Blog Posts

THE IMPORTANCE OF PLAYING IT OUT!

8/22/2024

Let me begin today’s blog post with a disclaimer. If you read further, you will find that I intend to be a bragging grandfather. And that with good reason, for my oldest grandson, who is seven years of age and in the second grade, is playing fall baseball this year.

Now for the bragging part… This evening, he was playing short stop with two opposing runners on base. The batter at the plate hit a fly ball, which he caught, getting the batter out. He then raced to second base and stepped on it, getting the runner who had left for third out before he could return. Finally, seeing that the runner coming from first had advanced too far before stopping and retreating to first, he chased him down and tagged him out as well.

Voila! Did you catch it? I did! A triple play!

Needless to say, I was so proud, as I sat out beyond the outfield fence (chosen because it offers the best view of the field). Unable to contain myself, the platitudes poured forth from my mouth… “Boom!”; “Hoo Yah!”; “You go, boy!”; “Who da man?!”; “Put that in your pipe and smoke it!”

Now, to be sure, I said all these things under my breath, so as not to be seen as “That Granddad”! After all, it’s only “Coaches Pitch” on a “Little League” Field. Still, in the moment, it was all I could do to contain my emotions and hold my tongue.

I’m sure glad I did. For it seems that there were already two outs, and the only out that mattered was the one where he caught the fly ball! The other two outs, impressive as they may have been, were nonetheless superfluous. Upon realizing this, I immediately retooled and, taking things in perspective, expressed my excitement in a manner more appropriate to the proper context.

Still, in the moment, the play was a beautiful thing to behold. And I was glad to have been there to witness it. My little grandson played the string out and turned the triple play! And while he may not have grasped the notion that a single out would have ended the inning, neither did the baserunners on the other team. To their credit, everyone involved was giving it their best as they played the game.

This latter thought has stayed with me all throughout the evening. Looking back over my life, I find myself asking one simple question: “Did I always give it my very best and play the string out?!” I like to think I did.

This much is certain. Not giving one’s best means one will never have the opportunity to excel. Similarly, not playing the string out will do the same.

The United States Navy Seals have a saying: “Anything worth doing is worth overdoing. Moderation is for cowards!” Such a statement is merely a call to total commitment. For without total commitment, there can never be total victory.

Perhaps this is part of what Jesus had in mind when He told His disciples In the New Testament Gospel of John (chapter 4, verse 34) that he was called “to finish the work” God had given Him to do. No doubt, inspired by His example, the apostle Paul would go on to state (in his Second New testament Letter to Timothy, chapter 4, verse 7): “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful.”

Little wonder, then, that the writer of the New Testament Book of Hebrews (in chapter 12, verse 1) would admonish us to “keep running with endurance the race set before us” until the very end. Why? Because great things only come from great effort!

And so, my friends, always keep running and always, always, fully finish the course! Run not only up to, but through and beyond the tape! In other words, every time the opportunity presents itself, always play the string out!

After all, there may well be times in life when such opportunities arise with less than two outs! When they do, double plays are possible. And sometimes, even triple plays!

SCRIPTURES:

https://biblehub.com/john/4-34.htm;

https://biblehub.com/2_timothy/4-7.htm;

https://biblehub.com/hebrews/12-1.htm.

AN UPLIFTING EXPERIENCE!

8/17/2024

Each day, while out on my morning walks, I am privileged to be able to observe lots of things in nature. Earlier this morning, as I did so, I had a very uplifting experience.

For as long as I can remember, a flock of vultures has inhabited the airspace above our home and the multitude of pastures and farms that surround us. As a general rule, they keep to themselves as they patrol the skies searching for roadkill and/or natural carrion to consume. In so doing, they fulfill their God-given purpose of keeping the land clear of dead animals and free of any disease or malady otherwise apt to arise.

But after witnessing their morning routine countless times, it finally dawned on me today exactly how they go about their business. After roosting together as a flock for the night in a tall tree, they spread their wings to gather as much warmth and strength from the rising sun as possible.

All along, they are also clearly waiting for the warmth of the sun to begin to heat the atmosphere, producing thermals of warm air that rise from the land. Once fortified, they take to the air in a gliding motion, always taking care to head off in the same direction in which the wind is blowing.

As they plummet, they quickly begin to flap their wings furiously in order to gain speed before the wind. After a good long run, they abruptly turn 180 degrees directly into the wind. As they do, they spread their wings like a canopy, allowing the rush of wind to lift them higher. In my estimation, they rise around 20 to 30 feet, before once again turning 180 degrees and running with the wind, again flapping their wings to gain speed.

After another run, they once again turn quickly into the wind and spread their wings, receiving yet another tremendous lift from the force of the wind beneath their wings. This process is completed some dozen or so times over about a ten to fifteen minute period until they are, quite literally, hundreds and hundreds of feet up in the air.

Once they reach sufficient altitude, they then ride the wind in giant circles, rarely flapping their wings as the currents of air carry them far and wide in search of nourishment.

As I observed this process earlier today, I thought about many things. The first thing that came to my mind was the old Roger Whittaker song, later made most famous by Lou Rawls and then Bette Midler, titled “Wind Beneath My Wings”. The song acknowledges the debt the artist owes to another, with these words:

It must have been cold there in my shadow
To never have sunlight on your face
You were content to let me shine, that's your way
You always walked a step behind!

So I was the one with all the glory
While you were the one with all the strength
A beautiful face without a name for so long
A beautiful smile to hide the pain!

Did you ever know that you're my hero
And everything I would like to be?
I can fly higher than an eagle
For you are the wind beneath my wings!

It might have appeared to go unnoticed
But I've got it all here in my heart
I want you to know, I know the truth, of course I know it
I would be nothing without you!

How fitting! For very few of us make anything of ourselves in this world without the loving and sacrificial support of others, usually a devoted spouse. This is certainly true for me.

But my reflections quickly went beyond this. For there is yet Another without Whose support none of us would ever soar in life; and that Other One is Almighty God.

In the Old Testament Book of Isaiah (chapter 40, verse 31 HCSB Translation), we read: “But those who trust in the LORD will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not faint.”

In my lifetime, I have had a few opportunities to ascend to great heights. I am not just talking about flying in a jetliner, or standing atop mountains or skyscrapers. All of us have experienced these things.

But whatever your occupation or profession, you along with me, have likely experienced several high points in your career. You have likely made some special trips and witnessed some special events and met some special people. You may even have accomplished some spectacular things along the way. Any number of these things can represent for you the great heights to which we have been privileged to ascend in life.

But one thing is for sure. No matter who we are and no matter how high we are ever privileged to ascend, we do not attain these great heights without the Lord empowering us to rise and to soar aloft!

These thoughts filled my head as I left off viewing the splendor of the flock of birds soaring above me this morning, and continued my walk. All the way home, I found myself first humming, then singing the words to Lisa Ireland's classic 2003 anthem “But Thou, Oh Lord”, as arranged by Bradley Knight, based on the words of the third verse of the third Old Testament Psalm:

Many are they increased that troubled me
Many are they that rise up against me
Many there be which say of my soul
There is no help for him in God

But Thou, oh Lord are a shield for me
My glory and the lifter of my head
Thou, oh Lord are a shield for me
My glory and the lifter of my head

I cried unto the Lord with my voice
And he heard me out of His holy hill
I laid me down and slept and awaked
For the Lord sustained
The Lord sustained me

For Thou, oh Lord are a shield for me
My glory and the lifter of my head
Thou, oh Lord are shield for me
My glory and the lifter of my head

More times than I can count in my life, the Lord has lifted not only my head, but all of me to heights hitherto unattainable. For this, I am and always will be thankful.

I trust you share my sentiment. If not, perhaps you should. Doing so is quite an uplifting experience.

SCRIPTURE SOURCE:

https://biblehub.com/isaiah/40-31.htm;

https://biblehub.com/psalms/3-3.htm.

SEE ALSO:

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

https://www.musixmatch.com/lyrics/Bette-Midler/Wind-Beneath-My-Wings.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZtDVYOb-fw;

https://www.musixmatch.com/lyrics/The-Prestonwood-Choir/Thou-Oh-Lord.

DEEP CLEANSING!

8/13/2024

Several weeks ago, I shared a blog post about mowing the grass and losing, then finding, the key to the lawnmower along the way. I am happy to report that I have managed not to lose the key again since then. But lawnmower owners periodically face other setbacks as well. Allow me to elaborate.

I am blessed to have a wife who actually likes to cut grass. So much so, that, if I cut the grass in her absence, she genuinely gets upset. So, in our retirement years, we have developed somewhat of a division of labor, as it were. We share indoor chores such as laundry and dishes. In turn, we also share outdoor chores, such as mowing and property maintenance.

Our usual pattern is for both of us to get on a riding mower and attack the yard. She cuts the front yard and a patch of grass across the creek. I cut the back yard and the open areas in and among our fruit trees in the area we call “the orchard”. We usually finish up about the same time.

She then takes the push mower and trims along the road and around the yard in the smaller places where riding mowers cannot penetrate. As she does, I fire up the trimmer and trim around the trees, bushes, fences, and outbuildings, before also edging the driveway. Once again, for the most part, we finish up about the same time, knocking the whole process out in about two and a half hours.

But not yesterday. For as I was preparing to fire up the trimmer, my wife came to me and told me that the push mower would not start. I went over to give it a try, assuming I would be able to fire it right up. I soon discovered that I could not crank it either. I simply used the trimmer to hack down the grass in those places normally cut with the push mower.

But as I slung the trimmer back and forth, I had plenty of time to ponder the matter. Each spring, I have the mowers tuned up. Compared to the riding mowers, the push mower gets relatively little use. I regularly check the oil and fill it with gas before each cutting. So, where was the problem?

And then I remembered the days of growing up on a farm. We never paid anyone to fix anything. Instead, we became master tinkerers and shade tree mechanics. In that day, if a mower would not crank, even as a boy, I knew to clean out the air filter and check the spark plug.

So, I pulled the spark plug, and soon found the problem. The electrodes were considerably corroded - so much so that the gap between the center electrode and side electrode was almost totally corroded by excessive carbon buildup.

One wire brush and two minutes later, I replaced the clean plug and pulled the starter cord and “Voila!”… the little Briggs and Stratton 3.5 horsepower engine coughed and chugged to life. It still smoked; but at least it now ran again.

This whole episode got me to thinking. In many ways, you and I are quite similar to my little lawnmower engine in that we all need air to breathe and fuel to consume. But we also need well-maintained and properly working physical frames. For lawnmowers, this includes wheels, carriages, handles, and the like. For humans, this includes our physical bodies, but also minds and our souls.

If we are not careful, we can find ourselves dirty and polluted, not just on the exterior, but also in the interior. Indeed, much is known about diet and its effect on our cardiovascular system. It behooves each of us to take the proper steps to ensure we don’t clog our arteries.

But what of our minds and souls?

How many of us exercise faithfully and take daily medicines to prevent clogged arteries, while at the same time taking precious few steps to protect what we feed our minds? More to the point, how many of us give serious thought to what all we pour into our souls?!

In all of this, I have been reminded that, periodically, I need to undergo a little cleansing myself. I’m not talking about bathing or showering. These things I undertake regularly enough.

But what about my mind? Could I stand a periodic detox here? Are there materials I read, stations I watch, websites I visit, and/or people with whom I regularly engage in conversation which I should periodically take a breather from? Might my mind benefit tremendously from such a respite?

And what of my soul? Have I inadvertently polluted it as well? Would it not benefit me to undergo a cleansing there as well? Back in the day, preachers made much ado about being “backslidden”. If you are unfamiliar with that term, it is quite biblical. The writer of Proverbs uses it, as does the Prophet Jeremiah on multiple occasions. It is based on a Hebrew word that simply means “turning back”.

I once heard an evangelist say: “If there was ever a time in your life when you were closer to God than you are right now, then you, my friend, are backslidden!”

Let’s face it. We believers do backslide. It happens. And when we do, it is for many reasons – not the least of which is because we become enamored with some other entity than our Lord to which we give our attentions. Whenever this happens, we get out of kilter and begin to feed our souls a regular diet of material we were never intended to consume.

The truth is that the spark plug in our push mower was corroded so badly because we primarily use it on a slope, which had been allowing engine oil to enter both the air filter and carburetor. The engine was not designed to combust oil, but rather gasoline. A thorough cleaning of not only the spark plug, but also the carburetor has now returned our push mower to excellent working condition.

Since then, I have addressed the problem and restored it to its former glory as it now once again fulfills the purpose for which it was designed.

Would it not behoove me to apply the same approach to my soul, which is of infinite worth compared to a silly lawnmower? Yes, my friend, it would.

In the New Testament Book of Revelation (chapter 2, verse 4), the Lord Himself spoke to us though the Apostle John when he said: “I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.” The Weymouth New Testament translates this as: “I have this against you - that you no longer love Me as you did at first.”

And so, my friend, are you in any way backslidden? If so, do you in any way need an internal cleansing in order to remove those things that now supplant and pollute your earlier commitment to, and relationship with, your personal Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ?

If so, I have good news for you. In his First New Testament Letter (chapter 1, verse 9), the Apostle John states: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

Any way you look at it, that is God’s promise to give a seriously deep cleansing to anyone who desires it enough to actually seek it!

SCRIPTURE:

https://biblehub.com/proverbs/14-14.htm;

https://biblehub.com/jeremiah/2-19.htm;

https://biblehub.com/jeremiah/8-5.htm;

https://biblehub.com/hebrew/4878.htm;

https://biblehub.com/1_john/1-9.htm.

SERIOUS HEARTBURN!

8/8/2024

The news this day contained a story titled: “Dog Chews Lithium-Ion Battery, With Disastrous Results: Tulsa Fire Department Issues Warning after Home Burns”. The article, posted on www.Newser.com included a link to a video posted on www.YouTube.com of the actual fire as it started.

The article reads:

A dog chomping on a lithium-ion battery sparked a serious house fire in Oklahoma, and video of the moment the sparks began to fly has been enlisted by a fire department to show the potential dangers of those batteries. The footage taken from the home and posted last week on the Tulsa Fire Department's Facebook page shows the dog gnawing on the device atop one of two cushions set on the floor of a living room, per the AP. Another dog can be seen on a couch and a cat on the floor as the dog bites down and sparks begin to shoot from the battery. The dog pulls back and soon the cushions are ablaze. Both dogs watch the growing fire at one point.

The fire department said the Tulsa-area home was significantly damaged by the fire in May but the two dogs and the cat escaped through a pet door. Fire department spokesman Andy Little said in the post that the battery the dog was chewing was intended for charging cell phones. He said lithium-ion batteries can store "a significant amount of energy in a compact space" but when that energy "is released uncontrollably, it can generate heat, produce flammable and toxic gasses and even lead to explosions." He said the batteries can possibly become dangerous when they are damaged, overcharged, or exposed to extreme heat. Fortunately for the pets, Little said, all escaped the flames uninjured.

Now that’s what I call taking a mouthful of something and winding up with serious heartburn!

As I perused the story, I will have to admit, first of all, that I was a little happy that my wife and I have a cat and not a dog. It may pick carpet and furniture with its claws; but at least it does not chew on things that are apt to ignite fires.

But I also found myself asking a basic question: “What energizes me?” Seriously, a major battery manufacturer refers to its brand as the “energizer”. We now know that batteries that energize can also produce unwarranted results if consumed inappropriately.

As I look around, I see a lot of people consuming a lot of things they hope might energize them. For some, it is caffeine. For others, it is nicotine. For yet others, it is medication. And of course, for a great many, it is alcohol, drugs, pornography, and/or a whole host of other illicit substances or activities.

People depend upon any number of things to find strength and/or courage to face their day, their responsibilities, or their lives. Some of those things are legally and morally acceptable. Others are not. But whether legal or socially acceptable or not, whatever we consume can and very often will have consequences.

And if this matters in our everyday lives, how much more does it matter in our spiritual life?! Here, we must truly be careful about what energizes us. And above all else, we must be careful about what we choose to consume!

And so my friend, irrespective of your favorite minister, television preacher, or award-winning artist, even church or denomination, be careful about what all you willfully chew and swallow!

The only entity which should truly energize us is God Himself. And that is why, in the New Testament Book of Philippians (chapter 4, verse 13), the Apostle stated: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” The contemporary English version translates this verse as: “Christ gives me the strength to face anything!”

And so, my friend, who or what energizes you? If you are seeking your strength in any other way than the One Who claimed to be “The Way, the Truth, and the Life”, then don’t be surprised if circumstances eventually blow up in your face… And when that happens, things quickly get heated. And soon enough, out of control!

Why suffer that heartburn?

NEWS STORY SOURCE:

https://www.newser.com/story/354147/dog-chews-lithium-ion-battery-with-disastrous-results.html.

SCRIPTURE:

https://biblehub.com/philippians/4-13.htm;

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

RAIN OR SHINE!

8/4/2024

“Rain, rain, go away; come again some other day!” So goes the famous children’s ditty. Only it’s not just a limerick for kids. At times, it can be a genuine plea from adults as well.

A case in point: here in east Tennessee, we had a very wet spring. In the months of April and May alone, we got thirteen and a half inches of rain! Then, when June unfolded, things quickly dried out. My neighbor, who is a cattle farmer and depends upon gathering hay, had himself a bumper crop for his first cutting.

But then, the lack of rain turned into a short drought, as we spent a good four weeks in June in the high 90s with nary a drop of rain. The total for the month was less two inches. The grass understandably withered and my neighbor wound up having to feed thirty bales of his recent bumper crop of hay to his cattle in the first month of summer, three months prior to normal!

All of this was then followed by fourteen straight days of rain that we received in July. The last two days alone, we got over four inches in less than a twenty-four hour period! And now, as August has is unfolding, we are projected to have no rain at all for the first ten or so days of the month.

Oh well… It seems that the faucets of Heaven turn on and then they turn off!

For me, of course, all of this has been, at most, a mere inconvenience. At times, I have had to cut my grass as much as twice a week. At other times, I only have to cut it every other week or so.

But for my poor neighbor, it has been a very frustrating roller coaster ride! Either it has been too dry for his hay to grow, and even for his cows to garner enough green grass from the pastures for daily sustenance; or else it has been too wet for him to get his tractors into the hayfields to cut and bale hay, let alone gather it into the barn.

As I have reflected on all of this, I have been reminded of just how blessed I am in this regard. I say this because, as we talked, both I and my exasperated neighbor had to admit that, despite our current irritations, we still have it far better than our ancestors did.

After all, most of them were mere subsistence crop farmers. Their very livelihoods depended upon putting seeds in the ground and having those seeds come to fruition, in order that that they might be harvested for profit. Either too little rain or too much rain would easily devastate their crops, thwarting their hopes and dreams. Beyond this, if the lack of rain got severe enough, extensive dustbowls were created, often lasting for years. In the process, entire swaths of farmlands were entirely abandoned.

Even those who did not depend upon crops could be threatened by extremes in precipitation. In the world where I grew up, creeks and rivers often flooded, and in the process, wooden bridges were not only thoroughly inundated, but at times, completely washed away.

And one did not even have to leave home to suffer the ill-effects of such fluctuation in precipitation. Most people got their water, not from deeply drilled wells, but from relatively shallow bored wells. In periods of drought, many of these wells simply went dry. Ina double whammy, it was hot, dry periods in the summer that so often accompanied the drying up of these wells. Thus, it was that whenever water was needed most, not just by crops and livestock, but by people themselves, it was least available.

On the other hand, in periods of extreme rain, these same wells often became so muddy that the water they produced had to be boiled before being declared safe enough for consumption. What is more, whenever they faced downpours like we did in getting four inches inside of two days, the rain did not just come down on the roof, but it came down through the roof. Indeed, it was not uncommon for people in those times to find themselves sitting around with one or more buckets dispersed throughout their dwellings, as downpours were apt to produce leaks in the rooftops of their homes.

I could further belabor the point here; but it is does not seem necessary. Compared to our forebears, the vagaries of weekly, monthly, or seasonal weather remain for most of us merely an inconvenience. It is certainly not the extreme vexation it once was for our ancestors, most of whom lived rural, agrarian lives.

Conversely, these days, whenever I find myself saying, “Rain, rain, go away…” it is usually because my plans have somehow been disrupted by it. Likewise, whenever I find myself saying, “Come again another day…” it is more often than not because either my lawn or my flowers or my pet garden needs moisture.

Let me add that I have also been blessed to travel fairly extensively; and in my travels, I have been to many a place where there are extensive annual dry periods, in which water is all but non-available, followed by even more extensive monsoons, wherein rainfall is so excessively abundant that it becomes less of a mere nuisance and more of a genuine burden.

In all of this, I have been reminded of just how blessed I am. I live in one of the most verdant and fertile places in the world. Sunshine abounds here in east Tennessee, as does rain. And even when rain does not flourish, multiple streams, creeks, rivers, and large nearby lakes insure that there will always be plenty of water to address my basic needs.

In the Old Testament Book of Ecclesiastes (chapter 7, verse 14), the Bible reminds us of one fundamental truth: “When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other.”

Little wonder that the Apostle Paul would later write (in Philippians, chapter 4, verses 10-19):

I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.

Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles. Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid more than once when I was in need. Not that I desire your gifts; what I desire is that more be credited to your account. I have received full payment and have more than enough. I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.

Pay attention to two statements here. In verses 12, he tells us that: “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” The Apostle Paul obviously knew what it was like to abound in either too much heavenly sunshine or too much heavenly rain. Conversely, he knew what it was like to suffer from a lack of either! By this I mean that he knew what it was both to enjoy good times and to endure tough times.

And yet, in all of this, he had somehow learned to be content. Why? Precisely because of what he stated in verse 13: “I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.”

Like the Old Testament Ecclesiast, Paul is here acknowledging the sovereignty of out Heavenly Father, Who always knows what is best for us.

Two other statements of Paul here are also worth observing. In verse 18, he says: “I have received full payment and have more than enough. I am amply supplied.” To which he adds (in verse 19): “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.”

Paul wanted you and me to know that God not only knew what was best for him in his day, but that He also knows what is best for you and me in our day!

The principle here is the Lord always gives us just what we need. Not always what we want, mind you, but always what we need. And He does this just when we need it most!

In light of this, I’ll take sunshine whenever He chooses to send it. I’ll also take rain whenever He opens up the heavens. I will do so with utmost confidence, knowing full well that He alone knows best when to tell rain to “go away”, and when to tell it to “come again” on whatever other day of His choosing.

So, my friend, whether you are currently hot and dry and sweating it out, or thoroughly inundated and almost drowning, remember to keep trusting the Lord. He knows our needs; and has promised to always meet them, rain or shine!

SCRIPTURES:

https://biblehub.com/ecclesiastes/7-14.htm;

https://biblehub.com/niv/philippians/4.htm.

BABES IN TRUTH-LAND

7/31/2024

Back in the day, Walt Disney Studios released a film titled “Babes in Toyland”. While little known now, at the time, it was instantly proclaimed a “classic”. (I only mention this here because I have chosen to appropriate the title for my blog post today; and I fear that only we old dogs will get the pun if it is not explained.)

That being said, our four oldest grandsons (ages four though seven) spent the night last night. And in one of those unscripted moments, I learned a lesson from an exchange between one of my grandsons and my wife.

In the midst of a bowl of what can arguably be called salt flavored with popcorn, a can of caffeine labeled Coca-Cola, and an engrossing movie involving pirates, treasure, sharks, and the like, he suddenly bolted upright and announced that he needed me to pause the movie because he had to make a “pit stop”.

Thirty seconds later, I heard him say, “Hey, the light is blinking in here!” For my part, this simple, forthright exclamation brought about an intense relief.

You see, for several days now, anytime I was in that restroom, I, too, thought I sensed a subtle flickering in the light. I puzzled over this considerably. I wondered, first of all, if there was a short in the wiring of the light. Initially, I grew concerned that perhaps this was the case; and I wondered if I should call in an electrician to check this out.

Still, not completely convinced this was the issue, I pondered the matter further. I soon found myself wondering if the light really was flickering. If not, could it be that there was something going on with my own eyesight? Were my eyes somehow flickering in the midst of otherwise perfectly good light? Did I need to make an appointment with an Optometrist? If I did, would he or she then send me to an Ophthalmologist? And if so, would that be a Geriatric Ophthalmologist, a Neuro Ophthalmologist, or an Ocular Oncologist? Where was all this headed? What on earth was I facing? Just how bad off were my poor eyes?

But then I pondered the situation further, and asked myself if this was so, then why was this happening only in the bathroom and not in any other room? Could it be this was because there was no window there? Maybe that was it. Maybe it was all related to too much artificial light! Yes, that was it! It must be! And did I not now need to find a way to get more natural light into the bathroom?

But how would I do that? After all, the bathroom was not located on an exterior wall. Finally, I realized what I needed to do. A skylight! Yes, that was clearly the solution. All I would need to do was to tear a hole in the roof and get some natural light into the place. Ouch! Just what was that going to cost me!

What in the world was going on here?!

Seriously, at the end of the day, if my house was not about to burn down, or if I was not about to go blind, or if I was not about to be on the line for tens of thousands of dollars in construction costs, then what possible way was there out of this dilemma?

Unwittingly, my wife came to my rescue and provided the answer! “It sounds like the light bulb may be going bad,” she replied aloud to my grandson. “Granddaddy will change it out later. Now hurry up, so we can turn the movie back on.”

What can I say? The light suddenly came on! Not so much in the bathroom, as in my head!

So, what did I do? Naturally, in the moment, I kept my mouth shut, feigning ignorance of the whole issue. But as soon as my wife and grandsons had all settled down for the night, I sheepishly slipped into the bathroom and replaced the light bulb. Thankfully, no more has been heard of flickering light in the bathroom.

And now, for the sixty-four thousand dollar question… “Why am I sharing all of this?”

Precisely because, at the end of the day, I have been reminded that I spent a disproportionate amount of time worrying about nothing! Let’s face it - I had turned a proverbial molehill in to a proverbial mountain!

As a result of this episode, I have thought a lot about the words of Jesus, Who once asked us why we spend so much time worrying. In the New Testament Gospel of Matthew (chapter 6, verse 28), He asked: “Why do you worry?”

As if to answer His own question, not once, but twice in that same chapter, He admonished us not to worry. Thus, He went on to state: “So do not worry!” and “Therefore, do not worry!”

By my own admission, I wasted a whole lot of time worrying unnecessarily about a simple flickering light. But that has caused me to reconsider just how many other such trivial things I have spent precious and irretrievable moments fretting over.

Maybe, just maybe, this whole episode has shed a little more light on what all else I have spent unwarranted amounts of time unnecessarily worrying about. More to the point, maybe, just maybe, I have been reminded to spend less time worrying and more time listening to someone who may actually know, not only what I am facing, but also what the solution to my issue is!

SOURCES:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babes_in_Toyland_(1961_film).

SCRIPTURE:

https://biblehub.com/niv/matthew/6.htm.

A CHANGE OF POSITIONS

7/27/2024

It was slightly alarming, to say the least. Three of the six barbed wire strands on the fence had clearly been compromised. So much so that, as I passed by, I was worried that any large bull that might happen to be in the vicinity could very easily push his bulk right through. I hurriedly scooted on by and continued my daily walk, relieved to put space between myself and that potential danger zone.

Imagine my surprise when, barely two hundred yards down the road, I came upon two bulls in a small patch of woods in that same pasture right up near the fence. One was one clearly the Alpha, and the other clearly the Beta. They were standing about thirty or so feet apart and each was bellowing.

Let’s just say that the massive Chi-Angus Alpha bull, weighing around 2500 pounds made for one impressive sight. He sported not an ounce of fat and was looking like a four-legged Arnold Schwarzenegger in his prime, with muscles stacked upon muscles stacked upon even more muscles. Fortunately, he appeared preoccupied with the seemingly empty pasture across the road, and not with me.

Nearby, the Beta bull, weighing probably 1800 pounds, also bellowed. Unlike the Alpha bull, however, he also repeatedly pawed the ground with his front hooves and shook his head back and forth, exactly like one would have expected to see from a bull in a bullfight arena.

Once again alarmed, I scooted on by as quickly as possible. I concluded that the two of them were acting like so many muscle men flexing on a beach in southern California back in the day. They were apparently competing for the affections of some unseen young heifer somewhere over in the next pasture.

I continued on my walk, and eventually made my full circuit. Needless to say, on my return trip, I was a bit apprehensive about having to pass by the two bulls once again. So I was more than a little relieved when I discovered the two of them no longer near the fence, but rather out in the middle of the pasture instead.

Only this time, they were not so much focused on some imaginary love interest over the hill as they were upon one another.

They were grunting and straining and butting heads incessantly. First one would gain the advantage and push and the other would give, and then vice versa. I paused to take in this incredible scene, assured that it was not something one was likely to behold very often. It was quite a bull session!

But as I continued standing there observing, however, I soon concluded that the larger bull, which I would have suspected could have easily whipped the lesser one into submission, was not the aggressor. Rather, it was the younger bull who kept on pressing the fight. The older, bigger, stronger bull was actually defending himself from the ceaseless, annoying, and wearying onslaught of the younger, smaller, and supposedly weaker bull.

I smiled to myself as I walked on down the road, smug in the knowledge that it was only a matter of time before “Big Boy” eventually had enough and flat out put “Junior” in his place. Knowing how annoying it can be to have someone continually needling you, the thought of the annoying lesser bull receiving his come-uppance pleased me somewhat.

Fast forward some twenty-four hours. It is now the next day; and I am again out walking. I soon see that the fence has been repaired. A short time and a short distance later, I encounter the farmer and his wife, who, together, own the two bulls. They were out tending to one of the bulls, who was clearly suffering from a broken right rear leg. Now, guess which bull it was. Was it the younger, smaller, and presumably far weaker Beta bull? No! It was in fact the older, larger, and arguably far stronger Alpha bull!

My heart broke as I viewed this once indisputable and unassailable proud monarch now lying prostrate upon the ground before everyone around him. Even as his owners extended him water and food by the bucketful, he laid there listless, sucking great gasps of oxygen into his lungs with each desperate wheeze. His seven year reign was ending in ignominy.

Wow! Who’d a thunk it?! And yet, there it was, in plain sight. The younger bull may have been out-weighed, out-matched, and out-classed, but he had one thing going for him!. He had clearly been far hungrier! As a result, at some point, and in some way, he had scored a lethal blow and delivered a “coup de grâce” to his supposed superior!

I thought about the old adage: “The wolf on the hill is far hungrier than the wolf on the top!”

I also thought about the fact that the Old Testament Book of Ecclesiastes, (chapter 3, verse 1) tells us that… “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” Elaborating further, the writer goes on, stating (in verses 2-8) …

a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.

A short time later, thankfully, the grand old bull was out of his misery. Courteous of John Deere, his owners thereafter gave him an honorable burial. But no sooner had the dirt been piled over his body than the younger bull had already stepped into his role and assumed the position of the new reigning monarch over three whole pastures and the hundreds of cows and calves inhabiting them.

Smug in his newfound position, the once Beta but now Alpha bull is likely unaware that a fourth pasture contains about a dozen young bulls that are simply biding their time before they too have a chance of crossing the road into “Greener Pastures”! (Or if he is aware, he does not yet seem to appreciate the significance of what that implies for his own future.)

I share all of this because, even as I write this, it is arguable the most powerful man in the free world, the President of the United States, has now been made by subordinates within his own political party to step aside in order to be supplanted by a younger and more feistier generation.

“He who has ears, let him hear.” So said Jesus Himself in the New Testament of Gospel of Matthew, chapter 13, verse 9. In parallel passages, He also challenged those of us who have eyes to use them to see clearly.

Look around, my friend, and you will soon see that no matter who you are, no matter what heights you have obtained, no matter how impressive a sight you portend to display, you will likely not be atop the proverbial heap for long! No one ever has been. No one ever will be. Such is the fleeting nature of societal prominence within our shared existence.

Given this fact, might it not behoove all of us to focus a bit less on our worldly persona, and a bit more on our eternal significance? Yes, my friends, it certainly would!

It has been asserted that all dogs go to Heaven. Maybe so, maybe not. I suppose the same holds true for bulls. But whether or not either dogs or bulls ever get to dwell in that place where lions and lambs lie down together, I know I plan to go there one day and live forever, free from conflict and strife for all eternity.

In light of this, maybe it behooves me to change my own position on certain matters, chiefly focusing less on my fleeting place, position, and/or prominence in this world, and to focus more on all these matters in the world to come!

As I do, I will keep in mind that “the last shall be first, and the first shall be last”. After all, given the events I have witnessed over the past week, that seems the most appropriate position to hold!

SCRIPTURE:

https://biblehub.com/niv/ecclesiastes/3.htm;

https://biblehub.com/matthew/13-9.htm;

https://biblehub.com/mark/8-18.htm;

https://biblehub.com/matthew/20-16.htm.

TONGUES AFIRE!

7/22/2024

Yet another article posted on www.Newser.com has now caught my attention. I refer to Evann Gastaldo's July 21, 2024 piece titled “One Terrible Amazon Review Ravaged A Small Business: Bloomberg Looks at the Sad Story of A Once-Thriving Swim Diaper Business”.

The story goes on to share how just one terrible Amazon review ravaged a small business. According to the article:

Paul and Rachelle Baron's small business, Beau & Belle Littles, quickly reached $1 million in sales after the couple came up with a reusable, easily removable, and washable swim diaper based on their experience with their own baby during his first swim class. They were featured in Forbes and on Rachael Ray's show and had come up with a plan to triple annual sales to $3 million in 2020.

Then came a one-star review that “tanked” everything, according to Bloomberg, which takes a long look at the Barons' story. The problem? A customer left a terrible review after ordering one of the diapers and receiving a used one that had been returned—still encrusted with feces. But that was on Amazon, not the Barons; Amazon employees are supposed to check every returned item before clearing it to be resold.

But sources tell Bloomberg that it's not uncommon for Amazon to restock returned items without thoroughly examining them. The Barons asked for the review to be removed since they weren't at fault, but it remained up for years (until Bloomberg published its story, in fact) and, because of the pictures of the stained diaper that it contained, it received a lot of views. As a result, the Barons say, they are $600,000 in debt and barely making a living from their once-thriving business; Paul has a side job and Rachelle is looking for one.

The article’s last sentence is the most alarming. It reads:

Meanwhile, the person who left the negative review says that after the Barons reached out to her, replaced the diaper, and explained what happened, she meant to revise her review—but “life got busy and I never did.”

My strong suspicion is that you, like me, are greatly alarmed after reading this. One feels for the couple whose business was ruined through no real fault of their own. Especially when they went above and beyond and did everything humanly possible to reach out to the customer and make things right.

But the most troubling thing of all is found in that last sentence. The disgruntled customer whom they reached out to could so easily have set the record straight, but apparently just couldn’t be bothered! How truly sad!

Of course, we all live in this brave new world where much of our shopping takes place online. And purchasing choices are often driven by reviews. Add to that the fact that social media dominates everything. And with social media comes the opportunity for individuals to sound off at every turn about every pet peeve they happen to have.

And the sad truth, as this story illustrates, is how people do this with relative immunity. They hide behind usernames and proffer opinions, blissfully unaware of the real damage their words do in the lives of other people.

We all grew up with the little ditty: “Sticks and stones can break my bones, but names can never hurt me.” Well, sticks and stones can hurt people. But, truth be known, so can names! And so can words, particularly when they employed intentionally as a means to hurt others! We all know this to be true.

After all, most of us have suffered at the expense of someone else’s words. I know I have. But if we would be honest, most of us (including me) would have to admit that we ourselves have periodically hurt others with the words we have uttered. Ouch!

No wonder the Bible puts such an emphasis on the power of the tongue. The Apostle James speaks to this in his New Testament Letter when he writes:

Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way.

We can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth. And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong. In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches.

But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. And among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.

People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right!

Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water? Does a fig tree produce olives, or a grapevine produce figs? No, and you can’t draw fresh water from a salty spring.

Wow! How true!

We were given our minds and our mouths by the Heavenly Father to glorify Him and uplift others. And whenever we use them in ways that undermine these two purposes, we are being, at the least, duplicitous, and at worst, outright antagonistic to the purposes of Almighty God!

The next time you feel the desire to sound off on this, that, or the other person or episode or issue, take a moment to ask what the consequences might just be. For, as James well knew, a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. And make no mistake about it, the damage and devastation done to a once beautiful forest that has been burnt to a crisp is very hard to undo!

STORY SOURCE:

https://www.newser.com/story/353018/one-terrible-amazon-review-ravaged-a-small-business.html.

SCRIPTURE:

https://biblehub.com/nlt/james/3.htm.

A COLD DAY IN JULY?!

7/17/2024

Given how hot it has been as of late here in east Tennessee, it is little wonder that the following headline on www.Newser.com by Kate Seamons caught my attention: “On a Steamy Sunday, Philly Logged Record Snowfall”.

Wait? What?! Record snowfall in the midst of July anywhere outside the tops of mountains in the U.S.A. How is that possible? And then I read the sub-title: “It Was Hail, and That Counts”.

I felt like I had been suckered! But I read on. And here are the facts according to the article…

It's been steamy in Philadelphia this week, where temps hit 94 degrees on Sunday - which was also a record-setting day when it comes to snow, reports NBC Philadelphia. The National Weather Service on Monday reported that thunderstorms passed over the Philadelphia region on Sunday afternoon and generated a “trace” amount of hail.

“Since hail is frozen precipitation, this counts as a ‘trace’ of snow in our climate reports,” the NWS wrote on X. And a “trace” is more than the original record of 0.0 inches set when record-keeping ostensibly began in 1870.

Fox29 reports the NWS offered an expanded take on Facebook, where it noted that summer snow is rare but not unprecedented. It listed 13 prior dates between 1911 and 2011 when trace amounts of snow have been recorded in Philadelphia in June, July, or August.

Now, to be truthful, snow (even when classified as hail) is still infrequent enough, even in the summer, to be noteworthy when it falls. And yet, we all know that it does happen on occasion.

In fact, based on this new information above, I can attest that I have experienced snow many times in the midst of summer. I say this because I cannot count the number of hailstorms I have experienced over the years in the midst of fierce summer storms as they unfolded in the intense southeastern heat of June, July, and August.

As I have reflected on this, I have been reminded that sudden cooling in the midst of warmth happens not only in weather, but in other ways as well.

Think about it. None of us exist in a vacuum. We all have fundamental relationships with others which we treasure as warm and vibrant. But even the midst of such relationships, circumstances can and do unfold in which there is an unexpected and often inexplicable temperature change. We find that, for whatever reason, we are being inundated with cold shoulders at best and cold, hard stares at worst!

In such times, wisdom dictates that it is best to let matters lie. Be the accumulations snow or hail, they are destined not to lie on the ground long whenever they fall in the warmth of summer. Knowing this, it is best just to let the detritus of the sudden cooling alone. In short order, it will resolve itself.

Likewise, when we find that an otherwise warm relationship has been impacted by a sudden intense moment of cooling, perhaps it is best not to let the matter become a bigger issue than it is.

Surely this is what the writer of the Old Testament Book of Proverbs had in mind when he penned Proverbs 15:1: As the amplified bible puts it: “A soft and gentle and thoughtful answer turns away wrath, But harsh and painful and careless words stir up anger.” These thoughts are further stressed in verse 8 of the same chapter, when he states: “A hot-tempered person stirs up conflict, but the one who is patient calms a quarrel.”

In other words, whenever circumstances cool in a given relationship, don’t exacerbate things by choosing to turn up the heat. In the process of time, the Good Lord will usually bring the warmth back to the forefront and overcome the coldness. Applying excessive heat is therefore usually neither needful nor helpful.

Think about these things the next time you find that the temperature has suddenly and inextricably plummeted around you. You’ll likely be glad you did.

SOURCE:

https://www.newser.com/story/353081/philadelphia-logged-record-snowfall-on-sunday.html#google_vignette.

SCRIPTURE:

https://biblehub.com/proverbs/15-1.htm;

https://biblehub.com/proverbs/15-18.htm.

THE JOY OF SWEAT…

7/11/2024

Independence Day has now come and gone and we are headed into what the old folks used to call “Dog Days”. According to www.almanac.com…

The term “Dog Days” traditionally refers to a period of particularly hot and humid weather occurring during the summer months of July and August in the Northern Hemisphere.

In ancient Greece and Rome, the Dog Days were believed to be a time of drought, bad luck, and unrest, when dogs and men alike would be driven mad by the extreme heat! Today, the phrase doesn’t conjure up such bad imagery. Instead, the Dog Days are associated purely with the time of summer’s peak temperatures and humidity.

This period of sweltering weather coincides with the year’s heliacal (meaning “at sunrise”) rising of Sirius, the Dog Star. Sirius is part of the constellation Canis Majoris—the “Greater Dog”—which is where Sirius gets its canine nickname, as well as its official name, Alpha Canis Majoris. Sirius is the brightest star in the sky, not including our own Sun.

As I have previously noted, growing up on a rural Georgia farm, we just thought this time of the year was called “Dog Days” because it was so hot that most of the local dogs literally laid up under the porch refusing to come out from the shade for most any purpose other then to eat and drink.

Either way, the dog days of summer have clearly arrived here in east Tennessee. As I write this, the forecast for the next five days is well into the high 90’s, with the humidity pushing the heat index well above 100!

In light of this, where will “yours truly” be? You guessed it – laid out under the porch in the shade refusing to come out for any other reason other than food and drink! Not really.

But the high temperatures have forced me to adapt. So what I have decided to do is to rearrange my daily schedule in order that the very first thing I do is to go take my daily walk. After all, virtually every other activity I undertake, apart from yard work and property upkeep, is done indoors – at least it is this time of year.

I have found that if I get up, get going, get done, and get back home, I can beat much of the heat and humidity. Sure, I still face the heat throughout the day. Only, I do so a little less severely. And yet, even while walking early these days, I find that I still quickly “face the heat”.

As I did so earlier this morning, I thought about the fact that many a time in my life, I have resisted sweating at all cost. How many times have I bathed, powdered, and applied antiperspirant before dressing and going forth to face the day, only to them find myself in some circumstance wherein I found myself “feeling the heat”?

In so many of these circumstances, how often did I wipe my brow, grab my shirt just below the collar and fan it back and forth furiously, or fan myself feverishly with anything handy?! All in a vain attempt to fend off the inevitable flush of sweat that was forthcoming!

Nowadays, however, I have adopted a different approach. These days, I have finally decided to embrace the sweat! That is to say, I have accepted the fact that, in an approximately 4.5 mile walk, I am going to break out in a sweat. Therefore, the sooner it happens, the better. The quicker I get “heated”, all my pores open up, and my body is flooded with sweat, the better off I am going to be!

After all, is that not what nature intended? My body only sweats in order to cool itself off. If I fight this, I fight nature. Conversely, if I embrace this, then I embrace nature. The same old folks who knew about “Dog Days” also knew about sweat.

For this reason, they would go out into the fields, even on the hottest of days, adorned in long sleeve shirts. Why? Because they knew that as quick as they got hot and sweated, their shirts would be drenched and they would be soaked. Then, whenever a breeze blew, they would cool off quicker!

Now, which approach is more prudent in the long run? To fight perspiration at all cost or simply to embrace the sweat and move forward?! After a lifetime of choosing the former, I’ve now decided to choose the latter. And I’m finding it not only preferential, but also highly beneficial!

As those of you who are my regular readers might expect, my continued reflections on this have led me to a spiritual application. Allow me to expound. You see, many a time within the pages of Holy Scripture, we find individuals who came up against seemingly insurmountable odds, and had the choice either to resist the complications of their circumstances in order not to find themselves made uncomfortable, or else to “man up” and embrace their difficulties.

Names like Moses, Joshua, Gideon, Elijah, Daniel, Jeremiah, Nehemiah, Peter, and Paul all come to mind. Let alone the name of Jesus Christ! In each and every one of these situations, the individuals involved faced the heat, embraced the sweat, and eventually finished the course.

Little wonder that the Apostle James writes in his New Testament letter that we should…

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, a whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Given this, I, for one, have learned to consider the heat of this world as a reason to consider it all pure joy!

And so, my friend, what are you up against? Are you facing the proverbial heat? Are things getting a little hot for you right now?

Is the temperature unbearable in some given relationship, circumstance, and/or context? Then why not just “man up” and embrace the sweat?!

Trust me, addressing the pressing issue (or issues) at hand will invariably prove far more beneficial than avoiding or postponing the inevitable. What is more, you may well discover that addressing the issue (or issues) may well prove that it was nowhere near as bad in the end as you might have anticipated or feared!

These days, irrespective of the heat, I find that the latter portion of my daily walk is actually quite refreshing. So much so that I consider it the reward for my earlier acquiescence to the impending rise in temperature. In other words, at the end of the trail, I sure am thankful that I did not spend the majority of my journey simply seeking to avoid discomfort.

And in the end, this helps me to count it all, no matter how hot it may have been in the moment, as pure joy!

SOURCE:

https://www.almanac.com/content/what-are-dog-days-summer.

SCRIPTURE:

https://biblehub.com/niv/james/1.htm.

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