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The Uncrowded Road
2007-10-05 12:11:00
About the only place I like to see a crowd is in church. I guess that's because as a pastor I always was blessed when more people came to worship. Otherwise, I avoid crowds. For some reason in a crowd I feel hemmed in. Crowd s of cars in traffic also bother me. I would rather take an alternate route than deal with crowded traffic.When visiting South Padre Island in Texas, I gasped at the crowded beach. I sure didn't want to go swimming in that packed spot. So we drove on up the road another mile and found nearly empty beaches. We enjoyed a wonderful day at the beach without the press of masses of human bodies.If you are looking for an uncrowded place there is one available. It is called the second mile. Someone has said that there is not much traffic in the second mile. The travelers we do find on that second mile will be folks in need. Those unwilling to reach out to others will have departed. In the second mile we will find opportunities to bring grace into the lives of others. L...
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Give Your Fears A Hug
2007-10-04 11:21:00
In the news I read about a school that had to ban hugs between classes. I'm not sure what was behind all the hugging but it sure is better than arguing and fighting. Often we cover our fears with some sort of emotional expression. Fear may produce anger or even laughter to mask its presence. One understanding of fear was expressed as, "Fear is just your feelings asking for a hug" (Danielle Sanchez-Witzel and Michael Pennie).My greatest fear as a child was using the outhouse before we had indoor plumbing. The structure was located about 50 feet from the house and there were no lights out there. So, when a night time trip had to be made it was pitch dark. To allay my fears I would sing out loud all the way there and back. The boogie man never did get me.Perhaps a combination of hugs and songs is a pretty good deterrent to fear. Even at funerals there is a great amount of hugging and singing to relieve the fears, sorrows and tensions that exist. When King David in the Bible was presse...
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Wanted - Good Help
2007-10-03 11:45:00
From time to time we like to enjoy a good meal at our favorite restaurant. For some reason food you didn't have to cook yourself tastes better. I guess it is because neither of us is already tired out from having to put together the meal. We always prefer a sit-down restaurant over fast food because someone else takes our order and brings it to us and gives attention to our needs all through the meal.Sometimes things don't go so well. Maybe we have to wait for a long time to have our order taken. Or, when the meal comes several things are not correct. The waitress gets so busy that she doesn't fill up the coffee or she forgets about us altogether. On such occasions we have to guard ourselves so that our impatience doesn't begin showing. Sometimes we shake our head and say, "You just can't get good help these days."Looking at the problem from a different point of view, I wonder how often we fail to be the kind of help someone else is seeking. Many times others depend on us to pr...
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Wheel Of Fortune
2007-10-02 11:11:00
There isn't much on TV to watch anymore, but my wife and I like to watch Wheel of Fortune . Usually we can solve the puzzles before the contestants do. Sometimes contestants get down to only one missing letter and still don't solve the puzzle correctly. Here's one for you with only one letter missing. LIFE IS SHORT P_AY HARD. What was your answer? This question appeared in a devotional I read and certainly shows our mindset.Was your answer "Life Is Short Play Hard" or "Life Is Short Pray Hard"? Our mindset in life makes all the difference. I have been around people with both mentalities. Those who pray hard are excited about what God is doing and how God is leading in their lives. Those who play hard without a focus on prayer are usually preoccupied with things that are short-lived and don't have much if any time for God.While we don't need to be verbally praying all the time, we do need do be in a spirit of prayer all the time. As a result our minds will be focused on what God ...
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A Cry For Help
2007-10-01 11:19:00
My night's sleep was interrupted this morning at 3:00 am by the whining meow of a stray cat. Usually such noises come and go as the animal in question makes its rounds from place to place. This time it continued on and on and I began to wonder if the cat was caught in something or injured. I was tempted to investigate but I knew that my prowling about would set off the neighbors dogs, so I just continued to ignore the irritation.As I thought about the whole situation, I realized that we often view the human cry in a similar way. I know people who are motor-mouths. They go on and on with a one-way conversation that I wish would end. They are like the proverbial dripping faucet. Often I feel like I just want to escape from them. But what if they are lonely or hurting? Even if they are not in need, will my reaction discourage them from seeking me out when they do have a problem?So often we have heard of tragedies in the news such as suicides or other irrational behaviors that were pre...

The Game of Life
2007-09-28 12:14:00
Well, the baseball season has ended. Not that all the games are over, but my home state team, the Detroit Tigers, no longer has a chance to win. In an interview team member Brandon Inge made this statement: "You can give your all. That's all you can do. Play as hard as you can and represent the team in the best manner that you can. If you win, you win. If you don't, well, you can sleep [well], because you left it all out there."As I read Brandon's statement I began thinking about life itself. Eventually life on earth will come to an end and I wondered will I be able to say "I left it all out there"? Will I honestly be able to look back and know that I did all that I could to make life better for everyone I met? Life is more than making money and building a reputation. Life is our opportunity to share our faith, hope and love with those around us. We are on a mission from God and will someday give our report to him.We need to look at each year, month, week and day as a fresh start...
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Don't Fence Me In
2007-09-27 12:18:00
In our fast paced world most of us are on a schedule and usually are irritated when someone or something upsets our plans. Recently, airline passengers have had to face this problem, but it happens to many of us as we commute to work each day. A traffic jam can be the incident that gets our day off to a bad start.While caring for my wife following her surgery I had have to learn about deference. Deference is"the quality of integrating regard for another's wishes." It is a little easier to practice this trait with someone you know and love, but not so easy when it comes to the general public or another driver. However, God advises us that it is part of being submitted to him. In Romans right after we are told to present ourselves to God as a reasonable service, we are than instructed to "prefer one another."Sometimes having our schedule or plans altered turns out for our own good. Perhaps a traffic jam keeps us from being at the wrong place at the wrong time and out of an accident. ...
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One Exercise You Don't Need
2007-09-26 12:06:00
With all the emphasis on getting exercise and staying healthy we might be surprised to hear a caution against exercise. But there is one exercise that we perform way to much and it has no benefit whatever. As a matter of fact it negatively affects us and all who are around us. That exercise is frowning. It actually takes fewer muscles to smile than it does to frown. So, in this case the fewer muscles that get exercised the better. Here is a little essay about smiling that I think you will find useful.A smile costs nothing but gives much. It enriches those who receive without making poorer those who give. It takes but a moment, but the memory of it sometimes lasts forever. None is so rich or mighty that he cannot get along without it and none is so poor that he cannot be made rich by it. Yet a smile cannot be bought, begged, borrowed, or stolen, for it is something that is of no value to anyone until it is given away. Some people are too tired to give you a smile. Give them one...
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Sweet or Sour?
2007-09-25 10:39:00
My first excursion into foods other than typical American farm fare began when I went to Chicago as a college student. Chinese food soon became a favorite. And my favorite Chinese food is sweet and sour pork. The combination of flavors provides a zesty zing. I would choose another serving rather than a dessert.Not everything that is both sweet and sour is pleasing to us or desirable. When someones personality alternates between sweet and sour we tend to avoid them. Sometimes it seems as if the person has two distinct personalities. In some cases the change is so complete that medical or mental help must be sought.Often the sweet and sour combination is found in the words spoken. In the Bible James cautions us that just as a spring does not send forth bitter and fresh water at the same time, neither should our mouth. The old saying "sticks and stones may hurt my bones, but words can never harm me" just isn't true. We can be greatly harmed by words hurled at us and our words can do g...
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Who Is Your Partner?
2007-09-24 10:35:00
Thanks to all who joined with us in prayer for my wife's surgery last week. She is coming home today. I would like to share a little of the miracle...The doctor expected to find a large amount of scar tissue since it had been four months since the accident but he found NONE.The doctor expected that the sac which extends below the spinal cord and holds nerve cells would be stuck to the tissue but it was NOT. The doctor expected to have to take bone from the hip to do the fusing of the three vertebra but he did NOT have to do that. There is usually significant bleeding in this type of surgery but there was NOT. It seems the Great Physician went before and made the job easier for our doctor. We had told him that many would be praying for him as he performed the surgery. We hope that God will impress him with the results of having God as a partner.No matter what crisis you may be called upon to endure or what challenge may face you, the best partner you can have is God. According to sc...
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TGIF
2007-09-21 11:14:00
Most of us recognize that TGIF stands for "Thank Goodness It's Friday" Sometimes it expresses relief from a long, hard week and at other times it expresses the joy of a weekend's arrival. I have even heard it used as a joke where a certain person or group is said to put the letters on their shoes to remind them that "Toes Go In First." This week has been one of experiencing all three. A difficult week is ending, two days of rest are ahead and my feet are dragging so I need to remember that toes go in first.However, as I think about the week's events I am filled with gratitude to God for his presence and help through the week. He has been good as He always is. Knowing that God has promised to be with us in all of our days I can look at each day with a renewed goal. One writer has said, "As each day comes to us refreshed and anew, so does my gratitude renew itself daily. The breaking of the sun over the horizon is my grateful heart dawning upon a blessed world." ~Adabella Radici....

Friendship
2007-09-20 11:05:00
If the greatest social problem we can face is loneliness, then the best solution to that problem is friendship. Thomas Jefferson said, "Friendship is precious, not only in the shade, but in the sunshine of life, and thanks to a benevolent arrangement the greater part of life is sunshine. Even when friends are far away and there are many days of "shade" the stored warmth of times together and their long distance expressions of caring are like sunbeams that energize the soul.We have experienced that energizing from our friends as my wife, Mary, has gone through the past four months since her accident culminating in the surgery of yesterday. The prayers of friends, known and unknown, have been effective in giving us grace and in drawing our God's care during the whole time. We are thankful to Him first and to all of our friends standing by us. Mary's surgery went well and the doctor predicts a successful recovery.Our greatest Friend has walked with us each step of the way. As the Bib...

The Greatest Painkiller
2007-09-19 10:37:00
One thing we don't like but are all called upon to experience is pain. Life dishes out all kinds of pain whether it is physical, emotional or spiritual. We try to mask our pain in various ways. Painkillers, diversions and denial are among the tools we use to deal with pain. My wife has had to deal with pain as she has prepared for surgery today on her back. While pills have done a great job of controlling the physical there has been a different means of dealing with the emotional and spiritual challenges.While the problem is different the solution is the same as it was for the unnamed woman of Matthew 15. Her problem was the pain of her daughter's spiritual condition. The solution was her faith in Jesus. He said to her, "O woman, great is your faith." Then as a result of her faith Jesus granted the healing of this woman's daughter.Every tomorrow has two handles. We can take hold of it by the handle of anxiety, or by the handle of faith. My wife will have major back surgery in a...
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Are We There Yet?
2007-09-18 11:38:00
Everyone who has travelled with children will recognize the question of today's title. It is first asked about as soon as the car leaves the driveway and is repeated constantly throughout the trip. Probably nothing strains relationships more than travelling together. There just isn't anyplace to get apart from one another when conflict arises.There are various ways families use to ease the stress. Some play games. Others sing together or listen to music on the radio. In these modern days some have installed TVs so the children can watch videos. I don't like noise so I used to plan family travelling so that the driving was done at night and the kids would sleep.Looking at a bigger picture we realize that all of life is like a big trip. We are placed together as families, co-workers, fellow church members and in many other relationships. We cannot spend all of life playing games to ease conflicts. That's why we must learn to walk through life as we are taught in the Bible. In Ephe...

Sowing And Reaping
2007-09-17 11:15:00
Harvest season is upon us. It is one of my favorite times of the year. The fall brings refreshing temperatures and beautiful leaves. It is a time of storing up the fruit of the land for the winter that follows. This particular fall the harvest appears to be minimal however. A late frost in the spring and a long season of drought this summer has resulted in reduced production. Fruit growers in our area are reporting little or no crop.Relationships are very much like farming. What we get from them depends on what is put into them. Frosty words lead to the stunting of a relationship just as frosty weather stunts the growth of fruit. Withholding kindness, consideration and forgiveness creates as much of a drought as the withholding of rain from the skies.The Bible says that we are to run the race of life much like a farmer who then receives the first fruits of his labor. We must plant, water, fertilize and cultivate our relationship crops just as a farmer does his crops. We must seek Go...

Get Some Exercise
2007-09-14 11:19:00
To keep our bodies strong and healthy we must have exercise. However, the wrong exercises done in the wrong manner can be harmful rather than helpful. Following a recent accident my wife was doing exercises prescribed by a physical therapist. What the therapist didn't know was that she had an injury to one of the vertebrae in her back. The exercises she was doing were actually not helpful and may have aggravated the injury.The same principle is true when it comes to relational activities. An unknown writer said, "The only exercise some people get is jumping to conclusions, running down their friends, side-stepping responsibility, and pushing their luck!" Obviously those will not promote strong and healthy relationships.In the book of Ephesians some excellent relational exercises are suggested in the form of "one anothers." We are advised to forbear one another, be truthful with one another, be kind to one another, forgive one another, celebrate with one another and submit to one an...
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How To Frame Someone
2007-09-13 11:15:00
No one likes to be framed. Usually that means to be set up to take the blame for something unjustly. To frame someone in this manner requires that the true picture be disguised. The result is a corrupted view of the person involved that is harmful to them.Whether we realize it or not our view of everyone is framed in one way or another. Some times we look through blinders and only see what isn't blocked off. At other times we merge our mental imaginations with the real picture and what we see is distorted. An unknown writer said, "People who look through keyholes are apt to get the idea that most things are keyhole shaped." We unknowingly frame others according to our perceptions. How have you framed others?Scripture give us some suggestions for "framing" people. When we are told to love our enemies, the idea is to put a framework of God's love around those who would otherwise repel us. In I Corinthians 13, the love chapter, we are told to think only the best of others. To do so re...
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What Are You Worth?
2007-09-12 11:16:00
There are various expressions for the value of a person. I've heard people describe others as "not worth a plugged nickel." On the other hand, some have been described as "worth their weight in gold." Science tells us that the elements of our body are worth about $4.50. Actually, our value depends on how much we value others beginning with God himself.Jesus told his disciples that the first would be last and the last would be first. He was speaking about being poor in spirit. That doesn't mean that we are poor spirited or poor in estate but rather that we are humble. The Bible also tells us to "not consider ourselves more highly than we ought" and to "in honor prefer one another." One sales marketer stated that when we value others we become valuable to them. I believe this applies to all our relationships.When we put others first then our own sense of usefulness and value increases. When we put God first He is able to use us and bring value to our existence. When we put others fi...
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What Are You Looking At?
2007-09-11 11:31:00
A story was recounted of one young man's determination not to be like his father. All his life he had observed his father's drunkenness and all the troubles that came as a result. The son constantly focused on his father's problem, the disappointments that resulted and his resolve to be different. When the young man grew up he became just like his father with the same problem and the same results. Instead of focusing on a better image by which he would pattern his life he allowed himself to be taken up by the one thing he hated and as a result his life was molded in the same way.Oscar Wilde said, "We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars." We may find ourselves going through the worst imaginable circumstances in life. However, we cannot allow ourselves to focus on them. We must focus on a higher goal. One wise teacher suggested that we should look at the problems of life as projects allowed by God in order to make us more like his Son. That is why we read...

Unlock The Gates
2007-09-10 11:30:00
We have become a very security conscious society. We have installed home security systems and purchased weapons for protection. Entrance to your neighborhood school probably requires you to ring a buzzer and have the door lock released by the office. Many groups of homes are gated communities where admittance to the grounds is restricted by locked and sometimes guarded gates. Only those who have the pass code or authorization may be admitted.While the need for such security is apparent in these days, we must remember that our personal lives cannot be gated against those around us. Jesus has sent us to be in the world even though we are not of the world. Are people able to get to you? Is your life open for inspection? Or have you secluded yourself from all but a select few? Do you get close to only those who have the right words or right appearance?Paul stressed that the gospel is for all. He was concerned about reaching the "civilized and the uncivilized, the wise and the unwise." A...
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I Stink, Mommy
2007-09-07 11:15:00
Nearly every day we hear a news story about miscommunication. The wrong word slips out in a politician's speech. Inaccurate data is given about a product. Someone accused of a crime speaks and then regrets what was said. Perhaps we have experienced a similar situation and found ourselves saying, "But that's not what I meant."Every communication has consequences. In some cases the immediate result is not serious and may be even humorous. My 21 month old grandson watched with interest as his mommy put on some deodorant. "What is that, mommy," he asked. His mom explained that she puts the deodorant on so she won't stink. Later, my daughter found her son hiding and putting on her deodorant. She asked him what he was doing with that. His answer was, "I stink, mommy." Actually, he did... he had a dirty diaper.We laugh at incidents like that, but usually our poor communication has more serious consequences. A quick word may cost us a friend or result in a big argument. Or, it might be t...
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Sleep Disorders
2007-09-06 11:13:00
Has anyone ever asked you, "Did you get up on the wrong side of the bed"? That question is prompted when something about our actions or words is communicating negatively. Usually the situation has nothing to do with our sleep but rather with our inner peacefulness.Another "sleep" expression is "I slept like a baby." Actually, we don't really mean that because as I recall from my first child babies don't sleep very well. I was up all hours of the night rocking and trying to quiet her. What we really mean is that we slept well. This too has to do with our inner peacefulness. When we don't "sleep like a baby" we tend to "get up on the wrong side of the bed."Both of these sleep disorders have their solution in our trust and dependence on the Lord. Old Testament King David was able to sleep with his enemy Saul camped just a short distance away. In Psalm 23 David indicated that he could set down and feast peacefully as the Lord "prepared a table in the presence of my enemies." When we ...
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Animal Theology
2007-09-05 11:30:00
Some time ago I went into the church sanctuary to find two ladies sitting on the platform. One was holding a cat and the other a dog. What's this all about I wondered? I soon learned some "new" theology from those two animals.When you pet, feed and care for your dog he wags his tail and says, "You're my master." When you pet, feed and care for your cat he purrs and says, "I'm your master." The focus of the illustration was on our attitude toward God. The similarities are easily seen.However, we, like the dog and cat, often treat others in the same way. We can appreciate those around us and joyfully see them as folks who need our service and care. Or, we can manipulate them and see them as a source of providing for our wants and needs. The best approach is summed up in the biblical admonition to treat others and we would like to be treated.Today as we encounter people we must choose to respond to them like a dog and see our role as a servant or like a cat and see them as our serva...
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Passing On The Joy
2007-09-04 11:20:00
My uncle sent a picture today that speaks the proverbial 1000 words. The joy on grandpa and grandson's face as his first Mississippi River catch is hauled in speaks volumes about relationships. We need to go on "fishing trips" with as many of those around us as possible.My uncle's goal was to pass on the thrill of success to his grandson. He was willing to expend time and money to see that smile and observe that sense of accomplishment. How much are we willing to expend to help others experience happiness and success?Today is the first work day of the fall. For many students it is the first day back to school. Let's make a resolution early to pass on the joy to everyone around us.
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Work Works
2007-09-03 12:53:00
"I'm not afraid of work. I can lie right down beside it." While that is a comical and perhaps, at times, heartfelt statement, it doesn't match up with God's plan for us. The Bible says in II Thessalonians 3:10 "If a man will not work, he shall not eat." Today is Labor Day and we honor the working men and women.Besides obedience to God's principle and providing food to eat, work has other values. Anyone who has been without a job for any length of time will testify to the fact that work gives a sense of worthiness to life. It is fulfilling to accept the challenge to do a job and do it well. It is also a way of testimony to others when we work "as unto the Lord."In my college years I had a job at a boat company one summer. My responsibility was to use a bending machine to bend the aluminum rails for boats. The job was repetitive and boring. I was given a minimum number of pieces to bend per hour. I found that my job became more interesting and the time passed by more quickly when ...
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I'm Not Interested, But Tell Me Anyway
2007-08-31 11:34:00
How many times have you found yourself listening to someone talk on and on about a subject for which you had absolutely no interest? Did the person sense your lack of interest or did they find a receptive spirit that encouraged them in their sharing?When our "adopted" son was still living with us as a working adult he would go into great detail about his work activities. We did not know his work acquaintances nor did we have any particular interest in learning about how he mixed the products to produce tortilla flour. However, we had to "listen with interest" anyway as the whole subject was of great importance to him. Frequently I have students who are interested in paintball, video games, and other topics that are purely boring for me. But I try to "listen with interest" as they share every detail.This is all part of the biblical admonition in Romans 12 to "consider others better than ourselves." It is not easy because we are usually just chomping at the bit to unload all kinds of ...
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How Do You Smell?
2007-08-30 11:02:00
No, this is not an article about how your nose functions. However, smell does play an important role in our lives. There are even products on the market that are part of an aromatherapy concept. Last night my wife's foot was aching and she massaged it with some peppermint foot rub. She commented on how good it felt. Now I don't believe that foot rub has any medicinal qualities but the strong peppermint aroma and the massaging action combined to give a pleasant feeling.We are told in scripture that "we are the aroma of Christ" (II Corinthians 2:15). Our presence around others should result in their attraction to us and to God. Unfortunately, we sometimes repel people just as if we had body odor. I have a really good rapport with one of my junior high students. The other day he came up to me smiling and said, "I'll smell you later." You have to understand the junior high mind to appreciate that statement. I knew it came from someone who liked me and enjoyed being around me. I had b...
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Make Me A Telescope
2007-08-29 11:30:00
In our junior high science class we are studying telescopes. We learned that the general function of a telescope is to gather, intensify, magnify and clarify the light from the star or other object being observed so that the viewer gets an image that is accurate.Our lives are like telescopes for other people. As the daily events of our experience are collected, they are viewed by those all around us as filtered and presented by our outlook. The image people see is that of our faith and the One who gives us that faith. Our response to the daily events can either project a clear trust in God or desperation.We have learned that my wife now faces back surgery due to an accident she was in a few months ago. As I have observed her and we have talked together I have seen a clear picture of her faith. She inspires me to trust even more in God than I ever have. I in turn have tried to share our total dependence on God with my students at school. When I told them that even though times are go...
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Make The Pain Go Away
2007-08-28 11:15:00
I think today's title is a play on a movie or song lyric "Make the Rain Go Away" but I couldn't locate it. However, it does express our sentiments regarding unpleasant events, feelings and situations. Any time we have relationships there is the danger of pain associated with the problems that arise in them. Avoiding those problems will, of course, make the pain go away.One biblical family was certainly plagued by relational problems that created great pain. We can learn from their experiences. Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob and Esau made up the biblical family that was in the line of God's blessing. When it came time for Isaac to give the blessing to his firstborn, his wife Rebekah and other son Jacob used deceit and manipulation to steal the blessing away from Esau. The result was disappointment, fear and separation. Jacob ran from his family and experienced similar treatment at the hands of his father-in-law to be. Both Jacob's immediate family and his extended family suffered. Only up...
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Think It So, Make It So
2007-08-27 11:21:00
While mind control of objects, situations or people sounds like science fiction, there is a type of mind control that is essential to good relationships with others. The Bible summarizes it In I Corinthians 13: 7 by saying “ [love] bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things”. The key phrase is “believes all things”.This does not mean that we believe everything we hear about someone. Rather, we believe the best about others so that what we hear is questioned until we know differently. We do not go around expecting the worst from a person, but rather the best. Our expectation of another person is set at its highest rather than its lowest.Such an attitude paves the way for the best possible relationship with others. We might actually propel them along by our expectations. Teachers have discovered this principle. Often what we expect from a student is exactly what we get. Having high expectations that are communicated in what we say and how we re...
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