...too small a thing...

Thankful

It is a rainy morning April 30, 2024 and I am sitting in my home comfortable and blessed. So for this blog page I looked back to pictures throught the years of mission work to think and reflect, and I came across this photo. I am thankful I was able to go to the places I went during my mission traveling. This place is somewhere on the Coco River that forms the boundary between Nicaragua and Honduras. A 400 mile long river which to my knowledge still does not have bridge over it for its entire length. This photo is over 19 years old. And in the photo you can catch a glimpse of what life is like in these Latin American remote areas. People now days talk about living off grid, but this area of the world has a kind of life that people is the USA just do not even realize still exist. 

Just examine the photo for a moment and realize some things. There are no bathrooms in this part of the world. You can see the outhouse at the top of the picture. There are people washing clothes in the river as there are no washing machines. If there were washing machines there is no electricity to power them. There are no cars because there are no roads. Just the river and if the world outside of these villages is to be contacted, it is by boat on the river. There is no medical care. There is little that resembles the world we live in here in in America. Life is primative and difficult. While it is changing some there, it is slow progress for many people in the third world areas to even realize the comforts of life that exist in our modern world.

The reason I was there is simple. To take the message of Jesus Christ to these people. Oh, they had heard about Jesus and many believed somethings about hime. But there was a strange mixture of culture, superstition, peer pressure, and bad theology that gripped the people and left them empty and afraid. Using a variety of means to touch the lives of the people there our goal was the truth of Scripture to show them the Lord Jesus. Over the last 25 years a great change in the planting of churches has brought a great blessing to many as they have learned the truth of a relationship with the Lord.

I was privileged to make about 50 such trips and I saw the Lord work in many ways. For this I am thankful. But having been there I am also thankful for everything that God has blessed me with in my nice home and life.  I am thankful I have had the great opportunity to be used to serve my Lord. I am thankful I can share it with you by the internet. But I am thankful most of all for His love, mercy and grace to me a sinner. 

 

Cats are Proof

I would have never thought that I would be the owner? Master? Feeder? of a cat. But here in my golden years there is a cat in my life. (I think the word I was searching for was slave.) MR Boski is his name and he is in charge of everything. He is solid black so I am pretty sure he is supposed to be bad luck but since I don't believe in that sort of thing it doesn't apply to me. But he is a bit demanding. He comes to the door and wants in. Then he goes to the door and wants out. He rubs on your leg to say "Pet ME."  He jumps up on most everything and sticks out his paw showing off his claws. I think this is the international sign of the cat and with it his proclaims his rule over where ever he happens to be.

His eyes are proof of something, I do not know what, but you can look at him and he has these big round eyes saying "I Love you... Please feed me... Please Pet Me." and then in just the twitch of a cats tail his eyes are slits. Narrow and focused and they say "I WILLL BITE YOU." YIKES...  

HIs Tail never stops... I think there is a snake in that thing. And what is up with this purring thing? Sometimes he sounds like a motorcycle. When he wants something the meows starting very soft, and then he gets louder, and louder, till whatever it is he wants, becomes your priority. 

We have actually had him as an outside cat for a few years, but because of the cold weather I (in a moment of weakness) allowed him in the house and gave into the dreaded cat litter box. Now since he is a cat that comes and goes outside the box is not used everyday. But I find it rather offensive when he has been out for several hours and then comes in for just a few minutes but goes straight to the box for a major deposit. 

MR Boski is currently on a bit of a hunger strike. He is refusing to eat the cheaper grade of cat food I bought at the feed store. HE WANTS his MEOW MIX. Now do not worry he still is getting his TEMPTATIONS treats... and his Churu Cat Delights so he is not going to starve. So I guess the off brand Cat food is going to be fed to the Cat fish in the pond. 

The only saving grace Mr Boski really has is that my wife loves that creature. She adores him. She ask me almost everytime I go out, "Did you see the CAT?"

Well ... NO... I was't really looking for him.    I titled this "CATS ARE PROOF".  Now I am not sure what they are proof of, but they must be proof of something, I just do not know, what and the Cats are not telling. It may be that he is proof of my lack of judgement. 

 

2 Over Easy

I have written several thousand blog post about hundreds of subjects some quite complex, but some very simple. This one is going to be simple. "How do you like your eggs?" If you go to Waffle House you will likely be ask this question. While you may not be ask this if you are eating at home, the question may still be one that you think about for a minute or two. And then set about the task to prepare breakfast. 

A very regular part of my day (now that I am a chicken farmer) is to go down the hill to visit the girls and Big "T" my rooster. When they see me coming they scurry back and forth, squawk, cluck, and Big "T" will start crowing, and crowing, and crowing some more. They expect some type of treat whether it is "Scratch food" or some leftovers from the house. They are ready. Something common for them are left over french fries. I cast them on the ground and the hen that is the quickest (usually Joy, or Ada) will grab one up and run. Now there are usually 20 maybe 30 fries, but some of those silly hens will chase the one who got the first fry around the lot to steal it away if they can, and often they will get a piece of it. I is quite a show. With Big "T" standing in the middle of 8 hens chasing each other singing his song. 

The bigger show can come however when I enter the lot. I have to keep an eye on the big Rooster who thinks he is Kung FU. If I turn my back he will make a run at me for a fight. We have sparred a good many rounds, and I am the undisputed heavy weight champ. But my poor bird brained friend does not learn that his is out of his weight class, and just so badly wants to spar with me. With neck feathers ruffled and wings a flapping my boot or my water jug will keep him at bay. 

Some days recently he seems to understand his plight and runs to the far corner of the lot and keeps and eye on me until the water and feed buckets are full. But as I am slipping out the door of the coop I have to keep the Big "T" in the corner of my eye for he may make a run at me. Especially if he knows the hens are watching. 

Well it is an everyday show. But then when all is said and done I can answer the question "How do you like your eggs?"  My girls are busy at their work also everyday and I can not only answer the egg question, but I can make it happen with a couple of fresh ones.  

BUT, I Can't Help It!

I can't help it, I can't stop, I don't have any other choice, it is not my fault. These are the things people say when someone is doing something they should not be doing, and they are confronted. Seldom does someone accept their choices and admit that they should not be doing whatever it is that they are caught up in. 

Our hedonistic culture of today does not set boundaries or even hint as to the right directions we need in our lives. The truths about decency, what is ethical, or what is moral, seem to be blurred by movies, television, and social media.  What one person thinks is OK to do others are appalled by even talking about it. Now likely if you are reading this blog you know where this preacher comes from and what we need as our guide. The Bible is plain spoken that the Word of God is what we need. Psalm 119:9 tells us "How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word."  The bible is not a rule book, but it is a guide to show us our Creator and help us to know how to live. When we place faith in the truth of Scripture, then Lord abides with us and In us, through the person of the Holy Spirit. He is to be a guide and give us direction for life. We are not puppets or robots programed by God. We are his children. Created and loved in His Image. And this life we have has certain freedoms to do and be, to go and decide, to live and be whatever we seek to be. So God does not make our decisions for us. And a real truth is that we are we never in the position of "I Can't Help It." 

God Always gives us a choice in life, especially in the patterns and directions. Consider this :

            12 Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. 13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.  1 Corinthians 10:12-13 ESV

The truth of these verses helps us to realize that we on our own can't help it. We are powerless in the human frailty we are wrapped up in to overcome the faults that so easily come at us and consume us. But Praise be to God! We have a God who forgives and provides a way to be better. To do the right thing. To be the person He calls us to be. 

So it starts with reading, studying, and memorization of the Word of God. Then talking with God, day by day, moment by moment, until we get it right. If you feel like you can't help it without the Lord you may be right. But let me assure you Our Lord can overcome anything. And He will. Just ask Him.

Alone?

This is a word that brings image to your mind. Alone, stirs emotion in the heart. If you have a busy hectic day you long for the silence of being alone, but when you have the stillness and quiet of this place of being alone; you want and long to hear the presence of companionship. Every person is different as to how we relate and want companionship and some do better being by themselves than others. But I ask a simple question this morning. Are you ever really alone?

The Lord told us Hebrews 13:15 "I will never leave you or forsake you."

Jesus Said In the Great Commission Matthew 28:20 "I am with you always..."

There is also a passage that sort of frightens me as Jesus told his disciples that everything we do will be reveled at the judgement. So whatever I "think" I can do when I am alone and nobody sees or knows what I am doing is going to be revealed one day.

    For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light. Luke 8:17 ESV

Jesus was known for going off by himself but not to be alone (although it is described with this word) but he went to be with the Father privately. Private moments are needed in our lives to change clothes, use the bathroom, and most importantly talk with the one who never leaves us. 

Things I Don't Like

If you had to make a list of things you do not like and put it in order of the things you dislike the most at the top and dislike a bit less toward the bottom what would it look like? There are a good many things I do not like, but you might want to give this some thought. You see I do not like mosquitos, and find them very annoying but a yellow jacket or big red wasp is higher on the list. Both of these I am likey to face this summer. But even higher on the list would be a copperhead. I had not seen one on my property till last year, but I met him one afternoon and we did not get along at all. There are some people I do not like, but I always ask the Lord to help me love them. (Bless their hearts.)

As I thought about this for a while, the top of the list items that I do not like are not really people, or tangible things, but ideas, and problems I really can't do anything about changing. Things like hate, evil, prejudice, revenge and jealously. Two things that would surely be near the top for me would be Alzheimer's disease, and Heart disease. These things sort of suck the life out of you especially when compared to a mosquito. 

The truth is the things that surface to the top of list we don't like are the things of the moment. Whatever is happening right now seems too often what we don't. like the most. There is a great Bible verse for this....

    For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. Romans 8:18 ESV 

The Apostle Paul knew that better times are coming for all of us who know Christ as Savior. So keep this thought in mind, I like to think this is an original thought of mine but I probably heard it somewhere.  

It is all going to be OK at the end... So if it is NOT OK now ... do not worry it is not the END. 

So, you are a wise guy.

Every year I read through the Bible. Everyone should read Scripture daily. But it is difficult in certain parts of the Bible to sit down and read. I am right now in a part like this, as my reading today was in 1 Chronicles. It is a detailing of who did what in the work in the times and kingdoms of the kings of Israel. After I read it. i scanned back over the passages this morning, and one verse, one name, kind of jumped off the page. Here is the verse. 

    The lot for the east fell to Shelemiah. They cast lots also for his son Zechariah, a shrewd counselor, and his lot came out for the north.  1Chronicles 26:14 ESV

At a first reading of the verse packed into hundreds of other verses with names I would struggle to pronounce, it seems there is little to notice. The context is that the gatekeepers are being listed out for the work in King David's time of rule in Jerusalem. Who is this Zechariah really? The bible actually has a good many people with this name, There is a whole book with this name. It is a different guy. A prophet that was the namesake to this young man. John the Baptist's dad had this name too. And many others with that same name. 

But this guy is listed as a "gatekeeper."  His dad is listed as on the EAST but our guy is on the NORTH. But our guy got an extra word in the sacred text to say that he was wise. "A shrewd counselor" was this man. He was at the door.  Many walked by him each day as they came and went to whatever they were doing never really taking notice of him. And that is what hit me. We often hold a door open for someone, pass someone in a hall, wait behind some one in line, and we seldom know who they are. 

Why does the Scripture tell us this man was wise? I do not think that answer is there in our text, but we in the greater context of Scripture can get a good idea. 

The book of proverbs tells us a lot about wisdom. It starts with knowledge of God. It is to be desired. it is more valuable than anything else. And here is a guy tending the door who is wise and I was walking right past him as I read Scripture and not aware of who he was or is. How many more do I walk past those who are wise? But more importantly let me ask myself am I a wise guy? Are you a wise guy? There is little doubt that there is much ignorance in the world. Watch the news, get on social media, or just look around and you can see and hear many people talking and many have wrong ideas, confused values and strange beliefs. Here was a guy with simple job that was according to Scripture a guy you could get good advice from to live your life. 

Let me challenge you. If you are not reading the Bible daily... maybe it is time to start.  Maybe it is what the world needs. More wise guys. 

Try Again

This blog site began in 2006, and for many years I kept a daily post on the site. Subjects vaired over the years from family, to church, to the police work I was doing, and of course mission events. But most of the time it was a devotional page. I hope the one thing that was most constant was the lifting up of Jesus Christ as "Lord of All" to anyone who read these words I wrote. I think I am going to start trying to put up fresh material again. If a few read and Christ is glorified I will have succeeded.  My Pastor from FBC Ellijay preached yesterday on a passage from Joshua 13.

    1Now Joshua was old and advanced in years, and the LORD said to him, “You are old and advanced in years, and there remains yet very much land to    
            possess. Joshua 13:1 ESV

The message was a real challenge to keep on being active for the work of God, even in my senior years.I started going to the gym to work out a few weeks ago and

it feels great, but not necessarily while I am working out. The results however I am pleased with the overall way I feel. So here I am at the keyboard again to try to put into a published page a few words that can help someone who needs a bit of a push. You just DO NOT get too old to do something for the Lord. While I do have to stay close to home now, to care for my wife, I can still write and put into a useful way some of my life experiences.  So here I am. I am going to try again to write regularly.  If you were a regular reader in the past welcome back. If this is the first time to see this blog, I am glad you dropped in. If you are curious there are literally thousands of my old blog post in the archives. The photos are from mission work through the years. I have been blessed by the Lord in so many ways.    I hope you will join me and that I can write something you can read and grow closer to the Lord.