UNITY

Tuesday, October 31, 2006

"In the movie Lawrence of Arabia, there is a scene where Thomas Edward Lawrence, the English colonel who helped organize the Arab revolt against Turkey, tells his Arab counterpart, 'If the desert tribes do not unite as a nation they will be forever destined to be a silly and inconsequential people.' We face the same alternatives in our churches." – Preaching Now, October 31, 2006

The Churches of Christ and Christian Churches came into existence as a unity movement. The desire was to go back to the Bible and let the church be the church of the New Testament. The motto was: “Speak where the Bible speaks and be silent where the Bible is silent.” All this was good—very good. However, today the Churches of Christ/Christian Churches are among the most divided in the world. Some of these churches are trying to at least unite these two groups—the Churches of Christ and the Independent Christian Churches. But still many oppose even this.

If things do not change we are forever destined to be a silly and inconsequential people.

HALLOWEEN

Monday, October 30, 2006

The lights will be on and my wife will go to the door with candy. I would go but I just can’t get into the spirit of Halloween. I never know what to say to the little “devils.” I can’t bring myself to say, “O how cute” because I don’t think they are. I can’t act afraid because I’m not, until the six foot teenagers show up. I’m just not believable—so I send Charlotte to the door with her gracious smile and genuine welcome.

I wish Halloween would go away and never come back. But it’s not going to. It’s here to stay. We could turn off all the lights and pretend not to be home. We could make our neighbors think we are better than they are. We could say to them, “We will participate with you only on our terms.” But since we do not believe that Halloween is evil and that one night does not a pagan make, we cooperate. Well, the truth is, Charlotte cooperates—I tolerate it.

Another thing I don’t like about Halloween is I usually gain a few pounds. We buy the candy early and then I sample it to make sure it’s good enough for the little terrorists. And then we usually have some left over and I eat that to avoid waste. But this year we have not opened the candy early. Last year there wasn’t much left over and hopefully it will be the same this year.

Tomorrow night the lights will be on and Charlotte will be waiting. Come and get it kids!

STARBUCKS, CLIF'S MAN LAW

Sunday, October 29, 2006

Starbucks is planning to increase their stores to 40,000.

WE DO NOT NEED A STARBUCKS ON EVERY CORNER. CLIF'S MAN LAW

THERE IS A GOD

Saturday, October 28, 2006

Theologian Daniel Hawk said, “The basic human problem is that everyone believes that there is a God and I am it.”

Yes, that is a problem: we believe we are God or at least at times we act like it.

Listen to these words from God found in the Book of Job: “Have you ever given orders to the morning, or shown the dawn its place?…What is the abode of light? And where does darkness reside?...Have you entered the storehouses of the snow or seen the storehouses of the hail?…What is the way to the place where the lightening is dispersed?…Do you give the horse his strength or clothe his neck with a flowing mane?…Does the hawk take flight by your wisdom and spread his wings toward the south?…Does the eagle soar at your command and build his nest on high?…Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him? Let him who accuses God answer him!”

My answer: “There is a God and I’m not Him!"

SCREWED UP STANDARDS

Friday, October 27, 2006

Yep, we’ve got our standards all screwed up.

Tom Cruise strongly disagreed with Matt Lauer on the Today Show. He didn’t curse him, hit him or even raise his voice. He just didn’t let Matt force his opinion on him. I personally believe that Cruise was wrong in his views and that Lauer was right. But what he did was not all that bad. And yet when you hear the media talking about it you would think that he had committed the world’s worse crime and that he sinned.

Tom Cruise went on Oprah’s show and when she asked him about his girl friend, Katie Holmes he jumped up and down on the couch. Criminal? No! Sinful? No! It was just silly—very silly. But the media describes it as being very wrong and they question his sanity.

Tom Cruise shacks up with Katie Holmes. They have had a baby together. They are not married yet. The media reports these facts but makes no judgments about it at all. They think this is ok behavior but strongly disagreeing with someone and jumping on a couch is wrong, wrong, wrong.

GO FIGURE!

GOOD GIFTS

Thursday, October 26, 2006

I like what writer, Beth Moore says about God giving good gifts to us:

“If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” (Matt. 7:11). If we, being comparatively evil parents, have priorities concerning what we believe to be the best life has to offer for our children, would we be surprised to think that God does too? Ours is a God of priorities. Might He have an A and a B list? I wouldn’t be surprised if He has a list for each of us stretching all the way from alpha to omega. After all, “How great is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you, which you bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in you” (Ps. 31:19). Scripture is replete with God’s bountiful desires for us, but He also clearly knows what He desires most to accomplish not only in each believer, but in each generation.

ONE BY ONE

Wednesday, October 25, 2006

Today I am thinking of death. I am working on a funeral message for a dear friend who lived to be 95. Two days ago I received news of a long time acquaintance in California who passed away at age 48. I have death on my mind. Hebrews says, “It’s appointed unto man, once to die.” I have lived long enough to see it happen many times.

My mother and father are gone. I had four brothers and two sisters. They all have passed away. On a regular basis I receive word of a high school or college classmate who has died. Word comes on a regular basis of relatives, friends, neighbors who die. The headlines of the newspapers tell of those dieing in war. Death is real.

There are days when I feel very lonely. There are times when I struggle with the fact that some of these people are actually gone. But they are gone and they are not coming back to this life. This is tough—real tough. But if you are a Christian it will be alright. We do not live without hope. Our hope is in God. God is faithful. And in those lonely days I lean on him. I feel his presence. Our God is a God of comfort. If you don’t know him, make it a point to get acquainted—and soon. You will always be glad you did.

WANTING CHERRY—GETTING APPLE

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

Today at lunch, I ordered a cherry pie at What-A-Burger. The little sticker on the outside of the container said, “Cherry” but the pie was apple. I like apple, so I ate it. However, the reason I ordered cherry in the first place is because I rarely get it. Charlotte doesn’t like cherry pie and so even though she is an excellent pie maker, she doesn’t make cherry pie. So having a chance to get one slice of cherry pie just for myself I was happy. I was happy until I opened the box and found apple.

Isn’t that the way life is? You want cherry but you get apple!

I know there is no need to sweat the small stuff. I ate the apple pie and thoroughly enjoyed it. That’s my point. You better not sweat the small stuff because it is just going to keep coming. It’s called Murphy’s Law, “If anything can go wrong, it will”

I have decided to make a game out of it. Next time I am at What-A-Burger I am going to order apple pie. Who knows, maybe I will get lucky and get cherry.

MY FRIEND GENEVIEVE

Monday, October 23, 2006

Genevieve passed away last Friday. She was 95 years old. Her last days were spent in a nursing home. I visited her there but my memories of her will not be there---but at the church she loved. Genevieve loved God, her family, the church, the Suns basketball team, her friends, Phoenix—the list goes on and on. She was loved in return.

We will gather at the church building Thursday afternoon to say “Good-bye” to a dear friend. For me, I have already said “good-bye” to Genevieve. Years ago she left Lincoln Heights Christian Church to go live in a convalescence home on the west side of town. But I retained in my mind the memory of her sitting over to the right side of the pulpit and about three or four rows back from the front.

Genevieve was my encourager and I was always pleased to look up from the pulpit and see her there. Someday I will look up and see her not at my right side but at His. What a day that will be!

GOD'S PROVIDENCE

Sunday, October 22, 2006

For the past two weeks our Sunday morning Bible class has been studying God's providence. This is an extremely difficult subject but also very interesting. I believe that God is continually involved with all created things in such a way that he keeps them existing and maintianing the properties with which he created them. He cooperates with created things in every action, directing their distinctive properties to cause them to act as they do and directs them to fulfill his purposes.

If God controls all things, how can our actions have real meaning? Good question!

I derive a great deal of comfort from passages like Romans 8:28. I can't always explain these things but I accept them as true. I am glad to know that God is in charge.

"You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done..."Gen. 50:20

"For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: "I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth. Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden." Romans 9:17,18

"Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away, may the name of the Lord be praised." Job 1:21

WOW! All I can say is Wow! Job had just lost seven sons and three daughters and yet he could say, "The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away, may the name of the Lord be praised."

ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT

Saturday, October 21, 2006

The golf course had a wicked dog leg, two huge sand traps, and a pond. Tim Hansel tells about a golfer who described all the obstacles on this course and then said, “I love it! It’s the most exciting course I’ve ever played!” The course was difficult and it brought out his best golfing skills. With the right attitude we can turn something difficult into something fun and stimulating.

The choice is not if you’ll accept problems, but how! Your attitude determines whether or not you will succeed. William James said, “Perhaps the greatest discovery of this century is that if you can change your attitude, you can change your life.”

Do you need an attitude adjustment? Maybe.

BIG TIME SHOPPING

Friday, October 20, 2006

My Dr. wants me to walk everyday so today I’m going to. We are on our way to the Flea Market. About the best thing I can say for it, is “It’s big.” About the best thing I get out of it, is exercise. This is definitely not Charlotte’s “cup of tea” but she tolerates it. I have always liked to look at “junk.” Let’s face it—I’m cheap! Do you really get bargains at the Flea Market? I don’t know. I’m not with the F.B.I. I don’t go there to investigate. If I think it’s a bargain—it’s a bargain.

Ok, so this is far removed from Vegas and shopping on the strip. This is how far down you can go in retirement. I have been working around the house all week and I need to get out and about. This is the best I can do for now.

WORLD SERIES

Thursday, October 19, 2006

Needless to say, the Diamondbacks will not be in the World Series. But that doesn’t keep me from being interested just the same. With the series coming up soon, you may be interested in some of the “stuff” found at http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Check it out. Even if you are not interested in baseball there is some interesting information here. Well, on second thought, if you are not interested in baseball you will probably not be interested in what you find at that site. Forget it! You’ve got better things to do with your time.

I BELIEVE IN GOD

“I believe in God like I believe in the sun rise. Not because I see it, but because I can see all it touches.”
C.S. Lewis

A GOOD THOUGHT

Wednesday, October 18, 2006

“Nothing taken for granted; everything received with gratitude; everything passed on with grace.”
G.K. Chesterton

YOU MAY BE A REDNECK IF...

Tuesday, October 17, 2006

Your standard of living improves when you go camping.
Your prenuptial agreement mentions chickens.
You have jacked up your home to look for a dog.
There is a belch on your answering machine greeting.
None of the tires on your van are the same size.
You hold the hood of your car with your head while you work on it.
Your town put the new garbage truck in the Christmas parade.
Your local beauty salon also fixes cars.
Your doghouse and your living room have the same shag carpet.
You've ever slow danced in the Waffle House.
Starting your car involves popping the hood.
Your garbage man is confused about what goes and what stays.
You whistle at women in church.
You actually wear shoes your dog brought home.
You've been in a fistfight at a yard sale.
You carry a fly swatter in the front seat of the car so you can reach the kids in the backseat.
You think people who have cell phones and e-mail are uppity.

EASIER SAID THAN DONE

Monday, October 16, 2006

When I was a teenager I learned the truth and the value of living life one day at a time. I have believed it, taught it and tried to practice it for many years. It has been easy to believe it and teach it—it has been extremely hard to practice it.

I find that I am not alone in this experience. Most people believe life should be lived one day at a time but few are able to do it. Physically it is impossible to live more than one day at a time. But mentally we try to go back in our minds and relive the past. We also try to look into the future and live days that have not yet come and may never come.

We need to live moment by moment. For example: right now, writing this blog needs to be the only thing on my mind and I need to be giving my full attention to it. I need to be grateful for all that makes it possible for me to do this and thoroughly enjoy every aspect of it.

There would be a lot more joy in our lives if we lived moment by moment. IT IS EASIER SAID THAN DONE BUT LET’S FIND THE GUTS TO DO IT. ENJOY TODAY!

PRAISE GOD! THE KEYS THAT ONCE WERE LOST, HAVE BEEN FOUND

Sunday, October 15, 2006

Keys are an important part of life. Last week my wife lost hers. Thank goodness, she lost them at a good place—church. We thought they might be found but in the meantime we prayed and searched and searched and prayed. Almost all of life is lived in the meantime. If we don’t learn to live in the meantime we are less than half alive. So even though we needed those keys and missed them terribly we didn’t wallow in misery we just did the next thing. In the meantime we checked on the price for new keys. The programmed key for the car (like the one she lost) costs $320.00. The master key costs $185.00.

We went on with the routine of life—doing the next thing, UNTIL

THIS MORNING AT BIBLE CLASS A CUSTODIAN RETURNED THEM.

I don’t think we will kill a fatted calf but we are making merry.

THE CHERRY TOMATO THAT GOT UNDER MY SKIN

Saturday, October 14, 2006

Well, it didn’t really get under my skin. A tomato can’t do that. What it did do is bug me!

I like Chicago style hotdogs. I was making myself one when I realized that the only tomatoes that we had were little cherry tomatoes which are worthless except in salads. Since that’s all we had I sliced two of the little things and placed them on the top of my hotdog. I went over to the counter, set my plate down, and sat down to eat when I realized that something was wrong. Since I had cut two tomatoes in half there should have been four pieces on the hotdog. But there were only three. One was missing. I looked under the hotdog. I looked under the plate. I looked back on the kitchen cabinet. Finally I looked on the floor and there it was—all over the floor. It’s amazing the mess that can be made from one half of a little cherry tomato. I immediately got up and cleaned up the mess. And then I returned to eat my hotdog. I took one bite and tomato juice and seeds shot out on the counter and all over the floor.

IT’S AMAZING THE MESS THAT CAN BE MADE FROM ONE HALF OF A LITTLE CHERRY TOMATO.

MORAL: JUST BECAUSE SOMETHING IS SMALL AND LOOKS HARMLESS IT DOESN’T MEAN THAT IT CAN’T MAKE A BIG MESS!

STANDING OUT IN A CROWD

Friday, October 13, 2006

It may go all the way back to my childhood. I have never liked to have the spotlight turned on me. You may ask, “How did you make it through almost fifty years of preaching?” Good question. As a child, I never wanted to be a preacher. Oh, the Baptist lady who lived across the street from us when I was about three or four called me her Baptist preacher. But even as a kid I thought she was a little squirrelly. She is the one who called me across the street for a great looking piece of cantaloupe only to ruin it by putting pepper on it. I ran back across the street crying. I also cried before I gave my first three minute talk at Vacation Bible School. (I was a junior in High School then). I never gave oral book reports in High School even though they were required.

I felt like a country bumpkin carrying two suitcases through the lobby of the Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas when everybody else was rolling theirs. And I do mean everybody. Yep, I felt like the spotlight was turned on bright and shining right on me.

Today, Charlotte and I moved up in society. We bought rolling suitcases. But once again the spotlight was turned on us. We were the only ones rolling suitcases out of Macy's and through the food court at Fashion Square Mall in Scottsdale. If anybody who knows Charlotte saw us, they probably said, “Look, they have just returned from a flight somewhere and Charlotte had to go to Macy's before she could go home.”

I hate to stand out in a crowd!

THE KISS OF ENCOURAGEMENT

Thursday, October 12, 2006

This morning I woke up thinking about a dear friend, an elder in the church in northern California. What was on my mind was what a great encourager he is. For almost twenty years he was a constant source of encouragement to me. Oh, he disappointed me at times—but never on purpose.

He took a personality test a few years back and found out he has a tendency to bully people. I could have told him that. He does bully people in certain situations. But he is not a bully! I don’t see him as what he does occasionally. I see him for who he is deep inside and what he does most of the time. I see him as an encourager. He is like Barnabus in the Book of Acts. Barnabus was an encourager.

My friend accepts you where you are. He lets the past be the past and he sees you right where you are. He gets excited about the progress of others. He gives others a second chance.

I want to be like that. I want to give all the encouragement I can. It doesn’t come naturally to me. I want to grow in this way because this old world needs all the encouragement it can get.

WE MUST VOTE REPUBLICAN

Wednesday, October 11, 2006

As a Senior Minister, I could not tell people how to vote unless they asked. For years I preached the gospel and did not get into politics except to talk about moral values. But now that I am retired I am expressing my opinions on any topic of choice anytime I feel like it.

AND I’M SAYING WE MUST VOTE REPUBLICAN!

WE MUST KEEP REPUBLICANS IN CONTROL OF CONGRESS. SO IN EVERY STATE WE MUST ELECT AND RE-ELECT REPUBLICANS. THE DEMOCRATS HAVE AN AGENDA THAT IS LIBERAL IN EVERY RESPECT. I LOVE THE CITY OF SAN FRANCISCO BUT WE CANNOT HAVE THE “SAN FRANCISCO MENTALITY” RUNNING OUR COUNTRY. NANCY PALOSI MUST BE KEPT AT BAY AND ON THE BAY!

IT’S JUST A FEW DAYS UNTIL DECISIONS WILL BE MADE. DON’T SIT BY AND DO NOTHING. VOTE! AND ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO VOTE!

LOST

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

Yesterday I didn’t have anything on my mind or at least, not much.

Today, the only, or almost the only thing on my mind, is finding Charlotte’s lost keys.

Some people lose almost everything. Charlotte and I rarely lose anything. We are careful people—too careful. But she did lose her keys. We have looked “everywhere.” We have searched with urgency!

Whatever happened to the urgency we had for reaching out for “lost” people. I am thinking about people who do not know Christ as their Savior. What about reaching out to them with a sense of urgency? We used to do it. We had evangelistic meetings that lasted for weeks. We conducted home Bible studies for the purpose of conversion. We talked to people one on one about Christ. What happened? Where is the urgency?

Do we value our lost things more than we do our lost friends?

God have mercy on our complacent souls!

COLUMBUS DAY

Monday, October 09, 2006

Is today a holiday? Maybe. Maybe not. The banks are closed. There will not be any mail delivery today. However, the kids in our neighborhood went to school. I worked in the yard. Charlotte did not give me the day off.

I think today is a holiday. So I am going to take the rest of the day off. I will be taking a holiday from thinking. Therefore I will not write a blog today. There’s nothing on my mind.

SOMETHING WE LEARNED IN VEGAS

Sunday, October 08, 2006

We took two suitcases to Las Vegas. We have had them for a long time but they are in great shape. We take good care of our "stuff." They were just the right size for a four day trip.

We saw hundreds, and I do mean hundreds, of people with suitcases.

The thing we learned is: WE WERE THE ONLY PEOPLE IN LAS VEGAS THAT DID NOT HAVE SUITCASES THAT ROLL. WE MAY BE THE ONLY PEOPLE IN THE UNITED STATES THAT DON'T HAVE ROLLERS ON OUR SUITCASES.

Country bumkins? Maybe. I went to Vegas thinking, "Roll'em" meant roll the dice.

We are so out of it, we didn't roll the dice or the suitcases.

THINGS WE DON’T LIKE TO DO

Saturday, October 07, 2006

They never go away—those things we just do not want to do. You know, like getting a haircut, buying gas for the car, especially buying gas for the lawn mower (why do I even have a lawn in Arizona?), buying groceries, mowing the lawn, pruning, raking, making repairs—the list goes on and on. If you own a home there is always something that needs to be repaired or cleaned or replaced. A rare rain storm blew threw town yesterday, we needed the rain, but this morning I had to clean the pool.

If you have a body, and I guess you do or you wouldn’t be reading this. The body always needs attention. There is always something that needs to be done to it or for it. For example, if you are over fifty you need to have a colonoscopy. My Dr. told me that for years. Finally, at 71 I got around to it. Thankfully everything will be ok for a few years before I need another one. It wasn’t a big deal; I just didn’t want to bother with it. I finally decided the questions in my mind wouldn’t go away until I got it taken care of. Now, I’m a much happier man. That’s the way it is with getting a haircut, stopping to buy gas, etc.

JUST DO IT. YOU WILL BE MUCH HAPPIER WHEN IT’S DONE. THESE THINGS WILL NOT GO AWAY UNTIL DONE. THEY WILL JUST HAUNT YOU AND MAKE YOU MISERABLE. I HAVE GOT TO GO NOW, MY LAWN NEEDS MOWING.

LAS VEGAS BABY

Friday, October 06, 2006

Clifie, Clifie, where have you been?
I've been to Vegas to see the scene.
Clifie, Clifie, what did you there?
I was as frightened as a little mouse under a chair.
Did you drink and gamble and watch sex shows?
Why ask? You know how the slogan goes:
"What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas."
You think so? asks Charlotte, after shopping all day.
Not everything stays--all this "stuff" is going my way!

HOMECOMING WAS GREAT

Sunday, October 01, 2006

Today Charlotte and I went back to Lincoln Heights Christian Church to celebrate Homecoming and to watch the elders burn the mortgage.

I taught a Bible Class and all the adult classes came together and many visitors were in attendance. The sanctuary was full at the morning service and the fellowship hall was packed full for a wonderful meal. Long time member, Bob Bradford talked to us about Phoenix and the history of the church in this city. Former associate minister, Sean Smith talked a few minutes about what it means to come home. Other members shared memories, the elders burned the mortgage and we went home smiling.

It was a great day! A day for rejoicing that Lincoln Heights has one of the most impressive pieces of property in the valley and now will have an extra $11,000 a month to put into missions and other good works.