CHRISTIAN? ACT LIKE IT!

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

She pulled up just a little after 7:15 this morning.

She parked not far from a sign that said no student parking. There are four on the cul-de-sac.

She got out and started walking toward the school leaving her car behind.

It's a nice car--a van. The windows were all painted in bright colors. A side window had a cross and the words Jesus loves you. The back window proclaimed that she loves two boys and that's she's cool.I ran out my front door wearing pajamas, house shoes and a t-shirt. My hair wasn't combed and I looked like something the dogs drug up. I didn't care how I looked. I wanted to warn this young Christian she was going to get a $65.00 ticket. I didn't know her name. I thought maybe Mary, or Martha. Since I didn't know I yelled "Hey." She kept walking and never looked back. Not to be discouraged I kept walking and yelling "Hey." She kept going all the way to the school about 2 and half blocks. When we got to the school I turned back. I shouldn't have yelled "Hey." I should have tried Mary or Martha---or Jezebel.

All the students walking along smiled probably thinking to themselves, "Looks like the dirty old man lost the race."

The $65.00 fine will be waiting for her when Miss Cool returns.

It's the "Jesus Loves You" sign and the cross that bothers me.

I would like to know what the policeman thought as he wrote out her ticket.

PASS ALONG THE WISDOM

Monday, August 30, 2010

When a man becomes old, like me-- I will soon be seventy-six, he feels a need to pass along a little wisdom if he has gained any along the way.

So you look around and think about it for a few minutes and say to yourself, "I know a little bit about this and that."

The problem is nobody will pay any attention. They're are all busy tweetin' and facebookin' and whatever the heck they do these days.

So you start a blog thinking you will share your wisdom that way.

Wrong again. Everybody's busy writing their own blog.

So you go on Facebook thinking that old friends will just come crawling out from behind the rocks climbing over one another to get to the little gems of wisdom you post every few minutes.

Nope! Too busy posting cute little nuggets of their own.

So like poor old Elijah you consider going a days journey into the desert, sitting under a tree and praying to die. And then because you are so wise you realize, "Flip, I'm already in the desert and I don't want to die."

So being the wise old man that you are you just go to the freezer, get an ice cream bar, take a bite, smile and say to yourself (nobody else is listening) "You're a pretty wise old man."

GOD SAYS, "I HAVE PLANS FOR YOU"

Saturday, August 28, 2010

"For I know the plans that I have for you, plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you."
                                                                                                             Jer. 29:11-12


Isn't that wonderful? God has plans for us.

Jeremiah reminds himself and us of God's hope-filled plans.
   
"Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed,
   for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
   great is your faithfulness.
I say to myself, "The Lord is my portion;
   therefore I will wait for him"
The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him,
   to the one who seeks him;
It is good to wait quietly
   for the salvation of the Lord."   Lamentations 3:22-26
    

DUMBER FOR HAVING LISTENED

Friday, August 27, 2010

The following quote from the movie Billy Madison reminded me of all the dumb things we listen to from politicians, preachers, professors---just people in general.


"Mr. Madison, what you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul."--Principal in "Billy Madison"

Yes, it's a shame but the principal is right. We are often times dumber for having listened to certain things. For too many times we accept insanely idiotic things without any questioning at all.

The principal wanted God to have mercy on Billy's soul because the things he said were insanely idiotic. Will He? Will God have mercy on our souls for the insanely idiotic things we say?

I hope so. I pray so. I also pray that God will lead all of us to truth and rational thought in our communications--coming and going.

BE FLEXIBLE

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Once I get something in my mind I find it extremely difficult to let it go.

I grew up with the idea that we need to persevere. Nobody ever told me how much stress inflexibility creates.

We all have times when our plans change. We think something is going to take place and it doesn't. Somebody doesn't do what they said they would do. You lose your job---and on and on it goes. It's only human to be frustrated when our plans get disrupted.

We need to know that there are going to be interruptions. It's inevitable.


So we need to learn to be flexible. I used to think that being flexible was just being weak. But it's not. And learning to be flexible will bring peace of mind and less stress. Not only to you but to all those around you.

Now, I'm certainly not talking about going along with something that is wrong. I'm talking about those things that happen every day that in the end do not amount to "a hill of beans."

Like it or not--things change.

MONSOON MESS

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Monsoons make messes most of the time. Yesterday was no exception.


I was "playing around" on the computer, minding my own business and not bothering anybody.


Charlotte hollered up from downstairs and said, "It's raining. At least it's sprinkling."


I decided to turn aside and see this thing.


I looked out the upstairs window. And yes, it was sprinkling.


I went downstairs and by then--it was raining--and blowing!


It's the day after and I have cleaned up and repaired almost everything that was messed up and broken.


Except our neighbor's tree. That big green monster of a tree is draped over our fence and in our yard. Very little of it, if any, is in their yard.


Did I mention we needed the rain--and still do?