Life Goes On

My wife and I have just returned from the trip of a lifetime courtesy of our firstborn and her husband.  In 10 days we were in 5 states and 5 National Parks.  We flew from Orlando, FL to Denver, CO and met up with Kendra and family.  After a short night in Denver, we boarded the California Zephyr, early in the morning and headed for GrandJunction, CO.  The train ride was super with reclining seats, great views of the countryside and dinner in the dining car.  In Grand Junction my son in law rented a van and we spent a couple of days touring Colorado National Monument and Canyonland.  How anyone could view the magnificent scenery and still doubt there is a God is beyond me. Boarding the Zephyr again (this time in the evening) we traveled to Salt Lake City, UT, arriving about 1 a.m.  After sleeping a in a bit, we once again rented a van and headed out to view The Arches.  I quickly began to feel my age hiking in the altitude with the beginnings of a...

In the midst of all the terror that is visiting our cities and streets today it is easy for one to decide that God has abandoned us.  The truth is that He is desperately trying to get our attention.  I think we are in that period that Peter spoke of in his second epistle 3:9 "The Lord does not delay His promise as some understand delay, but is PATIENT with you, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance."   God's patience is being extended to us and He is allowing events to happen that pushes us toward repentance.  One of the most memorized and quoted verses in the OT is 2 Chronicles 7:14 "and if My people who are called by My Name humble themselves, pray and seek My face, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin and heal their land."   Notice that the verse begins with a lowercase letter which indicates that it is the continuation of the previous verse which is almost always left out when this passage is preach...

Today is Independence Day, 2016.  Our office is closed; I slept past 6:30; I have no agenda for the day except to get a walk and a work out done.  The thought just crossed my mind to drive over to Lakeview Drive and do my walking there.  Sounds like a plan. The only problem with these thoughts is that my mind is programmed to work.  After almost 65 years of working (I had my first job at age 13) it is difficult for me to encounter a day with no agenda.  I think that is why I don't really "unplug" until about half way through a two week vacation. The big thing I'm going to attempt today is to spend less time in front of the "boob-tube".  That seems to be my "go-to" thing when I have some down time.  So...here is the plan that is emerging; Walk in a different locale and pray as I walk Work out at the fitness center Spend less time in the recliner in front of the TV Read Take a nap Enjoy fellowship with my wife I hope I'm able to pull th...

I'm sure that most of you have been in a shopping mall and looked at a Mall Directory.  There will always be a little symbol with the words "You are here" to help you locate where in the Mall you are.  From there you can plot your course to a particular store.  It is too bad that many people have no idea of where we are in our country these days.  Some think that we are in good shape so far as jobs and personal finances are concerned.  Others feel exactly the opposite.  Some are absolutely sure that if only the right party or the right person gets in office that we will be fine.  The time has come for us to locate where we are so that we can navigate to where we want to be. The reality is that we are alienated from God.  When I say "we" I'm talking about our country, the United States of America.  We daily violate the laws of God and have even enacted federal laws to insure that we continue to violate God's Law.  ("Thous shalt not kill"...

The church is like a home.   Portal   Porch   Path   Purpose     The PORTAL of a church is the entry point.  The portal must be visible, accessible and inviting in order for people to become interested in entering.  For the church the portal is not only the door, but the "First Impressions" people; the ushers and welcome-center personnel.  The PORTAL is also our website, Facebook Page and Twitter account.     The PORCH must be a place of comfort, informality and welcome.  This should be a place where those coming through the portal find a welcome and feel "at home".  For most churches this would be the Worship Center.  It should be a combination of beauty, style and comfort.  The layout should foster interaction rather than isolation.  It is on the porch that immediate relationships are formed with special emphasis placed on the pre-service and post-service behavior of members....

It is Monday morning.  My brain doesn't always work best on Monday mornings, however here are some things that are running around in it today. I drove through Dunkin Donuts and clearly ordered a medium hot coffee with 2 creams and 1 mocha swirl.  When I got to the window they handed me a LARGE but at least they got the rest of the order right.  And yes, I did pay for a large.  Made me think that in order to deserve $15 an hour minimum wage your should be able to get a simple order correct and also be able to make change without a computer telling you how much to give back.  To expand on that idea, in order to deserve $15 and hour you must be worth $20 an hour to your employer. Enough of that.  I'm fascinated and excited about the news of revival breaking out in W. Virginia.  It seems that God shows up in the most remote places. I have been praying for weeks for revival to break out in Highlands County, FL.  Although that is where my church is, I...

The "flap" over restroom usage is the last straw.  Transgenders make up less than 2% of the population of the US, yet the PC police have decided that they should be given special privileges because of their mental illness.  Yes, I said mental illness.  That may not be politically correct, but it is biblically correct.  I'd rather fall into the hands of the PC police than into the hands of an angry God.  I've heard it said that if God does not judge America, He will have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah.  That is "tongue in cheek".  God never has to apologize for anything.  However we should learn from the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah that when we choose to defy the Word of God and do "our own thing" there is a price to pay that is higher than we can imagine. I've been reading the letters to the seven churches in Revelation 2 & 3.  Judgment is sure upon those who choose to spit in the face of God.  Don't be lulled into complacency bec...