Blog Archives

THE REPAIR SHOP

1/31/2013

                                          THE REPAIR SHOP

                                            Said Billy Sunday, "Going to church,"
                                            doesn't make you a Christian any more
                                            than going to a garage makes you an
                                            automobile."

                                            There's certainly a lot of truth in that
                                            statement. However, in defense of
                                            church-going, we'd quickly like to add
                                            that, in the long run, more people have
                                            become "Christian" on Sunday than
                                            by attending "garage"on Monday.

                                            For it is at church, that we have the
                                            opportunity...

                                            to recharge our spiritual batteries
                                            to have our bearings packed for the
                                            next leg of life's journey.
                                            to check our brakes so our thoughts
                                            won't go slipping over the edge
                                            of ill repute.
                                            to test our lights that we may see clearly
                                            even in the darkest of nights.
                                            to align our thoughts with The One who
                                            is really in the driver's seat.

                                            This Sunday, if you would like...the tune-up
                                            of your life...meet us at the Repair Shop.

ENCOURAGING WORDS

1/31/2013

                                                       ENCOURAGING WORDS

                                            The "best" of words...are "encouraging"
                                            words.

                                            Over the years, we have received many
                                           encouraging words from our employers,
                                            our friends, and our kind wife, Donna.

                                            Sometimes, it seems this world is pretty
                                           stingy, especially when it comes to passing
                                            on...encouraging words.

                                            So, we'd like to pass on a few encouraging
                                            words, just for you...

                                            "Keep on keeping on."
                                            "God loves you...where you are."
                                            "Every day is a brand new day."
                                            "I (Jesus Christ) am with you always."
                                            "If we must pass the time away, let
                                            us do it with friends like you."

                                            Of all the words with which we wrest
                                            Encouraging words are by far the best.

INDIGNATION

1/31/2013

                                                           INDIGNATION

                                            An acient Greek scholar was asked
                                            when justice would come to Athens.
                                            He replied, "When those who are not
                                            injured are as indignant as those who are."

                                            "A society," wrote Whitney M. Young, Jr.,
                                            "needs more than anything else to care."

                                            Because too few of us are not indignant
                                            often enough...

                                            Our overpaid politicians keep spending
                                            beyond our (not their) means.
                                            Our educational system continues to be
                                            little more than glorified baby-sitting.
                                            Our moral laxness continues to lapse
                                            into immoral looseness.
                                            Our small, serene towns continue to
                                            escalate into overgrown unmanageable
                                            monstrosities.
                                            Our lack of indignation may lead to the
                                            downfall of our country

HOLD ON

1/27/2013

HOLD ON

                                                 Bias, a greek philosopher wrote that
                                                "The greatest misfortune of all is
                                                 not to be able to bear misfortune."

                                                 In times of misfortune, what shall we do...
                                                 Hold on   with faith in God
                                                Hold on   with hope in your heart
                                                Hold on   wait patiently and pray
                                                Hold on   Until the dark clouds depart
                                                Hold on   Do not give up
                                                Hold on   As the Spirit gently whispers
                                                 Hold on   I understand and care

                                                 God continuously works on our behalf.
                                                 He can make for us good fortune from
                                                 even our greatest misfortune.

                                                                 HOLD ON

                                                 Bias, a greek philosopher wrote that
                                                "The greatest misfortune of all is
                                                 not to be able to bear misfortune."

                                                 In times of misfortune, what shall we do...
                                                 Hold on   with faith in God
                                                Hold on   with hope in your heart
                                                Hold on   wait patiently and pray
                                                Hold on   Until the dark clouds depart
                                                Hold on   Do not give up
                                                Hold on   As the Spirit gently whispers
                                                 Hold on   I understand and care

                                                 God continuously works on our behalf.
                                                 He can make for us good fortune from
                                                 even our greatest misfortune.

ON BEING WRONG

1/27/2013

                                                       ON BEING WRONG

                                          "The greatest right in the world,"
                                          said Harry Weinberger, "is the right
                                          to be wrong."

                                          One of the major reasons that this mass
                                          we call humanity usually stagnates at a
                                          mediocre level or below is...that some one
                                          is always telling us we're wrong...and then
                                          gives us every opportunity to prove it.

                                          One of the reasons Thomas Edison was
                                          such a great inventor was that he was
                                          given the money, materials, and freedom
                                          to fail again and again, thousands of times.

                                          Most "greats" become great because
                                          they had the tenacity and determination
                                          and the freedom to fall down, make mistakes,
                                          pick themselves up and carry on.

                                          Being right the first time is probably our best
                                          option, but by being wrong then capitalizing
                                          on our mistakes, we learn oh, so much

LOOKING AHEAD

1/27/2013

                                                LOOKING AHEAD

                                     "Don't let yesterday use up too much
                                             of today," said Will Rogers.

                                             As usual, Will was right. To have the
                                            "time of our life," we must live the time
                                            we have left...not the time that has passed
                                            us by.

                                            We would not try to remember "all" of
                                            yesterday...just those portions that would
                                            help us live well, this day.

                                            Like a rabbit darting quickly across a road,
                                            opportunities often leap across our way
                                            when we're looking in different direction.

                                            Let's keep looking ahead.
                                            For, therein lies...our future.

TIME, GOING, GOING...

1/17/2013

                                                        TIME, GOING, GOING...

                                               One of our favorite pieces of poetry
                                               is an inscription on the door of a
                                               grandfather clock in Chester Cathedral...

                                               "When, as a child, I laughed and wept,
                                               Time crept.
                                               When, as a youth, I dreamed and talked,
                                               Time walked.
                                               When I became a full grown man,
                                               Time ran.
                                               And later, as I older grew,
                                               Time flew.
                                               Soon I shall find, while traveling on,
                                               Time gone.
                                               Will Christ have saved my soul by then?
                                               Amen."

                                               Now then, what shall we do...with the
                                               time we have remaining?

LIVE ALL OUR DAYS

1/17/2013

                                                       LIVE ALL OUR DAYS

                                                "May you live all the days
                                                of your life," wrote Jonathan Swift.

                                                If we could have had a personal
                                                conversation with this well-known
                                                author, we suspect he would have
                                                distinguished between "existing"
                                                and "living."

                                                Through the centuries, most of mankind
                                                have existed as pawns of other persons,
                                                or as prisoners of their own pre-concived
                                                notions, or as mentors of mindlessness.

                                                How shall we escape our surroundings
                                                of mindlessness and mental mediocrity?
                                                Perhaps we need to come to know better
                                                the Author of life, if we are to "live" all of
                                                our days...abundantly.

REACH OUT

1/17/2013

                                                       REACH OUT

                                               Reach out...
                                               For things that really count
                                               For the stars and beyond
                                               For that which is higher
                                               For that which is timeless.

                                              Reach out...
                                              With concern and compassion
                                              With open heart and pocket book
                                              With soft words and kind thoughts
                                              With unabashed love.

                                              Reach out...

                                              And speak of honor and loyalty
                                              And listen to the cry of the lonely
                                              And touch another human heart
                                              And watch the people change.

                                              Reach out...and gather in.

MOUNTAINOUS MOLEHILLS

1/17/2013

                                                  MOUNTAINOUS MOLEHILLS

                                             "They make," wrote Thomas Becon (c.1560)
                                             "of a molehill a mountain."

                                             Politicians do it at election time
                                             Preachers do it on Sunday
                                             Husbands do it to their wives
                                             Mothers do it to their children
                                             Employers do it to their employees.

                                             Alas, it appears that all of us are sometimes
                                             guilty of making mountains out of molehills.

                                             How easily, with the same breath, we
                                             condone our own actions while at the same
                                             time we condemn our neighbors' actions.

                                             How easy it is...to see the speck of sand
                                             in the eye or our fellowman...
                                             And so difficult to recognize...the boulder
                                             on our shoulder.

                                             May we learn to be less critical of others
                                             as we become older...
                                             And, become greater lovers of our
                                             fellow-mole (er, man).