Blog Archives

PARADOXES

10/31/2013

PARADOXes

In his popular book, "Risky Living,"
Jamie Buckingham, once wrote of
at least four Biblically rooted paradoxes...

"The first shall be last and the last shall be first."

"You are allowed to keep only that which you give away."

"In order to live, you have to die."

"To get high, stay low."

We read another paradox some time ago that went
something like this...

If you're born once, you'll die twice
If you're born twice, you'll die once

And we would add...

Total victory comes only through total surrender.

GOOD NEWS BEARS

10/31/2013

GOOD NEWS BEARS

In this age of graft, cynicism, and corruption,
it is very tempting to become or remain as a
bad news bear.

But, thank God, there appears to be a definite
desire on the part of many of our citizenry to
stop growling, to stop pawing the ground, and
come out of our caves of hibernation, and to
start proclaiming the Good News.
Yep, no more bear traps for us.

We've found our land of milk and honey
Where even the bees are friendly
And all our days are sunny.

We've experienced the bad times and they
aren't for us.
The Lord has promised to make all things
new. If He can do it for us, He can surely
do it for you.

We can personally testify that, in the Lord's
own way, we may be changed and become
as...Good News Bears.

ABSOLUTELY 240

10/31/2013

ABSOLUTELY 240

"No man," wrote Owens Meredith,
"is the absolute lord of his life."

While in our youth, many of us have
thought themselves to be the total lord
of all our circumstances, always in charge.

As years went by and our responsibilities
grow greater, many of us adopted the
philosophy that "God helps them that
help themselves."

But now, as we have pushed on past
middle age and beyond, we continue to
realize our deepening and enjoyable
dependency on our Heavenly Father.

And, it becomes more evident that our
self-independence may be established at its
finest and highest degree only as we permit
Christ to become the absolute Lord of our
life.

THE DOORKNOB

10/24/2013

   THE DOORKNOB

Problems come, problems go
May it ever be so, and so it is.

A few days ago, some of my family
members came over for Sunday dinner.
The group included several grandchildren,
ranging in age from four to eleven.

Just before the crowd left, Maguire, our
youngest grandson brought us our garage
door doorknob. "Look Granny, doorknob broke."

Suspicious me: I suspect there was a
mighty tug of war on both sides of the door
while someone was playing keep out, keep
in.

Later, my wife, Donna, and I, valiantly and
painstakingly tried for almost an hour to
put on a new doorknob. Alas, to no avail.

A few days later, our oldest son, Bill(y) came
by for a short visit. Just as he was about to
dash out the door. I said, "Bill(y), do you know
how to put a doorknob on?" "Yes," he replied.
In less than five minutes, we had a workable
doorknob in place.

I've lived long enough now to suspect that
we shall always have problems, for it is through
problem solving that we learn and grow.

I also suspect that every problem we have
comes with a solution(s). And, it is up to us
to find and apply the satisfactory ones.

Hail to the problems. I'm now ready for my
next three.

(Truth Be Told Disclaimer: My patience and my problems
don't always get along too well together)

(Written: October 23, 2013,revision made on October 14, 2021.)
)

OOPS!

10/24/2013

OOPS!

Wrote Alexander Pope, "To
err, is human, to forgive divine."

Now, can you beat that. We
always thought that line came
straight out of Shakespeare.
Oh well, "to err is..." as they
say.

Through the years, we have
noticed a "slight" tendency on our
part to rationalize, justify and forgive
ourselves in areas of poor judgment
and shoddy conduct.

But, when it came to others, boy,
could we lay it on the line when
calling attention to their mistakes.

Of late, however, we are becoming
more conscious of the law of life
which says that divine healing
is often accomplished through
human forgiveness.

Thou, Oh Lord, who forgiveth us
hourly, by thy grace, may we learn
to forgive our fellowman, daily.

SPIRITUAL POETRY

10/22/2013

  SPIRITUAL POETRY

Through the years, we have discovered that one
   of the most powerful sources of motivation in
our lives has been inspirational or spiritual
poetry.

Rather give you a long drawn out explanation
or persuasive argument regarding the uplifting
value of spiritual poetry, we will simply leave
you with a few simple lines by one of our
favorite Canadian authors, Anna Johnson Flint.

"He giveth more grace when the burden grows greater,
He sendeth more strength when the labors increase;
To added afflictions, He addeth His mercy,
To multiplied trials, His multiplied peace."

"When we have exhausted our store of endurance;
When our strength has failed e'er the day is half done;
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources,
Our Father's full giving is only begun."

"His love has no limilt; His grace has no measure;
His power, no boundary known unto men;
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus,
He giveth and giveth, and giveth again."

THE SECRET

10/18/2013

THE SECRET

"Adopt the pace of Nature," wrote
Emerson, "her secret is patience."

Would you have the best that God
has to offer you? Then perhaps you
may have to be willing to walk the long
road, the open road, with patience.

While salvation may come in a moment,
perfection may take a little longer. Indeed,
a whole lifetime, and way beyond.

Be patient with yourself, with God, with
those whom you hold dear. And, with
the stranger at your gate.

Said Ben Franklin, "He that can have
patience can have what he will."

This day, may our will be aligned with
thee, O Lord, and may we be filled
with patience.

LORD OF ALL 236

10/18/2013

  LORD OF ALL 236

"In certain trying circumstances, urgent
circumstances, desperate circumstances,"
wrote Mark Twain, "profanity furnishes
a relief denied even in prayer."

We'd like to paraphrase and re-arrange Mr.
Twain's remarks just slightly, if we could.
(It's a good thing Mr. Twain has passed on,
or he probably would have objected to any
re-arrangement of his words, laced with a
little profanity.


We think from a Christian viewpoint, that
the following would be much more appropriate...
"In even the most trying of circumstances,
prayer furnishes a relief usually denied by
profanity."

When you are discouraging
And your patience flies away
And your troubles drive you
To your knees
Don't bother getting up too soon
Just remain awhile and pray.

Carry all your burdens
Whether great or small
To Him who always listens
And answers every call.
And you will soon discover
That He is Lord of all.

COUNTING HARVEST MOONS

10/16/2013

COUNTING HARVEST MOONS

There I was, once again, lying in bed,
wondering where the summer went, so
rapidly. It made my head spin (figuratively
speaking only, of course). Couldn't sleep.
The night was tough.

So, I tried counting...Harvest Moons.
Didn't last long, though. There weren't
enough of them. So, I just laid there
for awhile, and these thoughts came
to me...

Strike Fire
Warm Hearts
Glow Brightly
And remember,
God will be exalted
Above us all

AN AUTUMN FELLOW

10/9/2013

AN AUTUMN FELLOW

Once again, the leaves begin to turn
Rainbow colors of orange, red, and yellow
As we exuberantly extol to all
The advantages of being an autumn fellow

We can hear our neighbor saying
He was a fallen man
Had no time for summer
Or playing in the sand

But, give him a pile of leaves
And watch that rascal go
He was wont to play a bit
In the autumn evening glow

Now, if it's time for true confessions
Then, by golly let us confess
Of all the seasons of the year
'Tis the fall time we love best