By: Denny –

In one of my previous posts entitled, Will He Find Fruit, which I wrote just before the November 2024 election, I expressed my concern over the future of America if Donald Trump didn’t win. Now here it is four months later and I can boldly say without reservation and apology, “Thank God he did!” He promised that he would “Make America Great Again” by putting America first. He has done more to keep that promise in the last 50 days than any president has done in their entire four year term in office. Without going into detail, he and his team have upset the Democrat’s bureaucratic apple cart and left them standing like deer in headlights about to be run over. Putting America first involves undoing the status quo of career politicians and appointed bureaucrats who have put themselves first above the American people, which got us in the mess we are in today. President Trump was given a mandate by an overwhelming majority of voters to get America back on the track of common sense. Change and correction carries with it some pain and rearranging of priorities, but the benefits will be worth it in the long run.

This caused me to think about the things we put first in our lives. Often the things we put first are not first things and were not meant to be first. Those things aren’t in themselves bad or unimportant, but are often misprioritized. As a result many people’s lives are messed up, and then they wonder why. I concede that everyone’s list of priorities is different based on their value system. However, some things should not be first. If your job, career, and life ambition is to make more money so that it becomes an obsession, something is wrong. If you spend more time interacting with friends and people on social media than you do talking face-to-face, something is wrong. If your cell phone is stuck to your ear, there may be a problem. My fellow Christian, if your ministry supersedes and takes precedence over your personal relationship and time spent with God or your family, then self examination is needed. Of course it is easy to justify that because after all you’re doing good things and serving God and your church. Have you not read that God desires obedience over sacrifice? Will He be pleased to see what things are first on your list of priorities?

Jesus had much to say about first things. In Matthew 6:33 He said, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” In Matthew 5:23-24 Jesus stressed a point about giving offerings to God that is unpopular and rarely mentioned in churches. “Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” I wonder how many people give offerings to God with bitterness, anger, grudges, and unforgiveness in their hearts and don’t even give it a second thought as to whether He accepts it. A very rich young ruler once came to Jesus asking what he needed to do to inherit eternal life. Jesus told him to keep the commandments, whereupon the man said he had kept them from his youth. Jesus told him to first go and sell what he had and give to the poor, then come and follow Him. The man wasn’t willing to do that and went away sad, because he had put his wealth and possessions first. Will the things you have put first keep you from inheriting eternal life also? The First Commandment is: You shall have no other Gods before me. The things we put first before God can become idols we unknowingly worship.

I commend President Trump for uncovering and eliminating the waste, fraud, and abuse in government spending as well as shutting the border and deporting criminals and others who don’t belong here. However, America’s true greatness will only be realized when we put God first where He belongs. You may scoff at that, but the contrary hasn’t been working out so great for us. Perhaps we all as individuals should take an honest inventory of our priorities and begin to “Put the First Things First”. But, the question is, “Are you willing to endure the pain of change?”

By: Denny

Do people, especially young adults, talk too fast and don’t enunciate their words clearly making it hard to understand them.

Have people lost respect for others by not saying pardon me when passing in front of another person in the shopping aisle, or blocking it so others can’t get by them.

Why can’t people park straight in a parking space without intruding into the next one.

It seems like every car commercial on TV depicts cars being driven fast and recklessly, and that’s the way people drive these days.

Have schools and college campuses ceased to be a place of learning the basics and preparing students to be functioning adults, but have become centers of social and political indoctrination.

Have phone books diminished to the size of pamphlets and good luck finding a pay phone.

It seems like bicyclists don’t stop for stop signs, ignore traffic lights, and have no knowledge of hand signals and basic safety.

People don’t wait for the “walk” light anymore. Has common sense become a rare commodity?

Does anyone else think this whole LGBTQ, and whatever new perverted agenda they can come up with, has gotten way out of hand and are tired of having it force fed to us.

Did you ever think there would be so many so-called Americans who hate and are trying to destroy our nation, and coming up with new ways to do it every day.

Why isn’t there anything worth watching on TV, and who isn’t tired of cop, lawyer, stupid sitcoms, and reality shows.

Don’t you think it rude when you’re having a conversation with someone and another person butts in and cuts it off.

Have please, thank you, excuse me, and I’m sorry, been eliminated from the English language.

Have you noticed that people smile and laugh less than they used to, including me.

Who likes it when a friend or relative calls and asks how you’re doing, and immediately goes into a long litany of all their aches, pains, problems, complaints, without letting you get in a word, then tells you to have a good day.

If you’re invited to someone’s home, or you are the one extending the invitation, PUT DOWN THE CELL PHONE!

Can you remember when and what was the last act of kindness you did for someone else. Ephesians 4:32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ also forgave you.

Regardless of all that is wrong in the world and aggravates you to no end, can you say, “I will trust in the Lord.”

Or . . . . is it only Me

By: Denny

I have found that I most often hear the Holy Spirit speaking to me when I’m doing everyday activities. Some people can set aside a quiet time with the expectation and purpose of hearing his voice. I’ve tried that, but my mind gets distracted too easily on the things on my “To Do” list. When I’m doing mundane things that don’t require much focused thought, is when the Holy Spirit drops a one-liner on me that causes me to pause, listen, contemplate, and meditate on what He is saying. Our weekday routine is that we’re up at 6:00 AM, Lucy fixes breakfast then takes a shower and gets ready for work, while I clear the table, feed the dogs, pack her lunch, then do the dishes. This morning I was loading the dishwasher when the Holy Spirit spoke so plainly to my spirit saying, “Are you, and can you be thankful for the hard and difficult situations you are facing right now, or only when things are going well, and you’re being blessed?” “Are you thankful only for the material blessings I’ve given you, or for the things I’ve done, doing, and about to do that you can’t see?” I got the point and had to pick up my pen and write this.

We are two days away from celebrating Thanksgiving. It’s a time when families will be gathering around a table loaded with food. Women will be busying themselves in the kitchen with preparing the meal and exchanging recipes, while guy talk, and football happens in another room around the TV. There will be conversations reliving past events and catching up on current happenings. There may be games both outdoors and indoors for kids to play with cousins and siblings. When all is ready, extra tables and chairs have been set up, the food will be on the table or served buffet style. There will be a call to attention, a quick prayer of thanks and blessing said over the food, the feasting begins, and that’s pretty much what Thanksgiving will be like for most Americans including myself. Thanksgiving, in terms of being a holiday, has drifted into the realm of the superficial as so many others have also. Growing up we learned about the Pilgrims and the hardships they suffered in getting here and that first winter. We saw artist renderings of a long table plenteously ladened with all kinds of food, where both settlers and Indians were seated. They were thankful for the harvest, and that’s the basis that has evolved into our tradition of Thanksgiving becoming centered around food. However, the pilgrims weren’t only thankful for the food, but more importantly gave preeminence to thanking God for his faithfulness when times were hard. It was a way of life for them, which even if they didn’t have a plentiful harvest, they would still have been thankful. I wonder if that will be the mindset of those gathered around tables this Thanksgiving.  (Habakkuk 3:17-18) Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines; though the labor of the olive may fail, and the fields yield no food; though the flock be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls – Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. Can you also say that?

There is a power in being thankful and giving thanks that is often underestimated and misunderstood. That power is released when God is the one to whom our thanks is given, regardless of our circumstances. We read in Acts 16 that Paul and Silas were imprisoned in chains for preaching the gospel and casting out a demon from a girl who was taunting them. At midnight, they, being thankful, were praying and singing to God. He heard them and suddenly there was an earthquake that set them and everyone else free. As a result, the jailer and his family came to faith in Christ when they heard the word of the Lord through Paul. (1Thessalonians 5:18) In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. The pivotal word is IN. For those who have faith and trust in God, Romans 8:28 is an encouragement. And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to his purpose. It doesn’t say that all things are good, but God can turn around even those bad things and work them for good and His glory. Just as God hears our words expressing thanksgiving to Him, He hears our murmurings too, which are just as much directed towards Him. Many people are thankful FOR things, but not IN things. When trials and hardships come, they begin to murmur and be dissatisfied with things and situations. Consider how God delivered His people from the bondage of slavery in Egypt by performing signs, wonders, and miracles. Boy oh boy were they joyful and thankful! Yet, when He led them into the wilderness, and things got rough, they began to murmur against Him and desired to go back to Egypt. Their unthankfulness brought about suffering and death to many. Being unthankful also results in spiritual darkness. (Romans 1:20-21) For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Words have power, otherwise why did Jesus say in Matthew 12: 36 that for every idle and careless words we speak we would have to give account of them in the day of judgment. I don’t know about you, but I want my words to express thanksgiving, not complaining. In Luke 17:11, ten men who were lepers came to Jesus to be healed. All ten were healed, and went on their way, but only one returned giving thanks and glory to God. I’m guessing, but I’d like to think that man lived a lifestyle of thankfulness. Jesus said, (verse 17) “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine?” I believe He is still asking that today. Hopefully you aren’t one of the nine.

There is another very important aspect and principle of giving thanks that is often overlooked. Here is a little experiment that you can do. Notice the people you encounter. Do they act and look like they just ate a dill pickle? Being as inconspicuous as possible, look at people during a church service. Do they have the same expression? Someone can sit through the whole service and not feel God’s presence, while the person in the next row is getting blessed and excited. It’s possible the former one may have an attitude or root of unthankfulness. Many Psalms begin with, Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! (Psalm 95:1-2) Oh come, let us sing to the Lord! Let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving; let us shout joyfully to him with psalms. (Psalm 100) Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands! Serve the Lord with gladness; come before his presence with singing. Know that the Lord, He is God; it is He who made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations. Our thanksgiving and praise is the gateway into God’s presence. Many long to see more prayers answered, bondages broken, people saved and healed, and the Holy Spirit be released to do those greater things through us that Jesus spoke about. It begins with a thankful heart because thanksgiving is a lifestyle and more than a holiday.

By: Denny

We have been walking through a series on boundaries on Wednesday nights at church. It covers personal boundaries, as well as boundaries between your friends, family, spouse, and your job. We have learned the importance of having boundaries and the proper motivation to set them up. Boundaries without gates tend to become walls of isolation and a prison that cannot be penetrated by outsiders. It is healthy to have defensive boundaries that protect yourself and what you value. It is wrong, however, to set offense boundaries with the intent to control or manipulate others to get your way. Your value system is key to setting boundaries and where you draw the line. This last session dealt with boundaries specifically in the workplace. I’m writing this from my perspective as a born-again Christian and follower of Jesus and holding to biblical principles and ideology. When I say Jesus is my Lord, he is my Lord 24/7 and not just for one hour on Sunday morning. He has given me the Holy Spirit who lives inside of me. He goes where I go and that includes my workplace. I retired in 2021, so I’m writing this based on my past experiences both before and after I accepted Christ as savior. Everyone should have a place where they draw the line (boundaries), and mine will be different from yours. In sharing some of my life situations I hope you will be encouraged to reflect on and possibly set or adjust some of your own boundaries concerning your job. If you have read any of my previous blogs you know that I enjoyed a 50-year career as a truck driver. When I say enjoyed, I really mean enjoyed. Even from the age of 10 while riding with my dad in his truck, I decided that’s all I ever wanted to be and do. I think you’d enjoy reading my post, In it for the Long Haul. I feel sorry for people who are stuck in a mundane job they hate or are doing it only because it pays well. I am a truck driver. It’s never been just a way to earn a paycheck. I’ve worked for 11 trucking companies over the years, some paid poorly while I did quite well with others. When I quit one it was for many reasons, but usually not the pay.

My first real job as a driver was working for a company that picked up grade A Guernsey bulk milk in southern Minnesota and northeast Iowa. They had two straight bulk tank trucks and each driver had two farm routes that alternated every other day. Their loads were pumped into a semi tanker which then was taken to Anderson Erickson dairy in Des Moines every night. In high school I got the daily job of climbing inside the tanks and cleaning and sanitizing them for the next day’s milk pickup. Back then you could get a chauffeur’s license to drive trucks at 18. After graduating in 1971 I got my license, and due to an opening, was hired as a driver and given a truck and two routes. The farmers were spread out and I was up at 3:30 every day to be at the first farm by 6:00 AM when they finished milking. There was a relief driver, so we all had two days off every week which varied. I loved that job. It was New Year’s Day and my day off. I was awakened in the middle of the night by a call from the other driver who wanted me to do his route. He had been partying because it was New Year’s Eve and hadn’t gotten any sleep. The relief driver was doing my route. My exact words were, “Too bad, you knew it was your day to work before you went out partying.” “Lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on mine.” “Do your own route!” He was furious and called me every name in the book, but I held to my boundary line and refused to cover his sorry rear end. Due to other previous and later incidences, he was eventually fired. Sometime later, I got the job of driving the semi tanker to Des Moines. On one occasion I took the boss’s young brat son along. I later learned he told his dad everything and I felt like it was a setup to spy on me by the boss. Then came the day when the kid began to get in the truck when I was getting ready to pull out. I asked him what he thought he was doing. He said his dad said he could ride along. I told him no and he ran home crying. Within minutes the boss came storming to the shop. The conversation was very short. He told me he owned the truck, and his son was going. I told him I’m the driver, and he isn’t going. I got out of the truck and left the door open. I told him I’m a truck driver, not a babysitter. Motioning to the open door, I said, “If you don’t like it, then get in and drive it yourself and take your son with you.” I commenced to walk away, but he stopped me. He told his son to get in the pickup and they left. I drew the line and stood firm. I wasn’t fired and the kid never rode along again.

After getting some miles and a few years driving experience, I joined my dad who was driving for Bray Lines based out of Cushing, Oklahoma. (see picture in my post, Either Fight or Stay Home) We were a two-man team for two years, then they split us up and I got my own truck. I loved those years driving long-haul and seeing the country on my own. I got married in 1976 and agreed to get off the long-haul and got a job with Ruan Transport hauling bulk cement powder locally in Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin which allowed me to be home every day. Because I was low on the driver board, I would get laid off during the slow winter months from November to May. In 1980 the trucking industry was deregulated which caused the bottom to fall out of our hauling. From May to October of that year I only made $7000. I quit and reluctantly took a job driving two-man team for a long-haul company. I was the second seat driver and we hauled mostly meat. It was Thanksgiving Day when my partner called and said we had to go. Without asking me he had accepted a load of swinging beef which had to be in Detroit the next morning. My wife was upset, but quickly made a hamburger to eat on the way while I packed some clothes. Our meal and plans were ruined. I told him what I thought about his stupidity and asked if he knew the word NO. We picked up the load from the meat packer at Fort Dodge and headed out with him driving, and it began to snow. We got east of Des Moines on I-80 and he was getting anxious and scared. I told him to get in the sleeper and I would drive because I couldn’t sleep with him driving anyway. I drove all the way to Detroit. When he woke up, we were at the dock being unloaded. He was surprised I drove straight through, and even more surprised when I told him this was my last trip. My exact words were, “Nobody pulls this stunt on me on Thanksgiving Day.” “No load or job is that important and you just crossed my line.” If I had to do it over, I would have quit the minute he called saying we had to go. There is a big difference between getting stuck away from home, which has happened to me, and having to leave home on a holiday. Some boundaries must be a little flexible, but not this one. I only worked there for a month. That was a tough winter, but we got by on my wife’s paycheck and me working for a farmer. In the Spring, out of the blue, a guy called me saying he needed a good driver. A mutual friend had given him my name. He was an owner operator and lived in the same town. He had a brand new Peterbilt 362 with a big 3406B CAT motor, 13 speed, queen-sized bunk, and all decked out with lots of chrome and aluminum. It was my dream truck and job. He was leased to International Transport based in Rochester, Mn. I had promised my wife not to go back to doing long-haul, but she released me to take the job given our current financial situation.

The next three years were some of the best driving years I’ve had. It was during that time (September 30th, 1983) that I accepted Jesus Christ as savior and was born-again. For more details I invite you to read my post entitled: Lessons from the Garage. My whole life and value system did a complete 180. We were getting ahead financially, but our marriage was crumbling. She left me and divorced me for reasons you wouldn’t expect. Please read my post entitled: Though None Go with Me. Quitting that job was hard for me. I returned to trucking after taking a short break to try to save our marriage. Some driver friends of mine had started their own company and I went to work driving for them. They had a fleet of 35 trucks. After a couple years they offered me an office job. I was Safety Director, Owner/Driver Recruiter, Freight Sales Rep., and occasional driver when needed. I was given a company car and free reign to travel with all expenses paid. There was one problem, I was Safety Director in name only but had no authority. They would hire guys and buddies and expect me to qualify them. One driver was disqualified for being blind in one eye, another had too many DWI’s, and the one boss’s son wasn’t old enough so they told him to lie on his application. I was instructed to hide the files, which I did not do. A few years passed and our insurance company came to do an audit to determine if we were operating according to DOT regulations. The results would determine the amount of the next premium. He went through all my files and asked me a lot of questions. There was one question concerning the dispatching of drivers who were out of hours to legally drive. The owners did all the dispatching, and I knew they would tell the drivers to use a second false log and just keep driving. I told the auditor to go ask them, and upon his return to my office he was told to ask me because I’m the Safety Director. I was not going to cross my boundary and lie for them. The auditor realized what they were doing and said he had his answer. One week later the bosses came into my office and told me I was no longer needed. It seems their insurance premium went up $10,000 because I wouldn’t lie and cover for them. I felt honored that I was fired for my integrity and for upholding my boundary. That was the only job I’ve ever been fired from, and I shed no tears. The next day I applied for and was hired again by Ruan Transport, and I was back doing what I loved, driving. I worked there for the next 15 years and was #4 driver on the board of 40 drivers when they closed the terminal.

The last company I drove for was Rost Transport. They are based in Missouri, but they brought five trucks up here to Iowa to haul out of the Lehigh Cement plant. I became the terminal manager and also drove every day. My job was to get the business, hire drivers, monitor and implement safety and maintenance of trucks and trailers. I soon learned about boundaries from an employer’s perspective. I had hired a young man with not much experience, but was willing to give him a chance. He did okay until he got in too big of a hurry and forgot to raise the brand-new hydraulic loading platform at Lehigh that is used to access the top of the trailer to open the hatch lid. He pulled away and brought it crashing to the ground. It cost us $18,000 plus put our trailer out of service until repaired. On another occasion he was scheduled to haul two loads to Mpls., but wanted off after the first load to go play golf with his friends. I told him that’s what weekends are for. I later fired him when he asked off to apply for another job on company time. Unfortunately, I had to fire two other drivers. One guy simply refused to follow instructions and wanted to do whatever he wanted, and it nearly cost us our best customer’s business. He got a ticket for not wearing his seat belt which is a major DOT violation. The home office said he’s done, fire him. The other driver claimed he hit a deer, but there was no blood or hair evidence on the truck or at the scene and no dead deer. He had fallen asleep and took out 100ft of guard railing and nearly totaled the truck costing $25,000 in repairs. The worst part was he drove it 30 more miles leaking oil and air, one whole fender and headlight gone, and parked it, then called me in the morning. I won’t even mention another driver who dropped a loaded trailer without lowering the dollies and drove off and kept going without looking back. Amateurs!  

I’m sure if I thought about it there were many other incidences that my job boundaries were challenged over the years. However, if you’re going to be a truck driver, you must understand and go into it with the attitude that this is not a 9-5 job. You are on the job from the time you leave until the time you get home. That can be 14 hours, several days, or weeks. Two more related readings on this subject I think you’d enjoy are my posts, The Last of the Last at Last and Love Wife Hate Shopping.  I want to conclude this one with this short verse, Matthew 5:37 Let your “Yes” be “Yes”, and your “No”, “No”.

BY: Denny

We live one block away from one of the many tornado warning sirens in our city. On the first Tuesday of every month, they will test them for a few minutes. Even with all the windows in the house closed, the noise is very loud. We have two eight-year-old dogs; Sophie is a Yorkipoo and Scotty is also a Yorkipoo with a good bit of Scottish Terrier mixed in. Scotty has exceptional hearing and hears things outside that amazes us. I’ve jokingly said he can hear a fly burping. Anyway, when the siren goes off, he howls the whole time. I used to believe he was trying to imitate it, but I also think it hurts his ears. It doesn’t seem to even bother Sophie, except that she comes running to Scotty to see what’s the matter.

In school we had regular fire drills. We were always instructed what to do beforehand and which exit door to use depending on where you were at. The drills were announced in the morning, so you are prepared and not caught off guard by surprise or think it was the real thing happening. The same was true for tornado drills, except you were supposed to go into an interior hallway, crouch down, and cover your head between your knees. Lucy works as a paraprofessional at the high school. She says they are required to have two fire and tornado drills a year. However, the fire alarm goes off more frequently because some prankster pulls it, or kids are smoking in the bathrooms and set it off. It’s not funny when everyone must evacuate the building in the winter in below zero temps. They can’t grab a coat and must stay outside until the fire department comes and gives the all-clear to go back inside. The room she works in is always a little chilly, so she has learned to dress warmly, but it’s unbelievable how many kids come to school scantily dressed in shorts and T-shirts without a coat in the winter. I guess wearing a coat isn’t the “in” thing to do, but revealing as much skin as they can get by with these days is. They have given no forethought and aren’t prepared to endure the bitter cold of a false alarm, let alone the real thing, and twenty minutes or more standing outside. Academics are taught in school, but common sense should be taught and implemented at home. So many parents are profoundly absent from teaching it these days. I guess it’s true that you can’t give what you don’t have.

So here you are, listening to the radio or watching TV and suddenly everything is interrupted by that aggravating alarm we’ve all heard. Then comes the familiar announcement, “This is a test of the Emergency Broadcast System. This is only a test. Had this been an actual emergency you would have been instructed where to tune in to your area for further instructions. I repeat, this is only a test.” In all the years I’ve heard that, not once have they given any specific instructions or hint as to what constitutes an actual national emergency or how to prepare for it beforehand. You’re just supposed to do what you are told in that moment. Maybe I’m a skeptic, but it seems like the government is conditioning people to just do what they are told. So much of what they told us about COVID and all the mandates, shots, masks, shelter in place, the closing of businesses, and shutting down churches were not based on facts and in many cases were outright lies. I wonder if they were testing the “compliance waters” of the general population and I also suspect they were implemented to create fear-based hysteria and obedience, either voluntary or forced. What will be the next big thing on the horizon we are being conditioned and prepped to fall in line with. Wait for it, it’s coming. “We now resume and return you to the regularly scheduled program already in progress.” In other words, go back to your busy life, don’t ask questions, or worry about it, just trust us because we’re the experts. Robotic people do exactly what the government tells them to do, but my Bible tells me to test all things. (1 Thess. 5:21 & 1 John 4:1) In other words, don’t except everything at face value, pray for wisdom based on truth, and be guided by the Holy Spirit and not by fear.

There is an approaching worldwide event that many are ignorant of, laugh off, or refuse to believe in. The event will be the Second Coming and return of Jesus Christ to this earth, which will catch multitudes by surprise and unprepared. There won’t be any announced drills, government alerts or warnings, because as stated by Jesus in Matthew 24: 36 “But of that day and hour no one knows, no, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.” He goes on to compare it to the days of Noah. Noah had been told by God to build an ark, because he was going to destroy all living things through a worldwide flood. (Genesis 6) Mankind had become so wicked and evil that God was sorry that he made man, and he was grieved in his heart. (Genesis 6: 5-6) He gave them time to repent, but they didn’t. It’s estimated that it took Noah somewhere between 50 to 70 years to build the ark, but the Bible doesn’t say specifically. Imagine the ridicule, jesting, and unbelief that he endured from others while building it on dry ground. It was a test of his faith, but the flood was coming, and he would be ready for it. Jesus said that when He returns the exact same conditions would be prevalent in the world. It will be business as usual as people go about their daily lives unaware of his coming. Matthew 24: 44 “Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not expect Him.” The warnings are there and plain for everyone to see, hear, and read, so that no one will be able to say, “I didn’t know.” The Bible throughout is a book of God’s redemption and grace, however, it is also a book of preparation and instruction for all who believe in Jesus Christ, and God’s wrath and judgement on those who reject Him.  In essence, everything this side of death or His return is a drill or test. Prepare yourself now and don’t be like the five foolish virgins as found in Matthew 25 who weren’t, and the door of opportunity was shut for them. Jesus commands us not only to be ready but also to watch for His return with expectancy. Matthew 25: 13 “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.” John 14: 25-29 “These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. But the helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you; Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. You have heard me say to you, I am going away and coming back to you. If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said I am going to the Father, for My Father is greater than I. And now I have told you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe.”

Being ready means that you have confessed that you are sinful by nature and in need of a savior. You have repented and have asked Jesus Christ to forgive you, recognizing that he alone died for your sins and paid the price God demanded. You have invited Jesus to be your Savior and Lord, are redeemed by his blood, clothed in his righteousness, and have been born-again. With the help of the Holy Spirit, you strive to live a godly life by obeying God’s holy word, the Bible. As the title says, This is only a Test, but your eternal destiny depends on whether you pass or fail it.

By: Denny

Is it just me, or has anyone else noticed that Halloween and the promoting of it has become over- commercialized. Stores began rolling out and displaying all their paraphernalia to cash in on profits way back in August. The same holds true for Christmas, as now all that stuff has its own section in early September. Can anyone remember there is another holiday in between them called Thanksgiving? Halloween is what it is, Christmas has Santa Claus and Easter has a bunny, but Thanksgiving has no alternative figure. Of course, there is no profit for them in promoting and capitalizing on Thanksgiving, because it’s supposed to be a day set apart to give thanks to God. Even so, for many it is just another day off work to visit relatives, eat an abundance of food, watch football, and talk about everything but God. (unless you count the 30 second table prayer before eating). A person can be thankful for many things, but what does it matter if you don’t consider and thank God as the source of all your substance. “Jesus is the reason for the season” will soon be the catch phrase flooding social media. Although true, I must wonder how much is only lip service, as people just busy themselves with everything but Jesus. So many of the holidays these days have strayed from or lost their true purpose.

Getting back to the subject of Halloween. What is, and did it ever have a true purpose? Its roots are grounded in superstitions and pagan occult practices dating back centuries. Even the things associated with Halloween are symbols of darkness masked behind the fun of trick or treating and carving a pumpkin. As a kid, I used to get excited about deciding on what to dress up as. We made our own costumes with mom’s help when needed. What kid doesn’t want to dress up and walk the neighborhood and come home with a huge stash of free candy. I did, so I can’t fault them for that. What concerns and aggravates me these days is the outright propagation of evil demonic activity and horrific wicked violence that kids are exposed to through TV, movies, video games, and other media at this time of year. No thanks to Disney and others in the Hollywood elite who write and produce this garbage. Anybody with half a brain and an ounce of common sense would shield their kids and not allow it in their homes. How naive and ignorant people are to think the devil will knock on their door, introduce himself, and ask if he can come in when they’ve already allowed him to take up residence there. Is it any wonder that we have become a society that has lost its conscience and is unable to differentiate between the good and bad. Sadly, many who call themselves Christians have lost all ability to discern right from wrong and good from evil, if they ever did have it in the first place. True discernment is the gift given by the Holy Spirit to know and separate that which is good, right, and holy from that which is almost good, right, and holy. Anything that is counterfeit always bears some resemblance to that which is true and real. The apostle Paul wrote to the church at Corinth warning them not to be deceived by those who claimed to be apostles but were false. 2 Corinthians 11:14 And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. He further writes in Ephesians 5: 8-11 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the spirit is in all goodness righteousness and truth) proving what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret.

So, if kids show up at your door trick or treating dressed up in ghoulish demonic costumes, or wearing a red suit with horns and carrying a pitchfork, realize they aren’t the devil. They are only acting out what their parents have allowed to have place in their homes. Call me Scrooge or a Grinch, but I reserve the right to not participate in Halloween, because it has crossed the line from being a fun thing for kids to that which is destructive to the moral health of families. I wrote a little ditty that expresses my opinion further. Being that it is a rap song, it must be sung with that type of cadence, style, emphasis, and rhythm to get the most out of it.

Halloween Rap

Said listen up now, I got some information

About the source, of my aggravation

And you may think, that I’m old fashioned

But I hate Halloween, with a passion

It’s an evil holiday, is my proclamation

Said I will declare, to this congregation

It’s bad, said bad!

It’s full of wickedness, and every temptation

And tricks are not for kids, is my estimation

If you say it’s okay, in your conversation

Then I question the source, of your motivation

So if you want to be, a very good Christian

Don’t celebrate the devil, he’ll lead you to perdition

He’s bad, said bad!

For the devil wants to bring you, into captivation

And it’s time you came, to this realization

That Halloween is more, than just confection

It’ll take your kids, in a different direction

Said Satan is the prince, of all deception

So heed this word, and receive correction

He’s bad, said bad!

Have no part of evil is the Bible’s commendation

Just change your ways, and your destination

Said if your unhappy, with your life situation

Here is good news, so catch the revelation

Of a Jesus Christ, and His reconciliation

How He shed His blood, for our restoration

He’s good, said good!

Said if everything has failed in your life application

It’s time you started livin’, in a new dispensation

So call upon Him, and receive your salvation

His name is Jesus Christ, the Lord of all creation

He’s good! . . . said He’s God! . . . yeh that’s right! . . . Hallelujah!

Stop being tricked by Satan and treat yourself to the abundant new life found only in Jesus Christ. Trick? or Treat? It’s your choice.

By: Denny

It’s Saturday and your day off. The weather is beautiful with temps in the 70s with low humidity. You decide this is the perfect weekend to do those outdoor projects before cold weather comes. You have your “To Do List” made-up and another list of things to buy, hoping you’ll be able to get it all done in one day. You head for Menards, Lowes or Home Depot and realize when you enter the nearly full parking lot that everyone else has the same idea. Once in the store, you grab one of the few carts left and begin the pursuit of getting in and out as quickly as possible because daylight is burning. You nearly dash through the aisles crossing things off your list as you load your cart avoiding near collisions with other shoppers. Finally, you have everything and head for the checkout lanes. You’ve got the same plan as everyone else: find the shortest lane. Suddenly, they open a new lane by shouting, “I can help someone on lane five.” A tidal wave of people and carts pour in that direction and beat you to it. You intently observe the remaining lanes to see which one appears to be the shortest or moving the fastest, and rush to get in line. There are only two people in line ahead of you. You survey the number of items in their carts and observe the speed and efficiency of the cashier, whereby you mentally calculate your estimated wait time. You confidently smile knowing you’ve made the right choice seeing how slowly the other lanes are still moving. The elderly woman ahead of you appears to be in her 80s. She doesn’t have a lot of items. As her purchases are scanned there is a pause. Oh no, it’s the dreaded intercom announcement, “I need a price check on lane 2”, which means at least another five minutes of wait time. People behind you are pulling out and going to other lanes, but you are stuck as if in a traffic jam and decide to wait it out. It seems like forever until the price check is delivered and the cashier completes the process and announces the total to the woman. Like most people,  you would have been bagging your stuff already so all you’d have to do is insert your card, enter the pin number, grab your receipt, and go. She reaches into her purse and pulls out what you had hoped would be a debit card, but somehow, you knew it would be a checkbook. She slowly and shakily writes the check and hands it to the cashier then proceeds to record it in her check register. She smiles at you and apologizes for taking so long and holding up the line, but still needs to bag her items. You smile back and say, “That’s OK”, knowing that could be you someday. You’re sure her shopping outing required more energy, pain, and sacrifice than yours did. Somehow getting all your projects done in one day didn’t seem so important. “Insert card, enter pin #, take receipt, thank you, have a good day, next”, and the line progresses methodically forward.

I think I was in my mid 40s when I first started using a debit or credit card. Everything before that was either cash or check, which was pretty much the norm back then. In high school, I took an elected Personal Bookkeeping class. I got straight A ‘s and learned a lot. I think it should be a required course for all students, especially in this age of plastic. I’ve always been the one to keep the books and pay the bills. We never had a budget; I don’t like that word. We have what I call a “spending program”. When we were married money was tight. My wife was a stay-at-home mom, and I had a seasonal job. To make ends meet we had plain envelopes with different categories written on the outside of them. On payday, I would cash my check and distribute the money into each envelope accordingly as needed. When the bills came due the money was there to pay them. Many times, the “Grocery” envelope only had $25 in it for the week. Our “Entertainment/Eating Out” envelope was the last to get cash inserted into it and often didn’t get or have any. Even though other envelopes had money we never robbed from them. However, and I say this as a matter of fact, our “Tithe” envelope was the first to get the full 10% cash of my gross wages. We honored and gave back to God first and foremost and as a result never lacked anything, because we understood the blessings of being good stewards of what he gave us. Proverbs 27: 23 Be diligent to know the state of your flocks and attend to your herds. In those days raising sheep was a primary source of income for many. A good shepherd took care of his sheep, protected them, and knew how many he had. In today’s terminology we would compare it to having money in the bank. The application for us today literally would be just that. How much money do you have, what is your income, how do you plan to spend it, and are you diligent to protect it. In the case of the elderly woman, I’d be willing to bet that when she got home, she subtracted the amount of her check from her balance and knew how much money she had left. The danger with debit cards is that unless you keep a written register, it’s easy to spend more than you have in the bank. It’s called, “being overdrawn with insufficient funds” and the charges are costly. I wonder how many people use any kind of register or system to keep track of their debit card transactions, and know their current daily balance. Furthermore, how many even know how to reconcile their register balance with the bank statement. To reconcile in bookkeeping language basically means comparing figures and taking action to come to agreement with the bank’s statement, and to have the same balance. In all my years of keeping a checking account register I’ve found the bank balance to be true. If there were any discrepancies, mistakes, or shortcomings, the fault was always found to be with me overspending or my inaccurate figures. So many people these days are in over their heads with debt, because of their overspending and lack of good accounting practices and financial responsibility. It’s like the person who says, “I can’t be out of money, I still have plenty of checks!”

John 3:16 is often referred to as the gospel in a nutshell. Many people can quote it word for word but do not understand the deeper meaning. Yes, God did and does love the world and He wants everyone to know that, but love was his motivation, not the purpose or final accomplished result. Reconciliation is the very heart of the Gospel. Before mankind sinned, he had peace and fellowship with God. They were in agreement and there was balance and perfect harmony between them. Sin destroyed all that, which resulted in a debt of spiritual and physical separation between sinful man and God. God is holy and sin in any form cannot abide in his presence. The wages of sin is death. Romans 6:23. In other words, man’s work of disobeying God earned him spiritual death as a paycheck. Of course, all man needed to do to restore that relationship and be reconciled to God, would be to die and give his blood as payment. Hebrews 9:22 And according to the law almost all things are purged with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission. Which was an impossibility since sinful blood from a sinful man can never satisfy, redeem, or pay the debt owed to a Holy God. Man had become bankrupt so to speak, and overdrawn with insufficient funds to pay his debt. There are only two ways to eliminate your financial debts: pay them off or have them forgiven. The same holds true with the spiritual debt we owe God.  BUT GOD! The two most powerful words in the Bible. Here’s the exciting part! God did both concerning our spiritual debt when He sent His holy sinless son Jesus Christ to die in our place. By shedding his sinless blood, he paid our debt owed to God, whereby God offers us total forgiveness and reconciliation. Colossians 1:19 For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of his cross. And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now he has reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and irreproachable in his sight. Colossians 2:14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And he has taken it out of the way having nailed it to the cross. The last words Jesus spoke as He was dying on the cross as recorded in the Gospel of John are,  “It is finished!” The path to reconciliation had been accomplished and now mankind could have peace with God once again. It is important to understand that God did not need to be reconciled to man, but man must be reconciled to God. Even though the reconciliation has been accomplished and provided for, everyone must appropriate it by faith in Jesus Christ in their own lives. The analogy would be that God has not only wiped out your debt, but has deposited unlimited funds (forgiveness) in your account to cover all your bad checks (sins) you have written (committed) or will ever write. That’s the good news of the Gospel. The prophet Isaiah speaking by the spirit of God wrote in Isaiah 1:18 saying, “Come now and let us reason together,” says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” What will your response be to this; God’s personal invitation to have a one on one meeting with you? The apostle Paul in addressing the Corinthians wrote: 2 Corinthians 5:18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. Will you today answer yes to God who is pleading with you to be reconciled to Him?

To be reconciled to God is of utmost importance, but the scriptures say this also. Matthew 5:23 Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. What this says plainly is that if you are holding grudges or unforgiveness towards another, or they towards you, and you come to the altar with an offering to God and there remember it, He will not accept it until you first try to be reconciled to that other person. In so many cases, especially among family members, there is a refusal to be reconciled or even have a discussion. Silent stubbornness and pride can fuel the rift that often lasts for years, decades, or even a lifetime. Seeing as how God Himself sacrificed His only son so you could be reconciled to Him, what right does anyone have to refuse, shun,  ignore, or belittle for any reason an attempt by another to be reconciled with them. That is contrary to the word of God and the grace, mercy, forgiveness, and love that he has shown to each of us. Sadly, many who claim to be Christians reproach the name of Jesus Christ when they act this way. You might say, “I’m not into all this God and Jesus stuff and I don’t go to church, so it doesn’t apply to me.” The word of God applies to everyone whether you believe it or not. God is an excellent bookkeeper, and He sees those sins and broken relationships you’ve swept under the rug. Romans 14:12 So then each of us shall give an account of himself to God.  Maybe it’s time for you to get off your high horse and smirky self-righteous attitude and – Be Reconciled!  Before it’s too late.

By: Denny

I was sorting through our collection of VHS and DVD movies the other day looking for something to watch. Over the years we’ve acquired hundreds of movies mainly from second-hand stores. We have westerns, comedies, romantic, war, adventures, many classic TV series, and Disney movies from the 60’s and 70’s before they went off the moral rails. I came across one of my favorite animal movies simply called “The Bear”. It has very little dialog as there are only a couple human characters. The story line focuses on a grizzly bear cub who is left alone to fend for himself after his mother was killed suddenly. She had found an old tree where bees had a huge hive. While attempting to get the honey the tree fell on her. The cub stayed by her for a day then wondered off on his own. He eventually comes upon a big male grizzly, possibly his own father, who had been wounded by a hunter. At first, he rejects the cub, but the cub stays with him and licks his wound. They soon become bonded friends and their adventures begin. The older bear teaches the cub how to catch fish and find other food. They hibernate together that winter. In the spring, the cub sets out on his own to find food. He ends up at the bank of a shallow stream trying to catch a fish. Suddenly a mountain lion appears on the other side and sees the young bear alone. He bolts across the stream to attack the bear who is caught off guard and defenseless. The lion swipes at the cub with claws extended and draws blood on his face. The mountain lion thinks this will be an easy prey. The cub knows he can’t out-run the predator and out of instinct stands up on his hind legs and assumes the natural fighting position of a grizzly. The cub musters a high tenor half roar which seems to say, “I’m not going down without putting up a fight.” As suddenly as he came, the mountain lion quickly turns tail and disappears into the woods. The cub thinks he scared him off and continues an even louder confident roar. Simultaneously, a loud ferocious roar is heard behind him. The camera angle changes and there stands the huge male bear overshadowing the cub. The cub didn’t see that he had his back, but the mountain lion did. That’s why he retreated, not wanting to tangle with the huge father grizzly. What a perfect analogy of a person when God has their back.

I love to read the Bible stories of real people and life situations when God had their back. Moses balked when being sent by God to tell Pharoah to let His people go. God convinced him that He had his back and would demonstrate it by doing great signs with the various plagues. David was confident that God had his back when he defeated Goliath. Elijah knew God would back him up when confronting the false prophets of Baal. Daniel survived the lion’s den as did Shadrach, Meshach, and Abendigo the fiery furnace, because God had their backs, and they all came out unharmed. Jesus sent out his disciples and they returned testifying how God had their backs by performing miracles of healing and deliverance. The Apostle Paul suffered many things for preaching the gospel, but he didn’t quit because he knew God had his back. All these and many others had one other thing in common; they stood their ground and didn’t compromise their faith in God or His word in the middle of opposition. Before Jesus went to the cross, He knew His heavenly father had His back and death and the grave had no power over Him. He willingly gave His back to the torturous whip so He could have yours. Conclusion: There is nothing to  fear when God’s got your back, and everything to fear if He doesn’t.  Does He have your back?

By: Denny

“Do Actions speak louder than words?” I suppose in general many people would agree with that statement. We’ve quoted it or have heard it so many times that it unconsciously becomes a truth. Who hasn’t formed an opinion of someone else initially based on the way they act. First impressions tell a lot, but aren’t always accurate or complete. I think that sometimes, and in some cases, there is a deeper explanation underlying some actions that deserves to be explored. My wife works as a para in the high school. She is around all kinds of kids displaying all kinds of actions and behaviors that run the spectrum from violent to withdrawn. Even the way they dress and present themselves is an action that speaks either loudly or quietly. More and more kids these days come from dysfunctional broken homes. Some suffer physical and mental abuse or neglect, and they operate in the fight or flight mode to survive. Many are hurting deep inside and long for someone to talk to that they can trust. They “act loudly”, so to speak, to get noticed and gain someone’s attention. Lucy has had many kids confide and share their feelings with her because she encourages them and shows them kindness without being judgmental. We often misjudge them by their actions and label them, don’t we? Political correctness has stolen the life and identities of so many young people. Their actions speak loudly for significance, affirmation, and truth, but what are they given; a bunch of Woke nonsense, lies, deceptions, and social tripe. Our words spoken over and to them should shout louder than their actions. “You are loved”, “You have value and worth”, “I care”, then back up your words with even louder actions. Sometimes just listening can be the greatest action. Just saying.

Procrastination (continued delayed action) is basically an action that speaks louder than words. Hey, we’ve all procrastinated at one time or another, but some people just naturally seem to abuse the privilege. Has saying, “I’ll get around to it” become your most used phrase? Maybe it’s putting off balancing your checking account and paying your bills, replacing that bald tire you know is about to blow out, the report you promised your boss you’d have last week, playing video games when you know you should be studying for a test. Teenager, your mom asked you to clean your room and pick up your dirty clothes and you said, “I’ll  do it later.” So, where are you at with that? Has later become yesterday and your room is still a mess? How are you doing with all those New Year’s resolutions you vocalized or that last year’s project you started and said you’d finish but keep putting it aside. Valentine’s Day has come and gone. Did the card, flowers, chocolates, and words “I love you” given and spoken to your sweetheart make up for your procrastinating  actions this past year? Words lose their weight, no matter how appreciated, sweet, and poetic, when not accompanied by and linked to proper actions.  In-actions speak louder than words if you’re a procrastinator. Just saying.

I wonder how often people purposefully refuse to listen to words and permit actions to always speak the loudest. Someone did something that upset you and pushed your button, and you give them a piece of your mind. You’re so angry you don’t even want to hear any explanation or words from them, even if their actions were explainable, not meant for harm, justified, or logical. That doesn’t matter. You’ve been offended, your precious boundary was crossed, or you didn’t get your way, so you just write them off and stop talking to them. You have lost the ability to separate the action from the person, so you put them in the same box and close the lid.  “Actions speak louder than words”, is so fixed in your mind that you can’t see that now your own out-of-control emotional reactions are speaking louder than words. But that’s okay because the rule applies to others and not you. How easy it is to judge others by their actions without reflecting on your own. Just saying.

I don’t see as many bumper stickers these days like I used to. Maybe it is a passing fad being replaced by window decals. Who remembers the yellow suction cup window signs that said, “Baby on Board”? Okay, so what’s that intended to say? I’d like to think that it means there’s something very valuable and precious to me in this car and I drive accordingly, so please do the same and use caution around me. I can respect that; however, do you drive like an idiot going way over the speed limit, dodging in and out of traffic cutting people off, following too close, and giving the one finger wave to those in your way going slower? Have you forgotten about the baby? Your actions are speaking louder than your words. Permit me to meddle for a moment. Christian, take off your bumper sticker or window decal that says, “Jesus on board”, “I love Jesus”, “Honk if you love Jesus” if you are driving the same way. Have you forgotten about Jesus? People are watching you and forming assumptions and opinions of both you and Jesus, not only based on your driving but how you act. Your actions are speaking loudly and nullifying your words. By the way, the action of me honking my horn for Jesus proves nothing and is meaningless compared to the words of my testimony that I write and speak about and what He’s done in my life. Likewise, (and this will surely offend some people) I don’t “Like” or “Share” every single post that appears on my Facebook that mentions Jesus, has a Bible verse, tries to get me to honk my “Amen” horn, compels me to pray some pre-written prayer that is supposed to guarantee me a blessing, satisfies a bet you’ve made with yourself, or tries to guilt me into sharing it for the sake of compiling numbers. That may sound harsh, Scrooge-like, uncaring, or rude, but that’s not how I choose to use my Facebook or express my faith in Jesus.  I’ve noticed very few personal and originally written thoughts posted by my “friends”. Even Jesus directly asked His disciples, “But who do you say that I am?” Maybe my expectations for Facebook are too high. It’s easier to post something somebody else wrote that gets shared over and over with thousands of “likes” by fellow Christians sitting in the choir.  Is that what preaching the Gospel has been reduced to; Facebook likes and shares. How did we ever share the Gospel before FB and what will we do when it’s taken away? If God is doing anything in your life, post that in your own words, better yet go tell someone. If He isn’t, maybe you need to spend more time with Him and less with Facebook. There are so many people that Facebook can’t reach, and you may have the words they need to hear. What actions will you take to tell them other than on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram? We are losing our ability to communicate outside the digital world. I’m done meddling now, so you may unfriend, unfollow, or snooze me for stepping on your toes. Just saying.

You may say you are a Christian, but do your actions show it? Perhaps you’ve heard it said, “If you were arrested and put on trial for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence presented to convict you?” For the true believer in Christ your actions and words should be inseparable and prove it if you are living according to God’s word, the Bible. Jesus condemned the religious Pharisees because their WORDS and ACTIONS were in complete opposition to one another. 1 Peter 3:15 “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is within you.” In other words, live in such a way that your actions speak so loudly that people will want to know what makes you so different, then be ready to speak to them the very same words that brought you to faith in Christ. Another saying goes, “Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary, use words.” I think so many well-meaning Christians think that they can just love people to Jesus by their actions, which is commendable and opens the door, but that’s as far as they go. It’s the words of truth of the Gospel that bring light, life, faith, salvation, and has the power to change lives. We all need to be bolder in our speaking just as the Apostle Paul himself wrote in Ephesians 6:19-20  “That I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly as I ought to speak.” When was the last time you told someone about Jesus? Just saying.

If you’re looking for a specific singular verse in the Bible that says “actions speak louder than words” you won’t find it, although the principle is revealed in many passages. Consider Matthew 25:31-46 where Jesus says that people will be judged when they stand before Him for their actions in the things they did or didn’t do. Also, the parable of the talents where the individual actions of the servants was either rewarded or condemned. A priest, a Levite, and a Samaritan came upon the half dead man on the road. For each of them their individual actions spoke louder than words. In the parable of the soils, the seed which was sown is the Word of God. In three of the cases the word produced no fruitful actions because their hearts weren’t right. They all heard the same words, but only the fourth group understood, which produced fruit bearing actions. Wasn’t it the words of Jesus that told Peter to come to Him on the water, cast out demons, healed the sick and lame, called Lazarus out of the tomb, rebuked the devil, and revealed the Father and principles of God’s kingdom. Think about this; when Jesus fed the five and four thousand with just a few loaves of bread and fish, he first spoke words of thanks and blessed them and gave them to His disciples to distribute. I believe the miracle happened as the disciples acted in obedience to Jesus’ word. Similarly, when Jesus turned the water into wine, as the servants obeyed and acted the miracle happened. The Bible is full of accounts where God spoke, and people responded with actions that brought deliverance, victories, and blessings. I believe that the Bible is the Word of God that when heard and understood demands our actions. James 1: 22 “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”  Jesus said He would return at a time and hour when least expected and warned us to be ready. It’s time to act on the Word of God. Are you ready or still procrastinating? Just saying.

By: Denny

If you’re a parent, no doubt you’ve heard this numerous times. One child has a toy and won’t share it with another. They refuse to relinquish it until you intervene and say, “Now let them have their turn.” Sometimes it escalates to the point where the one will just grab it from the other, which usually results in crying and fighting, and you become the referee and break it up. As they get older, it’s not so much about toys as it is other personal items. “How come they get to have ________ and I don’t?” Perhaps it’s over privileges one has and the other doesn’t. “Why do they get to stay up late, and I don’t?” “Why do they get to go, and I don’t?” “All my friends get to do that, why can’t I?” “I never get to do anything!” “How come I have to share a bedroom and they get their own?” Yada, yada, yada, and the complaints and comparisons seem endless. Kids don’t have the ability to reason and understand the concept of waiting and taking turns, because we’re all born with a selfish nature. Growing in age and maturity changes that, or does it? As adults we may not vocalize it, but we have the thought, “When is it my turn?” We see something others have and wonder why or how they can afford it and we can’t. They live in a nice house, and you live in a cramped apartment. They seem to always drive a new car, and you have a fifteen-year-old rusted out money sucking undependable piece of work. They travel the world on lavish vacations, and you can barely afford the gas for traveling back and forth to work each week. They’re already retired at fifty-five and living high on the hog, while it appears that you’ll have to work well into your seventies. You’ve been a good employee, but continually get passed by for a raise, promotion, or recognition. Here’s a big one. All your friends are married and have children. Now you’re thirty-five, your internal clock is ticking, and you still have those desires, but have almost given up that it will ever be “your turn”. Our have-it-now society says don’t wait for it to happen. Take what you want. They have demeaned and reduced marriage and the process of finding the “right one” much like that of ordering off a menu or fast-food drive-up window. Online dating services and TV shows like The Bachelor and Bachelorette are a farse. I watched one episode of Married at First Sight and wanted to puke. What a joke. If you are a Christian don’t be like everyone else and settle for less than God’s best. After my first marriage fell apart, I got my act together and decided to do things God’s way. I prayed and waited for eight years for God to bring the right one for me, and He surely did! During that time, He was preparing us both for each other until it was “our turn”. We will celebrate thirty wonderful years together on May 1^st, with no regrets on having waited or jumped the gun by trying to make it happen on our own.

“When is it my turn?”, is a veil covering the face of covetousness. You shall not covet is the tenth commandment and one of the deadliest of sins because it reveals that you don’t trust God to do for you what He’s done for others. Once you start down that road there are many forks that lead to guilt, depression, discouragement, jealousy, hopelessness, and the big one is anger. All these are a war that rages continually in your mind. James 4: 1-3 (NKJV) puts it very plainly; “Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.” The last sentence of that verse in The Message Bible says, “You’re spoiled children, each wanting your own way.” I admit there was a time when I was angry at God because He didn’t do, stop, or allowed things to happen that I thought He could’ve prevented. I wanted it to be my turn, and right now. One thing I’ve learned about God is that He’s bigger than your anger and doesn’t get all bent out of shape like you do. He’s patient and lets you have your little hissy fit. However, don’t set up permanent residency there and allow bitterness to harden your heart. Be honest with God, confess your sin, and ask for His help to overcome anger, understand His timing, and be able to wait for “your turn”.

 Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire is fulfilled, it is a tree of life. Proverbs 13:12 NKJV  Have you ever waited a long time for something to happen, and began to give up hope and wonder if it ever will? Of course, you have. Hopelessness has a way of convincing us that our turn will never come. You’ve needed a breakthrough in healing either physically, spiritually, or emotionally, and it hasn’t happened yet. You struggle with anxieties, fears, worries, and doubts that seem to hold you captive. You hear about and see the victories others are having in the same areas you struggle with and can’t help thinking, “What’s wrong with me?” We need to resist those thoughts realizing that delay is not denial. A perfect example is recorded in Acts 3: 1-7 as follows: Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple, which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple; who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms. And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, “Look at us.” So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them—walking, leaping, and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God. Then they knew that it was he who sat begging alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. There is much to learn from this passage of scripture. First off, the Beautifull Gate was the main entrance to the temple, and because of that, many who were beggars for various reasons congregated there as their only means of support, relying on the compassion and generosity of those entering. This man being lame all his life, also depended on others to place him there daily. Jesus himself entered the temple many times through that gate. There was always a crowd following Him, after having seen and heard about the miracles he performed. Everyone was talking about how he cast out demons and healed many people. It’s entirely reasonable to believe that this man having heard of all these things may have thought, “What about me Jesus, when is it my turn?” Unfortunately, his present condition made it impossible to even get close to Jesus. Consider how disappointing that was for him, especially after hearing of how Jesus had been crucified.  Now any hope of ever experiencing his miracle was gone and he resolved that his current state of begging for alms would continue for the remainder of his life. One day, as was also their custom, Peter and John were entering the temple to pray. We don’t know if they had noticed this man before, but this day was to be different. The man probably only saw them out of the corner of his eye repeating his usual request in a half-singing voice, “Alms for the poor.” Suddenly, having been prompted by the Holy Spirit, Peter stops and fixes his eyes on the man telling him to look at them. I’m sure this must have been a shock to the man as most people just tossed him a coin and kept right on walking without even a glance. Who would he see? The Peter who denied Jesus, the Peter who started to walk on the water but sank for lack of faith, or who couldn’t stay awake to pray with Jesus in Gethsemane. The one who ran away with the other disciples that night and was not present at the crucifixion. I know, it was the Peter who afterwards basically said, “That was fun while it lasted, but I’m going fishing. Who’s coming with me? No, it was the Peter full of the Holy Spirit. I believe that when Peter took his hand and spoke in the name of Jesus to “rise and walk”, that hopelessness became alive and faith was revived in the man as God proclaimed, “Now, it’s your turn!”

As I mentioned before, we often confuse delay with denial. Consider how easy it may have been for the man at the gate of the temple to accept that. What seems like delay to us is God working behind the scenes in both the natural and spiritual realms to bring glory to himself if we wait patiently and don’t give up hope and faith. Have you also ever considered that He may be preparing you to be His instrument whereby someone else who’s been waiting, sees their turn finally happen.  If you’re willing to be that person, here’s what it’s going to take on your part:

• Consistent intimacy with Jesus   Both quality and quantity time spent in prayer, reading the Bible, and quiet time listening to the Holy Spirit
• Confidence and full awareness of who you are in Christ   It requires forgetting your past failures and believing who He says you are and walking in it
• Become spiritually sensitive   Pray for discernment to recognize the needs of others and for compassion not to pass them by
• Act decisively    Move quickly when the moment presents itself but realize you can’t give what you don’t have. God came to earth as Jesus, with skin on just like us. He ministered in the same power of the Holy Spirit that He promised would be available to us.

 Someone out there is asking, “When is it my turn?”  What will your answer be if God directs you to them?       

By: Denny

I can’t say exactly when it started, perhaps it was always part of my DNA inherited from my father. He once commented that I had diesel fuel in my veins. I remember at about the age of ten riding along with my dad on short day trips. He drove semi for B.F.C., a trucking company in Cedar Rapids who pulled trailers for the Weyerhauser cardboard plant there.  I loved to hear the engine roar and look in the mirror to see the trail of black smoke behind us as dad would run through the gears putting the power to it. I wondered how he knew when to shift and it all seemed so complicated to me. There were so many gauges, valves, and switches and I just had to know what each one was for. Even then, I think he knew he was training a future truck driver. He answered all my questions, but I also learned a lot just by watching him. When we stopped at truck stops to get a bite to eat, all the trucks would be idling. Each engine made a unique sound that was music to my ears, and I loved the smell of diesel exhaust. I listened intently at the conversations as many drivers sat at tables relating their common experiences. Sometimes at the terminal when the trucks were parked, dad let me sit in the driver’s seat. Of course, I couldn’t reach the pedals, but I would grab the steering wheel and gear shift and pretend I was driving by making my own engine noises. It was a real thrill to blow the air horn until he stopped me by saying, “That’s enough.”

There was so much to learn, and my dream was to be a truck driver just like my dad. That desire and hope kept the dream alive until I was ready, but why did it have to take so long? Patience isn’t a virtue that many ten-year-old boys have. Fast forward sixty years. I’m seventy now and retired with a fifty-year driving career under my belt. It seems like only yesterday that I was a wide-eyed kid with a big dream. Now I’m asking, “Where did the time go?” I guess two-million miles of white lines ate it up. Often, I sit and reminisce about the places I’ve been and experiences I’ve had. Now the dream I once had is a fulfilled reality with memories I can replay in my mind and write about. In 1987 I composed a poem entitled “Just Like My Dad”, I dedicated it to him and I recited it at his funeral in 1990.

Just Like My Dad

When I was a boy I used to say, “I’m going to drive a truck like my dad someday.”

It seemed like time stood still back then, but it couldn’t stop my dreams when I was ten.

My mind was made up; a trucker I’ll be, I loved to imagine the places I’d see.

Like Hollywood, where movies are made, and Arizona, where there is no shade.

I’ll go to Las Vegas and see the bright lights, and walk in the desert on moonlit nights.

Up to Montana, they say the sky is big, I’ll see lots of country from the cab of my rig.

Places like Texas and New Mexico, why, there isn’t any place that I won’t go.

Down to Florida to see the beach, there was no place my dreams couldn’t reach.

So I waited and waited . . . impatiently, for time to pass so I could be;

Just like my dad and drive a big rig, my hopes were high, my dreams were big.

So much has happened since way back then, I’m no longer a boy the age of ten.

I’ve gained some wisdom through the years, by closing my mouth and opening my ears.

This one thing I’ve found to be true, a fact that I will share with you.

The only difference between men and boys, is not their age, but the size of their toys.

The years have come and gone so fast, those hopes and dreams are things of the past.

I’ve seen all the places I wanted to most, from border to border and coast to coast.

I’ve pulled the steep Rockies way out West, conquered her grades and passed the test.

Thousands of miles and sleepless nights, I can name every city by seeing it’s lights.

I cannot begin to count the loads, but how well I remember all the roads.

In all kinds of weather . . . good and bad, I am a truck driver . . . just like my dad.

Being a long-haul trucker is adventurous and exciting as far as seeing the country, but there’s more to it than most people know. Drive, eat, and sleep is a constantly repeating cycle. You’re under pressure from dispatchers, shippers, and receivers to meet delivery schedules and appointments. You hurry to get a load delivered without so much as a thank you, then you may wait for days or run hundreds of miles to get the next one. Breakdowns, traffic jams, detours, accidents, bad weather, and even worse drivers, will challenge your resolve. You spend many lonely days away from your family, and about the time you think you’re headed home, they dispatch you in the opposite direction. Nevertheless, you keep pressing on, because being a trucker isn’t just a job you do, it’s who you are. Those drivers who see it any different are “wanna be truckers” and usually don’t stick it out or are miserable to be around with their whining and complaining. As Merle Haggard wrote a line in a song, “If you don’t love it, leave it.” I wrote another poem in 1984 while laid over in Utah. I was hauling a wide load and not permitted to move it on the weekend. It was a single part of a huge Bucirus Erie crane that I picked up in Burley, ID and I hauled it to the Port of New Orleans where it was put on a ship bound for Africa. I named it, “A Trucker’s Poem”, and I mailed it home to my four-year-old son Adam to let him know I was missing him.

  A Trucker’s Poem

The days seem like months, and the weeks like years, ya stiff up your lip and fight back the tears.

It’s a dog’s life at best, that’s no doubt, and often ya wonder . . .   what’s it all about?

Is it worth all the trouble day in and day out? Does anyone care? Would they even notice if you weren’t there?

There are good days too; they’re not all bad, that’s when it’s easy to forget the problems you’ve had.

You’re easin’ down that mountain kickin’ in the jake, bellerin’ through the canyon; wonderin’ who’s awake.

They don’t know what they’re missin’, and most just don’t care, but man, there’s nothin’ like that clean mountain air.

You’re rollin’ down that road with the wind in your face, thinkin’ what some would give to be in your place.

Some four-wheeler full of kids will pass you by, ya know what they want by the look in their eye.

Then comes the signal . . . “Honk your horn mister . . . please”, ya give ‘em toot, and they giggle with glee.

This is what makes it all worthwhile, seein’ those kids with their innocent smiles.

Then all of a sudden; it hits ya like a ton, the Lord has been with you; right from mile one.

No, the Lord isn’t my co-pilot, ‘cause that would make me number one.

Jesus is my pilot, I depend on Him to get the job done.

There are several basic things that make for a good long-haul truck driver and separate the “wanna bees” from the “doers”. These are only a few fundamentals. If you can’t abide by them, then stay home and get a 9 to 5 day job. There’s already too many “wing nuts” on the highway giving truckers a bad image as it is.   

• Understand and recognize that it requires sacrifice, self-motivation, and willingness to give up family time and leisure’s that others enjoy every day.
• You will suffer and deal with trials and setbacks that come in many ways, but you must not let them affect your attitude. Forget what happened last week, yesterday, or that crazy driver who cut you off two miles back. Anger, one finger waves, and a mouth out of control will get you in trouble faster than anything.
• It’s imperative that you know and understand the written rules. This means those of the D.O.T., states, your company, and common sense. Ignore or disobey them and you will pay the consequences.
• Plan your trip and prioritize your time. Know how long it will take to get to your destination and keep a steady pace. Don’t compare yourself to or pay attention to those truckers who always have the hammer down. You’ll pass them up at the next truck stop as they sit and brag about themselves to other drivers. You’re in a marathon, not a 100-yard dash. Plot your fuel, food, and rest periods so they coincide. A road atlas will give you a bigger picture and guide your way better than an unreliable GPS.
• Don’t be distracted or sidetracked. STAY FOCUSED! Not just for the sake of avoiding accidents, but for preventing late deliveries. I’ve seen many drivers stop at casinos and bars, wasting time and money, forgetting they had a load to deliver or pick up. Shippers and Receivers don’t cut slack for excuses and a truck they expected yesterday. Moreover, it’s a bad reflection on the company.
• Many trucking companies require you to check call every day and communicate with them. They may have knowledge of things you don’t. Maybe the Receiver is wanting the load diverted and delivered to another location, and you need to be able to accept the change in direction. If you’ve had a delay, the dispatcher will notify those who need to know and change your appointment time. Communication is key to being a team player. I once hauled two quarter coin presses from the manufacturer in Hastings, MI to the Denver Mint. It was top secret and I had to call several times a day. There was a satellite tracker on board and if I failed to call, the FBI would be alerted. It was a flatbed load and tarped. When I got to the mint, they told me where to park and armed guards escorted me outside the gate. I took the tour of the mint and when I got back, my trailer was empty, tarps folded, and chains and binders hung up.
• You should possess certain skills such as: ability to back up a trailer in a straight line to a dock using only your mirrors, know how to do a complete inspection of your equipment, how to load your trailer distributing the weight evenly without being overloaded, understand your engine and what it can do, and be able to shift any type of multiple-speed manual transmission without using the clutch. (automatic transmissions don’t count in my opinion because all that’s needed is to step on the accelerator pedal, and how much skill does that take)
• Do what’s expected of you, always give your best, and realize you’ll get few pats on the back and “atta boys” right away. Some recognitions come later in the form of rewards and bonuses. Remember, you’re “In It for the Long-haul”.

Jesus used the occupations of fishermen, farmers, shepherds, vine-dressers, and servants to reveal many principles of the Kingdom of God through the parables He told. Had there been truck drivers back then, He would’ve used them also as I’ve attempted to do in the preceding paragraphs.  Go back and look at the underlined words above and notice how closely they line up with Biblical principles and exhortations. Repeatedly, Jesus said in order to follow Him it demanded sacrifice, and those who choose to do so would suffer persecution and experience many trials. The Apostle Paul states in Philippians that He forgets the past and presses onward to the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. It’s also imperative that every true believer read, know, and understand the written word of God, which requires prioritizing time to do so. Paul wrote in 1 Cor. 10:12 that to compare yourself to others is not wise. The Bible is full of examples and warnings about what happens when we don’t stay focused on the call of God and His will for us. Consider Sampson, Saul, David, and others who lost their focus and fell into sin. Even in our day, many well-known men of God have brought reproach upon the name of Jesus, having given into temptation and sin. Consider also how five of the ten virgins lost their focus and were late in meeting the bridegroom. The door was shut and none of their excuses could open it. Prayer is an every day check call with God, in fact the Bible says we should pray without ceasing. In other words, keep the communication open and listen to His voice. He knows things we don’t, and we need to trust, obey, and accept His will even when it involves a change in direction. The Holy Spirit gives each believer spiritual gifts, or even natural skills when needed, that enable us to do what’s expected to see God’s Kingdom manifested in our lives and upon the earth.

Paul addressed the “wanna bees” in writing Hebrews 5:12-14, “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the Word of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe.” James 1:22, “Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.“ A trucker would probably say it like this: You’ve been sitting for years in the truck (pew) at the terminal (church) holding the steering wheel, grabbing the gear shift, and making all kinds of noise (going through the motions), and tooting your own horn, but you are going nowhere. It’s time to crank up the engine (get on fire), pour on the power (Holy Spirit), make some smoke, shift into higher gears (be doers of the word), and start delivering the goods (your calling) for God, because you should’ve been further down the road (lost your focus) by now. That’s enough! It’s time to put up, shut up, and get . . . In it for the Long Haul.  

By: Denny

• I make no apology for taking God’s word literally, doing my best to obey it, and proclaim it without wavering or compromise.
• I make no apology to anyone whose feelings get hurt or they are offended by my speaking and writing about the truths found in the Bible.
• I make no apology for my faith in Jesus Christ to those who lack wisdom, understanding, and the fear of God.
• I make no apology for not bowing to what is politically correct or socially endorsed as popular and acceptable.
• I make no apology for who I am and for being a person of integrity and will not abandon my values to solicit anyone’s approval, position, or for material gain.
•  I make no apology if God uses me to speak into a situation He wants to deal with.
• I will not apologize to save or restore a relationship if it means I must compromise Biblical truth or if I’ve done nothing legally, morally, or ethically wrong.
• I make no apology to those who demand to have everything their way and who use control and guilt, and I do not apologize for opposing them.
• I make no apology to those who will not listen to what I have to say or give me a chance to respond, because they think they are always right.
• I make no apology to those who will not receive correction or instruction.
• I don’t apologize if I’m not truly sorry, and nobody forces me to apologize.
• I don’t apologize for others when they are able to do so themselves, and nobody apologizes for me.
• I make no apology for the way I raised my children instilling in them Biblical values and enforcing them sometimes with a proper spanking.
• I make no apology for my good intentions and for blessing people when they don’t receive it or in the spirit which it was given.
• I make an apology only one time per each offense: asking for forgiveness and expecting forgiveness in return. I will not keep begging for forgiveness you’re not willing to give.
• I apologize when I’m wrong and expect the same from others.
• If I apologize and desire reconciliation and you respond negatively, in rejection, shunning, or not at all; then I am free, and bitterness will soon become your best friend.  
• I choose to forgive you, even if you choose not to forgive me.

By: Denny

If there was an unexpected visitor ringing your doorbell, who would you not want it to be? If you had a family member in the military, it was never good news if it was two uniformed officers or a Western Union agent. Similarly, if the Highway patrol woke you up in the middle of the night, it wouldn’t be for a social call. A sheriff with papers in hand might mean you’re being served some legal documents or summons. The police might be there to inform you that you’re in violation of some city ordinance or code. Then, there’s that nosy neighbor who is always complaining about something. Your pastor could be stopping by to see how you’re doing after the loss of a family member, surgery, traumatic diagnosis, extended illness, or concern over your lack of attendance. Maybe it’s the friend who never calls ahead of time and catches you right in the middle of doing something important. You may want it to be Publishers Clearing House with a big check, but pigs might fly before that ever happens. Picture in your mind this scenario: You’re a stay-at-home mom with three kids ages 8 months, 2 and 4. It’s Monday and the sink is overflowing with dirty dishes from the weekend. You figure you can wash them later when all the kids are napping. In the meantime, its laundry day, which is an all-day job, so you want to get started on that first. The kids are in the living room, the baby is in the play pen and the other two are playing nicely on the floor. A perfect place to sort clothes so you can keep an eye on them. Out comes all the dirty laundry for the previous week and soon you’ve got piles of sorted clothes everywhere, and some smell obnoxiously bad. You didn’t notice the dog grab one of your bras and sneak off with it. Suddenly the doorbell rings and without thinking you head for the door. As soon as your hand touches the knob you realize that you’re still wearing your pajamas and your hair is a mess. The two older kids are now fighting over a toy and the baby is crying needing a diaper change. The dog with tail wagging and bra in mouth shows up to see who’s there. Too late, you open the door and which unexpected visitor do you suppose it is? Wait for it . . . . . . your mother-in-law! Of course, you let her in, but secretly wished it had been UPS delivering a package or even some JW’s so you could kindly say “no thanks” and close the door. She says, “Oh, did I catch you at a bad time?” as she looks down at the dog who you hadn’t noticed. You blush with embarrassment and grab the bra, but graciously say, “Oh no, come in.” She lives twenty miles away and says she came to town to do some shopping and thought she would drop by for a visit. A “visit” meant she’d be there for lunch, and you hadn’t even given that a thought yet. For a split second you remember the “Calgon, take me away” TV commercial and think, “Yaa right, like that’s going to happen.” She’s been where you are many times and sees your frustration. She reaches out to give you a hug and asks, “What can I do to help?” Your heart melts as you breathe a sigh of relief and know everything will be okay. Lucy will tell you that my mom was that type of mother-in-law. Having raised six rambunctious kids, I now look back and wonder how she did it and survived. Lucy shared with me what mom once told her; “If I drop by unannounced out of the blue, I don’t expect your house to be perfect, so don’t worry about it.” “However, if I’m invited to come to dinner or a special event, I expect things to be in order, clean, and food preparations underway.” That went a long way in helping Lucy relax and not feel pressure. She and mom had a great relationship, and we all miss her.

Jesus entered many homes. Sometimes invited and expected, other times unexpected yet welcomed, and at least one time He invited himself. (Luke 19) Poor Zacchaeus found himself in a situation. All he really wanted was to see Jesus as He passed by, so he climbed up a tree. Little did he know Jesus would stop and invite himself to his house. Imagine how that cell phone conversation with his wife sounded like. Z- “Hi sweetheart sugar pie, so I was in this tree, Jesus stopped and said He must stay at our house today, so I received Him joyfully.” “We’ll be there in five minutes.” W- “What! The house is a mess and I have no meal prepared.” “What were you thinking Zach?” (Luke 10: 38-42) Martha always gets a bum rap preached about her for this. She welcomed Jesus into her home expecting that her sister Mary would help with the necessary preparing and serving of food, which even today would be a realistic request. But no, there she was slaving away in the kitchen alone and missing out on the conversation in the other room. If only Mary would’ve pitched in and helped, things would’ve gotten done faster and they both could sit and enjoy Jesus’ speaking. When Jesus entered Peter’s house, his mother-in-law was laying sick with fever. He healed her and immediately she got up and begin to serve them. Some women love to cook and serve others, and that’s a gifting. Lucy is one such person who goes all out, but she too would like to sit and have conversation and not always get stuck in the kitchen alone doing everything. My job: clean the house before company comes.

Jesus isn’t so much concerned about the dishes, laundry, and other material things you often get behind in doing and cleaning. After all, He was born in a smelly dirty stable. However, He came down hard on the scribes and Pharisees calling them blind guides and hypocrites for putting on an outward show of religious piety. Matthew 23:25,26 “For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. First cleanse the inside of the cup and the dish, that the outside of them may be clean also.” He was referring to the condition of their hearts, because out of the heart flows all the issues of life. He didn’t say the outside shouldn’t be clean, but to first clean the inside. They say a person’s home and how they keep it reflects much about who they really are. I could delve into that further, but I don’t want a bunch of unexpected irate women visitors showing up at my door with rolling pins in hand. Jesus cares about your spiritual and heart condition and of those living in your house. Salvation came to Zacchaeus and his house when he got his heart right with God. Is your heart right with God? If Jesus were to ring your doorbell, would you receive Him joyfully or have a panic attack. Perhaps you would ask Him to wait outside while you “tidy things up a bit”. You know, like stuff the TV guide and those magazines under a cushion, dust off your Bible from a shelf and place it opened in a prominent location as if you’ve been reading it, quickly tune the radio to a Christian station, delete the history on your computer and cell phone, gather up empty beer cans and liquor bottles and put them in the trash and hide the full ones, and whatever else you wouldn’t want Him to see or secret sin to know about. Seriously, He already knows about all that. He’s just waiting for you to invite Him into your life so He can clean up the mess you’ve made of it. He’s there with a hug saying, “I’m here to help.” Won’t you let Him in? All you must do is ask, but don’t wait until it’s too late. Matthew 24:44 “Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not expect him.”

By: Denny

Imagine for a moment that the people you know or have known are standing in a huge circle holding hands. Now place yourself in the middle of that circle. Slowly do a 360-degree pivot, and as you look at each person reflect on the interaction you’ve had with them. Automatically, your mind will begin to sort and categorize them. Some are just people you barely know except for the standard greeting of “Hi” as your paths intersect. Maybe it is a co-worker, another classmate, the mailman, the person who daily walks their dog down your sidewalk, or the neighbor who only gives you a wave from across the street or over the fence. It could be the one next to you on the airplane, bus, checkout lane, or even at church. Enemies may be too strong of a word, but there will be some who have hurt, betrayed, rejected, abused, shunned, ridiculed, teased, taken advantage of you, or just plain rub you the wrong way. The list goes on, but let’s just say they are people who you’d like to avoid or never see again. Maybe you’ve become bitter and are still holding a grudge or aren’t willing to forgive them for something they said or did unless they first apologize. I’ll bet some of them are your relatives or once close friends. Ouch! You kindly, or maybe not so much, ask them to step backwards out and away from the circle. The circle is now diminished as everyone moves forward to join hands and reconnect the circle. Does your circle decrease noticeably or not at all? If substantially, then “Houston, we have a problem here.” Pause and think about that for a minute. Anyway, out of those who remain, you continue to sift and sort out people according to the levels of relationships you’ve had with them. Some you tell to stay where they are while asking others to step forward and form another inner circle. From that circle you again ask some to step forward while others remain. With each step I’m sure you’re realizing each circle is getting smaller and smaller. It’s like when you throw a rock into a pond and it sends out circular ripples of waves that get bigger and bigger, only this is in reverse. Eventually, or sooner, you are down to a circle of people who you consider “good friends”. The number of people in that circle varies for everyone. There remains yet one circle to be filled which would be the “best of the best” and the “closest” of the good friends. Now, since this is my blog, I’m entitled to set the rules. Though you may want more, you can only have three friends in the next and last inner-most circle. Which ones will you choose? Without even knowing you here’s how you might decide: It won’t necessarily be someone you’ve known for a long time, but chances are it will be. It will be someone with like values and interests who you’ve bonded with through similar life experiences, worked towards a common goal, endured hardships, and celebrated victories together. It will be someone you could call anytime of the day or night knowing they’d be there for you, and who would call out of the blue just to ask how you’re doing. It can be a person you see often or perhaps they live far away. It’s the person when they send a card doesn’t just sign it but will include a personal note. If they live close, they’re the first to bring food or ask if you need anything when you’re home-bound. They don’t just say, “I’ll be thinking about you”, but will pray for you right then and there. It won’t be someone who borrows things and never returns them. It is someone who won’t tell others your faults and failures and will stop those who do so in your absence. They are someone you allow to speak into your life if they see you getting off track, and vice versa. It is the few people who you trust and confide in first and can share your deepest thoughts with. Ultimately, they would lay down their life for you and you would do the same for them. I suppose if I thought about it there would be more qualifications plus you could come up with a few of your own. This is only my opinion, but you should have one person or a married couple older than you. They’ve already walked the path of life longer and can offer wise advice. There are some people who are lifetime friends and remain in that inner circle while others may come and go for various reasons. Hopefully you were able to fill three slots or at least have one standing with you. Sadly, far too many will find themselves standing alone.

Jesus had multitudes of followers, especially when they saw the miracles He performed. Many witnessed what He did for others, hoping He’d do the same for them. Perhaps some were curious, still others followed Him after He had fed the 5,000 then the 4,000 wanting only to be fed again. Though many followed Jesus, He only had a few close friends. In today’s terminology, He didn’t accept every friend request He got on Facebook and Twitter. As it says in John 2: 23-24, many believed in His name when they saw the signs which He did, but Jesus did not commit to them, because He knew all men. Jesus hand-picked the twelve disciples, but there were many unnamed others who followed Him who were also referred to as disciples. Perhaps that was the distinction Jesus was making between the “called” and the “chosen” in Matthew 20:16. By comparison, Jesus never asked anyone to step back away from Him. Quite the opposite, He was always inviting people to come closer. It was His disciples who had adopted the “us four no more” mentality and thought it was their job to filter out all His contacts. They rebuked and tried to hinder children from coming to Him. Many times, they told Jesus to send people away. They told blind Bartimaeus to be quiet. They were amazed when they returned from buying food at a nearby village and found Jesus talking to a Samaritan woman. They probably thought, “That’s one we let slip past us.”  If anyone alienated themselves and walked away from Jesus it was by their own choice. With each parable told and each Kingdom principle or truth proclaimed, it was as if Jesus was drawing a line in the sand. You could either cross the line and continue following Him, or step backwards and “unfollow” Him. Many of His disciples and followers did just that because the truth spoken often offends those who don’t want to hear it. Jesus asked the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?” John 6:67 Peter replied, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” The twelve disciples walked with Jesus for three years and became His close friends. However, it was Peter, James, and John who were His closest friends. They were the ones He took with Him up the mountain to witness His transfiguration. All the disciples were present in the Garden of Gethsemane, but it was Peter, James, and John who He took with Him a little further on to pray. He then asked them to stay in a certain spot while He went on to pray alone. Likewise, it was John alone who stood at the cross as Jesus was crucified, because all the rest of His friends had deserted Him.

Enoch walked with God, Moses saw His glory, David was a man after God’s own heart, the prophets performed miracles, and many others were used of God in special ways. However, it is Abraham who is known as the friend of God. By faith he obeyed, and it was accounted to him as righteousness. Jesus sums up in one verse what it takes to be His friend. John 15:14 “You are my friends if you do whatever I command you.” James reiterates that in writing, “But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” In other words, obey the whole word of God, not just bits and pieces of it. Picture in your mind an hourglass. The sand is in the top portion and represents all people. The bottom portion represents the friends of Jesus. The constricted middle between them is Jesus and obedience to His word through which all must pass. Those who have accepted Him as savior, confessed and repented of their sins pass freely. God accepts all who turn to Him by faith believing that Jesus atoned for their sins through His shed blood and death on the cross. He invites everyone into His inner-most circle, even those who you told to step backward from your circle at the beginning of this blog. Does it still bother and upset you because of what they said or did to you? What emotions stir within you when you think about it? Did they do it intentionally or did you just perceive it that way because you didn’t get something your way and your feelings got hurt? Jesus makes it very plain and clear in Matthew 6: 14-15 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. “But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Forgiving is an act of your will and obedience to God’s command, whether you feel like it or not. It doesn’t mean you have to make that person your friend, but you won’t be able to squeeze through the narrow hourglass and become a friend of Jesus if you continue to hold a grudge, unforgiveness, and bitterness. The ideal situation is that reconciliation would follow forgiveness. Reconciliation is defined as making peace between enemies. Many people only focus on the love part of the gospel. However, the heart of the gospel is God’s desire that we be reconciled to Him because sin has made us His enemy. Love is what motivated Jesus to lay down His life making that reconciliation possible by dying in our place. John 15: 13 “Greater love has no man than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.”  If He did that for you, why is it so hard for you to forgive and be reconciled to someone else? Pause and think about that for a minute. You may say that you don’t believe all this Jesus stuff and could care less about being His friend. Everybody has a right to choose their friends and I sure wouldn’t want to deny you that privilege. However, he is one friend that will never leave you standing alone when all others desert you. Besides, do you really want to live your life stuck on the top side of an hourglass?

By: Denny

1957 photo of our family in front of the 1950 Studebaker. I’m wearing the hat.

One of my favorite memories as a kid was visiting my grandparents. They lived about an hour’s drive from our house. In the mid 1950’s there were four of us kids. Mom and dad would put us in the back seat of the 1950 Studebaker and then off we’d go. If you’re a parent, you already know what the first question coming from the back seat was within five minutes. “Are we there yet?” followed by, “When are we going to get there?” I’m sure my parents were thinking, “Not soon enough.” This was no picnic for them as often the one-hour drive would be interrupted by a frantic plea, “I have to go pee!” There weren’t any convenience stores then, so dad would pull onto the shoulder, and you did your business. Of course, in the winter you remembered to go before we left home or hold it until grandma’s house. If you think putting four kids in the rear seat of a car for one hour would be a peaceful trip, you should try it sometime. Back then there weren’t any video screens that popped out from the ceiling or back of the front seat to show movies, no handheld video games or other modern technical devises that keep kids occupied today. We had to make our own entertainment. I don’t think the car even had a radio so mom would get us to sing along with some popular kid’s songs. How many times can a kid sing Old McDonald or Row, Row, Row Your Boat until it drives everybody in the car crazy? If you can remember playing the alphabet game, I spy, counting the “X marks the spot” signs in the ditches, reading aloud the Burma Shave signs as you passed each one, or being the first to spot a VW Beetle car; then you know what I’m talking about. All that was good for about another 30 – 40 minutes, then came the whining and complaining, “Move over, you’re crowding me!” “Mom, he hit me, or “Mom, she pinched me!” We were normal self-centered kids and that was the only reason or excuse we needed to fight and argue. By this time, I’m sure my parents were thinking, “Are we there yet!” It was usually dad, who after he’d had enough of our bickering would shout something like this: “If you kids don’t knock it off, I’m coming back there and give you all something to cry about!” I can remember one time he threatened to put us out on the side of the road and make us walk the rest of the way. That never happened because that idea didn’t set too well with mom. The usual solution was to have one of us sit up front between them, (cars had bench seats back then) which made for more room in the back but started another argument amongst us as to who would get that envied spot. Everyone was quiet after that, and I think my parents only enjoyed the remaining five minutes left of our whole trip.

Thanksgiving and Christmas were special times to visit grandma and grandpa. As soon as you opened the door the aroma of home cooking made you take a deep breath, hold it for a second, then let it out with a satisfying aaahhh. All the women stayed in the kitchen helping to prepare the meal or setting the tables, which seemed secondary to all their chatting and catching up on things. The men gathered in the living room and talked about guy things until dinner was ready. Afterwards the women would clean off the table and do the dishes, all the while continuing their chatting. Grandpa would settle into his favorite chair and light his pipe, while others found a comfortable spot for a nap. Many of our cousins were there to play with. If there was snow on the ground, we would walk to the big sledding hill behind their house near the water tower. We’d all come back cold and exhausted. Grandma would have some hot chocolate ready with some desert and ice cream. She always had Schwann’s in the big round tub size like you see in ice cream parlors. Maplenut was grandpa’s favorite, and she usually had a second flavor to choose also. Grandpa was a big fan of pro wrestling, and when his show came on TV, we were all expected to be quiet. We would tease him by saying it was all fake. He claimed it was real and would give us a tap with his cane if we weren’t quiet and within reach. Those were good days and memories. It was usually dark when we headed home. Us kids were tired, but not to the point of not arguing about who would get the coveted back window ledge to sleep on. One of us would get that, another got the seat, the third one ended up on the floor, and the last one up front between mom and dad. All I can remember after that was our parents waking us up by saying, “We’re Home” and me wondering, “How did we get here so quickly.”

I’m seventy years old now and find more than ever that I’m asking myself that same question. Now, the “here” that I wonder about is the social, political, and spiritual condition of the good old USA that I grew up in. Did I somehow take a nap like Rip Van Winkle and wake up 65 years later, or did the changes happen so incrementally that I wasn’t paying attention and didn’t notice. Obviously, it was the latter. Maybe it wasn’t so much that I wasn’t paying attention, but rather just content that nobody was bothering me living out my ordinary life according to my values. Those values are a combination of what our parents taught us and now even more so what the Bible instructs. By the way, our parents were watchful in countering and protecting us from anything that would be detrimental or contrary to their values. Many times, they would tell us, “We don’t care what your friends are allowed to do.” These days many kids are raised by absent parents with screwed up values. They have no one to guide and direct them into truth. Rather than “Train up a child in the way they should go” as it says in Proverbs 23:6, parents will encourage and support their kids to discover “who they really are”. How wonderful if little Billy thinks he’s a girl, or at the age of seven claims he is gay. Maybe they should recheck his plumbing, or better yet, their minds. As when God asked Adam, “Who told you that you were naked?” (Genesis 3:11), I can now imagine him asking, “Who told you that you were LGBTQ?” Everyone is entitled to their own value system which guides and dictates their beliefs and behaviors. The problem comes when people use political powers and the public schools to force the values of a minority upon the majority. I don’t know when it started, but I began to be aware of it in the late 1960’s. Each consecutive decade seems to have brought us a crumbling and further deterioration of truth. Change or alter what is truth, and you change the values of people. Change the values of people and you can direct the course of a nation. It starts by changing or controlling the language. Gay used to mean happy. Murder is now choice. Coming out of the closet was what we did when found playing hide and seek. Intolerant, haters, bigot, hypocrite among others are words that this evil society uses to define anyone who dares to challenge their perverted Woke value system. Christians who stand for Biblical truth are now in the minority and the main target. So, it has evolved that the values once held by a minority have infiltrated and polluted the majority so that Isaiah 5:20 cries out, “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil.” And where has the church been in stemming the tide against the onslaught of evil? Fast asleep in the back seat. Is evil too strong or harsh of a word for you to hear? Then as we used to say as kids, “Tough toenails.” Good and evil are what God calls it. For years denominational and many other churches have relinquished and compromised their standards of Biblical truth to appease, accommodate, and make themselves more appealing to unrepentant sinners and the Woke crowd. They’ve sought position and favor of men rather than praise from God, so that their gospel is a watered-down lukewarm version of handpicked partial truths with a redefined Jesus. Like self-centered kids fighting and quarreling in the back seat of a car, sometimes I wish God would say, “If you guys don’t knock it off, I’m coming down there to give you all something to cry about!”

In Matthew 13:24-30 Jesus told the parable of the Wheat and Tares. Basically, a farmer sowed good wheat seed in a field. At night, while everyone was asleep, an enemy came and sowed tares on the same field. He did it because he was an enemy and knew that the result would be a polluted harvest of a lesser yield. Tares are a weed that looks exactly like wheat while growing, but near harvest produces black seeds very distinct from the gold color of wheat. The servants wanted to pluck out the tares, but the farmer said no because in so doing they would damage the wheat. Another possibility the enemy had hoped for also. The farmer said leave them alone and separate the two at harvest, we’ll burn the tares and gather the wheat into the barn. Someday, and it might be sooner than we think, God will instruct His angels to gather in the harvest of all souls. He will separate the wheat from the tares, the sheep from the goats, the believers from unbelievers, the Awake from the Woke, and those in the front seat with Him from those sleeping in the back seat. It won’t be pretty, because then, He will give them something to cry about as it says in Matthew 8:12, “There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” I’m thinking that for a vast majority of people now might be a good time to rethink and realign both their values and ideology so that it’s more in sync with biblical truth. How tragic it will be to be suddenly awakened and finding themselves in a place they hadn’t anticipated, separated from God, and saying, “How did we get here?”  

By: Denny

Life is full of questions, some get answered, others don’t. Sometimes we already know the answer before we even ask the question. Raise your hand if you ever wanted something from your parents, but you knew the answer would be no and you asked anyway. You had a 50/50 chance they would change their minds and say yes. Often their reply would be, “You already know the answer to that.” You can put your hands down now. There are many ways we can find answers to questions. We can use our reasoning, deduction, and past experiences of others and ourselves. Jesus was a master at answering questions as He would often answer a question with a question so people would have to figure things out on their own. Such was the case when after Adam and Eve sinned and ate the forbidden fruit, they hid themselves. When God came walking in the garden he asked, ‘Where are you?” It wasn’t because He didn’t know his physical location, but rather he wanted Adam to understand that he had broken fellowship with God through his disobedience. I think there are six basic categories that all questions fall into: who, what, when, where, how, and why. In this age of electronics and internet access many questions can be answered with the click of a mouse or a tap on the screen. Nearly every web site will have a list of FAQ’s. If that doesn’t work, you can chat live with someone. Of course, you can always do things the old-fashioned way and go to the library. The easy thing to do is just say, “Hey Siri” on your iPhone then ask any question. It is amazing what answers and resources pop up in an instant. Sometimes you may have to rephrase the question to get the answer you’re seeking. For instance, if you ask Siri, “How do I change the oil in my car?”, you will hear, “I can’t help you with that.” If you ask, ”What steps do I need to take to change the oil in my car?”, then several websites are available to go to. Siri can answer complex math equations, tell you who was the 21^st President of the US (Chester Arthur), how far the moon is from the earth (238,856 miles), what is the most aggressive animal (crocodile). She knows what day of the week your birthday has been since birth and even into the future. Need to know the NFL game schedule? ask Siri. She can answer nearly any question based on facts that are documented. As with any computer they are limited to the data that is past and present. Any predictions of major future events are simply hypothetical. We can find answers to things of the past, but the “when” of the future belongs to God alone and is an unknown mystery.

I think the most asked question that doesn’t always get answered to our satisfaction is “why”. Sometimes facts reveal the why, other times the answer to why is held captive by time itself only to be released as it pleases or never. A perfect example would be something like this: you fall and have a serious injury and now you’re laid up for months in bed. It could be because you weren’t paying attention and tripped over something. That why question answers itself. After laying around for a week you get bored, antsy, or even depressed. Then comes the next question, “Why did this have to happen to me?” There is no answer to fully satisfy that why. Sometimes well-meaning people will try to comfort those who are asking the unanswerable why by saying ignorant things. One such instance I can think of is telling grieving parents who are experiencing the death of a child that “God must have needed another little angel.” In the first place nowhere is it found in the Bible that anyone becomes an angel when they die. Secondly, if God did need another angel, which He doesn’t, he would just create one. Thirdly, what opinion would that couple have of God that He would do that to them. Quit trying to answer the whys you know nothing about with stupid sympathy card-like platitudes. The biggest why is masked as a question but is really an accusation. Who hasn’t heard someone say, “If there is a loving God, then why did He let this happen?” I can answer that in just three words: “I don’t know.” However, speaking personally, every hardship, loss and unexplainable why I’ve had has caused me to seek God more and not doubt His existence or love. Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. We often don’t understand how even the bad things can have a part in God’s purpose for our lives. The deeper problem is that many people have a misconception about the nature of God that is rooted in the belief that He should prevent or fix everything bad, wrong, or evil that comes their way. When He doesn’t, they simply write Him off.

God has a plan we can’t see beyond the unexplainable whys. In Genesis 37-50 we read the account of how Joseph’s brothers, out of jealousy, sold him to the Ishmaelites where he ended up being a slave in Egypt. He suffered many things unjustly and found himself in prison. I’m sure he asked many why questions that weren’t answered. Pharoah had a dream and Joseph was the only one to whom God gave the interpretation. He was promoted to number two man in Egypt second to only Pharoah. He saved Egypt from a severe seven-year famine that affected the whole middle east. His brothers came seeking food and He eventually reveals himself to them. Listen to what he tells them in chapter 50: 20. “But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.” Could it be possible that one reason God doesn’t answer your why right away is that He is working behind the scenes to accomplish something that will benefit many? All Mary and Martha could see was their brother Lazarus was dead because Jesus wasn’t there to prevent it. God had a greater plan and purpose which was to raise him from the dead. Job lost everything in one day. He didn’t ask why, but simply blessed God and worshipped Him. He didn’t give in to the urgings of his wife to curse God and die. God blessed Job in his latter days and restored to him twice as much as he had before. Just because God doesn’t answer or explain every why we have, He still hears us and isn’t upset by our asking. For the Christian we must look past the whys. That is where trust, faith, and perseverance thrive and has its rewards. Don’t think for a moment that God didn’t hear His only son Jesus as He hung on the cross and cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” In the middle of the pain and suffering Jesus was able to look beyond the why with great joy knowing the redemption He was accomplishing for all mankind. He told His disciples beforehand that after three days He would rise from the dead. That new life He offers (what) is available now (when) to all who (who) will call upon His name (how) for salvation and surrender their lives to His lordship. There is a time coming whether in this life or the next that God will answer all our whys, until then, just trust Him.

By: Denny

This was the name of a TV game show that first aired in 1956. It had four celebrities on a panel who tried to guess which of three contestants was the real person that they all claimed to be. The contestants stood on stage behind a curtain. The curtain would rise revealing the dark silhouettes of three people. As the spotlight illuminated the first person, the host would say, “Number one, what is your name?” They would say a name. The same procedure followed the other two contestants each saying the same name. The host would then read aloud an affidavit describing the incredible talent, unique job, or unusual achievement of the featured person. The contestants would then be seated as a panel across from the celebrities. Each celebrity was given one minute to ask any pertinent questions from the contestants that might give them clues as to who the real person was. Only the real person was required to tell the truth while the other two imposters would try to fool them with their answers. It was often hard to discern who the real person was because the answers given by the others seemed to be true. The celebrities would then secretly vote for who they thought the real person was by writing the corresponding contestant’s number (1,2,3) on a card. It was fun to play along and make your own guesses. One at a time each celebrity was asked to reveal their vote by showing their card and explain the reasons why they voted for that person. Afterwards the host would say that all familiar line, “Will the real (name of person) please stand up!” Some would act like they were going to stand thereby increasing the drama, but then sit back down as the real person stood up. The two other imposters would be asked to reveal their names and a brief description of their real identity. They were awarded a certain amount of money for each wrong vote they were able to acquire, often proving that celebrities aren’t the smartest people in the room. The show continued with two more sets of three contestants for the duration of the half hour. As a side note, commercials lasted one minute with only one sponsor. Unlike today when they last five minutes or longer with multiple advertisements. I’m thankful for the mute button, but who isn’t tired of all the Medicare, Camp Lejeune, prescription drugs, cell phones, diet plans, lawyers seeking clients, must have insurance policies, Viagra, credit cards, and now a flood of political adds as the midterm 2022 election approaches. Concerning that subject, will you have the discernment to know who’s telling the truth and vote accordingly or be fooled by the imposters?

There is one commercial that I’ve only seen one time recently, but it set off red flags in my mind and spirit. It is shown in black and white, which makes no sense to me, and is simply called, He Gets Us. The He they refer to is Jesus. Though I’ve only seen the one so far, there are many others already being broadcast nationwide. I went online and viewed several of them and researched who is behind the producing and funding. The organization is called Signatry, a supposedly Christian foundation based in Kansas and funded by a few anonymous backers contributing 100 million dollars toward the campaign. According to their website, https://hegetsus.com , the goal of their movement is to free the story of Jesus from hypocrites and extremists. By the way, if you hold to the belief that Jesus is God and not merely a man, the Bible is His written word to be taken literally, there is only one gospel, and that true followers of Jesus are to proclaim it without wavering and compromise; then you are the extremists they are referring to. They say they want to fix Jesus’ brand from damage done by some of his followers and reintroduce Americans to Jesus. Like so many product commercials they are trying to present a new and improved version of Jesus. It is a very slick marketing plan that focuses solely on Jesus’ humanity. They reduce Jesus to being simply a man who struggled in life just like us, therefore it’s okay to be who you are because he gets us. Their attempt to make Jesus more palatable to the general population is incomplete, wrong, and borders on heresy. They totally exclude His divinity and there is no mention of sin and how He called people to repent. Their intention is to inspire, but deception is the result if you buy into this falsehood and Woke ideology. If you click on the connect button on their website, they will even help you locate and find a church that understands, accepts, and makes you feel comfortable in your sin and who you choose to be. In further research I found a website by Natasha Crain. https://natashacrain.com I highly recommend taking a few minutes to go there. She thoroughly debunks and exposes the He Gets Us campaign by listing seven problems with it that don’t line up with the Bible. She is not alone among true believers who see the danger masked behind the rhetoric of these imposters.

Jesus warned about false prophets and their deception. Matthew 24:4-5 “Take heed that no one deceives you, for many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ’, and will deceive many.” Vs 11 “Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.” Vs 23 “Then if anyone says to you, “Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it.” In Acts 17:16-33 the Apostle Paul preached to the Athenians who (vs 21) spent their time in nothing else but either to tell or to hear some new thing. He proclaimed Jesus in all His fullness, the resurrection, and God’s command that all should repent. In writing to the Galatians, he marveled that they were turning away from the true gospel to a different perverted one. He wrote in Colossians 2:8 “Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.” He wrote to Timothy saying that in the latter times some will depart from the faith giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons. (1 Timothy 4:1) Likewise the Apostle John reiterates the same things in writing; “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” In John 10 Jesus says He is the good shepherd, and His sheep follow Him for they know His voice. Yet, they won’t follow a stranger, but will flee from him for they do not know the voice of strangers. I could go on quoting many more scriptures to make the Bible’s view plain on this topic, but space doesn’t permit me. It has been said that to recognize the counterfeit, you need to study the real. The real Jesus is only found and revealed in the Bible, not on a TV commercial. In conclusion, whose voice are you hearing and are you following imposters or the real Jesus. It’s my opinion, experience, and observation that Christians can be some of the most gullible people, eager to accept every new thing that comes down the pike with the Jesus label on it. It’s time to cast your vote (make up your mind) because the real Jesus will soon stand up. The question then won’t be if He Gets You, but rather did You Get Him. The only you He wants to get is all of you, so give yourself to the real Jesus.

The Bible and the TV Guide

On the table side-by-side, the Holy Bible and the TV Guide.

One is well-worn but cherished with pride, not the Bible but the TV Guide.

One is used daily to help folks decide, no, it isn’t the bible, it’s the TV Guide.

As the pages are turned, what will they see, oh, what does it matter, turn on the TV.

Then confusion reigns as they can’t all agree, on what they will watch on the old TV.

So they open the book in which they confide, no, not the Bible, it’s the TV Guide.

The Word of God is seldom read, maybe a verse before they fall into bed.

Exhausted, sleepy, and as tired as can be, not from reading the Bible but from watching TV.

So, then back to the table side-by-side, is the Holy Bible and the TV Guide.

No time for prayer, no time for the Word, the plan of salvation is seldom heard.

Forgiveness of sin so full and free, is found in the Bible, not on TV.

 (Author Unknown)

By: Denny

Genesis 2:18a – And the lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone.”

There is a reality show on TV that has caught our interest lately. It’s one of those wilderness survival shows with continuing episodes all season. It is simply called “Alone”. I guess it has been on for many years, so we are obviously watching reruns. The premise is that ten people, both men and women who have expert survival skills, volunteer to be placed individually in some remote location miles apart. Most of the locations are on or near the shores of a lake, river, or ocean, accessed only by boat or helicopter. None of them know where the others are, thus the title “Alone”. They each are allowed to take ten items of their choice (other than clothes and sleeping bag) The object or plot is to see who can last the longest and win the prize money. It varies from $500,000 to one season that awarded $1,000,000 to the person who lasted 100 days in the Canadian Northwest Arctic in the winter. They each are issued a satellite phone and a video camera which they are required to film themselves and comment on their progress. The phone is capable of only contacting the base in case of a physical injury or other emergency. It’s main use though is when they’ve had enough and want to be picked up. It is called “tapping out” and they are eliminated from the competition. Each person must use their skills to construct their shelter, provide food and water, gather wood for a fire, and use whatever natural resources that are available for their survival. Many times, they are having to deal with wild animals such as bears, wolves, cougars, foxes, and other critters who are competing for the same food source or want to eat them. Two people tapped out after the first night when they were threatened by bears. They aren’t allowed to take a gun, but almost all have a knife, an axe, and a few have taken a bow and arrows or fashioned their own. Some were fortunate to be located where there were plenty of fish, while others built primitive traps to catch small animals. In desperation they would catch and eat mice which was gross. There were plants to eat if you knew which ones were safe. Many times, they would go for days without anything to eat, and they all lost weight and became weaker as the days and weeks passed. Everyone commented that it was harder than they expected. Some kept going on shear will power hoping to win the big prize money. The energy required wore down their physical endurance to the point that simple tasks became difficult. The lack of a stable food source rich in protein caused many to tap out. A few were removed due to malnutrition and others tapped out for the same reason. Two guys lost their fire striker. A woman cut her hand badly while chopping wood and had to be airlifted to a hospital. A guy built a makeshift canoe which tipped over and he got hypothermia, and the same happened to another whose shelter got flooded. They all said that the mental and emotional stress of being alone without any human contact was the hardest thing and greatest challenge to overcome. Several tapped out because they couldn’t take being alone and away from loved ones any longer. In the beginning, the guy who came in second place was boastful, proud, and arrogant thinking he would win hands down. He had a short temper and was always swearing. At the end the video shows him having a total breakdown on his knees in deep sobbing praying and crying out to God. Even though he didn’t win the money, in my opinion he won a greater prize. God knows that it isn’t good for people to live their lives alone, but in this case, it caused the brokenness that turned him to God.

I once heard it said that God will take you the easiest way you’ll come. Though some come easier than others, He knows what it takes for you to become broken to the point you call out to Him. He specializes in taking broken lives and making them chosen vessels of honor to accomplish much for spreading the gospel and furthering the Kingdom of God. Jesus was quoting the prophesy of Isaiah 61:1-3 about himself when He proclaimed in Luke 4:18-19 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” Jesus told the Parable of the Soils found in Matthew 13, Mark 4, and Luke 8. In explaining the meaning of the parable privately to His disciples, He says the seed is the word of God and the four soils represent the condition of the hearts of those who hear it. All heard it, but only the seed that fell on good ground took root that produced lasting fruit for the Kingdom of God. In reading and understanding the parable and the explanation, my conclusion is that the good soil is the hearts of those who are truly broken in repentance before God. Over the years I’ve seen many people weeping in brokenness at the alter pouring themselves out and giving their lives in surrender to Jesus. Even more are those who’ve held back, not allowing their brokenness to be a pathway that could lead to healing and restoration, as they refused to turn to God. Call me old-fashioned or even nostalgic, but I long for the days when people would be at the alter on their knees weeping in brokenness until God touched them, then getting up totally changed. I don’t intend to be critical, but these days pastors, preachers, and evangelists make it too easy or at the least underemphasize the role that Holy Spirit conviction and brokenness plays in a person coming to Christ.

When Jesus was hanging on the cross, He was naked, beaten, whipped and bleeding from wounds that made Him almost unrecognizable. He was suffering a horrific death, ALONE, yet surrounded by people mocking Him. The sin of all humanity past, present, and future was placed on Him that day. Jesus felt alone as He cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” There is no aloneness that can compare to being alone without God. In fact, that would be a good description of hell. They taunted Him by saying, “If you are the Son of God, save yourself and come off the cross.” Had He wanted to, He could’ve “tapped out” by summoning twelve legions of angels (Matthew 26:53), but what He was accomplishing for us far outweighed the suffering and embarrassment of the moment. Fast forward to 2022. Only God is the judge knowing the heart of those who are genuinely repentant. However, are we allowing Him to fully do the work He wants to if we’re more concerned whether people are embarrassed and comfortable in not wanting others to see them raise a hand. If they’re too embarrassed or aren’t allowed to stand before believers in a church service confessing and accepting Christ, will they stand for Him outside or tap out. Read the parable again, three out of four tapped out for various reasons. Accepting Jesus as your Savior is done in the heart, not in your intellect as a religious ritual. These types of alter calls rob the body of Christ in witnessing and experiencing the joy of seeing a sinner turn to Jesus, and the opportunity to identify and encourage them afterwards. That’s like a doctor who’s about to deliver a baby telling the attending father to close his eyes because the baby might be embarrassed. The Christian life is not meant to be experienced and lived alone but shared with everyone.

Jesus spoke about the believer’s need for endurance as did Paul in Hebrews 10:36 For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise. In addressing some issues going on in the church at Corinth, Paul finds himself having to defend himself as an apostle in 2 Corinthians 11. In so doing he begins reciting a whole litany of things he’s suffered as an apostle beginning at verse 23. Despite all that, he remained faithful to the gospel and his calling and didn’t tap out when the going got rough. He wrote in 2 Thessalonians chapter two about the falling away (tapping out) that would happen in the last days as many would leave the faith giving heed to false doctrines. We are living in times where there is so much opposition against Christians and you may be tempted to take the easy way and tap out rather than endure hardship, but hang in there, you are not “alone”. He will come and save you!

By: Denny

At some time, we’ve either heard or said the saying, “Hindsight is better than foresight”. The implication is that when you’re in the middle of a situation you often don’t see clearly. Maybe it is a decision that needs to be made and, in the moment, you think you’re making the right choice. In retrospect, time has a way of proving you right or wrong. It can be a short time but may be years later when hindsight knocks on your door. As far as the future goes, it is easier to see where you’ve been compared to the unknown that lies ahead. In some ways it would be nice to know what tomorrow holds, but then there would be no surprises. Life would become boring and robotic, on the other hand, you could be overtaken by fear, worry, and anxiety. There are both good and bad things about the future that if we had knowledge of, they would affect the decisions we make today. What would you do if you knew the winning numbers of the next Power Ball lottery? Would you board a plane that you knew was going to crash? Would you let your kids go to school if you knew there would be another shooting on that day? Would you sell or invest in the stock market today if you knew what would happen tomorrow? Knowing what something would cost tomorrow might influence your purchases today. Even knowing the weather six months from now might be a factor in planning a trip or vacation. There are certain things in the future that are beyond our control, however, the choices people make today will determine many of the aspects of the future for us all. Would you still have voted the way you did if you knew how bad things would be today? There is another election coming in November so remember this: “If nothing changes, then nothing changes”, and things will get worse given the direction liberals and progressives are taking us. Elections matter! – Just saying.

Since life is basically a matter of choices we are constantly making, wouldn’t it be helpful to have a manual or a book to guide us in making the right ones? There is such a book, it is the Bible. Though it doesn’t give specific instructions pertaining to many decisions and choices we make such as: what career to pursue, where to live, to marry or not and to who, should you buy or rent a house. That is just a short list of some major choices and decisions I could think of that have the greatest impact on the future for most of us. Obviously, there are a multitude of other decisions we face and make daily that also steer the direction of our lives. Figuratively speaking, the Bible is like an owner’s manual that is included with the purchase of a major appliance, tools, electronic devices, all kinds of vehicles, and anything else you can imagine. They usually contain a warning section which most people read briefly, and instructions for care to extend the longevity of your investment. Even clothes and other apparel have a little tag telling the dos and don’ts of how to clean them. Clearly the Bible is full of dos and don’ts and warnings along with many ifs and thens. IF you obey God and His truths, THEN you will be blessed. IF not, THEN you will suffer the consequences. The universal fundamental law of sowing and reaping applies to everyone. The decisions you make today and the values that guide your life will someday yield a harvest. The question therefore is: What seeds are you planting today that may someday in the future cause you to say, “If I only knew then what I know now”. The Bible is the literal Word of God which reveals who He is. When it is read with believing faith, we gain wisdom and knowledge to know Him and seek His will for our lives. He also promises to give the Holy Spirit to those who ask. Luke 11:13   If you then being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him. Without the help of the Holy Spirit, we can’t understand God the father and His ways, much less His word. 1 Corinthians 2:14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.  The Bible is full of examples of real people and the decisions they made both good and bad. They serve as a pattern to follow or to avoid. Not only does the Bible record the past, but it will also guide our present if allowed to do so. So many people have made predictions about the future only to fail and make fools of themselves. The future is in God’s hands, and he alone has knowledge of all tomorrows. Therefore, submit your life to Him, live for Him today, make wise decisions by consulting His word, ask for discernment, believe His promises, pray, and wait for the answers and trust Him with your future. Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.

On many occasions, Jesus spoke plainly of future events that will occur before His eminent return, and they weren’t mere predictions. If you possess any biblical knowledge and discernment, you must agree that much of what He said is happening in our lifetime. There is yet to come a day when everyone will stand before God and be made to give account for their lives. What will you say? Hopefully you won’t hang your head in shame and say, “If I only knew then what I know now”. The biggest decision you need to make in this life is what will you do about Jesus. Will you accept or reject Him? Here’s the deal: You can know now what you will know then. The choice is yours to make today but choose wisely as your eternal destiny is at stake. If you call yourself a Christian, is your life, value system, and the decisions you make bringing glory to God and honoring Him? Hindsight is good if it gives you the foresight to make the right changes in the decisions you make today. We all mess up and have regrets about some of the decisions and choices we’ve made, but God can redeem your past and give you a new future. Don’t wait for tomorrow to ask Him because tomorrow may never come. Today’s excuses may be tomorrow’s hindsight that you may regret. God doesn’t want excuses; He only wants you. I want to share the following poem which I composed in 1996. I think it is a fitting ending to this blog post.

The Heart of the Father (based on Luke 14:16-24)

The heart of the Father says come to my table, into my presence, for I’ve made you able.

The heart of the Father is calling today, come to my table, and do not delay.

The heart of the Father says come enter in, surrender your life and be free from your sin.

O the heart of the Father is calling out, time is now short and soon He will shout.

So come to His table, resist Him no more, for the heart of the Father will soon close the door.

All is made ready and there’s still room you see, hear the Father’s heart sighing, “Oh where can they be?”

“Did you urge them to come?” “Have you told them plainly?”

“What excuse can be given, by them or by thee.”

In my previous blog post entitled “Who’s Your Hero?” I gave reference to three poems that I wrote. I have decided to post them separately in this post. To get the most benefit and understanding of their meaning, I would first suggest that you scroll down and read that post first. Thank you for reading my blogs and I hope God is speaking to you through them.

This poem is dedicated to my dad, Kenny Hook. He taught me how to drive trucks, things you can’t learn from books or truck driving school. He was a truck driver for as long as I can remember. I used to ride with him and thus began my dream. He was an “Old School” truck driver, a dying breed. I recited this poem at his funeral April 1990. It is my favorite poem.

         Just Like My Dad                            

When I was a boy I used to say, “I’m going to drive a truck like my dad someday.”

It seemed like time stood still back then, but it couldn’t stop my dreams when I was ten.

My mind was made up; a trucker I’ll be, I loved to imagine the places I’d see.

Like Hollywood, where movies are made, and Arizona, where there is no shade.

I’ll go to Las Vegas and see the bright lights, and walk in the desert on moonlit nights.

Up to Montana, they say the sky is big, I’ll see lots of country from the cab of my rig.

Places like Texas and New Mexico, why, there isn’t any place that I won’t go.

Down to Florida to see the beach, there was no place my dreams couldn’t reach.

So I waited and waited . . . impatiently, for time to pass so I could be;

Just like my dad and drive a big rig, my hopes were high, my dreams were big.

So much has happened since way back then, I’m no longer a boy the age of ten.

I’ve gained some wisdom through the years, by closing my mouth and opening my ears.

This one thing I’ve found to be true, a fact that I will share with you.

The only difference between men and boys, is not their age, but the size of their toys.

The years have come and gone so fast, those hopes and dreams are things of the past.

I’ve seen all the places I wanted to most, from border to border and coast to coast.

I’ve pulled the steep Rockies way out West, conquered her grades and passed the test.

Thousands of miles and sleepless nights, I can name every city by seeing it’s lights.

I cannot begin to count the loads, but how well I remember all the roads.

In all kinds of weather . . . good and bad, I am a truck driver . . . just like my dad.

The following poem was written for my Uncle Raymond and Aunt Rhea Klaus. I spent my summers on their farm in my early teens and they had great influence on my life. They were authentic Christians and set a good example for me by observing their lives and dedication to Christ.

50 Golden Years

50 years we now celebrate, 50 years of time, chance, and fate.

50 years have come and gone so fast, but time moves on; only the memories last.

Our friends are all with us on this our special day, everyone is cheerful, happy, and gay.

Joy and laughter fills the room, this is certainly not a place for gloom.

“Do you remember when?”, is the most heard phrase, expressing memories of by-gone days.

50 years! Praise God, we made it at last! We’re all celebrating 50 years now past.

But amidst the laughter, joy and cheers, we have our own memories of those 50 years.

They all gather around us to wish us well, but only we know the secret things that no one can tell.

Times when laughter was not to be found, when we cried out to God with our faces to the ground.

When we didn’t know what the next day would bring, or if we’d be able to plant our crops in the spring.

Lonely days and many sleepless nights, when God seemed so distant, and nothing went right.

We raised three children the best we could, praying every day that they’d all turn out good.

In a world of heartaches others have quit, we’ve never used that word; it just doesn’t fit.

There were times so bad it seemed like only death would bring relief, but we would join our hands and together endure the grief.

Through disappointments, discouragements, death, disease, our goal remains . . .  the Lord we will please.

For He is the one who brought us this far, He is our confidence; our Bright Morning Star.

Another 50 years we are ready to face, we have strength to go on . . . because of His grace.

For 50 years; let us tell you our story, for “50 Golden Years” . . . to God be the Glory!

This next poem was written for Mother’s Day 1985 and dedicated to Sandy Nunes whom I consider my spiritual Mom. Jim and Sandy were my first pastors after I was born again and have impacted my spiritual growth more than anyone.

Mom

My natural mom you may be not, but do not think you’ve been forgot.

For a mom is more than the wife of a dad, who knows all you’ve done . . . good and bad.

Who changed my diapers when I was a squirt, and spanked my butt till it hurt, hurt, hurt!

Wiping my nose and washing my clothes, feeding my face . . .  I thank God for His grace!

Hoping and praying I’d turn out alright, and caring enough to ask, “Where were you last night?”

Well now I’m grown and left the nest, and my mom of moms can get some rest.

They say a mother’s work is never done, I thank the Lord He gave me more than one.

Not just to raise me and take care of my bod, but to encourage and help me in the ways of God.

For there is a closeness, I’m sure you’ll agree, in the Spirit of the Lord between you and me.

No matter what mess we might be in, the Bible says, “We win! We Win!”

So on we go towards the upward call, pressing on together . . . me and yawl.

Love you Sandi (Mom)

By: Denny

Everyone needs a hero. The dictionary defines a hero as having these character traits: great strength or abilities, brave, courageous, fearless, daring, dauntless, gallant, valiant, stalwart, a person admired for their achievements and qualities. We often think a hero is someone who fights for what is right and good. They rescue and defend the helpless. They sacrifice themselves and risk their lives and are willing to die for what they believe. Heroes can be people, animals, or fictional characters. Every generation has had their heroes. Growing up we used to watch Saturday morning cartoons featuring such renown heroes as Mighty Mouse, Underdog, and Rocky and Bullwinkle. LOL Who can forget Lassie, Rin-Tin-Tin, Flipper the dolphin, or Gentle Ben the bear. Batman, Superman, and Zorro were caped crusaders who always showed up when needed. Popeye was an ordinary sailor man who when he ate spinach (seriously, couldn’t they have chosen something better) immediately gained great strength to rescue his beloved Olive Oyle from Brutus. Likewise, Dudley Do-right was always rescuing Nell from the clutches of the villainous Snidely Whiplash. Westerns were popular featuring the heroics of the Lone Ranger, Roy Rogers, John Wayne, and Sky King. If you do not know who he was ask Siri, she knows. Gradually the portrayal of heroes drifted from actual people to fictional characters who each possessed a unique single power. The list is too numerous, and more are being continually added. As a kid it’s fun to imagine yourself having those kinds of powers to do heroic deeds, but that’s not reality. Far too many younger people live in a virtual fantasy world. I think TV, movies, video games, and other media exaggerates, misrepresents, and overplays the idea of what a true hero is.

I have had many people in my life who I consider to be heroes and I wanted to emulate. None of them became famous and gained a huge following. My dad was a truck driver. I had fond memories of riding with him sometimes as a kid. I wanted to be just like him and see far away places. He was my hero and taught me how to be a good truck driver. He corrected me when I made mistakes and praised me for doing things right, because he wanted me to be better than he was. In 1987 I penned a poem called “Just Like My Dad” and dedicated it to him. My Uncle Raymond Klaus was another such person. I spent a few summers on his farm in my early formative teen years. My cousin Leland was fifteen years older than me, and I looked up to him also. They had three farms plus they did custom combining and silo filling. Uncle Raymond was always cheerful, kind, and compassionate. I never once heard him swear or get angry even in situations when others came unglued. At the age of nine he lost his left arm in a farm accident and wore a prosthetic arm with a hook. He never complained and could do the work of two men, often before sunrise to late at night. I developed a work ethic being on the farm and that a hard day’s work helped build character. Raymond was never in a hurry. Though there was no end to the work to do, every morning after breakfast he led his family in Bible reading and prayer. I came to enjoy those moments and they had enormous influence on my life. He was a man of God who honored Jesus with his life, a life that spanned ninety-seven years. In honor of their 50^th anniversary I composed a poem entitled “50 Golden Years” for my Uncle Raymond and Aunt Rhea. Other heroes in my life who deserve mention are Jim and Sandi Nunes. They were my first pastors after I was saved in 1983. I consider them to be my spiritual mom and dad. They had no children and symbolically adopted me as a son. They contributed the most in my growth in Christ, His Word, and training for ministry. Many of my writings and values are an outflow of their input into my life. I also authored a poem for Sandi called “Mom” honoring her on Mother’s Day 1985.

This is just my opinion, but as a dad or mom you should be the hero your kids want to be like. No one is perfect and we all make mistakes, but that does not disqualify or define what a true hero is. The bible is full of people who were great heroes despite their flaws. Hebrews chapter eleven lists many of them and the things they accomplished. They were ordinary people like you and me, yet it was their faith in God whereby they did extraordinary heroic acts. Sometimes the greatest heroic action a person can do is to stand for truth and not compromise your Biblical values and faith in Almighty God. You see, being a hero is not only about what you can do but is also about what you choose not to do. Think about that.

You may think it strange, but God has heroes too. In fact, Heaven is full of heroes. Its entrance is obtained solely by faith and not works as stated in Ephesians 2: 8-9 and Hebrews 11:6. We often see and hear in the news how a certain individual is being honored or rewarded for a single heroic act, which is well-deserved and commendable. How is it then that the heroic actions of Jesus Christ who laid down His life for the saving of all humanity is belittled, slighted, or even rejected by so many these days. They would rather create their own heroes to their own liking and imitate them. It borders on idol worship. So, you want to be a superhero and possess great powers? The greatest and first action you need to take is by faith believe and accept that Christ died for you on the cross, ask forgiveness for your sins and repent, and take up your cross and follow Him. The cross was an instrument of death and suffering. We are not supposed to drag a literal cross around everywhere we go, but are you willing to bear the reproach, ridicule, rejection, and suffering to be God’s hero? The rewards Heaven promises can only be realized and found in and through a relationship with Jesus Christ. Jesus himself says in John 15:5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”  After Jesus rose from the dead and before He ascended to Heaven, he said he would send the Holy Spirit who would fill and empower all who would believe and receive Him. As it says in Daniel 11:32b “The people who know their God shall be strong and carry out great exploits (heroic actions).” If you are looking for a hero to emulate, look to Jesus. By so doing, you may very well become the hero to a kid who will come to know the Savior as they observe your life. Plastic action figures and visual heroes might be okay for kids to play with and imitate, but eventually when life smacks them down, they will need a hero or heroine with skin on to guide and rescue them. Whose hero will you be?

By: Denny

My first experience of truck driving to California was in 1973. My dad and I were a two-man team. I was twenty years old and already had a few years’ experience driving locally in Iowa and Minnesota. I started out picking up bulk milk from farms with a straight truck then later graduated to driving the semi tanker to Anderson Erickson Dairy in Des Moines. Those were some educational and often rough times, especially in winters having to basically plow my own path on gravel roads in a snowstorm to get to a remote farm. That was like boot camp for what was to come later. At first my dad and I stayed in the central states. Neither of us had ever been to California so when we were offered a load, we jumped at the opportunity to go. It was a load of applesauce from Kansas City, Mo. to Santa Clara, Ca. After loading, we headed west on I-70 to Denver then north on I-25 into Wyoming where we picked up I-80 all the way to California. We worked for Bray Lines based in Cushing, Ok and were driving a 1968 cab-over Freightliner. It had a 270 Cummins motor (no jake brake), 10 speed transmission, and pulled a 40 ft. reefer trailer. It was not the biggest engine back then, but it was fairly common. Looking back now after 50 years of driving and having driven new trucks with powerful motors and jake brakes, I would laugh if anyone asked me to drive a truck with a 270 Cummins over the Rocky Mountains. However, we were up for the adventure. There were a few mountains such as Sherman and Three Sisters in Wyoming plus Summit pass in Utah. These were a walk in the park compared to Donner Pass west of Reno, Nv. I’ve driven over a lot of mountains in my career, but Donner is one killer that I’ve gained respect for. It’s about 30 miles uphill from Reno to the summit and then over 50 miles downhill to Sacramento. It’s like going down stair steps by comparison. There are many 5-7% grades then it levels out for several miles where you can coast before slowing down for the next grade. It was my turn to drive and unfortunately it was Memorial weekend and there was a lot of slow traffic. I had to get on my brakes more than usual. We were only halfway down when my trailer brakes started smoking and began to fade. That’s a feeling you never forget. The next runaway truck ramp was a few miles ahead, but I knew we wouldn’t make it before running into someone going slower. I was able to slow down and pull off on the shoulder and stop just as two tires blew out and both them and the brakes caught fire due to the intense high heat. Fortunately, there was a small stream that flowed into the sandy ditch. We had a bucket and were able to put the fires out and cooled everything down with wet sand. Two hours later we limped the ½ mile to the next exit where there was a tire shop that got everything repaired and replaced. When we got ready to head out, I was going to climb in the passenger seat. My dad asked me what I thought I was doing. I told him I was too scared to drive. Without batting an eye and a serious look, he ordered me to get behind the steering wheel. His exact words were, “You got us this far and you’re going to get us the rest of the way down.” “Quitting isn’t an option, and if you’re ever going to make it as a professional truck driver, you have to fight and overcome fear.” He was basically saying, “either fight or stay home.” It was the best thing he could’ve done. I did get us off that giant of a mountain and many others afterwards. He later confessed to me that he was a little scared too. He said being scared is okay because it keeps you from becoming overconfident. It’s when you become paralyzed with fear that you make mistakes or quit. That experience and his words of wisdom gave me the courage that I would draw from many times over the next 48 years.

I’m reminded of David and the Bible’s account when he defeated Goliath the Philistine giant found in 1 Samuel chapter 17. Israel and the Philistines were enemies. They were faced off to do battle with each side positioned on separate mountains with a valley between them. Goliath was a warrior who stood nearly 10 feet tall. His armor alone weighed 125 lbs. He carried a javelin across his shoulders, a huge sword at his side, and a spear in his hand whose spearhead weighed 15 lbs. As if that wasn’t enough, he had a man bearing his shield going before him. Just the sight of him was quite intimidating and struck fear into the entire army of Israel. Goliath would come and stand in the valley and challenge Israel to send out a man to fight him. This went on for 40 days, but nobody came forward to meet the challenge. They were all cowards, including King Saul. Enter David, he was the youngest of the eight sons of Jesse their father. The three oldest were in the army of Israel and Jesse sent David to deliver some food to them and inquire how the battle was going. It just so happened that David arrived at the camp when the army was shouting and going out to battle. He saw Goliath and heard his mocking threats and witnessed everyone turn tail retreating in fear. David was dumbfounded as he exclaimed in verse 26, “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the Living God?” His brothers were angry with him for even being there and in short told him to go home where he belonged tending the sheep and leave this battle up to those who were qualified. Ironically, those who were qualified weren’t engaging in the fight and were running from it. David states, “Is there not a cause?”, and boldly proclaims that he will go fight Goliath. Whereupon he is promptly brought before king Saul. Seeing that David is just a youth, Saul assumes and concludes that David doesn’t stand a chance against an experienced warrior as Goliath. David recites that he has killed both lion and bear when they came and attacked the sheep and Goliath will meet the same fate. Saul tries to put his own armor on David, but he couldn’t even walk in it. David took it off saying all he needed was his sling which had served him well in the past, and he was deadly accurate in using it. So here comes Goliath once again spewing out his arrogant taunting. When all others before had cowered and run from him, David instead runs toward him with unflinching boldness. David declares (my paraphrase), Dude, you may have the most modern weapons and armor, but the Lord is on my side and because you have defied Him; you are dead meat, and He will deliver you into my hand. Before Goliath can even draw his sword, David slings a stone, it sinks into Goliath’s forehead, and he falls to the ground face down. David runs and cuts off his head with the giant’s own sword. The army of Israel, seeing that David had killed Goliath, were then emboldened, and rose to defeat the Philistines who were running in fear. It’s amazing what a courageous person can accomplish when walking in truth, fully knowing the Lord and whose confidence is in Him alone.

The modern-day church has had its analogous lions and bears, but unlike David who slayed them, many church denominations have capitulated, ran from, or compromised in one way or another. Consider how the whole declaration about the so-called “separation of church and state” has caused the church to retreat from or be cast out of those institutions that once held her values and doctrines dear. As she incrementally gave up ground to a few in the misguided minority, there has been a gradual and constant onslaught to silence her voice, infiltrate her ranks and pollute her values and truths. Jesus warned his disciples to beware of the leaven (doctrines and teachings) of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Once introduced and accepted leaven affects and changes the whole. Likewise, Paul warned the church at Corinth about the leaven of sexual immorality that was in their midst. He didn’t call for debate, take a survey, present bogus scientific evidence, or consult experts. He simply ordered them to purge it and clean it out. In the same manner he wrote to the Galatian church who began to stray from the true gospel of grace which he brought to them, and turn to another under the law promoted by false teachers who had crept in. In today’s terminology, they were a bunch of creeps! As I read the New Testament, I can’t help but to conclude that the life of a true follower of Jesus Christ is a constant battle to live and stand for truth as found only in Him. We are called to contend, strive, and fight for the truth and to resist, expose, and oppose everything to the contrary. No battle is ever won by appeasement, yet in so many ways some churches have done just that by twisting the truth as Peter wrote. (2 Peter 3:16) I’m not much of a book reader, but I recently purchased and read one called, “Dangerous Affirmation” by M.D. Perkins. I highly recommend it. The true church of Jesus Christ is made up of individual believers not exclusively confined to the four walls of a building. We are facing many Goliaths and this book delves into and exposes one of the big ones. The battle lines have been drawn, and the opposition comes both from inside the church and the secular political outside. The bible clearly says that there will come apostasy and a falling away from the faith in the last days. If you’re a believer with any discernment, you have sensed the last days are at the doorstep if not already here.

In Ephesians chapter 6 Paul talks about putting on the full armor of God and fighting in the spiritual realm. Just as the devil uses people to propagate and advance his agenda, so I also believe God wants to use His people in bringing His kingdom to a lost and dying world. The battle is two-fold, both spiritual and physical as even Paul prayed for boldness that he would open his mouth and speak the truth. Jesus said that the gates of hell would not prevail against His church and the victory is clearly ours. I skipped ahead and read the book of Revelation. However, we need to do our part because it can’t be fought by silently sitting on the sidelines cowering in fear or running from the battle. We must be like David and run to the battle and “Either Fight or Stay Home”.

By: Denny

There was a TV show that aired from 1950 – 1961 called This is Your Life. It was hosted by Ralph Edwards. He would have a guest who was a well-known personality and surprise them by bringing people from their past to recount memories they have of that person. They would speak from offstage then afterwards be brought onstage. It usually was someone the guest hadn’t seen for decades such as a childhood friend or maybe their third-grade teacher. It was interesting and fun to see their unrehearsed reactions. This got me to thinking about my life and people I’ve known. What would they say about me? Hopefully it would be something good and not embarrassing or something I wouldn’t want anyone to know about. Everyone has plenty of those tucked away in the back of their minds. It’s a mystery how our minds will call up or replay a memory from out of nowhere. You’ll be going about your day and suddenly a memory is triggered. It may be by something you smelled, heard, touched, saw, or a word that was spoken. It’s amazing the amount of information our brains can store with the ability to recall them instantly. Not only that, but with such clarity that you can feel like you’re being transported back in time and reliving the moment.

I recently took a trip down memory lane with the help of the streetside function on Google Maps. I was born in Cedar Rapids, IA and lived there through the sixth grade. My first school that I can remember was Garfield where I attended kindergarten and first grade. I pulled up the house we lived in on 31^st ST NE and retraced the route that my brother and several friends took to walk to school. It showed only .8 of a mile, but it seemed a lot further back then. It was a beautiful walk in the Fall in the crisp air and with trees turning colors and dropping their leaves. I can still remember kicking up piles of them as we walked along. There was always the wonderful smell of people burning leaves which lingered all day. From there we moved to the Noelridge Park area and lived on Dover ST NE. Once again, I did a virtual walk up and down the street and memories began to flood my mind. That’s where David my best friend lived. We did everything together and even had a secret whistle that I can still do. There’s the swimming pool, the sledding hill, the pond we skated on in Winter, the park where we flew our homemade kites now populated by huge trees, and the houses where my many girlfriends lived. Ooops, don’t tell Lucy I said that. Somehow the streets and houses looked smaller than I remembered. I guess everything is big when you’re a kid. I remembered the war games a bunch of us guys played. At night all the kids in the neighborhood played Hide and Seek, Kick the Can, or Spotlight. I remembered the silly ways we would determine who would be “IT”. I virtually walked from house to house doing my old paper route and to my surprise remembered a few of the customer’s names. I relived the Halloween night my brother Steve’s Indian costume caught on fire as he was lighting the jack-o-lantern. I mistakenly thought it was him playing the part as he rolled on the ground putting it out. Then there was the time my sister Kathie accidently got hit in the head when I was swinging a golf club. She’s okay now, I think, if not blame me. 🙂 I recalled swinging so high on our swing set that the legs would come out of the ground. I’ll never forget the time we baby-sat a parakeet for some friends. It got loose in the house and was crushed by a closing door. R.I.P. (LOL now) Also the time the whole family was in the car to go visit some friends of my parents when mom suddenly realized Kathy was still in the bathtub, and the time Kathie got left on the city bus after a trip downtown. I can still see mom running after it and yelling STOP! (ROFLOL) Those were good years growing up and I could go on and on writing about them. Though the majority were good, there were a few bad ones I don’t care to remember. Just as good memories bring happiness the sad or bad ones can also bring back feelings of anger, pain, guilt, and sorrow. I’m confident in saying that such is the case with everyone. So, the question that needs to be answered is: How do you forget the bad memories? We all wish it were as easy as having a delete button. My experience has been that some memories you may never forget. It’s like a recycle bin on your computer that even though a file is deleted you can pull it up at will anytime you want. The difference is what emotion or feelings do the bad memories still stir in you. That’s the deciding factor that determines whether you’ve overcome them.

The Apostle Paul, before his conversion, did much harm to Christians and the early church to the point of putting them in prison or even to death. I’m sure that later those memories would try to haunt him and replay themselves in his mind. He could have been overcome with sorrow and regret if he would’ve dwelt on them. In Phillipians 3:13 he writes, “One thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Even in the words he used it implies there was a struggle in his mind, but he made a conscious effort to forget the past and focus on the greater goal, that being the call of God. He goes on to list in chapter 4:8 those things he encouraged people to dwell and meditate on. Likewise, Peter, who had once denied that he even knew Jesus, didn’t let that memory hinder him in fulfilling his calling. In Genisis 37-50 we read about Joseph and the terrible things he endured, but he states in chapter 41:51 that God had made him to forget the past.

The message of redemption and forgiveness is found throughout the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. God is the only one who can help you forget those bad memories, because all things are possible with Him. When you turn to Him you become a new creation; old things pass away, and all things become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17) God says in Isaiah 43:18, “Do not remember the former things”, and in Jeremiah 31:34, “For I will forgive their iniquities and remember their sin no more.” Friend, we all have memories of mistakes, failures, and regrets that need to be forgotten and put to rest. Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” If I hadn’t experienced this for myself, I would be a hypocrite in writing these blogs. Following is a poem I wrote many years ago which I hope will encourage you.

It’s About Time

Time is cruel it doesn’t stop; it doesn’t care if you’re on top.

It doesn’t ask if you’re okay; it just brings forth another day.

Minute by minute; hour by hour; no one can escape it’s elusive power.

Time is a prison without any bars; whose inmates are sentenced to 24 hours.

Time will reward you if wisely used, and you reap what you sow if time is abused.

What we do is up to us; time doesn’t care; it makes no fuss.

There’s a time for everything under the sun, and one life is given to everyone.

We can’t turn back . . . we have to go on . . . there’s no doing over what’s already done.

We’d all do things different, or so we say; if time would just bring back yesterday.

There are good times . . . to remember; there are bad times . . . to forget,

But today goes on . . . . time’s not over yet.

“Give it some time”, we’ve all heard them say, and healing will come for the yesterdays.

Time is so long . . . when we look ahead, but looking back . . . it’s short instead.

Time is so precious it comes and goes; from where and to nobody knows.

Lonely times are the worst times of all; it’s then we can sense the prison walls.

In the darkest hour; in the middle of night,

We want to give up, but God brings forth His light.

Time is the handkerchief in God’s hand; that dries our tears and helps us to stand.

Time is a gift from God above; it’s not eternal as is His love.

In times past I would worry and doubt,

But since I met Jesus . . . I know what time is about.

                                                                                                       Denny Hook        Copyrighted  1985

If you’ve never asked Jesus to forgive your sins and give Him control of your life, don’t you think It’s About Time?

by: Denny

   W.W.J.D. was an acronym that became very popular among Christians in the 1990’s. It stood for “What Would Jesus Do”. It was supposed to cause people to pause and contemplate how Jesus would respond or react in any situation and move people to do the same. It appeared on everything imaginable from bumper stickers, T shirts, hats, jewelry, billboards, coffee cups, pens, key fobs, tattoos, Bible covers, and the list continues. For some it may have been a way to let people know they were Christians, like a secret handshake. Before that, in the 1960’s and later, cross necklaces, pins, and other cross jewelry was very popular too. In many circumstances it may have been the ice breaker that enabled many to share their testimony, personal faith in Christ, and the good news of the Gospel. Many pastors even used W.W.J.D. as a Sunday sermon. I may be splitting hairs, but I always thought it should have been W.D.J.D. standing for “What Did Jesus Do”. I’ve noticed lately a gradual drifting away from the real Jesus found in the Bible. I wonder how many professing Christians actually are true believers who read God’s word on a regular basis asking the Holy Spirit for revelation to understand the truths therein. It is the Holy Spirit who gives life to the words Jesus spoke. (John 6:63) Jesus referred to Him as the Spirit of Truth who would guide believers into all truth, declare Jesus, and testify of Him. (John 15:26, 16:13-14) Reading or hearing the Word of God even with understanding is an exercise in futility and leads to self-deception unless you become a doer of it as stated in James 1:22.

   Herein lies the danger in my opinion with W.W.J.D. The Apostle Paul in writing to the Galatian churches expressed deep concern that the gospel they had received from him was being perverted and distorted by some. Whenever there is a different gospel there is a different Jesus, or worse yet, no Jesus at all. By comparison, many today are following a different Jesus and preaching a different gospel than what the Bible declares. They pick and choose selected truths from the Word of God and twist them to justify and fit the socially accepted norm of today’s culture. Their Jesus is all loving, all inclusive, and never confrontational regarding sin and calling people to repentance. They believe that by loving and accepting everyone that somehow, maybe by osmosis, they will want to become Christians. They have redefined sin in some cases by calling it an “alternate lifestyle” or a “matter of choice”, such as in abortion. How interesting that in their minds some sins aren’t sins at all, but simply a “coming out” and being free to express their inner selves as they hypothetically suppose God created them to be. They are fawned over for having the courage to do so, especially by the media and Hollywood elite. In America you’re free to be whatever you want, just don’t force or expect everyone else to accept it as normal, or ever forget those with true guts and courage who fought and died to give you that right. It’s a different Jesus they follow when they can’t accept what the Bible calls sin. They misrepresent truth, mishandle grace, and call it love. They even go so far as to celebrate, reinforce, and legitimize those practicing these things by having and attending their pride parades or rallies. They need to read Romans 1: 24-32 with the same open mind they claim to have. Many denominations and churches have rolled out the welcome mat and opened their pulpits with extended arms to allow these and like-minded people to become ministers and teachers, because that’s “What Their Jesus Would Do”. Besides, who wants to be labeled a bigot or called narrow minded, right? Those who won’t stand for truth will fall for lies. If Jesus drove out those who were buying and selling merchandise in the temple with a whip, what do you think He will do with the aforementioned. It’s in the Bible, read it and weep. It should scare the Bajeebies out of you.

    So now we have a new popular saying: “We love the sinner, but we hate the sin.” Although this isn’t a specific Bible verse, the basic principle can be found in the Old and New Testaments, both in the way God treats us and how we are to treat others. As with all scripture there is a proper balance that must be applied and adhered to. If you interpret or filter the Bible through your own opinions, personal values, and feelings, you will derail and jump off the track, if you get my drift. Furthermore, you will conclude rightly that God is not fair, and in fact He isn’t. The Bible declares that He is just and righteous in everything He does. Fairness is a concept that Satan sold to mankind to justify himself and excuse his sin and that of others. A perfect example is found in Matthew 20:1-16 when Jesus told the parable of the laborers. Some may claim that if God is so loving, why will He send people to Hell? That’s not fair! The truth is as spoken by Jesus and written in John 3: 16-20. Everyone is born under the condemnation of sin and unless they turn away from their sin by accepting Christ as savior and repenting, the path they’re already on has Hell as it’s destination. That’s a matter of their choice, not God’s.

    Picture in your mind Lady Justice holding the scales that had a fulcrum point with two plates of equal weight suspended by small chains on each side. Now on one plate put “We love the sinner” and on the other plate place “But we hate the sin”. In your life are they equally balanced or is one side heavier than the other? Do you love the sinner so much that you never present the truth of the gospel to them which can free them from sin? Is that true love? I guess it all boils down to how you define love and sin, doesn’t it? The Apostle Paul had to deal with this very issue in the Corinthian church. (1 Corinthians 5: 1-5) A professing Christian man was involved in sexual immorality. The church knew about it, allowed it to continue, and did nothing to address it. Paul’s way of “Loving the sinner but hating the sin” was to remove him from the church and fellowship. He even went a step further and delivered him to Satan for the destruction of the flesh that his spirit would be saved. In today’s church world that would be unheard of and met with much ridicule, resistance, and opposition against Paul. I’ve been there and done that. What’s the church become when it no longer weeps over sin in its midst? Evidently Paul’s actions were justified, proven right and effective because at some point the man repented and asked for forgiveness. He later wrote in 2 Corinthians 2: 5-11 that the man should be forgiven, welcomed back, and fully restored into fellowship so that he wouldn’t be overcome with too much sorrow.

    I probably should have made a disclaimer at the beginning of this writing saying it may upset some people. I make no apologies for stating the truth, but only quote another saying: “If you’re right, then why are you uptight”. You may have already formed the opinion of me that I’m just another hard-nosed Bible-thumping wacked-out Christian who hates sinners. Not true. This post is more an indictment against those churches and individuals who know what truth is yet refuse to obey it. To use an analogy, the church is supposed to be a hospital for sinners, not a museum for saints. It should be a place of healing, forgiveness, restoration, and hope for the one who seeks help and deliverance; where the anointing, love, abiding presence, and light of God shines bright. However, when sin is coddled, her light will dim, her vision will become blurred, and she will have lost her way. The highway is narrowing and soon you won’t be able to drive half on the road and half on the shoulder if you get my drift.

By: Denny

What are you good at? The short answer is you become good at the things you love. Notice the emphasis on become and love. I think we’ve all heard or even said it ourselves, “Well, I’m not very good at that.” For instance, I’ll never become a good cook because it’s something I don’t love doing. If I had to, I could cook some bacon and eggs or oatmeal for breakfast. It doesn’t take a genius to make a hamburger, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or microwave a pizza. On the other hand, Lucy loves to cook and is the best cook I know. Everyone has God given talents or giftings that need to be discovered, developed, and realized. Happy and content are those who find them. My dream as a boy was to become a truck driver just like my dad, but I had to be trained, submit to, and listen to his instructions. It took years of hard work, dedication, discipline, and practice. Looking back now after 50 years of trucking it’s not bragging to say I was good at it, because I have the awards to prove it and I loved doing it. I’ve seen so many truck drivers who after years of driving still can’t back a 53-foot trailer in a straight line up to a dock. To them it’s just a job. Another thing I love to do and I’m good at is fixing things, building, and problem solving, because it involves figuring things out and working with my hands. In a previous blog post I wrote about building my model railroad layout. Admittedly, I enjoyed planning and constructing it more than operating it because of the challenge it presented. There are things you may love to do but aren’t very good at doing. I inherited my great-grandfather’s fiddle. I always loved fiddle music, so I thought I’d give it a try. I bought some books, took a few lessons, and practiced, practiced, practiced. I can play it, but I don’t have plans to move to Nashville anytime in the future. That’s okay because I know it’s not a talent I have, but I still like playing it for my own enjoyment.  

   I think we should try to do our best at whatever we do, but don’t feel bad or get down on yourself if you aren’t good at everything. Do the things you love to do and excel in them. Don’t compare yourself to someone else’s talents, gifting, and abilities. It’s wise to know your limitations, but you’ll never realize your hidden potential by being afraid to try something new. I hated my Creative Writing class in high school or having to write a book report or term paper, because it was something I had to do to pass the class. I opted out of Speech 101 because I was fearful of speaking in front of people. Ironically and oddly, now that I’m in my later years of life I enjoy writing and I’m not afraid to speak to an audience. I have years of experiences to draw from and write about, and my perspective about life has evolved and matured. I find that writing helps me express myself in many ways. It’s like painting a picture with words. The difference is now it comes from my heart and not my head.

   When I accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior 39 years ago and allowed Him to have control of my life, everything changed. Life itself took on a whole new meaning as I filtered everything through the truths found in the Bible. I had many talents and gifts that were dormant and yet to be discovered, until the Holy Spirit made them to come alive in me. 1 Corinthians 10:31 says, “Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” Far too many people use their gifts and talents to benefit themselves and advance their agenda, but the true followers of Christ should have the mindset to use them in advancing the Kingdom of God. After all, the only things we do on earth in this life that will last are the things we do for Him. Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was. (Matthew 22:36-37) He replied, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” I believe if more people would love God in that way first and foremost, they would become more like him, and the world would see more good and less evil. In 2 Timothy 3 the Apostle Paul wrote about the perilous times to come in the last days. He starts out by saying that people will love themselves and money. He then recites the list of seven “UNs” that they become. Unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, which is nearly a duplicate of what he said in Romans 1:31 where he also adds: undiscerning, untrustworthy, unmerciful. Jesus said He would send the Holy Spirit to be a helper to those who were believers, and they would worship God in spirit and in truth. If you’re not very good at that yet, ask the Holy Spirit to help you. That’s what He was sent to do, and in so doing you’ll avoid those nasty “UNs”.

By: Denny

It was fun to make up silly Knock knock jokes when we were kids. A couple that come to mind go like this: “Knock knock.” “Who’s there?” “Tuba.” “Tuba who?” “Tuba toothpaste.” “Knock knock.” “Who’s there?” “Little old lady.” “Little old lady who?” “I didn’t know you could yodel!”

When someone knocks on your door you ask, “Who’s there?” to confirm their identity before you open the door and let them in. People will identify themselves by saying their name. If it is someone you know you would recognize their voice. You may identify someone visually from a distance by their walk, by their face and body features, or other mannerisms. If you haven’t seen someone for years, you may not recognize them immediately from a distance because we all change as we age. It’s one thing for someone else to know your identity, but tragic when you don’t know who you are. In other words, you’ve lost your identity. Such is the case of someone who has amnesia. They may not remember their name, anything about their past, who they are or where they live. It’s commonly a result of a head injury. Though it’s usually a temporary condition, recovery requires the aid of others to help the person remember who they are. There is a 1987 movie called “Overboard” starring Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell about a woman who has amnesia. It’s a romantic comedy that has a good ending as she rediscovers her identity. Ironically it aired on TV the day after I started this writing. The basic plot is Dean (Kurt Russell) is a carpenter who did some remodeling work for this rich lady Joanna (Goldie Hawn) on her yacht. She wasn’t satisfied with the wood he used and refused to pay him. Shortly afterwards she fell overboard and was picked up by another ship. She ended up in the hospital with amnesia. Dean, a widower with four young boys, saw this as an opportunity to get even. He goes to the hospital claiming Joanna is his wife and calls her Annie. He convinces everyone and she reluctantly goes home with him. He conceals her identity and basically makes her his slave to do the housework and take care of the boys. This goes on for quite some time until one day an incident happens, and she remembers who she really is. In case you haven’t seen the movie I won’t tell you anymore details and how it ends.

Many people these days are like the confused person with amnesia trying to discover who they are. There are voices influencing and telling them they are this or that and they build their identity around what they hear. For instance, one voice says to be successful you must get a degree, assert yourself, climb the corporate ladder, make lots of money, and obtain a respectable position. Another voice says to seek fame and notoriety and you’ll find happiness and significance. Other voices say to base your identity on what the cultural norm and morals of the day are. Some will identify with a politically correct or social cause which becomes the driving force by which they filter all of life. Your identity is also a reflection of your value system. Young children and teenagers have always been on a quest to discover who they are, and that’s a good thing. However, kids today are hearing so many different voices telling them who they are compared to my generation. It’s wrong and sickening when adults who are confused about their own identity are allowed to force their skewed values on impressionable kids with their gender identity agenda. My Bible says it is sin, and I don’t care how many self-proclaimed experts or learned theologians say otherwise. It seems like the devil is working overtime to enslave people to embrace an identity based on their feelings. His tactics really haven’t changed, it’s just more intense as more people get on board with his lies, including many who claim to be Bible-believing Christians. But then we shouldn’t be surprised as the Bible does say there will be a falling away in the last days as stated in 2 Thessalonians 2:3 and described in 2 Timothy 4:3-4.

When Jesus was baptized by John, the Holy Spirit led him into the wilderness where He was alone and fasted for forty days. Afterwards He was hungry. The devil came and tempted Him saying, “If you are the Son of God, turn these stones into bread.” Jesus wasn’t moved to act on His feelings of hunger to satisfy His body. The heart of the issue was the devil’s feeble attempt to get Jesus to question and prove His identity. Jesus was confident of His identity and purpose and withstood two more temptations aimed at questioning who He was. He had no need to prove anything to the devil rebuking him sharply with the very Word of God, and that without debate. Even the unbelieving Pharisees wouldn’t accept it when on several occasions Jesus told them plainly who He was. When sinners come to Christ receiving forgiveness and accepting salvation making Him their Lord, they also take on a new nature and His identity. It’s called being born again and old things pass away. Often the devil and even people will remind you of your past failures trying to label you and make that your identity. King David had many sins and mistakes, but he didn’t let those determine his identity. God’s Word was the foundation that formed his true identity. God Himself called David a man after His own heart, because he repented and turned to God despite his failures.

Jesus spoke in parables so the people would understand a deeper truth. In John chapter 10 He states that He alone is the door through which all must enter the Kingdom of Heaven and eternal life. He refers to Himself as the good shepherd whose sheep hear His voice and follow Him. Jesus knows those who are His and is known by His own. I hate to burst anyone’s bubble, but St. Peter doesn’t stand at Heaven’s door deciding who enters. If there was such a door and you knocked on it and the reply came back, “Who’s there?”, you’d have cause for concern. Saying or using the name of Jesus isn’t some secret password to gain entry either. In Matthew 7:21-23 it says many will stand before the Lord bragging about all the wonderful things they did using His name. Jesus tells them plainly, “I never knew you, depart from me you who practice lawlessness!” Matthew 25 is another example about ten virgins. Five were wise and entered the wedding feast and the door was shut. Later the other five came knocking on the door saying, “Lord, Lord, open to us!” the reply wasn’t “Who’s there?”, but rather, “I do not know you.” Lastly in Revelation 3:20 Jesus says, “Behold I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” So, the question you need to ask isn’t “Who’s there?”, but do you know Jesus in name only or do you know and recognize His voice? If Jesus told knock knocks, it might go like this:

Knock, knock.   Who’s there?   I died for.   I died for who?   I died for you!  

Knock, knock. Who’s there? No-mee. No-mee who? Know me and discover your real identity.

That alone is reason enough for you to open the door and let Him into your life. America as a nation is suffering from amnesia. We’ve forgotten who we are and have listened to strange voices. Only Jesus can fix the problem one life at a time. Give Him permission to start with you.

by: Denny

I chuckle as I remember a little jingle we said as kids when someone was caught in a lie, hence comes the title of this blog post. To that we also added, “Hanging on the telephone wire”, which makes no sense other than it rhymes. Lying isn’t listed specifically as one of the Ten Commandments by saying, “You shall not lie”, but that doesn’t make it any less serious of a sin than the others. Consider that the sins of murder, adultery, stealing, covetousness, and bearing false witness either involve or are attempted to be covered up by lying. People will lie to gain power, control, position, take advantage of others to profit themselves, and a whole host of other reasons. It amazes me how easy it is for some people to look you right in the eye or camera and knowingly lie to your face, thinking you won’t question or doubt what they’re saying. A perfect example is found in Acts 5:1-11 when a couple named Ananias and Sapphira sold some land. They kept back part of the proceeds for themselves and then gave the remainder to the church, but they lied saying that was the full amount they sold the land for. They thought nobody would know the difference. The amount given wasn’t the issue, it was as Peter boldly proclaimed, “Why have you conspired to lie to the Holy Spirit?” “You have not lied to men, but to God.” After hearing that they both fell down dead right then and there. We’ve all heard the expression, “Oh, that was just a little white lie.” Really, as opposed to what other color; black, blue, red, yellow, or green? A lie is a lie, there are no levels or degrees. A lie once told and not confessed, is a tree that grows where other lies nest, and birds of a feather do flock together. Listed among the six things the Lord hates in Proverbs 6:16-19, lying is mentioned twice. Revelation 21:8 says that all liars will have their eternal home in the Lake of Fire. I should qualify that the Bible is talking about a consistent conscious lifestyle of unrepented intentional lying, not the spur-of-the moment caught-off-guard lie such as when Peter denied three times that he knew Jesus or was one of His followers. The big difference is admitting the lie, repenting, asking for forgiveness, and making things right; not excusing it by giving it a color.

Scammers are a crafty breed of thieves, and they prey on unsuspecting gullible victims. They present or offer something desirable, appealing, or free such as: money, vacations, refunds, cars, prizes and whatever means they can use to draw you in. Through lying they try to earn your trust, so you’ll do whatever they ask. Once they gain your personal information they can steal your money, use your identity, and basically ruin your life. In this age of computers and digital technology scammers are having a “hay day”, and they can do it while sipping a latte in their pajamas. However, even though methods of scamming have evolved, Ecclesiastes 1:9-10 says, “There is nothing new under the sun, it has already been in ancient times before us.” The original scam took place in Genesis 3: 1-13 when Satan, the father of all liars, deceived Eve to eat the forbidden fruit. She gave some to her husband Adam who also participated freely. The scam was so subtle and began when Satan presented the question to Eve, “Did God say you can’t eat from every tree in the garden?” That was not what God said at all. They were allowed to eat from every tree except the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, or else they would die, and that’s what Eve replied. That was the point where Eve should’ve ended the conversation and walked away (or hung up the phone), but she didn’t. She lingered and listened as the devil weaved a web of lies and deceit that played on her emotions. It may have gone something like this: “You won’t die, God is holding something back from you because He doesn’t want you to be like Him.” “Come on, don’t you want to be like God?” “You know you do.” “Look how pretty and desirable the fruit is and how delicious it must taste.” “Just try one little bite, what harm can it do?” Tragically for all of us Eve believed the lie and the rest is history.

Not only did Adam and Eve sin by disobeying God and falling for the devil’s scam, but they were victims of the greatest identity theft ever perpetrated on mankind. They had lost their true identity when their relationship was broken with God due to sin, and there was no way to recover it. Likewise, so it has been with every person ever born from that day forward, but God had a plan to redeem mankind. He sent His only son, Jesus, who bought us back by shedding His own blood and dying on the cross willingly so we could recover our identity in God through Christ. The devil tried his best to stop Jesus with several temptations (scams) but failed as Jesus used the very written Word of God to defeat and expose him. These days many people base their identity on material possessions. They invest so much time and effort acquiring and maintaining a certain lifestyle. Who in their right mind wouldn’t jump at the chance to recover everything they lost especially if it was offered freely? I’m reminded of an incident that happened in the life of King David as recorded in 1 Samuel 30. He and his army were away at war from their home at Ziklag. When they returned, they found an enemy had come and burned and plundered the city and taken everyone captive. It says they all wept until they couldn’t weep anymore. David’s own men began to blame him for what happened, and he became distressed. The Bible says that David strengthened himself in the Lord and inquired from Him what to do. The Lord replied, “Pursue the enemy for you will surely overtake them and without fail recover all.” Over six hundred years before Jesus was born Isaiah prophesied that He would make atonement for all sins through His sacrifice by shedding His own blood. Hebrews 12:2 says, “That for the joy that was set before Him He endured the cross.” As He hung there taking our place, He knew completely what He was accomplishing in recovering all, and it brought Him great joy during the suffering. As He gave up His spirit the huge thick curtain in the temple blocking the way to the most holy place was torn in two from top to bottom. It had to have been an angel who did it, but more importantly it signified that we now have direct access to God, and our relationship and identity in Him was fully recovered. Sadly, too many people don’t realize that they have lost their spiritual identity, much less the need they have to recover it. If that’s you, Jesus still offers the opportunity for you to experience your real identity in God through Him, and it’s free for the asking. Just ask! As for the devil, he knows what Jesus accomplished at Calvary in defeating him as God stated way back in Genesis 3:15. The only power he has now is to lie and deceive and try to prevent people from knowing the truth and discovering their true identity. Someday that liar’s pants will be on fire as he is cast into the Lake of Fire along with all who have given themselves over to him by doing his will and rejecting Jesus Christ. Back in the 1960’s Lilly Tomlin appeared on the TV show “Laugh In” and did a child character called Edith Ann who sat in a huge rocking chair. Edith Ann told life from her perspective and always ended by saying, “And that’s the truth” then stuck out her tongue and made the sound we all remember. (search and watch video on YouTube) In ending I say Ditto and Amen.

by: Denny

 It’s the weekend and you’ve decided to do some online shopping after paying some bills. You’re surfing the web and everything is going fine until suddenly a screen appears on your computer blocking out the page you were on and you can’t make it go away. It says it’s from Microsoft and that your computer has been locked and your I.P. address has been hacked and compromised by a Trojan program. There is a number to call so they can fix the problem. You call the number thinking it connects you to Microsoft, but it doesn’t. You are unknowingly being scammed. The person on the phone is very pleasant and expresses their concern in helping to alleviate the problem. Everything sounds so legitimate so you cooperate and type the information they tell you so they can remotely access your computer to diagnose and fix the issue. They are controlling the mouse and screens are changing with a lot of technical data and you don’t have a clue what they mean. All the while the guy on the phone is talking and explaining what he’s doing so you believe him. After about thirty minutes he says everything is fixed and working fine. He instructs you to see if you can go to any web page, and shazam it works great. There is a several hundred-dollar charge for the service and they talk you into buying a three-year service agreement for tech support in case you have any future problems. They present a contract for you to sign with the mouse and print it out. They give you their 24/7 tech support number and say they will call again the next day to make sure the computer is still working normally. You pay the charges with a debit or credit card and feel pretty good, especially when they do call the next day and end the call by saying, “God bless”. Two days later your bank calls and asks if you authorized a large withdrawal paid to some overseas company in Spain. You say no and you get a sick feeling as you realize you’ve been ripped off by a smooth-talking thief. Immediately the bank locks your account and cancels all your cards. They tell you to come in and apply for new ones as well as sign a form so they can try to get your money back. They instruct you to take your computer somewhere to get it checked for installed malware that would allow the scammers to gain further back-door access. They tell you to change all your passwords and login information and they give you a new username and password for your online banking. At this point you’re mad at yourself for being suckered so you call the 800 number giving them the “what for” and demand a full refund. To your surprise they agree to send it back to your account, but you don’t think that will happen. Several days later you are both shocked and excited to see the whole amount has been refunded. You breathe a sigh of relief and chalk it up to a lesson learned, but class isn’t over yet because that was only the first part of an even more insidious scam.

    Several weeks go by and you receive a phone call from that company saying they are going out of business and can’t honor the service contract. Their records show that they have yet to send your refund and need to comply with the Better Business Bureau and clear all accounts under penalty of law. You tell them you already got the refund. They say that money must have come from the card processing company because of your bank filing a complaint and refund request. They are very insistent that they send you the money. They claim it will come directly from Chase Bank and be electronically transferred into your bank account. Still upset with what happened weeks earlier, you figure if they want to send you more money then that’s their problem, but it’s about to become yours. You’re instructed to type an address into the search bar and a screen will pop-up where you fill in your name and the amount of the refund, then hit enter. He says to login to your online banking as the money is being transferred and will be showing up shortly. After about a minute the money appears in your account, but wait a second, there is one too many zeros at the end. Instead of only hundreds of dollars transferred there were thousands of extra dollars. The guy on the phone says you must have typed the refund amount wrong or held the zero key too long, but the truth is he’s the one who added the extra zero. You see where this is headed, now you owe them money! Not to worry though, he tells you to go buy several thousand-dollar gift cards and send them to their address. If you do it, you are quickly being promoted to the rank of 5^th Degree Stupid, because you rapidly moved through the previous ranks by even talking to them in the first place. A light finally comes on and you tell them to take a flying leap off a cliff or go someplace very hot. Suddenly, as you watch, your account balance shows zero and it appears they have wiped you out and taken all your money. He says your account will be locked until you send them the money. This is where people will panic and fall for the scam.  What they don’t know is that the scammer created an exact duplicate fake screen of your online banking page when you logged in which allowed him to enter false information. You never got the extra money he claims was sent, and your money is still there because only your bank has the power to lock your account. It’s called “Theft by Forfeiture” and they don’t even need or use any of your account information to pull it off. They’re counting on you being seized with fear and doing what they tell you. This whole thing actually did happen to someone I know, but they didn’t fall prey to the scam. While the scammer was talking on the landline, they called the fraud department at their bank on their cell phone. As soon as the scammer heard those conversations and found out he’d been exposed, he hung up, and that was the end of that.  

     They say to be forewarned is to be forearmed. Having a computer or using a cell phone to go online seems to be a necessity these days. Far too many enjoy the benefits but fail to take steps to avoid the hidden dangers. Also, a lot of people lack the technical knowledge of how they operate, and scammers are counting on that. My bank has issued a two-page flyer on the common scams and how to avoid financial fraud which I have taped near my computer. I also have an acquaintance who owns a computer repair and support business. By combining the input from both these resources I’m listing some tips and practices that could help you avoid being scammed.  

1.  Microsoft doesn’t provide any number to call for tech support because they don’t offer it. Any communication to them is by email, and after you buy their product, they don’t care what happens.
2. If a screen pops up saying your computer is locked or anything that tells you to call a number, just press the F11 key and it will disappear. DO NOT CALL the number!
3. It’s impossible to hack an I.P. address so don’t believe it if someone tells you that.
4. The only way hackers and scammers can gain access to your computer or personal information is if you open the door and let them in. Be careful what you click on.
5. Never type anything on your computer if requested by an unknown person
6. Always look for websites that have https:// and a padlock symbol which indicates a secure site. Not http:
7. Gift cards are for gifts, not sending money. Once purchased and sent there is no way to get your money back.
8. Don’t save and store your passwords on your browser. Use a separate password manager app and a master password. Utilize 2-step verification whenever possible on your financial, medical, email and other important online accounts. Never use the same password for everything and change them often.
9. Slow down and think before you act under duress. Verify as much as possible by asking questions that could tip you off if being scammed.
10. Register all your phones on the government Do Not Call list to help prevent unsolicited robo and marketing calls and texts. There are several great apps you can also download. NoMoRobo and Robokiller are quite effective.
11. Hang up on or don’t answer unsolicited phone calls especially if the person has a foreign accent. Don’t press any number button to speak to a person, unsubscribe, or call a number back. Don’t say “Yes” to any question as they can record that and use it against you.
12. If you have a landline, check to see if your phone provider offers a feature called Selective Call Acceptance. When activated you input phone numbers of people you know, and they are the only ones who will be able to call you. All other calls won’t even ring in. Mediacom Extreme offers that service, and it is 100% effective in eliminating unwanted calls.
13. If your mouse is moving on its own without you touching it, someone has control of your computer. SHUT IT OFF immediately and have it checked for malware.

There is a whole lot more you can research on the latest popular scams and how to prevent them. The sad reality these days is that you just can’t trust everyone. There are evil, devious thieves out there whose life ambition is to either take or have you forfeit to them your money. They’ve never worked a day in their lives and have no conscience or remorse for destroying the livelihoods of others who have labored hard to get what they have. Being the scum they are, they possess no sense of right and wrong. They are sons and daughters of Satan and delight to do his bidding, having been scammed themselves by the master of all scams. They are liars to the core. Need I say more? Actually, yes I do, and my next blog will focus on what the Bible has to say on this subject.

by: Denny

The dictionary defines presumption as: to take the liberty; to act on blind headstrong overconfident conclusions; to go beyond the boundaries of reverence, respect, or politeness; to arrogantly suppose or believe without examination or proof.

Do you ever wonder why people lie, steal, vandalize, abuse, murder, cheat, commit adultery, have affairs, and break laws both written and moral in every way imaginable? It may not be any of the things I just mentioned, nevertheless they all have one thing in common. It can be answered with a single Bible verse as found in Ecclesiastes 8:11; Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. In simple terms, they presume they won’t get caught, nobody will see them, and they won’t be punished immediately, therefore, they are emboldened in lawlessness. Another presumption they have is that because everyone else is doing it, they justify themselves in the same behavior. For instance, is it not presumption that because everyone is driving 5-10 mph over the speed limit it’s okay for you to do it too? Don’t you also presume that law enforcement must or will allow you 5mph anyway before pulling you over? You presume on 5mph, but you often take 10-15mph. The only reason you own a radar detector is that you intend to speed and presume that it will prevent you from getting a ticket. I know, I used to have them when I was trucking. Isn’t it presumption that because you got away with telling a lie once, that the next lie is easier to tell? You tell another and another until before you know, it becomes part of your character. You not only lie to others but to yourself. My wife works in the high school and frequently tells me how there is often no enforced discipline. Kids are allowed to dress any way they choose, swear at the teachers, use cell phones during class, skip classes, and roam the halls without a pass. They smoke in the bathrooms and have started fires to the point that the bathrooms are now closed, and fighting is a common thing. Teachers give some of them a passing grade when they don’t deserve or earn it. I may be painting a picture with a broad brush, but is it not presumption to think these kids will become responsible adults who can contribute positively to society and are able to function on their own?

The first act of presumption began with Lucifer as found in Isaiah 14:13-14 and Ezekiel 28: 12-17. It’s too long to write here, but I suggest you read these verses. He was once the anointed cherub that covered God’s throne and was created as a musical being. He became prideful and presumed he could become greater than God. He was cast out of Heaven and became Satan. Disguising himself as a serpent he lied and got Adam and Eve to eat the forbidden fruit presuming they would become like God. From that point on presumption could be tied to almost every sin or act of rebellion.

In Numbers 13, Moses sent twelve men to spy out the land that God had promised and was giving to them as a nation. Ten came back with a bad report saying they would not be able to posses it and defeat the people there. The whole congregation believed their report and wanted to go back to Egypt. God wanted to wipe them out, but Moses interceded, and God relented. However, He sentenced them to wonder forty years in the wilderness until they all died. The next day the people realized their sin and decided they would now go take the land. Moses warned them that they would fail. They went forward anyway presuming the Lord was with them, but He wasn’t, and they were defeated. Sampson after finally revealing the secret to his strength, presumed to go out as before not knowing the Lord had departed from him. It didn’t end up well for him. (Judges 16:20) King David presumed he could conceal his sin of adultery and murder, but the prophet Nathan exposed him. (2 Samuel 11-12) He also presumed he could transport the Ark of God by putting it on a cart pulled by oxen, and Uzzah died because of David’s presumption. (2 Samuel 6) The apostle Paul, before his conversion to Christ, presumed he was serving God by persecuting Christians by having them imprisoned and even killed. Simon was a guy who after seeing how when Peter and John laid hands on people they received the Holy Spirit proceeded to presume that he could purchase the Holy spirit by offering them money. I think the ultimate presumption was when Jesus stood before Pontius Pilate and Pilate arrogantly presumed he had power over Jesus. To which Jesus replied, “You would have no power over me unless it had been given to you from above.” Even while He was on the cross many mocked Him by urging Him to come off the cross and save himself. Their presumption was they didn’t know who they were dealing with, because Jesus could have called upon a host of angels to fight for Him.

Hebrews 11 is like the Hall of Fame of men and women who were heroes of faith. Verse 6 says that without faith it is impossible to please God. There is a fine line between faith and presumption Many people presume things about God that aren’t true because they don’t understand His Word, His Ways, and have never truly known Him. They have formed a presumptive idea in their minds of how He should be. If He doesn’t meet their expectations, they simply write Him off or claim He doesn’t exist. Devine healing is a sensitive subject even among believers. Some presume that if you aren’t healed it’s because you don’t have enough faith. It’s easy to presume and say that if you aren’t the one whose been waiting a long time for God to touch you. True faith keeps pressing on believing that God is faithful, and He cares for you regardless of the trials and troubles you presently face, and that’s not a presumption either. I have found that sometimes I can say just as much in a poem as I can by a long-written article. Following is one such poem I wrote entitled Presumption.

Presumption is the heart malfunction that leads to consumption where you lose your compunction to clearly function under the unction and you’re left standing at the junction of the misguided you. Which is a grave deception resulting from the misconception of your lack of perception because you thought you were an exception . . . you faith Guru! So, pardon my intrusion but the Bible’s conclusion is that soon your confusion will turn to delusion unless you get an infusion of what is right and true.

Therefore, to prevent further progression into previously practiced policies pertaining to presumption and the problems presented, please pray post-haste without procrastination in a prostrate position and plead for pardon that the precarious path you’ve pondered will promptly perish, otherwise prospects for projected perpetual punishment may prove personally painful. This prescribed plan promises peace and purification from past pernicious performance and is proclaimed profitable for participants plagued with the same pathetic propensity. Also, proper penitent pronouncement is paramount in procuring pending placement prepared in paradise. Peradventure you pasha, pooh-pooh, put-off or pass-by this precious proposal, push panic-button. It’s profoundly possible your proverbial GOOSE IS COOKED!

by: Denny

Twice a year Lucy goes to Mayo Clinic to see two doctors who treat her for a condition she was born with. It’s called Imotile Cilia Syndrome. We are blessed that we only live 75 miles from Rochester so she can get the best care. She tries to schedule her visits so it doesn’t interrupt her workdays. It’s usually an all-day ordeal with the many tests they do. Mayo is a huge complex of tall buildings connected by underground walkways and skyways. She must go to several locations and it’s a lot of walking and waiting. The tests are in the morning, and she sees the doctor later in the day when the test results are completed. I used to go inside the clinic with her, but since COVID they make you wear a mask and I hate wearing one that long. I’ll let her off at the main entrance and find a place to park and wait for her to call me to come and pick her up. There is about a three hour wait time between her tests and seeing the doctor, so we’ll go out for lunch and maybe do some shopping.

That said, here I am sitting in a parking area at Silver Lake in downtown Rochester. After dropping Lucy off, I went to a convenience store to use the bathroom and bought a cup of coffee and a donut. It’s a warm sunny day for mid-March, and I have the windows down. Hundreds of geese and ducks winter here, and they are everywhere. In writing my blogs I try to use everyday situations and relate them to Biblical teachings, stories, and experiences. I sat there for a while just watching the geese and ducks and began to realize how much like people they were acting. I grabbed my note pad and began writing down some comparisons and observations over the course of about an hour or so. In short, I concluded that ducks are a happy, quiet, and content bird and geese are loud, obnoxious, and contentious. The geese seemed easily offended if another one got close. There appeared to be an invisible boundary that if entered or crossed would be met with a flurry of loud honking on top of the already endless and annoying chatter. It almost seemed like some were looking for a fight and would charge wildly at another passing goose with head lowered and beak ready to peck. I wonder if that’s where the expression “nit-pecking” came from, or is that “nit-picking’? Whatever. They strutted about with a snooty arrogance which seemed to say, “Go ahead, make my day!”. Someone had dumped a whole bunch of shelled corn on the ground. Two geese acted like they owned it and even though they weren’t eating it, they chased all others away. I wanted to intervene and give those greedy self-centered honkers the “what for”, but my dog wasn’t in this fight. Not only that, but there was goose poop everywhere and I wasn’t altogether sure they wouldn’t attack me also. Besides, it wasn’t long, and three crows showed up and chased them away. Unlike ducks who slowly and methodically cross the street, geese would stand in defiance in the middle of the road and not budge. One nearly got hit while attacking a car. Geese are also stupid. I estimated the geese outnumbered the ducks by a ten to one margin. Interestingly, the ducks weren’t intimidated by the geese. There was a group of about thirty ducks sitting quietly in the shade under a couple trees. They weren’t defensive even if another duck or goose came near. In fact, I saw some new-comer ducks fly in and land among the group. Several ducks stood up and with tail feathers wagging seemed to welcome them with their quacking. It appeared that the ducks didn’t have boundaries, and if they did, they overlooked them if crossed and didn’t get all excited and bent out of shape. They seemed to be more of a family community at peace and not looking for trouble or nit picking each other. During the time I was observing, I noticed that as the sun moved the ducks would all stand and relocate back into the shade of the trees. I found that fascinating.

As I was writing about the ducks, I remembered Psalm 91:1. “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.”  If we as Christians are abiding in God’s shadow (presence) we should possess the kind of grace and peace that isn’t easily offended when someone crosses our path or boundaries. I do believe that having some boundaries in our lives is beneficial and healthy. I have some self-imposed boundaries that I won’t cross, because in so doing it would be a sin against God, His Word, and my own conscience and convictions. Boundaries can protect us but can also isolate us if implemented in a legalistic manner without consideration of others. They can evolve into walls with no gates or doors which deny access and can limit our relationships. On several occasions Jesus’ disciples tried to prevent people from getting close to Him. They had developed an attitudinal boundary that said, Us Four, No More. They were shocked that He was even speaking to the Samaritan woman at the well. He had crossed a long-held boundary that Jews had nothing to do with Samaritans. They also tried to keep children from coming to Jesus, and they warned blind Bartimaeus to be quiet when he learned that Jesus was passing by. They had not yet discovered that Jesus’ life was an open book giving free access to everyone, which became a stumbling block to the Pharisees. Many times, He crossed their boundaries they had set up through their traditions. He ate with tax collectors and sinners, healed on the Sabbath day, didn’t wash ceremonially before eating, didn’t fast, and He did and said many other things that ticked them off. They were so obsessed with their boundaries that their hearts became hard as it says in Mark 3:5. Multitudes were following Jesus which made the Pharisees fear that the Romans would come and take away their place (position of control) and nation. That was at the heart of why they planned to kill Jesus. They acted out of fear of losing their control over people. It’s no different today. Sometimes people set up boundaries out of their desire to control situations and others, cross them and they come at you with a vengeance, just like the geese.

As little kids we used to play a game called Duck, Duck, Goose. Everyone would sit in a circle facing inward. One kid would be “IT” and would walk around the circle touching each kid on the head saying duck. If they said goose, they took off running and that kid would get up and give chase trying to tag them before they were able to complete the circle and sit in the place they had been. If they couldn’t, then they became the new “IT”, and the game repeated the cycle.

In conclusion: How do you tell a goose from a duck? Touch them the wrong way and get ready to run or fight.

by: Denny

Be aware that there is a price to pay when you decide to make Jesus Christ your Savior and Lord and choose to follow Him. The road is straight, narrow, and often difficult. Far too many who begin the journey turn back when they become weary, discouraged, or when obeying God’s Word requires resetting their value system. It’s often a lonely road especially when criticism and rejection come from family and friends. You’re often misunderstood and your resolve to go forward will be tested when the going gets rough and everyone deserts you. As Jesus said, “A man’s foes will be those of his own household,” (Matthew 10:36) There is an old song with these words:

I have decided to follow Jesus; no turning back, no turning back. Though none go with me still I will follow; no turning back, no turning back. The cross before me the world behind me; no turning back, no turning back.

Andrew and his brother Peter left their nets and boats behind them, as did James and John. Matthew who was a tax collector quit his job leaving it behind him when Jesus called him also. If you want to follow Jesus, you’ll undoubtedly have to leave some things behind you. It could be anything that would pull you backwards and away from following Him. A rich ruler came to Jesus one day asking what he needed to do to have eternal life. Jesus told him to keep the commandments. To which the man replied that he had kept them from his youth. Jesus told him he still lacked one thing and to go and sell all he had and give to the poor then follow Him. The man walked away sad because he wasn’t willing to do that and give up his wealth. That was the one thing that pulled him back. On another occasion (Luke 9:57-62) three different men claimed they wanted to follow Jesus. One thought twice when Jesus said He had no place of His own. Another said He wanted to wait until his father died, and the last wanted to go and say goodbye to his family first. But Jesus told them, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the Kingdom of God.” In John 6:66 we read that Jesus knew many of His disciples really weren’t believers even though they walked with Him. He said, “No one can come to me unless it has ben granted to him by my father.” This upset them and it says many of His disciples went back and followed Him no more. In the same way there may even be some who will leave you, as my first wife did to me. Without going into all the details her exact words were, “I want nothing to do with all this Jesus stuff!” Ironically, we attended church regularly so don’t presume you are a follower of Jesus Christ simply by warming a church pew. Following tradition is not following Jesus. I along with many others prayed daily for years and never saw an attitude change in her. It’s not that the Lord didn’t hear or desire to heal our marriage, but He won’t override a person’s free will. In August of 1984 I quit long haul trucking in hopes that spending more time at home would help our marriage. I took menial jobs working for a car dealership and a local newspaper. Things did not get better. Returning home after work one day, I found a note saying she was leaving, taking our son, and filing for divorce. I continued to pray, but one day the Lord said, “She’s not coming back, release her and follow me.” It was a hard pill to swallow, but she chose her path and I had to let her go. Even the Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 7:15 “If the unbeliever departs, let them depart; a brother or sister is not under bondage in such cases. But God has called us to peace.”

Leaving something behind to follow the Lord is one thing, but know this, that to truly know His heart you will experience suffering to grow and test your faith. A faith that can’t be tested is a faith that can’t be trusted. I think one of the hardest things I’ve suffered is when my wife left and refused to let me have any contact with my son. She had gone to live with her mother, yet still demanded I support her financially. She was denying me that contact as a means of forcing me to meet her demands. Months passed and she wouldn’t even let me talk to him on his birthday or Christmas. She had filed a temporary court order for support, and they granted it. Finally in February she allowed me to talk to him for five minutes then promptly hung up. It broke my heart because all those past months he thought I was looking for him but didn’t know where he was. “Can’t you find me? Don’t you know where I am Daddy? Please come and get me Daddy!” were his exact words. I laid flat out face down on my living room floor just sobbing and asking the Lord why. “Lord I’ve given up everything to follow you. Why is this happening to me? I don’t understand!” Then God spoke these words to me so clearly, “Now you know how I felt when my son was beaten and hanging on that cross crying out to me, Father why have you forsaken me. It broke my heart. It wasn’t that I didn’t know where He was, but I left him there to die for the sins of the world.” The pain I was feeling was suddenly overcome by knowing I had identified with the heart of God. I returned to trucking shortly after that. It was a very lonely and dark season in my life, but had it not been for some close friends and the Lord to encourage me, I may have thrown in the towel.

Friend, if you are on the fence for making the decision to follow Christ because of what it will cost, just jump. He will catch you. He is calling your name today. The things or people you may need to leave behind cannot be compared to the eternal life He offers. To those who are suffering, sometimes God uses those things to cause you to look to Him, and other times He wants to reveal His heart to you. Just don’t get angry and turn away from Him. It’s like Peter said, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” My next post 12-9-86 picks up where this one leaves off and will blow your mind as an example of how God honors those who follow Him and don’t turn back.

by: Denny

As I wrote in my previous blog post, “Just Do What He Tells You”, God came through for me when I needed a load in Las Vegas. However, I would’ve missed it altogether if I hadn’t taken the time to quiet myself and listen for His voice and directions. There are many situations when we desperately need a miracle, a healing, and an immediate answer to prayer, but do we ask for His guidance in simple everyday decisions that we take for granted without consulting Him.  That’s where the rubber meets the road when Jesus said, “Come follow me.” He cares about and wants to be involved in every aspect of your life, and nothing is either too small or too big for Him. I believe when we allow God to lead us in small ways it builds our faith to believe for the bigger things. Such was the case for me on January 22, 1984.

January 11, 1984 (Wednesday) I left home with a load of paper I had loaded two days earlier in Nekoosa, WI. It was going to Salem, OR with a drop in Logan, UT. I unloaded the first drop on Friday and continued driving to Salem. I couldn’t unload until Monday, so when I got to Pendleton, OR I called my cousin Judy and spent the weekend with her family. It had been ten years since I saw them when they lived in Salinas, CA. while I was laid over waiting to pick up a load of lettuce.

January 16, 1984 (Monday) I got my load off and was dispatched to Everette, WA to pick up a whole load of toilet paper going to Phoenix. I unloaded that load on Thursday, and headed for Nogales on the Mexican border to pick up a load of produce for St. Louis, MO.

January 22, 1984 (Sunday) Because produce is time sensitive, some grocery chains will even receive loads on Sunday, and such was the case with my load. I was empty by 7AM. I had made a point to go to church whenever possible while on the road if my schedule permitted. If I was laid over for a weekend, I would drop my trailer and find a church. If I was enroute and could find a church with nearby parking for my whole rig I would do that too. God had always been faithful to honor my desire and today was to be no exception. I was scheduled to pick up a load of meat at Monmouth, IL on Monday, so I wasn’t pressed for time. I planned my route crossing the Mississippi River at Alton, IL. and asked the Lord to guide me to a church. As I drove through several towns I spotted some churches, but the Lord hadn’t said anything, so I kept driving. I was getting anxious because the time most churches started would soon be past.  As I was driving through Greenfield, I noticed people entering a small church off the highway, but I was already past it and headed out of town. That’s when I heard the Lord say, “Turn around and go back.” That’s easy for a car, but not for an 18-wheeler on a two-lane highway. You may be asking, “Well if that was God, why didn’t He tell you before you got out of town?” My answer: Maybe He wanted to see if I thought turning around would be too much of a hassle, and whether I would obey or just keep driving. Often the Lord will tell you to do something that goes contrary to our natural reasoning. About two miles out of town there was a farm service center with plenty of room to make a U-turn. I headed back into town and found a side street close to the church with plenty of room to park. I was in time to attend the adult Sunday School class as well as the service. It was refreshing. After church my plan was to continue driving, but a couple invited me to their house for lunch. It turned out they lived on a farm just down the road from the farm service center, so I left my truck there. Their names were Larry and Kathy Mears and they had three daughters. Beth (12), Lisa (10), and Debbie (7). I thoroughly enjoyed a home-cooked meal, and the girls were wide-eyed with excitement as I talked about some of my adventures with the Lord on the road. I ended up spending the day and stayed the night. That was the beginning of a friendship that has lasted 38 years, and I’ve been back to visit them a couple times. What a blessing I would have missed if I had just kept driving.

Shortly after accepting Jesus Christ as my savior on September 30, 1983, I began to carry in my truck the King James Bible my Grandma Meyer gave me for confirmation. I had made it customary to take it with me into the truck stops and read it while I was eating. It was April 12, 1984, and I was headed for Denver with a load of apples that I had loaded in Brewster, WA. I had driven until 2AM and stopped at a small Husky Truck Stop in LaGrande, OR to grab a bite to eat and a cup of coffee. At that hour the restaurant was nearly empty, so I picked a booth and began reading my Bible while waiting for my food. I barely noticed the guy standing at my table until he exclaimed, “Praise God there’s another Christian truck driver and he’s even got his Bible.” His name was Joe Katancik and he drove for NW Freight Lines out of Denver. I invited him to join me, and we talked for quite some time. He was headed back home and when I told him I had to unload in Denver on Friday, He invited me to spend the weekend with him and his wife Midge. That began another friendship that has lasted for years. I spent many weekends with them when I was in Denver, and was baptized by immersion in their church, Aroura First Assembly of God, on Mother’s Day that May. That was an answer to a prayer and a desire I had to be baptized the way Jesus was. What a blessing I would have missed had I not taken my Bible into the restaurant.

Well, that old Bible got a lot of use, but the King James version can be difficult reading. On another trip I had again loaded some produce in WA going to Minneapolis. Somewhere east of Billings, MT on I-94 I picked up a Christian radio station from Glendive. They were playing a prerecorded segment introducing the New King James Study Bible. The more I listened I was convinced that I needed to buy one. The station was also promoting the local Christian bookstore located on the main street in Glendive as the place to get a copy. I’ve never been to Glendive, so I didn’t have a clue what I was getting into. However, as I pulled off the interstate, I asked the Lord to show me the way and provide a place to park. As it is with many small towns the business route will take you right downtown. I took that exit and followed the signs as it made several turns. The last left turn put me right in the middle of the business district, but where would I park? I spotted the sign for the bookstore a block ahead of me on my left. The street was set up with parallel parking on both sides with meters. As I approached, I could see three open spaces on my side directly across the street from the bookstore, but it wasn’t enough room for my truck. Suddenly a car pulled out from a spot which left four adjoining spaces, so I was able to swing in and take all the spaces. I put change in all the meters and walked across the street. I told the owner I wanted the New King James Bible I heard about on the radio, and a nice cover for it. He was amazed that I was able to get that many spaces for my semi. We talked a bit and come to find out he was from my hometown and had moved to Glendive several years ago. What a blessing I would have missed if I hadn’t trusted the Lord to guide me and provide a parking spot.

I’ve come to know that following Jesus and hearing His voice, isn’t some mystical unobtainable experience reserved for the religious elite or only those in ministry. Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” (John 10;27) When Jesus stood on trial before Pilate (John 18:37) He said, “Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice.” On many occasions when Jesus was teaching, He would say, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” God rarely speaks in a loud thundering voice, but it’s more of a whispering much like in 1 Kings 18:12 when He spoke to Elijah. The Bible is full of examples of how God spoke to men and women in various ways. Don’t think you have to be a Christian to hear God speaking, in fact He is constantly calling out for people to come to Him. The question is, will you hear and respond. Paul was yet to be converted when Jesus spoke to him. Paul’s response was, “Lord, what do you want me to do?” If you tell people God spoke to you, you may get some raised eyebrows and doubtful looks. However, for the believing Christian it should be a normal experience to hear God’s voice. There are many voices speaking today, but the only way to hear God’s voice is to know Him and His Word. So, the question remains to be answered; Are you hearing His voice? If not, it’s probably because you don’t have a revelation knowledge of His Word, or you’re not listening! It is God’s will that you hear for yourself what He’s telling you, otherwise how can you “Follow the Leader.”

I promised in my last blog I would write about 12/9/1986 and I’m building up to it so stay tuned and don’t change that channel.

By: Denny

Since my retirement I’ve had a lot of time to contemplate about life. I’ve come to the conclusion that for the most part our whole lives are structured around events. As a kid there were three big events I looked forward to:  Christmas, my birthday, and the end of the school year. Of course, there were the daily and weekly lesser events that filled in the gaps. They weren’t written down on a calendar hanging on my bedroom wall, but I anticipated and looked forward to them. One event was hurrying home from school to watch “Leave it to Beaver” or playing “Army” with the guys in the neighborhood. I wasn’t as enthusiastic when it came to events of mowing the grass and other chores. Winter was a fun event that meant going sledding, ice skating, snowball fights or building forts. These days it isn’t a fun event anymore with the cold temperatures and having to move snow. My brother and I both had daily paper routes. We collected the money from our customers on Friday, then rode our bikes downtown to the newspaper office on Saturday to turn in the money and get paid. It was a fun time if some friends rode along, and we all went to a matinee movie. It was also a big event when we had both saved enough money to buy new Schwinn bikes with baskets to carry the newspapers. I always looked forward to going to our Grandparents houses or when they came to see us. When I was a little older, I would spend my whole summers on my aunt and uncle’s farm which was a special event I always enjoyed.

 We all have memories of past events stored away in our minds, and they can be good as well as bad. Life is basically a chain of events with links being added daily. An event doesn’t always have to be a big thing. It can be something you do out of necessity, free will, compulsion, personal enjoyment, obligation, or a whole host of other reasons. As an adult you probably get up every day for an event called a job. It can sometimes become a drudgery or a mundane thing, but you do it so you can finance your other events such as paying bills. Your values and lifestyle determine, influence, guide, and help to plan your own personal events. A simple example is grocery shopping. You usually make a list and decide in your mind’s calendar what day the event will happen.  On your way you see that you need gas and realize that event needs to happen right away to prevent the event of calling for help. A big event such as a vacation requires much more time, effort, and planning. Those are the types of events you write on the calendar and count down the days. The calendar in your mind works fine until you get “event overload” and start to forget things. That’s why calendars, day timers and clocks were invented. Seriously, how would you know what day, date, or time the scheduled event was to happen without them as a point of reference. Talk about confusion and chaos! I’m sure nobody else has this problem, but as I get older if I don’t write an event on the calendar, I’m apt to forget it. Part of that could also be a guy thing, but not if it’s an event we get excited about. Who among us men need to write the Superbowl on the calendar? However, those of us with wives are doubly blessed because they forget nothing and remember everything. So, at this point in my life there are still three events I’d better not forget: Lucy’s birthday, our anniversary, and Valentine’s Day.  

Calendars usually come with all the national holidays and some other significant days preprinted on them. They have extra space to enable you to write in your own events. A lot of organizations print or post online a calendar of upcoming events. There are some life events that can’t be prewritten on a calendar because you don’t know when they will happen. For instance: an accident, a sudden illness or injury, unexpected car or home repairs, devastating weather events, and a whole bunch of other events that life throws at us. Not to worry though, because you can buy insurance for just about anything these days. It can’t prevent the event but can ease or completely compensate you financially when it occurs. Sometimes the events I just mentioned can happen multiple times, but the event to end all your events is when you die. Nevertheless, you can prepare for that too with life insurance, having a will, and making other funeral arrangements ahead of time. It doesn’t help you much but makes life easier for those you leave behind. There is an amusing saying that is said about someone who is always late for an event that they’ll probably be late for their own funeral. Jokingly, they may be late, but they won’t miss the event.

The biggest event yet to come that the world will see is the return of Jesus Christ. Jesus spoke of it and warned people to be ready because only God the father knows the day or hour it will happen. In Matthew 25 Jesus tells the parable of the ten virgins to further explain it. We would call them bridesmaids today. Evidently back then it was the custom for the bridesmaids to wait for the bridegroom and escort him to the marriage feast. All ten were anticipating the event, but only five were prepared and brought oil for their lamps. It says the bridegroom was delayed and they all fell asleep. At midnight the announcement came, “Behold the bridegroom is coming, go out to meet him!” They all awoke and lit their lamps, but the lamps of the five who didn’t bring oil went out. They begged those other five to give them some of their oil and they answered, “No, there isn’t enough for us and you too, go buy some for yourself.” While they hurried off to buy oil, the bridegroom came and the five who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast and the door was shut and locked. Later the five who went to buy oil showed up and knocked on the door wanting to be let in. The answer was, “Go away! I don’t know you and you’re too late!” In other words, they missed the event. Jesus gave several warnings to watch and be ready because His return would be at a time when people least expected. The five without oil thought they were ready, but the event proved them wrong.  Therefore, the question you need to answer is, are you prepared, watching, and ready; or will His return prove you wrong also? You can be ready by receiving Jesus Christ as your savior and accepting His shed blood alone as payment for your sins. Ask Him for forgiveness, repent, and give your life to Him. The Last Big Event could happen at anytime unless you die first. Either way you’ll want to be on the right side of that door when it is shut. There is no insurance policy you can buy or borrow someone else’s oil to cover your loss in the event you aren’t. Jesus knows those who are His and you can have and know that assurance today. Jesus said He was going to prepare a place for those who would believe and trust in Him and return for them later. Many think in their minds that His delay means He’s not coming back. Wouldn’t it be a tragedy if the place He intended for you in Heaven had a vacancy sign in front of it?  

By: Denny

A saying goes that when selling something it’s only worth what someone is willing to pay for it. There is a TV show called Storage Wars, and it features storage units that are full of stuff abandoned by the owner. After a period of time if the storage fee isn’t paid the lock is cut and the contents are auctioned to the highest bidder. It isn’t scripted and features the same people on each episode. They aren’t actors but are real men and women with legitimate secondhand stores seeking more stuff to sell. After the lock is cut and the door is opened, the rule is that each bidder has a few minutes to examine the contents visually as is without entering or touching anything. They will then decide whether they want to bid on the unit or pass it by. Those who bid hope to discover some hidden valuable items to offset their bid and make a profit. Of course, by today’s TV standards, so much of what is called entertainment involves making cutting personal remarks and there is plenty of that between the bidders. It sometimes gets heated and insulting and you wonder if a fistfight may follow. Even if they don’t want the unit, they often run up the bid out of spite making the other person pay more, which sometimes backfires on themselves.  After all the units have been auctioned the winning bidder will return with a truck, trailer, or a van to sort and empty the contents of the unit they bought. The film crew is there as the buyer picks and sorts the items while verbally estimating their value in terms of resale. The stuff that is worthless junk is thrown into a pile and the valuable items loaded up. I find it sad that everything in the unit was purchased new at some point and had value to someone. Discovering the unknown is what makes the show interesting. If they find something they don’t know what it is or its value, they will take it to an expert for appraisal. I recall one show where the unit was bought for less than $1,000, and they found a diamond ring that was appraised at $50,000. Often, they end up paying too much for a unit of junk and lose money. There are a few sayings that come to my mind at this point: “You can’t judge a book by it’s cover” “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder” “One man’s junk is another man’s treasure” “Let the buyer beware”.

My great grandfather played the fiddle and it got passed down to me. It was found in my grandfather’s closet after he died by my father. It was in rough shape, in pieces, and not much hope of it being played again. I took it to an instrument repair shop and asked them to do what they could to make it playable. They re-glued the top, reattached the neck, fitted a new bridge, added strings and re-haired the bow. I have basic skills in reading sheet music from when I played the clarinet in elementary school, so I bought a beginner’s book on playing the fiddle. At first it sounded like two cats fighting, but I was determined and would often practice several hours a day. That was over forty years ago. I never made it to Nashville and hit the big time (LOL). I mostly played for my own enjoyment. Today that fiddle and three others I acquired hang on my living room wall. It’s been years since I played any of them. They are positioned two on one side and two on the other and in between is a framed picture of the lyrics to the song The Touch of the Master’s Hand. It tells of an old battered violin that was up for bidding and the auctioneer was about to sell it for three dollars. Suddenly an old gray-haired man steps forward from the back of the crowd. He takes the violin, tightens the loose strings and bow, and begins to play out a pure sweet melody. Afterwards the auctioneer cries out, “Now what’ll you bid me for the old violin? $1,000, $2,000, now who’ll make it three?” When asked by the crowd what changed it’s worth the auctioneer replied, “It was the touch of the master’s hand.”

Whether you believe it or not there is a bidding war for your soul between God and Satan. However, God sets the rules. Picture for a moment that you are the stuff in an unclaimed storage unit, abandoned and locked away in darkness. The sin of Adam and Eve, being deceived by the devil, put you and all mankind there, shut the door and locked it. God demanded payment so He decides to auction off the storage unit. There is only one catch, it can’t be bought with silver, gold, or any other type of money. It can’t be bought by good works or religious sacrifices either. It must be purchased with pure, holy, and sinless blood from a man. The auction begins with all the angels and demons watching on intently. The devil mocks defiantly claiming all the stuff in the unit belongs to him. Then Jesus steps forward from the crowd. He alone is the only one qualified to bid being God’s son in the form of man and without sin. He proclaims, “I’m willing to pay the price and give my blood, and I don’t need to inspect the contents inside because all of it is valuable in my eyes.” God accepts His bid and instantly the lock on the door is shattered and it opens. You step out into the light and Jesus is standing there with His hand extended saying, “Come follow me.” Satan in a fit of rage shouts, “No, you belong to me!” Now you must decide who you belong to and who you will follow.

Jesus knew that the only way to redeem mankind from our sin was for Him to die and give His blood. The Bible says that for the joy that was set before Him, He endured the cross. The cross was the most torturous and painful form of death the Romans had. Yet, Jesus looked beyond the suffering knowing what His death was about to accomplish. As He proclaimed, “It is finished”, He gave up His spirit. Immediately the huge thick curtain in the temple blocking the most holy place where nobody but the high priest could enter was split down the middle signifying full access and reconciliation to God. Three days later Jesus came out of that tomb which couldn’t hold Him. Even though Jesus freed us from the penalty of sin, we all as individuals must choose to appropriate that forgiveness and grace He offers through faith, believing, and accepting Him as Savior. He doesn’t care what your past is because His love is unconditional. Maybe you feel like the battered old violin about to be auctioned off cheap to a thankless crowd, but give your life to Him and experience The Touch of the Master’s Hand.

P.S. – This writing motivated me to take my great grandfather’s fiddle off the wall, tune it up, and see if I could still play it. My neck got sore from holding it under my chin and my fingers were a little stiff. I stuck with it and within minutes the songs I knew from memory came back and it was like I hadn’t stopped playing for years. And, so it is with praying and reading God’s word, the Bible. How long has it been for you?

by – Denny Hook

49 years ago, on Dec. 10, 1973 when I was doing long-haul trucking, I was dispatched to Algoma, WI to pick up 40,000 lbs. of 40# blocks of cheese going to Springfield, MO. Algoma is almost in Door county, which is absolutely beautiful during tourist seasons. There was already 6” of snow on the ground and it was coming down steadily in huge flakes. I stopped to ask directions to the small mom and pop cheese plant. Main Street was decorated with garland lights from side to side making it look like a tunnel. All the stores were lit up bright and shoppers were everywhere. Even now the memory of that night is so vivid. It later served as the inspiration in 1986 when I wrote the Christmas play entitled “The Gift”. It has been performed in several churches, but I edited it into story form for this blog. It has a powerful message, and I do hope you will read it and share it with your FB friends. Have a blessed Christ centered Christmas!

The slowly descending snowflakes, each with its own unique pattern, seemed to resemble tiny little white parachutes as they gracefully floated past the streetlights landing ever so gently on the ground below. They were joining the innumerable host of others, who for hours had been making their delicate flights that would never again be repeated. They were laying quite still now, almost as if dead, and yet alive as they reflected a myriad of prisms from the multi-colored Christmas lights that so brightly decorated the street and store front windows. In the air was the faint sound of Christmas music. That, combined with the ever-increasing snow and the constant ding-a-ling dinging of a Salvation Army soldier’s bell, seemed to create a symphony of serenity, peace, and joy. The snow, increasing with intensity, had an almost insulating calming effect, so that even the passing cars seemed to be quietly tiptoeing by, and the occasional horn blast was reduced to a melodious muffled toot. Suddenly, as if the conductor had waved his baton, yet another sound was added to the symphony. Voices filled the air as ecstatic shoppers began to line the sidewalks, darting in and out of the different shops and stores that created the backdrop in this Currier and Ives setting. Everyone seemed to be so happy as they shuffled along in the now six-inch-deep white blanket that covered everything. Children were giggling as they would try to outrun each other and be the first one to make their footprints in any yet undisturbed snow. Parents could be heard as trumpets declaring, “Be careful, don’t fall!  Stay away from the curb! Don’t get too far ahead of us!” All the while wishing their bodies were young again, so they too could join in the gleeful frolicking. Pausing by a jewelry store window, a young couple appearing to be in their twenties, stood holding hands. With fingers pointing to, and eyes scanning the many rings on display, their quiet voices resemble the sweetness of violins as they turn to each other and embrace. They seem unaware of, and yet a part of the symphony around them. A taxi stops to let off an elderly woman in front of a big department store. No doubt she is a grandmother on her way to buy presents for her precious grandchildren that will be filling her otherwise quiet house with laughter on Christmas day. To her, this winter extravaganza is a hindrance to what normally would have meant driving her own car. Limited to only what she can carry, her mind is feverishly trying to plan her purchases as she thinks to herself. “Now let me see, Billy is ten. I wonder if he would like-.“ Her thoughts are interrupted momentarily by the blast of an air horn from an irate trucker stopped directly behind the taxi. “All these cars, people everywhere gettin’ in my way! I don’t have time to sit here waiting! Come on, move that taxi will ya, or I’ll push ya outta the way!” He gives his air horn a couple more tugs. “This load’s gotta be in Dallas by tomorrow morning. If I don’t make it, I’ll be stuck there and won’t get home for Christmas. Come on lady, would ya hurry up and pay the guy!” She hands the cabby $20 and tells him to keep the change. She wishes him a Merry Christmas in a flute-like voice and quickly exits the taxi, avoiding another blast of air horn while the trucker expresses his impatience one last time. “’Bout time! Alright now, nobody else goof me up. I’m out a here!” His engine roars as he picks up speed and soon all that can be seen is a cloud of snow billowing up around the truck unmercifully. Yes, even the loud thundering kettle drum has a part in this symphony.

All is peaceful now again, and the concert continues. But something is out of tune. Something doesn’t fit. Something doesn’t belong! Or rather, someone doesn’t belong! Where? There, coming from out of that dark alley. Slowly and almost as if in a daze, a dark figure appears. Startled by the man’s untimely entrance, a passing dog suddenly barks at him like the clashing of cymbals. Then, seeing him not to be a threat, the dog continues down the street, stopping to look back now and then just to be sure. The man stops and surveys the symphony for a moment, then staggers slowly down the sidewalk. He stops to lean against a building, totally unnoticed by some and by others ignored and avoided. He knows he doesn’t belong. He knows he’s out of key so to speak, alone in a crowded world. The song “Away in a Manger” could be heard coming from a store playing Christmas carols. He sees the children playing and hears them talking excitedly about what they want for Christmas. He remembers how he too felt the same way when he was a child.  A flashback of days gone by appears in his mind. He continues to reflect on his youth and how happy he was as a child. Then, he did have a place to lay his head; so warm, safe, and cozy; quite different from now. He thought to himself, “If I had the money these people are spending on presents, I would buy a nice hot meal, another bottle of brandy, and a room for the night.” The song “Silent Night” was now playing in the background, and it sparked another distant memory. He remembered singing that and “Joy to the World” in a Christmas play at church. He allowed his mind to return to a time when everything was so uncomplicated, exciting and full of joy. The words echoed in his mind finding no place to rest in his empty soul. Oh yes, he’d heard about Jesus. Who hasn’t?  He thought, “I went to church, never really hurt anyone, and tried to be a good person. Well, maybe I do drink a little bit, but who doesn’t! I need to relieve my tensions and stress somehow.” He sees the young couple and reflects how he used to have a young bride, and the hopes they once shared for the future. A lump begins to form in his throat. If only he hadn’t been so intent on making it to the top of the corporate ladder. If only he hadn’t made money his god. If only he would have spent more time at home, he^ld still have one. If only he hadn’t started drinking to relieve his stress. If only, if only, if only! Finding it hard to hold back his emotions any longer, tears began to stream down his face. He raises the sleeve of a dingy tattered old coat to wipe away the dampness in his eyes, only to smear the dirt on his stubbly whiskered face. He moves on. Alcohol had ruined his life and he knew it. He thought again, “If Jesus is real, why doesn’t he help me! Why doesn’t he do something?” Consumed with remorse, the man had not even noticed the big white limousine sitting by the curb, nor did he immediately hear the horn persistently honking to get his attention. Glancing over he saw the tinted window slowly being lowered and an out-stretched hand motioning him to come closer. As he approached, the hand withdrew, then reappeared. In it was a small box with a bow on top. His shaking hand reached out to accept the gift. The hand again withdrew, the window raised, and the limousine quietly drove away. As he stood there in awe looking at the small box, he thought, “Who was that? What can this be? Someone had actually given him a gift. A real gift, all wrapped up pretty and everything.”  He pondered for a moment and thought about opening it. Then he said, “Maybe I’ll just keep it in my pocket till Christmas and open it then; that way it’ll feel like it’s Christmas.” The snow was falling heavily now, and the sidewalks were becoming empty as the merchants began to close their businesses. The man must now begin his usual task of finding a place to huddle for the night. In an alley behind an appliance store, he found a discarded box from a range with the top still on it. He crouched down and pulled it over himself. He sat there in the dark beaming over his luck in finding such a wonderful shelter. Suddenly, he remembered the gift in his pocket. He carefully pulled it out holding it in anticipation of opening it on Christmas day.

Early the next morning the snow was still falling lightly as the appliance store owner unlocked the back door. He thought it strange that the box he had thrown out haphazardly the night before was now upside down and neatly positioned against the building. Even stranger were the barely visible tracks leading to the box, but not away. Not sure of what he would find he lifted the box, and there, still clutching a small, unwrapped gift, lay the silent frozen figure of a man in a dingy tattered old coat. Within minutes after notifying the authorities, the whole alley was a gallery of flashing lights and sirens. As the ambulance attendants covered the body, the coroner pried the small box from the man’s hand. Gently opening the lid, he almost lost his breath. There, folded neatly was a check for $50,000 and a note saying, “Merry Christmas” with the John 3:16 verse underneath. How sad he thought, that in the man’s own grasp, was the unopened gift whose contents were enough to deliver him from the depths of his poverty, if only he had opened it.

The slowly descending snowflakes, each with its own unique pattern, seemed to resemble tiny little white parachutes as they gracefully floated past the streetlights landing ever so gently on the ground below. They were joining the innumerable host of others, who for hours had been making their delicate flights that would never again be repeated. They were laying quite still now, almost as if dead, and yet alive as they reflected a myriad of prisms from the multi-colored Christmas lights that so brightly decorated the street and store front windows. In the air was the faint sound of Christmas music. That, combined with the ever-increasing snow and the constant ding-a-ling dinging of a Salvation Army soldier’s bell, seemed to create a symphony of serenity, peace, and joy. The snow, increasing with intensity, had an almost insulating calming effect, so that even the passing cars seemed to be quietly tiptoeing by, and the occasional horn blast was reduced to a melodious muffled toot. Suddenly, as if the conductor had waved his baton, yet another sound was added to the symphony. Voices filled the air as ecstatic shoppers began to line the sidewalks, darting in and out of the different shops and stores that created the backdrop in this Currier and Ives setting.  And, the symphony plays on, oblivious and indifferent to the tragedy of the man in the dingy tattered old coat.

In conclusion: You may think that the ending is too sad, depressing, and not fitting for a Christmas play, because it doesn’t leave you with a warm fuzzy feeling. It was not my intention to write a cute kid’s play depicting the birth of Jesus that seems to get recycled every year. Not that those are bad, but the reality is many people get so wrapped up in tradition and buying gifts that they fail to notice those who are struggling at Christmas time. Many people are alone, falling through the cracks, feeling insignificant, and thinking nobody cares. Families are separated by physical distance, past conflicts, and bad choices. Some live in constant fear of COVID, and the government claims we could die without the vaccine shot. The world’s problems, devastating weather tragedies, loss of loved ones, and just the uncertainties of living don’t take time off because it’s Christmas. We’ve heard it said that we need to put Christ back in Christmas. I submit that He never left, but it’s we ourselves that have lost our focus. It’s like the man with the gift in his pocket waiting for Christmas to open it. Isn’t that what so many do today? They carry Jesus around in their pocket all year and bring Him out at Christmas when it’s more socially acceptable. I’m not a scrooge and I do celebrate Christmas, but I refuse to get sucked up into the commercialization it has become. No, we need more of Jesus Christ Himself. He alone has the power to save us and help us through difficult times, which should be reason to celebrate Him all year long. I can’t remember what I got for Christmas last year, and probably won’t remember by this time next year what I’m getting this year, but I’ll always remember and never forget His wonderful gift of salvation that I opened and received September 30, 1983. Like the man in the play, a gift doesn’t benefit the one receiving it until it is opened. Have you ever done that yet? If not, then speaking plainly, you are the man in the play. You may not be going through problems identical to his, but just the same you have some. The biggest one is being separated from God by sin. The power to change your life has already been provided in Christ and rests in your hands. Open His gift today! Don’t wait for Christmas. You can rewrite the play and choose your own life’s ending. Perhaps you already know the Lord and have received His great gift to you, but you have been hesitant and reluctant to tell someone. Maybe you’re the person God wants to use to bring His wonderful gift to someone else who needs Him this Christmas. Pray, look for opportunities to show kindness to someone, step out of your comfort zone, and see what God will do. Quite frankly, I don’t like the way the play ends either, but I can’t change it. Only you can.

Have a blessed and God centered Christmas!

By: Denny

There is a new TV show called “Ordinary Joe”. It’s about a guy who immediately after his college graduation ceremony made a certain choice. I think he eventually becomes a doctor, gets married and has a family. The show then takes you back to explore two options of other lives Joe may have had based on altering that one decision he made years ago. I think in one life he is a singer and a firefighter in another. I didn’t care for it and only watched it twice. It makes for good fictional entertainment, and in my opinion, it isn’t a bad show unlike so much trash on TV these days, including commercials. Speaking of which, I’m tired of seeing all the Medicare Advantage plan pitches by has-been personalities, so there!

I think we all at one time or another have either said or heard someone say, “If I had it to do over, I’d do things different”. Or perhaps you’re stuck on the “If onlys”. You know, those things of the past where you think, “If only I would’ve, if only I could’ve, and I should’ve”. Perhaps it was a decision you either regret making or not making. It’s so easy to allow ourselves to dwell on past mistakes or bad decisions. Looking back, we often replay events in our minds and wonder how different our lives would be today if we could just go back and change one act or word spoken. However, there is nothing we can do about the “Would’ves, Could’ves and Should’ves”, but we still think about them and try to envision a different outcome. I believe this becomes more prevalent as we age and gain some life experiences, because when you’re young you think you know it all.  As I’m writing this many incidents in my life come to mind. Some were very serious bad choices and decisions, and others were just simple mistakes. Some things happen to us resulting from choices others make that we have no control over, yet it changes the course of our lives too. I don’t need to make a list of examples because mine would be different from yours. You know what I’m talking about though, since it’s happened to you also. We never know from day to day or moment to moment what lies ahead whether it will be good or bad. If we knew the bad, we’d probably be crippled with fear and anxiety and just stay home and lock the doors, but what kind of a life would that be. My parents and grandparents faced their own unique trials in their lives and probably made some mistakes and decisions they regretted. As it states in the book of Ecclesiastes, “There is nothing new under the sun”.

The Bible is full of people who made some terrible mistakes. For instance, King David made the mistake of staying home when he should’ve been out on the battlefield with his soldiers. One sleepless night he takes a stroll on the palace roof and notices a woman bathing. (2 Samuel 11) He makes a bad decision which led to the sins of adultery and murder on his part. Even though David confessed his sin and God forgave him, the consequences rippled through his family causing much pain, suffering and loss of lives. On the other hand, Joseph made the right decision when he ran away from Potiphar’s wife, resisting her advances toward him. (Genesis 39) She falsely accused him of attacking her, and he was thrown in prison. He suffered unjustly, but God had a plan, and he eventually became the number two man of power in Egypt. As a result, his entire family prospered and was saved from famine. Paul held the coats of those who stoned Stephen to death, watching on in approval. He persecuted Christians putting them in prison and having some killed. He was notorious and his name struck fear into the early Church. In his later writings he called himself the chief of sinners. One day he had an encounter with Jesus Christ the risen Savior, and his life was transformed forever. He is credited for writing much of the New Testament and for taking the Gospel to nations. Paul could’ve spent his whole life regretting his past mistakes and sins, living in guilt and shame. However, he writes in Philippians 3:13, “One thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus”. It was by the grace shown to him by God that he could make that proclamation.

From cover to cover the Bible is a book of redemption. In Christ there aren’t any “Do-overs” only “Start Overs”. From the very beginning God demanded that payment for sin was satisfied by the shedding of blood, and without it there was no forgiveness. When Jesus died on the cross and shed His blood, He did it for everyone who by faith would accept His sacrifice as payment for their sins and receive forgiveness. You are human and in need of forgiveness for your sins, but Jesus also died to give you grace for everyday simple mistakes and decisions which in themselves aren’t sinful. Stop kicking yourself and living with regret, guilt, and shame over those things in the past you can’t change. Come to Jesus today and “Start Over”! There is an old song we used to sing in church, and it goes like this:

I'm free from the fears of tomorrow
I'm free from the guilt of the past
I've traded my shackles for a glorious crown
I'm free praise the Lord free at last

Trade your past for His grace today and show some to others for their mistakes too. You’ll be surprised how it will free you, and God will turn around all those things of the past and work them for good. It will be the best decision you’ll ever make with no later regrets!

By: Denny

In my previous post “Feelin’ Groovy”, I referenced a song by Simon and Garfunkel from 1966. Oddly the official title is “The 59^th Street Bridge Song”. They must have been inspired by bridges because their biggest hit was “Bridge Over Troubled Waters”. Sadly, and ironically, that was the last song they recorded together due to a falling out between them. They each had different desires and ideas that became “troubled waters” which led to the duo breaking up. From schooldays they had been friends, but now they weren’t even speaking to each other. You can research the details for yourself online like I did. Pride and control were the root problems. I don’t have a degree in psychology, but just looking at the cover of their last album speaks for itself. It amazed me that what was and could’ve been an even more successful singing duo crumbled because they failed to work out their differences. They both thought the other one should compromise, apologize, and give in. When communication stopped the divide and distance between them became even greater. Giving someone the “silent treatment” is immature and never works in bringing healing, reconciliation, and restoration to a broken relationship. That’s like drinking poison yourself and thinking the other person will get sick or die. In an interview Paul Simon once said concerning Art Garfunkel, “I’ll never forgive him.”  The bridge over their own troubled waters had totally collapsed. In my opinion and experience, the parties in any conflict who harbor unforgiveness tend to become bitter.

I hate to sound redundant, but in my years of trucking I’ve crossed a lot of bridges. Some were famous such as the Golden Gate or the Mackinac Bridge, which is the longest suspension bridge. The bridge over Lake Pontchatrain between New Orleans and Slidell, LA. is 15 miles long. The Causeway Bridge is the longest in the U.S. at 23 miles. Several years ago, a bridge in Minneapolis collapsed, and I had just crossed it the day before. I think we often take bridges for granted assuming they will always be there. Nevertheless, every bridge small or great serves the same purpose to provide a route over a body of water, another road, or any other area or space that would otherwise be impossible to cross.

I couldn’t find the word “bridge” in the Bible, but the concept and inference certainly are evident. In Luke 16:19-31, Jesus told a story about a rich man and a diseased beggar named Lazarus to illustrate a point. The rich man lived in luxury and had everything he wanted. Lazarus was laid at the gate longing to get just a few scraps from the rich man’s table, and the dogs would come and lick his sores. Finally, both men died. The angels escorted Lazarus to Heaven, but the rich man found himself in Hell being tormented and in anguish. In the distance he saw Lazarus standing next to Abraham and begged him to let Lazarus just dip his finger in water to come and cool his tongue. Abraham reminded him that during his lifetime he had everything he wanted, and Lazarus had nothing. Now, having riches alone didn’t cause the man to end up in Hell. It was his greed; lack of compassion and that money and possessions had become his god. On the other hand, Lazarus didn’t get to Heaven based solely on suffering his disease and poverty. The fact that Lazarus appeared along side Abraham, whom the Bible calls the father of faith, indicates he believed and trusted God. Jesus set up this scenario to reveal a deeper truth, as He often did in His parables. In answer to the rich man’s request Abraham says, “There is a great fixed chasm between us so that it is impossible for us to come to you or you to cross over to us.” In other words, there wasn’t a bridge. The rich man then tries to persuade Abraham to send Lazarus back from the dead to go and warn his five brothers, so they won’t end up in Hell like him. Abraham replies, “No, because even if someone returns from the dead they won’t believe, besides they can read the Word of God anytime they want to for themselves and turn from their sins.” Jesus said He is the only way we gain access to God and eternal life. He referred to Himself in terms people could relate to such as: The door, the gate, the vine, the true shepherd, the light, the bread, the cornerstone, the rock, the way, and many others. He is also the bridge.

I think I’ll preach now. We all were born with a sin nature due to the disobedience and fall of Adam and Eve. Because He is holy, sin cannot approach or exist in His presence, so God removed them from the Garden of Eden.  Sin caused a great chasm which separated everyone past, present, and future from God. Mankind was doomed without hope and lost forever, but God had a plan to save us. He sent His only son Jesus who was sinless to die on the cross in our place. He paid our debt and bridged the gap between God and man. The Bible says Jesus reconciled us to God by His sacrifice and made the way for our sins to be forgiven. Here’s the deal; it’s up to every individual to decide to cross the bridge while you’re still alive. It’s as simple as asking God, right now today, for forgiveness of your sins by accepting Christ as your savior by faith and receiving eternal life. Someday Jesus will return, or you will die first. Either way, the bridge and opportunity to cross will be gone forever. Jesus died so we can have our sins forgiven, and He clearly expects us to also forgive others. To hold onto a grudge and unforgiveness is to put your eternal destiny at stake. Matthew 6:14 says if we don’t forgive others, God won’t forgive us.

There is a scene from the Indiana Jones movie, “The Last Crusade” that I really like. He is on a quest to find the so-called Holy Grail, which is supposedly the cup Jesus used at the Last Supper with His disciples. Indiana is guided by a book showing the way. Finally, he comes to a deep chasm and must cross to the other side, but there is no bridge. The book says he must take a step of faith. Reluctantly he steps into mid-air and the bridge appears and he can cross over. I think the analogy is easy to understand without much explanation. You may have some situations in your life right now that seem impossible to cross. Truly Jesus is that “Bridge Over Troubled Waters” to get you to the other side. He has already made a way where there seems to be no way. All you need to do is read the book and do what it says.

“Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” John 20:29

by Denny

As I mentioned in my last blog post, I retired June 1, 2021, after being a truck driver for 50 years. It takes time to transition from hurried schedules, pressured delivery times, fourteen-hour workdays and having to account for every minute via logs. Every day there was someone telling me what to do, whether it was a boss, dispatcher, shipper, receiver, or the D.O.T. regulations. And then there was that inner drive that kept pushing me forward to be the best I could be despite all the hazzles, pressures and ignorant drivers. When I was younger (23), on the scale of 1-10 for doing stupid stuff, I scored a 10. In 1975 the speed limit on interstate highways was 55 mph and CB radios were the craze. Everyone had one to know where Smokey Bear was sitting with radar. It was hammer down if you wanted to make money and were being paid by the mile. I remember one time leaving Rome, Georgia late Monday night with a load of carpet and delivered it in Portland, Oregon at 6 AM Thursday. That’s 2,550 miles. On another occasion I ran from Houston to Chicago without stopping except for food and fuel. I unloaded and drove another 7 hours home to Iowa. For a short time, I had a weekly run from Duluth to Atlanta to Houston then back to SD, MN, or IA. (3,200 miles) There were many other similar instances too numerous to mention. I was always pushing the envelope back then. That was the year I got 9 speeding tickets in various states and lost my license for 6 months. Talk about stupid! Looking back now at 69 I think, “What was the point?” In other words, “Too soon old, too late smart”.

So, here I am six months into retirement. I go to bed and get up when I want to. There are things to do around the house, but if they don’t get done today, no big deal. If I don’t want to do anything but play with my model train layout, I can do that. I find more time to read the Bible, and if inspired, to write blogs like this one. Since Lucy is still working, I try to help with the dishes, laundry, and other jobs. It seems there is always something I’m fixing or tinkering with. We enjoyed taking our motor home out for the first time this Summer and Fall. We did 4 short weekend trips, but plan to venture out of state next year. I’m learning to relax and slow down. I’m becoming a real “homeboy”. Somedays I don’t even go anywhere. When I do, I don’t feel like I must hurry, but wonder why everyone else is in one. Without fail somebody will be 20 feet off my bumper just chomping at the bit. “What’s your point” I often find myself saying out loud. I wish there were bumper stickers that say: “Just because you’re in a hurry doesn’t mean I have to be”. “Retired Trucker- I have more miles backing up than you have going forward”. “Retired Trucker-I forgot more places than you’ll ever see” or “Retired Trucker – I have over 2 million, how many miles do you have?”

I was doing the grocery shopping the other day, and an old song by Simon and Garfunkel came to my mind.

Slow down, you move too fast
You got to make the morning last
Just kicking down the cobblestones
Looking for fun and feeling groovy
Ba da-da da-da da-da, feeling groovy

I’ve come to realize that to slow down is more than not driving too fast or not trying to cram 48 hours into a 24-hour day. It’s more like stopping everything and just quietly reflecting on life; where you’ve been, what you’re doing and why, and where you’re going. It’s sorting out the urgent things that control and drive us from the important things we often neglect.  It’s noticing the little things all around us that we never saw before. It’s forgetting you have a cell phone or where you left it. It’s laying down your agenda and stepping out of your world to lend a helping hand to someone in need. It’s a friendly word instead of an outburst of anger when you don’t get your way, or someone crosses or invades your space. As the song says, you got to make the morning last, because it passes so quickly. So goes life and the older I get the more I’m aware of its brevity.

In Luke 10:38-42, Jesus and his disciples arrived at the home of Mary and Martha. Martha was the fidgety type, distracted and worrying about preparing the big meal, meanwhile Mary was sitting on the floor listening to Jesus speak. Instead of asking Mary to come help her, she goes directly to Jesus and basically orders Him by saying, “Don’t you care that Mary sits here doing nothing while I’m in the kitchen slaving over a hot stove fixing the meal? Tell her to come and help me”. I think Martha’s intentions were good in wanting to serve Jesus a good meal, but it seems she was focused more on herself and wanting Mary to help her get praise from Jesus for all her hard work. Jesus replied (my paraphrase), “Chill out Martha, slow down you’re going too fast. You got to make this moment last. Mary has discovered that being close to me is more important than all your hurrying, worrying, fussing, and anxiety”. In other words, Mary was feeling groovy (so to speak) in the presence of Jesus. I wonder how many of our prayers end up sounding like Martha telling Jesus what to do. It’s like, “Jesus, here is my agenda. I have a lot on my mind and many things to do, so just bless it and make it happen asap. I would talk more, but you know I must hurry to get everything done today. O yeah, I’ll bring an updated list with me to church on Sunday. See you then, Amen”. 

Quite often Jesus retreated by himself to an isolated place to refresh himself and pray. Ministering to the crowds of people that constantly came to him with their needs was physically draining. Also, He needed to get alone and spend time with His father in Heaven to be in tune with Him. If Jesus needed to do that, how much more do we. Don’t wait for retirement before you slow down and start feeling groovy. In the case of Mary and Martha, Jesus said Mary has chosen the best part indicating that it was indeed her choice. What part are you choosing?