Thank You, Lord

There are many days that come and go with activities, amusement and distractions.  But there are some days that bring us to stop and think and Thank.  Today I have to pause and thank God that I and my dear wife are healthy.  An elderly uncle of one of the church member's passed away and then the brother of a few of the members of NTBC had a serious operation this afternoon.  Another church member called me tonight while he was on the way to the hospital with some potential heart problems.  I just returning from there as I'm writing this blog.

Life is fragile.  Health is even more so.  I just want to say "Lord, thank you for taking care of me."  The man that I visited tonight was in tears this afternoon on the way to the ER but was sitting in the hospital bed say "I know my Father is going to take care of me"!  He's right. 


Chuck

"Thy Word" Wednesday

This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

                        1 John 1:5

Academics

"Education for education's sake is an abomination".  That was a favorite quote from one of my favorite professors in Bible college, Dr. Robert Terrey. Tonight I am working on an assignment for the class that I took last week down in Louisiana.  I'm writing papers!  It has been 15 years since the last time I "Had" to to do a writing assignment.  I enjoy writing, when it's a sermon or a blog, and I've enjoyed assigning papers to be written because I love reading the work of students who take a theology class seriously.  But I certainly don't miss this part of the educational process. 

My goals in enrolling in continuing education is not just for the degree but for the enhancement of my ministry.  I hope that this next level of education will open more teaching opportunities for me in the future.  I also trust that my studies, including research papers, will enhance my understanding of the Word of God, the world that I live in, and the potential for the gospel ministry.  Studying to show ourselves approved unto man is academics, but studying to show ourselves approved unto God is an essential part of the work of the ministry.


Chuck

Who's Counting?

As it has been well stated in the past few weeks, I'm trying to lose a few pounds.  This is not a middle-age crisis thing (if I live to be 120 then I have 10 more years until I'm officially middle-aged) it is simply a way to stay healthy and get my BP a little lower.  Besides running a few miles a week I am watching what I eat and counting calories.  The counting part is easy because "There's an App for that". 

One day last week for breakfast I grabbed a box of "Healthy" cereal off the shelf, read the serving size & nutritional info and poured myself about 100 calories.  When I looking at the bowl I was shocked!  "Is that ALL!?"  I used a very small spoon to eat breakfast that morning so that could stretch that 100 calorie bowl as long as possible. Now for the kicker.  Whilst re-shelfing that box I decided to check out the "Un-Healthy" cereal's nutritional info. Please note that this box of sugary delight was purchased when the last missionary-house-guests-with-kids were in town.  Honest!  This is what I discovered - I could have almost twice as many "Froot-Loops" for the same amount of calories as the healthy stuff.  There is absolutely nothing Special about Special K.  Do you hear me? 

Never assume one thing is better than another until you read the box.  In life we need to base our behavior on God's Word.  It's here we discover the true value of things.  We are warned about the "deceitfulness of riches", about not being filled with "our own devises" but we also read about how truly great Love is, and just how much the smallest dose of Faith can accomplish.  If you fill your life up with things of little worth then one day you will take a close look and ask yourself, "Is that ALL?", and you will discover that you are very empty.

“Let my mouth be filled with thy praise and with thy honour all the day.”
Psalm 71:8

Chuck (216)

Spring?

When I left Jersey the other morning it was 31 degrees and snowing, when I de-planed (That's what they call it) in LA it was nearly 80 and of course there was no snow or ice in sight.  That would be the LA down south not the one out west, in case you are wondering.  Spring started last week but you could have fooled me with all the chilly weather we have been having.  The trees were still bare, the daffodils were shivering through the sleet that was falling this week, and there were no mosquitoes (Amen to that!).

When I landed in Shreveport the other day I found Spring!  The tress are all green, the azaleas are in full bloom as well as the dogwood trees, and of course there were bugs flying around everywhere.  There are time that we wonder if the sun will ever shine again, if the warmth will ever return, but let me say that I have seen it and it coming your way.  Hold on just a little while longer. 

“... Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.”
Psalm 30:5



Chuck

Pray without Ceasing

6:30 am.  That was the time the plane was scheduled to take off.  6:30 AM!  Is that hard to understand?  I got up early, woke my dear, sleeping wife up early and got on the road in plenty of time to be at the gate and hour before takeoff.  When boarding did not start at 6:15 I knew there was something amiss.  At 6:17 the nice lady at the counter announced that the "Flight Crew had left the motel and was on route to the airport".  What!?  I was able to make it on time, whats the deal with this?  Come to find out that the pilot over slept.  After loading late and then de-icing we took off at least 40 minutes late, which would not necessarily be too bad, but I had a connection to make.

In the air I read, listened to some mp3's and entertained myself enough to not be too frustrated about the late departure, till I started noticing that my connection departure time was drawing closer, and closer, and closer.  "Lord, please help me to get to my destination.  I may miss my next flight, but please help me make whatever arrangements I need to to get to where I need to be".  I was convinced that when I land I was going to have to work out some new plan ... until the stewardess announced "Welcome to ..... where the local time is ... "  What?  We crossed a time zone?  You mean that I didn't miss my flight?

Let me ask you, did I waist my time praying?  God didn't move the time zone, or even make the sun go back 10 degrees on the dial, but He did change my anxious heart, and turn back the dial on my frustration and worry.


Chuck

"Thy Word" Wednesday

Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth.
Proverbs 5:18


Happy 35th "Dating Anniversary" to my dear wife.
I Love You.


Chuck

Get a Clue!

I was reading Psalm 150 this morning and the image of the board game "Clue" came to mind.  Yes I know, what a great spiritual thought!.  This simple psalm speaks about praising the Lord in different ways and in a diversity of places and of course by a everything that "hath breath".  In the game of Clue there is multitude of combinations in the solution for this 'Who Done-It' classic; Coronal Mustard with the Candlestick in the Library. (For all you calculation enthusiasts: I'll let you 'Do the Math' to figure out how many combinations are available in the solution)  Observation and Investigation will usually produce the proper outcome and also applies to Psalm 150.  If you are willing to observe your life and ask the right questions, like, "What am I thankful for?" or "How has God blessed me?" or "Where would I be if God had not saved me?" then you will find a countless number of combinations and always be a winner.

Chuck, in the Office, with his Bible

P.S. - Professor Plum called, he said for you to "Get a Clue"!

Pain in the Drain

I have just recently returned from my #2 son's house where things were a bit backed up.  Their toilet apparently was starting to flush a little slowly this weekend and by this morning it was a no-go, if you know what I mean.  Toilets are a very important part of a household.  One can make due with out, let's say, a dishwasher on the fritz, or a microwave oven.  You just skip the popcorn for a few days.  But the commode is a whole different magnitude of necessity.  I could live in a house without AC but it is hard to image a none-flushing dwelling place.

I'm glad to report the his trip to the Depot, the rental of a large industrial snake, and the removal of a large clump of "material" has restored that household to it's old self.  And of course there is a tremendous spiritual application to this evening's activities.  Everybody needs their pipes cleaned out every now and then.  "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves" and we can be assured that it will start backing up until we are nonfunctional.  But "If we confess our sins" God has promised to forgive.  Don't let you sins back-up!


Chuck

5K

Today was the BIG DAY that I have been waiting for; it was the first race of the season.  The reason I have been anticipating this little race is that my last race was way back in September.  I have had this one on the calender for months and it has kept me motivated, kept me in the work-out room all winter, kept me planning runs each week and kept me at least being somewhat sensible about what I eat. 

Putting a target out there in front of you is very motivational.  Go ahead it try it, stick a bull's-eye out in the back yard.  You'll eventually be looking for things to throw at it.  Then you'll be shooting things at it (Except in certain parts of New Jersey).  That target will constantly get your attention. 

So put the Prayer Meeting on the calendar, the Teen Camp, Family Camp, Revival Meeting, Preachers Conference, Bible Reading Schedule, Ideal Weight, List of Books.  You know what you need to get out of your mind and finally write down on paper!  Put it out there, plan on being there or dong that, or completing a project ... aim at the target and pull the trigger!

“I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:14)


Chuck

Friday Favorites:

"The smallest deed is better than the greatest intentions."

                           Anon.

Chuck (222)

Brush

With the sun shining and the temperature rising today was a perfect day to do some yard work.  Joyce and I started just after breakfast this morning to "Clean up a little bit" and kept it up for over an hour.  There is the ivy (Spanish not Poison) that has to be trimmed back along the fence line.  There are all those saplings that need to be whacked and the neighbor's wisteria vines that need to be reminded which yard to grow in.  By the way, I do a lot of trimming with my machete, it's a guy thing!

By the time we were done whacking, and hacking, and pulling, and raking we had filled up 4 trash cans as well as the bed of my S10.  Not bad for just "Cleaning up a little bit"!  Once you start doing the clean up and see the progress and the results you can't help but want to do just a little bit more.  This works in yards as well as lives.  Once we start examining ourselves, pulling up any roots of sin, raking out the dead leaves of the flesh and clearing out the brush that has been quenching the Spirit, we begin to see the great potential for growth, and plan the next trip to the garden to work the ground just a little more.


Chuck

"Thy Word" Wednesday

13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. 14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. 15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.

Revelation 22:13-15



Chuck (226)

BUGS!

Tomorrow (Wed.) I am preaching in the Junior Chapel of a local Christian academy. That's the K4 through 4th grade group which is extremely enjoyable group to teach.  Since I get to go about once a month I usually try to teach a series of lessons throughout the school year.  Last year I taught the Fruit of the Spirit and the year prior, the Days of Creation.  Each message consists of an object lesson which I pull out of my Big Brown Bag.  For those familiar with the "Big Blue Box", this bag is a bit more mobile.  

"Bugs of the Bible" is this years theme.  Bees, Grasshoppers, Ants & Spider (yes I know that a spider is not considered a bug!).  I pull a bug out of the Bag, I read a verse or two that mentions that bug, we talk about some the interesting characteristic of that bug (Lots of Interaction) and then I make some spiritual applications.

Everywhere we look we should be able to see in God's creation truths that challenge us to a stronger spiritual life.  "Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise." (Proverbs 6:6)  Tomorrow's bug will be a Fly.  What spiritual application can you make from the flies mentioned in the Bible?

Chuck

Wait, Weight

Confession is good for the soul, right?  So here it is ... I have gained back a BUNCH of the weight that I lost over the summer.  I had gotten down to 214 in that "Biggest Loser" competition that I had with one of my sons.  That was back in September and then the "Knee" thing happened in the first week of October and no more running until just recently.  I was posting my weight every once in a while in this Blog as a way of being somewhat accountable and to provoke myself to keep it up and keep it off. But ...

214 was soon 220 then 225 then 229 ... this has to stop.  I'm not obsessive over my weight, I just want my blood pressure to stay down and I want to be able to run some longer distances without feeling like I'm carrying a small child on my back.  I'm carrying about 40 extra pound every time I go running.  That's 8 bags of Flour!  That's like lugging around a 5 gallons bucket of water!  I need to get back on track.  I guess the trip to Red Robin (YUM!) tonight for dinner wasn't the best idea.  I could blame that on my dear wife.  It was her birthday last week, and she did get a "Free Gourmet Burger" coupon via e-mail, so who could refuse that offer.  I did only drink water so that makes up for the 1100 calorie burger and the 400 calories of French Fries, oh and the FREE Happy Birthday Sundae that we split (2 cherries on top).  When will the madness end?

My goal was in reach and now it's a little further stretch but it is still achievable.  If it is worth having it is worth working hard to get.  Good health is a good goal, so no more excuses.  "The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me the coupon and I did eat".  That didn't work in the garden of Eden and certainly isn't working now.  

Chuck (224 yesterday prior to the "Royal Red Robin Burger" / 1191 calories / 83g fat ... YUM!)

Friday Favorites:

This week's Friday Favorites is Out of the Mouth of Babes, one of my grand babies to be specific.  We had just finished dinner tonight, which was a wonderfully, juicy beef tenderloin cooked on the grill served with home-made potatoes au gratin (I'm a very spoiled man!) and my dear wife brought out some left-over, chocolate birthday cake from Wednesday evening.  GB3 says, "This is my Favorite Food!"

One of my Favorites Too.


Chuck

Grandparents

Today was "Grandparent's Day" at the Heritage Christian Academy and since we have two grandchildren enrolled it was only natural that we would attend such an event.  My basic observation was that my dear wife and I were the youngest grandparents in attendance.  Now certainly there may be younger grandparents with grandchildren involved in the school but it was obvious they were not in attendance today.  I must describe to you the reasoning behind being the grandparents of six children and still, as I see it, being so young.

When Joyce and I were married we had several discussions about kids.  Our general consensus was to have as many as we could as soon as we could and that's exactly what we did.  The original number was 12 but once number four came along we basically agreed that our quiver was full. And seeing that we were married so young (19 & 18), having four children by the time we were in our late 20s made us prime candidates to be very young grandparents. I can't say that I would recommend this same situation to everyone but it certainly has worked for us.  I'm 50 and still quite young enough to enjoy playing with the grandbabies with the potential of the even more active enjoyment for years to come.

Yet the age or agility of a grandparent is not necessarily the greatest attribute. Godly grand-parenting requires a greater measure of spirituality than of spunk. The influence of the godly grandfather is not dependent upon age, nor upon the ability to keep up with them, but requires sensitivity to the spiritual needs in that child's life. So whether it be from a wheelchair or walking, grandparents can have a great influence upon a child. I thank the Lord that he has given my dear wife and I the opportunity to be engaged in our children's and our grand-children's lives regularly. And seeing that we are still so young this gives us even more responsibility to live a godly example before them and guide them to the Savior.


Chuck (aka: Pop Pop)

Wordless Wednesday

Fire House

This is the 2nd Tuesday of the month so off we go to the Fire House for the monthly Bible Study.  The Department Chaplin. Jeff D., did a wonderful job preaching and there was food following.  That's what Baptists do; we preach and eat. 

This is the 5th month of the study, and so we have had meetings at each of the four Township fire companies and so we are back to the first fire house for the 2nd time around.  Every fireman has gotten an invitation in the mail each month and they will get plenty more invitations over the next year.  They all know that we are going to meet each month, they are starting to check us out, they are starting to show up one or two at a time, things are happening.

Consistence, persistence but above all things, praying "without ceasing".  God is doing something and I am humbled and excited to be a part of it.


Chuck

NYC

Good Night New York City!

Good Night Everyone in Blogosphere!

It's late and I have walk a lot of miles today.
I love that town.
I love to take folks there.
I love to show the sights to Pastors & Missionaries.

26 Million People!
"Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields ..."


Chuck

Drag and WHAT?

I love my "First-Born-Male-Child", I really do.  But he makes me nervous sometimes.  He is my "Technical, Spiritual and Menu Advisor", and has always been a big help with any and all of my computers and technical related issues around the house.  Yesterday he says to me, "Hey dad, you need to try 'Drag-and-Dictate' on your laptop".  He knew that I was needing to write a few papers for a class I am taken and told me that it would be faster to "Talk" the papers than to "Type" it.  I agreed.

Download off the USD drive ... Run the Set-up ... Re-Boot ... NOTHING! ...

My Laptop is not booting ... "Boy your computer's old, dad!" ... Big Blue Screen ... Bad Messages ....

"Must be some type of Driver conflict, dad" ... The problem was that I let him drive! ...

"We'll just start it in 'Safe Mode', dad" ... How come 'Safe Mode' doesn't sound very, SAFE? ...

"Google this error code for me on you iPhone, dad" ... Why do we run to our Apples to fix our Windows?

"Oh, that's any easy fix, dad" ... Easy for you, I'm still wondering why we even started the process.

"There, that fixed it."  ... Run set-up, re-boot, windows screen, .... It Worked.


Anything new will occasionally cause some frustration and concern.  Many will stop immediately after things are different from what they had anticipated,  yet if we always did that none of us would ever try anything new.  The work of the ministry will often produce the Big Blue Screen and frustrate us.  But when we realize it's simply an issue with the drivers it's an easy fix.  Move over and let the Lord Drive.  Re-boot, it works!


Chuck

P.S. - Thanks Buz!

Friday Favorites:

"Few things limit God's use of the Christian worse than fear, doubts, and worry."

- Tim Lahaye
Spirit-Controlled Temperament



Chuck

R&R

I don't get sick very often, and even more rarely do I miss a preaching service over illness, but this one has me knocked out.  On Monday my sinuses started filling up and then by Tuesday all I wanted to do was sleep, and sleep I did.  Even with an hour-plus, afternoon nap I still managed to sleep 10 hours that night.  Tonight there will be a couple guys from the Church filling in for me during our Prayer Meeting & Bible Study.  Amen for men who are willing to serve.

I will admit, though, that I have enjoyed the rest.  I just finished reading a book that I just started on Friday.  I also was able to rest my knees from all the workouts and running.  Rest is promised to those who come to Christ: "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest".  A future rest is also promised to the child of God: "There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God".  But certainly it is true that no one can appreciate rest unless they have first experience labor, so "Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest".

If you are laboring and are overwhelmed with sin, come to Jesus and you will find rest.  If you have already found rest for your soul in the Lord, then be about your Father's business, for in your labor for the Lord you will find sweet rest.

Chuck

Remedy

Yes I know that it's Wednesday, but I took a Blogger's "Sick-Day" and so I have some catching up to do.

These are the basic ingredients for getting over a head cold:

1. Saline Nasal Rinse (Missionary Doug Hammett got me started on that one)

2. Lots of Sleep (About 10 Hours straight will do)

3. Jane Austin Movies (This aids in the sleeping part of the remedy)

4. Drink Lots of Liquids (Some filtered through Coffee Beans)

5. Soft Serve Ice Cream (White Dotte just opened for the season / It Can't Hurt!)

 Coffee, Ice Cream, Salt and "Sense & Senseless (I mean Sensibility)" can cure almost anything. 

Just like no one is immune from catching a cold so also no one is immune for the infectious spread of sin.  "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man."  Yet we would all do well to practice every precaution possible.  Flee from youthful lusts and from idolatry.  Give no place for the devil.  Let not sin reign in your mortal body.  The cold and flue season doesn't last for too long, but the sin season will be with us till the rapture.  So "Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."


Chuck