You are of More Value

Pulling out of the driveway tonight I saw something very strange.  I hadn't seen anything like it before, but it looked like a mouse or a tiny gremlin just sitting in the middle of the driveway.  Many leaves have been falling, so I tried to think of it as a leaf, but I couldn't.  So Lora Beth and I got out to examine it, and stooping down to investigate, to my shock I found a sparrow stuck head down in a small hole chipped a couple inches deep in the asphalt.  Better yet, we could see that its little body was heaving and that it was still alive!

I gave its tail feathers a gentle tug pulling it out of the hole, and rested its body on the ground.  A small worm was hanging out of its mouth, but it seemed unscathed and unbroken.  I attempted to pick it up, but it flew a few feet into the grass, and quicker than I expected, the sparrow took flight into the woods behind the house.  Within a minute's time, the whole incident had started and ended.  Lora Beth looked up at me with wonder in her face, and I knew I couldn't waste the moment.

Back in the van I asked the kids what the Bible said about sparrows.  One of them shouted out, "That we're more important than sparrows!"  And oh, how right that is! 

In Matthew 6:26, Jesus is quoted saying, "Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?" 

And again He says in Luke 12:6-7, "Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins?  And not one of them is forgotten before God.  But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows." 

I told the kids that if God looks after the sparrows, and this one in particular and sent us to help it, how much more does He think of us.  He loves us and values us more than that "many sparrows", and yet we had compassion on just one.  Praise the Creator who cares about people, giving hope and shining light where we might not have thought it was possible.  Yes, He cared about that one little bird, but He cares about us more.

My Salvation

When I was four, I thought you had to memorize John 3:16 before you could be saved.  I also thought that being baptized meant “being saved.”  I thought it was an impossible task, and I just feared death.  That’s what I really thought at 4 years old.

I used to fall asleep in church during sermons.  The way it would work is we would find a seat, the organ would play, the choir would come in and sing, everyone would sing and then greet each other, more singing, take up money, THEN as the preacher would start talking, I would lay down in the pew, put my head in my father’s lap, and not wake up until the music started again.  That was church for me as a kid, and for some people it still is. 

I was baptized in the 3^rd grade after walking the aisle during a revival at Faith Baptist Church.  My niece and brother left our pew and started down to the front during the closing invitation.  I didn’t want to be alone, so I went, too.  I was asked if I understood everything and if I took Jesus to be my Lord and Savior.  I wasn’t about to say why I really came down, so I ended up as one of many white robed baptizees a week or two later.

I regularly went to church until sometime during the 4^th grade.  My dad had stopped going for the most part, and so I started playing sick on Sunday mornings.  Mom would come in and tell me to get out of bed.  I would say I didn’t feel good.  She’d tell me to get up and dressed.  Dad would defend me and say I could stay home with him.  Then as soon as mom would go, I would feel so much better.  I would watch westerns and wrestling and sometimes dad and I would just work out in the garage fixing cars.  Okay, I would play and dad would work on cars. 

People from the church would send me little postcards saying they missed me.  Even though I wanted to, I was afraid to go back.  In Sunday School they kept an attendance chart that was covered in stars for those “faithful” children.  I was afraid of what that chart would look like after a couple years, so that fear kept me from going with mom.

I remember sometime in the 6^th grade playing war hero in the backyard.  I was unhappy with my life and I wanted God to fix it.  I remember looking up in the sky over the house and praying out loud, “God, if you’re really there, then give me a million dollars right now and make me the most powerful man in the world.”  (I know.  It hurts.)  Well, I gave God a whopping 10 seconds, and I remember praying, “I didn’t think you could do it.”  Then I did something that really hurt the whole “age of accountability” thing.  I prayed, “Satan, if you’re really there, then you give me a million dollars and make me the most powerful man in the world. " At that moment, I knew I had crossed a line.  I got this uneasy feeling in my gut, and I knew right then that if I died I would go to Hell.

For a while I struggled with my fear of going to church, but eventually we all went.  It might have been Easter.  I don’t remember the day, just that it was spring-time.  I don’t remember anything about Sunday School, the music or the sermon.  During the invitation the pastor Sandy Sandlin said, “Now draw an imaginary circle around yourself, and it’s just you and God in that circle.  Now tell God why He should let you into His Heaven.”  I didn’t have an answer.  I knew I was a sinner.  I knew I was going to Hell.  He led anyone that wanted to become a Christian in a prayer, and I prayed it with all my heart.  On that day, I was changed.  God bought me, cleansed me, and adopted me. 

I didn’t go back to church until the 7^th grade started and fortunately they didn’t still have those attendance charts up.  I looked.  The youth group was one of the best things that ever happened to me.  Craig Lile made sure that there was some kind of Bible lesson at every activity.  I learned so much.

I didn’t get baptized until after Joyce and I had started going to Scotland Baptist Church 7 or 8 years later.  Today, I know who owns me and is still transforming me into the image of His Son Jesus.  This is my story.  This is my salvation, and I am so thankful for a God that never gave up on me. 

--Johnie

A Temple is Necessary

In Matthew 24:15, Jesus describes the beginning of the end by quoting the prophet Daniel, "When you see the abomination of desolation standing in the holy place...", and it makes one wonder what is this thing the Master is speaking of.  It goes back to the prophecies of Daniel where he describes things that are going to happen at the end of this age and just prior to the beginning of the thousand year reign of Christ Jesus on this earth. 

There will be a peace treaty with Israel, but after 3.5 years, the one we know as the Antichrist will set up an image of himself in the Temple and will proclaim himself as God and will terrorize all who do not worship him.  This will happen for 3.5 years after 3.5 years of peace.  After a full 7 years, then Jesus will return to reign on the earth for 1000 years.

One thing that is missing for the fulfillment of this prophecy is a new Temple which will be "the holy place" that Jesus mentions.  Currently there is an old mosque called "The Dome on the Rock" right where the holy place must be for this future event.  The  mosque, built in 691 A.D., covers a sacred bare spot of ground thought to be where three things took place (only one is considered sacred to the muslims).  First, muslims believe that it is the spot where Mohammed was taken up to heaven.  Second, it is believed to be the location of the "Holy of Holies" (i.e. - the holy place) in the destroyed Jewish Temple, and the future location of the holy place talked about by Jesus.  And finally, it is regarded by some as the place where Abraham was interrupted from sacrificing Isaac and then saw the ram caught in the thicket. 

The jews that pray at the western wall ask for many things, one of them being the super-natural destruction of the dome of the rock.  Apparently something will happen to it and a third temple will be rebuilt, undoubtedly making muslims all over the world spit-fire mad.

When the dome is destroyed, look out!  Things will be closer then than ever before.  As much as satan would like the credit, we know that the timeline of things yet to come is God's plan and we know how it turns out.  We are plainly told these things in the Holy Scriptures.  We must ask God to help us understand them.


--Johnie

Gift of Life and Love

I just felt like writing a little about my history. I was born in the General Hospital in Wichita Falls, TX, at lunch time on a late January day in the mid 1970's. My mom was 45 years old when I was born. Dad was 50. Mom had gone into labor several times during the 3 weeks prior to my big day. I was a C-section baby because my mom’s pelvic bones had calcified. Every time I wanted out, her body wouldn’t let me.

I know my life is a gift that nobody else would have ever given but God. I was the only child of my parents’ second marriage. They had been married to each other, then divorced, then reconciled. They even remarried in the living room of the house I grew up in. My four sisters and 2 brothers were all from their first marriage. They all agree I had it good, too. The son of my father’s old age, I was. I was his pride and joy – the apple of his eye. My mother has called me her “special blessing” my whole life - if she only knew how much of a special blessing she has been to me.

When I was 6 weeks old, I had a problem mostly occurring in first born sons. It was where the valve of my stomach wouldn’t open, so whatever I swallowed wouldn’t go down, and so I had surgery to fix it. I don’t think anybody believes me but I think I remember being in the hospital then, hooked up to a lot of tubes, just looking out into a well lit room. For years I believed I had been shot by an indian. When I asked about my scar, I was told so many times that “that’s where the Indian shot you” and I really thought I had to watch out for the indians – they’re dangerous!

My brothers couldn’t believe how spoiled I was growing up. I remember crawling into my parents’ bed many times as a little kid. I would get scared almost nightly and take refuge there right in between them. But I don’t know what they thought about it. I wouldn’t go to sleep. Instead I would just be afraid wide-eyed and wiggly in their bed. My mom had an old picture of two owls hanging up at the foot of the bed. In the daytime, they didn’t bother me a bit. But at night when a little boy’s imagination goes wild, and when the outline of momma’s owls glowed along with their eyes, there was no containing the mental processes at work! I honestly remember thinking those owls were blinking and staring straight at me! I remember when I was about 5 or 6, they told me to just go back to bed. Even at that age you know when not to ask again because you understand tone of voice. That’s why I would go back to my room and wait. Then after a while I would stealthily sneak down the hall back to their room, like a cat carefully stalking a bird. I would enter their room, being very diligent to make no sound and make my way - under their bed. That’s right! Parents beware of children like me! Before the break of dawn I would awaken and would sneak out and go back to my own bed and go back to sleep. But I felt so much safer near them in the night. This I did many times.

Some people can’t remember their early childhood. I can’t forget mine. It stays with me. I have never lost it. Growing up I fought hard to not lose my memories. I now realize they are a gift to me. They are not gone, but instead they’re just a different reality I’ve experienced, just like this moment right now. I can draw from those experiences, and rest in the fact that God is still God over them just like the now. I thank my God for His wonderful gift of life to me!

--Johnie

Where Our Preparation Meets God's Provision

Once, a preacher listened to another's sermon.  The one preaching afterward commented that he never prepared for his sermons, but instead let the Holy Spirit preach.  The listening pastor retorted, "You can't blame THAT [the sermon] on the Holy Spirit!"

Christians know that God is our provider.  We know that we are to place all our faith and trust in Jesus.  So if God is going to provide for us and meet all our needs, then why not just sit around and wait for Him to do His thing?  I mean after all, wouldn't that show that we have greater faith and trust Him more? 

Yesterday Joyce saw a woman and a couple of teenagers taking donations for a church youth fundraiser.  They asked her if she would like to make a donation.  She asked what they were raising money for, and to her surprise, the woman answered, "For our pastor's appreciation gift!"  Wow!!  I am still shocked that this is something worthy of a fundraiser!  If she appreciates her pastor, who is not my pastor and who I do not know, then why doesn't she give him a gift?  Why doesn't she cook supper for his family?  Why does his congregation have to beg at the door of Walmart for a gift of appreciation for him?  It is totally appalling and shameful that they would pass up the gifts God has given them to give, and instead plead for gifts from those who do not truly appreciate the man.

I can just imagine how Joyce would feel if our kids begged for money outside Walmart to get her an expensive Mother's Day gift.  What was this woman thinking!

In 2 Kings 4, a distressed widow asked Elisha for help.  She would soon lose her two sons to slavery if she didn't pay off her debts.  Instead of giving her money, Elisha asked what she owned.  Understand this carefully:  A lump cash sum of $100,000 would not have helped this woman the way God wanted to help her.  She may have expected money, but God wanted her to trust Him and get closer to Him.  She only had a little oil in a jar.  Elisha told her to borrow vessels, "and not just a few."  She could borrow as many containers as she liked, but it required leg work.  Eventually she decided she had enough, and she and her sons filled them all up out of their small jar.  But once they were out of empty jars, the oil stopped.  She then sold the oil, paid off her debts, and they lived off the remaining money. 

Where did her preparation meet God's provision?  The widow's action of faith was the preparation.  She gathered vessels.  She poured the oil.  She paid the debt.  But it was God who filled the vessels.  God stretched the oil.  God provided everything for her to pay.

Another story is of Naaman the leper.  He wanted to be healed of leprosy, but He didn't like what God instructed him to do.  Why wash in the Jordan river when the rivers back home are cleaner?  What if he would have washed somewhere else besides the Jordan?  He would have died a leper.  Even if he would have washed six times, he still would not have obeyed.  It had to be seven. 

Here, Naaman's act of obedience was the preparation.  There is nothing magical about those particular waters that will heal a sickness after seven baths.  It was only for Naaman at that time.  God provided the cleansing of Naaman's infected tissue and skin for healing.

All said, we know that God is the one who provides for us and it is not of ourselves.  But for any doubters still, if God just wanted His children to sit around and do nothing, He could have left out a good portion of the Bible.  Nehemiah would have sat in a lawn chair drinking a pina colada instead of building the broken wall.  Esther would have kept silent, and Joseph would have kept those dream interpretations all to himself.  Noah would have been looking for a very large package from Federal Express, because surely God wouldn't have meant for him to lift a finger to build the ark!  Surely not! 

I think you see my point:  God is our provider, but He expects us to do what we can with what He has given us, but it is He who ultimately does His work through us. 

--Johnie

This is His Story

On Easter morning we went to a sun-rise service that was out on the lawn in front of the sanctuary.  A group of roughly 70 souls sang praises to our God and Saviour for His great and wonderful gift of adoption and eternal life.  As the color came into the sky, the pastor read from the Bible where Paul wrote to the struggling Corinthians who followed Christ.  In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul breaks it down to the absolute basics of Christianity.  If Christ did not rise from the dead then we who call ourselves Christians have no hope at all, and are to be pitied above all others.  For if we only have hope in this life, but not in the after-life, then what does it matter.  Our joy and our hope would be in vain.

So why do we have hope?    Paul testifies that over 500 people saw the risen Jesus at once, and that most were still living at the time he wrote the letter.  He tells of his own persecution of the church, but how he last of all saw Christ, "as one born out of due time."  In other words, Paul was born a month late into the family of God.  He was given a special gift hand delivered by Jesus himself.  He spent all his efforts trying to disprove the claims of "The Way", and now he meets the Way himself, and realizes it is all true.  Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

Do you know Jesus?  Do you really know the Son of God to where you can hope in Him and talk to Him?  When it comes to death and what mysteries lie beyond this life, do you have your trust in Jesus?  What we fear most is judgment, but Jesus said He didn't come to judge the world, but that the world was already under judgment.  Jesus is the only one who can step in between us and God's judgment, because He never sinned and we have.  We need a perfect Saviour, and Jesus is the only way. 

But Jesus is not picky.  You don't have to get all cleaned up before you can come to Jesus.  He already knows your sins, but you have to stop justifying yourself in your own mind and own up to the sin inside you.  The Bible says that whoever sins is a slave to sin.  If you don't believe me, just try to be perfect.  As long as we wear our flesh around our souls we carry our capacity and nature to do wrong.  It is also the thing that inhibits our fellowship with our Maker God.  Jesus gave himself up to die on a cross for you and me.  The cross He hung on was my cross and your cross.  A person who rejects Jesus' authority and sacrifice, rejects His payment which covers that man's sin.  But whoever believes in Him and His sacrifice, shall not perish, but will inherit eternal life.

It has nothing to do with working hard to earn the right to go to heaven.  You can never be good enough on your own. 

Trying to get there through good behaviour is what I call WORKS.  Works looks like counting good deeds, hoping for a good life by honoring your dead ancestors, or trying really hard not to do any wrong.  Works can save the whales and unborn babies, and even be a doctor on the front lines saving the lives of soldiers wounded in battle.  But the premise that you can work your way into heaven is still self-justification. 

The hymn says it best.  Jesus paid it all.  All to Him I owe.  Sin had left a crimson stain, but He washed me white as snow.

Believe in Jesus, and call out to Him, and He will save you just because He loves you.  He loves you so much, He got on your cross to pay your debt.  When you give your life to Jesus, you become His, and you become an adopted child of the Creator of the Universe.  This is His story written out in our hearts.

--Johnie

My Diet Journey, Part 2

It has been 3 months since beginning Weight Watchers, and so far I have lost 14 lbs.  I must say as time has gone on, it is harder now to keep up with the points.  I started off just eating a few things all the time, but then one of those things (frozen egg rolls) became a highly sought after item, and I pretty much haven't had them for a couple of weeks, and may not have them again.  I have found that salsa and small round Tostitos corn chips is a very tasty and low points snack.  Also I try to limit the amount of breads, starches, and chocolates I eat. 

Yes!  Chocolates had been a favorite staple in my diet from Thanksgiving through Christmas, thus I got to be where I was by January.  Although I am not giving them up completely, I'm just eating less, and unfortunately, much less. A few times I have made my own chocolate when we didn't have any in the house.  Sometimes it tasted better than others, but to go to all that work just for a little snack really keeps you from doing it all the time.  Also I would use Splenda when I made it, usually along with less sugar.  That helps, too.

For breakfast I usually have a banana and a couple cups of foo-foo coffee.  For those of you who don't know about foo-foo coffee, I'll tell you it's not the black kind.  I like it with vanilla and hazelnut creamer, which is sadly high in points.  I sometimes like it black, but it just tastes better with sweet flavors.

Well, I'm about half way to where I want to be, weight-wise, so I'll openly share this with the whole world as a type of accountability to keep me sticking with my plan.  Over and out.

--Johnie

You Possess My Soul

Though darkness closes in,
Though night is all I see,
You, oh Lord, are here with me.
You are here with me.

Though trouble's all around,
I will not be afraid,
You, oh Lord, possess my soul.
You possess my soul.

Holy Lord, Creator of all things,
You sent Your only Son,
To be the sacrifice for me.

And all that I can do
Is be amazed by You,
My God who's here with me.


--Johnie

Context of "I am Crucified with Christ"

Well, this morning I learned something new that really spoke to me.  I have always loved Galatians 2:20, that goes, "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."  I think most Christians know the verse.   Well, this morning for the first time ever, I learned that this was spoken by Paul as a public rebuke to Peter for ceasing meals with Gentiles when certain Jews came to him from James in Jerusalem to Antioch.  Peter was falling back on the law he grew up with just to look good in front of other Jews, albeit that they too were Christians.

I have always memorized this verse as a bite-sized theology morsel that stands alone, but in the context that I now understand it was spoken in, it probably came with much pain and a small bit of righteous anger as Paul confronted Peter from his heart.  In context, it has more depth. 

It is so important to find context with scripture.  I have read in many books and heard many more pastors grab a verse and then try to make the verse say what they needed it to say to fit inside a 3-point sermon.  But the Word of God speaks for itself, and we should try to understand the who's, what's, when's, and where's of what we are reading in the Bible in order to more applicably understand what happened and how it applies to us.  We need context.

To put it another way, a person could grab a ton of verses out of the book of Job and use them for a lesson or sermon and many of them sound pretty good.  But they might have been Job's friends speaking, for which the Lord severely judged them for their inaccuracies of who God is and how He works.  It would be irresponsible to use verses from the Bible if those verses were quoting someone who was later discredited in the Bible.  The Bible tells how it was, not embellishing the truth to promote a certain cause or belief, as many critics claim.  The dirty facts of history conveyed in the Holy Scriptures, teach us through the broken and sinful lives of others.  The Bible shows us how God deals with sinful man, and how He still desires relationship with us.

As for Peter, God was still working on him, making him ever-so more like Christ.  Yes, Paul rebuked him, but he didn't abandon him.  The rebuke was apparently taken to heart by Peter.  He didn't fall away or run away.  The next time you read Galatians 2, just imagine Paul saying his discourse to you.  What would it be about?  Is there any area in your life where you are using the law like a crutch? Are your ideas about God at all performance based?  Are you trying to earn God's favor?  Before you say "no", ask yourself how real you are at church, and how real you are as a Christian in the world.  Sometimes we dress up for church or we ask our church leaders to wear a suit and tie.  Does the outer appearance make one holier?  We know the answer, and it should be convicting, in a good way.  Maybe in our soul searching, we can start to understand what it means to be crucified with Christ.


--Johnie

Union Unrest, Democrat Deserters

Hark!  Are these the blusterous winds of spring a-blowing, and not even yet March, or is there something else afoot.  The Muslim world is exploding like a tin of Jiffy-mix Popcorn tossed in the fire.  But Minnesota?  That cold land of cows, cheese and the Prairie Home Companion has always seemed like a peaceful land of cool accents?  Right now though it has more angry protesters on their house floor than I ever thought possible.  At least in Texas, they had rules about who could be on the floor of the state legislature, but then again maybe I didn't get the memo about the sporty orange t-shirt "free pass". 

Too bad those protesters that keep showing up can't proxy for the democrats that won't show.  I totally understand their frustration that once they go back to work, the vote will happen and they will essentially lose.  I just want to know if they are still getting paid while they are AWOL?  Are they sending in fake sick notes to the governor like the spirited pro-union bunch that didn't show up to work?  In every job I've ever had, I went to work even when I didn't like it.  If somebody was going to hire me, I would do all I could to not fail the hand that signed my pay check.  They trusted me to do my job, and I did my best.  But honestly, to lie about being sick so they can march and protest - it doesn't win my sympathy.  Did these state senator's take their cues straight from Monte Python?  Their battle cry seems to be, "Run away!  Run away!"  If they don't like their jobs, then why don't they just quit?  If a team doesn't show up to a game, they forfeit, and this is no different.

Are unions bad?  No.  They formed out of necessity and helped people get safer work environments and out of slums.  But that's not what it's about anymore.  It's about power.  I wish I could say though that the unions would protect people's jobs, but it's just not true. 


Johnie

What America Really Needs

Thank you.  Everybody, please have a seat.  I would like to welcome the new 112th Congress, even the new speaker, John the former bar-sweep.  I said please have a seat.  But, seriously,  let's stand in honor and solidarity with Gabby Giffords who is recovering tonight.  You may be seated.  Now I know we've had our differences, and we don't see eye to eye on practically anything, but that's a good thing.  The system is working.  We are all part of the big American family.  And of course, that is bigger than any of our real families.  

I found this little saying in a fortune cookie I was given.  Can we work together tomorrow, like we are sitting together tonight?  Stand and clap as long as you like.  I believe we can and must.  Obviously, the voters who sent all the new congressmen to this house did so because they thought governing should be a shared responsibility, and not just left in the hands of one party.  To get new laws passed, both democrats and republicans must move forward together or not at all.  Somebody's got to give, and we know I'm right.  Let me put it this way, this is bigger than party and politics.  It's bigger than any one of us.  Why, it's really, really big!  Elections come and elections go, but they don't mean as much as jobs and the economy.  

We are poised for progress!  Boy, are we poised!!  How I can feel the poising tonight!  How shall we measure this progress?  By what kind of opportunities for a better life we leave for our children, besides the national debt.  I'm talking about the tax cuts we made last month.  Now that's what I call a boost in your pay check.  Yeah, the world is changing, and some people have seen their pay checks shrink.  But that's because the days of easy jobs are over.  A lot of stores are closing.  Factories are boarded up.  Down towns are deserted.  Well, the rules have changed.  But why have nations like China and India been doing so well, while America hasn't?  It's because their kids are smarter than American kids!  We've got to out-innovate, out-educate, and out-build the rest of the world.  Who knows!  Maybe that will get our labor costs as cheap as those of growing countries.  Good time to clap.  Good time to stand, too.

Now nobody in the world is as creative or ingenious as America.  But it is the governments responsibility to pay for research and development, because, if they didn't who would?!!  The Internet and GPS would not have happened without the government flipping the bill for research.  Sure, it was for military research, but that's just what we need - more military.  Just as long as you know, this is your sputnik moment....
___________________________________________________

Oh, I just can't stand it anymore.  These speeches are mostly a pep-rally for the Presidential party of the moment.  I do like to hear their big aspirations and plans.  But the system works because of the checks and balances brought on by election-day mood swings of the masses.  If the republicans just gave in to what the democrats wanted, they would just be all democrats.  The new Congress in the House reflects the will of the majority for right now because they want change.  But it will change again.

I know how it feels to be one of those unemployed faces, feeling under-utilized day after day.  I wished for work and even wrote the President, telling him about it.  I have friends right now that are in the same boat.  I enjoy hearing these State of the Union speeches, because they are slightly funny.  They only rally those who voted for that particular President. Such speeches only emphasize the differences while trying to say words of solidarity and unity with an under-tone of "my way is the right way." 

God knows His plans for our nation, and they aren't about making it an economic empire.  They aren't about frustrating children with even longer school hours and more home work.  They aren't about funding a research grant.  His plans haven't ever changed from generation to generation.  People need a Savior to save them from themselves.  Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.  That's His promise. 

Seek the LORD while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the LORD, And He will have mercy on him. - Isaiah 55

That's what I want to hear in a President's speech.  But who needs the speech when we've already been given the words of life.

Disciplined Diet

At the beginning of the year, I joined Weight Watchers.  I was heavier than I'd ever been in my life, and knew I needed some dietary discipline.  At my first weigh-in I weighed a whopping 202 lbs, which is technically considered obese.  In Weight Watchers they tell you based on your height and age how many points you can eat a day and they are calculated to help you lose weight.  You don't eat "diet food" unless you want to.  Instead you eat what you normally do, only with something very foreign called "portion control" tied into it.  That's right - Weight Watchers is about self control, portion control, eating healthier, and just all round discipline.  If you exercise, you get a few more points, because you burned more calories.  You can eat all the fruits and vegetables you want because they are calculated at zero points.  That is unless you cook them in oil or sugar.  You have to count the points for those. 

Needless to say, in my personal weigh-ins, I have lost 7.2 lbs so far.  My target weight is 167 lbs, so I have a ways to go, and I am planning on making it there by April.  It's really amazing how I feel so much better even after losing just 7 lbs!  Well, I figured maybe I could help inspire others who have wondered about joining Weight Watchers to lose weight, especially guys.  I know that I always looked at that kind of thing as something women did, but I don't anymore. 

It only costs $40/month, until you maintain your target weight for 6 weeks and then it's free!  I can hardly wait for that!!

--Johnie

Three Wishes in Alabama

Friday when we were on the long trip of our journey from Georgia to Texas, we had to stop on one of our many potty breaks in Alabama.  When we walked into this certain convenience store, there was an Indian working the counter.  He was an Indian like from India, and he had an elaborate Indian turban wrapped around his head. 

When we walked had just gotten through the door, Andrew exclaimed in amazement, "Dad!  A Genie works here!"  And the guy really looked the part.  He really enjoyed watching the kids pick out snacks, and was very friendly.  I just really liked hearing what Andrew said in his innocence.

Later, Johnie

Talking to Mom on the Phone

Don't get me wrong.  I am really glad to be here in south Georgia.  In a short two weeks this summer, I went from Census worker in Wichita Falls to Engineer in Georgia.  And I like it fine.  The people are nice.  The weather is a little bit more tolerable.  The trees are prettier.  There are about 7 Christian radio stations, even if only two of them come through well all the time.  So I'm glad to be here.

But when I talk to my mom on the phone I really long to be back in Wichita.  Let me paint you a picture of what I miss.  Earlier I called her.  She told me about the rain, and boy is it raining there right now!  The strong thunderstorms of north Texas are so familiar to me.  For 20 years I studied the rain through those same windows, and I can just picture it in my mind.  I have been soothed many times by the churning rumble and steady drips that put me deep in thought.  Over the phone I couldn't hear the rain, but I could hear Tennessee Ernie Ford playing loud and strong.  If you know my sister Nelda, then you've no doubt experienced what I'm describing.  She loves Ernie Ford so much, for years she wanted to marry him! 

In just an hour from when I'm writing this, Gayle is taking mom and Nelda to the Cousins Family Reunion held this year at Faith Baptist Church.  And mom described to me how Nelda is sitting in her special chair with her poncho already on and holding two umbrellas.  She's ready to go. 

 Well, I'll get to be back there in about a month.  In the meantime, I think I'll just sit back and enjoy being with my family here in this nice south Georgia weather.


Johnie

Be the Hero

We went to a birthday party today where they had swimming.  While I was still lathering everybody up with sun screen, Lora Beth started flailing around in the water, and then I heard something that changed my whole demeanor.  I saw her pop up out of the deep end water, and she spit out, "I'm drowning!"  Now if any of you know me, you know I don't really like water, and I hate to even get my head under.  But I just jumped in and pulled her over to the ladder. 

Now the rescue didn't look poetic or dignified.  I was probably sputtering as much as she was, but in an instant it was over.  The danger had passed.  Then I realized what had just happened.  I could have lost one of my children!  What if I hadn't been there?  She could have died right there.

I have heard salvation described as pulling a drowning person out of a sea that is full of drowning people.  We pass those drowning people in the aisles of Wally World every time we're there.  Dying people check us out at the cash register.  They honk at us in the parking lot and cut us off on the street.  These are the people that Jesus wants.  They are the people that Jesus gave up His life for.  Trust the Holy Spirit's guidance when you see someone who looks like they need hope.  That's what our salvation is - HOPE.  Give out the hope of Jesus, and help someone out of the hopeless ocean of sin and pain.  It is awesome to pull someone from drowning.  Let's pull them out of something that not only affects this life, but the next.

Let's also not forget that those of us who know Christ were once drowning in our own sin and shame, too.  Someone cared enough to reach out a hand and pull us out with the simple message of the gospel.  It's our turn to be the hero for someone who needs this hope of Christ.

Gone Fishing

Today I went fishing with a friend out to Lake Nocona.  We got to some really good fishing spots with his boat - spots that couldn't easily be gotten to from the shoreline.  It was a beautiful lake with trees and hills all around.  My friend Kevin took me to all of his favorite fishing spots, and we did catch a few fish.  Okay, I caught few fish.  I caught one bass total, which is stretching the word "few" quite a bit.  Kevin caught three bass, a crappie, and a bluegill.  Written all down, it sounds like a lot, but we fished for 5 hours. 

If you only knew how much I wanted to catch a fish!  With each cast I just knew that a fish was going to tug my line tight.  Then my lure would be back at the end of my pole and I would cast it back out with hope in my hand.  By the way, I caught the first fish within the first hour.  That means that four hours went by without reeling another one in.  I got a few strikes, but we ended up calling it a day a little after noon.

While casting out my line, I kept thinking about Jesus telling the disciples to not give up fishing.  Once they had already quit for the day, and the other time they were about ready to quit since they had been fishing all night without catching anything with nets.  That's some depressing fishing!  But just like God filled their nets to increase their belief in Him, He had kept their nets empty all that time beforehand. 

They fished in their own efforts and caught nothing.  Then with just a word, Jesus enables them to catch more than they could have imagined.  In the same way, our best efforts to do God's work fall short when they are not through faith.  Yes they got tons of fish, but it wasn't so that they could have fish.  It was so they could see that they needed Jesus.  Jesus wanted their trust and relationship.  He gave us a light and easy yoke, much better than the burden we carried when a slave of sin.  He bought us with His grace.  Let's thank Him for taking the pressure off when it comes to catching fish, whether they be our big dreams in life or just a simple fish hanging from the end of a string.  We catch something better when we accept what He gives us willing.  We get closer to Jesus.

First Place Goes To...

Our oldest daughter won the 3rd 9-week Jefferson Elementary school-wide writing contest.  It had to be a letter of complaint.  Hmmm....Should I be concerned that she won a letter of complaint writing contest?  LOL.  By the way, her school has a uniform dress code.  So enjoy "Trouble with Uniforms".

 

Dear Mr. Page:

You should really end the rule that says that we must wear uniforms.  There are some wonderful reasons why this rule should end, and you will certainly agree after you read this.

One reason this rule positively must be put to an end is that public schools should certainly be more like other places.  For example, you don't have to wear a polo shirt to Wal-Mart.

The next reason the uniform rule should absolutely end is that we only want to wear the clothing we like.  To explain, no kid wants to wear only the certain styles that a bunch of grown ups pick out.  It is also true that we express our selves best by the way we look.  A football fan might want to express itself with a favorite team shirt.  A person who likes red and green could express him or herself by their favorite colors being worn on the same shirt.

Above all, uniforms should certainly stop because we could be cleaner.  For example, we don't have clean uniforms in our closet every morning.  A student might have to wear the same filthy clothing they wore yesterday.  We also sweat a lot in thick, hot cloth.  We can't always find and buy thin material shirts.

As you can see, the uniform rule is not important.  I have plenty of wonderful reasons why it should positively end.  You must, absolutely stop uniforms.  Please consider this urgent request.

Sincerely,

LBL

 

When she wrote it, she didn't relize that it was the parents, not the principal, who voted to keep the kids in uniforms.  But she did a good job, even though she did "air some dirty laundry."  Chuckle-chuckle!

A Child's Perspective

This is one of my favorite stories from my kids. 

At Josiah's 3rd birthday party, the big moment had finally come when he could open his presents.  He reached inside a gift bag and pulled out a couple of nice matching little boy clothes.  With a puzzled look on his face, he held them up and asked, "Laundry?"

Uncomfortably Out of the Box

Sometimes God allows us to be very comfortable in our lives - good job, nice house, great neighbors, beautiful neighborhood.  And we have to look closely to find where it is that we rub up against the world.  What I mean is that whole "in the world but not of it" verse, except it's when we are hardly aware that we're in it.  Sometimes the closest that we get to seeing the lost world is a trip to Walmart. 

However sometimes, we are thrust out of our comfort zone into an uncomfortable and unpleasant darkness, where there is no love or forgiveness.  That is the real world for some people.  I'm talking about battered women, unloved children, and depressed men.  It amazes me how many people don't know about God's love and it truly breaks my heart.  Some folks don't even know a small bit about Jesus.  In their mind, He's up there with Buddha and Gandhi and Mohammad.  And all the while they think they've got to work their way to heaven while living in fear that their best efforts just won't be good enough. 

We are called to take them the truth and love them and show them that Christ wants them right now just like they are, just like He wanted us when we were hopeless.  How easy it is to forget that we were once "on the outside" and we had weird ideas about heaven and how to get there.  But we have been given a gift, and a gift is meant to be shared with someone. 

So are we safe and sound in our snow globe world where we don't have to touch the untouchables?  Switchfoot has a song ("Gone") that says it like this, "we got information in the information age, but do we know what life is outside our convenient Lexus cages," and I think it's a fair question.  Sometimes playing it safe is just an excuse for not doing anything we find uncomfortable.

So take a risk for Jesus and do something that is out of the box that might even be uncomfortable.  But in so doing, think of the beauty of a miserable soul hearing the word of God for the very first time.  Trust me, there is a high that comes with such a moment as that which is addictive and makes the safe life look empty and vain.

A Road in the Forks

If you were to ask me where I thought we might be living come September, I would have to say I have no idea.  Oklahoma, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Ohio, Alabama, New York, who knows, maybe somewhere still in Texas!  With all of these places calling out my name, I keep praying, "God please open the door You want me to go through and please close all the others."  I may not know the future, but God has already seen all my days out to the very end, so He knows where He wants me and I trust that He will lead me there.

We all have good friends here in Wichita Falls, and for that reason alone it would be nice to stay here.  But we also have a good church and lots of family here, too - even more reasons it would be nice to stay.  But no door has opened up here yet, and so far I don't see that changing.  God, you know I would like to stay, but whatever you want, that's what I want.

I feel like I'm standing in a huge intersection of paths just looking for a sign pointing me in the right direction.  Honestly, I have even tried walking down each of those forks on my own just to see if I could find some clues of discovering the right one, but they all end up blank country roads with no distinction, and I just end up back at the cross-roads.

I know God won't leave me here forever.  I know He has perfect timing, too.  But the communication chain feels very one-sided at times.  The only notes I keep getting from God say, "Trust Me."  Thanks for that plan, God.  Thanks for spelling it out for me so that I know what You're up to.  I am trying to trust fully, but it is not easy.  God, I trust You, but help me trust You where I struggle with trusting You!  I'm here at the fork in the road.  God, please show me Your road, Your chosen road in all these forks.