...too small a thing...

Do Not Do This

The Swine Flue is coming to Avoid DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME.

Sharing Is Not Sharing When You Have To

Yesterday I was posed with a rather in depth question about what I thought about the policy common in Elementary School of the children having to put all their supplies in a common pool and share. While this may bring some controversy or criticism here is the answer I wrote.

To answer a question such as the one you are posing “is it right to put the pencils and supplies together to share in the class room?”  I think you have to actually examine the question itself. What is at stake are the principles of sharing vs the ideas of socialism. You also ask the question about the book Red Fish. I have not read the book but I did check on line sources, and many believe that it is a book about socialism so regardless of whether the author set out to write a book for children to teach them to “share” or if he was making a social statement the book has become controversial.

The approach of the question of sharing in socialism is one that many have written about and let me give you a couple of points.

        To share is to give freely. When you are forced to give or required to give, it is not sharing but really compulsion and is sometimes necessary. We do not think of ourselves as “sharing when we pay taxes.” The common practice you are describing in the classroom (my wife and I discussed this and she tells me that the practice is common) is designed to equip all the children and keep arguments and squabbles over “special pencils” to a minimum. It could be considered a form of taxation that you must pay in order to be able to use pens and pencils you must give to the common pool. The real difficult part to swallow is that if you have the means to have a special pencil which expresses your individualism this is not allowed. All must share alike and be the same, this is a basic principle of socialism. The Lord told us to share when others are in need. But this should be done by choice and not by compulsion.

  ¹⁶ This is how we have come to know love: He laid down His life for us. We should also lay down our lives for our brothers. ¹⁷ If anyone has this world’s goods and sees his brother in need but shuts off his compassion from him—how can God’s love reside in him?

1 John 3:16-17 (HCSB)

In addition the Lord also told us to pay our taxes:

¹⁵ Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to trap Him by what He said. ¹⁶ They sent their disciples to Him, with the Herodians. “Teacher,” they said, “we know that You are truthful and teach the way of God in truth. You defer to no one, for You don’t show partiality. ¹⁷ Tell us, therefore, what You think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”
      ¹⁸ But perceiving their malice, Jesus said, “Why are you testing Me, hypocrites? ¹⁹ Show Me the coin used for the tax.” So they brought Him a denarius. ²⁰ “Whose image and inscription is this?” He asked them.
      ²¹ “Caesar’s,” they said to Him.
     Then He said to them, “Therefore, give back to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

Matt 22:15-21 (HCSB)

It is in this thought that we begin to see that the question is worded so that we must give a difficult if not unwanted answer. If you are in the classroom where this is the practice is established, we as Christians really should “give up the pencils and other supplies and let the government “Caesar” do as they will. This does not mean however in a “free” country we cannot work to change it through our government process that we have input into, ie, voting.

The bigger question is should the government be educating our children? The preacher is fixing to come out in me……

No where in the Bible does it tell us that the Government has responsibility to educate the children. On the contrary Families are to educate their own children. And we see that learning took place in the temple or  church. What were they teaching? The Bible, and the Word of God is clear…

Listen Israel....

: The Lord our God, the Lord is One.   ⁵ Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. ⁶ These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart. ⁷ Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. ⁸ Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them be a symbol on your forehead.   ⁹ Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.^[7]

Deut 6:4-9 (HCSB)

Public education has fallen way short of this and in fact has eliminated the reading of God’s word from its practice. What has come in its place. Man’s ideas about equality and justice for all. Humanistic thought and practice to be fair to all people seems to be a good idea but the idealism of man is inadequate. Idealism would promote such an idea of children sharing pencils and everyone being happy but this is not true due to the selfish nature of individuals. But even more important is the idea of sharing because of love of one another because we first love God has been replaced with just loving fellow people. God is perfect and forgives our imperfections, people are imperfect and do not forgive each other.

So the answer is difficult, but if you are in the class where this is practiced, it should be done willingly. If you choose home school or private school this is a good option. Work to change it? By all means those who can and will get into Government and or PSTA should do so.

The question really is however who is responsible for our children’s education, the parents of course. And what are they to teach? Loving God First who loved us…..

“For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:16 (HCSB)

He Did not have to but He did.

Weddings Bells Ringing

I do not know if you can hear them, but wedding bells are ringing. I am listening and even pulling on the rope for the bell. Two weddings in one weekend is a lot of activity, and if you throw in a bridal shower and you will hear the bells too. A rehearsal Friday Night... a rehearsal Saturday Morning .... a ceremony Saturday night...(of course worship on Sunday morning) quickly .....on to a ceremony on Sunday Afternoon... and then to my own son's FAMILY Bridal shower. I told them I would be there for the final rinse.

Having the privilege of being the officiant at a wedding is a real joy but a huge responsibility. I get to preform the ceremony for many police officers and so far two of my children with a third coming in just a few weeks. Last night's wedding was a real joy as I took with me my bride of 35 years and she was the prettiest one at the wedding. Each wedding is beautiful and unique to itself, but I am so thankful for the time I was the "I doer" and that she "did too."

Each time I do a ceremony I am reminded of that moment and I rejoice. God has blessed me with Kathy and then the wonderful fruit of our love now is four children and beautiful daughter in laws and I pray that if the Lord will allow I will have grand children.

Commitment is a wonderful thing.

Sometimes Storms are Destructive

I wrote the last entry about how we escaped any damage on last Friday's storm but little did I know Monday morning's storms would bring some damage to us. While the house was spared and no one was injured (Praise the Lord) we lost a tree top in the front of the house making it necessary to take it down a 24" diameter tree that was probably 80' tall. In the process three smaller trees were damaged and had to be cut down also. We had winds of 50 MPH plus on Monday which brought damage to a lot of trees all over Atlanta. One report was given on the radio of a tree crashing through the family room in a home where 5 children were waiting to leave for school and as they left the room the tree came in (thank you Lord no one was hurt.)  God's hand gives protection and I thank Him once again for his protection. 

Powerful Storms are Scary

We watched the weather on the TV for about 2 hours with constant coverage of the stormy weather going just north of us here in Kennesaw. We saw the reporter being pelted with hail and saw the line of Thunderstorms and figured we would see some before the night was finished. At About 7:45pm the reporter began a warning for Paulding County and West Cobb County so we saw we would be in the middle of a bad one by 8 pm. Here is the photo of the deck just as the brunt of the storm passed. Below is a photo of the front yard with the edges of the yard looking like it had just snowed. The dogs were terrified and we rode out most of the storm in the basement but the Lord spared us from any severe damage as far as I can tell.

Lots of Wedding Stuff

I spent a good part of yesterday writing out two wedding services I will be conducting the weekend after Easter. I have wedding counseling starting today for a friend and another couple coming the week after that. All total I have six weddings so far this year. That is a joy. I love the opportunity to share in this special moment in a young couples life. Weddings are great events and a great time to share the gospel with folks. I had the opportunity at a wedding reception to share the gospel in a group setting with what I believe were people who believe in God but really do not have a very strong commitment to serving Him. A commitment has been made to Christ but this reality does not impact daily life. In some ways this can be said for all of us. We say we love Jesus and yet we do things we know are not according to his word. We always look for others to compare ourselves with to make ourselves feel better about not doing whatever it is God really wants us to do.

At a wedding it is a time of celebration and we join in the spirit of things forgetting the troubled world for a few minutes as we support the two who join their lives and are now one. There is a day coming when we will all celebrate at what the Bible calls the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. Rev 19:8. While I do not understand all of the event I do know the one who gave his life for me will be there and looking at me as the one he loves. I will not be conducting this marriage supper but will be a part of it as one in the wedding party.

As I look forward to my Son Brian getting married to his beautiful fiancee Bethany in just a few weeks I am excited and ready to see them together forever. I know that God will bless them in this life with prosperity and family and a lifetime of service for our Lord together. As I look at my other two sons and realize the happiness of their marriages I am grateful. As I consider Kathy and the wonderful mate God has given me in life there is so much to be thankful for about marriage.

Getting ready for a marriage is a big deal and takes a lot of time. We have a lifetime to get ready for the Marriage supper of the Lamb. Are your getting ready? Are your dressed in his righteouness? Are you inviting guest? Are you going to be ready? The time is coming.

Sometimes Things Just Stop

Why have I not put up a blog in a couple of weeks? Sometimes things just Stop. I have been busy but the wringing of blogs is something you have to put in your routine and do it every other day like exercise. The good news of today is that my diet and exercise program have continued and I am down 18 pounds and running 2 miles every other day with relative ease. I feel so much better but I must admit I have felt pretty sheepish (a lost one) about not blogging for a few weeks. So here I am ready to blog again I have a good bit of stuff I should have been sharing with the greater readership and I will likely go back and pick up an item or two over the next week or so.Two things today....

Praise the Lord. Everyday is a day to praise God and I want to do so as this blog is His. I just finished several weeks of training at Bethany Christian Church and it all seemed to go very well the church is ready to take on the task of a short term mission project when they get themselves a little better organized. The are in prayer mode about the organization and will do so in the next few weeks as the organize into an acts 1:8 structured team. I am grateful for the opportunity I have had to be with this great group of people.

Second thing ...This morning the Cat has to go to the vet. He needs an operation. He is a boy cat and lets just say he will be less of a man when he returns but still a good cat.

Lots going on I will try to start again soon so that blogging is just not one of those things that stop. I wonder if we could put pollen on the list of things to stop? Mosquitios would be another.