In honor of my nephew, a pilot in the USAF
20 Oct|
RULES OF THE AIR FOR PILOTS
~ Every takeoff is optional. Every landing is mandatory. ~ If you push the stick forward, the houses get bigger. If you pull the stick back, they get smaller. That is, unless you keep pulling the stick all the way back, then they get bigger again. ~ It’s always better to be down here wishing you were up there than up there wishing you were down here. ~ When in doubt, hold on to your altitude. No one has ever collided with the sky. ~ A ‘good’ landing is one from which you can walk away. A ‘great’ landing is one after which they can use the plane again. ~ Never let an aircraft take you somewhere your brain didn’t get to five minutes earlier. ~ Stay out of clouds. The silver lining everyone keeps talking about might be another airplane going in the opposite direction. Reliable sources also report that mountains have been known to hide out in clouds. ~ There are three simple rules for making a smooth landing. Unfortunately no one knows what they are. ~ You start with a bag full of luck and an empty bag of experience. The trick is to fill the bag of experience before you empty the bag of ~ Good judgment comes from experience. Unfortunately, the experience usually comes from bad judgment. ~ Keep looking around. There’s always something you’ve missed. ~ Remember, gravity is not just a good idea. It’s the law. And it’s not subject to repeal. ~ The three most useless things to a pilot are the altitude above you, runway behind you and a tenth of a second ago. ~ There are old pilots and there are bold pilots. There are, however, no old, bold pilots. (This was today’s funny from mikeysfunnies.com)
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A real challenge ahead for the church
17 OctThere is a challenge ahead for the church in North America. One like she hasn’t faced in DECADES. And I wonder if we are as strong as our forefathers were … The survival of the church is in the balance!
With our economy in the pits, we who follow Christ are tempted to follow suit with the world and trust ourselves and our judgment more than God. This affects the Body of Christ far more than we can imagine. It’s not just a financial thing, although our faithfulness in stewardship IS heavily affected by this. This part of the trend is heavily documented, as many churches run behind in their budget giving like never before.
Even sadder is the way this affects our FAITHFULNESS in other areas. We trust God less and less and therefore step out on faith with Him less and less. And this directly stifles our effectiveness in the kingdom of God. Not only are we not giving, we are not doing and we are not going.
If there is ONE THING God demands from us, it is our ABSOLUTE and TOTAL TRUST. Nothing less will do. And then we will GIVE, GO, and DO. And my prayer is this challenge will be met and overcome. SOON!!!
Where it is!!
14 OctYes, I finished my visits to Progressive Physical Therapy yesterday. After seven and a half months, or 32 weeks, however you’d rather say it. (32 weeks is actually NOT 8 months … remember, 26 weeks is a half-year or six months)
But am I ALL that I can be?? Is my arm perfect?? NO. But it is a lot farther along than we ever thought it would be. I will always appreciate what Pam and the folks at Progressive did. They definitely went over and above!! For months! The last few weeks we’ve prepared for this and done things to get me ready to continue at home. My elbow bends much more than Dr Mezzanotte ever thought it would … Even he is impressed! The shoulder is surprisingly stiff and has been the focus of therapy for weeks now. It, too, has come a long way. And it can go farther. That all depends on ME!!!
So, that’s where it is! I don’t go back to the doctor until next month. He hasn’t even mentioned joint replacement the last two times I’ve been there. I know that is out there, but I’m hoping it is a long way down the road!!!
Did the devil try to keep me from EBC yesterday??
10 OctI believe he DID!! The weekend started like any other weekend in which we were making a way-too-short trip to Easley and Clemson. Diana had to work in Columbia on Friday. And, she had to come back to Florence before we could leave. So Drew and I met her at her office and we drove straight through to Greenville to meet Krissy and Kristina for supper. Therefore, it was late when we got back to Mom and Dad’s. We were all tired. Instead of going to the grocery store after the two K’s went back to Clemson, I decided to get up and go early on Saturday. That’s when things got interesting …
Early Saturday morning, I went out to go to the grocery store to get the rest of the stuff for our tailgate. Imagine my surprise when I found the front left tire on the van COMPLETELY FLAT. COMPLETELY. AS A PANCAKE. Drew got up and helped me get the tire off of the van and I took Mom’s car to go run my errands and get the tire fixed.
Errands went smoothly … Tire repair did not. I finally found the Goodyear place in Easley to be the only place open and able to fix the tire. And they were SLAMMED. The guy told me it would be 45 minutes. I left the tire so I could take the groceries home and possibly eat breakfast. I returned about 50 minutes later knowing the tire would be ready … HA HA HA!! That didn’t work.
The guy asked me if I wanted to plug or patch it. It was a small nail, but I knew a patch would be safer so that is what I asked for. After 90 minutes, I finally got the repaired tire. Took it home, put it back on the van, and away we went!! (I am thankful this tire went flat in my parent’s driveway, not on the road Friday. I think it went flat quickly overnight, because the tire didn’t appear to be damaged. Lots to be thankful for on this one!)
We went to the tailgate, had a TON of Krissy and Jesse White’s friends come over, and went to the game. I checked the tire again before we left for the game and it was great!! 35 lbs of air in it!! We went to the game, hustled back afterward to get on the road, and … you guessed it … the tire was almost flat again!! I had a can of leak-stop in the van and put most of it into the tire. We decided to ride back through Easley and hope the place was still opened. But it wasn’t. And by the time we got to Easley it was slack again.
Now would be a good time to confess that one of my great fears is car trouble. In May, 1992, I moved far away from home and have been driving for hours to get home ever since. And one of my great worries is what would happen if we were stranded on the road in the middle of nowhere . Now, with my arm situation as it is, that fear is even greater. Don’t get me wrong: I pray, I try to leave it at His altar. But I’m being honest here … I worry.
Before Diana and I could debate the possibility of trying to go home on the fake spare, Mom called back. She said she and Dad would really feel better about this if we came home and took her car and figured this thing out later in the week. Dad can’t ride in her car, so she only uses it when she is running errands while someone is home with Dad (most of her driving now is in the wheelchair accessible van).
I look back and know God was in all of this … Both times this tire started it’s shenanigans, we were in a place where help was readily available. I probably never would’ve asked Mom and Dad to do that … And God took care of that, too!
I know flat tires happen … But I do believe the devil didn’t want me to preach yesterday. And I believe it even more after hearing some of the responses to it!! The devil tries to win victories all around us every day … Keep praying that he WON’T!!!!
Love Really IS the Answer
4 OctLove is a verb … Love is the KEY … Love is the GREATEST COMMANDMENT … Love is GOD … Love is a many-splendored thing … Love is a way of life… And, all we need is love!!!
Ok, I stole that last one from John Lennon, but this list can go on and on. LOVE is a WEAPON in spiritual warfare??? Yes it is!! You’ve probably heard me say that just as God inhabits praise, I believe the devil inhabits our conflict when we disagree in ungodly ways. And, by that I mean when we allow our own pride or anything else to get in the way of God’s will. And the answer … the ultimate affront to the devil’s schemes … is LOVE.
When we love each other with God’s kind of love, there is NO WAY the devil can wedge himself in. I believe that frustrates his plans and it helps the kingdom of God grow and flourish.
So, once again, if you ask me … Love is the ANSWER!!!!
Love your enemies
30 SepFred Sanford encapsulated a true worldview when he misquoted Jesus Christ by saying “do unto others BEFORE they do unto you.”. If there is one thing this world believes in, it’s that. Sadly, many in the church believe it, too!
Sometimes that mantra is used to justify being mean to others. Sometimes it’s used to justify covert operations and the betrayal of trust. Sometimes it’s just a great excuse because “everybody else is doing it!”
What would Jesus do?? Even better, what did Jesus COMMAND us to do in the Sermon on the Mount?
He said “it’s easy to love your friends and those that love you. I want you to love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you!”
WOW! The answer, once again, is love. Even if they are throwing stones at you. Even if they are stabbing you in the back. God will reward your love. It is His way and His command!!
So the next time the devil tempts you to hate, pick up an even more powerful weapon: LOVE!!!
One Pastor's Perspective 