Foundation

The hole that you see is a work in progress.  This is one of the places that we get water into the basement at the Church.  Thirty some years ago the folks who were at this property expanded the existing building and the seam between the old and the new didn't quite settle right.  You can see the crack that runs up the wall, but there is also a crack inside along the drywall which goes all the way across the ceiling.  At the time I'm sure they thought they had it right but the foundation shifted just enough to cause this perpetual rift and a steady inflow of water.  We can't do much about the crack now but we can at least reseal the foundation and stop the water.

With the desire to expand, many Churches will try to fuse together something new with the old, yet with very little thought to the foundation.  If the foundation is not consistent then it will crack and continue to do so from bottom to top.  Jesus, the Way, the Truth and the Life, is the only foundation which is solid and unshakable.  Any Church or any life that is built upon Him will stand the tests of time on will remand standing into eternity.  Anything new must begin with a cohesive connection to the only firm foundation, Jesus Christ and His unchanging Word.

“10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. 11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”
1 Corinthian 3:10-11


Chuck

Friday Favorites:

My Favorite time of day is Early Morning. 

I am a "Morning Person".  The kind that drives nocturnal folks crazy.  You know, up before the sun, chipper, singing, ready to go and do something as soon as I jump out of bed.  Morning people don't understand why late-night people just don't go to bed earlier and wake up sooner.  It just makes sense to do that instead of being so slow moving in the AM. 

Early mornings are a great time to read, study and pray.  Now that the summer is at the door I'll likely try to get some running done early before the sun gets too high.  The way I look at it, half the day is done before some people even get out of bed. 

“And Abraham gat up early in the morning to the place where he stood before the LORD:” Genesis 19:27

Chuck (Still 200)

CC

CC = 11001000 = ٢٠٠ No matter how it is written it all says the same, 200!  When I stepped on the scale yesterday it read 200.8 and when I jumped on it again this morning said 200.2.  It used to alway say; "Get off me Fat Boy!"  Can you tell I'm a little excited about this, its a milestone for me.

I haven't seen 200 since 1996 and I remember the event so well.  I was invited to attend a preacher's meeting in Ohio so off I went with two other pastors for a few days of feasting on the Word.  There was a family from the Church that put us up for a few days, and they cooked a Gigantic breakfast for us each morning.  They also provided an endless supply of hand-made chocolates.  As we arrived at the Church we were greeted with danishes & coffee; you know that you can't fellowship without a donut in your face.  A spectacular lunch followed the preaching each morning.  Eating and talking, and eating and talking.  The Church folks had a dinner ready for us every evening before we all sat for hours for preaching and than, of course, afterwards a bunch of preachers and missionaries would head to Denny's for pie.  After NON-STOP eating and sitting for three days I gained 15 pounds and never saw 200 again till yesterday. 

Even something that is a great blessing can be a problem and a curse if not handled correctly.  The new job and pay-scale may be great but can also, with more "disposable income", breed covetousness.  The new baby brings great joy but also provides many excuses for not being as involved in God's work as you've been in the past. 

“Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse;” (Deuteronomy 11:26)

Chuck (200!!!!)

"Thy Word" Wednesday

“7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. 8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."

Romans 5:7-8

The Finish

The Eastampton Township 5K Run was this past Saturday morning, and I was there.  Joining me for her first official 5K race was GB1.  We were both extremely excited, getting up before the sun, eating a good breakfast, getting there early to get out racer's bibs.  You'd think we were running a marathon. This particular week end we were also watching GB3 & 6 so we had are hands a little fuller than normal and so Joyce was wondering if she'd be able to make it out to see the race.  Fortunately; or un-fortunately, depends on how you see it, the kids also woke up early and it was looking good for race day.  As I was leaving to pick up GB1 my dear wife said that she was not sure if they could make it to the start but would defiantly get to the race it see the finish, commenting that seeing the finish is more important and exciting anyway.  Isn't that so true with many things in life as well as in death. 

“7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.”

2 Timothy 4:7-8

See you at the finish line.  We can cheer for each other!


Chuck

P.S. - My DW as well as GB3 & 1;  my #1 Son, DIL, GB2 & 5 were all there from Start to Finish!

Friday Favorites:

It has been a long day babysitting grand babies!  But it reminds me of two of my favorite words:


"Hello Pop-Pop"


Chuck

Going Up!

Why are children attracted to steps?  We are babysitting GB#3&6 for a few day while the kids are off celebrating their wedding anniversary.  They live in a ranch style house with very few vertical plan differentials.  We, on the other hand, live in an old colonial with plenty of steps.  We have a front stairwell and a rear stairwell.  There is a very steep set heading to the third floor and of course the cellar "Stairs" which is really an old wooden ladder.  Throw in a short climb to reach both the front and back porches and you have a bunch of steps.

This afternoon we where sitting in the family room and the two little ones headed for the front of the house to look out the glass storm door for a while.  It got a little quiet so I went to investigate and this is what I found, GB#6 heading up the stairs.  I hope her mom won't get mad at me, but I have a strange philosophy about potentially dangerous things and kids, since they have to deal with them eventually, once they show an interest, teach them to navigate steps ASAP.  This same principle works with bugs.  Instead of teaching kids to be afraid of them teach them to be curious and catch them, 'cause you're bigger than the bug!  That cuts down on a lot of screaming and running away.

Many look at death with great fear, with screaming and yelling.  Yet we all have to face it, and eventually walk down that path.  We can learn to "fear no evil" once we realize that the arms upholding us are those of Jesus Christ.  Death is no longer a danger for those who have trusted Jesus Christ as Saviour.  There is no screaming and yelling because we know that we are bigger than that bug.


Chuck

"Thy Word" Wednesday

“The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.”

Isaiah 35:1

Crumb Bum

Calorie Counting is not an obsession of mine, but I have been more careful of my food intake over the past year.  I was a "See Food" eater; if I saw food I'd eat it.  When I hit 50 and was 50 pounds overweight I figured I needed to come up with a different plan.  I've been using an application called "Loss It!" for a while now and it does make a daily caloric recommendation as well as maintain the total intake based on what I've eaten.  I try to list my meals each day, as well as my exercises, so thirty pounds later, I think it's helped a little.

One day last week I needed to run over to the local hardware store for a conduit fitting and I took GB#2 with me.  On the way home we stopped at Dunkin Donuts!  I'm a pushover with those grand babies.  The half-dozen donuts included 1 pink frosted with sprinkles (for GB#2), 1 chocolate frosted with sprinkles (for GB#5), 2 plain glazed (for someone special), 1 blueberry cake (for my DW) & 1 Apple Crumb (for me).  Apples are a fruit, fruit is health, hence ... one healthy donut!  After I thoroughly enjoyed eating that donut I fired up my "Lose It!" App, selected "Log", "Snacks", "Search Foods", "Dunkin", quickly perused through the 241 items found, and gasped! 460 Calories!  That's more than some of my meals.  I could have eaten both of those glazed ones for the same amount.  Poor Choice in donuts, I should have looked first.

Far to often people take a big bite out of sin and never think about the cost or consequence.  They never consider what must be sacrificed for something that is consumed so quickly, what they will lose forever to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.  Look before you bite, I hope that you'll see that it isn't worth the cost.


Chuck

Let's Run

Today was the "Race for Education" at the Heritage Christian Academy.  This is an annual fund raising event in which all the students participate by getting per-lap sponsors and running a quarter-mile track for an hour.  Lots of fun.  Since I get to hang out at the school quit often during the school year (grand babies, chapel services & subbing) I was 'encouraged' to join the younger group of runners this morning.  After soliciting a few sponsors of mine own, and praying for dry weather (Amen!) we were all off and running.

Many walked the entire hour, including most of the teachers.  Several started off with a fast sprint and barely made the first lap before they got winded.  Many whined and complained the whole hour!  "It's Hot!", "I'm parched!", "Is it done yet?".  You gotta love them kids.  But there were a bunch that ran, and ran, and ran.  I figured that the best thing that I could do was get as many laps in as possible, because laps = $, and then while I was running just keep encouraging those youngins to keep moving forward, because their laps also meant more money for the school.  I'd come along side and say a few words as I passed.  They would fill me in on how many punches they had in their name tags (Punches = Laps) and ask "How many do you have?"  Often as I jogged by they would pick up pace and run with me a while, we had a blast!

You know that the Holy Spirit is the one whom God the Father has sent to come along beside us.  He is our encouragement, our comforter, our provoker when we need it.  The clock is ticking, let's stop whining and get in another lap before the trumpet sounds!


Chuck (202)

Starry Night

For Mother's Day our dear daughter took Joyce and I out to lunch.  I love it when one of the kids actually picks up the tab!  We went to one of Joyce's favorite Japanese restaurants, Miyabi, which serves a wonderful Bento Box.  Lunch was great, conversation was great and the company was great.  As we were preparing to leave I excused myself and headed to the men's room.  Don't worry, this blog does not promote "Bathroom Humor", although I have promoted Uncle John's Bathroom Reader as a fine choice in literature.  Any way ... when entering the restroom I was amazed to see a Van Gogh hanging on the wall.  Starry Night, that post-impressionist masterpiece was right there, in the men's room of that Japanese restaurant!

When man creates a masterpiece or an engineering wonder it is lauded, applauded and greatly appreciated for generations but eventually it all ends up on the bathroom wall.  And like Van Gogh, men often spiral into the deeps of hopelessness and despair.  All of our labor does not have to end in vanity and emptiness, but can be full and fulfilling.

“What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun? ... Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.” (Ecclesiastes 1:3 & 12:13)


Chuck

Finally

Blogger has been down for almost two days.  I have been checking the web site every time I sit down at my desk, checking Twitter traffic for updates and here we are.  I have several blog topics to write about but I don't want to waist any of them on this moment. 

Is there a spiritual application for such a time like this? 

You never know when your opportunity to communicate the truth of the Gospel will be cut off.  Think about what you are saying, typing or texting because it may be the last one.  "Redeeming the time, because the days are evil."


Chuck (204)

"Thy Word" Wednesday

“... Render therefore unto Caesar the things which be Caesar’s, and unto God the things which be God’s.”

Luke 20:25

Guest Appearance

This is another First for '...and Counting'; my first Guest Blogger.  Yesterday's Kermit the Frog tribute not only generated several comments from readers but also brought this editorial comment, which I thought needed to be passed along to all '... and Counting' emotional and spiritual supporters.  Official Disclaimer: The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by 'guest bloggers' on this site do not necessarily reflect the principles and skewed perspectives of the '... and Counting' editorial staff and writer(s) and are being reprinted purely for entertainment purposes.

Subject: FROG VS. MOTHERHOOD

     Since Mother's Day was this past weekend, it would have been a perfect time to write a blog about Motherhood, but nooooo, my son had to write about a Frog. 

      I have nothing against frogs, in fact, I think Kermit is rather cute.  As you said, he made his appearance in 1955, but Motherhood has been around since the beginning of time. 

      Kermit is green, which isn't a bad color to be, but mothers have a radience about them that is due to the love and joy that they receive from their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. 

      Kermit made several movies, but the majority of mothers I know haven't been in a movie production, but have taken many pictures and been in many snapshots over the years.  It's always fun to get out old pictures to share with the family to show them how you looked as a child, a teen and a young mother.  They may not recognize you as that person because you put on a little weight or your hair has turned a little lighter.  Kermit stays the same size and the same color. 

     Kermit only moves with the help of a hand manipulateing him.  We move about with the help of God and maybe a little Ibuprophen, but we are all here because mothers have worked hand in hand with God to bring the miracle of Life into the world.  We should thank God for our mothers and thank God for the Gift of Life. 

 HAPPY MOTHERS DAY TO ALL MOTHERS

Thanks Mom!

Chuck (Your Humbled Son)

56 Years Old

Happy Birthday Wishes to the Little Green Guy, Kermit the Frog.  He turned 56 today.  His television debut  was in 1955 on the "Sam and Friends" show which was a local children's program in the DC area.  The rest, as they say, is history.  Amazing how much and how extensive Kermit's broadcast outreach has been.  Sesame Street started in 1969 and is still running today.  His"Big Screen" movie career started just 10 years later with "The Muppet Movie" and that was followed by a string of sequels which included one of my favorite holiday, must sees, "The Muppet Christmas Carol".   Add to that all his personal appearances on shows like, Larry King Live, The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, Hollywood Squares, Good Morning American and the NBC News, just to name a few, and you've got a Frog for all generations.

I know that the Frog is just a Puppet and that there a hand that is manipulating everything that it does, but what an impact this little collection of cloth and sting has made.  I hope that I can be as effectively used by God's hand.  Just a clay vessel, filled by the Spirit of God and "meet for the master's use."

Chuck

P.S. - Sounds like a good excuse to eat cake!

Friday Favorites:

"It's impossible to have a coin with only one side. You can't have heads without tails.

You can't have success unless you're prepared to have failure.  As soon as you say, 'failure is not an option,' you've just said, 'innovation is not an option.'"

Seth Godin

Back

I found it very difficult and un-fulfilling to Blog from my little, hand-held PDA whilst my laptop was on the mends.  Their is just something about a big, blank screen and a keyboard.  I suppose I would have said something similar about a decade ago, something like, "There's nothing better than a blank sheet of notebook paper and a good pen to get the creative juices flowing."  Soon enough we will all be using voice recognition software for everything and then in another decade when we switch over to "thought-recognition" devices we will all be saying "There's nothing better than a blank tablet and a open mic."  No more typing, no more spell-checking. 

Technology is just a tool.  Like AutoCAD when I was a little draftsman, so software and hardware are like tools in the toolbox or the brushes in the artist's portfolio case.  They are used to record and communicate information, thoughts, opinions and imaginations.  I am very thankful for these tools and hope that I can use them more effectively than a child would use a machinist's micrometer. 

“Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee. And he departed, and began to publish ... how great things Jesus had done for him:” (Mark 5:19-20)


Chuck

Bit

I am blogging tonight from my iPhone because my laptop got bit by a virus, again. I know exactly when and where it happened. I was building a power-point for my evening service sermon. I was surfing for and found an very nice image to illustrate Ps 119:105 and went to the site to cut & paste. All of a sudden my anti-virus software started going haywire. The website I went to was not some type of front for a malicious hacker, it was a real, spiritually base site.

Isn't that the way the enemy works? The devil will atack us just as easily in the church house as in the work house. He will temp the child of God in paradise if given the opportunity. So be careful out there, it's really easy to get bit.

Chuck (208)