Category Archives: Ramblings

Life, Ramblings, Sermon Illustration

New Day New Chance

Every day is a new opportunity for a second chance.  In life, God allows and desires U turns. Every day as you wake know that it is not over.  God wants you to be more than you were yesterday.  It is never too late to change.  No matter how far you have come.  No matter what you have become.  It does not matter how big a failure you may thing you are.  No matter what others may think or say about you.

God gives us two gifts.  The first one is choice and the second is chance.  A choice of a good life and a chance to make it the best it can be.

Every morning that you wake up it is a another chance to get it right.

Dear past: Thank you for your lessons.

Dear Future: I am now ready

Dear Now: God thank you for another chance.

Oh God of the second chance and new beginnings, here I am…. again.

Ramblings, Theology

Judgement

There is a difference between discernment and judgement.  Further more there is a fine line between them.  I believe you can and should discern that which you encounter in our lives and things in our lives.  I also believe we should not and can not judge anyone. So what is the difference.  In the process of discernment, if the examination includes a comparison and yourself, you have reached the line.  And the moment you think yourself as being better you have crossed the line.  The difference between examination and condemnation, the difference between discernment and judgement is comparison to self.

Ramblings, Sermon Illustration

When all else fails!

When all else fails!

Not wanting to be sexist, but in my experience men have a tendency to look at the world differently than women.  Men have a tendency to look at a puzzle, a problem, an obstacle, a task or even something that needs to be fixed and see not the solution but a methodology to accomplish the task and view it as a challenge to his masculinity. “Don’t confuse me with instructions, directions or even advice, I’ll make this work,” is the mantra of the manly psych.

This problem with this methodology of attack, this course of action, is  this may well accomplish the end, a great number of the instances of the implementation of overwhelming force seems to have less than perfect results.  For that matter, they sometimes become utter failures.

The difference in results has always been directly relational to my over estimation of my own ability and ignorance.  The mantra changes to, “Don’t confuse me with facts, my mind is made up.”  Or even worse, “the solution that I have worked out is a better solution.”  And it does not matter if it needed vast quantities of super glue or duct tape.

Even with overwhelming numbers of failures, we often just keep on going.  “Never surrender, never give up.”  “I don’t need driving directions, I am not lost, I am just exploring.”

I would surmise from this hard headed, stubborn frame of life and its problems, it is often harder for men to simply, “trust and obey.”  To allow God to give us direction.  To allow guidance from the divine to measure and construct our lives.

Ramblings, Sermon Illustration

Glory Land Train

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Years and years ago a favored saint presented a reading.  He was a retired actor from Hollywood.  His name was Knobby Schaefer.  He had numerous small parts in movies in the past and he had moved up to the big woods of Idaho to get away from the hectic life of show biz.  The reading has been lost through the ages and I have tried to find the original text and the closest is a poem by Jim Swettenham penned in January 9, 2014.  I know it is not the original but it is close enough.  Someday I am going to get enough courage to present it in church.  For now here is the poem that I found:

Stop, look and listen
Hear the steam a hissin’
The whistle it does blow
Sounding mournful and low
People in a big corral
Pushed toward train bound for hell
Some getting trampled underneath
Such wailing and gnashing of teeth
Not a pleasant sight or sound
Crammed in train that is hell-bound
Weighed by anchor and by chain
Afraid of the long black train

But look at the neighboring track
People slap each others’ back
Anxious to climb on board
The train driven by the Lord
Listen to the bell a ringin’
Hear the passengers a singin’
But why do passengers seem so few
Come aboard there is room for you
Climb aboard the ride is free
Jesus paid the ticket for you and me
Leave behind worry and pain
Take your ride on the Glory Land Train.

Thank you Knobby, you are remembered and in Heaven because of the right track.

Ramblings, Sermon Illustration

Possessions

Not to long ago I spent 7 hours cleaning the my storage shed.  You see I don’t have a garage any more because I converted into a combination study, theater, laundry, and sauna .

Every box, hammer, nail, screw, piece of camping gear, and piece of wood was moved at least three times.  It seems to me the longer you live the more possessions one accumulates.  As I lugged box after box to a new place in the garage I realized some of this stuff I have not used or even looked at for over a year.  Why do we keep so many things?

But then again as each box was moved I took the opportunity to see what treasures I was so adamant in keeping.  Found some pictures thought lost, books read but worth a second chance, wall hangings speaking from former homes; all more than their worth at a yard sale but less than a treasure.

But I will move them again and again and again.  Not because of the worth defined by the rest of the world but what each mean to me.

Ramblings

Don’t stare

Every great work, every big accomplishment, has been brought into manifestation through holding to the vision, and often just before the big achievement, comes apparent failure and discouragement. 
Encouragement is a team sport. Its very nature is to be shared among people. If you want to be encouraged by others, start by encouraging other people. Encourage others to pursue their dreams, to recover from setbacks, and to keep on caring in the face of disappointment. Link arms with worthy partners, gaze into the future pool of possibilities, and keep going! You can glance in the rear view mirror, but DON’T STARE!
Ramblings, Uncategorized

Who Am I?

I am sitting at my desk attempting to discover what I am. To determine in reality, what should be my chief concern. I need to come to some understanding of the why of my being. Is the chief concern of a man to see that his own soul is right in the sight of God. Is it “to thy own self be true”? It was the wise Solomon said, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” I see the thong of the world about me and their portrayal of those masses in all communication mediums and it seems its all about the right medicines, the right toilet paper, the right cell phone, the right crowd, the right breakfast, the right car, the right everything. You can add your own list of right things. But, in reality are these right things my chief concern? How many shirts can a guy wear, how many cars can I drive?

The common conciseness is not to think but take the hints of everyone else to dictate reality. But if every one is following, who is leading? We all seem to think a great deal about the covering of the body, but do not think anything about the ornaments of inside. The feeding of the physical frame engrosses much care, but the supply of internal intrinsic food is often neglected. I am more than what I wear, eat, drive, wipe, listen. I am more than this vessel. As long as I am overwhelmed with the outside the inside will starve. My outside is sucking up all the resources of my being and my soul is malnourished. Deep thoughts, but it is a step to meaningfulness.