Celebration Grounds

Sometimes I wonder how people can be so insensitive to others and just want to take something because it is there.  

We live in an area of Tennessee where three of the seven Cherokee tribes lived over 200 years ago.  We can see there lifestyle in local museums and for the most part they got along well.  That is unless they crossed over into the other tribe's hunting grounds. 

Near our town and home is the place where they would gather and celebrate the Cherokee games (like our Olympics) in which the entire Cherokee nation would come.  Our town use to be called Telliquah - The Gathering Place.  Also near our home are the Celebration Grounds for the three local tribes.  There are stones that jettison out of the ground up to forty feet.  In front of those stones they would come, get married, and thank the Great Spirit for a blessed Spring, Summer, Winter and Fall.  On the stone they would carve markings as part of the celebrations.  Those markings are still there today and I love to just go and stare at their work.   They loved and appreciated the area that the Great Spirit had given them.

Then in 1829, gold was discovered in the area and those people coming in the area invaded the Indian Territory and when they killed animals for sport the Indians revolted and killed the invaders,  The government said that these people were too wild to live with the civilized nation and so they had to be rounded up and moved out of the way for progress sake.  (Indian Removal Act of 1830)  The government never even tried to get along with these people but moved them to Oklahoma.  Even today the city where these people are located is called, Telliquah, Oklahoma.  Read the book, "Trail of Tears" and you too will be in tears as to the way the US treated its people in the name of progress.

I give you this history lesson because these people had a better relationship and dependence on the Great Spirit for every provision than we do today. They looked to the Great Spirit for every need and watched for nature signs that are around us even today.

It is a shame that it will take a tragedy worse than what is taking place in Japan before many of us turn to the Savior of this world.  For those who parish in a future tragedy, it will have been too late. 

Sunday I picked daffodils near the celebration grounds and just dreamed of what it might have been like over 190 years ago as they sang and praised the Great Spirit for helping them survive another winter.  At that moment, I too was in praise and appreciation for what the Lord has given to me, you, and our nation.

Are you that appreciative to celebrate making through another day or a season in your life?  It may not be everything you wished for but still there is reason to celebrate.  Can you share that celebration with anyone?  Try!

Playing in the Boiler Room

Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the Good News of Christ, for it is the power of

God to salvation for everyone who believes.”

Over the past few years Americans have focused on our freedoms.  We emphatically expressed our freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of individuality, and some new freedoms we never knew we possessed. 

Then came 9-11. 

I remember that suddenly we focused on our freedom of family relationships and freedom of religion. Church attendance rose and contact was made in strained family relationships.   It was terrible that it takes a tragedy to get people to focus on what is really important.  Now it is Japan and the events surrounding that country.  What is next? Are we waiting to see where it happens next? 

 During crisis we take our freedom of family and religion seriously. But have you ever thought how you would conduct your life if those two freedoms were taken away?

When I was a child, every Tuesday night was choir practice for my parents.  Often there was no one to watch us, so a group of 7-11 year olds played together in the church.  We had been taught about the early Christians and the great persecutions.  History told us that they loved the Lord so much that they held church in catacombs (tombs in caves).  We hardly understood the meaning of such big words, all we wanted to do was play church in the catacombs.

Our church in Ohio had a dingy basement and in one corner was a boiler room.  So while the choir was practicing upstairs, we went to the boiler room.  This area was dirty, smelled of oil, and was poorly lit with one bare light bulb overhead.  To us it was a perfect place for church.

The oldest in the group acted as our “pastor”.  We would listen for the choir to sing and then we would sing.  The lights were extremely dim, but our pastor preached anyway.  That 11-year old gave us his best hell-fire, and brimstone sermons, telling us to not be ashamed of the Gospel and to be saved. What I recall most was listening to our pastor with one ear and for a parent coming down the stairs to find us with the other.  It did not take long for us to get caught because the smell of kerosene oil on our clothes gave us away.

Yet there are people in the world today who live that story every day of their lives. 

We need to ask ourselves some questions.  What would we do if our freedom of worshiping the Lord was taken away?  Would we blend in and not talk to others about it?  Would we change the subject if it was brought up in a conversation?  Would our witness as a Christian shine in those times of trouble?

The reality today is that some people who have a relationship with the Lord act as if their freedom is gone from Monday through Saturday.  After they walk out of the safety of the church building, they won’t mention the Lord until the next Sunday.  These people haven’t even waited until our freedoms are taken away to act as if they were.  They seem to be ashamed of the Gospel and its power. 

Do we live our lives as if the wonderful news of our Savior has little to do with our daily life?  It’s time to look at ourselves.  Is it time for a change?  In your prayers today, ask the Lord for boldness and the opportunity to talk about Him to others.  As a Christian, you have a story to tell and the freedom to express it.  It will not start through a religion but in a relationship with the creator of the universe.

Don’t be ashamed of the Good News!

Books in Our Lives

Matthew 20:28  That is what the Son of Man has done: He came to serve, not be served - and then to give away his life in exchange for the many who are held hostage."

The speaker at a large church in Chicago came to the front of the room and began talking about the impacts that affect how we live our lives.  Lined up across the front of the stage were three platforms.  On each platform was a closed book..  As he spoke, he opened the first book and called it “our past”.  He tore out a few pages and tucked those pages in the book on the center platform called, “our present”.

So often we grow up by taking some of the worse or best times of our lives and carrying them on to our present lives.  It can shape us to make decisions that affect those around us.  Little things that drive Lynnette crazy come from events in my past that I have carried into the present.  Most of those I really want to forget, but they just creep back.

Soon the speaker in this church takes pages again out of our past and places them into the third book, called “our future”.  He noted that he completely by-passed the present.

As we are growing up we are sometimes are reminded of our failures.  Maybe we were not too athletic in sports.  Therefore when we become adults, we try to live our past though our children and push them to be the best at sports.   

Yet so often we take pages from our past and place them in the future.  We try to be what we could not be as a child.  As the speaker noted,  “We make up whatever we need to say or do to “prove” we did not fail as a child.” 

You see for years as a young man, I was told about my failures as a child.  I can still recall my father saying that I was never going to be successful in life.  I can still recall, “You don’t have enough sense to pound sand down a rat hole”.  Or “Your about as smart as a hill of beans.”  Therefore a part of me pushed to change the past, prove him wrong, and make a better future so the past could be forgotten.  Still a work in process.

Jesus is one of the great parts of the past that belongs in our present life books, because He is to only one who can give us a great future book.  His life and death is one of hope and grace that takes every failure of our past and throws those pages away. 

We don’t need to keep the pages of our past or present because we have some great pages in our future book.  Many times it takes a conscious effort to give the Lord our past, but the new pages of your book includes eternal life and a close relationship with the Savior of the world.

A Carrot, An Egg, and a Cup of Herbal Tea

Several years ago, I read an email and thought how the content is one of those parables Jesus might have taught. It’s a message that can help us deal with whatever life throws our way.

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed that as soon as one problem was solved, a new one arose. Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to a boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed a herbal tea bags. She let them sit and boil, without saying a word.

In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the tea out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me, what do you see?" "Carrots, eggs, and tea," she replied. Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg. Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the tea. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich herbal flavors. The daughter then asked, "What does it mean, mother?"

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity ...boiling water. But each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground tea in the bag was unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.

"Which are you?" she asked her daughter. "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or herbal tea?"

Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength? Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did you have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, became hardened and stiff which impacts your friends, and family? Does your shell look the same, but on the inside are you bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart? Or are you like the tea bag? The tea actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain and frustration. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the herbal tea, when things are at their worst, you get better and look to the Lord to help change the situation around you.

When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest, the Lord’s help elevates you to another level. How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg, or herbal tea? 

The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way. The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can't go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.

When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling. By living your life in a daily relationship with the Lord you’ll be the one who is smiling when this life is over.

For me the tea is in the boiling water and changing the situation every minute.   

Can’t you smell the tea aroma around you?

Peace in the Valley

Today is a new day and I will rejoice in it.  

Easy words to say but much harder to do when you get up early and the only song that comes to your head is "Peace in the Valley".  The words, "Well I'm tired and I'm so weary, but I must toil on" is not a great way to get your day started.  

Our pastor has been teaching on seeking God's Favor and noted that it is mentioned 118 times in the Bible.  So each day I petition the Lord to give me His Favor, peace, and direction for the day and for me to demonstrate it with faith.  

But in trying to get a new product into the market I find business events put a strain on your faith, your life, and your family.  I have asked, "What am I missing along the way, Lord?"  And then I wait for Him to come into the office and tell me flat out.   Not being factious but just seeking answers and direction.

Looking at a first business email sent in 2006, I realized that I have been striving to sell our new products for four years as of today.  Where is the success?  Why haven't things sold?  What am I doing wrong?  What is it that God wants me to do?   And the questions go on and on.  

I have confided in a mentor to get his view and he said that he sees no place that I have gone against the Lord, as doors open and then close in the business environment.  Nor have I done things without sound business principles.  Yet the reality of today weighs heavily on my heart as I seek what the Lord has in store for our family.  

Nevertheless, I seek the face of the Lord to give our family direction, understanding, and peace.  I continue in faith so that we can have a story of encouragement for everyone some day.  Yes, that Peace in the Valley to be a strength for those starting down the same road.

It's tough being transparent but the Lord calls us all to grow and help each other in that way.  May you have that peace and Favor from the Lord today and every day!

The Least of These

It all started on Sunday afternoon.  While working on landscaping, the dogs went crazy barking and clawing at the fence.  In the distance I saw a small gold and white cat on one of our rocks.  I didn't think anything about it but soon the kitten was coming down our driveway just crying loudly.   I finished the seeding of grass and sat down in the chiar.  This kitten was scared but bold enough to come next to me and rub against me.


Soon the kitten was up on my lap just begging to be petted.  You see our area is a great place where people drop their animals instead of trying to get them a home or take them to the shelter.  We have four adopted dogs because two of them were dropped by our home and they were named within the hour by Lynnette.   Our problem with this kitten is that one of our dogs would love to kill anything smaller than her that moves inside the fence.







Therefore I am writing this as I wait for the animal shelter to open.  The kitten is helping me type this blog and has been laying on my lap. 

All this made me think about the passage where the Lord says that you do it unto the least of these of these, you have done this unto me.    I know He meant other people and I hope that each one of us can find someone who needs our help.  But right now I hope that taking this kitten to a place where it can have a great home and not be killed by dogs for the pleasure of it will give another person peace and contentment from such a loving animal.

Who are to helping this week?  Maybe it is adopting a pet that can give you love all the time and not demand anything.  All Love - All the Time         What a concept!  Sounds like our Savior doesn't it?

A Single Request

 Luke 18: 40-4 "Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, 'What do you want me to do for you?' 'Lord, I want to see,' he replied. Jesus said to him, 'Receive your sight; your faith has healed you.'"

Even though it has been several months since Christmas, I'm reminded of the Christmas lists my young children would give me on Thanksgiving Day. It almost seemed as if it was a competition to see who could have the longest list. Chad would tape pages together while Stephanie would write on both sides of the paper and along the margins.

One would have thought that after receiving only a fraction of what they wanted year in and year out that they would have learned to ask for just a few items. But as my daughter says today, "No matter what I put down on the list, Dad got me something not on the list. Something I really needed."

We make shopping lists, wish lists, want lists, needs lists, prayer lists, and sometimes lists of lists. My wife, Lynnette is well known for her lists. I depend on them to get things done in proper order but I am not a list person. That is, until I am required to make a list.

In today's scripture, the man could have asked Jesus for any number of things. But there was only one request. "Lord, I want to see." Our prayer life shouldn't be limited to a list of our "wants". Instead we should approach our quiet time with thanksgiving, praise and love for God. Then we should lift up the needs of others in health, safety, or any issue they might have. Lastly our needs should be expressed. 

More importantly, we should just talk to Jesus as a friend and build on our wonderful relationship knowing He will supply all our needs.  But can you keep it to a single request?

"Did you Hear What I Said"

“Did you hear what I said”, was a common phase I heard a lot as I grew up. Teenagers have learned the art of "tuning out” parents. We are old, we are dumb, we are out of touch, and we are an embarrassment to them.

Therefore they feel justified to develop selective hearing. The trouble is that many times that rolls over into adulthood. Being an ADHD person, I am many times guilty of hearing everything someone says, but processing only part of the information. It drives Lynnette crazy when she asks the question, “Did you hear what I said?” My brain heard every word and I can repeat back every word. Yet I have only processed part of the words and very little of the point of the communication.

We may hear what is being said, but we are sometimes too occupied in our own world by continuing to read the newspaper or watch whatever is on television.

I think God has a great sense of humor. He created us to be drawn to someone who may have a personality that is opposite to our own. What we found cute or attractive during the dating process becomes a communication issue after marriage. A detailed person and a outgoing carefree person can raise a lot of issues throughout the relationship.

It can develop to the point that we when communicating we tune each other out. Then we see couples going to desperate measures just to get the other person’s attention. When in a conversation, I use pronouns, instead of nouns, that can mean nothing to some people but I know exactly what I am trying to say. My weird mind had processed the data and in some cases my mouth expects other people to catch up.

Strangely enough both my children follow where I am headed when talking about a subject. They just say, “I know what he is saying, it’s Dad.” But this area of communication is something that I have to work on daily in marriage and business.

How do you communicate with your friends, spouse, and others? Do the differences in personalities contribute to a conflict? How can you be a better communicator? Do you really listen to what others are saying?

In this area of my life, it is a constant conscious effort to work on being clearer in what I say, and what I mean when I speak words, while at the same time listening to what the other person says.

An old philosophy question in college was “If a tree falls in the woods and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound?”  Talking to yourself can never be construed as communication. That may be why couples are so often desperate for real communication.

Men, just because your wife is around the children all day does not mean she has ample communication for the day. She needs to converse with you. As one lady put it, “I need an adult conversation.” Communication will never happen if we are the only one talking or we are never listening.

The Lord talks to us daily through people and His creation. All He wants is for you to communicate with him. Our prayer lives can reflect how well we communicate.

Do we just tell God what is our selfish agenda or do we listen for Him to show us the life he wants us to live? Did you hear what the Lord said today?