Ongoing Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Day 2009 has come to a close. However, this does not mean thanksgiving from us has ceased. On the contrary, we have so much on a daily basis to be thankful for. The special day in November is meant to be a reminder of all the sacrifices made for establishing a nation based on principles from the Bible with the religious freedom that is often taken for granted. It is recognition of a connection with those who accept the bounty offered. We plant, water, and harvest but it is God who gives the increase. We should be careful not to detract in our modern thinking from the godly destiny that enabled our forefathers to set this nation in order and bring improved government better than ever experienced in the old world. I want to hold to the original intent of our founding fathers.

Thanksgiving

For me this can be a very nostalgic time of year. The brisk fall air and less daylight bring back memories of my youth when I waited seemingly forever for those extended vacations from school. Now that years have accumulated behind me these days pass too rapidly. My fondest recollections are gathering with family and good home cooked meals and desserts.


The three of us are planning on being with my oldest niece and family. For me it will be a time of discussing and exchanging information about our lives, present and past. A lot of talk will take place. At this stage, very little television will occupy our attention during our stay. That at least has been the pattern for the past several visits. I think our family members are very capable of providing much better and higher quality entertainment than the TV personalities anyway.


I believe we have wonderful and loving family. We don’t always see eye-to-eye on every issue but we overcome obstacles with our love and care. Age certainly has a way of bringing mellowness to our life. Life is too short to be mean to our kin.


I will continue to love and pray for the members of my family. They have demonstrated a worthiness of being my relatives. I will overlook any skeletons that may be in the closets and resign those judgments to God. God is a forgiving God and I likewise need to employ that attribute as well.


Happy Thanksgiving, You All!

Comments

I have scanned a lot of “Christian” blogs of late. There is much variety in the postings from all religious fields. Opinions are expressed, Scripture is cited, and refutations are proffered. Some posts are very strong and adamant on their position or interpretation.



What I would hope to see in these posts is a clear acknowledgement that Jesus is the Christ and receiving Him as Lord and Savior resolves the one crucial issue of where one will spend eternity. The Gospel is our hope. It is wonderful to have our minds expanded by different perspectives of doctrine. We have to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling.



And now that I have posted this brief statement those passing by my blog will do their liberty in analysis or critiquing. Just do it . . . the ball is in your court. Remember, Life is a game with serious consequences when it’s over.

Titus, Our Dog

This is our loyal pooch, Titus. He was abandoned when our son brought him home, full of ticks and fleas at about 6 weeks old. We became attached to him and he has been with us now over seven years. He is a chihuahua terrier mix. Titus is smart as a whip and does 8 or more tricks for us.

I wish some people would be as forgiving as our dog. He still gets excited when he sees us after a brief absence of a few hours even. Oh what we could learn from Titus!

God in Our Lives

I am excited about God's presence in our lives. There is a settled calmness and clear sense of direction that had been evasive for so long. If this feeling doesn't last, it will at least be remembered. All events leading us to this point in our life has not been pleasant or easy. Now, in retrospect, Divine intervention has worked all things out for our benefit. Forgiveness reigns in our hearts and our assessments are tempered by God's love.

Regrets? ..... None really.
Relief? ..... You better believe it!
Restoration? .... Better than before minus the "trash" of pseudoisms .
Relativity? ..... A clearer picture of purpose and Divine destiny.

We all have come to realize what matters and what doesn't. who matters and who doesn't. Our focus is upon Jesus the Christ. He is the recipient of our attention in life's situations. The truth must prevail and we want to be the carriers of the message that sets men free from the grip of Satan.

Info For Pastors

I asked myself whether or not I could contribute to advising a pastor. After serving as an associate for many years and transitioning to senior pastor I felt some things are missed by the novice who accepts a pastorate for the first time. And so here is a brief word to the newbie.

During your tenure as pastor you will meet many different peoples. Personalities range from the pleasant to the bizarre. Many of these do not have an understanding of what a pastor is and how he/she is accessible, what limitations exist in counseling, how they make a living, et cetera. You will not be able to teach many of them any of this so just move on in a pastoral way.

You will be in the public eye and subject to close scrutiny by most. Both you and your family will be under the microscope. The best way to live is with honesty and a transparency that shows compassion with other attributes and disciplines conducive to being a minister. Live according to the instructions of the pastoral epistles of the New Testament. Know how to answer what you believe, doubting not. Pray. Judge not. Pray. Listen more than you speak. Pray. Study His Word. Pray.

A Salute

Today was Veteran's Day and I want to salute all my fellow veterans and current military personnel. I served because I was proud to be an American and was willing to offer my service of loyalty in the U.S. Air Force. In spite of the many varied opinions about military force, I would still be willing to serve for our great country and the founding fathers' principles. There are many faults found in our history but when we looked to values that were Judeo-Christian our nation was blessed. The deviations now found in our government disappointment me. My enlistment can now only be in the capacity as an intercessor-- praying for our country and those responsible for its direction. Join with me and lets fight for a restoration of a world leading nation.

Information Overload?

We live in an era of information overload. With the advent of the internet, satellite TV, cell phones and a multiplicity of other modern hi-tech devises we are influenced or stimulated to act or react to information almost immediately. Care must be taken to weigh the data we are given with some standard that is consistent, reliable, and dependable.

It is critical that we don’t consider everything we read or hear is the absolute truth. The simplistic answer often lies within us. Too many have allowed those truth senses to lie dormant or suppressed. The suppression is dangerous because it permits changes to the norm or obscures the correct conclusion.

Instantaneous information is a useful byte in some instances. There is a serious need for discernment of truth. That may well be the doubt that surfaces and brings to question the validity of a discovery, person, or event.

Will science ever find the missing link? Will they ever scientifically establish the origin of man? Probably not, our rules of scientific proof fail time and again leading us to false assumptions or subsequently disproved conclusions. However, in the pursuit of these God-omitted ventures, other helpful discoveries can be made. That demonstrates what God is able to do; taking something humankind has developed in error and using it to bring about something good.

It is amazing to me that an anthropologist can take a few unearthed bones and with aid of an artist they concoct a complete image of our alleged ancient relative. Absurd and illogical by their standards is what I would conclude. They have no accurate measuring tool, namely that of observation. These inductive reasoning methods are often proven false with the passing of time. And why is it that the discoveries are so sparse and usually in remote locations? This is not to say that the bones or fragments are not of prehistorical origin of some life form. Imagination plays a great role in artistic re-creations that are not verifiable.

We accept many things by faith. Looking at the intricate formation of living organisms, one with a rational mind should conclude that a higher source has created. Perhaps it is the desire for authority or recognition that motivates a researcher to seek out origins with validations. Validation without God always seems to have missing information or errors in conclusion. Is this all because we have so much information available that the truth is hidden in the intricate weave of the whole picture?

As mature adults we must separate fact from fiction.

An Anniversary Remembrance

This month marks the two year milestone of an ugly attack we experienced as a family. It is an anniversary I wish I would never remember. The personal damage was the most horrendous experience of our lives. Recently our full recovery from this devastating incident has almost been fulfilled. The scab of the wound occasionally gets painfully bumped and we apply bandages.


All of us are better people today than we were two years ago. We have forgiven and moved forward, thus allowing God to resolve the wrong-doing. A glimpse of God’s vengeance in the incident has been recently revealed to me. By His Spirit He told me that I will see His vengeance delivered and it will be soon.

It has been a difficult road but we look forward to reaping greater benefits. We know that we are more than conquerors! We are happy campers! What the devil meant for harm has been turned around for our good “just like the Bible says.”