave behind. It is no longer ours. Ironically, of course, as this story demonstrates, that which we spend the vast majority of our lives maintaining, caring for, cherishing, or even perhaps pampering may not last much longer than we do!

In Betty White’s case, she passed on; and so did her earthly dwelling. She is gone; and so is her home! And she is not alone. My father’s dwelling, the one in which I was raised, no longer stands. Indeed, the man who bought the farm tore it down and built anew there.

The same is true for my grandfather’s house, and my great grandfather’s house. And those are the ones I knew of. The structures in which their fathers lived, and in which they themselves were brought up, are also long gone. The dwellings in which they were all raised have all been razed!

All of this has led me to be thankful for any and every home in which I have dwelt in this world. To my knowledge, at least two of them are already gone! But even more importantly, all this has led me to be thankful for the fact that I have a home awaiting me one day that will never pass away!

In the New Testament Gospel of John, chapter 14, verse 1-3 (New Living Translation), we read the following words of Jesus Christ to His followers:

“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that 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.”

As one of His followers, I am thus thankful for two things here. The first is that I shall one day live forever due to the grace of Jesus Christ. And the second is that I shall then dwell in a home prepared for me by my Him “always”.

You too can have these same blessings. In the next three verses in this same passage, we read:

“And you know the way to where I am going.” “No, we don’t know, Lord,” Thomas said. “We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”

The way to eternal life in a home that will last forever is through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ! I have such a relationship. I hope you do as well; for of so, then we can be neighbors forever!

STORY SOURCE:

https://www.foxbusiness.com/entertainment/betty-whites-los-angeles-home-demolished-nearly-year-after-death.

SCRIPTURE SOURCE:

https://biblehub.com/nlt/john/14.htm.

CHRISTMAS TIME!

12/12/2022

I heard about a poor fellow who had been hauled before a judge at Christmas time. The judge was in a merry mood as he asked the prisoner, “What are you charged with?” “All I was doing was Christmas shopping a little early,” replied the defendant.

“That’s no offense,” said the judge. “How early were you doing this shopping?” “About four hours before the store opened,” countered the prisoner.

My wife and I have also been doing our Christmas shopping a little early this year. Shopping that is - but not necessarily wrapping. You see, like so many people nowadays, we ordered more than a few things online. And now we are praying that they all arrive in time to get them wrapped and placed under the tree before the big family gathering.

It’s very important, is it not, to get one’s presents together before the time they are due!

Of course, presents matter. But timing is also essential. After all, a Christmas gift that is given in October has as little meaning as one that arrives in late February! As in all things, timing is critical when it comes to delivering Christmas gifts.

And so it was with the world’s first Christmas. Imagine if the Shepherds had of showed up in the latter part of Luke, chapter 2, when Jesus was 12 years old, as opposed to the first part, when He was born! Better yet, what about the Wise Men? Imagine the embarrassment they would have felt if they had walked in with their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh twelve years too late!

But thankfully, when it came to that first Christmas, all these things unfolded right on time. The King James Version translates Galatians 4:4-5 this way:

“But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.”

The New Living Translation translates the phrase “when the fulness of time was come” as “when the right time came”.

The point, of course, is that all these things happened in just exactly the “right time”. And what was the “right time”? The “right time” was clearly that time appointed by Almighty God in accordance with His perfect plan to bring His Son into this world in order to bring about the redemption of men and women of every age and every locale and every circumstance!

In the classic 1965 television special A Charlie Brown Christmas, the Vince Guaraldi Trio sang the following lyrics:

Christmas time is here, Happiness and cheer, Fun for all that children call, Their favorite time of the year;

Snowflakes in the air, Carols everywhere, Olden times and ancient rhymes, Of love and dreams to share;

Sleigh bells in the air, Beauty everywhere, Yuletide by the fireside, And joyful memories there;

Christmas time is here, We'll be drawing near, Oh, that we could always see, Such spirit through the year; Oh, that we could always see, Such spirit through the year...

I, for one, am glad it’s Christmastime! I firmly believe our Christmas presents will arrive exactly on time. And I also believe our Christmas will be a great time.

For God made certain that the very first Christmas would unfold exactly in the right time. And because of that, any time Christmas time unfolds this year, it will absolutely be exactly the right time!

JOKE SOURCE:

https://osr.org/blog/tips-gifts/25-funny-christmas-jokes/.

SONG LYRICS:

https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/28122360/Vince+Guaraldi+Trio/Christmas+Time+is+Here.

SCRIPTURE SOURCES:

https://biblehub.com/kjv/galatians/4.htm;

https://biblehub.com/nlt/galatians/4.htm.

A TIMELY REMINDER

12/8/2022

It happened yesterday. After a night of strong wind and rain, the morning weather let up enough for me to take my daily walk. About a mile from the house, as I was passing under some overhanging limbs, I heard a woodpecker overhead. I looked up trying to locate him; but to no avail.

As I continued on, I felt something thud against my right hand. Glancing down, I realized that a bird had just pooped on me. Disgusted, I looked up again, just in time to see what was likely the culprit taking flight and heading off through the woods. Frustrated at my inability to hold him accountable, I let fly a few choice words in his direction, if for no other purpose, at least to soothe my anger.

It was then that I realized I had actually been pretty lucky only to get hit by what I had. After all, the roadbed all about me was littered with the remains of fallen limbs and branches from the storm the night before. I had merely suffered a blow to my ego, not to life or limb.

And then yet another realization came to me. The date was December 7th. Exactly eighty-one years earlier, on that very date, my countrymen came under assault from above in a placed called Pearl Harbor. And the injuries they sustained that day were infinitely more than mere affronts to their dignity; they were outright lethal.

In John chapter 15, verse 13, Jesus told us that there is no greater expression of love than to lay one’s life down on behalf of others. Of course, He practiced what He preached. According to Ephesians, chapter 5, verse 2, Christ proved His love for us loved us by giving His life as a sacrifice on our behalf. For that I will always be eternally grateful.

I will also be grateful for the sacrifice of others on my behalf. It has been said that we are never more like Christ than when we are willing to follow His example of sacrificing ourselves on behalf of others. For this reason, I hold the 2,335 military and 68 civilian fatalities along with the 1,143 military and 35 civilian causalities suffered at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 in the highest regard.

In the days and weeks after Pearl Harbor, a battle cry arose that would sustain America and carry her throughout the dark days of World War Two. That cry was: “Remember Pearl Harbor”. I’m glad I remembered Pearl Harbor yesterday. I hope I will never forget the events of that tragic day. Above all, I hope I will never forget the sacrifice lain down that day by so many men and women on my behalf.

SCRIPTURE SOURCES:

https://biblehub.com/john/15-13.htm;

https://biblehub.com/ephesians/5-2.htm.

PEARL HARBOR INFORMATION:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attack_on_Pearl_Harbor;

https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/pearl-harbor;

http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq66-1.htm.

THE VALUE OF A LITTLE VARNISH

12/4/2022

I love the old story about what unfolded during a trial in a small Southern town. It seems the prosecuting attorney called his first witness, a grandmotherly, elderly woman to the stand. He approached her and asked, “Mrs. Jones, do you know me?”

She responded, “Why, yes, I do know you, Mr. Williams. I've known you since you were a boy, and frankly, you've been a big disappointment to me. You lie, you cheat on your wife, and you manipulate people and talk about them behind their backs. You think you're a big shot when you haven't the brains to realize you'll never amount to anything more than a two-bit paper pusher. Yes, I know you.”

The lawyer was stunned. Not knowing what else to do, he pointed across the room and asked, “Mrs. Jones, do you know the defense attorney?”

She again replied, “Why yes, I do. I've known Mr. Bradley since he was a youngster, too. He's lazy, bigoted, and he has a drinking problem. He can't build a normal relationship with anyone, and his law practice is one of the worst in the entire state. Not to mention he cheated on his wife with three different women. One of them was your wife. Yes, I know him.” The defense attorney nearly died.

At this point, the judge asked both counselors to approach the bench and, in a very quiet voice, said, “If either of you idiots asks her if she knows me, I'll send you both to the electric chair...!”

Since the days of Aeschylus (“simple are the words of truth”) and Euripides (“plain and unvarnished are the words of truth”) in ancient Greece, much has been made of speaking the so-called unvarnished truth. And it is to her credit in the story above that Mrs. Jones spoke the truth.

But it is arguably to her detriment, as well as to that of those around her, that she did not do so in a way that was redemptive. Another ancient write, the Apostle Paul, seems to have understood how important all of this is for believers. He once admonished the Christians at Ephesus to “speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ...”

Is it wrong for believers to be untruthful? Certainly! But surely it is also wrong for us to wield the truth as a cold, hard weapon, causing needless pain in the lives of others. As one preacher quipped, “You can be as straight as a gun barrel in your message; but you can also be as cold as one in your delivery!”

Clearly that is why the Apostle Paul urges us to speak the truth “in love”. After all, his statement in Ephesians 4:15 comes in the midst of an entire chapter devoted to the importance of loving others as Christ loved us – one that both begins and ends with an emphasis on love:

The chapter’s opening words are: “Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.”

And its closing words are: “Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.”

I hope I will always be known as someone who speaks the truth. But I also hope I will be known as someone who does this with a gentle and loving spirit. For the same God who said: “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life” in the Gospel of John (14:6) also tells us that He is love in the Letters of John (4:8, 4:16). As believers, therefore, it behooves us to always try to find ways to communicate honestly with others, but in a way that is gracious and redemptive.

JOKE SOURCE: Available widely on the internet. This version was posted by Stefania Molinari on www.Quora.com on November 18, 2022.

SCRIPTURE SOURCES:

https://biblehub.com/nlt/ephesians/4.htm;

https://biblehub.com/john/14-6.htm;

https://biblehub.com/nlt/1_john/4.htm.

T’WAS THE WEEK AFTER THANKSGIVING...

12/1/2022

Today marks one full week since the observance of Thanksgiving. As it does, it is worth asking whether any vestige of that highly promoted holiday still remains.

According to gifted writer and teacher, Dean Traylor, indeed something does. His recently posted free verse poem titled “Talkin' Turkey: An After-Thanksgiving Poem” fittingly makes his case. Maybe you, like me, can relate to his words.

Turkey in the morning
Turkey at noon
Turkey for Dinner
And
Turkey as a snack

All that meat
After the feast
Left over
For someone to eat

But it doesn't vanish
It doesn't go away
It's in the fridge
Waiting
For the ritual after Thanksgiving
To begin.

So it becomes
Turkey for breakfast
Turkey with eggs
Turkey for Lunch
In between breads

Turkey for Dinner
Turkey for snacks
There's too much turkey
That one can take

Maybe ground it like beef
And have it as a burger
Or slice it in pieces
And have it with mayo and mustard.

Or by itself
Hot
Cold
The choice is yours.

Either way
The situation remains the same;
Have a turkey
Then fall asleep.

Or if you can't stomach more
Some Pepsid (sic) AC
To take away its burning retort.
Every year
The feast after
Thanksgiving
Continues.

One can stop
And leave the meat
In the fridge
But do so and remember
That scent will be there
Reeling you in.

You can't ignore
Those leftovers
That turkey doesn't go away.
Keep trying as you may
That turkey will never go away.
Turkey Lingers

He follows up his poem with these insightful thoughts…

Let's face it: the Thanksgiving turkey doesn't go away in a day. It lingers for a week, slowly being consumed when one gets the urge to do so. It goes from being carved up for Thanksgiving, to becoming leftovers in a moment's notice.

I can't recall a time the turkey was enough to last for one day. That almost never happens. It's a big bird that seemingly gets bigger every year. Even a family of four can't polish them off in one sitting.

I've lost count of the numerous packed lunches I've had with leftover Thanksgiving turkey. Sometimes, the offerings would last for days or a week. Rarely will it go for two weeks. By that time, you simply get sick of seeing turkey.

In a nutshell, that's what this poem is about. What happens when a ceremonial meal with a lot of symbolic meaning simply becomes nothing more than tired leftovers. Maybe there's a warning for us all in these verses....nah! It's just a silly poem about Thanksgiving (or the days after it).

How right Mr. Traylor is. There is indeed a warning here. For so often, the turkey lingers and lingers and lingers. But, alas, what has become of the thankfulness that supposedly prompted last week’s original celebratory feast? In truth, in just seven short days, much of it has completely faded away.

As you chew on all that turkey, let it remind you to chew on one more thing. Let it remind you to keep on chewing on the those things that you were so faithful to espouse on Thanksgiving Day – those things you counted as your blessings and for which you said you were truly thankful on that day.

Surely, if turkey is worth keeping around and revisiting on a regular basis in the days and weeks after Thanksgiving, then so is a spirit of appreciation to the Lord Who gives us not only the sustenance we need but also the appetite to enjoy it!

So feel free to talk turkey this week. But remember to talk freely with the Lord as well! Leftovers may last for a short time, but as King David once reminded us: “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; and his love endures forever.”

POEM SOURCE:

https://letterpile.com/poetry/Talkin-Turkey-an-After-Thanksgiving-Poem.

SCRIPTURE SOURCE:

https://biblehub.com/niv/1_chronicles/16.htm.