Durian

I had never heard of a Durian Fruit before last Sunday, not until a Korean Grandmother ( 할머니 / Ha-mo-ni) told a story during lunch.  By the way, many Koreans refer to older Korean women as Grandmother.  She said that a Chinese friend of hers had seen one of these large, prickly fruits in the market and decided to buy one and take it home to cook it.  She started to laugh as she was telling the story, because her friend didn't know that the Durian fruit stinks when you cut into it, but is delicious to eat.  I would have never known that either, but I don't think that I would ever just cut into one to find out.  I was just reading that Durian (AKA - The king of Fruit) has be banned from public places such as malls, subways and motels, in several Asian countries.  Sounds even to nasty for my taste.

There is such a great variety of food at the Korean market (the H-Mart in Cherry Hill, NJ) and produce that I have never seen before.  I'm sure that they wouldn't carry a fruit like the Durian unless there was someone out there who would buy them and eat them.  Most of us are familiar with only a small variety of fruits & veggies, and are often only comfortable purchasing and preparing what we knew, and so we miss out on so much.  We do the same thing in the Work of the Ministry, we only participate in things we are familiar and comfortable with, and so we often pass by many opportunities because we're not sure about the taste. There are times when we just have to take a bite.



Chuck

It's Late

I know that it's not Friday Favorite time but it's late and I need to go to bed soon.  So here is great quote from my favorite 19th century, Baptist Preacher.

"By perseverance the snail reached

the ark." 

- C. H. Spurgeon

Good Night,

Have a wonderful Lord's Day.

Chuck

Friday Favorites:

I Love Doritos; they are my Favorite Munchie.  I'm 'Old-School' when it comes to this snack, the original Nacho Cheese flavor, releases in the US in 1964, is what I normally consume.  Cool Ranch , Blue Cheese or Hot Wing flavors are fine, but there is nothing like the taste of the original formula, so why mess with it?.  I must mention that my Dear Mother is also a Doritos Junkie and one of these day in the future I have a "Doritos & Mom Story" to share with all of you.  And yes, my Mom reads my Blog because I have a Blog that only a mother could love. 

Many items certainly have improved since their original release like the old IBM 8088 or the Apple II+, but some things, like the Mona Lisa and Doritos, don't need any alterations or improvements. 

This applies across the board to anything that God has produced.  The way of salvation (By Grace through Faith), the Local, Visible Church (With Jesus as the only Head), and the Great Commission (Through Churches, with the Gospel, Establishing more Churches).  It is God's Design, It Works, so why mess with the original formula?   Old-School Faith, Old-Time Religion!


Chuck

Yellow Snow!

"Watch out where the huskies go ...".  That was a silly song from many decades ago, but the snow I saw today was yellow and blue and purple and pink!  Some strange husky?  No, this rainbow of arctic delight was the result of last night's dessert.  Joyce made some small cakes and let a few of the grand babies decorate them with icing and sprinkles.  They loved the project and the results but they left a little bit of a mess behind.  This morning my wife shock out the table cover and this was the result, colored snow!

When tossed out into the cold world each of us, who are the children of God, have the capacity of impacting those who are immediately about us.  We are light and salt and evidence of a gracious Saviour.

Color your world with the God's Grace.


Chuck

Wordless Wednesday

Squeakers

Our dog is an animal when it comes to dog-toys.  Coach (Named for a purse, not for his athletic prowess) has managed to destroy every "stuffed" toy that we, or anyone else has given him.  He must hold some type of time record for de-stuffing a stuffed animal.  It is quite amazing to watch.  Even the plastic toys are not immune from his savagery, especially if there is a squeaker involved.  This picture contains the gutted carcases of just two of his latest victims, both have had squeak-ectomies. 

Relentless is the best word to describe Coach's determination when dealing with squeakers.  He can't seam to rest knowing that there's a toy that hasn't been thoroughly dealt with.  We often have to put them up so that we can have some peace and quiet.  Does relentless determination describe your attitude towards dealing with 'squeakers' in your life?  If there is a spiritual issue that keeps making noise and causing distractions for yourself and others, sink your teeth in till it's been gutted!

“Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil.” (Ephesians 4:26-27)

Chuck

Paint

Monday is normally the chore-day, and so we began bright & early.  Out the door by 7:10 my dear wife and I started with Sam's Club & Wal-Mart, then breakfast at Chick-Fil-A.  Next was Aldi & Shop Rite then the Bank, the Dry Cleaners and a stop in to say hello to Bro. Don S.  We were home by 1:00 at which time I consumed a Liverwurst Sandwich, and then Grand Baby #3 & I were out the door again for another round of running errands.  First stop was Bank #2 followed by Home Depot (We needed new Trash cans for the church.  The last ones were run over & flattened!) and then over to the church to down-load lots of stuff.

While in route, GB#3 reminded me that I was her "favorite", favorite what, I don't know, but it's nice to be called a favorite.  At the Depot she requested politely to sit on the tractors, which of course, being her favorite, I complied.  Then she ask, "Pop Pop, can we look at the paint?"  Sure, I told her as we headed down the back concourse towards the paint department, but I wasn't really sure what she wanted to look at.  Piles of gallon cans?  Paint Stirs?  No she wanted to see the wall filled with colors, you know, the color sample squares. 

Simplicity, wonderment and gratitude fill the life of a child.  When's the last time you told your Heavenly Father that He was your favorite?  How long has it been since you took His hand and experienced the wonders of this world together?

"I Love the LORD, because he hath heard my voice ..."  He's my Favorite!


Chuck

Quotes

Often on Fridays I will post a favorite quote.  I wanted to show you some of my quote collection, that's right, a collection.  Like some folks collect stamps, or seashells, I collect quotes.  This has been going on for twenty-some years.  I believe it started back in the early 90's whilst working in Missouri.  We had a certain computer system that we logged into each morning, and after logging in a quote popped up will the system booted.  I started writing down the good ones ("If time heals all wounds, why don't belly buttons fill in?") and started a "Quote" file.  Once the file was started then I began to collect quotes from all kinds of places, books I was reading, Chinese Fortune Cookies, Billboards, TV & Radio shows.  The supply was endless. 

Some I collected because they were just funny, many because they made me think.  I think it's good to think.  Don't you think? 

A little taste from the Quote File:

"Diplomacy: The art of saying 'Nice Doggie' until you can find a rock."

"As long as your eyes leak you head will not swell."

"If we knew what we were doing it wouldn't be called research!"

"Experience: What you receive just after you needed it."

"It is always the novice that exaggerates." - C.S. Lewis

 "It is a good thing for an educated man to read books of quotations." - Winston Churchill

Litera Scripta Manet - The Written Word Endues


Chuck

12 Minutes

Goal setting manifests itself in many places in our lives.  The number of minutes on the exercise bike, the number of reps of sit-ups & push-up.  We set goals in our daily chores, like when we map out the list from Home Depot, to the dry-cleaners, to Staples, to Shop Rite and then to the house.  Wallet is empty; goal is accomplished!  Not setting a goal in that situations is evidenced by meandering around town, making several trips throughout the week, waisting that $2.95 gas (Wawa on Ft. Dix Rd.) and eventually realizing that you forgot to do or get something that you really don't remember right now.  Confessions of a Meander-er.

Where did you read from in your Bible today?  "Oh, it was ....one of the psalms".  No goal in Bible reading simple means you meander from book to book, chapter to chapter.  Goals in prayer, like certain prayer lists, or set time keeps us progressing forward.  Suddenly you realize that 2 chapters a day has turned into 3 or 4 and 15 minutes of prayer is now a half an hour.  The biography that you have been wanting to read is now off the self and the next book is waiting on the nightstand with great anticipation. 

Next week that timer will be set at 0 hours / 15 mins because goals never go backwards, they always push us on to accomplish more.

Chuck

Wordless Wednesday

Simplicity

No not the sewing pattern company (I know about these things from shopping with my dear wife).  Simplicity was the theme of the preaching these last few days at the Men's Charge, "The simplicity that is in Christ".  Missionary Reiner Harper from Toronto preached some challenging messages on this subject.  Lives certainly get complicated by Sin, by Stuff and by Circumstance.   Sin must be confessed, Stuff should be cut-down and Circumstances can be curtailed.  I do too much to gain so many things that contribute so little to the cause of Christ and the Gospel.

"A life that is not simple is sinful."
Thank you Brother Harper.


Chuck

Charge!

Today's blog comes from Camp Sankinac in Pughtown, PA. The occasion is a men's preaching meeting. The normal term for such a gathering is a 'Retreat' yet we Baptist never retreat in anything that we do so they call this a men's Charge. That works for me. I do believe in charging, or moving forward in my Christian life. Yet I realize the necessity of retreating in self-will and worldly persuits. So what ever they call it I just want to be preached at and be challenged by God's word. Enjoy your Monday, I sure am.

Chuck

Snow Fence

These crop up every winter along several of the roads around us.  They are designed to keep blowing snow from drifting onto the roadways and they work wonderfully.  When I first saw them years back, with the big gapping holes between the slats I thought there was no way that would stop any snow from getting onto the roads, but I was wrong.  The theory is this, the fence doesn't have to stop the snow, just re-direct the air.  The snow follows the air-flow up & over the fence and drops on the other side before it gets to the road. Real simple.

The protections we have from menacing drifts that attack the progress of our Christian lives seem frail due to the weakness of our flesh, yet success is dependent on the air, the moving of the Holy Spirit of God.  So fight the good fight of faith, pray without ceasing & find His word and eat it up, but also remember that without Him you can do nothing.


Chuck

ZAP!

We are still working on getting the dog to behave himself.  He's not too bad, but he goes ballistic when company comes over, running and jumping and just plain being annoying for everyone.  So the solution?  The Shock Collar!  It arrived the other day in the mail and as soon as we put it on him he started acting different.  I think he may have had one in the past.  You'll notice in the PIC that there are several options of torture.  There is the sound, the vibrate (the symbol looks like slices of bacon) and the ZAP.  So far Coach responds well to just the sound and has only been zapped once for trying to steal something off the table.  It wasn't bacon though. 

While my daughter-in-law #1 was at the house today she asked me if I'd looked on-line for videos of people who have put these shock-collars on and zapped themselves.  So a quick search resulted in several good laughs, and this basic conclusion; people do very dumb things.  Dah!  Of course it's going to hurt, what did you expect?  There's a simple lesson here to be learned: You don't have to do something foolish to know it is going to hurt. 


Chuck

House Fire!

No, not mine, thankfully, but two streets over.  Apparently it was called in around 2:30 am and wasn't brought under control until after 4:00.  The duplex was a complete loss.  I was sitting in my office at 6 this morning (you've all seen my view in previous posts) and I noticed some lights between the buildings.  After I finished my devotions (Psalm 110, "Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power ...") I noticed the lights were still there so I decided to go investigate.  This is what I saw.

... and this is what I did:





Went and got Grand Babies (#1, 2 & 5) so they could see all the excitement.

... and this is what is left.
 
They wasted little time in taking the shell of a house down.  GB#5 and I watched a while and I noticed something very interesting.  As they were removing the inside of the house it all looked the same. I couldn't distinguish furnishings from floorboards, pictures from plaster.  The smoke and fire touched everything and showed no mercy in marring whatever it reached. 

When sin enters into a life it will indiscriminately destroy everything it possibly can.  Sin has no respect for what is dear to you.  Precious and irreplaceable items are often taken by the flames, so be vigilant and extinguish the slightest smolder of sin before your life goes up in smoke.



Chuck

"Thy Word" Wednesday

Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

Isaiah 1:18

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Psalm 51:7

Let it Snow

Here we go again.  Another 5 to 8 inches of the white stuff falling in South Jersey tonight, so I can't wait to start shoveling my driveway in the morning.  This is our fourth winter storm of the season and it's only the second week of January.  I wonder what the rest of the winter is going to accumulate to be. 

As sure as there will be snow in the winter & showers in the spring, so also are the blessings of God in the life of His children.  This morning started off with an excellent discipleship Bible study with a young man who is hungry for the Word.  I had a lunch-date with my dear wife.  A shipment of Bibles arrived in the mail just in time for tonight's Fire House Bible Study.  And that Bible study went wonderfully.  There were a few first-time visitors present, and several others stopped in afterwards for some food.  There were some good contacts made tonight which have great potential.  All in all, a great accumulation of blessings.  Let it snow ...


Chuck

Low Rider

As you can see from todays PIC there are several pieces of exercise equipment around the Shorter household.  The stationary bike, I believe, belongs to my son Eric.  It has been sitting around the house for several years and has served very little purpose; It is to low to hang clothes on!  Come on, most of you have used exercise equipment as an extension of your laundry room.  Either pre or post laundry.  Since I've not been able to run (the knee as well as the chilly weather) I have finally found this low-rider very useful.  The electronics on it are shot but the wheel still turns, so my iPhone timer and MP3 player is all I need to get a good cardio-workout.

There are many things, and certainly people, around that could be of great benefit to you and I.  Once we stop misusing them (with dirty clothes) and allow them to function according to their design we grow stronger and they become useful.  God has well equipped your life with some very special people, don't just hang things on them, allow them to be used.


Chuck (219)

PT & me

Arther (itous) and I are working out our difficulties as per doctor's orders.  The un-pronounceable, orthopedic specialist recommended some low-impact, physical therapy 3 days a week for 6 weeks, but my co-pay suggested otherwise.  I figured I'd try one or two sessions and then just workout on my own.  I must admit I was greatly impressed with the physical therapist that was assigned to me.  Danielle is about the same age as my oldest son (I'm old enough to be her dad!) and she is knowledgeable, patient and cheerful.  When I informed her that there was no way that I could follow the doctor's schedule recommendations she began to instruct me as thoroughly as possible so that I could easily follow through with the PT at home.  She did a great job in making the PT fun & practical, the work-outs were easily addaptable to things I could do at home on my own.  I plan to go back a few more times this month and be jogging again by the beginning of February.  There's a race I plan to run in mid-March.

A pastor is not a therapist (some act that way) but one part of the ministry is very similar.  A good pastor helps people get over the pain in their lives.  They patiently instruct them, from God's word, in such a practical (and enjoyable) way that they can continue on their own to grow in strength and agility.  The goal is to get them on their feet and back into the race. 


Chuck

Friday Favorites:

Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something.

Plato

Fingerprints

Last weekend, while at my parents house in Delaware, my mom showed me this poinsettia.  It's about 5 years old, and was almost thrown in the garbage a few years back.  But it is still alive.  She said to me, "Charles (my mom calls me Charles), you should blog about this."  She's right, there are many moral inferences derivable from this ill-fated, seasonal centerpiece.  I trust that all of you can immediately begin to develop the story lines: the rescue from impending doom, or of seeming hopelessness which bursts into a blossom of life.  Run with it; there is a great deal found in this 9" pot. 

Several days later, while sitting around the dinning room table with a few of my daughter-in-laws discussing blogging (two of my DILs blog) one made a statement to this effect, "You could see a rock on the ground and find some application!"  That conversation came back to me this morning while I was reading Psalm 104 which reminds us of God's hands-on involvement in creation.  Since God was involved in everything in this world you and I should be able to find His fingerprints everywhere we look.  Each detail, small and great should bear the mark of the creator.  Every animal or plant or element should be a testimony of the One who's breath spoke ALL into existence. 

"O LORD, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches."
Psalm 104:24


Chuck

"Thy Word" Wednesday

“But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children’s children;"

Psalm 103:17

Chuck

Little Chef

This is grand baby #6 (aka: GB6) with her new chef's hat.  Mom-mom-mom (aka: Mom-mom Joan or M3) made chef's hats for all her great-grand kids this year for Christmas, and they all loved them.  Now GB6 is more into eating than cooking but she will be given plenty of opportunities to fall in love with the kitchen.

When you teach a child to cook you are instilling them with some basic concepts.  First, you teach them that a meal just doesn't happen, it is made.  Second, they don't have to just eat what comes out of a box.  And third, following a recipe (a set of instruction) produces a desired result.  Learning to follow instructions is an important life lesson which will benefit them in many areas of their lives.  So let's cook up some fun and a future in the kitchen.

Chuck

Scoring the Game

On September 26, 1997 Philadelphia Phillies star, right-handed pitcher, Curt Schilling, broke the single season strikeout record for the Phillies (314) in the first inning against the Florida Marlins' center-fielder Devon White.  The reason I know this is not because I have a tremendous memory but because I wrote it down on my score card that night.  I have scored nearly every game that attended as an adult.  I must admit that I slacked off this past year because my file cabinets are full and I really have no place to put them any more.  But this post is not about my messy office but about why I score baseball games.

I have a hard time paying attention during baseball games.  The truth is out.  I love baseball, and especially the Phillies, but when I'm at a game I can get easily distracted by everything going on around me.  There are folks to talk to, thousands of people to watch (I'm a people watcher because people do weird things) and then there's that Phanatic running all over the place.  If I'm not careful I could miss some spectacular plays, which I paid good money to see, so by scoring  the game I make myself focus on every pitch and every play.

This same principle works in many other applications, like taking notes during preaching.  I have drawers full of notebooks with sermon outlines because when I have the opportunity to hear the Word of God preached I don't want to miss anything.  And you all know that there are many distractions during preaching services, so I force myself to focus.  It works for me.

By the way, there were 18,007 in attendance that night in Philly, left-fielder Billy McMillon made a spectacular diving catch against Florida's Moises Alou to end the 7th inning, and Curt Schilling was ejected from the game in the top of the 8th for hitting catcher, Charles Johnson, with a pitch.  Now think about the score cards that I've accumulated in eight years from sitting under the preaching of Pastor Leon Gray at Berean Baptist Church.  I'm glad I paid attention.


Chuck

Show Off

On the home from Delaware last night, Joyce and I stopped to do a little grocery shopping.  I had to take a picture of this on.  There were plenty of parking spots left, so that was not the reason for this.  It certainly was well lit, so he didn't just run into it.  No he (had to have been a guy), HE did this on purpose.  The question is why.  To prove to someone that he could, to show off, or simply because he could! 

I suppose if I had a vehicle that could I might do that too.  "Give me this mountain" was the cry of 80 year old Caleb when he finally returned to the land that he had spied out.  The mountain was not just a challenge but an opportunity to experience the blessings, the power and the victories that only God could bring. 

Warning! - Let your wife out at the curb before you put the car in the snow bank.  That will be a blessing to her.  But remember there are many mountain in the land that we occupy as the Children of God and so many opportunities to see God at work.  "I want that mountain ..."


Chuck (220)

Tabula Rasa

Although I'm not a fan of John Locke's epistemological theory of Tabula Rasa, I am firm believer in the "Blank Slate" in action.  Today I start with a new Bible Reading Note Book, not a single word has been written and it is waiting for me to fill its pages with observations and applications from my New Bible Reading Schedule.  I have a brand new Phone Conversation Note Book, yes I keep one at my desk, so that I have a record of calls in & out and jot down information while in a conversation with people throughout this year.  Oh, yes I started the year off with a fresh BIC ReAction Gel Pen.  There is a New "Chick-fil-a" Calendar to hang on the wall which provides me a Tabula Rasa every month. 

My Slate is also Blank with my Lord.  I have not quenched or grieved His Spirit so far this year.  I have sought His face in the Word & in Prayer everyday so far this year.  "I have walked in mine integrity" without exception so far this year.  "I have Kept the Faith" so far, and so have you. Let's offer this year's Blank Slate as a sacrifice of praise unto the LORD, filling each new day with love and service to our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. 


Chuck