Friday Night
Greetings:
Praise the Lord! It seems to me that there are so many things to complain about: the hot weather, the lack of rain, the war, sickness, the stock market, cost of living, and on I could go. But, what about the positive things: the beauty of nature, the birds of the air, the plants of the field, the animals, family, friends, soft music in the background, prayer, medicine, food, water, air, shelter, clothing, and when we really stop to think about it on we can go with the positives as well. Yet, it seems like all too often the negative gets more of the lime light, many more of the headlines, and most of the talk of the people in our society. If you talk to the media people and ask why they stay more on top of the negative news rather than the positive news, they will tell you because it is what sells and gets you the ratings and therefore the advertisement dollars. Why do we as a people want the negative? Could it be because we rest too secure in the promises of our Lord, rather than in the example and guidance of our Lord and our God? Or let me say it another way, do we rest so secure in our own reception of salvation, that we really do not let it rule our lives, rather we join others in worshipping the negative, so we are part of the accepted crowd, knowing that God’s promises will be made good to us?
The point that I am getting at comes from a conversation I had with the hospice chaplain today about Christians standing up for what we believe. We were sharing a few examples of where we have seen this happen and saying why it is not done more. For example, I had a friend that was an official for junior high football. He called an unsports-man-like call on a player and the coach came out on the field yelling and screaming wanting to know why. My friend said to the coach, unless you have a player on your roaster by the name of Jesus Christ the penalty stands. And while you are at it, you better watch the example you are showing these young boys or you will get one too. I have another friend who tutored four boys so they could pass from 6th to 7th grade. The first day they came to him they used all kinds of four letter words and even God’s name in vain. The boys were sent home and told to have their parents call my friend that night. The parents were told that if they wanted their boys to be tutored there would have to be a change in language used and in attitude. The boys came back the next morning and apologized with a little better attitude. But, one of the boys said during the conservation “I don’t understand what the big problem is, we talk that way at home all the time.” The other day, I had an interesting situation when a young man in a company truck almost hit a friend of mine in the back of his car because we were stopped just down the street from our house talking, and yes, blocking the road. When I said something to the young man about being in a really big hurry, he became very mouthy, using a number of four letter words, and with a real attitude. Well, the truck he was driving had the company name and phone number all over it, so I took it down and called it. I got an answering machine so I felt a message for the owner about the rude and unpleasant behavior of their employee. I also left my name and phone number if they cared to discuss the situation.
In the three stories above, it would have been very easy to have done nothing as far as Christian values and behavior and no one would really know the difference. But instead, we went against the grain to try and make a difference because we believed that God would want us to and Jesus gave us the example to. Think about it, was there any time today that you did and/or you could have stood up for God’s teachings and/or way? Having thought about it in the past tense now put it in the present and future tense and keep it right in the front of your thought process and life style so that you will always do it in the future. The chaplain and I agreed that it is only as we, one on one, change our life style toward each other that we will see the change in our society that is needed. And if we as Christians will not do it – then who will?????????
Marty has had a pretty rough day. She woke up this morning with the right shoulder really hurting. She said to me that she could not understand how it could hurt so much more just over night. She just did a very quick wash up job and was so tired she hardly made it to the sun porch and hospital bed. With out any breakfast she was back to sleep. She got a little sleep and was feeling better when Claudia, the hospice nurse got here. About the same time Marty’s nice, Clair and her husband Mike and daughter, Beth all arrived. The next couple of hours were wonderful and certainly busy. When Claudia left, hospice chaplain Guy arrived and we had a great visit with him. Marty got some lunch and a little nap before Jackie and her two daughters stopped by. Then came Joan J. followed in about a half hour by Linda M. who brought dinner. However, Marty never made it to the dinner table. She went into the bathroom, and her shoulder and back got so painful that she wanted to go right back to bed. We started giving her some medicine to control the pain and it took almost 2 hours. Now, she has been sleeping for the last two and a half hours thus we have not been able to get a pain level. Marty’s blood pressure had dropped lower today and so we will be watching that.
Marty is ready for her “win with the Lord” the question is “when is the Lord ready for her”? Of course that one we cannot answer but to say that “God is good – all the time! - All the time – God is good!” In His time all will be done and God will be glorified – Praise the Lord!
Have a positive day and God bless!
Marty and Jack
John 3:16
Greetings:
Praise the Lord! It seems to me that there are so many things to complain about: the hot weather, the lack of rain, the war, sickness, the stock market, cost of living, and on I could go. But, what about the positive things: the beauty of nature, the birds of the air, the plants of the field, the animals, family, friends, soft music in the background, prayer, medicine, food, water, air, shelter, clothing, and when we really stop to think about it on we can go with the positives as well. Yet, it seems like all too often the negative gets more of the lime light, many more of the headlines, and most of the talk of the people in our society. If you talk to the media people and ask why they stay more on top of the negative news rather than the positive news, they will tell you because it is what sells and gets you the ratings and therefore the advertisement dollars. Why do we as a people want the negative? Could it be because we rest too secure in the promises of our Lord, rather than in the example and guidance of our Lord and our God? Or let me say it another way, do we rest so secure in our own reception of salvation, that we really do not let it rule our lives, rather we join others in worshipping the negative, so we are part of the accepted crowd, knowing that God’s promises will be made good to us?
The point that I am getting at comes from a conversation I had with the hospice chaplain today about Christians standing up for what we believe. We were sharing a few examples of where we have seen this happen and saying why it is not done more. For example, I had a friend that was an official for junior high football. He called an unsports-man-like call on a player and the coach came out on the field yelling and screaming wanting to know why. My friend said to the coach, unless you have a player on your roaster by the name of Jesus Christ the penalty stands. And while you are at it, you better watch the example you are showing these young boys or you will get one too. I have another friend who tutored four boys so they could pass from 6th to 7th grade. The first day they came to him they used all kinds of four letter words and even God’s name in vain. The boys were sent home and told to have their parents call my friend that night. The parents were told that if they wanted their boys to be tutored there would have to be a change in language used and in attitude. The boys came back the next morning and apologized with a little better attitude. But, one of the boys said during the conservation “I don’t understand what the big problem is, we talk that way at home all the time.” The other day, I had an interesting situation when a young man in a company truck almost hit a friend of mine in the back of his car because we were stopped just down the street from our house talking, and yes, blocking the road. When I said something to the young man about being in a really big hurry, he became very mouthy, using a number of four letter words, and with a real attitude. Well, the truck he was driving had the company name and phone number all over it, so I took it down and called it. I got an answering machine so I felt a message for the owner about the rude and unpleasant behavior of their employee. I also left my name and phone number if they cared to discuss the situation.
In the three stories above, it would have been very easy to have done nothing as far as Christian values and behavior and no one would really know the difference. But instead, we went against the grain to try and make a difference because we believed that God would want us to and Jesus gave us the example to. Think about it, was there any time today that you did and/or you could have stood up for God’s teachings and/or way? Having thought about it in the past tense now put it in the present and future tense and keep it right in the front of your thought process and life style so that you will always do it in the future. The chaplain and I agreed that it is only as we, one on one, change our life style toward each other that we will see the change in our society that is needed. And if we as Christians will not do it – then who will?????????
Marty has had a pretty rough day. She woke up this morning with the right shoulder really hurting. She said to me that she could not understand how it could hurt so much more just over night. She just did a very quick wash up job and was so tired she hardly made it to the sun porch and hospital bed. With out any breakfast she was back to sleep. She got a little sleep and was feeling better when Claudia, the hospice nurse got here. About the same time Marty’s nice, Clair and her husband Mike and daughter, Beth all arrived. The next couple of hours were wonderful and certainly busy. When Claudia left, hospice chaplain Guy arrived and we had a great visit with him. Marty got some lunch and a little nap before Jackie and her two daughters stopped by. Then came Joan J. followed in about a half hour by Linda M. who brought dinner. However, Marty never made it to the dinner table. She went into the bathroom, and her shoulder and back got so painful that she wanted to go right back to bed. We started giving her some medicine to control the pain and it took almost 2 hours. Now, she has been sleeping for the last two and a half hours thus we have not been able to get a pain level. Marty’s blood pressure had dropped lower today and so we will be watching that.
Marty is ready for her “win with the Lord” the question is “when is the Lord ready for her”? Of course that one we cannot answer but to say that “God is good – all the time! - All the time – God is good!” In His time all will be done and God will be glorified – Praise the Lord!
Have a positive day and God bless!
Marty and Jack
John 3:16
posted by Jack | 9:31 PM
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