The Magic Book

In church this past Sunday morning, my youngest son sat eagerly in one of the few pews left that we could find and immediately looked for a bible. He took mine instead and began to open the pages at the same time pointing to my bible and telling me...

“It’s the magic book, daddy”.


As the song-leading began, my son stopped at a page on proverbs and began to speak in his childish tongue, while pretending to read the text. I looked at the page he was pointing to and read the passage to myself:

“He who ignores discipline comes to poverty and shame, but whoever heeds correction is honored.” Proverbs 13:18.


I realize that in today’s society, this text can be interpreted by many different people in a variety of ways. From what I was feeling that day about all the biased political forecasts I’ve had to regurgitate from all forms of media, I may have somehow interpolated a form of political agenda into the actual meaning of the text.
Shaking the visions of fireworks left by the political goings-on in my head, I bent over to my son and read the text softly in his ear. When I finished, he looked up at me with an “Ahhh” expression as if he understood it.
“Oh, but wait…” I said, opening the bible to another passage.

Then he said to them, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's." Matthew 22:21.

My son’s response to me was “Daddy, you’re weird”

For the past few months, I’ve heard on radio, saw on tv, and read on newspapers and magazines anything and everything about this presidential election. Throughout the whole process, I’ve developed my own opinions about each of the candidates, but despite all the negativity I’ve seen and heard, I’ve always been respectful of the political process.

I don’t know what the future holds for this country, nor can I predict what direction an openly socialistic single-party government will take. I do know that for my part, a form of “rendering to Caesar what is Caesar’s” will no doubt become a mandated mantra necessitating a stricter form of discipline on my part in my financial activities.

At any rate, my son, my youngest son had made me realize that as we Americans embrace the winds of “Change” we will have to face ahead, I've had to turn to the Magic Book for guidance and understanding. I’ve no doubt that some --- if not most --- of us will be doing the same.

God Bless.

Fireproof

Someone from church told me today that a long-time friend had recently died.
His death was so quick no one saw it coming. He said goodbye to everyone at work one day and was gone from this earth the next.
John’s life story was illustrated into a brief synopsis of how either he or his wife Carla would sneak out of bed each morning to see who could pour the first cup of coffee as the other slept soundly in bed.
More often than not, Carla would beat John downstairs and let him sleep long enough to make a fresh pot of coffee.
Carla would then pour herself a cup, then sit on the table, banging her teaspoon against the side of her cup endlessly until John became so irritated that he had to get up to make her stop.

As I heard this story, I couldn’t have imagined putting up with the noise while trying to squeeze in a few more minutes of sleep before getting up for work.
My life has become so routine that it’s all my mind can handle to get up, force myself out of bed, get dressed, climb in my car, then get myself to work.

But John put up with it. Sometimes he got to be the first one up --- sometimes he got to be the one banging on the side of the coffee cup. I guess I can imagine it was Carla’s way of telling John how much she loved him.

Later that afternoon, I saw a movie with friends. The movie was titled “Fireproof”
The storyline was about a couple who were having so much marital issues that they were on the verge of divorce. The issues the couple faced paralleled those of the same issues I faced during my divorce that it was scary. The only difference was that they were able to save their marriage. I failed to save mine miserably.
…. Or was it that I didn’t try as hard as I should have?

I can’t imagine what Carla was feeling when she got up that one morning, pouring herself a cup of coffee, waiting for her beloved husband to come down the stairs knowing he was never going to appear.
… but every morning, she sat down and banged her teaspoon against that cup.


Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. Ephesians 5:25

Airport Arrivals

I had to pick up a friend from the airport one day.
I grumbled, of course, since I had plenty of things I had to take care of and giving up my time, gas, and mileage were never high on my altruistic list that I devote to friends. Nevertheless, my sacrifices are never short of spiritual lessons from which I have always been the most willing of beneficiaries.
Have you ever had to wait for a friend or a relative at the baggage claim? I endured close to two hours of it as I waited for my friend’s delayed flight. So to pass the time, I tried painting a picture of the events happening in front of me.
Over to my left, a well-dressed elderly gentleman took the escalator down to stand next to the stationary baggage distribution system. I imagined him holding a paintbrush dipped in the color green, no doubt he’s rich and looking around for his driver.
To my right, two women (probably sisters) greeted each other with screaming laughter as both are incredulous that they are actually standing on the same patch of concrete. I smiled as I pictured them sword-fighting with red paintbrushes.
I saw various mixtures of people, families and friends, greeting each other with smiles and hugs, laughter and tears, with emotions running at full throttle. I imagined hundreds of wet paintbrushes dipped in rainbows of colors flying left and right. I had to stop and wonder if I had taken anything that day that could affect my mental condition.

There was, however, a scene happening in front of me that really grabbed at me with an undeniable resistance. It tugged my heart so strongly that I was unable to put a color to it. Two small children ran to a distinguished-looking gentleman, but there was a sadness in him that didn’t go away despite two beautiful children running to him, yelling “Uncle Matt, Uncle Matt!!” He scooped up the small children in his arms with their mom and dad not too far behind. The children's mom was also very happy to see “Uncle Matt”, but the dad was several steps behind her, seemingly reluctant to etch himself into the picture.
As Uncle Matt placed his nieces down, he directed his sight to the children’s dad. The two gentlemen stood silently for an eternity and I could only imagine what conflicts they’d had to battle through to reach this moment…
Then, as I felt tightness in my heart and wetness in my eyes, I saw tears on both the gentlemen’s eyes once they approached each other, hugging and sobbing with restless abandon. The children and their mom joined the two each member of the family hugged each other in silence. Finally, I was able to picture paintbrushes dancing around them, dipped in thousands of colors while dancing to a melodic aria.

I will never know the true story behind the scene I experienced that day, but for sure, I’ve come to accept that the things I’ve had to endure in this lifetime happened for a reason. I can’t control the things that happen in my life and when it comes to forgiveness, I can’t afford to just talk the talk. I can’t afford to harbor what’s happened to me in the past.
Without forgiveness, the pictures we paint are devoid of any color.
I say grab as many paintbrushes as you can and paint with every color imaginable.

Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Luke 6:37

Thoroughly in Awe

For as long as I’ve lived in this tiny one bedroom house, I’ve diligently performed my duties in maintaining the 5-acre lot for my sweet 91 year-old landlady and her two 50-something daughters. It is a task I am more than glad to perform as they had become the constant rock that I could lean on during the tumultuous times in my life. My house is on the same property as the main house.
I am always invited in their home and they’ve accepted me as part of the family. There’s nothing that I wouldn’t do for them. Whenever I came over, I’ve always given my sweet Marguerite (we call her Granny Skeet) a hug whenever I came by and then again before I left. Each time I visit her house, I am always greeted by the warmest and kindest smile.
One day, the movie “National Treasure” came up for discussion, and the topic of the factual nature of the story of Charles Carroll became the hot topic. As it was described in the film, Charles Carroll was a Freemason when in fact, his Catholic religion would not have allowed him to join Freemasons at the time unless he was a secret member, which would have been very unlikely.
Further discussions described Charles Carroll as the oldest living signatory of the Declaration of Independence. His grandfather was an Irishman who emigrated from England to America and became one of the richest and most influential men in America.
He served in the Continental Congress, on the Board of War, through much of the War of Independence, and simultaneously participated in the framing of a constitution for Maryland. In 1778 he returned to Maryland to participate in the formation of the state government. He was elected to the Maryland Senate in 1781, and to the first Federal Congress in 1788. He returned again to the State Senate in 1790 and served there for 10 years. He retired from that post in 1800.
Charles Carroll was the last surviving member of those who signed the Declaration. He died, the last survivor of the signers of the Declaration, in 1832 at the age of 95.

John Carroll 1737 - 1832

At this point of their retelling of a great American icon in history, I was already impressed. However, it had never occurred to me until now that Marguerite Carroll’s late husband, John Carroll was Charles’ great-grandson. As l looked at the history that hung on their hallway walls, I was in awe.
…Wow.

Stop, Look, Listen

I was driving on a road today when l noticed a train to my left going my direction.
I muttered a grunt as l noticed the extraordinary length of the cars connected to the engine, knowing l had to cross the railroad tracks two blocks away to get to my destination. The young lady to the right of me, however, had other plans. She was not going to wait for the entire length of the train and therefore zoomed ahead of me and barely made it in time to cross the tracks before the train crossed our street. I, unfortunately (and thankfully) had to endure the entire length of the train.
As l patiently waited, l noticed the round sign indicating railroad tracks. This brought me back to the days when the adage “Stop, Look, and Listen” were still the motto we lived by.

William Wordsworth, in his poem “The Excursion,” spoke of meeting a small boy holding to his ear a seashell “to which, in silence hushed, his very soul listened intensely.” Despite living very far from the seashore, the boy “heard murmurings” as he intently listened to which the boy “expressed mysterious union” with the ocean, resulting in “his countenance soon brighten[ing] with joy.”

Getting any boy to listen to anything in this day and age, whether intensely or otherwise, is a task best left to the experts. Even still, experts may not even necessarily offer any comforting word of advice to the most patient of parents.
Activity dominates most every single cell in their bodies, leaving a very small number to direct verbal commands to their busy brains resulting in the body’s difficulty to “Stop, Look, and Listen”.
Men, like little boys, also have a difficult time stopping. We don’t like to stop what we’re doing, simply because we just think that it’s just a waste of time. We don’t think we have to “Look”, since we already know what’s ahead of us. We have a great difficulty in Listening because as someone else is speaking, we’re already forming a rebuttal within our brain-housing group.
In the Old Testament days, the prophets who responded to God’s message had a difficult task ahead of them in delivering His message to the people. The people barely listened or half-heartedly accepted the message entirely, not to mention that they completely ignored the warnings, predictions, and the pleadings of the prophets.

In today’s society, we have the Bible, preachers in churches and on television, even gifted authors on every hand speaking God’s message. If we only we attentively listen to what God is saying, we will find that He is still offering “peace” and warning against “foolish ways.” And, like small boys with sea shells, our countenances will be “brightened with joy.”

Lessons from a Scorpion

It's past 1 A.M. and once again I am unable to sleep. Egad.
To pass the time, I went online to browse some informational websites, read other people's blogs, and even went as far as deleting old emails.
Found one article about the Deathstalker Scorpion that piqued my curiousity.
Apparently, the Death stalker scorpion possesses one of the most potent venoms of any scorpion on earth. This scorpion’s sting injects extremely toxic venom (a neurotoxin) that can cause extreme pain, fever, convulsions, paralysis, and often coma or death in humans (by heart or respiratory failure).

Yet someday, we may have to rename it the Lifegiver Scorpion. Research has shown that the venom of the deathstalker contains chlorotoxin which attaches to certain brain cancer cells. While leaving healthy cells alone. If chlorotoxin can be used to carry radioactive atoms along with it to the cancer cells, those cells may be singled out and destroyed. What’s more, chlorotoxin appears to keep cancer cells from shrinking and moving, so the cancer can’t spread.

So when it comes to the Deathstalker, I would venture to say that the adage “what doesn’t kill you may make you stronger” could soon have a whole new meaning.
I wonder though if the chlorotoxin can invade the cancerous emotional cells and heal emotional scars. (Must really be getting late...I'm starting to get silly)

Happy Mother's Day

As a child, Huo Yuanjia was too proud to accept the idea that opposing clans have a better Wushu – or martial arts --- training than his clan. “I will show the other clans that their wushu is not as good as ours” Huo told his mother one day. He was so confident in his abilities that in his heart, he knew other fighting styles were no match to his family’s Wushu.

“My son, wushu is not just about winning” His mother told him. “The most important part is self-restraint and having discipline. Whatever happens, never forget to be the kind of person that you are. Wushu is to help you be strong so you can help others. The way to have a good relationship with all people is to understand that, and to give kindness to others and treat all with respect and honor. People fearing you and giving honor are not the same thing."

Huo’s pride and fearlessness soon blossomed and he became the greatest fighter in the land. No one could defeat him. His pride, however, got him in situations that were dishonorable and soon he was just fighting for the sake of fighting. Then one day, he picked a fight with a great master which lead to the master’s death. The master’s family retaliated and Huo would lose all that was dear to him.

In his grief, Huo found solace in his mother’s words.
As the western civilization began to influence the east, Huo fought with a higher purpose. His humbleness and strong spirit helped to greatly enhance the self-confidence and self-esteem of the Chinese people.

What an honor it is to remember our mother’s words of wisdom, to never forget their nurturing strengths as they help us realize our awareness of the world around us. It’s never without fail that they are with us every step of the way as we make our walks of life, each stroll we take becoming the adventure and discovery that forms our inner self. Despite all that we go through in life, Mom will always be that quiet and strong spirit that keeps us walking the right path.

Happy Mother’s Day, Mom.

The Prize

I was driving into town this evening when l noticed that the vehicle in front of me had a very bad flat on one of the rear tires. I pulled up next to the driver of the vehicle with the flat tire and waved my hand at her, pointing to the rear tires. Once she finally acknowledged me, she immediately rolled up her windows then kept her eyes ahead, never again looking at my direction. I guess I can understand her unwillingness to respond. After all, I probably wouldn’t talk to any stranger in an empty thoroughfare either.
I became both disappointed and sad… disappointed that I was trying my best to be a humanitarian, yet sad because my efforts were for naught. I finally gave up and drove my vehicle at the other fork in the road, wishing her the best and thinking that there would have been no reward for me in my failed effort anyway other than to feel better about myself….yeah, right.

This got me thinking about a question that was asked this weekend… is heaven the reward awaiting us when our time here on earth is done? Are we to endure the hardships in this lifetime and look to heaven as our ultimate reward for our “good behavior?” …if this is the case, then l don’t think l’m being all the Christian that I can be.

Take the reality shows…there are so many of these types of shows on TV nowadays.
There’s the ever-popular American Idol where a number of hopeful contestants are bellying out tunes, enduring harsh criticism for a slim chance of winning a singing contract. There’s the Survivor series where contestants are eliminated one by one for a chance to win a million-dollar prize. There’s America’s Next Top Model, Oprah’s Big Give, Top Chef, Real World, The Bachelor, Big Brother, Celebrity Apprentice….the list goes on and on.
…The central premise of all these shows? … face the hardships head-on and endure long enough for a chance to win the prize. Even then, despite all their efforts, there’s no guarantee that the prize is theirs.

I’m pretty sure that I will never be perfect this side of heaven, but it doesn’t mean that I couldn’t try. I can’t afford to be satisfied with the way I treat strangers, my children, my boss, my family, my friends. I have to keep striving to serve them better. I will work on overcoming my weaknesses whether it involves controlling my pride, cynicism, or tendency to rip people apart instead of encouraging them. I will not be content to think that I’ve done all I can to repair damaged relationships, even if it means swallowing my pride in doing so. I will pray for the Lord to help me repair them and then do something about it!
Paul the apostle said that he wanted to become more and more like Christ. For sure, that will be my goal in this lifetime.
Then maybe the next time I take a trip, I can trust that the person trying to get my attention has nothing but good intentions.
I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:14.

Forgiveness...Even if...

I went out of town yesterday to look for a specialty shop.
On my way there, I had to take a detour through all the construction that was going on.
The detour took me to a dead end of the road.
Thinking I must have missed a turn, I took several other detours that all led me to cul-de-sacs and other dead ends. Frustrated, I retraced my path and drove several miles back and used another road.
In my frustration and muttering under my breath of what I had just experienced, other equally frustrating moments in my past came to mind as waves of bad experiences flashed in front of me one after another.
But then a song on the radio came on it seemed to remind me to not let past events eat me up inside… to forgive the past dead-ends and to allow myself to just enjoy the scenery in front of me…

These times are so uncertain, theres a yearning undefined and people filled with rage.
We all need a little tenderness. How can love survive in such a graceless age?
The trust and self-assurance that lead to happiness,
Theyre the very things - we kill I guess.
Pride and competition cannot fill these empty arms
And the work I put between us You know it doesnt keep me warm.

Im learning to live without you now But I miss you sometimes
And the more I know, the less I understand
All the things I thought Id figured out I have to learn again

Ive been trying to get down to the heart of the matter
But everything changes and my friends seem to scatter
But I think its about Forgiveness.. Forgiveness..
Even if...even if...you dont love me anymore

We commit to the journey of forgiveness hoping for the best, but ultimately knowing that the only person we can control is ourselves. We choose our own path of forgiveness anyway, even when reconciliation doesn’t happen. Forgiveness is not just about the other person’s heart; it’s also about our heart and the anger and bitterness that we want to rid ourselves of.

Too often someone will have a moment when they are willing to forgive and they speak words of forgiveness, only to be surprised three days or three weeks or three months later when feelings of hurt, anger, and bitterness again well up in their heart. Thinking we’ve done something wrong in the way we forgave, we allow that moment to send us off the path of forgiveness down a dead-end detour.

Out of the Eclipse

I was driving down a four-lane highway in Wisconsin late one evening deep in my thoughts, when l looked to my right and saw something that just captivated me. The moon was so bright that night that Lake Michigan looked like it was glistening with the setting sun's rays. I just had to park the car by the lakeshore.

When this song came on, the lyrics and scene in front of me made me wish I was somewhere still living out those fresh memories.

It’s a gentle touch, but more than enough

She can stop this ole world from spinnin’ too much

It’s a natural thing and I do believe

I found my reason to be.

I’m not the same man since she’s been around

There’s more to this life, I’ve suddenly found

I look at myself now so differently

It’s her love that brings me peace

Whatever it is, I’ll always be under her spell

She’ll always be all I’ll ever need

I could search the whole world

And I know I’d never find someone perfect as her for me

Suddenly it’s something you just can’t live without

You know you found love beyond any doubt

With a simple man’s words I can never convey

All that I feel when I say

She’s got a way with me

She’s got a way with me

The Sparrow

During my business trip to Wisconsin, I became so engrossed in my work that I had to tear myself away from work one Sunday morning so I could attend a church service.
In my rush to find the location of the church I had googled earlier, I was practically hydroplaning over the icy roads that led to my destination.
In my haste to glance at the map I had printed, I failed to calculate the intentions of the white dog at the side of the road. As the animal made its way across the street, years of indiciveness quickly flashed in my head as I once again found myself making a costly decision... maintain my course and hit the dog that was at that point in the middle of the road, or risk it all by swerving to miss it.

I swerved.

The vehicle I was driving made several pirouttes starting from my end of the street and ending at the snow-covered embankment on the other side of the two-lane road. Thankfully, there were no other cars around. But I was able to come to a complete stop without any scratches on the car or the dog.
Once I was able to calm my nerves, I rolled down my window and yelled obscenities at the dog. It looked at me as if to say "Dude, you alright?" before going on its way.
I was several minutes late to church and the preacher had already begun his sermon.

As the preacher read the following words to the congregation, I couldn't help but wonder who was more fortunate from the earlier events: the dog, or me...

Why should I feel discouraged, why should the shadows come,
Why should my heart be lonely, and long for heaven and home,
When Jesus is my portion? My constant friend is He:
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

"Let not your heart be troubled," His tender word I hear,
And resting on His goodness, I lose my doubts and fears;
Though by the path He leadeth, but one step I may see;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

Whenever I am tempted, whenever clouds arise,
When songs give place to sighing, when hope within me dies,
I draw the closer to Him, from care He sets me free;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

I sing because I'm happy,
I sing because I'm free,
For His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know He watches me.

As I walked out of the service, I realized that I was the lucky one.
I realize that no matter what happens to me in this world, my faith will sustain me. It's interesting that Jesus chose the most common of all birds to teach a profound truth: in God's eyes, no one is insignificant, not even that dog.

Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him Job 13:15

The Gift

There’s a bright glow emanating from your presence
I’m blinded by the way your eyes light up my world
You’re up there to be admired.
I’m down here, wearing my heart on my sleeve.

At this moment in time I feel safe;
I know that l have you in my life.
Your presence provides that security blanket that keeps me warm,
In its purest and simplest ways, I can tell you everything.

Even though your lips don’t speak to me;
Even though your hands can’t feel me;
Even though your eyes can’t feel the weight of my stare - - -
The picture of you gives me all the words and touch l need.

I can never imagine a love so real.
Eternal love emanates from every word you’ve said
You've captured my heart in so many ways.
It’s all l can do to embrace you in return.

Please forgive me if I'm not graceful or as eloquent
When it comes to showing the type of love you’ve shown me.
My only hope is that these simple words
Can change the way you see me

And for right now, I have you emblazoned in my mind.
For this moment, I have your love to keep me warm.
I can love you from a distance,
But in my thoughts you love me just the same.

I know that all my life I’ll stumble.
Down here, I’m as human as I will ever be.
But up there with you I know I’m perfect.
For now, I will patiently await the day when I can be with you.

A Parent's Prayer

O Master, make me a better parent. Teach me to understand my children, to listen patiently to what they say, and to answer all their questions kindly. Keep me from interrupting them, talking back to them, and contradicting them. Make me as courteous to them as I want them to be to me. Give me the courage to confess my sins against my children and to ask their forgiveness when I know that I have wronged them.

May I never hurt my children’s feelings. Forbid that I should laugh at their mistakes or ridicule them as punishment. Let me never tempt them to lie or steal. Guide me hour after hour that I may demonstrate by all I say and do that honesty produces happiness.

Blind me to the little errors of my children and help me to see the good things that they do. Give me the ability to say the right word when honestly giving them praise when they do right.

Help me to grow up with my children, to treat them as children not as adults. Let me never judge them according to the standards of adult behavior. Do not allow me to rob them of the opportunity, to think, to choose, to make decisions, and to wait upon themselves.

Forbid that I should ever punish them for my own selfish satisfaction. May I grant them all their wishes that are within reason and have the courage to always withhold privileges that can cause them harm.

Make me so fair and just, considerate, and compassionate to my children, that they will have the genuine esteem for me. Make me worthy of being loved and imitated by them.

Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. Ephesians 6:4

Cleaning out the Garage --- Part 2

I was finally able to get my house on the market with the help of a realtor and a promise of coming away from a major financial burden. I have spent this past week cleaning out the areas of the house that needed cleaning so I was rather proud of myself when I turned around to inspect my work.
I was happy with the way the house turned out until I opened the door leading to the garage. Oh my…
The last time I made an effort to clean the garage only served to transport me into the past, revisiting memories of happier times. They were great memories, but I was beginning to feel a stirring, a sense of longing for something that could never be again, so it was a welcome distraction when a stranger pulled me back to reality and nearly scaring me to death with a simple “hello”. I had left the front door open and the stranger wanted to look around the house. As I showed the prospective buyer around the property, I began to plan out my future without this financial burden.
There are so many things that I’ve always wanted to do, go places I’ve always wanted to go, see my family, see old friends…

…out of the blue, my stomach growled at me and instinctively, I thought of eating chicken for dinner….this then got me into thinking about not counting my eggs before they hatched….then still, I began to worry.
So I’m writing this, hopefully to convince myself not to worry too much.

There are two days in every week that we are told we shouldn’t worry --- two days in which our worries and fears would dare to impinge upon.
The first of these days is yesterday.
Despite all our joys and pains, the words that should have been left unsaid and the words that should have been uttered, our loss and our gains, yesterday is in the past. It has gone into that realm that we can no longer relive or control. It’s gone forever and no power on earth can ever bring it back.

The other day is tomorrow.
Tomorrow, all life will proceed just like yesterday and it won’t matter to the sun what happens. Tomorrow is full of promise, of hope and agenda. Many people are at this instant dreaming of the things they can accomplish in the days ahead. Tomorrow isn’t here yet, but still it’s a constant source of stress in our daily lives.

…then there’s Today…
Today is the tomorrow we were worried about yesterday. It will become the yesterday that eternally locks away our humanity when we’re living out the events of tomorrow.
Wouldn’t it be great if we can live today with the ones we love ---- free of worries of yesterday and the bleak promises of tomorrow?

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:34

Rusty Bolts

I was trying to piece together two metal frames when I ran out of bolts. The decision I had to make came down to either going to the local hardware store or compromising the integrity of the structure I was creating by using smaller bolts that were readily available.
I looked at every supply bins I had but could not find the bolt of exact specifications. Then just on my way to the store, a bolt protruding from a metal frame that matched the one I was looking for caught my eye.
The bolt was badly rusted, but I figured it was still usable. I took every precaution to successfully remove the bolt including finding the right tools, brushing off the heavy rust, and spraying it with oil to loosen it from the frame.
When it came down to turning the wrench, the bolt would not turn. As hard as I tried, I was unsuccessful in removing it. I leveraged my wrench still with a metal pipe to no avail. Then, when I was finally able to turn the wrench, I found that I only managed to strip its head. To make matters worse, my knuckles scraped against the bare metal the bolt was imbedded in, filing down the skin. I remember letting loose a loud shout as I held my hand up in grief.

This little incident served to remind me of my own issue with repentance.
Am I so rusted that I’m stuck; so corroded that my own place in this world that it won’t let be back-out? I realize that God has a grip on my heart with such a tremendous leverage that a simple man like me should budge, so why has it been so difficult?
Couple that with the fact that if I continued on my path, I have to live with the fear of God denouncing me in much the same way as he threatened to denounce Korazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum if they didn’t budge.
All the leverage in the world will never be able to turn the hearts of people with corroded hearts.
But if David can do it, I know there’s hope for me.
David had a man killed so he could commit adultery with the man’s wife. He then took every step to hide his crimes. But because his heart was tender, it was so easy for him to turn. He is truly a man after God’s own heart, no matter the depth of his sin.
God will still try to use as much leverage to loosen our rusted souls from the rut we are in, but if we don’t repent, I know God will walk away.
But if we do, life will be so easy, the sin goes away.

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Psalm 51:10

Floundering

What is it about the ocean?
During flounder-fishing Saturdays, my dad and I trolled our tiny fishing boat out past the warning buoys towards the Atlantic in search of the “perfect spot”. It was during this time that father and son alike enjoyed the calm of morning stillness, the waves ferrying the countless specks of light from the bay area as they shone from the waves we created. Those Saturdays meant a lot to me, more so with the time allotted for me to have quiet times alone with my father than for the mere excitement of possibly catching fish.
Until recently, I have never realized how much value flounder-Saturdays has come to mean in my life. I would gladly endure the grueling ride out into the ocean time and again if it means spending one brief moment with my father.

On dry land, the world is ever-present. But out in the ocean, under the star-lit morning sky, you can’t help but wonder in awe at the magnificence of it all.
When you’re out there standing on the boat with arms extended to your sides, holding your face up to feel the ocean breeze upon your skin, you can feel God’s presence envelope you. There is that feeling of insignificance of living in an immeasurable universe, but out in the ocean, you feel alive, you feel free and if you stand there long enough, you can feel God’s hand on you.
Suddenly you’re overcome with a sense of reassurance, that no matter your troubles --- great or small --- you can always come to Him with all your troubles.

To a boy, complaining about seasickness while gliding over rough waters for the purpose of catching fish may mean very little and forgotten the next day. To a man, however, catching the fish is merely the perk. The real value comes from having endured seasickness and having endured the rough waters. These are values that last a lifetime, those that leave their mark on you that burn each time those bittersweet memories emerge.


"Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." Matthew 4:19

Surely the Presence of the Lord

Jacob, on the run from his brother, alone in inhospitable territory, settled down for the night with a rock for a pillow—hardly the most comfortable set of circumstances! But he had brought this situation on himself. We have no knowledge of his thoughts as he settled down for the night, but we do know that he could not have anticipated what happened. In a dream he was given a pictorial reminder that God and his angels are actively involved in the affairs of men on earth. The Lord told him in that dream that he could count on the Lord’s presence at all times and that the Lord had great plans for him that he was committed to bringing to pass.

On waking, Jacob exclaimed, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I wasn’t even aware of it”. It is not surprising that he was unaware of the Lord’s presence, because no doubt he was absorbed with his own schemes and anxieties. It took a dramatic dream when he was all alone to arrest his attention and focus his mind on the presence of God.

Amazing, isn’t it, that we men who think we know so much don’t even know the presence of the Lord at times? In our world there are so many distractions—far more than in Jacob’s day. The man who spends all his time amid the tensions and clamors of life may not be conscious of the Lord’s presence, particularly if he is carrying the cares and consequences of past actions. The man whose conscience is weighed down with his actions and whose life is burdened with the consequences is not usually super conscious of the Lord. But the Lord is present nevertheless.

We men need to find a quiet place where the Lord can speak the truth to us in love. If the only time he can arrest our attention is while we are sleeping, then we are probably too busy and our minds are too full of the cares and riches and pleasures of this life. But if he does arrest our attention, we will be struck with the awesomeness of the Lord. And then no doubt we will, like Jacob, respond with a refreshed commitment of service and allegiance to the God who was there all the time but we didn’t know it.

Then Jacob woke up and said, “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I wasn’t evenaware of it.” He was afraid and said, “What an awesome place this is! It is none other than the house of God—the gateway to heaven!” Genesis 28:16-17

Please Learn How to Park

I consider myself a fairly decent driver.
I can drive a car through a narrow thoroughfare at 135 miles per hour to get to where I needed. I can pilot a Harrier jet safely around a flock of birds without getting one sucked in through the engines. I can maneuver an Abrams M1A1 tank through jungles of trees without getting lost and without running over a single tree. I can drive a Marine Corps HEMMT tanker/fueler safely through mountainous terrains. I can for sure maneuver an extended cab eighteen-wheeler truck with a 51-foot trailer in tow in a tight parking space and park it on a dime.
Therefore, it has taken me no effort to park my truck between two white lines in any given parking spot.
This evening, I decided to treat myself to a movie. I was already late to the showing as it was so I decided to park as closely to the ticket counter as possible. Unfortunately, the parking lot was full and the closest spot I could find was “crowded” between a truck and a car. The truck was riding on top of one line, while the car’s tires were about 3 inches from touching the other white line. Nevertheless, I determined there was enough space between the two vehicles so I backed into the parking space and was able to park my truck within the little space, centered between the two invasive vehicles.
I also made sure that my vehicle was between the white lines and that there was room enough for the owners of both vehicles on either side of me to get in.
When I returned to my truck after the movie, I found a hand-written note on my windshield. It said “Please learn how to park”.
I pondered about the note, then looked at the position of my vehicle in relation to the white lines designating the parking space. My truck was pretty much dead on center.
I looked at the note again and ideas of what type of person would leave this note ran through my mind.
The thing is, I’ve noticed a lot of people I know make decisions on certain things because of how they feel, that somehow they’ve been wronged and therefore they have to retaliate. I wonder how many of us think that yes, we are free to make our own choices in life and we can make decisions that are in our best interests…but how many of us think about the consequences?
Adam and Eve were free to obey or disobey God, but they were not free from the consequences of the decisions they made. Adam was given all the freedom to live in the Garden except that he was not to eat from the tree or he would die. Of course, God was disobeyed and this disobedience later manifested through generations. There were key marks left on the side of my truck. This was totally uncalled for. If those folks would have taken the time to look at the white lines on the ground and saw how they were parked, I wonder if their mindset would have been different.

Family Pressures

On Thanksgiving Day, 1999, the crew of a Florida fishing boat plucked 6-year-old Elian Gonzalez from the Atlantic Ocean. The Cuban child was lashed to an inner tube on which he had floated for two days. The small boat in which he and thirteen other people were trying to escape from Cuba had capsized, and Elian’s mother and ten others had perished in the ocean. Once on dry land and cared for by relatives in Miami, Elian’s problems seemed to be over. But he soon became the key person in a massive tug-of-war that started between his father, who wanted him returned to him in Cuba, and his Cuban-American family members in Florida, who insisted that, as his mother obviously had wished him to live in America, he should be allowed to stay. Elian’s welfare sparked an international incident. Presidents became involved, flag-waving patriots demonstrated, politicians postured, and Elian learned how to wear a baseball cap backwards. Fortunately, not all family disagreements reach such proportions!

Centuries-old tradition required that Zechariah and Elizabeth’s newborn son should be circumcised as evidence that he had been introduced into the privileges and responsibilities of God’s covenant with his people, and the family happily gathered to witness the event (Luke 1:59). But trouble started when the topic of the boy’s name was introduced. The family insisted that he should be named after his father, Zechariah, who unfortunately had lost his voice during the spiritual encounter in which the announcement of the boy’s birth was made (1:8-20). To everyone’s surprise, Elizabeth insisted that the boy should be called John, and his father wrote his agreement on a tablet (1:63). And so it was, for this is what the angelic messenger had instructed (1:13).

John means “God has shown favor.” The significance of the unusual name, the remarkable circumstances of John’s birth, and the instantaneous recovery of his father’s voice were not lost on the family. They recognized something big was in the air, and so they asked, “I wonder what this child will turn out to be?” (1:66). What John turned out to be is history, but his parents’ courage and commitment to follow divine instructions played a major role in John’s development.

Parents should never underestimate the importance of their obedience to the Lord in the training and development of their children. Sometimes this requires taking a stand even against loved ones. What matters in the long term is not keeping the family happy but ensuring that the child knows that “the hand of the Lord is surely upon him” (1:66).
~SB

All Dressed Up With Nowhere to Go

The phrase “All dressed up with nowhere to go” gained popularity when it was used by newspaper editor William Allen White to describe the downfall of the Progressive party following Theodore Roosevelt’s decision to retire from the presidential election of 1916. On the other hand, Cinderella had the opposite problem when all the single ladies were invited to the Prince’s ball. She was ready to go with nothing to wear.
The high priest of Israel didn’t have this problem. He was given specific instructions about the type of clothing he was required to wear as he performed his priestly duties. The priests were to be “set apart from the common people” and their primary tasks were to minister to the Lord (Exod. 28:1). The clothing made for the High Priest Aaron was so designed to distinguish him and to “show his separation to God --- beautiful garments that will lend dignity to his work (Exod 28:2). His appearance was not to be mistaken as to who he was, the one assigned to represent man to God and God to man.
The ephod and the chest-piece both were crested with precious gemstones on which the names of the 12 tribes of Israel were engraved. As the high priest entered the presence of the Lord on the Most Holy place, the Lord was “reminded” of his people.
In all actuality, the Lord didn’t need to be reminded of his people. He was ever present among them during the course of their journeys. But as in the Old Testament, the high priests were adorned to take the burden of the people to God, we in the present do not need to be represented to enter the Most Holy place through Christ His Son.
Aaron was all dressed up and he had someplace to go. He has specific tasks he had to do. Through Christ, we in the present also are dressed with someplace to go so long as we profess His name through faith and our Godly actions.

When my youngest son said ‘goodbye’ to me this weekend, I stretched my arms out to my sides and told him I loved him. He ran into my outstretched arms and I hugged him as tightly as I could, never wanting to let him go. My other two older children then joined in to form a group hug.
My outstretched arms reminded me of the One whose arms were open wide for you and me the day He was crucified.
My children are my inspiration. Because of them, I am constantly aware of my faith and that through Him, I am dressed with someplace to go.