Christmas thoughts and memories!

  I sit here tonight, thinking of family, friends, Christmas's past and loved ones who are no longer around. I remember my aunt that we called SANTA ANNA!  She made Christmas exciting  for 3 kids who were not her own. A. Anna, my mom's next older sister, loved us as her own, played Santa (in secret), helped my parent's with Santa Claus and generally endeared herself to us all. She was my aunt and my best friend. (till my wife came along.)
   I remember Christmas's when I was over-seas, serving in the Army. I think of the German family who shared their home and holiday with an American G.I.  They fed me, bought me gifts and made Christmas 1977 bearable for a young man who was spending his first Christmas away from home. They were great when Christmas wasn't really exciting.
   I remember Christmas's when I was alone, traveling with work or just roaming. No goals, no plans and no sense of direction. Alone by choice because I had no better sense.  Some of those Christmas's, I spent in truckstops, visiting with other drivers, who like me were on the road because that's where the job took them.
   I remember 1989!  Breakfast at my in-laws and then the trip to the hospital for the gift of a lifetime: the birth of my son. Tough Christmas for my wife but in the end, a great one all the way around. He has now given us a beautiful daughter-in-law and 2 fantastic grandchildren.
   So many Christmas's, so many memories, so much to be thankful for. I think of this Christmas, 2010!   So many blessings to think of, and so many friends to share them with. If you are reading this post, know that you are one of the blessings of the season. My family and friends are the most important things that I have, except for the Love and Salvation that Jesus gave me. His birth is the greatest birthday, His death is the greatest gift.
  Gifts are a strange thing when you think of them. They look great in the paper that they are wrapped in but are totally useless if you don't accept and open them.  God gave us the gift of his Son in order that the Son could give us the gift of His blood on the cross. That gift is there for each of us but we must accept it, open it and use it. I pray that each of you will consider the gift, the giver and the reason for the season.
  For this Christmas, I pray God's blessings on each of you, my friends and family. May the Joy of the Season be yours throughout the coming New Year.

What is "THANKSGIVING" all about?

 As I sit here in the early morning light, a tiny dog curled up beside me, I remember Thanksgiving days from the past.  Early morning deer hunts with my father, brother and friends. Frost on the windshield and the smell of momma's biscuits baking. I think of truck stop's and drivers, friends caught away from home, doing a job that few really can appreciate.  Family for the moment and then on down the road with a heavy load to deliver.  I remember piles of food, laughing children, arguing over football games and loving it all.
   I think of what folks are thankful for and all the messages of goodwill that are sent by snail-mail, e-mail and phone. I contemplate the truthfulness of the messages that I send. Do I really mean it when I say, Have a Blessed Day, or is this just habit and politeness? Gotta say I do mean it (cause I do).  My life is so blessed and full. God has done so much for me, in me and through me, that I have to give thanks to Him for it all. Is this what Thanks giving really is about?  I know that the official government holiday is in commemoration of the early settlers and pilgrims. They gave thanks to Jehovah for safety, and harvest and family. But, is that what Thanksgiving is really about?
I have to say, unequivically, YES, that is what Thanksgiving is about. It is about the family, food, traditions and memories. It is about thanking our Creator God for all that he has provided. It is about thanking him for not zapping us when we fail Him. Thanksgiving is about giving thanks for the salvation that God provided through the blood of His Son. It is about the future that he has planned for each of us and for the opportunities that will come, all because of His Love for us.
  Let today be the day that we make the decision: " I will give thanks, daily, to GOD, for all He has provided, all He has done, and all He will do, in my life. I give thanks for these things in the lives of my family and friends. I give thanks to God for His son, who died freely on the cross to give me redemption for my sins and a future in His presence."
  Let us all give Thanks, today and everyday!

Hell Fire and Brimstone

  There is a thought that says "God is love."  This is very true and yet it is not complete.  Because God is love, he is also righteous and true.  God's righteous love also has a equal degree of righteous anger.  Our sins are against people but they go against God's law, thus the sins are ultimately against God Himself. Because Jehovah Elohim is the Ultimate Good, He cannot be a part of sin.  He has told us in His word that death is the penalty for our sin. Physical death for sure but even more important to remember is the spiritual death that we gain because of our failure.  We know that He provided a way out of this spiritual death, through the atoning death of His Son. I have a hard time coping with the idea of HELL FIRE but I must remember that it is MY choices that will either send me to Hell for my sins or to Heaven by GOD'S grace.  The possibility of having to spend eternity in torment is scary but I know that by GOD'S grace and the blood of Jesus, shed for my sins, I don't have to worry about it. Heaven is mine!  For those who don't like hellfire and brimstone, God is calling you to himself. He loves you and wants you to serve him but He only wants you on His terms. He provided a way but it is up to you to accept and believe.  I hate to have to tell anyone that there is a sinners hell but I only can repeat what the Scripture says. The choice  is up to you, dear reader. "Thus saith the Lord" is all through His word.  The love of God is written throughout the book but so is the righteousness of God. The time to choose is now. Tomorrow is not guaranteed to any of us but the future is. Heaven or Hell, which will it be? Only you and GOD know for sure.  Just thinkin...

Jesus thinks that I was to die for!

 I just saw the post of a friend that made the statement "Jesus thinks that I am to die for".  Got me to thinking about the different posts of this type that I have seen since I got involved on FB.(and some that I have posted)  I can't ,and won't, pretend to know the status of others when it comes to salvation. That is between them and God. What I can speak on is my personal status and that of those who deny the existence of God, the Deity of Jesus, the reality of heaven and hell and the reality that those who deny are bound for eternal torture.     Believers are promised eternal life, with Christ, in heaven.  Unbelievers will spend eternity in perpetual torture.  "The FOOL says in his heart, there is NO GOD!"  The time is now for each of us to decide whether we will serve God and live or whether we will deny Him and die. "The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." "It is given to man once to die and then the Judgement." "For God so loved the world, that He gave his only son......" God's son, Jesus of Nazereth, stretched out his arms, on the cross, and gave his blood to wash me clean. He came from heaven, lived a sinless life as a man and died on the tree. He gave me a new life, new purpose and a book full of promises.      My question for you, dear reader, is very simple: "What will you do with the gift that Jesus has given to you?" He thought that "I was to die for" and He thinks the same of you. It's just a matter of what you choose. Eternal life or perpetual torture. Life or death. The time to decide is now!!!

What in the world was I thinking?

     What in the world was I thinking when I learned that someone had lost a loved one? What in the world was I thinking when I learned that the lady down the way had fallen a broken her hip? What in the world was I thinking when I heard that a church members cancer had come back and she is only given a few short months to live?  What in the world was I thinking?  Did I remember Christ's word's, "What ever you do for the least of these my brothers, you do for me"? I am ashamed to admit it, but I didn't.  I've had to do some serious soul-searching today because I have learned that I have failed to live up to this, among others, command.  The lady with cancer was a very active member of my church until she got sick. When no one came to visit or try to help, she reached out to someone else.  Fortune smiled on her, in the face of someone from another church family. God blessed her with a support system and people willing to help when her own church family seems to have failed.  I am guilty before GOD.  What in the world was I thinking? "I don't know them that well. What can I do? I'm sure someone else is taking care of that.  I'm not part of that ministry team." Feeble excuse's come on adnauseum and I have no viable answer for my failure.  When I stand before JEHOVAH to answer for my life, as surely we all shall, what answer can I give that will appease His righteous anger?  Truthfully, there is none. I will only fall on my sinful face and beg mercy.  Blessedly, Christ will say,"He belongs to me, Father." What were you thinking? What will Christ say about you?

Learning...

Where do you learn the lessons of life?  A favorite school teacher? A sunday school teacher or parent?  What about your grand-parents.  Tonight I've learned from a teenage girl. "Hello takes a few seconds but Goodbye takes a lifetime." (Mariah Peralez)   How often do we say hello, without ever thinking of the impact that we may have?  How often do we say goodbye and never again consider how this person has affected us?  Our cheerful hello is the beginning of a relationship that may last for minutes, hours or days.  It may be a pleasurable relationship or one that brings sorrow, headaches or even regrets.  Either way, it only takes a few seconds to say "Hello".   Goodbye, on the other hand, is often preceded by a relationship that has been positive and long lasting.   A situation that we hope will not end, even when we are separated by distances of thousands of miles.  Hello or goodbye? Either one can be positive or negative, depending on how we conduct ourselves during the ensuing relationship.  Our own outlook has an effect on everyone that we meet.  Our smile or our scowl, our positive or negative manner?  Each affects the other. A cheerful "Hello" and a tearful "Goodbye".  Together they say, " You are a friend that is important to me.  You are someone that I will miss.  You are someone that I can't wait to hear from again.   Think about it the next time you say "Hello".  It just might be the beginning of something really grand.  Just thinkin.....(and thanking someone special)

Just thinkin'

Sitting here at the house,  reading the weird and wonderful world of FB and thought, "Is this really a good use of my time?  Sure, it's fun. Sure it's funny! (thanks to Darin Kidd) But in the grand scheme of things, what good is it when considering the immortal soul? But then, how much of our day to day inter-actions and activities have any purpose and benefit in God's great plan. We never know when someone is watching us, wondering why we have a smile when times are hard and why we seem to have a glow of contentment during a hard day.  Of course, they probably wonder why we claim to be Christians and laugh at or tell that off color joke and listen to certain types of music.  What effect is our day to day walk having on our co-workers and family?  What are we doing to present Christ to the cashier at the convenience store where we buy our morning coffee.  What have we said to that grouchy old man at the sandwich shop, that might help to alleviate his constant bad mood.  Could it be that the cashier and the old man have the mood that they do because WE fail. Yes, our failure to present Christ in our daily talk (and walk) could be what is causing these strangers to have their outlook.  What good is our vocal claim to Christ without the walk and what good is our walk in peace and good will without telling people why we feel so blessed.  Our completion of the "Great Commission" is more than reading our bibles in public, witnessing or passing out tracts or walking with a peaceful countenance. This aspect of our Christianity is a multi-faceted intertwined thing that must be blended together and presented day to day. Christ didn't say "sometimes go or sometimes share", he said "GO!"

New things

  Having spent 30 plus years traveling the highways of this great land, I have spent many hours listening to teachers on talk radio, talking to other truckers on my old 2-way and LOTS of time talking to God.  I can't help but wonder if some of my experiences and insights could help someone else in their day to day interaction with others and with God. This blog is just my feeble attempt at giving back some of the help that I have gotten from pastors, truck stop chaplains, friends and mentors.  Lots of us have traveled the Interstate highway system and have gotten confused on the cloverleafs and switchbacks in major cities.  I believe that life is very much like these confusing interchanges.  Without signs, maps and information, we would all get completely lost and never find the proper destination at the end of our trip.  My bible, the God who gave it to us and whose story it is, are the road maps that I have used , and still use, to get to this point in my life.  I can only say that these, and the teachings of Godly men and women have helped me to survive the cloverleafs on the highway of life that has been set before me.  Welcome to my world and the musings to come as I try to give back some of what I have been taught.